Get Your Hopes Up
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Monday, February 12, 2007
I want to remind you that our next Monday Night Mixer is TONIGHT at Metro Grill, 4425 N Central Expressway; Dallas, TX 75205; just south of Knox-Henderson streets. The event will begin at 5 p.m. and last until around 7 p.m. There will be a cash bar with happy hour pricing.
Program Director Shelley Hamilton will discuss the exciting new H4PJ Peace Practitioner program. She has already scheduled workshops and seminars in other cities. Development Specialist Mack Campbell will talk about how you can participate in our new membership program. Also, I will speak about current issues and give an update about the tour promoting The Real antiChrist, as well as a project that staff and volunteers worked on last week that, well, let’s just say that each member of Congress should be expecting an envelope in the mail from us soon! We, of course, will have copies of the book for sale.
Funny Logo Low Blow by Frontburner
Apparently DISD is up for changing their old logo. It looks ok to me but those colors are bland. Here’s FB’s first take:
DISD’S NEW LOGO TO MAKE EVERYTHING ALRIGHT
Okay, seriously, what the heck is going on here? In an effort to change its image, the district is changing its logo. McKinney resident and DISD spokesman Celso Martinez presented the new logo, according to the paper, “in what he announced as an ‘earth-shattering presentation.’” But, of course, the earth didn’t shatter. Trustees don’t like the new design, which looks like something a fifth-grader came up with. Sorry, I can’t find it online (li’l help FrontBurnervians?). But the old logo, seen here, is just fine.
More to the point, now trustees and district brass are wasting time on a logo. Because they think the district needs to improve its image. Are you kidding me? You’re kidding, right?
Update: Here’s the new logo that got scrapped, thanks to a barking FBvian:
But the best part comes here from Adam’s submission for what the new logo should look like:
RE: NEW LOGO
A designing FrontBurnervian has her own suggestions for the new DISD logo. Check ‘em out:
Hilarious.
T.W.I.G 01-11
This Week in GRiD
This past week has been pretty phenomenal for me. I’ll be brief but had to share.
If you haven’t noticed, this past Monday, Jesus C. decided to join the GRiD team and I was so excited. You’ve read his stuff either in the DMN or the Dallas Voice but you may be more familiar with him as the former host of Sin Fronteras on KNON. He is a great guy and I feel lucky to have him on board.
Wednesday night, my friend Brian treated me and some others to an intense sushi dinner at Blue Fish on Lower Greenville. I love sushi but my head cannot wrap around the all the proprieties and names when ordering sushi. Brian is a sushi fanatic and he ordered tons of stuff which were all incredibly delicious. With flavors ranging from mildly spicy to almost sweet, they were morsels of delightful texture that almost melted in my mouth but last long enough to experience each flavor. Absolutely heavenly.
My allergies had been acting up most of the week so after dinner I was going home but they convinced me to join them at the Howard Jones concert at the Granada. I wasn’t really into an 80s nostalgia trip at that moment but being with the gang was nice and I stayed for a trio of songs before intermission. Plus, the Mavericks were playing.
While only getting to watch the final quarter, I hooked up with the guys at Alexandre’s, a comfortable drinky jazz bar on Cedar Springs. Les Farrington sings there every Wednesday who is also friends with the guys. You know Les from Sugarbomb. Been a LONG time since I’d heard about them but the recollection was nice.
Thursday night was the ultimate for me. I saw Bill Clinton at Nokia. He’s one of my heroes and this was my first time seeing him speak. Surprisingly, he was bit of a diva but he comanded that audience. Speaking on the environment, health care and the global communities and backing them up with smart facts, he had everyone in awe as well as applause. He even brought me to tears as he reminded us that this world can still be a good place and the hope that is our country. Simply phenomenal.
I just wish I found out who his ‘interviewer’ was. He was terrible as he asked Clinton questions from the audience. Clinton came off somewhat aloof during the interview but whether it was frustration from being interviewed by an obsequious amateur or the strain from the road, I don’t know.
Friday night, I went to the opening of Cirque du Soleil’s show Corteo at Fair Park. I always love those shows since they are so beautiful and fantastic. It’s literally art coming to life and I always feel so transported when I see it. A clown walking upside down on a tightrope, a miniscule matron lifted by balloons and my always favorite acrobats on trampolines flying high in the air. There is no way to give all the visuals but, and without much surprise, it was stunning.
To be followed by an ultra-fabulous reception was a great cherry on top. In what seemed to be a museum of sorts of Cirque, they offered complimentary martinis, champagne and wine along with a delicious array of heavy hors d’ourves. Their long stemmed white chocolate dipped strawberries were angelic and the Canadian bacon on warms crisps with a slight hint of parmesan melted in my mouth. Like the show, this was also under a tent and behind the scenes videos played overhead in sepia and black and white tones through the red lights. Festive and fabulous for sure.
Of all the days, Saturday and Sunday were needed for relaxing. As well as reflecting on the great week that just passed.
Crush o’ the Week -
It should be obvious.
Clap yer hands and say thanks…
to The Good Show on KTCU 88.7 The Choice for playing one of my faves, Handclaps and Harmonies tonight “around 10:30.” That is if you’re in Fort Worth but you can stream from the link.
Although, I was fairly stunned to hear this song when I tuned in.
Did they get their name from Brave New World?
I say yes but don’t know for sure. But I love the Hourly Radio’s CD and I never get enough of this song.
Been a long day but I hope to make it here tonight.
DART n Art Call for Artists Meeting Tomorrow Night
Those guys over at Kettle Art are hosting DART’s meeting for artist interested in the Deep Ellum Gateway Project tomorrow at 6p.m. This is the project that DART created that set aside some 1.5 million bucks for new public art since the famed tunnel is now gone due to the rail line headed in that direction. Seems like they will be discussing what kind of art or action should be represent the neighborhood.
DART wants to make sure that this “isn’t a competition for the design of Deep Ellum Station itself — that’s already been assigned to an artist named Julie Cohn, as mentioned all-too-briefly in DART’s Fall 2006 InMotion newsletter,” but that it’s “for the bits and pieces that will provide a visual, pedestrian-friendly connection between the station and the Deep Ellum neighborhood.” The three sites this is broken down to include:
* The newly-created intersection of Good-Latimer and Gaston (former north tunnel entrance area)
* The NE corner of Good-Latimer and Elm (former south tunnel entrance area)
* South of Main and Good-Latimer, tying in to the existing artworks and parks
You artists pay attention because here is the selection criteria:
* The artistic merit, conceptual approach and constructability as demonstrated in the competition entry.
* The desire to select competition entrants that are complimentary and appropriate to the neighborhood context of Deep Ellum, the architecture and streetscape of the Deep Ellum DART Station and the overall urban design goals of the transit system.
* The evidence of enduring and low-maintenance materials.
* Implementation, as a result of the competition process will be at the discretion of DART.
And then here’s DART’s timeline on the entire project. Two more years? Wow.
- March 16, 2007 Preliminary proposals due
- March 23, 2007 Select finalists
- April 27, 2007 Hold workshop / site visit
- June 29, 2007 Presentation of final proposals
- July 6, 2007 Announce winner(s)
- July - September, 2007 Negotiate contract with winner(s)
- October, 2007 Initiate design
- May, 2008 Initiate fabrication / construction
- August, 2009 Construction complete
