I had a depressing conversation with my mother on Sunday. It's not the first time. It won't be the last. The subject is a familiar one -- the slow demise of newspapers. My mom is 86 years old, a graduate of the School of Journalism at the University of North Carolina and a healthy consumer … Continue reading The reality of a world without newspapers
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Wayback Wednesday column: The thankless job of reporting on porn
We travel far back in time for today’s impromptu due to a major snowstorm Wayback Wednesday column — to March of 1987 — March 25 in fact as the helpful time stamp notes. I keyed in the text of it below so the column is easier to read. But first, some back story. I was … Continue reading Wayback Wednesday column: The thankless job of reporting on porn
Living the words of Dr. King in the worst of times
UPDATE FOR 2021: If the past 12 months tell us anything it's that our nation is now closer to Abraham Lincoln's worst nightmare than the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's hopeful dream. It was an exhausting year of racial strife, unrest and protests amid the ongoing problem of inequity and justice unequally applied to Black … Continue reading Living the words of Dr. King in the worst of times
Waterfalls freeze at Hanging Rock? Now that’s cold and unprecedented
I noticed the photos on Facebook over the weekend. And like most things I see on social media, I refused to believe it. Then again, one of the photo sources is among the most trustworthy people I know -- my longtime friend from high school and college, Tip Wood. Tip wouldn't lead me astray, would … Continue reading Waterfalls freeze at Hanging Rock? Now that’s cold and unprecedented
North Carolina loses again to Alabama in big game auto wars
The announcement that Toyota-Mazda veered from building a joint auto manufacturing plant in Randolph County and straight into Alabama was a major blow for North Carolina -- again. The hailed megasite in Randolph County was groomed for just such an enterprise. North Carolina economic development officials have drooled over landing a auto-building plant for a … Continue reading North Carolina loses again to Alabama in big game auto wars
Nick Saban’s coaching tree yields a promising acorn at Elon
In all the post-game hoopla following the University of Alabama's stunning 26-23 overtime victory over SEC rival Georgia in the FBS national title game Monday night, I took note of an on-field TV interview with Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban. He had just tied legendary Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant for the most … Continue reading Nick Saban’s coaching tree yields a promising acorn at Elon
Entering the terrible twos
Today is the first anniversary of the activation of this wordpress site, Madison's Avenue, where I occasionally post things I write or stuff I've written over the years. I wasn't sure how this venture might go. Predictably, it has veered in different directions. There is no real focus. I'm not sure what my expectations were … Continue reading Entering the terrible twos
Foreshadowing: Looking back, the end was obvious
A couple of years ago I wrote a column about some newspaper resolutions I had on one of those giddy -- not to mention halcyon -- reporting and editing days way, way back in 1990. In hindsight those were great days. Sure the Internet had emerged as something very real and was becoming a noticeable … Continue reading Foreshadowing: Looking back, the end was obvious
Another Taylor Christmas, another visit to the emergency room
Author's update: I wrote the story below about in 2015 or so a family Christmas tradition that really needs to stop. Yet it continued on Christmas Eve this year -- with me. Yes after being hospitalized in September, unable to work or do much of anything else without an oxygen tank and being largely bound … Continue reading Another Taylor Christmas, another visit to the emergency room
Then one smoky Christmas Eve
I few years ago I wrote about Christmas Eve memories of going to my grandparents house on my mother's side of the family. It was a great event with a house full of rowdy men and children along with the women who did the real work and put up with the shenanigans. I'm only slightly … Continue reading Then one smoky Christmas Eve
Madison's Avenue 