CREATING A MEMORIAL WITHOUT A COLISEUM

UPDATE: I refined my thoughts for caller.com printed in the paper December 31, 2009. Catch it here.

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If the Coliseum is demolished, Corpus Christi will continue to function and exist. We can't forget that the Coliseum is a memorial to Veterans and embrace the opportunity to create a new, world-class memorial that becomes a statewide, if not nationwide, attraction.

On Nov. 17, city council voted to pursue two parallel tracks with the Coliseum: begin the process of tearing it down WHILE AT THE SAME TIME negotiating publicly with the National Swim Center to renovate the Coliseum into a competitive swimming venue with a 325 room hotel and parking garage.

Elsewhere on this blog, I've discussed why the Swim Center is not correct for the Memorial Coliseum land. Here, I want to discuss the first track: tearing down the Coliseum. Change of any kind creates stress--some justified; some not. One justifable, uncomfortable element of this change can't be denied: if the Coliseum is now a memorial, how do you replace it?

Corpus Christi thinks small suffering from a populace that, generally, doesn't get out there and see things. Many of Corpus Christi's ills could be solved by getting 100% of the population on buses and shipping them out for visits to successful, growing cities. Education on what's 'out there' would wake our population up, finally, to realizing the potential of this city. They'd storm the castle demanding the destination bayfronts of Venice, CA, Miami, FL, Sarasota, FL, San Diego, CA, and Waikiki, HI.

Google Image the phrase 'Veterans Memorial'. Or simply click here, because I'm so nice I've done it for you. I'm not kidding. Click that link, and use a few minutes to take a look around at what Veterans' Memorials can be. Go ahead, I'll give you a few minutes.

The Memorial Coliseum, as a memorial to veterans, is disgraceful. ESPECIALLY SO when you see what successful memorials exist around the country. I do not understand the mentality of local veterans' groups who say the Memorial Coliseum is the best memorial possible--save it or duplicate it at any cost. I think they think that since this is what we have, we should keep it. This attitude, as well-meaning as it may be, actually has the opposite effect of their intent.

I believe our veterans are so important that the Memorial Coliseum simply isn't good enough for them. Don't believe me? Click here again!

We live in a world where things decay, things deteriorate, things become obsolete...change leaks in and requires things to be different. Unless you purposefully construct a building to last 1000 years (see the architecture of Paris, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC), a building will fall apart. It's not a mystery, it's not confusing, it's not a surprise.

Why, though, does the Corpus Christi population fight things as if we have the patent to stop physics and time? If we rally around the Coliseum hard enough, it will quit being a building in decline. If we get some petitions signed, we'll buck conventional wisdom and fly in the face of the population's wishes (as 10 people you don't know what we should do with the Coliseum). If we rally around a solid '3', we'll miss a potential '10' and we're fine with that. (?!)

When you hear of the Coliseum's inevitable demolition you can choose to fight it (because you have magical powers to keep the roof from deteriorating) or you can embrace the refreshing elixir of 'possibility'. The Coliseum can continue to be your cross to bear OR it can be the chance to honor our veterans correctly.

If the Memorial Coliseum is demolished, why not make it our mission to commemorate our veterans with an amazing, world-class Memorial? Why not put our passion into creating THE MEMORIAL that hosts every veterans ceremony in Texas due to its beauty, spope and magnetism?

Take a look at what real memorials look like around the country. The Coliseum is such a 'big issue', but those fighting for the coliseum are simply not thinking big enough.

Imagine...

Now, none of these may be our exact solution. These are what other communities did to commemorate their veterans.

Consider Fort Collins, CO, and their current campaign to create Veterans Plaza:

Read about their efforts here.

If the Memorial Coliseum is demolished, we can embrace the empty canvas of that land and create something our Veterans deserve.

Imagine a ceremony in 2012 where all of our State government delegate are in attendance along with veterans group delegates from every major Texas city. We unveil our new memorial and jaws drop. The perception of our ineptitude in 'getting things done' vanishes on the spot. Tourists and citizens pause during their visit to embrace this new area's beauty and purpose. It could be incredible.

OR we could invite everyone to the Memorial Coliseum and gracefully accept their polite decline.

TO SWIM OR NOT TO SWIM - SHOW NOTES 12/19

2.
On January 12, the very next city council meeting, council will have three options available to them: strike a deal with National Swim Center, extend negotiations with National Swim Center because a deal has not been agreed to, or cease negotiations with National Swim Center. If they cease negotiations with National Swim Center, then they are tearing down the coliseum (as voted for on Nov. 17).

So: National Swim Center or not?

I say not.

Here's a recap to the bring urgency of our city's situation:

On Nov. 17, city council voted to pursue two parallel tracks with the coliseum: begin the process of tearing it down WHILE AT THE SAME TIME negotiating publicly with the National Swim Center to renovate the coliseum into a competitive swimming venue with a 325 room hotel and parking garage. The deadline for those negotiations, for now, is January 12 which happens to be the next council meeting.

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1.
There's a lot to discuss today so I'll be keeping all calls short and to the point. If you don't stay on topic we'll have to say good bye.

We have a new producer but doing his on air interview will have to wait. As promised from last week I did find definitive proof rather or not the Memorial Coliseum was created for that purpose or if it was dedicated after the fact...has to wait until next week when I'll be presenting a huge collage of archived articles about the Memorial Coliseum on my blog from the 30s, 40s and 50s. In fact I need someone to do a research project for free at the library. Someone with a lot of free time and an interest in history. Email me if you're interested: joe@keysweekendmagazine.com

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I have a joke for you:
A man walks into a doctor's office with a huge boil on his face. "Doctor, I've got a huge boil on my face and I have cancer. Give me some medicine for it."
The doctor, confused, asks, "Do you want medicine for the boil or the cancer?" The man scratches his head and says, "You don't have one medicine for both?"
The doctor says, "The boil is a symptom of the cancer. You have two options. Option One: I can make the boil look pretty that does nothing to help the cancer OR I can remove the boil and, with a lot of hard work, we can tackle the cancer."
The man scratches his head, thinks, and finally says, "Option One sounds easier let's go with that."

On January 12, council will be making the most important decision in recent memory--a decision that has the possibility to change CC forever.

Boiling it down and getting to the point, as King Sausage would demand: at the very next city council meeting, January 12, a motion will be made and that motion, one of four possible motions, boils down to having faith in the swim center as the best use of the Memorial Coliseum or not, the swim center's ability to finally create the magic pixy dust 'growth' the city needs. As early as the very next council meeting the decision will be made: NO Coliseum any longer OR the swim center.

Of those two options, which is better?

Using the Memorial Coliseum for a Swim Center is such a bad idea that it's better to tear the Coliseum down.

Repeat: Between the Swim Center and having no Coliseum at all, it would be better to have no Coliseum.

We have made our way to the Swim Center as a desperate last resort.

