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Demi Lovato Buys a Car at Park Place

Zac tells me Demi Lovato is a big deal. So when the folks at Park Place sent along the below photo and the release that follows after the jump, I decided to post them. That’s how it happened.

Continue reading "Demi Lovato Buys a Car at Park Place"

Darkhorse Candidate For Worst Person in the World This Week: Michelle Lynn Smith

I’m glad I’m going out of town to do something completely frivolous this weekend, because otherwise I very likely would just stay up late reading about the Fort Hood and Orlando shootings. Or the case of Michelle Lynn Smith, the Anna woman who knowingly married a two-time sex offender (Glen Bracy), and then stood by and did nothing while Bracy then — big surprise — sexually abused her 4-year-old daughter “up to 50 times” by his own estimate. She will have to serve 90 years of her 210-year sentence before she is eligible for parole.

Jaap van Zweden Saves the Lives of Two Men Having Lunch

Today, I was fortunate enough to have lunch with the good professor Willard Spiegelman and maestro Jaap van Zweden at Dali, in One Arts. About that I will say this: Jaap is probably my coolest new friend. All my other friends will surely understand that I won’t have much time for them in the coming months, as Jaap and I grow even closer. He told me he’s been going to Cowboys and Mavericks games. I will, no doubt, soon be invited to join him courtside. My family will dine with his at the Ritz, where he keeps a condo. We might going skiiing together this winter.

The highlight of the lunch, though, was when a brisk breeze swirled through the courtyard at One Arts, toppling two large shade umbrellas. One fell on empty tables. The other, which was shading our table, fell onto a two-top across the aisle from us, smashing a glass full of red wine, and threatening the lives of the two gentlemen there seated. They surely would have been decapitated if not for the quick thinking of my good friend Jaap, who lunged backward in his chair and, with his baton hand, managed to steady the sickle-like umbrella before it could do further damage. Bravo!

(Did I mention that I was over-served?)

Dallas County Expected to Run Out of H1N1 Vaccine Today (Probably)

So, go ahead and panic, if that’s your thing. My thing? An unnatural, inexplicable cockiness, and constant thumb drumming on my legs (not a euphemism).

Reviving Biofueler Plans Dallas Locations

Never underestimate the ability of businesspeople to reinvent themselves. Case in point: the folks behind Dallas’ Evolution Fuels Inc. (formerly Earth Biofuels), best-known for co-owning Willie’s Place at Carl’s Corner Truckstop near Hillsboro. After nearly going bankrupt two years ago as the biofuels market was skidding downhill, the company says it has paid off tens of millions of dollars in debt and will focus now on selling “mid-range ethanol blends” at retail fueling stations/convenience stores.

Kit Chambers, Evolution’s executive VP, says the outfit has signed letters of intent to open two Dallas stores–at Travis/Knox and Lemmon/Oak Lawn–and is aiming to acquire other fueling stations in Alabama and Mississippi. In addition, says Kit (pictured), a new entity called Evolution Resources will launch soon with an ambitious plan to “repurpose existing assets to produce cellulosic ethanol.”

Guess it all makes sense. While the biofuels biz in general has had its problems, ethanol is one biofuel segment that the government seems intent on propping up.

Express-News Undercut by Front-Page Ad

I have no particular objection to running unobtrusive front-page ads on newspapers. I’d prefer that they remain confined to a small strip across the bottom, but I know that with some papers trying anything and everything to remain afloat, there’s going to be experimentation. The local Star Community Newspapers group has even been floating ads in the center of the front page, above the fold and surrounded by content.

But can we all agree that today’s San Antonio Express-News front is just awful? Maybe papers should set some sort of guideline. Something that says ads will be omitted from the front when they’re running a two-line, six-column head?  Or when the lead story has a major body count?

American Airlines Flight Attendants to Stage Mock Strikes This Month

This, apparently, is in advance of getting permission to have real strikes.

Quick two-part question: How is a mock strike different than a real strike? Follow-up: Can you explain that again?

