Here’s a sneak preview of Talking Race, leaked to me by their cubicle neighbor Esther Wu:

BLOW: On the one hand, race relations are sticky. On the other hand, they’re better than ever!

RAGLAND: I don’t want to offend anyone, but I’m black.

BLOW: I remember you told me that the other day, when we were in our cubicles.

RAGLAND: And you’re white.

BLOW: We prefer “Caucasian.”

RAGLAND: I loved the column you wrote about how you spent a week driving slower, and your gas mileage improved.

BLOW: Thanks, neighbor! I loved the three columns you wrote about the guy who got rolled while he was having a seizure and how he lied about being in ROTC. Especially the second one. But the third one was good, too. And so was the first.

RAGLAND: You see that? You’re a white dude from Sunnyvale. I’m a brother from Paris. But we’re digging each other’s pudding. That’s progress. No matter what Jeremiah Wright says.

BLOW: On the one hand, right on, my dawg. On the other hand, true that, homey!

Ron Washington’s days as Rangers manager are numbered. Their lousy pitching isn’t his fault, but his old-school approach isn’t working with many players. Never mind that his rapport with players as a longtime A’s coach got him the Texas job.

So there. 

A few weeks ago, I ran into Freeman at Good Records 8th birthday/Record Store Day shindig. He was the MC for the event, and was sweetly wearing a ZC/07 T-shirt. I hadn’t seen him in a bit, so I asked him about what I had read in the Observer, or on its blog at any rate. He said that he wasn’t, in fact, moving to New York, though the idea of getting paid to write rock operas with Corn Mo would of course be awesome. (Paraphrase–I don’t think he used the word “awesome,” since it’s a habit only I can’t break.) He said he was probably moving to Portland, and that he pretty much made the rest of it up, as revenge for Pete Freedman’s piece about the Melodica Festival.

But who knows? Maybe he was playing a joke on me. It wouldn’t be the first time that happened, and it certainly won’t be the last. I’m a strange mixture of sarcastic and gullible. Nothing is ever as it seems around me.

The state’s tax-collecting agency didn’t know Amazon.com was operating a facility here until this week when The Dallas Morning News called to ask why the online powerhouse wasn’t charging Texas customers sales taxes, said Robin Corrigan, the comptroller’s team leader for sales tax policy.

The FrontBurnervian wonders: “So not only might we be stuck paying sales tax for Amazon purchases, we have the DMN to blame for it. Tattle tales. And isn’t this pretty much creating news instead of reporting it?” I see his point.

The image you see here was generated by the good people at Crow Holdings (click to expand). You know where Crow Holdings stands on the issue (I’m looking at you, Hilton Anatole), but that doesn’t diminish the point of this map. As I say, if you add up everything in red, it comes to about $44.6 million. That number, as we’ve learned, is probably low. But if the hotel gets built, you can bet that land will be worth even more.

A fact worth mentioning.

2. State Sen. Florence Shapiro may run for U.S. Senate. Not sure how that will play when the rest of the state finds out about her Commie brother.

3. Regarding Game 1 of the NHL Western Conference Finals: And … THAT happened. [Helpful joke reference link here.]

“Wait! You mean we can instant message from our computers?”

Which works out just fine, because a Knicks fan is going to need that in about three/four seasons.

[slow clap]

These “official watching parties” will take place during all games of the Western Conference Finals. After the jump, the schedule and press release.

DALLAS STARS TO HOLD OFFICIAL WATCHING PARTIES

AT AT&T PLAZA OUTSIDE OF AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER

FRISCO, Tex. – The Dallas Stars announced today that the hockey club will hold official FREE Watching Parties, sponsored by VERSUS, for all games (home and away) during the Western Conference Finals vs. the Detroit Red Wings, beginning with the first game of the series on Thursday, May 8 at 6:30 pm. The Watching Parties will take place at AT&T Plaza, outside the south end of American Airlines Center.

Fans will be able to watch the game from almost any angle, as all nine screens in the AT&T plaza will come together to form three giant HD screens – one on each side of the party. The main screen in the center of American Airlines Center’s facade is a 1,500-foot HD picture. Parties will start 30 minutes before game time for road games and one hour before game time for home games.

Concessions will also be available for purchase. The Stars Street Squad will be set up with inflatable fun and games. There will be live music as part of the party and the Dallas Stars Planet Tan Ice Girls will also be in attendance. Prizes will be given away including tickets and Stars merchandise.

Seating is limited, so fans are encouraged to arrive early. Fans are also welcome to bring their own lawn chairs for extra seating.

Dallas Stars vs. Detroit Red Wings

NHL 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs Western Conference Finals

   GAME      DATE                             VENUE                                                        TIME (CDT)               TV

        1           Thursday, May 8            at Detroit (Joe Louis Arena)                          6:30 PM                   VERSUS

        2           Saturday, May 10           at Detroit (Joe Louis Arena)                          6:00 PM                   VERSUS

        3           Monday, May 12            at Dallas (American Airlines Center)            7:00 PM                   VERSUS

        4           Wednesday, May 14       at Dallas (American Airlines Center)            7:00 PM                   VERSUS

       5*          Saturday, May 17           at Detroit (Joe Louis Arena)                          12:30 PM                    NBC

       6*          Monday, May 19            at Dallas (American Airlines Center)            7:00 PM                   VERSUS

       7*          Wednesday, May 21       at Detroit (Joe Louis Arena)                          6:30 PM                   VERSUS

* - if necessary