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Bill Van Rysdam head shot column mug April 2013

Bill Van Rysdam

Arts/Entertainment

             

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All articles by this author.  52 Results. Showing 21 to 40
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Radio Wonder

Much better than a whiny Adele: The best music you've never heard

By Bill Van Rysdam

01.17.12 | 4:29 pm

Tired of hearing the same old same old on the radio? Between the exceedingly whiny Adele who can’t understand why her ex-boyfriend doesn’t want to still be friends ...


Long Lost Love Found

Peter Frampton plans to play his long-lost, plane crash guitar: 31 years gone and still rocking

By Bill Van Rysdam

01.05.12 | 1:36 pm

Peter Frampton changed the business of music forever in 1976 when he released his wildly successful double live album Frampton Comes Alive. In Wayne's World 2, Wayne Campbell acknowledged ...


The Irreplaceables

A heavenly lineup: From Amy Winehouse to Clarence Clemons, the deaths that stopped the music

By Bill Van Rysdam

12.30.11 | 11:31 am

The end of the year gives us an opportunity to pause, look back and remember the people who passed away, but will always be remembered for the music they made ...


An Old Friend In Distress

Running through the dead trees: "Enjoying" Memorial Park means watching the sad torture of oaks

By Bill Van Rysdam

12.19.11 | 10:59 am

A dear old friend of mine is not doing well these days. I'm speaking of one of the largest urban parks in the United States, Houston’s Memorial Park ...


In My Opinion

Only mean-spirited people root against Tim Tebow: The hate makes little sports sense

By Bill Van Rysdam

12.17.11 | 3:36 pm

Why do people hate Tim Tebow? For those of you who don’t follow football (and you know who you are), Tim Tebow is a second-year quarterback for the Denver ...


Complain & Bid Up

New White Coke can fizzles out — then becomes an eBay sensation

By Bill Van Rysdam

12.02.11 | 11:17 am

Once again, the country is facing a crisis of biblical proportions. It's not about the record deficit, or class warfare. This catastrophe involves the new white Coca-Cola can.  The ...


In my opinion

A teachable moment in college football: Penn State should forfeit remaining games

By Bill Van Rysdam

11.12.11 | 8:47 am

There's a lot not to like about college football these days.  All you have to do is look at what's happening at Penn State to know something is ...


Incredible mix of songs

The greatest (unnamed) rock album of all time? Led Zeppelin IV turns 40

By Bill Van Rysdam

11.08.11 | 9:31 pm

It was on this day in 1971 Led Zeppelin released its fourth album. The eight-song album came unnamed, but soon became known as Led Zeppelin IV, ZOSO, or Zep IV ...


Social media sites multiply

Should Facebook worry? Google+ opens its doors to everyone

By Bill Van Rysdam

09.24.11 | 5:29 pm

The long national nightmare is over.  Google has opened up its social media venture, Google + to everyone.  No longer is an invitation needed to join the latest attempt to usurp ...


In My Opinion

Why do we know the theme song to Gilligan's Island and not Modern Family?

By Bill Van Rysdam

07.16.11 | 8:00 am

Sherwood Schwartz passed away this week. For those of you outside the baby boomer bubble, Schwartz was the person who produced the iconic '60s television shows The Brady Bunch and ...


In my opinion

All the news that's fit to hack: When did "We got it first" replace "We got it right?"

By Bill Van Rysdam

07.06.11 | 6:01 pm

A shocking allegation is rocking the world of journalism.  Scotland Yard is investigating reports that the British newspaper News of the World interfered in the investigation of Milly Dowler, an ...


My opinion

Houston, we have a problem — no Republican presidential candidate supports federal funding for NASA

By Bill Van Rysdam

06.14.11 | 4:54 pm

There was a fairly large brouhaha recently over the decision to give one of the retired shuttle orbiters to New York City instead of Houston. Politicians were up in arms ...


Fit to print?

How the media allowed crazies to hijack 9-11

By Bill Van Rysdam

09.11.10 | 5:04 pm

The anniversary of 9-11 is supposed to be a time of reflection — about all the lives lost, the way the world's forever changed — and maybe a call to volunteer ...


The cane attack of 1856

Mourning the death of civility in Washington — it's expiration date is older than you think

By Bill Van Rysdam

06.20.10 | 7:52 am

What has happened to civility? It seems that commodity is in very short supply these days. Both Republicans and Democrats have been fighting it out over the oil spill, immigration ...


And Paul Abdul's Idol return too ...

Lost, Lindsay Lohan and LeBron: The great mysteries of our time come together

By Bill Van Rysdam

05.22.10 | 3:15 pm

Things I don't understand ... Why it is OK to call something labeled a “cheese product”; cheese? President Obama doesn’t want the state of Arizona to ask people for ...


My Father's Voice

Hitler mustaches are no political joke: Dive hole lessons from occupation survivors

By Bill Van Rysdam

05.10.10 | 11:36 pm

On May 10, 1940 — 70 years ago today — the German Army launched an all-out assault and invaded the Netherlands. My parents were teenagers living in Holland at the time the ...


Net Battleground

Who should control the Internet? The government faces off against cable companies

By Bill Van Rysdam

05.09.10 | 12:30 am

Is the government trying to take over the Internet? The Federal Communications Commission is looking at a plan that would enact a policy of “Net Neutrality”, where companies that provide ...


Santa Claus & Michael Irvin are smiling

Don't tase me, City Bros! Philly turns up the baseball electricity

By Bill Van Rysdam

05.04.10 | 4:19 pm

You gotta admit it. Philly fan has to be the most insane devotee to his teams ever. During last night’s game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the St. Louis ...


Certified hockey nut

CultureMap I-Team investigation: We've found the only NHL fan in Houston

By Bill Van Rysdam

04.25.10 | 4:17 pm

The NHL playoffs are in midstream ( the Phoenix Coyotes just forced a Game 7!) and I’m in hockey heaven. Now I’m not going to be one of those ...


Space Anniversary

After 20 years, the Hubble is still out of this world

By Bill Van Rysdam

04.24.10 | 11:20 pm

Twenty years ago today, NASA launched the Hubble Space Telescope. After some early technical problems, the Hubble has recorded some amazing images including the most recent, a photo of the ...


All articles by this author.  52 Results. Showing 21 to 40
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