When I asked Dormand Long who he was, he said I should google him. Best I can tell, he’s a “independent public policy professional,” whatever that is. Call him a gadfly (in the best sense of the word). Whatever he is, he sent a letter today to the Attorney General Greg Abbott outlining how the credit bureau Experian has systematically screwed Texans by misclassifying real estate loans as installment loans. I have no doubt that someone in the FrontBurner Nation is more qualified than I to evaluate Long’s claims, but they are, at the very least, laid out in forceful manner that to me suggests they deserve attention. Long’s letter follows:
Even though, if there wasn’t a lockout, the NBA would just be in its normal offseason right now, I’m still a bit panicked that there isn’t going to be a 2011-12 season. No one seems to be in any sort of rush to get this resolved. Players are making plans to play overseas; owners are doing, well, I don’t know exactly, but certainly not much to get this thing back on track. So I’m worried. The NBA is it for me. I’ve said this many times. Here are the sports I care about, in order:
NBA
Real World/Road Rules Challenge, or simply The Challenge, these days
Premier League (though the team I follow, Everton, is mediocre at best)
MLB (and I’d admit to be a complete bandwagoner)
NFL, if I’m doing nothing else and I’ve had a few
I’m facing, then, a bit of a bleak future, filled with 1-nil losses to teams theoretically worse and little else. I’ve got a few-part plan to deal.
Fred Blair, who sat at the Dallas council horseshoe from 1980 to 1984 (including stints as Mayor Pro Tem and Vice Mayor) and then was a state rep from 1986 to 1992, died Wednesday at age 70.
Blair was, according to his obit in the Dallas Morning News, only the third black person ever elected to the Dallas city council. D Magazine’s coverage of him (or at least some of it) can be found here.
The DMN Cuts blog has been reliable in the past. No reason to doubt the cuts it is reporting today. Condolences to all those who have lost their jobs.
The theme for this year’s Sanger ISD convocation was “Hee Haw.” In the video found here, you can hear the staff laughing and clapping along to a song dedicated to Rick Perry. According to this video, the performers are superintendent Kent Crutsinger, deputy superintendent Eric Beam, and assistant superintendent Jackie McBroom.
The lyrics are:
Where, Rick Perry, are you tonight?
Why did you leave us here all alone?
You promised us funding for all Texas children,
But then you heard “White House” and – psssst – you were gone.
From my friend Brantley Hargrove over at Unfair Park, this is an instructive look at how the non-corporate Dr Pepper is bottled. (Hint: lots of washing bottles.) Note the prominent $25,000 check on the wall, made out to Dublin Dr Pepper with the memo line filled out: “Legal Defense Fund.”
Early this morning I heard rain on my window and decided to wear my big giant built-for-the-Scottish-marshland rain boots. Obviously this was a premature decision, since by the time I actually stomped into the office, it was all sticky and sunny without any wet stuff. Many thanks to the guy at Flora and Pearl who pointed that out. And now I have a blister on my ankle and my day is just heading right down the drain.
But all things shall be redeemed, for tonight brings us the final installment of FrontRow’s film series, “Dallas, Outlaws, and the American Dream.” We’ll be drinking (of course), listening to live music from Barry Kooda (who has possibly the best website of all time, not only because he includes a section about his pets, but because he dedicates an entire page to his wife, Laura), and screening Paris, Texas (a great freaking movie, by the way). And if all this wasn’t enough to convince you to come out, we’ll have both Hunter Carson and Paris, Texas screenwriter L.M. Kit Carson in attendance. Hunter Carson, who appeared in Paris, Texas, is also the star of the new short we’ll be screening prior to the film. Mr. Simek will chat with the father-son duo afterward, so stick around.
No movie tonight? The Burning Hotels are headlining a Dallas release party for their eponymous new album at Club Dada ahead of their big blow out at Lola’s in Fort Worth tomorrow. If you like them but don’t feel like burning through a tank of gas, this is your chance. Before you go, check out FrontRow’s Five Questions with Matt Mooty and Chance Morgan, two of Burning Hotels three members. Also on the bill are supporting acts Hoyotoho and Air Review.
For more to do this evening, you can go here. And don’t forget, these beautiful women need your votes.
This month we’re doing something a little different at D Magazine. Normally as soon as a new issue hits newsstands, we put (nearly) all of the content online for free. That’s not the way a lot of monthly magazines operate. Your New Yorkers, your GQs, your Texas Monthlys — they don’t just give it away. They put up the beginnings of stories and kindly request that you buy a copy of the magazine if you’d like to read the rest of the story. That’s what we’re doing this month with our cover story about John Tesar, “The Most Hated Chef in Dallas.” There’s only one F-bomb in the lead to that story. If you want to read the rest of em, you’ll have to stop by a Tom Thumb or a Wal-Mart this weekend, and plunk down your $4.99. OR, you can buy a copy on Monday at Tesar’s Commissary and get some free tacos and beer thrown into the deal. He’s throwing a “Haters Party” to celebrate the publication of our profile.
UPDATE (11:58): You can’t buy a copy of the magazine at the Haters Party. You’ll have to bring one with you.
Remember three years ago when everyone just knew that a massive database designed to tell law enforcement whether or not you were insured would reduce the number of uninsured motorists on the road?
Turns out, not so much. About 1 in 4 drivers don’t have insurance. Dallas County has the highest percentage. According to this Dallas Morning News article behind the paywall, evidently the program did well for the first two years, then started stagnating.
My theory? The fear factor worked well for the first year or so. Then people, being people, realized that they rarely got pulled over, and rarely got in accidents. Ergo, the likelihood of getting ticketed wasn’t a big enough threat to get them to continue to purchase insurance.
What? You’re eager to be robletted? Stop whatever you’re doing, and check out this Texas Tribune database of public schools. You can see how the school compares to others in its district and across the state. See how experienced the teachers are and how much they’re paid. See how much the school spends on its students. Good stuff.
Time to Adopt a Pet. The city of Dallas has decided to reduce adoption fees for certain people (seniors), certain pets (those over 6 years old), and certain occasions. The fees for dogs will go from $85 to $43 and cats will go from $55 to $27. Some people say the city didn’t go far enough with its reductions. My husband found our dog, a purebred Samoyed, at a shelter in Oklahoma. The dog was perfectly healthy at 3 years old, my husband was a graduating college student, and it just so happened that May was “half-off” month. We got our pet for $25. Low fees go a long way.
It rained! And the land rejoiced. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to stop this heat wave.
Boy Scout Honored for Saving Brother. I’m really bad under pressure. Like, really bad. That’s why I never excelled in basketball. (I was a little more comfortable with the ball than my friend who treated it like a hot potato and would touch it as little as possible. We lost a lot). Anywho. Reid Vaenuku plugged his phone in to charge one night, and it started a huge fire. His family (which consists of nine members) ran outside. His brother, however, thought it was a joke and went back to sleep. Reid noticed his brother was missing and ran in and got him out. He got the Honor Medal with Crossed Palms, which only 250 other scouts have been given, because he is great under pressure.