Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Chron for sale, Maybe.
Hearst wants big concessions from the unions and employees of the Chron, and if they don't get it, they'll put the newspaper up for sale. Or shut it down if they can't find a buyer.
What they are not thinking of? Making a product that is attractive to its market!
When you get former editor Phil Bronstein devoting his SFgate real estate into fixing the Republican party, maybe, just maybe, your (past, but still influential) leadership is not taking you into the right direction.
What they are not thinking of? Making a product that is attractive to its market!
When you get former editor Phil Bronstein devoting his SFgate real estate into fixing the Republican party, maybe, just maybe, your (past, but still influential) leadership is not taking you into the right direction.
The Chron's Fake Controversies.
Carolyn Lochhead:
A consensus could be developing around a proposal by Obama's erstwhile nominee for commerce secretary, Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., and Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., to apply something akin to a military-base-closing commission to trimming costs in controversial programs like Social Security.
Social Security is as controversial as apple pie. Lochhead wants to gut it, but most everyone else like it like it is, especially since making is solvent ad aeternam is pretty easy.
Also, she's misinformed:
Yet barring heroic gains in efficiency, restraining health costs means restricting access to expensive treatments. During his campaign, Obama talked only about expanding access. Any hint of the dreaded "R" word, rationing, would be sure to rile a hornets' nest of health care interests in Washington and those now getting gold-plated care.
First, who are those who get "gold-plated care?"
Second, an easy way to rule in the cost of healthcare is to make it universal. There's something like 30% of administrative overhead in the US system as it is, good for a point or so of GDP.
But for conservatives like Lochhead, it's the gold-plated care recipient (the Cadillac Welfare Queens of today!) who are the culprit.
A consensus could be developing around a proposal by Obama's erstwhile nominee for commerce secretary, Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., and Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., to apply something akin to a military-base-closing commission to trimming costs in controversial programs like Social Security.
Social Security is as controversial as apple pie. Lochhead wants to gut it, but most everyone else like it like it is, especially since making is solvent ad aeternam is pretty easy.
Also, she's misinformed:
Yet barring heroic gains in efficiency, restraining health costs means restricting access to expensive treatments. During his campaign, Obama talked only about expanding access. Any hint of the dreaded "R" word, rationing, would be sure to rile a hornets' nest of health care interests in Washington and those now getting gold-plated care.
First, who are those who get "gold-plated care?"
Second, an easy way to rule in the cost of healthcare is to make it universal. There's something like 30% of administrative overhead in the US system as it is, good for a point or so of GDP.
But for conservatives like Lochhead, it's the gold-plated care recipient (the Cadillac Welfare Queens of today!) who are the culprit.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Mercredi, c'est Ravioli.
Straight up review this week. The only gripe we can summon is the stupid divide of the review in two pages: click on the second page, and you have, literally, three sentences; that is, the web equivalent of a widowed line.
The Weekly is in such cost cutting groove that she visits the place only once, it seems. That's the sad irony: the integrity of the reviewing process is falling by the wayside, while the reviews are getting tighter and more enjoyable.
The Weekly is in such cost cutting groove that she visits the place only once, it seems. That's the sad irony: the integrity of the reviewing process is falling by the wayside, while the reviews are getting tighter and more enjoyable.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
No wonder the Chron is tanking
SFist made me click on Rush Limbaugh's web site. Brock: this is evil. What happen to the NSFW warnings? Sheeesh.
Anyhow, the reason I was clicking on the link was that it mentioned Debra Saunders, and I was curious what she's up to. Well, she corrects her "good buddy" Rush's pronunciation about Caille Millner's name. It's Ky, as in kayak.
Note to Debra: mispronouncing Caille's name is the least offensive Rush says on his show.
Anyhow, Rush was talking about Caille because she wrote an article belittling the community activists in San Francisco for preventing an American Apparel shop to open in the Mission. The Chron wrote three pieces, (Millner, Andrew Ross, Chuck Nevius, as far as I can tell), and all of them criticize the community for deciding what they thought is best for them.
Hey Chron: have you given up on your San Francisco readership? You spit on their face, repeatedly for their decision, and then you'll try to sell them papers? Maybe the people in Walnut Creek, reading those pieces, will go: "yup, those San Franciscans really sure are stupid." Come on, Rush cites the Chron approvingly! But you know what, if your core readership is Rush's audience, or Marin and Contra Costa counties, and they so dislike SF for being dirty silly hippies, you should consider changing that name of yours. The Bridge-and-Tunnels Chronicle, how does that sound? Anything to disassociate you from those gross San Francisco value. Maybe move out that 5th and mission building, I hear Santa Rosa has real cheap commercial real estate, you'll save money.
Ross actually let the truth out of the bag. The decision stopped American Apparel from creating jobs, and Ross adds: Not to mention the ad dollars the company was prepared to spread around neighborhood media.
Ha! The Chron was hoping for more advertising revenue, that's why they're so bitter about it. They desperately need any dough, some was coming their way, if only the Mish was not the Mish. Oh, so close!
Hey Chron: Mish readers are revenue too!
