A little something until I get home from Florida: Kzoo Gazette getting sued

I know I have been absent from the blog for a month. We are traveling and in Florida (grandmasrecess.blogspot.com if you are into other people's vacations). I promise to get back up and running when I get home, but for now this article about the Kalamazoo Gazette being sued by the city for back taxes may interest you.

It is terrible that the publisher chose a stupid "no comment" when certainly something could be said.

The same people who want everyone else to respond to reporters should never use a "no comment" for its own business.

How about this:

"We have been forced into difficult business decisions based on emerging technology and a difficult recession. Our attorneys will vigorously defend those decisions."

That says basically nothing, but isn't the stupid "no comment" we all hate.

On civility on the Internet

This is a good read and explains my insistence on civility here.

Joan and Jim's Excellent Adventure

For family and friends interested Grandma's Recess is up and running again for our current trip. I will try and blog at FFE, but it may get even slower than it has already been recently.

First installment of Grandma's Recess

When will they ever learn? Another sad tale

Hard to believe that people, especially in a digital age, still think they can invent stories. One of these fine days I'll let FFE readers in on a similar story that happened at the Flint Journal, but was never reported to its readers.

That happened at the Journal at a time when the editors were merciless about corrections and letting the public know about screw ups. But when this one happened, readers were never told. As I said, for another time.

Merry Christmas to all!

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Kate Smith: "God Bless America"

I'm a sap for old movies and this clip from one brought back a story I heard at my U.S. Navy ship reunion. In 1965, a year before I came on board, the USS Cogswell (DD-651) was station ship in Hong Kong. That meant she was acting as the U.S. Naval command for the ships in port for about a week.

While the ship was there, some of the officers met and invited Kate Smith on board for dinner and she came. Later, she invited some of the ship's company to an entertainment venue in Hong Kong for a little partying.

At 4:21 of the clip you will see a familar actor.

Thanks for all those 2010 e-mails

Something funny for the holidays:

Subject: Thanks for all of your 2010 emails!!!

Well this has made my day ~~thanks for reminding me of all the reasons I should be dead!!

As we progress through year 2010, I want to thank all of you for your educational e-mails this year. I am totally screwed up now and have little chance of recovery.

I no longer open a bathroom door without using a paper towel.

I can't have the waitress put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the bacteria on the lemon peel.

I can't use the remote in a hotel room, because I don't know what the last person was doing while flipping through the adult movie channels.

I can't sit down on the hotel bedspread, because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed.

I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking one's nose.

Eating a little snack sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of Trans fats I have consumed over the years.

I can't touch any woman's purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public bathroom.

I MUST SEND MY SPECIAL THANKS to whoever sent me the one about rat poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing.

ALSO, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.

I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die for the 1,387,258th time.

I no longer have any money, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.

I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's Novena has granted my every wish.

I can't have a drink in a bar because I'll wake up in a bathtub full of ice with my kidneys gone.

I can't eat at KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes, feet or feathers.

I can't use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

THANKS TO YOU I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

BECAUSE OF YOUR CONCERN, I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

I no longer buy gas without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer doesn't crawl in my back seat when I'm filling up.

I no longer drink Pepsi or Fanta since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put ‘Under God' on their cans.

I no longer use Cling Wrap in the microwave because it causes seven different types of cancer.

AND THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face. Disfiguring me for life.

I no longer go to the movies because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS when I sit down.

I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

I no longer receive packages from UPS or Fed Ex since they are actually Al Qaeda agents in disguise.

And I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan.

THANKS TO YOU I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big black snake could be lurking under the seat and cause me instant death when it bites my butt.

AND THANKS TO YOUR GREAT ADVICE I can't ever pick up $2.00 coin dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting to grab me as I bend over.

I no longer drive my car because buying gas from some companies supports Al Qaeda, and buying gas from all the others supports South American dictators.
I can't do any gardening because I'm afraid I'll get bitten by the Violin Spider and my hand will fall off.

If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon, and the fleas from 120 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's best friend's beautician . . .

