Parkland Under Fire. A two-week inspection last month prompted the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to send a letter stating that if Parkland doesn’t submit correction plans by August 20 (and then have them implemented four days later), the hospital won’t be part of the program. Medicare accounts for 16 percent of the hospital’s funding while Medicaid accounts for 32 percent. A spokesman said the hospital is taking the results “very seriously.” The hospital was given “immediate jeopardy” status. That just so happens to be the most severe finding a hospital can have. So. Yeah.
Toy Truck Saves Soldiers. Ernie Fessenden bought a Stampede toy truck made by Plano-based Traxxas. He then sent the remote-controlled truck to his brother who’s serving in the Army in Afghanistan. His brother loaned it to some friends who were on a mission to find bombs. The truck tripped a wire, which detonated 500 pounds of explosives and ultimately saved six lives. I have a feeling a lot more remote-controlled trucks are going to make their way to Afghanistan soon.
We’re Set To Break Heat Record. If things go as planned, we’ll break 1980’s record of 42 days over 100 degrees. If we hit 100 today, we’ll be at day 41. Pretty much everyone here at the office is rooting we break the record. I’m not. To me, if we don’t break the record, that means that it’s not as bad as it was 31 years ago. And we’re not all going to die because of the heat, because, well, they survived back then. Tim says that’s a dumb logic. But I’m sticking with it.
14 comments
The overnight lows in 2011 are 78.9 degrees vs. 76.7 degrees in 1980. 2011 has had just one 110 degree day – 1980 had five at 110 or hotter.
The record hot overnight low temperatures is a sign of Climate Change. The heat does not radiate out at night as it did in 1980. 1980 was hotter during the day – 2011 is hotter at night.
If heat radiated out like it did 31 years ago, 2011 would be just a bit warmer than average summer.
If we hit 100 today, we’ll be at day 41
A high of 100 today would be 41 consecutive days. Yesterday’s high made it 40.
Explain to me again the claim that D Magazine is going over the top with their investigations of Parkland.
Sorry…. I meant DMN, not D Magazine. My bad.
I don’t know if it’s dumb logic or not — I’m no arbiter of such matters — but “I Survived The Second Worst Summer In Dallas History” certainly makes a surpassingly stupid t-shirt.
Daniel, I’d buy it, if it had an asterisk, with, But the average night time low was higher….
@Alan Drake,
I’ll spot you one Climate Change and raise you an End Times.
Cause Climate Change might account for some temperatures, but it sure can’t account for all the people, concrete, buildings, and automobiles that have been sneaked into Dallas every night while we were sleeping and not being as vigilant as we should have been.
Now we wake up in 2011 and…WHOA! Where did this heat island come from? I think we all know where. It’s either that witch over there, or maybe Rick Perry. That’s not normal mortal hair, and he’s never lost an election either. It may not be Climate Change, you know. Maybe Someone’s just landscaping things to make them feel more homey.
That’s how badly I don’t want to make the record. I’m changing what day we’re on. I, too, would buy that shirt, Daniel.
@ Frank
The Urban Heat Island effect is very little changed out at DFW since 1980. And DFW is the size of small cities. Certainly not 2.2 degrees worth (Actually more, since 1980 highs were hotter, but lows were 2.2 degrees lower).
And this hot overnight lows is Texas wide, even in towns that have grown little since 1980.
Climate change proof – polar bears are drowning in Plano.
Rain to the North on its way?… Maybe? Please.
http://radar.weather.gov/ridge/Conus/full_loop.php
I’m with T26J7 — The federal review that lead to this was prompted by the News’ excellent, detailed and ongoing investigation, which y’all have criticized as overly aggressive. Doesn’t sound that way to me.
http://www.dallasnews.com/investigations/headlines/20110810-feds-find-conditions-pose-serious-threat-to-parkland-patients.ece?action=reregister
I’m really disappointed Tim. We thought you were a friend of Parkland and UT Southwestern; however, like the County Commissioners, you’ve abandoned us too. UT Southwestern is even a very good advertser to D-Magazine, but what do you guys do but take our money and stab us in the back. What happened to helping us fight the DMN and giving us fair and balanced reporting in Dallas? I guess you just don’t have a spine after Hextergate.