Articles for October, 2011
State Fair of Texas Picture of the Day: Oct. 13
Photo by Jason Janik
Check out our guide to plan your own trip to Fair Park.
Bruce Felps, RIP
Monday I mentioned that last week EastDallasTimes.com editor and publisher Bruce Felps was in a coma after suffering a brain aneurysm. Now comes word that he passed away this morning.
As Jason mentioned in the comments of that Monday post, Felps worked for the D Empire for a time, as a reporter for Lakewood People. In the comments of that initial post, you can also see that Kathy Felps updated us this morning on the sad news.
Bruce Felps was 55.
Alice Walton Arrested on DWI Charge
The Walmart heiress was arrested Friday night, her 62nd birthday. Not a great mugshot. If I were worth $20 billion, I wouldn’t do much of my own driving. But then again, Walton is a lot cooler than I am. She’s not your typical heiress.
A Rangers Story That Made Me Cry
If you’ve been a Rangers fan for a fair to goodly amount of time, you know about the duo of nuns that have been die hard fans of the team for decades – Sister Frances Evans and Sister Maggie Hession. The two had prime seats behind home plate, and Sister Frances always has her drum with her.
WFAA’s Jim Douglas brings us news now that the duo is now more of a single, as Sister Maggie’s Alzheimer’s now prevents her from attending games. Sister Frances is now the only one that remembers the two being the first two people through the turnstiles of the Ballpark, and the only one that remembers their trip to Yankees Stadium.
It’s a wonderful story, and a sad one, too.
Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: Oct. 13
I was a pretty crafty kid, but only in the sense of popsicle sticks and glue. My idea of a clever hiding spot was the corner behind my dad’s big leather chair, which, really, was about the only spot to hide in my house. My mom found me every time. Devious, I am not. Anyway, my craftiness never extended much past the hideous Christmas tree ornament phase.
Chairman Chip, by Chet Phillips. www.etsy.com/shop/chetart
Alas, some things are better left to people who don’t have trouble free-handing straight lines (my high school geometry teacher despaired of me). The folks of Etsy Dallas contribute their considerably greater talents to a good cause tonight with an event they’re calling Sit Down to Stand Up For Kids. David Patton of Ferrochie designed and created small handmade chairs; 20 local artists made them pretty. Chairman Chimp to your right is just one of these super cute things up auction, and even if you’re not bidding, there’s food and drink and music. Proceeds benefit the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, which aids abused children in Dallas County. Admission is free, though of course donations are accepted.
Abstract artist Mark Bradford still has a few more days until his big exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art opens all official-like. But ahead of that, he’s joining KERA’s Jeff Whittington and Vicki Meek, manager of the South Dallas Cultural Center, for the museum’s State of the Arts discussion tonight. The series, which started last year, pairs up arts leaders from different fields to discuss the creative process and take the temperature of the cultural scene. I think one of the coolest things about the DMA devoting so much space to a living (and deserving) artist is the opportunity to see and hear the artist reflect on the world and the work that he or she is doing in it. You can’t exactly go shake hands with Caravaggio, though his exhibit opens over at the Kimbell this weekend, too. Peter recently sat down with Bradford, so you should read the interview over on FrontRow before you go. The event is free with museum admission, but these things fill up fast. I recommend reserving a spot.
For more to do tonight, including a free screening of the classical film Giant, go here.
Former Dallas Cowboy Dwayne Goodrich Gets Out of Prison
After six years in prison, former number one draft pick for the Cowboys Dwayne Goodrich was released last week. Goodrich, you’ll remember, was convicted of a hit-and-run in which his vehicle struck three good Samaritans, killing two and severely injuring another. ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap was on hand for Goodrich’s release, and had a touching story on last night’s E:60. You can check it out here.
Neiman’s Changing Its Visa, MasterCard Policy?
