Cortaña Out as WTP4 Site
City now up Bull Creek (with a paddle, hopefully)
He’s No Tony Bennett
Ted Nugent Headlines Perry’s Inaugural Ball
Department of Homestead Security
Homestead preservation district sails through council
An Alternative Universe Blog I Wrote in a Dream
Would this have happened if Vince Young hadn’t been the Heisman Trophy bridesmaid for a second year in a row? We’ll never know, but VY has a history of responding to snubs by getting mad, and when he gets mad, he gets amazing. And amazing he was in securing a second straight national title for…
Ending Chronic Homelessness
Can “travel trailers” house the city’s homeless?
‘Possession Arrow’: Badgley->Razook
From: John Razook To: Shawn Badgley Time: 9:52pm, Jan. 9 Take a look at these … jhr Dear Shawn: In the interest of fan interest, I hereby submit to you and our faithful readers my picks for some major (and perhaps minor) awards. I will warn you that the picks may not be popular. They…
‘Possession Arrow’: Badgley
From: Shawn Badgley To: John Razook Time: 11:47pm, Jan. 9 John: How could I forget the crazy mofo known as Bob Huggins? He is now officially the most troubled and unfit mentor of young athletes in the Midwest since former Iowa State Cyclone coach Larry Eustachy blew through Columbia, Mo., kissing coeds while guzzling double-fisted…
Escalation Day
What are we supposed to accomplish in Iraq?
City Surges for Water Treatment Plant 4
Cortana tract not dead after all
Announcing the ‘Breaking News’ E-mail List
Sign up for our “Breaking News” e-mail alerts.
Lege Roundup
Dust settles in Speaker race
Pitts Pulls Out, Craddick to Keep the Speaker’s Chair
Well, looks like Craddick gets to keep the gavel. Jim Pitts, the only contender for the speaker’s chair, looked behind him, saw that his supporters would only support him if they didn’t have to do it publicly, and now he’s standing aside.
Possession Arrow: Badgley->Razook
From: John Razook To: Shawn Badgley Time: 10:40pm, Jan. 8 Apologies for only now getting back to you. The sad truth is twofold. One, I got cut off from my free Internet access. The neighbors finally got hip to my freeloading ways. Two, I was waylaid with whatever foul illness is going around these odd…
Liveblogging the Lege Part Three
Point of order, people! Oh great, now it’s going to be 15 minutes until they resolve the amendment. Get familiar with the previous entries below, if you will. Thanks to Richard for blogging in my absence. So for those of you just tuning in, here’s what you’ve missed: jack-fucking-shit. We’ve spent almost four hours now…
Liveblogging the Lege Part Two
And the fun begins … well, not really. Just finished reading a resolution kicking House floor onlookers outta chambers. We waited so long for this? The ceaseless pauses give credence to speculation that Craddick’s using the time to squeeze every pair he can get his hands on. Hmmm, that’s a pretty nasty image. Secretary of…
Liveblogging the Lege Opening
Here in the Chronicle news-heap, Channel 6 is blaring, it’s five minutes to game time, and we’re giddy with anticipation to see what the speaker race will bring. Will it be a nail-biter, or, as Lee Nichols compared it to the bowl game last night, a bona fide ass-whupping? We’ll update here live as it…
Caption This Picture
The only limit is your imagination (and nothing too libelous)
We See You, Dawnna
Tom Craddick has the Internet going nuts
Wal-Mart Thought of the Day
Because what would the day be without one?
Austin’s Only Downside?
Does not compute!
Breaking: Congress Avenue Closed
Expected until noon
Drug Policy on Colbert Report
Looks like Stephen Colbert will be toking on drug policy reform tonight (Monday, Jan. 8) on his Colbert Report with guest Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance. Check it: 10:30 p.m. (CST) on Comedy Central (cable channel 59).
