Just because you’re paranoid: So Buzz and the missus were doing our monthly shopping at Sam’s Club this weekend–bottled water, beer, toilet paper. When we got to the checkout, the clerk told us that our account had changed. We could no longer use a debit card but had to pay…

We here at the Dallas Observer want to say “thank you” to D magazine for naming Jim Schutze “best muckraker” in the mag’s upcoming August issue. Or, instead of “thank,” maybe we mean another word ending in “k,” because D’s compliment was backhanded. The magazine’s editors said Schutze’s column was…

Where’s the love? Your regular Buzz correspondent travels out of town for a week’s vacation, and only then Dallas decides to hold one of its most absurd political farces in the past decade. OK, we’re overstating it. The farcical comes fast and frequently from City Hall. Still, the sight of…

First the bad news, at least for the media: Since the U.S. Supreme Court declined this week to hear an appeal by two reporters found in contempt of court for refusing to reveal the names of confidential sources, journalists, especially in Texas, have scant protection from prosecutors who want to…

The news is a bit old now, but if you think Buzz is going to pass up a chance to riff about high school cheerleaders pooping on a pizza, then all we can say to you is “Welcome to Dallas, new reader!” We’re talking about the story widely reported last…

Two questions leaped to our mind when we saw the billboard for Amdecon along Interstate 35 near Oak Cliff, featuring a chalk outline of a dead body and offering cleanup for the aftereffects of homicides, suicides and decomposing corpses. First, has Dallas’ long reign at the top of the nation’s…

Arabs fighting Kurds. Israelis battling Palestinians. Americans vs. Iraqis. And so on. Can’t we all just get along? Or, barring that, can someone tell a black woman where she can get a decent, inexpensive haircut in this town? Stay with us; this will make sense shortly. A haircut is what…

Being the suspicious, cynical sort, Buzz couldn’t help but salivate a little bit when we heard that Mayor Laura Miller’s chief of staff, Crayton Webb, quit his job not long after the strong-mayor proposal was defeated. Not to paint an unduly harsh picture of Webb, who’s always been friendly, helpful…

First the good news: Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is all over the bureaucratic SNAFU that allowed convicted sex offenders to receive Viagra and other sex-enhancing drugs through the state’s Medicaid program. State Senator Florence Shapiro has agreed to attach an amendment drafted by the AG’s office to another bill…

Buzz is in Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective, mode this week, trying to get to the bottom of several mysteries: Who was the driver of the car that fled from the scene of a traffic accident involving Ricardo Medrano, brother of District 2 city council candidate Pauline Medrano? Why was political…

A quick note to those of you who think the media conspire to wield undue influence on politics: You can stop now. As apparent from the past weekend’s butt-beating of the strong-mayor proposal–supported by The Dallas Morning News, us and other media folk–we couldn’t influence our way to an order…

Dallas leaders often cite Houston as a city with ideas worth copying. Houston has a strong-mayor system, for instance, and its local government corporations and municipal management districts–private/public entities used to redevelop neighborhoods–are considered by some a pattern for redeveloping Dallas’ downtown. Now comes this little gem: banning BO. Last…

The fun vote: To the people who care–chiefly Dallas officeholders and the people who own them–the vote on the city’s strong-mayor initiative is the Most Important Issue in democracy since 1776. To everyone else in the city? Eh, not so much. After the first four days of early voting, Dallas…

After living in Texas for 21 years, Buzz has grown sort of fond of the place and is a little defensive when friends and family from out of state (damn Yankees) refer to Texans as a bunch of gun-totin’ truck-drivin’ ignorant goobers. That’s why, as we read a story in…

Occasionally, Buzz is called upon to answer questions from and provide quotes to reporters from other media. We do it–would be hypocrites otherwise–but we hate it, for a couple of reasons. First, you never know what another reporter is going to do with your words. Second, in more than 20…

So the mayor of a major Bible Belt city wants a gambling casino downtown. Hmm. That sorta sounds like big news to Buzz, but what do we know? Apparently a lot less–or more, your pick–than the editors of The Dallas Morning News, which reported last Friday at the tail end…

First, Buzz offers apologies to the people who took time to talk with us last week. See, we had another column lined up about perceived bias at The Dallas Morning News, then came Al Lipscomb, so that one will have to wait. Not that we’re happy about it. Now, you…

Before we begin, Buzz would like to take a moment to say something we never thought we’d say to any woman: Paris Hilton, please keep your damn shirt on. Seriously, woman, thanks to the Internet, we’ve seen those two prostheses you call breasts more often in the past weeks than…

Buzz is a little late getting around to reporting this–been busy and all–so forgive us for sharing a little old news about a class action lawsuit filed against Belo Corp. for its recent circulation woes. You may be aware of the suit if you read the business section of The…

First, a little mundane personal anecdote: Buzz’s home was broken into a couple of weeks ago. Mrs. Buzz called 911, and the person who answered pleasantly explained that no officer would be dispatched. The incident would be handled on the phone. So what, you say? Virtually everyone has a story…

Who says Buzz can’t be helpful? Why, just this very day we’ve done our part to contribute to the city of Dallas’ democratic processes. How did we do it? With a threat, of course. Hey, whatever works. Here’s the deal: Candy Marcum, a candidate for the District 14 council seat,…

Been getting a few complaints, and some praise, for the Dallas Observer’s cover story last week, “Gay Caballeros.” Some of the complaints have been along the lines of “How dare you write a story about homosexuality among Mexican immigrants without pointing out that not all gay Latinos or even gay…