Being a sports fan can be pretty hard work–especially when your team isn’t doing so well. It’s a labor of love to have team spirit when the odds are against you, but not everyone’s a fair-weather fan in this town, and there’s always a chance for a big comeback. Luckily…

Attending a gallery show can be a bit like walking into a dark room–there may be a happy surprise waiting for you, or you may want to run away screaming in horror. Luckily you know that shows at Conduit Gallery fall into the first category, as they’ve built a reputation…

Moms and dads are two totally different entities. Biological differences aside, moms need recognition and appreciation, whereas dads need to be respected and left alone. This would be why Mother’s Day has always been a bigger deal–forget to do something nice for mom and you’ll be in the doghouse for…

Yes, it’s Cinco de Mayo again. No, we still don’t fully understand the fact that it isn’t Mexico’s Independence Day (that’s in September). Regardless, we still love a reason to party, and now’s as good a time as any. In honor of Mexico’s beat-down of the French, it’s time to…

The Hebrew calendar is a tricky thing. Historically speaking, the State of Israel declared its independence on May 14, 1948, but chances are you won’t find people waving flags and shooting off fireworks next month. No, Israel Independence Day, or Yom Ha’atzmaut as it’s known, is actually celebrated on the…

It was only a matter of time before the knitting craze and the world of chick lit collided into one club, and author Kate Jacobs is the reigning president. The woman behind the soon-to-be-a-motion-picture novel The Friday Night Knitting Club and its sequel, Knit Two, just released what is sure…

Known as the sport of kings, Thoroughbred horse racing has a devoted following, but for real fans, it’s about more than just the Triple Crown. Sure, you want to get started on shopping for this year’s Kentucky Derby hat, but before that time comes, you better pick your pony and…

If you think a honeymoon cruise down the Nile sounds like a good idea, be forewarned–some pretty sketchy stuff has been known to go down there. If you find yourself trapped on a boat with your new hubby’s stalker and an odd assortment of other characters, jump ship and head…

Sometimes partnerships can be a beautiful thing. Take, for example, FC Dallas’ partnership with Brazil’s Clube Atletico Paranaense. Given that MLS players are all older than the league itself, we have to acknowledge the fact that we’re the newbies in the world’s favorite sport (the other football). With that in…

One day soon opera will make a comeback, and now’s as good of a time as any to get your start. With the opera being declared the place to be on a recent episode of Gossip Girl, it’s only a matter of time before the young and the beautiful start…

There’s a sure-fire way to check if someone’s worth their salt—check out their Wikipedia page. Take, for instance, Neil Sperry. With the upcoming All Texas Garden Show With Neil Sperry happening this weekend, you have to wonder just what kind of horticulture god gets to be included in the official…

Here’s a little observation: Whenever The Chieftains come through town (and it’s a surprisingly frequent occurrence), it’s always with special guests. In fact, it seems like they’ve made a career out of collaborations, as everyone from Tom Jones to Elvis Costello to Ziggy Marley has taken to the studio or…

To tell the truth, the only time I’ve ever seen Sasha Cohen was on an episode of Project Runway, and I have to say that ice skating fashion leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Though maybe if you slathered some grape jelly on it, it could be a little…

Naming a play after a Betty Wright hit song of the ’70s, playwright J.D. Lawrence sure knows how to point out one particularly messy solution of marital woes. The national touring production of Lawrence’s The Clean Up Woman, opening this week, is not feminist-friendly–it’s the story of journalist Terri Adams,…

I’ve got a thing for China. Home of the giant panda, Wong Kar Wai and last year’s amazing Summer Olympics opening ceremony, I’m pretty well convinced that it’s a country of millions of talented (albeit short) people who could kick our creative asses, if only for the years of practice…

Kids are like sponges, soaking up information left and right–especially the bookworms. I’m sure most rued the day they picked up a copy of Animal Farm, expecting a tale of Old MacDonald or something and instead getting an earful about the terrors of Animalism/Stalinism and a distaste for pork. Well,…

You wouldn’t think that mid-January would be prime garden-walking time, but Texas Discovery Gardens in Fair Park, a 7.5-acre organic public garden in East Dallas, has found a surefire way to lure you in. Every third Saturday they have guided garden walks, and this weekend they’ve got a winner with…

There is something frighteningly awesome about the mind of Martin McDonagh. The British playwright, known for his black humor and sometimes disturbing story lines (see the award-winning The Pillowman) recently graced the world with his first feature film, In Bruges, but now local audiences get to see McDonagh’s work the…

There are few things worse than a man falling asleep on the job, and if you’re Sleeping Beauty, then that can mean nothing but trouble. In the life of Sleeping Beauty, the prince had only one job–wake her (and everybody else) up with a kiss. Most guys would kill for…

In my upcoming art appreciation course, I expect to learn a few things. As an art newbie, I’m more accepting of “traditional” art, and I can’t seem to wrap my mind around the idea of “digital art paintings.” When I think of paint, I imagine a viscous, pigmented medium like…

Living only a block away from the million-dollar homes on Swiss Avenue, I have to wonder who’s been dropping the ball lately. The Halloween turnout was lackluster at best, and there’s nary a Christmas light on display right now–it’s a far cry from the old days of decorations galore. Highland…

At some point in time, every little girl gets the sinking suspicion that she was adopted. Who cares if she’s the spitting image of her mother–there are persistent memories of days in an orphanage, singing, dancing and scrubbing toilets for the horrid Ms. Hannigan while waiting for her real parents…