On the Street
Deck On The Street (12/10/06) Around noon on Tuesday I was in a car driving west on 410 for seemingly ever to that nether region of the city that falls between Ingram Park Mall to the north and the 410/90 junction to the south. I grew up in San Antonio and felt I had been…
Armchair Cinephile: The Cine-Mini
Deck PICK OF THE WEEK: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (Sony): Or, as I’ve come to know him via Sacha Baron Cohen’s Jean Girard, “Reeky Booby.” Will Ferrell’s film vehicles often don’t live up to his talent, but this one comes closer than most. Better still, its success at the box office should…
Armchair Cinephile: The Cine-Mini
Deck PICK OF THE WEEK: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (Sony): Or, as I’ve come to know him via Sacha Baron Cohen’s Jean Girard, “Reeky Booby.” Will Ferrell’s film vehicles often don’t live up to his talent, but this one comes closer than most. Better still, its success at the box office should…
12 Days Left –12 Gifts
The very best, last-minute shopping guide you’ll ever find, in which something for everyone (including your dear mom and that The very best, last-minute shopping guide you’ll ever find, in which something for everyone (including your dear mom and that data-entry ska dude you hardly know from the office Secret Santa) is lumped together without…
12 Days Left –12 Gifts
The very best, last-minute shopping guide you’ll ever find, in which something for everyone (including your dear mom and that The very best, last-minute shopping guide you’ll ever find, in which something for everyone (including your dear mom and that data-entry ska dude you hardly know from the office Secret Santa) is lumped together without…
12 Days Left – 12 Gifts
The very best, last-minute shopping guide you’ll ever find, in which something for everyone (including your dear mom and that The very best, last-minute shopping guide you’ll ever find, in which something for everyone (including your dear mom and that data-entry ska dude you hardly know from the office Secret Santa) is lumped together without…
Clothes-Minded
Haven’t finished shopping yet? Put on your PJs, pour some cocoa, and power up your laptop. Here are five last-minute, fuss-free gifts under $50: For the Hostess with the Mostest: Who could resist the happy, psychedelic assault of French Bull’s vividly colored serving platters? Made from melamine, the platters are a generous 15-1/2 inches in…
Recipes Without Roadmaps
There’s a poem by Simon Ortiz, of the Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico, called “How to make a good chili stew — this one on July 16, a Saturday, Indian 1971.” I like this poem, because it is at once a recipe and a meditation upon the many interconnected stories that come together behind a…
Pig Tales
111
Bret, You’re Going Down
Keep that eye open, Bret — you’ll need all the depth perception you can get to thwart whoever’s looking to poison you for good. Remember how every two-bit singer from Lionel Richie to the Mandrell Sisters insulted John Lennon’s memory after his murder by beefing up their security, as if to say, “My God, we…
Monopoly Money
On January 28, 2004, the five members of the Federal Communications Commission came to San Antonio for a public hearing on the importance of localism in media. Michael Powell, then-chairman of the FCC, defined localism as “the responsiveness of a broadcast station to the needs and interests of its community,” and added that the promotion…
Clothes-Minded
Haven’t finished shopping yet? Put on your PJs, pour some cocoa, and power up your laptop. Here are five last-minute, fuss-free gifts under $50: For the Hostess with the Mostest: Who could resist the happy, psychedelic assault of French Bull’s vividly colored serving platters? Made from melamine, the platters are a generous 15-1/2 inches in…
Recipes Without Roadmaps
Poetic stew, sans recipes and rules. There’s a poem by Simon Ortiz, of the Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico, called “How to make a good chili stew — this one on July 16, a Saturday, Indian 1971.” I like this poem, because it is at once a recipe and a meditation upon the many interconnected…
