Welcome to the Kingdom: Gas prices have got you down and you've probably cut back on your vacation plans, but this is definitely worth the drive...over The Cliffs. How about a deluxe overnight accommodation at Double Diamond's Resort The Cliffs, overlooking beautiful Possum Kingdom Lake, and two rounds on the championship golf course rated 4 ½ stars by Golf Digest? While there, maybe you could decide to retire, buy a place on the lake and cut down on future drives. Wouldn't that be gem-like? Always right: Fox News political pundit and name dropper Bill O'Reilly and Mr. B shared an early career path. He freelanced movie and entertainment news for The Miami Herald while great writers Dave Barry, Carl Hiaasen, Edna Buchanan and Mr. B worked there. His most memorable movie review was The Right Stuff. And he was at WFAA-TV in Dallas when Blackie Sherrod, Randy Galloway, Bud Kennedy and Mr. B were at The Dallas Morning News. Then O'Reilly's career nose-dived, and now he's slumming, having to give speeches in big-time towns such as Grand Prairie, Texas. Billy boy is there –at Nokia Live -- June 13 and we've got two tickets to the Jim Austin Company suite and a VIP parking pass.

PICTURE OF THE WEEK!         Linda Walker, owner of Roomers Redesign, receives an advertising book from Dale Berkebile of Brandwise during the Small Business Council Breakfast May 21st at the Residence Inn Marriott.     Sponsored by

Ricky Nelson Garden Party: Gal pal Barbara Lewis at the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra is a loyal reader and suggested that if she could win just one Chamber giveaway then she could go to the Harth and get some fabulous tickets for the Concerts in the Gardens series. "No can do, Barbara, it's a blind drawing." But miraculously, she won SIX weeks in a row and so we've got four lawn tickets to each of the following shows: Sunday June 1- Best of the Big Bands; Sunday June 8 - South Austin Jug Bank; Friday June 13 - Fiesta Latina; Saturday June 21 - Mingo Fishtrap; and Sunday June 29 - Red Steagall. When you enter, fill in the subject line of which concert you want to see.


Nut case: It's official; New Year's resolutions finally are canceled. And just in time for this Rhonda Rich, diet-free Round Wicker gift sampler from Ellis Pecan Country Store. The basket includes a pound of chocolate pecans, white chocolate pecans, praline frosted pecans, Hunter's Mix and Texas Deluxe Mix. You'd be nuts not to enter.


Bodyguard: Kevin Costner he's not (he's got the looks, not the money), but Fort Worth policeman Chad Morgan is one of two bodyguards for Mayor Mike Moncrief. Chad says he's not the best bodyguard for 3M. "You'd have better luck getting past me than (wife) Rosie," he said. Chad usually drives the mayor in his Frank Kent Escalade, but when Rosie joins them, Chad is just a back-seat driver.

Popular giveaway: Looking for a promotional item? Reliant Energy's Pat Fulps says compact fluorescent light bulbs are bright stars. Popular go-away… So, Paul Beard is leaving as managing director of Bass Performance Hall in two weeks to head the Pearl Brewery Complex in San Antonio. Cheers, Mr. B will drink to that. Wait! It's not a brewery? Have we been suds-ed and Spur-red? We're ap-Paul-ed, though he will head development of a 22-acre site where "urban living, great food, entertainment and education come together with programming and events focused on the arts, culture and learning." Someone should be throwing a (fake) Beard Day before he gets away.

Not your father's Carter: Western art, new-age technology … the Amon Carter Museum is having success with its MySpace account and Wikipedia sites. Nothing to Sinise about: While Mr. B was doing some David Caruso stunt work during April, he heard about a show called CSI: The Experience, which actually is real and coming to Fort Worth in Fall '09. Partially developed by the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, CSI: The Experience is an immersive, interactive, forensic science exhibit that invites viewers to use real science to solve hypothetical crimes.

Moore security: ASG Security and Clarence Moore are offering a Copper Watcher, which Mr. B was pretty sure was the latest technology for detecting cops with some kind of radar. Duh, it's not. Because copper is such a hot item for thieves, the Copper Watcher protects the wiring in your air conditioning unit and runs a signal through your home or business alarm. Cost is just under $400. Celebrations: Buddy and Vince Puente of Southwest Office Systems Inc., and Jim Austin of The Austin Company are being honored in June by the Dallas Business Journal for their successes as minority-owned businesses. Also, Gloria Austin, Jim's wife, is featured in Essence magazine this month.

Making history: Bob Pence of Freese & Nichols and the Chamber's Stay in School Initiative have until Sunday to raise the rest of the $625,000 for a matching grant that will go toward college scholarships for Fort Worth students. Chesapeake Energy already gave $1.25 million as seed money to Fort Worth and Dallas school districts. Contact Cynthia Miller at the Chamber to for more information. Part-time job as comedian: Fort Worth's City Manager, Dale Fisseler, was speaking last week when an audience member's cell phone started ringing. Said Fisseler: "If that's for me, tell them I'll have to call them back."