Grumpy Editor

Pigeons in Hollywood grab chunk of Sunday space

With all sorts of happenings in the world over the week end coupled with  editorial space growing tighter, some newspapers had no problem in filling up columns around ads with an "earth-shaking" Associated Press feature on pigeons flying around central Hollywood in the shadow of the Capitol Records building, notes Grumpy Editor.

The AP story by Noaki Schwartz, along with art of pigeons (for those not familiar with what the birds look like), ran up to 38 paragraphs in some Sunday newspapers.  Among those running the material:  Chicago Sun-Times, (Torrance, Calif.) Daily Breeze, Arizona Daily Star, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Denver Post and Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The pigeon story on Mother's Day grabbed more space than pieces on President Bush's daughter Jenna's wedding, 1.5 million cyclone survivors in Myanmar, heavy fighting between opposition forces in the mountains overlooking Beirut, Lebanon, and a new round of tornadoes smacking Oklahoma, Missouri and Georgia.

The AP pigeon story mentioned the "war" on Hollywood pigeons between those who feed them and those who want to curb the birds, even slipping them a birth control drug via five rooftop feeders.

What was not mentioned in the AP feature was "collateral damage" that could affect other flyers such as doves, sparrows, blue jays and house wrens that also may peck on the doctored seeds, making them innocent victims following a pause in Hollywood.

The prime targets are Rock Pigeons, which have been in North America since the early 1960s (originally domesticated in Egypt about 3100 B.C.).  Among the 150 types of pigeons, some are developed for various purposes, such as for food (White King), or carrying messages or for racing.

Some of the specialized pigeons have spawned clubs and associations around the U.S. that focus on particular breeds.

So pigeons --- and periodic stories on them --- will be making the rounds for some time.

Company hopes hot dogs will spark investors’ interest

Grumpy Editor figures the PR meeting, after a stirring discussion, probably concluded with something like this:

“Hot dog!” exclaimed the boss, emphasizing those words with his fist pounding on the conference table.  “Let’s do it.”

So next Monday through Wednesday, Famous Uncle Al’s Hot Dogs & Grille, Inc. --- which will be exhibiting at the Las Vegas Money Show --- will be passing out 5,000 coupons good for free hot dogs to visitors passing by its booth.

The coupons will be redeemable at any of three Famous Uncle Al’s eateries in Sin City and one in Phoenix.

“Distributing 5,000 free hot dog coupons is a great way to introduce many of the attendees to our product,” says president Dean Valentino, president of the franchise operation based in Danbury, Conn.

Yes, there really was an Al who started things.  From Brooklyn, he opened the first Famous Uncle Al's Hot Dog restaurant in 1985. 

Up to 12,000 attendees are expected at the Money Show that will showcase various opportunities for investors.

Grumpy Editor’s end-of-week leftover notes:

Confusing time:  Wall Street Journal stories now use day of the week (i.e. Friday for the current issue) rather than the traditional today…More confusion:  Two separate stories on Monday gave contrary reports of western mountain snowpacks.  The Los Angeles Times elevates fears of water rationing in California communities with a piece about a bleak snowpack report raises “strong possibility of water shortages” while a wire story reports Colorado mountain snow is the deepest in 25 years…It was refreshing to see a master showman via vintage TV clips with “Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music” on the TCM channel last Sunday.  Footage was from 1965-1966 telecasts, complete with modernistic sets and a roomful of musicians.  Noteworthy for today’s singers to observe, Sinatra held the microphone 12 to 15 inches from his lips, rather than the current method of bumping it under the nose…What struggling economy?  NBC-TV is informing deep-pocket advertisers that running a 30-second commercial during next year’s Super Bowl will cost $3 million…A new (at least for mainland residents) word for Hawaii’s volcanic smog when it is mixed with dust and sunlight is vog.  It stems from sulfur dioxide from the Big Island’s Kilauea volcano which has been erupting since 1983… Future journalists hit:  A planned shuffling of schedules at Newton, Mass. middle schools would eliminate journalism classes at one middle school that produces award-winning The Daytime student newspaper.  However, all four Newton middle schools will offer Chinese language courses next year.

Sen. Harry Reid tells all on TV’s ‘The Daily Show’

To hypo their efforts, book authors these days have to set aside much time to make promotional rounds ranging from book signing tours to appearances on TV talk shows.

For Grumpy Editor, it was unusual to spot Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) guesting this week on the late night The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central.

The senator is no novice to TV.  After all, C-Span captures him in live action on the Senate floor with what might be called his own Daily Show.

In the long introduction, Stewart displayed a photo from the book, “The Good Fight,” that showed Reid’s humble beginnings with his parents’ very modest home in Searchlight, Nev., where he was born.

Stewart called Reid’s ascension “a remarkable journey.”

“I’m here,” responded the soft-spoken senator, looking uneasy across the desk from Stewart in front of a studio audience looking for laughs.

During the six-minute interview, Reid explained that “I felt it was important to tell a story about who I am in America.  If I can make it, anyone can.”

Overwhelmed Stewart, accustomed to bandying words with personalities such as Ben Affleck and Meryl Streep, said, “That’s a nice story.”

The appearance with Stewart was one of several TV, radio and print interviews scheduled this week for Reid.

Next week for the senator, it’s back to unlimited live TV time --- without commercials --- on C-Span from the Senate chambers.

Liberal, Kansas, becomes competitive newspaper town

Who would believe that little Liberal, Kan. (population 20,000), in the heart of the Great Plains, would be the latest battleground of newspapers, currently with four and another in the works, observes Grumpy Editor.

Latest entry started Sunday with the debut of the High Plains Daily Leader.  Its publisher, Earl Watt, came over from The Times, a former daily, that in January went to publishing three times a week in Liberal, at the far southwest corner of Kansas, three miles from the Oklahoma state line.

Watt, who resigned as publisher of The Times last week, was joined at the  Daily Leader by 16 former Times employees that included the entire news staff plus business manager and others from various departments.

(Thus, suddenly, there are newspapers jobs open at The Times, which lost about 70 percent of its 22 full-time workers.)

Other newspapers in town are The Liberal Light, a weekly, and Los Tiempos, a Spanish-language weekly owned by The Times.

Soon to debut will be a free Spanish-language weekly from the Daily Leader.

What spurred the action?

In an Associated Press story by Maria Sudekum Fisher, Watt explains, “The public was upset” when The Times cut back to three days a week as a cost-saving measure.  “They were dropping subscriptions.  Three days a week was kind of a slap in the face to the community.  They felt embarrassed by it.”

Watt says 7,000 copies of the 14-page broadsheet Daily Leader, at the same subscription rate as The Times, are being printed Sundays through Fridays.

And a Web site is expected to appear later this week.

