Free Will Astrology
By: Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the ancient Hebrew text known as the Second Book of Enoch, the author describes his trip through the ten heavens and a meeting with God. He’s surprised to find that hell is here, located in the northern regions of the third heaven. Why is this relevant to…
Dominion Over Politics
Secular warrior: Salon writer and Kingdom Coming author Michelle Goldberg. Michelle Goldberg, senior writer at Salon.com, opened her recent talk to a packed house at University Presbyterian Church in San Antonio with a characteristically pithy political comment. “I’ve seen the obituary written for the religious right many times, when Clinton won both times and other…
Magnificent Solipsism
POINT TO POINT NAVIGATION By Gore Vidal Doubleday $26, 272 pages If you’ve ever suffered through a movie so bad that inappropriate laughter becomes a necessary form of stress relief, and the most allegedly climactic moments trigger giggle fits worthy of a 10-year-old’s sleepover party; if that’s you, be warned: Gore Vidal’s second memoir will…
Reproductive outlook?
The desert breeds obsession; look to the Middle East-spawned religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam for proof of that. These kindred monotheisms spring from fanatics wrestling with avenging angels, inner demons, and a smiting God under a hammering sun, and while these legends make for engaging sermons, they have little to do with the reality…
Game Theory
United in deprivation, carrying all their worldly belongings in tattered bags, they huddle in diners, in public parks, and in the waiting lounges of transportation terminals. These desperate nomads are a fixture of daily life, and their numbers continue to grow. It might not be politically correct to point this out, but these wretched souls…
Free Will Astrology
By: Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the ancient Hebrew text known as the Second Book of Enoch, the author describes his trip through the ten heavens and a meeting with God. He’s surprised to find that hell is here, located in the northern regions of the third heaven. Why is this relevant to…
Hating on the Candidates
The ‘stache that says, “Trust me, I’m not Bonilla”: Challenger Ciro Rodriguez. I’ve met a middle-aged, mannered PR flack who, when Ciro Rodriguez was mentioned, threatened to kick the former congressman’s ass if he ever met him. The offense? Ciro supported sending that iconic balsero Elián Gonzalez back to Cuba. Manuela from Natalia, a town…
Game Theory
Get it while you can: AC proves inadequate to the digital revolution. United in deprivation, carrying all their worldly belongings in tattered bags, they huddle in diners, in public parks, and in the waiting lounges of transportation terminals. These desperate nomads are a fixture of daily life, and their numbers continue to grow. It might…
A Way With a Manger
“Geez, Mary — I hate to tell you this, but it looks like you’re putting on weight.” THE NATIVITY STORY Dir. Catherine Hardwicke; feat. Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Ciarán Hinds, Shaun Toub, Hiam Abbass, Alexander Siddig (PG) Word came recently that New Line intends to craft an original prequel to The Lord of…
Reproductive outlook?
Priests For Life founder Father Frank Pavone speaks at the Tennessee Right to Life Headquarters. The desert breeds obsession; look to the Middle East-spawned religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam for proof of that. These kindred monotheisms spring from fanatics wrestling with avenging angels, inner demons, and a smiting God under a hammering sun, and…
The Urban Geographer – Walk softly and carry a good master plan
In the 1920s Goth was big in San Antonio and the evidence is still with us. I don’t mean the urban tribe in black lipstick and dark nail polish that made up the 1990s Dead Can Dance fan base. The subject is Gothic Revival architecture and a particular San Antonio building that the American Institute…
Free Will Astrology
By: Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the ancient Hebrew text known as the Second Book of Enoch, the author describes his trip through the ten heavens and a meeting with God. He’s surprised to find that hell is here, located in the northern regions of the third heaven. Why is this relevant to…
Tele-Regional
There were howls of protest in 2001 when NBC purchased Spanish-language television network Telemundo. The National Latino Media Council petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to reject the merger on the grounds that media consolidation was detrimental to the general public. The NLMC argued that consolidation represented a bottom-line strategy to amass the largest possible revenue…
The Green Goddess &ndash Changing the world one shopper at a time
The Players: Mom, Dad, the goddess, and siblings The Setting: Thanksgiving 2005, at the home of my dear mother and father. At one end of the dinning table sits Mom, in her very clean Thanksgiving apron, which is adorned with a glittery cornucopia. She sports perfect nails and a matching knit pantsuit. My father occupies…
Reproductive outlook?
