tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71632242624075735332024-03-15T17:19:14.773-07:00Lobdell's OCNews and commentary about Orange County by William LobdellWilliam Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-16454634350675483802008-09-29T20:15:00.000-07:002008-09-29T21:02:15.688-07:00Why the Internet isn't friendly to newspapersFor many years, I always thought that newspapers would successfully make the transition from a paper product to the Internet -- though the process would be painful. I'm not so sure anymore. Here's why.<br /><br />The majority of Internet readers aren't looking for a comprehensive news report that is incredibly expensive to produce. Need evidence? Just look at the top-viewed stories on two different Southern California newspaper sites. At this moment, the top stories on <a href="http://www.latimes.com/">latimes.com</a> are these:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdOcgz6SnH6mR3xvxjT_Fla0awbBoPXi7cYrSafoIqIknOmMaZnBQgw5VsCq4UNRJPfkQazoAXS9CUEFwkt2TgjxZZZNQDwl_yJNG3BkrDViHF3Pld9jTYF-yTiKyQqiKM1DXOJOyGF1zv/s1600-h/Picture+20.png"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdOcgz6SnH6mR3xvxjT_Fla0awbBoPXi7cYrSafoIqIknOmMaZnBQgw5VsCq4UNRJPfkQazoAXS9CUEFwkt2TgjxZZZNQDwl_yJNG3BkrDViHF3Pld9jTYF-yTiKyQqiKM1DXOJOyGF1zv/s320/Picture+20.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251649718776544994" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The majority of the stories are commentaries on the news or crime briefs. The top-viewed stories don't reflect the work of 600-plus journalists busting their asses around the world. That's just not valued by Internet readers. Sad, but true. Okay, now take a looked at the Orange County Register's top-viewed stories:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4V6xqXskZcT2vGCjcHZbH4IgUoTGiHs7Nt65ZUxeHEfyB2nCnfbP3ItLP6MTvGDdNdEy7U1X_14-cMKii3yA3mZfdAl2HiuvftWQJouWU6ccDi9tRKaz_ug4E_vmDOkycONm4EX7I53m8/s1600-h/Picture+21.png"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4V6xqXskZcT2vGCjcHZbH4IgUoTGiHs7Nt65ZUxeHEfyB2nCnfbP3ItLP6MTvGDdNdEy7U1X_14-cMKii3yA3mZfdAl2HiuvftWQJouWU6ccDi9tRKaz_ug4E_vmDOkycONm4EX7I53m8/s320/Picture+21.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251650942553791890" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Okay, what do we have? A dog photo contest. The Lakers. A weather story. And a crime story.<br /><br />Both The Times and Register devote tremendous resources to provide readers with in-depth reporting from around California, Southern California and the world. But do today's readers care? I would argue that they would rather read commentary (the reason why the Huffington Post has been so successful) and celebrity and crime news.<br /><br />Compounding the problem is the fact that Internet advertising provides only a faction of the income as old-school print advertising revenue. So newspapers have to face two stubborn facts: the majority of readers don't want their in-depth, quality news coverage and (even if they did) advertising revenues won't support that kind of editorial heft.<br /><br />Now we can argue what this means for our democracy or, more pointedly, to websites and bloggers when their free source of news dries up, but the facts remain. Readers and the business model won't support the expensive journalism newspaper operations produce.<br /><br />In this case, it's two strikes and newspapers are out.William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-38350571851429349112008-09-28T18:53:00.000-07:002008-09-28T19:25:10.095-07:00The hypocrisy of Bishop Soto<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpt0e8CwEiXIK0g48P4MhrRA7Cv4iR51dmfbqtoH1LQQfHw00HzaaV-r9M754KZLVnwYOw1uAfXYUwANTn1dRB3bLAZuv_creYPG8amxE-B6wdqDSrEaGjkwFz-3w1a7gr1p1IS_1Oylm/s1600-h/soto.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpt0e8CwEiXIK0g48P4MhrRA7Cv4iR51dmfbqtoH1LQQfHw00HzaaV-r9M754KZLVnwYOw1uAfXYUwANTn1dRB3bLAZuv_creYPG8amxE-B6wdqDSrEaGjkwFz-3w1a7gr1p1IS_1Oylm/s320/soto.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251263665930868002" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Mi amigo, <a href="http://www.ocweekly.com/2006-06-08/web/ask-a-mexican-glossary/">Gustavo Arellano</a>, wrote <a href="http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/ex-cathedra/former-oc-bishop-jaime-soto-no/#more">another insightful commentary</a> about the Diocese of Orange and, in particular, one of its former rising stars, Bishop Jaime Soto (who now heads the diocese of Sacramento). Gustavo couldn't be more correct in his analysis.<br /><br />Soto is one of the Catholic Church's rising stars because he's -- how to put this delicately? -- an ass-kisser. He delivers to his bosses what they want: silence on most of his sexually abusive brothers, a passionate defense of the fellow priest convicted of 46 counts of child molestation, and now a stinging rebuke for those who engaging in same-sex sex.<br /><br />Among those commenting on Gustavo's post was Richard Sipe, a former monk who's an clergy sexual abuse expert and has long been ahead of the curve on the scandal. He writes:<br /><p></p><blockquote>You are absolutely right. Priests do not speak up about the abuse they know about. The reason: Most, I repeat most, have had or are having some kind of sexual contact, experience, relationship, or habit. They run the risk of exposing themselves, or in some cases superiors or bishops with whom they have had sex-play, experience, or a relationship. Even temporary involvement of priests in sexual relationships with other priests or sexual experimentation puts them in a fearful state. Celibacy is not a common or persistent practice among the clergy. Homosexual contact, and slips (or what the Vatican has labeled "transitional homosexuality") are so common—especially in seminaries and religious orders that many clergy who subsequently or eventually strive to establish a celibate practice are caught in the circle of secrecy that covers even sexual abuse of minors (often indulged by newly ordained priests with only a few victims) or by other priests who continue the practice. This is a "scarlet bond" of secrecy that is inculcated from the top down (Vatican) and preserved by bishops and superiors for fear of exposure; The system in which all clergy are caught demands cover up at any cost to save themselves (the Church) from scandal. Truth, honesty, transparency, accountability, and people (non-clerics) be damned. I am working on a study of the "genealogy of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic priesthood." Clergy are taught the dynamic of abuse and secrecy from their first days in training. And their teachers are often promoted to the ranks of bishop and superior.</blockquote><p></p><p>Soto, bilingual and well-regarded with his superiors, is rumored to be in line to be the next archbishop of Los Angeles. Before he gains the post, this question should be answered: What prevented Soto for acting more courageously (or just with common decency) to protect child from being raped by priests in Orange County -- or at least to make sure his criminal brothers were punished? Does Soto, like so many priests, have a sexual "scandal" in his past (even masturbation is a scandal in the priesthood, not to mention relationships with fellow priests, parishioners or prostitutes)? I'd love for him -- and his fellow bishops -- to take a lie detector test to clear the air. (BTW, I'd be more empathic to a personal scandal; it would be more disgusting if he was just a career man who didn't want to rock the boat.)<br /></p><p>Until then, it's really between the Lord and the career bishops. And if they truly believe in God, most should be on their knees begging for forgiveness and the courage to do the right thing.<br /></p>William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-35726419482266695242008-09-01T19:36:00.000-07:002008-09-01T19:39:14.750-07:00Change of addressHey, folks. I've decided to stop posting for the moment at Lobdell's OC. But you can find the full wisdom of William Lobdell <a href="http://www.williamlobdell.com/">here</a>.William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-13306613927115590802008-08-28T19:17:00.000-07:002008-08-28T19:28:13.620-07:00I'm obsessed with OC MomShe's a frequent contributor to comments on the OC Register's website. Here is her latest about a story about crime in Santa Ana:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/share/profiles?slid=93faddd6-dc6c-0ae4-a519-1a053bcf7f1b&plckUserId=93faddd6-dc6c-0ae4-a519-1a053bcf7f1b"><img src="http://sitelife.ocregister.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/3/1/f3daf785-dcfd-4cf2-9188-ae17d86ee7f9.Small.gif" border="0" /></a><div class="Comments_From"><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/share/profiles?slid=93faddd6-dc6c-0ae4-a519-1a053bcf7f1b&plckUserId=93faddd6-dc6c-0ae4-a519-1a053bcf7f1b">bestocmom</a> wrote:</div><div id="CommentBody" class="Comments_CommentText">If we build a wall around Santa Ana, no one goes in, no one comes out the problem will die off in a few months. it's just gross there. They are nasty people that do nothing but look for a hand out, and if they don't get the hand out how they want it, then they think committing crime is okay.