Former Austin State Rep. and Texas Railroad Commissioner Lena Guerrero dies; she was only 50. Randi Shade complains about incumbent Councilmember Jennifer Kim's spending of tax dollars. Your phone bill may go down a little next year; the PUC is expected to lower the Texas' Universal Service Fund tax. Del Valle High School teacher suspended for hugging a student?...

Eugene Mirman is much funnier than you. A mainstay of New York's alternative comedy scene, Mirman's profile has been even higher of late. In February, his Comedy Central Presents special debuted, and earlier this year, he was asked to cover the New Hampshire primaries for 236.com. He can also be seen as Jemaine and Bret's strange landlord in HBO's Flight Of The Conchords. A multi-year veteran of SXSW, Mirman is hosting this year's Web Awards at SXSW Interactive and is also performing at multiple SX venues during the music festival. ...

Since 2001, the Rock 'n' Roll camp for girls based in Portland has instructed young women on the finer points of learning to play instruments and rocking out, while also helping to give their students a positive self-image and can-do attitude. ...

If you were there to see the many downright amazing clips featured in “You’re Looking at Country,” a Music Mondays presentation at the Drafthouse a few weeks ago hosted by Dallas Wayne, among live performances by Faron Young, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn and more was The Man in Black himself, Johnny Cash, pickin’ his big hit “Get Rhythm.” ...

Michael Olsen could get his job back with APD on a technicality. Man's body found near North Campus area; police say he fell off the roof. Obama's rally tomorrow night will close down roads downtown, so don't say we didn't warn you. Hillary trying to nab the Longhorn vote by wearing burnt orange today?...

Tired of staying in your house to watch the Oscars, all seventy hours of them? Want to heckle in the company of others? Couture make you really hungry?...

When Thelonious Monk passed away in 1982, his status as an innovator and one of the leading figures in modern jazz music was well established. A pianist who cut his first recording in 1944, Monk went on to work with fantastic musicians over his remarkable career including Sonny Rollins (tenor sax), Art Blakey (drums), Miles Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor sax) and many others. An unusual and versatile performer, Monk’s personal behavior was often just as spontaneous, and his relationships with others, including his wife and child, were as challenging as some of his best music. ...

For the first time in over a year, erstwhile Sinus Show members Owen Egerton, John Erler and Joe Parsons are back together, skewering bad films like some kind of movie mocking Voltron. And this time, they're taking dead aim at Robert Zemeckis' goofy sci-fi adventure Back to the Future....

Wednesday at the Drafthouse Downtown, Japanese documentary filmmaker Kazuhiro Soda will be on hand to introduce his documentary, Campaign (Senkyo), a fine look at campaign ethics, the dirt of politicking (we love when that's a verb) and contemporary Japanese culture in general....

This week’s installment of Music Mondays at the Alamo Drafthouse at the Ritz is all country, all the way. You’re Looking at Country, a film that shares the name of a Loretta Lynn song, is a look back on that golden age of country and western music when George Jones, Johnny Cash, and their ilk ruled the airwaves and parlayed their fame into television spots and even shows. Dolly Parton, one of SXSW’s most anticipated performers, also makes appearances in the film, as does Lynn and many, many more....

While a great deal of lip service is paid to “Keeping Austin Weird,” how did Austin manage to get so weird, anyway, and how far have we strayed from that great flashpoint of weirdness, the sixties? This special installment of Music Mondays at the Alamo Drafthouse will answer all this and more, with a presentation of the film Dirt Road to Psychedelia by director Scott Conn....

Truthfully, every week is shark week in our hearts and minds, but this week brings with it a very special engagement of the eco-mentary Sharkwater, which follows the often dangerous, sometimes illegal, but always passionate pursuit of two men to save our fine finned friends of the big blue sea from imminent destruction at the hands of careless humans....

Think a giant, disembodied penis coming out of the sky to crush a frantic little animated cinnamon bun is funny? If you said "no", quit trying to act all genteel and get over to the Alamo Downtown for this year's edition of Spike and Mike's Sick & Twisted animation fest....

Today's Mega News Bits by Patrick Dentler and Rebecca Onion Asian markets fall; the Fed is really, really worried. Not convinced Giuliani's a dangerous, power-mad nutcase? Read this. The Great iPhone Heist! Tom Brady limps through the streets of New York with a walking boot on his foot. (The question is, what the hell was he doing in enemy territory in the first place?) Unhappy news for pregnant ladies, those who must inhabit the......

Local production company Action Figure might not be a household name yet, but we bet you know their work. The group, based in (where else) East Austin, has produced shows like "Rollergirls" for A&E, and the Lone Star Grammy nominated show "Downtown" for KLRU/PBS. They're also not too shabby when it comes to dabbling in the music video market: their work for Okkervil River's "Our Life Is Not a Movie (Or Maybe)" made the e-rounds late last year, and this year, a company video they produced found its way into the hearts of local DJ duo Ocelot Mthrfckrs. ...

