In the 12 years this blog has been published, I have begrudgingly learned the hard way that this publication is best served with some sort of balance.

I started 12 years ago wanting to give another perspective to the news and happening of the Basin that was not that of the social elite that dominate the mainstream media of the time. I wanted a place where all voices could come together and both disseminate information and materials not printed or broadcast in the local newspapers or radio station, but to also have a place where there can be lively debate. It’s become like a game of Marbles.

My Game of Marbles

Everyone is welcome to my game of marbles. You are allowed to use your best Aggie to knock out as many glassies as you can from the  ring. But here is something to keep in mind. I draw the ring.

Metaphorically here are the rules… Posting is like the game of Ringer:

The Game

1. Draw a ring (a large circle – usually about 5 to 10 feet across) and put 13 marbles in it . The marbles should be in a cross and spaced 3 inches apart.
2. Each player shoots in turn from outside the circle, trying to hit a marble out of the ring while keeping his shooter inside the ring.
3. If the shooter has a miss, his turn is over and he picks up the shooter.
4. If the shooter has a hit but the shooter also rolls out of the ring, he keeps the marbles that rolled out and his turn is over.
5. If the shooter has a hit and the shooter stays in the ring then player shoots again from the place where the shooter stayed.
6. On each new turn a player shoots from anywhere outside the ring.
7. The person who collects the most marbles is the winner.

Some times a fellow thinks they have a vested right to more than one turn at a time. It is my job as the Ringmaster to make sure everyone, whether I like the player or not, gets their turn as shooter. It has become my job to be sometimes the traffic cop. that wrangles and directs the chaos to appear as  some semblance of fairness. It’s my job to make sure that a shooter plays fair and doesn’t push his best glassy into the sand to prevent other shooters a chance of knocking it out of the ring.

The rules are always evolving and changing to make it more fair. Its my ring, my rules. You can always pick up your marbles and go home.