Numbers don't lie

Halloween stats that scare: Texas is the No. 1 state in the country for petcostumes — and really loves candy corn

Angry Birds is the No. 2 Halloween costume search.
Photo via The Clog Blog
Texans love to dress up their pets.
Photo via WallpapersLibrary.com
Black Swan is the fastest-rising costume search in Texas in 2011.
People in Houston search for "candy corn" a whopping 30 percent more, percapita, than the rest of the United States.
Photo via Wallpaperama.com
Mortal Kombat makes it to No. 11 on the list.
Photo via Mortal Kombat

From the looks of things, Halloween 2011 is gearing up to be a big one.

The National Retail Federation reports that consumer spending is up this holiday season, currently at the highest point yet in the survey's nine-year history. The average person will spend $72.31 on decorations, costumes and candy, as compared to $56.31 in 2009.

Texans, especially, are excited about All Hallow's Eve. According to Google Insights, searches in Texas for "Halloween costumes" are 10 percent higher, per capita, than in other state.

Apparently eager to torment pets and to inflict emotional pain on themselves, Texas is the No. 1 state for "pet Halloween costumes" and for "haunted theme park" searches. The state ranks No. 2 nationally for "angry birds Halloween" and "candy corn" searches.

Houstonians search for "cowboy costume," "burlesque costumes" and "dog costumes" 10 percent more per capita, and for "couples costumes" 15 percent more. People in Houston search for "candy corn" a whopping 30 percent more, per capita, than the rest of the U.S.

The calendar is packed with spooky and swanky events across Houston throughout the weekend, and you don't want to disappoint with a lackluster ensemble.

If you're still trying to decide on the perfect Halloween costume, and you're concerned about originality, these options (the fastest rising Halloween costume searches in Texas) are the ones to avoid this year:

Black Swan
Angry Birds
Nicki Minaj
Monster High
Tron
Playboy Bunny
Wilfred
Smurfette
Pan Am
LMFAO
Mortal Kombat
Assassins Creed

Unless your take is especially well-executed, a doppelgänger (or three) won't win you first place in a costume contest. But remember: You don't have to bare all to win big.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”