tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post3814363053267912102..comments2024-03-28T13:41:40.673-04:00Comments on Lehigh Valley Ramblings: Zell Hell Makes Bloggers All A-QuiverBernie O'Harehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-16358674616231052282008-08-08T01:36:00.000-04:002008-08-08T01:36:00.000-04:00The Morning Call’s wimpy style of crime reporting ...The Morning Call’s wimpy style of crime reporting has to be one reason that many are not terribly saddened by its decline and possible demise. <BR/><BR/>In true MSM style-book reporting, The Morning Call feels its readers are far too delicate to be able to handle any clues to the ethnic and or racial identity of bank robbers, rapists, car-jackers and other criminal flotsam in the community. This does potential victims a grave injustice. If readers are lucky, however, they might get a description of the clothes worn by those committing the crimes...clothes which undoubtedly have been changed several times since the incident took place.<BR/><BR/>Such vagueness also turns up the heat on the forums – leading to speculation about the racial or ethnic make-up of the perpetrators. What ever happened to telling the WHOLE story? Are we so muzzled by political correctness that newspapers are censoring the news because it doesn’t happen to agree with “the way it makes things look”? Seems to me there is more to worry about than the “appearance of racism” – it is the “disappearance of truth”.Janellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09890168536060718826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-7074914262316001802008-08-04T19:31:00.000-04:002008-08-04T19:31:00.000-04:00"You're running the risk of marginalizing yourself..."You're running the risk of marginalizing yourself, and that's not good."<BR/><BR/>Banker, thank you for your (other) words of support. <BR/><BR/>Whoever would draw the conclusion that I'm marginalizing myself, based on the things I've had to say, and the way I've said them, I'm not interested in their opinion anyway. <BR/><BR/>Anybody with a brain and a heart knows I'm right.<BR/><BR/>And I'm assuming you're one of those good people.<BR/><BR/>Thank you again for your continued support.Bill Villahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11740332426144806998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-81718847931224298202008-08-04T17:34:00.000-04:002008-08-04T17:34:00.000-04:00If they, or anyone else wishes to syndicate my blo...If they, or anyone else wishes to syndicate my blog I'll be happy to discuss financial terms.PA progressivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10248509962536152847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-75153947838890704672008-08-04T11:54:00.000-04:002008-08-04T11:54:00.000-04:00Bill Villa, you have always had my absolute suppor...Bill Villa, you have always had my absolute support - I have teenage daughters, and I can't imagine what you're going through, even without all the other crap. It is beyond horrible to even think it.<BR/><BR/>So please take this from the standpoint that I support you - you're running the risk of marginalizing yourself, and that's not good. <BR/><BR/>I wish I had a way to help you, or a better way to get your voice heard. Sadly I don't. I just wanted you to be aware of this, so that as you make your choices going forward, you are doing so knowing what may be in peoples' minds.<BR/><BR/>You are heard here, and I hope others hear you as well.<BR/><BR/>The BankerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-53604525107035477312008-08-02T16:34:00.000-04:002008-08-02T16:34:00.000-04:00"Even thinking of what you are feeling is overwhel..."Even thinking of what you are feeling is overwhelming."<BR/><BR/>Well-said Bob, thank you. <BR/><BR/>FYI, based on my very up-close and personal interactions with DA Jim Martin and MC VP Glenn Kranzley, I believe very strongly (and maybe this comes across ;) that the Lehigh Valley would be much better off with Jim Martin and Glenn Kranzley both ousted off of their respective thrones. <BR/><BR/>That's my agenda.Bill Villahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11740332426144806998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-104017857956971722008-08-02T11:30:00.000-04:002008-08-02T11:30:00.000-04:00To all This is an exciting exchange. There is no ...To all This is an exciting exchange. There is no one like Bernie O'Hare in Southeast Penna and the Inquirer editorial staff is obtuse and snobbish and defensive, in my opinion.