Good News for Humans Who Breathe Air

Comes news that Dr. Al Armendariz, an SMU prof in the the Lyle School of Engineering has been named the Environmental Protection Agency’s new regional administrator. Armendariz has been an outspoken critic of federal and state regulators for not doing enough to clean up North Texas’ air. Jim Schermbeck sends along the official statement from Downwinders at Risk, the group that has long battled the Midlothian cement plants:

Dr. Armendariz is exactly the kind of person you’d want to have this job, but seemingly never gets it. Because of what’s at stake and the fact that Texas is the belly of the polluter beast, this may be one of the most important, far-reaching appointments the Obama Administration makes. Downwinders at Risk is proud to have been the group that first utilized Dr. Armendariz’s expertise in 2005 for our cause of cleaning up the Midlothian cement kilns. That work led directly to his becoming the premier “citizen’s scientist” in Texas on air pollution, and paved the way for his much larger influence on the state scene. Congratulations to both Dr. Armendariz and the EPA.

Congrats, too, to SMU. Armendariz will keep his faculty appointment while serving at the EPA.

Leading Off (11/06/09)

1.  “After nightfall at Fort Hood, the religious gathered to pray, the patriotic gave blood, and doctors and nurses worked to save the lives of the wounded. Sirens continued to sound, but traffic once again rumbled along Battalion Avenue and speakers blared, ‘The emergency no longer exists.’” D Magazine contributing editor Gretel Kovach is headed to the scene Friday for the New York Times.

2. Yes, these Frisco students probably weren’t going to act on their threats to kill a teacher, posted on Facebook. But senseless violence like what happened at Fort Hood yesterday reminds us why it’s a good idea to err on the side of caution. And maybe teach kids other ways to “vent their anger.”

3. Planting a yard of artificial turf makes just as much sense as pouring time, energy, gallons upon gallons of water, and chemicals into maintaining a sparkling green lawn in the wilting sun of Texas. And if you want to paint a baseball diamond on there, fine by me. If the spirit of Shoeless Joe Jackson shows up, well then, all the better.

Stephen Hough Can’t Find Anything to Buy in Downtown Dallas

Stephen Hough writes for London’s Telegraph. He’s kind of a big deal. He’s visiting our fair burg to hear the DSO. An alert FBvian points us to the following dispatch. Here’s what Hough has to say about Dallas so far:

There are many wonderful things about this city, not least the DSO and their acoustically miraculous home, the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, but downtown shopping is not one of the highlights of a visit here.  I walked for several blocks with only the ghosts of former stores in evidence until, finally … there was something to buy across the street.

Check out what he found to buy.

Correction: Yes, Hough will hear the DSO. But he’ll also perform with the orchestra. Says Stacie Adams, PR maven for the symphony:

We won the Grammophone award for our recording with Stephen in 2005. He is amazing. And he is performing the same piece, my all time fave, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by Rachmaninoff, tonight and through the weekend.

Check, Check

This is a post to see if we’ve corrected for Daylight Savings Time.

Doc Gallagher Has History With Financial Regulators

Sorry we didn’t have this up last week, before “Doc” Gallagher was one of the featured speakers at the Jewish Community Center of Dallas’ Senior Expo.

But if you saw him there, or you’re planning to attend one of his free sessions this month at Sonny Bryan’s in Richardson, Golden Corral in North Richland Hills, or the Highland Park Cafeteria in Dallas, you might want to check out this piece from the latest D CEO.

One aspect of the story that didn’t make it into the final piece, because of space considerations, is that much of the marketing of “the Money Doctor” (who buys time weekly Saturday mornings on KAAM-AM 770) is aimed at senior citizens. He’s appeared on the cover of Mature Texan (with Ebby Halliday), for instance. And he’s done  shows on topics like the dangers of nursing homes, in addition to warning his listeners about the dangers of working with “Big Broker.”

He’s absolutely right that you’ve got to be careful from whom you take financial advice.

Rhett Miller Ticket Giveaway!

