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I have already poured myself two fingers of Maker’s Mark at my desk. (Note to all freelancers: the key to getting more assignments is to do as the great John McAlley did. Send Christmas liquor.) We’re wrapping up the February issue of the “print product” right now. Basically, I just need Zac to put his finger right — here — so I can tie the bow. Then we’re off till January 4. Will there be posts betwixt now and hence? The chance is greater than zero. But not by much. So check back in if you’re inclined, but here’s hoping your holiday break and your new year go well enough that this blog is the last thing you’re thinking about.

Cheers.

That’s according to this Bloomberg account of the latest U.S. Census estimates, released today, that say that Texas gained more residents than any other state in the year leading up to July 1. That’s 478,000 more Texans. Our archenemy California was No. 2, with 381,000.

The official 2010 census numbers won’t be out until late next year, and we’ll find out for sure how many more seats our state might have. Then we’ll leave it to the wise men and women of the Texas Legislature to draw districts that represent our best interests and benefit all mankind.

The Merriman Park neighborhood association sent out an SOS: please donate any “retired,” relatively new computers to L.L. Hotchkiss Elementary School, which is trying to replace 30 ancient IBM 386’s  Pentium III’s that the teachers are using. We were more than happy to help out, especially in this giving season, but the plea raised a question. With all the taxes paid in to support the Dallas Independent School System–and with DISD’s billon-dollar-plus budget–how come it’s up to homeowners to supply schools with the likes of pencils, toilet paper and computers? Have a feeling that’s exactly the sort of question Bruce Parrott, our new District 3 board member, will begin asking soon.

If you are a fan of D Magazine on Facebook (and you should be), you probably noted that in conjunction with our 35th anniversary — and its accompanying special issue — we gave away 35 free subscriptions to the magazine to the first 35 people who shared with us their own favorite Dallas moments from the past 35 years. (Mine? I was born. You’re welcome, Dallas.) Plenty of people chimed in, and the winners have already won. But on this lazy Christmas Eve eve, we invite you to keep adding comments. We’re not trying to reach a goal; we just want to know. We may even come up with something else to give away. I’m not sure what, so don’t ask.

And stay tuned, because there will be plenty more 35th-anniversary-related high jinks throughout January. Maybe even some tomfoolery. What might that be? I don’t know. I’m not a witch. I can’t see the future. But it will more than likely be well worth your time. If you’re interested, it would help you to click on that link up top and become a fan. Now, I’m going to crawl into a hole with a bottle of Robitussin, so if you don’t see me until then, merry Christmas.

1. The latest person to pick up a stick and poke the hornets nest that is the Dallas County constabulary? Why, it’s Danny Defenbaugh. The former FBI conducted a civil investigation into allegations that two constables threatened employees to get them to work for their reelection campaigns. Defenbaugh filed complaints with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel claiming that the men — Precinct 1 Constable Derick Evans and Precinct 5 Constable Jaime Cortes — violated federal campaign laws. I’ll be honest, when we ran a story in October about how the constable system seemed to be out of control, we had no idea how right we were.

2. You know who I like? A guy like Davie Brown. He works for a local outfit that measures how the public feels about celebrities. Surprise! The public isn’t feeling as warm as it once did about Tiger Woods. But that’s not what I’m interested in. I’m interested in what Davie Brown named his celebrity-measuring index. He named it the Davie Brown Index. I like your moxie, Davie Brown.

3. You know why I don’t like to fly? Besides the fact that you get treated like cattle when you do? Because your plane, like American Airlines Flight 331 did last night in Jamaica, might overshoot the runway and nearly wind up in the Caribbean.

I’m set to appear on WBAP-AM 820 about 7:15 tomorrow morning. It’ll be a few minutes more about our 35th anniversary issue cover story. (Sorry, folks, the podcast of our appearance on KERA’s Think yesterday isn’t yet available.)

I’m going from never having been on the radio to making two appearances in three days.  At this rate I have high hopes of hosting my very own Christmas Spectacular, just like Wilonsky, next year.

Or else a story he did last night on the ten looked awfully similar to not one, but two, I wrote last week right  down to the holes.

Warren Buffet told workers of Burlington Northern Santa Fe yesterday that he’s buying the railroad in part because of its geographic position:

“I think the West is going to do well,” Buffett told workers of Burlington Northern during an in-house interview with the railroad’s chief executive officer, Matthew Rose. “I’d rather be in the West than the East.”

A class-action lawsuit was filed against Apple and AT&T last week in the Plano office of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. And I’m part of the class.

The suit represents all Texas residents who bought an iPhone 3G or iPhone 3-GS after July 1, 2008. Apparently some are upset because they thought the newer models of the iPhone were capable of sending text messages with pictures and videos included.

I didn’t have a cell phone before I bought my iPhone in the fall of 2008, and I’m pleased to say that my communication needs have remained fairly simple. It never occurred to me that I might want to text a photo to someone.

But the plaintiffs are asking for $5 million in damages for their mental anguish. If they happen to win or settle, and I happen to receive a check for $1.73 about 10 years from now, so be it.

The Frisco Chamber of Commerce is running a contest to promote its annual awards celebration on Jan. 29. The level of talent on display runs a wide spectrum among the contestants. Online voting is open until Jan. 15, and I’m throwing my support behind Peter Beshara of Beshara Signs. He’s distilled this competition down to its essential purpose.

1. Every year for the past five years, Rocky Anderson spends nine days in jail in June and another nine days around Christmas. He’ll do it for the next five years, too. Why? That’s the sentence Judge Vickers Cunningham came up with — he could impose an additional 180 days — when the jury gave Anderson probation after he killed 10-year-old Braden Hopkins while drinking and driving.

2. Okay, palate cleanser: here is the opening credit sequence from Dallas. (Which, incidentally, shows up a couple of times in our brand-new 35th anniversary issue.)

3. Finally, Cowboys fans: kicker Nick Folk is gone. They replaced him with the dog from the Air Bud movies.