Recently in Mediaverse Category
At the risk of out-nerding the nerds of The Weak, one observation regarding their latest, incremental update on the arrest of Beijing float protester Andrew Koenig, son of Star Trek's Walter Koenig:
It's Lt. Chekov, not "Checkov."
At least Chekhov would have netted the right nationality and lent a convenient literary defense!
Real reporting got'ya down? Too hard?
Not so! Especially with these handy Internets at our fingertips. Not when you can re-report the actual work done by actual reporters. Except would-be plagiarists are usually savvy enough to rewrite the copy and make a phone call of their own, even throw in a few "such and such told us in an exclusive interview."
Which makes for an entertaining (some might assert troubling?) lapse by Pasadena Now, as recounted by our Public Editor Lawrence of Wilson:
Rewriting someone else's stories is one thing. Simply stealing them word for word is another. We all know that the one-man-band news site Pasadena Now doesn't have much staff, whether in Bangalore or Pasadena. That's why they can't cover the news like a professional organization. It's tough all over, but our science and health writer Elise Kleeman, a Caltech grad and extraordinary professional journalist, worked hard recently to get the long covered-up story about a huge back-pay settlement Huntington Hospital has been ordered by a court to pay its nurses.
Here's a couple excerpts for comparison's sake -- Larry posted both stories in full.
From our by-lined story by science reporter Elise Kleeman:
Superior Court Judge William MacLaughlin, who ruled in September that the hospital was attempting to dodge overtime laws, sided with the employees again in accepting their calculation of the underpaid wages.Huntington lawyers had argued the restitution amount should be decreased by approximately $20 million.
The class-action lawsuit, filed by four former Huntington nurses, charged that the hospital failed to pay adequate overtime for 2,117 employees between 1999 and 2004.
"We're very pleased," said Joseph Antonelli, lawyer for the nurses. "I think it's going to be a landmark decision because there hasn't been a trial court decision on this issue before."
And from Now's "staff report:"
Superior Court Judge William MacLaughlin, who ruled in September that the hospital was attempting to dodge overtime laws, sided with the employees again in accepting their calculation of the underpaid wages.Huntington lawyers had argued the restitution amount should be decreased by approximately $20 million.
The class-action lawsuit, filed by four former Huntington nurses, charged that the hospital failed to pay adequate overtime for 2,117 employees between 1999 and 2004.
"We're very pleased," said Joseph Antonelli, lawyer for the nurses. "I think it's going to be a landmark decision because there hasn't been a trial court decision on this issue before."
Score one for these fine, vast Interwebs!
"Just when I think I'm out, they keep pulling me back in."
Because I missed losing half of the most frenetic day in the newsroom ... and because Producer Stuart Johnson made with the puppy-dog eyes, I joined the fine people of KPAS to appear on the new City Beat with the inimitable likes of Tami DeVine, Barry Gordon and Steve Madison of District 6.
Topics included Pasadena Heritage's bid to designate the Central and Lower Arroyo a protected cultural landscape, the YAC and -- as much as I wished otherwise -- Measure D.
City Beat airs on cable channel 55 and streams throughout the week.
Apparently the Pasadena Bizarre News is a holiday tradition at City Hall. Too damn awesome. Most entries mock stories of mine from the past year, as well as the work of Janette Williams, Robert S. Hong and former reporter Mary Frances Gurton. I've opted to take it as homage. ((Erdman: You'll pay for this! >:D))
Click the image or here for the full version.
"If you ever put me on your f*-ing blog again, I'll f*-ing find you!"
Not what I expected to hear on my way over to Europane for some lunch with reporter Molly Okeon.
The source of this threat-so-chilling? None other than Weekly staffer Carl Kozlowski, demonstrating the jocular gaiety that earned him "America's Funniest Reporter," or at least, the domain name.
So much for a sense of humor. Especially the day after his story about NYE on the Boulevard ran with a photo provided gratis by your humble narrator.
UPDATED: Molly R. Okeon threatens to threaten me for excluding her beloved "R."
Hugh Hoyland is angry.
In fact, the Monrovian could be one of the angriest men in the San Gabriel Valley. For decades, no one has listened to his simply presented evidence of greater truths. In fact, many reasonable, yet timid, minds have turned their backs on what is irrefutably the most important issue of the human race.
