October 24 • 2008

Oct 24-30, 2008 / Vol. 28 / No. 8

Cover Story

On Presidents and Pot

With less than a week left before E-day, Reefer Madness reminds you to check out where the candidates stand on drug law reform.

Tour de Fat Videos

Check out these videos that I put together from New Belgium’s Tour de Fat last weekend. It was a ton of fun and I can’t wait to do it again next year. Special thanks to Chris Winn, Mucca Pazza and Paper Bird for their help and support. Ride On! THE BIKE PARADE THE PARTY

Viva Les Froid Amis!

Okay, so it’s going to be as chilly as a penguin’s patootie in Republic Square Park this evening, but that’s no reason to miss the Austin Film Society’s free screening of local filmmaker Nancy Higgins acclaimed documentary Viva Les Amis. Seriously, bring some blankets, a dog (or two), and a box of House Merlot and…

Loose Lips Sink Ships

Cornyn’s campaign director blabs about his dislike of Republican candidate … to Noriega’s spokeswoman and daughter of opponent

Thrill the World

ZOMG!1!! Zombies! …and damn can they dance! In case you haven’t heard, this weekend the good residents of Austin will make an attempt at a world record. On Saturday, Oct 25, there will be over 1,000 people, and some undead, performing Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance in unison. At the same time, all over the world…

AFF 2008 Reviews

The Atom Smashers D: Clayton Brown, Monica Long Ross. Tiny, theoretical formulas have been making huge news lately and not only on Wall Street. Scientists in Switzerland recently turned on the European Organization for Nuclear Reasearch’s (CERN) Large Hadron Collider, a massive “atom smasher” with a 17-mile circumference designed for the express purpose of discovering…

Pride and Glory

Edward Norton and Colin Farrell top this predictable police procedural about clean and dirty cops who are also brothers in a family of Irish cops.

Phases & Stages

Lucinda Williams Little Honey (Lost Highway) Like Austin itself, a city she called home in the 1970s, Lucinda Williams has long bent country poetry to her own needs, creating a folksy sound part rock, part blues, and all heart. With Little Honey, she pays back fans whose faith had waned as her songwriting grew pedantic…

AFF 2008 Reviews

Les Ninjas Du Japon D: Giovanni Giommi Les Ninjas du Japon is about a team of Japanese cyclists in Africa, in much the same way that the Tour de France is about sightseeing in the Alps and Pyrenees while tooling around on a bike. From the film’s opening shot, writer/director Giommi is far more interested…

Phases & Stages

Raphael Saadiq The Way I See It (Columbia) How long cats can pretend it’s 1965 is anyone’s guess, but if the results sound this uncanny, who’s complaining? Former Tony! Toni! Toné! singer Raphael Saadiq re-creates the Motown sound like no one before him, “Keep Marchin'” echoing the civil rights era message music of Sam Cooke…

AFF 2008 Reviews

Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman D: Eric Bricker It’s been nearly 80 years since Julius Shulman stumbled into the center of the bold new modernist world bubbling up in the deserts and hills of Southern California. Since then, he’s become a legend of architectural photography, and his mesmerizing, sensual, iconic pictures of the…

Heroes

In this new Bollywood film, two young men embark on a journey during which they learn many things, among them the meaning of patriotism.

Phases & Stages

The Streets Everything Is Borrowed (Vice) Rather than focusing on the perils of stardom littering 2006’s The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living, Mike Skinner’s fourth Streets release finds him “providing for my wife is the vibe I’m on in life.” Such good will isn’t all that separates Everything Is Borrowed from its sad-sap…

What’s Cooking at the Triangle

Flying Saucer 815 W. 47th, 454-7468 Monday-Wednesday, 11am-1am; Thursday-Saturday, 11am-2am; Sunday, noon-12mid www.beerknurd.com/stores/austin Flying Saucer is all about the beer: An amazing 80 beers are on draft, and another 120 are available bottled, making a grand total of 200 varieties. It’s a beer lover’s paradise, no doubt about it. Learning about, sampling, and generally embracing…

Extended Q&A With Matthew Dowd

Austin Chronicle: So what’s your next trip to Austin Community College for? Matthew Dowd: They have this Center for Public Policy and Political Studies, so I’m going to talk there about the campaign and politically where the country is. I always like to do that to get people politically involved, so I’m going to give…

The Order of Myths

This smart and subtle documentary looks at the ingrained traditions of racial segregation that still remain in the dual Mardi Gras celebrations in Mobile, Ala.