City Council Notebook
a look at what’s up this week…
Graves Released and Re-Arrested
Latest stunning twist to long, strange case
‘Possession Arrow’: Badgley
Below begins what we hope will be a worthwhile exchange between two of college basketball’s most astute observers. John Razook is an Oklahoma State graduate; Shawn Badgley, a Syracuse dropout. But they will discuss all manner of NCAA hoops happenings. Chances are the St. Louis Cardinals will come up every once in a while, as…
Texas’ Best Chicken Fried Steaks
That which does not kill us makes us stronger
Meet the Dallas Cowboys Offensive Line, While You Still Have a Chance
Maybe I was wrong about the whole “tough love” thing last week. Even after my brilliantly conceived pep talk, the Cowboys somehow managed to still lose, 39-31, to the second worst team in the NFL. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn the Lions were desperately attempting to throw the game in order to get a…
Marc ‘Bald Bull’ Colombo
Position: Right Tackle Height: 6-8 Weight: 320 Born: 10/08/1978 College: Boston College NFL Experience: 5 Weak point in his otherwise flawless protection: If he’s hit in the stomach during his signature “Bull Charge” attack, he gets knocked flat.
Marco ‘Don Flamenco’ Rivera
Position:Right Guard Height: 6-4 Weight: 309 Born: 04/26/1972 College: Penn State NFL Experience: 11 Weak point in his otherwise flawless protection: After dodging his initial uppercut attack, a defender can stun him by alternating left/right hit combos until Rivera hits the turf for the remainder of the play.
Andre ‘Piston Honda’ Gurode
Position: Center Height: 6-4 Weight: 312 Born: 03/06/1978 College: Colorado NFL Experience: 5 Weak point in his otherwise flawless protection: His Piston Attack leaves his stomach vulnerable for a quick hit.
# 63 Kyle ‘Soda Popinski’ Kosier
Position: Left Guard Height: 6-5 Weight: 305 Born: 11/27/1978 College: Arizona State NFL Experience: 5 Weak point in his otherwise flawless protection: Kosier is a pretty solid blocker, but blocking one of his big uppercuts will provide the defender with a bonus star hit which they can use with a combined speed boost to knock…
Flozell ‘King Hippo’ Adams
Position: Left Tackle Height: 6-7 Weight: 340 Born: 05/18/1975 College: Michigan State NFL Experience: 9 Weak point in his otherwise flawless protection: Adams, once the Cowboy’s star lineman, just can’t keep his pants from falling down. If he gets a surprise hit from a defender, he will just stand there with his mouth hanging open,…
Two Thumbs Up His Ass
Michael Medved gives Trans-Texas Corridor rave review
Developer Not Making Good on Wal-Mart Moratorium?
Responsible Growth for Northcross says Lincoln no Honest Abe
Top 10 Stage Excitements of 2006
1) The Assumption (Refraction Arts Project) A David Bowie-esque Hamlet who fights kung fu and a big-haired family that believes “We is kin” till death and dances Kabuki and can sing a Rilo Kiley cover. What wasn’t there to love? 2) Bars, Bedrooms, Bukowski (Rogue Performance Venue) Rogue’s debut production left me wishing I had…
After a Fashion
Your Style Avatar counts to 10
For Your Life
Top 10 National 1) Arab Strap, The Last Romance (Transdreamer) 2) Clipse, Hell Hath No Fury (Jive) 3) Candi Staton, His Hands (Astralwerks) 4) Lila Downs, La Cantina (Narada/EMI) 5) Be Your Own Pet (Universal) 6) Boris, Pink (Southern Lord) 7) Bob Dylan, Modern Times (Columbia) 8) Heartless Bastards, All This Time (Fat Possum) 9)…
Cinema’s Labyrinth
Marjorie Baumgarten’s Top 101. Pan’s Labyrinth – A seamless blend of fairy tale and political allegory provides the foundation for this wholly original phantasmagoria. 2. Volver – No modern male director loves the community of women more than Almodóvar, as this triumphant love song attests. 3. United 93 – Smart and harrowing, this is one…
Top 10 Memorable Art Shows of 2006
1) “Kenneth J. Hale: New Works on Paper” (Slugfest) 2) “Eric Zimmerman: Simplon Pass” (Art Palace) 3) Deborah Roberts and John Livingston, “New Works” (Studio 107) 4) “Chris Reno: Alectromachy” (Concordia University Art Gallery) 5) “Katalin Hausel: Leaf” (Gallery 3) 6) “Celebrated Skin” (Butridge Gallery) Christina Hiett, curator 7) Birgitta Bjerke, Jenny Hart, and Whitney…
Day Trips
The year of 2006 was a dry one for day-trippers
For Your Life
Top 10 National 1) Comets on Fire, Avatar (Sub Pop) 2) Scott Walker, The Drift (4AD) 3) Beach House (Carpark) 4) Om, Conference of the Birds (Holy Mountain) 5) The King Khan & BBQ Show, What’s for Dinner? (In the Red) 6) Destroyer, Destroyer’s Rubies (Merge) 7) Psychic Ills, Early Violence (Social Registry) 8) Joanna…
Cinema’s Labyrinth
Marc Savlov’s Top 10 1. Babel – Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film gives no quarter to, and precious little hope for, the future of mankind. Still, beneath the globalized dread beats a cinematic heart of righteous, unsullied honesty. 2. Pan’s Labyrinth – Guillermo del Toro’s masterpiece recognizes that the grandest and grimmest of childhood fairy tales…
Man Push Cart
A small gem of a film about a small man doing small things in a very, very, very large world.
