May 26, 2006

Best we can come up with re Thursday's school board meeting is this from the DMN, citing changes to supposedly make it easier to fire some employees.

Someone, not a staffer, who should've been fired by voters, the publicly-caught-lying if not outright bonkers trustee Ron Price, joined three other board members sworn in for new terms.

Rod Davis · 04:08 PM

With hurricane season approaching, it's possible that Dallas will again see visitors from New Orleans, which IS NOT ready for a Cat 3, maybe even a Cat 2 storm. To get a sense of how awful it was when Katrina hit, check out this incredible graphic from the Times-Picayune showing in time sequence the way the city's defenses crumbled and failed. Pass along the link to your NOLA friends.

Rod Davis · 03:53 PM

Here's a revelation I had recently but am only now getting around to sharing: Steve Nash and Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis were separated at birth.

Adam McGill · 03:22 PM

I'd like to know if Dirk and Steve see each other between games. I know they're good buds and all, but what's protocol on that? You allowed to have dinner with the enemy?

Tim Rogers · 03:04 PM

A curious FrontBurnervian asks:

Any news on places the Suns hit while they are in town? Any sightings?

Nash had dinner at Hibiscus last night. Not sure if he got food poisoning or not. Didn’t get enough info to tell me.

Adam McGill · 02:59 PM

SMU fans hope Doherty can coach. We at FB hope the man can blog.

Special shout-out to the SMU-working FBvian who provided the link.

· 02:54 PM

I love Ask a Mexican. It's the best thing to come from the Village Voice-New Times merger. This week, someone asks about Mexicans' fascination with dwarves, and Gustavo Arellano does not snark it up--which he normally does, and is great at--but instead gives a history lesson on Mayans associating little people with rain gods.

A great read.

· 02:29 PM

A curious FBvian asked how much Belo spent on the CueCat. All told, it was about $40 million.

Tim Rogers · 02:28 PM

Avery Johnson thinks Keith Van Horn will do a better job guarding the Suns' Tim Thomas than Erick Dampier did in Game 1.

Let's hope so.

· 02:03 PM

An alert FBvian points us to PC World's 25 Worst Tech Products of All Time. Belo's CueCat lands at No. 20.

Meow.

Tim Rogers · 01:47 PM

An FBvian wonders:

After much ado on the blog yesterday about Allen Gwinn's article and the meeting last night, there's been no mention about the meeting, how many showed up to wear black, etc. on the blog today? No follow up forthcoming today?

We're asking Allen, but if anyone has an update, let us know.

Rod Davis · 01:39 PM

A very presumptuous FBvian asks, of the mug scandal at DMN Metro:

Could it be they just don't care?

I think it's incumbent on me to say that the DMN not only cares, but cares deeply, passionately, really really lotsly, about the people of Dallas and its readers, who are not necessary contiguous. No one at the Only Daily would ever purposely deceive said people/readers by posting inaccurate photos of its columnists or indeed condone any deception or inaccuracy of any kind. Other than circulation numbers or occasional political and business information.

Also, it's really hard to get all those people down to the passport photo booth at Kinko's to get new mug shots, so this may take some time.

Rod Davis · 11:04 AM

Our Nancy reported a sighting of the Govenator in Dallas earlier this week, and now comes some news, linked by our colleagues at Unfair Park, of what Big Arny was up to. Basically collecting about $300K for campaign funds. Why would Texans want to send money to a California governor's race, you might ask? Dude, it's the global economy. Plus a few contracts.

And on dallasblog.com, columnist Rufus Shaw has some thoughts himself about the wave of great whites circling City Hall these days. Should be a good day at the beach.

Rod Davis · 10:53 AM

If you're keeping track, and we are, this is Day 12 in the continuing photo fraud for the DMN Metro columnists, print and online blog. The new group photo of the gang debuted May 15, the Monday after Mother's Day, but the individual photos of the columnists are still the same wildly outdated mug shots.

We have tried lampooning, cajoling, and squinting really hard when we look at the phony mug shots to see if that helps, but nothing does. So now we just count the days.

Rod Davis · 10:34 AM

A business-minded FBvian points us to Cheryl Hall's column today. In it, she wags a finger at the Enron boys, then asks, "So how does corporate Dallas feel?" And who is the first person she talks to? Former ACS honcho Jeff Rich.

Now, look. Rich might be blameless. Might be. But with this trouble hanging over his head, would his be the first finger you'd enlist to wag at Enron? Heck, in the Business section just today, there appeared this troubling story about ACS. What was Hall thinking?

Tim Rogers · 10:23 AM

A FBvian reports that last night around 10:30 she spotted Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller entering Ten Sports Grill.

