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How Bad Laws Get Made In Texas, Ctd.

Rep.  Jerry Madden (R., Plano) authored the original bill that Tara Hill complained about on Wednesday. Originally, it was innocuous and uncontroversial. Then, Democrats added amendments that would allow Child Protective Services more leeway to abuse its already substantial power.

Today, Madden asked the governor to veto his own bill. The guv has until Sunday to decide.

Back to You, Tim

Where Has Jack E. Jett Been?

The radio personality (he dismisses the word “broadcaster”) was one of our favorite most prolific commenters when we had comments. But he disappeared from the airwaves last month. Now he’s back – after a stroke and quadruple heart bypass.

“Four Things I Learned From My Dad”

Jim Meigs is the editor-in-chief of Popular Mechanics. (The Dallas connection is that he is also my cousin.) Here he tells what his “machinist father” taught him. What he fails to mention is that his father — one of the greatest guys I know — was also a professor of economics at Princeton.

DCAD Moves In Mysterious Ways

Take heart, all those protesting their property values before DCAD’s Appraisal Review Board. I think they’ll knock some off your total just for showing up. That’s what seemed to happen yesterday, after my hastily prepared “comparable values” study for our neighborhood left the hearing board unimpressed. At that, the DCAD guy displayed some actual recent sales comps; they placed our home’s proposed value at the rock-bottom end of a $30,000 spread. Then–and I’m not complaining here–the board voted to slice $6,000 off the total anyway. DCAD hearings will continue through mid-July.

Now You Can Buy Myopic’s Plays in Pieces

In January 2008, Adam McGill wrote about the forthcoming solo record from Jeff Ryan (aka Myopic), titled Plays in Pieces. It had been reviewed (favorably) on NPR’s Open Mic website, it was recorded by noted producer Stuart Sikes, and it featured Ryan playing “stark and minimalist” and “layered and complex” melodies on piano, Rhodes, guitar, bells, and drums. We mentioned at the end of the short piece that it was due in stores in February.

Okay, so we jumped the gun. But you can finally get it, via Simulacra Records, and all the things Adam said before remain true. All we’ll add — since, full disclosure, Ryan’s son Alexander is my son’s best friend and, as such, we all had dinner last night at Lovers Pizza in Casa Linda (represent!), where he told me this — expect a proper CD release shindig at Good Records in the near future.

Rick Perry and A&M: Hot Rumor Of The Week

The university’s president was fired to make room for the governor. An invitation by his hand-picked Board of Regents to lead Texas A&M would provide Perry with “a gracious exit” (source’s words) in the face of the almost-unanimous withdrawal of support by major GOP donors and Kay Bailey Hutchison’s huge early lead in a potential match-up.

Texas Jobless Rate Hits 7.1 Percent in May

I don’t know why Wick doesn’t want comments. Why, look at the political insight offered by readers of this DMN unemployment rate story. Now that’s just good reading. Especially the parts in all caps.

Why Does Texas Still Have The Death Penalty?, Ctd.

On Wednesday, I raised the question. Now comes word from a News-writing FrontBurnervian that the paper has (”quietly”) launched a blog centered on that very question. On it, Michael Landauer cites a chilling statistic:

It’s telling that countries where power and authority are key to keeping people in their place rely on the death penalty. China leads the way in executions, for example. Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia — all countries led by people who sleep with one eye open — help make up 93 percent of all executions. Well, actually, those countries plus the United States (led, by far, by Texas, of course). So, to recap: China, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States (mostly Texas) make up 93 percent of all executions.

My major concern is that no other Texas county has maintained the DNA records that Dallas has. We cannot be sure that any of the people today on death row are not innocent of the murders they were convicted of. At the very least, we should suspend it, like Maryland, Illinois, Nebraska, and New Jersey to make sure that state does not wrongly kill an innocent person. But the facts weigh against keeping the penalty at all: Michigan abolished the death penalty in 1846. It was the first English-speaking government in the world to abolish it. Its homicide rate is lower than states that have it, which is not unusual.

Times Are Tough, People Are Kind

Speaking of Park Cities People, Merritt Patterson writes perhaps her best column ever about a moment of grace amid her family’s own financial turmoil.

Have You Nominated Someone for the 10 Most Beautiful Women in Dallas?

No? Shame on you. Do it now.

What To Do in Dallas for Father’s Day

So you’re a procrastinator, eh? Well, no worries. We’ve got some great suggestions for what to do with dear old Dad this weekend. Take a look.

Friday Time Suck: Flip Flop Fly Ball

I can’t really describe this site any better than Craig Robinson, the man behind it does: “A love of baseball plus a love of infographics equals Flip Flop Fly Ball.” Therein, you can find clean, beautiful graphic representations of things such as the real world cost of stolen bases and the height of Fenway Park’s Green Monster as compared to other icons.

My favorite so far, and what gives me the most tangential of reasons to post this, is a fully realized box score of a fictitious tiebreaker game between the Wu-Tang Clan and the E Street Band to decide the Eastern Division pennant and determine who will face Earth, Wind & Fire in the Championship Series. (That’s not local, you might say. And you’re right. But along with that, Robinson also includes the final division standings. Look at the bottom of the Western Division. There, in last place with a record of 4-14, is Dallas’ own The Polyphonic Spree. Boom.)

Former Pastor Skip Ryan Speaks On His Addiction

Three years ago, Park Cities People ran an across-the-front-page headline that Skip Ryan had been dismissed as senior pastor of Park Cities Presbyterian Church.  A week later, it reported what the elders of the church already knew: that he was a drug addict. It was a devastating and very public fall for a man who was recognized as a star of the Presbyterian Church of America.

This week, Ryan spoke at the church’s 37th General Assembly in Orlando. It is a report from the frontlines of the intensely personal struggle of a very “successful” man. I strongly recommend that you take the time to listen to it when you’re in a quiet place sometime today or this week. NB: I had to turn the volume all the way up.

Mayor Leppert Loosens Grip On His Effin Hat

At least, that’s my takeaway from this Rudy Bush post about how the council just authorized more than $500 million in bonds to build the Convention Center Hotel. The staff can now issue the bonds when interest rates become favorable. Which should be soon, according to Hizzoner:

“This is exactly the right time to move forward. We are expecting an upturn in the market…and we are positioned to capture that upturn.”

So we got that goin for us, which is nice.

Dirk Nowitzki to Take Over For Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in The Game Plan 2: Full Court Press

At least, that’s what I gather from this report out of Beaumont.

Leading Off (6/19/09)

1. Officials at Cowboys Stadium are preparing for the tween invasion Saturday night as the Jonas Brothers are set to take the stage. This includes more security watching out for the young uns, as well as a parking lot where parents can drop off and pick up their kids. I would just like to warn these young kids about rock stars: they’ll buy you drinks, you’ll meet girls, they’ll try to fly you places for free, offer you drugs… I know. It sounds great. But these people are not your friends.

2. Victims of the Jabari attack received settlements this week, and recounted the experience. I hate it when something gets humanized, and I can’t make Jabari jokes anymore. Damn reality.

3. Amber Campisi is now part of Kendra, a reality show about former Playboy playmates. Laura, please tell me you’ll be adding this to your update list. Please.