Comment of the Day: Fight Crime!
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…
Rick Perry Throws in the Towel on the Confederate-Flag License Plate
Who said Rick Perry running for president wouldn’t bring any benefits besides hilarity? Thanks to his decision to go for it, Texans will not be subjected to Confederate flags on their license plates. The Texas Tribune first noticed that Perry told a Florida TV station that Perry had finally weighed…
First Look at The Bird & The Bear
The corner restaurant on the end of a River Oaks strip mall at 2810 Westheimer has been a lot of things. It’s been Rickshaw, it’s been Fins, it was even temporarily home to Tony Mandola’s Gulf Coast Kitchen while the Mandolas built their new restaurant at 1212 Waugh. But the…
What Google Music Means To The Music Industry
Google is finally launching its own music service. Google Music is a full-scale music service/store designed to compete with Amazon and Apple. Android boss Andy Rubin says they’re very close to launch. About a dozen independent labels are have already joined forces with Google and the service is slated to…
Wenches Be Shopping!: The Best Things to Buy at RenFest
The Texas Renaissance Festival is one of the crown jewels of any fall in the Houston area. Running from early October to late November right after Thanksgiving, the Plantersville festival allows you to step back in time, or another dimension at least. One of the biggest draws to the RenFest,…
The X Factor: Learning To Let Go
Wednesday night The X Factor extended its two-hour format to two and a half hours, allowing us to see each team – Boys, Girls, Over 30s, and Groups – perform, as well as the judges’ elimination decisions. While 2.5 hours is quite long, the fact that the show didn’t get…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Kaiser Lashkari of Himalaya Restaurant
In a special Diwali version of Chef Chat, we visit Kaiser Lashkari of Himalaya Restaurant, a North Indian and Pakistani refuge in the Mahatma Gandhi district. The chef and owner, a colorful character, is 11 tables deep today at lunchtime. Although some complain about the desk in the middle of…
Food Truck Driver Says Cop Hassled Him
UPDATE: HPD’s public information office called to say that, as of 2 p.m., “no complaint has been filed. No one by that name has filed an [Internal Affairs Division] complaint,” the liaison stated. An encounter with the Houston Police Department has left a local food truck owner unsure if he…
Elaine Turner Trunk Show at Tootsies Boutique, November 8 & 9
If you read about fashion, you have been reading quite a lot about Houston’s own Elaine Turner lately. The handbag and shoe designer recently sent pieces down the runway with Chloe Dao’s latest collection at Fashion Houston, and she was also named a 2011 Women’s Chamber of Commerce Texas Business…
The 15 Best Bill Graham Presents Posters And Artwork
Twenty years ago this week, legendary concert promoter Bill Graham went to the big backstage party in the sky after the helicopter he was riding in flew into a high-voltage tower in Vallejo, Calif. Also killed in the crash was Graham’s girlfriend, Melissa Gold, and pilot Steve Kahn. Graham was…
Ike Kievit: Asks for Fight on Facebook, Later Gets One and Goes to Jail
Back in late May, Rockport tattoo artist Ike Kievit posted this on his Facebook wall: im spent and at my wits end if you know me and are up for a good fistfight tonite with no grudge reguardless of outcome please call me, i dare any one im in rockport…
X Factor: 150 Minutes of Live Show
Last night X Factor extended its two-hour format to two and a half hours, allowing us to see each team — Boys, Girls, Over 30s and Groups — perform, as well as the judges’ elimination decisions. While two and a half hours is quite long, the fact that the show…
Tasting Notes: This Week in Wine Blogs
VineSleuth Uncorked: This week, prolific Houston mom/travel blogger and wine blogger Amy Gross profiles Jack Fairchild, wine buyer for Max’s Wine Dive (pictured right, photo via VineSleuth Uncorked). Jacob, writes Amy with panegyric tone, “gets to travel the world, meet with winemakers and taste some very delicious wines… and then…
Memphis the Musical: We Interrupt You for a Reboot
At last night’s opening of Memphis the Musical, the strong cast had just finished up its third song of the night, “Scratch My Itch,” and was in the process of changing sets when everything stalled and a voice announced, “We are experiencing technical difficulties.” Most everyone thought it was just…
Dr. Brown: A Look Inside the Weirdness
It was difficult getting people to talk, even off the record, for this week’s feature story on Dr. Michael Brown. His latest defense attorney, Dick DeGuerin, was quoted this week in the Houston Chronicle as saying Brown “is not understood by the public,” and he’s right — to a point…
Still Life Frankenfoods at Spacetaker ARC
We know of course that Steve Jobs saved America with his genius for must-have gadgets, long live Steve Jobs. And we know it’s foolish to argue with conventional wisdom about these things, but just for a second let’s consider what a brilliant idea it would have been if Steve Jobs…
Sammy’s Wild Game Grill: Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
In this week’s cafe review of Sammy’s Wild Game Grill, the new wild game hot dog-and-hamburger spot off Washington, we examine the idea that all artists borrow — and the great ones steal. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. A lot of Houston diners didn’t see it…
10 Christmas Songs That Are Really About Drugs
Halloween is right around the corner, so you know what that means: Time to start making a list and checking it twice. Bourbon, gin, scotch, vodka, Xanax, painkillers… Walgreen’s and CVS have already stocked their shelves with wrapping paper, plastic wreaths and Christmas candles, and this year’s crop of holiday…
Judge Kevin Fine’s Rejection of Drug Search Warrant Gets Rejected
District Judge Kevin Fine has been a unique jurist since taking the bench after his 2008 election — challenging Texas’s enforcement of the death penalty, saying a woman couldn’t have been raped because she was “on top” and tossing out a jury’s murder conviction because the defense didn’t call a…
The Top Five Kinds of Escorts at the Texas Contemporary Art Fair
The Texas Contemporary Art Fair happened, and it was a success, I think. I mean, I really don’t know, but there were people there, and I went, and I quickly got very uncomfortable seeing all of the people I am uncomfortable seeing in one place. But, you know what always…
The Modular Food Truck’s Run-in with HPD Last Night at Liberty Station: UPDATED
UPDATE: The Public Information Office of the HPD called to say that, as of 2 p.m. “no complaint has been filed. No one by that name has filed an [Internal Affairs Division] complaint,” the liaison stated. An encounter with the Houston Police Department has left a local food truck owner…
Vince Young Needed $8K of One-Dollar Bills at Strip Club, Because He’s Big-Time
As noted by our sister blog in the Dallas Observer, former Madison High and UT Longhorn Vince Young has been sued by the strip-club employee who last year said he’d been beaten up by the Eagles quarterback. Back then he said it was because he had flashed an upside-down Horns…
Artist of the Week: Harts Of Oak
Each Wednesday (almost), Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group “Artist of the Week,” bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn’t awful? Email their particulars to sheaserrano@gmail.com. The gorgeous Houston Press Music Awards are…
Cranberry Walnut Muffins
This recipe is 20 years old this month, and I’ll be taking the index card labeled Cranberry Bread out of my recipe box around this time every year until I’m 100, my fingers are arthritic and I just can’t bake anymore, damn it. These muffins are guaranteed to make your…
The Best Comics of October Part 1
Once a month we’ll be bringing you a summary of the best comics to hit the shelves courtesy of the staff at 8th Dimension Comics. This month we went a little overboard, so stay tuned for part 2. Justice League #2 Apologies in advance for the almost completely DC lineup…
You Can Now, Somewhat Easily, Find Your Car That Some Bastard Has Towed
The above is a video showing Houston police chief Charles McClelland explaining the city’s new Web site that helps drivers locate their car if it’s been towed and no one’s around to tell them where it went. The explanation involves such things as “using technology as a force multiplier, and…
Top 5 Seasonal Commercial Halloween Snacks
Since Halloween is my favorite holiday, I’m more than thrilled that what was once a one-day celebration has now become a whole season in its own right. Despite my usual aversion to processed food, I’m also tickled pink (orange?) by the plethora of Halloween-themed treats that appear in supermarkets starting…
DVDs & Blu-rays: Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy and Luther
Jurassic Park, The Lost World – Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III star Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Julianne More and Pete Postlethwaite; Steven Spielberg directs Jurassic Park and The Lost World; Joe Johnston directs Jurassic Park III. The Plot: People visit an island filled with live dinosaurs. (That’s…
Gilles De Rais: A Historic Serial Killer’s Playlist
Today we celebrate the death of Gilles de Rais. Back in the 15th century, de Rais took up killing children like it was going out of style, though some claim that he was framed by the Church so it could seize his lands. Here’s what went down in the history…
“Go West I”: Houston’s Group Art Show of the Year?
