Articles about natural disasters
Message To Jerry Jones’ Twitterer: You’re Missing the Point
Moments ago, Jerry Jones (or, more likely, Jerry Jones’ handler) tweeted the following: “Talking to Christina McLarty of Entertainment Tonight and Ed Goren of FOX Sports on set of FOX Pregame Show. http://plixi.com/p/74801381” If you follow the link, you’ll see a pic of a smiling Jerry inside Cowboys Stadium — the stadium that hours ago critically injured one person.
Um, hello? Shouldn’t that tweet have read, “I just canceled my ET appearance because of an accident at the stadium. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the injured”?
Peter King to Nation: “This Is a Debacle.”
Sports Illustrated scribe Peter King just told his 500,000 Twitter followers: “I’m telling you: I-30 between Dallas + Fort Worth is a plow-less, snow-windswept moonscape. This is officially a debacle.” We will go ahead and file that under the heading “Less-Than-Glowing PR.” But you know what’s even worse? The gift shop at the Sheraton. That’s where most of the out-of-town media are staying. I popped over last night to see what the scene was like in the hotel bar, Draft. Short version: lots of dudes. If you’re looking for dorky white guys (aka sports reporters and broadcasters), head over to Draft. And then, if you want to feel really bad about your city, check out the Sheraton gift shop (pictured). Just be glad that Peter King isn’t tweeting about that.
Texas to Mexico: Give Us Your Juice
We don’t want their immigrants (some of us don’t, anyway), but when the weather turns bad, we will take their electricity.
Will Oncor Shut Down Downtown Dallas?
According to Robert’s Blog, the Central Business District is immune to the rolling blackouts. But hang on. A warm-blooded FrontBurnervian passes along the following note sent by the folks who operate the Bank of America building to the tenants there:
We have now received word that downtown Dallas is being put in the rolling blackout rotation within the next hour. There is a possibility that Oncor may bypass downtown if they can see enough power being shed by downtown buildings. Several other properties have indicated that they are turning their heat off and suggesting their tenants close down.
We are not necessarily asking you to take that measure, but if you can let us know if you are closed today, we could turn the interior heat off and reduce the settings on the thermostats to your floors and therefore reduce the load. Also, if you have any unnecessary lights or equipment on, please turn them off.
That e-mail was sent about one hour ago. I’m thinking that this computer I’m using does use electricity. Seems like the only Christian thing to do is shed that load, right?
Update (2:53): Chris Schein at Oncor confirms that the controlled blackouts have ended — for now. But we’re operating on a thin margin here. Will they return? Depends on how much energy we use. All of which argues for pointing my mouse at that little apple up in the left-hand corner.
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.
First Super Bowl Freezer Casualty — Tent at the Cotton Bowl
Thanks to the snow, sleet and “stuff,” the middle of the Cotton Bowl’s mammoth tent just caved. The crews are on the scene trying to figure how to recover the situation for the nights of scheduled parties.
At least they won’t have to worry about getting it erect for the Thursday night concert with the Village People. It was canceled due to only 13 tickets being sold.
UPDATE: Here is video thanks to WFAA of the downed tent.
Leading Off (1/24/11)
1. Here’s some more fuel to throw on Jim Schutze’s smoldering pile of schadenfreude: The city is rushing to fix its Trinity Levee problems before many of the lands surrounding the levees (some of which have been purchased by investors speculating on Trinity River Project-related development) get drawn into the flood plains by federal officials:
“It has just turned things upside down,” said Bob Stimson, president of the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce. “And indeed, I think that the values of the properties have been already impacted by it.”
2. West Dallas homeowners seek to preserve their neighborhood: In other Trinity-related news, the bridge is coming to West Dallas, so homeowners in the West Dallas neighborhood of La Bajada, many of whom have lived in the area since the 1940s, are trying to protect their homes from speculative buying and rapidly rising property values by adopting a Neighborhood Stabilization Overlay. The NSO would limit the size and scale of new construction in the stable, single family neighborhood.
3. Terry Glenn arrested in Denton County: If I were Dez Bryant, I would definitely try to line up an offseason move to another football team. The problem with being a Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, it seems, is that at some point you are going to be arrested for a drugs and alcohol-related crime.
Housewives of Dallas May Be Real or Unreal
Since QC Cong posted Facebook photos of a party at the Fashionistas’ Heidi Dillon’s (pictured) house, keyboards have been pounded to death. Seems the rumor mill is buzzing that it was a gathering of LA producers and likely house fraus for a “Real Housewives of Dallas” television show. One person SOS-ed:
“Is it true there is a Real Housewives of Dallas????? . . .There is some lady (Editor’s note: in the Facebook photos) with GIANT hair (even for Texas) Patty Comu or something.”
Asked about the rumors, Heidi lobbed:
“Nothing is for real until the day comes that you turn on the tv and watch the show. My producers and I are working on developing several shows for various networks.”
When pressed, Heidi coyly continued:
“You’ll just have to watch what happens.”
