Nigeria

Fela! Shakes It (and You) at the Winspear

Dallas Children's Theater Delivers a First-Class Version of The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley

A Legendary Rhythm

How Medicare Became a Thieves' Bazaar

In Dallas and across the country, hospitals, doctors and dealers have made Medicare the nation’s sweetest crime. The feds are now trying to shutter the door.

Five of This Week's Top Show Announcements: Best Coast, The Octopus Project, Brad Paisley and More

Best Coast Tuesday, May 28, at Granada Theater, $24 L.A.'s surf-pop duo Best Coast blew up on everyone's radar in 2010 when they were one of the most blog-worthy bands around after releasing their debut LP Crazy for You. Then, last year they had an equally as powerful follow-up with The Only Place, ... More >>

Sundance Preview: Movies to Know from Park City

It's Hard to Teach Kids to Read if They Only Want to Burn Down the School

Somewhere somehow we just got on the wrong track, folks. All these issues like the public schools, crime, unemployment: We're still trying to rearrange the furniture when the house is already on fire. For example, as I said here yesterday, that bright shiny new superintendent of schools we just hir ... More >>

First Round of SXSW 2013 Acts Announced, Including Blackstone Rangers and The Relatives

With the announcement of 35 Denton's initial lineup, it was only a matter of time before you felt that tightening in your chest, aka the first round of SXSW acts. North Texas' Blackstone Rangers, Ronnie Fauss, the Relatives, Somebody's Darling, Sarah Jaffe and Tedashii are all represented. Thurston ... More >>

Refugee Writers Means an Outlet for Refugees and Awareness for the Rest of Us

The other day, Unfair Park chatted with filmmaker Bentley Brown about his film Faisal Goes West, the tale of a Sudanese family moving to America and settling in Dallas' Vickery Meadow neighborhood. Brown mentioned his friend who convinced him to film in Dallas (and acted as script supervisor) starte ... More >>

Item Involving Charter School's Bonds Pushes Council Into Passionate Philosophical Debate

​This was a good day -- such days do occur -- to study democracy in action at Dallas City Hall. The city council engaged in a smart debate on a proposal to help a charter school organization sell bonds to build more charter schools. The mayor and council decided not to decide. If you listened to ... More >>

A Video That Actually Sells Dallas, In This Case to Foreign Investors. Y'all Come Now, Y'Hear?

​In recent days we've seen a video in which the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau sells the city to conventioneers and tourists, and a short film in which the Dallas Citizens Council sells the city to ... um, the citizens council? But after the jump, here's a real, honest-to-God pitch -- a fre ... More >>

So, How Was Caraway's Trip to Nigeria?

Via.President Goodluck Jonathan will miss you, Mayor Dwaine Caraway.​I hope Mayor-For-Now Dwaine Caraway brought back pictures from his trip to Nigeria, where he's been for the past eight days to attend the swearing-in of President Goodluck Jonathan and tend to some business. He's back this evenin ... More >>

Well, That's Quite the Mavericks-Heat Sports Bet You've Made There, Governor Perry

Via.​This just in from Governor Rick Perry's office: He's added congressional redistricting to the special session's to-do list. Wait. Sorry. Wrong press release. Let's start this over.This just in from Governor Rick Perry's office: He's bet Florida Governor Rick Scott "a case of Texas barbeque sa ... More >>

Mayor Dwaine, Meet President Goodluck

Via.Goodluck Jonathan​One week from today, Goodluck Jonathan -- who won election last month after receiving more than 60 percent of the vote during mostly peaceful elections -- will be sworn in as president of Nigeria, the most populated country in Africa. Analysts are mixed on what Jonathan's pre ... More >>

Do Mexicans Poop in the Fields?

Dallas' Next Mayor Will Face Tough Budget Choices. Too Bad The Candidates Won't Talk About Them.

