Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with dfw

Dog friendly DFW

flipmiester99 — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:56:08 -0800

PuppysocializationFilter: Im looking to socialize my 8 week old German shepherd by taking her to as many places as i can that allow dogs. I live in Sachse, Tx which is just outside of Dallas. Can you please tell me what stores/restaurants/etc...are dog friendly in the DFW/Sachse area?

Big scary decisions are big and scary.

CwgrlUp — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:39:12 -0800

What did you do to choose the next city you moved to? My wife graduates at the end of the year and will then be looking for an elementary teaching job. We have been looking forward to moving out of the sticks and into a city with an active gay community.

She is from Texas and I went to college there (plus we don't want to get too far from our families) so we are looking at the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Austin. This is our first big move and we would like to know what you looked for in a new city before you moved. We are visiting Austin next weekend, but we're not really sure what we should be checking out.

The things we are sure we want: A place more comfortable with gays than where we are now - I understand not everybody is cool with it, but where we are now if you are seen as a couple, you will most likely be confronted verbally and possibly physically. We just want to feel safe holding hands walking down the street.

A job for her. This would have to be lined out before we moved.

An affordable housing market. We've been to San Diego and it was great, but housing was insane and we don't want to live with roommates. Possibly rent to start with until I find a job.

This is all we have at the moment. What else should we be looking at, specifically when we visit? GLBT crowd, I'd appreciate your suggestions and your thoughts on DFW vs Austin.

Thanks for reading my many questions.

Sweet and sour

Gneisskate — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:10:17 -0800

Where can I buy an orange tree in DFW? I'm looking for a small one that would fit on my patio (in a pot). Searching nurseries in the area doesn't give detail on what they have. Satsumas would be perfect, but I'd be satisfied with most any citrus.

"I wish you way more than luck."

suedehead — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:40:50 -0800

Do you have the video for David Foster Wallace's 2005 Kenyon commencement speech? I'm interested in finding the video for DFW's speech. The full text is available transcribed here, but I'm looking for the video and can't find it. The Kenyon website says that they can only distribute tapes to a Kenyon graduate, and I've read online that graduates did receive a tape of the entire ceremony, but I can't find anything anywhere.

DFW's heartwrenching speech moved me nearly to tears when I first read it, and I've returned to it so many times -- I'd love, LOVE to find video of this somewhere, or at the very least an audio recording. Surely, surely somewhere out there has this speech out there. I'd be willing to buy, pay, or do whatever it takes. Are there any people who have this? Or any Kenyon College graduates who would be willing to order the tape for me?

Thanks so much, AskMe!

And so I found myself asking this for some sort of reassurance, which question would be fielded by AskMefi's language nerds with bewildering rapidity

phrontist — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:42:57 -0800

In David Foster Wallace's A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again he uses the word "which" in a way that I found unusual - a usage that is described under heading three here. I think I'm fairly well read, but I can't remember ever having seen this before. I've been having (what I think are) migraines lately and I'm curious if I'm becoming linguistically befuddled, or if this is just an obscure or archaic usage. Examples after the jump. First instance (emphasis mine):

Now I'm writing this sort of squatting with my bottom braced up against the hangar's west wall, which wall is white-painted cinder blocks, like a budget motel's wall, and also oddly clammy.

At first I thought it was a typo. I mentally rewrote the sentence as:

Now I'm writing this sort of squatting with my bottom braced up against the hangar's west wall, which is white-painted cinder block, like a budget motel's wall, and also oddly clammy.

And I'm assuming that doesn't change the meaning.

Second instance:

And as Inga and Geli of Hospitality walk me on and in (and it's an endless walk -- up, fore, aft, serpentine through bulkheads and steel-railed corridors with mollified jazz out of little round speakers in a beige enamel ceiling I could reach an elbow up and touch), the whole three hour pre-cruise gestalt of shame and explanation and Why Are You Here is transposed utterly, because at intervals on every wall are elaborate cross-section maps and diagrams, each with a big and reassuringly jolly red dot with YOU ARE HERE, which assertion preempts all inquiry and signals that explanations and doubt and guilt are now left back there with all else we're leaving behind, handing over to pros.

So am I losing it, or is this weird? Can anyone point to other examples? Is my title grammatically correct?

How do I stop being Neal from "Good Old Neon"?

Anonymous — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 16:39:05 -0800

So, I just read David Foster Wallace's "Good Old Neon", and I feel like Neal is a creepily accurate description of myself at this point in my life. What do I do? (Sorry for not linking, but apparently nobody has thought of pirating this story to the Internebs just yet...)

