Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 049, Ed. 1 Monday, January 10, 2011 Page: 4 of 10
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Viewpoints
Page 4 ■ Monday, January 10, 2011
Sweetwater Reporter
DEDICATED TO PROUDLYDEUVERIN® LOCAL NEWS SI NTH 1881
T—\ Sweetwatei A
Reporter
1EMBER
| * 1 2010
P.O. Box 750/112 W. Third
TEXAS PRESS
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EDITORIAL POLICY
The editorial section of the newspaper is a forum for
expression of a variety of viewpoints. All articles except
those labeled "Editorials" reflect the opinions of the writ-
ers and not those of the Sweetwater Reporter.
GUEST COLUMN
Bill Clinton honored
by PETA for his
new vegan diet
BEVERLY HILLS—God bless America, and how's
everybody?
Bill Clinton was honored by People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals Friday because of his new vegan
diet. We know the pattern too well. First Bill vows to
follow his vegan diet faithfully and then he gets caught
having a Big Mac under the desk in his office.
Brett Favre was sued for sex harassment by mas-
seuses Monday after he was fined for sex-texting a
Playboy model. His future is certain. Twenty years
ago Americans stopped electing presidents for their
experience and began electing them for their enter-
tainment value.
Playboy hosted a press conference Friday introduc-
ing the January centerfold Larissa
Riquelme of Paraguay. For the first
f time the magazine is s owing the cen-
terfold model in three-dimensional
photographs. Sure, it's all fun and
games until somebody loses an eye.
China's government posted all mar-
riage licenses online Thursday to
4; try to halt their epidemic of bigamy,
mistresses and adultery. The truth is
finally coming out. Never trust any
HfdllS country that las one billion people
™ and tells you that ping pong is their
miltnn favorite sport
ncmilllUII The u.s. Constitution was read
aloud in Congress by House Members
Thursday. They edited out the parts allotting con-
gressional apportionment to slave states. very
ended when Abraham Lincoln signed the proclama-
tion granting Home Depot its first parking )t.
House Republicans were careful Thursday to allow
the U.S. Constitution to be read by Members of both
political parties. What a day. It was obvious the world
is upside down when Ben Quayle walked into the
chamber and took a seat in the advanced reading
circle.
Southwest Airlines revealed expansion plans
Monday, saying the airline could soon be making
international flights. It sparked curiosity from fre-
quent fliers. For nearly a century travelers have won-
dered what it would be like to take a bus across the
Atlantic.
A United Airlines pilot knocked over his coffee on
his instrument panel Wednesday causing the plane
to transmit a hijacking signal beam. Other pilots
can't believe coffee set off t s warning. Nothing ever
happens when they spill whiskey on the instrument
panel.
U.S. and British construction firms broke ground
on the huge new Spy Center in Utah Friday. It's in
a Republican state with no minority population and
it's being built for U.S. and British intelligence. If
President Obama ever finds out, he's going to be furi-
ous.
President Obama angered liberals Friday by appoint-
ing JP Morgan's William Daley as his chief of staff.
He's the architect of NAFTA, which infuriated unions.
Last month Obama met with Native American chiefs
who gave him his Indian name, Dances with Wall
Street.
Bill O'Reilly will interview President Obama before
Fox's Super Bowl telecast. This past month he's let
the rich keep their tax cuts, named a Wall Streeter his
chief of staff and now he's going to boost Fox News.
Obama plans to argue why ObamaCare just won't
work.
The New York Mercantile Exchange saw oil prices
continue rising Thursday, which could derail the
recovery. Still, it's great news for oil states. Sunday
schools in Texas and Oklahoma teach that on the
eighth day, God created the internal combustion
engine.
Oprah Winfrey launched her own cable network
Monday and named it after herself, starring her-
self. Is there enough attention in the world for this
woman? Yesterday Oprah walked onstage and gave
each studio audience member a Nobel Peace Prize for
Attendance.
Argiis Hamilton is the host comedian at The Comedy
Store in Hollywood and speaks to groups and orga-
nizations around the country. E-mail him atArgus@
ArgusHamilton.com.
GUEST COLUMN
Family or friends for the holidays?
Breit
Smith
Well Christmas is now
past for 2010.1 can't help
but to wonder about what
it all meant, not so much
for me but for those teen-
agers and younger adults
who spent most the time
with their heads deep into
their cell phones.
What ever hap-
pen to those days
of just having a
walkman and lis-
tening to maybe
an hour's worth
of music, then
spending the rest
of the holiday
with family in
"real time"? Not
with the so called
"friends" on a cell
phone texting, or
on a Facebook
chatting.
