Articles for April 1st, 2011
April Fools!
Okay, gig’s up. April Fools, everyone. Hope those who got the joke enjoyed it.
Village on the Parkway Sold to Lincoln, The Retail Connection, and Fidelity Real Estate Group
Village on the Parkway, a large retail complex at the southeast corner of the Dallas North Tollway and Belt Line Road, has been sold to a trio of real estate investors and developers: The Retail Connection, Lincoln Property Co., and Boston-based Fidelity Real Estate Group.
Built in 1981, the sprawling seven-building Mediterranean-style complex totals 380,000 square feet and is about 60 percent leased to tenants such as 24-Hour Fitness and Gloria’s, TGIFriday’s, and Blue Mesa restaurants.
Emily Giffin Hates Angelina Jolie and Doesn’t Think Much of Brad Pitt
Emily Giffin
Authoress/attorney Emily Giffin’s bestseller Something Borrowed hits movie screens on May 6 starring Kate Hudson. In town today as the featured speaker at the Chick Lit Luncheon, Emily really got the attention of the 700 ladies filling Brook Hollow when she analyzed the Jennifer Aniston-Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie perfect storm.
“It was Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt when they broke up. Do you remember how in the beginning Angie (Angelina Jolie) planted in the media that it was because Jen didn’t want kids even though Jen had planned her whole entire baby nursery? That she wanted kids with Brad desperately, but Angie planted it and we all believed it. And then she told the media that she loved Kenya. Mattox walking along the beach. And we thought, ‘Oh, Brad finally has his baby.’ It’s like all contrived.
“I’ll say this — I hate her so much. And my sister says, ‘You know she’s never going to be in one of your movies.’ And I’m like, ‘Good! I don’t want her in one of my movies. I don’t want Brad Pitt to have anything to do with them either. He’s annoying.. . . and not very bright.”
Guess the Jolie-Pitt household has eliminated Emily from their Christmas card list.
Actor Mike Farrell: U.S. in Libya Good; in Iraq, Bad
Not everyone on the left is as upset as others about what the Obama Administration is doing in Libya. Actor and self-described human rights activist Mike Farrell, for example, thinks it’s great. Appearing at a luncheon for Alzheimer’s awareness in Dallas yesterday, Farrell said current U.S. intervention in Libya is “exactly the right thing. It’s what we did not do in Rwanda and Bosnia and should have done.” At the same time, the guy who played Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt on TV’s M*A*S*H series added, “We’re doing the wrong thing in Afghanistan, and we should get out of Iraq.”
Things to Do in Dallas This Weekend: April 1-3
Just this once, I’m going to let you plan your own weekend. I will not tell you what to do. We’re all adults here, perfectly capable of making our own decisions…oh, who am I kidding? April Fools! Especially the adult part, amirite?
Friday
But speaking of people and things that are all grown up, Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth turns 30 today. Yikes! They’re throwing a huge anniversary gala to celebrate, and they’ve roped (heehee) country star Gary Allan into headlining the night. Allen will take the main stage at 10:30 pm, but the live music starts at 8pm with the honky tonk’s house band, Niles City. As usual, the bull riding is for professionals only. You can watch, but unfortunately you won’t be able to hop in the ring and check that one off your must-do list. You can still snag $40 reserved seats and $20 GA tickets, but the VIP seats are sold out.
Ladies, in case you haven’t heard, Beauty Live kicks off tonight with a giant cocktail party over at the Galleria (Raya highly recommends stopping by). If you already have plans, not to worry, the weekend is positively stuffed with opportunities for makeovers, mini spa treatments, and more.
If You Like Movies, Spend the Next Ten Days On FrontRow
Last night the Dallas International Film Festival kicked-off at the Winspear Opera House. To find out how that soiree went down, visit FrontRow. In fact, for all your movie-loving needs over the next ten days, FrontRow is here to help. Check out our lengthy Dallas IFF preview. Also, look for daily updates from the festival. Oh, and if you go to any of the movies, you’ll likely see our new FrontRow commercial, featuring the likes of the big man (Dirk), the big hands (Mayor Tom), and the big mouth (Gordon Keith), as well as all sorts of other local cameos. You can preview that little diddy over here, along with the extended cut. Feel free to play name that guy or gal – and name that movie line. (Oh, and did you know one of the most significant musicians of our time is currently holed-up at the Meyerson?)
Dirk Nowitzki, Jane McGarry, Mike Snyder, and Gordon Keith Star in D Magazine Commercial
If you go to a Dallas International Film Festival screening, you’ll see this commercial. Also, if you click this link, you’ll see it.
