Thursday, August 31, 2006

Thursday Night Linkage

Tribune lays off 20, ends round of job cuts (Chicago Business)

Tribune Publishing Expands Investment in amNewYork (Morning Star)

Tribune Co. Gains Foothold in New York Newspaper Market (DM News)

Editor's Attorneys fire back at paper's allegations (Santa Barbara News-Press)

Tribune Investors Want It to Undo Consolidation (Creative Voices)

Latimes.com Introduces New RSS Service (Marketwatch)

Fear of the long knives from Chicago

By Kevin Roderick

Fear of the long knives from Chicago is rampant again in the Los Angeles Times newsroom at First and Spring streets downtown. You know people are skittish when a rumor sweeps through the pods, as it did last Friday, that editor Dean Baquet had quit rather than slash the staff further.

Click here or on title for complete article.

Mark Kurtich to Pressroom Employees

Operations Department
Inter-Office Correspondence


DATE: August 31, 2006
FROM: Mark Kurtich
SUBJECT: Enough is Enough
TO: Operations Employees



ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

The union supporters are back, telling you that if at least fifty percent of you sign cards for the union they will file a SEVENTH PETITION (in the past 16 years!) the NLRB. Before you sign anything, think about this.

Since 1990 the union has filed six separate petitions to represent pressroom employees. Five elections were scheduled and every time the union claimed that a majority of employees had signed up for the union. We have no way of knowing whether this was true but because unions usually don’t file a petition unless at least half the employees have signed cards, we’ll take the union at its word. So what happened?

In October of 1990, the union filed a petition. Two days before the scheduled vote the union withdrew because, according to the union, "there [was] very little chance the Union [could] win the election scheduled for January 31."

In May of 1993, the union filed for an election, ballots were counted on August 5, 1993, and the union got only 28% of the vote.

On April of 1997, the union filed another petition, ballots were counted on May 23, 1997, and the union lost again, receiving 36% of the vote.

On December 30, 1999, the union filed once more, ballots were counted on February 11, 2000, and the union received only 25% of the vote.

In December of 2001 the union filed for an election only at the Olympic plant and that petition was dismissed by the Board. In June of 2002, the union filed for an election in the traditional multi-plant unit. Ballots were counted on July 26, 2002 and the union lost yet again, receiving only 27%.

A couple of things are very clear. First, pressroom employees have repeatedly and resoundingly rejected union-representation. Second, it seems obvious that aggressive peer pressure is a big reason for all of these petitions getting filed in the first place. We conclude that many employees who never intended to vote for the union nonetheless signed cards, often just to get the union supporters off their backs. Third, we have all wasted an enormous amount of time, energy, and money because of this.

Enough is enough. Clearly and for good reasons most of you don’t want a union. So don’t let a minority with their own personal agendas push you around. Stand up to them and tell them to their face what you’ve told them at the polls: you don’t want a union and won’t sign a card. Break the cycle.

Mark Kurtich is Senior vice-president of Operations Department for the Los Angeles Times.

Thursday Morning Linkage

Extra! Extra! Tribune's a buy! (CNN Money)

The Morning Call to outsource its customer service (The Morning Call)

FCC Pursues New Ownership Rules (Who Owns the Media)

Thomson, Tribune Company Sign Agreement (Thomson West)

Conflicting Views On Media Trends (Conflicting Conversation)

New York Times: Will The Owners Sack The Prince? (24/7 Wall Street)

Topix's Cool Year-Long News Archive (Search Engine Watch)

Happy Birthday Los Angeles

Alma Perez (Human Resources Supervisor) will be walking the nine miles from the San Gabriel Mission to El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument on Monday. The walk traces the path taken on September 4, 1781 by original settling families known collectively as los pobladores.

This kicks off the celebration for the City of Los Angeles' 225th birthday.

BlogMap Added



As you can see I have been too busy playing with add ons to the blog to say much today, my new feature shows blogs in my neighborhood. This may seem odd to some, unless your into blogging, then it's a real treat trying something new.

If this new feature causes problems I will remove it, so let me know how your computer reacts?

I get many requests to repair home computers, but just cannot find the time to visit everyone. The next few days I will give you the user, a step by step way of cleaning popups, spyware, malware, and other problems from your home computer.

Stay cool,

Eddie

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Tribune Stock Dividend

TRB
08-29-06 09:31 PMStock Dividend Distribution

This stock has declared a cash dividend of $0.180 per share, effective on 08-29-2006. The stock will trade without this distribution as of that date. Record Splits and Dividends in your transaction portfolio or create one if you haven't already.

For details, go to http://portfolio.morningstar.com/portasp/allview.asp

Easy Writer: The Yellow Butterfly: A Wonderful Norm

Easy Writer: The Yellow Butterfly: A Wonderful Norm

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Australians got it right ! ! !

Those Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks. A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown.

Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state and its laws were made by parliament. "If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you," he said on national television.

"I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia, one the Australian law and another the Islamic law, that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better option," Costello said.

Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the other country.

Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should "clear off". "Basically, people who don't want to be Australians, and they don't want to live by Australian values and understand them, well then they can basically clear off," he said. Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques.

AMERICA and Canada..... ARE YOU LISTENING?


"IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians."

However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the "politically correct" crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Australia. However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand.

This idea of Australia being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle. This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.

We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, Learn the language!

Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push but a fact because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home.

Because God is part of our culture, we will accept your beliefs and will not question why, all we ask is that you accept ours and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.

If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don't like " A Fair Go", then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. By all means keep your culture but do not force it on others.

This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, "THE RIGHT TO LEAVE".

If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here, so accept the country YOU accepted.

Pretty easy really, when you think about it. I figure if we all keep passing this to our friends it will also, sooner or later get back to the complainers, lets all try, please.

Submitted by Henry Rubio

Mexican Flag Raised Over U.S. Post Office

Mexican Flag Raised Over U.S. Post Office (Workbench)

Mexican flag raised over Maywood, CA (SOS protest (Lonewacko)

Photo of Mexican Flag over U.S. Post Office (Flickr)

Protest Targets Maywood's Stance (Los Angeles Times)

Protest crash: Maywood, sanctuary city for illegal immigrants (Political Mavens)

The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Cam)

Supervisors' Town Hall Meeting

The following message was posted on the entrance to the Olympic Pressroom Office this afternoon. Ed

This afternoon we held another Supervisors' Town Hall at the Square.

We are aware that union organizers are spreading rumors that the purpose of today's meeting was to plan or announce layoffs in Operations. This is yet another incident of union supporters using scare tactics to generate interest in card signing.

We encourage you to ask your supervisor about today's meeting. In fact, there was no mention or discussion of layoffs. And there are NO LAYOFFS PLANNED OR BEING PLANNED IN OPERATIONS. We truly regret the fact that union organizers continue to divide the work force by spreading misleading and incorrect information.

The company remains committed to its belief that a third party will not make things better here. We encourage anyone who is asked or pressured to sign a union authorization card or a petition to say no. Yet another union election is not in the best interest of anyone as we strive to meet the many business challenges facing our company and industry. The union cannot and will not eliminate these issues.

Tuesday Morning Linkage

Journalism Watchdog Group Calls On Sudan To Free Reporter (Dow Jones)

Newsday outsources customer service (Mail Tribune)

Tribune outsourcing jobs to Philippines (Hollywood Reporter)

CareerBuilder.com Release Annual Study on Hiring and Compensation Trends (Morning Star)

Anti-smoking efforts gaining on all fronts (San Gabriel Valley Tribune)

Dropped Charges Setback for Ramsey Case (Associated Press)

Tribune Company Cutbacks, Lay-offs, and Off Shoring (Digital Destiny)

Let Companies Buy and Sell News (Los Angeles Times)

Take Back the Times: NYT Article on Crumbling And Sale of Knight-Ridder Applies To Tribune Co.

Take Back the Times: NYT Article on Crumbling And Sale of Knight-Ridder Applies To Tribune Co.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Afternoon Briefs

Ken Reich takes us to the future with the Tribune Company, and what he visions in the future of the media giant and the Los Angeles Times.

The Economist also takes a look at the media and the Internet, will there be less news and more advertising for readers, where will newspapers find and keep subscribers?

LAObserved has noted a tie-in between the Black Dihlia and the newspaper.

Just for fun, visit Google, and run a search for failure, see who pops up first.

eWeek has an interesting article on VeriChip selling implants for newborns as a way of tracking the whereabouts of infants, what's next, chips for adults?

Thursday, August 24, 2006

How I Spent my Vacation





My Daughters Birthday



We celebrated my daughter Lauren's twenty first birthday at Dave and Busters at Ontario Mills Mall yesterday. The food looked good but we stayed with the liquid food instead.

Hard to believe my children are coming of age, means I'm getting older.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Wednesday Afternoon Linkage

Newspapers cutting staff (TPM Today)

The Tube Music Network Reaches 13 Million (MorningStar)

CareerBuilder.com Partners With 51job to Expand Into China (MorningStar)

TheEnvelope.com Launches 'Buzz Meter' Exclusive Online Critics Panel (MarketWatch)

traveltimes for Greater Los Angeles (Sigalert)

Vacation from my Computer


I took off for Venice Beach early yesterday, and really took a vacation from my computer. Every now and then I must do this to remain sane.

The weather at the beach was great, twenty-two degrees cooler than San Dimas, without a cloud in the sky.





I spent the night at Venice, and only returned home to celebrate my daughter Lauren's 21st birthday, otherwise I would have stayed for several days.
Eddie

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Sunday is my Favorite Day

The Hathaway wedding came off with no problems yesterday, and the newlyweds will be off to Mexico for a one week honeymoon on a cruise ship later today. I will post the photographs from the wedding tomorrow, since I did not make it home last night.

Rita and I are off to the beach, with the top down in my car, for some seafood, live music, and a few ice cold beers today. Not sure which beach we will visit, either Redondo, Venice, or Long Beach? Redondo offers rock music from the eighties, and Venice has Peace Frog, they are a Doors knockoff band; in Long Beach there is Reggae music, now to decide what type of music I want to listen to.