Proposed post-disaster treatments nix many elders

Those receiving Social Security benefits should be very concerned about recommendations in an article in the May issue of Chest, a medical journal. 

It proposes that in a flu pandemic or other major health disaster, when resources and medical treatment are scarce, among those that should be refused attention are people older than 85 no matter what their condition, notes Grumpy Editor.

At first, it sounds like a sketchy outline for a shocking TV movie.

Highlights from the medical journal, official publication of the American College of Chest Physicians, was reported in an Associated Press story that made the rounds in Monday’s media.

Lead writer of the Chest report, Dr. Asha Devereaux, is a San Diego critical care specialist.  The monthly has about 21,000 readers worldwide.

Seniors --- the longest city, county, state and federal taxpayers --- get the brunt of the suggested nixed treatment.  Going back to World War II, many in that category participated in or aided in the development of U.S. medical advances to prolong life on the planet.

Along with those 85-plus, others that would be out of luck for treatment when disaster strikes include anyone older than 60 with severe burns plus others with severe chronic diseases, severe trauma and severe mental impairment, such as Alzheimer’s.

The recommended steps lead one to believe that even a healthy, spry 85 year old who sustains a broken leg in a widespread disaster would get “tossed off the cliff.”

Strangely, no mention is made of how imprisoned hardened criminals or illegal aliens rank in treatment.

The recommended actions bring to mind the 1973 motion picture, Soylent Green.  Loosely adapted from the 1966 science fiction novel, Make Room! Make Room!, the movie is set in the year 2022 and depicts a dystopian society when conditions of life are extremely bad, characterized by human misery, poverty, oppression, violence, disease and pollution.

New secret Chinese sub base stirs worldwide headlines

Check this lead on a development making print over the weekend:

“China has secretly built a major underground nuclear submarine base that could threaten Asian countries and challenge American power in the region, it can be disclosed.”

Front-page stuff in the U.S.?

No.

It’s from the Daily Telegraph, London, which revealed the development on Friday.

News that China constructed a major nuclear submarine base on the southern tip of Hainan Island, in the South China Sea, brought scant coverage in the U.S. while overseas media gave the development heavy play, complete with satellite photos, notes Grumpy Editor.

Unusual aspect of the project, in the report by Jane’s Intelligence Review, is that there are believed to be 11 tunnels built into hillsides around the base near Sanya, a tourist resort.  The tunnels reach a height of about 60 feet and are capable of hiding up to 20 nuclear submarines from spy satellites.

Over the weekend, the story, also carried by Agence France-Presse (AFP), grabbed worldwide attention from Gulf Times in Qatar to Mercury News in Tasmania.  And in an area of major concern, it also caught the attention of editors at Taipei Times in the Republic of China.

In the U.S., Fox News Radio aired a brief item on Saturday morning.

Hainan Island, off the southern coast of China, also was in the news seven years ago when a U.S. Navy propeller-driven surveillance plane, with 24 crew members aboard, made an emergency landing there following a collision with a Chinese fighter jet.  The Chinese detained and interrogated the Americans for 11 days.

The Daily Telegraph calls the new base a “vast, James Bond-style edifice capable of concealing up to 20 nuclear-powered submarines, which will enable China to project its power across the region.”

Thomas Harding, the Telegraph’s defense correspondent adds, “In what will be a significant challenge to U.S. Navy dominance and to countries ringing the South China Sea, one photograph shows China’s latest 094 nuclear submarine at the base just a few hundred miles from its neighbors.”

Jane’s notes the extent of construction indicates the base could become a key hub for the Chinese navy’s aircraft carriers and other power-projection ships.  The publication adds, “This development so close to the southeast Asia sea lanes so vital to the economies of Asia can only cause concern far beyond these straits.”

Beat specialization fades as editorial staffs shrink

In these days when editorial staffs are being trimmed, specialization in a particular area often is getting shelved, notes Grumpy Editor.

An education reporter, for example, can be dispatched to cover a major fire in town.  Going on scene for other events also is happening more to those who normally cover court, science, music and health beats.  (However, sports reporters seem to be immune to multi-tasking.)

Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, is attempting to put the focus back on education coverage.  The Institute has hosted more than 60 seminars for 1,900 journalists in the last decade, says director Richard Lee Colvin.

A Hechinger survey of 275 education reporters finds:

·   91 percent of respondents say they believe covering education requires specialized knowledge.
·   41 percent say they need more specialized training and knowledge to become better education reporters, but 39 percent say their news outlets provide no training.
·  50 percent say their outlets view education coverage as high priority.
·   71 percent say their paper places education stories on the front page at least once a week.
·   47 percent say that, in addition to covering education, they are also general assignment reporters.

Interestingly, coverage by education reporters tapers off with newspapers showing higher circulation.

·   53 percent of responding education reporters are on papers with circulations under 100,000.
·   45 percent for papers with circulations of 100,000-500,000.
·   3 percent for papers with circulations greater than 500,000.

Grumpy Editor’s end-of-week leftover notes

Stock market recoups:  The ‘R’ (for recession) word faded from business pages Thursday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average spurted past the 13000 mark for the first time since Jan. 3, adding 189.87 points to reach 13010…Pamela bounces in:  Grabbing more attention than most guests and President George W. Bush in attendance at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner Saturday night was buxom actress Pamela Anderson.  Her entrance was greeted by screeching fans behind ropes, Hollywood movie premiere style, while a brigade of Washington D.C. photographers, eager to shoot something besides politicians, were clicking shutters galore.  Then she set off another photo session when attending an after party hosted by Bloomberg…A repeated reminder:  Network radio news writers need to pinpoint action.  Making Golden State on-the-road listeners uneasy, on-the-hour ABC News on Sunday (and into Monday) included a single-liner, “In Southern California, a wildfire has consumed 350 acres, forcing 1,000 people from homes.”  It takes one second to indicate the location --- Sierra Madre.  With three more seconds, “about 15 miles northeast of Los Angeles” could have been added.  Broadcast news folks should be aware that Southern California is not the name of a city.  The region spans about 370 miles wide and about 210 miles deep, to the Mexican border…Patriotic gesture remembered:  Radio talk show host Tammy Bruce noted one of the top 100 moments in baseball history 32 years ago with the posting on her Web site four minutes’ worth of footage showing former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Rick Monday snatching a U.S. flag from being set afire by two protesters who managed to get onto the field at Dodger Stadium…Another gesture wins an award:  A photo of former media mogul Conrad Black giving the finger to reporters last July as he arrived at the federal courthouse in Chicago was named best spot news photo by News Photographers Association of Canada in the second annual National Pictures of the Year competition.  Black is now serving time in Florida.

‘Green’ reader questions newspaper plastic wrapping

Grumpy Editor today spotlights plastic used with newspapers.

No, not the credit card type, but rather the plastic wrapping carriers use to assure deliveries get to subscribers in top shape.

