HEALTH @ Numbers October 22nd w/The McKenzies, B L A C K I E, The Wiggins

Expect some free tickets at the Block Party..

CSI Dinosaur Mummy

With names like Brachylophosaurus canadensis and Bambiraptor you know better than to pet them. Of course you couldn't if you wanted to because they lived 75 million years ago. The only place that living dinosaurs and humans shared common ground was on The Flintstones unless you believe in creationism. (continued ...)

Music stuff from this past weekend.

This Monday in the Music section:

• A new Hearts of Animals CD falls in my hands and I'm stoked (link).
  
• Walter Becker gets replaced in Steely Dan (link).
  
• Friday's Fired For Walking, Bright Men of Learning , Novox (right) , and Mr. Castillo show over at Rudz in photos (link).

This Week's Curfew Free Music Preview for September 26, 2008

Yuss The Curfew is over and that means 2am for bars and clubs or until sun-up if your party continues elsewhere. So get out and celebrate there is lots lots lots to do this week! Check it out (Link)

Ask the Banker: Are we headed for a colossal meltdown?

posted by Omar Afra
This whole economic mess has me as confused as a dog lost in a hubcap factory. Fortunately, one of my few childhood friends that is not incarcerated, Peyton Jones, is now Senior Vice President of Earth conscious Green Bank. I had a chance to pick his brain with a few questions recently and he has tried to explain the current economic meltdown in digestible terms for us primates.

1. 700 Billion dollar bailout: Yes or no?
Yes. The idea of the government using $700 billion of our tax dollars to bail out bad decisions by lending institutions is not easy to swallow, but it is necessary. The bailout plan will prevent a massive meltdown of the banking system, and thus preserve the market’s faith in the U.S. banking system. If things continue without a bailout plan, you could potentially see several large banking institutions fail. Washington Mutual, the nation’s largest savings and loan bank, failed today, coincidentally making them also the largest failed bank in our country’s history. If the plan does not go in place to help take rancid mortgage loans off bank’s hands, then you could see an even greater number of bank failures. Keep in mind that Washington Mutual employed over 60,000 people and was not even in the Top 30 banks in the U.S. in terms of size. Continued failures of banks of this size would continue to raise unemployment, slow consumer spending, and create a panic amongst the U.S. consumer that their deposits are suddenly at risk despite the recognizable name on the vault.
2. If yes, what is the likelihood it will succeed?
If you assume there are roughly $14 trillion in outstanding mortgages in the U.S., $700 billion would cover 5% of that total. Historically for banks a 5% loan loss on troubled assets is normal, so I think the $700 billion figure has a lot to do with historical trends. “Success” will be a tough title to give this bailout though. I think you will still see a lot of bank failures across the country, and I think you will still see a lot of banks lose big money. In addition, the U.S. tax payer will foot the bill for the bailout, and a moral hazard will inevitably be created by bailing out these large institutions. If these banks can take on excessive risk, and then have the U.S. government bail them out when those decisions go sour, then what does that teach them? I’m sure in another 10-15 years we might be talking about how this bailout led to continued risk taking.

3. In a few words, please explain the nature of this crisis in stoner lingo.
Banks have made mortgages in parts of the country where values of homes increased sharply over the previous 7 years. As homes continued to appreciate, banks got more aggressive with their lending to a point where any decline in home values could create a crisis. Over the previous 12 months, home values in these same areas began sharply declining and suddenly Borrowers were not able to sell their homes for enough money to pay back their loans. There are about 4 or 5 other semi-complicated reasons why the decline in home values has also contributed to the problem, but the biggest scare is not knowing how deep the hole might be – meaning how can you really tell when someone is getting close to not being able to make their house payment? Do we have 1 million Borrowers reaching that point, or do we have 100 million? Dude.

4. Give me worst case scenario.
Worst case scenario is having this crisis take down most of the large banks in America and having depositors domestically and internationally suddenly afraid to leave their deposits at a U.S. bank (termed a “deposit run”). If U.S. banks do not have deposits, then they cannot make loans. Without loans, businesses cannot grow and expand and the entire economy (and life as we know it) comes to a grinding halt.

5. There are some of those that say "Let market forces solve this". Let's try polemics: Are these folks brilliant or total douchebags?
D-bags. Market forces could lead to the worst case scenario outlined previously. With that being said, I do understand their ideals of letting the culprits suffer the consequences of excessive risk taking.
6. Master capitalist: Ronald Reagan or Lil Wayne? Choose wisely.
Lil Wayne spent more on his grill than I spent on gasoline in the last decade, so I think I’ll go with President Reagan.