Now don't misjudge me
please when it comes to
technology and all the cool
little communication gad-
gets. I think technology can
be an amazing communi-
cation tool, even helpful in
so many ways.
For instance, a child who
can talk and see via the
internet his or her mom
and or dad in another
country on a military base,
now that's cool! Even the
occasional text and pic-
ture of Johnny opening
his present for Christmas,
where a family member
or friend couldn't make it
to the family's traditional
Christmas get together.
Now that is truly an amaz-
ing gift from technology.
So why is it when we
have those we love right
next to us, we ignore
them during the holidays?
Instead we reach out for
those "other friends" that
actually may not even be
so much friends, but more
or less acquaintances if
even that.
Regretfully, most holi-
day seasons a lot of my
family lives too far away to
just go visit on short notice
without it cutting into
THE IDLE AMERICAN
my work time or into my
pocket book. Other than
certain times spent with
my four-year-old daughter
for those short holidays, I
usually tend to get invited
over to other non-relative
family member's homes.
Where they are of
course more than
welcoming with
open arms to invite
me in to celebrate
this festive occasion
with great food, and
a family get together
included. As a mat-
ter of fact it's just
like being at home
with my family at
times.
Now don't get me
wrong, I have been
invited to some
family shindigs where I
have felt like the biggest
tourist in the most foreign
country. Thankfully I have
not experienced to many
of those, nor plan to again.
I know the warning signs
for those.
Even the most pleasant
of home environment tra-
ditions, it is usually the
adults getting the food
prepped and ready the
night before. Smelling the
turkey, ham, or even bris-
ket cooking in the oven.
Yes, even some cases
chitlins, green beans, and
mashed potatoes. The true
aroma lingering through
the house all night long
into morning. Already as a
guest my mouth is water-
ing.
Then it's the doorbell
with all the family mem-
bers showing up with
the children. Grand kids,
cousins, sisters, brothers,
you get the idea. It's a full
house! As a guest to this
holiday ritual I can't help
but to join in and get that
festive adrenalin rush!
Of course this brings out
the sentimental part out of
me, the kids and adults go
to open their presents and
give there thanks to each
other.
Then the feast is on,
shortly afterwards every-
one digs into the food and
communicates here and
there with a mumble or
grunt. Just enjoying the
flavors and fulfillment of
all the food.
As quickly as they came
to get the food at the table,
the children and younger
adults start to disperse into
corners of chairs, couches.
Like they are hiding
something or maybe the
actions of a leopard hid-
ing in the camouflage of
grass to attack, instead it's
furniture.
Silence covers the room,
and all you may hear once
in a while is a giggle, a
beep, a tweet. "Huh?".
How is this possible when
nobody is even saying any-
thing?
Then I realized what's
going on... Technology has
grabbed a hold again of
these young minds. All of
them holding there cell
phones. Texting, sharing
pics of friends to other
friends on Facebook.
You would think it
would be of Christmas
pictures or something fes-
tive like that. Nah... That's
for old people. Instead it's
of another friend in some
other state who just met
them via Facebook. Unless
it's the other conversation
where Suzy is texting to
Jane about the brand new
picture that was posted by
Mark on his Facebook page
just before their last day of
school before Christmas
vacation.
Seeing all of this made
me realize how much tech-
nology has pulled us a way
from reality into this imag-
inary world of advance-
ment and saving time. Like
the saying goes. "You don't
know what you have until
it's gone."
Do any of these young
minds see what is around
them while they are
wrapped up in there elec-
tronic friendships and
relationships?
They have their fam-
ily around them — aunts,
uncles, brothers, sisters,
cousins, moms, dads,
grandmas, grandpas. Do
they not see some day it
will all be gone? Will it
take there cell phone bill
to go past due and close
down before they realize
what is happening around
them?
At first it all seems
harmless. I don't know, is
it? Do these young minds
know how to communicate
verbally face to face, will
they be able to pay their
own cell phone bill when it
comes up due, not the par-
ent to bail them out each
time? Instead a world of
drug addicts, are we actu-
ally becoming a world of
text tech addicts?
I guess when I don't
have much of my family
around during the holidays
it makes me really appreci-
ate the other families that
do have near by family
and friends. It's sad that
the younger generation
doesn't seem to appreciate
that when they have it.
On a good note, I have
found that game sys-
tems like the Wii, the
Xbox Kinect, or even the
Playsation Move seem to be
bringing families together
in face to face communica-
tion, as well as just being
a family having fun. Like
game board games use to
do in the past.
So who knows! Maybe
technology will find better
ways for all to communi-
cate together in a family
environment during the
special holidays that come
around but once a year.
