Comment of the Day
Today Joanna O’Leary named her top five politically incorrect food icons. Some readers wrote in to add to the list, while others said political correctness has gone too far. But it was this anonymous comment that caught our eye: See the Land O’ Lakes woman’s knees? Back in my best…
Hey Texans, Has Anybody Checked On Wade Phillips?
“I have so much more confidence. Generally, when you make any kind of change, you sort of hold your breath. You say, ‘Boy, I hope this works out.’ I’m not saying that here. It will work out. [Wade’s] done it. He’s been there. He’s come in, he’s looked at our…
Valerie Ricks, 55, Bayou Body Count No. 112
The body of a middle-aged woman was found lying on the side of Highway 288 early this morning, police say. She was dead from a gunshot would to the neck. The body of Valerie Ricks, 55, was discovered by a couple driving past at about 5 a.m. in the 4700…
MTV’s Top 5 WTF Moments
As previously noted in Rocks Off, August 1st, 2011 will mark the 30th anniversary of that moon man planting that flag, claiming cable for MTV. In 1981, even the biggest dreamers at the channel couldn’t have imagined what it would become, or that they would relegate videos to 3 a.m…
Justin Bieber, Britney Spears Tweeting to Help Houston Family
Das Bieberino is on the case!! Justin Bieber, Britney Spears and other celebrities (and some wanna-be celebrities) are tweeting in support of Houston kids whose parents were killed in a West texas car crash. Two of the three Berry children are paralyzed from the waist down…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 58, Breakfast Pita at Niko Niko’s
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Top 5 Songs About Being Dead Broke
Rocks Off caught a little of the coverage of the Obama adminstration and Congress’ deadlock over the country’s impending default on its debt this morning. We could barely make heads or tails of it, but the underlying message was fairly clear: Holy shit, are we ever fucked. We are already…
TS Don: And Then, Depression Set In — Tropical Storm Could Bear Down on Texas by Friday (Updated)
The National Hurricane Center reconnaissance plane found winds strong enough in Invest 90 to declare it the fourth tropical depression tropical storm of the 2011 hurricane season — their next full report is at 6 p.m. As we mentioned in our most recent post, most forecasts continue to call for moderate strengthening as…
Good News, Ladies: Jesse James Is On The Market Again (And We Have His Match.com Profile) #jessejames
It seems like just yesterday that Jesse James and then-wife Sandra Bullock split after he was having affairs with a bazillion busty, tatted-up 20-somethings who liked to have Nazi-themed sex. What a catch. It seemed that Jesse had found love again with LA Ink star / tattoo artist / Eagles…
Tasting Notes: This Week in Wine Blogs
Know a Houston-based blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. Vintage Texas: If you’ve been following along here at Wine Time on the Eating Our Words blog, you know we’re never hesitant to lead with Vintage Texas in our weekly wine…
Debt Ceiling: The 10 Worst Tweets From the Texas GOP Congressional Delegation
As the GOP debates whether it wants the Tea Party to drive it (and the country) off a cliff by playing games with the debt ceiling, we looked to Twitter for the updates from our state’s congresssional delegation. Oddly, the Republicans didn’t tweet anything like “Yes, we voted to spend…
Battleship and 5 Other Games We Want to Get Movie Deals
Let’s face it friends and enemies, when Hollywood is pulling its ideas from its game shelf then we are in some serious trouble. Yes, Clue is an awesome movie, and the fact that there is apparently never going to be a special edition with commentary, featurettes, or even the trailer…
Turn It On, Leave It On: MTV’s 10 Best Music Series
This week marks the 30th anniversary of the beginning of MTV, that loud, hyper-colored behemoth that changed pop culture and the music industry forever, endlessly providing viewers with visual and mental stimulation upstairs and plenty of titillation downstairs. The cable channel helped foster bands as much they helped destroy them,…
And the Recipients of Lawndale’s 2011-2012 Artist Studio Program Are…
This week, Lawndale Art Center announced the winners, out of 61 applicants, of its Artist Studio Program. Seth Mittag, David Politzer and Anne Regan, y’all just made a heap of folks super jealous. For the next nine months, each will work on an independent project that will be included in…
In Fashion: Six Must- Reads in Style
In addition to lots and lots of new fashion collections, my glossies delivered some wonderful stories and features this month. I always look forward to Vogue’s Age Issue, and this year’s featured the fabulous Sarah Jessica Parker on the cover … and how I covet her Burberry sweater coat with…
Handmade Ramen! Get Your Handmade Ramen!
In the course of writing this week’s cafe review of Cafe Kubo’s, I asked the question: Does any place in Houston hand-make their ramen noodles? As it turns out, at least two places do. At least for tonight. I ran into Josh Martinez at a birthday party this weekend, and…
What Is A Music Critic’s Life Really Like?
Walter Peck: Because I’m curious. I wanna know more about what you do here! Frankly, I’ve heard a lot of wild stories in the media and we want to assess any possibility of dangerous and possibly hazardous waste chemicals in your basement. – Ghostbusters Rocks Off can promise you we…
Cover Story: Dinesh Shah’s Younger “Friends”
In addition to cultivating one-sided relationships with wealthy older people, Dinesh Shah has shown himself to be eager to “befriend” handsome young men. Two such have written in to the Houston Press since Part One of our series on Shah ran last week. One man, who wanted only to be…
Keep on Truckin’: Oh My Gogi!
The guys of the Oh My Gogi! truck know exactly what they are doing by parking, on most nights, next to bars until 3 a.m. It’s the kind of food you crave at that hour, the kind of food you might have thrown together out of necessity and desperation, using…
UPDATE: FotoFest Stolen Cameras
The burglary remains a mystery. However, a bunch of financially underprivileged kids no longer have to scrimp by at a summer youth program. On Tuesday, FotoFest’s Literacy Through Photography got the big-time hook-up from Houston Camera Exchange and H-E-B. The indie photo shop donated 36 cameras to replace those jacked…
Leslie Aikens: HPD Cop Indicted for Drug-Running, Taking Bribe
Leslie Aikens: Allegedly dealing cokeThe feds unsealed an indictment today against a 19-year veteran of the Houston police force accused of drug trafficking and taking a $2,000 bribe. Leslie Aikens, 46, was arrested at the end of his shift today. He is charged with aiding and abetting the possession with…
Photography Program For Low-Income Kids No Longer in Jeopardy, Despite On-The-Loose Thief
The rat bastard(s) still hasn’t been nabbed, but now a program for low-income kids has ascended out of the toilet. On Tuesday, FotoFest’s Literacy Through Photography got the big-time hook-up from Houston Camera Exchange and H-E-B. The indie photo shop donated 36 cameras to replace those jacked from Ben Tecumseh…
Micah Ashley Alford: Stripper Mom of the Year Candidate
We have a new candidate for the prestigious People Who Should Not Reproduce award: Micah Ashley Alford, a 26-year-old League City who just wants to rub guy’s crotches with her butt, without being bothered by all those damn babies she keeps pumping out. Her latest baby has been the subject…
Cinema Slap Fight: Scarface vs. Goodfellas
In which the classics of Tinseltown are reduced to a series of perfunctory bullet points. Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends, or hasn’t for a whole week now, at least. If you recall, our first installment found two beloved comedies of yesteryear – Real Genius and…
Best Riffs Only: Krayolas Going For Tex-Mex Rock & Roll Master’s
The Krayolas play a free in-store at Cactus Music at 5:30 p.m. Krayolas drummer David Saldana is not your average power-pop rock and roller. While his resuscitated band continues to draw gobs of press and is grabbing some high profile gigs, Saldana’s life is taking him in another direction. “I’m…
The Astros Curse: They Are The Damned
The Astros have been damnedThe following is based on true facts, but names have been redacted to protect the innocent, and not so innocent… The Houston Astros are a bad baseball team this season. They’re beyond bad. They’re beyond awful. They’re closing in on worst team in MLB history bad…
Keeping It Simple at Spanky Crawfish and Bar
There is no shortage of places to get crawfish in Chinatown. During crawfish season familiar names like Boiling Crab and Crawfish and Noodles are packed with eager patrons ready for their crawfish fix. Now there is a new kid in town that could very well hold it’s own. Spanky Crawfish…
Wednesday Gets Weird With The New Movement Improv
Logo by Andrew DickinsonBig Brother tonight, why not go for something unscripted? Beginning at 8 p.m., Get Weird Wednesday hits The Mink for a night of open improv hosted by Chris and Tami of The New Movement improv troupe. The New Movement (TNM) got its start in Austin in 2009…
Dandy Don? Tropical Storm Could Bring Drought Relief This Weekend
Remember a couple weeks ago when I told you that just because it had been quiet in the tropics, that didn’t mean it would stay that way? Well, I hate to say I told you so. A disturbance that will likely be upgraded to tropical storm status later today by…
30 Seconds With Breathe Carolina’s David Schmitt
Breathe Carolina also plays an in-store at Vinyl Junkie Distro at noon tomorrow. Rocks Off sat down with David Schmitt of amazing electronic pop duo Breath Carolina to find out what we could learn about him in 30 seconds. Rocks Off: What is the worst song in the world? David…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Matti Merrell and Rodney Perry of Green Seed Vegan
In a little green truck in the Third Ward, 27-year-old Matti Merrell and her husband Rodney Perry, 32, create incredible vegan lunchtime entrees. Both are Houston natives, and both are all about making their hometown a little more leafy. Eating Our Words: How did your food truck start? Rodney Perry:…
Houston By The Book: Becker’s Books
For Houston’s avid bibliophiles, Becker’s Books is a must-visit destination. The 3,500 square-foot Spring Branch house is a maze of shelves boasting rows upon rows of tomes. The building itself is home to some 80,000 titles, with room for more. “We just kept shoehorning more in and trying to find…
Punk Rock’s 10 Most Potent Women
Women are the resilient backbone of punk, providing creative DNA for the movement since the “zero hour,” including Houston’s own MyDolls and members of AK-47 and Bevatron, among others. Up ‘n’ comers like Vivian Pikkles keep the faith as Zipperneck and Kimonos plow through the years as well. This list…
Top 5 Politically Incorrect Food Icons
