Articles for October 30th, 2007
Re: New Observer Editor
A couple of FrontBurnervians have written in with their own choices to replace the departing Julie Lyons. So I went ahead and opened up comments on the post below. Let’s hear some chatter out there. While I’m here, I’ll give you my shortlist.
- The Ask a Mexican guy. Like the cut of his jib.
- Sarah Hepola. Would be good to lure her back home somehow.
- Michael Keaton. But only as his character from The Paper.
Handicapping the Competition for New Observer Editor
Julie Lyons announced yesterday that she will step down as editor at the Dallas Observer at the end of the year. I spent the better part of my 20s at the paper, so I think I have a pretty good handle on what they’ll be looking for in a replacement. After the jump, I take a gander at the field.
Let Me Say This About Valet Parking
I like Truluck’s, but I don’t like the fact that I have to pay $3 to have my car parked for me in an open lot next to the restaurant. OK, they aren’t the only guilty restaurant in town but I just happened to be there last night so they’re the peg for my rant. Restaurateur Shannon Wynne once said, “Any joint that requires you to pay for valet parking is ripping you off. If they’ll screw you in the parking lot, imagine what they’ll do inside.” I mean really. Why don’t restaurants absorb the cost of controlled parking and bury it someplace else? They have no problem charging $12 for a glass of wine poured from a bottle that retails for $24. I’m just saying. Now you.
Break Out Your Seersucker Suit
Today, while I was enjoying a lunch date with Stephen Colbert and my Tivo, something came on that made me stop fast-forwarding through the commercial break. It was an ad for the Wilson brothers’ less-than-amazing flick, The Wendell Baker Story. (The Dallas premiere of which led to all this commotion.) “On DVD tomorrow,” the ad said. But this was yesterday’s episode. So, really it’s today. So go buy it. Or don’t. Whichever.
Robert Bloom On Helping Companies, Well, Bloom
Advertising guru/marketing consultant Robert H. (”Call me Bob”) Bloom was greeted enthusiastically when he spoke at a Greater Dallas Chamber lunch today, with young hipster types embracing him like a rock god. Then again, he had some pretty smart things to say about growing your business. You’ll find them after the jump. (more…)
Victory Park Responds To My Hateful Parking Slander
They want me to know that there is always plenty of good parking at Victory Park. They acknowledge folks think otherwise, and they want me to bust that myth. So, here’s their parking layout. Learn it. Love it. Live it. Print it.
Houston Chronicle Cuts Dallas Bureau
The greatness that is Tom Korosec was laid off yesterday in a round of cuts at the Houston daily.
I Eat Stone Crabs So There Won’t Be Any Left For You
Every year my baseball buddies and I mark the end of the World Series with the beginning of stone crab season. Last night, less than 24 hours after the Sox claimed the title, we were seated at Truluck’s on McKinney for their Monday night all-you-can eat extravaganza. (Truluck’s used to be the only stone crab show in town but I hear Oceanaire Seafood Room serves them as well.) Anywhoo, my friends, affectionately known as Ricky and Grumpy, went for new personal records. Our poor (darling) waitress worked her butt off—in the end my dynamic duo downed a total of 31 claws (mix of medium and large). “Did we set the restaurant record?” asked the Grumpster. “Not a chance,” said the waitress. “The guy next to you just ate a 12-ounce filet, two side dishes, and 26 claws all by himself.” We ordered chocolate cake and celebrated anyway. BTW, a few years ago I wrote that Truluck’s serves the best chocolate cake in town. And it is. Tomorrow, a great burger I found in an unusual place.
Fashion at the Park
Fashion at the Park kicks off this Thursday morning at 9 A.M. with a runway show from Nordstrom. If you don’t have tickets yet, you can go here to buy them. At the November 3 gala designer Tory Burch will make an appearance and Eve is scheduled to perform live. Billy Reid will also be in town for his show and cocktail party on Thursday. Shows will run through November 4 and include Oscar De La Renta, Barneys New York, Carolina Herrera, Billy Reid, Custo Barcelona, Diesel, Giorgio Armani, Valentino, and more. We’ll be attending some of the shows and will keep you up to date on the happenings.
Human Heads Found During Traffic Stop
Define “futility.”
“I just want to caution people from seeing humor in this,” Baker said. “These are the remains of people’s loved ones, and they deserve dignity.
“I’m trying to keep this from becoming a Halloween story.”
Re: Parched, Revisited
That’s weird, Stacey. “Cougars and Quagmires” is the tagline for my new pinup/military analysis magazine.
Smoke Cloud in North Dallas
Just saw a cloud of black smoke billowing up east of the High Five. Any sharp-eyed FrontBurnervians know what’s (going) up?
Vote Early, Vote Often
A helpful PR missive just arrived in my inbox that has some voter-friendly links:
Early voting is now underway and some very important constitutional amendments as well as local proposals are in play.
If you would like to know where your polling location is, click here: http://team.sos.state.tx.us/voterws/viw/faces/SearchSelectionPolling.jsp
To see the ballot language for the proposed constitutional amendments, click here: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/2007novballotlang.shtml
To learn what local propositions are on your ballot, contact your county elections official. Look here: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/county.shtml, for contact information.
