The new work week saw the busiest day yet for early voting in the May 10 elections, according to the Travis County Elections Division. 2,645 ballots were cast in person, nearly 500 higher than the previous record day this election (2,153 on Friday), almost four times the Sunday turnout (670) – and that doesn't include postal ballots received. Eight-day results:
Total early voting: 14,285
Percentage of registered voters: 2.53%
Early voting in person votes: 14,056
Mail ballots received: 229 Voting by day
Monday: 1,765
Tuesday: 1,685
Wednesday: 1,803
Thursday: 1,772
Friday: 2,167
Saturday: 1,740
Sunday: 670
Monday: 2,683 Highest turn-out voting location: Randalls Research and Braker (1,446)
Lowest turn-out voting location: Round Rock ISD Performing Arts Center (43)

Ugh. I'm so over the vitriol in Place 3, I'm outsourcing this one to the Austinist. But here's a frightening prospect: say Ken Weiss manages to peel 5% away solely based on the fact he's neither Randi Shade or Jennifer Kim – and the ladies stagger to the finish line with around 48% of the vote each. What does that mean? Runoff, and another month of this madness.

In their separate struggles Sunday night at the May bout for the Texas Rollergirls, two teams had something in common: The Hustlers needed to win, and the Hell Marys needed to not lose. The Hustlers faced the visiting Green Country Rollergirls from Tulsa, Okla., and the reality is that any TXRG squad should be able to beat any unranked visiting team. But the Hustlers have had a bumpy season, and they needed a big margin and a better performance than they have managed so far this season to make this a real win. And as unranked visitors go, Green Country are a challenge, having already had five touring matches this season: even though they came in with only a 2-3 record, they're used to adapting to fresh opposition. Coming out of the first period, it was a win for the Hustlers, 68-41. It was a tough, scrappy pack, one that suited the aggressive style the new-look Hustlers are perfecting. But the 27-point margin didn't yet feel like a dominating lead. Yet.

While a 30-second spot has started airing on TV, here's the extended version of Lee Leffingwell's second campaign spot: That opening tight-shot on Mike Martinez is a little too close for comfort, no?

So, after months of hemming and hawing, of telling the general public one thing and its political supporters something else, on Monday morning Villa Muse studios took their potential bat and speculative ball, and said they were leaving. But guess who they forgot to tell? Mayor Will Wynn and assistant city manager Laura Huffman, the people they were supposed to be doing all these good faith negotiations with. Villa Muse's lawyer said at the press conference that they had "delivered a message" to the city earlier that morning, but it turned out that delivery didn't involve the simple courtesy of giving the mayor a call. But this still doesn't answer a bunch of questions about Villa Muse – like, what are they planning to do with all that land they still have options to buy? Why try to move the development into a municipal utility district, so all deals with the city would be non-binding? Are they really thinking that the movie industry wants to move to Bastrop (no offense, Bastrop), or that Bastrop really wants a huge development on their back door? And, as Wynn wondered, if it was so important that the studio happen outside of the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction, under the lax planning rules of the county, why try to put it inside the ETJ in the first place?

Okay, not too many of you have been getting out there to the polls (only about 2% of registered voters thus far). Why not? What happened to all that excitement from the Democratic primary? Look, folks, municipal politics may not have the sexiness of a presidential race, but the decisions made at the local level are still very crucial – especially in a city like Austin, the second-fastest growing city in the nation. Decisions made now will have consequences on the nature of this city decades down the road. Perhaps you're just saving up for Election Day, because you're torn over the weight of this decision, and you don't want to be rushed into making up your mind. Um, yeah, that's it. Seriously: Study up on the candidates, and then get to the polls either today or Saturday and participate in your democracy.

You know when you leave the bathroom with a trail of TP stuck to your shoe? Well, I can't seem to shake Larry Craig. The non-re-election seeking Idaho Senator confessed late last month: "It's probably difficult for some to believe, but my wife and I had already decided that I would retire about a year ago." Poor Larry has plenty he can't shake, either. Obviously, he's a victim of (as he says), the "liberal media trying to put down a conservative guy." Awwwwwww. Well, it should come as no surprise to find him moonlighting as a poster boy for a New Orleans' designer, GoGo Jewelry. (I just about fell over when I saw this card in the window of the Magazine Street shop, and just had to share.) Oh, wait, that's not Craig; the model in the ad is wearing his telltale wedding band on his right hand… Besides, Craig is a discriminating fella. He'd never tap feet with a guy in white socks and Skechers.

Former UT great and current NFL flop in the making Cedric Benson was arrested last Saturday (May 3) on Lake Travis and was charged with operating a boat while intoxicated and resisting arrest. Dude had to be pepper-sprayed by the po-po. For more, click here.

It was a slow weekend for early voting for the May 10 elections, according to the Travis County Elections Division, with voting on Sunday down to a third of the daily average. Interestingly, some daily totals are shifting, so numbers are still being finalized and verified. (For example, last week the county was saying 1,781 people voted on Thursday; now that's down to 1,772) As for the weekend drop, looks like our Friday prediction was right: everyone was off watching Iron Man. Seven-day results
Total early voting: 11,602
Percentage of registered voters: 2.06%
Early voting in person votes: 11,411
Mail ballots received: 191 Voting by day
Monday: 1,765
Tuesday: 1,685
Wednesday: 1,803
Thursday: 1,772
Friday: 2,167
Saturday: 1,740
Sunday: 670 Highest turn-out voting location: Randalls Research and Braker (1,156 voters)
Lowest turn-out voting location: Round Rock ISD Performing Arts Center (33 voters)