You never know what you’re going to find at the supermarket: the neighbor you thought never left the house, a buy-one, get-one free cookie special, intriguing new “limited edition” pop tarts. And, sometimes, perhaps, racism. I don’t expect supermarket to be rigidly politically correct, but there are a few products…
Comment of the Day: An American Psycho
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Richard Clarkson Makes Cellphones Steampunk
Art Attack is dedicated to bringing you all the latest crafts in the world of steampunk, whether you are looking for something as small as a computer mouse or as large as an entire home, we hope that we can be your guide on who to turn to live out…
Bernie’s Burger Bus Employee Did Not Die In Tragic Gun Game, Cops Now Say; Shooter On The Run
Although there was some confusion surrounding the death of Bernie’s Burger Bus employee Daniel Pacheco, 18, Houston police initially said that Pacheco was killed July 10 when he and friends were drinking and passing around a gun someone thought was unloaded. Now the story nas changed, and HPD is looking…
James Robert Monday’s Manic Monday: East Texan Busted For Hauling Off Air-Water Machine from Store Parking Lot
In the latest of our series of “Only in East Texas” crimes, an AARP-aged man by the name of Monday was busted on the day of the same name for — get this — stealing a convenience store’s coin-operated air and water dispenser. Not the quarters in it, mind you…
Michael Flores: Love Is In His Rock & Roll Bones
Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group “Artist of the Week,” bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn’t awful? Email their particulars to sheaserrano@gmail.com. Ladies, meet Michael Flores. Gentlemen, say goodbye to…
Daniel Pacheco: Teen Did Not Die In Tragic Gun Game, Cops Now Say; Shooter On The Run
Houston police initially said that Daniel Pacheco, 18, was killed July 10 when he and friends were drinking and passing around a gun someone thought was unloaded. Now the story’s changed, and HPD is looking for Christian Meza, 19, who has been charged with murder. “Further investigation determined the friends…
Sampler Plate: This Week in Food Blogs
Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. 2995: Good news for ‘cue lovers: Burns BBQ has not only reopened,…
NASA’s Birthday: Eight Very Odd Planes From Its Past
NASA celebrates its 53rd birthday this week, but it will be a subdued occasion as the space shuttle era ends, top talent leaves and the agency seems adrift. In its heyday the agency didn’t worry about no damn budgets, and as a result it had a hand in developing some…
Four Artists Who Died Before Playing Houston
When Amy Winehouse died Saturday, almost everyone noted how the troubled British soul singer had joined the “27 Club,” the list of legendary musicians who passed away at that age that also includes Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, bluesman Robert Johnson and Texas’…
Comment of the Day: RIP Borders
It’s the end of an era for those of us who grew up buying our books from giant book stores/coffee shops/home furnishings stores. Borders is going out of business, and though they had a great selection and fantastic deals, Jef With One F managed to find a few things we…
Today’s DVDs: Léon Morin, Priest and Source Code
Léon Morin, Priest stars Jean-Paul Belmondo and Emmanuelle Riva, Jean-Pierre Melville directs. The set up: A priest (Jean-Paul Belmondo) in a small, Nazi-occupied village is drawn to an outspoken widow (Emmanuelle Riva). They struggle with their feelings for each other while also struggling with the war that swirls around them…
Comment of the Day
Today John Kiely wrote about his favorite bacon-preparation method, and it turns out y’all have some strong feelings on the subject. Commenter csoakley, for one, makes hers in similar fashion: I liked to cook it this way in my toaster/convection over (before it died). It certainly cuts down on the…
Six Questions I Would Ask Chip Kelly About Will Lyles
In the weeks leading up to the BCS Championship Game between Auburn and Oregon back in January, a lot of the game-related chit-chat centered on the controversy swirling around Auburn and the “pay for play” scheme that Cecil Newton, the father of the Tigers’ Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Cam Newton,…
Architecture Center Houston Announces First Annual Film Festival
Architecture Center Houston’s outreach programs tend to focus on architecture around Houston, with walking tours and exhibitions featuring regional designers. Its newest program, a film festival focused on architecture, allows for more breadth. “Our goal is to promote architecture and encourage and engage all of Houston in a conversation about…
Bruce McMillian: Star Chef to Plead Insanity On Child-Rape Charges
Former Tony’s chef Bruce McMillian is planning an insanity defense to charges of sexual assault of a child. McMillian, 49, was arrested in Fort Bend County in January and charged with two counts of sexual assault, one count of indecency with a child (including sexual contact); and one count of…
Former Tony’s Chef Bruce McMillian Charged with Sexual Assault of a Minor
Although owner Jeff Vallone cited “a tough economy” when Amici closed in late last year, it appears that something much more sinister could be behind the Sugar Land restaurant’s closing. Former chef Bruce McMillian is planning an insanity defense to charges of sexual assault of a child. McMillian, 49, was…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 59, Steak and Eggs from Ninfa’s on Navigation
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
National Dance Day Countdown: Our Favorite Music-Video Dances of All Time
This Saturday morning, Art Attack will be hosting a dance party, starting at 10 a.m., to celebrate National Dance Day. We even made a few videos to get Houston ready for the event, featuring yours truly in the only dance get-up that matters, jorts and a sleeveless Misfits shirt. We…
Annise Parker Calls For (Expensive) Underpass On East End Light-Rail Line
The city of Houston has formally requested metro’s board to use an underpass rather than an overpass at the intersection of Harrisburg and Hughes streets, an option that could add up to $23 million to the project. The so-called “All-Under” option will, Mayor Annise Parker says, “promote pedestrian and vehicular…
Our Favorite Music-Video Dances of All Time
This Saturday morning, the Houston Press and our sister blog Art Attack will be hosting a dance party, starting at 10 a.m., to celebrate National Dance Day. They even made a few videos to get Houston ready for the event, featuring yours truly in the only dance get-up that matters,…
Six Houston-Related eBay Items You WILL NOT Be Able To Resist Bidding On (Well, Maybe)
It’s very possible to go to eBay and wonder “Who the hell would ever buy this?” Certainly not falling into that category are the following six Houston-related items currently up for bid. Get in on `em now while you can!! 6. The hippest campaign button ever Why it’s great: See…
Racing Rachael: 30 Minute Grand Slam
Sloppy Joes. When I told my husband that was this week’s meal, his response was, “Of course you’ll be done in 30 minutes. All you have to do is open a can.” True, the Sloppy Joes of childhood always involved a can opener, but with that came the inevitably terrible…
Catching Up with Magda Sayeg (a.k.a. Knitta Please)
Here at Art Attack, we’ve written a number of pieces on the resurgence of “women’s crafts” in modern society, so naturally we were thrilled to see a recent New York Times article on yarn bombing. But even more exciting was the suggestion that what is now a worldwide trend had…
Purple Rain: How The Songs Look In The Script
On this day in 1984, the film that elevated Prince in the pop-culture firmament from above-average R&B singer-songwriter to, well, Prince, premiered in Hollywood. Purple Rain was a box-office hit, while the soundtrack went on to win an Oscar for Original Song Score and become one of the biggest-selling albums…
Kevin Quintanilla, 16, Bayou Body Count No. 111
A 17-year-old male was shot to death about 2 a.m. today in Gulfton, Houston police say. The victim, whose name has not been released, was shot in the chest outside an apartment complex in 5800 block of Glenmont. (Update: Police have identified him as Kevin Quintanilla.) He was taken to…
Bakin’ Bacon
If I have culinary regrets, it would be the burnt-crispy bacon slices with curled-up rubbery ends I’ve endured, before finding a better way to cook bacon. Bacon can be competently fried in a skillet, but it requires low heat and high vigilance, not something I have time for at the…
Say Goodbye To Nine Houston Post Offices
The U.S. Postal Service has announced it’s thinking about shutting 3,700 locations across the country, many in small towns. But Houston would not be spared: A list of potential closings — hilariously labeled the “Expanded Access Study List” — shows nine sites in the city at risk of being shut…
10 Perfectly Good Actors We Wish Would Make Better Movies
I would love for this to be the summer of Jason Bateman, and it’s not just because of my dedication to all things Arrested Development. Bateman, with his skilled timing and expressive face, redefined the role of the “straight man” in comedy, making the middle Bluth as screwed-up (and occasionally…
Feds Bring Down Hammer on Lufkin Meth Trade
In two distinct actions, federal authorities have indicted 17 East Texans on over 200 counts of crimes related to the crystal methamphetamine trade in and around Lufkin. You just might be hearing this song all over town this week: In the first action, the Lufkin Daily News has reported that…
Wine of the Week: Zweigelt, a Red to Chill for Summer
1888 was a momentous year in the history of Western Civilization. It was the year that Nietzsche went mad and the year he scribed his last cogent and coherent works (I, for one, am a huge fan of Twilight of the Idols, or, How to Philosophize with a Hammer). And…
Grant Haze: Guy Who Allegedly Dismembered Ex-Wife Talks of Being Inspired By Sting & Lionel Richie
Last week, Grant Haze was just another bland singer-songwriter with a tremendous ego and hoop earrings. Now he’s charged with killing his ex-girlfriend, dismembering her corpse, stuffing the body parts in ice chests, and driving them from his North Carolina home to a creek in Fort Bend County, where authorities…
Crawfish Across the World
Louisianans like to think they’ve got the world on a string when it comes to crawfish, with small towns like Breaux Bridge laying claim to titles such as “Crawfish Capital of the World.” But there are a few people in Nigeria and Sweden who might disagree. In Nigeria, crawfish is…
Houston Commuters: Some of the Earliest Risers in Texas
You know what sucks? Getting up early to commute to work. And we do a lot of it in Houston. The Business Journals website has crunched numbers from the Census’ American Community Survey and ranked 500-plus communities according to how many commuters leave home from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m…
Upcoming: Black Star, DMX, Hank3, Roky Erickson, Skrillex, Etc.
