G.R.i.D. (Get Rich in Dallas)

Yay Dallas. The city is counted as the “9th largest green-power purchaser in the U.S.” according to this. Apparently we get 40 per cent of our power from wind sources and that’s not even from this guy.

Houston ranked 12th and combined “the Dallas and Houston totals represent savings of carbon emissions from more than 84,000 passenger vehicles annually — the same amount of electricity needed to power an estimated 61,000 homes per year.”

I admit I don’t really fall for a lot of this energy efficiency hype but at the same time I do believe in it. I got my little coiled energy saving lightbulbs going. So if we’re doing good and other people are doing good as a result, then I say “sweeeeeet.”

I’ve decided Valentine’s Day sucks. And not just because I’m reluctantly single. Which will start bumming me out here in a few more days as VD gets closer. Sympathetic flowers sent to my office for consolation are more than welcome.*

But it does discriminate against my single kind. You know why? Because I can’t partake in the dining specials all these restaurants offer FOR TWO on that special day. OK, some are priced per person but then it just gets awkward and I don’t really wanna throw down 50+ bucks for an awesome dinner and wine special that might come with dessert.

To drive the stake through the heart even more, even the smaller restaurants are getting in on the action. Especially the ones I like such as Big D’s Dogs:

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No reservations required, and no wallet busting prices. Just ease on in with the one you’re with and enjoy the perfect food for Valentine’s.

We will be offering a set menu of your choice of hot dogs, basket of garlic fries to share with a side of our delicious Thai Chile Sauce, and a Raspberry or Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake Shake for two! All this for $9.69 per person.

This deal will only run until midnight on the day of St. Valentine.

By the way, we will be pouring a glass of red wine to set the mood, and it’s on us!

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I guess it’s going to be a frozen pizza night that night.

Damn you, St. Valentine!

* kidding

I have to say, this year’s Academy Award nominations are a big ole snore. I don’t know if it’s because the Golden Globes were nixed that didn’t give us any glitzy award show precursor or if that all these movies are just grim and dreary. Usually I like to go and catch the movies to be in the know but I’m not looking forward to hour after hour of gloom and doom as I catch up on the nominees. As I catch them either on DVD or at the theater, I figure to share my thoughts and predictions as we get closer to the big date.

Last night, Eastern Promises came in my mailbox thanks to Netflix. Viggo Mortensen was nominated for Best Actor as a Russian gangster who comes across Naomi Watts butting her nose where it shouldn’t go. While the movie was well-done and directed by David Cronenberg, it was also a yawn. I expected the violence but some of it was quite disturbing. And I’ve seen lots of stuff. Not Saw-disturbing since that’s much more fantastical and horrific, this was just gruesome and cruel. EESH.

Just sucks though because everyone mumbles. Whether speaking in Russian or English. a lot of the actors mumble their lines and speak just soft enough to miss half the dialogue. Despite being a difficult movie to get through, the story is compelling enough to keep interest. I just hated missing important conversation. Since that’s kind of crucial to a movie.

Do I recommend? Only as a second thought movie. Nothing to put at the top of your queue. Oscar prediction - a good convincing performance by Mortensen but a nomination is enough for this round.

Random tidbit: Nice to see Armin Mueller-Stahl back in the game.

That’s what the Hourly Radio is asking today as Ryan Short announced his departure. Boohoo. Hourly Radio is one of my big local favorites. I’d totally have a link for you but waiting for my professional one to go up. I guess you can look here for more information until I update.

Here’s some Hourly Radio at the Granada last month. This was SUCH a great show since my other faves were on the bill. You can figure out who they are. By the way, the Granada may have the best video channel on YouTube.

UPDATE: Go here instead of previous link.

Magnolia Theater is offering just that this next month. Just don’t plan on it being Juno or Persepolis or something in the newer sense. Magnie is showing digitally-projected TCM classics which tend to be my favorites. Sez here that they got four planned for February including 2001 (sorry but yawn), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (I get surprisingly teary-eyed), Some Like it Hot (classic laughs) and Fiddler on the Roof (which makes me feel grimy).

Highly recommend Mr. Smith. Why they are showing it in the middle of a Monday is beyond me but being that, like most people, I’ll have to work, I’ll just revisit it on dvd.

No, I’m not talking about 4th of July. Can you believe it was summertime when that factory went up in flames and explosions? July to be exact. Time just goes by too fast. Well, that company, Southwest Industrial Gases is now being fined over $6000 by OSHA but not necessarily from the incident. According to this, the “government citations don’t conclude that the violations caused the blast” but instead exposed employees to harm. One citation being a lack of a sprinkler system which could have reduced some of the fire. Although, the way those fireballs were shooting everywhere, not sure how much that would have reduced the risk.

Regardless, just makes you kind of wish places like that would take all precautions necessary. In the end, it was just a REALLY bad accident but you can never help but think, “If only.”

Stop going to 7-11.

This begins my new tag - People Who Get on My Nerves. This could almost be a daily item but I’ll keep it weekly at best. Last week, I was at Panera on Lemmon Avenue trying to have a quiet lunch the way everyone else was. People enjoying a quiet meal, others on their laptops but THIS guy didn’t get the hint that his beeping text messages were annoying as hell. Why is it that people don’t understand the times and places things need to be a bit quieter? WHY I ASK??

YOU, my Panera friend, are the first of PEOPLE WHO GET ON MY NERVES!

This might be mean but seriously, this local chick’s stage moniker screams diva. And not in the good way.

Dallas City Hall will host a viewing party for the show, which will air Monday at 3 p.m. on CBS 11. It is followed by CBS 11 News at 4 p.m.

Of what you might ask? Oh, Mayor Pro Tem and fascinating freak Dwayne Carraway is going to be on Dr. Phil today with Reverend Al Sharpton and the Hip-Hop Government. Why? His saggy pant crusade is on the up and up. I hope Dr. Phil included the Why Guy in his research.

Sounds like fun.