Silenced voices from the toxic triangle
Greg M. Schwartz gschwartz@sacurrent.com San Antonio Metro Health says it’s trying to “cover all the bases” when it comes to analyzing the health issues that plague the city’s “toxic triangle” by the former Kelly Air Force Base. But that only seems to apply to reasons other than the toxic contaminants in the underground plume emanating…
India ink: Express-News chisme
Two independent sources told the Current this week that the Express-News — which bade farewell to 135-odd employees last month (and decided not to fill 30 open positions) — is outsourcing at least some of its design and production work to India. Ad production is said to be taking longer, and ads are going through…
Justice and bad, bad Alberto Fujimori
Brian Thompson bthompsoe@gmail.com On April 7, 2009 the Peruvian justice system did the unthinkable: It actually worked. On that day, ex-president Alberto Fujimori was found guilty on several counts of human rights abuses. Fujimori, who served as president of Peru from 1990 to 2000, was alleged to have ordered several massacres in the Andean highlands.…
Chaléwood No. 3: Laz Alonso
Laz Alonso — Fast and Furious It’s no easy task when you’re going up against someone as physically intimidating as Vin Diesel in a movie. That’s where Cuban American actor Laz Alonso found himself when he was cast as car racing bad boy Fenix Rise in Fast and Furious, the fourth installment of the series.…
Toxic Triangle research mystery deepens
Greg M. Schwartz gschwartz@sacurrent.com San Antonio Metro Health is the agency currently charged with researching the question of what’s been causing the health problems in the city’s “Toxic Triangle” by the former Kelly Air Force Base, such as the elevated rates of liver cancer. Most citizens of the affected region believe that chemicals from the…
Welcome, Mark Cuban!
Dear Mark: Welcome to SA. We always secretly wanted you the way you always secretly wanted us. Just as America rejoiced at the news that the special fat-burning-fat we had as babies does not entirely abandon us when we grow up, we celebrate evidence that it is possible to develop a sense of humor as…
Indian Giver: Jeffrey Gibson’s Absurdist Meta-Tribalism at Sala Diaz
Jeffrey Gibson “Nobody Said Anything (Outside Totem)” 2009 fiberglass and plastic planters (Made in China, India and USA), steel and wood approximately 12 feet high x 3 feet diameter I saw Jeffrey Gibson’s Sala Diaz show, “Totems,” on the same night as the Alameda opening of “Caras Vemos, Corazones no Sabemos” and “Phantom Sightings” which…
Fear and loathing at the AT&T Center
Greg M. Schwartz gschwartz@sacurrent.com It was a bitterly disheartening evening for the Spur Nation last night, as fans watched their team slide across the spectrum from the best of times to the worst of times. When the Spurs jumped out to an early 19-point lead over the Portland Trailblazers, it looked as if the silver…
Girl in a Coma responds to Houston arrest
By Gilbert Garcia Things have been quiet on the Girl in a Coma front since the March 22 arrest of band members Nina Diaz and Jenn Alva at the Houston club Chances. This afternoon, the band, via its publicists, released the following statement on the incident: “As has been reported in the media, two of…
Sobriety check points deemed unlikely but blood draws loom
The Texas Senate has recently passed two bills that target drunk drivers at the potential expense of the general population’s civil rights, which now puts the House on the hot seat to vote on whether these bills should become law. SB 298 would allow police in urban areas to set up sobriety checkpoints on roads…
Green energy workshop leaves enthusiasm, high expectations in its wake
Jeremy Rifkin blesses his pupils: Aurora Geis, Phil Hardberger, Steve Bartley. Greg Harman gharman@sacurrent.com Jeremey Rifkin has left the building. But his four pillars linger on. The two-day discussion on the edge of the Hill Country with international sustainability guru Jeremy Rifkin and a variety of his Roundtable members, themselves drawn from across the energy…
Some Artpace travel grant application info
Tomorrow night: Artpace Travel Journal: 2008 Travel Grant Recipient Lecture Join 2008 Travel Grant recipients for an evening of recollection. The artists give a short presentation on their experience, made possible by Artpace’s annual Travel Grant. A short information session on how to apply for the 2009 Travel Grant follows. Travel Grant recipients include Ricky…
Living Thing
Living Thing Composer: Peter, Bjorn & John Conductor: Peter, Bjorn & John Label: Almost Gold Release Date: 2009-04-08 Rated: NONE Genre: Recording You know how the catchier-than-influenza whistling hook of “Young Folks” became annoying after you heard it for the 2,478th time? Well, Peter Bjorn & John are cutting to the chase this time —…
To Lose My Life
To Lose My Life Composer: White Lies Conductor: White Lies Label: Fiction/Geffen Release Date: 2009-04-08 Rated: NONE Genre: Recording The latest band to get a whole bunch of English people’s knickers twisted just reached the legal drinking age in the U.S. That means White Lies were born at least five years after most of the…
Metamorphosen
Metamorphosen Composer: Branford Marsalis Quartet Conductor: Branford Marsalis Quartet Label: Marsalis Music Release Date: 2009-04-08 Rated: NONE Genre: Recording It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years since Marsalis issued his brilliant debut, Scenes in the City. The sax master doesn’t seem to age, as he just keeps on putting out one jazz gem after…
Furiouser and furiouser
Fast & Furious Director: Justin Lin Screenwriter: Justin Lin Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz, Gal Gadot, Liza LaPira, and Laz Alonso Release Date: 2009-04-08 Rated: PG-13 Genre: Film The funny thing about the renewed interest in this car-porn franchise (the new fourth film out-grossed even the first and second…
Adventureland
Critic’s Pick Adventureland Director: Greg Mottola Screenwriter: Greg Mottola Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Jack Gilpin, Wendie Malick, Kristen Stewart, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Ryan Reynolds Release Date: 2009-04-08 Rated: R Genre: Film From the Replacements song playing during the opening credits to the tasteful choice of the acoustic version of the Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Taste…
One if by land, two by sea
Roaring Fork, good. Wildfish, better
Who wants to know?