It wouldn’t matter if “the first bilateral contemporary art exhibit between France and Texas” was just a collection of mega lame art. No need to worry about that because the stuff in “Go West I” is astonishing. Depending on how it’s executed in a gallery space, the group show could…
Ingredient of the Week: Broccolini
What is it? Often mistaken as young broccoli since it’s sometimes called baby broccoli, broccolini is actually more closely related to Chinese broccoli (or gai lan) than American broccoli. It has smaller florets and longer stalks than American broccoli and a mildly sweet taste resembling both broccoli and asparagus. Dubbed…
Last Night: St. Vincent At Fitzgerald’s
St. Vincent Fitzgerald’s October 25, 2011 There’s always a special air that lingers amidst an artist’s hometown show. While St. Vincent brainchild Annie Clark technically hails from Dallas, she was welcomed with open, Texas-sized arms last night at Fitzgerald’s, where she and her touring band performed a 90-minute set promoting…
Comment of the Day: The Mosquitoes, Good God the Mosquitoes
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…
Bennie E. Richardson IV: Says His Massive Child-Porn Stash “Relaxed Him”
Bennie E. Richardson IV, a 40-year-old Pasadena man, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for possessing and distributing child pornography. Looking at the porn was a form of relaxation, he told cops when he was arrested. Richardson was arrested in 2008 and was found guilty last month,…
Alamo Drafthouse to Screen African Zombie Film The Dead
As part of its Graveyard Shift series, Alamo Drafthouse at West Oaks will be screening a film that’s been trying its best to get some attention. The Dead is a zombie film set in Africa. An American mercenary crashes his plane in the bush of South Africa and is forced…
Evil Dead: the Musical from Stage Door, Inc. Is Laugh-Out-Loud Funny
The setup: Sam Raimi’s 1983 cult film The Evil Dead and its two sequels were reincarnated as a stage musical off-Broadway in 2006, and Stage Door, Inc. presents it in all its bloody gore and rich, take-no-prisoners humor. The execution: The viewing experience is as much an event as a…
Roy Head Remembers Gene Kurtz & “Treat Her Right”
“I guarantee you one thing, Gene Kurtz is playing bass in the best band in heaven tonight,” says Roy Head. Head co-wrote “Treat Her Right,” one of the truly legendary Texas hits, with Kurtz, the bassist who passed away late Sunday evening in Austin at age 69. When Kurtz and…
Hobby Airport Renovations Promise to Make Air Travel Even More Fun for the Next Year
Nothing these days is as soothing, hassle-free and just plain fun as flying on a commercial airline. So the fact that starting today, repairs are going to be causing detours for the next year in traffic circulation at Hobby — well, everything has to have some little tiny glitch to…
Sampler Plate: This Week in Food Blogs
City of Ate: Our sister paper in Dallas interviewed Anthony Bourdain in advance of his new show, 48 Hours, and as Bourdain is wont to do, he dispensed some straightforward talk about his “low opinion” of Dallas Morning News critic Leslie Brenner, why anonymity in a food critic isn’t critically…
Six ’60s Space TV Series Intros, in All Their Unscientific, Non-Entertaining Awfulness
The Sixties were the Space Era, when astronauts were all anyone was talking about, except for dirty hippies and their loud music. TV was eager to jump on the bandwagon. Unfortunately, TV-series production wasn’t as high-budget or sophisticated as it is today, so the results could be somewhat….tacky? Disappointing? Incredibly…
Comment of the Day: We’re in Purgatory
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…
Homemade Mosquito Repellents and Why They Suck
You go outside in Houston this week, you are going to be bit. At least until the cold front comes through Thursday. You don’t want to use noxious chemicals on yourselves or your loved ones, so you turn to natural mosquito repellents, hoping for relief. We have done some research,…
Karbach Brewing’s Grand Opening Brings a Big Crowd
At last night’s grand opening for Karbach Brewing, Rich Arnold walked over to me with a glass of Karbach’s Weisse Versa wheat in hand. “Have you ever had a beer that tastes so much like…” “Banana!” we both finished at the same time. The wheat beer gave off the striking…
Kanye West + Saved By The Bell = Kanye’d By The Bell
Today on Tumblr we found Kanye’d By The Bell, a site that links evocative Kanye West lyrics with screenshots from everyone’s favorite high school saga Saved By the Bell. The site has five pages and counting of the adventures of Screech, Slater, Zack, Kelly and the rest matched with the…
“Katja Loher: Multiverse” at Anya Tish Gallery Features Hypnotic, Riveting Video
Not unlike Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist, Swiss-born Katja Loher creates brightly surreal video worlds. The artist crafts kaleidoscopic visuals, setting unitard-clad female dancers against strange flora. The videos are hypnotic and riveting; the only problems are in the presentation. In an extremely successful installation in the back of the Anya…
HPD: No Crime Found in Gay-Mag Publisher’s Claims
After investigating a magazine publisher’s claims that he was threatened by the head of the GLBT Political Caucus last week, Houston Police have determined no criminal activity occurred and have closed the case. Caucus President Noel Freeman issued a statement saying, “I am very grateful to have been exonerated and…
Austin’s Jester King Craft Brewery Sues the TABC, But Is the TABC Really the Bad Guy?
Jester King, based in Austin, is one of the state’s most popular craft breweries. The TABC (or Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission), also based in Austin, is one of the state’s most powerful agencies. And with news that Jester King has just filed a lawsuit against the TABC, our capital could…
Village Voice Media Responds to Clergy
Today 36 clergy affixed their names to a paid ad and open letter to Village Voice and the classified ad site Backpage.com. The full page ad was published in The New York Times. The religious coalition demanded that we close down our legal, adult classifieds. Neither government officials nor God’s…
Mosquitoes: A Tiny, Highly Annoying Musical History
The Texans are in first place (for now), the Texas Rangers may become the Lone Star State’s first-ever World Series champions tomorrow (ouch), and early voting for the November 8 mayoral/City Council election started Monday. The Houston Press Music Awards showcase is less than three weeks away – we’ll reveal…
10 Pumpkin Dishes to Try in Houston: #8 Pumpkin Seed Crusted Salmon at TQLA
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!…
Oliver Twist from Theatre Southwest an Ultra-Theatrical Adaptation
The set-up: Charles Dickens’s classic tale of orphan Oliver and his most adventurous “progress” in the underworld of Victorian London gets a faithful retelling in Neil Bartlett’s ultra-theatrical adaptation. While not the smoothest of productions, there’s plenty of Dickens’ picaresque drama and indelible characters on stage at Theatre Southwest for…
Omar Lopez: Too Drunk, So Lets His 13-Year-Old Nephew Drive (Badly)
Police have charged Omar Ornelas Lopez, 27, with child endangerment after noticing his car was speeding and making wide turns through the Windsor Village neighborhood. It wasn’t Lopez who was driving, though — it was his 13-year-old nephew. Court documents available online offer little info, but KPRC reports the arrest…
Lindsay Lohan Posing for Playboy?: Yawn Dot Com and Whatnot (Semi-NSFW)
Last night TMZ reported that troubled sometime-actress-singer-model Lindsay Lohan had reached terms with Playboy to pose nude for an upcoming issue. The headline aside, it’s not like I’m not interested in seeing what wonders Hugh Hefner’s camp will do to Miss Lohan’s body with the miracle of Photoshop. And it’s…
Is J Lo the Calmest Driver Ever?: Five Questions About Current TV Ads
Given the confluence of football season and the World Series, we’re watching a lot of TV these days. Unfortunately, there’s often not something to switch to during commercial breaks, so we’re seeing more ads than usual. They’ve left us with a few questions we hope the world can answer. As…
Tuesday October 25, 2011 Deals of the Day
Today’s VOICE Daily Deal from the Houston Press is good for 53 percent off ($7 for $15) fresh and yummy sandwiches at Spicy Pickle. The menu features Italian artisan breads, high-quality meats and cheeses, and 21 different toppings and 15 spreads, so you can create your own perfect panini or…
“Building Arts: Alexander Apostol, Dias & Riedweg, Thomas Glassford, Marco Maggi and Clarissa Tossin” Another Smart, Interesting Show from Sicardi Gallery
“Futuristic” mid-century architecture ages badly; when clean, crisp lines and minimal surfaces become worn and grubby, they look like a failed dream. Clarissa Tossin’s 2009 two-channel video White Marble Everyday records the repetitive labor that goes into preserving a particular modernist dream — Brasilia’s Oscar Niemeyer-designed Federal Supreme Court Building…
Rap’s Most Anticipated Upcoming Albums
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…
Could the Texans Be Favored in Every Game the Rest of the Season?
