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Coyote sighting warning: pack spotted near schools in Plano

A pack of 3-4 coyotes has been spotted multiple times near Hughston Elementary and Jasper High School in west Plano.

• Monday 6:30 AM: spotted crossing Legacy near the school
• Tuesday 7 PM: seen near the baseball fields behind Jasper
• Wednesday 5:45 AM: pack of 4 running through Spring Creek Trail near Coit

Is now actually a good time to buy in Texas?

Interest rates are still elevated. Prices haven't really come down. Insurance costs are through the roof — literally, because of all the hail and storm claims.

The Alamo is... smaller than everyone expects

Every tourist I've ever brought to the Alamo has the same reaction: "That's it?" It's right there in the middle of downtown surrounded by shops.

Deep Ellum isn't dead. You just stopped going to the right shows.

Every time someone says "Deep Ellum is dead" I know they haven't been to a show at Trees or Club Dada in the last 6 months.

Round Rock, Cedar Park, and Pflugerville: Austin suburbs compared honestly

If you work in Austin and want affordable housing, you're looking at the suburbs. Here's the honest comparison of the big three.

• Schools: Round Rock ISD is consistently top-rated. Westwood, Round Rock, and McNeil high schools are excellent.
• Commute: I-35 into downtown Austin is 30-50 minutes depending on traffic. The 45 Toll is faster but costs $4+ each way.
• Vibe: The most established suburb. Downtown Round Rock has actual character — the Kalahari resort, restaurants, antique shops.

The Elden Ring experience: Why FromSoftware changed what we expect from open-world games

Elden Ring won Game of the Year 2022 and sold 25 million copies in its first year. Source: Bandai Namco financial report. But the most important thing about Elden Ring is not the sales — it is how it fundamentally challenged what an open-world game can…

Rowlett annexation history — how the city boundaries grew and what's next

Rowlett's city limits look weird on a map. The boundaries aren't a clean shape — they're the result of decades of strategic annexation. Here's how the city got to where it is and what it means for residents.

• 1970s-1980s: Residential neighborhoods south of 66 toward the lake. This is when Waterview, Bayside area, and the lakefront neighborhoods were brought in.
• 2000s: Eastern expansion along 66, plus strategic corridor annexations to capture commercial frontage on the highway.
• 2010s: Limited annexation — most nearby land was already claimed by Garland, Sachse, or Rockwall County.

HOA sent me a violation for my trash can being visible. I'm done.

Got a letter from my HOA. Violation: "trash receptacle visible from the street." My trash can was next to my garage. Not in the yard. Not on the sidewalk. NEXT TO MY GARAGE on the side of my house.

Austin coffee culture: The best shops that are not a chain

Austin takes coffee seriously. Here are the independent shops worth knowing.

• Fleet Coffee (East Side) — Tiny shop, big flavor. The cortado is perfect. Good pastry selection. The patio is a productive workspace.
• Jo's Coffee (South Congress) — Famous for the "I love you so much" mural. The actual coffee is decent, not mind-blowing. You go for the SoCo experience.
• Mozart's Coffee Roasters (Lake Austin Blvd) — The lake views are stunning. The coffee is good. The pastries are homemade. Best patio in Austin.

DFW gym and fitness studio contract traps: How to cancel without paying a fortune

DFW gyms are notorious for contracts that are nearly impossible to cancel. Here's the legal reality.

• "You can only cancel in person" — False. Written notice is valid.
• "There's a $200 cancellation fee" — Check the contract AND the Health Spa Act. Many fees violate 702.
• "You need to give 60 days notice" — Verify this is in your contract. Even then, certified mail starts the clock.

Bellaire Blvd Chinatown food guide: 25 spots from Beltway 8 to the Sam Houston Tollway

Houston's Chinatown on Bellaire Blvd is the best Asian food corridor in the American South. Full stop. Here's the breakdown by cuisine.

• Mala Sichuan Bistro — The best Sichuan food in Houston. Mouth-numbing mapo tofu. Dan dan noodles. The spice level is authentic.
• Tiger Den — Hand-pulled noodles made in front of you. The beef noodle soup is a religious experience.
• Dim sum at Ocean Palace — Weekend dim sum with the cart service. Get there before 11 AM or wait 45 minutes. The har gow and siu mai are perfect.

Houston humidity explained: Why you sweat walking to the mailbox and how to cope

If you just moved to Houston and you're wondering why you're drenched in sweat after a 30-second walk to your car — welcome. It's not you. It's the humidity.

• May: Summer starts. 85F, humid but manageable.
• October: False hope. One cool front comes through. It's 65F for two days. Then back to 85.
• November-February: Actual nice weather. 50-70F. The reason Houstonians stay.

SA is still affordable but for how long?