Parched, Revisited
Between sobs, Lavin has been in my cube reminiscing about the “Parched” shoots. She recalled being at the “lake” all by herself on several occasions, loaded down with equipment, legs sinking into the mud (a la Neverending Story). On one solo excursion, she even spotted a cougar print (this kind, not this kind). Upon this discovery, she inexplicably called Rod, who sagely told her to “get out of there.” Stubborn girl that she is, Lavin refused, and lived to tell about her triumph over cougars and quagmires, for which she credits a close study of this. I bet the great David Remnick can’t claim such fortitude.
(BTW, sympathetic FBvians needn’t worry about our intrepid photog. Tonight she’s going to lick her wounds while drinking a bottle of red wine and watching a horror flick.)
Trinity Vote: Parking is a Priority in My Life
I’ve lived in this city long enough that, when I set out for a destination, I almost never worry about how to get there. I do worry, though, about where I’m going to park once I arrive. If I have time for a happy hour tipple with friends and colleagues, I make sure I’m at the Old Monk before 6 p.m., when Henderson becomes a parking lot itself and all the Monk’s spaces are usually filled. I prefer dinner at places with easily accessible valet stations or large parking lots. It’s why on a Saturday afternoon driving down Knox Street I’d rather eat at On the Border (huge lot) than Chuy’s (tiny lot). I’ll go to the Lakewood Landing or the Inwood Lounge before trying Lee Harvey’s, as much as I love that place. It’s why I refuse to go to Blue Mesa, or anywhere in Lincoln Park. It’s why I don’t go to Victory Park, because I’m just not sure where I can park and where I can’t. It controls my life.
Your 2007-08 Dallas Mavericks, Analyzed
Much to my dismay, baseball season has ended (Go Sox!). So with the Mavericks’ season beginning tomorrow night (and resident Mavs expert Zac content with lazily redirecting you to other sites for a preview), I think it’s time for my first annual Mavs’ supergood partytime season preview. I see big things—big things—for this year’s team. Let’s jump for my expert analysis of the roster.
The 2007-08 Championship Season Begins Tomorrow
Your Dallas Mavericks kick off what will be their inaugural championship season tomorrow night in Cleveland, against LeBron James and a bunch of guys who play with Tim at Premier Club during lunch. To prepare yourself for the excellence that will soon be unveiled, go here, here, here, and here.
Re: And … We Lost
Actually, no one was here in Boca to accept the award for Tex Mo. When Petra Nemcova (pictured, in this terrible photo) announced the winner, there was this awkward pause, until she said, in heavily accented English, “There is no one here to accept the award. So congratulations.”
Adam and I now have five hours to kill before our flight back to Dallas. I think we’re going to do some volunteer work. Help some orphans. Something like that.
And…We Lost
This text from Tim from the American Society of Something About Magazines Conference, regarding the cover competition (you can see the finalists here):
The New Yorker won. [Editor] David Remnick is my arch enemy. He will pay.
Kudos again again to photographer Elizabeth Lavin and creative director Todd Johnson for national-award-level work. Read Tim’s take on the conference and the purely evil human being known as David Remnick in the December issue of D.
Update: TexMo won for best coverline. Evan Smith reportedly walked over to Tim and Adam’s table, dropped trou, and said, “Ranch up, boys.”
Double Update: Tim reports no one from TexMo is there. Poor form, fellas.
Triple Update: Photographer Elizabeth Lavin came into my office, fell to the floor, and yelled, “I’m a LOSER!” Then Jessica Jones came into my office, crawled on the floor, and hugged her to make her feel loved. My iPhone sprang into action, but, honestly, I think the resulting photo looks a little too, um, interesting to post. Wick, can you come down here so I can get a ruling on this?
Mean Green Team Dean Seen As Racist After Green’s Sideline Scene?
Paul Kix’s man-crush, Mean Green Coach Todd Dodge, is being accused of racism after suspending a player, Dominique Green (no relation?), following an incident during Saturday night’s defeat at the hands of Middle Tennessee State University. Green — the player — mouthed off to an assistant coach during the game and now he’s shocked, shocked to find himself in trouble. Green has brought the NAACP into the fray, so you just know this will be resolved with reasonable discourse and a calm, dispassionate examination of the facts.
Parking the Homeless at First Presbyterian Church
By now you’ve seen or read this story about First Presbyterian Church downtown offering its parking lot as a large, outdoor shelter for downtown homeless. I’m still trying to conjure what to make of it. The first thought that comes to mind is the old saw about what happens when you put out food for strays. And then it occurs that, on the face of it, it certainly seems like the Christian thing to do. But then, I’m not so sure. Let’s jump.
Adam and Tim Continue to Fail
You can read updates on the magazine conference in Boca here. Still no mention of outrageous behavior by our local boys, not even Tim telling a female editor from Time that she “has great haunches.” Cover award announcement today around noon.
Leading Off
1. The AG A judge has said that Dallas city officials must turn over e-mails and BlackBerry messages from personal accounts if city business was discussed in those messages. In related news, D staffers are furiously deleting archived messages in personal accounts, just in case.
2. Some East Dallas drivers chased and blocked off a man who had just committed a fatal hit-and-run.
3. The Belmont Hotel offered a hundred-year-old home behind its property for free, so long as you moved it. According to the comments on the story at Pegasus News, the city of Grapevine bought it and will move it there.
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