Cover Story
Life Is a Rhythm
Ground zero for Austin hip-hop: University Hills’ 2-3
Texas-Sized Basketball: The Houston Rockets and Why I Moved to Texas
Coming as I do from the mid-Atlantic, I’ve experienced no end of questions from people back home as to why exactly I would move to Texas. People from Maryland don’t move to Texas, they argue; they move into D.C. or up to New York or Philadelphia. Maybe, maybe, if opportunity calls, they go as far…
‘Friday Night Lights’: AISD Teams Choke, 14-5A Flies
Because class 5A added another playoff team this year, bringing the grand total to four per district, last weekend’s opening round was the busiest Texas high school football playoff weekend ever. Unfortunately, Austin schools didn’t fare so well: AISD’s Austin, McCallum, and LBJ racked up a big goose egg, going 0-for-3 (albeit in generally close…
A Three-Goal Second Period From the Sundogs Dooms the Ice Bats
The Arizona Sundogs scored the rare team hat trick of picking up an even-strength, powerplay, and shorthanded goal all in the second period of their 4-2 victory over the Ice Bats Wednesday night. Austin’s feeble powerplay squad was zero for eight including four opportunities to get back in the game with a PP goal in…
No Headline
Nothing is more annoying than a sports fan who knows too much
San Fran Officials Make Pot Policing “Lowest Priority”
On Nov. 21, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors voted (7-3) to make the majority of adult pot use and possession crimes the lowest priority for city police, reports the Marijuana Policy Project, which will make San Fran the largest city to, in essence, cease arresting pot users. On E-day, voters in three other Cali cities…
Judge: Medi-Pot Law Not in Conflict With Federal Prohibition
San Diego, Calif., Superior Court Judge William Nevitt has issued a tentative ruling that rejects a lawsuit brought by San Diego Co. supervisors – joined by officials in San Bernardino and Merced Cos. – arguing that the state’s medi-pot law is trumped by federal anti-pot law, thus exempting county officials from having to comply with…
Jane Doe No. 4 Testifies Against Polygamist Prophet Warren Jeffs
The child bride known in court records as Jane Doe No. 4, the alleged victim of a “spiritual marriage” arranged and presided over by polygamist prophet Warren Jeffs – leader of the breakaway Mormon sect the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – testified in a Utah court Nov. 22 that her forced…
Wack-Ass Keroack, Part Three
Twenty-four organizations – an array including Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the National Organization for Women, along with the Union of Concerned Scientists – signed on to a letter sent Nov. 21 to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt, urging him to reconsider the appointment of pro-life, anti-contraceptive doctor Eric Keroack to…
National Round-Up
Pappy Bush Jeered in Emirates: Speaking at a leadership conference in the UAE, the crowd mixed it up with 41 over his son’s blunders. “We do honor Americans, and I believe that they are highly respected in our country. However, we do not respect your son, and we do not respect what you are doing…
Congressional District 23 Run-Off Set for Dec. 12
Quorum Report says that the runoff in the Congressional District 23 special election has been set for Dec. 12, with early voting beginning Dec. 4. (We have yet to confirm this info ourselves – no information could be found on the Secretary of State Web site as of this writing.) The CD 23 race offers…
Champs League Stunner in Glasgow
Glasgow Celtic, on the defensive most of the game, got a dramatic late goal on a picture-perfect curling free kick by Shunsuke Nakamura to shock mighty Manchester United Tuesday night at Celtic Park. That, and Real Madrid’s two-goal comeback to tie Lyon, were the highlights of Tuesday’s Champions League action, as teams fought for spots…
It’s All Over for the Lady Longhorns
The Portland Pilots lost their best player, Megan Rapinoe, to a torn ACL halfway through the season. So they settled for a goal-of-the-year from big sister Rachel Rapinoe to knock the UT Lady Longhorns out of the NCAA tourney. Rapinoe nailed a 20-yard stunner just three minutes into the game – UT coach Chris Petrucelli…
The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away
Despite falling behind 14-0 early in the first quarter due to two 83-yard TD receptions by the Bills No. 83, Lee Evans, the Texans played solid football for three-plus quarters and were one first down or one defensive stop from victory in Sunday’s 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The win would have given the…
Help Me to Pretend
Please tell me that New Orleans Saints cornerback Fred Thomas, who just last week I had hoped to return quickly from injury, didn’t allow Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Johnson to torch him for six catches, 190 yards, and three touchdowns. Please follow that up by telling me that Saints running back Deuce McAllister didn’t carry…
Robert Jensen Cancels Thanksgiving
By way of Scott Henson, we see the little culture warriors over at the heretofore unheard-of Dallas Blog are making hay over a year-old essay from UT professor Robert Jensen where the reactionary lefty calls for fasting and atonement in lieu of Thanksgiving. We’re reminded of Stephen Colbert, who, lamenting the commercialization of the holidays,…
