NOTES FROM GLENN MITCHELL’S MEMORIAL SERVICE

There was laughing. There was crying. It was just about perfect. Here’s what I can tell you about the event, concluded just moments ago at the Dallas Theater Center’s Kalita Humphreys Theater:
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RE: SHENANIGANS

By the way, I called Denton DA Bruce Isaaks at 9:09 this morning. He hasn’t been able to return the call. He must be having a very busy day.

THE END OF ROBIN HOOD

Haynes & Boone and Bracewell & Giuliani were the plaintiffs’ attorneys on the school finance case. Here is their take on the Supreme Court decision–and what the Legislature will need to do.

LOCAL NEWS SWEEPS SWEPT

A TVSpy Watercooler-watching FrontBurnervian noticed that the ratings numbers with one day left are posted. Not sure how accurate they are, but here goes:

10:00 News Ratings
NBC 5 9.97
CBS11 8.96
NEWS 8 7.41
Fox4 4.37

945p Lead in
CBS 12.46
ABC 9.91
NBC 9.46

Ouch, ABC. And ouch for CBS 11, losing that much lead-in audience. Then again, a lot of that audience could be getting under the covers, not just changing the channel.

LEGAL TROUBLE FOR “JESSICA SIMPSON”

A tee-heeing FrontBurnervian points out this news item concerning Jessica Simpson Brand Management. JSBM owes at least $180,000 in commission fees to Icon Licensing Group, the company that arranged a $15 million deal between JSBM and Camuto Consulting. Jessica Simpson is not named in the suit.

RE: SHENANIGANS

The News Connections’ series on DCAD is not an 11-parter, as Wick’s link would lead you to believe. It is a 15-parter.

DOJ INVESTIGATING COUNTY JAIL

An FBvian tells me, and County Judge Margaret Keliher confirms, that the the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the county jail. Keliher passed along the letter from the DOJ:

In conducting the investigation, we are obliged to determine whether there are systemic violations of the Constitution…in the conditions at the facility.

Gee, why would the DOJ think that?

MICHAEL AND GOSS TO GET HITCHED

George Michael and partner Kenny Goss “won’t be doing the whole veil and gown thing,” but they do plan to get civil partnershipped in England.

RE: SORRY

That’s better, but I’m sorry to have defamed one of my favorite animals—the precious warthog. I meant to equate Tim to a wildebeest, the stupidest animal I’ve ever observed on all of my trips to Africa. (We called them “lion food.” And note that that male wildebeest is being killed by a lioness.) So, Mr. Wildebeest, where’s my $60. Ranch Up! IJS.

RE: SORRY

Ranch Up? Me? You Ranch Up and out of here. Dude, all you had to say was: “She’s a colleague.” Nobody cares about our former sexual relationship, which by the way, didn’t have enough ranch to Ranch Up. IJS.

RE: TIM ROGERS

Nancy is in my office right now, threatening to moon me because I screwed up so bad last night. She wants me to apologize better.

I’m sorry! What else can I say?

“I want you to apologize better on FrontBurner,” Nancy says. “Say: ‘I’m underqualified for this job because I have the foresight of a warthog.’ Say: ‘Nancy is hot s— and I’m not!”

I’m underqualified for this job because I have the foresight of a warthog. Nancy is hot s— and I’m not!

RE: “DARK MOTIVATIONS”

A helpful FBvian tells us of her Custer encounter:

I went to a Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program banquet in October, and Brian Custer was the emcee (he was great, by the way). At the end of the awards ceremony, he announced that he had decided not to renew his contract with Channel 11. He was emotional about it (even got a little choked up at the end), but I got the impression that it was pretty much his decision. Now, I realize that any departing employee would not want to burn any bridges by disparaging his or her employer, but he came across as very genuine. It makes a lot of sense that he would decide to move on. How much further could he go in the Dallas sports market, especially since the sports anchors at each of the four affiliates are so entrenched? I guess Thelma Youngblood forgot to mention that.

WHY THE ARLINGTON CVB AIN’T HAPPY

The December issue of Texas Monthly is filled with folks writing and talking about the Texas towns where they grew up. Jan Reid on Wichita Falls. John Spong on Westlake. Et cetera, et cetera. Basically, it was a clever way for the staff to take the month off.

Anyway, Gary Cartwright writes about growing up in Arlington. Here’s the headline and subhead:

“The Lost City: Fifty years after I left Arlington, the quaint place I grew up in has been overrun by soulless neighborhoods, gridlocked streets, and a jumble of amusement parks and stadiums. This is progress?”

