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Free Snow, Christians Only Need Apply

By now, we've all seen the TV ads for Second Baptist Church's legion services at Christmas, in which Pastor Ed Young slyly promises that there will be snow for all the children afterwards. Whether this is just at the main Woodway campus or at all five campuses was not disclosed in the slightly creepy commercial. But this makes Houstonist wonder: what other products and enticements should megachurches begin offering to encourage wayward Christians (and their pocketbooks) to attend their services? Leave your suggestions in the comments section below.

Social Media Comes to Veterans of Iraq & Afghanistan

No matter your views of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we should all agree that our veterans need our support both when deployed in theater and upon their return stateside. Readjusting to an environment not filled with IEDs, combatants and other hostile characteristics is difficult for them. Further, it is impossible for us to understand fully the challenges they faced abroad and those they face at home. Community of Veterans (http://communityofveterans.org/) is a social networking site designed to put veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan in touch with one another, which is a daunting task since less than 1% of Americans have served in either conflict. The IAVA hopes that connected veterans will be able to assist each other in regaining some sense of normalcy no matter how small.

The Rub Podcast Features Houston for Dummies

Houstonist has been a big fan of Brooklyn Radio's The Rub podcast ever since we got a decent internet connection at headquarters. The show is produced by DJ Ayres, DJ Eleven and Cosmo Baker and is "an unparalleled mix of hip hop, disco, 80s, reggae, funk, house and everything in between." The Rub continually shows much love for Houston as evidenced by their inclusion of Houston acts on many of their podcasts and frequently teaming up with Bun B.

On Houston For Dummies, The Rub team pulled together tracks from Houston's hip hop history. The podcast is 27 tracks deep and features artists like Geto Boys, UGK, Paul Wall and Wreckshop Family. Download it and give it a spin to get a primer Houston hip hop.

Warning: the tracks contain dirty words. Deal with it.

The track list follows the jump. * Geto Boys – Balls And My Word (1988)
* Scarface & Devin the Dude – Southside: Houston, Texas (1998)
* UGK – Front, Back and Side to Side (1995)
* Big Mike - Playa Playa (1994)
* Scarface – Money and the Power (1991)
* Slim Thug & Chamillionaire - Still Tippin (2003)
* Z-Ro, Paul Wall & Lil Flip - From the South (2005)
* Lil Keke - Southside (1998)
* DJ DMD & Fat Pat – 25 Lighters (1998)
* Paul Wall & Chamillionaire – The Other Day (2002)
* Wreckshop Family – Power Up (2001)
* UGK – Murder (1996)
* Fat Pat - Tops Drop (1998)
* E.S.G. & Slim Thug - Getchya Hands Up (2001)
* Lil O – Back Back (2000)
* Tela & Devin the Dude - Drugs (2000)
* Raheem - 5th Ward (1992)
* Odd Squad – Fa Sho (1994)
* Scarface, Too Short & Devin the Dude - Fuck Faces (1998)
* Hawk (Screwed Up Click) – U Already Know (2003)
* Z-Ro, Juvenile & Devin The Dude – The Mule (2005)
* Slim Thug & Young Jeezy – Diamonds (Mannie Fresh Remix) (2005)
* UGK - Diamonds and Wood (1996)
* DJ DMD ft Al B & DJ Screw - So Real (1997)
* DJ Screw & Lil Keke - Pimp The Pen (2001)
* Paul Wall & Chamillionaire – N Love Wit My Money (2002)
* Bun B & Mddl Fngz - 4 In The Morning (2001)

"What I have done renders everything they have junk."

