Archive for 2008

A longtime FBI agent warns the City of Dallas could be a top target for a terrorist attack and North Texas law enforcement needs to be prepared.

A federal report on terrorism – to be released Thursday - predicts a nuclear or biological attack within the U.S. sometime over the next five years.

Danny Defenbaugh, the former Dallas FBI director, says North Texas needs to take the report seriously because there is reason to believe the area could be a prime target.

Defenbaugh has been operating a private security consulting firm since retiring. He says terrorists might choose North Texas for an attack for multiple reasons.

For one reason, Exxon-Mobil’s headquarters is based in Irving.

Another reason is because President Bush will reside in Dallas when he leaves office, and his library will be built at SMU.

Defenbaugh told KRLD radio that “anytime you have a former president or you have the former president’s library that’s going to be established, I think that always adds to another vulnerability or another risk that has to be assessed as far as a target.”

He also praised the North Texas joint terrorism task force and said it has a good history of intercepting threats.

So let’s get this straight, Axl Rose runs off the best part of Guns ‘n Roses (Duff , Matt Sorum & Slash) due to his arrogance; spends 17 years recording Chinese Democracy; drops off the radar for 2 months before the debut of said album so his label is unable to do the necessary publicity thereby costing the #1 spot on the charts…..and yet Axl can bestir himself to get into a tantrum state over Dr Pepper.

If it weren’t for Dr Pepper, the public would have been hard pressed to even know that Chinese Democracy was being released.

Now, te folks at Dallas area-based Dr Pepper are “disappointed” by legal action threatened by a lawyer for the group Guns N’ Roses, after their highly publicized soft-drink giveaway left some fans with a bad taste.

In March, Dr Pepper offered to give everyone in America a free 20 oz bottle of Dr Pepper if the rock group’s long-delayed album “Chinese Democracy” was released in 2008.

When the album came out last week, Dr Pepper was swamped with requests for coupons needed to redeem the free drink.

Frustrated fans, including some who tried for hours to sign up for the coupons via a Dr Pepper Web site, took their anger out on the group. That’s according to a harshly worded letter from Alan Gutman, the Beverly Hills attorney representing the group and front man Axl Rose.

The letter, sent last week to Larry Young, Dr Pepper’s chief executive, insists among other things that the company take out full-page newspaper ads of apology and expand its redemption offer.

It also seeks “appropriate payments to our clients for unauthorized use…of their publicity.”

Mr. Gutman said “the door to a lawsuit remains open as long as Dr Pepper fails to respond appropriately.”

Dr Pepper spokesman Greg Artkop said the company is “disappointed that GNR’s lawyers are turning a fun giveaway into a legal dispute.

“Axl even expressed support for our efforts earlier this year,” said Mr. Artkop.

“When the album release was confirmed, Guns n’ Roses management team approached us and we openly shared our giveaway plans,” he said.

He said the company took “great steps to fulfill our offer, including: extending the window for the giveaway from 24 to 42 hours, adding a toll-free line to handle consumers…[and] setting up an interactive voice recorder to accept coupon requests.

Also, “for those who contacted us in the week after the giveaway about difficulties requesting the coupon, we continued to offer free coupons to address any problems they may have encountered.”

He said the company also has apologized to consumers who contacted them to complain.

Mr. Artkop declined to reveal how many people tried to get the free sodas, but said “we were very excited by the response of Dr Pepper fans and regret that some had trouble registering for the coupon.

“This was one of the largest responses we have ever received for a giveaway,” he said, adding “We wish Guns N’ Roses the best with their album.”

Axl….get a life.

We all knew the heat of summer is over and today we are venturing into the 30’s as a cold front is expected to hit Dallas-Fort Worth this afternoon and may cause temperatures to drop.

Temperatures are expected to remain in the 60s for much of the day with winds increasing to about 35 miles per hour. The area remains under an elevated risk of fire due to high winds and a dry atmosphere.

The front may force temperatures into the 20s Thursday night, making it the coldest night so far this season. High temperatures for Thursday and Friday were expected to remain in the 50s. Highs Saturday and Sunday were expected to return to the 60s and lows were expected in the 30s.

The weather service said the expected highs and low are normal for this time of year.

