KTBZ and KLDE did a flip too...

Last night as I was thinking about other things to write about, I remembered that I could write about another radio change that I vaguely remember. Back in 2000 in Houston, 2 radio stations swapped frequencies due to a merger between Clear Channel Radio and AMFM, Inc. Both 107.5 KTBZ (The Buzz/same as the Edge) and 94.5 KLDE (Oldies) were owned by Clear Channel and with the merger, the FCC said that Clear Channel had to dump a station. They chose to get rid of 94.5 KLDE and sell it to Cox Radio. Included in the sale was the frequencies. So they started to advertise the swap. I remember commercials all over the radio and on tv. It was pretty cool. Initially, it was said that KTBZ (The Buzz) was going off the air. This caused outrage by the public because there were a lot of new alternative listeners out there and there was/is not another station like it in Houston. Clear Channel even held a press conference about it and started a campaign to "Save the Buzz". It was later leaked that the swap was going to happen and the campaign sizzled away with the Houston heat.

On July 18th, 2000 at 8 pm, the swap happened. Each station was unique with their transfer. KLDE chose as "space" theme where the DJ's took a space ship up the dial from Oldies 94.5 to Oldies 107.5. KTBZ took a different approach and threw a party to celebrate their new frequency. They enlisted the help of the Stone Temple Pilots at the Ariel Theatre (Now Verizon Wireless Theatre) and just played countdown music as they faded away from 107.5 to 94.5. They broadcasted the enitre concert as their introduction to the new frequency.

You can find some cool audio with all of this action at FormatChange. I found these earlier and downloaded them from another website, but this one includes a statement from KTBZ's general manager from the period where they were still campaigning to "Save the Buzz". It is pretty cool and like I said yesterday, it is not everyday when radio station change formats, so take a listen.

Today, things still are the same over at 94.5. The Buzz still lives there and is as strong as ever. Over at 106.9, they have changed things up a little bit and are now 107.5 KHTC, K-Hits playing 60's and 70's music. The old KLDE staff is gone and is now staffed by old friends in Houston radio including Scott Sparks formerly of KRBE (104.1), Dave E Crockett of KKBQ (92.9) and KIKK (95.7) and Paul Christy of KHMX (96.5).

More terrorism in the states?

Today on Good Morning America, they reported that the possibility for more terror attack within the United States is possible and that this may be the calm before the storm. The Department of Homeland Secretary Michael Chertoff says that he has a "gut feeling" about possible terrorism in our nations future. There has not been any reports of any specifics, but with the recent events in the UK with the attempted car bombings, they are definitely on alert.

My question is : As a nation, are we ready for another attack? I know that it is not something that you can necessarily prepare for, but unfortunately in this day in age, we have to know that it is possible anywhere. Our police force and military are doing a great job to protect its citizens from terror, but sometimes somethings slip through the cracks. Can we, as citizens, react in a way that will not give into the terrorists desires or can we have an attitude that some of the British have adopted where they just take things day by day and live vigilantly without letting terror run their lives. I know that with the way that our media treats us, there will be some who totally freak out and say that the sky is falling, but can we as a whole react with vigilance and not let it affect our everyday practices?

What do you think? Can we be like the British and not let it affect our daily life or will it be another nationwide attack of daily practices?

Image : Department of Homeland Security

Oldies radio is returning to NYC

CBS-FM is returning to the airwaves in New York City and it is replacing the Jack-FM format. This change will be taking place at 1:01 pm EDT (12:01 PM CDT). For those who are not in the know, CBS-FM is an oldies format radio station that was replaced in NYC abruptly by the Jack-FM format back in June of 2005. CBS-FM was a hit amongst listeners as it played "good time" music from the 60's and 70's. After the switch, listeners had to log on to the Internet or have a HD radio to tune into the station. Recently, the station staff made the decision to return to its Oldies roots and has made a quiet decision to change formats. Jack will still be around, but it will now be found on the web or on the HD station.

It will be cool to listen in as the station makes the switch. It is not everyday that a radio station makes a format change. Usually, close to the time of the switch, there are songs that "define" the station or goodbyes from DJ's (in this case, there will be no goodbyes, because there are only 2 DJ's for the Jack format and they only do traffic and news for the station). When CBS-FM converted to Jack, the last song played before the intro to Jack was Fontella Bass' "Rescure Me" and the DJ maid a comment that he may need rescuing because of a meeting that he had to go to after his show (which ended up being one that informed them that they did not have a job anymore due to the change..)

