Cover Story
Famous Long Ago
Legendary “Humanzee” Oliver, his friends, and the bitter fight over animal welfare at a Texas refuge
Wal-Mart Belongs on Freeways
Chronic troll-in-residence M1EK (former Urban Transportation Commission member Mike Dahmus) points us to a lengthy comment in this Austinist discussion by none other than Brewster McCracken. (Or someone claiming to be him. But if it’s a fake, then his doppelgänger’s got McCracken’s mannerisms – his talking points, the bloviation, the hepcat-parlance he adopts for the…
Congressman Wants to Keep Muslims Out of U.S.
So folks up in Minnesota elected an African-American to Congress who converted to Islam some years ago, and will take his oath of office on a Koran instead of a Bible. And one of his colleagues, some dumbass from Virginia named Virgil Goode, somehow decided this merited a call for tighter immigration laws to keep…
Final ‘Chronicle’ Gift Ideas
Holiday hesitaters, listen up: with today’s publication of the Chronicle’s 2006 Political Procrastinators’ Holiday Gift Guide, there’s no excuse for an empty stocking. The best doesn’t come cheap though, like this motivational picture for the condo impresario that has everything. But Christmas only comes once a year, right? Condos are forever. For those on a…
‘Tip Time’: Finals Edition
“Tip Time” wishes all college basketball fans – them and only them – the best this holiday season
Burleson Co. Judge: $1 Million to Free Graves
On the heels of a ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordering the state to set a bond for Anthony Graves – whose murder conviction and death sentence the appellate court overturned earlier this year – or free him on a bond set previously by a federal district judge, state Burleson Co.…
Weekly Update
U.S. men’s national team coach Bob Bradley has named the roster for his first training camp … Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro and Brazilian midfielder Marta named FIFA Players of the Year … Internacional of Brazil upsets Barcelona in Club World Cup … Champions League round of 16 draw announced: Liverpool-Barcelona! … Midseason Euro roundup ……
More Great ‘Chronicle’ Gift Ideas
Since our first round of suggestions got the blogosphere going nuts, here’s another round of last-minute gift ideas, leading up to our print-edition extravaganza tomorrow. Suck it, secular humanists! Shop WorldNetDaily: Aside from being a platform for black helicopter paranoia, standing firm against the nefarious homosexual/tofu agenda, and fanning Chuck Norris’ literary flames, this winger-site…
Escuelita del Alma on the Lookout
Apparently, Escuelita del Alma is preparing itself for the inevitable. According to the Austin Business Journal, the stalwart child-care center “tapped Southwest Strategies Group and Principal John Rosato to assist in the search for space… “Since our situation has left us with no alternative but to leave that prime location, I prefer to look for…
We’re Each Breathing 2,000 Microbes
Intriguing news from the Scientific American, of all places: “(A) new genetic census of some air samples from Austin and San Antonio, Tex., finds that as many as 2,000 different kinds of microbes may be present in the air we breathe on any given day. Microbial ecologist Gary Andersen of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and…
Northcross Meeting 2: Electric Boogaloo
Another meeting of Northcross neighbors
Wal-Mart a No Show?
You didn’t think we could leave you this long without a Northcross Wal-Mart update, did you? Yesterday, Responsible Growth for Northcross posted information about a meeting of the Crestview Neighborhood Association and Wal-Mart/Lincoln Properties scheduled for that day. Alas, it wasn’t to be. To wit: “Nobody from either Wal-Mart or Lincoln Property Co. showed up…
ESPN and the Arena Football League Announce Long-Term Broadcasting Deal
Today the AFL made the announcment that ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN on ABC will air a minimum of 26 Arena Football League games per season for five years starting with the 2007 campaign. ESPN has also purchased a minority share in the AFL as part of this deal and as a sign of their commitment…
Graves Free on Bond; Prosecutor Withdraws
The Chronicle learned Dec. 18 that Burleson County District Attorney Renee Mueller this afternoon filed a motion voluntarily recusing her entire office from handling the retrial of Anthony Graves, who was convicted and sentenced to die for a 1992 multiple murder in that county. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this year overturned…
Toby Futrell Writes the ‘Chronicle’
Over in Postmarks, City Manager Toby Futrell writes the Chronicle. An excerpt: “Michael King circuitously questions my professional integrity while acknowledging he has no knowledge of either a conflict of interest or any inappropriate personal interventions [“Point Austin,” News, Dec. 15]. He then tries to draw a parallel about how I handle my job as…
Cracks in Craddick’s Calendar?