</div>William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-10404861866649951922008-08-21T21:47:00.001-07:002008-08-21T21:47:44.572-07:00Blind faith in the pews<p><img src="http://williamlobdell.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/pews.jpg" mce_src="http://williamlobdell.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/pews.jpg" alt="" height="690" width="451" /></p> <p>One of the contributing factors to my loss of faith was the unwavering devotion of Catholics to their molesting priests.</p> <p>For example, in 1986, Father Andrew Christian Andersen faced up to 56 years in state prison after being <i>convicted</i> of 26 felony counts of child molestation.</p> <p>Letters from parishioners and brother priests flooded into the courthouse, pleading for leniency.</p> <p>George Niederauer, Andersen's spiritual director at St. John's Seminary in Camarillo and now archbishop of San Francisco, wrote to Luis A. Cardenas, an Orange County Superior Court judge at the time:</p> <p>Andersen "might well have misjudged what was appropriate physical expression especially given the atmosphere of adult-child contacts in our society at present," wrote Niederauer, adding that the boys might have misconstrued "wrestling" or "horse play" as sexual abuse. [Yeah, it's an easily mixed up: getting sodomized and a game of grab-ass."]</p> <p>Jaime Soto, now bishop of Fresno, also wrote to the judge, downplaying Andersen's crimes.</p> <p>"Our work brings us into intimate contact with people's lives," he wrote. "In a time when the exchange of simple affection within the most intimate of circles has become a rare commodity, our associations with others run the grave risk of being misunderstood by all parties including perhaps the priest himself." [Misunderstood: anal sex versus a hug. Happens all the time.]</p> <p>The judge gave Andersen no prison time and instead ordered him to enter a Catholic rehabilitation center in New Mexico. Four years later, in 1990, Andersen was arrested in Albuquerque on suspicion of trying to sodomize a 14-year-old boy, and was ordered to serve six years in prison for violating his probation in the California case. <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/columnists/la-sexabuse1,1,5435225,full.story" mce_href="http://www.latimes.com/news/columnists/la-sexabuse1,1,5435225,full.story">You can read the sorted details here</a>.</p> <p>This week, an Orange County judge received 2,000 letters from parishioners of Our Lady of the Pillar in Anaheim, asking for leniency after their priest, Father Luis Eduardo Ramirez, plead guilty to attempting to molest a boy in a hotel room.</p> <p>Orange County Register reporter Rachanee Srisavasdi <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/ramirez-priest-boy-2131743-judge-put" mce_href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/ramirez-priest-boy-2131743-judge-put">captured the scene</a>:</p> <blockquote><p>Parishioners packed the room. When the judge announced his decision, two burst out sobbing. One supporter had to be dragged outside, his face red with anger.</p> <p>"He's a good man," said another parishioner, Leonardo Cortez. "These are lies.''</p></blockquote> <p>Ramirez, who plead guilty to two misdemeanors, received 180 days in jail. He got off easy. Let's hope there aren't any more victims out there. But we may never know since the Diocese of Orange has kept this as secret as it possibly can in this day and age.</p> <p>Niederauer and Soto, despite trying to defend a serial molester and assigning some of the blame to his victims, continue their rise in the Catholic Church hierarchy. And parishioners continue to devoting themselves to the men behind the altar and NOT on the man on the cross.</p> <p>A new reformation is needed, but where's Martin Luther?</p>William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-66222488961873148202008-08-21T21:09:00.001-07:002008-08-21T21:09:40.427-07:00Dangers of a godly presidency<div class="entry"> <p><img src="http://williamlobdell.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/picture-22.png" alt="" height="229" width="394" /></p> <p>Mega-Pastor Rick Warren of <a href="http://saddleback.com/flash/">Saddleback Church</a> in Lake Forest <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/warren-church-saddleback-2129507-obama-mccain">told the world Monday</a> on CNN’s “Larry King Live” that the President of the United States should believe in God.</p> <p>Polls show that Americans would rather vote for a Catholic, Jew, Mormon or Muslim than an atheist. But how wise it that?</p> <p>I wouldn’t feel comfortable with a Pentecostal president who believed he was getting his instructions directly from God and talked in tongues and had the ability to heal.</p> <p>I wouldn’t feel comfortable with a Mormon president who believed his/her religious leader — the church’s prophet — can receive direct revelations from God.</p> <p>I wouldn’t feel comfortable with a Catholic president who believed it was his duty to promote the teachings of his church above all else (which is what a good Catholic should do).</p> <p>I wouldn’t feel comfortable with an Orthodox Jewish president who believed women on their periods were “unclean” and that men and women have to be divided during services at the synagogue.</p> <p>I wouldn’t feel comfortable with a Muslim president who believed in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharia">Sharia</a>, the Islamic system of law that requires that convicted adulterers be stoned to death and thieves get a hand and foot chopped off.</p> <p>I’d feel more more comfortable with an intelligent atheist who based his decisions strictly on facts and reason. Even if I was super-religious, I’d feel that way — unless miraculously the president held the exact religious views I did. And what’s the chances of that?</p> </div>William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-74775891778538116082008-08-19T21:59:00.000-07:002008-08-19T22:00:04.476-07:00The unchanging Catholic Church<p><img src="http://williamlobdell.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/picture-14.png" mce_src="http://williamlobdell.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/picture-14.png" alt="" /></p> <p>If you're Catholic and think the clergy sexual abuse scandal is behind you, think again.</p> <p><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/ramirez-diocese-parish-2130311-order-pohlson" mce_href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/ramirez-diocese-parish-2130311-order-pohlson">Here's a "post"-scandal story</a> of Father Luis Eduardo Ramirez, who was arrested in January in Anaheim for suspicion of child annoyance or molestation and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The city of Anaheim didn't publicize the case, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange -- which fancies itself as being "open and transparent" when it comes to priests who mess around with children -- only placed an item in the church bulletin of the accused priest's church, Our Lady of the Pillar.</p> <p>As a sexual abuse expert will tell you, the vast majority of molesters have many victims. The idea of being open and transparent is so a) the community is warned and b) other victims can come forward. A single article in a parish bulletin doesn't cut it. What if another victim left the church? Or didn't go to church that Sunday? Or wasn't a member of that parish?</p> <p>I also love that the priest's religious order bailed him out of jail and allowed him to continue his holy work in a monastery. Actually, putting molesting priests in monasteries is a perfect spot for them -- if they are never allowed to be around children or given leave without a chaperon. But that's not usually the program. If only Catholic leaders who listen to the advice of St. Basil of Caesarea. The fourth (4th!) century priest got so fed up with sexual abuse that he set up a detailed system of punishment to deal with clerics at his monastery who molested boys. Among other punishments, perpetrators were to be flogged and put in chains for six months; they were never again allowed unsupervised interaction with minors.</p> <p>But the church's reaction to Father Ramirez's arrest tells it all. The church still has two priorities: to protect the institution and to help its brother priests. Nothing else matters. You can't change 2,000 years of culture is a five-year period. The Catholic Church -- and its high-priced PR consultants -- can speak of openness, transparency and caring for the victim first, but that's not how the priest, bishops, cardinals and pope have been trained. Not even more than $1 billion in payouts can change that.</p>William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-46712687945400103902008-08-14T08:29:00.000-07:002008-08-14T09:01:26.785-07:00Playtime is over ... for nowWhen I left the <a href="http://www.latimes.com">Los Angeles Times</a> three weeks ago, I received an e-mail from a friend who said I'd be twice as happy and make twice as much money within six months.<br /><br />I'm already twice as happy. It's difficult to put into words what it's like working at a newspaper you love knowing that it's in steep decline and there's nothing you can do to stop it. You can't really measure what that does to your psyche until you remove yourself from the newsroom.