Anyhow, the reason I was clicking on the link was that it mentioned Debra Saunders, and I was curious what she's up to. Well, she corrects her "good buddy" Rush's pronunciation about Caille Millner's name. It's Ky, as in kayak.
Note to Debra: mispronouncing Caille's name is the least offensive Rush says on his show.
Anyhow, Rush was talking about Caille because she wrote an article belittling the community activists in San Francisco for preventing an American Apparel shop to open in the Mission. The Chron wrote three pieces, (Millner, Andrew Ross, Chuck Nevius, as far as I can tell), and all of them criticize the community for deciding what they thought is best for them.
Hey Chron: have you given up on your San Francisco readership? You spit on their face, repeatedly for their decision, and then you'll try to sell them papers? Maybe the people in Walnut Creek, reading those pieces, will go: "yup, those San Franciscans really sure are stupid." Come on, Rush cites the Chron approvingly! But you know what, if your core readership is Rush's audience, or Marin and Contra Costa counties, and they so dislike SF for being dirty silly hippies, you should consider changing that name of yours. The Bridge-and-Tunnels Chronicle, how does that sound? Anything to disassociate you from those gross San Francisco value. Maybe move out that 5th and mission building, I hear Santa Rosa has real cheap commercial real estate, you'll save money.
Ross actually let the truth out of the bag. The decision stopped American Apparel from creating jobs, and Ross adds: Not to mention the ad dollars the company was prepared to spread around neighborhood media.
Ha! The Chron was hoping for more advertising revenue, that's why they're so bitter about it. They desperately need any dough, some was coming their way, if only the Mish was not the Mish. Oh, so close!
Hey Chron: Mish readers are revenue too!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Mercredi, c'est Chronicle
Matthew Stafford at the helm of the Weekly food section, and we'll be faithful to Meredith, we won't mess with any other food critic with her back turned away.
Which brings us to the Chron. We haven't been reading it too much, trying to preserve what little is left of our sanity. But Media Matters did.
Guess who propagates Republican lies in the Chron? Who?
Carolyn Lochhead, of course!
Oh, and Phil Bronstein is crusading for more scrutiny, more spine from journalists, now that a Democrat is President. He went on Hardball to whine that the questions asked at the President presser were softballs.
Mmm, Phil, the president went on national TV to go around the press. That was the purpose, to talk directly to the public, because the media has been spreading disinformation about the stimulus. Republicans outnumber Democrats 2-1 on TV to discuss the recovery package. And then Phil Smarty Pants complains that the press is not doing its job! He probably congratulated for Lochhead forpeddline GOP lies her courageous scrutiny.
And in comment to his post, pbronstein excuses himself of the Iraq War cheerleading on his editorial watch, by saying he had been "suckered" on the WMDs.
How convenient! Scrutiny at the time was available, many people did not get suckered, many people did not take the administration at its word. Now pbronstein washes his hand of any responsibility: not his fault, he was "suckered."
To sum up: to spend trillion of $$$ on an illegitimate, un-necessary Iraqi invasion: no journalistic scrutiny, let's let ourselves be suckered.
To spend trillion of $$$ on a desperately needed economic recovery here in the US, where job losses are piling up to the sky in no time: scrutiny a go-go!
No wonder that with such geniuses at the helm, the Chron is tanking!
Which brings us to the Chron. We haven't been reading it too much, trying to preserve what little is left of our sanity. But Media Matters did.
Guess who propagates Republican lies in the Chron? Who?
Carolyn Lochhead, of course!
Oh, and Phil Bronstein is crusading for more scrutiny, more spine from journalists, now that a Democrat is President. He went on Hardball to whine that the questions asked at the President presser were softballs.
Mmm, Phil, the president went on national TV to go around the press. That was the purpose, to talk directly to the public, because the media has been spreading disinformation about the stimulus. Republicans outnumber Democrats 2-1 on TV to discuss the recovery package. And then Phil Smarty Pants complains that the press is not doing its job! He probably congratulated for Lochhead for
And in comment to his post, pbronstein excuses himself of the Iraq War cheerleading on his editorial watch, by saying he had been "suckered" on the WMDs.
How convenient! Scrutiny at the time was available, many people did not get suckered, many people did not take the administration at its word. Now pbronstein washes his hand of any responsibility: not his fault, he was "suckered."
To sum up: to spend trillion of $$$ on an illegitimate, un-necessary Iraqi invasion: no journalistic scrutiny, let's let ourselves be suckered.
To spend trillion of $$$ on a desperately needed economic recovery here in the US, where job losses are piling up to the sky in no time: scrutiny a go-go!
No wonder that with such geniuses at the helm, the Chron is tanking!
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Mercredi, c'est Ravioli.
This post to acknowledge that we read our weekly Brody offering, but can't find anything snarky to gripe about.
Well, the bleak Mission, maybe. Actually, last week's trip at Van Ness and 21st did not rate a mention of the neighborhood's bleakness, and we were surprised about it. Now we're re-assured it was just a fluke, and she did clutch her pearls indeed.
Well, the bleak Mission, maybe. Actually, last week's trip at Van Ness and 21st did not rate a mention of the neighborhood's bleakness, and we were surprised about it. Now we're re-assured it was just a fluke, and she did clutch her pearls indeed.
