MAGIC McDONALDS!

   TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH., 2019
               MAGIC McDONALDS!

    I was amazed by the young magician
preforming on Americas Got Talent
Championship competition. This young
man has truly turned card magic into an
art form.
    Lately though, I've encountered magic
on a regular basis at, of all places, the
McDonald's fast food chain!
    On Monday I ordered a Happy Meal
with cheeseburger and fries for my
grandson. a cheeseburger for my
wife, and a cheeseburger for me.
     When we got home and opened
his Happy Meal Box I found the
french-fries and a box of chicken
nuggets. Some how his cheeseburger
had magically changed into chicken
nuggets!
     I checked the receipt. Three
cheeseburgers showed up there! So
it had to be magic.
     Not wanting to disappoint a 3-
year-old I traded my cheeseburger
for the nuggets.
     My experience was not unique.
     Another recent McDonald's stop
produced a Sausage, Egg, Biscuit in
the box that was suppose to hold my
Bacon, Egg, Biscuit as reflected on
my receipt.
      Unfortunately I used the Drive
Thru on both occasions and didn't
discover the "tricks" until I was
on my way home. Returning would
have meant going in, which I had
chosen to avoid in the first place,
or returning to the long Drive Thru line.
        Since the voice on that Drive Thru
speaker, as well as the illuminated
order confirmation board, and my
receipt all had my order correct I can
only conclude it's McDonald's magic
that changed the product in my bag!
          I preferred it when Ronald was
just a clown!
          Hope I get the right order next
time and that all your NEWS is good!

KNOW WHAT YOU'RE CELEBRATING?

   MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18TH., 2019
KNOW WHAT YOU'RE CELEBRATING?

     Many years ago there lived a Baseball

team called The Washington Senators. A

popular saying was linked with the team.

    "First in war, first in peace, and last in

the American League!" The first two, of

course, refer to our nation's first President!

     And if you've got a day off from work

or school today it's because George

Washington is still first!

     You see, officially, this is George

Washington's Birthday! It is not

"President's Day!

      Back in 1968 the term "President's Day"

came up for legal consideration in the

Congress.But it was shot down.

     The holiday was moved to fall between

Washington and Abe Lincoln's actual birth

dates. But the name was never changed

even though there was another attempt to

do so in the 1980's.

     Technically, all those Car Dealers and

other merchants pushing President Day

Sales are promoting a holiday that doesn't

exist!

     As I've mentioned before, back when

I was in school we had both Washington

and Lincoln's actual birthday's off. I still

support that. As well as a day off for

every President's birthday! I always liked

days off!

     Well, whoever's name you shout out

when you're singing "Happy Birthday"

today, I hope all your NEWS is good!

    

MY WAY DAY!

  SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH., 2019
                 MY WAY DAY!

     Fall in everybody! February 17th is
"My Way Day!" Yep. My way or the
highway.
     It's not just because I said so, it's
one of those unofficial holidays I like
to tell you  about.
      There's almost no information
about who came up with the idea. It's
thought to have been created and
shared via social media by someone
who felt it was time to make a loud
pubic cry about all the nonsense that's
forced upon us daily.
        When I first read it I was convinced
it was my day and I really didn't have
any big ideas. Then I figured the
creator of the day meant it for all of
us. So, in a sense, it's "Your Way or
the highway today.
       The idea is simple.  You're
encouraged to do whatever you want,
however you want.
        So go to it people. Be like Frank
Sinatra and do it your way today! Hope
it works and that all your NEWS is
good.

MY ACCIDENTIAL EXCLUSIVE!

   SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH., 2019
      MY ACCIDENTIAL EXCLUSIVE!

    It's a question I've often been asked by
people both in and out of broadcasting.
Where do you get your news?
     The question has multiple answers.
When I was on the news beat stories
usually came from scheduled events,
calls on the police scanner and tips
     I even broke some very big stories
just by carefully reading the legal ads.
I was always amazed the newspaper's
reporters didn't seem to check them to
find stories that were right under their
nose!
      But a TV report this week brought
back memories of one of my biggest
exclusives that came to me strictly by
accident!
      My cameraman and I were searching
for an obscure address in Scranton in
2002 when we crossed a bridge near the
Scranton Lace Company. We spotted a
man walking nearby and approached him
hoping he might be familiar with the
address we were seeking.
       Before we could ask the gentleman
spoke up. "Guess you're here about the
company's plans to close!"
       Turns out we had pulled up minutes
after the Lace company's workforce had
received the news the factory would be
closing! Since workers were leaving for
the day we had no problem gathering
comments from many employees.
       The company had no comment but
the worker's "pink slips" confirmed the
news. Sad news for a local industry that
once employed 1400 people and boasted
its own infirmary, bowling alleys, and
theater! But a big exclusive for me!
       Several buildings in the Scranton
Lace complex are  being demolished
this week in the hope of providing
space for future development.
        I'll always remember the place for
my "accidental exclusive" and for the
curtains that hang in my living room,
purchased by my daughter during the
company's "Last Days Sale."
        Hope your NEWS, unlike that
received by those workers in 2002, is
good!