Bold words when the "they" you're referencing is Houston's Museum of Fine Art, arguably one of the best art museums in the country. But local surgeon Anthony Walter feels that the baroque masterpiece he's created in the great hall of his Southhampton home (built in 2004, natch) rivals -- nay, obliterates -- the MFA's grand collection. Included in his 2,500 square foot masterpiece are gilded murals depicting his wife and various Biblical scenes, coffered ceilings, mother-of-pearl inlays and exactly 48,762 cubic zirconias. Museum-worthy? You can judge for yourself in this slideshow of Dr. Walter's work. (NY Times, via Swamplot)

Week Around the Ists

Torontoist exposed infamous local fiend Dimitri the Lover's new protégé, Pavel the Lover—a man who approaches underage girls, calls them "elegant," and passes them business cards asking them if they'd like to "swing on a star."
SFist was disheartened to hear that Equality California's executive director refused to attend next month's inauguration due to Barack Obama's regrettable decision to have anti-gay and prop-Prop 8 pastor Rick Warren deliver the invocation, but perked up when attorney general and former (and future?) CA Governor Jerry Brown said that same-sex marriage ban Prop 8 was invalid.
Bostonist interviewed Jamie Sneider, a comedian who likes to be naked and checked out the action at Fenway's Cask'n Flagon, where fists flew at a charity ball.
Phillyist revealed the ten names rejected by the Campbell family before they settled on naming their son for the Fuhrer.
Chicagoist watched Governor Rod Blagojevich's quick speech and marveled at a local artist's interpretation of Blago in the nude, toasted Drew Peterson for getting engaged while his fourth wife remains missing and his third wife remains murdered, and talked about not much plowing and calling dibs on parking during a snowy week.
DCist commenters had a lot to say about whether MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski was really mugged outside the Georgetown Ritz Carlton or just fell prey to an aggressive panhandler.
Seattlest's coverage of Snowmageddon 2008 started off fun, with visiting reindeer and snowbound drink suggestions, but then two charter buses nearly took a 30-foot header off Capitol Hill onto I-5.
Houstonist started scheming to turn a Space Shuttle into a taco truck, a teaching lab or an arts center if they could get their hands on $42M to buy one when they are decommissioned in 2010.
LAist wondered if Obama choosing evangelical minster Rick Warren to speak at the inauguration would pick at the Prop 8 wound; to prove Prop 8 was still a priority, protests were organized this weekend, as supporters of the Prop filed a lawsuit to nullify the 18,000 gay marriages that took place in California this year.
Shanghaiist was amused by this video of a Canadian guy singing The Star Spangled Banner in Chinese.
Londonist salivated over space shuttles and skating Santas.
Gothamist got to see Governor Paterson (1) get spoofed on Saturday Night Live, (2) express him anger about it, and then (3) refer it the spoof again when he introduced a bevy of new taxes, including an "iPod tax" and "non-diet soda tax."

Morning Roundup

38 passengers were injured on Saturday night when Continental flight 1404 crashed in Denver while attempting to take off

Initial findings suggest a problem with the brakes on the ill-fated 737 while five injured passengers from Flight 1404 remain in Denver hospitals

The newly formed Ike Recovery Commission is tasked with evaluating the response and the long term effects of Ike on the community

Farmers and ranchers are still working to recover from Ike - like one rancher rebuilding 38 miles of barbed wire fence to hang on to his cattle

Cities are asking the state Attorney General if they can ban dog breeds like pit bulls

Morton Ranch cheerleaders will be in court today to defend themselves against hazing charges. If convicted, they could face six months in jail.

Houston's octuplets turned 10 this weekend

Friends and relatives mourned Nicole Lalime this weekend. She was struck and killed by a car; the driver is suspected of being drunk.

The University of St. Thomas is looking to grad students to address the teacher shortage

Elves and More delivered smiles by way of bicycles to kids this weekend

The Texans visited the Oakland Raiders yesterday and were thwarted in their bid to win five in a row

The Aeros fought hard but lost 4-3 to the Peoria Rivermen in a shoot out

Today's weather: "It's beginning to [feel] a lot like Christmas." Tah tah tah. Expect a high of 41 and a low of 38, which means that you now have clearance to ice your High Life by putting out on the back porch.

