St. Arnold’s Brewery has shipped a special batch of Christmas Ale, to help you get in the holiday spirit a wee bit early.

It’s certainly one of my favorite brews, and according to their Web site has many other fans as well:

Christmas Ale, with its 8% alcohol, has interesting effects on people. Many of these people have been compelled to share these exploits with us. Why? We’re not really sure. Several have involved public nudity. One of the best was a voicemail left the evening after a tour that included Christmas Ale. The lady called to say, “I don’t know what you put in your Christmas Ale, but after the tour, my husband and I went home and made love all afternoon long.”

UPDATE from St. Arnold’s!! :

Dear St. Arnold’s Army:

A few establishments in Houston will be celebrating Christmas in July over the next week, so dress in your best Santa outfit (actually, that could cause heat stroke, so maybe not) and go out and enjoy the one keg of Christmas Ale each place received. Of course, we can’t tell you where these will be, but some hints now follow:

Wednesday (7/18): Look for ducks on Norfolk.
Thursday (7/19): Hang with PhD’s and feast with Odin at Rice.
Tuesday (7/24): Christmas Ale downtown with aliens.
Wednesday (7/25): Rice Village at a really old pub (well, 22 is old in Houston)

At unspecified times, Christmas Ale can also be found in the Shepherd Plaza area (perhaps as soon as today) and in the Bissonnet/Morningside region, an area not otherwise known for volcanic activity.

There are still a few cases of our Christmas Ale out in the market. Those of you in Garden Oaks will feel like a 5 year old on Christmas morning if you go by 43rd and Ella.

Domy Bookstore (1709 Westheimer) is hosting an art opening par-tay for Houston artists Give Up and Yar this Friday from 7-9pm.

Can’t make it then? The show runs at Domy until August 17th, or you could be cool and just pick up an inaugural copy of Case Magazine to see some more Houston urban art lovelies.

For you world affairs junkies, do make a visit to the Islamabad Metblog as they continue their live blogging coverage of the deadly clash between extremist Islamic students/members of Lal Masjid and Pakistani security forces.

Photo via Islamabad Metblog.

From the Chronicle:

Over the weekend, 7-Eleven Inc. turned a dozen stores into Kwik-E-Marts, the fictional convenience stores of “The Simpsons” fame, in the latest example of marketers making life imitate art.

Those stores and most of the 6,000-plus other 7-Elevens in North America will sell items that until now existed only on television: Buzz Cola, KrustyO’s cereal and Squishees, the slushy drink knockoff of Slurpees.

Seen on The Consumerist site today, I love this shot of Dean’s Credit Clothing ( 316 Main St.) by Flickr photographer en_el_houston.

There is something about old skool signs that just makes me giddy. Other suggestions?

Okay gadget geeks, so you obviously know that the iPhone is being released tomorrow (June 29th at 6pm). Perhaps you have no life and are already standing in line, which means you are most likely not reading this and I am very jealous of you.

Or perhaps you are sitting in front of your computer wistfully daydreaming about bringing home your own happy handheld - in which case, you should definitely keep an eye on this iPhone availability chart which will keep you posted as to what Houston Apple stores have iPhones.

You can also hook up with local iPhone workshops to learn how to get the most out of your new little iPhone friend. Sick of it all already? You can vent your iPhone fatigue with local tech guru Dwight Silverman on the Chronicle tech blog.

I have a huge photographic crush on the Tethered to the Sun girls. If you don’t know them, they are a pair of local Polaroid-wielding geniuses who snap (admittedly rather adult-themed) photos of beautiful people, smiles, skin, bathtub moments and many other soft and wonderful things.

Anyway, they are holding a one-night show at Dean’s (316 Main St.) and you should most definitely attend:

Tethered to the sun is a collaborative team of artists made up of Traci Matlock and Ashley MacLean. Dean’s will host their first their first large showing of photographs and video during a one-night feature exhibit on Friday, June 29th. Their work strives to discuss communication, sexuality, identity and cognition through the formation and reformation of myths. The event will be DJed by Nathan Smith and Dave Wrangler. Wine provided by Naked Winery and catering by Humidity Free Productions.

The Houston Zoo (1513 N. MacGregor) launched a very sweet new Web site this week with interactive maps, podcasts and a coupon area for those with thin wallets. Used in conjunction with the Houston Zoo blog about baby Mac the elephant, you can get a very good animal fix here.

There’s been some hubbub about the upcoming July 1 ticket price raise (adults now $10 / kids now $5), but if you’re a little clever in Zoo trip planning you can get cheaper tickets at Fiesta stores, get $4 off admission after 4pm (during the summer) or, if you’re really hardcore, brave one of the free days at the Zoo - like this July 4th.

Bonus link: I heart binturongs!!!!

The Houston Metbloggers want to wish you and your favorite Dad a Happy Father’s Day! Here a just a few reasons we think our Dads are rock stars:

He was on the medical team of the first successful heart transplant using a baboon heart. His work was used by a team in South Africa that performed the first human heart transplant. My Dad was also the first surgeon to successfully perform a coronary artery bypass. My Dad lives like a rock star because his current wife is 28 (and he is 72), drives little Italian sports cars, and has four ex-wives. He also didn’t have me killed when, at the age of 14, I wrecked his BMW.
~ Pablo

My Step-Dad is a Rock Star because he doesn’t just take what life gives him and work with it, he tells life what he wants and works towards it. He is a hero in my eyes.
~Derek

My Dad is awesome because he is the most hard working, dedicated and intelligent man I know. He can make me and my brother laugh like no one else can and knows everything about pretty much everything - and that’s pretty darn cool.
~Katie

‘Fishing with Dad’ by very Houston cool ‘urban surrealist’ artist Tim Newton

This shot of the Cleveland Turner, the Flower Man is such a cool look at one of Houston’s most colorful residents.
You can find Cleveland riding around the city on his (well-decorated) bicycle, scouring neighborhoods for treasures/junk to add to his art house.
If you haven’t been to his colorful abode (3317 Sampson St.) you seriously should check it out.