Articles for January, 2009
Buddy, Can You Spare 50 Cents? How About $10, Then?
Dallas officials will have their hands full cracking down on panhandlers and other miscreants downtown. Visiting the 1400 block of Main yesterday, I had to park on the street twice–the first time the meter ate a bunch of change without giving up any time at all–before being buttonholed for dough twice inside 50 yards. One guy pounded on the driver’s-side window, adopted a pitiful expression like from that “Scream” painting and begged, “Please help me. I’m hungry!” It ain’t nearly as bad here as San Francisco in the ’80s; a group of bums there liked to break into my daughter’s parked car and sleep in it overnight. But it doesn’t exactly make you eager to “find your D Spot” again anytime soon.
Worth Names Three Local Lawyers To Top 100 List
Mike McCurley of Dallas and Rice Tilley and Marvin Blum of Fort Worth were selected as among the Top 100 Attorneys in America by the money magazine. Odd, but I don’t see any link to the actual article so I don’t know how they did it or what they based it on. I do know McCurley, and if the subject is family law, I’d say Worth got it right. He’s the best at increasing or decreasing worth, depending on which side he’s on.
UPDATE: After looking at the websites of some of the attorneys listed, they appear to be — as one should expect — concentrated in estate planning, tax, and family law.
Leading Off (1/8/09)
1. In the end, one of Pacman’s ghosts finally caught up with him. “I can’t believe it!” shrieked no one.
2. The troubled history of Oak Wood Place, where Sr. Cpl Norman Smith was shot and killed on Monday.
3. Michael E. Young was the last to say “not it!” so he gets the “gas prices on the rise” story.
Single? D Dating Goes Live!
Katie and I have this idea. There are all these hot, young people here, so why not try to hook them up? Here are some local, young, single, nice people with their email addresses. The rest is up to you. (more…)
Live From PM (the nightclub under the Joule): The Bachelor Auditions
Young Dallas-ites are gathering at PM for a shot at the Bachelor/ette, season 14. Katie McNew and I are reporting from the floor. For updates, see Shoptalk. For my favorite bachelor application question, see below.
Have you ever had a temporary restraining order issued against you?
If so, please give details and dates: (awesome)
Dr Pepper + Teen Sex = OMG!
I was suffering through last night’s episode of “90120” when I saw this odd, glowing Dr Pepper logo prominently placed in a dramatic scene. (Since all scenes in “90210″ are dramatic, forgive me for being unspecific.) My question: if the folks at Plano-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group are going after the “Frazier” crowd, can they really also go after the lusty types (myself excluded) who watch “90120″? For the record, I was watching “90120″ because my wife watches the show. That’s a whole ‘nother blog entry in itself.
Live From Twisted Root: Food Network Shoot
Stacey and Sarah have taken my place in the wait for Guy Fieri to show up at Twisted Root Burger Co. where the Food Network is taping an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.
J.L. Huffines Jr., R.I.P.
North Texas auto legend J.L. Huffines Jr. of Huffines Auto Dealerships died today of cancer at the age of 85. He’d worked at the dealership as recently as two weeks ago. The current issue of D CEO magazine tells how J.L. Jr. grew up in the business that had been founded by his father, J.L. Huffines Sr.
See Pictures of David Feherty
Back in November, David Feherty hosted his fourth annual George Lopez-David Feherty Celebrity Pro-Am. It kicked off with a private dinner party at Bob’s Steak and Chop House in Grapevine. Besides Lopez and Feherty, Dennis Haysbert, Pat Green, and other celebs had good, strong fun. Plus golfers including Corey Pavin and Tommy Armour. The lovely Kyle Kearbey has just posted photos of the gig.
Is William McNamara in Dallas?
I could swear I saw this guy at the West Village Starbucks the other day. No? And then I heard a rumor that he’s now living here. Anyone have a sighting?
Leading Off (1/7/09)
1. We lost a good cop yesterday. Senior Cpl. Norman Smith was shot in the face while serving a warrant. The Observer ran a story in 2006 chronicling his work. (It’s worth noting that the DMN, too, linked to the DO story.)
2. Do you work or live downtown? Do you ever give pocket change to beggars? Well, don’t do it today. A “zero tolerance” policy goes into effect. It’ll be enforced by cops and by a private security force hired by DowntownDallas. Also, don’t take a nap outdoors today. That’s also against the law. And if I were you, I’d watch my language and work hard to stifle any bodily gas issues that might arise. Just to be safe.
3. Police are searching for a Plano bank robber who likes to dress well. Check out the pic. They also need a nickname for the guy. “The Dapper Bandit” is already taken. The Bandit With the Must-Have Scarf? Let’s workshop it.
The Bachelor Update: Dallas Girls Represent
For those who care, we have D Home exec editor and special guest blogger Laura Kostelny’s thoughts on last night’s episode of ABC’s The Bachelor. As I mentioned yesterday, we have two Dallas girls in the running for single dad Jason’s love. One is a wedding planner and one is a former Cowboys cheerleader. Can you guess which one got cut? If you watch the show, it’s definitely worth a read. Jump for it.
How To Ruin A Perfectly Good Antoine Walker Joke
If you click here, you’ll see a innocuous blog post by Tim MacMahon with an innocuous headline: “Ex-Mav Antoine Walker arrested on DUI charge.” But it you look carefully at the address in the location bar, you’ll see the remnant of why I suspect MacMahon bothered to throw up that link in the first place: so he could poke fun at the notoriously bad-jumper-happy Walker, who once said, when asked why he shot so many three-pointers, “Because there are no fours.”
Anyway, thanks to the Internet (where nothing ever really dies) and more specifically the great Ball Don’t Lie, here is the original headline to that post: “Antoine Walker has never seen a shot he didn’t like.” Well played, sir. And lighten up, DMN.
DMN Gets Credit Where Credit Is Due
In contrast to its maudlin, overlong recent project about people dying in the hospital–and then a few more people dying in the hospital–the DMN deserves big kudos for its current “State of Neglect” series, which is examining the connections among Texas business, politics and state services. I don’t know whether everything the series has turned up so far is truly as nefarious as portrayed. But “Neglect” is exactly the sort of diligent, hard-nosed, provocative undertaking that gives local/regional journalism a good name.
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