Kudos to Carolyn Feibel and Matt Stiles at the Houston Chronicle, who not only dug up the records of how our city council members spent their remaining 2008 budget, but also wrangled some dubious excuses out of the more heinous offenders. Among the more comical expenditures was over $1,600 for chairs upholstered in pink fabric for the office of new councilwoman Jolanda Jones, widely known for her love of the pastel shade. Earlier this year,......

...passive-aggressive style. Perennial favorite website and home of "painfully polite and hilariously hostile writings," Passive Aggressive Notes reports on the "audacity of theft" here in Houston: writes an anonymous submitter in houston: “a neighbor in my building put up an obama yard sign on the door of her apartment around the time of the texas primary. when it disappeared, i assumed she took it down herself.” But what we're left wondering is why the good......

In case you somehow haven't heard, Barack Obama is going to be the Democratic nominee for president. But that doesn't mean that the 2008 electoral process is over — in fact, things are just picking up steam. So, this weekend Houstonist will be traveling to the Texas State Democratic Convention in Austin, where politicos will be caucusing for the Blue folk in the Lone Star state. From the TDP website: Democrats from all across Texas......

>> Wintry mix blasts Panhandle, North Texas with sleet, snow: They came from the north and helped freeze your tootsies. Yep, those darn north winds are to blame for the uber chill around town today writes Meteorologist Tim Heller on the Houston Weather Blog. The same system that blanketed North Texas with nine inches of snow and caused Dallas-Ft. Worth airport to cancel 200 flights will share its chill with Houston. "This type of......

A gallery of photos from Houstonist Flickr Photo Group user Jason Tinder....

::World Affairs Council of Houston Presents:: The Putin Generation: How Russian Youth See Their World Ok, maybe you are not as fascinated with Russia as we are. Much so, to the point that a Tori Amos song spiraled us into a year long quest for researching the Romanovs and the mysterious rumors of Anastasia sightings worldwide. Ok, so maybe you're not the super Russia fan we are, but you gotta like Vodka, right? Right? Tonight's......

The Red Sox has permeated nearly every facet of Bostonist's lives. When they're not live-blogging the games, waxing poetic about the games, thanking Curt Schilling for his splendid work, or telling Dane Cook to watch his hair, they're watching certain presidential candidates hop on the Red Sox bandwagon (sorry, Gothamist). The Sox are so branded on the local brain that people are using the Series to spice up their sex lives. Speaking of spice, Bostonist......

Good morning, Houston. We just don't understand the entertainment juggernaut (or is it "juggernette?") that is Hannah Montana: Tickets to her Nov. 11 Toyota Center show sold out in five minutes Saturday, and now they're going for as much as $1,275 on eBay — granted, that's for a set of four tickets, but still, wow. The markup through eBay and ticket brokers has left some parents shelling out big bucks to give their kids......

Gloria Steinem presents "The Progression Of Feminism: Where Are We Going?" Tonight at Wortham Center, the Progressive Forum Houston presents pioneer of the modern feminsit movement, Gloria Steinem, in a program that urges audiences to reconstruct their understanding of gender roles to foster a national spirit of cooperation for advancing of the rights of all citizens, especially our children. Gloria Steinem's philosophy and fight for equal rights for women transformed America, creating a social acceptance......

Good morning, Houston. As you might have noticed, we passed the night sans Humberto — but our friends in the Beaumont area weren't so lucky. The sudden hurricane made landfall early this morning and battered Beaumont with winds up to 62 mph and Orange with gusts of up to 85 mph, the Chron's Eric Berger reports. From across Southeast Texas came reports of knee-deep water, downed power lines and damaged buildings, including an apartment......

The smoking ban goes into effect on Saturday morning at midnight. Ring in the new era with Houstonist as we get together on Friday night to celebrate Houston's birthday, which is actually today. We're cranking up things at State Bar at 6 on the o'clock and want you to be there. You'll probably hear a lot from our opinionated staff about booze, politics, 600 sq mi (our photo show), live music, bar food and......

No, not that Pelosi, but her daughter, Alexandra Pelosi, will stop through Houston tomorrow as part of theThe Texas Freedom Network 2007 Faith & Freedom Speaker Series. At Downtown's Christ Church Cathedral [1117 Texas Ave.], the producer will screen her award-winning film Friends of God: A Road Trip with Alexandra Pelosi followed by a conversation with Pelosi as she gives a firsthand account of her memorable encounters with prominent leaders of the religious right. The......

Chicagoist is gearing up for this weekend's annual Air & Water Show along the lakefront. In what's becoming an annual tradition around there, staff member Todd McClamroch even got to fly with one of the participants. Chicagoist's decidedly opinionated readership was also appalled that one of their staffers found a popular local brewpub to be a great place to bring a kid. They also think that an unlikely activist for immigration rights should just take......

...for demolitionToday, Houston City Council voted to designate the River Oaks Shopping Center, River Oaks Theater, Alabama Shopping Center, and Alabama Theater as historic landmarks, though it will not afford the structures any protection from Weingarten Realty's current and future decisions to demolish them. According to Historic Houston, there were three dissenting votes from council members Michael Berry (big surprise), Addie Wiseman (who tagged this measure last week), and Pam Holm. Save Our Landmarks invites......

Tuesday, August 7 at 2pm is the last chance for the public to speak about the pending historic landmark status of the River Oaks Shopping Center, River Oaks Theater, Alabama Shopping Center, and Alabama Theater in front of City Council. Members of the public must sign up to speak by 12pm Tuesday by calling the City Secretary Anna Russell (713-247-1840), and people who have already spoken to City Council on this issue may not do......