City Council is considering a proposal that would revise the zoning regulations on East 12th Street along the lines of the recent revisions to the zoning regulations on East 11th Street (item 44 on the agenda). The new regulations would apply between I-35 an Poquito St. and would generally allow for mid-rise construction along 12th Street. ...

What's not to love about that hairy chest and denim jacket?...

With the faith of a thousand men, Pastor Richard Gazowsky set out ten years ago on a divine mission: to make the greatest film ever made. Nevermind that the first film he ever saw was The Lion King, at the tender age of 40. Nevermind that he had absolutely no background in directing, editing, or producing an epic so grand that it's concept was enthusiastically described as "The Ten Commandments meets Star Wars." Nevermind that his only solid source of funding was the generous tithes of his congregation at the Voice of Pentecost Church....

The inimitably awesome Crispin Glover will be coming to the Alamo Downtown February 9 through 11, to screen two films he directed and to give an introductory slide show called "The Big Slide Show". After the films, he will answer questions. ("How did you get that way?" is probably off limits as a question.) ...

On April 4, 1968, America's greatest civil rights leader was shot dead in Memphis, Tennessee. The following evening, one man bridged the gap between societal injustice and misery, just by being one of the world's most inspiring performer. ...

Photo by smellyknee on flickr Sorry, Kucinich fans: Federal judge rules that he won't be on the Texas ballot. Downtown oil-spill sends 1,500 gallons of oil into Waller Creek, and it is still unclear where the oil came from. City of Hutto signs U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Seven City of Austin employees alter vehicle inspection stickers, get arrested. Search is still on for Lewisville dad who killed his two daughters; on New Year's Eve......

City crews are working to clean up the ruptured water line that caused thousands of gallons of an oil and water mix to spill onto Sixth Street and into Waller Creek. It could take up to twelve more hours before the clean-up is complete, and businesses in the area are likely to be without water as the line is fixed....

It seems most of the Republican candidates are bent on showing Iran the gates of Hell. The Onion editor is moving to Moveon.org. What the deuce? Kerry endorses Obama and no one cares, except Edwards. 6th Street between Brazos and Congress still closed due to oil spill. A what? Bush is desperately trying to make some kind of positive impression before being dismissed as the worst president in our history. Too little, too late......

We mentioned the plan a while ago, but it appears to have legs, so here we go again. Brewster is proposing creation of what he calls the "Austin Parking Enterprise." The city would partner with developers to own parking garages in buildings being developed. Initially, it would operate the Seaholm garage and any in the Green Water Treatment Plant redevelopment. We're scared that this proposal will mean more parking gets built, making downtown more car-centric and pedestrian-unfriendly than it already is. According to the proposed policies, the Parking Enterprise "should seek to maximize the availability of public parking" and "may finance more parking spaces than are required for an associated private development."...

There will be a town hall meeting for Phase One of the Downtown Austin Plan this Saturday morning at the Austin Convention Center. ROMA Design Group and HR&A Advisors will present their initial proposed downtown plan, including reshaping Downtown into unique districts, achieving affordable housing and moving forward with comprehensive transportation planning. There will be an awesome slideshow and sessions on transportation, affordable housing and the districts....

Sunday, 1/13, 10pm at the Alamo Downtown, the big Dick cast and Austin's premiere naughty boy band, Cedar Fever, will thrill and excite you with performances, sing-alongs, and heaven knows what else....

Tomorrow's screening of Real Genius with John Gries in attendance is totally sold out (*sad face*). But cheer up--you can still enter our contest for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the 9:45pm screening of Napoleon Dynamite AND a pair of pajamas autographed by Laslo Hollyfeld himself!...

Tonight at the Alamo Downtown, $2 Music Monday will feature a documentary by local filmmaker Samuel Wainwright Douglas: Holy Modal Rounders: Bound to Lose. ...

Any publicity is good publicity. Such is the case with Director Brian De Palma's newest controversy du jour, Redacted, which will see a limited run at the Alamo Downtown starting this evening. This film has garnered both praise and outrage from a varied panel of critics, earning the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival for De Palma and the scorn of conservative pundit Bill O'Reilly and the Boycott Redacted crew....

As if this weather hasn't been enough to get even the laziest of Austinites out and running, Paul Carrozza and his team over at RunTex are creating even more reasons to get out and about in 2008. Over the course of this month, the Lake Austin Boulevard RunTex will be stripped of its retail shelves—in its place will be a running institution aimed at consulting, training, and creating various fitness programs and seminars for local athletes....