If you spend time with me, you’ll potentially hear me muse, “I feel a column coming on.” Often, it’s because some city staff member or elected official has said or done something I deem egregious.
Other times, it’s because I’m trying to write about what everyone is experiencing. I’m listening for it. Unfortunately, it’s becoming harder and harder to listen because too many people are using their speakerphones in public. It’s a menace. From where I sit, people are increasingly violating the earspace of others.
As Woodrow Call in Lonesome Dove maintained: “I hate rude behavior in a man. I won’t tolerate it.”
It makes me want to take out my old referee whistle and blow it and cry, “Foul!”
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I recently was forced to hear a lengthy Facetime interaction — a woman being beseeched by her friend, who was in Portugal, to travel more. Ironically, we were in a crowded airport terminal.
Sadly, she and her cousins were only off to Cincinnati.
I’ve been logging these conversations for a few months now. At Tom Thumb, an offender needed to discuss swim lessons by speakerphone. Out for a walk, I saw a shirtless man riding a bike — poorly, I might add — holding a phone and barreling toward me. My pandemic skills kicked in and I safely distanced. I’ve gotten to hear a woman discussing her aging mother’s health. I was worried I was unwittingly committing some HIPAA offense.
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I can report that people also feel compelled, while eating tacos, to watch programming on speakerphone. This is wildly out of bounds. Everyone has to be entertained all the time. We are not at Idiocracy levels yet, are we?
Still others think they are starring in their own reality television show. Often on those programs the loathsome contestants talk into their phones so as not to spoil the shot. Perhaps people think this has a high cool factor and seek to emulate it.
Come on, people. How hard is it to hold the phone to your ear? Maybe I’m more sensitive because I sometimes read in public — and not what’s on my phone. You know, like books and stuff.
I can’t turn my hearing off, so I try to turn off my active listening. It’s getting increasingly difficult to do so because the disruption is blatant.
Sometimes the culprit isn’t thinking about it. That’s a sin of omission. In others, however, it’s one of commission. They know it’s loud and invasive — and they do not care.
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I politely tried telling the guy eating tacos that the volume was bothering me. He curtly let me know, “I don’t care.”
I’m not always one to let things go — even in my 50s. I asked if he was aware of something revolutionary called headphones. He flashed me the number one signal. I hope he isn’t a newspaper subscriber.
I imagine many of these scoundrels are unhappy, unrecognized or frustrated with life. Maybe they are intentionally oversharing their volume because they need to be noticed. I am reminded of the work of the late psychologist Marshall Rosenberg. His groundbreaking work on nonviolent communication surmised that people are only ever saying two things: please and thank you.
These societal offenders seek attention. I have started to give them some with a simple greeting or wishing them a good day. I’ve tried to ask what musician or television program they’re enjoying. Next time, I’ll ask the guy eating tacos if his lunch is good.
“I like to listen,” Ernest Hemingway remarked. “I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.”
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I’m trying to hear people and listen to ideas. But all the noise makes me want to give up, put on my headphones and ignore everyone.
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Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings point guard and WNBA Rookie of the Year, took the spotlight in women’s basketball this year. The 24-year-old arrived in Dallas after being the No. 1 selection in the WNBA draft in April, capping off an impressive collegiate run where she helped the University of Connecticut win a national championship title.
Bueckers represents the best of our star athletes. The energy and determination she brings to the game and her dedication to her teammates and community make her a finalist for 2025 Texan of the Year.
Born in Edina, Minn., Bueckers started playing basketball when she was around five years old. Her father coached her until middle school, and by the time she reached Hopkins High School, she was the No. 1 recruit in the country for the 2020 class. At the University of Connecticut, she became the face of a storied program, returning from injury to help deliver the Huskies their 12th NCAA title.
When she arrived in Dallas, the question wasn’t whether she’d make an impact — it was how quickly. The answer came fast. She was a starter in all 36 appearances for the Wings and averaged 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals this season. Her 44 points against the Los Angeles Sparks set a WNBA record for the highest single-game scoring performance by a rookie.
