Articles for July 26th, 2011

Museum Tower Forces Nasher to Shutter Tending, (Blue)

Museum Tower is walking to the sky and beginning to interfere with James Turrell’s Tending, (Blue). So the Nasher has closed the installation in its garden. Peter Simek has details and pics on FrontRow. But as I said over on that post, I think the Nasher is being shortsighted about this.

They’ve closed Tending to mollify Turrell, but seeing the pictures on FrontRow actually makes me want to go visit the installation. When Museum Tower is finished, it will clearly destroy what Turrell intended. But right now the tower is like a giant, living Alexander Calder mobile. Men are crawling all over it, that crane is swinging around, unpredictably entering the view from the Tending aperture.

Come on, Nasher. We want to watch.

Anatomy of a D Magazine Cover Shoot, Ctd.

One more story about the shoot with Dirk. It is an unwritten rule that during these sorts of interfaces with athletes, journalists are not to ask for personal photos or autographs or anything like that. Not only are journalists supposed to be above that sort of fanboy behavior, but some athletes are put off by such a request. One word to the media relations folks with the teams, and suddenly you don’t get access next time you ask for an interview. So as photographer Billy Surface was at work with Dirk, Zac turns to me and says, “I guess it would be unprofessional to ask to have our picture taken with Dirk.” To which I replied, “Of course that would be unprofessional. And of course we’re going to do it.” I felt like a kid standing next to Dirk — and not just because he’s so tall. Because the last time I admired a player so much, with such pure, light-hearted amazement, was when I was a kid. Anyway, the pic:

Dirk

Shawn Marion’s July Sock Choices

I follow Shawn Marion (matrix31) on Twitter. A couple months ago, I started noticing his tweets about his socks. I thought, That’s funny. Socks. But then he kept tweeting them. So, today, I bring you a recap of Shawn Marion’s July socks along with his tweets. You’re welcome.

Socks

Appeals Court Affirms First Amendment, Slaps Down Hiram Walker Royall

Hiram Walker Royall is a Highland Park developer who doesn’t much like it when journalists write about his business dealings. So when a woman named Carla Main wrote a book called Bulldozed: “Kelo,” Eminent Domain, and the American Lust for Land, about one of Royall’s development deals in Freeport, Texas, Royall sued her (and a whole bunch of other folks) for defamation. Late yesterday, the Texas Fifth Court of Appeals reversed an earlier court’s decision that the book wasn’t protected by the First Amendment. The full release from Main’s camp is after the jump.

This is good news for truth, justice, and the American way.

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Cadillac Presents: Heroes for Children Volunteer Program

volunteer_heros

Caught up on the all the latest trends? Here’s one that never goes out of style: giving back.If you’re looking for a new way to contribute to the community, look no further than Heroes for Children.

The organization has a variety of volunteer opportunities to help you become more engaged and connected with the community and others supporting the cause. Check out HFC Friends Women’s Auxiliary to participate in social assistance programs for families with children undergoing cancer treatment at their partnering children’s hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. For the young professional crowd, there is Generation HEROES, a newly-debuted volunteer group that combines philanthropy and fun. Get trendy and give back!

For more information on volunteer programs, visit heroesforchildren.org.

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Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: July 26

In case you hadn’t noticed, the ’90s are officially back. I’m judging this off the sheer number of Facebook statuses (statusi?) hailing last night’s return of Clarissa, Doug, and those guys who starred in the movie about hamburgers and doing the right thing. People Newspapers’ Bradford Pearson and I are holding out for Weinerville.

Speaking of the ’90s, I’ve had surprisingly heartfelt conversations with two separate people in the last week about how awesome Hailey’s in Denton is for reliving this great decade on Tuesday nights. I don’t actually want to be a teenager again, but man, I love that there’s just absolutely nothing complicated about the music. And also the fact that somehow, my brain still knows all the lyrics to “I Want You” by Savage Garden. Feel free to start a train. Instead of giving you the I’m-too-cool face, people will actually join in.

