Articles for September 3rd, 2009
Leppert: Companies Targeting Dallas for Relocation
At a commercial real estate symposium presented by the North Texas CCIM chapter today, Mayor Tom Leppert said Dallas and Texas are poised to benefit from other states’ economic woes. Touting our low taxes and favorable regulatory climate, Leppert said he just got a letter from the head of a big New Jersey company who said “we’re looking more and more at relocation.” The mayor said he also thinks another large company on the East Coast will move to Dallas, as will a 400-employee company now based in California. Dallas is holding on to companies as well, Leppert said, pointing to one firm that recently considered leaving downtown for the ‘burbs, but decided in the end to stay put. “They need good young people,” he said, “and young people want to live downtown.”
Mosley Disses Plano Upbringing, Ctd.
Christopher Mosley, who apparently has band-commitment issues, now looks to be campaigning for a job running Plano’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. He writes:
As far as Plano, I have an actual interest in its history. People get put off by the fact that I have books about Plano, “Plano Texas: The Early Years,” “Plano: An Historic Walking Tour,” etc. when they come over. So I don’t like to just randomly take shots at the town without at least understanding the evolution behind the place and its inhabitants.
Indeed, part of the interview I quoted from is quite the history lesson: (more…)
Dirk’s Ex-Girlfriend Not Pregnant
In May, I suggested that I (and much of the world) didn’t believe Cristal Taylor when she said she was preggers with Dirk’s baby. Turns out we were right. Wondering if Brett Shipp is going to go back on the Ticket and explain again just what a jerk Dirk was for not visiting his pregnant girlfriend in jail. (Brett, luv ya bro.)
Asked If He’ll Run For the Senate, Tom Leppert Says He’s Excited About Dallas, Ctd.
Anyone get tape of this, Glenn? Man, I wish I could have been there.
Neiman Marcus Sales Down 16.6% in August
So says the luxury retailer on its numbers compared to the same month last year.
Was it backlash from all those people who ordered ocelot fur and got goat? Or was it cava?
Asked If He’ll Run For the Senate, Tom Leppert Says He’s Excited About Dallas
Give this to Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert: When he’s sticking to a script, he sticks to the script. In the wake of Carol Reed’s disclosure yesterday that Leppert is indeed exploring a run for Kay Bailey Hutchison’s Senate seat, I tried today to get the mayor to confirm or deny it. During the Q&A at a Fairmont Hotel real estate symposium, I asked: “I was wondering how you–as a former CEO in the private sector–would have looked on a key employee who was said to be considering jumping ship before he’d finished the job he was hired to do?” “I’m just trying to make it through the week,” Leppert fired back, without missing a beat. “I feel really good about what we’ve done in Dallas. … I’m excited about what we’ve done and where we are. And that’s what I can tell you.” Seriously, though, how about that question, CEOs; what would your answer have been?
Lisa Loeb to Produce Tiny, Cat’s Eye Glasses-Wearing Human
In other words, Lisa Loeb is pregnant. After the sister-blog-blogging FBvian sent me this link to the People story, I had one question: How did Kevin Federline from five years ago manage to impregnate the erstwhile Dallasite?
Forbes Ranks Dallas as a Cultural Tourism Capital of the Country
Yes, yes. This is fun to crow about. Forbes lists the top 10 “cultural tourism capitals” of the country. Dallas comes in at No. 7 (behind No. 6 Atlanta, ahead of No. 8 Houston, and crushing No. 10 San Francisco). This fact will no doubt soon show up on the CVB’s website, as it should. But just hang on a second. Check out the methodology:
To determine America’s top cities for cultural tourism, we measured the number of 2008 overnight visitors to each of the 40 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the country, factoring in the number of cultural institutions — including museums, sports teams, and live theater and concert venues — according to New York-based AOL City Guide, an online database of local businesses, restaurants, cultural institutions and bars.
So it’s largely based on how many people visit each city. Whether they were here for the Texas-OU game or the Nasher we don’t know. And the number of cultural institution was factored in? How? In other words, there’s no qualitative measure here at all. It’s tough to build a ranking with qualitative measures, I know, but how about polling the country’s culture critics? That could have been interesting.
P.S. Yes, I realize that Forbes story went up August 20. But it’s new to me.
E-Readers, Transition Plans in DMN Future, Ctd.
