SAGA

2010-03-11T05:32:00.001-08:00

The greatness of Elvis Mitchell talks w/director Dan Klores about his new ESPN doc. http://tinyurl.com/y8ggs86 /via @30for30

2010-03-04T13:14:00.001-08:00

Have arrived in great city of Austin. Plan is to keep the wheels on tonight. ... IJS.

2010-03-01T17:27:00.001-08:00

Right now, get to Veritas for 1/2price monday. This obsidian ridge cab for 7.50 is sick. Now back to mavs and climate change tweets.

2010-02-28T13:51:00.001-08:00

Testing ping.fm, because I need to support Tulsa companies.

New Content Coming Soon

2010-01-21T14:30:00.001-08:00

[Snap snap]

Okay, It's Up

2006-10-09T06:32:00.000-07:00

New announcement coming soon. But you can find it here.

Shhhh...

2006-08-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

T-minus 10 days and counting...Relaunch TK TK TK....

Hmmm

2006-02-13T09:23:00.000-08:00

Keep checking. SAGA may be live once again in '06. Keep the faith and all that.

Look, I Lied

2005-06-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

In Vegas right now, but had to give props to Reese Dunklin, the fine reporter at the DMN for this deserved award.

Now, back to sin.

Shutting It Down

2005-06-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

There are four stories that I could have posted this morning. One was a very intriguing internal analysis of a story at The Dallas Morning News that bugged many people. One was something snarky about a local media blog. One was about a huge problem with sourcing at the DMN. And one was about a developer who is important to this city and his opinion of certain high-placed folks within the Dallas city government.

Every one of these I couldn't post because I'm either friends of or professionally involved with the participants. So, I came to a realization tonight. Although I'm a pretty well-connected guy, my desire to keep my friends and not post stuff just to prove I'm well-connected, well, these things pretty much take the teeth out of this blog. I no longer have a need to ingnore these things, as I did when my paycheck was dependent on separating myself, so I'm just not going to to do it.

So I'm shuttin' it down. It'll be gone by tomorrow night. Thanks, all.

"That's Alternative to Alternative"--Todd Snider

2005-05-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

Now that someone has finally printed something about this, I can link to the rumor I've been hearing for a few weeks: That my former employer -- sigh, I miss those paychecks; but, hey, traveling with the family is fun, right? -- is looking to buy Village Voice Media to create a superawesomegoodalternative chain.

Typically, the San Fran paper casts this as a gloom-and-doom scenario for the venerable NY tab. That's absurd. Has anyone read the Village Voice in the past few years? Like the investment group that runs it has brought great changes to the paper? Please. No, the best paper in the VVM chain is the L.A. Weekly -- by miles, mate. By miles.

Look, Gays Don't Drive Cars. It's a Fact.

2005-05-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

Don't see that it made the Morning News, but it seems that today, for the seventh consecutive year, Dallas-based Exxon Mobil Chairman/CEO Lee R. "The Gobbler" Raymond proves he hates gay people. At least that's how I read it.

According to the Human Rights Campaign:

Exxon Mobil ... is the only company in the Fortune 50 that doesn't explicitly protect its employees from discrimination due to sexual orientation, as Mobil Corp did prior to its merger with Exxon Corp in 1999. Exxon Mobil is the only company to remove these protections and suspend enrollment in its domestic partner benefits program. At the 2000 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, Exxon Mobil CEO Lee Raymond brushed aside discussion on changing his company's written Equal Employment Opportunity policy, stating that interested parties should "go pass a federal law instead."

My superawesomegoodanalysis: "We're here! We're queer! And we won't ... uh, buy your gas! Ohmigod!"

UPDATE: The greatness that is Sudeep Reddy does have details from the shareholders' meeting, including other gripes against the company.

Nuh Uh! Did Not! Can't Prove It!

2005-05-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

Belo Big Dog Robert Decherd said in a letter to employees today that he didn't do nuthin' wrong, despite the shareholder lawsuit, despite that he was warned of circulation shenanigans years ago. So there.

As Promised, A Lawsuit Update

2005-05-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

I mentioned earlier that information was being passed among those DMNers who were laid off in August, info that suggests they're looking at the possiblity of taking legal action because they believe age discrimination led to their dismissal.

Well, I'm still not sure if anything will happen. I'm certainly not sure if they were discriminated against. But I do know they've met informally with a lawyer for advice, and they are considering taking their case to the EEOC in an effort to get a ruling from the agency giving them a right to sue. They have until August to do this. We should know well before then if they follow through on this course of action.

Why wouldn't they? Well, they may not have a case. Also, they may have trouble finding someone to take their case simply because Belo's law firm is willing to spend lots of money and plays "aggressively," in the same way that a psychotic pit bull plays "aggressively." And, as one person familiar with the matter told me today, "they fear retaliation." Huh? It's true. They're afraid that Belo's reach in this town (and, in some ways, throughout all of journalism) is so great that they can be blocked from future jobs by the company.

To which I say: Folks, many of the execs at Belo hate me, or at least hate what I've written. (Who can hate me personally? I'm cute as a button.) And I've had, like, 43 jobs in this town. Consider it a badge of honor.

Programming Note

2005-05-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

For those trying to contact me (Mr. Layton, et. al), my phone has been out two weeks, and I dropped my Blackberry in my pond yesterday. Please use eric.celeste@gmail.com for a while. Thank you.

You Cold? Here, Let Me Warm the Globe For You

2005-05-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

The Mayor of Seattle says he has 132 mayors who are taking it upon themselves to have their cities meet or exceed Kyoto Protocol targets. They have to do this because the Bush Administration did not sign the Kyoto Accords. Why? Because of folks with nutjob opinions like this Dallasite. Perhaps this is why Dallas Mayor Laura Miller hasn't added her name to the agreement. But maybe she'll get around to it soon. If she reads The New Yorker, she will.

Crime is Scary

2005-05-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

Fascinating story in the L.A. Times about the MS-13 gang. Big ties to Big D, unfortunately. The lead of the story mentions a horrific murder in Grand Prairie carried out by MS-13 members. A few weeks ago, we were part of a sting against the group. And as this government doc shows, Dallas is one of their hubs as they enter into the U.S. from Central and South America. The FBI is on it, though.

Fact that may interest only me? The gang's colors are blue and white. Which is why you will often see them sporting these.

Mr. Brightside Isn't Just a Killers Song

2005-05-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

Bobby Decherd says everything is supahsweet at Belo. One DMNer chuckles:

Decherd says Sunday circulation is now forecast for a 13 percent drop. It's interesting to follow what the company has said about that. First it was only like a 5 percent drop. Then months pass. Then 9 percent. Months pass. No wait, 11. And cycle repeats again and again. It really reinforces how Harvard isn't stressing the importance of mathematics.
But who cares? As the second interesting item shows, it doesn't matter. Deck got re-elected to the board of directors. When it's your toy, you don't need to know no stinking math.

Not That You Didn't Already Know This...

2005-05-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

But when it comes to typing, good sweet holy mother of Our Lord, I are freakin' awesome.

When Horses Fly

2005-05-09T22:49:00.000-07:00

Mike Orren over at Pegasus News, the latest in hyperlocal wedia, offers a great post from an East Dallas community meeting. (It also happens to be my neighborhood.) I must agree with him: this sort of community news isn't for the daily newspaper, but when reported as he does here, it's fascinating for those involved.

Either that, or I'm just getting bored by this movie on Skinemax, Deadly Pleasures. All I know is, if that insurance detective is ever going to solve this murder, that widow needs to stop giving him blowjobs.

Sports Break

2005-05-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

Currently working on two mammoth posts, one regarding our not-so-strong mayor, one regarding the brilliant idiocy of intelligent design. In the meantime, know that if the Phoenix Suns beat the Dallas Mavericks, we MFFLs can take some solace in the fact that we'll be treated to more of the greatness that is Suns 12th man/blogger Paul Shirley.

And be sure to check out the rival blog of Mavs owner Mark Cuban. As ESPN.com's Marc Stein wrote:

Asked to share what he expects over the next seven games, Cuban said: "I expect I'll be writing a lot more in my blog because I'll get sick of answering the same questions over and over [from reporters]."

More DMN Circ Stuff

2005-05-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

AJR has updated information on the shareholder lawsuit against the DMN. I must admit that I'm a little disappointed that he didn't give the Observer credit for having much of this information eight months ago. Especially since he got Bob Johnson's number, and other contractors' numbers, from me, as I pointed out in Nos. 1 and 2. Oh, well.

Good Effing Ideas, Part 1

2005-05-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

One of the things that absolutely drives me batsheet about Dallas is that its public entities -- school system, city hall, etc. -- are so back assward, even though it's one of the most innovative, creative business environments in the U.S.

To rectify that, SAGA begins its occasional series, Good Effing Ideas.

Albert Turner, a retired DMN circulation manager (he left in 1998, before the changes occured when the circ fraud really kicked into gear; in case you're wondering), is running for Dallas City Council in District 9. He had an idea, mocked by his opponent (incumbent Gary Griffith) and others, of putting letting corporations sponsor police cars as a way to get new crime-fighting vehicles on the streets. You know, so, let's say, D Magazine sponsors a car, they put a logo on the hood and suggest they arrest every black person in Highland Park. Or whatever. Bottom line, the cops get new cars and it costs the taxpayers squat.