“Its not that big of a stretch to think the Texans will be favored in every remaining game.” — @clintshane on Twitter last night It’s funny, I mentioned in yesterday’s post how drastically people’s outlooks can swing based on a relatively small body of work, such as a single 41-7…
The Retreat from Moscow from Country Playhouse Is Excellent High Drama
The setup: After 30 years, a middle-class English marriage comes apart at the seams in William Nicholson’s perceptive and elegiac chamber drama, beautifully detailed and acted in Country Playhouse’s production. The execution: Writer Nicholson, with his varied career (play Shadowlands, novel The Secret Intensity of Everyday Life, films First Knight,…
Can One Person Eat a 28-Inch Pizza In an Hour? With Video
Can one person eat a 28-inch pizza in an hour? The short answer is: no. But that didn’t stop two devoted Houston Press staffers from taking on Russo’s New York Pizzeria’s party pizza challenge. Although other Russo’s have carried the 28-inch party pizza for a while, it’s still somewhat new…
Xmas Type Thing: Scott Weiland’s Holiday Album Doesn’t Suck
One of the most unwholesome things Rocks Off can think of is a Scott Weiland Christmas album, so when it was announced a few months back with the promo photo of a dapper Weiland – skull ring, tattoos, blue eyes, roguish grin – we were worried. Today, The Most Wonderful…
Pasadena, Home to Some Sickos, Is Also a Nifty Place to Retire
The economy blows, especially for old folks, who aren’t as able to kick it with an umbrella drink at some beachside hang like in the old days. No worries, according to Tom Corley, author of The Top 100 Cheapest Places to Retire in the U.S. in 2012. Instead of sinking…
The Little Bird Has Landed: Luxury Couture Consignment Boutique Open for Business
On Thursday evening, October 20, The Little Bird Consignment Boutique held its grand opening party. Houston’s “newest nest” for high-end designer fashions, The Little Bird specializes in consignment vintage couture as well as new women’s clothes, accessories, handbags and shoes. On opening night a portion of all proceeds were donated…
Tunnel Explorer: Top Taste Asian Subs and Grill
One of my first tunnel explorations had me hopefully sampling Vietnamese food, resulting in something of a lukewarm response. Funny, then, that I’ve found myself missing Cafe Basil since my office moved to the other end of downtown. When I noticed a new stall in the food court under McKinney…
Baron Wolman: A Bounty Of Iconic Rock Photography
Every Picture Tells a Story – Baron Wolman: The Rolling Stone Years Omnibus Press, 176 pp., $37.50 If you could point to one thing that makes today’s music journalists most jealous, it would probably be the music journalists of the ’60s and ’70s. Back then, writers and photographers might spend…
Unidentified Male, Bayou Body Count No. 165
Homicide detectives are looking for information on a man found dead from a gunshot wound on the north side early Sunday morning. The victim, a male believed to be 35-40 years old, was found in a ditch in the 1200 block of Barkley about 6:15 a.m. Sunday, HPD says. “Residents…
Scott Pasfield: Gay in America
It took photographer Scott Pasfield two years to complete the photographs for his book Gay in America, a collection of portraits of gay men from across the country which he’ll discuss and sign today at Brazos Bookstore. Unlike other photo books of gay men, Pasfield wasn’t looking for any particular…
Autumnal Dining at Giacomo’s Cibo e Vino
I blinked and suddenly it really feels like fall. I love that I no longer have to worry about my pumpkins rotting in triple-digit temperatures and that I can enjoy warm, hearty seasonal dishes without sweating buckets from the ambient heat, the sad fate of Mai Pham when she went…
Rihanna’s Top 5 Most Controversial Videos
Rihanna recently released yet another controversial video for “We Found Love,” the first single from her forthcoming Def Jam album Talk That Talk. The Grammy-winning singer seems to love pissing off parents and anti-violence organizations with her musical visuals. But she’s surely not the first pop diva to exude sex…
Upcoming: Big & Rich, Kinky Friedman, Lemonheads, Young Jeezy, Etc.
The ’71s, Otenki, El Bodo: Sun., Nov. 13. Scout Bar Clear Lake. The Adicts: Fri., Feb. 3. House of Blues. Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson: Thu., Dec. 8. Nutty Jerry’s (Winnie)…
Gulf Coast Diving at the Poop Deck
I once overheard someone ask a Poop Deck bartender whether the Galveston dive had any happy hour specials. The bartender, like every one I’ve seen in person at this place or pictured on its matchbooks, was dressed in a skimpy, party-store version of a sailor’s outfit. “Nah, sweetie,” she said…
Comment of the Day: What Occupy Houston Means
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…
Whatchu’ Talkin’ About Siri? Our Favorite Siri-isms
Siri, will the Siri hype end anytime soon? iPhone 4 madness has dominated the interwebs since its recent release, and we are just about over it… but not quite yet. We found at least ten different Web sites, Tumblrs and blogs with no other purpose than to ask Siri random…
Pop Rocks: 10 Actors Whose Former Creepiness We Can’t Get Over
So I’m being forced to watch The Good Wife last Sunday, and I see that Colin Sweeney, a semi-recurring character Alicia once defended for murdering his wife, was apparently involved in testifying for Alicia’s firm for one reason or other (give me a break, the entire hour was me wrestling…
Pop Rocks: The Problem with Dylan Baker, and Others
So I’m being forced to watch The Good Wife last Sunday, and I see that Colin Sweeney, a semi-recurring character Alicia once defended for murdering his wife, was apparently involved in testifying for Alicia’s firm for one reason or other (give me a break, the entire hour was me wrestling…
30 Seconds With Cate Le Bon
Rocks Off reached across the Atlantic Ocean to get as down as we could with Cate Le Bon and find out what we could about the singer-songwriter in 30 seconds; by the way, it helps if you imagine the responses in her incredibly sexy Welsh accent. As long as you’ve…
Unidentified Male Shooting Victim, 21, Bayou Body Count No. 164
A man was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds in the predawn hours Sunday on the west side, Houston police say. The victim, whose identity is pending verification, was discovered dead in an apartment in the 12600 block of Huntington Venture about 3:45 a.m. Police had responded to a call…
100 Creatives: Marian Luntz
What she does: Simply said, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Film Curator Marian Luntz determines the year-round film programming for the museum including several showcases and film festivals. In order to do that, Luntz watches hundreds of movies a year and travels to film festivals around the world in search…
Where Are We Drinking?
