Flood waters threaten thousands in southern Mexico. Hurricane Noel will bring heavy rainfall to the East Coast. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice begs U.S. Diplomats to serve overseas. NASA plans a risky spacewalk to save a ripped solar wing at the international space station. Hollywood writers are set to declare a strike sometime today. Get ready for a reality television blitz! NBC Anchor Brian Williams is hosting SNL this week. The reunion show......

Madeleine L'Engle, best known for her 1963 Newbery Award-winning novel, A Wrinkle in Time, passed away last night at her home in Connecticut. L'Engle authored more than sixty books for kids of all ages. Other works included A Ring of Endless Light, a Newbery Honor Book, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet, winner of the American Book Award. L'Engle was named the 1998 recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards award, honoring her lifetime contribution in writing......

Saturday night at Stubb's will likely be awfully warm (the forecast shows around 90 degrees), but it's worth braving the August heat for this strong of a bill. For reasons unknown to us, Rufus Wainwright and Neko Case are both playing at Stubb's, a venue that either performer could likely play on their own. Rufus Wainwright is the moody, theatrical brother in the musical Wainwright clan, which includes father Loudon Wainwright III, sister Martha,......

Thanks to yesterday's freak thunderstorms and subsequent flooding, Barton Springs Pool is again closed. Barring another Barton Creek flood, the pool should reopen on Thursday, though we wouldn't bet on it: Austin's extended forecast shows scattered thunderstorms for at least 9 out of the next 10 days. In the meantime, Austin Parks and Recreation Department is keeping Deep Eddy Pool open for extended hours, from 6am-9pm daily. Admission is free between 6am-8am. Photo of Barton......

[Ed. Note: After being closed for flood cleanup, Barton Springs has re-opened today.] Last year, the City of Austin authorized the Barton Springs Master Plan, a project to find ways to better maintain and improve Austin's most treasured public pool. This past spring, the city hired architects to work with the pool's stakeholders (one of the most vocal being Friends of Barton Springs Pool) to develop the master plan. Tomorrow, during the pool's annual "Free......

Days since rains began: 44 Homes destroyed by flooding: 1,000 Flood-related deaths: 11 Estimated cost of damages in Burnet County alone: $30 million Number of emergency Texas National Guard soldiers activated by Governor Perry throughout the state: 250 Total impacted area, spanning North Texas to the Rio Grande Valley, in square miles: 48,000 Height, in feet above sea level, of Lake Travis when considered "full": 681 Height of Lake Travis on July 4th: 701......

Just like last year, Austin's in for another rainy July 4th. With Lake Travis still hovering around 700 feet above sea level and an estimated 2-4 inches of rain on the way, the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) is keeping all area lakes closed for boating, including Lake Austin and Town Lake. "Debris and high water from floodwaters make the lakes unsafe," reads the news bulletin post to LCRA's site this afternoon. "LCRA will......

Is it new information somehow that building in a flood-prone area is a really bad idea? 7/7/07 is only a few days away. We're certainly planning to get lucky one way or another. Does this sound familiar? Aggressiveness on trails certainly isn't new to us. Happy Marriage Tip #7: Do your chores. There 5 categories of Alcoholics...and we fit into all of them...somehow.......

FRIDAY [1] party • Rare Magazine Summer Issue Launch Party at Mean Eyed Cat (5:30pm) bikes • Republic of Texas Biker Rally at All Over Austin dance/benefit • Project Transitions Hosts 12th Annual Texas Swing at Saengerrunde Hall and Scholz’s Beer Garten ($40, 8-Midnight) art • Opening Reception: Cantanker/us, the Cantanker Magazine staff show at Else Madsen Gallery, 411 Brazos, Suite 99 (7-11pm) art • The B Scene at The Blanton Museum of Art,......

RTX will be at Emo's tonight supporting their new album, Western Xterminator. Led by Jennifer Herrema, RTX embodies the cream of the thrash 'em and trash 'em crop, and the latest album by the punk pioneers is one of their best yet. Herrema's old bandmate, a fella named Neil Haggerty, can be found on Bill Callahan's latest album, adding guitar and string arrangements, but her work is still just as hard as ever, blending......

