Browsing: Arts and Entertainment

After 13 months of pointless scrutiny, federal regulators have done what they were certain to do all along, and blessed the most momentous media deal of this still-new century: The takeover by Comcast, the biggest U.S. cable operator, of NBC Universal, one of the country’s premier sources of news and entertainment.

Saturday boasted sweets for the sweet and cold for the cold at the grand opening of a new frozen yogurt shop, 3 Spoons Yogurt, at Central Texas Marketplace.

No sooner are sitcoms pronounced dead, again, than they begin popping up all over, like Whac-a-Moles. This year we have been and will be getting a passel of relationship comedies built around interrelated contrasting sets of couples (and sometimes singles), usually packaged in groups of three, a la “Modern Family,” whose success surely helped turn these lights green. There are perhaps more of them than the market can bear, but if any have to go, I would rather it not be “Perfect Couples.”

Shawn McDonald is back on the Christian music radar with his new album “Closer.” The album releases March 11 on EMI’s Sparrow Records. Though the songs are very personal for McDonald (he wrote or contributed to all of them), he shares songwriting credits with other award-winning writers such as Brandon Heath, Joy Williams, Ben Glover and Josh Garrels.

Around Reliant Stadium and downtown Houston, you can find a multitude of restaurants varying in cuisine, atmosphere and quality. Whether you want to eat close to the stadium or grab a bite on your way in from surrounding cities, you are guaranteed a great meal at these local favorites, including many one-of-a-kind eateries.

Donavon Frankenreiter’s new release, “Glow,” is a record filled with Bob Marley and Jack Johnson inspired “feel good” and “it’s gonna be alright” (the latter of which is actually a chorus) songs that are sung in the style of surfer music with an odd mix of plucky guitar strumming and ambient yet poppy leads in the styles of U2 and Coldplay.

When looking for a healthier alternative to a burger and fries for lunch, students don’t have to look far. In the same amount of time it takes to go by McDonald’s, healthy and hearty organic meals are available from such restaurants as the Epicurean at the Waco Outreach Foundation Facility at 400 Fourth St. in downtown Waco.

Teen pregnancy is a popular topic for TV shows, movies and documentaries. Because the issue is generally considered controversial and there is not an agreed-upon way on how to handle it, the media continues to explore it in different ways.

In an attempt to wring a modern twist out of a fairy tale classic, “Tangled” fumbles around on screen with much-intended charm which, in the end, turns out to be the stubborn knot in this new Disney charade.fA savvy re-vamp of the fable of Rapunzel, “Tangled” is a frank, abrupt, tongue-in-cheek animated musical about the girl with the long blonde hair.