<br /><br />Though I haven't seen cent one, my friend's money prediction also appears to be on target. I'm putting together several business partnerships (including an exciting one with former <a href="http://www.dailypilot.com">Daily Pilot</a> publisher Tom Johnson), working nearly full-time on my wife's business (<a href="http://www.greersoc.com">Greer's OC</a> -- please sign up for the "FREE Daily Dose of OC" that gives readers the latest in Orange County fashion, dining and trends), and getting my book (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/aws/cart/add.html?SessionId=105-8748102-4945234&SubscriptionId=D68HUNXKLHS4J&AssociateTag=trigeekdreams-20&ASIN.1=0061626813&Quantity.1=1&adid=06BZ2Z0B6XP1G2B8E04C&linkCode=as1&OfferListingId.1=WHeluVVugjMiS%252B5BQbTJtGC17%252FA0Fu8ylU%252BrzZIoAoKAlX7mg6MGovxyET8d1AOSoLJNK4DzcZbr3on50EPJNg%253D%253D&submit.add.x=42&submit.add.y=15&submit.add=Buy+from+Amazon.com">"Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith Reporting on Religion in America -- and Found Unexpected Peace"</a>) ready for its February launch.<br /><br />So I need to stop blogging at Lobdell's OC -- at least for now. This gig doesn't pay, but is highly addicting. A bad combination for someone needing to put money in the bank for his family of six. Thanks for reading, and I'll be in touch. If you're dying to read something by me, you'll still be blogging about religion at <a href="http://www.williamlobdell.com">www.williamlobdell.com</a>.William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-66098450614970389222008-08-13T18:01:00.000-07:002008-08-13T18:22:09.462-07:00OC Register = OC Enquirer?Disclaimer: I LOVE the National Enquirer. It follows its editorial mission better than almost any of U.S. publication, and its investigative reporters are underrated. I read it with a boulder of salt, but read it I do (I make my wife buy it for me).<br /><br />I've been following the Orange County Register more closely in recent weeks, and I'm beginning to wonder: is the Register trying to take over the National Enquirer niche in Orange County? Among the Enquirer-esque stories published Wednesday:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/coin-coins-contursi-2123703-worth-old">Is there a $100,000 penny in your couch cushions? </a><br /><br /><a href="http://retail.freedomblogging.com/2008/08/13/battery-operated-mascaras-sell-out-in-oc/">OC beauties junkies gobble up battery-powered mascara</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/higgins-baby-ramos-2123258-front-jessica">Mother gives birth on lawn ... her own</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/hospital-city-tustin-2117724-homeless-attorney">Homeless patient spent hospital money on crack</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fuel-district-hydrogen-2122433-sewage-methane">It's a gas: Human waste being turned into car fuel</a>William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-20697570250677243772008-08-13T17:45:00.001-07:002008-08-13T17:52:02.967-07:00The poop on Fountain Valley's drinking water<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5T26uFDt2MYjb1nqh91FqIMQPlJv5DroUcT1_TCPc6aJa3qKWkh0ZK4TJEJ5XXLcoHI3mjehi1hw0_g9TBvAwe4sVB3cRfnGMAUpFAhjHNjklfSjo9S84X21A4U9OczPC4FeyIVzQVRU/s1600-h/Picture+5.png"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5T26uFDt2MYjb1nqh91FqIMQPlJv5DroUcT1_TCPc6aJa3qKWkh0ZK4TJEJ5XXLcoHI3mjehi1hw0_g9TBvAwe4sVB3cRfnGMAUpFAhjHNjklfSjo9S84X21A4U9OczPC4FeyIVzQVRU/s320/Picture+5.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234169505124770178" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There was <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/magazine/10wastewater-t.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin">a remarkable article </a>in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times Magazine</a> last weekend, featuring Fountain Valley's effort -- both technologically and psychologically -- to turn sewage water into drinking water.William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-78872374715706570992008-08-13T08:03:00.000-07:002008-08-13T08:22:32.388-07:00Warren's commission<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarPIuaQkpYP04eTay_Shki7umpX48VwdSVlq1PCwcBJ3QsUROLpMs-3DPyzPMxfzf219_d1Pq-YOyToDJXnub_wqN321YtlBnjgsMm5phWq-kJiDLDCJrZhbiioDyWPPfaJRhtRMCvLgY/s1600-h/warren.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarPIuaQkpYP04eTay_Shki7umpX48VwdSVlq1PCwcBJ3QsUROLpMs-3DPyzPMxfzf219_d1Pq-YOyToDJXnub_wqN321YtlBnjgsMm5phWq-kJiDLDCJrZhbiioDyWPPfaJRhtRMCvLgY/s320/warren.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234022869781563186" border="0" /></a>The <a href="http://www.latimes.com/">Los Angeles Times </a>had <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/orange/la-me-warren13-2008aug13,0,4592219.story">a nice story</a> on Pastor Rick Warren and Saturday's appearance of presidential candidates Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest.<br /><br />I've become a big fan of Warren over the years. Despite being the Billy Graham of his generation, Warren has avoided the pitfalls of fame and fortune. He now gives 90% of his income away, he's purposefully stayed clear of any a whiff of a scandal (he handles none of the church's money, he turned down chances for a television show, and he won't be alone in a room -- or even an elevator -- with a woman who is not his wife).<br /><br />He's also grown over the years and has more fully embraced the message of Jesus by, among other things, leading the way for evangelicals to get involved in the fight against AIDS in Africa. Prior to Warren's involvement, the Christian Right had been shamefully silent on the issue.<br /><br />All that said, I'm guessing Saturday's "debate" will be disappointing to most Americans. The format is the problem. Warren, a friend of both candidates, will introduce McCain and Obama, and then interview them separate. If candidates on "Meet the Press" get thrown fastballs and curves by the moderator, McCain and Obama will get a series of slow, juicy pitches right down the middle of the plate that they will hit over the fence. The presidential hopefuls will look, ah, presidential, but viewers will leave unsatisfied by the powder-puff format.<br /><br />Too bad. Warren would have been the perfect person to referee an exciting, provocative, unscripted, free form AND civilized exchange between the two candidates. That's what voters want to see. Not a job interview. Not a stilted debate with time limits and manufactured sound bites. Just two hopefuls, sitting around the table, passionately detailing their vision for America and pointing out the weakness in their opponent's argument.William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-67034140017928149752008-08-13T07:08:00.000-07:002008-08-13T09:40:32.782-07:00Pilot Down: The SequelJohn O'Laughlin, one of Sam Zell's geniuses who is "redefining" newspapers, sent a memo out Tuesday to employees at Times Community News, the community news division of the Los Angeles Times. <a href="http://www.tellzell.com/">Tell Zell</a> blogged about it.<br /><br />This could prove to be the final nail in the coffin of the <a href="http://www.dailypilot.com/">Newport Beach/Costa Mesa Daily Pilot</a>, once one of the best daily community newspapers in the country. (This is a very personal issue for me because I worked as editor of the Pilot for 10 years, helping resurrect it from near-bankruptcy into a top-flight local paper, editorially and financially).<br /><br />First, Zell's boys drove off <a href="http://lobdellsoc.blogspot.com/2008/08/pilot-down.html">Publisher Tom Johnson</a>, the finest newspaper executive and advertising salesman I've known in 25 years in the business. Then Ron Katzman, the Pilot's best salesperson (by far), announced Tuesday he's leaving the Pilot because his "brother" (Tom Johnson) had been forced out. (Katzman will be working at <a href="http://www.greersoc.com/">Greer's OC</a>, a new media company run by my wife -- she knows how to take advantage of an opportunity.) Finally, O'Laughlin's memo arrives in everyone's in-boxes, leaving the demoralized staff comatose. Great work, John! Take the rest of the week off!<br /><br />OK, let's parse this memo -- designed, I guess, to inspire the troops.<br /><br /><span id="fullpost">Dear TCN Colleague<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(John never bothered to visit the Pilot's headquarters until the day Tom Johnson left, the markings of a loyal "colleague.")</span><br /><br />As we embark on a new era at TCN,<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(The dark ages?)<br /><br /></span>our future success will be grounded in our ability to collaborate and consolidate where needed,<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(I know it sounds stupid, but we need to centralize our community newspapers so one size fits all. This means more layoffs and other exciting innovations. If the LONG BEACH Press-Telegram can be run out of the South Bay, we have the brainpower to do something similar; I know this type of arrangement has never been done before but we're going to shift the paradigm! Soon, we'll be able to centralize all operations in India -- imagine the mind-blowing cost savings.)