Washington

The Long Winters' John Roderick Talks Christmas Music, Becoming Mayor of Seattle

Back in 2006, The Long Winters released Putting the Days to Bed, one of that year's best efforts, but various personal issues resulted in frontman John Roderick taking an extended leave of absence. Since then, he's appeared as a sideman on efforts by Death Cab for Cutie and Nada Surf, but a new Long ... More >>

Barbarians in the Ivory Tower

America's for-profit colleges offer education only a con man (or a congressman) could love.

For-Profit Colleges Only a Con Man Could Love

Barbarians in the Ivory Tower

The Mayor's $20 Million Plan for Southern Dallas is Just Another Drop in the Bucket.

The Lonely Forest's Tony Ruland On Meeting Lady Gaga, Sounding Too Much Like Death Cab

Hailing from the small, waterfront town of Anacortes, Washington, The Lonely Forest is a four-piece outfit that specializes in a quirky brand of power pop that is not much different from that of another band from that same region: Death Cab for Cutie. As a matter of fact, Death Cab's Chris Walla ... More >>

Obama's War on Weed

In a strange about-face, the President tries to hack medical marijuana off at the knees

Concussing Our Kids, One Hit At a Time

While pro sports finally fess up to the dangers of high-impact athletics, trainers, coaches, parents and lawmakers struggle to curb head injuries that are even more dangerous for kids.

The Globes' Erik Walters Tells Us The Problem With Overbearing Volume In Live Settings

The Globes​To this day, the mere mention of the term "Seattle Band" conjures up images of flannel and angst-fueled grunge more than it does the harmonic, beard-enrobed folk-rock that now serves as the rain-drenched city's chief musical export. But while the coffee-stained town seems to churn out t ... More >>

A Dallas woman romances elderly men, digs deep into their pockets and calls it love. The police have a different name for it: Sweetheart Swindle

A Little More Reading With This Week's Cover: Sweetheart Swindles, Romani Culture and "Gypsy Crime" Specialists

​This week's feature in the Paper Version of Unfair Park recounts the story of Victoria Peterson, a 40-year-old woman who's been accused by a handful of old men in Dallas of pretending at romance while she slowly bilked them out of their life savings.According to court docs and police reports, she ... More >>

Pop Quiz: Can You Tell One City from Another By Menus?

​I recently had occasion to look up a menu from a town where I used to live, and was startled by how ostentatiously it flaunted the region's culinary biases. The menu was so obviously issued by a restaurant in this particular town that I'm pretty sure I could pick it out of a line-up of 100 me ... More >>

We Highlighted (Almost) Every Mention of Dallas in State of Metropolitan America Report

​While Andrea was having an inexplicably good time at City Hall -- where, apparently, it's open bar during committee meetings now -- I was been reading the Brookings Institution's The State of Metropolitan America report released yesterday. It's been getting lot of attention, for the most part, be ... More >>

Oak Cliff Becomes Cool Embracing What Other Parts Of Dallas Have Fought: Builders, Bikes And Immigrants

With Shifting Attitudes and a Burgeoning Medical Marijuana Movement, the Future Looks Rosy for Legalized Weed

Wade Phillips: From Stumbledoofus to Superdoofus?

Hey, there's a smile.​The defense is excelling. The December Demons are exorcized. The Dallas Cowboys are in the playoffs. But is head coach Wade Phillips back next season? I'm sticking to Phillips being a Dead Man Coaching, short of a trip to the Super Bowl, but it's sounding more and mor ... More >>

Friday's Unverified Fact About New Orleans

​The 'Boys travel to the Mighty Mississip on Saturday night. Next week we take another look at Washington. For today, a final "fact" about Leveetown and it's team...Because he is allergic to nutria, Saints running back Reggie Bush dines on faux nutria at team meals. Although it's smaller and less ... More >>

Avatar: All That Glitters Isn't Gold

Seriously Now, You Think the Dallas Cowboys Will Make the Playoffs?

Sorry, but I believe in this guy more than the guy coaching the Cowboys.​As I've said since since, oh, I dunno, last January, this Dallas Cowboys' season was doomed the moment owner Jerry Jones decided to bring back head coach Wade Phillips. There were times when his promises to be tou ... More >>

Whitt's End: 12.11.09

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *You heard it here first back in October as a sorta be-on-the-lookout rumor. Now it's more solid, as in, Michael Irvin's days on 103.3 FM ESPN are numbered. Radio industry sources keep telling me h ... More >>

So That's Why Governor Rick Perry Jumped On the Tea Party Bandwagon

Danny FulgencioGovernor Rick Perry​For polling purposes, Rasmussen Reports pretended the Tea Party movement organized as a political party and then tossed it into a ménage with the GOP and Dems. On a generic congressional ballot test using the three parties, 23 percent of respondents to a nationa ... More >>

Soldiers of Misfortune: Months Before An Army Psychiatrist Went on a Rampage at Fort Hood, A Texas Army Sergeant Allegedly Murdered Five Troops By Non-hostile Fire in Iraq.

Pairing Off: Beef Jerky

Patrick Michels​It's hard to square the popularity of beef jerky with our love of low-sodium foods and really thick steaks. But there it is, an ancient staple available in every gas station, convenience store and grocery in the U.S.Who can resist the stuff, really? The flavors are dense and often ... More >>

See, We Asked Bill White That Question Four Times Because We Knew He Was BS'ing Us

Sam Merten​There's a reason why I went to see Houston Mayor Bill White during his stop in Plano last month. It wasn't because he was one of many folks vying for Kay Bailey Hutchison's job in the Senate, although I suppose that would have warranted the trip. Nope. I've long viewed White as the ... More >>

Packers 17, Plowboys 7: My Top 10 Observations.