This morning, Houston City Council designated Old Sixth Ward as the first and only Protected Historic District in the city. This new status will enable the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission to prohibit the demolition of historic structures within Old Sixth Ward's 33.8 acres. There was only one dissenting vote for this measure, which came from council member/real estate broker Michael Berry. As far as actual limitations on properties within the district, the Greater Houston......

This weekend, the Chronicle took a look at the political donation patterns of different areas of Houston — and though there weren't really any surprises, it's interesting to see exactly who's giving how much to whom. The most money, as you might expect, is coming from the neighborhood with the most money: Residents of the 77019 ZIP code, in River Oaks, gave the most political donations of anyone in the Houston area in the first......

While SFist cringed at the fatal dose of crime littering the Bay Area, it found solace in Hillary Clinton's San Francisco campaign headquarters opening, which featured loads of exposed mammary glands. In other news, SF Taxi Commission ruled that Satan's cab must keep its (in)famous medallion number, 666; and in an un-fashion-forward frenzy, San Francisco Fashion Week (chortle) bars bloggers from covering and getting smashed at their shows and parties, respectively. Also, they found a......

There are no new traffic laws and no new laws concerning cell phone use in cars according to the Texas DPS. A recent email hoax is being forwarded to inboxes across Texas as fast as those drivers in the left lane. That is, until they reach someone driving the speed limit, of course. The hoax email states that improper use of the HOV lane will result in a fine in excess of $1,000, doubling and......

Wow — it's still six months to Christmas, and yet we're getting gifts already: The AP reports that everyone's favorite golden-haired politico, Shelley Sekula Gibbs, is laying the groundwork for her campaign to return to Congress. Oh, yes. Sekula Gibbs (notice that she's dropped the hyphen, which she worried could be a problem during her write-in campaign for Congress last year) announced that she has some high-profile Republican supporters for her 2008 campaign, including homebuilder......

From the tallest skyscraper in the City of Brotherly Love to Canadian tourism copywriting brilliance, here's what you should know from our -ist cities: This week, Phillyist took a gleeful listen to the White Stripes' exciting new release, watched in awe as their new tallest skyscraper was finally completed, found a cheaper way to get to Gothamist, invented a tasty new dessert, and brought back their Craigslist Round-Up feature with a bang. Bostonist watches......

Houston-area congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul will appear on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report tonight. Paul has quickly distinguished himself from other Republican candidates with his libertarian views and his now infamous exchange with Rudy Giuliani in a debate last month. Paul asserted that the 9/11 attacks were triggered by American involvement in the Middle East, to which Giuliani replied, "That's an extraordinary statement, as someone who lived through the attack of September 11,......

Californian-turned-Australian musician John Butler and his band are making a return to Houston this Thursday night at Warehouse Live – and we have a pair of tickets, just for you. The John Butler Trio is touring supporting their new album Grand National. Butler uses his music to express his beliefs, whether they are about politics, the environment, or relationships, but this time he does it with his most accessible, consistent record to date. The jams......

If there's one thing we love, it's an election. And the city has been obliging lately. Melissa Noriega and Roy Morales, the two candidates left standing after last month's special election to fill a vacant at-large city council seat, traded remarks on immigration as early voting began yesterday. Noriega, the clear favorite after garnering 47% of the vote in May, accused Morales of using "fear as a tactic to try to get people worked up."......

The local blog roundup may be a day late, but we can't be a dollar short if we're going to eat at Truluck's. Food in Houston reviewed the popular eatery this week and was not terribly impressed, although their wallets were. Truluck's offers swank without the risk, according to this post. Check out the full entry for a run-down of how Truluck's offers quality food and a fine-dining atmosphere while avoiding that snobby feel. No......

Texas Senator John Cornyn announced yesterday at the Harris County Courthouse that he has a bill in the works that would prevent incarcerated felons from making a profit of their personal belongings or art - "murderabilia," if you will. The bill is championed by victims' rights organizations, but the constitutionality of such a law is questionable. Houston victims' rights advocate and director of the Mayor's Crime Victims Office Andy Kahan has been fighting the sale......

All across the Ist-A-Verse (or at least the American parts thereof), writers and editors are in the midst of enjoying their three-day weekend. But after the week we've all had, we feel like the break is not only needed, but deserved. Just look at everything we've been doing! Gothamist headed into the Memorial Day weekend with a number of tasks accomplished. They worried about Long Islanders giving New Yorkers a bad name. They tried......

Trying to Change the World... One Blog at a Time picked up on a story that Houstonist wrote about yesterday: three HISD schools that were in jeopardy of being shut down. He raised a lot of the perennial good points about the problems with public education in America and increasing class stratification and questioned the notion that underperforming schools should be shut down. A good, thoughtful post from one of Houstonist's favorite readers and local......

Senator Mario Gallegos, a Houston Democrat, can finally return home after jeopardizing his health to fight a controversial voter ID bill. Gallegos recently underwent a liver transplant and a follow-up procedure due to concerns that his body was rejecting the liver. He even had a hospital bed set up in the Senate sergeant's office, just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Senate floor. Doctors advised Gallegos to stay in Houston to recuperate, but......

What's in store for the brain this week? Photography and politics join forces this Thursday when the American Leadership Forum of Houston presents a lecture program entitled, Civil Liberties and Guantanamo. If your brain tickles at the thought of debating the failures of the Geneva Convention, or if you never figured out what the big deal about Guantanamo was anyway, then this event is for you. Thursday's lecture will be led by University of Houston......