New Tag

I do not like chest thumping. But I'm sick and tired of having to search my archives every time I get in another one of these insipid arguments.

So I created a new tag.

Original Reporting

Quote For The Day

From the archives.

In the end, then, whatever the media platform, what it means to be a journalist today is what it always has meant...It's not a matter of training...It's a matter of trust. ~Athens Banner Herald Editorial Page Editor Jim Thompson 1-3-08

Good God

How many consultants does it take to destroy a venerable institution?

I wish I knew the punchline.

Dayum!

Jim Walls scoops his former employer.

Now about those changes...

More Insanity On Marietta St?

The blog Eye on Sports Media is reporting that AJC UGA beat reporter Chip Towers has been reassigned to General Assignment. Now, with no bureau or distribution in Athens, the obvious conclusion is Chip will cover Atlanta stories - from Bogart.

To twist the mobius strip further, it is alledged Atlanta stalwart Tim Tucker is now on the UGA beat- from Atlanta.

If that's truly the situation, things on Marietta St have truly entered the realm of the absurd.

Oh, What Changes You Will See

Bloody entrails on the table isn't evidence of an impending cure - it is evidence of a slow, painful evisceration.

But don't tell AJC Editor Julia Wallace.

With the ashes of the latest round of layoffs still warm, she has the audacity to use the word "proud" to describe the impending relaunch of the paper.

Apparently this "newsy" "flashy" new paper (didn't we already go through this with Ron Martin?) will be more responsive and local.

On the responsive front, Ms. Wallace chose to address her dwindling readers directly. Online. On Sunday. The one day where people actually still sit and clutch their gobs of dead tree.

But Ms. Wallace did more than navel gaze. She also promised to respond to comments and questions. Which she did. Exactly five times. Out of over 100 comments. And after explaining how endorsements work (gosh, I've never heard that pablum explanation via one of her Public Editor golems before), commenting was closed.

On the local front, things are even more Pythonesque.

A few days ago, an AJC Online headline screeched that a driver in a fatal accident had been charged. Surely, it must be a story of the horrific hit and run on Riverdale Rd.

No. It was in Arizona.

Then today, the always tittilating headline of an exotic dance taking a stiletto to the head of a coworker appears. Gosh, things must be getting a little wild at the Pink Pony.

Or in Ohio.

Salacious headlines to lure readers deeper into stories that have jack squat to do with Atlanta.

It makes one wonder how much of the alledged $1 million a week is spent on the latest hip and trendy consultants who hypnotize with subtle purrings of clicks per million and sticky pages.

Meanwhile, blood continues to flow on Marietta Street and all we hear is the next cut will be the cure. There is a certainty in those words - cut enough and the patient disappears - no longing needing restorative therapy.

My Morning Wooten

Don't have to go very far for the solution of today's riddle.

His willingness to cozy up to Venezuelan leftist Hugo Chavez, schmoozing at the Summit of the Americas, while accepting a book from Chavez explaining how Europe and the U.S. had messed it up in Latin America. The little revolutionary, thus, levated himself not just to equal, but to instructor to pupil Obama.

Let's amble down the hall to Jay Bookman's place.

So if Obama is Chavez pupil, was Richard Nixon Mao's BFF?

The People Have Spoken

I enjoy being the man in black but I've always worried about readability. There have been complaints in the past.

Well, time to do something about it.

I got off my lazy butt, dug out my miniscule CSS mojo and tweaked the main section. Hopefully the color contrast is a bit easier on the eyes.

I'm going to keep tweaking but let me know what you think.

Oh. And I know I've also been less than prolific lately. That's going to change too.

I Ask Julia A Question

This Sunday, AJC Editor Julia Wallace explains the ongoing reorganization on Marietta St. She will also field questions.

I submitted one.

Ms. Wallace.

Given the reaction of the online community as well as the rise of such local websites as inDecatur and DecaturMetro while the AJC continued to close local bureaus, do you regret stating the following in 2007?

"Online, we will show that we know Atlanta best, providing superlative news and information and becoming the preferred medium for connecting local communities"

We'll see if it gets through moderation and if it does how much spin the answer will contain.

UPDATE: Still no answer.

At least I don't think there's an answer.