To listen in, go to http://www.ilikejack.com/ prior to 1pm EDT or 12pm CDT tomorrow morning. After the switch, you may need to change tuners and load the player for CBS-FM at http://www.wcbsfm.com/. I would load both just to be on the safe side and just mute one. If you are in the New York City DMA, just tune the radio dial to 101.1 FM and enjoy!

Image: www.ilikejack.com - WCBS-FM

So I have obviously made some changes...

What do you think? I have been thinking about making some changes to the good 'ole blog. I was not quite liking the old face. I love the background, but they layout was just not working out.. Sometimes the titles would not show and the text was not aligned properly.. Now everything looks pretty normal..

I am also trying to come up with more ideas for content.. I am not sure what, but something.. I am sure that it will be totally random like everything else has.. :)

Let me know what you think...

Will a reality show compromise journalistic integrity?

This summer, a reality show was filmed in Tyler, TX at CBS affiliate KYTX called "Anchorwoman". It was about an actress from Los Angeles trying to make it as a reporter and anchor at a local television affiliate. She had no journalistic abilities or training and has been trained buy the television station as she worked at the station. It has caused all kinds of a fuss with the people within the television industry and in East Texas itself. One thing to point out about the East Texas region is that this region is an extremely conservative area. I am talking about deeep in the heart of the bible belt.

In an effort to advertise her arrival in the region, the production company for the reality show purchased ad space on billboards with her picture in a swimsuit inviting viewers to watch CBS 19 news at 5pm where she would be participating in that broadcast. That received a lot of backlash from viewers because she was only wearing a swimsuit (however, all you could really see was her face). The television station received many phone calls and emails. The station management did not avoid viewer's complaints and the General Manager did face the music per-se on one of their morning news broadcasts (of which, you can watch at KYTX's website) Even other Tyler affiliates joined in with the complaints. Local ABC affiliate, KLTV, which has been vocal with other events (see Rosie vs. KLTV), jumped in criticizing KYTX :

"One of the last sacred grounds of integrity in local television is the local newsroom, so I guess I would say I'm disappointed to see a station, much less one in our own community, that has evidently sold its integrity," said Brad Streit, vp and GM for KLTV-TV, the ABC affiliate in Tyler. (Source: Hollywood Reporter)

The national media has also attacked them with reports on this new show. ABC's Good Morning America has done several reports as has Fox News Channel.

Does this show compromise journalistic integrity? Must somebody have a degree in Journalism just to report the news? What about those people just starting out in TV journalism? If television stations require experience before they hire people, how will anybody be hired in the first place? Where does anybody start?

Regarding KYTX..What will this do to their ratings? Will their ratings decline now that that "Anchorwoman" has now left the station? KYTX has only been operating since 2004, are they strong enough to survive the strife or will Dallas CBS affiliate KTVT be making a return to the Tyler/Longview DMA?

I guess only time will tell...

"Anchorwoman" will be airing on Fox this Fall beginning in August. It will be interesting to see what they show and what kind of local reaction they present to the "Anchorwoman" audience.

Photo Credit: (KYTX Website)

Update: Here is a clip of a news cast with the "Anchorwoman" from the Dallas Morning News

A Houston Legend's Battle with Cancer

It is rare for a whole city to support a local television reporter, especially in the nation's 4th largest city. These days, some reporters are seen as people who are just fighting to get the story, not ones that you would generally call friends or truly trust. This is also a day in age where TV news is over hyped and filled with drama. However, in Houston, viewers will be supporting a local TV personality in a battle for his life. Consumer reporter for local ABC affiliate, KTRK-TV, Marvin Zindler announced yesterday that he has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This comes from a man who has battled prostate cancer, has had open heart surgery and his gall bladder removed, along with many cosmetic procedures that he has shared with the viewers for many years.

For those of us who have grown up or lived in Houston, Marvin is a character that we all know and love. We can all mimic his legendary tag-line, "Maaaaaaarrvin Zindler, Eyyyeewitness News.." We know him for his Slime in the Ice Machine and can sing that goes along with that. We know him for his work helping out the little guy against companies who try to cheat their customers. We also know him for his charitable work connecting doctors who want to do pro-bono work for children in foreign countries: cleft palates, heart transplants, the whole lot.

