Wild Card — 2/3/09

49 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

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  moscow_minidoka on February 03 at 10:39 a.m.

  The Spokesman-Review is edging closer to getting canceled at my house, and replaced by either the Lewiston Tribune or the Moscow-Pullman Daily News. This isn’t a threat - I am mostly saddened, because I really like the Spokesman…but it’s slipping.

  I’ve been having delivery problems with the SR this past week - apparently I have a new carrier. The old carrier left the paper right at my doorstep by 5 am. I am spoiled in my habits, which include coffee and the SR at 5:30 before hopping in the shower. Well, the new carrier is leaving the paper down at the end of our driveway, which requires I actually put on some pants and walk a ways to get the paper.

  I can live with that - I need the exercise. But the past three days, the paper has been MIA when I leave the house at 6:30. Not good.

  So, here is the shocker - when I called the Pullman office to gripe, a recording told me that the Pullman office is now closed.

  Did I miss a memo? Did the SR actually mention anything about closing their Pullman office? Used to be I could call Pullman and speak to someone immediately if I had a delivery problem - I was on hold for 25 minutes just to speak to someone in the Spokane office about my paper being late/missing/etc.

  Ok, so let me get this straight - The SR has reduced its coverage of the Palouse, does not provide us with a “voices” section (we used to get the Handle section which included Huckleberries and front-page Idaho news - now we get the Spokane version, but without the “extras”), cannot get its delivery act together as of late, and now no longer has customer service in our area.

  Keep up the good work, SR. I depend on you as the best regional newspaper in the Inland Empire, but if you keep crapping on your “marginal” subscription areas, I’m just going to pull the plug. I’ll keep my subscription local, and just leech off of your website.

  Grrr.

• 

  DFO on February 03 at 10:43 a.m.

  Moscow Minidoka; I forwarded your first comment to our Circulation Department manager.

• 

  moscow_minidoka on February 03 at 10:53 a.m.

  DFO - Thanks… I didn’t expect that, but perhaps it will help?

• 

  hmoffsuite on February 03 at 11:14 a.m.

  In the ‘be careful of what you wish for’ department …….

  BOSTON (AP) — A lesbian couple who led the fight for gay marriage in
  Massachusetts has filed for divorce.

  Julie and Hillary Goodridge were among seven gay couples who filed a lawsuit
  that led to a court ruling making Massachusetts the first state to legalize
  same-sex marriages in 2004. The couple became the public face of the debate in
  the state and married the first day same-sex marriages became legal.

  The divorce case was filed last week in Suffolk Probate and Family Court and
  was not unexpected. The couple announced they were separating in 2006.

• 

  brentandrews on February 03 at 12:05 p.m.

  For Bailout, Hire Some Watchdogs, Too / Chronic Discontent: http://chronicdiscontent.wordpress.com/2009/02/02/for-bailout-hire-some-watchdogs-too/

  Bailout the newspapers, save democracy, come out smelling like a rose. Eh, Mr. President?

• 

  poolman on February 03 at 12:38 p.m.

  “Moscow Minidoka; I forwarded your first comment to our Circulation Department manager.”

  DFO - while your handling SR customer complaints can I add mine. Who was the genius that decided to change the location of the sports TV and radio listings? For years they were on the second page of the sports section, upper left hand corner, easy to find, easy to read and consistent. This is the first thing I look at when I open up the paper. Got to see who is playing, what time, and what channel. Now it seems to float around - I have to dig for it every time which is driving me crazy. Thanks in advance.

• 

  brentandrews on February 03 at 12:48 p.m.

  An Alligator Took Boy’s Arm, A Thief Stole His Money / The Times-Picayune: http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/man_arrested_for_allegedly_ste.html

  FUNDRAISER DIVERTED DONATIONS
  ___

  Bank Returns $20K To 12-Year-Old’s Family

  ___

  Aligators In Slidell, LA? Ask Kid Who Swam
  Ashore Missing Arm After 500-Pounder Bit

• 

  GaryIngram on February 03 at 12:56 p.m.

