Is this counter-intuitive? I mean, to believe that a dynamic newspaper website is not in conflict with wanting to sell lots of your paper "newspapers?" Well, Randy certainly thinks not. I think we'd all agree that the Morris newspaper is rather the opposite with their approach. There was more interesting stuff on the website when the paper was owned by Forum Communications. And I really hate to give the Forum credit.
Local sports fans, if their brains are programmed like mine - an assumption I'm not willing to make - should want online-based reporting on the MACA Tigers that is reasonably timely. Oh my it does not have to be flawless. The paper has a person who specializes in sports, this Sam fellow. I wish he'd sit down once or twice a week and just "riff" on sports happenings and then click on :publish" for the website.
Sue Dieter when she managed the paper for the Forum had real aspirations for the website.
Randy did not contact me to just share a holiday greeting. I appreciated the greeting since at this stage of my life I'm alone. We hear how everyone eats so much on Thanksgiving. Well, I had two bacon bagels at Caribou Coffee in the morning and this got me through the whole day. I did drink a bottle of Glucerna in the evening.
Glucerna is recommended for diabetics. But I'll have you know the news is good for me: I am now "pre-diabetic" according to the recent blood test. I am not a diabetic per se. And for what it's worth, I feel totally fine.
We must thank God for every day when we feel totally fine. We are sort of marking time in America now with Donald Trump still in office and commanding our attention every day. He often spews language and invective that should cause all of us to hang our heads. For some reason we put up with it. Active "Christians" may be starting to feel ashamed that they had so much to do with Trump's rise to power.
Two terms as president. Dragging down our culture with disgusting behavior. Using holidays as occasions to attack his perceived adversaries. I guess I'm part of the "radical left." I'm one of the "radical left lunatics." I choose not to go along with our congressperson Michelle Fischbach who is absolutely joined at the hip with Trump and his minions. Democrats are evil. Maybe it's nice to have such a simple world view. It reduces stress?
We are headed for another interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve which is feeling enormous pressure from Trump. He'll attack Fed board members personally. I learned long ago that the Fed is independent and that the proper order of things was to have the president not even comment on it.
When will all this misbehavior catch up to the United States? Will another blast of inflation begin to cause real unease? I think there is unease now, especially in the major population centers. Of course the political right responds to that by just attacking the people in those population centers. Hey, the big cities are where the people are! They certainly aren't out here in western Minnesota. We continue to be somewhat isolated from the national angst. Lots of older people getting generous Social Security. That of course is an entitlement. Conservatives are supposed to be skeptical about government entitlements.
UMN-Morris in focus
Randy Olson of Bonanza Valley isn't just an exemplary newspaper person, he is very attuned to how UMN-Morris is doing. He won't hold back if he notices something disturbing. So he noticed the fan turnout figure for the UMM men's basketball win over "Martin Luther." Ahem, the turnout was 73! Game was played on Nov. 24 at the Gremmels Court.
Let's feel happy about how the Cougars came on so strong in the second half. We trailed at halftime 46-34. But then presto, we outscored the foe 54-35 the rest of the way. Coach must have discussed some adjustments.
I wrote for the Morris newspaper back when UMM was in the Northern Sun Conference and the bleachers were pulled out on both sides of the gym. The new norm is just one side. Some decorations are on the other side. (So we won't notice?)
Fewer people are going to remember when bleachers were out on both sides. Fewer people remember when the place got "packed" at times like for the high school tournaments. Morris had games there. My, how convenient for Tiger families. Today we'll get a home game at the high school gym if we're seeded higher. After that the fans have to go out on the road. One or two more wins and we end up playing at Southwest Sate University.
I remember when this arrangement was first announced. The distance I'm sure discourages lots of fans from attending the games. Times surely change.
Transition
We have a new chancellor at UMM who I expect will take a close look at everything. Might it cross his mind that we have "lost something" with our departure from the Northern Sun Conference? And, into this bottom-tier UMAC thing that gets little attention from top-tier media? I mean media like WDAY Radio out of Fargo. It's another Forum company. So I hate giving the Forum credit but WDAY has extensive commentary on college sports above the UMAC level. We are backwater.
I often think how neat it would be if we could hear references to the UMM Cougars again on WDAY as they go over the Upper Midwest college sports scene. Wouldn't it be great of we were in there with Moorhead State et al.? There is no mystery about Moorhead State. We all know what the institution does. My goodness, with some of the UMM opponents now, it's almost scary to look up online what they do and what they stand for. You best not do it, really. But I do. I will share more on this in my future writing.
 |
| Michael Rodriguez |
My Thanksgiving was totally uneventful but don't feel sorry for me. I have the rich memories of when my whole family was still alive. We'd get together with my uncle and aunt from Glenwood.
God bless Caribou Coffee for being open on Thanksgiving morning! It's a lifesaver.
Addendum: So contrary to the holidaytime spirit: Trump's response to a female reporter's question, by saying "are you stupid?" And to think the nation's Christians were responsible for getting Trump elected twice. Trump is a crude abomination of a human being. I am glad that I have severed my membership in a Christian church.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
No comments:
Post a Comment