Taming the robber barons of the Internet: Facebook and Google

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa Let’s take a week off from politics and talk about….The Internet! (foreboding music plays). Well, actually not the whole Internet (do not ask me about being a cat on Zoom, I have no clue — I consider Zoom to be an insecure platform and only use it very reluctantly to watch county commission meetings), just Facebook and Google, who are the two worst...

The end of shared truth starts with the death of local news

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Hopefully, everyone survived Thanksgiving without finding themselves in a political tussle with friends and family. While much is wrong with our world and country, it is important to remember the things we all share, such as the love of friends and family, are something we all cherish. We all want to be financially secure, safe, healthy and have a true purpose in life....

Sunday Punch: Did some local Democrats sell us out on the Pipeline?

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Minus a gallbladder and feeling moderately human for the first time since before the Super Bowl, in the first Sunday Punch of April, we look at lots of fun stuff: wind turbine cancer, jumping to conclusions, how we all hate social media but can’t quit it and of course, the impressive ability of Democrats to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. We’ll start with...

Letter From The Editor: Tough times in the media world

Dear Readers, I probably don’t have to tell you what a challenging time it is for us in the small-time, local media. The old advertising model is broken, a new one hasn’t really replaced it and readers like you increasingly don’t want to have to pay for content. It’s that vise that has seen our readership hold steady, yet revenue decline for three straight years.    Send...

Social media mayhem: can we learn to agree to disagree?

By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times The inauguration is only a few days away and the chatter on social media is beginning to escalate. I guess it’s no wonder considering the President-Elect is “somewhat” of a Twitter fan. If history is our guide, we should be prepared to be inundated with a flood of online opinions come Friday. I’ll admit, I was shocked by the back and forth on Facebook...

Risk, reward in running Ross in the 158th

Let’s just say the race got a lot more complicated By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times So Cuyler Walker is out, and it appears that Chris Ross is in. Let us set aside the circumstances for moment, as complicated and messy as they are, and look at the situation in the 158th District from a purely political standpoint. Obviously, assuming that Ross is the choice Sunday night — and every single...

Selfies: they’re not just for teens anymore

The popularity of the digital self-portrait is skyrocketing By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times  #selfie sunday This is a hugely popular hashtag (LIKE 4 MILLION POSTS)!  Did you know? (Unsure of the lingo? find a teenager to explain) What does the explosion in popularity of the selfie really mean to society?  Is it the root of all evil (as some choose to believe) or a new way to attempt to...

Do or don’t you need an excuse?

Facebook meme sparks an interesting question about fitness By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times Have you seen this picture? On the left is Maria Kang, a mother of three little boys (spanning in age from eight months to three years) who also happens to work in the fitness industry.  She posted this picture on Facebook over a year ago with the caption “What’s your excuse?” For whatever...

Lies, damn lies and talk about Common Core

Kennett event drifted into propaganda, rather than a clear-eyed look at the facts By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times KENNETT — I came, I saw, and frankly, I left scratching my head. Setting aside the oddity of complaining about the teaching of global warming on a day that four-plus inches of rain fell on the southern part of the county, closing roads and bridges, it was a complicated night of facts,...

Sometimes, the world really is flat

Why I like flat shoes and thoughts on bloggers, the Internet and…BBQ? By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times I had a really exciting opportunity this week! I was featured on a blog called La Petite Pear! Check it out here. Sam does a fun article each Wednesday called “Fashionistas In Flats” where a different woman is photographed in her favorite flat shoe. I had to describe why I like...