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Well, it’s goodbye to all of that, dear listeners. After three and a half years doing “Statesman Shots,” Omar and I, Tolly, are saying farewell. BUT! That’s only because we’ve got something new — that other podcast we’ve been telling you about — waiting in the wings. So today, we squeeze our beloved “Shots” goodbye, and say hello to our new friend, “I Love You So Much: The Austin360 Podcast.” Thank you so much to every single one of our listeners, guests, and Statesman newsroom folks who helped make our little show possible. We learned so much! And now, we’re going to take our podcast keys, DJ Khaled style, and unlock the future. So deep. So very, very deep. How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded at the top of this post) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Want to subscribe to the RSS for the new podcast? That’s doable! And here’s the new iTunes. “Statesman Shots” co-hosts Omar L. Gallaga and Tolly Moseley. Alyssa Vidales / AMERICAN-STATESMAN Contact: You can email us. We’re on Twitter and Facebook! Tolly, Omar, Addie Broyles, and producer Alyssa Vidales are all on Twitter. The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. Omar blogs at 512tech and appears weekly on KUT’s “Texas Standard.” Tolly used to blog at Austin Eavesdropper, now she hangs on stuff.

A few months ago, we told you we’d let you know when we were ready to announce our new podcast, the one that will succeed “Statesman Shots.” Welp, folks, that time has come. The new show is called “I Love You So Much: The Austin360 Podcast” (or ILYSM for short) and here’s a teaser for the new show: The good news is that if you’re an iTunes user, you don’t have to wait to subscribe. The show is already up on iTunes, and we’d love for you to join us. What’s different on the new show? We’ll have three hosts, including Tolly, Omar and now Addie Broyles. We’ll still talk about Austin life and pop culture, but in a different format and with a lot more variety of topics in keeping with our pals at Austin360. If you enjoyed “Statesman Shots,” we think you’ll dig “I Love You So Much.”  We’ll be doing one final sendoff to “Shots” soon and tell you more about the new show on that last short episode and how to get more involved with the podcast. The “Shots” archive isn’t going anywhere. You’ll still be able to access that podcast feed and old episodes on statesman.com/shots. You’ll be able to find the new show at its own site page, which we’ll announce soon, and @loveaustin360 isnew Twitter handle. Freaking out about all the changes? You can email us at loveaustin360@statesman.com, which goes to our three hosts. And while you’re at it, send us a note with your questions and problems: we’re starting up an advice segment and could use your personal, Austin-centric problems. How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. (1 min) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. Come on over, we promise you’ll have a good time!    

Did ya miss us? It’s true: we’ve been on a little break for a while. But not without a reason. In today’s episode, Statesman food writer Addie Broyles joins Omar and Tolly to discuss why we’ve been so hush-hush…and to help us make a special (happy) announcement! American-Statesman food writer and podcast co-host Addie Broyles. ContributedIn our first segment, we talk about new ideas a-brewin’ over in podcast land. Our podcast land. And in our second segment, we do some personal catch-up between the three of us: Addie’s school lunch debt story, Tolly on “S-Town,” and Omar on his Austin staycation / bucket list (swimming in Barton Springs? Check. Burgers at Casino El Camino? CHECK. We didn’t talk about Guero’s or The Broken Spoke or a bat viewing or taking selfies with the dude who rides his bike with only a thong but we’re 99% sure all that happened too). We close as always with a Toast. Enjoy! How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. (33 mins) Download the beautifully enhanced AAC version. (33 mins) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded at the top of this post) Show rundown: 0:00 Intro 1:11 Segment 1: What the future holds for Statesman Shots 11:58 Segment 2: Catching up, checking in on a month of life in Austin 2:48 A Toast (recommendations) 31:51 Outtro and how to reach us. Contact: You can email us. We’re on Twitter and Facebook! Tolly, Omar, Addie Broyles, and producer Alyssa Vidales are all on Twitter. The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. Omar blogs at 512tech and appears weekly on KUT’s “Texas Standard.” Tolly used to blog at Austin Eavesdropper, now she hangs on stuff.

How’s your South by Southwest going? We conclude our week of “Statesman Shots” dispatches from SXSW with a take from Tolly Moseley and Addie Broyles on some technology at the Expo Hall that maybe says more about society and its treatment of gender than its creators from Japan (Panasonic, specifically) were intending. Check out the audio dispatch above and watch a Facebook Live that Tolly and Addie did related to the topic.   Addie Broyles checks out some of Panasonic’s technology at South by Southwest 2017. Facebook Live photo How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. (7 min.) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded at the top of this post) Happy SXSW everybody! See something cool we should check out? Talk to us >> Say haay: You can email us. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube! Tolly, Omar, Addie and producer Alyssa Vidales are all on Twitter. The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. Omar blogs at 512tech and Terribly Happy. Tolly blogs at Austin Eavesdropper.

Yo, you can surf in downtown Austin right now. What’s happening? “Animal Kingdom” (TNT’s new show about a crime family clan in Southern California) and its stars have set up shop on the corner of Congress and Fourth Street, where you may remember the “Mr. Robot” Ferris wheel from last year’s South By. So it IS possible to catch waves in Central Texas…you just have to wait for SXSW to sprinkle some Hollywood magic! (Now taking bets for snow, SXSW 2018.) Omar and Statesman travel editor Kristen Finan talk to “Animal Kingdom” stars Finn Cole, Ben Robson, and Shawn Hatosy about the growth of Austin and their show on today’s SXSW dispatch from “Statesman Shots:” Video from Kristin and Omar: [cmg_anvato video=”3997685″] Listen here: Download the MP3 version here. (9 min.) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded at the top of this post) Say haay>> Contact: You can email us. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube! Tolly, Omar, Kristin and producer Alyssa Vidales are all on Twitter! The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. Omar blogs at 512tech and Terribly Happy. Tolly blogs at Austin Eavesdropper.

