Guest Blogger - The Austinot

Schlitterbahn – New Braunfels: Ultimate Water Park Experience

August 15, 2012 by Guest Blogger 3 Comments

This guest post is by Allen Schowengerdt.

4:30 a.m. Kids wake up.

5:00 a.m. Kids back to bed after a struggle and a small bribe.

6:00 a.m. Kids awake again. It’s clear they’re not going back to bed.

6:30 a.m. We manage to make our way from under the covers, due largely to the automatic coffee pot we set the previous night.

Christmas morning, you ask? Nah. Only the biggest day of our summer vacation and our trek an hour south of Austin to New Braunfels and the greatest water park in the world: Schlitterbahn. [Read more…]

Harvesting the Best Veggie Burger in Austin: Magnolia Cafe

August 8, 2012 by Guest Blogger 13 Comments

This guest blog post is by Kat Mandelstein.

Last month, my friend Eric Highland, founder of the Austinot and a true carnivore, started a blog series on the Best Burger Joint in Austin. Since Eric had little to no desire to eat a veggie burger and I have now been eating predominantly vegan for the last three years, I happily volunteered for the assignment of finding the best veggie burger in Austin. This post is the first in a series on the Austinot.

Many people think veggie burgers are an oxymoron. But if for health reasons or by choice you can’t eat the real McCoy, then finding a good one can be tough since there is such a wide variety of ingredients that veggie burgers can be made of. Because of this, a lot of it is personal preference. [Read more…]

Fighting Human Trafficking in Austin One Lipstick at a Time

August 7, 2012 by Guest Blogger 2 Comments

Nicole Marett Radiant Cosmetics in Austin

Radiant Cosmetics owner & founder, Nicole Marett, working with an anti-trafficking organization in India

This guest blog post is by Nicole Marett.

Many people are surprised to discover that slavery still exists. Though slavery has been abolished, there are more people in slavery now than ever before in human history. What’s even more shocking is that it’s happening here. There is human trafficking in Austin, our beloved and quirky city.

After pursuing a short-lived dream of a career in beauty and fashion, I left the United States to travel the world for a year. I had heard about human trafficking, but never really knew or cared that much about it. Nine months later, I met slaves face to face. I looked them in the eyes, knew their names and heard their stories. [Read more…]

Cancer Connection Battles Alongside Cancer Patients in Austin

July 30, 2012 by Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

Cancer Connections volunteers

The first time I heard the words “You have cancer” was when my grandmother, Lila Rau, was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. My instant reaction was, “She’s going to die.”

Defying fear, instinct kicked in to fight this horrific disease. My family and I waged battle by giving our loving support, attending every appointment, discussing options, and helping my grandmother feel as normal as possible.

It wasn’t easy. Mistakes were made because we didn’t know that the cancer was spreading at an alarming rate. Within a year, Lila’s cancer had spread to stage three and her chances of a cure had dropped from 90 percent to 50 percent. The type of breast cancer my grandmother had was aggressive. After a five-year struggle, she passed. This was the most devastating loss of my life. [Read more…]

Young Austinite Wins Ride on Historic Tall Ship Still Sailing

July 24, 2012 by Guest Blogger 10 Comments

Bow of the Eagle Tall Sailing Ship in U.S. Fleet

The bow of the Eagle

Editor’s Note: Because the Austinot’s founder, Eric Highland, is a 20-year veteran of the United States Coast Guard, I was delighted when I first heard the following story. I’m grateful to Richard for sharing his story and aspirations with our community, and for the example he sets for his generation of young Austinites.

This guest blog post is by Richard Barr Dent.

What motivates a high school junior to compete for a ride on one of the last sailing tall ships in the United States fleet?

