Opinion
Eleven-forty five and all is well
At 11:45 each day, the Vinton Today computer magically sends out hundreds of messages, telling many of our readers what is happening in our town that day.
Today, however, there is very little news to share.
That’s bad, in terms of the numbers we like to see – we measure our readership in what is called page views, or the total number of stories read in a day.
Parody, satire and the patriotic mosquito poem
One of my favorite humorous poems has always been an 100-year-old ditty called “The Mosquito Hunt.”
The poem, from a book of poetry dated around 1890, tells of the story of a couple trying to kill a mosquito that threatened to interrupt their sleep with a painful bite.
“Not a sound was heard but a terrible hum
As round the chamber we hurried”
In search of the mosquito whose trumpet and drum
Our delectable slumber had worried.
The simple solution to speeding up last-minute holiday shopping
Every once in a while, you get a glimpse of society that gives you at least a bit of a clue as to how America deteriorated from the Europe-saving, car-and airplane-inventing military and economic champion of the 20th Century to our current condition as the overweight, under-employed international brother-in-law who won’t get off the couch on Christmas to fill his own plate.
Approaching the 10th anniversary of 9/11 while forgetting all of its lessons
I have begun making plans for what to write about in 2011. On that list, of course, is the 10th anniversary of 9/11, the event that changed modern American history, and brought us war – and led to another war.
Throughout the year, and especially in the fall of the coming year, TV and newspapers – when they are not discussing the latest legal woes of some actor or reality TV show “star,” – will begin talking about the milestone, and whatever events our leaders plan to commemorate it.
The Shooting Somali Pirates Principle
If Barbara Walters were a serious journalist – and to anyone who takes issue with my assertion that she is not, I have two words for you: Jersey Shore – she would have named as the most fascinating person of 2009: The Navy SEALS who shot the Somali pirates.
But because she isn’t, she didn’t.
142, 2122, 50, 2, 1 all important numbers
I love figuring out how something works.
Today I was pleasantly surprised to see our inbox brimming over with news tidbits, and thought, "I wonder how many contributors we've had over the last almost 9 months." So I counted, 142.
Then I thought and how many articles, 2122.
Can't stop. The number of different advertisers we've had? 50.
City Dog, Country Dog
I've heard it said, "It's a dog's life"
A few months ago, I showed up at the door of a family with kids at home, another dog in the yard and about 5 cats. I was hungry, but had been trained not to beg. I waltzed right into the house, and made myself at home, snuggling up to the kids and parents, who promptly saw I needed a warm meal and a place to stay. Pearl Harbor memorial ceremony: Be there
I have to admit, that at the end of the very first Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School, I was disappointed.
Not in the event – it’s great.
I was disappointed in the attendance.
Before I could write anything about it – or even say anything – an old veteran spoke up.
A column a day...
From March of 2003, until November of 2008, I wrote a newspaper column almost every day.
I do not know this for a fact, but I believe I was the only person in Iowa doing that at the time.
Some people liked it.
Others did not.
“Your column is self-serving,” said one boss.
The slip of the tongue that changed modern American politics
She would have remained anonymous, in Alaska, if it wasn’t for an unbelievably bizarre combination of a slip of the tongue and a technological error in the summer of 2008.
Buried in the thousands of pages of documents released by Wikileaks is the story of how Sarah Palin – the virtually unknown governor of Alaska – became an overnight sensation who could impact politics for years to come.