Pinballz is an old-school arcade in Austin with more than 100 pinball machines (including some sought-after classics), arcade games and lots more. Shane Shelton reveals why Pinballz is such a good time in his Austin Post exclusive video. 

Once a week the Austin Post rounds up all the networking, social and just plain nifty technology related events taking place in the greater Austin metro area.

Austin is kicking off the month with plenty of user groups (especially for Agile developers) and a bit of white hat hacking thrown in for good measure. These are a great chance to geek out and network at the same time. 

OWASP Lightning Talks
July 31, 11:30 a.m. 
National Instruments, Building C
11500 N Mopac Expy
Theme: Five minute lectures on information security. 

Austin Mobile Developers and Entrepreneurs
July 31, 7:00 p.m.
Tap Room
311 Colorado St
Theme: Meet fellow mobile developers and entrepreneurs in a laid back networking environment. 

Agile Austin Monthly Meeting
August 2, 6:00 p.m. 
BancVue
4516 Seton Center Pkwy
Suite 300
Theme: Agile Austin’s mission is to promote agile software development concepts such as those set forth in the Agile Manifesto (agilemanifesto.org), to create a public forum for the exchange of practice information and to create opportunities for the professional development of members.

Central Texas XNA User Group
August 2, 6:00 p.m.
Headspring Offices
4807 Spicewood Springs Road
Building 4, Suite 201
Theme: CTXNA brings together professional software developers, students and game development enthusiasts to create an informal, learning-focused open forum to discuss game development, managed code and, above all, have fun!

Drupal Dojo
August 2, 7:00 p.m.
Mangia Pizza
8012 Mesa Drive
Theme: The Drupal Dojo is for anyone interested in hanging out with other Drupalistas in a "hive mind" environment. There is no set topic or presenter so bring your laptop, a pet project and an appetite.

HackFormers
August 3, 11:30 
Microsoft Technology Center
10900 Stonelake Blvd
Suite 225
Theme: Uncovering the Faces of Fraud. 

Agile Leaders SIG
August 3, Noon
CA Technologies
5001 Plaza on the Lake
Suite 102 (first floor)
Theme: Leading Responsible Change in Agile Development.

ATX 2600 Meeting
August 3, 7:00 p.m.
Spider House Cafe
2908 Fruth St
Theme: White Hat hackers meeting. 

August Linux Meetup
August 6, 7:00 p.m.
Mangia Chicago Stuffed Pizza
7950 Anderson Sq, Suite 105
Theme: We are a synergistic group of Linux Enthusiasts who meet to share ideas, knowledge and technique.

Games, software and intangible objects are great, but sometimes it’s neat to be able to pull a real, physical, practical object from your pocket and brag it was made in your home town. Get ready for everyone outside Texas to look on in envy when you whip out your Stabil-i-Case.

My love for this particularly Kickstarter is a little biased. I’ve taken video on everything from a Flip camera to a Kodak with a badly implemented video mode to my iPad, but the number one thing I use whenever I want to record a couple minutes of something nifty is my iPhone. I’m not going to buy an entire camera bag’s worth of iPhone video accessories. First, having to haul all that around eliminates the whole point of having something fast and easy in my pocket. Second, for what I spent on the accessories I could’ve bought a decent little dedicated video camera.

I haven’t seen one in person, but if the Stabil-i-Case really is the same size and function as the bulkier iPhone cases while also letting me cart around a nice little camera mount and stabilizer, then I’m sold. 

This Kickstarter is raising money for the actual material costs of the case. Every one of their reward levels gets you the technology itself. In fact, you can get anywhere from one for $44 up to 200 for $10,000 (assuming you want to sell them at your retail shop.) If the Kickstarter is successful, they estimate delivery in time for Christmas. That means you can either put it under the tree or use it to film everyone opening up their presents. 

This could be a very nice tool for budding videographers. Show a little local pride and help make your own videos smoother all at the same time. Visit the Kickstarter page here.

When I first moved into my house in 2004, I was a single gal in my late 20s and I was new to the world of home ownership and maintenance. I knew how to sew buttons and mend tears in my clothing, I knew how to cook, but I had no idea how to deal with things like water valves, electrical breaker boxes and lawnmowers.

There were a few things I tried to do to be frugal that resulted in utter disaster. I figured it would be easy enough to install the washing machine all by myself – after all, who needs a plumber? Just tighten the hoses into the right sockets (or whatever you call them), right? Except, I didn’t realize that I needed a special tool to get them really tight, and after about a month of slow leakage, my entire living room and kitchen flooded.

Then there was the time I decided it would be okay to bypass Austin Energy's “Call Before You Dig” – a free service that locates your underground utilities. I was in a big hurry to plant my Texas native flower and herb garden so I wouldn’t have to waste precious water on the lawn or on seasonal pansy blossoms. Except, I accidentally cut off one of my utilities with a shovel. I won’t mention which one, so I don’t get into trouble. (Let’s just say it didn’t pose any danger and wasn’t extremely necessary in an era where everyone uses cell phones.)

But there were some instances of success! One of my favorite things to do, growing up in Southern California, was to open up the windows on a mild day and let in the breeze and fresh air. Except, when I first moved into my house, there were no screens on the windows that had been installed in 1977 when the house was built.

After looking into the cost of getting them professionally custom-made, I decided I had two choices: go without screens or make my own. I went down to Lowe’s and got myself five items: screen mesh, screen frames, screen corners, spline and a spline roller. I was able to borrow a hacksaw from a friend (and if you’re a single woman, you’ll probably have good luck borrowing one too).

Without looking it up on the Internet (because how-to sites hadn’t yet taken off) or using any kind of manual, I set to work on making my solar screens. Putting together the frame is easy – you simply take the measurements of your windows, cut your frames to size, and connect them with the plastic corners like a game of Tinkertoys. Using the hacksaw can be a little bit tricky, but it if you also happened to be lucky enough to borrow a miter box, it makes life easier.

Installing the screen (also called "solar mesh" at home improvement stores) was the truly frustrating part. You lay your screen out over the frame, making sure you have more than you think you need, because once you start rolling in the spline with the roller, you lose some of surface area. Then, you have to be careful to roll it evenly so it doesn’t warp your screen. And if you do it too many times, you ruin the mesh and pretty much have to start all over.

Regardless, after some cursing and sweat and bruised knees, I made four screens for the front of the house, one screen for the side of the house, and two screens at the back. They’ve held up pretty well since 2004. During the summer, my electricity and water bill combined averages about $125-$150 – that is for an 1,100 square foot house.

I do a few other things to keep my energy costs down during the summer. That is, by using less energy! I keep the air conditioning set at around 82 or 83 degrees. As soon as we get a rain that cools things down, I open up all the windows (my screens keep the mosquitoes out), so all the hot air gets sucked out.

I also have ceiling fans installed in all the rooms. I went cheap on those – I opted for the Harbor Breeze brand from Lowe’s, which tend to run between $69 to $89. From what I understand, if you can spring for the higher quality, well-calibrated fans in the $200-$300 range (check out Texas Ceiling Fans), they make a huge difference in cooling the air. But a ceiling fan is still better than no ceiling fan. (Well, except for an off-name brand even cheaper than Harbor Breeze that resulted in a melted motor and a dangerous electrical fire hazard.)

Aside from planting native flowers and herbs, or zeroscaping your lawn, there are other things you can do reduce your water usage. Don’t leave the water running while you brush your teeth. When you’re washing your dishes in the sink, get them all soapy first and then rinse them off instead of leaving the water running the whole time. If you use eco-friendly dish detergent, it also makes less foam which speeds up the time it takes to rinse them. Try a six-minute shower – I guarantee it’s possible even if you're ultra-dirty.

My last tip for reducing energy on the cheap is not to use your dryer (that is, if you can manage to do your laundry during the day). The other day, I accidentally left a wet kitchen towel in the backyard in the middle of the hot afternoon, and it dried almost instantaneously. Why hadn’t I been drying my clothes this way all along? It was good exercise hanging all my clothes on the line, and you can have that “airy fresh” scent without using dryer sheets.

The Austin City Council will vote on a proposed ordinance next Thursday, Aug. 2, that would allow homeowners to permanently rent out houses as short-term rental properties as long as the number of these properties remains under 3% of the homes in a given zip code. Austinite Bill Ley weighs in:

Most you know I'm a Realtor. I just received this email from the Austin Board of Realtors. My reply is below that. I would be grateful if those of you who are so moved would follow up. The email addresses are as follows, and responses must be sent by Thursday, Aug. 2: 

We already have a concentration of STR between S. 1st and S. Congress. How many SFR homes are there in Austin? 50,000 minimum? 3% of that is 1,500. We only have 1,700 SFR homes in our whole neighborhood going all the way from S. Congress to S. Lamar. The majority of STRs are already heavily concentrated in my neighborhood, just look at the Home Away map. And Home Away has only a fraction of the STR market. 