It may have been a bad idea, but I just recently ordered whatever I could find of David Foster Wallace's writing and have made my way to "Oblivion" now, and while I felt touched by many of his characters, "Good Old Neon" was really mind-blowing in its identification potential.

I know the achievement/disappointment/fear pattern quite intimately. My perspectives on therapy, meditation and religion as coping mechanisms are almost exactly as described in the story. What ways out of this would you recommend if the one from the story (involving a car, a bridge abutment, and "stepping out of linear time") was not an option?

(As a side note, I am slightly frightened by the fact that even the schoolmate who has "emerged from years of literally indescribable war against himself" ultimately seems to have been deluded about his emergence.)

French language in Infinite jest?

elgilito — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 01:56:59 -0800

Why is French language so mangled in David Foster Wallace's novel Infinite Jest? Infinite Jest contains a lot of French words. However, most of them are more French-sounding than actually French: imaginary words (le rai pays, fauteuils rollents), literal but incorrect translations of English (demi-maison, après-garde), bad spelling, grammatical and syntactic errors (Personnes à qui on doit surveiller)... Given DFW's love for language, I guess that these mistakes are intentional (one of them, the nonsensical "à du nous avons foi au poison" actually comes after a discussion about linguistics). But what do they mean? Has any DFW scholar noticed this? (also puzzling is that some online sources have corrected the most blatent one. For the record I have the 1996 UK Abacus edition.)

A place for liberals in Fort Worth?

ryanhealy — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:19:36 -0800

Three Democrats from Seattle have found themselves in a hotel across from the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth on election night. Where can we go in public to enjoy Obama's impending victory (or be consoled over his devastating loss) without fear of Red State hate?

Identify a David Foster Wallace short story

hugo — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:48:06 -0800

Please help me identify/find this David Foster Wallace (very) short story. By short I mean like 300 words. It's about 2 couples, one half of whom used to date. They all plan to go away for a weekend, and then for various reasons the two who didn't formerly date can't go, but they both tell the first two to still keep the reservation because it'd be stupid not to and we're all adults &c &c. The title (or last line) is something like "People really are stupid."

I think it was in the Atlantic or somewhere similar, during a regular column that was always very short.

Moved to DFW... now what?

SNWidget — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:54:29 -0800

DFW-Filter: So my girlfriend and I moved to the DFW area, Lewisville in particular. I've started up school, she's started up work. Now what? We're 24-year-old foodies who went to college in New England and lived in Washington, DC for a while. I'm from Texas (but not this area), and she's from California. What do we do in this town?

General: We're looking for a compendium of all things going on the DFW area - music, food, festivities, everything that would be interesting to a couple of 24-year-olds who have no clue what's going on. In DC, I'd read blogs like DCist, but I can't seem to find an equivalent for the Dallas area.

Secondary: She and I are just looking for random things to do on weekends. Parks, museums, whatever the DFW area has to offer. We're also looking for recommendations on great food (classy or casual), historical sites, fun outdoors stuff (love canoeing), and even bars that aren't filled to the brim with cowboys.

We don't like: What we're not into are dance clubs or bars that require you to look like you're a rock star to get in. Casual bars are awesome.

In summary: Early 20s couple new to DFW, looking for things to do. Anything. Advice/links/anecdotes/invitations to your own party are completely welcomed. Willing to travel anywhere in the area for something interesting. Would also like to meet other people our ages, but not a requirement.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

A Supposedly Good List

nushustu — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:49:15 -0800

I'm looking for a list of good but little-known books by David Foster Wallace. The list is by Wallace, not the books. About ten years ago I read an interview online w/ David Foster Wallace. He listed a bunch of books all written in the last 30-or-so years that were mostly overlooked but really good (according to DFW.) This list included works by Denis Johnson (Angels), and David Markson (Wittgenstein's Mistress.) I think it also included either Omensetter's Luck or The Tunnel, by William Gass.

Obviously, my Google-fu has failed me. Any help would be appreciated. Also, feel free to throw in the MeFi-obligatory DFW's da bomb/DFW sux post...

Help me fly the vegan skies

amtho — Sat, 24 May 2008 17:38:38 -0800

Vegan airport/airline dining - connect and lunch in Dallas (DFO) or Chicago (ORD)? Somewhere else? How long to allow for a connection to assure we can eat at the restaurant you recommend? We're traveling from Raleigh-Durham to San Francisco and it's looking kind of grim for in-flight meals; it's > 7 hours overall travel time but broken into two segments; best advice for not-having-to-pack-lunch? I can't tell if the (currently American Airlines) flights that I'm looking at offer a meal - everything involves a connection, so the individual flights may not be long enough. There's an icon of a dollar sign + knife + fork; I'm guessing that means I can purchase a snack/meal, but none of the purchasable options look even vaguely vegetarian.