And although there are thousands of people listening right now, I know six of you are city council members: If your answer on January 12 is to go with the swim center because SOMETHING is better than NOTHING...because ANY structure is better than NO structure...If this is the way you're thinking--that ANYTHING there is better than NOTHING there--then you're thinking incorrectly. You're thinking short-term with SERIOUS long term problems.

And I'll repeat my joke because it's funnier the second time.

A man walks into a doctor's office with a huge boil on his face. "Doctor, I've got a huge boil on my face and cancer. Give me some medicine for it."
The doctor, confused, asks, "Do you want medicine for the boil or the cancer?" The man scratches his head and says, "You don't have medicine for both?"
The doctor says, "The boil is a symptom of the cancer. You have two options. Option One: I can make the boil look pretty and we ignore the cancer OR I can remove the boil and, with a lot of hard work, we can tackle the cancer."
The man scratches his head, thinks, and finally says, "I'm sick of the boil. Option One sounds easier let's go with that."

Hilarious.

We're so desperate for medicine that we'll take ANYTHING. Even if that medicine doesn't solve our problems.

The swim center gets the memorial coliseum issue off the back, temporarily, but doesn't solve our cancer.

We incorrectly want the coliseum issue to solve this long list: Economic Growth, Gaining jobs, Drastic rises in tourism, improving quality of life, attracting white collar population and a retiree population, and to fix downtown.

The coliseum is ONE project...it's not THE project.

People keep saying this council was elected as a pro-growth council and their actions with the coliseum (not pursuing brass, etc) has not been indicative of lack of growth-mindedness. The problem with that argument is that it's speculative and rewards short term progress over long term progress. It assumes that council can, in 8 months, create a growth plan.

Now, they do need a growth plan. If we as a city are here and want to get there, whatever THERE is, then a plan must be in place to get there. I don't think there's that plan and that disturbs me. Rather we're short term goal oriented and we've allowed it, with the Memorial Coliseum issue get us to a place where we could potentially be cutting our throats.

Fixing the memorial coliseum is a short term goal with so much fury in it that we've landed on AN solution rather than THE solution. The National Swim Center gets us to that short term goal: "Look, everyone. We made a decision. You can get off our backs now about the Memorial Coliseum now. Swim Center for Everyone. Yayy!"

It's not THE solution. Hear me: City Council is poised (if they have the vision and fortitude) to create the CC of the future beginning this January 12--one that every citizen can be proud of and every visiting tourist will spread the word about. This is the most important city council meeting in years \.

How do you fix downtown? According to the experts we need residents. Downtown begins to thrive and develop by getting residents nearby.

How do we do that? The swim center doesn't do it.

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If the Memorial Coliseum is demolished, an amazing, world-class Memorial needs to go up there or nearby. Look at what real memorials look like around the country. The Coliseum is such a 'big issue', but we're not thinking big enough. Saying Memorial Coliseum is a fitting memorial is short changing those we want to memorialize.

lso:
http://www.caller.com/news/2009/dec/18/petition-to-save-memorial-coliseum-fails/
Madrigal’s request for a recount is for the 9,040 signatures he turned in Nov. 17. The city verified 3,402 of the signatures as belonging to registered voters in Corpus Christi. Madrigal had needed at least 7,362, a number that represents 5 percent of registered voters and is required to put an issue on the ballot.

SHOW NOTES - 12/12/09 - MAINTENANCE

A couple of weeks I suggested that CCISD'S boundary changes were a very short term fix for a problem that leaps out of existing issues:

--a) short term solutions taking precedence over long term strategy (the creation of a bayfront master plan is good enough; don't bother executing that master plan) and the current population paying for the sins of the past
--b) the quick acceptance of limitations (no new school--it's simply not an option)
--c) the failure to budget maintentance (see the condition of our parks, the coliseum, weed-grown medians and ditches, etc.)

You can read the whole blog here.

CCISD, among other issues, has a maintenance issue. It seems that taking care of the facilities is an afterthought--a squeaky wheel problem. Doesn't the Memorial Coliseum issue boil down to being a maintenance issue, too? How does a structure so prominent on the most important street in town become so run down? The Memorial Coliseum didn't grow up out of the ground like a pimple that we suddenly needed to pay attention too.

News flash: New buildings and facilities will need a new roof, have its lawn cut and watered, need an occasional sheetrock repair, and a new coat of paint someday.

Without all of that, any city facility will be at the same level of disrepair as the Memorial Coliseum. But surely after living through the Memorial Coliseum issue we would never make the same mistake again, right?

I remember being part of Leadership Corpus Christi Class #XXXIII. (LCC is a great program that you should apply for click.) Every class must complete a class project that the class chooses. Our class chose to erect a monument to those who fought and continue to serve in the Global War on Terrorism

Here it is in the context of Sherrill Park (which prior to LCC, I really had no knowledge of)

The point of showing you this, besides confirming how incredible I am, is to tell the story of why it isn't more. Our class originally wanted to erect the same thing with a base that allowed the globe to 'float' on a current of water and spin. Maybe you've seen them at Disney, etc. We, most likely, could have raised the funds to create that element, but the agreement with CC Parks and Rec was that we provide the structure and they'd maintain. They couldn't afford to maintain it given that water elements in our area have many hidden maintenance costs -- CC is the most corrosive outdoor environment in the country.

So we didn't do it. We had the foresight to sacrifice end result for long term maintenance. Man, that water element would have been cool.

So why was a committee of 30 city gov't novices able to grasp this concept? Surely those 'in charge' would never DUPLICATE THE COLISEUM issue? Well, they tried to. Who knows the intricate maneuvers of the newer ABC center and the city? It's admittedly difficult to get your mind around. But this article in the caller suggests that we are working as hard as we can to shoot ourselves in the foot one more time.

City Considers American Bank Center Repair Fund

Read the whole article so as not to take anything I excerpt out of context.

“A building gets 5 years old, and things start needing to be repaired,” he said.
“What we don’t want is to have a facility that deteriorates.”

Uh...yeah!

The arena opened five years ago and warranties on different building parts are
expiring, Assistant City Manager Margie Rose said.

Novel concept. These warranty expirations weren't surprises, surely.

The only solution I can think of is to begin admitting defeat. We are simply a 4A town and we can't afford cool new stuff.

If someone at CCISD or the city would say out loud "We can't have XX because we simply can't afford it" rather than maneuver funds to create things we can't long term maintain, then perhaps that would jump start a real dialouge about the deeply rooted aspects of this city that are retarding progress. That are keeping us back in a way that all of those cities we can never admit that WE ARE JEALOUS OF have thrown off.

Our median income isn't high enough to attract real quality of life elements and growth industry? Let's say it out loud, and get the best minds in the city on those issues and solve them.

THE FLEETING PERFECTION OF 'WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?'

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I DVR Saturday Night Live every week. My eventual replay is heavily fast forwarded for all the usual reasons: the sketch drags past the expiration of the funny, the sketch was a great idea poorly executed, or the sketch flat out isn't funny.

