Comment of the Day: That Asshole’s Actually a Nice Guy
Today on Art Attack, our weekly “Cinema Slapfight” pitted two of the silver screen’s most notorious assholes — Christopher McDonald and William Atherton — against one another. These two have such a talent for smugness that we sometimes forget they’re actors. Normally, we don’t feature our writers’ comments on Comment…
Houston Texans: My Way Too Early Guess at the 53-Man Roster
We all have that friend who not only loves to be right, but also loves to point out that they’re right and then continuously remind you that he (or she — yeah, ladies, you’re guilty, too!) is right. They’ll text, they’ll tweet, they’ll take screen shots of Sporcle quizzes that…
Comment of the Day
Today Christine Ha recounted her visit to the new Hubcap Grill in the Heights. Commenter Jay Francis clearly loves the place, but he did have a piece of advice: Hubcap is the only place I will have a burger in town. Ricky’s hamburger bun recipe is the best. One thing…
Hot Off The Press: PrintMatters’ “Hot Houston, Cool Prints (Second Edition)”
They say one (wo)man’s trash is another (wo)man’s treasure, and Lari Gibbons has to agree. The Associate Professor of Studio Arts at the University of North Texas stumbled upon a 150-year-old clamshell press that had been left for dead in an abandoned driveway. Gibbons saw its potential and took it…
Longhorn Network’s 5 New Shows: Why No One Will Watch Them
The amazingly awesome Longhorn Network, which will provide all the UT anyone could ever hope for, announced five new shows today. And no one in their right mind will watch any of them. Of course, the Longhorn Network is not designed to appeal to anyone in their right mind. It’s…
Sneak Peek: The 2011 AIA Houston Home Tour
Nine modern homes of all sizes will be featured on this year’s home tour of the Houston chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The tour, which takes place in October, is one of the organization’s largest events, encompassing two days, 200 volunteers and cooperation from homeowners, architects and…
Perry’s Prayerapalooza: Let the Downsizing Begin (Also: Worst Fast Ever)
Rick Perry’s famous call for the nation’s governors to come to Houston this weekend to pray and fast is looking more and more like a mistake to all but the religious right. Of course, if he’s looking to win a GOP primary, he may just get by with only the…
Rappers Choose Their Favorite Fresh Prince Episode
Today’s Panel: Delo, Chane, Mr. Wired Up (Oh Boy), Mac, Brad Gilmore, #Thurogod, A.D.D., Renzo, Kiotti, Chingo Bling Not Invited: Uncle Phil Today’s Prompt: Earlier today, “Fresh Prince” was trending on Twitter. Naturally, we reached over to a bunch of Houston rappers to see which episode of the early-’90s sitcom…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 52, Soft-Shell Crab at Pico’s Mex-Mex
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…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Kiran Verma of Kiran’s
Chef Kiran Verma, of the eponymous fine-dining Indian restaurant in River Oaks (okay, River Oaks adjacent), took a circuitous route to her profession. At age 18, she left her native Delhi and moved to Houston with her husband. After a stint at Texas Commerce Bank, she spent the next 20…
55 Pounds of Coke? Six Other Things Found on Galveston Beaches, Ranked from Worst to Best
A jogger found 55 pounds of cocaine on the beach in Galveston this morning, a bigger haul than the 37 pounds someone else found there a year ago. In both cases, they turned it over to the cops instead of going all low-rent Breaking Bad. Of course, if anyone decided…
Vintage Fashion: Expensive Thrift or Smart Shopping?
Is “vintage” just a fancy word for “old”? When it comes to fashion the answer is “yes.” Then again, the answer is also “no.” I have been thinking a lot about this question since TEDxHouston, after seeing a video entitled “Wearing nothing new” by Jessi Arrington. Arrington only buys second-hand…
Arctic Monkeys & The Rock N’ Pop Class Of 2006
This past decade, 2006 was one of the better years in music, with a ton of debuts, great albums and catchy singles. It was also the year this member of Rocks Off started putting his musical critiques into a computer, joining the great circus known as the music industry. Maybe…
You Can’t Panhandle at Sidewalk Cafes Anymore in Houston
With no discussion, the city council unanimously approved a ban on panhandling anywhere within eight feet of a sidewalk cafe. The cafe ban was added to the current city ordinance that bars panhandling at ATMs, pay telephones, gas pumps and other places where people tend to get hit up. Violation…
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. Blue State Carpetbagger’s Red State Wine Blog: We always follow along over at Tom “Big House” Casagrande’s blog. Why? Because we know we can depend on him for “fair and balanced…
Wicked Poseur Is The Real Deal – Believe It
Wicked Poseur has really got you by the balls. That’s all there is to it. The indie-rock terrors manage to twist all sorts of distortion and confetti into a glorious bit of sounds. It’s competitive, raunchy, brave music, thumping enough that you can’t deny their talent, but far enough from…
Cover Story: Natalie Irish Paints With Her Lips (With Video Of Her Painting This Week’s Cover)
Natalie Irish has Houston’s most famous set of lips. The subject of this week’s cover story, Irish has recently grabbed the attention of the world by making portraits with her lip prints. She puts on lipstick, puckers up, and kisses a blank canvas until a famous person appears. Confused? Skeptical?…
The Low Down on Down House
While I’m still not entirely sure what Down House wants to be — restaurant, coffee shop, bar, a combination of all three? — I’m also not so sure that’s a bad thing. The little place in the Heights is hopping along quite nicely without being pigeonholed, so perhaps a niche…
Art Review: Colorful Abstracts and (Metaphorical) Time-Travel at Bryan Miller Gallery
The two artists in this dual show deliver wildly different sets of work, in content, tone and methodology. Brooklyn-based Dan Kopp’s colorful abstracts are puzzles of technique and material, layers of acrylic and urethane on fiberboard panels that seem almost like organic matter that’s been sanded to reveal its mineral…
Nolton Joseph LaFleur III, Shot By Metro Officer, Bayou Body Count No. 115
For the second time in two years — the only two times in its almost 30-year history — a Metro officer has fatally shot someone. Nolton Joseph LaFleur III, whose age is unknown, was shot by Metro police officer Richard Hernandez on the west side of town yesterday afternoon. (Update:…
First Look at Hubcap Grill and Beer Garden in the Heights
I’d never had a taste of Hubcap Grill before, so when they opened up their new grill and beer garden in the Heights last week, it moved to the top of my list of places to try. A few days ago, the temperature was over one hundred, and when I…
Black Pistol Fire: The Austin Blues Duo’s Favorite Bands
This week we talked to Black Pistol Fire, who headline tonight at Warehouse Live in the studio with Animal Farmacy. The Austin duo and proud transplants from Toronto are loud, aggressive and bluesy. Though they get comparisons to the Black Keys, they don’t see much of themselves in that other…
Cinema Slap Fight: Christopher McDonald vs. William Atherton
In which film criticism dies a horrible, perfunctory death. Since the beginning of the movie era, actors have been typecast as heroes or as villains. A few never strayed from their comfort zone (Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne, to name two), while others were allowed greater moral ambiguity, especially as…
City Hall Packed for Red-Light Camera Showdown
As far as city hall meetings go, yesterday’s was raucous. Members of the National Black United Front, Houston Ministers Against Crime, city council hopefuls, and Citizens Against Red Light Cameras filled the hall to standing-room-only capacity to complain to Mayor Annise Parker about red-light cameras. Thirty-six people signed up to…
Disappointed at Dim Sum King
Whenever there are discussions about dim sum in Houston, I inevitably hear references to Dim Sum King, the tiny little restaurant tucked way in the hard-to-find corner behind a police station on Bellaire and Ranchester. I love eating dim sum, and while I’ve been to many other restaurants for dim…
Discovery Green Lands Roots-Rock Royalty For Free Fall Concerts
A return engagement from Tex-Mex supergroup the Texas Tornados, reunited (after a fashion) roots-rock polymaths NRBQ – now featuring a former Houstonian on drums – and the honky-tonk hero who told Tiger Airways a thing or two highlight Discovery Green’s fall Capitol One Concert Series. Locals Chase Hamblin, Runaway Sun,…
What Was Your Worst Job? Tell Us and Get Free Tickets to See The Help
The worst job I ever had was also my first. I was an ice cream slinger at Marble Slab Creamery; at the end of the day, my arms were sore from digging out buckets of the cold, hard, sweet stuff; my hair smelled of waffle cones and the ammonia we…
HISD Spokesperson Norm Uhl Fired
Winner of Best Flack in last year’s Best of Houston® issue, Houston school district spokesman Norm Uhl is now out of a job. He was fired by the district. We gave the award to Uhl, a former KHOU reporter, because he seemed willing to battle what had been years of…
Whisker Wars: 10 Favorites in Facial Hair
At one point in the not so distant past, facial hair was considered creepy. The mustache in particular didn’t have very positive connotations. Slang words such as “molestache” and “creepstache” were coined as snarky descriptions of strange men in vans who were out to get little kids on playgrounds. As…
Gothic Council Remembers Their First Dance
Gothtopia has spent the better part of our free weekends over the last decade hanging out at Numbers whenever DJ Mina hosts Underworld. It remains the hub of all things goth in Houston, and Mina’s dedication to the institution doesn’t earn her nearly the praise it deserves. We’d like to…
Is Drayton McLane Really the Best Astros Owner Ever?
