How many nails does it take to shut the T&G coffin?
Amazing numbers coming from the NYT today with advertising revenue slipping another 16.2 percent. But as seems to be the case with every financial release from the Times, it’s the New England media group, which includes the Telegram, that’s sucking hardest.
The company’s flagship The New York Times paper had 15.3 percent lower ad revenue. At its New England media group, which includes The Boston Globe, July ad revenue dropped 24.5 percent.
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Original post by Brendan
Media in the Worcester Mayor’s office is a shit show
Seriously, over the last few weeks I’ve been getting hammered with press releases from Mayor Konnie Lukes’ office and they just don’t make any sense. The only thing that makes less sense than the releases themselves is I can’t find any actual members of the press in the city who are receiving them. Check out this latest message received about an hour ago:
from Racicot, Mary RacicotM@ci.worcester.ma.us
date Tue, Aug 26, 2008 at 10:45 AM
subject FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - MAYOR LUKES ANNOUNCES…
mailed-by ci.worcester.ma.us
For Immediate Release:
Worcester, MA
Wednesday, August 27th at 3pm
Mayor’s Office
City Hall – Room 305
455 Main Street
Worcester, MA
Mayor Lukes announces a new collaborative venture in the City of Worcester.
Mary C. Racicot
Press Secretary ~ Office of Mayor Konstantina B. Lukes
City Hall ~ Room 305 ~ 455 Main Street ~ Worcester, MA 01608
508.799.1153
racicotm@ci.worcester.ma.us
P Think GREEN before printing this e-mail
Really? That’s it? An announcement of a yet to be announced, announcement? Someone is actually […]
Original post by Brendan
Radio is a sound salvation
I’ll be sitting in on air with the T&G’s Dianne Williamson at 1PM on WCRN 830 AM today. Yet another excellent opportunity to hear me make a complete mockery of my families’ good name in a public forum! And you don’t even need to dust off your old transistor radio, just tune in from the comfort of your cubicle with this handy link.
And don’t forget to tune in at 6:30PM to WTAG 580 where I join the wise and powerful Mike Messina each and every Monday with the goal of solving all the worlds problems, so you don’t have to. Also available as a handy internet stream.
Original post by Brendan
Worcester Magazine Sold
The Holden Landmark Corp., publisher of the Landmark, the Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, the Leominster Champion and four other publications has bought alternative weekly Worcester Magazine from Worcester Publishing Ltd.
According to Gareth Charter, Holden Landmark Corp. publisher, Landmark initiated acquisition talks. Charter and Worcester Publishing, which is owned and published by Allen W. Fletcher, “have been actively working on this for much of this year,” Charter said. “We initiated this, and we pushed it in the final stages,” he said.
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Original post by Brendan
Just in time for the Cheech & Chong reunion tour!
According to a Suffolk University poll, 72% of Massachusetts residents look forward to beginning the process of decriminalizing marijuana.
Of the three questions on the Massachusetts ballot this November, only one question — #2 the decriminalization of marijuana — appears all but certain to pass, according to a poll analysis released today by 7NEWS/Suffolk University. Seventy-two percent favored the proposed law, which would replace the criminal penalties for possession of up to one ounce of marijuana to a civil penalty of forfeiture of the marijuana and a fine of $100. Twenty-two percent opposed the proposed law.
“The public may be signaling that pursuing small-time marijuana users is a waste of taxpayer resources,” said David Paleologos, director of the Political Research Center at Suffolk University. “This issue suggests that there is a Libertarian streak in the thinking of Massachusetts voters.”
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Original post by Brendan
77.6%
So a good friend who happens to catch all the things I miss in the daily T&G just shot me this nugget from yesterdays NYT wire.
White minority is likely by 2042
Census projections see speedup in switch to new proportions
Ethnic and racial minorities will comprise a majority of the nation’s population in a little more than a generation, according to new Census Bureau projections, a transformation that is occurring faster than was anticipated just a few years ago.
The census calculates that by 2042, Americans who identify themselves as Hispanic, black, Asian, American Indian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander will together outnumber non-Hispanic whites. Four years ago, officials had projected the shift would come in 2050.
The story itself is forgettable, scaring the ‘native’ population has been a pastime in the US since a few hundred thousand of my closest relatives piled onto a boat off the coast of Ireland and […]
Original post by Brendan
Who are they and what do they make?
A few people have asked me recently both here on RBDN and in the real world where they can find out things like the number of people the City of Worcester employes or what they get paid. There’s no easy answer to that with out a course on public records requests, but a quick and dirty solution has been available for awhile from the Boston Herald.
Have fun kids.
Worcester Payroll
Original post by Brendan
The street vendor war continues
The continued discussion of how to regulate Worcester street vendors Tuesday may have been the most exciting City Council meeting Worcester has had in some time, but not in a good way. It was a ridiculous exercise in just how juvenile, provincial and poorly informed some of our elected and appointed officials are. In particular, Mayor Lukes and Councilor Palmieri went out of their way to embarrass themselves and the City of Worcester. The eye rolling, face making and insults hurled at colleagues and constituents, you have to wonder if these two even realize people actually watch the meetings at home. Foolishness aside, the opposing armies in this debate have defined themselves and in effect, speak for themselves. It’s actually quite interesting when you look at the lists, as they break out into rather obvious personality types.
Representing Team Bat Shit Insane:
Mayor Konnie Lukes
At-Large Councilor Joseph Petty
District 2 Councilor […]
Original post by Brendan