The weather turns a little more chilly, which gets me frisky. My friskiness leads me to think that my liver’s not perpetually on crutches and that it’s totally acceptable for me to go lounge at any ol’ bar somewhere on a random Wednesday and get absolutely whiskey soaked by warm candle light. Then go eat something large, fatty, and fried. Like a whole pig, wrapped in mesh-weave of crispy bacon. After all the poison and that cornucopia of death, I usually stagger back out into the cold night air, lost and confused, with all my booze-soaked blood rushing to my stomach to get that mess processed and OUT. Then I walk home. Sometimes for miles. Sometimes it takes hours. ...

Bring your camera with you to the polls today: share videos and photos from your polling places, election parties and communities with Austinist on Flickr. Either tag them "austinist" or submit them to the Austinist group!......

It's all going to go down much faster than you might think (well, hopefully). Everywhere, everywhere! Well, now, wasn't this convenient! Chicago really might be the place to be tonight. Japanese Obamatown is set to celebrate. Expanding ozone hole reminds us of how much this election matters (does Palin believe in ozone holes? Doubtful). Acorn's not alone....

Obama's grandmother died this morning of cancer. Travis County projects 80% voter turnout for the election (50% of registered voters already voted early). Public Safety Task Force met today to discuss crime statistics and red light cameras. Scalpers scammed 500 fans with counterfeit tickets to the UT-Tech game Saturday night. Robert A. Caro wins the Bookend Award at the Texas Book Festival this past weekend. "Watch the early vote totals. They likely will tell you whether Democrat Barack Obama or Republican John McCain will carry Texas and by how much." Woman in camper at Texas Motor Speedway hit by stray bullet. ...

Today is most likely the busiest day of early voting in Travis County; in the end, half of the county's registered voters are expected to have voted early. Long lines to vote early in Williamson County. Review of DPS released yesterday comments on communication problems as well as other issues. New red light camera added off of Howard Ln/Wells Branch and Mopac. The bearded bank robber strikes again! This time at a Wells Fargo bank off William Cannon. Earthquake hits North Texas last night. 16.5% of Texans owe more than their house is worth, a new study says. That's still less than the national average....

It's Halloween, and the only thing stopping you from voting early this last day may be your political costume. Polls are open until 9pm tonight at various locations throughout town. Sure, it's great to vote on election day, but voting early doesn't mean your vote in this historic election counts any less. If you expect any issues with your voter registration or get impatient waiting in long lines, go today.......

News Flash: Obama is not Muslim. REMINDER: Early voting ends tomorrow. GO! GO! GO! In case you missed it, the Phillies win the World Series for the first time in 25 years. Face it, this is called a recession. Record profits for Exxon yet again. Netflix and Tivo are gettin' it on. Gross!......

Travis County asks you to please vote early if you can. KOOP will air a debate on Prop. 2 tomorrow afternoon. Police issue arrest warrant for Georgetown woman after her infant tests positive for meth exposure. The parents of a 3-year-old who was seriously injured in a Bastrop County car accident earlier this month are asking for a no-texting-while-driving law. Despite some parents' attempts, the Round Rock School Board votes to keep TTYL on the shelves of the middle school library. World's largest beach ball touches down in Dallas. Two men tried shoplifting equipment from a Kerrville WalMart to use in a planned robbery of a Super S store. They were not successful....

Second week of early voting begins - the last day to vote early is Friday! Ooops...South Austin polling site left open after hours on Saturday. Truck carrying pumpkins overturned on 183 near 970 after the driver fell asleep at the wheel early this morning. Was dragging death of Brandon McClelland in Northeast Texas race-related? The president at A&M has been given authorization to settle lawsuits over the bonfire collapse. Perhaps the lesson learned here is to keep your dog on a leash at parks that require them? A look at Concordia University's new campus....

Travis County clerk's office releases a voter's toolkit. We remind you: please review your final ballot before you hit the red button to cast it! With yesterday and Monday's totals, 58,808 have voted early so far. The Austin Live Music Task Force has released a draft report making many recommendations to the city. Jurors now deliberating on the punishment for the man charged with manslaughter for the Juneteenth death of David Morales. State Auditor's office says UT had the highest crime rate of any public university in the state between 2001-2006. Given that UT is one of the largest schools in the nation, maybe it's not that much of a surprise. City Council to consider Oak Hill Future Land Use Plan tomorrow at their meeting. Frisco residents enduring spaghetti sauce attacks....

BOR has put together a nifty map of Austin locations accepting voter registration til the midnight cut-off. Have we emphasized this enough today? Please register to vote! The city's new single-stream recycling program starts today! Shooting this afternoon near Jordan Elementary School in Northeast Austin. Bomb threat made at the North Austin Muslim Community Center yesterday. Fire this morning at the Pickle Research campus. South Austin seems the best place to get gas right now (two locations have it for below $3/gallon). Gov. Rick Perry: "My instinct is if you gave every governor truth serum across the country that they would all dearly love to have the Texas economy in their state."...

Today is your last opportunity to register to vote in November's Presidential election. If you aren't sure about your current registration, check on it here. If you are going to be a new voter, you can pick up a voter registration application here. If you just moved and need to change your address, you can do that on the Secretary of State's site (only if you moved within the county you were already registered in).......

In this exciting election year, it seems those ingenious identity thieves have discovered a new way to go after the public. The Central Texas Better Business Bureau is warning that some are calling/e-mailing people saying they can help them register to vote as a way to get their social security numbers. Hopefully enough people know that you have to sign the voter registration form yourself, and can only do so in person or by mail......