Oh, by the way.....
A German scientist from Argentina, after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mail with their hand on the mouse.
Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.

P. S.: I now keep my toothbrush in the living room, because I was told by e-mail that water splashes over 6 ft. out of the toilet

Love the Jib Jab guys: 2010 A Year in Review

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

The new journalism: Taking money for your opinion

Guess the ethics policies have changed at some newspapers along with the pay.

One young, underpaid journalist had a profane rant to go along with the story. Please be warned the language is harsh and as I already said, profane. If you are offended by that kind of language, please avoid the link.

Some thoughts for a cold 'fall' day

Was listening to a story about deadly wooden, drop-sided cribs this morning and I started jotting about how incredible it is that I am still alive and old enough to collect my pension.

Here's why:

I spent my infant days in a crib with drop sides.
I rode a bicycle without a helmet.
I rode in cars without a child restraint seat.
I lived in a house with lead paint.
I broke thermometers and played with mercury with my bare hands.
I owned a b-b gun.
I was spanked when I was bad, at least once by a teacher. My parents approved.
I played sandlot hardball with no helmets, pads or uniforms. Gasp.
I played tackle football in the park with no pads or helmet.
Somehow I survived. Oh, by the way, we had lots of fun.

Feel free to add your own....

'Aggregation may not be everything" after all

An interesting note from Poynter. Seems like some of the online sites are now going for 'content' who knew?

Lions win: Hell freezes over

We knew it would happen when hell froze over and today the Lions won a game and as you can see, it was frozen in Hell. (That would be Hell, Michigan, a real place in Livingston County.) They have a chapel there for twisted folks who want to start married life in Hell.

Government bailouts: Finally explained

As loyal readers will know I have been skeptical of gov't bailouts since W started them a couple years ago. It made no sense, but my father sent me an explanation this morning that sort of clears it all up:

"It is a slow day in a damp little Irish town. The rain is beating down and the streets are deserted. Times are tough, everybody is in debt, and everybody lives on credit. On this particular day a rich German tourist is driving through the town, stops at the local hotel and lays a 100 note on the desk, telling the hotel owner he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one to spend the night. The owner gives him some keys and, as soon as the visitor has walked upstairs, the hotelier grabs the 100 note and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher. The butcher takes the 100 note and runs down the street to repay his debt to the pig farmer. The pig farmer takes the 100 note and heads off to pay his bill at the supplier of feed and fuel. The guy at the Farmers' Co-op takes the 100 note and runs to pay his drinks bill at the pub. The publican slips the money along to the local prostitute drinking at the bar, who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer him "services" on credit. The hooker then rushes to the hotel and pays off her room bill to the hotel owner with the 100 note. The hotel proprietor then places the 100 note back on the counter so the rich traveler will not suspect anything. At that moment the traveler comes down the stairs, picks up the 100 note, states that the rooms are not satisfactory, pockets the money, and leaves town. No one produced anything. No one earned anything. However, the whole town is now out of debt and looking to the future with a lot more optimism.

And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is how the bailout package works."

Happy Birthday to FFE

Hard to believe by Free From Editors is three years old this week. I am amazed, especially considering the drop off in posts recently, how many people come here each day.

Journal-Register Co.: Give it up to the IT and digital folks

This is a long and interesting read from the CEO of the Journal Register Co. on a company that has taken a ruthless approach to journalism. It has turned a lot of its coverage over to upaid, or lightly paid, freelancers and sent production, editing and pre-press functions to gosh-knows-where, but by golly they are making money again.

If the folks being beaten in the galley to row the boat, go with the program they are in line this year to receive an extra week's pay. Wanna bet the officers on deck are getting a lot more?

The one thing I agree with him on is that the industry was slow to see the impact of online. Unfortunately in the company I am most familiar with the people responsible for that lack of vision remain high on the payroll while those under their command are largely on the beach through no fault of their own.

Crain's: The ups and downs of Advance Publications

An FFE reader brought my attention to the following Crain's New York article I missed while I was away. An interesting read about the current status of the Advance umbrella of companies.