STR is no different than zoning, and infringes no more on property rights. This is an abusive end run around legitimate zoning, wholesale conversion of entire residential neighborhoods to commercial. 

If you're going to broadcast a "call to action" to a mostly uninformed membership, at least have the integrity to broadcast an opposing view. Failure to do so highlights our public image as just another greedy, self serving, special interest group. 

Are you an Austinite with something to say? Contribute a community post on the Austin Post! Just email editor@austinpost.org!

Ah, tubing. Before I moved to Texas, I thought the only kind of tubing was the kind where you hang on to an inner-tube and get pulled behind a speedboat. Thank you, Texas, for proving me wrong.

Tubing is a great way to spend a lazy afternoon, and it’s just how I spent one a couple of weeks ago. Last year, we tubed the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels. Due to the ban on disposable drink containers (i.e. beer cans) that passed in May, this year we opted for tubing the San Marcos River, which was a great choice.

There are a couple of tubing options on the San Marcos, but we went for Texas State Tubes. If you arrive between 11 a.m. and noon, they do an early bird special that, at $10 per tube, will save you $7 per person. If you arrive before noon, you also miss the insane influx of people who arrive shortly thereafter.

From where you get your tube and set in to the pack-out point where the shuttle bus takes you back to your parking area is supposed to be a two-hour float. Somehow, we turned it into a four-hour float, and what a great float!

Check out our Tips for Tubing ... and make sure you have enough beer!

The San Marcos is absolutely beautiful, if you can stop people-watching long enough to take in your surroundings. There are huge old Bald Cypress trees lining either bank of the river that are not only impressive to look at but that also provide great shade for your float. The water is clean and cool (the San Marcos is spring-fed) and not even one snake fell into my tube.

The San Marcos River has a perfect mix of lazy parts and rapids, and deep and shallow sections. The river bottom isn’t murky or slimy and there are plenty of places to pull over and sun yourself or party, including one huge bank near the end of the stretch that my group named “Dude Island.” It’s a bro’s paradise.

Going tubing isn’t the normal solitary, nature-loving experience I usually write about, but isn’t it great to do something different every once in a while? I mean, tubing is kind of like life … you paddle against the current to carve out your own direction sometimes, and sometimes you just lean back and let the current decide where you’re gonna go while you drink a beer and yell “Whooooooo!”

The other great thing about going tubing at Texas State Tubes on the San Marcos is that when you get back to your car, you’re only a 15-minute drive from Lockhart, where you can find some of the best BBQ in the state. I highly recommend Black’s. Eat enough brisket to soak up all that beer and then head home to Austin.

So you’ve decided to go tubing. Well, it’s about time. One of the secrets to having an enjoyable tubing experience is to be prepared … mostly by having enough beer. Read on for more secrets to a tube-tastic day.

1. Don’t bring anything you don’t want to lose. Last year, I took off my water shoes to vainly avoid getting a tan line on my feet and lost one of my shoes. I had to go around barefoot the rest of the day. All the beer I drank made me bloated, so I looked barefoot and pregnant coming out of the river. Classy.




2. Save your voice. You’re gonna be yelling. A lot. Whether it’s just a simple “wheee!” as you go over a rapid or you join the chorus of “whooooooo!” that can be heard for miles around, you’ll need your voice. You should probably go 24 hours without speaking before tubing and then do some vocal exercises the morning of, just to make sure you’re ready.




3. Get more beer. Think you have enough? You’re wrong. There’s no such thing as “enough beer” on the river. Even if you don’t drink it all, you can use it as a bargaining tool to get other treats. Beer is currency on the river.




4. Slather on some high SPF, waterproof sunscreen before you put in. All that beer is going to make you forget that you’re on an inner-tube, baking in the sun for several hours, like a turkey cooking on a car hood.




5. Don’t forget your beer coozie! The beer coozie is to keep your beer cold and to let other river-dwellers know your personal opinions. My favorite coozies say “Don’t look at me, it’s not my kid” and “Born to fish, forced to work,” because those two statements sum up my life. There’s not much to my life.




6. An essential supply – rope. The rope is to tie the tube with the beer cooler in it securely to the most responsible person in your party. And by responsible, I mean the one who drinks the least. You don’t want to get halfway down the river just to realize that your cooler guardian drank all of the beer and is now stuck on a rock somewhere.




7. Remember, it’s a party. The soundtrack to tubing is a lot of screaming, coupled with early 2000s dude rock and pop country. I know, I know, but just go with it. The amazing people-watching alone is worth having to listen to Nickelback.




8. Bring a bag for empty cans. Nobody likes a Littering Larry, least of all the wildlife that calls the river home.

Would you go?  

That’s the question I wanted to pose to descendants of the guests who attended a 1909 barbecue thrown by the man who had brought them to Texas in slavery fifty-one years earlier. 

The answer, a unanimous “yes” from 75-year-old Billy Hill and three of his children, startled me with its implied forgiveness.  As Billy’s son Billy Jr. put it, “They must have had some feelings for each other after all those years.”

I learned of Jim Maxwell’s unusual barbecue while perusing Kingdom Come!  Kingdom Go!  On the Texas Frontier (Eakin Press, 1980). The headline in appendix K that caught my eye reads, “BARBECUE FOR HIS EX-SLAVES.” I tracked down the Hill family, and Billy Hill – great-grandson of one of the barbecue guests – agreed to meet me.

Billy Hill at the graves of his mother Jeffrey and his grandmother Fannie.  (Photo by Jeffrey Kerr.)

“That’s my grandmother Fannie and that smaller marker is my mother Jeffrey,” Billy told me as we stood in Evergreen Cemetery on East 12th Street.  Fannie's stone lay half-buried in sand.  As I stooped to dig it out Billy said, “Fannie tore my hide up more than once.”

“She was strict, eh?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah.”

Fannie Allen Cunningham (left) may have attended the 1909 barbecue.  Fannie's daughter Jeffrey Hill (right), had ten children including Billy Hill Sr. (Photos courtesy of Carolyn Hill Crawford.)

On the way to the cemetery Billy had stopped to show me his boyhood home on East 12th.  “My father built that house himself,” he said.

“What was 12th Street like in those days?” I wanted to know.

“Well, we weren’t in the city back then.  This was just a dirt road that I used to ride up and down on in a wagon I made.  We didn’t have water or electricity.  The day we finally got electricity . . . oh man, we thought we were in high cotton!”

Built by his father Stanford Hill, Billy Hill's boyhood home on East 12th Street has been unoccupied for several years and has fallen into disrepair. Billy would like to see it restored to its former well-kept condition.  (Photo by Jeffrey Kerr.) 

I was curious about the lack of water.  “There was a place toward town that we would go.  I’d bring it back in my wagon.  Cooking, cleaning, washing, for everything you need water for.  But sometimes I’d come here to the cemetery [to get water] because it was closer.  Then the man here put locks on the gates and I couldn’t come any more.

Billy took me to another part of the cemetery.  “This is where I’ll be when the time comes.  My wife Willie is right there.  She died just a couple of years ago from breast cancer.  We were married 50 years.”

I commented on Billy’s appearance.  He could easily pass for much younger than his 75 years.  He laughed.  “I had to give up some things to get here.  That drinking and that smoking.  That staying out late having good times.”

Journey to Texas

More than a century and a half ago, in 1858, Jim Maxwell left Washington County, Virginia, for Texas.  He was around 17 years old at the time.  Older brother Thomas also made the journey, as did the boys’ parents Wallace and Mary Maxwell.  They settled near Walnut Creek in northeast Travis County not far from the modern Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farm. (In fact, in 1867 Jim married Jennie Jourdan, daughter of the couple for whom the farm is named.)

Jim and Jennie Maxwell (from "Kingdom Come! Kingdom Go! On the Texas Frontier," Eakin Press, 1980).

The Maxwells did not travel alone on the road to Texas.  Trailing along behind, or perhaps being driven ahead, were 25 slaves.  While brothers Jim and Tom preceded their parents, a slave named Jack Black later recalled the elder Maxwells' journey to the Lone Star state by making their way to the coast (he doesn’t say which one) before boarding a steamboat for a week-long ride to Galveston.  Wallace Maxwell then secured a wagon and yoke of oxen for the overland trek to Travis County.  “Most of us walked,” said Jack, “and we camped out at night.”  This took about 12 days.