Release Date: 2009-04-08 A few weeks back, Bar Tab poet laureate Lyle Rosdahl reviewed the unusually named bar Early Bird Special No. 1. With an abundance of oddly named bars around town, Bar Tab decided to pursue the issue further and see what we would find — if not some form of lost treasure then…
Ram Jam 4 w Big Drag, Snowbyrd
Release Date: 2009-04-08 The devastating loss of Ram Ayala’s Taco Land still can be felt across San Antonio. So far no music venue yet has come close to replacing its special niche. Who knew that being called a pussy at a dive bar could be so endearing? The legendary Big Drag was a quintessential Taco…
The Genetics of Madness
Release Date: 2009-04-08 Dr. Michael Escamilla, Director of the South Texas Medical Genetics Research Group, discusses what he has learned about bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and the human mind. Avid Current readers will recall Escamilla’s long-term role in the local music scene. He formed perhaps SA’s original New Wave band, No Way Muffo, back in the…
Artpace Travel Journal: 2008 Grant Recipient Lecture
Release Date: 2009-04-08 Each year Artpace awards money for artists to basically just travel. Oh, some work generally needs to come out of it, but it’s a sweet gig if you can score it. On Thursday, the 2008 Travel Grant recipients give short presentations about their travels and experiences. We expect exciting tales from the…
In the Can Film Slam
Release Date: 2009-04-08 The Radius Café has a new series called Café Cinema to screen films every Friday night and this event might be the best of the series to date: a collection of short films from some of the rising stars in the Texas film scene. And that’s actually true. Filmmakers include: Jenn Garrison,…
Yes Yes Yes Festival
Release Date: 2009-04-08 This is year no. 1 for a grassroots festival created to build synergy for artists and musicians running the SA/San Marcos/Austin IH-35 gauntlet. Consider it cultural fair trade. Musicians include: El Paso Heist from Austin, Funkotron from San Marcos, with SA’s Yoshimoto hitting the stage at midnight. Artwork by various IH-35 artists.…
Robo Disco Party
Release Date: 2009-04-08 A Texas electronic music showcase and celebration of the Moog synthesizer with Hyperbubble, iLL Prospekt, Scorpio Rising, Midi Fister, & I ok. The goofy spelling of a majority of these bands makes us think of heavy metal or a Bay Area hip-hop collective, but it’s not the case. Expect a night of…
Nickelback, Saving Abel, & Seether
Release Date: 2009-04-08 Greetings brothers and sisters, We hope this humble free pamphlet will serve as your gateway to Kroegerism, a religion based not on hate or fear, but on the lyrics and lifestyle of Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger. We followers of this simple marketing-research-dictated formula we call the Long Road soar through this existence as…
Art Opening: Enmascarados III: (Homage to Lucha Libre)
Release Date: 2009-04-08 We were recently re-won-over by lucha libre as an awesomely fun archetype, mostly due to the efforts of those superb masked men of the Dignowity Hill Pushcart Derby team, Los Luchadores. So we’re newly interested in a group art exhibition at Gallista Gallery opening this weekend: The flyer for ENMASCARADAS III features…
UGK 4 Life
UGK 4 Life Composer: UGK Conductor: UGK Label: Jive Release Date: 2009-04-08 Rated: NONE Genre: Recording Released more than a year after Pimp C was found dead in a West Hollywood hotel, hit-and-miss UGK 4 Life, the duo’s probable last act, isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s a fitting conclusion. First proper song “Still on the…
THE SOUND & THE FURY
It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly four years since Taco Land owner/icon Ram Ayala was killed at his own club. Both Ayala and his bar represented freedom from self-consciousness (or genre restrictions) and an unabashed devotion to good times, and Saustex Media’s Jeff Smith continues to honor that spirit with his annual Ram Jam…
Bisön
Vocalist-guitarist Jerid Morris claims it’s pronounced “buy-soon”, but he (probably) isn’t serious. That doesn’t even really make grammatical sense (for more on improper umlaut use, see page 31). In fact, Bisön, with song titles such as the AC/DC-reminiscent (in title, if decidedly not in sound) “Rode a Power Chord to Hell,” and “M.” — named…
“Golden Road” — The Grasshopper Lies Heavy
While the Ant was busy storing up food against the harsh winter soon to come, the Grasshopper hung out in his dorm room, shotgunning Robitussin and listening to Melvins records with his ear pressed against the subwoofer. By first freeze, the Ant had socked away enough crumbs to fill his hill, and the Grasshopper had…
Flash of genius
It didn’t take long for actor Seth Rogen to earn leading-man status after coming on the scene in 1999 as the sarcastic underachiever Ken Miller on the TV show Freaks and Geeks. While the Judd Apatow-produced series was shortlived, Rogen has since become one of the core players of a group of actors Vanity Fair…
S’Nuff film
Where do we start? There are movie screenings all over town this week of the cost-shit and free persuasion (and not as in “download an unfinished bootleg copy of that Wolverinemovie and wait for the Fox black-ops agents to swarm your computer desk” free, either). In the first category, director Juan Carlos Hernández’s San Antonio-shot…
More like ‘Kröd Mändon’t’
The problem with Comedy Central’s new sword-and-sorcery spoof Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire starts at the umlauts. A look at all that unnecessary dottage in the title will tell you most of what you need to know about the series’ introductory episode (debuting 9 p.m. Thursday, April 9). This is the kind…
China: Superpower or superposer?
