The children of 5767

By Gideon Levy

It was a pretty quiet year, relatively speaking. Only 457 Palestinians and 10 Israelis were killed, according to the B'Tselem human rights organization, including the victims of Qassam rockets. Fewer casualties than in many previous years. However, it was still a terrible year: 92 Palestinian children were killed (fortunately, not a single Israeli child was killed by Palestinians, despite the Qassams). One-fifth of the Palestinians killed were children and teens - a disproportionate, almost unprecedented number. The Jewish year of 5767. Almost 100 children, who were alive and playing last New Year, didn't survive to see this one.

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New Satin Hooks Video is make for gooood

Director Mark Armes makes good things happen. Again.

Yucky Restaurants: Gravitas is scheisser

It is always fun to browse through the city's health department files and see exactly which dining establishments are getting cited for health code violations. Funny thing is that the 'swankier' and more 'froo-froo' restaurants get cited for just about everything from roaches to mislabeling bleach powder as coos-coos. Such high brow places as Artista, Gravitas, who has won dozens of awards shut their doors temporarily because of their infractions leaving many Houston douchebags with nowhere to eat as the violation report says that much of their food was 'unsafe for human consumption', Escalante's, the Bayou Club, and even Memorial Hospital..

Funny how some chefs can make an impeccable Pesto Crusted Mahi-Mahi with Kiwi Glaze but can't keep the rat terds off the counter..Go figure

Spot The Local Music Curmudgeon - September 27th Edition

-A weekly blog where I highlight one show I definitely expect to attend (see *) and throw in a few more that I'd like to and might see given the money and the time.-

This Week's Spotlight
Saturday 29 September 2007
*The Proletariat 5th Anniversary
Honoring The Skyline Network.

with DJ Melodic, Wicked Poseur, Paris Falls, DJ Paramour, You(Genious), DJ Witness, Spain Coloured Orange, MC Ty Mahany

@ The Proletariat

Well, if there is any place you should be this week it's The Proletariat this Saturday night. In these 5 years the scrappy little bar has become a virtual institution so why not throw a party? A testament to why the "Prolee" ( or "Prol" depending on your favorite diminutive) is a class-act is how it has humbly shared some of the spotlight on it's birthday with the deserving king of local music blogs - ADR and his Skyline Network. Appropriately, it's a solid lineup of excellent local bands and DJs plus you know everyone is going to be there! So don't come crying to me on Sunday about how you forgot. Mark you calendar now!


Also This Week
*Monday 01 October 2007
By The End of Tonight (CD release party) with O Pioneers!!!, Blades, Lisa's Son
@ The White Swan
An excellent line-up of some heavy duty music. BTEOT plays rough, hard, and puts a wild-ass show that matches its frenetic music. O Pioneers!!! may not throw in as many chord changes per song as BTEOT but, fear not ADD sufferers, the guitar and drum duo's tunes are rock solid marvels. Blades is so bad-ass that you'll be reading an article about them in next month's Free Press. And Lisa's Son...uh..well, OK, I've never heard them but given the line-up who cares - I'm still showing up early enough to check them out. See you there with one of those water bottles full of beer!

This Saturday: Lenwood Johnson @ Sedition Books

Most folks call it '4th Ward'. Those who know the deep history it embodies call it Freedmen's Town. This Houston neighborhood, that has been the continuing victim of gentrification and demolition, is truly an unappreciated piece of the history that many local politicians and developers would gladly wipe from the face of the city. The bricks on many of the historic streets in Freedmen's Town were hand made over a century ago by freed slaves and then laid into streets. Freedman's Town is on the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest African American community in Houston. This Saturday September 29th, longtime activist Lenwood Johnson will speak on the history of the area and the profound implications it has on the current state of Freedmen's Town at Sedition Books. Anyone who has heard this man speak know his words are both passioned and profound. Try not to miss this one.

The supporters and members of the Freed Man's Neighborhood Association meet on Tuesday nights at 7PM at 1111 Genesee Street and welcome support. For more information, contact Lenwood Johnson at 281-709-3001

Block Party Stage Guide

Spot The Local Music Curmudgeon - September 20th Edition

-A weekly blog where I highlight one show I definitely expect to attend (see *) and throw in a few more that I'd like to and might see given the money and the time.-

Last Sunday's show at Rudz pretty much whooped my ass. Bright Men of Learning put on an inspired set but, due to the Free Press Staff Meeting concluding at Rudz at 8pm, early drinking led to my being pretty smashed and beat pretty early. So despite the fact that the headliner was Magnolia Electric Company, I simply counted my blessing of having been able to catch BMOL's excellent set and called it a night.

This Week's Spotlight


Thursday 9/20/2007-
*Lymbic System, The Mayapples, and Tambersauro
at The Proletariat tonight
(Early show doors 6pm).

I don't know much about the other two bands but Tambersauro is worth the price of admission alone. Their split 10" on Esotype Records from earlier this year is definitely one of my favorite recording of the year and their live shows are unrivaled. Lance Higdon's drumming is a marvel of manic energy and the rest of the band swaggers the Prog like nobody else. I always have horrible luck with these early shows given my schedule but Tambersauro is definitely worth the effort.

