Here’s some post-vacation Timbits for you:
• It was reported Friday that Justin Bieber’s video for the song “Baby” became the most-watched video ever on YouTube. Bieber is the 16-year-old pop star that has all the little girls going crazy for his music and dancing, but makes us adults wondering what all the craze is. Now he owns the top spot of videos viewed on YouTube.
Who did he trump, you ask.
Lady Gaga, of course.
I haven’t viewed either performers’ video, but 246 million had watched Bieber’s by Friday, at that point it was 600,000 more than Gaga.
Considering no one knew of these two people a year ago, I’ll sit back and watch as some other flavor of the month comes and topples Bieber in the coming months.
• We reported Friday that the Barker and Lyndonville school districts are continuing their merger talks. In a word — awesome. There should be talk of mergers in all cities, towns and villages. Roy-Hart and Medina should talk. Maybe Newfane and Wilson? I wish I could think of some possible city mergers for Lockport, NT and Niagara Falls, but nothing seems like a quick and easy partnership for those districts. Still, combining a few of the town districts would make things a lot better than they are now. Consolidate, consolidate, consolidate.
• As far as the Iroquois lacrosse team being blocked from traveling to a tournament in England because they refuse to use U.S. or Canadian passports, I’m of the belief they need to pick a passport and produce it. I know, I know they are their own country, but as far as doing business and traveling to other countries, sometimes you have to play by that nation’s rules.
In the past the Iroquois passport has been accepted, but recently with fraudulent documents being made and tried at international borders, some countries have tightened the rules. The Iroquois should either settle for an American or Canadian document or produce one from their nation that all border counties would accept as valid documentation.
• Apple CEO Steve Jobs has responded to complaints about the new iPhone by saying he will give out free cases that hope to alleviate the problems. Now that’s not nothing (excuse the double negative), cases are pretty expensive, but it’s the company’s attitude with the response and resistance to admit troubles that bugs me. Apple is the way to go, in my opinion, but like any good company, you need to understand customer concerns and address them fairly and promptly. Anything less and you may be looking for customers to replace the ones who left you.
Tim Marren is managing editor of the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal. Contact him at tim.marren@
lockportjournal.com or 439-9222.
Tim Marren
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Tim Marren / Lockport Union-Sun & Journal Managing Editor
MARREN: A smattering of opinion
- Tim Marren
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MARREN: I fought the good fight, I finished the race
It’s never cool for a guy to cry. At least that’s what we’re led to believe early in life, right? Keep your emotions in check.
But I’ll admit it, I cried my first day as an editor. -
MARREN: What a mess ... What. A. Mess.
Apparently the Rent Is 2 Damn High.
Who knew? God help us all. -
MARREN: Check those medical bills
This past July, the weekend of my sister’s wedding, I sliced open the middle finger on my left hand during a cookout we hosted. I was trying to clean bottles off the deck. I had my fingers inside a few of the bottles, to make juggling a half dozen of them easier.
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MARREN: GLDC shouldn’t wait on Canal Street
City officials revealed this week that Lockport developer David Ulrich’s proposal to lure the Niagara County Community College Culinary Institute to Canal Street isn’t the only option being explored.
Good news, for sure. -
MARREN: Have an opinion, send it in
A woman came in this week and asked why I think fewer letters appear on the opinion page these days. Seemed like a decent enough question. It’s one I’ve heard before, since many newspapers have seen a decline in letter submissions.
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MARREN: Dialect dominance not always great
If someone came up to you, here in the good old U.S. of A., and asked you to speak to them in another language, could you? Could you just flip a switch and go from English to Spanish, or French?
Some people reading this right now probably could do that, but not the majority. -
MARREN: All drivers need testing
If there’s one topic that’s always in the news, it’s driving.
And when I say always, it truly is ALWAYS in the news. -
MARREN: Kids write the darndest things
Newspapers get all sorts of letters. Obviously “letters to the editor” are most common, but the newsroom gets letters from all different sources.
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MARREN: A smattering of opinion
Here’s some post-vacation Timbits for you:
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MARREN: Summer reading should be mandated, tested
There’s nothing worse than summer reading in high school.
Just when you wanted to put all the books away for the summer, along comes the mandatory summer reading list. - More Tim Marren Headlines
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