Perhaps I just can't find it in the AJC's hideous mix master commenting software.

My Morning Wooten

Jim reaches a new pinnacle of the nonsense and non-sequitor this week.

I'd have an easier time translating hieroglyphics.

Feel free to make your own attempt - kind of a dada mad-lib.

Thanks. But No Thanks.

Let me ask you a question.

If you blew someone off so unprofessionally that they all but publicly called you out, would you then spam them in an attempt to get them to move your content?

I ask this not as a blogger or a writer but as someone who has been in the business world for 20 years and understands that pissing off a potential channel is not the best way to launch a product.

That's strike two.

It happens again and the call-out will be public and it will not be kind.

Well Said

Our friend Jason quoted in the AJC.

Jason Pye of Covington, the legislative director for the Georgia Libertarian Party, had mixed emotions about the rally. He and his fellow Libertarians have long supported the ideals exhorted Wednesday: less government, free markets and a Darwinian-approach to private business...Many of those speaking, he said, haven’t always protected those ideals...“I’m happy people are getting together,” he said. “But the movement has been co-opted by Republicans who are trying to regain their identity and want to forget George W. Bush existed. Libertarians aren’t forgetting.”

It always good to remember there are those who call themselves Libertarians because Republican just doesn't sound as cool.

The Woodshed

You think I'm a righteous sonofabitch when it comes to the AJC?

Then, you should read this.

And I agree with every damn word.

My Morning Wooten

Apparently when it comes to Lt. Gov. candidate Eric Johnson, Jim has a blind spot similar to the veil cast by Sarah Palin. Since Sen. Johnson supports one of Jim's pets - school vouchers - he must be a straight shooter.

I’m getting OD’ed on drama in office. I want competence and I want honesty. No games. No hidden agendas. I’ve come to admire officials like former Senate Pro Tem Eric Johnson (R-Savannah), who has been passionate about school vouchers. He tells you what he believes and works diligently to give parents an alternative

Let's take a look at Sen. Johnson's honesty.

June 27, 2007

A young girl charged them with rape. The police arrested them. A district attorney chose to prosecute them. A grand jury decided to indict them. And a jury convicted them.

Genarlow Wilson was acquitted of rape. But why let facts get in your way.

February 21, 2007

if Genarlow Wilson had simply had the oral sex with the 15 year old, we would probably not be dealing with this.

Genarlow Wilson's only conviction stemmed from having oral sex with the 15 year old - based on a law so unjust Sen. Johnson voted to modify it the following year.

February 19, 2007

The young men, including Mr. Wilson, engaged in multiple acts of intercourse with the 17-year old, even after she was passed out drunk and high on drugs. In fact, Mr. Wilson is videotaped abusively having sex with the passed out girl – a fact ignored by the media, but witnessed by the jury.

The jury concluded the 17 year old not only was not passed out but was able to give consent.

February 19, 2007

My personal opinion is that the jury would have preferred to convict him of the rape charge due to sex with the older girl after she was passed out and incapable of consenting, but since she had earlier had consensual sex, they felt they couldn’t.

Polling of the jury and transcripts gave no indication the jury preferred to convict Genarlow Wilson of rape. In fact, they clearly indicated the 17 year old gave consent and struggled with the issue of the 15 year old girl. These facts did not stop Sen. Eric Johnson implying jury misconduct.

Honesty. It is a rare thing these days. So rare, an AJC editorial writer sees it in places it has long left.

Carp Circles Blackout

You might recognize this sketchy individual from the Saturday Stupids pictures. Lard help us!

AJC Death Watch: The List

I'm going to say it again because it seems people either forget or ignore it all the time - it breaks my heart when people lose their jobs.

Scott Henry has the list of those taking the buyout (or forced to take the buyout) at the AJC. Sonia Murray. Phil Kloer. Terrence Moore. These are names even casual readers recognize. There's also Doug Nurse whom I had the pleasure of meeting when our paths crossed on The Love Shack saga.

But there's one name in particular I'd like to point out - Lea Donosky.

In my first encounter with traditional media animosity, Ms. Donosky not only defended the bloggers in the room, but also drew the comparison to Thomas Paine. I've used that analogy dozens of times over the years.

