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TO HOLLER OR NOT TO HOLLER
A timeless observation from the Basque writer Miguel de Unamuno: “Sometimes to be silent is to lie.”
Miguel de Unamuno
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MUGSHOT
Poor Pat Murphy, my drinking buddy at Soma Coffee. Seems as though he only gets his picture in the Herald Times is when his Bloomington Utilities department is looking for more money.
Pat R.H. Murphy
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I may tease him and say his middle name should be Rate Hike. He may in turn freeze me with one of his patented dirty looks, though.
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JANUARY’S GONE
WFHB radio general manager Chad Carrothers released January Jones‘ resignation letter, addressed (tellingly?) not to him but to the “WFHB Community.”
January had been the News Director for almost a year. She took over for Chad after he, in turn, took over the general manager’s riding crop following the departure of Will Murphy to NPR’s Ft. Wayne station. She resigned last week.
Jones
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Chad has whipped the station into a shape it’s never been in before. WFHB beat its fundraising goals in both the spring and fall pledge drives. He’s one of the hardest working human beings I’ve ever met.
January was extraordinarily hard-working as well. Maybe too much so. The key line in her letter reads: “… I’ve realized that the staffing models in the organization make the News Director job a difficult position for me to maintain.”
Without talking to either Chad or January at this time (they’ve not responded to my email messages yet) I can interpret the line two ways:
1) There’s too much work for me to do here without more paid staffers; or
2) There are things I’d like to to have done but couldn’t because I didn’t have the autonomy I need.
I’ll do my best to get more dope on this one.
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WE DO FACEBOOK SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO
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Here’s a new feature. Since most sentient humans are being driven to psychotic reaction by the flood of spamily, brattle, and breathless revelations of what people had to eat last night on Facebook, we’ve decided to wade through the mess and bring you the most illuminating ideas, events, and developments found there.
Let’s go:
◗ Frank Miller long has been a titan in the comix and graphic novel rackets. His books “300,” “Sin City,” and “The Dark Knight Returns” all have been made into blockbuster movies (TDKR as “The Dark Knight.”) Bloomington’s Michael Redman and Mike Cagle point out that he’s now part of a virulent Hollywood crypto-fascism movement.
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Miller on his blog refers to Occupy people as “louts, thieves, and rapists” as well as “pond scum.”
◗ Bibliophile extraordinaire R.E. Paris links to a moving video featuring a kid who was a victim of schoolyard bullying. She tells her own story of catching hell from schoolmates (speaking of louts!) R.E. credits former Star Trek actor George Takei with originating the link.
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◗ Chicago-area green economy expert John Wasik points out that the Windy City is home to a Nikola Tesla fan club. Who knew?
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Are you sitting down? There are chapters all around the nation!
◗ Finally, San Jose’s Chris Madsen reminds us it’s officially holiday season now that the yearly TV torrent of “It’s A Wonderful Life” airings has begun.
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There. Aren’t you a better person for not having to read about someone’s pet bird?
Stay tuned for more.
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THE CAT THAT BECAME FAMOUS
Go see Grover & Sloan’s fourth installment in their continuing series of the cat and the air pump, today in “Cats and Machines.”
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A Facebook aggregator! It had to happen someday.