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British Lawmaker Lauds Texas, Texans

Daniel Hannan, a journalist and member of the European Parliament, is no fan of big government. Speaking in Dallas today at a National Center for Policy Analysis luncheon, Hannan (pictured)  likened President Obama’s policies, including on health care, to failed European ones. Then he proceeded to give a major shout-out to the Lone Star State. “Texas is the distillation of all I admire most about the U.S.,” he said. “It’s the most independent-minded of all the states, yet the purest manifestation of the virtues that built” America. Hannan, who became an Internet superstar for his crisp denunciation of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, went on to laud the “freedom, enterprise and boundless optimism” found in Texas. He also complimented the “sturdy, independent citizens [here] who look to themselves for solutions, rather than to the government.” That may have been true in 1909, I couldn’t help thinking, but who knows if it’s the case today?

Southlake Developer: Downtown Dallas Has No Soul

Frank Bliss is executive vice president of Cooper & Stebbins, which developed the phenomenally successful Southlake Town Square. Even as large as that project already is — the size of downtown Fort Worth in terms of acreage — Bliss said they’re still only about 35% finished with their vision. In particular, they have more office and residential offerings in mind.

When I asked his thoughts about Downtown Dallas, he was quick to answer: “Downtown Dallas has no soul … Dallas never planned for a soul.”

To reclaim its soul it needs a true center. As do many others, he cites the construction of the tunnels years ago as one major mistake, sucking away the street life. (more…)

Franks: Afghan Retreat Would Unleash the Rooster

While President Obama ponders a new report about the U.S. war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, some critics are questioning the wisdom of sending more troops there, while others are advocating a timetable for withdrawal. But retired Army Gen. Tommy Franks, who led the U.S. attack on Afghanistan and Iraq in the wake of Sept. 11, has a warning for the cut-and-run crowd. “If we bail out, the rooster will come home in a way that will make 9/11 look like a warm-up exercise,” Franks said today in Dallas. He made the comment leaving a luncheon hosted by the National Center for Policy Analysis, where he’s a board member.

Cowboys Stadium World’s Greatest Erector Set

Two days after losing the first regular-season game at their new home, the Dallas Cowboys have dismantled the field. Jerry Jones, who skipped yesterday’s presentation with the Super Bowl XLV Host Committee, was the keynote speaker at today’s North Texas Commission membership luncheon at Cowboys Stadium.

As he got under way, he explained the presence of the big crane, as well as the welders who sent sparks flying from catwalks high above what is usually the field. He said there were about 300 workers in the building finishing up the 5% of construction that remains to be completed.

Obviously, Cowboys Stadium is  a complicated project. He reminded us that the much-discussed digital screens above the field cost more to build than the entirety of Texas Stadium.

Faith Hill, Sting to Play Super Bowl Concerts

Roger Staubach, chairman of the Super Bowl XLV Host Committee, broke the news about the talent to the crowd at the North Texas Commission annual membership luncheon at Cowboys Stadium this afternoon. As part of the year-long run-up to the February 2011 game, a three-concert series is being planned.

Faith Hill will kick off the Kick-off Series with a concert at Bass Hall in Fort Worth in March. “I’m picking her up from the airport,” Staubach joked (I think.)

Sting will play the Winspear Opera House in Dallas in May. The third act, for a concert at Cowboys Stadium next September, hasn’t been signed yet, Staubach said.

Better picks than Diana Ross?

Nina Kotova to Play Hard for Felonious Hubby?

As has been noted, the comely cellist Nina Kotova will perform with the DSO Thursday through Sunday. She’ll premiere a work she commissioned called Cello Concerto, by Dallas native Christopher Theofanidis. All well and fine. But just as big a draw (in certain circles) will be her husband, if he chooses to attend, and there’s no reason to suspect he won’t, given recent descriptions of his action-packed social calendar. We’re talking about admitted felon Barrett Wissman, of course. I know a couple people in town who wouldn’t mind bumping into Wissman during intermission — real hard. Oh, like maybe Clark Hunt?

WSJ Takes a Look at Perot Family, Ctd.

Just wanted to add a little fuel to the fire sale: A little over a week ago it came to our attention that Ross Perot Jr., had likely bought a sizable Highland Park lot that was once the spot of Bum Bright’s home. The land was purchased in June and is valued at $9,388,790 by DCAD. It’s a beautiful piece of land in a gorgeous neighborhood. No signs of construction yet, but I’m guessing that’s only a matter of time now.

Kurt Eichenwald Gives His Take on The Informant!

These are exciting times for Kurt Eichenwald. The Steven Soderbergh movie The Informant!, based on Eichenwald’s book The Informant: A True Story, had its Dallas premiere on Thursday, and the flick is getting rave reviews nationally. I asked Kurt what he thought of Soderbergh’s adaptation of his book. His reply:

I thought the movie was great. What I’ve found really funny about it is everybody who says, “Oh, it’s funny, not serious like the book.” Apparently, people don’t need to read the book to comment.

Every scene in the movie was in the book. Probably 80 percent of the dialogue is in the book. Everything that makes the movie funny makes the book funny. Sure, the book had a lot of other things going on, but the choice of style was dictated by the story.

So, that said…great movie. I was shocked at how much it was like the book.

WSJ Takes a Look at Perot Family Finances

Yesterday, I snarkily drew connections between the sale of Perot Systems and some financial rough spots the Perot family has hit recently. Shame on me. Except the Wall Street Journal today traces over those same lines. Does this mean I’m a genius? Yes. Yes, it does.

THE Magazine Hits the Skids

Speaking of Jerome Weeks, a finger-gun-shooting FBvian points us to this post in which Weeks wonders whether THE Magazine is long for this world. Seems the mag that covers galleries and the like hasn’t paid its freelancers in some time, which is never a good sign.

Leading Off (9/22/09)

1. It rained. Again. To mix it up a bit this time, there was hail and wind gusts of up to 72 mph. In Cleburne, a tractor trailer rig was knocked over. Which, since no one was seriously injured, I can say that I BET THAT WAS AWESOME.

2. An 83-year-old Cleburne man was stung by bees more than 100 times while mowing the lawn. To add insult to injury, they were his bees, from a hive he kept on his property to harvest honey. This is neither here nor there, but Cleburne seems to come up a lot in the news lately. Just looking through the tags we use here, I notice “Cleburne earthquakes,” “Cleburne beer store bikini girls,” “Cleburne High School,” and now all this. Feels more like it should be Gun Barrel City.

3. Here is a scenario. I am able to fashion a portal leading directly to Niagara Falls. When I open it, it will dump every last drop of water directly onto the levees protecting the city from the Trinity River. I decide to do so, but because I don’t think that will be destructive enough, I also rig the levees with a large amount of C4. Enough, as Keanu Reeves once said in Speed, to “put a hole in the world.” Also, because now I’m a comic-book super villain, I shower the immediate vicinity with radioactive material, hoping a sort of reverse Superman-meets-Swamp Thing emerges from the contaminated river and becomes my war machine. Just for fun, I buy all the nails and broken glass in North America and I scatter all of it around the site during my downtime. Anyway, I do all that — and the city would still decide to go ahead with the Trinity River project.