THE LAST HEART!

   FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH., 2019
               THE LAST HEART!

    We had a nice Valentine's Day around
our house. And it turned out to be a long
one!
     I surprised my wife with a necklace
with the title of  "our song" inscribed on
its face.
     I also surprised her with two dozen red
...No...not roses. Red hearts! I cut each
and every one from sheets I printed and
pasted them here and there all over the house!
I even put one on her glasses to be sure she'd
seem them! And it worked. Kind of.
    Our 3-year-old grandson spent the
day and we had visits from one of my
daughters and a granddaughter who
brought flowers for my wife.
    They all got to see the necklace
and hear about the paper hearts.
     Later we joined our son, daughter-
in-law and two grandkids for a
steak dinner at one of our local
restaurants.
     When we got home my wife got
to wrap up the day by searching. You
see throughout the day she had some
up with 23 of the 24 hearts I had
hidden (in plain sight) around the
place. She finally came up with
the last one around 9:20 Thursday
night! I really got a lot of mileage
out of this day!
     Hope your hearts were all in
the right place (or places) and that
all your NEWS is good!    

VALEN TIMES OF OLD!

   THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH., 2019
             VALEN TIMES OF OLD!

      I'm pretty sure my Valentine's Day
will include the same card I've been
getting from my wife for many, many years!
It's a beautiful card and it never gets old.
      I do sometimes wonder when she
snatches it up to hide away for next year.
      Some of those "old" Valentines have
extra special meaning. I know I've got a
couple packed away in a drawer where I
stash a few cards and/or artwork done by
our grandkids.
       The day brings back some interesting
memories.
        I also remember those grade school

Valentine parties. We all had these tiny

Valentine cards and we'd fill one out for

every other student in the class. 

       You, of course, would then receive

a pile of Valentines and could check them

all out while enjoying some treats which

usually included some heart shaped

cookies and cupcakes! 

        My most unusual Valentine's Day

came in 2007. We got hit with 20 inches

of snow and ice that day!

        I was in our Scranton news bureau when
we heard a scanner call  about a roof collapse
at an armory near Nay Aug Park.
        Nothing was moving in town at that
hour. Not even plows. I told my cameraman
to forget the company car. We jumped into
my Chevy Suburban, put it in 4 wheel low,
and drove (up hill all the way) without
ever stopping at an intersection and got our
story! I loved that Suburban! I'd send it a
card but I'm not sure in which junkyard it
resides these days.
          I do have a special Valentine's treat
ready for my wife but I won't tell here just
in case any of her friends are reading.
          Hope you have a wonderful
Valentine's Day as well as Valentine's
memories...….and that all your NEWS is
good!
       

WORLD RADIO DAY!

   WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH., 2019
                  WORLD RADIO DAY!

     Now hear this! February 13th., is World
Radio Day! It's a day promoted by the United
Nations to celebrate radio as a medium.
      I always loved radio. I started by broadcasting
career there long before moving into TV. That
said, the radio I knew is all but completely
gone and I find that tragic.
      "Local radio" used to be a lot of fun. It was
also a great value to the communities it served.
       The station where I started used to give
birth announcements and the daily mine
working schedules. We had a daily concert
from a local pianist and a gentleman who
played the organ from a theater in town.
         The DJ's were local celebrities who
usually made a couple extra bucks by going
to record hops after their regular working
hours.
          Radio changed here in the U.S. when
the FCC allowed deregulation and the public
never raised any objections. Local DJ's and
news reporters were replaced by syndicated
automation provided by satellite from someplace
far away from the local town.
          Elsewhere in the world radio remains
much the way it used to be here. That's reason
to celebrate!
          Hope U.S. radio someday comes back
home...….and that all your NEWS is good!