Top 10 Visual Art Things of 2006 (in chronological order)
1) First Night Austin Big art, live music, all ages, free, all day and half the night. This was a Texas-sized art event and a great new tradition. 2) “Repressed Burial Fantasy” (Okay Mountain) Solo exhibition of works by Jason Villegas, who made lots of drawings, an asteroid sculpture on the floor that was the…
Soccer Watch
Top 10 soccer stories of the year
National Top 10s
National Top 10s of 2006
Cinema’s Labyrinth
Austin Film Critics Association Best Film: United 93 Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men) Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed) Best Actress: Ellen Page (Hard Candy) Best Supporting Actor: Jack Nicholson (The Departed) Best Supporting Actress: Rinko Kikuchi (Babel) Best Original Screenplay: Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) Best Adapted Screenplay: Alfonso Cuarón & Timothy…
Children of Men
Children of Men brims with cinematic gusto, but the plot raises more questions than it answers.
Down ‘The Road’ to ‘Black Swan Green,’ and All Points in Between
Ten critics, 60 or so great reads
Gay Place’s Top 10 Queer Doin’s 2006
Queers look back at ‘Brokeback’ fever and forward to Mary Cheney’s baby
Texas Top 10s
Local Top 10s of 2006
Film News Top 10 of 2006
The top Texas stories of 2006
Freedom Writers
Although based on a true story, this is another movie in which the cute white lady goes into an irascible high school and makes everybody love learnin’.
Best Books of 2006
The problem with how-to books for writers is that the time reading them is better spent writing, unless you have in your lucky hands Francine Prose’s lucid essay collection, Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books (HarperCollins). Prose savors the alchemy of words on the page and shares examples of work…
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
Thornton’s fear of furniture, and lounging “lot lizards”
Critics Poll
Best Local ShowGreg Beets: Almost There Records’ tribute to Neil Young, Stubb’s Jim Caligiuri: Topaz, somebody’s house in Rollingwood, July Robert Gabriel: Public Offenders, Momo’s Christopher Gray: The Ugly Beats, Amplified Heat, Continental Club, April Melanie Haupt: Scratch Acid, Emo’s Raoul Hernandez: Rolling Stones Hoot, Ruta Maya Andy Langer: The impromptu Antone’s celebration, Antone’s, May…
SXSW 07: Update No. 1 of Approximately 450
Announcements
Thr3e
A Christian psychological horror thriller based on a novel by bestselling Christian author Ted Dekker, Thr3e nevertheless adopts the extreme-horror tactics currently in vogue in movies such as the Saw continuum.
Best Books of 2006
Amid the antagonism and simple mistrust of the everyday fumblings between men and women – and despite how Maureen Dowd’s Are Men Necessary? struck a chord with me whether I wanted it to or not – Dao Strom’s The Gentle Order of Girls and Boys (Counterpoint) was a healing read, with its reminder that we…
The Common Law
Checking your credit history
News Top Tens
The best of 2006’s news and politics
TV Eye
Tube tops
Little Children
A modern Emma Bovary and her should-have-been Mr. Right discover that while their suburban American lives may yet have a second act, it could well end up as a tragedy.