Feds Table New Drug Testing Guidelines
A proposal by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services to expand drug testing of federal employees to include sampling of hair, saliva, and sweat has been tabled, reports NORML. The new guidelines were originally proposed in 2004, but stalled out after officials at several government agencies voiced concerns that the newer testing technologies…
Hunting Blind
You’ve heard of hunting blinds, but what about blind hunters? Rep. Ed Kuempel, R-Seguin, has filed a bill that would allow legally blind people to arm themselves with a gun and a high-powered lighting device to hunt deer and ducks and what have you. The headlights of a vehicle would also suffice as a perfect…
National Round-Up
Arab Winter: Poli-sci blogger Matthew Yglesias offers a searing indictment of the faux-centrist, neo-liberal thought at The New Republic that cheered the war in Iraq, and their mealy-mouthed mea culpa. Quite the season for those. The Next Act: More terrifying tales from Seymour Hersh, this time on whether the newly-rebuffed Bush administration is more likely…
Her First House
Toby Futrell: Her first home was a real killer By Wells Dunbar TOTALLY SPECIAL TO THE CHRONIC-STATESMEMBER Monday, Nov. 20, 2006 Part of an ongoing holiday series. When the workload piles up at City Hall, all Austin City Manager Toby Futrell has to remember is her first house. And all the people – parts of…
Durant Named Big 12 Rookie of the Week, Again
Freshman and future lottery pick Kevin Durant continues his stellar play (unless you ask Rick Barnes) earning his second consecutive Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Rookie of the Week honors. Durant is almost averaging a double-double for the season with 22.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. He could have gone pro instead of choosing…
On The Road (But Never On the Pill)
Regarding the earlier post about wingnut par-excellence Eric “Contraceptives are Demeaning to Women” Keroack getting paid with your tax dollars to push his hardline views on sex, the tireless bloggers over at at Digby’s Hullabaloo point to a PowerPoint of the infamous “oxytocin” presentation here. Wow.
Annie’s List Loses Director
Kelly White can say “mission accomplished” without having to eat her words. The executive director of Annie’s List is leaving her post after breathing new life into the group in less than a year’s time. White, the former E.D. of SafePlace, took over the reins of Annie’s List in early 2006, replacing former director Sherry…
No Medi-Pot for the Feds
The first federal prosecution of a California medi-pot patient-caregiver in three years began last week in federal court in Fresno, Calif., with the trial of 60-year-old former Marine Dustin Costas, former president of the Merced Patients Group, a private cannabis club formed in the wake of the 1996 passage of California’s Proposition 215, which legalized…
The Big D is for Discrimination
Troubling news out of Dallas this weekend (like there’s any other kind): “For years, it was an open secret at North Dallas’ Preston Hollow Elementary School: Even though the school was overwhelmingly Hispanic and black, white parents could get their children into all-white classes. And once placed, the students would have little interaction with the…
Pro-Lifer to Oversee Nation’s Family-Planning Program
In a bold screw-you move, made either in ignorance of or despite of the recent elections that saw a spate of extremist legislators tossed out of Washington, D.C., on their self-righteous cans, President George W. Bush announced on Nov. 16 that he had chosen pro-lifer Dr. Eric Keroack as his new appointee to oversee the…
OSU Chimps Leave Primarily Primates
The ongoing legal battle that will decide the fate of the Bexar Co. animal sanctuary Primarily Primates Inc. and its hundreds of animal inhabitants heated up Nov. 16 over a decision to move seven Ohio State University chimpanzees that were brought to PPI earlier this year to the federally funded primate sanctuary Chimp Haven in…
Bats Lose Another Close One at Home
Last night the Ice Bats suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss to the visiting Corpus Christi Rayz. Austin’s Henry Kuster opened up the scoring with a powerplay goal 1:24 into the first period with John McNabb adding the Bats only other score of the evening during the second period. The Bats’ Michael Tucciarone was called…
UT Fan Threatens Doug Flutie, Autistic Children
In a move that can only be described as the first thing that’s ever made me glad I went to Texas Tech, a Texas fan e-mailed a threat to Doug Flutie on Sunday, blaming the Longhorns loss to K-State on Flutie’s analysis of the game. For that extra touch of Texas class, the fan sent…
Homelessness in Austin
While we couldn’t attend the Community Action Network’s Homeless Educational Forum today, we were fortunate enough to procure a copy of CAN’s most recent report and FAQ about homelessness in Austin. Aside from being filled with useful information about how to help, it also contains some sobering numbers: Over a 12 month period, there were…
Porn and Football … Now Just Get Some Beer and We’re Set
I wasn’t particularly wondering what porn star Adriana Sage’s NFL predictions are, but nonetheless, she offers them up. (It’s OK to click on the link; there are no dirty pictures on it.)