John McMullen, former Astros ownerSometime this month the 29 MLB owners will approve the purchase of the Houston Astros by Jim Crane. Drayton McLane, the man selling the Astros, will be referred to as the greatest owner in Astros history. The man who turned the team into a winner. Who…
Bartender Chat: Mike Marquez of Big Star Bar
If you haven’t been to Big Star Bar but think that Mike Marquez looks familiar, it may be from one of his previous gigs in Houston. A California native, Mike has been in Houston off and on for about 20 years, working in establishments such as Emo’s, the Vatican, and…
Dean Daderko, CAMH’s Newest Curator, Talks Duchamp, NYC Life and Programming Exhibits in a Spare Bedroom
He’s put together art shows in the States and abroad, nearly opened a restaurant and now he’s one of the latest additions to the Houston art scene. A few weeks ago, Dean Daderko officially started his post as curator at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. For years, the creative type worked…
Last Night: Ke$ha At The Woodlands
Ke$ha Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion August 2, 2011 See glitter, glow-in-the-dark attire and some mighty afros from Ke$ha, LMFAO and Spank Rock (and their fans) in our slideshow. Halfway through her sparkly, sordid and sweaty extravaganza Tuesday night, Ke$ha dropped to the floor of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion stage…
Brew Blog: Estrella Damm Inedit
I didn’t put much thought into it when I reached into my fridge and started pouring a glass of beer that was created in collaboration with Ferran Adrià, mastermind behind el bulli, likely the most highly regarded restaurant in the world. It wasn’t my intention to frame this review in…
Comment of the Day: The Joke That Had to Be Made
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…
Back to School: 10 Completely Real College Courses That Sound Totally Fake
The most magical moment in my college career came when I, packed tightly in a lecture hall full of over-studied, over-caffeinated and severely under-showered undergrads, was made to listen to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” as part of a final exam. Then, just to make sure we had a fair enough chance…
Defending Kings Of Leon: Blood Is Thicker Than Tequila
Since there’s been so much talk about Kings of Leon after Caleb Followill’s abrupt “heat-induced” exit last Friday in Dallas, Tuesday afternoon Rocks Off’s in-house brain trust emailed back and forth about the possible long-term effects of last weekend’s events on the band. Craig Hlavaty: The Kings of Leon Dallas…
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. Food Republic: Remember that trio of Pilot Light dinners from Seth Siegel-Gardner…
Top 5 Best C-USA Football Games of 2011 (With Predictions)
Last week, Hair Balls broke down some of the best (as well as the worst) games of the 2011 football season involving Big 12 teams. Now, Conference USA, which just wrapped up its media days in Memphis, gets a similar treatment. Houston, thanks to the return of QB Case Keenum,…
Comment of the Day
Today Katharine Shilcutt wondered whatever happened to bologna, and reader response ran the gamut. Some think the processed wonder is gross and/or unhealthy, but others, like stwilhelm, still think it’s a winner: Bologna is a secret, guilty pleasure of mine! Two pieces of bread, spread generously with Miracle Whip (yes…
How Andre Johnson’s “Death” Turned into a Mere Dislocated Finger
There’s a scene from Season 5 of The Sopranos just after Tony Soprano got into the car accident with the smoking hot Adriana (who happened to be Tony’s insane nephew Christopher’s fiancée) late at night on a rural in Dover, New Jersey. Word broke about the accident and the Soprano…
Comment of the Day: Honoring “His Greatness”
Yesterday, Christina Uticone reflected on the storied career and troubled life of iconic fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. Saint Laurent suffered from depression and heavy substance abuse, yet he created some of the most beautiful and playful designs in modern fashion. Christina mentioned in passing the 2009 documentary L’amour Fou,…
TSU’s “It Gets Better” Song, Penned By Broadway’s Andrew Lippa, Now on iTunes
Musical theater fans wanting to listen to Andrew Lippa’s song “It Gets Better” no longer need to keep pressing “play” on Youtube to hear the song over and over again. With “It Gets Better” now available on iTunes, listeners can just hit “repeat.” Lippa, the Tony-nominated composer of The Addams…
Visual Proof: Obama Is a Racist
Checking out the White House Flickr page, we came across this picture from Saturday. Looks pretty innocent, right? WRONG. Check out the sign over Obama’s head…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 53, Pork Chop at Perry’s Steakhouse
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…
Jon Buice: Parole Reversed for Gay Basher
Jon Buice, who had been awarded a controversial parole after serving time for his role in the gay-bashing death of Paul Broussard, will not be a free man after all. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles today reversed its earlier decision granting Buice parole in less than half of…
Clarence Vick: Man Murdered While Watering His Front Lawn Was Civilian Cop & Police Chaplain
Clarence Vick, 61, was murdered about a month ago at 3 a.m. while he was watering his lawn. Police and his family put out a renewed plea today for help in finding his killer, and gave a fuller picture of the victim. “Vick had lived in the neighborhood for 30…
Art Review: Up-and-Comers at HSPVA’s Annual Juried Show
This popular annual exhibit is an interesting look at the up-and-coming artists at Houston’s own High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Texas’s premier arts magnet school. The works span a broad range of media and technique (painting, sculpture, photography, collage, printmaking, drawing, mixed media, Photoshop), and there’s terrific…
Lyrical Life Lessons: Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned
Blame it on the humidity, but there’s something about Houston that makes women go off the deep end. In fact, the Bayou City is home to three of the past decade’s most notorious female-perpetrated crimes. There was Dr. Clara Harris (2002), who responded to the news of her husband’s infidelity…
Racing Rachael: Slurp Away
So it’s a hundred degrees out and what’s for dinner tonight? A nice crisp salad? A no-fuss sandwich? Some grilled meat? Nope, not here. I decided on noodle bowls, the perfect hot-weather food. It’s not too hot for a noodle bowl — just crank down the a/c and eat up…
Brownouts & Rolling Blackouts: We Examine Reliant’s Sometimes Odd Energy-Saving Tips
ERCOT says it set a new record for electricity demand yesterday, and it won’t be long before it’s broken again. Reliant Energy has sent out a bunch of tips on how to conserve electricity during these heavy-demand 100-degree days. We present some of them. Did you know a dirty air…
Taming of the Shrew a Clownish Delight at Houston Shakespeare Festival
See our review of Houston Shakespeare Festival’s Othello here. The setup: Act Two of the Houston Shakespeare Festival is off to a rousing start with its production of The Taming of the Shrew. The festival is now directed by University of Houston Drama Department head Steve Wallace, who appears to…
Tunnel Explorer: Treebeard’s
Tunnel Explorer isn’t necessarily about turning up new places to eat. Sure, there might be the occasional hidden gem to mine out (I’ll tell you if I find one), but in general, there’s just not much down here that people don’t already know about. Hopefully, with that said, you’ll excuse…
Johnny Winter’s New Orbit: Roots, William Shatner & Sly Stone
Beaumont-born bluesman Johnny Winter is having a very busy year for a man who is 67. Not only is he set to release his first album of newly recorded material in eight years, Winter is also featured on I’m Back! Family & Friends, the album being released later this month…
Truck Nuts on the Moon
A friend of Hair Balls named Angelo Landrum said he read our item today on the 40th anniversary of Apollo 15, the mission that introduced the moon buggy (and also featured scandal, inept peeing and the coolest science demonstration ever). After that he read this item about truck nuts and…