Seems some folks in the “green” movement are concerned about surrounding delivered newspapers with plastic --- even on sunny days.

The Hartford (Conn.) Courant cites a reader who queries, “There are many things that your company could do that would make a positive difference to the Earth…Please stop wrapping your newspaper in plastic bags.”

At first glance, it sounds like the suggestion has merit.  But when a subscriber wants daily deliveries of newspapers to arrive in excellent condition, wrappings are warranted.  They not only provide protection from unexpected showers, but they also curb wetness from dew, lawn sprinklers and perhaps neighbors’ dogs.

Even under clear skies, plastic protection keeps newspapers intact, and wards off bugs (including ever-busy ants), dust and damage from wind and drive-overs from vehicles making turns in driveways.

Karen Hunter, The Courant’s reader representative, notes Brian McEnery, manager of operations and circulation, points out a carrier’s contract specifies papers need to be delivered in a dry and readable condition.  So the best way is putting them in wrappers.

Plastic does have dual use.  Hunter mentions bags, made from recycled materials, “can be reused for many purposes, ranging from ice bags to receptacles for pet waste.”

Courant readers who are not concerned by various elements that can affect unblemished deliveries can call the newspaper’s customer care department and request copies not be put in plastic bags, adds McEnery.

But as a result of this instruction, he cautions, papers may arrive wet on some days.

A soggy newspaper will bring another complaint --- plus a request for re-delivery, resulting in more gasoline burned in getting a dry, wrapped version to the driveway.

Will tripling of U.S. population rescue newspapers?

Despite latest circulation figures that show mostly a downtrend (see yesterday’s Grumpy Editor), will a mushrooming U.S. population bolster newspapers in the future?

Perhaps.

There is only so much that can be gleaned online.

No matter how fast some folks are with online searches, those with limited time find it still is quicker to consult newspapers for sports scores, daily TV program listings and movie start times at local theaters, as examples.  Also, it’s a bit difficult to read several comic strips, follow detailed recipes and check out department store sales with ease without newspapers in hand.

Grumpy Editor finds it interesting to note that a planning scholar sees the U.S. population more than tripling to a billion people.  However, this is the projection for sometime between 2100 and 2120 --- not much immediate help to current publishers and editors eagerly scanning the horizon for more readers.

But for those concerned about their children and grandchildren (a popular phrase politicians like to weave into their speeches), now is the time to focus on far-in-advance planning extending into the 22nd century.

Arthur C. Nelson says it’s not too early to be planning at least 92 years into the future.  Nelson, professor in urban affairs and planning, and co-director of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech, is considered an expert in estimating population changes and their impact on planning and economic development.

People should be thinking about a bigger view of the future, says Nelson. "They are going to live longer, and we have to plan for that. It is not just the number, it's what is driving the number."

He adds, "The impact of U.S. population growth will probably come crashing into us sooner in the future than we realize. We can meet the challenges — if we plan for it. We need to begin asking the right questions, and get prepared psychologically and politically. Then we need to plan on how to manage America at one billion residents."

For example, it’s not too early to plan now for future water supply systems, major rail transit facilities and airports.

And, of course, add to that:  design, form, content and distribution of newspapers of the future.

Few newspaper gainers show in latest ABC tabulation

Most newspapers’ circulation continues to head south, sure to sprout more gray hairs for publishers and editors, notes Grumpy Editor.

Some major dailies took big hits in a Monday report from Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Falling readership coupled with declining advertising revenue has management focusing on how to boost bottom lines.

No sooner were latest circulation figures released when the St. Petersburg Times announced it is cutting stock listings and combining its standalone business section with the Metro section next month.

At the same time, the News and Observer, Raleigh, N.C., a McClatchy Co. newspaper, announced it is offering buyouts to 230 of its 900 employees.

Changes in daily circulation figures, percentagewise, announced by ABC, for the six months ended March 31, compared to the like-period a year ago:

Biggest circulation losers were The Orange County Register, off 11.9 percent; Miami Herald, down 11 percent; St. Louis Post-Dispatch, slipped 8.5 percent; Atlanta Journal-Constitution, dropped 8.5 percent, and Boston Globe, decreased 8.3 percent.

Among others headed downward:  Los Angeles Times off 5.1 percent; Chicago Tribune, dropped 4.4 percent; San Francisco Chronicle, down 4.2 percent; New York Times, fell 3.8 percent; Washington Post, lost 3.5 percent.

On the bright side with modest gains (all under 1 percent) among high-circulation newspapers: The Wall Street Journal, up 0.3 percent; USA Today, 0.27 percent higher, and Baltimore Sun, a 0.1 percent rise.

Biggest gainer in newspapers of more than 50,000 circulation is El Diario/La Prensa, New York’s largest and oldest Spanish language daily newspaper, with a 7.61 percent jump.  Coming in second is The Times, Munster, Ind., with a 3.01 percent rise.  Ten other gainers all were under 2 percent.

TV freelancer captures U.S. efforts on Afghan border

Missed by many TV viewers because of little advance promotion is an excellent half hour, “Afghanistan Vignette: Patrol on the Afghanistan-Pakistan Border,” produced by embedded freelance journalist-cameraman Doug Grindle on C-Span, notes Grumpy Editor.

It aired several times last week and is likely to be scheduled again on C-Span.

Grindle’s superior work, recorded in March, captures the tedious routine of  U.S. Army troops of the 503rd Parachute Infantry on patrol and engaging Taliban in the mountainous border area of Khost Province in eastern Afghanistan that bears a resemblance to California’s barren high country.

Marking Grindle’s fifth trip to Afghanistan, it’s the sort of material that should grab a feature spot on a broadcast network so more TV watchers can get a better idea of what is going on.

Through his lens and soundtrack, viewers get a descriptive sketch by Grindle and troops he interviews on efforts to stop insurgents from using the rugged mountain area as a way to cross into Afghanistan.

Grindle has produced several “on patrol” pieces that were aired on C-Span this month.

For others, he tagged along with members of the 238th Aviation Battalion in Iraq and the 147th Air Assault Battalion in Iraq.  These were covered on the 11th visit to Iraq by Grindle who usually spends up to eight weeks away on each trip.

N.C. officials now allow father to care for GI's dogs

The saga of the father getting static from county officials because he is caring for his son’s two dogs while the soldier is in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division (see April 21 Grumpy Editor) has come to a sudden, happy conclusion.

Following national publicity on the matter, officials are showing fresh sensitivity to pet-owning service personnel in the area, home to Fort Bragg, a major military reservation. 

Cumberland County, N.C. officials had claimed Henry Carroll, of Fayetteville, an Army veteran disabled by a heart condition, was running a kennel, since with his own three dogs, five dogs under one roof put things into the pet boarding house category.

