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TikTok around the clock

The news business is constantly changing and that means changing with the times. So, reluctantly, I have started a news TikTok. I’m not a fan of TikTok. I don’t like how the app is designed or how it’s meant to keep a user swiping for minutes and sometimes hours. I don’t like its connection to the Communist Chinese government and how it constantly scrapes information and data. The problem is that is where the young’uns are, and if you want the teens and young adults to read your news stories, you have to be where they are. And TikTok is where they are. I don’t know when ...

Accountability still matters these days

For over a week, Democrats have attacked the Young Republicans for a leaked group chat that had lots of offensive comments in it. Some were very sarcastic and taken out of context to score points. Others were sincere. All were offensive. None of the Young Republicans are running for office. Most have lost their jobs. A Democratic Senate candidate in Maine has a tattoo on his chest of a Nazi SS skull and crossbones, the symbol used by the troops who initiated and carried out the Holocaust. Politico says the tattoo “appears similar to a Nazi symbol.” The Associated Press and other ...

Weaponized fact checkers

Every once in a while, the “fact-checkers” at PolitiFact publish reader comments, and this one stuck out: “Your site seems to be mostly about Trump all the time,” read one comment. “How about a little less Trump, and write more about any other falsehood subjects?” PolitiFact’s audience chief Ellen Hine acknowledged they’ve published over 1,000 “fact checks” on President Donald Trump — 1,124, to be precise. But then she trotted out the false claim that their targeting is nonpartisan: “Without keeping count, we try to select facts to check from all sides of the ...

If it’s none of your business, it’s none of your business

In my writings and talks, I often quote Cousin Al. Today is no exception. For those who might be wondering… yes, there really is a Cousin Al! His father and my mother were brother and sister, so he is my first cousin. Al has the ability to say things in a way that is memorable and helpful.    Much of what I talk and write about focuses on lessons learned from experience. This includes experiences gained from reading and listening as well as those gained from living life. In some of my presentations, I go over a list of suggestions that I have found helpful in creating a positive ...

Autumn is definitely in the air in Barbour County

Hello from Barbour County! Fall is in the air. My favorite time of the year. Fire season is also in. No burning between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Also, be sure to use common sense and if it is windy or extra dry, then don’t burn at all. Spooky season is also upon us. Philip Barbour will be having a Zombie 5K today, Oct. 25, beginning at 10 a.m. Also today, there will be a Hocus Pocus, sixth annual Trunk or Treat at the upper pavillion at Audra State Park. Treaters can begin setting up at 3 p.m. The pumpkin court will start at 4:30, and costume contest begins at 5 ...

Foreign policy

Give Donald Trump credit, he is imaginative concerning foreign policy. Freed from brokering the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, he managed to place relations with Russia on a positive track, despite some of his advisors, chiefly Keith Kellogg, pushing for a tilt towards Kyiv. Trump refused Ukraine’s request for Tomahawk missiles. Now he is reportedly ready to meet Vladimir Putin in Budapest. This is one of Trump‘s assets in that he considers all options before acting. Sometimes this allows Republican hawks, like Lindsey Graham, to think that he can be converted into a John ...