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The Umbrella Academy Comes to Dallas

Quick comic book columnist Dan Koller has word that, fresh off an Eisner Award for Best Limited Series, writer Gerard Way (lead singer of slight guilty pleasure My Chemical Romance–shhh!) and artist Gabriel Ba are re-teaming for The Umbrella Academy: Dallas. Koller notes:

Dallas‘ first issue is scheduled to be released Nov. 26. That’ll be four days after the 45th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination. Coincidence?

UPDATE: Here’s the full release from Dark Horse Comics, courtesy of Big Bob.

Trizila Leaves Chamber For … One Guess

After five years as a spokeswoman for the Dallas Regional Chamber, Jo Trizila (left) has resigned her position to, guess what, get into public relations. In her spare time, Trizila also is something of an expert on Dallas dating, having fought the dating wars for years herself. Jump for a Q&A with the Indiana-born, Dallas-reared blonde. (more…)

Mark Cuban is 50

A vehicular-named FBvian pointed out that Mark Cuban turned 50 today and wondered if it deserved it’s own thread. Can’t see why not, as long as we can do it roast-style. I’ll go ahead and turn the comments on.

UPDATE: It’s also noted regional comedian Dave Little’s birthday. So feel free to roast him as well.

Local Dentist, Busted for Tax Evasion, Gives Me New Band Name

Wesley David Bowden, a 64-year-old dentist, stopped paying taxes in 1992 after being audited. Apparently, that’s frowned upon. So he’s going to the joint at some point in the near future. Whatever. The real takeaway from this is, during Bowden’s protestations, he hit on the perfect name for my new Dirty South polka band: Inland Pirates.

Harry Hunsicker Scores TV Deal With Lee Henry Oswald Series

Mystery writer Harry Hunsicker — who, I’m proud to say, has written for D — passes along great news: the bedeviling Cold Case star Kathryn Morris, via her Hotplate Productions, has sold her first series pilot, and it’s based on Harry’s Crosshairs novel (a good read, by the way).

Good stuff, Harry. Don’t forget us little people when you hit the big time.

Why, I’M an Experienced Editor. $100K Sounds Fine.

Have had lots of questions by FOEs (Friends of Eric) about this job posting, which says there’s yet another luxury magazine coming to town. It says the publisher is “well-funded” and that it should be ready to launch by “late 2008.” Here’s everything else I know about it:

” “

If you have more to add, any inside info, comments are on.

Hensarling: Don’t Let Airlines Play The Victim Card

Speaking of Jeb Hensarling, he has an article up on National Review blasting the “Coaltion To Stop Oil Speculators,” a lobbying effort in Congress which is the brainchild of 12 major airlines. Here’s the key paragraph, delivering a dose of economic common sense:

The reality is that commodities investments are not based on finger-in-the-wind guessing; but on analyses of trends in supply and demand. If investors see trends pointing toward increasing world demand (skyrocketing demand from India and China) and constrained supply (restricting exploration for American energy, limiting government procurement of unconventional fuels from North America, and constraining American refinery capacity), they are likely to bet on price escalation. Conversely, an actual increase in supply would cause prices to fall. 

UPDATE: NR link fixed. Sorry about that.

Why Earmarks Matter

In the past when I’ve complained about GOP earmarks and praised Dallas’ Jeb Hensarling’s fight against them), readers (mostly Republicans, defending Republican excesses) tell me to stop fretting, earmarks are only a tiny component of the federal deficit. That may be true . But Conn Carroll of the Heritage Foundation now has a chart up which argues for a correlation between increased earmarks and out-of-control government spending. And that doesn’t even include the attendant corruption (hello there, Sen. Ted Stevens).

Anne Armstrong, R.I.P.

I missed this sad news yesterday (thank you, Quorum Report, for catching me up). Anne was a great lady of Texas, one of the most charming, accessible, interesting, and politically deft women Texas produced in the last century. She was a grande dame of the Texas ranching dynasties.  I loved it that in the old days she had no telephone number. To call her, one would dial “0″ and ask the operator to connect to Anne Armstrong at Armstrong Ranch in Armstrong, Texas.