I keep recording it because usually, and maybe only once per show, something is very funny. A betting man would play the odds that one funny pit is the SNL Digital Short (examples below). If you're lucky enough to see a Dick in a Box or an I'm on a Boat on the first airing, there's a sense of ownership, and, let's be honest, it's fun to teach others about these phenoms rather than being the student.

The flavor of the month in my world is a beautiful symphony of the absurd: What's Up With That.

The first of two installments of this Kenan Thompson-starring sketch aired Oct, 17, 2009, with the very unfunny Gerard Butler guesting:



I remember seeing this on my DVR rewatch of SNL and laughing (mostly at Jason Sudekis's dancing in the background), but it didn't raise much interest.

Then two Saturdays ago they did it again:



The sketch is so absurd and filled with detail that it simply takes a repeated viewing. In fact, I dare you to watch these a couple of times in a row and NOT have it infect you.

I'm in love with it. I sing 'Oooooooooo...weeeeeeeeee' and 'What's up with that?' at every opportunity--both appropriate and inappropriate. Do you realize how often in a day you could say 'What's up with that?'

WUWT is at a great place. It's about to launch virally and there are only two available to watch. What SNL will do now is ruin it. Like many of their sketches there's a very limited place to take the concept. Rather, they just duplicate it to diminishing returns. See The Barry Gibb Talk Show below. It was funny once, kind of funny twice, painful the third time.

A similarly-typed sketch was Tracy Morgan's Brian Fellows. The sketch has the same skeleton every time. In that case it was the over-produced intro, Tracy Morgan yelling "I'm Brian Fellows" again and again, the guest host of the week highlighting an animal that offends Fellows, and a subsequent dream sequence with that animal. Always the same. The opportunity for anything new came with how outlandish the relationship was with that week's animal. With nothing new, it got boring fast. "I'm Brian Fellows" as a catch phrase is no "We're two wild and crazy guys."

Same with What's up With That?. It's not rocket science. Every future occurence of the sketch will have:

• Kenan singing the same intro song
• A three guest panel (guest #1 speaks, guest #2 is a random celebrity, guest #3 is Lindsey Buckingham--a fantastically absurd choice for a bumpable celeb
• Guest #1's comments get sung back to them and ultimately interrupted by Kenan's need to stand up and sing
• The weekly guest host is a quirky (unfunny) walk-on guest
• A cast member makes an appearance as a dancing D-list celebrity
• Jason Sudekis dances <--again, the best part
• Guest #1 acts confused
• The show has run out of time and guest #2 and Lindsey Buckingham are bumped

Where can they take this? See again, The Barry Gibb Talk Show.

Right now, it's perfect, so enjoy the right now. Ooooooooh Weeeeeeee...What's up with That?

Dear Sister


Two Worlds Collide aka Hangin' like my nuts.


The unfunny installment of The Barry Gibb Talk Show

THE BEST FILMS OF THE DECADE; I HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM

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Skip Joe's nonsense and get straight to the list.

I've been putting it off long enough: It's time to discuss my movie spreadsheet.

I've mentioned my movie spreadsheet on the radio show and on the podcast a few times, but they've only been fleeting comments. You know I love and live movies. That's no secret, but it's way past time to come completely clean: this part of my life is flamboyantly OCD and quickly confirms that when it comes to movies, I have serious problems.

To admit it is freeing: I have a movie spreadsheet. It's the first thing I moved over to the new laptop. If spreadsheets could be saved from a burning home I'd dive in Backdraft-style to save my spreadsheet's life (provided my family was out, of course). My movie spreadsheet probably needs a name. (email me here to suggest one)

From the moment I got my hands on the ability to spreadsheet--which would have been around '96 when I bought myself my first computer (a mac powerbook) with my first credit card (Best Buy)--I was cataloging my movie going. That first go 'round, I made a simple list of the movies I saw that year using whatever the Excelish program was at the time. At the end of the year, I probably ranked them to create a top ten. Nothing too weird.

The new year began and I repeated that process until, after a couple of years, I'd added a column here and a column there.

13 years later, It's evolved into nonsense....delicious, anal retentive nonsense.

My movie spreasheet lives in Excel and the worksheet tabs are full calendar years in descending order from left to right. Months before 2010 was here, the 2010 worksheet was filled with titles of films expected to open in 2010 in anticipation of my eyes laying upon them.

Here's each year's layout, from left to right:

It begins with all the movies I've seen during the year in descending order of preference. Ideally, the year end top ten creates itself since my favorite sits at the top with #2 below it, etc. (at the time of this writing Inglorious Basterds sits at the top, but I can't decide if it deserves it or not--in a few weeks I'll reveal my top ten of 2009 and you'll see where it landed).

Next to each film title is a 'T' for theater or 'V' for DVD. That data is fed into a ratio. At this writing, 73% of the 2009 release films I've seen were in the theater.

Then, every movie currently in theaters is listed in descending order of preference. At this time, the movie in theaters I want to see most is Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. It is in red text because it's not in Corpus Christi.

Under the 'in theater' section is every movie that I know of coming out between today and Dec. 31 in chronological order.

Then, movies I missed in the theater that I want to catch on DVD are listed in descending order of preference. The movie at the top of the list is on the top of my Netflix queue. Eventually this list gets to the point of abandonment.

Then, the final list is movies from this year that I never want to see in no order at all. Sorting alphabetically the first five are: 12 Rounds, Bandslam, Carriers, The
Collector, and Confessions of a Shopaholic.

I've got a serious problem. I've done this all the way back to 1990.

So when Ethan and I decided to rank the best films of the 2000s on The Movie Hour Podcast I knew I'd have no problems because I already had the films ranked in descending order year to year. I'd just cut and paste the tops of each year together and rerank and voila.

I have serious problems. I cut and pasted the top 20 films from each year into one list and began comparing film to film in pairs. My favorite of the two gets a value of one, the other a 2. I then created an average of each film's value. So after one round the averages were either 1 or 2. Resort, repeat. Trends start to occur. Films having more 1's than 2's go to the top of the list. Films with more 2's go to the bottom of the list. At the end of the process, one film will have all 1's and be #1, etc. I have serious problems.

At the end of the day the order is more or less correct. I'd say #1-#3 are concrete, but you could easily swap a few. The film at #11 or #12 could just as well be #8 or #10.

AND AFTER MANY DRAFTS AND HAND-WRINING DOUBLE THINKING, IT ALL CAME DOWN TO THIS:

#10. Moulin Rouge!, 2001

The early 00s saw a string of the movie musicals. Chicago won the Academy Award for best picture a year or two later without deserving it and, I believe, as a delayed 'oops' for MR not getting more attention. The forbidden love story is a wonderful skeleton to hang the delightfully manic meat of this film: the retreads of 80s pop songs, the go-for-it-all character commitment of everyone with extra kudos to Jim Broadbent, John Lequizamo and Richard Roxburgh and the lush, overrich art direction to name a few. When no one's looking I'll throw The Elephant Love Song Medly into my iTunes DJ a few times. MR is very much deserving of the excalmation point in the title.

