By Suzanne Sprague

By Suzanne Sprague

DALLAS – [Ambient sound from a bar. Man says: This is a list of all the exhibitors and they'll be to your left.]

Suzanne Sprague, KERA 90.1 Reporter: It's a Tuesday afternoon at a giant sports bar in Dallas. Normally, you'd expect to hear talk about the Cowboys and Stars around the pool tables. But today is different. Today is the Pink Slip Happy Hour.

Woman at bar: I worked for Ericsson and back in April I was one of the ones who got laid off in their big lay-off.

By Suzanne Sprague

DALLAS – Ron Kirk, outgoing Dallas Mayor: I've been so moved by all of the nice things that have been said and written about me in the last several days, I've decided to extend this and invite y'all back next week. (laughter)

Suzanne Sprague, KERA 90.1 Reporter: Amid hugs and humor, applause and a few borderline tears, Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk resigned from the job he called the most rewarding he's ever had.

By Merrie Spaeth

By Merrie Spaeth

Dallas, TX – Why should we in Texas care about the controversy over aviation security? Of course, we care because we fly and we want the skies to be safe. There's another reason, and it has to do with what kind of free people we are.In brief, the Senate passed a bill with a number of provisions, which would make all the airline screeners federal employees. Last week, the House passed its bill. It's very close - except, companies in the private sector will hire the screeners.

By Suzanne Sprague

FORT WORTH – [Ambient sound of crowded room with man yelling, "Registrations, please!"]

Suzanne Sprague, KERA 90.1 Reporter: They came by the busloads.

[Ambient sound of diesel bus pulling away]

Sprague: More than 7,000 out-of-work Texans crammed the training center at American Airlines yesterday, causing a half-mile long traffic backup. They were hoping to find that one perfect job, or at least something part-time to help them through the holidays.

By Marisa Trevino

Dallas, TX – There are days that my life as a freelance writer can be summed up with five little words made famous by the deadpan comic Rodney Dangerfield: "I don't get no respect."

It's a sentiment that I've swallowed time and again while explaining why being my own boss, pursuing my own projects, setting up my schedule around family activities and having the liberty to choose who I want to work for is an even trade-off over a steady paycheck and a staff position.

By Suzanne Sprague

By Tom Dodge

Dallas, TX – In the Dodge household, we have always admired our daughter, Karen Hoover, for her lifelong refusal to allow herself to be a pi?ata for the rest of the world -to be whacked around by anyone and everyone hoping to enrich themselves in some way at her expense. Putting it in Oprah-speak, a victim. Over the years, when her brother Lowell and I are being over-charged by the check-out girl, sold the wrong part at the auto-part dealer, or muscled around by shoddy workmen, I usually look at Lowell and say, "What would Karen do?"