This weekend in college football (our one true love), the second-ranked Longhorns take on the unranked Knights of UCF at 11:30 a.m., the Tigers take on the Crimson Tide tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. and the thirteenth-ranked Cougars will hopefully clobber the unranked Golden Hurricanes of Tulsa at 6:30 p.m. That's an entire day of football spectating, so we won't be quaffing these bad boys all day. That would be disastrous.

AppleJack Old-Fashioned

1 sugar cube
2 dashes bitters
2 ounces Applejack (4 tablespoons)
ice cubes
lemon twist

In a rocks glass, muddle the sugar cube with the bitters until the sugar has dissolved. Add the Applejack and the ice cubes, stir and garnish with the lemon twist. Sip gently (no mixer, strong drank).

As per usual, be responsible, yadda yadda...

SATURDAY

• 9:30 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. — Houston Counts Census Training. Learn all about the 2010 Census and why it's important you participate. Help show Houston's diversity by participating in the Census, which helps determine what kind of funding and government support gets filtered back into our community. Learn about special initiatives happening in Houston and how you can get involved in the national effort. Hear the key messages and outreach strategies organizations across the country are using to encourage census participation among the hardest-to-count communities. Free, at Texas Southern University's Streling Student Life Center, 3100 Cleburne Street.
• 6-11 p.m. — Uncle Charlie Poster Show at Sig's Lagoon, 3710 Main. Uncle Charlie has been designing concert posters for Houston-area shows longer than you've been cool. Free.

Photo: Flickr user .imelda

Margaritas
by gwenturnerjuarez

Margaritas... what more needs to be said? Have a safe weekend.

Each week Houstonist checks out Missed Connections on Craiglist. Here's a few that we found interesting.

Not to bad - 28 (IAH)

You were at the rental counter in front of me, you were a little older but had an ass that wouldn't quit, in fact some of it was showing along with a tatoo. Thanks for making my morning a little better.

This proves our theory that most people are really just "typing to themselves" out here on MC. Open calls to whackadoodles last week, this week "chick with trampstamp at Intergalactic Airport". Like that's a low-traffic place - what are the odds that someone randomly at the "rental counter" ( 'cause, ya know - there's only one of 'em) knows who was staring at their ass, if anyone? Slim? or, None? We love reading the exercises in futility, really, so please continue. This is better than the comments on the Chronicle website.

East Houston Hospital Er Nurse- - m4w - 32

I was there last week and I think we made a connection. I was sad to leave was counting backwards til I left but didn't get to really say goodbye.... you had dark long hair in a ponytail and beautiful blue eyes & hispanic last name.
message me back if you see this please.

OOOOHHHHH, yeah, you were the guy who had a weak spine....now, she remembers. Drive yourself back over to that hospital a couple times and hang out in the waiting room until you see her. The "jambox serenade" is way too Eighties (although, "In Your Eyes" is still a great song) but, we're just certain you can devise is very clever and intriguing manner of expressing yourself. Or, you can just do the ole "slip and fall" at a nearby DiscountedMerchandiseMart and impress her with an injury. If they admit you to the psych ward for observation.....we never advised you to harm yourself....

starbucks - m4w

i saw you in starbucks at eldridge and briar forrest at lunch today. it has been a long time since i have seen you there. we made eye contact and smiled at each other. would love to talk to you.

What? Cat got your tongue? Jaw broken in recent barroom scuffle? Irrational fear of rejection? SPEAK! You are IN the coffee place, at the same time. Tables are always scarce at the Starbucks. Get one, invite her to sit.....talk to her (and whatever you do, don't get all nervous and spill your very hot coffee in her lap, she won't let a stranger "kiss it to make it all better", is our guess).

beautiful brunette in huntsville - m4w - 50

Postin thsi for Huntsville as you are there but I am form Houston....met you last Friday evening and was quite taken.....You put your number in my phone but it didn't save and couldn't find it that night. Wish now I had checked it before it was too late. You are a student of medical and sociology and we met on the north side of Houston.....sincerely want to keep in touch........I know the chances are slim but maybe someone will tell you about the ad.......hoping for a little miracle.....

