When I last passed by Barton Springs Pool, I also checked out Eliza Springs, the cool amphitheater-type pool next to the playscape, to see if there were any alligators in it.  I don’t know if I really ever saw an alligator living there or if it’s just one of those thing I remember because I was told as a kid and believed it… but the sign at Eliza says that no alligators live there.  Much to my surprise, there was a lot of activity in the pool.  People were acting as much like alligators as they could, except instead of trying to eat the salamanders that live there, which are protected species, they were simply “researching” them. 

As you hopefully know, the water at Barton Springs and the adjacent springs comes from the highly porous Edwards Aquifer.  Anything that gets dumped over the ground - motor oil, fertilizer for grass, diazonon to kill ants - eventually makes its way into the aquifer and then to the Springs and some people’s drinking water.

You may have read my post earlier this week about Oak Hill’s neighborhood plan.  Well, what happens in Oak Hill and Southwest Austin affects the treasure that is the aquifer and Barton Springs.  And now, dear citizens, you have an opportunity to comment on the plans for that area, without leaving the comfort of your desk.  Nope, no all-night council meeting required (yet).  Just go to the city’s survey about the Oak Hill plan and fill it out. You know the friends of developers will.

Then, to reward yourself for your participation, go on down to Barton Springs this Saturday for Free Swim Day (according to an email newsletter from the Save Our Springs Alliance, whose web site seems to be hosed at the moment)!

For all you out-of-towners coming to Austin from cities where the public transportation system is widespread, you’re in for a shock. Texans love their cars. That being said, Capital Metro is doing several things that are useful for SXSW attendees without cars, so I thought I’d pass them along.

Some of the highlights are:

• Ride from the airport to the convention center or your hotel for just 50 cents on the Airport Flyer.

• Save your cab cash for popcorn and beverages by taking Route 3 to SXSW film theaters.
• Park & Ride free to the Free Dew Concerts at Auditorium Shores March 15 - 17.
• $1 day passes are available for purchase on board buses and provide unlimited use of trips for an entire day.
• Ride the free Dillo service. The `Dillos operate north to south between 23rd Street and Oltorf Road, and east to west from near MoPac at Lake Austin Boulevard to Pleasant Valley Road.

SXSW Baby points out that Capital Metro has become part of the Google Transit Trip Planner.

I also heard on KUT this morning about a new service called Dadnab that lets you text your location and get the nearest bus that will take you to your destination.

For example, you can text “5th & lavaca to barton springs & kinney” to austin [at] dadnab.com (You’d type it like an e-mail address with the at symbol and no spaces. I’m just trying to avoid them getting spammed because of this post.) and get back “W 5TH ST & LAVACA ST to BARTON SPRINGS RD & KINNEY AVE/depart COLORADO & 5TH at 02:00 PM/29-SB/arrive BARTON SPRINGS & JESSIE at 02:08 PM”. Their site has more information on how to use the service. Pretty sweet.

In my household, you’d think SXSW Music is the only festival coming up in the next couple of weeks. But SXSW also includes an interactive and a film festival. There are lots of industry types coming into town for all three festivals, and Jette Kernion has conveniently put together a guide to the film venues. Even if you’re a long-time Austinite, you can find out some strategies for enjoying your SXSW film festival experience, including where to eat, where to park, and where to get your wireless fix near the 6 official theaters.

Hyde Park Theatre is giving you one last shot at checking out St. Nicholas this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The original run was last November and there were several performances during Frontera Fest this month. I caught one of the Frontera performances and wasn’t disappointed. Ken Webster’s experiences in all aspects of theater (acting, directing, running HPT) inform his performance of a cynical Irish theater critic who thinks he’s seen it all until he meets up with a group of vampires. The dark comedy is engrossing with a minimal amount of lighting and set design. It’s all Ken and he does an amazing job. If you
don’t get out for much local theater (and, honestly, I don’t), you should get off your ass and check this one out.

This special return engagement runs at 8:00 PM Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, February 22 - 24, 2007.

Thursday is Pay What You Can Night; Friday and Saturday tickets are $15 ($13 for students, seniors, and ACOT members). Hyde Park Theatre is located at 511 W. 43rd Street. For reservations call 479-PLAY (7529). Off-street parking during evening performances available at Kenneth’s Hair Salon and the Hyde Park Church of Christ.

