Trips to the video rental store used to be a lot more fun.
Back in the day, a trip to the video store produced what seemed to be a bottomless pit of entertainment opportunities. From laugh-out-loud comedies, to high-flying sci-fis, to poignant dramas, to edge-of-your-seat action-adventures, there was always something worth a couple of bucks to keep you and your friends entertained in the living room.
But something, apparently, has changed.
Last Friday night, with both kids away at sleepovers, my wife Jena and I decided it would be a good night to rent a movie. But rather than a smorgasbord of entertainment options at the video store, what we found were slim pickings.
I don't think we're too picky when it comes to movies. We like movies that are fun to watch — nothing too gory, nothing too racy, nothing too "artsy." We prefer to avoid anything too depressing, and we're usually more comfortable when foul language can be kept to a minimum.
And generally speaking, we have the same tastes, the chief difference being that I would be content to watch "The Godfather" for the 79th time, whereas Jena prefers more "uplifting" films. (What's not uplifting about "The Godfather"?)
With these guidelines, you wouldn't think it would be too difficult to find a movie that is appealing to us. But it is.
Consider some of the newest releases at the video store. There's "Halloween II," "X Games 3D: The Movie," and "Final Destination." There's "District 9," "Fame" and something called "Jennifer's Body." Not one of these films was remotely appealing to us. Among the new releases, only "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" looked reasonably interesting, but it would have seemed wrong to get that one with both kids out of the house.
Looking across the range of DVDs to be released in the past year, it's a similar story. The few that looked remotely entertaining, we saw in the theaters. The rest look like a bunch of duds.
It didn't used to be this way. I remember a time, not too long ago, when the new release shelves were packed with movies I was dying to see. Movies like "Batman," "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and "Back to the Future 2." Flicks like "Dead Poets Society," "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" and "Field of Dreams" Heck, even movies like "The Little Mermaid," "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" and "Driving Miss Daisy" were better than sitting around doing nothing on a Friday night.
Believe it or not, each of the movies listed in the previous paragraph came out in a single year — 1989. Back then, there was always something to see. Two decades later, it's a different story.
Or maybe we've just grown out-of-touch when it comes to pop culture. Looking at the hype surrounding this new "Avatar" film, I would say this is probably the case. "Avatar" is setting all kinds of box office records, and just Sunday won the Golden Globe for best drama. I just don't see the appeal. A movie about weird-looking blue things, who can apparently fly? Just looks dumb to me.
Back to Friday night — after wandering the shelves for quite a while, and enlisting the assistance of one of the video store clerks, we settled on "Slumdog Millionaire'" and I must say, it was a top-notch film. Other than some dialects which were initially difficult to understand, it was a fine movie to watch. It's good to know there are still a few movies out there worth watching, even if you have to look long and hard to find them.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
City could consider new revenue options
If Blytheville Mayor Barrett Harrison and the City Council are looking for ways to shore up the city's budget for 2010, they might turn their attention toward KFC.
Two Indiana cities did just that, getting $7,500 each to allow the fast-food chain to advertise its new "fiery" chicken wings on its city fire hydrants. As of last week, the company was looking for three more cities to participate in the marketing campaign. Perhaps it's worth a phone call.
Actually, something along these lines could help the city generate revenue streams now and well into the future. After all, if KFC is willing to dole out thousands to advertise chicken wings on fire hydrants, surely other companies would be willing to do something similar.
For instance, the arches on Main Street are just screaming out to be painted bright yellow as an advertisement for McDonald's. Surely passing through Blytheville's golden arches would result in increased sales of Big Macs, Quarter-Pounders and Chicken McNuggets. McDonald's would no doubt pay a hefty sum for such a thing.
Starbucks already pulled out of Blytheville, but perhaps they would come back if the city agreed to sell the coffee franchise advertising rights to the water tower on June Gosnell Drive. Just imagine, the tower modified into a giant grande mocha cappacinno. It would be a huge boost to local coffee sales.