Editor’s note: This text has been revised and corrected since its original publication. In the spirit of open government in the New Year, House Speaker Tom Craddick could resolve to turn over a new leaf by making his 2007 political calendar available to the public. The chance of that happening is slim, but an open-book…
Prophet Jeffs Will Stand Trial
Concluding that the child bride referred to in court documents as Jane Doe No. 4, “expressed her disdain, reluctance, opposition and total dislike of sexual relations,” Utah District Judge James Shumate ruled Dec. 14 that Warren Jeffs, the “prophet” leader of the polygamist Mormon breakaway sect the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,…
World Combat League National Championship Set for Jan. 20
Chuck Norris’ WCL will be returing to the Frank Erwin Center on January 20, 8pm for their Inaugural Season National Championship. The four teams set to compete are the Miami Force vs. the Houston Enforcers and the Philadelphia Fire vs. the Los Angeles Stars. In the WCL the fighters are rewarded for punching, kicking, and…
Americans Imprisoned in Iraq
Today’s article in the Times about an American contractor, Donald Vance, swept up during a raid in Iraq, is breathtaking in its nightmarishness. To call the legal system Kafkaesque is to diminish it almost entirely: “At the hearings, a woman and two men wearing Army uniforms but no name tags or rank designations sat a…
I’m Lovin’ the All-American Tennis Clown
There were a lot of clowns at the All-American Tennis Shootout.
‘Chronicle’ Gift Guide Glimpse
As a boon to all you last-minute shoppers, the Chronicle’s crack team of reporters is assembling a holiday gift guide this week. Here’s a quick preview for you procrastinators. NewsMax Top 8 Bestselling Christmas Gifts: Winger “news” Web site NewsMax declares victory in the War on Christmas with these thoughtless, ahem, thoughtful gifts. Get inspired…
Oliver’s New Home
On Dec. 14, the Chronicle got word from Austin political consultant Mike Blizzard, who has stepped up to do some pro bono public relations consulting for Bexar Co. primate sanctuary Primarily Primates, Inc., that famed “Humanzee” Oliver, the chimpanzee cover boy for our feature on the battle over animal welfare at PPI, has moved into…
Pot Bigger Than Corn
With domestic production valued (conservatively) at just more than $35 billion, marijuana is the largest cash crop in the U.S. – worth more than the nation’s corn and wheat crops, which, combined, are valued at just more than $30 billion, according to a new report by Jon B. Gettman, a public policy and economic development…
‘Friday Night Lights’: Feels Like Going Home Edition
Semifinal week in the UIL elimination derby – except for Copperas Cove, that is, who faces the Mules of Alamo Heights in the 4A Division I state title game 6pm Saturday in the Alamodome, so good luck boys – and area teams have a dog in every fight except class 1A. Provided you count the…
Northcross Neighbors Not Satisfied
Responsible Growth for Northcross isn’t feeling Council’s decision not to give Wal-Mart the boot. Their press release: “Statement from Responsible Growth for Northcross regarding Austin City Council’s Inaction on the Northcross Development: Responsible Growth for Northcross (RG4N) is dismayed that the Austin City Council did not revoke or suspend Lincoln Property Company¹s illegally approved site…
Ice Bats Snap Two-Game Skid With Road Win
Last night in Corpus Christi the Bats picked up their ninth win of the season beating the Rayz (nice touch with the Z) 3-2. All of the scoring took place in a wild first period with Austin’s Ray Smegal picking up two points (a goal and an assist). Backup goalie Kevin Couture earned the W…
See You Later Sheffield
Dig it: Today’s the going-away party for Austin Police Association prez Mike Sheffield. Big Sheff’s leaving to join state law lobbyists CLEAT, and show them how he got Austin cops the fattest salaries in the state. His influence will be felt for years to come, especially around budget time. From the press release: “You’re invited…
Perry’s Kind of Democrat
Gov. Rick Perry has named one of a his favorite Texas Democrats as his new legislative director. State Sen. Ken Armbrister, a Victoria Democrat who spent much of his career bashing Austin’s water-quality rules, is retiring from office at the end of this term and joining Perry’s staff in January. Armbrister’s new job will have…
Liveblogging the Austin City Store Opening
On Channel 6, of course. Will Wynn is soundchecking. He’s rocking a pale blue Austin shirt. Decidedly casual. “Even though it’s only 1,400 square feet, this is a very important project for us,” says Wynn. Normally, it takes 214,000 square feet to get noticed, huh? “Soon will be opening the Ruta Maya coffee house, on…
All Ethics, All the Time
Wal-Mart’s own conflict of interest
Press Release Bonanza!
