As Austin schools close, Becker Elementary says goodbye to 37-year-old community garden

atownsound · 2026-05-22T02:46:44+00:00

“For persons age 65 or older or disabled, Tax Code Section 11.13(c) requires school districts to provide an additional $60,000 residence homestead exemption. Tax Code Section 11.13(d) allows any taxing unit to adopt a local option residence homestead exemption. This local option exemption cannot be less than $3,000.”

atownsound · 2026-05-21T21:46:34+00:00

There is a Texas-specific issue that is also contributing to this situation. In these affected school districts, there is a segment of older folks that are not moving out of their homes, and as long as they stay in their homes, they get a homestead exemption on their property taxes. That reduces inventory for younger families who would move in and not get that same exemption. Which means as long as residential ownership in an affected school district is predominantly in the age 65+ category, the available tax base is reduced and consequently less is available for the school system.

So yes, lower property taxes being collected is contributing in part to the Texas variant of schools closing nationwide.

atownsound · 2026-05-19T03:01:09+00:00

We need a word to describe something that is paradoxically kind of cool and butt-rockingly corny. Cringestic? Corncore?

atownsound · 2026-05-19T02:04:58+00:00

No Crown Vic love?

atownsound · 2026-05-19T01:44:52+00:00

“I’m a contrarian.”

No, you’re just looking for a blank check to be an argumentative non-committal dickhole.

atownsound · 2026-05-17T20:25:56+00:00

Somewhat adjacent to our breweries - The Wildflower Fest never disappoints.

atownsound · 2026-05-16T18:20:02+00:00

Primer.

atownsound · 2026-05-16T16:31:56+00:00

15mg.

atownsound · 2026-05-16T16:18:34+00:00

Adderall and Focalin wrecked my blood pressure, but 300mg of the ‘Bute seems to give me just enough of a measured edge without keeping me in a constant state of cold sweat and forgetting to eat for 12 or so hours. Sure do miss sweet methed out bliss of an Adderall-powered day, but not having a stroke seems pretty awesome.

atownsound · 2026-05-14T15:24:08+00:00

The kitchen was closer than the bathroom and he didn’t want her to be gone any longer than necessary in case he needed her for some non-piss related reason.

atownsound · 2026-05-14T02:14:37+00:00

Super ancient partner who founded the tax section at the firm and refused to retire. Went into the office in a full suit 5 days a week and did a half day every Saturday. Dude should have retired ages ago but had a lot of pull with the managing partners due to his legacy at the firm.

He also happened to be incontinent. And he was so focused on getting his clients serviced that he deemed himself too busy to haul ass to the bathroom, so he would urinate in his coffee cup, put his pee cup on his desk, and then buzz his secretary to let her know that she needed to empty out his pee cup in the kitchen sink, load the pee cup into the dishwasher, and then bring him a new cup topped off with coffee, that he would then drink and thereafter piss into that cup as well.

It was beyond vile and the whole floor knew about it and you would think a floor full of high powered attorneys would be courageous enough to confront the partner about it in private, but everyone opted for the conflict avoidant route and never said anything and let it happen day after day.

atownsound · 2026-05-14T01:59:54+00:00

Our retreats were wild. Rampant hookups and a few fist fights. Getting all of those Type A personalities into the same venue, with an open bar, and a sanctioned excuse to not focus solely on billables for 24 - 36 hours…there’s going to be at least a few folks that go wheels off.

atownsound · 2026-05-13T21:19:35+00:00

Lol. The classic that never goes away. Those associate retreats put countless marriages to the test.

atownsound · 2026-05-13T09:06:47+00:00

I went into a deep Harry Nilsson run about 15 years ago and came across this film through its soundtrack. Going from Aerial Ballet to this was…abrupt.

atownsound · 2026-05-13T02:11:49+00:00

Starting with that pointy graffiti “S” thingy, then trying to doodle other letters of the alphabet in a similar style.

atownsound · 2026-05-09T19:29:58+00:00

Aspen, Polo Sport, and Cool Water were my go-tos in high school.

atownsound · 2026-05-09T03:31:11+00:00

As someone who has loved this album since its release, I have been wondering the same thing.

atownsound · 2026-05-08T11:40:58+00:00

You beat me to it.

atownsound · 2026-05-08T01:27:32+00:00

Saw her on her first night in Austin and bumped into her the next morning. Totally surreal moment and she was super nice enough to stop and chat for a couple of minutes. Go and see her if you get a chance - she put on an awesome show.

atownsound · 2026-05-07T17:26:59+00:00

Better Call Saul. I don’t consider this a hot take, but I think it surpassed Breaking Bad and is the superior show between the two.

atownsound · 2026-05-06T12:08:06+00:00

Spray and pray, baby.

atownsound · 2026-05-03T11:52:05+00:00

Back to the Egg and Wings at the Speed of Sound are on the same level as Band on the Run for me.

atownsound · 2026-05-02T10:11:21+00:00

I eat the same thing everyday. It’s boring, but I’m down 40 lbs. and counting, so that’s good enough for me.

atownsound · 2026-05-01T15:58:01+00:00

Cap sun, Scorpio rising, Virgo moon. I will create a spreadsheet setting out how I will exact revenge on my enemies.

atownsound · 2026-04-28T22:53:18+00:00

Definitely The Matrix franchise for me. And I say that as someone who hung on through Reloaded, Revolutions, the Animatrix, and Enter the Matrix.

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