Grumpy Editor

VETERAN NOVELIST RELISHES KNOCKING OFF SOMEONE --- IN PRINT

 

Print and broadcast media give heavy coverage to murders these days --- and so does novelist Morgan St. James, notes Grumpy Editor.

Author of 17 books, St. James beams one of the perks of being a writer of novels is that “you can kill someone in print and not worry about going to jail.”

It happens in SCAMMED, her latest book, inspired by “a power-hungry HOA president who caused me tons of frustration and money in real life and took years for me to find the right book to do him in,” she mentions.

The book, which details life in the upscale Los Angeles community of Venice Canals, takes an ominous turn when a retired doctor and his wife, vice president and treasurer of the local HOA, disappear after a meeting.

Police are on the case, she writes, but looking in the wrong places.   What appears to be a home invasion and a kidnapping turn out to be more, including murder.

Set for release on Sept. 2 --- start of National Literacy Month --- pre-orders for the book are via Kindle, bit.ly/Scammed-K, or EPub, bit.ly/Scammed-ePub.  It also will be available through Barnes & Noble, Apple and others.

St. James has written more than 600 articles on the business and craft of writing, frequently discusses writing at Clark County’s main library in Las Vegas, where she is based, and on radio plus at writer’s conferences.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

SURVEY FINDS AFGHANISTAN INTEREST SLIPS.  A Rasmussen Reports national survey finds only 31% of likely U.S. voters consider Afghanistan a vital national security interest for the United States, down from a high of 45% two years ago.

FIRST FEMALE MARINE TO FLY F-35 FIGHER JET.  Marine Capt. Anneliese Satz, a 29-year-old Boise native, is the first woman in the Marine Corps to fly an F-35 fighter jet, a supersonic stealth aircraft.  Satz’s training lasted four years, taking her to bases in Florida, Texas and Mississippi.

SLOWER SALES HIT BEVERLY HILLS.  Beverly Hills is suffering a shopping slump amid the Trump-China trade war, notes The Hollywood Reporter.  It cites a sales associate at the Coach store on Rodeo Drive who estimates purchases by Chinese clients are down "maybe 40 percent" this summer compared with last year,

MORE OINKS HEARD IN HOUSES.  More people around the nation are welcoming pet pigs.  While some cities are legalizing pigs as pets, others are upholding bans and calling for their ouster.

BEAR WRECKS SHERIFF’S PATROL CAR.  A Humboldt County, Calif., sheriff’s deputy patrol car, responding to a call, is struck near Hoopa by a bear falling or jumping onto his vehicle, smashing the hood and windshield. The patrol car hit an embankment, rolled onto its side and burst into flames. The deputy escapes without serious injury.

DRIVERS PAUSE AS DUCKS CROSS HIGHWAY.  Rush-hour traffic come to a standstill in Biddeford, about 20 miles southwest of Portland, Maine, when a parade of ducks --- almost four dozen --- make their way across a highway, Route 111.

TESLA CRASH IN MOSCOW DRAWS ATTENTION.  Overlooking the daily number of Fords, Chevrolets and other brands involved in crashes in the U.S. alone, media play up one Tesla Model 3 in far-off Moscow that smashes into a parked tow truck and catches fire.

 

MILLIONS OF TREES PLANTED IN INDIA.  In a government campaign to combat climate change and improve the environment, more than a million people in northern Uttar Pradesh, India,  plant 220 million trees.

Lid clamped on Benghazi attack details from survivors; Veteran Marine in Taliban corpse case plans to write book

Media’s quest in seeking input from (not heard from) survivors of the Benghazi, Libya, terror attack that killed four Americans last September continues to be hampered by a solid block wall, finds Grumpy Editor.

The Weekly Standard’s Daniel Halper reports Congressman Frank Wolf (R., Va.) on the House floor Thursday said survivors of the Benghazi attack have been forced to sign non-disclosure agreements.

 "According to trusted sources that have contacted my office, many if not all of the survivors of the Benghazi attacks along with others at the Department of Defense, the CIA have been asked or directed to sign additional non-disclosure agreements about their involvement in the Benghazi attacks,” writes Halper.

“Some of these new NDAs, as they call them, I have been told were signed as recently as this summer."

