A hundred years ago, when I was a city desk reporter for the Dallas Times Herald, there was a certain dreaded 4 a.m. phone call I used to get from the late Ernie Makovy, one of the great breaking-news city desk editors of all time, usually having to do with…
Last week Friend of Unfair Park Shaggy predicted that the Tea Party will get over its aversion to congressional earmarks in however long it takes for the Triple R’s (Really Really Rich People) to get Dick Armey to convey the new post-election marching orders down to the tri-cornered-hat persons: “Earmarks…
Welcome to Local Music’Mericans, where we’ll be meeting some people behind the local music scene who aren’t musicians, but more behind-the-scenes folk. If you’ve ever gone to see a rock band in Deep Ellum, he was likely your maitre’ d, of sorts. He’s one of those guys that often finds…
In my narrow and twisted personal universe, everything is about the trinity River Project, even today’s closing arguments in Austin in the money laundering trial of former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Follow me into the labyrinth. People ask me all the time, “Who’s behind this thing?” Dallas’s multi-billion…
TCU is by far the best college football team in Texas. The Horned Frogs could have easily won the Big 12 this season. TCU, in fact, can beat any team in the country. But even with the best defense in the country, TCU is defenseless against the BCS. With another…
Wilonsky sent me an interesting Wall Street Journal article this morning by Jonathan Weisman talking about the shift of power that would be brought about by a Republican-backed ban on congressional earmarks. The great irony is that an earmark ban shifts power and leverage to the Democrat in the White…
Whether you’re at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt’s End: *Next Tuesday Josh Hamilton wins AL MVP. Right? *The good news: Greggo’s “pus pockets” are gone. The bad: He’s been told not to talk for 10 days. Ten! Means a couple…
Dallas Park Czar Mike Rawlings — current president of the Park and Recreation Board, former homeless czar (he was not homeless, he was helping them), former Pizza Hut CEO and ad guy — declares in The Dallas Morning News today that he wants the Dallas park system to be one…
Friday I’m going to this thing at the home of garden designer Robert Bellamy called “Light a Fire,” some kind of dinner deal to make people more aware of the problem of bullying of gay kids and suicide. I do things like this because I’m a great guy and my…
Dear Mexican: I’m thinking of moving to Mexico. I’m a first-generation mexicano. Speaking with my parents about moving, they’re absolutely against it, insisting that it’s violent and that I should be proud of being an American. I’m not looking to lose my American-ness, but just want to add some more…
Not to be cranky or anything, but it’s really irritating to read all this crap about congressional earmarks and realize nobody knows what the hell they’re talking about. Stories in both The Dallas Morning News and The New York Times today paint the whole debate on earmarks in typical who’s-on-first…
Welcome to Local Music’Mericans, where we’ll be meeting some people behind the local music scene who aren’t musicians, but more behind-the-scenes folk. Kim Keebler was raised in Deep Ellum as a young pup. Her first concert was there: The Dead Kennedys, back in the mid ’80s.She bought her first car…
Whether you’re at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt’s End: *The Dallas Cowboys began the season at 9/1 odds to make the Super Bowl. At the halfway point of the season they are now 500/1. The over/under for wins for interim…
What’s the deal with all the Mexican song lyrics about lágrimas and llorando? We all know most Mexican men are más machos dudes and all that, so why all the songs about tears and crying? Even if a gabacho cries, he doesn’t try to advertise it and certainly does not…
[jump] *Deservedly so, the Rangers are milking their success. Manager Ron Washington will drop the puck at tonight’s Stars game and C.J. Wilson will drive the pace car before Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 out at Texas Motor Speedway. *Somehow Taylor Swift’s new album sold over a million in its first week…
Dear Mexican: I’m totally serious about my e-mail, so please forgive me if my question sounds ridiculous. I also mean no insult to anyone about my question or questions in this e-mail. There are a lot of antsy/jittery people along the United States’ southern border. Lots of those antsy people…
I want to catch you up on a story I told you about in September, concerning Josh and Jenn Terry, both 29 years old, who were rehabilitating an apartment building in North Oak Cliff. It’s sort of a Halloween story. Before starting their project, the Terrys checked in with the…
Democratic incumbent Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson raised $548,514 to run for re-election and won with 75.76 percent of the vote, which was not up to her standard snuff. In 2006, the 17-year veteran raised only $411,189 but won with 80.19 percent. Of course, that was before scholar-gyp. Johnson was surpassed…
A while back I wrote about a motorcycle accident on 75 that killed two of my friends, Ernie and Elisa Santos. Today I come bearing bittersweet news: The driver of the white pickup, whose recklessness was the first domino that caused the accident, has been arrested and charged with two counts…
So leave it to me. Here it is Sunday night. I’m sitting on the porch handing out Halloween candy and trying to be nice. But I am gnashing my teeth. On Saturday The Dallas Morning News published a story about Halloween in my neighborhood. Much mention was also made of…
Scarrots. Apparently, they’re not a joke. I heard of them recently and thought that my friend was just making up some cutesy word for carrots. But, Scarrots really exist. Turns out, “A Bunch of Carrot Farmers” (led by Bolthouse Farms) are trying to trick kids into eating carrots this Halloween…
