If we can't explain ourselves, of course it's racism!

The City of Plano has dumped $450,000 in city dollars to a group planning an African American Museum there. Six years into the project, there is still no museum, and the group is asking for $245,000 more.

When the City of Plano started asking questions, the museum's chairwoman, T. J. Johnson, said her group was being unfairly singled out and harassed -- she says the city has put few nonprofit groups through the same scrutiny, the implication being that they were singled out because of race. But could it be because most other non-profit groups have visible evidence of what they've done with their money?

Here are a few of the city's unfair complaints:

1) The museum's five-person board has missed financial reporting deadlines. A large portion of the money allotted to the project for the past fiscal year was spent in the last week of the year. That raises some red flags.
2) The board has failed to hire an executive director as agreed.
3) The city has asked the board to return $36,000 that was spent in violation of the group's grant.
4) The group has not cooperated with auditors.
5) The front steps to the house they are restoring do not meet Plano building codes.
6) The restored house is supposed to be open to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. four days a week. It is not.

Ms. Johnson says the city's scrutiny is "overbearing." She's upset because they came out and measured the diameters of some trees they had planted. I suspect the reason for that was that they paid for crepe myrtles with a 3" diameter, but the planted trees were 1.5" in diameter. Did the nursery overcharge, or did that extra money go somewhere else? Either way, I say it's a valid concern. So does Plano Mayor Phil Dyer who said, ". . .there is a certain burden that comes with receiving city money. If you don't have the ability to meet the requirements of the grant, then you shouldn't be applying for it."

"City faults museum's progress." The Dallas Morning News; August 21, 2010; p. 1B.

Love, Love, Love

Petra Weides comments on the murder-suicide of Corinne and Jayne Peters. Jayne was the mayor of Coppell who killed her daughter and then took her own life.

Petra seems to think society is to blame for a woman who was clearly in deep financial difficulties and obviously very emotionally troubled. Petra says, "Let's commit to expressing unconditional love and profound acceptance for everyone, and offer safe places where people can share and heal their pain."

What a bunch of claptrap! As far as I've read, the Peters were very much accepted and loved. As far as "expressing unconditional love," I'm not sure what Petra means by that. The community wasn't even aware Ms. Peters had problems except for maybe the City Manager who was questioning her city credit card purchases. Does she think he should have just let all those unauthorized charges slide in the name of unconditional love? "Profound acceptance for everyone"? Does that include child molesters, ax murderers, bank robbers, carjackers? "Safe places where people can share and heal their pain"? You mean like group therapy? There are lots of places that offer that, but Jayne Peters was not willing to talk about her problems. Some people don't want to air their dirty laundry in public.

Another case of it sounds good, but what in the heck does it mean!

"Remember who you are . . ." The Dallas Morning News; July 20, 2010; p. 12A.

Well, Duh!

In arguing against Texas passing an Arizona style immigration law, Rep. Rene Oliveira says that allowing police to question those stopped about their citizenship status could fill every county jail in the state. "It would bust all our counties," he said.

Well, duh! If there are that many of them here (and there are), don't you think that's why we need a law like this?

"State: $250M spent on illegal immigrants." The Dallas Morning News; August 19, 2010; p. 4A.

You use it --

Scientists are heralding a "breakthrough in the long quest for a tool to help women whose partners won't use condoms." It's a gel that they're practically calling a miracle. It cuts in half a woman's chances of getting HIV from an infected partner. In the first place, what idiot woman would knowingly sleep with a man who has HIV? In the second place, what idiot woman would sleep with a man who didn't care whether or not he infected her? In the third place -- well, gosh, if you only have a 50% chance of contracting HIV, I bet all those scientists are racing to try this "miracle" gel.

Anyway, I think 50% is a bit of a stretch. There were two groups of 445 women. They don't even know how many of their partners had HIV -- it's quite possible a large proportion of the women didn't have sex with an HIV positive partner. Anyway, out of the two groups, the one that had the placebo had 60 women who contracted the disease. That's about 13.5%. The group using the "miracle gel" had 38 women contract the disease. That's about 8.5%. For these mathematically challenged scientists, that's about a 37% reduction -- not 50%.

The bottom line is, they're trying to find some way to tell people it's OK to be promiscuous. So if the numbers don't add up, they'll just blatantly lie about them.

"Gel for women shows promise in blocking HIV." The Dallas Morning News; July 20, 2010; p. 9A.