This weekend, the tenth annual Austin Celtic Festival will be held at Fiesta Gardens. It’s a great event for all ages, with plenty of Celtic music (from the uber-traditional to the not-at-all-traditional), dancing, theater, haggis, beer, highland games, and, of course, kilts! Tickets are $10 at the gate. If you can’t wait that long to get your Celtic groove on, festivities get underway tonight at the Cactus Cafe with a kickoff party featuring The Prodigals, and with local Irish band, The Tea Merchants, opening.

Carol Burnett, artifact of my childhood (even at 21), is coming to the UT Performing Arts Center on Tuesday.

When I was young my mom and I would chill out in the living room and watch Nick at Nite before I went to bed and I quickly learned the names of all the great comedic actresses: Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Lucille Ball, Cloris Leachman, Betty White (the Happy Homemaker!), Valerie Harper, and of course, Carol Burnett. That woman cracked me and my mom up to tears, always.

So imagine my surprise when I hear she’s coming to the PAC. (Full disclosure: I have PAC ties so this was awhile ago.) I thought to myself Carol Burnett? Seriously? …..huh, I thought. I can’t believe people still like her, it’s been ages. Right? But then the next thing I know, she’s being discussed on Project Runway. She’s on Desperate Housewives. The woman apparently LOVES Entourage, so who knows where you’ll see her next!

As I watch theater troupes pop up around Austin, and its theater scene grows more and more and we have all this amazing homegrown talent bursting forth (Helloooo American Fiesta, Helloooo Salvage Vanguard Theater’s National Tour), I can’t think of a more relevant person to take to an Austin stage. Here’s a woman who’s been through so much, who worked her way up the ladder, whos climbed her way up the ladder to “legendary” by virtue of her talent and innovation. What more could you want in an inspiration? Go see her show and get your mind blown by a genius at work.
I myself can’t make it, but I’m fairly certain she’d accept my excuse: I have rehearsal.

The Movie Musketeers from the Austin Movie Show will be at the Regal Gateway 16 for the 7:30 showing of the New Adam Sandler film, “Click“. We’d love to talk to you after the movie and get your opinions on the film for the show which will be on Sunday night at 10:00 on cable channel 16. So if you have the inclination, check it out and come talk to us outside the theater afterward. If you’re not familiar with the Movie Musketeers, check out some previous segments here. We’d love to get your opinions for the show!

The previously mentioned Rude Mechanicals production of Get Your War On has extended it’s run. It will now go until February 11th instead of February 4th as originally planned and they’ve added a second 10pm show on some nights. These all appear to be selling out, so you’d better get moving if you want to see it. I’ve got tickets for Friday night and will report back to you, faithful Metroblogging readers, on Saturday.

Last spring, I mentioned that the Rude Mechanicals theatre company was doing David Rees’s Get Your War On. I missed it last time, but it did well enough that they’ve brought it back for a second run which starts tomorrow and runs until February 4th. The shows are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm at The Off Center 2211-A Hidalgo St., Austin, TX 78702. You can call 512-476-RUDE (7833) or make reservations online.

It’s been a while. Thanksgiving knocked me off my blog game. Here’s some outdated links for your perusal.

&middot Kannah has photos from Central Market Westgate’s “Taste of the Holidays” event, where the entire staff wore formal wear.

&middot Spoon, Stellastarr*, Morningwood and Alpha Rev will be playing the 101X Christmas show on December 19th at the Parish.

&middot At long last, the Ben White flyover is complete (though TxDOT is missing a couple direct connects due to either negligence, lack of money or greed.)

&middot Test your knowledge of Austin at the Flickr Austin Scavenger Hunt Group.

&middot Find out if the police have a warrant out for you. [via]

&middot Donewaiting.com has restarted its SXSW music blog.

&middot American Analog Set’s last tour is making them interview darlings.

&middot Indie Interviews talked to the Octopus Project earlier this week.

&middot Perhaps due to Austin lacking professional sports teams, we also don’t have a midsize (5,000 to 7,000) urban amphitheater, and people who want to make money off acts like Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne and The Cure are really bumming out (but personally, I don’t give a shit about paying $50 to $300 to see overrated bands).

&middot Building a newspaper lighthouse is cool.

&middot You have until December 16th to enter your site into the 2006 SXSW Web Awards (Looking at the majority of last year’s winners, Macromedia Flash is required to win though maybe Web 2.0 will get some props this year).

&middot On Tuesday, December 6, there will be a special preview screening of “The Ringer” at the Paramount with star Johnny Knoxville, the directors and producers in attendance.