Man, technology sucks it. Back in the day, after clay tablets and sharp sticks proved inefficient (they are heavy and you could put your eye out, too), people exchanged business cards, scribbled on bar napkins, took the pen to the skin and wrote a name and number on their hand or forearm (unless you are one unsanitary, no-spelling moron, you'll wash it off....try arm, better odds of survival). Do you suppose a girl in college would accidentally not mash that "save" button, but, rather gleefully mash "delete" after some fiddy year old asked for her number (unless he was, say not unlike J. Howard Marshall)?

A few guidelines to life on CL - m4w

Indeed. Let me remind the people posting on here that this is the MISSED CONNECTIONS facet of CL. If for some reason you don't understand what that means, let me remind you.
(1). This is not a forum to post your lame poetry. Go out and get a journal. Not a CL account.
(2). Incredibly vague posts will be dismissed as a result of the author being lazy; for instance, "I was on the road going West and you had on a shirt." This makes it incredibly difficult for the people on here to distinguish whether they are the person who had a "missed connection", or are just a person on a road wearing a shirt. You are dumb.
(3). Posts that involve you looking for a dude you met in a club in September of 1991 will almost never be read. You probably missed the boat on that one. Again, you are dumb.

I read the Missed Connections as part of my daily routine. Kinda like reading the newspaper in the morning. Sue me, I'm a romantic like that. But when the above examples come into play, it just becomes an exercise in futility. If you really want to see this person again, put some thought into your post and your chances of finding that special person will blossom exponentially. Thanks.

We don't know you, but, we don't like you - because you care less how we feel. You are threatening our joy, our amusement. You must cease and desist...oh, yeah, oops, public forum. For you, we will post a special haiku, or other rhyming-like thing that annoys....we will, when you least expect it. Threaten our joy....no sir-ee Bob...in the immortal words of Dee Snider, "we're not gonna take it".

---
Photo: flickr user fd.

See?! We told you there would be plenty of music this weekend. Never doubt Papa Houstonist. Unfortunately we won't be in town for much of the weekend [we have, on the other hand, the good fortune of attending our sister Austinist's FunFunFun Fest], but that doesn't mean we'll pass on making a few recommendations to you, dedicated reader.

For tonight, allow us to pose a query: Are you a Houston musician? Are you serious about wanting to tour? If you answered yes to these questions, then make sure you stop by Avant Garden at 7 pm to get some sage advice from Martin Atkins. He should wrap up around 8:30, so we'll have plenty of time to catch Spain Colored Orange at Continental Club, The Caprolites new lineup at Notsuoh, or News on the March at The Mink. Also of note: Mr. Kenny Rogers himself backed by "that there collection of strings and whatnot," The Houston Symphony.

Friday, while the kids all trek to House of Blues for The Used & The Almost, you can revisit the 90's with Third Eye Blind. Our pick of the night, however, is rocking instrumental crew Russian Circles at Rudyard's. That's right, we picked a Rudyard's show!

It's awfully hard to root against our hometown favorites Ghost Mountain, who are playing with Health at Mango's on Saturday, but our choice brings us to Walter's to catch WHY? - a source of heavy inspiration for the Baytown duo. If you simply must catch something other than one of these shows, allow us to recommend The Julys at The Mink. Also, congratulations are in order for local metalcore kids Before There Was Rosalyn, who will be releasing their CD this weekend - on Victory Records! Nice work.

You can top all of that off with a high-voltage show at Toyota Center on Sunday. Some group named after a power conversion will be playing, or so we hear. If you can't shell out for the big tickets, join us at Walter's for the zany Adult Swim regular MC Chris.

Drop us a note and let us know where you'll wind up.