Tim Rogers · 10:04 AM

Looking at our traffic, two posts from earlier this week have drawn a lot of interest. So I'm combining and reissuing them. Because I like traffic.

Apparently Dirk and Steve have a friend named Simon. And apparently they once sang Simon a song and made a video of themselves singing that song. You need to watch it.

Dirk is strumming Gordon Keith's guitar (he of Ticket fame). Dirk borrowed that guitar, then left it at his Dallas house all summer, with the AC off, while he was in Germany. The heat destroyed the guitar, and now it don't strum so good. Yet, even though Gordon has publicly confronted Dirk about it, the multimillionaire has refused to make reparations. Which is kinda lousy. But I really don't care. Because Dirk is a good player and I love him. Gordon says:

Indeed, that is my guitar. I had forgotten about that little ditty. I was standing off camera to Dirk's left during the taping and even wrote the song's ending progression for my former German friend and our shaggy MVP. How quickly things turn. One minute you are Lennon to their McCartney and the next they are knocking you over the head and looting your music room like it's a New Orleans Guitar Center. Kill me.

Tim Rogers · 09:58 AM

A guy named Victor Lissiak has a piece up over at DallasBlog.com arguing that Love Field should be shuttered and instead redeveloped. You know: condos, shops, etc. I talked to assistant city manager Ryan Evans about this concept last week. He dismissed the idea so quickly that I didn't even bother posting it at the time. In short, Lissiak's math doesn't work. It fails to take into account all the businesses that depend on the airport, businesses that contribute to the tax base. And it overlooks the fact that kicking out Southwest and other Love tenants would mean buying their buildings, which would cost hundreds of millions of dollars. In short, according to Evans, it ain't gonna happen.

Tim Rogers · 09:43 AM

One day after Matt Pulle broke news about Sheriff Lupe Valdez flunking a law enforcement test, comes word of County Judge Margaret Keliher's unhappiness. She's pissed with Valdez and thinks the state should draw guidelines as to who can ascend to top law enforcement posts. A former district judge, Keliher says she didn't gain her job by flunking the bar: "You wouldn't say, 'They didn't pass the bar exam, don't worry about it, it's really not important.'"

(Quick aside: the DMN has the story of the flunked test today, but since it didn't break the news, it buries it on 2B.)

· 09:16 AM

With K-Fed kicked to the curb ("allegedly") and Jessica looking more and more Brit-Brit-riffic every day, one idly wonders how much longer before the two start shacking.

Adam McGill · 09:05 AM

A kind, frustrated FrontBurnervian suggests today's Friday Fun: Parking Perfection. I've tried it a few times, and I'm far from perfect. Excellent driver, excellent driver.

Adam McGill · 08:27 AM

May 25, 2006

An FBvian thinks that everyone should get the Richardson ISD numbers correct, too:

This is an extraordinarily diverse area. There is a tremendous international community in the area, drawn there by the inexpensive apartments. This is remarkably different from when I graduated in 1974, when Richardson High School was predominantly caucasian and my class had over 900 students.

Rod Davis · 03:48 PM

An FBvian notes that the 80 percent Hispanic number that's being used re DISD doesn't square with the lower percentage on the DISD website, and she's right. DISD officials, what's the number?

Your reader quotes that DISD is 80% Hispanic -- maybe she meant Irving -- DISD is 62.5% Hispanic according to the web site.

Continue reading "RE: WEAR BLACK"

Rod Davis · 03:11 PM

Has anyone in FB nation ever gone to a club called Park Avenue, near the intersection of Greenville and Park Lane? Better still, does anyone know how to reach the owners? The club apparently closed four or five years ago. It's for a story I'm working on, a small but important detail. Please email me with any information.

· 03:04 PM

Paul, I agree with your point. As journalists, we are all about letting the sun shine on the dark and nasty. As bloggers, posting the feedback that comes with that. I just wanted to be clear we were passing along the news that a rumor was making the rounds, not endorsing its validity. I'm not sure Gwinn made that distinction, but glad you have.

Rod Davis · 02:56 PM

Rod, I agree with everything you've said--except that it's beneath us to put Gwinn's rumor on our blog. It's not beneath us. We post lots of rumors on FrontBurner. Just because Gwinn's comment is unsubstantiated--and, okay, borderline racist--doesn't mean we should back away from it. We should instead see what other people think.

And, now, we have.

· 02:26 PM

A FBvian took us to task for not having something up today about the concert last night. I told him to get to work. Thus:

Well, I can't outdo Matt Weitz in the DMN today, but it boils down to the fact that this 79-year-old legend truly had the hall in the palm of his hand for nearly two non-stop hours, in a way I've honestly never seen before. Some of that's decades of practice, and some of it's showmanship, but as cynical as I tend to be, I really believe he was bursting with happiness just to be there, singing those songs--and that happiness infected the whole space, up to the rafters. The fact that he could still bel canto the bejeesus out of the American Songbook was just icing on the cake of his colossal charisma.