With the onset of the Civil War in 1861 Jim Maxwell joined Hood’s Brigade, leaving his slaves to manage his Texas plantation.  The war drained the farm’s resources.  Jack Black recalled one occasion in which he helped butcher 50 hogs before sending them to the army.  Maxwell returned to Travis County in 1865 to find himself owing $2,000 on his land and another $2,000 in interest. (Fortunately for him, the New York company that held title recognized the impossibility of Maxwell making good on the entire amount and forgave the interest.)

Many of Jim Maxwell’s slaves remained in the area immediately after emancipation.  Maxwell leased small tracts of land to several, Jack Black’s father among them.  Others stayed on to help Maxwell raise corn and cotton, earning 50 cents a day plus board.  

Jim and Jennie Maxwell bounced back from the hardships imposed by the Civil War to achieve prosperity.  When Jim became a partner in John Wayland’s wholesale and retail business at 15th and Lavaca the couple moved to Austin.  Jim nevertheless retained ownership of several farms.  The 1900 census lists Jim’s occupation as “landowner” and places his residence at 2009 University Avenue.  The only other household member listed is a 35-year-old servant named Charlie Brooks.

Left: Jim Maxwell partnered with John Wayland to run this store on the southeast corner of 15th and Lavaca streets. (From "Kingdom Come!  Kingdom Go!  On the Texas Frontier," Eakin Press, 1980.) Right: The same building in 2004.  The distinctive tower roofs are reproductions of the originals. (Photo by Jeffrey Kerr.)

By his 70th birthday Jim Maxwell had left city life and returned to the farm.  He created quite a local stir when he bought a horseless carriage.  Jim never drove but allowed himself to be ferried around in the strange machine by whichever nephew happened to be in the vicinity.  The contraption served as little more than a curiosity, though.  For trips into Austin or to inspect his other farms, Jim stuck with more reliable horse-drawn transportation.

James and Jennie Maxwell at the barbecue they held for their ex-slaves and their descendants.  (From "Kingdom Come! Kingdom Go! On the Texas Frontier," Eakin Press, 1980.)

An Unusual Barbecue

Jim and Jennie Maxwell had no children.  Perhaps this helps explain his comment to a reporter for the Austin American, "I just wanted to see all the old negroes and their families together again.  I haven’t seen them together for a long time and may never see them together again.”   Whatever fondness he held for his ex-slaves was mixed with the common racial attitudes of the times, for he added, “It will please them and they are good negroes, the best we have in the country.”  

As I showed the Austin American article to Billy Hill Jr., I commented, “It’s rather condescending.  That’s how they wrote in those days.”

“They still might,” he replied.

Seven of the original Maxwell slaves brought to Texas in 1858 were still living in 1909.  One of them, Mose Fraction, estimated that 148 descendants qualified for invitations to Jim Maxwell’s reunion barbecue.  Fifty of them attended.  Some probably never received word of the event, but others had scattered throughout the country.  Using census reports, I found descendants of the seven ex-slaves listed in the Austin American article living in Oklahoma, Iowa and New York City.

Approximately 50 guests attended Jim and Jennie Maxwell's barbecue.  Among them were Billy Hill's grandmother Fannie Allen Cunningham and great-grandfather Louis Allen.  Seven-year-old Juanita Shanks, later called a "national treasure" by President Jimmy Carter for her civil rights work, was also present.  (New York Tribune, February 27, 1910.)

BARBECUE FOR HIS EX-SLAVES

UNIQUE EVENT CELEBRATED YESETERDAY AFTERNOON BY J. C. MAXWELL ON HIS FARM NEAR SPRINKLE

AFTER FIFTY YEARS

Old Time Negroes Given a Dinner in Remembrance Of Their Coming To

 Texas Before the War

So began the Austin American’s report on an event described as “without a parallel in the history of the south.”  The reporter echoed Jim Maxwell’s characterization, writing, “They are honest, thrifty and what the south terms ‘good negroes.’”  The fifty descendants gathered around a 50-foot table loaded with barbecued beef and pork.  “You folks will have to wait for the second table,” Maxwell delightedly announced to the handful of white guests.  “This is the negroes’ day and they will come first.”

A New York Daily Tribune article from February 27, 1910, competed with the condescension of the Austin American report.  “Unlike a great many negroes, the younger members of the Sprinkle community are not shiftless; they have been taught to work and save their money.”  Harking back to antebellum fears of literate slaves, the reporter added, “Although they have received the advantage of a common school education, it has not caused them to want to become preachers, teachers or lawyers, as is usually the case.  Most of them are living upon farms, where they are industrious and contented.”

Mose Fraction and Jack Black were joined by five fellow ex-Virginians at the barbecue.  Eighty-one-year old Fanny Tucker received the most attention from reporters, in part because of her jet-black wig and penchant for smoking a clay pipe while regaling the younger folks with tales of the old days.  Mose Fraction entertained as well, primarily because of his “delusions.”  “[He] sees spirits and his narration of things spiritual are subjects of much interest to his story of his attempts to dig for hidden gold in his neighborhood and how he has always been frightened away by a regiment of gaudily dressed soldiers, who always disappear in the hole where he has been digging.”  Others named, but evidently less interesting to the reporter, included Thomas Madison, William Shanks, Amy Shanks and Louis Allen.

The 20th Century Unfolds

At least two of the Virginia clan’s descendants and barbecue attendees achieved prominence.  Thomas Madison’s son Walter, born in 1888, earned an engineering degree from the Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts in 1914 and obtained a patent for a flying machine in 1912.  After many years as a plumbing contractor in Ames, Iowa, he accepted a position on the faculty of Howard University in Washington, D. C., where he remained until his death in 1964.

Walter Madison's father Thomas was one of the 25 slaves brought by the Maxwell family from Virginia.  Walter died in 1964 while a member of the Howard University engineering faculty.  At right is a drawing of the flying machine he patented in 1912.  (http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/services/ls-archive/patents-trademark/blkinvetors.)

William and Amy Shanks’ granddaughter Juanita Shanks Craft, who attended the barbecue as a precocious 7-year-old, later earned degrees from Prairie View State Normal and Industrial College and Samuel Huston College. After graduation, though, she could only find work as a Dallas hotel maid.  She joined the NAACP in 1932 and became a big enough player in the civil rights movement to meet with Martin Luther King Jr. and three presidents.  That role and her service on the Dallas City Council led to a park being named in her honor.  Her Dallas home is now a museum.

Civil rights proponent Juanita Shanks Craft attended Jim Maxwell's barbecue at the age of seven.  When asked about the fact that she had no children, she would reply that she had adopted "the whole world."

Shortly after the Civil War Louis Allen obtained work at the Avenue Hotel on Congress, now the site of the State Theater. By 1880 he was back on the farm with a new wife Lizzie and infant daughter Fannie. Eventually Fannie married and had a daughter named Jeffrey. As an adult Jeffrey married Stanford Hill, with whom she had ten children, including Billy Hill.

The Hill Family of Austin

Billy and his wife raised five children, all of whom remain in the Austin area.  Billy worked 34 years as a custodian for the school district, spending time at Blackshear Elementary, Barrington Elementary and McCallum High School along the way.  After he retired he left Austin for Montopolis, where he lives today.

Daughter Carolyn Caldwell had been my first contact with Billy’s family.  I had located her cousin through a genealogy website; the cousin put out the word that someone was digging into family history and Carolyn was intrigued.  “We always wanted to know how far back we could go,” she explained.

“Did you know your ancestors were from Virginia?”

“No.”

Carolyn and her siblings had heard the name Louis Allen but knew little about him.

They were more familiar with Fannie, of course, and were intrigued to think that she must be in the photograph of the 1909 barbecue attendees.  “She’s got to be in there,” Billy Jr. told me as he perused the picture.  She’ll be the one with light skin and reddish hair.”  He vowed to pull out old family photos when he had the chance and compare those with the 1909 image.

Billy Jr. and his siblings own and operate the Happy Kids Day Care on Manor Road.  Born 52 years ago, Billy Jr. is the oldest.  Carolyn and her sister Sherrolyn came along three and four years later.  I sat with them and their father around a child-sized day care table as we spoke.

Billy Hill Sr. and three of his five children.  From left to right: Billy Sr., Carolyn Caldwell, Billy Jr., and Sherrolyn Rogers.  (Photo by Jeffrey Kerr.)

“So what are your thoughts about Jim Maxwell’s barbecue?  Would you go to something like that?”

“I would,” Carolyn replied.  “I’d go for sure.”

