NFL Quarterback Carousel — Assessing the Changes
It goes without saying that, other than “best player on NBA team regardless of position,” quarterback of an NFL team is the single most influential individual position impacting results in a team sport. So imagine if one-sixth of the teams in the NBA decided to bench their best player within…
Comment of the Day: Dudebro
Here on Eating Our Words, the commenters absolutely make the blog, and our Comment of the Day honors the best of the bunch. Every day, we read you guys and pick the commenter, or commenters, who made us laugh, cry, salivate over something delicious, or think about things in a…
Earl Gilliam: “A Huge Loss That Can’t Be Filled”
Another of Houston’s unique blues treasures, the effusive, ebullient and always stylish pianist Earl Gilliam, has moved on to the big juke joint in the sky. Gilliam, 81, died peacefully this morning at his home in Tomball of advanced lung disease.
Unimportant News: Rick Perry Places “Friendly World Series Wager.” Important News: He Puts a Period in Dr Pepper!!!
If your state has a team in the World Series, chances are your governor is going to make a silly bet with a cohort from the other league. So it’s no surprise Rick Perry has a bet with someone called Jay Nixon, who we are reliably informed is the governor…
The 5 Worst Places to Take a First Date
Looking for a great place to take a first date? There are plenty of lists out there. Hell, we’ve even got a few of our own. Looking for a great place to break up? We’ve got that too. But what you might need just as bad is a list of…
Justin Delane Nash: Accused of Second Sick Crime Against a Child in 17 Months
A girl’s school journal entry has led to an arrest for an alleged sex crime. On September 23, a Lufkin schoolgirl handed in a journal to her teacher in which she had written, “I wish I had a better life. I got raped by Justin and I’m scared to tell…
5 Simple, Spine-Chilling Snacks For Your Halloween Shindig
Much like crafting chilling cocktails, creating a monster menu is simple and fun if you use a little imagination. We’re sharing a few of our favorite Halloween treats perfect for both grown-up’s and kid’s parties that are actually easy to make — most recipes have only 3 to 5 ingredients!…
Dead and Alive: Lizbeth Ortiz’s Calaveras & Corazones Exhibit at East End
The half-dead, half-alive painted subjects of Lizbeth Ortiz’s solo exhibit, Calaveras & Corazones, are a celebration of life — and the women in it. To accomplish this theme, Ortiz transformed the entire East End Studio Gallery into a land of sugar skulls, memoirs to Frida Kahlo, personal effects and an…
Roy Marquez: DWI Cop Gets Hit with DWI
A veteran Houston DWI cop has been charged with DWI after he ran a red light and tests showed he had a .127 blood-alcohol, according to court documents. Sgt. Roy Marquez, 37, was arrested on his birthday Sunday after a non-injury accident at the intersection of Red Bluff and the…
Tasting Notes: This Week in Wine Blogs
Vintage Texas: Ask any wine lover or wine professional and they’ll tell you the very same thing: The greatest thing about wine is how it brings folks together. And that’s exactly what happened when former All-American football player and NFL veteran Alphonse Daotson called up Russ Kane, the leading authority…
The X Factor: Judges’ Houses Results, and On To the Live Show!
Last night The X Factor judges and producers stretched out 12 minutes of results into two full hours of repetitive footage and commercial breaks. The show used quick cuts of multiple hopefuls, intercut with footage of their judge/mentor breaking the news to create “suspense” about who would make the cut…
Huh-Huh-Huh: 20 Bands Beavis and Butt-Head Turned Us Onto
Next Monday, Beavis and Butt-Head returns to MTV with original episodes for the first time in 14 years. The final episode of the show’s original run aired on November 28, 1997, and marked the closing of a chapter of our lives. Not only were they instrumental in forming our vocabulary…
Cover Story: UH Grad Sues African-American Fraternity Omega Psi Phi for Alleged Hazing
Lee West III, a University of Houston junior and Omega Psi Phi pledge, says that during underground pledging meetings for the African-American fraternity (which turns 100 years old next month) in February 2009, he was beaten with a television antenna, a paddle and a broomstick that eventually broke in two…
Petite Sweets and The Queen Vic: A Perfect Pair
There are desserts at The Queen Vic Pub & Kitchen — the subject of this week’s cafe review. And those desserts are very good — especially the pineapple-carrot cake that’s made from Chef Shiva Patel’s own mother’s recipe. But for some reason, after every visit there, I’ve always made a…
Polar Opposite (No Pun Intended) Artists of Canada and Brazil Share Space at Canal Street Gallery
Jane Ewen and Kelyne Reis, after intersecting at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Glassell School, decided that showing in the same gallery might be a good idea, even though their styles — one works in grounded acrylics while the other is all about incorporating “graffiti-simile” into her work –…
Houston “Doghouse” Blues Pianist Earl Gilliam Dead At 81
Rocks Off contributor William Michael Smith just called in to regretfully inform us that Houston blues musician Earl Gilliam has passed away. Gilliam’s friend and manager Sheri Goodman told Smith that Gilliam died at his home near Tomball of advanced lung disease. The piano player was famous for hosting his…
HPMA Showcase: Win 2 Nights At South Shore Harbour
Now that the 2011 Houston Press Music Awards ballot is up and running, Rocks Off would like to offer you a little more incentive to attend the HPMA showcase on Saturday, November 12. Head over to the showcase’s Facebook page, click “I’m attending” and you will be automatically eligible to…
Heights-Area Walmart: The Battle Heads to Court
It’s been quiet on the Heights-area Walmart front lately, but that ended today when residents went to court to sue the city and the developer over the proposed project. The residents’ group, called Responsible Urban Development for Houston, is suing over the “380 agreement” between the city and developer Ainbinder,…
Chef Chat, Part 1: David Cordua of Americas, On His First Love and Le Cordon Bleu
David Cordua, at 29, is currently Executive Chef at Americas River Oaks, and all of the restaurants in the Cordua Restaurant Group. Contrary to what some might assume, despite growing up as the son of a restauranteur, there wasn’t an expectation for him to grow up and take over the…
You Art Where You Eat: Food Trucks
These days, it’s hard to pull out of your driveway without T-boning a food truck. And really, this is not a bad problem for us to have. I mean, what kind of society were we before we could get truffled bacon dogs at 2 a.m.? I got a problem, though…
Vintage Pics Of Destiny’s Child, ZZ Top, Blue October & More
The other day, one of the Rocks Off Crew was rummaging around in the Houston Press office and came across a bunch of publicity stills for various musicians. Allow us to explain what those are: They’re photos, usually 8X10, that artists’ management and publicity teams would send in the mail…
Rick Perry “Brothers” Up Herman Cain
We watched the GOP debate last night, all of its glorious jaw-dropping moment after jaw-dropping moment. Analysis seems to indicate Rick Perry did better, but to us he came across as peevish, ill-prepared and flailing. In other words, like Rick Perry in a debate. We did love his criticism of…
Today’s DVDs: Kevin Smith, Too Fat for 40 and Bad Teacher
Too Fat for 40 stars Kevin Smith; Joey Figueroa and Zak Knutson direct. The Setup: Actor/writer/director/general-all-around-creative-guy Kevin Smith goes back to his home town of Red Bank, New Jersey, gets onstage and takes questions from the audience. Actually, he takes one and answers it for some two hours (actually, he…
Funny & Hot Female Comedians or Just Hot?
