Frog fandom: Well, the Horned Toad faithful and hangers-on are coming out from the ponds and the cacti to support No. 4-ranked TCU as it continues its 9-0 surge for a BCS bowl game. Even 3M, Mayor Mike Moncrief, has declared Friday "Go Purple Day," so wear purple. Why not. It's been 50-odd years since TCU was rated this high and Saturday's game against 8-1 Utah is for all the Mountain West marbles and national prominence for TCU. So sorry that it's officially sold out...unless you know Mr. B, who happened upon Greg at Chesapeake Energy, who happened upon Heather who happened upon Julie and voila, we've got two incredible tickets to the TCU Energy Zone suite hosted by Chesapeake Energy. Note to self: Get there early and have self in seat by 6:30!    This Is It: Oh, my, Michael (Mike) Jackson sure can Billie Jean around his kitchen. The executive chef at Omni Fort Worth Hotel has just danced his way into our hearts with this Omni-potent offering: A five-course Chef's Tasting Menu for four people with wine pairings at Cast Iron in the Omni. Cast Iron is known for its Southern Comfort food with a contemporary twist, including Fried Green Tomatoes and Shiner Brined Niman Ranch Pork Chops. Mike says he’ll work out a menu with the lucky winner in advance and create a sumptuous meal around your personal favorites.

PICTURE OF THE WEEK       Hundreds of Tarrant Area Trade Show visitors generated leads, learned about new business opportunities and noshed on fine foods October 29 at the Will Rogers Exhibits Hall. Almost 100 exhibitors and restaurants packed this annual trade show / Business After Hours event. See who you missed here.       Sponsored by

All-worth it: Oh, my lord, the family is coming, and the B Mansion still has those orange & black Halloween iced cupcakes and Dr Pepper stains in the carpet, the doggie smells from canine neighbors Charlie and Emma, and mud from when we got off the Fort Worth ark during October and traipsed back home. Who you gonna call? Mr. B called Terrill at Dalworth Commercial Services and set up appointments for before AND after Thanksgiving. (The canines are sure to spill their canned cranberries.) Because B ordered a two-fer, Terrill tossed in a premium service carpet cleaning for a living room and a hallway to give away in Newz-E-Letter.

Theater in the (very) round: Santa Claus is coming to town … waaay before Thanksgiving. After having stopped at various local malls, the big red one (and his understudy) will visit Casa Mañana November 20-December 23. The play is one of the greatest ever, according to Rex Claus, who absolutely is not biased or even related to Santa. Casa’s Darling Darcy stuffed four tickets to the opener, Nov. 20, into our stocking.

Streetscapes: Mr. B was 5-foot-3 until he was 48. But he grew into this job and was then tall enough to see over some heads at the Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives’ downtown parade the Friday night after Thanksgiving. Times change … for the better. Now it’s the Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights and better yet, there is street seating for $7-to-$10.  And courtesy of Jay Downie, the parade's primo promoter, we’ve got five pair of free VIP ticketed seating - which includes food and Coors, but only if you are over 21 - and will get you up close and personal to the Nov. 27 festival of lights.

Scenic-scapes: TCU is giving Chesapeake more reasons to light up the Fort Worth nights. After each TCU victory (eight/nine so far), the lights adorning Chesapeake’s building are tinted purple. Chesapeake's brightest light, CEO Aubrey McClendon, is Friday's speaker during the Chamber's SOLD OUT Leaders in Business luncheon.

Slim shady: Mr. B sat next to business developer Carlene of Robert Anderson’s Fort Worth Plastic Surgery Center at the recent Leads Explosion and lost three inches in 30 minutes. Carlene says the Surgery Center has undergone a facelift itsownself and looks pretty spiffy.

Unretiring sort: Former Star-Telegram editorial page pundit Paul Harral couldn’t keep from typing and he’s back as the new executive editor of Fort Worth Texas magazine beginning Dec. 1.   Big kix for Nix: Nancy Nix, the greatest Nix at TCU since QB Kent, is the executive director of the EMBA program and associate professor of supply chain practice. She’s so good she was was awarded the Thinkers & Movers Award during the annual global conference of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. Nancy also is a member of the Chamber's Quality Workforce Development Committee.

Banker bouncing: Mark Nurdin has deposited hisownself as the new Fort Worth CEO of Bank of Texas.

Corporate relo: THUMBTECHS, the computer, network and IT support provider with locations in Fort Worth, Dallas, Albuquerque and Seattle, is moving its corporate headquarters to 201 S. Main St. in January. Founder George Fassett used a Chamber connection, selecting Innovative Developers, Inc. for the remodeling job.