Phases & Stages

Ben Folds Way to Normal (Epic) Those displeased by the sensitive singer-songwriter pose Ben Folds slipped into with his first two solo discs are likely to find some joy in Way to Normal, a return to the snark-filled piano-bashing and redolent melodies of his yesteryear. Tunes such as the fluffy “Bitch Went Nuts,” strident “Errant…

What’s Cooking at the Triangle

Sago Modern Mexican Restaurant 4600 Guadalupe Ste. B-5, 452-0300 www.sagomodernmexican.com Sunday-Monday, 11am-9pm; Tuesday-Thursday, 11am-10pm; Friday-Saturday, 11am-10:30pm; Weekend Brunch, 11am-3pm Sago claims to be unique and modern in its approach to both Tex-Mex and Interior Mexican cuisine, and that’s a justified claim. From the moment you taste the table salsas, your expectations begin to climb. The…

What’s Cooking at the Triangle

Flipnotics 4600 Guadalupe, 380-0097  Monday-Friday, 7am-12mid; Saturday, 7am-1am; Sunday, 8am-11pm www.flipnotics.com I admit I prefer hanging out at a wine bar rather than at a coffeehouse, but I understand the European allure of an afternoon espresso while leisurely surfing the Web. However, if I were to spend a good amount of money and time at…

I.O.U.S.A.

This documentary manages to do something damn near impossible: make the subject of the U.S. national debt understandable and, moreover, render it interesting and urgent.

Phases & Stages

Calexico Carried to Dust (Quarterstick) For 10 years now, Calexico has branded its dusky, Southwestern balladry with mariachi horns and rhythms, weaving an intensely intricate array of styles into a familiar whole. The Tucson, Ariz., troupe’s sixth proper LP ranks among its best, setting itself in line with 2003’s exceptional Feast of Wire. Joey Burns’…

AFF 2008 Reviews

Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison D: Bestor Cram. Recorded in 1968, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison was a career-saving album – some say career-making. But while the powerhouse concert was a milestone, no film crew joined the Man in Black for part of the historic show. So the decision to push a documentary film on…

What’s Cooking at the Triangle

Fish City Grill 4616 Triangle Ave. #200, 494-6323 Monday-Thursday, 11am-10pm; Friday-Saturday, 11am-11pm; Sunday, 11am-9pm www.fishcitygrill.com This is the fourth Fish City Grill in the greater Austin area. The Triangle, a prefab urban neighborhood, is exactly the kind of unique, upscale shopping center that Fish City Grill likes to occupy. The decor and atmosphere are pleasant…

Phases & Stages

Joan Osborne Little Wild One (Plum Records/Womanly Hips) Sometimes the hardest lesson for artists is delivering the goods that brought them their audience in the first place. Joan Osborne didn’t wander too far from the dynamic Relish after it hit in 1995, but her subsequent recordings haven’t captured her as wonderfully all-around until Little Wild…

What’s Cooking at the Triangle

Yume 815 W. 47th #102, 407-9001 Monday-Thursday, 11am-2pm & 5-10pm; Friday, 11am-2pm & 5-11pm; Saturday, noon-11pm; Sunday, noon-10pm; happy hour daily, 5-7pm www.yumeexotic.com Yume (it means “dream” in Japan­ese) opened near the western end of the Triangle’s main street in July. Owned by Chun Hong Pai, Yume features a unique blending of cuisines: a fusion…

The Making of an Endorsement

First Impressions Oct 3, 2008, at 5:43 PM Lee Nichols: My two cents: I’m not real big on legislation by referendum, and I don’t see why, if these payments are optional anyway, that people can’t just apply political pressure to the council and have it done from the dais. Maybe I’m being naive as to…

Phases & Stages

Kings of Leon Only by the Night (RCA) Three LPs and a pair of EPs since 2003, and now with their fourth album, Kings of Leon have upgraded from vintage Camaro to Hummer. Only by the Night sounds every bit Achtung Baby, but confirms suspicions about individuals who would drive such a vehicle. Opener “Closer”…

What’s Cooking at the Triangle

Galaxy Cafe 4616 Triangle Ave. #203, 323-9494 Daily, 7am-10pm www.galaxycafeaustin.com The newest outlet of this increasingly popular Austin restaurant chain seems to be at home among the Triangle eateries. The casual, order-at-the-counter format fits well with the collection of cafes geared toward students, on-the-go professionals, and working families alike. So too does the ultramod, airy…

The Making of an Endorsement

Positions 10/7/08 9:09 AM Katherine Gregor: I’ve decided that I am against Prop. 2, because it restricts the city’s ability to incentivize exactly the kind of (re) development that Austin has decided we need: dense, mixed-use projects that integrates retail, workplaces, and housing (including subsidized affordable housing) into compact “town center” “activity center” and “transit…

Phases & Stages

Cannonball Adderley Live in ’63 (Naxos) Bill Evans Live ’64-’75 (Naxos) Lionel Hampton Live in ’58 (Naxos) Rahsaan Roland Kirk Live in ’63 & ’67 (Naxos) Oscar Peterson Live in ’63, ’64 & ’65 (Naxos) Sonny Rollins Live in ’65 & ’68 (Naxos) Nina Simone Live in ’65 & ’68 (Naxos) Jazz Icons’ third DVD…

AFF 2008 Reviews

A Quiet Little Marriage D: Mo Perkins; with Cy Carter, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Charlie Day, Jimmi Simpson, Melanie Lynskey. The young, mildly hipster, NPR-listening couple Dax (Carter) and Olive (Ellis) are in nearly every scene of A Quiet Little Marriage, which hums along on a central conceit: When Dax discovers a grand deception being perpetrated…

