Battalion/Pageif
November 11, ■
opinion
Slouch
By Jim Earle
“...state-wide, fair weather is expected, with one excep
tion — College Station! They will experience what has
come to be known as a ‘bonfire monsoon’!*’
Las Vegas suffers
economic woes
too
by Art Buchwald
Every columnist has to go to one typic
al American town every fall to tell his
readers what is really going on in the
country. This year I chose Las Vegas, a
nice friendly community situated in the
desert somewhere between Salt Lake City
and Phoenix.
I dropped into Caesars Palace, the
local hangout, and sat around a crap
table drinking coffee with some of the
locals.
They told me Las Vegas has not been
immune to vicissitudes of the economy.
Business is way off, and unemployment is
above the 10 percent mark.
“They’re closing down blackjack
tables left and right,” a bearded dealer
told me, “and half the roulette wheels
have stopped turning.”
Another old-timer said, “Our slot
machines used to go day and night. Now
we’re lucky to have one shift working in
the evening.”
“A few years ago you used to have to
wait two hours to get a seat in a poker
game. Now you can walk into any place
and they’ll deal you a hand before you
ca* take your money out.”
“Things are that bad?”
“They’ve never been worse,” a fellow
in a cowboy hat said. “We got hoofers that
haven’t worked in a year.”
“I thought Las Vegas was recession-
proof,” I said.
“So did we. We always figured that no
matter how bad things got people would
come here to see Wayne Newton and
forget their troubles. But we were wrong.
People are staying home and saying,
‘Maybe next year, if things pick up, we’ll
go to Las Vegas and lose all our money.’”
“What is really killing us is Wall
Street,” a pit boss said. “When there was
no action there, everyone came out here
to shoot crap.”
“Now the high rollers would rather
gamble on the stock market than come to
Las Vegas and bet on a sure thing.”
“Another reason we’re hurting,” a
cocktail waitress said, “is Atlantic City.
They shouldn’t have allowed casinos in
New Jersey. It corrupts the people.”
“It was a rotten thing for Jersey to do,”
the pit boss agreed. “When Bugsy Seigel
built this town out of sand, he was given
everyone’s solemn word that Nevada
would be the only state to have legalized
gambling. Then Bugsy was hardly cold in
his grave when Jersey reneged on its
promise.”
“We’re not just worried about Atlantic
City,” the blackjack dealer said. “New
York is talking gambling, Llorida is talk
ing gambling, even California is talking
gambling. Every state that can’t meet its
bills is trying to find a new way of taking a
taxpayer’s money away from him.”
“Maybe you’re being too pessimistic,” I
suggested. “Surely most Americans have
a sentimental attachment for Las Vegas
that they don’t have for any other town.
After all, you replaced Niagara falls as
everyone’s favorite tourist attraction.”
“Crap shooters don’t have sentiment.
All they need is a green felt table and a
pair of red dice, and they don’t care
where they are.”
“If they put 10 slot machines at Chica
go’s airport, we could be out of business
tomorrow,” the man in the cowboy hat
said.
“Do you people blame Reaganomics
for the lousy shape the town is in?” I
asked.
“What’s Reaganomics?” the waitress
wanted to know.
“It’s President Reagan’s plan for get
ting America back on its feet. It includes
tax cuts for everyone, incentives for in
dustry, a big cut in government spend
ing, and eventually a balanced budget.”
“What are the odds in Washington he
can do it?” the pit boss asked.
“Right now they’re 10-to-l.”
“Tell the people in Washington if they
fly out here, we’ll give them 30-to-l and
all drinks are on the house.”
Inside dope rings flourishing^
by Dick West
United Press International
Nobody can say with certainty how much
money is spent in this country each year on
the collection and distribution of inside dope.
It is a good guess that the inside dope
market now ranks economically with light in
dustry. One reliable indicator is the growth of
the newsletter business, whose publishers are
among the biggest dealers.
The 1982 Newsletter Clearinghouse Direc
tory has more than 2,400 listings, most or all
of which push inside dope.
Heavy users are found in nearly every
sphere of activity. Among the more widely
publicized inside dope addicts are horse-
players, stock market; investors and odds-
makers who compile betting lines on sporting
contests.
It is known, however, that the demand for
inside dope usually reaches a peak just before
and after an election. At that time, even con
sumers who only use inside dope for “recrea
tional” purposes are clamoring for a fix.
Which figures. How else except with inside
dope could anyone explain this year’s Illinois
gubernatorial race?
As everyone knows, Adlai Stephenson III
was expected to run well behind Republican
Gov. James Thompson. The reason the elec
tion was so close can best be understood with a
hit of inside dope.
Political insiders confide that what we were
witnessing in Illinois was a wimp backlash.
During the campaign, you’ll recall, Steven
son’s rather, ah, restrained style frequently
was contrasted to Thompson’s more, ah, out
going technique. Out of these differences de
veloped a campaign charge that Stevenson
was a bit of a wimp.
This being a controversial subject, 1 shall
quote from a non-partisan dictionary defini
tion of wimpishness. One key word is “in
sipid.”
image. Maybe in public we would neven |
to having a wimpy streak. But all of® K
nowledge having a few insipid cons; L By Dai
brothers-in-law. In the privacy of at ij Battali
booth, which closely resembles a clostt Ifl 16 debat
not natural to gravitate toward one(jvljo support;
own? Mr weapons
You hear a lot of things about the! thtl uture oft
election. The soggy ballots in Chicagtpding oppo
vaunted Cook County machine. Etc,iMd here Wei
t.' is I * tlw» i a e l m rv t orTstt' ac tntf einnLii^M
siders view the wimp factor as thesinglsM D r - Steven
important element. Mchief of 1
finindation’s
Deliberately or not, the Thompson Imports the
expanded the theme advanced in thekLdear fusio
ing book “Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche.’ pd beam we
^ |
When applied to a politician, the term
wimp is widely considered pejorative. But
hold!
