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January's a Drag!
In the spirit of corporate-concocted holidays (cough cough Sweetest Day cough cough), Logo, MTV's very-own gay channel, is promoting January as Drag History Month. Logo's hot-topic, philanthropic, anthropologic creation could be construed as a marketing scheme to get us watching RuPaul's Drag Race. But honey, we're already there! An open letter to Logo's Marketing VP:
Dear Handsome,I was going to blog about it anyway. You didn't have to create some co*ckamamie fake holiday month to get me to pay attention.Love,
Andy
P.S.: Send rubbers and uppers
10:15AM Wed. Jan. 7, 2009,Andy Campbell Read More | Comment »
Duhduh
I know, I know. I should be blogging about the gaywads hot for Richardson's freshly vacated seat at the Obama roundtable, but this is so much more tintinizing:Matthew Parris in today's TimesOnline lays out a great case regarding the sexuality of everyone's favorite errrr, uhh, em, epicene, globetrotting, jaunty-sweater-wearing junior journalist with the Something-About-Mary hairdo: Tintin.And darned if he isn't; a case could certainly be made for his fans.
9:35AM Wed. Jan. 7, 2009,Kate X Messer Read More | Comment »
Edward Tufte in Town
Edward Tufte, the Yalie proffie, will be in Austin January 26th and 27th offering a seminar on information design. What can I say, this guy is a genius. His book, Envisioning Information changed the way I think about information and design! For a "measly" $380 ($200 for students) you can attend and get all four of his books too! If you've got the cash, 'cause Lord knows I don't, please go. Then call me and tell me about it.
11:01PM Tue. Jan. 6, 2009,Andy Campbell Read More | Comment »
TODAY'S EVENTS
Austin Public Pools Opening
Multiple locations
Sydney Wright at Geraldine's
24 Hour Party People at Hotel Vegas
MUSIC | MOVIES | ARTS | COMMUNITY
My Worst Nightmare
I think we all have those horrible dreams where we are stuck somewhere naked in public. In my personal nightmare I am always stuck at school with no pants. I then comfort myself with reality. It never happens, right?Wrong. Some poor dude in his 40s was suspended half naked from a ski lift in Vail, Colorado on New Years Day, thereby dashing all my midnight nightmare comforts.
6:21PM Tue. Jan. 6, 2009,Ash Bell Read More | Comment »
Texas Film Hall of Fame Class of '09
When you've helmed one of the biggest movies of the year, everything after is probably a comedown. But at least Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke has something new to look forward to –induction into the Texas Film Hall of Fame! The UT graduate and McAllen native will be joined by film and TV legends Powers Boothe (Red Dawn) and Larry Hagman (Dallas) in the TFHoF's class of 2009.The ceremony typically takes place on the Friday night the SXSW Film Festival kicks off, but the Austin Film Society announced that this year's shindig will take place on Thursday, March 12 – which means no more painful choosing between the Hall of Fame's stars and open bars and SXSW's opening night films. Best of every world, I tell ya.
5:35PM Tue. Jan. 6, 2009,Kimberley Jones Read More | Comment »
Straus and the Changing of the Guard
Speaker-apparent Rep. Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, couldn't be much more of a change from Speaker Tom Craddick. A fiscal conservative who is not in debt to the social reactionaries, 16 years and 18 lege sessions Craddick's junior, and from a major urban district: But, most importantly, it's not hard to find Democrats with something good to say about him.Austin legislators Donna Howard and Mark Strama were amongst the first wave of Straus supporters, and both have worked with him in the past. Howard explained her enthusiasm about his speakership. She said, "Joe happens to have a moderate record, but he is a conservative. So it's not so much about ideology and more about the conducting of our business."Strama was equally enthusiastic about what Straus could mean for the future of the House. "Having an urban representative in the speaker's chair makes some difference," he said. Calling him "moderate in temperament" but conservative in ideology, Strama noted that his ascension was a changing of the guard. Just after yesterday's press conference (and before the last rivals withdrew) Strama said:
"Joe is relatively junior, but I also think that's an advantage, because he doesn't have any of the baggage from some of the knock-down, drag-out battles of the last few sessions. He's a true Republican, a conservative, and he's going to have a lot of appeal to the Republican caucus once they get over the fact that he defeated Tom Craddick.
5:14PM Tue. Jan. 6, 2009,Richard Whittaker Read More | Comment »
NEWSLETTERS
Happy Twelfth Night
Happy Twelfth Night, y'all! Today (12th Day, the 12th day after Christmas) is the Epiphany and the former "official" close of the Christmas holiday season. In our house, it's when the tree and lights come down.It's also the official kick off to Mardi Gras.
2:18PM Tue. Jan. 6, 2009,Kate X Messer Read More | Comment »
Local B-Boy Film Picked Up By MTV
Local filmmaker Marcy Garriott sends word that her film Inside the Circle will begin airing on MTV this weekend. The locally produced film about the grassroots hip-hop movement in Texas was a fan favorite at SXSW and other film festivals. Screenings begin Sunday, Jan. 11 at 8am and 6pm, with additional screenings on Jan. 12, 14, and 15. Check local listings for more dates and times.
12:08PM Tue. Jan. 6, 2009,Belinda Acosta Read More | Comment »
UPDATE: Last Straus Opponents Withdraw
With the official tally for Rep. Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, for speaker at 99 pledged votes, Reps. Dan Gattis, R-Georgetown, and John Smithee, R-Amarillo, have released this joint statement:
It has become apparent in the last 12 hours that Rep. Straus carries enough votes to become the speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, and that any effort to challenge him is not in the best interest of the Texas House. As a result we are both withdrawing our candidacies for speaker. Our priority is to take the focus off speaker politics and concentrate on how we can best serve the people of Texas in the 81st Legislature.
UPDATE: Straus himself quickly issued a press release of his own, praising Smithee who had become the nearest thing he had to a challenger.
"John Smithee is my friend and a highly respected leader in the House. I appreciated his courteous phone call moments ago and notification of his withdrawal. John's difficult decision and gracious gesture is another step towards unity in the House."
So, there you go. As of Jan. 13 and barring any disasters, it will be Speaker Joe Straus.
6:40PM Mon. Jan. 5, 2009,Richard Whittaker Read More | Comment »
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