Dog Wash Tested

Our dog recently got skunked and is still a little stinky. So, we decided to test out the new dog wash near Buffalo Gap Rd. along Winters Freeway. Here's a snippet of our experience.

Overall, we enjoyed the place. It's $5 and a little difficult to rinse the dog off because of the tub slowly draining. However, it's perfect if your dog ever gets really nasty!

Racist Press Release?

Sometimes people can make racist digs and not even know it. Like a certain elderly relative of mine who says things like, "She's black, but she's really pretty."

We get a lot of sloppily-written press releases and news tips, and yesterday's really irked me.

They are a Hispanic couple, but chose to renovate this house in this community, and it is beautiful.

Did you catch it?

They are a Hispanic couple, but chose to renovate this house in this community, and it is beautiful.

Even if it said "and," does it really matter what race they are?!

I'm not originally from Abilene and I don't know the demographics of the community in which this beautiful renovation took place. Is it primarily Hispanic? Black? White? Don't know, don't care.

Watch what you say, people. We're all the same.

Jon and Kate: Who Do You Support?

We all usually try to remain impartial in the newsroom. We’re journalists. We don’t take sides.

Unless, of course, we’re debating the growing rift between reality television stars Jon and Kate Gosselin.

That’s an issue we just can’t keep silent on.

I wasn’t one of the 9.8 million people who watched the season premiere of “Jon or Kate Plus 8.” I forgot about it! So, I was one of the few million that likely watched last night’s encore presentation.

I hate to admit it – but I was on the edge of my seat for the entire hour!

Throughout the years this show has been on TV, I always felt Kate Gosselin mistreated her husband. Usually, it was barking orders at him. However, it now looks like she’s telling him how to live. Jon is a passive fellow. I’m guessing Jon kept all his frustration inside and then finally exploded. Was he in the wrong? Sure. Did Kate deserve it? No…no one deserves it. Did she ask for it? You bet!

I, like millions of others, will be glued to my television set for the rest of the season. Do I feel good about watching it? No. I worry about the kids. But like a train wreck, it’s difficult not to look.

Hopefully, this will be the last season. We’ll just have to wait and see…

Welcome Sam

It's a great thing to work with a long-term friend. We miss Kira who moved back home to Florida last week. Kira and I had a great working relationship and friendship after doing Daybreak and Noontab for three years. It's great to have Sam Nichols with us for Daybreak and Noontab. Sam and I have been friends for years. Sam is a professional broadcaster and a good friend. He's also a pro and a diligent meteorologist. We can cover for each other. It's going to be good.

Adios Partner

Kira Miner is moving back to Florida. Kira has a great opportunity with the Fox Network station very near her hometown. She can be close to her family and back home. It's a great opportunity. She also can throw away that alarm clock set for 2:00 AM. She's not doing the early morning news. Kira is a great girl. She rarely rolled her eyes like my own children even when I offered unsolicited fatherly advice. I'll miss my partner...but the best and brightest young reporters, anchors and weather people always move on after a few years. I've noticed that her forecasts are usually the closest to accurate in the morning. She's good. It's been a great three years partner. Adios. God Bless You and your family.

Saying Goodbye To Kira

On Wednesday, May 20, 2009, KTAB said goodbye to meteorologist Kira Miner. She's leaving us to go home to Florida. She'll be be the weekend weathercaster for WFTX in Ft. Myers, Florida.

We've posted some pictures from her final week in the area below. Please take the time to leave your goodbye comments for Kira below.

Classy Competition at KTXS

If a competitor of your business fell on bad luck...giving you a distinct advantage...it would be a good thing, right?

What if you could do something to help them out?
Would you?
Or would you capitalize on their misfortune?

At the 1964 winter Olympics, a British bobsled team in second place discovered a broken bolt on its sled. They didn't have another bolt. The competition should have been over. Instead, the Italian bobsled driver sitting in first place...who had already finished...removed a bolt from his sled and gave it to the British team. The British team won gold. When asked if he regretted the move, the Italian driver confidently said no. It was the right thing to do.

Obviously, Abilene television isn't on the scale of the Olympic Games. However, there's competition. It's business.

When the digital antenna shared by KTAB and KRBC went down late Wednesday, KTXS had a distinct advantage over their competition. Rather than capitalizing on our misfortune, they offered to help. Prior to Thursday's 6 p.m. newscast, KTXS began broadcasting KTAB via the station's digital tier on channel 12.3. The move also allowed Dish Network to receive KTAB's signal and send it out to satellite customers.

So why did they do it? They certainly didn't have to...I'm sure station management felt it was the right thing to do.

If they had another channel to give, I'm sure they would've put KRBC up as well.

I applaud their decision. You should too. I hope people recognize and appreciate the selfless decision made by KTXS management to help provide KTAB viewers with the programs they regularly enjoy.

To everyone who works for KTXS: take pride in your station and leadership. If the time ever comes, we look forward to returning the favor.

Can't by without a little help from the audience

The curtain has closed on the final show in the Broadway in Abilene series.

Rain, a Beatles tribute concert, was fun but it could have been a whole lot better with a little help from the audience. A whole lot better.

First I'll set the stage by explaining how the show worked. The actors/musicians played all the music live, and there was very little dialog. Projection screens helped put the audience in the right place in history, using archive footage of screaming teenagers and old television commercials from the '60s. The show also used live cameras with the proper effects to weave the live band and the Abilene audience into the historical feel of the '60s.

The camera effects were awesome, but there was no fooling anyone. The director would cut from (actual) screaming teens in the '60s to very-much-not screaming adults in the live audience. Not that anyone expected people to act like the blubbering fools in the real Beatles' presence, but a smile here and there would have been nice.

It felt a little like being at a polo match. Goal. Polite applause. Goal. Polite applause.

In the beginning, getting ticket holders to clap along to the oh-so-catchy music was a little like pulling teeth. Then, there's fake Paul begging the audience to sing along to "Yesterday." And begging, and begging. It just wasn't working. Then they stood up, but they didn't really twist... or shout... as instructed.

I clapped my hands off and sang as many of the words as I could but I was definitely in the minority. I get that true Beatles fans are not 28-year-old women who love boogie-ing at concerts but I just hate being part of a rough crowd. I'm sure my fellow audience members were quite happy hearing the awesomely accurate covers of what were probably some of their favorite songs, but couldn't they have come out of their shells and shown it a little more? I guess most of the concerts I attend also serve alcohol, of which a little seems to go a long way in releasing inhibitions.

I will say that by the time we had transitioned into Abby Road, the crowd was a lot looser seemed to be on their feet -- almost -- voluntarily. We did get some audible "Hey hey, goodbyes" and back-and-forth hand waving which I just ate up.

Bottom line, I thought the music was great, especially "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," but I just wish I had been able to experience a touch of Beatlemania that I know the folks around me experienced back then.