An urban swampland: Bayous, rice fields, and floodplains Paved over and built. Water moccasins make do with drainage ditches, Corrugated banks. Huge frickin roaches flutter 'bout sodium lights, New haunts for mating. Outside my window, These old tenants observe me, Watch me watch telly. Worryingly large Stinkbugs grace the window screen, Bask in houselight glow. One night, a possum ambled across the lawn (lost?) Like some big, weird cat. I crouched, tapped on glass......

Good morning, Houston. Did you know that we're now in a bold new Fluorescent Age thanks to Mayor Bill White and his colleagues in Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and El Paso? The collective His Honors gathered in San Antonio on Friday to name the compact fluorescent bulb the "state bulb of Texas." If that doesn't make you want to switch to CFLs, try this: December is Compact Fluorescent Light Month in Texas. What's so......

From local Houston headlines, we bring you these weekend news bits... • DNA evidence confirms the identity of "Baby Grace" as Riley Ann Sawyers. • Camioni’s Restaurant in north Houston falls victim to false rumors, online hoax. • A southwest Houston bicyclist is dead after being struck by a vehicle. • The birdwatcher who went on trial for killing a cat has been shot at and claims he feels like "a walking abortion clinic."......

Local tech news in a compact, digital format. So, Nobody Reads Your Blog? Mike McGuff sits down with Rick Calvert, CEO and co-founder of the BlogWorld & New Media Expo and they discuss how to get your blog read. Free Software Linkfest Grand Stream Dreams has collected a few Freeware links that he feels you should know about. Software ranging from password managers to dead link removal tools. There are quite a few links......

Each week Houstonist checks out the Missed Connections on Craiglist. Here's a few that we found interesting. thats funny - m4w - 20 hey, i dont understand what the hell is wrong with you?! first of all you dump me for some ugly ass jobless loser, because i went out with my friends?! how the hell does that happen im hot, in great shape, and thats what you leave me for a fat, huge......

We promise that we're not Ethan Hawke groupies here at Houstonist. But don't blame you for thinking that given last week's Flick and this one. Hawke, Texan via Austin, hits the screen in a new film, The Hottest State, and a cult classic, Gattaca. He wrote the book; now Hawke is behind the camera to direct the film. Despite what you may be thinking, State deals with a young couple's romantic issues and not the......

The sixth anniversary of 9/11 made this an emotional week for Gothamist, DCist, Phillyist and the rest of America, too. Houstonist reflected on Tuesday as well. But, our preferred method of remembering the departed is to raise a glass and say a few words in their honor. A Manhattan is the perfect cocktail for this occasion. Manhattan+ 2 oz. Rye + 1/2 oz. vermouth + Dash Angostura bitters + Cherry + Orange peel Pour......

Calling all crafters, inventors, gearheads and crazy creatives - the ever-amusing Maker Faire wants YOU to show off your best projects, inventions and designs at Sunday's Maker Faire audition at the Houston Children's Museum (1500 Binz St). Confused? Maker Faire is: A two-day, family-friendly event that celebrates arts, crafts, engineering, science projects and the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset. It's for creative, resourceful folks who like to tinker and love to make things. We call them......

Hey Houston ladies - dudes cramping your artsy time? Boys getting in the way of your needlework? Significant other not respecting your personal papier mache space? Ditch 'em and join the Art Partiers for a chicks rule and boys drool evening of creative chica camaraderie at Terror Cat Studio this Thursday at 7pm. Pack up your knitting needles and BYOBooze - it's going to be a wild and crazy night. What: Ladies craft Art......

Need to know just a little bit about something? Ask a dilettante. I'm a 32 year-old man, and I've never been in a fight. A real fist fight, with bloody noses and all that. Have I missed out on something, some necessary, primal step in my adolescent development that would have turned me into a he-man? Should I go pick a fight (preferably with a teenage girl or an elderly person)? Would it do any......

Face the Music: An Evening of Jazz Dedicated to Fighting AIDS in Africa A college student-led nonprofit organization that raises funds to eradicate AIDS in Africa will hold a fundraising benefit concert tonight at Red Cat Jazz Cafe [924 Congress St.] in Downtown Houston. The University of Texas at Austin branch of FACE AIDS is coordinating the concert featuring five local college student jazz musicians who graduated from the High School for the Performing and......

Today’s video comes from one of our favorite movies, Rushmore - which also happened to be filmed in Houston (as you probably already know). Wes Anderson, writer & director of the film, is known for having musical interludes throughout his productions and in this short & climactic scene the music is provided by Cat Stevens’ The Wind, from his 1971 album Teaser and the Firecat. This song really captures the film’s turning point as......

The 17th Annual Houston International Jazz Festival is set to take place this weekend (August 3th, 4th, and 5th) in Downtown. This jazz festival is unique in that it is the only festival in the country to focus on international Jazz musicians. Friday – August 3rd The Australian jazz quartet, Void will play at the Red Cat Jazz Cafe at 9 p.m. Winners of the 2005 Perth Jazz Society Award for Most Outstanding Group, Void......

Trammell Crow, Co. has announced that their project at the former HISD Headquarters at 3830 Richmond Ave. will start immediately, just short of a year after the demolition. The project, called "Greenway Commons," includes a 164,000 square foot Costco to be topped with an LA Fitness health club. Three years ago, HISD accepted Trammel Crow's bid of about $38 million for the site, which included the administration building, annex, and Will Rogers Elementary. We were......

Good morning, Houston. Are you planning on taking a summer vacation? Here's something to consider, if you are: Continental, along with several other airlines, raised their fares in 30% of the top U.S. markets this week. Some one-way fares are up $10, some $5, and some remain the same. This was a relatively small increase, but will still hit the wallets of summer vactioners. With airfare increasing and gas prices so high, how about......

