tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37659192009-07-13T12:25:02.575-04:00A cynic journalistI've grown up to be a news editor - my foray into the world a step up from copy desk in my case - who has to be objective about the news. This is my subjective outlet. Oh, and this is a personal journal of sorts.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.comBlogger534125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-22582977673895784202009-07-07T16:26:00.004-04:002009-07-07T17:02:48.364-04:00My Michael Jackson MomentMichael Jackson's heydays were years before I took an interest in music — I was just 3 when "Thriller" came out and 8 when "Bad" was released — but I do recall the video for "Bad" when I was still a child.It wasn't until "Dangerous" that I got to experience the whole Michael Jackson effect. I saw the premiere of the "Black or White" video and remember vividly each Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-30820319906327716582009-06-06T11:19:00.005-04:002009-06-06T11:56:17.125-04:00A real cynic on all of journalismSo this blog is active again. A few factors are behind this, not the least of which is the dire state of the newspaper AND media industry as a whole and the growing number of conversations on the matter that I find myself in.It should be noted to (re)start that I’m a newspaper man. I’ve been reading newspapers since I was a kid, and, if you want to include high Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-66084568327027007452008-11-21T23:07:00.003-05:002008-11-21T23:45:20.485-05:00Another Reason to Disavow Religion?AP News Alert: 10:19 PM 11/21/2008KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) _ Malaysia's top Islamic body issues edict to ban yoga for Muslims, says practice is un-Islamic.Upon reading the story, there was nothing redeeming about this nonsense "fatwa" or the crazies who decided on it. In searching for this story, as my AP Newswire suspiciously broke down around the same time,Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-50925587965707871192008-11-15T12:06:00.002-05:002008-11-15T12:18:06.531-05:00Scene:Green.Backdoor open on this warm November Satureday afternoon in Philadelphia.The leaves rustling on the deck with a gray, heavy overcast sky. Below me? The sounds of a violin playing from the session of practice earlier in the week. The opening and closing clicks of a door from the second floor reverberating. Beside me? A dog lies curled up in rest after a walk, and it's only just Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-34240515400539610412008-08-26T22:48:00.003-04:002008-08-26T23:35:06.580-04:00Closing the (Face)book?A recent message sent to Facebook support, following 2 days (recently) of coding/ads/whatnot, freezing up my browser. This has happened in the past as well.OK, Facebook. This is getting really friggin' old, and i'm going to start sharing these messages with the entire facebook community and my blog. Something in your system is f***ing up my laptop. When I try to view my Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-46837317753944788202008-07-12T21:11:00.001-04:002008-07-12T21:12:52.437-04:00Shameless Links ElsewhereOn Facebook? Playing the Zombies, Slayer, Vampire or Werewolf games?Let's get it on!Feed/fight my Level 5 Monsters!http://famolink.de/?id=684040171&m=15I'll return the favorBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-32742242822919992992008-07-12T03:21:00.004-04:002008-07-17T01:52:51.056-04:00Ghosts at 309 PineWhat do you think?'Don't mind the background nonsense so much. We first thought it was the smoke from the candles, but that doesn't seem quite right ...Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-7018789711938806892008-05-07T18:41:00.002-04:002008-05-07T18:44:47.231-04:00A Way to Help Out the Working ClassHow about, if instead of Sen. Hillary Clinton continuing to fight fate, mathematics and reality, all of the working-class people she is constantly pandering to just stop sending her funds. That'd be $20, $50, $100 and up that could stay in the pockets of the people who need it most.In fact, it'd be more money for them to keep than they would supposedly get in Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-17235432349205738162008-04-30T12:58:00.002-04:002008-04-30T13:14:16.050-04:00Don't Be Fooled by the 2 Worst CandidatesSo Sen. Hillary Clinton, a Democratic presidential candidate, and Sen. John McCain, the GOP-nominee in waiting, both want to cut the federal tax on gasoline as a way to help Americans this summer.The idea doesn't sound that horrible, but when you put politics aside and listen to the economists and the people who aren't trying to be elected, you'll find a Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-20459571007156004092008-04-25T11:23:00.003-04:002008-04-25T12:03:00.954-04:00Uncle BrianMy sister went for her regular check up and to find out what the sex of her baby is ...It turns out she's having a boy, which is a great relief to her (easier to raise and less money spent on dresses and girlie things, she says).So now they must decide on a name. They had it picked out for a girl, but that's gotta change. And actually there is some relief from the family, I'm sure, as Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-87547298525119920252008-04-22T12:31:00.002-04:002008-04-22T12:39:40.830-04:00Did you Barack the Vote?That was the question from a copy editor today once I made it in to work. And yes I did.I was No. 84 today and as I stood in line at the polling station, just a few minutes after waking up at 8:48 a.m., a camera man came through doing location shots and whatnot. The man was from the BBC. The BBC was at the Old Pine Street Community Center getting footage for its European Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-27893139260985406432008-04-20T14:28:00.003-04:002008-04-20T14:59:32.012-04:00A Weekend in PhiladelphiaSo this weekend was spent in Philadelphia. It's been awhile since that last happened, what with Miami the weekend before, the shore house before that, Lancaster next weekend and the shore house after that ...But, to celebrate, I went on a 25-mile bike ride from home in Society Hill to the Schuylkill River Park entrance, along the river to East Falls and along the Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-2912274265526399792008-04-16T11:39:00.002-04:002008-04-16T11:58:42.918-04:00History