WORST OF HOUSTON 2011 ” The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends.” - Friedrich Nietzsche They say sunlight is the best antiseptic. They also say a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.  Why those are relevant, I don’t know. But we are proud to offer up our annual Worst of Houston list this year in our continuing efforts to make Houston a better place by exposing some of it’s worst components. We can’t vouch for factual accuracy, positive motivation, or anything else for that ... Read More »

Gather around you fellow haters, cynics, and video game store clerks and bask in the hate that is our annual ‘Worst of Houston 2010’; a collection of the worst antics of 2010 in Houston and even beyond! Be forewarned, we pull no punches here and call em’ like we see them.  So if you are included on this list, take it not as a stab but rather a nudge to change your actions and work towards a better tomorrow. We know we will. McCoin, you are fired! - Illustrations by Michael C. Rodriguez Worst Invasion of Privacy: Red light cameras ... Read More »

by Andrea Afra We live in a city where the residents watch daily as our history is demolished; where lack of zoning has created a gangsta’s paradise for the developer who has the funds to sweeten the mayor’s pot; where the suburbs sprawl in Roman proportions and the people’s efforts to create a thriving metropolis are snuffed out by the very representatives they elect. Everything and everyone has its price in Houston, and Walmart has sniffed out our weakest politicians like hyenas on wounded antelope. Now they are moving in for the big kill. Having conquered Exurbia and Suburbia nationwide, ... Read More »

by Andrea Afra I am typically reluctant to jump on the popular restaurant band wagon so it took me a while to make it to Yelapa, which is definitely ‘scene’ cuisine. Yet, after driving by it several times I thought, damn, something smells really good and I need it in my face stat. Why not give the place a shot? Just because white people are raving about it doesn’t mean I should write it off. The restaurant was supposedly on a wait when we arrived, but there were a few tables open in the bar area as well as on ... Read More »

Part one of a series covering Walmart’s new developments in Houston and the company’s negative impact locally and abroad by Andrea Afra This July, Walmart launched WalmartHouston.com as a damage control effort due to the public uproar against the new proposed location just south of I-10 at Yale, just 5 miles west of the new Silber location, marking the first urban Walmart store in Houston. More traffic and crime are two of the residents’ concerns, but the problems run much deeper. As it turns out, it won’t just be a 15 acre Walmart, but a 23 acre development by Ainbinder ... Read More »

by Andrea Afra Jitneys have been the bane of public transportation companies since their inception nearly a century ago, and an old battle is being rekindled between the modern day versions of both. By historical definition, a jitney is a privately owned self-propelled vehicle that picks up passengers and takes them to their required destination for a small fee. It’s an efficient and effective mode of short distance travel that is enjoyed by cities all over the world- that is, by cities that don’t smother the market demand to death in politically influenced regulations. Local Houstonian and entrepreneur Erik Ibarra, ... Read More »

by Andrea Afra Looking around the dining room at Fountain View Cafe, I said to my husband, “Notice anything about this place?” “You mean how homogenized it is?” “Yep.” Sometimes, when dining in particular regions of Houston, such as Tanglewood, one finds that the majority of the patrons, if not all, are Caucasians (like me, but I’m 1/16th Cherokee Indian so…I kid). After being married to an Arab for nearly ten years, you start noticing these things when you realize, “That’s funny, my spouse is the only customer in here that would get extra scrutiny at the airport.” It’s true. ... Read More »