Last week, Fox News stuck its nonpartisan shoe in its mouth with a posting on its “fair and balanced” Web site stating the latest crop of female comedians needed to be both funny and hot, or maybe just hot, to make it today. The article continues down the path against…
Of Ghost Peppers and Cristal: The Dudebro as Self-Parody
The video above was making the rounds on the Internet earlier this week under such headlines as “Dudebro chugs entire bottle of Cristal.” I was recovering from a bout of food poisoning on Monday and couldn’t bring myself to watch something so intentionally nauseating, so I didn’t view the video…
Gary Robert Watson, Bentley-Driving Alleged Heights-Area Coke Dealer, Goes Down in Target Parking Lot Bust
Up until September 16, Gary Robert Watson was living pretty large. He had the swanky condo in the Sawyer Heights development overlooking the Heights Target. Every day he drove a 2006 Bentley into the garage, and on his thick wrist the giant of a man rocked a $3K Breitling. His…
Ingredient of the Week: Golden Tomatoes
During a recent trip to Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc Restaurant, I came across these bright yellow tomatoes on a bed of garden greens. After returning home to Houston, I was delighted to find these very same golden tomatoes at the local grocery store. Of course, they immediately went into the…
Artist of the Week: The Last Ones
Rocks Off wrote this in July 2010: Lead guitarist Daniel de Luna is a monster all the time, but he’s absolutely uncontainable when he’s playing anything with a bluesy riff to it. If he felt like lighting his guitar on fire after every solo, it wouldn’t be unjustified. And what’s…
Gardening in a Small Space
When the yard withered in the drought, I was pleased. Turfgrass is the largest irrigated crop in America, but there’s nothing to eat. With no lawnivores, nor lawn-to-table movements, grass is a relic from a past of cheap land and 40-hour workweeks. I await the return of bulldozers, which turn…
5 Monsters We Wish They’d Make Movies About
Some people like a good slasher flick, others enjoy Satanic themes, and an annoyingly large segment of the population is still on the torture porn kick. Us? We’ve always been fond of monsters when it comes to horror films. Jaws, Prophecy, Q, the Host, Cloverfield, that kind of thing. Maybe…
Comment of the Day: The Hot Wheels Food Truck
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…
Houston Press Music Awards Ballot Now Online
Rocks Off is glad to see our 2011 Houston Press Music Awards ballot has been making some waves on Facebook and the Twitter since we posted it Tuesday evening. Now it’s time for you to weigh in. The ballot is now online at our HPMA poll page. One vote per…
20 Ways the Astros Are Still Losing Even Though They’re Not Playing
This past season was a painful one to watch and endure for Houston Astros fans. But even in the off-season the painful hits just keep on coming. 20. The owner of the Texas Rangers, Nolan Ryan, is getting plenty of airtime from Fox and TBS every night during the postseason…
30 Seconds With Astronautalis
Rocks Off hitched a ride on a space whale in order to hook up with Andy Bothwell, also known as Astronautalis to see what we could learn about our biggest hope for rap in 30 seconds. Rocks Off: What is the worst song in the world? Astronautalis: “Love in an…
Get Your Sneak Peek at Lawndale’s Retablos Now
A retablo is, traditionally, a devotional painting, usually depicting Catholic iconography. In Houston, it can be pretty much anything. Every year, the Lawndale Art Center invites artists to do their own version of the Latin American art form to celebrate the Mexican tradition of Dia de los Muertos. The center…
Fast and Furious: Five Subtle Ways to Inspire Road Rage in Other Drivers
We all know Houston has a lot of traffic. We’re a driver’s city and we’re (mostly) proud of it. We also happen to be a pretty polite lot, which makes driving here slightly less stressful than in other major cities, if only slightly. For the most part, we carry our…
Ten Merit Badges Girl Scouts Will Earn in the Apocalyptic Future
We were hanging around the Girl Scouts of America website… (Ed. Note: People may draw the wrong conclusion on that sentence, Jef. Author’s Note: What? I wanted to know when they were going to be selling cookies. Why else would a grown man be on the Girl Scout…. Oh.) Sigh…
Sampler Plate: This Week in Food Blogs
CultureMap: The anticipation for Phoenicia’s opening downtown builds by the day. If you just can’t take the wait any longer, check out CultureMap’s exclusive photos of the new grocery store/market in the bottom floor of One Park Place. Eater Houston: Samba Grille, winner of our 2011 Best of Houston® award…
Pink in Football: Five Suggested Improvements
Anyone watching football this month is seeing a lot of pink — on handtowels, socks, hats, bits of uniform. It’s part of, of course, the vast Breast Cancer Awareness month program. It’s admirable, even if it does have the feel of overload. We think supporters should not necessarily go for…
The 2011 Houston Press Music Award Nominees
Took us long enough, right? It’s been so long since we’ve had the Houston Press Music Awards, which were last handed out the evening of August 11, 2010, that we almost forgot we were having them. Not really. How could we? If our numbers are correct, in the two weeks…
5 Quick Thoughts on the Great Carson Palmer Heist
It’s weird, as great as the National Football League has been, the one thing that the NBA and, to an even greater extent, Major League Baseball have had over the NFL for as long as I can remember is a compelling trade in-season trade deadline. In-season football trades were rare,…
Comment of the Day: Not in My Stomach
Here on Eating Our Words, the commenters absolutely make the blog, and our Comment of the Day honors the best of the bunch. Every day, we read you guys and pick the commenter, or commenters, who made us laugh, cry, salivate over something delicious, or think about things in a…
Magazine Publisher: LGBT Caucus Prez Threatened Me
The publisher of abOUT magazine, which targets Houston’s gay community, has accused the president of the GLBT Political Caucus of making threats against his safety. So who are the players? The publisher is Michael Lance Williams, better known as Cade Michals. He pleaded no contest to sexual assault of a…
Rebecca Masson and Friends Raise Money for Lucky Dog Rescue in a Sweet Way
“This is confusing the hell out of my palate, and I’m loving it!” joked Eater Houston editor Amber Ambrose to my right on Sunday night. We were polishing off pastry chef Chris Leung’s dessert course of smoked paprika chips, popcorn sherbet, coconut panna cotta and candied lychee at the annual…
Ethan Hawke Is This Year’s Honoree at the Cinema Arts Festival
Ethan Hawke’s been tapped as the recipient of the 2011 Cinema Arts Festival’s Levantine Cinema Arts Award. The Texas-born director/actor/writer will appear at several events during the Festival, including a screening of his newest film, The Woman in the Fifth, a tenth-anniversary screening of his 2001 film Tape and an…
More Than 20,000 Deported from South Texas in 2011, Feds Say
The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency announced its deportation numbers today for fiscal 2011, which ended in September. Nationwide almost 400,000 were deported — an ICE record — and more than 20,000 were deported from South Texas, the agency said. The South Texas area includes Houston, Corpus Christi and…
Some Girls: When Rock Met Disco And Disco Met Rock
Tonight for one night only at the Houston Marq*E Stadium 23, Rolling Stones fans can finally catch The Rolling Stones: Some Girls Live In Texas, a 1978 concert from the band’s Fort Worth stop. The tour came on the heels of the May 1978 release of the band’s Some Girls…
DEFCON Dining: Hubcap Grill
I’m not really sure how Hubcap Grill owner Ricky Craig will feel about his DEFCON designation. Despite my feelings on the subject, I’m fairly certain that Hubcap isn’t meant to be kid friendly. Not that it’s meant to be unfriendly, but something about a gravel yard filled with a ramshackle…
String of Pearls Links Together Stories on Stage
The setup: A string of pearls links together vignettes that bridge generational gaps with poignant humor and adroit storytelling. The execution: The evening opens as a 74-year-old grandmother, played by Antoinette Anders, is distraught that her granddaughter’s wedding day is approaching and the string of pearls that has become a…
Teen Pregnancy: What Texas Can Learn From California
Houston’s Children at Risk has published a new study of teen pregnancy that highlights two findings: California does a much better job at preventing it than abstinence-crazy Texas, and 80 percent of Harris County parents support sex education that starts by middle school at the latest. “This [research] sheds light…
Wine of the Week: Another Oaky Buttery Chardonnay
Yesterday, after arriving at the Newark, NJ airport from Milan, Italy (where I admired a statue of Leonardo da Vinci across from the famous Scala opera house), I headed straight to the bar in the United Airlines terminal and asked my Jamaican barkeep for a long tall glass of beer…
Fishbone’s Ska-Punk Casts A Long Shadow In New Film
The documentary Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone flirts with a balance between history and character as it looks behind the scenes at a group that failed to achieve large-scale commercial success, but inspired many groups that did. Directors Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler paint a portrait that feels like…
The Woman: Two Hours of Our Life We’ll Never Get Back
The Woman stars Sean Bridgers, Angela Bettis and Pollyanna McIntosh; Lucky McKee directs. We had high hopes for Lucky McKee’s The Woman, we really did. The horror film, about a man that finds a feral woman and adds her to his family, opened in Houston over the weekend and our…
Texas Invaded By SoCal Pimps
Maybe it’s the meltdown of the California economy. Maybe they heard about Rick Perry’s alleged Texas miracle. Whatever the reason, the Lone Star State appears to be undergoing a plague of transplanted pimps from Southern California. Must just be hard out there for ’em or something. The first case is…
Mark Flood Has Tasted the Red Pill, and It Is Bitter
There is a general unrest that runs through Mark Flood’s work. It’s an antiestablishment stance that attacks multiple establishments — the contemporary art scene for one, corporate entities for another (the folks who’ve been occupying Wall Street and the dozens of cities where the month-long movement has since spread, including…
Eat a Burger, Fight Hunger at Little Bitty Burger Barn
If I were asked to create my own burger to be featured on a menu, it would contain blue cheese and bacon — and would preferably be served on a locally-baked bun; none of this soggy Sunbeam business. So imagine my surprise when I heard that Little Bitty Burger Barn…
A Pendulum In Space: Kids Learn It Ain’t the Same
NASA has posted new videos of International Space Station astronauts doing experiments proposed by schoolkids, and it includes this easy-to-grasp one. Everyone knows how a pendulum acts on Earth. How about in zero gravity? Astronaut Cady Coleman — who shows again why she made our list of Seven Wildest Astronaut…
Tuesday October 18, 2011 Deals of the Day
Today’s VOICE Daily Deal from the Houston Press is good for 50 percent off ($25 for $50) at Sapori Ristorante Italiano. Their Northern Italian menu serves up dishes by Chef Alberto Baffoni; fresh ingredients showcase classic Italian cooking for lunch, brunch, and dinner. Enjoy the cooler temperatures and dine al…
5 Great Examples of Post-it Notes as Art
Ever since Romy White and Michelle Weinberger invented the Post-it Note, it’s gone on to be a staple of office supply. Quick and easy, they’re the perfect place to jot down the quick reminder to pick up milk, eggs and drugs and leave it on your significant other’s sleeping face…
Justin Bieber’s Voice Changes Just In Time For Christmas Album
Children and adults alike are getting their holiday wish granted early this year, and they don’t have to wait until Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus or even Christmas morning to receive it. Justin Bieber’s voice has aged into a deep – but still flimsy – whisper on the leadoff single to his…
Adrian Parada Jr.: Border Patrol Cop Accused in DWI Death Rocks The Affliction T-Shirt in Mugshot
A Border patrol agent has been charged with intoxication assault for causing an accident that has left one person in critical condition. The victim is on life support, meaning the charges against Adrian Parada Jr. may be upgraded to intoxication manslaughter, the McAllen Monitor reports…
Incredible Edible Bands: 10 Musical Acts With Munchie Monikers
For years, bands have been naming themselves after food — fruits (Strawberry Alarm Clock, Blind Melon), veggies (Black Eyed Peas, Korn, The Gourds), baked goods (Humble Pie, Limp Bizkit ), home-cooked entrees (Meat Loaf) and condiments (Salt n’ Pepa, The Spice Girls). We’ve compiled a list of our favorite “food…
Wednesday Open Mike at Blanco’s
Guitarist Chet Akins, the Country Gentleman, would describe the Nashville sound by jingling some the change in his pocket and saying, “It’s the sound of money.” Mainstream country’s lucrative turn toward pop in the late 1950s eventually blossomed into the unholy genre called countrypolitan, in which Glen Campbell sang about…
Horseshoe’s Top 5 F*cked Up Songs
Greg Wood and his band of merry men known as Horseshoe slide into Under The Volcano Wednesday night for the late-’90s warhorses’ second “reunion” gig since getting back together at Rudyard’s three months ago. Wood has been described as a songwriter extraordinaire in the local press going all the way…
Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone
The documentary Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone flirts with a balance between history and character as it looks behind the scenes at a group that failed to reach its own commercial success, but inspired many groups that did. Directors Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler paint a portrait that feels…
Comment of the Day: A Madden Cure for the Texans?