Passenger Twitters During Plane Crash

"Holy fucking shit I wasbjust in a plane crash!" Mike Wilson, a Denver resident and passenger on Continental flight 1404, tweeted (posted updates to his Twitter account) about his experience when the Houston-bound flight crashed this weekend. According to his tweets, this was plane crash number two for Wilson. And, bus travel is becoming a more attractive option.

Houstonist Flickr Photo of the Day - Cupcake truffles

Cupcake truffles
by sulla55

Here's a Photo of the Day that comes with a recipe from the photographer.

Cupcake truffles, about the easiest recipe out there.
Make a mix cake according to the instructions on the box. When cool, crumble the cake and stir in one can of frosting (flavors are up to you...I used fudge cake and cream cheese frosting). Form mixture into balls and freeze. Dip in melted chocolate and decorate.

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If you have a passion for Houston and photography, consider joining a whole bunch of Houston's best photographers in the Houstonist Flickr Photo Group. Each day, Houstonist chooses a Photo of the Day and if Houstonist uses your photo, submit it here.

For more great Houston photography, check out the Houston Photobloggers.

Daily-ist: Monday

Although there's no snow in the forecast this week, we're still experiencing some true Christmas weather today. And what better way to take advantage of that (while it lasts!) than heading down to Discovery Green and enjoying the ice rink on a chilly night beneath the glittering lights of downtown Houston?

At 6:00 p.m. tonight, there's a special treat for those craving a little dose of the Winter Olympics:

Houston Skating Stars: The region's best figure skaters, coaches, precision teams and ice show performers bring their talent to The Ice.

And afterwards, the ice will be reopened to public skating. So whether you're an aspiring Kristi Yamaguchi or just want to see cute chicks in short skirts show you up on the ice, go check out this wonderful (and free!) display of artistic athleticism. Bonus: this is a great event to take the kiddos to as well!

Houston Skating Stars
Admission: Free! And $10 if you want to ice skate afterwards.
Date and Time: December 22nd, 6:00 p.m.
Location: The Ice at Discovery Green

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Photo courtesy of Flickr user forcedtothink.

Winning Season Eludes Texans

Can you remember the last time a Houston pro football team had a winning season?

Houstonist can. The 1993 Houston Oilers.

That's 15 years too long and it's getting old.The best the Texans can hope for is 8-8 which is the record they had last year. Bob McNair must be getting impatient. This is not what he envisioned when he purchased the team.

The NFL this year has seen the Atlanta Falcons who were 4-12 last year bolt to 10-5 with a rookie quarterback who will be leading them into the playoffs.

And then there's the Miami Dolphins, who were a woeful 1-15 a year ago now sit at 10-5 and are one win away from clinching an AFC East Division title.

When will it be the Texans' turn? After an 0-4 start, the Texans responded by going 7-3 with big wins at Green Bay and a huge win at home home against the AFC's best team, the Tennessee Titans.

The offense is there. The Texans are averaging 377.2 yards per game which is third best in the NFL. Andre Johnson, Steve Slaton, Kevin Walters and a healthy Matt Schaub make for a great set.

Maybe we should all just blame it on the defense. Mario Williams is great. DeMeco Ryans is a stud, but two people can't do it all. This defense is giving up 24.7 points per game which is sixth worst in the NFL and their 339.4 yards per game their giving up ranks 22 out of 32 in the league.

Something has to give. This team needs a defense which compliments its offense. Then and only then can this Texans team compete with the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans for a shot at a division title.

Santa, can you hear us? Hanukkah Harry, are you taking requests?

Now with another non-winning season looming in the Bayou City, the only thing Houstonist wants for the holiday season is a winning season in 2009. Stay tuned.

Flickr photo: The Brit_2

Texans Choke Against Raiders

Umm, that wasn't how that was supposed to go. Riding a wave of momentum after last week's upset win over the Titans, the Texans had two pansy opponents left on their 2008 schedule, with eyes on an even more successful 2009. The normally woeful Raiders pulled the rug out from under them on Sunday in a 27-16 loss, and now an 8-8 finish is the best they can hope for (again).