Nationally, he is is know for being the only person with a lifetime contract with ABC/Disney for his reporting where he brings in $1 million each year. Also he is well known as being the reporter who broke the news about the Chicken Ranch in La Grange, TX, also known as The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. There have been several movies and a musical made about the event.

Already on KTRK's and the Houston Chronicle's websites, there are messages of well wishes and love for this reporter who has been on the air in Houston since 1973. He is a great reporter and good man. The whole whole city will be pulling for him.

Photo Credit: The Houston Chronicle

To Victory and Beyond!

So last night, some friends and I went to Victory Park to watch a broadcast of WFAA's 10 newscast. It was pretty cool.. We did not hear what they were saying, but we could see all of the behind the scene's actions. There was a cop outside of the studio doors, making sure that no deranged lunatic tried to get into the station.

Inside, the floor crew was preparing, getting cameras where they needed to be and then the talent started to appear and get themselves ready. Brett Shipp, a reporter, walked up and into the building while we were waiting. We saw him go inside, put on his tie and then start memorizing his lines for his (virtually) 2-second talk-up to his taped story. Then Macie Jepson and John McCaa took their places at the anchor desk. Macie Jepson is really tall! Despite the 3 inch heels that she was wearing, she is a tall lady. She seemed really nice. As she was walking out to their van, she waved to goodbye to us.

Pete Delkus appeared and walked over to the weather center to start prepping for his segment. He even came outside and did a little stand up giving the viewers a tease for weather. He told us all to come closer so we could be on TV. I did not choose to do so, but still managed to make it on TV. You could see my arm in the background as they went to break. He was pretty nice.

Watching the weather segment was pretty interesting. As Pete was talking, he walked over to the computers and started to manipulate the radars to try to demonstrate what he was talking about and after that, he walked over to the green screen. He then did his thing and then walked back over to the desk. This was as I expected, nothing out of the ordinary in my opinion. It was just cool to see it in person.

If you are in the Metroplex and are somewhat curious about how a TV newscast works/happens, I would suggest checking it out.. If not for that, just for the whole plaza because it is just pretty cool..the TVs and all of the colors that come from that square.. and just looking at the skyline at night...I could spend many hours just staring at the AAC...it is just an awesome style... but I digress...

An Ode to HEB

So I heard a rumor that my favorite grocery chain is looking at joining the North Texas market. In response, I let them know how I really feel about them:

I just wanted to tell you what a great shopping experience that you provide and how sad I was when I came to North Texas for college and how I miss HEB. Every time that I walk into an HEB when I am at home (my hometown HEB is the Clear Lake store) I am always greeted with friendly smiles and a pleasant shopping experience. I also enjoy the quality of goods that I find there and excellent prices. When I go home for a visit, there are a few things that I stock up on to hold me out until my next visit; HEB Contact Solution and HEB Root Beer and Dr. B. I have been to the Central Market in Plano and was disappointed when I did not find these items, but was not too shocked because I understand that these items do not "fit" the Central Market scheme. I just want to let you know that I think that the HEB brand can work here in North Texas. Walmart is #1 in this market, but with the type of products, service and prices, you can sure give the nasty Wallyworld a run for their money. I have heard a rumor that ya'll may be interested in starting in small towns in this area, and if that is true, I will be really excited. I was on an HEB high for 30 minutes after I heard of the rumor. I am not kidding, I have references if you need to check. I am just asking that you please enter our market and bring me a little taste of home, the taste of HEB Rootbeer and Dr. B, the taste of a pleasant shopping experience and the taste of an awesome company that I am proud to be a customer of.

Here is what HEB had to say in response:

Dear Mr. Mayfield:

Hello and thank you for contacting us at our H-E-B Web Site. We always appreciate hearing from our Friends and Customers.

Thank you for requesting a store in North Texas. We will share your suggestion and comments with our Real Estate Department for their information and consideration. We are continually evaluating where to build new stores and where to expand. Unfortunately, we can't give you an exact answer as to when something might be done in this area. Thank you for your feedback.

H-E-B is proud to serve you as our Customer and we will look forward to all future opportunities we may have to serve you. We genuinely value your comments and your business. As we strive to deliver superior Customer Service, we encourage you to continue letting us know how we can serve you better.

