RE: NEW FAVORITE

Timmy, you forgot to mention the crappie service.

RE: WILL EMMIS GO PRIVATE?

Now we know where Evan Smith came up with the money to pay Brian’s salary.

WILL EMMIS GO PRIVATE?

Here’s the report on Texas Monthly’s owner, which has announced it is selling its television properties, from radioandrecords.com:

That’s one scenario Merrill Lynch analyst Laraine Mancini suggests could occur after Emmis sells off its television business, which she projects could fetch as much as $1.1 billion. “We believe Emmis will be in a financial position to complete a leveraged buyout after completing the TV sales,” she says in a report issued today. But Mancini also notes the company could also use the TV assets to bolster its radio holdings.

MY NEW FAVORITE THING IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD

I just discovered the Fishing Report, by J.P. Greeson and Luke Clayton, in the DMN. I assume they do this weekly. Fantastic. For those headed out to Lake Granbury, here is the report from Messrs. Greeson and Clayton:

Water stained. Black bass good. Striped bass slow. White bass good. Crappie fair. Catfish good.

Nancy, you could learn something from these guys. For instance, I’ve boiled down your very wordy review of Nana, under new executive chef Bombaci:

Bulgarian yogurt good. Day boat scallops good. Venison loin fair. Gelled foi gras bad.

DALLAS STATE SENATORS IN THE HOT SPOT

The school finance bill passed by the House on Tuesday set a 35 percent limit on local taxes that can be recaptured by the state (Highland Park currently sends 70 percent of its tax money out of district.) The Senate today passed a version which, once again, does not include this provision. John Carona represents HP, Dallas, and parts of Richardson, all of which are hit hard by recapture. Florence Shapiro–who is the school finance doyen of the Senate–represents Plano, which is in a fix just as bad as HP. When the bill goes to conference, these two Dallas-area senators could make all the difference. Shapiro’s phone number is 512-463-0108. Carona’s is 512-463-0116. They’ve both weasled before, and they’re weasling again. Meanwhile, their constituents are getting gouged.

FORT WORTH AMONG NATION’S FASTEST GROWING CITIES

Dallas is not.

RE: NASTY LIBERALS OR GOOD REPUBLICANS

Several FrontBurnervians have responded with the same message:

Two words. Think Kinky.

RE: IL MULINO ILL?

A TABC-access-having FrontBurnervian has some less-than-encouraging data about Il Mulino:

Il Mulino liquor sales (per TABC data)
March: -61.3% vs YAG
April: -45.7% vs YAG

To compare:

Nick & Sam’s TABC liquor sales…
March: +13.3% vs YAG
April: +21.6% vs YAG

Medici…
March: +183.5%
April: +195.8%

Data from the month of May won’t be ready for a couple more weeks. And I know Tim and his wife ate there. Tim drinks a lot. So maybe the figures will turn a corner.

RE: INCONCEIVABLE

A pilot-suggesting FrontBurnervian has a suggestion:

Not quite Cop Rock, but a group of Police Officers and Firemen join together to form a band called “Guns-n-Hoses” in a quest to become rock stars.

I realize now, though, what makes Inconceivable so awful is that it makes an knee-slapping pun about something terribly traumatic. With that in mind, I now offer these:

Terminal Illness, a sitcom about gate agents at DFW whose jobs make them go cah-razy. (Just think of all of the physical comedy those luggage conveyor belts can provide.)

Charred Livin’, a one-hour drama about the burn unit of a county hospital.

Pet O’File. Animal Planet. Story writes itself.

RE: ANGIE HARMON

Inconceivable. Really. So, since TV execs are apparently such suckers for TV shows based on awful puns, Tim challenged me to come up with similar titles for a couple of other occupations.

Cobblers. Call it Well-Heeled. A rich twentysomething, due to inherit millions, wants to leave his wealthy surroundings to become a cobbler, like his Uncle Giuseppe in Italy. He wants to work with the people, don’t you see?

Plumbers. Pipe Dreams? Too easy. When It Drains, It Pours. Blue-collar patriarch struggles to pay the bills, raise his kids, and put up with all of the neighbors who constantly call him to unclog their drains. I smell Emmy.

RE: KARMA

Here’s my favorite picture from Eric’s blog. Caption: “Hmm, I KNOW that pink hat is around here someplace.”

ANGIE HARMON KNOWS HOW TO MAKE BABIES

The fertile actress is returning to TV to play a “maverick fertility doctor with a checkered past” on an NBC show called Inconceivable.

Wow. That’s just… Wow. That show sounds just terrible. But good luck, Angie.

RE: KARMA

A resourceful FrontBurnervian points out that Eric, Mr. Gia himself, has his own blog. Reading his blog and Gia’s side by side is nifty. You can see how they both react to the same events, for instance The Hammock.
(more…)

STOP THE PORTERHOUSES!

A few days ago the deal to put a Del Frisco’s in the old Star Canyon space at Oak Lawn and Cedar Springs was all but done. Today the deal died. Terminated. Over.

IL MULINO ILL?

A couple of little weasels with an agenda are spreading rumors that Il Mulino is about to toss in the tortellini. “Absolutely not. Absolutely not. Absolutely not,” said the eloquent owner Phil Romano a few seconds ago. And the lawsuit against DMN dining critic Dotty Griffth? “Still negotiating.” Then he told me a really dirty joke. A really dirty joke. Really dirty.