Associated Press story “High school newspaper axed over content” caught my attention. Attention you could expect from a fellow who edited his junior high, high school, and university student newspapers. Grand Islands, Nebraska high school administrators swung the axe. News story says they ”shuttered the school’s award-winning student newspaper just days after its last edition that included articles and editorials about LGBTQ issues…” My high school principal wanted to stop newspaper stories about high school
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Inflation
Smart Gal—or a Guy in the History department who needed a publication so he could get tenure—once said history repeats itself. Yep. Inflation is back. My daily Journal article says, “U.S. inflation reached a nearly four-decade high in November, as strong consumer demand collided with pandemic-related supply constraints.” Let’s talk about those inflationary 1970s and 1980s. Remember well when President Jimmy Carter—one of the world’s better guys, Naval Academy graduate, charitable carpenter—presided during gasoline shortage
How Old Are You?
A new Indiana acquaintance for this old Texan asked, “Just how old are you?” Reminded me of a story told by Max Randolph, the leading thespian in my 1946 Abilene High School graduating class. Max gave professional acting a try, was paid to act in New Orleans, but was never summoned to Broadway. Max said in New Orleans there was a saloon across the street from the theater. The old actor playing ‘Grandfather’ went there between
Not a Girl
If you move four children three miles from the city, you need to develop a routine for hauling them to town in the station wagon. The youngest, nearly three years and the only son, always climbed into ‘the way back.’ Girls two and three found their place in the middle. When Daddy was working, oldest daughter rode up front when Mom drove. On that morning, Maxine gave the command, “Girls get in the station wagon,
Talking Back
At the old folks home where I live, the 80-something-old Grandma goes by the nickname of “Weese.” The cable TV network salesmen wouldn’t want their advertisers to hear what she yells at the programs they sponsor. Confession: I once managed a West Texas television station,and I paid close attention when our advertisers complained. Examples of what we hear from Weese: “Where did you ever get that idea?” That’s a rare, tame inquiry. “Just
Objectivity
In 1991 I wrote a letter to one of my journalism students that read “Journalism teachers stress that you include both sides in a controversial story. During 1949-1950, I edited “The Daily Texan”, the student newspaper at the University of Texas. I wrote columns and editorials, and suggested editorial cartoons—all criticizing racial segregation. Because of my editorials advocating an end to segregation, I received a cross burned in my honor at the Law School,
Passwords
You may have seen those dreaded words…”reset password” and almost cried. I did. When you have exhausted all your children’s birth years, spent your graduation dates, sacrificed the last four digits of your zip code, what other numerals can you easily remember–if any of the above? If you reset your password with something similar to what you used before, how does that inanimate machine know to tell you not to repeat yourself? To paraphrase Rudyard