Open Letter to the Convention Center

Dear Convention Center:

You are so awesome — though you’d be totally awesomer if you had a hotel attached to you. While you’re working on that, can I ask you something about your website? Why does it have so many mistakes on it? I’ve sent along the blurb about you that pops up prominently on your homepage. I’ve noted the corrections in red.

“Welcome to the Center of the Universe. The Dallas Convention Center has over more than 1,000,000 square feet. And it offers a staggering 726,726 square feet of prime, contiguous exhibit space, along with a 203,000-square-foot column-free exhibit hall, the largest in the U.S. Plus, the Dallas Convention Center offers even more great features, like such as a 9,816-seat arena, a theater with a 1,750-person capacity and 96 meeting rooms.”

You’re welcome, Convention Center. I love you.

Jessica Pics Make DMagazine.com Super Crazy Visited

You know what celebrity magazines like? Pictures of celebrities. Preferably eating cake. This morning’s post has led to calls and Web linkage from People, USWeekly, Star magazine, and more. My only hope is that somehow, someway, Joel McHale mentions the event. Then I can pretend like he and I know each other and we hang out all the time and I make him laugh, but not in an obvious “I’m trying hard to make you laugh” kind of way. And he makes me laugh, too. Obviously. But nothing weird. Just friends, hanging out … laughing. Sigh.

Stephen Malkmus Makes His Way to Dallas

In case you hadn’t heard, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks are in town for a gig tonight at the Granada. Those who need a Malkmus refresher can find it here, where the man did an interview on Fox News, of all places.

Rod Dreher Does Not Heart Bruce Tomaso

Hey, Eric, you still holding a grudge against Bruce Tomaso? Rod Dreher appears to be with you. (Apologies to all FrontBurnervians not entertained by tempest-in-a-teapot, internecine media catfights. But it’s not every day that you see such an openly hostile comment from one co-worker to another. I bet Dreher will get his nosed rubbed in it by management.)

Second Try’s The Charm For Miss Dallas Teen USA

Congressman Ralph Hall said he was impressed by all the “beauty” around him Saturday at the grand opening of Ray Huffines‘ new Kia dealership in McKinney. He wasn’t talking about the cars, but about the dozens of cheerleaders from three McKinney high schools who’d turned out for the opening to wash cars for various causes. One of the cheerleaders was Sara Herbel (shown at left in a photo by Andy Hanson), who’s the current Miss Dallas Teen USA. Jump to learn why Sara considers herself a “true role model” for today’s youth.

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Dallas Runner is Humble, Speedy

Hometown girl Melisa Christian placed 27th in the women’s Olympic marathon trials in Boston this past weekend with a time of 2:41. We’ve written about her here, and I had the opportunity to run with her a couple months ago, when she graciously slowed her pace to help coach a running group I’m in. I asked her what she was training for and she modestly said, “Boston.” It wasn’t until a few more miles into the run did it come out that by “Boston” she meant the Olympic trials in Boston not the regular ol’ marathon (Go Ann! Go Perry!). Considering I would have to shave more than an hour off my best marathon time just to keep up (read: not happening), I applaud her effort.

Mayor Tom Leppert Has a Stalker

As far as stalkers go, he’s a pretty good one. David Hopkins writes the semi-regular comic strip called Souvenir of Dallas that appears in the “print product” (Paul Milligan makes the pretty pictures that go with the words). David is working on a strip about Mayor Leppert’s freakishly large hands. Toward that end, he spent some time this weekend trailing Leppert and making him feel self-conscious about his hands (check em out). Jump for David’s report:

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Post Cake-Makeout Jess and Tony Hit the Links

Wow. Guess my question about what Tony got for his birthday was solved below. Anyway, on Sunday, a sweet, golf-loving FrontBurnervian saw the happy couple in action:

Romo played golf at Bent Tree yesterday afternoon and Jessica rode in the cart for the entire round. They played a couple groups behind me. Tony hit in the lake at least twice on 18.

Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson Celebrate Cake

Yes, Sarah. Today’s Tony Romo’s birthday (27th 28th), but he and Jessica celebrated it at Suite on Saturday night. Perez Hilton has a few cellphone pics. D Magazine has much better. Check them out, if so inclined.

Saturday Night Was Suite for Jessica and Tony

Everyone’s favorite celebrity couple Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson were in town Saturday night, first for a big birthday party at The Club (ed: wrong info there, sorry), and then out to dance it off. Perez Hilton says:

Spotted: Jessica Simpson celebrating Tony Romo’s birthday with the Cowboys QB at Dallas nightclub Suite on Saturday night.

Wonder what she gave him for his birthday? I’m sure we can think of something.

Stars Play Good Hockey

The score hadn’t changed yet, but the below shot was taken last night right after Modano scored the open netter to put the Stars up 4-1 in the waning moments of the game. Adam, Eric, and I got to watch the contest from the Haynes and Boone suite, despite D Magazine having recently fallen off of that firm’s top-200 client list. The seats were amazing (middle ice, directly across the arena from Tom Hicks’ suite). I’m now officially spoiled. Someone please sue us so we get invited back soon.

Cue the Bulldozers, Whinging

Sunday: Midcentury-modern buildings in Dallas attract preservationists

Monday: Sudden demolition of 1950s Dallas office building shocks preservationists

Leading Off

1. Stars 4, Ducks 1. Series over. I guess we’ve entered the part of the year where I act like I care about hockey. Which means [flipping through Ziggy day-to-day desk calendar]–yes! My week of caring about Texas Rangers baseball is coming up soon.

2. Mayor Tom Leppert is leading a trade delegation to China. Or protesting the Summer Olympics. Or fulfilling the ancient Chinese prophecy that a man from the West with magical over-sized hands–known colloquially as 人用看起来象剪刀的手–will lead them to victory over the dreaded 老鷹以熊的頭 (it’s essentially an eagle with the head of a bear). I’m fairly certain it’s one of those three things.

3. I don’t have anything specifically to link for this one. (Unless you count this.) Yesterday I was in downtown around 2, 2:30 and nothing was really open. Not a surprise. I know there’s no one down there on a Sunday. But here’s my question: why would anyone go downtown on a Sunday if not much is open? Bigger, related question: can downtown be truly viable–as a place to live or even visit–if it keeps such Andy-and-Opie hours?