Joe Biden. James Comey (cancelled but not forgotten). Cory Booker. Jessica Shortall. These are just a few of the South by Southwest speakers scheduled that have made headlines leading up to it. It sure seems like a lot of SXSW is political this year. But is that a good or a bad thing? Instead of pontificating ourselves, we asked some folks at the Austin Convention Center what they think and this dispatch from SXSW includes some of those voices. Enjoy! We’ll have more from SXSW on Monday and Tuesday.   President Donald Trump, center, meets White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, from left clockwise, Shulkin’s wife , Merle Bari, Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin, Trump, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, together with other members of his cabinet and the White House staff, Saturday, March 11, 2017, at the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va. Manuel Balce Ceneta / ASSOCIATED PRESS How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. (9 min.) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded at the top of this post) Happy SXSW everybody! See something cool we should check out? Talk to us >> Say haay: You can email us. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube! Tolly, Omar, and producer Alyssa Vidales are all on Twitter. The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. Omar blogs at 512tech and Terribly Happy. Tolly blogs at Austin Eavesdropper.

There was no chicken, but plenty of curly fries when we visited the Los Pollos Hermanos activation downtown to celebrate the return of AMC’s “Better Call Saul” (itself a prequel to “Breaking Bad,” where the character Gus Fring’s chicken restaurant was a key location. In this audio dispatch, Omar and Tolly talk about why this TV installation differs so much from one for Hulu’s “Handmaid’s Tale,” which surprised us as we were heading over to Los Pollos. And check out this video to see what it looked like in there! [cmg_anvato video=”3997692″]   The Los Pollos Hermanos TV activation, which you can catch during SXSW at 5th and Colorado Streets. Bob Odenkirk and Giancarlo Esposito are scheduled to be at the location on Sunday. Omar L. Gallaga / AMERICAN-STATESMAN   Actresses for the “Handmaid’s Tale” Hulu activation in downtown Austin, Friday, March 10. Omar L. Gallaga / AMERICAN-STATESMAN How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. (5 min.) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded at the top of this post) Happy SXSW everybody! See something cool we should check out? Talk to us >> Say haay: You can email us. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube! Tolly, Omar, and producer Alyssa Vidales are all on Twitter. The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. Omar blogs at 512tech and Terribly Happy. Tolly blogs at Austin Eavesdropper.

Two and a half years ago, Jeff Wilson, aka “Professor Dumpster,” decided to make a radical lifestyle shift: he would move into a dumpster. A professor of environmental science at Huston-Tillotson, he resided in said dumpster for an entire year. Now, he’s launched a whole company around that idea: Kasita. Starting today, you can buy your own Kasita, a modern 352 sq. feet home with floor-to-ceiling windows, a sunken living room, hidden bed and TV screen, washer/dryer, bathroom and kitchen, and customizable “mood settings,” complete with smart lighting and music preferences. And? They’re stackable. Jeff gave us a tour of the company’s model Kasita, stationed right next to the Scoot Inn on the east side and open for tours during SXSW. Come inside, won’t ya? [cmg_anvato video=”3997694″] How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. (10 min.) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded at the top of this post) Jeff Wilson, aka “Professor Dumpster,” sitting on the “rooftop” of his dumpster home. Photo: Molly Mandell. The Kasita model home, open for tours during SXSW 2017 and stationed at 1304 E. 4th St., next door to the Scoot Inn. Contributed. Happy SXSW everybody! See something cool we should check out? Talk to us >> Say haay: You can email us. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube! Tolly, Omar, and producer Alyssa Vidales are all on Twitter. Kasita is on Instagram. The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. Omar blogs at 512tech and Terribly Happy. Tolly blogs at Austin Eavesdropper.

