5:30 a.m. tail lights

I glanced out the window this morning and saw a car moving slowly through the condo.  A mom on newspaper duty. Just like I did, just like my mom did.

Actually, unless we had 4 feet of snow, my mom just gave us a warm breakfast, bundled us up, wrapped scarves around our faces, shoved on our leather and fleece snow boots, helped load the heavy Sunday Rockford Morning Star into our bags, and opened the door. But for three us, she had quite a work out before she could sit down with a cup of coffee and toast. My route was about 12 papers scattered at the SW of town with some farms--I was maybe 8 or 9. My sisters had the long routes with houses closer together.

My niece remembers that Mom told her she considered it good physical therapy for Carol after her bout with polio in 1949--riding her bike and walking with the bags of newspaper.  Also playing the saxophone for breath control and building up her lungs.

News junkie

Yes, that would be me. We don’t get a newspaper (Columbus Dispatch is mostly advertising), but I see several on line, but only see the articles that are are pre –selected for me by some sort of algorithm.

Online versions of print/paper sources (most are left of center in editorial content, except WSJ, which is liberal in news coverage)

Wall Street Journal

Washington Post

New York Times

Columbus Dispatch

LA Times

USA Today (rarely)

Investor’s Business Daily

Online only news sources

Newsmax (conservative)

Huffington Post (liberal)

Daily Beast (liberal)

Vox (liberal

National Review Online (conservative)

Slate (liberal)

TV news

Fox News

World Over (EWTN)

local news channels in Columbus (or Lakeside)

ABC, NBC, CBS occasionally, usually in the morning, or on the kitchen TV which has no cable.

Opinion shows, either radio or TV or internet

Teresa Tomeo (EWTN)

Michael Medved

Dennis Prager

Rush Limbaugh

Glenn Beck

Think Tanks

Manhattan Institute (conservative)

Brookings (liberal)

Ethics and public policy (conservative)

Blogs and Facebook

Who reads which newspapers?

1. The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.
2. The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country.
3. The New York Times is read by people who think they should run the country.
4. USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the country but don't really understand the Washington Post. They do, however, like their statistics shown in pie chart format.
5. The Los Angeles Times is read by people who wouldn't mind running the country, if they could spare the time, and if they didn't have to leave LA to do it.
6. The Boston Globe is read by people whose parents used to run the country and they did a far superior job of it, thank you very much.
7. The New York Daily News is read by people who aren't too sure who's running the country, and don't really care as long as they can get a seat on the train.
8. The New York Post is read by people who don't care who's running the country, as long as they do something really scandalous, preferably while intoxicated.
9. The San Francisco Chronicle is read by people who aren't sure there is a country or that anyone is running it; but whoever it is, they oppose all that they stand for. There are occasional exceptions if the leaders are handicapped minority feminist atheist dwarfs who also happen to be illegal aliens from ANY country or galaxy, as long as they are democrats.
10. The Miami Herald is read by people who are running another country but need the baseball scores.
11. The National Enquirer is read by people trapped in line at the grocery store.

http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=7237

Makes me nostalgic for when Panera’s and a few other coffee shops had a house paper for both the Columbus Dispatch and the Wall St. Journal. WSJ actually has the most liberal news coverage, but the best conservative opinion page. Using WSJ I did a comparison of the difference between male and female writers' use of idioms.

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2007/01/3328-e.html

Many newspapers endorsing Romney

A few people still read newspapers, and more and more are recommending a change. They probably want their advertisers to stay in business. Should have thought of that in 2008 because he told us who he was and what he believed and what he intended to do.

The New York Daily News endorses Mitt Romney and paints a very dreary picture of the Obama years. "The trend over the Obama years: Goodbye to middle- and high-income jobs in New York City; hello to positions that pay less than $45,000 a year." Sad to read. Does no one today learn about the failed policies of FDR and how the Depression just kept recycling each time it looked like recovery was on the horizon?

