SPEAK OUT

Those sacred cows

ALL RIGHT, Southeast Missourian sages, since you brought it up, what say ye? Two of your sacred cows, educational achievement and commerce are apparently at odds.

Aim that arrow

SOME AREA schools deny delivery of Valentine's Day goodies to the schools partly because they think it causes a substantial disruption of the educational process. Naturally, flower and other merchants feel shortchanged, that deliveries are warranted and that they aren't intrusive. Many students likely favor something from Cupid's arrow being directed to school.

What is this?

IN A miserably failed attempt to salvage something from California's energy deregulation debacle, megabucks Steve Forbes (as quoted by Gary Rust) has called for, well, regulated deregulation. Huh?

Wrestling as art

IT IS fitting that the Show Me Center will draw its 4 millionth customer for a packed-house WWF event while the performance of "Porgy and Bess" generated a paltry 1,000 in attendance. Five years from now I predict that wrestling will become a cultural rather than sporting event, and The Rock, Stone Cold, Triple H and the Texas Rattlesnake will give poetry readings at the River Campus before body-slamming their opponents.

Dangerous pothole

IN THE southbound lane of Sprigg Street near Normal, there's a dangerous pothole that's hard to miss. It would be nice if the city fixed it.