Basically, Rizz seems like a fun dude who really believes in karaoke. "People need a stage to show their talents or just be counted as somebody," he writes on his website. Here he is talking about his karaoke project on another Kenosha public access show called "Views of the News." more ›

"These so-called experts have taken over our national government. Well, I disagree with those experts. Somebodies' got to stand up to experts." Yikes. This footage of Don McLeroy, speaking at a Tea Party convention in Bastrop, was replayed on "The Colbert Report" during his interview last night, and comes from a documentary called The Revisionaries. more ›

New polling among women and Latino voters could spell trouble for Republicans in Texas this November. Democrats need only 425,000 votes to swing their way to color the state blue, and while the odds are still very much in favor of another electoral college win for the GOP in Texas this year, it's no longer a state Republicans can take for granted. more ›

If you thought the days of murder for hire in Texas went out with Anton Chigurh's straightened hair, you may think again. In both Arlington and Houston, two separate plots involving failed attempts at contract killings are making the news. more ›

The recent outcry over Texas women's access to healthcare is preceded by a long, sad history of de-prioritization and ignorance. Sadly, last week's news regarding the complete halt of federal funding for women's health programs in Texas was over-shadowed by SXSW, the ongoing race for the GOP candidate and a handful of other big noise news items. So what exactly happened? more ›

Flickr is a great place to find great or strange user-submitted photos with various licensing requirements, but not everyone is familiar with the Commons section of the website. Founded in 2008, Flickr Commons were designated to showcasing public photography that have "no known copyright restrictions" for a variety of reasons (that you can read about here), with the following in mind: "To increase access to publicly-held photography collections," and "To provide a way for the general public to contribute information and knowledge. (Then watch what happens when they do!)." more ›

It's that frisky season when politicians of the same stripe nonetheless go neck to neck with their sometimes-allies to differentiate themselves while ripping their brothers-in-arms a new one. In the presidential primary, the corn belt has been shaken with a barrage of negative ads from Republican party hopefuls - Mitt Romney (who isn't taking responsibility for said ads) blasts Newt Gingrich, and now Newt's associates are blasting back. It's all very exciting, but even with two Texas dogs in the hunt it feels very removed. The good news is that a debate is headed not just to Texas, but to Austin - and though it probably won't have the vim and vigor of the Perry Vs. Perry debates we've seen, at least this one doesn't take place in Iowa. more ›

A 14-year-old Dallas girl, distraught over her parents separation and grandfather's death, ran away from home in the fall of 2010. The teenager, Jakadrien Turner, eventually ended up in Houston where she was picked up by local police for theft. While in custody, she gave a fake name that ended up belonging to a 22-year-old Colombian immigrant with warrants out her her arrest. So then, despite being 14-years-old, African-American and not speaking any Spanish, Jakadrien was 'deported' to Colombia last April. more ›

The Star-Telegram is reporting a death at the Occupy Denton campsite on the University of North Texas campus. The body of 23 year old Darwin Cox was discovered Saturday night, and the campsite has since been dismantled. Though there is no ruling on the cause of death yet, it's being speculated that Cox's drug addiction might have played a part. Garrett Graham, an Occupy Denton spokesperson, said that the group did not allow drugs or alcohol in the camp, and that Cox had a fever when he arrived at the camp on Friday. A statement released by the Occupy Denton organizers today read, "Occupy Denton mourns the loss of a fellow occupier, a kind and idealistic young man and a friend. Occupy Denton will dearly miss him, and forever appreciate the fortune of having shared a space and time with our friend. We give our deepest condolences to his family." The Occupy Denton group has not suspended activities, and will be looking for a new campsite in coming days. more ›

On October 30, 26-year-old Burke Burnett was attacked by three men at a private Halloween party in Reno, Texas. The undeniably vicious attack appears to have been motivated by anti-gay bigotry.Late last week Burnett was informed by the Lamar County District Attorney’s Office that his attackers will face hate crime charges. more ›

Yes indeed, you may start planning your weekend of the 22nd accordingly with the Texas Book Fest's fully realized schedule, found here. Featuring: a literary death match, and events with writers from Tom Perrotta to Don Graham to Mary Johnson! And something called "Pitchapalooza" where you "pitch your book idea to established agents and writers." Your zombie romance western novel has gone unheralded for too long! more ›

Despite a four hour stay during which the Supreme Court reviewed the evidence of his conviction, Troy Davis, the man accused of killing a Savannah police officer in 1989 has been executed. more ›

