Maybe getting my head shaved helped, or that good ol' country air where I've been working up on Spruce Mtn., but the noggin' seems to be working overtime lately. It could be I'm tired of thinking about my own business and so have dwelled lately on other things! Nothin' like that midsummer landscaper's burnout....

So, for better or worse, and with all the love in my heart, here's a few thoughts, ideas, and opinions about the whole YourHub thing.........

We need more people writing. To stay fresh and vital we need a constant flow of new blood, so to speak. Maybe some kind of first-time writer column or some sort of promotion in the weekly-published edition would help. The printed edition is the key to involving more people, in my opinion.

We need less people putting in thinly disguised advertisements for their company or themselves. One giveaway there is the blurb at the bottom saying, "go to my website for more information." This crap (and I don't mind calling it that), ticks me off.

I go to YourHub to read what local people are doing or thinking, and to be entertained or informed. I like to read and I enjoy what people around me are writing. I like throwing my two cents out there from time to time, too.

I don't want to read a bunch of strewn together travel cliches followed by a Travel Agency's name, phone number and website. This isn't a venue for free advertising, folks. If that's what you're trying to do, buy an ad.

Get Brendan's list published in the weekly rag. He's getting paid for it, he's good at what he does, so get his lists out there and get people looking around more. Put a direct link to his column on the home page and get more people using it. His venue is a great way to read what's being written in the whole metro area.

Tied into the above, publish occasional writing by people outside the local areas. There's some great writing going on out there! And what an incentive to write something good!

I know the purpose of the weekly rag is to make money. I'm a businessman and I completely get that. But the layout seems mighty skewed towards advertisements. Most of the pages are ¾ ads, or more. I don't get the feel of a local paper all the time. I sometimes get the feel of a bunch of more or less local advertising with some local stuff tossed into the corners.

I have occasionally felt a little hung out to dry by the editing in the published edition, but I'll expound on that some other time.

I think efforts could be made to make the whole thing more readable. I think for this idea to succeed long term it will need to be. A newspaper should look like a newspaper, not an advertising section.

Anyway, these are just my musings. Can you tell I've always had an interest in promoting?

I have a blast reading what people have to say, and writing contributions myself has been very rewarding in a personal way. I have met great people and touched others in ways I never expected. I love the potential of this venture and feel it has a valid place in the community.

So, with all that love still in my heart, here's to the success of YourHub.com and all those who work on it, contribute to it, and support it. Take these suggestions for whatever they are worth; I just had to get them written before my hair grew back!