Wine bottles and wine racks make for great subject matter in this black-and-white still-life. But where are those wines from? Think you know where we’re drinking this week? Leave your best guess in the comments section below…
Six of Houston’s Creepiest Places, in Honor of Halloween
Halloween always brings with it a bunch of temporary “haunted houses” designed to be creepy and scary. That’s all well and good, but there’s no need to pay good money to be creeped out. Houston offers several locations that can send a chill down your spine, especially on a lonely…
Texans/Titans — 4 Winners, 4 Losers (Including Tim Tebow)
It’s amazing how quickly things can change. Sometimes, it takes a matter of a few weeks, like with the Kansas City Chiefs. After being outscored 89-10 the first two weeks of the season, the Chiefs were left for dead, Todd Haley was the chalk for every “first coach fired in…
Comment of the Day: Houston Is World-Class City…with a Strong Dairy Market
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…
Gadhafi Sodomized Before Dying: 5 Other Gruesome Dictator Deaths
New video seems to show that Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhafi was forcibly sodomized as he slowly died from gunshot wounds. Not a great way to go, but he wouldn’t be the first dictator to either suffer from a tortured death or have his corpse desecrated by revenge-seekers. There’s something about…
Marcus Manchild: NYC Flips For UGK
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…
Jesus Enrique Hoffman, 38, Bayou Body Count No. 163
A man was shot to death during an argument on the north side Sunday night, police say. Jesus Enrique Hoffman, 38, “had an argument with two unknown Hispanic males” in a vacant lot in the 8600 block of East Hardy about 8:40 p.m. last night, HPD says. “The argument led…
Caesar Salad Cotton Candy and More: The 27th Annual Caesar Salad Competition
“I hope there’s no Caesar salad Schweddy Balls,” joked Ann Criswell, former Houston Chronicle food editor and longtime judge at My Table’s annual Caesar Salad Competition. Most of the judges — including My Table’s editor Teresa Byrne-Dodge, Delicious Mischief’s John Demers and Criswell herself — had seen it all in…
AIA’s Annual Home Tour Where Less Means More
To see more pictures, go to our AIA home tour slideshow. Drive long enough in Houston and eventually someone will go out of his way to try and kill you with his car. Yet, the American Institute of Architects’ 25th Annual Home Tour carves a 23.5-mile jagged line across town…
Telephone Road’s Historic Cage Elementary May Be Preserved
The 101-year-old Cage Elementary building on Telephone Road may get a new lease on life with a deal Mayor Annise Parker proposed today. The city would purchase the land and building from the Houston school district for $100,000 in credits that HISD can use to buy rights of way or…
Once Upon a Time: There’s a Reason Disney Makes Cartoons
Our reaction to the beginning of Once Upon a Time is as mixed as the show itself. We begin in two very different places. The first is a classic fairytale setting involving the immediate aftermath of Prince Charming’s kiss to wake the comatose Snow White. At their wedding, the evil…
deadhorse Gallops Back To Life At Warehouse Live
Videos by Fuglymaniacs A wish many Houston music fans barely even dared to think to themselves, let alone utter out loud, came to pass when deadhorse returned from oblivion to face a nearly sold-out, wildly enthusiastic Warehouse Live crowd Saturday night. From what Rocks Off could tell, about a third…
Top 5 Food-Inspired Holiday Games
Raise your hand if you are obsessed with holidays. I think I’ve spent a good $50 on mini pumpkins this month. I like hiding them around the apartment and surprising my fiancé with them; next to the alarm clock when he wakes up, at the sink when he’s brushing his…
Occupying Houston: The Faces & People Behind The Protest
The Occupy Together movement, begun in solidarity with New York protesters’ takeover of Wall Street and Zuccotti Park, is now no stranger to the media. (As to whether they report on it fairly or not, we’ll leave that to individual discretion.) With over 1,500 cities involved at this point, Houston’s…
Wine of the Week: Extreme Value from the Loire Valley
When people ask me about great value in wine today, I always point them to Spain, to Italy (and in particular, Southern Italy), and to the Loire Valley in France. From AOCs that you’ve probably heard of — like Sancerre in the east to Muscadet in the west — the…
Friends in High Places Kicks It Old School
Saturday night, Art Attack ventured over to the lesser-known Summer Street studios for the opening of Chuntaro Jones Studio’s Friends In High Places. The show transported us back to our college days when someone’s dorm room would transform into a DIY art exhibition, complete with red Solo cups and a…
Mosquito Invasion: Five Tips on How to Survive
When your historic drought is temporarily broken by some welcome rain, you’re gonna get mosquitoes coming to life. This past weekend was a slap-happy affair, as the so-called “floodwater mosquitoes” broke out of their eggs and tried to feast on human flesh. Five ways you can survive: 5. Stay the…
Leftovers (Put an Egg on It)
I am the leftover-eater at my house, by virtue of being The One Who Works From Home. My husband always says he is going to bring his lunch to work; he promises every time he cooks for six for just the two of us. He lies. I don’t mind leftovers,…
The TX Contemporary Art Fair Brings Quality Art to Houston
This past weekend, the George R. Brown opened its doors to the art-loving, Houston community for the first ever Texas Contemporary Art Fair. Despite our previous knowledge of the size and layout of the GRB, we were still completely floored by how massive the art fair turned out to be…
Gene Kurtz, “Treat Her Right” Co-Writer, Passes Away
Bassist Gene Kurtz, who co-wrote Roy Head’s 1965 hit “Treat Her Right” and went on to play with a wide range of artists across rock, R&B, jazz and country, passed away Sunday night, according to a post on his Facebook page. Kurtz had just celebrated his 68th birthday last week…
Matthew David Johnson, 47, Bayou Body Count No. 162
A man was shot to death in his westside apartment and an arrest has been made in the case, Houston police say. Matthew David Johnson, 47, was shot in the chest in his apartment in the 11700 block of Southlake Drive about noon Thursday, October 20. Freddie Clark Jr., 28,…
Dungeon Defenders: Jack of All Trades, Master of None
What sold us on Trendy Entertainment’s Dungeon Defenders is basically that it sounded like the video game equivalent of a smore, the awesome combination of three great ingredients into a cohesive whole. The idea behind the game is an experience that combines tower defense, roleplaying games, and hack and slash…
St. Ides & Hip-Hop: Would Today’s Rappers Endorse Malt Liquor?
The early ’90s was a time when some of the best hip-hop music ever was being made, and the beverage of choice was malt liquor. Before rappers glorified Cristal, Ciroc and even their own branded alcohol, there were many hip-hop-inspired malt liquor ads. St. Ides in particular enlisted several rappers…
Houston Is the First (and Only) City to Get New Borden Milk
Borden milk has made a move on Houston, hoping to seduce shoppers here with a brand-new line of milks that aren’t available anywhere else in the country. Borden Life! is the newest product line from the 153-year-old company, which offers Borden milk in four new choices: Protein, Calcium, Multi-Vitamin, and…
Esvin Sabonluis, 27, Shot Near Richmond Strip, Bayou Body Count No. 161
A man walking with his wife to their car near the Richmond Strip was shot to death last night during a robbery attempt, police say. Esvin Sabonluis, 27, was killed about 9:10 p.m. in the 6200 block of Fairdale, near Fountain View and Richmond, HPD says. “Mr. Sabonluis and his…
Vegan Dreamquest Dinner 3: Soy Burger at The Hobbit Cafe
On Day 3 of Vegan Dreamquest 2011, I decided to round out my vegan dinner experiences (takeaway burito, home-cooked beetloaf with gravy), by going out. Radical Eats was my first choice, but they aren’t open on Monday and Tuesday. Mounting laziness and escalating traffic led my dining companion and I…
Saturday: BuzzFest XXVII At The Woodlands
BuzzFest XXVII Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion October 22, 2011 By the end of BuzzFest 27, Aftermath had seen countless couples arguing, stepped in a few puddles of puke and had more alcohol spilled on us than we consumed. Somewhere in the midst of all that, there was a lot of…
PG Contemporary Temporarily Expands with Two Shows on Milam
PG Contemporary is a modest gallery. It can hold around 20 pieces, as long as they’re each about the size of a 12-inch laptop. There’s no room for big pieces, just big ideas. Enter the PG Contemporary Temporary Annex. When a former yoga studio became available down the block from…
Dynamo Finish in Second Place: 4 Things We Learned
The Houston Dynamo closed out their 2011 MLS regular season with a bang, dispatching the LA Galaxy 3-1 Sunday night at Robertson Stadium. In doing so, they secured second place in the Eastern Conference and earned a date with the Philadelphia Union in a home-and-away aggregate series. LA entered the…
Unidentified Male Stabbed to Death, 32, Bayou Body Count No. 160
A 32-year-old man was stabbed to death in northwest Houston early Sunday morning, police say. They say the man, whose name has not been released pending notification of his family, stopped at a parking lot at 700 West Mount Houston about 4 in the morning. There, he was attacked by…
What’s Cooking This Week?
Am I crazy or is it actually starting to feel like fall? Like, not for pretend this time? It makes me very, very excited, so my menu this week will definitely showcase that fall flavor. But incase you missed it, check out last week’s menu plan with Homemade Chicken &…
What Is The Best Bone Thugz-N-Harmony Song Ever?
