The Gun Club

I’ve read this four times and still don’t quite understand it: “A United States citizen who now lives in Great Britain has joined with the country’s leading gun owner rights organization in a federal lawsuit that says nonresident citizens are unfairly being targeted by existing laws that restrict gun ownership…

Mistake n Shake

Talk about bad timing (and bad most everything else). Really, how does this happen: The Indianapolis Star reports this morning that thousands of Indy residents are finding in their mailboxes this week a promotional flier announcing that Steak n Shake is “a proud sponsor of the Dallas Cowboys.” That’ll be…

Premature Evacuation

Late Sunday night in Portland, Jarrett Jack dribbled up the floor against your Dallas Mavericks. The second-year guard barked out a play for the Trail Blazers, initiating a pick-and-roll on the perimeter. Back in Dallas, Mavs fans that hadn’t yet tuned out their team’s 0-4 start were treated to a…

Queen Maybe

One sunny afternoon in the late ’80s, my mother was sitting in her blue recliner in the living room of our ranch-style house in Mansfield watching General Hospital. I toddled out of my room, intent on asking that woman the question that had been on my mind all day: “When…

Accidental Victors

If you think the local Democratic Party achieved its victory in Dallas County last week through good luck and timing, the rise of Jim Foster won’t change your mind. Now the county judge-elect, Foster hadn’t even decided to run until an hour before the filing deadline. On January 2, the…

An Open Letter to Craig Watkins

An open letter to newly elected Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins: Dear Mr. Watkins: Give me a minute. A few minutes at most. What can you lose? First of all, congratulations. Everybody says you’re the first black district attorney in the history of the county. I’m sure it’s true…

Slow Tide Rising

In the days before this month’s election, the Dallas County Democratic Party distributed cards with photographs of the county’s five Hispanic judicial candidates and slogans proclaiming, “Yesterday we marched, today we vote!” The Tejano Democrats mailed election reminders to 30,000 Latino households. These were the last efforts of a get-out-the-vote…

Feel My Rage

When his teacher asked the class to draw pictures for parents’ day, little Doug Wright went to work with relish. His mom often pulled out an easel and paints on the weekends, asking her three children to draw pictures and make up stories about them. She read to them from…

Fed Up in Farmers Branch | There She Goes Again | Borat on Rock and Roll

Fed Up in Farmers Branch Simmering pot: We live in a melting pot of cultures which in itself creates misunderstanding and intolerance. Through my travels in the United States I have encountered examples of this intolerance toward me. Example: One afternoon I pulled off the freeway for a soft drink…

Hoedown & Throwdown

If anyone knows how to throw a bash, it’s Double Wide’s booking maven Chelsea “Cha Cha” Callahan. For three years, Callahan has cooked up celebrations with amazing line-ups—line-ups that play for free since proceeds from the teensy $5 cover (after promotional expenses) go straight to charity. Cha Cha’s Third Annual…

Red Meat

Allen Brothers’ Rick Hamilton was holding court at Mercury Grill last night over some devilishly decadent prime flesh (not A. Jolie, but the filet, New York strip, Cowboy ribeye kind). Hamilton waxed poet-like on his company’s retail link-up with Sigel’s Fine Wines & Great Spirits. Seems Sigel’s is the only…

Good News for Jackie Earle Haley

In case you forgot, that’s Jackie Earle Haley at the far right–Kelly Leak, the player’s playa. Has it really been 30 years? For years it was a question that nagged at anyone who came of age with The Bad News Bears and Breaking Away: Whatever became of Jackie Earle Haley?…

It’s a Fine Line…Well, Was, Actually

Our old pal Cindy Chaffin, founder of TexasGigs.com and recently the master of The Fine Line, is calling it quits for a few reasons. Seems she’s burned out (which has never stopped us). Seems she figures there are enough local-music blogs to go around. Seems she might be leaving Dallas…

Village Idiots

I just got back from the Magnolia Theater, where, once more, somebody rammed a minivan into the front door opposite the just-closed Club Nikita in order to swipe the ATM perched in the downstairs lobby. Funny thing is, only 10 days ago did Mag management finally replace the plywood that’s…

Thai One On

What is good karma? I don’t know for sure, but I must have done something good, because a few weeks ago, I was in the right place at the right time: a booth at Club Dada, sitting next to Dallas photographer Hal Samples. Known for his soul-searching stare both behind…

Are You Ready For Some (More) Football?

If so, you’ll be delighted to know something called the Intense Football League is coming to Dallas. Well, actually, like everything else, it’s coming to Frisco. I don’t know a lot about this little venture, but I’m guessing it’s a semi-pro, indoor and X-tremely watered-down version of the old XFL…

Does Every Former NFL Player Wind Up in Real Estate?

David Richards went from HP to SMU to the NFL…to real estate. Well, of course. On Halloween, as you no doubt recall, the largest commercial real estate company in the world, CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc., announced it was acquiring Trammell Crow Company for $2.2 billion. The deal isn’t expected…

Radio Uh-Oh

Yes, I know. Thanks for the calls and e-mails, really. KTCK-AM (1310, The Ticket) is not on the air right now–at least, not on the AM side. Its FM counterpart at 104.1 is up and running, but the guys back at the station have no idea what’s up at present…

Home for the Homeless

This is a rendering of the entrance to CityWalk@Akard, the Central Dallas Ministries’ low-income downtown housing project. Everything you need to know about the Central Dallas Community Development Corporation you can find right here. Long story short: It’s the 8-year-old 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation created by Larry James’ Central Dallas Ministries,…

The Best Song Around “These Days”

Tod Seelie St. Vincent (otherwise known as Annie Clark) is one step closer to releasing her full-length debut. Till then, an early Christmas present… Our pal Chris Cantalini at Gorilla vs. Bear today posts the latest from the greatest local singer going, Annie Clark (or St. Vincent, as she’s billed)…

Worst to First

We can hide it no longer: Some of us at Unfair Park have an enormous man-crush on Tony Romo. There. We feel so much better. That’s the unique challenge for your Dallas Cowboys as they upgrade from playing the one-win Cardinals to the no-loss Colts Sunday at Texas Stadium. I…

Get On the Bus

Since 2004 Dallas-based Greyhound Lines Inc. has eliminated service to hundreds of small towns across the country; in Texas, for instance, you can no longer hop the bus from Dallas, home of Greyhound’s seventh-busiest terminal, to, oh, White Deer or Alpine or Pampa or 23 other rural outposts once on…