Blogs

A heapin' helpin' of huzzahs and mazel tovs are in order today for two Dallas Observer staffers: Megan Feldman and Alexander Flores. Both are among the finalists in the 13th annual AltWeekly Awards, which will be handed out by the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies during the first week of June in Philadelphia. Megan's among the three finalists in the feature writing category for her piece "El Tren de la Muerte," which ran last July. And three of Alex's covers are among those nominated in the design category, including the one pictured above. Incidentally, several of Alex's Observer covers and layouts are also up for an award courtesy the Dallas Society of Visual Communications, which'll hand out its accolades June 7. But they're not in this for the awards, only the exorbitant and wholly nonexistent cash prizes. --Robert Wilonsky

Hal Samples is on the list of people to whom TVT Records owes quite a bit of money.

If I may direct your attention to our other blogs ...

Over on The Sportatorium, Richie brings news that Your Texas Rangers have indeed begun talking to other folks who might be interested in managing the team if and when Ron Washington's given his adios papers. Sure, the team's winning a few -- against the Mariners, at the moment, the only team worse than Hicks' sticks -- which may be the only reason you haven't seen, oh, Don Baylor, Mike Hargrove, Jim Tracy or Jackie Moore warming Wash's spot on the dugout bench. (Also, on a sportsy note: Eric Green, bravo.)

And over on DC9, Pete has combed through the list of folks to whom the bankrupt TVT Records owes major dough and discovered several locals among them, including the Polyphonic Spree and our good Friend, photographer Hal Samples. Hal's owed his scratch for the Spree video "Running Away," which, as we noted a year ago, was assembled from more than 70,000 photos Hal took of the band. He's owed a few thou, which he could surely use as he gets his new gallery off the ground. As he tells Pete, "I'm still recovering from not having been compensated." Also, notes Pete, the Toadies got a new gig: playing intermissions at Dallas Stars playoff games. --Robert Wilonsky

For those who can't get enough Schutze talk -- and by that, I mean Schutze -- may we direct your browser elsewhere, if only for a moment? Swell. Because over on FrontBurner, I've discovered the name of my first novel: "Somebody was deep throating Jim Schutze." Meanwhile, over on The Dallas Morning News' editorial blog, Rod Dreher, who's clearly the Robin to Jim's Batman, writes that Jim is "the Jeremiah Wright of Dallas newspapering: an often spellbinding rhetorician who takes an interesting kernel of truth -- in this case, the sleazy shenanigans of the Shaws -- and spins a whole crazypants conspiracy scheme out of it." He's referring to Jim's column in this week's paper, by the way. And for the record, Jim's wearing these today, so maybe he's got a point. --Robert Wilonsky

Brian Harkin

This is one of the photos Brian's selling tonight -- consider yourself sneak-peek'd.

Brian Harkin has provided Unfair Park with many frameable memories in recent months -- see here and here and here, for starters. So here's a treat for the Friends who are fans: Tonight you can meet Mr. Harkin, and purchase some of his work, when he shows at the Van Ditthavong Gallery in Expo Park.

Says Brian, it's work "I've shot with my Lomo, a small Russian camera, so it's not my photojournalism work." The reception takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and, as noted, the work's for sale. Grab yourself two photos, because you deserve it. --Robert Wilonsky

Several Friends of Unfair Park have asked about the Secret Security and Dallas police officers perched along the Dallas North Tollway overpasses a short time ago. They all wonder the same thing: "Who's in town now?" Why, it's none other than Dick and Lynn Cheney. The veep and the missus landed at Love Field Airport about half an hour ago, though, says KDFW-Channel 4, it's "for undisclosed reasons." And if Fox doesn't know why ... More gun-shop browsing maybe? I know what you're all thinking, though. Two words: "House." And "hunting." --Robert Wilonsky

Illustration by Brian Stauffer

Pardon us, Friend, while we indulge in some self-congratulatory navel-gazing. The story “Split Decision," Matt Pulle’s incisive feature for the paper version of Unfair Park about Dallas’ embarrassing scrape with the feds over Preston Hollow Elementary School's deliberate segregation, has been nationally recognized in the lofty annals of legal writing.

Nominated as exemplary legal writing by the Green Bag online law journal, Matt'se not in bad company with the likes of Anthony Lewis, Adam Liptak and Linda Greenhouse of The New York Times, Walter Dellings of Slate and the The New Yorker’s Jeffrey Toobin. Oh, and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. --Megan Feldman

Unfair Park don't take no holiday breaks -- instead, we go on a working winter holiday to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Which means that beginning tomorrow through next Friday, Unfair Park won't be all-local, all-the-time -- just, well, most of the time, as we add to this home-cooked stew a few outta-town film reviews, scene grabs and chitchats with filmmakers and actors (Well, hello, Colin Farrell) using audio, video and ... I think you call them "words"? Don't look at me -- it was the Big Bosses' idea, swear. I was scheduled to go camping with Jack E. Jett this weekend. We begin tomorrow with an introductory festival how-do from Scott Foundas, the film editor of our sistah papah in Los Angeles.