  I’m inclined to want to talk about the news that’s in the paper rather than than the newspaper itself. So, if I may, I would like to direct the conversation to the news that moderate democrats are putting pressure on their liberal senators in Congress to get real and seriously consider the republican ideas to focus on creating jobs with stimulus spending not just throw more money on the wall and hope some of it sticks in order to lift our economy out of the abyss.

  So I ask, Thomg, spokesman for all things liberal and democrat in these parts, do you support your moderates and their their plea?

• 

  idawa on February 03 at 1:29 p.m.

  Gee Gary, if you want to start a discussion, why don’t you start with a legitimate question.

  Here is synopsis of what you just asked, “Republican are trying to create jobs, democrats just want to spend my money…discuss.”

  Why not just ask, why are republican great and democrats are morons?

  I think a better question, if you really care about the issue whether than being partisan all the time, is do you think that tax cuts or public sector spending is a better tactic in the goal of creating economic growth?

• 

  poolman on February 03 at 2:45 p.m.

  Gary - what is your point? The term “stimulus” is a mirage, a slide of hand, happy pills. Take $850 Billion and split it up between the adult taxpaying population of the US and each person would receive roughly $450 dollars. Not much of a stimulus there. So the real question is where and how do you spend that kind of money today to create long term financial stability? The greedy conservatives want $’s in pocket right now. Just give me the money - NOW. It’s right in line with the “DRILL BABY DRILL” mentality that was so proudly displayed during the GOP convention. Democrats realize that infrastructure is the key to promoting a strong, sustainable nation for future generations. It’s not going to depend on what Citigroup’s stock does next week, contrary to what Rush may have told you.

• 

  hhuseland on February 03 at 3:01 p.m.

  Bay Views Third Anniversary. Thank you for following my blog.
  

  — Site Summary –
   Visits

  Total ………………….. 45,124
  Average per Day …………….. 59
  Average Visit Length ………. 1:08
  This Week …………………. 413

  Page Views

  Total ………………….. 75,288
  Average per Day …………….. 95
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  This Week …………………. 667

• 

  Arpie on February 03 at 3:32 p.m.

  Gary, You seem to be in agreement with you congressman, Walt Minnick. See his post on the front page.

• 

  JeanieSpokane on February 03 at 3:33 p.m.

  Congratulations, Herb!!!! Goiod grief, I didn’t get your weekly total in a YEAR. Just little toes in the water by DFO. The rest being my fan club of CindyH and my baby brother. {sigh}

• 

  JeanieSpokane on February 03 at 3:34 p.m.

  Goiod - it’s a Jewish Portugese way of saying good. :)

• 

  Me on February 03 at 3:35 p.m.

  If this is the true way:

  Democrats realize that infrastructure is the key to promoting a strong, sustainable nation for future generations. It’s not going to depend on what Citigroup’s stock does next week, contrary to what Rush may have told you.

  Then can you please tell me what percentage of the stimulas package is infrastructure? And is that enough to jog things? And if it is a small percentage and it isn’t enough then why should we be happy with it? Because it’s something? and that’s better than nothing????

  Because that is ALOT of money - but if you can tell me that it is going to infrastructure that is going to get us out of this then I’m on board.

• 

  Me on February 03 at 3:40 p.m.

  By the way - I am happy that the President said this today:

  Obama told NBC “I’m frustrated with myself” for unintentionally sending a message that there are “two sets of rules” for paying taxes, “one for prominent people and one for ordinary folks.”

  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/daschle_taxes

• 

  JeanC on February 03 at 3:43 p.m.

  Congrats on the 3rd blogaversary Herb. I just realized I hit my 5th on 1/27. Seems just like yesterday when I started blogging by setting one up on Bravenet to see what everyone was talking about and then got hooked LOL.

• 

  Bent on February 03 at 4:09 p.m.

  Me, the Senate version of the stimulus bill (as amended today) has set aside about 19% toward infrastructure.

  And, Poolman, if you do the math on $850 billion, it amounts to roughly $2,778 per documented citizen of the US. (Based on a population of about 306 milion people).

