Welcome to the Signal
This isn’t just a newsletter—it’s a long-overdue broadcast from the edge of a forgotten region, delivered by someone who’s lived the fallout.
“No one gives you power. Real power is something you take.”
Jock Ewing, the patriarch on the old television show Dallas, said that to his son Bobby.
And if you’ve ever fought for a voice, a seat, or a shot—you know it’s true.
I tried to take power once.
A few times, actually.
In politics.
In the workplace.
In the civic sphere.
I came close.
Close enough to taste it.
Close enough to feel the resistance.
But I learned something: getting close isn’t enough—especially when you don’t control the game board.
We can fuss about getting cheated and what’s not right—corruption, crooked systems, stacked decks.
The board is always tilted by those who control it. That’s life.
If you’re going to play the game, you’d better recognize the rules.
I’ve been punched in the mouth.
I’ve lost jobs, lost momentum, and lost people I loved.
But I’m still here.
And I’m not walking back in with my fists flying this time.
I’m walking in with eyes wide open—watching, waiting, and writing.
This Isn’t a Manifesto. This Is Movement.
Jock told his other son—the infamous JR—something else once:
“The lack of subtlety turns competitors into enemies—and enemies into fanatics.”
He was right.
When I was younger, I came in harsh.
I came in unfiltered—because I was angry.
I pushed hard. I didn’t always know when to pull back.
And sometimes, I burned bridges I couldn’t rebuild.
You learn over time: power without subtlety doesn’t earn you loyalty—it just sharpens the knives around you.
So no, this isn’t a grand declaration.
This isn’t a 10-point plan.
It’s not a revolution. It’s not revenge.
It’s a signal.
What The Hound’s Signal Is
The Hound’s Signal – Post-Press America exists because something collapsed:
The local press
Institutional courage
Civic clarity
Trust
Nobody’s telling the truth anymore—not the hard one.
Not the one that needs to be told.
So I stepped in.
Not because I want a spotlight—but because the light went out.
This isn’t a Hickory-centric project.
Substack gives us reach—regional, state, national.
But the signal still comes from the same frequency:
A man who's been overlooked, underestimated, and still won’t go away.
Those of you who can relate need to join.
You have nothing to lose but loss itself.
What to Expect Here
Strategic, grounded writing about the realities they stopped talking about
Observations, archetypes, and analysis that link local decay to national dysfunction
Calm, precise signal—not noise
This isn’t about heat.
It’s about leverage.
This is where we track the truth in real time—without spin.
Final Word
I’m not chasing some kind of redemption.
The past is the past. You can’t change it—but you damn sure better learn from it.
And lock it in.
I’m not here to tear things down.
I’m here to build something for a future I may never actually see.
There’s a difference.
I’m not trying to blow up what’s left of the old world—
I’m trying to document what comes next.
The Hickory Hound remains the daily pulse.
The Hound’s Signal is the big picture.
Let’s get to work.
— James Thomas Shell
The Hound’s Signal – Post-Press America
📬 Why This, Why Now
I launched The Hound’s Signal – Post-Press America because something broke—and nobody with a mic was willing to say so.
The press collapsed. Leadership stalled. People were left to figure it out on their own.
This isn’t a comeback. It’s a recalibration.
🧭 What You’ll Get
One deep post per week (strategy, signal, and narrative analysis)
Commentary tied to The Hickory Hound and its ongoing archive
Longform dispatches from The Shrinking Center project
Free subscribers receive full weekly content
Paid tier (coming later) may include deep-dive dossiers, audio/video drops, and premium insights
🔗 Call to Action
If this resonates—subscribe, share, and forward to someone who needs to know the signal is still alive.
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