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: Slim Thug, Z-Ro, Medicine Girl, Mug, Delo, hasHBrown, Floss, Young Sensation, Mic Skills, Chane, Chuckway, D-Risha, Preemo, more…
The Week in TV: Zombies Still Very, Very Popular
It was a light but bloody week in TV Land: • If you were hoping the zombie trend was winding down, I’ve got some bad news for you. The season premiere of AMC’s The Walking Dead drew 7.3 million viewers when it aired at 9 p.m. ET on the 16th,…
Wendy’s New! Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy Cheeseburger
Thanks to the magic of DVR I don’t watch a lot of commercials, so I have only been vaguely aware of the new ad campaign Wendy’s has going on for its new “Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy” cheeseburgers. I had to ask the interweb what was so new about these cheeseburgers,…
Saturday Night: LMFAO At House Of Blues
LMFAO House of Blues October 22, 2011 9:11 p.m.: Generally, this would be too early to get a show. But tonight, Kreayshawn, one of hip-hop’s most incendiary acts, is performing. We did not want to risk missing it. 9:15: Oh, hey, a woman wearing a gigantic, plush zebra head for…
Barber of Seville: Great Singing But Some May Find the Extras Distracting
The setup: Gunn, Brownlee, Martinez, Rossini. What could go wrong? Director Joan Font, for one, and his Spanish troupe, Els Comediants, for about eight other reasons. The execution: Gioacchino Rossini’s sparkling opera buffa masterpiece (1816), astonishingly composed in two weeks, gets buried up to its comic neck in all manner…
Comment of the Day: The Hunchback of Woodway Drive
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…
In Which the Cougars Deliver a Very Special Message
Here’s a little hint for the Marshall Thundering Herd. If you’re going to talk trash, make sure you can back it up. Like last week, when the Marshall defense kept talking about its intentions to knock Houston Cougars QB Case Keenum out of the game. And not because of ineffectiveness,…
George Crumb: A Gallery Of Bizarre & Beautiful Scores
Today is George Crumb’s 82nd birthday. Crumb is an acclaimed contemporary classical composer famous for his experimentation. Still alive, kicking and composing today, he’s been known to include such oddities in his scores as having the strings of a contrabass struck with a mallet, or notating that players should enter…
5 Essential Skills Our Children Won’t Need
Watching the Kid With One F grow up is magical, and by that we mean that it is both miraculous and horrifying. It’s miraculous because watching something that used to be able to scream and poop become able to say, “Daddy! Zombies say, ‘BRAIINNNNNS!'” On the other hand, it’s horrifying…
Awful ’70s Halloween Costumes: One Incredible Old Ad Reveals the Horror
The blog Retrospace, an assiduous curator of all things kitsch, has a Tumblr page that recently gave us a Woolworth’s Halloween-costume ad from the early ’70s or so. Costumes were $1.99 or $2.99, the candy was cheaper than today, but still a price was paid. This ad — this one…
After Twilight: Fear of Rick Perry’s Christian Texas
We first met Gary Watson of Roadster Productions when we were wandering the booths at Comicpalooza. What drew us over to his table when we had a world of comics, horror films and quidditch to choose from was the poster adorning his booth. On it was the image of a…
Where Are We Eating?
One of the best things about the wealth of Asian grocery stores in Houston are the bakeries tucked inside. At this particular bakery, the pastries are 50 percent off every Sunday night past 8 p.m. Who doesn’t love a discount pastry, especially when they look (and taste) this good? Think…
Texans 41, Titans 7: Suddenly, Everything Is Back on Track
In a game worthy of the oft-overused and dramatic “biggest in franchise history” distinction, the Texans finally delivered. Reeling from consecutive defeats and still missing Andre Johnson, questions swirled all week as to whether these Texans could do what they didn’t in 2010 and keep things from spiraling out of…
Comment of the Day: Tailgating 101
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…
The Fake Referee Streaker (and 3 Other Famous Fake Sports Officials — w/ VIDEO)
Perhaps you were among the millions of people that didn’t have a family member playing in or a wager placed upon the UCLA-Arizona game last night in Tucson, which means that you were among the fortunate ones watching something else on television. Well, you were fortunate for all but about…
Aaron Andrew Flores, 43, Bayou Body Count No. 159
A man standing in front of his residence at 2 a.m. today was shot in the chest and died. Aaron Andrew Flores, 43, was shot in the 10200 block of Telephone Road, police say. “The suspect or suspects then fled the scene in an unidentified vehicle,” HPD says, but they…
Upcoming Events: Hairy Bikers Heat Up Houston
The History Channel came to Houston recently, and the bloggers behind spicy food blog Eat More Heat were tapped to help the show Hairy Bikers with the Ultra-Hot Chile Burger Challenge that will be featured on tonight’s show. The episode is set at the iconic West Alabama Ice House and…
Buxton: “Not Everyone Is Going To Love You”
Lonesome Onry and Mean has been spinning local sensation Buxton’s upcoming release Nothing Here Seems Strange for almost two weeks now. And we’re sorry, but we still don’t get it. Maybe we are old and jaded and out of it, but to us it sounds like a bit of Clem…
This Week in Deliciousness
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where we’re going to one day open up a pizza joint in New York City’s Times Square called Times Square Pie. Only it’ll be written like this: x²π. Think anyone will get it? I guess the pizza had better…
Heights Burglary Ring Smashed; Four Area Youths in Custody & Their Facebook Bragging Exposed
An alert area resident and diligent Central Patrol officers have taken in a quartet of Heights miscreants they say broke into four area homes on Tuesday. Police say Nathaniel Dean Cook, Octavius Demone Harris, Eli Marquis Ortiz and Everardo Segura broke into and stole items from three homes on Oxford…
Houston Book, Postcard & Paper Festival
For Daniel Monsanto, author of Postcard History Series: Houston, it began with curiosity. What did Houston look like before there were skyscrapers and modern buildings here? He found his answer in vintage postcards and has spent the last 17 years building an impressive collection, including a number of images of…
Clean Out Your Locker, Bring Me Your Playbook: A Championship Tale
Two months ago, Rocks Off wrote about the less-than-auspicious start of the under-15 football team we have been coaching. Two nights ago, they played in the championship game. It was a remarkable turnaround, really. The coaching staff knew going in that the team was going to at least be competitive;…
Snoopy!!! The Musical Hits the Boards at St. Thomas
The set-up: The characters from Charles M. Schulz’s much-loved comic strip “Peanuts” turn out not only to be three-dimensional, but to sing and dance as well. The execution: A blackboard (cleverly concealing the band), kindergarden blocks and an oversized doghouse serve well for a series of largely unrelated vignettes, each…
Sugar Land Skeeters Go Old-School With Bullpen Cart; Two Classic Options They Could Have Used
The minor-league Sugar Land Skeeters have announced, not that we noticed, that they will be bringing back the not-so-noble tradition of the baseball-shaped bullpen cart when they start play next year. “The yet-to-be-named cart will be visible with every Skeeters pitching change and will be supported by video board and…
Brew Blog: Travel Edition (Four Peaks Oatmeal Stout)
I’ve been in Phoenix on business this week, spending my days jammed into a conference center, struggling to hold onto consciousness. I’ve been lucky, though, to have some family in the vicinity this time, giving me the chance to catch up in between meetings. Enjoying conversation over dinner is a…
Odd Pair: Wine and Legs (or Tears That Rhyme with Ears)
How many times have you been at a dinner party and heard some blowhard say something like the following (uttered with a fake British accent): Observe carefully: After swirling the vinous substance in the crystalline vessel, you will note the “legs” — otherwise known as the “tears” [rhymes with ears]…
Snoopcounters: Snoop Dogg Knows A Lot Of People
This week, rapper Snoop Dogg turned 40 years old. Tha Doggfather actually seems ageless to us, and we don’t mean his 1996 album. Like, we fully expect him to become the hip-hop Willie Nelson: Rapping into his late 70s, relentlessly touring, smoking people a fraction of his age out in…
Person of Interest: “At the Day of ‘Judgment’ We Shall All Meet Again”
Quote by George Whitefield Person of Interest continues to get better. If I seem surprised, it’s because my track record of picking shows to cover (The Killing, Falling Skies) hasn’t been very solid to this point. But creator Jonathan Nolan is doing a capable job parceling out critical history while…
Mary Ann Rivera. 76 and on an Oxygen Tank, Arrested for 1970 Murder of Her Husband
Mary Ann Rivera is 76 and was living in a small Georgia town, hooked up to an oxygen tank and pretty much keeping to herself. Until cops showed up at her door this week to arrest her for killing her husband 41 years ago by pouring hot grease on him…
Last Night: Battles At Fitzgerald’s
Battles, Nisennenmondai Fitzgerald’s October 20, 2011 Lately, this here fella in Rocks Off has been gravitating towards music with few or minimal words. Maybe a few yelps. Howls. Bloody-murder screams: The Fucking Champs, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Sunn0))), Don Caballero, just to name a few. Sick of lyrics? A little bit? Looking…
Chef Chat, Part 3: David Cordua of Americas – The Tasting
We’ve had some great conversation with the Executive Chef David Cordua over the last couple of days, about everything from culinary trips with his dad, to training at Le Cordon Bleu, to the fact that he launched Cordua Catering and gets hard cravings for Indian food. You can read our…
Project Runway: We’re All Connected