Priests For Life founder Father Frank Pavone speaks at the Tennessee Right to Life Headquarters. The desert breeds obsession; look to the Middle East-spawned religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam for proof of that. These kindred monotheisms spring from fanatics wrestling with avenging angels, inner demons, and a smiting God under a hammering sun, and…
The Art Capades
KEITH WILLIAMS Keith-art.com NEMO By appt. This week only Gas Gallery 2222 N. St. Mary’s 872-2756 Art isn’t so different from coffee in that once you get a taste of the good stuff, you can lose your patience for any deviation from successful formulas. Now that SA has enjoyed a decade of the contemporary-art equivalents…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the ancient Hebrew text known as the Second Book of Enoch, the author describes his trip through the ten heavens and a meeting with God. He’s surprised to find that hell is here, located in the northern regions of the third heaven. Why is this relevant to you? Because I…
Tele-Regional
here were howls of protest in 2001 when NBC purchased Spanish-language television network Telemundo. The National Latino Media Council petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to reject the merger on the grounds that media consolidation was detrimental to the general public. The NLMC argued that consolidation represented a bottom-line strategy to amass the largest possible revenue…
The Urban Geographer – Walk softly and carry a good master plan
In the 1920s Goth was big in San Antonio and the evidence is still with us. I don’t mean the urban tribe in black lipstick and dark nail polish that made up the 1990s Dead Can Dance fan base. The subject is Gothic Revival architecture and a particular San Antonio building that the American Institute…
Dominion Over Politics
Michelle Goldberg, senior writer at Salon.com, opened her recent talk to a packed house at University Presbyterian Church in San Antonio with a characteristically pithy political comment. “I’ve seen the obituary written for the religious right many times, when Clinton won both times and other occasions,” she said. “And the movement has always regrouped in…
The Art Capades
“Inward Ram,” by UTSA grad Keith Williams. KEITH WILLIAMS Keith-art.com NEMO By appt. This week only Gas Gallery 2222 N. St. Mary’s 872-2756 Art isn’t so different from coffee in that once you get a taste of the good stuff, you can lose your patience for any deviation from successful formulas. Now that SA has…
Free Will Astrology
By: Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the ancient Hebrew text known as the Second Book of Enoch, the author describes his trip through the ten heavens and a meeting with God. He’s surprised to find that hell is here, located in the northern regions of the third heaven. Why is this relevant to…
Tele-Regional
There were howls of protest in 2001 when NBC purchased Spanish-language television network Telemundo. The National Latino Media Council petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to reject the merger on the grounds that media consolidation was detrimental to the general public. The NLMC argued that consolidation represented a bottom-line strategy to amass the largest possible revenue…
The Art Capades
“Inward Ram,” by UTSA grad Keith Williams. KEITH WILLIAMS Keith-art.com NEMO By appt. This week only Gas Gallery 2222 N. St. Mary’s 872-2756 Art isn’t so different from coffee in that once you get a taste of the good stuff, you can lose your patience for any deviation from successful formulas. Now that SA has…
Earnest Goes to Africa
Leo and Djimon run from the effects of a riot caused by the former’s infuriating faux-South African accent. Also, U.S. ™ Africa. (Sort of.) For me, it started back in 1992 with The Power of One; a South African epic about apartheid, the film was my first window into the so-called Dark Continent that had,…
Hating on the Candidates
