Former Austin mayor and current Texas State Senator Kirk Watson made an appearance on MSNBC last night after officially endorsing Senator Barack Obama. When asked by Chris Matthews to list just a few of Obama's legislative accomplishments, Watson looks stumped, and then only manages to respond with a weak, 'Well, I am not going to be able to name you specific items." From the Huffington Post: But he was unable to answer Chris Matthews......

Yes we can ... win 3 primaries for delegates in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. Texas State still wants a "body farm" in San Marcos. Wait, what's San Marcos currently? Prison escapee Abel Morin caught in South Texas yesterday. Researchers are revealing hidden complexities behind the simple act of kissing, which relays powerful messages to your brain, body and partner....

Photo by Osei (Ozzy) on flickrLast summer, a Glamour magazine staffer in New York City sparked controversy during a lunchtime talk on appropriate business attire when she told listeners that Afros were a "Glamour don't." When the story started showing up online, Glamour, which is known for supporting diversity, scrambled to respond to the many women who wrote to express their anger and dismay. Ultimately, the staffer left Glamour. Then last November, the magazine put......

"Unfortunately, no one watches it": NBC's head entertainment honcho seems pessimistic about the chances of a third season of Austin-filmed Friday Night Lights. KLRU's Tom Spencer to head up Austin Area Interreligious Ministries. All of the City's diesel fleet will soon run on bio-diesel. 17-year-old charged with two counts of sexual assault on the Texas State campus....

Seven-year-old boy found injured under "suspicious circumstances" at local charter school yesterday. Pedestrian hit this morning on Burnet Road. Now Gov. Perry is backing McCain (if anyone cares). Watch it now: Austin added to Homeland Security's list of cities with a high risk of terrorist attack....

Artists, take note: When in doubt about how to price your work, go high. ...

After an automobile accident Sunday morning in San Antonio, paramedics placed a yellow tarp over the body of Texas State student and Austinite Erica N. Smith, thinking her dead. When the medical examiner came to investigate the scene of the accident over an hour later, she discovered that Smith was still alive. Smith was immediately sent to a hospital, where she died from her wounds Monday afternoon....

The state fish of Texas, the Guadalupe Bass, is close to extinction according to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. The species was endangered when it was made the official state fish in 1989. Re-stocking efforts in two Central Texas streams led to inter-species mating with small-mouth bass. ...

Former Dallas resident Nancy Rose McGowan, 26, was thrown in Travis County Jail yesterday after authorities discovered that she lacked a state board license and, more disconcertingly, any kind of formal education in pharmacy work whatsoever. McGowan had been working at the CVS Pharmacy at 4405 E. Riverside Drive for the past two months, and actively filled prescriptions using the names "Amber Mclendon" and "Amber Shcherbelis."...

Score one more for the acquisitions team at the Harry Ransom Center. Yesterday morning, the UT facility announced that it had purchased the papers of Tim O'Brien, American novelist and resident of Central Texas. O'Brien teaches at Texas State University in San Marcos....

Photo by @n@bou on flickrThe Longhorn volleyball team carries a 20-match win streak into the opening round of NCAA tournament play tonight against Texas State at 6:30 pm at Gregory Gym. Texas (24-3) is ranked third in the country and is the top seed in their region of the tournament. The Longhorns are led by five first-team all-conference players -- Juliann Faucette, Ashley Engle, Destinee Hooker, Michelle Moriarty and Lauren Paolini -- as well as......

Flyer courtesy Downtown Austin Alliance Holiday Sing-Along, Tree Lighting and Congress Ave. StrollSaturday, December 1Texas State Capitol (1100 Congress Ave)6-9pm[info]The annual Holiday Sing-Along, Capitol Tree Lighting and Congress Avenue Stroll takes place tomorrow evening. Here's the schedule of events, courtesy the good people at the Downtown Austin Alliance: The evening starts at 6:00 p.m. when crowds gather on the south steps of the Capitol to sing the songs of the season during John Aielli's Holiday......

Tomorrow, November 3rd, the Step It Up Campaign gathers once again to see which of our politicians are stepping up and taking action about global warming. Following up on the first event back in April, the campaign unites ordinary folks concerned about global warming and demanding action from the candidates of 2008 to take bold steps on climate change. Millions will be gathering across the country to address representatives on three key priorities to stop......

Four suspects have been arrested for the Wachovia Bank robbery yesterday. Probable murder-suicide in San Marcos; the couple was found by their teenage daughter last night. Student group at Texas State wants the right to carry guns around campus and to classes. This evening KEYE becomes the first Austin TV station to show local news in hi-def. It will still look the same on our old-school TV. Johns Hopkins calls Johnston High School (and......

A new 668-page report by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission has declared that Texas has too many state reports. The 18-month-long project surveyed over 170 agencies, public colleges, and universities, all of whom are required by the State Legislature to generate a periodic report of some sort. The task force anticipated dealing with about 400 of these reports; the final tally exceeded 1,600 before investigators evidently decided they'd had enough. "At first, we......

Snake Eyes Vinyl is not a record store front for a dirty gambling outfit. Snake Eyes, in fact, is just another of those death metal illusions, like Whore of Babylon, Self Induced Pain, or Suicidal Failure. In fact, Snake Eyes Vinyl does specialize in the metal genre, specifically zeroing in on the black metal, death metal, thrash metal, doom, stoner rock, southern rock, crust, grind, power violence, fast core, hardcore, punk, classic punk rock, progressive,......