This week on Project Runway: Viktor channels Chanel, Joshua revisits proper editing and styling, Kimberly channels early Queen Latifah through accessories, Anya remains Queen of Last Minute Construction. Also, I cry. A lot. The episode before Fashion Week is always my favorite episode of Project Runway, because Tim Gunn visits…
Last Night: Chip Tha Ripper At Warehouse Live
Chip tha Ripper, XV Warehouse Live October 20, 2011 Warehouse Live was packed with college kids as Scoremore promotions brought Chip tha Ripper back to Houston for his second headlining show in the city. Warner Bros. artist XV opened for Chip with a vivacious performance including the catchy “Vizzy Vizzy…
Terror in River Oaks (Or Just More Tilman Fertitta Extravagance)
It was a memorable jog last night for one Houston runner: So there I am, minding my own business running to `ho last night when the most unlikely thing happened. After roller coaster, I dropped down to the “Alligator Alley” trail that runs right along the edge of the bayou…
Going Overboard: 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…
Party Fowl Wins Wingtoberfest 2011
Photo by Rachel Bohanan”Those are good,” laughed Jonathan Jones, chef at Xuco Xicana, as he pointed at Party Fowl’s wings last night. “But you couldn’t eat a dozen of them.” Indeed, the breakfast-for-dinner wings that Party Fowl brought to last night’s Wingtoberfest were the wing equivalent of foie gras: truly…
Halley Catherine Shaw, 27, Bayou Body Count No. 158
A teenager has been charged with manslaughter in the traffic death of a Texas Southern law student. Daniel Garcia Palacios, 17, was fleeing from police in a gray Buick LeSabre about 11:20 p.m. Tuesday when he ran a red light at the 4100 block of Dowling and slammed into a…
Bartender Chat: Cap’n Biff of Wonky Wally Pub at the Texas Renaissance Festival
We usually wait until it gets fairly cool to make the trek up to Plantersville for the Texas Renaissance Festival, but this year we uncharacteristically went the second weekend it was open. Around 3 p.m. it was 90 degrees and we went in search of a cool, shaded spot to…
Funny HPMA Nomination Ballot Fails
It does Rocks Off’s heart good to see that our Music Award nominations have stirred up so much debate. As we mentioned Tuesday, according to our Web people, there were some 9,000 nominations submitted across our 43 categories. Of course there’s no way for us to really know, but as…
Simon O’Neill Brings All His Energies to HGO’s Fidelio
Long before he left New Zealand for the Manhattan School of Music and Juilliard, before he became a principal artist with the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House and La Scala, before his face was printed on a New Zealand stamp — helden-tenor Simon O’Neill was a 12-year-old kid dodging…
UH Strives for Perfection as Rice Struggles to Stay Close
The Houston Cougars SID office sent the media an e-mail on Wednesday morning. An e-mail warning that Houston athletes are prohibited by NCAA rules from promoting outside media events and individual media outlets, including specific shows and stations. And this is the first time since I’ve been covering the Cougars…
Top 5 Twists on Tailgate Classics
Rutgers homecoming was last weekend. A lot has changed in the 5 years (gasp) since I’ve been at my alma mater’s campus, mainly a lot more neon and house music. One thing though, has stayed the same: The Almighty Tailgate. It’s not a secret that Rutgers students and alum know…
Houston Gets Its Closeup in New Photography Show
The people of this young city have long served as game muses for its talented photographers. In the 1970s, there were Gay Block’s arresting photographs of the “Jews of Houston.” In the 1980s, Earlie Hudnall captured life in the Fourth Ward, while Phyllis Hand immortalized Houston society for the pages…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Texas Killing Fields
Title: Texas Killing Fields So They Caught The Guy? No spoilers, please. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Two-and-a-half bottles of Milk of Magnesia out of five. Brief Plot Synosis: Sweaty detectives race against time to rescue a girl kidnapped by a serial killer given to dumping his…
Openings & Closings: Ménage à Foie
Two big blows of bad news shook the food community this week: Yelapa Playa Mexicana announced its closure, and Moon Tower Inn decided to take a three-month break to remodel. The writing had been on the wall at Yelapa since chef Brandon Fisch left a few months ago. Owner Chuck…
Goodtime Moonshine: 8 Brands Of Musician-Backed Booze
Tuesday, representatives for Colt Ford announced the Georgia-born singer best known for 2010’s Chicken and Biscuits would be the first country music star with his own signature line of moonshine and vodka under the brand name Goodtime. Ford’s hooch is perfectly legal and became available in Georgia and Tennessee the…
Comment of the Day: The Only Way I-45 Could Be Worse
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…
Week in Photos: Sonic Boom
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…
Once Upon a Time Starts Sunday
Art Attack will be bringing you coverage of the new ABC drama Once Upon a Time starting on Monday, October 24. We’ve been intrigued by the show ever since it was announced. Originally we believed that the show was the rumored television adaptation to Bill Willingham’s acclaimed comic book Fables,…
Libra Soul: The Singing Voice Of The 99 Percent
Around this time last year, Rocks Off told you about a man named Aiton Etxea and his quest to find “reason-filled musicians” for the purposes of forming a band. His use of the term “reason-filled” caught our attention because we were regular trollers of Craiglist at the time, and it…
The 6 Ugliest Rich Churches in Houston
We do love our churchin’ here in Houston. And our donatin’, which allows churches to build massive, eye-catching temples. And some of them turn out very ugly. We’re not talking about churches who don’t have much money — or who choose to spend what money they have on something other…
100 Creatives: Damian Vasquez
strong>What He Does: We got to know Damian Vasquez when we were drafted into Batty’s fashion show for her latest line and he was taxed with beautifying the models. Vasquez has been a professional make-up artist for 15 years, and his skills run the gamut from traditional beauty for weddings,…
The Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top 5 Breakfasts
For the next 20 weeks, we’ll be rounding up the runners-up to our 2011 Best of Houston® winners. In many categories, picking each year’s winner is no easy task. We’ll be spotlighting 20 of those categories, in which the winner had hefty competition from other Houston bars and restaurants…
Arturo Enrique Ochoa: Gets 50 Years for Luring Boys His Mom Was Caring for into Child-Porn Videos
Arturo Enrique Ochoa, 23, is going to federal prison for 50 years for using candy and video games to lure the young boys his mother was caring for into child-porn videos. Ochoa was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sim lake; he had entered a guilty plea in May. Prosecutors…
Comment of the Day: The (Chinese) Butler Did It
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…
Health Department Roundup
Some familiar places in the roundup today. Which, of course, isn’t really a good thing. The Counter (4601 Washington) didn’t have a — gasp, pearl-clutch — heat-measuring device to test the temperature of the final rinse of its dishwashing machine. Oh, and also, “Poisonous/Toxic materials present in the food service…
Houston Emcee Calls KTSU a “Concentration Camp,” Station’s Assistant General Manager Responds
Somebody hearing Diana Krall’s interpretation of “Body and Soul” on KTSU may not associate the jazz standard, immortalized by Billie Holiday, with a “concentration camp.” But according to a longtime Houston entertainer, that’s exactly what’s going on behind the scenes at the local radio station. In addition to the Nazi…
“Poop There It Is”: Tag Team Hit Becomes Diaper Jock Jam
This may be the most disgusting, disturbing thing we have ever posted – Ed. Tag Team’s 1993 single “Whoomp! (There It Is)” is obviously a pop and hip-hop favorite, even 18 years later. This week the song got new life in a Luvs diaper commercial touting new diapers with heavy-duty…
Yes, deadhorse Is Playing Warehouse Live Saturday
Ahh, the Internet – better than a game of Telephone. About an hour ago, the quiet of Rocks Off’s peaceful Thursday afternoon (not really) was shattered by a phone call from Houston thrash-metal legends’ deadhorse’s manager. Evidently there is a rumor going around that Saturday’s show at Warehouse Live is…
Up All Night: A “Birth” In The Family
Didn’t they used to preempt regular programming when the World Series was on? Am I thinking of something else (NBA playoffs, perhaps)? In any event, I was a little bit surprised after the end of Game 1 last night when I checked my DVR recordings and saw that Up All…
Local Man Claims KTSU Plays “Concentration Camp” Jazz
Rocks Off has heard smooth jazzer Kenny G compared to rusty nails in the eyes, and what wallpaper might sound like if it boasted sonic properties. However, this is the first time that we’ve heard the soprano saxophonist’s name and “concentration camp” in the same breath. In addition to the…
Free for All: Art without a Price Tag
Here’s a sure bet for Friday: the “Pan y Circos” group exhibit at PC Contemporary. Ten artists, including Mexico native Jorge Galvan and Bogota-born Santiago Forero, present works that are hyper-realistic and centered on the collision of cultures along the American/Mexican border. Dealing with issues of self-identity and feminism, while…
Rice Plans Major Upgrade to Football Facilities
Rice is like every other football program not in the top tier these days — they’re making sure they can keep up with other schools in order to be attractive to poaching conferences and not be left out in the cold. So today they announced a major upgrade to the…
Be a Basketcase: Join Utility Research Garden’s CSA Program
I love grocery shopping…if there’s no one else in the store. Picking out produce can be particularly hectic if you’re picky, like I am. Worse, it’s often a huge let-down to find only chemical-laden, rock-hard tomatoes or ragged-looking beets with the stems and leaves shamelessly cut off. That’s where CSAs…
Steven A. Hobbs: A Modern Jack the Ripper?