What’s Cooking at the Triangle

Mama Fu’s Asian House 4615 N. Lamar #307, 637-6773 Sunday-Thursday, 11am-9pm; Friday-Saturday, 11am-10pm www.mamafusaustin.com In the last 10 years, Austin has seen a slow but steady increase in Pan-Asian “convenience” eateries, beginning with Foo Swas­dee’s Thai Noodles Etc. House, then Zen Japanese Food Fast, Panda Express, and Pei Wei. The latest addition is Austin-based Mama…

Headlines

• It’s go time: With Election Day less than two weeks away, early voting’s doing blockbuster business. Rumors of straight-ticket voting troubles are rampant, but nothing’s been substantiated: Voting straight-ticket is safe. Following the advice of strangers and e-mail forwards, however? Maybe not so much. See “Naked City.” • Despite some tightening, Barack Obama retains…

The Making of an Endorsement

Decision 10/8/08 9:39 AM Katherine Gregor: I respectfully, but strongly, oppose the idea of running a minority opinion, for the reasons cited below. It’s not a lemon. It’s a successful project, of its kind. You personally may not choose to shop there; nor have I. But lots of people are thrilled to have it in…

AFF 2008 Reviews

The Tree of Ghibet D: Nevina Satta, Amedeo D’Adamo; with Corinne Kameny, André Bang, Elisee Koundé. A small boy (Koundé) is left in the city by his aunt to fend for himself and finds himself taken in by a witch and her gang of little thieves. If that sounds fantastical, it belies this hard-hitting drama…

What’s Cooking at the Triangle

Which Wich? 4700 W. Guadalupe #5, 533-WICH Monday-Saturday, 10am-10pm; Sunday, 10am-8pm www.whichwich.com This chain sandwich spot from Dallas is already popular with Generation Y singles who occupy the Triangle apartments. Which Wich? offers a practically limitless selection of customizable sandwiches designed specifically for takeout, though the small storefront does have table space to dine on…

The Making of an Endorsement

The Chronicle Endorsement goes to press Oct. 14 City of Austin, Proposition 2: NO Shall the City Charter be amended to prohibit the City from entering into future agreements to provide financial incentives in connection with the development or redevelopment of property that includes one or more retail uses, and to stop the City from…

Getting Smart Energy

To dig into the real issues to be vetted during the Austin Smart Energy public participation process, it’s helpful to spend a little time on Austin Energy’s new website, www.austinsmartenergy.com. An introductory fact sheet lays out Austin Energy’s 2020 load forecast – which anticipates a need for an additional 330 megawatts – and highlights of…

The Making of an Endorsement

Recap 10/14/08 8:43 PM Michael King: I never had a chance to respond to Amy’s argument, but don’t want to suggest I was ignoring it. Since we’ve already endorsed, I won’t belabor the issue, but thought I should at least make a few brief responses for your consideration. See notes interlinear below. MK Amy Smith…

The Making of an Endorsement

A Little Moment of History 10/15/08 12:51 AM Richard Whittaker: A little moment of history: This isn’t Brian Rodgers’ first go at a charter amendment. He was part (along with Linda Curtis) of Austinites for a Little Less Corruption! – which (reading Amy’s reporting from the time) were the people that pushed for the campaign…

The Making of an Endorsement

Strange Bedfellows 10/16/08 7:59 AM Katherine Gregor Strange bedfellows on Prop. 2, indeed … “We’re very happy that the Democrats and the AFL-CIO are coming around to seeing that laissez faire economics is the way to go.” — Carl Tepper, TCRP 10/16/08 12:00 PM Nick Barbaro: Yeah, should we run an endorsement breakdown in the…

The Making of an Endorsement

Simon Makes Fools of Austin 10/17/2008 2:44 PM Brian Rodgers: Hi Nick, Michael, Simon is fighting tax subsidies for a mall in El Paso using the exact same arguments as Prop 2. In light of this damaging new information, I respectfully ask the Chronicle to reconsider their endorsement. Thanks. Brian Rodgers LINK TO SIMON LETTER???…

AFF 2008 Reviews

I’ll Come Running D: Spencer Parsons; with Melonie Diaz, Jon Lange, Christian Tafdrup, Birgitte Raaberg, Morten Holst. In former Chronicle contributor Parsons’ feature directorial debut, the drowsy conventions of mumblecore get the shot of emotional calamity they’ve been crying out for, exposing a generation’s disaffection and irony as little more than protective cover against a…

AFF 2008 Reviews

A Good Day to Be Black & Sexy D: Dennis Dortch; with Chonte Harris, Marcuis Harris, Mylika Davis, Alphonso Johnson, Emily Liu. There are many films about sex, attraction, and Eros, but few are as honest as this series of six interrelated vignettes. Dortch’s film astutely captures the emotional land mines people set off when…

Luv Doc Recommends: Scare for a Cure’s World of Horrorcraft

West Coasters who visit Austin for the first time – those who spend a few days getting to know the place – often remark about how people here are “unpretentious” or “genuine.” It’s basically the same thing people from Austin say about people in Giddings or Lampasas – the same thing that could be said…


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