See Always Summer Booking for more details

Also This Week

Friday 9/21/2007
Greenbelt Collective, Come See My Dead Person, The Hungry Villagers
at Super Happy Funland

Sounds like some serious indie folky stuff going down. The Canadian Greenbelt Collective seem pretty amusing but my curiosity is piqued more by the local CSMDP and THV which only goes to show the beauty with a venue like SHFL, catching some primordial band you've never heard.

Sunday 9/23/2007
Tokyo Electron, Born Liars, The Monocles
at Rudyard's

The touring act, Tokyo Electron, may be worth sticking around for given what I've heard but the two openers is what make my ears perk-up. Born Liars and The Monocles put on some very sweet no frills rock direct from the garage to you. I recommend pairing these appetizers with a Rudz burger and a beer.


Thursday 9/20/2007
Spectrum, A Pink Cloud
at the Jet Lounge

I only just added this because I saw it on Hands Up Houston. Turns out, tonight is the Spectrum show with A Pink Cloud. Not that you'd know that from the Jet Lounge's web site or Myspace. C'mon guys, that's just lame. We want to see shows at your venue, just give us a calendar so that we know what's up.

St. Jude Benefit Show Friday @ Notsuoh

A great line-up featuring Paula May, Elaine Greer, and Fire Team Charlie will be hosting a benefit for St.Jude Childrens Hospital this Friday at Notsuoh's. Be a hero, donate more than the minimum measly 6 bux, and enjoy some excellente' local music.

Don't fuck with the New World Order

This is plain horrible. This more than anything shows how we take for granted the notions of a 'free society' even on college campuses. Don't dare question the power structure, our governance, and definitely not secret societies. Otherwise, your ass might get tazed. BZZZZZ!

Spot the Local Music Curmudgeon this weekend - Sept 15th Edition

Sorry if this is a bit late. I'm still recovering from Thursdays impromptu Alarma, Somethin g Fierce, Monacles show at Rudz.

Tomorrow, Sunday the 16th, I'll be checking out Bright Men of Learning at Rudz. They are opening for Magnolia Electric Co. I haven't seen BMOL since their self-imposed break began in what seems ages so I'm pretty excited.

I hope to catch Tambersauro at the Proletariat this Thursday the 20th's happy hour show. Those never work with my schedule no matter how often I try but Tambersauro puts on a bad ass show so it's worth trying.

Last week I missed out on The Mathletes show at the Proletariat which Dusti Rhodes covered very nicely for the H. Press' blog (Kudos). I also missed John Muzak's birthday party at Super Happy. Sorry I was busy working on the Blades article so as to make the deadline.

HPD loves to harrass the homeless

Bottom line: We live in a city where the municipal government refuses to match the average number of homeless with enough beds. Other major U.S. cities have more beds than homeless.
But hey, they don't have Metro Rail, Minute Maid Park, or chromed out street lights in the Galleria area. Well, according to this 'journalistic blowjob' given by the folks at KHOU, HPD has devised a new 'plan'. I am assuming it is more of the same: harrassment, detainment, humiliation, etc.

Freeway Blogging: Houstontruth.org at Dunlavy bridge last Tuesday

Humberto flips the script: No apocalpyse for now

" Tropical Storm Humberto has turned slightly east, reducing the threat of heavy rain for most of Southeast Texas. A tropical storm warning remains in effect for coastal counties. A flash flood watch remains in effect for Galveston, Chambers and Liberty counties through Thursday morning."

Oh well, maybe next time.

Human Trafficking Awareness Week

September 17-21, 2007 is Human Trafficking Awareness Week in Houston. Several events have been organized by Houston Rescue and Restore Coalition and the Coalition Against Human Trafficking to raise awareness and funds for local charities that assist human trafficking victims, as well as training to recognize and help assist in a victim's rescue. From an open conference at city hall to a week long art exhibit ending in a fashion show, this campaign is a noble effort at highlighting the dark corners of the life of a trafficked victim.

Rail on Westheimer?

Well-there is a group of folks out there that are proponents of rail on Westheimer and have concocted some amazing photoshop work to help Houstonians envision such a prospect. Whoever did this stuff is alot better than the dolt at the State Department that is in charge of the fake Osama videos.

Britney and Alex Wukman are cousins

Turns out, Editor Alex Wukman is related to Britney Spears through his Uncle in Louisiana. See the resemblance?

9-11, Six Years Later

On Sept. 7, National Public Radio reported that Muslims in the Middle East were beginning to believe that the 9-11 attacks on the WTC and Pentagon were false flag operations committed by some part of the U.S. and/ or Israeli government.

It was beyond the imagination of the NPR reporter and producer that there could be any substance to these beliefs, which were attributed to the influence of books by U.S. and European authors sold in bookstores in Egypt.

NPR's concern was that books by Western authors questioning the origin of the 9-11 attack have the undesirable result of removing guilt from Muslims' shoulders.

The NPR reporter, Ursula Lindsey, said that "here in the U.S., most people have little doubt about what happened during the 2001 attacks."