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…
The Six Best (Or Worst) Rapper Name Changes
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. Something you always wanted to…
Vegan Dreamquest Dinner 2: Beetloaf With Gravy
Although Houston certainly has a decent amount of restaurants serving vegan food, my wallet wouldn’t allow me to eat every dinner out during Vegan Dreamquest. On the second night, my friend Kattie and I hosted a potluck dinner, inviting our omnivorous and herbivorous cohorts to try their hands at going…
Halloween Makeup Tips for the Non-Zombie
Many of you have already picked out your costume for Halloween and good for you. Personally we plan on carrying around a cardboard square with “YouTube” written on it, singing “Never Gonna Give You Up” and telling people that we’re a Rick Roll. Poverty is great for the creative processes…
Upcoming: Anthony Hamilton, Mojo Nixon, MuteMath, Etc.
400 Blows, Muhammadali: Mon., Oct. 31. Mango’s. Anthony Hamilton: Mon., Nov. 14. House of Blues. Badfish (Sublime Tribute): Sat., Jan. 28. House of Blues. Cody Canada & The Departed: Fri., Dec. 30. Dosey Doe Coffee Company. Dave Barnes, Andrew Ripp: Sat., Nov. 12. Fitzgerald’s. Guaco: Thu., Dec. 8. Arena Theatre…
Unidentified Highway Construction Worker, Bayou Body Count No. 157
A drunk driver speeding on the North Freeway early Sunday morning crashed into a closed-off part of the road and killed a construction worker, Houston police say. Allen Ka-Wong Kwan, 34, was driving a silver Infiniti G35 northbound at a high rate of speed about 3 a.m. Sunday in the…
10 Vintage Schwingtastic Pictures of Suzanne Somers (Semi NSFW)
This week actress Suzanne Somers turns 64 years old. The former Three’s Company dingbat and Step By Step MILF is one of the most youthful looking sexagenarians on the planet, aside from Susan Sarandon, of course. We all remember what she looked like, right? Aside from the acting work –…
Pop Rocks: Let’s Guess Which Star Trek Characters Were Gay
Star Trek actor Zachary Quinto, in news that was apparently a surprise to absolutely no one, is now the second actor from the sci-fi franchise to come out of the closet (do they have closets in the 24th century? Maybe he was in a holodeck version): The 34-year-old, who also…
Pop Rocks: Zachary Quinto Comes Out, And So Should These Star Trek Characters
Star Trek actor Zachary Quinto, in news that was apparently a surprise to absolutely no one, is now the second actor from the sci-fi franchise to come out of the closet (do they have closets in the 24th century? Maybe he was in a holodeck version): The 34-year-old, who also…
Sleeping In The Aviary: Fragrant Essential Oils & Music
It’s a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off we’re trying hard to find meaning in the oddest monikers. When we first began our quest to beat some sense out of various band names it was simple. We just looked up who was…
Not-So-Classic Hot Wheels: The 10 Un-Hottest Hot Wheels Imaginable
Hot Wheels was, for a while, perhaps the coolest invention ever. Built to go much, much faster than the staid old Matchbox cars, Hot Wheels also came with a DIY track where you could start them off high and have them leap off a ramp into something expensive in the…
Where Are We Drinking?
Everybody likes a good margarita. Yes, everybody, even people who don’t realize it yet. Small children drink them. Sure, they have no alcohol and call them Icees, but let’s not kid ourselves; we’re priming our progeny for some delicious adult beverages with trip to the convenience store. Anyway, this bad…
100 Creatives: Cody Bess
What he does: To say that Cody Bess merely “takes pictures” would be a great disservice and insult to his talent and ability. The fashion and entertainment photographer crafts images, creating striking portraits and stunning spreads. Readers may recognize his name from the bylines of 002Houston Magazine shoots, but his…
Five Great Coaches Fights, in Honor of Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz
The silly ritual of the coaches’ post-game handshake got taken to a new level Sunday when the odious Jim Harbaugh celebrated his 49ers victory a little too enthusiastically while shaking the hand of Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz. Schwartz took after him, entertainingly. It didn’t escalate to fisticuffs, but that…
Comment of the Day: Strangers with Candy
Here on Eating Our Words, the commenters absolutely make the blog, and our Comment of the Day honors the best of the bunch. Every day, we read you guys and pick the commenter, or commenters, who made us laugh, cry, salivate over something delicious, or think about things in a…
President Perry Likes Big Butts, and You Other Brothers Can’t Deny
The website Go Animate is offering everyone a chance to create a brief animation for the GOP presidential field. You choose a backdrop, provide the lines and your candidate is spouting whatever you say. You don’t get the chance to say much, though, so we couldn’t have President Rick Perry…
No-Nonsense Sea Salt
“Why is there a date on the bottom of the box?” asked my son, as I self-scanned the Hain Sea Salt. It was one of those astute kid questions, from a mind uncluttered by logic. “I have no idea,” I conceded. The salt had been flowing around the oceans for…
10 Facts About Slayer’s Reign In Blood
Last week, Slayer’s 1986 album Reign In Blood turned 25 years old. We were so wrapped up in doing that dog-ass Pink Floyd facts blog – that we paid dearly for in the comments section – and getting ready for our high school reunion, that we forgot all about this…
The X Factor: Deliver Us From Thine Judges’ House
The ridiculously named “judges’ houses” round of The X Factor continued last night, after baseball ruined everything — as usual — last week. And make a note for this week’s episode, which will air on Tuesday night, rather than Thursday night, because World Series coverage begins this week. With all…
Can You Guess Which Texas Actress Is Suing Amazon.com?
