Articles for September 27th, 2010
SMU No Longer So Proud of Eddie Bernice Johnson
Remember when Wick pointed out that SMU was all set to give Eddie Bernice Johnson a distinguished alumni award? Turns out, no so much. Johnson appears to have been bumped from this year’s list of recipients. I’ve called SMU to get the back story on that bumping.
Update (5 p.m.): Kent Best, SMU’s executive director of news and communications, tells me that Johnson had to withdraw from the program because of a scheduling conflict. He says this happens from time to time and that her honor will be deferred to a later date that has yet to be determined. I asked him if the date had yet to be determined because we don’t know yet whether Johnson will be facing a grand jury. To his credit, Best did not laugh. No matter. I laughed heartily enough at my joke for both of us. Anyway, kudos to Johnson for coming up with the scheduling conflict that will save her alma mater the embarrassment of honoring her. Maybe she’s not the worst grandmother in America after all.
Prairie View Marching Band Gets Down and Dirty?
Ran into a friend at lunch who attended the Grambling vs. Prairie View game at the Cotton Bowl Saturday. She mentioned that the half-time show featured the Prairie View marching band simulating fellatio. She said half the band laid down, while the other half mimed the act. Is that possible? Follow-up question: if it’s possible, how come when I talk to the internet, the internet doesn’t seem to know anything about it?
Top Soothsayer Sees Big Wins for Perry, GOP
At a reception before delivering the “keynote” Saturday night at a big dinner here honoring Jeffrey Fegan of D/FW Airport, ace national political prognosticator Larry J. Sabato joked that he “hoped everybody’s drunk,” so they wouldn’t hold him to his predictions. I don’t think Sabato got his wish, not that it probably mattered much.
The guy called the country’s most accurate election analyst proceeded to tell the crowd of 800-plus–including U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX, and Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert–that the GOP could pick up as many as 47 House seats, eight Senate seats, eight new governorships and 500 state legislative seats on Nov. 2.
“These predictions are overwhelmingly Republican,” said the director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, who foretold Democratic juggernauts in 2006 and 2008. “A classic pendulum swing is coming.” (And hey, if you don’t believe his political stuff, Sabato also predicted the Cowboys would beat Houston the next day.)
Marty Cortland’s Rebuttal to the Rebuttal of Area Financial Planners
Last year, in our January issue, we allowed sometime D contributor Marty Cortland to issue financial advice. Said advice preceded our list of the Best Financial Planners in Dallas — none of whom thought the advice was very sound. So this year, they got their turn. Mark McClanahan, the chairman of the board of the Dallas Fort Worth Financial Planning Association, fired back in our current issue, explaining why he thought Marty was off base.
Well, you know what happens next. Marty has to defend himself. Because that’s the kind of guy Marty is.
Christmas Lights Go Up in Highland Park Village
Isn’t this weather glorious? I went for a run last night, and it was the best one I’ve had in ages. Except that something is very, very wrong with my right hip. And I’m worried–I’m 38. Is it possible that I need a new hip? Am I overly worried about my age because my high school reunion is this weekend? Anyway, none of that is important because Christmas is upon us. According to myfoxdfw.com, folks will be hanging lights for the next two days–six days a week, mind you–in order to take HP Village from hot to holiday.
Another Job Opening at D Magazine
As you read this job description, know that this position does not report to me, which is a huge bonus.
We are currently looking to fill the administrative coordinator position for D Magazine Partners. Candidates must be outgoing, organized, self-sufficient, able to multitask and prioritize, work well under pressure, get along well with others, and have a positive attitude. Duties include, but are not limited to, maintaining the office space, ordering and distributing office supplies, approving vendor bills, handling all mail (opening invoices and checks, separating subscription mail, dispersing incoming mail and posting outgoing mail), providing administrative support for assistant to the editor-in-chief (that’s Wick), handling reprint orders, processing online orders, providing back-up support for the receptionist daily, and managing the intranet. Additional duties may be assigned at management’s discretion.
If interested, please e-mail your resume and cover letter to receptionist-at-dmagazine.com.
Free Movie, Free Theater
You can’t afford not to go to this Thursday’s free screening of Carlos Saura’s Tango. And while you’re at it, check out some theater . . . for free.
Is Chet Edwards Finally Going Down?
A FrontBurnervian points us to this poll in the 17th Congressional District, which wanders from just below Fort Worth down to Robertson County. The Republican challenger is oilman Bill Flores. Flores is leading 55% to 36% — which looks to me to be insurmountable. You have to give Edwards his due, though. Every race he’s run in this Republican district has been tight, and he’s somehow pulled the rabbit out of the hat. But this year’s tide looks too strong for even Edwards to surf.
Things to Do in Dallas Tonight: Sept. 27
Thank you, weather Gods, for giving us a Monday worth getting out of bed for. Now all you have to do is make it through another six or seven hours of work so you can get outside and enjoy it. Here’s how I propose you do that (be sure to toggle back to your Word document every so often and type a little–otherwise your office mates might think you’re not working):
First of all, you need to go for a walk at lunch because A) You’ll help stave off the deep vein thrombosis and B) It’s too lovely outside to slog through the hour (or 5 minutes, or 90 minutes, depending) at your assigned work station. Likewise, it would be a crime not to take your evening meal anywhere but on a patio. Your best bet, according to D Magazine’s readers, is Patrizio in Highland Park Village. I admit that crispy goat cheese appetizer looks rather amazing. However, Barcadia has a pretty nice set-up, too, and Monday happens to be half-price-food day.
Tonight is The Cult concert at House of Blues. You might be wondering, “Samantha, why do you always send us to hear such very old bands play?” The answer is easy: they’re seasoned musicians, and as long as they haven’t destroyed their dexterity with years of substance abuse, they’re liable to be better than 75% of the other acts you’ll hear onstage.
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- The Ian Astbury of yore, sporting a hat and a very bad habit.
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- Ian Astbury now: He bought the T-shirt, so you know he’s serious.
You may have other ideas for how to spend your free time, and that’s OK. Just be sure to make an informed decision by checking out these other things to do in Dallas for inspiration.
Leading Off (9/27/10)
1. The Dallas Morning News has released a pair of polls. The first one shows that Rick Perry has a strong lead over Democratic challenger Bill White, with 46 percent of likely voters supporting the incumbent. The second indicates that Texans favor an “Arizona-type” crackdown on illegal immigration. That’s a cold glass of water to the face of lefty hipsters who forgot we still live in Texas.
2. It looks like the Dallas County district attorney’s office will exonerate a deaf man who pled guilty to a sexual offence, served a five year sentence, and was required to register as a sex offender in Lamar County, even though police found a fingerprint at the scene that matched a serial rapist who was convicted of similar crimes.
3. Attention bond market players, this week’s largest municipal bond offering: the Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s $729 million of Build American Bonds, which will fund bus and rail expansion. According to Bloomberg, that large offering resulted in DART’s Standard & Poor’s rating being cut on September 17, but the lower rating will likely not result in higher borrowing costs for the transit authority.
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