This is already done in other countries. Like England. Different parts of England. And other places. On all sorts of vehicles. Seems like it works well. It's GOT to work better than what they have now. And do we really think a cop will show favoritism to, say, a Troy Aikman Ford employee because his company sponsors a car?

I thought perhaps Mr. Turner got the idea from the UK. He says, no, just thought it made sense. In an e-mail, Turner says:

I was surprised to read that the sponsorship plan for squad cars had been done in the UK. This was an idea I came up with to help ease the citizens' tax burden. I believe we can put 1000 new police cars on the street without costing the tax payers a cent. I don't know why my opponent objects to a plan that costs the tax payer nothing. I suspect it's because he didn't think of it.

To which I say, "Oooh, burn."

[next on Good Effing Ideas: abolishing middle school]

My Second Favorite Marcus, After Dupree

2005-05-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

Tooling around on DanielGross.net (the guy who writes the Moneybox column for Slate), and found this interesting note about our recently sold high-end institution, Neiman Marcus. My superawesomegoodanalysis: Interesting!

Me So Remiss

2005-05-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

In my post about the Livingston finalists, I should have noted that Messrs. Benton and Dunklin are also bloggers. My superawesomegoodanalysis: Good for them.

SAGA's Fake Circulation: 1.3 BILLION

2005-05-02T10:37:00.000-07:00

The WSJ says circ news for Belo won't be good today.

Belo Corp.'s Dallas Morning News expects to report daily circulation down 9% and Sunday circulation down 13% from the year-earlier period.

An interesting point in the article: one chain, McClatchy, has enjoyed two decades of subscriber growth. How? According to a McClatchy exec quoted in the piece, he says it's just "blocking and tackling."

The company keeps its newsstand and subscription prices low, guarantees "on the porch" delivery in most of its markets, has never cut the amount of space it allots to news and has never had across-the-board layoffs -- all of which is fairly unusual in the industry.

Oh, c'mon. Spending on news, having thorough oversight of delivery ... that's crazy talk.

Soccer Moms Make KICK-ASS Reporters

2005-05-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

Can't believe the fine folks at Pegasus News (or do you boys prefer TDP?) haven't yet commented on the DMN's new hyperlocal project. C'mon, boys, this is a hanging curve. WTF, mates?

Good Friend Talented, Has Gay Name

2005-05-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

The finalists for the Livingston Awards, which honor good strong journalism typed by people under 35, have been announced. DMN studs Joshua Benton and Reese Dunklin made the list, as did former Dallasite Keven "Deejay" McAlester, for a piece that ran in the Dallas Observer.

McAlester, who went to Harvard and who is married to Eve Epstein (according to The New York Times), is a longtime friend. He's also a bigshot documentary filmmaker now. For those of you who wonder how journalism works "behind the scenes," here is a recreation of the conversation in which he pitched to me the award-nominated story:

Keven: Dude.
Me: Yeah dude?
Keven: You think you guys will run my story? I need some fucking money.
Me: Depends, dude. Whazizabout?
Keven: Murders. Houston. A 'fridge. Fucked-up shit.
Me: Sweet. E-mail that bitch. I'll run it past the Big Dog.
Keven: I got a lot of stuff to do today. And tomorrow. I'll e-mail it, you know, this weekend.
Me: Playing Snood?
Keven: No. Halo.
Me: X Box? Sweet.
Keven: The best.

Find that in your Writer's Market, freelancers.

Your Morning News

2005-04-27T05:54:00.000-07:00

Some updates on the DA's investigation of the DMN, and the fallout from the circulation scandal:

1. A rumor at the paper, passed on to me by a few people this past week, was that Bronson Havard, the spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Dallas and a man who is not a big fan of the paper (especially in light of its investigation into how the Catholic Church protects priests accused of sexual misconduct and Rod Dreher's taking Havard to task in columns and online), is the person who filed the complaint with the DA against the DMN. So I contacted Havard to ask him. Havard, who sounds like a cross between Droopy Dog and Kip from Napoleon Dynomite, said, no, neither he nor the church had filed the complaint. He just chuckled and said,

Sounds like it's just the DA doing his job.

Sure, he could be lying or not telling me the whole story, but based on our conversation, I believe him. That may not convince everyone at the paper, though. As one person said to me,

No single human hates the DMN more than Havard.

2. The other buzz at the paper is that the DA's investigation, which apparently has been going on for some time, is either a) retribution for a column former DMN editorial board member Ruben Navarette wrote (sorry, can't find it online) taking Hill to task for his inattention to the fake drug scandal and worse (I know for a fact that Hill is not only still angry about the column and that he still had high-level discussions with the powers that be there about it), or b) an advance attack, as the paper is currently working on a story about the court system that will make the DA's office look very bad, or c) a combination of the two.

3. Some of those let go from the paper in October have received letters asking if they want to be part of a class-action lawsuit against the paper. I'll give you further details when I get a copy of the letter.

John Criswrong

2005-04-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

I have no problem with evangelical Christians. I have a good friend who went to high school with me who is one, who works for a church school, and we have wonderful talks about the role of religion in society and the family, the hypocrisy of the church compared to the good faith and works of its members. We have spirited but respectful arguments about the literal interpretation of the bible and the uneasy marriage of a secular state with one vocal religious majority within said state. I also once dated the daughter of a Pentecostal preacher. (Side note: my, but was she a dirty little girl.)

That said, this story that FrontBurner's Adam McGill alerts us to, about former local TV newsanchor and current Angel of the Lord John Criswell, makes me slightly insane. The hypocricy of folks who take their money from an institution they later decry as evil galls me. After implying that the newsmedia of which he was once a part is a "tool of Satan," Criswell said:

Don't step back from the principles of your faith that guide every decision you make including the votes you cast, the products you buy, the books you read, the movies you see, indeed, the life that you lead.

Okay, fine. But, oh divine one, I hope you've given back (or to charity) the $400K-plus a year you took in when you became the lead dog at Channel 4 in 1990. It was, after all, money smeared with the red-hot blood of Abaddon the destroying angel, tainted by the accuser of our brethren, made unholy by the Father of All Lies, produced by that old serpent Lucifer, rank with the dark brimstoney breath of the son of perdition, a pile of seeds sown by the wicked one who cometh and catcheth away that which was sown in our hearts.

I also wonder if it would be so evil if it was still paying his enormous salary? But that's just the devil in me, isn't it?

New E-mail Address

2005-04-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

Start using eric.celeste@gmail.com -- K?

The Laura Miller/strong mayor posts will appear over the weekend. Need to digest some more documents first. You know, "smartest boy in the class" disease. I feel like Holly Hunter as news producer Jane Craig in Broadcast News:

Paul Moore: It must be nice to always believe you know better, to always think you're the smartest person in the room.

Jane Craig: No. It's awful.

DA to Investigate DMN -- BFD

2005-04-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

Reporters from around the country -- okay, two reporters, but it sounds better the first way -- have been calling me since the news broke that the District Attorney Bill Hill is investigating whether The Dallas Morning News' history of overstating circulation is criminal.

Several reactions to this:

About damned time. The reporters wanted contact info for folks I talked to, both inside and outside the paper -- who had direct experience and who went ON THE EFFING RECORD with their claims that this pattern of lying was systemic. I know I wrote this stuff for an alternative weekly, and I don't (as some in this town do) call up Those In Power after I right a story and ask why action hasn't been taken on its findings, but, c'mon, people. This is news. You'd think someone would have talked to these people besides me. I mean, they admitted they were part of or witness to the scandal. WTF, mate? Of course, I gave them the phone numbers. Look for upcoming stories in the American Journalism Review and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Speaking of AJR, a belated "good job" goes to Charles Layton's story on the DMN woes, particularly for the scene at story's end where CEO Robert Decherd acts as though there is no discontentment at the paper. Priceless. Now, there's nothing wrong with saying the low morale is unfounded, or that the anger is misplaced -- for all I know, it may be -- but to deny it is exists is ridiculous. For reasons I've detailed before, no one should ever again believe Robert Decherd.
Re: the DMN: I hate folks in media who aren't honest, so full disclosure is necessary. After I left the Dallas Observer, I had lunch with a high up in the Belo food chain and all but begged for an editorial column-writing job that had just come open. I felt dirty afterward (because of my naked ambition), but the opportunity to spout off my opinion in a big-city paper was always my dream. I never followed through on it, not that they would have hired me anyway. For several reasons: First, my new job is great. Second, I don't think it's the sort of place that fosters (or even tolerates) passion, unless it's the Rod Dreher "the Euros ain't havin' enough babies" kind of passion. (Not that there's anything wrong with that, Rod; I still love you.) Third, I'm lazy. Just so I don't seem two-faced and all.
I still talk to folks seemingly every week from all over town who say they get the paper thrown on their lawn yet don't subscribe. I'm just sayin.
Mr. D.A.'s office: please don't call asking for my notes and whatnot during your subpoena process. Because Texas doesn't have a shield law, I already cooperated with you folks once (on advice of council) when you couldn't do your jobs yourself, and I never got my notes back despite repeated attempts to do so. So stay back, cowboys. Daddy's done with you.

Oh, and why the "BFD" in the title? Because this is all for show. No charges will be brought. The folks who own the DMN are rich and powerful. They don't have to play the game the same way everyone else does. We all know this, so stop trying to argue.

Back in Business

2005-04-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

After careful considerations with other bloggers, I have decided to continue going solo.

Now that my life is stable again -- the new job is going great, for those who've asked -- I'll have time to post.

