Articles for March, 2009
HP’s Priddy Fountain Suffers Savage Soap Attack
This is what it looked like at about 9 this morning, as two workers were scooping out the bubbles. Children, we do not find this amusing. Oh, wait. Yes we do. 
DFW Airport to Offer Healthy Dining Options
In the corporate restaurant business, restaurants with hundreds of locations are considered especially heinous. An elite crowd, known as brand creators, attempt to serve healthier cuisine. These are their stories.
Leading Off (3/4/09)
1. Mark Cuban isn’t happy about Monday’s loss to the Thunder. Yesterday he said, “The ball won’t always bounce the way we want it to, but every player can control their level of effort. … I don’t care what their contract is. I would rather turn over the roster 100 percent than subject fans to another game like last night.” Two things about that: 1) We now have a second opinion on the behavior of the basketball. Cuban concurs with Josh Howard, who was the first to tell us that “you can’t control what the ball do.” It is, indeed, crazy, man. 2) I’m not a sports fan, as Eric has pointed out. So maybe I don’t understand how this works. But it would be impossible to fire an entire NBA team, wouldn’t it?
2. Lake Cliff Park has always intrigued me. It seems like the real estate around that lake ought to be more prized. Dallas just doesn’t have that many urban lakes. This particular lake does have some cars parked in it, but whatever. That’s easily fixed.
3. We’ve taken some guff on FrontBurner for paying too much attention lately to Belo’s falling stock prices. So I’d like to mention that Blockbuster’s stock yesterday plunged 77 percent, to 22 cents, on rumors that it was preparing to file for bankruptcy. Trading had to be halted. If you jumped in when trading resumed, congratulations. At the open this morning, BBI was up 140 percent.
Savannah College Isn’t Coming to Dallas, For Now
A FrontBurnervian reminded me of my bloggerly duties to follow up on stuff I post, and I’m glad she did. I wrote that the Savannah College of Art and Design might announce its Dallas location by the fall of 2008. A quick phone call to a source at the college today revealed that after the economy started to turn south, the college people put the plans on ice. Just figured I’d add a little bit more sunshine to your day. You’re welcome.
Blockbuster May Might Maybe Be Filing For Bankruptcy
Trading on BBI has halted after a 76% drop, down to 26 cents. Why the drop? Because BBI has hired a firm “to evaluate restructuring options for the movie rental company, which may include a ‘pre-packaged’ or ‘pre-arranged bankruptcy.’” That’s all according to Bloomberg, and then re-reported several places, like here and here.
The Bachelor Finale: Jason is the Devil
Click here for Laura Kostelny’s recap of last night’s horrendous Bachelor finale and after-the-final-rose nightmare. Melissa, call us if you want to talk.
Trust, SOX And Pitchforks At An Edelman Event
Spend any time with folks from small public companies and you’ll inevitably hear them gripe about Sarbanes-Oxley, the 2002 law aimed at reforming corporate governance post-Enron. It’s too expensive, they’ll say; other critics complain that “SOX” has killed the venture-capital and initial-public-offering markets. But one of the law’s authors–former Ohio Congressman Michael Oxley, who’s now a bigwig at Nasdaq–says that’s hogwash. IPOs took off in 2004, ‘05 and ‘06, Oxley said in Dallas this morning, and companies were given more discretion in SOX compliance starting in 2004. “Today now all I get is, ‘You guys didn’t go far enough,’ ” said Oxley, who’s at the podium in this photo. To hear more of his thoughts–he was appearing at an event focusing on corporate trust put on by Edelman Public Relations Worldwide–just make the jump.
Memo To IRS: I Admit It. I Have A Ron Kirk Problem.
I don’t know if I should just turn myself in or wait for feds to show up on my doorstep. The major part of Ron Kirk’s problem is the $37,750 in honoraria he signed over to charity — not reporting it as income and deducting it. I’ve been doing the same thing for 20 years. Every time I received a check for speaking I’ve just endorsed it on the back and either given it back (if it came from a non-profit) or sent it to a charity. That apparently makes me a scofflaw. Hey, Steve Forbes, how’s that flat tax?
Another Pit Bull Attack
Hey, that’s three in just over a week. Luckily, the two teens (13 and 18) who were attacked by four pits are doing okay. Unfortunately, police issued three citations to the owner instead of beating the living snot out of him.
Leading Off (3/03/09)
1. Ron Kirk, nominated to be U.S. Trade Representative, has agreed to pay $10,000 in back taxes. I have nothing to say on the matter. If you are an IRS agent, please understand I have no comment, pro or con, on the matter. Please move on and read item No. 2.
2. Southwest Airlines has agreed to pay $7.5 million in fines for safety violations. I have no opinion on this matter, as I’m very superstitious about flying and I don’t want to anger the dark magic overlords who give flight to a huge hunk of metal with a maximum gross take-off weight of more than 200,000 pounds.
3. I have agreed to pay a friend $10 after the Dallas Mavericks lost to the Kevin Durant-less Oklahoma City Thunder, 96-87. I have a strong opinion on the fact that we allowed Nenad Freaking Krstic to score 26 points: the Mavs are, at times, killing me right in my heart.
Opening Soon: AFI Dallas
A do-gooding FBvian passes along word that The Brothers Bloom will be the opener at this year’s AFI Dallas International Film Festival (March 26 to April 2). Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, and Rachel Weisz star, and Brody is supposed to be in town for the screening, which takes place at AMC NorthPark with an accompanying gala at Neiman’s. Also, the former LFT spot in Victory has been converted into the fest’s VIP lounge, which can be accessed when you purchase certain levels of passes. So, go do that. Here.
A.H. Belo Stock Now on the Value Menu
For 99 cents, you can get a bean burrito, a beef taco, or one share of A.H. Belo stock.
(If the global economic crisis is kicking you in the jeans, perhaps I can interest you in a share of Belo stock instead. It’s at 66 cents.)
Joe Connelly, Will You Marry Me?
Thanks to Pegasus News, I am “in like.”
Local Music Gets Local Boost With Local Podcast
A friendly FrontBurnervian sends word that Paul Slavens now has a podcast called “Track By Track,” a bi-weekly show wherein the 90.1 At Night host “[talks] with musical artists about the creation process of their latest releases. Listeners will then hear excerpts from those releases.” Makes me think of dearly departed (or just no-longer-updated) d construction.
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