Texas country music legend and one-time spiritual advisor to Kinky Friedman, Billy Joe Shaver was questioned by Waco-area police after a man was shot in the face near Papa Joe's Texas Saloon. Details about the shooting remain scarce, including any possible role that the Texas Country Music Hall of Famer might have had played in it, but Shaver's attorney reportedly confirmed his client's involvement. The Waco Tribune-Herald also quoted an anonymous truck driver yesterday,... more ›

SXSW Presents returns to KLRU TV tomorrow for its third season, with four brand new episodes slated to run through the end of February. The critically acclaimed series, hosted by SXSW Film Fest Producer Matt Dentler, showcases some today's finest examples of independent filmmaking, many of which have a local emphasis -- past epiodes have featured Viva Les Amis, 24 Hours on Craigslist, and Witches in Exile. BBQ: A Texas Love Story February 6th,... more ›

"UT spied on its non comformists and dissident students"Your every move is being watched. Scary thought, right? A thought we like to associate with Orwellian sci-fi or Alex Jones, but in recent years we've seen this idea become a reality. Little black boxes with blinking red lights are at traffic spots, street corners or up in trees making sure you're not up to any funny business. Now, in a democracy sans Habeas Corpus, we... more ›

WEDNESDAY [6] film • Amélie at Rounders Pizzeria (8pm,Free) city • Austin Community Cultural Planning Project Arts & Culture Round Table discussion at One Texas Center (505 Barton Springs Rd, RSVP, 7-9pm) music • Pirates vs. Ninjas, Jolly Garogers at Beerland (dress as a pirate or ninja and get in free) music • 101X Homegrown w/ Visitors, Driver F at Flamingo Cantina -1 music • Cut Club with free Mickey's at The Mohawk (10pm)... more ›

The Grand Old Party nearly swept the statewide race yesterday, led by Governor Rick Perry, who after beating Democratic nominee Chris Bell and independent candidates Kinky Friedman and Carole Keeton Strayhorn may very well become the longest-serving Governor in Texas. In a press conference this morning, Perry was vague when addressing rumors of a possible vice presidential bid, merely saying it was "up to the good Lord." Bell, who posted yesterday in his blog... more ›

We hardly think Wal-Mart will help revitalize anything. Say goodbye to the little shops in North Austin. Save Terra Toys! Dunkin' Donuts better step on the bandwagon. They're going to lose their biggest market to some greasy burgers. Anticipate headlines that read: Murders, Pedophiles and Stalkers on the Rise in Japan. They're getting MySpace. Soccer moms not the US Military will soon invade Iraq. Its safer than the suburbs. The FCC has decided that... more ›

If you vote for Rick Perry, and you’re not a Christian, you’re going to hell. At least according to the coiffed Governor of Texas. more ›

As the campaigns head to the wire, it's time for our batch of gubernatorial candidates to address the hot-button issues. With this political installment, let's see where the people who want to live in that big pretty house pictured above stand on dealing with sex crimes against children. more ›

Chris Bell recently received a $5 million donation commitment from Houston lawyer John O'Quinn. That oughta help. But what Bell knows would really help would be for Independent Kinky Friedman to bow out of the race, freeing up thousands of votes for the Democratic candidate. And he called the Jewish Cowboy yesterday to ask him to do just that. We imagine there are quite a few folks voting for Kinky who would normally vote... more ›

Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman recently stopped by the University of Texas, where he told students he would fight to legalize marijuana, add more National Guards to the border, and stand in favor of abortion rights. It seems that independent gubernatorial candidate Carol Cougar Keeton Strayhorn has been giving money to groups who oppose the very existence of Rick Perry and his policies. Libertarian gubernatorial candidate James Warner is planning on suing Belo Corporation... more ›

That guy in the black cowboy outfit is Kinky Friedman, speaking to students yesterday morning at UT's The Union Ballroom. more ›

UT’s great-great granny dies. And the moment we’ve all been waiting for...or maybe not. Help re-vamp UT spirit and go to the Torchlight Parade and Pep Rally: 8 p.m. Wednesday @ 25th and Guadalupe. And in case we win, de-code the UT tower. UT goes ALTRUISTIC: Go hungry so somebody else doesn’t have to! The Muslim Students’ Association presents the 5th Annual Fast-A-Thon Thursday, Oct. 5 6:30 p.m. @ the San Jacinto Multi-Purpose Room.... more ›

Apparently there has been a little scuttlebutt about whom Ann Richards was intending to endorse in the race for Governor of Texas. The children of the former governor released a statement today declaring that Ann had no intention of ever endorsing fellow smart-alec Kinky Friedman. more ›

Our new toll roads will officially open to traffic November 1st. According to a recent report from the FBI, the large city with the highest crime rate is our very own Dallas. The government is uploading anti-drug videos to youtube in another vain attempt to turn the tide on their war on drugs. Meanwhile, Kinky would like to legalize marijuana. NASA has postponed the Wednesday landing of the Atlantis due to the appearance of... more ›

