Articles for February 3rd, 2012
Fun With Semantics: Can We Call Komen’s Statement a “Reversal?”
If you look, just about everyone is calling the Komen decision this morning a reversal. Â And maybe it is, sort of.
But if you look closer, with an eye for semantics, you can zero in one specific phrase, as many did after the news broke: ” … continue to fund existing grants.” The key word, of course, is existing. In the Dallas Morning News story, it says the statement goes on to say that Planned Parenthood would be eligible under the revised criteria to apply for future grants.
But holdonacottonpickinminute. Didn’t just today Komen officials say that Planned Parenthood wasn’t disqualified because of a congressional investigation after all, but because it didn’t offer mammograms in house?
Wouldn’t that mean that Planned Parenthood should still be DQ’d? Or at the very least be ineligible for future grants?
According to Kathleen Parker, who called Nancy Brinker today, Komen is holding fast to its new soon-to-be rule that they fund facilities that offer mammograms on site. Â Says Parker:
“The news on Komen is that they are only tweaking their new rule about not funding organizations under investigation to mean ‘criminal’ investigation. Otherwise their position is the same. Yes, Planned Parenthood can now apply for funding, but this doesn’t mean they will get it. Those grants already in place will play out on schedule. I spoke to Nancy Brinker this afternoon and her goal remains as announced – to adjust her grant-funding system so that monies go directly to facilities that provide mammograms rather than through third parties, such as Planned Parenthood. Essentially nothing is changed, and certainly this does not constitute a reversal as so many media outlets have so hastily reported.”
Dallas City Councilman Scott Griggs Panders to His Oak Cliff Hipster Base
Photo by Bradford Pearson
Missed this photo, snapped by Bradford Pearson of our sister People Newspapers, when it appeared on Oak Cliff People‘s website yesterday.
It’s Dallas City Councilman Scott Griggs’ official portrait at City Hall. As Brad notes:
He’s playing to his base by not only posing in front of The Kessler, but also propping a bike up against the doors.
Apparently the Dallas Morning News Broke the Story of Komen Reversing
Poynter has the story of how DMN reporter Tom Benning called the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure this morning, looking for an update, and accidentally got breaking news. Benning says the few seconds he got as a head start, the chance to be first on Twitter “made a difference as far as getting eyeballs on our website.”
Funny, I was reading through lots of reports from all over the web as this was happening, which meant I wasn’t looking at the DMN homepage or any DMN Twitter accounts. And in my searching, minutes after the story broke, theirs didn’t come up near the top.
Holding the Elevator Door, and Other Life Lessons
Yesterday, I expressed my irritation with just about everyone who parks in the Hall Arts parking garage. If you’re unfamiliar, there’s a fairly long walkway to the elevators at the pedestrian entrance/exit, and almost no one bothers to hold the elevator doors for people approaching. Anyway, a fellow parker who doesn’t work in Chase Tower sent me a very enjoyable email with a suggestion for improvement. And because he’s a loyal FrontBurnervian, he also points out my presumptive/probable hypocrisy.
Josh Hamilton on Alcohol Relapse: ‘I Can Be Very Deceptive, Very Sneaky in a Lot of Ways’
During the press conference he held just now, Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers comes across as a humbled, contrite man who continues to deal with an addiction that can seize hold of him in moments of weakness. Â He called Monday night a “weak moment.”
“It never gets easy,” he said.
Based on his account of the evening, it was far more than just a drink or two. Â He said he had 3 or 4 drinks with his dinner (after a difficult personal family matter drove him to be at a restaurant by himself.) Â Then he called teammate Ian Kinsler for company. Kinsler stayed with him for awhile, and they moved to another place after the first place they visited closed. Â Later, Kinsler went home, and Hamilton promised him he was not going to go out again on his own.
But he did. He went back to the place they’d just left and had more alcoholic beverages. Â No one saw him drinking, he said, since he has a way to keep people from seeing him do it.
“Once I do drink, I can be very deceptive, very sneaky in a lot of ways,” he said.
The extra danger for Hamilton is his history with other drugs, and there’s no telling, once he starts drinking, when the “switch will flip” and he might be led to those other vices. Â He said he didn’t use anything else that night and has been tested twice for drugs since then.
He thanked the Rangers for their support and didn’t field any questions.
Rangers Mistakenly Attempt To Woo Roy Oswalt By Touting Dallas’ Gay Nightlife Scene
An alert FrontBurnervian points us to the Onion for breaking news.
Why Mark Cuban is Dominating the Shark Tank, Needs to Invest $25,000 in Me
It's good to be Mark Cuban.
I’m a fan of the ABC show Shark Tank, in which entrepreneurs ask for investments from a group of venture capitalists (the “Sharks.”) Â Some of the business ideas are great (like the “Netflix for kids’ toys”) but others seem to be ideas that the producers only allowed to get on the air because they’re so laughable.
During the second season Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban made several appearances, and in this current season he’s become a regular. At first I found him to be a nice addition, but his celebrity power – he’s by far the most famous of the “Sharks” – is killing the game of it. Â Entrepreneurs seem to get weak-kneed when they see Cuban, and they’re willing to accept lesser deals from him (rather than a better deal from another Shark) just for the chance to continue to bask in the glow of his star power. The playing field is tilted in his favor.
Also, on last week’s show, he invested in a website where a guy will draw a cat for you for $10.  The idea was worth a good laugh on TV, but I thought surely the Sharks would say thanks-but-no-thanks.  Cuban put $25,000 into this “business.” He said he was investing more in the guy himself than in the cat-drawing enterprise.