Sincerely,

Cathy

Customer Relations Specialist

H-E-B Grocery Company

She was quite vague, which is standard for any company, but there is still hope! Next step will be a petition drive. I know that the South Texans for an HEB in Denton group on Facebook will be a good base to start with. Let's start the fight. The fight for our right to an HEB. Our motto will be "Give me HEB or give me death!"

Quote of the Day...(Awesome!)

AP questions to the 2008 Presidential Candidates:

"What is the last work of fiction you've read?"

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson: " The administration's energy plan."

Its almost that time again!

Yes, that most exciting time for a hunter of sorts is almost here. Can you guess what it is? Hurricane Season! Oh yeah! This past year was a quiet one, which was fine with the people of the United States after a busy season in 2005 with the total destruction caused by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. The reminder of the Hurricane season comes today as a sub-tropical system forms off of the southeastern coast of the United States. The Hurricane Season does not start until June 1st, so this is quite out of the ordinary. Meteorologists are calling this a subtropical storm, meaning that it is not quite tropical storm, and not quite a frontal storm. The National Hurricane Center in Miami sent out a Hurricane Hunter plane today and verified that it does have the qualities of a "sub topical cyclone" and that if it continues to develop and stay on track with "subtropical" trends, they will start issuing advisories on "Subtropical Storm Andrea." And this is with 22 days still left before Hurricane season starts!

The reason that it is not an outright tropical storm is because the highest wind speeds are away from the center of the storm, whereas in a tropical storm, the highest wind speeds are found in the center near the "eye" (if it has one).

If it does "hit" the coast, it would be good because GA and FL are having some fire issues because they are experiencing a drought right now. It is moving 5 mph in a westward direction, but as far as it making an impact on that situation, I do not think it is favorable.

Is this a sign of what is to come this Hurricane season? It may or it may not. Only time will tell. Remember, if we do run out of names for this season, we go GREEK! "Party on Wayne, Party on Garth!"

Yeah, I know.. they were not Greek nor was that very funny.. I have to try sometimes though..

Grr....

I am so tired of hearing about people with guns and buildings! Right now, some idiot is holed up at JSC (Johnson Space Center in Houston) with a gun. Due to all of this, Clear Creek ISD had to lock down Space Center Intermediate because they are on the JSC grounds, practically right across the street from the building where all of this mess is happening.

Why can't we use our words? Why is it that people choose guns? Why is it that we are the only country in the world that has these types of problems?

If you go back and look at the United States Constitution, at the 2nd Amendment, and read the true content of the amendment, it was only written to allow states to have militias. It was not written for the intent of people having guns. Just for the ability to have guns to arm the militias. Unless you are a part of your local state guard, military or public safety, nobody else really needs a gun. They only ask for trouble. If a student was packing heat at VA Tech when the crazy dude came in, would it really have helped or stopped him earlier? No. There probably would have been more injured, or even dead.

Do we need more gun control? Yes. Is it ever going to happen? No. Why not? Because it is too controversial and nobody would ever agree on a single piece of legislation. How did the Brady Bill get passed? I have no idea. I wish that it was not allowed to expire, because now that it has expired, assault weapons are more readily available than before the Brady Bill. If the Brady Bill were still in effect, the gunman from VA Tech would not have had the gun that he used and also it would have slowed him down and possibly preventing him from harming others. What's going to happen in the future? Who knows....

Virginia Tech Tragedy

Another school was under attack today. School shootings have now migrated to higher education. As of now (130 pm CDT) 31 students have been either wounded or perished, including the shooter. It is just a sad day. The last time that there have been a great tragedy at a school was Columbine in 1999. The last incident like this at an institution of higher education was in the 60's at the University of Texas with the bell tower shooter with approximately 90 minnutes of terror and 16 students dead. It is now the deadliest shooting incident in US History.

This is the second incident at Virginia Tech in the past 6 months. In August, on their first day of class, classes were cancelled and buildings put on lock-down because an escaped inmate came on campus and killed a sheriff's deputy. What would it be like to be a beginning freshman through all of this? This would be a hard introduction to independent living.

Why do we have to face this in our society? Why are people going against others in mass casualties like this?

It is sad because many students are part of Generation Y and have already experienced school shootings at the terror that it can cause at school. After hearing things like this, it makes you a little uneasy and makes you re-evaluate the safety situation at your respective homes and campus.

