Enlightened discussions on MLive

The following is the mind boggling, down in the gutter, unsubstantiated bull that counts for the "new" journalism. My spellchecker went crazy and I've left all the misspellings as they naturally occurred. This discussion was in relation to the very well done story about an assistant prosecutor who was caught in a dalliance with a person he prosecuted for embezzlement:

Here's the link to the story, I've posted a copy of the comments below:

http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/index.ssf/2008/07/prosecutor_of_montrose_schools.html


sted by theboyzmom on 07/11/08 at 9:54PM
Yea right - he was going there to talk to her. What a bunch of BS. Since she has an attorney it is probably a violation of court rules for him to even talk to her.
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Posted by ddhier on 07/11/08 at 10:17PM
Seems to me that Bacon shouldn't be allowed to work with any money. And then the assitant prosecutor. They both need to be put away for a while. The lady who embezzled from her bowling league got more time and it was less money. Bacon's embezzlement took away from childrens education. She should of gotten more time. And then the attempted suicide was all an act.Shame on them both. Now we know why she wasn't punished to the fullest extend of the law.
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Posted by ddhier on 07/11/08 at 10:17PM
Seems to me that Bacon shouldn't be allowed to work with any money. And then the assitant prosecutor. They both need to be put away for a while. The lady who embezzled from her bowling league got more time and it was less money. Bacon's embezzlement took away from childrens education. She should of gotten more time. And then the attempted suicide was all an act.Shame on them both. Now we know why she wasn't punished to the fullest extend of the law.
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Posted by vocalchick on 07/11/08 at 10:35PM
LMAO! Kind of takes the heat off of Flint's Budget issues for a minute doesn't it?
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Posted by Wagoman62 on 07/11/08 at 11:38PM
Brings new meaning to the term "Bringing home the Bacon".
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Posted by vickyh85 on 07/11/08 at 11:59PM
I appologize to the Journal. My comment was under an earlier article. Open my big mouth and insert foot. sorry
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Posted by Wagoman62 on 07/12/08 at 12:00AM
Vickyh85
This article appears a few times and your post is on one of the first post.
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Posted by CoachLCarr on 07/12/08 at 1:45AM
You know someone is guilty when they hire one of the Manleys to defend them.
Have any of their clients ever gotten off?
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Posted by CoachLCarr on 07/12/08 at 1:45AM
You know someone is guilty when they hire one of the Manleys to defend them.
Have any of their clients ever gotten off?
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Posted by Nowimp1 on 07/12/08 at 7:20AM
CoachLCarr:
Actually, several of them. Here's one example that I know of:A guy in Lapeer County shot and killed a mentally ill man (unarmed and outside a locked home) he was charged with manslaughter and Mike Manley got him acquitted. It was a great performance by a skilled attorney. I know, I watched him.There are many other examples. My wife knows, if I am ever in trouble, call Mike Manley.
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Posted by addyboy98765 on 07/12/08 at 8:21AM
Dana has a history of using sex to get what she wants. When my children were in band in Montrose Dana was married but involved with the young band director so she could work with the colorguard. Complaints to the school board about the activity were ignored for a long time until they finally fired band director. Dana has always walked away unscathed. Hopefully the judge will take into account Dana's history and not go lightly this time.
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Posted by jrh1977 on 07/12/08 at 8:30AM
Is this really a story? If its a conflict of interest fire the Assistant Prosecutor and put Ms. Bacon back in jail. The same treatment any other criminal would get but for some reason the Sheriff's department is out targeting a guy for getting some action when I do believe that their is a lot of real crime in Flint that they could be spending their time on! And as for the Manley's, they are the best in the business! A long track record of defending the undefendable and winning! They are two of the top Defense Attorneys in the state for a reason. And yes, they would be my only choice if I ever got in trouble!
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Posted by eoseph on 07/12/08 at 9:31AM
not sure about this.. you could say he was 'makin bacon.' two consenting adults 'getting it on.' i wonder if they had a marvin gay cassette playing on the night stand next to the king-sized bed. MOTEL 6, even i could do better than MOTEL 6. after all, she still has the 'cheese' from her embezzlement, does'nt she? prosecutor banging defendent? what's wrong with that? don't prosecutors always try to F*** the defendent?
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Posted by frappuhn515 on 07/12/08 at 10:14AM
Someone help me on this, I am not getting it out of the story.Is Bacon still in jail and on work release?Or has she served her sentance and on probation?
If she is on work release, are you allowed to roam the county and check into motels?
I thought work release way just what it says, "released from jail to work, then back to jail, not Motel 6!"
I like "Bring home the Bacon" line or you could add, "Making Bacon"
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Posted by nomore522 on 07/12/08 at 11:23AM
addyboy98765
I don't think you have all of your facts right. First off, dana never had anything to do with the band or colorguard in montrose. By being "involved with the young band director so she could work with the colorguard." never happened. I know this because I was a member of the colorguard and the winterguard. They are two totally diferent sports. The marching band was discontinued before she took over the winterguard. A group of us went to her and asked for her to teach us. We knew she was a great coach because of her history with Chesaning. We wanted to win and she helped us win State Championships.
I think its terrible what she did and I am disapointed. I believe that she should be punished for what she did, just as anyone else would.
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Posted by addyboy98765 on 07/12/08 at 12:57PM
nomore522, You are dearly mistaken, or maybe it is a time frame difference we are talking about. Ms Bacon worked with the flute & piccolo section at the time, causing some members quit. She also worked with the colorguard occasionally during that time but it was not full time. Believe me I have my facts straight as I was as involved as Ms Bacon at the time and I along with other parents took our complaints to the band boosters. When the boosters finally realized we were not just blowing smoke, they dealt with the school board in getting the band director fired & then Ms Bacon was done with the marching band and colorguard. My guess is you & I are talking about two different time frames.
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Ouch!

