Austin360 reports that American Idol producers have opted to skip Texas during this year's upcoming auditions. The tour, which runs from mid July through August, will instead include stops in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Puerto Rico. Those of you still craving your fifteen minutes of fame should start planning your road trip to Kansas City, Missouri. [Idol Chatter]...

Clinton wins Kentucky, Obama wins Oregon to gain majority of pledged delegates Sen. Ted Kennedy released from hospital a day after doctors revealed he has a brain tumor Hamilton Jordan, former Chief of Staff for Jimmy Carter, dies The price of oil soars to a record 130 dollars a barrel Kristi Yamaguchi wins "Dancing With the Stars" Archuleta wows judges in "American Idol" finale Creator of Davey and Goliath dies in Dallas......

Today's the day! This is it! Ya es el dia! Voila! Israel has now said that they might go into Gaza and reoccupy it. The Monkeywrench Gang is alive and well. Two moms in Boston got into a litigation-worthy fight at a Chuck E. Cheese. Study says, blocking TV/video game time helps kids slim down. Did you read that fishy-seeming article in the New York Times this weekend about the ex-gang-member living in Oregon?......

The APD could adopt a more compatible attitude, one that sees violent crime on the East Side as another inevitable casualty of gentrification, one that will eventually succumb to the gradual transition. Essential to all parties accepting responsibility for these mixed-race, mixed-income neighborhoods is that transition from negative stigma includes a reduction of all forms of violence....

ME Television is looking for someone who can be themselves—they want someone who is confident, likes music, has a strong knowledge of Austin, and isn’t afraid to smile. At least that’s what the judges for The Next VeeJay told hundreds of hopefuls who turned out for yesterday's first round of open call auditions at Midnight Rodeo. "This is a cheap knockoff of American Idol,” said Kevin Connor, Vice President of Music and Artist Relations......

30 seconds on American Idol are worth more than you will ever be. (Also, the girl won. Apologies to those who Tivoed the finale to watch later. Actually, we don't apologize -- we recommend getting a life, instead.) Veganism kills (sometimes), so make your own burgers this Memorial Day weekend. We're not sure if anyone would want to eat these creatures from the abyss, but the dumbo octopus is totally the Nabaztag of the......

This Thursday, May 17th at 7pm, Austin fixture Owen Egerton will be celebrating the release of How Best to Avoid Dying, his brand new collection of short stories, at BookPeople. The book is also the latest release for local publisher Dalton Publishing. They're offering a free peep of the book's first story, "Spelling," here. While the book itself is worthy of celebration, so too is its author. Egerton is one of Austin's renaissance men.......

Hold on to your pennies, there's some copper sting action going on. (Is zinc next?) Bee stings are on the decline as Colony Collapse Disorder threatens to make the future as bland as the lone guy left on American Idol (Jordin all the way). Maybe the Bee Girls know what's up? Smoke calms bees, but bee (ha!) neighborly and don't smoke out your fellow renters like one Austinite did. Buzzta (er, Busta) Rhymes' real......

We should probably preface this whole thing by saying that we absolutely love Don McKellar. And not in a cute, innocent, forgivable way—in a nerdy, fawning, obsessive kind of way. And so while much of the following interview does relate directly to Reg Harkema’s new film Monkey Warfare (which Don is in, and which will be screening at SXSW), we also couldn’t resist occasionally veering way off topic, randomly blurting out years worth of pent-up......

Austinist gets arty with an interactive guide to SXSW, loved some local art galleries and a new art exhibit and lamented the possible loss of "Friday Night Lights" production to New Mexico. Bostonist was happy they finally found an Anna Nicole Smith connection to their fair city and that an Apple Store was opening up. They were less happy that new rules have been established limiting underage shows and that their Governor is spending......

It looks like NBC might move the locally-filmed drama Friday Night Lights out of Austin to save money. It might be possible to use rural east New Mexico (we're thinking the Las Cruces area), but Louisiana for West Texas? Nah. Such a move is being forced on the show to save $100,000 an episode, and the network is considering these states. The city and Texas state lawmakers (even Gov. Perry) are trying to provide enough......

As 2006 ends and 2007 begins, the -ists look back not at the past week, but at the past year. So here it is, your Best of 2006 Spectacular. And from all of us at the -ists, happy New Year! Austinist was all about controversy as new construction to increase urban density ran rampant in 2006, as did threats to the city's image from gigantic corporations looking to set up shop in town, leading......

I don’t think caroling is as popular as it should be. Aside from those two awesome dudes who apparently live at the 6th and Brazos bus stop, no one really sings their ass off in public anymore. Certainly not door-to-door. ...

For those of you interested in making a spectacle of yourselves, there will be a zombie flash mob this Friday, Oct. 27. Prospective zombies will be meeting in front of City Hall at 7:30 p.m. to join the legions of the undead. No news on whether or not the event is Bring Your Own Brain. The zombie mob is the latest Austin-based flash mob; other recent local flash mobs include that infamous pillow fight.......

Boy Culture Drama, Dir. Q. Allan Brocka, 2006 Screens: Thursday, October 5th at 7pm "Let's just call him X, a well-seasoned gay hustler with a string of steady johns. X is all business on the outside, the consummate professional---he's good for anything that pays and anything that pays is good. But X is a romantic with his own secret dreams of enduring love, a secret that frustrates both him and his improvised family---roommates Andrew,......

Out at the refurbished Del Valle High School football stadium, a staged homecoming football game was filmed last Friday night and into the pre-dawn hours of Saturday. The “game” was the backdrop for the Austin-based NBC series Friday Night Lights. The show’s pilot premieres tonight at 7:00 p.m. “We wrapped at 4:00 a.m.,” assistant director Michael Waxman said. “I’ve had about 3-1/2 hours of sleep at this point.” Waxman was talking by cell phone from......