Why is $60 billion in fraud OK?

Obama signed legislation in July with the goal of reducing government payments to dead people, fugitives, and jailbirds by $50 billion. Sounds great, doesn't it? But, as Paul Harvey used to say, here's the rest of the story.

Last year, we paid out $110 billion in fraudulent payments. Shouldn't our goal be to reduce fraudulent payments by $110 billion? Is Obama saying, "$60 billion's OK"? But then again, when you've been spending trillions, I guess billions seems such a trivial amount.

"Obama signs law intended to slash waste." The Dallas Morning News; July 23, 2010; p. 5A.

What did you say?

I just commented the other day to Mr. Essie May that I found it disturbing that you can't walk into Wal-Mart, or a restaurant, or even a movie without seeing kids, and some adults, with their little ipod earbuds stuck in their ears. If someone can't leave the music off long enough to eat or go shopping, there's a big problem socially. Then, there's the danger of hearing loss. Having noise pumped into your head at such close range has to be detrimental to the delicate workings of the human ear. The ear was not made to gather sound that way.

A study has come out that confirms my fears. The proportion of American teens with slight hearing loss has increased 30% in the past 15 years, and the number with mild or worse hearing loss has increased 70%. I further fear that those experiencing slight hearing loss now will find the loss worse and worse as they grow older. Is it worth it?

"Are kids hearing you? Maybe not." The Dallas Morning News; August 18, 2010; p. 6A.

Why do people have babies they don't want?

It seems like the news has recently been full of people killing their children. The latest is Shaquan Duley who killed her two little boys. She said she killed them because of the "pressures of being a parent." She has another child who is older than the two she killed. Obviously, she knew after the first one what being a parent was like, so why did she have two more if she didn't like the pressure? Inevitably, these are people who are not nor have they ever been married to the other parent of the child. My first thought is that people who aren't married shouldn't be having sex. My second thought is that even if they are, there are plenty of forms of birth control available. So why are they having babies they obviously don't want?

My first thought is the welfare check they'll get. My second thought is that they are no better than animals -- animals have no moral compass, and they do whatever they want when the urge strikes. Can anybody think of any other reason these idiots would have kids?

Get a clue, Sara!

Sara Limon is pictured on the front page of The Dallas Morning News holding up her shirt and exposing her very pregnant belly. She's complaining about the free care she received at Parkland Hospital. The News has made a big deal out of the fact that some residents actually perform surgery there. They think that's terrible because a whole bunch of Parkland's patients are charity cases. They claim that it's not fair to allow the residents to perform surgeries there, when they don't do so at nearby St. Paul.

At any rate, Sara claims (rather, her translator claims since she speaks very little English), that in February of 2007, a resident bungled her gall bladder surgery. There is no denial from Parkland that the surgery did, indeed, involve an accidental cut of the bile duct. She was taken back to surgery and the cut was repaired. Limon says that after the surgery, "Nobody told me anything." Well perhaps they did tell her but she doesn't understand English!

What is in contention is that Limon says she has continuing debilitating problems such as severe pain and nausea resulting from the surgery. The physicians can find nothing wrong. I have to wonder just how sick she really is. Despite no health insurance and no English (and probably no citizenship), Limon has four children and another due in October. Maybe sex makes her feel better.

"Human costs of training doctors." The Dallas Morning News; August 1, 2010; p. 1A.

Essie Award Time!

It's time for an Essie -- the award for incredible stupidity.

This Essie goes to Nathan Wayne Pugh. Nathan attempted to rob a Wells Fargo Bank last July. He entered the bank around noon with a Whataburger sack in his hands and told the teller he wanted to make a withdrawal. She asked how much, and he handed her a scrap of paper on which he had written, "This is not a bag of food." The note went on to say that the bag contained a "bom," and that the teller was to "put money in an envelope and do not make any move till after I have left for ten minutes."

Evidently the teller could see that Pugh was a bag of fries short of a full-meal deal, and she told him she would have to see some identification. So he pulled out his Wells Fargo debit card and gave it to her. "How much would you like?" she asked. "Two thousand," he replied. Oh, to get that much, the teller told him, she would have to see a second form of identification. So he pulled out his State of Texas photo ID. The teller had already pressed the silent alarm, and Pugh was met by police as he attempted to leave with his "withdrawal." So, Nathan Pugh, you have earned the not-so-coveted Essie!