Captain D's would no doubt be interested in naming rights to one of the local fishing holes. I can see it now: "The Captain D's Lagoon at Walker Park." If one of the local seafood eateries, like Ed's Catfish, wants in on the action, we can name one of the other fishing holes for them, or just give them the Pemiscot Bayou.
Naming rights for sporting venues have been a big money-maker for years, whether it's "Busch Stadium," "Autozone Park" or "The FedEx Forum." As such, there's obviously money to be made at Blytheville Youth Sportsplex. I could see regional banking institutions getting involved here. We could have the "Southern Bancorp Fields" on the "Bancorp South Sports Complex," all adjacent to the "Southbank Soccer Park." It wouldn't be confusing at all.
And as long as there are streets in Blytheville, there's ways to advertise local companies. (And perhaps a way to get a pothole or two fixed.) Ash Street could become "Nucor Street." Walnut could be "Tenaris Drive." Ruddle could become "Roll Coater Road." Air Base Highway could become "ART Boulevard."
And Main Street, of course, could become "Walmart Way," leading to great conversations, in which a person could go shopping in downtown Blytheville; and when asked by a friend where they went, they could answer, "at Walmart," and be telling the truth.
There's a million ways for Blytheville to make money, provided the city is willing to turn itself into a giant billboard. And why shouldn't it? A few good deals, and the city could fund all the non-profits it wants to.
Two Indiana cities did just that, getting $7,500 each to allow the fast-food chain to advertise its new "fiery" chicken wings on its city fire hydrants. As of last week, the company was looking for three more cities to participate in the marketing campaign. Perhaps it's worth a phone call.
Actually, something along these lines could help the city generate revenue streams now and well into the future. After all, if KFC is willing to dole out thousands to advertise chicken wings on fire hydrants, surely other companies would be willing to do something similar.
For instance, the arches on Main Street are just screaming out to be painted bright yellow as an advertisement for McDonald's. Surely passing through Blytheville's golden arches would result in increased sales of Big Macs, Quarter-Pounders and Chicken McNuggets. McDonald's would no doubt pay a hefty sum for such a thing.
Starbucks already pulled out of Blytheville, but perhaps they would come back if the city agreed to sell the coffee franchise advertising rights to the water tower on June Gosnell Drive. Just imagine, the tower modified into a giant grande mocha cappacinno. It would be a huge boost to local coffee sales.
Captain D's would no doubt be interested in naming rights to one of the local fishing holes. I can see it now: "The Captain D's Lagoon at Walker Park." If one of the local seafood eateries, like Ed's Catfish, wants in on the action, we can name one of the other fishing holes for them, or just give them the Pemiscot Bayou.
Naming rights for sporting venues have been a big money-maker for years, whether it's "Busch Stadium," "Autozone Park" or "The FedEx Forum." As such, there's obviously money to be made at Blytheville Youth Sportsplex. I could see regional banking institutions getting involved here. We could have the "Southern Bancorp Fields" on the "Bancorp South Sports Complex," all adjacent to the "Southbank Soccer Park." It wouldn't be confusing at all.
And as long as there are streets in Blytheville, there's ways to advertise local companies. (And perhaps a way to get a pothole or two fixed.) Ash Street could become "Nucor Street." Walnut could be "Tenaris Drive." Ruddle could become "Roll Coater Road." Air Base Highway could become "ART Boulevard."
And Main Street, of course, could become "Walmart Way," leading to great conversations, in which a person could go shopping in downtown Blytheville; and when asked by a friend where they went, they could answer, "at Walmart," and be telling the truth.
There's a million ways for Blytheville to make money, provided the city is willing to turn itself into a giant billboard. And why shouldn't it? A few good deals, and the city could fund all the non-profits it wants to.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
The trends that shaped a decade of local news
With the dawn of a new decade, there's been a lot of looking back going on — people looking back over the past 10 years and trying to put into terms how the world has changed in the past decade.
Having read a number of national "stories of the decade" articles, I started thinking about what local events might be considered in a similar ranking. After all, just last week, the Courier News released its list of the Top 10 Stories of 2009. Why not a ranking of the Top 10 Stories of the decade?
