Ailing Newspapers

I wasn't surprised to see that, with a few exceptions, newpaper circulation numbers continue to drop. But according to a recently released report by a newpaper industry publication, the slide is accelerating.

What really caught my eye was that the most precipitous drop of any major market paper in the nation occured at my hometown Dallas Morning News. DMN circulation was down more than 14% over the last six months. Other major dailies that are seen to be in trouble (Los Angeles Times; New York Times) were down only 2-4% respectively.

I'm not sure what's going on at Dallas Morning News. But if semi-annual double-digit drops in circulation continue, the paper won't be around much longer.

Happy Earth Day!

May we care about the slaughter of the unborn half as much as we care about the temperature of our planet.

What a wonderful world that would be.

Welcome MJBI!. . .

. . .to the special list of outstanding organizations it is our privilige to serve at Holland|Simpson.

Messianic Jewish Bible Institute (www.mjbi.org) is an amazing ministry based in Dallas/Fort Worth that trains and equips Jewish believers all over the world to do the work of evangelism and ministry.

How honored we are to have the opportunity to assist Dr. Wayne Wilks and his team in carrying out their important mission.

Real Martyrs

Via the Daily Telegraph:

"Three staff at a bible publishing company in Eastern Turkey were killed yesterday in a brutal attack on the country's Christian minority. The victims, who included a German, were found at the firm in Malatya, 400 miles east of the capital Ankara, with their throats cut and hands and feet tied. One was still alive but died in hospital. There is concern that Islamic fundamentalists are importing the brutal tactics used by their counterparts across the border in Iraq. Local reports suggested the killings could have been carried out by a group known as Turkish Hizbollah, who want an Islamic state in the largely Kurdish south-east."

Full story here.

And here are some thoughts I had a while back about how the word "martyr" has been hijacked and desecrated by Muslims. (Notice I didn't say "Muslim extremists" or "Islamofascists.")

That 70s Show—"Me" Edition

Took the family up to my old hometown (Wilburton, Okla.) and spent Easter weekend with my folks. A secondary reason for the trip was to attend—with some trepidation—my 30-year high school reunion.

Though I was the Class of 77's president, I hadn't made it to any reunions since the 10th. (I drug a date to that event. A sweet girl to whom I proposed a few months later. She said yes. We'll celebrate our 20th anniversary this December.)

On the drive up there, I was speaking with a friend on my mobile and mentioned that I was going to my reunion. He asked me if I thought I would be voted "Least Changed." I told him I didn't think I was in much danger of that. What do you think? View image

The Courage and Good Humor of Johnny Hart

Hart, the creator of the B.C. and Wizard of Id comic strips died yesterday. His B.C. strips frequently contained Christian messages, particularly on Easter, which of course earned him a lot hatred and abuse.

Yesterday—Easter Sunday—Hart died at his drawing table. How fitting that the man who pointed millions to the reality of Christ's resurrection should "pass over" on that day and in that way. He laid a weary head down on the work of this life, and awoke to the unspeakable joy of the next.

Well done.

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out

Here in The Hanger and around the offices of Holland|Simpson, there are a handful of movies that provide the source material for about 90% of our jokes, references and sayings. Three of them are Christmas movies—It's a Wonderful Life ("I'm all right! I'm all right!); White Christmas (That'll bring 'em in Grandpa!); and, first and foremost, A Christmas Story ("My father worked in profanity the way other artists work in oil or clay. It was his true medium.")

So, it is with sadness that I note that the film's director, Robert Clark, was killed by a drunk driver today along with his adult son. He was 67. Our deepest sympathies go out to that family.

Clark made a lot of tasteless and truly awful films. But he directed one classic gem and I believe that is what he will be remembered for.

May a similar grace be extended to us all at the end of our days—that we be remembered for what we did on our best days and not our worst.

No More Cold Turkey Flying

Air travel is pretty tough on us addicts. When we climb onto a plane we know we are going to be cut off from our habit for two or three hours. And those transAtlantic flights? Torture. The guy next to you whose knee is bouncing up and down at 30 cycles per second, his hands gripping the arm rests? That's me.View image

Cigarettes? Heck, no. I'm talking about something far more addictive. A bless-ed Internet connection.

That's why I did a little happy-man jig when this Dean Barnett post referenced an article in today's Wall Street Journal Online. The article says that most airliners will have decent in-flight Internet connections within a year.

Insert Howard Dean-ish primal scream/whoop here. . .

The Madness of Queen Rosie

Hey Jon,
Regarding Rosie O'Donnel's crazed musings on The View. . . Take some comfort in knowing that Popular Mechanics is on the case!

For some time now, Popular Mechanics has been subjecting the many nutburger-with-cheese conspiracy theories proliferating around 9/11 to the white hot light of real science. Like the ones Rosie parrotted on that same program—they simply don't hold water.

Regarding such theories in general, ref. my old post about "weak minds and faint hearts" on the fifth anniversary of 9/11.