Column: There’s no such thing as a free lunch

Dear readers,

I’ll get to today’s topic in a minute, but first I’ll answer a few of the questions I have been asked since my move to Giant FM.

Question: Hey Kris, Giant FM is a country radio station. Are you going to ask Dee Bonner to draw a cowboy hat on your cartoon logo? 

Answer: That is an excellent suggestion. I found an old hat when I moved into my new office, but it looks like a Navy hat. It was probably left by Steve Sherman, a Navy veteran who was a DJ here about 20 years ago. Johnny McCrory told me that the Navy hat makes me look like Darrell from the 1970’s band “Captain and Tennille.”

Question: Kris, since your new home is a country music station, are you putting that gizmo back on your bicycle that makes your Schwinn Sting-Ray sound like a horse?

Answer: The gizmo you are referring to is called a Trotify. It is a wooden device that attaches to the front wheel and makes a bicycle sound like the clop clop of a horse walking. You have a great memory. I usually get the Trotify out every April 18 when I reenact Paul Revere’s ride. I should just leave it on my bicycle this year. Maybe Team Schwinn should go country. Cousin Tom and the Baroness von Krueger already have a horse and a donkey. I could get a cowboy hat, cowboy boots and a vest with a few rhinestones. 

Enough questions.  Let’s get along to today’s topic.

The statement, “There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch” comes from the fact that someone always pays. If you are eating food, listening to the radio, or reading this column, someone paid for it. In the case of listening to Giant FM or reading my column, both are brought to you complements of all the local businesses who advertise with Giant FM.

Most people have a bit of a love/hate relationship with advertising. The same people who subscribe to a service to watch commercial free TV talk as much about the commercials as the game during the Super Bowl.  Some years the commercials were better than the game. Just ask the sports guys and they will remind you of Super Bowl XXVII -- Dallas 52, Buffalo 17.

I enjoyed writing my column for those of you who paid to read it in The Addison Times and The Shelbyville News. However, I definitely have more readers now that everyone can read it for “free.” 

Before Kristiaan Rawlings was publishing The Addison Times, he had a weekly newspaper, “Saturday Shelby” that was supported entirely by advertisers. I have been hearing from many of those Saturday Shelby readers who didn’t subscribe to the later publication. 

To my many former readers who are once again taking a weekly ride on my Schwinn, I welcome you back. Since there’s no such thing as a free lunch, please support Giant FM’s advertisers.

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