Photo by Karsten (Balorn) on flickrThe Democratic run-off for the Travis County District Attorney's race and Texas Railroad Commissioner's race takes place today. If you voted in the Democratic primary, don't forget to stop by your polling place and take the 5-10 minutes to place your vote. The DA race between Lehmberg and Montford has become quite contentious in recent days. Today's vote means an end to their political ads (phew).......

Unlike past primaries where the Presidential nominees were already decided by the time we voted, Texas' votes are quite significant this year. After the polls close this evening, the party's not over; it's precinct convention time! This whole caucus thing is new to us, so we thought it was worth posting a refresher....

Admittedly, the Democratic delegate selection process in Texas is ridiculous, especially to casual voters who don't hold a particular allegiance to either candidate—or, in this case, the exact type of swing voters that each campaign is now clamoring to bring to the polls next Tuesday. ...

"We're not publishing the list in our news columns, period": Statesman Editor Oppel on why the paper will not include a listing of precinct voting locations on election day. McCain stopped in San Antonio today. Bill Clinton spoke in town today. On the primary race between Glen Maxey and incumbent Nelda Wells Spears. Power outage in East Austin this afternoon. While her father was tied up, a robber sexually-assaulted a 15-year-old girl in a South Austin apartment yesterday morning. Semi veers off Dallas highway ramp and falls onto Continental Avenue; at least 3 are dead. ...

Lloyd Doggett endorses Obama. Kirk Watson has posted a response to his appearance on MSNBC last night. More news on tomorrow's debate: Texas Dems were able to get 100 more seats, Clinton and Obama will appear at the TDP watch party afterward. Tomorrow's debate will affect bus routes. Voting early? You aren't the only one....

Texas Huckabee supporters aren't giving up. Early voting starts tomorrow and goes through Feb. 29. Two Austin High teens die over the weekend after the car they are in is hit by a hydroplaning truck. USDA finally recalls beef already sent to Central Texas schools....

Photo from Obama’s rally at The Backyard by Romain Nayalkar for Austinist.comWith all eyes focused on Texas and what could well prove to be a kingmaking March 4 primary, the statewide political machine has kicked into full gear. Whether it's a happy hour, camp out, or fundraising poker tournament, there's something going on just about every day of the week for Obama or Clinton supporters. Even those still rooting for under-underdog Ron Paul have something......

AT&T Marathon this Sunday morning; watch out for street closures. Early voting starts next week, but you can't vote at Northcross! Bill Clinton will visit Hillary's new Austin campaign headquarters on Saturday night. Ack! 26,000 people so far have entered the raffle for the 100 seats at next week's debate. UT Associate Athletic Director Douglas George Wilson being investigated by Travis County and UT for possible theft of $60,000....

Lots of young people got their voter registration cards in on time. News?: Door-to-door magazine salesmen harassing Austinites. Farmer's Branch city leaders sued over their anti-(illegal) immigrant ordinance. Meat from abused cows in California sent to Round Rock and possibly Austin schools....

15% of items put out for recycling in Austin end up in a landfill anyway. Dewhurst doubts TxDOT's claims of being really low on funds. Speaking of TxDOT, you can vote on their site for the next state license plate design. Voting ends next Monday. Illegal immigrants moving to Texas in large numbers from . . . Oklahoma and Arizona?...

If you want to vote in Texas' presidential primary elections but haven't registered yet, time is running out. Monday is the last day for voter registration....

Today's Mega News Bits by Patrick Dentler and Rebecca Onion Asian markets fall; the Fed is really, really worried. Not convinced Giuliani's a dangerous, power-mad nutcase? Read this. The Great iPhone Heist! Tom Brady limps through the streets of New York with a walking boot on his foot. (The question is, what the hell was he doing in enemy territory in the first place?) Unhappy news for pregnant ladies, those who must inhabit the......

• Londonist pondered who might be the next sponsors of the London Eye and whether or not readers would be willing to donate £1,000 each for a Londonist Eye.
• Shanghaiist was shocked to find a cameltoe in the city's only English-language paper.
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Continue Reading "Week Around the -Ists"

Year end lists can be exasperating and tedious, yet we find ourselves addicted to them anyway. Something about the structured format for opinions inspires discussion, frustration and elation in all of us, regardless of our own sympathy or disdain for the list-maker. ...

Waller Creek Design Workshop. Image from City of Austin News Austin Music Commission's Town Hall Meeting Notes AMD Sued Over Birth Defects Plant a Tree for Freedom Waller Creek Design and Vision Workshop At This Rate, We're Having Our Next Happy Hour in Cancun Pangaea: It's For Real, Y'all UT Biologists Propose Biodiversity Institute Save BookWoman! Austin Music Commission Considering Plan to Stop the Rock They've Got the Lasers... Now All You Need is......

Photo by CAVE CANEM on flickrToday's the day to cast your vote in the statewide Constitutional Amendment Election. If you're unfamiliar with the sixteen propositions appearing on the ballot, we've reprinted them after the jump. Austinist is officially recommending that you vote "NO" on Prop 12, which would authorize the Texas Transportation Commission to issue up to $5 billion in bonds for so-called "highway improvement projects"—read about it here. We're also recommending a wholehearted "YES"......

The notion that ‘It's not a conspiracy theory if it's actually true,’ is about as spot-on and useful as ‘Golly, she ain’t a witch if she done drown.’...