Tim Rogers · 02:20 PM

An FBvian well acquainted with both the law and the schools has this observation:

I applaud DISD for seeking Spanish teachers. My son is in a 80% Hispanic high school. His first Spanish teacher didn't speak Spanish. I'm not making that up.

On the other hand, are there really enough qualified (by that I mean experienced) teachers who are bi-lingual? Perhaps there are, but I'll say this, there are only so many people who are competent to teach. My 2 cents would be hire competent teachers, fire incompetent teachers (but first fire virtually all administrators, or at least people who cannot describe their job using a simple plain sentence, which would eliminate much waste no doubt) and then give the edge in new hires for Spanish speaking teachers.

Continue reading "RE: WEAR BLACK"

Rod Davis · 01:58 PM

A couple of kind FrontBurnervians assure me that I'm not going crazy, including this one:

Apparently Boris is allowed to take 16 steps on his way to the basket. But that's okay--we retaliated by inbounding the ball to someone in the fourth row. Great job, Mavs!

Adam McGill · 01:43 PM

This is a first. An alert FBvian points us to our own blog for a post made a year ago, when Valentine first came to Channel 8.

Dude, we're good.

Tim Rogers · 01:37 PM

Lorlee Bartos begs to differ with a post by Michael Davis yesterday re the mayor's opposition to using federal funds for so-called bricks-and-mortar projects, an option favored by several southern sector councilmembers. On the jump is her response to me, and the other Davis, and also an earlier statement that elaborates her position more, if you're interested. Plus assorted asnides. Actually, she makes good points about the housing funding.

Also, she wants me to stop picking on the mayor. Hey, HH won't even return phone calls and responds to FrontBurner posts by emailing the folks at Unfair Park. But I digress. Back to Bartos in the jump:

Continue reading "RE: MAYOR SCUTTLES SOUTHERN SECTOR"

Rod Davis · 01:36 PM

Not quite sure of the point here, but this is another FBvian take:

What's wrong with not speaking Spanish? Does that mean you are just white or black or Native American or Asian or Gay or Straight or or Unemployed or Layed Off or some other mixture?

Rod Davis · 01:32 PM

A Spanish-speaking FBvian who is not Mexican-American doesn't like the idea of rumor-slurs, either:

BRAVO!  You nailed that one in several ways with very few words. Such crap masquerading as ‘reportedly’ this or ‘unsubstantiated ‘ that……………..

I have friends who work at DISD who complain, saying the same angry reactionary thing.  Apparently they think the only people who can speak Spanish must be Mexicans? Well I’m white as hell and I learned to speak Spanish, (ironically, the original European language spoken in our state, and the ONLY one when my family moved here in the late 1700s).

80% of DISD is Hispanic.  Yes, they are all learning how to speak English…being taught how to in Spanish just like I was taught to speak Spanish in English. Duh. People who resist change become victims of it.  Wake up and smell su café’.

Rod Davis · 01:28 PM

That unsubstantianted and inflammatory rumor, if I may dignify it as such, about "qualified" teachers getting canned and replaced with "inexperienced" ones who can speak Spanish bears all the hallmarks of coded racism. For a start, what's wrong with speaking Spanish? Or is that Spanish-speakers are likely to be Mexican-American?

It's beneath Gwynn, who acknowleges that he has yet to hear any validation, to pass along that kind of thing. And of us to pass it along further.

Rod Davis · 12:51 PM

An alert FBvian points us to a News Blues story titled "Insiders Report Blowup in Dallas." Since it's a pay site:

Belo insiders say, since the arrival of Executive News Director Michael Valentine one year ago from WVEC-13-ABC in Norfolk, things have gone steadily downhill. A recent blowup with Karin Kelly reportedly caused the veteran reporter to walk, and rumors are that more will follow her out the door.

The Belo flagship, in the past year, has lost more than 75,000 households at 6 p.m., falling from a lofty 8.3 ratings to a 6.5, where fast-rising KTVT-11-CBS is nipping at its heels. In the February sweeps, at 10 p.m. WFAA clung to second behind KXAS-5-NBC, but only a half rating point ahead of KTVT.

Tim Rogers · 12:29 PM

Watch the PowerPoint. Are you excited yet? Intrigued? That's what DMN brass hopes and that's why they had a Powers impersonator in the offices today. Tomorrow--while the rest of us are watching Mavs-Suns game two--the DMN is having a "Morning News Idol" talent show at Fair Park. I look forward to a report on Monday morning.