People with vision are rare - and they seem to be growing rarer in the newspaper industry.

In my mind, this list is a tipping point. At what point does a desperate industry cut so deep that the very talent which could save it is no longer there? We grow closer to the answer every day.

#amazonfail

Attention, PR and media hacks and flacks: If you haven't heard of #amazonfail, you're not doing your job.

Nutshell: Over the weekend, for reasons still unclear, Amazon removes LGBT content from its sales rankings. Someone on the internet notices. Crap storm ensues.

More on this later.

For now though, a simple question.

Which is more likely?

A complex algorithm which searches and prioritizes a massive database goes hinky and excludes certain entries or an internet company with no history of discrimination starts discriminating against a certain segment of society with the belief no one on the internet will notice?

UPDATE: Here is an account from an alledged Amazon employee.

Amazon managers found that an employee who happened to work in France had filled out a field incorrectly and more than 50,000 items got flipped over to be flagged as "adult," the source said. (Technically, the flag for adult content was flipped from 'false' to 'true.')

That my friends is a dbase error.

AJC Death Watch

Found a new blog via Live Apartment Fire.

Certain Speculation.

And CB has the scoop on Julia Wallace's memo to staff on the recent round of layoffs. The paper also wiped out the whole graphics department. One wonders if it was replaced by a monkey with access to Microsoft ClipArt.

Race Of Fools 2009 - Elephants In Godfrey

The story of an underground road rally as told by the navigator of a cranky '64 Sunbeam Alpine.

To read Part I, go here.

Eventually we passed through the wreckage of broken yard sale dreams but the experience left Captain Ballard muttering. He began gobbling what appeared to be either tic tacs or possibly white crosses.

I attempted to steer us onto the bypass but he insisted it was a highway and that was just not allowed. Despite the temptation to smack sense into him, I charted a side street course. It was simply too early for violence.

We arrived at the botanical garden just behind the Mercedes and frantically searched for the Kugel Fountain. Dozens of steps later, with generous help from the resident Garden Club of Georgia members, we found the object and snapped the appropriate picture.

I wanted to buy some begonias to adorn our ride but the Captain screeched there was no time.

We then reached a mission crossroad.

Our choices were to proceed towards Omaha Springs via either Godfrey or Tignall. Godfrey appeared to be a more direct route and travelling to anything so weirdly named as Tignall was unthinkable.

The Sunbeam puttered past the pastures of Oconee County on the way to Madison and points beyond.

Our clue stated we had to take a picture of an elephant in a metal warehouse.

As we approached the outskirts of Godfrey, it was decided to leverage the local knowledge. Fortunately, a man hauling hay appeared on the side of the road.

He stared at the strange little car and fortunately for its navigator didn't let loose a hail of bullets as an obvious maniac emerged from the cockpit and sprinted towards his truck.

"We're looking for the elephant!", I wailed.

"The whut?", he responded.

"The elephant, man! The elephant!"

Blank stare.

"For gods sake where in town is there a metal warehouse?".

"Uh, yeah. There's a big metal building down by the tracks"

"Many thanks".

We drove to the other side of Godfrey (about half a mile) and indeed a fabricated metal building sat attached to the ubiquitous general store.

A man and his young daughter stood near the entrance. She promptly pointed at the psychedelic roadster and sputtered, "what the hell is that?"

Ballard responded, "It's a '64 Sunbeam Alpine..."

"There's no time", I whimpered, "Have you seen the elephant?"

"It's in there", she pointed Alice in Wonderland-like at the dark door.

Inside lay possibly the grandest taxidermy shop in the whole wide world. And on one wall was the head of an elephant.

"There's a bigger one through there", the little girl, who had followed us, pointed again.

In the next room was a full sized, stuffed bull African elephant.

Stunned at the weirdness of it all, I gently shoved the near catatonic Ballard in front of the monstrosity and snapped the required photograph.

We thanked Alice and her diddy, then sped away towards Omaha Springs and glory.

To continue to Part III, go here.

What Is Goin' On: Sine Die

Wilson and I talk about the craziness of Sine Die including the transportation mess. I even manage to make someone in middle Georgia mad about Marta.

Listen here.