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1 person dead after plane accident near Austin County
Published On: Aug 06 2014 09:29:47 AM CDT
Updated On: Jul 13 2014 10:12:28 PM CDT
Updated On: Jul 13 2014 10:12:28 PM CDT
One person is dead after a glider plane crashed near the Austin County and Fort Bend County line.
It happened around 2:18 p.m. Sunday at 12206 Reinecker Road in Wallis.
The victim has been identified as 67-year-old Houston man Rokki Ford Roberts.
Authorities say Roberts left the Greater Houston Soaring Association Airport but never made it back.
The reason for the crash is unknown, according to officials.
The Austin County Sheriff's Office was the first to respond to the scene. Fort Bend County officials are assisting. Investigators with the Federal Aviation Administration are en route to investigate the scene.
Stay tuned to KPRC Local 2 and Click2Houston.com for more details as they come in.
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subset: commoncrawl


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November 24, 2013
Pat Becker hosts...
A complete episode filmed on location at the home of Pat Becker. Father Robertson visits with Pat about the importance and thanks that pets bring in to our lives. Sherri Lanier and Bill Bonadio visit with Pat in the kitchen and make a Thanksgiving meal for everyone. Plus, the dogs come to the table to eat and give thanks for the year they have all spent together.
E/I: Children can learn how to cook food for their dogs that is tasty for animals and humans. Plus, children can learn about Saint Francis of Assisi and what he did for the animals.


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On the topic of am I going to burn my house down.....
- Candy Nov 14, 2006 12:01 AM
I was seeing my MD last week and conversation turned to food and cooking. Namely pizza. He is learning to make his own. The conversation turned to ovens and he told me he is planning to disable the locking function of the self-cleaning cycle so he can get that oven and stone really hot and cook that pizza in 2.5 to 3 mins.
Okay, I am bothered and uneasy about this idea. Yeah I know the oven is insulated and when I use the self-cleaning cycle I do not set my cabinets on fire. I leave my really thick pizza stine in the oven all of the time even when cleaning and logically I know that the lock on the self-cleaning cycle is to keep you form burning your self but I am bothered. Has anyone tried this? Does the idea make you as uneasy as it does me? Am I worrying needlessly?
This is absolute MYTHOLOGY that restaurants have "hotter" ovens and that's why their food tastes so much better.
The ovens actual operating temperature can't be much higher than 500 degrees. Why not? Because the YEAST DIES at that temperature! You get burned, unrisen garbage. The restaurant's ovens are constantly being opened and closed and the temp comes down as a result.
Just cook your pizza at 450 and ignore this "You just aren't equipped" cop-out/supremacism. Finish it by turning on the broiler above it if you want the slightly charred top effect. There is no difference in the result when you know what you're doing.
re: peeder
The oven temperature has an effect on the final characteristics of the crust. Some types of pizza crusts, like Pizza Napoletana, simply can't be achieved at temps. below 800°.
Before you go pontificating about the actual operating temp. of commercial ovens and how 450° is just fine, I suggest you surf over to Jeff Varasano's website at <http://jvpizza.sliceny.com/ > and check out the pics of his pies cooked at home in an 800° oven and Pizzamaking.com and spend some time reading the posts by Pete-zza, Varsano, and Pizzanapoletana, as well as pizza industry consultants SliceofSlomon (Evelyn Slomon, author of _The Pizza Book_) and Tom Lehmann (aka, The Dough Doctor) on the relationship between temperature, oven spring, crust texture, and tooth, and post some pics of your results at 450° showing you can get the same results.
re: peeder
commercial ovens get hotter than 500. coal/wood fired can get considerably hotter, especially if there's a bellows of some sort. here's one i found w/ a quick google...
also, commercial ovens used in applications where they are frequently opened/closed generally are 3-phase, which heat up faster and hold more consistent temps.
and if there is a convection fan, commercial ovens generally have a cut-off that stops the fan from pushing out the warm air when the door is open.
pro equipment often exceeds the performance of residential. that said, pretty good pizza results can be produced in the home oven. i'm not sure that disabling the lock would help; most ovens will not reach cleaning temps unless the lock is activated. so, the lock would have to be modified to engage the cleaning cycle, but allow the door to open. dangerous? a little. worth it? not in my opinion, especially if the oven is under warranty (also note that if a fire is traced back to the oven, and it has been modified, the insurance company will just laugh at you). if you're that into making pizza, get a pizza oven.
re: peeder
i asked the pizza dudes at lombardi's (nyc) once about the temp of their coal-fired oven. they said the temp is always in the range of 800-900 degrees, give or take. these guys know from pizza. also, having worked in a restaurant for several years, it is absolutley true that commercial ovens run hotter than 500. a 700 degeree oven is the savior of many a line cook in the weeds.
that being said, i have had good luck with my baking tiles if i crank the oven to 550. (The oven runs a little hot anyway, closer to 600 when it has been blasting for a while.) i don't think it is necessary to disable the lock. if the stone is preheated for a half hour and his dough is good, he should have good results. my pizza is better than any pizzeria, save lombardi's and totonno. crust is always nicely charred on the bottom but still chewy. i've never timed it, but my pizzas cook in under 5 minutes.
re: laguera
I noticed that Jeff, the Atlanta pizza guy in the link below said that a pizza took 20 minutes to cook in a 500 degree oven. Not in mine. With the stone, my pizzas come out in less than 5 minutes too.
But they certainly don't have that beautiful, springy, hole-y crust he has.
re: danna
I'm fairly certain that the 20 min. Jeff mentioned is for high hydration (67%) dough made with Caputo 00 flour rather than all purpose flour at hydration levels specifed in typical pizza recipes (52-56%).
At low temps—and for pizza baking, 500°F is low temp—Caputo 00 flour does take significantly longer to brown than all purpose and bread flour do.
Umm, the yeast dies in a 450 degree oven too. The rising takes place outside the oven as far as yeast is concerned. What takes place in the oven is from steam trapped in all those lovely little pockets the yeast made.
Wood fired ovens at home and in restos do get up to some pretty high temps due to their thermal mass. This speeds up the cooking dramatically.
As far as disabling the safety interlocks to acheive this in a conventional oven, this just strikes me as such a bad idea.
re: Scrapironchef
Not all the rising takes place outside the oven: the heat of of the oven cavity causes the yeast to give off one last burst of CO2 before it dies from the heat: a phenomenon called "oven spring."
It's not steam that creates the air pockets: it's carbon dioxide given off by the yeast. If the oven temp. is too low when the dough goes in, the outer surface of the dough forms a skin (crust) that prevents the dough from rising before the yeast has been killed by the heat, i.e., no or poor oven spring.
re: mclaugh
I'm aware of that, I was just pointing out that the yeast are going to be killed at any oven temp. What takes place in the oven is not done by living yeast.
I certainly would never open the door of an oven in the cleaning mode: I think the heat would produce instant burns.
That is what I am trying to reconcile in my brain. The temperature is not really an issue vis a vis kitchen cabinetry etc, don't think he is in danger if setting the kitchen on fire. Most of us have self cleaning ovens. My MIL is the only person I know who is afraid to use the self cleaning feature and has never cleaned an oven that I know of manualy or electronicaly. It is opening the oven door at the elevated temperatures that really bothers me I guess. It realy makes me uneasy.
A few months back, someone posted a link to a guy who's been trying to make the perfect NY pie.
About a third of the way down, step 4, you'll see what he did.
I've cut the lock on my oven, and no, the heat doesn't produce instant burns. I routinely hit 800°F surface temps on my pizza stone (measured with a digital IR thermometer) with no problems, with the outside of the oven cabinet measuring in the 80-90° range. (If you've ever cooked in a brick oven or over live coals or hardwood charcoal, the oven deck temp can get upwards of 1200°F.) You do have to be careful though and have proper equipment (high quality baking stone, a long-handled pizza peel, heavy, insulated gloves for oven mitts—I use welders gloves, etc.). You also have to watch things like a hawk, because a pizza can go from undercooked to burned to a crisp in 15-20 sec.
Disabling the lock WILL void the oven's warranty and may void your insurance as well.
Send you Dr. to Pizzamaking.com and Jeff Varasano's website mirrored at <http://jvpizza.sliceny.com/ > for discussions on the pros and cons of disabling the lock on a self-cleanining oven. Tell him to pay special attention to the warnings and cautions.
re: cheryl_h
Gas grills can reach 800° at the grate: the problem is that they're not sufficiently insulated to retain enough heat in the air cavity above the grate to cook the top of the pizza before the bottom burns.
re: mclaugh
We don't cook the pizza on the grill only on one side. We flip it so both are grilled, then we top the pizza and broil in the oven. It gives us a terrific crust and perfectly cooked toppings.
re: cheryl_h
In other words, you parbake the crust.
There's nothing wrong with that. I do it myself on occasion when I want something a bit different, but it's not the style of pizza I'm after most of the time, and it doesn't come close to authentic Pizza Napoletana or NY-style pizza.
re: mclaugh
No, it's not parbaked, it's fully cooked on the grill. I was addressing the OP, not your taste in pizza.
re: cheryl_h
You're parbaking the crust before topping it and finishing it on the grill.
If the OP's MD is thinking about cutting the lock on his oven, it is highly probable that he's after a Napoletana-style pizza flash-baked for a total of 90-150 sec. rather than one with a parbaked crust.
re: mclaugh
No I am not. Read my post. I said:
"We don't cook the pizza on the grill only on one side. We flip it so both are grilled, then we top the pizza and broil in the oven."
The pizza crust is completely cooked ON THE GRILL. The oven is used only to finish the TOPPINGS. Get it?
The OP mentioned achieving a high temperature. Period. Anything further is purely your conjecture.
re: cheryl_h
If you are cooking the crust on the grill before you top it and then cooking the pizza in the oven, by definition, you are using a parbaked crust for your pizza.
[QUOTE]The OP mentioned achieving a high temperature. Period.[/QUOTE]
Wrong. The OP said he wanted to cut the lock "so he can get that oven and stone really hot and cook that pizza IN 2.5 TO 3 MINS."
There are precisely TWO styles of pizza that require sub-3 min cooking times: authentic Pizza Napoletana and elite NY style, a la the ones shown on Jeff Varasano's webpage, mentioned above. The fact that the good doctor is shooting for that time profile is sufficient proof that his goal is to make one or both of those styles.
Holy crap - does he know how hot those things get? Some of them get up to 1000 degrees. That's hot as cow piss. Tell him to be careful if he actually does it. Ever stand over an oven when it's opened at 500 degrees? Yeah... double that! Anyone into melting rocks?! ;-)
If you have a gas oven, the broiler may not have a upper temperature limit.
And if you've got a convection fan ... Maybe you could place some pans on
the top shelf to shield your pizza below?
I discussed this with Jackp last night. He actually knows of someone who disabled the oven-cleaning lock but found that it did not work well and ended up doing something involving a gas grill and a lot of bricks/tiles to insulate it.
Sounds to me like it would just be easier to go out for pizza.
re: jillp
It would be easier if you're willing to settle for ok pizza; if you're not willing to settle for just "ok" (and you're in the US), you've got three choices: visit Naples, Italy; visit one of the handful of restaurants and pizzarias in the US that serve pizza approaching the quality one finds at, say, Da Michelle or Antica Pizzeria Brandi in Naples, Italy: Pizzeria Bianco (Phoenix), Il Pizziallo (Pittsburgh), Nizza La Bella and A16 (San Francisco), Pizziaolo (Oakland), Settebello (Las Vegas), Luzzos and UPN (NY), Antica Pizzeria (LA), and maybe one or two others; figure out how to make it at home.
Like mclaugh, I've cut the lock on my oven and I haven't had any problems with it.
Hate to say it, but if your DH's acquaintence had spent as much time figuring out how to use the oven after cutting the lock as s/he did figuring out how to rig a gas grill to emulate a brick oven to get the results s/he was after, odds are s/he'd be getting as good, if not better results with the oven.
Disabling the lock is a necessary first step, but it's only the first step: you still have to figure how to work with the idiosyncracies of your oven to get the results you're after, e.g., where are the hot spots and cool spots, what's the temp difference between the bottom and the top rack, what's the ideal stone placement for your oven, what type and thickness of stone works best in your oven (all stones are not created equal), how much does the temp drop when the door is opened, how long does it take for the stone to get back up to temp between pizzas, etc.
Wow, there is a lot of misinformation and some good information on this thread. I can't comment on it all, but since I seem to be the source of all this, I'm going to take a quick stab at it.
I put up my site 2 years ago, and knew the oven thing was going to cause controversy. Consequently, I've never publicized my site beyond pizzamaking.com, where I knew people would understand. But in Sept, my site got linked around, and has since gotten nearly 130,000 hits. So now everyone is trying to do the oven thing. I'm very careful and I hope everyone who tries it is also.
Neapolitan pizza is a wierd little specialty. It's very hard to do right. Very, very hard, even after years of practice. One thing is for sure: you can't just start switching around major components and get the same thing. I made my grandmother's sicilian pizza at 550F this weekend and everyone said it was the best pizza they'd ever had and I should open a restaurant. Good pizza. But it's not a Neapolitan pizza. Pies cooked under 750F have really no chance at all of replicating the right texture. Lately, I'm starting to agree with the pizza snobs from Naples that sub 90 second pies (850F and higher) are really where it's at. And even then, the distribution of heat (top vs. bottom) is also really critical.
The whole process takes years to master: the oven, the sauce, literally dozens of variables in the mixing technique alone, the various flours, different yeasts and different fermentation techiques, hydration percentages, shaping skills, cheese melting properties, etc, etc.
peeder, I'm sorry, but you really have no idea what we are talking about....
re: lissar
Well then he obviously wasn't paying attention in school the day they taught the difference between "cutting" a lock and "jimmying" a lock. :-)


