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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Bernie O'Hare is a Grade School Level Hack

Author and owner of a serious publication
I'm a grade school level hack.

That's what the "author and owner of a serious publication / media outlet in the Lehigh Valley" writes, so it must be true.

I always thought I was more of a high school level hack.

Michael Phoenix is the publisher of an online magazine that seems to be mostly focused on getting advertisers. He means business, too. His GoFundMe page has drawn $65 in just three months!.

Good for him!

He's upset by my blog about a gentleman singing Barbara Ann outside of Shula's on Friday. An Allentown cop not only body slammed the poor soul, but then dug a knee into his kidney. Apparently, I'm a coward for being among those who published the video.

This Walter Cronkite of the Lehigh Valley has decided, on Facebook, that "it is time to officially state this:"

"Recently, with all the events happening in the city of Allentown, I have read a few posts in the Lehigh Valley Ramblings blog.

"Officially going on record and saying NEVER pay attention to a single word in Lehigh Valley Ramblings. Bernie O'Hare is nothing but a grade school level hack. I have been white hot with anger and did posts that made more sense and had more credibility than this blog.

"I admit to not using all the rules of proper English and journalism in the magazine. It takes a conversational tone. The posts in Ramblings contain phrases like "Fed Ed" that any serious and respectable journalist would never use. How many people even know what that term means. I live in Allentown and only know by reading articles in credible media.

"If I would do a serious and honest review of this blog (done several blog reviews in the past), I would give this a rating of complete joke. Mr. O'Hare attempts to cover his witch hunts and flat out laziness by adding in a few links to each article. This is a very poor attempt.

"I do have to congratulate Ramblings on one thing: succeeding at the only thing this blog is trying to achieve. Making people question all the media in the Lehigh Valley, especially the independents."

I called fellow blogger Michael Molovinsky to complain about this asshole, and he agreed with the asshole. In fact, the two of them got together for dinner at Shula's.

"Perhaps you could come and sing a song for us, while standing in the alley way," Molovinsky texted me, as I demonstrated my "flat out laziness" by attending a meeting in Bethlehem Township. I was about to reply when I got this: "Alright, we're at Shula's. I'd invite you, but tonight's just for serious writers. When you come by to sing, please sing loud, because our table is back a ways. Do you know Barbara Ann?

Bar-Bar-Bar-Bar-Barbara-Ann.

45 comments:

gruntled said...

OMG...cougar Mezzaluna is gonna be on him before dawn!

Anonymous said...

Blog Mentor's new puppet has piped up.

Anonymous said...

Fellow makes a lot of sense. He hit the nail on the head. Like him already!

Anonymous said...

it is ba ba ba . . . , bot bar, bar .. the man is obviously right. You cannot get the lyrics right. you should be arrested.

Bernie O'Hare said...

... and body-slammed.

michael molovinsky said...

setting the record straight; i really didn't go to dinner with mr. phoenix, although i did send the messages quoted by o'hare. (by email, not text)

Anonymous said...

Wow, this guy has you pegged. Fortunately there are a lot of stupid people who think you report "news". That's good for you.

Anonymous said...

What is this thing this guy writes? Will u publish a link?

Anonymous said...

For someone who vows "never to pay attention" to you Bernie, he certainly mentions you quite a bit.

Anonymous said...

As a resident of Allentown, I thank you for becoming a very legitimate news source in a City in which the traditional press has an inappropriate relationship with the Mayor and now we find out with Atiyeh as well. I've spoken to neighbors and co-workers who now read your blog daily because of your in-depth and intelligent articles about the scandels in our City. The nicknames "King Edwin, Miked Fleck,,etc" are harmless fun poked at deserving indivduals and give the articles a unique quality. Don't change a thing!

Anonymous said...

The 1980's called and want their haircut back.

Anonymous said...

This guy needs to meet Cupcake and Deputy Dog

Anonymous said...

Anyone who has to call themselves a "serious journalist" over and over is probably neither.

Anonymous said...

Out of morbid curiosity I ventured over to his weebly portal and was mostly underwhelmed. I'm fairly certain that 2004 wants its web site template back. Bernie wins hands down.

Anonymous said...

I'll bet J. B. Reilly donated the $65 so this guy would attack Bernie for his stories on the Millionaire Improvement Zone.

Never heard of this guy or his supposed publication. "Michael Phoenix" doesn't even sound like a real name to me.

Anonymous said...

OK, so I looked at his blog, and I'm sure he loved having his view count go up by one. The home page of the blog is entirely ads. Content is difficult to find. When Bill Villa is listed as a friend, red flags go up immediately. It's very odd.

Anonymous said...

This reminds me of the old saying "Don't blow out my candle to make yours shine brighter". No one ever heard of this guy and he is simply trying to bring attention to his blog. Looks like you fell into the trap. For your stupidity you will lose your first amendment right, be body slammed, and drug away into obscurity.