Much to Hugh's abiding dismay and disapprobation.
On Tuesday, Hugh threw wide the newsroom door, shouted something incoherent (except for the word "myopic") and stormed out.
Long before I worked for the Star-News, stories of the infamous "Mars Man" reached me via my JPLer father and the odd media account. The Mars Man would stand in front of the lab and show up at various events with his placards mounted with photos of the Mars Face and other irrefutable evidence of Little Green Men.
So it was something of a personal treat when Hugh Hoyland camped out in front of the newsroom for 10 days or so last year. He never articulated the purpose of his silent stand, but it seemed a safe assumption that he was sending a message to science reporter Elise Kleeman that her shilling for the corporate-space-Martian-government complex's lies were not going unnoticed.
I wanted to believe, until I walked out to speak to Hugh. Insisting that I wasn't getting close enough to see the truth of his pixelated images, Hugh began screaming when I made a terrible mistake. I smiled at him.
"Laughing? Laughing?!! Just get away from me!" Hugh screamed.
In the ensuing months, Hugh has taken to sending all sorts of affectionate messages to Elise, including the above amiable sentiment.
It's been a big one for the weak's Andre Coleman.
Who knew getting hitched would only be eclipsed by the imprimatur from readers of proctorformayor.com, declaring him the most awesome of Pasadena-area reporters? Mr. 11.2% declares your humble, AP-style-adhering narrator as Mr. 49.7 percent.
Coleman: Don't underestimate my determined, underdog rage. I feel a montage coming on ...
New weak is informally on tap. They used that extra day to put the one arrested protester, Andrew Koenig, through the super journalism machine.
Koenig was "Boner Stabone" on Growing Pains, and is the son of Pavel Chekov. Yeah, that Chekov.
I remember Boner's penultimate appearance, when he decided to join the military. He takes off on a six-mile run at Mike's recommendation, then calls him two hours later, exhausted:
Boner: I need a ride.
Mike: Where are you?
*beat*
Boner: I ran six miles like you told me to, and I'm too tired to walk six miles home.
Wah-wah!
UPDATED: Apparently the original title of this post was deemed too provocative for our odd set of 1950s era values.
The Hallway Monitor is back on the ed beat, now in the capable hands of veteran education reporter Caroline An, aka CAN. Check it.
UPDATED: She forced me to say that.
Expect some more-dubious-than-usual distinctions from The Proctor , who has some end of the year awards awaiting votes.
Speaking of Aaron, did anyone else think a certain story last weak read like rip-off of Aaron's blog? Perhaps he could get a job over there! <.<
Updated: Metroblogging.la has reached a decision on its 2007 "Grinch of the Year" award, thanks to the "Pasadena blog mafia."
Saturday's Measure D story the other day ended with this line:
Also on Monday, the city plans, without a council vote, to change the threshold for low-income seniors to apply for exemption of the utility-user tax so that more seniors can qualify by linking it to economic indicators, City Manager Cynthia Kurtz said.
Problem is I never wrote that. I did write the "city plans to ..." but where "Also Monday" and "without a council vote" came from escapes me entirely.
SGVN Public Editor Lawrence Wilson aka The Larry, served up some freedom sauce yesterday to two media attaches from the Chinese Consulate General's office.
If the boys in Beijing are picking up Public Eye from Pasadena on the Venus line: Censor this, Politburo! You've got nothing to lose but fear itself for a billion Chinese.
So I was having another Prisoner-related fever dream Wednesday morning (OK it was more like noon) when I managed to answer my cell phone for the following (paraphrased with license) conversation:
Andre Coleman: Ruiz ... just what the hell are you?
Kenneth Todd Ruiz: Dying at the moment.
Andre: So I've heard. But do you consider yourself Latino? I'm filing something on the media thing last week.
Todd:: Well that's a tricky one. I've never identified with any ethnic group.
Andre: So is that a 'yes' or a 'no?'
Todd: Here's my quote: 'I will not be filed, stamped or indexed."
Apparently it didn't make the cut. Otherwise have been too busy upon my return to life to scan this week's edition for comedic material and cheap shots.