Thursday, November 5th
Brian McNeill, Ed Miller at Mucky Duck
The Caprolites, F*cking Thief, Best Fwends at Notsuoh
The Chibas, Miguel [of The McKenzies], Jim & The Toms, FGG at Super Happy Fun Land
Fu Manchu, Shit City High, Heavystoned at Meridian [Red Room]
Galactic, Mike Dillion's GoGo Jungle at Warehouse Live
John Lee Hooker, Jr., Richard Cagle & The Voodoo Choir at Meridian
Kenny Rogers with The Houston Symphony at Jones Hall
Like Trains & Taxis, Melissa Savci, The Journey Agents at Bohemeo's
Los Pistoleros de Texas at Charlie's Big Top
The Lovemakers, The Personal Victories of George Quartz at Warehouse Live [Studio]
Martin Atkins at Avant Garden
Mindy Smith at House of Blues
News on the March, Shapes Have Fangs, Ghormeh Sabzi at The Mink
Off With Their Heads, Smalltown, O Pioneers!!! at Walter's
Spain Colored Orange, Beetle at Continental Club [free]
Sugar and Gold, Brett Koshkin, Roky Moon & Bolt, Mystery Flavor at Mango's
Sugarball Express, Letters to Voltron, Dark Surf at Rudyard's

Friday, November 6th
Adrian & The Sickness [CD Release], Osiris, Distant Lights at Dan Electro's Guitar Bar
Alison Fisher at Charlie's Big Top
An Albatross, The Coathangers, Dark Meat,The Roller, Black Congress at Mango's
Austin Lounge Lizards at Mucky Duck
Bee vs. Moth at Cactus Music [5:30 pm]
Big Rocket, Platoon at Last Concert Cafe
Charlie Robison, Mark McKinney at Warehouse Live
The Damen Austin Band, Losers Beat Winners, The Antioch Road Band, Mega Fauna at Fitzgerald's [downstairs]
The Flatlanders at Fitzgerald's
Krunk Ninjas,SDfone, El-Nino, TDBZ, Twinkdogg at Super Happy Fun Land
Lea Salonga at Arena Theatre
Luchsinger Brothers, Cory Todd at Bohemeo's
Marc Broussard, Charlie Mars at House of Blues [Bronze Peacock Room]
Mugrero at White Swan
Russian Circles, Young Widows, Red Sparowes, Coliseum at Rudyard's
Third Eye Blind at Verizon Wireless
The Used, The Almost, Drive A at House of Blues
Vallejo, Nightbird at Continental Club
Vince Bell at Anderson Fair
The White Tie Affair, Every Avenue, Stereo Skyline, Runner Runner at Meridian

Saturday, November 7th
500 Megatons of Boogie, Ghosttown Electric, Bright Men of Learning at Rudyard's
86 Within, 12 Gauge, Awakening, Brown Out, Paper Anvil at Bohemeo's [2 pm]
Alastair at White Swan
Arthur Yoria, Stepahnie Briggs, Live Oak Decline at Last Concert Cafe
Before There Was Rosalyn [CD Release], Upon a Burning Body, Molotov Solution, American Me, Through The Fallen Skys, Courage Sleeps, In The Storm, At Cavalry at Meridian
Chris Sacco at Charlie's Big Top
David Cook at Warehouse Live
Eric Taylor at Anderson Fair
The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Gourdes at Miller Outdoor Theatre [free]
Haunting Oboe Music, Components of the Modern Age, The Bottom Four, Prayer For Animals at Super Happy Fun Land
Health, Lovvers, Somosuno, Ghost Mountain at Mango's
The Julys, The Sideshow Tragedy, Jonathan Wilkins at The Mink
Mumiy Troll, Come See My Dead Person at Meridian [Red Room]
New Duncan Imperials, Dash Rip Rock, Mojo Nixon & The Toadliquors at Continental Club
Straight Fork, Carry The Storm at Fitzgerald's [downstairs]
Super Panch Combo [CD Release], The Redline, Perfect Pants at Dan Electro's Guitar Bar
Vince Bell at Cactus Music [1 pm]
White Cat Showcase at Mucky Duck
WHY?, Au, The Moore Brothers at Walter's

