Articles for August, 2010
World’s Slowest Police Chase Going On Right Now
WFAA.com’s video loaded up faster for me, but apparently a guy carjacked a truck. Or maybe it’s truck jacked. Anyway, he took this vehicle at knifepoint. At some point, he lost a wheel. Now he’s just meandering aimlessly around Dallas.
Now he went through a fence. Still on three wheels. Should I live blog this? Sure. (more…)
Please Use This Word: “Roblet”
This post has nothing to do with Dallas — except for the fact that I am a human who lives and works in that fine city. On to the business at hand: I need each of you to use the word “roblet” in your daily correspondence and conversation. I adopted this rare word here. You, too, might wish to adopt a rare word, but just know that in doing so, you must promise to spread the use of said word so that it (the word) does not fall completely out of favor. That’s what I’m doing. Spreading my word. Keeping my promise. I’m a promise keeper. ( “Roblet” means to lead astray. According to the OED, the word — until now — was only found in the writing of a guy named Nathanial Fairfax.)
Local Magazine Puts Pancakes on Its Cover
Anyway, you’re probably wondering how we photographed that Dagwood-style stack of pancakes from the AllGood Cafe, in Deep Ellum. The short answer: we had to cheat by replicating their cakes in the studio. For the long answer, won’t you jump with me?
What to Do in Dallas Tonight: Aug. 19
We in Dallas have plenty of reasons to be glad it’s Thursday, beyond the fact that it’s nearly Friday. Among them:
I. Those of you who are a tad obsessed with Natalie Merchant already know this: the songstress is in town tonight. If I were you, I’d start your night by popping over to hear Doug Burr play at Sammons Park. It’s an outdoor concert, but rather than whine about the heat, look at it as an opportunity for your extremities to thaw out after sitting in a super-cooled office all day. Plus, it’s free.
You’ll probably get thirsty at some point, so wait for an appropriate break in the music and find your way over to Screen Door’s Thursday happy hour. A cold, crisp glass of sauvignon blanc would certainly be refreshing. However, I think Natalie Merchant’s alto voice and earthy persona call for something richer, so be sure to check out the selection of reds. An order of fried green tomatoes or hummus would be awfully nice, as well.
2. It’s opening night of Bach at Leipzig at Circle Theatre in Fort Worth. If you’re a classical-music geek (or better yet a baroque-music geek) you should be excited about this. I dare you to show up in a powdered wig.
Click for more things to do in Dallas.
Strong Mayor Tom Leppert Wins on No-Bid
Is this any way to run a city? From Rudy Bush’s story this morning in the Morning News:
A Hudson representative, Marcos Ronquillo, told the council that he was astonished by the way it has handled the concessions matter, calling it “a heck of a way to run a city.”…”This is a city manager form of government. Not a Fortune 500 company,” he said in reference to Leppert’s involvement.
Excuse me. The first staff recommendation was for open bidding. It was overturned by a Council transportation committee. That’s when the mayor got involved. And note: the staff recommendation was a recommendation. The Council makes the decision on contracts, not the city manager. But let’s go to the larger point (after the jump):
Eat Breakfast? Have a Camera? Send a Photo to Breakfast@DMagazine.com
We’re conducting an important bit of anthropological research over on SideDish. Get the details here, then e-mail a photo of your daily breakfasts between now and the end of September to breakfast@dmagazine.com.
Leading Off (8/19/10)
1. The city council rejected two no-bid contracts at Love Field, adopting a proposal that will open up for bids all restaurant/retail space at the airport. Since my bid for the Rangers was rejected, I guess I’ll go ahead and throw my hat (and my Capri Sun and $9) in the ring for some of that space. Especially seeing as I have yet to find a home for my Texas/Jewish concept restaurant, Bubba & Bubbeh’s.
2. That bit of cloud cover yesterday ended our streak of 100-degree days at 18. Except in my car, where the streak is currently at “I give up.”
3. Brock, a tiny town west of Fort Worth, has banded together to keep Ricky Carter in jail. He’s up for parole after killing four teenage girls while drunk driving. I have to say, I don’t like his chances.
4. The Dallas Cowboys continue racking up the injuries. How bad is it? The new right tackle is local ambulance-chasing attorney Jim “The Hammer” Adler, who has promised to make up what he lacks in size with pure, unadulterated irritation.