text:
Keep It G (Freestyle) Lyrics - Honey Cocaine
This is music for the youngins.
All I see is fuck-bitches, all I hear is fuck-bitches.
These fuck-bitches (word word word)
Foreal doe (c'mon, they don't really do shit)
Why the fuck are you speakin' then? (real shit)
I'm tired of this shit.
This is music for the youngins
That's the kids who's thuggin'
Never catch me lovin'
Always keep it fuckin'
My ninjas stay murkin'
416 lurkin'
Young goddess ain't hurtin' with my team money conversin'
Hold it, I'm frozen with the burner
Color, golden
Check the cocaine, it's so potent
No Jokin'
G shit
I got a dream and Ima reach it
You fuck-bitches broke, why you speakin'?
Fuck it
Who needs love if a bitch fuckin' bossin'?
So think again, you don't want no fuckin' problems
Bitch I'm winnin', still I got like hella shit to prove
With my goonies and these niggas ain't got shit to lose
So pick and choose
Decide your fate
Or if I catch you at my show, homie fix your face
Or get a taste
She get replaced
I got the 'tooly in my jays and she outta place
Bitch, Last Kings, First Queen
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Wardak, Ahson and Gorman, Michael E. and Swami, Nathan and Rejeski, Dave (2007) Environmental regulation of nanotechnology and the TSCA. IEEE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY MAGAZINE, 26 (2). pp. 48-56.
Full text is not hosted in this archive but may be available via the Official URL, or by requesting a copy from the corresponding author.
Official URL: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/login.jsp?url=/i...
Particular focus of this article will be managing the environmental risks and benefits of nanotechnology. Currently, U.S. federal agencies do not actively regulate nanotechnology, but they have begun to assess its implications. This article attempts to assess the challenges that nanomaterials pose to the existing regulatory framework, and make recommendations for revisions, using a detailed case-study of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Nanomaterials are anticipated to have cross-market implications, and TSCA is the broadest piece of legislation that deals with chemical regulation. For the purposes of this article, nanotechnology is defined as the science and engineering of manipulating matter at the nanoscale (<100 nm) in at least one dimension. Nanomaterials are materials with at least one dimension in the nanoscale (e.g., nanopaiticles, nanocoatings, nanowires
|Item Type:
|Social and Political Science > Policy developments with respect to nanotechnology
NanoSafety > Environment, health and safety aspects of nanotechnology
Material Science > Nanostructured materials
|ID Code:
|Deposited By:
|Deposited On:
|05 Dec 2008 13:43
|Last Modified:
|05 Jan 2009 16:44
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Thanks for the Great Foreign Coverage, Jill Abramson
New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson didn't leave the paper on her own terms. In a reportedly awkward newsroom meeting on Wednesday -- from which Abramson was conspicuously absent -- the paper's publisher, Arthur Sulzberger, announced her departure and the elevation of the paper's number two, Dean Baquet, into its top editing role.
The decision to fire Abramson reportedly came after friction with top executives at the paper and concerns over her management style, but for all that, we can't help but observe here at Foreign Policy that she has overseen a remarkable period in the paper's international coverage and will be handing her successor what is arguably the best foreign desk in the world of daily journalism.
During her tenure, Abramson saw the paper win eight Pulitzers, several of which touched on the paper's foreign coverage, including one for an investigative project about corruption in China and another about Wal-Mart's role in Mexico. Taken together, the paper's coverage of the world while Abramson held the reins has been marked by a dogged aggressiveness even in the face of reprisals from powerful governments.
In China, the paper's correspondents have provided groundbreaking coverage of the wealth accumulated by the country's political elites. David Barboza's investigation of the sprawling business empire controlled by Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao, for example, earned won him a Pulitzer.
That reporting placed the paper in the cross-hairs of the Chinese government, which has since moved to deny Times reporters visas, a not-so-subtle hint that the government would like the paper to focus on something other than corrupt top-level officials. In a further retaliatory move, the Chinese government blocked the Times' Chinese-language site. Despite these pressures on the paper's bottom line, Abramson maintained her commitment to investigations of the Chinese elite.
The same can't be said for some of the paper's rivals. While reporters at Bloomberg have done similar, admirable work examining the business holdings of Chinese government officials, top editors at the news organization have also allegedly caved to business pressures and killed certain stories on the topic. According to -- you guessed it -- a New York Times report, Bloomberg's editor in chief, Matthew Winkler, killed two investigative stories about the wealth and privileges of the Chinese elite in order to prevent his reporters from being kicked out of China. The financial arm of Bloomberg also has a heavy interest in maintaining access to the Chinese market for its lucrative business terminals and would lose tremendous amounts of money if it were banned from mainland China.
There's nothing to indicate Abramson made similar compromises during her tenure at the helm of the Times. In fact, the paper hired one reporter, Michael Forsythe, involved in the stories killed by Winkler. Shortly thereafter, his name appeared as the lead byline on a story about the government corruption inquiry targeting the country's powerful former security chief, Zhou Yongkang.
At a time of upheaval in the Middle East, Abramson's tenure was marked by similarly aggressive and exhaustive coverage of the region. In Egypt, where a decades-old military regime fell only to be replaced shortly thereafter by a new version of the same, the paper's correspondent, David Kirkpatrick, distinguished himself by his coverage of the violent crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, which went far beyond what many of his competitors were producing. Late last year, Kirkpatrick published a 7,000-word account of the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi which drew plaudits from many media critics but attracted fierce criticism from many Republicans angered that it largely exonerated the Obama administration from allegations that it failed to adequately protect the facility and then tried to cover up the fact that the attack was a well-organized act of terror and not a spontaneous explosion of popular rage.
Elsewhere in the region, the story is much the same. Shortly before Abramson took over the paper, four Times journalists were captured by Libyan government forces. But the paper didn't pull back on its coverage, continuing to send correspondents into war-torn areas, including Syria, where the legendary Times journalist Anthony Shadid lost his life after an asthma attack.
In another example of the paper's dogged reporting, the Times sent a pair of journalists to accompany a group of refugees trying to reach Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean. That decision was criticized by some as a foolhardy expedition that failed to recognize the enormous risks in such a journey, but the resulting article won a National Magazine Award earlier this month.
For yet another example of Times journalists putting their lives on the line to report a story, have a look at Tyler Hicks's photographs from inside the Westgate mall in Nairobi, which was attacked by al-Shabab militants in September. Hicks won a Pulitzer for those photographs, which chronicled in bloody detail the aftermath of the militant attack and the ensuing operation to remove them from the mall complex.
Indeed, the aggressiveness of Abramson's journalists in the field are of a piece with her own style, which may very well have resulted in her firing. In a lengthy August profile of Mark Thompson, the paper's new CEO, New York magazine's Joe Hagan described how Abramson clashed with the British import over who would determine the paper's future. In a move said to have deeply angered Thompson, Abramson dispatched an investigative reporter to London to investigate the former BBC executive's handling of a pedophilia scandal at the network. What a welcome for the new boss.
To be sure, the Times' international coverage has stumbled at times. The paper was late to the recent anti-government protests in Venezuela. In Ukraine, the paper was a bit too eager and not quite sufficiently skeptical in running a set of photographs released by the State Department that purported to prove the presence of Russian troops in eastern Ukraine. A day after publishing those photographs, the Times ran a story buried deep inside the paper casting doubt on those claims. The paper also comes under frequent criticism from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that its coverage is slanted one way or the other.
But as the last 24 hours have made clear, an excellent news report was not enough to keep Abramson's head off the chopping block. In an internal report on the paper's digital strategy that preceded Abramson's firing, a committee led by the publisher's son, A.G. Sulzberger, concluded as much: "Of all the challenges facing a media company in the digital age, producing great journalism is the hardest. Our daily report is deep, broad, smart and engaging -- and we've got a huge lead over the competition. At the same time we are falling behind in a second critical area: the art and science of getting our journalism to readers."
Brad Barket/Getty Images for WIRED


