Elizabeth S.

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• Posted <i>My Man Godfrey</i> & <i>Easy Living</i> [Comedy Classics at the Paramount this Week] to Austinist
  The Paramount continues their Depression-era comedy theme for the month with 1936's My Man Godfrey and 1937's Easy Living showing Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Both of these comedies throw everyday folk (if you can call a "forgotten man" everyday folk) into strange circumstances involving wealthy families.
• Posted <i>The Philadelphia Story</i> & <i>The Awful Truth</i> [Paramount Summer Classics] to Austinist
  Tonight and tomorrow night, the Paramount Theater will be screening two classic favorites starring Cary Grant: 1940's The Philadelphia Story and 1937's The Awful Truth. Both films feature Grant as a wealthy divorcee and both are certain to make you laugh.
• Posted Texas v. GM Bankruptcy [Extra Extra] to Austinist
  Texas AG Abbott filing against GM bankruptcy. Supreme Court won't take on the border fence case involving Texas counties. Hiring freeze: AISD no longer hiring teachers. Elsa Murano forced to resign as president of A&M? Elgin man arrested after robbing a topless dancer. APD launches web-based crime alerts.
• Posted Goran Bregovic and His Wedding and Funeral Orchestra, Wednesday Night [Giveaway] to Austinist
  World music icon Goran Bregovic is making a stop in Austin this week during his eight-city tour of the United States. We're giving away tickets for Wednesday's show . . . try your luck by filling in the form here.
• Commented on Scaffolding Accident in West Campus
  That's what I get for writing this while trying to watch "So You Think You Can Dance". (Also, it's technically "nitpick", as in picking nits, ewww.)...
• Posted Scaffolding Accident in West Campus to Austinist
  Four construction workers from the 21 Rio project were on scaffolding which partially collapsed this afternoon. Two of the men fell about eleven stories to their deaths, with a third dying later in the hospital. The fourth man sustained only minor injuries. So far the cause of the scaffolding collapse is unknown. [Statesman]...
• Posted It's On, Eventually [Special Session] to Austinist
  Today Gov. Perry announced to an unsurprised Capitol Press Corps that there will indeed be a legislative special session, but the schedule for it is still being decided. The special session is likely to deal with the issues the Senate left unresolved at sine die. Whether the session will also include the contentious topic of Voter ID is up in the air. [KVUE: Political Junkie]...
• Posted God Bless Rush Limbaugh? [Extra Extra] to Austinist
  Rick Perry makes Rush Limbaugh honorary Texan, saying, "God bless Rush Limbaugh!" A disturbing record: 200 executions under Gov. Perry (so far). 27-year-old Lance Cpl. Matthew G. Reza from Austin was killed in Afghanistan over the weekend. 30-year-old man charged with capital murder in recent death of 17-year-old LBJ High School student. Mother caught on tape at Dell Children's Hospital repeatedly putting feces through her 3-year-old daughter's feeding tube. Teenager smoking in bed starts a fire in South Austin apartment complex. Blanton Museum has a new director: Dr. Ned Rifkin, former undersecretary for art at the Smithsonian Institution. Councilmember Martinez wants you to stop texting while driving.
• Favorited Hey Hipster, Put Down That Plate of Fried Chicken on Austinist
• Posted Criminal Acts [Extra Extra] to Austinist
  At South Austin Marriott hotel, man posed as a cop and sexually assaulted a woman who had placed an ad on Craigslist. A third arrest made for the Spiros violence last week: Wendon Earl Candrick is accused of stabbing a music promoter before the shootings took place. The family of Nathaniel Sanders is suing the City of Austin, as well as the cop who shot Sanders. A community meeting was held last night on the Sanders shooting. A new HR Director for the city. Space Shuttle Atlantis made a pit stop in San Antonio today. DPS has to clarify confusing new booster seat law.
• Commented on Septuagenarian Gets Tasered and Tossed in Jail After Speeding
  I'm not picking sides here, but "pulled away from him I did not" is such a Yoda-like phrase....