</span><br /><br />scrutinize all policy and procedure that limit growth,<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(Sam loves this shit so I just threw this in. Sam also loves the word "shit.")</span><br /><br />and relentless focus on reinventing our daily process.<br /></span><span id="fullpost"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(Sam loves this shit, too, so I just threw it in.)</span></span><br /><span id="fullpost"><br />To get started, I want to briefly share the following updates:<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(The following is bad news in case you're not demoralized enough. But there's an upside. If everyone bails out of TCN, we're talking HUGE profit margins!)</span><br /><br />1. Content- All editorial functions need to be reviewed across all of TCN.<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(There will be blood.)</span><br /><br />While reporters and their beats are local, copy editing and design can be, to varying degrees, optimized across the whole empire. Tony Dodero and Danette Goulet will jointly determine how all TCN editorial resources can be optimized across the entire organization.<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(We'll have a centralized operation, with the few reporters we have left staying in their communities -- for now. This strategy has been successful in many markets, including ... ah ... uh .... never mind.)</span><br /><br />2. Advertising - Scott Pompe is working with Hector Cabral and Lisa Cosenza on sales force management. The new structure will be performance based and will focus on selling across the entire spectrum of TCN products; LAT MARCOM under Anna Magzanyan and Mike Kechichian is aggressively working on improvements in collateral, cross-media packages, promo opps, etc.<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(This is going to work FOR SURE because local advertisers in Newport Beach REALLY need to reach Times Community News readers in Glendale and Burbank. Customers will FOR SURE drive 60 miles to patronize a local merchant.)</span><br /><br />3. Special Sections - Under Lana Johnson's leadership, the excellent content that has served OC so well will now be applied to all of TCN. In addition, coordinated planning w/LAT Custom Publishing / Annastasia Stafford's team will be paramount and processes/calendar reviewed and established.<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(Despite Sam Zell's initial words, we HATE local autonomy. We like the business model of the Soviet Union -- centralization works; I learned that in business school!)</span><br /><br />4. Web - Under Tony Dodero, this function will now service all of TCN including site maintenance, redesigns, site launch and expansion<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(Again, WE DON'T WANT LOCAL PAPERS TO HAVE LOCAL CONTROL. This goes against my MBA-trained mind.)</span><br /><br />5. Adv Opns – These functions will be migrating to LATMG over the next two periods, this function will be optimized within the context of the larger LATMG organization<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(You probably don't know what "Adv Opns" is -- it's a term I learned in business school! And you probably don't know what this sentence means -- good!)</span><br /><br />Over the next few weeks, Gordon, Scott and I will be asking a LOT of questions,<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(You might as well bend over right now)</span><br /><br />including exploration of options for GM/Publisher role(s),<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(This seems to be an unnecessary expense when you have ME!)</span><br /><br />all with the goal to better assess structure to increase revenue and readership. What is certain is that managing TCN as a whole we will be better able to serve our communities, revitalize our existing products and launch new dramatic new initiatives while enhancing opportunities for all.<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(Did you see what I did? I combined the crap Sam Zell loves -- "dramatic new initiatives" -- with my MBA-speak -- "to better assess structure" and "enhancing opportunities for all" -- and the Soviet Union model of centralization. It's PURE brilliance! I just hope the new publisher of The Times doesn't catch on to what I'm doing.)</span><br /><br />Thanks for your continued commitment to our readers and advertisers.<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(That you're still thinking about your readers and advertisers is amazing considering everything I've done.)</span><br /><br />Best, JTO<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(JTO -- that was my frat nickname at Notre Dame! Don't you just love it?!)</span><br /></span>William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-79729371530447467962008-08-13T06:07:00.000-07:002008-08-13T06:07:00.859-07:00Today's most saintly reader of the RegisterAs usual, there's tons of competition for the <a href="http://www.ocregister.com">Orange County Register</a>'s most saintly reader of the day. But I've selected three finalists who left their tender and loving comments on the paper's website about <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/police-street-schnabl-2120801-officers-fired?orderby=TimeStampDescending&showRecommendedOnly=0&oncommentsPage=2#slComments">a story of a drive-by shooting in Santa Ana</a>. The runners-up:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/share/profiles?slid=15a36fe9-8e95-b254-ed91-538caa1dacea&plckUserId=15a36fe9-8e95-b254-ed91-538caa1dacea"><img src="http://sitelife.ocregister.com/ver1.0/Content/images/no-user-image.gif" border="0" /></a><div class="Comments_From"><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/share/profiles?slid=15a36fe9-8e95-b254-ed91-538caa1dacea&plckUserId=15a36fe9-8e95-b254-ed91-538caa1dacea">jrmmx88</a> wrote:</div><div id="CommentBody" class="Comments_CommentText">I think one of my 10th grade teachers in Maryland in '78 summed up the Latin-American Hispanic mindset perfectly when she said (on more than one occasion) that the males all want to prove they how macho they are, and the females all want to show how fertile they are. I wondered why she was telling us that back then, but now I think I know.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/share/profiles?slid=54c201d5-2ff8-0fd4-c963-33183dfa4532&plckUserId=54c201d5-2ff8-0fd4-c963-33183dfa4532"><img src="http://sitelife.ocregister.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/3/10/73cc0919-d903-4bb9-aa77-2e4a7205605b.Small.gif" border="0" /></a><div class="Comments_From"><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/share/profiles?slid=54c201d5-2ff8-0fd4-c963-33183dfa4532&plckUserId=54c201d5-2ff8-0fd4-c963-33183dfa4532">annoyedinoc</a> wrote:</div><div id="CommentBody" class="Comments_CommentText">In Lieu of a 'Clock Chime' or 'Church Bell' ringing or sounding, Staba-ana has chosen to use sounds familiar with the residents. Gun shots, screams, Push-cart Ice cream bells and La'Banda are now standard sounds used to alert residents where 'Clock Chimes' or 'Church Bells' are used in other Modern communities or societys.<br /><br />And now for the winner -- a sensitive soul who calls herself "bestocmom":<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/share/profiles?slid=93faddd6-dc6c-0ae4-a519-1a053bcf7f1b&plckUserId=93faddd6-dc6c-0ae4-a519-1a053bcf7f1b"><img src="http://sitelife.ocregister.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/3/1/f3daf785-dcfd-4cf2-9188-ae17d86ee7f9.Small.gif" border="0" /></a><div class="Comments_From"><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/share/profiles?slid=93faddd6-dc6c-0ae4-a519-1a053bcf7f1b&plckUserId=93faddd6-dc6c-0ae4-a519-1a053bcf7f1b">bestocmom</a> wrote:</div><div id="CommentBody" class="Comments_CommentText">I'm telling you. Fence them in and let themselves kill eachother off.</div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-83997512730456519442008-08-12T09:52:00.000-07:002008-08-12T10:00:49.321-07:00Shameless Self Promotion: The Early Buzz<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3y0nsMvEXe1O4VrigxlV8YcCANOnvNIakeMRig7rlxY1gYUZwHoXdmUCtlCjGR05AXw31UTxhuCVqiVptc9jb_cM2ymZRBYFkIBsjZJeQH7aP2WXMvqjx9gYlHqq1Qg7qEI9UZYJRDOV/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3y0nsMvEXe1O4VrigxlV8YcCANOnvNIakeMRig7rlxY1gYUZwHoXdmUCtlCjGR05AXw31UTxhuCVqiVptc9jb_cM2ymZRBYFkIBsjZJeQH7aP2WXMvqjx9gYlHqq1Qg7qEI9UZYJRDOV/s320/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233677122259664274" border="0" /></a>I've received some nice early praise for my memoir, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/aws/cart/add.html?SessionId=105-8748102-4945234&SubscriptionId=D68HUNXKLHS4J&AssociateTag=trigeekdreams-20&ASIN.1=0061626813&Quantity.1=1&adid=124PGR72BXCW5E9AZN67&linkCode=as1&OfferListingId.1=oiHbd4qMvQHUP%252FVk%252FODsGgKSHCuvE0eWLGxkCqIlBPIFHIb4MIZe4zxWzTFIxwBtd88N%252B%252F3F%252F1rHTqRybxbpCQ%253D%253D&submit.add.x=28&submit.add.y=11&submit.add=Buy+from+Amazon.com">"Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith Reporting on Religion in America -- and Found Unexpected Peace."