#9. The Incredibles, 2004

We're going to quickly see a trend here with the themes of meeting (or failing to meet) your potential and coming of age. I'm a sucker for both. Young Dash running into and over the water as he is allowed to fully flex his muscles, and the in-awe-with-himself giggle he can't help but let go defines the viewers reaction to this whole film. The Incredibles is Pixar's best film since the Toy Storys with flawless voice work, animation, and what continues to set Pixar apart: story. Not a fart joke or clever timely pop culture reference in sight--just smart animated filmmaking for adults and children alike.

#8. Y tu Mama Tambien, 2002

Coming of age again, and the confusion young adults can feel about themselves and each other when they dabble in sticky sexual situations best left to adult professionals. Youth is fearless and brash which doesn't go hand in hand well with immature and stupid. Having everything to prove to themselves and one another, two young men are ill-equipped to deal with the journey they throw themselves into. A great import (the only one on my list) and the birth of Cuaron, Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal as someone to pay attention to.

#7. Almost Famous, 2000

Coming of age, anyone? If my wife were making this list, AF would be at the top of her list. She loves it which means I watch it a lot. It's one of those of films that we pop in once every 6 weeks while we clean house, pausing at the TV at key scenes. This is my favorite Crowe film. I'll say it. Take that Maguire and Say Anything. Fish out of water never felt so sweet as Crowe creates his unique biography--writing as a minor for Rolling Stone with the best bands in the world. To good to be complete fiction. Kate Hudson's only good film performance.

#6. Before Sunset, 2004

Love lost with an ample dose of regret delivered in real time on the streets of Paris. Nothing really to say. If you've seen it you love it or don't and I don't feel like convincing the latter why their wrong. Beautiful film.

To hear #5-#1, tune into Episode 35 of The Movie Hour.

My movie spreadsheet's out...I feel a burden's been lifted. A new me arises.

Now, what's coming out in 2010?

SHOW NOTES - 12/5/09 - SNOW: THE OTHER FOUR LETTER WORD

IN PROGRESS - DON'T QUOTE ME, BOY! I AIN'T SAID SH---ER...SNOW

:15 break come back:


If you're reading this near show time, I apologize. I'm out of time and this IS NOT fully fleshed out. Drought, rain, snow....it all makes sense, but sadly made sense Saturday morning early when kids were stirring and strawberries needed to be rinsed and washed for them. Expect my world class thesis on how to get snow soon.

The media owns us and proved it by whispering a four letter word late Thursday.

We want things as a society. We require them. Overall, we need the basics and those don't shift from place to place: your food, your shelter, your clothing ('the boring three'). From place to place, though, some items on the menu may change. We live in CC. We know that means that 11 months out of the year we're going to fry, sweat and melt. We know it, we deal with it. Some of us love it.

But when you fry 11 months a year the idea that change can come gets a little intoxicating. Cold? That could actually happen? I think we had some cold a year ago didn't we? I recall that there was a magical snow a few years ago, right? Did that happen?

The media, sensing our overall malaise and hearing the 10,000th citizen invent the classic, "90 degrees on Thanksgiving!...who would have thought?", says and prints a four letter word. A four letter word, when uttered in a temprate climate, is more damaging that starts with f or d...I'm talking the 's word': snow.

And they don't have to yell it. Just whisper it into our ears: snow.

It started with this caller.com whisper: Snow in Corpus Christi? (since the lack of snow it appears this headline has actually been changed to: Light snow in forecast for Friday, hard freeze for some areas Saturday

And that's all it took for everyone to GO ABSOLUTELY CRAZY.

In this case we went from it may snow to we will be skiing on the 'hills' of SPID in about 3 hours. I heard it happen at work, in different Stripes around town, on sales calls. 'It may snow' became 'ready for the blizzard' in about 6 hours.

If you are a social media user then you saw it with posts like:

"Is that snow?" "What is sleet" "I've got snow here!!!" "A flake landed on my jacket" "I just stripped down nude and rolled around in the mud because I saw some sleet"

Mine:
"this just in: single snowflake sighted in cc, population's collective head explodes in hysteria followed by post-apocalyptic looting and cannibalism"

And finally, the admission that all was hype at Caller.com: It snowed in Corpus Christi, whether you saw it or not:

You probably saw sleet Friday morning in Corpus Christi.

Believe it or not, it also snowed, weather officials said. It wasn’t very much, just a trace.

After a wintry mix with near freezing temperatures hit the Coastal Bend and the state, local school districts sent students home early, flights were canceled at Corpus Christi International Airport and events Saturday were called off.

Only trace amounts of snow accumulated in parts of Bee, Calhoun, Goliad, Jim Wells, Kleberg, Live Oak, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio and Victoria counties, where the National Weather Service said up to 3 inches were possible Friday.

The media and media savvy people can certainly play us by knowing what we want and giving us hope that we're going to get it. Smart people realize that if you want something you've got to a) go out and get it or b) if it's something that's somewhat out of your control, you've got to set up the conditions that make the thing you're after most likely to occur.

Bill Vessey, though, had nothing to do with it. I don't normally watch channel 3. I'm a channel 6 man. Since weather is so important to my real job, though, I tivo'd 3 and 6. Bill Vessey, who moves around too much when he talks in front of the map...especially his hands...explained in great detail that we weren't getting snow: snow requires this temperature at this height, precipiation that does this or that, then you need this temperature at ground level..etc...i got lost in the middle of it.

We as a community want snowth. We crave it. People that think see the writing on the wall: without snowth this city is going to die. But, we need to get serious about it and realize there are ways to make it snow and then things that make us feel good about snowth but don't get us closer to any real snowth. To get snowth you can't dream it, you can't hype it, you can't wish really hard. The caller times can't create it by writing headlines about it. I can't create a facebook page and get snow or create a committee and talk about snow real hard, open the window and believe that it will be there. Snowth comes from elements being set in place at the right time. It's hard to snow in a national-crisis-level economy and criticizing leaders for lack of snowth now and 8 months into terms is irresponsible. That doesn't create snowth. Think Bill Vessey: snow comes when, and only when, the temperatures are this and that up here, this and that on the ground and this happens in between. That happened in 2005 on the magical snow-filled Christmas and was happening in the late 1950s when we were building high schools left and right to accomodate all the snow. It snowed once in CC. That was a magical time. I was glad to be here when it happened and will always cherish that memory.

I want it to snow again, but we can't point to the 2005 Christmas and say that it snows a lot and that it's still snowing. It's time to get temperatures correct in the stratosphere and temperatures correct on the ground. Then and only then, when the rains begin to fall can we PREDICT snow correctly and absolutely.

More soon...very soon.

I needed to address the walk out last week and did so by referring to my blog on it here.

