Star Rays

My dad has a subscription to his hometown paper, The Star.

The news section is rather dull. Usually the front page is some local politician proclaiming that support of the new proposed landfill will bring jobs and prosperity to the county. Another story may cover the residents living near the proposed landfill taking over a town hall meeting to tell that local politician that he's full of horse hooey along with suggestions as to where he can relocate his landfill. (Unfortunately, "UP YOURS!" apparently isn't listed on the county map.)

If it's a particularly slow news week, a reporter may venture out to the countryside to snap a picture of a local farmer who has grown squash that is the spitting image of UGA's beloved mascot, UGA VII.

I have two favorite sections, the first of which is called "Remember When."  They reprint articles that originally appeared in the paper 25, 50, and 75 years ago.

I scan it for two reasons. One is to see if I recognize the names of any family members. The other is for the humor and the oddities.  I know a visit to Athens, GA was a big deal 75 years ago, but nowadays if you called the Star to tell then you were getting in the car to go visit your sister in Athens, GA for a week the response would be "And?"

Which beings us to "Star Rays".

Star Rays operates on a simple premise. If you travel to some exotic locale, take along a copy of The Star. Find a recognizable landmark, then have someone take a picture of you at that landmark holding a copy of The Star. Send it in to the paper and they will publish it.

They've printed pictures of people holding copies of The Star in front of Stonehenge, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Sydney Opera House in Australia. They've also printed pictures of people holding The Star on the Vegas Strip, The Grand Canyon, Peggy's Cove, and Bug Sur.

But I have to laugh at the people who send in pictures of themselves holding copies of the paper at such locations as Bobby Brown State Park (a whole 10 minutes away), The Anderson Mall (30 minute drive), The Georgia Guidestones (sorry, but since the Guidestones are in the county, it shouldn't count!)....you get the picture.

Part of me is willing to excuse it to two factors. With unemployment and the price of gas a lot of people are vacationing closer to home or doing "stay cations" and visiting local attractions. And I'll have to admit that it's kind of exciting for kids to see their pictures in the paper.

But part of me is willing to bet it's done on a dare just to see if the picture will get printed.

"Hey Earl, let's head over to Hartwell and have our picture made in front of the new Hardee's with a copy of The Star and mail it in."

"Naw....that's too far. You know RaceTrac is doing their Sodapalooza now. You can get a 32oz coke for 49 cents. Let's go grab a coke and have our picture made there!"

I will guarantee you that unless someone has sent in a picture of themselves in front of a European landmark, an entrance to a US National Park, or from a cruise in the Caribbean, two teens guzzling frozen cokes in front of the local RaceTrac will eventually be printed in The Star.