Articles for January, 2009
Denton Man Very Honest … Or Very Clever
After UPS mistakenly delivered a 30-pound package of marijuana to his doorstep, a Denton man took the weed to the cops. Very noble. Unless the package wasn’t mistakenly delivered at all and it was originally 50 pounds. Very devious.
Really? He took it to the cops? Hasn’t he seen Half Baked? Or True Romance? Or any Cheech and Chong movie ever? The “well, well, well, how did this get here?” is only the first act.
Update: A kind, NBC-affiliated FrontBurnervian notes that NBC has pics and vids of the pot and stuff. Check it out.
Verne Troyer Makes Me Sad
The obvious joke would be to say, “Oh, how the mighty have fallen … and he didn’t have far to fall.” But this screengrab of one-time Arlington resident Verne Troyer on Britain’s Celebrity Big Brother makes sympathy inch above snideness. If you’re wondering, dressing up as a teddy bear and eating honey out of a pot was not his idea.
downtoearth.com Contains 100% Real People. Yum.
Then again, so was Soylent Green. Anyway, the folks at Dallas-based Match.com have launched a cost-free online dating service by the name of downtoearth.com. I can imagine the conversations that result when kids who result from this new dating service ask their parents how they met:
“Well, honey,” Mommy/Daddy would say. “Your (mommy/daddy) and I were too cheap to use a conventional dating service that charges money. Thank God for downtoearth.com! That whole cheap thing also explains why we’re using stolen milk crates for end tables.”
Trammell Crow, R.I.P.
He was perhaps the greatest real estate entrepreneur in American history. Mr. Crow died in his sleep earlier this morning at the age of 94.
UPDATE: I’m informed by someone named Erin Rice from Pegagus News (whose email began, “Hey, Allison…”) that Mr. Crow died at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday night.
Leading Off (1/15/09): Quotes Edition
1. Who or what do you think this quote refers to? “The big one didn’t get discussed yet, but I’m sure it will and real hard.” Hint: the person who said it works for an organization with a history of issuing extremely odd soundbites.
2. More on the George Steel story: “They contacted me in mid-December,” Steel told the DMN. “It was something I wasn’t willing to consider at all. But over Christmas we went back home [to New York], and I just saw the huge outpouring of support for the City Opera, and I realized what a special place this company has in my heart. I really seriously had to consider the offer.” Translation: “I may have been able to get a little more money if I held out until February, but I think my negotiating ploy worked out pretty well in the end. Fifty percent raise, son! Plus the sea bass at Screen Door tastes like bleach.”
3. “Smiles, everyone — smiles!” Ricardo Montalban, the man who said that for six years as Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island, has died. (Oh, you’re wondering about the local connection? Clearly you’ve forgotten that in the 1978-79 television season Fantasy Island squared off every Saturday night against none other than Dallas.)
Eric and Spider Monkey Storm the Capitol, Part 4
At least one alert FBvian has remarked in the comments that we haven’t heard from Eric Celeste and Elizabeth “Spider Monkey” Lavin today. I know. Odd. They’re both equipped with iPhones. Yet nary an update post. Well, nary an update from them. Over on the DMN’s Trail Blazers blog, however, we learn what they’ve been up to. Thank you, Emily Ramshaw.
George Steel Ditches Dallas Opera for New York City Opera
Holy smokes. From the NYT story:
His hiring came as a blow to the smaller and less prestigious Dallas Opera, where he had just started as general director in October.
You think so, doctor?
Wrapped Cars Save Gas
One thousand years ago, Peter Salaverry ran a company that helped our company’s Web site. That’s how I first met him and about the last time I saw him. He now runs Skinz Wraps, a company in Deep Ellum that wraps cars—you know, for a radio station’s promotional van or to put wicked flames on your IROC-Z’s hood or whatever. Peter called the other day with a story that he wanted to send our way before he went national with it. The big, official announcement is tomorrow at 10:00am, unless you count this here blog item. The story has to do with car wraps, Olympic swimmers, fuel efficiency, and female motorcyclists setting land speed records at the salt flats. Read on.
Programming Note: FrontBurner For Your Ears to Have Special Guest Tomorrow
The great Jeff Whittington — producer of KERA’s Think and host of Anything You Ever Wanted to Know — will join us tomorrow at 3 p.m. on FrontBurner For Your Ears to talk about how he’s trying to make the Dallas Press Club a hipper, more happening organization. Also, we’ll talk about how many chin-ups he can do. Normally the show runs 15 minutes. We’re thinking that Jeff’s appearance might warrant going a bit longer. Share your thoughts. And feel free to suggest discussion topics; I’ll turn the comments on.
Some Salient Observations About Eric Celeste’s Appearance on The Gordon Keith Show
If you haven’t seen it yet, Eric recently did a turn with Ticket host George Dunham on The Gordon Keith Show. The video was just put online. My observations:
1. I thought it very odd that Eric decided to bring luggage with him onto the show. And neither one of those bags would have fit in overhead storage.
2. Eric should hire George Dunham to sit next to him everywhere he goes. Church. Dinner out with his wife. Thursday card game. And then Eric should wear a colorful silk shirt and goggles. Because next to George, Eric looks like a horse jockey.
3. Finally, at the 5:00 mark of the show, Eric says something that might interest the HR Department here at D Magazine. VERY inappropriate.
Harold Simmons’ 14-year Nuclear Gamble Pays Off
Simmons once told D CEO editor Glenn Hunter that if he landed the right permits, one of his companies could easily net another $200 million a year profit. Well, today, after 14 years of trying to get the state to allow him to bury radioactive waste in West Texas (shown left), it’s finally happened. February’s issue of D CEO (on newsstands soon, if not now) describes how Simmons and his company, Waste Control Specialists, worked the State Legislature and the people of Andrews County, Texas, to grease the skids. (more…)
Vote in a Poll That Won’t Change the End of Last Night’s Mavericks Game, But Might Make You Feel Better
If you saw the end of last night’s Mavs-Nuggets game, you are no doubt frustrated by the result, which wasted an outstanding 44 point, 14 rebound game from Dirk Nowitzki. Nothing will change that. But voting on whether the late, controversial foul that sent Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups to the line with 2.2 seconds should have been called (or, perhaps, should have been called the other way) might salve your wounds a bit.
Also, Mark Cuban was involved in a bit of drama last night.
North Texas Gets A Lot of Fiber
Over on Light Reading, they’re reporting that Verizon has plans to pit its FiOS fiber against AT&T’s U-verse in parts of North Texas. While many parts of the country are still waiting for DSL, some folks around here have more fiber than they can handle.
Candy Evans on Morning Edition
Candy is shy. Really, she’s not much of a self-promoter. So I’ll do it for her. Wade Goodwyn did a piece this morning on George W. Bush’s return to Dallas. Candy was interviewed because she broke the story about which house the Bushes bought.
Richardson Neighborhoods Need Parking Lots
I missed this item yesterday, but a co-working Richardsonian just sent it along: The City Council passed an ordinance 5-2 to limit parking on residential streets. Only people who live in or are visiting a home may park on the street between 2 and 8 a.m. From Ian McCann’ article:
Mayor Steve Mitchell said the ordinance should solve many of the problems that council members hear about, primarily that neighbors’ cars make it impossible for residents and their guests to find on-street parking.
There’s some tasty irony there: “My guests can’t find parking on the street because my neighbor’s guests have parked on the street.” Also, how many people are visiting Richardson?
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