Daily - The Austin Chronicle (2024)

Seemingly following U.S. Rep. Ron Paul's model of being a third party within his own party, Democratic presidential hopeful Mike Gravel has now re-invented himself as a Libertarian.

The former U.S. Senator for Alaska (who has not held elected office since 1980) said that he made his decision because "the Democratic Party no longer represents my vision for our great country." However, this does not mean he's abandoning his presidential run. Although, that's kind of moot, since his own website says he's not actually on any of the remaining state ballots, and has no delegates.

Gravel has previously taken swipes at the Dems for not supporting free-market touch stone the 'Fair Tax' (sic), an attempt to turn established economics on its head by claiming that a sales tax is not regressive (i.e. doesn't hit poor people harder than rich people.) But many Libertarians oppose that as just another tax power for the state. Plus, it's hard to see where pro-carbon tax, pro-National Health Care Voucher, pro-gun licensing Gravel is actually going to fit in with the Libertarian agenda.

Also, someone will have to work out how his March 11 endorsem*nt of Green Party presidential hopeful Jesse Johnson fits into this.

Wow! Things with the Chrontourage are growing so fast it is making our pretty little heads spin. Right now we are looking to expand our Chrontourage street team which means we need you!

We are looking for bright and enthusiastic young people who want to help promote the Austin Chronicle at various events throughout Austin and the surrounding community. The open positions are considered unpaid internships but there are a number of perks including movie screenings, live music shows, poetry/art exhibits, and class credit is available if you are a student. If you want to find out more about the Chrontourage and how you can get involved please e-mail [emailprotected].

Keep checking back here and our contest page for more updates about Chrontourage events and promotions. We'll see you on the town!

Following on from the confirmed dates for the Texas Rollergirls: If you're hoping to catch their touring team, the Texecutioners, this season, you'll have to do some traveling. The Women's Flat Track Derby Association No. 4-ranked team (third in the 2007 championships) has four confirmed matchups, all on the road. That's not including the WFTDA Western Regionals and (fingers crossed) the national championship in November. Before then, it's a busy season with several big events (not least the massive East Coast Derby Extravaganza in June.)

But the real highlight could be the July 19 bout against last year's WFTDA champs, the Kansas City Roller Warriors. Many onlookers had expected that to be last season's national championship matchup at the Texas Shoot-Out. But after the Texecutioners controversially went out to the Rat City Roller Girls in the semis, this could be an opportunity to rewrite some history, and maybe set things up for the November championship event in Portland.

Check below the fold for the full calendar.

TODAY'S EVENTS

Percy Jackson Party at Windsor Park Branch Library

Abundant Masculinities: Turning Toward at The Museum of Human Achievement

MUSIC | MOVIES | ARTS | COMMUNITY

The Ice Bats entered the Central Hockey League playoffs as hot as Scarlett Johansson but were quickly cooled by the Odessa Jackalopes, losing game one of their three-game first-round series 4-1. Odessa had suffered defeat in eight of their last 10 games while the Bats had won five out of their last six, but regular-season winning streaks matter little when the postseason begins.

Darryl McArthur picked up the Bats' only goal of the contest with Ted Vandermeer and Stuart Kerr garnering assists. Miguel Beaudry was between the posts for the Bats and stopped 39 of 42 shots while picking up the loss.

The series resumes Wednesday in Austin at the Chaparral Ice Arena at 7:35pm. Tickets are available by calling 512/927-7825 or visiting www.icebats.com. It's a must win for the Bats so please come out and show some support for Austin's first (and only) professional hockey team.

In only his third performance in the last 30 years, Darondo Pulliam, 61, shimmied across the stage at Club de Ville, repeatedly falling to his knees and offering X-rated love-making tips involving whipped cream and hot cherries (“but not too hot”). I shouldn’t have been surprised.

“One thing I always could do was dance,” the lost soul singer proclaimed in our interview a few weeks before South by Southwest. “I’m just resting up so that when I get out there I can get my dancing on.” Darondo cut three incredible 7-inch singles in the early 1970s and promptly left music in his rearview mirror, spending the rest of the decade cruising Bay Area boulevards in his custom Rolls Royce. His flashy ride and gold jewelry earned him a reputation – he’s long rumored to have earned his living as a pimp, a charge he denies.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s Darondo starred on several Bay Area cable television shows before disappearing all together. His rare 1973 single, “Didn’t I,” was included on a 2005 compilation by British DJ Giles Peterson, which eventually led to the 2006 release of Let My People Go, a compilation of Darondo’s known recordings on Ubiquity Records. In a most entertaining interview, a chatty Darondo speaks on dressing up like a woman, cooking hamburgers on the way to Reno, and how a Charlton Heston line debunks those pesky pimp rumors.

Rep. Michael McCaul, whose District 10 stretches from West Lake Hills to suburban Houston, told the Houston Chronicle yesterday that he's giving up the earmarks habit.

"The system is broken and it needs to be fixed," McCaul told the Houston daily. "A majority of these earmarks wouldn't get through Congress if they were given the best test of sunlight. Until they put more transparency into the system, I am not going to play the game."

Of course, McCaul's newfound piety comes after that paper pointed out that he sponsored or co-sponsored some $20 million in earmarks in the current budget year. Among the earmarks: a $245,000 request to set up a closed-circuit television system at the Houston Zoo so hospitalized children can interact with the animals. That's one earmark for which McCaul wouldn't apologize, and he played the biggest card in the deck to defend it: "You are talking about children with cancer."

Smack! Back off, you heartless penny-pincher!

McCaul, whose 55% support in the 2006 race was the lowest of any incumbent winning re-election, faces a challenge this November from Austin/Brenham lawyer Larry Joe Doherty, who is easily the best-financed Democrat McCaul has faced during in his six-year political career.

This landed in the Newsdesk inbox this morning; as the City Council recently levvied additional fees on breeders in the city limits, doesn't it stand to reason they try to regulate, in some fashion, the sale of these overbred animals?

Protests Ramp Up for Petland Grand Opening

Austin, Texas – On Sunday, March 29th, concerned citizens are staging an all day protest against the Petland store scheduled to open on the same day at the Southpark Meadows shopping center. Opposition to Petland’s presence in Austin is growing with over 1,750 people having signed the online petition.

Petland, one of the largest pet retailers in the country, purchases their pets through the Hunte Corporation, the largest distributor of “Puppy Mill” pets.