I have a unique perspective on this, I think, in that the last decade exactly coincides with my time as a Blytheville resident. I began my stint here at the Courier News on Jan. 3, 2000, just over 10 years ago. So anything that's happened since I've been here fits within the window of time we are looking at.
But as I ponder the top news stories of the decade, I find myself struggling to pinpoint specific stories that would warrant inclusion on such a list. Instead, what I see are the trends that have dominated the news for the past 10 years. And the two trends which have been the most important over the past decade have been economic development and community development.
By economic development, I mean jobs. Jobs are considered the lifeblood of any community, and with the Blytheville area in a continual battle for prosperity, economic development has supplied a steady stream of news over the past 10 years.
Some of it has been good news. Perhaps topping the list would be the arrival of Denso to Osceola. Other new plants have included the likes of Aviation Repair Technologies, Roll Coater and JMS Processing.
There's been bad news as well. The closure of the Milwaukee Tool plant was one of the biggest. Others have included the shuttering of the Borg Warner plant in Blytheville and the Fruit of the Loom factory in Osceola.
Atlas Tube in Blytheville has been both a good news and a bad news story, with the plant both opening and closing in the past decade.
Central in the economic development story has been the county's sales tax dedicated to pursuing projects that will spur job development. Mississippi County voters approved the tax earlier in the decade, and local officials can tout a long list of successes, both in new plants and expansion of existing ones. At the same time, if the ultimate goal of such a program is community prosperity, reviews of the sales tax might be mixed, with population still stagnant or declining in parts of the county.
By community development, I mean the things that make life better for those who live here. This could include everything from education, to public services, to the retail sector.
This has been another good news/bad news trend.
On the good side, one of the biggest stories in the area of community development in the past decade has been the development of the Youth Sportsplex on the Arkansas Aeroplex. The taxpayer-funded facility includes baseball fields, softball fields, soccer fields and a walking trail. The facility has drawn numerous state and regional tournaments to the area, and hundreds of local children have benefited from its existence. Only the most obtuse of observers would fail to see the benefits of this facility.
The nearby Thunder Bayou Golf Links has likewise drawn people into the community and provided enhanced recreational opportunities for local citizens. But because of its continued cost to the city, the golf course remains a source of controversy.
Leading the way on the bad news side of the community development trend would probably be the ongoing woes of the local hospital system. At the start of the decade, the hospitals were run by Baptist Memorial Hospital. Even then, the hospitals battled an image problem, with many local patients heading out of the county for medical care. As management was passed to Ameris, then to QHR (and the name changed to Great River Medical Center), those problems have only intensified.
Retail development in the past decade has been another good news/bad news situation. Success stories include Lowe's, most of the Porter Commons Shopping Center, Zaxby's, Captain D's, Comfort Inn and Suites and many of the stores in the Porter Commons Shopping Center. There have also been numerous new businesses to open on Main Street in the past decade.
On the flip side, empty store fronts such as Mazzios, Bonanza, Starbucks and Price Chopper, as well as the absence of stores like Stage, Crossroads and Westbrooks are reminders of work that remains to be done.
To look back on the past decade is to see a patchwork of good news and bad news, stories of success and stories of failure. Without a doubt, there are lessons to be learned.
The decade ahead will no doubt be no different. All we can hope for is that at the end of the day, the good news outweighs the bad, and the successes outnumber the failures.
Having read a number of national "stories of the decade" articles, I started thinking about what local events might be considered in a similar ranking. After all, just last week, the Courier News released its list of the Top 10 Stories of 2009. Why not a ranking of the Top 10 Stories of the decade?
I have a unique perspective on this, I think, in that the last decade exactly coincides with my time as a Blytheville resident. I began my stint here at the Courier News on Jan. 3, 2000, just over 10 years ago. So anything that's happened since I've been here fits within the window of time we are looking at.
But as I ponder the top news stories of the decade, I find myself struggling to pinpoint specific stories that would warrant inclusion on such a list. Instead, what I see are the trends that have dominated the news for the past 10 years. And the two trends which have been the most important over the past decade have been economic development and community development.