</a> Here are some of the highlights:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"This is the most intellectually honest and emotionally courageous book I have ever read, and it's a page turner from cover to cover. The new atheist community will embrace it, of course, but I think all Christians owe it to themselves to read the spiritual journey of this once devout evangelical born-again Christian whose penetrating insights into the soul of that religion--and all religions--will test the faith of even the most faithful, not because of cogent counter arguments to Christian apologetics, but because Lobdell is willing to go where few religious believers can. To find out where that place is you must read this book." </span><br /><div style="text-align: right;">--<span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Shermer</span>, publisher of Skeptic magazine, monthly columnist for Scientific American, author of "How We Believe," "Why Darwin Matters," and "The Mind of the Market"<br /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">“William Lobdell has written a heart/mind/soul-wrenching spiritual autobiography. He has been inspired by followers of Jesus who have served their Lord with integrity. But he has also been devastated by observing, up-close, the ugly, sinful underbelly of a critical, self-serving, institutional and individual religion. This is a must-read filled with warnings and wake-up calls to those of us in leadership positions. I respect Bill for his honest reporting of his odyssey to this point and pray that someday there may be a future book, just as honest, with a grace-filled conclusion.”</span><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Rev. John Huffman</span>, chairman of the board, Christianity Today<br /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">“William Lobdell really and truly wanted to believe. When he came to realize that wanting and believing are two sides of the same coin, he decided to take the risk of basing morality on the modesty of human reason and solidarity instead of on the self-defeating arrogance of faith. Now he feels much better, and so will you when you read this honest and decent account of his – forgive the expression – evolution.”</span><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Christopher Hitchens</span>, author of "God is Not Great"<br /></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">“As the senior astor of a church for the last 12 years, I wholeheartedly believe that every Christian who wants to equip themselves to do the Great Commission, and not just talk about the Great Commission, better think through the passionate and detailed </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">account of William Lobdell’s de-conversion. The book did not harm my faith in the Lord Jesus, it just demonstrated that the emperor has no clothes--and that I am one of the emperors.”</span><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry Minkow, </span>senior pastor of Community Bible Church in San Diego<br /></div>William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-14552020942144141062008-08-11T21:01:00.000-07:002008-08-11T21:28:10.564-07:0010 facts about an Olympic hero<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGrx5qdysZDM87K-qHm7315biFEIY0wrXbFPUHsUy0Y1ruRPO2wjhONGcLz935sm0oW_iVYumR8arlmgq1rmT4kOy5mbvQo4zlMG1yib9w5WDo_Jzdk7XNEeahYmnAhWkG-PKgVU9_yTv/s1600-h/large_lezak.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGrx5qdysZDM87K-qHm7315biFEIY0wrXbFPUHsUy0Y1ruRPO2wjhONGcLz935sm0oW_iVYumR8arlmgq1rmT4kOy5mbvQo4zlMG1yib9w5WDo_Jzdk7XNEeahYmnAhWkG-PKgVU9_yTv/s320/large_lezak.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233483213964700162" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Jason Lezak, 32 of Irvine, will go down as one of the greatest Olympians of all-time for his incredible, world-record setting, come-from-behind, anchor-leg swim in the 4x100 freestyle relay in the Beijing Olympics. Here are 10 facts you may not know about Lezak.<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.jewishjournal.com/sports/article/irvines_jason_lesak_anchors_400_meter_relay_team_for_the_gold_20080811/">He's the fourth U.S. Jewish gold medalist</a>.</li><li>At 3<span style="font-family:times new roman;">2, he's the oldest man on the U.S. Olympic team.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:times new roman;">He train</span>s, without a coach, in Irvine.</li><li>He's a graduate of Irvine High School.</li><li>His wife was an Olympic world swimmer.</li><li>He was a high-school All-American water polo player before concentrating on swimming.</li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">He started swimming with the Irvine Novaquatics at age 5.</span></li><li style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">His father is in leather goods.</span></li><li style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">His mother is an elementary school teacher.</span></li><li style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">When he was 10, he had to make a tough decision between the finals of a run, hit, and throw competition at Angel Stadium for baseball and Junior Olympics for swimming. Swimming turned out to be the best choice where he went on to win a couple of events at the competition.</span></li><li style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">He's a huge weightlifter.</span></li></ul>William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-68720843644095716102008-08-11T15:59:00.000-07:002008-08-11T16:32:39.426-07:00Register: All the police briefs that fit!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLaXLPOSREsoJzy7OfXBhRQ8rxTibSeR-2iLXD5MAs2DdeToXMlMAK5LEbOOm2LLaHi7jKXsrC7Rqsvnj47KRzBaEF9ksBGzuyFdUfrbdIqdWGbG08sN0LNufSGWDrA1bOOAmE1y5lmgb/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLaXLPOSREsoJzy7OfXBhRQ8rxTibSeR-2iLXD5MAs2DdeToXMlMAK5LEbOOm2LLaHi7jKXsrC7Rqsvnj47KRzBaEF9ksBGzuyFdUfrbdIqdWGbG08sN0LNufSGWDrA1bOOAmE1y5lmgb/s320/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233399017092410082" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyc3SLIDBt8uNpK9t27dyWr3gjZWtive8P1Ag-g7DkqXwcMA1k12TNNTNkFu4RDdxarZ00yGU8S8H4-YRWcvzmsP7PErlY8MdZI0dcFW21bbktQKlheLIK4q8UxiyCqvoEFcVtyRrkgafN/s1600-h/Picture+3.png"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyc3SLIDBt8uNpK9t27dyWr3gjZWtive8P1Ag-g7DkqXwcMA1k12TNNTNkFu4RDdxarZ00yGU8S8H4-YRWcvzmsP7PErlY8MdZI0dcFW21bbktQKlheLIK4q8UxiyCqvoEFcVtyRrkgafN/s320/Picture+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233399141816583506" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Above: Screen captures of the top stories on the Orange County Register website and also the top viewed.</span></span><br /><br />Anyone else notice the top stories on the <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/">Orange County Register</a>'s home page are typically police blotter briefs or puffy self-help articles?<br /><br />The screen capture of the stories above taken today at 4 p.m. shows a newsy day for the Register, if you can believe it. You have the UCI climate change study, and a poll about the presidential race. But then you get the typical:<br /><dl><li><a href="http://lansner.freedomblogging.com/2008/08/11/secrets-to-bargain-price-homes/">Learn secrets to bargain-priced homes</a><span class="timestamp"></span></li><li><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/police-street-schnabl-2120801-officers-fired">Drive-by shooting leaves cars riddled with bullets</a><br /><span class="timestamp"></span><span id="recommendations"><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/police-street-schnabl-2120801-officers-fired" class="Article_Recommend2"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="articleRecommendCountOCRArticle2120801" class="Article_Recommend_Count"></span></a></span><script language="javascript">aboxArticles[aboxArticles.length] = 'OCRArticle21</script></li><li><script language="javascript"></script><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/store-winner-famima-2119134-chicken-chocolate">Famima!!, Fresh & Easy face off</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/armando-woman-going-2121170-job-firefighter">Passerby tried to keep woman from jumping from overpass</a><br /></li></dl>It gets even more depressing when you look at the top-viewed stories:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/emily-fiji-around-2119162-says-year">Lady wrestler won't be pinned by a bed sore</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/police-street-schnabl-2120801-officers-fired">Drive-by shooting leaves cars riddled with bullets</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/woman-grabbed-fence-2120625-gunsolley-sheriff">Officers rescue woman on I-5 freeway overpass</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/freeway-report-overturned-2120831-chp">SUV overturned on 55</a></li></ul>If I ran a newspaper website around there, I'd give equal play to the high readership stories ("Lady Wrestler won't be pinned by a bed sore" -- you're just got to read it, right?), and quality news and feature stories about Orange County. (I always thought the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/">Los Angeles Times</a> could feature both high-end entertainment coverage and the <a href="http://www.perezhilton.com/">Perez Hilton</a> variety -- just as movie studios have different companies that produced different kinds of films, newspapers should be able to branch out in similar ways.)