Jason is a polymath of the Third Coast variety having mastered hunting, gumbo-ing and hurricane wrasslin'. Despite a track record of three high speed wipe-outs in as many weeks, he is still working on mastering motorcycles. In the interim, he spends his days slanging technology for The Man whilst daydreaming about owning a tiki bar on the Adriatic Coast.

Although Jim was born and raised in Baytown, he doesn't reek of chemicals or glow in the dark ... most of the time. When he's not busy being fascinated by useless trivia online, he spends his time seeking the perfect slice of pizza, trying to make it into Bartlett's Familiar Quotations and wondering if he's the only person on Earth who really doesn't get the point of Twitter.

Amber is pregnant and occasionally barefoot (because weather here in Houston is so kickass like that), with the unpregnation happening sometime around May 2009. When not pregnant, Amber enjoys imbibing American craft beers (like Saint Arnold), good wines and creative drinks (think Volcano). She is exceptionally excited to live and explore the lovely, enigmatic city of Houston after hailing from Groves/Port Arthur/Port Neches, Texas area as well as a stint in Memphis, Tenn. She loves anything the Orange Show sponsors and local, authentic dives with good food.

Marc is a man of many talents: In the past eight years he has worked as a dog walker, doctor's office assistant, Web designer, soccer referee, photojournalist, youth minister, barista, curator and booking agent. He occasionally uses his creative writing degree and can be found around town with one of his many cameras or behind the counter of Taft Street Coffee. Marc also curates Xnihilo Gallery and runs his own photography business.

Michelle grew up in and around Houston and has never managed to leave except for short stints in Dela-where and Austin. Vintage clothing and thrift store shopping are her obsessions, and you will often catch her donning wacky remixed ensembles where pink gingham and leopard print collide. A self-proclaimed music junkie, Michelle has a long running spot during the afternoon drive time on KTRU. She's a true Houstonian through and through, running around barefooted in the summer, singing all the words to old George Strait songs and eating Blue Bell ice cream straight from the container, just like any other kid from her block would.

A born and bred Houstonian, Monica has often been referred to by friends as an ITL snob — a title she proudly embraces. A self-proclaimed map junkie, Monica can successfully get anyone anywhere inside the Loop in less than 15 minutes. There are very few social events that slip past her. Early onset Carpal Tunnel Syndrome caused by excessive text messaging has yet to slow her down. Monica's mission is showing the rest of the planet what a kick-ass metropolis lies within Loop 610. You can find her at a random music venue at least three nights out of the week, but if ever you catch her "OTL," please alert the authorities ... she's obviously lost.

Rob grew up on the mean streets of Memorial, where he was occasionally recognized as the bastard son of Charlie Kerfeld. After a brief stint in the mean pastures of College Station, he returned to Houston, whereupon he was stunned to learn that there was already one Dr. Red Duke, and that his degree in Red Nobility Studies was worthless. He currently lives in Montrose — or, as his dad calls it, “north of the Medical Center." You can often find him at the Flying Saucer downtown, admiring his own reflection in a pint glass.

Lauren likes gardening, bowling, geocaching, and defending Houston's older buildings. She can also be found wandering around the Houston area (with camera in hand) gathering material for her pet project, www.arch-ive.org.

Mary Jane was born in Houston and raised way out in the Hill Country, where eating out involved “going to town.” She moved to Houston to attend college and promptly fell in love with the city, vowing never to live anywhere else, ever. Growing up in a home where gravy is a beverage, she developed an addiction to fried chicken and bacon cheeseburgers, but has expanded (literally and figuratively) into a devoted fan of many different cuisines. In her spare time, MJ cooks, gardens, engages in home remodeling, loves live music, karaokes at every opportunity, reads, swills beer and wine (normally with a group of friends, of course), searches out new restaurants, vacations off the beaten path, collects old stuff of all varieties (read: crap and antiques), bravely attempts to play guitar and follows local sports, especially roller derby and football.

Alex is a native Houstonian and says "y'all" and "right quick" enough to make up for her lack of a Texan accent. She thinks Houston is pretty fab, especially because of UH, the Astros, Chinatown and even the usually frustrating but always fascinating local politics. She loves roller coasters, but since Astroworld shut down, her favorite thrill ride is the ramp from the eastbound Westpark Tollway to 59 North. Alex tries not to be judgmental, but you'll have a hard time earning her trust if you're from Sugar Land.

Born and raised in the small Republic of Texas town of El Campo, Ignacio proudly claims his Texas nationality and doesn't hesitate to call anyone a Yankee who was born outside her borders. While recovering from his hoarse voice, Ignacio can be found out and about with his "Richmond (Ave.) Crew" throughout the city attending any and every major event. Ignacio is a diehard Astros fan, and on occasion, he can be found sleeping at Minute Maid Park's doorstep the night before a game.

A self-professed computer geek and Internet junkie, Eric can be found online most of the time sucking up bandwidth that makes most Internet providers cringe. During the few random days of a Houston winter, the heat from his computers keeps his home warm. He is also part of the Technology Bytes radio show, where he screens calls for the show from 8 to 10 p.m. every Wednesday on KPFT.

Brittanie lives in the Montrose and loves every minute of it. She's in a running club that sometimes requires her to swim across bayous (true), and she often has poison ivy. She prefers two wheels to four, beer in a bottle and Coca-Cola in a can. She is addicted to Blistex Herbal Answer, which is becoming increasingly more difficult to find. She keeps a blog. From May 2005 to November 2007 she lived in Korea and is extremely happy to be back in H-Town. Her favorite thing about Houston is the summers (also true).

Kaylan is an artist, writer and self-proclaimed turophile. Her hobbies include (but are not limited to) drawing inappropriate things or caricatures, yoga and dental hygiene. She lives in the 'trose in a pink house with her faux lesbian roommate and two dogs, Heidi and Gretta.

Executive Editor and co-founder: Jen Chung
Publisher and co-founder: Jake Dobkin
Technology director: Neil Epstein
Logo: Sam Park