Pig Tales
Dakota Fanning and one of the 70 (!) pigs that played Wilbur in the new adaptation of Charlotte’s Web. Although it might be an unwritten rule in some Hollywood circles that working with either children or animals on a movie set is more trouble than, say, working with a hungover Lindsay Lohan, there also seems…
The SATown Lowdown – Guest Column
Here we go again. A few days ago, San Antonio’s Historic Design and Review Commission approved the request of Federal Realty Investment Trust to demolish two buildings on downtown Houston Street. Federal argued that the Walgreen’s and Stuart buildings had deteriorated so much that rehabilitation was unthinkable, and Walgreen’s said it would leave if it…
Monopoly Money
On January 28, 2004, the five members of the Federal Communications Commission came to San Antonio for a public hearing on the importance of localism in media. Michael Powell, then-chairman of the FCC, defined localism as “the responsiveness of a broadcast station to the needs and interests of its community,” and added that the promotion…
Artifacts
The Winter 2007 cover of BOMB, the Brooklyn-based mag in which creative minds dig on other creative minds, is featuring a San Antonio artist — Alex Rubio — for the first time in its 25-year history, and Blue Star Contemporary Art Center is sharing the spotlight with an unveiling at 6 p.m. December 14. (Reminiscent…
An Italian-Texan Courtship
Carmine’s 3820 FM 3009 Shertz 658-8822 11am-9pm Tue-Fri, 4-10pm Sat, noon-8pm Sun Credit cards Entrées: $11.49-$23.95 Accessible Though we haven’t met, I have exchanged several emails with Phil Sprio, chef/owner of Schertz’s Carmine’s, trying to figure out why a guy who, with his brother, owned a successful restaurant (also Carmine’s) in Albany would want to…
Aural Pleasure – Album Reviews
If you’ve ever wondered what a Christmas album for junkies would sound like, pick up Aimee Mann’s latest, One More Drifter in the Snow. OK, that’s not fair. One would assume it’s a Christmas album for junkies when, in fact, perfectly sober people can enjoy it, too. It’s just that … well, Mann is a…
The Say-Town Lowdown – Guest Column
Here we go again. A few days ago, San Antonio’s Historic Design and Review Commission approved the request of Federal Realty Investment Trust to demolish two buildings on downtown Houston Street. Federal argued that the Walgreen’s and Stuart buildings had deteriorated so much that rehabilitation was unthinkable, and Walgreen’s said it would leave if it…
Artifacts
BOMB’s Winter 2007 issue, featuring cover art by Alex Rubio. The Winter 2007 cover of BOMB, the Brooklyn-based mag in which creative minds dig on other creative minds, is featuring a San Antonio artist — Alex Rubio — for the first time in its 25-year history, and Blue Star Contemporary Art Center is sharing the…
An Italian-Texan Courtship
A tiny lemon tart complements pan-seared scallops at Carmine’s in Schertz.Carmine’s 3820 FM 3009 Shertz 658-8822 11am-9pm Tue-Fri, 4-10pm Sat, noon-8pm Sun Credit cards Entrees: $11.49-$23.95 Accessible http://www.Artpace.org Though we haven’t met, I have exchanged several emails with Phil Sprio, chef/owner of Schertz’s Carmine’s, trying to figure out why a guy who, with his brother,…
Aural Pleasure – Album Reviews
If you’ve ever wondered what a Christmas album for junkies would sound like, pick up Aimee Mann’s latest, One More Drifter in the Snow. OK, that’s not fair. One would assume it’s a Christmas album for junkies when, in fact, perfectly sober people can enjoy it, too. It’s just that … well, Mann is a…
Tommy Pitches a Tent
The Big House meets the Big Top: Arizona’s “Tent City” jail model could be coming to town. Among the citizenry of Phoenix, Arizona, there are only two sentiments for Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio: you either love the tough son of a bitch or loathe the sick bastard, and there ain’t nothing in between. Dubbed…
The Mashup
I haven’t had much time to shop at the malls this year; like a chunk of consumers, I’m getting a lot of gift-giving done online. One plus has been that I’ve been subjected to almost no Muzak or easy-listening Christmas tunes — I can pick my own soundtrack on the computer, and the closest I’ve…