Harris County Sheriff’s investigators say they think a security guard who wanted to be a cop might have been a serial killer who terrorized prostitutes. Steven A. Hobbs, 40, is already in jail on charges of capital murder, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault and kidnapping of women. He “is accused…
Q&A with The Orange Show’s Pumpkin Carver Extraordinaire Brian “Visker” Mahanay
My building is having a pumpkin carving contest this Friday with a cash prize. I’m kinda broke so I want to, nay, need to win this contest. I haven’t yet decided what I’ll carve — should I draw my own stencil? Jack one from the interweb? Go to Cindie’s and…
The Best & Worst Of All Possible Buzzfests
This weekend is Buzzfest XXVII in Houston, 94.5 The Buzz’s bi-annual all-day throwdown at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Rocks Off has covered a few of the shows in the past few years, including the May 2010 edition where we took along Buxton’s Chris Wise and met Fred Durst before…
Crystal Crime Report, 2011: It Really Is the Female Version of Wayne
As is well-known, when it comes to crimes committed by men, Wayne is the name. Less well known but no less true is the fact that Crystal (including variant spellings) is the female equivalent. We first put forth this hypothesis last March and furnished numerous examples of Crystal-line mayhem as…
Why I Don’t Expect Good Service in Asian Restaurants
Last week, as I was reading Katharine Shilcutt’s review of Mai’s downtown, one of the things that struck me as odd was the fact that she seemed to make a big to-do about the poor service, especially when I read: “But our service was unfriendly and hasty, as if the…
Football! This Weekend’s Best Bets — Crushing Las Vegas
For years, the rule in Las Vegas (because that’s the only place you can wager, online wagering does not exist…cough, cough) has been that squares (wagering parlance for “Joe Q. Betting Public”) bet favorites and overs a vast majority of the time. And for years, a majority of the time,…
What The Hell Is Going On with Gary Busey?
Celebrities rise and celebrities fall. It should be no surprise to anyone when an actor of high status, with a good list of films under his belt is forced to do a role beneath them. But when that actor is Gary Busey and that role is of the spokesperson for…
Ray’s Drive-In in Lufkin: Surpassing Expectations
On the way out to deep East Texas last week for a story, I found myself suddenly starving and in unfamiliar territory: Lufkin. Unwilling to sacrifice myself upon the fast-food altar when I know that there’s great small-town food to be had out here, I turned to the modern-day Swiss…
Remember Chane’s Samplified Successor?
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. Chane Samplified Successor (Self-released, 2011) There are new rappers in Houston, and there are new, new rappers in Houston…
Tony Iommi: Music’s Other Man In Black Proves His Heavy Mettle
Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath By Toni Iommi with T.J. Lammers Da Capo Press, 416 pp., $26. Imagine this passage being read in your best “Behind the Music” narration: It was in the center of a dirty, grimy sheet-metal factory in Birmingham, England, when…
HISD Joins the Lawsuit Against State’s Educational Funding Plan
The Houston school board voted unanimously this morning (with four absentees) to join the burgeoning lawsuit against Rick Perry’s latest funding scheme for public education, which cuts $5 billion over the next two years. HISD’s state funding was cut $78 million this year, and the district expects an additional $122…
Chef Chat, Part 2: David Cordua of Americas, On His Role as Executive Chef and Favorite Eats Around Town
Yesterday, we talked to Executive Chef David Cordua, of The Cordua Group, about growing up in the kitchen and culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu. You can read about it here. Today we’ll talk to him about what he’s done at The Cordua Group, and some of his favorite things…
Ten Gifts the Porn Industry Gave the Internet (for Better or Worse)
A few months ago when Larry Flynt, publisher of Hustler and noted author, came to Houston, he was asked about the future of the porn industry. As one of the leaders in the industry, hell, a pioneer, what he had to say chilled some of the perverts in the audience…
Gadhafi, Transvestites & the Reagan Administration Making AIDS Jokes
Muammar Gadhafi — a.k.a. he who cannot be Googled — is dead, according to Libya. Not to mention graphic video of his dead body. Gadhafi’s loss robs the world of the leader who most looked like the current Bob Dylan, and there really isn’t a good Plan B in that…
10 Pumpkin Dishes to Try in Houston: #9 Pumpkin Fudge at Chocolat du Monde
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!…
Top 5 Hot Nerd Creative Types
A filmmaker who encapsulates how hard it is to be white and emo, a public radio icon/self-confessed atheist and a performance artist who straps dead fish to her arms. All of these people make things that are nice to look at while being nice to look at. In other words,…
7 Songs About Bela Lugosi Not By Bauhaus
Today is Bela Lugosi’s 129th birthday. The man who will probably always be remembered as the definitive Count Dracula starred in dozens of plays and hundreds of movies, mostly horror and thrillers. Typecasting, his heavy accent, and a drug dependency on morphine to treat sciatica from a military injury took…
Sourdough Bread: A Starter (Part Four)
The problem with complacency is that it’s a lie. Invariably, the moment you decide you have everything under control, and you can coast to whatever particular finish line you have in mind, you trip over a rock and fall flat on your face. Or, as is the case here, just…
Batman: Arkham City: If You Don’t Want to Be Batman You Don’t Exist
Batman: Arkham Asylum was one of the reasons we finally caved in and joined the rest of you in the seventh generation system nation. Looking back on the Caped Crusader’s long history in the realm of video games, we realized that we’ve never played a bad Batman game. Even the…
Do Hit Singles Still Help Sell An Album?