So, I painted my ant-stripe and snuck into the PW party as Aaron Proctor.
You go where the story takes you.
Or perhaps I was the guest of a certain adverserial reporter -- but either way, had a great time at the Weekly's Best Of party. Cynthia Kurtz was there with all of her infectious, nervous energy, as were City Council members Madison, Gordo, Robinson and Bogaard; and enjoyed harassing Victor CalPhil Venner, Weeky Editor Kevin Urich, and writers Joe P and Carl K.
(Yes I typed "infections" last night after violating blog rule No. 1: don't BUI -- Blog Under the Influence)
Apparently Jim Laris was spotted -- but I didn't find him.
Although I may reference certain blog memes and narratives out there, I can't perpetuate them. Like Aaron Proctor v. Steve Madison. I mean, all things aside, Aaron's been pretty unrelenting with his cruel and unusual blog torture of Steve, yet at the same time, not wholly out of bounds.
I have to give this week's Brass Pair award to Steve for not shying away from Aaron at the party. He walked straight into a diplomatic exchange with Kelli Proctor and Aaron of his own accord. Reports indicate he even apologized if Kelli was offended by an exchange earlier this year.
So, all in all, Big Grats PW, your weekly section is so great ... FOR ME TO POOP ON!
Just grabbed a copy of pasadena weekly. Tough time to be a weekly reporter, what with the breaking, advertiser-pleasing exclusives on where to buy a pizza, get your nails done or hire an Asian hooker.
My favorite:
BEST PUBLIC EMPLOYEE
City Manager Cynthia Kurtz If you want to know who really makes the city work, talk to Cynthia Kurtz. For the past nine years, she’s been in charge of making sure all city operations run smoothly and for setting the groundwork for Pasadena to remain a world-class city for decades to come. Kurtz started working for the city in 1987, and in 1991 became director of Public Works, dealing with everything from potholes to traffic signals and the multimillion-dollar refurbishments to the Colorado Street Bridge. Her work as the city’s top employee has included the restoration of Pasadena City Hall.
Psst ... guys ... check this out.
I've heard they throw a kickin' party tho! <.<
Hitting the archive for information on the history of the YWCA's Week Without Violence, I came across the Your View entry from Sept. 28, 2001. Letters posted for posterity after the jump.
It's time for our favorite annual, inherantly sexist Star-News tradition (for the record, majority of our staff and contest participants are women) of Pick the Rose Court.
Well I didn't finish this entry on Friday, so make your pick based on our picture here and see how you did compared to the results.
I only got one right. So did Larry, Cortney and Elise. Janette and Emanuel got two. But it's Staff Writer Molly R. Okeon taking home the $14 pot with four winning selections.
I'll be the first to admit -- as will a litany of ex-girlfriends -- that I tend to get preoccupied with my own, self-absorbed world.
So I hadn't actually read reporter Cortney Fielding's new education blog Hallway Monitor.
How boring would that be? I thought (questioned?)
But I highly recommend doing so because Cortney's deadpan ironics are as hell of funny on the Interwebs as they are in the newsroom.
New episode of City Beat taped this morning. We talked about Cynthia Kurtz' resignation, the ad-hoc committee meeting and had a redundant conversation about Muir (see two weeks ago.)
It will probably be this reporter's last. With stories due for the looming weekend, Fridays are the worst day at a newspaper. I didn't leave until after 8 p.m.
Truth is, the semi-punditry isn't really a comfortable space to be in, particularly when I loathe the broadcast heads that move so quickly between being a reporter and a pundit in different time-slots that you have no idea to which you're listening.
At least I was able to perform my good deed for the month. KPAS staffer Brandy (Brandi? I have no idea what anyone's last name or title is there) scooped up an errant Chihuahua named Benji scampering around the Hen's Teeth Square parking lot, which we loaded into my Toyota and deposited behind the fence of his home over on El Molino.
In an Under the Dome exclusive -- as first reported here on Under the Dome, and first typed into an entry here for the people of the Intertubes to read (first!), Under the Dome has learned/been told/saw posted on a wall/received a Google news alert that Public Eye has made some comments about the Beijing Olympic / Rose Parade controversy.