IT'S OVER!!! - Unconditional Surrender - Curfew Ends Friday Morning at 6am

Bring on the ticker tape and kiss the young lass or lad next to you! It's over! You are free to move about freely, earn your keep, run your business, and drink like Sam Houston would have wanted you to! So stay up late, tip your bartenders well, and don't get too carried away and get in some dern fool car wreck afterwards.

Thanks to all you who wrote the Mayor's Office.

THIS JUST IN!!!! - Dead Horse Live on KTRU tonight!!!!

This just in from Hands up Houston Dead Horse rides again on KTRU's Mutant Hardcore Flower Hour tonight. Yes, that's right, the legendary Houston metal pioneers will be playing live! More Details here (Link).

Updated list of bands for October 11th Block Party and evening show

Music Review - Hell City Kings at Slippin' Mickies at Rudz 09/20/2008

A night of sweaty Rock 'n' Roll and a hella lotta tattoos on Saturday night at Rudz. (link)

This Week's Preview! For the week of September 19th 2008

Curfew has been extended to Monday - have fun. This way to pointless bitching! (Link)

Get some FEMA!

Alex Wukman cares for you and your welfare:

Small Business owners can call the Small Business Administration hotline to get a disaster assitance loan the number is 1-800-659-2955. The details of what is required to qualify for the loan, the interest rates and the length of the loan are available on the small business administration's hurricane website. http://www. sba. gov/hurricanes/index. html

For the service industry workers who have lost jobs due to Ike I found another number. They need to call the Texas Workforce Commission for disaster unemployment assistance.
The number is 1-800-593-6631. That hotline is only open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The website is http://www. twc. state. tx. us/news/ikeinfo. html

To register for FEMA aid people need to call the 24 hour hotline 1-800-621-3367. Becuase of high call volume it is advised that people call during non-peak hours. They can also go to FEMA's website http://www. fema. gov/ and apply for aid there. It takes about 15 minutes and among other things gets people access to transitional housing funds for one of the more than 900 registered hotels throughout the state of Texas.

The IRS has also granted automatic extensions for any business or individual living in the disaster area whose taxes were due in September or October. For more information about who specifically is effected taxpayers are advised to call 1-866-562-5227 or 1-800-829-1040 or go to www. irs. gov.

See there is help available, it just requires people to know what they're looking for and where to go.

Food Not Bombs: Still Serving, Help Needed

Food Not Bombs was in effect Sunday September 14th, for the first meal after the storm. About 21 people ate beans, tomato sandwiches, watermelon, bagels, and fruit. They are calling for people to come help since fewer people have access to food or stoves, and there could potentially be an upsurge in hungry people arriving to eat. Come bring vegetarian food, help serve, help clean dishes, offer your stove.

Houston Food Not Bombs says on their website: "We share free food with the hungry every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 8:PM and Sunday 7pm on the ledge on the corner of the sidewalk in front of the Library at Smith and McKinney."

Silver Jews show moved to Walter's On Washington

Doors at 6 pm sow ends at 9PM

More details on HUH (Link)

Jana Hunter at Petrol Station review

Jana Hunter came in to town ast night and we got a nice break from the post-Ike world. (Link)

UPDATE: Jana Hunter / Wicked Poseur 9/17 show moved...

Tonight's show show has been moved to the Petrol Station 985 Wakefield. 7PM. Bar is cash only.

A belated music review - Dissent, PLF, and Gorenado last Wednesday

A Bruising good time at last week's Dissent/PLF/Gorenado show (Link)

Fuck a curfew. What do you think?

I just left the Harp on Richmond where HPD shut down the festivities at 9pm and sent scores of folks without power to return to their dark homes. Does a city municipality really have the right to bypass the constitutional right to gather in order to avoid some petty looting? Is it legit to force 4 million people into their homes and incarcerate those that don't as a result of less than 20 looting incidents. Folks, this ain't New Orleans. There are not dead bodies in the streets. Despite the destruction, things have been relatively cool all things considered. So, why the martial law? What do you think?

Historic Balinese Room destroyed by Ike

photo copyright Lynsey P. Tamborello
Galveston's Historic Balinese Room was completely destroyed by last night's storm. Frequented by the likes of Frank Sinatra, George Burns, Howard Hughes, The Rat Pack, and The Marx Brothers, The Balinese had a well earned reputation of more than 75 years as a Texas treasure. The spot was memorialized by ZZTop in late 70's with song 'Down at the Balinese'. Situated right on the seawall between the Flagship Hotel and that famous trinket shop, the building was basically turned into a heap of scrap wood early yesterday as a result of the storm surge. The place has been rebuilt before but has never been completely destroyed before.

