Articles for October, 2009
Leading Off (10/14/09)
1. Kay Baily Hutchison is keeping them guessing. Yesterday on Mark Davis’ radio show, she was vague about when (or if?) she’ll vacate her Senate seat to run against Rick Perry. Our mayor has no interest in these developments. Okay, maybe just a little interest. Oh, all right, he’s got about 15 RSS feeds set up to track Hutchison’s every move.
2. The squirreliness with county constables continues. County Commissioner Jim Foster ordered a pre-dawn raid on a constable’s computer to copy the entire hard drive. Said Foster: “If there is not something on that computer that they don’t want anyone to know about, then what is the problem? There is nothing on my computer that I would be embarrassed to share with any investigator.” There is at least one difference between me and Foster.
3. See if you can follow me on this one. DART is going to buy 600 buses. The question is whether they should run on diesel or compressed natural gas. Last year, DART was saying it would go diesel. The new diesel engines burn just as cleanly as natural gas, and they’re much cheaper. But then Mayor Tom Leppert stepped in and said, “Look at my enormous hands! T. Boone Pickens owns a company that sells compressed natural gas. Natural gas buses will make Dallas cool. Diesel is boring. Have another look at my hands — and this purchasing decision!” So yesterday DART reversed its thinking. Sure, the natural gas buses will cost $142 million more than the diesel buses, but over 20 years, DART projects, they’ll more than make up for that higher initial cost. Why? Because in the last nine months, the cost of deisel has gone up, while the cost of natural gas has dropped. Do I understand this correctly? Is DART about to make a $142 million bet on the price of natural gas 20 years from now? How many times has T. Boone Pickens gone broke making bets like that? (And, sure, gotten rich making bets like that. But, still, you get my point.)
Notes on the Just-Completed Philbin Awards Luncheon
A number of our group has returned from the Belo Mansion, whereat was held the 26th annual Stephen Philbin Awards luncheon to recognize excellence in legal reporting. The keynote speaker was Susan DeSanti, of the Federal Trade Commission. Jump for notes on the proceedings.
Pssst … Don’t Tell Anyone, But Yesterday Was Columbus Day
SweetCharity tells me it’s a “Yankee holiday,” and other native Texans say it was never that big a deal in schools here anyway. Still, the utter void of local news or notice about Columbus Day–it was yesterday, by the way–is striking to anyone who grew up thinking of the holiday as sort of important in our country’s history. As usual you can blame the blackout on the gods and goddesses of PC, who’ve cowed everybody into thinking the West’s “discovery” of the Americas was somehow evil. To these multiculturalists and their minions all I can say is: “Happy belated Columbus Day!”
What the Dallas Police Dept. Will Never Tell You
I was in Dallas police headquarters the other day, doing some research for a story, when I got the rare opportunity to see the inside of a Dallas public information officer’s office. Public information officers are the men and women you see on TV or quoted in the newspaper when a crime happens in Dallas — they are the official voice of the Dallas Police Department.
Anyway, while discussing a case with the officer I happened to notice post-it note on the wall near the telephone. At the top of the note it read, “Never Mention” and went on to list four things:
- Confessions
- How or why suspect was identified
- Evidence
- Weapon type
I’m guessing here, but it’s safe to assume that these pointers are designed to keep information from leaking to the public that would tip off any at-large suspects.
I’m Sorry: I Can’t Leave That DMN U2 Review Alone
I mentioned it in Leading Off this morning, but since I was there and (more or less) saw what Mario Tarradell saw, I’m going to have to dig in a little deeper. You’ll find me after the jump, still trying to drown out the voice of the guy behind me who 1) never stopped singing and 2) couldn’t find the right key with a GPS and a Mapsco.
Cars Should Be Safe This Year
Remember this debacle last year? Fans of the Red River Rivalry left the fair to find their cars had been illegally towed. Well, here’s hoping it doesn’t happen this year. But I’m not going to take my chances. I’ll just take DART. Nothing is worse than leaving the game (especially if your team lost), jumping through hoops, and losing money to get your car back.
Tibetan Monks at the Crow Collection This Week
On Sunday, seven Tibetan monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in Atlanta began a mandala to celebrate new beginnings, in this case the opening of the AT&T Performing Arts Center this week. My one IPhone photo does no justice to the ceremony (the nice pictures sent by the Crow Collection people were too big for the blog, or so WordPress tells me).
The intricate work on the mandala will continue all week on the second flow of the Crow Collection. On Friday, there will be a prayer flag presentation ceremony at 6 pm, with viewing until midnight. On Saturday, the monks will conduct a shamala meditation sitting from 1 to 2 pm. On Sunday, the monks will conduct a closing ceremony in which the mandala is dismantled, reminding us of the impermanence of all things.
Leading Off (10/13/09)
1. Here’s Mario Tarradell’s review of U2’s show last night at Cowboys Stadium. Skip to the last paragraph for the only thing he had to actually attend the show to write. Skip to another review if you want to learn anything about the show, beyond generic platitudes and boiler-plate. Seriously, guys: Hunter Hauk. He’s right there in the same building.
2. A Fort Worth man was sentenced to 25 years in the fatal beating of his 18-month-old stepson. Why did he do it? The boy — who, again, was 18 MONTHS OLD — spilled food on the carpet. I’m sorry. Did I wake up in an alternate universe where the phrase “life in prison without the hope or prayer of parole” is pronounced “25 years”? Because if I didn’t, then I’m confused as to how a man with a history of violence could punch an 18-month-old child to death for spilling food on the carpet and get 25 years, with a shot at parole in half that time. I don’t care if he’s remorseful. I don’t care if it was an accident. You can explain it to me however you like; not bending on this.
