General

No April Fool’s joke – Virgin “Branson to Branson” marketing event is positively priceless!

This week, in an Ole Seagull’s opinion, Branson, in cooperation with the Virgin Group media team, “hit it out of the park” with one of the greatest social media marketing coups in Branson’s marketing history. Their #BransonToBranson April Fool’s online/social media event was a fresh “out of the box” marketing effort, coordinated with the very type of company that most communities would give their “eye teeth” to work with. He believes that it will not only favorably impact Branson tourism, but potential economic development along with the jobs and other community benefits inherent to such development. …

No April Fool’s joke – Virgin “Branson to Branson” marketing event is positively priceless! Read More »

A breakthrough list of “reality” to absolutely help you to know the difference between “Branson Famous” and “Branson Betrayed”

When the Ole Seagull saw the first episode of “Branson Famous” on “Tru-TV” he instantaneously hated what he was seeing. He had simultaneous feelings of disgust and anger that any show in Branson, let alone one with the proud tradition that the Baldknobbers and Mabe family had enjoyed, would be so self-centered and insensitive as to arbitrarily use or permit the name “Branson” to be used on national TV, in lieu of their “own,” in an apparent attempt to save themselves from the situation in which they had placed themselves. …

A breakthrough list of “reality” to absolutely help you to know the difference between “Branson Famous” and “Branson Betrayed” Read More »

No madam chairwoman, it was not “erroneous” and is “significant”

At the August 28 meeting of the Tourism Community Enhancement District Board (TCED) the Ole Seagull, followed up on his March 27 presentation to the TCED which showed that the Missouri Supreme Court, in the case of “Jefferson v. QuikTrip,” resolved that case using a logic and statutory construction that had not been previously addressed in any of the prior legal opinions to the TCED that the Ole Seagull had seen or was aware of. He believed it provided more than an adequate basis for effective legal or other action to be taken that could stem the TCED’s diversion of millions of dollars to the pay the city of Branson’s TIFs and the loss of the hundreds of millions of dollars in economic and marketing benefit to Branson area shows, attractions, lodging facilities and businesses those marketing dollars represent. …

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America’s true “nobleness” and hope – Her Teachers!

In terms of a “profession,” America’s future does not lie in the hands of presidents, politicians, lawyers, doctors, accountants, and other leaders. Her future lies in the hands of the professionals who will be teaching those who will become the future presidents, politicians, lawyers, doctors, accountants and other leaders, America’s Teachers.

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Memorial Day – Remembering those who risked it all for America

The purpose of the original Memorial Day was to honor those who died in the Civil War. Its purpose today has evolved into remembering and honoring all who have died in the service of our country. What better way is there to honor and remember them than to honor and remember their living comrades, those men and women who have and are currently honorably serving in America’s Armed Forces.

Someone a lot wiser than an Ole Seagull said, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.” Since the earliest days of our history, America’s Armed Forces and their families have assumed the risk and paid the price for the freedoms and privileges that we, as a Nation, all enjoy and sometimes take for granted. Memorial Day gives us a unique opportunity to not only honor the dead but to pause, honor and say “Thank You,” to those who have and are currently serving and their comrades who are Missing In Action. …

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Mothers Are God’s Special Gift

How important are Mothers? Without them natural life as we know it could not even begin and the course of most people’s lives, after that beginning, is dramatically influenced by the person they call “Mom” or “Mother.” There are some, including an Ole Seagull, who believe that by age eight, or earlier, the mold of a person’s future has been cast and, to a very large extent, Mother’s form and shape that mold. …

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Is there is a difference between journalistic integrity and a funnel cake?

In a February 19th column entitled “Publisher responds to ‘attack’ on 3 citizens,” Michael Schuver, publisher of the Branson Tri-Lakes News, expressed his opinion on a column that the Ole Seagull had written. While an Ole Seagull appreciates Schuver’s right to express his opinion as to his characterization of the column as an “attack” he has a problem understanding a professional journalist making, in his opinion, untrue and misleading statements of alleged fact. …

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Easter the gift of Christmas fulfilled, “He has risen!”

To Christians, Christmas is both a commemoration and celebration of the fact that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” If however, that first Christmas was all there was, there would be little reason for anyone to believe in Jesus and the promise of eternal life would be lost to all. But that’s not all there was. …

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Who Else Wants a 25% Raise, LUV or more Christmas?

OK so most of us aren’t going to get a 25% pay raise, but we can enjoy, by proxy, the 25% pay raise that Taney County’s elected officials voted themselves to hopefully get in 2015. It does not go into effect until 2015, but does it take a Solomon to figure out who will be lined up to run in 2015? “But Seagull, in these economic times while things are so tough for everyone, how could they, in good conscience do that?” All an Ole Seagull can say is that, “In terms of their collective “conscience,” their action speaks for itself.” Does that include Presiding Commissioner Ron Houseman who was absent for the vote?” That just has to be a rhetorical question? …

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Thanksgiving is all about to whom the “Thanks” is “given!”

Common sense tells an Ole Seagull that something celebrated as “Thanksgiving Day” should be a day of “giving thanks.”  Generally speaking, who among us says “thank you” to “no one?” When thanks is given it is for something and is “given” to the person or entity believed to have provided that something.

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