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Texas Has the Worst Electricty Grid in the Nation

You might have already figured this out given the perennial threat of rolling blackouts and grid operator ERCOT's own admission that, come 2013, there won't be sufficient wattage to cover peak demand, but the state's electrical grid isn't the best. In fact, as the Texas Tribune reports today, it's the...
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Got the Blues? Take Four, They’re Hilarious

It's been a few years since it's happened, but House of Blues has cornered Dallas' most pedigreed comedians and trapped them together on one stage. It's also demanded that they use their skills to make otherwise rational human beings laugh like Anderson Cooper. Yes Dallas, you're welcome. First up is...
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What The Fuck Happened To Vodka?

Remember when Sean Connery ordered a Smirnoff martini "shaken, not stirred," while appearing in Goldfinger? The vodka bottle's label was not-so-casually displayed facing the camera, kicking off a whorish product placement campaign that runs through all the Bond films. Back in the Connery days, though, vodka was simple. It came...
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The Philosophy of Playdough

Since moving to Dallas to attend the Art Institute in the late '90s, Doug Krum, aka Arlington-based emcee Playdough, has hustled his way to rap-battle victories, MTV exposure, label deals and, ultimately, underground respect. He's found while touring all over the globe that there's an unexpectedly broad appeal and accessibility...
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Nothing’s So Funny in Peace, Love & Misunderstanding

Three generations of fine actresses are squandered in Bruce Beresford's Peace, Love & Misunderstanding, an incompetently structured film that pits hippies against squares with the usual wearying results. This head-hammering, clash-of-values family-healing dramedy makes sure to literalize all of its uplifting messages; gentle admonitions about "letting go" are immediately followed...
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Venus on Our Minds: Our Top 5 Sexiest Astrophysicists

We get all hot-n-bothered when it comes to clam shells and hefty scopes, so you're safe to assume that a date tonight to the Museum of Nature and Science would result in some serious lens steaming. As you may have heard, Venus is getting between us and our sun one...
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Burn It All Down

Every true-blue Texan remembers where they were when the big man went up in flames. There in the heart of the carnival, stunned masses watched agape as an icon of the Lone Star State, whose squinty, handsome stare and vacuous drawl had represented the spirit of Texas for decades, disintegrated...
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The Philosophy of Playdough

Leading up to our November 10 showcase, we'll be getting you familiar with some of our Dallas Observer Music Awards nominees, either via past features we've done on them, or new ones. You can vote for your favorite acts, venues and more right here. Check out Hunter Hauk's bonus audio...
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The Dallas Handmade Arts Market: An Origin Story

See also: Dallas Handmade Arts Market's Grand Opening is This Weekend Sometimes you have to take the plunge, no matter how terrifying. Early this year, Jorge Herrera walked away from a successful and secure career in the financial world because he had a dream, both for his own professional gratification...
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Indiana Jones and the Perils of Humanistic Decency

The story goes that while filming in Tunisia in the summer of 1980, Steven Spielberg avoided the dysentery that afflicted most of the cast and crew of Raiders of the Lost Ark by holing up in his hotel room with a suitcase full of SpaghettiOs. Like most studio-approved behind-the-scenes errata,...
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30 Essential Texas Restaurants to Visit Before You Die

Texas is defined in many ways by many different people. But there are at least three things anyone can agree on when it comes to the Lone Star State: barbecue, Tex-Mex and steaks. This is the holy trinity of Texas cuisine — foods that compose our most firmly entrenched food...
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Meatless Monday Conquered At Seven Mile Cafe

While I wait for the USDA to sort out its feelings about Meatless Monday with breath that is most certainly bated, I continue the valiant search for meatless dishes that don't suck and aren't cheese nachos from 7-Eleven. This week, I couldn't ignore the dull roar of ballyhoo any longer...
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Start’s Potential

A few of Erin McKool's friends thought the idea was a mistake. Drive-thrus were for McDonald's and Taco Cabana, not an eco-friendly health-food start-up. The image of a Chevy Suburban saddled up to a takeout window evoked cheap burgers, soggy fries and fatness, which was the antithesis of Start. The...