Wine of the Week, Part 2: Orange Wine by Nicolas Joly, on a Mission from Nature
Yesterday, after we posted our Orange Wines 101 primer, Elgreco54 noted that “Joly does knockout stuff.” As it just so happens, I tasted the new vintage, 2008, of Joly’s entry-level wine, Les Clos Sacrés (the holy cloisters), over the weekend. (In France the wine is called “Les Vieux Clos,” the…
Stuart James Huffman: Police Say Alleged Wife-Beater Was Caught Drunk Driving With Kids
Coming on strong as both a Husband and Dad of the Year candidate is 41-year-old Stuart James Huffman. Police say that after returning to their Pearland McMansion from a bar, Huffman and his wife got into an argument around 3:45 a.m. Friday. The dispute turned heated, and the wife later…
Meme of the Week: Spock Is Not Impressed
The return of Meme of the Week after weeks and weeks of dormancy brings us Spock Is Not Impressed, created by Web guru Sean Bonner and first thrown onto his Google+ account a few weeks back. Remember Google+? That was fun. All the circles and acquaintances, and the folks leaving…
Is This the Oldest Piece of Film of Houston? Possibly
This text will be replaced var so1 = new SWFObject(‘http://www.texasarchive.org/jwplayer/player.swf’,’mpl’,’480′,’370′,’9′); so1.addParam(‘allowfullscreen’,’true’); so1.addParam(‘allowscriptaccess’,’always’); so1.addParam(‘wmode’,’opaque’); so1.addVariable(‘file’,’2011_01512_480x360.flv’); so1.addVariable(‘linktarget’, ‘http://www.texasarchive.org/library/index.php/title=The_Sloane_Collection,_no._1_-_Shriners_Parade,_Houston,_1915’); so1.addVariable(‘streamer’,’rtmp://texasarchive.streamguys.org:80/sgvodstreaming’); so1.write(‘mediaspace1’); The Texas Archive of the Moving Image thinks this just may be the earliest known footage of Houston. Naturally, it involves an elephant parade. It’s a Shriners parade from 1915. It’s difficult…
My Bologna Has a First Name: It’s F-O-R-G-O-T-T-E-N
Scores of Americans were once on a first-name basis with bologna. A generation was raised on the sausage’s popular commercials and on the meat itself, usually sandwiched simply between two pieces of white bread and a swipe of mustard. But years of health concerns over a number of factors –…
Happy Birthday Butch Vig: A Quick Discography
Today is Butch Vig’s 55th birthday. The acclaimed record producer and sometime musician has been at the helm of some of the best grunge and indie records of the past 25 years, and his production style has made him one of the most sought-after sound architects in the industry. From…
Caption This: Rick Perry at Texas A&M
The Texas Tribune takes a look at Rick Perry’s Aggie career, which included the always hilarious M-80s in the toilets. It includes the above pair of photos, which we’re sure have shown up elsewhere but still are stunning in their Perry-ness. They seem perfect for another round of our occasional…
The Wire’s Seth Gilliam a Powerful Othello in Houston Shakespeare Festival Production
The setup: The Houston Shakespeare Festival production of Othello carries an unusual amount of star power. The tragically jealous Moor is played by The Wire alum Seth Gilliam, and the play is directed by OBIE-Award-winner Leah Gardiner. They each do excellent work. The execution: Gilliam is a convincing and powerful…
Jay-Z & Kanye’s Throne Tour Stop Delayed To December 5
Toyota Center’s Web site is now listing the Houston date of rap titans Jay-Z and Kanye West’s joint tour to promote their forthcoming album Watch the Throne as Monday, December 5, rather than the previously announced Wednesday, October 26. Promoter Live Nation confirmed the change, but has not sent out…
Lorenzo Garcia: El Paso ISD Chief With Local Ties Indicted Over Houston Contract
The head of the El Paso school district has been indicted over charges he steered a lucrative no-bid contract to a Houston company owned by a woman with whom he had a personal relationship. Lorenzo Garcia, a former assistant superintendent at Spring Branch ISD and (red alert!!) deputy superintendent in…
Tuesday August 2, 2011 Deals of the Day
Get half off pizza and more with today’s VOICE Daily Deal from the Houston Press. Our coupon is good for 50 percent off ($9 for $18) at Essie’s Pizzeria in Bellaire. Essie’s makes their homemade dough fresh daily, and they make their pizzas to order in a traditional brick oven…
Beanz N Kornbread Cook Up Good Weather Muzik
When Rocks Off ran into the production duo Beanz N Kornbread at SXSW back in March, we were advised to stay tuned for a big project set to drop sometime this summer. Well the summer is here, and that project is the impressive Good Weather Muzik. We caught up with…
The Best Body-Swap Movies of All Time in the Past 25 Years or So
This Friday sees the release of the new Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman vehicle The Change-Up, which, with its complex and original body-swap plot, joins the ranks of the films on this list. Body-swap plot devices have been frequent fodder for comedies and dramas alike, with varying degrees of success…
Arthur Lee Washington, 52, Bayou Body Count No. 114
Two residents of a northeast-side mental care facility got into an argument yesterday, and one stabbed the other to death. Jarvis De-Allo Leverett, 35, has been charged with murder in the death of Arthur Lee Washington, 52. The incident happened about 7:15 p.m. “The two men got into an argument…
Upcoming: Atmosphere, Death Cab For Cutie, Jayhawks, Etc.
Alien Ant Farm: Sat., Sept. 24. Scout Bar Clear Lake. After The Burial, Veil Of Maya, Misery Signals, Within The Ruins: Thu., Oct. 6. Warehouse Live. The Airborne Toxic Event: Wed., Oct. 12. Warehouse Live. Atmosphere: Thu., Sept. 22. House of Blues. Benny Benassi: Sat., Sept. 3. Stereo Live. Big…
Ingredient of the Week: Balsamic Vinegar
To continue my Italian kick, this week, I present balsamic vinegar, which you can combine with past featured ingredients such as the roma tomato and Genovese basil to make a refreshing pasta salad for those summer picnics and barbecues. What is it? From Italy, balsamic vinegar was originally made by…
World Premiere of Rob Urbinati’s Death By Design at HFAC in September
Houston Family Arts Center will have not just one but two world premieres under its belt come fall. As previously reported, the company is in the middle of preparing its all-Texan cast for the world premiere of local writer Chance McClain’s Kissless the Musical at the New York Musical Theatre…
We Want to Dine with These Five Dead Famous People
5. Dolley Madison. Forget about Martha Stewart. As First Lady, Madison took the role of hostess to a whole new level, earning accolades for her brilliant dress, witty conversation, and terrific dinner menus. And she had moxie as well domestic graces: She offered (often unsolicited) advice to her husband on…
Ask A Teenage Rap Promoter: How Did That Happen?
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: Astro Ineptitude
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: Can’t We Just Leave D.B. Cooper Alone?
This November marks the 40th anniversary of the hijacking of Northwest Flight #305 by a man calling himself “Dan Cooper.” The hijacker, later erroneously referred to in the media as “D.B.,” jumped out of the plane at an altitude of 10,000 feet somewhere between Portland, Oregon, and Seattle with $200,000…
Pop Rocks: Leave D.B. Cooper Alone
This November marks the 40th anniversary of the hijacking of Northwest Flight #305 by a man calling himself “Dan Cooper.” The hijacker, later erroneously referred to in the media as “D.B.,” jumped out of the plane at an altitude of 10,000 feet somewhere between Portland, Oregon, and Seattle with $200,000…
Should Amy Winehouse & DJ Screw’s Addictions Define Their Legacy?
Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday that isn’t a national holiday (or thereabouts), Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. Ed. Note: Although the results of Amy Winehouse’s autopsy last week were inconclusive, the Daily Mail reported Monday that…
Willie Koehler: Child Rapist Suing From Prison Over Repo’d Pickup
In 2006, Willie Koehler of Texas City borrowed $19,000 to buy a 2007 Ford F-150. He agreed to have Amoco Federal Credit Union automatically debit $355 from his account every month, and Koehler always made sure he was flush enough to cover the payments. But then, according to a lawsuit…
Where Are We Drinking?
