Wha'happen?

As anyone who has been following this here blog has undoubtedly surmised by now, I'm putting Beetsolonely on ice.

When I started doing this back in 2005, I was a single man with plenty of spare time. As such, I was free to scour the web for ephemeral tidbits of intrigue or rant at length about politics, religion, smart growth or problems with the cable company. It was intrinsically rewarding and I enjoyed doing it.

Now I'm married and father to a 1-year-old. My job is more challenging and more complex - if not financially rewarding - than it used to be. A few freelance writing gigs have popped back up. And somehow, I'm playing in two bands. One thing I'm most definitely not is lonely.

All of this is to say I just don't have time to give this blog the time and energy it needs to thrive even at the middling levels of a year or two ago. Even if I did have time, I don't think I could actually grow a blog of this nature into something that would justify the time investment. I think we've gone about as far as we're going here.

This isn't to say I won't blog again at some point. I like the idea of doing some sort of group blog that has more of a focus than this one, but this is basically it for Beetsolonely. All of the old stuff will continue to live here for as long as Blogger or its future incarnation lets it.

Thanks to everyone who ever read one of my posts and extra special thanks to the regular readers and to anyone who ever left a comment - even the trolls. It's been a fun ride.

So...um....I guess this is goodbye. No, I'm not crying - it's just allergies.

-30-

Fave Five Food Deals - 4/6/11

Austin may be lagging in rainfall, but there's a shower of savings in this week's supermarket circular round-up.

1. Texas Rio Red grapefruit, .25/ea. at Sprouts (through 4/13/11)

2. Minneola tangelos or organic navel oranges, .49/lb. at Sun Harvest (through 4/13/11)

3. Green beans or sweet potatoes, .88/lb. at Sprouts (through 4/13/11)

4. Asparagus, .99/lb. at Sprouts (through 4/13/11)

5. Boneless rib eye steak, $4.99/lb. at Sunflower (through 4/13/11)

Also, if you don't feel like cooking and don't want to eat fast food, Central Market's Dinners for Two are on sale this week for $10.99, a savings of $3 off the regular price. Daily offerings vary, but I can vouch for the puerco guisada meal they're doing on Saturday. The sale price is good through Apr. 12.

Austin supermarket links (directs to weekly ads where available):
El Rancho Supermercado
Fiesta
H-E-B
Natural Grocers
Sunflower Farmers Market
Randall's
Sprouts Farmers Market
Sun Harvest
Wheatsville Food Co-Op
Whole Foods Market

Fave Five Food Deals - 3/25/11

Keep a tight lid on rising food prices with a few hits of Austin's finest supermarket deals.

1. Navel oranges, .49/lb. at Sprouts and Sun Harvest (through 3/30/11)

2. Texas 1015 yellow onions, .69/lb. at Whole Foods (through 3/30/11)

3. Green or red leaf lettuce, .88/lb. at Sun Harvest (through 3/30/11)

4. Boneless skinless chicken breasts, $1/lb. at El Rancho Supermercado (through 3/29/11)

5. Sun Harvest popcorn or kettle corn, .99/ea. at Sun Harvest (through 3/30/11)

Also, in a "spirited" attempt to mimic Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck, Sprouts is now carrying something called Broke Ass Wines for $5 a bottle. And if your ass is even broker than that, pick up sixer of Sierra Madre beer for just $3.99 at Sprouts this week. That's almost as cheap as Walgreens' Big Flats 1901!

Austin supermarket links (directs to weekly ads where available):
El Rancho Supermercado
Fiesta
H-E-B
Natural Grocers
Sunflower Farmers Market
Randall's
Sprouts Farmers Market
Sun Harvest
Wheatsville Food Co-Op
Whole Foods Market

Hitler Longs for SXSW of Yore

I know the Hitler meme is rubbed in the ground, but this SXSW edition from UrgentGenius is pretty hilarious. Enjoy it now before producers throw down the inevitable cease and desist.

Fave Five Food Deals - 3/16/11

Welcome to the SXSW edition of Fave Five Food Deals. No badges or RSVPs required.

1. Navel oranges, .49/lb. at Sun Harvest (through 3/23/11)

2. Hill Country Fare split chicken breasts, $1/lb. at H-E-B (through 3/22/11)

3. Organic Braeburn apples, .88/lb. at H-E-B (through 3/22/11)

4. Green seedless grapes, .99/lb. at Sun Harvest (through 3/23/11)

5. White onions, 8 lbs. for $1 at El Rancho Supermercado (through 3/22/11)

Also, if you have to have corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick's Day, Randall's has corned beef brisket tips on sale for $1.99/lb. and green cabbage on sale for .39/lb. through tomorrow. You will need a Remarkable card to get these prices.

Austin supermarket links (directs to weekly ads where available):
El Rancho Supermercado
Fiesta
H-E-B
Natural Grocers
Sunflower Farmers Market
Randall's
Sprouts Farmers Market
Sun Harvest
Wheatsville Food Co-Op
Whole Foods Market

A Public Health Worker in SXSW Court

I always figured if I was ever asked to serve as a SXSW panelist, it would be for something having to do with music. So imagine my surprise when good ol' public health got me into SXSW Interactive for the first time.