In one of the stranger lawsuits we’ve seen, a Texas actress has filed a “Jane Doe” fraud and invasion of privacy suit against Amazon, which she claims used her credit card info to publish her age on her IMDb profile. (IMDb is a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.) Using clues…
10 Pumpkin Dishes to Try in Houston: #10 Pumpkin Spice Frozen Yogurt at Red Mango
In 2010, I had a grand ol’ time scouring Houston for outstanding pumpkin dishes. One year later I’m older, definitely not wiser, and still in love with orange squash. So from now until Thanksgiving I’ll be counting down (again) 10 Pumpkin Dishes to Try in Houston. Forks at the ready!…
Hell City Kings Let It All Wang Out For New Album (NSFW Link)
Local death-punks Hell City Kings are releasing their new LP, H.C.K., this Friday night at Fitzgerald’s with Ghost Town Electric, Texxxas, and The Freakouts as support. Last week we got the new album from guitarist and co-mastermind Bill Fool, plus a few curious promo pics. This weekend the band will…
“Oil Sketches by Kim Dingle” at Houston’s New House Gallery
There used to be a lot of “house galleries” in Houston, Montrose bungalows turned into exhibition spaces. But the real estate boom and townhome craze of the late ’90s and early 2000s took care of most of them. Hopefully, artist Sharon Engelstein is leading a revival. Engelstein and her husband,…
Texans-Ravens: Four Winners, Four Losers
Sometimes it’s good to shake things up a little bit. We sit here every Sunday night for the last three football seasons and it feels like invariably we wind up saying the same thing — “same ol’ Texans.” So this week, I took a trip to Chicago, and watched the…
Fast Times: Bodegas Taco Shop
When our 11-year old-nephew visited us last year, we showed him the town. We took him to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, an Astros game, we went swimming for hours on end, and we ate at a half-dozen restaurants. At the end of the trip we asked Zach what…
Marcus Manchild Kills It In Philly On Smoker’s Club Tour
Houston rapper Marcus Manchild and his label partners at AMG (Authentik Music Group), George, Chad and Nate, are currently traveling the country as part of the Smoker’s Club Tour, headlined by Method Man, Curren$y and Big K.R.I.T. The Smoker’s Club tour comes to Warehouse Live November 11, and Marcus agreed…
Project Runway All-Stars Premier Delayed; Let the Nail-biting Commence
Even though Season 9 of Project Runway is winding down, PR fans have been able to handle the impending anxiety that usually accompanies the show’s Fashion Week finale with the promise of two spin-off series: Project Accessory and Project Runway All-Stars. The original plan was for both Accessory and All…
Alejandro Galvan III: Beats Daughter, Gives Her Gun “If She Wants to Kill Herself”
Alejandro Galvan III has some odd ideas about parenting, if what police say is true. Court documents say Galvan, 29, hit his daughter with a belt and punched her in the arm last month, causing bruises; to top it off, he he also gave the girl a gun and a…
Last Night: Peter Frampton At House Of Blues
Peter Frampton House of Blues October 16, 2011 If you own one Peter Frampton album, chances are it’s Frampton Comes Alive!, the 1976 effort which sent the former Herd/Humble Pie singer and guitarist’s solo career into the stratosphere. In the process, the title became kind of shorthand for a massively…
The Halloween Collection of Sarah Hill
Model Sarah Hill is a former member of Houston Press’s Gothic Council that we have previously described as Mary Poppins as imagined by Quentin Tarantino. She maintains an amazing collection of vintage Halloween memorabilia and spooky knickknacks. Thousands of items are carefully arranged all around her home, with hundreds more…
Five Worst Foods to Eat in (or Before) Bed
I recently compiled my list of the best foods to eat in bed, which naturally got me thinking about some of the worst foods to eat in bed. What makes a particular food bad to eat while you’re between the sheets? Well, some are messy, and some just mess with…
How Much Has Hip-Hop Affected Race Relations?
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: Kyle Hubbard, Mic Skills, Snoopy, Kiotti, Chingo Bling, Pyrexx, Renzo, Medicine Girl, Chane, more. Not Invited: Ronald Reagan…
Michael Goodner: Man Killed by 70-Year-Old Montrose Neighbor Knew All About Violent Montrose Neighbors
Houston police say no charges have been filed in the shooting death of Michael Goodner, 38, Friday evening. Goodner was shot in the chest by a 70-year-old man in the 1300 block of Pierce, but HPD says it will confer with the District Attorney’s office about a criminal case. “Mr…
Vegan DreamQuest Dinner: Vegan Burrito at Field of Green’s
I am an unrepentant lover and devoted consumer of animal products. This is not to say I haven’t often wondered what it might be like to live like The Other Half (well, more like .2 percent), those disciplined folks who strive to follow a vegan lifestyle for ethical, political, and/or…
The Best Doghouses at This Year’s Barkitecture
A cabana fit for two. A poolside respite. A cushioned swing. No, these aren’t home improvements, but some of the best offerings from this year’s Barkitecture. The annual benefit for animal rescue group Pup Squad, held along the three-block stretch of the Houston Pavilions on Saturday, challenged architects, designers and…
We’re Rich: Houston Income Growth Tops Nation, Survey Says
Income in Houston grew faster than any other city in the nation last decade, a new report says. On Numbers studied U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.numbers and found that total income in Houston grew at an annual rate of 5.69 percent between 2000 and 2010. They define “total income” as…
Treats Aren’t Just For Kids: Top Five Halloween Candy for Adults
Kids don’t have a monopoly over Halloween anymore — it seems like every year adults are putting the kids to bed earlier so they can enjoy a little fun of their own. Besides the over-the-top costumes and all-night debauchery, adults enjoy candy as much as the next kid. If adults…
Last Night: Chris Brown & Friends At The Woodlands
Chris Brown, T-Pain, Tyga, Bow Wow Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion October 16, 2011 “I work too hard to be ballin on a budget” proclaimed Chris Brown as he stood atop of the massive stage when his F.A.M.E. tour stopped into The Woodlands Sunday night. The production level of this concert…
The Week in TV: The Networks Do Some Housecleaning
And lo, heads did roll. This was the week in TV Land: • Spring brings pilot season, summer brings the upfronts, fall brings the premieres and now we get the cancellations and pickups. The TV industry’s calendar is nothing if not reliable. ABC’s Charlie’s Angels has been canceled after its…
Unidentified Male Sent Flying From Elevated Freeway, Bayou Body Count No. 156
A drunk driver hit a man who was on an elevated freeway shoulder trying to fix his car, sending the victim flying down to the service road below, police say. Michael Anthony Flores, 37, was driving southbound in the 9300 block of North Freeway about 8:30 Friday night, HPD says…
Shiny and Tawdry: Glen Fogel at the Contemporary Arts Museum
At the opening last night of Glen Fogel’s new show at the Contemporary Arts Museum “With Me … You,” the bright fluorescent lights on the ceiling came on every three minutes or so (signaled by a text-message chime) and reliably startled the audience. In the dark, we had been surrounded…
What’s Cooking This Week?
Mmm that moussaka was delish – reminded me of the Greek Easters I would spend with the Greek part of my fam growing up. With some more of my favorite holidays coming up, I’m getting a bit homesick. And since I’m food-obsessed, this week I decided to lift my spirits…
Friday Night: OFF! At Warehouse Live
OFF!, Cerebral Ballzy Warehouse Live October 14, 2011 Some bands drag on for years, featuring only one original member, desperate to remain potent and pitched forward. Making potboiler punk, they endure the glare of the social-media era and endless new generations of punk wannabes. Keith Morris doesn’t opt for that…
Vampire Lesbians of Sodom
The setup: Playwright Charles Busch (The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife; Psycho Beach Party; Die, Mommy, Die) didn’t invent camp, but his early drag classics most assuredly enriched and, dare I say, ennobled the genre. And here’s the best of those gay-tinged extravaganzas, aswirl with Hollywood’s lost glamor and a…
Do These Noodles Look Kind of Alive in the Bowl?
When I posted this picture with my Tweet of “Cold Korean noodles rock!,” I thought people would take a look at the picture and immediately agree about how yummy it looked. But no, that’s not quite what happened. Nicholas Hall tweeted me back with a skeptical “Is it just me,…
Gothic Council’s Guide To A Better Music Video
The last time the Gothic Council discussed which videos best expressed the goth subculture. We quickly ran out of column space, but one observation by DJ Martin Oldgoth got us thinking… Martin Oldgoth: I think I might have stumbled across the perfect formula from studying a few videos. You have…
Comment of the Day: Dumbest Homophobic Comment Ever?
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…
Saturday Night: Judas Priest At The Woodlands
Judas Priest Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion October 15, 2011 Saturday night, at 10:15 or so, a euphoric chill went up Aftermath’s spine. Coupled with the cool weather, standing in the presence of Judas Priest at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion was overwhelming, so much so that it didn’t quite feel…
Unidentified Male, 24, Bayou Body Count No. 155
A man was lured to his death on the southwest side early Sunday morning, police say. A 24-year-old man, whose name was not released, was lured by two women to the back of a condo development in the 93– block of Country Creek about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, the Houston Chronicle…
5 Avengers We Thank God Aren’t in the New Movie
We finally had a chance to sit down and watch the trailer for Avengers. Much like Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged, we’re impressed that somebody actually filmed this movie. Just the fact that Joss Whedon managed to gather together the male leads of some of the biggest action…
Worst Sports Night Ever? Texans Lose, Cards & Rangers to the Series
Our Houston Texans analysis will be coming later, due to some unforeseen circumstances, but in its place let us ponder how the sporting gods have toyed with us. Sure, beating the Ravens in Baltimore would have been a big upset. But the Texans chose to keep it close until the…
Where Are We Eating?