The music industry has been reeling from a host of ailments, none more severe than crippling record sales. Fortunately, 2011 has been a strong year so far, with CD sales on the rise. Spearheaded by the likes of Adele, Lady Gaga and Lil Wayne, album sales rose to 228.5 million,…
Comment of the Day: Ably Fulfilling the DWI Cliche
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: How Lindsay Lohan Can Turn Her Career Around
Hey, haven’t heard much about Lindsay Lohan recently, maybe she’s finally on the right…oh: Lindsay Lohan will be headed back to court — yet again. During a hearing in Los Angeles Wednesday, Judge Stephanie Sautner ordered the actress’ probation revoked, and ruled that her next hearing would be set for…
Pop Rocks: Totally Serious Career Advice for Lindsay Lohan
Hey, haven’t heard much about Lindsay Lohan recently, maybe she’s finally on the right…oh: Lindsay Lohan will be headed back to court — yet again. During a hearing in Los Angeles Wednesday, Judge Stephanie Sautner ordered the actress’ probation revoked, and ruled that her next hearing would be set for…
The Simpsons’ Top 11 Musical Guests
When The Simpsons completes its last (contracted) season in 2014, it will have set staggering new broadcast records for longest running sitcom (over 550 episodes) and longest running prime time scripted TV series (25 seasons). These are all American records, of course, because the Japanese come hardcore. The show has…
Long Strange Trip: Summer Finally Is Over, Enjoy It
Well, Houston, your long, regional nightmare is finally over. If you haven’t made it outside lately, then you wouldn’t realize it, but we have finally felt real fall weather here in the Bayou City and not a moment too soon. We’ve broken so many records for heat and drought this…
Wingtoberfest Goes Down Tonight: Get There Early
The winning stein has been ordered. The wings have been prepped. The beer has been paired. All that’s left to do now is for you to show up to Wingtoberfest tonight at Xuco Xicana, starting at 7 p.m. As previously mentioned, Wingtoberfest is free, gloriously free! But because the free…
100 Creatives: Carlos Hernandez
What he does: Printmaker Carlos Hernandez sees dead people. Dead rock stars, to be exact. His annual Day of the Dead Rock Stars art exhibit, with skeleton figures of famous musicians, is always one of the highlights of the local season. “First and foremost, I am a printmaker,” Hernandez says…
The Five Best (& Five Worst) Stretches of Texas Highway
Texas has some beautiful stretches of highway, and it has some where you just want to pluck out your eyeballs. Truth be told — if you take out the urban panoramas of strip malls and national franchises — there’s probably more of the former than the latter. Let’s look at…
bull-jeans stories
The character at the center of bull-jean stories is a bull-dagga, an ultra-masculine lesbian. Dallas performer Q-Roc plays bull jean and nine other characters living in the 1920s rural South. Their stories detail life authentically lived under extreme oppression, with humor, love and hope. An adaptation of Sharon Bridgforth’s book…
The Secondary Colors
Things got turned around for the Karen Stokes Dance Company’s The Secondary Colors. Usually choreography is created for a particular piece of music. But for a segment of this evening-length work, the music was created for the choreography. Stokes had previously used music by composer Bill Ryan for Orange, one…
Our Lady of 121st Street
When Stephen Adly Guirgis’s comedy Our Lady of 121st Street starts, Sister Rose’s body has been stolen from her coffin. What follows is a glorious encounter between a host of strange and angry characters. Driven by the characters rather than by a clear plot, the play chronicles the 24 hours…
make eyes at me
There’s no story line to Suchu Dance’s ,B>make eyes at me. Company Artistic Director Jennifer Wood says the program is more abstract. “It’s not a story from A to B,” she says. “It’s more of a collage of images and feelings.” But the movements do explore ideas. One section deals…
Texas Contemporary Art Fair
The Texas Contemporary Art Fair is in town, and organizers say Houston was a natural match for the international exhibition. Fair director Max Fishko says Houston is “a vibrant, progressive and extremely relevant market in the global art sphere.” Art lovers have access to a blend of emerging talents and…
25th Annual AIA Houston Home Tour
Even if you’re content with your home, lawn and neighbors, the nine houses in this year’s lineup of the AIA Houston Home Tour are sure to spark some ideas, if not a little jealousy. Having all been finished within the past five years, the houses exemplify the cutting edge of…
Scott Pasfield: Gay in America
It took photographer Scott Pasfield two years to travel to all 50 states, taking photographs and collecting the stories of gay men for his art book Gay in America. The variety of the men’s backgrounds and outlooks is amazing. From doctors to lawyers, husbands and fathers to activists and soldiers,…
Light Up the Sky
Moss Hart is best known for the charming plays he wrote with George Kaufman, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning You Can’t Take it With You, but his solo scripts also shine. Light Up the Sky is Hart’s love tale to 20th-century theater. First produced in 1948, this sweetly sentimental view of…
Memphis
In the 1950s, interracial dating was so taboo that no one wanted to talk about it, actress and singer Felicia Boswell tells us. “But it was happening.” The Tony Award-winning musical Memphishas built its whole story around one such secret — a white DJ in the American South in the…
Inprint: Jeffrey Eugenides
“There’s a comfort, I guess, to being inside the middle of a book, which is why I stay in a book for such a long time.” This is how Jeffrey Eugenides explains the years-long gaps that have fallen between his three novels, the most recent of which, The Marriage Plot,…
Obama’s War on Weed
The new federal crackdown on medical marijuana announced on October 7 by the four California U.S. Attorneys sent chills throughout the industry. It was a stunning reversal by the Obama administration. Only two years ago, Deputy U.S. Attorney General David Ogden wrote his infamous “Ogden Memo,” announcing the feds wouldn’t…
The Prince of Skull Orchard
Jon Langford probably gets tired of the term “renaissance man,” but with four bands, art openings, books, charities, a radio show, an association with alt-country label Bloodshot Records — and two children — the 54-year-old Welsh transplant who resides in Chicago certainly qualifies. A proto-punk who came out of the…
Too Late to Succeed
Sure to be drowned out by the drum circles at Occupy Wall Street, writer-director J.C. Chandor’s lifeless Margin Call depicts roughly 36 hours at an unnamed Manhattan investment firm at the dawn of the 2008 financial freak-out. Chandor’s debut feature audaciously asks us to empathize with obscenely overpaid risk analysts…
Texas’s Nazi POW Camps: Five facts of an odd time
Texas used to be dotted with prisoner-of-war camps in World War II, a temporary home to thousands of Germans and Italians. Texas had far more prisoners than any other state, mainly because the first batch came from the North Africa campaign, and the Geneva Convention said prisoners should be housed…
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,…
How Did the Chivas Soccer Team Get Its Name?
Dear Mexican, Really? You answered “When Should You Use Usted Instead of Tú?” recently over my “Why Won’t My Gardener Fuck Me Again If I Demand an HIV Test?” Any sad gabacho can Google for grammar tips (no offense to Yo Quiero Hablar). Meanwhile, we clueless gabachas need to know how…
Cheerleader
Oklahoma-born and Texas-bred, Annie Clark built her indie/art-rock résumé long before dressing her own musical outfit. The Dallas native, who now resides in Manhattan, completed three years at Berklee College of Music before joining Dallas-based symphonic-rock collective The Polyphonic Spree, in which she sang, played guitar and wore weird robe-like…
White Denim
We first got wind of the White Denim with 2007’s self-released EP, Let’s Talk About It. Its snaky blues rhythms and manic funk drumbeats instantly made White Denim one of the most promising bands that year. They continued that forward momentum with extensive touring, especially in Europe, where their brand…
BuzzFest XXVII
It’s hard to believe that 94.5 The Buzz’s now biannual BuzzFest is now 27 festivals old. We remember back in 1995 when we were begging our parents for tickets to the first one, featuring Bush, No Doubt and pop wizard Matthew Sweet. Interestingly enough, it was on that round of…
BMC Block Party
Another weekend, another outdoor music festival. This is getting to be pretty common around Houston, and we’re not complaining. In this case, the inaugural BMC Block Party looks like a pre-Thanksgiving feast of beats, a ghoulish array of rap, dubstep and freaky Houston noise-rock just in time for Halloween —…
deadhorse
There’s no telling how many lives were altered, and eardrums tainted, by the Houston black-metal squadron known as deadhorse. Even for those who never got to see them live (like yours truly), the foursome’s patented “horsecore” — pitbull thrash flecked with country, Texana, dark humor and a suitably perverted point…
Sons of Blood and Thunder
It’s 2 a.m. and an underground pledge meeting for the Omega Theta chapter of Omega Psi Phi is underway at a Third Ward home. Two University of Houston students are being asked about poetry, the Greek alphabet and the history of the African-American fraternity that can boast basketball legend Michael…
Grouplove
In 2011, it’s all too common for indie bands to fizzle out within weeks of their big splashes into the music blogosphere. It’s even harder to find new bands that grab you, either with criminal catchiness or something unique. Houston, we give you Grouplove, whose debut LP, Never Trust A…
Great Estate
You know immediately, even before Horton Foote’s gently warm 1989 comedy Dividing the Estate begins, what the characters want — it’s that Gordon house, of course, a big, rich old character all by itself. Designed and sumptuously appointed with loving perfection by Jeff Cowie, it boasts an oriental rug that’s…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Book Report” “Insperity Golf Experience” “Mary McCleary: A Survey 1996-2011” “Oil Sketches by Kim Dingle” “Raimund Girke 1930-2002” “Seth Mittag: We’re Still Here…” “Working in the Abstract: Rethinking the Literal”
“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…
Capsule Stage Reviews: The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead, Death, the Musical Romeo and Juliet, String of Pearls, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom
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…
Fit for a Queen
See more photos from The Queen Vic’s warm interior and Brit-Indian kitchen in our slideshow. A recent Sunday afternoon brought a downpour of rain the likes of which Houston hasn’t seen in many months. The temperature had dropped ever so slightly outside, the long, hot summer finally giving way to…
