Dex Wesley Parra

The Austin Chronicle • 06/08/2023

New Plans for Bastrop Film Studio Hope to Overcome Its Storied History

Thirty minutes east of Downtown Austin, along the winding frontage road FM 969, three inconspicuous steel-frame buildings house what could become the next filmmakers' paradise. At least, that's the vision for the new owners of Elgin's storied Spiderwood Studios 969.

The Austin Chronicle • 05/25/2023

Anti-Queer Laws Just Keep Coming at the Texas Legislature

From singling out transgender athletes at state universities to attempts at defunding public libraries that host drag queen story hours to banning health care for trans youth, the 88th Texas Legislature will go down as one of the most hostile sessions toward the LGBTQ+ community in the state's history.

Media Ethics Magazine • 02/24/2023

The Ethics of AI Art

For thousands of years, art has been an endeavor of the human race. From Rembrandt to Basquiat, from the Benin Bronzes to the new wave cinema of Hong Kong, art has been recognized as creative expressions of human intelligence. With the public release of DALL-E 2, a neural network that generates images from phrases, the definition of art might be due for reevaluation to include media produced by artificial intelligence.

Center for Media Engagement • 11/30/2022

Imperfections or Revealing Mistakes on Twitter?

On April 4, 2022, billionaire business and tech mogul Elon Musk published a Twitter poll with a simple question: Do you want an edit button (Musk, 2022)? The resounding answer: “yse” – a sly, tongue-in-cheek response indicating what would come from a Musk-owned Twitter.

The Austin Chronicle • 04/22/2023

Will Texas Expand Medical Marijuana Access?

When the Texas Department of Public Safety announced in January that it would accept new applications to license medical marijuana dispensing organizations, a budding chorus of advocates and patients celebrated the potential for greater access to cannabis. But as the April 28 deadline to apply approaches, many of them worry it may not be enough, given that current access to the Compassionate Use Program (CUP) is extremely restricted.

The Austin Chronicle • 04/22/2023

Bill of the Week: Texas GOP Targets Transgender Youth

Many LGBTQ advocacy groups in Texas say that if there’s one anti-trans law to rail against this legislative session (and there are dozens), it’s this one: House Bill 1686.

The Austin Chronicle • 04/22/2023

Austin Hackers Group Gets Recognition From Global Body

On the last Thursday of every month, in the walled-off back room of an unassuming North Austin sports bar right off I-35, a variety pack of 40-some-odd information sector types – computer programmers, web developers, and the like – convene for a couple of evening hours to present the latest coding bugs they've uncovered. They call themselves Austin Hackers Anonymous, abbreviated as AHA! like the Eighties pop act (leave it to hackers to claim the URL takeonme.org).

The Austin Chronicle • 04/22/2023

Local Architecture Firm Opens $20K Grant Application for Nonprofits

Community nonprofits looking to expand their services have a unique opportunity this month. The Michael Hsu Office of Architecture – the firm behind a slew of iconic Austin buildings – is accepting design proposals and will grant one winner $20,000 in pro bono consultation.

The Austin Chronicle • 04/22/2023

APD Victims Services Unit Calls on Local Therapists for Help

Local therapists, the Austin Police Department wants you to help with long-term intervention for survivors of crime. The incentive? Free professional training – cost of textbooks not included.

The Austin Chronicle • 04/22/2023

Ahead of SXSW Chat with Chelsea Handler, Jen Psaki Talks Life After the White House

Before her tenure as White House press secretary under President Joe Biden, Jen Psaki could walk across downtown Austin without being recognized. In 2008, she did exactly that, campaigning and working for then-presidential hopeful Barack Obama.