Articles for February 2nd, 2010
TV with Laura: The Bachelor Episode 5 Recap
I can’t put it off any longer. It’s that time. I wish I could tell you that this particular episode was a San Francisco treat. It wasn’t. Let’s be clear: Jake has killed this so-bad-it’s-almost-good-ish franchise. This show has become so boring that I think the producers should have thrown in some paranormal activity for the viewers. Something like a Judy Garland specter drowning out Tenley’s baby talk with song (”Clang, clang, clang went the trolley. Ding, ding, ding went the bell!”) on the trolley date. Or the ghosts of Karl Malden and Michael Douglas shooting at Jake because of his refusal to stop calling the city “SF.” (For you kiddos, that’s an old-timey The Streets of San Francisco television show joke. And I know. Michael Douglas is technically alive, but the joke works better if everyone is dead.) Enough of my hopes and dreams. Jump if you want to discuss the two hours I’ll never get back. Ever.
Medina Up By 4 Points in Latest Ramussen Poll
Her 16 points is not enough to get her in the runoff, but there’s still a month to go. Latest numbers: Perry 44%, Hutchison 29%, Medina 16%. One Republican who has his eye on Kay Bailey’s Senate seat told me he doesn’t think Kay is finished yet. If she makes it into the runoff — is that an if? — it’s an entirely new race and she can still pull in the disaffected suburban voters who make up her base. I don’t know if I agree with that. Won’t Medina’s Tea Baggers go to Perry? And aren’t most Republicans in the suburbs sympathetic these days to the Tea Party?
Chloramines No Match for Hoshizaki’s New Filtration System
As I’ve mentioned previously, of all the appliances in our office, the Hoshizaki holds a special place in my heart. Imagine my sadness, then, when it started dispensing water and ice with a foul odor. But don’t worry! We got a note today from Hoshizaki HQ explaining what was wrong. Turns out, it’s something the city puts in its water. Here’s what our Hoshizaki rep told us:
After speaking with you, I contacted the National Representative with “Cuno” 3-M Filters, and described our situation with taste and odor in your water. This is what he told me.
“It has come to his attention in the Dallas, Ft. Worth Metroplex that in the near past, the cities have been using Chloramines to treat for bacteria in the water supply. Because of the strength of this additive, the life of the carbon in the Model IA1-1 filter that you are using is severely shortened. This is the reason that when we replaced them a couple of weeks ago, the same taste and odor returned so quickly.”
To correct the situation, he is going to ship us two completely new filter systems that will replace the existing ones. These new systems have a much greater capacity to remove this additive, therefore will be effective for a longer period of time. He assures us that this has worked in every case up to now. Hoshizaki (”Penguin Serv-Ice”) will change these out for you at no charge for labor or the new hardware.
That’s the kind of service I’ve come to expect from Hoshizaki. (And, no, we don’t have any material connection with Hoshizaki — that I’m aware of.) Anyway, watch out for those chloramines, people.
Inside The Mind Of A Serial Giver
You might call Hal Brierley the un-Gekko. When TACA distributed $1 million in grants to 35 local arts groups last night, Hal and his wife Diane were $100,000-and-above sponsors of the giveaway. Which wasn’t an unusual situation for the Brierleys, one of the most charitable couples in town. Why do they do it? Three big reasons, says Hal (pictured), the chairman of Dallas-based e-Rewards: Ever since he got a scholarship to the Harvard Business School, he’s been conscious of the need to “give back.” The couple have no relatives to leave their dough to. And when they moved years ago from Massachusetts–which had a 10 percent income tax–to Texas, which has no income tax, they decided to allocate their “tax” dollars to charity instead. “It’s my feeling that conspicious consumption,” Brierley says, “ought to be replaced by conspicuous philanthropy.”
Convention of Convention Managers Sparks New Business for Dallas
An alert FrontBurnervian attended the Dallas Assembly luncheon today and has this to report about the apparent success of the recently concluded Professional Convention Management Association shindig in Dallas:
Mayor Leppert spoke to the Dallas Assembly at lunch today, saying that as a result of the convention planners coming to town the other day, the bureau has already booked 30 new conventions worth about $65 million. Not bad, eh?