Hope everyone has an enjoyable Sunday afternoon.

Peace,
Eddie

Saturday, August 19, 2006

The Jimmy Hathaway Wedding

Kathleen White and Jimmy Hathaway are to be married at four o’clock today in La Canada Flintridge. Jimmy is a pressman at the Olympic Facility and former pressman at the shuttered Chatsworth Facility.

We wish the two of them long life and harmony together.

Ed

Palm Trees


I’m getting old folks, last week I mentioned my ordeal with the gardeners that never showed up to trim my palm trees, so I took it upon myself to trim the palms and save myself one hundred dollars. It wasn’t worth it, saving the money. I have been so sore all week from having my left arm around the trunk of the palm while stretching with my right arm to trim the higher fronds.

Not being one to give in and hire someone, I thought of ways to access the upper levels of the palm, should I just buy a longer ladder, I asked myself? Not certain how I would complete this task, I slept on it. When I awoke the next morning the answer arrived.

I headed over to my favorite store, Home Depot, and found a telescoping tree pruner that allowed my ladder to be placed at a forty percent angle, thus allowing me to use two hands to cut the fronds.

The sub-conscience will find solutions to problems when called upon.

Eddie

Friday, August 18, 2006

Edward's Friday Morning Linkage

Peltz targets are catching flak (Baltimore Sun)

Online News Still Dominated By Yahoo News (Website Content Strategy)

Things tense at Channel 2 (LAObserved)

Mannequin in Suit -- Lawsuit, That Is (Los Angeles Times)

What Skid Row Offensive? (Los Angeles Police Department Blog)

Wal-Mart Will Save You From Exploitation (Moral Clarity)

Ford to Slash Production, Shutter Plants (Associated Press)

Tribune Shares Jump as Peltz Discloses Fund Has 1.2% Stake (The Wall Street Journal)

Deadline U.S.A. ’06: Old Baltimore Sun Gasps and Leaps (New York Observer)

Los Angeles Times Employee Contest

From: Internal News
To: zzAll LATimes Employees
Sent: 8/16/2006 10:08 AM
Subject: Dodger Ticket E-Mail Draft


Take Me Out to the Ball Game!
Win a Pair of Tickets to see the Dodgers' Play!


On Monday evening, August 28th, the Los Angeles Dodgers will help
The Times celebrate its 125th Anniversary at the
"Los Angeles Times Day at Dodger Stadium,"
as the Dodgers play host to the Cincinnati Reds.

To help us celebrate, 75 winners will be randomly selected to win two
tickets to attend the
game and watch the Blue defeat the Reds.

Before entering, please read the complete entry instructions,
eligibility restrictions and official rules posted on TimesLink,
by clicking here: http://webmanage.latimes.trb/timeslink/

After reading the rules, enter the drawing by sending an internal
e-mail that includes employee name, employee ID number, department,
work location and a work, home and/or cell phone number where the
employee can be reached on Monday, August 21, 2006.

Send the e-mail to "Dodger Tickets"(mailto:DodgerTickets@exchange.latimes.com)
beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 16 until 5 p.m. PST on
Friday, August 18, 2006

The 75 ticket winners will be selected at random and notified by phone
on Monday afternoon, August 21, 2006.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Take Back the Times: A New Stock Purchase Stirs Speculation About Breakup Of Tribune Co.

Take Back the Times: A New Stock Purchase Stirs Speculation About Breakup Of Tribune Co.

Thursday Morning Linkage

Former Teacher Claims He Killed JonBenet (Associated Press)

Ex-Wife Gives Alibi for JonBenet Suspect (Associated Press)

Nicole Kidman, 84 Other Celebs Take A Stand Against Terror In LA Times Ad (The Huffington Post)

Media companies losing control ( Marketwatch)

TV LISTINGS? NO, THANK YOU (INNOVATIONS IN NEWSPAPERS)

Restoring Internet Access

Good Morning world,

This is my last day of work for the next twelve days, so I'm a bit excited that I will have so much extra time on my hands. The children and I had planned to visit Cozumel, but will postpone our trip till Spring Break next year, and conserve over five thousand dollars.

Wednesday night I did a little venting over the lack of Internet access in the learning center at our facility, and someone heard me. I had planned to forget about my blog being blocked, and just carry a laptop with me, in case I really needed to log onto the Internet.

Russ Newton dropped by my press yesterday stating Cyber-Sitter would be edited to allow my blog to be displayed as soon as possible. Greg Malcolm went a bit further, and said to give him a list of websites I would like un-blocked in the learning center.

Ms. Monica Hayes is doing all the leg work, and has contacted the I.T. Department, regarding Cyber-Sitter, so my blog and LAObserved will be un-blocked very soon, if not open for users already?

I appreciate the effort by all concerned over coming this form of censorship at the Los Angeles Times. With only thirteen users registered for Internet access from the learning center, I hope this moves additional employees to request access in the near future.