What you see below is a hot dog, believe it or not. At this restaurant, they’ve been experimenting with battering their Akaushi beef hot dogs in tempura, then frying them up to four times to achieve the perfect crunchy consistency. These monster dogs are served with housemade Dr Pepper ketchup…
Filmmaker On A Mission For The Astronaut’s Secret
Local filmmaker Zach Jankovic wants your help in making his documentary. The Astronaut’s Secret is about former astronaut Rich Clifford. What makes Clifford’s story different is that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease prior to participating in a mission for NASA. Clifford’s neurologist and NASA both gave him permission to…
The Intergalactic Planetary Super Football Conference
It’s got no name, this football-only alliance of Conference USA and the Mountain West Conference. It’s supposedly been in the planning stages for over a year, but nobody involved has a clue to any actual details of how the thing’s going to work. And once the Big East finishes acting…
This Week in Deliciousness
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where “pound cake” is more of a challenge than a noun. Bet I can pound more cake than you. We started the week off right with something that may come as a bit of a surprise: fried beer sucks…
Donquale Jefferson: Your Smiling Alleged Child Rapist of the Day
Donquale Jefferson looks like he doesn’t have a care in the world in his mugshot, but he should be worrying. He’s on the run on charges that he raped an 11-year-old girl in Katy. The girl told police “she went to spend the night at Donquale Jefferson’s residence located near…
Houston Press Music Awards Nomination Balloting Closed
As of 5 p.m. today, the nominations ballot for the 2011 Houston Press Awards has closed. We greatly appreciate everyone who voted. Our minons are gathered behind the scenes, tied to their desks with Slayer blasting over loudspeakers counting every ballot and punching the crap out of every hanging chad…
DPS: The Mexican Drug Cartels Are Coming After Texas High Schoolers
The Texas Department of Public Safety issued a warning today to state residents that didn’t sound at all alarming; it just mentioned that “the Mexican Cartels are Recruiting Texas High School Students.” Yes, those innocent kids you blithely send off to high school each day might be targeted by cartel…
Five Musical MILFs Who Rocked Pregnancy
In the world of prominent celebrities, it’s headlining news even if that famous person sneezes. So in when Houston’s own Beyoncé announced her pregnancy at the 2011 VMA’s in August, the media and fans went into a frenzy of reactions. Some were elated, some hopeful and then there are the…
Poncho Sanchez on Stage with Chano Pozo and Dizzy Gillespie
Latin jazz bandleader and congero Poncho Sanchez never met Cuban conga player Chano Pozo, but he did hear his music. Growing up in Los Angeles during the 1950s, Sanchez spent lots of time watching his older sisters dance the mambo and cha-cha-cha to their Cal Tjader, Tito Puente, and Dizzy…
This Is the Oldest Dairy Queen in Texas. Yes, Really
Yep, that’s the one. If you were driving past it on Highway 259 in Henderson (if, by chance, you found yourself in deep East Texas), you would never know from the road. There are no fancy signs outside proclaiming it to be the oldest Dairy Queen in Texas. It’s just…
Person Of Interest: “Cura Te Ipsum,” And Other Foreign Words
The worst thing a network can do to one of its developing TV shows is to allow it to slip into the same hole so many of its other signature programs occupy. ABC has its doltish sex dramedies like Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice, NBC peppers its legitimately humorous comedies…
Rebecca Delagarza: Teacher Had Sex, Massive Text Exchanges with 14-Year-Old Female Student
For eight months beginning last fall, Rebecca Rose Delagarza, 26, Pasadena middle-school coach, had numerous sexual encounters in her office or a locker-room storage room with a 14-year-old female student, court documents allege. Delagarza appeared in court today, KTRK reports, on two counts of sexual assault of a child and…
Houston Rap’s Offensive Starting Lineup
Earlier this week, the defensive starters for the Houston rap football team were announced. They are a surly, nasty, potentially deadly bunch. They play hard and fast and with abandon. Today, the offensive starters are announced. Were we picking rappers from Houston from any time period (say, grabbing them while…
Project Runway: Judges Giveth, Judges Taketh Away
This week on Project Runway: Joshua’s seething resentments are scarier than his public blowups; the designers take a field trip to Governor’s Island for inspiration; and surprise guests in the workroom! This week’s guest judge is actress Zoe Saldana. Taking the designers out of the workroom at this point in…
Texans-Ravens: Five Things to Watch
“If the Texans are 3-3 after the first six games, then we’ll be happy.” — Pretty much every same Texans fan The statement is a classic example of how the ebb and flow of a season can recalibrate expectations. The Texans are set up to be 3-3 after this Sunday…
Dividing the Estate at the Alley a Smart, Funny Crowd-Pleaser
The set-up: Our American Chekov, elegiac and wistful Horton Foote (Pulitzer Prize-winning Young Man From Atlanta, The Trip to Bountiful, Oscar-winning screenplay adaptations of To Kill a Mockingbird and Tender Mercies) isn’t known for comedy, but this is the one: a smart and funny crowd-pleaser. The execution: Matriarch Stella (the…
Brew Blog: Left Hand Good JuJu Shandy
I consider myself to be a man who keeps his word. I also consider myself a chronic procrastinator, prone to a relaxed pace. That’s why I’m just getting (back) around to this one. I’d like to say I had it on my to-do list all along, but that’s not entirely…
Katy Family Scores in Horror Film, Wins Tabloid Witch Award
Most family videos involve an off-key rendition of “Happy Birthday” while candle wax drips onto cake icing. This is not the case for the Daniels family who’ve recently won best music video in the 2011 Tabloid Witch Awards for their song/video “Happy Happy Halloween.” There should even be a “horror”…
The X Factor: Rain Delay and Judges’ Houses
First, this recap was delayed because the Wednesday night baseball playoff game was rain delayed, canceling that night’s X Factor episode–yet another reason for me to hate baseball. Second, naming the latest round of competition “the judges’ houses” is really stupid. When the first phase is “auditions” and the second…
CenterPoint Energy Nightmare: Cypress Woman Nailed With Sky-High Bill Due to “Meter Tampering”
In August, Carsie Launey opened her monthly electric bill. A number approaching four figures was before the decimal point. “CenterPoint Energy had billed me $923.39, claiming the electricity meter installed at my property was tampered with,” says Launey. “I never tampered with that meter. I wouldn’t even know how.” The…
The X Factor: Let’s Go Halfsies
First, this recap was delayed because the Wednesday night baseball playoff game was rain delayed, canceling that night’s X Factor episode–yet another reason for me to hate baseball. Second, naming the latest round of competition “the judges’ houses” is really stupid. When the first phase is “auditions” and the second…
Odd Pair: Top 5 Wines to Take to Burger Guys
A few weeks ago, in the first part of this series, we quoted one of the top chefs in the U.S. today, Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin in New York, on the virtues of the fast food burger in our country. “There is something about these ingredients,” wrote Eric in…
BREAKING: Rapper Rick Ross Unconscious After Seizure
UPDATE: Ricky Rozay is tweeting from the hospital, so all seems well. That is the great arbiter in determining someone’s health, tweeting. If they can’t tweet, then something must be very, very wrong. Or they are sleeping. Frequent Houston performer Rick Ross is currently being attended to in Fort Lauderdale,…
“All Fags Will Burn in Hell”: Your Lovely Yellow Cab Greeting?
Nathan Joel Kasselder and a couple of friends were in F Bar in Montrose last night when they needed a cab, so they called Yellow Cab. The cab came equipped with three video monitors for passengers, all of which were playing a reggae music video. The video suddenly stopped for…
Whiskey: The Week in 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…
Last Night: The Black Angels At Fitzgerald’s
Rocks Off hopes that this observation is wrong, but we don’t think that people give the Black Angels enough due credit as a Texas band, even though everything about them encapsulates the 50 years of Texas rock. The spookiness of everything Roky Erickson touched, the swing of Doug Sahm, the…
Upcoming Events: Monsters (and Mikkels) of Beer
Those of you already looking forward to the annual Monsters of Beer festival on November 12 now have something equally cool to look forward to: Night After Monsters at Whole Foods Montrose on Sunday, November 13. While the Monsters festival is only $35, Night After Monsters is a little more…
Astros to the American League: The Logical Argument to Stop the Move
Ever since the Peter Gammons tweet on Wednesday about the Astros sale to be approved in November as well as the Astros being moved to the American League, there’s been a firestorm of anger and panic emitting from what few Astros fans remain. Yesterday, one group even started an Internet…
Poncho Sanchez on Chano Pozo and Dizzy Gillespie: Cubano Be! Cubano Bop!
