Articles for June 8th, 2011
Dallas Economy “Accelerating”
New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Chicago are slowing, according the Beige Book just out from the Fed. The other districts are expanding. Dallas is the only district to report that growth is accelerating. That is such a nice word — accelerating. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.
Mayor Caraway Introduces Wooden Giraffe to Populace
I almost wanted to have a caption contest with the first photo in Rudy Bush’s blog post. But instead, I’ll just tell you that Dwaine Caraway put a wooden giraffe named J.J. in the foyer of the Mayor’s Office.
Also, those are not pajamas, as many on Twitter were asking me. It’s an agbada, a robe generally worn by important men in Africa. One also assumes that it would come in handy if you were trying to obscure the fact that your pants needed pulling up.
Dallas Baptist University Baseball’s College World Series Hopes Alive
Congratulations to Dallas Baptist University, in southwest Dallas, who managed to win the NCAA baseball regionals and advance to the super regionals against California on Saturday. It’s the first time the school has gotten this far, facing a best two-out-of-three game contest to reach the College World Series.
Which means I’m paying any attention at all to Dallas Baptist for the first time. And I’m noticing that the letters “D” and “B” interlocked make for an awkward blob of a logo.
Still. Good luck, Patriots.
Dallas To Get More Bike Friendly
From Jason Roberts‘ Twitter feed: “The 2011 Dallas Bike Plan just passed the city council unanimously!” That’s good news indeed. And reason to remember this cool story we did last year about Oak Cliff bike culture.
Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: June 8
I have been waiting, waiting, and waiting for this day. I don’t talk much about movies here because everyone writing for FrontRow does the job brilliantly. But The Importance of Being Earnest arrives at the Angelika tonight for a very limited time only. And technically, it’s not really a film so much as it is a fancy HD recording of the recent, Tony-nominated Broadway production I happened to be lucky enough to work on during my time at Roundabout Theatre Company.
It is, in my incredibly unbiased opinion, excellent. It helps that Earnest is already one of my favorite comedies, but Brian Bedford, who also directs, makes a fantastic, ungimmicky cross-dressing Lady Bracknell (if you’re nice, I’ll tell you about the first time the theater’s cleaning lady saw this poster). Santino Fontana, who plays Algernon Moncrieff, will either thrill you or drive you nuts with his winking performance. I actually loved it, and in many ways, he steals the show.
But now I’m going to tell you the real reason you should go to Mockingbird Station tonight. The people behind Earnest (and the theater company in general) are smart and funny and talented, dedicated to the things I love best about live theater: the delicate weighing of risks and possible rewards, the desire to make you feel something even if it’s just the fizzy bubble of a laugh. The show’s scenic and costume designer, Desmond Heeley, is approaching 80. He was the first person to pull down double Tony awards in the same year for set and costumes (1968’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, another one of my favorites, in case anyone cares). His designs for this production, probably his last, are lovely. Still, old age is a creeping thief. Heeley’s health is poor and his leg gives him trouble. But this is man for whom getting up on the ladder to paint the opening curtain himself is the most important thing, and for whom life and work are interchangeable without the air of sacrifice that usually goes along with that. I admire him, possibly because he reminds me a bit of my late grandfather, but also because don’t we all wish we were lucky enough to love something so well?
And now that I’m done waxing poetic, feel free to nominate a foxy lady for our 10 Most Beautiful contest. Consider it your good deed of the day. And if the play/movie is not what you were looking for this evening (especially if you’re still in a celebratory mood after last night’s game), you can find many more ideas here.
The Courts Can’t Convict, or Exonerate, Nader Akhavan. So Where Can He Get Justice?
Nader Akhavan of Frisco was charged with one of the most heinous crimes imaginable, and has been unable to clear his name for more than four years.
Though he has never been found guilty, he is shackled with a record even after a jury acquitted him on one charge and was hung on the other. The DA won’t re-try him, nor clear him. The former DA has told a court that it is uninterested in trying a defendant who a jury will be found “not guilty.”
The Texas 5th Appeals Court wrote that it was uninterested in constitutional or equity arguments. They refused to allow the indictment to be expunged from his record. That record has made it impossible for Akhavan to return to the highly paid career he once had.
Now, a state bill waiting for the governer’s signature may give him a chance. More details at the Collin County Observer.
Rafael Palmeiro’s Grapevine Real Estate Venture Files For Chapter 11
Poor Rafael Palmeiro.
First, he swears to Congress that he never used steroids in his Major League Baseball career. Then he tests positive for using steroids and is essentially forced out of the game. (He claims the positive test was because of a vitamin supplement).
Though he’s not really a Hall of Famer, he compiled enough of the numbers that old-school baseball writers like that he might have had a shot of being elected to the Hall one day. But in January, in his first year on the ballot, the longtime Texas Ranger and Colleyville resident only received votes from 11 percent of the writers (you need 75 percent to get elected).
Now his business venture — a mixed-used development in Grapevine — has had to file for Chapter 11. I guess the Grapevine-Southlake-Colleyville area doesn’t really have “a need for upscale stores and lodging?”
It’s Louder at the AAC
WFAA delved deep into the reason the American Airlines Center sounds louder than the American Airlines Arena. The takeaway? Acoustics, surround sound, mics everywhere, yadda, yadda, yadda, and mostly this, according to the guy who designed the AAC sound system:
“If the crowd was great, it has a chance of being louder, but their crowd is not as good as the Mavericks’ crowd, so it’s not as loud.”
So mostly, it’s because the fans are better. Take that, Miami.
Leading Off (6/8/11)
Dallas Mavericks 86, Miami Heat 83. In what will be known as the Fever Game, Dirk Nowitzki — battling a sinus infection that had his temperature rising as high as 101 or 102, depending on the report — shook off early game struggles and once again took over the fourth quarter. He scored 10 points, including the game-winner with 14 seconds left. Tyson Chandler also came through with 16 rebounds. I did my part by staying ambulatory. The series is tied 2-2.
Carrollton Neighborhood Taken Over By Egrets. First, I owe myself $10 because I made a bet a few days ago I would never write that sentence. Second, “The city also told residents, next year they can try to prevent the birds from nesting by putting fake owls and fake snakes in their trees.” Just read it.
American Eagle Employee Investigated For Pocketing Fake Fees. Sort of a genius scam because it would certainly be hard to pick out fake overcharging from legitimate overcharging. If I went to airport and put on a blue blazer, I’m pretty sure I could get a few people to pony up a $14 ground to air conversion fee. In unrelated news, I will be out of the office today. And I need to borrow a blue blazer.
Also, I See You Big German. Yep.
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