Not That Being Selective With The Facts Ever Bothered Ol' Rupe
The Daily News and Post dispense of tons of ink annually belittling and berating each other, especially when one of them may have made a mistake. Usually, the Post stores all its venom on Page Six, arguably the paper's most-read feature.
The latest contretemps involve Victoria Gotti, who the News reported on Sunday in an exclusive interview with gossip columnist Joanna Molloy was battling breast cancer.
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/339249p-289736c.html.
Not so fast. As Page Six gleefully reported, Gotti was bobbing and weaving with the "real story" on Monday, saying she only had precancerous cells that she chose to have aggressively treated. A little different from a malignant tumor, eh?
Molloy uncharacteristically spoke to her bitter rivals about Gotti's new tune, conveniently timed for the third season of "Growing Up Gotti."
"Don't tell me Victoria is shape-shifting the truth again. She told us in January she had breast cancer, and that's the reason she took a leave of absence from Star magazine. She told us again last week, and we recorded it."
http://www.nypost.com/gossip/pagesix.htm.
While Page Six drove a Hummer through Gotti's credibility gap, it, not suprisingly, left out one crucial fact about Gotti that leaves the paper bloodied by association: She used to work for the Post as a columnist.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
The Economy's Confused, According To The New York Times
Sometimes it pays to read more than just the headlines
On A-1 today, the head reads: Economy Shows Signs Of Strain From Oil Prices.
But then we have on the front of Business Day: Healthy Housing Market Lifted The Economy In July
A little confusing, no?
The first story highlighted how inflation surged due to oil, and how consumers are finally responding in kind.
"Across the country, families are trying to figure out where to cut corners so they can afford gas...."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/17/business/17oil.html
OK, but then the second story highlights how while oil prices are a drag, the economy is still expanding because of housing and consumer and business demand.
"Outside of energy, the consumer is fine," said Anthony Chan, a senior economist at JP Morgan Asset Management.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/17/business/17econ.html
Outside of energy? When you've just paid $50 to fill up your tank for the second time this week, there soon won't be much outside of energy.
True, the lengthy jump on C5 [the whole article is not printed verbatim online] tries for some context, but is too prone to waffling. To wit:
Forecasters still expect economic growth to remain healthy for the rest of the year ... But the high cost of oil already appears to be curbing growth, translating into unusually modest gains in employment and pay.
More than a little confusing? Yes, indeed.
On A-1 today, the head reads: Economy Shows Signs Of Strain From Oil Prices.
But then we have on the front of Business Day: Healthy Housing Market Lifted The Economy In July
A little confusing, no?
The first story highlighted how inflation surged due to oil, and how consumers are finally responding in kind.
"Across the country, families are trying to figure out where to cut corners so they can afford gas...."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/17/business/17oil.html
OK, but then the second story highlights how while oil prices are a drag, the economy is still expanding because of housing and consumer and business demand.
"Outside of energy, the consumer is fine," said Anthony Chan, a senior economist at JP Morgan Asset Management.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/17/business/17econ.html
Outside of energy? When you've just paid $50 to fill up your tank for the second time this week, there soon won't be much outside of energy.
True, the lengthy jump on C5 [the whole article is not printed verbatim online] tries for some context, but is too prone to waffling. To wit:
Forecasters still expect economic growth to remain healthy for the rest of the year ... But the high cost of oil already appears to be curbing growth, translating into unusually modest gains in employment and pay.
More than a little confusing? Yes, indeed.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Wetting Yourself To Get an iBook
Atypical AP lead captures computer frenzy. But why is local paper using wire copy?
Perhaps by necessity, wire leads are more utilitarian than artful. Here's one that's both and is a winner:
By KRISTEN GELINEAU
Associated Press Writer
RICHMOND, Va. - A rush to purchase $50 used laptops turned into a violent stampede Tuesday, with people getting thrown to the pavement, beaten with a folding chair and nearly driven over. One woman went so far to wet herself rather than surrender her place in line.
Full story: http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031784470261&path=%21news%21vaapwire&s=1045855935241.
Only one thing wrong with that link: It's from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, which then begs the question of why it's relying on the AP for what is surely the story everyone in the area is talking about.
Or are incidents like this a common occurrence in Richmond?
Jesse Sandler said he was one of the people pushing forward, using a folding chair he had brought with him to beat back people who tried to cut in front of him.
"I took my chair here and I threw it over my shoulder and I went, 'Bam,'" the 20-year-old said nonchalantly, his eyes glued to the screen of his new iBook, as he tapped away on the keyboard at a testing station.
Nice when a wire reporter can actually take the time to think about what she's going to write, before it's written. For us "deadline every minute" scribes who sometimes felt like stenographers instead of reporters, it's a damn good feeling.
Perhaps by necessity, wire leads are more utilitarian than artful. Here's one that's both and is a winner:
By KRISTEN GELINEAU
Associated Press Writer
RICHMOND, Va. - A rush to purchase $50 used laptops turned into a violent stampede Tuesday, with people getting thrown to the pavement, beaten with a folding chair and nearly driven over. One woman went so far to wet herself rather than surrender her place in line.
Full story: http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031784470261&path=%21news%21vaapwire&s=1045855935241.
Only one thing wrong with that link: It's from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, which then begs the question of why it's relying on the AP for what is surely the story everyone in the area is talking about.
Or are incidents like this a common occurrence in Richmond?
Jesse Sandler said he was one of the people pushing forward, using a folding chair he had brought with him to beat back people who tried to cut in front of him.
"I took my chair here and I threw it over my shoulder and I went, 'Bam,'" the 20-year-old said nonchalantly, his eyes glued to the screen of his new iBook, as he tapped away on the keyboard at a testing station.
Nice when a wire reporter can actually take the time to think about what she's going to write, before it's written. For us "deadline every minute" scribes who sometimes felt like stenographers instead of reporters, it's a damn good feeling.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Missing The Story In Your Backyard, While Getting Your Butt Kicked by the Times
8/13/05--UPDATED AT BOTTOM
Pharmacy fraud story in Westchester reveals homefield advantage for The Journal News means nothing when most essential details of the story are left out
Gannett's The Journal News, like so many of its corporate brethren, has long been interested in style over substance. The only daily covering New York City's tony suburbs in Westchester and Rockland counties, it has consistently underachieved compared to other metro suburban papers such as Newsday and The Bergen Record (full disclosure: I worked at the Journal News and The Record in the late 1980s and early 1990s).
Still, The Journal News does serve its purpose, providing much of the local news the New York dailies won't bother with except when there's a sensational death or something of that ilk.
Which brings us to a story yesterday about a pharmacist charged with $4 million in insurance fraud. The story grabbed my attention as the drug store is in my hometown, and the accused was a supposed pillar of the community who had persevered despite having a CVS a few doors down while a mega Walgreen recently opened nearby.
The Journal News put the story on the bottom of page 1. So far, so good. But the headline was a clueless "Tarrytown pharmacist says he is not guilty." Of what?