Enjoy your Thursday,
Eddie

Mark Kurtich Letter to Employees

Dear Colleague:

As you probably know, some of our pressroom employees are again trying to stir up interest in the union, passing out union authorization cards and copies of the Newsday contract. I am urging each of you not to sign a card or petition and to tell the union’s supporters we don’t need to go through yet another election campaign.

We all know that these are difficult times for the newspaper industry, and we would all be less than human if we weren’t concerned with what could happen here at The Times. But despite what the union’s supporters may claim, having a union doesn’t really increase anyone’s job security. If it really did, employees at papers such as The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, automobile companies like General Motors, and airlines like Northwest would not be going through layoffs and reductions in force.

As we have shown you repeatedly, having a union doesn’t automatically guarantee that things will get better. For example, having a union contract did not stop the AFL-CIO from laying its own employees off OUT OF SENIORITY ORDER. A union contract did not stop the papers from laying off employees at the Long Beach Press-Telegram or the Daily Breeze in Torrance. And when the union’s supporters are telling you about the Newsday contract, ask them to identify any major newspapers outside of the Northeast where they have negotiated a “New York” type contract, or anything like it. They won’t because they can’t – just look at the union’s contracts up and down the West Coast. The union is a gamble – and with a union you could get more, remain the same, or end up with less.

We all know the truth. The only thing that provides any of us with real job security and good wages and benefits is producing a product that our customers, our readers and advertisers, want to buy. Putting us all through yet another union campaign certainly isn’t going to improve service to those customers. It would only be another resource- wasting distraction. So please don’t sign an authorization card just to get the minority of union supporters off your back. Now more than ever we need to stay focused.

Thank you.

Mark

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Take Back the Times: Murder By Tribune Co. Cost-Cutters of L.A. Times TV Times

Take Back the Times: Murder By Tribune Co. Cost-Cutters of L.A. Times TV Times

Page Not Found

After searching the net (from home) about Cyber Sitter, I see I'm not alone in my feelings of frustration with the child protection software.

The words used for blocking are copy write protected, but the categories for blocking at Oly are adult/sexually oriented, illegal activities/drugs, hate/intolerance, illegal guns/violence, image searches, and social networking sites.

I wonder what category my blog falls under?

The icon shows how I feel in the Los Angeles Times Learning Center at Oly.

Ed

Why my Blog is Blocked at Olympic

An informed tipster has revealed why my blog is blocked at the Olympic Learning Center, I used the word nude in the post titled "Sunday Linkage". Now that I have used nude again in this post means my co-workers will be unable to view this obscenity, at least from the learning center.

The tipster will supply the list of banned words for posting here later, and this may trigger blockage by all Los Angeles Times computers?

And due too the fact we received a large raise this year (according to one anonymous user) I will be pleased and happy we have Internet access at work, although very limited.

Tuesday Morning Linkage

Tribune Revenues Down 1.4% in July (Marketwatch)

Peltz Buys 1.2% Stake in Tribune (Los Angeles Times)

Change in this year's EPS estimate (Morningstar)

Change in next year's EPS estimate (Morningstar)

Billionaire Investor Buys Tribune Stake (New York Times)

FCC Asks 77 TV Stations How They Used Video Releases (Bloomberg)

Tribune Revenues Down 1.4% in July (Tribune Company)

Monday, August 14, 2006

Thanks a Lot CyberSitter

Well, that should teach me to associate with the likes of Kevin Roderick, now my blog page is blocked from the Oly Learning Center. This Spy Sweeper and Cyber Sitter are the best at blocking non-threating sites, unless I am considered a threat by some?

I will not be able to post tonight, taking my grandson David out for pizza after work, and a promise is a promise. So grandpa will keep his word.

Cheers,
Eddie

Current Openings Daily Press

The Daily Press, Inc. and dailypress.com are currently accepting applications from the public for the positions listed below. This list and a telephone recording of job opportunities (757-247-7447, option #1) are updated every week. We also accept resumes for positions not listed here. You may apply for any of these positions by submitting a resume to our main office or by contacting us by e-mail. You may also complete an electronic application online. Business opportunities for independent newspaper carriers are listed in an ad in today's Classified section of the Daily Press. (Current Daily Press and dailypress.com employees may apply for any of the positions listed here.)

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT

SALES ASSOCIATE / WILLIAMSBURG (FULL TIME)Selected candidate will perform administrative functions for our advertising sales team in Williamsburg. You will coordinate the workflow from sales reps through ad production and billing. You will provide excellent customer service to our advertisers, assist our staff with a specialized advertising layout and billing system, type copy for ads, proofread and work with ad designers to ensure quality ads within very strict deadlines. Qualified candidates must have strong organizational and communication skills and be able to demonstrate excellent typing, spelling and grammar skills. College degree in Accounting, Advertising or Marketing is preferred but not required. Must have solid Word and Excel skills and the ability to quickly learn other computer programs.

