Facebook Inc.

Fired 911 Operator Can't Seem to Stop Being Racist

The postings on fired 911 operator April Sims' Facebook account speak for themselves. When you write things like, "Black people are outrageous! They are more like animals," there's just not a lot of gray area there. But WFAA's Rebecca Lopez, who co-broke the original story with The Dallas Morning N ... More >>

What to Do When When Your Ex-Bandmates Are Still Coasting on Your Hard Work

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls' Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you ... More >>

Appeals Court: Even for Judges, Facebook Friends Aren't the Same as Real Friends

William Youkers was on parole in 2011 when he choked his pregnant girlfriend in Plano. He pleaded guilty, and the judge was lenient, placing him in a community supervision program. But three months later, he tested positive for meth. He assured Judge Scott Becker that he was turning his life around ... More >>

The Calvary Church of Granbury Was Reading the Book of Revelation When the Hail Started

Last fall, I drove down to the Calvary Church of Granbury, a Pentecostal congregation in the little town southwest of Fort Worth that was devastated by last night's tornadoes. It's a tiny building with vivid green carpet, next to an empty field and just up a narrow country road from the town cemeter ... More >>

Wait, Why in the Hell Did Facebook Donate Thousands of Dollars to Ted Cruz?

It's pretty frequent these days to experience Impotent Facebook Rage (IFR), in which the social media giant does something so profoundly irritating or angry-making that you immediately vow to get off the site altogether. And yet, you don't cancel your account cold turkey (or at least I don't), proba ... More >>

House Bill Wants to Protect Internet Privacy from Employers' Snooping. What Privacy?

The Texas House is about to pass a bill that would bar employers from forcing employees and job applicants to cough up their social media passwords. Proponents here and around the country claim social media should be protected under the Fourth Amendment. Last time I checked, the Fourth Amendment ... More >>

10 Awesome Spots for Happy Hour in Dallas

It's Monday, start of a new week. Time to bring home the bacon, climb ladders and all that good stuff. Thinking about it just makes us plot when and where we'll be able to decompress. Here are a few new(ish) places to add to your regular rotation. Or if you need a rotation, here's a good place to st ... More >>

Budweiser Buddy Cups: A Dumb Idea That Could Be Made Brilliant

Budweiser has so many bad ideas. For instance, putting a Clydesdale'a handler alongside a parade route when children are milling about. Everyone knows a Clydesdale will make a run for it if it sees the handler who raised from a foal before selling it to a beer company. Horses slip when running on pa ... More >>

Bands: Please Stop Annoying the Shit Out of Everyone on Social Media

Every week Gavin will be presenting a guide to basic notions of common sense he feels are sometimes lacking from various aspects of the world of music. Also, he's British, and they're polite, right? Social media. It's pretty great for bands. They can list their gigs, share updates, and connect with ... More >>

The Five DFW Punk Albums We're Most Excited About for Spring/Summer/Whenever Punk Time Allows

Front-woman Ally Play-Nice of the Atomic Tanlines once told me, "Punk isn't about what you wear or how many patches you have on your vest. It's a fucking lifestyle." The genre's ethos alive and well in DFW. Most bands couldn't give me a definitive release date, album title or track listing for thei ... More >>

Texas Is Leading the Nation in Number of Cases of Student-Teacher Sex

News came out yesterday that former Spring Branch ISD high school teacher Kathanna Culp, 28, is accused of having sex with one of her students and of supplying him and his friends with pot and alcohol. This follows last month's story about a Dallas teacher Jessica Guilbeaux, 31, accused of sleeping ... More >>

The Biggest Mistake Most Bands Are Making With Facebook

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls' Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you ... More >>

The Supreme Court Same Sex Marriage Hearing: Let's Play Some Damn Love Songs

The Supreme Court is debating the legality of Prop 8 and possibly also DOMA by extension today. Maybe they will establish the Constitutionality of same-sex couples right here, and it seems like a foregone conclusion that even if they don't, the end of this particular discrimination is nevertheless i ... More >>

What Websites Should You Use and Other Band Management Basics

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls' Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you ... More >>

New Green Grocer to Quietly Open on Lower Greenville This Week; Big Grand Opening Party This Saturday

The new Greenville Avenue specialty grocer, Green Grocer (3614 Greenville Ave.), will host grand opening festivities from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. this coming Saturday with lots of vendor samples and merriment. They also announced via their Facebook page the store is open all week, although not at full cap ... More >>

Mextopia, the Ricardo Avila Spot on Greenville, Has Closed

The Dallas Observer's 2010 Readers' Pick for Best New Restaurant, Mextopia, has closed. Leslie Brenner got the details in a voice mail from owner Ricardo Avila. The plan is to reopen somewhere else with a new concept. Avila cited road construction near his restaurant as part of the problem.