The subhead told us Neil Norwood is accused of fraud, but provided scant detail of just how widespread it might be. Instead, the story focused on his pro forma arraignment and tussle over his bail. Who cares.
The real story was found in The New York Times on B4 headlined "Westchester Druggist Held in $4 Million Fraud"
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/04/nyregion/04scam.html?
The article by Anahad O'Connor details how Norwood allegedly overcharged customers, shorted their prescriptions, substituted generic drugs and billed insurance companies for brand names, and in several instances withheld fertility drugs from women trying to get pregnant.
The Journal News article from apparently stretched-thin veteran reporters Jonathan Bandler and Liz Sadler alludes to some of that in the lead, but then barely touches on it in the article. And the best part of the story, the fertility drug angle, is totally missing.
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050804/NEWS02/508040353/1018.
A bad day for Neil Norwood. Not much better for The Journal News.
UPDATE:
While I neglected to note that The Journal-News had a story on the arrest the day before The Times, the point remains that with a second-day lead, that's when you have a time to develop the story further and elicit the more juicy details that a deadline may not afford a reporter. In this case, The Journal-News stumbled badly, choosing to focus on an arraignment rather than zeroing in on details freely offered up by a media-friendly D.A.
Pharmacy fraud story in Westchester reveals homefield advantage for The Journal News means nothing when most essential details of the story are left out
Gannett's The Journal News, like so many of its corporate brethren, has long been interested in style over substance. The only daily covering New York City's tony suburbs in Westchester and Rockland counties, it has consistently underachieved compared to other metro suburban papers such as Newsday and The Bergen Record (full disclosure: I worked at the Journal News and The Record in the late 1980s and early 1990s).
Still, The Journal News does serve its purpose, providing much of the local news the New York dailies won't bother with except when there's a sensational death or something of that ilk.
Which brings us to a story yesterday about a pharmacist charged with $4 million in insurance fraud. The story grabbed my attention as the drug store is in my hometown, and the accused was a supposed pillar of the community who had persevered despite having a CVS a few doors down while a mega Walgreen recently opened nearby.
The Journal News put the story on the bottom of page 1. So far, so good. But the headline was a clueless "Tarrytown pharmacist says he is not guilty." Of what?
The subhead told us Neil Norwood is accused of fraud, but provided scant detail of just how widespread it might be. Instead, the story focused on his pro forma arraignment and tussle over his bail. Who cares.
The real story was found in The New York Times on B4 headlined "Westchester Druggist Held in $4 Million Fraud"
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/04/nyregion/04scam.html?
The article by Anahad O'Connor details how Norwood allegedly overcharged customers, shorted their prescriptions, substituted generic drugs and billed insurance companies for brand names, and in several instances withheld fertility drugs from women trying to get pregnant.
The Journal News article from apparently stretched-thin veteran reporters Jonathan Bandler and Liz Sadler alludes to some of that in the lead, but then barely touches on it in the article. And the best part of the story, the fertility drug angle, is totally missing.
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050804/NEWS02/508040353/1018.
A bad day for Neil Norwood. Not much better for The Journal News.
UPDATE:
While I neglected to note that The Journal-News had a story on the arrest the day before The Times, the point remains that with a second-day lead, that's when you have a time to develop the story further and elicit the more juicy details that a deadline may not afford a reporter. In this case, The Journal-News stumbled badly, choosing to focus on an arraignment rather than zeroing in on details freely offered up by a media-friendly D.A.
Mad Hot Bleeping Ballroom--How American Airlines Shields Its Passengers From History
Is it possible to be too sensitive about 9/11?
It had been a while since I had been on a flight with a movie, let alone one with a movie that I actually wanted to watch. So, it was a pleasant surprise Wednesday when my American Airlines flight from New York to Dallas had the documentary "Mad Hot Ballroom" on offer, a winning film about a ballroom dancing competition in New York City public schools.
It's rare that a documentary would be a featured film on a plane, but this one was engaging and harmless, though not harmless enough for American.
In the beginning, the principal of an elementary school near Ground Zero expressed reservations about her school taking part in the competition, which began in 2002, "just after 9/11." Except that "9/11" was bleeped out. At first, I thought it was a glitch in the plane's sound system, but quickly enough realized the context of the statement.
Taking into account that American lost two planes that day, I nonetheless had to wonder what the hell they were thinking. Would passengers start breaking into uncontrollable sweats or have anxiety attacks at the mere mention of 9/11? Would the sky marshal seize the tape?
Studios have a long history of bleeping out, excising or re-editing anything that might push a film beyond PG so airlines can show it to everyone without fear. "Mad Hot Ballroom" has no such concerns.
Nearly four years after 9/11, I think it's time to give airline passengers a little credit lest they miss out on a poignant moment in a special film that they unexpectedly get to see.
It had been a while since I had been on a flight with a movie, let alone one with a movie that I actually wanted to watch. So, it was a pleasant surprise Wednesday when my American Airlines flight from New York to Dallas had the documentary "Mad Hot Ballroom" on offer, a winning film about a ballroom dancing competition in New York City public schools.
It's rare that a documentary would be a featured film on a plane, but this one was engaging and harmless, though not harmless enough for American.
In the beginning, the principal of an elementary school near Ground Zero expressed reservations about her school taking part in the competition, which began in 2002, "just after 9/11." Except that "9/11" was bleeped out. At first, I thought it was a glitch in the plane's sound system, but quickly enough realized the context of the statement.
Taking into account that American lost two planes that day, I nonetheless had to wonder what the hell they were thinking. Would passengers start breaking into uncontrollable sweats or have anxiety attacks at the mere mention of 9/11? Would the sky marshal seize the tape?
Studios have a long history of bleeping out, excising or re-editing anything that might push a film beyond PG so airlines can show it to everyone without fear. "Mad Hot Ballroom" has no such concerns.
Nearly four years after 9/11, I think it's time to give airline passengers a little credit lest they miss out on a poignant moment in a special film that they unexpectedly get to see.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Top 10 TV Shows Ever
The blogosphere's been bustling with Top 10 lists of favorite TV shows instigated by Jeff Jarvis' BuzzMachine blog.
Our contributions, and you're welcome to chime in with yours:
In no particular order:
Arrested Development--In two seasons, it has always delivered episodes full of loud, consistent laughs. Best watched on TiVo to catch all the jokes you missed in real time.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show -- The best ensemble comedy ever.
St. Elsewhere -- Rare is the show that can last as long as this one did, with as fair-to-middling ratings as it had. But there was a reason, with compelling, quirky characters and the best in-jokes anywhere.
Boomtown -- Brilliant show that highlighted the myopia that frequently inflicts network execs who cancel a show rather than trying to nurture an audience.
Northern Exposure -- Sure, it got dumb and borderline unwatchable toward the end, but at its height, the eccentric charm, humanity and humor of Cicely, Alaska, was a winner.
The Wonder Years -- If you were of a certain age, of a certain time, you knew this progam rang true. And even if you weren't, it was still a pleasure to watch.