On Sunday morning, I was on a panel to discuss the use of social media to eliminate health disparities among minority populations. Although my program's forays into social media for HIV/STD prevention have been limited and inconclusive at best, I felt like I was at least able to convey the (ahem) challenges one must face when attempting to implement something new and not especially predicable at a government agency. That doesn't mean you can't change things in a bureaucracy, but it does mean you'd better take a mighty long view of things if you don't want to lose your head. It was great to hear that experience reaffirmed by several others while learning about their work.

Aside from going slightly over my allotted time (next time I do a panel presentation, I'm going to have a timer right in front of me), my only regret about SXSW Interactive has been not getting to fully immerse myself in it due to time-sensitive projects at work, gearing up for SXSW Music, Kate's busy schedule, tax preparation and wanting to see my son for a couple of hours over the weekend. There's a lot of potential synergy between emerging technologies and public health in everything from disease management to patient advocacy to data management. Here's hoping SXSW Interactive's embrace of health continues in coming years.

Fave Five Food Deals - 3/9/11

Before SXSW hits with full force, take advantage of this week's bargain sustenance deals from your friendly local supermarkets.

1. Red potatoes or green cabbage, .49/lb. at Sun Harvest (through 3/17/11)

2. Braeburn apples, .69/lb. at Sun Harvest (through 3/17/11)

3. Asparagus, $1.49/lb. at Sunflower (through 3/17/11)

4. Air chilled whole chicken fryers, $1.99/lb. at Whole Foods (through 3/16/11)

5. Real Ale 6-packs, $6.27 ea. at H-E-B (through 3/16/11)

Austin supermarket links (directs to weekly ads where available):
El Rancho Supermercado
Fiesta
H-E-B
Natural Grocers
Sunflower Farmers Market
Randall's
Sprouts Farmers Market
Sun Harvest
Wheatsville Food Co-Op
Whole Foods Market

Cloud Nothings "Should've Been"

I'm a sucker for heart-on-sleeve collegiate pop records like this one from Cleveland's Cloud Nothings, who'll be in Austin next week for SXSW. That goes double when it's accompanied by an infectiously cute-and-clever video I can easily appropriate for STD prevention work in my day job. This one is rife with choices and consequences. The rest of Cloud Nothings' self-titled debut is also pretty good if you like this sort of thing.

Soul Clapping on Wall Street

My old guitarist-turned-DJ pal Jonathan Toubin got written up in The Wall Street Journal a couple weeks back for his ever-popular Soul Clap 45 RPM dance parties, which are happening everywhere from Brooklyn to the Bahamas these days. He'll be bringing the Clap to Austin during SXSW, too.

Reporter Andy Beta got most everything right, but there was one curious passage I took issue with.

"I used to DJ records, CDs, mp3s and it never sounded good," Mr. Toubin, who is 39, said a few days after the party, his Texas drawl just breaking his otherwise speedy diction.

Folks, the only way anyone would think they heard a Texas drawl in the banter of Jonathan Toubin is if he spoke with a deliberately affected accent or if he told you he was from Texas and you imagined it.

Photo by Julie Paterson

Here Comes the Chronthlology

In conjunction with the Chron's 30th anniversary this year, UT Press is publishing The Austin Chronicle Music Anthology. This hulking, 314-page ride through Austin music history officially hits the streets a week from today with a big release party at Antone's. Chron music columnist Austin Powell, who co-edited the book with Austin Sound founder Doug Freeman, will reveal the full musical line-up for the party in weekly Off the Record column tomorrow.

UPDATE (3/3/11): The line-up includes Standing Waves, the Skunks, Kathy McCarty, the Gourds, the Crack Pipes, Poi Twang (featuring Twang Twang Shock-a-Boom's David Garza and Poi Dog Pondering's Frank Orrall) and special guest Daniel Johnston. Tickets here.

I'm jazzed about having a smattering of my work in the book. I didn't choose what stuff of mine went in, but I'm glad Austin and Doug used my oral history of Scratch Acid, my 1998 live review of Dale Watson at Ginny's Little Longhorn and my review of the Motards compilation, Stardom, among other things.

Although my opinion is obviously biased, I think Austin and Doug did a remarkably good job with this book. The photography is amazing throughout and the pre-online archive selections from the 80s and early 90s read like opening a window into Austin's past. The late Jeff Whittington's writing is some of the best music writing you'll ever read in Austin or anyplace else. And no one could do hilarious, spot-on snark like Michael Corcoran during his mid-80s run as music columnist.

In pulling together three decades of next week's bird cage liners, Austin and Doug wisely avoided a "definitive history" rubric, instead remaining steadfast to the rambling, tangent-prone vibe that - for better or worse - has traditionally defined the Chron's music coverage. It's a unique way to tell the story - and a very Austin one at that.

Fave Five Food Deals - 3/2/11

After an unscheduled week off, we're declaring Texas independence from high prices with another round of Austin's top supermarket deals.

1. Organic Fuji apples, .77/lb. at H-E-B (through 3/8/11)

2. Cantaloupes, .77/ea. at Sun Harvest (through 3/9/11)

3. Strawberries, $1.29/lb. at Sprouts (through 3/9/11)

4. Red, orange or gold bell peppers; Roma tomatoes, .77/lb. at Sprouts (through 3/9/11)

5. Chicken tenders, $1.97/lb. at Sprouts (through 3/9/11)

Austin supermarket links (directs to weekly ads where available):
El Rancho Supermercado
Fiesta
H-E-B
Natural Grocers
Sunflower Farmers Market
Randall's
Sprouts Farmers Market
Sun Harvest
Wheatsville Food Co-Op
Whole Foods Market