Here is a first hand prospective of the situation: http://icantread01.livejournal.com/103060.html

It is also interesting how technology has affected this situation. When the phone systems failed, people turned to websites, blogs and social networks like Facebook and Myspace to find news about their friends and about what was going on around them. The link above is a prime example of this. Here is another link with information and other blogs : http://www.cybersoc.com/2007/04/virginia_tech_s.html

This situation is quite unfortunate and our prayers are with the students and families of this situation.

Is change really good?

I was surfing on my favorite radio station's website, and I encountered a piece of news that I did not know about. Virgin Radio has a morning show called the Breakfast Show. I usually listen to it via podcast because I don't really want to stay up all night so I can listen to it as it comes on at 12 am here in Denton. Well, one of the DJ's (Chris Smith) took a leave of absence so he could attend to his wife while she had a baby. This was like 2 weeks ago. Well, while he was gone, the station played around with having Christian O'Connell (the main DJ) go solo and then they added a producer to the mike and tried that. They tested around and found out that they liked the show better without Chris Smith (the new daddy) who was out on leave. Now, Chris was an awesome sidekick. The main DJ is a little childish and is really evened out by Chris. They have worked together for a while and even switched radio stations this past year.

The news that I read last night was that he was canned. The main DJ never made any mention of the demise of Chris Smith. There was no statement and they deleted all of his pictures and anything that had to deal with Chris. The team was now broken up.

I just think that was a bad move. It would have also been nice for them to give him a proper send off and explain everything to the listeners. Not to mention, he was on a leave of absence to attend to a new member of his family. Is that a kick in the balls or what?

Why is radio so fickle like that? They did the same exact thing here in the Metroplex at Mix 102.9; canned Cappy from the Morning Mix with Tony and Cappy. Which is better? Running away old listeners from a radio show or trying to gain new ones? I know that it is easier and cheaper to gain new customers for a business, but shouldn't they work harder to keep old customers around?

Picture: To the left, Brian The Producer, to the right: Newly canned Chris Smith

Joel Osteen: Is it all necessary?

Ok, so if you are from Houston, know somebody from Houston, watch Christian TV, read Christian Books, anything besides live under a rock (and maybe not even then), you have definitely heard of Joel Osteen. He is the pastor of a little church called Lakewood Church. You can catch his sermons on TV on Sunday mornings and he is that guy on the cover of that book that everybody is reading, according to the NYT best seller list: Your Best Life Now. Now, according to fellow Blogger Mike McGuff and Christian Today, Joel Osteen has the #9 most listened to podcast online. In addition, he also has a board game based on his book.

My question is: "Is all of this necessary?" Yes, one of the points of Christianity is to spread the word. I am not against that. Not at all. However, I think that there is a point in which you can take things too far. I can understand the podcast thing and maybe localized distribution of his weekly sermons; Lakewood is a big church (so big that they had to take over the old home of the Houston Rockets) and these methods are a good chance to keep the local congregation in touch with their massive church. I can even understand the book. I have not read it myself, but from what I understand, it is a self-help book; with all that is going on in our world, why not? But is there a point of over saturation? TV, podcast, book, board game, all kinds of interviews.. That is a little much. Simplicity is enough to spread the word. What happened to just talking to your local parishioners or people in the community? That is what God would have done, not gone national or even global. One big issue is that I have a problem with the game. I don't understand the need of the game. There is just no need. If it were one of those games that was like a bible quiz game, I would understand it a little more, but I don't think that is it. It just makes me wonder...

Now don't get me wrong. Lakewood has done great things for the people of the City of Houston and worldwide. Back in 2001, they organized a huge food and clothing drive to help those who lost all in the horrible 100 year floods from Tropical Storm Allison. I just sometimes wonder if John Osteen, Joel's father, would be satisfied with how the church has evolved and what Joel is doing with it since his death. I remember the day that he passed away in 1999, The whole City of Houston mourned is death.

But a game about the book? I just don't know about that.

Photo Credit: Houston Chronicle

Random Thoughts (sorry its boring)

So I have been thinking about going abroad and taking classes in the UK. I've got a bug and something has to kill it. However, there are a lot of factors that come into play if I were to do this.

Cost is key, but if you read a previous posting, there are some possibilities. Another thing would be what would I study? The only subjects that make since is Education and American Studies. If I were to do Education, I would still have to take some certification tests once I came back here to start teaching.

