Hell to the Chief

At first glance, it would seem as though Dallas County Judge Margaret Keliher was vindicated. After she questioned why the county was funneling millions of Homeland Security dollars into a flawed computer database, the state said the same exact thing last month in an audit of the county’s emergency preparedness…

Copper coppers

Indulge Buzz in a childhood flashback: We were around 10 when a buddy got his hands on some discarded window counterweights–about a dozen bars of iron, weighing roughly a ton. (Maybe it only seemed that much.) A local junkyard paid money for scrap, so we dragged the bars about two…

At The DMN, A Last Supper (Brown Bag Lunch, Actually)

Today, Dallas Morning News employees received this missive from Jim Moroney, their publisher and CEO. Word is, staffers at Dallas’ Only Daily–who, beginning at 8:30 this morning, could begin letting their bosses know whether they’re accepting the paper’s buyout offer–choked on it. “I am sorry to have to reschedule this…

Clairvoyant Cowboy?

The way it’s set up now, Brad Sham’s radio calls of Cowboys game are way ahead of the TV broadcast–which, ya know, kind of takes the surprise out of things for those playing along at home. As good–no, as great–as he is, Dallas Cowboys’ legendary play-by-play voice Brad Sham can’t…

Steeeerike Three!

Drew Henson was gonna be the quarterback of the Cowboys’ future. As of today, he’s a thing of the past. Not that you should be surprised–some of us proclaimed him a bust a year ago–but Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells just announced that quarterback Drew Henson is on the trading…

Bridge to Be Abridged

For the record, we wrote about this dangerous bridge in June. We’re just sayin’. DART has finally made a decision: After taking out another 18-wheeler on Tuesday, the killer bridge at Garland Road near the White Rock Lake spillway has got to go. Morgan Lyons, DART spokesman, tells Dallas’ Only…

Ducats in the Cradle

Because Unfair Park likes to be helpful, especially toward our fellow indie-rock dorks and alternanerds, we’d like to inform you that today is a very special day: Tickets for both Sufjan Stevens’ September 13 show at the Lakewood Theater and Wilco’s October 12 concert at the Will Rogers Auditorium in…

Robert Hoffman’s Legacy

Yesterday, we posted the story about how Robert Hoffman–local philanthropist, art collector and the civic leader behind The Dallas Plan–helped start National Lampoon when he was in his early 20s. Hoffman, as you know doubt know by now, died Sunday at the age 59 from acute myelogenous leukemia, with which…

The Waiting Game

Who do you think the jury’s long deliberations bothered more: Bishop Terry Hornbuckle or Andrea Grimes? Choose one. Maybe I jinxed it last Wednesday morning when I told my mom, “I think we’ll have a verdict before noon.” If that really was my fault, I’m sorry. I caused a lot…

Rental Property

On April 4, 2006, Netflix Inc. was granted U.S. Patent No. 7,024,381 B1 three years after “inventors” W. Reed Hastings, Marc B. Randolph and Neil Duncan Hunt filed their application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The patent, titled “Approach for Renting Item to Customers,” is an elaborate and…

When Evacuees Become Residents, Part 3

The state’s Health and Human Services Commission report, titled Hurricane Katrina Evacuees in Texas, is available online now; go here to see what we’ve been referring to this afternoon. There’s also a story in today’s Christian Science Monitor about the strain the 251,000 Katrina evacuees are beginning to put on…

When Evacuees Become Residents, Part 2

Most of the folks who wound up at Reunion Arena almost one year ago remain in Dallas: There are 66,000 Katrina evacuees still in North Texas, says the state. Before I get to the specifics of the Health and Human Services Commission’s report Hurricane Katrina Evacuees in Texas, let me…

Over the Top or Six Feet Under?

Used to be, The Dallas Morning News’ “Over the Top” arts blog was a happening scene full of contributions from the entire GuideLive staff. Today, eh, not so much. A sign of things to come, or has everyone just found another place where they can go to kill time? (Thanks…

Millions for Thousands

Before we get back to the state’s report on Hurricane Katrina evacuees still living in Texas, this just came across from Texas Insider: Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who is on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson announced today that Texas will received $428.6…

When Evacuees Become Residents

Today, the state’s Health and Human Services Commission will be releasing a report titled Hurricane Katrina Evacuees in Texas–“a comprehensive effort to collect data on the number of Katrina evacuees still in Texas, their plans to remain or not remain in the state, and their need for services as they…

Romo Wins Job!

Tony Romo seems to think the starting QB position is still open. Uh, dude? Now, don’t go getting all flustered and drop your new Madden NFL 07. Though that damned media won’t seem to let it die, the only job Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is winning this pre-season is…

Read This Post or We’ll Shoot Your Dog

The second issue of National Lampoon, which Robert Hoffman co-founded before heading back to Dallas When Josh Karp first began e-mailing Robert Hoffman for a book Karp was working on, Hoffman, the local “civics leader and arts patron” who died Sunday at the age of 59 from leukemia, had little…

The Last Slice (?) of Bama Pie

The reason the Bama Pie isn’t a museum yet? Red tape. That’s what Dallas’ Only Daily says. OK. Cool. I hoped–no, prayed–our August 2 posting on the Bama Pie building would be our last; we’ve spilled a lot of virtual ink on the $364,000 project that’s got zero to show…

I Give This Idea One Thumb Up

As you no doubt know, Chicago Sun-Times film critic and thumbs-upper Rogert Ebert is recovering from June surgery to tend to salivary cancer in his jaw, which necessitated the removal of part of his jaw bone. He’s expected to be out several more weeks, at least, and posted last week…

Texas de Kaching

“We want to be the P.F. Chang’s of steakhouses,” Texas de Brazil founder and COO Salim Asrawi said when the first Texas de Brazil churrascaria opened in Addison in 1998. Churrascarias are those Brazilian grills where skewered meats are roasted over open pits and continuously cycled through the dining and…