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She’s making Wings games must-watch basketball. At home games, the stands are filled with fans wearing Bueckers’ No. 5 jersey and young girls sporting face-framing braids and a ponytail to match her signature game-day hairstyle.
Ahead of their August showdown with the Indiana Fever, the Wings moved the game from their usual home court in Arlington to the American Airlines Center due to high demand for tickets to see the matchup between Bueckers and Caitlin Clark. The Wings didn’t make it to the playoffs this year, but Bueckers gave the city something to cheer for.
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But more than her athletic ability and impressive jump shots, Bueckers has shown a humility we wish was more common among stars like her. In interviews, she’s quick to give credit to her teammates, coaches and God. In 2021, at the ESPN ESPYS, after being recognized as the best college athlete in women’s sports, she used her acceptance speech to celebrate and honor Black women and their contributions to the sport.
In Dallas, Bueckers has teamed up with Verizon and Dick’s Sporting Goods to coach a youth clinic and exhibition game, eager to give back to the community and make the city feel like home while she’s here. And when she’s not training, she’s probably at another Dallas game — popping up at Stars and Cowboys games, a Trinity FC match and the Mavericks.
From her stylish game day tunnel outfits to TikTok videos dancing with her teammates to her smooth, disciplined basketball, it’s a pleasure to watch her — and we can’t wait to see what she does next.
Beginning today, we are running our Texan of the Year finalists in a countdown to naming the 2025 honorees on Sunday, Dec. 28. You can follow all of the finalists as they are published at dallasnews.com/opinion/texanoftheyear.
DALLAS – A Dallas Police investigation into a double homicide continues after the suspected gunman was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Mesquite, authorities announced.
Double murder-suicide investigation
What we know:
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Dallas officers responded to a shooting call in the 15800 block of El Estado Drive in Far North Dallas at 2:40 p.m. on December 11, 2025. The preliminary investigation determined that two people had been shot.
The victims were identified as 24-year-old Arlina Sander, who died at the scene, and 27-year-old Darvilease Washington, who was taken to a local hospital where he later died.
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Detectives quickly identified a possible suspect and a suspect vehicle registered in Mesquite. As Dallas detectives prepared an arrest warrant, they were notified by the Mesquite Police Department about a shooting in that city.
Suspect found dead in Mesquite
The suspect in the El Estado homicides was found dead in the 1000 block of Craig Drive in Mesquite, having suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect’s vehicle was found in the driveway.
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The Dallas County Medical Examiner has identified the man as 44-year-old Jonathan Lakill Mantoy Jones. His time of death was just after 5 p.m., according to the M.E. report.
What we don’t know:
The motives and circumstances surrounding the offense are still under investigation.
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Dallas Police ask anyone with information to contact Detective Paul Johnson at 469-271-6328 or via email at paul.johnson@dallaspolice.gov.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Dallas Police Department.
After a gloomy Saturday, cold temperatures moved through Dallas-Fort Worth through the evening, though the area is expected to see some sunshine on Sunday.
Temperatures are forecast to reach a high near 43 on Sunday with early morning wind chills in the 20s or lower for parts of North Texas, according to the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office.
Nighttime temperatures are likely to drop to a below-freezing 28, with wind gusts calming down in the evening after reaching as high as 30 mph during the day.
The coming week is expected to be somewhat sunny, barring some cloud cover during the night.
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Starting Tuesday, the weather is supposed to get warmer with daytime temperatures in the 60s and 70s.
The latest Dallas weather forecast from KXAS-TV (NBC5):
SUNDAY (HANUKKAH BEGINS): Partly sunny, breezy and much colder. High: 44. Wind: N 10-20 mph.
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MONDAY: Mostly sunny and chilly. Low: 28. High: 53. Wind: SE 5-10 mph.
TUESDAY: Mixture of sun and clouds, mild. Low: 43. High: 63. Wind: S 10-15 mph.
WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny and warmer. Low: 53. High: 71. Wind: S 10-20 mph.
THURSDAY: Plenty of sunshine, warm. Low: 56. High: 71. Wind: N 5-10 mph.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny and pleasant. Low: 47. High: 67. Wind: SE 5-10 mph.
