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So Much for Nuance and Diversity, Huh?

February 15, 2010 By Trey Garrison 19 Comments

There’s a world of difference between 1) saying there are still questions about everything that happened on and leading up to 9/11 — even 9/11 commissioners have said this, and discussed how various branches of government played CYA — and 2) saying 9/11 was a U.S. government plot.

However, partisan hacks and shallow-minded editorial writers, both looking for an easy way to dismiss anyone who has different ideas on other issues (what happened to valuing diversity?) either actively blur the distinction or they let the distinction get blurred.

I don’t think I’m going to form my opinion of someone based on one group trying to slap a buzzword label on them, especially when they categorically reject the label.

That’s my 2 cents.

Filed Under Media Driven Panics

On Debra Medina’s Supposed Trutherism

February 14, 2010 By Trey Garrison 48 Comments

From the desk of John Jay Myers

I have known Debra Medina for several years now, if one week ago you would have asked me “What is Debra Medina’s opinion on 9/11 truthers?” I would have said “hmmm, I have no idea, I imagine she knows nothing about it.” I wouldn’t even think it would be something on her agenda to even consider.

I think Thursday proved that to be true.
In my opinion her answer was pretty bad, but… not because she believes 9/11 was an inside job, which she doesn’t, but because she really doesn’t know anything about the conspiracy theories.

Filed Under Media Driven Panics

They Destroy What They Don’t Understand

January 27, 2010 By Trey Garrison 39 Comments

I will never understand what goes on in the mind of a gun control freak.001-0801121510-gun_control

Example: A criminal fires a gun outside the Texas capitol, so therefore the first thing we should do is ban law-abiding people with concealed handgun licenses from carrying inside the capitol building and put up metal detectors.

WTF?

Filed Under Guns, Media Driven Panics

The Death of The Suburbs Has Been Greatly Exaggerated. Again.

July 7, 2009 By Trey Garrison 12 Comments

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Every time gas prices tick up or there’s some horribly written feature about how cool urban life is becoming in Dallas, the urban yokels crow about the death of the suburbs and how everyone — everyone! — will soon be living in prole-style density and walking to their creative, carbon-neutral jobs. The McMansions will be sitting empty and it’s DART cards for everyone.

The suburbanites are giving up their quiet streets and cookie-cutter houses and functioning schools and marching like war refugees back to the city center to enjoy overpriced bridges by overhyped architects, People’s Hotels, and loft living like we’re all back in college. Hallelujah, praise the Prius, and pass the Hope and Change bumper stickers!

The only problem? It’s not true.

510q7emw6pl_sl500Despite the gleeful yokel wishes, the people of The DFW are not, in fact, moving back to the city core and away from the safe, quiet, people-stay-off-my-lawns suburbs. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

Have a look yourself.

  • From 2007 to 2008, the city of Dallas lost 18,847 people.
  • From 2007 to 2008, the ‘Burbs gained 62,022 people.
  • From 2000 to 2008, Dallas lost about 250,000 people, while the ‘Burbs gained more than 500,000.

Bottom line:

Spin can change perceptions, but not reality. People are not moving from the suburbs to the core cities. The reverse continues to be true, even in the worst of times.

I love Dallas — Dallas itself, not just The DFW — but propaganda about the death of the suburbs isn’t going to fix what’s wrong with it.

Filed Under Fort Awesome, Media Driven Panics, Urban Uber Alles?

Monday Roundup: Can I Borrow Your Towel? Just Hit a Water Buffalo

June 1, 2009 By Trey Garrison 3 Comments
  • When most Democrats, Republicans, the media, and right-thinking people are behind something big, expensive and grand — like they are the commuter rail scheme (or the hotel, or the Trinity Parkway) — you just know it’s probably a bad idea. I’m just going to sit here maturely and sup upon the bitter disappointment from everyone who wants to tax drivers for the benefit of a single digit percentage who feel good about themselves for taking public transportation. Muhahaha.

Filed Under Culture, FAIL, Friendly Police State, Immigration, Liberty, Media, Media Driven Panics, Novelty Cake Toppers

Feherty Falls Victim to Ye Olde Double Standard

May 11, 2009 By Trey Garrison 8 Comments

As Tim reports, David Feherty is in danger of losing his CBS gig because of a joke he wrote in the print product in the magazine where yours truly is one of the contributing editors.

Ahem.