<br /><br />I'd also feature prominently <a href="http://http//www.ocregister.com/ocregister/sections/news/columns/frankmickadeit/">Frank Mickadeit</a>, the Register's best brand and one of the last remaining reasons the Register still is a must read for Orange Countians.William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-3312633060269938332008-08-11T07:14:00.000-07:002008-08-12T23:15:06.926-07:00Pilot Down<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jWiDH1nfQsY5mQLqZuVy1__c22Odgp2mA4VJhp_-GtHsFr-QQzktYKMFJGyls1YB6032eP3cHmYfaOt2r3lf8gNm7yvdCPr6a917ha6zlq0O8gGbXZq0uRrODxxnfRAE1WBeEGPnenLC/s1600-h/dpt-johnson073008.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jWiDH1nfQsY5mQLqZuVy1__c22Odgp2mA4VJhp_-GtHsFr-QQzktYKMFJGyls1YB6032eP3cHmYfaOt2r3lf8gNm7yvdCPr6a917ha6zlq0O8gGbXZq0uRrODxxnfRAE1WBeEGPnenLC/s320/dpt-johnson073008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232993856817863362" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It didn't get a lot of fanfare outside of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, but last week, longtime <a href="http://www.dailypilot.com/">Daily Pilot</a> Publisher Tom Johnson was forced out of his job by meddling executives at the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/">Los Angeles Times</a>.<br /><br />Letting Johnson get away from the Pilot is like having <a href="http://www.apple.com/">Apple</a>'s board of directors run off Steve Jobs. Sheer stupidity. Tom was, by far, the best publisher and advertising salesperson I've seen in more than two decades in the business. Smart, innovative, inspiring, passionate.<br /><br />Over 17 years, Tom had turned the Pilot into a miniature cash cow for its owner, The Times. But in just a few months, his MBA-loving bosses put the paper into what could be a death spiral by allowing its beloved leader -- in the newsroom, in the advertising department and in the community -- to leave.<br /><br />Besides the good folks who work at the paper, the communities of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa stand to be the biggest losers. Now they have access to a rare commodity: a small daily paper that watches over their city councils and school boards, reports on the cities' births, deaths and arrests, and sends reporters to their high school football games and school plays. But coverage tomorrow, who knows?<br /><br />I'm very biased on this one. I've known Tom for 17 years. We took over the Daily Pilot in the early 1990s at a time it was losing $250,000 a month and was on the verge of closing down. No one believed the Pilot would survive, but it did. More than that, it thrived. Editorially, the California Newspaper Publishers Assn. named the Pilot the best community daily in the state. Financially, Tom delivered profit margins as high as 28.5 percent.<br /><br />OK, here's a test to see if you have what it takes to be an executive at The Times. Let's say you've been put in charge of the Daily Pilot, in addition to all your duties. Do you:<br /><br />A. Give Tom Johnson the freedom, support and incentive to continue to manage the Pilot as he successfully has for the past 17 years?<br /><br />B. Despite the large problems you face at The Times, spend valuable time micro-managing the Pilot from 45 miles away while making sure you never step foot inside the newspaper's headquarters, never talk to the employees or never meet anyone in the community?<br /><br />For most, the answer would be rhetorical. For Tribune-trained execs, the answer is B.<br /><br />I still have many friends at the Pilot, and they've been in a daze since Tom's abrupt departure. No new publisher has been named, and I can see that position being left vacant (what does a local paper need a publisher for, anyway?). One of the Tribune geniuses better give Tony Dodero, who had been Tom's right hand man and is highly respected at the paper and in the community, a big fat raise and no-layoff promise to keep him.<br /><br />The irony is that Tom will be just fine. Better than fine. He's already received many job offers and promises of venture capital from fans of his in the community (I'm hoping to team up with him for a business venture or two).<br /><br />It's the Pilot at risk now. For no good reason. We've seen the Tribune Co.'s inability to manage large newspapers. Now its resume is complete. When it comes to the Tribune Co.'s panache for screwing up papers, size doesn't matter.William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-80499035174812682042008-08-11T05:10:00.000-07:002008-08-11T05:10:00.941-07:00OC reporter takes down poker pros<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArms-d3JkVRBiavC0g0-_ZyxT0yYyUH8i1-a3Ijsq7ZB_LG8ohj7_-fX6_qKM18m-_en6abUNouBDIx0x6zx7ad9rpKGRNnSq0RMKA1gbMKl7zLMPX7WhzHQ2W1YrP_t6H1b15iKOL9DW/s1600-h/stuart.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArms-d3JkVRBiavC0g0-_ZyxT0yYyUH8i1-a3Ijsq7ZB_LG8ohj7_-fX6_qKM18m-_en6abUNouBDIx0x6zx7ad9rpKGRNnSq0RMKA1gbMKl7zLMPX7WhzHQ2W1YrP_t6H1b15iKOL9DW/s320/stuart.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232968754875752946" border="0" /></a><br /><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>Stuart Pfeifer about to school poker pro Mimi Tran.</i></span><br /></p><p>In Saturday's <a href="http://www.latimes.com/" mce_href="http://www.latimes.com">Los Angeles Times</a>, reporter Stuart Pfeifer wrote a <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-pokerweb9-2008aug09,0,731257.story" mce_href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-pokerweb9-2008aug09,0,731257.story">great first-person essay</a> (along with some cool web features by graphic artist Tia Lai that allow you to "play" some of Pfeifer's hands) about his recent quest to win a World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas. I don't want to spoil the ending, but Pfeifer's journey makes for fascinating reading. When not playing Texas Hold 'Em, Pfeifer -- a friend of mine -- has been covering the story of <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-carona-sg,0,5108338.storygallery" mce_href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-carona-sg,0,5108338.storygallery">indicted Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona</a>.</p>William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-50143182760864431062008-08-08T12:40:00.000-07:002008-08-08T12:46:44.976-07:00Who's more dangerous?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMnQHJ1bhgLvQyZiVqeTcYTi9LErzPlLzruvbgIY4WUU4pb85dU9QwPsqb4o9adMVY0cvMITRBylymTnFC29pgjuVFs0VwQDIBomwGRlRgHGW7xNH6HnR81ojV41v2mrOEN38gOPaNwFqJ/s1600-h/benny-hinn.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMnQHJ1bhgLvQyZiVqeTcYTi9LErzPlLzruvbgIY4WUU4pb85dU9QwPsqb4o9adMVY0cvMITRBylymTnFC29pgjuVFs0VwQDIBomwGRlRgHGW7xNH6HnR81ojV41v2mrOEN38gOPaNwFqJ/s320/benny-hinn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231863635445969650" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />On the heals of the arrest of biker gang leader/Pastor <a href="http://www.diako.com/SetFree.html">Phil Aguilar</a> of Anaheim on suspicion of attempted murder, I started to wonder: Who is the more dangerous man who appeared regularly on <a href="http://www.tbn.org/">Trinity Broadcasting Network</a>: a person who allegedly broke a pool cue over someone's head in a barroom brawl in Newport Beach or a self-proclaimed faith healer who tells believers with incurable illnesses that they've been miraculously healed by God?<br /><br />"Faith healer" and suspected multi-millionaire <a href="http://www.bennyhinn.org/">Benny Hinn</a> is one of TBN's most celebrated pastors. His daily "This Is Your Day!" television show airs in primetime, and during the network's twice yearly "praise-a-thons" he serves as one of the network's most effective fund-raisers. Hinn's (and TBN's) basic pitch: if you want to be wealthy and/or healthy, provide God with evidence of your faith (by giving money to TBN/Hinn's ministry).<br /><br />Many channel surfers view Hinn -- with the Nehru suits and comb-over -- as a harmless buffoon of televangelism, healing folks by "slaying in the spirit" on stage with a wave of his hand and sending them falling over backward like so many bowling pins.<br /><br />Do you know how many people have died because they believed they had been cured by the "faith healer" Hinn (he's always quick to point out that he is only God's instrument and it's the Lord who heals) and stopped their medications and trips to the doctors? I don't know and neither does Hinn. But several national television news shows have interviewed survivors who say their loved ones did just that and died.<br /><br />A few years back, I attended a Benny Hinn Miracle Crusade at the Honda Center in Anaheim and found a kid named Jordie who had come down from Canada. Jordie proudly showed me the shunt in his arm that he used for dialysis and said, "I watch Pastor Benny, and he says we need to step in faith to show God we truly believe He can heal us. So I stopped getting dialysis a few days ago. I had to. I mean, what kind of faith do I have if I keep doing dialysis when God will heal me."<br /><br />To his doctor's dismay, Jordie stayed off dialysis throughout the Miracle Crusade weekend. Fortunately, he didn't die -- no thanks God or Hinn. (He had to go on dialysis as soon as he arrived home.)