Feb. 1 edition
What's on My Mind
Congratulations, we survived
A few weeks ago, I reader brought me a column that I know many of you have seen.
The column started out stating that, according to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who children in the 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and even the early 80s probably shouldn't have survived.
Following that first sentence, the column highlights many things that I know we all did growing up, such as we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat and we drank water from the garden hose. Horrors!
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. This one I can relate. Every Thanksgiving and summer, we would take a six-hour road trip from Seagraves, Texas to Weatherford, Texas. Click here to read more...
Jan. 25 edition
What's on My Mind
Community newspapers need to toot their horns
Every week people spend 75 cents for an issue of The Ozona Stockman. While 75 cents may not seem like a lot of money, that small, handful of change buys an awful lot of information.
This past weekend I attended the annual Texas Press Association Midwinter Convention in Dallas. I always enjoy these conventions as I get to talk and visit with some of my newspaper friends.
During this year's convention, the subject of keeping public notices once again was discussed.
Our association is gearing up for next year's Texas Legislative session as we believe yanking public notices from newspapers will once again be an issue. Click here to read more...
Jan. 18 edition
What's on My Mind
Long live Dublin Dr Pepper
Life isn't fair. We all know this.
Last week, I arrived home, checked my Facebook page and this statement on the Dublin Dr Pepper page hit me like a ton of bricks.
"It is with a very heavy heart that I must tell you the results of the case. A true Texas tradition has died. As of five o'clock central time The Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Co and Dublin Dr Pepper are no more. Dr Pepper/Snapple/Cadbury Companies won their case against our small bottler and have closed the plant in Dublin. They have graciously allowed the new museum and soda shop to remain open, but they will only be able to serve regular Dr Pepper sweetened with sugar; not the original recipe we all love."
My immediate reaction: shock and dismay. Click here to read more...
Jan. 12 edition
What's on My Mind
Where are the flying cars and robot maids?
Where are the flying cars? Where is my robot maid?
It's 2012 and I have to say I'm kind of disappointed in what is supposed to be "the future." Growing up, my friends and I would watch "The Jetsons" on TV and dream of one day have our own car to fly around.
We have electric cars, hybrid cars, smart cars but flying cars haven't really caught on yet.
I read an article on the internet that Google is working on a car that drives itself, which is nice but we're all still stuck here on the ground fighting traffic. Click here to read more...
Jan. 4 edition
What's on My Mind
Community newspapers still going strong
We're not dead yet! That's right; community newspapers are still going strong, according to the latest annual survey by the National Newspaper Association and the research arm of the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism. The survey is in its sixth year. Following consistent trends, the study shows that 74 percent of people in communities served by a newspaper with circulations fewer than 15,000 read a local newspaper each week. They prefer the printed copy to the online version, with 48 percent saying they never read the local news online. They prefer to receive advertising through the newspaper (51 percent) instead of on the Internet (11 percent). And only about a quarter of respondents said they had found local news through a mobile device in the past 30 days. Slightly more (38 percent) said they had received local shopping information by mobile device. Click here to read more...