However, I am already starting classes and preparing to take my subject test at the beginning of next month. With the American Studies degree, my first instinct says "Why study America in the UK? It doesn't make since." The only logical thing that I can pull from it would be that I could study it and see how foreigners construe the US while teaching about it. Also, it would be a good chance to live abroad (something that I have always wanted to do) and to take in some UK culture (no, it is not too different from ours, but there are some differences). I just think that it would be awesome. I know that I just came back from a study abroad trip, but that is not the same. We did not stay in one place for more than 3 days and it was not like a typical study abroad experience (it was still awesome!).

Additionally, I have bills here that I have to pay, take care of my new car that has a 3 year lease on it, stuff like that. I just don't know what to do. Should I continue what I am working on and forget about it? Should I just do this after I get my Masters and then go and study abroad?

I think that I will still investigate the options, but I don't know what I would do.

What would you do?

Why mess with a good thing?

I know that I have probably told all of y'all about the recent 'news' with Grey's Anatomy... The business about how they are going to have a spin off with Addison Montgomery as the lead character. Personally, I think that this is a bad move. The show is great as it is. There is a great dynamic as it is with all of the characters. If they remove one, I think that it will mess up the dynamic and take away from the show. This is a really popular show, it does not make since. I don't think that Addison is strong enough to actually be on her own. They are bringing in all kinds of people who had shows that eventually failed so who knows how that will pan out.. A lot of shows have had spin offs: Friends had Joey (which only lasted a season and a half) the Cosby's had A Different World (I'm sure that did not last long..) etc. You get the picture. They rarely work. Maybe ABC is trying to give these actors a second chance, or maybe they had contracts with some of them. I just call it a bad move. They will figure it out this fall when they see a decline overall ratings with Grey's Anatomy.

Scholarship Opportunities

This is a good tidbit of information if you are interested in continuing your education beyond a bachelors degree. Personally, I should have investigated this more before I started my course work, but I may still be eligible. I will have to see. There are several opportunities for Study Abroad and stateside study as well. These are highly competitive and world renown scholarships, so they are pretty cool and extensive. A couple that I am investigating are the Rotary Ambassador Scholarship, the James Madison Scholarship and the Marshall Scholarship. Dr. Duban from the office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships is holding a workshop on March 28th from 3-4pm in the Lyceum if you are interested. You can get more information about the different types of scholarships available at this website : http://www.opgf.unt.edu/ You can also contact Dr Duban with specific questions at jduban@unt.edu.

The James Madison Scholarship is for those who are interested in teaching Secondary American History. They will pay for your Masters degree and all you have to do is teach for the amount of years that you receive scholarship money from them (which you would be doing anyways). The deadline has already passed, but worth looking into for the next go around.

The Marshall Scholarship allows you to study in the UK for 2 years at most UK universities. It will pay for room and board, books, round fare ticket from here to there and a Masters Degree. There is no obligation with this one except for completing your program.

The Rotary Ambassador Scholarship allows you to study almost anywhere on the globe and they will pay for tuition and housing. All you have to do is be an ambassador for your country in the place that you choose to study. for Rotary International.

If you are interested, check out the website to get more details on the programs.

Is it child abuse?

Connor McCreaddie of Wallsend, England, is 8 years old. He is also 218 pounds. On Tuesday, Connor and his mother had to meet with the County Council (equivalent to our court system) to determine if Connor was facing harm at home due to his diet. Ms McCreaddie was worried about loosing custody of Connor. However, the North Tyneside County Council determined that Connor could stay with his mum but they all needed to watch over him to ensure that this situation does not get out of hand.

Recently, ITV, a British televison network, followed Connor around for a month watching his every move. He would eat snack every 20 minutes, usually comprising of chips and cookies (or in British, crisps and biscuits). He can put away 8 lunch sized bags of chips and 3 packages of cookies a day. For dinner, his mother would prepare french fries, buttered bread and other bad things. She tells Connor to stay out of the fridge between meals, (which he ignores) and refuses to put a lock on the fridge. She admits that he was a big baby. At age 2 1/2, she could not pick him up anymore and at age 5, he was 126 pounds.

