Because of the Thanksgiving holiday and all of you turkeys who escape the office early, next week’s Newz-E-Letter will be emailed Tuesday, Nov. 24.   Thanksgiving for 12,000: It’s a good thing Chris Butler doesn’t have to cook for that many, but he is the chef to those whose culinary tastes favor running the Westside YMCA Turkey Trot very early on gobbler day. Chef and all his sous chef volunteers start gobbling at 3 a.m. to get ready for the multitude of runners, trotters and walkers all trying to burn some energy before the weekend food gorge. If you and four buds want to trot along, Chris has enough gravy to give away registrations for one team of five.   Saving the day: Turkey? Check. Stuffing? Check. Green bean casserole? Check. Pecan & Pumpkin pies? Check. Flowers? Oy, vey, we forgot to call Gordon Boswell Flowers. Yikes, hope it’s not too late for Thanksgiving. Dialing head tulip Martha (Cornbread) White … “Dahling, could you help out a forgetful Newz-E-Letter reader?” “Always,” says Martha. “How about a Thanksgiving Classic Cornucopia with fall flowers delivered anywhere in the Fort Worth area.”

PICTURE OF THE WEEK       Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief introduces his wife, Rosie Moncrief, to Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon during last Friday’s Leaders in Business luncheon at the Petroleum Club of Fort Worth. McClendon got the mayor’s memo that it was Go Purple Day for TCU. Photo by J.G. Domke, for Basin Oil & Gas magazine   Sponsored by

On sale now: Hey salespeople, have you been doing the same ol’, same ol’ for years and what used to work isn’t working any longer? Are you ready to go New Age? President Scott Sherwin (not Williams) of Sandler Training in Arlington is ready to take you onto a new course of action. He doesn’t teach “how” to sell, but “how to sell differently!”  We’ve got three spots in his Dec. 3 (2-4 p.m.) executive briefing Would You Rather Accept Excuses or Make the Sale?  

Curiouser and curiouser: There won’t be time for monkey business if your family and friends are going to make it to Curious George Live this weekend at Nokia. You’re going to have to get over to Austin Plaza and see Jim Austin of jimaustinonline.com to get this four-pack of tickets to a suite and parking pass. Jim doesn’t monkey around; he goes first-class with this VIP package.

She’s taxed: Vanja Djuric of Direct Tax & Financial Services says, “I don't understand what ‘Direct Tax’ has to do with ‘Direct TV’! People call me and want to talk about their Direct TV issues. Seriously!”

Taxing decision: If we have to work well into May just to pay taxes, shouldn’t we take a vacation during the first five months of the year?   We never squeal: Maggie Allen, Economic Development Specialist for the City of Fort Worth and specializing in getting Mr. B a tax incentive, any tax incentive, wants to make sure her fellow Texas Tech grads didn’t know that she “put her football woes aside to enjoy the TCU - Utah game and yes, she was wearing purple.”

Welcome back: The awesome and monstrous Museum of Science and Natural History re-opens Friday. Another reason Fort Worth is so great!

Impressive: Tarleton State University's Department of Fine Arts is moonwalking over its special performance by the Moscow Ballet touring company. Performances of selections from several well-known ballets—“Swan Lake,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Nutcracker” and “Shaharazad” will be featured tomorrow night in the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center Auditorium.

What’s YOUR major? BTW, did you know Tarleton State University offers a degree in “histotechnology”? Mr. B is gonna have to go back to school to learn what that is.

More back to school news: Or Mr. B could try to sneak into The Neeley Entrepreneurship Center; sneak because he couldn’t pass the entrance exam. 46 TNEC students and four staff won the top prize during the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization nationals. TCU had:

• Best CEO Chapter in the nation (out of 160 Chapters)
• Chapter with the best student leader: Mack Haisten, President
• Chapter with the best marketing plan
• Chapter with the best website

Who is that guy? Mr. B, right, gets out, but many of you have asked if he looks as good as he writes.   Got a lead(er)? Your sales team need assistance? Might check out a Chamber Leads Group. Don Marable, a Leads Group guru, says “We are seeking members that are business owners or professionals that by nature of their business routinely and frequently call on business owners and decision makers.” To find out more, contact Pennie Blossom to get connected to groups that have openings or to form a new group.

Sprint on over: Jeff Huhtanen is your iMan. His Fix It Fast repairs any cell phone and offers same-day mobility service for most problems.

Numbers add up: Mr. B noticed that Friday is the deadline for nominations for Newz-E-Letter sponsor Weaver (drop the ‘‘and Tidwell’’) CFO of the Year put on by The Business Press. Being self-employed, Mr. B is a CFO (CEO, CIO, CTO…) and figures the recognition would make him more employable. You also can enter your CFO, but that lessens Mr. B’s chances of being the top P&L, A/P, A/R guy.

Money in our midst: How rich is the cutting horse competition? The National Cutting Horse Association’s major events, the Triple Crown of Cutting (The Futurity, Super Stakes and Summer Spectacular) will distribute more than $10 million in prize money during 2009. The Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing (Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont) distributed $4 million.   Meter is ticking: If Carlos de la Torre is undecided as to where he’ll settle after he retires March 1 as Area Manager for Oncor Electric Delivery, there is one guaranteed spot. He can always have a seat at the bar at his son Andrew’s downtown bar. “It's been a great 37 years and I am so much looking forward to the rest of my life,” Carlos said. “Whatever I do in the future will be fun and rewarding.  Doing something with Andrew would be really special.”

Short trips to Nirvana: Chef Carl Lamb, who moonlights for Sand Trap Services or vice versa, often drives the countryside. Recently he noted a nursing home across the street from a funeral home. “In real estate,” Carl said, “it is location, location, location.

Dessert storm: You might rush on over to The Melting Pot in Arlington for its chocolate cake dipped in rich chocolate. Truly, heaven may have come to us.

Purple PR: Aubrey McClendon, Chairman and CEO of Chesapeake Energy, “got the memo” from 3M, Mayor Mike Moncrief, that last Friday was Go Purple day to celebrate TCU Frogs football. McClendon wore a purple shirt and matching purple tie for his appearance at the Chamber's Leaders in Business luncheon. An Oklahoma native and a Sooners fan, McClendon said he "had to dig through a lot of red polyester" to find his purple. He also called the Petroleum Club fare the "best plated meal at any luncheon" he has attended.  

Organic root canal: One dentist has gone green…Dr. Nikki P. Green.

Well, he’s got logic on his side: Lisa Brewer, wife of Brandon with Republic Title, had this conversation with her four-year old. Lisa: "Ben, why are you hitting golf balls in the house?" Ben: "Well it's too dark outside, Mom." Lisa: “Oh, of course. That makes perfect sense.”   Asking, not begging: Mr. B likes to celebrate the holiday season, so it takes a lot of gifts to make everyone happy. If you would like to market your company between Thanksgiving and New Year’s to 4,900 email recipients at a very inexpensive price (minimum $50 prize giveaway), then this is a great opportunity to get noticed. How? Do a Newz-E-Letter giveaway. Click here for the form.