JonLowder.com

Apparently UNCSA Has an Adult Film Program

Four UNCSA students were arrested in Myrtle Beach for allegedly filming lewd acts under a pier.  I knew that UNCSA had an innovative program, but I had no idea they'd gone to this end of the arts spectrum. 

links for 2009-06-15

• Iranian Election May Have Been Legit
  This piece in the Washington Post reminds us why newspapers are important. The article is a nice counterpoint to the common assumption that the Iranian election was rigged, and even better, the authors seem to have significant survey data to back up their arguments. Whether or not they're right it's important that there's a place where a reasoned argument against the prevailing stories can be found.
  (tags: newspapers politics)

Update 6/15/09: Definitely read the links provided in the comments below, which lead to pieces that ask some hard questions.  This reminds me of why blogs and comments are so important!

All the Aged News That's Fit to Print

The Daily Show does the gray lady:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
End Times
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Newt Gingrich Unedited Interview

Another WXII Headline

WXII headlines are proving to be the gifts that keep on giving.  Today's special:

125 Homes, Businesses Vandalized by Paintballs

Another Great WXII Headline

The folks at WXII continue to wow me with their headline writing prowess.  In today's example they give a car on I-77 remarkable powers: Speeding Car Shoots at 3 Tractor-Trailers.

Apparently America's Top Model Search NOT Coming to W-S Journal Newsroom

In what appears to be an ill-fated attempt to buck up the morale in the Winston-Salem Journal newsroom managing editor Ken Otterbourg had this to say (found in an Arizona Republic article about how reporters are depicted in movies):

"Reporters are always better-looking in movies than in real life," said Ken Otterbourg, the managing editor of theWinston-Salem Journal, in North Carolina. "There's a phrase I use to describe most people who work at newspapers - myself included, all genders - which is 'newsroom pretty,' which is a lower grade of pretty than real-world pretty." 

Oh snap! But let's be fair and share the Big O's other quote in the story:

"In real life," Otterbourg said, "the sort of revelatory scoops on which movies are made rarely happen. It's more of a series of steps and monk's work at a courthouse or the like. And most reporters - even the good investigative ones - tend to have better social skills than the lone wolves of the movies. . . . Being a journalist is about getting people to talk with you, and nobody is obligated to talk to us. You can't do it by being a jerk."

To sum it up: reporters are really friendly, yet homely folks who toil in the bowels of places like the courthouse.

In defense of the Big O I should also point out that in the movies the actors are better looking than whomever they're depicting, whether it be reporters or lawyers.  The most notable exception, of course, would be any film in which Dustin Hoffman was the actor.

Panic at the AP Disco

I wonder if the folks at the Associated Press are having some sort of weird contest to see who can do the dumbest stuff possible.  First they steal every losing play of the recording industry's playbook circa 2005 and then they start attacking their own affiliates for embedding videos from the official AP YouTube channel.  I'm really not sure what's funnier, that they went after their own affiliate for embedding their content or that the AP exec handling the matter didn't even know that there was an official AP YouTube channel.  And of course he wouldn't have known that AP could turn off the embed function themselves and the problem would have been solved.  You can read/hear/see all about it here.

Strike That, Reverse It

Here's the headline on the WXII12.com story about the latest twist in the Forsyth-Baptist hospital duel in Davie County and Clemmons: Forsyth Medical Tries To Halt Davie Co. Hospital Construction.  

Here's the sub-head: Medical Center Wants State to Focus On Clemmons Hospital.  

Here's the first paragraph: CLEMMONS, N.C. -- Forsyth Medical Center took steps on Wednesday to end all litigation to stop Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center from building a hospital in Davie County. 

Get me re-write!

Wilbur Replacing Weather at WXII

Did you know that WXII has a 24 hour weather channel?  If you did I guess you didn't have much company because WXII has decided to replace their weather programming on the channel with 24 hours of really old TV shows like Mr. Ed and movies that you've probably never heard of.  From the story:

Starting June 1, WXII will be replacing its Weather Plus sub-channel with This TV, a free movie and classic television channel offered by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the station announced Monday...

This TV programming includes 4,000 film and 10,000 television series episodes in agreement with six distinct studio libraries: Cannon, United Artists, Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Orion, Samuel Goldwyn Films and MGM.

Classic television shows such as Patty Duke and Mr. Ed, as well as feature-length movies, will be offered 24 hours per day.

Goodbye Lanie Pope, hello Donna Reed.

Bonus points to anyone who can tell me who the "Wilbur" refers to in the title of this post.

Rumor Mill: Ask SAM Quits

Rumor from a very reliable source: Rhonda "Ask SAM" Bumgardner has resigned from the Winston-Salem Journal effective Monday. I'm sure details will follow from the newspaper in six point font at the bottom of page A23 next to the funeral home ad. 

Not exactly surprising news since the paper laid off her husband not too long ago.