Popular: The posts that got people talking, ranked by your recommendations and comments.
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We Think The Travis County Tax Office Is Almost Unreasonably Pleasant
Austin residents have many occasions to visit the Travis County Tax Office, most of them related to various painful monetary procedures. The bloodletting starts at property taxes, expands to vehicle registration (where you are charged $3.00 extra for using your credit card) and veers into more benign (if dull) territories with services related to vehicle titles, voter registration, and other hallmarks of democracy that are nonetheless stultifying.
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Indie Picks: At The Movies This Weekend
Tilda Swinton stars in We Need To Talk About Kevin (Oscilloscope).
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Stratfor, One Month After Total Meltdown, Faces Lawsuit
The bad news for Austin-based security intelligence company Stratfor began on Christmas Eve, when the hacker collective Anonymous hacked their servers and posted 4,000 stolen credit card numbers. And now, a suit has surfaced against Stratfor for $50 million, directed to the 2.7 million customers whose information was hijacked. Stratfor has, in return, offered the plaintiff a firm $349, the cost of Stratfor's services. This huge dismissal may have something to do with the fact that the lawsuit was filed in New York, something Stratfor disagrees strongly with (we assume because they make terrible salsa?). They filed a countersuit Monday to have all hearings moved to Texas where the hack "occurred."
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Film & Wine: Alamo Drafthouse Unveils New Wine Line at Princess Bride Event
With an expert blend of humor, romance, fun and booze, the Alamo Drafthouse is hosting a Princess Bride Quote Along Feast in honor of Valentine’s Day and will simultaneously roll out their new signature line of wine.
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Gallery Black Lagoon - Dimensions: Constructed Exploration & The Painted Print
Jonathan Sanders’ wife calls him “a hoarder of random objects.” If that statement is true, then Sanders has impeccable taste in weathered pipes and tree branches, which make their way into his sculptures. Fusing found items such as railroad spikes, insect-devoured wood, and corroded pipes to concrete, steel, and even resin, Sanders constructs pieces with modern, architectural lines. His Constructed Exploration exhibition opens at Gallery Black Lagoon tonight, 7-10pm.
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White Denim Provide Soundtrack For Women Slipping Out of Their Tops Just So
Like the whole "I read it for the articles" self-justification surrounding Playboy in its early days, The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, first debuting in 1964, had its presence explained on the kitchen table by the fact that "It only comes out once a year, honey, relax" and plus "the photography is really good...look at how beautiful these beaches are!" and it was an excellent showcase for swimwear, albeit swimwear that is always peeling off and being clutched to the bosom of Tyra Banks or another model with bedroom eyes, appendages stuck in sexy contortions out in the Caribbean.
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Ron Paul Wants You To Know He Is Still Not a Bigot
Everyone’s favorite perennial Republican dark horse, Ron Paul, may have made some odd friends on the road to marginal relevance.
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Novelist Jackie Luckett Talks with ZZ Packer Tonight at BookPeople
If you’re wondering what to do with your Saturday night, why not make good on your New Year's resolution (the one that says: Read more, Facebook less) and get thee to a local bookstore. ZZ Packer makes an appearance at BookPeople tonight at 7 pm, thanks to American Short Fiction, where she'll be talking with writer Jacqueline Luckett about Luckett’s second novel, Passing Love
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King Kahn And The Shrines [Show Preview]
The molten garage howl of King Kahn and the Shrines touches down at the Mohawk tonight. After a contentious, internet-induced break up with longtime collaborator, BBQ Show (aka Mark Sultan), Kahn tours again with a new Scion A/V EP. Somewhere at the intersection where The Sonics meet Stax Records, Kahn and the Shrines a reputation for a cage match live show without the cage. Rock and roll super exes, Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed once asked them to "put back the danger into the devil's music”. Here’s your chance to witness a reverse exorcism.
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Weekly Music Pic(nic)ks - Lemonheads, Thurston Moore, More
The biggest music news this week concerns a three-day, monster music festival waaay out in a part of East Austin still untouched by fusion food carts. The Punx Picnic is a weekend and change of music and music and more music - 100+ bands, and camping, and pets are allowed, and it's all ages and kids under 14 are free. Also: "Carnival, Sideshows, Devil’s Drop Half-Pipe, Overnight Camping; Local Food & Treats Vendors, Punk Wear, Record Shops, Tattoo Parlors, Smoke supplies. no Expensive Beer Vendors, Bring Your Own Cooler Stocked!~BYOB!!" So maybe you will find some food carts, but D.I.Y. or die.
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Drink: Alamo Drafthouse Launches Movie-Inspired Wine Line
After conquering its quest to deliver the ultimate full service movie going experience, Alamo Drafthouse is venturing into unchartered territory with a recently announced signature line of wines.
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Gallery
Zola Jesus and Talk Normal at The Parish [Snapshots]
Zola Jesus played the Parish on Friday with openers Talk Normal and Technicolor Hearts. Here's our interview with Nika Danilova from the end of last year.
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Food: Free Antonelli's Cheese Plates This Week
In honor of Antonelli’s Cheese Shop’s second anniversary, various restaurants throughout Austin will be offering free cheese plates all week at the dates and times listed below. To prepare for this cheese extravaganza, we checked in with Kendall from Antonelli's to learn more about how to pair cheeses with wine or beer.
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Wilco on Austin City Limits - Watch Now
That Austin City Limits taping of Wilco that we enjoyed? You can watch it now on PBS, or embedded below.