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/choice-america-future-mitt-romney-article-1.1196299

The Wisconsin State Journal picks Romney. I really disagree with them that the sloganeering, scowling, stammering Obama is more likeable and an inspiring speaker, but that misunderstanding must have been what threw them off in 2008. What could possibly be inspiring about a mish mash of socialism and sharia?

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/opinion/editorial/our-pick-mitt-romney/article_902e45bc-25cc-11e2-a89f-001a4bcf887a.html

Will update as I find them.

The ‘Las Vegas Review-Journal’ blasted Pres. Obama in a blistering editorial about the Benghazi attacks in which four Americans died, calling him an “unworthy commander-in-chief.”
“The Obama admin. sat by doing nothing for seven hours that night, ignoring calls to dispatch help from our bases in Italy, less than two hours away,” the editorial said. . . (lists numerous other faults and concludes) Mitt Romney is moral, capable and responsible man. Just this once, it's time to hold Barack Obama to his word. Maybe we can all do something about that, come Tuesday.

http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/benghazi-blunder-obama-unworthy-commander-in-chief-176736441.html

Long Island Newsday:  Had Barack Obama done the job of president with the same passion and vision he displayed in seeking it, he would likely deserve another term. He did not.

http://www.newsday.com/opinion/editorial-elect-mitt-romney-president-of-the-united-states-1.4182689

Week 3 at Lakeside, 2012

The week (always on Saturday) started out in the breathless heat. I wondered how I would enjoy the wonderful program planned for the Hoover, but around 7 p.m. the wind picked up and the temperature dropped at least into the 80s. I managed a trip to the laundromat on Saturday afternoon (our washer started smoking on the 28th and is no longer usable).

The Osmond Brothers, Merrill, Jay and Jimmy, performed Saturday night. Wow. What amazing, accomplished musicians, but then they’ve been performing together over 50 years, having had their 50th anniversary as a family group in 2008. Seven of the nine Osmonds are musicians and/or actors--one brother who used to perform with these three in recent years in Bransom, MO and on tour has had a stroke and another has M.S. Donny and Marie still perform together occasionally. All the Osmonds use their many talents in other areas of show business. They did a lot of interacting with the audience, and one more row and I would have been able to shake Merrill’s hand. The audience at the end (about 2-3 encores) rushed up to take photos, and they obliged. Some performers are very stingy with their time, but not this group. They also called Shirley Starey (who is program director) to the stage because it was her birthday.

The Archives and Heritage Hall has a new director of operations, Gretchen Curtis, who did our educational programming for years. Keith Addy gave some “behind the scenes” stories about the days he was in charge of the Hoover entertainment, 1988-2004. My neighbor provided a few additional ones. He said his wife was the driver from the airport when the Osmonds (5 of them) appeared here in 1985. Also he said when the Lennon sisters appeared here (1960s?), they took a break after about 30 minutes. The audience waited and waited, but they never came back on state. They’d left during intermission!

On Monday and Tuesday Frank Deaner, retired Ohio Newspaper Association, talked about future of newspapers and the sunshine law. He was hopeful about the future of newspapers, although the dailies are down (1902, 2600; 2009, 1392), many people report using a newspaper daily (59%) or on Sunday (53%). News websites get 113 million adult visitors. E-content (tablet, etc.) readers are increasing readership. Many websites are going “hyper-local.” I learned that the Cincinnati Inquirer is getting out of the printing business, and will be printed by the Columbus Dispatch. Also new is a less than 7 day schedule, like publishing 4 days, and the current stories appear only on blogs or the website. Lots of multi-media cross digitization--Scripps Howard now owns Food Network (cable), for instance.

On Wednesday and Thursday Meghan Harper, Assoc. Prof., Kent State talked on the future of libraries. She was very upbeat and positive. Two of my library friends, Andrea and Marian, and I compared notes at the Wednesday picnic. Our view from the trenches was not quite so positive. Of course, none of us were as enamored of technology as Ms. Harper.