Austin City Council forms 2006 Bond Oversight Committee: “The Austin City Council today established a 2006 Bond Oversight Committee, setting up the framework for the public to monitor where, when and how $567.4 million in recently approved bonds are spent.” Austin City Store to Open Doors: “Join City officials as they host a ribbon-cutting ceremony…
Sleeping Off the Council Hangover
Quick recap of yesterday’s council meeting
Wine of the Week
Sweet libations
Readings
Integrating the 40 Acres: The 50-Year Struggle for Racial Equality at the University of Texasby Dwonna Goldstone University of Georgia Press, 213 pp., $29.95 The Texas Book: Profiles, History, and Reminiscences of the Universityedited by Richard A. Holland University of Texas Press, 256 pp., $29.95 Milestones invariably produce memorials to such, and the University of…
Phases and Stages
Lucinda WilliamsCar Wheels on a Gravel Road (Deluxe Edition) (Mercury) Lest we forget, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road was a difficult birth. Released in 1998, six years after Sweet Old World, its creation featured battles with producers, multiple re-recordings, and the eventual dissolution of Lucinda Williams’ longtime road band, anchored by Austin’s Gurf Morlix.…
DVD Watch: Potential-Gift Edition
Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Two Takes by William GreavesCriterion, $39.95 Grey Gardens and the Beales of Grey GardensCriterion, $49.95 William Greaves and the Maysles Brothers are mentioned a grand total of one time among the more than “110 interviews with top doc industry professionals” and “24 inspirational case studies” in The Documentary Filmmakers Handbook 1st Edition: A Guerilla…
Claus & Effect
Oh hell, it’s the holidays. It’s the rare curmudgeon among us who does not participate in the annual fete of gifting – whether they are good at it or not. Count yourself among the fortunate if you have never experienced the soul-crushing, “Uhhhh, what was it you needed again?” followed by the frantic, last-minute shoving…
Readings
The Austin CalendarAustinFunStuff.com, $11.97 (10% of proceeds to Keep Austin Beautiful) It started out as a labor of love, a modest spreadsheet filled with festivals and other can’t-miss events that Mike Stefanik kept on his computer, so that whenever planning ahead was necessary – say, when friends were coming into town months down the road…
Phases and Stages
Karen DaltonIn My Own Time (Light in the Attic) On her second and last album, recorded in 1970-71 at Woodstock’s Bearsville Studios with the production help of Miles Davis and Bob Dylan session man Harvey Brooks, the late Karen Dalton comes across detached but desperate. These 10 covers sound like the songs sought her out,…
Famous PPI Inmates
Among the hundreds of simians who have called Primarily Primates home are a handful of celebrities: Okko and Willie: The chimpanzees starred with Matthew Broderick in Project X Punkin: The now-deceased orangutan was star of short-lived Hanna-Barbera TV show Going Bananas Oliver: One of the Buckshire 12 lab chimps, he was a star of stage…
J.L. Aronson on ‘Danielson: A Family Movie (or, Make a Joyful Noise Here)’
On Danielson: A Family Movie (or, Make a Joyful Noise Here)
Holiday Wish Lists 2006
Dear Austin, Before we get too wrapped up in all the holiday folderol, tripping the trails – and neighborhoods – of lights fantastic, schlucking down nog, and scarfin’ down the figgy-p, let’s take a moment to peruse these annual wish lists from local public-service groups. Not everyone, we are reminded, is blessed with a case…
Readings
Leavin’ a Testimony: Portraits from Rural Texasby Patsy Cravens University of Texas Press, 302 pp., $34.95 “I wish you could actually hear their voices, so you could better appreciate … the poetry and melody to be found there,” writes Patsy Cravens in her introduction to Leavin’ a Testimony, the newest contribution to the Focus on…
Phases and Stages
David RodriguezProud Heart (Recovery) Originally from Houston, David Rodriguez moved to the Netherlands a decade ago. It was around that time he released Proud Heart, but only to his European audience. Before the singer-songwriter left Texas, Rodriguez – Carrie’s father – was a favorite at Austin’s then-folk mecca, Sixth Street’s Chicago House, and listening to…
Mart Growth
Will the city stand up for its neighborhoods and urban vision against Wal-Mart?