“3 Guitar Heroes” With Leslie West, Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth: Sat., Nov. 5. House of Blues. Appleseed Cast: Sun., Aug. 21. Fitzgerald’s. Ana Egge: Tue., Aug. 23. Continental Club. Bellamy Brothers: Fri., Sept. 16. Cypress Saloon. Black Star: Thu., Sept. 8. House of Blues. The Chop Tops, The Rocketz,…
Extended: The Great American Trailer Park Musical Rolls On
Stages’ oily, deep-fried summer production, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, which was supposed to end its run last Sunday, has been extended. The musical, which our critic D.L. Groover called “a crass piece of paint-by-number”, but also praised the cast and the direction back in June, will run through…
James Vernon McVay: Obama Assassination Plot Foiled After One Murder in Planned Spree
James Vernon McVay wanted to kill President Obama. After his arrest in Wisconsin earlier this month, he told police that he believed the best way to do that was to stalk the commander-in-chief while he was playing golf and pick him off from afar with a rifle. But McVay, a…
Tuesday July 26, 2011 Deals of the Day
Today’s VOICE Daily Deal from the Houston Press will earn you half-off the rich, delicious flavors of Vietnamese food–get 50 percent off ($10 for $20) the distinctive, spicy Vietnamese flavors cooked up by Kim Chau. The menu features recipes inspired by the city of Huế. Today’s VOICE Daily Deal is…
5 Things NOT to Miss About Going to Borders
In general, Art Attack is pretty bummed about the closing of Borders. Their selection was always superb, their staff was very friendly, and we liked their rewards program miles better than that of Barnes and Noble. Visiting the bookstore was one of our regular weekend routines, and it is really…
5 Songs for Jesus’ Grandma St. Anne’s Day
If you grow up without any religion, you either avoid all trappings of it like the plague or you absolutely love to explore it. Rocks Off is firmly in the latter camp, and nothing gets us more excited than the culture of Saints in Catholicism. We’ve written many a letter…
Donald Griffin, 28, Bayou Body Count No. 110
A man was shot to death in a southside apartment complex early Saturday morning, police say. A “person of interest” has been arrested after a brief SWAT stand-off in which he was found to be wearing body armor. Glenn Terrance Sherman, 28, has not been charged in connection with the…
Ingredient of the Week: Genovese Basil
What is it? Basil comes from the Greek word basileus, meaning “king” since it is believed to have grown where St. Constantine and Helen founded the Holy Cross. Grown seasonally with roma tomatoes during the summer, the Genovese basil is a large-leafed, sweet basil commonly used in Italian and French…
Project Runway Preview: Are You In, Or Are You Out?
Set your DVRs, fashionistas! This Thursday, life begins anew with the season 9 premier of our favorite design show: Project Runway. Tune into Lifetime at 8 p.m. central to catch up with Tim, Heidi, Michael and Nina and to meet the 20 new designers who make up this season’s cast…
Fast Times: Chicken Soup and a BLT Sub with Avocado at Subway
The alternate title for this blog post was “Fast Times: Wasting a Perfectly Good Hangover at Subway.” Hangovers and killer death flu situations are my go-to fast food days; something about the loads of salt and sugar and fat takes the edge off of the worst hangovers, and cuts through…
The Six Best Movie Samples In Rap Songs
The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place – lots of times, you’re even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good- so once a week we’re going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Have something you always wanted to…
Comment of the Day: A Reader Hopes Anders Behrin Breivik Takes Us Out
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Pop Rocks: 10 Things Comic Con 2011 Taught Us
The 2011 Comic Con wrapped up last weekend. Over 120,000 of the geeky, nerdy, attention starved, and Twilight-headed descended upon sunny San Diego last weekend for what has become the entertainment industry’s premiere showcase for anything related to comics, video games, fantasy, sci-fi, and sparkly vampires. First of all, I…
Pop Rocks: What We Learned From Comic Con 2011
The 2011 Comic Con wrapped up last weekend. Over 120,000 of the geeky, nerdy, attention starved, and Twilight-headed descended upon sunny San Diego last weekend for what has become the entertainment industry’s premiere showcase for anything related to comics, video games, fantasy, sci-fi, and sparkly vampires. First of all, I…
Boobylicious: Music’s 20 Most Memorable Breasts (Semi-NSFW)
It may sound silly, but boobs are powerful things. Men are fascinated and entranced by them, while women constantly obsess over their size and shape. In a way, they’re not unlike the ring in Lord of the Rings: Capable of both good and evil, depending on who wields them. Rocks…
MyPlates.com: Some Vanity License Plate Customers Revolt Against Price Hikes
It’s getting more expensive to be a vanity-plate consumer in Texas. Myplates.com, which has the state contract to sell the most popular vanity designs, has been raising prices much to the dismay of customers who say the company has pretty much a monopoly on the service. Josh Kryzak, who tells…
Where Are We Drinking?
At this restaurant, the beer is all German and the measurement are all liters. A half-liter is usually more than I can drink, let alone a full liter. But that isn’t the largest beer offering by far: You can also get an entire boot of beer for $35. Prost! Think…
100 Creatives: Shelby Hohl
What he does: Those of the concert-going sort have likely seen the tall and slender, oft-bespectacled young man who sports a baseball cap with its brim flipped up proudly. If it was a Weird Party show, then he would’ve been hopping about wildly as he summoned forth bass riffs. In…
John Kinsel, Claiming Wrongful Conviction, Is Denied New Trial: “Our Hands Are Tied”, Says Court
A few months ago, we wrote a cover story about John Kinsel, a Texas man sentenced in Louisiana to life without parole for the rape of his girlfriend’s live-in daughter. That girl, 9-year-old Alyssa Medlin, testified that Kinsel had raped her anally and vaginally for years. Years later as an…
Saturday Night: Sade & John Legend At Toyota Center
Sade, John Legend Toyota Center July 23, 2011 See more smooth operation from Sade & John Legend in our slideshow. As word of Amy Winehouse’s death spread across the Internet Saturday, another British soul singer was preparing to perform in Houston for the first time in about a decade. And…
Comment of the Day: You Do What, Now?