Latin jazz bandleader and congero Poncho Sanchez spent lots of time as a kid watching his older sisters dance the mambo and cha-cha-cha to their Cal Tjader, Tito Puente and Machito records. While they danced, Sanchez read the album covers and listened. Now, with some 30 years as a bandleader,…
Chef Chat, Part 3: Susan Molzan and Liz Walsh of Petite Sweets
My personal circle of life is made out of sugar, and Petite Sweets — helmed by Susan Molzan and Liz Walsh from chef chats 1 and 2 — seems to agree. Clockwise from the lime green circle, here’s a pistachio macaron, lemon cake ball, peanut butter and jelly mini cupcake,…
Fashion Houston Day 4: Haute Couture Goes Public
For more photos, check out our slideshow. Fashion Houston had some great fashion this week. We’ve seen flowing caftans, trim suits and lots of prints, but Thurday’s fashion show was something to remember. Namely because Becca Cason Thrash, the party gal the fashion world loves (and she loves it right…
Comment of the Day: We Are Racist Rats
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…
The Gourds on Italian Sandwiches, Jaded Nashville and Life in a Van
The Gourds, Austin’s loosest and most literate roots band, rolls into Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar tonight. The occasion is the release of the band’s latest album, Old Mad Joy. Produced by Bob Dylan/Levon Helm sideman Larry Campbell, the album has been getting positive reviews across country. The band has been…
Deadly Halloween Candy: 10 Halloween Candies That If We Ate Them Today, Would Kill Us
Halloween is quickly approaching. With our favorite Pagan holiday comes an overdose of costume nostalgia, movie memories and, most importantly, candy overload! As a kid, if it was dropped into your Halloween treat bag and its first two ingredients were either sugar or corn syrup, you had the golden ticket…
Bartender Chat: Jeremy Trujillo of Warren’s Inn
Warren’s Inn is, unquestionably, a revered downtown Houston landmark. No stranger to winning Best of Houston® awards, most recently for Best Downtown Bar 2010, Warren’s boasts charm, character and cordial, heavy handed bartenders. The space definitely has a vintage vibe, with heirloom chandeliers hanging from the pressed tin ceiling, large…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: The Thing
Title: The Thing So Did This Answer All Your Lingering Questions From The 1982 Version? Not really. Specifically, why is every scientific outpost in Antarctica equipped with military issue flamethrowers? Lots of penguin pillboxes to be stormed? Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Two MacCready hats out of…
Rock the Vote: Nominations for Houston Press Music Awards End at 5 p.m. Today
Just a reminder that nominations for the 2011 Houston Press Music Awards close today at 5 p.m.. If you are convinced that your favorite band is going to get snubbed, well then hustle on over to the ballot and get those fingers typing because today is the last day to…
Community: There Are Other Worlds Than These
“Remedial Chaos Theory” could be the most experimental and rule-breaking episode of Community yet. The series’ excursions into the wild hills outside safe sitcom territory have always been amazing, but every one of those stories was ostensibly set in the “real” world of Greendale. The genre mash-ups of the paintball…
How To: Cut a Whole Chicken into Pieces
Sometimes you feel like breasts, sometimes thighs, sometimes just the tip…the wing tip! Get your minds out of the gutter, people – I’m talking about chicken here. When I’m grocery shopping, I’m always on the hunt for the best quality food with the best deals. And with the rising prices…
NBA Players Discuss Starting a New League (Go Ahead and Laugh, It’s Okay)
“Obviously we’re trying to … get this lockout resolved. We want to play NBA basketball. But if it doesn’t happen what are we gonna do? We can’t just sit around and not do anything. So we have to figure out ways to now continue to play basketball at a high…
Week in Photos: Green
Each week, we take a dip into the Houston Press Flickr pool and see what our talented photographers have been up to. We’re looking for pictures that represent the best of Houston, from food to art to events, to secret hidden spots of beauty. Just drop them in our Flickr…
Electric Six: Love Songs for Mentally Disturbed People
If Barry White did a record with Al Jourgensen it might sound something like Heartbeats and Brainwaves, the eighth studio album from Electric Six. This is the first time we’ve come into contact with the band, having only been aware of them vaguely from their song “Gay Bar” and the…
JAPAN365: A New Art Book from Nomadic Houstonian J Muzacz
Houston native J Muzacz has surfed some couches, painted some murals and survived a natural disaster. Now, he’s about to publish himself a real wingdinger of an art book. For the past year-plus, the 26-year-old voyeur has been working as an English instructor in the small Japanese town of Tango-Hanto,…
The Bridges of Texas: 12 Beauties
We don’t do rustic covered bridges here in Texas; we don’t do massive Golden Gate spans either. But that doesn’t mean the state isn’t home to some beautiful pieces of bridge art. You can look for abandoned bridges here. Here, though, are a dozen of Texas’s best that are still…
100 Creatives: Scott Brignac
What he does: Scott Brignac is a director, but it’s not that simple. “When people ask me what I do, I tell them that I am a filmmaker,” he says. “As a director, I usually have my hand in every part of the filmmaking process, but I also will take…
Openings & Closings: The End of an ERA
The big closing news of last week happened right after we wrapped up our last Openings & Closings post, because Houston is apparently the city that never stops closing restaurants overnight. That closing was ERA, the pizzeria on Market Square that had one of our 100 Favorite Dishes of the…
Why the Eff Are Ringtones So Effing Impossible to Get?
It’s safe to say I’m not the most tech-savvy guy around. A new iPhone coming out means as little to me as a new Keith Urban album. It’s not a “get off my lawn” thing, it’s just that tech stuff, to me, is too close to math. And I hate…
Football! This Weekend’s Best Bets
Time for another round of college and NFL friendly wagers. Are my selection techniques the most textbook, orthodox methods in the world? No. I mean, if I hosted a handicapping show and gave out six games and chose those games because they gave me convenient fodder to talk about the…
Comment of the Day: The Much Maligned Strip Mall
Here on Eating Our Words, the commenters absolutely make the blog, and our Comment of the Day honors the best of the bunch. Every day, we read you guys and pick the commenter, or commenters, who made us laugh, cry, salivate over something delicious, or think about things in a…
James Walter Porter Jr.’s Child-Porn Haul: 10,000 Images, Hundreds of Magazines and an MP3 Player for His Post-Office Job
Former postal worker James Walter Porter Jr., 57, pleaded guilty today to one count of child-porn possession, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says, but what a count it was. The Pasadena man had moved out of the house he was renting; the owners then went there and found CDs, one of…
My Five Most Indispensable Music Technologies
I started listening to music on vinyl way back in biblical times and things seemed just fine. CDs came along and made hauling around music somewhat easier and, once you got past the crispy clarity, the music sounded pretty damn good. But, in the last 10 years, technology has gone…
The Garcia Family Wants to Know Why Someone Is Killing All Their Pets, Including Stabbing a Horse
It’s been a grim October for the Garcia family of northeast Houston. On October 3, their collie “Little Buddy” was found shot to death, Four days later, the Rottweiler “P.J.” died from poisoning. And a day later their horse “Angel” was, of all things, stabbed to death. “We don’t know…
Y’all Musta Forgot: CQ and t.h.e. MisFit Crazy-8’s The Sunday Soapbox
Houston’s history is dotted with albums that, fairly or not, have been swept aside. We’ll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. (Self-released, 2011) CQ & t.h.e. MisFit Crazy-8 Note: Heretofore, whenever t.h.e. MisFit Crazy-8 is mentioned here, he will be…
The Frito Pie Is Not from Texas: Commence Pearl-Clutching…Now
There I was in Half-Price Books this weekend, poring over the alarmingly titled 500 Things To Eat Before It’s Too Late (fearmongering listicles: they’re not just for food blogs), when I saw it: a section on our beloved Frito pie. Was the Frito pie endangered?! I had to know. After…
King Tut Brings His Road Show Back to Houston’s MFAH
For even more King Tut pictures, see our slideshow. It’s been almost a half century since an exhibit of antiquities from the Tutankhamun reign was here in Houston, but the boy king is back in Tutankhamun:The Golden King and the Great Pharoahs. Various dignitaries including Mayor Annise Parker turned out…
City Council Candidate Randy Locke Delivers Emptiest Threat Possible
Randy Locke is running for City Council District C; if his Web site is any indication, his campaign slogan is “This Site Is Under Construction.” He’s also failed to file the campaign-finance report required 30 days before the election. And, not to put too fine a point on it, but…
Up All Night: “Mr. Bob” Doesn’t Like It When You Go Off Book
Being a comedy of the situation variety, it’s unlikely Up All Night will ever plumb the darker aspects of the subject matter it brings up every week. Last night, for example, found Reagan struggling to adjust to life as a new mommy while diplomatically disentagnling herself from some of the…
New ZZ Top Tribute Disc Frightens, Titillates, And Confuses Us
If you don’t know that Rocks Off is a ZZ Top-friendly place, then you have probably only been reading the blog for the past two or three hours. The two men who run this blog love Billy, Frank, and Dusty with the energy from one thousands suns, and their whole…
Ingredient of the Week: Cabernet Sauvignon
What is it? Cabernet Sauvignon is a dry red wine discovered during the 17th century by crossing the Cabernet Franc and the Sauvignon Blanc grape varieties. Its origins are in the Bordeaux region of France, but it has since spread all over the world. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes favor warmer climates…
Paul Simon Turns 70: Our Favorite Cuts By Rhymin’ Simon
Today Paul Simon, acclaimed solo artist and the much shorter half of Simon & Garfunkel, turns 70 years old. The singer, who just released So Beautiful or So What back in April, has been a key link in bringing African and island sounds to American pop ears with his solo…
Texas-born Jewelry Designer Jill Reno at Tootsies October 20 & 21
October is shaping up to be a big month for designer appearances in Houston! Texas-born jewelry designer Jill Reno will be greeting fans and fashionistas at Tootsies on Thursday, October 20, and Friday, October 21. Reno is presenting her Fall 2011 collection of unique and breathtaking jewelry, created from the…
Health Department Roundup
You should know that checking out the city’s health inspection reports is a good way to discover new restaurants. You’ll also discover a few things about yourself, like just how dirty is too dirty. For your sake, we hope you consider El Penjamo (6110 Lyons) too dirty. We wrote about…
David McIntyre: Worst Cop Impersonator Ever, Possibly
A red 2003 Ford F150 extended cab pickup speeding in a Montgomery County trailer park by a guy wearing a Confederate-shirt flag: It’s a scene that takes place every weekend, probably. But things were different recently, according to the Montgomery County Police Reporter. On the day in question, a guy…
Last Night: Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull at Toyota Center
What do you get when a Latino playboy from Spain joins forces with a Cuban party animal from Miami? The biggest fucking dance party that Houston has ever seen, that’s what. The Euphoria Tour rolled into the Toyota Center last night and filled it with party anthems, lasers, confetti, and…
The 5 Best Foods to Eat in Bed
Confession: I like to eat in bed. I don’t do it often because it is messy and really bad manners, but I love curling up with a book and a snack and relaxing in bed. Sometimes it’s practical–when I’m hit with a particularly terrible case of the vapors I may…
Fighting Invasive Plant Species, One Mobile Artwork at a Time
Near the Buffalo Bayou under a tangled knot of highways, the SweetRides! and It’s a Wrap food trucks were on hand offering their wares to the crowd that had gathered. Though everyone’s attention was on a white taco truck that didn’t even serve tacos. Last night, the “Buffalo Bayou Invasive…
Goodbye, Personal Checks: Five Consequences of the Rise of Debit Cards (No. 5: You Can’t Game the System, Dammit!)