Best Books of 2006
Fiction: Kornwolf (Grove/Atlantic), Tristan Egolf; St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves (Knopf), Karen Russell; Only Revolutions (Pantheon), Mark Z. Danielewski; Lipshitz Six, or Two Angry Blondes (Dutton), T. Cooper; Black Swan Green (Random House), David Mitchell; The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel (Scribner); What Is the What (McSweeney’s), Dave Eggers; The Old Child…
What a Year Tastes Like
The palate pundits offer up their favorites
Top 10 Quotes of the Week
1) “She deplored the terror inflicted by our smart bombs on missions way afar. We know now there were no weapons of mass destruction over there. But Coretta knew, and we knew, that there are weapons of misdirection right down here. Millions without health insurance. Poverty abounds. For war, billions more, but no more for…
Top 10 Soccer Stories of the Year
The Head Butt tops all soccer news for the year
Best Books of 2006
A few of the sequential artifacts that breached the transom this year kicked my comics-loving ass in a good way. Kevin Huizenga’s collection, Curses, from Drawn & Quarterly, brought literary strata of character and theme along with its refreshing whimsy; Pizzeria Kamikaze – Asaf Hanuka’s adaptation of an Etgar Keret story – and Dash Shaw’s…
Virginia B. Wood’s Bites
Savory 1) La Speranza Dinner: Former restaurant owner Hallie Speranza now caters small parties with simply exquisite Italian food. My friends and I customized a delightful menu from many choices and feasted on olives and goat cheese, delicate homemade pasta, sea bass with artichoke hearts, spinach souffles, and lemon tarts. Divine. 2) Linda Ball’s Caviar…
Top 10 Local Stories: From bonds to boobs
1) Pay as We Go: Least controversial yet most likely to improve the common quality of life were the seven municipal bond propositions passed overwhelmingly in November, underwriting everything from basic infrastructure to affordable housing to open space, central library to film studio. As triumphant as the bonds themselves was the public winnowing process –…
All Eyes on Speaker Fight
Craddick fighting for his political life
Best Books of 2006
Rick Klaw I approached the task of picking my favorite book of the year with trepidation. Too many choices in a good literary year. Not wanting to settle on fiction or nonfiction, I chose a novel and a biography. Julie Phillips’ meticulously researched and beautifully written James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B.…
Wes Marshall on America’s Grape: The 10 best wines
Zinfandel is the quintessential American wine. Most people get their introduction to the grape through white zinfandel, a wine invented when one winery had a lot of the grape on their hands and no market. Their solution was to press the wine, remove it from any contact with the skins of the grapes, and stop…
Top 10 State Stories: Farewell to Ann, fungoo to Cheney
1) Gov. Ann Passes: In September, former Gov. Ann Richards died of esophageal cancer, leaving “A New Texas” legacy of opening doors to women and minorities. Her death, two months before the election, was a jolting reminder of how far the state has backslid on diversity and progress since her administration. Family, friends, celebrities, and…
Naked City
Headlines• On the last day of 2006, the total number of U.S. combat casualties in the war on Iraq officially reached 3,000 since March 2003, with the death of 22-year-old Dustin Donica of Spring, Texas. More than 22,000 U.S. troops have been wounded. There is no official estimate of civilian casualties, but the most scientific…
TCB
Ringing in 2007 with a brawl, a new club, Top 10s, and the Chronicle‘s annual Music Poll
Best Books of 2006
Full disclosure: I don’t read for pleasure. A full-time proofreader, I spend the better part of the day staring down errant commas; “reading for pleasure” smacks of a cruel joke. What started as an observation of a new novel resting on a desk became an assignment to bear the brunt of a full-strength Pynchon onslaught…
Claudia Alarcon’s 10 Haikus for Her Favorite Food and Drink of 2006
At the Uchi bar A feast for all the senses Gochisosama! Ice, Prosecco, lime Refreshing new sensation The Bess cocktail rocks Haute Texas cuisine Worth the trip to Marble Falls Cafe 909 Olivier and Tom Plus risotto perfection Bliss at Vespaio Delicate dishes Elegant and inventive The Driskill Grill – wow! Le Marseillais’ food Delivered…
