http://offdeadline.com ... and on the edge. Thoughts that run through a busy newspaper editor's mind. Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:12:20 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en It’s not unusual for me to watch quite a bit of the summer Olympics every four years, but this year, I’ve practically been an Olympics junkie. Part of this has to do with the fact that television programming really stinks right now. Part of it has to do with the fact ... http://offdeadline.com/2008/08/15/these-olympics-provide-plethora-of-personal-ties/ It’s a big county out there. About a quarter of a million people live in Hamilton County. And this isn’t a sit-on-their-couch-and-watch-TV populace. There’s always something going on. Just look at the pages of your paper throughout the week and you’ll see listings for hundreds of events, programs, fundraisers, galas and ... http://offdeadline.com/2008/08/04/your-content-not-only-welcome-but-needed/ Hey Hamilton County Democrats, it’s time to put up, or shut up. I’ve been told several times in recent weeks that longtime Republican dominance in Hamilton County is coming to an end. Of course, this analysis comes from Democrats. As I look at the slate of candidates for county offices in ... http://offdeadline.com/2008/07/25/county-democrats-must-walk-the-walk-not-just-talk-the-talk/ It’s fair time again, and no one covers the Hamilton County 4-H Fair like the Noblesville Daily Times. I hope you got chance to check out our fair preview section in last Saturday’s edition of the Daily Times. In it, we laid out all you needed to know about the fair ... http://offdeadline.com/2008/07/18/daily-times-is-your-place-for-fair-coverage/ This is the information age, or so they say. Who is “they?” Probably some bloggers, or the hosts of a hip and edgy social networking site. It is true that more knowledge is available at the fingertips of more people than ever before in the history of mankind. The problem is, ... http://offdeadline.com/2008/07/03/hard-to-tell-truth-in-misinformation-age/ An historic ruling handed down Thursday by the U.S. Supreme Court has Second Amendment supporters cheering and others jeering. I’m not a legal scholar, but I have covered the law most of my career, and read way more than my share of Supreme Court opinions. In the end, I think the ... http://offdeadline.com/2008/06/27/supreme-court-keeps-hands-off-citizens%e2%80%99-guns/ In the newspaper business, you never stop learning. Everyday offers a new issue, or a new subject of which you must gain at least a working knowledge in order to write about it. Most importantly, a good journalist never stops learning about his or her craft. The hope is that each ... http://offdeadline.com/2008/06/20/spending-time-with-z-to-improve-your-ndt/ From a very early age, I wanted to be a dad. Even as a little kid, I remember wanting to have kids of my own – progeny to help guide, protect and mold into a living legacy. What the hell was I thinking? Being a father is hard. It’s like trying to ... http://offdeadline.com/2008/06/13/this-dad-already-has-all-he-wants-for-father%e2%80%99s-day/ I was watching the Michael Moore documentary “Bowling for Columbine” again the other night when nothing else was on television. The film – about guns and violence in America – got me to thinking. I find Moore for the most part to be a bombastic boob. Often his “interviews” in his ... http://offdeadline.com/2008/06/06/guns-storms-and-recalls-america-loves-to-be-afraid/ I’ve written many columns over the years listing my pet peeves. As a matter of fact, every year around Thanksgiving I write about all the things that bug me as sort of a change of pace, a response to the nauseating number of columnists who turn out a “here’s what ... http://offdeadline.com/2008/05/30/good-music-camping-trips-help-spring-happiness/