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Germany bans charity for 'Hezbollah links'
Tuesday, April 08, 2014
BERLIN – Germany has banned a Lebanese charity organization for having alleged links to Hezbollah and supporting attacks against Israel.
"Organizations that act against Israel's right to exist, directly or indirectly from German territories cannot rely on the freedom of association," said Germany's Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere in a written statement on Tuesday.
"Therefore today I have decided to ban the charity Orphaned Children Project – Lebanon, with immediate effect."
Founded in 1997 in Germany, the charity had focused on supporting child victims of the war in Lebanon and so far offered support for 1,800 orphaned children, according to its website.
But Germany's Interior Ministry said in a written statement on Tuesday that the charity had provided millions of euros to Hezbollah-linked Shahid Foundation and supported acts against Israel's right to exist.
The Ministry accused Hezbollah and Shahid Foundation for recruiting militants and suicide bombers under the cover of humanitarian activities such as support for orphaned children.
German police raided early Tuesday more than a dozen locations in six states and searched offices of the children's charity. The police seized various documents and unspecified amount of money, but no arrests were made, according to Interior Ministry sources.
Copyright © 2014 Anadolu Agency
World News:
Blast rocks college in Nigeria's Kano; casualties feared
France: Six held over 'recruitment of female jihadists'
Death sentence overturned for Bangladesh Islamist leader
Polls show pro-Scottish independence gains
Ex-MP killed in clashes in Libya's Tripoli


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News Feed for Jonathan Rienstra - CultureMap http://austin.culturemap.com/feeds/author/jonathan_rienstra/ 2014-11-18T15:02:00-06:00 Dave Chappelle talks, Snoopy goes 3D and more links we love right now 2014-11-18T15:02:00-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/entertainment/11-18-14-dave-chappelle-gq-charlie-brown-peanuts-3d-toasted-marshmallow-shot-glasses-baileys/
 Editor's note: There's so much that's beautiful, funny, smart and informative on the Internet. Problem is, there's also a bunch of garbage. Here's the best of the web right now.

 1. Dave Chappelle sits down for his first interview in nearly a decade. The funniest man in America talks with GQ about Scandal, walking away from Chappelle's Show and the pressures of being famous. His long conversation with Mark Anthony Green is worth your lunch break.

 2. Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang get the CG and 3D treatment in the newest trailer for Peanuts. The movie is a year away, but darn it if this glimpse into Snoopy's imagination doesn't warm our cynical hearts.

 3. Photographer Sacha Goldberger takes superheroes, Star Wars back to the 16th century. This exhibition from the Grand Palais in Paris has Iron Man, Darth Vader, Wonder Woman and plenty more looking their best as members of a Tudor court.

 4. Vape is bae, according to the Oxford Dictionary. Vape, which means "to inhale and exhale the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device," beat out bae, normcore and slacktivism for word of the year. This is a bit "old man yells at cloud" here, but in 15 years everyone is going to be really embarrassed that we let 2014 get away with this kind of stuff.

 5. Here's a ridiculously easy recipe for making toasted marshmallow shot glasses filled with Bailey's. Perhaps our favorite part of the holiday season is the excused, rampant alcoholism, and this is a whole new level.
 Avoid Thanksgiving traffic in Austin with these tips from Google 2014-11-18T10:06:00-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/travel/11-18-14-thanksgiving-traffic-austin-google-best-times-drive/
 Thanksgiving, as a holiday, is an ode to the great American traditions: football, excessive amounts of food, stretchy pants and traffic that causes one to question if they really need to see their family this year. And traffic in Austin really is as bad during Thanksgiving as everyone says it is: According to Google Maps, we have the second-largest increase in overall traffic during Turkey Week.

 For its findings, Google Maps looked at traffic information for 21 cities across the United States from 2012-2013 to reveal traffic insights and top tips for avoiding traffic. Data was pulled from the Monday before Thanksgiving to the Sunday after.