Wolf, adds Halper, noted the Marine Corps Times reported the Marine colonel whose task force was responsible for special operations in northern and western Africa at the time of the attack is still on active duty despite claims that he retired…and therefore could not be forced to testify before Congress.”

The maneuvers, mentions Wolf, raise “serious concerns about the priority of the administration's efforts to silence those with knowledge of the Benghazi attack in response.”

Marine in Taliban case plans to write book

Sgt. Joseph Chamblin, a 15-year Marine veteran who was fined and demoted for urinating on Taliban corpses in Afghanistan two years go, says he would do it again, writes Kristina Wong in The Washington Times.

Furthermore, he plans to retire in September --- and write a book.

Does he regret what he did?  “Hell, no,” barks Chamblin.

The infamous incident became international news after a video was uploaded to YouTube. It led to courts-martial of nine Marines for the episode. 

Chamblin was on a mission to stop Taliban insurgents from making roadside bombs, the kind that killed a member of his sniper team days before the incident.

In case you missed these…

At least five retailers --- all with strong New England ties --- have banned selling the current issue of Rolling Stone with suspected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnev on the cover:  CVS and Walgreens pharmacies, Tedeschi Food Stores and other grocery chains Roche Bros. and Stop & Shop…Strange diversification:  The Washington Post Co. is acquiring 86-year old Forney Corp., a global manufacturer of oil and gas burners for electric utilities.  The company in 1983 expanded abroad by selling burner-management systems and other products to fossil-fuel-fired plants in China.

 

Shuttering operations:  Quebec-based Sun Media Corp. is closing 11 newspapers across Canada and eliminating 360 jobs as part of a cost-cutting plan…Three Dayton, Ohio-area community newspapers are closing Aug. 9 --- the Springboro Sun, the Kettering-Oakwood Times and the Centerville-Washington Township Times…Lawrenceville, Ga.-based Southern Community Newspapers Inc. closed photo departments at five dailies and two weeklies.  It will call on its journalists to shoot art and post on the Internet.

Expanding with newspapers:  Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is adding the Press of Atlantic City, N.J. to its family.  The Press, with a daily circulation of 67,000, marks Berkshire’s 31^st daily.

A flood that wasn’t:  Associated Press, in reporting a T-storm that rained on the Las Vegas Strip, said it amounted to 0.35 inches.  That seems like a torrent.  Actually, the correct measurement is 0.35 of an inch.  That’s about a third of an inch.  AP is not alone with the "inflated" amount.  Some news writers often wrongfully tally precipitation totals under an inch.

Book: Presidential perks reach $1.4 billion a year

Major U.S. media refrain from mentioning the extent of aircraft operations linked to President Barack Obama, thus most taxpayers are unaware of the $419 million annual cost associated with that activity reported in a new book, notes Grumpy Editor. 

Author John F. Groom gives a rundown on “presidential perks” in “The 1.4 Billion Dollar Man: Costs of the Obama White House.” 

Annual cost to operate the growing presidential aircraft fleet is $44 million, finds Groom.  Add to that $75 million in salary costs for the “presidential airlift squadron” and $300 million for the presidential helicopter fleet. 

Few taxpayers (and editors, too) are aware that 31 helicopters are in the presidential fleet now, a figure Groom unveils. 

Ground transportation for the president runs $2.2 million, while vacations cost $20 million, tallies the author. 

"One of the most important things to note about the $1.4 billion figure is that it specifically does not include the cost of running the White House’s policy operations," writes Groom.  "The $1.4 billion is money that is directly related to the president and his family."

That sum pays for staffing, housing, transportation and entertaining.

Groom points out an Obama “date night” in flying to New York City, including dinner and a show, costs taxpayers $1 million.

“We need to return to the idea of the president as first citizen --- a very important person, but not a deity,” Groom writes in the book.

The president and his administration “should run their lives as examples to the nation, with frugality and simplicity, at least until the huge institution they run, the United States government, returns to some degree of solvency,” adds the author.

Publicist’s nightmare: Ex-Sen. Specter barks at KTCN host

What makes a day rough for a book publicist is for a book-plugging author to get nasty during a live radio interview in which the host is called “absolutely insulting,” as was the case Monday when former Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter appeared on a Twin Cities station, finds Grumpy Editor.