I love my job, but occasionally I’ll make the wisecrack that I basically tell people all the different ways they can waste their time at work. I mean, what else do you call putting together a list of Muppet movie cameos? Sure, our work here will probably not end world…
Comment of the Day
Today Joanna O’Leary listed five celebrity chefs she’d like shipped to Mars, and the comments section turned into a discussion about boobs. Anyway, commenter Ali had an actual addition to the list: That dude on Meat and Potatoes. Ram Faamma or some shit. He’s so annoying. He’s like a super-nerd…
Behold, The Ridiculous LeBron James Tattoo (and 5 Other Ridiculous Tattoos Of Celeb Faces)
I’ve never understood the whole “tattoo” thing. From the time I was a kid when a tattoo (or set of tattoos) pretty much meant you were either a) a social outcast, b) in some sort of fratenrity, or c) in the service), the concept of drilling yourself with a painful…
Teenage Filmmakers Get SWAMPed at Summer Camp
Area teens have a chance to get down and dirty with their favorite medium as part of Southwest Alternate Media Project (SWAMP)’s annual Lights! Camera! Action! movie making day camp. Over the course of a week, kids get to experience life in the director’s chair (and the editor’s chair and…
UH Among Best Colleges To Work At, Study Says
If you’re working at the University of Houston, you should be happy. Not just because anyone who has a job in higher ed should be happy, but because you’re employed at one of the best colleges to be working for, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. The paper published…
Kevin Gonterman: Spent Two Snake-Ridden Days At Bottom Of 30-Foot Manhole
A League City man who has been missing since Saturday was found at the bottom of a 30-foot manhole, apparetnly lucid but suffering from a number of snake bites. Kevin Gonterman, 25, was found by Texas Equusearch in the hole, which was labeled “Sewage” and no doubt smelled like roses…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 60, Pâté de France from Spec’s
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Nine Great Dog Show Pictures, And What The Dogs Are Actually Thinking
The World Series of Dog Shows was held in Reliant Park over the weekend, and as always it provided a good, sometimes odd, look at dogs and the people who place them in competition. (See the full slideshow here.) We got us a dog interpreter, who really just mostly reports…
Poached Scrambled Eggs
I love eggs. They’ve always been one of my favorite foods, and one of the first I learned to cook. I know many people who consider egg cookery to be as good an indicator of a cook’s abilities as the oft-touted roast chicken. I say the egg wins. Few ingredients…
Marc Bolan, T. Rex & 40 Years Of “Bang A Gong (Get It On)”
Today is the 40th anniversary of T. Rex’s “Bang A Gong (Get It On)” reaching the top of the UK charts. It starts with the nasty, funky, slinky bass line, more sex than music, and it soon turns into one the most influential and decadent songs to come from the…
So You Think You Can Dance Fans: National Dance Day Is Almost Here
In less than a week, your faithful Art Attack editor will be dancin’ in the street (or very near it, in a parking lot) to celebrate National Dance Day. We’ve shown you all kinds of messed up videos of us getting ready for the big day, which is this Saturday,…
Friday Night: The Gourds & Doyle Bramhall Sr. At Miller Outdoor Theatre
The Gourds, Doyle Bramhall Sr. Miller Outdoor Theatre July 22, 2011 It was all Texas big beat Friday night as old-school Austin blues-rocker Doyle Bramhall Sr. and those funny, funny Gourds cut a groove in the Miller Outdoor Theatre stage. Bramhall, a key vocal influence on Stevie Ray Vaughan, brought…
HPD Crows Over Another Crime-Rate Drop
“Safest big city in America,” chief saysThe Houston Police Department is once again boasting of a noticeable drop in crimes, as reported to a national database. Comparing the first half of 2011 to the first half of 2010, murder is down 37.1 percent, robberies 20.8 percent and overall violent crime…
Top 5 Celebrity Chefs I Wish Would Relocate to Mars
It does not surprise me that people who cook well become popular. What shocks me is that many of these people remain famous even after revealing their less savory personalities and sometimes substandard skills. Here are five celebrity chefs I hope take their “talents” to another planet. 5. Rachael Ray…
Anders Behring Breivik: Oslo Killer Is A Fan Of Texas
The Burn Down Blog is either braver or more insane than us, and it has partially waded through the 1,500-page manifesto left behind by Anders Behring Breivik, the lunatic who massacred Norwegians. It turns out he likes us!! Yay? I did enjoy Las Vegas as well but I really dislike…
Shake Your Hips: Hula Competition Returns to Houston
Grab you grass skirts for the 2nd Annual Mana I Ka Hula Traditional Chant and Hula Competition. Hālau Hōʻola Ka Mana O Hawaiʻi of Houston, a traditional hula group that offers classes in town, also hosted last year’s competition. This year’s contest will be held on Saturday, July 30 at…
Your Musical Word of the Day: Panache
Definition: The real definition of the “panache” is a tuft of pretty feathers, especially on a helmet. That’s actually the literal translation from the early French word “pennache” from which panache is descended. The definition that most of us use, though, is to indicate just a bit of style and…
Dynamo Stadium Construction In Pictures
Hair Balls recently received an exclusive tour of the new Houston Dynamo Stadium, and things look to be taking shape as planned. The player’s tunnel is already in place while last week, part of the concrete concourse was poured. The remainder will be installed this week after the rains delayed…
Top Five: Liqueurs on Blue Bell Vanilla
Since I’m not a Texas native, I don’t get Lone-Starry-eyed at the mere mention of Blue Bell ice cream, but I defer to its greatness. Blue Bell is not simply a taste of quirky provincial pride — like Cincinnati chili — but a champion amongst half-gallons, and a contender with…
The Week in TV: Omar Comin’ to Class
Comic-Con just wrapped, but don’t worry: We won’t be talking about it. This was the week in TV Land: • Michael Kenneth Williams — known to The Wire fans as Omar — has been tapped to appear in at least three episodes of Community next season. He’ll play a former…
Jay-Z & Kanye West’s “Otis”: Hit Or Miss?
Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday (that isn’t a national holiday) Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week’s Panel: Chingo Bling, Jack Freeman, Fat Tony, Brad Gilmore, Kane, Delo, Renzo, Chane, A.D.D., Kyle Hubbard, Roosh Williams, Yung…
Borders Going-Out-Of-Business Sale: Don’t Bother
We hit up a couple of Borders this past weekend to take advantage of their big “going out of business” sale and…let’s just say we were thoroughly underwhelmed. Big signs talked of savings “up to 40 percent,” smaller signs inside indicated that the prices really weren’t that much different from…
TexSom Has Som-thing for Everyone
Last year, when I traveled to Friuli, Italy with a group of top U.S. sommeliers, I overheard their fearless and übercool leader, Master Sommelier Bobby Stuckey, tell his colleagues, “Every state should have a TexSom.” He was referring to the Texas Sommelier Conference, the annual Texas wine professionals conference, co-founded…
Mortal Kombat: Legacy: Chinese Democracy Plus Robots
Art Attack has covered the Mortal Kombat: Legacy web series from its very beginning because our hopes were high. First, Kevin Tancharoen’s self-made short film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth broke all the rules. Second, we had never heard of such a high-profile entertainment franchise being adapted to a strictly web-based format,…
Woman Smokes Too Much Weed, Falsely Tells Cops She Stabbed Her Mother
Let’s face it, if you have a self-diagnosing of “I smoked too much weed,” then any explanation you give for your subsequent actions is bound to be a bit, say, convoluted. And so it was with a Corpus Christi woman who called 911 to say she had stabbed her mother…
Falling Skies: “Sanctuary (Pt. 2)”
When last we left the children of the 2nd Mass., they had left with Lt. Clayton for presumably safer lodgings in anticipation of an expected alien offensive. Unbeknownst to them, Clayton and the rest of the 3rd Mass. have cut a deal with the aliens, serving up human children in…
First Look at Don Julio’s
As often as I feel exhilarated with the state of the food scene in Houston, I feel exasperated just as frequently. Such is life in our city, and you take the good with the bad. And such is life at Don Julio’s, the suburban import Tex-Mex restaurant that just opened…
Guadalupe Molina, Jr., Bayou Body Count No. 109
An argument at a party turned deadly early Sunday morning, and police are looking for the shooter. Guadalupe Molina, Jr., was shot once in the chest and died after an argument at a party in the northwest neighborhood of the 6300 block of Thornwell about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, Houston police…
Notre Dame License Plates: Texas Finally Does Something Right
It’s taken far too many years, but Texas has finally taken a baby step towards honoring the greatest football program in America. We note that the plate understandably doesn’t have room to list all the national championships or Heisman winners on it — something you could easily do with, say,…
True Blood: Selling Your Soul in a Buyer’s Market
Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He’s lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood – which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. What is a soul and,…
Masquerade’s Millie is Thoroughly Entertaining
The set-up: Bob your hair, roll your stockings below the knee, and Charleston over to Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center for a thoroughly delightful time. It’s the bee’s knees! The execution: Adapted from the Academy Award-winning Ross Hunter musical (1967) that starred Julie Andrews, Carol Channing and Mary Tyler…
Unidentified Male, Bayou Body Count No. 108
A man was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head on the westside about 6:45 p.m. Friday, Houston police say. Witnesses say the man ws seen walking on the street looking disoriented, and then a gunshot rang out. The man’s identity has not been released…
Yoga Fuel: Everything Bars from Sinfull Bakery
This is the kind of review I hesitate to write. I am a horribly selfish person, so I fear that giving props to this product will result in my having difficulty finding it, which in turn makes me want to keep it a secret. I’m torn! But I will grudgingly…
Countdown to Shark Week: 5 Great Sharks in Art
Next week, the Discovery Channel will begin its annual Shark Week, or, as I like to call it, Non-Porn Dude Porn Week. During shark week, we’re treated to nonstop “informative” documentary footage of sharks attacking seals, sharks attacking boats and sharks attacking whatever the hell else happens to be in…
Friday Night: Eels At Warehouse Live
Check out the bearded Eels and opening band The Submarines in our slideshow. Eels, The Submarines Warehouse Live July 22, 2011 Between songs, Mark Oliver Everett repeatedly apologized for taking so long to return to Houston. After 14 years, he’d finally brought his band Eels to town, clad in suits,…
Gimme My Hummus
Not long ago, someone wrote to the editors at EOW asking for the best hummus recipe and we got right to work. Hummus has long been one of those things that make me think of the cute guy across the bar. He’s hot and nice to look at and talk…
Comment of the Day: Maybe It’s Not Time For Rick Perry
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Jay-Z & Kanye West Bringing The Throne To Houston October 26 (UPDATED)
UPDATED at 3:34 p.m. Monday to reflect local on-sale information. This morning Live Nation announced that Jay-Z and Kanye West, two rappers you may have heard of, will bring their brand-new group The Throne’s “Watch The Throne” tour to Toyota Center October 26. Rocks Off applauds the duo for reigniting…
Don Juan in Hell a Devilish Delight
The set-up: Inside literary lion George Bernard Shaw’s philosophical comedy Man and Superman (1903) stands a dream scene unlike any other. Now known as Don Juan in Hell, it’s officially Scene II of Act III, lasts about an hour and a half, and is a complicated, intellectual debate between Don…
15 Reasons To Keep Watching The Astros
Watch Ed Wade try to line up another job with the PhilliesI know most of you have probably tuned out on the Astros by the now. Hell, most of you probably tuned out on the Astros back in March. But it’s still over a month until the Texans start disappointing…
Friday: Bun B, Lupe Fiasco & Lola Monroe Hail Trae Day
Trae Day feat. Trae Tha Truth, Bun B, Lupe Fiasco, Lola Monroe, Jay’Ton, Pyrexx, etc. Delmar/Dyer Sports Complex July 22, 2011 5:01 p.m.:Pulling up to the fourth annual Trae Day. Good crowd already. Good. Some immediate questions: First, How long will it be before you can go to/talk about Trae…
Jose Alberto Hernandez: Points Rifle At Cop, Flees
Police are looking for Jose Alberto Hernandez, who had himself a time about 6:30 a.m. Saturday. First, police say, he had exchanged gunfire with bouncers at Sophia’s Club in the 1300 block of Sheffield Boulevard, because what else is there to do at 6:30 Saturday morning? Then, as police interviewed…
The Music World Remembers Amy Winehouse On Twitter #amywinehouse
The music world was rocked on Saturday afternoon by the news that British singer and tabloid fixture Amy Winehouse had passed away in her London home. Results of an autopsy may be released as early as today, and authorities were only saying that the cause of death was unknown. She…
Where Are We Eating?