That Heidi knows how to play the situation like Jerry Jones knows how to cut a deal.
In 2011 I Hereby Resolve …
What’s New Year’s Eve without a few resolutions? Here are mine:
Be more accountable. When former TV anchor/reporter Brad Hawkins, now a spokesman for Southwest Airlines, was busted by cops on a public lewdness charge in a Dallas park, I made a joke here regarding Southwest’s LUV symbol. But when the charges were later dropped, I failed to note that on FrontBurner. Which wasn’t fair to Hawkins.
Don’t have such a short fuse. After my car was broken into in a DART parking lot the first day I rode the light-rail, I swore off DART here for good. That was dumb. Even though I’ve never parked in a DART lot again, I’ve ridden its trains since and most always had good experiences.
Trying to save money, do not order in sliced turkey breast instead of a full cooked turkey for Christmas dinner even though you know your Better Half prefers the dark meat and the turkey legs. After that happened something else almost got sliced, too.
Sarah Palin Does Dallas, Again
Just in case you missed her double feature with Rick Perry, Barnes & Noble says Missus Former Governor Former Vice Presidential Candidate Mama Grizzly TLC Realty Star Fox News Commentator Author Sarah Palin will be signing her latest book, and only her latest book, on Nov. 28 at the Lincoln Park location.
However, you will need to clear your calendar for the entire day. Skip church. Because you’ll need to be in line for a wristband at 9 a.m., and then come back at 6 p.m. for the signing.
Southlake a Lightning Rod For Lightning, Local Realtor Says
You know what’s sometimes hard to do when you’re a news reporter up against a deadline? Finding a source to parrot your preconceived notions of what might be a story. Luckily NBC 5 could count on their friendly neighborhood fulminologist meteorologist climatologist fireman home builder academic expert person who sells and installs lightning rods on houses person whose house burned down because of a lightning strike real estate agent.
What to do for Post-World Series Depression
Dear San Francisco Giants,
Take your ugly bearded mugs and go home. You broke my heart—you are pros at stealing hearts. However, there is one special moment you can’t touch. Sweetest moment of the year.
Leading Off (10/25/10)
1. The Houston Viaduct celebrates its hundredth birthday, and remarkably, despite some needed repairs that were identified recently, the bridge has no significant structural flaws.
“It’s the best bridge built in Dallas,” [Willis Winters, an architecture historian] said, adding that honor, to his thinking, will go to the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, scheduled to open next year.
2. In the Dallas Morning News, transportation reporter Michael Lindenberger compares and contrasts Rick Perry and Bill White’s stands on transportation, which mainly diverge over issues of taxes, local control, the use of private toll companies. Towards the middle of the piece, the real issue rears its head: road construction debt “has grown so high that even TxDOT warns that by 2012 it will run out of money for new projects and have to reduce maintenance – thanks in part to rising debt payments, though officials there say the real culprit is the lack of new funding.”
3. My hat goes off to Navarro County Emergency Management Coordinator, Eric Meyers, who had the guts to keep his iPhone running while this twister bore down on his car yesterday.
4. And a little more video, because no one will tire of watching this or this anytime soon.
Bethany’s Diary: Thursday, I Saw Inside Sports in Plano
Last night, I drove up the tollway to Plano, reminding me that whenever I drive the tollway to Plano, I get irrationally angry at Plano.
Why was I going all the way to the Shops at Legacy, you ask? Because I was invited to the red carpet premier of a TV show called Inside Sports: News You Can ALMOST Trust. It’s produced by Mark McClure and Paula Wallem, and hosted by Survivor: Guatemala winner Danni Boatright.
Sigh. The location, Fox Sports Grill, was nice enough. The food was good. But lordy, the execution, and then the show itself? Well, I kept a diary. And whimpered. (more…)
Atkins Says Mayor’s Tax Poll Is Hooey
Here’s the deal: It seems like half the city council wants to increase property taxes so they can pay for stuff. Only, Mayor Tom Leppert doesn’t. So he sent out this mailer asking people to pass this note on to their council member, only it doesn’t even have postage paid, so you know, why didn’t he just use interoffice mail?
And then he says he has all this polling that says nobody wants the council’s stupid tax anyway. Only today council member Tennell Atkins says (and I’m summarizing here, not directly quoting, because that takes too long), ”Oh, that poll was totally rigged, because it only asks people if they want their taxes increased or not and anybody with a lick of sense is gonna push no, but I pushed yes, so there.”
Atkins says a good poll would mention that you’ll have to give up swimming in pools and using the Internets for free in the library and driving on roads in your cars if you don’t want your taxes raised. In other words: No new taxes = everyone’s Amish.
I don’t want to be Amish. Hold me.
Home |
Masthead |
News from D |
About Us |
Contact Us |
Subscribe |
Advertise |
Privacy Policy |
Customer Service |
Awards | Archives | Reprints | d custom | Jobs | Advertiser's Index
Awards | Archives | Reprints | d custom | Jobs | Advertiser's Index