- Dallas is going to be losing one of its better watchdogs when city hall reporter Dave Levinthal decamps for Washington, DC this summer. The worn cliche in our business is that if all sides are mad at you, you’re doing your job right. (Though I don’t think anyone in our business ever stops to think, “Maybe I’m just an a-hole.”) Well, Dave did his job right, and kept an eye on the horseshoe for everyone. So it’s our loss. Oh, and Dave? The Bills suck.
- “To do nothing is to turn our back on the problem,” Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway said. Every time there’s a really bad piece of legislation, someone says this or a variation, “To do nothing is not an option.” Yes, doing nothing IS an option, if the “something” you want to do is stupid, unneeded, or downright oppressive. This kind of statement is a blank check that draws on your wallet and your rights. A pol needs a metaphoric kick in the teeth when he says this.
- Robert Guest has a gem of a find: Even cops are told to get an attorney when they talk to cops. If you’re the subject of an investigation, the person asking the questions does not have your interests in mind. Even police know this. So follow their example — don’t ever, ever, ever speak to the police without an attorney.
- So Texas is the second youngest state, with a median age of 33.2 (thank you for the decimal, Mr. Spock), which should be justification enough to RIF Steve Blow.
- And it doesn’t explain the Six Flags mascot, which SWAIM rightly notes is like being kicked in the eyes with AIDS. Seriously — could this look any more like a child molester?
So what’s the over-under for the first news story about how there’s a racial imbalance in the number of curfew-violation citations issued to minority kids?
Are you saying Junior Soprano is a child molester? Do you really want a .45 slug through the right eye?
It would be much, much funnier — let’s face it, it would be a moment of unprecedented hilarity — if his kidneys failed and a soldier shot him in an elevator. And then he got kicked in his metaphorical teeth. (In this case, “teeth” are a metaphor for testicles.)
The Six Flags guy is named Mr. Six: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Six
He’s creepy, and I can’t see how he’ll attract people to a theme park, but I’m in hospital/health care marketing, not theme park marketing.
I don’t like Mr. Six, I suspect he’s a wax figure, but if his kidneys failed I wouldn’t kick him in his teeth. He doesn’t have any.
I wonder what it is he’s handing me. A fistful of pills? Or is he making some kind of cruising signal?
Mr. Six freaks me out. I bet he drives a van and gives candy to all the little boys and girls.
Worst marketing gimmick ever.
Why are more flags more fun?
Is there a 3 flags theme park?
Do you actually use flags at the park?
How do you use a flag?
Are flags even fun? I mean is one flag fun at all?
Or is it just a hassle to find yourself standing with a flag?
If you found yourself standing with a flag, wouldn’t your friends just be like, why is this guy standing with a flag?
Would they even be your friends any more?
Would they start trying to find flagless people to be friends with?
Would this start a trend of flag haters?
If so which of the six flags would they most hate?
JJM,
Mexico. But only because they’re illegal, not because they’re brown and listen to godawful music.
Dave Levinthal leaving Dallas is a major loss for the city. He’s a pro and one of the finest reporters to have ever covered Dallas city hall. This is just another sign of the Dallas Morning News’ decline, with other good reporters like Kent Fisher leaving in the past couple of months, too. Say nothing of all the good people the Dallas Morning News has laid off in the past few years. Good luck, Dave. Keep a close eye on government wherever you land next.