A request by several citizen groups to extend the voter registration deadline in counties hit by Hurricane Ike appears to be going nowhere. Last week, Houston Votes, the League of Women Voters of Texas, and other groups asked Gov. Rick Perry to use his emergency powers to extend the Oct. 6 deadline (to register for the Nov. 4 election) by another week in the 29 counties declared disaster areas in the wake of Ike.

The grass was still standing at Zilker Park Friday morning at 11am. Snaking lines already formed about the entry points, waiting to be the first to the stages. On the AT&T Blue Room stage, the p.a. blared the Beatles’ opening line, “It’s been a hard day’s night,” and from across the field a voice sang in response, “and I’ve been working like a dog!” I haven’t been to an Austin City Limits Music Fest since the second year. Media privileges were mysteriously spare that year, and spending two hours waiting on a shuttle bus at the end of the night after spending a day on the job being rained on soured me. I confess I’m a festival weenie. I hate outdoor concerts because I hate to be hot and sweaty and tromp across fields just to be squeezed behind a hygienically challenged fellow member of the human race. And that’s who I’ll end up next to, guaranteed. After 32 years of writing about music, I’ve earned the right to pass. Most of the time I do. This year the lure of music was too good and I didn’t.

Dan Savage does! And you can, too! Read Dan's blog and contribute your own generous offer to the up-'do'd guv.

More breaking medical news: Austin ISD Superintentent Pat Forgione checked himself into hospital on Sunday afternoon and was diagnosed with appendicitis. He's now recovering after a laparoscopic appendectomy. District spokesman Andy Welch knew something was up when notorious workaholic Forgione went suspiciously quiet. "Usually, you got voicemails all the time, and checking in over the weekend I hadn't had any voicemail. I thought he must be busy." On his way to Kerrville on Sunday, Welch heard that Forgione was heading to hospital. The procedure went well, and Forgione was up in the middle of the night, requesting documents from his sickbed. According to AISD, he's doing well, but will be in hospital for another day or so, and then will be home recuperating for another week. The biggest worry then will be convincing him not to carry around the two big bags of documents he always carries with. "Someone may be delegated as the official toter until he gets better," said Welch. Newsdesk sends our collective best.

Posted without comment (well, until afterwards): If anything, this clip's a little too tame. Maybe they should make the music a little more dramatic, or something. (Oh, and aren't the mayoral elections in 2009?)

It's official, the Austin Wranglers are no more. After five years here in town, and with attendance dive-bombing last season after a move to the af2, they have decided to call it quits. First the Ice Bats, and now the Wranglers. It's been a tough year for Austin professional sports teams. Tom Hicks (whose holdings include the Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, and Liverpool FC) is moving a minor-league affiliate of the Stars (the Texas Stars) to Cedar Park upon completion of $55 million, 6,800-seat multipurpose event center. Look for them to get started in the 2009-10 hockey season. With big money behind this enterprise and a brand-new facility, I'm certain the Texas Stars will be a part of the sports landscape in Central Texas for decades to come. So long Wranglers, it was fun while it lasted.

A little video we made from ACL, in case you missed it.

The Clean Air Force of Central Texas has issued an Orange-Level Ozone Alert for Saturday. Short explanation: The air will be unhealthy tomorrow unless people drive their cars as little as possible. Take the bus to ACL Fest or the UT football game.

A brief note of celebration: At 12.38pm today, Council Member Randi Shade gave birth to a baby daughter, Emily Austin Shade-Shell. The latest addition to the household weighs in at a healthy seven pounds 10 ounces. Newsdesk would like to wish Shade, her partner Kayla and the rest of the family a hearty congratulations.