By economic development, I mean jobs. Jobs are considered the lifeblood of any community, and with the Blytheville area in a continual battle for prosperity, economic development has supplied a steady stream of news over the past 10 years.
Some of it has been good news. Perhaps topping the list would be the arrival of Denso to Osceola. Other new plants have included the likes of Aviation Repair Technologies, Roll Coater and JMS Processing.
There's been bad news as well. The closure of the Milwaukee Tool plant was one of the biggest. Others have included the shuttering of the Borg Warner plant in Blytheville and the Fruit of the Loom factory in Osceola.
Atlas Tube in Blytheville has been both a good news and a bad news story, with the plant both opening and closing in the past decade.
Central in the economic development story has been the county's sales tax dedicated to pursuing projects that will spur job development. Mississippi County voters approved the tax earlier in the decade, and local officials can tout a long list of successes, both in new plants and expansion of existing ones. At the same time, if the ultimate goal of such a program is community prosperity, reviews of the sales tax might be mixed, with population still stagnant or declining in parts of the county.
By community development, I mean the things that make life better for those who live here. This could include everything from education, to public services, to the retail sector.
This has been another good news/bad news trend.
On the good side, one of the biggest stories in the area of community development in the past decade has been the development of the Youth Sportsplex on the Arkansas Aeroplex. The taxpayer-funded facility includes baseball fields, softball fields, soccer fields and a walking trail. The facility has drawn numerous state and regional tournaments to the area, and hundreds of local children have benefited from its existence. Only the most obtuse of observers would fail to see the benefits of this facility.
The nearby Thunder Bayou Golf Links has likewise drawn people into the community and provided enhanced recreational opportunities for local citizens. But because of its continued cost to the city, the golf course remains a source of controversy.
Leading the way on the bad news side of the community development trend would probably be the ongoing woes of the local hospital system. At the start of the decade, the hospitals were run by Baptist Memorial Hospital. Even then, the hospitals battled an image problem, with many local patients heading out of the county for medical care. As management was passed to Ameris, then to QHR (and the name changed to Great River Medical Center), those problems have only intensified.
Retail development in the past decade has been another good news/bad news situation. Success stories include Lowe's, most of the Porter Commons Shopping Center, Zaxby's, Captain D's, Comfort Inn and Suites and many of the stores in the Porter Commons Shopping Center. There have also been numerous new businesses to open on Main Street in the past decade.
On the flip side, empty store fronts such as Mazzios, Bonanza, Starbucks and Price Chopper, as well as the absence of stores like Stage, Crossroads and Westbrooks are reminders of work that remains to be done.
To look back on the past decade is to see a patchwork of good news and bad news, stories of success and stories of failure. Without a doubt, there are lessons to be learned.
The decade ahead will no doubt be no different. All we can hope for is that at the end of the day, the good news outweighs the bad, and the successes outnumber the failures.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
2009: The year in status updates
One of the most unique — and perhaps meaningful ways to look back on the past year, I've found, is in "status updates."
"Status updates" are, of course, the short blurbs posted regularly by users of the Facebook social networking site. Status updates convey anything from what you are doing at that particular moment; to what's going on in your life; to efforts to be witty (usually unsuccessful, in my case).
Looking back at a year's worth of "status updates" is an interesting ritual. Here's some of the highlights of my year in status updates, with a few notes,when appropriate:
Jan. 1: "Happy New Year!!!"
I think I ought to get credit for celebrating the dawn of 2009 on Facebook within 22 minutes of its start.
Jan. 7: "just about ready for opening night."
In anticipation of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" at the Ritz. My son, Drew, and I had parts.
Jan. 9: "survived opening night."
It must have gone well.
Jan. 27: "has the song 'Flowers on the Wall' stuck in his head."
I don't know why.
Jan. 28: "a very long day."
Jan. 29: "has been putting together a newspaper by candlelight."
Jan. 30: "has electricity at work again!"