Adrift in the Ether
New consumer advocacy project keeps online customers plugged in
Twelve Drummers Drumming
Caroling casualties: The 12 nays of Christmas
Readings
Kasper Hauser’s Sky Maul: Happy Crap You Can Buy From a PlaneSt. Martin’s Griffin, 128 pp., $14.95 (paper) We’ve all been there – colossally bored on a long-distance flight – finished with whatever diversions we’ve brought, when our fingers reach out to SkyMall, the junky onflight catalog. Pointless consumerism, sentimental knickknacks and geegaws, bizarre movie…
Phases and Stages
Johnny CashAt San Quentin (Columbia/ Legacy) Walk the Line may have given a cinematic face lift to Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” but live At San Quentin produced the definitive, iconoclastic image of the Man in Black, his middle finger forcefully bucking the system. History, like Hollywood, has a tendency to distort such moments: that…
Naked City
Quote of the week “Make no mistake, this is not going to be over on Thursday. Whether or not the council votes to rescind the site plan, we will continue the fight. This Wal-Mart is not going in our neighborhood.” – Jason Meeker of Responsible Growth for Northcross Headlines Forget “Must-See TV”; today’s best TV…
Film News
Poyser to take control; plus, remembering Gary Graver
Phases and Stages
The PoguesRed Roses for Me (Rhino) The PoguesRum, Sodomy & the Lash (Rhino) The PoguesIf I Should Fall From Grace With God (Rhino) The PoguesPeace and Love (Rhino) The PoguesHell’s Ditch (Rhino) Blasphemous as it sounds, the Pogues were as British as bangers and mash. Born and based around Kings Cross, London’s designated dumping ground…
Page Two: Thinking Small
When Wal-Mart skates through the development process at Northcross, is it any wonder surrounding neighbors and indie businesses feel betrayed?
Phases and Stages
Dwight Yoakam Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. (Deluxe Edition) (Reprise) It may be the 20th anniversary of its original release, but Dwight Yoakam’s Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. still gleams as it did in 1986. With a combination of traditional honky-tonk, amped up Bakersfield twang, and rock & roll attitude, Yoakam helped revitalize country music. This 2-CD…
Homelessness: The Big Picture
Poverty and lack of affordable housing keep people down both locally and nationwide
TV Eye
A Snippet of What’s to Come
TCB
The ongoing liquor-fueled legend of the Hickoids, Neil Diamond’s people make the Diamond Smugglers’ life hell, and Pete Townshend will be at SXSW anyway, anyhow, anywhere
Phases and Stages
MutantesOs Mutantes (Universal) Mutantes(Universal) MutantesA Divina Comédia (Ou Ando Meio Desligado) (Universal) MutantesTechnicolor (Universal) São Paulo’s kaleidoscopic cacophony of electo-indigenous instrumentation and percussion warps even further through the prism of Os Mutantes. Brazil’s big bang, tropicalia, hurled Arnaldo and Sergio Baptista and siren Rita Lee into the heart of Sixties psychedelia with a pop heard…
After a Fashion
Is our Stephen turning over some new leaves before the new year? What was more horrifying? Karaoke or ear-candling?
Phases and Stages
Roy OrbisonSings Lonely and Blue (Monument/Legacy) Roy OrbisonCrying (Monument/Legacy) Roy OrbisonIn Dreams (Monument/Legacy) Listening to Roy Orbison is the aural equivalent of peeling an onion. Each song is a multilayered masterpiece that envelops the Vernon, Texas-born balladeer’s melancholic aubades in a bittersweet breeze of strings that evoke more than just tears. Nowhere is this more…
The Pre-K Push
Legislation intended to expand pre-k opportunities, increase child care reimbursement rates, and improve support and training for early childhood professionals is in the works.