Austin priced everyone out and now they're moving here. The northeast side is growing insanely fast. Schertz, Cibolo, New Braunfels — all exploding.

Fort Worth live music scene is honestly better than Dallas right now. Fight me.

I split my time between both cities and I'm sorry but Fort Worth is winning on the music front right now.

DFW tech scene overview 2026: Who's here, who's hiring, and what's growing

DFW is quietly one of the biggest tech hubs in the country. Here's the landscape.

• Texas Instruments (Dallas) — HQ. Semiconductor giant. 30,000+ DFW employees. Source: ti.com
• AT&T (Downtown Dallas) — HQ. Telecom + media. Source: att.com
• Capital One (Plano) — major tech hub, not just banking. 5,000+ tech workers. Source: capitalonecareers.com

Houston traffic reality check: The worst commutes and the routes to avoid them

Houston has the worst traffic in Texas and arguably the worst in the country when you factor in how spread out everything is. Here's the honest breakdown.

• I-45 North (downtown to The Woodlands): 30 miles that take 90+ minutes during rush hour. The North Freeway is where dreams go to die.
• 610 Loop (any direction, 4-7 PM): The entire loop becomes a parking lot. The Galleria area on 610 West is the worst section.
• US-59/I-69 (Southwest Freeway): From downtown through the Galleria to Sugar Land. Merging near the 610 interchange is a battle for survival.

HOA nightmare in DFW: When your homeowners association goes too far and what you can do

DFW HOAs are notorious. Some are well-run community organizations. Others are petty fiefdoms. Here's your legal toolkit.

• Fining for trash cans visible from the street (even on trash day)
• Banning Ring doorbells or security cameras (likely unenforceable — see below)
• Selective enforcement (fining some homeowners but not others for the same violation)

Open mic comedy in DFW: where are the best ones?

I've been doing stand-up for about 4 months and I'm running out of open mics to hit. I know about the one at Hyenas on Tuesdays and there's something at a bar in Deep Ellum on Wednesdays.

DFW free concert series summer 2026: Live music that costs nothing

DFW has multiple free outdoor concert series every summer. Here's the complete list.

• Klyde Warren Park concert series — select evenings. Local and regional acts. Free. Source: klydewarrenpark.org
• The Rustic (Uptown) — free live music most nights on the outdoor stage. Texas country, Americana. Source: therustic.com
• AllGood Cafe (Deep Ellum) — Sunday open mics, free. Weekly live music. Source: allgoodcafe.com

Jet ski and boat rental on Lake Ray Hubbard — every option compared

Don't own a boat but want to get on Lake Ray Hubbard? Here are your options from the Rowlett and surrounding area.

• Location: Launches from Paddle Point area or arranged launch points
• Price: approximately $85-$100/hour, $250-$350/half day
• Availability: April-October, weekends fill up fast — book 1-2 weeks ahead

Anyone else feel like their electric bill is a second mortgage?

July bill just hit: $387. For a 1,600 sq ft house. Thermostat set to 76.

Best tech podcasts in 2026 — for the DFW commute on 635

DFW has some of the worst commute times in America. Average is 28.4 minutes per the Census Bureau, and if you are on 635 or I-35 it is easily 45-60 minutes. Might as well learn something. Here are the tech podcasts worth your time.

• Hard Fork (NYT) — Kevin Roose and Casey Newton cover AI, social media, and tech culture. Best all-around tech podcast. Twice weekly.
• The Vergecast — Nilay Patel is the most honest voice in tech journalism. Weekly deep dives.
• Latent Space — Technical but accessible. Best AI podcast if you want to understand what is actually happening, not just hype.

Moved here from the northeast and this culture shock is real

Three months in. Some observations from someone still adjusting.

• People genuinely say "sir" and "ma'am" and it's not sarcastic
• The speed limit says 65 but everyone is doing 80 and if you go 70 you're in the way
• Restaurants bring chips and salsa like it's bread and butter. I am not complaining.

Guilty pleasure shows you will not admit to watching: Judgment-free zone

This is a safe space. We all watch prestige television and pretend we do not also binge trash. Confess.

• The Floor Is Lava (Netflix) — A game show where adults jump on furniture to avoid fake lava. My IQ drops 30 points when this is on and I am at peace with that.
• Too Hot to Handle (Netflix) — Attractive people who cannot touch each other on a beach. The premise is stupid. I have seen every episode.
• Below Deck (Bravo) — Rich people being terrible on yachts. The drama between the crew is unscripted chaos that no writer could fabricate.

EV charging in DFW: A practical guide for electric vehicle owners

I drive a Tesla Model 3 in DFW. Here's the real EV experience.

• Plano (Legacy Dr) — 20 stalls, usually available
• Dallas (Knox/Henderson area) — 12 stalls, gets busy weekday evenings
• Fort Worth (Hulen area) — 16 stalls, rarely full