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Perry Spent 16 Mil on Campaign, Now Less Popular Than Ever
The Associated Press reports that “Rick Perry about as popular in Texas as Obama after failed bid for GOP presidential nom,” and the Tribune says that Perry's campaign cost all of $16 million, with most of that money going toward “TV ad buys." Which, in turn, means a whole lot of cash going toward what is pretty clearly the most “...the fuck?” ad of this campaign season.
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First West Austin Studio Tour Takes Place This Spring
Big Medium, the force behind the East Austin Studio Tour (EAST), is moving west of I-35 for the first West Austin Studio Tour (WEST). WEST, which will take place May 19 and 20, will be the spring counterpart for autumn’s EAST. Like EAST, WEST will be a free, self-guided tour of artist studios, galleries, and spaces. The boundaries for WEST are west of I-35, east of Mopac, south of HWY 183, and north of I-71/360.
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Unveiled: Yiying Lu's 2012 SXSW Interactive Big Bag Design
No interactive festival is complete without a swag bag or two, and the SXSW Interactive tote has always been up to the task in being equal parts necessary and adorable. This year they will up the stakes in both regards, as the festival grows to staggering heights and the Big Bag wears a design from the reigning Queen of cute, Yiying Lu. The designer of the Twitter fail whale (which she originally made for a dearly missed friend overseas)came to the festival for the first time last year where the amazement kept her up for days and said the experience to her "felt like [being] one of those whack-a-moles." And so here it is, artistic angle and all: the 2012 SXSW Interactive Big Bag.
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Literature - Arab Spring [Album Review]
After kicking around the local scene for a couple of years, Literature finally released a full-length last month, dropping it via bandcamp in the creative Chernobyl that extends roughly from December 26th to the middle of January. It's there now to download in any format at whatever price the buyer cares to pay, which is never not a good deal.
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Gallery
Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter: Behind the Scenes of Austin's Newest Film Venue
We're just about a month away from the opening of the newest Alamo Drafthouse location. The plans for Alamo Slaughter Lane were started almost four years ago, but had to be put on hold when the tanking economy called the entire shopping center development into question. The whole plaza, located in the Circle C neighborhood, is now starting to slowly come to life and this state-of-the-art theater opening next month, (filled to the brim with sustainable and more efficient features) will anchor it.
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Celebrate Valentine's Day at Hotel Saint Cecilia
This one will sell out fast, folks. If you and your honey love beautiful places, incredible food and wine, and romantic music as the backdrop to your evening, you're in luck: Hotel Saint Cecilia is planning a very special Valentine's Day event, and you're invited.
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Gallery
King Khan and the Shrines with The Jacuzzi Boys at Mohawk [Photos, Review]
Since 2000, King Khan has been spreading his love like peanut butter with the Shrines, a variously seven-, eight- and nine-member psychedelic soul band, with all the trappings (baritone sax, bad haircuts) to go with it.
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Redistricting "Compromise" Collapses [Politics]
Monday's federal court-dictated deadline for compromise on redrawn Congressional maps has come and gone with no agreement in sight. Among those still treading water is state Senator Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, who must be seriously questioning the power of prayer right now.
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More Honey: Jesus and Mary Chain are Playing SXSW
The kings (or dukes, maybe) of noise pop are coming to SXSW this year, say the Statesman and a bunch of other people. Prior to that the band will hit Denton, Houston, and L.A.
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University of Texas Memes Are Now A Thing
Admission during fall of 2011 at the University of Texas was about 51,000 students - that's a lot of people who can appreciate a good Bevo Bucks riff.
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Food (And Charity): Chef's Table Austin Auctions Fine Dining For African Relief Efforts
Austin-based charity Water To Thrive raises funds to build water wells in rural Africa. In their five-year existence, they have funded over 230 water projects providing water to 100,000 people. To promote the organization and to raise funds, the group is launching "Chef's Table Austin." The project is a two week auction of large multi-course meals at some of Austin's finest restaurants. While an invite-only event at The Austonian will kick off the bidding tonight, they're not leaving out the rest of the city - foodies can head to ChefsTableAustin.org to bid on one of the many dinners available.
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Music News: Metallica Picks On Austin for Orion Music Festival, Explosions In The Sky Tour
Today we received word that everyone's favorite thrash band that knows how to work through their feelings have created their own music festival. Entitled the Orion Music + More, the event will take place on June 23rd and 24th of this year in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
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Party with the Austin Chronicle Short Story Contest Winners
Find out who, out of all 567 entries, stood out the most in this year's contest at the Winners’ Party tonight at BookPeople (losers also welcome). Stay to hear first, second and third place read their winning pieces; afterwards, shmooze with local literati and enjoy free snacks.
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Roller Disco for a Cause on Thursday
If you've been secretly hiding a pair of old school roller skates under your bed, now's the time to whip 'em out and ride. This Thursday, UNITE!, Team Prohomo, Mouthfeel, Sir/Ma'am, and Alien She will bring together a rainbow assortment of queers for Roller Disco, a skate party and volunteer drive at the Millenium Youth Entertainment Complex.
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Don't Outsource, Insource with TaskRabbit
With the endless to-do of today threatening to smother you, any help is certainly appreciated. How about a network of people bidding to take care of some of your day to day? In March (just in time for South By) the online marketplace will launch in Austin, after building their presence in Boston, Chicago, and on the West Coast over the past 3 or so years. So how does TaskRabbit work?
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Tim and Eric on Fox 7's "Good Day"
Tim and Eric stopped by our local Fox affiliate this morning to talk about their new film Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie.
Tim and Eric Stop by Good Day: MyFoxAUSTIN.com