The Prisoner -- Perhaps the best science fiction show ever, even if it never left the earth. Or did it?
The Bob Newhart Show -- What a tandem on Saturday nights with MTM. Lost a little steam in its final season, but only a little.
The Shield -- Bare-knuckled cop drama at its best, which hasn't stood still. Characters have come full circle to reveal new dimensions. And guest turns this year by Glenn Close and Anthony Anderson were nothing short of brilliant.
Hill Street Blues -- At its best, which was most of the time, you cared deeply about this often motley crew. Bochco recognized the brilliance of Dennis Franz, who after a guest turn as psycho cop Sal Benedetto, returned as schlumpy-but-compelling Norman Bunz, the antecdent for Andy Sipowicz.
http://technorati.com/tag/10shows.
Our contributions, and you're welcome to chime in with yours:
In no particular order:
Arrested Development--In two seasons, it has always delivered episodes full of loud, consistent laughs. Best watched on TiVo to catch all the jokes you missed in real time.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show -- The best ensemble comedy ever.
St. Elsewhere -- Rare is the show that can last as long as this one did, with as fair-to-middling ratings as it had. But there was a reason, with compelling, quirky characters and the best in-jokes anywhere.
Boomtown -- Brilliant show that highlighted the myopia that frequently inflicts network execs who cancel a show rather than trying to nurture an audience.
Northern Exposure -- Sure, it got dumb and borderline unwatchable toward the end, but at its height, the eccentric charm, humanity and humor of Cicely, Alaska, was a winner.
The Wonder Years -- If you were of a certain age, of a certain time, you knew this progam rang true. And even if you weren't, it was still a pleasure to watch.
The Prisoner -- Perhaps the best science fiction show ever, even if it never left the earth. Or did it?
The Bob Newhart Show -- What a tandem on Saturday nights with MTM. Lost a little steam in its final season, but only a little.
The Shield -- Bare-knuckled cop drama at its best, which hasn't stood still. Characters have come full circle to reveal new dimensions. And guest turns this year by Glenn Close and Anthony Anderson were nothing short of brilliant.
Hill Street Blues -- At its best, which was most of the time, you cared deeply about this often motley crew. Bochco recognized the brilliance of Dennis Franz, who after a guest turn as psycho cop Sal Benedetto, returned as schlumpy-but-compelling Norman Bunz, the antecdent for Andy Sipowicz.
http://technorati.com/tag/10shows.
Giving New Meaning To Ball Buster
Testicular tribulations for one man who endured a scrotum conundrum for a fortnight (and oh, what a night it was)
Either this guy lost a bad bet, got really drunk and did something stupid or is bucking to be enshrined in the Fetish Hall of Champions real soon. You could say he was having a ball. But we won't.
http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/08052005/news/56211.htm
Either this guy lost a bad bet, got really drunk and did something stupid or is bucking to be enshrined in the Fetish Hall of Champions real soon. You could say he was having a ball. But we won't.
http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/08052005/news/56211.htm
New York Times Grammar Corner
Who's Modifying Whom?
From an NY Times story today about the Jim DeFede dismissal:
"Executives at The Miami Herald, which fired a columnist late last month......"
Shouldn't it be "who fired"? After all, it was the executives who did the firing, not the Herald, per se.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/08/business/media/08petition.html
Yes, the comma would trigger a "which." However, the sentence could just as easily have been written:
"Executives at The Miami Herald who fired...."
Of course, this is moot if the Herald has assumed anthropomorphic attributes we previously didn't know about. Being that we're talking about South Florida, anything's possible.
From an NY Times story today about the Jim DeFede dismissal:
"Executives at The Miami Herald, which fired a columnist late last month......"
Shouldn't it be "who fired"? After all, it was the executives who did the firing, not the Herald, per se.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/08/business/media/08petition.html
Yes, the comma would trigger a "which." However, the sentence could just as easily have been written:
"Executives at The Miami Herald who fired...."
Of course, this is moot if the Herald has assumed anthropomorphic attributes we previously didn't know about. Being that we're talking about South Florida, anything's possible.
The Third Dimension of Magazine Ads
Or Trying to Find the Line Between Being Edgy and Just Plain Obnoxious
You'll often find me sifting through a Vanity Fair or GQ feeling smug that I've already made it to page 110 and I've barely read anything. Too many ads, telling me too little. I want an express ride to the next Christopher Hitchens or Alan Richman piece.
Of course, I'm not alone. Which means advertisers aren't going to leave me alone, according to this WS Journal piece that heralds (warns? threatens?) ads that will literally be getting in our faces.
If you're used to passive magazine ads, welcome to the new reality. Or call it the New Desperation sweeping Madison Avenue. And it's coming to a mailbox near you, assuming your magazine will still be able to fit in the mailbox.
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/0,,SB112346384833807207,00.html?mod=todays%5Ffree%5Ffeature
You'll often find me sifting through a Vanity Fair or GQ feeling smug that I've already made it to page 110 and I've barely read anything. Too many ads, telling me too little. I want an express ride to the next Christopher Hitchens or Alan Richman piece.
Of course, I'm not alone. Which means advertisers aren't going to leave me alone, according to this WS Journal piece that heralds (warns? threatens?) ads that will literally be getting in our faces.
If you're used to passive magazine ads, welcome to the new reality. Or call it the New Desperation sweeping Madison Avenue. And it's coming to a mailbox near you, assuming your magazine will still be able to fit in the mailbox.
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/0,,SB112346384833807207,00.html?mod=todays%5Ffree%5Ffeature
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Old Magazines Never Die, They Just Become Podcast
Tracks magazine to let listeners do more than just read about music
Like hundreds of its brethren, the music magazine Tracks bit the dust in April after three years, its ambitions to focus on the alt-country, Americana and AAA artists favored by boomers outweighed by too much red ink.
Alan Light put out a quality product, and the sampler that came from each issue didn't hurt. This week came an e-mail that Tracks was going to emerge in a podcast format, with interviews by Light, shorter features and music from artists the magazine pushed, such as Kathleen Edwards, Sufjan Stevens and Iron & Wine.
Can't tell you yet what I think of it, as the download came up empty. More importantly, Tracks eventually wants subscribers to pony up three bucks a month for its efforts, which puts it into uncharted podcast territory.
It's a risky strategy at best, given the paucity of successful, free Web content, and the plethora of free podcasts, even if most are devoid of the professional sheen that will accompany the Tracks effort. And Tracks' dilemma comes down to the most nagging question about podcasts: who has the time to listen to all this stuff?
Meantime, for those hungering for the latest on the likes of Lucinda Williams (the last Tracks cover girl), there is still Harp, which covers much of the same waterfront, and Paste, which arrived in my mailbox yesterday, and said they'd honor my Tracks subscription for up to a year.
The bi-monthly Paste, http://www.pastemagazine.com/, is slick and suprisingly thick, pushing 200 pages, filled with a melange of interviews, news and reviews for those of us a tad old for Spin or Vibe, and looking for more than the small amount of coverage this music gets in Rolling Stone.