This elegant little iced tea setup is a lot nicer than what you’ll find in most to-go places — there’s even simple syrup here in addition to sugar. Does the selection look familiar to you? Perhaps the concrete floors and metal racks are the giveaway? Either way, leave your best…
100 Creatives: Bill Davenport
What he does: The interview begins with an excuse that provides great insight into Davenport’s occupation: “Sorry I missed your call, I was out back putting resin on a 15-foot crocodile. That’s not the kinda thing you can stop in the middle of.” Welcome to the wild and wacky world…
Apollo 15, 40 Years On: Five Odd Facts (Including Faulty Peeing, a Very Irked NASA & the Coolest Lunar Experiment
Forty years ago today, two Americans were on the moon, getting ready to blast off from home. Apollo 15 is another of the lesser-known moon missions, although it did introduce the very cool moon buggy. In the past we’ve presented five off facts about the moon landing, Alan Shepard’s flight…
Delmus Eugene Scott Jr.: Working An Army Post Office In Kuwait, Sending Back $500K In Stolen Money Orders to Humble
A Houston-area man has been arrested for allegedly sending more than $500,000 in stolen money orders to a bank in Humble. Delmus Eugene Scott Jr., 34, was a civilian employee at the Camp Buehring Post Office in Kuwait from January 2008 until June 2010. His job included overseeing finances and…
Gabrielle Giffords Appears in Congress to Vote on Debt-Ceiling Deal
U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who recuperated in Houston from a shooting, made her first appearance back in Congress today, receiving a standing ovation. She voted yes on the debt-ceiling deal. From her press office: “I have closely followed the debate over our debt ceiling and have been deeply disappointed at…
Comment of the Day
Today Christina Uticone tried the Houston Restaurant Week menu at Philippe, sampling a dish of grilled skate wing and leading an anonymous commenter to wonder: When did skate wing become popular to serve in restaurants? I’ve noticed it popping up a lot lately. I know restaurants used to pass off skate…
Houston Astros: Click Here to See the Worst Lineup in Major League History
Around the trade deadline, there are typically three types of teams making moves: There are teams trading moderately to low-priced young players for solid veteran players. We call these teams “contenders.” There are teams that are trading veteran players for moderately to low-priced young talent. We call these teams “rebuilding.”…
The Casual Bank Robber, Caught in Action
Politeness still counts for something, right? Above is a man who robbed a Bank of America branch inside a Food Town grocery store in the 9500 block of S. Kirkwood this morning. “At approximately 11:05 a.m., the man entered the bank and casually waited in line with other customers before…
Heights’ Wire Road Studios Celebrates Grand Opening
James Kelley is a musician and an engineer. He’s also a madman. And ambitious to the point of delirium. And a fanatic. How else to explain his new music studio, Wire Road Studios, a 5,000-square-foot, multi-room, recording space? The Wire Road facility celebrated its grand opening Sunday, offering tours and…
Redefining the Restaurant CINQ at La Colombe d’Or
Since my husband and I moved to Houston, every time we’ve driven by La Colombe d’Or Hotel, I’ve said, “We really have to check that place out sometime.” When I ask a Houston native about the restaurant, they always say, “Oh yeah! I went there for my”…and then name some…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 54, Wicked Philly at Pappa Geno’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…
Electricity Grid Begins to Feel the Heat
Get used to it: ERCOT, which manages the state’s power grid, is asking people to conserve energy this afternoon until at least 7 p.m. because it is so freaking hot. “The ERCOT region is continuing to experience record high temperatures throughout the state, which is causing high electricity usage,” said…
Longhorns Still Reeling in Party-School Rankings
First they get dropped from the top spot by Playboy. Now the Princeton Review barely keeps them in the top 10. How is the University of Texas going to keep being known as a top Party School if it can’t get no respect? The Princeton Review’s various surveys of colleges…
Chomping Down on Shark Week: The Most Awesome (Awful?) Pieces of Shark Art
Shark Week, the week in which we can watch cute, tiny things getting mauled by larger, decidedly not-cute things under the excuse “it’s educational,” is finally here, and last night I spent three hours planted on the couch watching great whites chomp on sea lions in slow motion to learn…
Kings Of Leon Cancel Tour; 5 Ways Caleb Followill Can Get His Voice Back
Band cancels rest of U.S. tour including Texas make-up dates, TMZ says UPDATE (4:40 p.m.): It’s official, as per Live Nation press release: It ain’t happenin’. Refunds available either automatically (for online/smartphone tickets) or at point of purchase. Kings of Leon’s big breakdown in Big D is still burning up…
Kemone Dickerson: Groom Accused of Drunken Wedding Day Rampage
It’s not unusual for a groom to take a nip or two before he takes to the altar on his wedding day. As shows like America’s Funniest Home Videos have shown us a million times, not infrequently, husbands-to-be overdo it and flub their vows, or in extreme cases, puke all…
Falling Skies: Creeping to the Counterattack
Editor’s note: Pete Vonder Haar will return next week as the regular recapper for Falling Skies, just as soon as he gets done with all the AT&T U-Verse BS and joins Comcast like the rest of the world. The title of this week’s episode, “What Hides Beneath,” is especially apt…
DEFCON Dining: Haven
DEFCON Dining is all about flexibility. When kids are involved, last-minute adjustments and cancellations are a matter of course, and you have to be prepared to roll with the punches. If you’re not on your toes, things can turn ugly very quickly. If you think fast, though, you can often…
True Blood: Neko Case and Southern Gothic
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. It seems so rare that…
Slayer, Damned, Public Enemy, Lykke Li Lead Fun Fun Fun Lineup
UPDATE (1:10 p.m.): The entire Fun Fun Fun lineup released Monday is on Page 2. After leaking artists including Okkervil River, Odd Future, X and – most people believe – Slayer, Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest has officially begun announcing its 2011 lineup via the brand-new file-sharing/social-media hybrid Turntable FM…
Rick Perry’s Iowa Ad, Featuring World’s Worst Handjob Porn
A Super-PAC that is supporting Rick Perry — which is in and of itself enough to make it super, in our eyes — has begun running ads in Iowa for their boy. It’s pretty standard political stuff, the Texas Miracle of unfettered job growth, etc., but in terms of subliminal…
Wine of the Week: Orange Wine (Yes, Orange)
White wine, rosé wine, red wine, orange wine… Orange wine? Qu’est-ce que c’est? No, it’s not a wine concocted by Longhorn fans. (They call UT the orange tide? Call me Deacon Blue Nun). Orange wine is a loosely codified category of winemaking and winemakers who macerate the juice obtained from…
Joyeux Anniversaire, Yves Saint Laurent
I have known fear and the terrors of solitude. I have known those fair-weather friends we call tranquilizers and drugs. I have known the prison of depression and the confinement of the hospital. But one day, I was able to come through all of that, dazzled yet sober. -YSL, 2002…
Head Spins and Pop Lockin’ at the Break Free Community Center
Yesterday afternoon, Art Attack got its toprock on at the grand opening of the Break Free Community Center. When we ventured over to the south side of Houston for what turned out to be a completely packed house of breakers rockin’ some serious moves, it was like we had stepped…
Houston Literary Magazine Tries to Convince the IRS It’s Not Porn
NANO Fiction, a bi-annual publication of “flash fiction, prose poems, and micro essays of 300 words or fewer,” is holding a fund-raiser. Why? So it can prove to the IRS it isn’t porn. Eric Todd, an associate editor, says NANO Fiction is trying to qualify as a nonprofit, but the…
The Week in TV: The Walking Dead Zombies Kill Their Maker
Zombies, gangsters and terrifying ex-wives: This was the week in TV Land. • Big news for AMC: Frank Darabont is leaving The Walking Dead. Darabont was a key player in the series: He developed it from the comic book, served as showrunner and exec producer, wrote four of the first…
Ramadan Begins Today: Where Will You Eat Iftar?
The annual period of fasting called Ramadan has begun today for observant Muslims across the world. What does that mean? In a nutshell, no eating or drinking from sunrise until sunset — and in August, that’s no easy task. In an op-ed from today’s New York Times, physician and blogger…
Off the Wall: Spec’s Deli Sandwiches
Between the news that Dallas is finally getting a Spec’s and Katharine Shilcutt posting that mouth-watering picture of their Pâté de France sandwich last week, I’ve been itchin’ for a visit to the adult playground myself. In the comments of Shilcutt’s entry, EOW reader and commenter FattyFatBastard said the Spec’s…
Kenneth Randle, Unluckiest Getaway Driver Ever, Gets 11 Years Because His Pals Were A-Holes
A 23-year-old man who sat unarmed as the driver of a bank-robbery car has been sentenced to 11 years without parole, mostly, it seems, because his colleagues were violent a-holes. During the $40,000 robbery last October, the three dudes he was working with physically and verbally abused bank tellers. Later,…
Oklahoma! at Houston Family Arts Center: Better Than OK
The set up: The much-loved musical Oklahoma!, the first collaboration between Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, set a new standard of excellence for musical comedy in its 1943 Broadway premiere. Now, produced by the Houston Family Arts Center, it springs into joyous, exuberant life at the Berry Center. Set…
30 Seconds With Evans Blue’s Dan Chandler
Rocks Off sat down with Dan Chandler of the St. Louis rock outfit Evans Blue to find out what we could find out abut the new lead singer in 30 seconds. Rocks Off: What is the worst song in the world? Dan Chandler: That’s a hard question. I think the…
Juan Dominguez, 22, Groom, Shot During Wedding Party, Bayou Body Count No. 113
A groom desperately knocking on a door seeking help for a friend stabbed in a wedding-party fight was shot to death by the homeowner, Houston police say. KHOU reports Juan Dominguez, 22, was shot about 2 a.m. Sunday on the north side of town. Dominguez had been married earlier in…
Coke: United States vs. Mexico
Cane sugar has been gaining on HFCS lately. Dr Pepper admitted that high-fructose corn syrup is a shoddy sweetener when it turned Lawyer Pepper on its Dublin, Texas bottler. And tonic makers have created a new market from the knowledge that gin mixes with corn syrup like gin goes with…
True Blood: Over The Moon For Neko Case
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. It seems so rare that…
UPDATE: Now With Video: Sashay Away, It’s National Dance Day!