Getting caught up on the new round of Booth layoffs

Just back from our trip and catching up on all things newspaper related. I have obtained the following information from a variety of sources and while it is still not complete, we're getting closer.

Grand Rapids – Eight editorial layoffs, including an IT guy laid off a couple weeks before the latest round.

Layoffs were on the copy desk, sports, photo, graphics, metro, entertainment.

Additional layoffs may be coming as the west Booth newspapers reorganize – Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids plan to consolidate sports, entertainment and web content under one umbrella apparently similar to what happened in Flint, Bay City and Saginaw.

Still no coverage of the layoffs and a story about the GR publisher talking to a local organization had a graph or two about the layoffs edited out of the published story. Nice.

Total layoffs at Grand Rapids was about 20 employees.

Unlike previous layoffs, the editor didn’t deliver the bad news personally, but through the department heads. Looks like the “open door” policies the company always prided itself on have slammed shut.

Muskegon lost two editorial employees, I don’t have numbers on the rest at Muskegon. Also I’m not aware of the severance packages offered at any of the three papers.

Lower revenues are being predicted for 2011 for Grand Rapids anway.

Still interesting is that in Kalamazoo, the purported reasons for the layoffs had to do with creating a stronger online presence and yet two of the employees and the managing editor who had the strongest online responsibilities were let go. Apparently there is a push now for editorial employees to post their own work, which would explain the sometimes crude condition of online copy.

One of the reporters laid off at Kalamazoo was the City Hall reporter which at least one source said will likely kill any chance of any responsible reporting on the city’s attempts to recover money lost when it gave tax breaks to the Gazette in exchange for creating more jobs.

Also gone from the Gazette are the religion writer/editor and two hometown editors, including one who had been on medical leave. The circulation manager was also sent packing.

I've also received a report that what remained of the Flint Journal accounting department has also been terminated. No further information was offered.

One of the most troubling parts of all these layoffs and decisions is the lack of transparency and coverage on the pages of the newspapers. Newspapers should set the standard for other companies in being open and honest about what is happening. If not, they should quit calling other businesses for the same information.

All is not well.

All's quiet on the Western (newspaper) front

The only new reports out of the Booth west Michigan cuts was some information that the cuts at the Gazette spared the editor and her husband, also an editorial employee. There have been additional reports that some employees not laid off have taken additional pay cuts, but that is not for sure.

Unfortunately, I will be away from my computer for a week and unable to post. Feel free to send me any information at the e-mail address on the profile for this blog and I'll follow up when I return.

With each round of cuts, I have fewer and fewer sources within Booth. Still waiting to see some coverage or reports out of MLive.com or the local broadcast media. If you see those, please send me links.

Still no word on layoffs at MLive

Not sure if the printed newspapers are reporting the new downsizing, but Sunday's column by the Grand Rapids Press editor mentions a new "Health" section, but fails to mention the employee diet the papers have gone on.

Curious.

In checking local news sites for other reporting about the cuts I found this article from earlier this year about the Kalamazoo Gazette and its problems with the local city over tax breaks it got for a new printing facility. Nothing yet on the recent cuts, however.

The only mention I could find (and admittedly MLive is nearly impossible to search) from the Gazette about the tax issue with the City was this one, which was published two days after the television report. Wonder how they got scooped on their own story?

More information on new Booth layoffs

Here's some information on layoffs at Muskegon Chronicle and Grand Rapids Press at the Paper Cuts website. Still waiting for further information on the cuts at the Kalamazoo Gazette. Feel free to send info to jlsmediaservices(at)gmail(dot) com.

Late update. It looks like at least 7 layoffs at the Kalamazoo Gazette, including a popular managing editor. No word on the security of the editor and her husband, who is also an editorial employee.

Interesting that just a short time ago employees at one of these papers were told that they "had turned the corner" and that the newspapers were in the black.

Also ironic that while employees were told that newspapers would be transitioned to online publications, at least some of the layoffs came to employees working online. Also mentioned at Paper Cuts site.

Still can find nothing at MLive.com.