Steve Sbraccia, reporter at WNCN-TV, the NBC outlet in Raleigh, tells Grumpy Editor that county officials agreed to amend an ordinance that will allow Carroll, and others in the same situation, to keep an over-the-limit number of dogs on a temporary basis without need to be licensed as a kennel.

“The county’s ruling that five dogs were too many came back to bite them,” mentions Sbraccia.

“County officials admitted they were inundated with negative publicity resulting from the situation after the story went national, but they insist the negative publicity wasn’t what made them change their minds about the pet ordinance,” adds the TV newsman.

Grumpy Editor’s end-of-week leftover notes:

Parched West poised for huge runoff.  Most media have been quiet in reporting bright news concerning above-average mountain snow in the West that will result in a promising runoff, highest in 11 years, via six rivers to ease the drought, which has been heavily covered for months.  Included:  The Colorado River that flows into Lake Powell ---expected to rise 50 feet from its current level --- plus Lake Mead and southward to California and Mexico…Earth Day was spotlighted by 45 King Features cartoonists.  Their comics ranged from serious to funny…Second language:  Promoting a May 2 music event at Mandalay Bay hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip, the Las Vegas Review-Journal ran a quarter-page ad --- all in Spanish.

Snap job. To illustrate Wells Fargo & Co. first quarter results, a Bloomberg News photo of a man walking his dog past a Wells Fargo automated teller machine in San Diego gives the photographer a credit line for the easy, quick, “no sweat” shot…Size of the New York Post this week shrunk to 12 inches high, clipping off 1½ inches…Time to share:  If some stories in the eight largest newspapers in Ohio (including the Cleveland Plain Dealer) look alike, it stems from a sharing arrangement through a new network called the Ohio News Organization (OHNO)…Not much comment was made when Ford Motor Co. announced Wednesday that it is hiring 1,500 workers to boost production, primarily on the Focus model, at its plant near St. Petersburg --- in Russia.

Smoke talk becomes major topic at Chicago Tribune

There was much talk about smoking Wednesday in Chicago Tribune offices, notices Grumpy Editor.

Internally, Tribune Co. ended a $100 monthly penalty for employees who smoke and enroll in the company’s health plan.  Managers say the fee is “inconsistent with the new culture.”

When signing up in October, about 600 of more than 16,000 employees in the plan acknowledged the puffing habit. 

“We’d rather you use your own judgment when it comes to tobacco use, not impose ours upon you,” Gerry Spector, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, informed staffers.

Then, in print, the Tribune reported on the suspension of 39 production workers at a Whirlpool Corp. plant in Evansville, Ind. who were seen smoking after declaring on health insurance forms that they were eligible for a yearly $500 tobacco-free insurance discount.

Whirlpool, which has offered lower premiums to non-smokers for 12 years, said more suspensions may come this week involving other production workers and possibly some administrative staff.

“Falsifying company documents is a serious offense” that “could include suspension and termination,” the company said.

With the 39 sidelined, Whirlpool recalled 21 workers who recently were involuntarily laid off, while 20 others, on voluntary layoffs, are due to return.

Free daily Metro also hit with drop in revenue

As with their traditional newspaper competitors, free dailies are getting hit by tough economic conditions resulting in a drop in advertising revenue and thus also have to trim staffs, notes Grumpy Editor.

Latest to feel the squeeze is Metro International SA, the world’s largest international newspaper.  Its various editions --- from Athens to Hong Kong --- are read by 23 million people a day.

Outside of Boston, New York and Philadelphia editions, where the tabloids compete with traditional newspapers, Metro isn’t widely known in the U.S.  Its focus is on local happenings, entertainment and large photos.

Registered in Luxembourg and with headquarters in London, Metro publishes more than 70 editions in 23 countries.  It claims 74 percent of its readers are under 49 years old and 82 percent are working or studying.

It gets by in the U.S. with a tight staff of about 100 after eliminating 27 in January, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Further expansion in the U.S. probably will be delayed as Metro’s first quarter revenue fell 6.1 percent to $116 million compared with the same period last year.

Metro got a lift in Boston last week when BostonNOW, an almost year-old free daily competitor, folded (see April 16 Grumpy Editor).

Barriers hit trying to uncover B of A CD information

The earnings news out of Bank of America Corp. Monday was glum, with announcement that first quarter saw a 77 percent drop in net income.  However, most media overlooked a bright spot:  Total deposits rose to $797.1 billion in the first quarter from $692.8 billion in the like year-ago period.

Impressed with that deposit growth in uncertain times and researching a safe haven to park funds, Grumpy Editor noticed a newspaper full-page color ad pitching a B of A “Risk Free CD.”

While the upper fourth of the page shows plain blue sky (over a couple running their dogs), details on the CD are nil, other than the usual trifle material: “access your money when you really need it; get a fixed rate of return; FDIC insured.”

Going to a Web site indicated in the ad adds a tiny bit of information, “Just $5,000 minimum to open.”  That’s a clue.  Although at the bottom of the page is a line stating, “The Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 04/21/08,” someone forgot to put in a figure.

Still no solid details, such as term and rate.

In three separate attempts, exploration of the B of A Web site for information on the ad-spotlighted CD proves futile.

Clicking on “open a CD” on the “Risk Free CD” page gets nowhere.  Typing in “savings rates” or “CD rates” on the B of A site get a startling “no answers found” phrase in stoplight red.  Punching in simply “CD” or “rates” gets puzzling 2003 and 2004 annual report information.  Going back and typing “Risk Free CD” also gets the “no answers found” result.

But wait.  There is an 800 number on the site that welcomes questions.  Dialing that gets a robotic male voice with a hearty, “Welcome to Bank of America” immediately followed by Spanish.  But unless one has an account number, that phone number --- with multiple not-applicable options --- also leads to a dead end.

So Grumpy Editor, via Google, finds a non-B of A site that promises information on the elusive “Risk Free CD.”  But, in these days of fast-changing rates, it contains 17-day-old information indicating the term is nine months with a rather low 2.7 percent APY rate.  Still, that couldn’t be confirmed and it was time to terminate the CD-info hunt.

Bottom line in financial advertising:  Give time-limited readers/prospects as many details as possible up front.  Curb obstacles.  Make phone (hopefully with humans available) and Web access easy --- without barriers.

N.C. officials ‘researching’ definition of a kennel

Update on Henry Carroll, of Fayetteville, N.C., the father caring for his overseas soldier son’s two dogs and is getting static from county officials, who claim he is running a kennel (as detailed here April 17) ---

Steve Sbraccia, reporter at WNCN-TV, the NBC outlet in Raleigh, N.C., informs Grumpy Editor that, after a meeting, Cumberland County Board of Adjustment officials now say they need more time to research the situation and no dogs will be removed from Carroll’s premises for the time being.

