::Art Car Parade Volunteer Orientation:: We know, we know. You've been sooo busy the last few weeks lounging about in the beautiful weather that you missed the first Volunteer Orientation for this year's Art Car Parade. No worries, we gotcha covered. For all you last minute joiners, (no judgement!) stop by Capital One in Midtown tonight for one of the last Volunteer Orientations. You know it wouldn't be the Orange Show without some hoopla, though,......

Yes, Houston - The Black Godfather is gracing us with his presence this Friday night!!! Houston's own, The Allen Oldies Band will be backin' up Andre Williams at the Continental Club and the show begins at 10 p.m. You don't know who he is? We'll hook you up. A ladie's man from way back, Andre was born in Bessemer, Alabama in 1936 and eventually ended up in Detroit, where he recorded over 50 songs for......

It's the most wonderful time of the year Sure, when Andy Williams first uttered those words he may have been praising the birth of Jesus Christ. But for us, that same expression can be applied to Girl Scout cookie season! And wouldn't you know it, just this week five boxes of Thin Mints (amongst other variations) were delivered to our front door. After feverishly consuming the first box in a single sitting, we implemented......

Greetings, Houstonians. We're psyched that so many of you are excited about the upcoming LRPC. We are, too. A few of you have asked if there's anything you can send out to your buddies to encourage them to show up. Well, axe and ye shall receive. Use the email template below to spread the word. Copy, paste, adjust and send. Enjoy. What up, Your_Friend’s_Name? You got a plan for Happy Hour today? Let me......

Local tech news in a compact, digital format. State Of The Mac Address This is your early warning from the Houston Area Apple Users Group. Bob "Dr. Mac" Levitus will be giving a State of the Mac address, Saturday, February 16, 2008 starting at 10am at the Looscan Library on Willowick. Late Night Links Because Grand Stream Dreams has recently had some sleepless nights, we benefit with his Cures for Late-night Boredom. Check out......

We're not claiming to be winos, but Houstonist is just like any other Joe Schmo who likes a good glass of wine. . .or two. Maybe three. That being said, we were more than thrilled to stumble (not literally—that comes afterwards) across Sonoma Wine Bar and Boutique. Okay, so we didn't even bother checking out the "boutique" part, but do you blame us? Even though there was an extensive wine list at our fingertips, we......

Spent all your cash on girlie drinks and shattered dreams again this weekend, didn't you? No worries - Thriftster gives you the lowdown on cheap stuff to do until Paycheck Friday. Monday: Celebrate the work and life of Dr. Martin Luther King today at the Houston Children's Museum (1500 Binz) - reduced $3 admission gets you in for live performances (like a mock Civil Right rally and Dr. King's 'I Have A Dream' speech), art......

::Rice University Scientia Lecture: "Aspects of Memory":: If you are anything like us, the extent of your long term memory is directly dependent on well vs. premium liquor from yesterday's happy hour. Hell, we are still trying to remember where we parked our car this morning so that we can go to lunch. Rice University Scientia, an Institute for the History of Science and Culture, presents the colloquium "Aspects of Memory" by guest lecturer Rachelle......

Spent all your cash on girlie drinks and shattered dreams again this weekend, didn't you? No worries - Thriftster gives you the lowdown on cheap stuff to do until Paycheck Friday. Monday: Hit the Houston Boat show tonight at Reliant Center (8400 Kirby Dr.) to find the yacht of your dreams - or perhaps to find the man/woman of your dreams that can actually afford such nautical pleasures (did that sound dirty?). With tickets under......

We have a confession to make. Merely two weeks into our low cholesterol diet, we've fallen off the low cholesterol wagon and dove into the chow wagon. But it wasn't our fault! We were tempted by an evil and sinister force: oysters. More specifically, Danton oysters. So, you understand, right? Right? Confession aside, let's get to the nitty gritty--these oysters are anything but gritty. We walked into the place with full intentions to abide by......