On the show this week: It’s SOUTH BY, peeps. What are you doing? What Internet famous pets are you selfie-ing? We got you. Big programming themes (politics), the evolution of the festival into a culture conference, and interesting pop-up offshoots (Twin Peaks!). Also: SXSW speakers like Marie Kondo, Cheryl Strayed, and Garth Brooks ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ plus festival immigration issues and soooo much more. Today’s episode is brought to you by Lexus! Tolly’s gone, so Statesman food writer and editor Addie Broyles is our guest co-host with Omar! Inour intro, they talk about the general evolution of the festival into its 2017 iteration – a culture conference where everyone from Cory Booker to Mick Fleetwood (as in Mac) to Jill Soloway to Cecile Richards to Buzz Aldrin gets a platform. Garth Brooks, SXSW 2017 keynote speaker Aude Guerrucci-Pool / Getty Images Politics will no doubt be a huge programming theme this year, as it’s all anyone can seemingly talk about, but what’s refreshing about SX Interactive is that it’s no longer a your-life-on-the-computer-conference; it’s truly a conference of ideas. Like what Garth Brooks is thinking about these days. Who knows? That leads us to a first segment with Statesman music writer Peter Blackstock to talk about SX Music, which has an interesting subcurrent to it this year: immigration issues for international artists, as well as their allies here at home. What’s going on there, and once again, what’s going on with Garth Brooks? (Sorry. Still processing.) He’s the top-selling artist of all time, above Elvis. But he took 13 years off from making records, so what’s his perspective like now that he’s trying to re-enter the scene in a completely different music distribution landscape? That takes us to our second segment with Statesman culture writer Joe Gross on buzzy film premiers (“Song to Song,” Terence Malik’s film about the Austin music scene with Rooney Mara and Ryan Gosling – trailer) and documentaries at SXSW Film, quickly followed by some SXSW haiku on our short shot. For real. We toggle with an intriguing conversation with Omar, Addie, and Anna Tauzin Rice about food and restaurant tech in our third segment, and close as always with a toast! How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. (1 hr) Download the beautifully enhanced AAC version. (1 hr) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded at the top of this post) Show rundown: 0:00 Intro: SXSW Interactive talk with Addie Broyles 16:05 Segment 1: Peter Blackstock on SXSW music and the immigration story 25:57 Segment 2: Joe Gross on big premiers, docs and more at SXSW film 39:33 Short Shot: SXSW-themed haiku from Haiku Austin’s Carlotta Eike Stankiewicz 41:55 Segment 3: Food and restaurant tech with Anna Tauzin Rice and eating at SXSW (recommendations) 53:59 A Toast (recommendations) 58:41 Outtro, listener feedback/messages and how to reach us. Contact: You can email us. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube! Tolly, Omar, Addie, Peter, Joe, Haiku Austin and producer Alyssa Vidales are all on Twitter. Look for Anna speaking at SXSW this year with Addie! The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. Omar blogs at 512tech and Terribly Happy. Tolly blogs at Austin Eavesdropper.

On the show this week: Kevin Curtin’s story on Red River clubs and homelessness in Austin Chronicle, “Red River Clubs Grapple With Downtown Homelessness” prompts a frank discussion with Statesman’s Deborah Sengupta Stith with her response to the story. Also, how to plan for SXSW and not make yourself crazy. Yeti’s brand new activation: how a cooler company became a lifestyle brand. Plus, in A Toast, Rob Delaney’s book “Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage,” a more physical form of mindfulness and female hip hop artists coming to SXSW. People carry amps and musical equipment into Beerland on Red River in downtown Austin, Texas on Saturday, October 8, 2011. Kelly West / AMERICAN-STATESMAN “It’s hard to talk about it because no one wants to sound like the jerk saying, ‘Let’s get the homeless out of the way so we can party,’ ” says Deborah Sengupta Stith, on the complicated tension between Red River music clubs and Austin’s homeless, who use adjacent services in the area. In our first segment, we talk to her about her response to Kevin Curtin’s original story in the Chronicle about this issue. Key to this conversation is the distinction between two groups of people: Austin’s homeless who congregate largely at the ARCH, and a second population of transients who have recently been paroled to Austin and prey on the first group via criminal activity (drug dealing, prostitution, etc.). It got a lot of Statesman readers talking, so we’re talking about it on “Shots.” That leads us to our Short Shot where, speaking of downtown, we talk South by Southwest with Deborah and the merits of over-planning vs. winging it, and in our second segment, Omar and Tolly talk Yeti and how, in extremely short order, a cooler company became a straight-up lifestyle brand. How did that happen? How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. (50 min.) Download the beautifully enhanced AAC version. (50 min.) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded at the top of this post) Show rundown: 0:00 Intro 3:04 Segment 1: Deborah Sengupta Stith on Red River’s music clubs & Austin’s homeless 21:46 Short Shot: Should you over-prepare or wing it for SXSW? 27:16 Segment 2: How did a cooler company – Yeti – become a lifestyle brand? 41:29 A Toast (recommendations) 48:12 Outtro, listener feedback/messages and how to reach us. Show notes: Kevin’s original story in the Chronicle. Deborah’s opinion response piece from the Austin Music Source. More on what people have been saying about these stories. Follow our SXSW coverage on 512tech and on Austin360. Gary Dinges fills us in on the new Yeti flagship store on S. Congress (video below). And a piece by Dan Solomon about it. Check our Rob Delaney’s very funny book. WBUR’s “On Point” tackles mindfulness within the body. Pop Culture Happy Hour’s segment on “Planet Earth 2” is very good. You can see that iguana vs. snakes video for yourself. Prepare for terror! Keep up with female rappers coming to SXSW by following Deborah’s posts on Austin Music Source. Yeti video: [cmg_anvato video=”3919962″] Contact: You can email us. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube! Tolly, Omar, Deborah, and producer Alyssa Vidales are all on Twitter. The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. Omar blogs at 512tech and Terribly Happy. Tolly blogs at Austin Eavesdropper.

