Rambling 'round Austin
I miss Gaby & Mo's, the lesbian but straight-guy-friendly coffeehouse just across I-35 from UT. It wasn't on my regular path but I always enjoyed its special spot in the slacker universe when I stopped by.
Now the property has been occupied by Sacred Cup, which may or may not have a unique identity the way Gaby & Mo's did. I mean, there is an awful lot of anarchist literature lying around so I guess it could be incubating the next revolution, but that might just be a reflection of the neighborhood it's in. Great cup of coffee in any case. I took a moment for a mirrorshot and a shot of a "hey" graffito apparently connected to the ones I'd seen before on the Drag.
Speaking of anarchists, I just stumbled onto Monkeywrench Books at 110 E. North Loop, on one of Austin's last remaining funky alternativista habitats, the Curve. Ah, it reminds me of the good old days, when I was a greenie pacifist fellow traveller and kept up with fun anarchists like boog "gentle anarchist" highberger and Bob "I've Got a Nietszche Trigger Finger"/"The Abolition of Work" Black. (I wonder what boog and Bob Black are up to these days?) I didn't find much that was all that compelling to me in Monkeywrench's offerings (their used books are sadly overpriced) but the people seemed friendly. As a souvenir I picked up Ted Rall's graphic novel 2024.
And speaking of Austin funk, the mysteriously long-lived but under-patronized Indian grocery store South Asia Bazaar has finally bit the weevil dust and been reincarnated as Austin's most centrally located low-budget Indian restaurant. Various veg and non-veg meals for $3.99 and up (click on the mirrorshot below for a closeup of the menu). Has anyone tried it yet?