Scott What's stranger: That the Cowboys lost in Green Bay or that Carly Patterson is still signing autographs?​10. I said on Sunday's pre-game show on 105.3 The Fan that the only way the Dallas Cowboys could lose to the Green Bay Packers was to commit 3-plus turnovers. The Cowboys committe ... More >>

Night Moves: Let Me Help You With That

Ray and Peter LekNadastrom​The Washington-based DJ team Nadastrom headlined at Lizard Lounge Saturday night, while the club filled with people flashing signs, showing midriffs and doing what the kids these days call dancing. Meanwhile, Excuses hosted a showcase of local DJs at their Winter Thrust. ... More >>

And Then There Were Two: Mavs Announce the Finalists For The Voice of The AAC

​The Dallas Mavericks' Matt Miller just sent word: The team has narrowed down its list of 10 would-be Humble Billys to two finalists: Sean Heath and Michael Taylor. They shot to the top of the list following a few in-game tryouts; and your votes didn't hurt neither. Both will take their final shot ... More >>

Karl Blau

Zebra (K)

American Baseball, the European Way

​Even if European soccer owner Tom Hicks convinced Major League Baseball to inject the same screwy tables that govern soccer into America's pasttime your Texas Rangers wouldn't be a playoff team. But, alas, they wouldn't be relegated, either. If baseball were run according to European soccer ... More >>

Mark Cuban: Super Bowl or Bust?

​It wasn't exactly as declarative as when Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones injected his all-or-nothing expectations into the season a month ago, but Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban believes his team is as good - actually, better - than the one that went to the NBA Finals in 2006. "The ... More >>

The police raid on the Rainbow Lounge has rocked the world of Fort Worth gays

From Your Hometown To The Reality Tube, Catching Up With Summer's Dallas-Bred TV Stars

Megan Wants A Millionaire's David Cohen​In gearing up for Project Runway, we've been checking out Louise Black's fashions. We've also been gut-checking to see if we can handle watching Dallas' David Cohen on, um, Megan Wants a Millionaire (because Beauty & the Geek, Rock of Love and I Love Mon ... More >>

At Transportation Summit, Kay Bailey Hutchison Knocks Perry's Roads Record

​Senator and gubernatorial hopeful Kay Bailey Hutchison used her appearance today at the Transportation Summit to establish her cred as someone committed to "a state-of-the-art transportation system" while knocking Rick Perry's support for tollways and the Trans Texas Corridor. Speaking at the Omn ... More >>

Blessed With Sexy Synthpop Satire, Altar Boyz Zings

Dallas Mavericks 2009-10 Schedule

​Shawn Marion. Drew Gooden. Roddy Beaubois. Quinton Ross. Count ABC among the non-believers in your new-and-maybe-sorta-somehwhat improved Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs' schedule for next season has them appearing nine times on ESPN, seven times on NBATV, four times on TNT and, um, zero tim ... More >>

In The Loop Is Political Satire Done Right

Pete Sessions and His Lead Zeppelin

​In a lengthy piece published early this morning, Politico notes Pete Sessions's public stance on earmarks: "a symbol of a broken Washington to the American people." Except, see, there was this one time, in 2008, when the Congressman from the Fightin' 32nd "steered a $1.6 million earmark for dirig ... More >>

Governor Rick Perry Doesn't Talk Hutchison or Secession at Fund-Raiser, Instead Brags About $9 Billion in "Rainy Day" Funds

Sam Merten​Governor Rick Perry touted the Legislature's ability to balance the state's budget while stashing away $9 billion in "rainy day" funds during a Dallas County Republican Party fund-raiser this afternoon at Edison's. "That is the type of government that America is looking for," he ... More >>

Yeah, But What If Baseball Went To The European Football Table?

I know the Texas Rangers swept the previously mighty Boston Red Sox and we're all atwitter about the American League West division race heading into August ... September ... maybe even October? But what if baseball were governed according to, say, European football standards? You know, the top ... More >>

How a Local Rally For Obama's Health Care Proposal Turned Into a Rally Against It

Kimberly ThorpeQ Coleman, a Dallas Tea Party member and one of those who outnumbered the MoveOn.org'ers at Senator Cornyn's office today Local MoveOn.org members had penciled in on today's schedule a protest in front of Senator John Cornyn's Spring Valley Road office, during which they had hope ... More >>

You Want Dim Sum of This? Plano's About to Get Texas's First 99 Ranch Market.

Far as I can tell, there are no 99 Ranch Market groceries in Texas -- most are way out west, in California, Washington and Nevada (with the stray site in Atlanta). To the relatively short list, add Plano: GlobeSt.com reports this morning that the 25-year-old Asian grocery store chain will take over ... More >>

Laura Miller: Coal Plant Promoter

First the Stock's Downgraded. Then, Some Chili's Abruptly Close.

Laura Miller Ain't No One's Publicist

Dirty Talk: Laura Miller on "Carbon Sequestration" and "Pulverized Coal"

...And the Law Won

How Now Mad Cow?

For Texas cattle ranchers, "What's for dinner?" is a touchy question

Slaughterhouse Jive

Dallas-based Supreme Beef fought what it believes are unfair regulations, only to wind up on the USDA's killing floor

A Star Is Björk

The Icelandic pop icon is the best thing in the mostly horrid Dancer in the Dark

Blink

Commerce gets the cash

Custer's grand stand

Chef Danielle Custer pushes the culinary envelope with Laurels