DVD Watch: Potential-Gift Edition
‘SNL,’ ‘Robin Hood,’ ‘Symbiopsychotaxiplasm,’ and more
Guadalupe
Guadalupe is amateur hour dressed up in ecclesiastical purple: a poorly drawn, poorly directed, and poorly acted attempt to film something of weight and religious significance.
Phases and Stages
Doug Sahm & Band(Collectors’ Choice) The Sir Douglas BandTexas Tornado (Collectors’ Choice) Right outta the box, it was the best album Doug Sahm had cut. The year was 1972, and neither “cosmic cowboy” nor “progressive country” were part of the lexicon, yet Doug Sahm & Band heralded both without twinkly trappings. Never mind the star-studded…
Day Trips
The Money Factory is what most people call the Western Currency Facility on the northern edge of Fort Worth
Phases and Stages
Dead MoonEchoes of the Past (Sub Pop) Fred Cole has been in a lot of bands: the Nuggets-friendly Weeds and Lollipop Shoppe, the whiskey-swilling Zipper and King Bee, and the pregrunge Rats. Dead Moon, including drummer Andrew Loomis and bassist Toody Cole, his wife of nearly 40 years, is the most prolific, a perfect speedball…
APD’s Muñoz Reinstated
Fired in May for host of administrative policy violations – including charges that he lied and used excessive force in connection with the alleged choking of a 15-year-old – officer’s punishment gets reduced to three-day suspension
The Bridesmaid
Claude Chabrol’s latest film is based on a Ruth Rendell novel and, though not one of his best films, is still a good reminder of the madness that sometimes lurks in plain sight.
Rob Nash: Bedford Falls, by way of Television City
Austin solo performer Rob Nash is moving to Los Angeles, and as a parting Christmas gift, he’s created a holiday special that never was:It’s a Wonderful Life, 70s Christmas Special, Starring the Fonz
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
French votes, Brit blokes, and tiny notes
Phases and Stages
Neil Young & Crazy HorseLive at the Fillmore East (Reprise) Crazy Horse guitarist Danny Whitten overdosed and died the same night Neil Young fired him in 1972. His long shadow hung over Young’s mournful eulogy, 1975’s chilling Tonight’s the Night; Whitten and Young’s “Come on Baby’s Let’s Go Downtown,” a song about scoring drugs, taunted…
The Arts District Dance
Council’s vote this week on funds for streetscapes for Ballet Austin is a little bit about depleting the city’s annual Great Streets fund and a lot about the creation of a performing arts district Downtown
Primarily Primates Photo Gallery
Scenes from Primarily Primates
The Pursuit of Happyness
Will Smith plays a self-made success who trains as a stockbroker even though he is homeless and raising a young son on the streets of San Francisco in this movie based on the true-life story of Chris Gardner.
Edmond Bulldogs: MTV Sends Comedy Troupe Into Overdrive
Fresh from being featured on MTVOverdrive.com’s the Stew, comedy troupe the Edmond Bulldogs is back in town to whip its local fans into a frenzy
Soccer Watch
Klinsmann drops out as perspective U.S. national team coach, and more
Phases and Stages
Sonic YouthThe Destroyed Room: B-Sides and Rarities (Geffen) At the mellower end of Sonic Youth’s 16-year Geffen era comes one last appetizing pang for destruction. The Destroyed Room, 11 songs hand-picked by the band, is a sonically interesting mess but proof that not everything they record should be released. “Campfire,” from 2000’s At Home With…
Point Austin: Conflict of Interest
Facing corporate tyranny, we’re all “interested parties”
Eragon
Dear George Lucas … It’s bad enough that you’ve cloaked your true identity behind that of the 15-year-old bestselling novelist Christopher Paolini, but did you have to remake Episode IV all over again? With friggin’ dragons?!
365 Days/365 Plays: Week 6
The yearlong festival of plays by Suzan-Lori Parks continues with seven short plays presented by Hands On in Week Six
The Common Law
Basic Questions About Sexual Harassment
Phases and Stages
Nina SimoneRemixed & Reimagined (RCA/Legacy) Nina Simone’s timelessness means that even dance-floor DJs have adopted her as their own. Remixed & Reimagined plops the roaring folk/soul/jazz diva smack-dab in the middle of a Saturday-night boogie – hot, moody, and full of hi-hat. Daniel Y.’s sexy smooth opener “I Can’t See Nobody” is just warm up.…
Beside The Point
It may be too late for the sound and fury over the Wal-Mart at Northcross to signify anything
Charlotte’s Web
E.B. White’s sweet, simple, and timeless story about the power of friendship and the acceptance of loss is a story that’s faithfully told here with all the sentiment and only slight updating.