A great genealogy workshop this week, 5 days at 3:30, by Derek Davey, who is an instructor in genealogy, and a private, for-hire, genealogist. Many of the points I knew (although I don’t always follow). Met a woman who also has a Church of the Brethren background and I told her about the Brethren genealogy listserv that has been so helpful for me in finding Wengers, Danners, Geigers, and Fetters. Because maiden names were often not included in older records, it is nice to have such a helpful group.

Thursday night was The Glenn Miller Orchestra. Powerful performance. The leader said they tour 48 weeks a year, 4-5 performances a week! This also included a seminar in the afternoon, although I didn’t attend. After all, one has to preserve some nap time!

Friday night Judy Collins is scheduled. She is my age and still does about 100 performances a year. So I guess I can walk 3 blocks to hear her. She is multi-talented, and is also an author.

Thinking about snowy Minnesota

They are really socked in, aren't they? The roof of the Metrodome caved in! And it's snowing here in Columbus, too, and we're not good with snow. We'll be socked in the rest of the day, and I'm guessing the children's choir concert will be cancelled this afternoon, plus school tomorrow. Time to get out the Douglas County Record for some old fashioned, small town news. I've never been to Douglas County, MN but reading that paper sure brings memories of back home in Illinois 50 years ago--deer hunter ethics award; piano recital photo from the Baptist church; Republicans having a Christmas party (and even calling it that); all kinds of photos of the 4-H members' awards; and would you believe it, a 2 for 1 special at the Pit Stop Restaurant during NASCAR races! You can't find better snowy day reading than a small town newspaper. Last January, Pastor Borchardt of the Millersville Trinity Lutheran Church said, "When it hits 30 below I promise I will turn on the furnace."

President Obama wants to hear from you

Really. He said so many times. Not all blacks voted for him. Not all gays are liberals. Not all women are feminists. Not all Hispancis crossed the border in this century. Not everyone at the tea parties were Republican retirees. He says you should speak out, you should effect change, so JUST DO IT!!

Here are the president's words, and a link where you can go to write a letter to your local papers (based on your zip code) so you don't have to reenter the information several times.

“I have always said that I don’t think that the LGBT [insert your group here] community should take its cues from me or some political leader in terms of what they think is right for them. Real change comes from the bottom up, not the top down. As your President, I will fight to make LGBT equality a reality at the federal level. But it is the LGBT community [insert your name, family, group, church here] that has to decide what is in their best interest, and to help make it happen by engaging actively with the political process.”
Barack Obama, April 30, 2008


"This is what change looks like when it happens from the bottom up. And in this election, your voices will be heard.

Because at a time when so many people are struggling to keep up with soaring costs in a sluggish economy, we know that the status quo in Washington just won’t do. Not this time. Not this year. We can’t keep playing the same Washington game with the same Washington players and expect a different result – because it’s a game that ordinary Americans are losing….

The politics of hope does not mean hoping things come easy. Because nothing worthwhile in this country has ever happened unless somebody, somewhere stood up when it was hard; stood up when they were told – no you can’t, and said yes we can."
Barack Obama, February 13, 2008


". . . it’s so important that you continue to speak out, that you continue to set an example, that you continue to pressure leaders — including me — and to make the case all across America.
Barack Obama, October 10, 2009

Let's take him at his word. He wants us to speak up, stand up, demand no more same old, same old, from corrupt, pork crazed, deficit deranged politicians!

Then go to this link, it's extremely easy to fill out your message to your local papers, (it's Obama's own website) and be clear, specific and polite.

Here's mine--and I think I clicked on the Columbus Dispatch, WSJ and USAToday. Whether their editors are honoring these, I don't know. But it certainly is easier than contacting each one and trying to figure out different templates. It has a preview before you send, with an easy editing feature. Of course, Obama will have your home address and e-mail, . . . but oh well, did you think he wouldn't know?