::Social Media & Web 2.0 Happy Hour:: Do you spend more time on Facebook than you do reading a book? Do your sentences end with, "I'm SO Twittering that."? Do you scour the internet begging for invites to Beta testing of new sites? You're not alone. And there is help and support for people like you. Join your kind tonight at Sonoma Wine Bar as Houston's Social Media Community celebrates the season at the Houston......

::Nights on Blue Bayou: DeKam vs Nalepa:: We know, we know. You're ALL gonna be at the Houstonist 2nd Burfday Happy Hour tonight at Monsoon. So why should we bother even telling you what else there is to do tonight? Why? Because, well, you gotta have somewhere to stumble to when our tab runs out. A spectacle beneath the bridges of the Sabine Promenade on the banks of the Buffalo Bayou, this environmental light and......

Do you find yourself a little scared to venture downtown these days, for fear of what you may or may not find? We'll admit, it's not out first pick for happy hour, what, with all the awesome parking opportunities and diverse bars, clubs, and retail? So we are looking forward to giving it a chance tonight, as ArtsHouston hosts a Meet & Greet (Hello, downtown, my name is ______) tonight at Butterfly High (705 Main......

VS As shopping season is about to kick into high gear (yes, Thanksgiving is right around the corner which means that crazed shopaholics, uhh, we mean dedicated parents, come out of the woodworks to get a little violent for good deals) and Houstonist plans to be in the midst of all the hubbub at the Galleria. Yes, the parking will be crazy. Yes, the mall will be packed. Yes, we'll spoil ourselves to a......

A recent phone conversation with Houstonist's doctor went like this: Doctor: Houstonist, your tests came back and everything looks great except for your cholesterol. Houstonist: Cholesterol? Really? Doctor: I'm not sure how much you know about cholesterol levels, but what we're shooting for is under 200. Yours is 250. As you can imagine, this has major ramifications, especially for someone like you. Heart disease is the number one killer of women. . . . .......

Spent all your cash on girlie drinks and shattered dreams again this weekend, didn't you? No worries - Thriftster gives you the lowdown on cheap stuff to do until Paycheck Friday. We're making this 'multi-cultural' Thriftster week, given all the great global goodies in town for you to experience. Monday: Catch the last night of the Polish Film Festival at the Angelika (510 Texas Ave.) with 3 shows for $10 (or $8 if you've got......

ArtsHouston Happy Hour at Salud Winery You may remember this event from a few weeks back, when an impending downpour postponed it. We thought it too good not to mention again, so here goes. Sans rain. This evening, join the ArtsHouston staff at Montrose's newest wine bar, Salud Winery (3939 Montrose) from 6 to 9pm. All drinks are $2 off and free munchies will abound. Classical guitar will be provided by James Napier. Salud offers......

As much as we hate to say it, if you want to catch 600 sq mi: Photos from Houston, you'd better do it fast: The show closes on Sunday. If you've already seen the show and want to enjoy it one last time, plan to swing by M2 Gallery in the Heights before Sunday afternoon; if you haven't seen the show yet, make it a point to go — it's absolutely incredible. (And if you......

Rice Design Alliance's Fall Lecture Series, Design Activism: Agents of Change will present conscientious designers from across the country who focus on socially responsible design. These professionals believe social accountability shapes the physical environment. Their work integrates civic-mindedness within design practice and education. Each practitioner seeks to establish livable cities and towns, thereby creating a sense of community. Speaking tonight is John Peterson, Principal, Peterson Architects, and Founder, Public Architecture, San Francisco, CA. The......

ArtsHouston Happy Hour at Salud Winery We've been waiting to check out this new winery, and we've also been looking for an opportunity rub some elbows with the Frank Rose and the ArtsHouston peeps. And what better place than here, what better time than now? Please excuse the RATM reference. We are super fans. This evening, join the ArtsHouston staff at Montrose's newest wine bar, Salud Winery (3939 Montrose) from 6 to 9pm. All drinks......

