Researchers name ancient beaver fossil after favorite Texas gas station

BUC-EE'S BEAVERS

Photo courtesy of UT Jackson School of Geosciences

The legend of a treasured gas station chain continues with a new chapter: a rediscovered beaver fossil is being named after Buc-ee’s.

The ancient animal was named Anchitheriomys buceei (A. buceei) by Steve May, a research associate at the University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences and lead author of the Palaeontologia Electronica paper that describes the beaver.

A. buceei fossils were rediscovered by researchers in UT Austin’s collections and include fossils from six different Texas sites. May decided to name A. buceei after Buc-ee’s upon spotting a “This is Beaver Country” billboard in 2020 that reminded him of the fossils he was studying at the time.

Though Buc-ee’s was founded in 1982, CEO Arch “Beaver” Alpin III said in a press release that his business’ history is longer than he thought, and that he may “need to rethink [their] beginnings.”

Occurrences of A. buceei can be found between 15 and 22 million years ago along the state’s Gulf Coast. At first glance, they don’t appear much different from current native Texas beavers. But according to the report’s co-author Matthew Brown, who is also the director of the Jackson School’s vertebrate paleontology collections, they are nearly 30 percent bigger than today’s beavers.

A partial skull fossil of the beaver was originally collected in 1941 by paleontologists. One of the original finders was Texas A&M University museum curator Curtis Hesse, who passed away four years later before he could name it a new species and publish his study.

More information about A. buceei can be found on UT Austin’s website.

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Here are all the ways to celebrate your Pride in Dallas-Fort Worth

Have Some Pride

The month of June is designated as Pride Month to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, and various groups and businesses around Dallas-Fort Worth are showing their support in a multitude of ways.

Here's our list of the best ways we've found for members of community and allies to participate in Pride Month in style. We start with the festivities that are running June 3-4, followed by other celebrations that will occur all month long.

Dallas Pride Weekend
Start the month off right at the biggest official celebration taking place June 3-4 at Fair Park. This annual event, which used to be in the Oak Lawn area before moving to Fair Park in 2019, includes a music festival featuring headliner Allison Ponthier on Saturday; the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade on Sunday; plus other activities celebrating the LGBTQ community.

Pride Day at Reunion Tower
June 3-4: The little ball in the downtown Dallas sky is celebrating Pride month, too. It'll kick off on June 3 with a splendid rainbow flag show that'll run all weekend long, and will continue to pop up during the month with dynamic rainbow displays on most Fridays and Sundays in June.

"Party with the Queens” Pride Brunch at El Chingon
June 3, 2-4 pm: El Chingon, Fort Worth’s “Bad Ass Mexican” restaurant, will host an exclusive “Pride Brunch” as part of its recurring “Party with the Queens” series. The brunch will feature live drag performances, mimosa specials, and more.

Pride Pool Party at Adolphus Hotel
June 3, 7 am-11 pm: Pool Adolphus at Adolphus Hotel in downtown Dallas will host an all-day Pride Pool Party, featuring colorful cocktail specials, rainbow Jello shooters, and a local DJ.

Lakewood Brewing Co. presents Pride Vendor Fair + Yas Queen! ReleasePride Vendor Fair + Yas Queen! Release
June 3, 12-4 pm: Lakewood Brewing Co. will host a party at its taproom with Wandering Roots Markets celebrating the release of Yas Queen, a taproom-exclusive Raspberry Wheat ale. There will also be Pride Vendor Fair featuring local artists and vendors, as well as on-site flash tattoos.

Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum presents “Voices of LGBTQ+ Dallas”
June 7, 7 pm. The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum is hosting “Voices of LGBTQ+ Dallas,” a special exhibition program for Pride Month highlighting trailblazers in the Dallas area LGBTQ+ community. The program featuring speakers such as Chris Luna and Naomi Green is already sold out, but the Museum’s current special exhibition, Rise Up: Stonewall and the LGBTQ Rights Movement, is on display through June 18.