The handsome Rhett Miller performs November 14 at the Granada Theater. Doors at 7:30. The show is part of the CF Concert Series, which raises money to fight cystic fibrosis. I’ve got four tickets to give away (at $28 each, that’s a prize package worth almost $112) to the two people who make the best case that they are HUGE Rhett Miller fans. (To be clear: two people will win four tickets; I’m giving away eight tickets. Two times four is about eight.) I don’t care how you make your case. Post a picture. Tell a story. Whatever.

Comments are open. Contest ends at noon on November 12.

Check, Check, Ctd.

One more try.

Update: I just traveled back in time. I rule.

Big Announcement on WRR

I am “broadcasting” with Adriana Bate on WRR 101.1 till 11:30. Tune in for a big announcement.

Update: Adriana Bate announced this morning that her last day on the air at WRR will be Tuesday. After three and a half years with the station, she’s leaving Dallas to join her husband in Los Angeles. The couple has been doing the long-distance thing, and it’s grown too burdensome. Adraina’s replacement will be Tempie Lindsey, whose voice, according to WRR’s website, has been described as “gentle as a summer rain.” Which is odd. Because I’ve been described as “easy as a Sunday morning.” So I look forward to broadcasting with her next month.

Putting the Finishing Touches on the Winspear

Because you can’t have a green space without the green.

Yet Another Review of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

This is why Elaine Liner is the best theater critic in town. Check out what she has to say about opening night’s performance compared to the matinee she attended. (Her comments about the theater itself also resonated.)

Cowboys Stadium a Magnet For Prostitutes

A completely unfair headline on this post, I’ll grant you. But since both the 2010 NBA All-Star Game and Super Bowl XLV will be played inside the belly of Jerry’s giant robot space turtle in Arlington, and since as many as 100,000 prostitutes are expected to come to the area for the games, I’d argue that it’s not entirely inaccurate.

Anyway, the Morning News had a good blog post about this already. I’m really linking to it to point out how quickly the comments on the DMN Crime Blog item degenerated into racial epithets.

Leading Off (11/5/09)

1. Fort Worth officers receive a “no, no” after the raid on a gay bar, which resulted in at least one person being harmed. Some people are unhappy with the lacking severity of discipline. More details on the investigation will be released today. On a related note: several recommendations were made by a diversity task force (which was formed after the raid) to Fort Worth city officials. One proposal was for Forth Worth’s insurance to cover workers’ sex-change operations.

2.    You know a story’s going to be interesting when it includes this quote, “Am I killing? Yes, I am,” said Dr. Curtis Boyd. “I know that.” Boyd had to open a surgery center in order to keep performing late-term abortions (which means he can perform abortions on women as late as six months into their pregnancies). He has opened this center recently on Greenville Avenue, which is in Rep. Jeb Hensarling’s district. Remember Jeb? Of course you do. He’s in this month’s print product. Well, he isn’t happy about this.

3. A 12-year-old may have misdemeanor assault charges filed against him as he “shot” a 4-year-old with an airsoft gun. The 4-year-old turned around and said, “Pick on someone your own size.” Then told his parents who told the cops who told the 12-year-old he may have charges filed against him (I’m assuming this is how it went down). This reminds me of a little drama going on over at our sister blog, Overheard. A 12-year-old “accidentally” threatened a blogger. The blogger said, “Oh, really?” Then called the cops who then contacted the kid who then apologized. Bully fail.

Great Interview With Former DMN Photographer Damon Winter

You may remember New York Times photographer Damon Winter’s work from his shots of President Obama during the campaign. (They did win Winter a Pulitzer after all.) I didn’t know until I read his interview with the blog Too Much Chocolate that he actually got his start at the Dallas Morning News. Worth a read — unless you’ve already checked it out, which is possible, since I’ve seen this link retweeted about 50 times today.

Please, Will Someone Just Give Willis Willis His Money Back? COME ON.

Or not. Because then I won’t be able to see stories that start like this:

Willis Willis has an idea how he can get his money back from the store clerk who authorities say stole his $1 million winning lottery ticket.