“It would depend, I guess, on how I felt about those people [the Maxwells],” said Billy Jr.  “They must have been the type of folks that treated everybody well, not like some of the other slave owners.”

“I’d go too,” said Sherrolyn.  Billy Sr. merely nodded his agreement.

Five generations of Louis Allen's descendants, Daughter Fannie Allen Cunningham (in wheelchair), Fannie's daughter Jeffrey Hill (checkered vest), Jeffrey's daughter Mae Bess Brothers (maroon shirt), Mae Bess' daughter Pat Miles and Pat's son Charles.  (Courtesy of Carolyn Hill Caldwell.)

Neither Billy nor his children seemed to harbor resentment about their ancestors’ lives.  I asked whether racism, past or present, had touched any of them.  “Yeah, I can recall a few things,” Billy Jr. answered.  Looking at his father he said, “You remember that time when you tried to get gas at a full-service station?”  This had been in the 1960s.  “That man didn’t want to pump the gas, he wanted you to get out of the car and do it.”  Billy Sr. evidently had held his ground.  As a result “he [the attendant] got mighty angry.”

Billy Sr. added that he recalled many of the segregation practices common in earlier times.  Riding in the back of the bus, sitting apart from whites in movie theaters, separate water fountains; he had experienced all of these things.  I told Billy Jr. that I could hazily recall separate drinking fountains at a Houston shopping mall when I was a very young boy.  “I never saw anything like that,” he said.

Billy Hill Sr. (far right) with five of his nine siblings, including Damon (kneeling), Prince (striped shirt), Buena Henry (black hat), Ira (gray hat) and Doris Crayton (holding red cup).  (Courtesy of Carolyn Hill Caldwell.)

As I stood to leave, Billy Jr., Carolyn and Sherrolyn each shook my hand warmly and thanked me for bringing them information about their family.  After taking me to Evergreen Cemetery, Billy Sr. did the same.  I was touched, for it had felt a privilege to be allowed to barge into their lives with tales from darker times.  The 1909 Austin American reporter had written “It has not been decided whether the barbecue will be repeated.”  If any Maxwell descendants out there decide to give it a go they can start by inviting Billy Hill and his offspring.  As Carolyn said, “I’d go for sure.”

Left to right: Sherrolyn, Billy Sr., Billy Jr. and Carolyn at their day care on Manor Road.  (Photo by Jeffrey Kerr.)

This is what I want for breakfast in the summer (and especially the hot Texas summer): something simple, quick, healthy and filling, which absolutely does not require cooking. These three vegan recipes fit the bill, and as a bonus there is a lot of overlap in ingredients, so you can hit the grocery store once and have everything you need for a few weeks of breakfast.

Overnight Oats
(makes 1-2 servings)

Overnight oats are really making the rounds on Pinterest these days, and it’s no wonder why. The recipe is nutritious, delicious and totally foolproof. If you can measure food into a jar, you can make overnight oats.

If you haven’t tried chia seeds yet, here’s a good chance to try this superfood. The price point might be off-putting at first—my bag of chia seeds cost $12 at HEB—but since you only eat one tablespoon at a time, it goes a long way.

1/2 cup oats
3/4 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk
1/4 cup fresh, frozen or dried fruit
1 tablespoon chia seeds or flaxmeal (ground flaxseed)
1 teaspoon maple syrup or agave nectar (optional)
tiny pinch salt

Add all ingredients to a lidded jar, shake to combine, then refrigerate overnight. The oats absorb the liquid for a dried-foodstuff-to-tasty-food effect simliar to cooking, but without heating up your kitchen or dirtying a pan. 

Suggested variations: strawberry banana (sliced bananas and 1 tablespoon of strawberry jam as the sweetener), blueberry almond (almond milk, blueberries, 1 tablespoon of slivered or sliced almonds), apple cinnamon (chopped apples, maple syrup, pinch of ground cinnamon added), peanut butter and Jelly (omit fruit and sweetener; add 2 tablespoons of grape or strawberry jam and 2 tablespoons organic peanut butter)

Granola
(makes 12-18 servings)

When I said there was no cooking involved, I was lying a little bit. You need to cook this granola once, but then you will have a big batch of granola!

6 cups oats
¼ cup flaxmeal
½ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
⅓ cup canola or coconut oil
¼ cup agave nectar or brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
½-1 cup of mix-ins: coconut flakes, raisins, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, chopped almonds, whatever floats your boat

Preheat oven to 225. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly grease with oil. (Parchment paper is handy because it will make transferring the granola to a storage container very easy.) In a large bowl, combine oats, flaxmeal, cinnamon and salt. In a microwavable container, combine oil, sweetener, and vanilla and heat for 15-20 seconds in the microwave. You could also do this in a small saucepan on the stove if you prefer. Add wet ingredients to bowl of oats and stir the mixtures well until oats are well-coated. Dump onto your lined baking sheet, smooth out for even distribution of heat, and bake on a middle rack for 20 minutes. Take out and stir the granola around. Return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes. Granola should be nearly uniform in color. Place the baking sheet on a baking rack to cool. When completely cool, use the parchment to help you transfer to a storage container, at which point you can add in your mix-ins.

The Only Two Smoothie Recipes You Need

You can doctor up these basic recipes a million different ways. I never tend to make the same exact smoothie two days in a row, but every smoothie I make is based on one of these.

The only hard and fast rule I follow when I make smoothies is that I never, ever add ice. Ice is the enemy of the smoothie! If you use frozen fruit, the smoothie will be cold enough; adding ice will just make it taste watered down.

The Green Smoothie
(makes 1-2 servings)

I always use spinach and orange juice here because spinach and orange juice are best friends! Spinach is an excellent dietary source of iron, and when you eat iron in combination with a food which is high in Vitamin C, it increases the iron absorption six-fold.

1 cup loosely packed baby spinach leaves
½ cup frozen fruit
1 pitted date or 1 teaspoon agave nectar
2 teaspoons chia seeds or flaxmeal
½ cup orange juice

Put in blender and blend. Drink.

The Creamy Smoothie
(makes 1-2 servings)

½ cup frozen banana
½ cup frozen fruit
¼ cup coconut milk yogurt
1 pitted date or 1 teaspoon agave nectar
2 teaspoons chia seeds or flaxmeal
½ cup unsweetened soy, almond, or coconut milk

Put in blender and blend. Yum.

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Austin is hot. I don’t mean “it’s a dry heat” hot, but more of an “oh, god, is that an alien tentacle sliding down my back? Wait, no, just a river of sweat running down my spine. It’s probably even my sweat, though I'm on a crowded patio so I can't be sure" hot.

Despite temperatures outside once more climbing back over 100 degrees, you’re probably seated on a patio, reading this on your phone. For some reason known only to the 7% of the population actually born here, Austin businesses are unofficially required to be the exact opposite of a TARDIS phone booth / time machine from "Doctor Who" -- they’re all bigger on the outside than they are on the inside. Bars, coffee shops, restaurants, pretty much any popular place with public seating will have a small, almost vestigial interior with a vast, gorgeous, expansive patio. Who needs air conditioning when you have a view? 

I moved here in winter, which, in Austin, meant I got to stare, gape-jawed, at people swimming in my apartment complex pool in February. Why not? It was 70 degrees outside. Then, the patio culture made a lot of sense. Why hole up inside when the weather was so gloriously beautiful? I’m not being sarcastic. As a lifelong hater of snow, winter in Austin was hands down the most lovely season I’ve had the privilege to experience. Whenever I said so, people indulgently laughed and gave one another knowing looks. Wait until summer. 

In June, I experienced my first 108-degree summer day. I nearly burned my hands touching my steering wheel. Whenever I had to leave home, I wanted nothing more than to dash from one air-conditioned building to another before I melted into an extra from Wicked. Yet outside, I could see joggers and bicyclists still going about their daily routines as if it was still a lovely 85-degree April afternoon. 

Life in Austin takes place outside. There’s no getting around it. Take food trucks. Local alternatives to fast food are awesome, and every one I’ve tried has had genuinely interesting offerings, but it says something about local culture that people here honestly like to park a few blocks away from their food, walk through 100+ degree heat, then sit on park benches outside to enjoy their dinner. 

Hot food. (Photo: annemarlow on Flickr.)

Biking, I can understand. If you live in the denser parts of town, it’s cheaper and easier than owning a car. Even the food trucks make some sense -- if you can tolerate the heat for 10 minutes you can enjoy locally made tastiness for about the same price as a drive-through meal. But patios? Why? 