I’ve met a middle-aged, mannered PR flack who, when Ciro Rodriguez was mentioned, threatened to kick the former congressman’s ass if he ever met him. The offense? Ciro supported sending that iconic balsero Elián Gonzalez back to Cuba. Manuela from Natalia, a town not far from Castroville, reserves the same single-issue anger for her Congressman…
The Art Capades
“Inward Ram,” by UTSA grad Keith Williams. KEITH WILLIAMS Keith-art.com NEMO By appt. This week only Gas Gallery 2222 N. St. Mary’s 872-2756 Art isn’t so different from coffee in that once you get a taste of the good stuff, you can lose your patience for any deviation from successful formulas. Now that SA has…
Do Not Attempt To Adjust Your Pantalla
¡Adicional, adicional! ¡Lea todos sobre él! We ran the newsies’ phrase through Alta Vista’s Babel Fish translator to prove a point; Anglo researchers are rarely accurate in their attempts to translate Latino culture, especially when turning statistics into facts. The Hispanic market will continue to grow, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Spanish-language audience…
The Play’s the Thing
Aaron Eckman plays the title role in Attic Rep’s production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT 8pm Thu-Sat, 2:30pm Sun Through Dec 16 $15 Attic Theater Trinity University One Trinity Circle 999-8524 Atticrep.org Theater in San Antonio is currently weighted in favor of two very specific demographics —…
Armchair Cinephile: The Cine-Mini
PICK OF THE WEEK: Supermania (Warner Bros.): How involved in this you need to get depends on your devotion to the Man of Steel. Obsessives will require the Ultimate Collector’s Edition, a mega-box set which has every movie starring the big lug, and multiple versions of some. For everyone else, noteworthy titles are available individually:…
Hating on the Candidates
The ‘stache that says, “Trust me, I’m not Bonilla”: Challenger Ciro Rodriguez. I’ve met a middle-aged, mannered PR flack who, when Ciro Rodriguez was mentioned, threatened to kick the former congressman’s ass if he ever met him. The offense? Ciro supported sending that iconic balsero Elián Gonzalez back to Cuba. Manuela from Natalia, a town…
The Art Capades
“Inward Ram,” by UTSA grad Keith Williams. KEITH WILLIAMS Keith-art.com NEMO By appt. This week only Gas Gallery 2222 N. St. Mary’s 872-2756 Art isn’t so different from coffee in that once you get a taste of the good stuff, you can lose your patience for any deviation from successful formulas. Now that SA has…
Do Not Attempt To Adjust Your Pantalla
¡Adicional, adicional! ¡Lea todos sobre él! We ran the newsies’ phrase through Alta Vista’s Babel Fish translator to prove a point; Anglo researchers are rarely accurate in their attempts to translate Latino culture, especially when turning statistics into facts. The Hispanic market will continue to grow, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Spanish-language audience will…
Armchair Cinephile: The Cine-Mini
Deck PICK OF THE WEEK: Preston Sturges: The Filmmaker Collection (Universal) Includes: Christmas in July, The Great McGinty, The Great Moment, Hail the Conquering Hero, The Lady Eve, The Palm Beach Story, Sullivan’s Travels. I’m pretty sure that no other box set this year has a masterpiece-to-dollar ratio as high as this one, which celebrates…
The Crying Nun
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Hating on the Candidates
The ‘stache that says, “Trust me, I’m not Bonilla”: Challenger Ciro Rodriguez. I’ve met a middle-aged, mannered PR flack who, when Ciro Rodriguez was mentioned, threatened to kick the former congressman’s ass if he ever met him. The offense? Ciro supported sending that iconic balsero Elián Gonzalez back to Cuba. Manuela from Natalia, a town…
The Play’s the Thing
THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT 8pm Thu-Sat, 2:30pm Sun Through Dec 16 $15 Attic Theater Trinity University One Trinity Circle 999-8524 Atticrep.org Theater in San Antonio is currently weighted in favor of two very specific demographics — everyone under 16 years of age, and everyone over 65. If you don’t fall into one of…
Aural Pleasure
