Author Archives: hro50ta1

Matty to the slammer!

Posted on December 12, 2010 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell Channel 7 reports that a Wayne County circuit judge could fine and imprison Dan Stamper, president of the company that owns the Ambassador Bridge. Stamper is known to Detroiters mainly as the consummate bullshit artist who tries … Continue reading →

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Me & Matty & Fox 2

Posted on December 11, 2010 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell Bill Gallagher of Fox 2 stopped by Plymouth a few days ago and we chatted about Matty Moroun alongside the city’s picturesque Kellogg Park. Later in the day, Fox 2 aired parts of our interview: I seemed … Continue reading →

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Seize the bridge!

Posted on December 8, 2010 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell The Windsor Star has called on Canadian governments to nationalize the privately-owned Ambassador Bridge linking the U.S. and Canada. About time somebody took this idea seriously. Besides me. Back on May 14, 2009, I argued that governments, … Continue reading →

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Five stars for SHOESTRING REPORTER

Posted on December 3, 2010 by hro50ta1

Joel Thurtell’s new book, Shoestring Reporter, is a ‘top pick,’ according to Midwest Book Review:  5.0 out of 5 stars  A top pick for anyone who has big dreams of journalism, December 2, 2010 By  Midwest Book Review This review … Continue reading →

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JC shocked, shocked at son’s behavior

Posted on December 2, 2010 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell U.S Rep. John Conyers says he’s sorry his son misused a congressional car. The congressman wants to reimburse the government for his son’s bad behavior. Ain’t that sweet? Congressman Conyers actually concedes there might be something wrong … Continue reading →

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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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