Jordan Buford has a Simple Plan to Save the Music Industry: Show Up and Buy Merch

Jordan Buford has been checking out local bands in DFW for about 8 straight years now, for a group called Rya Entertainment, and for a podcast he hosts called "The Real Music Enthusiast" which airs as part of the Whiskeyboy Radio Network. The great thing about Buford, apart from his genuine music e ... More >>

Don't Let Anxiety Keep You Out of the Music Scene

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls' Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you ... More >>

The New Facebook Diet with a Side of Shame

This morning the HuffPo reported on a marginally successful cell phone restriction at Eva Restaurant in Los Angeles. The upscale spot offers a 5 percent discount for diners to put their cell phones away during meals. We've tackled this subject here before. Last year we lobbed the idea of a "cell p ... More >>

Ask Fan Landers: Who's to Blame When a Show Tanks?

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls' Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you ... More >>

The Londoner Really Needs to Borrow Your Aston Martin for the Skyfall Party

The Londoner in Uptown needs to borrow an Aston Martin for a James Bond "Skyfall" party on November 9th. Per their Facebook post, they promise it will be in good hands. It's a roll-out-the-red-carpet, black-tie event. Nary a crazy shenanigan to be seen! The owner even gets to be their VIP for the ev ... More >>

The 10 Most Corrupt Tax Loopholes

If Mitt Romney won't tell you which need to be closed, we will

The Pop-Up Market at the Eco-Op is Your Hook-Up for Mid-Week Produce

This morning the Texas Worm Ranch, which in addition to wrangling worms, grows some downright gawgeous produce, posted this fresh bounty of late-summer vegetables and herbs to its Facebook page, with this message: Peppers, okra, eggplant, basil ... this is what's coming out of our garden and to you ... More >>

The Great Library-Inspired Bars of Dallas

It's hard to not love a good dive. The Goat. Lee Harvey's. But sometimes a woman must "spend time with [her] fools," or be one, even if that means they've dragged her out of the warm solace of trusted neighborhood haunts into the sweeping unknown of fedoras and ascots. With the noted (and occasion ... More >>

Facebook Tells Mayor Rawlings Not to Aerial Spray, So Get Ready For Aerial Spraying

Remember last time Mayor Mike Rawlings went to Facebook to ask for feedback on a controversial topic of citywide import? And how he ignored the overwhelming majority of comments and pledged his full support for the Trinity Parkway? Well, he's put out another call for feedback on Twitter and Facebook ... More >>

Next Week, Pete Sessions Explains Why Giving Facebook Money is Good for You

While some in Congress have raised concerns about Facebook's privacy policies and others are already grousing about the company driving the "biggest Mack truck ever driven through the stock option loophole" with a $16 billion tax deduction, a pair of local congressmen are liking Facebook very much. ... More >>

Deep Ellum is Developing a Coffee Beer To Chase its Dream Crushing Hop Bomb

Red Bull and vodka may be replaced by a darker, more silty caffeinated boozy beverage. The folks behind Deep Ellum Brewing Company posted the above picture on their Facebook wall, promising the the marriage of java and suds. Tait Lifto, who works on branding and sales, told me it will be some time b ... More >>

Dirty Talk: Overheards From Sunday Brunch

Sunday brunch is like a Serengeti watering hole where all creatures meet with a unified objective: to drink from the healing spring of bottomless mimosas. It's where we make our weekend confessions to our closest friends, ask for absolution for the previous night's sins and talk seedily while curing ... More >>

At Dude, Sweet, Fifteen Pounds of Bacon Fat, One Interesting Cookie

Got home late Monday night and saw the following post on Facebook from the chocolate wizards at Dude, Sweet: After breaking the sound barrier on I-35, I arrived at Dude, Sweet and desperately asked: "Are there any bacon fat cookies left?" There were. Checking out, the Dude, Sweet worker referre ... More >>

Village Voice Media asks for your support of Senate Bill 596

Police Officers Flock to Dallas to Learn How to Tweet Like Professionals (#thisisahashtagguys)

​If you're planning on doing anything illegal in the next three days (not that you would), may we suggest keeping well away from the Aloft Hotel on Young Street? That place is crawling with cops. This morning marked the start of the SMILE Conference -- Social Media Internet Law Enforcement -- whic ... More >>

Will Google Be Able To Match Facebook and Myspace With Its Music Promotion Offerings (Or Lack Thereof)?

​In case you haven't heard, Google is trying to take down the Facebook empire with its new Google social networking site. (Seriously, though, if you haven't heard, it's really time to get out from under that rock). Because social networking sites have become an integral part of music promotion, ... More >>

Can Facebook Predict Dallas's Next Mayor? A Social Media "Psychic" Works His Magic.

