The Armadillo Podcast

Texas Rollergirls Win First-Ever National Championship (Part 2)

Last week we predicted that the Texas Rollergirls would win the 2006 Dust Devil National Championship, the first national flat track roller derby championship.

They did win it, in fact.  And they won all seven bouts, including a beat down of the Atlanta Rollergirls with a score of 70-1.

Congratulations, ladies!

Starting soon, The Armadillo Podcast is pleased to announce that we'll be interviewing a new Texas Rollergirl every month.  Please come back and meet Miss March.

Until then, you can always listen to our interview with Melicious, No. 11 of the Hotrod Honey's here in Episode 14.

Also note that first bout of the regular season starts March 5th and you can your tickets here.

How Austin made a home for 5,000 in less than 48 hours

Here's another reason why Austin is a great city...

Link: How Austin made a home for 5,000 in less than 48 hours.

Excerpt:

Now, as the first wave of what would eventually be more than 5,000 people arrived in his city, a jittery mayor started second-guessing himself. Austin had no blueprint for such a massive relief effort. And the city wouldn't get any immediate help from the state and federal governments.

"This could be a mistake," he told himself.

Girl-on-Girl Action: Texas Rollergirls Face Atlanta in First National Flat Track Championship

The Texas Rollergirls are in Tucson this morning, facing the Atlanta Rollergirls in the Dust Devil National Championship, the first national flat track roller derby championship.

Our hearts to go out the friends and family of the Atlanta team and we hope that if the suffering is long, at least the recuperating will be fast.

You can see the ladies in this really funny video below.  Word of warning, though.  Don't do like I did and drink coffee while watching this thing.  You'll end up snorting liquid out your nose.

Said the ever-quotable Melicious, "This tournament is the next step in the growth of our sport. We’ve all been waiting for the chance to go helmet-to-helmet with skaters from other leagues. And for the first time, flat-track derby fans can see the spectacle and athleticism of hundreds of rollergirls under one roof! All I can say is, ‘Put on your protective gear now.’”

The national champions will be crowned after the final bout on Feb. 26.  Until then, you can always listen to our interview with Melicious, here in Episode 14.

The first bout of the regular season starts March 5th and you can get your tickets here.

Lego Version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

In 1974 a young Tobe Hooper was looking at chainsaws at the old Capital Plaza mall and came up with the idea for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The success of this low-budget horror classic (it out-performed The Excorcist in the box office), gave birth to Austin's film industry.

Flash foward thirty years and Austin in now the number two location to be a filmmaker in the U.S., according to MovieMaker magazine.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was so influential  it inspired this very silly Lego version below, which comes complete with shocking toy violence, including the infamous sledge hammer and meat hook scenes. (Video is available after the jump.)

Enjoy.

When Armadillos Attack: Rare Video of Ferocious Assault

Below is a rare video of a nine-banded armadillo, our mascot, attacking a videographer. (NSFW, viewer discretion advised.)

For those of you outside of Texas, our average-sized armadillo is about the size of a Chevy Mini Van and they've been known to carry off cattle.   In the 1940's Texas began to phase out one-room school houses because during mating season packs of males seeking mates would often mount the buildings and terrify the school children.  The invention of armor piercing bullets in 1965 eventually pacified the maurading male armadillos.

Save Yourself For Kinky: Don't vote in the primaries

The Texas primaries start on March 7th and this is a good a time as any to implore you to "Save Yourself for Kinky."

Sadly the Democrats don't stand a chance this year, so your vote in the Democratic primary is pointless.  The one and only opportunity for any change is for Kinky Friedman to be elected governor.  And the only way for him to get on the ballot is if nearly 50,000 registered voters sign his petition.  The only voters eligible, according to Texas law, are those that have not voted in the primary.

So stay away from the ballot box in March and save yourself for Kinky.

If you were fortunate enough to catch him in the CMT reality show, Go Kinky, you saw how funny the man can be.  If you'd like hear his more serious side, come dowload Episode 9 of The Armadillo Podcast.

In mainstream media, Kinky is on Fox News today with Neil Cavuto.

Kinky also added some new quips to his repertoire in the Dallas Business Journal article, where he tells why he won't meet with lobbyists when he becomes governor.

* * * * *

Want to hear Kinky's old songs from the 70's that got 60 Minutes all in a twist?  Click here to listen to 30-second clips.

New Austin City Hall Built on Top of Old Redlight District

Remember in the movie Poltergeist when that poor family discovers that their home has been built over an old graveyard?

Turns out Austin's new City Hall was built over the ruins of a 19th century redlight district called "Guytown" that once took up four square city blocks. See article.

So what happens when you disturb the bones of old prostitutes?

Austin, TX: Keepin' it Weird since 1839.

Austin Links for 2006-02-20

  Austin downtown 
  Originally uploaded by tictoc.

• 2008 Nebula Awards Weekend to be held in Austin, Texas - Geek-a-thon!
• Leslie shares his, er, skills with the heartland
  Oh no!  1. Leslie has left her station at 6th and Congress.  2. She's in jail in Iowa.   
  (tags: Austin Texas KeepAustinWeird weird culture celebrities)
• News 8 Austin - From the Vaults of Austin City Limits
  Old, unbroadcast classics of Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash.  Get Johnny on iTunes by clicking here:     
  
  (tags: Austin Texas music)
• Alex Jones "proves" Cheney shot Whittington at close range
  Austin favorite conspiracy theorist is taken seriously by BoingBoing.net
  (tags: Austin Texas politics weird KeepAustinWeird)
• HorseTV rides into Austin
  Hosted by Mr. Ed.
  (tags: Austin Texas media)
• GameSpy: Richard and Robert Garriott: What's Ahead for Massively Multiplayer
  (tags: Austin Texas technology games)

Best Reason Yet to Move to Austin

Hey Galia,

Here's a great reason to move to Austin.  We have a relatively low crime rate, as you know.  According to a new survey, ugly people are more likely to commit crimes.  I have a theory that maybe our crime is so low because the people here are so attractive.

Here's a picture of a typical Washington, DC resident, the murder capital of the U.S.:

  Harry Standish Originally uploaded by timmmeeeey.

Harry Standish
Originally uploaded by timmmeeeey.

See the problem?

Austin, on the other hand, is home to the "friendliest people and prettiest women you've ever seen," according "London Homesick Blues,"  AKA "I wanna go home with the armadillo," AKA the theme song for PBS' Austin City Limits program.

Link: Study finds ugly faces more likely to end up in mug shots.

Texas Rollergirls Win First-Ever National Championship

If you thought the Texas Longhorns were dramatic, wait till you see what happens next week.

The Texas Rollergirls   Rock-n-Rollerderby is traveling to Tucson to compete win the first-ever  National Flat Track Derby Tournament, Feb. 24-27. (That's my prediction and I'm sticking to it.)

The Dust Devil National Flat Track Derby Tournament will feature bouts between 20 Flat Track Derby leagues from across the United States, competing against rivals in their respective divisions.

The Texas Rollergirls Rock-n-Rollerderby team will skate in Tucson as the Austin Texecutioners, a powerhouse team that showcases the Texas Rollergirls' finest: all-stars in their respective positions and outstanding representatives of the sport of Flat Track Derby. Meet the team.

The Armadillo Podcast was fortunate enough to interview Texas Rollergirl Melicious, No. 11 of the Hotrod Honeys in Episode 14.  Click here and Melicious will tell you everything you'd ever want to know about the life of Rollergirl.