The Statesman is reporting that Maria Martinez (33, Austin) has been charged with cruelty to animals after throwing her boyfriend's Shih Tzu into a dumpster. Apparently, Martinez's boyfriend, Michael Jackson, loves his 12 year-old dog a little too much for her liking, as she claims she tortured him out of jealousy. According to the arrest affidavit, Martinez tossed the pup into a dumpster and then "slammed the animal onto the concrete." All this after also attempting to poison the dog (his name is Chase) by pouring bleach into his food bowl. No word on what exactly this woman's problem is with Chase, but we're glad to know that the owner is pressing charges. Congratulations, Maria Martinez, you're one of the most terrible people around. How could you be mad at a Shih Tzu? more ›

It reached 110 degrees over the weekend in Austin, and there's no sign of relief in sight for those of us fed up with what is probably our most brutal summer on record. Air conditioning is critical during this kind of weather (heck, it would be even if it was ten degrees cooler) for humans, and for animals stuck behind bars at a shelter, it's life or death. The Austin Humane Society is in trouble: their AC motor went out over the weekend and they don't expect to have it fixed until tomorrow. Because of this, they're offering free adoptions today and tomorrow in an effort to relieve and accelerate the adoption process for pets in their facility. The Humane Society is a no-kill shelter that's been a critical part of Austin's pet rescue community since 1952. more ›

Your best excuse for throwing that zany-yet-slutty costume onto your favorite pooch (this side of Halloween) comes this Saturday with back-to-back pet events along South Congress. more ›

Back in mid-May, 48-year-old Kenneth Holder decided to give his girlfriend's dog a bath in the couple's backyard. The German shepherd/Labrador retriever mix, being a dog, was displeased with this plan. And so, when Holder attempted to "forcibly hold [him] down," the canine bit him on the arm. more ›

They drink Brains, they support Cardiff City FC, and they don’t give a fuck. Best of all, the Super Furry Animals churn out off-kilter psychedelic pop at a prolific rate. Despite having put out eight stellar full-lengths in fifteen years (a couple of those accompanied by simultaneous DVD releases as well), the act is still somewhat under-appreciated, especially outside their home island. Their talent is boundless, their music all over the place yet melodious, and their shows are often enhanced with video medleys as the backdrop, including the clips of that adorable Golden Retriever that accompany, well, "Golden Retriever." more ›

Photo from AIArchitect.com We recently came across this fascinating master's architecture project by UT Arlington alumnus Jason Mellard. Drawing from Star Wars and "biomimicking" the clam shell, this archipelago of futuristic donuts would function as a self-sustaining aquatic research platform, designed to allow scientists to study marine animals and fish in their natural habitat for extended periods of time. From AIArchitect: The research spheres consist of laboratories, classrooms, computer labs, viewing platforms, holding tanks, offices,... more ›

Photo from Clap!Clap! Clap!Clap! with Silver Pines, The Word AssociationFriday, December 7Lucys on the Square (141 E. Hopkins)$5, 9pm[info] Clap!Clap! with The Always Already, Prayer For Animals, Haunting Oboe Music, Car Stereo (Wars), and DJs from Team FabricationSaturday, December 8Emos (603 Red River St)$5, 9pm[info]San Marcos/Austin's indie pop team, Clap!Clap!, today announced that the group has gone the way of Sound Team, and will be disbanding before the end of the year: From the band:... more ›

Image from MySpaceBONAPARTE What's the Deal: Chances are slim to none at the moment if you are in the United States and you want to see this odd rock and roll force that's catchy, boisterous and riddled with pop culture references. Bonaparte is the name taken by the project’s mastermind and frontman who is from unknown international origins. His MySpace says he hails from Berlin, but it also claims St. Helena as well as saying... more ›

Photo courtesy Jessica Plymate StitchSaturday, November 10Austin Convention Center [map]Doors at 4pm, Fashion show 9:30pm, Tickets $10[info] | [tickets]Jessica Plymate revives the art of appliqué in super rockin' way with Aorta Designs. Gone are the days of mom's innocent poodles sewn on skirts. Jessica's animals are hardcore; drinking wine and smoking cigarettes. What is your design/art background? This is where I have to confess I have no formal training in design, art or anything. I've... more ›