  The day before Thanksgiving ranks as the heaviest travel day of the week.

  It's likely no surprise that Wednesday is absolute anarchy for travelers. With people trying to get in and out of the city, the day before Thanksgiving ranks as the heaviest travel day of the week.

 And it seems that the idea of beating the traffic is not exclusive to you alone, as 2 to 4 pm is when the roads are most congested; 3 pm is the worst time to think about running any errands. If you're looking to avoid the rush hour, it's wise to get out by 1 pm or after 5 pm, Google says, and you should listen to them because they have more data than Skynet.

 If you absolutely have to go out Wednesday, Google has the places to avoid. According to Google Maps directions trends, the three most searched-for places were "ham shop," "pie shop" and "liquor store." Of course, if you don't know where your nearest ham shop is, priorities are clearly misplaced.

 On the opposite end of the spectrum, Thanksgiving day features the lightest traffic of any day. After all, everyone is full of ham. But if you absolutely yearn to drive the streets alone, avoid getting out from noon to 2 pm, because that's when people are making runs to their nearest ham shop for supplemental ham.

 Arguably the biggest problem about traveling is the fact that you have to do it again at the end of a trip. If you can stomach your relatives an extra day, you're better off driving home on Sunday, because Saturday's traffic is about 13 percent worse in Austin. It's the Sophie's Choice of holiday frustrations, but it might also give you some time to recover from being trampled on Black Friday for a big screen that will be obsolete in two years.
 The most country-minded city in America might surprise you 2014-04-13T14:20:00-05:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/travel/04-13-14-austin-most-country-minded-big-cities-america-fort-worth-texas/
 It appears that Cowtown is the most "country-minded" big city in America, while Austin, Houston and Dallas don't fare so well.

 In a Facebook study by the real estate site Estately.com, Fort Worth ranked No. 1 among the 50 largest U.S. cities for being "country-minded." The website looked at 10 topics it deemed "country" such as country music, fishing, hunting, NASCAR, firearms, barbecue, cowboy boots, pickup trucks, rodeos and sweet tea and then ranked the cities based on the percentage of Facebook users in those towns who liked them. Pretty straightforward.

 But Fort Worth isn't the only country-minded city in Texas. In fact, San Antonio came in second, thanks to a top rodeo ranking, and El Paso landed at No. 5, with top spots for hunting and cowboy boots. The third and fourth spots went to Tulsa and Oklahoma City, respectively.Fort Worth took the top spot in pickup trucks, with top five finishes for firearms, barbecue, cowboy boots, rodeos and sweet tea. In fact, NASCAR was the only subject in which Fort Worth didn't place in the top 10.

 Arlington was the only other Texas city to earn the "real country" label reserved for the top 15. It ranked No. 11 due to a fondness for pickup trucks and cowboy boots.

 The bigger, more "cosmopolitan" Texas cities did not fare as well. Houston and Austin took the 16 and 17 spots, respectively, while Dallas limped into last place among Texas towns at No. 26. However, it's all good enough for a "somewhat country" moniker.

 As for the least country-minded cities in America, it's a veritable collection of Yankees and California hippies. Boston, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and New York City placed 46 through 49. In dead last was San Francisco, which ranked 50th or close to it in every category but rodeos. Apparently those Yankee eyes have never eyed the prize that some people call manly footwear.

 Here is the complete list of the 15 most country-minded cities in America:

 Fort Worth, Texas

 San Antonio, Texas

 Tulsa, Oklahoma

 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

 El Paso, Texas

 Wichita, Kansas

 Colorado Springs, Colorado

 Nashville, Tennessee

 Albuquerque, New Mexico

 Jacksonville, Florida

 Arlington, Texas

 Virginia Beach, Virginia

 Louisville, Kentucky

 Indianapolis, Indiana

 Kansas City, Missouri

 Order the right drink on a first date or you could die alone 2014-02-21T16:00:30-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/02-21-14-first-dates-drinking-men-women-survey-wist-drinks-on-date/
 First dates are fraught with myriad speed bumps that could thwart a sequel to dinner and a movie. You can talk about yourself too much or bring up religion or even, god forbid, order the wrong drink.

 According to a new nationwide study by Wist, an app that provides personalized food and drink recommendations, each sex has certain expectations about the other when ordering drinks. These are real numbers, so play the odds correctly.

 The "dream woman" drinks wine according to 35 percent of fellas out there, while another 26 percent think that their date will drink a specialty cocktail like a mojito or margarita. From there, only 18 percent of guys see their date drinking a beer; 15 percent are down with a well drink like rum and Coke. Only 1 percent of guys think their dream woman does shots, but that's because all of those guys listen to Toby Keith exclusively.

 Only 1 percent of guys think their dream woman does shots, but that's because all of those guys listen to Toby Keith exclusively.

 As for the ladies, their "dream man" drinks a well drink like a gin and tonic 33 percent of the time and a beer 30 percent. It drops off after that to wine at just 19 percent and specialty cocktails at 12 percent. An impressive 4 percent of women are cool with their date knocking back shots.

 Those numbers kind of back up the expected stereotypes about both sexes (real men drink beer! real women know things about wine!), but the survey of 1,000 Americans also looks at where the first date should take place and how the money should be split. Here, there men and women differ in their approach.

 The ideal first-date location for 43 percent of dudes involves a fun and casual restaurant; 34 percent go for a fancy and expensive dinner, because those guys are suckers for overselling it. Only 22 percent were down with a home-cooked meal and staying in.

 This is where things start to split. For women, 38 percent would prefer that home-cooked meal to 32 percent going out to that fun and casual restaurant that definitely isn't Chili's. Only 23 percent are up for going to a fancy restaurant with all those forks.

 And when it comes time to pay, there's also a chasm between the sexes on just how that ought to go down. About 57 percent of men think they should pay for the date, while only 36 percent of women agree. Ladies are just as much about allowing the person who initiated the date to pay (29 percent) or splitting it straight up (31 percent), while only 18 percent of guys think going Dutch is acceptable.

 All of this proves, once again, that with all of the differences in expectations between men and women, it's a freaking miracle that anyone ever makes it to a second date.
 Austin's multimillion-dollar home sales rate doubles, topping skyrocketing Texas markets 2014-01-19T13:03:00-06:00 Cindy Widner http://austin.culturemap.com/news/real-estate/01-16-14-luxury-million-dollar-home-sales-rise-austin-tops-texas/
 Luxury home sales are on the rise across the state, with double-digit growth among Texas' four main cities — and, in news that will surprise no one —Austin's market is the hottest.

 The most recent report from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University shows that sales of homes $1 million and higher are up year-to-year in the state, based on sales between January and October 2013.

 During that time, 439 luxury homes sold in Austin, making this the fastest-growing price class in the city, with a 55 percent increase from 2012 — more than double that of the 19 percent year-to-year increase of the housing market as a whole.

 If you haven't had a chance to purchase your multimillion property yet, no need to panic. There are still plenty of luxury homes on the Austin market. Here are some of our favorites right now:

 2401 Portofino Ridge is one of the area's popular castle-style mansions, boasting 16,722 square feet on 4 acres in Barton Creek. It's listed at $9,950,00.

 90 Pascal Lane possesses one of only two existing docks at Lake Austin Rob Roy homes and is listed for $6,490,000.

 694 Windsong Trail has contemporary West Lake style, 5,770 square feet, 7 acres and 4 separate living areas for $2,950,00.

 2600 Ranch Road 620 N combines privacy with contemporary style on the Lake Travis shoreline for $4,100,000.

 210 Academy Drive proves the adage about location with a 1.2-acre historic estate pretty much steps from South Congress for $4,000,000. That's just for the lot; the sellers are throwing in the as-is house, for what it's worth (apparently not much).

 In Houston, luxury home sales were up 46 percent, and 1,060 luxury homes were sold between January and October 2013.

 In Dallas-Fort Worth, sales are up 22 percent, with 809 luxury homes sold in the area.

 Only 86 luxury homes sold in San Antonio, but it was still an 8 percent increase compared to the previous year.
 Storm porn, baby polar bears and more links we love right now 2014-01-18T12:23:44-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/01-18-14-storm-photographs-polar-bear-cubs-buzzfeed-quiz-ut-longhorn-stickers/
 Editor's note: There's so much that's beautiful, funny, smart and informative on the Internet. Problem is, there's also a bunch of garbage. Here's the best of the web right now:

 1. It's pretty nice in Austin right now, so here's some storm porn to get your rocks off. Mitch Dobrowner's photographs of storms throughout the Midwest and Southwest will make you feel very, very small — but no less in awe of the immense power that storms possess.

