Cover Story
Twisting in the Wind
Austin Energy is trying to find the right price for renewable energy – but that’s much easier said than done
Welcome to Austin, Soundcheck
Council approves sound company sublease at Austin Studios
The Other Blondie
Blondie Chaplin’s musical journeys
United Soccer Leagues Sold
NuRock Soccer Holdings buys USL from Nike
Put the D%$n Phone Down
As council considers driving while texting ban, the Welsh send a bloody warning.
This Week’s Waste of Time
Web Testing Your Intelligence for Free. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
You Can’t Stop the Totally Awesome AusChron Newscast!
Trash talking Sharon Keller, fire department controversy, and texting while driving
New Home, New Faces for the Aztex
Aztex settle into House Park
Horns Look to Rebound Friday Against U of H
UT soccer looks to start another win streak
Schieffer’s House
Ranking Texas Democratic Reps come out for gubernatorial candidate
There’s an App for Whaa?!
Want a burrito? Got an iPhone? Well aren’t you special?
AFF Knows We Like to Watch
Local film Harmony and Me tops sneak peek at festival lineup
Find Your Inner Beth Ditto
Plus-Size Shopping
Gilbert for Gov?
Smith County Rancher announces for Democrat nomination
News/Print
Horton Foote remembered; Stacey Swann’s swan song; and Elmer Kelton rides into the sunset
This and That
FunkyBatz, Elvis, and more…
Aztex Sign Two Additional Players
Aztex add to the roster for Saturday night
Edward Kennedy Dead
Lion of the Senate dies before realizing the “cause of my life,” reforming the health care system
Pearce Repurposed: But For How Long?
Commissioner Scott decides not to remove the axe from East Austin school
BookPeople Turns Up the Heat on KOOP
‘BrooksPeople’ on BookPeople
AISD: Cash for the Future
Board approves 2008-9 budget in fractious meeting
How the Gods Kill
Danzig and the Jesus Lizard headline the fourth annual Fun Fun Fun Fest
Baby Boomers Still Using Drugs
Government says this is a public health issue — but its just the tip of the iceberg
Latest Scummy Republican Propaganda
Does the GOP really want to make body counts a talking point?
Legelines: Primary Scamper
Who’s challenging who around the House and Senate?
No Dagwood
Blondie Chaplin and more thump Friday night at Antone’s
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Karen O and company are coming to ACL
Judge Overturns Abortion Bill Provisions
But junk science is still all the rage in Texas
One More Gold for Richards
Texas ex anchors United States relay team to world championship
Smoke ‘Em if You Got ‘Em
Mexico decriminalizes minor drug possession
Tax-Free Shopping: Grab Junior and Hit the Mall
Texas Tax-Free Holiday August 21-23
Bad Day for Manson in Berlin
Ex Longhorn struggles with wet conditions
AFF to Honor Steven Zaillian
The Oscar-winning scripter of Schindler’s List will receive the Distinguished Screenwriter Award
The Lineup
Recommended music for the week of Aug. 21-27
Insulting the World
Anti-health reform groups put their foot in mouth on the international stage
The Long and Winding Road
Sir Paul McCartney flashes back to Rock & Roll High School in Arlington
Salute Your Jorts
Misprint‘s summer spraydown
Leon’s Clinic
Russell and his beard tickle the ivories
The Common Law
Things to Think About When Signing a Lease
Live Shots
Beerland, Aug. 14
MetroRail Watch
How long will we wait for the train?
Tetro
Francis Ford Coppola embraces smaller-scale filmmaking with this story about the reunion of estranged brothers in Buenos Aires.
After a Fashion
Your Style Avatar celebrates 10 years of telling you what’s what
Live Shots
Club de Ville, Aug. 15
Forecast Calls for Conservation
Stage 2 watering restrictions are now in effect
Paper Heart
Ultra-introverted mumblenerd comedian Charlene Yi shines in this faux documentary that problematically blurs the line between staged, improvised, and “real” events.
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
Jack London, inbred turtles, and much more
Live Shots
Travis County Expo Center, Aug. 15
Budget Buzz
Unexpected good news on the budget front means better prospects for city employee incentive pay
Day Trips
Alamo Village, where John Wayne shot The Alamo, has lost the 93-year-old matriarch who kept the movie set and Western-themed park open for nearly 50 years
TV Eye
TV Eye celebrates the return of Mad Men
CRP Requests Outside Investigation of Sanders Shooting
Panel asked whether police had probable cause to ‘interfere’ with Sanders and friends – much less shoot them
Gay Place
Gay Place: So hot right now.