Jan. 31: "thinks 'normal' never looked so beautiful."
Looks like I somehow managed to access Facebook during the ice storm.
Feb. 9: "never could have out-foxed Santino."
Must have watched "The Godfather" that day.
Feb. 26: "has thrown his hat over the wall."
Posted after I signed up to run in my first 5K.
March 3: "celebrating Square Root Day (3-3-09)"
I am not a geek.
March 14: "is listening to the piano improv of two 6-year-olds."
It wasn't half-bad.
March 17: "isn't wearing green."
A post that resulted in several cyber-pinches.
March 22: "putting up a plate of Memphis barbecue ribs against whatever the heck they make in Columbia that Memphis beats Mizzou in their Sweet 16 matchup."
Needless to say, I still owe several people some ribs.
April 5: "Completed his first 5K today."
The first of three on the year.
April 23: "Excited for Drew's debut in coach-pitch baseball tonight."
He went 4-for-4 with a home run and two put-outs. Not too bad.
April 28: "Serenity now!"
Must have been a bit stressed.
May 7: "sick of softball chants."
Chanting is one of the key elements of the game for the 10U crowd.
May 20: "Another dead-on Facebook quiz."
A sarcastic reply to a Facebook quiz labeling yours truly a "Bible Scholar."
May 24: "12 years ago, right now, I was standing at the front of the church, watching the most beautiful girl in the world — and my best friend — walk up the aisle to me."
Posted to the exact minute, I might add.
July 20: "has gone an entire week without a Mountain Dew."
And still (mostly) on the wagon, six months later.
July 23: "thankful for all the birthday wishes on what has been a bizarro-birthday."
I truly was deeply grateful for all those who Facebooked a birthday wish that day. The ironic thing was, unbeknownst to all those who wished me a good day, my mother had passed away that morning. I imagine birthdays will have a different feel for me for quite a while.
Aug. 15: "enjoyed my Rendezvous/Redbirds night."
That sounds really good right now.
Aug. 19: "And so, it begins, again."
In reference to the dawn of a new school year.
Aug. 26: "Every time I fax something, I feel like I'm back in 1998."
Trying (again, unsuccessfully) to be funny.
Aug. 31: "To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring." — George Santayana
Still trying to live by that.
Sept. 2: "Spent the night rolling hay bales."
Not a euphemism. Was sore for a week.
Sept. 15: "Stay gold, Darry Curtis."
A tribute to the late actor Patrick Swayze, who played Darry in "The Outsiders."
Sept. 17: "Is at dress rehearsal."
This time it was for "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Daughter Katie and I had parts,
Sept. 22: "So long, summer. We've been through a lot together. You'll be missed."
Looking back over a poignant couple of months.
Oct. 21: "Is feeling defoliated."
An annual rite of passage in the Mid-South.
Oct. 22: "The old man is snoring."
It was raining and pouring.
Oct. 31: "It's been a big year for Tootsie Rolls."
On the kids' Halloween haul.
Nov. 22: "Putting up the Christmas trees and decor with Jena and the kids. Big fun!"
We put stuff before Thanksgiving because we celebrate Christmas with my family early.
Dec. 4: "Enjoyed the Blytheville Christmas Parade, and is now looking forward to watching 'The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge' at the Ritz Theater."
Quite the festive night.
Dec. 8: "Thunder in December?"
What was up with that?
Dec. 10: "Who is Harold Angel? And why should I care that he's singing?"
Trying to be funny again. Still failing.
Dec. 25: "Joy to the world."
Here's hoping the year to come brings us joy and peace ... and clever status updates.
"Status updates" are, of course, the short blurbs posted regularly by users of the Facebook social networking site. Status updates convey anything from what you are doing at that particular moment; to what's going on in your life; to efforts to be witty (usually unsuccessful, in my case).
Looking back at a year's worth of "status updates" is an interesting ritual. Here's some of the highlights of my year in status updates, with a few notes,when appropriate:
Jan. 1: "Happy New Year!!!"
I think I ought to get credit for celebrating the dawn of 2009 on Facebook within 22 minutes of its start.
