"Who Was That Masked Man?"

   Wow! There's a headline I never expected
to see or write!
   "Disney kills the Lone Ranger!"
   Of course it wasn't Walt.
   Walt Disney Studios suddenly announced
it was shutting down production of its new
movie about the daring masked man because
of  "budget issues."
    Maybe the cost of silver is too high to
make enough bullets. Maybe they just need
to borrow money to complete the
project. Maybe they just need a
'loan arranger.' (I'm sorry about that one
but this is 'National Tell A Joke Day.')
    There's a local TV weatherman who
usually likes to boast about his knowledge
of just about everything. I was a bit
surprised to hear him say he knew
nothing about 'The Lone Ranger!"
     The story of this fictional Texas Ranger
who 'fought for law and justice in the early
west' has been around since the early days
of radio in 1933. Reruns of the television
show are still on the air and the story has
spawned several movies not including the
one the Disney folks had been working on.
    Most of the male children from the
'Baby Boomer generation' probably
played the part in their back yard at one
time or another during their growing up
years. Or maybe they would occasionally
play the part of Tonto. We won't ask the
weather guy if he knows him!
   The stories were, admittedly, out of a
very different time. Back then you could
usually tell the 'good guys' by their white
hats. The 'bad guys' wore black ones and
the 'good guys' ALWAYS won!
   The lesson they offered was
simple. Do the right thing and you'll
always come out ahead!  Not bad don't
you think?
    Chances are, whether Disney resumes
production or not, the Lone Ranger will
still be heard shouting "Hi Yo Silver"
long after the forecaster and the rest of us
are in our own version of  'Boot Hill.'
   Hope you and your faithful companion,
Indian or otherwise, are ready for another
adventure and that all your NEWS is good!