JUST LIKE OLD TIMES (ALMOST).

   THURSDAY, AUGUST 1ST., 2019
  JUST LIKE OLD TIMES (ALMOST).

   I often talk, think, and write about what
I call "used to bes." Things, places, and
people from the old days that aren't
around anymore.
   Sometimes, however, it's refreshing
to find out that some "used to bes"
still are!
    Such is the case with a supply of
Cracker Jacks my daughter provided
to us last week!
    Here's a treat that has not only
stood the test of time but has been
immortalized in song (Take Me Out
To The Ballgame.)! You don't even
have to buy peanuts separately as a
few of them are included with each
package.
    Now to be honest, there have been
a few changes. You'll notice I wrote
"package" rather than "box."
     Cracker Jacks now come in a bag
instead of the box you may remember.
     There's still a prize inside but no
where near the great whistles or rings
or such we used to get back in the day.
      Prizes now are generally stickers
although you can go to a web site for
a chance at other goods.
     One thing I'm especially happy
about. They still taste the same!!!
And the taste, the name, and even
the prize are likely to take you back
a few years!
      Hope you get to try some again
and that all your NEWS is good.
 

THE PENDING SNOW!

   WEDNESDAY, JULY 31ST., 2019
          THE PENDING SNOW! 

    Sorry to have to tell you but some
of you, right here in the area, may be
seeing some snow tomorrow, August
1st!
     In the broadcasting business the
two things you don't want are "dead
air" and, on TV, snow!
      "Snow" as it pertains to TV is
that screen filled with nothing but
millions of black and white dots
and no programming.
      As of August 1st those
secondary channels offered by
the local stations, like WNEP2,
and METV, are going to be
changing the frequencies on which
they operate. If you don't tune to
their new frequencies, you'll likely
see "snow."
      It brings to mind the time my
old employer, WYOU, fired up a
new transmitter in Mountaintop.
      They made a big announcement
about our powerful new transmitter
and how they'd switch to it during
the 6pm news.
       Unfortunately someone forgot
to coordinate the switch with local
cable companies so, when they
threw the switch half our audience
lost the signal completely!
       If you receive your television
on an antenna you'll have to allow
your set to scan available channels.
It should find those new frequencies
automatically.
      And those old frequencies....well
you'll probably still be using them!
They're now going to be used for
Cell Phone service!
      Hope you'll re-tune and that
all your NEWS is good!

PLAY IT AGAIN SAM!

  TUESDSAY, JULY 30TH., 2018
         PLAY IT AGAIN SAM!

    My title is one of those movie quotes
that, in reality, was never spoken! The
reference was to the song "As Time
Goes By" and, over time, the exact line
spoken by the famous actor Humphrey
Bogart was altered into the one which
is often quoted.
     But forgive me. That's not my
subject anyway.
      Over the years I've been known to
"infect" people by whistling a tune. I
whistle it a couple of times and someone
near by will start humming, or at least
mentally thinking about, the same tune.
They usually say something like, "Now
I can't get that song out of my head."
      Well it's come back to haunt me!
      I'll wake up, or just be sitting
somewhere, and find a tune popping up
in my head!
       There's no rational, that I can think
of, for what song emerges!
        This morning it was "Here is to the
bus driver, the bus driver, the bus driver."
I probably haven't heard that since my last
school field trip. And I've been out of
school forever
       An hour later "Happy Trails" began
to go through my mind.
       Though there's lots of rhyme there
seems to be no reason for the play list.
That said I believe my thoughts of "My
Boomerang Won't Come Back" were
most definitely inspired by my
grandson who was playing with a toy
Boomerang last week.
          Movie themes come up a lot.
I've seen thousands of movies over
the years so I suppose it's almost
natural for me to think of "The
High And The Mighty" or the 20th
Century Fox theme from time to
time.
          Then there's hits and not-so
hits from the early 60's when I was
still a DJ!
          At least I can always count
on hearing music, if only in my
head! So, go ahead, play it again
Sam!
           Hope I've got you thinking
about or humming something about
now, and that all your NEWS is good!

LOVING AERODYNAMICS!

   MONDAY, JULY 29TH.,2019
   LOVING AERODYNAMICS!