MONDAY [2] books •Peggy Collins presents Help Is Not a Four-Letter Word at BookPeople (7:00pm) comedy •22nd Annual Funniest Person in Austin Contest at Cap City Comedy Club (Check site for lineup) film •Serge Gainsbourg Birthday Feast at Alamo Downtown film •"El Duce Vita" with The Mentors at Alamo Downtown food •Central Market Cooking Class: Midnight in the Garden of Food and Evil at Central Market Cooking School, 4001 N Lamar ($40, 6:30-9pm) music......

Yesterday's fickle weather looks like it'll stick around through the weekend: the National Weather Service has just issued a flash flood warning for Austin and much of Central Texas -- Blanco County Sheriffs are already reporting flash flooding over roads. Even more exciting, the NWS is also calling for a tornado watch until 6pm for much of Central Texas, including Travis and Williamson counties. Photo by Catarina Carvalho on flickr......

FRIDAY [9] art • Joey "Jo E" Santori paints a 6'x3' piece live while DJ O'Cal spins at Canvas Bar and Gallery (10am-6pm) art • Contemporary Art Trunk Show thru Feb. 11 at Art on 5th (10am-6pm) comedy • Bog Saget at The Paramount Theatre film • Master Pancake Debuts with Titanic at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown film • Weird Wednesday Reel One Viewing Party at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown film • Spike & Mike's Sick......

The freezing thunderstorms and errant tornados of last night have left Central Texas a sopping mess, with heavy flooding leaving people and cars stranded, and over a dozen roads closed. At least one woman is believed to have drowned in Waller Creek, while several homes and industrial buildings San Marcos were damaged by "tornadic winds" that touched down in the early morning. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning in effect......

The holidays are over, there's an all you can eat grackle buffet downtown, and it's January 9, the first proper release week of 2007. How fitting: the damned Canadians are dominating it. Neko Case Live From Austin, TX (New West Records) Though Case's recording from Austin City Limits is four years old (recorded originally in 2003), it stands as a testament to the unequivocal talent those not in the audience that night were privy......

FRIDAY [5] film • Sinus Show: Die Hard at Alamo Downtown (7pm & 10pm, $12.50) music • Amplified Heat, Lions, Full Stride, The Flood at Emo's (Inside) music • Grand Champeen, Quien Es Boom, The Fall Collection, The Alice Rose at Emo's (Lounge) music • Lemurs, The Lord Henry, Clap!Clap!, Lomita at Emo's (Outside) music • The Black & White Years, AUX, The Paper South, Aster Years at Stubb's music • Summer of Blood,......

Whether you think of it as a test run for SXSW, a belated Christmas present to local music fans, or an excuse to drink for seven days straight, Emo's Free Week kicks off today with a schedule of acts that reads like a who's-who of local punk, indie, and rock. As the showcases are all without cover, we'd recommend getting there early. Emo's Free Week January 2-8 603 Red River Tuesday, January 2 Inside:......

15. Mogwai - Mr. Beast (Matador) As ever, Mogwai manage to blend unadulterated post-rock weight to their shoegazer tendencies with tracks like "Glasgow Mega Snake" and "Folk Death 95," showcasing their ability to create anthems with no words. This is where Mr. Beast really shines, in between blistering chord progressions and gradual swings into corybantic climaxes. In some ways a throwback to earlier (and heavier) Mogwai material, Mr. Beast isn't merely a rock album.......

THURSDAY [7] music • Chicken Ranch Records, Obsolete Industries, Hold Fast, and 086 Studio present their Third Annual Christmas Shindig with The Ugly Beats, Automusik at Longbranch Inn ($5 or bring a new toy for Blue Santa, 8pm) music • Atomic Bitchwax, Pearls & Brass, Dixie Witch, The Flood at Emo's music • The Big Fix, O:A, Hellapeno at Stubb's music • Earl Greyhound, The Early Tapes, The Paper South at The Mohawk music......