This salad of fennel, oranges, white anchovies, olives, tomatoes and frisee was an ideal summer lunch — along with a bowl of arugula and watermelon gazpancho — on a hot day last week. Does this dish ring any bells? Think you know where we’re eating this week? Leave your best…
An Amateur Lands The Space Shuttle
Be sure to check out our pics from the Atlantis astronauts’ homecoming at Johnson Space Center. You often hear the expression “a once in a lifetime experience,” and while this may or may not always be true, for those lucky enough to participate in a NASA Tweet-up, nothing else can…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 61, Cupcakes and Wine at 13 Celsius
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 62, Dabeli at Bansuri Indian Food Corner
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Comment of the Day
Nicholas L. Hall is always finding some odd stuff to drink in his unique Build-A-Bar blog posts and today was no different. Today, he went with Fernet Braca, which he described as “bitter, mentholated, and powerfully flavored with herbals” and “a non-minty mint, mixed with eucalyptus and cough medicine.” If…
10 Songs For Pissed-Off Travelers
UPDATE: Squeaky wheel, meet grease: Tiger Airways has refunded Watson’s $500 and given the singer an additional $2,000, says London’s Daily Mail. This spring, Austin honky-tonker and Pasadena native Dale Watson had some dates in Australia and made the mistake of booking a flight from Sydney to Melbourne on Singapore-based…
More NFL Owner Premature “Celebra-culation” As Lockout Rolls On
So, the NFL owners ratified the proposed collective bargaining agreement on Thursday afternoon. Instead of following up that approval with a brief, measured statement from commissioner Roger Goodell (an appropriate follow-up since the deal is not done until the players approve it), the owners followed up with what felt like…
This Week in Deliciousness
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where, thanks to our new Gelatin Piranha™ we bought off of a late-night infomercial, we can now gelatinize an entire cow in under four minutes. We started the week off right with a look at some curiously old-school items…
(Non-Planet) Pluto Has a New Moon? What the Hell Does This Mean for Astrology?
Frankly, we don’t keep up much with Pluto and its status as a planet or non-planet. It’s kind of like when, as a young altar boy, the Catholic Church demoted a bunch of saints. We just rolled with the flow. So if Pluto’s not a planet, it doesn’t really bother…
Wolfgang Fisher: Tries to Reverse Chimp-Abuse Conviction Because Wrong County Was on the Search Warrant
Acting on a tip, Harris County Deputy Constable Christine Kendrick went to a garage in Crosby in 2008 to check on a chimpanzee housed there. She heard the chimp screaming and found: a chimpanzee in a metal enclosure inside a garage. No water was available. The enclosure was extremely dirty…
The 10 Best And Most Controversial Hustler Magazine Covers Ever (NSFW)
The founder and publisher of the long-running salacious, satirical Hustler magazine and many other sextastic business ventures, Larry Flynt, has lived a life full of public battles, some which he has won, and some that he lost. In the ’70s and ’80s, he was a favorite target of the so-called…
Houston Ballet Managing Director Cecil C. Conner to Retire
After 17 years at the administrative helm of the Houston Ballet, Cecil C. Conner, Jr. will retire in February, but his relationship with the arts scene in Houston will still remain strong. Conner intends to continue to raise funds for the Ballet and to stay involved with the arts scene;…
Heading Home on 290? Good Luck with That
If your evening-commute plans include traveling west on 290, we pity you. A major accident has had the road completely shut down for much of the afternoon, and TranStar is now saying things won’t improve for rush hour. All vehicles are being steered off the freeway at 43rd and using…
Gothic Council Applies For The Perfect Job
Joblessness in the United States remains an ever-present fear for Americans who worry about their employment options in the face of a sluggish economic recovery. Having recently gone through it ourselves, let us tell you that the stress of not knowing for sure where your next check is coming from…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 63, Grim Burger at Lankford Grocery
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
VIDEO: Gearing Up For National Dance Day, Part 2
We at Art Attack are getting super excited for our National Dance Day event, and we hope you can make it out to join us on July 30. For those of you that have been living under a rock, we’re hosting a flash mob-style dance event in the parking lot…
Unidentified Robber Crushed by Pursuing Car, Bayou Body Count No. 107
A man who tried to rob a northside business this morning was pursued and killed when he ran into traffic, Houston police say. The unidentified robbery suspect died about 9:45 a.m. after running from a store in the 100 block of Little York. The owner of the business chased him…
Chef Chat, Part 3: Domenica Catelli of Catelli’s
After our spirited conversation (covered in parts one and two of this Chef Chat), Domenica Catelli brought out a few of her restaurant’s dishes. I asked her about the challenges in creating a menu when a significant number of customers were expecting the exact same dishes that they ate 20…
The Worst Hairpieces In Rock & Roll (And We Mean Bad)
Getting older is no fun. Your body starts to hurt for no reason, you lose all your energy, you stop being able to digest certain foods, you realize just about everyone in the world is an asshole (including yourself), you get cranky and curmudgeonly and threatened by youth, you unrealistically…
Web Wear: 4 Tips for Shopping Online
Picture it: Fairbanks, Alaska, January 2008. A young woman, tired of her daily uniform of long underwear under jeans and a sweater–under a parka, balaclava, scarf and gloves–set out to go shopping for pretty new clothes. What she found horrified her: Her choices were limited to active wear, albeit the…
Derek Boogaard’s Brother Charged in His Death; Allegedly Gave Him Oxycontin Pill That Led to OD
The news surrounding the tragic death of former Houston Aero Derek Boogaard keeps getting sadder: Police in Minnesota have charged his brother Aaron with giving him an Oxycontin pill that led to his overdose death in May. Our sister paper City Pages reports that Boogaard’s father, a former policeman, says…
Happy Hour Scene: Bayou Bar at Whole Foods
The Place: Bayou Bar at Whole Foods 701 Waugh 713-284-1260 The Deals: Daily specials Wednesday ($1 off Texas pints), Thursday ($1 off growler refills) and Friday ($1 off wine flights) The Scene: Even if you don’t like the idea of sitting and drinking between the wine aisle and the cheese…
The Five Best Shows Bob Schneider Has Ever Seen
It’s been said that if you have lived in Texas for at least a decade and haven’t at least been in the vicinity of a Bob Schneider show, you are probably lying. Our introduction to the Austin-based Schneider was kind of heartbreaking, but that’s another story for another blog, or…
It’s Time for Rick Perry! (Featuring Epically Awful Video)
If this doesn’t get your blood pumping for a Rick Perry presidential candidacy then you, sir or madam, are devoid of blood. Fighter jets twirling in the sky, vets saluting the flag, a hideous rock song and Rick Perry spouting cliches to the whitest audience outside of an NHL arena…
Wilfred: “Respect”
“Respect,” our latest foray into the lives a man and his…anthropomorphic dog buddy starts off strong, with a higher concentration of laughs in the first half than any of the previous installments (I was especially fond of Wilfred’s attempting to encourage Ryan by admiring his ability to watch an entire…
Arizona Kid Shows Up Houston in Baseball Etiquette
This heartwarming video is making the rounds and is worth a look — a kid gets a baseball thrown into the stands by a player, much to the utter dismay of a smaller kid. Bigger kid sees the smaller kid in despair, and hands him the ball. It’s very nice…
Upcoming Events
A reminder that if you love craft beer and want to see its sale and distribution made easier across the State of Texas, show up to Moon Tower Inn this Saturday at 4 p.m. for the launch party of Open the Taps. The founders will be there to address questions…
July 16 to 22: The Week in Art Photos
It’s time again to check out the Houston Press Flickr Pool and see what kinds of art shots our talented photographers have added. We love street art, unique perspectives and beautiful photos of Houston’s creative community. If you think you’ve got a good eye, drop your pictures in the pool…
BollyHood MC Deep Cold “Drips” Hip-Hop Bhangra
We can’t remember where we read this recently, but it was a truism. It read something like, “Old music doesn’t exist. There’s music you’ve heard and there’s music you haven’t.” We wonder if the same applies with life. “Old stories don’t exist. There are those you’ve read about and those…
Abderrahim Elmaghraoui: Stabs Wife 17 Times; Murder Conviction Tossed Because He Wasn’t Warned He Might Be Deported
Those wild-eyed liberals at the 14th Court of Appeals have tossed out the murder conviction of a man who stabbed his wife 17 times, because he had not been warned his guilty plea might result in deportation. His guilty plea did result in a 75-year prison sentence, so you’d think…
Freddy Lives! 6 Other Characters we Demand be Added to Mortal Kombat
When Soulcalibur II came out in 2003, Namco took the amazing step of adding in a specific crossover character for each system’s release, a truly revolutionary idea. The Gamecube release got Link from the Legend of Zelda, Xbox players snagged Spawn, and PS2 gamers were given perennial Tekken badass Heihachi…
Hey, Wanna Buy a (Notorious) Prison?