Now, this story is not quite complete, because there is a secondary Essie to give out. It goes to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. They let Pugh out of prison in July 2009. He was serving a 25 year sentence for two counts of aggravated robbery and had been in prison since 1996. But that wasn't his first brush with the law. He had racked up three DWI's before that, and he was sentenced to 10 years for possession of cocaine in 1990. He also has convictions for burglary and driving with a suspended license. So for the idiots who let him out, you get the secondary Essie!

"Life of crime isn't working out for him." The Dallas Morning News; August 5, 2010; p. 1A.

I don't think you get it, Bruce.

Dallas Police recently did a round-up of dozens of people with outstanding warrants. Bruce Levy contends that this was a waste of time. How many crimes he wonders, were committed while the marshals were out doing their jobs. And, he wonders, why were they concentrated in south Dallas. How much more in fines could they have collected had they gone to North Dallas or Preston Hollow or Lakewood?

Well, Bruce, for the intellectually impaired such as yourself, we'll explain. If there were no warrants for people in North Dallas, Preston Hollow, or Lakewood, why would they go there? Now THAT would have been a waste of time!

"Police roundup faulted." The Dallas Morning News; August 5, 2010; p. 12A.

Essie wins the Miss Cleo Award

In Essie's August 24 post, she predicted:

"And as an added note, Essie makes a prediction: Obama religious adviser Joshua Dubois said the President 'does not intend to suddenly pratice his faith in public in an effort to counter misperceptions.' Despite that, I'll just bet that within the next six weeks the Obama's will make a much publicized trip to church on a Sunday morning."

Check out this link:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_obama_church

or if you prefer the video version (personally, I can't quite stomach looking at him):

http://news.yahoo.com/video/politics-15749652/21980114

Essie can call 'em, can't she?

Update: Moving the Homeless

I wrote earlier this year about the Dallas Housing Authority moving a bunch of derelicts into an apartment complex in Oak Cliff despite the protests of the homeowners in the area.

The move has occurred. One of the first to be moved in was Kelvin Locke who is deemed a success story by Jay Dunn of The Bridge. I'm sure any one of us would be happy to have this success story move in next door: Locke has struggles with mental illness and addiction. He served time in Arkansas prisons for a robbery in 1990, possession of a firearm in 1991, aggravated robbery in 1993, property theft in 2000, and burglary in 2006.

Kelvin says that he and others moving into the complex "are people, just like you." No they're not -- I've never done drugs, I never robbed anybody, I never illegally possessed a firearm, I never held anybody up, I never stole someone else's property, and I never broke into somebody's home or business. And look at the dates of his offenses. This is not a man who just made a bad mistake or had a lapse of judgment. His convictions span at least 16 years -- and that's just the times he got caught.

I do hope the newspaper does a follow-up on this success story. I'd like to see where he is in 90 days.

Ironically (or maybe not), the next day the newspaper front page story was about Dallas Police Department plans to put a patrol post in a storefront near The Bridge because of increasing crime. Mayor Tom Leppert confirmed that the situation has deteriorated enough since the shelter opened in 2008 that he has asked police to begin a special initiative to crack down on crime.

In a letter to the editor, Rose Mary Thomas of DeSoto faults the Oak Cliff homeowners for being wary of their new neighbors. She says these criminal drifters should be welcomed to "beautiful Oak Cliff." Well, Rose Mary, I'm glad to hear you say that, because the DHA has taken notice of your welcoming attitude, and maybe the next group they plan to relocate will be sent to an apartment complex on Bolton Boone Drive in DeSoto.

Melanie Helen Francis of Sherman adds her two cents in her letter to the editor. She says that Plano's affluent citizens are bringing shame to Plano for their opposition to a large homeless shelter being built there. She says Plano is a whitewashed sepulcher. She says they should turn from their wicked self-serving ways. My goodness, Melanie Helen, what did the people of Plano ever do to you? If you're so adamant about "heavenly values," maybe you should include that little judge not verse in your daily devotions. And then, let's see how you feel when they decide to build that big old shelter for cons, addicts, and mental cases in Sherman just down the street from you.

"New to the neighborhood." The Dallas Morning News; August 4, 2010; p. 1A.
"Patrol Post proposed near Bridge." The Dallas Morning News; August 5, 2010; p. 1A.
"Give homeless a chance." The Dallas Morning News; August 5, 2010; p. 12A.
"Plano, consider heavenly values." The Dallas Morning News; August 19, 2010; p. 18A.