Eberly is a new restaurant on South Lamar. It has a bar that was imported from Greenwich Village. Rodolfo Gonzalez / AMERICAN-STATESMAN On the show this week: Austin restaurant critic Matthew Odam, his big review of Eberly, Austin’s “golden age” of restaurants (and if it’s about to end), Melissa McCarthy and the politics of SNL, who are enjoying the best ratings they’ve had in 22 years, the Twitter feed of photographer Chris Arnade (linked below), “Legion,” the new FX / Marvel show from Austinite Noah Hawley (“Fargo”), and two Houston restaurants: Hugo Ortega’s Xochi and Chris Shepherd’s One Fifth. Matthew Odam’s review of Eberly got a lot of attention (120 comments and counting). It’s the most-read thing he’s written. We talk to him about it, the money it takes to open a restaurant now in Austin, and if scene > food these days in Austin’s modern eatery scene. In our second segment, Omar and Tolly switch gears to talk about SNL, who is currently enjoying its highest ratings in decades. Are they actually shaping the culture? What’s the specific genius of Alec Baldwin’s Trump? Is Melissa McCarthy great, or the greatest? Should Rosie O’ Donnell play Steve Bannon? So many questions. The interior of Eberly, a new restaurant on South Lamar reviewed by Matthew Odam. Rodolfo Gonzalez / AMERICAN-STATESMAN How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. (1 hr, 2 min.) Download the beautifully enhanced AAC version. (1 hr, 2 min.) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded at the top of this post) Show rundown: 0:00 Intro 1:44 Segment 1: Matthew Odam on Eberly and Austin’s evolving restaurant scene 27:53 Segment 2: The politics of SNL 42:30 A Toast (recommendations) 51:56 Outtro, listener feedback/messages and how to reach us. Show notes: Matthew’s Eberly review. Matthew’s other hot (food) takes: Paul Qui, for example, opening “Aqui” in Houston Fair and balanced: Eberly also ended up on Eater Austin’s “Hottest Restaurants in Austin Right Now” for February 2017. Salon: SNL reclaims its satirical mojo. SNL’s brilliant “Black Jeopardy” sketch with Tom Hanks. Omar writes about “SNL” and “The Walking Dead” over on Previously.tv every week. He was also a guest on this week’s “Extra Hot Great” podcast on that site if you want lots more TV talk, including “Twin Peaks.” The pilot episode of FX’s “Legion” is currently free on iTunes. Chris Arnade on Twitter. Houston restaurants that Matthew Odam loves: Xochi and One Fifth. And here’s Matthew feature on Houston as a restaurant town. In other fresh food news: Austin’s Bryce Gilmore (Barley Swine) and Laura Sawicki (Launderette, Fresa’s) are James Beard Award semifinalists. In big dining news: Hudson’s on the Bend abruptly closed just before Matthew Odam’s very positive review was published. Contact: You can email us. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube! Tolly, Omar, Matthew Odam, and producer Alyssa Vidales are all on Twitter. The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. Omar blogs at 512tech and Terribly Happy. Tolly blogs at Austin Eavesdropper.

On the show this week: Alyssa Vidales, our producer(!), on cosplay culture, cosplay and gender, PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) 2107, game consoles that let you feel things, like the Nintendo Switch, social gaming, how to insulate yourself from every day’s crazy news, Fresh Air’s “What Does Putin Want?” episode, “A Prairie Home Companion” with Chris Thile (not Garrison Keilor!), and issue #42 of “Saga,” one of Omar’s favorite comics.  Alyssa Vidales, right, and Jason Arriola strike a pose at PAX 2017. Alyssa is our guest on “Shots” this week. Contributed by Alyssa Vidales / AMERICAN-STATESMANOur beloved producer Alyssa Vidales – who moonlights for the Statesman video team – is fresh off PAX 2017, one of the biggest gaming conventions worldwide, and on the level of RTX and SXSW Gaming (also, pause. Are you not a gamer? FEAR NOT, neither is Tolly, she will be your audience surrogate this segment. Proceed). She talks to us about what she saw there, including the Nintendo Switch, an on-the-go game console that allows you to feel things you’re seeing on the screen in your hands. What? Yes. Augmented reality, now involving your sense of touch. In our second segment, Alyssa, who is pretty awesome at cosplay, talks to us about how cosplay culture is evolving, and how that’s affected by the growing diversity of game producers. Are there more costume options for women? What about non-binary players? On the topic of escapism, we talk in a Short Shot about our preferred coping mechanisms for today’s news cycle. Are you glued to your phone? Always reading the news? Us too! How do you stay engaged without losing your mind? Omar, Alyssa, and Tolly discuss. How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. (1 hr, 2 min.) Download the beautifully enhanced AAC version. (1 hr, 2 min.) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded at the top of this post) Alyssa plays “Splatoon 2” on the new Nintendo Switch. Contributed by Alyssa Vidales / AMERICAN-STATESMAN Show rundown: 0:00 Intro 3:13 Segment 1: Alyssa Vidales on PAX 2017 and the Nintendo Switch 21:20 Segment 2: Cosplay culture 101 41:33 Short Shot: Is it time to limit your news intake? 48:02 A Toast (recommendations) 56:32 Outtro, listener feedback/messages and how to reach us. Show notes: Intrigued by PAX South? Go here. Who puts on this stuff, anyway? Penny Arcade. CNET’s official review of the Nintendo Switch. Here’s a cosplay video from PAX 2017. Don’t know how we missed this but Garrison Keilor isn’t on Prairie Home Companion anymore…is “A Prairie Home Companion” with Chris Thile” PHC for hipsters?  “What Does Putin Want?” on Fresh Air: a must-listen. Brian K. Vaughn’s “Saga” is on its 42nd issue – one of the “saddest things I’ve ever read,” according to Omar. Contact: You can email us. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube! Tolly, Omar, and Alyssa Vidales are all on Twitter. The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. Omar blogs at 512tech and Terribly Happy. Tolly blogs at Austin Eavesdropper.

