Articles for August, 2010
Louie Gohmert Does Not Want Those Terror Babies
So forget so-called”anchor babies.” Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert is more worried about terror babies – Osama bin Fetus, if you will – that will be all born here in the U.S. with our fancy book-learning doctors, and then grow up to learn to blow up stuff later.
10 Most Beautiful Women in Dallas: Voting Starts Monday, Aug. 16
This year has been the most difficult yet for our annual 10 Most Beautiful Women in Dallas contest. We received nearly 500 applications, out of which we had to select 20 semifinalists. It wasn’t easy.
The process confirmed what we already knew: the women of Dallas are some of the most beautiful women in the world. We can’t pretend meeting the nominees was the worst part of our jobs this year, but we sure had to make some tough calls. We think you’ll be pleased.
This year, we’re doing things a little differently. Rather than rolling out all 20 women for you to see at once, we’re revealing the lovely ladies five at a time. For four weeks, each week, you’ll get to drool over a different batch. You’ll vote once a day, every day for your favorite. On the fifth week, you’ll see the remaining 12; the final 10 will be featured in the December issue of D Magazine. Brace yourselves. These women are beauties, but they’ve got brains, too. Up first: a cheerleader, the voice of American Airlines, and Tony Romo’s arm candy.
See you at the polls, which open at 12 a.m. Monday.
Friday Question (8/13/10)
I’m figuring that most of us have some kind of smart phone — a Droid, an iPhone, whatever the hell there is besides a Droid and an iPhone.
What is your favorite app right now? What does it do?
Mine? Soundhound, which will identify a song even if it’s one of those that’s stuck in your head and you need to know who sings it. If you want it to tell you, you can sing what you know, and it’ll try to identify it. Second favorites? Lo-Mob, and 7.0 MPX.
What to Do in Dallas This Weekend: Aug. 13-15
Friday already? It seems like just yesterday I was staring forlornly at the 10-day forecast, calculating whether I had enough clean short-sleeved garments to last the week.
Discerning listeners of Texas music will be pleased to learn that Monte Montgomery is in town tonight. This guy’s technique is impressive, which you might expect from someone named among the top 50 guitarists of all time by Guitar Player Magazine. The Granada strikes me as the perfect venue for this show, which should be terrific. Don’t be surprised if you leave vowing to take guitar lessons.
Saturday is family day for many of you, and I’ve found two kid-friendly events well worth considering. Hook ‘Em for Heroes offers you and your spawn a chance to fish together while also helping pediatric cancer patients and their families. Plus, the 8 a.m. start time should make the temperature almost tolerable.
Exclusive Interview: Catching Up With Lisa Garza in Dallas
SideDish has an interview with former Next Food Network Star contestant, Lisa Garza.
Dallas Observer Parent Guilty of Price Fixing, Appeals Court Confirms
The case was brought in San Francisco by locally owned Bay Guardian against Village Voice Media’s SF Weekly, sister of the Dallas Observer. The state appeals court on Wednesday upheld a $21 million judgment against the alternative weekly, ruling that VVM used cash from its other enterprises, which would include Dallas, to artificially lower ad rates in San Francisco in order to damage its chief competitor, the Guardian.
Leading Off (8/13/10)
1. When I was 15, I’m pretty sure my mom would’ve noticed if I left to go to the mall without her permission. But this girl in Jacksonville, Fla., managed to get to the airport with her 11-year-old brother and a 13-year-old friend, and then bought three Southwest tickets to Nashville. According to the story, none of them had to pony up IDs, which sounds incredible, since if all three kids went to buy spray paint, they’d be ID’d and denied. So, for the record, flying to another state without your parents permission is easier than buying spray paint.
2. Speaking of flying, we’re apparently all way more surly now when we fly. I will let Louis C.K. explain why this is ridiculous.
3. You know what fresh hell looks like? It looks like Oncor turning off your electricity by accident and leaving it off for 8 hours at the hottest part of the day. I know people lived without AC and didn’t die in the olden days, but I’ve never figured out how. Do you just sit around naked all day, arms and legs akimbo, drinking lemonade?
4. THIS IS WHY I DON’T DO NATURE. Or snakes.
5. You can always go here. But since it’s Friday, this, this, this and this.
Zac Crain Just Went For a Run
It’s still hot outside, you guys.