El-P Performs at Numbers Tonight Happy Memorial Day, folks. If you are like us, your would like to negotiate for another weekend without so much rain. We are preparing the petition. One of our favorite things to do while it rains (or pretty much any other time), oh get your minds outta the gutter, is catch some live music indoors. Last night's Elliot Lipp show at the Proletariat, really got us in the mood.......

What's with all the Missed Connections going on at grocery stores this week? Among others, we had a probable stalker at Kroger, a guy who might be jumping the gun a little bit at a Galveston grocery store, and yuppie love at Whole Foods - originally sung by Donny Osmond. You guys need to get your hands on a how-to guide - picking up chicks at the supermarket is supposed to be easy. You:......

There's so much going on across the Ist-a-Verse that it's almost impossible to keep track these days. Fortunately, we do it so you don't have to! Londonist took a walk through Oliver Twist's London, thanks to a gorgeous map layer for Google Earth. They also caught up with modern-day fictional London, with the Fantastic Four and 28 Weeks Later. It was a week of insanity over at DCist. They started the week off with......

Good morning, Houston. Blah blah blah, et cetera. (Yeah, you can tell it's Friday again.) >> BP: Managers to blame for 2005 blast: An internal BP report on the deadly 2005 explosion at its Texas City refinery recommends that four top managers be fired for bad judgment and failing to do their jobs. The report — completed in February but kept confidential until it was released under court order Thursday — named Pat Gower,......

Houstonist was busy not missing our own connections this week and just about missed yours. More man love at the gym. A few doctors in heat and a couple of diners, too. And this guy from San Antonio who is still "Desperatly" Seeking Sara(h). There's also a whole lotta love for OPP out there this week. Enjoy. Weekend Soooooooo..There must not be any fire left in your romance that you have to start shit......

Here are some upcoming shows who's tickets recently went on sale: Seal - 5/29 @ Verizon Wireless Theater Beyonce - 7/14 @ Toyota Center Rush - 8/14 @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Great week of concerts for alternative and independent music lovers. Yo La Tengo, who's latest CD was one of our favorites last year (and our favorite album title), comes to Warehouse LIve on Friday. They have some competition that night, though: TV......

MFA Film Premiere: Special Thanks to Roy London Beloved acting coach Roy London (1943—1993) taught and inspired some of Hollywood´s most successful stars, among them Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Garry Shandling, Sharon Stone, and Houston´s own Lois Chiles and Patrick Swayze. This documentary explores the crafts of acting and filmmaking and the creative process common to all disciplines. The words of London´s students and associates evoke a vivid profile of a truly remarkable mentor. Stone......

In the midst of all the news about juveniles being abused in prison, Halliburton's motives and who will say what in the (still distant) presidential election, it's nice to run across a heartwarming story about a cat that fell from the fifth floor of a building. Oh, that's not the heartwarming part — this is: The cat's alive and doing well. And she's cute! Cat, the name the kitty's going by for now, fell from......

So, Houstonist has forewarned you about a couple of events this weekend, The Orange Show Extravaganza whch is occuring Saturday afternoon (props to reader BShirley - we were remiss) and the AIDS Walk 2007 on Sunday. The Orange Show is typically looking for helpers at it's events - even if it's free, it's still gotta go off without a hitch. Call them at 713.926.6368 to see if you can be more than a participant this......

Today’s Photo of the Day comes from flickr user and Houstonist photo contributor Graustark. Taken with a Lomo Supersampler we really like the effect this camera brings to images. So do a lot of other people as there are many Lomo enthusiasts, websites and forums dedicated to lomography. Check out Graustarks other supersampler photos and then check out other supersampler photos on flickr. If you have a passion for Houston and photography, consider joining......

Austinist gets arty with an interactive guide to SXSW, loved some local art galleries and a new art exhibit and lamented the possible loss of "Friday Night Lights" production to New Mexico. Bostonist was happy they finally found an Anna Nicole Smith connection to their fair city and that an Apple Store was opening up. They were less happy that new rules have been established limiting underage shows and that their Governor is spending......

Today, shelterporn takes you to an incredibly cool, incredibly modern house in the First Ward, within spittin' distance of downtown. Outside, the house is wrapped in a stone and glass skin that makes it look a little bit like an office building — but the expanses of glass provide some stunning downtown views, so who really cares if people occasionally think you live inside some kind of corporate headquarters? We're sure this house comes......

Classical music has a bad rap, some of which is deserved. After all, who really wants to listen to the slow, soft harpsichord-loaded music that trickles out of bookstore speakers, or to the stuff advertised on television to make you relax? Classical music, like any other music, is best experienced live. At it's best, classical music is powerful with incredible emotional depth. On stage are almost 100 instruments played by almost 100 musicians who each......

This one is good for a rainy day. A rainy day on which you really really want to squeal and make assorted "awwww" noises that sound like a cross between a happy kitty cat and an angry fire alarm. The cuteness here? Wow. That is all we have to say. Cute Overload is a collection of incredibly squeal-worthy photos that reaches 55,000 broadband visitors every day--that's a whole lot of cute. It's won a Webby......

Whoooaaawhoaaooohoooh! It's not unusual to dig Tom Jones! We digress. Cat people of Houston, aficionados, fanciers, breeders and cat lovers in general, there is a cat show here, on the green, green astroturf grass of home. Now, we don't think you will actually see Tom Jones (rats! Maybe this handsome orange devil on the right will perform?), but, actual cats will abound and will be judged by breed and for best overall. The 55th Annual......