For the longest time, Dallas-based Neiman Marcus shunned accepting everyday plastic in its tony specialty stores. Intent on protecting its exclusive image, and apparently worried about exposing its customer list to mass marketers, it stuck for years to accepting only its proprietary card, cash and checks. Eventually, the store agreed to begin accepting American Express cards. Now, word is that Neiman’s will make an announcement soon that could pertain to accepting Visa and MasterCard at its 40-plus stores as well. Christine Perez has the scoop over on our RealPoints blog.
Texas Rangers Manager Ron Washington Produces National PSA About Dangers of the Intentional Walk
Wash was two steps ahead of me last night during last night’s big win for the Rangers. I was incredulous when he walked Miguel Cabrera, who represented the go-ahead run for the Tigers, with the bases empty and one out in the bottom of the eighth inning. To pitch to Victor Martinez. Who promptly singled, sending Cabrera to third. But Wash wasn’t worried, oh no. He knew he had Nelson Cruz waiting in right field to make a terrific play to gun down Cabrera at home plate when Delmon Young hit a fly ball to right.
So what was the Texas Rangers’ crafty manager really up to? It’s got to be the knowledge that he had a national audience watching, and he wanted to demonstrate just how easily an intentional walk might blow a game for a team. We should thank him for devising such a useful demonstration of this most-abused of baseball tactics. And without losing the game to boot!
Because, and I’m not sure how Washington managed it, but he somehow got Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland to play along as well. In the bottom top of the 11th, after Josh Hamilton doubled and Michael Young struck out, Leyland had Adrian Beltre intentionally walked so that his pitcher could face Mike Napoli, who was only the best hitter in the American League during the second half of the season. You know what happened then. Napoli knocked in the winning run, and then Cruz tacked on three insurance runs with his homer. Genius.
Leyland and Washington must really hate the intentional walk, with their willingness to risk such an important game just to teach baseball fans about its evils. It’s time we take their lesson seriously, and that Major League Baseball makes a rule change to save managers from themselves.
My solution: Anytime a pitcher throws four consecutive balls to a batter, the batter is awarded two bases rather than just one. This will prevent umpires from having to make judgments about what is an “intentional” vs. an “un-intentional” walk, and will help remove this scourge from the national pastime.
Leading Off (10/13/11)
Texas Rangers 7, Detroit Tigers 3. Once again, they did it with a home run in the 11th inning. So now the series is Nelson Cruz 2, Texas 1, Detroit 1. (UPDATE: Yes, I know Cruz’s home run was merely insurance. And that his bigger contribution may have been his throw to nail Cabrera at the plate. ON THE OTHER HAND, while Cruz’s home run was just insurance, it could be argued that it completely demoralized the Tigers, much more than Mike Napoli’s go-ahead single. So, whatever.)
Occupy Dallas Going to Court to Continue Occupying Pioneer Plaza. A judge is expected to look at the case on Friday morning.
Fort Worth Hog Policy Backfires. That’s how they killed Peanut, the pet potbelly pig of Mary Kelleher.
Man Who Never Should Have Been Out of Prison Going Back to Prison. Still trying to figure out how Edward Lynn Russell, who’s admitted to molesting more than 20 children, was eligible for a civil commitment anyway.
FC Dallas Clinches a Spot in the MLS Playoffs. And, as you know, the loss puts the Chicago Fire on the verge of missing the postseason.
Explain This Photograph
Earlier today, as I was walking to work, I saw something strange happen downtown. The group of people you see here emerged from the First Baptist HQ carrying a piece of furniture. They proceeded to plop it down in the middle of the street, at the intersection of Ervay and San Jacinto, and arrange themselves for a photograph. The photographer was nearly run over by a DART bus (only slight exaggeration).
Your assignment, should you choose to accept it: explain to me what the heck was going on here.
State Fair of Texas Picture of the Day: Oct. 12
Photo by Jason Janik
Check out our guide to plan your own trip to Fair Park.
Eric Nadel Sends Photos From Comerica Park in Detroit
"Getting ready for game. It's 2:00 EST. Psyched."