Like Tracks did, Paste backs up its enthusiasm for the music it covers with an eclectic CD sampler that's great for the road if your car doesn't have XM or Sirius. The CD comes with a twist, namely a DVD on the flip side with one hour's worth of concert footage and music videos.
Given that it charges $7.95 on the newsstand, Paste makes it worthwhile to plunk down $26.95 for a subscription, though Tracks subscribers can sign up for $20 through Sept. 15.
Many of the artists these magazines cover don't sell scads of albums. But they often make up for it with small but fiercely devoted followings, which Paste and Harp need to latch onto
Like hundreds of its brethren, the music magazine Tracks bit the dust in April after three years, its ambitions to focus on the alt-country, Americana and AAA artists favored by boomers outweighed by too much red ink.
Alan Light put out a quality product, and the sampler that came from each issue didn't hurt. This week came an e-mail that Tracks was going to emerge in a podcast format, with interviews by Light, shorter features and music from artists the magazine pushed, such as Kathleen Edwards, Sufjan Stevens and Iron & Wine.
Can't tell you yet what I think of it, as the download came up empty. More importantly, Tracks eventually wants subscribers to pony up three bucks a month for its efforts, which puts it into uncharted podcast territory.
It's a risky strategy at best, given the paucity of successful, free Web content, and the plethora of free podcasts, even if most are devoid of the professional sheen that will accompany the Tracks effort. And Tracks' dilemma comes down to the most nagging question about podcasts: who has the time to listen to all this stuff?
Meantime, for those hungering for the latest on the likes of Lucinda Williams (the last Tracks cover girl), there is still Harp, which covers much of the same waterfront, and Paste, which arrived in my mailbox yesterday, and said they'd honor my Tracks subscription for up to a year.
The bi-monthly Paste, http://www.pastemagazine.com/, is slick and suprisingly thick, pushing 200 pages, filled with a melange of interviews, news and reviews for those of us a tad old for Spin or Vibe, and looking for more than the small amount of coverage this music gets in Rolling Stone.
Like Tracks did, Paste backs up its enthusiasm for the music it covers with an eclectic CD sampler that's great for the road if your car doesn't have XM or Sirius. The CD comes with a twist, namely a DVD on the flip side with one hour's worth of concert footage and music videos.
Given that it charges $7.95 on the newsstand, Paste makes it worthwhile to plunk down $26.95 for a subscription, though Tracks subscribers can sign up for $20 through Sept. 15.
Many of the artists these magazines cover don't sell scads of albums. But they often make up for it with small but fiercely devoted followings, which Paste and Harp need to latch onto
Short Attention Span Theatre--Ebert and Roeper Style
I recently noticed that Ebert and Roeper have started showing the running time of a movie when they first start showing a clip.
Hard to tell if that's to satisfy people who need to know when to tell the babysitter they'll be back from the multiplex. Or maybe it's for the old folks who don't want to or can't sit through a three-hour flick and have to make the early bird at the local seafood joint after the matinee.
Whatever the reason, it would be lamentable if more people chose movies solely on the basis of how much time they'd have to invest. There are three-hour plus movies where you never look at your watch (Dances With Wolves and Titanic come to mind), while there are 80-minute jobs that feel padded.
Given all the dreck Ebert and Roeper have to sit through so we don't, it's a safe bet the running time
Hard to tell if that's to satisfy people who need to know when to tell the babysitter they'll be back from the multiplex. Or maybe it's for the old folks who don't want to or can't sit through a three-hour flick and have to make the early bird at the local seafood joint after the matinee.
Whatever the reason, it would be lamentable if more people chose movies solely on the basis of how much time they'd have to invest. There are three-hour plus movies where you never look at your watch (Dances With Wolves and Titanic come to mind), while there are 80-minute jobs that feel padded.
Given all the dreck Ebert and Roeper have to sit through so we don't, it's a safe bet the running time
Niger Making Cameo Appearances on U.S. Networks
Possible Starvation of Millions Starts To Be Noted, But Still Not Compelling Enough for Regular Treatment?
It was nice to see over the weekend CNN having a diplomat from Niger on live Sunday morning to discuss the famine that imperils his country. More so, it was startling to see later in the day on NBC Nightly News two reports on the situation, first a Q&A with an ITN reporter there, second a New York-based dispatch from Dawn Fratangelo on why aid is not getting there faster.
Networks nowadays traditionally relegate much of their foreign coverage to the weekends, particularly when nothing is stirring on the homefront, which is often the case during the summer.
When 3.6 million people are threatened with starvation, you'd think that should be the focus of more in-depth treatment. But of course the networks' coverage of anything in Africa is intermittent at best. Too expensive. Too hard to relate to. Too much time taken away from stories about Natalee Holloway. And so on.
True, no one said it's easy to cover a crisis in one of the world's poorest nations. The satellite phones may not work and there's no Marriott to retreat to after a hard day of witnessing untold misery. But that's news biz. Seems it would be hard to find a more compelling story right now. News organizations have no trouble parachuting in journos when bullets are flying on the Continent. Why not a similar treatment when a nation is weakened by a more pernicious enemy than greed or power?
Some interesting dispatches are getting out, including this one from the AP that highlights how food is available if you have the cash that few in Niger have ever possessed.
http://www.cleveland.com/enter/index.ssf?/world/plaindealer/index.ssf%3f/base/news/112306861424030.xml&coll=2
And if Niger's president is to be believed, the food crisis may actually be easing:
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1748154,00.html
Nonetheless, it's a story that won't go away soon, and as the Christian Science Monitor reports, is one that is an issue elsewhere in Africa and will continue to be so. Which means it demands our attention, and not just on Sunday.
http://www.christiansciencemonitor.com/2005/0801/p01s02-woaf.html
It was nice to see over the weekend CNN having a diplomat from Niger on live Sunday morning to discuss the famine that imperils his country. More so, it was startling to see later in the day on NBC Nightly News two reports on the situation, first a Q&A with an ITN reporter there, second a New York-based dispatch from Dawn Fratangelo on why aid is not getting there faster.
Networks nowadays traditionally relegate much of their foreign coverage to the weekends, particularly when nothing is stirring on the homefront, which is often the case during the summer.
When 3.6 million people are threatened with starvation, you'd think that should be the focus of more in-depth treatment. But of course the networks' coverage of anything in Africa is intermittent at best. Too expensive. Too hard to relate to. Too much time taken away from stories about Natalee Holloway. And so on.
True, no one said it's easy to cover a crisis in one of the world's poorest nations. The satellite phones may not work and there's no Marriott to retreat to after a hard day of witnessing untold misery. But that's news biz. Seems it would be hard to find a more compelling story right now. News organizations have no trouble parachuting in journos when bullets are flying on the Continent. Why not a similar treatment when a nation is weakened by a more pernicious enemy than greed or power?
