Keep Austin Weird
[Guest post by DRJ]
Ever wonder about the Austin, Texas, motto “Keep Austin Weird”? I think it exists in part because Austinites enjoy their reputation as being slightly off-beat.
Here’s an Austin American-Statesman link that has a Woodstock-style photo of a recent Austin City Limits festival. It shows an unplanned mud pit with barely-dressed revelers and this caption:
“Heavy rains Saturday led to mud pits Sunday in some parts of Zilker Park during the final day of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. The mud seemed to be mostly Dillo Dirt, a compost made from yard trimmings and treated sewage sludge, which was used in recent lawn improvements.”
That gives new meaning to grunge, and they had to close a portion of Zilker Park because the rain and revelers ruined the newly-installed sod.
I love Austin and Austinites but some of them are quite eccentric.
— DRJ
I’m glad I’ve never lived there.
Mike LaRoche (445f08) — 10/5/2009 @ 7:41 pmY’all do know that Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon, and late of the John Edwards’ campaign, makes her home in Austin. 🙂
The snarky Dana (474dfc) — 10/5/2009 @ 8:00 pmYes. She even used to work at UT.
DRJ (b008f8) — 10/5/2009 @ 8:02 pmA bunch of know-nothings wallowing in crap.
Pretty much explains Austin, generally, as well as the Legislature specifically.
Maybe California could annex Austin, then everyone there can be weird to their hearts are content, while the rest of Texas tends to business.
And I wouldn’t have to hear that damned “Eyes of Texas” “Working on the Railroad” rip-off song anymore. That is the song they sing so well. It sounds like hell.
Ag80 (fb11c7) — 10/5/2009 @ 8:12 pmNow, now, Ag80. Where’s your affection for all things Texan?
DRJ (b008f8) — 10/5/2009 @ 8:13 pmDRJ:
It ends at the Travis County line.
You know, of course I was joking. Keeping Austin weird is better than opening a state-run asylum in Big Spring.
Ag80 (fb11c7) — 10/5/2009 @ 8:28 pmI love Austin, but I had a lot of challenges with ‘keep Austin weird’ when I launched a certain non-weird product there a few years back.
carlitos (e4a83c) — 10/5/2009 @ 8:49 pmAg80,
There’s a lot of truth to that.
Carlitos,
I would definitely hesitate to do business in Austin.
DRJ (b008f8) — 10/5/2009 @ 8:55 pmAustin is a great city despite the fact that every other person you meet here is a transplanted Californian. Sure there’s a share of nutty characters and overall a “left” slant to its politics. There are also lots of churches of every denomination, a great university, beautiful weather and scenery, Camp Mabry which is the home of the Texas Air National Guard as well as several reserve units of the army, live entertainment and first class night life, and overall incredibly friendly, interesting people (Marcotte aside). I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. It’s more diverse in it’s vibe than its reputation belies.
SPC Jack Klompus (237c0e) — 10/5/2009 @ 9:29 pmI love Austin, but I’m happy to live in Leander and commute… if Cap Metro ever gets its head on straight things will be even better.
Zilker is one example of why Austin such a comfortable place to live. Great park that actually gets a good amount of use. This is the prettiest part of a very pretty state.
Dustin (bb61e3) — 10/5/2009 @ 9:40 pmDillo Dirt is great, I’m elbow deep in it every spring in the landscape beds. Despite its unpleasant origins, it’s been composted enough to become basically fine, rich dirt. I wouldn’t be rolling around in mud in any case, but it’s not like you’d be able to tell if you were like if it was raw sewage or something.
Aplomb (5a3869) — 10/6/2009 @ 4:46 amThere’s something satisfying about a bunch of liberals rolling around in treated sewage.
Rochf (ae9c58) — 10/6/2009 @ 7:50 am“I’m glad I’ve never lived there.”
Yeah, but it sure is a fun place to visit. Just don’t take it seriously.
Mark L (0ccd61) — 10/6/2009 @ 7:52 amIt is no longer even a good place to visit.
George Bruce (1709dd) — 10/6/2009 @ 9:00 amI attended Woodstock ’99 and remember the ‘mud’ pits located near the porta-potties. The mud was created by the misters (to keep people cool), but because the toilets became overflowing very early in the event there had to be, uh, other matter mixed in besides water and dirt.
We were watching the RHCP and someone yelled “Here come the mud people!” everyone started running away from them.
Laura.u (dfc226) — 10/6/2009 @ 9:25 am[…] (Courtesy of DRJ.) […]
dustbury.com » Thank you very mulch (68987f) — 10/6/2009 @ 12:32 pmLIBERALS ROLLING IN DOO-DOO!
Classic!
GunnyG (6d735a) — 10/7/2009 @ 10:19 amWe’re not all weird here in Austin … There is a small but growing conservative community in Austin, and as soon as you leave Travis county, you’re back in “red” country.
DJFelix (6bff30) — 10/9/2009 @ 9:32 am