Sunday, November 8th
AC/DC at Toyota Center
Chris Bell, Chris Chandler at Dan Electro's Guitar Bar
Deadmau5 at House of Blues
D.R.U.M. at Discovery Green [3 pm]
The Last Place You Look, From Guts To Glory, Floorbound at Scout Bar
MC Chris, Whole Wheat Bread, I Fight Dragons at Walter's
Miss Leslie & Her Juke Jointers at Continental Club
Ryan Montbleau at Mucky Duck
Shonen Knife, Dead Roses at Mango's

Photos: WHY? MySpace, Ryan Russell [Russian Circles]

Sugar skulls are made from compressed sugar and water, and are decorated and then left as ofrendas at the graves or memorial sites of loved ones. They can also be eaten, if the decorations are consumable.

Last year Houstonist went to the sugar skull workshop and had tons of fun. It's the perfect event to bring a kiddo too, especially if they like candy and like getting their hands messy. Workshop participants get to take home their own skull, and the official Lawndale sugar skull recipe. The rest of the skulls will be saved for decorating at Lawndale's Family Fiesta Day on Saturday.

Lawndale Sugar Skull Workshop
Admission: Free!
Date and Time: Tonight, 4-7 p.m.
Location: Lawndale Art Center, 4912 Main Street

Photo: flickr user cybertoad

Group hug :0)
by skimonster2020

So sue us for going cute today. Sometimes you just need a dose of cuteness.

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
Reception at 6:00 PM, Show at 7:00 PM
2009 West Gray
Admission $9.50

Photo credit Christine ™

American Fangs got a nice little writeup in the Philadelphia blog I Shot a Warhol, declaring them "the standouts of the evening" - on a bill that featured Saul Williams. Yeah, you read that correctly.

The Literary Greats new CD Ocean Meets The Valley got a nice writeup. It also debuted at #153 on the CMJ Top 200 this week. Celebrate with a video of them performing "Show Me The Coast" at Walter's. They're having a release party on the 14th at The Continental Club.

Something Fierce posted a video of them playing in a cold garage while wearing kids Halloween costumes.

Trills posted a pair of videos from his Resonant Internal Sound Series session at Khon's this weekend.

Molotov Compromise posted a tour update.

Runaway Sun informed us that they'll be on the upcoming "Live From Sugar Hill" episode.

Local prog rock crew Scale The Summit announced they'll be touring with Between the Buried and Me in January.

Hell City Kings announced that Josh Wolf [No Talk, The Energy, Secret Prostitutes, etc.] will be taking over vocal duties, making his HCK debut at Block Party. They plan to put out a 7" early next year and will be recording a music video soon.

H-Town Rock caught up with Buxton last night. They're recording "a ton" of demos. Make sure you catch them at Block Party.

What's that? You don't know who's playing or when Block Party is? Booya! Double Booya! That's right, it's two days this time. The schedule was announced this week [be prepared for the inevitable shuffle, however].

Until next time, Rock Talk is dismissed.

Testing my new infrared camera. Color
by Mauro Luna

A homemade infrared camera produced this stunning image. To find out how it was done, check out the photographer's original post on Flickr.

H-Town Rock: I am here with Airon Paul Dugas and Steven [Burnett] who's representing The Religion. Airon, how long have you been playing music?
Airon: About 17 years I guess.

HTR: And how old are you?
Airon: 34
HTR: So half your life...
Airon: I stopped playing for about 7 years, stopped playing in bands altogether. I guess about a year ago all of a sudden I got re-inspired and started doing solo stuff because I didn't want to deal with any bullshit - like a band. I actually had no plans of making a band whatsoever.

HTR: So when did you put The Religion together?
Airon: One night I was at a Paris Falls show and Ray Brown (from Paris Falls) offered for them to be my backing band, basically. I had just started playing out solo, and Ray and Steven and I, we all went to high school together and have known each other a long time. He offered, and I was like "that's a great idea" so I called Steven up and asked if he wanted to play bass. We did it based off of just having fun and not taking it serious at all, and it was the easiest thing in the world, so now we're kinda wanting to get serious.