Anonymous said...

Obama voter on steroids.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"Never heard of this guy or his supposed publication. "Michael Phoenix" doesn't even sound like a real name to me."

He's real enough, although I never heard of the guy until yesterday. I went through his Facebook page and his site, and he refers to himself repeatedly as a "serious" or "objective" journalist. I was unable to find a single instance of any written work. He seems instead to simply rely on videos. His political coverage consists videos of Citizens for a Better Allentown, Citizens fora Better Lehigh County, etc. There is no coverage of Rs by this "objective" and "serious" journalist. I found no written work. He did once attend an Allentown City Council meeting, but shot no video bc he has no press credentials. He is apparently unaware he does not need them. I also do not understand how this "serious" journalist can solicit ads and then be objective.

He also makes this "obective" and "serious" assessment of Musikfest's Snoop Dog concert. "After directly and intentionally placing people and children in danger at the Snoop Dogg concert plus the direct violation of state laws regarding alcohol, neither the Ciry of Bethelhem or ArtsQuest can be trusted to state the truth."

What was he smoking?

Bernie O'Hare said...

"What is this thing this guy writes? Will u publish a link"

No. I did find one actual written interview with Mayor Donchez, which was written mostly along the lines of "How great are you?" and "I'm so nervous to be in such an august presence."

Bill Coker said...

It always amazes me to read how many comments that your blog is "worthless", has "stupid readers", and other such trash are posted by "intelligent readers" that apparently read your "trash" on a daily basis. Guess I'm one of those stupid readers that enjoys the hell out of your worthless trash daily. Keep up the good work.

Anonymous said...

According to his Facebook page, he likes romance novels. Where is NorcoTwink? They probably have similar interests.

Anonymous said...

he is homeless (or lives out or the super 8 motel on airport road)...and has mental issues.

Anonymous said...

There are a few more other "interesting " friends of his as well....

Anonymous said...

Is he going to jump off the bridge after reading these posts?

Anonymous said...

Ah ha! An apologist working with Citizens for a (worse) Allentown! Say no more. When the bad guys send party hacks to attack your blog, you are probably speaking the truth and gaining readership.

Anonymous said...

Maybe for street creds he could get a legal license, abuse alcohol and then get disbarred. Then you could believe everything he writes.

Anonymous said...

Bernie,
I am sure the person or persons downing this blog as well as the poster on the moronic gag/ wfmz are the same ones body slamming the inocent indigent street performers that haven't made there campaign contributions to the propor folks so FedEd gives the nodd like the notorious hamilton street gang o thugs ommisions of there injectable nodd sold by the party favor consessionar winners under the king and his cheif court jester that runs the boys in blue¿!($


redd
patent pending

Anonymous said...

Hey O'Hare, everyone knows that you love to beat up on anyone who calls you out for being the lying psychopath that you are. You never change your stripes, but call more attention to the person who has the gall to disagree with you.

Question, now that you republished his "personal attack" on your character, whats the next step? Run to the courts like the pussy you are and sue they guy?

I hear the courts are issuing bulk discounts on docket numbers for the entire month of September....you should take advantage, and buy a few more.

Anonymous said...

O'Hare has done more for investigative reporting than any other news source in the Lehigh Valley. I check Lehigh Valley Ramblings every morning before I check the local obits

The Central Scrutinizer said...

Agreed with 5:32. B. O'Hare is the only reliable source of news in the entire LV even if I don't agree with some of his commentary.

And what was wrong with the coverage of the Allentown police officer's over the top brutality? It was outrageous and shocking to see this officer impose his dominance at the drop of a hat.

Anonymous said...

His "magazine" and FB page are both useless piles of crap. He shouldn't be critiquing anyone on any subject other than advertising - which appears to be his only interest.

Another Lehigh Valley Nobody. Not surprising he isn't known. Is this his 15 minutes of fame - being mentioned on O'Hare's blog?

Anonymous said...

Tricia J. Mezzacappa
The cop did nothing wrong. The guy is clearly annoying people, in an area where he knew it would draw complaints. It looks like an obvious set up.
Tricia J. Mezzacappa
I do not have an answer for you, except that, for the last 177 years our system of justice has worked to ensure a civilized society. Those who believe that cops and judges are always wrong , like many of the people posting here, belong to an anarchist organization well known to the FBI as the Sovereign Citizens Movement. They denounce US citizenship, set up fake courts, and execute arrest warrants on cops, judges, federal marshalls, etc. Always at odds with the law, many of them are now in maximum security prisons. Perhaps Mr. Ochse may find sympathy with these losers.
Tricia J. Mezzacappa
I'm not going to argue with such a hysterical point of view. I saw the video. My take is not your take....apply for a police job, get hired at $39K, put your life on the line everyday, and then have to tolerate cell phone producers who think its their right to video tape every lock step movement of cops. Maybe when its your name and your face being posted to you tube, causing hundreds of low information losers to criticize you for doing your job, you may have a different take. You want utopia? Pay for it....double the training time, double the police force, up the salary to $100K to start, and you will have criminal justice experts lining up for the job...of course then all will be happy, and no one will ever complain that their "rights" were infringed. Your logic is comical.

