“Around the Republic: Roundup of Austin Blog Posts Week of October 18th 2009″

Why spend Sunday Monday Tuesday reading the New York Times? Each week we bring you our favorite posts from local Austin bloggers.  If you see a post from your fave Austin blog and want it to get recognized, email Rory (rory[at]republicofaustin[dot]com) and let him know!

Just like a bad case of poison ivy that seems to clear up but then ends up in your arm pit two weeks later, the Around the Republic feature is BACK! Many apologies: We had a case of the swine!

It’s a Fine Day, People Open Windows

After being dry as a bone all summer, the creeks and rivers are starting to show signs of life.  And doesn’t the green (and allergies) remind you of spring?

• Greg over at Beetsolonely took a trip out to Reimers Ranch.  See pics of the Pedernales with water and WILDFLOWERS!
• Austin Parks takes a walk along the West Bouldin Creek Greenbelt. MORE WILDFLOWERS!
• Annie over at The Transplantable Rose has photos of her Butterfly Garden in bloom. Just in time for the monarch migration!

Get Out the Brain, Election Time Again

So in Texas we vote on Constitutional Amendments on the odd-numbered years.  This Dillo doesn’t know a damn thing about politics, so check out the Burnt Orange Report‘s Guide to the 2009 Texas Constitutional Amendment Elections.  Growing Democracy in Precinct 463 also has their own guide. [Editor's note: If you find a guide from a conservative Austin area blogger, let us know! We cldn't find one.]

City Hall Gets Bizz-Ay!

City Council actually had four big items on the agenda this week:

• The 3ft Safe Passing Ordinance passed (by way more than 3 ft), giving bicyclists and other vulnerable road users a cushion of protection (via Austin on Two Wheels)
• The texting ban passed
• Water Treatment Plant 4 passed (via Keep Austin Wonky)
• First Vote on Solar Panel Funding passed (via Burnt Orange Report)

Help Hurt Austin Artists..errr, Help Austin Artists Who Are Hurt

Ian McDougall, guitarist for the Riverboat Gamblers, was seriously injured the night of October 17th when he was hit by a car while riding his bike home.  Not only does he have to spend his b-day in the hospital, but the medical bills are piling up.  ATXBS has posted a letter from his bandmates. Just looking at the picture of Ian in the hospital is enough to make my lil Dillo heart swell. And if that doesn’t work, this moving call to action by Vanessa over at Sailor Legs will def do the trick.

How Much Do You Know About Austin’s Homeless?

• We’re working on a video post about Mobile Loaves and Fishes, a non-profit that feeds and clothes the homeless. Until then, check out these slideshows about Austin’s Homeless population and Mobile Loaves and Fishes (via New Media Lab).
• Also, have you seen The Homeless Aloha Vision Quest? It’s the personal blog about being homeless by Elijah.  His blog really gives an inside look at the nomadic world of Austin’s homeless.  He’s a great writer and it’s full of profiles of people he meets along the way, like this post on Allison. BTW, it’s not depressing or sad. It’s beautiful. Elijah describes a butterfly dancing on a coffee cup.

Austin Film Festival

Austin isn’t just music. We have quite a few film festivals here, too. Today we are halfway through Austin Film Festival.  You have until Thursday to catch a film or two.  Unable to attend? Check out Slackerwood‘s Daily Dispatch.  We also have a few interviews coming up in the next few days.

What The Heck is a Sharrow?!

Last week, Austin got it first set of sharrows.  What is a sharrow? It’s a shared lane arrow thing to indicate the roadway is to be shared between cyclists and cars. More information can be found at ATXBS.

Is that Austin Rock?! Well TURRRN it UPPP!

Lots of music from Austin bands has come out over the last few weeks:

• Sad Accordions drop “Sacrificial Chumpsucker Diatribe” (via Austin Town Hall; post includes MP3 Download)
• Great Nostalgic have a new single. Check out “Spirit World” (via Austin Town Hall; post includes MP3 Download)
• The Black and White Years recently released a new EP. Check out Austin Music’s review of “Nursery Myths.”

Just Injured My Pride

Have you ever been walking into a club or down the street, and then you fall and bust your ass? You might try to play it off like you were about to go into a headspin. Or maybe you turn red and pray that no one saw you. Well, what would you do if millions of people saw it on YouTube?  No one knows better than Julie, the woman who was stomping grapes and fell.  Check out the interview with her over at Move to Austin.

From Austin City Hall

Lots of surveys coming out of city hall. Plus, it’s a great week if you are a small business contractor or a tree! When are they gonna award Dillo of the Year?! Maybe they could survey that…

• Survey on Austin’s current strengths and desired future improvements
• Survey to find Austin’s worst traffic intersection, trail, sidewalk, highway, etc.
• Survey on Austin’s Annual Trail of Lights
• City awards Contractor of the Year
• City awards Tree of the Year

From Austin Foodies

In case the wildflowers and green are throwing you off: It’s fall.  For foodies, that means that it’s TIME FOR YUMMY SQUASHES and PUMPKINS!

• Jessica over at ATXGlutenFree has a recipe for Spiced Pumpkin, Lentil and Goat Cheese Salad
• The Best of Thymes has a recipe for Butternut Squash Risotto
• Lazy Smurf over at Lazy Smurf’s Guide to Life gives us a Risotto with Amaranth Greens, Raisins and Pine Nuts
• eat’n veg’n offers a comfort food filled Tandori Vegetable Bake, Collards and Fried Squash
• The holidays mean lots of entertaining. Check out this Savory Chex Mix with Pumpkin Seeds recipe from Fête & Feast.  Be sure to look at The*Rebeccammendations list of Classic American Entertaining.

Tidbits

• Cold weather means cuddling. Carolyn over at An Austin Counselor has her list of ways to increase intimacy.
• Halloween is this week. Kristen at pommes frites dressed her puppy up in a shark’s costume.
• For one of her daily outfits, The Life and Times of Archy and Mehitabel transforms into an antelope.
• Tyler over at Two Grooves continues his series on how to be a rock star.
• Seth at Year of the Pizza has a new way to keep pizza warm: put a candle under the tray.
• Amanda from Disheveled Stars had a lovely night of pizza and beer.
• Lawnee had a pancakes and coffee day.
• Pics from the Sex and Death Art Opening Party at the Fifth Gallery
• Tolly at Austin Eavesdropper takes pics of Food Porn, aka the new gourmet doughnut trailer GourDoughs.

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