The Sweet Escape Gwen Stefani (Interscope) Gwen Stefani is critic-proof. It doesn’t matter what ridiculous thing she dresses herself in, or what sort of equally ridiculous lyric she sings, people always smile, call her a fashion icon (even though no one else has ever attempted to dress like her), and, these days, shake their asses…
Do Not Attempt To Adjust Your Pantalla
¡Adicional, adicional! ¡Lea todos sobre él! We ran the newsies’ phrase through Alta Vista’s Babel Fish translator to prove a point; Anglo researchers are rarely accurate in their attempts to translate Latino culture, especially when turning statistics into facts. The Hispanic market will continue to grow, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Spanish-language audience will…
Not the End of the World
APOCALYPTO Dir. Mel Gibson; writ. Gibson, Farhad Safinia; feat. Rudy Youngblood, Dalia Hernandez, Jonatha Brewer, Morris Birdyellowhead, Carlos Emilio Baez, Ramirez Amilcar, Israel Contreras, Israel Rios, María Isabel Díaz, Raoul Trujillo, Rodolfo Palacios (R) Say what you will about Mel Gibson. Seriously, g’head. Say it. OK. Everybody done yelling at each other now? Good. ’Cause…
The Crying Nun
Deck Something special happens when you’re watching high-school theater; the spotlights shake, a baby tantrums, the lead actors stutter, and the extras force down yawns in the background, and on top of all that, the production has to struggle extra hard to convince the audience they’re not in a converted gymnasium. If the audience were…
Hating on the Candidates
The ‘stache that says, “Trust me, I’m not Bonilla”: Challenger Ciro Rodriguez. I’ve met a middle-aged, mannered PR flack who, when Ciro Rodriguez was mentioned, threatened to kick the former congressman’s ass if he ever met him. The offense? Ciro supported sending that iconic balsero Elián Gonzalez back to Cuba. Manuela from Natalia, a town…
A Way With a Manger
“Geez, Mary — I hate to tell you this, but it looks like you’re putting on weight.” THE NATIVITY STORY Dir. Catherine Hardwicke; feat. Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Ciarán Hinds, Shaun Toub, Hiam Abbass, Alexander Siddig (PG) Word came recently that New Line intends to craft an original prequel to The Lord of…
Sound and the Fury
THRASHER’S RETURN Gerry Gibbs is a virtuoso drummer and a highly loquacious character, and when he and five members of his Thrasher Big Band moved to Los Angeles early this year, it put a sizable dent in the formidable San Antonio jazz scene. Not only had the Thrasher Big Band’s Wednesday night showcases at Luna…
Do Not Attempt to Adjust Your Pantalla
¡Adicional, adicional! ¡Lea todos sobre él! We ran the newsies’ phrase through Alta Vista’s Babel Fish translator to prove a point; Anglo researchers are rarely accurate in their attempts to translate Latino culture, especially when turning statistics into facts. The Hispanic market will continue to grow, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Spanish-language audience will…
Not the End of the World
Jaguar Paw: Mesoamerica’s first — and most stoic — firefighter. APOCALYPTO Dir. Mel Gibson; writ. Gibson, Farhad Safinia; feat. Rudy Youngblood, Dalia Hernandez, Jonatha Brewer, Morris Birdyellowhead, Carlos Emilio Baez, Ramirez Amilcar, Israel Contreras, Israel Rios, María Isabel Díaz, Raoul Trujillo, Rodolfo Palacios (R) Say what you will about Mel Gibson. Seriously, g’head. Say it.…
Aural Pleasure
Gwen Stefani is critic-proof. It doesn’t matter what ridiculous thing she dresses herself in, or what sort of equally ridiculous lyric she sings, people always smile, call her a fashion icon (even though no one else has ever attempted to dress like her), and, these days, shake their asses to her hybrid of hip-hop, drum…
Hating on the Candidates
I’ve met a middle-aged, mannered PR flack who, when Ciro Rodriguez was mentioned, threatened to kick the former congressman’s ass if he ever met him. The offense? Ciro supported sending that iconic balsero Elián Gonzalez back to Cuba. Manuela from Natalia, a town not far from Castroville, reserves the same single-issue anger for her Congressman…
Reproductive outlook?