“Just get me in a room with him for two minutes,” says the 67-year-old Navy veteran.

Or end like this:

Willis told reporters that he is willing to be patient. If it takes a year, he won’t give up, he said.

He also won’t stop playing the lottery. In fact, he bought five Mega Millions tickets Tuesday, he said.

“See if I can pull one more rabbit out of a hat,” he said.

Name That Post-Apocalyptic Setting

After traveling past Which Wich University, through darkness, I feared I had arrived in a Stephen King novel, or a zombie movie. In front of me, two dead escalators. An unfriendly elevator. Utter quiet. No sound but my own heartbeat. No alternative but retreat.

While 95 Percent Shun the Polls, A Burmese Immigrant Actually Wants to Vote

Speaking of that 5 percent-6 percent voter turnout yesterday, sometimes it takes a legal immigrant to put us “citizens” to shame. It happened yesterday at our polling place in Merriman Park, where SweetCharity and I proudly voted for insurgent DISD candidate Bruce Parrott (Zac!). Ahead of us in line was a new neighbor we’d met Halloweening with his family last Saturday–a legal U.S. resident from Burma/Myanmar by way of Thailand. Trying to communicate in broken English, the Burma native was showing his I.D. card and pleading with the poll official to let him vote. After the official explained that one needs to be a citizen to cast a ballot, our neighbor finally “got it” and walked away, dejected but smiling. Ironic to be reminded about the importance of voting by a guy from Burma–a police state marked by political repression, forced labor and ethnic cleansing.

Arts of Collin County Bids First Phase

If you’d like to construct a 2,100-seat theater near the intersection of Custer Road and the Sam Rayburn Tollway in Allen, the Arts of Collin County Commission opened bidding on the project today.

It’s just the first phase of a grand performing arts center that Plano, Frisco, and Allen have united to build. Mike Simpson, the former mayor of Frisco and current executive director of the Arts of Collin County, met with  a small group of Collin County leaders and potential arts patrons last night at Gleneagles Country Club in Plano. I was also invited.

The update that Simpson gave was very much what I explained in August. Simpson told me that the ACC commission has a fiscal responsibility to bid out construction  now, while costs are as low as their likely to get. ACC leaders hope the first phase will come in under $80 million.

In their best case scenario then, they’ll bid the project and find they’re $7 million or $8 million away from being able to pay for it. They’ll have a few months once the bids are finalized to secure all the necessary funding before they can award a bid. (They’ve raised less than $10 million in four years of concentrated effort to this point). Continue reading "Arts of Collin County Bids First Phase"

Dirk Nowitzki Talks About Taking a Game Over

No, in the quote below, Dirk is not talking about last night, when he grabbed the game by the throat, turning a double-digit deficit into a double-digit win going away. Before InsideCorner took a dirt nap, I had been spending some time at Mavs practices and so on, trying to play the part of professional sports blogger. On one such occasion, Dirk and I were talking, specifically, about his 50-point performance against the Phoenix Suns in the 2006 Western Conference Finals and, generally, about what it’s like to go on rushes like that. So I think it’s applicable this morning.

I’ve had games where I’m stiff in shootaround, can’t make a shot in warm-ups, and all of a sudden, you get to the basket one time. You get fouled. You have an “and-1.” And all of a sudden, every basket you get, the basket seems to get bigger. I had other experiences where I felt like I could jump out of the gym in the mornings, and I miss my first six, seven shots. The game’s weird like that. I’ve had games where I wasn’t feeling well, and for some reason you can’t even get a rebound; somebody seems to tip it, and you end up with zero rebounds. You’re 7-feet — how the hell you not getting one rebound? And then that night, against Phoenix in the playoffs, it just seems like the ball is coming to you. I was getting offensive rebounds. I was getting good looks at shots. I was driving. I was getting to the foul line. It’s just funny how sports works. Sometimes it works in your favor and sometimes it doesn’t.