Articles for January, 2009
Steve Asmussen Eclipses All Others At Eclipse Awards
Kudos to our hometown horse trainer Steve Asmussen. He won Trainer of the Year at last night’s Eclipse Awards, which are sort of like the sport’s version of the Oscars (only not really). Asmussen’s stable raked in more than $24 million in 2008. Curlin, the most notable horse in that stable, won Horse of the year for the second year in a row.
Reason Touts Trey Garrison Touting A More Lively Dallas
Jacob Sullum at the libertarian magazine hearts Trey’s article in the print edition of FrontBurner on “The Wussifcation of Dallas.” Now that I’ve posted on his post about our article, I have created an official media feedback loop.
Leading Off (1/27/09)
1. I’m currently reading Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage. This approaching “ice storm” today doesn’t scare me. First, no matter how hard the commute gets this evening, no one in North Texas will be charged by a vicious 1,100-pound leopard seal. Second, we’ve got toilet paper.
2. Via a reader, J-Floyd floats this excellent suggestion as a way to wrap up this hubbub about the 100-to-0 girls’ basketball blowout (or, as I prefer to call it, the Greatest Game Ever Played): why not have the two squads meet for a friendly? Mix up the teams? Have a barbecue afterward? Great way to bury the hatchet. And it would generate a fresh round of good publicity for both schools.
3. Dave Levinthal is reporting that Dallas City Council member Carolyn Davis used $189.03 in campaign finance money to fix the brakes on her car. Yes, it’s a small matter. Yes, we still need an official ruling on whether that’s a violation of state ethics rules. But come on. It’s a JV move any way you look at it. Councilwoman Davis, step up your game.
Geek Alert: Obama Hearts D.C.; TX? Not So Much
This ties in with Wick’s earlier post. It looks like Texas is really getting the short end of this proposed stimulus. Looking at a per-capita breakdown, we end up 31st out of 50 states, with about $1,825 per person. Which state/place takes first? Why, Obama’s new stomping grounds (D.C.), with nearly $3,000 per person. Second place (surprisingly) goes to Sarah Palin’s state. For the complete chart, geeks with Excel can click here.
Evans: ‘Crunchy People’ Await Bushes In Dallas
Just caught up with this piece about the Bushes returning to Dallas by our own Candy Evans, aka Ms. DallasDirt. It’s an interesting take that appeared Saturday on the New Geography blog, which is edited by Joel Kotkin, the writer and urban-issues guru.
Oh! For The Days Of Yore!
I’ve been too busy trying to contain my 5 month old to read the paper version of yesterday’s New York Times. But on the Intertubes, I found an article that lays out the menu of one of the first American Airlines transcontinental jet flights. Yes, they served lobster and filet mignon. Yes, complementary cocktails (before lunch). Yes, Mr. Peabody, I wish I could hop in a wayback machine right now.
Bernie Madoff Stole Money Earmarked For Texas Kids
The New York-based JEHT Foundation had made seed grants to help fund reform of the juvenile justic program. According to Melissa del Bosque of the Texas Observer,
JEHT was poised to give millions to innovative pilot projects designed to reduce criminal behavior in Texas. Representatives from Travis County, Harris County and the cities of Dallas, San Antonio and Houston met with philanthropy staff to discuss funding, she says.
The foundation closed its doors in late January. Its entire endowment was invested with Madoff.
Texas Gets Measly 7% In House Stimulus Package
Courtesy of the always-on-top-of-the-money Trey Garrison, here’s the breakout by state. (I told you guys to vote for Obama).
American Airlines Switches To NBC
CBS had the in-flight franchise for a decade. NBC just snatched it. The deal is worth 5 million pairs of eyeballs a year.
Will The DMN Go Weekly Or Twice-Weekly?
That’s what A.H. Belo board member Dave Morgan seems to suggest in this excellent analysis by Chris Nolter at The Deal Magazine:
Morgan prescribes a combination of increasing subscription fees, decreasing distribution, printing fewer days and requiring payment for online information. “I don’t think putting content behind a pay wall will save the seven-day-a-week paper,” he says. Only printing on Sunday while running a 24/7 Web site would be dramatic change. “That alone would take out 50 to 60% of the cost — maybe more.”
Kay Bailey Hutchison Plays Some Trump Cards
Take a look at the “statewide leadership team” she released over the weekend. You’ll immediately note Robert Rowling, whom Governor Perry appointed to the chairmanship of the UT Board of Regents (and whose Omni Hotels just bought a 50% share of Bob’s). You might pass over Louis Beecherl, but don’t: he’s the most influential GOP businessman in Dallas. And you’ll note three sitting members of Congress from Dallas-Fort Worth who don’t seem to have any problem endorsing a primary candidate: Kay Granger, Michael Burgess, and Kenny Marchant.
UPDATE: KBH’s people seem to have taken the list down off her website. Hmmm. Perhaps someone was on it who wasn’t supposed to be?
Promoting Park Cities People Podcast
Merritt Patterson and Charles Geilich see our FrontBurner For Your Ears and raise us with Bursting the Bubble, a podcast for those who live in the fancy zip codes. Bursting the Bubble, which has new episodes every Tuesday, sounds all professional and stuff, like they’re talking into real microphones. Tim, it’s on.
Sean Salisbury Hits The Fan
Mike Fisher shares the news that former ESPN NFL analyst Sean Salisbury is joining the lineup at 105.3 FM The Fan.
Years ago, my wife and I and several others decided it would be a good idea to do a McKinney Avenue pub crawl, starting at Idle Rich and walking to every stop along the way to Corner Bar. There were 10 stops in all, alternating between beer and mixed drink (dealer’s choice-style). We saw Sean Salisbury at Uptown Pub about halfway through our mission. My wife recognized a woman who was seated next to Sean from yoga or something and talked to her a whole bunch, apparently. A bartender came up to me and said, “Excuse me, sir. That woman you came in here with is bothering Mr. Salisbury.” Later, when I told my wife, she said, “Who?”
Exactly.
Chef John Tesar, Blogging, and Truth or Dare
So many questions, so much space for you to express your opinions.
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