Articles for July, 2011
“Handsome Guy” Is Already Taken
So there’s a bank robber in the area, and that’s bad. Let me state from the outset of this post that I do not condone bank robbery. That being said, there is a guy out there robbing banks while wearing a fairly pricey mask that has now given him his nickname “Handsome Guy.”
And yes, I know Big Bob already posted about this. But tell me, did he ask this: If you were going to rob banks, what would you want the police to name you on their APB and BOLO? Explain.
Dallas County Property Tax Valuations Down …
… and Farmers Branch has the biggest decline – 3.6 percent, mostly on residential valuations. Overall, the county is down about 1.7 percent this year, which is actually good news, since the county based its 2012 budget on a drop of more than 4 percent.
But back to that Farmers Branch decline. A FrontBurnervian messaged to ask how this jibed with former Mayor Tim O’Hare’s premise that the town needed more stringent ordinances to combat illegal immigration, because an influx of undocumented aliens was driving property prices down. Was his theory incorrect, or is the fact that the ordinances are still tied up in court to blame, and O’Hare is just remarkably prescient?
So, What Are You Guys Up To?
Me? Just blogging. Or maybe should I say bloggin’, make it a little less formal? You know, take the tie off, so to speak. You?
Giveaway: A Nice Gorilla Vs. Bear Fest/Granada Theater Prize Pack
If you have not already made plans to go to the very excellent Gorilla vs. Bear Fest at the Granada Theater on Saturday, please rectify that immediately. The debut of Preteen Zenith, Tim DeLaughter from Tripping Daisy/Polyphonic Spree’s new band! White Denim, the makers of D, maybe my favorite album this year! Shabazz Palaces! Dreamed! Lots of other things I would totally put an exclamation point after!
I’ll be there. I’m the guy with the beard. No, not that one. Or that one. Yes, there I am. Hello. Anyway. The good folks at the Granada have made available a special prize pack to attendees. The details are after the jump.
DMN, Please Move Kevin Sherrington to Metro
That was Amy S.’s suggestion in the comments to the Jean-Jacques Taylor post, and I like it. Everyone wins, I think. Especially since today Steve Blow wrote about cursive. Not in cursive — although, actually, he did that, too — but about it. Guh. (That’s probably behind the paywall, but come on. Daniel, I’m sure, can accurately recreate it in the comments.)
Rais Bhuiyan Spoke With Mark Stroman Before the Execution
A few hours before Mark Stroman was executed, he requested that Rais Bhuiyan call him, so they could have at least a brief conversation. Bhuiyan, if you haven’t been following the story, was one of three men Stroman shot in the weeks following September 11, 2001, and the only victim to survive his attack. Last week, Bhuiyan filed suit against the state and the governor in an effort to delay the execution so that he could exercise his right to confront his attacker, a right he is afforded under Texas law. As appeals worked their way up both Federal and state courts, Bhuiyan was nervous, worried he might never get to speak to the man who shot him in the face.
But at about 4:15, with the help of a filmmaker who’s been following Stroman’s case for years, Bhuiyan had a brief phone conversation with the condemned man. It was chaotic, with several other people in the room on both ends of the line. Stroman thanked Bhuiyan for his efforts and the efforts of his legal team.
Bhuiyan wanted to tell Stroman that he forgives him. He wanted to ask him about the attack. “I have so many unanswered questions,” Bhuiyan told me. “I want to see him as a human being. I want to look into his eyes and tell him that I don’t hate him, even after he tried to kill me.” But the conversation lasted barely a minute. Bhuiyan never got the chance to say the things he wanted. A few hours later — just minutes after the courts rejected all of Bhuiyan’s final appeals — Stroman was dead.
Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: July 21
We have, in fact, noticed the temperature. We know. It’s hot. Which is probably why my inbox has been overrun with invitations to various “Christmas in July” events.
But I will say that the Granada’s was the first to arrive, and still sounds like the most fun. They took their scheduled Eels show, which I would have been down for anyway because frontman E has that awesome growly voice, and invited Santa. Side note to Mr. E: I know it’s not in your usual repertoire, but I really love the song “Last Christmas” by Wham!. Just a tiny little request. Anyway, the real reason for the X-mas party? A recently acquired A/C unit that pumps 100 tons of cool air rather than just 50. I, for one, am thrilled. The last time I saw a show at the Granada, I was practically swimming in perspiration, which was as unpleasant as it sounds. Santa and his elves will be passing out prizes, and David Slick and The Submarines will open. P.S. this concert is actually happening and you can still get tickets.
Meanwhile, if you have a hankering for local fare, head to The Grape for a social, come-as-you-are dinner featuring elements from favorite vendors around Dallas (cheese from Scardello, bread from Empire Baking Company, and so on). Wine will be served with each course. If you need more convincing than that, read Nancy’s post about The Grape on SideDish. It made me hungry, nostalgic, and happy to live in Dallas all at the same time. Which, speaking of, don’t forget to check out our beautiful Best of Big D issue.
For more things to do tonight, click here.
9 New Problems for Collin County Judge
The saga continues for a Collin County judge and 3 co-defendants facing 9 new indictments including bribery, tampering with government records, money laundering and engaging in organized crime. Danny Gallagher has the story.