 2. It might be 2014, but there's still time for one last Best Movies of 2013 list. Confession time: I have seen exactly zero of Vince Mancini's picks, but that's just because I hate movie theaters and other people. Trust Mancini, though. He's one of the best young reviewers out there.

 3. Here's a little quiz about the city you should be living in. The most important thing to remember is that whatever answer you get, you should pack up and move there immediately, because traffic on 35 is ridiculous these days.

 4. Oklahoma and Nebraska players put upside-down Longhorn stickers on their helmets for the East-West Shrine Game. I'll just say this once because a lot of people and Aggies don't seem to get it: When you buy something from the University of Texas to desecrate, you're still giving money to the University of Texas.

 5. Here are twin polar bear cubs opening their eyes for the first time. These little guys are struggling to wake up, and, honestly, they look a little hung over. They live in the Munich Zoo, so that there might be some truth to that statement.
 Austin tops yet another national list — but this one may surprise you 2014-01-17T09:00:00-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/01-17-14-best-places-to-retire-forbes-texas-austin/
 Forbes, which loves a good list, just put out another one, naming the 25 best cities in America to retire in 2014. Just to get it out of the way: Of course Austin is on it. City-related lists are required by law to include Austin, lest people forget that Austin is where everyone is moving these days.

 In creating the list, Forbes looked at economic factors for a "working" retirement, as well as housing and living costs; taxes; weather and air quality; crime rates; doctor availability; and active-lifestyle rankings for walkability, bicycling and volunteering.

 Austin got props for its strong economy, average cost of living and warm weather, though Forbes does note that housing prices are above the national average at $225,000.

 Three other Texas cities join Austin in this roundup, although they are a bit less obvious. Abilene earned a spot for its "robust economy" as well as low cost of living and low housing prices. The warm weather was noted as a positive, but the city got docked a few points for not being very walkable. But if that "warm" weather is in August, then you don't want to be walking around anyway.

 Fredericksburg, with its breathtaking setting and ample vineyards, received recognition for its above-average air quality, low crime, high walkability and below-average cost of living. In fact, Fredericksburg didn't even receive a con. Clearly this Hill Country town is doing something right.

 Joining Abilene out west, San Angelo was noted for its — and if this sounds like a broken record, try writing it — a booming economy, warm climate, a cost of living 9 percent below national average and a good median home price. It got pegged for not being very walkable.

 Even though the whole warm-climate thing might misrepresent Texas summers, and Abilene isn't quite as romantic as, say, Charleston, Texas had more cities on the list than any other state — showing, once again, that no matter the reason, it's good to be in Texas.
 Robert Downey Jr. can sing, famous quotes debunked and more links we love right now 2014-01-15T08:52:48-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/01-15-14-robert-downey-jr-sting-sing-deaf-nfl-fullback-derrick-coleman-famous-quotes/
 Editor's note: There's so much that's beautiful, funny, smart and informative on the Internet. Problem is, there's also a bunch of garbage. Here's the best of the web right now:

 1. Robert Downey Jr. sings with Sting and absolutely kills it. Not that it's a huge surprise that an actor can also sing, but this performance with Sting — well, just listen to the audio without the video and try and figure out who is singing which parts.

 2. Deaf Seahawks fullback stars in commercial that will give you chills. The one-minute shot is about Derrick Coleman, who is the first legally deaf player in the NFL. The former UCLA back's ad will hopefully inspire you (and me) to get off the couch, because "I don't feel like it" just isn't a very good excuse after this.

 3. Five famous quotes with inspiring origins (that are total BS). This page might be handy to keep bookmarked while looking at Facebook or Twitter after the "Next Big Thing" happens.

 4. Odds are you weren't hanging out in the London Underground in the '70s and '80s. Unless, of course, you were. Either way, these pictures from photographer Bob Mazzer will put you right there. Biggest cultural shift evident from these pictures? No cellphones or tablets anywhere.

 5. Watch this adorable little girl fight confusion when meeting her father's twin for the first time. Come for the perfectly executed double takes; stay for the adorable fist bump at the end.
 Texas State coeds tap sugar daddies for college tuition at record rates 2014-01-14T14:37:31-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/01-14-14-seeking-arrangement-texas-state-website-com-college-students-sugar-daddy-baby-college-tuition/
 College tuition has gone up 60 percent in the last decade, but some enterprising students are finding financial aid in a creative way — by landing a sugar daddy to the pay the bills. And students at Texas State University in San Marcos are right up there with the best of them.

 Dating (and we use that term loosely) site SeekingArrangement.com recently examined the fastest growing "sugar baby" schools in the country, and Texas State came in at No. 10.

  Dating (and we use that term loosely) site SeekingArrangement.com recently examined the fastest growing "sugar baby" schools in the country, and Texas State came in at No. 10.

 The average Texas student graduates with more than $24,000 in student debt, so the average $3,000 per month that a college sugar baby receives from her "benefactor" can go a long way to ensuring she comes out owing significantly less.

 But Texas State students aren't the only ones thinking creatively. The University of North Texas was No. 24 on the list, and the University of Texas at Austin ranked No. 30. UT Arlington and the University of Houston both registered in the top 75, as well. Nice job, Texas.

 In fact, college students across the country signed up for SeekingArrangement.com in droves this last year, with a 54 percent bump in memberships. College students are currently the largest sector of sugar babies on the site at 42 percent.

 There's even the incentive of a free premium membership if you sign up with your .edu email, which, if emails asking for alumni donations are any indication, is probably still functional even if you graduated two years ago. Score.

 As for the rest of the list, the University of Central Florida is the No. 1 fastest-growing sugar baby college, followed by Arizona State and New York University.
 Johnny Manziel says adios to college life and declares for 2014 NFL draft 2014-01-08T13:52:22-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/sports/01-08-14-johnny-manziel-texas-am-declares-2014-nfl-draft/
 It seems Johnny Manziel has had his fill of college competition and NCAA guidelines and will enter the 2014 NFL draft, according to ESPN. Manziel filed the official paperwork on Wednesday to declare for the draft.

 The Texas A&M signal caller is forgoing his final two years of eligibility after a short but illustrious career in College Station during which he became the first freshman to win the Heisman and led the Aggies in the competitive SEC.

 Johnny Football threw for 7,820 yards and 63 touchdowns while running for 2,169 yards and 30 touchdowns in two seasons, earning an avalanche of awards, including the Heisman, AP Player of the Year and All-American honors in 2012. In 2013, he was named the SEC Male Athlete of the Year.

 Manziel is expected to be a first-round pick at the draft in April, though where is still unsure, as the combine and evaluation processes are yet to get going in earnest after Monday's BCS national championship bout between Florida State and Auburn University.

 In his short time at Texas A&M, Johnny Football was nearly as famous for his off-field antics as his on-field production. Between pictures of him partying popping up nearly every other week to an investigation into payment for autographs, the spotlight shone brightly on the quarterback wherever he went.
 Surprise, surprise: Guess which city is No. 1 for job seekers? 2014-01-08T09:03:00-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/01-08-14-austin-number-one-job-seekers-texas-us/
 Another list of best cities in the United States, another No. 1 spot for Austin. Surely, at this point, it's getting a little boring, right?

 According to Nerd Wallet, Austin is the best city in the country for job seekers, just barely beating out Washington, DC, for supremacy.

 Not content to let Austin hog the spotlight, Fort Worth places third on the list, with strong manufacturing and government sectors.

 Austin earned the top spot thanks to a low unemployment rate of just 4.7 percent and the largest population growth of any city on the list, with a 5.9 percent leap between 2010 and 2012. A relatively low cost of living compared to median income helped elevate it above Washington, DC.

 Not content to let Austin hog the spotlight, Fort Worth places third on the list, with strong manufacturing and government sectors including companies like American Airlines and Lockheed Martin.

 Cowtown's unemployment rate is higher than Austin's at 5.6 percent, but its 5.1 percent population growth puts it among the top in the country. Add in one of the lowest costs of living among the ranked cities, and Fort Worth makes for an attractive destination.

 San Antonio came in at No. 10 to give Texas three cities in the top 10, the most of any state. Dallas landed just below, at No. 13, while Arlington and Houston ranked No. 16 and No. 18, respectively. No other state had more than two cities ranked in the top 20.
 Drunk Neil Patrick Harris, Friday Night Tykes and more links we love right now 2014-01-07T15:35:40-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/01-07-14-friday-night-tykes-neil-patrick-harris-drunk-oklahoma-capitol-satan-statue/
 Editor's note: There's so much that's beautiful, funny, smart and informative on the Internet. Problem is, there's also a bunch of garbage. Here's the best of the web right now:

 1. Neil Patrick Harris gets aggressive with the margaritas while in Mexico. As with most everything, NPH is way cooler about it than you. Not me, though. I'm awesome when I'm drunk.