Update: Gay Men Blood Donors

The FDA is fighting the good fight to protect our blood supply. Liberal do-gooders like John Kerry want the ban on gay men donors lifted citing "fairness." The FDA says it has nothing to do with fair, but rather with safety. Men who have had sex with other men since 1977 have an HIV infection rate 60 times higher than that of the general population and 800 times higher than first-time blood donors.

If John Kerry needs a transfusion, and he can pick between taking the blood donated by a gay man and blood donated by a heterosexual man, which do you think he'll pick? Think he'd be real concerned about "fairness" then?

"Debating ban on gay blood donors." The Dallas Morning News; August 3, 2010; p. 6A.

Is this racist?

The Dallas Morning News reports the majority of Texas' students are black or Hispanic, but 2 out of 3 educators are white. Reporter Terence Stutz analyzes the numbers this way: "Texas' minority student enrollment continues to surge, but the state's teacher corps isn't keeping pace. That has left large numbers of black and Hispanic children without the role models experts believe would help them achieve more."

Isn't that racist? A good way to test whether or not a statement is racist is to substitute a different race for the orginal one -- like this: "Texas' white student enrollment continues to surge, but the state's teacher corps isn't keeping pace. That has left large numbers of white children without the role models experts believe would help them achieve more."

Yep, it's racist!

"Need seen for more minority teachers." The Dallas Morning News; August 3, 2010; p. 1A.

Why Johnny Can't Read

If you read blogs or other internet forums or you listen to people being interviewed on news programs, you're probably aware that there are serious deficiencies in our educational system. The politicians and teachers unions always come up with the same answer -- more money.

Well, here's what that money will go for in Wisconsin. The teachers union has asked a judge to order the school board in Madison to include coverage for Viagra in its health care plan. They say that excluding Viagra is discriminatory against men. They say that Viagra is a "necessary treatment." The school board says that Viagra is not necessary as it is used primarily for "recreational sex." I have news for all those men with ED -- sex isn't a have-to thing. You can live without it! And if you don't think you can, pay for your own Viagra.

So maybe that's why Johnny can't read -- instead of doing lesson plans, all the teachers are out having recreational sex -- or at least thinking about it.

"Teachers union fights for Viagra." The Dallas Morning News; August 7, 2010; p. 7A.

Paying for Swimming Lessons

The next thing coming down the pike is that the taxpayer will have to fund swimming lessons for blacks and hispanics. Studies have shown that they are much more likely to drown than whites.

What's really needed is to give these people a good dose of common sense. What's prompted a Louisiana pastor to call for churches to add a "swimming ministry" is the deaths of six teenagers in the Red River in northwest Louisiana. DeKendrix Warner was wading in waist-high waters when he stepped off a ledge into 25 feet of water.

One after the other, his cousins and friends tried to help him and followed him off the ledge into the deep water. None of them could swim, and none of the parents on the shore could swim. And they were not in a swimming area.

Just about everyone knows that swimming in a river is treacherous -- there are currents, underwater snags, and drop-offs like the one in this case. Certainly a person who can't swim shouldn't be in the water. And if he is, he should have on a life preserver of some sort. There was one at this little outing, but they couldn't get it out to the kids who were drowning. And certainly someone who can't swim shouldn't be in the water in an area not approved for swimming. These are just common sense things.

But then, there seems to be very little common sense anymore. Instead of saying, "These people were foolish," we're being told that they drowned because of discrimination. What a country!

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/08/02/chief-teens-drown-red-river-shreveport-la-crews-searching/

Should we negotiate with terrorists?

I have to disagree with Patrick Graham of The Paris News. In writing about the settlement between Turner Pipe and the group of disgruntled employees who sued them for discrimination, he says it was a win-win situation. Turner Pipe agreed to pay off the plaintiffs even though there was no evidence that the company did anything wrong. Had the case gone to court Turner could have ended up spending much more in lawyers' fees. Graham thinks they made the right choice. ". . .you get out of a couple of years of bad publicity right away and it doesn't cost you anymore than it would have if you had fought this. Makes it a pretty easy, and smart, business decision to settle when you look at it from those standpoints," he says. No, it was not a smart business decision when you look at if from a long-term consequences standpoint.