Tim Rogers · 12:08 PM

That's the message the Dallas branch of the National Education Association sent to its teachers, in response to tonight's school board meeting about DISD's proposed personnel changes. The changes basically involve layoffs, Allen Gwinn argues, and who would get to layoff whom without first seeking approval from whomever else.

Interesting sidenote: Gwinn hears from many sources that qualified teachers are being fired and replaced at DISD with inexperienced ones who can speak Spanish. But Gwinn says he has yet to speak with a teacher fired for said claim.

· 12:05 PM

A time-sensitive FBvian advises:

Your posted times are misleading. The DMN site had a verdict posted at 11:03, several minutes ahead of the Startlegram. The time you linked was the timestamp, which apparently gets updated each time the article is expanded or changed.

Take your word for it, but that's the first version we saw online. Anyway, FB beat both of them.

Rod Davis · 11:10 AM

Who says we aren't fast? Tim timed in at 10:50 a.m. Here are the also rans:

Lay, Skilling convicted in Enron collapse
11:25 AM CDT on Thursday, May 25, 2006
Associated Press

11:17 AM Former Enron Corp. chiefs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling
DMN

11:08 AM
Former Enron Corp. chiefs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling were convicted Thursday of conspiracy
Star-Telegram

Rod Davis · 11:00 AM

Also, Martha = guilty. OJ = innocent. And USA beat Russia in hockey. You read it all here first. Right, Tim?

Adam McGill · 10:56 AM

We had it first. IJS.

Tim Rogers · 10:50 AM

They've been nabbed. The District Attorney's office reports:

This morning at about 9:30 a.m., Dallas police submitted five cases of assault public servant against Ian McConnell Walker [left] and Joseph Robert Tellini with the Dallas County District Attorney's Office. Our intake section is currently processing the cases. Both defendants surrendered to the Dallas County Sheriff's Office this morning and are in the process of being booked in to Lew Sterrett Justice Center.

These cases will be processed and entered into our system today. As with all of our felony cases, they will be set for grand jury at some point in the near future, but our office will not release the date of the grand jury hearings because the details of grand jury proceedings are secret by law. When and if they are indicted or no-billed by a grand jury, the decision of the grand jury will be released to the media.

Prosecutors do plan to seek an enhancement of the charges from 3rd degree felonies to a 2nd degree felonies because of the presence of a controlled substance in the muffins. Third degree felonies carry a punishment range of 2 to 10 years in the penitentiary and up to a $10,000 fine. Second degree felonies carry a punishment range of 2 to 20 years in the penitentiary and up to a $10,000 fine.

Tim Rogers · 10:39 AM

Gordon Keith confirms my speculation yesterday about Dirk's instrument:

Indeed, that is my guitar. I had forgotten about that little ditty. I was standing off camera to Dirk's left during the taping and even wrote the song's ending progression for my former German friend and our shaggy MVP. How quickly things turn. One minute you are Lennon to their McCartney and the next they are knocking you over the head and looting your music room like it's a New Orleans Guitar Center. Kill me.

Tim Rogers · 10:30 AM

Not satisfied with charging too much money for burnt coffee, Starbucks recently got into the movie biz. (It's in the music biz, too, but that's for a different time.) A few weeks ago at one of my seven local Starbucks, I noticed a whole mess of marketing materials for Akeelah and the Bee, a movie about spelling produced by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban, who's oh-so-proud of it. The movie may be good, but it hasn't exactly blazed the box office. Conglomerate Blog wonders if Akeelah is a) Starbucks' failed experiment at diversification, b) Starbucks being charitable to a "message" movie, or c) a good idea with poor execution. Netflix Spellbound instead.

Adam McGill · 08:50 AM

I'm only going to ask this once, and I know I sound like a Spurs whiner when I do: Did anyone else think Diaw traveled on his game-winning shot?

Adam McGill · 08:26 AM

May 24, 2006

I opened the Pat Robertson link and a "Warning: 700 Club Virus Alert" message popped up. BTY, he didn't push 2,000 lbs., he tweaked out only 1,000. And he didn't do full extensions. Interesting stuff. Must go jump in a hole now.

Nancy Nichols · 05:32 PM

A well-mannered FrontBurnervian writes:

May not matter to some folks, but the trial was actually in Marshall, not Dallas. Marshall is actually a pretty hot venue for intellectual property cases, believe it or not.