It’s time to immerse ourselves in all the movies a lot of haven’t seen (but want to) as the Academy Awards approach! Our favorite movie expert Joe Gross joins us to weigh in on each of the Best Picture nominees, from “La La Land” to “Moonlight” to every other non-frontrunner. We also talk about the diversity of the awards this year as compared to 2016, the very strong Documentary Feature category and a lot more! Clockwise from top left, Joe Gross, “La La Land,” “Moonlight” and “Arrival.” And in A Toast, we celebrate Smooth Joey Apollo (aka Joe Reid), a great award-season prognosticator, Tom King’s “The Vision” comic from Marvel and the “Hardcore History” podcast. Give us a listen! How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. (33 min.) Download the beautifully enhanced AAC version. (33 min.) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded at the top of this post) Show rundown: 0:00 Intro 1:04 Segment 1: Joe Gross on this year’s Oscar nominees, from “La La Land” to “Moonlight” to (ahem) “Hacksaw Ridge” 27:93 A Toast (recommendations) 31:39 Outtro and how to reach us. Show notes: 5 things we learned from this year’s Oscar noms. Joe Gross has been on the show to talk about Oscars before in Ep. 5, Ep. 55. and Ep. 99! Follow Joe Reid on Twitter or check out his work at Decider.com. “The Vision” comic from Marvel and writer Tom King. Dan Carlin’s “Hardcore History.” Contact: You can email us. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube! Tolly, Omar, Joe Gross, and producer Alyssa Vidales are all on Twitter. The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. Omar blogs at 512tech and Terribly Happy. Tolly blogs at Austin Eavesdropper.

On the show this week: Sharon Mays, owner of Baby Greens, on shutting her business down then bringing it back, why she opened a salad drive-thru, what it was like running for Austin City Council both as a native and as a woman, best drive-thru’s in Austin, the ones that could use a little improvement, Omar on taking Latino Comedy Project outside of Texas, other Austin cultural exports, “Hidden Figures,” the Mannawich at Juiceland, and CA Cafe: coconut oil coffee, y’all. Sharon Mays, founder of Baby Greens, is our guest on “Shots” this week. Allison Narro / Contributed Before Austin was exploding with cool restaurants, Sharon Mays was a pioneer: she opened up a salad drive-thru, Baby Greens, in 2004, on north Burnet Road right next to a Sonic – then opened up two more. But things weren’t quite happening the way she wanted, and she had to shutter all three in 2009. “When I closed my business, and even the way I closed it, I did it with a hope that I would eventually bring it back.” And she did! In late 2016 Baby Greens rose again, now with an even better location on Anderson Road: it’s right across the street from Black Swan Yoga. Sharon tells us Baby Greens’ inspiring comeback story (“I was love bullied into re-opening”), how she ran for Austin City Council during the interim years, and how she feels that currently, “the universe has shaken us to awaken us.” Word. That leads us to a Short Shot where we share our favorite drive-thrus in Austin, as well as a few that could stand a little improvement. (Listen: we’re not saying the wait isn’t worth it, but certain famous taco restaurants have allowed Tolly to sit through an entire “Fresh Air” interview during her drive-thru wait, with the obligatory jazz album review, THAT IS ALL WE’RE SAYING.) In our second segment, Tolly talks to Omar about taking Latino Comedy Project on the road, and how other Austin cultural exports do when they’re delivered out of town. In A Toast, Omar took his daughters to see “Hidden Figures,” Tolly is eating the Mannawich from Juiceland in four seconds flat, and Sharon discovered CA Cafe at H-E-B: coconut oil-infused coffee. Yum. How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. (58 min.) Download the beautifully enhanced AAC version. (58 min.) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded at the top of this post) Show rundown: 0:00 Intro 2:34 Segment 1: Sharon Mays on the Baby Greens comeback and stepping up when the universe shakes you 25:57 Short Shot: Favorite (and not so favorite) drive-thrus in Austin 31:46 Segment 2: How to take Latino Comedy Project – and other Austin cultural creations – on the road 44:45 A Toast (recommendations) 53:15 Outtro, listener feedback/messages and how to reach us. Show notes: Fast food where you don’t have to sheepishly hide the wrapper from family, co-workers: Baby Greens How Sharon is helping make Austin net-zero. Foursquare on best drive-thrus in Austin. Latino Comedy Project at Sketchfest! (San Jose Mercury News) CA Cafe looks pretty darn delicious. Hopefully Hidden Figures will win all the awards. Contact: You can email us. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube! Tolly, Omar, Sharon, Baby Greens, and producer Alyssa Vidales are all on Twitter. The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. Omar blogs at 512tech and Terribly Happy. Tolly blogs at Austin Eavesdropper.

