An Oberwetter Stands Up For America

Thomas Jefferson’s birthday, as everybody knows, is on April 13. To celebrate the occasion, Brooke Oberwetter, daughter of former Ambassador Jim Oberwetter of  Dallas, decided to do a little dancing at the Jefferson Memorial. So off she went with nineteen or so of her friends. Their spontaneous patriotic effusion, however, was interrupted by a security guard, who proceeded to arrest young Brooke. This being 2008, the incident was recorded. This being Brooke, it was reported in the Washington Post. And this being America, friends have created a web site to proclaim the injustice of the thing and to raise money for her defense. Knowing the FrontBurner Nation to be friends of freedom, I hope you will make a small contribution to the cause. One generation proclaimed, “Don’t tread on me!” Now another generation proclaims, “Bopping is not a crime!”

My Puppy Learns About Tough Love

Today has been consumed with preparing the “print product” for deadline. And while the stress level of that exercise is reaching fever pitch (Eric has even stopped blogging while he finishes his feature), my attention was diverted from the tasks at hand when I received the picture at left over the transom. My pup, the one under attack, has been at puppy boot camp (I know, ridiculous) for the past week and a half at Park Cities Obedience School. While I have every faith in their ability to train my pooch, I am hoping that he does not have PTSD as a result of his ordeal.

How Many People Move to North Texas Every Year?

A few weeks ago, when the Census released some new numbers, we in North Texas got to crow about sitting at the top of the list of metropolitan areas with the largest population growth. Yay! Only thing is, some news outlets got the story wrong. Like CNNMoney.com, which wrote: “More people moved to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, than to any other metropolitan area in the United States last year.”

Not so fast. While North Texas did add more people, some of that growth was “natural” (i.e., it came from births outpacing deaths). The rest of the growth came from in-migration (i.e., people moving here). When you look at just in-migration, here’s how things shape up:

1. Atlanta 99,800
2. Dallas-Fort Worth 92,600
3. Phoenix 90,200
4. Houston 56,300

Interesting, no? Especially the huge dropoff from No. 3 to No. 4. (Thanks to the CVB for help with the numbers.)

‘Yearning For Zion’: State Keeps Kids Despite the Facts

The state is going to keep all those kids separated from their families — even the breast-feeding infants — and the local daily is cheering them on. Clearly, no one on that board has any experience with the kind of incompetents who run CPS.

But this morning one of their editorialists points out some uncomfortable facts, e.g., that “CPS found no girls at the YFZ Ranch who were married younger than 16, that all the pregnant girls (5 out of 437 kids) were 16 or older, and that the allegations of forcible rape turned out to be false, generated by a prank call from Colorado.” As Scott Henson put it: “[O]nly five girls between age 16-19 were found pregnant or with children — probably about the same ratio you’d find if you rounded up all the kids in my neighborhood.” And a much smaller ratio than you’d find in any public housing complex, I’d bet.

Jeb Hensarling’s Impossible Job

The Dallas Congressman keeps trying to prevent House Republicans from committing suicide. But to no avail. Despite his attempts to invoke a one-year moratorium on earmarks — only one year, for godssake — his colleagues seem intent on continuing their free spending ways. The problem seems to be mental dimness, to wit:

“I think it would be very tricky to get members to support an earmark moratorium at this point in the appropriations process,” said an aide to one top Republican on the Appropriations Committee. “Our members have already submitted thousands of project requests — and then to turn around and support a [moratorium] would allow [Rep. Dave] Obey to say, ‘OK, let’s get rid of all Republican earmarks.’ And then where would we be?”

Then where would you be? Um, in the majority maybe?

Leading Off

1. I always knew the cats would fight back. They’ve been planning this for years. Now, the first attack: a bobcat in Plano mauled a dog.

2. The teardown of that 1959 mid-century modern building may spark changes in Dallas’ demolition process. Which, you know, is fine. I’m all for things we’re all supposed to be for. History is inherently good, all things old are great, let’s honor them, awesome. But I can’t help thinking of Eddie Izzard making fun of us because we “restore” buildings to how they looked 50 years ago, while, meanwhile, Brits have to drive around 400-year-old castles just to get to work. (In other words, if it ain’t even 50 years old yet, is it that big a deal?)

3. Residents may get to vote on what we will rename Industrial Boulevard. I really don’t need to say anything here except “comments are on,” do I? Maybe this: “Let’s keep it clean, Little.” Probably should say that, too.