And because of Cuban’s star power? Â TMZ says the cat-drawing website has gotten over a thousand orders in a few days, when it had been averaging fewer than 40 in a week. Â Cuban tells TMZ he is “fired up.” Â Basically he thinks he’s found himself the next Cosmo Kramer.
Mr. Cuban, I will sell you 33% of any of the following ideas in exchange for $25,000:
Things To Do In Dallas This Weekend: Feb. 3-5
As long as we’re contemplating colonizing various regions of outer space in the name of freedom and lumpy old white men, I think we should start with the newly discovered planet GJ 667Cc. Not only is the air potentially breathable, but it sounds like a veritable paradise for people who like the color red and also enjoy rock climbing.
Friday
Tonight, the Eisemann Center hosts The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, performing their version of Moulin Rouge. It’s turn of the century Paris at the iconic Montmartre club, and the beautiful Nathalie has recently been co-opted into Harold Zidler’s chorus line. Nathalie pines for starving artist Matthew while Zidler–once her benefactor– becomes terrifyingly possessive. It’s not quite Baz Luhrmann’s world of magical realism, but the story ends tragically all the same. Plus: the dancers can-can en pointe, which make it extra cool. You can still get tickets in both the orchestra and upper (cheaper) tiers.
Over on SideDish, Nancy brings us details on a pop up bar happening tonight and tomorrow. After the success of Bar 828 in Oak Cliff, the fun moves to Deep Ellum. The organizers are calling it Hid In 2612, and it’ll be at 2612 Commerce St. next to Cane Rosso. The fun starts at 8 p.m. and goes ’til 1 a.m. There will be guest bartenders to make you fancy cocktails and food available from Cane Rosso. A portion the proceeds will go to the Deep Ellum Community Association. (more…)
Komen Changes Its Story
On the heels of quite a bit of backlash, like this New York Times editorial, executives from the Komen foundation are in super crisis management mode. (So far, they haven’t gone the zebra blood route, but it’s still early.)
I’ll briefly paraphrase Komen President Elizabeth Thompson, responding to questions from reporters: “Investigation?” Did we say “investigation?” No, we meant, um, that other thing anti-abortion people are saying, that Planned Parenthood doesn’t have on-sight mammograms. Or they aren’t good enough. Something like that. Abortions? Oh, we didn’t even realize that was the same Planned Parenthood. Nope, that had nothing to do with it. What’s that, we also pulled funding for stem cell research that was working toward a cure? Total coincidence. Hey, isn’t the Super Bowl soon? We know how you folks like to watch football! Why don’t you go over there and rest until the game starts.
UPDATE 10:36: read a public statement (apology) from Nancy Brinker, and a response from Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards here.
Fired Realty Exec Hires Gloria Allred
For a dozen years, Dallas’ Liz Trocchio Smith was one of the few women holding a senior executive post at a global commercial real estate company. Then, last October, she was fired. Now the former Cushman & Wakefield executive VP — she oversaw the C&W region including Dallas, Chicago, and Minneapolis — has turned to a legal heavyweight for some advice. As Christine Perez reports exclusively on our RealPoints site, Trocchio Smith has retained Gloria Allred — the highest-profile women’s-rights attorney in the country.
Observations and Questions and Ruminations About Josh Hamilton’s “Relapse”
Josh Hamilton had a relapse. That’s what Gerry Fraley called it. That’s what everyone else is calling it. Me, I feel like I need some more details. All we know now is what Fraley reported: “Hamilton drank alcohol Monday night at Sherlock’s Pub & Grill in Dallas.” He didn’t take off his shirt and spread whipped cream on his chest. He drank alcohol. Did he do seven shots of tequila? Did he drink a Negroni? Or did he take four pulls on a Shiner? The guy is an addict. One sip is too much. I get that. But if Josh Hamilton drank one beer on Monday, I’m not sure I’m ready to call it a “relapse.”
A few other points:
If Hamilton was all like, “Screw God, I’m getting wasted,” why did he go to Sherlock’s? Dumb, dumb, dumb. I’d recommend the Meddlesome Moth. The Old Monk. Even Lee Harvey’s.
Kidding. But why go to such a public place?
Follow-up question: who the hell serves Josh Hamilton a frickin’ drink? Does every bar in Dallas need a picture of Josh Hamilton in the break room so everyone can refamiliarize himself with what he looks like before his shift begins? Seriously. He’s the most famous person in town who is trying to stay sober. Let’s help the guy out a little.
Finally, I’m glad this happened. I want Josh to remain a Ranger. And he just lost a lot of bargaining power.
Leading Off (2/3/12)
Thing To Do This Weekend. Yes, I know Liz will be coming in with her own list shortly, but lemme tell ya: The place to be is Hunt County. Or maybe Kaufman County. Or maybe one of those counties near Hunt County or Kaufman County. And what will you be looking for? A bus-sized rock. And possibly Bruce Willis.
Why the Long .. Listen, I was going to make a joke, but seriously, whoever stole Zip and Blaze, the two horses from Camp El Har, should just give them back.
Sigh. Josh Hamilton, bar, drinking. *hands waving in bewildered resignation towards the general direction of Arlington*
Je suis étonné. Je suis choqué. Mark Cuban disagrees with NBA referees. This is so unusual.
DVR Alert. Have you ever wondered a lot about what it’s like to be married to Jerry Jones, Mark Cuban (speaking of) or Nolan Ryan? Or maybe you are like me, and you wonder, but you like to just make up the scenario in your head (“Try my beef! Look, the Olshan guy is out there jackin’ with the house again!” “Watch me dance!” “‘Scuse me muffinbutter, but I gotta go tell the cook how to make the PB&J. I may just do it myself.”) . At any rate, if you want your illusions shattered, tune in to NBC 5 Sunday at 10.
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