Actually, it was nothing short of extortion. "You pay us what we want, or we'll ruin you." And the next group of connivers who get together think, "Hmmm -- we don't have to prove anything. We'll get them to settle for a few million apiece, and we're set." And who ends up paying? The consumer, of course. The lesson is that you have to bite the bullet on the first case and let it go to court. Otherwise it's like the blackmailer -- he'll keep coming back for more.

"Settlement in Turner case a 'win-win.'" The Paris News; August 8, 2010; p. 4A.

I repeat -- HYPOCRITES!

Fred Baron was a lawyer -- you know, like those who advertise on TV, "Have you or a loved one died after taking drug x? Then call Dewey, Cheatham and Howe." His field was asbestos. At any rate, he became a million- or billionaire by filing those lawsuits. He was known as "the king of toxic torts."

Fred Baron raised millions of dollars for Democrats. You may know his name from the John Edwards case. He was one of the Democratic fundraisers who funneled money to Edwards' mistress in attempts to hoo-doo the public into accepting that John Edwards was a big family man. They had to shut that mistress up.

Fred Baron contracted bone marrow cancer, and his reputation came back to haunt him. Doctors at the Mayo clinic discovered that he responded well to an experimental drug. The drug manufacturer, however, had not approved the drug for use in Baron's illness, and therefore denied permission for him to have it. Do you think, perhaps, they might have been concerned that Baron or his family would file a lawsuit when he died?

At any rate, Baron's lawyer wife jumped into action. She called her friend Nancy Pelosi. She appealed to Bill Clinton, John Kerry, Edward Kennedy, and Tom Harkin, all of whom contacted the drug manufacturer on her behalf. The drug company would not relent. Baron's wife says she still not sure how she did it, but Nancy Pelosi finally got the drug company to approve use of the medicine. She says Pelosi "poured her heart and soul" into getting the drug for Baron.

Now, do you think if I needed this experimental drug, that Nancy Pelosi would pour her heart and soul into seeing that I got it? Of course she would, because she says health care is a right for everyone, no matter how much money they have or don't have. And if you believe that, I've got some nice lakefront property in the Mojave Desert I'd like to sell you. HYPOCRITES!

"Pelosi went to bat for dying lawyer Baron." The Dallas Morning News; August 15, 2010; p. 8A.

No Mosque at Ground Zero!

Annette Wheldon of Denton says that people who argue against a radical imam building a mosque at Ground Zero must also agree to ban all places of worship from that site if they are to be consistent. But Annette overlooks the salient point -- it wasn't Baptists, or Catholics, or Methodists, or Mormons who flew those planes. It was radical Muslims. Get a clue, Annette!

"Treat all worship places the same." The Dallas Morning News; August 13, 2010; p. 20A.

It doesn't matter what the people want.

The people of California voted down gay marriage in Proposition 8 in 2008, but the gays won't accept that. They've appealed and found a sympathetic judge who overturned the will of the voters.

Lesbian Amber Fox says "We just want equal rights." You do have equal rights, Amber. The same laws that apply to every man and woman in California apply to you. Homosexuals can marry anyone of the opposite gender they wish, and heterosexuals may not marry anyone of the same sex. Anyway, Amber is a hypocrite. You see, she thinks she's already "married" to her partner. They married in Massachusetts, but they said they wanted to marry again in their home state. Gosh, does that mean all those people who get married in romantic tropical settings or who go for a weekend honeymoon in Las Vegas need to get married again when they get home? I don't think so, because they're not out to make some sort of political statement -- they understand the true meaning of marriage.

"No wedded bliss yet for gay couples." The Dallas Morning News; August 13, 2010; p. 6A.

I repeat -- HYPOCRITES!

The Obama administration is planning to institute "consumer protections" for millions of workers covered by company health, pension, and disability plans, ordering companies to clearly explain decisions on claims and how employees can dispute denials. "People need to have a clear road map to appeal claims," Phyllis Borzi, assistant secretary for employee benefits at the Labor Department, said.

Have you ever known someone who tried to work out a problem or get an explanation from Social Security or Medicare? Have you read the thousands of pages in the Obamacare legislation? It's a bureaucratic nightmare. Maybe Obama should concentrate on cleaning up his own house before he goes after private industry. HYPOCRITES!

"Obama calls for benefits clarity." The Dallas Morning News; August 13, 2010; p. 3D.

Just how poor are they?

Hawaii has a problem. The homeless are taking over Waikiki Beach. They are coming from everywhere to pitch their makeshift tents on the beach and take advantage of support services in the islands. Hawaiian officials say each one of these people costs them about $35,000 a year.