Update: You can see some funny outtakes over on FrontRow.
Best of Big D Readers’ Choice: Nightlife Poll 2011: Only Days Left. Vote Once an Hour.
It seems like just yesterday, doesn’t it, that I was telling you that you now had a chance to sound off up to once an hour on such important issues as where to find the best karaoke in town or who’s got the best beer selection?
Well, the voting on our Best of Big D Readers’ Choice: Nightlife poll ends Sunday night. So get to it while the getting is still good.
Fed’s Richard Fisher: “Don’t Bitch About Congress”
With today’s jobs report showing unemployment falling to a two-year low (8.8 percent) and with 216,000 jobs created last month, Dallas Fed president and CEO Richard Fisher issued a call to arms this morning to several hundred real estate and finance executives, urging them to keep the momentum going. Speaking at a meeting hosted by The Real Estate Council, Fisher told the crowd that Texans are uniquely qualified to help turn the economy around and get the nation’s $14.2 trillion debt under control.
He recommended reading T.R. Fehrenbach’s book, Lone Star: A History of Texas and the Texans, to rediscover the mojo that helped build “the greatest job-creation machine in the United States.”
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
Here’s another in our series of dispatches from the wilds of Dallas, written by our good friend Bill Holston. In today’s installment, he explains why a walk in the Trinity Forest motivated him to donate to the relief efforts in Japan.
The Dallas Must-Do List: Call in to KERA’s Anything You Ever Wanted to Know
After perusing our list of the Things Every Dallasite Must Do, I realized that I’ve accomplished maybe five. I’m still young, but getting no younger, so I figured I ought to start on number six: Calling in to KERA’s weekly Anything You Ever Wanted to Know.
No matter how hard I’ve tried over the years, I’ve always been a terrible prankster. Seriously, every prank I can ever remember doing has either failed or fizzled. A few real-life examples: As a kid, I ding-dong ditched my own family. I once tried to toilet paper a friend’s house with a lone roll of single-ply. The only crank call I ever attempted occurred in the early days of caller ID. It ended with my “victim” calling back and yelling at me.
So I had doubts that I’d be able to ask Jeff Whittington, host of Anything You Ever Wanted to Know, the significance of the big red “D” on the side of that building downtown at the corner of St. Paul and Ross without making it painfully obvious as to how hilarious I thought I was being (In case you don’t know, the big red “D” is for D Magazine).
Now, I fully admit that this might be the most innocuous, boring prank ever conceived, but there were two reasons I had to follow through with it.
Reason 1: D Magazine will never pass up a chance for free publicity.
Reason 2: I had nothing else.
Take the jump to find out what happened (plus hear the audio yourself.)
A Little Sumptin Sumptin To Get You Ready for Rangers Game
It’s claw time. C.J. Wilson will take the mound for your Texas Rangers today at 4:05 3:05. Here’s a song to get you in the mood. (And if you haven’t read Mike Mooney’s profile of Ron Washington yet, you should.)
LeeAnne Locken Stopped Red-Carpet Traffic at DIFF
LeeAnne Locken and Terri Provencal
Last night, good old boy G.W. Bailey spotted his “The Closer” bud Barry Corbin and said, “Where’s the bar?” To which wise old Barry said, “You’ve got to go through that first,” pointing to the red carpet in front of the Winspear for the Dallas International Film Festival.
On the other hand, Pasadena, Texas, gal LeeAnne Locken sandtrapped the ogling media in a form-clinging gown and with talk about her being the “personal shopper” on Good Christian Britches.
Leading Off (4/1/11)
Mavs Totally Pick Up No. 2 Seed. And there was definitely no fighting or ejections in last night’s game against the Lakers.
Your Commute Will Totally Get Better, And Everyone Gets a Pony. The state-sanctioned 2030 Committee released its report on the Texas highway system. The good news is the gas tax is low – and that’s about where the good news ends.
Louie Gohmert Says Something Completely Sane. Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-Tyler) made some comments on the House floor yesterday about Obama starting a private army and really needing to invade Libya to make it happen or something. I’ll confess: Whenever Louie Gohmert says something, I automatically make it a ragtime song and imagine him singing it while doing the Charleston. And then I have a giggle fit and forget to make cogent analysis of whatever he just said.
Brett Shipp Finds Sole Cause of Dez Bryant’s Woes. Spoiler alert: He says it’s David Wells. Also, Martellus Bennett sorta commented this week on the Dez Bryant/NorthPark sitch.
Cold Week, Hot Weekend, Cold Week. I suppose I can deal with that. Have a good weekend, FrontBurnervians.
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