Businesses continue to report that more and more people are paying electronically, either through debit or credit cards or automatic payments, than they do by the classic method of writing a personal check. How many times do you actually pull out your checkbook these days? Not very often, unless you’re…
Last Night: Joe Walsh at the Verizon Wireless Theatre
Like an eccentric, loopy uncle freed from the shackles of his now-stifling longtime marriage (in this case, the recent Eagles), it was a jaunty and loose Joe Walsh who charmed the Houston crowd with his off-kilter stories, jokes, and musical travelogue of more than four decades of group and solo…
Fashion Houston Day 3: Color Color Everywhere
Wednesday night was the third installment of Fashion Houston. The past two evenings have had a few red carpet-worthy moments, but for the most part it’s been wearable fashion that’s versatile for real life. There have been structured separates, plenty of day dresses and a healthy dose of neutrals for…
On a Wing and an Ale: Celebrate Wingtoberfest With Us
We’re putting the finishing touches on our upcoming Wingtoberfest party, and we hope you’ll be there to help us celebrate. And why wouldn’t you be? It’s a free wing-stravaganza, and you get to be a judge! The first 100 people in the door at El XX on Thursday, October 20,…
West U & The Galleria: The Most Rat-Infested Places In Town?
D-Con, the pest-control people, have released a survey of the “Rattiest Neighborhoods” in Houston. In reality, it seems more like “The Neighborhoods Rich Enough To Call d-Con if they see a mouse or rat.” The company says “approximately 200 participants were polled about frequency of rodent sightings in their homes…
The 12 Best Remakes of Hip Hop and Pop Songs by Heavy Bands
Rock bands covering music in a different genre can sometimes be a sensitive subject. You have people that love both genres separately but then there are fans who prefer their music to be a bit blended. Punk Goes… is a series of compilation albums that feature punk rock artists covering…
Last Night: Caraccio Master of Imitationism
Last night, Art Attack put on our nicest beret and made our way to the posh La Colombe d’Or Hotel for an opening, of sorts, of the collection of Italian painter and sculptor Francesco Caraccio. Caraccio has been creating works in and around Europe for the past four decades and…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Susan Molzan and Liz Walsh of Petite Sweets
Today, we continue our chat with Susan Molzan and Liz Walsh, the sugar queen chefs behind Petite Sweets. EOW: So, is it better to bake or be baked for? LW: I think it’s better when you bake it yourself and then eat it! I think you always get more enjoyment…
The Luckiest Good Samaritan Ever?
The Houston police are telling us about an incident involving what might be the luckiest Good Samaritan ever. It unfortunately involves a fatal accident on the Gulf Freeway. The driver of a red GMC pickup truck died in a crash about 12:30 a.m. today on the Gulf Freeway near the…
Egypt Central: The Anthem of Hate Day
It’s a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off we’re trying hard to find meaning in the oddest monikers. It’s a good thing Egypt Central caught us in a violent rage because we’re pretty sure that’s how their music is supposed to be…
Five Comfort Foods For When You’re Sick
Although a healthful diet can keep you in the pink most of the time, sickness is still a fact of life. Just as I have learned from personal experience what to eat to prevent illness, so too have I come to know what soothes me when I’m ill. Here are…
Halloween Costumes, Take the Sexy or Vintage Route
The worst thing about Halloween, besides that it doesn’t last all year, is deciding what to dress up as. Some choices are redundant (ooh, a witch, yawn), but new options can get you compliments for your creativity. Looks such as superheroes, pirates and scary masks for men and boys remain…
Toby Keith’s “Red Solo Cup” And Other Household Items That Need Theme Songs
OK, we’ve never been devout Toby Keith fans. At all. Our image of him changed though as we heard more of his politics, post-“Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue” and he came out as a fan of gay marriage and gays in the military. Who says all country guys…
Roast Chicken Revival: A Customer Service Parable
Even cooks don’t always want to cook. I’m not talking about those days where you really want to go out to eat. I’m talking about those “got home late, nothing in the cabinets, dog tired, just want to eat something that doesn’t suck” kind of days. I had one of…
Game Over? New Vintage Video Game Store Could Revitalize the Industry
The only thing we know for sure happens when you die is that they finally leave you alone about your student loans. However, assuming there is an afterlife that serves as some kind of reward for a virtuous life, then we desperately hope that the one we have earned is…
Comment of the Day: North Forest ISD Reality Check
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: Who Should Be the Next Bond Villain?
So it turns out Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Vicky Cristina Barcelona) is going up against 007 in Bond 23: After months of speculation about who would play the villain in the next James Bond installment, we finally have an answer, friendo: Javier Bardem. During an interview with…
Pop Rocks: Who Else Would Make a Good Bond Villain?
So it turns out Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Vicky Cristina Barcelona) is going up against 007 in Bond 23: After months of speculation about who would play the villain in the next James Bond installment, we finally have an answer, friendo: Javier Bardem. During an interview with…
Peter Frampton’s Bassist “Comes Alive” Again
Classic Rock Corner was emailing recently with Andy Sharp (aka “Buffalo Speedway”), guitarist for the Austin-based Thin Lizzy tribute band Think Lizzy. He told us a story about talking music with his actual physician — also a guitar nut — who asked Sharp if he’d ever heard a certain record…
TCU to the Big 12: What’s Changed Since the Southwest Conference Went Kaput
Earlier this week, Texas Christian University officially accepted an invitation to join the Big 12 Conference, which sort of models the old Southwest Conference, a division that the Horned Frogs competed in from 1923 to 1996. We gotta tell you, horny toads, compared to ’96, the league is going to…
Houston’s 5 Ugliest Restaurant Buildings
Stop! Don’t say it! This isn’t a mean-spirited post designed to mock restaurants for the sake of pageviews. Because let’s be honest — most of Houston is pretty damned ugly, and the great thing about living here is showing people the beauty that lies underneath the tangle telephone poles and…
100 Creatives: Erin Alexander
What She Does: If gothic hats by Candy Caine aren’t your thing, then you can adorn your coif with accessories from Erin Alexander of Lucky Lady Millinery. She specializes in hair clips, pins, combs and other hand-sewn accents. You might have seen her work featured in the photographs of Chris…
Rick Perry, Master Debater: The Movie!
The critics have been pretty much in agreement on Rick Perry’s performances in GOP presidential debates, and they have not been kind. Texans, on the one hand, aren’t surprised; on the other, they could be, since they so rarely got a chance to see Perry perform in a debate. The…
Discover Houston Ghost Walks
Check out the Downtown Historic District with the help of a few ghost stories on one of the Discover Houston Tours annual Ghost Walks. Spend 90 minutes listening to tales such as the Ghost at La Carafe, The Donnellian Crypt, a Bridge Over Troubled Waters, The Barmaid’s Best Friend and…
“Siege of Skeletons”
The Health Museum is hosting its third annual “Siege of the Skeletons”, a community art project featuring papier-mâché skeletons submitted by teams from all over Houston. This year’s theme is “From Books to Bones,” meaning that artists will be drawing inspiration from literary works as they compete for prizes. 9…
Salon of Beauty
The staff at Rice Gallery was tasked with keeping the Ana Serrano installation Salon of Beauty under wraps during the month it took the Los Angeles-based artist to complete it. With the piece receiving lots of pre-opening attention, that wasn’t easy. The installation is a recreation of the urban landscape,…
Fifth Annual Montrose Halloween Crawl
The Montrose Halloween Crawl has returned for its fifth year. This event combines a traditional pub crawl with the spirit of trick-or-treating as several hundred people dress in costume and visit bars and pubs on Westheimer in Montrose. This year’s event will encompass nine separate venues. All Montrose Crawl participants…
“Perspectives 176: Glen Fogel:With Me … You”
Personal love letters and family wedding rings make their way into the exhibit “Perspectives 176: Glen Fogel: With Me … You.” The letters are oversize trompe l’oeil paintings of real notes New York artist Glen Fogel received while he was in high school, complete with wrinkles, stains and fold lines…
Horror Dance
Horror Dance returns with an evening of rock and horror-related entertainment and performances. Numbers will be showing six short and very twisted films, followed by live entertainment by Dana Blue and the Bombshell Betties and Guest DJ Rob, as well as live music performances by Underground Network Intelligence and Opulent…
HSPVA’s Encore 40!