Austin businesses: let’s have a frank talk. You know what summers are like here. Can you please explain why the places set aside for a leisurely evening are all in the unairconditioned outdoors? A lot of bar patios are up to four times the size of the interior.  

Is there a secret program in the UT science department where people who’ve lived through two consecutive Austin summers are given bio-implants to self regulate against the heat? Are we secretly prepping a collection of college-age kids for colonization of a planet where the habitable zones are all over 100 degrees and all the animals are toxic? Is there a chemical in Lone Star Beer that makes real Texans impervious to the heat? 

As a newcomer, I don’t pretend to understand it. All I can do is hide in the tiny, cramped, rare indoor spaces and patiently wait for things to cool down. You’ll see me on the patios again when temperatures drop back down to the 90’s. Rumor has it that’ll be some time in late September.

[Editor's note: Mmmm, maybe try October.]

At Thursday’s City Council meeting, councilmembers are prepared to discuss and approve an ordinance and regulations for short term/vacation rentals (ie, when it's OK to rent out the house you live in, or a house you run as a permanent short-term rental property). Here’s what you need to know to argue about it:

• The city isn’t (currently) trying to stop you from renting out your bedroom or house during the big festivals. What they are trying to do is create city rules so that these rentals are no longer an under-the-(kitchen)-counter type business. For instance, the regulations that may be approved on Thursday include new rules that require people who rent out their homes – “short term rentals” – to pay hotel occupancy taxes just like any other hotelier. The current proposed regulations would also limit the number of houses that can be licensed as short-term rentals if the owner doesn't live there to 3 percent of homes by zip code.
   
• Opponents to the regulations throughout the two years during which these rules were hammered out have fallen into two camps – those who say the regulations are too strict and will push this small industry underground, and those who say that regulating the industry at all will help it expand and turn residential homes into mini hotels.
   
• Protect Austin Neighborhoods is the biggest local group in opposition to the short-term rentals ordinance. (They are also holding a press conference at the Thursday council meeting at 11:30 a.m. at City Hall.) On their website, they say they don’t object to people who live in their homes and rent out rooms or houses on a temporary basis during SXSW and ACL Fest. Instead, they are concerned about houses that are NOT owner occupied and are able to be rented out all the time, like a motel without onsite management. They claim that regulations will allow short term rentals to spread, where people will buy homes just to be short-term rentals, taking valuable properties in Austin neighborhoods off the market, driving up prices and hurting the neighborhood cohesion.
   
• The Austin Board of Realtors represents the camp that supports the regulations, saying it is a “balanced solution” that came from two years of debate and which respects the rights of homeowners to lease their homes while also respecting “neighborhood cohesiveness.”
   
• The proposed regulations do draw a distinction between "Type 1" short-term rentals - owner-occupied homes that are rented as a whole (not just by the room) for less than 90 days of the year and less than 30 days at any time - and "Type 2" short-term rentals, which are not owner-occupied, are rented for MORE than 90 days of the year and less than 30 days at a time (which allows for sub leases and rentals of homes that are done normally and not on the short-term, hotel-like basis.) Both types will require licensing under the new ordinance. 
   
• Home Away is the big online service for short-term rentals that has been the focus of a lot of discussion. Two reasons why Home Away is getting the attention? Their world headquarters is in Austin, which is convenient for protests, and the homes being rented through Home Away tend to be the bigger, nicer homes in fancier Austin neighborhoods where neighborhood opposition is more active.
   
• Even if the ordinance is approved on Thursday, it will be a couple months before the city figures out a system for enforcement. That’s when we will find out whether and how the regulations might affect others. 

The rain this summer has been a welcome relief but comes with an unfortunate side effect: a resurgent mosquito problem. The number of people in Austin (and Texas) who have contracted the mosquito-borne West Nile virus is up this year, with the first reported Travis County West Nile death since 2003.

There's no surefire way to completely prevent getting bitten by the little vampires, but you can take some simple precautions.

Use Repellent

That may seem obvious but many people refuse to do so for a number of reasons: they don't like how if feels or smells, or they worry that the chemical used in most repellents, DEET, will give them cancer. Snopes.com has a very good article about the myriad of suggested home remedies such as dryer sheets, B vitamins, noise machines, etc. In tests, DEET has proven to be the most effective at preventing bites for the longest amount of time, but if you don't want to use it try a citronella and lemongrass oil-based natural repellent which will offer some protection.

Wear Long Clothing

Not the best advice when it's 100 degrees out there but wearing light-colored long-sleeved shirts and long pants protect your skin from both mosquitos and the sun's UV rays.

Get Rid of Standing Water

Any place where water collects is a breeding ground for mosquitoes so be sure to patrol the area surrounding your home. Even a tiny bucket can become a hatchery for the mini-bloodsuckers so be sure to leave no bowl unturned.

Birds and Bats to the Rescue

Purple Martin gourd houses: photo by Sister 72 via Flickr

Purple martins love to feast on mosquitoes and are all over the Hill Country. There are lots of places that sell houses or you can build your own.

It's ironic that vampires turn into bats because the winged mammals are actually great devourers of the little insect bloodsuckers. According to Bat Conservation International, the bats under Congress Avenue Bridge devour between 10,000 and 20,000 pounds of insects EACH DAY. So maybe build a bat house or three in your backyard.

There are other methods of reducing mosquitos around your house but they can be pricey or are labor-intensive:

• Mosquito control services - These can be effective for a short period but can be costly and require multiple treatments throughout mosquito season.
• Repellent plants - Planting citronella grass, Mexican marigolds or a ton of basil may offer a modicum of protection but you would need to plant a lot of them and it's still unclear how effective these would be.
• Bug zappers/traps - A normal UV light zapper will fry some pests but will not work on mosquitoes. In order to attract mosquitoes, it has to entice them with a special chemical odor. There are units that have refillable scent cannisters but unfortunately they only work on specific species of mosquitoes and Texas is home to 85 different types of mosquito, so you'll never get them all. If you do get a mosquito zapper, target the "Asian tiger" or "tiger stripe" mosquito because it is the most common carrier of West Nile virus.

Tiger mosquito: photo courtesy CDC Image Library

Don't let those needle-nosed varmints get in the way of enjoying the great outdoors. Be sure to check out our guides to some of the great hiking and swimming spots in and around Austin or, if you want to beat the heat and the bugs, check out our article on Longhorn Cavern State Park.

Life isn’t all about networking events and making business connections. Sometimes you need to find like minded geeks for some relaxing fun. Once a week, we round up the best geek social events in Austin.

The big geek event this week is Austin’s Board Game Bash. Instead of the usual slew of board game events scattered across town, this weekend you’ll find people from the South Austin Game Night, Central Texas Board game Meetup, Boards and Brews, Austin Geeks and Gamers, Geeks Who Drink, and Girl Geeks of Austin all in one place, playing games together - and you’re welcome to join them. 

Board Game Bash
August 3-5, all day
Hilton Garden Inn Austin Downtown/Convention Center
500 N Interstate 35
If you love board games, this is an amazing weekend long event you can’t afford to miss. Try out new Euro games, play in tournaments, and let your geek flag fly high. 

Lake Pflugerville Geek Walk or Run
August 2, 7:00 p.m.
Lake Pflugerville
18116 Weiss Ln
Let’s use the big blue box as an excuse to get together for some quality geek time. There are plenty of geeky excuses to sit around a table and talk. This one gets you up and moving while still hanging out with your own kind. 

Scare for a Cure Auditions
August 4, 2:00 p.m. 
Elks Lodge
700 Dawson Rd
You will have the opportunity to talk to our experienced haunters one on one and find out what you can do to help spread the fear! Come out and find a place in our SCARE family that best fits you. We need your help in a variety of areas including Special Effects, Props, Makeup, Haunt Construction, Costuming, Food, Fundraising, Marketing, Acting and More!
Don’t miss the chance to be involved with Austin’s most FRIGHTENING fundraiser!

Geeks Who Drink Meetup
August 4, 9:00 p.m.
Opal Divine’s Marina
12709 Mopac
Trivia lovers can join a team for the chance to show off their smarts and win free drinks.

Total Recall (1990) Showing
August 5, 7:00 p.m.
Stompin' Grounds Cocktail Lounge
3801 South Congress Ave
Join the Austin Fantasy and Science Fiction Book Club for a screening of the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger version of “Total Recall.” 

Showdown at Unobtanium: Tesla Versus Edison
Ongoing
The upcoming steampunk themed weekend long immersive event is looking for both actors and volunteers. If you’ve been looking for an excuse for some great cosplay or just want to make some new friends by joining a vibrant community, talk to Dr. Loveless about joining the cast. 