Easy solutions for fixing health care [subject line you fill in]

[Message] Our system will work much better if competition across state lines is included in the plan. Once we eliminate the fraud from Medicare and Medicaid we will have a template for reform; but let's not add to that plate until we've cleaned it up. People in this country illegally are breaking the law and should not be eligible for any plan, not employers, not public option. The government should not be silencing people who have alternative views any more than it should be taking over private businesses and running them. And that includes insurance companies, car companies, banks, small businesses, large businesses. That's statism, and it's not the hope and change Americans voted for. Also, Democrats and Republicans both seem much too cozy with lawyers and don't want to consider tort reform. Why is that?

Also, legislators who have broken laws--ethics or tax--should be excluded from the process until they are cleared.

Only about 10% of our citizens are without health care in any given week/month. That's probably about the number who also want vaccines. When we get the vaccine campaigns correct without fear, scare tactics and declared national emergencies, maybe we can move to larger targets.

I'm going to miss newspapers

On a good day, I can read the Columbus Dispatch, USA Today and WSJ in just a few minutes. The advertising is disappearing at a fast clip, and that's what keeps the printing presses rolling (do they still roll, or has that changed too?).

It's ironic that the hostile-to-business, hate-the-capitalists-media are digging their own graves. Once they are all on-line, they'll be easier to shut down completely by the man they all supported to exercise the biggest hatchet job on freedom ever recorded. And then that record will be buried, too.

How did this get into print?

The Ohio State Lantern had a reporter at the Columbus Tea Party on April 15. He apparently interviewed the

"State Auditor Mary Taylor who said she was happy to see such a large crowd, despite the rainy weather. She said the grass roots campaign showed how much the people care for America, similar to the way colonial Americans cared for America when the formed the Boston Tea Party.

"I believe in American ingenuity, and I believe that if the government gets out of our way we can solve this problem," Taylor said. "But instead of leadership, we get spending. When was the last time any of you got out of debt by going on a shopping spree?"

While a few in attendance said the rally had strong undertones from the Republican Party, most agreed that the government's spending, taxes and debt are getting out of control.

"I don't see how what's going on is capitalism any more," said Matthew Schill, a junior psychology major at OSU. "The careless spending without having a plan upsets me. Spending money we don't have, and increasing the national debt--I don't see how that will make anything better."

Unfortunately for Zach Tuggle, the student journalist for the Lantern, newspapers are going under at a fast rate, and I don't think he'll be able to save his profession which used to have a proud history. In recent years, the papers have been nothing but a collection of op-ed's and anti-business harangues, especially NYT, WaPo, WSJ, LA Times, Cleveland PD, and the Columbus Dispatch. Every "news" item was filled with anecdotes, psycho-babble, and MSW chatter. No wonder subscribers and advertisers gave up on them.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

No more paper in newspaper.

The American Society of Newspaper Editors scheduled an April vote in Chicago to become simply the American Society of News Editors. Under the proposed changes, which require membership approval, editors of news Web sites also would be permitted to join, as would leaders of journalism programs. Google news story

New York Times Endorses Obama for President

Oct. 24, a Reuters headline. Now that's a big surprise, right?

"S&P Lowers NYT Rating to 'Junk'" also a headline on October 24, Crain's New York Business.

The company reported a 51.4% decline in third-quarter profit but still beat Wall Street estimates as the newspaper industry continues to suffer from advertising reductions accelerated by a worsening economy.

For years the New York Times
has published only its opines
of how much America declines
while George Bush it always slimes.

Read it daily if you will
I can't take the snooty swill.
A 50+ decline but still
Team Obama is their drill.

Dumbing down is not the best plan for survival

Churches who have tried to go the "seeker" route have found this; those of us on government health care have found this; the trend in entertainment to the cheaper reality shows have proved this. Maybe newspapers could have been saved.

"I never thought I would see the day newspapers would dumb-down, but I’ve seen it. They argue they must do so to survive. I would humbly suggest they took the easy way out, instead of taking the time to rethink their role in society and create new revenue streams to reflect it. But what do I know? I just edited them, I didn’t own them." Djelloul Marbrook, text from a pod cast for journalism students