This was sent to me from a former Journal editor. It appeared in a recent sports article in the Flint Journal:

(The bold italic emphasis is mine)

"Bullerdick, who has recorded five of his six aces have came since turning 70, plays four of five times a week at Rolling Greens, where his home borders the golf course."

I've worried that the Journal, like some daily newspapers might ship out their day-to-day editing to India. Perhaps that might not be such a bad idea.

Bad news from another blog

Here's some bad news from another blog:

http://newsosaur.blogspot.com/2008/07/6-newspaper-stocks-hit-record-lows.html#comments

Time for a little recap

OK, the suitcases are unpacked, the lawn is mowed and the vacation laundry is cleaned, folded and put away, so I've had a little time to review my Flint Journal vacation pack (which was left at the wrong house, by the way).

I received an automated follow up call from the circulation department asking me if we had received our vacation pack of newspapers (which at the time we hadn't). When I hit the prompt that we had not received our vacation pack the recorded voice assured me we would be contacted to straighten things out.

Well, a neighbor about four houses down pulled up to our driveway and delivered our vacation pack that had been mistakenly dropped off at their house a short time later. But I never did get that follow-up call from the circulation department. But, hey, in Lapeer County you're just glad they are willing to deliver a newspaper to you at all. There are some folks out here who have asked for the paper only to be told they are not on a newspaper route.

So I curled up with my pack of Journals and as we returned on Saturday, July 5, started backwards through the pile. The Friday, July 4 paper had a correction (actually it had a list of corrections) but the one that caught my attention was the list of fireworks programs that apparently had run the day before.

Turns out that many of the Fourth of July fireworks shows had been listed on the wrong day. I had this picture of a family of four sitting in a parking lot all alone at first marveling at the great seat they had and then as time drew near wondering why no one else was on hand for the show.

In a more recent paper I noticed a correction for an election profile story in which the political parties of four candidates were switched.

And just this week, the paper ran Saturday's television listings on Tuesday.