Anonymous said...

Tricia J. Mezzacappa
Janice is absolutely right. Nothing to see here. The guy caused his own problems. Try working in a job where you are followed by cell phone cameras regularly, then harassed on social media by unqualified by-standers, with no police training, who hate cops, and are so unsuccessful, that they never learned the basics for existing in a civilized society. You can't pay me enough to do their jobs. The officer should be commended for removing an erratic and unstable nuisance from the area.

Anonymous said...

Bernie, since your grade school credentials have been brought up. What grade school did you attend? I'm asking for a grade school hack friend of mine.

Anonymous said...

Wait, now the public has no right to record police officers? What a crew these right wingers are.

Anonymous said...

Right wingers? Don't be so certain or stupid or both. Left and right wingers have gone to great lengths to remove and rewrite Constitutional guarantees. Bernie doesn't want tapes released from the police killing in Easton of a mentally disturbed guy who was denting police cars with his truck. Sing The Beach Boys in public and you get beaten by cops. Drive drunk, stab yourself in the neck to the point of incapacitation and you get shot in the head, instead of helped to the mental ward. Lincoln suspended Habeas Corpus and jailed almost the entire city government of Baltimore. Lately, the greatest threats to the First Amendment are liberal academies that now have speech codes, trigger warnings on class descriptions, cry rooms, and "micro-aggression" sensitivity training. Kids of the same age are getting shot at in Afghanistan, while collegiate crybabies are demanding protection from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Refreshingly, The University of Chicago is going in exactly the opposite direction and telling the perpetually offended to "suck it up, cupcake," and fight offensive speech with more speech. Those who want to change The Constitution for their own purposes come from all sides.

Bernie O'Hare said...

There is no first amendment right to the police video of an incident in which an Easton police officer shot and killed a man. Though I never took s position on that issue the commenter above is disingenuously attributing a position to me that I never took.

There is a first amendment right to sing in public, and the Dupreme Court unanimously affirmed that right just three months ago.

Bernie O'Hare said...

2:01, I barely made it thru St. Theresa's.

Anonymous said...

From the LEGEND Michael P's FB

"It has been brought to my attention last night, several people are coming right at me with comments and trying to make me look bad. Here is my only response:
When you have been through and lost as much as I have. When you have returned to a location you swore never to return. When you have built a life with no reason to do so. When you have lived on the streets and continued to go after your dreams. When you have done everything without one person telling you to go after it. When, for the first time in your life, you can look in the mirror / hold your head high / honestly say: "Damn proud of everything I have accomplished and what is coming". When you face the brightest day and darkest night with no one there.
Come right at me, very few will be acknowledged and listened to. I am in the spotlight and fought hard for it. I risked everything for it. I finally laid the ghosts to rest and left the past where it belongs. Unlike most who have people they can personally lean on, I don't.
October 2010 at Party on the Deck, I stood on the top deck of the 8th street parking garage in Allentown. Looking out over the entire Lehigh Valley, I made one promise: "This time, before I leave, I will take the Lehigh Valley. I will leave on top." Under 5 years, kept the promise.
Very few people know my story. To the critics, prove you have intelligence for one time, it may above your IQ, read A Dream in the Night.
From 2 lives in the Lehigh Valley, I have nothing left to prove here. I will never be a local.
It isn't always what it seems
When you are face to face with me"

Anonymous said...

Don't jump

Anonymous said...

3:11 - And yet you spew hyperbolic anecdotes of unthinking right wing stooges. By the way, I'm pretty sure armed insurrection allows a President to take unusual actions. Lincoln was right because the conspiracists eventually got to him - without his actions, it would have been much sooner. The right wing morons without any knowledge of history might tell you slavery was going to end one way or another without Lincoln. The founders also argued about ending slavery in 1789 and it continued nearly another century.

Oh and political correctness? It's called "no being an asshole" which the right wing seems to think is not only a god given right but a qualification of good character.

Anonymous said...

You should feel HONORED, Bernie, by the fact that Michael Phoenix, aka, Paul Schoch, TRIED to discredit you. He's alienated most of the L.V. Music/Social scene by spewing nothing but his scathing and vitriolic garbage to a point where people were publicly telling him that he better back off, or else. And as for calling himself a journalist, he really needs to learn how to spell. Anyone who backs "Phoenix" is on the same level he is...unprofessional, gutter trash.

Anonymous said...

His real name is Paul Schoch

Anonymous said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0XaKvfj9kU

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