What would Texas be without horses? Area horses that have been abandoned need our help.

The North Texas Humane Society doesn’t need to check the stock market to know prices are dropping. They see the evidence coming through their doors - abandoned animals owners can no longer care for. Among the hardest hit in the area are horses.

Some 19 horses need new homes at the moment.

Tucked behind the Humane Society of North Texas shelter, hidden among car lots and office buildings, you’ll find an unlikely place for a barn.

It’s the home of last resort for the horses that pour into Fort Worth every week and many of the animals are nearly dead. They often come in large groups, swamping volunteers. Some 15 from one owner arrived in the last two weeks.

Skinny, scarred, balding - holes in their hooves and to turn them away would be a death sentence.

Currently 19 horses need permanent homes but adoptions take time, as some horses are fearful of new owners.

The Humane Society attributes the increase in abandoned horses to the economy - Healthy horses cost around $3,000 a year.

Who knew the National Hockey League was so strict?

The NHL has suspended Dallas Stars’ winger Sean Avery indefinitely due to some remarks he made before Tuesday’s game against the Calgary Flames.

Avery is being suspended for talking smack about the Flames’ Dion Phaneuf.

So, what did he say that caused Avery to get suspended indefinitely? Seems kind of childish to us to penalize someone for trash-talking.

Avery told TSN on camera that, “I am really happy to be back in Calgary, I love Canada. I just want to comment on how it’s become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don’t know what that’s about. Enjoy the game tonight.”

Ouch!

Turns out Phaneuf is dating Avery’s ex-girlfriend, actress Elisha Cuthbert.

Apparently the league’s suspension is legal under Article 6 of the NHL Constitution. It allows for suspension due to any conduct “detrimental to the League or game of hockey.”

This coming from a game where players are known to knock other player’s teeth out? Seriously, when did hockey get all uptight?

As for Avery, he’ll be meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman before a final decision is made on his suspension.

What do you think of the NHL’s decision to suspense Avery?

Duran Duran have been forced to cancel tonight’s show (Tuesday, December 2) in Dallas, TX, scheduled to take place at the Nokia Theatre, because the band’s keyboard player, Nick Rhodes, is still suffering from a very serious inner ear infection and doctors have told him that he is not allowed to travel.

The four band members (Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, Roger Taylor and Nick Rhodes) have been on the road in Latin America since the start of November, and tonight’s show would have been one of their first North American dates on the final leg of their year-long Red Carpet Massacre World Tour. The trouble started about a week ago, after the band had played at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil from where they were slated to travel to Mexico for shows in Guadalajara and Mexico City. Nick had been fighting a bad cold since their break in London, prior to the first South American show, but thought that he was well enough to travel on Tuesday morning with the other band members, who were all booked on a flight that stopped over in Panama for a couple of hours. By the time they reached Panama City, however, Nick was in severe pain and had to see a doctor at the airport, who said that it could endanger his hearing if he continued on with the flight, and that he would recommend going to the hospital for further tests. The rest of the traveling party continued on to Mexico City, leaving Nick and the band’s tour manager in Panama.

Nick spent Wednesday at the Punta Pacifica Hospital in Panama City seeing a specialist, who confirmed that he had developed a serious infection in his inner ear, and that with the swelling and fluid build-up that had already occurred, the air pressure of a flight could create tremendous pain and even cause the ear drum to rupture, leading to long-term hearing damage. Nick had hoped that the inflammation would subside within a couple of days with the medication prescribed. Sadly, however, this has not been the case and he will be going back to see a specialist today as he is still unable to fly.

Nick will travel as soon as he is well enough, so that the band can resume the final dates of their tour. All of the band members are extremely disappointed that they will not be able to play tonight in Dallas, and hope that they can make up the date in the near future.

Duran Duran will finish their Red Carpet Massacre world tour on December 14, with a show in Montclair, New Jersey. These US dates will round out fourteen months of solid touring in support of their most recent studio album (Red Carpet Massacre), that kicked off in late October 2007 with a two week run on Broadway.

Tickets for tonight’s show will be fully refundable from the point of purchase.

The legendary Duran Duran will be performing tonite at Nokia Live at Grand Prairie on their Red Carpet Massacre tour.