Read the full story at CultureMap,

http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/09-15-11-your-weekly-guide-to-houston/

Busy week? It sure beats the other extreme — boredom. Here at CultureMap, we are feeling the beginning buzz of the 2011-12 art season and social calendar. Whether you prefer an informal gathering, an artsy evening or a back-tie soiree — with so many things to do, why stay home? That’s my philosophy.

Here are a few of last week’s highlights:

Think art crime is sexy? With images of foxy Hollywood stars carrying out art heists, it’s tempting to see why we would almost excuse anyone worthy of a magazine cover if they decided to dabble in art theft. Robert Wittman, retired FBI art crime investigator and author of Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures told a different story. With on-the-job anecdotes and even video of actual arrests, guests at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston got the inside scoop on the realities of the cultural black market.

Read the full story at CultureMap,

http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/09-15-11-your-weekly-guide-to-houston/

Read the full story at CultureMap,

http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/09-15-11-bush-still-burning-two-days-after-west-houston-wildfire-began-its-under-control-but-not-out/

The large wildfire in George Bush Park that started Tuesday afternoon is “well under control” according to a Houston Fire Department spokesperson, but parts of the fire are still burning two days later. The Texas Forest Service and HFD personnel are still on site, keeping any lingering fire in check.

Right now, there are two Texas Forest Service bulldozers and seven HFD boosters (water-spraying vehicles) in George Bush Park. That’s a far cry from the 50 pieces of firefighting equipment, the four bulldozers and the 175 firefighters that were on the scene at the height of thewildfire Tuesday night. In a just-released update, an HFD official says that the fire has been contained to 1,500 acres in the park.

Read the full story at CultureMap,

http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/09-15-11-bush-still-burning-two-days-after-west-houston-wildfire-began-its-under-control-but-not-out/

Read the full story at CultureMap,

http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/09-12-11-going-bananas-23-monkeys-are-running-loose-in-waller-wild-wildfire-escapees-tormenting-cops/

While the wildfires just north of Houston continue to fluctuate between containment and rage, some of the inhabitants of Waller County are going a little bananas.

After all, they are monkeys.

Yes, you heard us correctly. Word in the forest is that one of the ravaged county’s residents had illegally housed 23 primates, which, with the onset of the fiery catastrophes, were either voluntarily or involuntarily released into the wild.

But since this is the fourth-largest city in the United States, you simply can’t have monkeys running wild across the metropolitan area, Planet of the Apes-style.

So authorities were called in to capture the critters, and that’s when the real monkey business began.

Read the full story at CultureMap,

http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/09-12-11-going-bananas-23-monkeys-are-running-loose-in-waller-wild-wildfire-escapees-tormenting-cops/

Read the full story at CultureMap,

http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/09-13-11-with-bachelor-pad-2-final-erica-rose-in-talks-for-another-reality-show-crystal-gavel-and-stunning-dress-included/

Houston’s own Erica Rose was back front and center for the finale of Bachelor Pad 2, which unfolded Monday night in two back-to-back episodes of dramz.

First came the final challenge, in which the final four couples competed in a physically demanding stunt performance on the Las Vegas set of Cirque du Soleil. Guest judges and ex-Bachelor contestants Trista Sutter, Jason Mesnick and Ali Fedotowsky were charged with declaring one couple the winner, who got immunity, and one couple the loser, who was voted off on the spot.

Michael Stagliano’s dance background paid off as he and partner Holly Durst outperformed the other couples and earned immunity for the night, along with two roses to hand off to another couple. Not so lucky were perpetual sob-story-seller Ella Nolan and hot-for-a-ginger Kirk Dewindt, who got sent home for their less-than-stellar attempt at acrobatic grace.

http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/09-13-11-with-bachelor-pad-2-final-erica-rose-in-talks-for-another-reality-show-crystal-gavel-and-stunning-dress-included/