Some interesting dispatches are getting out, including this one from the AP that highlights how food is available if you have the cash that few in Niger have ever possessed.
http://www.cleveland.com/enter/index.ssf?/world/plaindealer/index.ssf%3f/base/news/112306861424030.xml&coll=2
And if Niger's president is to be believed, the food crisis may actually be easing:
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1748154,00.html
Nonetheless, it's a story that won't go away soon, and as the Christian Science Monitor reports, is one that is an issue elsewhere in Africa and will continue to be so. Which means it demands our attention, and not just on Sunday.
http://www.christiansciencemonitor.com/2005/0801/p01s02-woaf.html
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Caught On Tape Means Miami Herald Columnist Can Be Caught On Unemployment Line
Jim DeFede Fesses Up To Pressing "Record" Without Permission; Candor = Guillotine
Updated 7/28--9 p.m.---Blog formed calling for DeFede's reinstatement: http://journalistsfordefede.blogspot.com/
Anyone who reads this space knows I'm more prone to flog a journalist who screws up rather than find a way to defend him. It's so much easier that way, especially with the public viewing our ilk in much the same way as a telemarketer or motor vehicle department clerk.
Nonetheless, I'm more than a bit surprised that the Miami Herald gave the heave-ho to columnist Jim DeFede, who came forth and admitted he taped a conversation with disgraced politician Arthur Teele, just hours before Teele ventured to the Herald lobby yesterday and blew his brains out.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/12241103.htm
Taping someone without their permission is a no-no in Florida. But as DeFede told the newsroom after his ouster: ''As Teele was becoming unglued [on the phone], I turned on a tape recorder because I could tell that he was distraught and bouncing off the walls..."
Not exactly the strongest rationale, but this was someone DeFede had known for a decade, who was facing dozens of felony charges and had been fodder for many a Herald story.
DeFede came clean after Teele pulled the trigger. He may have escaped with only a suspension. But he admitted to keep on rolling even after Teele said he was speaking off the record. That may have been what pushed the Herald brass over the edge, although their official position is DeFede sealed his own fate by merely taping the conversation, which may have been a felony, not to mention unethical.
Of course, being unethical has rarely been grounds for dismissal in the news business. Otherwise, there'd be a lot of empty desks in many a newsroom at any given moment. A felony? Perhaps. But who's pressing charges? Highly doubtful prosecutors would be proactive for a case like this, especially when the prospective star witness is in no position to talk anymore.
''The public's trust is at stake as a result of Jim's actions,'' said publisher Jesus DÃaz Jr. ``We have to make sure that the public understands that trust is the most important value that the community bestows upon us.''
Maybe, maybe not. Some of them just get the Herald for the coupons. But I digress. That the Herald would toss aside one of its stronger, more popular voices for such a transgression is surprising and distressing at the same time.
DeFede was trying to get it right, to capture a moment in time. Yes, he should have tried in a more sanctioned fashion, but to cast him aside without first suspending him or flogging him in public is harsh.
At least DeFede attempted to be accurate, unlike other columnists and reporters who've been nailed for not even bothering to do that (see Mitch Albom, Patricia Smith, etc.) Herald management determined he's no better than them. A shame.
Meantime, the Herald's Web site still has DeFede's recent columns posted, along with the article about his firing. Read them while you can.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/columnists/jim_defede/
Updated 7/28--9 p.m.---Blog formed calling for DeFede's reinstatement: http://journalistsfordefede.blogspot.com/
Anyone who reads this space knows I'm more prone to flog a journalist who screws up rather than find a way to defend him. It's so much easier that way, especially with the public viewing our ilk in much the same way as a telemarketer or motor vehicle department clerk.
Nonetheless, I'm more than a bit surprised that the Miami Herald gave the heave-ho to columnist Jim DeFede, who came forth and admitted he taped a conversation with disgraced politician Arthur Teele, just hours before Teele ventured to the Herald lobby yesterday and blew his brains out.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/12241103.htm
Taping someone without their permission is a no-no in Florida. But as DeFede told the newsroom after his ouster: ''As Teele was becoming unglued [on the phone], I turned on a tape recorder because I could tell that he was distraught and bouncing off the walls..."
Not exactly the strongest rationale, but this was someone DeFede had known for a decade, who was facing dozens of felony charges and had been fodder for many a Herald story.
DeFede came clean after Teele pulled the trigger. He may have escaped with only a suspension. But he admitted to keep on rolling even after Teele said he was speaking off the record. That may have been what pushed the Herald brass over the edge, although their official position is DeFede sealed his own fate by merely taping the conversation, which may have been a felony, not to mention unethical.
Of course, being unethical has rarely been grounds for dismissal in the news business. Otherwise, there'd be a lot of empty desks in many a newsroom at any given moment. A felony? Perhaps. But who's pressing charges? Highly doubtful prosecutors would be proactive for a case like this, especially when the prospective star witness is in no position to talk anymore.
''The public's trust is at stake as a result of Jim's actions,'' said publisher Jesus DÃaz Jr. ``We have to make sure that the public understands that trust is the most important value that the community bestows upon us.''
Maybe, maybe not. Some of them just get the Herald for the coupons. But I digress. That the Herald would toss aside one of its stronger, more popular voices for such a transgression is surprising and distressing at the same time.
DeFede was trying to get it right, to capture a moment in time. Yes, he should have tried in a more sanctioned fashion, but to cast him aside without first suspending him or flogging him in public is harsh.
At least DeFede attempted to be accurate, unlike other columnists and reporters who've been nailed for not even bothering to do that (see Mitch Albom, Patricia Smith, etc.) Herald management determined he's no better than them. A shame.
Meantime, the Herald's Web site still has DeFede's recent columns posted, along with the article about his firing. Read them while you can.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/columnists/jim_defede/
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Longing For The Days Of A Ho-Hum Shuttle Launch
Back in my days at CBS News Radio, we dutifully covered every shuttle launch. Between the disasters of Challenger and Columbia, the media and the public settled into a langour about the space program, regarding launches and landings as little more than routine.
A typical launch broadcast on radio would begin about a minute before launch, and quickly sign off three minutes or so later after solid rocket booster separation. Breathe a sigh of relief and now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
As Discovery took off this morning, the press trailers at Cape Canaveral are again fully staffed. It was nice for the media to be on hand for a launch that could not have been better. "This was as trouble free as I can remember and I've covered a lot of shuttle flights," said CBS News space analyst Bill Harwood.
I was first at Cape Canaveral for a launch in 1998 when John Glenn went up for his encore space visit. Hundreds of reporters, including all the network anchors, made the trip down. Three years later, I came back with CBS News Correspondent Peter King, who anchors the radio coverage, for another launch that was scrubbed because of weather. Those press trailers that were occupied were only minimally staffed, with the regulars who are there because you're supposed to have someone there, you know, just in case.
In a way, I preferred the latter visit. It meant that something so incredibly dangerous and daring had once again become routine. What could possibly go wrong. And so it was for dozens of missions until Columbia.
Here's hoping for a return to the days when my friend Peter, as able a broadcaster as he is, returns to his three-minute broadcasts real soon.
