Image from RCIS.org Solar Austin Happy HourTuesday, November 6Artz Rib House [map]6:30-8:30pm[info]Solar Austin gathers for their monthly happy hour Tuesday at Artz Rib House. Renowned science fiction author and founder of Viridian Design Movement, Bruce Sterling, will be the featured and the topic will be Future Trends in Solar. Best known for his eight science fiction novels, Mr. Sterling is also a contributing editor of WIRED magazine and a columnist for MAKE magazine. He has......

Donald Trump and The Apprentice have nothing on screenwriter Mateo Gil (Vanilla Sky, The Sea Inside). Gil zeroes in on the paranoia of office politics and brutal selection processes that force contestants to adhere to strict, snazzy dress codes in El Metodo, a critically acclaimed film that was released in Spain two years ago. The New York Times apparently labeled the movie as a comedy-laced suspense drama. For those of us that were not......

We first fell for Chef David Lebovitz's sweet masterpieces during a Central Market cooking class, but his talent is no secret. More than 12 years at the famed Chez Panisse and his passion for sharing his food philosophies regarding seasonal, sustainable farm-fresh foods in print have garnered him recognition from publications including Bon Appétit, Food and Wine and the New York Times, and he was named one of the "Top Five Pastry Chefs in the......

Short one this week. I read in The New York Times Online (5/28/07) that CD sales have fallen more than 20% this year--the most precipitous drop in the format's history--and that the big music conglomerates, or at least the ones not in the process of being bought or sold, are having to get creative. Steps taken include: taking cuts of their artists' profits outside of album sales (touring, merchandise, and licensing profits), finding new......

Since unleashing the Peter Gabriel-like "Staring At The Sun" in 2003, TV On The Radio has done just about everything an indie band can hope for. They've released two lauded albums, made the major label jump, opened for the Pixies, recorded with David Bowie, and won the Shortlist Prize. And while The Arcade Fire may be the most blogged about band of the last two years, one could argue that TVOTR may be the......

Nationally syndicated newspaper columnist, political reporter, and beloved Austinite Molly Ivins passed away in her home yesterday at the age of 62. In a remarkable career that spanned nearly four decades, Ivins commanded the respect and admiration of a devoted national readership, who rallied around her unapologetically liberal, often satirical, and always insightful coverage of the Texas "Lege" and our leaders in Washington. Among various and sundry positions held, Ivins served as co-editor of the......

We know we’re a few days late in telling you this, but just to remind you, The New York Times has decided to allow all readers free access to the NYT Select section. The offer runs through this Sunday and gives you the opportunity to read Select columns, such as Maureen Dowd’s – today she has a great piece about how, after watching little W. fuck up so badly over the past few years, Papa......

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......

The New York Times suddenly has a hankering for Texas food. Over the past ten days, three separate articles have praised the virtues of everything from Salt Lick BBQ sauce to Whataburger. You foodies may not consider these items haute cuisine, but it's exotic enough to get attention, we suppose. Other objects of the Times' devotion include Blue Bell Ice Cream and Shiner Bock. We take all of these items for granted, so it's......

The only thing we enjoy more than giving our own opinion is picking the nits in others’ opinions. So imagine our delight when The New York Times published the results of its survey of “prominent writers, critics, editors, and other literary sages” to select the best work of American fiction from the past 25 years. Oh, so many plump, juicy nits to pick! From what constitutes a “work” to how to define “best.” The......

Their motto is, “Fight Fire. Fight Cholesterol. Fight Fat.” They are the five vegans of Team C at Firehouse 2, part of an Austin engine company of firefighters. And their motivation for turning to the glamour of a life filled with fruits and vegetables? Some broken hearts -- literally. Specialist James Rae discovered at age 37 that his cholesterol level placed him at risk for heart disease. This shocked him but didn’t necessarily surprise him:......

A man is arrested and charged for murdering his mother-in-law in 2001. Today is the busiest day the post office will have, as it is the last chance to mail those gifts if you want them to arrive before Christmas. If you want to give something back besides that pink bunny suit your aunt made for you, check out this list of organizations looking for volunteers that was compiled by The Statesman. After working......

The 8th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival starts tonight with the Texas premiere of the Chilean film Machuca playing at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum at 7pm. There is also an after party following the screening at Doña Emilia’s South American Bar and Grill (101 San Jacinto Blvd.) In case you aren’t familiar with the festival, it showcases the best of Latin American and indigenous cinema. The festival runs through the weekend......