WE’RE BECOMING A NATION – a world, even – of rough hands. I blame touchscreen phones and tablets.

DO YOU apply a liberal dash of hand lotion, knowing you’re about to smear it all over your phone? Of course not.

THE end result is that your BlackBerry has a clean screen but your hands are a scaly wreck.

AND, whatever you do, don’t buy stock in a company that makes only hand lotions.

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I’VE BEEN asked to moderate a public forum between former State Rep. Tommy Merritt and State Rep. David Simpson, candidates for the Texas House of Representatives from District 7.

THAT means we’ll need questions to ask the dueling Republicans. Feel free to include your biases; we’ll try to edit them out.

IF you’d like to suggest a question, feel free to do so. Send it by email to: bwoodall@kilgorenewsherald.com

TENTATIVELY – very tentatively – the event is scheduled for Feb. 28. More details are in a story elsewhere in today’s newspaper.

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THE spot price of natural gas actually went UP 15 cents Tuesday morning. Seems like forever since we’ve seen that happen.

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NEW and different on the horizon:

AS A prelude to one of its Fridays After Five concerts this spring, Kilgore Main Street plans to invite mascots from area high schools to compete in a “dance-off” with the winner to collect cash and local gift certificates.

I’M possessed by a vision of the Sabine Cardinal break-dancing on the stage at the World’s Richest Acre Park.

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INDIANA is considering a law which would allow the sale of motorcycles on Sunday. ’Twould still be illegal there to sell cars on the Sabbath, though.

WHAT is a Hoosier?

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OUR new reporter, Austin King, comes from Nacogdoches.

NACOGDOCHES, as you know, is where Moses Austin – a horrid businessman in Virginia and Missouri – eventually settled and there’s a University there named after his son, Stephen.

IF I lived in Nacogdoches and I had a son, I’d name him Austin.

CELEBRATING birthdays this week are:

Jan. 25 — John Marmon, Andy Grush, Jackie Fout, Bill Smith, Chad Payne, Mary Lynn Brown, Catherine Dixon, Freda Mitchell, Barbara Longmire, Andrea Hademeier, Mrs. L.D. Phoddox, Jimmy Burton, Jr., Mindy Baugh, Emma Payne, Mary Burton, Sondra Hamilton, Suzie Anthony, Mrs. Ann Combs, Jerry Yance, Tamie Cole, Jerri Biggs, Debra Gilliam, Perry Tolbert, Jr., Bobby Beane, Michelle Parker, Loyce Sheffield Bell, Gee Gee Ingram, Jessica Staly, Trishanna Johnston, Jean Bker, Jeremy Dent, Mary Hulsey

Jan. 26 — Bill Ballard, Kim Thurmond, Joyce Davidson, Steve Alexander, Jim Murray, Magen Miller, Laci Laird Canion, Neva Tanner, Jerry Page, J. C. Gossage, Ricky Rentz, Jed McDougal, Adam Clark Crews, Ginny Lynn Anderson, Mandy Griffin Beddingfield, Ernest Mills, Amy Caldwell, Kelvin Mills, Joshua Staly, Kearia ason, Steven Mauldin, Courtney O’- Conner

Jan. 27 — Steve Silvertooth, Patty Tanner, Bea Chandler, Stacy Handley, Lulie Thurston, Jr., Theresa Logan, James Harvey, Stephanie Mills, Shonda Nix, Joanne Dykes, Leon Brown, Jacob Maxwell, Richard X. Cook, Diane Wilson, Ruben Martinez, Jr., Alexzander Mills

CELEBRATING anniversaries this week are:

Jan. 25 — Mr. And Mrs. Scott Jones

Jan. 26 — Jimmy D. and Linda Honzell

Jan. 27 — Joe and Lelia VanMeter, Dr. and Mrs. Robert Hudspeth, Mr. And Mrs. Kenny Hooker, Mr. And Mrs. Doug Carpenter