The Truth About Harriet

The Truth About Harriet Born-again bias: While reading “Die-In” (by Jim Schutze, October 6), I could not help but notice that everyone who is quoted in the article praising Harriet Miers as a politician does not seem to grasp the fact that if she is appointed to the U.S. Supreme…

Over the Edge

The sun hung in the sky behind the 400-year-old oak trees that surround Thee Hubbell House. Tim Carmichael, round and bearded, paced the front lawn of the historic bed and breakfast in Winnsboro, mowing the grass. It had been six weeks since he’d seen Paul, and his hope hadn’t run…

Wailing on Each Other

Wailing on Each Other A musical feud hits the accordion world About a minute after the first caveman began banging two rocks together in rhythm, another caveman came along and called him a sellout for commercializing the avalanche sound. Since then, no genre of music has been without its bitter…

No DeLay

No DeLay: Until last week, only one publication–this one–had written a word about Mark Birnbaum and Jim Schermbeck’s documentary The Big Buy, about Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle’s investigation into the doings of the Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee (TRMPAC), which, during the 2002 election season,…

On Thin Ice

Ties were created for Troy Dungan, calf ropin’ and Anna Kournikova’s brother. So by replacing overtime draws with sudden-death shootouts, the NHL got one right. One down, infinity to go. In case you’re one of the oblivious millions, the Dallas Stars are back in business and desperately searching for fans…

Bill-Whipped

Bill-Whipped Master of manipulation: Richie Whitt threw a tight, accurate spiral over leaping defenders with his latest column, “Invinci-Bill” (September 29). As a lifelong Dallasite, I’ve watched a local sports media that usually enjoys ripping the udders off local sacred cows with venom suddenly become “B-Whipped”…Bill-Whipped. From the moment he…

Invinci-Bill

Pass the milk and dab your doilies; the Cowboys media is suddenly softer than Tony Siragusa’s third chin. Coach Bill Parcells exhibited all the killer instinct of the Dalai Lama in the catastrophic collapse against the Redskins. His Cowboys ran when they should’ve passed, passed when they should’ve run and…

Pretty Woman

Like all the other guests invited to Mayor Laura Miller’s black-tie fundraiser, Ralph Isenberg and his girlfriend left their car in a parking lot and boarded a DART bus. Though both were underdressed for the occasion, Miller had invited them at the last minute, and Isenberg wanted her to get…

Thanks, But No Thanks

Thanks, But No Thanks In Dallas, troubled FEMA can’t even give away money In the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina battered New Orleans and 25,000 of the city’s residents fled to Dallas County, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) aggravated local leaders by its languid response and lack of clear…

Go on, flame us

Go on, flame us: It’s been a busy few weeks here at Buzz central, as we’ve been doing our part to help put together the massive Best of Dallas issue you hold in your hands. It’s a lot of work, and it’s not over yet. Now comes the part where…

Del From Hell

Del From Hell Caught up in the vision: I’m writing as someone who worked with Del Hendrixson (“Jesus in a Mullet,” by Rick Kennedy, September 22) for more than a year–from late 2002 through February 2003. I initially happened upon Del when my wife was working with one of Del’s…

Opportunity Poops

Opportunity poops: Listen up, editors of Dog Fancy magazine: You missed the scoop (that’s our last bit of wordplay, we promise) when you excluded Dallas from the list of Top 10 canine-friendly cities in your current issue. Houston made the list. Austin made it. But not Big D, a city…

Poor and Pitiful

Poor and Pitiful Victims of their own choices: Yet another condescending “save the poor from themselves” article (“The Big Squeeze,” by Paul Kix, September 8). People are free to choose whether to borrow from payday loan companies. It may not be the cheapest source of money, but these folks obviously…

Calling All Film Geeks

Calling All Film Geeks Dinner and a movie and something better coming to Casa Linda Dallas film buffs rejoiced to learn that the old Casa Linda Theater, which has been dark for six years, will become an Alamo Drafthouse, named in August the best movie theater in America by Entertainment…

Three Kings

C’mon, they deserve better than that. Three of the greatest all-time Cowboys treat us to Super Bowl trophies, a gazillion goose bumps and eternal smiles. In appreciation, we bestow upon them a moniker conjured from an implausible genetic connection and the cunning craftiness of counting to one, two, three. Troy…

Jesus in a Mullet

The first thing that catches your eye when you walk into Bajito Onda is the prison art. A four-panel screen near the front entrance is covered in it, as are most of the nearby walls. More boards and canvases lean against the baseboard, stacked three deep. The painstakingly crafted images…

Letters

Sorry Sack Liar, liar, liar: I served with the 1-120th Infantry (the unit Phil Haberman deployed to Iraq with) as the S3 (Operations Officer). I first met Specialist Haberman at Fort Bragg in February 2004 a few days before we deployed to Iraq (“G.I. Jerk,” by Glenna Whitley, September 1)…

Not so public

Not so public: Buzz’s congratulations go out to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott for winning the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas’ James Madison Award for his work on behalf of open government. Good for you, General Abbott, now about those Dallas Observer public records requests… “Texas functions best when…

Cell Disease

Four days into his short stint at Dallas County’s jail at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center, Mark McLeod talked with his public defender about a plea agreement that could set him free the next afternoon. The attorney remembers that her new client talked slowly as his wide, dark eyes offered…

Assist, Avery

Who dat? Back in 1987 it was the catchy Cajun battle cry of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints. But last week outside Reunion Arena it was just one of the hundreds of questions from the thousands of evacuees. Is my family alive? How do I get food? Where am I…

Better Homes

UTD reverses course, announces improvements at its Waterview dorm In April, officials at the University of Texas at Dallas said conditions at the Waterview Park Apartments, the nation’s largest private dorm, couldn’t be better. Robert Lovitt, then the top university official over Waterview, called it “one of the best success…

After the Flood

For Judge Margaret Keliher and other volunteers, theres little calm after the storm The calm surprises, even overwhelms. You expect, when the elevator doors slide open, to be greeted by chaos–the sight of dozens of people scurrying about, poring over plans, shouting into cell phones, begging for help. You expect…