ADVERTISING OUTSIDE SALES REP (FULL TIME)We are seeking a talented outside sales representatives to be part of our award-winning retail advertising sales team. You will create and develop sales campaigns for assigned accounts, develop new accounts and participate in company sales promotions and special events. Qualified candidates should have proven professional outside sales experience with in-depth knowledge of advertising and direct marketing concepts, ad layout experience and the ability to plan, develop and execute sales programs on a strict publishing deadline. Knowledge of marketing, online sales, newspapers, electronic media and/or recruitment ad agencies a plus. College degree in related field or equivalent related outside sales experience preferred.

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT

We frequently have full-time and part-time opportunities for experienced Reporters and Copy Editors. Positions require two years of reporting or editing experience. College degree in journalism or related field is preferred. Include samples of your work (clips) with your resume or application.

PRESSROOM AND PACKAGING DEPARTMENT

MACHINE OPERATOR (FULL TIME) Chosen candidate for our newspaper assembly division will be responsible for ensuring accurate set-up of advertising inserting production equipment. Will set up equipment, perform maintenance, complete reports, and monitor equipment to insert advertisements, other printed materials, as well as support other production equipment for efficient quality operations. Should have a strong mechanical aptitude and be skilled in the use of maintenance tools and have strong problem-solving and analytical skills to troubleshoot a variety of machinery and equipment. Must have working knowledge of a Windows PC environment, strong interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work in a team environment in a leadership role. Requires the ability to bend, twist, stand for long periods and lift at least 40 pounds. The position works nights as well as weekends

PRESS OPERATOR (FULL TIME) We are seeking a press operator for our Goss Metroliner printing press. Qualified candidates must be mechanically inclined, responsible, energetic, have good communication skills and be capable of gaining further knowledge of the printing process. Some experience on Goss equipment or printing presses will be considered helpful in obtaining this opportunity for a career in the production operation. We prefer candidates with a basic understanding of web offset printing who can quickly learn about press scheduling and productivity measures while working under deadline pressure situations. You will produce high quality products in a team environment while adhering to strict quality standards and productivity deadlines. Must be able to work any shift, weekends and holidays.

FIELD DISTRIBUTION ASSISTANTS (FULL TIME) Gloucester, Smithfield or WilliamsburgChosen applicants will be a responsible adults with good driving records who want to work early morning hours and have their afternoons free. Selected candidates must have dependable transportation and the ability to assist our District Supervisors in providing service to our home delivery subscribers. You will work from a distribution center assisting carriers prepare for route deliveries and assist with temporarily vacant routes. Your normal schedule will be five days a week, which includes a weekend and holiday schedule. Hours during the week will be approximately 3 a.m. to 10 a.m. Weekend hours will be approximately 3 a.m. - 12 noon. Qualified candidates must have a valid Virginia driver's license, excellent driving record and ability to work with newspaper bundles weighing 25-30 pounds.

PRODUCTION WORKER (PART TIME) Selected candidates for our 1st and 3rd shift will work an average of 20-25 hours per week. Will work at our main building inserting supplemental sections and advertisements into our newspaper sections. Duties include packaging our newspaper bundles for delivery trucks and performing other duties to process our newspaper and other products. Both shifts will include weekday, weekend and holiday work. Qualified candidates must have good manual dexterity and the ability to lift at least 30 pounds repeatedly in a warehouse-like atmosphere. Previous experience in a production work environment helpful. . First shift core hours: Wednesday 12 Noon to 8:00 p.m. (Will be moving to 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.)Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.Saturday 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 a.m.Third shift core hours: Thursday 11:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.Friday 11:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.Saturday 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.

Fill out an online application

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Torrance Fire on Saturday


On my way to Redondo Beach there was a rather large fire burning on Torrance Blvd. Can anyone tell me what was burning?

























Naja's Redondo Beach

On Saturday I drove to Naja's in Redondo Beach for some live Reggae music by Urban Dread, and my daughter Margaret and her Bo Chase met me there for a few cold beers.

Why this man is dressed as a pirate has me guessing, his boat is also something like a pirate ship of old.

I will miss the music next Saturday as I attend Jimmy Hathaway's wedding.

Tina Kim with Chris Ried Tonight

My children, friends, and I will be departing for the Pasadena Ice House for the pre-party show at 7:30pm. I will grab a few photographs of everyone, and get a few pictures with Tina and Chris Ried before the show. Frazier Smith will be the host, Frazier was a very popular shock jock on KLOS radio some years ago. Chris is an actor and comic.

Sunday Afternoon Linkage

Did you ever feel you were being watched? (Los Angeles Times)

How Bad Will The Bubble Burst? (Planetizen)

Los Angeles Traffic (Urban Planning Research)

LAT names SoCal's 'most powerful' (LAObserved)

Man harassed woman with nude photo of self (The Sentinel Online)

America's Most Stolen Vehicles (Yahoo News)

Where will all that liquid contraband go? (MSNBC)

Saturday, August 12, 2006

The Page Users Really Dislike Seeing

The page cannot be displayed

The page you are looking for is currently unavailable. The Web site might be experiencing technical difficulties, or you may need to adjust your browser settings.

