Saturday, November 21, 2015

My appearance on Kevin Jackson's radio show


Kevin Jackson is a frequent guest on Fox News, including regular appearances on Fox and Friends, Megyn Kelly, and Hannity. He also hosts a popular radio show, and I had the pleasure of appearing on his show Thursday (November 19) as editor of PoliticalIllusionsExposed.com to discuss Al Gore's failed "climate change reality" concert last week in Paris. You can hear the audio in the YouTube clip above. You can find out more about Kevin Jackson and his show by visiting TheBlackSphere.net, and you can follow my work as editor of Political Illusions Exposed by clicking right here.

Saturday, August 8, 2015

My comments in the Dallas Morning News about the GOP Presidential debate

Donald Trump insisted in Thursday's GOP Presidential debate that he introduced the issue of immigration into the campaign. Once again, he's overstating things, and he's also managed to ensure we don't get a reasonable discussion on the issue with his hateful rhetoric.

Today's Dallas Morning News features a column by Mercedes Olivera, who addressed the lack of real details or solutions coming from GOP candidates during the debate. I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Ms. Olivera, and my comments are featured in the article.

You can read the full column by clicking right here.

Friday, July 31, 2015

Read my comments on ICE's recent hire in The Dallas Morning News

I had the opportunity to discuss the hiring of Dallas immigration attorney Liz Cedillo-Pereira as a senior advisor at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with Mercedes Olivera of The Dallas Morning News. Pereira understands the struggles immigrants encounter, and the shortcomings of ICE in dealing with those foreign nationals. Her hiring is, hopefully, a positive sign that ICE is serious about giving immigrants due process without fear of deportation, a major reason why many undocumented immigrants remain in the shadows, rather than attempt to achieve legal residency.

You can read the column, with my comments, by clicking right here and visiting DallasNews.com.

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Is Rosemont the problem, or is it DISD?

The recent news that Rosemont Elementary principal Anne Brining would not have her contract renewed for next year angered many parents at the Oak Cliff school. It also exposed feelings among many that the school is divided between haves and have-nots, with the latter made up of low-income and Latino students. DISD officials point to a series of low testing scores as the reason Brining was fired.

The situation is covered in a new column by Randolph Bush of The Dallas Morning News. You can read it by clicking here. It is an interesting read.

I personally know a number of Rosemont parents, and there is certainly some truth to the claims that Rosemont is split between affluent white students and poorer Latino students, many of them the children of immigrants who are learning English as a second language. However, as a sibling of both a former elementary principal and a teacher, I also know of the extraordinary challenges school administrators face when you have a large ESL student body. Low test scores are not always the result of poor administration, but they could be a symptom of a greater problem.

It should be the job of DISD officials to take all the factors into account when reviewing school personnel. Unfortunately, we have seen far too many nonsensical decisions come from DISD headquarters, and for all we know, this may be one of them. While it is important to understand that, despite her popularity among many Rosemont parents, Principal Brining may indeed deserve to be fired. But DISD officials owe it to those Rosemont parents, and their children, to justify that decision. A woman's career, and the educational progress of hundreds of children, hang in the balance.  

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Texas Monthly weighs in the great DFW taco debate

We just don't know how good we have it in Texas. I've been to states where both good Mexican food and Dr. Pepper are hard to find, but thankfully we have those things in abundance here. Texas Monthly recently jumped on the "Best Of" list craze by naming the best tacos in different regions of the state. They recently posted their DFW list, which was pretty evenly split between Dallas and Ft. Worth. At least four of the restaurants are in Oak Cliff, which is a nice acknowledgment for our neck of the woods. There are definitely some hidden gems to be found.

You can see the full list yourself by clicking right here.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Dallas' Trinity River Parkway Report offers new vision

The Trinity Parkway has seen its share of concepts and designs, but the latest offerings, shown in the just-released report shown below, may actually provide a vision Dallas can get behind. This offers a road and park partnership that enhances downtown Dallas, instead of a tollway that does nothing but get people out of the city. Let's just hope they don't change it yet again. 

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Oak Cliff history, Facebook style

I can't get enough of Oak Cliff history, and if you're on Facebook, there's a great group made up of former and current residents who share stories and photos of life in The Cliff. It called Oak Cliff Boomers and can be found by clicking here. Even though I'm not a Boomer (technically), they were gracious enough to let me join, and I've enjoyed the stories.

Among the photos posted recently was this gem (posted by Steve Baker via the Dallas Public Library) of the old Stevens Park Drug Store at the corner of Ft. Worth Avenue and Hampton. It was torn down and a new strip center was built, which housed a Minyard grocery store for a time, and is now a Big Lots.

Thursday, February 12, 2015

My interview with David Hayter

David Hayter has made a name for himself in Hollywood on several fronts; as a screenwriter (of X-Men, X-Men 2, Watchmen, and The Scorpion King), as an actor (including his iconic performance as the voice of Solid Snake in the Metal Gear video game series), and now as a director. His debut film, Wolves, is a throwback of sorts to 1980s horror films, and stars Lucas Till (X-Men: Days of Future Past) as the lead. Wolves is now available on DVD and Video On Demand, and you can check out my recent interview with him by clicking right here.

Monday, February 2, 2015

Inside the Marvel Experience in Dallas

I recently had the opportunity to check out The Marvel Experience for Examiner.com and Cinelinx.com, when the event camped out at Fair Park in Dallas. The Marvel Experience is an interactive attraction featuring characters from the Marvel comic book universe, and was a huge hit with attendees.

To see my coverage of the grand opening, which was attended by Mark Cuban and Glenn Beck, click right here. To read my review of The Marvel Experience (which will be handy for those of you in cities the attraction is scheduled to stop in during its tour), click right here. You can find out more about the Marvel Experience Tour by clicking right here. A big thanks to the folks behind the event for inviting me out to cover it.

You can also check out the video below, which we shot as part of my coverage.