Priests For Life founder Father Frank Pavone speaks at the Tennessee Right to Life Headquarters. The desert breeds obsession; look to the Middle East-spawned religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam for proof of that. These kindred monotheisms spring from fanatics wrestling with avenging angels, inner demons, and a smiting God under a hammering sun, and…
Sound and the Fury
THRASHER’S RETURN Gerry Gibbs is a virtuoso drummer and a highly loquacious character, and when he and five members of his Thrasher Big Band moved to Los Angeles early this year, it put a sizable dent in the formidable San Antonio jazz scene. Not only had the Thrasher Big Band’s Wednesday night showcases at Luna…
Do Not Attempt to Adjust Your Pantalla
¡Adicional, adicional! ¡Lea todos sobre él! We ran the newsies’ phrase through Alta Vista’s Babel Fish translator to prove a point; Anglo researchers are rarely accurate in their attempts to translate Latino culture, especially when turning statistics into facts. The Hispanic market will continue to grow, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Spanish-language audience will…
That’s a Wrap
Between this weekend’s opening of the much-anticipated, much-denounced, much-hemmed-and-hawed-over Apocalypto and all the publicity recently heaped onto that guy from Seinfeld, that guy from Bird On a Wire might just be on the cusp of his best bid to have a substantial portion of folks nationwide start forgetting about … you know. That other thing.…
Aural Pleasure
Gwen Stefani is critic-proof. It doesn’t matter what ridiculous thing she dresses herself in, or what sort of equally ridiculous lyric she sings, people always smile, call her a fashion icon (even though no one else has ever attempted to dress like her), and, these days, shake their asses to her hybrid of hip-hop, drum…
Hating on the Candidates
I’ve met a middle-aged, mannered PR flack who, when Ciro Rodriguez was mentioned, threatened to kick the former congressman’s ass if he ever met him. The offense? Ciro supported sending that iconic balsero Elián Gonzalez back to Cuba. Manuela from Natalia, a town not far from Castroville, reserves the same single-issue anger for her Congressman…
Spittin’ Game
F.E.A.R. Sierra Xbox 360, PS3, PC $29.99-59.99 Gears of War Epic Games Xbox 360 $59.99 F.E.A.R.’s another entry in the good-but-not-great canon (get it?) of 360 shooters. In my review of the demo last month, I hilariously compared the game to the bastard child of a slutty Half Life 2, but that was prematurely harsh.…
All Ears
Miles and Trane: Two jazz greats whose legendary partnership early in their careers only set the stage for the heights they would achieve in the years to come. As a gift, what is it that makes a four-disc box set more exciting than four individual CDs? Is it the fancy packaging, the photo-laden book offering…
Do Not Attempt to Adjust Your Pantalla
¡Adicional, adicional! ¡Lea todos sobre él! We ran the newsies’ phrase through Alta Vista’s Babel Fish translator to prove a point; Anglo researchers are rarely accurate in their attempts to translate Latino culture, especially when turning statistics into facts. The Hispanic market will continue to grow, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Spanish-language audience will…
Submitted for Our (Enthusiastic) Approval
Half an airliner crashes on a deserted island. The survivors, whose personalities seem hand-picked to play off each other and generate tension, start to see ghosts, hear monsters, and get other hints that inexplicable business is afoot. “Are they all actually dead?” we ask ourselves, “or could this weeks-long experience really be a split-second hallucination…
Aural Pleasure
Gwen Stefani is critic-proof. It doesn’t matter what ridiculous thing she dresses herself in, or what sort of equally ridiculous lyric she sings, people always smile, call her a fashion icon (even though no one else has ever attempted to dress like her), and, these days, shake their asses to her hybrid of hip-hop, drum…
Hating on the Candidates
I’ve met a middle-aged, mannered PR flack who, when Ciro Rodriguez was mentioned, threatened to kick the former congressman’s ass if he ever met him. The offense? Ciro supported sending that iconic balsero Elián Gonzalez back to Cuba. Manuela from Natalia, a town not far from Castroville, reserves the same single-issue anger for her Congressman…
Spittin’ Game
F.E.A.R. Sierra Xbox 360, PS3, PC $29.99-59.99 Gears of War Epic Games Xbox 360 $59.99 F.E.A.R.’s another entry in the good-but-not-great canon (get it?) of 360 shooters. In my review of the demo last month, I hilariously compared the game to the bastard child of a slutty Half Life 2, but that was prematurely harsh.…
Self-Pity Parties
Look, everybody, it’s Jet! … No, wait, it’s who? Hinder? Oh. Never mind. If you conduct Real Rhapsody searches for Hinder and Nickelback, you’ll find that both bands are categorized as “post-grunge.” At first blush, the classification seems absurd and nearly devoid of meaning. After all, couldn’t we describe Christina Aguilera, Pink, Ashanti, or…
Toast
A clean, crystal, classic dry martini is perhaps the most revered and feared cocktail in the repertoire. It has almost alchemical properties, packing an alcoholic punch greater than its constituent parts. For the devoted, ritually trained initiate, the martini can have transformative powers for mind, body, and spirit. There’s a reason it’s commonly referred to,…