HTR: So is the entire backing band in Paris Falls?
Airon: No, [Steven]'s not.
Steven: Jen and Ray Brown are the piano player and the guitar player from Paris Falls, and they have a drummer, Mike DeLeon, who's been in a ton of bands as well. And they're all seasoned vets, so it was really easy. They're all like "we can learn these songs in like two practices."

HTR: Yeah, you guys sound really tight together.
Steven: That's weird because we never practice.

HTR: Do you have plans to record?
Airon: Actually yeah, we're going into Sugar Hill in a couple weeks. We're trying to see if we can get a lot of stuff down in one weekend.

HTR: How much do you have together for that right now?
Airon: Not much - By the Big Star show [on the 24th] I think we only had seven songs total, as of last practice we now have nine. Of course, I have like over 70 solo songs, so whatever needs to be filled we can fill it with acoustic songs.
Steven: It's all in that book.
HTR: This one, next to me?
Steven: You could take his entire career.
HTR: That's a little scary.
Steven: Did I just advertise that?
HTR: Yeah, [to everyone] don't steal Airon's book.

HTR: What's one thing that you want everyone to know about Airon Paul Dugas?
Steven: That he is single and ready to mingle.
Airon: I think that pretty much sums it up. Um, I don't know. I set out to do this strictly as a songwriter, that's kind of my main thing. I just like writing songs, and the band is just an extra plus.

Steven: I hear we're moving to Seattle.
Airon: Well I wasn't going to tell him that.
HTR: Moving to Seattle?
Airon: Yeah, well. We've almost convinced the rest of the band. It's kinda funny that we're telling this to the Houstonist.
Steven: [jokingly] Seeya bitches! Is there a Seattle-ist? You can inform them, maybe give 'em our resume?
Airon: We're still gonna be a Houston band though. That's what we're going to tell everybody.
Steven: We're definitely not going to change the plates on the van.

HTR: Is there a timeline on that?
Airon: About six months.
HTR: So sometime in May? Is that gonna be semi-permanent...?
Airon: Possibly? It was actually just an idea that had nothing to do with music or the band or anything. I want to go live next to a mountain.
Steven: He wanted to go somewhere that didn't have bad allergies.
Airon: I have really bad allergies, so I was looking up the top 10 best cities for allergy sufferers, and Seattle's one. And then Steven is like, "I want to go." And then Graham [Airon's roommate] was like, "I want to go." And then we told Ray and Jen Brown, and they were like "we want to go." So I think eventually we're all moving there, and hopefully this band will still be together.
HTR: I hope this doesn't turn into a curse with Houstonist - if you do the interview you leave town. Because GTRS was the first one.
Airon: Oh yeah...

HTR: Do you guys have a band or two that you think everyone in Houston needs to pay attention to?
Airon: Well definitely Paris Falls... and I'm not just saying that as a friend... I would never promote a friend's band if I didn't like them. Yeah, Paris Falls, listenlisten, and Robert Ellis.
Steven: And I'm really enjoying Sew What. They're so cute.

HTR: Do you have a favorite memory from the Houston music scene?
Airon: I used to go to a lot of Dead Horse shows in the early 90s, and I actually love Dead Horse. As far as local music goes, I think right now is actually the best time for local music. I think there's more bands that I actually want to listen to then there ever has been. Bands that I actually buy their albums and listen to them. I listen to Robert Ellis and Paris Falls all the time, they're in [my] main rotation.

HTR: For those readers that are uninformed, how would you describe your sound?
Steven: Loud.
Airon: We're not that loud, we just look loud. Anytime somebody asks, I just say down home rock and roll.

HTR: You guys have a show Wednesday night at The Mink. Who else is playing that?
Airon: Mimicking Birds is the touring band, from Portland, and there's another local band.
Steven: Winter Wallace.
HTR: I've heard a few of their songs, I liked what I heard.
Steven: Jacob Calle posted some stuff in our comments, so they might actually be cool.