County officials decided to defer action after the county attorney said he’d need more time to clarify issues among several county agencies, adds Sbraccia.

The controversy is over what constitutes a kennel.  Carroll, 45, an Army veteran disabled by a heart condition, is taking care of two dogs left behind by his son, with the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq until December.  He said officials told him he is running a kennel, since with his own three dogs, five under one roof are too many.

But it turns out county officials are fuzzy on the definition of a kennel, giving Carroll several different answers when he asked the county to clarify the term.  One ordinance defines a kennel as any place where eight or more dogs or cats are fed, sheltered and watered.  Another document placed the figure at four.

(Grumpy Editor defines a kennel as a commercial establishment where dogs or cats are bred, raised, trained, or boarded --- not quite what is happening at Carroll’s house.)

So, now, Carroll waits for the next public hearing.

With his son eight months from returning home to claim his pets, chances are, the county just may take that much time to come up with the right answer in defining a kennel.

Californians again reminded ‘Big One’ lurks in future

During a “quiet” period in California with no natural disasters involving brush fires, downpours, flooding, mudslides, citrus freezes or smog alerts, media thoughts regularly turn to seismic activity --- and the possibility of a “strong” earthquake looming on the distant horizon, observes Grumpy Editor.

That means looking into the crystal ball to see what’s in store to three decades ahead.

Grabbing chunks of print space/broadcast airtime this week was an Associated Press story by Alicia Chang that reported, “California faces an almost certain risk of being rocked by a strong earthquake by 2037” in a seismic forecast by scientists.  New calculations show a 99.7 percent chance of a magnitude 6.7 quake or larger by then, adds the story.

Quake forecasts for the Golden State seem to be an almost annual ritual to shake up readers and residents who don’t need to be reminded they are in earthquake territory, just as other parts of the country, on a more frequent basis, are susceptible to hurricanes, overflowing rivers, tornadoes and blizzards.

In January, 2007, the same AP writer, in a 150th anniversary story, recapped the Fort Tejon quake that rattled a 250-mile stretch from Central to Southern California.  The article also worked in mention that “the U.S. Geological Survey and other groups…are kicking off a year-long campaign to warn people to prepare for the Big One.”

Six months earlier, another major story advised that the southern end of the San Andreas fault near Los Angeles is overdue for (yep!) the Big One.

Rather than periodic warnings, the next “looming earthquake” piece should detail --- with input from experts in various fields from insurance to medical --- exactly how to prepare for the Big One.

Grumpy Editor’s end-of-week leftover notes:

Veterans, especially Marines, are furious over the April 21 Time magazine cover that spotlights global warming.  It shows the world-famous Iwo Jima photo, shot by AP's Joe Rosenthal, doctored up with a green treetop replacing the U.S. flag being put into position by Marines after one of the bloodiest battles of World War II...Confusion reigns:  At Monday’s Washington, D.C. annual Associated Press luncheon, with more than 1,100 in attendance, AP chairman W. Dean Singleton, in questions from the audience portion, asked speaker Sen. Barack Obama about the threat posed by “Obama bin Laden.”  A quick correction came from the podium.  “That’s Osama bin Laden,” said the senator, as some attendees laughed…Meanwhile, an Associated Press story on a rock star’s endorsement of Obama for president chewed up seven paragraphs Wednesday in many space-tight newspapers.  Bruce Springsteen declared, "He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years”…Major staff trimming:  Florida Communications Group of Media General has offered buyouts to half its 1,326 employees, including staffers at the Tampa Tribune, WFLA-TV, TBO.com and the company’s other media outlets in the region…Daily gets duped:  Boston Herald editors blushed Tuesday after spotting a top-of-page 6 screaming headline:  “VP guns for shootout with Hill.”  Under an Associated Press byline, the story (complete with Sen. Hillary Clinton’s photo inserted in the text) claimed during an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, Vice President Dick Cheney told Tim Russert that he didn’t believe Hillary Clinton’s claims that she loves guns and challenged her to show her stuff by accompanying him on a hunting trip.  Turns out the lengthy article was a blogger’s satire and material was not provided by AP, a speedy correction pointed out.  But the question remains:  How did the story find its way to the copy desk where no suspicions were raised?

Overseas GI’s dogs’ temporary home irks N.C. officials

County officials at Fayetteville, N.C., home of Fort Bragg, a major Army post where members of the 101st Airborne Division train, are making it difficult for the father of an overseas soldier to look after the GI’s two dogs, notes Grumpy Editor.

Officials say he is running a kennel.  But they are fuzzy with the definition of a kennel.

Grumpy Editor maintains that’s sort of strange, since Fort Bragg has been a military reservation since 1918, making it hard to imagine that in a 90-year span --- including World War I and World War II --- this is the first time officials' eyebrows were raised when a soldier left pets behind at a safekeeping location in the county.

Henry Carroll, with three dogs of his own, took in his son Adam’s two dogs when the soldier deployed to fight in Iraq.  Adam, with the 101st Airborne Division, is not scheduled to return home until December.

But the temporary lodging of two canines under one roof got county officials in a lather.  They said the senior Carroll has two dogs too many and claim he is running a kennel, for which he is not licensed.

So the older Carroll, 45, an Army veteran disabled by a heart condition, is taking the fight tonight to the Cumberland County Board of Adjustment which meets in the county courthouse at Fayetteville.

Carroll tells Fayetteville Observer writer Nancy McCleary that if he is forced to give up two dogs, they won’t be his son’s, adding he will honor Adam’s request to keep them.  “I have to hang onto his dogs until the end of his tour,” he declares.

Steve Sbraccia, reporter at WNCN-TV, an NBC outlet in Raleigh, N.C., reports the father says he received several different answers when he asked the county to clarify the definition of a kennel.

One official cited an ordinance that defines a kennel as any place where eight or more dogs or cats are fed, sheltered and watered.  However, a county document he received defines a kennel as any premises where four or more dogs are kept commercially or as pets.

Sbraccia says the older Carroll got the Army to write a letter explaining two of the dogs belonged to his son, but county officials didn't buy it because “since Adam didn't sign it, it really might not be valid because it was signed by his platoon leader.”

The “too many dogs” report was picked up by some other NBC stations, all the way to WCSH-TV, Portland, Maine.

Associated Press covered it in six sentences.

BostonNOW folds, just short of one-year-old mark

A growing, almost year-old free daily newspaper in Boston published its last issue Monday because of economic conditions --- in Iceland.

It’s another example of global influence in U.S. operations.

The closing of BostonNOW, a so-called commuter paper with 119,000 daily circulation, is a result of deteriorating economic conditions --- including soaring interest rates --- in the North Atlantic island nation, location of its primary investor, Baugur Group of Iceland, notes Grumpy Editor.