The Continental flights I've seen offer no meals. Anybody know of a way to get a vegetarian/vegan meal in the air between Raleigh and San Francisco?

I'd really like to not have to carry food with me and pasta/bread/crackers will not give me the energy I want for starting our trip!

Any advice on dining in airports on the way? I'm currently looking at flights that connect through Dallas (DFW) or Chicago O'Hare (ORD), but if you know of a good food airport en route between Raleigh and San Francisco, please let me know.

I found restaurant listings for ORD - didn't look good. The Dallas airport looked like it might be slightly better, but the listing is broken up into four or five different terminals and nothing leapt out at me.

Everybody wants prosthetic foreheads on their real heads

holdkris99 — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:34:24 -0800

Where can a 21 year old girl go in the Dallas area for free or low cost psychiatric help besides JPS and Parkland? I am not looking for faith based counseling programs or the like.

Just because the animal was vegetarian too doesn't mean I'll eat it.

TheNewWazoo — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:35:32 -0800

Oh God, this is shaping up to be one of the worst travel experiences of my life. I'm at the Hyatt Regency DFW until Friday, cannot expense the $40-one-way taxi costs into the city, and am a vegetarian. I've never dealt with Dallas on anyone's terms but my own, and I have to eat this week! Does anyone have any recommendations? (I'm 100% open to DART!)

In the name of Michael Moore: No free clinics in Dallas?

Unicorn on the cob — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 09:51:37 -0800

Is there a free clinic in Dallas? Or any kind of reduced-payment medical facility, more specifically, for treating injuries vs. illness? I have of course Googled and called about 30 numbers that came up from Yahoo Answers and Free Medical Camps. I also called Parkland Hospital and even called 311 to ask the city directly. I pretty much got no answer; the numbers were old, or I was told to arrive at 7 a.m. after filling out loads of unemployment paperwork and even then, no guarantee that Parkland could see anyone for up to 24 hours. Is there ANY place to go without being billed later for a huge emergency room fee? If Parkland is the only option, can the bill be covered by Medicare or Medicaid if the injured/sick party is unemployed? I'm hoping for first-hand experiences or medical personnel who might have an inside track on this. Thanks in advance!

SMW Seeks Soup Dumplings In TX For Delicious Time

ShawnStruck — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 10:08:27 -0800

Are there any restaurants in Texas where I can get Chinese soup dumplings? When I lived in NJ, I'd make a trip up to Chinatown for soup dumplings at Shanghai Joe's.

When they opened up a companion restaurant mere blocks from my apartment in New Brunswick, NJ (Shanghai Goodies) I would get soup dumplings and crispy salt-and-pepper eel every week.

When I moved to Arlington, TX, I found plenty of places to get bubble tea, but no places that do soup dumplings! I mentioned this longing to some friends who lived in Austin, and they said they were sure there was some place that did those... but they couldn't remember.

My Google-Fu has failed me, so I'm hoping the hive mind can help me out. Anybody know anywhere in Texas I can find these again? Bonus points for one in the DFW area.

Triple word score if said restaurant also does crispy salt-and-pepper eel.

How fast can I run through DFW before people start to gawk?

chrisfromthelc — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 10:03:05 -0800

I'm flying from IAH > DFW > CZM (Cozumel). I've got 55 minutes in DFW. Assuming my IAH > DFW is on time, will I make it? Also, I've never flown international before. What should I expect going through customs....without an in-hand passport? I'll have proof of application, but it will not have gotten here by then.

If it matters, I'm leaving on a Wednesday morning in mid September, hitting DFW at 9:15 am.

I have too much money. Help me spend it.

geckoinpdx — Sat, 05 May 2007 20:59:25 -0800

Decent music stores near DFW? I have a few free hours tomorrow (Sunday) and would appreciate any suggestions. I'm currently in Ft Worth. I've never been here before so it's all new to me. I'm a collector, especially interested in industrial/ebm/electronic stuff; imports a definite plus. CD is preferred (easier to get home) but vinyl is great, too.

If it helps, Portland's Music Millennium, Everyday and the original Ozone (Later Ozone UK, not so much O3), Seattle's Everyday and Cellophane Square and the Bay Area's Streetlight and Amoeba are all places I spend way too much money.

Basically any place other than mall stores, Borders, mainstream top-40 stuff. Tower would have been good, as would Virgin (the internet says the Grapevine store closed).