Submitted for Our (Enthusiastic) Approval
Half an airliner crashes on a deserted island. The survivors, whose personalities seem hand-picked to play off each other and generate tension, start to see ghosts, hear monsters, and get other hints that inexplicable business is afoot. “Are they all actually dead?” we ask ourselves, “or could this weeks-long experience really be a split-second hallucination…
Aural Pleasure
Gwen Stefani is critic-proof. It doesn’t matter what ridiculous thing she dresses herself in, or what sort of equally ridiculous lyric she sings, people always smile, call her a fashion icon (even though no one else has ever attempted to dress like her), and, these days, shake their asses to her hybrid of hip-hop, drum…
Hating on the Candidates
I’ve met a middle-aged, mannered PR flack who, when Ciro Rodriguez was mentioned, threatened to kick the former congressman’s ass if he ever met him. The offense? Ciro supported sending that iconic balsero Elián Gonzalez back to Cuba. Manuela from Natalia, a town not far from Castroville, reserves the same single-issue anger for her Congressman…
Spittin’ Game
F.E.A.R. Sierra Xbox 360, PS3, PC $29.99-59.99 Gears of War Epic Games Xbox 360 $59.99 F.E.A.R.’s another entry in the good-but-not-great canon (get it?) of 360 shooters. In my review of the demo last month, I hilariously compared the game to the bastard child of a slutty Half Life 2, but that was prematurely harsh.…
The Say-Town Lowdown
When the $10-million Main Plaza redesign went before the City Historic and Design Review Commission on September 20, lead designer Larry Clark called it the City’s lawn — a square block of grass with no flowers, benches, or statues, but with a modern fountain set into the pavement in front of San Fernando Cathedral. Some…
The Bar Tab
Bar 11 Monaco Lounge 126 W. Rector 524-1016 Drinks: $2-$7 The dim entryway of Bar 11 Monaco Lounge is a bit intimidating at first, its onion-domed ingress affecting — in silhouette — the romance and elegance of the Taj Mahal. Inside, under low lights, the décor is a smart marriage between palatial Mughal architecture and…
South Texas Cinema
We’re coming off a pretty good month for San Antonio’s ever-growing film community; November played host to screenings of — count ’em — three new features by SA writer-directors: two encores of Pablo Véliz’s Clemente (Cineveliz.com/2006/10/clemente.html) and the world premieres of Sandwich (Sandwichthemovie.com), by Kevin L. Williams, and Garrison (Garrisonthemovie.com), by Kerry Valderrama. (See “Indie…
Aural Pleasure
The Sweet Escape Gwen Stefani (Interscope) Gwen Stefani is critic-proof. It doesn’t matter what ridiculous thing she dresses herself in, or what sort of equally ridiculous lyric she sings, people always smile, call her a fashion icon (even though no one else has ever attempted to dress like her), and, these days, shake their asses…
Hating on the Candidates
I’ve met a middle-aged, mannered PR flack who, when Ciro Rodriguez was mentioned, threatened to kick the former congressman’s ass if he ever met him. The offense? Ciro supported sending that iconic balsero Elián Gonzalez back to Cuba. Manuela from Natalia, a town not far from Castroville, reserves the same single-issue anger for her Congressman…
The Mashup
From the Editor “Farce is tragedy played at a thousand revolutions per minute,” said the English writer John Mortimer, foreseeing the time perhaps when Hearst Corp. would take “revolutions” literally, rolling the local Prime Time Group into its behemoth press and borrowing liberally from the Commedia dell’Arte tradition to send out its Harlequin to announce…
The Say-Town Lowdown
When the $10-million Main Plaza redesign went before the City Historic and Design Review Commission on September 20, lead designer Larry Clark called it the City’s lawn — a square block of grass with no flowers, benches, or statues, but with a modern fountain set into the pavement in front of San Fernando Cathedral. Some…
How to Cook a Lame Duck
I’ve got this ritual I do when it’s time to celebrate some personal triumph or positive turn of events. I go downtown to the Thai restaurant, order crispy duck, and ask them to make it extra-crispy. Duck meat is rich and decadent stuff; to crispy-fry it makes it even better. With a curry sauce on…
Spittin’ Game
111
All Ears
As a gift, what is it that makes a four-disc box set more exciting than four individual CDs? Is it the fancy packaging, the photo-laden book offering scholarly appreciation or scandalous memoirs? Maybe. But just as likely, it’s psychological: They just feel lavish. Whatever the reason, here’s a roundup of the season’s highlights. (You’ll note…
How to Cook a Lame Duck
I’ve got this ritual I do when it’s time to celebrate some personal triumph or positive turn of events. I go downtown to the Thai restaurant, order crispy duck, and ask them to make it extra-crispy. Duck meat is rich and decadent stuff; to crispy-fry it makes it even better. With a curry sauce on…
The Mashup
From the Editor “Farce is tragedy played at a thousand revolutions per minute,” said the English writer John Mortimer, foreseeing the time perhaps when Hearst Corp. would take “revolutions” literally, rolling the local Prime Time Group into its behemoth press and borrowing liberally from the Commedia dell’Arte tradition to send out its Harlequin to announce…
Reproductive outlook?