Adam McGill · 04:52 PM

The Council session today was definitely heated, from all reports. Don't wait on the morning daily or evening news: Here's Trey Garrison's take from dallasblog.com. Go to the jump for the interpretation by Michael Davis, who sent out the first alert flares that a southern sector economic development idea, which seems sound enough to me (I formerly served on the board of the Southern Dallas Development Corporation), was under mayoral attack:

Continue reading "RE: MAYOR SCUTTLES SOUTHERN SECTOR"

Rod Davis · 04:30 PM

If I were on the jury of the trial Tivo v. Echostar, I would bring my TiVo remote and demonstrably punch buttons on it. "Bo-BOOP!" I would say loudly, pretending to rewind parts that confused me. "BOO-boop," I would say again, when appropriate. "Dunh! Dunh!" I would say when a lawyer I didn't like started talking. The Dallas jury awarded TiVo $73 million for lost profits and royalties. The company's losses widened today, but TiVo wants to use the Dallas verdict to prevent EchoStar from putting out DVRs of its own.

In other news, I love TiVo.

Adam McGill · 04:21 PM

Apparently Dirk and Steve have a friend named Simon. And apparently they once sang Simon a song and made a video of themselves singing that song. You need to watch it. (Bonus: If I'm not mistaken, Dirk is strumming Gordon Keith's guitar (he of Ticket fame). Dirk borrowed that guitar, then left it at his Dallas house all summer, with the AC off, while he was in Germany. Now that guitar don't strum so good. Yet, even though Gordon has publicly confronted Dirk about it, the multimillionaire has refused to make reparations. Which is kinda lousy. But I really don't care. Because Dirk is a good player and I love him.)

Tim Rogers · 03:32 PM

The fanzine known as the NYT Book Review recently decided that the best novel in the last 25 years was Toni Morrison's Beloved, which you can take or leave. But some of the judges who helped make the choice have various dissenting opinions, including some remarkably petty admissions of sabotage voting to block the winner, which was mostly championed by 27-foot-tall novelist Jane Smiley.

Check it out if you can stay awake, including an entry that author and critic Michael Cunningham blogged while he was temporarily in Big D:

I find myself in Dallas, a block away from the Grassy Knoll, with a free 20 minutes. And really, what better place to think about where and how American literature overlaps American history, and whether or how much the overlap matters.

Then file under "More reasons why I changed my major from English to agriculture," or "What's the difference between comparing Jessica and Britney or Toni Morrison and John Updike?"

Stay tuned for a special literary reading on "American Idol."

Rod Davis · 02:29 PM

An alert FBvian reports that the Fresh Prince's wife and her band were just spotting working out at the Gold's Gym on McKinney. I'd like to show her how much I can leg press.

Tim Rogers · 02:16 PM

Charles and Sam Wyly support John McCain for president. No they don't. Yes they do. No, they don't. The New Republic's The Plank tries to figure out why the Wylys hosted a Dallas fundraiser for McCain, six years after spending "dirty money" against him. McCain refunded all $20,000 in recent donations from them when he learned the two were under SEC investigation for tax evasion.

Adam McGill · 01:42 PM

If you want to read Her Honor's response to our earlier post from politico Michael Davis (no relation) regarding the assault on a southern sector Business Assistance Center, you won't read it here, since we're neither on her call-back list nor her email-only list. But you can see the explanation, or whatever, over on Unfair Park.

But I'd bet a lot that the "heated discussion" at Marilla Mansion had something to do with us airing the original beef.

Rod Davis · 01:25 PM

The Phoenix-based blog called Unfair Park has been a button on my browser since it launched. I've often linked to them. They've done good work. Jim Schutze is wonderful. And today, in fact, they're breaking news about Sheriff Lupe Valdez. But now I'm trashing that button to the Phoenix-based blog. Because today, they referred to us as "another blog." No name given. Just "another blog." How very DMN of them. How very not alternative.

Say it! Say our name, be-yotch!

Update: Minutes after my post, they changed theirs. From Big Bob Wilonsky:

It has since been fixed. It's part of my new Wednesday fun-time program called: Hiya, Tim.

Man, being in the media and knowing other media people is so cool.

Tim Rogers · 12:36 PM

Well, he can. And it's all thanks to the televangelist's "age-defying protein shake," the same protein shake that's landed Robertson in court, defending himself against a Dallas bodybuilder who says Robertson used the bodybuilder's likeness without the bodybuilder's permission.

Update: One FBvian who dislikes Robertson as much as the bodybuilder has this to say:

Further study of the side effects of this otherwise amazing ‘shake’ has been shown to be a whimsical dementia and simplistic reasoning coupled with pious presumption.

But hey! Them damn legs is amazin’!

· 11:44 AM

There's no reason for it, other than the market's generally dyseptic view of newspapers.