If you’ve ever wanted to own a prison, now’s your chance: The city of Littlefield is auctioning off the Bill Clayton Detention Center, abandoned by the GEO Group, a private prison operator with a troubled history in Texas. The Florida-based GEO pulled out after the son of an inmate sued…
Odd Pair: Ice Cream, Freshly Ground Coffee, and Wine
Look into any commercial Italian-English dictionary and you’ll find the standard however incomplete translation of the Italian verb sgroppare (sgrohp-PAH-reh): to buck, as in a horse bucks off his rider. Look a little deeper (as in the case of this 1831 English-Italian dictionary entry by one of the great Anglo-Italian…
Last Night: Ben Sollee At Fitzgerald’s
Ben Sollee, Thousands Fitzgerald’s July 21, 2011 “I don’t know anything about cello or classical arrangements but I like this stuff,” Aftermath said to our classical-music teacher, great friend and sometime colleague Meghan Hendley, keyboardist for local group Tyagaraja. We were both upstairs at Fitzgerald’s for the Ben Sollee gig…
So You Think You Can Dance: Top 10 Results
This week was the first time this season that “America” voted on its favorite dancers individually instead of in couples, which means there’s no partner to blame it on, no misunderstanding of style, no place to run, no place to hide. It also shows how dumb “America” can be at…
Comment of the Day: We’re Just Jealous of River Oaks Parents Who Insanely Spoil Their Kids
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Build-A-Bar: Fernet Branca
Fernet Branca is not for everyone. In fact, I think there’s a fair argument to be made that Fernet Branca is not for most people. It usually gets a visceral reaction on first taste. I’ve seen it firsthand. My reaction upon tasting Fernet for the first time (Pro Tip: It’s…
United Nations Association International Choir Announces 2011-2012 Season, August Audtitions
The Houston-area United Nations Association International Choir will continue to act out its motto — “Singing with people and in languages from around the world in the universal language of music” — in its 2011-2012 season. The choir, which currently has more than 100 members representing 25 nations, 15 languages…
Gourds Unleash Old Mad Joy On Unsuspecting Public
As an album title, Old Mad Joy sounds like redundancy when placed in the context of Austin roots rock gonzos the Gourds. As anyone who has ever been in earshot of the band or its records, if the Gourds could bottle the music and sell it at the drug store,…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Captain America: The First Avenger
Title: Captain America: The First Avenger “First” Avenger? How Many Avengers Are There? Six. As you’re about to find out. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The FIlm: Three Cosmic Cubes out of five. Tagline: “Avenge.” Better Tagline: “America. Fuck yeah.” Brief Plot Synopsis: 98-lb weakling (a digitally slenderized Chris…
Greatest Grub: Best Non-Blue Bell Ice Cream Flavors
As promised, here’s the follow up to the last Greatest Grub featuring favorite flavors of Blue Bell ice cream. I can only imagine how many gallons of that stuff are bought in the state during these unbearably hot summer months. I know that Blue Bell is the hometown favorite brand,…
Trae Tha Truth Pumped For Today’s Trae Day
Rejoice. Today is Trae Day, a city-sanctioned holiday that was established in 2008 and champions the efforts of rapper Trae tha Truth, a noted humanitarian, social activist and Asshole by Nature. Two years ago, Trae Day was marred when, following the festivities, gunshots were fired into a crowd of those…
Walgreens Electric-Car Charging Stations: The Rest of the U.S. Is Catching Up to Houston
We can’t say we’ve exactly seen the electric-car charging stations at various Walgreens around the town, but we’ll take the company’s word that they exist. And now the rest of the nation will be following in Houston’s footsteps, as the drug giant expands the concept to more than 800 locations…
A Neat Video Goodbye to the Shuttle Era: All 135 Missions in Eight Minutes
Of course it’s got the generic documentary pseudo-prog-rock music. But still, this is a neat and apt summary of the shuttle era, with footage from each mission, done by NatureVideoChannel. Enjoy…
Broadway Does the Movies: 10 Awful Movies Turned Musicals
Just when you thought Spiderman: Turn off the Dark may have burned out every bulb in Broadway, Art Attack has learned of an upcoming musical based on a very unlikely source, A Clockwork Orange. Apparently, the Clockwork musical isn’t even a new thing. Back in 1990, a musical version of…
July 16-22: The Week in Photos
Each week, we take a dip into the Houston Press Flickr pool and see what our talented photographers have been up to. The doldrums of summer are here. We want to see photos of how you’re spending your hot days and nights. Just drop them in our photo group right…
10 American Anthems That Tell It Like It Is
Captain America, Marvel’s newest superhero movie, comes out today. We’ll pause until the excitement passes. … Rocks Off likes Captain America. The three comic books we read with any regularity as a scupper were Cap, Batman (Detective Comics), and Spider-Man. But we love America, as in the “United States of.”…
An Awesome Houston Oiler Public Service Announcement
Granted, there’s plenty to be entertained by in this collection of early-`70s TV ads. If you don’t love the huge land-yacht 1973 Lincoln-Mercurys, which look big enough to land helicopters on, you’re bound to like the “small” version, which retains all the luxury in a more efficient body (that nevertheless…
Openings & Closings
The big news this week, of course, was that Randy Rucker is packing up and moving to Houston. Bootsie’s will still operate in Tomball under his mother’s stewardship, but his new restaurant will be a partnership with pastry chef Chris Leung, located at 5219 Caroline in the Museum District. In…
100 Creatives: Timothy Dorsey
What he does: Perhaps you saw him doling out bottles of beer behind Mango’s once upon a time. Maybe you saw him at Free Press Summer Fest, when he was working tirelessly in the pit to help ensure things went smoothly. Or maybe Tim Dorsey checked your ID at the…
NFL Owners Celebrate New CBA, Now They Just Need the Players to Sign It
“I’m pleased to report that the definitive agreement that we’ve negotiated with the union, the owners approved it today by a vote of 31, with one abstention, and I’m quite pleased. It’s a 10-year agreement.” — Houston Texans owner Bob McNair on a conference call Thursday night I realize Bob…
Six Horrible Ceremonial First Pitches — A Video Anthology
I preface this post, a post where I’m about to ridicule people for making awful ceremonial first pitches at professional baseball games, by saying that I would dread throwing out a first pitch at a baseball game. I would be a nervous wreck all day long leading up to it…
Comment of the Day: The Power is Yours
Art Attack’s resident geek Jef With One F’s list of ring powers that should be considered by the makers of the upcoming Captain Planet movie (yes, there is one) landed on our blog today and had us rolling in the aisles (“METAL!”). We imagine we’ll be saying something similar once…
Comment of the Day
In today’s first look at the newly-opened Soup Cowboy in the downtown tunnel system, Nicholas L. Hall was disappointed to report that neither the soup nor the hand-carved sandwiches were particularly noteworthy, nor worth the long wait. Commenter JarrodM mentioned something else that Soup Cowboy may want to tweak: its…
“Project Delirium”: Big Nationwide Drug Round-Up Results in Texas Arrests
No, “Project Delirium” isn’t the latest Anthrax album; It’s a nationwide crackdown targeting alleged members of the La Familia Michoacana Drug Cartel. It’s been a 20-month operation, and in the latest wave of arrests beginning this month, 221 suspects have been taken in, including six in the Southern District of…
Final Farewell to the Space Shuttle: 5 Outstanding Films About Space
