Special Projects

Director of acclaimed Electric Car speaks on vehicle's resurgence

The solution to the economic crisis may not lie in bailouts, but in electric-powered cars. Chris Paine, writer and director of the 2006 documentary film Who Killed the Electric Car?, spoke to an audience of 90 at the Dore Commons in the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy on Monday about electric cars and their feasibility in the future U.S. economy. Despite his film's title, Paine suggested that the electric car is not dead, just a stifled innovation that, as public opinion shifts in its favor, has just begun to reach the mainstream.

Soccer avoids loss in deadlock against New Mexico

The stars were aligned, the signs pointed to "yes" and the wind was blowing in the right direction last weekend because, for the first time this season, the women's soccer team played to its full potential. Unfortunately, their best still could not earn the Owls (2-4-2) a win.

Sammy's in the Grammys

It is rare for established artists to snag a Grammy nomination with their first commercial album release, but lifelong jazz musician and Rice Jazz Instructor Larry Slezak has done just that with his group's debut album, No Worries. Earlier this week, Slezak was notified that his album had been nominated for no less than four Grammys.

New Rec Center well worth the wait

If the brand new Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center had opened last Wednesday, the odds of us putting out this week's issue would have been as likely as the football team cracking the top 25 in the polls. After looking over the Rec Center's litany of features, there is simply no way we would have elected to spend our time pumping out this Family's Weekend edition of the Thresher (see story, page 8).Just look at what Rice's newest addition has to offer. Brand new banks of cardio machines. A dance studio with springy floorboards. Stationary bikes that allow for spin classes without the instructor berating you for your lethargy. Kalwall windows to both filter light and absorb excess heat, preventing the body-odor humidity that we all love about our local gyms.

This week's Editorial Cartoon

Cross country squads win two titles in home meet

Out of the 39 runners at last Saturday's Rice Invitational collegiate women's race, 17 were members of Rice's women's cross country team. Thus, not only does Head Coach Jim Bevan have more runners on his roster than ever before, but also he can almost field a full meet with just his team. "It was almost a meet between the unattached and Rice runners," Bevan said.

Arrests made in Labor Day weekend BB gun shootings

Update: According to Rice University Police Chief Bill Taylor, Caitlin Barnett turned herself in sometime between Thursday and Friday afternoon, paid bond and was released. Bonnie Mugg also paid bond and was released. The two remaining suspects are currently in jail.Four suspects involved in the Labor Day weekend BB shootings on Rice campus and the surrounding area have been identified by Rice University Police Department. Arrests have been made for three of the suspects, and a warrant has been issued for the fourth.

NFL Power Rankings, Week Two

NFL Week 2 Sexy Sixteen Power Rankings 1. Baltimore Ravens. Apparently the Ravens have the second-highest scoring offense in the league behind the Saints. And you know they still have that nasty defense. Ray Lewis looks rejuvenated and Heap looks healthy.

Houston Symphony's classical dilemma

Up through seventh grade, when someone asked me what my favorite kind of music was, I would answer, simply, "classical." I don't think classical music was actually what I enjoyed listening to the most - I think I just had some desire to be different and appear more intellectual than my fellow pre-pubescents. Over the years, however, it has become apparent to me how absurd that answer truly was. "Classical" music, as it is referred to in today's vernacular, encompasses roughly half a millennium's worth of music.

Kid Cudi blazes into stratosphere with Man on the Moon

Kid Cudi does not have Drew Carey's gut. He doesn't have King LeBron's chalk-covered hands, nor does he have the city's penchant for exporting crippling depression.He has nothing, and is nothing, you would associate with Cleveland.

Virus takes toll on volleyball

If there were ever an inopportune time for the flu to hammer the volleyball team during the first half of the season, last weekend's Mizuno Invitational II was it. With numerous members battling the disease - including Jenn McClean, who was forced to leave midway through the tournament - the Owls (8-3) dropped a pair of matches to undefeated University of South Carolina and nationally-ranked Wichita State. Still, the week was not a total wash, as the Owls split their two defeats with a victory over Harvard University.

