Author Archive

I checked at about 2 p.m. and the electricity was still out at the Wells Fargo building in Lakewood, home to our Advocate offices. It’s been that way since about 1 p.m. yesterday. According to the Dallas Morning News, about 4,000 Dallas residences/ businesses were still without electricity today. That’s … more

Though the trash on your curb might be building up following the holiday excess … you’re going to have to give the city a little extra time to pick it all up. According to today’s newsletter out of Councilwoman Angela Hunt’s office, the weather combined with "high volume" holiday  garbage … more

There was plenty of excellent cheap wine in 2008 as we celebrate the Advocate’s seventh annual Cheap Wine extravaganza and $10 Wine Hall of Fame.
The Hall added five labels: Yellow+Blue malbec (about $12 for a 1-liter box), which puts most other malbecs in its price range to shame; Meridian’s chardonnay, which can be found for as little as $6; the Les Jamelles wines from southern France, which deliver surprising quality for $10; another Gascon wine, Domain du Tariquet, to join the three that entered the Hall last year; and Lockwood sauvignon blanc, perhaps the most pleasant surprise of any wine I tasted in 2008.

I wanted the magic of Forrest Gump. With The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, I got some superb acting, impressive costumes, makeup and digital effects, and myriad more elements befitting an epic best-picture nominee: Love, loss, growth, awakening, birth, death, war, catastrophe, deceit, betrayal and forgiveness spanning nearly a century … more

Burger King commercials have gotten wackier and more absurd with the passing of the last couple years. Remember the "Big Buckin’ Chicken?" (If not, I’ve attached the video for your viewing and listening enjoyment.) My little girl went around singing that when it was in rotation … uh yeah, it … more

Maybe you aren’t a candidate for American Idol, but chances are, you sing better than Dirk Nowitzki. Lucky for him he averages 26 or so points per game. The bright side —hopefully, we won’t have to worry about him going off to make a rap album a la some of … more

Last week I was at the Mavs vs. Spurs game. I don’t want to talk about the game itself, because it was a real heartbreaker. But, at the game, a couple Spurs fans a few rows behind me were (rather loudly) expressing their opinion that the Mavericks made a very … more

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a great movie. And it’s been an even longer while since I’ve seen a great movie that was totally uplifting, happy and perfectly pulled together. That just doesn’t happen much anymore. Last year’s best — the likes of “There Will Be Blood” and … more

Along with about 35, 000 other people, I ran the Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot last Thursday. The first couple miles of the 8-miler is tougher each year — people running into and over each other, stepping on spectators, starting way up front and then moving real slow. And that’s the … more

I haven’t really tried posting videos on our awesome new site yet and I figured now is a good time to practice. It’s a holiday (sort of) and those who are reading, are surely — after all that economy talk and sports analysis among in laws and friends — in … more