G.R.i.D. (Get Rich in Dallas)

…or fill up on gas and buy groceries for the next week.

Sez here that the indie trans rockers are performing a benefit next week for United Creative Class. I don’t even know who that is so onto Google to find out.

They help to “improve the way that people are treated in the communities and we can improve our policies and follow through and enforcement of these policies.” Although I’m not quite sure where the creative part comes in but according to their site, their mission statement is:

We teach people to be effective in being heard and changing local governments, explaining things like Robert’s Rules, Legal Precedent, Libel and slander, open records requests (transparent government), and local media communication.

OK, cool so back to the show. According to the Dallas Voice article, the suggested donation is $200. Yes, $200. But, that’s suggested, so that means you can probably get in with ten. Although, personally, I’m not going to try that. The site itself does not mention the admission but the place looks cool. I’ve never heard of The Ervay theater and by the look of the pics, it looks like a hip quaint space. And for $200, I’ll trust the pictures.

Maybe the UCC needs to have a few more bake sales and car washes before asking that much for a show. That is more than the three day pass for Austin City Limits where The Cliks are headed to.

Oops, I just found the donation listings. So this is how it breaks down:

$10.00 (Everyone who donates $10.00 gets one chance*** to win a ticket)
$25.00 (Everyone who donates $25.00, or $50.00 gets one chance* to win a ticket)
$50.00
$100.00 (Everyone who donates $100.00 gets two chances* to win a ticket)
$150.00 (Everyone who donates $150.00 gets three chances* to win a ticket)
$200.00 (Everyone who donates $200.00** receives one ticket)
$1,000.00
$5,000.00 Only 250 Seats Available
$10,000.00

Obviously meaning, these guys are high. But, if you’re on the street team yer in, “Hey all you Cliks fans you too can get tickets by joining our UCC Street Team. Help us spread the word, generate donations and you too can see the Cliks in Dallas.” Sweet! ButI say, just watch The Cliks here doing some Justin:

No, I’m not talking about 4th of July. Can you believe it was summertime when that factory went up in flames and explosions? July to be exact. Time just goes by too fast. Well, that company, Southwest Industrial Gases is now being fined over $6000 by OSHA but not necessarily from the incident. According to this, the “government citations don’t conclude that the violations caused the blast” but instead exposed employees to harm. One citation being a lack of a sprinkler system which could have reduced some of the fire. Although, the way those fireballs were shooting everywhere, not sure how much that would have reduced the risk.

Regardless, just makes you kind of wish places like that would take all precautions necessary. In the end, it was just a REALLY bad accident but you can never help but think, “If only.”

I just received my issue of The Capitol Report from Senator Royce West. He’s the guy who pretty much represents us which is Senate District 23. Now, I can’t say I know enough about this guy to make a sweeping judgment. My sister-in-law used to intern for him and has him in high esteem. I’ve seen some of the good stuff he’s done but he’s also a politician, which, well, you know how that goes. Personally, I like the guy but again, unless it’s the mayor, governor or president, I don’t really follow much else politically.

So the report is fairly self congratulatory detailing all of his accomplishments and endorsements. He was governor for a day. Dallas now has Homestead Preservation Districts. Sponsored bill HB2935 requiring all cigarettes in Texas be self extinguishing (really?). And other stuff dealing with cops, voting, adoption, blah.

What caught my eye was his health sidebar. Under SB 10, Texas has “greater control over health and human service benefits.” (ED NOTE: Throw some my way please.) But, did you know that in 2005, us taxpayers in Dallas “coughed up $10.2 bil to cover uncompensated care costs?” According to West at least.

OK, OK, so here’s the solution by way of our rep. And I quote:

My SB1751 would charge a nominal fee for each customer entering a strip club with the money being used to prevent sexual assault and to help offset the costs of uncompensated care. It’s designed so that for every dollar we raise in Texas, we draw down two dollars from the federal government.

Now, tell me if I’m understanding this right. A part of the money from someone who goes to a strip club (Baby Doll’s, The Fare, etc.) will go to this bill or account or fund to help victims of sexual assault and pay off bills that I guess uninsured peeps didn’t/couldn’t? Could you read it and tell me if I’m interpreting it correctly? Thanks.

I’m fairly unfamiliar with strip clubs. Do they charge cover and is that where the percentage comes from? I somehow doubt the dancers won’t be forking over the cash they are using to pay for their doctorate programs and gym memberships. Maybe liquor sales but that’s where most clubs make their lot. I just don’t see how this can work. 

Although, Mr. West will give lots of people excuses for going to strip clubs now. Hey, why not? It is (or will be) for a good cause.