And finally the top 10 flicks of the 2000s. Here's 10-6. Hear 5-1 on The Movie Hour at The Movie Hour.

6. Before Sunset, 2004
7. Almost Famous, 2000
8. Y tu Mama Tambien, 2002
9. The Incredibles, 2004
10. Moulin Rouge, 2001


Misc.: What Waiters Won't Tell You

A RADIO HOST WALKS OFF HIS SHOW...

I'm a levelheaded guy. My closest friends accuse me of having zero temper (as if that's a deficiency). So what got me so disgusted that I walked off the show this past Saturday?

My impassioned Facebook post just minutes after the show got plenty of people asking me "What happened?". My reply was brief and to the point: "What? You weren't listening?" with a furrowed brow. And in case you can't see my brow...the furrow is an indictment.

The show is a destination, and you pay when you don't listen. Guaranteed. "But I was out of town for Thanksgiving!" The new show is more important than Aunt Judy. Thanksgiving is in CC next year or you drive back Friday night or you set up your boombox with a Christmas tree timer. I'd tell you to listen in on your computer, but that's 'too Austin' for our city.

For those of you that were listening (lucky!), it's up to you if you'd like to spread the details. You hold valuable information.

I'm going the archaic route. You snoozed? You losed.

Rather, you can infer plenty by rereading my initial thoughts on the new show here. And to further get you thinking, I'll repost the new rules of the new show (with minor revisions):

A CONSISTENT, DEDICATED PRODUCER
Who is the producer of this show? No one knows yet. Whoever it is, they must commit this one hour to create the most creative, most entertaining talk radio in town. All in!

NO CANNED MUSIC
The music readily available for bumps comes out of a safe, 'classic rock-y' rotation. Joe demands his producer NOT use this rotation. It is boring, antiseptic and does not differentiate the show. All music used on my show will be either a) relevant to the content of the segment or b) something interesting in the alt rock or classic rock vein LYRICS INTACT. Every element of the show must have purpose.

JOE'S ARRAY
I require my own dedicated computer space for sound effects and music. It's time.

And, again, if you weren't listening this Saturday, shame on you. Your penance is to get 5 new people to listen this weekend. Hope that there are screw ups so I can show my closest friends what happens when I demand excellence.

IS CORPUS CHRISTI SIMPLY A 4A TOWN?

THIS ARTICLE IS STILL IN PROGRESS

CAUTION: BELOW, I SPEAK GENERALLY RE: LOCAL GEOGRAPHY AND THE SCHOOL-GOING POPULATION. IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE OR UNDERSTAND THESE FACT-BASED GENERALITIES, PLEASE READ SOMETHING ELSE. ALLOW ME TO SUGGEST THE COMMENT SECTION OF A caller.com ARTICLE ON THE COLISEUM.

Updated 12/16/09: People are finally coming around. Read this article from today's caller.com here.

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Previous caller.com article with map of proposed boundary changes: Here

Tomorrow night, Tues., Dec. 1, the 2nd of 5 meetings to discuss proposed CCISD boundaries occurs at Miller High: CLICK HERE for more info.

Why should you care?

The last high school built for CCISD was in the late 1950s. In 1960, the population of the metro CC area (including Calallen, FB, etc.) was 266K¹ and the largest structure on what we now call "Southside" was the CC Country Club. Big development was between Holly and Saratoga. South of Saratoga and east of Airline didn’t exist.


Fig. 1

What did exist was a much tighter population serviced adequately by 5 high schools. To demonstrate this, I've represented the 1960 population of CC with a circle with the 5 high schools arranged in a smaller circle within (Fig. 1). Take a look at a map and you'll see this illustration is not far from accurate.

Now, 50 years later, the metro population has grown to 380K¹ (metro increase of 114K people), we haven’t built any new high schools, CCISD has no money to build one², and we are faced with the question of how best to utilize what we do have.

Here are the current enrollments at each high school acc’d to CCISD:
Carroll – 2,282; King – 2,424; Ray – 1,825; Moody – 1,812; Miller – 908

I don’t have school capacity stats at this point, but will update this article with them soon.

There’s no huge revelation here: The city is moving south and so are the city’s children. The once circle-shaped city is now an oval. All of the high schools are located left of center, and most of the children live in the center or right of center.

Fig. 2

The schools closest to the kids are Carroll and King and they are, therefore, busting at the seams. No kids live near Miller so it's vacant (now's when you need to reread my caution at the top of this page).

With no money, they say, to build a new high school the task was given to 20 or so citizens, with massive ccisd-funded input, to redraw the lines that feed high schools to evenly redistribute kids into the five existing schools. A second charge was to reinforce the 'vertical paths' of kids--keeping everyone in one elementary school going to the same jr. high and on to the same high school.

Looking at Fig. 2 above it's not difficult to figure out what happened. To get kids into the empty Miller you 'steal' from Moody and Ray. To restock the losses from Miller and Ray you 'steal' from Carroll and King. Then King and Carroll are freed up to take more in from the growing south. What you've effectively done is move all of the boundaries South. In fact to get the numbers at schools as even as possible, you have to place the Ray/King border immediately adjacent to King. Look at the map again. You can literally live two blocks from King but now you're going to Ray.

Issue: when the economy recovers, our local home builders and developers intend on pushing south. One local homebuilder has plans to build over 1500 homes near Cimarron/Yorktown/Rodd Field when these rainy days go away. These homes will be filled, generally, with upstart families with kids. Those kids (those that stay in CCISD) will go to King (where else can they go?). King is already almost full. Oops.

No new high school means that in a few years a new boundary committee will convene TO PUSH THE RAY/KING BOUNDARY EAST OF KING and the MOODY/CARROLL BOUNDARY SOUTH OF CARROLL. Hear me: When this inevitablity occurs, students south and east of King will drive past King to go to school at Ray. Ditto with Carroll to Moody.

Keep in mind that the Boundary Committee was told "Do not make suggestions based on or wrapped around a new high school--there is no money to build one."² They did the best they could given this critical limitation. But the process and the inevitable outcomes are symptomatic of the largest citywide issues:

--a) short term solutions taking precedence over long term strategy (the creation of a bayfront master plan is good enough; don't bother executing that master plan) and the current population paying for the sins of the past
--b) the quick acceptance of limitations (no new school--it's simply not an option)
--c) the failure to budget maintentance (see the condition of our parks, the coliseum, weed-grown medians and ditches, etc.)

and most egregious:

--d) the failure to address the ethnic and socio-economic realities of city shift and sprawl.

CCISD is currently conducting public discussions at all 5 high schools to answer questions and get public feedback. At the first one at Carroll, 5 people showed up.³ The short term outcry seems to be small--a few families (relatively) will go to a different school next year. The long term lack of a real solution to our problem remains to be addressed.

ps. I served on the boundary committee.