BackstageDrama, Dir. Emmanuelle Bercot, 2005 Screens: Monday, October 2nd at 7pm "In a world relentlessly tuned in to “American Idol” and the daily lives of the TomKats and Bennifers, the universal obsession with celebrity can cross the line into fanaticism. In keeping with the times, Emmanuelle Bercot’s stunning feature directorial debut explores the psyches of both the star and her adoring fan to reveal a troubling view on the world of celebrity worship and......

The Austin Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (aGLIFF) runs from Friday, September 29th through October 8th. Check out the films that will be screening tomorrow night, below the jump. [aGLIFF Official Site] aGLIFF 19: "Say What?" Friday, September 29 – Sunday, October 8, 2006 Regal’s Arbor Cinema (9828 Great Hills Trail) [map] Tickets Available Now Photo from Eating Out 2......

Like fake boobs and dyed hair, fake Ohio State vs. Texas tickets are out there to ruin your day. Clay Aiken of American Idol fame just might be President Bush's new pet. Former President Clinton is getting a pimp ride, a custom Mercury Mariner Hybrid surely outfitted with features that rival the Batmobile. Ladies, ladies. Your high heels are a death trap. A man's gun accidentally fired while he was in a Wal-Mart bathroom.......

There are dubious Hatches, like Survivor Winner Richard Hatch (BOO!). And there are good Hatches, like the delicious namesake chile peppers grown in Hatch, New Mexico (YAY!). The Hatch Chile Pepper Festival at Central Market (this weekend and next) is to food nerds what American Idol is to, well, nerds. Every year we go and stuff carts full of specialty products made from peppers from Hatch, New Mexico (Hatch hot dog buns, Hatch pesto,......

With an HBO special, Red, White and Screwed, and a book tour to supplement his already demanding road show and TV obligations, it’s been a busy year for Lewis Black. We caught up with Black over the weekend at BookPeople, where he was to promote the paperback release of Nothing’s Sacred. Having been subjected to seven hours of interviews a day and arriving in a new city every afternoon, it’s a wonder he wasn’t......

As a rule, we are not big fans of beauty pageants (call them "scholarship pageants" if that makes you feel better). Be that as it may, there is some bright news from the pageant scene. Over the weekend, Shilah Phillips, from the ever-growing metropolis of Frisco, was crowned Miss Texas. Ms. Phillips will now be the first African-American woman to represent our state in the Miss America pageant. You know, that pageant that will......

An Austin fireman made it onto People magazine's annual Hottest Bachelors list this year, alongside celebs such as Matthew McConaughey (spotted at Friday's Round Rock Express game acting "quite the tool"), Owen Wilson and that dude who won this season's American Idol. 36-year old Reggie Tait, according to his MySpace profile, enjoys "sports, working out, playing hoops, house parties, theatre, roadtrips, live r&b/top 40/smooth jazz music, and hanging with good friends." The Austinite relocated here......

San Francisco is proud host of a new reality show called "How to Get the Guy" that's unfortunately not a descendant of Will and Grace, Queer Eye, The L Word, American Idol etc. Also a biodefence lab is coming to the East Bay and SFist teaches wine pairing. Getting on the wrong train sucks. Getting on the wrong train and becoming the victim of what will later be described as a "stabbing spree" really sucks.......

Apparently all of Ms. Strayhorn's clever campaigning has come back to bite her in the ass. The "Tough Grandma," as she's been self-monikered, wants to have her name appear on the November ballot as Carole Keeton "Grandma" Strayhorn. Wow! Strayhorn says that her campaigning slogan has left such a lasting impression with voters that many have come to know her simply as "the Grandma." We think the whole thing has a bit of an American......

Two local posts we came across on Overheard in the Office earlier this week: 10AM Shooting On Location Crackhead: I know you... you are that guy from TV. Ryan Seacrest: Yeah... it's me Crackhead: You're that guy from Fear Factor. Ryan Seacrest: No... I'm on that other show, American Idol... You might have heard of it? Crackhead: Look at me... I ain't got no TV. 6th Street Austin, Texasvia Overheard in the Office, May......

It could have been a lot worse. Mariah Carey could have walked away with Song, Record, or even Album of the Year; at that point, we would've completely given up on the music industry. Not that we have an extreme degree of faith in the corporate arts as is, but giving the big one to an album titled The Emancipation of Mimi would have all-but confirmed that those people are insane, evil, and totally......

Austin is Taradise! And Lance and Sheryl split Congrats to Adlai McMahon, winner of our giveaway contest for Bloc Party's documentary/concert DVD, God Bless Bloc Party! The SXSW Music Festival roster expanded to over 1,100 this week, including such esteemed acts as Morrissey and The Flaming Lips Austinist photographer Matt Wright captures yet another amazing night shot in Austin, as well as some sexy shots of last week's Box Magazine issue release party. The......

We knew it was coming soon, but Diane Holloway reminds us that tonight American Idol will show the Austin auditions from August:Executive producer Ken Warwick told me about a dozen contestants from Austin made it to the Hollywood round. Of course, I’ve noticed this “Idol” season that lots of people seem to be making it to the Hollywood round who are really terrible. I think Simon, Paula and Randy are passing people through as......

Our favorite posts for the week: James at Coyote Mercury wonders about the arson ban. AustinAction Sanity Island has posted pictures of sediment in a creekbed near the future AMD site. It looks pretty grody, and not very promising. Clay at The Texas Whip ponders Perry’s current ad campaign. Tim has found common words in SxSW band names. We see the New Pornographers in there. Diane at TV Blog reacts to American Idol and Simon’s......