Jan. 30, 2004

Volume 23, Number 22

ON THE COVER:
news

The Death of Ben Brownlee

A Rockdale teenager's suicide raises questions about official protections for gay and transgendered kids

BY JORDAN SMITH

No Growth at the Growth Fund

Despite charging millions of dollars in management fees, the Texas Growth Fund has returned zero to the state

BY LUCIUS LOMAX

Temple-Inland Reads the Writing on the Wall

The Fortune 500 firm abandons its SOS-busting, job-boosting plans

BY AMY SMITH

Hispanic Chamber Honors Eastside Pioneer

Mission Funeral Home's Lois Villaseñor earns honors from biz group

BY AMY SMITH

Wheat, Chaff Intact in Sheriff's Race

The seven candidates to replace Margo Frasier show few differences at forum

BY JORDAN SMITH

Naked City

BY MIKE CLARK-MADISON

The Democrats, Scrambled

Climb on the roller coaster, the ride has just begun

BY MICHAEL KING

Austin @ Large: A Bad Precedent

The courthouse deal is another chapter in Austin's same old sad Downtown saga

BY MIKE CLARK-MADISON

The Hightower Report

Exploring Mars trumps health care; and Bush's tax cuts have spurred spending … by the rich people who got one

BY JIM HIGHTOWER

food

Cut and Dried: A Primer

The Central Texas meat market roundup

BY MICK VANN

Food-o-File

Sam Eaves swims for another shore, Central Texas barbecue is hotter than ever, and your Valentine's Day is all taken care of

BY VIRGINIA B. WOOD

Second Helpings

Sushi, part I
music

The Other Side

Dues paid, Trish Murphy delivers her most mature album with 'Girls Get in Free'

BY CHRISTOPHER GRAY

Resident Alien

Shane Bartell is finally ready to say. Just don't say he's a 'singer-songwriter.'

BY MICHAEL CHAMY

TCB

The Cactus Cafe turns 25

BY CHRISTOPHER GRAY

Phases and Stages

The Flatlanders

Wheels of Fortune

Mike Kindred with Dexter Walker

Handstand

South Dallas All Stars

Live at the South Dallas Pop Festival, 1970

Shelley King

Rockin' the Dancehall

Matt Hubbard

Matt Hubbard

Rogues, Cluan, Marc Gunn, Brobdingnagian Bards, Ed Miller, Carey Street, Larisa Montanaro, Stephanie Prewitt, Schola Cantorum, Tamsen Mann, Laurie Stevens, Christopher LeCluyse

Live in Texas, The Blacksmith, Soul of a Harper, Memories of Middle Earth, Coventina's Well, Celtic Christmas
screens

Down and Dirty

Pasty people vs. pretty people, low budget vs. big budget, Peter Biskind vs. Robert Redford: the 20th annual Sundance!

BY MARJORIE BAUMGARTEN

Snow Days

Austin filmmakers return from the dances Sun and Slam

BY MARC SAVLOV

Sailor Scout and the Chaperone

A father prepares for Ushicon 3, the Austin animé convention

BY WAYNE ALAN BRENNER

Short Cuts

Have you been nominated for anything this awards season?

BY MARC SAVLOV

TV Eye

Belinda Acosta mourns the passing of Bob Keeshan, the man with mutton chops who made her life matter when she thought it mattered least

BY BELINDA ACOSTA

Film Reviews

The Big Bounce

There's very little bounce in this new Elmore Leanard adaptation that stars Owen Wilson and Morgan Freeman.

The Company

Robert Altman sidles up to Chicago's Joffrey Ballet and finds lots of glorious footwork but missteps when it comes to storytelling.

Girl With a Pearl Earring

Bona fide "art" movie starring this season's It Girl, Scarlett Johansson, is as flat and enigmatic as the titular portrait by Vermeer.

The Perfect Score

The movie that gives new meaning to the phrase, "taking the SATs": felonious breaking and entering.

Spike & Mike's Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation 2004

The boys are back for their annual ’toon fest, highlighting the best of the rude and lewd.
arts & culture

Are We on the Edge?

Getting the answers to timely and timeless questions at the 2004 FronteraFest Long Fringe

BY ROBERT FAIRES

Behind America's Funnyman

For rare comedian Neil Hamburger, it's all about the laughs – and keeping the bug spray close

BY STEVE BIRMINGHAM

Articulations

Choreographer Allison Orr pops up on the National Geographic Channel, and Ballet East and UT professor Bion Tsang are honored

BY ROBERT FAIRES

Arts Reviews

Pythia Dust

The folks at ethos boldly go where no one has gone before with Pythia Dust, an outer space musical revue that feels at once brand new and yet curiously familiar

Mozart Birthday Celebration

Once again, this year's Mozart Birthday Celebration hosted by A. Mozart Fest brought out a high level of intensity and enthusiasm from some of Austin's best musicians
columns

Page Two

The anti-safe-and-legal abortion movement is about control, not life

BY LOUIS BLACK

Postmarks

Our readers talk back.

After a Fashion

Our Style Avatar arches his well-coifed eyebrow at local eyebrows, wonders why Britney can get drunk and married and he can't, and solicits … errrrrrr … polls local teens

BY STEPHEN MACMILLAN MOSER

Mr. Smarty Pants Knows

The Alamo address, an angry Anglo, and anal a-bombs

BY MR. SMARTY PANTS

To Your Health

I need some ammunition to convince my husband to stop smoking. Recently he has been talking about quitting, but hasn't yet. Also, in case he continues to smoke, are there nutrients that are protective?

BY JAMES HEFFLEY, PH.D.

About AIDS

Law closing in on serostim abuse

BY SANDY BARTLETT

The Common Law

Personal Finances – Should I consider personal bankruptcy?

BY MARVIN SPROUSE

Daytrips

The lasting legacy of Sam Rayburn

BY GERALD E. MCLEOD

Luv Doc Recommends: Spike & Mike’s Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation

Alamo Drafthouse Downtown, Friday, January 30, 2004

BY THE LUV DOC

Feedback

Letters to the editor, published daily
sports

Soccer Watch

BY NICK BARBARO

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Keep up with happenings around town

Kevin Curtin's bimonthly cannabis musings

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Eric Goodman's Austin FC column, other soccer news

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