I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving. To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it, but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes -
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Thought For The Day
A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?
- Robert Browning -
- Robert Browning -
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Thought For The Day
People who work sitting down get paid more than people who work standing up.
- Ogden Nash -
- Ogden Nash -
Vern Mikkelson
When we were growing up on Westfield Road in Natick, we used to play basketball on Billy Dean's driveway. All of us picked the name of a "real player", and pretended to be him. I always picked Vern Mikkelson of the Minneapolis Lakers.
The Dean's had the flatest driveway in the neighborhood, and his mother, a very nice lady, didn't mind all the noise we made, nor the occasional broken window. They were from Philadelphia and they had that nasally, whiney accent. Billy was kind of a nerdy kid who lived with only his mom. I never knew what happened to his father, and it really didn't matter to us back then. Also, their house was near the railroad tracks and they had a lot of rocks in the yard, so we used an old baseball bat to hit rocks at the trains.
It's kind of funny, I don't remember anything about going to school back then, I've blocked that from my mind. But I can remember the moves I put on Ricky Nation to drive to the hoop, or to get open for my jump shot on that old driveway like it was yesterday.
As for the real Vern Mikkelson, he's still alive today. He was a 6'7" power forward from Hamline University in Minneapolis, who teamed with George Mikan to lead the Lakers to a couple of NBA Championships in the 50's before the team moved to Los Angeles. He played 10 years in the NBA, and was an all-star 6 times. In 1995, he was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Dean's had the flatest driveway in the neighborhood, and his mother, a very nice lady, didn't mind all the noise we made, nor the occasional broken window. They were from Philadelphia and they had that nasally, whiney accent. Billy was kind of a nerdy kid who lived with only his mom. I never knew what happened to his father, and it really didn't matter to us back then. Also, their house was near the railroad tracks and they had a lot of rocks in the yard, so we used an old baseball bat to hit rocks at the trains.
It's kind of funny, I don't remember anything about going to school back then, I've blocked that from my mind. But I can remember the moves I put on Ricky Nation to drive to the hoop, or to get open for my jump shot on that old driveway like it was yesterday.
As for the real Vern Mikkelson, he's still alive today. He was a 6'7" power forward from Hamline University in Minneapolis, who teamed with George Mikan to lead the Lakers to a couple of NBA Championships in the 50's before the team moved to Los Angeles. He played 10 years in the NBA, and was an all-star 6 times. In 1995, he was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Poem For The Day
Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied,
That "maybe it couldn't" but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so 'till he tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.
- Edgar A. Guest -
But he with a chuckle replied,
That "maybe it couldn't" but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so 'till he tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.
- Edgar A. Guest -
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Thought For The Day
What makes something special is not just what you have to gain, but what you feel there is to lose.
- Andre Agassi -
- Andre Agassi -
Cape Cod Times Sale Update
Since Rupert Murdoch and NewsCorp. purchased Dow Jones, the former owner of the Cape Cod Times, we have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. We all know they are trying to sell us, but given the sorry state of the economy, particularly in the credit markets, no potential buyer has been able to obtain financing.
These are bad times for the newspaper industry in general. Readership and revenue is down throughout the industry, and the future of print newspapers is bleak. More people are getting their news from sources other than newspapers. Actually, the fastest growing business owned by Murdoch is YouTube.
Our most likely buyer, Gatehouse Media, has seen it's stock take a beating recently. One publication put Gatehouse stock on it's "graveyard list". Ouch! They have $1.2 billion in long-term debt, and only $10 million in cash reserves. The headline on a Wall Street Journal website, ironically owned by Murdoch, was "The Train Wreck At Gatehouse Media". Another newspaper company, The Journal-Register, recently had a share of their stock valued at less than the price of a daily paper. The stock was removed from the New York Stock Exchange.
On the bright side, sales of the Cape Cod Times are only down 5% from last year. We are in a market with very little competition and we have a very active website and other online products. Because of our success compared to other newspapers, our selling price is too high for the few companies who might be able to buy us. So we just go along, taking care of business and enjoying our summer on Cape Cod.
These are bad times for the newspaper industry in general. Readership and revenue is down throughout the industry, and the future of print newspapers is bleak. More people are getting their news from sources other than newspapers. Actually, the fastest growing business owned by Murdoch is YouTube.
Our most likely buyer, Gatehouse Media, has seen it's stock take a beating recently. One publication put Gatehouse stock on it's "graveyard list". Ouch! They have $1.2 billion in long-term debt, and only $10 million in cash reserves. The headline on a Wall Street Journal website, ironically owned by Murdoch, was "The Train Wreck At Gatehouse Media". Another newspaper company, The Journal-Register, recently had a share of their stock valued at less than the price of a daily paper. The stock was removed from the New York Stock Exchange.
On the bright side, sales of the Cape Cod Times are only down 5% from last year. We are in a market with very little competition and we have a very active website and other online products. Because of our success compared to other newspapers, our selling price is too high for the few companies who might be able to buy us. So we just go along, taking care of business and enjoying our summer on Cape Cod.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Thought For The Day
Nothing travels faster than the speed of light, with the possible exception of bad news.
- Douglas Adams -
- Douglas Adams -
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Bits & Pieces
Everyone seems to want an Obama-Clinton ticket, but I think he'll pick someone who will help him win a state he might not win otherwise. That would mean someone like Senator Jim Webb from Virginia, normally a Republican state. McCain will do the same thing, but he also needs to pick a young person for obvious reasons.
The Red Sox haven't missed a beat since Big Papi went down. Drew is finally playing like he might be worth $14 million a year. If Ortiz can't come back, they might have to trade for a power hitter late in the season when other teams start dumping some payroll. A good candidate would be Richie Sexson of Seattle.
I just finished watching the Celtics almost blow a 20 point lead against the Lakers in game 2. If they can win just one in L.A., it's over.
The Red Sox haven't missed a beat since Big Papi went down. Drew is finally playing like he might be worth $14 million a year. If Ortiz can't come back, they might have to trade for a power hitter late in the season when other teams start dumping some payroll. A good candidate would be Richie Sexson of Seattle.
I just finished watching the Celtics almost blow a 20 point lead against the Lakers in game 2. If they can win just one in L.A., it's over.