One of these men will be the next Dallas mayor -- but will the polls validate a Facebook-based preditcion?​Not surprisingly, all four of Dallas's mayoral candidates have Facebook fan pages, some (David Kunkle) more active than others (Edward Okpa). But what, if anything, do Facebook numbers mean? ... More >>

Dallas PD Uses Facebook to Post Videos of Officer's Assault, Chief Brown's Address

From the dash-cam video posted to DPD's Facebook page last Wednesday night​Late yesterday, Dallas Police sent word about a story you've no doubt seen plenty of since: Late on January 27, DPD Officer Quaitemes Williams kicked in the face and used pepper spray on a handcuffed man named Rodarick Lyle ... More >>

As If You Needed Another Reminder: Beware Who You Friend on the Facebook

​This just in from the U.S. Attorney's Office: A federal grand jury in Dallas has indicted a 35-year-old Ennis man named Jerry Wayne Valek on three counts of production of child pornography. He's been in custody for about a month, and according to the indictment, Valek spent more than two years -- ... More >>

The City Is Open (Mostly). Schools? Not At All.

​The Dallas Independent School District, like most others 'round these parts, is closed yet again. To the Facebook message sent earlier this morning:Guess what? Dallas ISD schools and administrative offices are closed on Wednesday, Feb. 9, because of inclement winter weather. Stay safe and warm ev ... More >>

My First Show: Drawn By Jaymz's James Porter Was Introduced To The Smell of Marijuana at a Crystal Gayle Show

Welcome to My First Show, where we give bands a chance to talk about the first shows they ever attended -- no matter how uncool and embarrassing those tales may be. Drawn by Jaymz​When he hasn't been drumming for The Tah Dahs, The Happy Bullets, or his latest band, Dispo ... More >>

Dallas-FW, Briefly a Top-Five Contender in $1.5-Mil Food Bank Challenge, Is Falling Fast

​Two weeks ago today, Mayors Tom Leppert, Mike Moncrief and Robert Cluck asked locals to "like" Walmart's Fighting Hunger Together campaign, which is doling out $1.5 million to food banks nationwide -- $1 million to the top Facebook vote-getter, and $100,000 each to the next five highest-ranking c ... More >>

Dallas, FW and Arlington Mayors Ask Locals to "Like" Food Bank Campaign, Lest Area Lose Out

​Meant to get to this a few days ago, when a Friend of Unfair Park directed our attention to Walmart's Fighting Hunger Together website. Long story short: Walmart, in conjunction with the Food Research and Action Center, is doling out $1.5 million to food banks nationwide. But it's handing out the ... More >>

Cooks Source Hates Puppies

​Tip: Don't create a Facebook fan page unless you're pretty sure you have fans. Apparently, Cooks Source magazine was all, "Let's create a Facebook fan page!" And now, they seem to be finding out that people like making fun of them waaay more than they like the magazine. We particularly liked ... More >>

Lisa Stone turned to Facebook to reunite with her high school girlfriends; they turned to Facebook to solve the mystery of her disappearance.

Best Facebook Costume Ever? Yes, Because of the Status Update. And The 17 Notifications.

Stephen MaskerSee more of the best costumes in Stephen's slideshow.​Certainly, Hector Revino isn't the only one who has used Facebook as a costume, but this version really has some class. If you look closely, you'll notice Hector's status update: "At the Halloween Block Party." Brilliant.Of course ... More >>

Up in the Air, On Top of the Calatrava Bridge

Dallas City Hall Facebook page​Alas, Rudy beat me to it in pointing out that someone at Dallas City Hall posted to the city's official Facebook page this morning two pics taken from the very tippy-top of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. But Rudy opted for the view of the city (I can see my office fr ... More >>

Safelight Dude and the Red Light Enforcement Commission Get Plugged In to Traffic Safety

From the Automated Red Light Enforcement Commission's PowerPoint given this morning​City Hall's all parked up, and when I told the garage guard where I was headed, he assured me "everyone's going to the red light camera meeting." It's hard to tell who "everyone," might have been, because I'm joine ... More >>

Free Tea? Hey, EatZi's, Make It a Free Loaves of Bread, Then We'll Guess.

​EatZi's sells a lot of tea. Sorry to be vague about it, but the prepared food shop's not telling just how much. Instead, they're holding a little contest: Whoever comes closest to guessing the precise amount of tea EatZi's pours at both locations each month will win one free iced tea every d ... More >>

Some Holocaust Denial Facebook Groups Vanish As Brian Cuban's Twitter-Powered Revolution Picks Up Steam

Brian CubanAs we mentioned Friday morning, Brian Cuban's created quite a stir in the last week with his push -- meticulously documented, naturally, at The Cuban Revolution -- to have Facebook to delete its user-created groups supporting Holocaust denial.A day after the Dallas attorney -- and, yes, b ... More >>

Brian Cuban, Facebook at Odds Over Service's Decision to Allow Holocaust-Denial Group

Since November, a Dallas attorney with a familiar last name has been at odds with Facebook over its decision to allow Holocaust-denial groups to post to the service. The story's generated some heat in recent days, culminating today with this CNN story in which Brian "Brother of Mark" Cuban, who main ... More >>

Bringing Dallas' Past Into the Present

Son to Schutze: In Your Facebook, Dad

In Your Face, Facebook