MetaFilter posts tagged with austin

Hi, How Are You?

swift — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:24:40 -0800

Austin music scene ~1990-1995 (an unscientific survey): 8 1/2 Souvenirs ₁ - American Analog Set ₁ ₂ - Bad Livers ₁ - Bedhead - Butthole Surfers ₁ - Duckhills ₁ - Ed Hall ₁ - Fuckemos ₁ - Furry Things - Gals Panic ₁ - Glass Eye ₁ - Johnny Goudie ₁ - Hamell on Trial ₁ - The Horsies - The Impossibles ₁ - Daniel Johnston ₁ - Motards - Pocket FishRmen ₁ - Poi Dog Pondering ₁ - Pariah - Pushmonkey ₁ ₂ - The Reivers ₁ - Retarted Elf - Scratch Acid (yes, I know -- late 80s...) - Shoulders - Sincola - Sixteen Deluxe ₁ - Sons of Hercules ₁ - Soulhat ₁ - Spoon ₁ ₂ - Starfish ₁ - Storyville ₁ - Twang-Twang-Shock-a-Boom ₁ - Ugly Americans - Wild Seeds ₁. Previously: 1 2 3

The most perfect specimen of a North American tree

dirtdirt — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:39:41 -0800

The last standing member of the Council Oaks, a group of 14 oak trees located in what is now downtown Austin, Texas, the Treaty Oak has stood for more than 500 years. The Treaty Oak got its name from the (probably apocryphal) story of how Stephen F. Austin signed a boundary treaty with local tribes under its branches. In 1927 the Treaty Oak was called "The most perfect specimen of a North American tree". In 1937 the City of Austin (prodded by the Campfire Girls of Port Arthur and other schoolchildren) purchased the quarter acre of land upon which the Treaty Oak stood and believed that this ancient tree, and its 128 foot canopy, was safe. Of course, the did not know that in 1989 someone would dump enough of the herbicide Velpar around its roots to kill 100 trees. When Paul Stedman Cullen poisoned the Treaty Oak, he was performing a self-prescribed ritual with three goals in mind: get over his unrequited love for his councilor at the methadone clinic, protect her from the advances of another man, and get back at the State of Texas for the work he was forced to do while in prison. Convicted and sentenced to 9 years and a fine of $1000, Mr. Cullen was sent back to prison, where he supposedly worked in the woodshop. By the time the poisoning was discovered it was already far along. The city of Austin Parks Department stripped away the topsoil around the tree and replaced it with clean soil, first to 6 inches deep, then, when the Velpar was found to still be present, to a yard deep. They erected temporary shading and misting units to protect the tree from the Texas heat, and trucked in 15000 gallons of spring water a week. Billionaire Ross Perot wrote a blank check to pay for these drastic measures. They succeeded, sort of. The Treaty Oak still stands, and is thriving. It has even produced acorns, starting in 1997, which were germinated and distributed throughout Texas and the United States. The Treaty Oak is now, however, a fairly lopsided 35% of its former self. All's well that ends with a rum named after you though, right?

Remember the Alamo, but don't forget Poleland

Blazecock Pileon — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:17:55 -0800

Texan judge rules $5 "pole tax" violates First Amendment rights. Further, Judge Scott Jenkins found no evidence to justify the purpose of HB 1751 (PDF), finding the anecdotal link of the patronage of strip clubs with a lack of health insurance and increased sexual assault rates for dancers insufficient, and ordered the state to pay the plaintiffs' legal fees. Activists are already looking to appeal Jenkins' ruling and reenact the tax. (Previously on Metafilter.)

If only the Japanese could build a car like Jaguar. If only the English could build a car like Honda.

punkfloyd — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:55:31 -0800

From 1987 until 1992 Britain's Austin-Rover Group exported the Rover 800 to America and called it the Sterling. Jointly developed with Honda, the Sterling was a bit of a flop in contrast to Honda's Acura Legend. Of course, every car has its fans. One more thing, if you need a part for your Sterling, you better call this guy.

Maker Faire

damn dirty ape — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 10:09:00 -0800

The Maker Faire in Austin is over but you can see all the blue ribbon winners here. Dont miss stuff like the star wheel, or the life sized mousetrap, artgolf, high-voltage toys, a parking lot trebuchet, and of course robots.

Interviews and performances from Austin's KGSR

ColdChef — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 18:32:37 -0800

Streaming interviews and performances from KGSR in Austin. Rufus Wainwright, Willie Nelson, The Gourds, Gomez, Kelly Willis, Pete Townshend, and many more.

The other Bob Livingston

phaedon — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 18:51:04 -0800

Cowboys & Indians. Literally.

Bird Droppings

DragonBoy — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 06:30:39 -0800

They shut down part of Austin last week, thousands did it in Esperance, Western Australia, record numbers in England and thousands more along I-84 in Idaho. Conspiracies abound; could it be poison, or testing EM weapons, "some kid with a BB gun" or drunk on hackberries or maybe it is global warming?

Sometimes the explanation is pretty simple but mostly, scientists are scratching their heads and wondering what is causing bird to drop dead out of the skies all over the globe at an alarming rate.

Bruco, the Texas Italian Caterpillar Concrete Dome

dios — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 13:08:27 -0800

Giant Concrete Caterpillar. Driving on I35 south out of Dallas to Austin, you pass through Italy, Texas, and on the side of the road is Bruco, the Texas Italian Caterpillar, and the home of the Monolithic Dome Institute, makers of fine homes, restaurants, and churches. These domes are green and disaster resistant. (See previous thread). They also can be visually interesting. These domes are concrete as opposed to R. Buckminster Fuller's Geodesic domes, such as Epcot Center or the incredibly interesting Eden Project.

the large soundness of nature

salvia — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 19:12:15 -0800

The moral terrain of the desert. Mary Austin describes a desert "where the borders of conscience break down... where the boundary of soul and sense is as faint as a train in a sand-storm... [where] the senses are obsessed by the coil of a huge and senseless monotony” -- is that the desert of photographer Richard Misrach? Joan Didion describes a "country so ominous and terrible that to live in it is to live with antimatter, [where] it is difficult to believe that 'the good' is a knowable quantity... [T]here is some sinister hysteria in the air out here tonight” -- is that the desert of photographer Bill Lesch? Possibly the most depressing are these suburban deserts.