Is this abuse? I think that it can be if the mother is not doing anything about this situation. She is not forcing him to exercise and it is aparent that she is not changing the diet. I am sure that she is not deliberately trying to fatten him up like the witch in Hansel and Gretel, but in this age, it is necessary to be more cognizant of diet and weight. It is all just sad. I can understand that she is a single parent of 2 kids and that it is hard, but if she were to put a little bit of effort into it, it could go a long way. Maybe take the kids to the park every other day. Throw in some salad instead of bread. Try some vegetarian dishes. GET A LOCK FOR THE FRIDGE! He will not starve to death, he will just gripe until the next meal time.

I think that the County Council made a good move in not removing him from his mothers custody. That probably would have been detrimental to him and caused depression which leads to even more eating. They should just help his mother construct a diet and exercise plan for him. That is all that he can do for now. Maybe they should also check him for a disease that may be causing him to be obease.... Whatever happens, a change needs to be made immediately before it causes long lasting effects that will be with him for rest of his life..

Denton Apartments Suck!

Recently, my roommate and I have been shopping around for a new apartment. That is just something that you do around the time that you lease is up. We were interested in looking for a new place, some place that was more modern and had a few specific features that we were looking for. As we were driving around on Saturday to these newer apartment complexes in town, we quickly discovered that we could not move into any of them. Why you may ask? They are all Federally subsidized and subject to income restrictions. WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?! I was livid, especially after the 3rd place that we went to told us that. These are all brand new apartments, all built within the past few years and are the nicest apartment complexes in town and they are out of reach because our incomes equal over $31,000. The only choices that we have remaining to us are some dumpy apartment complexes or ones that we cannot afford altogether. Where is the logic in this? One apartment manager put it eloquently, "You are being penalized for actually having a job."

My question in all of this is why is there such a need for low income housing in the City of Denton? Denton is not that poor in my opinion. Yes there are some parts of town that seem poorer than others, but over all, we as a city are not doing that bad economically.

So I thought.... Then I checked with the Census Bureau. According to the 2000 Census the median household income was $35,422 for the City of Denton, comparing to 63K for McKinney, 54K for Lewisville, 62K for Carrollton and 78K for Plano. I just cannot believe this. I don't understand why the median household income is so small for Denton. We have a lot of industries here, Peterbilt, national headquarters for Sally Beauty Supply, UNT, TWU, Denton ISD (it is a big school district) and other big employers. I guess what this number shows is that a lot of people are not making that much money from these employers (I know that I'm not) or that they are living in other communities outside of Denton.

Maybe the fact that we have a large population of college students living in Denton has something to do with how low our median income numbers are. I don't know. You would think that the Census Bureau would account for this though. Who knows? It is just a major shock to me and my roommate. Now we have to decide if we want to stay in our current complex or possibly pay more and live in another complex a little more out of the price range. I just seems a little unfair for those who are actually starting off in their adult lives and want to continue to live in Denton.

Maybe I should be complaining more to the City of Denton for not enticing other complexes that could cater to a customer such as myself. Yes, we have a lot of complexes already in Denton, but if you really look at a lot of them, nobody would really want to live in them. Ah, and that is another thing. Maybe I should complain to all of the management companies for not keeping up with their properties and making them appealing to people. Curb appeal says a lot. If it does not look good on the outside, that is definitely an indicator of what you will find on the inside.

I am still boggled by the income numbers for Denton. I just don't understand. Even if these incomes were for 2 people, they would still be too high for these low income complexes. There are a lot of variables and would be a good topic of study for somebody who needs an economic or business project...

What do you think of all of this? Post your thoughts below...

They JUST changed the rate!

Is it just me or didn't the Postal Service just raise the rates for the 1st class stamp? I can remember when it was a quarter to send a letter in the mail. My mom remembers when it was a dime to send a letter. What is the deal? The postal service has just announced that it wants to raise rates for a stamp from 39 cents to 41 cents, a 2 cent increase. I know that it is needed because of the increase in cost of gas and labor, but it is just crazy! This will be another reason for people to start paying their bills online and stray away from the paper and pencil method of paying bills. Our generation is starting to abandon this old method and I think that this will force others to abandon this method as well.

The postal service is talking about implementing a "forever stamp" which would lock in prices at the time of purchase, but you will still have to buy those stamps at the 41 cent price. It is a good concept, because it will save money over a period of 10 or more years, but then you will have stamps coming out of your ear for that period of time. It will save a trip to the Post Office or Kroger to get stamps, though, which is good too..

My plan to help the Postal Service earn more money, charge those advertisers who send junk mail that nobody ever reads a dollar or more just for being annoying..

What do you think?