Our humdrum parking lot was transformed into an open-air dance floor this morning, when about 50 Houstonians came out to celebrate National Dance Day. The holiday, created by judge Nigel Lythgoe of So You Think You Can Dance, encourages men, women and kids of all ages to shake their booties…
High Jinks And Low Humor: Theatre Suburbia’s Who Was That Masked Man?
The set up: “Meller-drammer” says it all – outlandish acting, deliberately exaggerated actions, simple plots, a mustachioed villain and a damsel in distress. Hisses at the villain are encouraged as are cheers for the hero, and Theatre Suburbia caps it all by providing popcorn to throw at the cast -…
Restaurant Week Sneak Peek: Philippe
Houston Restaurant Week is better than Christmas — there, I said it. Last year my husband and I went crazy trying new restaurants, finding many of our favorites through the Restaurant Week event. This is the gift that keeps on giving (and I’m counting the extra five pounds you have…
Saturday Night: Roky Moon & BOLT! At Fitzgerald’s
Roky Moon & BOLT! CD release Fitzgerald’s July 30, 2011 Check out all that glitters in our American Honey slideshow. 11:54 p.m.: Question: What the fuck good is a smartphone if it dies every 14 minutes? 11:54:15: Oh, sorry. Some info: We’re here at the album release party for American…
Ed Wade: Burning Down the House
Ed Wade’s theme songI was okay with the Astros trading Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn. This is the worst team in baseball, and changes needed to be made. Many changes needed to be made. I’ve been advocating the blowing up of this team for many years now. Many, many years…
Courtesy of DiverseWorks, State Fair of Texas Comes to Houston (Kind of)
It’s sort of going to be Fair weather in Houston come fall. In early September, DiverseWorks Art Space will be taking the state and art fair concepts and expanding them into a group exhibition that will include a performance-art component. Broadening the open-air market idea, participants in the “State Fair”…
Friday Night: Katy Perry At Toyota Center
Katy Perry, Robyn Toyota Center July 29, 2011 See more teenage dream photos in our slideshow. As the current crop of glittery female pop-stars goes, Katy Perry is not as tragic as Britney Spears, less serious and arty than Lady Gaga, not as hedonistic as Ke$ha, and a sight more…
Comment of the Day: Buy American, Buy Toyota
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…
Dynamo Continue Home Dominance of Seattle, Eye Playoff Run
After a helter-skelter first half of the season, the Houston Dynamo opened up the second on a high note, sinking the Seattle Sounders FC 3-1 Saturday night at Robertson Stadium. Leading the way for the Dynamo was team captain Brian Ching, who finished the night with two goals — including…
Where Are We Eating?
It’s a triple-play of meat, meat and more meat at this barbecue joint. And this isn’t even the finished plate. Does this barbecue trifecta look familiar to you? Think you know where we’re chowing down on ‘cue this week? Leave your best guess in the comments section below…
If the U.S. Defaults: 5 Alternatives to Government Checks
We still don’t know whether a deal will make it through Congress or whether instead the Tea Party will drive the nation off the economic cliff. If the U.S. defaults and all of a sudden can’t write checks, things could get….interesting. Fortunately, there are back-up plams. 5. Social Security checks…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 55, Ceviche at Latin Bites Cafe
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…
UPDATE: Kings Of Leon Breakdown Onstage In Dallas; Woodlands Rescheduled For Sept. 22
UPDATE X3: The remaining U.S. dates of the tour have been CANCELLED. Better luck next time. UPDATE X2: Kings of Leon’s Woodlands date has been rescheduled for September 22. UPDATE: We have just called the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion business office and they have said the show has been postponed…
This Week in Deliciousness
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where our birthday cakes will from now on bear only cream cheese icing or Nutella. None of that sugary-sweet crap that tastes like Play-Doh. We’re taking a stand. We started the week off on a fairly dubious note with…
Wade Phillips Is Back, and He’s Dancing! (w/ VIDEO)
Yesterday, on my radio show at high noon, when the Texans’ roster of free agent signings consisted of three re-signings of their own free agent backups on offense, I invoked prayer to help find what was clearly a disabled or trapped Wade Phillips. I assumed something was wrong with him…
Comment of the Day
Today Katharine Shilcutt spread the word about the first Houston Press Best Fest, which will take place this September, and, perhaps remembering a few other recent events that didn’t go so well, commenter Kelli had this reminder for us: Just make sure you don’t oversell the event by 10,000 and…
National Dance Day 2011 With Art Attack: On Like Donkey Kong
We’ve been getting a lot of calls and emails about Art Attack’s first-ever National Dance Day event, which takes place at the Houston Press parking lot tomorrow at 10 a.m. We are beyond pleased that so many people are almost as excited as we are about tomorrow’s flash mob-style gathering…
Kirko Bangz Poised To Blow Up Big With “Drank In My Cup”
How good was Kirko Bangz’ hit “What Yo’ Name Iz”? So good that it eventually a) earned him a deal with Warner Bros; b) secured him a DJ Drama hosted mixtape; and c) earned him an untold number of female fans, despite the fact that, in it, he talks to…
Guerdwich Montimer: Bogus HS Freshman Hoop Star Heads to Prison
Guerdwich Montimer’s reheated hoop dreams have been thrown in the trash. On Wednesday, the 23-year-old accepted three years in prison in a plea deal. Had he taken his case to trial next week, he might have wound up behind bars for two decades. It had seemed like such a heartwarming…
Closing The Family Book: Gilles Paquet-Brenner and the Filming of Sarah’s Key
Sarah’s Key, the latest film from French director Gilles Paquet-Brenner, tells the story of an American journalist in Paris who is researching the 1942 Vel d’Hiv roundup, in which French police arrested Jewish families and put them in internment camps, to be later sent to Auschwitz. The journalist, played by…
State Bar to Investigate City Attorney on Jolanda Jones’s Complaint
The State Bar of Texas’s disciplinary arm will investigate Houston City Attorney David Feldman, based on a complaint filed by embattled City Councilwoman Jolanda Jones. According to the July 22 letter obtained by Hair Balls, “the Office of the Chief Disciplinary Counsel shall investigate the Complaint to determine whether there…
HISD Test Scores Arrive With a Big But
The news that Houston ISD’s number of exemplary schools dropped from 101 in 2010 to 59 in 2011, according to the Texas Education Agency’s figures just released at 1 p.m. today, could only add more fuel to the fire of critics who are certain Superintendent Terry Grier is destroying HISD…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 56, Samosas at Shiv Sagar
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…
Police Station Parking Lot, 11 a.m.: Man Caught Smoking Weed While Waiting for a Friend
You’re in the tiny parking lot outside the South Houston jail and police station, waiting for a friend who’s visiting an inmate. It’s 11 a.m., you’re halfway through your 40-ounce, so naturally it hits you: Great place to light up a joint!! Amazingly, this well-thought-out plan ended up badly for…
Chef Chat, Part 3: Matti Merrell and Rodney Perry of Green Seed Vegan
Forget fat-bubbly steaks and cheese-drenched crab enchiladas. If there was one cuisine in Houston I had to dine on for the rest of my life, it would come from Green Seed Vegan. If you’re just joining us, check out our chat with vegan chefs Matti Merrell and Rodney Perry here…
Groovy, Man: The Main Street Art Happening, Circa 1973
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Out of Character: A Conversation With Rob Benedict
It takes actor Rob Benedict three times to call Art Attack before he gets on a line that won’t break up or disconnect. He had mentioned driving in Los Angeles before our last untimely disconnect, and when we ask him if he’s in the mountains, his answer is surprising. “Wilshire…
The First Ten Videos MTV Ever Aired
Closing out this week of celebration, and a little mourning, on the occasion of MTV’s 30th anniversary , we reached back into the YouTube vaults to present to you the first 10 videos Music Television ever aired. On August 1, 1981, The Buggles’ awfully prophetic “Video Killed the Radio Star”…
Thank You, Lord: There Are No Embarrassing George Greanias E-Mails, Metro Says
One thing we didn’t want to read was any e-mails Metro CEO George Greanias might have written while perusing the porn sites he visited. Dude’s been embarrassed enough. So good news: Metro announced today that they have investigated, and found no evidence the e-mail system had been used for inappropriate…
Graphic: 50 Years Of Dance Crazes
Dances listed in “Land of 1,000 Dances”: Pony | Bony Maronie | Mashed Potato | Alligator | Watusi | The Jerk Tomorrow morning at 10 a.m., the Houston Press will host a great big production number in our parking lot at 1621 Milam St. downtown for National Dance Day. After…
Project Runway: “Come As You Are”
If nothing else, Project Runway is an exercise in foreshadowing. Proclaiming yourself the most talented designer in the room before anyone unzips a garment bag? Canceling your wedding in Iceland to fly back to New York to appear on PR? You are probably going to get sent home. Yes, it’s…
Happy Hour Scene: Hendricks Pub & Eatery
The Place: Hendricks Pub & Eatery 3320 Kirby 713-522-1500 www.hendrickspub.com The Deals: $1 off drafts and wells The Hours: 3 to 7 p.m. The Scene: Have you ever tried repeating a word until it begins to sound like a series of meaningless noises? We feel like we’re halfway there with…
GLBT Hate Crime Victims Memorialized on Charles Armstrong’s Property
Last night, throngs of people bearing candles filled an empty parking lot in Montrose, just off the main gay bar drag of Pacific Street. A block or two from here, Paul Broussard was murdered in 1991. Aaron Scheerhoorn was stabbed to death outside a nearby nightclub just half a year…
July 23 to 29: 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…
This Ain’t Rock and Roll, This Is Roky Moon & BOLT!