Off the Record
Premios Texas prompts OTR’s inaugural Summer Vinyl Awards
Fired TEA Employee Files Appeal
Former director of science curriculum disputes TEA’s ‘neutrality’ on creationism
Event Menu
Tastings, a benefit, a birthday
Mackey Annotated
John Mackey’s essay was first published in the Wall Street Journal, Aug. 11. A slightly longer version is available on Whole Foods’ website, John Mackey’s blog, under the title, “Health Care Reform.” Mackey and Whole Foods have blamed the WSJ editors for a misleading headline, because President Obama is not mentioned in the essay. His…
Food-o-File
The Austin foodie network is heating up just in time for the Hot Sauce Festival
What You’re Paying For
A bill comparison between GreenChoicers and nonsubscribers
Page Two: Love, Grace, and Tears
Borne aloft by Jefferson Airplane
Once Upon a War Story
Quentin Tarantino rewrites the spaghtetti western with a side of sour Krauts in Inglourious Basterds
2020: More Solar, Higher Cost
On Monday, Aug. 17, Austin Energy announced to City Council its early recommendation for meeting the city’s energy needs through the year 2020. Overall, the generation plan proposal exceeds the goals set by the Austin Climate Protection Plan (see “Climate Protection Mandates,” below), most notably with an extra 100 megawatts of energy efficiency savings and…
Soccer Watch
The UT Longhorns open the season this Friday, hosting TCU at 7pm, Aug. 21. UT has never lost to TCU, and has a 26-game home unbeaten streak dating to 2006. The very young Horns will start four or five freshmen; two to watch: Brazilian-born and Chicago-raised Leah Fortune, who had UT’s lone goal in a…
Back to the Future: Part III
Back to the Future: Part III 1990, PG, 118 min. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen. Marty McFly’s time-traveling adventures send him back to the Wild West to rescue Doc Brown in this trilogy capper.
Cask-Brewed Ales
Beer snobs flock to these local spots for ‘real’ ale
Austin Energy and Task Force Documents
2020 generation plan details and criticism of AE’s bill impact analysis
Third Time’s the Charm
Andrea Ariel keeps going back to the Gyre, diving deeper and finding deeper truths
Pilot Program
The Latino Comedy Project eyes a move to TV with El Channel
Point Austin: Let Them Eat Sprouts!
John Mackey weighs in on health care – and recommends lots of spinach
Shorts
A magic wishing rock becomes the undoing of an entire community in this appealing new kids romp from Robert Rodriguez.
‘A Couple of Ways of Doing Something’
Chuck Close gets in Austin’s face with new examples of his pioneering portraiture
Galavisión to Air the Premios Texas Awards
Austin’s Spanish-language stations take the stage
City Hall Hustle: Look Who’s (Not) Talking
City Council considers limits on citizen communications
The Time Traveler’s Wife
This romance is based on a popular novel in which the comings and goings of a time traveler wreak havoc on his marriage.
Rude Mechanicals
The Rudes blast off for the final frontier with this year’s Eye Ball
TFPF Announces Grant Recipients
Two Austinites nab $10,000 grants
Headlines
• Don’t drink or breathe. Austin’s severe drought hit another dry benchmark this week, as the city declared Stage 2 watering restrictions – meaning, among other things, only once-a-week watering. Meanwhile, officials warned that Austin’s ozone levels are about to exceed federal standards, bringing yet another list of no-nos, mostly related to driving. At least…
Ponyo
In this animated adventure by the Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki, a 5-year-old boy forms a friendship with a goldfish princess who longs to be human.
Bernadette Nason
A local storytelling star gets a chance to spin a yarn on a national stage
Rise Above
SST Records’ Greg Ginn jams econo in Taylor, Texas
Res Publica
Citizens calendar, Aug. 20-27
X Games 3D: The Movie
Extreme sports documented.
Arts Review
The Scottish Rite Theatre does As You Like It the way Barry likes it
The Hightower Report
USDA and Synthetic Organics; and Chevron Runs but Can’t Hide
Naked City
News briefs from Austin, the region, and beyond
Inglourious Basterds
In this World War II movie, Quentin Tarantino weaves together multiple storylines that coalesce into a literally explosive finale that daringly rewrites history.
Arts Review
Teatro Vivo’s kitchen-sink farce runs a little rough but funny
The No. 3 Bus Pub Crawl
On 2008’s tour, we drank too much, missed a couple of buses, were much too loud, and finally stopped when we were cut off. This year was the same concept, but a better-paced, thoroughly enjoyable drinking experience.
All Aboard the Rails With Trails Plan
If MetroRail ever arrives, trails could follow
Post Grad
Bland to the point of pointlessness, Post Grad follows the inane highs and lows of a perky young optimist.
Arts Review
This two-person exhibition at D Berman Gallery is a brilliant yet subtle pairing
Live Shots
Saxon Pub, Aug. 13
Changes for Cap Metro’s Disabled Riders?
Cap Metro announces more cost-cutting proposals
Soul Power
The “Rumble in the Jungle” was the main event, but this concert in the Congo was a hell of an undercard.
Luv Doc Recommends: Rude Mechanicals’ Sci-fEye Ball
Balls … seems like everybody has them. They’re the low hanging fruit of the charity business – maybe not quite as low as the benefit concert, but still easy pickin’. You would think it would be easier to scrape together two turntables and a microphone (the electronic retro-phallus of the DJ world) than it is…