Aural Pleasure – Album Reviews
One More Drifter in the Snow Aimee Mann (SuperEgo) ` If you’ve ever wondered what a Christmas album for junkies would sound like, pick up Aimee Mann’s latest, One More Drifter in the Snow. OK, that’s not fair. One would assume it’s a Christmas album for junkies when, in fact, perfectly sober people can enjoy…
Bullies on the River Walk Playground
First they came for Santa, then they came for the caricature artists. The enduring debate over whether roaming vendors are “appropriate” to River Walk ambience is fast becoming reminiscent of a playground squabble between the big kids who won’t let the weird kid play four square. Most of the vendors seem to have accepted the…
Tommy Pitches a Tent
The Big House meets the Big Top: Arizona’s “Tent City” jail model could be coming to town. Among the citizenry of Phoenix, Arizona, there are only two sentiments for Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio: you either love the tough son of a bitch or loathe the sick bastard, and there ain’t nothing in between. Dubbed…
The Mashup
From the Editor I haven’t had much time to shop at the malls this year; like a chunk of consumers, I’m getting a lot of gift-giving done online. One plus has been that I’ve been subjected to almost no Muzak or easy-listening Christmas tunes — I can pick my own soundtrack on the computer, and…
Aural Pleasure – Album Reviews
One More Drifter in the Snow Aimee Mann (SuperEgo) If you’ve ever wondered what a Christmas album for junkies would sound like, pick up Aimee Mann’s latest, One More Drifter in the Snow. OK, that’s not fair. One would assume it’s a Christmas album for junkies when, in fact, perfectly sober people can enjoy it,…
Tommy Pitches a Tent
The Big House meets the Big Top: Arizona’s “Tent City” jail model could be coming to town. Among the citizenry of Phoenix, Arizona, there are only two sentiments for Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio: you either love the tough son of a bitch or loathe the sick bastard, and there ain’t nothing in between. Dubbed…
That’s a Wrap
Know this: If you watch The Pursuit of Happyness, you will cry until your ass falls off. Period. (Goes double for grammarians.) (Yes, that means grammarians’ asses will fall off twice.) That’s the bad news, if you happen to be one of those folks who fears the soul-cleansing effects of a good, hard (public) blubbering.…
Sound and the Fury
GUNS FIGHT Jack’s Patio Bar & Grill is celebrating the holiday season with a double-fisted flashback to the days when glam-metal ruled the Sunset Strip. Bret Michaels would be enough to inspire Headbangers Ball nostalgia, but the club is going the extra mile by welcoming L.A. Guns, or at least one competing version of L.A.…
Tommy Pitches a Tent
The Big House meets the Big Top: Arizona’s “Tent City” jail model could be coming to town. Among the citizenry of Phoenix, Arizona, there are only two sentiments for Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio: you either love the tough son of a bitch or loathe the sick bastard, and there ain’t nothing in between. Dubbed…
Straight Shooter
The Psycho (Trade) Image Story by James Hudnall Art by Dan Brereton $17.99, 172 pages Punisher War Journal: Civil War #1 Marvel Story by Matt Fraction Art by Ariel Olivetti, Dean White $2.99, 30 pages The Last Christmas (Trade) Image Story by Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn Art by Rick Remender, Hilary Barta $14.99, 176 pages…
That’s a Wrap
Know this: If you watch The Pursuit of Happyness, you will cry until your ass falls off. Period. (Goes double for grammarians.) (Yes, that means grammarians’ asses will fall off twice.) That’s the bad news, if you happen to be one of those folks who fears the soul-cleansing effects of a good, hard (public) blubbering.…
CDs Nuts
111
Allen Icon
Forget what KRS-One said, Allen Iverson is hip-hop — not to be confused with Hip-Hop, the Philadelphia 76ers’ mascot-rabbit. Since entering the NBA in 1996, the Answer has been the physical manifestation of the four elements in the league, a quality that endears him to some and vilifies him in the eyes of others. He’s…
12 days left.