The paper would have marked its first full year on Thursday and was on track to reach the profit column in year three, “just as the business plan called for,” says publisher Mike Schroeder.

“The death of any newspaper is a sad thing,” adds CEO Russel Pergament, “but the death of a vibrant, flourishing newspaper because of economic turmoil thousands of miles away is beyond sad and is something we never anticipated and for which we were totally unprepared.”

BostonNOW’s editorial content, especially its strong local reporting, has been picked up dozens of times by Boston's paid dailies (Globe and Herald) and TV outlets, relates Schroeder.

The Economist magazine in January lauded BostonNOW as one of the finest free dailies in the United States.

Baugur Group’s other investments include British retailers House of Fraser and Karen Millen.

GAO slaps Postal Service for postage-paid meals

Those who have sent off their tax forms to the Internal Revenue Service by today’s filing deadline probably would like to celebrate that annual gritty task with a cool beverage and a fancy meal, feels Grumpy Editor.

The U.S. Postal Service, inundated with last-minute filers today, already did some celebrating.

As an example of where tax money, along with ever-increasing postage stamp costs go, four postal groups from California entertained corporate clients with a five-hour meal at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Orlando, Fla., reports Mark K. Matthews, from the Washington Bureau of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale. His story is based on a Government Accountability Office investigation.

GAO investigators call the feast “abusive” in its extravagance.

From shrimp cocktails to choice steaks --- and beverages such as Courvoisier, Belvedere and Johnnie Walker Gold Label --- the tab, charged on government credit cards in 2006, came out to an average cost of $160 per person, according to a GAO report, adds Matthews.

That’s a lot of postage.

“What we spend is what we make.  The Postal Service is funded solely by our products and services,” says a spokesman.

“For the most part, my (purchase of) stamps helped pay for the dinner,” counters Gregory Kutz, author of the GAO report.

Fox Sports irks baseball viewers with abrupt cutaway

Picture this:  A long five hours after the start of Saturday afternoon’s televised Yankees-Red Sox baseball game in Boston with the score 4 to 3 in Boston’s favor, two outs and perhaps the final Yankee at bat with a 3 to 2 count at the top of the ninth inning, then --- without warning --- cars zoom by the camera at 8:55 p.m. Eastern, as Fox Sports decides on a sudden cutaway to Avondale, Ariz. for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race, observes Grumpy Editor.

Those without cable, watching the broadcast network coverage of the matchup from Fenway Park, probably had a few choice words for Fox Sports, which abruptly switched the final minute of diamond action to the FX cable channel.

Both Fox Sports and FX are part of the News Corp. family.

Now, any producer with common sense would have waited another 60 seconds for the conclusion of the widely-watched baseball game, especially when loyal fans (and Fox viewers) patiently sat through it in two parts.  The game that started at 3:55 p.m. Eastern had a rain-delayed break that lasted two hours and 11 minutes before picking up.

Only a few days earlier, some viewers grumbled as Fox Sports passed off a taped baseball game as “live.”

In that case, both weekly and daily TV listings for April 4 showed the Los Angeles Angels and the Minnesota Twins game as “live” action.  That was compounded with no on-screen indication that the game, already covered in the morning sports pages, was played the previous night.

Cash-strapped occupants far from being ‘homeowners’

The lead in an Associated Press “U.S. expands mortgage help” story in newspapers and radio/TV broadcasts Thursday reported, “The Bush administration announced new steps to help more homeowners head off foreclosure…”

From news writers to members of Congress, the word being used to describe financially-distressed people residing in properties and facing foreclosures is homeowners.

Use of “homeowners” is premature.

In the current wave of foreclosures, Grumpy Editor maintains one cannot be labeled a true homeowner when that person moves into a dwelling with no or little cash down payment and makes interest-only or other small monthly payments.  The occupant of a house is not officially owner of that property until the purchase price is satisfied --- either cash plunked down all at once when escrow closes or over time via a fully-paid mortgage.  When that happens, a deed is filed with the county recorder.

That’s when a home buyer, as a full-fledged homeowner, can break out the champagne.

Same thing with buying a vehicle.  That snazzy, gadget-loaded red car doesn’t fully belong to its buyer until full payment is made.  At that point --- and with certificate of title or “pink slip” in hand --- the driver becomes the real owner.

Grumpy Editor’s end-of-week leftover notes:

The much-in-the-news-MD-80 aircraft has been identified in some stories as a Boeing MD-80.  To be technically correct, the passenger jets --- entering service in 1980 --- were manufactured by McDonnell Douglas Corp. (thus, the MD identification), which merged with The Boeing Co. in 1997… In the tough PR-assignment department:  Chinese officials are searching for a public relations firm to bolster its reputation prior to this year’s Olympic games…Los Angeles Daily Journal, a legal newspaper, this week started operating without an editorial copy desk, a neat trick when it comes to writing headlines and reading copy to spot an out-of-place comma…The Newseum today opens in a new $450 million building in Washington, D.C.  It occupies 250,000 square feet in seven levels and contains 15 theaters, 14 galleries, two TV studios --- and a Wolfgang Puck restaurant.  But some folks already are complaining about the stiff admission fee:  $20 for adults, $13 for children ages 7 to 12…While weather predictions are still fuzzy two or three days out, William Gray, a leading hurricane forecaster, expects eight Atlantic hurricanes, including four major ones, during the upcoming hurricane season…An Alan Greenspan-type line in a major PR firm's news release that makes an editor re-read it a few times:  “Homewood Suites offers developers a competitive edge in the typically low-amenity focused, low-service oriented airport market through brand-wide initiatives to better the product”…Hard to believe, but  a British radio broadcaster, during a breakfast show this week and apparently the only person in the studio, forgot to press the button that turns on the microphone.  So he talked to himself for an hour.

Glum economic news brings responses from readers

There’s a lot of it these days --- bad economic news.

The question is:  Do constant heavy doses of gloomy items affect newspaper readers and radio/TV listeners’ moods which are then reflected in the monthly Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index…setting off another round of pessimism?

Grumpy Editor cites these news items, getting a play Wednesday, that are among developments certain to affect this month’s Conference Board report (based on input from 5,000 households), to be released April 29:

·  Home sales fell in February to the lowest reading since the index began seven years ago.

·  Four airlines ceased operations in a week.  Which will be the next?

·  Minutes of the March 18 Federal Reserve meeting show some policy makers felt falling home prices and financial market turmoil "could lead to a more severe and protracted downturn."

·  Small business owners’ confidence in the economy is plummeting, prompting cutbacks in hiring and expansion plans.

·  Consumers, worried about retirement, show the weakest worker confidence in seven years.

·  Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the U.S. economy is in a recession.

·  Energy officials, in a sharp upward revision, expect oil to average $101 a barrel this year.

