Monthly Archives: November 2010

Hank Fonde: “I beat Ohio State!”

Posted on November 27, 2010 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell The 80-year-old old guy with the shock of white hair wore a fading maize and blue University of Michigan t-shirt. But this was not just any Michigan fan. Nor was it just any UM t-shirt. The younger … Continue reading →

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A dog’s best friend

Posted on November 22, 2010 by hro50ta1

By Peppermint Patti JOTR Columnist An annoying whine, Sophie, is a dog’s best friend. The dog who hesitates to whine, for fear of bothering two-leggers, will never be enshrined as an exemplar of canine nobility and self-abnegation. Nothing good happens … Continue reading →

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‘Algerian hacker’

Posted on November 19, 2010 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell He or she or they called themselves the “Algerian hacker.” For all I know, he or she or they could be living down the street from me. Maybe they had some fun tearing up my websites. It … Continue reading →

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Age of the robo-writers

Posted on November 17, 2010 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell Back in the day when I was paid for writing, we used to joke about our jobs being threatened by offshore journalists. I had this perverse fantasy: What if the newspaper canned me and assigned my coverage … Continue reading →

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Novi = No. VI = baloney

Posted on November 14, 2010 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell My wife and I are tutoring English-learners for Washtenaw Literacy. One of our students, a Korean, not knowing about my fascination with how places get their  names, brought up the old chestnut about how Novi, Michigan, got … Continue reading →

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Olbermann, MSNBC and Red Squads

Posted on November 11, 2010 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell Keith Olbermann got it right when he said in his “apology” that MSNBC’s ban on political donations by network employees like Olbermann was “probably not legal.” But why did Keith Olbermann feel the  need to apologize for … Continue reading →

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MSNBC’s invisible hand

Posted on November 9, 2010 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell Did you wonder, maybe, why I’ve been beating on New York Times writers for letting the invisible hand of Times company policy guide their printed musings about Keith Olbermann’s suspension by MSNBC? So what? For the Times … Continue reading →

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David Carr, impartiality and a Times ethics policy

Posted on November 8, 2010 by hro50ta1

The sidelines, which is where American journalism and news used to live, have become a far less interesting place. Why merely annotate events when you can tilt the playing field? — David Carr, New York Times, November 8, 2010 By … Continue reading →

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‘Objectivity’ and Olbermann

Posted on November 6, 2010 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell It was subtle. It was understated in a shifty way. But The New York Times managed to tell its readers that journalists who give money to political causes are bad people without mentioning that the Times has … Continue reading →

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The Rich Rod punt

Posted on November 6, 2010 by hro50ta1

“I am proud of how our coach has handled all of this, as well as his players.” —  University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, on the NCAA’s verdict that the UM football program committed five major rules violations By … Continue reading →

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