We’ve trolled Facebook, LinkedIn, and odd corners of the Internet looking for the tech jobs you won’t find on Craigslist. Most of these come from people at the company in question hoping a friend of a friend can help them find a good person to hire. Luckily for you, The Austin Post is your friend.

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Looking for a bad ass Senior Project Manager with agency experience. 
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Austin job: Online Marketing Manager: website, social media, events, SEO, analytics. 
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Tilted Chair Creative is currently interviewing for a full time web design position. We are specifically looking for someone with lots of digital design experience a solid portfolio, and an understanding of responsive design solutions. 
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Looking for Senior Server Engineer/Systems Administrator - Solarix, UNIX, Linux. Contact Cindy [at] ppaac [dot] com.
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Looking for Senior Manager IT Server Systems and Operations. Contact Cindy [at] ppaac [dot] com. 
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I have a ton of Java positions open. Please email me if you are interested. wendyjohnson [at] technisource [dot] com.
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I'm looking for Junior and Mid Level Java Developers for multiple permanent opportunities in Austin. Please email resumes to elena [at] lunadatasolutions [dot] com for more info.
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Hiring an Automation Engineer in Austin TX - email Jeff [at] lunadatasolutions [dot] com.
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I need 10 tech-savvy folks to interview and start at Apple next week! This is for Apple's CPU Tech Support class so they want sharp techie people, with any kind of customer service interaction experience and excellent verbal communication skills! Doesn't matter if you're a Mac or a PC user, Apple will train you really well on their software and hardware. No students, over-qualified candidates or part-timers please! I need folks who can interview next week and start in August and be able to work for at least a year at Apple. Email me at zchoudhury [at] volt [dot] com for further details. 
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We're still looking for a local web developer with LAMP and front-end experience for part-time work. 
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Super cool video game dev company looking for a contract admin role. Work with a fun team. 
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Looking for a Microsoft SQL Database Administrator and Microsoft SQL Developer. Contract to hire, amazing Austin location. Contact Cindy [at] ppaac [dot]com. 
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International association in NW Austin is seeking a PR & Social Media Manager mid-level associate to manage the association’s e-newsletters, press relations and social media initiatives. Candidate must have knowledge of social media/web content management (HTML, Java, etc.), Adobe Creative Suite and excellent communication skills.To apply, submit salary requirements, cover letter and resume to Lucinda [dot] hart [at] hftp [dot] org.
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I have a web content Technical Writer position with our energy industry client, here in Austin open. It is contract, 960 hours, and has a good rate. Email me if interested and I will send the full description and details: clund [at] alliedconsultants [dot] com.
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McGarrah Jessee is looking for an experienced production artist.
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UPG Video Marketing is looking to hire a Freelance Video Editor/ Motion Graphics Artist long-term and move them into our new facility. Email ben [at] upgvideo [dot] com.
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I have an additional contract FED job, developing FB pages for a client.... 4 weeks onsite in West Austin. clopez [at] vitamintalent [dot] com.

REQUIRED SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE
More specific than the standard “be able to write your own code and QA brilliantly in modern browsers and all the way down to IE7”:
jQuery and jQuery UI
LESS
HTML5/CSS3
CSS animations
DVCS – git or hg
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Are you a strong front end developer who dreams in code? 9-12 week freelance opportunity available in N. Austin.
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Spiceworks is looking for Creative Designers. Contract or FT.. If you dream of working for an amazing company, creating dynamic and cutting edge campaigns for the world's biggest tech brands, throw your hat in the ring!  Contact katy [at] spiceworks [dot] com.
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State Bar of Texas is searching for a Technology & Event Planning Coordinator.
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Seilevel is hiring. Seeking Senior Product Managers & a Telemarketer to join our marketing & sales team. Email careers [at] seilevel [dot] com.
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Hiring a Junior Java Developer in Austin TX - email Elena [at] lunadatasolutions [dot] com for more info. 
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If you didn’t see anything that looked like a good fit, other good tech job resources in Austin include:

Startup Hire
Aquent
Craigslist
Dell

Austin and Central Texas present a wealth of outdoor activities for people of all interests. The area also presents temperatures in the summer months that range from around 90 to, let’s say, 1 million degrees and a sun that seems to be purposefully trying to scorch your skin and retinas.

So here we have the summer dilemma in Austin: to go out and play or to stay in the air conditioning? It is possible to enjoy the outdoors in Austin between June and September with a little planning, a few supplies and a lot of water. Here's how.

Pick Your Poison

Don’t choose a 100-degree day for scaling shade-free Enchanted Rock. Instead of getting third-degree burns on your hands, simply save that activity for the fall or spring.

Instead, on hot, sunny days, your best bet is to opt for an outing that will provide shade. For example, take a hint from the bats and visit one of the caves in Central Austin (have you ever seen a bat sweat?), or go for a row on Town Lake. Hike in a particularly shady park, like some areas of Balcones Canyonlands. And, most importantly, end your outing with a swim.

Looking forward to a swim will help you enjoy hiking, biking, climbing, walking or whatever you’re into, even on the hottest day. Rather than thinking “I’m so hot, this is never going to end, why am I here, I hate everything,” you’ll be able to just think of that cool dip you’re going to take and how refreshing it will feel. Your mind can convince you of anything.

Water: You Need It

Don’t even think about going anywhere outdoors in Central Texas in the summer without water. It’s smart to keep a bottle with you and an additional supply in the car or in your pack. If you're not carrying a pack, a water bottle sling is a useful tool to keep your water with you but out of your hands. They can be purchased, or you can make your own using our DIY guide. For long outings, think about investing in a portable water supply, like a CamelBak.

Your water supply isn’t only for drinking though. If you start to feel overheated, throw some water in your face or, even more effectively, down the back of your neck. If you’re wearing a hat, dunk it in water and then put it on your head. It’ll cool your body temperature down and set your mind at ease.

Click here for our easy guide to making your own water bottle sling.

Get the (Right) Gear

REI is like a candy store for outdoors lovers. You wander around, looking at things you didn’t even know existed, and all of the sudden, you need all of the things. You’re like these guys. In reality, you probably already have what you need to brave the heat and sun.

Here’s a rundown of what you actually need to spend a day outside in this melty weather:

• Light, loose clothing: Light colors will reflect the sun’s rays away from you, and loose clothing will allow your body the much-needed ability to breathe.
• Sunscreen: Everyone needs sunscreen. Yes, even you, with your olive-colored, never-burning skin. It’s true; everything is bigger in Texas, including the chance for skin cancer. Slap that SPF on every time you go in the sun and protect yourself from burns, wrinkles and disease.
• Good shoes: The right shoes make such a difference. Bring hiking boots for hikes, and store a pair of sandals in the car for after the hike, to give your feet some breathing room. Water shoes are also a good investment if you’re looking into post-hike swimming holes.
• A hat and sunglasses: We often forget about the skin on the top of our heads, which can also get burned (and then peel and look like dandruff … who wants that?). A light, loose-fitting hat, like a mesh or canvas one, can help you out in that department. Your skin isn’t the only place the sun can cause damage. Protect your eyes from the sun’s glare with a pair of good sunglasses.
• A bathing suit: Remember, we’re going swimming after this desert death march! If you decide to go suit-less, double up on that sunscreen.

Trust Your Gut

You know your body, so listen to it. Ease into any outdoor activity in the summer at your own pace. If you begin to feel tired or overheated, take a rest. Find some shade, drink some water and sit for a few minutes.

Figure out the best time for being outdoors for you. Mid-afternoon is the hottest time of the day, so if you’re not down with the heat, reserve that part of the day for swimming or being inside. The nice part about summer is that the days are long, so there’s more opportunity for outdoor activity, from morning until almost 9 at night. In fact, early morning can be a nice time to play tennis or go for a run as the world really doesn't become scorching until late morning.

Finally, just try it. If you’re not acclimated to outdoor activity in the heat, it’ll be harder at first. Like anything else though, you’ll get used to it. Don’t miss out on everything the area has to offer in the summer months.

Austin is well known as the creative heart of Texas. We feature a Kickstarter every week in order to help support innovation here in Austin. Those of you who’ve been inspired by everything from The Doctor Who Review Project to Stabil-i-Case may be pondering your own crowdfunded project. In order to help you make the most of Kickstarter, we talked to David Alan Burrow, the mastermind behind Cracked Monocle’s highly successful Tephra Kickstarter.

Tephra asked for $1,000 in order to create print editions of their original Steampunk role playing game. In one month, they earned $22,821. 