The site will be more focused from here on out: Dallas media, politics, and lifestyle. Today: prepare for three posts: one on Laura Miller and strong mayor, one on Jesus' bedsheet, and one on bat houses.

Breaking News

2005-04-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

DALLAS — A source close to me has confirmed that SAGA, Eric Celeste's local blog (dubbed by wags as "often imitated, seldom updated"), is in high-level negotiations to merge with another blog.

The source, who could not be named because it's just easier that way, said that SAGA was set to relaunch with a new stable of writers, but that in recent days those efforts were shut down when another blog entered merger negotiations.

"I've seen the e-mails," the source said. "I mean, why wouldn't I? They were addressed to me." He suggests the merger and unveiling of the new site could take place within the next two to three weeks.

A spokesman said I was unavailable for comment. He did point out that, even though he could not comment on the merge directly, he was authorized to say that he missed The Merge w/Tim and Yvonne. "I think they had chemistry. This market misses those two gay egomaniacs."

A press conference is scheduled, but no one will say when.

Shane Sucks

2005-03-14T08:03:00.000-08:00

This site is still on hiatus as I settle into the new gig. New site to debut with more bloggers April 1. And, to all the DMN people who keep e-mailing me with questions about what is going on at your establishment, Bob Mong's e-mail is bmong@dallasnews.com.

Until then, peace be with you.

Bad Moon Rising

2005-01-16T08:37:00.000-08:00

When I finally saw the Randy Moss fake-moon incident, I knew I was insane. The only explanation. I'd heard how disgusting it was, I'd heard how he'd shamed himself and the game. Then I saw it. And I laughed out loud. Thought it was funny and harmless. Lord, I thought, I could not be more out-of-step with my fellow man.

Since then, I've found some people who agreed with me, including the The Sports Guy, who called it an overreaction by the "MAWSM" (middle-aged white sports media). (He also notes that Moss deserves points for wearing Thelma's afro from Good Times.) I then found true redemption when I read Sports Illustrated's Michael Silver's excellent column on the matter, which included this perspective from Tony Dungy, perhaps the most decent, thoughtful man in sports:

Dungy informed the listeners of Fox Sports Radio's Morning Extravaganza of the probable motivation behind Moss' mock moon: Apparently, it is a longstanding postgame tradition among certain, ahem, Packer Backers to drop trou and show their backsides as a visual gift to visiting teams when their buses pull out of Lambeau. "As soon as I saw it I smiled, because I knew that's what he was responding to," Dungy told me Thursday at the Colts' facility. If Moss was indeed goofing on those Heartland Heathens, his celebration was even funnier than most of us had realized.

She So Strong Me Scared

2005-01-16T08:06:00.000-08:00

Leave it to my old boss, Patrick Williams, to explore in just 400 words the most important issue in the strong-mayor debate: not "Do we need a stronger mayor?" (yes, duh), but "Will this proposal give us a mayor that is too strong?" The answer he found from Cal Jillson was, "Hell, yes." Jillson notes:

[T]his...thing is just so strong that virtually any sensible person who looks at it says, "Wait, wait--this is just too much."

Who is Cal Jillson? A respected SMU prof who has written several books on governance. Oh, and he's also the political analyst for Channel 8--and separated at birth from ESPN football analyst John Clayton--which is extra sweet because Belo has been so behind this proposal. As have all those who stand to benefit from it, i.e., those who think the change is a ticket to greater powerbroker influence.

This follows, of course, P-Dub's rather brilliant suggestion to the current weak mayor, Laura Miller, that she resign if this proposal passes and then run for her seat in the special election. Which just proves I was clearly dragging that paper down. It's so much better now.

Take a Bite Outta This

2005-01-11T17:36:00.000-08:00

Today, my hero, Steve Jobs, announced two new products at Macworld Expo 2005, the annual Apple circle jerk in San Francisco. One was the Mac Mini, a kick-ass little computer to which you can attach a keyboard, monitor, and mouse. The one I loved--especially since I almost bought a mini iPod yesterday for wife to take to the gym--is iPod Shuffle. Check it out and drool. And also be sure to read the warnings at the bottom of the page. Perhaps the most important is No. 2:

Do not eat iPod shuffle.

Finally, He's Contrite

2005-01-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

Tim Rogers has apologized for his horrible drunken behavior. He says he's sorry "from the bottom of my rotten gut." Good for him.

As Paul Newman Once Said, "I'm Back!"

2005-01-03T14:29:00.000-08:00

Now that I no longer work for the Dallas Observer, I can blog away without having to worry about what I can and can't post. Also, some new voices will be joining soon.

That said, here's some media news for you Dallas media ho's: This e-mail was sent to staff at The Dallas Morning News today. This is a bad thing for the paper, by the way. (For proof, see this and this.)

First, I am saddened to announce that editorial columnist Ruben Navarrette has decided to trade in his Lone Star spurs for the beaches and sunshine of southern California. Ruben and his wife, Veronica, are expecting a daughter later this month and have decided to raise her nearer Ruben's extended family on the West Coast.

Ruben has made quite a mark since he arrived at The Morning News in 2000. His column has focused needed attention on issues as diverse as the racism of low education expectations, immigration reform, politics (local and national) and the DA's office. He's also been a frequent guest on WFAA's Good Morning Texas and TXCN, as well as a variety of national programs, including the Bill O'Reilly and Chris Matthews shows. Ruben has won many awards, including recognition by the National Headliners Association last year. And his syndication market, via the Washington Post Writers Group, has grown to some 160 newspapers nationwide.

We will miss him in Editorial. But his readers likely will still be, as Ruben enjoys putting it, "stirred or shaken" by his columns as we expect him to retain a presence on the Viewpoints page through his syndicate.

Ruben has accepted a position with the San Diego Union Tribune beginning in March. His last day at The Morning News will be Jan. 28.

My First Post In, Like, 12 Days

2004-12-13T14:15:00.000-08:00

Me so busy.

But I'll take this time to do online what I spend much of my day doing: reminding Tim Rogers of D Magazine and the FrontBurner blogthingie about things he's forgotten. Namely, that he knows more about Daily Candy than he recalls. In fact, he knows the West Coast Editor of Daily Candy, the glamorous Eve Epstein. And I'm sure he already subscribes to D.C.'s daily e-mail out of L.A., because that's the sort of thing he'd do for the wife of his good friend, D.J. (Specially thanked here, of all places.)

UPDATE: Better link here.

Another Pulitzer Winner Says Buh-Bye

2004-12-01T00:49:00.000-08:00

This note was attached to the bottom of a Dallas Morning News managing editor's memo on Monday:

The National Geographic has lured away Ken Geiger, who served the paper nobly for decades as a shooter, an editor and director of photography. Ken will be working at the Geographic as a senior editor for technology and illustration, which in their world includes photos. His last day will be Dec. 10. We‚ll be posting our Director of Photography job soon. Interested applicants should see Walt Stallings.

Clearly, I'm a Pro-Google Fascist

2004-11-30T23:03:00.000-08:00

Daniel Brandt of San Antonio runs this site that suggests Google, which owns Blogger.com (in the hizzle!), is evil. It makes for interesting reading. As does this article that trashes his analysis.

My question: Why am I reading about this relatively fascinating debate in online privacy forums, Wired, and Playboy? Why not in Texas Monthly or somesuch? Because Kinky Friedman is more relevant than I realize?

No Wonder My Wife Wants to Bang Him

2004-11-30T21:59:00.000-08:00

Quick update/comparison on former Mavs PG Steve Nash versus the two guys trying to replace him, from Tuesday night's games:

Steve Nash:
In 39 minutes, 20 points on 6-12 shooting, 1-3 on 3s and 7-7 from the line, with 14 assists, 3 steals and 1 turnover.

Jason Terry + Devin Harris:
In 44 minutes, 14 points on 5-13 shooting, 0-3 on 3s and 4-4 from the line, with 4 assists, 1 steal and 5 turnovers.

A Note To Everyone

2004-11-30T08:35:00.000-08:00

You can bitch about how often I post when you start paying me. I didn't ask you to come here and read my thoughts. You just can't help yourselves. So you'll read when I say you will, and not a minute before. I hate you all. And I'm busy. Go away. Goodbye.

I'm sorry. I overreacted. Kiss me. With your mouth.

Okay, here's something for you until I'm allowed to post again, which is this evening: I received this e-mail today from a local TV anchorperson. See if you can guess who!

I plan on being in the midst of a four-day long black tar heroin binge on December 9th.

Hint: It's not Karen Borta.

Shane Is An Undiscovered Genius

2004-11-22T23:39:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, I wrote a feature story about some of the swankier clubs in Dallas. In that story, I mentioned a cohort, Shane, who accompanied me. Shane is also a blogger, in matters pokerish, and for a taste of his NPR-style musings on the game, here is a link to a quick tale from his recent Vegas trip. Enjoy.

This Country Is Going Straight To Hell

2004-11-22T23:34:00.000-08:00

Over on FrontBurner, they have pictures of naked college girls and the word "bitchin'." Filthy. Looks like SAGA is influencing more than just my sleep habits.

He's No Longer Big and Fat, But...

