Admit it: If some Typically Gung-ho Vegan Yammerer tried to buttonhole you at a party, ranting about how totally wonderful vegan ice cream is, you might be all STFU – at least internally, right?

STR 2s may be on the verge of extinction here in Austin.

It’s the dozenth year for this local expo of comics-focused indie media and geekish party action that’s, as ever, wrangled by the sideburned provocateur they call Uncle Staple. And, yes, this year’s Staple! is loaded with enough diverse goodness to vibrate your molecules beyond the mundane world’s usual walls of ennui.

Bill Bryson recalls what's not to love about Britain and Clay Coppedge remembers Old Austin.

Veteran deejay Kerry Dawson, who served Austin airwaves for nearly 40 years, died on Monday morning of liver-related health problems. He was 66.

Jeremy Nail continues prepping his Alejandro Escovedo-produced My Mountain. After surviving cancer, Nail says, “What keeps me going is the hope that people will hear and connect to the songs I record, and these recordings will outlive me. Love and gratitude for life itself makes us appreciate the good things.” Hear it live on Wednesday at the Townsend.

Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater are two names synonymous with Austin. Their work is diverse, boundless, and endlessly creative. The pair also happen to share a close friendship with each other, have seven Oscar nominations between them, and have collaborated on eight projects over the course of their 21-year careers.

Tank Washington plays the role of both therapist and patient in his new video for “Never,” wherein the native Austin MC smokes a blunt on the couch while clearing the air about the problems weighing on his mind: fake friends talking trash behind his back, the competitive nature of the rap game, and poisonous past relationships.

In this week's news roundup: a Texas health official steps down after criticisms for a study that suggests defunding Planned Parenthood might be, surprisingly, bad for family planning; a Grand Jury declines to indict two officers involved in a shooting; several early voting polls have scheduling problems, but hardly anyone is voting anyway; and more ...