Morning all:

Good morning from the Lone Star state. This morning I am in Dallas, high atop the Hyatt Regency overlooking the infamous Grassy Knoll and former Bookbinder building. Staring down at this small little park I find it amazing how much has changed since the end of Camelot was witnessed here 40 years ago causing our nation to stop in its tracks. In light of this it does make one wonder whether we saw a “Phoenix Arisen” happening this week as the events in California unfolded? If nothing else I think that the national media hopes it is.

I just finished the first cup of my in-room ‘Café Valet’, actually not a bad brew and now I am ready for the day. This week the weather at home has been spectacularly ‘Indian Summer’ like. The color is really starting to hit its prime. Let’s hope that this will stay for this coming week, however all the weather historians see it otherwise and envision a bit of a drop in temperature for the Tall Stacks extravaganza. But, to get myself in the mood for this river festival – a bit of water music as background.

Today, at the Cottonbowl it is Texas vs Oklahoma and the hotel is filled with the fan(atic)s. This hotel has a twenty story glassed-in atrium and last night it continuously echoed with the war cry of “soueeee, soueeee”, giving me nothing but sheer pleasure – soueeee! The other is more serious. This morning at the Dallas Children’s Hospital a twenty-four to thirty-six hour surgery got underway. They will try to separate two year old cojoined brothers from Egypt. Please hold them and the medical teams in your prayers.

I do believe that the ‘Don’t Call’ list is working. So far this month I cannot remember getting any dinnertime disruptions from telemarketers. Come to think of it, it probably wasn’t the list at all but the Dave Barry national letter that caused this massive shift.

For those of you coming to the ‘Nati this weekend, I can’t wait! For everyone else, have one great weekend and a super week.

Cheers,

Dirk