     Sunday proved a fantastic day to
visit Knoebels amusement park! We
had a family get together scheduled
and used the occasion for an early
birthday celebration for our soon
to be 4 year old grandson.
      It was, of course, another of those
hot, humid days we've learned to
"enjoy" recently and my wife and I
beat some of the heat by putting the
top down in my Miata for the trip.
     Once there my son provided a
tent top that provided some much
needed shade.
      I tagged along for a while as
my son and daughter-in-law took
the grandson for some rides.
      One, called the Parachute, has
a huge umbrella-type top above a
seat and the whole thing spins
around and around. There was a
long line so I had to wait for about
4 rides till they got on.
        No problem. The wind off the
spinning ride was like a high speed
fan blowing cool air on all of me as
I watched. Aerodynamics!
         We stayed later than expected
and realized the light show in the
sky ahead was not fireworks!
         About the time we hit Berwick
a light rain was falling. I had to use
the wipers from time to time but the
air flowing over the hood of the car
forced the rain right over our heads
and we didn't even get damp! Top
down all the way home! Aerodynamics!
         Bed time as I write......hope the
fan works (aerodynamics) and that
all your NEWS is good!

A SWEET HOLIDAY!

    SUNDAY, JULY 28TH., 2019
          A SWEET HOLIDAY!

    I can't understand what's happened to

my former colleagues in the news media!

  They are usually up to date on ever

important event....especially those that

are scheduled ahead of time.

   Yet I've listened to the radio, watched

two television newscasts, and gone on

line to check several newspapers

and  have seen absolutely no mention of

the fact that July 28th is "National Milk

Chocolate Day!"

    Talk about missing the 'biggie!'

    According to my web source it is a

day when everyone, Chocoholics or not,

are encouraged to consume  Milk

Chocolate either in candy, baked goods,

or both!

    As WILK's John Webster reminds us,

"If it's on the Internet it must be true."

    We are also admonished not to be

dyslexic about this special day. It's a

day for Milk Chocolate...not a Chocolate

Milk Day!

    I will make a special effort to have

my wife observe the day although she

admittedly favors Dark Chocolate.

    I'm sure I'll have no problem

getting the grand kids to join the effort!

   The 'researchers' who reveled the

existence of Milk Chocolate Day report

they were unable to trace the origin of

the 'holiday' or whatever you want to

call it.

   But I'll bet there's a paper trail on

this one that leads straight to Hershey

Pennsylvania!

    Hope your day is sweet and that all

your NEWS is good!

  

DAY OF THE COWBOY!

    SATURDAY, JULY 27TH., 2019
         DAY OF THE COWBOY!

    Put on your boots and your Stetson
everybody. July 27th is "National Day
Of The Cowboy!"
    Observed annually on the 4th Saturday
of each July, the day is set aside to
celebrate the contributions of Cowboys
(and girls) to America's culture and
heritage.
     When I was a little kid most boys
I knew wanted to be a Cowboy. They
were a lot more popular back in those
days!
     Cowboy programs were all over
the radio. The Lone Ranger, Sky King,
and even Gunsmoke, long before there
was a TV in every living room.
      Our neighborhood movie theaters
usually featured a double feature of
two Westerns every Saturday afternoon
and stage shows, while they still
existed, often featured some well known
Cowboy star.
        Cowboy stories were almost always
pretty simple and you could always tell
the good guys from the bad guys!
          Times, of course, have changed.
Cowboy stories still come out in the
movies from time to time but it's a lot
harder to tell the good guys from  the
bad guys these days.
            I sometimes dressed as a
Cowboy for Halloween. Try that today
with a 6-gun cap pistol in your holster!
            I'm glad there's an effort to
salute the Cowboys (and girls) and
what they've meant to our country!
They sure meant a lot to me back in
the day!
           Happy Trails to you and may
all your NEWS be good!

UPS AND DOWNS!

   FRIDAY, JULY 26TH., 2019
          UPS AND DOWNS!

     I'll bet you didn't know about this
one!
     July 26th is "National Talk In An
Elevator Day!" I kid you not!
     I can see why there's a day to
encourage elevator conversations.
Very often people traveling in what
the English call a "Lift" suddenly
get quiet when sharing the space
with other passengers.
      It may be a reluctance to share
your personal conversations with
strangers. But the silence itself can
be uncomfortable.
      I've often tried to break the ice
after my wife and I hit the 2 button
and someone else pushes 3. "Hope
we don't end up on 5" I'll say. "If
we do you," referring to the other
riders "get off first."
      Sometimes it works and sometimes
my fellow passengers just smirk and
hope I'm on board heading to a
"shrink's office."
       More and more elevators, or
buildings, are apparently designed
to encourage conversation.
       We recently walked into an
elevator right off the parking lot
and found we had to push "1" to
go to the first floor. I thought we
had entered on the first floor and,
in my mind, going down should
lead to the basement!
         A lot of hotels offer a choice
between "1" and "M." You have
to decide which is the ground
floor.
           When there's confusion
people are more likely to talk or
at least debate the destination.
             My biggest confusion,
however, concerned the elevator
office building that was located
in Wilkes-Barre. It was a single
story building! I talk a lot about
that!
              Hope you'll talk with
your fellow riders whether you're
headed up or down, and that all
your NEWS is good!