The Television Set

Who uses the phrase “television set” anymore?
“Do you know what a television set is,” I asked my twenty-something daughter as I paused my typing in midsentence.
If you know what a television set is, you are probably an old person like me.
I am picturing a set of televisions, like a set of flatware.
Oh yeah, young people may not know what flatware is either.
So why did my family always say television set?
Was it because in the old days the television came with a set of speakers?
Nah. I remember our first television set. It was not that fancy.
A small 12-inch screen, encased in a sturdy cream-colored plastic box with rounded corners, it was the height of space-aged technology to us.
We were amazed it had pictures, albeit black and white ones.
“How did they get into the box all the way from Hollywood?” we asked my dad.
Dad proceeded to explain something I still to this day don’t get: air waves.
In the 60s, the first TVs all came with their own little spindly-legged stand made of chromed metal and some antennae-like things that were attached with wires. And covered with aluminum foil. The stand was necessary because the television set needed to be high enough to be seen.
Maybe having a stand and bunny ears made it a set.
Maybe it was a set because it just “set thar.”
Okay, it didn’t just sit there; the screen was so small we had to wheel it in close enough to actually see it. That was in the days before remote controls were invented, so close was convenient for kids squatting on the floor in front of the television set.
Finally, mom and dad purchased the ultimate luxury item, a television set big enough to be seen across the room and ensconced in a luxurious maple-like piece of furniture.
In living color, no less.
My grandparents got a color television set before we did and so we were already aware that Lawrence Welk was just as boring in color as in black and white.
Naturally, at our house we immediately switched the channel, without the help of a remote control, to The Rifleman and Bonanza for action-packed western adventure.
Ahh, the 60s, the age of fabulous television, free of the self-consciousness of any reality programming at all.
By the way for any youngsters out there, flatware is the same thing as “silverware,” which is probably not sterling, but merely looks silvery.
You know, your knife, fork and spoon. I am not sure if plasticware qualifies. In fact, I’m not sure it was invented when I was a kid.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

Publicity vs. Advertising; Know the Difference

“I count on you for advertising,” said the nice lady on the other end of the line.
Count to ten before you say anything, I thought to myself.
I know she didn’t mean it. She just didn’t know any better.
What she meant was, she counted on me to help her get the word out about her events.
She wanted publicity. And I wanted her to have it.
Most folks don’t know the difference between publicity and advertising.
Publicity is free. Advertising costs money.
You can imagine why that difference is crucial, especially with small town newspapers feeling the crunch of spiraling costs of paper, dwindling revenue from classifieds, and the general encroachment of the web on the news business.
Asking for free advertising is a sure way to make an enemy out of any local newspaper editor worth his salt.
A while back, I sent a press release to a newspaper in our region, which they graciously printed for a particular organization. For free. It was publicity.
The next time our organization had a meeting, one dear lady complained that another nonprofit organization was getting more attention than we were.
Don’t say a word, I thought to myself.
Later that day, I called a sales person at that paper and asked what the cost would have been if we had paid for it.
$800.
At the next meeting I pointed out what the free press release was worth.
Just for the record, there are some spots in the newspaper that are not for sale at any price.
Just so you’ll know, I write this column for free because I have a thing for community newspapers.
When nonprofit organizations demand publicity or want a price break on advertising, one experienced newspaperman in Central Texas puts it this way.
“You may be nonprofit, but I’m not.”
Advertising is the engine that drives the train. Publicity is a comfy passenger car that gets people places. It can also contribute to a better newspaper and a better community. Publicity has its place.
One word of advise, though, if you want to stay in the good graces of the newspaper editors and publishers you know, don’t call up asking for free advertising.
They want to pay their employees. They are in business.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

Newspaper Journalism and Other Crazy Adventures

This, written specifically for the Bullard Banner, I'm posting in honor of Mrs. Vining's Journalism class at BHS, a collection of young people with extensive vocabularies and highly developed senses of humor.

The world revolved around Bullard, Texas this week.

For those of us who love this sleepy little community any little ripple in the pond matters.

Take the fact that a tiny, but darling little Kindergartner started her first week of school with her blond hair brushed to a sheen and her blue eyes sparkling with anticipation. The class of 2022 arrived for class this week with wiggles and trembles and giggles.

What is Libby looking forward to most about the upcoming 12-year education career initiated this week?

“You get to hear stories,” she answered without hesitation.

Reminds me of a shiny-eyed twenty-something art teacher Sarah Dupree who happens to be Libby’s aunt. She started her first day of school this week, too, at Brook Hill.

Welcome to the world of the Banner where everybody has a story to tell or an important part to perform, like for instance the Baby Belles and the Boys and Girls Club members.

Of course, you may notice that I am NOT known for my photography skills. Consider this your invitation to document the daily blessings of our community, especially with your camera. My heartfelt thanks to all those who emailed pictures this week. What would I do without you!

I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Like Libby, my favorite part of the adventure is hearing the stories.

