Articles for July, 2010
Because You Asked …
I’ve had a few e-mails from some Frontburnervians who say they need more earworms today. They make valid points, citing the fact that it is the last work day before a long, three-day holiday weekend, and nobody really wants to work. They’d really rather listen to bad music.
Dirk Nowitzki Tribute Song by Ben Rogers
Ben Rogers of ESPN Radio fame has produced a tribute song for Dirk Nowitzki. Rogers, besides having a solid name, is a good musician. I dig his work with the Coffee Nods. Still, though, I was expecting the song to be something silly, like that “We Are the World” ditty they recorded up in Cleveland for LeBron (blech). So I was surprised when I heard the song. It’s actually very sincere and touching. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I got misty eyed when I first listened to it. Good work, Mr. Rogers.
Former Local Reporter To Marry Joe Francis
So, it appears that former CBS 11 reporter Christina McLarty has been canoodling with “Girls Gone Wild” film auteur Joe Francis since at least 2007, when Paul Kix wrote that Francis had been arrested.
It now appears that the two are set to wed, but they’re having a civil domestic partnership. Also? Quincy Jones is the best man.
Leading Off (07/02/10)
1. Sometimes, I’ll look and see what other blogs have linked back to Frontburner. Today, I notice that there is a blog linking to us, and it’s in German. So I go look. It’s about Woot.com, and Amazon.com’s acquisition of it. But, as usual, the translation to English makes for the funny, as Exciting Commerce sums up the deal thusly: “The first rumors that Amazon and Woot stuck under a blanket, came in early 2008.” Tim, why didn’t you ask Matt Rutledge about blankets?
2. Chevy announced yesterday that it plans to introduce its electric car, the Volt, in Austin this year, with the car shipping to dealers in Texas in 2011. As usual, in this blog post at the Dallas Morning News website, the commenters break it all down, including one that says, “Oh, we’ll all be killed.” Yeah, probably buddy, but not by electric cars. Here in my car, I feel safest of all.
3. Jesuit’s Jordan Speith won his third Byron Nelson Junior Championship Wednesday at Lakewood Country Club. I’m not allowed to play miniature golf at a certain course in Arkansas after an unfortunate incident involving six lanes of highway. But I bet we both agree: Watching “Caddyshack” and “Happy Gilmore” gives you all the golf education you need.
4. Apparently, the plethora of one-way streets in downtown Dallas are considered unfriendly. So there’s a plan afoot to make some of them two-way streets.
5. Apparently some Lakewood residents are peeved with Oncor’s new tree-trimming plans. Me? I don’t argue with a woman who is wielding her own chainsaw.
Houston’s H Texas Magazine Repeats Atlanta Social Season’s Error With Beyoncé Cover
Our colleagues down at H Texas magazine figure it can’t hurt to throw a celebrity on their cover, so they’re featuring Beyoncé on the front of their summer 2010 issue.
I’m posting this not to draw your attention to their familiar-ish logo, but because this particular picture of the pop music star has been hailed on the Web as a truly epic Photoshop job-gone-wrong since it appeared last year on the cover of something called Atlanta Social Season.
What else would you expect from “Houston’s premiere lifestyle magazine?”
What To Do in Dallas Tonight: July 1, 2010
Tonight, go to Oak Cliff. It’s the First Thursdays Wine Walk, which means you pay $5, stroll through the Bishop Arts District, and get sauced on free wine from several different locales (Bishop Street Market, Zola’s, Make, and more). After all this walking and calorie burning and drinking you might need some food. I suggest stopping into Eno’s. Not only do they have amazing pizza and a totally cute atmosphere (trees inside! Christmas lights!), the restaurant is doing live music tonight from 7–9 pm (tonight’s act is Bona Fide Blues). You’ll probably be tired of wine by then so please order a St. Arnold’s Fancy Lawnmower and relax.
What Bethany Dreamed Last Night
I have this reputation for having some pretty awesome (ly weird) dreams. Last night was no exception. So I thought that I would inject some humor and levity into today, the day that is not Friday, and begin a discussion of dreams.
Last night, I dreamed I punched someone and connected. And they died. I spent the rest of the dream running from the police, after someone told me they were looking for me. I hid for quite some time in Fair Park, then behind Barcadia, and finally in the kitchen of Avner Samuel’s old Urban Bistro, which isn’t even around anymore.
And then the police caught up with me. Only it turned out to be The Police. And, knowing that my fists were deadly, I punched Sting and ran away.
Then my bladder woke me up.
So, Frontburnervians, any weird dreams? Any dream-analyzing Friends of Frontburner wanna take a crack at that? Granted, it’s not as weird as the time I bought a miniature cow from Wilfred Brimley and he cried, but still…
IM Just Saying: Woot.com CEO Matt Rutledge Talks About the Amazon Deal
As Krista mentioned in Leading Off this morning, local homeboys Woot.com were acquired by Amazon yesterday. If you’ve never spent any time poking around on Woot — one deal, one day — you ought to. It’s a really well-executed concept, and the writing they turn out (in their forums, about their products) is truly funny. For instance, watch the monkey rap they produced to announce the deal with Amazon.
After the jump, Woot CEO Matt Rutledge fields a few questions about whether his employees are all set to go on spending sprees.
Wells Fargo on A.H. Belo: Whoops!
Wells Fargo now says it only owns — and has only owned — 6.48 percent of Belo. It crosses-its-heart-and-hopes-to-die. It swears on a stack of Bibles. The whole up-and-down, do-we-or-don’t-we was a problem of “systems integration.” The systems are now integrated. Really. We promise.
Leading Off (7/1/10)
1. As predicted, the story of the police chief’s son will continue to unfold for quite some time. The autopsy report was released yesterday, a mere 11 days after David Brown Jr. died. He had .12 milligrams of PCP and marijuana in his system. The results also show he was shot nine times. And the questions continue.
2. Neighbors of a Bedford man are quite relieved today as the loud booms that had been going off next door have finally ended. Cops found a homemade bomb in the man’s house. I like this guy’s roommate, Alan Brown. I think he knew what he was doing when he gave this quote: “I think it’s way overblown, and for them to charge him with three felonies is ridiculous.”
3. On a much, much lighter note: Carrollton-based Woot.com was acquired by Amazon yesterday. As Tim has mentioned before, the people at Woot are pretty awesome. Please, please, please put in your earphones and watch/listen to their video explaining the whole thing. To entice you further: there’s a monkey, and he’s rapping.
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