The new Pulse is here, bringing you all the portmanteau news.
You know, “brunch,” “Catfeine,” “Cowoofing,” “rom-com” and that sort of thing.
Mash up two words into one, both the sounds and the meanings of the words, and you have yourself a portmanteau. Combine breakfast and lunch, you get brunch. Mash up cats and caffeine and make a new word.
Chillax, Brangelina, staycation, Jackalope, broflake, tomacco—all sorts of fine portmanteaus pull from two different words to make a new grandtastic creation.
Did you know: a moped is a motor pedal, bionic combines the biological and the electronic and smoke + fog = smog?
A big thanks goes out to State Rep. Mike Sparks, State Sen. Bo Watson, Gov. Bill Lee and the entire Tennessee General Assembly for being friends to small business and free expression.
Our governor signed “Bracken’s Law” on May 24, a date that the generations will look back upon in celebration and triumph for many years to come.
Formally known as HB 0899, this act expands the exemption from sales tax on periodicals distributed twice monthly or on a biweekly or more frequent basis to periodicals distributed no less frequently than monthly.
In the past, publications printed on newsprint distributed on a monthly basis in Tennessee had to pay state sales tax each time they paid a printer to produce an edition of their periodical; while those that came out every week, or every other week, did not.
Thankfully, our state leaders saw fit to put an end to this oppressive, hateful and unjust policy and to introduce some reason, fairness and parity into the state’s taxation of monthly periodicals printed on newsprint.
I had no idea how many steps—committees, subcommittees, readings, considerations and reviews—a state bill had to go through before it became a law and a recorded part of Tennessee Code, even a measure like this that had little to no opposition, until I followed this act’s progress over the past five months.
That lengthy, multi-step process is part of the system of checks and balances of government, I suppose.
An organization that has demonstrated it is not such a friend to small business and free expression is Facebook.
The social media giant has become increasingly bolder with banning and censoring a whole variety of ideas and individuals that someone in the company with power simply doesn’t like.
Whether it’s information on hemp, the text of the Declaration of Independence, a simple emoji in response to the wrong post or link, Alex Jones, or the banning or limiting of a whole slew of political or religious posts and individuals based on “vague content rules and arbitrary enforcement” as one technology reporter recently put it, Facebook has made it obvious that it is not an open forum for free discourse, but an agenda-driven, power-hungry player in modern media, politics and society.
To be clear, I support Facebook’s right to ban and censor whomever it wants. I also support everyone’s right to leave Facebook alone and to share conversations and photos elsewhere.
Your dollar is a vote, and if you support Facebook, feel free to pay them, but be aware of the monster that you feed.
How many localized, independent media outlets does Facebook take revenue from when so many boutiques, political campaigns, restaurants, fitness centers and stores across the country choose to spend their advertising dollars and their time with Facebook rather than a local publication?
“Oh, we just advertise on Facebook.” I guarantee more than one business owner has said that to more than one local media outlet.
Well, fine, if you think that benefits you, as I’ve said before, act in your own self-interest, but your decisions matter and will impact tomorrow’s society, and other small businesses around you.
Happy Make Music Day!
Come out to Old Fort Park on June 21 if you are able and drum some. And remember to make music every day.
