A Winner, but Suspicious Activity in Burger Poll . . .

After 54 votes, Kinkaid's is the landslider winner in the "Fort Worth's Best Burger Poll."
But there is a slight statistical problem. Kinkaid's received 26 votes, Tommy's 10, but "other" received 12 votes coming in second place. Help me. Who is the other(s)? Since no one received 50% of the vote I am having a run-off election between Kinkaids, Tommy's and the "other". I started this poll before I knew about Dutch's. Could that be the "other"? I need a name people. Thanks.

Do You Read the Newspaper?

In the tradition of separating humanity into two and only two groups on any given topic, I propose the following question:

Do you or do you not read the newspaper (in paper format)?

Please complete the poll to the right.

For the record, I am a "newspaper reader", and may possibly be an, "inveterate newspaper reader". My habit is the following:
1. Fort Worth Star-Telegram
a. Front page: glance the headlines.
b. Local and Business sections: read fairly in depth.
c. Sports: depends on the day and if it is baseball season. Baseball and basketball boxscores.
d. Obituaries.
By the way, the S-T was at the front of the internet news curve. Some of you might remember Startext, a non-graphical interface (like the old Compuserve) bulletin board, that had news, forums, sports scores, etc. When AOL came out with a "GUI" interface to the news and email I think Startext slowly went away. Their new newspaper, on-line-as-it-is-on-paper, is superb.
2. Wall Street Journal
a. Amazing breadth and depth of coverage for business, government and, of course, investing. I look forward to the Friday, House of Worship and de gustibus sections; and Saturdays, Arts and Leisure section.
b. Their letters to the editor are often great reading.
c. Read any Peggy Noonan editorial.

Occasional reading
3. New York Times. The best Sunday edition of any newspaper (worth the $5). Obituaries are the best in the world. I like to read what nonsense editorialist Maureen Dowd is promoting.
4. USA Today - Newspaper snobs don't like it but it's a good newspaper. Their puzzle section is great, and the crossword is slightly easier the Times.
5. Fort Worth Business Press. I usually pick one up at Kinkaids, then get glares from the wife as I side-read it over hamburgers and conversation. Good coverage of local business people and listings of "top 20" in particular industries.

See today's paper, for an article on blogs in and on Fort Worth: http://www.star-telegram.com/metro_news/story/285213.html

Realist or Hypocrite?

A guest post by Andrew ----

I always celebrate when I see local protests against Wal-Mart. The protestors always make the point, a point with which I wholly agree, that Wal-Mart and its imitators have destroyed much of the local flavor and life of American towns and cities. I concur and then heartily proclaim “stick it to the man!”

I am always upset when I see another huge Wal-Mart pimple being constructed in a city. I always think, “ughhh, what are we doing!?” I do the same thing, in fact, when I see a new shopping center built with the typical slew of chain restaurants: Chili’s, Olive Garden, Outback, Starbucks, Ruby Tuesday’s, McD’s, etc... Those who know me will also attest to my undying dislike of freeways and their by-product, suburban sprawl. I will repeat, ad nauseum, to anyone and everyone how much better high-density, urban cities are to the suburban mediocrity of most American cities. I will then pontificate about how much we have lost in the past fifty years due to our over-consuming, over-convenient way of life.

I am, however, a horrible hypocrite. Every morning on my way to work I stop and buy a cup of coffee. I have two options every morning: the local mom-and-pop coffee shop or McDonalds. Without fail, every morning, I look at the mom-and-pop and I think “I should go there.” I never do. The reason is that every time I have gone there, the service is slow and the coffee is no better than McDonalds. It’s not worse but it isn’t better. The Mom-and-Pop doesn’t have much business, I think, because most everyone has made the assessment I have: it’s no better and it is less convenient. So McD’s will win and I will build up the very thing which I scour.

So as Don Corleone says in Godfather II: “Senator, we’re all part of the same hypocrisy”