Columns

There are two types of moviegoers in this world: movie fans and film buffs, and one BIG difference is in our patience for sitting through credits. As a casual moviegoer, I don’t believe we should be forced to watch the credits, because I look at movies as a product, like a pizza.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024, recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, serves as a beacon of hope amid the increasing political divisiveness that threatens our nation’s unity. Instead of preparing our nation for emerging threats, the Biden administration has weaponized our military to promote abortion, gender modification surgeries, and racial discrimination. In response to this destructive decline, Speaker McCarthy empowered conservatives to return the focus of our Department of Defense to its core purpose of protecting the American people.

We all know how it feels to have done it. We wanted to be brave, but at the last minute we pulled up stakes and ran for the hills.

Respected Van Zandt County Veterinarian and former Texas House District 2 candidate, Buck VanTrease announced his support for Jill Dutton in the November 7 Special Election. “I am proud to endorse fearless conservative Jill Dutton in the special election for House District 2,” said VanTrease.

After 12 years of service, Van School Board President Scott Thomas said goodbye to the trustees during their regular monthly board meeting May 15 as he led his final session. Thomas, who did not seek re-election in 2023, expressed his appreciation to a number of individuals throughout the school district in his farewell remarks.

Better Sleep Month is observed during the month of May and aims to encourage healthy patterns of sleep and educate on the benefits of sleeping well. According to Amy Valdez, Texas A&M AgriLife Program Specialist, “sleep is just as important as including a well-balanced eating pattern and physical activity into our daily lives. It can have a great impact on our physical and mental health, and a lack of sleep can be detrimental”.

Readers who are over 40 years old might still have a context for the phrase from a classic country song: “Here’s a quarter / Call someone who cares…” The updated version of this song might go something like: “Here’s a burner phone with 100 pre-paid minutes / Feel free to use up those minutes in useless conversation about your ruined love life, since you were so shortsighted as to reject continued investment in our relationship / On the other hand, here’s the number of a Therapist I highly recommend…” OK, the syllables don’t quite fit the original tune – life is just more complicated now.

Trick or Treat Just like some months have two full moons this year has two Halloweens. Oct.

This last week, I was asked how I described my leadership abilities. That is a tough question to answer.

In my travels around the USA (and elsewhere) for work, I’ve told quite a few jokes to help lighten the mood in my training classes. The one I can tell without thinking about it is: This blonde is driving, and gets a call from her husband, warning her about a car spotted going the wrong way on the highway, to which she replies: “Yeah, but it’s not just one – there are hundreds of them!!”