But this video clip below is OK, where even Mr. Obama guffawed, I guess since the target was on the right side of the binary line.

(I guffawed, too. Sykes and Feherty were funny. So the Always Indignant on both sides can suck it.)

Filed Under D Magazine, FAIL, Media Driven Panics

Thursday Roundup: You’re Soaking In It

May 7, 2009 By Trey Garrison 5 Comments
  • City council candidate John Jay Myers has the quote of the (yester)day regarding the latest foot-stamping, holding my breath ad from the astroturfers at RIP Dallas: “We want! we want! we want!” They sound like spoiled children. Go out and do, and stop trying to force me to buy you a hotel.” As Wick Allison notes today – it’s just a piss-poor deal for a dead-end industry..
  • If you doubt that government, by its very nature, is a bit of a shady enterprise — a protection racket where some are more equal than others — then take a gander at this.

Filed Under City Owned Boondoggle, Media Driven Panics, Politics, The DFW, Zombies

Proposed Daytime Curfew — Who Are You Kidding?

May 6, 2009 By Trey Garrison 10 Comments

I’ve mentioned the proposed Dallas daytime curfew for those under 18 during school hours. Even though police already have the power to take truants into custody, this new curfew would criminalize them and — big surprise here — slap a $500 fine on parents. I’m sure it has nothing to do with Dallas’ budget crisis. Anyway, here’s more on the issue from the Citizens Against a Daytime Curfew. Take it away, Laurel Allen.

——————————————————————————–

Is the proposed daytime curfew necessary?

According to the Texas Education Code, police are already fully empowered to take any child seen in public during school hours into custody in order to determine if they are a juvenile in need of supervision, or if there is probable cause that they are in violation of the compulsory school attendance law under Section 25 of the code. In the process of making that determination, they have the ability to intervene in a manner that requires the involvement of the child’s parent or guardian, the courts or juvenile board, and the school district.

JUMP FOR MORE.

[Read more...]

Filed Under Liberty, Media Driven Panics, Politics, The DFW

Wednesday Roundup: Taste the Creamy Filling

May 6, 2009 By Trey Garrison 2 Comments
  • The corporate mandated pot-stirring from Belo for the People’s Hotel is bad enough — read any of Steve Blow’s bought and paid for house advertorials? — but is it so bad that writers aren’t putting their bylines on their assigned hit pieces?
  • DUI checkpoints a-comin’ unless they get derailed. “Your papers, citizen.”
  • Coinciding with the posting of my Star Trek movie review, there’s this bit of awesome — the instruction manual for the USS Enterprise.
  • Yes, but what about the local anchors now that the Great Hamthrax Panic is over? Won’t someone think of them?
  • ph2009050403123Finally, U.S. Rep Pete Sessions, R-Oh God It’s Dallas, has been partying it up at Tao in Las Vegas. Here’s the billboard for one of the GOP venues — “Always a Happy Ending.” (h/t Ed Cognoski.)

Filed Under City Owned Boondoggle, Fort Awesome, Humor, Media Driven Panics, Novelty Cake Toppers, Politics, The DFW

Monday Roundup: Out, Out Damn Spot!

May 4, 2009 By Trey Garrison 4 Comments
  • I’m glad they got a voice of reason into this look at how the Lege is stomping all over both parental and teenager rights. Because who cares more about a kid — a mere parent, or some semi-pro political tool? (And what a surprise to find State Sen. John Carona’s fat fingerprints all over the worst of the bills.) Of course, the unintentional (or is it?) effect of all this is to raise up young adults who think their every decision as an adult is subject to permission from elected. Which, now that I mention it…
  • I missed something in Tanya Eiserer’s story on Friday that Grits certainly didn’t miss: “Eiserer’s story concludes with an especially fascinating account that suggests Sundquist’s lying wasn’t just malfeasance by a single officer but actually part of a pattern attributed to his entire unit.”
  • This is going to be fun. After all, if the product isn’t intended to cross state lines in manufacture, sale or us, how can the federal government justify regulating it under the interstate commerce clause? (I think you know what product I’m talking about.)
  • Stupid Flu Reactions: This weekend the softball team waved instead of high-fived. Cashiers at Kroger wore rubber gloves or lathered in hand sanitizer. No surgical mask sightings. What did you see?

Filed Under Creepy Guys in the Park, Guns, Media Driven Panics, Police, Politics, Zombies
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