Okay--so there are a bunch cool things happening at the Austin Film Festival tonight, and a we wanted to let you know about a few last-minute tidbits and screening changes. *The Rebel is now playing at 9:45pm at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, NOT at the 9:30 Paramount slot we'd previously told you about. *The awesome narrative feature and 2007 AFF "Film Jury Narrative Feature Winner" Shotgun Stories is now playing at 9:45pm......

Strapped for cash after blowing the budget on $6 beers and pedicab rides last weekend? Or maybe you're just ready for a little air-conditioned peace and quiet after rubbing sweat with 65,000 other music lovers. Either way, on Sunday you can spend zero dollars and enjoy a break from live music by taking advantage of the 10th Annual Austin Museum Day. The event's 30 participating sites will incorporate a mix of art, history and......

Some of the city’s underexposed and underappreciated artists have come together for a special show opening Saturday at Gallery Lombardi. The offbeat Surprise Me includes a mixed bag of contemporary drawings, photos, sounds, videos, mixed media paintings and fiber art. Local artist Josh Rios helped organize the show and called on a few of friends to join him — Ryan Lauderdale, Rachel Cook and Corkey Sinks. Rios recently answered a few questions for Austinist about......

Citing "severe exhaustion," Amy Winehouse cancels entire North American tour... to the surprise of exactly no one Texas State scores highly in U.S. News' latest "America's Best Colleges" ranking Love 'em or hate 'em, those Gibson guitars scattered around town are going up for auction in October Armed man in Williamson County barricades himself in truck, prompting highway closure for nearly two hours Might the Marriott deal be on the chopping block? A horribly......

Welcome to the latest edition of Band Slam!, wherein I navigate the murky waters of Austin's club listings for the best and worst band names playing this week. The only rule: I can't know anything about the actual band, thus limiting my critique strictly to the band's chosen moniker. Let's get it on! MVSCLZ - Mohawk, 8/02 Not many people turning "V"s in "U"s these days--I guess it was more of a Roman thing.......

TXDOT plans to destroy the remnants of a 2,000 year old settlement near San Marcos Springs to build a road. Preliminary excavations showed signs of buildings from that era, which would be unique in Central Texas. Archeologists will get one last chance to study the remains before construction begins. Britt Bousman, director of Texas State University's Center for Archaeological Studies, said the heavy construction equipment used to build the road probably will significantly disturb, if......

This Thursday, May 17th at 7pm, Austin fixture Owen Egerton will be celebrating the release of How Best to Avoid Dying, his brand new collection of short stories, at BookPeople. The book is also the latest release for local publisher Dalton Publishing. They're offering a free peep of the book's first story, "Spelling," here. While the book itself is worthy of celebration, so too is its author. Egerton is one of Austin's renaissance men.......

Still not sure what to do for Mom for Mother's Day? No worries—there are plenty of filmtastic options. First, the Alamo Drafthouse is coming to your rescue with a Sabrina Mother’s Day Feast! The classic film starring Hepburn and Bogart (not the remake with Harrison Ford) is sure to be one of your mom’s faves, and even if it’s not, it will be soon—thanks to romantic tale and the delicious food set to accompany......

From the beginning of Time, it is said, carrion-eating birds have often been the bane of existence for many. Arabian legend tells us, for example, that the Bedouin of the desert have long seen the arrival of vultures as ill-fated prophecy, portending naught but certain doom. So too it is has always been for cowboys on the range in our home state of Texas, who have always associated circling buzzards with certain death and calamity.......

Celebrate the end of the spring semester with the Austin Independent School District, which is commemorating 125 years of existence. That's a whole lot of spitballs dodged, times tables taught, and citizens molded. The AISD is putting on an IMAX showing of a documentary called Teaching Austin: 125 Years of Public School Education, on Sunday at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum (you know, the building with the giant star that almost looks Soviet?).......

The Journals of Knud Rasmussen (Canada)Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, 7 PMThe last great shaman of the Inuit Avva and his beautiful and headstrong daughter Apak live on the verge of change in 1922. As the father is trying to resist encroachments upon his family and culture, a group of Danish scientists arrive to study and record his way of life. Explorer/adventurer Knud Rasmussen pays Avva a visit, accompanied by two fellow Danes: trader......

En El Hoyo | In the Pit (México)Bob Bullock Texas State Museum, 7 PMAccording to a Mexican legend, the devil asks for one soul for every bridge that is built, as a guarantee for the bridge’s durability. In Juan Carlos Rulfo’s documentary In the Pit this old legend takes on new meaning. Made of more than 17 kilometers of asphalt, the Second Deck is a major urban project set to transform Mexico City. The most......

If Texas State University gets their way, in a few months, the river and beer won't be the only thing you smell while driving through San Marcos. Plans are currently in the works by TSU to create a 17-acre "body farm", a forensic field laboratory used to examine and study decomposing corpses. The field will be placed along Highway 21, at the university's horticultural center. The Statesman reported that University Provost Perry Moore told local......

Tomorrow, across the country, people are going to be gathering to encourage the gov't to take decisive action on global warming. The organizers of this action, one of whom is climate change prophet Bill McKibben, say that there are 1,367 separate rallies planned for tomorrow across the country. One of those will be in Austin, in front of the Statehouse at noon. Convinced, like all scientists and most sentient beings, that global warming is a......