EDMOND —
There’s something I’d like to say about jukeboxes and newspaper readers. But first, I need to admit to an eccentricity. I love Thanksgiving. I mean I really love Thanksgiving. I love the fact that Americans take this day to reflect on their unbelievable blessings. In my opinion, the mind of man is too small to grasp the enormity of the happy circumstances that fall together to bring us life at this prosperous time in this great country. Never before in the history of mankind’s tortured struggle to better himself have any people been graced with the opportunities we enjoy. Never before have so many been freed from the crushing burdens of hunger. No previous generation has enjoyed the material plenty that the average American citizen enjoys every day.
The pharaohs of Egypt, the Kings of Persia and the emperors of Rome would be amazed that even our children have access to such unbelievably miraculous devices as — televisions. Potentates of the past would marvel that we have the power to speak with loved ones a thousand miles away — in the blink of an eye. We can travel hundreds of miles in short hours and do so in a private carriage that is fully climate controlled. Powerful rulers of the past may boast about the swiftness of their favored steed. The speed of that horse couldn’t compare to the speed of the average car on our freeways.
We can enjoy the performances of musical artists from all over the world whenever we desire. What’s more, we can experience the gifts of these great talents at our whim even though they are long dead. What ruler of the past had powers comparable to the wonders we have at our disposal. And what ruler of the past could carry a thousand volume library in his pocket?
I could go on, but you get the picture. Yes, I love Thanksgiving but I love it every day of the year. I am very mindful of the relationship between the words “thank,” and “think.” They spring from the same ancient route. Originally, the act of thinking could not be separated from the attitude of thankfulness. They were the same. If you have the power to think, you had no choice but to be thankful.
In our time, modern science tells us that those who cultivate an attitude of thankfulness enjoy a happier life, and they sleep better too. Shared thankfulness is a wonderful occasion for family and friends to come together and celebrate their blessings. But daily private expressions of Thanksgiving are blessings in themselves and bring us closer to the state that might be called “the good life.”
Now, about the jukebox. This year I’m particularly thankful for that invention. The first commercial jukebox was placed in the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco on Nov. 23, 1889. The device had a slot that accommodated a nickel (worth $1.08 in today’s cash). There were listening tubes that allowed the saloon’s patrons to enjoy music privately though someone still had to work the crank to spin the turntable. Up to that point, the most common way the public could enjoy prerecorded music was via the cumbersome and difficult to update “player piano.”
Once the jukebox hit the market, the demand for “records” was inevitable. Patrons who couldn’t afford “gramophones” or who couldn’t keep up with expanding record libraries could still sample the latest music by finding an establishment that sported the venerable jukebox.
In a very real sense, the introduction of the jukebox fueled the growth of the record industry which ultimately led to the invention of the iPod, the modern technical device for which I am most thankful this year. Contained in this tiny engine, the size of a deck of cards, I have collected more than 16,000 performances by artists from around the world performing in every age since the invention of recording devices. There’s simply no way to calculate the musical pleasures I enjoy every day as a result of this tiny descendant of the legendary jukebox. So, special thanks this year to the Palais Royale Saloon.
And finally, I am particularly thankful for people who read newspapers. I can write a complete column on the tremendous benefits newspapers have brought to the political and cultural lives of Americans. But, for now, I want to express my appreciation to those of you who read papers and especially to those of you who read this column. I just wanted to take this opportunity to say “thank you” and let you know that on this Thanksgiving I am thankful for — you guys. I’m Hink and I’ll see ya.
MIKE HINKLE is a retired Edmond attorney.
Opinion
Jukeboxes, newspapers provide opportunities for thankfulness
- Opinion
-
-
Americans deserve the truth on Benghazi
Lately, the media has been consumed by the controversies surrounding the White House. Among these controversies is the horrific terrorist attack on the United States’ diplomatic compound in Benghazi that took place Sept. 11, 2012. As more people come forward with additional information regarding the attack on the consulate, many Americans, including myself, are still asking for the truth.
The Obama Administration and the State Department have been less than forthcoming with key information on Benghazi and recent information points toward a major cover-up. -
Seizure of AP phone records insult to independent press
Distrust of government secrecy has been elevated to an exceptional level with the disclosure the Justice Department covertly examined two months of Associated Press phone records to determine who leaked details to the AP about a foiled terrorist plot.
-
HEY HINK: Some people just are not cut out for command
Recent headlines cause me to remember an incident that occurred on an army base some years ago. Warning here: I’m taking some liberties with names and details, but the basic outline of events is accurate.
A certain company commander, let’s call him Captain Duntz, had command of a motor pool on a large army base in the continental U.S. -
We’ve become our own worst enemies
The past couple months have been marked by a seeming unprecedented number of man-made tragedies, as distinct from those caused by violent outbursts of the natural world, such as earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis.
You don’t want to dwell too long on the negative, but we do have to take notice of horrific human events and we owe it to ourselves to respond to them in some way. We don’t always agree on those responses, however, and that usually exacerbates the problem. -
Let’s reimburse higher ed for remediation costs
The good news: Oklahoma schools are teaching phonics. The bad news: It’s in college.
Students at Tulsa Community College, for example, can take a college English course called “Spelling and Phonics,” which “helps students master basic spelling literacy, principles of phonics and decoding skills.”
This sort of higher education brings to mind former Boston University president John Silber’s quip: “Higher than what?” -
AGAINST THE GRAIN: Department of Commerce highlights Main Street successes
The 24th annual Oklahoma Main Street Awards Banquet was at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum last week. Oklahoma Department of Commerce Secretary Dave Lopez addressed the gathering, and spoke of how the Commerce Department works with Main Street organizations throughout the state that are working to improve their downtown areas. Lopez pointed out that the partnership between his department and those local organizations has brought new life to those communities and that the attendees would see some of that revitalization in a video presentation. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin also addressed the gathering, and said the Main Street program has resulted in more than $1 billion in investments in the state and more than 1 million volunteer hours in its 24 years of operation.
-
OUR VIEW: Be Edmond needs your help
BMX star and local legend Mat Hoffman knows what’s it like to fall from great heights and find yourself at one of the worst low points in life. He also knows how to climb back up and tackle life’s problems head on.
-
No Americans forgotten in Benghazi
More than eight months ago on Sept. 11, the nation was shaken by the attack on our consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Claiming the lives of four innocent Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, that horrific night still demands further investigation before it can be laid to rest. Due to an uncooperative administration and State Department who attempted to downplay the terrorist attack just eight weeks before the presidential election, we still don’t know the truth.
-
Saying goodbye to the earmark
When a new legislator, I worked to learn some of the more hidden and less-than-transparent aspects in the way Oklahoma politicians spent our taxpayer dollars. This wasn’t easy as even some legislators are left in the dark regarding the mechanics of how the legislative budget process is abused to the benefit of the most powerful of politicians.
-
HEY HINK: Think like a gaur before deciding on gun debate
Have you ever heard of a gaur? It’s the largest living member of the bovine family. A large gaur bull can weigh more than a ton and a half. His body may be nearly 11 feet long and he may be more than 7 feet tall at the shoulder. This is a huge, enormously powerful animal that could, no doubt, do a terrific amount of work if it would ever allow itself to be hitched to a plow. But it won’t. Man has never been able to offer the gaur a deal that would persuade it to become domesticated.
- More Opinion Headlines
-
Americans deserve the truth on Benghazi