Negative coverage complaints are starting to flow to editors.

For example, Ted Vaden, public editor of the (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer, sums up messages from uneasy readers with, “Jeepers, can't the N&O find anything positive to say about the U.S. economy?”  He adds, “That's a question editors hear increasingly as the economy slips into ... whoops, performs less well. The seemingly unceasing torrent of bad business news weighs on readers' minds and, some think, makes things worse.”

Some readers, Vaden continues, also complain that his paper’s portrayal of a negative national economic picture doesn't adequately take into account more positive conditions in local markets. “Real estate people, in particular, have complained,” he points out.

Vaden says he talked to North Carolina State University economist Michael Walden to see if there is any validity to the notion that negative press makes a bad economy worse.  To some extent, the economist feels that's true, relays Vaden.

He quotes Walden saying, “Consumers, if they don't feel confident, won't spend money, and that's what we need to bring us out of a down cycle. There probably is some impact on consumer confidence of people reading about the state of the economy."

Burson-Marsteller puts positive spin on losing Colombia

Usually when a public relations firm loses a major account, gloom envelops the office and some staffers get pink slips.

But when the Colombian government terminated a $300,000 contract with Burson-Marsteller four days ago, the 55-year-old PR firm --- turning a negative into a positive --- touted it as “good news,” notes Grumpy Editor.

The split with Colombia occurred soon after it was revealed that Burson-Marsteller’s CEO Mark Penn, also chief strategist for the Hillary Clinton campaign, met March 31 with Colombian officials on a free trade issue that was at odds with the presidential hopeful.  Penn stepped down as chief strategist on Sunday.

Penn’s dual role with the Clinton campaign and his PR firm had caused some grumbling.

The Colombia contract, signed 13 months ago, involved providing communications advice and media relations for Colombian Embassy officials in Washington in connection with the proposed U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, which President Bush has urged Congress to approve.

A positive spin on the loss of the contract was given to Burson-Marsteller staffers via an e-mail, which, according to The Wall Street Journal, mentioned:  “The good news is that while Mark will continue to advise the Clintons and the campaign, this change will afford him more time to do what he does best --- provide great advice and direction to some of our largest clients.”  The firm also asked that clients be informed that the firm’s “business in the U.S. has never been stronger” and that Penn’s return to day-to-day business will only see momentum improve.

Burson-Marsteller, part of Young & Rubicam Brands, a subsidiary of London-based WPP Group plc, describes itself as “a global public relations and communications firm providing strategic counsel in the digital age.” It operates in 59 countries via 57 wholly-owned offices and 46 affiliate offices.

Greenspan ups ‘R’ outlook as ‘more than 50 percent’

Usually, when former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan speaks --- especially when the “R” (for recession) word is used --- Wall Street listens, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average often reacts with a drop, as occurred several times last year.

But apparently that wasn’t the case Monday when the Dow climbed more than 100 points early in the session, only to fall back and close up 3.01 points, even after Greenspan’s remarks appeared in the Madrid-based El Pais newspaper, notes Grumpy Editor.

This time, the trading turnaround to an almost-flat close was attributed to worry that a large number of companies will post sharply reduced first-quarter earnings.

No mention of Greenspan was made.

However, Greenspan’s economic outlook in the interview did show a minute change from earlier utterances.  He told the Spanish newspaper:  “I would not describe the situation we are in as a recession, although the chances that we’ll have one are more than 50 percent.”

Four months ago, when he repeated earlier statements, he said prospects for a recession are about 50-50.

Greenspan also told El Pais that the U.S. has not yet entered a recessionary state marked by sharp falls in orders, strong rises in unemployment and intensive weakening of the economy.

“We would have to see signs of this intensification; there are some, but not many yet,” added Greenspan who ended his 18-year term as Federal Reserve chairman 27 months ago.

Fox Sports tosses fast curve ball, tricks TV viewers

There’s nothing like being bamboozled by something on TV.  No, not one of those late night-early morning paid programming 30-minute pitches.

It’s sports.  A baseball game, to be exact.

And it really singed Grumpy Editor.

After a hard day at the keyboard on Friday, it was time to kick off the shoes, settle back and watch an early-season baseball game.  Checking the listings in TV Week, which comes with the Sunday paper and verifying it in the same-day TV listings from the morning paper, both showed the Los Angeles Angels playing the Minnesota Twins in a live game. 

Last two innings were viewed.  Since the Twins play in an indoor stadium, one cannot tell whether it is day or night.

But Grumpy Editor discovered Fox Sports West 2, part of the News Corp. family, is rather tricky.  No indication in the upper right or upper left, or anywhere else on the screen, that the game was played the previous night. 

Simply, it was a replay with no clue that the game already was covered in the morning sports sections.

That game from Minnesota was followed by another baseball matchup on the same cable channel:  Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim…from Anaheim.  Wow!  The Angels made the 1,513-mile journey from Minneapolis to their home ball park in about a minute.  But this time it really was live.

Network and cable television operations, in many cases, like to hide the fact that taped shows are days or weeks old.  Properly, C-Span quite often, especially with speeches or interviews, indicates the original airing date in an upper corner.

But programs on other networks, including NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno and CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman, conceal original airing dates of vintage shows.  Thus, it’s not unusual to hear tired Thanksgiving jokes near Valentine’s Day or even a year later.

Grumpy Editor advocates the FCC --- for talk shows, sports events and other time-sensitive happenings --- should issue a ruling making it mandatory that original date of airing be indicated in the upper right-hand corner of replayed material.

What do you think?  Unload your thoughts here.

National media remain quiet on Nevada health scare

Imagine if unsafe health care practices, putting 40,000 patients at risk of exposure to hepatitis B and C, and HIV, occurred in Long Island, Washington, D.C. --- or Africa or South America or Asia.

Would it make front page news, lead off radio on-the-hour news and grab coverage on health-conscious TV morning shows and nightly newscasts?

You betcha, barks Grumpy Editor.

But when it happens in Las Vegas, it stays there.

The medical problem stems from unsafe practices by doctors and nurses at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, between March, 2004 and Jan. 11.  Officials say medical personnel reused syringes and contaminated single-use vials.

Authorities also are going through files and computers, seeking evidence of medical fraud.

As pointed out in a March 17 Grumpy Editor posting, the health crisis has attracted the attention of and investigators from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the FBI, Las Vegas police, State Board of Health, State Bureau of Licensure and Certification, Southern Nevada Health District, State Board of Nursing, State Board of Osteopathic Medicine, Nevada Board of Medical Examiners, state attorney general’s office, governor’s office, Clark County district attorney’s office --- and personal injury lawyers and their investigators.

With all this activity following a warning that went out Feb. 27, Washington lawmakers seem unconcerned despite efforts by Nevada representatives and one of its senators.