5. The mom who slapped her 13-month-old daughter on a Southwest Airlines flight has an explanation: “the baby was tired and crying, and ‘when she’s screaming and she can’t hear me say no, that’s the only way I can get her to stop.’” Oh, the baby kicked her, too. So that makes it fine, right? Because for one thing, the kid, who is barely over a year old, kicked her first. And for another, she apparently does this all the time. So, totally, nothing to see here. Everything’s cool.
Sneak Peek at Perot Museum of Nature and Science: Only $50 Million More to Full Funding
The Perot Museum of Nature & Science invited Dallas media into the project’s Broom Street construction center for a look-see today and — shocker — handed out positive financial news: $135 million has been raised to finance the museum thus far, only $50 million left to find under the seat cushions to fully fund the place. The 180,000-square-foot museum will open in early 2013 near Victory. It’s a merger between the Dallas Museum of Natural History, The Science Place, and the Dallas Children’s Museum. In May 2008, you might recall, the Perot children made a $50 million gift to the museum in honor of their parents, Margot and H. Ross Perot. For that energizing chunk of change, the science cube was named in their honor.
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American Airlines Finds Another Way to Squeeze You for Cash
Today American Airlines began selling “express seats” in coach. You pay extra for the seat and then get to board with the first group when general boarding commences. You get first shot at the overhead bins and, says American, “the convenience of being among the first coach customers on and off the plane.” I presume Southwest is already working on a series of commercials that will point out the odiousness of this new pricing plan. Man, 2015 can’t get here fast enough.
What to Do in Dallas Tonight: Aug. 18
The good news: the view from the D observation deck is gloriously cloudy, and my sources tell me there’s a decent chance of rain all day. The bad news: your hair looks awful. Better let a professional do something about that.
It’s midweek, and perhaps you’re concerned about making your money last until the next payday, particularly after shelling out so much on defrizzing treatments (though you really had no choice). Solution: a free show at the Granada featuring Rodney Atkins and Rich O’Toole. These guys serve up palatable country tunes, and I hear just a tad of rock inspiration in O’Toole’s songs (listen to “Kelly Comes to Town” and tell me what it reminds you of). Will sponsor Velveeta be on hand to pass out boxes of Shells & Cheese? You won’t know unless you go, friends.
O’Toole doesn’t hit the stage until 8, and Rodney goes on at around 9:20, so you have plenty of time to eat and play before the music starts. Personally, I think beer and pizza are fine appetizers for this show, and the Granada happens to have both in-house. That said, country music also pairs beautifully with barbecue, and Baker’s Ribs is just up the street.
Twang not your thang? Browse these other things to do in Dallas.
Did Southwest Flight Attendant Overstep or Do the Right Thing?
On a flight from Dallas to Albuquerque, a Southwest flight attendant took a 13-month-old baby from a couple after the mother allegedly slapped the baby in the face. At the end of the flight, police were there to suss out the situation, and ultimately decided it was an isolated incident and returned the baby to the parents.
I’ve read several versions of this story (I linked to the ABC News one because it had video, too), and several things make me think that the flight attendant did the right thing (although I’ve seen some comments saying they think she overstepped). The baby had a black eye. The parents were yelling at each other. It seems as if the situation was only getting more heated, and sometimes a neutral party stepping in to calm things down does help. And in this case, you also have the safety and comfort of the other passengers to think of, too.
And, well, the baby was a passenger, too. The consequences would’ve been far worse, I imagine, if the woman had say, slapped an adult fellow passenger.
Would you have stepped in?
Will Sooners Get to Show Their Pride Through License Plates?
A couple weeks ago, Bethany told you how My Plates is off on its projected revenue. It looks like the company has figured out how to bring in that revenue. They’re evoking that good, ole OU/TX rivalry with the proposal of an OU license plate. According to the article at the News, some people are for it, some are against. I really don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be offered. And, yes, I’m biased.
Candice Crawford Leads the “10 Most Beautiful Women in Dallas” Voting
Leah McCann’s in a close second place. But it’s still anyone’s game with five days of voting left for Week 1. Three will advance. Push for your favorite here.
And watch the video clip of Vicki Hutson Ford, the woman behind the voice you hear on American Airlines flights. She does a little demo. It’s awesome.
Wholesalers Try to Quash Texas Wineries
And how would they do that? By the same way all protected industries get their way in Texas, lobbying the Legislature. Oh, wait. Congress wants to limit the Lege’s restrictions on interstate commerce? Can’t have that! Quick! Who do we have to give money to in Congress?
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