  Here is a link to a story that details the programs that both the GOP and the blue dog democrats are questioning…

  http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/02/gop.stimulus.worries/index.html

• 

  Me on February 03 at 4:20 p.m.

  Thanks much Bent. You know some of those things I might get behind if I didn’t KNOW that so much will be wasted. How many computers will they buy with that $110 million dollars - 10?

• 

  brandxranch on February 03 at 5:39 p.m.

  Happy Birthday, Bay Views!! ….and many more. And, Jeanie, you can count me as a fan of your blog along with Cindy and Bro.

• 

  poolman on February 03 at 6:26 p.m.

  Bent - crap - nobody ever checks my math. :)

• 

  fotoman on February 03 at 8:11 p.m.

  I was just glancing through the thread of comments, and I have to agree with poolman ‘s comment from around noon today. It’s very annoying that the SR moved the TV listing section in the sports section, and seems to keep moving it. I mumble every time I have to waste time looking for it.

• 

  thawtfulreader on February 03 at 9:54 p.m.

  “The nonprofit newspaper: A business model for dullness/Kevin Richert”

  “In the news this evening, the New York Times editor hints that the “Gray Lady” may begin charging for online access here. ”

  Guess what dead tree news model is REALLY flourishing, both around here and nationally?

  The FREE weekly newspaper, ala The Inlander:

  “Being Free
  As old media crumbles, the once meek may inherit the Earth
  …
  At that point, I was sure I’d be the environmental reporter at a daily newspaper somewhere after finishing my degree. I sat down with my editor — a grad student like me, but in her second year — and she started scanning through my copy. She asked a couple questions, changed a couple things, then, as she gathered how long a story it looked to be, she scanned down to the bottom. Looking a little irritated, she started back at the top, then cursored down again, eventually settling about a third of the way into my story. She highlighted the text from there to the bottom. After she hit delete, she turned to me, apparently perfecting the hard-bitten demeanor she hoped would take her far, and said, “Nobody cares.”

  That was the end of my very short career in daily newspaper journalism.
  …

  Print is alive and well in these pages; our free, weekly newspaper is stronger than ever — readership and page counts have been at all-time highs for us over the past year, and we continue to have the nation’s highest market penetration among urban weeklies.”

  http://www.inlander.com/content/newscommentary_ted_s_mcgregor_jr_media_new_and_old_face_challenges

  Originally I was a subscriber to the Cowles owned Chronicle, I liked afternoon papers as they had at least some of THAT day’s news while I was too busy at work to find out about. (What happened before, say 11 am or so).

  As opposed to the morning paper’s YESTERDAY’S news.

  I hardly recognize the Spokesman/Review today. Ads on the front page all the time. Shrunken news and editorial pages (if at all), which are my favorite. Shallow reporting, mostly, despite the occasional (now rare) in depth expose/scoop.

  HBO seems to be the only online S/R product that is doing well, of all their efforts to promote “The Good Paper” online.

  Sad, but true.

• 

  Arch_Druid on February 03 at 11:31 p.m.

  On the stimulus package, someone should tell the GOP here and in Washington, DC that tax cuts haven’t “stimulated” the economy and jobs have been shed—not created—since they were announced. And in the last 8 years, GW, on job creation, did a lot of smoke and mirrors and shell game tactics. There should be incentives for jobs creation that favors American workers. I can say without qualification, that this is in the stimulus (not all pork) package.

• 

  Bob on February 04 at 6:07 a.m.

  Are you an optimist or pessimist?

  That is the topic du jour on TUBOB this morning.

  Money shot:

  That is the Way of the Pessimist. The Optimist, on the other hand, believes it happens exactly the same way except he believes that on the peak of each mountain is unicorn shlt full of diamonds and gold and that even though he never finds it that is only because unicorns are rare and magical creatures and that he sure wants to be the one up there when the unicorn has finally passed on by leaving a big dump for him.

  http://unbearablebobness.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/02/climbing-up-mt-wednesday.html

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