<BR/><BR/>I think the exposure that the Morning Call gives to the different point of view "eccentric", in the most positive sense, is all to its credit. In my view, the Morning Call editorializes and frames issues by omission and this new perspective corrects that. <BR/><BR/>Editing could be manipulative but it seems that Ms Varkony has had a positive experience. We can all benefit from editing and having read John Micek and knowing people who know him, I don't his integrity would allow to remain silent to any attempt to edit out meaning. What would be the point and as a blogger himself, I think he has sympathy for blogger mentality.<BR/><BR/>I found Bernie O'Hare to be useful and knowledgeable source. For example, his analysis of crime statistics in Allentown and Lehigh Valley is first rate, informative and without the dramatic vitriol sometimes seen in newspaper columnists.<BR/><BR/>If this government of the people, by the people and for the people is to survive, it requires citizen activists like you and free press like the Morning Call.bobguzzardihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02279397733347448479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-34311205077202767882008-08-02T11:18:00.000-04:002008-08-02T11:18:00.000-04:00First, to Bill Villa...your post about your daught...First, to Bill Villa...your post about your daughter's killer comes across as matter of fact, righteous and clear and as a father of a daughter who worries about the DUI drivers, I have only support. I don't want to feel what you feel. Even thinking of what you are feeling is overwhelming.bobguzzardihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02279397733347448479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-15515912205340378432008-08-01T15:42:00.000-04:002008-08-01T15:42:00.000-04:00"Anger is a good thing, but when it degenerates in..."Anger is a good thing, but when it degenerates into personal issues and hostility toward individuals then it loses its effectiveness." -The Banker <BR/><BR/>I agree. And while I'm not looking for any approval from you (or from anyone) regarding how I have chosen to handle some things, publicly, please consider this: <BR/><BR/>* My first born and only daughter was killed by the son of a partner in the local law firm that has represented The Morning Call for many years. <BR/><BR/>* Three of the four partners and many of the lawyers in this law firm have been regular and generous contributors to the Committee to Elect (and Reelect) Jim Martin, District Attorney-- which can be easily discerned via public records at Lehigh County Voter Registration. <BR/><BR/>* In a meeting I had with Jim Martin on August 15, 2006, the DA didn't even try to conceal his sympathy for, and support of, the homicidal drunk driver criminal defendant who killed my daughter-- and his family. <BR/><BR/>* To say that DA Jim Martin's subsequent prosecution of my daughter's killer was "un-enthusiastic" would be the understatement of the decade. <BR/><BR/>* To say that The Morning Call's coverage of Jim Martin's handling of the case was fair, and an accurate representation of all that went on that was newsworthy would be a lie. <BR/><BR/>* We beat Jim Martin. And The Morning Call. And that law firm. My daughter's killer didn't get the "weekend in jail and some house arrest" he was telling his friends was being arranged. He got 5.5 to 12 years in state prison. No thanks whatsoever to Jim Martin. It should have been 12.5 to 25 years, for the crime of third degree murder that he actually committed against my daughter, but that Jim Martin refused to charge him with. <BR/><BR/>* I want the public to know what Jim Martin and The Morning Call did, and tried to do, to a grieving family, so they don't team up and try it again against another grieving family. <BR/><BR/>* Unfortunately, while everybody's been banning and deleting and trying to ignore me, Jim Martin and The Morning Call teamed up on another DUI Homicide case fix in September 2007. On this one, they succeeded in screwing the DUI homicide victim's family out of justice, the night before trial. <BR/><BR/>In my shoes, Banker, maybe you would be handling things differently. Maybe better than I am. Maybe not as well. <BR/><BR/>But until you walk in my shoes ...