Specter, making the rounds promoting “Life Among the Cannibals” published by Thomas Dunne Books at St. Martin’s Press, made it to Jason Lewis, a conservative talk show host at KTCN (a Clear Channel Communications station in Minneapolis that prefers to be identified as News/Talk 1130), when he let loose with an outburst near the close of an interview.

“I have one final comment,” said Specter who turned Democrat from Republican in April 2009. “I gave you 10 minutes. You’ve been over every subject except for my book. I’ve listened to two rounds of your commercials. I think it’s insulting. I’ve been in a lot of interviews in the course of the past 30 years and you are absolutely insulting.”

Lewis fired back with:  “Good God. This is not public radio. I don’t have a government grant. We’ve got to pay the bills.  They’re called commercials. Capitalism.”

Replied Specter:  “I’m talking about someone who’s civilized. I told you the last time around I wasn’t going to sit around and listen to your commercials, and I didn’t want to hang up on you. This is no way for anybody to run an interview. I’m as experienced as you are, if not more so.”

The call wrapped up with Specter saying, “That’s all I have to tell you, so goodbye.”

Lewis countered, “Good Lord, senator, no wonder you got beat.” 

 

Updated Merriam-Webster dictionary adds 150 entries

Cheers for Americana, a 170-year-old word relating to things typical in America such as history, folklore, culture and music, that makes its way to Merriam-Webster Inc.’s recently updated Collegiate Dictionary, finds Grumpy Editor.

Americana is among more than 150 words and definitions --- including more recently popularized social media, tweet, robocall and m-commerce --- added to the top-selling dictionary now available in print and online at Merriam-Webster.com.

"We've been tracking words like social media and tweet for years, of course, and now we feel their meanings have stabilized enough to include them in the dictionary,” relates Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster's editor at large. 

Among other new words and phrases: 

boomerang child

bromance

cougar

crowdsourcing

duathlon

helicopter parent

parkour

walk-off

For definitions of these and other newcomers, go to:

www.merriam-webster.com/info/newwords11.htm

 

Obama adds book authors, Weather Service as targets

Looks like some book authors among the White House press corps --- during Barack Obama’s news conference yesterday on taxes, budget cuts, Republicans and debt --- missed a reference to them when the president put writers in the same category as previously-mentioned hedge fund managers, corporate jet owners, millionaires and oil companies, observes Grumpy Editor. 

Those people/companies now share the spotlight when it comes to a push to end tax breaks in efforts to raise federal revenues. 

Specifically, the president put hedge fund managers and authors of best-selling books in the same sentence, saying they weren’t getting “off the hook,” adding “that is a reasonable proposition.” 

Lumping best-selling authors with hedge fund managers is new, not covered in Obama’s fifth public remarks on the debt in a week. 

Another surprising target, overlooked in reports by most media in Obama’s June 29 press conference, was the National Weather Service. 

The president at that time warned unless the government raises revenues by ending tax breaks for millionaires, billionaires, oil companies, hedge funds and corporate jet owners, the country will not be able to afford some of the government services including meteorologists. 

Relating to those atmospheric experts, Obama declared:  “If we do not have those revenues, then the kinds of cuts that would be required might compromise the National Weather Service.” 

Surprising, that remark did not create a storm (pardon the expression) with newspaper editorial writers.

 

Proposed S.F. ‘green’ law pulls fingers off Yellow Pages

In the future, there will not be many fingers walking over the Yellow Pages in San Francisco if the Board of Supervisors has its way, notes Grumpy Editor.

A proposed ban on unsolicited distribution of Yellow Pages is the latest in a series of “green” measures in the City by the Bay.

A ban would mark San Francisco as the first city in the nation to fully thwart Yellow Page distribution.

Behind the move is David Chiu, Board of Supervisors president, who feels Yellow Pages are becoming obsolete in the Internet age and often end up unopened or in the trash, reports Rachel Gordon in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Chiu’s proposed law would require telephone companies plus other distributors and publishers to obtain advance permission before delivering an estimated 1.5 million Yellow Pages annually in San Francisco.

"If we're serious about the environment, it's time we recognize that phone books are a 20th century tool that doesn't meet the business or environmental needs of the 21st century," Chiu tells the Chronicle.

The proposed law "would be an infringement of our constitutional rights, the right to distribute speech" and would unfairly target one industry, declares Amy Healy, vice president of public policy and sustainability at the Yellow Pages Association, founded in 1975.