Any specific areas/districts in Dallas and/or Ft Worth where a few of them are close together? The less travel time in between stores, the more browsing time I get.

Any other suggestions on things to do would be welcome, too, but CDs are always a top priority any time I'm in a new city.

Who is the best lasik doctor in North Texas?

torpark — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 11:18:21 -0800

Who is the best lasik doctor in North Texas? I want to have intra-lase lasik, using quality of at least the Visx 4 IR, or the Zeiss laser. I am looking for the best doctor in all of north texas, price is not a concern. And I am not interested in doctors which advertise on the radio, nor am I interested in those that have done the most procedures. I want the ones who don't make mistakes and have lots of experience. Have you had lasik and done your due dilligence? Is there any place I can find comparisons of doctors?

This is my question about a book

plexi — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 06:45:08 -0800

In David Foster Wallace's essay “E Unibus Plurum" he references a book with Gastro in the title, and likens it to "televisual Image Fiction." What's the full name? Is it worth reading?

Who else writes the kind of essays that David Foster Wallace writes?

scarylarry — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 05:42:55 -0800

I really like the essays that David Foster Wallace collects in _A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again_ and _Consider the Lobster_. Which essayists take a similar approach? I've just read and thoroughly enjoyed DFW's two collections of essays/reviews (in fact, I liked them better than I've liked his fiction). I find thrilling the way he combines esoteric and hyperintellectual meditation/contemplation, travelogue, personal anecdote, and hilarious self-depricatory wit. I'm well-read in fiction, but haven't done much essay reading outside of an academic context. What other collections (or individual essays) might I enjoy? On KCRW's Bookworm, Wallace was compared to Thurber, who I've put on my reading list. Who else? Thanks!

Help me find rare Texas rock music

mds35 — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 08:58:13 -0800

Help me find two super-rare 1980's recordings from Dallas/Ft. Worth-area bands: My Three Sons and The White Shapes. In the late 80's and early 90's I used to stay up late taping songs from punk and indie-rock radio shows that were broadcast on KNON 89.3 FM and KTCU 88.7 FM.

On the tapes I made, I have recordings from two bands, The White Shapes and My Three Sons, that I never was able to see perform, and I have never been able to track down actual recordings by them.

Here's what I know about the bands:

THE WHITE SHAPES formed in the mid-80's and played most of the usual Deep Ellum venues such as Trees and Prophet Bar. Their sound was a washed-out, jangly, guitar-based garage-y pop-rock, with harmomized vocals. Kind of a c86-meets-shoegaze with a touch of Husker Du thrown in.

The White Shapes songs that I taped from the radio are called "Crystal Smiles" and "American Spectator."

MY THREE SONS were, I believe, based in Fort Worth. They played venues such as The Axis and possibly The Hop. They were around in the late 80's and possibly early 90's and had a reputation for frequently being too drunk to put on a reliably good show (at least that's what a high school friend of mine told me).

The My Three Sons songs that I taped from the radio are called "Stop" and "Feels Like Fire." Their sound was also characterized by jangly guitars but their music was darker and more agressive, featuring bass-driven melodies, twangy disaffected vocals and a slight psychedlic edge a la early Bunnymen.

It is quite possible that neither band had an official release, but as I heard them/taped their songs from the radio, I know that recordings were made, at least in demo form.

I have been trying to locate these recordings for over a decade. The first place I tried was Bill's Records and Tapes in Plano. No luck. From time to time I check back with Bill's either through email or on MySpace, but I rarely get a response.

I live in New York now, so scouring Dallas record shops is not an option. Occasionally I will email a record store or two in Dallas to see if anyone can help, but to no avail.

I have met people on-line (MySpace, mostly) who were part of the 80's Deep Ellum scene but no one has been able to help me locate a recording or give me names of people who were in those bands.

The closest I have come is meeting a guy who used to book acts for Trees and Prohpet Bar. He remembered each band and said that he used to have their demos in a box in his mother's attic. But when he went in search of them they were not there.

So...this is probably one of the longest shots ever fired on AskMe, but I have seen you people do some amazing things on these green pages. If anyone can direct me to where I can purchase a cassette, LP, or even a CD-R, from either of these bands. I would be much obliged. Alternately, if I could somehow learn the names of people who were in these bands, that might be a start.

Vector-Based PDF or High-Resolution Raster Image of DFW Airport Terminal Map?

the biscuit man — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 20:04:41 -0800

Does anyone know where I can find a nice map of the DFW airport terminal? Preferably a vector based PDF. If not a high res raster image would be fantastic. The only images I can find are low res GIFs. The best being from American Airlines.