Before Fun Fun Fun Fest begins on Saturday, the good folks at Club DeVille are gathering the troops for one heck of a kick-off party. On Friday night, Robbers On High Street will play the versatile venue and we want you there. Sure, you might have won a contest or two in your lifetime but this special giveaway includes a dinner with Robbers On High Street, provided by the wonderful people at Lambert's. The... more ›

The ritzy new Qua Bottle Lounge in the Warehouse District opened this month to much fanfare, thanks in large part to the club's fancy choice of flooring: a 19,000-gallon aquarium filled with reef sharks and stingrays. The 25-and-up nightclub boasts that its giant acrylic tank—the "largest ever installed in a nightclub"—is perfectly suitable for marine animals, citing a 3" barrier between the tank and the dance floor directly above as well as some impressive-sounding technology... more ›

Britain creates new drug to combat obesity...dog obesity. Dear Abby supports gay marriage. A London judge has found nine lies in Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, orders disclaimer to air before being played in schools. The Empire State Building will glow green for the end of Ramadan this year. In China, there is a 95-year old woman growing a horn out of her forehead. Houston ISD is thinking of charging students (and their parents)... more ›

Doctors plugged an Italian tourist into a drip-feed of vodka to save him at a hospital in Australia that ran out of the medicinal alcohol it would normally have used for treatment. Plants chatter amongst themselves to spread information, a lot like humans and other animals, new research suggests. Actor Nick Nolte is a father again at age 66 after his British girlfriend of several years, Clytie Lane, gave birth to the couple's first... more ›

By now, the media buzz surrounding blogger darling and dance party curator Dan Deacon has made his upcoming gig at Mohawk chatter-worthy (after his performance at Emo's earlier this summer, party animals who missed the event started marking their calendars) and his career absolutely viable: he's toured with Girl Talk, and only needs to press 'play' to get a news item on Pitchfork. Rather than remind you (again) to go check him out, we'd... more ›

Bag the Bags Coalition is urging city council to pass an ordinance banning the use of plastic bags by large retailers and instead require those retailers to offer compostable bags. In April, city council passed a resolution directing the City Manager to evaluate and recommend strategies within 90 days for limiting the use of non-compostable plastic bags and promoting the use of compostable plastic bags, recyclable paper bags or reusable checkout bags. 90 days... more ›

Local media discovers, loves Craigslist 41-year-old drunk driver manages to slam into two houses in North Austin Just one of the sixteen amendments proposed for the November ballot in Texas: stripping the constitutional powers of the Inspector of Hides and Animals Roughly four percent of Texas bridges are considered "structurally deficient," says the Texas Department of Transportation Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo announces his executive staff A lawyer for the Federal Trade Commission calls... more ›

No, this isn't a plot for the pilot of a new Sci-Fi Channel original series, it's a real life epidemic that has forced the University of Texas to temporarily dim the lights of its most revered building on campus, The UT Tower. The University has sent out this e-mail: "As some of you may have noticed, there is a cricket infestation on campus particularly affecting the area of the Main Building and UT Tower.... more ›

Just moved out of the family house and feeling lonely? Living in an apartment that won't allow dogs? Maybe you need a cat. Throughout the month of July, the Austin Humane Society and Town Lake Animal Center have lowered the adoption fee for cats to $35. This fee covers vaccination, microchipping, de-worming, flea/tick treatment, as well as spay/neuter procedure (if applicable). At this low cost, how can you pass this deal up? Even some... more ›

The following message (and accompanying photo) comes from our publisher, Jake Dobkin -- Ed. Note Hey everyone-- you may have noticed that we've made a few small changes to our commenting and feedback systems: 1. Commenters now have profile pages with a bit of information about them, and links to their recent comments, along with comments other people have left in response. If the commenter is also a Austinist author, the page will include a... more ›

Want an excuse to toss down yet another of the Alamo's Asian Chicken Salads this weekend? Sample one of these new celluloid delights from Tinseltown. (Hey, Alamo: Bring back the shrimp substitution option! Seriously!) 1408: John Cusack stars as a skeptical debunker of all things haunty who spends the night in a legendary hotel room and finally gets his Western rationality scared right outta him. Made from a Stephen King short story, like all... more ›