“I hate having to tell people to do their groundwork, but becoming an overnight success took us about two years,” said Burrow.

The eight main staff and dozen volunteers on Team Tephra used a mix of social media and good old fashioned friendliness to get the word out about the product. They play tested the game at Dragon’s Lair Comics in Austin (recently expanded to San Antonio) in order to introduce local gamers to Tephra. Since this is a role-playing game, they also went to the other places gamers conglomerate - science fiction conventions. Burrow said he wanted to make sure anyone attending a convention in Austin, Dallas, Houston or San Antonio had a chance to play the game, meet team Tephra, and hopefully come away with a good impression of both the people and the product. 

“You have to be social,” said Burrow. “Get out and meet people. Get them excited. When you run a Kickstarter, you’re asking strangers to be passionate about your creation. If your friends don’t believe in you, why should some random donor? We built a community around Tephra. They were ready for our Kickstarter.” 

On the social media side of things, Burrow said Team Tephra kept up a constant trickle of excited comments about new features, great people they met at conventions, and things they couldn’t wait to unveil. “I wouldn’t call it a social media strategy,” said Burrow. “We were just talking about something we love. People can tell.”

People they entertained at the weekly Dragon’s Lair game nights and met at conventions tapped into that excitement and reposted. Rather than asking people to repost, Burrow said it was far better to create a post people wanted to share by expressing excitement and giving people a sense of anticipation. 

Before Tephra’s Kickstarter went live, the team sat down and had a series of discussions about backer rewards. Since the goal of the Kickstarter was to finance professional printing of the book, they started with a core reward of one copy of Tephra for $30. 

Ask For Enough

Burrow cautioned against putting too much effort into rewards under $40. “I learned the vast majority of Kickstarter donors will donate $40-100. I’ve seen a lot of awesome Kickstarters fail because their primary reward is in the $10-20 range. That wasn’t enough for them to get their seed money.” If you don’t reach your minimum goal on Kickstarter (in Tephra’s case, $1,000) then the donors are never billed and the campaign isn’t funded. 

Instead, Burrow recommended focusing energy on $40-70 funding levels. Start with your core product, then add on a T-Shirt. From there, add some custom items fans can’t get elsewhere. Since Tephra is a game, their next level was a custom dice bag, but he said a CD or MP3 download of unreleased songs would work well for a band, while postcards or small framable prints would work well for an artist. 

Once you get past $100, you’re into hardcore fan territory. At that level he said it’s important to make sure you’re rewarding donors for being part of the community and giving them bragging rights among other fans.

“The one that caught me the most off guard was our $150 reward. Our reward was everything previous plus we’ll turn you or a character of your choice into an adversary in the Tephra world. We made $6,000 of our total on that. People loved it. We had businesses asking if they could be an adversary,” said Burrow. 

Watching people’s excitement over that reward level made him realize just how much people on Kickstarter are looking for a personalized experience. Having custom rewards drastically increases sales. “People love having their names on things. They get really excited,” said Burrow. 

Kickstarter Timing

Most Kickstarters make the majority of their money in the first 48 and last 48 hours. The rest of the month is a slow slog. In order to keep the excitement level high, Burrow issued 10 updates in 30 days.

“People will judge you on everything you put out there, so my updates were about telling people this was really cool, explaining why I was so excited, what effect it was having on my life, and how they could get involved. Sometimes I’d just update that I couldn’t sleep right now because I just checked my kickstarter and you guys are wonderful. Keep it personal. Make people feel involved,” said Burrow. 

Burrow said he hoped to do well, but he hadn’t really anticipated making over $10,000. At that point, in order to keep enthusiasm high, he and the team started making quirkier offers. If they passed $13,000, they promised to make a dance video. When that went well, the team brainstormed new ideas to keep donors involved. 

“If we reached $17,000 we said we’d make a banner with the names of everyone who donated. We couldn’t believe that before I was able to make an update we passed that goal. My lag time hurt us, which was funny,” said Burrow. 

Based on what he learned, Burrow said if he ran another Kickstarter he would plan more for success. He recommended other Kickstarters have a plan for upping the ante in order to keep people involved and excited. If you can get X number of people to donate Y dollars, then awesome thing Z will be the result. 

“Don’t publicly tell anyone. Keep it a surprise. Something to anticipate. But know if you make X over your goal, you’re going to do Y. Have stages set up for each level of success. People like having those new goals to shoot for. It gives them something to repost on their Facebook, and if it’s something that improves their own reward, even better.” 

He cautioned against simply announcing the unofficial goalposts. Posting a $10,000 ambition when the official goal is only $1,000 can be off-putting. On top of that, the purpose of the new update goals is to reward people for donating and keep them excited. If they know about the unofficial goals from the start, you lose that. 

“I see Kickstarters saying our goal is $2K and if we get $10,000 we’ll do this or $20,000 we’ll do that and all I can think is that they’re so cocky. Most of the ones who post like that barely make their main goals.” 

In addition to making friends both in real life and online, building a community around your product, and planning reward levels, Burrow recommended people find a friend who understands SEO and get them to help with the writing. Most donors will be existing fans, but a lot of donors go to Kickstarter to find new and interesting things they want to become part of. 

Most people say a well-produced video is the key to a successful Kickstarter, but Burrow disagreed. He said the people on Team Tephra were all good writers, but none of them had good video production skills. Rather than put out a bad, uninspiring video, they decided to focus on good art, good text, good rewards, lots of updates and passionate fans. 

In addition to their original goal of printing the books, Tephra’s Kickstarter allowed Cracked Monocle to produce customized expansions (based in part on the way people participated in their Kickstarter), posters and an expanded real life presence at conventions outside of Texas. 

Six months after the successful Kickstarter, Tephra is for sale at game shops in Austin, Dallas and San Antonio as well as online. You can also play Tephra for free at Dragon’s Lair Comics 7 pm every Monday. 

Once a week the Austin Post rounds up all the networking, social and just plain nifty technology related events taking place in the greater Austin metro area.

This week is full of user groups with a little networking in the middle of the week and a hackathon over the weekend to keep things fun. 

Austin Web Architecture
August 7, 7:00 p.m. 
Spanning
714 Congress Avenue, Suite 200
Theme: We're happy to announce Victor Trac from Bazaarvoice will be speaking about their infrastructure for our August meetup!  Baazarvoice is also graciously sponsoring the meetup so we'll have food and drinks.

WP Engine Office Party
August 8, 5:00 p.m.
Capital Factory
701 Brazos St #1602
Theme: We're inviting our friends in the business and startup community by for the open house. And of course, if you're part of the WordPress community, we *Definitely* want to see you at the event!

Sharepoint User Group
August 8, 6:00 p.m.
Microsoft Austin
10900 Stonelake Blvd.
Building B, Suite 225
Theme: SharePoint 2013 - Get excited, it is coming!

Dev SIG Comparing Testing Strategies
August 9, Noon
Bazaarvoice
3900 N. Capital of TX Hwy.
Theme: Comparing Testing Strategies

Austin PHP Meetup 
August 9, 7:00 p.m. 
Join to learn location
Theme: Garrett Woodworth, one of the core contributors from the Lithium framework, will speak at the August meeting. 

Austin Security Professionals Happy Hour
August 9, 7:00 p.m.
Sherlocks Baker Street Pub and Grill (corner of 183 and Burnet)
9012 Research Blvd
Theme: The Austin Security Professionals happy hour is a monthly gathering of information security professionals from the Austin area, heavily represented by OWASP and ISSA membership. It is a time to enjoy some drinks and food provided by our sponsor, an to get to know other InfoSec professionals. Come on down and hang out with a bunch of hackers and geeks!

Austin Adobe User Group
August 10, 1:15 p.m.
New Horizons Computer Learning Center of Austin
300 E Highland Mall Blvd
Theme: Create an app with Dreamweaver CS6

Tech Ranch Austin Campfire
August 10, 3:30 p.m.
Tech Ranch Austin
9111 Jollyville Rd, Suite 100
Theme: Campfire is all about connecting you to the larger tech startup community. We bring out lots of interesting, accomplished people from the ecosystem so you can get the introductions, insight, and help you need to move your business forward, while also helping others.

Context.IO Presents the LSRC Hackathon
August 11, 7:00 p.m.
Capital Factory
701 Brazos St
Theme: Context.IO is excited to bring you the first ever official Lone Star Ruby Conference overnight hackathon! We're bringing together national and local APIs for a night of hacking, fun, and prizes.

