Articles for February, 2011
Rioting in Highland Park To Commence in 3, 2 …
Forget the turmoil in Egypt. Chaos is coming to a leafy enclave near you. The rolling blackouts are now affecting Highland Park. Via Whole Foods’ Facebook page:
Store closing update: due to hourly blackouts in the Highland Park area, our store there is closed as of 1:30pm. We anticipate opening at 10am tomorrow as scheduled.
Why Can’t the Planes Fly at Love?
In the comments to my post about the driving conditions this morning, Brenda Marks wrote:
The roads are passable. What I don’t understand is why the city’s aviation department can’t get off their ___ and figure out a away to open Love Field to AIRPLANES. One runway may be clear, but the taxiways aren’t. So planes can’t fly. I’ve taken my beloved back and forth yet again today (same yesterday) while trying to get him on an aircraft to ABQ. Rebooked at 5 pm but so far nothing has been in the air. Why doesn’t the press go to Love Field and ask them what the __ is going on out there? This is a huge problem and story. Why isn’t the Dallas press covering it?
I’ve e-mailed and called Jose Torres, the media guy at Love. I’ll let you know what he says.
Update (2:32): From Torres: “Our longest runway has been open since 3 pm yesterday as well as taxiways leading to it. Each carrier or GA pilot makes their own decision if they want to go. One runway is open as well as the taxiways leading to it. The airport is open for incoming and departing flights. Pretty much as the freeways are open but some chose to stay home. Passengers may be wrongly upset at the airport. Airlines have the last word on safety.”
No Fair-Weather Friends at Super Bowl XLV Media Bash
The NFL had issued its marching orders to ESPN earlier about DFW’s big freeze, with the sports anchors repeating the mantra: “It’s the Ultimate Reality Show; have fun with it!” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had also weighed in, saying the frigid temps would only serve to make Saturday and Sunday–when it’s predicted to be warmer–that much sweeter. So you knew the weather would be a hot topic at Tuesday night’s Super Bowl Media Party at the House of Blues, where the thousands of guest included Jerry and his son Stephen (shown here watching the action from a roped-off balcony perch, with two Dallas cops guarding access.) And sure enough it was.
Among the local and out-of-town media types packed into the nightclub’s multiple floors, Fox4 weatherman Ron Jackson said he “just came in to have a couple of beers” after a long, tough day of reporting on the below-freezing conditions. Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert welcomed the throng like this: ”While temperatures are a little cold outside … there’s no warmer hospitality than you’ll find in Dallas.”
And local host committee chairman Roger Staubach said the committee was simply trying to accommodate the Super Bowl rivals, Green Bay and Pittsburgh, with weather that was relevant to their parts of the country. “But by Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Roger added, “our host committee will deliver [to the fans and media] the weather that you want. I just wanted to clarify that.”
So, who all was at this shindig?
Super Bowl Party on the Cheap
Bad weather is good news if you’re partying on a budget. Just over the transom:
Due to the weather situation in the DFW area, we are offering the first 1000 people who brave the weather and come support the troops a $475 all inclusive ticket for just $100 ticket to the biggest celebrity party in Dallas, the Gene Simmons Aces & Angels Salute to the Troops party tonight at Centennial Hall in Fair Park. You must arrive between 6 and 7 and come help welcome Gene Simmons and the Troops. You will have the opportunity to get on the Reality Show Gene Simmons Family Jewels and take part in this patriotic event. Tickets include open bar, Taste of Texas buffet, Casino Games, Concerts by Five for Fighting & Little Texas, Celebrities, NFL Stars and more. Come show your support for the troops.
Totally Hot Pictures of Sarah Shahi
An out-of-town FrontBurnervian points us to an Esquire online-only photo gallery of Sarah Shahi, whom you’ll no doubt recall from this little ditty Paul Kix did on her for the magazine back in 2006 (scroll down). Shahi, a great-great-granddaughter of an Iranian shah, is a former SMU student and former Cowboys Cheerleader. Now she’s not safe for work. (Though if your office is as sparsely populated as mine today, you could probably get away with watching hardcore Eskimo porn. If you were into hardcore Eskimo porn.)
Construction Update: Museum Tower
Today’s update on the construction at Museum Tower is brought by Courtney Foreman.
As promised, I am back this week with an update on Museum Tower’s construction progress. No doubt the dramatic climate conditions have affected work somewhat but overall development hasn’t been halted.
Things to Do in Dallas Tonight: Feb. 2
I’m thinking about investing in a toboggan. That, or turning my car into some sort of combination office/sauna. My house keeps losing power, and I’ve been reduced to wearing my furry earmuffs indoors.
Jokes aside, I bring you the unhappy news of various closings and cancellations. The DMA, the Crow Collection of Asian Art, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth are all closed for the second day in a row. The Dallas Market Center is also closed, and the Attitudes and Attire Luncheon has been rescheduled for Friday, Feb. 4. If you’d planned to catch The Lieutenant of Inishmore tonight, well, sorry. The performance is canceled, and the theatre will contact ticket holders to exchange dates.