One of the homeless is Tony Williams, a 35-year-old from Long Beach, California. "I'm dealing with the cards I got dealt," he said. Well, Tony, most people don't just sit around and look at the cards they've been dealt. They get off their tails and do something about their situations. And my question is, if you're so poor, how did you afford a plane ticket to Hawaii? I've taken a vacation there, and my airfare was not cheap!

One of the solutions Hawaii has come up with is one way tickets to send these people back where they came from. People on the mainland don't like that option -- "It's basically a callous, 'let's turn our back on the problem' approach to expect other cities to pick up and assume the responsibilities,'" said John Fox of Seattle. To my way of thinking, a 35-year-old like Tony Williams should assume his own responsibility. Why does any city owe him anything? The obvious solution is to quit offering the bums support services. If the funds dry up, they'll manage to go somewhere else.

"Homelessness in paradise." The Dallas Morning News; July 26, 2010; p. 4A.

Talk about ingratitude!

Now, not only must we educate illegal aliens and refugees at taxpayer expense, but we must also do it where they want it done.

The Dallas Independent School District has decided to move all the older students (those ages 20-25) to one campus. Nirmala Dangal will be a high school senior this year. She is 21 years old. She is a refugee from Nepal. She doesn't like that idea. She says she may drop out of school, because she likes the school she's currently attending.

The idea of separating the older students was born out of concern for younger students. Would you want your 14-year-old freshman daughter sitting in the classroom with a 22-year-old man? Think about it -- if the man is 22 and hasn't yet finished high school, doesn't that tell you that he had some kind of a problem in his teen years? How do we know what that problem was and whether or not he is a danger to a young girl?

Back to Nirmala. Bob Mezger, the Dallas-area director for Refugee Services of Texas, says that "refugees like to stay within their comfort zones in their new communities." Nirmala's father doesn't want her attending school across town. Well, Mr. Dangel, I guess if you don't like that you could go back to Nepal and that refugee camp you spent 18 years in. Maybe you'd be more "comfortable" there. Honestly, the ingratitude of some people!

"Overage school comes under fire." The Dallas Morning News; August 8, 2010; p. 1B.

I told you tattoos were nasty!

Essie has a real problem with tattoos. When I go to a restaurant, it almost makes me sick if my server has tattoos. There's a lady I know who is a hair stylist, and she has tattoos all over her arms. I'll cut my own hair before I'll let her do it.

So color me surprised when I read that researchers have found a direct link between the number of tattoos an individual has and the incidence of hepatitis C, HIV, bacterial or fungal infections, and hepatitis B. Causes are improperly sterilized tools and poor hygienic practices and tattoo dyes stored in non-sterile containers.

So the next time I go out to eat, I think I'll specify the non-tat section. And on another note, I wonder how much we paid for this study that anyone with any common sense could figure out for themselves.

"People with extensive tattooing are more susceptible." The Dallas Morning News; August 10, 2010; p. 5E.

How like the Democrats.

Air Force Two, with VP Joe Biden aboard, caused a nearby plane to be blown into the air with its jet wash as it taxied to take off from Francis S. Gabreski Airport. According to news reports, those on board the government 757 were apparently unaware of what had happened.

When I read this, I couldn't help thinking how typical of politicians, especially Democrats. They routinely turn our world upside down, enjoy all their government perks, and are apparently unaware of what they're doing to the citizens they've been elected to serve. What's more, they don't really care.

Paris News Stephanie Norman exaggeration: Stephanie says that on Friday nights in the fall, "the whole town heads to the stadium." The capacity at North Lamar is 3,000. The capacity at the new Wildcat stadium is 5,300. Chisum capacity is 800. So my question is, where are they putting the other 16,655 people who live in Paris?

"No one hurt as Air Force Two jolts small plane." The Dallas Morning News; August 12, 2010; p. 7A.

Where's the apology to Toyota?

I can't remember if I posted on it or not, but when all the front-page brouhaha was going on about unexplained acceleration in Toyotas, I said I wouldn't think twice about buying one. In my experience, the Toyota is the best car I've ever owned.

At any rate, it seems Toyota is owed an apology. A government safety examination of vehicles involved in crashes attributed to sudden acceleration so far has pointed to driver error instead of flaws in the vehicles. They took electronic recording devices from 58 of the suspect cars. Thirty-five of them showed that at the point of impact, the drivers hadn't braked at all. Fourteen showed partial braking, and nine showed braking at the last second before the crash. There was one case where the pedal was trapped under the mat.

