Articles for May, 2011
WFAA Lead Story, Must Credit WFAA: End of the World Is May 21
Last night, WFAA’s lead story was about billboards that have been sighted all over the country, including one in this area, which warns that the end of the world will be here on May 21. This leaves me with three questions:
1. How is this the lead story?
2. No, seriously. How is this the lead story?
3. Party on May 20th?
Leading Off (5/4/11)
Bush Declines Invite to Ground Zero Event. I think that’s a solid move. No matter your feelings about the man, you have to say that he has done a good job of staying out of the spotlight and above the fray in his post-presidency.
If New Bill Passes, Dog Owners Face Life in Prison. If their dog kills an infant or an elderly person. Not sure why anyone between those ages is exempt but I guess — OH MY GOD LOOK AT THAT DOG.
Former Police Convicted of Sam’s Club Heist. Alph Coleman wasn’t able to use the “I was so scared I wet my pants” defense to his benefit. So now we have precedence.
Tuesday Hypothetical: Save Our Summer
You are approached by a man — for expediency and clarity, I shall hereafter refer to this man as LaMetrius — who says that he can promise you that the temperature outside will never be greater than 75 degrees and will never be lower than 42. LaMetrius further stipulates that there will only be a few scattered (but mostly unobtrusive) clouds, and the humidity will similarly be negligible. Plus, LaMetrius says, there will always be a light breeze.
Of course, LaMetrius smiles, there are some conditions. Three conditions.
Denton’s Famed ‘The Tomato’ Pizza Restaurant to Open in Sanger on May 13
Told you earlier that the eatery much-loved by UNT alumni, and originally forced to close to make way for a CVS, was headed to Sanger rather than Denton. Now I hear an address and a date: May 13 at 303 Bolivar St.
Why isn’t this posted on SideDish? Because, like I said, it’s really about nostalgia rather than food.
Things To Do in Dallas Tonight: May 3
This is the best news ever. I love everything about Trader Joe’s, minus the inescapably long lines at their cramped Union Square location and the slightly creepy/ultra friendly employees who only seem to hit on me when I’ve just come from the gym. The line issue will surely be remedied by whatever gigantic space they find here. Still, be warned. Two-Buck Chuck is actually more like Three-Buck-Chuck, and it’s not very tasty. You can do better with their other selections for under $4.
Also, the Tony Award nominees were announced this morning. It’s been a great season for theatergoers so far, both here in Dallas and in New York (you can see a recording of Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest, which got nods for Best Revival, Best Actor, and Best Costume Design, next month at the Angelika).
And speaking of revivals, the Broken Gears Project Theater has pulled off a big one: Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. Considered the model for tragedy, this play was required reading in many of my college classes, but I’d never seen it performed. BGPT’s version is called Oedipus the King, nicely updated but still appropriately hefty, and tonight’s the night to go because not only is it Ten Buck Tuesday, but the show closes for good on Sunday. Read M. Lance Lusk’s FrontRow review here. And despite Lance’s lament that the second act went on a tad too long, the whole play is a rather brisk 90 minutes with no intermission. I like that in a production. Go for a burger at Maple and Motor pre-theater, or if you’re eating after, the Meddlesome Moth is open ’til midnight.
For more things to do in Dallas tonight, go here. And don’t forget to keep voting for your favorite place to shop, once an hour, every hour.
ABC’s John Quinones Sets Up Shop in University Park
Ever seen ABC’s television show What Would You Do, hosted by John Quinones? It’s the one where actors play out some scene that poses a moral dilemma while the reaction of innocent bystanders is secretly recorded. Just when some unsuspecting citizen leaps in to save the day- or minds his own business and walks away- Quinones pops out for an interview.
Last month Quinones and his crew set up some patrons at Short Stop in University Park’s Snider Plaza. Throughout the day guests were exposed to an easily overheard conversation in which a teen couple discussed an unplanned pregnancy, the boy urging his girlfriend to have an abortion. At least two area women felt led to intervene.
A Short Stop employee confirmed that some were upset about unknowingly being put to the test, others took the opportunity to share their motives for getting involved.
The episode is expected to air on May 20.
The Benefit of Playing L.A.: Celebrity Kiss-Cam!
Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, last night during Mavs-Lakers Game 1.
Trader Joe’s, Looking For Your First Dallas Store Location? Give Half Price Books a Call
With the news that Trader Joe’s has decided to bring its peculiar brand of grocery stores to Texas, I expect that the company will be hearing from Half Price Books about a possible spot to set up a first shop in these parts.
A few weeks back, I had occasion to be chatting with Sharon Anderson Wright, the CEO of the Dallas-based bookseller. We got to talking about all the land around its Northwest Highway corporate headquarters (and flagship store) that her company has come to control. They’ve owned the bookstore building, and a few adjacent acres, since moving there in 1999. When construction began on the massive Park Lane development several years ago, Wright decided that Half Price needed to buy more of the adjacent property if it wanted to have a say in how the neighborhood would develop around it.
They immediately moved to purchase their former store location, right across Shady Brook Lane, which has sat vacant since they left it more than a decade ago. Then last year they bought the spot that’s currently home to a Starbucks. All told, they’ve assembled 12 acres, about six on either side of Shady Brook at Northwest Highway.