HTR: If Jacob likes them? Is that the barometer?
Steven: He's got the fro-ometer. It's like "does Jacob Calle like it? Oh, then it's going to be entertaining."
HTR: I think his 'fro actually grows if he likes something. He can't hide it.
Steven: The pinnocho-fro.
HTR: That's awesome, that's gonna be his nickname from now on. No, I doubt we [at Houstonist] have that much saying power.

HTR: The only other thing that I know about you, aside from your music, is that you had a really terrible scooter accident. How long ago was that?
Airon: It was last December, I was actually leaving a Paris Falls show and was two blocks away from The Mink, and [I] got hit head on by a car.
HTR: How long did that sideline you?
Airon: I was in the hospital for I three weeks, and in a wheelchair for three months... the learning how to walk again didn't actually take that long, but it took a while to get back to climbing these stairs everyday.

HTR: Aside from the show Wednesday, do you guys have anything else coming up?
Airon: No... because of the studio thing we don't want to play any shows for a while... We have nothing recorded, whatsoever - we don't have a demo, we don't even have a MySpace or anything.
HTR: Are you going to do a separate one for the band?
Airon: Yeah, 'cause all the stuff on my MySpace is strictly solo stuff. We do I think two of my folks songs in the band, but we've turned them into complete rock songs. I actually try to write songs for The Religion now that we've started it. And it's fun because I'm actually more of a rock and roller than I am a folksinger. I just kind of started with the folk thing and it came really easy.

HTR: You guys are going into the studio in... three weeks? So we won't probably won't see you guys until December, at least.
Steven: Yeah. We'd like a nice national weekend show...
Airon: We're definitely going to be open to playing shows...
HTR: You guys could definitely hang...you should be opening a show at Warehouse or something like that.
Airon: Yeah, but the lack of a demo or anything kinda sets us back.

HTR: We're actually in Airon's house, for the record, and there's two full shelves of LP's over here, and Hayes Carll is on the turntable... If you were going to pull one record out to show somebody... what's the first thing that leaps to mind?
[Airon sighs, and he and Stephen start laughing]
Steven: I thought you were going to go for Edgar Winter & the White Trash.
Airon: No, no, no. That's what I was thinking. I have a Screwdriver record, that I found under the couch.
Steven: Under my couch!
Airon: At our apartment, and I kept it, and I like to show everybody for some reason... Mississippi John Hurt, any of his albums really - Worried Blues would probably be the first one I would pull out... any Townes Van Zandt. I'm pretty typical, as far as influence goes I think my influences are obvious. But like he said, Edgar Winter's White Trash Roadwork album, which I actually do pull that out sometimes when I'm drunk and I'm trying to hook up with a girl and I somehow think they're going to be impressed with this album, but they're not. And they never are, no woman ever will be. But it's one of my all time favorite albums, my dad got me into it and I've been listening to it since I was a kid.
Steven: When I was 16 I had a car, and Airon was a year younger than me... Airon was all into Dead Horse and death metal, all that shit... He's like, "I want you to hear this, this album's awesome." And it was this albino rock and roller, Edgar Winter & the White Trash. I was like, "that chick on the cover is hot. That's a dude, whoa."
Airon: There's like 20 minute long piano-vocal solo offs, where he's dueling the vocals with the piano... and it sounds like the Saturday Night Live band most of the time. They do a lot of Otis Redding type stuff.

HTR: Anything else you want to throw out there?
Airon: No, that's about it.
HTR: Cool, well thanks for sitting down with us.
Airon: Thanks for coming over.

A bee on a B
by Red Rooster

Be very careful, there's a bee on your B and we're not talking Bed & Breakfast.

Monday you have one final chance to see GTRS before they skip town for good. Yes, we know they played a big goin'-away party, but they couldn't resist when they got offered a spot with Yussuf Jerusalem and Thomas Function. We wouldn't have been able to pass it up either.