UPDATE, 2:33 pm: It’s raining in Detroit. We could be in for another delay.
Texas Rangers’ radio play-by-play announcer Eric Nadel is at Comerica Park in Detroit where the Rangers are getting ready to embarrass the Detroit Tigers. He sent a few pictures he took as he walked into the park. I urge you to turn off the sound on your TV and tune in to 103.3 ESPN Radio and listen to Nadel and (Tim’s buddy) Steve Busby call the game. First pitch at 3:19 PM CST. GO RANGERS!
Jump for more pictures.
Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: Oct. 12
It’s a full moon. Watch out for cheeseball Nickelodeon movies that I have definitely never seen and also Seth Green.
Luckily, you can celebrate the lunar phase safely among friends at the Dallas Arboretum. The Japan-American Society of Dallas-Fort Worth hosts a local Otsukimi, the Japanese festival honoring the harvest moon in which everyone is encouraged to go hog wild and steal some priceless rocks. Kidding. It’s actually a wholesome cultural tradition, and tonight features a picnic dinner (bring your own bento box, because no food will be sold there), seasonal music, and storytelling. Plus, check out demonstrations and instruction in haiku poetry, calligraphy, and ikebana, the art of Japanese flower arranging. Whew. This rainy phase we’re currently experiencing should have cleared up by the time things get started, but just in case, there’s an indoor option.
Over at the Rosewood Crescent, Joel Brenner, the former inspector general of the National Security Administration and former head of counterintelligence for the director of national intelligence, discusses his recent book at the behest of the World Affairs Counsel. In America the Vulnerable, Brenner sifts through recent cyberattacks to point out weaknesses in public and private security. What with Wikileaks and China’s sophisticated swan dive into Google last year, this is all extremely relevant. It might make for a bit of a serious evening, but Brenner’s a guy worth listening to.
For more to do tonight, go here.
Occupy Dallas Steps Up Its Game
With a standoff over insurance issues threatening their ability to stay in Pioneer Park, members of the Occupy Dallas protest committee knew they would have to act fast. So around 8 this morning, as light rain fell, the leader of the group’s so-called Committee of Public Safety–he wore a Guy Fawkes mask and wouldn’t give his name–was directing a Ryder truck as it backed into a handicapped space, not far from the park’s famous cattle statuary. Over in one corner of the “main committee” tent, meantime, a woman who identified herself only as “Mrs. LaFarge” was knitting intently.
Not far away, six or seven other committee members were poring over street maps of North Dallas and Highland Park, marking red “X’s” over the home addresses of the area’s most prominent rich people. Soon, it all became clear: Another group of four or five protesters began unloading two, 6-feet-tall guillotines out of the Ryder truck. Then they proceeded to roll the “1792 Machines” on dollies across the park, toward a little wooden stage that had been set up near the cattle. Reading to reporters off a sheet of paper, the guy in the Fawkes mask said the afternoon of guillotining to follow–while “really, really regretful”–nevertheless would be necessary to “send a signal” and to “advance the cause of the 99%,” who “have been kept down for too long, in chains.” Tomorrow, he added, they would worry about the insurance.
NOTE: THE PRECEDING HAS BEEN A SATIRICAL ARTICLE. NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
Recap of Last Night’s TEDxSMU Auditions
No, I’m not going to recap it. Sarah Hodge already did right here. But I will say I had a really good time listening to all of the talks, even the ones that didn’t completely work. Narrowing it down to one winner would have been impossible, so fortunately they opened it up to three: Jasmin Brand, Belinda Baldwin, and Will Clarke. As always, Sharon Lyle and the TEDxSMU team put on a great event, and the Kessler Theater was a good host.
Side note: Like Liz mentioned before, I was a judge. There were two others. Grace Gilker, a sophomore at Hockaday who has already done a TEDxKids talk, and Omar Jahwar, who spoke at TEDxSMU last year, and negotiated a truce between the Bloods and Crips, no big deal. And then me. Shaky choice.
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