2004-11-22T23:16:00.000-08:00

No one listens to Rush Limbaugh anymore, right? Tell me this is true. Because as I was wading through stories about the JFK video game that was released yesterday by a Glasgow firm, a game where you try to shoot JFK yourself. They all called the game disgusting. But only Limbaugh could somehow take this and make connections to:

1. the Detroit-Indy brawl
2. Lady Di's funeral
3. Bush-haters
4. Chappaquiddick

Virginia Madsen Loves Me

2004-11-22T21:35:00.000-08:00

Virginia Madsen is mine. Get away from her. I saw her first, in the immortal Rob Lowe/Andrew McCarthy/Jacqueline Bisset vehicle Class (containing the feature-film debuts of Madsen, John Cusack, Alan Ruck, and Lolita Davidovich). I fell for her breasts when she came out of the shower in Creator. I fell for her completely, though, as Dixie Lee Boxx in the HBO baseball romantic comedy Long Gone, in which CSI's William Peterson, as coach-player Studds Cantrell, issued the famous line, "All girls fuck."

In Sideways, she is wonderful as Maya, the divorced waitress from Wine Country who gives one of the sexiest monologues in recent history. And when she closes said scene with the line, "And it tastes so fucking good," the male portion of the audience wants to a) run away with her, and b) drink some red wine.

So it was that I, fresh off seeing the movie, headed to the Beaujolais Nouveau Wine Festival this past Friday. I did not have to pay for my tickets, because I'm in the media and, therefore, better than you. Some observations:

1. Thank goodness I didn't pay a hundred bucks for my two tickets, because I woulda been screaming mad. The lines for dainty portions of food were long, and the wines were, as you would expect, cheap and unremarkable. "Oh, look, there's an array of the stuff I can get at Kroger tomorrow! Let's swig some!"

2. The wife of a well-known radio talk-show host in town was so loaded, she kept cutting in line to get food. At least, I'm going to do her a favor and assume her sway meant she was overserved. Otherwise she was just being a bitch. When she cut in front of two people who had been waiting five minutes in one line, I told the offended couple behind her, "Don't worry. I'll blog it." I don't think they knew what that meant.

3. My wife gets hot when she hears the Frogs talk. She loves her that accent.

4. At each food station were tall cardboard Eiffel Towers. Really cool. I asked one cook if I could purchase one. "I've claimed all these," she said. "Just grab one off a table and walk out like you know what you're doing." I must report, that was sound advice.

5. A tip on enjoying the festival next year: do what we did, and get tipsy at the Old Monk before you go. Makes it a lot more fun.

Unhappy Campers

2004-11-22T21:12:00.000-08:00

You should know that I've written often about The Dallas Morning News in the past five years. I usually get about three or four responses from folks inside the building who aren't my sources. After writing this story, I received 31. All except two thanked me. Two of them said I was an idiot. So let's say they're all right.

Every single e-mail I got from a staffer said something to the effect of "for your eyes only." But I think it will be okay to anonymously quote this graph, which sums up what folks said:

Just wanted to let you know [even if in confidence] that your story about the DMN's woes has been judged by the newsroom as being dead on target. It is precisely reflective of the anger, depression, and fears all of us have been experiencing. I only wish our bosses would take these candid disclosures to heart, but unfortunately none of them seem to be listening to any of us. ...We spend far more time in staff meetings looking at prototypes, discussing reports from focus groups, talking about marketing, and worrying about narrowcasting to "busy suburban moms" than we ever do in story meetings with our editors. ... It's funny how [Publisher Jim] Moroney expects us employees all to suck it up and "recommit" our loyalty to an organization that has more than amply demonstrated its failure to keep faith with its employees, advertisers, and readers.

I alluded to this in the story, but I honestly think the best thing that the publisher and editor of the DMN can say to its demoralized staff is, "Don't ever think about marketing, penetration, circulation, convergence, or the company's financial peformance again. That is our job, and it's why we're paid a lot more than you are paid. Just kick the ever-loving shit out of Channel 8, the Dallas Observer, the Star-Telegram, every competitor you have. Write stories that make you proud. We'll take care of the rest." I think that would help. Then again, I believe in love, Democrats, and buried treasure. It's entirely possible I'm an idiot.

Programming Note

2004-11-22T08:43:00.000-08:00

There will be multiple blog entries later today. I'm busy right now trying to become a millionaire. They will include, but not be limited to, the following topics:

1. The reaction within the Dallas Morning News to my story of last week that I'm too busy to link to here.
2. A review of the wine festival I attended Friday night, including a description of the semi-well-known drunk person who kept cutting in line and stumbling into Frenchmen.
3. A description of the item I borrowed from said event.
4. Thoughts on black men sleeping with white women.
5. The announcement of my intention to run for President of the United States in Year of Our Lord 2004, and the unique aspects of my campaign.

A Warning To Humble Billy Hays

2004-11-16T17:22:00.000-08:00

The Mavs announcer likes to step on the cheers whenever the home crowd welcomes a returning star who has left for another team. Here is one Mavs fan's take on what will happen tonight when the beloved former PG Steve Nash hits the AAC floor:

I think the only acceptable thing he can do is introduce him exactly how he used to introduce him: "At guard, in his eighth year out of Santa Clara, number13SteveNash !" Anything other than that and I, and I would assume about 15,000 other people, are going to be pissed. Thing is, there's a really, really good chance he might step on the ovation, as he did with Nick Van Exel's return last year. Humble Billy doesn't learn from anything. Because he's a huge douche bag. If he doesn't let the ovation go for at least a minute, there's a good chance things will be thrown. Hope they're not giving away anything tonight. Oh, except that they always do. Those Thunderstix thingies should look pretty cool floating down from the cheap(er) seats.

Back on the DMN Train

2004-11-16T15:27:00.000-08:00

In anticipation of a story that I penned for the Dallas Observer, which will appear on the streets tomorrow and on the Web on Thursday (www.dallasobserver.com), DMN Publisher Jim Moroney sent a lengthy note to staff today. The Editor, Bob Mong, sent one as well. It is clearly designed to say, we know the problems and concerns that are about to be made public. Not that I think sending the memo to staff is a bad idea. In fact, I think it's the right thing to do: acknowledging the problems you're about to read in the media. My two. Just so you know, here's Moroney's memo to staff:

To all,

More than two weeks have passed since many of our colleagues were laid off. I have spoken with people individually and I have met with several groups. Also, I have received feedback from around the company. The emotions resulting from the layoffs include sadness, anger, and even fear. (Is this going to happen again?) People are expressing frustration, confusion, and a sense of being overburdened.

All of these emotions and feelings are natural outcomes of experiencing a loss. And almost everyone experienced the loss of a friend and colleague from our workplace.

The questions many people are asking are these:

· How can I feel good again about working at The Dallas Morning News?

· How can I regain the trust I had in the company?

In essence, many people are asking themselves: "Can I recommit myself to The Dallas Morning News?"

At any company, there must be a fundamental covenant between the company and its employees: The company has the obligation to clearly describe to its employees the company's vision of where it is headed. Once the company has clearly articulated where it is going, the employee must make a decision either to commit to this direction and help the company get there or lacking sufficient belief in the vision, make the choice to work elsewhere. The company can't expect commitment from employees who don‚t understand where the company is headed. And it's unfair to the company and to fellow employees to draw a paycheck, yet to be fundamentally emotionally and mentally disengaged from the company's business.

Each January, in a series of employee meetings, I have tried to describe and update where our company is headed and what we need to do to get there. The feedback I‚m getting presently says that many people are confused about the company's vision, uncertain about our future and the future of our industry, and as a result, they are not committed to the company in the way they once were and most importantly, in a way they want to be.

I get that. So do the senior officers in the company. Frankly, after experiencing the events tied to the circulation overstatement, followed immediately by the layoffs, it doesn't come as a surprise that people are uncertain, confused and less committed.

What is important is that you know that we recognize that many of you are having these feelings. It is equally important that you know we are not simply waiting for the passage of time to return everything to the way it was. That simply won't happen.

In January, I will articulate where we are headed and the things we plan to do over the next 12-24 months. Also, I plan to describe the vision for where I believe we must arrive seven to ten years from now. In this way, I will fulfill the company's part of the covenant: You will know where we are headed. It's then time to get on board and help us get there.

As I've said before, we're not in the widget business. The production of widgets does not come with constitutional protection. Journalism does. That's the business we've been in and that's the business we'll be in seven and ten times seven years from now. It is a business that needs passion and deserves commitment.

I understand that this is a tough time for most all of us. I understand some patience is needed as each of us works our way through this in his or her own way. Yet at some point, we all need to decide that it's time to get back to doing our jobs to the best of our abilities. Some of you are already there. For those of you who aren't, hang in there through the upcoming holidays. Shortly after the New Year, you will have a chance to get clear on where this company is headed. And the first of the year is a good time to renew commitments.

(I will send out a note next week describing some things we are doing presently to drive our strategies and achieve our goals.)

Jim

What, Did You Design It With LEGOs?

2004-11-15T19:14:00.000-08:00

Can I be the first to comment on the Calatrava design for the new I-30 bridge that will lead us into the beautific center of the Trinity River project:

That's IT? It cost $130 million to get us a road we don't need and three [correx: four] arches? Seri-fucking-ously?

I'm going to have to read a lot of D Magazine to make me feel good about this.

Words Hurt, Don't They?

2004-11-15T15:05:00.000-08:00

How to analyze this story about Nebraska coach Bill Callahan, who called Oklahoma fans "fucking hillbillies" (kinda true, but we're proud of that) and refused to comment on one of his players who knocked out a fan's teeth because the fan was heckling? First, we need to hear Callahan's reasoning:

"I'm an emotional guy, and I'm a competitive coach, and on the field I stick up for my players," Callahan said Monday on the Big 12 coaches teleconference. "I don't think any team should be subjected to the type of treatment we were subjected to in that particular contest."