National Round-Up
Sekula-Gibbs Sinks Further: We noted yesterday the TX CD-22 benchwarmer holding Tom DeLay’s seat until January so alienated DeLay’s staff they cruised on her. The Houston Chronicle is reporting there will be blood: The turmoil in newly elected Rep. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs’ office deepened Thursday with the Houston Republican demanding a congressional investigation of aides who…
No Headline
Media (and Jennifer Kim) are wrong for the wrong reasons on council pay
New & Noteworthy
Jake’s Natural Fine Foods
Church Plan Unneighborly?
Redeemer Presbyterian Church’s impending move from Concordia University’s campus to East Austin has mix of homeowners and urban planners in Rosewood and Upper Boggy Creek area upset
Facing the Giants
A born-again high school football coach draws on a higher power to inspire his team to victory.
Arts Review
Artist Buster Graybill presents the finer points of a good day out at the lake in his solo exhibition “The Oklahoma Snorkel” at the Donkey Show
TCB
Sittin’ sideways at the Recording Academy Honors, pondering the state of the music business with Chronicle photographer Andrew Shapter, mourning a death on the Eastside, and applying America’s newfound Democratic spirit to our Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ballot
Wine of the Week
Thanksgiving edition
Oaxaca Unrest Continues
More of the dirty same in the southern Mexican state, where striking teachers, indigenous groups, students, and leftists have been trying to oust Gov. Ulises Ruiz from power for about the past six months
Harsh Times
A gritty drama about a disappointed military vet and his best pal, who are headed in a downward spiral in South Central Los Angeles.
Culture Flash!
A big gift for Austin Lyric Opera, national honors for two of Austin’s young classical musicians, and TexARTS sails up a Big River in January
To Your Health
Resveratrol, found in red wine, has many beneficial effects on a person’s health
Food-o-File
Around town, with an appetite
WilCo ‘Snit’ Writ Large
Fight over whether county commissioners violated the law when they slashed Precinct 1 Constable Gary Griffin’s budget moves to 3rd Court of Appeals
Happy Feet
Raise your flippers in praise of these animated yet flightless fowl, who sing and dance and fight the eco-wars.
Readings
Godland Volume One: Hello, Cosmic!; Godland Volume Two: Another Sunny Delight; and Rocketo Volume One: The Journey to the Hidden Sea
The Common Law
Selling My Home – Disclose Death by Natural Causes?
Event Menu
Get thee to a winery!
Naked City
QUOTE OF THE WEEK “He is losing the war. The body armor he supplies to his troops in political warfare – money money money – is ineffective against the enemy’s ideological fervor for better public schools. The more he flouts [sic] his assets – James Leininger, Bob Perry – the more the enemy regards him…
Casino Royale
This is the James Bond origin story wherein we get to discover, along with incoming blond Bond Daniel Craig, where 007 got his suave daredeviltry and love of fast cars, vodka martinis, and highest-stakes cardsharpery.
After a Fashion
“Christian” Stephen gets thrown into the Austin Music “den” of Stitch(ing) “lions” and emerges beatified
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
Idi Amin’s musical aspirations and the death of cursive
Anthony Graves Update
Prosecutors with Texas Attorney General’s office appeal federal district judge’s order to release former death row inmate Anthony Graves on bail
Fast Food Nation
Richard Linklater and Eric Schlosser’s noble and worthy film about meat processing and consumption smacks of good-guy agitprop and fails as a character-driven narrative.