Please try the following:
  • Click the Refresh button, or try again later.
  • If you typed the page address in the Address bar, make sure that it is spelled correctly.
  • To check your connection settings, click the Tools menu, and then click Internet Options. On the Connections tab, click Settings. The settings should match those provided by your local area network (LAN) administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).
  • See if your Internet connection settings are being detected. You can set Microsoft Windows to examine your network and automatically discover network connection settings (if your network administrator has enabled this setting).

1. Click the Tools menu, and then click Internet Options.

2. On the Connections tab, click LAN Settings.

3. Select Automatically detect settings, and then click OK.

  • Some sites require 128-bit connection security. Click the Help menu and then click About Internet Explorer to determine what strength security you have installed.
  • If you are trying to reach a secure site, make sure your Security settings can support it. Click the Tools menu, and then click Internet Options. On the Advanced tab, scroll to the Security section and check settings for SSL 2.0, SSL 3.0, TLS 1.0, PCT 1.0.
  • Click the Back button to try another link.


Cannot find server or DNS ErrorInternet Explorer

A Record Day Here

I'm pleased to announce we had a record setting day here with three hundred and thirty visitors. I track my numbers for my ego, not to charge more for advertising, and your welcome to view my stats by clicking on the little blue icon at the left side of this page.

My visitors cannot add a hit by reloading the page, as some webmasters have their software programmed to do, but count actual hits.

I would like to thank Kanani (a real writer) and Jesse for their help. And Kevin for the eighty-six users he sent our way yesterday.

It's back to work for me,
Eddie

Advertising Removed

The advertisements, located before the first post, have been removed to increase the loading of the page. Appears the code was causing problems for a few readers, and did not generate any cash my way after several months.

In addition, posts visible have been limited to seven days from fourteen, for a little quicker page speed.

Let me know if this helps the blog page load any quicker?

Thanks for visiting,
Eddie

Friday, August 11, 2006

Another Week Ends

This has been a rather exciting week at the Olympic Facility, but it has ended for my crew and myself. We are one of two crews with Saturday and Sunday off.

We are experimenting with a new type of newsprint, that is something like wax paper, with printed advertising that overlays another ad in full color, that will generate much needed additional revenue in the coming months.

I spoke with Greg Malcolm regarding the new security officer, and he said he was hired on a temporary basis, till new security officers are hired by the newspaper.

Ronnie Pineda was spotted in the Olympic parking lot handing out flyers or pledge cards, he had left the property before I arrived, so I'm unsure of what he was passing out?

Kevin Roderick, of LAObserved fame and former Los Angeles Times writer, gave mention of my blog today, thank you Kevin.

The barbecue today at Oly was GREAT! I would like to thank all the servers and those responsible for the free food and drinks.

On the home front; I hired several men I met at the local gas station to trim my palm trees, they called for directions to my house, yet never showed up. So I pulled my aluminum ladder out of the garage and trimmed the trees myself, saving $100.00 in the process. I wonder if they drove by my house and decided the price was too low?

This is the first weekend I'm not working overtime at the newspaper, but I have plenty of work at home to keep me busy. After completing my list of things to do in the morning I will take a drive to the beach with my daughter Joanna in tow.

Stay positive,
Eddie

Santa Barbara Nine get award

By Kevin Roderick
From LAObserved

Nine of the journalists who resigned from the Santa Barbara News-Press rather than go along with the questionable decrees of owner Wendy McCaw will receive an Ethics in Journalism tribute later this month. The Society of Professional Journalists will make a little fuss for them at its national convention in Chicago Aug. 26. Remaining News-Press staffers yesterday filed with the NLRB as a formal step toward forcing a union election at the paper.

What's New at Olympic

Last Sunday(August 6th) my crew worked an overtime shift for bonus days, this is to allow Sunday subscribers of the newspaper to get a free newspaper on Monday, and generates additional subscribers on a daily basis. When I pulled up to the guard shack I noted a new face inside, with a uniform that looked nothing like the Times security officers wear. After speaking with the new security officer, it seems we have added an outside firm to augment our security at the Los Angeles Times.

We now have satellite television in three locations at our facility, reactions are mixed on this new perk. Lets hope no one steals the satellite boxes.

The Internet is running in the learning center, and Cyber Sitter, blocks about sixty percent of the sites I enjoy, like LAObserved, for an example. But my homepage and blog run fine from Oly, so I'm pleased with the limited access. Forms for gaining access to the Internet can be obtained from human resources or the pressroom office.

Someone started a rumor at Oly that the swing shift at our Orange County Facility are idle on Tuesday's and Wednesday's, this is simply false. On Tuesday's we run over 450,000 copies of the newspaper at the Olympic Plant, and on Wednesday's it's over 500,000 newspapers. According to AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS our daily circulation is 857,707.

After being given false information on several occasions, I now do a bit of investigation before saying anything.

Today the employees at Olympic are being treated to a barbecue for reaching their goals on reducing waste and increasing papers per hour. Yes, we make our supervisors look good.