We Were Not Orphans: Stories from the Waco State Home is a compilation of memories told in the words of the alumni themselves, now in their sixties, seventies and eighties. Put together by social advocacy marketer Sherry Matthews (whose half brothers attended the school), the alumni’s stories are hardly edited, thus keeping their true voices - voices that weren't heard years ago - intact. The result is a collection of haunting accounts whose depth of specific details pales only in comparison to the gratitude many express in retrospect, in spite of such dire circumstances. more ›

A couple of sources have been reporting this week that Phil Collins - yes, that guy - has completed and is shopping around a book on Texas history. The London Evening Standard says "Collins, 60 - a long-time collector of memorabilia from the Alamo - is now seeking a publisher for his study of Texan history." The Hollywood Reporter goes a step further, reporting that "Statehouse Press is targeting a March 2011 release for the work, titled The Alamo and Beyond: A Collector's Journey." We're assuming they meant March of 2012, and a look on the website for this State House Press reveals no iota of Collins announcements. Still, this developing news is pretty interesting, at least insofar as the book doesn't come with a soundtrack. more ›

It wasn't so long ago that Texas spirits pretty much started and ended with Tito's. But while Mr. Beveridge and his company produce a vodka we can all be proud of, Texas now boasts a much larger array of spirits that showcase new ideas, bold flavors, and the ongoing search for something new and unique that has boosted local and craft spirit sales across the country. On Friday, Launch787 and Google Places are throwing a party called "MIX" to celebrate Texas Cocktails, and all you need to attend is a ticket. more ›

It was probably tough to do (yeah, Texas-dwellers are a proud bunch), but a group of experts has narrowed down the ten best films made in the Lone Star State. The list they came up with has inspired the Alamo Drafthouse 2011 Rolling Roadshow, and these beloved depictions of all things dusty, lonesome and wild will be screened in various locations around the state during June and July. more ›

• U.S. unveils new terrorism alerts, scraps colors
• Wildfires spread across Texas
• India successfully launches three satellites into space

• Obama to outline deficit reduction plan, nation rolls eyes
• Dems paid steep price to avoid government shutdown
• Congressional Budget Office: Big cuts, not much payoff

Texan and first-time director Robbie Pickering's film Natural Selection will be making its world premiere at SXSW. The film focuses on Texas housewife Linda White (Rachael Harris), whose dying husband Abe (John Diehl) surprises her with the news that he has an illegitimate son living in Florida. more ›

Pleasantly surprising curious listeners time and again with the release of archival recordings like Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal and Wayfaring Strangers: Ladies From The Canyon, The Numero Group has a fine habit of shining light onto musical scenes and neglected by history but given a second look from the create-digging, library-scouring, and sound-infatuated founders of said label - Tom Lunt, Rob Sevier, and Ken Shipley. Of particular interest to Texans and/or purveyors of warm ‘70s rock and pop, the label’s 34th release Local Customs: Lone Star Lowlands took to the “Golden Triangle” of Port Neches, Beaumont and Orange to uncover some terrific recordings from the Lowlands studio. more ›

I think you're asking all the questions that we really wrestled with in this process. Our editor Jake Silverstein deserves all of the credit for this issue, and it must've been in the summer of last year that we first talked about this idea. We had our first serious conversations about it in September in terms of soliciting ideas from the staff. So we've been working on it for at least that long. With the imagery I think we came to the conclusion that many places that have real historical value to Texans have been torn down, or papered over, or lost to anonymity. And yet they still resonate, and they still have meaning. more ›

Texas Monthly is celebrating our state’s one-hundred and seventy-fifth anniversary - or terquasquicentennial, in unpopular parlance - with an issue highlighting the same number of historic events that helped define what Texas means today. And by historic, we mean historic. Starting at dinosaurs and ending with Rick Perry, the staff at Texas Monthly labored to find the most emblematic moments in Texas history, some which took place way before there was even a Texas. Deputy Editor Brian Sweany shifted through myths, legends, cowboys and corn chips to get to the heart of the matter, and in this two-part interview he was kind enough to take us through some of the magazine’s selections and the stories behind them. more ›

Texas Governor Rick Perry and Lt. Governor David Dewhurst ended all suspense yesterday by accepting the will of the voters and allowing themselves to be re-inaugurated into office again. Security was tight as Perry lamented how long it took to elect an Aggie as Governor, Dewhurst declared Texas to be the antidote to a Washington run amuck, and the Singing Aggie Choir performed Texas, Our Texas. The thin crowd included patriots, giant pigs, Buffalo Soldiers and Bar-B-Q lovers. Red McCombs supplied free lunches and Big Reds for all, while Brad Dunn and Ellis County mildly amused the hungry carnivores. Austinist's roving photographer, Steve Hopson, was there to document the wreckage. more ›