Dan Branch to Run for Lt. Guv?
With David Dewhurst entering the Senate race, the music has started in Austin’s game of musical chairs. Tim Eaton at the Austin American Statesman reports that Dallas State Rep. Dan Branch may try to succeed Dewhurst. If true, it is very good news.
Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and Comptroller Susan Combs, who also say they are looking at the race, have better name ID among GOP primary voters, simply by having been on the statewide ballot. But Branch arguably has more claim to accomplishment than his higher-profile competitors. Wielding little direct power but applying his considerable intellectual and persuasive gifts, he has made himself the single most positive force for higher education in Texas since Harry Ransom was chancellor of the University of Texas forty years ago. The Tier One amendment to the Texas Constitution, approved by voters in 2009, is only one of his many achievements.
In other words, Branch is not one of the platitude-popping, populist-pandering politicians — hello, Rick Perry! — that Texas has come to know so well. He’s a thoughtful, articulate, look-to-the-future, get-it-done kind of guy who could reshape the political landscape.
Jean-Jacques Taylor’s Greatest Hits
On the occasion of JJT officially joining ESPN Dallas, I’ve gone through the archives and collected some of his best lines from some of his best columns at the DMN. Where did I collect them, you ask? Good question. They are after the jump, just chilling, listening to “Award Tour” and gently bobbing their heads. Ready to meet them? OK! Jump.
Yet Another Post About John Wiley Price Running for Re-election
As we’ve mentioned twice already today, John Wiley Price is running for re-election despite you know, all that stuff. So quick question: Do we need term limits for Dallas County Commissioners?
Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: July 20
The same merry band of friends who went off to Japan and promptly got earthquaked are now winging their way to San Diego Comic Con. I’m less worried about seismic activity than I am about the ravenous, deafening hoards of Twilight fans who starting lining up four days early. They’re outnerding everyone, which is more than a little embarrassing considering all the real geek-bait scheduled to show up (Favreau, Del Toro, Spielberg, the entire cast of Community, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Nicolas Cage, who some people like). Grr, argh. Twenty points if you get that reference.
Anyway, I’m not jealous. Nope. Not when there’s so much to do around here. Tonight at Gexa Pavilion, the perfectly coiffed men of Def Leppard will sing the most romantic, moving song I can think of right at this moment along with many other important treatises on life, love, and something entirely different called love-hate. The band reminds me of my very first car, an old teal Volvo sedan I affectionately refer to as the “steel trap.” I finally had total control of the radio station and “Pour Some Sugar On Me” was on all the time. Cranky people, you’ll be pleased to know that “Love Bites” ousted inspirational diddy “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” from the number one spot on the charts way back when. Misplaced nostalgia for bad perms past aside, that’s as good a reason as any to go see them tonight.
And of course, when Ticketmaster sends out emails for canceled concerts, they don’t bother to A) include me on that chain or B) update the purchase ticket link. Big conspiracy to turn me into a lying liar, I’m sure. Anyway, another option especially for hungry d0-gooders is a four-course wine dinner at Canary by Gorji in Addison. It’s the first event of several in their “culinary campaign” for Race for the Cure. Susan Auler of Fall Creek Vineyards will be there to explain the wine picks. It’s a little on the pricey side for regular old Wednesday, but again, good causes and all that.
If you happen to escape work a little early, consider dropping by the Bath House Cultural Center to check out a very cool exhibit called Fictional 2. The artists were given short phrases based on the various plays on tap for the Festival of Independent Theatres and then turned loose to create, you know, art. I love assignments like that for writing, too, and it’s always interesting to see the way different human brains twist the same bits of information.
For more things to do with your evening, go here.
Dallas is the Most Honest City in America. (The Honest Tea Experiment Proves It.)
We mentioned the Honest Tea experiment/publicity stunt that was running in cities across America yesterday. According to the “official” results, Chicago is the most honest city in America, since 99 percent of people there who took tea paid for it even though they may have thought that no one was monitoring. Dallas did OK, but only showed a 96 percent honesty rate.
But those raw numbers don’t tell the whole story. As Freakonomics notes, there were substantial differences in the weather of the cities involved. So I did a little number crunching and devised a new stat: TAH (temperature-adjusted honesty.) It’s a simple formula. ((Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit/100) * (Honest Tea raw honesty percentage * 100)).
And I so present the true ranking of the honesty of America’s cities:
| City | Temperature (F) | Raw Honesty | TAH | |||
| Dallas | 101 | 96% | 97% | |||
| Cincinnati | 100 | 96% | 96% | |||
| Atlanta | 96 | 96% | 91% | |||
| Philadelphia | 92 | 96% | 88% | |||
| Washington, DC | 94 | 91% | 86% | |||
| Miami | 92 | 92% | 85% | |||
| Chicago | 85 | 99% | 84% | |||
| Boston | 86 | 97% | 83% | |||
| New York | 95 | 86% | 82% | |||
| Los Angeles | 92 | 80% | 87% | |||
| San Francisco | 74 | 93% | 69% | |||
| Seattle | 67 | 97% | 65% | |||
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