Day Trips
The real Flags of Our Fathers rests in Harlingen
Spatchcocking!
I will be your guide and translator as we cover what is sure to be a revolution in turkey preparation
2-3 Proliferation
Public Offenders Day of Truth (ATV/Freedom Fighters) 2004 Recorded by producer Madd Creole while Gator, Lyricist, Phenom, and Black Prophet were still students at Reagan High, Day of Truth proffers politically charged tracks, including “Phenomenal Venom” and “Lock Us Up.” Tee Double The Growth (Kinetic) 2005 While Tee Double actually reps the 2-4, he’s got…
Staying the Course in Huntsville
With the execution of death row inmate Willie Marcel Shannon, Texas earns the dubious distinction of having executed the 1,055th prisoner in U.S. since death penalty’s 1976 reinstatement
Shut Up and Sing
The Dixie Chicks’ struggle with the conflicting demands of art and commerce as portrayed in this documentary shows that they’re still not ready to make nice.
Soccer Watch
A huge week for Texas soccer!
So, You’re Done Spatchcocking …
Now, what about your Thanksgiving sides? The Food writers share their recipes.
Texas Platters
… And You Will Know Us by the Trail of DeadSo Divided (Interscope) With an ominous summoning of the bells, ceremonial breaking of bread, and talk of Michelangelo, … And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead declare the noble intension of their fifth LP through “A Song of Fire and Wine.” So…
Education in Central Texas: A worrisome portrait
Community Action Network releases its Education FAQ on education in Central Texas
American Hardcore
Crammed with grainy, shot-on-the-fly mid-Eighties video footage, recent interviews, and a genuine love for its subject, American Hardcore encapsulates a largely forgotten moment in maximum rock & roll history.
So, You’re Done Spatchcocking …
Pepper Jack Cornbread & Tamale Dressing With Poblano Peppers This flavorful dressing that needs to bake in its own pan would be a perfect match for the grilled and unstuffed spatchcocked turkey. The cornbread can be made in advance to relieve some of the oven traffic congestion on Thanksgiving Day. Pepper Jack Cornbread 1/4 cup…
Texas Platters
Dance, Adam Ahrens, Never Frae My Mind, Band of Heathens, and Letters in the Wind
Public Benefits Privatization Update
Center for Public Policy Priorities reviews in new report how state’s privatization of public benefits is going so far
So, You’re Done Spatchcocking …
Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Lemon-Thyme-Mustard Sauce1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (quartered if large) 2 bacon slices, finely chopped 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or lemon thyme 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard juice of 1/2 fresh lemon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon white pepper Cook brussels sprouts in a 4-quart pot of boiling, salted…
Texas Platters
Lemurs(Ramble Lane) Flesh for Lulu, anyone? Lemurs’ debut could be one of those unknown acts John Hughes slipped into his movies alongside the Smiths or Thompson Twins; all it’s missing is Molly Ringwald or John Candy. Like a Hughes soundtrack, this 35-minute offering is sleek and stylish but ultimately sacrifices actual tunes for layer upon…
Point Austin: Counting the Dead
Whatever their number, the Iraqi casualties lie at our feet
So, You’re Done Spatchcocking …
Mrs. Swan’s Frozen Cranberry Salad Since the 1960s, the Thanksgiving table in our family has included this frozen cranberry “salad.” Salad in the Southern sense, meaning a concoction that is steeped in sweetness. This recipe came to our family from a neighbor who hailed from Vermont, so perhaps the fondness for treats passed off as…
Texas Platters
VoxtrotYour Biggest Fan (Playlouder) Local quintet Voxtrot has successfully completed the Beta Band trifecta, though their latest EP is more accurately described as an enhanced single whose brief beauty hinges primarily on the exuberant pop of the title track. Lyrically, singer Ramesh Srivastava achieves a sense of intimacy by relating his intensely personal emotions to…
Beside The Point
A light council agenda for this week, focusing on Downtown and salamanders
So, You’re Done Spatchcocking …
Sweet Potato Faux Soufflé Sweet potato casserole is a traditional holiday side dish that has suffered from an unfortunate marriage to marshmallows. Time for a divorce. The rich puréed flesh of sweet potatoes, subtly enhanced by garlic and ginger, is the perfect complement to both turkey and pork. This dish is not really a soufflé:…
Texas Platters
The Octopus Project/Black Moth Super RainbowThe House of Apples and Eyeballs (Graveface) The Octopus Project are good at what they do. Instantly catchy and beat-driven but still experimental, the local quartet’s live show consistently blows away the uninitiated. This extended collaboration with Pittsburgh’s Black Moth Super Rainbow, a year in the making, finds things a…
Reefer Madness
The election roundup
EAST, at Ease
The 2006 East Austin Studio Tour reveals 86 studios and one stacked pod art city with a shared alphabet
Film News
I’ve got some good news and some bad news. Which do you want first?
