There’s this cool cat I know–Byron. At least that’s the name that the family uses daily–I’m not privy to his other two names, after all. He parades around our shared courtyard with a distinguished yet mischievous air, and I’m fairly convinced that he’s actually a runaway stage performer from one…
When it comes to “things I love,” Billy Joel and various foodstuffs are always at the top of the list. I’ve been living here in Allentown (er, Obsessionville) since my childhood, and happily the two worlds collided a few years ago when Billy married foodie Katie Lee Joel. As more…
Chalk up another one for the “you can’t judge a book by its cover” crowd. Here I was, all stoked for Journeys Backyard BBQ, planning for an afternoon of yummy barbecue ribs and some “Don’t Stop Believin'” sing-alongs in a park somewhere, but once again it seems as though they…
Moms are way different than dads. For Father’s Day you can just give the old man a bottle of scotch and the remote control and you’re home free, but you have to put a bit more effort into Mother’s Day. After all, she’s the one who went through 30 hours…
See Frankie Valli at the Meyerson I thought that the organizers of the “A Special Evening With…” fund-raisers had lost their touch. Past performers have included Tony Bennett, Ray Charles and Tom Jones, so when they announced that this year’s performance would be by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons,…
Within the past year, I’ve managed to murder roughly a dozen plants; daisies, aloe and peace lilies (among others) have all fallen to the wayside in my pursuit of a green thumb. For a while I blamed freaky Texas weather, but I know that’s not possible, because only a couple…
If you wave your Texas flag with pride, then this weekend you should go east of Big D and check out Mesquite’s Real. Texas. Festival. The Real Texans will come out and enjoy events like the Taste of Mesquite Barbecue Competition (a stepping stone to the National Barbecue Championship), Old…
Wikipedia is my source of all sources, so when the idea of covering the Frisco RoughRiders came up, I went the wiki way. Sadly, there wasn’t too much info, but then I realized that this may be a good thing. See, we have an excellent opportunity to get in on…
Frogs are where it’s at. There was Kermit, Jeremiah, Keroppi and don’t forget sweet little Frogger. All of them are sweet, loveable creatures and damn if the kids don’t love ’em. But toads? Well they tend to be the more crotchety of the amphibious fellows, getting a bad rap on…
Not to sound overly cynical, but nothing can cheer me up better than sarcastic fingers pointing at the dystopian world we’ve made for ourselves. If you’re anything like me, then you’ll surely enjoy UnNatural Disasters, the exhibition that UTD faculty member Greg Metz has put together. A show that will…
For a brief moment in college I considered studying architecture or design. Then I realized how much math was going to be involved in those fields, so I went running toward the safety of the literature department, but that doesn’t mean that I ever lost interest. For those that do…
Not your parents’ dinner theater, the Improv (4980 Belt Line Road, Suite 250) is hosting Tales from the Hood’s dinner play Sex, Lies & Desperate Housewives. Dubbed “the Who Done It with Ghetto Flair,” the Murder Mystery Theater event sounds like a cliché if I’ve ever heard one—no wonder it’s…
My afternoon drive home lasts all of about 15 minutes every day, but that 10 minutes is usually spent flipping between All Things Considered and the Russ Martin Show. One side of the dial keeps me informed while the other side keeps me entertained. I can’t help it—the man and…
Remember how totally lame it was last year, when Dallas’ only sold-out game (thanks to Mr. Posh Spice) was a surreal experience in sports-watching? A sold-out, standing-room-only spectacle turned into just another disappointment, ending in a score I shudder to think about, and it earned Landycakes Donovan a permanent place…
It’s the age-old question—are you a rocker or a mod? OK, maybe it’s not “age-old,” but this weekend it’s not going to matter anyway, because the city will be brimming with both at the Rockers vs. Mods Second Annual City of Hate Rally. The three-day event will be packed with…
Oh, what it must be like to be Valerie Bertinelli. If I had to spend the rest of my life known as a) that chick from One Day at a Time, b) the fool who spent more than two decades of her life married to Eddie Van Halen and c)…
I spent most of my high school years living under the delusion that I would one day be Mrs. John Linnell. I mean seriously, who doesn’t love a floppy-haired goofball with an accordion? Alas, my dreams were thwarted by that crazy thing called reality, but for the record, They Might…
Fine dining is what you make of it, and Chamberlain’s Steak and Chop House is making it an event at the Winter 2008 Cigar Dinner. The feast, featuring such treats as pecan fried oysters, 40-day-aged rib eye and baked Alaska, will be served with a series of Ashton cigars as…
Flexibility and coordination are two attributes that a lot of us struggle with, but not for a lack of trying. Stomping around on a Dance Dance Revolution pad is exhausting, and Pilates kicks our asses every time we try it, so chances are that Edward Clark and his Tripsichore Yoga…
I know you want some, but chances are you won’t be able to head to your local grocer of choice to pick up a jar of Monster Jam anytime soon. Sure, nothing says “yummy treat” like a Frankenstein Zombie Marmalade sandwich with a side of Vampire crisps, but that’s not…
What do you do when you’re a reputable university with a permanent art collection that’s been unstudied for years? If you’re UNT, you get a bunch of art history grad students at the College of Visual Arts and Design to spend a semester to research and write scholarly texts about…
You have to wonder about the need for Grady Spears’ The Texas Cowboy Kitchen cookbook around these parts. If we want Matt’s Famous Austin-Style Chalupas, we can just head over to Matt’s in Lakewood, and we should all know how to make a proper Frito pie. But if you’re new…