ggg
We mean interactive
365 Days/365 Plays: Week 5 7pm Sun, Dec 17 Pass-the-hat donations Colectiva Performance Group 1100 Broadway Colectivaperformancegroup.org Saying there’s a wrong way to do a cycle of Suzan-Lori Parks’s 365 Days/365 Plays might be like saying there’s a wrong way to eat a Reese’s, so this is going to be tricky … To catch everyone…
Armchair Cinephile: The Cine-Mini
A few very appealing box sets have slipped through this column’s fingers during the year, and, of course, quite a few more have been released this month. For the record, here are sets worth a spot on any obsessive film-buff’s shelves: Preston Sturges: The Filmmaker Collection (Universal): Surely the most welcome arrival of the year…
CDs Nuts
111
12 Days Left
ggg
We mean interactive
Former Violations The Ruth and Hell Starr take Suzan-Lori Parks to the people at the Mix for their Cantina Posada. 365 Days/365 Plays: Week 5 7pm Sun, Dec 17 Pass-the-hat donations Colectiva Performance Group 1100 Broadway Colectivaperformancegroup.org Saying there’s a wrong way to do a cycle of Suzan-Lori Parks’s 365 Days/365 Plays might be like…
Armchair Cinephile
Racist stereotype or Mexican freedom fighter? Either way, Speedy Gonzales gets a disc of his own on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume Four. A few very appealing box sets have slipped through this column’s fingers during the year, and, of course, quite a few more have been released this month. For the record, here…
CDs Nuts
111
We mean interactive
Former Violations The Ruth and Hell Starr take Suzan-Lori Parks to the people at the Mix for their Cantina Posada. 365 Days/365 Plays: Week 5 7pm Sun, Dec 17 Pass-the-hat donations Colectiva Performance Group 1100 Broadway Colectivaperformancegroup.org Saying there’s a wrong way to do a cycle of Suzan-Lori Parks’s 365 Days/365 Plays might be like…
CDs Nuts
Kingdom Come Jay-Z (Roc-a-Fella) On his latest, Jay-Z refers to himself as the “Mike Jordan of recordin’.” And I’m glad he does, too, because that frees me to make the hilarious observation that Kingdom Come is like the season His Airness came out of retirement to play for the Washington Wizards. Sure, he’s still one…
Gloves off at Artpace
If you value your eyebrows, you don’t want to get too close to Katie Pell’s tricked-out appliances in her Bitchen exhibition at Artpace. Consider the dangers faced by characters in Pell’s oversized comic book, which accompanies the souped-up stoves on display at the show. During a “flame-off, accelerants were permitted and people got hurt.” Also…
Lovesick Leave
“Um, Jude … my eyes are up here.” The Holiday Dir. and writ. Nancy Meyers; feat. Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach, Rufus Sewell, Edward Burns (PG-13) If you (A) can name the last three teams to win the Super Bowl or (B) have built something out of wood in the…
CDs Nuts
Kingdom Come Jay-Z (Roc-a-Fella) On his latest, Jay-Z refers to himself as the “Mike Jordan of recordin’.” And I’m glad he does, too, because that frees me to make the hilarious observation that Kingdom Come is like the season His Airness came out of retirement to play for the Washington Wizards. Sure, he’s still one…
We mean interactive
Former Violations The Ruth and Hell Starr take Suzan-Lori Parks to the people at the Mix for their Cantina Posada. 365 Days/365 Plays: Week 5 7pm Sun, Dec 17 Pass-the-hat donations Colectiva Performance Group 1100 Broadway Colectivaperformancegroup.org Saying there’s a wrong way to do a cycle of Suzan-Lori Parks’s 365 Days/365 Plays might be like…
Gloves off at Artpace
Katie Pell’s Bitchen stove is one player in a fantastic David vs. Goliath saga, on view at Artpace. New Works: 06.3 Noon-5pm Wed-Sun, noon-8pm Thu Through Jan 14 Free Artpace 445 N. Main 212-4900 Artpace.org If you value your eyebrows, you don’t want to get too close to Katie Pell’s tricked-out appliances in her Bitchen…
Lovesick Leave
“Um, Jude … my eyes are up here.” The Holiday Dir. and writ. Nancy Meyers; feat. Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach, Rufus Sewell, Edward Burns (PG-13) If you (A) can name the last three teams to win the Super Bowl or (B) have built something out of wood in the…
After Sunset
111
Straight Shooter
