If you spend a lot of years as a reporter, you get to know a lot of people, none of them well. It’s all about popping in and out of lives quickly when something makes them newsworthy. Maybe later you wish you knew more. I had that regret this morning…
I can’t believe people are saying the new Big Tex is Mexican. I would be fine with that. But it’s so obviously not the case. The new Big Tex is a Muslim Pakistani. How can people not see that? The face of the new giant Big Tex statue, erected this…
What a difference a Williams makes. This morning — on the day Dallas school trustees are supposed to decide whether to pull the rug from under reform Superintendent Mike Miles — I looked at two sets of reports on the school district, one from Don Williams, the retired real estate…
The air is thick with the sweet smell of fried Pepcid. The Texas Star Ferris wheel beckons your sweaty butt to its benches. As you read this, a kid is puking up a Fletcher’s corny dog on the Midway, just as a yellow-naped parrot bird-diarrheas onto audience heads at the…
Welcome to Alice Column, in which Alice Laussade writes stories about things on (roughly) the same day of (roughly) every week, making it (roughly) a column. Got an idea for a column? Start your own blog and write it up, you lazy shit. Dearest Every Current Retailer, You always have…
Dear Mexican: With the current state and federal prison system spitting out even harder criminals due to overcrowding and gang activity allowed to a certain degree by the “system,” and considering the small percentage of inmates who actually make it out and live positive lives … why are some legislators,…
OK, enough about you, let’s talk about me for a change. I had the very weird experience last week of covering a Dallas school board meeting where a lot of the story I was covering seemed to be about … well, you know … me. Yours truly. It was sooo…
Santiago Calatrava. Did it ever occur to you to take him home to meet your mom? He’s not supposed to be your wife. Be fair about this. This is a unique call to action for Dallas. We are in a position to defend the famous Spanish architect from terribly unfair…
About four years ago, some flyers started circulating around the Dallas-area rehearsal facilities for White Cane Studios. They’d shoot a music video for you, complete start-to-finish job, for (I believe) $250. Fast forward to present, and Johny Cane and his partners have shot videos for Here Holy Spain, The Virgin…
Welcome to Alice Column, in which Alice Laussade writes stories about things on (roughly) the same day of (roughly) every week, making it (roughly) a column. Got an idea for a column? Start your own blog and write it up, you lazy shit. Dear Sleeping-Through-the-Night Jesus: You were a baby…
So today the daily newspaper tells me my cell phone is the portal through which Texas is being subjected to a massive text-message spam and phone-call phishing attack. You think? Because that would explain the endless text messages I have received in recent weeks informing me that my pay-day loan…
Those 9 p.m. sunsets are creeping closer and closer to a reasonable hour. The heat stays but something about the sticky September afternoons reminds us of summer’s conclusion. Whatever magic it brings is dwindling. The school zones have lit up, those of us with summer vacations have bid them adieu…
Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist and is the author of The Girls’ Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to…
The pressure to spit out news stories as fast as they happen, a disinclination to provide linkages that might look too subjective, a simple failure in our own ability to see: for whatever reason, we in the news business seldom show you how the stories we present to you are…
Late last night the Dallas school board carried out an hours-long closed-door session where they listened to an investigative report into alleged policy violations by school Superintendent Mike Miles. The report by attorney Paul Coggins cleared Miles of all of the legal and policy violations of which he was accused…
Saturday at 10 a.m. at the City Performance Hall on Flora Street, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, City Council member Dwaine Caraway and Dallas County Commissioner Elba Garcia will host an event called “Conversations About Race,” in which I was not invited to participate. Well how do you like that? I…
Dear Mexican: Can I “Ask a Mexican” why El Tri sucks so much? And why a little stadium in Columbus, Ohio, was louder and more passionate than Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, which seats more than 100,000? Can I also ask why a country that lives and breathes soccer/fútbol always…
Channel 8 WFAA TV investigative reporter Brett Shipp had a big piece on last night’s 10 p.m. News Update newscast about Dallas school Superintendent Mike Miles facing “new allegations of policy violations.” I disagree with the piece, especially as it painted media relations consultant Lisa LeMaster, but that doesn’t make…
This week, LM’M turns to “most interesting name” award recipient, Moody Fuqua. Fuqua has logged plenty of time as a local musician, and talent buyer, most recently for the stage at Crown and Harp, who are getting ready to host a benefit Saturday night for one of Fuqua’s inspirations in…
Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist and is the author of The Girls’ Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to…
On Sunday The Dallas Morning News printed an essay on its op-page by Austin writer John Savage about teaching in what he calls “the worst school in Texas.” It’s a piece that has been making the rounds from Salon to the blog of Diane Ravitch, a former champion of school…
Wouldn’t want you to miss a very interesting letter to the editor in today’s Dallas Morning News from architect/civic activist Bill Booziotis about a recent review by Mark Lamster of the star-crossed arts district condo building called “Museum Tower.” (Hey, do me a favor. Get a sandwich, a cold drink,…