¹http://www.censusscope.org/us/s48/m1880/chart_popl.html
² "Elliff said the only instructions to committee members were that they not center their plans on the possibility of a new high school, because the funding was not available." from http://www.caller.com/news/2009/nov/09/ccisd-considers-changing-high-school-attendance/
³http://www.caller.com/news/2009/nov/19/school-boundaries-meeting-draws-small-crowd/

ITUNES GETS PLAYED

I'm an iTunes user. I'm sure you are too. It's holds my music library, I make playlists (such as 'Workout'), and it's where I've subscribed to many film podcasts including my own, The Movie Hour with Joe and Ethan.

And you can too by clicking here:


My home desktop iTunes updates my iPod but that's the family shared with computer so you're likely to find the theme to Spongebob Squarepants in that library. My work computer iTunes library is very random because that is where I, up until recently, would download everything for the show including all the past Ultimate Music Masters and music for Halloween, Christmas and Oscar shows.

I recently got a new laptop and requested that it come iTunes-ed up. Now I have my OWN iTunes...it's all mine. I brought over everything from the house, removed all of the Spongebob, Miley and Weird Al and am sculpting and forming the perfect library.

Music has always been important to me and important to the show. One new, published, stated rule for the 'New Show' is to keep all music purposeful. No canned music off of some antiseptic database. I'd like to start playing the top five songs of the week and commenting from time to time and talk about new music I've discovered or am enjoying.

iTunes has a field that shows you how many times each song has been played. If you descend by this field you see the songs in descending order with the top one being the song you've listened to the most. At the office that song is Oasis, Don't Look Back in Anger.

Great Jam!

So with a new laptop and a clear, no-nonsense iTunes play count, what will leap to #1? Last night I found myself in the kitchen with the iTunes DJ playing some random jams while dancing with my daughter. Rock With You by Michael Jackson came on (I downloaded some stuff at his death) and we pressed repeat a few times...which knocked it up to 4 listens...and puts it at the top of the list.

Michael Jackson - Rock with you
Uploaded by Discodandan. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

(#2: Heroes by David Bowie).

So expect to hear all about it on the show.

What's your most listened to jam on iTunes?

JOE'S THEME SONGS - A RETROSPECTIVE

The radio show has had three official theme songs. Scroll down to hear them.

On the Nov. 21 show, I launched a new theme song: 'Won't Get Fooled Again' by The Who. We'll be editing it up to highlight Roger Daltrey's signature scream. The new theme song edit will have the KEYS slick radio voice guy talking up to the scream, but this can't happen until I name the new show--which I'm in no hurry to do.

When the three-hour KEYS Weekend Magazine first began, John Gifford picked the theme song (that I had no argument with), 'In My Place' by Coldplay. I've discussed how I like Coldplay no matter what Paul Rudd says.

After a while, though, hearing it week after week I had a creeping nag. I just began to think it was too slow a start so I eventually changed it to 'Regret' by New Order. I drive around all day and at the time was listening to my ipod a lot. There are many philosophies on ipod habits, but I'm a shuffle guy. I listen to my ipod on shuffle 95% of the time. As my creeping nag evolved my casual desire to change the theme song kicked in by me listening to every song's intro. Regret worked and I was more than glad to highlight New Order. I've been a New Order fan since 9th grade. When I got my first CD player, a Technic rack system complete with turntable, my parents said they'd buy me one CD. I scammed them and got the New Order Substance double disc set. A couple of years ago in one go-nowhere spark of on-air genius, I started a weekly 'Identify the New Order Song' game where the producer would play an unannounced classic New Order song prompting callers to call in and win stuff. This didn't last long because the producer's never played the songs and I evenutally forgot about it.

New show means new theme song. I like the scream--that's the only reason I picked it. Since then I've been reminded that it's one of the CSI themes. Oops.


THE NEW THEME SONG
'WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN,' THE WHO - 11/09-?


'REGRET,' NEW ORDER - 10/07-11/09


'IN MY PLACE,' COLDPLAY - 10/05-10/07

I'M 'SCHIZOPHRENIC'! AGREED

During the KEYS format blackout there was a lot of speculation about Eric, the station, General Manager Randy Brown's agenda, etc.

And a tiny bit of speculation about me. You can always depend on the crazies at caller.com to provide wildly nonsensical speculation about all things they don't know about and the KEYS shake up was no exception.

One poster wrote a book about the changes at KEYS. His speculation was that since I was quoted in a story, I obviously would be around for something. His thought was that if Eric moved to the morning, I would take a daily 5PM slot for one hour. What would that look like? This commentor is obviously a big time listener to both talk radio stations as evidenced by his/her knowledge of all the players and the depths to which (s)he had details about each show. Here's what (s)he had to say:

Hilliard in the afternoon.
Currently Joe Hilliard has a one hour program on Saturday that is very difficult to describe. He tends to talk stream of consciousness, weaving in-and-out of events going on around town. He’s as likely to talk about illiteracy in the Coastal Bend as he is to discuss where to find the best breakfast taco. Every few weeks he conducts ‘on the lighter side’ interviews with big name local guests. He never talks partisan, national politics and, to my knowledge, has never revealed his political affiliation. In the rare occasion that he talks local issues, he is very passionate with a clear opinion and is sometimes more engaging than Von Wade or [Zzzzzz] who are much more passive. On the Saturday following the council vote to end negotiations with Brass, Hilliard’s hour on the Memorial Coliseum was more informative and engaging than anything I’ve heard the other three local hosts say on the subject.
If he is moving to weekdays at 5PM for an hour-long lead in to Savage, his show could work with some changes.

Hilliard’s strengths are the entertainment value of his program, his non-partisanship, his ability to get interviews with almost anyone locally—including guests I don’t hear on Von Wade or [Zzzzzz]—and his knowledge of the arts and culture scene.

Hilliard’s weaknesses are 1) his non-partisanship. I believe he can get honest interviews with newsmakers because he doesn’t seem to push a political agenda in those interviews, but some listeners may not enjoy ‘equal time’ for non-conservatives. He allows them to be themselves and off guard. Local talk radio listeners like their hosts ultra-conservative and Hilliard doesn’t play that card.

2) Schizophrenic content. Being a Hilliard listener requires patience because you never know what you’re going to get on any given Saturday. You might hear a show about downtown development; you might hear an hour long rock trivia contest; you might hear Henry Garrett talking about motorcycling across America. Many people may prefer to know, generally, what they can expect before the show begins. To succeed in the afternoon, Hilliard must define his show more clearly which he may be unwilling or unable to do.

3) Lack of name recognition. Even though he puts on a entertaining show, the Saturday time slot hasn’t made him the household name that [Zzzzzz] is.

I can't argue with much of any of this. The show has always been contrary to the unwritten rules of talk radio--especially conservative talk radio. I'm not a conservative talk radio host and I've never wished to talk politics at a national level. Know your wheelhouse--national politics is not mine. When I talk local goings-on--and expect more of that by the way--partisan politics doesn't factor into it. At least not the issues I discuss. It doesn't matter who you vote for for president to know what to do with the coliseum or to discuss CC's brain drain.