On the show this week: Kelly Krause, programming manager for SXSW, on Marie Kondo-ing her life, how she became a konvert, the new minimalism, what Marie will be talking about at SXSW 2017, things you should “kondo or keep,” Eric Webb, the New Year’s word, Poshmark to sell your clothes, Fresa’s rice crispy treat ice cream, @celesbians on Twitter, our appearance on Breakfast for Dinner podcast, and #saltbae. In 11 emotional and ultimately liberating days, Kelly Krause — professed lover of nice things — Marie Kelly Krause of SXSW is our guest on this week’s episode of “Shots.” Credit: Contributed by Kelly Krause. Kondo’d her life. Who is Marie Kondo, you say? Only the most famous tidying expert alive. Marie believes you should only keep things in your life that spark joy, and to get there, she wrote a book-length prescription for purging in the wild bestseller “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” This struck a chord with Americans this past year, particularly American women, and since Marie Kondo has just been announced as a speaker for SXSW, we speak to a real-life konvert on what the experience was like. That leads us to a Short Shot where we a) learn how to FOLD properly from Kelly (there is a specific method folks) and b) discuss what physical objects in your home are worth kondo-ing or keeping. Are you impressed by all this alliteration? In our second segment, bring our beloved Eric Webb, Statesman social media editor, in to talk about the New Year’s word, a tradition we’ve been doing at Shots for the past few years now. In A Toast, Kelly is all about Poshmark to sell your clothes (just in case you happen to be mid-kondo), a pretty insane ice cream at Fresa’s for local Austinites, while Tolly is all about @celesbian gossip on Twitter. She also shouts out to Breakfast for Dinner podcast, who just had Tolly and Omar on the show! Omar wrote about #saltbae for 512Tech, and if that meme is new to you…go search it. Right now. See? Worth your time. How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. (58 min.) Download the beautifully enhanced AAC version. (58 min.) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded at the top of this post) Show rundown: 0:00 Intro 2:35 Segment 1: Marie Kondo-ing the krap out of your life with Kelly Krause 22:26 Short Shot: Kondo or keep? What to do with your stuff 27:10 Segment 2: Your 2017 New Year’s Word with Eric Webb 45:45 A Toast (recommendations) 49:52 Outtro, listener feedback/messages and how to reach us. Show notes: Marie Kondo announced as a 2017 featured speaker for SXSW. Marie Kondo and the ruthless war on stuff. Wow NPR, way to be optimistic! “Personal Productivity Efforts Are Doomed to Fail“ Where the New Year’s Word all began…on Tolly’s blog. Here are posts about it from 2012, 2013, and 2015. Omar blogged about his 2017 word, “track,” here. Omar and Tolly were on “Breakfast for Dinner” podcast last week! Super fun chat about Austin, what we do outside of podcasting, even a little Taylor Swift…check it out here. Omar’s (funny) story on #saltbae for 512Tech. Getchu some @celesbian gossip. Poshmark: make some $$ on the clothes you’re purging! Next week on Shots: Baby Greens owner Sharon Mays! Contact: You can email us. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube! Tolly, Omar, Kelly Krause, and producer Alyssa Vidales are all on Twitter. The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. Omar blogs at 512tech and Terribly Happy. Tolly blogs at Austin Eavesdropper.

Remember Dago and Nicole from Episode 94 last year? The charming hosts of Austin’s Breakfast for Dinner Podcast invited us (Omar and Tolly) to their show and you can hear the nearly two-hour conversation over on their site or wherever you get your podcasts in Episode 156 of their show, “Brisket Breakfast Taco.” We talked about the best of what we love in Austin (best taco, best coffee shop, best bar), how each of our podcasts began, what it’s like to book guests for a podcast every week and #saltbae. Go listen to the episode, but if you want a preview, here’s a 15-minute excerpt from the BFD episode. Download the MP3 version here. Soundcloud here. Here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Dago Garcia (left) and Nicole Seligman are the co-hosts of Austin’s “Breakfast for Dinner Podcast.” Omar L. Gallaga / AMERICAN-STATESMAN

On the show this week: TOLLY’S PARENTS, Tom and Christi Moseley, what it’s like to live in Austin, leave, and return 30 years later, Austin in the 80s, going to school while raising a toddler, bucket list suggestions for Austin in 2016, the holiday trees on 360, the first season of “Westworld,” the holiday light show at Mozart’s Coffee Roasters, “No Ordinary Time” about the Roosevelts by Doris Kearns Goodwin, “The President Versus The General” about President Truman and General McArthur by H.W. Brands. And maybe a little bit of gossip about Tolly as a teenager. (Not at all cringey and embarrassing.) Y’all. It’s happening. Omar has been begging for months to have Tolly’s parents on the show, and they agreed! In our first segment, we talk about Austin in the ’80s, how Tom and Christi juggled raising a toddler, going to school, and working jobs back then, what it’s like returning to Austin three decades later (consensus: a little more traffic? Maybe a LITTLE more traffic), getting lost in nature preserves, eating at food trailers, the best hamburgers they’ve discovered, and so, so much more. They are super cute (full stop) and we are really grateful they agreed to do this. That leads us to a Short Shot where we talk about our Austin bucket list items (Tom and Christi’s #1: Master Pancake), and in our second segment, we talk about the holiday tree thing on 360 and Tolly’s parents’ favorites. In A Toast, Omar is all about the JJ Abrams show “Westworld,” Tolly’s delight rivals a 5 year-old’s when it comes to the Mozart’s holiday light show, Christi is reading “No Ordinary Time” about by Texas Book Festival alum Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Tom loves “The President Versus The General” about President Truman (note: his favorite president) and General McArthur by H.W. Brands. How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. (56 min.) Download the beautifully enhanced AAC version. (56 min.) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded at the top of this post) Show rundown: 0:00 Intro 2:25 Segment 1: Tom and Christi Moseley on returning to Austin 28:29 Short Shot: Our individual Austin bucket lists 35:14 Segment 2: Tree decorating along Highway 360 45:20 A Toast (recommendations) 52:41 Outtro and how to reach us. Show notes: You can find Kristy Owen’s “100 Things to do in Austin Before You Die” on Amazon. Ken Herman was thankful a few years ago for folks who cleaned up the trees on 360. More from KXAN about cleanup. You can find out more about “Master Pancake” on the Alamo Drafthouse website. Check out these Austin Ghost Tours! More details on that “Detour” app featuring an Austin walking tour from Radiolab. After finishing “Westworld,” Omar agrees with critic Alan Sepinwall that it could have been better. More on the Christmas lights show at Mozart’s Coffee Roasters. The book “No Ordinary Time” is on Amazon. As is “The General vs. The President.” If you need more holiday cheer, check out our episode featuring Santa Claus and our episode about holiday traditions. Contact: You can email us. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube! Tolly, Omar, and producer Alyssa Vidales are all on Twitter. Tom and Christi aren’t so much into social media but you CAN find them, IRL, at Hopdoddy’s. The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. Omar blogs at 512tech and Terribly Happy. Tolly blogs at Austin Eavesdropper.

