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Classy Cover Band
To the editor: Hats off to Hard Nights Day in re-creating the sound and spirit of the Fab Four (2002 Music Awards, June 13, 2002) ... but for my money I’ll take “Me and My Monkey!” This quartet has no problem recreating all the double guitar and piano fills faithful to the Beatles original recordings. ... Just one listen to Rodney (Lennon) and George Jara (Harrison) playing the note-for-note double lead guitar to “And your Bird Can Sing” will cause any diehard mop-topper to dial up his Dr. Robert.
Brett Johnson
Fort Worth
Shaking in Houston
To the editor: Just thought I would correct a mistake that was made concerning the history of Steak & Shake in Texas (“Back to the Future,” May 30, 2002). We had them in Houston in the mid- to late ’70s. Could it be that we had something down there before DFW did?
Brian Freedman
Plano
Editor’s note: The Steak & Shake folks had told the Weekly’s reviewer that the North Texas restaurant was the first “official” Texas location for their chain. However, when queried, they confirmed that Mr. Freedman’s recollection is correct. They said their new restaurant near Grapevine Mills is the first in Texas in a long time — but not the first ever.
Big Woes at Worldcom
To the editor: What a wonderful thing you have done by bringing the plight of this honest professional, Kim Emigh, and his family to light (“Accounting for Anguish,” May 16, 2002). Thank you for solid reporting and sensitive handling of a dramatic story of heroic deeds versus shameful corporate greed.
Jeffrey P. Cotrupe
Oceanside, Cal.
To the editor: A few months ago you wrote a front-page article about a straight-arrow accountant who got crosswise with his superiors at Worldcom, over proper and ethical practices. In your article you reported that the accountant thought that certain costs should have been capitalized. For that, he got in trouble with his superiors and he had to switch departments. Now, Worldcom has imploded over financial disclosure that $4 billion was capitalized when it should have been costed on the income statement. I am curious. Did you report his scruple correctly, or did you get it backwards?
David Olson
Arlington
Editor’s note: We got it right. The accounting strategy that former Worldcom budget analyst Kim Emigh complained to his superiors about — and was successful in getting stopped — dealt with not capitalizing certain costs that should have been capitalized. As was noted in the story, that is the opposite of the much more common accounting dodge, of capitalizing costs that should be listed as expenses. Emigh was privy to accounting directives involving one, albeit major, division within MCI Worldcom; he had no way of knowing what went on in the rest of the company.
To the editor: Really enjoyed your article on Kim Emigh. Great job. I worked for an equipment supplier that works with the telecom industry — and occasionally with MCI as a customer — as a tech writer and engineer until getting axed last November. I can thus identify with the politics that control much of corporate telecom. There were several companies famous for “cooking the books” in our industry, and some have received their just desserts for it already.
Chuck Bealke
Dallas
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