SHAKESPEARE GOES BIGGER

Shakespeare Festival of Dallas has changed its name to Shakespeare Dallas — which might be a hint to the so-called Dallas Summer Musicals. Anyway, their expanded season takes them out of the “festival” mode and into a steadier year-round presence under Raphael Parry’s artistic direction.

Several things to notice:
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BISHOP TD JAKES TAKES THE WORD TO NAIROBI

Bishop Jakes went to Nairobi early last month to preach the good word. You can read about the trip in the Kenya Times or on this Nairobi blog. A well-traveled FBvian who was there shares her photos with us.

The government estimated that 1 million people turned out to hear Bishop preach. But our FBvian says the government tends to overestimate. So figure 500,000.

You think he maybe had the crowd just a little excited?

RE: DENTON

An investigative-reporting FrontBurnervian provides more background:

I used to cover the Lewisville City Council. A lot of backslapping and horse-trading went on at those meetings. The ex-mayor is a real estate developer and came to every meeting wearing a cowboy hat. The
council deferred to him on all sorts of matters, including those concerning his own projects. I always liked Dean Ueckert, though. He was on David Letterman one time for the “Stump the Band” segment.

“DARK MOTIVATIONS” AT CHANNEL 11?

An alert FBvian lets us know that News Blues has a ditty today about Brian Custer’s departure from Channel 11. And since it’s a subscription site, I’ll share the item:

Dallas Viacom O&O KTVT-11-CBS has parted ways with sports reporter Brian Custer, and black-oriented Dallas Weekly Magazine reports that some squeaky wheels in the local black community are hinting at dark motivations.

“I am not pleased at all,” said Thelma Youngblood, during a radio call-in show. “I am calling management and I am going to tell them how I feel. And I am very upset.” Youngblood is a self-described “media monitor” and a member of the “Warriors,” who protested media companies in the 1990s.?

Custer was replaced at KTVT by former Dallas Maverick Derek Harper, who is also black.

Thelma Youngblood is not impressed. “He is in no way of the caliber of Brian Custer. I am not impressed at all!”

Custer’s agent, Steve Herz, tells us that his client has landed nicely on his feet with the New York Mets network, Sportsnet NY.

RE: TIM ROGERS

I feel bad about blowing Nancy’s cover. But the deal was thus: Mom and I walk in. There’s Nancy. I say, “Nancy, meet my mom. Mom, this is Nancy.” So Nancy knows who my mom is. She’s my mom. But Mom has this look on her face like, “Who the heck is Nancy, and why are you introducing me to her?” It was awkward. Like we’d run into a lover of mine, and I was afraid to divulge contextual information about her. And that’s when I IDed Nancy.

Sorry, Nancy. Ranch up.

SHENANIGANS AT THE DENTON APPRAISAL DISTRICT

A little community newspaper called The News Connection up in Highland Village has uncovered what seems to be a pattern of favortism and possible corruption in the Denton Central Appraisal District, which apparently is run like an old boys’ club for aspiring Republican politicos. The latest revelation by reporter Stephen Webster is juicy:
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IS REP. TERRI HODGE JUST A SWEET OLD LADY?

That’s the portrayal given by her lawyer to explain why she accepted free rent from a company she helped. But CBS11’s Todd Bensman and Robert Riggs have found that Rep. Hodge seems to have made a business of selling her legislative services–”an abhorrent abuse of public office,” according to one observer. Read on.
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TIM ROGERS: CLUELESS CAT

So, last night I’m sitting in an upscale restaurant doing my job: eating. Working. Undercover. I’d been there 30 minutes and so far the chef, owner, and waitress were unaware of my presence. Then, who should saunter through the door but Timmy, the alleged executive editor of this city magazine. He and his darling mother stop by the table. Introductions all around. (Did I mention that his mother is darling?) Then, Timmy blurts to the waitress: “Hey, did you know you’re waiting on the food editor of D Magazine?” I shot him a wicked WTF look and he stammers: “You’re not working, right? It’s no big deal. They all know who you are.” Well, they did after that: I was flooded with attention. Thanks, Timmy. I’m sure you had a few chuckles over the affair, but now I have to go back. In addition, you owe me $60 for the wine I sent to your table. Putz.

RE:CUE CAT

I think the Cue Cat would make a perfect stapler. Perfect for those cat lovers on your Christamas list.