Enjoy your weekend,
Eddie

Jerusalem Diaries:In Tense Times

Kids eating lunch in a bomb shelter in Akko, northern Israel.Visit http://flickr.com/photos/jerusalemdiaries/ to see more pictures from the north.

You have 45 seconds to run for your life. That's the amount of time it takes for a missile launched from southern Lebanon to reach a housing development in Akko (Acre) a few miles north of Haifa on IsraelÕs Mediterranean coast.

For complete article click on title.

Thursday Night at the Pasadena Ice House



After work last night I made it over to the Pasadena Ice House once again, and who do I run into? Ernie Hernandez, former Los Angeles Times security officer.

I joined Ernie and his party inside the club, and was shocked to hear the circumstances that lead to his resignation from the newspaper.

Ernie always greeted employees with a smile, and is a soft spoken man, ready to lend a hand to whom ever needed assistance.

This is the reason I always have my digital camera at hand, never know whom you may run into.

Good luck Ernie.

Eddie

Union Movement at the Los Angeles Times


Yesterday I found many union authorization cards at different locations, like the men's locker room, Cafe Oly, and on the press consoles.

I had no clue the union movement had advanced to this point at the newspaper, since I'm no longer involved. There was rumors of union meetings, and I heard there were many in attendance at the Monday meeting. The other rumor was three people attended the meeting, who shall I believe?

Most people in Los Angeles take it for granted that the Los Angeles Times was a union newspaper, we have not been represented by a union since 1968. The union was broken by giving all departments at the Los Angeles Times larger raises than the union contract for the pressmen.

We have been through many union campaigns the past twenty years, with the union being defeated at the ballot box every time.

I do admire the men and women that speak out for union representation, but there will be a price to pay for speaking out. You will be singled out and treated differently than your co-workers in many ways, I know this from my experiences at the newspaper.

The union movement may be a bit premature, with the possible control of the Los Angeles Times returning to the Chandler Family, in the coming months.

The next few months will be interesting for Times employees.

Eddie

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Who's That?


I was asked to identify the man at the left side of this old photograph, but I did not know whom he was. So I contacted my former first colorman, Larry Jordan, and he was able to give me an answer. Ken Olsen.




From the right side Frank Carrejo, Eddie Enriquez, Alex Fontes, No Spray Jose, Rex H., Wayne Barbrow, and Ken.

Thank you Larry

Blogger Down Today at 4:00 PM

Blogger Status
Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Blogger will be down for maintenance tomorrow for 45 minutes starting at 4pm (Pacific Time).

Update: This has been reschedule to tomorrow (8/10) at 4pm.

Latimes.com Launches 'Your Scene,'

Latimes.com Launches 'Your Scene,' New Online Photo-Sharing Community

One of the First Online Photo Communities Launched By a Major Newspaper Website
LOS ANGELES, Aug 09, 2006 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Latimes.com, the Los Angeles Times' website, today launched "Your Scene," a new online photo community that allows users to upload their favorite photos, create their own photo albums, and email those collections to family and friends.

"Your Scene" (yourscene.latimes.com) is one of the many upcoming initiatives by latimes.com to develop a closer connection with its online readers. "Your Scene" offers the functionality and organization of commercial sites, allowing users to share and interact with each other through comments, ratings, voting and e-mail, thereby creating a shared sense of community.

"'Your Scene' is part of a growing effort to involve the local community in latimes.com," said Robertson Barrett, general manager, Los Angeles Times Interactive. "It is designed to offer a fun and personal forum for showcasing the best of Southern California, encouraging high-quality photography, and allowing Southern Californians to share their interests and their own collections."

According to Barrett, "Your Scene" is the most organized and interactive user-generated photo destination offered by the website of a major metropolitan newspaper.
Photos submitted to "Your Scene" will be featured in one or more photo categories, including:

* Your L.A. -- Weekend Markets, My Favorite Neighbor, Architecture,
Celebrity Look-alikes, Favorite Cars
* Pets -- Man's Best Friend, Exotics, Dangerous Animals, All Dressed Up
* Travel -- My Best Shot, Special Places, Hawaii, Las Vegas, San
Francisco, Mexico, Canada, Europe
* Night Out/Parties -- Clubbing in L.A., Costume Parties, Dive Bars,
Weddings, Karaoke!
* Activities -- Hiking, Surfing, Rock Climbing, Skateboarding
* Sports -- Youth Leagues, Weekend Warriors
* House & Garden -- Gardening

Users can pull photos from any "Your Scene" category and save them into a personal favorites album. Those personal collections, called "Your Album," can be emailed directly from the website.

To enhance the community experience, "Your Scene" offers a feedback and comments feature through which members can constructively critique and rate photos, thereby encouraging novice and professional photographers alike to share their unique visual perspectives of Southern California.

All photos must be submitted in JPG format, and will be reviewed for appropriateness by latimes.com editors. Latimes.com, which will have a non- exclusive right and license to use submitted photos, may select photos for use in news coverage or advertisements publicizing "Your Scene" and in promotional photo contests.