Reefer Madness: Top 10 joints
1) Record Madness: According to FBI statistics released in September, arrests for marijuana possession reached a record high in 2005, with nearly 800,000 pot-related busts nationwide. The majority – 88% – were for simple possession only; the remaining arrestees, just more than 90,000, were charged with sale and/or manufacturing, a category that includes folks busted…
Excessive Force Firing
APD officer fired and three of his supervisors suspended for policy violations in connection with arrest of drunk, possibly mentally retarded man
Screens String
The top five games in a Top 10 world
Best Books of 2006
I tend to fall in love with humanity every time I read an excellent book. Unfortunately, I didn’t find love in 2006, yet certain books impressed me. William J. Cobb’s Goodnight, Texas (Unbridled) is a refreshing piece of contemporary fiction, wherein Cobb does not try to reinvent the wheel but instead tells an engaging story.…
Barbara Chisholm on the Top 10 Things to Top It Off
1) Camargue Fleur de Sel: A wave from the salt shaker is a reflective motion when whipping up dinner, but when you bring out the Fleur de Sel, it’s with delicate precision that one sprinkles the flaky granules. In part because of its steep price ($9.50 for a 4.4-ounce box!), and in part because the…
Top 10 Developing Stories: We got a plan
1) No More Cheap and Ugly: New ordinance adopted in August (effective Jan. 13) codifies design standards for new commercial and mixed-use developments: better architectural design, site layout, streetscapes, landscaping, green building, and general not-so-ugliness. In Central Austin, the standards promote denser, transit-friendly development along more than 50 miles of urban corridors. 2) Mueller Arising:…
Hemp-Farming Update
North Dakota Ag commissioner asks DEA to waive individual federal registration requirements for state’s licensed hemp farmers
Come Together
In 2006, Austin turned out for the arts by the tens of thousands
Best Books of 2006
When I discovered that David Mitchell’s new novel was about a year in the life of a 13-year-old boy in Eighties suburban Britain, I was a little concerned. I’d loved Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas and Ghostwritten for the virtuosic range they demonstrated, and the new book’s premise seemed comparatively narrow. Mitchell can voice characters regardless of…
Where to Find Mick Vann’s Favorite Inexpensive International Eats
1) Byblos Falafel and Deli (13000 N. I-35 #12-204, 490-1212): A new arrival out north, these folks are producing vibrant Middle Eastern fare that is so good I decreed it the best-in-category when I reviewed the restaurant. You’re blessed with a dozen choices for sides, the juicy meats are all cooked to order, the ingredients…
The Legislature’s Top 10 Alternatives to Abortion
1) Have the baby. 2) Seriously, have the baby. God wants you to. 3) Have the baby: If you don’t, you’re going to hell. 4) Have the baby. Who cares if it’s your dad’s? 5) Have the baby. 6) Have the baby; you do the deed, you pay the price – that’s life! 7) Stop…
The Hightower Report
Our “Made in China” Christmas; and Left-Wing Penguins and Devilish Tofu
Top 10 Theatrical Treasures and Pleasures of 2006
1) Urinetown: The Musical (Zachary Scott Theatre Center) This unlikeliest of Broadway hits – a parody of Thirties political musicals, laden with bad puns, musical theatre in-jokes, and that put-you-off-your-lunch title – landed in town with a mighty splash, thanks to director Dave Steakley and his polished production team, who not only got all its…
Best Books of 2006
Cormac McCarthy’s The Road (Knopf) nukes the memory of all post-apocalyptic novels past. Deadwood: Stories of the Black Hills (Bloomsbury), a gorgeous companion to the HBO series, is a welcome conversation with David Milch, one of the most beguiling and intriguing artists alive today. Also: Fear of the Dark (Little, Brown) by Walter Moseley; Echo…
Kate Thornberry’s Top 10 Recommendations
1) Peach Creek Farm’s All-Berkshire German Sausage: All of Peach Creek’s pork products are amazing; however, their perfectly seasoned German-style sausage is the epitome of Central Texas sausage. Berkshires are prized for their tender and flavorful meat, and in addition, Peach Creek’s herd is free-range. The hogs are butchered only a few days prior to…
