Articles for January 9th, 2013
The McKinney Avenue Trolley Is Picking Up Passengers With A Silver Caravan Tonight
A tale of two Facebook posts:
Sure, it’s kind-of funny, but for a transit company that carts nearly a half-million people around the city every year, they gotta come up with a better plan.
Glenn Beck Calls Alex Jones a ‘Crazy Person’
On Monday night, Dallas-bred, Austin-based Alex Jones appeared on Piers Morgan’s CNN show, and left as the butt of nearly every joke the next morning. On Tuesday, Glenn Beck took to his own channel to dispute the idea that Jones is the right person to represent the conservative viewpoint on guns:
Piers Morgan is trying to have gun control. He is trying to make everybody who has guns and who believes in the Second Amendment to be a deterrent to an out-of-control government look like a madman. So now he immediately books the madman and makes him look like a conservative. He’s not a conservative.
Both of them are using the First Amendment here as a means to their own end: Jones to push his websites, Beck to push his own, relaunched The Blaze. But we’re all stuck in the crossfire.
Six Former Texas Rangers Received Baseball Hall of Fame Votes, Including Aaron Sele, Because Baseball Hall of Fame Voting Is a Joke
One of these men will make the Hall of Fame. One of them will not. Source: NJ Baseball
No one was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame today, but six former Texas Rangers received votes. It’s almost impossible that any of them will ever get in.
Players need to be on 75 percent of voters’ ballots to be enshrined; former Houston Astro Craig Biggio was the closest this year, with 68.2 percent. The Baseball Writer’s Association of America (BBWAA, taking a page from Grapevine’s book) had to deal with three (alleged) steroid-users facing the ballot for the first time this season: Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and Sammy Sosa. None received more than 38 percent of the vote. The former Rangers, their vote percentage, and why they won’t ever get in:
- Sammy Sosa (played for the Rangers in 1989, again in 2007), 12.5 percent of ballots, everyone’s pretty sure he took steroids
- Rafael Palmeiro (played for the Rangers from 1989-1993), 8.8 percent of ballots, he actually took steroids
- Kenny Lofton (played for the Rangers in 2007), 3.2 percent of ballots, steals are underrated as a statistic/played on too many different teams, negating his value
- Sandy Alomar, Jr. (played for the Rangers in 2005), 2.8 percent of ballots, injuries stalled his career
- Julio Franco (played for the Rangers from 1989-1993), 1.1 percent of ballots, just kinda old amirite?
- Aaron Sele (played for the Rangers in 1998 and 1999), 0.2 percent of ballots, WHY WAS AARON SELE EVEN ON THE BALLOT?
Perry: ‘In Texas We Know Money Does the Most Good When it Stays in the Hands of Those Who’ve Earned It’
In an appearance Wednesday morning, Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus addressed the press and 83rd Texas Legislature, offering few specifics on their goals but indicating that taxes may go down. Dewhurst was the only one of the three who named specifics, the Texas Tribune reports, saying lawmakers may lower business and property taxes.
“In Texas, we know money does the most good when it stays in the hands of those who’ve earned it,” Perry said.
When asked if the Legislature would restore public education funds, Perry questioned the question itself, saying education spending has been more than adequate.
“We’ve had public education funding growing at three times the public education enrollment. So you’ve had a 70 percent increase of funding from 2002 to 2012. You’ve had a 23 percent increase in enrollment growth,” he said, according to the Tribune. “I think under any scenario over the last decade, the funding that we have seen in the state of Texas for public education has been pretty phenomenal….I’m not sure there’s any state in the nation that’s had that type of [growth], certainly not any big state. We’re getting the job done in public education.”
Caroline Kennedy May Have Been On to Something When She Turned Down Charlie Rose
The Dallas Morning News kicked it off Sunday, with a very spiffy “JFK50″ logo and two front-page stories announcing an 11-month-long series of articles and photos and graphics and e-books and community panels focusing on the 50th anniversary of the assassination here of President John F. Kennedy. SMU and the Bush library and the Sixth Floor Museum are readying a yearlong series of public programs on the topic, too.
The Nasher Sculpture Center commissioned a musical piece marking the occasion, about one of Jacqueline Kennedy’s blood-soaked roses. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings has appointed a massive committee of Major Names to plan a commemoration. And Friday night, talk-show host Charlie Rose will interview a couple of JFK’s relatives at the Winspear about the Kennedy family and its influence on politics, culture and history.
