1. My brief post on Wednesday about Bill Maxwell retiring turned out to be spot-on. I spoke with Bill several times when he dined at Parkshore Grill and found him to be a true gentleman. However, I don’t know if I will miss his writing much, as it has become too often the screed of an angry older man.
2. The Bay Buzz blog is cribbin’ my headlines. Again. Look at their story from today and compare it to my story from yesterday.
3. I think it’s Jeff Copeland who chides people for using the word “black” to describe him by asking: “Did I just go and spray-paint myself?” After I read this headline, I see his point of view. How are issues at a mayoral forum “black”?
4. Speaking of the mayoral forum, this article is what you get when everybody and their brother runs for Mayor. You know which candidate got mentioned the most? Paul Congemi. These forums are the latest joke in what is turning out be the worst campaign I have ever witnessed.
5. Part of the problem with this campaign is the lack of context being offered by the Times. There is absolutely no direction to their coverage. Spray an article about the forum, post a blog entry about Paul Congemi, repeat. Instead of just posting an entry about Bill Foster receiving the endorsement of the cops, why not go further and talk about what this endorsement means, what does it mean that other candidates, such as Kathleen Ford, didn’t receive it, what endorsements matter in local politics, what are the on-the-ground implications of receiving an endorsement, i.e., when you get the firefighters nod, you get their help with sign placement. The Bay Buzz blog receives 11,000 hits a day (allegedly), so there is an obvious hunger for news…give us some other than buckets of chicken and ticket giveaways.
6. As a matter of fact, some of the best “blogs” the Times publishes are on topics you wouldn’t think lend themselves to blogging, such as UnRealEstate.
7. Deggans sends off Jay Leno, and good riddance. I’ve watched him all of like five times and he was never funny. Not as funny as Letterman or Kimmel or Colbert or Stewart. And, yes, I am a better person than others for not enjoying Leno’s least common denominator humor.
8. The Sports page is chock full of good stories. Tom Jones on hockey, John Romano on what the Rays need to do and great baseball coverage kept me busy for my twenty minutes next to the pool,
9. Thank you for printing the NYT’s Gail Collins. Her column has surpassed Maureen Dowd’s. And she doesn’t crib from the blogosphere.
1o. Maybe the wilco-tango shark killers who dragged a pregnant bull nurse around a line for two hours can get their ass handed to them by the same dudes who jacked this wilco-tango redneck who needed reminding that you don’t wear a wife-beater out to the club.