<BR/><BR/>consider giving me a break. <BR/><BR/>And an attentive listen. <BR/><BR/>Thank you for your consideration.Bill Villahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11740332426144806998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-71446568815004859452008-08-01T09:11:00.000-04:002008-08-01T09:11:00.000-04:00Point taken, Banker. And I've tried to do better i...Point taken, Banker. And I've tried to do better in my comment this morning (see Glenn Kranzley visits LV Ramblings) regarding The Morning Call's new "Sounding Board" feature. Let us know what you think ...Bill Villahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11740332426144806998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-49677080387744452382008-07-31T23:02:00.000-04:002008-07-31T23:02:00.000-04:00The idea that the online contacts would be gone fo...<I>The idea that the online contacts would be gone for 4 days so that you can whittle down the 40 or so names that are no longer there, is just ridiculous. That would take about 5 minutes. </I><BR/><BR/>The person that edits that webpage is probably waiting on a final list of people and positions. Seems understandable to me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-87700674367931436002008-07-31T21:59:00.000-04:002008-07-31T21:59:00.000-04:00Ordinarily I would have jumped on on this posting,...Ordinarily I would have jumped on on this posting, but I didn't because there was so much outright hostility...<BR/><BR/>Anger is a good thing, but when it degenerates into personal issues and hostility toward individuals then it loses its effectiveness. It's productive to focus on topics, it's not to attack. That also will marginalize or eliminate all the good that can come out of this effort.<BR/><BR/>Hoping tomorrow is a better day for us all.<BR/><BR/><BR/>The BankerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-63765073262360259772008-07-31T21:21:00.000-04:002008-07-31T21:21:00.000-04:00"We already know what you think."The 10 Rules for ..."We already know what you think."<BR/><BR/>The 10 Rules for Successful Advertising: <BR/><BR/>1. Repetition. <BR/>2. Repetition. <BR/>3. Repetition. <BR/>4. Repetition. <BR/>5. Repetition. <BR/>6. Repetition. <BR/>7. Repetition. <BR/>8. Repetition. <BR/>9. Repetition. <BR/>10. Repetition.Bill Villahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11740332426144806998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-11549883692647082022008-07-31T21:16:00.000-04:002008-07-31T21:16:00.000-04:00"Call Them In On The Carpet of Public Opinion."Let..."Call Them In On The Carpet of Public Opinion."<BR/><BR/>Let's tweak this (it's Ok, I'm in advertising, we do this all the time) ... <BR/><BR/>Let's have it read ... <BR/><BR/>"Call Them In On The Carpet of Public Scrutiny."<BR/><BR/>Yeah, that's much better. And we'll keep it a carpet and not a welcome mat.Bill Villahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11740332426144806998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-89127751378289962702008-07-31T20:11:00.000-04:002008-07-31T20:11:00.000-04:00So while people are being relocated, thay have no ...So while people are being relocated, thay have no e-mails and absolutely no way of being contacted? How is the newspaper connecting with the public to get stories for this week? <BR/><BR/>Who out there has ESP? (It is ESP, right?)Blah Societyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13140454713775283491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-32650107937305526442008-07-31T17:29:00.000-04:002008-07-31T17:29:00.000-04:00Arlene M,Thank you for explaining what happened to...Arlene M,<BR/><BR/>Thank you for explaining what happened to the online contacts and informing readers that it will be back soon.Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-42921663895948576182008-07-31T16:13:00.000-04:002008-07-31T16:13:00.000-04:00Bernie: The staff listings aren't online yet for a...Bernie: <BR/>The staff listings aren't online yet for a few reasons. First, because of the consolidation/closing of offices, who is going to work where is not completely solidified. <BR/>We've got some Quakertown and Lehighton folks in Allentown, Bethlehem folks headed to Allentown and Easton, Easton folks headed to Allentown and well, you get the idea. <BR/>Beats aren't completely solidified either and neither are our new seat assignments. <BR/>Hopefully, everything will be squared away by late next week. Hopefully.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-15217004492319767162008-07-31T15:07:00.000-04:002008-07-31T15:07:00.000-04:00"Please give others a chance to share their views...."Please give others a chance to share their views."