After more than 400 edits and a year-long debate, the Texas State Board of Education is inching towards a final vote on a set of social studies curriculum standards that stresses Christianity, conservativism and free enterprise. Critics say the changes overlook the contributions that civil rights leaders and social programs have made to society. more ›

SFist witnessed a new apartment building tszuj the skyline with spectacular, gaudy turquoise aplomb, the (informal) renaming of the Mission/SOMA neighborhood border, the return of the Maltese Falcon, the Mayor Gavin Newsom mea culpa-ing over his Hawaiian getaway during the oil spill, and double-decker buses hitting the streets of San Francisco. Oh, and some baseball player named Barry Bonds is a liar whose pants, it seems, are totally on fire. LAist continues to cover the... more ›

Round Up! Round Up! Hey! Hey! Hey! Sorry, we got really excited there for a second, but there are just sooooo many great movies out right now that it makes our little heads want to explode. Do you like satirical gun fights? Gotcha covered. Re-vamped S’ghetti Westerns? Check. Tales of hate-mongering Neo-Nazi Brits? You know it! For lovers of brutal, bloody, balls-out storytelling, unto you we dedicate this week in film. 3:10 to Yuma We... more ›

Easily indie rock's most well-read bunch, The Decemberists returned this year with The Crane Wife, their follow-up to last year's critically acclaimed LP, Picaresque (as well as their bonus EP, Picaresqueties, a nifty collection of b-sides). Frontman Colin Meloy imbues the record with his signature storytelling acumen, narrating esoteric tales of airships, Civil War romances, and Belfast terrorists while managing intricate and often exhilarating rhythm sequences. Produced in part by Death Cab's Chris Walla,... more ›

Last weekend was pretty intense show-wise, if you're like us, you're ready to crawl in bed with your headphones and listen to something new from End of an Ear or Waterloo's new release wall. Well, here's what you've got to choose from: The Decemberists The Crane Wife (Capital) Already being described as the album of the year in some circles, Crane Wife marks the Portland-based Decemberists' major label debut with themes familiar to the... more ›

On Wednesday night, The Austin Film Society hosted a little over one thousand friends to watch Austin's very own premiere of A Scanner Darkly at the Paramount Theatre, with a post-screen party down the street at The Austin Museum of Art. Originally written by Philip K. Dick in the late 1970’s and adapted to the screen by Austin's own Richard Linklater, A Scanner Darkly is an eerie, yet hilarious, film of drugs, paranoia and... more ›

A few highlights from this week's new movie releases: Bruce Willis is back! And he shoots guns this time! David Spade plays a nerd, just to mix things up! If the South had won the Civil War, would Toby Keith be campaigning for governor (oh God, we just vomited)? Film noir is great for teens! And Antonio Banderas teaches the youth of America that ballroom dancing can get you plenty of play! Lucky Number... more ›

Pablo Neruda wrote some of the most moving poetry of the 20th century, ranging from his heart-wrought poems of love to his impassioned political messages concerning his homeland and the Spansih Civil War. Through interviews and archival footage, the life and times of the Nobel Laureate Chilean poet are examined tonight in director Mark Eisner's documentary "Pablo Neruda! Presente!" The screening at the Ransom Center, co-sponsored by UT's department of comparative literature, will feature... more ›

While most people who combine Matthew McConaughey, Penelope Cruz, a Civil War ironclad, the WHO, Confederate gold, a solar powered waste vaporizer, a vast epidemic, and impending African civil war would end up with a lump of shit wound around a movie reel, the Sahara team pulls it off well. This has a lot to do with, in Austinist's opinion, the often half-naked stars gallivanting around with their pilates/yoga enhanced bodies exposed. Bastards. more ›