The good news (and there is always good news, people) (more…)
Super Bowl XLV Media Party Honors Jenkins, Luksa, and Summerall
The Old 97's
A few of us attended the Super Bowl Media Party at the House of Blues. As Glenn mentioned, it cost $30 to park. But to avoid having to walk across any more ice than was necessary, I was more than willing to pay. By the time I got there at 9:15, the place was already busy. The people handing out programs at the door said they were getting quite the rush and the constant opening and closing of doors was causing the entrance to be freezing.
Petty Theft was playing in the Cambridge Room and Emerald City was playing in the Music Hall. Multiple stations serving chicken and waffles, cornbread, ribs the size of your actual rib, and banana pudding were situated throughout. I talked to one of the guys at Man Up Texas BBQ (the people who selected the vendors), and he said that things turned out a lot better than he had expected earlier that day. Eight out of the 10 vendors showed, one coming from as far away as Lockhart.
A Report on the Mean Streets of East Dallas
Thanks to everyone for their prayers. I made it into work safely. The drive to downtown from the east side of White Rock — down Garland, then Ross — was actually pretty easy. In spots the ice did cover the road, but, for the most part, two ruts of dry pavement ran clear through the ice the entire journey. Folks are driving carefully, keeping it under about 25 mph. If you can stay home today, may as well. But if you need to get into work, you’ll be fine.
Leading Off (2/2/11): Icepocalypse Reloaded
44,000 Affected by Blackouts. Those power outages? Those aren’t rolling blackouts. Technically they’re called planned blackouts. Huge difference. Unless you’re shivering in the cold. Then they feel like the same thing.
The Ice Won’t Cost Dallas (or Arlington) Another Super Bowl. That’s what Peter King says. He writes for Sports Illustrated and knows what he’s talking about. It’s all about the size of the stadium and the revenue that can be generated for the NFL owners. But player-turned-analyst Warren Sapp had a different take: “I think y’all need to get a couple more plows. Because if it snowed last year a week later than this date — at the All-Star game where there were 100,000 people — y’all might have wanted to get a couple snow plows in. Y’all don’t have a five day forecast around here or something?”
DMN Editorial Board Tackles Tough Weather Topic. There ought to be a rule: no editorials about the weather. At least not cheeky editorials that begin, “Welcome to North Texas, Super Bowl fans! Cold enough for ya?” No, no, no. If Dallas gets hit by a tornado and our emergency response effort requires comment, then fine. Write about the weather. But not this way. It just seems — I don’t know — weak.
What Super Bowl Cities Are Saying About Dallas. Let’s check in with the newspapers representing the Super Bowl cities’ teams. First up, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The paper actually sent a staff cartoonist to Dallas. But Rob Rogers may as well have stayed in Pittsburgh if he was going to draw stuff like this. Maybe that’s funny in Pittsburgh. I don’t know. Over at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Steelers receiver Hines Ward is calling our own Gromer Jeffers Jr. a liar. Jeffers reported that Ward hit a strip club shortly after the team landed in Dallas. Ward says that’s not true. Finally, Thomas Rozwadowski of the Green Bay Press-Gazette writes of media day: “It was loud, it was crazy, it was a buffet of insanity. But everywhere you turned, there was something to see and capture. Bottom line: it just felt BIG.” Not exactly Red Smith, but probably accurate.
Parking at House of Blues for Super Bowl Media Event is Painfully Impressive
If you’re heading to the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee’s media soiree at House of Blues, be forewarned! They’ve upped the valet parking from the norm of $15 to $30.
Does the word “gouging” come into mind? Talk about unuser friendly.
DISD Will Be Closed Tomorrow
Wow. I can’t recall DISD ever announcing this early that schools will be closed the next day. Somewhere Linus Wright is rolling in his grave.
First Super Bowl Freezer Casualty — Tent at the Cotton Bowl, Ctd.
Just heard from Ariana Hajibashi, who is handling the pr for the XLV Party Tent situation:
“Yes, the tent team was there to analyze the situation and bring it down and then the forces of nature brought it down faster.
“Yea, well, things happen for a reason…half of our line-up was coming in from New York and Chicago and a lot of flights were canceled today. Also, anyone who did buy tickets to Thursday (and it was more than the 13..that number was just used as an example) will be offered a full refund or the opportunity to attend either Friday or Saturday with two additional general admission tickets.”
Translation: They planned to relieve the tent of her snow top, but the tent decided not to wait. The good news is that there were no injuries.
What Does A New York Arts Non-Profit Think the Dallas Art Scene Needs?
If you listened to Think today at noon, you heard SMU Meadows School of the Arts Dean Jose Bowen and Creative Time’s Anne Pasternak talk about the report the New York-based arts organization released today analyzing the Dallas art scene. If your reaction was “What report?” or “What were their recommendations?” or “Sure, but what we really need to do is [fill in the blank]” or “How is the local art world going to react to a bunch of New Yorkers telling them what to do?” then you should head over to FrontRow’s dedicated page on the report, where you can read the recommendations, comment on them individually, and read some early reactions to the report.
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