The show is a nice show and that is why we can get guests--we're nice. And the guests typically have fun if they allow themselves to.

I might adopt the phrase Schizophrenic Content. It's fair and funny assessment. I believe, though, that the show will come into focus a little more and that that's overdue. It's been tough figuring out what to do with one hour after having the luxury of three hours. With three hours you could relax and have fun. One hour requires focus and, admittedly, that's been lacking.

I don't have it all figured out, but I'm getting closer.

The "NEW" Show

After much speculation, I still have my show on 1440 KEYS! Two Mondays ago, 1440 KEYS revealed their new line up: Eric Von Wade moves to weekday mornings and some great, popular shows are added to the rotation including The Dennis Miller Show.

So the show's still on in the same time slot.

There are now 3 english local talkers on air: Me, Eric and Zzzzzz. So I take it seriously that I'm still on air.

I'm rededicated to quality and entertainment and am pushing for more promos and ways to grow the audience.

Here are my first thoughts at a few new guidelines or rules for the "New" hour.

A CONSISTENT PRODUCER
Who is the producer of this show? No one knows yet. Whoever it is, they can't screw around on the computer while I'm creating comedy gold. All in!

NO CANNED MUSIC
KEYS producers have sophisticated touch screen computers that run a programmed log. All programming is mapped out chronologically with the commercials and bumps (music leading in and out of breaks) preprogrammed. The music comes out of a safe, 'classic rock-y' rotation. Joe demands his producer NOT use this rotation. It is boring, antiseptic and does not differentiate the show. All music used on my show will be either a) relevant to the content of the segment or b) something interesting in the alt rock or classic rock vein. I gave the example of David Bowie's 'Changes' given the content of the show but would have accepted Dylan's 'The Times (They are A'changin) or The Byrd's 'Turn Turn Turn'.

SOUND EFFECTS PAGE
I want more interactive sound effects on the show and unveiled an example while discussing a talk radio host on another station. Saying this person's name would be unnecessary advertising for that person so this person's name will be replaced by a snore sound effect (or in print: Zzzzzz). Hilarious. My vision is to incorporate quotes from local city leaders and celebrities into the show.

There's a new theme song and a new website: www.joehilliard.com

More talk on changes soon.

The Next Memorial Coliseum Plan

On the show this past Saturday, I mentioned that I had a new plan for the Memorial Coliseum, but ran out of time before I could go into it...or did I?

Brass is dead. Energies toward getting Brass back on the table are a waste of time. Energies should go into a plan that is 1) economically feasable, 2) a proper use of this public land, 3) properly honoring the veterans that Memorial Coliseum was built to honor, 4) is a tourist/local attraction, and 5) promotes growth in the area and citywide.

Councilman Mark Scott is floating a plan that I'm, at this time in it's inital stages, am on board with. Below is a simple text outline of it from Mark Scott, but it won't read well without the following visual aid.

Here are some pictures of the new Discovery Green Park in downtown Houston, TX. You can not understand the weight of this proposal until you go to the website for Discover Green Park and explore it fully HERE. This is not just a park. Go to that website and imagine something as dramatic on our bayfront.

The park to be modeled has:

•a one-acre lake
•a children's playground
•interactive water features
•an amphitheater stage and slope
•dog runs for large and small breeds
•public art works
•spacious green lawns
•and great restaurants

The plan would be to tear down the coliseum and put in the most amazing urban green space you could ever imagine that is controlled in part by a private group (and not the city). One centerpiece would gbe the most amazing outdoor WWII Veteran's Memorial you can possibly imagine to PROPERLY COMMEMORATE OUR VETERANS.

Read on from Mark Scott:

Proposal: Making Lemonade out of Lemons

In its simplest terms, I propose we tear down the coliseum and get on with our lives. However, I would like to propose a concept for an urban park experience, incentivize private development (on private land) and create a truly unique memorial to our veterans.

The general goal will be to create a unique urban park destination, (I propose “Memorial Park”) with a significant Memorial feature, while taking the basket of incentives we were proposing to use with the Brass project and offer them to any land owner in that area of downtown. In the end, we would have a great urban park, similar to the Discovery Green Park in downtown Houston, and leverage it along with incentives to stimulate private development in that area.

As such, I propose we move forward with:

1) Remove Memorial Coliseum – I am going to request that we task the City Manager with setting out the necessary steps to demolish the building. I am assuming there are several steps that need to occur whether you renovate or remove the building such as an Asbestos Report (necessary for either renovating or demolishing). I understand that we will visit with the National Swim Center group, but want to move both conversations along a parallel track so that time is not lost.
2) Create a Park Conservancy – This Conservancy would consist of private sector individuals (again similar to the Discovery Green project) and be tasked with coordinating the park design and fundraising for its completion. I see the Conservancy managing the park once completed.

I also see the park effort as a public/private venture that would include the City of Corpus Christi, the Downtown Management District and the Memorial Park Conservancy. The park land would include several pad sites for restaurants and retail shops. Again, I propose using the Discovery Park concept in Houston as our guide on this initiative.

3) Engage the Mayors Committee on Veterans Affairs as well as other veteran organizations to work with the Conservancy/City in developing a truly unique and regionally (if not nationally) recognizable memorial. The Memorial would be incorporated in the Memorial park.

4) Take the “basket of incentives” that we were offering in our most recent RFP and in negotiations with Brass and offer them to the private land owners in that area of downtown. Let’s work to leverage this park and incentives to create the development we are working so hard to gain.

The goal various groups have been working for include maintaining public space, recognizing the Memorial dedicated years ago, and stimulating development. The Memorial Park concept can achieve these goals, probably with the least amount of controversy and public outcry.

10/31/09 - Trick or Treat: The Memorial Coliseum

First up: The Rockport Film Festival NEXT Weekend: Click HERE for info

The Coliseum...A Memorial...The Swim Center...The Difference Between an Agreement to Negotiate and the End of a Negotiation...Are people mad about Brass not being 'the one' or that another one (anyone) is gone? And of course, NOW WHAT?

Earlier this week, City Council voted to end negotiations with BRASS, a business who had a plan to create a $90M Bayfront renovation complete with a hotel, an apartment, a movie theater and retail space.

The vote was 3-4 to end the negotiations. Caller article here

Council members Chris Adler, Nelda Martinez, John Marez and Mark Scott voted to end the negotiations. Council members Kevin Kieschnick, Larry Elizondo and Priscilla Leal voted against ending the negotiations.

Brent Chesney abstained from previous coliseum discussions because of his partial ownership of the IceRays

Mayor Joe Adame decided to abstain from discussions because he owns property nearby.

Mayor Adame set October 27 as the deadline for a coliseum decision shortly after he took office in May.