The typically potent Texans offense was ugly: Steve Slaton only rushed for 66 yards (someone please draft or sign a change-of-pace back this offseason), and Matt Schaub had his least-effective game of the season. Schaub was unable to connect with Kevin Walter on a 4th-and-short in the 4th quarter that might have given the moribund team some life.

Even though the Raiders (despite their crappy record) have one of the better secondaries in the NFL, the Texans should've performed much better against the team that's owned by a vampire. Despite a 4 game win streak, this Texans team showed that it is still far from perfect on a blustery day in Oakland. They're not the "frauds" that some hyperbolic local media types might like you to believe, but they're certainly far from perfect.

With one final chance at .500 looming at home against the Bears, the Texans need to get back to the elements that showed such promise this season: a balanced, aggressive offense and a hard-nosed defensive front. Show up next week at Reliant Stadium and cheer the team on: they're going to need all the positives they can get.
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photo: flickr user presson_on

Houstonist Flickr Photo of the Day - A Texans Christmas

A Texans Christmas
by I-SEEN-IT

Holiday flair with a Texans twist!

For more great Houston photography, check out the Houston Photobloggers.

Daily-ist: Tuesday

If the intricate and fiery artistry behind hand-blown glass always fascinated you, then you'll love the new exhibit at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. HCCC is currently hosting "Hot Glass, Cool Collections," a show in which some of Houston's finest glass art is on display:

The exquisite works on view represent the many styles and techniques of the Studio Glass Movement—including hand-blown, kiln-worked, torch-worked and cold-worked glass. The show includes over 60 pieces by such masters as Dale Chihuly, Harvey Littleton, Dante Marioni, Richard Marquis, William Morris, Michael Schunke, Preston Singletary, Paul Stankard, Lino Tagliapietra, Toots Zynsky and many more.

Showing alongside "Hot Glass, Cool Collections" is the smaller but more cutting-edge "Environment = Form + Space" exhibit, in which three emerging glass artists are featured: Matthew Eskuche, Amy Rueffert, and Pablo Soto. As with all HCCC exhibits, these are free. However, the Center is only open until 5:00 p.m. each day.

So if you have the day off and you'd like to avoid the mad frenzy that's currently erupting in malls around the city, spend an hour at the HCCC and enjoy this breathtakingly beautiful collection. Bonus: if you still aren't done with your holiday shopping, you can pick up some one-of-a-kind gifts at the Center's Asher Gallery before you leave.

Hot Glass, Cool Collections / Environment = Form + Space
Admission: Free!
Date: Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, 4848 Main Street

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Photo courtesy of www.crafthouston.org.

Want to Buy McGrady's Car?

Houston, do you have $150,000 lying around? If so, then here's your chance to own Tracy McGrady's 2001 Mercedes Benz CL600.

The Rockets star has put his car on Ebay and he's hoping you help him out in these tough financial times. NBA players need to eat too, you know?

The winner will get to meet McGrady and he will sign the dashboard and seats to your new car! And who doesn't want that!?

The car was customized by West Coast Customs and according to Texas Auto Superstore, who is consigning the auction, says the car is well worth over $300,000 so you will be getting the deal of a lifetime.

Houston, here's your chance to make that one special Rockets fan smile for Christmas. Good luck and happy bidding.

Photo courtesy of texasautosuperstore.

Houstonist Flickr Photo of the Day - Blue Christmas

Blue Christmas
by erinen31

Blue Christmas? Fine with us, even if it is just toenail polish.

For more great Houston photography, check out the Houston Photobloggers.

Houstonist Flickr Photo of the Day - A Frosted Rose

A Frosted Rose
by J. Evins

A frosted rose for Christmas. Happy Holidays all!

For more great Houston photography, check out the Houston Photobloggers.