I don’t think anyone would argue against the appropriateness of holding a tasteful ceremony or event in Dallas to mark the assassination on Nov. 22, 2013. But the explosion of “introspection” that’s about to be unleashed over the next year just seems like … pardon the expression …Â well, like overkill. Like an orgy of anguished navel-gazing that few are clamoring to undergo–except for some civic pooh-bahs who’ve decided from on high that it will be good and therapeutic for us. And who’ve assured everyone that there will be “zero commercialization” involved. (Right.)
Things to Do in Dallas Tonight: Jan. 9
Telegraph Canyon urges you to just say no to free crack.
I’m not nearly as adept at writing a comprehensive guide to having fun in Dallas as is my fearless editor, Liz, but since she’s jetting off to enjoy a well-deserved vacation, I’ll do my best to keep things rolling.
It’s another mucky day outside with a dreary misting of rain, which means pondering strolls through Klyde Warren Park or leap frogging outside the Perot Museum is just not going to cut it today. A few convenient indoors options are available, though, so no worries.
The Latino Cultural Center is screening a documentary tonight about Fidel Castro and Che Guevara’s vision for an ambitious architectural and education project, called the National Art Schools, during the earliest years of the Cuban Revolution. Basically, they were envisioning five separate schools with free tuition for students, but the intended masterpiece fell into ruins. As part of the Dallas Center for Architecture’s Architecture Film Series, Unfinished Spaces features interviews with the three original architects of the schools and shows an insider’s look at the fascinating concept and its untimely downfall. Attendance is free, but an RSVP is required.
Texas Sues New Mexico, Which Is Funny When You Think About Two States Sitting in a Courtroom
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality filed a complaint Tuesday with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to order New Mexico to release water the commission believes belongs to Texas, the American-Statesman reports. Texas says that New Mexico has dodged a 74-year-old agreement to deliver Texas’ share of Rio Grande water by illegally allowing diversions of both surface and underground water.
“It is unfortunate that we have had to resort to legal action, but negotiations with New Mexico have been unsuccessful, and Texas is not getting the water that it is allocated and legally entitled to,” TCEQ Commissioner Carlos Rubinstein told the paper in a statement.
Much of the agricultural land in Texas receives its water from the Rio Grande, and constitutes half the water supply for El Paso. Jump for the full filing:
Zac Crain Pulls the Curtain Back on a Troy Aikman Broadcast
Pow! I suggest you read that story. It’s good stuff.
International Writing Superstar Michael ‘J.’ Mooney Talks About ‘The Most Amazing Bowling Story Ever’
Mike’s not really in the office too much, because he spends most of his days plotting new ways to get on year-end best-of lists. Many of those accolades this year came due to his “The Most Amazing Bowling Story Ever.” He was recently interviewed for Gangrey about the story. Listen above.
The Boy Scouts of America Still Hates Gays
Back in the fall, Ryan Andresen completed all of the requirements for his Eagle Scout award. He earned all the merit badges, made his way through the ranks, and completed his service project, a tolerance wall at a local school. But when he attempted to receive the award – an award he’d earned, thoroughly – the Irving-based Boy Scouts of America refused, claiming “membership standards” weren’t met by Andresen. The reason? He’s gay.
Adios, Rob Ryan: A D Magazine Viking Funeral of Videos, GIFs, and Memes That Remind Us of Our Time With Wolfman Rob
Source: Instant Replay
Leading Off (1/9/13)
Man Gunned Down at North Dallas Bar. Yesterday Dallas saw four homicides. The oddest, perhaps, was the one that happened on the patio at Red Rock Bar, at Midway and Frankford. Two men were talking at about 8:45 p.m., when one pulled out a semiauto pistol, shot the other, and fled. This never would have happened if everyone at the bar had been packing heat. More guns is the answer.
Perot Museum Releases Details on Injury to Patron. After our discussion yesterday about the accident that happened at the Perot, the museum gave us a few more details on what happened. Yes, it was the Jump exhibit. Yes, a man’s finger was involved (they were still a little vague on that). So the Jump exhibit is now one of eight that are closed for one reason or another. Remember that the museum rushed its opening to take advantage of the holiday crowds. I’m not suggesting anything. I’m just saying. You know?
Good Samaritan Pulls Driver From Burning Truck. Early this morning, a semi crashed on the Mixmaster and burst into flames. While you were bitching about what the accident was doing to your morning commute, Terry Sims was pulling the dazed semi driver through the window of his cab because the door wouldn’t open. On behalf of the city, I say to Terry: knock off early today, ma’am. You’ve done your part.
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