By now, the space shuttle Atlantis is docked and the astronauts have hung up their space suits for the last time. The space race is finally finished, 20 years after the Cold War ended (some say the space race ended in 1975, but a new poll suggests attitudes haven’t really…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 64, Miso Ramen at Umai
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Little Joe Washington Could Use A Hand, Perhaps A Home
Treasured Houston bluesman Little Joe Washington, who will play a happy-hour set at the Continental Friday, may be on the verge of becoming homeless again. Washington, who was in the hospital for an extended stay last year for emergency intestinal surgery, has lived for some years with his childhood friend,…
Red-Light Camera Fines Start Just After Midnight Sunday
The red-light cameras have been back on for a while now, but things start to get serious this weekend. Houston police chief Charles McClelland announced today that fines will begin being issued as of 12:01 a.m. Sunday morning, just in time for your post-Saturday-night bar-hopping. No fines have been issued…
Fall 2011: 5 Fashion Trends We Love
It’s July, and you know what that means–the fashion houses are trying to convince us that fall is just around the corner! The Fall 2011 couture and RTW collections have been released, and it’s making this heat and humidity even harder to bear. My kingdom for jeans and tall leather…
UH Police: Six-Paragraph Report Criticizes Nonexistent Drug Testing, Low Morale
Supervisors of a University of Houston police officer who had cocaine in her system when she was killed in a one-car accident while responding to an emergency call last December knew or should have known of her “fitness for duty issues,” according to a consultant’s review of the department’s management…
DEFCON Dining: Lupe Tortilla
Fresh on the heels of my personal DEFCON Dining Waterloo, my wife made the questionable decision to allow the kids to invite a friend out for dinner. I’m sure all the parents out there are keenly aware of the dangers imposed by the inclusion of other people’s children. Even in…
25 Unfortunate ’90s 1.5-Hit Wonders
Rocks Off loves the ’90s more than we probably should, especially all the dumb little things about the pop music that clogged the radio and MTV. We could probably write a book about the songs that helped shape our formative musical knowledge from 1990 to 1999. This was before we…
Great Picture of Atlantis Turnin’ & Burnin’ for Home
NASA says this picture is “unprecedented,” and who are we to doubt them? Taken from the International Space Station, the shot shows Atlantis beginning its descent through the earth’s atmosphere, as things heat up and everyone says prayers to the heat-shield god…
7 Ridiculous Fan Nicknames, And 1 That Doesn’t Suck
And a woman asked, Master, what about fandom? And he answered: You would coin a name for your disciples. A true star must have pet names for her fans, as a frat boy has nicknames for his dipper. Pop the hood for the most ridiculous celebrity fan nicknames…
First Look at Sorrel Urban Bistro
There’s so much to like about Sorrel Urban Bistro, the new farm-to-table concept restaurant that opened earlier this week, that I have to temper my excitement somewhat. I had the chance to preview the space and do a quick tasting before it opened its doors, and I was so impressed,…
VIDEO: Gearing Up For National Dance Day
Around here, it’s no big deal to see my co-worker Craig Hlavaty walking around in a Misfits shirt. But when he walks around with a Misfits shirt and a tulle scarf, you know something big is going on. Yesterday, I got to watch Hlavaty and his Aussie friend Daniel Aaron…
Rick Perry’s Prayerapalooza: Let The Whitewashing Begin!
Sharp eyes at the Austin American-Statesman have noticed something different about the home page for the epic Houston prayer meeting called The Response: It seems to have been scrubbed. The page no longer includes a list of “endorsers,” several of whom drew criticism for being frothing lunatics distorting the spirit…
HISD: New STAAR Standardized Test Will Completely Change All Curriculum
Texas public schools are trading the standardized test they currently use, TAKS, for a brand-new test — one that’s much harder. Said Superintendent Terry Grier, “This is probably the biggest thing that’s happened in Texas education in a long, long time.” This morning, five of the nine members of the…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Domenica Catelli of Catelli’s
Yesterday on part one of our chat with Domenica Catelli, we discussed how she left Houston to reopen her family restaurant in Geyserville, California. Today, we discuss her work as a Food Network personality, a cookbook author, and a late-adopting Twitterer. EOW: What was it like being a judge on…
Heartless: 5 Power Suggestions for the Captain Planet Film
The same people who made Transformers: Dark of the Moon are making a Captain Planet movie. You know, we were a big fan of Blue Planet, and in the episode that dealt with the bottom of the ocean, they filmed the complete breakdown of a whale carcass by lampreys and…
Biophilia: Bjork Releasing The First App-Based Album
Your humble narrator is being dragged kicking and screaming into a future of iPhones and whatnot, both by being married to a loyal Apple convert and the innovations of the music industry. Though Rocks Off still tracks down local acts and releases the old-fashioned way – online concert listings and…
Seven-Woman Catfight As Epic As It Sounds
The current lead item on the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Web site is the impending auction of a stray heifer, but that doesn’t mean things have been quiet lately. Unless you consider an epic catfight between seven women, in full view of the cops, to be quiet. Maybe in Jacksonville, Texas,…
Bootsie’s Heritage Cafe to Close, Leaving Tomball for Houston
In a move that should surprise absolutely no one, given chef Randy Rucker’s notoriously short attention span, Bootsie’s Cafe is closing at the end of the month. Rucker and company are packing up their chef’s knives and moving back inside the Loop, according to a press release that we mysteriously…
Alex Steinweiss: Remembering the Father of Album Art
At Art Attack, we love art in all its forms, from dance, to painting, to theater and to music. We especially love combining all of those forms, and so it was with a little sadness that we read of the passing of Alex Steinweiss at the age of 94. Steinweiss…
This River Oaks Playhouse Is Better Than Your Crappy Apartment
Swamplot points us to a New York Times article that would make any normal person either cry for America or just throw in the towel on humanity. Kristi Schiller of River Oaks loves to talk about how much charity work she does, all of which apparently gives her carte blanche…
RIP Alex Steinweiss: The Album-Art Inventor’s Greatest Covers
Rocks Off likes to think of ourselves as the cultured sort; in other words, it’s not all booze and boobs around here. We also enjoy literature, the cinema, sometimes even the theat-ah, but our favorite non-musical stimulus has always been the visual arts. Did you know that some museums have…
English Get the Best of Dynamo; Four from Houston Picked for the MLS All-Star Game
The Dynamo played their first-ever European adversary Wednesday night at Robertson Stadium, and they came out on the losing end, 2-0 to Bolton Wanderers of the English Premier League. The score wasn’t as important to the Orange as was the opportunity to see some new talent against a quality foe…
Health Department Roundup
The Guardian is getting a lot of praise for having the guts to expose News of the World for illegal and unethical wiretapping. But guess who doesn’t get the notoriety or the praise they deserve — the employees in the city Health Department who work to keep the kitchens that…
So You Think You Can Dance: Top 10 Perform
There are two reasons I like this show. The first is, of course, the dancing. The second is watching how cray-cray some of these choreographers can get, specifically Tyce Diorio. And Tyce was in top form last night. We heard him saying things like “be the mechanics of the plane,”…
Remember D-Risha’s Big Trouble In Houston, Texas?