Wick Allison · 11:08 AM

Arlington is getting new red light cameras, says the Star-Telegram, and also the DMN. Earlier the DMN reported on red light snoop-ameras in Frisco. But for the real story, and the one that got the interest going, you need look no further than our Tim's piece in "Pulse" in the June issue of D.

Rod Davis · 11:05 AM

Not all of it. But the media giant announced a $250 million offering, and it will use the proceeds for "general corporate purposes." [Insert joke here]

Adam McGill · 11:04 AM

Clifford Antone wasn't from Dallas, but anyone here worth his or her salt has been to his club in Austin, whatever the location, and heard anyone from Stevie Ray to Buddy Guy to Angela Strehli to Pinetop Perkins. Big loss reported today.

Rod Davis · 10:23 AM

I can give it a shot, Tim, but you know no one is better at making people feel small than you. How's this?

Really, Paul? I had no idea. I guess that's why Wilonsky put up this item last week--two days before that story you posted ran. And that explains why Spurs fans waved signs of Herr Hasselhoff while Dirk shot freethrows. Or rather, that explains why Marv Albert and Steve Kerr explained the Hasselhoff reference every time Dirk shot freethrows.

But welcome back, Paul!

Adam McGill · 10:13 AM

Adam = yuk, yuk, yuk.

· 10:09 AM

Adam, you want to take this one? I'm editing Paul's story right now, doing my best to destroy his self-confidence. But I could always use some help.

Tim Rogers · 10:07 AM

This time, it's personal. It's (gasp) with her sister! Star Magazine quotes a "family source" that Ashlee's nose job and dyed hair means she's "going head-to-head with her sister." More like chest-to-chest. Another source thinks plastic surgery may be in the younger Simpson's future, saying, "[Ashlee would] love to have a pair of 'sit up and take notice' breasts, which is what Jess has."

She does? I hadn't noticed.

Adam McGill · 10:06 AM

So, the big free throw Dirk hit to send Game 7 to overtime? Chances are, at the line, he was singing a song by David Hasselhoff.

· 10:02 AM

Paul? You still work here?

Adam McGill · 10:02 AM

Mark Cuban wonders why TNT used this photo to promote the NBA playoffs. Could it be because the network--or better still, the league--wanted the Spurs to win? No, probably not. My take: TNT chose the higher-seeded teams for the promos.

· 09:34 AM

A FBvian asks:

What if there were a blog and two hours into the workday, there had only been two posts?

A) Get to work and stop surfing the Web, slacker.

B) Make that THREE posts.

Tim Rogers · 09:33 AM

Okay. Not really. But if Jason Terry couldn't get away with it, neither should he. Keep your eyes on Josh Howard.

Adam McGill · 08:34 AM

A politically minded FBvian familiar with southern Dallas economy says that Her Honor is busy at work undermining a Business Assistance Center, an important development engine. Details in the jump.

Continue reading "MAYOR SCUTTLES SOUTHERN SECTOR"

Rod Davis · 07:22 AM

May 23, 2006

Kristin Cavallari says Jessica needs to get over Nick and stop wearing his ring around her neck like she's in high school. Even worse? She called her a bad actress. Ohnoshedinnit. Oh yes, she did.

Adam McGill · 04:55 PM

The Star-T is on it: a power failure and a failed backup generator resulted in the radio station static.

Adam McGill · 02:53 PM

Yesterday, a curious FrontBurnervian wondered why the editorial page seemed to ignore the Metro section's story about the muffin suspects. An ink-stained FrontBurnervian gives us this explanation:

A little Newspaper Printing 101 for your readers, especially the guy who wrote in: The confusion comes from the differences in deadlines for pages in the paper. Editorial's pages are typeset about six hours before page 2A, which had the brief story about the muffin suspect. At that time, it's not possible to go back and fix the other page. Of course, those of us who have gone to the dark side of online journalism can simply click on the story and make the change.

Adam McGill · 02:09 PM

To our silent staff blogger amigos:

This, about the DO editor's favorite don't-call-them-fringe religious group, the Pentecostals, from Jeffrey Weiss of the DMN, where fringeness is always a question of personal faith. I'm not even going to jump it. Please, for the sake of the FB Nation, log in and post up. I can find more of this.

The short 411.

A bit more detail.

You might want to tell your reader that by some counts there are about a half-billion Pentecostals in the world. A mighty stream, if true.

And you're welcome......1:-{)>

Rod Davis · 01:46 PM

A wiseacre FBvian has a suggestion:

Since mayors make friendly wagers for big sports events, how about this one? The wager between Phoenix and Dallas is that the winner gets Southwest Airlines’ headquarters.