Sticking closer to home? If you haven’t already given Dallas Theatre Center’s The Wiz a whirl (clever, I know), think about stopping by tonight. Much ado has been made about the moveable audience seats, but according to our own Lindsey Wilson, it’s not gimmicky. Instead, she says, it’s theatrical, musical magic, and a great way to spend 90 minutes. That’s even shorter than the movie screening I attended last night, though hopefully the excitable group of ladies next to me will absent themselves.

For those who’re really into this whole song and dance routine, mosey over to FrontRow to enter today’s ticket giveaway for 9 to 5 at the Bass Hall. For more to do with your Tuesday evening, go here.

Anatomy of a D Magazine Cover Shoot

By now you’ve likely seen the “Best of Big D” cover image of Dirk Nowitzki taken by Billy Surface. Billy took the photo just two days after the Mavs had won the NBA Championship. We got about 10 minutes alone with Dirk in a makeshift studio of sorts that Billy had set up on the court of the AAC. Dirk was as friendly as you’ve been led to believe he is, but he was a little punchy. I think he’d had about three hours of sleep over the previous two nights, owing to general giddiness and some world-class carousing with the Larry O’Brien trophy.

As Billy was clicking away, his strobe lights flashing, I tried to get a smile out of Dirk. “Hey,” I said, “you know this shot is for the cover, right? You gotta lay it all on the court for us, Dirk.”

In that beautiful German accent of his, he replied, “So this time I beat out the pork jowls for the cover? What did I do to deserve that?”

It was a funny line that requires some explanation. Back in December 2009, Zac put together an oral history of a decade of Dirk in Dallas. Dirk sat for an interview and a photograph, which, with some digital magic, we turned into a throwback trading card. I was proud of how the whole thing came together. But each year in December, we publish our selections of the best new restaurants that have opened that year. So the cover in December 2009 was a picture of Bolsa’s Kurobuta pork jowls. Delicious but not Dirk.

I was stunned that he remembered with such detail the dish that, in his mind, had superseded him to land on our cover. This clearly explains why Dirk had to run off the court after Game 6 and cry in the locker room before he could compose himself enough to accept the MVP award. His hard work had finally paid off. After all those extra hours in the gym, after all the summers spent working out with Holger Geschwindner, he’d finally proven himself the equal of those pork jowls.

Dallas Eighth Most Social-Media Savvy City

According to marketing database company NetProspex, Dallas is the eighth most social media-savvy city in the U.S. We are better than Boston, Oakland, Denver, Chicago and Atlanta, but not as good as Seattle;  Stamford, Conn.; Austin; Ventura, Calif.; New York; San Jose and San Francisco.

So get on your Tweeters and celebrate!

Former CBS 11 Reporter Now Apparently Dating Monica Gellar’s Ex

So, last time we wrote about former CBS 11 reporter Christina McLarty, she was dumping husband Joe Francis, he of “Girls Gone Wild” fame. We mourned the news.

Now, according to People.com, McLarty has been seen around Los Angeles with David Arquette, who is, of course, the ex of Courtney Cox.

So there you go. I feel itchy. Someone hold me.

Leading Off (7/26/11)

Rangers Destroy Twins. Here’s the lead from the Minnesota StarTribune: “The Twins’ pitching was such a mess on Monday that only two of the six pitchers who appeared in the game put up a goose egg — and one of them just appeared in the All-Star Game as a first baseman.” If, by that, you assume the Rangers won, you’re right. Final score was 20-6.

Enrollment Up at North Texas Private Schools. Want another indicator that we’re special? While the recession sent enrollment at private schools across the country down 7 percent, here that trend has gone the other direction lately (sub. req.). Several folks offer theories as to why. Folks in North Texas value education more than folks in other parts of the country. We were the last to enter the recession, and we didn’t take as big a hit. Okay, yeah, sure. But one theory was overlooked: our public schools don’t cut it. Just a theory. Just saying.

It’s Still Hot. Today we’ll hit 103 or so, marking our 25th straight day in the triple digits. If you’re reading this post from a cooler clime, let us hear from you in the comments. Give us your location and a detailed description of the weather. We’ll read the comments like we used to read the Penthouse Forum. “I never thought this would happen to me. I consider myself fairly fit. I work out at least three times a week. When I opened my apartment door in Oregon this morning, it was 57 outside, and my nipples immediately became erect.”