Oh, I get it. You're a big whiny corn-fed superpuss. That clears it up.

You'd Be Smiling, Too

2004-11-15T14:32:00.000-08:00

Possible titles for Big Dick Cheney's first porn movie, from a SAGArian:

Ass Force One
The Iran-Cuntra Affair
The Star-Spangled Boner
Presidential Pardon (soft core)
Commander in Cheeks

I'm partial to the one mentioned on Romenesko: The Johnson Administration

"There Aren't Enough Boobs Here"

2004-11-12T04:15:00.000-08:00

This report from someone who was at the adult entertainment convention last night:

I was very, very drunk. But this is what I remember, in no particular order: Ron Jeremy (the venerable MC) doing bad penis jokes with the microphone; [Channel 11's] Sarah Dodd on location at the awards; the lack of tits and/or ass at the event--there was no nudity, but making up for it all was the fact that dudes outnumbered porno bitches by at least 2-to-1, which was fun; one female TV reporter saying "you know, there aren't enough boobs here"; and smoking a joint outside the event, right under the statue of Jefferson Fucking Davis. I mean, right here in Dallas, they have a statue of Jefferson Fucking Davis. They might as well have a billboard on I-35 that says "dirty minorities go home and die."

I think that about sums it up.

That's Why They Call Him Richard

2004-11-12T03:36:00.000-08:00

No wonder our VP thinks he's the cock of the walk.

If anyone has a copy of this photo, please please please please please send it to me. I love monster schlong.

I'm So Crashing This Party

2004-11-11T23:02:00.000-08:00

From today's paper:

Baylor Medical Center having birthday party

Baylor Medical Center at Irving will have a 40th birthday party from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday. The event will include the unveiling of the Welcome Square brick display and desserts from the Irving Healthcare Auxiliary's new cookbook. The center is at 1901 N. MacArthur Blvd. in Irving.

Pour Some MORE Sugar On Me

2004-11-11T21:47:00.000-08:00

I've got news for you, Dallas City Council. It doesn't MATTER how much you raise your rates. The topless clubs will pay it. You know why? Because people like strippers. They don't want to wake up with them, they don't want them knowing their home number, they don't want them having access to their ATM card, they don't want to hear their sob story about how they can't pay for nursing school, they don't want them opening their mouths unless it is to cram something in there. But they like them naked, dancing, and rubbing--in their natural environment, which is a strip club. And they will pay lots of money to see this. So raise your rates. It won't matter. Trust me. But do it anyway. As always, I like to watch such things and giggle.

Goodbye Nutjob, Hello Ass Kiss?

2004-11-11T17:06:00.000-08:00

New Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' long history of ignoring law to gain whatever his boss, President George "Political Capital" Bush, wants is detailed nicely here. Among the items of interest:

In the days since the presidential election, the conventional wisdom has emerged that President Bush won re-election on the basis of values. And fittingly, he has pledged to govern on the basis of his mandate from the American people to implement those values. But the Gonzales appointment makes clear that the Bush administration prizes certain values—such as personal loyalty as the president's consigliere—over more democratic ones such as accountability and a commitment to the rule of law. With the exception of an unusual joint press conference with the Pentagon's top lawyers, Gonzales has never publicly accounted for his role in creating the Bush administration's flawed legal policies in the war on terrorism. Similarly, he has never accounted for his performance as counsel to then-Gov. Bush in Texas and the dreadful clemency memos he was responsible for while there.

Yeah! What he said!

Pour Some Sugar On Me

2004-11-11T05:20:00.000-08:00

Like John McClane going up against Simon Gruber instead of Hans Gruber, I'm back with a vengeance, you blog-lovin' bitches.

First, let's whet your appetite with this excellent, borderline pornarific site I found advertised a few months ago in the city magazine of Dallas (page 175, October issue). It wasn't up and running then but is now. This fine company--if you do a little googling, you'll see its run out of a high rise in Canada--sets up men and women with rich people. Rich horny people, actually. The best kind. Someone alert this girl!.

Programming Note

2004-11-09T04:13:00.000-08:00

SAGA is down for repair and refreshing. We'll resume with many posts beginning Wednesday evening. Until then, please read a book.

It's All Good

2004-11-04T04:37:00.000-08:00

I hope those parents gave their kids a good eyeball scrubbing.

To quote Paul Dooley from Sixteen Candles:

"Good. Glad I'm gettin' my money's worth."

Wait, another quote comes to mind, from The Simpsons:

"General, we've looked all over this military base for Sideshow Bob, and all we've found is PORNO, PORNO, PORNO!"

No, seriously, the good parents of Southlake shouldn't worry. Their moral savior will protect them from porn, gays, and the other evils killing soldiers and civilians in Iraq.

Yet ANOTHER Reason To Move To Austin

2004-11-04T04:02:00.000-08:00

Travis County was the only large county in Texas to vote against Evil.

Putting the Dick in Dickerson

2004-11-04T03:29:00.000-08:00

In a story in today's Dallas Morning News, former SMU running back Eric Dickerson says SMU's terrible football program "is a joke." As a graduate of that school, I have to say, Mr. Dickerson, the fact that you are a barely literate moron is far more of an embarrassment to that school than its football program. When you were a sideline reporter for Monday Night Football, your inept attempts to "report" were mocked in Sports Illustrated and in a sketch on Saturday Night Live. Trust me, when Charlie Sheen makes fun of you ("Eric, you wore a helmet when you played, didn't you?"), you've done more damage to the reputation of a college than any football team ever could.

Never Mind The Bollocks

2004-11-03T05:39:00.000-08:00

This from a person with whom I'm corresponding across the pond (note to Bush voters: that's a phrase that is commonly used when one is talking about England) when I asked him what the mood is there:

Very gloomy. People despise Bush here.

And for those like me who feel as though they're out of step with America -- in other words, those folks who want to sit down every single Bush voter and give him or her a policy quiz -- this piece does a good job of explaining why we'd be wasting our time, energy, and intelligence.

Green Day Sums It Up Best

2004-11-03T05:24:00.000-08:00

One light, one mind/
Flashing in the dark/
Blinded by the silence of a thousand broken hearts/
For crying out loud she screamed unto me/
A free for all/
Fuck 'em all/
You are at your own sight/

'Cause I want to be the minority/
I don't need your authority/
Down with the moral majority/
'Cause I want to be the minority/

Sign Of The Times

2004-11-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

So this afternoon, I head over to Robert E. Lee Elementary to cast my vote for John Kerry--which is, in Texas, a protest vote, in essence. But whatever. Part of the political process and all that. Anyway, when I headed to my car, I saw a well-dressed WASP putting up Dan Branch for Texas Rep. signs at Robert E. Lee Elementary. He was hammering them into the ground as close to the boundary as possible, making sure they were outside the restricted distance but in front of all the other signs. Then he hitched up his nice britches, got in his Jag, and drove off.

When I got home, I did a quick PublicData.com check on the Jag. Yup. Belongs to Dan Branch, R-Tex. Mad props to DB for getting his fingas dirrrty. Not that brutha needed it.

Mr. Anonymous Takes A Deep Breath

2004-11-02T01:21:00.000-08:00

I'm tired of linking to this entire thread. Here's the last post. Enjoy. (Programming note: I'll post more tonight. Busy. Although you should know I'm aleady getting e-mails telling me of folks from the DMN who've gotten new jobs. In case you care.):

Mr. Ludicrous:

Or should we say, "Mr. Rabid-Foam-At-The-Mouth"? -- because I sure hope that he had his salad bar spittle guard positioned over his keyboard while he snorted and ranted at his computer.

The biggest problem that I have with Mr. RFATM is that he uses the hoary old debating technique by which one attributes a bunch of ludicrous arguments to his opponent and then proceeds to show just how ludicrous those arguments are and -- by extension -- what a knucklehead one's opponent really is. Sorry, but won't work here.

Let's make this simple. See, in the first place we have these people who are the owners. In corporate parlance, they're called "shareholders." Shareholders own a company. Shareholders elect "directors" to manage their company. But the directors don't really get into the nitty-gritty of actually running the day-to-day operations of the company. Instead, they make broad decisions about how the company is to be managed, and then appoint people called "officers" -- you know, like the CEO and stuff -- and hire them to do the heavy lifting. Now most shareholders like their company to be managed in such a way that their investment in the company increases in value. Some shareholders may not care, but that is their prerogative. However, in corporations where there is more than one shareholder, its kind of like a democracy -- majority rule. So the vote of the shareholders having more shares decides who the directors will be. (That is, the ones who actually vote. Day traders, like the average adult American, might not want to be bothered to vote. That is their prerogative.) And if a majority of the shareholders who vote get mad at how their directors are managing their company, they throw the bums out and elect different directors to manage their company.

Now if the shareholders -- the owners, remember -- want to decide, "Hey, let's turn this company into a community relief vehicle and hire a bunch of out-of-work people," that's their prerogative. (Kind of like if you were to buy a Picasso and decide, "Hey, this is a profile portrait but there are two eyes showing! I'm going to take my paintbrush here and fix this durn thing!" You know what? You can do it! That's the cool thing about ownership!)

