Rarely at a loss for ideas, there are times I must wait for inspiration to hit. Yesterday, I was struck, quite literally. First came the screech, followed by that split second when my brain registered that the sound came from the car behind me. Then my brain’s near-instant command to hit my brakes. Then, the sound I dreaded. Thud. My airbag did not deploy—we were going too slowly for that. Sensing damage would be minimal I shifted from that scared the crap out of me to feeling annoyed. I did not want to waste time on an otherwise glorious day calling the cops, taking the other driver’s information, and beginning an unwanted relationship with her insurance company. I walked back and asked the driver— a pretty young twentysomething blonde thing -- “Were you on your cell phone?” more ›

• Noooooes! More chunks breaking away from Antarctic ice shelf.
• Car hits crowd at Dutch Queen parade.
• Don't mess with a nerd and her marching band baton.

The Black and White Years are not merely a group of affable gents - as Austinist discovered in a recent interview - they're also way into creating compelling pop morsels that eschew immediate categorization and confound otherwise severely judgmental blog-journalists. more ›

Just after the start of the new year, we were devastated to learn that Austinist reader and all-around kind soul Heather Haenes was involved in a tragic car accident, of such severity that doctors were forced to remove both of her lower legs. Now, after a succession of complex surgeries, Heather faces months of painful physical and mental therapy and ever-increasing medical bills. Luckily, friends and family have rallied together to form the Heather Haenes... more ›

• Scientists assigned a new genus to this creature they recently discovered in the ocean. We're thinking it would taste good with some garlic butter. ***Don't be fooled, a tabloid posting says that some NASA Scientists are calling it an alien life form.
• Tragically, 5 UT students were killed in a car accident this weekend on their way to a medical school convention in St. Louis. None of them were wearing their seat belts.
• A woman was attacked and sexually assaulted and left with serious injuries in the Bull Creek Greenbelt.
• Freescale announced that it is dropping its sponsorship of the Freescale Marathon. It will, of course, continue to be an important running event, but it will now be known as the Austin Marathon with several different corporate sponsors.
• The death of Milosevic has brought on a critical eye to the hotel jail in which Mr. Milosevic spent his final years. Though tests show that he died of a heart-attack, a foreign drug has been found in his body leading to speculations of poisoning.
• American's debate over abortion is getting hotter.
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The band ended their yearlong hiatus to tour, and they’re rolling into town tonight. Help us welcome them back at Emo’s, where they’ll be playing with the Standard and the Heavenly States. more ›