No TV Junkie or Primer this year, but, of course, we will do our best to find Texas items of interest -- like, say, Order of Myths, the second film from Austin-based doc-maker Margaret Brown, whose debut was the Townes Van Zandt heartbreaker Be Here to Love Me. Also from Austin: the Zellner Brothers, whose all-around-Texas-cast comedy Goliath will also make its bow at Sundance. And Fort Worth filmmaker David Lowery will have his five-minute short, A Catalog of Expectations, screening at Slamdance. And Chris Holt will be in Utah next week, playing with Johnny Lloyd Rollins & The All Nighters on the ASCAP Music Cafe stage. And ... uh ... former Dallas Observer staff writer Claiborne Smith is penning essays for the Sundance catalog. Man, can I stretch a dollar bill. --Robert Wilonsky

So, the bidding just closed on that Tripping Daisy Dallas Observer Music Award I told you about on Wednesday, and, turns out, it wasn't worth $107.50 after all. Nope, the Lucite doorstop went for ... $405. And it sold to an enormous Tripping Daisy and Polyphonic Spree fan, judging by rics_delivers's other purchases, among them: a P.Spree seven-inch, this Grandaddy-Polyphonic Spree split seven-inch, a copy of Tales From the Edge Vol. 4 featuring the Daisy's "Lost & Found" and a never-worn Spree choir robe.

In related news, I too sold my 1998 award. Three dollars. One bidder. --Robert Wilonsky

I've just spent the last three minutes mumbling to myself, "What the fuck?" Which isn't all that rare, if you wanna know the truth. But in this particular instance, it's because someone just e-mailed me the link to this particular item up for grabs on eBay: Tripping Daisy's 1999 Dallas Observer Music Award, for Best Act Overall. Says the Brooklyn-based seller: "Here we are folks, a truly rare collectible for all Tripping Daisy/Polyphonic Spree fans. This is the only one that exists." Which is true. I can attest to that.

But, are you kidding me -- this thing's already going for $107.50?!?!?!?! And 16 bids??!?! With five days left? (Lesse, where's Tim DeLaughter's phone number ... ah, here it is.) Good God, surely we have a few unclaimed Music Awards lying around somewhere, because not everyone picks up their award -- I know, shocker, right? Oh, wait, here's one -- Chris Cantalini, act now or we're cashing in. And I have one from 1998 with my name on it. It's yours at the pay-now price of three bucks, which is exactly how much I owe Schutze. --Robert Wilonsky

Mark Donald, the new editor of the Dallas Observer

The Dallas Observer will begin the new year with a new editor: Mark Donald.

His should be a very familiar name to longtime readers of the paper version of Unfair Park: Mark -- who now demands to be called Mr. Donald, how unfortunate -- began writing for the Observer in the early 1990s, became our associate editor in 1997 and was a staff writer here until March 2004, when he went to Texas Lawyer as a senior reporter. Mark, who was born in New York but grew up in Dallas, has also been a senior editor at D.

He officially begins mid-January, following the departure of Julie Lyons -- who, as noted earlier, will be taking Bible Girl to a book store near you. Mark, of course, will also be contributing to Unfair Park -- though not, as earlier rumored, under the name "Bar Mitzvah Boy." Mazel tov, to all of us. --Robert Wilonsky

Mark Graham

Not much early blogging today: I'm scheduled to appear on Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price's radio show at 8 a.m.: Liberation Nation, sitting at KNON-FM (89.3) on your transistor's tuner. The subject: this week's cover story, about architect William Sidney Pittman and his Knights of Pythias Temple on Elm Street -- an Unfair Park fave. Tune in, lest I have to blog it. --Robert Wilonsky

4:30 p.m. Just got back from an afternoon field trip to the Sigel's liquor store at Cole and Fitzhugh avenues with Bobsky, 'cause when Bobsky says, "Grimes, let's drink," there's nothing to do but grab one's purse and traveling hat and follow the man in the motorcycle boots to the parking garage.

4:33 p.m. Bobsky appears at my door with two shot glasses and some ice water.

4:34 p.m. We take two shots of Lucid, the completely legal wormwood absinthe I've been trying to get my hands on for weeks.

4:40 p.m. It's already kicking in, I think, courtesy of the very-Lean and not-so-Cuisine I had for lunch.

4:46 p.m. I have jiggly legs and a new expensive habit.

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Fred Holston

Andrea Grimes, uncharacteristically shy this a.m., doesn't feel terribly comfy touting her radio appearance today, so I will: The Girl on Top will join the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Cary Darling and D's Zac Crain at noon today on KERA-FM (90.1)'s Think. Their subject: " 2007 - The Pop Culture Year in Review." As in, " What were your favorite (and not so favorite) pop-culture moments of 2007 and what excites you about 2008?" What excites Andrea about 2008? Moving to Austin, most likely. Me, I'm waiting till Hour Two to tune in: "How Government Planning Harms Your Quality of Life, Your Pocketbook, and Your Future." Damn right. --Robert Wilonsky

In a couple of weeks, neither one of these folks will be working here.

Hey, lookie there -- our very own Matt Pulle makes the Nashville Post today. And its People section, no less -- howzabout that, fancy. And what does it have to say about Matt? Lessee ... oh, it's subscribers-only, sorry. Alas, it's just a rewrite of this item from the Nashville Scene's blog -- the Scene, incidentally, being one of our Village Voice Media siblings. Wait, what? Turns out, yup, Matt's outta here come year's end, though not to start a new life as Andrea Grimes' "research assistant." More like:

Starting Jan. 2, former Scene staff writer Matt Pulle will be returning to the paper as managing editor. He will write and report, as all of our editors do, in addition to working with copy and helping me with the paper’s overall vision.

Thought I'd follow Schutze's back-patting with a little more Unfair Park, ah, news. Ahem.

You can run, Bible Girl, but you cannot hide.

Thanks for playing. --Robert Wilonsky