On October 27, the deadline, a vote was called to continue negotiations. When those negotiations ended Tuesday several things happened.

1) Chesney lifted his cone of silence and came out blazing saying that the deadline was unreasonable and that this size of deal would always have taken longer than the Oct. 27 date--that those who voted to end negotiations treated BRASS unfairly and that a mutually advantageous deal would have been struck with more time.

2) Mayor Adame, seemingly unhappy with the vote, asked for a legal opinion from former city attorney Jimmy Bray, which will say if Adame indeed has a legal conflict preventing him from voting on the issue.

3) The city has begun sharpening their knives and pitchforks and buying up all the torches in the area. Academy reports that even their citronella tiki torches have sold out for a yet to be determined future riot on city hall. This effort is being led most vocally--the guys getting the most media time--by a Facebook group called "GROW! CORPUS CHRISTI ... We support the Brass Real Estate Coliseum redevelopment!" - Find it here. In a few days they've grown from one person to just under 1700.

4) Rey Madrigal, a local veteran is getting major press in leading a petition effort to save the coliseum, is in attendance at the meeting. Remember that Joe McComb unsuccessfully led a petition effort to get the coliseum. He said in the Caller Times, "I believe that Memorial Coliseum should be restored back to its original form"

5) I've heard for the first time in all this that their may be an actual cloud on title issue for the coliseum land mandating that the land is to be used for nothing but park space IN PERPETUITY
6) Everyone begins asking what is next?

Before I go there let's talk about the current climate.

We don't know much. What we do know--Chesney's very vocal opinion and a few snippets from Mark Scott in local news outlets--needs to be put through a spin filter (as usual...no offense to those two gentlemen).

We know that an angry, frustrated, community feels that city government isn't working our city.

Consider this:

1) Very few people truly care what happens to The Memorial Coliseum...as long as SOMETHING happens. And through this correct process with a 'new' council: an RFP, public presentations, selecting a potential partner, and closed door communications, here we are again.

That we're 'here' again is the point of frustration. The coliseum isn't the issue. The issue is the inability for CC to grow, to progress, to become a place proud to live that attracts young people from elsewhere, and keeps young people here.

This city is dying. We can not keep our kids here and we can't attract young people down (speaking generally...one can always point to the few exceptions) and that declaration comes from the city's biggest optimist.

And city leaders, hear me: People aren't mad that BRASS isn't the one. They're mad because, again, another opportunity is lost.

Now we can't discount that this opportunity may not have been good for the city long or short term

So let's look at our now what options:

a) Reconsider BRASS. A winning vote member (Chris Adler, Nelda Martinez, John Marez and Mark Scott) from the decision to end negotiations has to call for a new vote and then there has to be a majority vote the other way. Chesney can't vote. Adame won't (and probably can't) vote. So will the original three that voted to continue negotiations (Kevin Kieschnick, Larry Elizondo and Priscilla Leal) still vote that way (At least a couple won't) AND will another of the 'winning' four change their vote? No.

b) Go back to the other organizations who participated in the RFP
i) namely the Swim Center

c) submit a new RFP for a whole new slew of proposals
this would satisfy Tim Lange, owner of the hockey team, who said in a Caller article today that if Brass is out he would like to make the coliseum the home of the IceRays once again. Today's Article

d) Do nothing...let it continue the building rot

e) Renovate to it's original form a la the current petition

e) Tear it down

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The Joe Now What Plan

Step One: Clear the title issue. Can you have any for profit businesses on the land? According to a document I've seen no you may not.

Step Two: ALL THE CARDS ON THE TABLE. How can anyone say they're pro BRASS or the pro BRASS deal on 10/31/09 with no facts about the closed door negotiations? Why did the four vote against continuing negotiations. We need to know. That silence when Chesney is being so vocal leads to premature distrust. Perhaps tomorrow's Caller article will shed light on the issue and perhaps that's what 'the four' are waiting on.

Step Three: Avoid the swim center

Step Four: present an alternative plan.

And here it is:

Coming Soon

Show Notes 10/10/09 - Alamo Drafthouse Coming to CC

The Alamo Drafthouse is coming to CC.

Caller article: Here

The Alamo Drafthouse and Triple Tap Ventures have announced that they are expanding the Alamo Drafthouse franchise to 7 TX cities including CC. Website: http://www.drafthouse.com/.

What is it?
Will it work?
Why or Why Not?

Alamo Drafthouse Wikipedia link: here

This allows us to discuss the current state of filmgoing in CC, elsewhere.

The Arclight in LA:

Press Release:

Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, the nation’s oldest cinema-eatery concept showing first-run films, has recently signed an agreement to convert two existing company-run facilities into franchisee-owned properties and develop at least seven new locations throughout Texas. This announcement comes on the heels of Alamo’s most successful year in its 12-year history.

Triple Tap Ventures LLC has acquired two existing company-owned Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas in the Houston metropolitan area, which were just named “Best Movie Theater with Dinner” by the Houston Press. Triple Tap has plans to construct new properties in the Houston market as well as Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa and San Marcos. John Martin, president and CEO of Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, says the company is also looking to expand into the Dallas market as well as on the East and West Coasts.

The principals of Triple Tap – Norman Abdallah and Neil Billingsley-Michaelsen – bring more than 40 years of restaurant, franchise, corporate finance, management, entertainment and concept development experience between them. Abdallah is currently the CEO and president of Restaurants Unlimited Inc., a Sun Capital Partners portfolio company. Abdallah is also the co-founder of Fired Up Inc., parent of Carino’s Italian where he served as CEO for 11 years, and previously headed the worldwide franchise system for Brinker International with brands such as Chili’s Grill & Bar, Macaroni Grill and On the Border. His business partner, Billingsley-Michaelsen, brings a wealth of corporate finance and management experience covering a wide range of industries. His positions include senior executive and partner-level positions with TM Capital Corp., APS Financial Corporation and International Development Management, a real estate development and investment firm.

“Norman and Neil are the ideal Alamo franchisees and will play an integral role in the brand’s expansion,” said Martin. “Their backgrounds make them the perfect fit for this concept – they’re like a dream team, really – and we’re looking forward to welcoming them into the Alamo family.”

Abdallah said, “I have been a fan of Alamo Drafthouse for years and feel it is one of the strongest emerging brands in the unique ‘cinema eatery’ segment. Having the opportunity to partner with Neil and leverage his experience, we look forward to building Triple Tap into a solid regional entertainment management and development company.”

Austin, Texas-based Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas is the only franchised movie theater chain and the only franchise concept that offers the unique combination of theater and restaurant, with the best first-run and independent films and other one-of-a-kind special events. Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas currently has seven locations and is opening two more in the fall of 2009. For more information, visit http://www.drafthouse.com/.

Show Notes 9/26/09 - Bayfest; Fright Night Haunted House

Bayfest 2009 - Website

What's Joe's favorite ride at Bayfest, Buc Days, Etc.??

The Zipper:

Fright Night Haunted House - Website