Dallas Observer making waves, but not for the reasons you think

Most people, like me, think of the Dallas Observer as an edgy -- sometimes over the edge -- weekly paper that certainly covers a side of Dallas that the DMN often doesn't -- or at least not in the same way. It's nothing if not provocative, and it's definitely not for the kids.

The editor is Julie Lyons, who recently launched an online column on the Observer's blog, Unfair Park. The name of the column? Bible Girl: The Unfair Park Religion Column. And let me just tell you, it's not what you expect. She is breathtakingly open and honest about both her beliefs and her personal pitfalls.

I won't issue an opinion here, but I will say that it's important to read each column in its entirety before you decide what she's trying to say. Whether you agree or disagree with her, it's well-written and will make you think. At least to me, though she is coming from a religious perspective, she sounds much more like a journalist than a ranting pundit or the ranting guest of a pundit.

At any rate, her latest column is something else, and it's causing quite the stir among Dallas media types. And I mention it, because the juxtaposition of her column (and of her being the editor) with the more expected Observer fare is terribly intriguing. I have to say that the Observer's act of allowing her viewpoint to be expressed alongside all of the others certainly suggests a true open-mindedness toward all opinions.

www.dallasobserver.com/blogs