T.O. HAD AN “ACCIDENTAL OVERDOSE”

So says Chief Kunkle. He acknowledges that he wouldn’t know the truth if he had 100 officers looking into the case. I hope T.O. gets help, privately, if he needs it.

RE: EPISCOPALIAN WARS

Lots of very thoughtful and insightful responses so far to “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” in the October issue. I mean, where else but here can you find intelligent, well-written analysis of the overlap between Episcopalians and Baptists in the context of a visit to Christ Church in Plano? Eat your heart out, Bible Girl. Now read this from a church history-minded FBvian:
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RE: ADVICE TO THE DMN

Wick, a Belo-working FBvian compliments you. No, wait–I take that back:

That story Wick posted was interesting. These media bosses have such big brains.

But ya know, their grand ideas — more Web news, more local news, more youth newspapers, more editions for seniors and so on — actually require a few journalists to execute. So what do the bosses do? They cut costs by laying off or buying out journalists. Wick himself recommended that the News lose 200, not 111 people, and slash their salaries.

It’s a mixed signal, for sure. More work to do. Fewer people to do it.

Or maybe these bosses are all secretly investing in technology to develop and produce droids that can do the work of human journalists. Imagine that: labor that doesn’t talk back and can work 24/7. Brilliant.

AD AGE MISSPELLS CUBAN’S NAME

I’m sure they’ll correct it. So here’s a screen grab.

ASHLEE THINKS CHICAGO IS “A GREAT BROADWAY”

Avert your eyes and God help your ears: Ashlee Simpson stars in Chicago, the Musical. Check the YouTube link, if you dare.

NANOTECH STILL NANORIFFIC

In case you’ve wandered around the Convention Center and wondered what all of the nerds are doing (I’m nerdy enough that I can say that), it’s the mentioned-before nanoTX convention. I checked it out yesterday and saw a whole bunch of machines whose purposes and functions were entirely beyond me (I’m not nerdy enough to decipher). Eric Berger, Houston Chronicles SciGuy, checked it out too. Notably, he got to hear Jim Von Ehr, profile subject in July’s DallasCEO, speak. The gist: Nanotechnology is more than a buzzword.

THE KUNKLE-DODD BUSINESS

[standing, clapping] Matt Pulle gets it done. Pretty much everything you need to know about Chief Kunkle’s relationship with Sarah Dodd is in his story in the Observer and his follow-up post on their blog. I especially like his lead:

David Kunkle could have hung up the phone. Or bullied us into killing our story. He could have tried to guilt us by saying that he expected the Dallas Observer to be above writing gossip. Instead, the still-married Dallas police chief talked amiably about his fledgling relationship with television reporter Sarah Dodd even as he struggled with the same questions everyone has when they first date someone new.

Where exactly is this going?

The lead shows compassion. A mature sense of humor. As opposed to this line, which shows that Pulle is a real juvenile bastard:

This is the same world that greeted the revelation of Dodd’s relationship with Kunkle with glee, thinking it would stem the rise of an award-winning reporter with a penchant for rubbing people–though apparently not the chief–the wrong way.

Genius. [clapping harder]

TRAMP-STAMP ENVY?

The DO’s award to Jake’s for “Best Tramp-Stamp Collecting” in its 8-volume, boxed set “Best of Dallas” compendium struck me as just the kind of juvenile and sexist riff that Wick’s Worthy Acolyte and Staff Wanker would have thought of. And, not to put too fine a point on it, he already did. Right here. Back on May 3. We’re all very proud.

Which is not to say that the “tramp” label cannot be used well–say, along the lines of Otis Redding and Carla Thomas. Or in its augmented form.

ADVICE TO THE DMN

Go local, says a new report from the American Press Institute. Couldn’t have said it better myself.

COP CALLS OUT T.O.

We, too, will soon tire of this T.O. nonsense, but when stuff like this happens, it’s too good to let pass without notice. Senior Cpl. Glenn White, president of the Dallas Police Association, is demanding an apology from Terrell and his publicist for saying the cops got it wrong:

“The officers reacted because they were called to this location to do this job. Now they’re being put under a microscope by some fancy little football person,” said Senior Cpl. Glenn White. “Give me a break. Those officers are 10 times better than this man.”

Yes, but how many touchdowns have they scored. Hmm?

JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR: HE’S NO WORDSMITH

In his explanation of the recent changes at the News, editor Bob Mong said the following of sports columnist Kevin Blackistone’s departure:

We’ll miss Kevin’s columns, but we are fortunate to welcome Jean-Jacques Taylor, our esteemed Dallas Cowboys writer who will take over Kevin’s spot. You’ll find Jacques’ humor and keen reporting skills very appealing. Jacques really likes to break stories.

