Articles for September, 2010
Dallas Tornado Threatens Collin County Muckraker
The tornado that touched down in Dallas last evening was about 2 blocks from where I work.
We were outside loading up our cars about 6 pm at the shop, which is 2 blocks from Mockingbird Lane and just off the Trinity levee. It had just finished raining — a real tropical downpour with heavy winds that made the rain appear to be falling sideways. As the warning sirens began to blare, we noticed 2 dark low hanging clouds spinning low in the sky.
As we looked on, both low hanging clouds quickly disintegrated and became assimilated into the thunderclouds. A minute later, the sun came out. Thinking the danger had passed, we continued our work. A few minutes later, we noticed a weird long, thin, vertical, almost transparent cloud silhouetted in front of the sun and reaching all the way to the ground.
We watched as that cloud began moving quickly from south to north, as it arrived in front of us, about 2 blocks away we heard a machine-like noise, like a wood chipper. Then debris rose from the ground as a black cloud at the base of the long, thin tornado. It was only on the ground for half a minute, trashing a quarter mile path along Mockingbird Lane. (more…)
See the Tornado. Fear the Tornado.
Images of the thing are everywhere this morning, so I’ll offer you one more. Here’s a picture Stephanie Hastings took yesterday from the Staffelbach offices in Uptown.
Leading Off (9/9/10)
1. I know you’re tired of hearing about the rain and storms yesterday. So I won’t even mention them once. Or point you to sites with weather news. Because you don’t care, do you?
2. If you can pull yourself away from weather news, then you need to check out this story. Of course you remember the story of Chief David Brown’s son’s father’s day shooting and the resulting funeral complete with a police escort. The police commander who called for the police escort was reprimanded and given a two-day suspension. This was not because he ordered a police report, but because he told the News he did it “out of respect for his chief.” I have a feeling this story will again dominate for a few days.
3. Mary Suhm got a memorandum from eight city council members yesterday supporting a 4.91-cent tax hike (the highest possible hike is 4.93-cents). This came a day after the Mayor reinforced once again that he does not support a tax hike.
Everybody OK?
So, that was some scary, intense weather there, yes? I don’t know about you all, but a tornado came uncomfortably close to my ‘hood. And now I worry about you all, Frontburnervians. So sound off in the comments, and let us know you’re alive, or maybe a zombie.
Have You Made Your Daily Trip to FrontRow?
Because if you have, you know we are giving away tickets to the Sarah Jaffe homecoming concert this Saturday. And you would have also likely wasted a good hour perusing the Texture of Dallas videos (I know how you feel; I’ve probably watched Dallas DART Dude’s Dealey Plaza narration 30 times). Don’t forget to vote.
Special Report From an Intern: The Rain Is Wet, Plentiful
Intern Meredith Stein had herself an interesting drive into work this morning. I’ll let her tell you about it:
Everyone has a bucket list — you know, the things they plan to do before they die. My list includes everything from “swimming with sharks” and “living in Tokyo,” to “dyeing my hair every color of the rainbow” and “driving up an exit ramp.” I know — not exactly one’s everyday aspiration. Call me crazy, but it has always been a fascination of mine. I’ve suppose I’ve always had a bit of a daredevil streak in me. (Skydiving has already been checked off my list, thank you very much).
Well I am pleased to announce that today, on my commute to work in the monsoon-like floodwaters, that I did, indeed, make my way up onto the highway by exit ramp. While driving south along the 35E access road just past the Valley Ridge exit, I was met by this sight. I don’t want to sound too happy, though, because it was truly an unfortunate scene. As I creeped along with the traffic, I watched as a man, standing atop his van, pulled a little girl out through the window. As far as a know, everyone was okay — other than the fact that they had to wade through the 4-feet of water and hammering rain to safe ground.
The rain is supposed to continue on until Friday, so I advise everyone to be extra careful out there. If you were ever planning to use one of your sick days to stay in bed with a novel in hand, today just might be that day.
Willard Spiegelman Tells People How To Be Happy
Yesterday evening, I had the pleasure of exercising my elbow with the Good Professor Willard Spiegelman, writer of many fine sentences that have appeared in our magazine (and elsewhere). Willard told me over a gin martini that he’d just come from an interview with a gent named Duarte Geraldino, who was doing a story for The 33 News about a study that has found happiness is tied to income. (Shocker!) Willard was interviewed because he wrote a book about happiness — or, as Duarte said in his report, Willard wrote the book on happiness. Willard’s book is titled Seven Pleasures: Essays on Ordinary Happiness. So, using Star Trek technology that allows me to control my digital video recorder with my cellular telephone, I recorded the segment and gave it a viewing once I’d returned home and put the children to bed. Here is a transcript of Willard’s appearance.