NPR's assumption that the official 9-11 story is the final word is uninformed. Polls show that 36 percent of Americans and more than 50 percent of New Yorkers lack confidence in the 9-11 commission report. Many 9-11 families who lost relatives in the attacks are unsatisfied with the official story.

Read more...

Bush knocked down the towers?

Spot the Local Music Crumudgeon this weekend - Sept 7th Edition

Being the local Music Writer I am going to make it a point of somewhat using this as a way of documenting the fact that I do get out and see shows. So every week I will post where I plan to be. You can use this in three different ways:

1) Take this as a recommendation from me.
2) Use this is a gauge to tell me if I keep seeing the same goddamn bands over and over again at the expense of exploring the scene.*
3) Use this as a way to know where you can find me so you can tell me to my face just why my columns are so awful.


So, to kick things off for this weekend, you will find me tonight (Friday 7 September) heading off to the Mink backroom for the Maserati, By The End of Tonight, Sharks and Sailors, Blades** show and also some kick ass DJ action downstairs. Either I'll see you there or you'd better be at any of the other good shows about town tonight.





*Confession - if Sharks and Sailors or Ume are playing I have to go, sorry!
** Blades will be featured in next month's column.

Films by Jim Finn this Weekend

Saturday, Sept 8 at 8pm
Sunday, Sept 9 at 3pm
@ Aurora Picture Show

Interkosmos and La Trinchera Luminosa del Presidente Gonzalo
(The Shining Trench of Chairman Gonzalo)
Finn’s film Interkosmos, screening Saturday, has been described by Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader, "Poker-faced, often hilarious, and endlessly inventive, this minimalist mockumentary by Chicago filmmaker Jim Finn uses a few established facts to invent a wild narrative about an international communist project to establish colonies on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn." La Trinchera Luminosa del Presidente Gonzalo, scheduled for Sunday’s screening, is Finn's latest film and re-enacts one day at the Canto Grande prison in Peru, following women prisoners of the Maoist Sendero Luminoso movement from their morning marches to their bedtime chants.

DEBRIS: Dan Freeman is still a Spook

by Buffalo Sean

The fall season is big time this year, and it kicked off early with the blockbuster navel-gazer Red Hot: Asian Art Today at the Museum of Fine Arts. With the Chronicle giving collector Robert Chaney (no relation to Dick) blowjobs in print, attendance has been up; I hope the same is true for sales at the eight or so galleries the museum encouraged to dive into contemporary Chinese and Japanese art. Unfortunately lacking the collusion of the MFAH show, Nexus Texas at the Contemporary Arts Museum puts Texans at the fore- hopefully they’ll sell some work down the road because of the show. The buzz is hot around El Franco Lee II, a University of Houston graduate who paints scenes from Houston rap and basketball folklore with a flat, naïve style and an almost religious reverence; both T.I. sucker-punched by Lil’ Flip and Big Moe sippin’ on some syrup in his Escalade are deified by this rising star artist.
Read more..

Tonight @ Diverse Works: David McGee: El Soñador Elegante

Houston-based artist David McGee inaugurates DiverseWorks´ 25th year by creating a massive installation featuring sculpture, painting, and video depicting the essence of 25 years of DiverseWorks´ history. Using references from Miguel de Cervantes´s Don Quixote, McGee´s works capture the dreamland that Quixote lived in, the place that DiverseWorks represents to contemporary artists and the major impact it has made to the arts in Houston and beyond.

David McGee El Soñador Elegante
September 6 - October 20, 2007
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 6, 2007, 6 to 8pm

Cop Watch returns to Houston

Yus! The good folks at CopWatch have been re-invigorating their Houston operations. Ya know we need it. CopWatch has been shedding light on police brutality across the country for years now and needs your help to expand their local reach here in the H.

"Houston CopWatch is starting back up and we need your help to set the mission and protocols of the group! Houston CopWatch is in the planning phase right now, and we need your help to figure out what we should be doing. We will be holding a PUBLIC MEETING (one of many) at the TEJAS OFFICE

AT 6733 Harrisburg
ON SEPTEMBER 10
AT 7PM

We want to structure the group cooperatively and transparently, with open and well advertised meetings, and equal say in all matters to all community members - but once that's in line (if that's what community members want, of course), how should we approach police brutality?
Join us and tell us how we should run the group in order to successfully survey the Houston Police Department to bring incidences of police brutality to public attention!
This is the first step in a process to develop a mission and protocol for Houston CopWatch that will lead to a truly community based org that can sustain itself over the coming years on the passion of volunteers and the donations of groups and individuals who see the need for police brutality surveillance.

Man--these guys need a soundtrack---how about/......

Smoking Ban: Bueno or No-Bueno?

Well, the smoking ban has taken effect and the benefits and detriments are slowly coming to the surface. Sure, second hand smoke is deadly, but who wants to know what the Proletariat really smells like without the concealing aroma of cigs? Also, all of the pre-ban old smoke is soon to ferment and morph into that old grandma smell. Bars without patios are screwed. Boondocks just built one in the last few days. Rudz patio is full to the brim. Houstonist has done a great job breaking down the pros and cons in their new Houstonist vs Houstonist feature. Check that shit out.