<br /><br />From a logic standpoint, I understood Jordie's thinking. Pastor Benny promises (over and over again each day) that God will heal you IF your faith is strong enough. And what's a better sign of faith than to toss aside medical treatment and really solely on God's healing powers?<br /><br />There is perhaps no cruelly sad place on Earth that a sports arena after a Hinn Miracle Crusade "heals" its last person. The facility is littered with people -- the terminally ill, the paralyzed, the diseased, the misshapened -- who believed (because they were told) that they would be restored to health that very night. They had fantasies of walking or running or laughing or simply scratching their nose again. But they were still broken, same as before. And now they had another burden, believing they had been barred from God's healing touch because they didn't have enough faith.<br /><br />Hinn's rewards for all this heartache are plentiful. He lives in a ministry-owned home -- valued at more than $20 million -- in Ritz Cove on the Pacific in Dana Point. He drives luxury cars, flies in a corporate jet, stays in presidential suites, eats in five-star restaurants and is usually flanked, for unfathomable reasons, by two burly bodyguards. I often wonder if Hinn sleeps well at night in his mansion overlooking the cliffs of Dana Point. I'm guessing that he does -- with a big smile on his face.<br /><br />Hinn's "healings" -- even if completely bogus -- are protected by the First Amendment. No civil or criminal court can prove whether Hinn really hears from God (though judging by his failed prophesies, we can at least assume the connection is really, really poor). Or whether someone is healed by Hinn's touch. Or whether Hinn believes the crap he spouts. An attempt to prove any of that would amount to a heresy trial and the Constitution doesn't allow that.<br /><br />In my opinion, that means the world's most famous "faith healer" -- whose followers hang his every word -- can do much more damage to people (emotionally, spiritually and physically) than someone involved in a single bar fight.<br /></div>William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-5456141316259731792008-08-08T10:14:00.000-07:002008-08-08T10:20:17.650-07:00Orange County story of the day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-dhgN2-CQiTrxVjIpehjdqz0NW8fHb9UL2-1cb3Nd2IQcCTEs8MI6pfhwkcyLBsPGc9HQOC5fyqoPLQzaUEvmt2Zvy484PnGwV9hIYPDYYGy1iwimzsxyV_8iQf98zWkjfK55XhiKrHk/s1600-h/aguilar.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-dhgN2-CQiTrxVjIpehjdqz0NW8fHb9UL2-1cb3Nd2IQcCTEs8MI6pfhwkcyLBsPGc9HQOC5fyqoPLQzaUEvmt2Zvy484PnGwV9hIYPDYYGy1iwimzsxyV_8iQf98zWkjfK55XhiKrHk/s320/aguilar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232197867777851090" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/aguilar-police-free-2118250-set-anaheim">this story</a>, Adam Townsend and Doug Irving of the <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/">Orange County Register</a> land an interview with the family of Pastor Phil Aguilar, the leader of a biker gang who was arrested earlier this week on suspicion of attempted murder. Good work, guys.William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-29826148434458734342008-08-07T19:25:00.000-07:002008-08-08T06:34:28.374-07:00Lee Abrams: Translated<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEF8Bz-SJ9dmbYkHjafwe3UJiMpufj_a6lVDMr11Exnjgccfe0OkCoi6G-1c0mEDMwus1O4pU5Xs7RdBlih4uYHML0iWt1ANLPltb59okOizGW-O7AccQR0DCw6WHosCq8WfJBwhRvXNV/s1600-h/lee.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEF8Bz-SJ9dmbYkHjafwe3UJiMpufj_a6lVDMr11Exnjgccfe0OkCoi6G-1c0mEDMwus1O4pU5Xs7RdBlih4uYHML0iWt1ANLPltb59okOizGW-O7AccQR0DCw6WHosCq8WfJBwhRvXNV/s320/lee.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231971131093722818" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CsUXIMwgTFK5hoMB_RxLLUgqVdMCCqPuf23a-8cZQWQpnIjuq5AMJwukc-yiW6dg9RI0CV_TzSCygf4AT5HJQeA_Iy3UoNT1G3Ix0GdUfYhHI7ZoLjg2orGeEXu5MdoY36qtnGnyAPdj/s1600-h/Unabomber.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CsUXIMwgTFK5hoMB_RxLLUgqVdMCCqPuf23a-8cZQWQpnIjuq5AMJwukc-yiW6dg9RI0CV_TzSCygf4AT5HJQeA_Iy3UoNT1G3Ix0GdUfYhHI7ZoLjg2orGeEXu5MdoY36qtnGnyAPdj/s320/Unabomber.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231971034214803266" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Lee Abrams (left) and the Unabomber</span><br /><span style="display: inline;" id="fullpost"><br />As a public service, I've decided to take a stab at translating the latest memo from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Abrams">Lee "The 2x4 Tool" Abrams</a>, the Tribune Co.'s "innovation chief" and most hated man in journalism (the Tribune Co. owns the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/">Los Angeles Times </a>and the <a href="http://www.dailypilot.com/">Newport Beach-Costa Mesa Daily Pilot</a>, making this an Orange County item -- at least in my mind).<br /><br />Here is the translation to just a small portion of his memo. If there's a demand, I'll supply more translations (FYI, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Kaczynski">Unabomber</a>-esque ALL CAPS punctuation is all The Tool's). Here goes:<br /><br />QUALITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER.<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-style: italic;">By "quality," I'm talking about the quality of the lay-offs. We're well on our way to eliminating big salaries, medium salaries and any journalist over the age of 30.</span><br /><br />WE CAN’T LET THE QUALITY SLIP...IT NEEDS TO GROW.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">It's time to pick up the pace of the lay-offs. I suspect there are still some people who are only working 40-hours a week. We've got loans to pay, people! There's no time to rest. As NEIL YOUNG says: "Rust never sleeps!" Either should we!</span><br /><br />IT'S TRICKY BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC REALITIES, BUT I AM CONFIDENT THAT AS PAINFUL AS IT IS TO DOWNSIZE, WE WILL INCREASE THE QUALITY OF THE PAPERS.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">I'm not insane, so I don't believe this bullshit. It defies logic. But I'm being paid well into the six-figures to write these crazy effing memos and I have to say something.</span><br /><br />WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT AND WE WILL.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">When pigs fly out of my butt.</span><br /><br />IT REMINDS ME OF XM WHERE WE COULD ONLY AFFORD TO STAFF A CHANNEL THAT NORMALLY WOULD HAVE TEN OR MORE EMPLOYEES WITH ONE OR TWO.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">This is our ultimate plan. At The Times, for example, where we once had 1,200 editorial employees, we'll soon have 120!</span><br /><br />IT TOOK SOME RADICAL RETHINKING AND DESPITE A LOT OF NAYSAYERS, WE DID IT. THE QUALITY WAS SUPERIOR TO THE LARGE STAFF STATIONS BY ISOLATING THE BEST POSSBLE PEOPLE, RE-THINKING HOW A STATION IS OPERATED, AND THROWING OUT THE OLD OPERATIONAL PLAYBOOK AND BUILDING A NEW ONE THAT TOOK THE ECONOMICS OF OUR BUSINESS INTO PLAY. <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br />At our newspapers, we're going to have readers generate the content and readers will also snatch their own paper off the press (they'll been able to SMELL THE INK!) and deliver the paper to THEMselves! That's taking ADVANTAGE of today's economics. And because of high gas prices, we'll give each reader a FREE BUS PASS to travel to our printing facilities. That's called THINKING OUT OF THE BOX, folks! Newspaper people, who can't THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, have NEVER DONE THIS before I arrived on the scene.</span><br /><br />NEWSPAPERS ARE QUITE DIFFERENT FROM XM OF COURSE, BUT THERE ARE SCORES OF OTHER EXAMPLES WHERE DOWNSIZING DOESN’T NEGATIVELY AFFECT QUALITY.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">For example, ah ... ah ... better move to the NEXT SUBJECT and hope no one NOTICES.</span><br /><br />IF YOUR JOB IS AT RISK, THAT IS NOT A CONVINCING ARGUMENT, BUT EMOTIONS ASIDE, IT IS DOABLE.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Emotions aside, you're screwed -- unless you don't make much money, are willing to go along with the nonsense I'm spewing, and resemble Dwight from "The Office" -- because the character of Michael Scott from "The Office" was based on ME! Seriously!</span><br /><br />THE IMPORTANCE OF THINKING DIFFERENTLY:<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Like a mental patient.</span><br /><br />If you think Newspapers <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-style: italic;">[editor's note: not sure why the capital letter but let's go with it]</span> are in a difficult state, try the record Industry.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Actually, sailing ships are a better example, but we don't want to FRIGHTEN THE EMPLOYEES we have left.</span><br /><br />You know there's a problem when it's still called the "record" industry but records hardly exist.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Our language is filled with words that no longer hold their original meaning, but let's not go there.