Welcome To The Dull House

Ed Okpa on the Trinity River Toll Road And Why He's Never Mentioned in The Dallas News

Edward Okpa​Since last week's piece in The News about David Kunkle, Ron Natinsky and Mike Rawlings's thoughts on the Trinity River toll road is behind the pay levee, allow me to summarize: Natinsky's still very much for it; Kunkle's ain't at all interested, and Rawlings is taking the ol' wait-n-se ... More >>

Nigerian Soccer Star Buried in Africa, As Family Challenges Little Elm PD's Suicide Ruling

Uche Okafor, a soccer star in Nigeria, played for Major League Soccer's Kansas City Wizards in the late '90s.​In the two months since Nigerian soccer star and Major League Soccer alum Uche Okafor was found dead in his Little Elm home, press from his home country has followed the blow-by-blow betwe ... More >>

Dirk Nowitzki Interrupts Super Bowl Week to Remind Us That He's a Legit MVP Candidate

​I know it's all about Super Bowl XLV around here this week. I can tell by the way my eyes are drooping and feet are dragging. But while we were partying and footballing last night, the Mavs' Dirk Nowitzki did it again. He reminded us how damn good he is. In Dallas' 113-97 win over the Knicks ... More >>

Unexpected Influences: Datahowler Doesn't Always Listen To Music -- But When He Does, He Prefers Obscure African or Latin Records.

Welcome to a Unexpected Influences, where we talk to musicians about the music no one expects them to like.Datahowler​Datahowler, mad processor of decades of international culture, has a lot on his mind. Born Ross Edman (and formerly using the moniker Objectiv One), he has managed to push himself ... More >>

Crime & Punishment & News & Notes

Bradley Eyo, who was killed last weekend​Some grim news with which to close out the year, almost ...The day after Christmas, Bradley Eyo was found shot to death on Barnes Bridge Road near Lake Ray Hubbard. But Dallas homicide detective and Garland police discovered during their investigation that ... More >>

Harvey Lacey Wants to Rebuild the (Third) World One Bale of Recycled Plastic at a Time

From a video you'll find after the jump, Harvey Lacey and the building blocks of his building blocks​For the last few weeks, Brother Bill Holston's been on me to write about longtime Friend of Unfair Park Harvey Lacey's save-the-world project -- which, till Tuesday morning, wasn't completely clear ... More >>

The Mansion's Bruno Davaillon:
A Star is Born Down on the Farm

Photo by Robert Bostick​If you ask a random Dallasite to name the best local restaurant, the answer might well be The Mansion on Turtle Creek at the Rosewood Hotel. Ask that same person when they last ate at the 30-year-old Dallas icon, however, and you just might elicit a long pause. This tre ... More >>

News & Notes: Lost Society Closed, Dallas Police Warn to "Watch Your Car," Doug's Gym Feted

Brightman Nwatu​That's quite the hodgepodge. Nonetheless, to the briefs ...Avi Adelman, first to the story despite what you read elsewhere, brings the latest news concerning Lost Society on Lower Greenville Avenue: The landlords have done put a padlock on the place. And that's not all: Co-owner Br ... More >>

Border Poet

Border Poet

Alien Invasion As Apartheid Metaphor? It Works In District 9.

Just Say, 'No, Thank You | Same old Song And Dance | Jungle Seizure

World Music Must Die

AMADOU AND MARIAM BREAK OUT OF A FLABBY, GENERIC GENRE

Kidnapped McKinney Man Gets an Up-Close Look Into Nigeria's Oily Heart of Darkness

Bargain Hunting at the City Store

Some of the amazing, ahem, finds at the City StoreI'm on a tight budget -- but, right, who isn't? So when my boyfriend suggested we check out the inventory of police-confiscated property for sale at a nearby warehouse, I jumped at the opportunity.The City Store, located off Stemmons Freeway on Irvin ... More >>

Top Ten Dance Albums of 2008

Any knucklehead with DSL and a laptop can now make an electronic track. With a half hour of clicking and fiddling, you can sample enough cheesy beats and mashups to clog arteries from here to Berlin. Simple dropdown mouse maneuvers can transform electro tracks into progressive house tracks (from dry ... More >>

Everything You Needed to Know About Bible Girl But Were Afraid to Ask

Badu's New Concert Posters Are Ridiculously Awesome

Global Drama

Pure Evil

Zzzzz...Huh? Oh Yeah. That Mayor Thingy.

Voodoo Vibes | Byzantium, Texas | Quagmire

Bible Girl: The Merry Christmas Edition

Life as a Holy Roller

Jesus, Send Money: Prosperity, Pt. 1

The Plane Truth

Child's Play

Yard of Dreams

Best Kids Day Trip

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

This Week's Day-By-Day Picks

Funny Face

Ellen Degeneres has a point

Next Time, Phone

Governor Perry an apostle? Nope, he missed his calling.

Chokehold

A run-in with police left Godwin Omokaro blind and brain-damaged, but a federal judge won't let a jury even consider whether his rights were violated

Roadshows