Texas Platters
Giant SquidMetridium Fields (The End) Like fellow massive brethren Mastodon, Giant Squid plods through myriad time changes and tempos, coupled with guitarist Aaron Gregory’s bloodcurdling screams and theatrical breakdowns. The grandiose “Neonate,” with its Zeppelin-esque Middle Eastern breakdown and piano interlude, and the post-metal of “Summit” prove that the Sacramento transplants, supplanted live with Kimberly…
The Hightower Report
The War Tally; and State Secrets
2006 EAST Studio Tour
The full list of studios and artists
DVD Watch
The first of three collaborations between Carol Reed and Graham Greene
Texas Platters
Joe DoucetHouston’s Third Ward Blues (Dialtone) Texas Southside Kings(Dialtone) Austin’s Dialtone Records specializes in nonacademic field recordings. This is a good thing, though it sometimes delivers lesser or mixed results (Lil Joe Washington, Texas Soul Sisters) among genuine winners (The Texas Trumpets; West Side Horns). Like authentic field recordings, the value often lies in existence…
Think Outside the Book
Eric Schlosser on Richard Linklater’s adaptation of his Fast Food Nation
Jimmie Roulette: Hitting the jackpot, playing the Palace
Austin comic Jimmie Roulette will hit Vegas this week as part of an exclusive stand-up showcase in HBO’s the Comedy Festival
TV Eye
Couch Potato Pie
Texas Platters
Django’s MoustacheSouth Austin Gypsy Jazz (Moustache) David HamburgerBlues, Ballads & a Pop Song (Chester) Few guitar-centric albums appeal to those fatigued from the instrument’s blanched overexposure. Django’s Moustache’s South Austin Gypsy Jazz will. Given their name, this acoustic guitar-guitar-bass/ sousaphone trio plays tribute to the luminary gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt: “Latcho Drom” is a…
Jim Jones Jr.
on ‘The Life and Death of Peoples Temple’
Demetri Martin: Under mild surveillance
Demetri Martin, of the “Trendspotting” segment on The Daily Show, explains his quick rise in comedy, how it feels to be semifamous, and why he chose Austin for filming his next Comedy Central special
So, You’re Done Spatchcocking …
Pearl Onions Pearl onions were a Thanksgiving staple in my mother’s youth, and we always had them on our Thanksgiving table. But actual pearl onions were impossible to buy in Texas when my mother first moved here. For many years she just bought the smallest white onions she could find, and just peeled them down…
When the Bough Breaks
In 1993, the Hyde Park Baptist Child Development Center hired a teacher who proved to be a little ‘rough’ with the children. Now the church is being sued for ignoring alleged child abuse.
‘SXSW Presents’
Light From the East
Arts Review
The Mary Moody Northen Theatre’s Kneeling Down at Noon is a thoughtful and deeply humane drama that considers the way Islam informs the lives and actions of various characters
So, You’re Done Spatchcocking …
Apple Crumb Pie This pie is easier than a two-crust pie, and everyone will adore it. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. You will need: 6 giant Granny Smith apples 1 lemon 2 sticks of butter 2 cups of white flour 1 cup of sugar 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt Explicit instructions for…
Election 2006: All Their Base Are Belong to Us
Crunching the numbers on the November 2006 election
The Return
Sarah Michelle Gellar plays a woman who keeps seeing a dead murder victim in her dreams, so of course she must get to the bottom of this mystery.
Arts Review
In Double Exposure, writer/performers Wayne Alan Brenner and David Jewell offer old and new material they’ve created, and their knack for capturing nuance in the mundane entertains
Luv Doc Recommends: The Art of Andy Warhol
Trolling for strange in an art gallery is, at best, a challenging proposition. Even at the wildest gallery openings, you don’t see a lot of binge drinking, drug swilling, and dirty dancing. It’s a shame really, because artists, by and large, are unrepentant freaks, and you would think some of that deviant behavior would make…