 2. Friday Night Tykes on the Esquire Network will reinforce every negative stereotype about Texas football. Some of the coaching might seem excessive, but if the 8- and 9-year-olds don't learn smashmouth football now, how will they ever start when they're 11-year-olds?

 3. Here are 6 fan ideas so good they were adopted by the creators. Obviously there are some spoilers, but the one regarding how Gwen Stacy and Norman Osborn got together in the Spider-Man comics is some serious dedication. I mean, what are we to believe, that this is some sort of magic xylophone?

 4. Satanists unveil design for Oklahoma Capitol monument. The 7-foot-tall, goat-headed Satan sits on a throne with two children beside him. It seems appropriate, because Oklahoma is hell. That's a burn.

 5. American Girl dolls can be freakin' expensive. I'm going to plead ignorance on this entire subject, but I'm told that these numbers are indeed high and that the new dolls are subpar because they lack historical backgrounds. So, there you go.
 UT ranks No. 9 to Texas A&M's No. 1 in Daily Beast's happiest campus list 2014-01-04T12:21:00-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/01-03-14-ut-number-9-happiest-campus-texas-am-number-1/
 In ongoing listicle madness news, The Daily Beast recently crowned Texas A&M as the happiest college in the United States for 2013 while the relatively frowny University of Texas placed No. 9.

 Maybe ignorance really is bliss.

 A&M earned the happiest distinction thanks to its full-time freshman retention rate and College Prowler's student ratings for overall experience. The two factors in College Prowler are the quality of the student health center and whether, given the chance, students would choose the same university again.

 Not surprisingly, Texas A&M scored highly with overall student experience and whether students would choose to be an Aggie all over again, posting a perfect 10 out of 10 for experience and 9.8 out of 10 for doing it again. The health center scored a respectable 9.3 out of 10 and the retention rate held at 92 percent.

 The University of Texas at Austin also made the list, placing No. 9. Its 92 percent retention rate is on par with A&M's, and the health center was rated slightly higher at 9.5 percent, but it seems the overall happiness is down a bit. Longhorns scored a 9.7 out of 10 on the subjects of overall happiness and if they'd choose UT again given the chance.

 Stanford and the University of Wisconsin rounded out the top three after Texas A&M while Brown University earned No. 20 — the only Ivy League college to make the list.
 Community comes back into our lives, Puppy Bowl fantasy teams and more links we love right now 2014-01-04T10:43:00-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/01-04-14-community-tv-nbc-puppy-bowl-fantasy-teams-colorado-weed-shop/
 Editor's note: There's so much that's beautiful, funny, smart and informative on the Internet. Problem is, there's also a bunch of garbage. Here's the best of the web right now:

 1. Community is back, which means we need to share some GIFs. It had Tummy Tuesdays, a holographic cameo, Abed being Nic Cage being a sexy cat and so much more. Season 5 is off to a good start.

 2. Mental Floss shows us 8 snowmen that change the game. The East Coast is getting a blizzard this weekend (or hadn't you heard?!). But can its denizens top the re-creation of Easter Island's Moai statues that Waterloo, Ontario, produced last year? Consider the gauntlet thrown.

 3. Colorado's weed shops topped $1 million in sales on the first day of legalization. Is that a lot? I mean, it's nothing to sneeze at, but it just kind of seems small. I don't know. Anyway, people waited in line for hours because apparently their regular dealers decided to just give up or something.

 4. Here are 50 things we know now (that we didn't know this time last year). Personal favorite: All mammals urinate for roughly the same amount of time, 21 seconds, regardless of their sizes. The mathematical model of animals is now known as "The Law of Urination."

 5. Puppy Bowl X will let you draft a fantasy puppy lineup. Just like in fantasy football, you'll take your favorite player way too early, someone will win based on picking their favorite player way too early and injuries (or naps) will decimate your lineup.
 Fight New Year's Day hangover with these helpful remedies 2014-01-01T14:47:04-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/01-01-14-best-hangover-cures-natural-b-vitamins-grease/
 New Year's Eve is a worldwide party that, for most people, involves booze. Lots and lots of booze. The tricky thing about alcohol is that it doesn't matter who you are, it will hurt you in the morning before it leaves.

 And while New Year's Day might be better titled National Hangover Day, there are certain steps that can be taken post-revelry to chase Mr. Scary away.

 The two most important steps to making sure that you don't spend all day in bed following a night of heavy consumption are also basic tenets of day-to-day operation: drink on a full stomach and stay hydrated. After all, dehydration is a serious side effect of poppin' bottles.

 But if you failed on that mission, it's not too late. Or at least you can hasten recovery along.

 Here now, are some recommended hangover helpers for the Austinites who enjoyed saying goodbye to 2013 — perhaps a little too much.

 RESQWATER
 Full of vitamins and nutrients including organic prickly pear cactus fruit extract, organic evaporated cane juice, B vitamins, N-acetyl L-cysteine, and milk thistle, RESQWATER works to metabolize acetaldehyde, a compound produced by the liver that is the main cause of hangovers.

 A Greasy Breakfast

 Maybe it's not scientifically accurate to say that greasy food helps cure a hangover, but anecdotal evidence suggests that there are worse things in the world. Tex-Mex, burgers and/or Southern comfort food might have some magical restorative properties. If not, there is coffee, which apparently, just maybe, might help you recover, in a scientific manner. Don't overdo it on the meal, but it's important to get your blood sugar back to normal, so think carbs.

 Aspirin
 Headaches are the most obvious of hangover symptoms. It stands to reason that aspirin or ibuprofen can then help you fight the pounding in your head. Avoid acetaminophen (which is Tylenol) as it can really damage your liver, and you need your liver for more booze down the road.

 Hair of the Dog
 Is it better to retox than detox? Not really, since all it's doing is prolonging the inevitable. That said, a Bloody Mary — which has some vitamins — can ease the pain. Just know that this is a slippery slope to dependency, so don't make a habit of it, and keep the water close by after your one drink. Note: college students live by this method, but you're not 21 anymore.

 Exercise
 Another tricky one because exercise can make you even more dehydrated. Plus, you're not really "sweating it out" since the alcohol has already done its job and you're dealing with the aftermath. Still, the endorphins released from a jog or lift can make you feel better in the short term.

 Pedialyte
 If it's good enough for dehydrated babies, it's good enough for you. It's full of electrolytes and has considerably less sugar than sports drinks. It can rehydrate you, particularly if you're experiencing some less than ideal conditions in the bathroom the next morning.

 Wine in a can: drink in the New Year with the newest portable alcohol 2013-12-29T15:49:01-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/12-29-13-friends-fun-wine-can-drinking-alcohol/
 Wine is grand. It's the classy way to catch a buzz, and it makes everything you say sound erudite in a way that beer or liquor rarely can. But toting around wine is a hassle.

 Glass bottles are cumbersome and prone to shattering, and although schlepping a bag of Franzia certainly has its time and place, a sloshing bag isn't exactly the pinnacle of convenience. To solve this problem, there is wine in a can from Friends Fun Wine.

 The six canned Fun Wine options include moscatos like peach, rosé and white as well as red and white sangrias, all checking in at 6 percent alcohol.

 There is also a pair of Friends Just Wine versions, which are heartier options at 12 percent alcohol. The two blends, Cabernet Merlot and Chardonnay Sauvignon, are 50/50 combinations produced in Southern France, so you know they're good.

 It's impossible to say if Friends got the idea from Sofia Coppola or the gang in Philadelphia (see the Trivia section), but the ability to take some wine to the beach, to a tailgate or on a hiking trip means that all parties can have their boozy choice to take the edge off at the end of the day. Which is why wine was invented.
 Drinkers live longer, night owls are smarter, according to studies 2013-12-26T16:42:43-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/12-26-13-drinkers-live-longer-night-owls-more-intelligent-according-to-studies/
 If you found yourself downing glass after glass of wine during a holiday party to the judgmental stares of a teetotaler who somehow snuck in, take solace in the fact that you will likely outlive him or her. And you're probably smarter, too.

 At least that's what the scientists say.

 According to a 2010 study by researchers at the University of Texas, moderate drinkers (and even heavy drinkers) tend to live longer than do those who abstain from cutting loose. The 20-year study examined the mortality rate of 1,824 adults between the ages of 55 and 65 and found that baseline abstainers had a 69 percent mortality rate, the highest among the categories.