(Now someone give me my $50 stipend. )
Nicky Sheets Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison
Candy Evans is down at the courthouse for the case of John Nicholas Sheets. She’ll have more details on DallasDirt later, but here’s what she writes:
Was sentenced today by federal judge Jane J Boyle to 40 months in a federal prison.
Andy Beal Is Not Happy With the Morning News
Earlier this month, the Dallas Morning News ran a story about Andy Beal’s tax kerfuffle in which the called Beal’s tax return “illegal.” At the time, I pointed to a Forbes story that referred to Beal’s tax maneuvers as a “sham,” which sounded to me like a carefully chosen word. Well, now comes a press release (after the jump) in which Beal expresses his displeasure with the News for characterizing it as an “illegal tax return.” Of particular note: “The DMN article also failed to note that … Mr. Beal paid all the taxes, penalties and interest that the IRS believes he should have paid for the years at issue. Because he believed that the law allowed the deductions, he then sued the IRS to get the money back. The article also failed to note that almost all of the penalties the IRS requested were disallowed.”
I’m guessing that Beal’s hackles are raised even higher given that the publicity-shy billionaire agreed to help the News back in February with its glowing profile of him.
Mariachi Band Invades D Offices
Last Friday a nine piece mariachi band invaded the D offices. The resulting mayhem can be found on FrontRow.
Did Evangelicals Save Dallas From the Housing Bubble?
That’s basically the thesis of this paper by Christopher Crowe for the International Monetary Fund. Wendall Cox – keeping a straight face – finds some problems with the notion, starting with this:
Rising prices are needed for there to be any incentive to speculate. If, for example, the numerous Evangelicals in Dallas-Fort Worth had undertaken a furious speculative frenzy, prices would not have gone up, instead more houses would have been built. This is because the liberal land use regime in Dallas-Fort Worth permits housing to be built in response to demand and nullifies any potential for speculative gain. Evangelicals, of course, like Catholics, Mainstream Protestants, Jews and Atheists are not stupid and were no more inclined to speculate on housing in the plentiful Dallas-Fort Worth market than they would have been climb over one another to offer higher prices for sand on the beach.
Bushes Greet Troops at DFW
Dallas residents George W. and Laura were busy yesterday. In addition to catching the Rangers/Yankees tiff last night in Arlington, they showed up in the morning at DFW Airport to greet some returning troops.
Ed Whitacre Steps Down As GM CEO
Whitakcre basically created the new AT&T (hence, the Whitacre Tower in downtown Dallas). He is stepping down from his temporary role overseeing GM as it announces its second quarterly profit, this time of $1.3 billion.
Whitacre is being replaced by fellow telephonatic Dan Akerson, former CEO of XO Communications and Nextel. Now the question is, will Akerson take the next step in reforming the geriatric, inbred GM culture by moving its corporate headquarters to Dallas?
What to Do in Dallas Tonight: Aug. 12
Oh hi. It’s Thursday, or as I like to call it, Almost Friday and Therefore Practically the Weekend, So It’s OK to Drink Day.
If you like a little fashion with your Champagne, check out The Shak at Stanley Korshak’s fourth anniversary soiree. I have to hand it to these people. Lowering our spending inhibitions by plying us with free booze is brilliant. (Maybe we should consider setting up beer cart/magazine kiosks throughout the city?)
Perhaps sparkling wine isn’t your thing. Fret not! You have other options: As Haley Hamilton pointed out yesterday on SideDish, Veritas is offering one heck of a great wine tasting with award-winning winemaker Carol Shelton. Veritas co-owner Brooks Anderson tells me if you mention D Magazine, you’ll get your first glass of wine half off after the free tasting. Bonus: TheLaundry, a new boutique next door, is having a big sale tonight, so if you’re in the mood to shop after all, you can!
Whether you choose option A or B, you should be feeling pretty good by 8 p.m., which happens to be when the Pat Benatar show starts at House of Blues. Why this goddess of rock didn’t team up with Cyndi Lauper for this tour is a tragedy and a mystery that may never be solved. Can you imagine so much badassery on one stage? Sigh. If wishes were horses, etc. Regardless, there’s no question Benatar can hold her own, and tonight’s show promises to be a great one.
Find other great things do to in Dallas.
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