The Dallas Morning News has run at least two full-page ads patting themselves on the back for delivering the newspaper through the snow and sleet we had the past two or three weeks. "Over the last few days, our carriers did what very few others were able to do. They delivered," they crow.
Well, maybe they did technically, but is it news when it's two days old? I did get my newspapers, but Friday's and Saturday's were delivered on Sunday. . . after the sleet and snow.
Skip over a few pages in the same edition of the paper, and there's an editorial about how DART board members praised the performance of the rapid transit during the storm. "But we have a sharp point of disagreement with those members of DART's policymaking board who bubbled with praise and little else . . . Had everything possible been done to ward off an unprecedented rail shutdown? . . . It's unfortunate that there are see-no-evil, hear-no-evil board members who don't start with the posture that the customer comes first and a tough-minded critique is in order. Internal pats on the back have their place, but not at the head of the agenda."
Perhaps the news editor responsible for this editorial should take the advice he dispenses in his summation: "Ask any company that delivers a service or puts products on shelves. When things go wrong, and customers are unhappy -- really unhappy -- the message can't be: 'But think about how hard we worked. And think about how many people were satisfied.' That will never work."
The Dallas Morning News; February 11, 2011; p. 21A.
"Backward Thinking." The Dallas Morning News; February 11, 2011; p. 28A.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Is he the best you can do?
Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway gave Michael Vick a key to the city. Enduring much criticism, Caraway proclaimed Vick to be a hero. For those of you who aren't sports fans or don't remember, Michael Vick is the pro football player who tortured and killed dogs for fun and profit.
Caraway says that Vick has paid his debt to society, has turned his life around, and is worthy of the honor. Maybe he has turned his life around. Maybe he has paid his debt to society. Maybe there is foregiveness. But there doesn't have to be adulation and honor for a man so twisted he saw nothing wrong with what he did. I don't care if he is now Saint Michael, he had to have been one sick wacko to do what he did, and we certainly shouldn't be holding him up as a role model. Let's not say to our kids, "Look how depraved you can be and still be a popular hero." If we must hand out these cheesy honors, let's find someone who's been a straight arrow from the beginning and hasn't had to turn his life around.
"Jaws fall open with Vick's key to the city." The Dallas Morning News; February 8, 2011; p. 1A.
Caraway says that Vick has paid his debt to society, has turned his life around, and is worthy of the honor. Maybe he has turned his life around. Maybe he has paid his debt to society. Maybe there is foregiveness. But there doesn't have to be adulation and honor for a man so twisted he saw nothing wrong with what he did. I don't care if he is now Saint Michael, he had to have been one sick wacko to do what he did, and we certainly shouldn't be holding him up as a role model. Let's not say to our kids, "Look how depraved you can be and still be a popular hero." If we must hand out these cheesy honors, let's find someone who's been a straight arrow from the beginning and hasn't had to turn his life around.
"Jaws fall open with Vick's key to the city." The Dallas Morning News; February 8, 2011; p. 1A.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Unclear on the Concept
Teachers are upset over the days they have lost due to the bad weather in North Texas. They say they don't have enough time to teach their students what they need to know to pass the state exams. Linda Price, a teacher at Sheffield Intermediate in north Dallas, said her students need more work before taking the TAKS March 1. "They're looking horrible," she said. "We can't catch up in writing." I think our schools are unclear on the concept. The TAKS is a comprehensive test intended to demonstrate that the student is picking up the concepts and information he needs to succeed. It is not an end in itself. Our educators are thinking backward. The successful student will pass the TAKS -- passing the TAKS does not make a successful student. If the teacher has been teaching the student to write since August, she shouldn't be concerned that her students can't "catch up" to take the test. Five days shouldn't be a make or break deal. The kids should already be well-versed in the writing principles they need. "Teachers fretting over lost days." The Dallas Morning News; February 10, 2011; p. 1B.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Does God evolve?
VP Joe Biden predicts that a national consensus for same-sex marriage is in the future. "I think the country's evolving," he said on Good Morning America. He says he agrees with President Barack Obama that his position on gay marriage is evolving.
Hmmmmm - God said homosexuality was an abomination. Do you think His attitude on the subject is evolving?
"Biden: Time is on the side of gay marriage." The Dallas Morning News; December 25, 2010; p. 9A.
Hmmmmm - God said homosexuality was an abomination. Do you think His attitude on the subject is evolving?
"Biden: Time is on the side of gay marriage." The Dallas Morning News; December 25, 2010; p. 9A.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Think about it, Patricia.
Patricia Wagner of Carrollton thinks she has a one-page solution to our health care problems. All I can say is, I'm glad Patricia's not in charge of things.
Number 2 on her list is: Insurance companies must accept everyone. Does Patricia realize that means even the deadbeat who spent his money on other things besides insurance and now finds himself with an expensive illness the rest of us, who've had insurance all along, must subsidize. Insurance is a shared risk business. That means my rates go up when a sick person buys insurance from my company.
Number 3 on her list is: Insurance rates must not exceed 10 percent of salary, per person. So, Patricia, I don't know what business you are in, but let's say you own a dress shop. You have a dress for sale that cost you $75. You price the dress at $150, the price you figure you need in order to cover your overhead and make a small profit. Mrs. Brown comes in, tries it on, and declares it a perfect fit. You ring up $150. "Wait!" Mrs. Brown says. "I don't make enough for you to charge me that much. You may charge me only $65." "But the dress cost me more than that," you exclaim. "Too bad," says Mrs. Brown. "You can't charge me more than 10% of my weekly salary. That's part of the one-page solution."