The desert breeds obsession; look to the Middle East-spawned religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam for proof of that. These kindred monotheisms spring from fanatics wrestling with avenging angels, inner demons, and a smiting God under a hammering sun, and while these legends make for engaging sermons, they have little to do with the reality…
How to Cook a Lame Duck
A lame duck is a fried duck in the Chef’s kitchen. Here, Thai-style. I’ve got this ritual I do when it’s time to celebrate some personal triumph or positive turn of events. I go downtown to the Thai restaurant, order crispy duck, and ask them to make it extra-crispy. Duck meat is rich and decadent…
Spittin’ Game
111
All Ears
Miles and Trane: Two jazz greats whose legendary partnership early in their careers only set the stage for the heights they would achieve in the years to come. As a gift, what is it that makes a four-disc box set more exciting than four individual CDs? Is it the fancy packaging, the photo-laden book offering…
From N. Flores to Mexico, Direct
LA MICHOACANA #5 1224 N. Flores 223-3802 7am-9pm daily Credit cards $.99-$4.99 Accessible It’s like stepping off a street in San Antonio straight into Mexico. A prosperous part of Mexico, to be sure, where regimented rows of fluorescent fixtures illuminate shelves of products stacked in colorfully graphic multiples, where a spotless meat market displays cut…
Hustle and Flow
With fourth and 10 to go on his own 20-yard line and 2:49 left in the game, Vince Young did exactly what most folks in Texas expect him to do: He made plays. In a performance that had many of his new teammates recalling UT’s 2005 Rose Bowl glory, Young confidently led the upstart Tennessee…
Reproductive outlook?
Priests For Life founder Father Frank Pavone speaks at the Tennessee Right to Life Headquarters. The desert breeds obsession; look to the Middle East-spawned religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam for proof of that. These kindred monotheisms spring from fanatics wrestling with avenging angels, inner demons, and a smiting God under a hammering sun, and…
From N. Flores to Mexico, Direct
A plateful of rich Mexican-style tacos from La Michoacana, from right: al pastor, chicharron en salsa verde, deshebrada, and um, the photographer can’t remember but it was really good. LA MICHOACANA #5 1224 N. Flores 223-3802 7am-9pm daily Credit cards $.99-$4.99 Accessible It’s like stepping off a street in San Antonio straight into Mexico. A…
Spittin’ Game
F.E.A.R. Sierra Xbox 360, PS3, PC $29.99-59.99 Gears of War Epic Games Xbox 360 $59.99 F.E.A.R.’s another entry in the good-but-not-great canon (get it?) of 360 shooters. In my review of the demo last month, I hilariously compared the game to the bastard child of a slutty Half Life 2, but that was prematurely harsh.…
Self-Pity Parties
If you conduct Real Rhapsody searches for Hinder and Nickelback, you’ll find that both bands are categorized as “post-grunge.” At first blush, the classification seems absurd and nearly devoid of meaning. After all, couldn’t we describe Christina Aguilera, Pink, Ashanti, or 50 Cent as “post-grunge”? Didn’t all of them emerge after the Nirvana phenomenon? Idiotic…
Magnificent Solipsism
If you’ve ever suffered through a movie so bad that inappropriate laughter becomes a necessary form of stress relief, and the most allegedly climactic moments trigger giggle fits worthy of a 10-year-old’s sleepover party; if that’s you, be warned: Gore Vidal’s second memoir will make you laugh hard, especially when it’s not supposed to. Gore…
