News4U Online

Because of technical issues like pre-publishing deadlines and stuff, I am writing this two weeks before the actual "Evansville Steel Cook" event, but with the confidence of a ten-year-old about to shove off downhill on the steepest street in town in his home-made soap-box racer, let me thank everybody -- The Holiday Inn North, the Junior League of Evansvile, Sitex, Sysco, Evansville Living Magazine, our esteemed judges, Concept Sound, Rick Dobbs, Tom Fischer, Erica Haas and especially everybody who bought a ticket, donated to the auction or participated in any other way in the making of this first-ever Event. If you didn't make it, see the videos on WatchEvansville.com! And find out "whose fare was beyond compare!" This year's Steel Cook has an automatic invite to defend the trophy at next year's event, so keep an eye on WE for details.

            By decree of the fates, I find myself writing this on the day we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. As one of my personal heroes, I would certainly be remiss not to take a moment and reflect on his influence on what has become the website WatchEvansville.com. Our mission statement is very simple -- "To empower, enlighten and entertain." It is the concept of empowerment that most directly comes to us through the teachings of Dr. King. The traditional media -- newspaper, TV and radio -- are pretty much all owned by giant billion-dollar corporations that were freed from any real community responsibility by the de-regulations of the Reagan era nearly 30 years ago.  That's why your opinion will probably never be heard on any of them, unless you have a bunch of extra cash. Oh, you may get in a 20-second phone call to one of the few remaining locally-produced radio shows, but see how many Letters to the Editor you can write without getting published in the newspaper. Let's face it -- we, the people, have little or no access to traditional media. WatchEvansville.com is different! If you have even the simplest, most basic of tools -- a webcam, for instance, and i-movie or Windows Movie Maker -- you can start your own series of uploads on WE without fear of censorship of any kind. Well, we do have Terms of Use that deal with profanity and stuff like that, but if you want to reach the largest audience possible you've already figured out that kind of thing won't help. The point is, YOU CAN BE HEARD. Your sport, your hobby, your music, your art or drama, your political or social opinion, your religious point of view -- whatever you think is important -- it ALL belongs on WE. And here's another thing to remember. We used to say "if you don't like it, change the channel." But on WE, if you don't like it, RESPOND TO IT! Comment on the stuff you disagree with, or make your own video expressing your ideas on whatever the issue is. As they say in official meetings, "the floor is yours!" That's empowerment. The result is enlightenment.  And maybe even entertainment, too.

            One really cool thing about the partnership between News 4U and WE is that I am getting to make videos of a lot of events I might not have attended otherwise. The Mater Dei Holiday Classic Wrestling Tournament, for instance; N4U Editor Dylan Gibbs’ game of "HORSE" with Moo Moo Evans of the Harlem Globetrotters and -- most recently -- the spectacular U of E Faculty Recital featuring, among others, Soprano Roberta Veazey.  Let me tell you, if you think the only musical talent in this town is playing weekends in bars, you haven't been to a local university show. Check the USI and U of E websites for music and drama schedules -- many of these performances are free to the public -- and let yourself be blown away by the truly world-class players and singers we have in Evansville.

            Let's see...some new developments on the international scene -- for one thing, I see that Northern Spain has finally passed a law requiring movie theaters to have more than one way out. Apparently it's a bad idea to put all your Basques in one exit...
            If they keep secretaries in a Secretarial Pool, do they keep skeptics in a Skeptic Tank?  And why do we call them "apartments" when they're all stuck together?
            Of all the over-the-counter pain relievers available, I asked my doctor which one he prefers to prevent headaches... he replied "Cash."
            OK, just one more...if you took all the economists and market analysts in the world and laid them end-to-end -- they'd be pointing the wrong way...
            Hope everybody had a great Groundhog Day! Peace out.