Rice Design Alliance Fall Lecture Series Tonight at MFA Rice Design Alliance's Fall Lecture Series, Design Activism: Agents of Change will present conscientious designers from across the country who focus on socially responsible design. These professionals believe social accountability shapes the physical environment. Their work integrates civic-mindedness within design practice and education. Each practitioner seeks to establish livable cities and towns, thereby creating a sense of community. Lectures are held Mondays beginning today, Sept......

If you're Friday is going anything like Houstonist's, the boss is trying to get you to work the weekend and the overachieving douchebag from down the hall just scheduled a meeting from 4:30 to 5:30, and it's not a Happy Hour. Chin up, little buddy. The Happy Birthday Houston Pub Crawl is just moments away. We're cranking up things at State Bar at 6ish and will be there for a bit before meandering to......

A New Home for Little Joe Just when you thought Westheimer "on the curve" couldn't get any cooler. Join Houston's favorite son of blues, Little Joe Washington, as he makes his new home on Tuesday nights at Boondocks [1417 Westheimer]. Newly opened, Boondocks, sits on a prime piece of realty on Westheimer, just west of Montrose, next door to Taxi Taxi. Owner Shawn Bermudez insists it's no club. One part dive, part music venue, Houston's......

Tonight, rock fans will enjoy the Godsmack show at Verizon Wireless, but if you want something different, check out the eclectic Moodafaruka at the Mucky Duck. Tomorrow night, we highly recommend indie-pop/rock band The Format at The Meridian. The Proletariat is hosting a happy hour show with Get Him Eat Him. Saturday night gives you many Texas country/folk choices – Roger Creager after the horse races, Ray Wylie Hubbard at the Mucky Duck, and......

Yep, it's already time to start wining again. Fortunately, someone thought ahead and planned a whole week of winofun!!! Except... it's in The Woodlands. But, it's kind of every Houstonian's responsibility to make sure we keep an eye on our corporate northwesternly neighbor. Bummer for drive time, yes. But just think of the wine and food that await you at The Woodlands' Wine and Food Week 2007! Wine and Food Week 2007 starts today, June......

If you're like us, you're still working on that wine stain from last week's Houstonist Happy Hour. Nevertheless, the time to wine has come again. Throw out that stained shirt, (unless you seriously, seriously, know how to get wine out, in which case we're all ears ... seems salt is best used for body shots, not stains) and pick out a nice black shirt. You'll need it Wednesday night when Vino100 hosts a wine tasting......

Ah, the dreaded Fire Ant, the "National Pest of Texas" - they are a scourge! Houstonist is not a fan of the little insect, which is not native to our fair state (apparently it has received amnesty and won't be leaving), and has been waging yard war with them for, well, ever. We know you are wondering where we drew our inspiration to dredge up this shot. Truthfully, it's a long story involving a happy......

Good morning, Houston. Thanks to everyone who joined us at Kay's last night for the happy hour — and those of you who missed it, we expect to see you next time. Now, go read some news, Our head hurts. >> Turns out it wasn't a foolproof plan after all: Police are on the lookout for Continental Express flight attendant Vivian Fragoza and her husband after Fragoza allegedly used Continental "buddy miles" to fly......

Hay! Just when you thought you'd gotten all the festing you could, what with last weekend's Art Car fun, Houston's got even more to offer! This weekend features two - count 'em - two "country" themed festivals, as well as the Festival of Greece! And with Houstonist's weekend weather forecast predicting perfection, there's no reason to stay inside. Update that resume in June and enjoy some good two-digit temperature while it lasts. - Country Roots......

Houstonist Happy Hour at Kay's Lounge It's been over a two months since Houstonist last caroused with our readership. It's been far too long; we're ready to get it on. Join us at Kay's as we test out their new hard liquor license and put on our beer goggles. Comments on the site are great, but face-to-face chats are more better. Drop by and let us know what you think about fun topics like......