Ashlee Simpson Sighting Makes Me Want to La La

Or not. Anyway, an also-preggers FBvian sends this news from Victory Park megastore LFT:

A very pregnant Ashlee Simpson followed in her fashionable big sister’s footsteps this afternoon when she stopped by LFT to do some serious power shopping.

Purchasing clothing from Elizabeth and James (Mary Kate and Ashley Olson’s line), Sass & Bide and Gradyn and jewelry by Citrine by the Stones, Mrs. Pete Wentz spent close to 2 hours browsing through LFT’s gorgeous fall merchandise.

Columnist Matt Mendelsohn Takes DMN Editors to Humor School

Photographer Matt Mendelsohn wrote an op-ed in the NYT, a satire of convention speeches called “Father Knows Best.” The DMN reprinted it, editing the piece down a bit. In Mendelsohn’s mind, the editors took out the best parts. You can read the original, the DMN version, or Mendelsohn’s (over-)analysis of the cuts and offenses. Sincere-ish comment: A writer is often an editor’s harshest critic. Snarky comment: That was a humor piece? (Actually, I kinda liked a coupla lines.) (via Romenesko)

Update: To be fair to the DMN editor in question, she identified herself in the comments section of the Romenesko post. Nicole Stockdale said she never received an email from Mendelsohn about his complaints.

Local Company That Employs Destructive Friend Does Well

Intel’s investment company, Intel Capital, has taken a $20 million stake in a local company, Telligent Systems. The reason from the press release below:

“These social media applications offered by Telligent will help push the boundaries of online collaboration and communication allowing companies to be more efficient and productive,” said Arvind Sodhani, president of Intel Capital and executive vice-president of Intel.

Here is what I wish Arvind Sodhani had said:

“The fact that Telligent is an innovative leader in social media applications is one factor in our investment, but we were really impressed by the story of how one of Eric Celeste’s friends, who now works for Telligent, once blew up a gas station on a clandestine road trip in high school — on accident, with his father’s car. Oh, and he nearly killed three friends doing it. I never get tired of that story.”

UPDATE: Okay, I posted the story in the comments. Enjoy.

Even Joe Barton Is Skeptical Of Bailout

He is part of the growing chorus asking whether pushing it through so quickly is really necessary:

Just because God created the world in seven days doesn’t mean we have to pass this bill in seven days.

Ok, I didn’t say anything about his faculty for logic. I just said he was skeptical.

Garland Charity Definitely Fighting Its Creditors

Well, it has yet to be firmly established that the People Against Drugs Affordable Housing charity has actually fought drugs. But it’s definitely fighting creditors, with a Sept. 17 voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization filing. Now comes the State Attorney Generalissimo, who might ask the court to appoint a bankruptcy trustee.  Why, you ask? And why are you looking at a NASCAR truck? Jump for both answers… (more…)

Businesspeople Upbeat At Dallas Gathering

Wall Street may be on life support, but business/financial types in Dallas are upbeat and out there hustling for new deals. That was the takeaway from D CEO magazine’s 3Q Happy Hour last night at Bentley Dallas, where more than 250 movers and shakers gathered–on a Monday night, yet–to celebrate the mag’s newsmakers like Carol Reed. (The GOP-leaning political strategist, by the way, was sounding decidedly sour on Sarah Palin.) Noteworthy among the big crowd–many were members of the Dallas Dealmakers group–were W.B. McDonald of M7, a commercial real estate brokerage (shown at left in this Marty Perlman photo, with Jasmine Bouyer of Richards Partners); commercial real estate whiz Susan Arledge; David Houston of Western Reserve, a Dallas hedge fund; and Mary A. Burnham of Prodigy Oil & Gas. Houston–who’s no relation, by the way, to the great C&W singer with the same name–was heard blaming much of Wall Street’s woes on unfairly applied accounting rules. Then everybody had another Stella.

Mom and Daughter Wig Out at Wig Store … Allegedly

I have nothing to add to this account of a trio of suspects (two of whom might be mother and daughter) who tried to shoplift $40 worth of wigs and hair extensions from a wig store in Fort Worth except the headline of this post.

NY Post: Preston Hollow Is a Town Outside Dallas

This New York Post story about where the Bushes will move come January 21 is rather interesting. It says:

In four months Mr. and Mrs. Bush move to a town outside Dallas called Preston Hollow, one of the wealthiest areas in the oil-rich state of Texas. Houses come with horse stables, lake views, mountain views, golf club views.

Really? REALLY?

Leading Off (9/23/08)

1. Morale is “horrible” and employees are unable to concentrate on work because of looming job cuts due to a huge budget shortfall. This is true at DISD and the Dallas Morning News.

2. People storming out of meetings. Cutting one-third of staff. The FBI snooping around. Enormous budget cuts. No, it’s not DISD, it’s Royse City, the former boomtown gone bad.

3. Scaling back. Reducing its budget by $3.2 billion. Stock price down 45 percent. No, it’s not D Magazine, it’s Chesapeake Energy, which is reducing its presence in the Barnett Shale because of falling natural gas prices. This means instead of Satan-level rich, they’re only getting Mr. Burns-level rich.