DUARTE: “He believes there are seven activities that can help you become happier.”
SPIEGELMAN: [entrapped by piles of books, gripping arms of chair as if he were bracing for an electrical shock] “Reading, walking [glances up and to the left, clearly having forgotten five of the seven pleasures], looking, dancing, listening, swimming, and writing.”
That was Willard’s contribution. A total of seven words. Each one brilliant.
Workplace Fatalities and Homicides Up in Dallas
… Alternate headline: Why I Call In Sick A Lot and Wear a Helmet in My Cubicle
From the Dallas Business Journal comes this breakdown of workplace deaths in Dallas. The news? Ain’t good. Dallas had 73 workplace fatalities last year. Texas had 68 workplace homicides.
So be careful out there. Don’t hum and whistle so much at your desk. Stop tapping. For the love of God, quit rapping. And seriously, turn your stupid cell phone ringer off and go to vibrate. Is it that hard? You just flick a little switch on the side, and then, like magic, I don’t have to hear your bird chirping Cinderella ring tone after you leave your phone at your desk and go away. Oh, and don’t think I haven’t noticed what has to be 52 cloves of garlic being mashed in that cube over there.
I mean, um, be careful out there. Yes. This is what I mean.
What to Do in Dallas Tonight: Sept. 8
Good afternoon. I hope you’re able to ride out the monsoon in a dry location, in part because if you’re using your computer in the rain, you’re liable to get electrocuted. And we wouldn’t want that.
It’s Get Up and Give! North Texas Giving Day, and while I’m slightly disappointed to learn this has nothing to do with giving me gifts, it’s still a nifty concept. If you were going to give money to a particular cause anyway, today’s the day to do it. Make your donation today before 7 p.m., and Donor Bridge may match it. (Access to the site has been a bit sporadic today, so if you’re having problems, call 214-346-5500).
Once you’ve done your good deed for the day, it’s time to indulge your senses with music, coffee, and food items at Opening Bell. Tonight you can catch Cody Culberson at 8 p.m., followed by Dillon Chevalier at 9 p.m. As for the drinking and eating, I’d go for a cup of chai or Earl Grey and a slice of carrot cake (good for the eyes!), but that’s just me.
If you’re in a more literary frame of mind, however, you might check out WordSpace’s reading event at the Kessler Theater. Start the night with a happy hour, then head upstairs for poetry readings (one of which will be webcast) and a movie screening.
Not for you? Read on for more things to do in Dallas.
R.I.P., My New Umbrella
We were together for barely 24 hours. I thought a $5 umbrella could survive a three-block walk through downtown. But in this frog-strangler? I thought wrong.
Leading Off (8/8/10)
1. It’s still raining, which is, like 98 percent awesome, except for the driving and the fact that I’m fully soaked as I type this. Take that any day of the week. Except Sunday, for obvious reasons.
2. An Arlington mosque is prepared for the anti-Muslim spillover from the protests in Manhattan. It’s sad that I had to type that sentence. People are jerks. Well, I’d actually say they’re a few other things. But I’m not allowed to type those here.
3. The Rangers are free falling. I guess. Probably not. I don’t know. I’m not going to pretend to be on that bandwagon. I’m not Tim.
Dallas: Not Quite the Worst Drivers in America
Just the 20th worst. Out of 193 cities, Dallas comes in at 173. Peaceful, sweet Fort Worth comes in at 140. Washington, D.C. is the worst, but anyone could have guessed that. After all, we probably pay their insurance.
Sign Up for a little Jailbreak 2010 on Sunday
What are you doing Sunday? Here’s what you should be doing: running 3. 8 miles and overcoming some 14 odd obstacles at DFW Adventure Park in Roanoke, Texas. When it’s all over, we can drink beer, dance to live music, and watch college football. (You’ll do the last one on your own. I don’t like that show.) Who’s with me? There are spots still available in several waves on Sunday. Sign up here.
As Eric Celeste Would Say “DUCK!”
Local TV weather wunderkinds are pre-empting normal programing because of storms hitting North Texas. McKinney’s tornado warning just ended, but the tornado watch continues for most of North Texas until 8 p.m.
Should make afternoon drive-home traffic interesting.
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