Yes, Beyoncé is probably the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts’s most famous alum, but as you’ll see at HSPVA’s Encore 40!, she’s not the only former student who went on to become a household name. Chandra Wilson of Grey’s Anatomy, Ashley Tama Davis from The Tyler Perry…
Barkitecture Houston
The reason the term “in the doghouse” became a metaphor for a bad situation is because most dogs’ houses are dirty plywood shacks behind the garage that are filled with dust, insects and bits of leftover dog food. That is, unless the phrase refers to one of the canine domiciles…
Poncho Sanchez and Terence Blanchard: Cubano Be! Cubano Bop!
It’s usually a knock against a musician when someone says that he plays to please himself. In the case of congero Poncho Sanchez, given his exquisite taste, high standards and extensive knowledge of the Latin and American repertoire, it’s actually quite a compliment. Sanchez, who shares the bill today with…
Dominic Walsh Dance Theater: Fall Mixed Rep
The Dominic Walsh Dance Theater opens its tenth-anniversary season with the spectacular Fall Mixed Rep. Among the new work being presented is Come un Respiro by Italian choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti. Set to classical music by Handel, Come un Respiro uses a distinctly unclassical vocabulary, with angular movements punctuating the work’s…
Idina Menzel
It’s been an impressive ride for singer/actor -Idina Menzel — she made her Broadway debut in 1996 as Maureen in the original production of Rent, which snagged her a Tony nomination. Seven years later, Menzel took home a Tony for her portrayal as Elphaba in the musical Wicked. And lately,…
What My Husband Doesn’t Know
Audiences might think of former Destiny’s Child group member Michelle Williams as a good girl, but her character in David E. Talbert’s stage play What My Husband Doesn’t Knowcertainly is not. Williams is returning to Houston to star with Morris Chestnut (ABC’s V and The Best Man) in a story…
Rolling Stones: Some Girls Live in Texas
Just in case your time machine is broken and you can’t get back to the late 1970s to see the Rolling Stones in their heyday, here’s the next best thing — a theater broadcast of never-before-seen concert footage from a July 18, 1978, show in Fort Worth. Rolling Stones: Some…
Vampire Lesbians of Sodom
The title to the campy comedy Vampire Lesbians of Sodom gives you a big hint as to the plot of the story, admits director Joe Angel Babb, but there’s more to it than that. In the play, vampires, who are beautiful, suave and alluring, have become celebrities – actors, as…
Houston Zoo Boo
Bring your little ghouls and goblins to the Houston Zoo for Zoo Boo, Houston’s largest family-friendly Halloween, which will run five days this year. Enjoy safe Halloween trick-or-treating, music, and fun activities with a “naturally wild” twist. Pick a “child-size” pumpkin to paint and decorate from the Fiesta Mart Pumpkin…
24th Annual Día de los Muertos Retablo Exhibition
It’s an expression of art…culture…religion…Tecate. Whatever your viewpoint, Día de los Muertos is a cause for celebration, and the folks over at the Lawndale Art Center know how to do it up right. The “24th Annual Día de los Muertos Retablo Exhibition” is at the center of it all. The…
Michael Brown’s Sex Tips
COURTS Michael Brown’s Sex Tips Give it up to your man By Craig Malisow We’re guessing many fathers might feel uncomfortable discussing sex with their daughters. And it’s a real shame, because, based on what we’re reading in Dr. Michael Brown’s “Letters to Sophie,” telling your daughter that the key…
SPECIAL BEST-OF EDITION
Dear Readers, The Mexican doesn’t want to take this week off, but has to because it’s his mother periódico’s Best Of issue and the Mexican is tasked with eating a thousand tacos in the search for the best one in Orange. I’ll return next week, more panzón than ever—in the…
Turbo Lovers
Calling from a tour stop in Chile, Rob Halford admits his world-famous pipes are plagued by a bit of a drip. “It’s one of the perils of road work,” sniffs the multi-octave Judas Priest singer. “It’s so easy to pick up a cold or flu as you’re progressing around the…
Dare We Say It?
See more photos from Mai’s rebuilt restaurant and modern, updated interior in our slideshow. Even at 2 p.m. on an otherwise quiet Monday afternoon, Mai’s Restaurant’s dining room is three-quarters full. Businessmen from downtown hunch over bowls of pho or plates of Vietnamese fajitas, while neighborhood kids from Montrose dunk…
Kung Fu Hustle
The apple cider sake bombs at Kung Fu Saloon (5317 Washington) are far more useful than Jonathon Cidersake, or whoever it was that invented them, could have reasonably anticipated. They can cure ugliness, known as the “Apple Cider Sake Bomb Pretty, Pretty Princess Phenomenon.” They can make you think you’re…
OFF!
Desperate times call for desperate and angry punk rock, and supergroup OFF! fits the bill in 2011. Former Black Flag and Circle Jerks frontman Keith Morris is back in fine screaming form, with Redd Kross bassist Steven McDonald and members of Burning Brides and Rocket From the Crypt dishing out…
NRBQ
NRBQ, or the New Rhythm & Blues Quartet, may be the quintessential “almost famous” band. Music critics and musicians swear by them, but they never quite broke through to a mass audience despite having their songs covered by ultra-hip indie-rockers (Yo La Tengo, She & Him) and roots royalty (Fabulous…
Black Angels
From their name (lifted from “The Black Angel’s Death Song”) to their sound, there’s little doubt that Austin’s The Black Angels adore the Velvet Underground. Indeed, the first song childhood chums front man Alex Maas and guitarist Christian Bland ever performed together live was “Waiting for the Man.” And, while…
The Rapture
The Rapture has returned, fully rested and inspired to a scene that it broke wide open with 2001’s Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks. The band came along as a lively indie-dance band with a dour bent, just as electroclash was getting a footing in the clubs and…
Supersuckers
If you like your punk rock with a good shot of country, and a lot of people ’round these parts do, only Social Distortion can match the Supersuckers’ potent blend of twang and venom. Eddie Spaghetti and his forked-tongue henchmen first crawled out of Tucson nearly 20 years ago, making…
Vandervelde
If this were 1972, Michigan’s David Vandervelde would be at Max’s Kansas City drinking with Bob Dylan and sitting side-stage at New York Dolls gigs with a groupie under each arm. At first glance, you would think Vandervelde to be a dour one-man singer-songwriter act, but the artist loads his…
A Scary Good Time
It’s time once again to don a costume and head over to your favorite haunt for a chance at cheap drinks and expensive prizes. But be warned: You’ll have to get your partying out of the way before the big day actually arrives. With the holiday falling on a Monday,…
“Fair” Game
The carnival barker’s voice boomed out though DiverseWorks on the opening night of “State Fair,” imploring attendees to step up and try their luck at Stephanie Saint Sanchez’s Kitty Loco’s Dead Celeb Candle Toss Across. The booth was located on the “Midway” of DiverseWorks’ State Fair, a satiric exhibition inspired…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Book Report” “Helen Altman: Half-Life” “Mary McCleary: A Survey 1996-2011” “Raimund Girke 1930-2002” “Working in the Abstract: Rethinking the Literal” “Leigh Anne Lester: Beautiful Freaks/Nature’s Bastards” “Seth Mittag: We’re Still
“Book Report” As the electronic word slowly usurps the printed word, books are becoming increasingly fetishized. “Book Report,” organized by Kinzelman Art Consulting in the lobby of the Bank of America building, brings together a host of book-related works. Given all the recent bank bailouts (and my personal animosity towards…
Bayou Country
For someone who more or less picked Houston at random when he was looking to get out of L.A. two years ago, honky-tonk singer-songwriter Mike Stinson gets the Bayou City’s appeal. It’s right there on “Died and Gone to Houston,” one of 11 new songs he just finished recording in…
Capsule Stage Reviews: The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead, Death, the Musical, Romeo and Juliet, A Texas Romance, Wait Until Dark
The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead This theater curiosity is a hybrid — part point-of-view drama, part acting exercise — recording the aftermath of a husband walking out, with seven characters played by a single actor. Rhonda has been married for almost two decades, apparently a conventional woman…
Oprah of the Piney Woods
See video of Kathy Patrick discussing the annual Girlfriend Weekend. Michael “Pollywog” Sager has come to Beauty and Book in Jefferson, Texas, to see Kathy Patrick. President of the 42 Taillights Motorcycle Club in nearby New London, Sager is tall, bald, with a long gray beard, and has iron cross…
Footloose 2011
In hindsight, the 1984 hit Footloose — starring Kevin Bacon and directed by Herbert Ross — along with its contemporary Flashdance, can be seen as the link between the old Hollywood model of a let’s-put-on-a-show musical, based on original songs brought to life in elaborate choreographed numbers, and the later…