So back to this complicated corporation stuff, the owners of a company -- the shareholders -- get to make whatever rational or irrational decisions that they want concerning their company. Do they want to maximize short-term value? If so, then they elect directors with the mandate to do so. Do they want to maximize long-term value? If so, then they elect directors with the mandate to do so. Do they want to put out a great product at the expense of profits (since, for whatever reason, the two really seem to be mutually exclusive, but that's another debate), then they can do so. But if peevishly they want to liquidate their company, fire all of their employees, and sell off all the assets, they can do it! -- because it's their company dammit, and if you want to run it differently, then buy all of their shares and you can elect the directors that you like! Bpplllttt!

(My guess is, this argument will be dispositive.)

BRODY: "Smile, You Son Of Bitch!"

2004-10-30T03:08:00.000-07:00

Did you know that sharks have a sixth sense? It's true. I learned it watching The Discovery Channel with my daughter. They can detect the incredibly weak electrical impulses generated by every living thing, and this gives them a sort of electrical sonar. Which is why you can remain perfectly still in the water, and they'll still find you. I believe large corporations also have this sense, as some of those laid off recently can attest. This DMN staffer makes allusion to it, in a way. She/He/It sends an e-mail thanking me for posting jobs (no prob), pointing out (as others have) that, damn, some of them look good to those left behind. The staffer also wants to chime in on our continuing debate regarding shareholders versus employees. (And I think I know what my smart important rich friend would say to these views--ones I largely share, by the way. He'd say, that's why I'm rich and you're all writers. Just to save him from typing that.):

I'm not as smart as that anonymous blogger. I'm not an executive. And I'm not a lawyer. But, shit, at Belo, we are included among the shareholders. It's one of the only ways that the friggin' company will offer matching stockbuys or whatever. And if your staff is demoralized and uninspired by upper management, which doesn't seem to have a long-term plan, that leads to poorer content, which means readers say buh-bye, advertisers say "drop my rates bee-otch," and circulation evaporates (that is, IF it's correctly reported).

So content and staff productivity/morale do ultimately have an impact on your bottom line. And the stockholders should be thinking about that. But when your stockholders are about three sterile megacompanies based somewhere on Wall Street, they probably don't give a rip about a few hundred schmucks in Dallas. That's why your local CEO (who lives in Dallas, whose family has long run the joint, and whose cousin is your flagship paper's publisher) should educate those stockholders. But when said CEO has never really been in the trenches (Belo executive training doesn't count, I'm sorry), it's hard for him to do that. My contention is, the CEO of this media company has lost direction, if he ever had one. He's too busy trying to revitalize downtown, develop real estate, and do a little urban planning. How many mulligans does he get? Cue cat? Hello?

And just think, this circ scandal hasn't bottomed out. That petrifies me, because you know where Belo will turn to make up losses. Belo has smelled blood in the layoff waters, and I suspect it won't ever turn back now.

Man Says "Ludicrous!" and He Don't Mean Da Singer

2004-10-30T02:04:00.000-07:00

In the words of Michael Buffer, let's get it on. More responses to this post regarding stockholders versus employees. I've trimmed it a bit, cuz eez long, and our attention spans are short. I learned that from the Morning News:

I, too, arrived at your page via Romenesko, and have stumbled across the exchanges involving your anonymous “rich” and “important” person’s lecture on the terribly complex machinations of corporate governance. Equally anonymously, then: What a towering crock. Your commentator distorts the concepts behind the role of directors in the American investor-owned business model and ducks the real issue.

Let’s de-mystify “bid-ness” for a minute. Do directors of publicly held companies have fiduciary responsibilities to shareholders over all else? Absolutely. Do they owe those duties to stock traders (i.e., Wall Street's instant-gratification gods) over all other shareholders? Absolutely not. Directors are supposed to do what's best for all the company's owners, not just the big ones, the ones they golf with, the ones who can throw business their way -- or the ones whose passing ownership on a trading screen during the course of a day determines the transient personal worth of those directors and their aforementioned associates.

Boy and girls, this stuff is really simple: essentially, the market price of a share of publicly traded stock is of importance to the owner of that share only when that owner comes to sell it. The day-in, day-out price is meaningless to shareholders who aren’t selling right now and are staying for the long pull. Same as the rising value of the house you live in or sinking value of the car you drive. So, running an enterprise on the principle of maximizing the short-term share price is running it specifically for the best interests of that group of shareholders who are fixin’ to not be shareholders pretty soon. Do we need to pause here while that sinks in?

True fiduciary responsibility means hiring management that will invest in the future, build the enterprise, expand markets, adapt to change and acquire, shepherd and wisely deploy precious resources. There's no requirement that directors pander over all else to transient dabblers whose role as “shareholder" can sometimes be measured in seconds, never mind minutes. There's no "duty" to hastily liquidate the firm's arguably most valuable, irreplaceable (experienced, human) assets. Especially in an industry that is under severe competitive pressure and that so often whines that its very survival depends on the credibility, significance, depth, accuracy and exclusivity of the information that is gathered, evaluated, and processed by those very professional assets. Simply put, there's a reason why so many newspapers are getting crappier every day. And why fewer people are reading them. There’s too much thinking at the top similar to that expressed by Mr. Rich and Important and too little professional talent remaining on the assembly line (newsroom) to get a quality job done. I can't think of any newspaper stocks I'd want in my portfoilio.

Hello, Outplacement Services, May I Help You?

2004-10-29T05:12:00.000-07:00

Alternate headline: "I'm Going Back to Cali, to Cali, to Cali" (Rep-reh-sent-un West Coast Flava! Holla!)

More job postings, from Arnold's state. First, from the Orange County Register:

All of us who have gone through job turmoil are feeling for the folks at DMN. I am sure most people know, but remember to look at www.journalismjobs.com and at www.aasfe.org (features editors and reporters) sites. At the Register, we have a new opening on news side: Investigative reporter -- law enforcement

The successful candidate should have at least 5 years daily reporting experience and a solid background in using investigative tools and techniques, including basic computer-assisted reporting skills. The full-time investigative reporter position is devoted to the pursuit of hidden truths in the cops and courts world of Orange County. State, national and even international security issues are also part of this position's broad beat area. We are looking for a collaborative, meticulous and tenacious reporter with strong writing and story-telling skills who can dig deep with sources, documents and data while juggling a mix of quick-hit, mid-range and ambitious investigative stories. The ability to speak a second language is considered a plus. The successful candidate is expected to be a leader who serves on our Investigative Council and can help teach and train others throughout the Content Center to do successful investigative reporting. The investigative reporter for law enforcement reports directly to Marilyn Kalfus. If you are interested please contact myself or Marilyn by Nov. 11. Marilyn's e-mail is mkalfus@ocregister.com and you can call her at (714) 796-7951.

Now from The Bakersfield Californian:

My boss tells me you're posting jobs for the folks laid off at The Dallas Morning News. I'm sorry to hear about the layoffs! Here's what we have open:

ENVIRONMENT BEAT
We are seeking an energetic reporter to cover air quality, transportation, endangered species, forest management and a healthy dose of breaking news. Send resume and clips to Lois Henry, Assistant Managing Editor-Days, at P.O. Box 440, Bakersfield CA, 93302, e-mail at lhenry@bakersfield.com or FAX at 661/395-7519; or phone at 661/395-7373.

ASST SPORTS EDITOR
This person is the right hand of the sports editor, designing pages, editing copy and writing headlines. He or she would also oversee our high school sports coverage, working with reporters to cover 31 county schools. Send resumes/letters/work samples to The Bakersfield Californian, Sports editor Tony Lacava, PO Bin 440, Bakersfield CA 93302

HEALTH REPORTER
We are looking for an energetic, focused, highly organized reporter to cover breaking news and wellness issues. One to two years' daily reporting experience required. Submit resume, cover letter and work samples to Asst. Managing Editor Lois Henry, P.O. Box 440, Bakersfield, CA 93302. Or email her at lhenry@bakersfield.com

A1 DESIGNER/COPY EDITOR
The job includes some wire and editing shifts. Applicants should have at least three years' experience at a daily newspaper; strong design, editing and language skills; and good news judgment. Please send resume and work samples to Jennifer Self, Copy Desk Chief, P.O. Bin 440, Bakersfield CA 93301, or jself@bakersfield.com.

Anonymous Responds

2004-10-29T01:48:00.000-07:00

Read this post for context. Then read the response of RB:

I certainly agree with Mr. Milstead's last sentence: he's not an anonymous jackass.

A Board of Director's sole obligation is to the shareholders. Mr. Milstead should shuffle in his moccasins over to the legal department at the Rocky Mountain High (wait, I'm sorry, that's a song) News and ask someone who knows. Or he can do five minutes' worth of legal research to find it out himself. The first Delaware (or any other State for that matter) Supreme Court case he finds will quickly disabuse him of any romantic notion to the contrary.

Now, that being said, it certainly behooves management to foster productivity (or happiness, but only if that translates into productivity) in the company's employees -- but only because productivity tends to benefit the stockholders. Management may also want to win over the hearts and minds of "community stakeholders," who might be customers or give tax incentives, which -- I'm sure by now you see it coming -- tend to benefit the stockholders.

There. That was more than a minute. What long-settled issue does Mr. Milstead want to argue next? That a federal income tax is unconstitutional?

I Said Houston, Not San Antonio

2004-10-28T23:40:00.000-07:00

From a plugged-in associate:

The editor in chief of the San Antonio Express-News told the staff this morning that the paper has been getting "pinged" with Morning News resumes all day long. Sadly, the Express-News has no current openings.

