With Hurricane Rita around, Houston lost out on some pretty cool shows. We missed Built to Spill, The Decemberists and Fiery Furnaces – just to name a few.

But let’s not pout about this too much – instead, try these shows on for size tonight:

** The Fruit Bats, Ghosty and Fishboy at Walter’s on Washington (4215 Washington Ave.) // $8 at 8pm
To be honest, I son’t know much about The Fruit Bats (although I hear they are rather Shins-like and cool), BUT let me hugely recommend Ghosty to you – a band from my former residence of Lawrence, KS. These guys are awesome and I am so stoked to see them again. Go go go go.

** Two Star Symphony with Landfall and The Mathletes at Helio’s (411 Westheimer Rd.)

** This Sunday (October 2), check out another Katrina Benefit show at the Mucky Duck (2425 Norfolk)

Feeling a little stressed out? Check out the Tai Chi classes being offered at the Indian Summer lodge and art gallery (an exceptionally funky place at 605 Columbia) in the Heights.

Classes are an hour-long on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Why not go on Saturday morning, have breakfast after at the Onion Creek Caf

Eric, you forgot the most coveted award of all! Tech Byte’s Jay Lee was named Best Tech Geek in Houston. All hail the Geekiest!!!

The Houston Press has released their much-anticipated Best of Houston: 2005. Including everything from Best Drag Queen, to Best Use of a Trash Can, and everything in between (and that’s just in the City Life category… there’s six other categories), the Best of Houston: 2005 list will certainly generate some interested glances from people, increased business, and a lot more gawkers at the corner of Montrose and Westheimer.

What, you’re still reading? Go check out the Best of Houston: 2005!

…but several Houston area bloggers (including myself, and Lawrence Simon) were mentioned recently in an article in ShopTalk: The TV News Industry’s Insider Newsletter… (Third article from top, entitled “Six Lessons From Online Coverage of Hurricane Rita”).

While it’s not a huge event, I still find it quite… amusing… that Houston blogging made it into a major Industry publication, like that. (Okay, so it’s not the major publication… but it is a major publication. Let me dream a little, heh.)

So in a short sentence… GO HOUSTON! Do we know how to blog, or what?!

(EDIT: here is an easier link, directly to the story, as hosted on the Online Journalism Review website. It’s the same story, different site. No silly looking for the story amongst a page full of other stories. (Honestly, who hasn’t heard about anchors and navigation?))

The fans of the cancelled television series, Firefly are being rewarded tonight at midnight.

(Time: 1:58)

via This Week in Houston

Having recently moved to the Heights area, I

The BBC reported recently about a study showing that eating locally does far more for the environment than nearly anything else. The environmental impact of trucking food across the nation and the globe is devastating and all in the name of convenience.

So how can you eat locally? Well, forget about things like bananas as they have to travel thousands of miles to reach your grocer – but most fresh food items are available close by nearly everyone… at their local farmer’s markets.

The options at the farmer’s market varies with the seasons, but just take a look at the wide variety available currently at Houston’s Farmer’s Market:

frozen shrimp (Tue only)
tomatoes
black-eyed peas
micro greens
Asian pears
fresh herbs
free range eggs
pickles
peppers
okra
cucumbers
figs
onions
local honey
pepper jellies
handmade soaps
goat cheese
flowers
AND MORE!

Want to stay in touch with what is going at Houston’s Farmer’s Market? Sign up for the weekly e-newsletter.

Are we still gonna chill at Spanish Flower this evening?

Anyone?

A: We have another casualty from Hurricane Rita
B: I’m not dead.
C: He says he’s not dead yet.
A: Yes, he is.
B: I’m not dead!
C: He just said it again.
B: I have to keep blogging!
A: Shut up! No one reads your blog.
C: Are you sure he’s dead?
A: Very much.
C: Look, I could come back tomorrow if you’d rather…
A: No, no… we can’t have him posting any more mindless drivel about the hurricane and Houston and the effects of the hurricane around Houston.
B: I’m not dead!
A: I said SHUT UP!
B: I feel all happy! Let me down so I can post!
A: I said (takes out a silver hammer) SHUT UP. (hits B over head)

(silence)

C: Well… I guess that settles it. Put ‘im on the cart.
A: Thank you.
B: (muffled) Sean isn’t going to like this.