A typical launch broadcast on radio would begin about a minute before launch, and quickly sign off three minutes or so later after solid rocket booster separation. Breathe a sigh of relief and now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
As Discovery took off this morning, the press trailers at Cape Canaveral are again fully staffed. It was nice for the media to be on hand for a launch that could not have been better. "This was as trouble free as I can remember and I've covered a lot of shuttle flights," said CBS News space analyst Bill Harwood.
I was first at Cape Canaveral for a launch in 1998 when John Glenn went up for his encore space visit. Hundreds of reporters, including all the network anchors, made the trip down. Three years later, I came back with CBS News Correspondent Peter King, who anchors the radio coverage, for another launch that was scrubbed because of weather. Those press trailers that were occupied were only minimally staffed, with the regulars who are there because you're supposed to have someone there, you know, just in case.
In a way, I preferred the latter visit. It meant that something so incredibly dangerous and daring had once again become routine. What could possibly go wrong. And so it was for dozens of missions until Columbia.
Here's hoping for a return to the days when my friend Peter, as able a broadcaster as he is, returns to his three-minute broadcasts real soon.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Not Dressing The Part: Correspondent Neglects To Beat The Heat
Baby, it's hot outside! But one reporter doesn't get the memo
Give NBC News Correspondent Mark Mullen credit for having a remarkable metabolism. Or maybe the guy's out to lunch.
Either way, it was a bit unsettling tonight to see him doing a standup in Phoenix during a report on the heat wave out west in front of a sign that said the temperature was 106 degrees, while wearing what appeared to be a black sports jacket. Get this guy a Dasani, quick!
As a bonus, Mullen didn't appear to be breaking a sweat either. Guess it really is a dry heat.
Give NBC News Correspondent Mark Mullen credit for having a remarkable metabolism. Or maybe the guy's out to lunch.
Either way, it was a bit unsettling tonight to see him doing a standup in Phoenix during a report on the heat wave out west in front of a sign that said the temperature was 106 degrees, while wearing what appeared to be a black sports jacket. Get this guy a Dasani, quick!
As a bonus, Mullen didn't appear to be breaking a sweat either. Guess it really is a dry heat.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Scab-O-Rama: Columnist Waxes Nostalgic About Crossing Lines In Detroit
UPDATED 7/28: S.F. Chronicle reporters blink as they approve a "terrible" contract.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/07/28/MNG69DUL9D1.DTL
Leave it to the Detroit Free Press to employ one feckless columnist after another. First, it's the inimitable fiction-writing Mitch Albom about whom much has been written about here. Now, we turn to Exhibit B, one Susan Ager, who writes today about the bad old days 10 years ago when Detroit newspaper workers walked out in a bruising strike that ultimately crushed the union in a once-proud labor town.
When the temperature hit 90 in Paris last week, I put on a flimsy old linen tank top that I realized I'd also worn exactly 10 years earlier on a Detroit picket line.
OK, so we know she doesn't change her wardrobe that often. Thanks for sharing, Sue, who admits to being clueless about why she was on strike.
My head was full of questions. I'd never been on strike before, and that it happened took me by surprise. For a few days, until I learned the language, I couldn't have told you what it was about.
How about job cuts, wage freezes, a merit-pay system and cuts in health insurance, for starters. This, at a time when the once-struggling papers had recently made a $56 million profit. Yet, all that still doesn't jog Ager's memory about a bitter strike in which the papers hired thousands of scabs to ice out the strikers once and for all (For a view from both sides of the fence, check out this frank and fair analysis of the strike when it ended from Detroit's Metro Times --http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=1210).
Some of my coworkers stayed on the picket lines for many months, through the winter and into the next summer. But I could not, and I was among the first 20 or so to go back to work, as most of us from the newsroom eventually did, out of desperation or -- in my case -- disillusionment.
Disillusionment? True, the unions were outflanked and didn't martial enough support to win the P.R. war or any other war, for that matter. There's even evidence they spurned the help of other unions (see this interesting analysis from labornotes.org---http://www.labornotes.org/archives/2001/0201/0201b.html). But the unions faced an all-out assault from management intent on breaking them once and for all.
That Ager, like Albom, blithely crossed the picket line didn't have its intended effect beyond putting another warm body in the newsroom. The strike, in one form or another, went on 5 1/2 years. The unions were bowed, bent and bruised, but the two papers were estimated to have lost as much as $300 million, along with one-third of their circulation.
A decade later, I remember the heat of it all. I am aware that even remembering it in print will reignite both anger and grief.
Mostly I'm astonished that there are finally weeks when I don't think about the strike or my lost friends. .. It didn't heal all wounds. But for most of us, I have to hope, they no longer throb day and night.
Dunno. Sounds like Ager stopped throbbing a long time ago. It could be argued the same thing could be said about the Free Press.
Meanwhile, taking a page from the playbook in Detroit, looks like the San Francisco Chronicle is spoiling for a fight. Here are some of the proposals in a take-it-or-else offer to the Newspaper Guild:
Slashing pay from 1 percent to 24.4 percent for about 400 Guild employees. Journalists and outside sales representatives are excluded from pay cuts but virtually every other employee would see their paychecks shrink.
> Eliminating one week of vacation -- lowering the maximum to four weeks per year.
> Eliminating five days of sick leave -- cutting the current allotment of 10 days, which is common or even low in the newspaper industry, in half.
> Killing the popular program that allows parents of infants and toddlers to work part time until their children are in kindergarten.
> Reducing pension benefits, including freezing the lump sum (severance pay) component.
> Forcing all assigning editors into management positions, where they would lose job protections and overtime pay.
> Eliminating the birthday and anniversary holidays.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/07/28/MNG69DUL9D1.DTL
Leave it to the Detroit Free Press to employ one feckless columnist after another. First, it's the inimitable fiction-writing Mitch Albom about whom much has been written about here. Now, we turn to Exhibit B, one Susan Ager, who writes today about the bad old days 10 years ago when Detroit newspaper workers walked out in a bruising strike that ultimately crushed the union in a once-proud labor town.
When the temperature hit 90 in Paris last week, I put on a flimsy old linen tank top that I realized I'd also worn exactly 10 years earlier on a Detroit picket line.
OK, so we know she doesn't change her wardrobe that often. Thanks for sharing, Sue, who admits to being clueless about why she was on strike.
My head was full of questions. I'd never been on strike before, and that it happened took me by surprise. For a few days, until I learned the language, I couldn't have told you what it was about.
How about job cuts, wage freezes, a merit-pay system and cuts in health insurance, for starters. This, at a time when the once-struggling papers had recently made a $56 million profit. Yet, all that still doesn't jog Ager's memory about a bitter strike in which the papers hired thousands of scabs to ice out the strikers once and for all (For a view from both sides of the fence, check out this frank and fair analysis of the strike when it ended from Detroit's Metro Times --http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=1210).
Some of my coworkers stayed on the picket lines for many months, through the winter and into the next summer. But I could not, and I was among the first 20 or so to go back to work, as most of us from the newsroom eventually did, out of desperation or -- in my case -- disillusionment.