At four, it shocked me to leave Cincinnati. “Austin is hard,” I told my grandmother. No tree leaves changed colors in Autumn. No snow for sledding in the winter. Luckily, I realized we were only three hours away from the Texas coast. Trips to Galveston, tours of the Elissa, the tall ship that is the pride of Texas, and nights spent aboard the U.S.S. Lexington with my Cub Scout Pack 29 kindled my maritime interest. Before Austin, my only exposure to the sea was the movie Muppet Treasure Island. [Read more…]

Stereotype Apparel: Changing the World One Shirt at a Time

July 19, 2012 by Guest Blogger 1 Comment

This guest blog post is by Adam Sweeney.

“Changing the world one shirt at a time” is more than just a slogan for Stereotype Apparel, the charitable clothing line based in Austin, Texas. For the team behind it, it’s a movement and way of life.

Inspired by recent tragic events that have polarized the country, founder Adam Sweeney and his team of dreamers have committed to creating a project and product that gives a portion of their proceeds to scholarships and their “Living in Stereo” educational outreach program for America’s youth in their battle against stereotypes and discrimination. The foundation is built around an idea of listening. [Read more…]

Guest Blog: Who Is the Best Austin Filmmaker?

July 10, 2012 by Guest Blogger 9 Comments

This guest blog post is by Harrison Flatau and Josh Elmer.

Hello Austinot! Harrison and Josh here from MovieDebaters.com. We’re dedicated to providing a space for thought-provking film posts, and the wonderful folks here at The Austinot wanted to us to share some of that with you. We’ve decided to share our monthly debate on the best Austin filmmaker: Mike Judge vs. Wes Anderson.

Mike Judge

Harrison: Mike Judge’s small catalogue of films has absolutely struck a chord with audiences. It’s been 13 years since the release of Office Space. People are still using it as cultural shorthand for the way workplaces work. The same goes for 2006’s Idiocracy. More and more, I see people using that film to describe the direction we’re heading. No other filmmaker I can think of has beem rooted so deeply into the collective conscious of the public. [Read more…]

Guest Blog: Guide to Specialty Drinks in Austin

July 5, 2012 by Guest Blogger 4 Comments

Pickletini at Kung Fu Saloon

This guest blog post is by Chris Lloyd.

Austin is a town that enjoys a drink or two (or more). Most of us have a favorite drink — our standard cocktail that we can order just about anywhere. But sometimes you may want to try something a little different. Here are some Austin options for the next time you’re in that situation.

Kung Fu Saloon prides itself on its pickle shots. Some swear the salt from the pickle juice helps with hangovers. I think it’s just a way to laugh at your friends’ faces after they drink it. There isn’t much to them, just a shot of vodka chased with a shot of pickle juice. I have seen some brave souls be more creative with pickle juice as an ingredient, though. Would you believe a pickle martini? If that doesn’t sound appetizing, you can always order one of Kung Fu’s specialty sake bombs. [Read more…]

Guest Blog: The Mighty Cone – Pioneer Among Austin Food Trucks

June 6, 2012 by Guest Blogger 1 Comment

Editor’s Note: Since The Mighty Cone’s food trailer court shut down on South Congress, they relocated to The Picnic at 1720 Barton Springs Road.

This guest blog post is by Kristin Sheppard.

Austin is inundated with so many fantastic food trucks that it’s easy to forget they weren’t always here. In the last couple years there’s been a sonic boom, with gourmet delights exploding from every vacated Airstream, bus, and trailer. Each day it seems that new ground is broken and we are testing the limits of what complicated concoctions can be produced in a tiny room on wheels. Mere street food is elevated to an art form, and isn’t that the way it should be? [Read more…]

Guest Blog: My Top 5 Favorite Parks in Austin

June 5, 2012 by Guest Blogger 2 Comments

Brushy Creek Park, my top pick

This guest blog post is by Ashly Howard.

As a mother of three, I want to make sure my children have just as much fun at the park as I do at the casino. I want to make sure their hair blows in the wind and their minds race deciding what they want to do next, as they explore their magical plastic wonderland.

But I may be a bit overprotective when deciding which park to take them to, and I do my research ten-fold. Though I want to get my children out of the house as much as possible, I don’t want to take them to a place that’s dirty or infested, or that is so busy that it’s impossible to keep up. [Read more…]

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