Lauren O’Connor Opens the History Books For Girls Rock Dallas

See also: Girls Rock Dallas gets some help from Amanda Palmer You might have seen a little blurb here or there on DC9 about Girls Rock Dallas, a new non-profit summer camp for girls, in which they learn how to play, write, record and market their own songs. The first…

Mind Your Manners: Getting Your Emily Post On At the Bar

Generally, I take my muses in the form of flappers, gypsies and Dolly Parton. I also heed the advice of Emily Post. Her regard for manners and civility may swing square to some, but I find her devoted involvement to the enjoyment of others helps conquer narcissism and ensures a…

A Plan for Fair Park: Bulldoze It

Over at The Dallas Morning News uniblog, my former colleague Robert Wilonsky has an item keeping us up to date on plans to turn Fair Park in South Dallas into a year-round commercial amusement park, an idea about which I have no personal objections or, for that matter, especially strong…

The Top 10 Bands at Warped Tour

See also: The Warped Tour in review Judging by the horde at Gexa Energy Pavilion on Tuesday, the local economy is doing just fine. Out of the nearly 100 bands that performed at this year’s fest, I’ve whittled it down to the 10 best that I literally stumbled across. As…

GOP Arguments Against Obamacare Leave Me Empty-Handed

So I’m doing a this-hand versus that-hand thing in my head on Obamacare. Everybody says the Republicans are going to make this year’s presidential election a referendum on the Affordable Care Act. I just want to be ready. On the one hand, Affordable Care will encourage tons of poor people…

The Five Best Independence Day Songs

Since those bombs are about to be bursting in air, here are a few songs to go along with the noise. I know that some folks will be mad because I left anything from Springsteen off the list, but go ahead and add your own recommendations if you like…

Photographer Mike Brooks Was a Late Bloomer

Freelance photographer (and Observer contributor) Mike Brooks grew up in Hawaii. Pretty easy to fall in love with the visual arts there, but he didn’t start out as a music photographer. Since his days at the Punahou School in Honolulu, and two colleges in Northern California, he’s built a rep…

DC9 at Night’s Favorite Summer Songs

The summer I bought The Breeders’ Last Splash on cassette at the mall was the summer I dyed my hair with Kool-Aid, and woke up with ants on my pillow. It was the summer I lost my grandfather, though my mother swears that was him making our lights flicker every…

The Overserved Dips a Toe in Ku De Ta

It’s over 100 degrees these days. I know because, in addition to the endless polite conversations I’ve had regarding the topic, you keep taking pictures of thermometers. There is no ocean breeze to save us on these plains. There is only one savior: the pool. Enter Ku De Ta, where…

Why is Obama Stealing Mexico’s Bright Young People?

Dear Mexican: Barrack Hussein Obama, how you dare deprive Mexico of its young, educated people? These illegal aliens in the United States are the only hope for Mexico, and you want to keep them here. They could start businesses, create jobs and improve the standard of living for the people…

How to Cut the Price of Higher Ed: Don’t Pay It

So Teresa Sullivan, the president who didn’t cut costs at the University of Virginia, got her job back anyway. Meanwhile making the rounds of newspaper op-ed pages is an essay by Jeff Selingo, editorial director of The Chronicle of Higher Education, saying the way to get college costs down is…

The Light … It’s, It’s Coming!

I don’t know how to tell my wife. We’ve got to put this sucker on the market and move the hell out of here. It’s coming! It’s headed right for us! The light! The light is coming! WFAA Channel 8 news had a story last night about a rich lady…

The Overserved’s Party Wish List for Dallas

I love you, Dallas. I really do. This city has allowed me the thrill of chasing the next great party, or finding the weird new watering hole. One side effect to all this socializing is a little bit of longing. I mean this as one part love letter, one part…

Park Department Selling White Rock Lake Down the River

The Highland Park White Rock Lake Carnival Cruise Ship story comes into tighter focus with each passing hour, and so far the real story looks a little worse with every new detail. Not to take the onus off the Parkies at all, but I’ve been getting strong indications that another…