Dear Mexican: Someone wrote you a while back wondering why Mexicans have made a mess of their beautiful country. You got all bent out of shape because he called Mexico a Third World country instead of a “bottom tier” First World country. I think you missed the point of the…
All I want for Christmas is to be Christmasy. You’ve already heard about Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas. He’s the preacher publishing an online shame-list of businesses and organizations that aren’t Christmasy enough for him. I’m scared I’ll wind up on it. I really don’t want…
The Texas Observer has published a story about the Railroad Commission of Texas that I want to call appalling, but I think the Railroad Commission has lost the ability to appall. The story exposes a pattern of dereliction and sleaze on the part of this obscure but powerful body, costing…
Welcome to Local Music’Mericans, where we’ll be meeting some people behind the local music scene who aren’t musicians, but more behind-the-scenes folk. Cat Hough was a high school kid in Fort Worth when she saw the Toadies perform one of their earliest shows at a place called Maggie’s Beat Farm…
Whether you’re at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt’s End: *In the ALCS, the Rangers beat the Yankees in six games. In the pursuit of Cliff Lee, looks like the Yankees will beat the Rangers in seven years. *I’ve been rough…
No one from the 1980s pay-for-play scandals remains at SMU, but the stigma – and the residue from the NCAA’s Death Penalty – remain on the Hilltop. Those wounds may not be re-opened, but they’ll certainly be re-visited Saturday night when ESPN presents its latest 30 for 30 documentary: “Pony…
Dear Mexican: Why can AeroMexico Airlines fly through any kind of weather conditions to get to and from the United States, but any kind of little ice sprinkle or heavy wind and domestic airlines in the United States cancel two days’ worth of flights? For two consecutive winters, I’ve had…
Seven council members have signed a memo to Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm telling her to figure out some way not to bar the public from parking in the garage underneath Dallas City Hall (well, the fountain, actually). Unfair Park was told that more members would have signed it, but…
Regarding the story Wilonsky broke here yesterday — about Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church, publishing a list of businesses or other entities that fail to celebrate Christmas in an acceptably enthusiastic way. I’m worried about old white people. Seriously. I’m one myself. I go fishing with old white…
At the end of last week Wilonsky posted a City Hall memo announcing that “the general public will no longer be allowed to park in the City Hall garage.” I thought about it a lot over the weekend. It’s just so incredibly and infuriatingly typical. The justification for barring the…
Welcome to Local Music’Mericans, where we’ll be meeting some people behind the local music scene who aren’t musicians, but more behind-the-scenes folk. Once upon a time, Cindy Chaffin was the mastermind behind Texas Gigs, a blog and database that was eventually acquired by Pegasus News. Later, she launched FineLineLive, a…
You may or may not be familiar with Allen Gwinn — the blogger-provocateur who keeps watch over the public school system and other matters. He has a new website going called taxrollback.org calling for a local version of the California legislation that has helped reduce that state to ruin –…
Whether you’re at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt’s End: *I’m going to be extremely disappointed gutted if the Rangers don’t sign Cliff Lee, hopefully during next week’s Winter Meetings in Florida. Sorry, but a consolation prize of Zack Greinke – or…
Wanna do something to shake up your routine, alter your waist line and even change your life? Run. The. Rock. Probably a little late to get in shape and properly train for Sunday’s MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon, but you can also “participate” by merely being a spectator. Organizers expect 7,000…
I have been keeping my mouth shut for months about this deal between Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and city council member Angela Hunt concerning committee assignments and Hunt’s ability to care for her new baby. But today there’s a good story about it by Rudy Bush on the Metro front…
Dear Mexican: This güero downloaded the Arizona S.B. 1070 bill, did a search on the document for “Mexicans,” and did not come up with a single hit. What’s up with that? So, since you are such an acknowledged expert at pointing out Mexican-hating here in the American Southwest (your words,…
Made a short canoe trip up White Rock Creek from the lake with my son yesterday evening. He’s visiting for the holiday. Half the leaves are off the trees, so we’re back to the season of the year when you can see all the trash along the banks. But it’s…
Welcome to Local Music’Mericans, where we’ll be meeting some people behind the local music scene who aren’t musicians, but more behind-the-scenes folk. Scott Beggs, once one of the kids in the punk rock crowds back in the day, has been assembling live concerts in DFW since the mid-’90s at various…
The New York Times op-ed page today has a big essay on anonymous blog comments and what to do about them: “Where anonymity breeds contempt,” by Julie Zhuo, a “product design manager” at Facebook. So how do you feel about anonymous comments, fellow Unfair Park Anonymati? Me, my own feelings…
Think it’s been a wacky college football season? Michigan, Florida, Southern Cal and Texas are a combined 26-17 22. And TCU (which is apparently jumping to the Big East in 2012) – at the very worst – is going to the Rose Bowl. Couldn’t believe my eyes early Saturday morning. Despite…
There’s a lot of shape-shifting going on below the media radar at City Hall, a sense that some kind of realignment is in the works. A lot of it has to do with the fraying and maybe dissolution of the traditional Citizens Council/South Dallas Deal. Mayor Tom Leppert has been…
Wasn’t exactly Cortland Finnegan vs. Andre Johnson, but The Prez got into a scuffle last Friday. On the basketball court. With an elbow. Barack Obama received 12 stitches to a cut on his lower lip after an errant elbow during a pick-up game by Rey Decerega, the Director of Programs for…