Arttitude presents OutLoud: A Night of Pride
June 8, 6 pm: OutLoud: A Night of Pride is an inclusive event where artists and performers can fearlessly share their stories and experiences. The event will include poetry, burlesque, and a music performance by special guest Gina Chavez. Tt Latino Cultural Center.

Dallas Wings Pride Night
June 9, 7 pm: Pride Night for the Dallas Wings of the WNBA. They'll be taking on the Phoenix Mercury, who feature Brittney Griner as their star player. All attendees at College Park Center in Arlington will receive a special rally towel for the occasion.

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden presents Pride in Bloom
June 10-11: Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden will highlight Pride Month with its second Pride in Bloom celebration, featuring a full weekend of LGBTQ+ artisans, entertainers, chefs, and small businesses. Visitors can shop items at the vendor market, pack or purchase a picnic, listen to live entertainment, and enjoy Gary Lee Price’s Great Contributors’ bronze exhibition. Admission to the Children’s Adventure Garden will also be free.

Dallas Arts District presents Pride Block Party
June 16, 6 pm: The Pride Block Party in the Dallas Arts District features a variety of activities at the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, and Crow Museum of Asian Art, and throughout the district. Activities include gallery tours, drag performers, comedy, dancing, and a fashion show.

Dallas Comedy Club presents "Stand-Up for Hope"
June 17, 5 pm: Stand-Up for Hope is a stand-up comedy show featuring all-LGBTQ performers and benefiting Dallas Hope Charities, which helps provide food, shelter, and services that instill dignity, stability, and Hope For All. Hosted by Stefan Newman, host of Queer Factor, the event will feature performances by Kim Wadsworth,Kerry Day, Charlotte Parker, Lucia Hardaway, and Jamie Zeske.

Ride for Pride
June 24, 9 am: Ride for Pride is a four-mile bike ride down the Katy Trail and back, starting at Reverchon Recreation Center. There will also be Health and Safety fair from 10 am-2 pm.

Monthlong celebrations

Pride Month screenings at Rooftop Cinema Club
Rooftop Cinema Club on top of the Worthington Renaissance Hotel in downtown Fort Worth will screen a variety of films with LGBTQ+ themes or characters throughout the month of June, including Mamma Mia!, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Birdcage, Moulin Rouge!, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and The Devil Wears Prada.

Special Pride drink from Gong cha
Gong cha, which has seven stores in the DFW area, will donate a portion of every purchase of their special Lemon Ai Love Yu bubble tea to the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) in name of #Equalitea. The special Pride drink is a sweet and tart Lemon Ai Love Yu bubble tea with white pearls and (edible) glitter for some extra festive sparkle. The limited time promotion will run through June 30.

Luckys Pride Celebration
A Dallas institution off Oak Lawn Avenue for more than 35 years, Luckys has long been a supporter of the LGBTQ community. They'll celebrate Pride Month throughout June with a special commemorative T-shirt and a celebratory cocktail, the Pride ’Rita, featuring El Jimador Blanco tequila blended with Chambord, lime juice, and agave nectar.

Electric Shuffle Pride Brunches
Every Sunday in June starting at 12 pm, Electric Shuffle in Deep Ellum will host a Drag Brunch and donate 10 percent of those brunch sales to DIFFA. There will be big-name performers, a Drag Race Royalty special guest, high-tech shuffleboard, live DJs, and more. Additionally, $1 of each purchase of their new summer cocktail, the Prickly Pear Margarita, will be donated to DIFFA.

Endless creativity of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse keeps superhero story in overdrive

Movie Review

The blast of pure fun that was 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse accomplished several goals, but none more important than reclaiming the character from being part of just the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By not participating in the never-ending connecting stories of the MCU, the filmmakers could do whatever they wanted, first and foremost using Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) instead of Peter Parker as its main character.

It was also at the forefront of multiversal storytelling that has become the rage in the MCU and elsewhere. Given the multitude of Spider characters that have existed in the comics over the years, it was uniquely suited to telling a story with people from multiple universes. That concept is taken to the nth degree with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, a film that has seemingly limitless levels of creativity.

