December 2016

Can there be Christmas without CHRISTmas?

The “Grinch” never came any closer to stealing the true meaning of Christmas than has trying to be “politically correct.” In recent years, there has been a strong move to change the traditional Christmas greeting of “Merry Christmas” to the “politically correct” terminology of “Happy Holidays” or “Seasons Greetings.” What do “Happy Holidays,” and “Seasons Greetings,” have in common with “_ _ _ _ _ _ mas?” They both leave “Christ” out. So what? What does “Christ” have to do with the celebration of Kwanza, Hanukkah, Santa Claus, presents, office parties, red nosed reindeer, decorating trees, wreaths, holly, sleigh bells, retail sales, booze, atheism and feasting? Not much! …

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Isn’t the reality for Branson shows brighter if we all work together?

“The question is, are there those in power in this city who are grateful for the decades of growth which the shows have provided this community and who want to help the shows recover in a protected and logical way, preserving that special and important element that has made Branson unique?” asked Sheila Dutton in her letter to the editor, published in the Dec. 7-8 edition of this paper. It was entitled “Outlook for Branson shows bright if we all work together.” …

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“Outlook for Branson shows bright if we all work together”

As regards the Ole Seagull’s column on Sunday, we are very grateful to receive the corrected viewpoint of Jerry Henry. We hold him and his work in high regard. The problem that we see is that Jerry is a statistician who does a fantastic job of analyzing correlations, but correlations do not indicate causation. Other forces can be at play at the same time. …

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Is Branson’s $480,000 CVB payment a SmackDown of shows or their marketing reality?

After ignoring repeated requests by The Branson League of Theatre Owners & Show Producers (League) for the grant of some independent marketing funds and the formation of a “Blue Ribbon Task Force” to look into the way Branson is being marketed by the Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB (CVB), the Branson Board of Aldermen awarded more than $480,000 to the CVB for use in their marketing of Branson. Depending on one’s viewpoint, some might call it a SmackDown of the Leagues efforts, but to an Ole Seagull the payment is not only consistent with, but a strong endorsement by the Board, of the CVB’s marketing plan that has been in place for over three years. …

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