(Sorry. Got off on a bit of a rant there. Let’s all take a moment and catch our breath. I’ll try to leave you with something a bit more positive.)
3. How about a picture of Oprah at the State Fair, wearing a cowboy hat and eating a corn dog?
TEDxSMU A Resounding Success, Ctd.
Mike Orren gives a full recap — well, as much of a recap as is possible – over at Pegasus News.
Eolas Technologies Sues North Texas Companies For Infringement
Thanks to the Plano Star-Courier, I am now aware of last week’s news that Eolas Technologies sued a bunch of companies in federal court in Tyler for patent infringement. Among the companies being sued are Plano-based Perot Systems, Frito-Lay, and JCPenney. Texas Instruments is also among the defendants.
The suit centers on “technology that enables Web browsers to act as platforms for fully interactive embedded applications.” Looking around online for a simple explanation of what that means, I found a sketch in this article. The Star-Courier article, which is much too reliant on Eolas’ own press release, mentions that the company won a judgment of more than $500 million against Microsoft in an earlier patent case, but fails to mention that after appeals the case was settled, presumably for a smaller amount.
But there seems to be a vocal faction on the Web, among those who actually understand this technology, that claims Eolas didn’t really invent anything and is just a patent troll. I don’t know who’s right here. But I have been told that the Eastern District of Texas, which has a disconcertingly simple website itself, is the place to be for patent trolls.
Anders on AT&T PAC: Where’s All the Grass?
SweetCharity and I picked up Helen Anders of the Austin American-Statesman (formerly Helen Bryant of the DMN) early this morning for the dedication ceremony of Dallas’ $354 million AT&T Performing Arts Center. (Helen’s staying with her daughter in Arlington.) Local movers and shakers like Tom Leppert, Jim Oberwetter, Bill Lively, Michael Hinojosa and Jan Strimple turned out in force for the outdoor event, which took place in chilly, foggy weather more reminiscent of San Francisco than Dallas. When the speakers mentioned the grandeur of the center’s “public park” during the ceremony, Anders kept whispering, “What park?!”–a theme she continued in her interesting blog post about the event. SweetCharity weighed in with a report on all the hoopla as well.
DMN Music Critic Mario Tarradell Continues to Have His Finger on the Pulse
Two notes before I begin. First, someone fairly close to the situation asked if I was going to continue my vendetta against Dallas Morning News music critic Mario Tarradell. The answer: YES, capped because I can’t curse here. Second, I know he didn’t write this headline, but “U2 to perform songs from several of its CDs at Cowboys Stadium concert” certainly has a “From the Desk of Mario Tarradell” feel to it.
I mean, come on, here is the first sentence of his U2 column: “That U2 concert sure is the huge music event of 2009, to say the least.” Guh. I’m not done.
Mark Cuban Isn’t Impressed With ESPN Dallas
An alert FBvian points us to this post on Mark Cuban’s blog, titled “The Dallas Morning News Is Killing ESPN Dallas.” That might be a bit of an overstatement. But when it comes to Mavs coverage, Cuban says ESPN doesn’t appear to be MFFL. He says they aren’t sending reporters to the games to cover them. So when it comes time to break news, he’ll send the heads-up e-mail to the DMN, not ESPN. My guess: it’s still pre-season. And this little note, which is essentially a memo written directly to Bristol, Connecticut, will ensure the Mavs get the attention Cuban wants.
Downtown Dallas Forum is Happening Today at 4 P.M.
It’s on at the Convention Center, and you can find relevant details at Michael Davis’ Dallas Progress blog. According to Mike, they’ll be discussing:
…linking The Dallas Farmers Market, the Arts District, the Cedars, Deep Ellum, and The Main Street District as well as future developments.
D CEO Crew Discovers The New Al Biernat’s
New offices downtown, first lunchtime in the new digs. The DMA/Seventeen Seventeen was closed and Dickey’s is too familiar, so we stumbled into Harwood 609 at … 609 Harwood St. It’s big–looks like it could seat 500–with an over-the-top Tiki theme and glittering disco balls. Not surprising, since the joint (pictured) turns into an old-school R&B club nights and weekends. (The Temptations played there, and they’re shooting to land The Blue Notes–minus Harold Melvin–for New Year’s). Our friendly waiter Quincy explained how the $5 lunch special included soup and salad, an entree and two sides, a drink and dessert. The lovely and talented Kristiana and I opted for well-done burgers with fries, while Jason tried the Southwest chicken sandwich. Total tab: $16.24–and the grub wasn’t half bad. Still, I think there’s a male/female split on a return trip. Kristiana said Harwood 609 looked like an off-strip Vegas lounge and won’t be going back for lunch. Jason and I liked it. I mean, where else can you hear “Cowboys to Girls” (The Intruders) on the sound system at noon? Back to you, Nancy.
Home |
Masthead |
News from D |
About Us |
Contact Us |
Subscribe |
Advertise |
Privacy Policy |
Customer Service |
Awards | Archives | Reprints | d custom | Jobs | Advertiser's Index
Awards | Archives | Reprints | d custom | Jobs | Advertiser's Index