Disillusionment? True, the unions were outflanked and didn't martial enough support to win the P.R. war or any other war, for that matter. There's even evidence they spurned the help of other unions (see this interesting analysis from labornotes.org---http://www.labornotes.org/archives/2001/0201/0201b.html). But the unions faced an all-out assault from management intent on breaking them once and for all.
That Ager, like Albom, blithely crossed the picket line didn't have its intended effect beyond putting another warm body in the newsroom. The strike, in one form or another, went on 5 1/2 years. The unions were bowed, bent and bruised, but the two papers were estimated to have lost as much as $300 million, along with one-third of their circulation.
A decade later, I remember the heat of it all. I am aware that even remembering it in print will reignite both anger and grief.
Mostly I'm astonished that there are finally weeks when I don't think about the strike or my lost friends. .. It didn't heal all wounds. But for most of us, I have to hope, they no longer throb day and night.
Dunno. Sounds like Ager stopped throbbing a long time ago. It could be argued the same thing could be said about the Free Press.
Meanwhile, taking a page from the playbook in Detroit, looks like the San Francisco Chronicle is spoiling for a fight. Here are some of the proposals in a take-it-or-else offer to the Newspaper Guild:
Slashing pay from 1 percent to 24.4 percent for about 400 Guild employees. Journalists and outside sales representatives are excluded from pay cuts but virtually every other employee would see their paychecks shrink.
> Eliminating one week of vacation -- lowering the maximum to four weeks per year.
> Eliminating five days of sick leave -- cutting the current allotment of 10 days, which is common or even low in the newspaper industry, in half.
> Killing the popular program that allows parents of infants and toddlers to work part time until their children are in kindergarten.
> Reducing pension benefits, including freezing the lump sum (severance pay) component.
> Forcing all assigning editors into management positions, where they would lose job protections and overtime pay.
> Eliminating the birthday and anniversary holidays.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Not Your Father's New York Times--Big and Bold In the A Section
London Bombing Inspires Once-Gray Lady To Go Large With The Art
The Times hasn't been shy about large photo spreads in the feature sections. But outsize art in the news pages is rare. The London bombings changed all that, and maybe could serve as a primer for how to do it right for less tragic events.
If you haven't already, check out yesterday's double-truck layout on pages A12-13, with three shots of the wounded, including the one everybody used of the women with the towel over her face. On A-13 the entire above-the-fold space is of two badly injured people being attended to by passers-by. It was gripping journalism, and few other newspapers than the Times would have had the whereiwithal or the guts to pull it off like they did.
With the recent promotion of a photo editor to assistant managing editor status, Bill Keller has demonstrated the status of art in the Times.
It's an important and visible way to keep newspapers relevant in the years ahead, finding different and compelling ways to tell a story that needs to be told.
The Times hasn't been shy about large photo spreads in the feature sections. But outsize art in the news pages is rare. The London bombings changed all that, and maybe could serve as a primer for how to do it right for less tragic events.
If you haven't already, check out yesterday's double-truck layout on pages A12-13, with three shots of the wounded, including the one everybody used of the women with the towel over her face. On A-13 the entire above-the-fold space is of two badly injured people being attended to by passers-by. It was gripping journalism, and few other newspapers than the Times would have had the whereiwithal or the guts to pull it off like they did.
With the recent promotion of a photo editor to assistant managing editor status, Bill Keller has demonstrated the status of art in the Times.
It's an important and visible way to keep newspapers relevant in the years ahead, finding different and compelling ways to tell a story that needs to be told.
Chef On A Shoestring Gets Even Tighter
Miss A Few Weeks At The Saturday Early Show and You Miss a Lot
The wife and I usually turned on the Saturday Early Show on CBS to catch the Chef On A Shoestring segment, where a chef of some repute would cook a three-course meal using ingredients that cost no more than $40.
It's nice to watch for us wannabe foodies, if for nothing else to see portly weatherman Ira Joe Fisher practically storming the set at the end to chow down on the finished product.
In the past, the appetizer and entree was cooked in the first part, while they came back to do dessert after a break. But watching today's show, Laurent Tourendel, one of N.Y.'s star chef from BLT Steak, Prime and Fish, had to whip up all three courses in one segment. Not that this was meant to be a morning cooking school, but the more langorous pace suited the hour the show was on.
Since by that time of the show all of the latest news has been disposed of, there shouldn't be any need to cram more stuff in when you already have a feature popular enough to have spawned a book by the same name.
For those who missed it, here's what Tourondel was cooking up.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/07/08/earlyshow/saturday/chef/main707716.shtml
As baby recently made three in our house, we haven't been as regular viewers of the Saturday Early Show. Which meant we were thrown for a loop last Saturday afternoon while channel surfing and none other than Gretchen Carlson, who had been co-anchor of "SES" when she wasn't on maternity leave, was doing headlines on Fox News Channel.
Maybe the hours are a little better, even if the network is not. So far, no word on a replacement for Carlson to keep Russ Mitchell company.
The wife and I usually turned on the Saturday Early Show on CBS to catch the Chef On A Shoestring segment, where a chef of some repute would cook a three-course meal using ingredients that cost no more than $40.
It's nice to watch for us wannabe foodies, if for nothing else to see portly weatherman Ira Joe Fisher practically storming the set at the end to chow down on the finished product.
In the past, the appetizer and entree was cooked in the first part, while they came back to do dessert after a break. But watching today's show, Laurent Tourendel, one of N.Y.'s star chef from BLT Steak, Prime and Fish, had to whip up all three courses in one segment. Not that this was meant to be a morning cooking school, but the more langorous pace suited the hour the show was on.
Since by that time of the show all of the latest news has been disposed of, there shouldn't be any need to cram more stuff in when you already have a feature popular enough to have spawned a book by the same name.
For those who missed it, here's what Tourondel was cooking up.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/07/08/earlyshow/saturday/chef/main707716.shtml
As baby recently made three in our house, we haven't been as regular viewers of the Saturday Early Show. Which meant we were thrown for a loop last Saturday afternoon while channel surfing and none other than Gretchen Carlson, who had been co-anchor of "SES" when she wasn't on maternity leave, was doing headlines on Fox News Channel.
Maybe the hours are a little better, even if the network is not. So far, no word on a replacement for Carlson to keep Russ Mitchell company.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
British Press Tells Chirac To Piss Off After He Disses UK Food
How do you say "I know you are, but what am I" in French?
When a Paris daily overheard French President Jacques Chirac making jokes about mad-cow disease and telling fellow leaders the British have some of the worst food in Europe, well, you can just imagine how that was viewed by the British media. Actually, you don't have to.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8470933/
Never mind that British restaurants are now regarded as some of the best in Europe, and that some of its star chefs, like Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay are foodie superstars on this side of the pond. Or that some French chefs have been losing their Michelin stars faster than you can say croque monseiur.