Houston’s history is dotted with albums that, fairly or un, have been swept aside. We’ll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. D-Risha Big Trouble In Houston, Texas (Self-released, 2011) D-Risha: Rapper. Allegiance: North Houston. Human: Clever…
Yao Ming: The Taiwanese Animation of His Mom Giving Birth to a Basketball
You’re nobody anymore until you’ve been made the subject of Taiwanese animation. We can’t say we entirely get the phenomenon, but the Rockets’ Yao Ming joins Al Gore, Charlie Sheen and other celebrities as the star of one of these things on the occasion of his retirement. It seems to…
Marfreless and Mike Riccetti Make Entertaining Easy
Yes, you read that right: Marfreless, the legendary sign-less make-out bar in River Oaks, is partly behind a book from two Houston locals on how to make your next party the talk of the town. Or at least the subdivision. Mike Riccetti, a longtime Houston food fixture who writes for…
Cuddle Shuttle: 10 Astronauts We’d Like to Get Cozy With
The Space Shuttle Atlantis touched down at 5:56 a.m.EST this morning, effectively ending this country’s program of sending manned aircraft into outer space. Whether you’re sad to see an era come to an end or you’re relieved that your tax dollars will be spent on something more “useful” (don’t sweat…
Peter Cooper: Nashville Scholar, Fake Hillbilly Hater
The senior music writer and columnist for Nashville daily The Tennesseean and a professor of country music history at Vanderbilt University, Peter Cooper also steps out as a performing songwriter when his schedule permits. He rolls into town Friday night at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck as part of a duo with…
Tunnel Explorer: Soup Cowboy
I love soup. Back when my wife and I were living very much hand to mouth, soup was a constant in our kitchen. It’s delicious, economical, and almost endlessly variable. We often employed a technique I learned from my mother’s mother’s mother, called the Never Ending Soup Pot. Kept on…
Comment of the Day: Rick Perry, Texas A&M QB, Properly Captioned
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Pop Rocks: Basic Cable Blues — The 10 Movies You Will Always Watch When They Come On
You know the feeling: It’s 11 p.m., you’re lying half-conscious on your couch and thinking tonight — tonight — is the night you’re finally going to go to bed before midnight and get a decent night’s sleep. Maybe this will be the start of a new chapter in your life,…
Pop Rocks: Movies You Can’t Not Watch
You know the feeling: it’s 11 PM, you’re lying half-conscious on your couch and thinking tonight – tonight – is the night you’re finally going to go to bed before midnight and get a decent night’s sleep. Maybe this will be start of a new chapter in your life, one…
Your Musical Word Of The Day: Wainwright
Definition: A person who either builds or repairs wagons. It’s from two old English words, “waen” meaning “wagon,” and “whryta” meaning “worker.” You see similar words like playwright, shipwright, and cartwright. Now it’s usually a last name. Use in a sentence: Will the Houston Press cover the cost of hiring…
Free Birth Control: 5 Places to Spend Those Savings Outside of Your Womb
For hating on your babymaker so hard, the government sure is spending a lot of time down there. Just ask Planned Parenthood: There’s a lot of womb-shaming here in Texas. But finally, finally, a governmental body may start meddling on behalf of our collective uterus. Yesterday, a group of medical…
100 Creatives: Lucas Gorham
What He Does: Gorham is part of Houston supergroup Grandfather Child. He’s been a driving force in the local improvisational/experimental music scene for several years with Sad Gorilla and the various Nameless Sound affiliates. He also enjoys playing in gospel music in African-American churches, from which he receives a lot…
Eater Houston Launches Today, Along with Eater Dallas and Eater Atlanta
Since Eater launched in New York City in 2005, it’s grown to cover more than just the Big Apple: Sub-sites for cities like Los Angeles launched in 2006, with Austin and Chicago following a few years later in 2010, adding to the spectrum of cities that the national food blog…
Shuttle Era Ends: A Look Back at Our Coverage
With what we fervently hope is a flawless landing, the last mission of the space shuttle ends this morning when Atlantis touches down in Florida. The final flight evoked a lot of memories, and we tried our best to spark some. In case you missed our varied posts on Atlantis’s…
Big Nudes
Walking through the Helmut Newton exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is like a stroll through the pages of French Vogue. After all, it’s the magazine most synonymous with the legendary photographer known for shooting provocatively pale female flesh. Newton’s first three books are the exhibit’s subjects, presented…
Bread Lines
See Cedars’s big brick ovens and fabulous flatbreads in our slideshow. It’s high noon on a sunny Saturday and Cedars Bakery can’t keep its packages of freshly baked pita bread on the shelf. Hijabi women are perched near the wooden shelves lining one wall, waiting keenly for more packets of…
Capsule reviews: “Arline Fisch: Creatures from the Deep” “The Clearing — Joey Fauerso” “Jenny Schlief Stock Photography: From the Woman Series” “Liz Hickok: Jiggling Geography” “Lynda Benglis: Glass Masks” “Mitch Dobrowner: New Work” “Musicians Wh
Arline Fisch: Creatures from the Deep For many, jellyfish are nasty, menacing creatures that creep silently through the water, furtively honing in on our exposed flesh as we tread water in coastal waves. As a kid, I was terrified of the cabbage heads and Portuguese Man o’ Wars washed up…
True Blood
Jolie Holland’s voice, a spectral yet throaty alto, exists in a realm of its own. It floats above the nebulous strains of folk, jazz, alt-country and indie balladeers (Cat Power, maybe?) that intertwine in her largely acoustic repertoire. It’s arresting enough that no less an eminence than Tom Waits nominated…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Hairspray, The Mikado, Spring Awakening
Hairspray Pick a color, any color, and before too long it’ll appear somewhere onstage, in costume or set design, during Country Playhouse’s kaleidoscopic, exuberantly exciting production, the first in its 55th season! This vibe — so right, so ersatz, so ’60s — extends through the whole show and exudes from…
In the Face of Obstacles – 3-D
Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby for Marvel Comics in 1941, Captain America was among the first American comic books intended as an explicit work of patriotic, political propaganda: The cover of the first edition, available months before Pearl Harbor, famously featured the titular costume hero punching out Adolf…
Detention-Center Guard Broke Immigrant’s Skull
SPACED CITY Houston Gets Its SlutWalk Fighting: “She asked for it” By Mandy Oaklander Houston woke up to a parade of fishnets, taped nipples and self-proclaimed sluts on a recent morning. Almost 100 allies and victims of sexual assault snaked through Montrose for SlutWalk, dropping jaws and stopping traffic. SlutWalk…
The Unexpected Guest
Update: Read Part 2 of this series, Friends With Benefits. To Jennifer Estopinal, something was troubling about her dad Kenneth Jackson’s mysterious new friend: a man who called himself “Dennis Shaw.” Estopinal, a vivacious, youthful-looking 48-year-old brunette, says she first heard Jackson mention Shaw in June of 2009, and by…
Is the Term “Mexican” Becoming Extinct?
Dear Ask a Wetback, You and your fellow law-breaking wetbacks don’t like Arizona’s SB 1070? Too damn bad. Trot back to Make Sick o and protest there, see where it gets you. If you’d work half as hard cleaning up your dump nation as you do sneak in here, your…
The Unexpected Guest: Telling All
Not even a week after he was assessed $20.7 million in damages from his civil trial in which a jury found him guilty of “injury to a child” of heiress Joan Blaffer Johnson’s two youngest children and aggravated sexual assault of one of them, Dinesh Shah got more bad news…
Salvation
This is a conversation that had to happen, even if it wasn’t supposed to. iLL LiaD, aka Brandon Rodriguez, is sitting in the lobby of McDonald’s in St. Luke’s in the Medical Center. He is 23 years old, and looks exactly like a 23-year-old. Rodriguez is married, but does not…
Glasnost
Thanks to Glasnost, Houston synth-pop fans don’t have to wait for the latest Pitchfork fad to leave their Williamsburg loft or another ’80s holdover to haul their keyboards into Numbers. With music that holds up against prime John Hughes soundtracks — reminiscent of anything from Kraftwerk to the Rapture —…
Taking Flight
Howard Hughes was an amazingly curious man. His history is filled with all sorts of interesting nuggets. Born in Houston in 1905, he built the city’s first transmitter radio at 11 years old, and built a motorized bike out of steam-engine parts at 12. (His mother said he couldn’t have…
Ben Sollee
When you think of the cello, you normally don’t think of it as a foot-tapping kind of instrument. But for the past decade, Kentucky cellist Ben Sollee has been changing minds all over the word with his brand of soulful, indie-tinged folk, with his voice and said stringed implement up…
Christina Perri
If not for the fluke inclusion of her single “jar of hearts” on a recent season of So You Think You Can Dance, the world may have only known newcomer Christina Perri as a smiling, tattooed waitress in Los Angeles. But after the song was used for a sequence on…
Rock Baby Rock It 11
One of Houston’s premier rockabilly events since 2000, Rock Baby Rock It takes over the Continental compound this weekend under a cloud of tragedy. Former Houstonian and popular Austin musician Chadd Thomas, whose band the Crazy Kings headlined last year’s Rock Baby Rock It, was found dead in a South…
Eels
For many people, the 1996 album Beautiful Freak was their introduction to Eels, the eccentric pop band led by singer-songwriter Mark Oliver Everett — otherwise known simply as E. Although ’90s melancholy hits “Novocaine for the Soul” and “Your Lucky Day in Hell” pushed the band into the mainstream, the…
The Krayolas
The Krayolas aren’t the official house band for Little Steven’s Underground Garage, but they might as well be. Since the San Antonio band led by Houston natives Hector and David Saldana returned from an extended hiatus with 2008’s La Conquistadora, Bruce Springsteen’s right-hand man has become one of the Krayolas’…
Just Playing
Just Playing Online readers comment on “Game On,” by Craig Malisow, July 14: Losers: Gambling — games for people who believe the laws of mathematics do not apply to them. Richard Doll Stupid Tax: Like the state lottery, people who play these machines are paying their own “Stupid Tax” —…