By design, of course: Van Williams is an entrepreneur and Am-Bass-Adorables will be visiting his Design Works Studio at 2021 E. Lamar Blvd. next Tuesday for a ribbon cutting. Tomorrow, they travel to Staybridge Suites at 229 Clifford Center Drive. See the big scissors and other cutting-edge personalities from ribbon cuttings and events, in Chamber events photos online. 

Food faves: Mr. B brought son NoBGood to last week’s Chamber Trade Show. B wanted some protection as he wedged his way through, over and around Star-Telegram Eats Beater and foodie Bud Kennedy. Voted “best of” by category were… Healthy Eating – Edible Arrangements; Sweet Tooth –  The Melting Pot  (toasted marshmallows dipped in hot fudge); Zestiest Food – Cotton Patch Café  (blackened tilapia); Fine Dining – Cast Iron at the Fort Worth Omni; Favorite Food – Texas Pit Bar-B-Q  (ribs were awesome); Best Decorated Booth – Hoffbrau Steaks and Friendliest Booth – AJ’s Chicken and Waffles. 

In like a lion…: Out like a lamb. Angela Medcalf of Farmers Insurance is now Angela Lamb.   The new clean: Healthpoint Ltd., a specialty pharmaceutical company, will begin selling online within days an antiseptic hand wash based on a formula previously used only by surgeons and other clinicians. It provides up to six hours of prolonged germ kill with repeated use. Hello ULTRACEPT. Goodbye swine flu.

Shorter is better: For his birthday last week, Mr. B was hoping for a gift of complete tax services from the folks at Newz-E-Letter sponsor Weaver and Tidwell. Instead, he received their new name and logo –Weaver. That is helpful, because B always was confused as to whether it was Weaver and Tidwell or Weaver & Tidwell.

We get IT: Ryan Pickle found himself in one when he couldn’t find a local IT networking and job referral group. So, Pickle’s programmers at Pathwayz are starting their own.

In a pickle: Well, she was realllllllly hungry. Let Business Press reporter Aleshia Howe tell her story: “The fire alarm went off mid-lunch at the Fort Worth Club, (a voice) demanding all patrons evacuate the building. And while I fully intended on following directions, I refused to do so without my salad. Because I was hungry! And a girl's gotta stand up for herself when she's hungry, darn it.”  Aleshia made it to the hallway with her salad before a manager of the Fort Worth Club could begin stopping people and telling them it was only a drill.

For profit: Stacey McGovern says Hawk Electronics has a program for nonprofits. Get people to switch their AT&T plans to Hawk and the nonprofit gets 10% of the bill donated to it. She says supporters of Goodwill and Easter Seals North Texas have taken advantage of the wireless wizardry.

Super confused: Anybody know why Super Bowl XLV is 45 and not 55? Why is it L minus X and not L plus V for Roman numerals? L is 50, ok.   4Gee whiz: Mr. B also can’t keep up with all this B2B and he’s not sure if G4 is coming or whizzing past, but Pam Klassen says Clear is HERE. Clearwire’s 4G mobile WiMax means you won’t want to leave home without it.

Congrats: Hyatt Regency DFW won the Large Employer of the Year last week at the Easter Seals North Texas Employment Symposium for its diversity hiring activities.

Movin’ out? Jeff Eskew was telling son NoBGood why he might prefer living at the Courtyard by Marriott off Bryant Irvin than in the B mansion. In addition to great rooms, Internet access and maid service, “you can bring in food and we don’t charge a catering charge, and we have a five-hole putting green out back.” If NoBGood only had a job…

You're so vein: The awful tragedy at Fort Hood serves as a reminder that blood donations are scarce during the holidays. Call Carter BloodCare to see how you can help. 1-800-DONATE-4. Carter BloodCare’s volunteer donors provide lifesaving blood for patients at more than 200 healthcare facilities in 56 surrounding counties.

And tonight's Top 10 list: Lots of questions about the other top taxpayers to the City of Fort Worth after the top few were mentioned recently. No. 10) Behringer Harvard (Burnett Plaza); 9) American Airlines; 8) Mercantile Partners; 7) Alcon Laboratories; 6) Southwestern Bell (now AT&T); 5) Chesapeake Energy; 4) Sundance Square; 3) XTO Energy; 2) Bell Helicopter; and the No. 1 reason Fort Worth celebrates--Oncor Electric Delivery.