So why was this on page 5D instead of page 1A where the original allegations were printed?

Paris News Stephanie Norman funny: The Sandwich Etc. menu includes deserts. I don't know which ones, but my guess is probably the Gobi and the Sahara.

"Federal study finds driver error in crashes." The Dallas Morning News; August 11, 2010; p. 5D.

Yes, I am different!

Donna Arego of Tyler says that we should show some compassion to all those women we stand behind in the grocery line. You know, the ones with the food stamps and the WIC vouchers. She says " . . .a mother , who is no different from you -- just trying to feed her family . . ."

In the first place, she's not feeding her family -- I and other taxpayers have that responsibility foisted upon us. I am different than she is -- I didn't have kids I couldn't afford. I am different than she is -- I accept responsibility for my actions. I am different than she is -- I work for a living.

Donna says, "Kindness, not judgment, is what is needed in this world." Kindness is making that woman stand on her own two feet. Or at least making the men who impregnated her stand on their own two feet and pay for the children they fathered. It doesn't take much judgment to see that she's made bad choices and that we are being asked to pay for them. That's just the facts, ma'am.

Paris News Stephanie Norman funny: Stephanie tells us all about the "cliental" at Sandwich Etc. And we know it's not a typo, because it's repeated several times.

"Try a little compassion . . ." The Dallas Morning News; July 3, 2010; p. 20A.

Is Craig Watkins deaf, or is he a liar?

The Dallas County District Attorney is either deaf or a liar. Speaking of Obama's recent trip to Dallas, Watkins said that Obama's speech focused on the difficult work, not political attacks.

Guess he didn't hear the part where Obama said that Republicans are counting on voter amnesia about how badly they ran the country in the eight years before he took office. Nothing partisan about that, is there? Guess he didn't hear or see the part where Obama drew a picture of Republicans driving a car into the ditch and demanding the keys after the Democrats pulled it out. "They're standing on the sidelines, sipping on a Slurpee," said the First Hypocrite. Lots of substance to that, wasn't there? Completely non-political, wasn't it?

HYPOCRITES!

Paris News Stephanie Norman funny: Stephanie quotes one of the local high school band directors, "We would like to win sweep steaks. . . " Want some A-1 with that?

"Obama raises funds, jabs rivals." The Dallas Morning News; August 10, 2010; p. 1A.

Adding Insult to Injury

I just heard this morning that the muslim terrorist who killed all those people at Ft. Hood is still drawing $6000 a month because he's still a member of our military. What is the matter with this country?

Tell us about those rich, fat-cat Republicans.

Wedding experts estimate that Chelsea Clinton's wedding cost between $2 and $3 million. Some media reports put the cost as high at $5 million. But Clinton family friends say the figure did not "exceed 6 figures." So that doesn't rule out $999,999.99.

Personally, I don't care what the Clintons spent -- it's their money to do with as they like. But the next time I hear one of them talk about rich, stingy, uncaring Republicans, or corporate fat-cats, I may go throw up. Because hypocrites make me sick.

By the way, contrast the Clinton extravaganza with the tasteful but understated Jenna Bush wedding. Which family do you think is more in touch with "the common man"?

"N.Y. village in a tizzy over Bill's arrival." The Dallas Morning News; July 31, 2010; p. 8A.

Does it really matter how we got here?

The Texas Education Agency is celebrating. The number of Texas public schools that earned "exemplary" or "recognized" under the state accountability ratings jumped dramatically in 2010. Yes! Our kids are getting smarter!

But wait -- here's how it happened. The Agency instituted a whole bunch of exemptions that allow schools to count students who failed the TAKS test as having passed. The justification is that the students just might pass it if they take it again. I'm wondering -- do they get to count the student again if he does pass it later? Do they get to count the student every time he fails it? With some of the students failing multiple times, that could really boost the passing rates!

Proponents of the system say that it's a reliable projection. I say what's even more reliable is reporting how many students actually passed and how many actually failed.

Using the agency theory, we should go ahead and award high school diplomas at Kindergarten graduation, because all those little tykes may eventually earn one. An added bonus to that plan is that the drop-out rate will take a dramatic dive!

"With an assist, school ratings up." The Dallas Morning News; July 31, 2010; p. 1A.