About latimes.com

Latimes.com features 50,000 content pages and is updated continuously with more than 3,000 stories posted daily. Latimes.com's award-winning arts and entertainment section, calendarlive.com, offers an extensive range of entertainment news reviews and Southern California's most comprehensive event listing. The Times also produces The Envelope, www.TheEnvelope.com, the entertainment industry's most comprehensive, year-round awards show website.

About the Los Angeles Times

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Los Angeles Times is the largest metropolitan daily newspaper in the country, with a daily readership of nearly 2.2 million and about 3.3 million on Sunday. With its media businesses and affiliates -- including latimes.com, TheEnvelope.com, Times Community Newspapers, Recycler Classifieds, Hoy, and California Community News -- the Los Angeles Times reaches approximately 7.6 million or 58 percent of all adults in the Southern California marketplace every week.

The Los Angeles Times, which this year marks its 125th anniversary covering Southern California, is part of Tribune Company (TRB), one of the country's leading media companies with businesses in publishing, the Internet and broadcasting. Additional information about the Los Angeles Times is available at www.latimes.com/mediacenter.

SOURCE Los Angeles Times

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Comedy Shows Tonight and Tomorrow!!!

Join Comedy Time Showcase at The Ice House Comedy Club in Pasadena TONIGHT, August 9th, at 8:30 p.m. for thier show featuring some of the best comics out there with a different lineup every week! Plus, the show will be part of a live TV taping for Comedy Time Network! For reservations and directions, please go to http://www.icehousecomedy.com. When making your reservation, mention the MySpace Bulletin. Print out this ad and bring it with you to receive FREE* ADMISSION FOR UP TO FOUR (4) PEOPLE to the show!

Don't forget to join Comedy Time Urban Showcase at The Ice House Comedy Club in Pasadena TOMORROW night, Thursday August 10th, at 9 p.m. for THAT THURSDAY THANG, Urban Comedys Newest and Hottest Show, featuring eight of the best urban comics doing their best 10 minute sets, with a different lineup every week! Some of these comics have even been featured on BETs Comic View! Plus, the show will be part of a live TV taping for Comedy Time Network! For reservations and directions, please go to http://www.icehousecomedy.com. When making your reservation, mention the MySpace Bulletin. Print out this ad and bring it with you to receive FREE* ADMISSION FOR UP TO FOUR (4) PEOPLE to the show!

We hope to see you there! * 18 to enter, 21 to drink.

Two drink minimum applies inside show room.

Yahoo News #1 Online News Site

From Greg Sterling:

Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Watch points to comScore data that reflects Yahoo! News is the dominant online news site with fully one-third of all category traffic (31.2 unique users).

Here are the top 10 with newspaper sites in bold:

Yahoo! News: 33%
MSNBC: 25%
AOL News: 22%
CNN: 21%
Internet Broadcasting (TV affiliate sites): 10%
The New York Times Brand: 9%
Tribune Newspapers: 9%
Knight Ridder Digital (now McClatchy): 8%
ABCNEWS DIGITAL: 8%
USATODAY Sites: 8%

There’s additional dayparting and demographic user data in the comScore release

Topix.net finally usable after relaunch


Topix.net, possibly the most feature rich news search engine online already, has relaunched and looks very cool. The Topix index of 50,000 news sources is 10 times larger than the Google News index and 7 times as large as Yahoo! News. Topix really focuses on local search. Today’s relaunch makes the search results on Topix much easier to use than they have been before.

FULL ARTICLE

Take Back the Times: Frequent Q and A Features An Asset In The L.A. Times

Take Back the Times: Frequent Q and A Features An Asset In The L.A. Times

One Dad's Journey....




This is from the best of the LA area craigslist: My son is a moron, he did not come from my loins

Monday, August 07, 2006

Your Summer Reading: Just for the Pressmen



Okay, so there has to be a name for this. I'm posting blind. Yup, can write, can't see. In other words, I can't find my Firefox browser because I think I accidentally dumped it, and I'm too lazy to load it again. So you'll have to bear with me as I type this for my beloved Pressmen. So, sorry Ed and Jess. I know you've been trying to help. But it's summer, the kids are out of school (still) and this probably qualifies me as temporarily incompetent.

I've chosen three books that I think you will like. Short stories, written by Californians. You'll be able to finish any of these books in two days (well, Marta's might take four). Plenty of scenery in these books, rich description, as well as mature characters that do things like think, fight wars, live on farms, and fall in love all right here in California. I like western literature, and I think we tend to forget great California writers such as John Steinbeck, John Muir and Wallace Stegner.

So enjoy! You'll find it just for you at Easy Writer. And let me know if you order any of these small books and what you think.

Rita's 50th Birthday Bash

Victor and Donna
Victor, Edward, and Larry
Bryan, Margaret, Edward, and Krissy
Tina Kim
Luther and Myrtle
Renee, Edward and Rita
Victor getting down
Rita and siblings
Tina and Larry
Ed, Dion, David, Bill, and Jesse