Suffice to say, The Sun, whose editors are foaming at the mouth on a good day, were not amused, bannering the front page with "Don't Talk Crepe" and calling Chirac a "plonker," a uniquely British way to call someone a fool or an idiot. Actually, The Sun may be on to something here.
It harped on Chirac's quote in reference to the Brits that “You can’t trust people who cook as badly as that. After Finland, it’s the country with the worst food.”
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2005300769,00.html?sectionID=2
Which would be unremarkable were it not for the fact that, as The Sun noted, Finland has two votes on which city, including London and Paris, gets the 2012 Olympics. We'll see if the Finns have a sense of humor, although that's not one of their better-known attributes.
Sister paper The Times was a bit more restrained, at least by British standards with this lead:
President Jacques Chirac's ill-timed jokes about British cooking came back to bite him on the derriere today as he arrived in Singapore to press Paris's case to host the 2012 Olympics.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,4662-1681137,00.html
The Times did attempt some perspective in a sidebar, noting that the Finns may have already been leaning toward London in the Olympic voting, even though it relished the possibility that Chirac's food faux pas could cost Paris its status as favorite.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,4662-1681162,00.html
But who needs perspective, when you could instead have The Mirror, which helpfully offered "Ten Things You Need To Know About Jacques Chirac."
My favorite is number two, which noted that Chirac imbibed in a popular French pastime, cheating on his wife. "His nickname among female staff when he was Paris mayor was 'three minutes, shower included."
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15700564%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=10%2dthings%2dyou%2dneed%2dto%2dknow%2dabout%2djacques%2dchirac-name_page.html
In contrasts, The Guardian weaseled out of the controversy, relegating it to five paragraphs to the bottom of its main Olympics story that instead featured a last-minute campaign by David Beckham to woo the IOC.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/olympics2012/story/0,14174,1521783,00.html
Somewhere in the middle stood The Independent, which took time from its usual Bush-bashing in advance of the G8 summit to attempt a little kindness toward Chirac, but reported Chirac should not have been caught by surprise as he knew microphones were nearby while he kibitzed with Vladimir Putin and Gerhard Schroeder during a weekend meeting in Kalingrad.
President Putin objected to M. Chirac's suggestion that British cuisine was the lowest of the low. "What about hamburgers?" he asked. "No, no," M. Chirac replied. "Hamburgers are nothing [by comparison]."
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article296896.ece
Now he's dissing hamburgers, too? Sacre bleu! Get me some Freedom Fries pronto!
When a Paris daily overheard French President Jacques Chirac making jokes about mad-cow disease and telling fellow leaders the British have some of the worst food in Europe, well, you can just imagine how that was viewed by the British media. Actually, you don't have to.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8470933/
Never mind that British restaurants are now regarded as some of the best in Europe, and that some of its star chefs, like Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay are foodie superstars on this side of the pond. Or that some French chefs have been losing their Michelin stars faster than you can say croque monseiur.
Suffice to say, The Sun, whose editors are foaming at the mouth on a good day, were not amused, bannering the front page with "Don't Talk Crepe" and calling Chirac a "plonker," a uniquely British way to call someone a fool or an idiot. Actually, The Sun may be on to something here.
It harped on Chirac's quote in reference to the Brits that “You can’t trust people who cook as badly as that. After Finland, it’s the country with the worst food.”
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2005300769,00.html?sectionID=2
Which would be unremarkable were it not for the fact that, as The Sun noted, Finland has two votes on which city, including London and Paris, gets the 2012 Olympics. We'll see if the Finns have a sense of humor, although that's not one of their better-known attributes.
Sister paper The Times was a bit more restrained, at least by British standards with this lead:
President Jacques Chirac's ill-timed jokes about British cooking came back to bite him on the derriere today as he arrived in Singapore to press Paris's case to host the 2012 Olympics.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,4662-1681137,00.html
The Times did attempt some perspective in a sidebar, noting that the Finns may have already been leaning toward London in the Olympic voting, even though it relished the possibility that Chirac's food faux pas could cost Paris its status as favorite.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,4662-1681162,00.html
But who needs perspective, when you could instead have The Mirror, which helpfully offered "Ten Things You Need To Know About Jacques Chirac."
My favorite is number two, which noted that Chirac imbibed in a popular French pastime, cheating on his wife. "His nickname among female staff when he was Paris mayor was 'three minutes, shower included."
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15700564%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=10%2dthings%2dyou%2dneed%2dto%2dknow%2dabout%2djacques%2dchirac-name_page.html
In contrasts, The Guardian weaseled out of the controversy, relegating it to five paragraphs to the bottom of its main Olympics story that instead featured a last-minute campaign by David Beckham to woo the IOC.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/olympics2012/story/0,14174,1521783,00.html
Somewhere in the middle stood The Independent, which took time from its usual Bush-bashing in advance of the G8 summit to attempt a little kindness toward Chirac, but reported Chirac should not have been caught by surprise as he knew microphones were nearby while he kibitzed with Vladimir Putin and Gerhard Schroeder during a weekend meeting in Kalingrad.
President Putin objected to M. Chirac's suggestion that British cuisine was the lowest of the low. "What about hamburgers?" he asked. "No, no," M. Chirac replied. "Hamburgers are nothing [by comparison]."
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article296896.ece
Now he's dissing hamburgers, too? Sacre bleu! Get me some Freedom Fries pronto!
The View Not Viewed By Meredith Vieira's Kids?
Mom's on opposite one of their favorite shows. TiVo to the rescue?
Taking off a few days around a holiday gives you a chance to catch a breather along with some daytime TV. Which is how I've once again stumbled upon "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," now hosted by Meredith Vieira.
A delicious bit of irony emerged on the show that aired yesterday, where the correct answer was "Bob Barker." The contestant remarked how "The Price Is Right" was one of her favorite shows. Later, Vieira said her kids loved the show too.
Which is all the more interesting given that Vieira's other job is co-hosting "The View," which airs opposite Barker and his correct prices.
So, does that mean Mom TiVos "The View" so they can watch her yenta-fest at their leisure? Or do they get their Meredith quota watching "Millionaire?" Or maybe they see enough of her at home and actually do something else besides watch TV.
Now, that would be something worthy of discussion on "The View." Too bad the kids wouldn't see it.
Taking off a few days around a holiday gives you a chance to catch a breather along with some daytime TV. Which is how I've once again stumbled upon "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," now hosted by Meredith Vieira.
A delicious bit of irony emerged on the show that aired yesterday, where the correct answer was "Bob Barker." The contestant remarked how "The Price Is Right" was one of her favorite shows. Later, Vieira said her kids loved the show too.
Which is all the more interesting given that Vieira's other job is co-hosting "The View," which airs opposite Barker and his correct prices.
So, does that mean Mom TiVos "The View" so they can watch her yenta-fest at their leisure? Or do they get their Meredith quota watching "Millionaire?" Or maybe they see enough of her at home and actually do something else besides watch TV.
Now, that would be something worthy of discussion on "The View." Too bad the kids wouldn't see it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)