Repeats ItselfMy former newspaper, The Times Herald's owner, Journal Register Co., is in the news and it's not for anything good. The little company that thought it could owned 22 daily newspapers and about 300 only publications, but couldn't manage to stay afloat, and so the stock is being delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.What I learned in the story is that this isn't the first Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-48253329779093849302008-04-15T15:56:00.002-04:002008-04-15T16:01:25.753-04:00Back at WorkI'm back at my desk, catching up at work. It turns out I didn't miss too much, but I did get a jump start on my Sunday section planning for the rest of this month and most of May, so it seems my time away was just what I needed.It also turns out that my return was just in time, because a little cold snap has hit the southeast portion of the U.S.So tonight after yoga and grocery Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-12356802463292304952008-04-11T21:14:00.003-04:002008-04-12T12:10:54.542-04:00En MiamiDay 1 is coming to a close, sort of. I'm inside after being on the beach for 5 hours and then dinner and a stroll through the shopping district and a few drinks while the lights went out, but I haven't yet made it to the clubs ...But, after the 1st day, we did hear, "You guys look fabulous!" from a chick on the beach while on our walk up and down the beach.This should be good sign, no? I Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-78371478722674522912008-04-04T00:45:00.002-04:002008-04-04T00:56:56.274-04:00Help FoundHelp Wanted signs are hanging around in some shops here in Philly, but the trend seems to be higher unemployment overall.So what better news than for the glitches forcing Census to scrap high-tech plans for 2010 count, as the headline of the AP story reads.Hmmm, dismal economy, lost jobs, bankruptcies, etc. etc. and what does the government do to help stave it off? Temporarily hire Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-77421108446457677682008-03-26T18:54:00.003-04:002008-03-27T23:19:59.401-04:00Follow the Smear CampaignHas everyone heard of or seen the snippets of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's sermons that have taken the Web by storm? How about Sen. Barack Obama's response from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia?A column came across my desk at work the other day that squarely puts the blame for the YouTube postings and what not on members of the Republican Party. It's an Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-58642459520935526792008-03-18T17:44:00.002-04:002008-03-18T18:25:11.835-04:00Paying Twice for a WrongSo the U.S. government helped JPMorgan buy Bear Stearns by giving them $30 BILLION that U.S. citizens are responsible for. And who are among these U.S. citizens? Some of the same ones who have lost a home due to the mortgage crisis; some of the same people who are teetering on the edge of foreclosure due to the mortgage crisis.And how did these banks get in trouble? By Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-17772520253317012812008-03-16T03:26:00.002-04:002008-03-16T03:32:49.144-04:00Monuments by NightA late night walk worth getting wet over.Cherries to beWorld War II at GuardBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-51375896332018833442008-03-14T12:31:00.002-04:002008-03-14T12:33:47.213-04:00Visiting the Capital CityHere in D.C. for a long weekend. Came in by train, waiting for friends to arrive from other corners of the U.S. Lunch is on my mind, work is not.Then it's off to see some museums, memorials and what not ...Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-40156625321759067962008-03-11T15:32:00.002-04:002008-03-11T15:42:12.103-04:00Hello Brian. SHOW US YOUR CHEAP. And win!Thanks CheapTickets.com, but I think you just proved you're a little cheap when it comes to hiring. A copy editor, perhaps?I think the e-mail blast is supposed to say: SHOW US YOU'RE CHEAP AND WIN!.But whatever.And perhaps I'm cheap. I don't know how this election stuff works, but I went to Obama HQ in Philly today on my lunch break hoping to score some Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-50863896889788530352008-02-27T12:59:00.003-05:002008-02-27T13:07:40.999-05:00Mnemonicn. A form of words or letters that assists the memoryWe used to have just 9 planets in the galaxy, and I honestly can't remember what little phrase they gave to help everyone remember the names, but I was a little science nerd and quickly remembered the names of the planets, constellations, etc. etc.But now that we've got 8 planets and 3 dwarf planets, it's a little more complicated.And Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-34180444370046914922008-02-25T00:36:00.003-05:002008-02-25T01:08:48.174-05:00Decadence?This Sunday has drawn to a close, and I'm beat. But it wasn't much of a day, and no, I wasn't being lazy, either.There has been meal preparations, cooking, eating and cleaning up going on for about 12 hours straight. It started with a late brunch, thanks to the late night out Saturday into Sunday morning. Brunch consisted of avocado and alouette omelets, rye bread, fruit salad, orange Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-44118207355095636662008-02-22T10:35:00.002-05:002008-02-22T11:14:49.847-05:00Full Moon Lunar EclipseThese pics aren't anywhere near quality, I know, but I certainly learned a whole host of new features on my little digital camera just trying to get the pics to come out as they did!Not that I'd ever have time to do all the settings before taking any sort of pics, but hey, maybe my next camera will be low-level professional grade? Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765919.post-26143569757547871162008-02-12T12:58:00.000-05:002008-02-12T13:09:59.904-05:00RefreshedI'm back in Philly, back at work and feeling renewed. A few days on the beach does an amazing thing for the mind and body.Of course, the 60-something degree difference was startling, but I can't complain, as I love the changing of the seasons, and this winter hasn't been so winter like ... in fact, a good number of trees seems to have some early blossoms forming, which would make for a Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12107058458747030063noreply@blogger.com0