Yikes! The infamous south of the border myth might just be true. Some lady in Cuero, Texas found bodies of dead animals that she can’t identify but believes them to be the Chupacabra which is Spanish for “goat sucker” so she chopped off their heads and sent them to scientists. Being that she’s a hunter, I guess that was the first thought that came to mind. Anyway, get the clearer story here via AOL. Athough, I think they may just be Xoloitzcuintli dogs which aren’t all the uncommon in Mexico. 

Folklore like this always fascinates me. I totally believe in Bigfoot and it skurrs me to death. I would personally oversee a Bigfoot Genocide just to alleviate my fear of ever coming across one. Sorry PETA. The Chupa thing though I never had much thoughts on. The head looks cuh-reepy but the other pics aren’t super weird. Maybe it’s some weird breed of dog and wolf or just some effed up dog. So I wonder what the DNA testing will come up with. And if they’ve migrated up to that close to San Antonio, will they creep on up here to Big D? Scary but maybe they can take care of our rampant stray dog problems.

The best part of the article were the comments however. I only went through a few out of over 1500 of ‘em. Wow. I’ve copied some of my favorites below:

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whosonfirstyou 06:21:12 PM Sep 01 2007
Viva La Chupacabra ~!!! You’d think this idiot woulda kept at least one of the three intact to let science figure out what kind of pendejo this is. Another stupid azz Texan.

ronband 06:21:09 PM Sep 01 2007
Chupacabra…isn’t that an entree at Taco Bell ?

fourbubbles 06:20:46 PM Sep 01 2007
The ugly head is on the hunter!

Last Friday night, I made my way out to the Nodding Dog in Bishop Arts. At a mere 7 p.m., that area was hoppin’ and providing way too much trouble in finding a parking. I was stunned because I figured it would be too early for things to be rolling. Nodding Dog is not a bad place. It’s charming, dark but never really struck my fancy like I hoped it would. Maybe I’m a corporate sellout to the Starbucks syndrome.

I was there for an interview which was quite enjoyable. Almost ten, we finished up and I started making my way back to the east Dallas hood. My friend calls with the offer of going to Kaliente, the Hispanic gay club. Admittedly I cringed at first and gave him an on the fence answer. Besides, I was major hungry. Getting back closer to home I had a major craving for sushi and ended up at Nandina, off lower Greenville.

My first time there, I dug the place. But when we walked in that night, it was abounding with low-rent peeps. Old ladies in glitter shimmery clothes and chicks in nothing-left-to-the-imagination skirts, who REALLY shouldn’t have been wearing them. Trust me. Not to mention their gentlemen dates dressed in whatever this decades version of Chess King is. But I was starving and this was open.

Sushi was ok, beer was good but I just felt icky soon after and have decided not to go back. There’s some kind of weird creepy energy there that I can’t put my finger on and thereupon, will not venture back. Although, considering that they may be the only place I can snag raw fish at 3am gives them a slight check in the plus column. Or I could just rip open a tuna pack and dig in.

By this time it’s 11:30 and my friend be all calling wondering where I am because I decided to say ’si’ to Kaliente. So I finished up and decided to make my way to Maple @ Wycliff. Now, this is an OK area bordering on the sketchy side. It doesn’t bother me but my nightlife entertainment rarely takes me into such unknown territories. At my friend’s recommendation (I still don’t know why), I parked three dangerous blocks away in a well-lit shopping center. Walking past appropriately sketchy cantinas and street walkers, I come to the front door finding a line of people waiting to get in. It perked me up thinking, dang…this must be the place to be. After an awkward Spanglish conversation with the door man and being scanned by a wand, I walked through the narrow patio into a large darkness of hopping Tejano music, swirling dancefloor lights and a crowd packed from end to end but still with ample room to walk.

I was like DAYUMMMMMMM!

After finding my cohort, I think we were somewhat stupefied that there was this whole happening fun scene on the outskirts. It was a mix of gay men, lesbian women, some straight couples and a sprinkling of non-Latinos. Finally, I wasn’t the minority…although I have been blamed for being a coconut. Sigh. The place was fun and genuine. The Hot Chico and Chica contest where people got up to strip was so gay late 80s but it was goofy and endearing and silly. You couldn’t help but get into it. We did.

Just don’t get comfortable on the dancefloor.

My only beef with the place was the DJ who had apparent ADD. After spinning some Tejano, he goes for the top 40 Spanish/English dance set. He started with blast from past Whitney Houston which got more people on the floor and I swear 20 seconds later he mixed out of it. Every song for about the next hour was good popular dance stuff but by the time you made it to the floor, it was already gone. Fire that guy!