Taylor does appear to be all kinds of sourced-up with the Cowboys. And his column did break news on the T.O. front. But Taylor, I’m afraid, is no Red Smith. Here are the first four graphs of his column, with my footnotes. I’m not talking about grievous sins here. Just the little things that add up:

Money, as many rich folks will tell you, is not a salve¹ that makes them immune to the same problems that affect my life or yours.

Fame, wealth and status don’t guarantee utopia.²

Terrell Owens lived through a traumatic childhood. Imagine as an 11-year-old, discovering your father lived across the street with his own family.

Critics say the 32-year-old star receiver should get over his childhood issues because they happened so long ago. Well, our country is full of folks who lay³ on psychologists’ couches and spend hundreds of dollars on hour-long sessions to deal with childhood issues that haunt them as adults.

1. Salve is something you apply to wounds to speed healing. It’s not a prophylactic or something that grants immunity. The word he was looking for in this medical analogy was “inoculum.” But that’s a goofy word, so perhaps: “Money, as rich folks will tell you, does not inoculate them against the same problems that affect my life or yours.” Or: “Money doesn’t make rich folks immune to the blues.” Just a suggestion.

2. “Utopia” can refer to a state of perfection. But more precisely, I think, “utopia” refers to a place or a society. “Happiness” would have worked just fine here. Or, if you prefer a little alliteration and a subtle allusion to ice cream, “good humor.” Again, a small matter.

3. Not much wiggle room here. I’d prefer “lie.”

WHITE TRUFFLE WEEKEND

This just in from Aurora:

We have white truffles from Alba, Italy. They will be available tomorrow through Saturday. 214.528.9400 for reservations.

Yummy, I want to be a trifolau when I grow up.

TOO SOON (AND NOT FUNNY)

Gawker points out the NY Post’s attempt at humor isn’t humorous at all. If you’re going to do a “Top 10 reasons why Terrell Owens would want to commit suicide” list, you need to bring the funny. I mean, “No. 4 He’s not as good-looking as A-Rod.” Get it?

IT’S A VERY LITERATE AUDIENCE

You gotta love a newspaper that uses a word like “dystopia” in its lead headline. The word doesn’t even appear in my Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, which is a good reason, I guess, to chunk my Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. For those of you who may need it sometime for a crossword puzzle, it is the opposite of utopia, “an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives.” But you Turtle Creek People readers already knew that, didn’t you?

UNCLE BARKY ON LOCAL T.O. COVERAGE

This is what Ed Bark couldn’t do at the Morning News. Good stuff.

PLANO’S SPACE-TRONAUT

As you may have heard–either here on FB, in other news, or in the July issue of DallasCEO–Plano entrepreneur Anousheh Ansari is up in space with the Russians. Things are going well for her, as you can read in her blog. You can also check out her pics. Looks like fun.

RE: MOST CURIOUS DETAIL

A FBvian reports from the field:

He actually doesn’t live in the Mitchell Lofts. He lives across the street in the small group of condos/town homes, the cheap ones built behind the now defunct Xpo Lounge (now Monkey Bar). I live down the street and have been watching the circus of reporters flock around his place.

RE: SCHUTZE, TRINITY, LAKES

Yeah, Jim, seriously. The river runs roughly west to east, near downtown (really more northwest to southeast). The easternmost lake sits 20 feet higher than the river. It drains west, into a lake that sits 17 feet higher than the river. That lake, in turn, flows into the river (the whitewater course for kyaks takes advantage of that elevation change). Then, yes, you’re back on the river and headed east (roughly) again.

Unsafe for human contact? Please tell me what that means, exactly. Because last time I canoed on the Trinity, I made contact. I didn’t swim in the damn thing. But I sure got wet. Here’s a picture. Note the pickup truck in the middle of the river. Kinda funny. But, then, the Trinity Project will return the river to a more natural, sinuous path, so that pickup won’t be there when you and I are paddling together, Jim. (The river was stupidly straightened in response to the 1908 flood.)

WATCH WIDGET

Are you like me? (Don’t answer yet.) Do you hate having to look at your cell phone to see who’s calling? Wouldn’t it be much easier if you could look at your watch instead? Dallas-based Fossil thinks so. They’ve teamed up with Sony Ericsson to bring Bluetooth technology to timepieces. The watch is equipped with caller-ID and lets you know if you have any messages. But you still have to, you know, look down at your wrist. If only they would invent a headband device that projects a hologram right in front of my face, with a “screen” that displays time, date, e-mail, and sports scores. That would be cool.

THE MOST CURIOUS DETAIL FROM THE T.O. STORY

I mean, besides the fact that money cures depression, according to Kim Etheredge. No, the most curious thing is that we’ve learned T.O. lives in Deep Ellum, in the Mitchell Lofts. Is it just me? If I had 25 million reasons to be happy, I’d live someplace a little more, um, upscale.

T.O., DAY TWO

The DMN has an exclusive. Owens’ trainer, James “Buddy” Primm, says he believes the suicide report is false. Problem is, he offers compelling evidence not to believe him.

Let’s jump.
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