New Frontiers in Journalism

The Chicago Cubs have finally made it to the World Series, chicago-dogdispatching the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. Before accomplishing that, however, a writer for the Chicago Tribune felt compelled to publish an insult-filled column about the City of Angels.

“By the mid-1800s, buoyed by the California Gold Rush and a budding pornography industry, Los Angeles had become a densely populated haven for hooligans, bandits, prostitutes and executive producers.”

Of course, the Los Angeles Times had to respond.dodgers-home-stand-special

“…on the day the L.A. put-down was written, there were fewer than a half-dozen public officials indicted and no blizzards in Chicago, so it was a slow news day.”

 

tronc, Inc., formerly known as Tribune Publishing Company, owns both newspapers. “tronc” – no capital letters – is an acronym for “Tribune On-Line Content.” In true corporate fashion, their “About Us” web page is mostly gibberish. The Tribune Company had owned the Chicago Cubs until 2009.

More importantly, having lost the bet on the National League outcome, the East L.A. band Los Lobos is to perform a cover of a song from the Chicago band Umphrey’s McGee. No word yet on what the song will be.

loslobos umphreys-mcgee-wakarusa

The Great Monster Cereal Panic

cereal-aisleSales of cold cereal have been declining in recent years. The quick and smarmy answer would be it’s the millennial generation. They don’t eat cereal because it’s too much trouble to clean the bowl afterwards. Critics claim ready-to-eat cereal has much too much sugar and little nutritional value. Whatever the reason, it’s not as worrisome as the great Franken Berry Stool scare of the seventies.

Panicked mothers rushed their children to emergency rooms around the nation, fearing internal bleeding. Turned out it was merely the red dye General Mills used to give their Red Razberry Zingers cereal its appealing color. Similar outcomes resulted from eating Count Chocula, Boo Berry and other sugar- and color-filled “Monster” cereals marketed to children.

Click here to get the scoop.

Talkin’ ’bout My Generation

never-too-old

 

People try to put us d-down
Just because we get around
Things they look so awful c-cold
I hope I die before I get old

“There’s a good reason many people are calling the Desert Trip music festival  “Oldchella”: The average age of the audience is 51; for the headlining acts, it’s 72.”

“To buy a seat at Desert Trip runs anywhere from $699 to $1,599. Some VIP packages with better access cost more than $3,000. Three-day general admission passes for the standing area behind the seated audience sold out immediately for $399. Entry for a single day is $199.”

Is it the money… or the ego?

Wherever you are, there’s probably good music at a local venue. And without the long lines to the rest rooms… the older the crowd the longer the line to the men’s room.