</span><br /><br />Along comes Steve Jobs with the I-pod thing.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">An aside: I wish Steve would hire me, but apparently he's too good for an "innovative chief."</span><br /><br />If you think WE are getting nuked by the pundits <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">[and journalists, Wall Street, our employees, readers, advertisers, and anyone else who can fog a mirror]</span> this guy was getting it World War Three <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">[ah, how about World War III] </span>style from the "what does this geek know about OUR business." I don't think he cared too much about what THEY thought.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">I know it's a stretch to equate what I'm doing (rehashing ideas from the past 30 years combined with massive layoffs) with a visionary like Jobs who so clearly understood the business model for the 21st century -- but WTF. </span><br /></span>William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-28035900531949867632008-08-07T12:30:00.000-07:002008-08-07T12:39:37.671-07:00Today's best Orange County story<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ScdSC6MRnBB3AgZfnQ1PXoxwUk3QtGec4mgQDTThfnA0bQ1OWH53jODw2pnTJvXUjrQE8HthM2dVz473KkALhWxjuzPvtVEqzxDpon5ANmnvQnzMnYMX-jc0gUxHGcH_ZcwHN1LUW4tK/s1600-h/miller.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ScdSC6MRnBB3AgZfnQ1PXoxwUk3QtGec4mgQDTThfnA0bQ1OWH53jODw2pnTJvXUjrQE8HthM2dVz473KkALhWxjuzPvtVEqzxDpon5ANmnvQnzMnYMX-jc0gUxHGcH_ZcwHN1LUW4tK/s320/miller.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231862637919852338" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Times photo by Mark Boster</span></span><br /><br />Recently laid-off <a href="http://www.latimes.com/">Los Angeles Times </a>reporter <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/writers/janet-eastman">Janet Eastman</a> wrote a <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-miller7-2008aug07,0,2669839.story">beautiful obituary today</a> on Hortense Miller, 99 of Laguna Beach, who created one of Southern California's most enchanting gardens. Here's how the obit starts:<br /><br /><blockquote>Hortense Miller, a feisty environmentalist and author who created one of the best private gardens in the country and whose knowledge of plants was sought by leading horticulturists, has died. She was 99.<br /><br />Miller died Monday of natural causes at an assisted-living facility in Mission Viejo, said her friend Marsha Bode.<br /><br />Fiercely protective of her 2 1/2 -acre property in Laguna Beach's rugged Boat Canyon, off Coast Highway and about a five-minute drive from Main Beach, Miller gave the land to the city in 1976. She wanted the public to continue to see it the way she liked it, as a wild mix of native coastal scrub, tropical succulents, blooming perennials and exotics such as towering puya stalks from Chile.<br /><br />"Age hasn't done a thing for me," she once said of the land she nurtured for five decades. "But it's done wonders for the garden. It gets better all the time."</blockquote>William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-86472478242927773902008-08-06T16:00:00.000-07:002008-08-06T16:02:11.943-07:00Christian bike gang, attempted murder charges and TBN<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJf2jv7pWtcpJCpcJl2tBwUrqUtzz2-JUQibCTQvRpdBNLsGnPFmm12uroG-PshbKwZqKpPBZ73pJGRiz7ZNG33RnQqyD5CUqWTWmXt8qteQU4kLS7InJB7H_ddqNBedgiXYLC37AxEak4/s1600-h/Picture+7.png"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJf2jv7pWtcpJCpcJl2tBwUrqUtzz2-JUQibCTQvRpdBNLsGnPFmm12uroG-PshbKwZqKpPBZ73pJGRiz7ZNG33RnQqyD5CUqWTWmXt8qteQU4kLS7InJB7H_ddqNBedgiXYLC37AxEak4/s320/Picture+7.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231543688057783138" border="0" /></a><br /><p><a href="http://williamlobdell.com/wp-admin/Authorities%20early%20this%20morning%20arrested%20nine%20members%20of%20the%20motorcycle%20gangs%20the%20Set%20Free%20Soldiers%20and%20the%20Hells%20Angels%20in%20connection%20with%20a%20brawl%20and%20stabbing%20at%20a%20Newport%20Beach%20bar%20last%20week,%20police%20said.">The story broke today</a> that authorities in Orange County arrested six members of the Set Free Soldiers Christian motorcycle gang and charged them with conspiracy to commit murder. Phil Aguilar, leader of the Set Free Soldiers and founding pastor of the <a href="http://www.diako.com/SetFree.html">Set Free Worldwide Ministries</a> movement, was among those arrested.</p> <p>During <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2004/sep/19/local/me-tbn19">my multi-year investigation</a> into the <a href="http://www.tbn.org/">Trinity Broadcasting Network</a>, Aguilar’s name came up often. The convicted felon (I was told of the charges, but never confirmed them so I won’t repeat them here; but I think it’s safe to say he wasn’t in prison for shoplifting). Aguilar had close ties to the Tustin-based network, which is the world’s largest religious broadcaster.</p> <p>He had been a semi-regular on-air guest and at one point was given his own show. Aguilar also served with TBN co-founder <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Crouch">Paul Crouch</a> on the board of the National Minority Television Network, an organization that federal officials called a sham TBN used to get around limits on television station ownership.</p> <p>John Casoria, TBN’s in-house counsel and nephew of TBN co-founder Jan Crouch, has represented Aguilar. And Aguilar ran a drug treatment facility in the early 1990s at a TBN-owned ranch in Texas.</p> <p>On-air, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Crouch">Jan Crouch</a> called Aguilar “the closest thing to Jesus” she ever saw and once declared that those who didn’t give money to Set Free were going to Hell, according to a 1995 edition of the Christian Sentinel.</p> <p>Several observers have wondered over the years why TBN had maintained a close relationship with Aguilar and his ministry, which has been criticized in print and by former members as being an abusive cult. And now the “closest thing to Jesus” is being held in jail on $1 million bail for allegedly participating in a 15-person barroom brawl — police say it was Set Free Soldiers vs. Hell’s Angels — in Newport Beach and trying to kill someone.</p> <p>What a story. More, I’m sure, to come.</p>William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-38226899448512151972008-08-06T12:31:00.001-07:002008-08-06T12:31:39.141-07:00Coming tomorrow: A murder in NewportStay tuned.William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163224262407573533.post-73155330162350356592008-08-06T11:37:00.000-07:002008-08-06T12:20:52.749-07:00Orange County Olympians: SO Hot Right Now!The august website, <a href="http://www.campussqueeze.com/post/The-Hottest-US-Olympic-Women.aspx">Campus Squeeze</a>, just released its "26 Hottest US Olympic Women." (Please, no questions about how I came across Campus Squeeze. Let's just say I'm scouring all corners of the Internet to bring you OC news) And guess what? Orange County had, by far, the most athletes on the list (though Amanda Beard should have been No. 1 by a mile). The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">OC</span> picks:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kzv0dhy24n4jsgJSQRa7tHkvRH9aKrqYIJG5DxU8yggE_oFS_92rnoZd9xFFJaEKSmkFV2weDrZ8NKRemdLnxt32JCot0rbR0fIti078tEu7QsDlZKeE2SpToy8781wN0EdLWYhCAx04/s1600-h/Picture+5.png"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kzv0dhy24n4jsgJSQRa7tHkvRH9aKrqYIJG5DxU8yggE_oFS_92rnoZd9xFFJaEKSmkFV2weDrZ8NKRemdLnxt32JCot0rbR0fIti078tEu7QsDlZKeE2SpToy8781wN0EdLWYhCAx04/s320/Picture+5.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231482470202721538" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiH-fbvcndZ72jel1X9d44sA1ll-qOi_Q7LLRAitZj3OCw9DyyxMyobJf_dGug61LVtnYjziXU0QoN9dB2kmthIYzM6KA8VOxrK-82L5f1MqcmOPl_EVXM4zMCa4yf8rGfOEFixTtZGWQ/s1600-h/Picture+4.png"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiH-fbvcndZ72jel1X9d44sA1ll-qOi_Q7LLRAitZj3OCw9DyyxMyobJf_dGug61LVtnYjziXU0QoN9dB2kmthIYzM6KA8VOxrK-82L5f1MqcmOPl_EVXM4zMCa4yf8rGfOEFixTtZGWQ/s320/Picture+4.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231481031390668386" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujzUklWXY2fYrdt5vaSpvtfJkXUCLR36wHrlJ3SeOOZ_EEReqRq_9oiVfFcOivg8OecQYJ4JlqCEvkqfIMicyw3NFahkPNdcrggcsyY8dxjjkPtCjlQT4_UdvR7M1Jp7FXffVSOaSAs1u/s1600-h/Picture+3.png"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujzUklWXY2fYrdt5vaSpvtfJkXUCLR36wHrlJ3SeOOZ_EEReqRq_9oiVfFcOivg8OecQYJ4JlqCEvkqfIMicyw3NFahkPNdcrggcsyY8dxjjkPtCjlQT4_UdvR7M1Jp7FXffVSOaSAs1u/s320/Picture+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231480802380001266" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtfhdZLpTEw4gkxxs0hRomJeCaR4OPOXiRvD86GMI3dRBTK5Mid9KtTGzVnXOhEBU2Gv0gIxaFIInK-qU4-1izsiz6gxCuI30tEYkjvVoTTLg77Oaq8GEG6kZGiMh96lKrcq_wutGfczq/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtfhdZLpTEw4gkxxs0hRomJeCaR4OPOXiRvD86GMI3dRBTK5Mid9KtTGzVnXOhEBU2Gv0gIxaFIInK-qU4-1izsiz6gxCuI30tEYkjvVoTTLg77Oaq8GEG6kZGiMh96lKrcq_wutGfczq/s320/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231478874334887154" border="0" /></a>William Lobdellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09133739468440507668noreply@blogger.com2