Jessica Simpson Should Maybe Sit the Next Few Plays Out

Just received a tip from a sweet female FBvian—who is REALLY unhappy with my previous headline (c’mon, I’m just tryin’ to rile you up, people!)—that everyone in FB Nation needs to read the September Elle cover story, in which Tony Romo’s girlfriend dishes on all things boy-toy. My favorite quote, about her ex, John Mayer:

“John believed in the Jessica Simpson that’s within.”

She then goes on to talk about Romo, and how wonderfully in love they are. That prompted this IM analysis from said FBvian, which may give away who it was:

Seriously, people don’t like people who always talk about how happy they are. And she oughta know by now that the happier you make yourself out to be, the harder you fall when it all comes crashing down, a la Kathy Lee Gifford. The whole thing was annoying. If Tony wants to trade up, I know another Jessica he can date. So if he got a tattoo of her name, he wouldn’t even have to change it.

Two words: Me. Ow.

Mo on Modano and Hull’s New Restaurant

Over here, puck bunnies.

Home Cookin’: A Cause of Bennigan’s Demise?

A study by Chicago-based restaurant-consulting firm Technomic shows that we’re apparently getting our fill of eating out. Check out this Powerpoint presentation, especially pages 11 and 12 (if your computer doesn’t have a Powerpoint program, you won’t be able to see it). Looks like we’re eating at home now as much as we did in 1996. What kind of flair will it take to get you back into one of these joints, anyway?

Chef Casey Thompson Leaves Shinsei

Oh, yes she did. She is posing for centerfold in October issue of D. Oh, no she’s not.

Hot Former Dallas Anchorwoman About Four, Maybe Four and a Half Months Away From Being Much Less Hot

Remember former Channel 11 morning wakeup person Shannon Hori? She left the station last year for the CBS affiliate in Miami, to be closer to her husband. Well, I know that seems like a good idea, getting closer to your husband and the like, but guess what happens: you get too close, then you get preggers. And, if you’re in Miami, apparently that’s news. Read here about how Hori plans to find out the sex of her twins soon, and who the third man in the ring was during the conception.

Tire Thief Terrorizes Park Cities, Preston Hollow!

Okay, okay. That headline was a bit alarmist of me. We’re only talking about two incidents. But in the past couple of days, a tire thief has hit two SUVs: a Tahoe on Wentwood in University Park and a Suburban on Lakehurst in Preston Hollow. In both cases, the owners of the cars woke up to find their rides on cinder blocks, with the tires and wheels gone. In the big city, this sort of stuff happens all the time, I know. But the visual got me. Are moms in UP and Preston Hollow now putting spinners on their SUVs or what?

Someone No Likey T. Boone’s Energy Plan

Will Wilkinson’s commentary on today’s Marketplace Morning Report is, um, critical (hostile?) to T. Boone’s energy plan to lessen our dependence on foreign oil and embrace wind and natural gas as alternate power sources. Take a listen.

Heat Index: Comparing Dallas To Its Sister Cities

In 1977, it was hot in Dallas. Really hot. So hot, that we couldn’t believe how hot. So we decided to see how hot it was in cities situated like ours around the world. Dallas sits at a latitude of 32 47N, and the cities closest to us on the parallel are Charleston, Tijuana, Casablanca, and Nanking. Since there’s been some talk about how hot Dallas is again this summer, I thought you might like a little report.

Charleston will hit around 90 with high humidity (of course).  Tijuana is in the 80s for the rest of the week, perhaps to be heated up by occasional gunfire. Casablanca is 84 right now, and the forecast looks to be about perfect. Nanking will wander up into the high 90s early next week. So, to sum up, everywhere else is great, and Dallas is not. So at around 4 pm today, when it hits 99 degrees, you can officially start complaining.

This information, of course, took only seconds to gather. In 1977, it was a little more difficult. That year’s recap after the jump: (more…)

Leading Off (7/31/08)

1. Exxon Mobil’s second quarter earnings rose 14 percent to $11.68 billion, setting a record for biggest quarterly profit by a U.S. company. In a related story, I just applied for a job at Exxon Mobil.