• Posted Will There Be a Special Session? to Austinist
  Yesterday was Sine Die for the Legislature, but the State Senate skipped out before passing legislation to cover the operations of state transportation and insurance agencies through 2011 (the next legislative session). With this hanging over his head, Gov. Rick Perry will have to come up with some sort of solution. Does this mean a Special Session in the near future? Many suspect that one may have to called to resolve this issue, but neither...
• Posted Free Symphony Series Starts This Sunday [Concerts in the Park] to Austinist
  The Austin Symphony Orchestra will kick off their seventh season of "Hartman Foundation Concerts in the Park" this Sunday, May 31 at 7:30pm. The free, hour-long concert series runs Sunday evenings throughout the summer (until August 23). You are invited to bring a blanket, lawn chair and a picnic to Hartman Concert Park at the Long Center [directions]. The ASO's Large String Ensemble's show this weekend will focus on Classical music; there is a good...
• Posted Zombie TV [Extra Extra] to Austinist
  Legislature passes a TV recycling bill: "A zombie TV can rot your brain, literally." It's official: Perry's appointment of a creationist dentist to the State Board of Education has been rejected by the Senate. Gov. Perry says he will veto the CHIP expansion bill if the Senate passes it. Rick Perry among the Political Junkie's "Most Endangered of Getting Knocked Off in the Primary Next Year" list. 24-year-old woman in trouble with the law after leaving her 4-year-old alone in their apartment for hours at a time. AG Abbott charges Conn's with aggressive and deceptive sales tactics. A paint spill closed down IH35 Northbound in Round Rock for a while today.
• Commented on News Bits
  Girls from this morning's Amber Alert have been found in S. Austin. (yay!)...
• Posted Blocking Techniques [Extra Extra] to Austinist
  House Dems spent the weekend "chubbing" various bills to put off the vote on the Voter ID bill. State Rep. Raymond shares why he is doing his part to block the Voter ID Bill. McLeroy, Perry's pick for Chair of State Board of Education, may not make it through Senate confirmation. Texans react to Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court. KXAN: "Naked man bites cop, shot with Taser." NAACP meeting tonight will focus on community involvement and the shooting death of Nathaniel Sanders. Does Austin have too many non-profit organizations?
• Posted San Angelo Mayor Resigns After Winning Landslide Vote for Office to Austinist
  J.W. Lown, who served three terms already as mayor of the town of San Angelo, announced that he was resigning his office before being sworn into his fourth term this week. He chose his personal life over his political one; he has been romantically involved with a non-citizen since March (the relationship started after the filing deadline for this past election), and is currently in Mexico while his partner tries to get a visa allowing...
• Posted Watch Your Language [Extra Extra] to Austinist
  GOP women and Hutchison supporters raising a ruckus over "whorehouse" comment made by Perry strategist. House Dems say that bringing up the voter ID bill might mean less time for other important legislation this session Robbie Knievel will jump Congress Avenue at 11th Street as part of the ROT Bike Rally in June. Good news: number of cars being stolen in the state is decreasing. Bad news: number of car break-ins is way up. City releases 911 calls from last week's shootings near Springdale. Oops: Austin ambulance was seriously damaged when it smashed into a toll booth barrier on 45 near 130 last week. There was no patient in it at the time. Pat Forgione gives his last press conference as AISD superintendent. Kid from The Colony wins the National Geography Bee.
• Posted Coming to a Campus Near You? [Extra Extra] to Austinist
  Concealed handguns on their way to a campus near you? State Senate gave preliminary approval today to a bill allowing concealed handguns on public university campuses.Police searching for the suspect from a mugging at UT this morning. The Statesman now has a nifty online crime map. Round Rock ISD employee steals 100 computers from the district, tries to sell them on Craigslist. CapMetro set to use $10 million loan, if needed. Statewide smoking ban bill, we hardly knew ye. 4-year-old Waco man in stable condition after being stung more than 250 times by bees.
• Posted Gov. Perry Says He's Never Advocated for Secession to Austinist
  In an editorial for yesterday's issue of the Statesman, Rick Perry writes, "I have never advocated for secession and never will." Perhaps he has never out-and-out advocated for secession; he's just made not-so-subtle hints to it, such as, "if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that." [HuffPo] Given recent poll numbers, a good number of Texas Republicans are totally fine with the...