Miles, having separated from Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), and other Spider-people at the end of the first film, is doing well as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, casually protecting people from threats big and small. But when a highly unusual villain named The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) proves especially tricky, a series of events has Miles follow Gwen into a portal where he encounters every other Spider character in existence.

Lest you think that’s hyperbole, among the people he meets are Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman (Issa Rae), Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac), Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya), Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider (Andy Samberg), and Spider-Man India (Karan Soni), and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Revelations made while meeting all of them lead Miles to a whole new understanding of himself and the multiverse in general, with far-reaching consequences.

The filmmakers, once again led by writers/producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, fill the screen with so many visual elements that at times it can be overwhelming, but in the best possible way. Unlike most animated films, there are multiple different styles employed throughout, and never knowing what to expect gives the film a kineticism that borders on manic, although it always stops short of being incomprehensible.

The storytelling is much more complex this time around, no surprise since it involves so many more characters. But the personal stories of each of the Spider characters, especially Miles and Gwen, maintain a grounded nature that keeps the plot anchored even while delving into increasingly fantastical territory.

Although this film deals with some darker themes, there is still plenty of humor to be had. The intersection of so many Spider characters highlights their differences, and the way they interact can’t help but be entertaining. Miles is still a 15-year-old kid, and the way he navigates the world(s) has a lightness to it that is a sharp contrast to the various adults in his life.

Moore, who’s not as well-known as some of his co-stars, has proven to be the perfect voice for Miles, making him relatable and powerful at the same time. Everyone else gives similarly great performances, although the fact that many of them are famous for their non-voicework doesn’t really play a factor in how well they come across here.

A third film, Beyond the Spider-Verse, is teased with a cliffhanger, and unlike other franchises where multiple films are unnecessary, there are no such reservations here. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse equals the success of the first film, and there is no doubt that the filmmakers will bring the same level of attention to detail to the end of the trilogy.

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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse opens in theaters on June 2.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation

Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Gourmet 'better' burger fast-food restaurant in North Dallas says bye

Burger News

An innovative Dallas restaurant that tried to make a better fast-food burger has closed: Bizzy Burger, which opened by the Galleria at 13251 Montfort Dr. in November, closed its doors at the end of May.

The concept was founded by restaurant mastermind Mark Brezinski to embrace the "better burger" trend but in a fast-food setting. But Brezinski said in an email that they were unable to make a go of it.

"We had an incredibly loyal following that was growing slowly and mirrored our most recent reviews, just not enough," he said.

"It is a brutal fact for all new businesses that it takes time to build a new brand and that success is always measured in revenue first and foremost," he said. "We simply could not get the traction we needed despite stellar ratings on Google and Yelp. Not that all ratings determine success, but reading reviews helps others get an idea and that idea being shared was that Bizzy could have become the 'disrupter' of the fast food burger world."

Brezinski's idea was to do a quick-serve restaurant like a McDonald's or Wendy's, with premium burgers but at an affordable price, and he recruited credentialed chef John Franke to help devise the menu, which definitely had gourmet elements, including burgers made from HeartBrand Premium Akaushi Beef, from Harwood, Texas; and buns from foodie favorite King's Hawaiian, known for their fluffy texture and sweet taste.

Its veggie burger was particularly unique, with thinly sliced eggplant, red pepper, mushroom, and squash that formed an irresistible "stack."

The biggest and perhaps most welcome distinction was that Bizzy departed from the current trend of obscenely large burgers (half-pound and up) by featuring smaller patties a la White Castle, the Ohio-based chain known for its petite burgers.

Bizzy was a participant in the Burger Throwdown at CultureMap's 2023 Tastemaker Awards, and also recently hosted a clever promotion where they challenged people to compare their burgers to a Big Mac.

After efforts to renegotiate the lease stalled, the decision was made to vacate the space immediately.

Brezinski says he has faith in the concept and hopes to continue to operate the location at Sky Harbor Airport as well as make use of the Bizzy food truck in Dallas.

"My team executed the brand perfectly, the food quality and hospitality were always given great reviews," he said. "I think our concept of 'better fast food' has a future but unfortunately not on Montfort any longer."

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