Panning the M-Squad
For countless years, the Midland CVB M-Squad has gone out on I-20 and pulled over out of towner's in a marketing effort to get them to spend the night in Midland, on us.
I've always thought this was a curious practice and if the comments on MyWestTexas.com and John Kelso's ridicule of the practice in the Austin American Statesman are any indication, so do the wacko's in the world.
As a real critic of Midland's foray into building "un-natural" tourist and convention facilities, I think Kelso has the money quote that sums up the outside perception of Midland:
You mean they're so desperate in Midland for tourists that they've got to get the law to pull them over?
You might say I agree with Kelso on that point, but why do I say he and other commenter's are Wacko? Well it seems even a story about a town doing silly things for tourists can't escape BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome), nor a good lashing out at Republican's, here's a sample:
And the gifts just keep on coming. "We've got putt-putt golf, and the Summer Mummers will give us tickets," Crane said. "It's a melodrama that's put on every weekend. It's a fun thing. You throw popcorn and boo the villain and all that."Speaking of booing, some winners get tickets to the George W. Bush home.
Please, you gave Texas Craddick, (I have absolute power), now your pulling over law abiding citizens, causing possible traffic accidents or personal jeopardy and cheer about it.Maybe we should forgo the Sheriff's Deputies and put flashing lights on a bright Red and Gray Haliburton truck and pull people over with that?
UPDATE: Read the blog post by "Jimmy the P."
(Do I get my little gold "content" sticker now?)
10 Comments
Screw John Kelso and all the ilk of that damnable rag The Austin Unamerican Statesman ! By God if they think we're doing something stupid , maybe , just MAYBE we're doing something right ! Kelso and his merry band of left leaning boys and girls who are sooo hip and freaking cool can go to hell!This is a trade-out and doesn't cost us anything! If someone traveling thru our city has a problem with getting stopped for a ton of free promotional stuff , screw them ! Midland is Not the only city that does this so THINK ! What does it hurt ! Nothing and No one ! BAH ! Screw the Austin Unamerican Statesman..and while I'm at it , Screw Texas Monthly too!!!
Jimmy the P's talking about us again:
...yet another sad example of how the Internet is all too often used to spread hyper-critical anonymous comments in this age of virtual free speech, vastly different from the real thing.
...or maybe I'm being a little sensitive. *sniff*
Writers like John Kelso are like "Pet Psychologists" in that their only real utility is to serve as a reminder of how massively wealthy our society must be that it pays them for what they produce.
Big Smile, Nat! Thanks!
...though I'll point out that someone other than you or me is paying for his excretions exertions.
OK, a question for our esteemed site administrator: why does some html work in the comments when you "preview" and not in the final, uneditable-by-the-commenter version?
One thing you all seem to forget is that Kelso is a HUMOR columnist, fer crying out loud. It's not supposed to be taken seriously. I think you've got very thin skin. I'm from the Panhandle, so don't go thinking I'm some city slicker, either.
PS...Don't you guys slam Abiline every chance you get?
Kelso wants to be taken seriously, and poke serious fun at those in power or who have different values from "Austin Normal". I think he is among a group of liberal Texas writers that is vying to be the next Molly Ivins.
Though written with a folksy and humorous slant, you can't deny that Kelso is a political creature of a particular bent and Bush, Midland and Craddick are some of his favorite targets:
Time to sack speaker and his stuff? (5/25/07)
Iraqis school us on how to oust speaker (6/15/07)
I'm not being thin skinned, I'm just documenting how other see Midland and questioning the timing of an article about a practice that is *DECADES* old by a columnist from Austin with a known bias. He's on a Midland/Craddick/Bush bashing roll...and may be for some time to come.
One thing you all seem to forget is that Kelso is a HUMOR columnist, fer crying out loud.
Katie has hit the nail on the head. I don't find myself having to be reminded that Dave Barry or P.J. O'Rourke are humor columnists.
Oh, wait.....I think she was defending the guy.
Cops doing that is an abuse of power and there is no other way about it. I don't care what their motivations are. Were I rich and even more fractious than I am, I'd sue a city for that and make as much noise as possible.
But of course it's BSD--a good coinage, by the way. Perhaps it could also stand for Bovine Spongiform Democrat, or a version of Mad Cow Disease? This is merely another example of the double-standard. If George Bush skated on a sidewalk, then Halliburton profited from the sidewalk. Teddy Kennedy kills a woman and he's the lion of the Senate.
Scooter Libby lies to the FBI in a purely formalistic way, not in contempt of the law designed to protect field agents and gets prison time. Sandy Burglar steals classified documents.
Recall Geraldine Ferraro's husband John Zacarro? He was convicted for helping himself to funds he was trustee of. Punishment was I believe 120 hours of public service--teaching ethics to lawyers.
Double standard? Why be astonished?
Oh. News flash. The sun shone on the White House lawn and that's energy and so W is in bed with Big Oil.