Center of attention: Just nine days before the hordes will be Wade-ing in to Phill-ups on your turkey treats and watch the Go Cowboys! play on your big screen. Martha (Cornbread) White doesn't want you to forget to take a moment and give thanks to reflect on the good things you have in your life ...your family, your friends, your lower credit card rates. And what better way to be thankful and blissful during allergy season than with a Gordon Boswell Flowers holiday arrangement as your table centerpiece. Martha walks the walk and gobbles the gobble! Now starring...: Mr. B and the nephews of the non-aspiring, prospective Ms. B were at the Planetarium at the University of Texas at Arlington looking at the stars and right next to Katy Perry was Jeremy Kerley of TCU. There were lots more big kahunas, so it was a star-filled night for all of us though autographs were difficult to come by. No dark clouds in this review of the UTA College of Science's wonderful and fanciful facility. Go see for yourself as Carolyn Stuart rained down four sets of passes for two for you to be starstruck.

Jeff Trinca, Van Scoyoc Associates, Washington DC, and Mark Rountree, Ernst & Young, Dallas, were among the speakers at last Friday's Health Care Summit held at Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary. The Summit explored the future of health care reform at the federal level, the tax implications for businesses, and the impact on hospitals and providers in Texas.   Sponsored by

Leave the driving to T-hem: The wheel bearings in Mr. B's Rio are kaput, so he's been relying on the wheels of the bus go 'round and 'round. The T has been limo-ing Mr. B on target and on time. U2 can hop a ride and see the world instead of the road with this one-month pass for December. It's good on the T, the TRE and even in Dallas, on DART. Board the bus or ride the rails; it's free for a month.

Sign of the times: All signs point to a better 2011, says astrologist and GM Bill Swift of Paladin Signs & Graphics. And it's not too early to sign up for your business signage with this set of 1,000 quality color business cards. If your card looks as good as Bill's, your business will boom and you'll be signing more payroll checks than ever.

Do this, do that: Mr. B mentioned to Big Boss Bill that he'd like to be a mentor for the Chamber's Vision Fort Worth young movers and shakers. BBB said to contact LBB--Little Boss Brianna, who politely explained that the young professionals were looking for positive influences. Darn. Well, maybe you qualify and are interested. Contact LBB.

Front & center: The Omni Hotel was enamored with the 60 or so centerpieces at a gala luncheon for SafeHaven and it bought them all as a donation to the nonprofit.

Keeping up with the Joneses: Kerri McCune of McConstruction is now Kerri Jones. One wedding gift was a trip to Hawaii, but her best fringe benefit is that hubby is regional creamsicle for Blue Bell.

Hair-sweet: This alleged mustache on Balcom Agency big-wig Stuart Balcom, right, is part of the creative mad men's participation in Movember, a nationwide challenge to raise money and awareness for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG. Eight Balcom lip-lites are part of a B'stached team to change "the face of men's health." The women of Balcom are Movembering, too, but opted out on the mustaches. Another “coach” in waiting: The Amon Carter Museum of American Art has acquired Andrew J. Walker as Director Designate. Walker starts work Jan. 31 and will become director April 1, no fooling, when current Director Ron Tyler retires.

In the meantime...: Mr. B loves him some Tom Higgins, former assistant city manager in Fort Worth and now Deputy City Manager and January 1-to-be interim City Manager. Fort Worth will not begin search for new City Manager until after the May election, which means Tom will be interim longer than Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett.

Not napping: Carlos de la Torre is so busy in retirement that he says he can't figure out how he got all his work done while with Oncor.

NPR on UPR: Wildlife tend to migrate and feed along the edges of freshly harvested fields next to railroad tracks, so Union Pacific Railroad is urging hunters to resist the temptation to hunt on railroad property. Do we need to mention this is especially important downtown near Tower 55, where kids
migrate on their way to school?

Road rage: Lupe Zamora of Zamora Construction says to blame all the tie-ups along University in the
TCU area on him. Says he'll have it cleared in a couple of weeks.

Heavy lifting: Three grandchildren in 16 months...one in the last month...another in the last two months. Marnie Stites, Director of Marketing and Development for Guardianship Services, says she already is worn out and too tired to cook for the holidays.

Free marketing tips: Highlights from last week's Impacting Your Business breakfast, which featured Sandy Hart, professor of marketing at Texas Wesleyan University, include:

• If you have a website or a Facebook page, make sure someone is monitoring it. Most businesses do not.
  
  
• If your company has a receptionist, try to remember that the job is probably the lowest paid but has the highest impact with clients and potential clients.
  
  
• Companies frequently generate more profits from clients each year they are in a business relationship.

Who knew? TEI Communications, founded in a garage in 1959 by Tim Thomas, is now run by son Jon Thomas out at Mark VI Industrial Park. Tim is credited with developing one of the first patient bed-side call units and installed them at Harris Hospital. Today, telephone equipment sales is the main business with more than 5,000 systems installed in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Largest customer is Limited Brands, consisting of Victoria's Secret and Bath and Body Works. The first national account was Pier 1 Imports, which still is a client.

Hi, Hello, Howdy: Am-Bass-Adorables, the face of the Chamber, which is a scary thought, have been busy cuttin' and greetin' today at Pappagallo Classiques at 408 Houston Street downtown; and tomorrow, at Aflac at 6777 Camp Bowie Blvd, where duck soup is on the menu for visitors.

Kickin' with Rick: Jessie's Girl has nothing on Bethany Tyler of Burnett's Staffing. She caught up with singer Rick Springfield at a recent Dallas book signing and "he called me BABE...I think he likes me...HA!!" She has been to his last four concerts in the area and has plans to go on the Rick Springfield cruise.

Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, Newz-E-Letter will be sent
to you Tuesday, Nov. 23, then back to its regular schedule Wednesday, Dec. 1.