So we come to the end of our series. Remember you can vote early through Friday, or of course you can wait to vote until Election Day next Tuesday. Proposition Seven in ballot lingo:“The issuance of $58,100,000 in tax supported General Obligation Bonds and Notes for constructing, renovating, improving, and equipping public safety facilities, including, without limitation, a public safety training facility, police stations, emergency medical services buildings and facilities, a municipal courthouse, an......

Continuing our look at the bonds up for vote in this election cycle. . . Proposition Two in ballot lingo:“The issuance of $145,000,000 in tax supported General Obligation Bonds and Notes for designing, constructing, and installing improvements and facilities for flood control, erosion control, water quality, and stormwater drainage, and acquiring land, open spaces, and interests in land and property necessary to do so, including, without limitation, acquisition of land including fee title and......

Local: The U.S. Commerce Secretary recently met with local Austin business leaders in an effort to push Bush's platform to control illegal immigration. One concern facing business owners will be their ability to find skilled workers who can claim legal status. In other local news that we mentioned a while back: Your house may now be located in a flood plain. State: Democratic candidate for governor Chris Bell believes that the four-way race for......

A water main in the downtown area ruptured last night, flooding the historic State Theatre on Congress Avenue. The stage (which includes the current Bunk Bed Brothers set, tentatively moved next door), first four rows of seating and backstage are underwater. Power and phone lines are also out. The Paramount Theatre wasn't affected. This is especially bad news given that the State Theatre is a non-profit, and likely has little or no funds to make......

Howard Hawks once defined a good movie as containing three great scenes and no bad ones. The Omen remake, which opens today, has only two great scenes (oddly, both of them involve food), and even they can’t stand up to the flood of mediocre-to-laughable action that transpires elsewhere in this interminable thing. Anyone remember the original, directed with style and pizazz by Richard Donner and starring the impeccable Gregory Peck? Just rent that movie,......

“The question is no longer if we're going to grow, but how we're going to grow - with transportation, open space housing affordability and city services.” – Mayor Will Wynn (during his recent re-election campaign) Major change is coming to Austin’s downtown area over the next few years, as we now begin to enter what is being referred to as “Austin’s next boom.” Already, as you read this, the new generation of residential towers......

The storms that slammed Austin last night cut a sizeable swath of destruction, uprooting trees, flooding major streets (we might as well have been swimming down South Lamar last night) and knocking out power across the city. The Statesman reports that roughly 17,000 customers remain without electricity as of 10am on Friday, with KXAN quoting Austin Energy saying that repairs may take up into nighttime. The Austin-Travis County Emergency Conditions Information Page lists several schools......

Wanna support health care, water projects, education, sustainable farming, solar energy, flood control dykes and experimental windmill projects in the village of Kolomiseed (in Az-Zawrat) on the Nile River in the northern province of Sudan but just don't have the time, resources or the money? Good news! Go get yourself some Nile Valley Herbs Hibiscus or Hibiscus Mint Tea and part of the proceeds from your purchase goes towards those projects and more. Ever......

Adding to the flood of entertainment options available this Saturday, some of Austin's most popular slam poets will be facing off to figure out who gets to represent our fair city at the National Poetry Slam this summer. On the bill for the event are Tony Jackson, Krissi Reeves, Big Poppa E, Zell Miller III, Erin Livingston, Christopher Lee, Genevieve Van Cleve, Da'Shade Moonbeam, Christopher Michael, Shannon Leigh, Andy Buck, and Ohio Jake --......

The bloated government agency known as FEMA recently issued a new set of preliminary floodplain maps for Travis County, moving some previously untouched properties into the new floodplain area and others out. If you're now in one of these sections of town, take heed: purchase flood insurance before the new maps are made official next year and you'll save a bit on rates. This applies to homeowners, renters and businessess. Tonight and tomorrow night, the......

We don't know about you, but we got completely soaked coming in to work today. We're sitting barefoot at the desk in front of a fan, hoping to dry off soon. We recommend taking your time on the roads, and keeping an eye on the City of Austin's emergency conditions page for road closure/flooding information. As of this posting, the flash flood warning for Travis County expires at noon. * Photo by Matt Wright......