Culture Flash!
Grammy recognition for Conspirare, an encore and more NEA support for Tapestry’s The Souls of Our Feet, and giant sunflowers for the Mueller redevelopment
Giveable City
The treat of Austin eats
Phases and Stages
Candi Staton The Ultimate Gospel Collection (Shanachie) The trials and tribulations of Candi Staton’s all-too-human life supply the platform for her lofty gospel aspirations. With a sordid personal history of abusive relationships and bouts with alcoholism, Staton returned to the church in the early Eighties to rekindle a dedication previously stunted during her adolescence and…
The Hightower Report
Banning “Hunger”; and Sensible Priorities
Candy
Despite sporting Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish as a pair of Australian junkies increasingly on the outs with family, reality, and rent, Candy is a washout.
Arts Review
Throughout the City Theatre Company production of Reckless, a Christmas tree remains stationary center stage, but that’s about all that’s still in this flighty black comedy
Giveable City
Enabling the Chocoholic in Your Life Belgian chocolate truffles, lovingly handmade from the finest ingredients by an experienced chocolatier, make a stunning and memorable gift. Between last Christmas and this Christmas, local confectioner Edis Ferreira has taken her business from fledgling to full-time as Austin has discovered Edis’ Chocolates. You can find Edis at the…
Phases and Stages
Pretenders(Sire) Pretenders II (Sire) Overflowing with slashing guitars, boss beats, and fierce swagger, the Pretenders’ 1979 debut remains one of the premier calling cards in rock history. Sadly, perhaps expectedly, 1981’s follow-up was something of a disappointment, but since this is the only recorded output of the band’s original lineup, both LPs remain essential touchstones…
DVD Watch: Potential-Gift Edition
‘SNL,’ ‘Robin Hood,’ ‘Symbiopsychotaxiplasm,’ and more
Giveable City
Take Them Away If gift giving is about extravagance, you’d be hard pressed to top a visit to Lake Austin Spa Resort for sheer indulgence. If shopping locally is your priority, the same gift fits the bill nicely, too. If your gift recipient is fitness conscious or a foodie, you’re spot on with this present…
Arts Review
Everything about Ballet Austin’s 44th annual production of The Nutcracker breathes artistry, with numerous disparate elements coming together seamlessly, thanks to choreographer Stephen Mills
Giveable City
Local Products With Global Flavors For the past couple of years, I have been giving events rather than objects to friends and loved ones for birthdays, weddings, and holidays. Last Christmas, for instance, we gave my brother- and sister-in-law a “personalized” visit and tasting at Flat Creek Estate vineyards, followed by dinner at Cafe 909…
Phases and Stages
The TriffidsBorn Sandy Devotional (Domino) Formed in 1981 in the miles-from-anyplace metropolis of Perth, Western Australia, the Triffids contrasted the dark-hued morbidity of then-contemporaries Nick Cave and Echo & the Bunnymen with the more delicate introspection of Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake. The result wasn’t always a model of cohesion, but the sextet’s instrumental variations…
DVD Watch: Potential-Gift Edition
The Double Life of VeroniqueCriterion, $39.95 Twelve minutes. The time it takes The Double Life of Veronique to lodge a lump in your throat named Krzysztof Kieslowski. The previous 11 minutes and 59 seconds, beginning on Christmas Eve, has already stolen more than your breath. Ninety-seven minutes, then: the interval between your first and second…
Last-Minute Local Gifts
Edible dreidel prizes and stocking stuffers
Arts Review
Beverly Penn’s sculptures of weeds in bronze, brass, steel, and nickel are not only stunningly beautiful, they also help us redefine the nature vs. technology dichotomy
Giveable City
The Christmas Eve Waffle Dinner Because we always ate such a light breakfast on Christmas morning, the holiday dining ritual of my childhood included a festive Christmas Eve supper of crisp waffles, thick slabs of crunchy peppered bacon, and steaming mugs of coffee or hot chocolate. This was one of my mother’s favorite parties. She…
