It's a big week for rollerderby: not only was documentary Hell on Wheels finally released on DVD, but this weekend sees one of the three biggest events of the competitive calendar Battle Royale 08, the Western regional play-offs for the Women's Flat Track Derby Assocation. This year it's in the Verizon Wireless Theater in Houston, so a very driveable distance for flat-track fans. While the full bouts started today, Austin's own Texecutioners don't take to the track until 9.45am Saturday, when they face the winner from today's match-up from Rocky Mountain Rollergirls and Houston Rollerderby. The winner of that goes on to face either Tucson Rollerderby or Seattle's Rat City Rollergirls (considering how much controversy there was about the Rat City/Texecutioners bout at nationals last year, that could be the bout to watch.) Tickets still available.

During last night's Veep debate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said that a McCain administration would be fiscally prudent. She's had experience handling budgets, she said, during her time as governor and before that, when she was mayor of the town of Wasilla. Does that include balancing the budget on the backs of crime victims? As it turns out, while Palin was mayor of Wasilla the town sought to save some moolah by forcing rape victims to pay for rape kit tests and their forensic analysis. Seriously: Would you ask a burglary victim to dust her house for prints and pay for it? No, you wouldn't.

Respected local wine expert and award-winning sommelier Devon Broglie hosts a blind tasting of Texas wines this evening at the Whole Foods Market Culinary Center. Broglie will discuss how grapes such as Tempranillo, Sangiovese, and Viognier are well-suited to Texas terroir and feature wines made from them in a blind tasting against wines from around the world. Cost of the tasting is $45 and reservations can be made online at www.wholecateringaustin.com.

California Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger this week vetoed legislation designed to protect medi-pot patients from being fired from their jobs for toking the med during off hours. The bill, AB 2279, authored by San Francisco Dem Assemblyman Mark Leno was filed in response to a previous ruling by a Cali court that found that employees who use medi-mari in compliance with state law, but who fail a workplace drug test, can be fired. Leno's bill would've made it unlawful for employers to discriminate against medi-pot patient employees. But Schwarzenegger wasn't having it. "I am concerned with interference in employment decisions as they relate to marijuana use," he wrote in a veto message to Leno. "Employment protection was not a goal of the initiative passed by voters in 1996." But Cali NORML Coordinator Dale Gieringer argues that protecting patients is exactly what 1996's Prop 215 was designed to do. "The goal … was to treat marijuana like other legal pharmaceutical drugs," Gieringer, one of Prop 215's authors, said. Schwarzenegger's veto may not be too surprising – according to Cali NORML, the guv has vetoed every single marijuana measure to come across his desk. But you can bet the employment discrimination bill will be back.

8pm: That’s what time Graveyard lifts off at Stubb’s on Saturday. The Sword lops heads beginning at 8:45pm, then Neil Fallon and his henchmen double Clutch 10pm-midnight. Howl at the moon. Sept. 10, 2008, days before Hurricane Ike, that’s precisely what Graveyard did at Red 7 opening for fellow Swedes Witchcraft. Warlock’s balls that band, letting Graveyard open for them. Both avalanche the rootsy mulch of ancient Southern blues and folk, but where Witchcraft practices riff worship, Graveyard resurrects Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Cream. Their own “Tales of Brave Ulysses” haunt the Gothenburg quartet’s eponymous Tee Pee Records debut like late-1960s sirens of electric damnation, retribution roaring from Hell’s corridor to Heaven’s gate. Bassist Rikard Edlund, reached by drummer Alex Sjöberg’s cell as the band detoured into Richmond, Virginia, on their way to North Carolina, confessed to the band’s “Evil Ways,” walking metal’s “Thin Line” between a “Blue Soul” and “Satan’s Finest.”

“It once was lost, but now it’s found,” offers bluegrass legend Jim Lauderdale about Sacred Harp singing in his narration of the new documentary Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp. The statement is only partially true, for although the film shines an invaluable light on the history and significance of the age-old gospel art form in America, Sacred Harp has never been about the public. It’s a deeply personal expression, grounded in the communal, congregational spirit of immaculately intertwined a cappella harmonies. Awake, My Soul is an exceptional exploration of the style and its significance, but the documentary’s power lies in the stories and testimonies of the everyday folks for whom the hymns have been a pillar for generations.

The UT Longhorns drew a record crowd of 5,585 at Myers Stadium Friday night for their 0-0 tie with Texas A&M in the Big 12 opener for both teams. (It was also the third largest crowd in the country this season; the top two were both at Aggie Stadium.) The Horns (still No. 7 nationally) are at Nebraska Friday evening, before hosting Iowa State at noon Sunday, Oct. 5. St. Edward's men lost their first game of the season Sunday in Denver, 2-1 to No. 6 Fort Lewis, after earlier beating Colorado School of Mines, 2-1. The Hilltoppers are at No. 2 Midwestern State Friday, then host Northeastern State at 1pm Sunday, Oct. 5. The St. Ed's women split a pair as well, losing at TAMU-Commerce, then beating Newman, 2-1 in their conference opener. Champions League results from both Europe and CONCACAF below: a positive result for the Houston Dynamo in Mexico; big days for England and Spain.

Larry Joe Doherty, the Democratic challenger to District 10 Congressman Michael McCaul, claims he has poll numbers showing him within 5% of the incumbent. We say "claimed" because it must be noted that the Goodwin Simon Victoria Research poll was commissioned by Doherty himself. But if the numbers are accurate, McCaul should be concerned: Pollster Donna Victoria writes that the Sept. 28-30 poll of 400 registered, likely voters puts McCaul at 43%, Doherty at 38%. That means McCaul has made no gain since GSVR's May poll on the race, while Doherty has picked up 4%. Eighteen percent were undecided, and the margin of error is +/-4.9%. Libertarian Matt Finkel was not presented by name as an option, but 1% said "other."

And it is … drumroll please! … Jennifer Gale. Oh well, shoulda seen this one coming. Gale just spoke during City Council's citizens communications period; in her alloted three minutes, she announced her intentions for 2009, and riffed a little on the race: "Who would be crazy enough to run for mayor of Austin? Mr. McCracken, Lee Leffingwell, do you know anyone crazy enough to run for mayor?" Hee hee hee! Planks of the Gale platform: "Asking that everyone carry a few quarters or dollar bills so we can hand them out to the homeless," and buying the Statesman from COX enterprises, so "we can make it our newspaper." Hey, the Hustle's on board with both. Gale also spoke to the national race: "People think Sarah Palin can't see the forest for the trees, but people don't realize she's from Alaska!"