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

What if? Abortion and Immigration May be Related Issues

What if we asked God to raise up an army of believers to bring justice to a difficult social injustice and - pause - He DID it?

What if we prayed for something and God gave us exactly what we wanted but wrapped it up in a box that we didn’t recognize?

I’m afraid there is a lot more to the topic of immigration that many Republican pro-life candidates and elected officials may be missing.

I was fortunate to attend the Texas Press Association summer conference one week after attending the Texas Republican Convention.

What a study in contrasts!

My brain was on overload by the time we left the GOP even though I heard later from friends that we missed more raucous discussion on the floor of the last general session.

One young friend shared how surprising it was to hear grown men have “temper tantrums” while amplifying it over a microphone. Clearly, it was his first convention. Welcome to American politics as usual.

A week later at the TPA a friend reminded me comfortingly that US politics was a “bloodbath” back in the 1800s, too, an era that this newspaper man/author often researches in his personal time.

In spite of the fact that downright meanness seems to be the standard of American politics, I’m tired of unkindness masquerading as “truth.” Truth can be plainly spoken without being vitriolic.

Being a passionate – okay, opinionated - person myself I too get the self-indulgent temptation to speak bluntly without taking a 10 second pause to measure the effect of my words on those hearing them. I try to keep in mind that while God is All-knowing, I’m not. And neither are any of our office-holding, public servants.

Usually, I enjoy the rough and ready nature of Texas politics.

But this time the stakes are high.

As one Texan friend with Latina heritage confided, “No one is in favor of abortion.” Then she added that rhetoric on immigration is “hateful.”

What if, hearing our entreaties for help in the effort to curtail and eliminate abortions in this country, God decided to send a deluge of hard-working, God-fearing people to our aid?

But what if in the complicated, often heart-rending issues surrounding immigration, we failed to recognize the prize? What if in our frustration we failed to have the useful and constructive public conversations that will produce solutions regarding immigration and, instead, settled for sound bites?

What if we simply told God, “Never mind, I’ve decided I’d rather keep my wallet in my pocket. What I asked You for is going to cost me too much in taxes?”

Just a thought.

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

Media, Microphones, and Messages

Never trust me with a microphone.

Close friends know better.

But I recently got handed a mike at the last minute because the real MC was double-booked. Oh yeah! Woo woo!

The best part was the crowd was heavily loaded with media people.

We were working together on an event to raise money and awareness for the way HIV/AIDS is affecting East Texans from all walks of life. Not necessarily a popular topic in these parts.

Now I’m going to share with you the thoughts that popped into my head at the same moment they trusted me with that microphone. Just cus 4^th of July is when I spout off about newspapers, truth, justice, and the American way.

Here’s the deal. We live in an area known for generosity. We take for granted the zillions of non-profits, church programs, and foundations that work diligently to make our communities amazingly blessed. Not to mention all the volunteer hours contributed toward good causes.

It is just part of what we all know and enjoy around here.

What hit me like a ton of bricks that evening was how much the media gets taken for granted in all this community service.

Because who would have time for volunteering if someone didn’t hold corrupt public officials accountable?

How would we know that we could count on good infrastructure in our towns and counties, freeing us to travel our roads and get where we’re going unencumbered by graft and corruption that plagues other countries, if not for our watchdog friends in the press?

And who would report the truth if there are whispers of inappropriate uses of donations in local charities or governments?

Yep, we enjoy our gatherings in peace and tranquility without ever considering how much the local press contributes to the well-being of our communities.

We read the front page with glee when we see our favorite charity honored with a lengthy article there, yet we seldom consider that all that paper and ink and overhead costs money. Do we think to support the local media with some advertising dollars now and then?

So I took the mike enthusiastically and spoke for all East Texans, thanking the local press for making their unique contribution to our communities.

And I am officially thanking this newspaper in today’s column.

Preach it, sister!

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

Truth, Justice, and the American Way

Justice is something Americans take for granted.

Like last week’s newspaper, we don’t think about it at all unless we need it for some reason.

But when we suffer an injustice, we suddenly crave justice, we search it out, and we complain if we can’t get it. And we keep complaining. Sometimes for years. For as long as it takes.

Last year, I got to be useful in a small way that mattered to me personally; I was part of a team that accomplished a little moment of historic justice. My part was a small thing. I just wrote a story that needed to be told.

It was printed in a little weekly paper that people tend to take for granted by an editor who, like all editors, happens to be underpaid.

The real hero was the man who was chosen, along with the only other three African Americans involved, to fill the draft quota for Henderson County out of a pool of 22 young men during the Vietnam era. Only four men were needed to fill the quota. The only four men chosen were the four black guys out of the twenty-two possible men. All the white guys went home to their mamas that day.

Coincidence that those four names were randomly drawn? Dumb luck? Not likely.

You almost had to live through the civil rights era to get how pernicious racism can be.