 Heavy drinkers — that is, those who imbibe more than three drinks per day — were close behind at 60 percent, but then the rate dropped to 46 percent for baseline light drinkers. Moderate drinkers, who had one to three drinks per day, had a mortality rate of 41 percent.

 The study accounted for things such as sociobehavioral habits, past drinking history, smoking and more to ensure that it really was just the moderate alcohol consumption keeping people going.

 According to a trio of studies that Esquire p ut together, smarter people spend more time having sex, doing drugs and staying up late.

 Of course, it's one thing to live longer; what you do with that long life is an entirely different matter. According to a trio of studies that Esquire put together, smarter people spend more time having sex, doing drugs and staying up late.

 It boils down to the fact that the smarter you are, the more likely you are to explore the less conventional options that life presents you as a means of expanding your horizons.

 For example, students at Oxford and Cambridge spend more on sex toys than do their less-prestigious peers, according to a study by toy shop Lovehoney in England. Another 2010 study found that individuals with an IQ over 125 are more likely to "consume psychoactive drugs than 'very dull' individuals (with IQs below 75)."

 Since drugs and sex are primarily nighttime endeavors, perhaps it's not surprising that the more intelligent tend to be more nocturnal.

 In a 2009 study titled "Why night owls are more intelligent," researchers found that smarter individuals thrived at night as a sort of evolutionary progression. Consider that humans have, for millennia, been conditioned to operate during daylight and slumber when the sun goes down. Those who eschew the trend are showing off an evolutionary novelty that less intelligent people simply aren't compelled toward.

 So if anyone tells you that they think you have a problem, just tell him that your problem is that you're too damn smart to live as long as you're going to. And then offer him or her some drugs.
 Bikinis, Texas, set to open Hill Country gates to world's first breast city 2013-12-26T10:33:31-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/12-25-13-bikinis-texas-breastaurant-hill-country-opening/
 Certain Texas towns carry near-mythical stature. Places like Shiner and Luckenbach and Marfa are known throughout the country for their quirks and unique flavors. But starting next year, there will be a new small Texas town unlike any other. It is Bikinis, the world's first, if you will, "breast city."

 Bikinis, formerly known as Bankersmith, Texas, will open to the world on Friday, January 17, for plenty of boozy, booby entertainment. It is the brainchild of Doug Guller, founder and CEO of Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill, the Austin-originated chain of what is known as the only official "Breastaurant" because he trademarked the term.

  A bikini hall of fame highlights all the terrific things the bikini has done for humans since its invention in 1946.

 The town is located about five minutes from Luckenbach and 10 miles from Fredericksburg on Old San Antonio Road. Bikinis will be open every Friday through Sunday from noon to midnight. The crown jewel is Güller Hall, a 6,000-square-foot dance hall that will feature live music ranging from country to honky-tonk to rock 'n' roll.

 There are also several bars and a bikini hall of fame to highlight all the terrific things bikinis have done for humans since its invention in 1946.

 Although Guller's sports bars are known for their scantily clad servers, he says that Bikinis will retain its Hill Country heritage.

 "It is a big departure from what you see every day at a Bikinis [sports bar], and we're not going to have a full restaurant out there," he says. "We're going to have maybe a couple food trailers or a barbecue pit outside, and we'll serve barbecue every day.

 "The only time you'll see bikini-clad women is in pictures on the wall or around our big events of the year," says Guller. "Two times a year it will be staffed by bikini-clad women, but the rest of the time it will be staffed just like where you go into a local watering hole around the corner from where you live."
 Austin tops list of best performing cities in America 2013-12-20T09:01:00-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/12-19-13-austin-tops-best-performing-cities-america-jobs-economy-growth/
 In a new study examining the best performing cities in the United States — those booming metros where jobs are being created and sustained — Texas has once again flexed its muscle. Three Texas cities rank in the top 10 and seven in the top 25, including Austin, the top-performing city in the country.

 Austin re-established itself as the top city in the country after falling to second last year. Thanks to a booming tech sector and Austin's chamber of commerce, the city and surrounding area rates among the best for job and wage growth.

 Dallas-Plano-Irving jumped up seven spots since last year to come in at No. 7, while Houston dropped four spots to sit right behind Dallas at No. 8. Dallas' diverse economy and strong year-to-year growth from July 2012 to July 2013 helped boost it above Houston.

 Meanwhile, Houston's energy market continues to propel the region as more jobs pour into the city to meet the demand created by oil and gas companies.

 The four other Texas metros to make the top 25 are San Antonio-New Braunfels (12), Fort Worth-Arlington (16), Corpus Christi (17) and Laredo (22). The next-best-represented states were Colorado and California, with four metros each. Provo-Orem, Utah, and San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City round out the top three after Austin.

 Milken Institute puts out the annual index, which includes measures of job, wage and technology performance to rank the nation's 200 large metropolitan areas and 179 smaller metros, but it does not factor in quality-of-life metrics such as commute times or housing costs. Employment growth is weighted most heavily due to its critical importance to community vitality, according to the institute's website.
 Stephen Colbert slams Ted Cruz's coloring book 2013-12-18T14:15:30-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/12-18-13-stephen-colbert-report-ted-cruz-coloring-book/
 Big presents in boxes are the tent poles of Christmas morning, but the stockings offer the most surprises. After all, what's more exciting than getting a menagerie of dollar-store items mixed with scratch-offs and chocolates?

 Fortunately, Stephen Colbert showed us a brand-new option last night: Ted Cruz's coloring book. Colbert highlighted Ted Cruz to the Future, the U.S. senator's coloring book that is currently the No. 1 children's coloring book on Amazon.

  The child-friendly coloring book includes mentions of partial-birth abortion and calls Cruz "a modern superhero."

 It's part of Really Big Coloring Books' ongoing series "Tell the Truth – Tell it Often – Tell the Children." According to Really Big Coloring Books, the book is not an endorsement of the senator but an educational tool that is non-partisan, fact-driven account of how Cruz became a senator and his views on certain subjects.

 Which subjects? Well, child-friendly ones, of course, like mentions of "partial-birth abortion." The Amazon blurb even refers to Cruz as "a modern superhero to many and looked upon in adoration and abomination by some."

 And any mention of Cruz's short but eventful career so far would be remiss if it didn't mention his 21-hour filibuster against the Affordable Care Act.

 According to the coloring book: "This speech was so important because millions of citizens believe Obama Care is worse than any war. At least American soldiers have weapons with which to defend themselves."

 So whether you're looking to give Ted Cruz to the Future to your liberal cousin's daughter for Christmas or as just a keepsake for yourself, everyone can find enjoyment in the coloring book, which is $5.99 on Amazon, or only $4.52 if you're a Prime member.

 It's currently out of stock, but just slip an IOU in the stocking and tell your recipient that President Obama runs Amazon. Children are easy to lie to.

 Dubya writes cheer-up letter to Alabama kicker Cade Foster 2013-12-15T15:17:00-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/sports/12-15-13-dubya-george-w-bush-letter-alabama-kicker-cade-foster/
 Cade Foster took a lot of heat from fans and press a few weeks ago after the kicker missed two field goals and had another blocked in Alabama's epic 34-28 loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl. The last-second loss knocked Alabama out of the hunt for its third consecutive national championship.

 While his teammates and fans stepped up to defend him after the Twitter threats started rolling in, it seems that Foster has one big-time supporter from Dallas who knows a thing or two about taking criticism: former president George W. Bush.

 Foster published a picture on his Instagram account earlier this week that shows a letter from Dubya. It reads:

 Dear Cade (#43), Life has its setbacks. I know! However you will be a stronger human with time. I wish you all the best. Sincerely — another 43 George Bush.

 Foster also said that he will be framing the letter. The kicker, who attended Southlake Carroll High School, is a senior at Alabama and will likely attempt to make a team in the NFL next year as a free agent.

 New homebuilding app helps users avoid costly mistakes with a click 2013-12-15T12:11:00-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/innovation/12-15-13-home-building-remodeling-app-buildchx-bob-hoebeke/
 When it comes time to building or remodeling a home, the to-do list can be a mile long, and that's before you even get to things like picking out fixtures for the guest bathroom. But a new app from Dallas-based homebuilder Bob Hoebeke called BuildCHX promises to put all the information and planning in the palm of your hand.

 Whether it's about knowing how a builder is drawing up your contract, how to find imperfections before it's too late or being able to keep all of your tiles, wallpapers and other design choices in one spot, BuildCHX is crafted to create a chronological step-by-step tool for the consumer.