Local celeb Jacob Calle strolls Galveston Beach in Bear Suit

Westheimer Prepares: Ike summons plywood graffiti

Chances
Empire CafeOur good friends, the aggressive bastards at Hot Rod Tattoo, former location of FPH office..

photos by Nick Cooper

Ike prepares to smack Houston as he did Tina so many years ago.

Should I stay or should I go? Tis the question. Is it worse to get stuck in Interstate traffic as those who did 3 years ago with the Rita evacuation. My buddy got stuck on I-10 and was buying packs of cigs for 10 bux after being stuck in the same spot for 13 hours. Will we flood? Will winds bring trees raining down my pretty face? Is this just another overstated false alarm as Eduard was? Will staff writer Mills-McCoin clean his filthy room? Lemme know what you are thinking.

PS- Recession Thursday is still on for tonight.

The Delta Spirit

San Diego's Delta Spirit play tomorrow night at Walter's on Washington with Dr. Dog and we're pretty stoked. So much so that we gave 'em the ol' touring band five-question grilling. (link)

T.K. Webb

Brooklyn Rockmeister T.K. Webb is playing Thursday at Rudz with his new band the Visions and we give him the standard touring band 5 questions. (link)


Photo by Daniel Arnold from TK Webb & The Visions' myspace

Where's the Writer?

It's kind of like a really really sucky game of Where's Waldo but here are some tips on how to spot these bastards! (Link)

B L A C K I E - Live at the Rice Student Center tonight

Live Review: Harlem, The McKenzies, Paris Falls, and Giant Princess @ Late Night Pie

We recap a fine Indie Houston inaugural event. A fine Saturday evening of Music, Beer, and Pizza and .. ewwww ... John Sears mining for nose goblins?! Oh dude John, No! Stop!

Read on in the music section (Link)

Westheimer Block Party Commercial #1

Montrose Farmer's Market | Every Saturday

The first ever Montrose Farmer's Market will be held in the parking lot of La Strada this Saturday, September 6, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Confirmed vendors for opening weekend include a local produce farmer, homemade bread and pastas from La Strada, specialty desserts, Sage Salads, fresh soups, an award-winning vegan chili and home treats such as bath salts, body lotions, candles and handmade soaps.

This weeks music preview for the week of September 05 2008

This week the bands invade - Buxton (right) and a lot of the Mia Kat Posse take over Cactus; Paris Falls, The McKenzies and more invade Late Nite Pie; and B L A C K I E takes over KTRU! Plus the usual cast of dorks with amps. Check it out (Link)

What's The Freaking Deal With Indie Houston?

"What's The Freaking Deal With Indie Houston?"
"I dunno."
"Hey, why not contact them and find out?"
"Great Idea!"

Find out what the freaking deal in the Music section (Link)

Look Mexico, Bear Colony, and CoCo LaRouge tonight at Numbers

Amy Goodman Arrested at RNC

Well, it looks like they are arresting journalists down at the RNC. Democracy Now's Amy Goodman has been arresting shortly after 2 of her producers were as well. You have got to wonder if the same thing would have happened to Candy Crowley of CNN or ABC's Diane Sawyer. News media are saying that St. Paul has become the "most militarized city" since post-9/11 NYC as a result of protesting the Republican Convention.

Music Review- Indian Jewelry, Wiggins, Dizzy Pilot @ The Backroom & Archie Bell, Mighty Hannibal, Barbara Lynn @ The Continental

This Friday we went to the Continental Club and The Backroom at the Mink which made for a very amusing contrast of styles and genres. (Article in the Music Section)

This gets me SOO hot!

This is the subject matter from my last 7 erotic dreams. What can I say? I like old, conservative honeys. Throw some Gov. Sarah Palin in the mix and you got a slice of heaven.

Westheimer Block Party Lineup Unveiled!

Local Music News - 01 September 2008

It's been a busy labor day weekend in Houston music. Noise and Smoke II makes a big announcement plus Born Liars, Gay Marriage, Little Seven, two new labels, and a music conference of sorts. (Link)

This month in the Free Press - Tambersauro

One of Houston's best, most challenging, and uncompromising bands sits and chats with us on the eve of the release of their newest album. (Link)