On the show this week: Sister Temperance Tarot, the art of tarot reading, why Sister Temperance (our dear friend, Angeliska Polachek) came out of the “broom closet,” what the tarot deck actually means, Dolly Parton and why to see legends while they’re still alive, Statesman food writer Addie Broyles, holiday cooking inspo, Stanley Roy’s and Rebecca Havemeyer’s “Christmas Extravaganza,” “Transparent” Season 3, and “The Katering Show” on YouTube. Angelika, aka Sister Temperance, aka the two-year-in-a-row “Best Psychic/Tarot” Winner from Angeliska Polacheck, aka Sister Temperance, is today’s guest on “Statesman Shots.” Contributed. Austin Chronicle’s annual “Best of Austin” contest, is, truly, a divine presence. Tarot’s getting more popular and mainstream in Austin, and if you Google “tarot Austin,” she is literally the first search result that pops up. So we asked her: how did you get into this, Angeliska? And for our listeners who’ve never gotten a tarot reading before: what’s it like? She talks with us for a deliciously long time, and we think you’ll love our conversation, particularly since Angeliska has such a delicious VOICE. That chat leads us to a Short Shot where we talk about seeing legends while they’re still alive, and Dolly Parton in particular. 2016 took a lot of icons away from us (Prince! David Bowie! Leonard Cohen!), so we’re realizing that we can’t hesitate when the opportunity comes to see these folks.  And in our second segment, Statesman food writer Addie Broyles comes in at the knick of time to provide us holiday cooking inspo in the form of local cooking classes, grocery shopping tactics, and (for those of us who can’t be bothered to leave the house) ingredient delivery services. Sister Temperance and her tarot deck. Contributed. Angeliska comes back for A Toast, in which Omar recommends “The Katering Show,” a mock Australian cooking show on YouTube (it looks really funny), Tolly is finally watching S3 of “Transparent” (available on Amazon Prime), and Angeliska makes the most timely Toast of all: Stanley Roy’s and Rebecca Havemeyer’s “A Most Precious Christmas” happening tonight, Friday, and Saturday at The North Door. How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. (1 hr, 12 min.) Download the beautifully enhanced AAC version. (1 hr, 12 min.) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded at the top of this post) Show rundown: Statesman food writer Addie Broyles joins us today on “Statesman Shots” to talk holiday cooking ideas. 0:00 Intro 2:53 Segment 1: Angeliska aka Sister Temperance on tarot and a new generation of mystics 33:32 Short Shot: Seeing the Legends: Dolly Edition 41:39 Segment 2: Holiday cooking inspo with Addie Broyles 58:00 A Toast (recommendations) 1:06:00 Outtro and how to reach us. Show notes: Wanna book yourself a tarot session with Sister Temperance? Go here. Tarot is going more mainstream…as evidenced by this tarot manicure thing? (Via Refinery29) Historic origins of tarot. Dolly Parton is just so amazing, you guys. A review of Blue Apron and its competitors. On that note, Farmhouse Delivery is local and fun-looking. It came out in September, but season 3 of “Transparent” will make for some excellent holiday vaycay binging, if you haven’t watched it already. Slate reviews it here. “Ethical Eating” from “The Katering Show” (snicker). Possibly the most can’t-missable Christmas shows in Austin: “A Most Precious Christmas” from Stanley Roy and Rebecca Havemeyer, and here are tickets. You need this in your life. Contact: You can email us. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube! Tolly, Omar, Angeliska, Addie, and producer Alyssa Vidales are all on Twitter. The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. Omar blogs at 512tech and Terribly Happy. Tolly blogs at Austin Eavesdropper.