As political insiders are aware, a goodly
portion of the male voting population in
America is composed of closet wimps.
Maybe we strive manfully to shuck that
implied that “Real Men Don’t Vote for V “There is
dates Named Adlai, Particularly If tk ping on in 1
Is Followed by Roman Numerals.’’ hat will deter
In Illinois, that intimationstrucksort fed military
der feelings. As it would in anystate.foi fed States i
tion analysis put the wimp vote finr bine.” Bardw
Stevenson’s column. nkudderFo
Let this be a lesson to all futurecandrMSC Great Is
If you want to win re-election, don'ulM The pro
us wimps. Mpportthe b
|ional weapon
Tijal-type warf
IG6MCTE SMOKING HAS BEEN F00NP1DK
PERFECTLY HARMLESS TO YOUR HEAITH
BY THE NUCLEAR REfiJlATORY COMMISSION
jjectives are
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Those obje
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Letters: Rebel flag symbol of racism
Editor:
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
j , Member ot
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalisln Conference
Editor Diana Sultenfuss
Managing Editor Phyllis Henderson
Associate Editor Denise Richter
City Editor Gary Barker
Assistant City Editor HopeE. Paasch
Sports Editor Frank L. Christlieb
Entertainment Editor Nancy Floeck
Assistant Entertainment Editor Colette
Hutchings
News Editors Cathy Capps, Johna Jo
Maurer, Daniel Puckett, Jan
Werner, Todd Woodard
Staff Writers Jennifer Carr, Susan
Dittman, Beverly Hamilton,
David Johnson, John Lopez,
Robert McGlohon, Carol Smith,
Dana Smelser, Joe Tindel, John
Wagner, Rebeca Zimmermann
Copyeditors Elaine Engstrom,
Chris Thayer
'Cartoonist Scott McCullar
Graphic Artist Pam Starasinic
Photographers David Fisher, Jorge Casari,
Ronald W. Emerson, Octavio
Garcia, Irene Mees, John
Ryarf, Robert Snider
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77843.
This is a modest plea for change, mas
querading as an inquiry. Lor some eight
years, as I have hiked to school in the fall
past the bonfire site, I have noticed the
Confederate flag which flies from the
crossbeam and wondered why it was
there. No, that’s not quite true. Actually,
I know that over the years it has become a
tradition to place it there, which a group
in the Corps does. What I have really
wondered and found myself disturbed
about is why A&M’s administration and
student body allow it to fly, particularly in
such a semi-official manner.
I realize I may be mistaken in associat
ing the flag with racism. In fact, I would
like to believe that although it flew over
the slave-holding South during the Civil
War and was waved by Southern bigots in
the 60’s to taunt Civil Rights workers and
Blacks, it has other, more admirable asso
ciations, when flown here. But I suspect it
does not, or at least did not some years
ago.
Most Aggies, I believe, now feel
embarrassed about Texas A&M’s segre
gation policies of the past and support
President Vandiver’s current effort to
make A&M a “world university,” sensi
tive to the problems of people of all races.
Shouldn’t we then cease to honor and
identify the university with a corrupt
Southern nation long ago discredited
and undone by its own moral confusion
and social decay?
Larry J. Reynolds
Associate Professor
Department of English
hallway room on the second floor of Rud
der Tower and waits while the Placement
Center staff calls out different company
names, along with the qualifications
needed for the said company. After four
company names are called, the group’s
station number is called and everybody
who wants to interview with one of those
companies runs like maniacs to form a
line at that station. This goes on and on.
The running mass of humanity — arms
and elbows flailing about, mad look of
determination on faces, bodies colliding
with bodies — is really a spectacular sight.
They say it’s a dog-eat-dog world out
there and this process of signing up for
interviews is a sure way to get students
acquainted with what they can expect in
life. I don’t have any better ideas for the
procedure and this letter is not a com
plaint. Just a warning that you have to be
prepared with a football helmet, elbow
pads, knee pads, and a vicious, killer atti
tude if you want to get that interview and
land that job. I’ll be ready. Good luck.
Larry Chasen ’8?
Dogwood
C.S., Tx
Convention a succes
Editor:
Last weekend, the National Honoi
Mechanical Engineering Fraterniti
Tau Sigma, held its 62nd National(
vention here on our campus. Theei
was a tremendous success, with attt
ance by 63 chapters and about 130(1
gates. It was the largest conventionii
least 12 years. Delegates were horn
mostly in the MSC Hotel and all meet!
and meals were in the Rudder/MSCq
plex.
On behalf of the Texas A&M Silf
Delta Chapter, which organized J
hosted the Convention, I would likf
take this opportunity to publicly thanl'
the campus offices that gave us somil
assistance in preparing for this evfl
Special mention goes to the Schedui
Office and the MSC Main Desk for
ways doing what we Wanted done,
matter how short the notice.
Saleem Karimjee
Convention Dired
Placement race rages
Editor:
There are certain things one must do
while in college to prepare for a future
career and land a job in that career upon
graduation. What high minded fresh
man would have ever thought that along
with making good grades, participating
in school activities, getting summer jobs
in career fields, and getting to know pro
fessors, they would have to be versed in
self-defense and brute tactics to have a
chance at that long awaited job. Anybody
who has ever had the pleasure of signing
up for an interview with the Placement
Center knows what I’m talking about and
those that have not will get there soon.
Until then, here’s how the game is
played. Everybody crams into the big
Berry’s World by Jim Berry
©1982 byNEA. Inc.
“The rich are getting richer and the poor are
getting poorer. GOOD for me, but BAD for you,
eh, fella?’’