Ponder this: A superhero’s nemesis is known as a super villain. So what do you call a superpower’s evil opposite? Last week, a group of Canadian researchers released a report revealing a large-scale electronic spying operation that has collected data from numerous government offices and foreign embassies, including the office of the Dalai Lama. Dubbed…
Tough Love
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." –Ephesians 6:11 Chaos ensues in the parking lot of the Miracle Center Church on Commercial Avenue in the heart of Southside…
¿Que quiere decir ‘Brownsville’?
Remember “books”? Those flippy rectangular things you used to spend a lot of time reading, back before the internet? Often associated with “school.” I largely lived through them, once, but now I read far fewer than I used to, particularly in the genre of the contemporary novel. Apparently the same is true with nearly everybody,…
Blackbirds will sing
For several years early in this decade, Korean native Misook Kim was the most consistently rewarding composer resident in San Antonio. Her music was fearlessly Modern — spiky, protean, often highly compressed, proudly declining to participate in the fashion for “accessibility” — but she was so sure-footed in her instincts and her craft that she…
Amuse-BOUCHE
The much-anticipated Saturday-morning Pearl Farmers Marketis in development on the grounds of the old brewery, and this weekend it will be tinkering with the logistics, which means, yes, vendors will be on hand, but, no, don’t all show up and overwhelm them. The May 16 grand opening will be here before you know it, what…
The QueQue
The march hare Judge Fred Biery dissolved the injunction against the City’s revamped Parade Ordinance last week, just as the Current was hustling its April 1 edition to press. So, for the time being: government-approved processions get a free ride (Diez y Seis, the MLK march, and the Veterans Day parade), the City comps up…
Royal flush
As Mary Alice Cisneros exits the Olmos Park Panchito’s on a Monday morning, you’re suddenly reminded that you’re observing Alamo City royalty. It’s not so much what Cisneros says as she greets old friends, curious constituents, and police officers. For the most part, she offers little more than small talk and pleasantries, albeit in both…
Dear Uncle Mat
My partner of five years is cheating on me. Am I in turn allowed to cheat on him? — Anonymous Dear Anonymous, Do you read this column? That is a stupid question and your Uncle Mat is grumpy today. I should just type an emphatic “NO” and tell you to pull your head out of…
Jim Smith
I’ve referred to Jim Smith for years as the “Colorist to the Stars!” He usually laughs, but inwardly I’m sure he’s gritting his teeth. He loathes ostentation, artifice, or vulgarity of any kind. One of the most visually astute people I’ve ever come across, Jim’s exterior is one of quiet reserve and self-effacing shyness. A…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your role model for the coming week is George Garratt, a British guy who legally changed his name to Captain Fantastic Faster Than Superman Spiderman Batman Wolverine Hulk And The Flash Combined. Like him, I hope you will be extravagant as you re-imagine your self-image … and be playful as you…
¡Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: For as long as I can remember, Mexicans were known for doing three things: Drinking lots of cerveza, having lots of niños, and saying “¡Ay, caramba!” While I can vouch for the first two, I’ve never, ever personally heard a Mexican utter those famous two words. Is this an urban myth or what? …
Quarterly Buzz Report
It’s never too early to start making Top 10 lists. That’s what being a music critic is all about. So as we say goodbye to the first quarter of 2009, we look back on five albums that rocked our January, February, and March. Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion WHAT’S THE BUZZ? The members have names…
CPS may deconstruct proposed 100MW solar farm before it’s built
Community green centers could take its place CPS Energy’s acting GM Bartlett: Let’s get small. Greg Harman gharman@sacurrent.com At this second day of a two-day workshop geared toward finding the green energy solutions to help San Antonio transition from a carbon-intensive power provider to a leaner, more decentralized utility shifts in thinking within City-owned CPS…