Austin Humane Society, the largest nonprofit no-kill pet shelter and adoption center in town, recently suffered a tremendous setback: yesterday, the facility's A/C system abruptly shut down. A subsequent inspection found the system to be broken beyond repair. "Our air conditioning unit died," said AHS representative Lisa Starr to KXAN. "Went kaput." The center is installing a temporary mobile A/C unit today, but this solution won't work for the long term; even now, the animals... more ›

Long held as a classic of independent cinema, and one of the most difficult to actually watch, Charles Burnett's Killer Of Sheep chronicles a day in the life of a hopelessly frustrated slaughterhouse laborer, Stan (Henry G. Sanders), and his family. Stan spends his working day feeling as helpless and resigned as the animals he processes. He buys a car engine to resell, but it falls out of a friend’s pickup and is smashed.... more ›

The Austin Zoo boasts many fuzzy faces and feline friends (just don't get too close) as well as birds, turtles, snakes, and one giant cockroach. Spend a weekend afternoon feeding the goats, sheep, pigs, and llamas as well as getting close up views of rescued bears, lions, and a host of other animals that don't make for great pets. Since Austin Zoo is a rescue zoo that "provides sanctuary to displaced animals from a... more ›

We love animals. In fact, we're secretly training to be EAMTs (Emergency Animal Medical Technicians) so that we can save kittens and turtles and gerbils. We aren't alone in this love, however, as is evident by the longstanding trend of animal-centric band names: The Eagles, The Unicorns, Tortoise, Grizzly Bear, The Animals, Super Furry Animals, Band of Horses, Cat Power, Le Tigre, Modest Mouse, Gorillaz, Doves, Eels, Sparklehorse, and now -- The Ponys. Ok,... more ›

At tonight's meeting, the Animal Advisory Commission will discuss a proposal to move Town Lake Animal Center to 7201 Levander Loop (near the intersection of 183, Airport Boulevard and East First). We like the current location and it doesn't seem like major repairs are needed (at least to the part where they keep the cute little doggies), but Health & Human Services Department Director David Lurie, who has recommended the new site, says the... more ›

Tacks, the Boy Disaster's Daytrotter Session features four free songs, one of which is slated to appear on their forthcoming album. "Dying to Know" is one of the band's oldest songs, but one that needed some help before it became clear how to deal with that pesky bridge. Although the charm of the Daytrotter Session songs is their live and impromptu nature (complete with borrowed instruments and auxiliary musicians), we're anxious to hear this... more ›

Who could abandon a face like this? A whole bunch of us apparently could, and do. Austin's Town Lake Animal Center alone takes in about 40 dogs per day, some 14,000 per year. And those lucky dogs who are deemed acceptable adoption candidates - around 50% - often face re-abandonment by their new owners. If they're adopted at all. Nationwide statistics are even more startling: about 4 million dogs enter shelters every year, and about... more ›

We want to urinate on tourists, too! What ever happened to throwing spitballs? Maybe that's just what they call it these days. Aggressive Evangelicals which is probably redundant are going to try to convert Buddhists during the Dalai Lama's visit to Chicago. ...speaking of Evangelicals...Bible classes could soon be an elective at public schools. We think electives in Voodoo and Wiccan should have similar opportunities. If you love your animals, you'll cook gourmet meals... more ›

It took less than a week for a crafty Austinite to capitalize on the destruction of the Intel shell, though we're honestly too dense to figure out whether this is a joke or not: for twenty bucks, you too can own your very own "piece of Austin history" (or, rather, pieces), in the form of a jar of blown-up concrete from the former downtown eyesore. Please note that the contents may vary. Shipping via USPS... more ›

The BBC calls The Hot Puppies a "spiky girl-pop band hiding sharp talons and sardonic wit beneath their cool, Blondie-style new wave exterior." They have also won effusive praise from critics at The Guardian, who want The Hot Puppies to be "the next big thing." After six years together, the band signed to Fierce Panda and released their debut album Under The Crooked Moon in mid-2006. The confident and powerful Radio One Sessions tracks... more ›