On the show this week: How a 1964 AMC Rambler named Elizabeth drove Austin’s comedy scene to the 21st century, ’90s Austin, old car stories, Carrying Hope, a local nonprofit that helps kids in the foster care system, what it’s like being a foster parent in central Texas, the Hamilton Mixtape, “Before the Flood,” the climate change documentary hosted by Leonardo DiCaprio, and Dungeons and Dragons. For 30 year-olds. Statesman reporter Phil Jankowski is our guest on this week’s episode of Shots. Deborah Cannon / AMERICAN-STATESMAN Gather round, children, and listen to a bygone tale of Austin’s past. It was a time when beer cost $0.50. A time when rent cost $175/month – on Rainey Street. A time when there were about 15 total comics in Austin, and a time when slackers abounded, but Teslas did not. Enter Elizabeth: a beat up, vintage Rambler that threaded through the lives of ’90s Austin comics, arriving through the Velvet Room in 1992, and exiting through Matt Bearden’s front curb in 2007 (by tow truck). What happened between is an awesome story by Statesman reporter Phil Jankowski, who is our guest on Shots today, and is able to answer the question: where is Elizabeth now? That chat leads us to a Short Shot where we reminisce about old cars, and in our second segment, Statesman travel editor Kristin Finan, along with Mauri Elbel and Rachel Garza, join us to discuss their new nonprofit Carrying Hope, which provides “hope packs” to kids just placed in the foster care system. Phil comes back for A Toast, in which Omar recommends the new Hamilton Mixtape (available on Spotify), Tolly recommends the chilling, Leonardo DiCaprio-hosted climate change documentary “Before the Flood” (available on Amazon Prime), and Phil Jankowski, who is currently single, recommends Dungeons and Dragons. How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. (59 min.) Download the beautifully enhanced AAC version. (59 min.) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded up at the top of this post) The co-founders of Carrying Hope join us on this week’s episode of “Shots.”  Tolly Moseley / for AMERICAN-STATESMAN Show rundown: 0:00 Intro 2:52 Segment 1: Phil Jankowski on a 1964 AMC Rambler that connected ’90s Austin comedy 22:28 Short Shot: Our most memorable cars, with Phil Jankowski 31:02 Segment 2: Kristin Finan, Mauri Elbel and Rachel Garza on Carrying Hope 43:08 A Toast (recommendations) 50:17 Outtro and how to reach us. Show notes: This video about Elizabeth is so great: “A group of Austin comedians in the ’90s passed around a 1964 AMC Rambler that they called Elizabeth, until the car was stolen one day. She resurfaced more than a decade later, and her legend lives on.” Nice job, Kelly West. Phil’s terrific story. A month’s rent on Rainey, 1992: $175/month. A night’s rent on Rainey, 2016: same thing. Kristin, Mauri, and Rachel are all foster parents, and saw the system from the inside. So they founded Carrying Hope to help kids with what is usually a traumatic transition – and you can get involved. Another child-centered, local nonprofit to get involved with over the holidays: Any Baby Can. Statesman’s 2016 Season For Caring. Vox on the highly listenable Hamilton Mixtape, which features everyone from Busta Rhymes to Usher to Ashanti. “Before the Flood” is inspiring…and scary. A think piece on Dungeons and Dragons and “Stranger Things.” Contact: You can email us. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube! Tolly, Omar, Phil, and producer Alyssa Vidales are all on Twitter. Carrying Hope is on Facebook. The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. NO PRANK CALLS! Omar blogs at 512tech and Terribly Happy. Tolly blogs at Austin Eavesdropper.

On the show this week: “Doper Than Dope,” the local, live, ’90s-inspired comedy show from writer/director Adrienne Dawes, comedian (and reformed Topo Chico imbiber) Maggie Maye, who stars in the show, “In Living Color” and “House of Buggin,” fly girls, our collective affection for John Leguizamo, what podcasts we’re listening to right now, “Fleabag” from Phoebe Waller-Bridge, transhumanism, and “Chewing Gum” on Netflix. AND, again, Topo Chico. Adrienne Dawes, director of “Doper Than Dope,” and comedian Maggie Maye are our guests this week on Statesman Shots. Omar L. Gallaga / AMERICAN-STATESMAN “Doper Than Dope” is the funny brainchild of Adrienne Dawes, and if you grew up in the ’90s – or just wish you did – you’ll love their live show. Fades? Check. MadTV callbacks? Check. A #crazysexycool FLY GIRL DANCE TEAM? Check, here’s the link for tickets, because now you are for sure going aren’t you. The Season 2 show – set in the mid ’90s – is December 8th and 16th at Spiderhouse Ballroom. That chat leads us to a Short Shot where we each nominate our favorite John Leguizamos, and in our second segment, Statesman social media editor Eric Webb joins us to talk about our favorite podcasts right now, it being the holidays, aka Thy Merry Season of Road and Airport Commutes! Treat your earbuds with your downtime. Adrienne and Maggie come back for A Toast, in which Omar recommends “Fleabag,” the buzzy British series about the messy life of a woman in London (available on Amazon Prime), Tolly is intrigued (but still a little freaked out) by transhumanism, per an interview with Zoltan Istvan on “Note to Self,” Adrienne is watching “Chewing Gum” and overall appreciating the nuance in roles lately for women of color on TV, and Maggie has finally been peer pressured into drinking Topo Chico. How to listen: Download the MP3 version here. (60 min.) Download the beautifully enhanced AAC version. (60 min.) And here’s the RSS to subscribe to the podcast. (We’re also on iTunes!) Or listen on SoundCloud. (Also embedded up at the top of this post) Show rundown: 0:00 Intro 2:42 Segment 1: Adrienne Dawes and Maggie Maye on “Doper Than Dope 2” 23:06 Short Shot: Our favorite John Leguizamo 29:11 Segment 2: Eric Webb on our current podcast favorites 46:50 A Toast (recommendations) 57:11 Outtro and how to reach us. Show notes: Tickets to “Doper Than Dope” Season 2! That great interview Essence Magazine did with Adrienne. “To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar” needs to be a part of your life. (Don’t believe Rotten Tomatoes, it’s AMAZING.) Wasn’t John Leguizamo surprisingly hot in “Romeo & Juliet?” We talked about a LOT of awesome podcasts in Seg 2, but here’s a link to “You Must Remember This,” the vintage Hollywood history / gossip podcast, and one of Eric’s current faves. Aisha Tyler interviewed her mom recently on her podcast “Girl On Guy,” and it’s pretty adorable. Contact: You can email us. We’re on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube! Tolly, Omar, Maggie, Adrienne, and producer Alyssa Vidales and are all on Twitter. The audio podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe and rate us, won’t ya? It’s also on SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play Music Store. Want to leave a voice-mail? It’s 512-445-3672. NO PRANK CALLS! Omar blogs at 512tech and Terribly Happy. Tolly blogs at Austin Eavesdropper.