Sometime between September 11, 2001 and the start of the Iraq War—which “celebrates” its 8th anniversary in three weeks—I suffered a personal tragedy. Some asshole broke into my beater, an ’88 Subaru wagon with about 200,000 miles on it, and stole the radio. Installing a new car radio would’ve cost me about twice the value of the car itself. On the other hand, not having a radio at all was a loss I could not put a price on. As a compromise, I trotted over to The Shack and, for less than $20, acquired a transistor. Now that I think about it, the theft probably occurred closer to 9/11, because I have this memory of myself, totally freaked out, trying to wrap my head around all sorts of things: tumbling buildings, thousands dead, and the goddamn motherfucking Bush administration’s insane proclamations and response informing us, among other things, that the way to combat terrorism was to go to the mall. more ›

Cine Las Americas is hosting a special screening of the critically acclaimed Letters from the Other Side. The documentary on Mexican immigration was directed by Austinite Heather Courtney. The free screening at the George Washington Carver Museum is open to the public and will feature a Q&A with women featured in the film, with a reception to follow. Beyond just a screening, the evening is a celebration of sorts, as the women from the... more ›

We are big supporters of our local Public Broadcasting Station KLRU. From Charlie Rose to Austin City Limits, we constantly find engaging, informative and entertaining programming to satisfy our television fix. But KLRU is more than just a television station; it is a part of the community. Exhibit A: Spark: KLRU's Engaging Speakers Series, formerly known as the Distinguished Speaker Series. We have been fortunate enough to attend a couple of these speaker events... more ›

The Austinist grew up with Sesame Street. We could even say we on it, and there are still VHS tapes of old recorded episodes in our parents’ house. So when we heard about the proposed budget cut for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, we were more than a little appalled. more ›

Soon, we'll be able to add the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and all the good they've done this country to the list of progressive measures our country has taken over the last 100 years, a list that already includes Social Security, the Kyoto treaty, and innumerous social and governmental practices, that the Bush administration has attempted to dismantle. In what seems to us like an effort to silence all dissenting press, even if that source of that press happens to be regarded as one of the most balanced and fair in the entire world, the House has just voted to slash funding to the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, the organization that provides funding to PBS and NPR, and thus to things like Sesame Street, All Things Considered, and Austin's own KUT. more ›