<BR/><BR/>O-kay ...Bill Villahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11740332426144806998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-1147996221569405072008-07-31T14:47:00.000-04:002008-07-31T14:47:00.000-04:00I'm actually offended if the Morning Call would si...I'm actually offended if the Morning Call would simply usurp a bloggers work for inclusion in their newspaper. I never copy a full Morning Call article, but sometimes quote it for disucssion, which is fair use. I'm not opposed to person's usurping my work, so long as the credit is provided, and the work is not used for a commercial purpose. Having the Call simply print a bloggers work to sell their newspaper, while at the same time, laying off its own staff, is truly unbelievable. Do I understand the situation correctly?<BR/>nlvAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-14664691203923774142008-07-31T14:40:00.000-04:002008-07-31T14:40:00.000-04:00What people fail to mention is that with the small...What people fail to mention is that with the smaller size of the paper and no reduction in ad rates, the Call has essentially pushed through a rate increase without their advertisers knowing. They are paying the same amount for less space. Pretty f'in sneaky, but that's how the MC works.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-24896316880061466122008-07-31T14:22:00.000-04:002008-07-31T14:22:00.000-04:00People are upset about lots of things besides the ...People are upset about lots of things besides the missing contact page. The paper is smaller, yet costs more. Important stories weren't being told before; how can a reduced staff tell them now? <BR/><BR/>Is the paper coming from an honorable place?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-74758246450066544822008-07-31T14:08:00.000-04:002008-07-31T14:08:00.000-04:00Is the newspaper coming from an honorable place? T...Is the newspaper coming from an honorable place? That is very much the question, John. Is it honorable to phone fire staff members? On a Sunday night? Is it honorable to charge the families of loved ones more money to ruin an obit than it costs to rent a limo? Is it honorable to see the loss of so much diversity (all the female op-ed columnists, coplumnists and editorial opinion writers are gone)? <BR/><BR/>I think it's very fair to ask why the paper has removed the online contact feature. It is very much a question of honor.Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-41644393789850473822008-07-31T13:59:00.000-04:002008-07-31T13:59:00.000-04:00Bernie:Not that it matters, but I can code in HTML...Bernie:<BR/>Not that it matters, but I can code in HTML.<BR/><BR/>In all seriousness, I offered you a possible explanation for the absence of the contact page. <BR/><BR/>I also operated from the hope that you would accept the possibility that the newspaper was coming from an honorable place and not conspiring to shut off access to our readers.<BR/><BR/>You chose not to accept it. That's your decision.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-22845265048260218552008-07-31T13:57:00.000-04:002008-07-31T13:57:00.000-04:00Ooh, uppercut ... CONNECTS!!!Bill Villa,Listen, I ...<EM>Ooh, uppercut ... CONNECTS!!!</EM><BR/><BR/>Bill Villa,<BR/><BR/>Listen, I made a point with John. It was not intended as an uppercut or anything like that. I like and respect him. <BR/><BR/>And that's where you go wrong. You want to personalize everything and are hijacking this thread. We already know what you think. Please give others a chance to share their views.Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-41904692993410935082008-07-31T13:50:00.000-04:002008-07-31T13:50:00.000-04:00Did You Know ... As recently as last week, and for...Did You Know ... <BR/><BR/>As recently as last week, and for a good number of years, Glenn G. Kranzley was listed #3 on The Morning Call masthead. Only VP Ardith Hilliard and Tim Kennedy (Head Honcho) were above him. Check page A-2 of today's "newspaper." POOF. Kranzley's name isn't on the masthead anywhere anymore. Was Mr. Kranzley demoted? Was that a typo that went unnoticed all those years? Or ... has Kranzley merely gone incognito, framing the agendas, and gate-keeping the opinions, in a private (and sinister) lair somewhere. Hmm ... where's that new Watchdog Reporter, maybe I'll ask him ...Bill Villahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11740332426144806998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-6943823302904222342008-07-31T13:31:00.000-04:002008-07-31T13:31:00.000-04:00"Call Them In On The Carpet of Public Opinion."Thi..."Call Them In On The Carpet of Public Opinion."<BR/><BR/>This is easily as good as "a-quiver," if I must say so myself ...Bill Villahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11740332426144806998noreply@blogger.com