In this week’s issue of the Houston Press, you can find our in-depth interview with Roky Moon & BOLT! and the team behind their debut release for ZenHill, American Honey, which sees its debut tomorrow night at Fitzgerald’s. The show promises to be a stunner with Tax The Wolf, Young…
Upcoming Events
The annual Best of Houston® issue is about to get even bestier. Our first ever Bestfest, celebrating our 23rd Best of Houston® issue, is gearing up to be a two-day festival celebrating music, booze and food on September 24 and 25. Bestfest will take place in that big grassy field…
Wilfred: “Conscience”, And The Creature That Ate Sheboygan
Is it possible there’s some sort of secret agenda behind Wilfred’s actions? Has he been sent by some heretofore unidentified actor to work toward an as-yet unknown purpose? With its hallucinatory escapades and frequent sojourns into the underbelly of human behavior, is Wilfred a canny examination of mankind and the…
The Navy Doesn’t Want Ex-Astronaut Lisa Nowak Either
The wheels of discipline apparetnly grind slower in the Navy then they do at NASA, but the USN has finally gotten around to getting rid of Lisa Nowak, the astronaut whose name will forever be linked in Google searches with the word “diaper.” The Navy announced that she has been…
Behind The Secret Chord David Played To Please The Lord
Before he became King of Israel, David was a musician who knew his way around a C major chord.
Hayes Carll’s KMAG Catches On With Jazzercise Set
Woodlands native and Lost Highway recording artist Hayes Carll, whose latest album KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories) will certainly make many year-end best-of lists, may just have another career alternative if he ever gets tired of the road. As a Jazzercise instructor or franchise owner. Rocks Off learned this…
Odd Pair: Fish and Red Wine
Whenever I am faced with a conundrum like the age-old question of whether or not it is imperative to pair white wine exclusively with fish, I look to antiquity. Indeed, in more cases than not, the ancients were much wiser and more well informed than we are. And as I…
Get That Damn Toyota Out Of Texas, Son
From Reddit (via the Bayou Blog) comes this note, apparently left on a car parked at the AMC Gulf Pointe 30 on the Gulf Freeway. We thought Toyota had a bunch of U.S. plants, but we bow to this writer’s more sophisticated understanding of the subtleties of world economics…
So You Think You Can Dance: Top 8 Results and Lady Gaga Gives a Relatively Sane Performance
The biggest surprise of last night’s show was not that Tadd ended up in the bottom four instead of Ricky or that Jordan, a favorite of the judges, ended up going home. It was that Lady Gaga, who was on the judges’ panel the night before, gave a relatively sane…
Slim Thug’s Boss Hogg Outlawz Not Sorry For Outlaw Wayz
The Boss Hogg Outlawz, Slim Thug’s stable of gorillas, have been dormant long enough. They are readying the newest piece in their Serve and Collect series, Serve and Collect 3. That tape, a proper album, will release August 30. In the meantime, you get the holdover Outlaw Wayz, which they’re…
Have You Seen Amber Elkins?
Police suspect bad news in the disappearance of a 20-year-old Spring mother, and they’re asking for help. Amber Elkins was last seen by her family on Sunday. Tuesday afternoon, Harris County Sheriff’s deputies investigated an abandoned car in the 13900 block of Homestead Road. “Deputies discovered that the front passenger…
Do the Food Truck Crawl
It sounds like the name of a new dance craze. And while you can certainly show off your skills to the music spinning from the live DJ booth, the Food Truck Crawl is much more than that. Hillary Hayden founded the event after watching a show on the Cooking Channel…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Cowboys & Aliens
Title: Cowboys & Aliens Who Would Win In A Scowling Contest: Daniel Craig Or Harrison Ford? Ford has the weathered countenance conferred by age and mileage, but Craig possesses one of those naturally craggy faces, and probably has since he was 13. Craig. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The…
MTV’s Early VJs: Where Are They Now?
When it comes to the attention spans of teenagers, entertainers are on borrowed time. Which might explain the turnover rate of MTV’s Video Jockeys, or VJs for short. Currently, MTV doesn’t have any VJs, a symptom of not playing any videos until the wee hours of the morning. Though it’s…
Stomping the Grapes at the Messina Hof 2011 Harvest
I’ve been on countless winery tours, but it was not until last Friday that I attended a wine harvest, complete with grape picking, grape stomping, and a lot of wine tasting. If you’ve been saving up to experience this somewhere in California wine country, there’s no need. For $45, the…
Comment of the Day: Greanias’ Porn, Recreation And Hypocrisy
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…
A Get Together To Tear It Apart: Hayden Fosdick and “Paper Compounds”
“Creation. Destruction. Creation. Destruction.” The alternating quote from I Heart Huckabees is a particularly apt description for Hayden Fosdick’s series, Paper Compounds, currently on display at The Tipping Point in downtown Houston. The altered artworks are a joint display of damage and construction, resulting in insightful and whimsical pieces. It’a…
July 23-29: 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…
Texas Donkeys Being Abandoned Because Of Drought
You gotta figure Texas donkeys have a hard enough life anyway. It’s freaking hot all the time, you’re probably sterile and everyone’s confusing you for a mule. But when a king-size drought comes along, things can get a lot worse. Donkey rescue groups are warning that Texans are abandoning their…
100 Creatives: Julie Zarate
What She Does: Rocks Off readers may recognize Zarate from her recent campaign to help Hates front man Christian Arnheiter and his fiancé Alexis Kidd to secure a donation from Dream Rooms Furniture toward Alexis’s cancer treatment, a campaign that was successful. So it was especially satisfying when Art Attack…
Openings & Closings
No time to waste this week! Too much news to share! Straight to it! Newly hired chef Michael dei Maggi left Dragon Bowl late last week, as reported by Eater Houston. This marks too many moves by dei Maggi to count in the last two years (sound familiar?) and gives…
Top 5 Worst Big 12 Football Games of 2011 (With Suggested Alternatives)
Compared to the best Big 12 gridiron match-ups of 2011, these stink bombs make us want to reschedule our college-football recordings to international cricket. Texas Tech is on here because year after year, they have proven that they are the biggest pussies in terms of non-conference scheduling. Kansas, meanwhile, should…
Comment of the Day
Today Joanna O’Leary listed five features that redeem a restaurant with mediocre food, like good service and extended hours. But a couple EOW readers thought she’d missed an important one. Wrote CB: Surely Alcohol comes top of this list. If the drinks are strong it usually gets the nod over…
Thursday NFL Free Agent Update: Is Wade Phillips Still Missing?