The Psycho (Trade) Image Story by James Hudnall Art by Dan Brereton $17.99, 172 pages Punisher War Journal: Civil War #1 Marvel Story by Matt Fraction Art by Ariel Olivetti, Dean White $2.99, 30 pages The Last Christmas (Trade) Image Story by Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn Art by Rick Remender, Hilary Barta $14.99, 176 pages…
Value Vino – Great wines for under $15
Christian Tietje, Four Vines winery’s founder, “Zinbitch and Maker of Wine,” is a big boy. Burly even, balding, and completely cocksure. Definitely not a self-effacing, all-wine-is-made-in-the-vineyard kinda guy. A fallen-away pre-med student, much is made of the fact that in a prior life he was also a professional chef in the Northeast. Over lunch at…
Come on, get happie
About 10 or so years ago, I watched a TV sitcom episode whose final scene has stuck with me ever since. As the image faded to silence, I sat, lumpthroated and dumbstruck, in the wake of a stunning little pocket of emotion that, I have since realized, ranks unquestionably as one of the most breathtaking…
After Sunset
Precocious mandolinist Sarah Jarosz, 15, performed last week at the Candlelight Coffeehouse. According to Wikipedia.com, a mandolin is a “small, stringed musical instrument which is plucked, strummed or a combination of both.” A descendant of the medieval mandora, or lute, the mandolin seems to inspire a range of emotion, from the dreamlike indolence or passion…
Straight Shooter
The Psycho (Trade) Image Story by James Hudnall Art by Dan Brereton $17.99, 172 pages Punisher War Journal: Civil War #1 Marvel Story by Matt Fraction Art by Ariel Olivetti, Dean White $2.99, 30 pages The Last Christmas (Trade) Image Story by Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn Art by Rick Remender, Hilary Barta $14.99, 176 pages…
Value Vino – Great wines for under $15
Christian Tietje, Four Vines winery’s founder, “Zinbitch and Maker of Wine,” is a big boy. Burly even, balding, and completely cocksure. Definitely not a self-effacing, all-wine-is-made-in-the-vineyard kinda guy. A fallen-away pre-med student, much is made of the fact that in a prior life he was also a professional chef in the Northeast. Over lunch at…
Come on, get happie
OK, parents kind of understand: Smith and son somehow avoid getting into a cute-off in the affecting The Pursuit of Happyness. The Pursuit of Happyness Dir. Gabriele Muccino; writ. Steve Conrad; feat. Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Thandie Newton, Brian Howe, James Karen, Dan Castellaneta, Kurt Fuller (PG-13) About 10 or so years ago, I watched…
Bret, You’re Going Down
Remember how every two-bit singer from Lionel Richie to the Mandrell Sisters insulted John Lennon’s memory after his murder by beefing up their security, as if to say, “My God, we could be next”? Made you want to sit those brow-moppers down and say, “Look, you robots will never mean to the world what a…
Straight Shooter
The Psycho (Trade) Image Story by James Hudnall Art by Dan Brereton $17.99, 172 pages Punisher War Journal: Civil War #1 Marvel Story by Matt Fraction Art by Ariel Olivetti, Dean White $2.99, 30 pages The Last Christmas (Trade) Image Story by Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn Art by Rick Remender, Hilary Barta $14.99, 176 pages…
The Bar Tab
Korea House Lounge 4453 Walzem (210) 599-9210 Simple Cocktail – $4.00 Before Friday night, I thought that all I needed to know about life came from Coach Finstock’s three rules from Teen Wolf: “Never get less than 12 hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city;…
Come on, get happie
OK, parents kind of understand: Smith and son somehow avoid getting into a cute-off in the affecting The Pursuit of Happyness. The Pursuit of Happyness Dir. Gabriele Muccino; writ. Steve Conrad; feat. Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Thandie Newton, Brian Howe, James Karen, Dan Castellaneta, Kurt Fuller (PG-13) About 10 or so years ago, I watched…
Bret, You’re Going Down
Keep that eye open, Bret — you’ll need all the depth perception you can get to thwart whoever’s looking to poison you for good. Remember how every two-bit singer from Lionel Richie to the Mandrell Sisters insulted John Lennon’s memory after his murder by beefing up their security, as if to say, “My God, we…
