Good morning, Dynamo fans. Ready to see the Orange in the MLS playoffs again? Well, playoff tickets will go on sale at 10 this morning. Depending on where the Dynamo finish in the standings, the team will play in the Western Conference semifinal match at Robertson Stadium either Oct. 27 or Nov. 3; pick your tickets up at Ticketmaster or the Dynamo's website. >> The scandal effect: TSU's enrollment has fallen to its lowest......

Need to know just a little bit about something? Ask a dilettante. Is that a magic wand in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me? Yeah, that innuendo doesn’t really work on chicks. Dilettante will forgive you because I assume you’re caught up in Harry Potter fever. Not to be confused with Welcome Back Kotter fever, which died out years ago. I didn’t know they were still teaching kids how to read,......

So you're tired of the same-ole-same-ole in this town, so you're looking for something different to experience this weekend? Here's one for you: Future Clouds & Radar. The Austin-based band is coming to Walter's on Washington Saturday night for their first performance in Houston. The band is fronted by Robert Harrison, who used to front the indie band Cotton Mather. A lot has changed since those days. We spoke to Robert about his new band......

Did you know that Houston has a one-hit wonder to call their own? Born in Houston, raised in Harlem, Oran “Juice” Jones hit the top 10 a little over 20 years ago with his hit “The Rain” (the song went to #1 on the R&B charts). He released several more albums after 1986, but none of them could produce a hit. The memorable part of this song is the last half, where he’s disses......

Here it is — Houstonist's favorite headline of 2007 (so far): "Thousands could die if a giant tornado ever hits Houston." Excellent stuff — it almost makes us feel like we're watching KPRC during sweeps week — well, or any other time, for that matter. Seriously, though, there is a somewhat sobering article attached to the tornado headline: Storm researchers say a perfect storm making its way from southwest Houston across Montrose, River Oaks and......

Now we know what the blockbuster private-sector job is that's pulling Robert Eckels away from his post as Harris County judge: Eckels said yesterday that he will be a partner with law firm Fulbright & Jaworski. His position, according to the firm, will draw on his government contacts: At Fulbright, Eckels intends to develop an administrative, regulatory and government relations practice serving clients who seek to be heard with respect to legislation, local ordinances or......

Kosse, Texas’ is a small town; with a population of less than 500. A little over a hundred years ago, this small town gave birth to a legend in country music – Bob Wills. He, along with his band the Texas Playboys, created a unique Western swing sound that would become the guide for many country and western musicians to come. His life will be remembered through the play Ride With Bob tonight through Friday......

In a strange turn of events, the University of North Texas announced it will rename its new athletic practice facility after the football coach the school just fired. Why? Because Mattress Mack said to. The backstory is this: After nine years as head coach of the UNT Mean Green, Dickey was fired last week because officials weren't happy with the team's recent performance (2-9 last year and 3-7 so far in 2006); coincidentally, he learned......

Today's online article in the River Oaks Examiner further shows that Weingarten Realty Investors is continuing its murky stance about what's going on at the River Oaks Shopping Center. It started as a meeting of concerned homeowners who live on Brentwood Drive, just north of the River Oaks Shopping Center, and ended with about the same statement that Weingarten has been notorious for dropping - "We did give them an update on where we were,”......

Since Shakira will be shaking her groove thang (did we just say that??) at the Toyota Center tonight for the Houston stop of her Oral Fixation Tour, we felt it fitting to throw down a list of Shakira facts. For starters, did you know that her hit song “Hips Don’t Lie” is the most played song in the history of radio? Ever? It is. Here are some more Shakira tidbits: Birth Name: Shakira Isabel Mebarak......

The shot from flickr user and Houstonist photo contributor HomesickTexan. When this photo showed up in the Houstonist group, we were curious. It's not a bad likeness, but it isn't exactly a complelling image. Or is it? The photographer posed the age-old quesion: Should beans be allowed in a true Texas chili? Here are some musings: " I used to become all biblical when people admitted they added beans to their chili because I......

According to a TSU survey, local government might have a hard time taking care of Houston's black population in a hurricane: The survey found that most Houston blacks think hurricane warnings are too confusing to follow and that the government isn't prepared to handle a disaster and would use a storm as an excuse to kick minorities and the poor out of their neighborhoods. Thanks, New Orleans. The survey found that 83 percent of......

METRO announced yesterday that Harrisburg is the official choice for the east-end line - the only selection to have been made since the red line. Construction is supposed to begin one year from now, with completion in December 2010, and it will initially consist of "train-like buses" that would be turned into rail if the ridership was strong enough (now that's some magic wand!). Some business owners in the area have voiced conerns, such as......

College Football Saturdays will be a little more like Pro Football Sundays this coming season. The NCAA approved a proposal Tuesday from the Football Rules Committee allowing coaches to challenge on-field rulings. The new rule will work just like the NFL version, in that if the coach's challenge is successful, that team will not be charged a timeout. Georgia head coach Mark Richt originally opposed the idea, but now is primarily concerned with throwing the......

Tuesday We can’t think of a better way to start off your concert week than with the hardest working man in show business, the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. Now in his seventies, he still has the energy that will leave you feeling … well, you know. 8 p.m. at Verizon Wireless Theater | tickets and info Wednesday Beautiful female vocals are on tap tonight at Super Happy Fun Land. Seekonk hails from Maine,......

Bobby May, the longtime athletics director at Rice, announced yesterday he'll be retiring this summer, ending a 45-year relationship with the school. May graduated from Rice in 1965 and returned two years later as an assistant track coach and assistant business manager, eventually working his way up to associate athletics director in 1984 and AD in 1989. Back then, things weren't going so well for Rice athletics: "I desperately wanted the AD job in 1989,......

So the Texans are facing an unusual conundrum going into Sunday's game against the 49ers: If they win, they'll close out a dismal season with a modicum of dignity; if they lose, they might be able to pick up Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush in the NFL draft. So, should the team try to lose? The Chronicle asked that question today, and the answer was a resounding "Hmm." Though she didn't come out and endorse......

To quote Donny & Marie, Houstonist is a little bit country and a little bit rock 'n' roll (and electronic, and rock opera). On tap for you this week: Thursday Honeybrowne has been gaining popularity over the past couple of years, and this trend will continue with the recent release of their new Mark Addison (Bob Schneider) produced CD Something To Believe In. Their sound is polished country-rock, perfect for commercial radio — if......