A university-lecturing FBvian has a suggestion for Jim Moroney III of The Dallas Morning News:
I showed your posting to my broadcast management students today as we were discussing media mergers and alliances. One student suggested the DMN (or Star-T) partner with a cable outlet so their subscribers would have access to the paper’s online content as a part of the cable service. Both cable and the paper get paid, subscriber feels he/she is getting added value. Tell Mr. Moroney he can thank my student later. Perhaps with a check.
CNN Has a Look at Dallas’ Water Problem
Back in July, the WSJ wrote about how Dallas is a water hog (though as Rod Davis reported in the “print product,” that ain’t necessarily so). Now CNN is taking its turn. An alert FBvian points us to the video:
Former Cowboy Eugene Lockhart Arrested
It ain’t like getting caught with 5,000 pounds of weed in the back of your good-times van (hello, Nate Newton), but Eugene “Mean Gene” Lockhart was indicted on mortgage fraud charges and arrested at his Carrollton home. Here’s my question: Lockhart allegedly ran his scheme using companies with names that hark back to his former employer. E.g., “America’s Team Mortgage” and “Cowboys Realty.” How are those not a violation of trademarks owned by the Cowboys?
Diebold Sells Allen-based Elections Unit
As this partisan blog notes, Diebold’s sale of Premier Election Solutions today comes after its voting machines were accused of having some problems.
Holocaust Museum Launches Series With SMU
Sometimes PR people ask to have items posted on the blog. And sometimes I feel like doing it. And sometimes I’ll even spend a minute to find information that was left out of the release:
In recognition of the 70th anniversary of World War II, The Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance is collaborating with universities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on a series of programs and seminars called “Holocaust Legacies: Shoah as Turning Point.” The programs will explore topics ranging from music composed by Holocaust prisoners to the theological implications of the Holocaust. Two photography exhibitions are also planned as part of the series. All events are free and open to the public. The kick-off event is September 9th. (more…)
Nouns Group’s Mosley Disses Plano Upbringing
Some blog called “Swan Fungus” has done an interview with Christopher Mosley of the formerly of the band Nouns Group, and formerly part of Early Lines. He’s from Plano, and seems less than enamored of his hometown:
Plano is not very conducive to being young, or playing music, or hanging out, and especially not to all three of those things together.
And after a discussion about Plano’s sordid history with heroin and steroids:
I think that suffocating conservatism, unspeakable tragedy, and an oppressed adolescence all amongst a serene backdrop is quite the character builder. I do not however, recommend that sort of formative experience to anyone, and I probably won’t live here for much longer.
UPDATE: Mosley wrote in to say that he’s no longer with Nouns Group either. He’s now with Marriage Material.
Martellus Bennett Says: You Best Watch Out, Minnesota
Well, one of the clues that Blue left was on the computer screen. The others were on the G (G) key and the question mark key (?/). Mmm, I wonder if he wants me to use my computer. Thinking … thinking … thinking … thinking … thinking … thinking … thinking. Ok, I got it. He wants me to use the computer and google things to do in Minnesota. Here’s the list:
1. The Mall of America. (I love shopping.)
2. Minnesota Zoo, which features 2,300 animals. Mmmm, that’s not even enough for all my twitter (@Jupiters_Crunch) followers to have a pet. SMH
3. Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, which happens to be the nations largest professional theatre. Soooooo what?! As long as my food is good, we good. GNR
4. Children’s Museum. Kids can touch, climb, splash, crawl, push, and press on pretty much anything in there. A couple of problems: I don’t have any kids, and if I did, I wouldn’t want em touching on all the stuff the other kids were touching. I don’t carry wipes or hand sanitizer, so that’s just the Swine Flu waiting to happen.
5. Underwater Adventures Aquarium, bursting with 1.2 million gallons of water and over 3,000 living sea creatures. Mmm, now this is pretty cool. Least we won’t be thirsty.
6. BEAT THE VIKINGS.
Ticket to the game: $76. Cab ride from the hotel to the stadium: $17. Hotdogs: $8. Umbrella for when it starts raining: $37. MartyBTV: mm, that’s free. To watch the Dallas Cowboys win: priceless.
There are some things that money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s MartyCard.
MartyCard: Think Rich….
Holla At Cha Boy,
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