  "Surprise is the enemy of any remodeling or building project," says homebuilder Bob Hoebeke.

 Hoebeke, who has been in the homebuilding biz for 35 years, says he created the app after seeing too many projects run into avoidable — and costly — roadblocks.

 "Surprise is the enemy of any remodeling or building project," he says. "The more info we can provide, the less risk the user has of encountering a surprise that costs time and money."

 The app works by providing a check list of reading material designed to keep projects on track and ensuring that each step is taken in the proper order so that there's no need to go back later to fix a costly mistake.

 "A lady who was rebuilding her house after it had burned down contacted us after she downloaded the app," Hoebeke says. "She was just at the foundation stage, but she had gone through the previous steps and realized she had missed something, so she made a quick call [to her builder] and saved $275."

 BuildCHX also features a Pinterest-esque section that allows users to catalog all of their design choices, from cabinetry to roofing to interior lighting. Instead of an accordion folder full of magazine clippings, each aesthetic choice is stored in the app.

 And with the TeamShare option, the user can send selections or notes to everyone on the team, ensuring an open line of dialog among all. By making it easier for the user, it makes the project easier for the builder.

 "One of the hardest things about building is collecting selections from homeowners," Hoebeke says. "Just think in terms of the universe of possibilities. They can be overwhelmed with information, with all selections need to be made. We've seen clients really struggle with 'this one or that one,' so this really helps the process."

 Because the app allows for up to 10 different projects, it also means that interior designers and builders can keep multiple developments at their fingertips without having to cycle through files on a computer just to find the ceramic tile that one of their clients is referencing in an email.

 The app has been out since just late October, but Hoebeke says that he's been pleased by the response so far. It's currently only available for iOS, but an Android version is expected to be released by the end of the year.

 "The app gets everyone to follow along and sing off same sheet of music," he says.
 Beyoncé releases new album without telling anyone and more links we love right now 2013-12-14T13:43:29-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/12-14-13-beyonce-new-album-conan-ice-cube-kevin-hart-lyft/
 Editor's note: There's so much that's beautiful, funny, smart and informative on the Internet. Problem is, there's also a bunch of garbage. Here's the best of the web right now:

 1. Conan, Ice Cube and Kevin Hart drive around LA in a Lyft. It sounds like the setup to a joke, which it is, as they hunt for weed, drink tallboys and go to Wendy's. In other words, it was a good day.

 2. Beyoncé releases an album without telling anyone. She describes it as a visual album, with videos accompanying each track. It is all you will be talking about at your Christmas parties for the next two weeks.

 3. Russians apparently just pave asphalt over the snow instead of shoveling it. Does it make sense? It's Russia. Of course it doesn't.

 4. Mae Whitman sees Her and gives it the perfect stamp of approval. Arrested Development fans will see this joke coming from a mile away, because it's as Ann as the nose on Plain's face.

 5. WestJet brings Christmas to its passengers. Oh, it's so damn dusty in here all of the sudden. Meanwhile, your flight to visit relatives for Christmas will only bring tears of anger.
 Looking to score a second date — or just score? Your pants tell all 2013-12-03T13:01:36-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/fashion/12-01-13-what-pants-to-wear-first-date-advice-barley-britches/
 They say that clothes make the man, but it seems that if he's not wearing the right-colored pants, the man might not make it to the second date. At least, that's what clothing line Barley & Britches found when it polled customers about how they perceived different colors of pants for men to wear on first dates.

 Yes, that is a very specific poll, but if it saves just one first date, then it was worth it. According to Barley & Britches, if you want your date to think you're rich and responsible — which are indicators of long-term potential — you're best off going with the classic khaki. Sure, it's a little straightforward, but if you want to communicate that you can take a 30-year mortgage on a house and make it to the farmers market on Saturday morning, there's no better option.

 For those looking to break out to other ends of the color spectrum, there are potential misfires that you might need to consider.

 For example, dark red or bright blue pants show that you're offbeat and adventurous, but you might be perceived as just a hook-up, which could work to your advantage if you make it a goal.

 For a more sophisticated look, dark purples and navies show off your attention to detail and taste for luxury. Of course, this goes only so far before you have to bring them back to your place and they see your collection of happy hour pub glasses.

 Perhaps the strangest of the bunch is that green pants show that you're a world traveler — Marco Polo wore green pants exclusively — but that you might also live with your parents. But hey, with Google Earth, you can explore the ruins of Machu Picchu from the comfort of your childhood bedroom. Nobody has to know.

 What this survey really tells us though, is that the best way to cover your bases is to wear rainbow pants, preferably of the parachute variety. If it worked for Hammer, it can work for you too.
 New fitness app turns your body into an engine of change 2013-11-28T12:12:00-06:00 Jonathan Rienstra http://austin.culturemap.com/news/innovation/11-21-13-calamity-gym-fitness-app-philanthropy-exercise/
 It's a given that exercise is good for the body and mind. But a new website and app called Calamity Gym wants to make sure that each time you exercise, others benefit as well.

 Created by Mike Lyon, a Dallas-area video producer and kickboxing instructor, Calamity Gym features 32 workout videos ranging in routines from yoga to kettle bell to boot camp workouts. Each video is shot by Lyon and his crew exclusively for Calamity. Users work out along with the videos through their laptops, tablets or mobile devices and keep track of their progress.

 There's also a social component to the workouts, because exercisers can create private groups for friends, family and coworkers across the country to take part in the same routine.

  "Calamity is this opportunity to turn your body into an engine of change." — founder Mike Lyon

 "Our culture is very mobile and social, so we expect to have everything on our phone," Lyon says. "We wanted to add that to fitness and leverage the technology.

 "If you want to be part of the group, you turn the camera on, watch the video on the screen and share with others," he says. "You can be spread about but still have that social community. In my class, that's part of the fun; you're sweating with other people. We're taking what happens in brick-and-mortar gyms and putting it in your living room."

 But what really separates Calamity Gym from other online workout routines — and from most businesses in general — is that 25 percent of all its profits go to charity. After signing up for a membership, each user is allowed to pick the charity he or she would like to support. While video production and fitness are two of Lyon's passions, it is this philanthropy angle that excites him most.

 Lyon says the name is partly a nod to Wild West legend Calamity Jane and partly a reference to how a quarter of the profits go toward helping with "calamities" around the world, whether it's a natural disaster where early responders have boots on the ground or a local women's shelter.

 "There are a lot of companies that give 'a percentage of profits,' and I like that," he says. "That's great, but it's a little ambiguous. ... Giving should sting a little bit. If you have $10 million and give $1,000, there's no sting. With 25 percent, there's no way anyone can look at that and be cynical."

 Lyon says that the large percentage scared away some potential investors when he began working on Calamity three years ago. But he has found a dozen that believe in the mission as strongly as he does.

 "Some of the investors I walked away from wanted their money back before we started giving," he says. "That's not what we do. The model shows that you can help people and still have a strong ROI. They're not mutually exclusive."

 Since launching in September, Lyon says Calamity Gym has started strong but hopes to attract more users with updated content using instructors from across the country that have a following in their cities. He plans to shoot videos with Navy Seals from Carry the Load to provide a "Seals Workout" on Calamity.

 But whether users hang with the Seals or just take part in the Desk Exercises series, Lyon says that using Calamity creates the opportunity to make exercise a less naturally selfish endeavor.

 "Calamity is this opportunity to turn your body into an engine of change," he says. "We all like the benefits of exercise, but it can be narcissistic and about me.

 "Something you do every day can help a military vet or to help dig water wells in Africa or help kids get out of child prostitution rings. It takes something you do every day and gives it a bigger purpose."


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Trib Political Reporter. Mom of 2 cool kids living the dream in Aspen. Avid Hiker, US History geek, lover of Blue Highway Road Trips Baseball. Tweets are my own


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November 27, 2014
Prosecutors have filed a murder charge against a defendant who's been awaiting trial on lesser charges in the slaying of a Lincoln man.
The charge was brought Wednesday against 24-year-old Miguel Castillo, accused of killing 25-year-old Tyler Schoenrock, whose body was found on a rural road north of Lincoln on December 30th.
Castillo was previously charged with being an accessory to murder. Investigators say Castillo and 20-year-old Adrian Casares took Schoenrock from his Lincoln home and then left him for dead on the road. Autopsy reports confirmed that Schoenrock was shot to death.
Two more charges were filed Wednesday against Casares, accessory to murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. He's already been charged with making terroristic threats and use of a firearm.
Both men have pleaded not guilty.
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