Phases and Stages
PJ HarveyThe Peel Sessions 1991-2004 (Island) In 1991, John Peel wrote in Melody Maker that PJ Harvey’s sound was “admirable if not always enjoyable.” Obviously this was a compliment, so it’s no coincidence Peel soon became Polly Jean’s champion. Selected as tributes to Peel, the influential BBC DJ who passed away in 2004, this decade-spanning…
DVD Watch: Potential-Gift Edition
Grand Theft Auto: Tricked Out EditionBuena Vista Home Entertainment, $19.99 The Cry Baby Killer: Back-to-Back Jack EditionBuena Vista Home Entertainment, $19.99 Funny how things can change over time: As some five decades have passed, prolific producer Roger Corman’s unofficial title has evolved up from the mildly derisive King of the Quickies to the far more…
New & Noteworthy
NordicWare
Readings
Against the Dayby Thomas Pynchon Penguin, 1,085 pp., $35 “Then I saw that I was mistaking confusion for depth.” And now – 731 pages in – is when the notion that Thomas Pynchon is messing with you starts to jell, only to remain gelatinous for the duration of Against the Day. Big surprise, right? Pynchon…
Giveable City
Hey, Puddin’ ‘Tis the season that we remember Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and the Christmas pudding so lovingly prepared by Mrs. Cratchit. While traditional plum pudding may be a bit scarce in Central Texas, we’re fortunate to be home to the Sticky Toffee Pudding Co. (472-0039, www.stickytoffeepuddingcompany.com), whose owner/founder, Tracy Claros, produces what must be…
Phases and Stages
The DelgadosThe Complete BBC Peel Sessions (Chemikal Underground) Scots got the lot: brogue, liver, and snark. Glasgow’s pub poets the Delgados also demonstrated foresight cooking up Chemikal Underground Records with their 1995 debut, Arab Strap and Mogwai fellow countrymen and first-timers on the still-burbling indie. Five chamber trashed LPs later, the founding quartet’s sharp tongue…
DVD Watch: Potential-Gift Edition
M*A*S*H: Martinis and Medicine Complete Collection20th Century Fox, $199.98 “Now hear this. Tonight’s TV episode will be M*A*S*H, starring Alan Alda, featuring the madcap adventures of the wacky doctors and nurses of the 4077th as they do battle with death, dysentery, and depression on the front lines in Korea.” No, that PSA never aired, but…
Food-o-file
Wide open spaces …
Readings
Slothby Gilbert Hernandez Vertigo/DC Comics, 128 pp., $19.99 I Love Led Zeppelinby Ellen Forney Fantagraphics, 111 pp., $19.95 Las Soldaderas: Women of the Mexican Revolutionby Elena Poniatowska Cinco Puntos Press, 95 pp., $12.95 TV’s Grooviest Variety Shows of the ’60s and ’70sby Telly R. Davidson Cumberland House, 400 pp., $24.95 It’s hard to think of…
Giveable City
Help Them Grow Their Own Herb What could be better than doing some grunt work for a friend or loved one as a Christmas gift? Something that they might not do for themselves or might postpone indefinitely? You’re giving the gift of fresh herbs, edible flowers, and salad greens, mere seconds from the plot to…
Phases and Stages
Depeche ModeA Broken Frame (Rhino/Mute/Sire/Reprise) Depeche ModeSome Great Reward (Rhino/Mute/Sire/Reprise) Depeche ModeSongs of Faith and Devotion (Rhino/Mute/Sire/Reprise) Unlike summer reissues Violator and Music for the Masses, this trio of albums do not, by and large, represent Depeche Mode’s best work. Appended with bonus discs of short films, 5.1 mixes, and bonus tracks, each nonetheless captures…
DVD Watch: Potential-Gift Edition
Robin Hood: Most Wanted EditionWalt Disney Video, $29.99 The Fox and the Hound: 25th Anniversary EditionWalt Disney Video, $29.99 For those of a certain age, The Fox and the Hound and Robin Hood both stand out as having a specific magical quality. Maybe it’s the quality that all things watched around age 5 acquire, but…
Luv Doc Recommends: Merry F***king Xmas
How can Christmas get you laid? Good question. A holiday predicated on immaculate conception doesn’t exactly scream crazy monkey sex. Sure, there are elves, assorted jingly livestock, sprigs of mistletoe and hot toddies throughout the season, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to end up in a Motel 6 with a grease gun full…