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Bell is calling for an increase in the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7 an hour. Governor Rick Perry's re-election campaign has set its guns on Kinky, calling him a "flip-flopping politician." Kinky's camp responded by stating that he was offended by being called a politician. A representative of Chris Bell has called Kinky a "cokehead" and the Kinky camp responded by calling Bell "irrelevant." Sen. Arlen Spector's bill authorizing... more ›

- Despite some rumors that Wilco would headline Shiner's annual Bocktoberfest, the event's main act is...Godsmack. Well, yeah, that's pretty much the same as Wilco. We just feel sorry for the Old 97's, who seem to be the only good act on the bill. Ask for a keg in your rider, guys. By the way, the 97's will warm up for Shiner with a 10/13 gig at Stubb's. - Speaking of drinking, Kinky Friedman... more ›

Since 1996, the Texas Filmmakers’ Production Fund has awarded cash and production services to "emerging film and video artists in the state of Texas... whose work shows promise, skill, and creativity." The Austin Film Society recently announced the winners of its 2006 Production Fund; the awards panel, led by indie film legend Allison Anders, supplied 18 hard-working Texas filmmakers with $125,000 in goods and services, the largest amount the TFPF has awarded to date.... more ›

As gas prices skyrocket seemingly without end, and as air pollution becomes more and more of a health concern these days, the prospect of cheaper & cleaner renewable energy sources is becoming a serious issue with many Texans. The state now stands at a crossroads where it has to make a choice: Do we continue with the present energy policies, or do we seek out new solutions? Whomever we elect as governor this November will, to a large extent, determine our energy fate. So don’t waste your vote, good citizen! Inform thyself! more ›

Democratic goobernatorial candidate Chris Bell is demanding that Carole Keeton Cougar Rylander Strayhorn return $29,500 she received from members of the Zachry Family, which owns Zachry Construction Corp. Zachry Construction is involved in a partnership to develop the first phase of the Trans-Texas Corridor, which includes 4,000-plus miles of tollways. What bothers Bell is that this is the same project that Strayhorn has spoken out against publicly. In other Grandma Cougar news: Kinky wants... more ›

Gov. Rick Perry has stated that he has more than $10 million in campaign cash, while our friend Kinky has only about $491,000 on hand. A prisoner broke out of jail to wish his girlfriend a happy birthday. Romance is not dead. Officials in Jakarta failed to issue a tsunami warning despite receiving data about yesterday's earthquake 20 minutes before the first wave struck. The recent developments in the Middle East conflict have put... more ›

Secretary of State Roger Williams ruled today that Kinky can be "Kinky" but Carole Keeton Strayhorn Rylander Cougar Mellencamp will simply have to go by her given-name, not "Grandma." more ›

According to the announcement today by Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams, independent gubernatorial candidates Kinky Friedman and Carole Keeton Strayhorn have collected enough voter signatures to make the November election ballot. more ›

FRIDAY [16] [music] The Streets with Lady Sovereign at La Zona Rosa (link) [film] Raiders of the Lost Ark at Paramount Theatre (7:30pm) (link) [film] Sinus Show: Showgirls at Alamo Downtown (7pm & 10pm, $12.50) (link) [film] Rolling Roadshow: Curious George at Bushy Creek (8pm, Free) (link) [books] Kinky Friedman presents Cowboy Logic: The Wit and Wisdom of Kinky Friedman (and Some of His Friends) at BookPeople (7pm) (link) [music] Yuppie Pricks Beach Party with... more ›

• An anti-tax group called Citizens Lowering Our Unfair Taxes ("CLOUT") has filed suit against state lawmakers alleging illegal spending of our tax dollars over the last 28 years. According to CLOUT, lawmakers use inflated budget numbers to overspend and this leads to Texans being overtaxed.
• Democratic goober nominee Chris Bell has reported that his campaign received a donation of $100,000 from Houston oilman A. Earl Swift. According to the Texas Ethics Commission for the April 17 through May 15 period, Bell reported a total of $333,000. Carole Cougar Mellencamp reported $308,000, while Perry reported $375,000. Kinky Friedman? Roughly $149,000. In other Kinky news: Meet Kinky Friedman tonight at BookPeople at 7:00 p.m.
• The City of Austin Water Utility is part of a new water conservation program called WaterSense. Austin Water Utility, along with other national water suppliers and product manufacturers, is a member of a coalition that provided input and support for the program. High efficiency toilets hooray!
• Residents of Southwest Travis and Northern Hays County affected by water outages no longer need to boil their drinking water. LCRA lifted the boil-water notice Friday morning after test results from samples taken Thursday showed no contamination of the water. If your water is still cloudy Friday morning, LCRA officials say that's likely air in the water, and the cloudiness should disappear in a few minutes.
• An Austin civil rights group has filed suit against Secretary of State Roger Williams and Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir claiming that the Travis County's electronic voting system violates state law because it doesn't produce paper ballots. Two of the corporations that provide nearly all of the voting machines in the United States—ES&S and Diebold—are controlled by Republicans with strong ties to the Bush administration.

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... more ›