Number 4 on her list is: State-administered low-premium insurance will be available for low-income families. If they are paying low premiums, then their risk won't be covered. That means tax dollars to subsidize them. It's hard enough for most of us to pay for our taxes and insurance now. What do you think it will be like when you're paying not only for yours, but for all the "poor folks" as well?
Number 5 on her list is: People happy with their present insurance can keep it. Yeah, right. Patricia needs some Economics 101. If we implement the rest of her one-page solution, there won't be any insurance companies. . .which is what Obama has wanted from the beginning.
"My one-page solution." The Dallas Morning News; January 23, 2011; p. 3P.
Number 2 on her list is: Insurance companies must accept everyone. Does Patricia realize that means even the deadbeat who spent his money on other things besides insurance and now finds himself with an expensive illness the rest of us, who've had insurance all along, must subsidize. Insurance is a shared risk business. That means my rates go up when a sick person buys insurance from my company.
Number 3 on her list is: Insurance rates must not exceed 10 percent of salary, per person. So, Patricia, I don't know what business you are in, but let's say you own a dress shop. You have a dress for sale that cost you $75. You price the dress at $150, the price you figure you need in order to cover your overhead and make a small profit. Mrs. Brown comes in, tries it on, and declares it a perfect fit. You ring up $150. "Wait!" Mrs. Brown says. "I don't make enough for you to charge me that much. You may charge me only $65." "But the dress cost me more than that," you exclaim. "Too bad," says Mrs. Brown. "You can't charge me more than 10% of my weekly salary. That's part of the one-page solution."
Number 4 on her list is: State-administered low-premium insurance will be available for low-income families. If they are paying low premiums, then their risk won't be covered. That means tax dollars to subsidize them. It's hard enough for most of us to pay for our taxes and insurance now. What do you think it will be like when you're paying not only for yours, but for all the "poor folks" as well?
Number 5 on her list is: People happy with their present insurance can keep it. Yeah, right. Patricia needs some Economics 101. If we implement the rest of her one-page solution, there won't be any insurance companies. . .which is what Obama has wanted from the beginning.
"My one-page solution." The Dallas Morning News; January 23, 2011; p. 3P.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Think I'll have a Chick-fil-A for lunch.
You want to hear about the height of hypocrisy?
The gays are upset because Chick-fil-A provided sandwiches and brownies to a marriage seminar in Pennsylvania. The seminar was sponsored by a group that is outspoken against homosexuality, but the seminar itself was about marriage. Do you recall gays asking how homosexuality threatens traditional marriage? There's one answer for you. They want to ban people learning how to make their marriages better.
At any rate, students at some universities have begun to try to get Chick-fil-A removed from their campuses. There's tolerance for you. "If you're eating Chick-fil-A, you're eating anti-gay," they say. Douglas Quint says, "It literally leaves a bad taste because I know the people who are putting this food in my mouth actively loathe me." Oh, by the way, Douglas's business is ice cream. He operates the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck in New York.
All I have to say about that is "EAT MOR CHIKUN."
"Chick-fil-A's ties to group anger gay rights advocates." The Dallas Morning News; January 30, 2011; p. 8A.
The gays are upset because Chick-fil-A provided sandwiches and brownies to a marriage seminar in Pennsylvania. The seminar was sponsored by a group that is outspoken against homosexuality, but the seminar itself was about marriage. Do you recall gays asking how homosexuality threatens traditional marriage? There's one answer for you. They want to ban people learning how to make their marriages better.
At any rate, students at some universities have begun to try to get Chick-fil-A removed from their campuses. There's tolerance for you. "If you're eating Chick-fil-A, you're eating anti-gay," they say. Douglas Quint says, "It literally leaves a bad taste because I know the people who are putting this food in my mouth actively loathe me." Oh, by the way, Douglas's business is ice cream. He operates the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck in New York.
All I have to say about that is "EAT MOR CHIKUN."
"Chick-fil-A's ties to group anger gay rights advocates." The Dallas Morning News; January 30, 2011; p. 8A.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Why don't you do it, Blake?
In a recent letter to the editor, college student Blake Fowler bemoans the lack of "night life" in Paris. He wants something to "keep the guest coming back."
Our square has little to offer, he says. There is a potential for family-owned businesses -- pizzerias, family restaurants, small pubs, and the renovation of the movie theater. His only intent is to better our community.
Well, put your money where your mouth is, Blake. It's very easy to say, "Why doesn't someone else do it?" It's a lot harder to say, "I'm going to open a pizzeria, family restaurant, small pub, or renovate a movie theater." When Parisians see you do something besides gripe in the newspaper, maybe they'll be inspired and follow suit. As you say, think about it.
"A lack of night life." The Paris News; January 28, 2011; p. 4A.
Our square has little to offer, he says. There is a potential for family-owned businesses -- pizzerias, family restaurants, small pubs, and the renovation of the movie theater. His only intent is to better our community.
Well, put your money where your mouth is, Blake. It's very easy to say, "Why doesn't someone else do it?" It's a lot harder to say, "I'm going to open a pizzeria, family restaurant, small pub, or renovate a movie theater." When Parisians see you do something besides gripe in the newspaper, maybe they'll be inspired and follow suit. As you say, think about it.
"A lack of night life." The Paris News; January 28, 2011; p. 4A.
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