Articles for January, 2009
Friday Fun: Frantic
Brain off. Time-waster on. Today’s Friday Fun is called Frantic. Use the awsd keys to move your ship left-up-down-right. Collect power-ups. Have fun.
Should This Flag Fly?
Mike Tettleton’s firm, Lone Star Banners and Flags, has designed this banner, which seems to combine the notions of a certain local team and a certain Lone Star state. Mike tells me his Fort Worth firm designed the flag (he calls it the “Silver and Blue Texas Flag”), then intended to take it to the Dallas Cowboys to negotiate a deal with them. He also posted an image of it on his company Web site to gauge public interest. That’s where the Cowboys saw it as well (oops). Not long after, Tettleton got a call from the Cowboys, asking him to take it down, because they hadn’t given him permission to market the flag. The Silver and Blue Texas Flag has since been pulled from the Web. What do you think, FrontBurnervians? Should this flag be allowed to fly?
UPDATE: For a right-side-up version of the flag, jump here. (more…)
If You’ve Lost Your Job, Rick Perry Has Something He Needs To Tell You
The governor’s tax-cutting-at-any-cost ideology has once again come back to bite us. He suspended the replenishment tax last year for the Texas unemployment trust fund, which today suddenly faces a $447 million deficit. Good timing there, Guv.
Leading Off (01/23/09)
1. A Dallas couple has filed for the first same-sex divorce case in Texas history (they were married in another state). This could be precedent-setting and will definitely provide Jay Leno with a “who’s going to get the drapes?” punchline.
2. The DMN estimates more than two dozen homebuilders in Dallas have suspended operations. In more shocking news, Trey likes guns.
3. We’ve got an outside chance to set the record high today, as the forecast calls for us to just about hit 80, and the record is 85. If we all drive the long way to work this morning, I think we may just make it.
Maybe Losing That Stadium Wasn’t A Bad Thing…
A FrontBurnervian recently forwarded me a Wall Street Journal column which, I think, effectively questions the notion of taxpayer-funded stadiums becoming money makers for cities. I know that many of you think not having the Cowboys playing in downtown Dallas might have driven the stake through the heart of our city, but maybe the WSJ piece can offer you some consolation. Then again, it might inspire you to burn an effigy of me, and that’s all right, too.
Dessert Good, Outlook Bad At Economics Talk
Today at the Belo Mansion, one of the smartest economic experts in the world talked about the worldwide financial crisis. He didn’t make you very hopeful about things. Martin Wolf, an associate editor with the Financial Times, called the current meltdown “truly terrifying,” “a monstrous crisis” and “a great shock.” Then he really got bleak, saying “the dangers of a breakdown in the global financial system are enormous.” President Obama may be “able to stop the rot,” Wolf said, but not without a long and painful recession. Oh yeah: we should get used to big government deficits for awhile, too. Wolf’s luncheon talk was presented by Dallas’ National Center for Policy Analysis. At least the cheesecake was good.
Michael Irvin To Host Cowboys-Related Reality Show
This spring SpikeTV will air an Irvin-hosted, still unnamed show wherein 12 “football neophytes” get training and inspiration from #88. That dozen gets voted off week by week, by judges including former Cowboys players and Jerry Jones. The “winner” gets a spot on the Cowboys roster. Watchable?
How to Lose a Basketball Game When the Scoreboard Reads 100-to-0 in Your Favor
The story of the Covenant School’s 100-to-0 over Dallas Academy in a January 13 girls basketball game has been making the rounds today. Now, there’s a twist: Covenant officials say they have made a formal request to the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools to forfeit the “victory without honor.” It’ll be a rare appearance in the win column for Dallas Academy, which is near White Rock Lake and is known for its work with kids with learning disabilities; the school pulled out of TAPPS league play for the rest of the season following the game against Covenant.
FrontBurner For Your Ears Goes Live in 30 Minutes
Got your ears on, good buddy? You can listen live at 3. Special guest Charity Beaver (pictured) suffers an interview by Eric Celeste. After that, the show becomes a podcast so you can listen at your leisure.
Psst. Wanna Go To Cairo … For Free?
(I shill, because I care.) A reminder: King Tut is still in town at the DMA. A reminder that you might not have known about in the first place: D and People Newspapers are giving away free, round-trip airfare from Dallas to Cairo and a four-night stay there. Deadline for entry isn’t until March 31, but you should enter now so you don’t forget. Details and signup are here.
The Push For A Tier 1 University Gets Pushier
Despite Rick Perry’s “defeatism” or lack of interest, David Dewhurst and Jon Straus are putting the Tier 1 idea at the top of their agendas. Paul Burka today reports that Joe Straus has just named Dan Branch as chair of the House’s Higher Education Committee. This is very good news for North Texas.
Watch Your Back, Insured Dallas Drivers…
Read an Associated Press account of this report by the Insurance Research Council, which shows a strong correlation between economic downturns and people dropping insurance coverage. Knowing that drivers lacking insurance is already an enormous problem in Dallas, it gives me chills to think what a recession would do. Props to Ed Wallace’s Inside Automotive web site, where I first found the link to the AP story.
That Gordon Keith Blames the Global Economic Crisis For Everything
As Uncle Barky noted yesterday, Gordon Keith’s show was canceled by WFAA Channel 8, bringing to 9 the number of media entities my presence has sunk. Below, Gordon issues an exclusive statement to FB Nation:
Bottom line is that these are tough economic times and we are losing our budget. I know that we are not everyone’s cup of tea, especially to those who like to leave comments on blogs, and people who participate in Nielsen surveys, but I am glad we did the show. We have won some awards and met some really neat people and had much fun. I changed the format of the show in October and really like the new direction. What a great and wonderful opportunity Channel 8 gave me to get my feet wet in a new medium. I have nothing but happiness and gratefulness for my years with Channel 8. More importantly, I hope to continue my relationship with WFAA in new ways in the near future. Thanks to Tim Rogers, Eric Celeste, and Adam McGill. All of you were fabulous guests.
Programming Note: FrontBurner For Your Ears Episode 6
Tim isn’t here now. Will he be here in time for the show? That’s one reason to tune in today at 3 p.m. to Episode 6 of FrontBurner For Your Ears. Another reason is to hear a snippet of Eric’s interview with DCC fitness director Charity Beaver. Also, This Day in Dallas History. (Yes, I did research.) Also, we might talk about a topic you—yes, you—suggest in the comments. So suggest and listen.
George Steel, We Hardly Knew Ye (Or Maybe We Did)
Former DMN drama critic Jeremy Gerard does a takedown on ephemeral opera impresario George Steel for Bloomberg. Key quote:
Steel seems to have found Dallas a struggle. No sooner had he arrived in October than reports began circulating that he hadn’t bothered to show his face at rehearsals, wasn’t out there fundraising and was “aloof,” out of town more often than not. By early December, his own board members were actively badmouthing him. Worst of all, Steel, an early-music specialist, didn’t seem to know or care much about the standard repertoire beloved of subscribers and donors.
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