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How to have fun while watching the final presidential debate
(Michael Vadon/Phil Roeder)
Despite all odds, there will be a final presidential debate Thursday before Election Day on Nov. 3. The debate will start at 8 p.m. where the candidates will be asked to respond to six topics: COVID-19, race issues, climate change, American families, national security and leadership.
The last debate on Sept. 29 was an untethered, wacky look at incumbent Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, chock-full of insults, yelling over each other and interrupting the moderator. So the internet did what it does best: made it into a meme.
Here's how to have fun while watching the next debate.
Play a drinking or bingo game
This Washingtonian game will have you drinking anytime Trump makes a false claim about COVID-19 or complains about voter fraud, Biden starts a sentence with the word "look" or "folks," and either candidate says "United States of America" or takes a direct jab at their opponent. While the game recommends shotgunning a beer before the start of the debate, anyone who watched the last one will know that isn't necessary. In fact, if you're not careful, you might want to tap out after the first half hour. As a bonus rule, you are supposed to chug your drink anytime you've lost track of what either candidate is talking about.
So yeah, you're liable to get sloshed.
If you're not drinking, you can also download a bingo card with similar phrases and play along that way.For a more interactive experience
Porch Drinking's debate game is much more elaborate than the Washingtonian's and certainly more distracting. This game will have you take a sip every time Trump says "fake news," "yuge" or "anything creepy about women" and Biden says "mask," "malarkey" or "anything creepy about women."
The fun comes in with the specifics of this game, like drinking while reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in your head if neither candidate is wearing a flag on their lapel; putting a mask on someone if one of the candidates mentions a COVID-19 keyword and leaving it on until the next one is said; washing your hands for 20 seconds every time hydroxychloroquine is mentioned ond having a friend hand you a drink every time a candidate mentions socialism.
The beauty is in this game's completely random actions to perform, many of which don't even include booze.
If you’re watching the debate with your kids
Though people under 18 cannot vote in the election, a lot of young people have opinions about and a stake in the election. Talking about the election with kids could inspire them to take interest and make informed decisions in the long run. Our White House recommends, if your kids are old enough, having a political discussion. To start, the organization recommends parents and kids write down a list of issues they want to the hear the candidates talk about before the debate before talking through them together.
The Washington Post also offers a kid's guide to meeting the candidates, so kids can truly make up their own minds.
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Popular
(Pavement/Instagram)
The cost of living in Austin may be on an upswing but just because you might have less money in your pockets doesn’t mean you have to compromise your lifestyle.
With gas prices rising above $4 per gallon, rents rising 25-40% and reports showing that Austinites pay more in household bills than any other Texas city, you may find yourself with less cheddar than you’re used to this time of year.
Aside from cutting back on spending, thrifting is a great way to stretch your dollar a little bit further. The average American spends $1,700 on clothes annually, of which 85% percent ends up in landfills, making secondhand shopping a greener, more affordable and nearly equally fashionable option.
These local secondhand emporiums sell most daily goods for a fraction of the price if you don’t mind a little wear.
Best antiques: Uncommon Objects, 1602 Fortview Rd.
You won’t find any clothing at Uncommon Objects but you will find oodles of objects from yesteryear to bring into your home. The store has been peddling items from “your eccentric uncle’s attic on steroids” since 1991, connecting Austinites with relics from the past. The items inside start at just a few dollars but range due to the great variety. Many of these items have passed through multiple hands–it doesn’t get greener than that!
Best for finding clothes on a budget: Texas Thrift, 5319 N Interstate Hwy 35
This enormous North Austin warehouse is packed with so many racks of secondhand clothing that it would be nearly impossible to go through them all in one visit. You’re probably not going to find a Gucci tracksuit or Christian Louboutins while you roam the racks but you’re almost certain to leave with at least one new-to-you article of clothing that fits your style for less than $10.
Best for fashionable finds: Uptown Cheapskate, multiple locations
Though it may be a bit more expensive than the run-of-the-mill thrift shop, Uptown Cheapskate is filled with gently used, name-brand clothing for a fraction of the new price. Uptown both buys and sells clothing released in boutiques within the last two years, meaning you’ll find brands like Free People, Zara, Nike and Patagonia in almost mint condition. Austonia reporter Claire Partain scored a pair of Steve Madden's last week for less than $15.
Best variety: Far Out Home Fittings, 1500 W Ben White Blvd.
With a full “Funkyard” out back, antiques, oddities, furniture, jewelry and knick knacks are Far Out Home Fittings’ specialty. This is not the place to come if you’re looking for something specific but if you’re open to a rummaging adventure, you’re likely to find something you didn't know you needed from furniture to jewelry to musical instruments. Our favorite Far Out finds: $5 gold chains, a vintage hand-crank whisk and long-forgotten lettering from signage.
Craft supplies: Austin Creative Reuse, 2005 Wheless Ln.
‘Waste not, want not’ would be a good tagline for Austin Creative Reuse, where you can find partially used art supplies that would have been thrown away otherwise. Looking to make your own clothes? ACR has shelves upon shelves of fabric and yarn for mostly less than a dollar per yard. Accessories? There are beads and thread aplenty. Scrap paper, paint, mosaics, magnets, zippers, glitter, findings in bulk and workshops to teach you how to be your craftiest self.
Furniture: Salvation Army, multiple locations
If you’re a fan of TikTok, you’ve probably wanted to try your hand at upcycling—repurposing objects in a way that makes it just as or more valuable than the original—at least once or twice and Salvation Army is the place to start. This store has everything: clothing, shoes, accessories, electronics, art and pieces of furniture that are begging to be made pretty again through a little TLC.
Vintage and variety fashion: Pavement, multiple locations
Racks on racks of modern and vintage mixed clothing await at Pavement, which is known for its legendary fill-a-bag sales. Meanwhile, its shoe and accessory walls are almost as spacious as its selection of clothing while maintaining a balance between current fashion and styles of yore. Clothing at Pavement isn’t the most affordable, but it will still bring you in lower than most prices at vintage and new clothing stores.
(ATCEMS/Facebook)
An Austin-Travis County ambulance was removed from a Central Austin St. David's Hospital and taken for a joyride until it was recovered in Round Rock.
Ezra Neal, 32, is now in the Travis County jail facing two felony counts for auto theft of $300,000 or more and evading in a motor vehicle, according to the Austin Police Department.
On Thursday morning, ATCEMS tracked down the missing ambulance truck and reported it to APD. An officer found the ambulance with its back door wide open on I-35 in Pflugerville.
(APD)
The police officer followed Neal North for almost 10 miles as four more police vehicles joined the chase. When Neal entered Round Rock, he took the FM 1431 exit toward University Boulevard, police said.
He was able to get past spike strips set up in his path by police but eventually turned into an H-E-B parking lot where he was arrested.
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