Are you familiar with micro-blogging? We weren't, until we took the time to Google "Twitter," the word that seems to be on everyone's busy lips. Twitter is a social networking site that enables users to quickly (and briefly) update their blog and subscribers via SMS, IM or third party application. Updates are 140 characters or less, and while many Twitterers utilize the service for relaying meaningless information regarding their day to day life, a few of them have found that passing along information in the form of short link-based posts, event notifications or emergency situation news items. The Los Angeles Fire Dept. uses Twitter as a means of communication - a lesson they learned after the 2007 wildfires. Democratic presidential candidates John Edwards and Barack Obama both use Twitter, too. ...

One of our favorite authors, and national treasure, Sarah Vowell returns to Austin Friday night for a performance at the Paramount Theatre. In addition to authoring several outstanding non-fiction books (Radio On, The Partly Cloudy Patriot, Assassination Vacation), the dry-witted Planes Stater-by-birth, New Yorker-by-choice has applied her substantial intellect and rapier wit to work for This American Life, McSweeney’s, Believer Magazine, Esquire, GQ, The Los Angeles Times, The Village Voice, Spin and The New York......

We've a pair of tickets to give away for tonight's show at La Zona Rosa, featuring LA rockers Mardo and Kings X! Downloads: Mardo - Poor Paul [mp3] Mardo - Cold Creepin' [mp3] Check 'em out on their official website or MySpace, or their press release below: Lock up your daughters! Mardo are live-wire energy incarnate. Their unique brand of loud, unapologetic, swaggering rock has wowed audiences the world over and this is just......

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05100/485270.stm">The Los Angeles Times (the best place to get news about Austin) reports that a war is a'brewin' just a few miles North of our beautiful city. And it's all over a few little bugs. Fred Purcell, dentist turned land developer, has been prevented from developing his property by the discovery of several species of cave bug that may not exist anywhere else in the world. The bugs are protected by the Endangered Species......