I’ll ask the CVB if they can release a list of those 30 new conventions and get back to you.
Suggestion: Please Stop Using “Everything’s Bigger in Texas”
Look, I kind of hate to do this, because the beneficiary of the event I’m about to call out is Laptops for the Wounded, a very fine cause that provides laptops to injured soldiers so they may stay in contact with family while in military hospitals. So allow me this gripe, and then feel free to support the organization, either through the event or on your own. Very worthwhile. Anyway.
The event: the “Everything’s Bigger in Texas” Celebrity NBA All Star Weekend Party.
Can we please stop saying that? Stop using it for party themes? Stop mentioning it in advertising materials and so on? Please. I don’t ask much. Five or six good cups of coffee a day and fewer bad drivers. And this. I mean, we, as Texans, battle enough stereotypes as is. It’s an uphill climb. If not for that reason, then how about this one: it’s overused. It means nothing anymore. It does not make your event or your blog post or your campaign or anything special. So knock it off. Oh, and the release for the shindig follows.
On Mrs. Novacek’s Death and Online Comments Thereon
As was mentioned in the comments to Leading Off this morning, the Dallas Morning News had to turn off comments to its story about LeAnne Novacek’s apparent suicide due to “numerous violations” of their terms of service. It makes one wonder how anyone — much less numerous someones — could possibly say something offensive in response to that story. It also makes me wonder how much longer the DMN will allow comments to its stories.
Why We Must Jaywalk in Downtown Dallas
I meant no disrespect to the pair of kindly bicycling Dallas cops that called me out at the corner of Harwood and San Jacinto streets about a half hour ago. I was distracted because Wick had just cried out to me as he drove by in his car, “We need more posts on FrontBurner, damn’t.” So I took no notice of them as I went to cross San Jacinto, against the traffic signal.
“Sir, sir,” they called to me. I turned where I stood, in the middle of the intersection, saw them and quickly retreated to the corner. “Since we’re here, please humor us,” they said good-naturedly. I was happy to oblige such kindly peace officers.
Had there been more time, perhaps I could have entered into a spirited discussion with them about how, as the blog Car-free in Big D earlier noted in discussing a recent book on urbanism, jaywalking makes streets safer:
On what planet does it make any sense whatsoever to put in place policies in order to protect a 4,000 lb piece of death-wheeling machinery vs. a human armed with nothing but a pair of tennis shoes, and perhaps a leashed puppy or two?
Rather than banning jaywalking, cities should take steps to enhance and enforce the rights of pedestrians, and to impede cars in areas where traveling on foot is feasible. (One useful step would be to follow New York City’s good example and make it illegal for drivers to turn right on red lights).
Leading Off (2/2/10)
1. LeAnne Novacek, the wife of former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jay Novacek, was found dead at her mother’s home in Burleson. It was an apparent suicide.
[I couldn't not do that story. But I also don't want to completely bum you out this morning. So let's take a moment, pause and reflect on the good things in our lives, and then I'll make with the jokes. Or "jokes."]
2. If you intend to commit a robbery, make sure the getaway car is in working order. I’m not talking about nitrous injectors or cop brakes. Just something that gets you from point A to point B. Or at least gets you away from point A. Obviously, if your heist involves beauty products, and you’ve ensnared a 5-year-old in your plan, you have bigger problems. You know what? I’m sorry. This ended up bumming me out, in a completely different way from No. 1, and I bet I’m not alone. I’ll try something else.
3. “Carrollton soil is notorious for cracking and shifting.” Are you going to take that kind of smack talk from Fox 4 traffic reporter Chip Waggoner, Carrollton? I know Addison wouldn’t. Neither would Allen. Richardson might. Actually, Richardson has been feeling its oats since Bono gave it a shout out at the U2 show. Never mind.
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