Yesterday, everyone's favorite Texas Jewboy made headlines by supposedly endorsing Governor Rick Perry for president. It wasn't quite true, but nevertheless Kinky Friedman and the governor have more in common than you might realize. more ›

Infamous Texas humorist, Jewish cowboy, and recent candidate for both Texas Governor and Agriculture Commissioner , Kinky Friedman, plans to make an official endorsement in the Governor’s race, according to a number of sources. During his political career Friedman has campaigned as a Republican, Democrat and Independent, so this endorsement could finally shed a little light on where his true political motivations lie. Turns out it does, sort of. Kinky is forgoing the two top candidates in the governor's race to endorse Woodrow, a once-homeless rescue dog. The Woodrow for Texas Governor Campaign, united behind the motto "How Ruff Could it Be?”, is designed to help support Austin Pets Alive. more ›

Super sad news— we lost Lee Mannix, aka The Irish Dogfather, to a car crash earlier this week. I never had the pleasure of meeting Lee, but I know he rocked the worlds of many a pooch as he trained their humans to better understand them. Perhaps Lee’s best-known client is Kinky Friedman, who will be eulogizing the dog behaviorist later today. (Note: am posting this May 6, 2010, link to the details for the celebration of Lee’s life here.) In this town of mostly less-than-one-degree-of-separation, I happen to know Kinky, who has had a direct and incredible impact on my life. No, not through his writing and his politics, though these amuse me. The thing that really binds us is our shared love of dogs. More to a point, because of Kinky’s animal rescue efforts, I have come to live with a dog that, for the three years she’s been alive, has easily won two annual international contests: Cutest Dog on the Planet and Dumbest Dog on the Planet. more ›

Early voting has only just begun, but the exit of five aides from the Farouk Shami campaign signal the Democratic primary for Texas governor has pretty much ended. The Shami campaign implosion was triggered by leaked emails that portrayed a campaign in disarray and out of control of its message. more ›

Businessman Farouk Shami and former Houston mayor Bill White are now alone (as of now) in their race for the Democratic nomination for governor; Kinky Friedman has chosen to instead focus on the race for State Agriculture Commissioner. He will face off on the Democratic ticket with Hank Gilbert (who was also considering a run for governor). Friedman hasn't endorsed any gubernatorial candidate, but said, "There is a clear alternative for the people of Texas, and today I'm changing courses with a happy heart." [Texas Tribune] more ›

Kinky Friedman made the rumors official this week when he announced that he plans to run for Governor again, this time as a Democrat. While the Democrats aren't receiving as much attention as Perry and Hutchison, the number of people planning to run in the Dem primary has slowly grown. The list Friedman is joining includes Tom Schieffer, teacher Felix Alvarado, former candidate for Ag Commissioner Hank Gilbert, and former candidate for Railroad Commissioner Mark Thompson. Kinky and his pal Willie Nelson already have a fundraiser planned for mid-September. [Politico] more ›

Sunday morning at the First Unitarian Universalist Church in north Austin found Richard S. “Kinky” Friedman preaching to the choir: like-minded voters seeking a change at the Governor’s Mansion. In 2006, Kinky Friedman, billed at this public affairs forum as the “The Cowboy Philosopher,” ran as an Independent. He lost to Rick Perry. He said, “I made a mistake not running as a Democrat” and strongly hinted he would correct that misstep this time. Taking aim at Governor Perry, he began by telling the crowd of 150 that he was getting older and had been working on his will. He said, “I have requested that when I die, I am to be cremated and the ashes are to be thrown into Rick Perry’s hair. A “listening tour” throughout Texas is his plan to get the grass roots excited. He also talked about his animal rescue efforts at the Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch and wants to make Texas a no kill state. Kinky even read a story about his mother from one of his books. more ›

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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

- 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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

• A professor at UC Davis was awarded a grant to study the relationship between music and emotion. For instance- why do some people get turned on by R. Kelly while it makes us other people want to vomit?
• Every kid's dream came true for 6-year-old Michael James Emanuel Jr. who was left behind at a Chuck E. Cheese on his birthday. His 23-year-old mother didn't even realize Junior was missing until the following morning.
• A survey administered in the US apparently indicates that us young folk like the iPods more than the beer. We call bullshit, we want proof. An iPod has no power to get one laid.
• A man woman in prison for murdering his her wife is suing the state in an attempt to get them to foot the bill for a sex change. Now, in an all-male prison, we wonder what fantasies are going to get fulfilled.
• Your mom can't tell you that smoking pot is going to give you cancer the same way she warns you about cigarettes. A recent study reveals that there is not a correlation between the two. Couch-potato-syndrome, however, is yet to be dertermined.
• KISS sells out! (Like that's new.) But this time it's...weird.
• The World Cup starts today! Time to go out with your mates, get pished at the bar, get in a swedge with the blokes wearing the wrong colored scarves, then stagger home and pass out before the match starts. reference.
• Carole Keeton Strayhorn wants to be listed as Grandma on the ballot, but the law says that a candidate has to be known by that nickname for at least 3 years. Kinky Friedman calls it a campaign slogan and inappropriate for the ballot.
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For those who think Kinky Friedman is not serious about changing the face of politics as we know it in Texas, he's got news for you. His ideas about taking back government for the people and marginalizing special interest groups have taken form in his recently expressed platform. Some of his main ideas for "taking Texas back to its independent roots," include the following: publicly-financed political campaigns a two-year lobbying ban for state officeholders... more ›

Random figures collected over the past two weeks: Number of voter signatures collected by Kinky Friedman's staff: 169,574 [reference] Percentage of Americans who believe that "things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track," according to a new Harris poll: 69% [reference] Minimum cost of new sprinkler system to be installed in Zilker Park over the next three years, perhaps eventually rendering ACL Fest actually bearable: $500,000 [reference] Minimum peak computing power of... more ›