It's A Good Dean Martin Song, People

2004-10-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

Mike Orren, the luckiest card-playing sumbitch on earth and the publisher of Texas Lawyer, says the paper is looking for a reporter in Houston. E-mail Colleen McGushin [cmcgushin@texaslawyer.com]. Then have a cocktail and channel Deano:

Well it's lonesome in this ol' town/
Everybody puts me down/
I'm a face without a name/
Just walkin' in the rain/
Goin' back to Houston, Houston, Houston

We All Felt This Way Once, Right?

2004-10-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

Marina Trahan e-mailed me two days ago and jokingly wondered if she should change her 10 o'clock doctor's appointment Wednesday. She didn't need to: She got the call shortly after 9 a.m. telling her to head to the office, where she was told she'd been let go. She has a response for some of the commenters who say that newspapers always coldly cover these same sorts of personal stories after layoffs in the biz world:

I pushed hard to get into the paper a story about one such family. My story helped them keep their home, pay their bills, put food on their table, and care for their five children. They now own their own business and the wife's cancer is in remission. [EC note: The follow-up is scheduled to run Sunday in the Garland edition]. The only thing I ever loved about my job was being able to help people. I'd like that poster to know that.

The New York Fucking Times, Baby

2004-10-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

What these job leads should tell young journalism students: Be a copy editor. Everyone needs good wuns:

Okay, I have to join the circling vultures. (As a survivor of the layoffs that merged the Des Moines Register and Tribune 22 years ago, I know EXACTLY how they feel.) The New York Times has openings for copy editors. We can't say it's an immediate job, because we have a two-step series of tests that will take a month or so, but we do have openings in most departments (Sports, National, Metro, Business, maybe even the features sections if you're right for them). We want folks who have directed reporters or worked heavily with copy, because that's what copy editors do here. No Quark experience needed. And we can boast that five large departments are headed by people who started here as copy editors -- Metro, Sports, National, Science and Culture, not including mine -- so it's not a dead end. Applicants can e-mail Arlene Schneider, recruiting editor, at arlenes@nytimes.com. No calls, please. Our phones are jammed with liberals and conservatives complaining about our coverage.
-- Merrill Perlman, director of copy desks

Oh, Shiznit, It's Gettin' Hot In Herre...

2004-10-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

A few folks take issue with this assertion that Belo must put stockholder interests above employees'. Here's one:

Okay, I'm not too rich or too important for blogger.com -- I just linked here from Poynter's Romenesko. I have a response to this guy. Do directors have a fiduciary duty to stockholders? Of course. The more subtle question, lost on this person, is whether directors are fulfilling their obligations to shareholders by "operat(ing) the company ... expressly not for the benefit of the employees or anyone else." I'd suggest that managers and directors who actually consider the interests of employees and community stakeholders may indeed make more enlightened decisions that benefit the shareholders in the long run. (Call me "naive.") We can argue this point, but it would surely take more than the "minute's discussion" this poster is willing to give. I have a suggestion: If this person is an executive of a publicly-held company, can he/she please tell us which one -- so some of us can know not to invest in it? Use my name. I'm not some anonymous jackass.
-- David Milstead, finance editor, Rocky Mountain News

RB? I know you're reading. A response?

Let's Just Call It "Essentially Pointless"

2004-10-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

This from a laid-off staffer, music and pop culture writer Teresa Gubbins, who says I should name names:

It's funny: Before the whole thing went down, I thought your (and D's) "coverage" was pointless. Now of course it seems life-and-death essential.

Keep the Jobs Coming, People

2004-10-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

My e-mail box is crazy this morning. (And you know how I love crazy box.) Way to go, journalism community. A few updates:

Gary West has already been hired by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. We know because we at the Dallas Observer tried to get him to write something for us this weekend on the Breeder's Cup.
For those wanting to try the Star-T, send resumes, clips to J.R. Labbe [jrlabbe@star-telegram.com] or to her at P.O. Box 1870, Fort Worth, TX 76101; you can also post your resume at www.careers-kri.com and the recruiters at all the Knight Ridder papers can access them. I used to work in Cowtown as Arts and then Features Editor. It's a damn fine place to work, people. Smart, hardworking folks. Even if Jim Witt hates me because I don't show loyalty. (See where THAT gets you?)

And this note from a laywer friend:

I'm actually impressed the way the news community is pitching in to try and help find these people jobs. Lawyers would never do something like that.

Good Job, But Your Football Team Sucks

2004-10-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

More on the job front:

"We've got one or two openings for a copy editor here at the Lawrence Journal-World, in Kansas. Here's the boilerplate:"

COPY EDITORS/DESIGNERS
Aggressive, family owned daily in a lively university community is seeking copy editors/designers. We're looking for enthusiastic journalists with a mix of solid copy editing, excellent headline writing and innovative design skills. Quark experience is a must. Designers/editors rotate on a variety of assignments, from daily section fronts to advance sections.

The Lawrence Journal-World is an award-winning newspaper in a competitive market in Lawrence, Kan., home of the University of Kansas and midway between Kansas City and Topeka, the state capital. Named by Editor & Publisher to its list of "10 That do it Right," July.

Send a cover letter, resume and work samples to:

Richard Brack
Managing editor
Lawrence Journal-World
P.O. Box 888
Lawrence, KS 66044-0888

Jobs Jobs Jobs

2004-10-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

This just arrived:

I'm the recruiter for copy desks at The Orange County Register. We have an opening on the news copy desk, and I'd love to get my hands on a list of copy editors who've been laid off. If you're reluctant to divulge names, I would appreciate your posting a message asking candidates to send electronic resumes to copyjobs@ocregister.com or mail them to: The Orange County Register, Attn: Melissa Bauman, 625 N. Grand Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92701. No calls, please.

Also, Sherri Burns, the editor of American Way magazine (the airline inflight), tells me she has two associate editor positions she's trying to fill quickly. E-mail her "sooner rather than later" at sherri_burns@aa.com with interest.

A Word About Motive

2004-10-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

Someone who is too important and rich to sign up for a blogger.com account and post a comment asks that I post this response to the second source quoted in this post:

The person complaining that this action is "all for the sake of stockholders" may not be stupid, but he or she is ridiculously naive. The directors of Belo have a legal and fiduciary obligation to operate the company for the benefit of the shareholders and expressly not for the benefit of the employees or anyone else. There have been too many court cases on this to even give it a minute's discussion.

And if I may speak for the person who made that statement, that's one reason newspapers should not be publically held. If they are, they should waive their press protection under the First Amendment. They are accorded those rights under the Constitution with the understanding that they are operating as a public trust, the Fourth Estate that puts its mission above profits. They shouldn't have it both ways.

Na Ga Da

2004-10-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

Been getting several e-mails pointing out the fact that The Dallas Morning News would run a list of names of those axed if they were covering this story. True. But the reason you do a blog is so you can write what you want and sleep well at night. So me ain't gonna do it.

Just got off the phone with Adam McGill over at FrontBurner, and we compared notes, shored up our lists, but then kinda just said, "You know, some people would be upset. So let's not do it."

Just so you know.

Finally This Goddamned Blog is Working Again

2004-10-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

Since the folks at Lone Star Park are screaming about it, we might as well say that one of the layoffs is Gary West, the paper's horse racing expert. Given that this is the week of The Breeder's Cup at Lone Star Park, this strikes many as odd. In fact, the hot rumor is that Lone Star Park is so angry, they're trying decide how best to voice their displeasure. Hmmm. Advertising seems to get their attention, don't it?

For newly axed newsies, sharing this e-mail that just came in:

You might remind folks at the Dallas paper that we have eight openings here at the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, Wisconsin. We may not pay as much as they do in Texas but we have a lively newspaper that's on tract to become even more provocative under the new editor. (That would be moi). My e-mail is efoley@madison.com. Here are the positions open:

Managing editor

K-12 reporter

Arts reporter

Personalities columnist

Copy editor

Business editor

Business reporter

County reporter

We are very close to hiring several of the candidates for these jobs so candidates should move fast. Best, Ellen

The Early Tally

2004-10-27T09:46:00.002-07:00

Dark day so far. It began about 10 a.m., as predicted. Not a surprise, really. Management had empty ready-to-assemble boxes against the wall all week, for folks to pack their stuff into.

I won't name names, because it seems less than kind. But here's the tally so far:

About 40 total [UPDATE: Now about 60]
Sports hit the hardest. About 15 total, including good beat writers (one high-profile) and a columnar type.
Texas Living, Metro, Business, Editorial, and other departments all hit with about five layoffs.
My favorite Texas Living section, Discoveries, hit hard.
Still more to come.

Some newsroom reactions:

Highly paid former executives or department heads who'd recently been demoted into newly created cush jobs have all survived so far, which is upsetting lots of the rank-and-file staff who actually produce the paper. Several people have expressed surprise at the emotion they are feeling. It's hitting people very raw.

Another source:

I'd quit if i could. This is screwing with people's lives all for the sake of stockholders. I know that's how the real world works, but I thought this business would be different. Shows how stupid I am.

Wednesday=D-Day

2004-10-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

According to a very well-informed source, the plan is to begin the "conversations" (as they're being referred to) first thing tomorrow and get through them as quickly as possible. There is an outside company in town that the Morning News hired that will help with all the post-conversation details (benefits, etc.). This company conducted a how-to-fire seminar with managers last week. The source described it thus:

That was some no-fun time to spend.