Tuesday we plan on heading back to Mango's - two nights in a row at the same venue is a bit of a faux pas, but with two of our favorite local acts, Buxton and Muhammid Ali, the show is not to be missed. If you can't manage two nights at Mango's, there's some pretty interesting stuff at good ol' Super Happy Fun Land. Or you can get your mellow on to Ari Hest.

Wednesday you'd be a fool to miss Airon Paul Dugas & The Religion at The Mink. Houstonist saw him for the second time last week and he took us to church. It was - how do you say, ah yes - too sexy. But seriously folks, make sure you see him soon.

The calendar is after the jump, and as always let us know where you'll be in the comments.

Monday, November 2nd
Dir En Grey at Warehouse Live
The Octanes, Glover Gill at Continental Club
Peaches, Men at House of Blues
Phone Calls From Home/Count Your Blessings at Super Happy Fun Land
Thomas Function, Yussuf Jerusalem, GTRS at Mango's

Tuesday, November 3rd
Ari Hest at McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Hit The Lights, There For Tomorrow, Fireworks, Sparks The Rescue, I Rival at Meridian
KCK & EMUZ, Darwin's Finches, Fuzz, Lithium Daydream, Mr. Japan a.k.a. NDO, Sievert, Subsystem, DJ Fix at Super Happy Fun Land
Rakim, Rhymefest at House of Blues
Surfer Blood, Buxton, Muhammad Ali, Freddie Ghonerea & The Gunz at Mango's
Tech N9ne, Slaughterhouse, Stevie Stone, Glasses Malone, K-Otix at Warehouse Live
The Umbrella Man at Continental Club

Wednesday, November 4th
Attack! Attack!, I Set My Friends On Fire, Miss May I, Our Last Night, The Color Morale at Meridian
Footpie, With This Oath at Scout Bar
Grizzly, Grady Skeleton at Continental Club
Igor & The Red Elvises at McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Mimicking Birds, Airon Paul Dugas & The Religion at The Mink
Peter & James at Charlie's Big Top

Photos: Airon Paul Dugas MySpace, Thomas Function MySpace

Wings Over Houston 2009
by DanPancamo

wings over houston
by TxTamz

Wing Over Houston - Tora Tora Tora
by baldheretic

2009 Wings Over Houston
by MikesImages

Four shots of Wings over Houston 2009 through the eyes of four of our Flickr photographers, DanPancamo, TxTamz, baldheretic and MikesImages.

Guess we'll be setting the VCR to capture the Battle on the Bayou, as LSU and Tulane face-off at 7:00 p.m. smack in the middle of prime "trickertreatin", as does the UT v. OSU game. At any rate, these cocktails will perk up your Halloween festivities - and you can finally finish off that bottle of rum named after a famous California beach, that someone's annoying whackadoodle girlfriend left at your house.

Witches Brew

Equal parts pineapple and cranberry juice, mixed
Lemon-lime soda
Malibu, or other brand coconut rum

There are two ways to assemble this cocktail. The way first, mix equal parts of each ingredient in an appropriately sized vessel, keep chilled. Serve straight up, no ice. Secondly, you may mix equal parts of the juices and soda in a cocktail glass and pour the shot in. We say, go big or go home - whip up a half-gallon and let your hairs down, it's Halloween for the love of Mike.

While you are letting down that hair, do remember to be responsible and do not be a dumbass. We know you know because we tell you every week - no fuzz, no clink, we don't have your bail. If you pull a whackadoodle behind the wheel - it's on you. Don't get all drunked up passing out candy and eat a bunch of it either, those tiny candy bars still make for "junk in the trunk".

SUNDAY

• Noon to 10 p.m. — Celebrate Houston festival, celebrating the city's diversity with music, food and crafts. Tickets are free. At Tlaquepaque Market Plaza.


• 2-6 p.m. — Dakota Rescue Fundraiser at Bohemeo's. Each year the Dakota Rescue put out a calendar of local musicians with their dogs. Musicians performing include Musicians are Norma Zenteno, Ezra Charles, Sisters Morales, and Tommy Dardar.

