Saturday, January 17, 2009

Bush's Legacy: most reviled president parodied

President Bush, art urinal, by Clark Sorensen. From EXHIBIT: 'DOWN THE DRAIN' -THE LEGACY OF GEORGE

AP photo

Friday, January 16, 2009

Thoughts on the state of the struggling newspaper industry

I'm moved enough to make a few comments today about the state of the struggling newspaper industry today. Here are my observations for better or worse:

Online Classified advertising is proving to be more profitable than print Classifieds.
Back in my publishing days, we depended on those print classified ads to help anchor the publication(s) with a steady flow of cash. Legal ads were also desirable because they were a steady income too.
Another reason why the classifieds do well is that we’re in the 21st Century and an increasing number of readers prefer to take care of business instantly. We are a nation of people who “want it now” and not later. It isn’t just the younger set that are tuning in to their daily newspapers online. Canny older consumers are finding that the deals online often beat anything around where they live.

I’m not surprised to see the newspaper industry struggling right now. The whole country is struggling in this depression. Couple that fact with the changing demographics of readers who now go online to get their news and do their shopping, and it becomes apparent that the web (in the end) is what’s going to save newspapers.
As odd as that may sound, I can foresee the majority of newspapers in the next ten years shifting their revenue emphasis to online products, while still maintaining a paper edition (in minimum local runs) for traditionalists and baby boomers like me, who still enjoy holding a newspaper and having the ability to cut items out of it for future posterity (just one reason).

As tough as the times are, there are newspapers hanging in there. One of the challenges facing newspapers profit lines is the publications that went public are now finding themselves leveraged to the hilt and drowning in debt-service.
A good example is the now bankrupt Tribune Company. Every single entity they own has been making money! Prior management (or mis-management if you will) took care of that by loading the companies up with debt. Has the lesson been learned? We’ll see.
    The current owners (particularly the Sam Zell's and private equity firms of the world) are not “newspaper types”and could care less about the obligations a publication should have towards it’s readers. Unlike the families who started many of the nation’s newspaper chains, these new owners have had only one thing in their minds - profit first, second, and third.
Little niceties like ethics, and fair and honest reporting, are still be taught in colleges, but when the students graduate they find a whole new reality often awaits them.
I have no sympathy for the new breed of owners who ignore everything that’s important about newspapers and equate them with something called a “profit center.”  If they lose all their equity and the bond holders take a beating during these bankruptcies, oh well. Cry me a river.
There’s still hope for newspapers. Watch and see which ones come up with a balance between integrity, emphasis on the reporters giving on-the-spot coverage that cannot be outsourced, and the addition of user-friendly online components that the 21st Century reader looks for.
As it Stands, I may be considered an “old time” journalist for the era I worked in, but I have made peace with the changes the newspaper industry is making, and still believe in the power of the written word!

Google image

Farewell to a great actor - Ricardo Montalban dies

I'm going to miss Montalban. I loved the commercial he did for the Chrysler Cordoba "..soft Corinthian leather..."

He was often cast -- and stereotyped -- as a Latin lover and later was best known as Mr. Roarke of 'Fantasy Island.'

He was respected for his work to improve the roles and image of other Latino actors.

The Los Angeles Times has written a nice tribute to this one-time Latin lover and actor.

Montalban suffered from a painful spinal condition in his old age, but remained active in trying to raise the profile of Latinos in Hollywood.

Click here for the whole story.

photo by Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Harold was horrified when he saw the suicide!

via Google images

Global Warming: The world is changing rapidly...

NO SNOW: this image shows Mount Hood in Oregon at the same time in late summer in 1985 and 2002.

Image: Gary Braasch ©

Dog owner says rules about droppings stink!

   

The city of Seattle gets about 41,250 pounds of poop per day and owners are objecting to a poop pick-up with a scoop, law.

Talk about a crappy controversy!

What's to be done in this city that has 45 percent more canines than children!

You'll have to read this article in today's Seattle Times to decide.

Google image

Palin's is today's candidate for "Worst" person in politics!

Gov. Sarah Palin's latest sacrifice on the altar of big oil is going to be the Cook Inlet beluga whale if she gets her way.

The state of Alaska, under Palin's direction, is suing over the increased protections for the white whales. She's opposed to them because her buddies in Big Oil are. They are opposed to anything that will stop oil development in the state, regardless of the cost to the environment and the animals who live there.

Palin has plans for expanding the Anchorage port so her cronies-in- crime can get more room for oil cargo ships and barges. What I really find reprehensible is what Denby Lloyd, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said to reporters, "The beluga whales population is stable and beginning to recover." What an outright lie!

In numerous scientific reports released last year, warnings went out that the beluga whales population may be as small as just 375 whales! Why does Palin think that they were placed on the "endangered species list?" It doesn't matter however, as long as people in the right positions lie and get away with it, sans Denby.

Once the deed is done, and there are no more beluga whales, it's too late to say, "Opps!"

Palin is my candidate for the WORST PERSON IN THE NEWS today...with apologies to Keith Olberman.

AP photo

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Eric decided to let the other guy share his fish...

photo via Google amazing images

Fast-tracking another appointment? Geithner getting Pass?

Let me see now. Roland Burris gets the green light from a corrupt governor to be the next senator from Illinois (filling Obama's old seat) and every Democratic (and of course Republican) senator said they wouldn't let him take a step onto the senate floor.

Obama quietly passes the word to senator Reid and suddenly Burris is golden and being hailed as the next senator from the great state of Illinois!

But that's yesterday's news. How about having a Treasury Chief that didn't pay several years back taxes?

Better yet, how about a Senate Finance Committee that is fast-tracking his confirmation? One senate Republican blocked it temporarily, and it doesn't look like he's going to be confirmed during Obama's inauguration.

 The feeling among the "good ol boys" on the committee is, "What's a measly $34,000 in back taxes?" They've been grinning happily for the cameras and talking about "honest mistakes."

Gee, I wonder if I failed to pay $34,000 in back taxes if the IRS would think that's okay? Somehow, I don't see getting any special treatment like this Gaithner has. And he's going to head up the IRS! This guy is supposed to be such a financial genius, but he can't even keep track of his own finances? What about knowing financial laws? His people say there was some question on whether he even had to pay taxes while working for his last job. A question that Geithner couldn't answer? That sure doesn't bode well for our new financial guru!

Can you say, "double standard?" Doesn't it feel good to know that whoever runs this country one thing isn't going to change? I'm referring to political corruption, the backbone of our capitalistic society.

AS IT STANDS, I guess that's why I smile every time I hear all of this talk about "change" coming to America. What a laugh!

photo by Alex Wong/Getty images 

Foot-in-mouth moments: Palin rails against press

For someone who was just going to go back to her job in Alaska and get out of the limelight, Palin has done anything but.

She's been in the news lately complaining about the mainstream press, bloggers, and everyone else who she doesn't like.

She actually has a few good points, but their buried in her rants against people like Katie Couric.

The Los Angeles Times takes a critical look at her this morning. Click here for the whole story.

photo by Stephen Morton/Associated Press

Trump's Lowest Grift Ever Saved for Holy Week

This is a story about how the devil's puppet, aka Donald Trump, mocked Christianity by selling a book combining the Bible, the Constitu...