The San Francisco proposal follows a Seattle ordinance (now the basis of a law suit) that prohibits Yellow Pages distribution to those on a city-enforced opt-out list. In efforts to recover recycling costs, the ordinance also places a fee on phone books distributed in the city.

 

With ‘Obama’s Wars' in hand, Greta sets interview on Fox

The on, then off --- and now on again --- Sept. 30 interview of journalist Bob Woodward by Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren hinged on her obtaining a copy of his latest book, “Obama’s Wars,” notes Grumpy Editor.

Initially, Simon & Schuster, the publisher, last week declined to send a copy for her “On the Record” show prep.

“I actually read the books before I do the interview,” she declared.

Hearing about this, Woodward later sent Van Susteren a message to apologize and said he is "delighted” that she wants to read his book --- which gives a behind the scenes account of President Obama's handling of the war in Afghanistan --- and will send her a copy (available through Barnes & Noble on line or Amazon.com for about $16).

Some PR person must be blushing.

And Van Susteren has 464 pages of Woodward's writing to read prior to Thursday's interview.

She might want to ask him about the book's title.

It’s interesting to note that the title, “Obama’s Wars,” comes very close to “Obama’s War,” a documentary produced by Martin Smith, which kicked off the 28th season of Frontline on PBS last Oct. 13.

AP skips fact check routine with other politicians’ books

More details stemming from the Sarah Palin book fact-checking-by-Associated-Press saga, covered here on Tuesday, illustrate how AP --- using 11 reporters to scrutinize “Going Rogue: An American Life” --- ganged  up on the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, notes Grumpy Editor. 

Her top-selling 432-page book debuted Tuesday, the same day AP laid off at least 57 editorial staffers, with more to come by year end as the news service seeks to cut 2009 payroll costs by 10 percent.    (UPDATE:  AP on Nov. 19 announced it laid off 90 news staffers.)

“The treatment Palin's book received appears to be something new for the AP,” writes Robert Shaffer on FOXNews.com. 

“The organization did not review for accuracy recent books by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, then-Sen. Joe Biden, either book by Barack Obama released before he was president or autobiographies by Bill or Hillary Clinton,” adds Shaffer.  “The AP did more traditional news stories on those books.”

Shaffer also mentions, “Palin supporters believe 11 reporters poring over every word of her book is excessive and further proof of the media's obsession and maltreatment of the hockey mom from Wasilla.”

He quotes Adrienne Ross, New York state organizer for the 2012 Draft Sarah Committee:  "They're obsessed with trying to discredit her.  Because she's a conservative woman, they make fun of her accent, comment about her looks. She doesn't come in the package they want her to come in."

Palin blasts AP’s fact checkers on book due out today

Not too many book reviews are produced after being scrutinized under a microscope by almost a dozen writers at one news organization.

So with Sarah Palin’s “Going Rogue: An American Life” (HarperCollins), it’s noteworthy that Associated Press turned 11 writers loose to pick through the 432 pages of the book, due out officially today --- which marks the 50th day in the top 100 of the amazon.com list, notices Grumpy Editor.

While under the byline of AP writer Calvin Woodward, 10 other AP staffers are listed at the end of the text.  The fact checkers say the book, by the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, at times misrepresents her record.

In firing back, Palin declares, "We've heard 11 writers are engaged in this opposition research, er, 'fact checking' research. Imagine that --- 11 AP reporters dedicating time and resources to tearing up the book, instead of using the time and resources to ‘fact check’ what's going on with Sheik Mohammed's trial, Pelosi's health care takeover costs, Hassan's associations, etc.  Amazing."

AP, she adds, is “now erroneously reporting on the book's contents and are repeating many of the same things they spewed during the campaign and afterwards."

Paul Colford, the news service’s media relations director, calls the fact checking “strong reporting by AP.”

Writer-political commentator-cultural critic Mark Steyn notes AP assigned 11 writers to fact check Palin’s book “and in return the 11 fact checkers triumphantly unearthed six errors.”

*   *   *   *   *

More layoffs today at Associated Press

Layoffs started this afternoon at AP offices, with one source indicating up to 80 staffers could be affected.  More are planned by the end of next month as the news service seeks to cut 2009 payroll costs by 10 percent.

That means the face checkers pool likely will dwindle.