2. Imagination Station, the daycare center in Denton that allowed a 5-year-old boy to wander off to Hooters, was officially shut down by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. They kind of had to see that coming. Though I guess they don’t have a good track record of seeing things coming and going.

3. I’m pretty sure, if I were forced to resign while facing disciplinary action, I wouldn’t be leaving with half a year’s salary. So well played, Ann Lott.

Things I Didn’t Even Know I Didn’t Know: #3,572

From the Carrollton Leader Star :

“The Dallas area is the epicenter of rock climbing in the United States…”

Feds Sue Eleanor Mowery Sheets and Nicky Sheets

The U.S. Gubmint filed suit today, claiming Eleanor Mowery Sheets and her husband Nicky Sheets together owe about $1.6 million in unpaid taxes. Read the filing, if you’re interested. Can’t imagine why you’d be, though. Unless you’re a low-life voyeur. Shame on you.

Update: Combing through the document, I’m now realizing that a D Magazine article plays a role in the suit. And the government accuses the couple of establishing a sham trust to protect their assets. (You’re a low-life voyeur. I’m a journalist.)

Candy Evans Gets Props from Newsweek

In a Newsweek article about where the Bushes will live in Dallas, the magazine points to DallasDirt and a post from our very own Candy. Nice.

American Airlines Charges Serviceman for Extra Baggage

American just can’t catch a break. An alert FBvian points us to news about a soldier flying out of El Paso. He was headed for training, then deployment to Iraq. American charged him $100 for his extra bag. AA has a policy that allows military to fly with more bags than civilians (to accommodate all their fighting gear), but still. If you’re AA brass, you don’t want to see this quote from Staff Sgt. Ashley Serrano:

“I have flown Southwest, Continental, and when they saw me in uniform, they didn’t even ask. I flew American a couple of times before, but I never had this problem.”

Re: Leading Off (Elephant Item and Clown Musings in Comments)

A science-promoting FrontBurnervian who read my item this morning passes along the following tip: clowns and jugglers from Ringling Bros. will be at the Museum of Nature & Science at 1:30 p.m. on August 7 to present a show free and open to the public so children can explore the Science of the Circus. No word whether nudity will be involved.

What’s the Deal With Pete Sessions and Poker?

I couldn’t care less what kind of venues my beloved congressman chooses for his fund-raising parties. After all, he’s a grown man. The question that popped into my head was, why is a Dallas congressman hosting major fund-raising events in Las Vegas? So I called his Washington office and asked for a list of those who attended. After much hemming and hawing, this is what I got in response:

“PETE PAC follows the letter and spirit of the law by filing expenses, contributors, and contributions to candidates each month with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Congressman Sessions is proud to have one of the most efficient Leadership PACs in Congress, giving out more than $1.6 million to Republican candidates since 2001.”

So I went here to try to get the attendees. No such luck, but suddenly the Las Vegas connnection started getting more interesting. For example, there’s self-described “professional poker player” Howard Lederer and his wife Susan with a combined donation of $10,000. Andrew Bloch, another “professional poker player,” gave $4,000. Doyle Brunson tossed some more chips on the table with another $4,000. Barry Shulman was in for $2,000, and Linda Johnson matched up to $500.

Now I’m sure all these Las Vegas residents are perfectly respectable citizens, and I for one am glad to see them engaged in the political process. But why did they choose a Dallas congressman as the vessel of their civic participation? Simple. Go to the the congressman’s statement on proposed UIGEA regulations issued on April 2, 2008. Then note that this year’s Vegas cash started flowing on April 7, 2008. Seems like Nevada has bought itself an extra congressman.

D Magazine Blog Empire Expands: Welcome, ShopTalk

First, there was FrontBurner. Then, D Home got in on it. Not long ago, we cooked up SideDish (which was actually the original FrontBurner, but that’s a different story), and we gave rise to DallasDirt. But where oh where would an online D-reading fan go for inside scoop on style, fashion, beauty tips, and more? If you like reading such things with your eyes, you’ll want to bookmark ShopTalk, the newest sibling in the D Blog family.

That brings our total to six, when you count People Newspapers’ Overheard. Watch out, NYTimes, with your 61 blogs. DMN, your 32 is within reach.