Letters to the Editor

Blatant mockery tactless, intolerant

NASA deserves financial, public support for endeavors

It's been 40 years since we went to the moon. And if we want to go back, NASA needs your help. Last week, NASA released a 12-page summary report detailing the space administration's current state of affairs. The 11-member Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee, which was comprised of current and former aerospace executives, astronauts, professors and retired military personnel, outlined the fate of the space shuttle, the projected lifespan of the International Space Station and our nation's options for the future of human spaceflight over the next few decades. Ultimately, the committee found that without an infusion of $3 billion annually beginning with the 2010 fiscal year, few, if any, of these goals will be possible for NASA.

This week's Editorial Cartoon

All-star cast powers inventive 9

A movie about nine human-like rag dolls banding together to save the post-apocalyptic world does not sound like a rousing adventure story. But when Tim Burton produces it, there is no sense in ruling out the possibility. Burton, one of the visionaries of 9, transforms the rag dolls - called "stitchpunks" - into endearing, individual characters uniting to fight a destructive robotic beast. The film begins when the last human on earth crumples to the floor and his final scientific creation, 9 (The Lord of the Ring's Elijah Wood), first opens its mechanical eyes.

Clear forecast for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

With spaghetti tornadoes and ice-creamed neighborhoods, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs succeeds in making an entertaining 90-minute movie from a book that takes, at best, five minutes to read. While the plot of the film wildly diverges from Judi and Ron Barrett's best-selling children's book, audiences won't be disappointed with the changes.Flint Lockwood (voiced by Bill Hader of "Saturday Night Live") is an aspiring inventor living in the island town of Swallow Falls. His streak of failed inventions leads him to create something that would benefit the town as a whole: a machine that turns water molecules into food, a necessity since the town has been forced to eat sardines after their industry took a turn for the worse. This invention, however, is yet another addition to Flint's list of failures. After things go awry and Flint's machine ruins the town's tourism prospects, it is shot into the sky, where, to the town's surprise, it results in showers of cheeseburgers, pancakes and other foods.

Cleaning staff starts year shorthanded

Over a month into the school year, it is clear the new inhabitants of Duncan College and McMurtry College are not the only ones experiencing challenges. While certain students had to deal with malfunctioning air-conditioning units and nonworking locks, certain members of the custodial staff have had to deal with changes to their workload. Due to Housing and Dining's redistribution of custodial staff from Martel College, Jones College and Brown College to McMurtry and Duncan, H&D is currently in the process of transitioning its staff to a new college dynamic.

No shortage of laughs in RMT's Recession

Have you ever dreamed of dressing up fancy for a night on the town? Do you like to laugh at people? Is your grandmother going to be bored this weekend?If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, a heavy dose of quality theater may be in order. The Lighter Side of the Recession opened this month at Radio Music Theatre, and not only is it a fantastic show but, in the spirit of its title, admission is free for Rice staff and students for select shows through the end of the month.

KTRU Corner: Siamese Soul

When Sublime Frequencies burst onto the scene with the first volume of Thai Pop Spectacular two years ago, it faced a challenge, as historical Thai music was frequently overlooked. Fortunately, its refreshing insight into a vibrant and rich recording industry was a welcome addition to music libraries everywhere.The album featured a great mix of local styles, jazz and pop that melded together eclectic musical influences from surf, funk and disco. It was an exciting piece of history with a seemingly universal appeal.

Modern ballet gets a racy twist with colorful yet tragic love story of Manon

The themes of love, money and violence may be most commonly associated with Hollywood action films, but there is no rule against their driving the plot of a ballet production.The Houston Ballet opened its 40th season last Thursday with Sir Kenneth MacMillan's modern ballet Manon, demonstrating the culmination of years of growth and development as both a company and artistic community. Based on Abbé Prévost's 18th-century novel Manon Lescaut, the ballet traces the tragic fall of a young femme fatale and her lover, providing a rich plot line in a performance vibrant with complex choreography, fabulous costumes and demanding acting.