It's been a busy week and outside of southeast Missouri, an interesting week news-wise.

Last Thursday evening I attended the Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce's annual membership banquet. The banquet was hosted by Trinity United Methodist Church in their new facility on the west side of beautiful downtown Bloomfield.

I couldn't help but notice the display of dinner plates mounted on the wall in the dining hall, I'll bet they have a much more appropriate and attractive name for this particular part of their new complex like Christian Life Center, but I don't know what title it bears.

I had the opportunity to visit with Norman and Sharon Jones who are chamber members as well as members of the local congregation. Sharon said they began collecting the plates years ago. Plates with pictures of the church on them were popular fundraisers years ago and collector's items now.

Trinity has 58 plates mounted on the wall and unique and attractive display. I wonder if any of our churches have such a display?

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Outside perspective

For more thoughts on the news I turn to Southeast Missourian editor Joe Sullivan. Joe has some insight as to what drove all the coverage of last week's tabloid journalism.

"After four decades of making daily choices about the news that's delivered to newspaper readers, I should easily accept that gossip and innuendo trump facts every day of the week. But that doesn't make it any easier for me to accept.

"When I see news organizations catering to the consumer appetite for junk news, it makes me shudder.

"More people in this country can name all the potential fathers -- how many were there? -- of Anna Nicole's baby that can name the vice president of the United States.

"Does that frighten anyone besides me?

"Once upon a time, there was a direct connection between the taxes an American paid and his or her interest in news about how those taxes were being spent. As a result, newspapers and other news organizations devoted considerable time and space to news about government and its spending habits.

"So why aren't Americans all that interested in what we call "hard" news anymore?

I can't give you a definitive answer, but I think it has something to do with the tidal wave of easy credit that is flooding the nation.

"Bear with me.

"In the good old days, the American dream of homeownership meant building a credit record sufficient to obtain a mortgage. In addition to making monthly payments, homeowners would write checks once a year to pay taxes on their homes and to insure them. Nowadays, just about anyone can get a home loan. Too many borrowers don't care about the interest rate as long as the monthly payments are no more than the car payments. And the taxes and insurance are rolled into the payment, so those bills don't even get noticed.

"Result: Who really cares about what government is doing to your real-estate taxes or what insurance companies are doing to your premiums?

"In the good old days, there were a few deductions from your paycheck, but nothing like the long list of minus items on today's stubs. Nowadays workers only look at the take-home figure with little regard for where the rest is going.

"Result: Who cares about the burden of Social Security or Medicare or state and federal tax rates?

"In the good old days, you saved up money until you could afford to pay for a new appliance or at least make a decent down payment on a car. Nowadays, a small piece of plastic pays for everything, and the minimum payment on the credit-card bill is all you have to worry about.

"Result: Who really cares about the impact of mounting debt and the fact that most Americans have little or nothing saved for retirement -- and do they really care?

"Thanks to easy credit, our consumer society is interested in buying stuff, not what government is doing. And Americans are clamoring for more details about Anna Nicole Smith. They won't have to wait long. The movie of her life is in the works.

"In other news, a woman kills a bunch of kids and stuffs them in a washer and dryer ... .

"Want more details? For just $29.95 a month you can have them beamed straight to your cell phone.

"Ain't life grand?"

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Other travels

Well the annual golf trips to the Redneck Riviera are just about over. These trips are time for a little male bonding and a chance to others to work on their game before the season kicks off back home. It gives them a leg up on the rest of us who stay behind.

We note that Damon Richardson won the four-day tournament the group had while they were on the coast affectionately known as the Redneck Open in some circles. That's going to be bad news for his regular playing partners at KCC except for the fact that Damon will be spending the next few weeks in the field and they will have an opportunity to catch up with him.

One report that came back from the Gulf coast said Damon struggled between wanting to play golf and wanting to fish. Given his, um, experiences on our local waterways it's probably a good thing he stayed on dry land.

I haven't heard any more about the fish cook-up Charley Hilburn and Ken Johnson are planning for Senath, but I'll keep you posted.

There was a rumor they were going back to Sardis Lake last week for another run at any crappie they might have missed earlier. And one report said they were going to take a couple of their friends along to teach them how to fish for crappie.

That's just the kind of guys these Charley and Ken are, big-hearted and willing to share. And so humble about it, too.

Bud Hunt is the publisher of the Daily Dunklin Democrat.