Monthly Archives: October 2009

Vanity publishing and The NY Times

Posted on October 27, 2009 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell [paypal-donation] Far as I can recall, I started writing my book, Shoestring Reporter, 28 years ago. I’d just landed a job as a full time staff writer with the South Bend Tribune and was quite full of … Continue reading →

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Thou shalt not

Posted on October 26, 2009 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell [paypal-donation] If it wasn’t evident in my essay, “Watching them die,” about the Associated Press reporter who witnesses executions in Texas, I am opposed to capital punishment. But as I later reflected on my reaction to the New … Continue reading →

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‘Objectivity’ vs. truth

Posted on October 23, 2009 by hro50ta1

By Luke Warm Professor of Mendacity, University of Munchausen Today, I’m going to talk about telling really huge whoppers and getting the media to go along. Myra Megahertz, Dean of Manipulation here at U of M, asked me to give … Continue reading →

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Rock Star Price Guide

Posted on October 22, 2009 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell, K8PSV Okay, this one’s not for everybody. But maybe it’s not so niche-like, after all. There’s some basic economics here, regardless that the topic is ham radio. It doesn’t hurt to remind people that prices change over … Continue reading →

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Watching them die

Posted on October 21, 2009 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell  I should have been stunned by today’s (October 21, 2009)  New York Times report about a journalist’s attempt at “objectivity” in the face of calculated killing, but I wasn’t. Thirty or so years working in the news industry … Continue reading →

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Race & taxes

Posted on October 20, 2009 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell “Seek not, and ye shall find” — that’s my motto. Sporadically over the last few months, I’ve been trying to finish my journalism book, “Shoestring Reporter”, and the last stage involves selecting graphic elements. It’s a two-stage … Continue reading →

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Plug Nickel and my little book machine

Posted on October 19, 2009 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell Plug Nickel is back. In fact, the boat named “Plug Nickel” never went away. But since June 2005, my columns about my adventures with the wooden Lightning sailboat hull that eventually came to be christened “Plug Nickel” … Continue reading →

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More Freep layoffs

Posted on October 17, 2009 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell While I was towing our floating docks across Patten Bay closing the cottage for ’09, a good ten hours drive from Motown, managers at the Detroit Free Press were sharpening their knives. More editorial staffers will be … Continue reading →

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That island connection

Posted on October 16, 2009 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell On the wall of our kitchen there’s a framed motto that says, “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” Back when I worked at the Detroit Free Press, I thought we should have hung up another version: … Continue reading →

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Not so friendly “Friends”

Posted on October 10, 2009 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell They call themselves “Friends of the Rouge.” Try to find out what they do, and they’re not so cordial. For instance, I’m curious about how the Rouge Report Card was compiled in 1999 and again in 2005. … Continue reading →

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