Tim Rogers · 11:05 AM

Can't help but notice that virtually all the blog entries since, oh, the Jurassic Period, have been posted by Adam, Tim, me, Wick and Nancy.

Sure would be nice to occasionally hear from our clever, if absent, colleagues...Paul, Ryan, Stephanie, Laura, Jay-C, Julie.....

I have in my email much more information about Pentecostals. Don't think I won't post it if necessary....

Rod Davis · 10:11 AM

The Legislature has produced more good news for homeowners than the media has reported. Almost unnoticed in the flurry over the school finance package,except by Tom Pauken over on Dallasblog.com, is a provision ending the Stealth Tax--property appraisal increases that have in recent history taken the place of tax hikes--for school districts. Starting in 2007, rollback elections will automatically be required when appraisal creep effectively produces a tax increase of more than 4 cents per $100. For an example, go to the jump.

Continue reading "LEGISLATURE ENDS "STEALTH TAX""

Wick Allison · 09:31 AM

Okay, one last correction:

The restaurant's name is "Patrizio," not "Patrizio's." No possessive. I know, I know. Most people say "Patrizio's." And they're all wrong.

Tim Rogers · 09:27 AM

A blog-reading FrontBurnervian wonders if we've heard anything about this: TexasGigs sez Clear Channel radio stations have been nothing but static this morning. Odd.

Adam McGill · 08:56 AM

I don't want to overwhelm you with YouTube vids, but Deadspin found a gem too good to pass up. Besides, wouldn't you rather have "The Avery Bunch" stuck in your head instead of that "Bad Day" song?

Adam McGill · 08:21 AM

Someone named Duke4basketball has treated us to a slideshow of last night's game with that "Had a Bad Day" song. I think Duke4 is being ironic. For Mavs fans, it was a very good day indeed. Go Mavs.

Adam McGill · 08:12 AM

May 22, 2006

A DMN-reading FrontBurnervian read the DMN on Saturday. He found this story and sends this:

[The muffin-suspect story] was in Sat's DMN, which didn't make a lick of sense because their editorial "thumbs down" was about not having any clues, except a video, as to who did the "dastardly deed." News doesn't talk to Editorial at DMN?! Wait, what a stupid question to even ask...

Adam McGill · 05:20 PM

I know it's already been reported, but EDS sold a pinball machine in conjunction with the Byron Nelson for charity. More pictures of the special Mega Golf Ball Frenzy machine, featuring 99 professional golfers' signatures, can be seen on eBay. That news, on top of the fact that I saw a Roller Coaster pinball machine at Texadelphia over the weekend--one that was not there the last time I was--leads me to this conclusion: pinball is back.

Of course, for People Who Like Pinball and Have Two Thumbs Like This Guy [figure it out], pinball never left--it just gets harder and harder to find. Wizards can put their pinball pants on at Old Town's Texadelphia, Bar of Soap (at least they used to), and, um, you know, all those other places. Dave & Buster's had one tucked in the corner, last I recall. FrontBurnervians please help me out. I'd like to compile a list. Game, Location, and Condition, please. (N.B. If anyone finds the F-14 Tomcat that used to be at Family Fun Time off Park and Greenville, I'm pretty sure my high score still stands.)

Adam McGill · 02:47 PM

Freelancers and potentially downsized newspaper folk pls note: Mediabistro.com is advertising an editor job for a Dallas magazine (no, not this one) that calls for a real multitasker:

...Must maintain and update listings such as shopping, dining, nightlife, etc. Also in charge of updating city maps. Duties include assigning, editing and writing copy with wit and panache, as well as managing a monthly budget.

Rod Davis · 02:21 PM

Wick, I've been going back and correcting your posts. No longer. It's "Patrizio's," not "Patricio's."

Tim Rogers · 01:46 PM

An FBvian with his mind you-know-where wonders:

Rod, what does that very political post have to do with Jessica Simpson, Alexa Conomos, or, for that matter, me? Give FrontBottom Nation what it craves!

Rod Davis · 01:14 PM

Spending a summer evening watching baseball at Ameriquest Field in Arlington is one of the great simple pleasures in life. The only major negative is long concession lines. This is particularly bad if you are a father trying to service multiple orders from the wife and kids. A new invention may help: "blink" contactless payment technology. It's a chip in your credit card (currently only offered by Chase Bank) that lets you just hold up the card in from of the register and go — no swiping or signing receipts, no fumbling for change. "blink" is being debuted at tomorrow night's Rangers vs. Anaheim Angels game at 7:05 p.m. Like the TollTag (whose technology was developed here in Dallas), "blink" will only reduce waiting times if a critical mass of consumers are using it. Still, the concept has merit and here's to a successful debut.

