Sweet Chile o’ Yours

Remember when Bobby Flay thought it would be a good idea to throw down with a Texas chili-maker on that show of his? Yes, we were disappointed as well, and we’re guessing that the tie he “earned” was probably paid for with Food Network money. We all know that a…

Death on Two Wheels

Motorcycles are dangerous. This is a proven fact. But hey, you gotta die somehow, right? Might as well do it on one of the hundreds of sweet, tricked-out bikes and choppers on display this weekend at the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show. See hundreds of new 2008 models, as well…

Get Con-Fed Up

The Confederacy wants YOU! Let’s return to that golden time of warfare, before terrorists and IEDs, when soldiers lined up properly and attacked each other straight on in daylight like honorable men! With flags and drums and onlookers eating a picnic nearby…waaaaa?? Ah, there is much you need to learn…

Relax About Money

I don’t see how investing in armchairs could possibly be a good idea. Who buys them new? You can find armchairs free near practically any apartment complex Dumpster—if you don’t mind cigarette burns in the armrests, a mild cat odor or using a pair of vise-grip pliers for the footrest…

Far Out East

NOH—Angels, Demons and Dreamers is the new project by critically lauded performance artists Fred Curchack and Laura Jorgensen, known far and wide as purveyors of strange and wonderful theater. The five plays which make up the program—Dream of Katan, Sotoba Komachi, The Bird-Catcher in Hell, Shunkan in Exile and Hagoromo—will…

The Where We Were

Old maps are a great way of decorating. Whether framed or under glass on the coffee table, they offer a unique sense of character and sophistication. And they’re a lot cheaper than paying the ego-inflated prices of original art. To see how they might look on your walls (oh, and…

Pencil and Plastic

Apocalyptic graphite versus plastic transfers of youthful paint. Dunn and Brown Contemporary has done well to juxtapose two very different shows this go around. Robyn O’Neil’s This is our ending, this is our past. offers gigantic and dramatic graphite drawings that depict mind-bogglingly beautiful landscapes that are the backdrop for…

Pencil and Plastic

Apocalyptic graphite versus plastic transfers of youthful paint. Dunn and Brown Contemporary has done well to juxtapose two very different shows this go around. Robyn O’Neil’s This is our ending, this is our past. offers gigantic and dramatic graphite drawings that depict mind-bogglingly beautiful landscapes that are the backdrop for…

House Guest

If you’ve had a chance to catch Curb Your Enthusiasm this season, then you’ve probably laughed your ass off at Leon Black, the adopted houseguest/refugee played by comedian J.B. Smoove. Or perhaps you caught on to his comedic genius early, when he played Trucky in the bizarre 2001 comedy Pootie…

Golden Wishes

Congratulations are in order for the Dallas Opera, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this month! And, of course, the 50th means gold, so make sure to pick them up something nice. To kick off its 2007-2008 “Death by Diva” season, the Dallas Opera will be performing Verdi’s Macbeth at 7:30…

Catch a Bouquet

From 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. Saturday, bring your snooty nostrils and your uppity taste buds to WineFest at the Addison Conference Center, 15650 Addison Road, benefiting The 500 Inc. (a volunteer group that supports local arts organizations). There’ll be lots of wine and food from Blue Mesa, Clay Pit,…

Postcards From the Van

Mark Mothersbaugh is a true Renaissance man. Aside from being the man who we’ll forever know as the voice behind seminal new wave weirdos Devo, his IMDB list for film soundtracks goes on for days. He’s responsible for some of the best compositions in modern cinema, including the unforgettable tunes…

Cussin’ Right at You

Clive Cussler is one of those names that just about everyone is familiar with, whether or not you’re a fan of his work. He has written a few dozen adventure novels, and you’d be hard pressed to walk into any airport newsstand and not find one of his titles beckoning…

Rooms at War

In any war, there may be two main parties at battle, but the victims are far greater in number. There are the naïve soldiers, the injured soldiers, the families of military, injured civilians, those who must report on death and destruction on a daily basis, those that must worry about…

Halloween Hams

There’s nearly always a back story that saves you from ridicule once photos of you wearing tacky Halloween costumes surface yet again. For example, you can explain that your dying grandmother sent the Casper suit, so you just had to wear it. Famed Austin photographer Michael O’Brien has a collection…

To The Highest Bidder

This week, women will flock to Lower Greenville’s hottest douchebag holding pen, Zubar, and make spectacles of themselves while attempting to get laid over the course of three short hours. Sounds like my average Thursday, but apparently this time it’s special. The bar’s hosting a bachelor auction to benefit the…

Seasick Sailors

Good Records hosts the up-and-coming, nautically obsessed folk act Port O’Brien, who’ve been championed by everyone from singer/songwriter M. Ward to Pitchforkmedia.com. Stick around for Durham, North Carolina’s the Physics of Meaning and local favorites the Tah-Dahs. Mon., Nov. 12, 2007…

Yoga On the Cheap

Ever wanted to try yoga but thought you were too, uh, financially-challenged? Think again. Join instructors Gina Fore and Tara Kristof for an evening class that’s heavy on the basics and light on the wallet. Call 214-227-3610. Saturdays, 10:15 a.m.; Mon., Sept. 5, 5:15-6:15 & 6:30-7:30 p.m.; Mondays, 6-7 p.m.,…

Piece By Piece

Before Katrina hit and destroyed her native city, Melissa Turner Drumm relocated to Dallas unaware that she’d soon have artistic inspiration no one would ever hope for. Her city was flushed, razed and broken by nature and shoddy prevention. In Dallas, she not only had a place to view all…

Double Fantasy

Considering this item is in a paper funded by ads for titty bars, hopefully nobody reading it is part of Hannah Montana’s target demographic. So assuming you’re clueless, let me explain the Hannah Montana phenomenon: Malibu teenager Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus, daughter of Billy “Achy Breaky Heart” Ray) has a…

Steady Rockin’

Most rock and roll tries to be a badass thrill ride, every guitar lick fulfilling testosterone-fueled fantasies of living fast and dying young. But if real life were anything like the things that happen on Alice Cooper or Eminem records, we wouldn’t call banging 40 chicks and dumping some haters…

Book From Hell

I realize that the amount of time I devote to Cold Case Files, Forensic Files and other Court TV shows detailing gruesome investigations of murder and heinous crimes might be shocking to the average person. But to someone like Dallas native and author John Leake—who celebrates the release of his…