They are trying to alert House and Senate colleagues to set committee hearings on a health crisis that saw the largest notification of its kind in U.S. history. 

Sen. John Ensign (R., Nev.) sums it up with:  “They think it is a Nevada problem.”

But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) declares:  “Until there is more evidence this is a national problem, I don’t think you are going to have a lot of members of Congress diving into this.”

Grumpy Editor’s end-of-week leftover notes:

Another tub thumper:  On last Sunday’s 60 Minutes on CBS, Lesley Stahl, in a segment interviewing former Vice President Al Gore on environmental crusade efforts, mentioned the former vice president is interested mainly in being “PR agent for the planet”…An April Fool caper, via an ad in the Washington Post’s section B, caught the newspaper by surprise.  A lawyer ran an “in memoriam” tribute relating to a very-much-alive business consultant and long-time friend.  A retraction ran April 2…In another scolding linked to advertising, the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus said Wal-Mart Stores needs to change its pitches to avoid suggesting its shoppers pocket an annual $2,500 per family rather than emphasizing the big-box retailer’s efficiency and size drive down prices across the economy, generating $2,500 savings regardless of where consumers shop…Look for heavy press attendance:  A New York City organization plans to spotlight a discussion on estate planning.  But this is no ordinary session for the gray-hair crowd.  Presented by a dog club, the emphasis will be “with your pet in mind.”  Business attire is required.  But no furry friends will be allowed at the April 24 event that includes a cocktail reception.

North Korea continues to stall nuclear weapons talks

Not much has changed with North Korea since almost a year ago when a deadline passed that would allow nuclear inspectors to monitor and verify the shutdown of its Yongbyon reprocessing facility, the communist nation’s main source of nuclear weapons material, north of Pyongyang, notes Grumpy Editor.

Another deadline, at the end of last year, to declare its nuclear weapons programs --- as required under an agreement with the U.S., South Korea, China, Japan and Russia --- also was missed.

Now, the thinking is North Korea will stall further, awaiting the new occupant of the White House.

Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill on Wednesday urged North Korea to respond “in the next few days” to advance the stalled six-party talks.  Pyongyang would have nothing to gain by waiting for a future U.S. administration to take office after November’s presidential vote, he added.

North Korea’s routine has been to talk, followed by pauses, then more talks, followed by no final action.

That has been its procedure since 1953 when the Korean War ended with a cease fire.  North and South Korea technically remain at war with no peace treaty.

China, one of the six nations in the long-running arms talks, provided heavy backing to North Korea during the 1950-1953 war, entering the conflict in the fall of 1950 and succeeding in driving U.S. forces from progress made in the north.  Its troops killed or captured thousands of U.S. military personnel and managed many prisoner of war camps in North Korea.   

Las Vegas Life’s final issue focuses on going green

It would seem to be a difficult decision to shut down a glossy monthly city magazine that, in its final issue this month, contains 112 pages and upscale advertisers such as DeBeers, Louis Vuitton, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s and Cartier.

Such is the case in pulling the plug on Las Vegas Life, with a circulation of 40,000, first published 11 years ago.

So sudden is the termination, that April issues include “savings certificate” cards urging “subscribe today and save.”

The brand will be retained as an online portal in an effort to “improve efficiencies and remove some redundancies” in the company’s newspapers (including the daily Las Vegas Sun, delivered with the Las Vegas Review-Journal) and other magazines covering southern Nevada, says Michael Carr, president of Greenspun Media Group.

Lifestyles, restaurant, food and culture coverage will be folded into sister publications Las Vegas Weekly, VEGAS Magazine, Las Vegas Home & Design and a weekly newspaper group.

But could the demise of Las Vegas Life have something to do with going green, wonders Grumpy Editor.

The April farewell issue’s cover emphasizes “Going Green in Las Vegas” with the subhead, “With help from clean energy and conservation, it’s time to step up and save the Valley.”

Several articles, spanning 13 pages, cover the green aspect, including recycling, water, environment, right down to dry cleaners and recycling car washes.

Associate editor T. R. Witcher spells out what it takes to produce each Las Vegas Life issue, leading off with, “Being green ain’t easy” and mentioning concerns about emitting carbon dioxide plus electricity and fuel costs.

Among per month magazine production stats in Witcher’s article:  38,250 pounds of paper (traveling 1,581 miles from Tennessee) while delivering the magazine adds 39,502 miles, contributing to kicking up carbon emissions to 68,991 pounds, and 5,988 kilowatt hours of electricity consumed in the office while the magazine’s printer eats up 561 more KWH.

And, of course, green takes up the first five letters of Greenspun, the publishing outfit.

‘Mystery’ scenes illustrate 2 BusinessWeek articles

Two back-to-back articles spanning eight pages in the March 31 issue of BusinessWeek contain six black-and-white photos capturing shadowy evening New York City street scenes.

Adding to the mysterious, top-secret flavor, notes Grumpy Editor, is that each photo contains no caption.
Like frames from a foreign film, a "dark" atmosphere is captured by photographer Christopher Anderson in illustrating informative articles, “The Fed’s Revolution” and “Street of Fear.”

Although Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, former Fed Chairman Paul A. Volcker and economists are mentioned in the “Revolution” text, editors selected a somewhat fuzzy dominant photo to lead off “the financial crisis.” It shows an arm with a finger pointing to an unidentified man in an unbuttoned jacket standing in front of a building bearing Wall Street identification.

That’s it.  Covering almost half of two pages, it supposedly captures the financial crisis on “the street.”

Another after-dark photo in that article shows a hatless man in an overcoat (the type Dan Rather wore in CBS overseas assignments) clutching a beverage cup, perhaps coffee from Starbucks, while a woman with a turned-up coat collar approaches as steam obscures a building in the background.  (Is one of them passing government secrets?)

The final “Revolution” gloomy photo, similar to what used to be called a “grab shot,” shows a hatless man, hands in overcoat, rounding a corner of a nameless building.  In the background, other figures fade into the darkness, almost like the image was pulled from CIA footage.

Remember, all art is unidentified.

The action continues with “Street of Fear” images leading off with two hatless, briefcase-toting men in overcoats walking on a street under dim lighting adding to the “mystery.”  The camera was at ankle level, emphasizing the closest-to-the-lens briefcase.

Grumpy Editor couldn’t figure out the second photo in that article.  It could pass for something like a New Year’s celebration with a man in a suit looking up at a bright, somewhat sparkling, sky in an otherwise depressing concrete canyon.

The last captionless photo in the “Fear” piece is baffling.  Like a test shot to see if the camera shutter is operating, it shows the backside of a man in a coat about 25-feet away, walking on a gloomy narrow street alongside a steam of water flowing in a gutter.

These “Fear” photos were selected rather than art of financial folks, including analysts, mentioned in the text.