Articles for November, 2010
Gospel Star Called Bigger than Life
An era in Southern gospel music was celebrated today, when services for piano legend/songwriter Marion Snider were held at Dallas’ Northway Christian Church. Called “the greatest pianist to ever play in a gospel quartet,” the longtime Oak Cliff resident died Sunday at 96, after performing for more than 80 years. His wife, Belle, died in 2008.
At today’s remembrance–whose hymns and speakers Snider selected himself–the Stamps Quartet mainstay was recalled as “bigger than life,” as someone who wouldn’t compromise his music, even for his friend W.A. Criswell. But the most affecting tribute came from Snider’s granddaughter, Ashley Erickson. Ashley said her fondest memory of Snider came when she was a little girl, ”driving with him to the farm, singing ‘You Are My Sunshine’ at the top of our lungs.”
The Daily Moustache: Nov. 19
Whoa! Looks like Ryan Jones’ moustache is ready for a night on the town!
I wonder if it’s going to Aurora 2010? Or someplace else? I hope it isn’t planning to stay in tonight, because that would be lame, and Ryan Jones’ moustache is anything but lame.
Don’t worry. We’ll be back next week with more Daily Moustache photos and insights.
The 10 Most Beautiful Women in Dallas Article Makes D Magazine’s Raya Ramsey a TV Star
Our very own Raya Ramsey, of ShopTalk fame, headed up this year’s effort to find the 10 Most Beautiful Women in Dallas. Last night she appeared on CW 33 News to talk about why their reporter, Candice Crawford, made the list.
Watch Raya’s regional television debut below (and keep a look out for a cameo by D Custom Publishing’s own Mark Mahorsky as well).
Texas Good, California Bad
I just summarized this piece by Joel Kotkin (anyone around here familiar with him? Didn’t think so) in four words. YOU’RE WELCOME.
Oh, wait, what’s that? It’s a little more nuanced? Fine, go ahead and read it. It’s your Friday afternoon.
Metal Monstrosity Invades Downtown Dallas
The tree sits and waits for tomorrow night's fanfare.
Maybe monstrosity is too harsh. However, I’ve been looking forward to tomorrow night’s City Lights celebration for about as long as the people at Neiman Marcus have been building their “Big Encounters of the Little Kind” display (which, for those of you who don’t live right next to the store, seems like it’s been about three months, 24 hours a day, seven days a week).
When I heard there was a Christmas tree at Main Street Garden, I imagined a gorgeous evergreen, much like the one that graces Rockefeller Center. Obviously I didn’t do my homework and look up the tree from the year before. So I was surprised when I was greeted by a 65-foot-tall metal structure adorned with more than 10,000 feet of LED lights. I don’t get it. It’s so flashy. And cold. I just don’t feel like it reflects my neighborhood that well. So I asked Kourtny (no e) Garrett, senior vice president of marketing for Downtown Dallas, Inc., to tell me the reasoning behind the metal tree.
“It was designed by the park landscape architect Thomas Balsley to specifically compliment the architecture of the park and grandeur of the surrounding buildings,” she says. “The intent was to reflect the modern, yet warm design of the park (clean lines, etc) as well as the history that surrounds it, for example even the facets in the tree can be said to mimic the historic chevrons on the Statler.
In addition, from a sustainability perspective, a permanent structure is much more efficiently maintained.”
That got me wondering how efficient it could be with all that metal and the thousands of lights. Garrett explained that the city of Dallas park department’s welding shop sculpted and welded the tree, the light design was contributed by LightSwitch, landscape architect Thomas Balsley designed the tree pro-bono, Holly Metal Fabricators donated a large portion of the metal, and Excitement Technologies Group donated labor. Efficient, indeed. And they’re not killing a tree every year. Knowing this and learning about the background of the tree, I do appreciate it more. And I’ll ooh and aaw as it’s all lit up tomorrow night. But I still think an evergreen would be a bit prettier.
Things to Do in Dallas This Weekend: Nov. 19-21
Happy Friday unto you, FrontBurner readers. Stop peering at your computer screen pretending to be busy for moment. It’s time to get your weekend plans in order.
Tonight
A few days ago, Claire St. Amant of People Newspapers reported that Snappy Salads is hosting a Fu Man Chew event benefiting Movember. So, you can thank her for solving your “what’s for dinner?” conundrum (all together now: “Thank you, Claire”). The folks at Snappy Salads intend to run this shindig on a tight schedule to maximize proceeds, so they ask that you to sit down, eat, and leave in a timely fashion to make room for the next wave of eaters. Ordinarily I might rebuke them for rudeness, but tonight you need to get a move on anyway so you can get downtown for Aurora 2010, an after-dark art party at Dallas Heritage Village. Be sure to wear a jacket, though. My sources tell me tonight won’t be excessively cold, but I’d hate to learn that the weather cut your night short.