At the end of June, Austin Energy customers set a new peak electricity demand record for the month (2,702 megawatts), beating the record set in June 2009 and coming close to the all-time high set during last year's blistering August (2,714 megawatts). Austin Energy’s solution was to offer several programs – both residential and commercial – to reduce demand by 15-30 megawatts during the most energy-sucking (and air-conditioned) hour, which is 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Austin Energy also offers tips to save money and lessen the load on the state electricity grid, asking customers to conserve energy between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. by doing various things like weather-stripping around entry doors or keeping blinds and curtains closed, particularly on windows hit by direct sunlight.

What about those who leave their doors wide open all day while running the air conditioning? You wouldn't do that, would you. Unless you had lots of money to burn…or you were trying to attract customers.

It’s common practice for stores to keep their outside doors open to lure customers and drum up more business. For some shops, it’s a decision made by an independent owner, but for others, it’s a marketing mandate from corporate headquarters. During the hot summer months, this means blasting cold air-conditioning onto the sidewalks.

In the summer of 2008, New York City passed an ordinance making it illegal for businesses to prop open doors while operating air conditioning – the law applies to any store with at least 4,000 square feet and to smaller stores that are part of chains with at least five local outlets. The Department of Consumer Affairs issues a warning to first-time offenders; they are fined $200 for a second offense and $400 for subsequent violations within an 18-month period.

A call to Austin Energy made it clear that Austin has no law against wasting electricity. The Austin Energy representative felt it was unfortunate that businesses were letting air conditioning out onto the hot streets, but there was nothing they could do. Yet, the city has rules in place against wasting water, with residential and commercial water restrictions that place limits on when we can water our lawns.

Violations of the water restrictions in Austin are considered a Class C Misdemeanor, with each instance punishable by a fine of up to $500. The city prohibits wasting water year-round and asks citizens to be “mindful of leaking faucets, pipes and irrigation systems operating with misdirected or broken sprinkler heads.” Buildings leaking cool air? Not so much. 

A friend and I recently set out to visit The Domain and the 2ND Street District to see if stores in Austin were guilty of the same energy wasting marketing tactics used in New York City. We found nine open doors in the 2ND Street District – a bit ironic, considering they’re in the shadow of Austin City Hall.

Lululemon Athletica's "Fearless Summer."

We found fifteen businesses with open doors at The Domain. Toward the end of our investigation at The Domain, we were almost run off by security for taking forbidden photography (of open doors!) on private property.

For some businesses, however, the wide-open-door marketing tactic simply doesn’t make sense when it drives up the electricity bill or wreaks havoc on the air conditioning system. At Eliza Page in the 2ND Street District, one of the employees decided to close the door, although the owner preferred for it to remain open, because the air conditioning had previously broken down.

For other businesses, it’s common sense. Russ Zimmerman, Microsoft Store manager at The Domain, says, “I closed the doors because it’s the right thing to do for the environment.”

Stephanie Rose, an employee at Design Within Reach in the 2ND Street District, thinks keeping the doors open doesn’t make financial sense – the cost of driving up the electricity bill offsets the potential of generating more business.

Rose says, “From a cost-saving perspective as a business, why would you do that do your bottom line? Besides, people come into get a break from the heat. Closing the doors keeps it cooler inside.”

At Austin Java in the City Hall building, there is even a sign that reads “Please Keep Doors Closed (Help us keep the birds out and the air conditioning in).”

Although some establishments have come to their senses, there are many shops yet that will continue to leave their doors open throughout the summer.

Do you think the City of Austin should pass an ordinance like the one passed in New York? Should anyone be exempt if we did? (Let us know in the comments or on Facebook!)

Austin Java in the 2ND Street District wants you to keep their doors closed.

Dozens of people gathered in late July, sitting in lawn chairs, tapping their feet and clapping their hands, as Bottom Dollar String Band picked out some bluegrass tunes in Big Stacy Park in Travis Heights as part of the City of Austin’s Music in the Parks series. Bottom Dollar might have furnished the tunes, but the sun provided the power.

The microphones that amplified the band members’ voices and instruments were powered by a portable solar-powered generator provided on loan by Austin Energy.

“It's great that with the technology of solar power, we are able to fuse the tradition of bluegrass with the modern need for amplified sound,” said Neal Denton, bass player for Bottom Dollar String Band. “Bluegrass came out of old-time music rooted in Irish/Scottish fiddle tunes, which would be played outside while people gathered and had fun. The City of Austin Music in the Parks bluegrass show kept this tradition alive with amplified sound thanks to solar power.”

Austin Energy loans the generator out “mostly for theatrical and musical events, where there is no available power,” said Carlos Cordova, a corporate communications representative for the local energy provider. “But we’ve used it to run equipment for Austin Energy and the Red Cross … It’s also been loaned out to festivals to power various things from bounce houses to microwaves or T-shirt printing.”

The generator was built by a former Austin Energy employee a few years ago. It creates 1 kilowatt of power – enough to power a small sound system, appliances and lights, for example – through about a dozen three-pronged electric sockets. Sunlight charges the generator’s two battery banks, then an inverter converts the DC battery power to AC electrical power, Cordova explained.

“The trailer will run for free indefinitely if maintained properly,” Cordova added, “versus having to pay for fuel.”

The unit is available on loan to non-profits and community groups, at Austin Energy’s discretion, as part of a plan and goals set by Austin Energy and the Austin City Council to “promote and raise awareness of solar energy in the community,” Cordova said.

Prepare to be shocked: some of the best breads, croissants and baked goodies in town travel on four wheels. Beignets, doughnuts, croissants and bread are no longer the sole property of cute little air-conditioned bakeries.

Check out these trailers next time you are looking for breakfast, or a midday or late-night treat:

Best Bread and Beignets – Sugar Addict Bakery

 Sugar Addict Bakery in the Rosedale neighborhood is a newer addition to the food trailer scene. Its location in the parking lot of a Shell station off Medical Parkway and 40th Street seems at odds with the truly delicious bread and beignets that come out of the trailer. Sit in their little fenced-in patio where you can enjoy your baked goods and coffee or their rich and elegant take on lemonade. The trailer's specialty is beignets, done either the traditional New Orleans French Quarter way – loaded with powdered sugar – or as a savory base for breakfast and lunch dishes that kick ass. If you give them prior notice, you can also order a loaf of challah bread that will impress at parties.

Sinfully Stacked Doughnuts – Gourdoughs

Gourdoughs was one of the early Austin food trucks to get lots of attention once people found out they could get gigantic fluffy doughnuts topped with everything from fruit and fudge to bacon and fried chicken, until 3 a.m. no less. The trailer had to relocate from its old home on South Lamar, but it is still alive and kicking now on South First next to Elizabeth Street Café. Those who enjoy decadence often chose options like the flying pig – maple icing and bacon – or the cream-filled coconut topped doughnut holes called ODB, but I like the Naughty and Nice, a simpler option of cinnamon and sugar served with apple butter that pleases without compromising your arteries as much.

Special notice has to be given, though, that Gourdoughs is no longer the only purveyor of trailer doughnuts covered in deliciousness. The North Austin Trailer Yard recently added Krak2, where you can get options with bacon, habanero jelly or fudge and chocolate Rice Krispies.

Best All-Around French Bakery – La Boite

 La Boite (French for “the box”) is the only place in Austin – including brick-and-mortar establishments – that makes me feel like I’m in a French bakery. It combines high-quality baked goods with the laid-back feel of nothing to prove and everyday excellence that you find in France. Their sweet and savory croissants are delicious and I have waxed prolific about my joy over their French macaroons to most of my friends. La Boite also has started doing fancy sandwiches on French bread, with both a vegetarian and a charcuterie option daily.

Best Baked Desserts – Capital City Bakery

Every time I go to Capital City Bakery on MLK near the UT campus, I do so without thinking about the fact that this trailer is all vegan, because the dietary restriction has no impact on the tastiness of their baked goods. Last week I had a strawberry lemonade cupcake that knocked me off my feet, and I’m beginning to trust that everything I order from Capital City will be delicious, whether cupcake, tart or mini-pie.

Best Morning Bakery for Downtown Workers – Patika Coffee

Located at 4th and Congress, Patika is a good stop for downtown workers looking for a quick breakfast. Their coffee is local and served with attention to detail all day, but the chocolate croissants (or plain if for some reason you don’t enjoy delicious chocolate) are flaky and wonderful.

Honorable Mention – Biscuits and Groovy

 Biscuits and Groovy is known more for the dish that gives the trailer its name, but their many varieties of biscuits and gravy wouldn’t stand up to the test without having stellar fluffy southern-style biscuits to rest on. If you haven’t been, head up to 51st and Duval, and bring a mix CD with you for their CD exchange.