• Editorial from the Austin American-Statesman urges leaving Town Lake open as an adoption facility, to help Austin meet the goal of becoming a “no kill” city.
• Yes, the Texas quasi-holiday following Martin Luther King Jr. Day day…is Confederate Heroes' Day. You can’t make this stuff up.
• One of the advantages of living in the grooviest state-capital in the country is the old training films made by state agencies back in the day. One of the films spotlighted here has beautiful 1950’s cars, while another has a performance from an actor who would go on to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

• As South Korean death toll rises, U.S. scrambles to limit hostilities
• Airports bracing for TSA go-ahead-touch-my-junk protests
• Drug war in Juarez Valley leaves town with only one police officer

Vegetarians all, the San Diego quartet have managed to build a broad following among the more general metal faithful through the combined virtues of virtuosic musicianship, steady touring and a consistently high-quality output of albums. more ›

Austin made the list of the Top 10 Sweatiest Cities in America. But some people in Florida are pissed that they didn't make the list. The Central Texas Area, including Austin, of course,was listed as one the Top 10 Chill Places in America. We found this and thought you needed a good tear-jerker. Local animal rights activists are accusing Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus trainers of abusive behavior towards the circus animals.... more ›

Well, Sexy Santa says so. A "scantily clad" Santa will be on the corner of 6th and Congress at Noon today (Wednesday, December 7th) spreading the word to holiday shoppers that fur and leather sucks and start practicing ethical consumerism, already! The message is brought to you by PETA, of course. Officially PETA says: "Be Sweet to Animals—Don’t Buy Fur, Wool, or Leather." more ›

We hope you are as excited as we are at the prospect of renaissance man Kinky Friedman running for Texas governor in 2006. You gotta love a guy who makes it a platform agenda to abolish political correctness and who vows to be the only governor with a listed telephone number. We at Austinist also praise him for his animal rights stance. Dude is vowing to prohibit the de-clawing of cats! Love it! Kinky is a man of the people and the animals. more ›