• Posted Oh, Perry [News Bits] to Austinist
  CIA contractors behind harsh interrogation methods? Rove will be interviewed by federal prosecutors for the criminal investigation into the Bush administration attorney firings. Military tribunals will be held at Gitmo again, with some changes. Texas Parks and Wildlife suspending their Wildlife Expo for two years citing sponsorship revenue decline. Our governor still hinting at secession. "The old adage that 'first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage' just no longer holds true." Happy Americorps week!
• Posted Next Time, Use a Shredder [Extra Extra] to Austinist
  Medical records dropped off at a Cedar Park recycling bin. Seguin Rep. Ed Kuempel collapsed late last night in a Capitol elevator from a heart attack, and is now in a medically-induced coma. Democrat Mark Thompson plans to run for governor. More on the shootings Monday off of Springdale. Police searching for man who sexually assaulted a woman in Northwest Austin Tuesday night. Body of missing kayaker was found this afternoon in Lake Austin. Georgetown police chief placed on administrative leave.
• Posted Author Laura Dave In Town This Week [The Divorce Party] to Austinist
  Author Laura Dave will be in town this week to promote her second novel, The Divorce Party, now in paperback. Whereas her first novel, London Is the Best City in America, focuses on the events surrounding a wedding, the action in The Divorce Party takes place within a 24-hour period in which Gwyn, a sixty-something Montauk housewife, throws a fete for her divorce. The novel is divided in four parts, with each part split among the characters of Gwyn and her soon-to-be daughter-in-law Maggie. While Gwyn is facing the end of a thirty-five year marriage, Maggie is coming to grips with her own commitment issues.
• Posted Swindled [News Bits] to Austinist
  American forces in Afghanistan: Gen. David D. McKiernan out, Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal is in. American soldier kills five fellow servicemen at a combat stress clinic in Baghdad. Love among the ruins of Sichuan. During his visit, Pope disappoints many residents of the Holy Land with his lack of specifics. NPR's Adam Davidson argues with bailout monitor Elizabeth Warren. Florida's Governor Crist wants to be Senator Crist. Aziz Ansari on the great IMAX swindle.
• Posted Shootings This Morning on Springdale to Austinist
  Details are still a little hazy on what City Manager Ott referred to as "an unfortunate set of circumstances," but a press conference held this afternoon has cleared up some confusion. Here's what we know so far...
• Posted Your Vote Matters [Extra Extra] to Austinist
  Wouldn't it be sad if after such an awesome turnout for the national election, the following municipal election had record low turnout? Answer: yes. So don't forget to vote tomorrow! City Hall Hustle dissects the campaign ads in this election. Members of the House worked late into the night on changes to TxDOT. Passenger angrily pees on back of Austin cab, cabbie runs over his legs. Obama's budget proposal would leave the border fence unfinished. Texan author Bud Shrake died today.
• Posted Dead Heat [Extra Extra] to Austinist
  This poll illustrates why you need to vote on Saturday (if you haven't already)!! Campaign finance complaints traded between Leffingwell and McCracken. No sunset review of the State Board of Education after the House defeats a bill that would have done so. Budget shortfall leads KLRU to lay off 12 employees, including the two Docubloggers producers. Canada's Open Text Corp. is set to buy Austin's Vignette Corp. for $310 million. Richard Garriott suing NCsoft. Dispute between spouses at an auto shop this weekend: wife drove over her husband's leg with a customer's car.
• Posted Red Light Cameras Catch Cops Running Red Lights [Video] to Austinist
  Red light cameras have been in use for almost a year now; since late May of 2008 they have captured images of over 36 APD officers running red lights, KXAN reports.
• Posted Inappropriate Behavior [Extra Extra] to Austinist
  Low turnout for early voting so far. Firefighters talk about yesterday's apartment fire. DPS director resigns amid allegations of touching women in his office inappropriately and other unprofessional behavior. Bill up before state legislature would require sex offenders to register online. Hill Country Galleria files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. UT student may have swine flu. Do you know how much your school district superintendent makes?
• Posted Wham! [Extra Extra] to Austinist
  State Senate approves bill which would have doctors offer ultrasound to women seeking abortion, and more.