I'll listen if you want to vent, people. [eric.celeste@sbcglobal.net] I don't post or write for the Observer every thing I hear, but it all adds to the mosaic. I am working (well, I will be working when I finish these other features) on two stories for the Observer--one a news story for this week on the layoffs, one a feature story on where the paper goes from here. I'dl like to hear from all sides. If you'd like, I'll drink all day tomorrow so we can both be drunk when we converse. Least I can do.

Begin the Begin

2004-10-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

Proving I'm still hip with my R.E.M. reference (see headline) and plugged in with my sources, two staffers say they've heard the layoffs in Dallas have begun at the DMN. So far, no word of writers/editors. The rumors are coming from the biz side. Let's not forget, that's where most of the layoffs will come. At most, 80-85 in the newsroom. Way more than a hundy elsewhere. Tipping a 40 as we speak. (Okay, it's a 12-ouncer, but it's a porter, if that makes a diff.)

A third source chimes in:

Supposedly there's a major pow-wow planned for tomorrow afternoon for all managers newspaperwide. Don't know agenda. And don't know if it's the pre-game warm-up or the post-game wrap-up. Surely they'd be humane and get it over with first thing.

I think post-game. Get it over with in the a.m. is the norm. I've fired people and been fired. That's the way it's usually done. I think. I'm kinda drunk, so it's hard to remember. Peace out, Newsies!

Gitch Yer Shysters Here!

2004-10-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed by the little ads to the right (scroll down a bit), I'm a member of the Google AdSense program. I've also noticed that it has been choosing to highlight employment discrimination lawyers. Good to know if you're one of those checking this site from the Morning News and you get unpleasant news tomorrow at about, oh, say, 10 a.m. or so.

Black Lungs Are Sexy

2004-10-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

I know a few dozen people who smoke regularly. Several of them are friends. Some are very close friends. All will die horrible, painful, sickening, slow, agonizing deaths. They will all be a medical burden to their families and those who love them. Most of them will die relatively young, probably in their 50s and most certainly by their 60s. I will feel sorrow but no pity. Unlike my grandfather's and even my father's generation, people my age knew they were trading the temporary (and quickly addicting) pleasure of hot tar in their lungs for a sad, early end. Just a reminder.

All that said, I think the smoking ban [reg.req] in Dallas should be amended for restaurants and hotels. Because I believe people should be allowed to thin the herd.

Promise, We'll Stop With the Death Watch Soon

2004-10-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the few posts recently. Day job.

Looks like the Belo layoffs begin tomorrow or, at most, Wednesday. The people in the Features department have been told to show up every day this week by 9 a.m., regardless of schedule, beginning Tuesday. Unconfirmed reports suggest several critics didn't realize the sun was up at 9 a.m. Another department head told his staff to be at the building by 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Being that the top editors were in a long, ugly meeting Monday afternoon, it seems as though the unpleasantness will be over soon.

Except for TXCN. There are currently death-watch bets on whether or not the station lasts until the holidays. I have the under.

Sadly, It Begins

2004-10-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

BREAKING: George Rodrigue, the No. 2 editor at the Dallas Morning News, flew to the Washington D.C. bureau today to begin the layoffs. Jim Morris, a very good national affairs reporter, has been let go. Nothing else planned for today. Says one source:

It's going to get a whole lot worse next week.

What Fake Drugs?

2004-10-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

Speaking of Rod Davis (below), in September 1992, he wrote a Katie award-winning profile of Lena Levario for D magazine. Levario is the lawyer who co-wrote the independent investigation into the Dallas fake drug scandal [reg.req]. She is smart and very respected. But what the report says most to me is how handicapped the investigators ("the Panel") were. Reading the report last night, I was struck by footnote 58:

The Panel sent letters to all officers still employed by DPD [Dallas Police Department] who were in the Narcotics Division at the time of the fake drug situation [word choice!]. The Panel requested that anyone with pertinent information contact the Panel. Of the over eighty (80) letters sent, one (1) individual responded to anonymously provide some insight.

Three things about this:

See. Ain't so easy to be a reporter, is it?! People keep their mouth shut.
This and other notes within the report (17 in-person interviews conducted, about the number someone does for a good investigative cover story in the Dallas Observer) explain the limitations of an organization that doesn't have subpoena power. There was little new here because not only can't the Panel protect the identity of those squealing, they have to recommend action against those who self-incriminate! No wonder no one wants to talk.
I would love to go to my editor and say, "Geez, no one would talk. I mean, I sent out a bunch of letters..."

Dallas Are AWESOME

2004-10-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

My old friend Rod Davis--well, he was a friend except when I got too flirty with his girlfriend back in '92, but I think he and my wife are over that--has come around on Dallas. At least parts of it. [reg.req]

Journalists, Get Your Lawyers Ready

2004-10-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

An informed source at the Dallas Morning News says the layoffs may not go down tomorrow (everyone is still unsure), but next week instead. The reason? The names are having to be vetted through Human Resources and Legal departments again. Which makes sense: I'm sure they're very worried about the potential lawsuits that could come of this (gender discrimination, racial discrimination, age discrimination, ugly column photo discrimination) if it's not done carefully. The source points to this story and says:

I sure hope the next superhero appearance is over at the Belo building. Maybe we can get wonder woman to climb the outside? We need something enjoyable to happen here.

Morning News Layoffs

2004-10-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

There will most likely be more newsroom layoffs than some early estimates. Probably in the mid-80s in terms of number of people laid off this week. This means, to me, that they have not used this opportunity to trim overpaid waste, but instead will employ the "last in, first out" method. See, managers had to hit a salary number, not a headcount, in terms of layoffs. Some people thought that could mean as few as 50 or so newsroom employees laid off. But if what I'm hearing is true, that means they are having to pink slip more people to reach the salary target--firing the cheaper employees, as it were. This is understandable on a personal level: it's harder for a manager to get rid of an older reporter with kids and a mortgage, someone they're probably friends with, than it is to redline young reporters who are better able to land on their feet and are more hireable, as it were. Not that any of that is easy.

Also: One position reduction is already made. Stu Wilk, the former No. 2 under Bob Mong who was hated by many in the newsroom (but very respected by some editors whose opinions I trust) announced to the staff he will retire at year's end. And don't expect the shuffling at the top to end anytime soon.

UPDATE: A top editor at the DMN tells staff it will be between 40 and 80 people. Hope that clears it up. And I hear that WFAA will hear about their layoffs before the DMN, who will probably find out the following day.

Words Hurt

2004-10-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

Got this e-mail today regarding this item in our Best Of Dallas issue. Two things: I didn't write the item (for some reason I get all the blame or credit for Best Of), and I always saw the term "dive" as an affectionate one. Others do not:

Enough is enough already. If you want to keep calling Louie’s a dive to attract 18-35 year-olds because of some corporate push to get younger readers, that’s one thing. I may not like it, but I can live with it. But this constant harping about the neighborhood is driving me crazy. I have lived in and around there for 20 years and never been mugged, never had my car stolen, never been broken into, and as far as I know, Louie’s has never been held up. I realize part of the allure of a “dive” is the need for a shitty neighborhood to make all the slumming worthwhile, but that’s just not the case here. Now, why don’t you send them to one of those lovely places over on East Grand? Also, one more time, Louie’s is a tavern, not a dive. A dive is where hard cases congregate or where drunks go to drink. A tavern is where neighborhood people drink shots and beers and bitch about their wives or the president or whatever. A couple of drunk lawyers, Old Man Charlie, and myself do not make a dive.

The Man Speaks, Through A Woman

2004-10-15T13:05:00.000-07:00

A friend who fears she will come off as an "uptight bourgeoise honky" (great blog name, btw) nonetheless gives us this insight into that area of Lake Highlands we discuss below:

We definitely need more, and better, retail in the neighborhood. Fewer run-down apartments would be a big plus. Although I really don't want to think about what's going on with our property taxes. According to the tax man, our house's value has gone up almost $50,000 since we bought the place, and rumor has it that, thanks to am impending tear-down, there are going to be two half-million-dollar McMansions going up directly across the street from our humble abode.

Oh, the McMansions. Don't get me started on the McMansions.

From Deep Within The Bowels of Belo

2004-10-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

What did Bobby Decherd know, and when did he know it? That's the question that some busy-bees at The Dallas Morning News are asking themselves in the wake of the paper's circulation scandal. Here is an e-mail detailing one prevalent conspiracy theory:

For your blog, this story probably has little broad interest. I mean, what can compete with photos of two women grinding and real estate brokers with phobia of their clothes? But in your job covering local media, it's intriguing, so I thought I'd pass it on. Some of us haven't bought Decherd's line that circ problems elsewhere got him wondering what was up at TDMN, so he decided to poke around on his own. We've wondered whether some other agency--even criminal investigators--forced the issue and belo was merely trying to get out in front of that. This story suggests the problems may not just be SEC's involvement. At least in NY, others are piling on.

I understand what this person and her/his colleagues are saying. I believe that people in Belo management understood that managers below them were asking for unrealistic circulation goals to be met, and then turned a blind eye to how this was achieved. If this is true, then something big has to happen to make you stand up straight and say, "I am shocked, shocked, to find that gambling is going on here!" I may expound on this in this week's Buzz column. Or I may not. Depends on how my weekend goes. Nyah.