Jan. 7: "just about ready for opening night."
In anticipation of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" at the Ritz. My son, Drew, and I had parts.
Jan. 9: "survived opening night."
It must have gone well.
Jan. 27: "has the song 'Flowers on the Wall' stuck in his head."
I don't know why.
Jan. 28: "a very long day."
Jan. 29: "has been putting together a newspaper by candlelight."
Jan. 30: "has electricity at work again!"
Jan. 31: "thinks 'normal' never looked so beautiful."
Looks like I somehow managed to access Facebook during the ice storm.
Feb. 9: "never could have out-foxed Santino."
Must have watched "The Godfather" that day.
Feb. 26: "has thrown his hat over the wall."
Posted after I signed up to run in my first 5K.
March 3: "celebrating Square Root Day (3-3-09)"
I am not a geek.
March 14: "is listening to the piano improv of two 6-year-olds."
It wasn't half-bad.
March 17: "isn't wearing green."
A post that resulted in several cyber-pinches.
March 22: "putting up a plate of Memphis barbecue ribs against whatever the heck they make in Columbia that Memphis beats Mizzou in their Sweet 16 matchup."
Needless to say, I still owe several people some ribs.
April 5: "Completed his first 5K today."
The first of three on the year.
April 23: "Excited for Drew's debut in coach-pitch baseball tonight."
He went 4-for-4 with a home run and two put-outs. Not too bad.
April 28: "Serenity now!"
Must have been a bit stressed.
May 7: "sick of softball chants."
Chanting is one of the key elements of the game for the 10U crowd.
May 20: "Another dead-on Facebook quiz."
A sarcastic reply to a Facebook quiz labeling yours truly a "Bible Scholar."
May 24: "12 years ago, right now, I was standing at the front of the church, watching the most beautiful girl in the world — and my best friend — walk up the aisle to me."
Posted to the exact minute, I might add.
July 20: "has gone an entire week without a Mountain Dew."
And still (mostly) on the wagon, six months later.
July 23: "thankful for all the birthday wishes on what has been a bizarro-birthday."
I truly was deeply grateful for all those who Facebooked a birthday wish that day. The ironic thing was, unbeknownst to all those who wished me a good day, my mother had passed away that morning. I imagine birthdays will have a different feel for me for quite a while.
Aug. 15: "enjoyed my Rendezvous/Redbirds night."
That sounds really good right now.
Aug. 19: "And so, it begins, again."
In reference to the dawn of a new school year.
Aug. 26: "Every time I fax something, I feel like I'm back in 1998."
Trying (again, unsuccessfully) to be funny.
Aug. 31: "To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring." — George Santayana
Still trying to live by that.
Sept. 2: "Spent the night rolling hay bales."
Not a euphemism. Was sore for a week.
Sept. 15: "Stay gold, Darry Curtis."
A tribute to the late actor Patrick Swayze, who played Darry in "The Outsiders."
Sept. 17: "Is at dress rehearsal."
This time it was for "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Daughter Katie and I had parts,
Sept. 22: "So long, summer. We've been through a lot together. You'll be missed."
Looking back over a poignant couple of months.
Oct. 21: "Is feeling defoliated."
An annual rite of passage in the Mid-South.
Oct. 22: "The old man is snoring."
It was raining and pouring.
Oct. 31: "It's been a big year for Tootsie Rolls."
On the kids' Halloween haul.
Nov. 22: "Putting up the Christmas trees and decor with Jena and the kids. Big fun!"
We put stuff before Thanksgiving because we celebrate Christmas with my family early.
Dec. 4: "Enjoyed the Blytheville Christmas Parade, and is now looking forward to watching 'The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge' at the Ritz Theater."
Quite the festive night.
Dec. 8: "Thunder in December?"
What was up with that?
Dec. 10: "Who is Harold Angel? And why should I care that he's singing?"
Trying to be funny again. Still failing.
Dec. 25: "Joy to the world."
Here's hoping the year to come brings us joy and peace ... and clever status updates.
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