I'll keep you posted as I keep combing through the papers. I only bring this up because after the buyouts were complete, the top editorial boss at the Journal opined that now that the newsroom had been cleared of all its "characters" that what was left was the "cream of the crop."

It was an insulting description for those who had left and as it is turning out maybe a bit of an exaggeration. Mind you, with the work being piled on those few, those brave few, who remain it is hard to fault them for making mindless errors when they get little help or support from many of the editors there.

Now earlier today I enjoyed a lunch with several former Journal employees, most of them recent buyout recipients. They all looked happy and very relaxed. Several of them reported that through discussions with friends still in the newsroom that the reports of the paper's financial health was not good.

One said a current employee heard Tony, the head editor, offer the stark opinion that the paper had not yet hit bottom. Hard to believe that after he cleared the newsroom of the "characters" he and his lieutenant so disliked.

The problem is that those who are in charge of pulling the newspaper out of its doldrums are unfortunately the very same people who were in charge when it fell into them.

At our lunch today, in between laughs and stories, we lamented what the Journal had become and the lack of imagination that exists to take it where it needs to be. But we were all grateful that we had survived and received the very generous buyouts, even if we are confused as to how that helps our old beloved paper.

But then I picked up tonight's paper and noticed a front page banner headline announcing a local appearance by American Idol finalist Lakisha Jones. When the editors at the Flint Journal are in doubt about what to put in the paper, they'll always have Lakisha to pull out of their editorial hats.

If it wasn't so pathetic, it would actually be funny.

I'll be back soon

There has been a brief break in blogging, but that will end this weekend. Since our return from Alaska there have been a number of things to attend to and with the horrible accident involving photo editor Steve and his wife nothing seemed more important than that.


But I'm working on a couple items, so if you tune in this weekend there will be new stuff to read.

Just for fun, I've included a photo from our ship stateroom from the dock at Skagway. Yes, the sky was clear, the temps were in the high 70s and that is snow on the mountain tops in the background.

Sad news

Please say a prayer for the Journal's photo editor Steve and his wife, Mary Lou, who were seriously injured in a motorcycle accident near Saginaw.

From all accounts, Steve was driving the speed limit and doing everything he should when a vehicle performed an illegal maneuver and caused the accident.

Mary Lou is in better shape, but Steve has a long recovery road ahead. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Steve is a guy who has one of the toughest jobs in the newsroom and over the years has taken a lot of guff from all of us.

After Steve is better I'll tell the story of a three-day trip in 1995 (back in the days when the Journal actually spent the money to send reporters out-of-town to cover stories) to Bowling Green, Ohio where Steve and I covered a well-publicized murder case.

It was in Bowling Green that Steve and I shared a package of underwear. But like I said, a light story for another time.

Steve, ol' buddy, get well soon.

In fact: Home

Well, we made it. A week in Alaska, two days in Vancouver and finally home on the Fourth of July.

All our connections were perfect, the ship was great, the weather was very nice and seasonable even for Alaska. With my new digital camera I took hundreds of photos which now poses a daunting task of culling them down to a number that friends and family won't roll eyes at when we offer to show them photos.

We saw bears, moose, glaciers, majestic mountains and bald eagles. Actually we saw flocks of bald eagles, we saw eagles to the point when someone said "There's a bald eagle," we all simply shrugged and said, "not another one."

It was the perfect vacation, we stayed away long enough for the milk to go bad and the lawn to need mowing, but not so long our neighbors forgot who we were.

I'm in the process of going through my stack of Flint Journals and we'll see what has transpired there in my absence. For now, it's back to work and more play.

I'll attach a photo to this entry from our day in College Fjord where we saw many glaciers.

While we were cruising through the ice (small bergs) and watching the glaciers, the ship was playing as background music "My Heart Will Go On," from the movie "Titanic." That's no lie, I didn't think it was particularly appropriate, but someone had a sense of humor. I'll have more to say about the cruise and our short stay in Vancouver after I finishing unpacking and mowing.

There's no place like home.