Media Watch: Whoring is boring
Lofty debates about national security, scandals at the highest level of government, attacks on the foundation of a free press: It was a year of spicy, incendiary media stories, striking to the core of the media’s role in a free society. But not here in li’l Austin, where the media served up a pale gruel…
Cinema’s Labyrinth
The year in film, 2006
Top 10 Dance and Classical Music Events That Made 2006 a Year to Remember
1) Requiem (Blue Lapis Light) Using the Intel shell as the site for a dance could’ve been a one-note stunt, but Sally Jacques’ choreographic vision, astounding lighting by Jason Amato, and jaw-dropping aerial dance work by a corps of daredevil performers created instead an epic exploration of impermanence and transcendence on the remains of a…
Best Books of 2006
Five books stood out for me this year: Philip Roth’s Everyman (Houghton Mifflin), a minor work by his lofty standards, addresses death and dying. It contains an unforgettably riveting scene at a graveside burial and also the prescient quote, “Old age isn’t a battle; old age is a massacre.” Cormac McCarthy’s The Road (Knopf) is…
MM Pack on the 10 Best Austin Neighborhood Stores
1) Whip In (1950 S. I-35, 442-5337): Whip In’s motto – “keeping it good for our ‘hood” – aptly captures the spirit of Austin’s neighborhood food markets that tailor themselves to the unique character of their milieu. The Whip In, known for its eccentric decor, friendly staff, large wine and beer selections, local products, and…
A Blue Year: Top 10 APD stories
1) Schroeder Fired: In August an independent arbitrator ruled against former Austin Police Officer Julie Schroeder, upholding her termination in connection with the 2005 fatal shooting of 18-year-old Daniel Rocha. Schroeder did not have a “reasonable belief” that Rocha posed a “threat of deadly or serious” injury to her or her supervisor at the time…
Top 10 Most Memorable Locally Produced Live Performance Offerings That I Chanced to See in 2006 (A Hierarchical List)
1) American Fiesta (State Theatre Company) Steven Tomlinson’s theatrical ode to cookware and relationships was hands down the best production I saw last year. Directed by Christina J. Moore. 2) The Nutcracker (Ballet Austin) This traditional Christmas production of Tchaikovsky’s ballet about a child’s Christmas fantasy was brought to breathtaking life. Choreographed by Stephen Mills.…
Page Two: Slippery Slopes
Insights on the way to a point, a peek at future topics, and an argument against reductionism
Sports Top 10
Vince Young dominated here and everywhere
Beside the Point: Top 10 council highlights
1) No Retreat, No Surrender: Nothing got talk-radio wags’ maws a squawkin’ more than council’s November retreat to “conference center in day-spa drag” the Crossings to indulge in a little team-building and agenda setting. And, judging from subsequent reports, to play with stickers. 2) Raise the Pressure: Also drawing high dudgeon from shrinking libertarian violets,…
Top 10 Pratfalls of 2006, Plus Some Shining Examples of Physical Comedy
1) Gabriel McIver’s crash in Vaudeville Vanya (St. Idiot Collective) The entire company danced with teacups on their heads in Chekhov’s masterwork. For pratfalls, though, McIver wins top honors for bursting airborne onto the stage as the tubercular playwright. 2) The duel in The Assumption (Refraction Arts Project) Is it still a duel if all…
Letters @ 3AM
When your novel crawls along at about a paragraph per night and your apartment is tired of your company, then hooray for Hollywood and trans-fat popcorn: A summary of the movies seen by Ventura in 2006.
For Your Life
The album, dead? Define dead.
Chamber Recommends CAMPO Reorganization
Fewer and better-educated members could improve efficiency of transportation planning group, report says
Luv Doc Recommends: Viva Las Vegas Feast and Elvis Birthday Combo
It seems perfectly reasonable that you should get lucky in ’07, so let’s run with that. Hey, maybe everybody will get lucky in ’07. Wouldn’t that be freaky? Then again, something like that might be a sign of the impending apocalypse, a sort of Godly reach-around for the flesh-loving heathens right before the rapture. He…