If you missed the story, my friend lived through the war and developed an attitude that reminds me of Joseph, “What you intended for evil, God intended for good.” He is a true American hero.

Justice is something we take for granted.

We read our newspaper and we don’t even think about how the stories affect our culture. How they make us all aware of injustices and provide an opportunity for communities to come together and address problems, to right wrongs.

Our forefathers made the FIRST amendment Freedom of Speech simply because a free culture depends on truth. Our local press – unencumbered by government jurisdiction - gives us an avenue to express our love of a vibrant community conversation.

Sometimes, justice is accomplished like a sigh of relief – without courts or law enforcement – simply because someone finally spoke up and said what we all knew to be true.

Our local newspaper is a place to declare what we believe to be true and self-evident.

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

Pigeon Prose

Being a columnist is a lot like being an elementary school teacher in this; as much as you try to do your best with each one, sometimes you can’t help but choose your favorites.

AND other columnists send me their own favorites.

I’ve read some doozies; for instance, one about a beloved fat feline that brought tears to my eyes or the one about teenagers that reminded me that all parents are in the same boat…um…car.

Don Comedy, retired newspaperman and a wonderfully witty wordsmith, sent me this gem and I asked him if I could share.

After a vacation from writing, following the sale of the Haskell, Texas Free Press where Don served as Editor and Publisher for 24 years, he’s back at the keyboard.

So here’s the Checklist Charlie pick for particularly pleasing playful pigeon prose. Don writes:

“I recently learned of a $60,000 grant to control pigeons in Hollywood, CA and that the preferred method of control by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) was some type of birth control pill. Most of my friends being more of the ‘red-neck’ type however, seem to trend more toward pellet guns.

Now, I’m sure that PETA would much prefer the “pill” over the “pellet”, but in either event, the costs would probably be about the same if you actually paid the pill pushers or the pellet shooters.

One serious potential problem with the “pill” would be in dispensing to pigeons that prefer to perch on Catholic buildings. While PETA prefers the pill, the Pope has previously preached in opposition to the pill. Surely that preference would include the Catholic pigeons that perch on parish parapets.

Now, the Catholics might be ok with the “pellet”, but PETA won’t.

Which causes one to ponder….

If the Pope prefers the “pellet” and PETA prefers the “pill”, how many pigeons could St. Peter pellet, while PETA peddles pills?”

Don’s now in Austin, working as a lobbyist, which is a loss to the newspaper industry.

One of his first jobs while he was still in high school was working as an intern for LBJ. Some of his later adventures in the political arena involve flying all over west Texas in a antiquated two-seater plane with one of his childhood buddies to help his friend get elected to his first regional office. That guy’s now the governor.

Their friendship continues and Comedy still sings praises for Perry’s public service.

Personally, the pigeons and I would like it if Don would take a few months off and write a book. He seems to understand that we have issues.

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

Cheap Media Strategies for Non-Profits

Our East Texas neighbors in Bullard are already gearing up to host a Veteran’s Day extravaganza again this year called the Red, White, and Blue Festival to honor our vets.

Even though the grand finale of all this planning is still months away, the first big question is how to get the word out. Implicit in this task is the same problem faced by all people doing good deeds; there’s never enough money!

Which got me to thinking that I should share some basics here about how to get attention for your community project without breaking the bank.

-Call up the local paper and offer them a feature idea about one of your people. Offer to set up the interview, then, provide a fact sheet about your nonprofit beforehand via email.

-Write letters to the editor about your non-profit. Let folks know how they can help, either by volunteering or making donations. Be sure and thank people publically after any events.

-Plan newsworthy pre-events. Nearly all non-profits plan events these days in order to fundraise, if for no other reason. It is better to think in terms of events that serve a need in the community. Invite folks to participate in special events and contests leading up to a main event.

-Ask local school principles to announce your event during morning announcements.

-Post videos on Facebook or Youtube and encourage your friends to click on them and share them around.

-Contact the local TV stations about being on their interview programs. Surprisingly, they are often looking for people who are willing to get up before dawn and talk about community service.

-Keep signs simple. Design them so they can be used again next year. I like thank-you posters after the fact that sponsors can keep up year round.

-Save money by using email first. Only spend postage on those who don’t have email addresses or on big, beautiful invitations. One exception, send formal thank you’s via post; they are oh-so-much nicer to receive among all the usual bills and junk mail.

-Invest in a user-friendly website. It’s worth the money.

Finally, choose wisely when spending your media dollars. For events, you will want to broadcast via TV or radio. Be sure and check their websites as you decide, so you can get more bang for your buck. It’s a good idea to supplement with a newspaper ad because it won’t cost nearly as much.

If its brand name identity you are cultivating over the long haul, then newspaper is a better choice because of the cost factor. Plus, people get used to seeing your ad and they begin to count on it for it for your address, email, and website.

By November, most of these ideas will be Red, White, and Blue tested. In the meantime, please share your ideas here, too. Our non-profits can use all the help we can give them.

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.com.