Brett Smith is a staff
writer at the Sweetwater
Reporter. Comments
about this column may be
e-mailed to editor @sweet-
waterreporter.com.
An extraordinary Tom
When December of
the old year surrendered
to January of the new
one, media folks in the
Metroplex faced the daunt-
ing task of condensing the
contributions of a public
servant to "fit" newspaper
columns andradio/tv news
slots. Media could but "hit
the high spots" of
this true Christian
statesman.
The death of
Tom Vandergriff,
a beloved figure
for more than a
half century and
a respected patri-
arch for decades,
triggered immedi-
ate tributes. They
flowed from both
the high and mighty
and from brethren
who fit into the
"least of these" cat-
egory.
One friend observed
that Vandergriffs life of
84 years was marked by
"more public service than
most others could record
in centuries. His was a life
of triumphant highlights
only dreamed of by oth-
ers." Indeed, "lowlights"
were few7 and far between.
A rare "lowlight" con-
cerned his runner-up
"finish" for a news report-
ing position with a Los
Angeles radio station soon
after receiving a degree in
broadcast journalism from
the University of Southern
California.
Dejected momentarily,
he returned to Arlington
where he was elected
"boy mayor" at age 25. He
hit the ground running,
maintaining an unbeliev-
able pace until retiring as
Tarrant County Judge in
2006 at age 80.
Oh, a bit more about
the radio job he didn't get.
It went to the late Chet
Dr. Don
Newbury
Huntley—the one who
exchanged "good nights"
to close evening newscasts
with co-anchor David
Brinkley. Huntley in New
York City and Brinkley in
Washington were giants
in TV news for NBC from
1956-1970.
Vandergriff led efforts
to bring major
league base-
ball, the General
Motors plant
and Six Flags
Over Texas to
Arlington and
was a leader
in numer-
ous humani-
tarian causes.
The visionary
worked tire-
lessly to change
Arlington from
the "hyphen"
between Fort
Worth and Dallas to excla-
mation points. He served
one term in Congress and
was an executive with the
automobile firm founded
by his father. Hundreds of
civic audiences applauded
his lectern presentations.
They howled at his classic
"car-selling story" about a
customer who made a vir-
tual steal. Unbeknownst
to Tom and his dad, the
crafty customer moved
back and forth, getting
lower and lower bids from
each Vandergriff.
Tom was a member of
First United Methodist
Church , but adherents of
all faiths gathered at his
massive memorial service
held at the University of
Texas at Arlington , an
institution he championed
for decades.
Someone said that ever
so rarely we come across
folks that on their dying
day, that's all they really
need to do. The extraordi-
nary Tom Vandergriff was
one.
Uncle Mort, my 98-year-
old kin down in the thick-
et, will never be confused
with folks who are "steady
in the boat." Typically, he's
flailing about, simply try-
ing to stay afloat.
And whatever is said
about him is usually self-
proclaimed. Now he's
"dabbling in prophecy."
Mort seems certain that
he can clear up specu-
lation concerning for-
mer California Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger's
future plans. He con-
tends that " Arnold will
be a major player in the
rodent and pest control
business."
Asked to clarify, he
explained, "For years
he's been called 'The
Terminator.' Now, he'ssure
to be the EX-terminator."
Mort is all excited about
attending his "first picture
show in 60 years." A great-
great-grandson kindergar-
tener dragged him to see
"Yogi Bear," a new three-
dimensional film, during
the holidays. "The last time
I went to the picture show,
they had wooden seats
and evaporative cooling,
but it was worth it to see
James Stewart in ' Harvey
'," Mort recalled. "Back
then, we were fortunate to
get two-dimensional films
that didn't darken the the-
ater with film breaks more
than a couple of times."
Blown away by 3-D, he
bragged about getting lots
of exercise "shielding his
kin from all the objects
flying toward them from
the screen." He was sur-
prised that they showed a
Roadrunner cartoon simi-
lar to one he'd seen six
decades ago, noting that
neither the bird nor Wile
E. Coyote "have aged a
bit."
Mort chirped a hearty
"beep-beep" just before
the roadrunner made the
same sound. His grandson
laughed. Mort cared not
at all that the youngster
was laughing AT him, not
WITH him.
Dr. Newbury is a
speaker and author in the
Metroplex. Send inquiries/
comments to: newbury@
speakerdoc.com . Phone:
817-447-3872. Web site:
www.speakerdoc.com.
The swi rrwMt r reporter
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Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 049, Ed. 1 Monday, January 10, 2011, newspaper, January 10, 2011; Sweetwater, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth229365/m1/4/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sweetwater/Nolan County City-County Library.