A Fashionable Affair

We got word from an insider that covergirl/stylist/Texas beauty Erin Wasson, was in town this past weekend celebrating her birthday. Saturday night her parents and friends gathered at Tillman’s Roadhouse, where waiters surprised the supermodel with a special and “hilarious” table dance. The always stylish stunner shopped Victory Park (looks like it’s becoming quite the place to do some celeb-spotting) stores V.O.D., Henry Beguelin, and LFT. Last season she took on a new role as the stylist for Alexander Wang’s show in New York. Word is she will be doing it again this season.

Re: Rowlett Slams Ducas

One attendee at Ed Bark’s Saturday interview with Tracy Rowlett was Rebecca Aguilar, the Fox4 reporter who was indefinitely suspended a few months ago for allegedly “ambush”-interviewing a 70-year-old property defender. Asked what she was doing these days, Aguilar replied: “I started my fourth month [on suspension last] Wednesday. I’m pretty much being paid to stay home.”

Can You Say Nick Barclay?

I can.

Republicans Getting Mad At Each Other

The Collin County spatting we noted on Friday is spreading. The Young Conservatives of Texas issued a press release this morning blasting primary candidate Jon Cole for push-polling against incumbent State Rep. Jerry Madden. Which is kinda odd, because it doesn’t seem the YCT has a chapter in Collin County.

Sammy Davis Jr. Widow Says “No You Can’t” to Movie Producers of Yes I Can

There’s no doubt some complicated legal and financial stuff at the heart of today’s filed lawsuit of Altovise Davis v. Barrett LaRoda and Anthony Francis. The gist of it is that Altovise had to sell some of the rights to her husband’s story because he died $5 million in IRS debt, including much of the material of Yes I Can, which was written with the help of Dallas’ Judy and Burt Boyar. She sold those rights to LaRoda and Francis, who may or may not have hindered a biopic’s progress. The Boyars’ company, Boyar Investments, is also suing LaRoda and Francis.

Mack Hicks Is Engaged

That’s what Candy Evans is reporting over at DallasDirt. If the couple is looking for a destination wedding, I do not recommend Anfield.

Rowlett Slams Ducas: “Worst News Director I Ever Knew”

CBS 11 anchor Tracy Rowlett (left) really, really doesn’t like Regent Ducas. Ducas, you might recall, is the now-departed news director who was known for a “run ‘n’ gun approach” during his five-month stint at the station last year. Ducas was “the worst news director I ever knew,” Rowlett told TV critic Ed Bark during a live, freewheeling interview at Stratos Greek Taverna Saturday. “He was a one-trick pony. He didn’t know how to do anything but to do crime news in a small-town way. That drove people away.” Jump for more of Rowlett’s unplugged opinions. (more…)

Lawsuit Coming In Ron Springs’ Medical Case

I don’t have too many details, but yesterday I lunched with a woman-in-the-know who told me that Ron Spring’s coma was not related to his kidney transplant. There is a press conference scheduled for tomorrow at the George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building at 2:00. Ron’s wife, Adriane, is expected to announce a lawsuit against the hospital. Former Cowboy Everson Walls, who donated part of his kidney to Springs, will also be there. Word has it that the coma resulted from a screw up by the anesthesiologist in what was considered a “relatively minor surgery” last fall. Developing.

Minnesota Apparently Traded for the Herschel Walker That Didn’t Like Football

Missed this on Friday since it was, well, Friday, but former Dallas Cowboy Herschel Walker will allegedly discuss being afflicted with multiple personality disorder in his forthcoming autobiography, Breaking Free. So that makes the second thing Herschel and I have in common, other than the fact we’ve both won Heismans. For the record, my other personalities are Charles “Bananas” Foster, professional party animal, and T.T. Nails, a booze-soaked private eye working on a case that just might hold the key to his redemption — or his ultimate doom!

Admittedly Iffy Celebrity Spotting: Owen Wilson

Was that Owen Wilson stopping by my local 7-Eleven (corner of Garland Road and Tavaros, represent), taking a break from a mind-clearing motorcycle spin around the White Rock Lake area? Maybe. Alan Peppard — where you at?

Return the Paige

An excited FrontBurnervian writes:

I was watching a show I dvr’d from TLC on Friday night and was actually excited to see a promo for the new season of Trading Spaces. They’re bringing Paige Davis back! Since the show basically disappeared after she left, this is great news for people who like the show. First episode airs Saturday night. She looks great in the promos, too.

Turns out the announcement of the SMU-grad’s re-hiring was made back in November along with a retooling of the show. Lacking in that announcement were details pertaining to the rumored reasons for her initial dismissal. There was, you may remember, talk of a sex scandal. At the very least, there were pictures of her pseudo-stripping at a fundraiser. But she’s back.

Is Oliver Stone Coming Back to Dallas?

The director — who has filmed parts of several of his movies here, most notably JFK and Born on the Fourth of July — just announced that his next film will be Bush. It’s his take on our current president and how he came to power, and will star Josh Brolin as Dubya. Since Jose Canseco and Rafael Palmeiro aren’t doing anything these days, I’m sure they’re available to play themselves during the Texas Rangers-era scenes. (Hat tip: Pop Candy.)

People From Plano Live in Olive Gardens

On my way back from picking up my 2-year-old from my in-laws’ house in Plano on Saturday, I selfishly forced the little guy to listen to Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me on NPR instead of one of his lame CDs. Good thing, because otherwise I would have missed a shout out to my kind-of hometown in the show’s “Bluff the Listener” segment, wherein the three panelists attempt to dupe a caller into believing their news-related stories (this week’s topic involved the scandal surrounding Jessica Seinfeld’s alleged theft of a cookbook idea). (more…)

Chuck Norris Speaks His Political Mind

The 67-year-old Huckabee supporter held a fundraiser at his Lone Wolf Ranch, where he called 71-year-old candidate John McCain too old to be president. Yeah. You tell ‘em, Chuck. I mean, old people are just so … old.

Leading Off

1. Supporters of a Benbrook couple who say they were the target of racist graffiti staged a candlelight vigil in support of the victims. Biggest question I have, of course, is where in the world is Benbrook? Is it near the Stock Show?

2. Despite vaccination requirements, Texas has shown a 41 percent increase in chicken pox cases in the past two years. Chicken-bok-bok, indeed.

3.  A local economist says we may already be in a recession, but that’s okay because “from an economic perspective, the best place to be in the United States in 2008 is Texas.” Take that, New Hampshire!