Grumpy Editor

Missing from the Las Vegas Strip: outcry from PETA

While casino patrons from around the world are welcomed on the famous Las Vegas Strip, pending legislation by Clark County Commissioners would ban some dogs on public and private sidewalks plus pedestrian bridges along the five-mile stretch, finds Grumpy Editor. 

Behind the anti-pooch measure, slated for further action later this month, is commissioner Chris Giunchigliani who also drafted a proposed ordinance that seeks banning pigeon feeding in Clark County. 

The dual actions --- not generating media excitement beyond Nevada --- also have not attracted the attention of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). 

Giunchigliani a few years ago pushed an ordinance that promoted the capture and spaying/neutering of feral cats. 

One resident asked in print, “After attacking hungry birds and starving canines, will she (Giunchigliani ) target the poor defenseless rodent?” 

Pigeons come up for further discussion by commissioners next Tuesday.  Rules could lead to pigeon feeders (that would include unknowing tourists) getting a stiff up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. 

While the major thrust now is on birds and dogs, commissioners for years have been unable to curb the growing number of unlicensed street vendors, panhandlers and adult news distributors that line the busy Las Vegas Strip --- cluttering up the scenery more than pigeons and dogs.

 

With AOL deal, will Huffington Post bloggers now be paid?

Buzz on the Web and elsewhere, following the $315 million acquisition of the The Huffington Post by AOL Inc. focused on if some of the 6,000-plus volunteer blog writers now will be paid for their creative work, notes Grumpy Editor.

The Huffington Post operation has been utilizing low cost --- make that free --- talent to fill its pages since it started in 2005. 

That’s like McDonald’s Corp. getting free meat for its Big Macs or Ford Motor Co. obtaining complimentary metal for its cars.

Huffington Post has been privately owned by co-founders Arianna Huffington and Kenneth Lerer plus a group of investors.

As part of the transaction, Huffington will become president and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post Media Group, which will integrate all Huffington Post and AOL content, including Engadget, TechCrunch, Moviefone, MapQuest, Black Voices, PopEater, AOL Music, AOL Latino, AutoBlog, Patch and StyleList.

The deal, $300 million of which is to be paid in cash, is expected to close within five months.

Although HuffPost employs 70 paid staffers, the lofty acquisition price should make the thousands of non-paid HuffPost bloggers squirm.

Already, AOL investors have squirmed.

After the HuffPost-AOL combination was announced on Monday, AOL stock slid 75 cents or 3.4 percent to close at $21.19 on the New York Stock Exchange.  Yesterday, it fell 30 cents or 1.42 percent more to $20.89.  Both were moderately up days on the NYSE.

The expensive acquisition price essentially was “the hiring fee to get Arianna,” felt technology analyst Rob Enderle.

On the other hand, on learning of the liberal Web site acquisition, L. Brent Bozell III, president of Media Research Center, said the transaction “proves AOL News has lost its mind.”