And when I asked her what she plans to do with all that property?
Tina Brown Rainchecks Tonight’s Tate Lecture Series
The Daily Beast’s Tina Brown’s talk at the Willis Tate Lecture Series for tonight has been canceled, according to SMU Daily Mustang. Actually, it’s been postponed to a date TBA. Tonight’s tickets will be honored at the new date.
Reason: The bin Laden firestorm.
Translation: You can watch Dancing With the Stars results instead.
Leading Off (5/3/11)
Dallas Mavericks 96, Los Angeles Lakers 94. The Mavs came back from a 16-point second-half deficit and thoroughly outplayed the Lakers in the last minute of the game. Dirk Nowitzki had 28 points, 14 rebounds, and my promise of eternal affection.
Trader Joe’s is Coming to Texas. It’s true.
Southwest, Air Tran Officially Merge. And this happened: “With confetti cannons, high-fives and a band playing Bob Marley’s One Love, Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways officially closed their $1 billion deal Monday.”
Also: Dallas Mavericks 96, Los Angeles Lakers 94. It’s still awesome.
Malcolm McDowell Says He’s Not That Scary
The DMN’s Chris Vognar called Malcolm McDowell “pretty scary” in a story the other day, but the actorbest-known for his hooligan’s role in A Clockwork Orange says he’s far from a scary
guy. Even so, “I’ll take it. It’s good acting, isn’t it?” McDowell [pictured] said at a party in Dallas Friday night. “I think my wife is more scary than I am.”
The British-born McDowell doesn’t even think Terrence McQuewick, the Hollywood agent [warning: clip's for adults only] he plays on TV’s Entourage, is an especially scary character. “He operates in a sea of sharks. Hollywood is crazy,” said McDowell, in town for appearances at the USA Film Festival and Texas Frightmare Weekend. “I’m very fond of Terrence. In fact I would have liked him as my agent.
“Where Ari [Gold] is ego-driven and out of control, Terrence is more cultured. He enjoys the life of it, the wealth,” McDowell went on. “A lot of agents thought I’d based Terrence on them, but I didn’t. He was ballsy with Ari; he wouldn’t take any s*** off him.” McDowell said he hopes Terrence will reappear on the popular HBO series, which is scheduled to end with 10 episodes this summer after eight seasons.
Some Mavs-Lakers Pre-Game Reading
I’ll say Mavs in seven. Not sure what I’m basing that on yet other than my blind, almost dangerous devotion to them, and The Big German. Anyway, here are some others’ takes.
DMN: Death Good for bin Laden, Bad for Texas Murderers
Because of the newspaper’s high-profile stance against capital punishment, it was a little surprising to read today’s DMN editorial cheering on the swift dispatch of Osama bin Laden with almost-giddy praise. I mean, according to news reports, the president OK’d an operation to kill the terrorist leader without even giving the poor guy a fair trial! Some say the Al-Qaeda mastermind was the recipient of a Navy SEAL “double cap tap,” meaning two bullets in the head to ensure a rapid demise.
To be clear: President Obama (and his predecessors) and those brave SEALs deserve credit and kudos for hunting bin Laden down and delivering some old-fashioned, eye-for-an-eye justice. But it’s also instructive to learn that according to the Morning News standard, the “death penalty” (without a trial, yet) is good for certain people–namely, really evil tall bearded guys who are alleged to have offed lots of people–but bad for convicted murderers who’ve gone through multiple trials in the state of Texas. This will be interesting to recall the next time the paper starts haranguing supporters of capital punishment.
Behind The Scenes With Dallas Mavericks Creative Director Cash Sirois
This might not get you pumped, necessarily, for Game 1 of the Lakers/Mavs series. But it will get you thinking about it.
Just kidding. If the end doesn’t get you fired up, you are dead inside. And outside.
Things To Do in Dallas Tonight: May 2
Gigantic rain boots are not just for the Scottish marshlands. They’re also helpful for wading through downtown. In contrast to our gloom and doom, it’s a nice sunny day in Los Angeles, where our Mavs will play (beat) the Lakers in game one tonight. Now, I am not a sports fan. I somehow ended up at a Rangers game last Wednesday and when I couldn’t spot C.J. Wilson, the human male equivalent of a unicorn, I spent nine innings trying to help my friend find an apartment in New York that wouldn’t require black market organ donation.
That being said, I do actually like basketball, and I’d like watching the finals if my sparsely furnished apartment’s sparse furnishings included a TV. Which is why tonight’s watch party at the Granada sounds pretty perfect. Show up, sit down, watch the game in high-definition on a 30-foot screen. For free. For those who like to plan in advance, reserve a fajita dinner for $8 bucks (choice of chicken or beef, black beans, cilantro rice, and salsa) and they’ll save you a prime seat. Hungry for something else? Here’s a handy list of restaurants nearby. I’d do Gloria’s and just walk over to the theater closer to tip off.
Should you not feel like watching the aforementioned sweaty display of athleticism, maybe a romantic melodrama is more your speed. Join FrontRow for the third installment of their free film series, Douglas Sirk’s Imitation of Life at the Texas Theatre. For more things to do tonight, go here, and have a safe and happy evening.
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