Flickr photo by gwenturnerjuarez

watching mushrooms grow on a rainy day
by finna dat

It's a dog's life.

To be honest, we're a little sad to see the old brewery retired. Houstonist has been to many a birthday party, wedding and wang-dang-doodle in that strip center out on Old Hempstead Highway, but the new brew….. ohhhh shiny! Lookit those perty brand new brewing vessels! As Houstonist's nerd engineer companion said to us, "That's 316 stainless steel!"

The old brewery has seen upwards of 50,000 people a year tour the facility. Back in the old days tours used to be free, but even then the crowds were huge, so Saint Arnold's started charging $5 a head. Tours at the new facility, which start this weekend, will be $7 (but free beer! And a free glass!). The new facility is expected to accommodate 100,000 touring visitors a year. And let us tell you, this place is HUGE. There is plenty of room for the beer Houston loves to grow as they continue to add more brewing vessels and fermenters. At peak production, the brewers expect to make 100,000 kegs a year, 65,000 to 70,000 more kegs than they currently brew (and enough for every person on those tours).

Houstonist was accompanied to the opening party by friends — one is an investor in St. A's and one is a Houston-area teacher. Both gave us some insight into the building. We got to see the top secret investor's bar, a swanky-looking room in the back with a lovely carved wooden bar-top. We also heard the story of how the building, which was once an HISD food distribution facility (a.k.a. a giant freezer and refrigerator) had to be literally thawed out — there were icicles hanging from the ceiling — before it could be inspected. The Saint Arnold crew were recognized by the City of Houston for their efforts in renovating the historic building and also helping encourage growth in the ever-gentrifying EaDo district. But more on that in a minute.

The newery has four floors, but most of the action is in the middle two. The first floor is where the brewing takes place. The second floor, with huge windows looking down to the first floor, is where the tastings are and where parties will take place for those who have rented out the brewery. The company is thinking of using the basement for aging beers, and the third floor, right now it's just filled with storage.

They have a new kegging rig that can fill a keg in 40 seconds — almost as fast as Houstonist can drain one. And the three brew vessels, well they came direct for a bona-fide brewery in Bavaria, along with Wolfgang, a master welder from Germany who is in town a few more weeks to get the whole set-up running. One of the brew vessels had a little accident on it's way to Texas — it hit an overpass "and the overpass won," said David Jenny, who was leading a tour of the new facility. Jenny also said there are rumors of the building being haunted. What, with the souls of old lunch ladies?

To start the party off, members of the City of Houston city council presented Saint Arnold founder Brock Wagner with an official proclamation from Mayor Bill White declaring the day Saint Arnold Day. Then Wagner cut the red velvet ribbon in front of the taps with a pair of tiny utility scissors scrounged up at the last minute.

The ribbon down, it was time to get a drink on. Local businessman Ed Schipul earned the dubious honor of being the first person to break a glass in the new facility. Mayoral candidate Gene Locke showed up to shake hands and kiss babies. Wagner served him a Saint Arnold's Root Beer, telling him that it was brewed with cane sugar instead of HFCS. C'mon Gene! Even Obama enjoys a beer now and then. There were rumors that Locke's opponent Peter Brown was planning an appearance, but Houstonist never saw him.

So what does Houstonist like most about the newery? Two things: It's air conditioned, and there's more than one toilet in the ladies room.

Photos by Houstonist Marc Brubaker

        

On June 18th 2009, NASA launched the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter on a mission to map the moon's surface for future lunar trips.

Recently the Orbiter sent back images of Apollo 17's moon landing site. Apollo 17 was the 11th manned moon mission and NASA's final mission to the moon. It was launched on December 7, 1972 and returned to earth eleven days later.

The images sent back recently from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the area of activity for Apollo 17. Things that can be seen in the new photos are the location of the U.S. flag that was planted, lunar rover tracks, location of the mission's geophone and the final parking spot of the lunar rover.

Go to NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter page for the images described above and for more info on this and other recent lunar developments.

--
Flickr photo by balakov / CC BY-NC 2.0