D-Rated.

Racist Cops And Naked Car Surfin' Got Us All SMDH.

Welcome to D-Rated, in which we try to determine if the quality of life in Dallas and its surrounding areas is moving up or down by arbitrarily awarding and subtracting point values to our living situation based on current events.

Bad Doctor: Remember those super fancy Forest Park Medical Centers that closed recently amid bankruptcy? Well, the rich, smug asshole behind them just got convicted of fraud on Thursday. In 2009 and 2010, Dr. Richard Toussaint ran up a lot of bogus claims to insurance companies, saying he was administering anesthesia at times when he was actually across town or asleep or flying somewhere in his private jet. This dude has a long list of investigations into his businesses and lots of settlements to end those investigations. It's all very shady, and he'll be sentenced at some point in the future. He could get up to 10 years in federal prison and fines of up to $1.75 million. Plus 4 for the jury making the right call.

Under the Bridge: In a worst-case scenario that's happened far too often in Dallas as of late, a missing person was found — but it was just their remains. Dallas police ID'd the body found under the Dowdy-Ferry bridge as 34-year-old Marisol Espinosa. She disappeared on December 29. Her boyfriend Faustino Valdez has not been named as a suspect, but he was the last person to see her alive and is still wanted on two felony theft charges. Minus 4.

London Calling: Lift to Experience, the incredible Denton band that only managed to make one album (the masterpiece The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads), is reuniting for a one-time-only show at Guy Garvey's Meltdown, a June festival in London. That will precede a reissue of the album from Mute Records. And while the band says this is a one-off, this gives me hope for a future reunion gig a little closer to home. Plus 3.

Wild, Wild West: Well, shit. After seemingly getting it together, the Mavericks have now lost four games in a row. In the standings, they're now barely ahead of the Houston Rockets, who have floundered all season. They're also behind the Portland Trail Blazers, who have recently figured out how to make their team work, even after losing most of their starting lineup to free agency (including Wes Matthews who came to the Mavs). So if the Mavs not careful, the formerly ascendant squad could find itself down in the lottery, where many pundits expected they'd be this season after all. It shouldn't be this hard. The team has had 11 games go to overtime and another seven lost by three points or fewer, so it's not like the team's not close. Either way, this isn't how I expected this season to go. Minus 1.

Dallas Morning Moves: The Dallas Morning News, the last standing daily newspaper in our fair town, is undergoing some major internal restructuring — and it might actually work! — that might affect the location of its employees. On Wednesday, the publisher told the staff they might be moving from their Young Street location (dubbed the “Rock of Truth”). While that spot is an icon (especially for someone like me who's worked for a few stints there), it's not surprising that they're eyeing a move. The staff has undergone quite the downsizing in recent years, and that's prime real estate, especially for a possible bullet train station. A move, while somewhat controversial, makes sense. Plus 1.

White Ain't Right: Dallas PD Internal Affairs is investigating an image shared on social media and allegedly commented on by DPD officers. The image shows several white men standing around a man in blackface hanging from a tree by a noose. Obviously, this is disgusting and appalling, but not necessarily shocking. Black Police Association spokesman Thomas Glover condemned the officers — who haven't been named — who commented on the photo and who said they found it humorous if not outright positive. I can't believe we're still dealing with shit this disgusting in 2016, and from members of Dallas' “finest,” no less. But here we are. Minus 4.

Birthday Suit Up: Earlier this week, news of a Houston woman who decided to strip down and dance naked on top of an 18-wheeler during a traffic jam went way viral. Here's the thing, though: Just a couple days before, a Dallas woman did essentially the same thing in front of Anvil Pub — and on the hood of a car driving the wrong way on a one-way street! Few people thought twice about it, which I suppose proves that there really is a time and place for everything. Plus 2 for Dallas getting in on the naked car-surfing game before it was cool. Minus 1 for not having Houston lady's PR skills.

This Week's Total: Even.
Last Week's Running Total: Minus 9.
This Week's Running Total: Minus 9.