The Texas Rollergirls continued their touring season clean sweep this weekend with their latest trip to Houston. The Honky Tonk Heartbreakers took down the Bayou City Bosse$ 86-49. That puts the TXRG 2-0 against Houston's league teams (since April's 126-83 domination of the Psych Ward Sirens by the Hell Marys), and 4-0 for the 2008 touring season so far. But this latest Houston victory has got to raise the stakes for July 13, when it's the battle of the touring teams as the No. 4 Women's Flat Track Derby Association-ranked Texecutioners travel south to take on the No. 24 ranked HaRD Knocks. Will Austin rule H-Town, or will the home team remind everyone why they call it Clutch City? Of course, there's still the little matter of the June 1 visit by the Big Easy Rollergirls from New Orleans, who challenge the seemingly unstoppable Hotrod Honeys. In the league bout, the Hell Marys have to get past the resurgent Hustlers to have a chance at getting into the championship. Tickets available now.

Portland, Oregon is the largest city to have ever elected an openly gay man as mayor. The news of Sam Adams win is making us thirsty.

The biggest surprise at last month’s Old Settler’s Music Festival was Emily Elbert. She won the Youth Talent Competition in 2007, which granted her a spot on the main stage this year, and though still a teen, the Coppell, Texas native possesses an old soul. Elbert's atypical for many reasons. While many her age are pining to become the next American Idol, she rejects the notion. “As many people come up and ask me if I’m 14 as tell me to try out for American Idol,” the 19-year-old explains. “They mean well. It’s nice that they would want to help me out, but that’s not exactly where I want to go.” Both parents are professional musicians who exposed her to a broad range of sounds. “It was instilled in me from when I was little, when I was listening to jazz,” she recalls. “I think it’s to my advantage to educate myself on different kinds of music and the expression that comes out of the world. Everything is wrapped up in music, from politics to religion to history to poetry. There’s so much more than is possible to understand. But it’s a great thing to try. I’m interested in as much music as I can wrap my arms around.”

Talk about taking government to the people: Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, is taking the Senate Jurisprudence Committee on a trip beyond the committee chambers of the Legislature. The purpose, he said, is "To hear from people who might not otherwise be able to get to Austin to speak." He's already set the locations were he will be taking discussions of the Lieutenant Governor's interim charges: Houston, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Lubbock and … Edinburg? Is it any coincidence that the committee will be in the home of the Evins Regional Juvenile Center, the Texas Youth Commission facility that was at the heart of the terrible accuse scandal that rocked the juvenile justice system in the state? After all, Wentworth's committee vice-chair is Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-Mission, who has spearheaded the movement to shut down these distant rural facilities and move over to smaller sites nearer the big cities from which the young inmates come, and from which they can draw on a bigger pool of support staff and counselors. Wentworth, when asked, was coy. "I'm sure we'll have some discussion," he said. "I'm not going to judge the outcome of those meeting before we have them." Full dates for Wentworth's World-Wide Texas Tour after the jump.

An update on the League of United Latin American Citizens of Texas' attempt to put the kibosh on the precinct caucus component of the Texas Democratic Party presidential nomination process: in what may be a bad sign for LULAC, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery canceled the Monday morning hearing (using, in part, the possibly unprecedented logic that "numerous gallons of $4 a gallon gasoline would be expended" just so lawyers could read their briefs out loud.) He would rather spend the time reading the briefs, he said. LULAC calls it voter suppression and a violation of the Voting Right Act. The TDP says the act doesn't cover party elections, that the rules have been fine since 1988, and that they have done everything possible (every since that 'embarrassing' Dixiecrats thing) to increase minority turn-out. But the question could be moot. Back in January, the Nevada State Teachers Association failed to get caucusing in the casinos canceled; U.S. District Judge James Mahan basically said that caucus rules are party business, and nothing to do with the federal courts.

Bring out the brooms Horns’ fans, as Texas swept rival Texas A&M over the weekend, sending the Aggies home with their tails between their legs! Texas’ pitching has been the story the last few weeks as they have given up only 21 runs in their last 10 games. Kenn Kasparek has led the way with a 24-inning scoreless streak, including a no-hitter against Texas State. Freshman Chance Ruffin has been almost as good with a complete game against Baylor where he gave up 1 run in seven innings. In game one against A&M over the weekend, Ruffin allowed only 1 run on six hits. Jordan Danks saw to it that A&M left UFCU Disch-Falk Field on a stretcher as he hit two triples in the game with three runs batted in to give the Horns’ the 5-2 victory. Junior Austin Wood has come to life of late, pitching his first career complete game against A&M over the weekend. Wood allowed 2 runs in the first inning and then manhandled the Aggies from that point on, recording eight scoreless innings in giving the Horns a 5-2 win in game two. Kyle Russell made sure Wood got the victory, blasting his 14th home run of the season.

The latest albums from Al Green, Erykah Badu, and the Roots have at least two things in common: They are good bets to make my 2008 best of lists and they are co-produced by Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson. The afro-rocking Roots drummer lays down furious fatback beats on their eighth, Rising Down (Def Jam), but the most eccentric member of the Philly ensemble is proving he's as great a force behind the boards as the drum kit. Not that it’s always been easy. In a Spin interview, ?uestlove says Al Green cussed him out during their recording session for Lay It Down (Blue Note), shouting, “Why are there motherfuckin’ computers everywhere? I’m gonna sing it the way I wanna sing it, goddamn it!” That Grandpa Simpson luddism is partly what makes Green’s vocals so divine. But ?uestlove, with help from the Dap-Kings Horns and guest spots from John Legend, Corrine Bailey Rae, and the criminally underrated Anthony Hamilton, adds just enough of a modern touch to keep things fresh. The LP, due May 27, is miles ahead of Green’s two previous Blue Note releases this decade and – dare I say it – comes awfully close to rivaling his classic 1970s Hi material.

In another step forward for mainstream recognition of Roller Derby, ESPN's SportsCenter handed Sunday's Outside the Lines segment over to the burgeoning sport. The piece featured interviews with women from Austin's own Lonestar Rollergirls, including Honey Homicide of the Rhinestone Cowgirls and Chola of the Putas del Fuego. But what's important was that it wasn't just about Austin. The package featured leagues from St. Paul, Phoenix, Cincinnati, and New Orleans (the more hardcore fans may notice former Chronicle intern and current Big Easy Rollergirls ref Meredith Barnhill, aka Vargas Grrl, at the 4.28 mark on the countdown). The biggest credit that the Lonestar Rollergirls and the Texas Rollergirls can get these days is that the sport has got so big that it's far beyond being "just an Austin thing."

Man, you know you're a real presidential candidate when you've got a reggae song (or two, or three) that's all about you. Check out Cocoa Tea's tribute to Barack Obama here.