Reid Slaughter · 01:11 PM

A panicking FrontBurnervian wonders if there have been any posts this morning. Seems her computer is stuck on Friday afternoon. If you, too, are having similar difficulties, please bear with our team of highly trained monkeys as they address the problem. Of course, if you, too, are having similar difficulties, you probably can't read this.

So, um, never mind.

Adam McGill · 01:08 PM

At least when Brother Cuban disses a place, calling San Antonio's top tourist attraction an "ugly-ass, muddy-watered thing they call a River Walk," he doesn't pretend he's being other than in-your-face . Which to me is better than an earlier volley from the town's Plantation Daily, in which an oped piece purporting to be a Metro page news story compares SA and Dallas, including but not limited to cliches like "Dallas" the TV show and, of course, big hair. Read it to get your game face on.

Rod Davis · 12:56 PM

Should Her Honor the Princess of Preston Hollow take comfort in Saturday's election in New Orleans, in which the incumbent was able to hold on for another term?

Not likely, since Ray Nagin's victory was largely the result of increased turnout from African American voters, who supported Nagin by 80 percent, and swing votes from white precincts. In Dallas, the incumbent mayor has 1 vote from the four predominantly African American precincts, her political appointee and Best and Only Black Friend Betty Culbreath.

But you can bet the election stats are being closely studied.

Rod Davis · 11:31 AM

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is having a cup of coffee (cream) and a muffin (bran) at Starbuck’s in Highland Park at this very minute. He is wearing a tan suit, no tie, and, according to my cell phone spy, “fine hand-tooled cowboy boots.” There are three secret service guys inside and two in the parking lot. Right now.

Nancy Nichols · 10:19 AM

A FrontBurnervian wants to know:

Is there a reason why you're not calling it Patrizio's (with a Z)?

Wick Allison · 10:16 AM

Er, Tim, I know--I mean, I know deep down in my heart--that the dear people who are fortunate to receive Preston Hollow People, Bent Tree People, West Plano People, Lake Highlands People, and Lakewood People really, really enjoy their free home delivery.

Wick Allison · 09:05 AM

My previous observation/complaint that Dallas lacks a radio jazz station brought forth numerous FBvian responses re KNTU, 88.1FM, broadcasting at a mighty 100,000 watts. To which I further noted that I have trouble with reception. To which another FBvian emailed last week that the station is down to about 10,000 or so watts due to various repair problems.

So I wrote to the station, whose reply to the whole power thing is in the jump.

But let me note again that unless Denton is Dallas and grits ain't groceries, Dallas still doesn't have a jazz station of its own.

Continue reading "JAZZ POWER"

Rod Davis · 09:02 AM

I've been asked to ranch up and give the DMN what they deserve. From a yard-having FBvian:

It was with great joy that I opened my lawn-littering Neighbors tabloid to find a slick insert saying that if I wanted to continue to receive the Neighbors section I was going to have to subscribe to the DMN. To that I say thank you very much for your plan to stop littering the neighborhood.

We should be getting paid a consultant's fee for this. Anyway, "journalism need" No. 1: don't throw papers in people's yards unless they ask for them.

Tim Rogers · 08:59 AM

It turns out that Sixx Holdings, Jack Knox's company that owned Patrizio's, is a public company. Who knew? So the purchase price and company info are available for Those Who Care.

Wick Allison · 08:58 AM

Wanting an update on the Muffin Man? An inside source has one:

Word on the street is that the muffin man's been caught. Actually, the muffin MEN. The baker, and the delivery boy. I couldn't find it on local news. The baker is a former LH student and the delivery boy either a current or former Bishop Lynch student. I don't know any names. As usual, hoping you'll find out more!

Adam McGill · 08:50 AM

Glad you asked. Todd Bensman (formerly a producer at Channel 11) has dug up some dirt for his new employer, San Antonio's Express-News. (And here's part two.)

Tim Rogers · 08:50 AM

As my friend who sent me the link (and everyone who posts said link) points out, the SNL-inspired parody of a parody thing is a bit tired. But props to the Mavs fans who put this one together, if for no other reason than the dope rhyme of "flawless" with "Cedric Ceballos." Enjoy. And go Mavs.

Adam McGill · 08:29 AM

Today at the News, meetings will take place wherein employees will be reassured that the layoffs at the Belo-owned Riverside paper are not a precursor to similar moves at the News. Also on the agenda will be the new consultants. According to an internal memo that found its way to me, the News has "employed a company to study the journalism needs of our core readers, which will help us decide where and how to deploy the newsroom."

I can't summon the snark necessary to comment on this. I can't do it this morning. It feels too much like poking fun at the kids on the short bus. It just ain't right.

Tim Rogers · 08:09 AM