As I type this, it’s 4:36 p.m. on Thursday and the Texans’ free agency activity still can be summed up as follows: 1. Backup offensive tackle Rashad Butler 2. Backup wide receiver Jacoby Jones 3. Backup Matt Leinart No cornerbacks, no safeties, no nothing on defense. Clearly, franchise savior defensive…
Comment of the Day: The Best Documentaries You Missed
At Art Attack, we love films and we love true stories, so we super-love a great documentary. We admit, we are stoked for Morgan Spurlock’s series 50 Documentaries to See Before You Die, but we couldn’t pass up the chance to get in on the action with our own list…
The Best Episodes Of MTV’s Unplugged
MTV Unplugged was like health food for your soul during its heyday on the music channel, which was full of junk food. When artists stuck to the template and went untethered to electronic instruments and really dug into their music with new eyes it was amazing. Debuting in 1989 with…
Every Weed Farm Needs A Good Rocket Launcher
Here’s a tip if you’re planning on running a Liberty County weed farm: Get a rocket launcher. Apparently you’re going to need one, if the operation busted by cops yesterday is any indication. Acting on a Crime Stoppers tip, law enforcement authorities raided a property near Cleveland, Fox 26 reports,…
Celebrate BestFest With The Best Of The Best
We at Art Attack remember our 23rd birthday. It involved chili pepper lights, a tiny dorm room crammed with 30 people and a “Margaritaville” theme. It rocked. Needless to say, 23rd birthdays remain our favorite birthdays, so we are pleased to announce a brand-new festival to celebrate the 23rd edition…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 57, Vegan Curry at Cafe TH
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…
Terry Grier: He Flips, He Dips, He Does a 180 on Test Scores
In a startling reversal of previous statements and his own avowed philosophies, Houston ISD Superintendent Terry Grier today released a statement that he will recommend to the school board that teachers not be evaluated by their students’ test scores this next school year. It was only in May that trustees…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Matti Merrell and Rodney Perry of Green Seed Vegan
In the sweltering Houston heat, we continue our chat about all things raw with Green Seed Vegan-ators Matti Merrell and Rodney Perry. Eating Our Words: Are most people who come here vegans? Matti Merrell: No. Most of our customers eat meat, believe it or not. I usually ask people too…
Five Posthumous Rap Albums Up For Debate
Recently, and with a certain amount of controversy, Rap-A-Lot made available a bundle of previously unreleased songs disguised as a new Pimp C album. Posthumous records are unsafe footing. It’s entirely capable that they can be built into capable, glorious, heartbreaking goodbyes; in 2009, Bun B accomplished this with UGK’s…
Police Looking For Driver In Hit-And-Run Fatality
Police are looking for a “blue Dodge Magnum with large chrome wheels” that was invloved in a fatal hit-and-run on the northside last night. A 32-year-old woman, whose name has not been released, was struck in the 8000 block of Homestead Road about 8:30 p.m., police say. She was pronounced…
National Dance Day 2011: The Final Countdown
Today, something kind of cool happened. Someone actually came into the Houston Press offices because they had a few questions about our National Dance Dance Day event, which is happening this Saturday. It wasn’t so much the direct approach that enchanted us, but the fact that people are getting almost…
Brew Blog: Indian Wells Lobotomy Bock
The other night, I attended a business dinner held at the downtown outpost of the House of Blues. The meal was mediocre, but that wasn’t really the point. This was a meet-and-eat event designed to smooth over some intra-office politics over some bites and, more importantly, some beer. I was…
Top 5 Best Big 12 Football Games of 2011 (With Predictions)
Football-wise, the Big 12 (aka. Oklahoma and the nine others) is barely hanging on, now that Nebraska is in the Big Ten and Colorado bolted to the Pac-12. The 2011 season, which is just over a month away, marks the first time that the Big 12 won’t play a conference…
Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away, An All-Sinatra Evening, Is Coming To Houston
Frank Sinatra is coming to town, and you’ll never see him like this again. Twyla Tharp’s Broadway production of Come Fly Away, set to the vocals of Ol’ Blue Eyes blended with a live 19-piece band, is coming to Houston. An all-star cast of phenomenal dancers will reinvent ballroom to…
Top 10 Most Underrated Music Video Artists
The Material Girl. The King of Pop (and his sister). The Chili Peppers. Mr. West. Very few artists have become the musical equivalent of the two-sport athlete: Making memorable music and monumental videos. When those people had a new video to premiere, it wasn’t a just a video, it was…
Health Department Roundup: Fast Times
Fast food can be hard to resist. It’s just so convenient and satisfyingly self-destructive. Plus, corporations put chemicals in that stuff to give you physical cravings for their processed crap. Technically, we can’t prove that. But we can prove that the following fast food places had some issues when inspectors…
Metro’s George Greanias Suspended For Porn Viewing (UPDATED With Sites He Visited)
Here’s a tweet you don’t expect to see, from KPRC’s Mary Benton: It’s a one-week suspension, she adds. More details, including specifics on which sites, are below. Greanias is not the first person who would come to mind when you think of the CEO of a huge government agency doing…
Remember Yung Truth’s From the Dirt?
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. Yung Truth From the Dirt (Self-released, 2011) Yung Truth is still mostly an unmined resource. He’s interesting for a…
Thanks, Morgan Spurlock: Our 10 Favorite Documentaries
On Tuesday, August 2, Current TV will launch a new series, 50 Documentaries To See Before You Die. Morgan Spurlock, the documentarian who challenged fast-food chain McDonald’s in Super Size Me and more recently, consumerism with The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, serves as host. Along with a panel of filmmakers,…
City To Implement Plan Favoring Local Vendors And Businesses
Mayor Annise Parker announced today an initiative called Hire Houston First, which gives preference to local businesses in awarding contracts. The big change: For contracts under $100,000, the legislative changes allow the City to award contracts for the purchase of goods to a local firm if the local firm’s price…
Soma Sushi’s Handmade Ramen: Behind the Noodles
“It’s just like making pasta,” said Jason Hauck about his handmade ramen noodles. “The only thing that’s different is the salt.” Hauck, the executive chef at Soma Sushi, may be nonchalant about his noodles. But he doesn’t need to speak for them. His ramen noodles speak for themselves, as they…
Tropical Storm Don: Will Houston See Any Effects?
As we thought, the forecast models, using the data from the National Hurricane Center reconnaissance aircraft came into fairly good agreement last night on the track of Tropical Storm Don and, unfortunately, it doesn’t bode well for rain chances in the Houston area. Don is tracking to the west-northwest and moving along at a…
Four Fictional Faces Of David Bowie
Recently, Rocks Off was sitting here predicting the end of the world, like we do most weeks, when we got the opportunity to plug one of our favorite animated films of all time, Rock and Rule. Now, there are lots of cool things about this film: The soundtrack is awesome,…
The Houston Press Best of Houston® BestFest Is Coming
We’ve all been busy putting together our annual Best of Houston® issue, even though it doesn’t come out until September. This year we’re not just celebrating the city in print and online — we’re putting on a festival. The Houston Press Best of Houston® BestFest is set for September 24…
Last Night: Larry Flynt Talks Sex, Lies And Rick Perry At Brazos Books
There is a man standing next to me at Brazos Bookstore named William Igel who claims to be mixed up in one of the biggest scandals in American history of the past 20 years. He says it involves the federal government, the Mob, the United States Marine Corps, underground porn…
Lobsters and Clams at Bistro Le Cep
A typical clambake is built on a bed of seaweed and stones, then heated on a pit or grill over firewood. The ingredients will include a variety of seafood, such as clams, mussels and lobster; much like in a crawfish boil, potatoes, corn and sausage are often added. In New…
Brand-New “BestFest” Moves Into Midtown September 24 & 25
Rocks Off is a big believer in off-year anniversaries, so we are quite pleased to announce a brand-new festival to celebrate the 23rd edition of the Houston Press’ Best of Houston® issue, which hits newsstands September 29. The Houston Press Best of Houston® BestFest, “BestFest” for short, brings two days…
So You Think You Can Dance: Top 8 Perform, Lady Gaga Shows Up and Everybody Cries
Congratulations, Lady Gaga. You won a new fan last night. Maybe it was the multicolored pleather post-post-Soviet outfit; maybe it was your determination that your giant shoes wouldn’t be hidden by the judges’ table; maybe it was the fact that we agreed on the use of props in these routines…
Owner of Abusive Calf Farm Gets One Year’s Probation
Warning: The video is graphic. The owner of the calf farm whose abusive practices were exposed by hidden-camera video has been sentenced to a year’s probation and a $4,000 fine. Kirt Espenson, owner of the E6 Cattle Company in Hart, had said the employees responsible for the abuse had been…
Better’n Peanut Butter
Better’n Peanut Butter was better’n I expected. I spotted this imposter spread at Trader Joe’s and decided to give it a whirl. Note: I know TJ’s is not in Houston (yet), but never fear, you can find Better’n Peanut Butter at H.E.B. and Whole Foods. I love nut butters for…