Jason Kidd Will Maybe Make You Insane
Via Rob Mahoney and his The Two Man Game.
Creative License
Contemplating the inspiration for this vanity plate sent me into deep hypnosis during my commute home last night.
Ellis County’s Ernest Tubb Speaks from the Grave
Best wishes of course to Joan Baez, who’s said to be resting comfortably after falling out of a treehouse she built so she could sleep with the birds. On hearing the news, though, I couldn’t help thinking of an interview I did years ago with country-music legend Ernest Tubb, who was born in Ellis County (and died in 1984). Asked to comment about Baez–the 1960s songbird and “peace activist”–Tubb got hot under the collar and said: “That is the most stupidest woman I ever heard of.” Looks like the ol’ Texas Troubador may have been on to something.
Leading Off (11/19/2010)
1. So a Dallas Morning News analysis – which looks an awful lot like just a story by Wayne Slater – says that Rick Perry’s championing of states rights reminds some of when the phrase was used as a rallying cry against civil rights, which could muddy his message because people will think it’s racial. Because of this, Perry should totes tell everyone they shouldn’t use that phrase to talk about race.
2. Last night, Dallas ISD passed an anti-bullying policy that includes language about not bullying based on sexual orientation. Consequences for bullying can extend to expulsion from school.
3. Texas, experts say, could become the nation’s puppy mill capital. Unless, of course, we secede. Then it’s definitely.
4. Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck has an “F” rating from the Better Business Bureau, as does the Magnolia Hotel.
5. It’s Friday, and tomorrow is Saturday. Next week, if you work for a company run by Real Americans, you have Thursday and Friday off, which means you have a three day week. Let’s celebrate this, and pumpkin pie.
The Daily Moustache: Nov. 18
The growth continues. Today, as you can see, Ryan Jones is really settling into the ’stache. He’s got that glitter of extra confidence in his eye and a smirk to his smile, all in thanks to Movember.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s episode of The Daily Moustache. It is sure to be an exciting one.
The Ticket, WFAA To Be Neighbors
Cumulus Media announced today that four of its stations – including 1310 The Ticket – will move to Victory Park, in the same complex that is home to WFAA, right smack dab next to the American Airlines Center.
Writer Jan Reid is Busy, But Only By Accident
Jan Reid, the Austin writer who was shot by a thug in Mexico and lived to tell about it, has been busy lately. His book about Texas music legend Doug Sahm came out earlier this year. His novel called Comanche Sundown, about Quanah Parker, is hot off the presses. He’s also 100 pages away from finishing a draft of a biography of former Gov. Ann Richards.
Reid turned up last night to sign copies of Comanche at the Beverly Drive home of Sue and Phil John. Phil and Jan grew up friends in Wichita Falls. It’s “kind of a fluke” that he’s seemed so prolific lately, Reid said, taking a break from the autograph action. He’s working hard on the Richards book because the publishers “want me to hurry up,” he said; and he completed Comanche only after “lots of starts and stops” over 25 years. Reid (pictured in photo by Jeanne Prejean) will appear with 15 other authors at the TCU Press’ annual “Autograph Extravaganza” Dec. 3 at TCU.
American Airlines Announces New Happy Hour Flights
Starting Dec. 1, American Airlines flights departing between 5 p.m. and 5:59 p.m. will be offered $5 drinks. If a person normally consumes 13 drinks on a flight, the savings just might equate to the cost of checking one bag.
Wait — how much does Southwest Airlines charge?
Frito-Lay Offers Ear Plugs to Canadians to Keep Them Buying Noisy Sun Chips Bags
You may have heard that last year Plano-based Frito-Lay came out with a 100% compost-able bag for its Sun Chips. But the new materials made the bag really noisy, and people took to YouTube to complain. Product sales fell. Finally Frito-Lay pulled the bags from shelves.
But they only did that in the U.S. In Canada, they’re staying the course. The company has taken to YouTube itself to spread its message that more noise is worth leaving behind less waste. They’re even offering ear plugs to any Canadian who tries the bag and can’t stand it.
And it’s apparently working. Does it mean that we Americans care less about the environment, that we’re not willing to listen to a sound as loud as a lawnmower while we’re snacking? Or is it a case of Canadians living up to their stereotype, that they are too polite?
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