The Most Ridiculous Houston Rap Rumors Ever
Earlier this week, Houston rapper Propain signed a deal with No Limit Records. Cool, except that he really didn’t. See, and you likely didn’t notice this because it’s such a subversive part of the culture, but the environs of rap, themselves tedious and occasionally barbaric, are prime grounds for rumor…
Ben Vereen & Jesus Christ Superstar: From Judas to Pontius Pilate
Almost 40 years after playing Judas in the first Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar, actor Ben Vereen is coming to Houston to play Pontius Pilate in the classic rock opera. “I get a chance to play the judge who makes the decision to crucify Jesus. It’s going to be…
Five Features That Redeem a Restaurant With Mediocre Food
Being a regular at a restaurant that consistently serves just so-so meals may seem completely nonsensical. However, there are some establishments I find myself frequenting, even favoring over places with better food, because of other virtues. Here are five features that I believe can redeem a restaurant with mediocre food…
Comment of the Day: A Reader Grosses 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: Let’s Feed Hugh Hefner To Sharks
As you may have heard, Shark Week kicks off Sunday on the Discovery Channel. The seven days of (decreasingly) informative marine documentaries and (increasingly) lurid reenactments of REAL LIFE ATTACKS and exposing DEADLY WATERS and what not provide a welcome break from a programming slate otherwise crammed with American Chopper…
Pop Rocks: The Time Has Come, The Walrus Said, To Feed Hugh Hefner To Sharks
As you may have heard, Shark Week kicks off Sunday on the Discovery Channel. The seven days of (decreasingly) informative marine documentaries and (increasingly) lurid reenactments of REAL LIFE ATTACKS and exposing DEADLY WATERS and what not provide a welcome break from a programming slate otherwise crammed with American Chopper…
KMAG, These Are Our Favorite Four-Letter Bands
The other day while we were tooling around with a collection of music we had inherited from some family members that had passed away, we realized that of all the compact discs that we had in the box, the Miles Davis, the Ravi Shankar box set, the Thelonious Monk, the…
Case Keenum: Preseason C-USA Offensive Player of the Year
Case Keenum’s big comeback attempt, which we chronicled as spring practice began in April, is apparently destined for success if the coaches of COnference USA are right. They chose the UH quarterback as pre-season Offensive Player of the Year as part of the media days. In one sense, it’s an…
Houston Restaurant Week’s Best Bangs for Your Bucks
There have been a few significant changes to this year’s Houston Restaurant Week, the annual fundraising-through-dining event that benefits the Houston Food Bank. Most noticeably, the event will run throughout the entire month of August (making it “Houston Restaurant Month,” technically, but let’s not get into that again), with an…
100 Creatives: Margo Toombs
What she does: Margo Toombs describes herself as in “internal humorist,” meaning she makes people “laugh on the inside.” Whether she is performing her various one-woman pieces, showcasing a video or writing about her own internal struggle, she wants to make you think about the humor that we find within…
Space Station To Crash Into Ocean: 5 Other Notable Falls From Orbit
News came out yesterday that Russia and her space-station partners plan to crash the thing into the ocean when its life span ends in 2020. It’s too expensive to dismantle, and would be too huge and dangerous a piece of space junk to leave up there in orbit. Man-made orbiters…
Bugs Rainforest Adventure 3D
The life of a bug might not sound like the stuff of super interesting narrative, but spend some time examining the dusty corners of an abandoned shack in the rainforest and discover an epic tale, rich with birth, life and tragic death. That’s what the makers of Bugs Rainforest Adventure…
Friends With Benefits: Oh Brother
In Michael Phillips’s book Monster in River Oaks, the lawyer-turned-author praises Dinesh Shah’s older brother Shyam Shah for ultimately bringing about Dinesh’s downfall. Phillips wrote that on the night of December 14, 2002, Shyam Shah was so alarmed by Dinesh Shah’s beating of Joan Johnson and her daughter Kaleta that…
Capsule Art Reviews: Hairspray, Spring Awakening, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Don Juan in Hell
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…
Not Crazy Enough
In the first scene of Crazy, Stupid, Love, Emily (Julianne Moore) tells Cal (Steve Carell), her high school sweetheart and husband of 20-plus years, that she wants a divorce. She goes on to mention that she had an affair with a co-worker named Dave Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon), at which point…
Come on Down, Casey
CRIME Come on Down, Casey Why Casey Anthony Should Come to Houston By Richard Connelly Casey Anthony, who according to a jury most definitely DID NOT murder her daughter Caylee, is a free woman. No one seems to be sure where she’s headed, but at one point rumors were saying…
Is Being a Robber and an Illegal Immigrant the Same Crime?
Dear Mexican, A few years ago, my girlfriend and I visited the beautiful city of Merida in the Yucatan. We were surprised to see a sentence in our guidebook warning us to be on the lookout for Mennonites peddling queso in the mercado. Sure enough, we bumped into a bearded,…
The Honey Drippers
Houston first set eyes on Roky Moon & BOLT! in early 2009 at the now-shuttered Walter’s on Washington. In the two years since, the band has burst out of the insular local scene with regular touring and gigging, all the while adorning their modern glam-rock with female backing vocals, piano…
Alchemy
An attractive woman has walked into Agora (1712 Westheimer). She does not look for anybody she knows, because she has come to be alone. She walks to the counter, orders a Café Americano, pays $2.75, waits a bit, then scoops it up gently when a woman in a clever hat…
Not in the Face
Austin two-piece Not in the Face comes into town this evening with a whole mess of punk-country-blues and a new album, Bikini, in tow. At times, drummer Wes Cargal and guitarist-singer Jonathan Terrell remind us of the Replacements, or at least Paul Westerberg’s post-Mats forays. The country groove comes from…
Kelly Rowland
In the hyperventilating run-up to the release of Beyoncé’s 4 last month, some nervous Sony insiders told the New York Post that the label was considering reuniting Destiny’s Child if sales tanked hard enough. None of the three DC principals ever commented, but a few astute observers pointed out that…
Band of Horses
Given the restless impulses of Band of Horses principal singer and songwriter Ben Bridwell, it’s no wonder that any cease-and-desist letters the My Morning Jacket legal team may have sent were returned to sender. Giving up on Seattle, where he formed the band, Bridwell recently retreated to the land of…
LMFAO
In a world in which LOL and OMGWTF are solid components of our pop-culture lexicon, we have party-rock DJs SkyBlu and Redfoo to send booze-themed dance tunes over the airwaves and into our brains under the moniker LMFAO (Laugh My Fucking Ass Off). Given that their songs — including “I’m…
Arctic Monkeys
It might not seem like Arctic Monkeys have been around long enough to blow through a number of music industry clichés, but they’ve already had a massive debut, safe-playing sophomore release, and a departure of a third album that shot for a larger, slicker sound than the one the band…
Doting Mama
The talented Tamarie Cooper opens the latest in a series of annual musical extravaganzas — this one rife with patriotism — to enchant yet again the hordes of her loyal followers, and to allow the Catastrophic Theatre to introduce newcomers to a remarkable talent: a Renaissance woman who conceives, directs,…
River Oaks Monster
River Oaks Monster Readers weigh in on the first of our two-part series on Dinesh Shaw, “The Unexpected Guest” by John Nova Lomax, July 21: Juicy: Like one of the old Dominick Dunne stories in Vanity Fair — juicy and intriguing. Nicely done. Guest What about the brother: Crazy. I…
Slurp Heaven
Check out Cafe Kubo’s bustling dining room and busy kitchen in our slideshow. The tonkotsu ramen at Cafe Kubo’s has an instantly calming scent: thick, nutty and full of the promise of satisfaction to come at the bottom of the bowl. I dip my spoon into the milky broth and…
How the West Was Really Won
We begin in classic, saddle-sore terrain. A lone stranger with a mysterious past—Daniel Craig fills the boots here—rides into a God-forsaken town in the Arizona territory. More familiar archetypes are waiting for him there: the grizzled rancher-potentate (Harrison Ford’s Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde); his feckless, rowdy wastrel for a blood heir…
Music from Big Pink
You’d probably have to go back to Jack Ingram and Hayes Carll, both of whom have long since moved away, to find a Houston-area artist who has caused as big of a stir in Texas Music circles as Rosehill. Since forming a few years ago, the Cypress duo has cracked…
Friends with Benefits
Last week in “The Unexpected Guest,” we told you the story of Dennis Shaw, a fortysomething man who suddenly insinuated himself into the life of Kenneth Jackson and how Jackson’s daughter Jennifer Estopinal discovered his real identity as Dinesh Shah. Even before she learned the truth, Estopinal had grown increasingly…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Arline Fisch: Creatures from the Deep, Hardbodies, “Liz Hickok: Jiggling Geography”, Lynda Benglis: Glass Masks, Marc Swanson: The Second Story, “Mitch Dobrowner: New Work”, “Musicians Who Make Art”
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…
