Iowa Caucus: The Animated Edition!

Ever wonder what the heck the Iowa caucus is really all about? Into animated stick figures? Man, have we got the video for you. We lay it all out for you in this week’s episode. Questions? Suggestions? Let us know about it in the comments.

- Jacob Soboroff

Mid-Week News Sources

LAT Olympic ElectroTech Dave Nelson

• Barrington upgraded shares of Tribune Stock - Blogging Stocks
• Lauren Padgett Raises $495 for Walk for Hope - City of Hope
• Denver Dailies Suffer Production Disaster on Worst Possible Day - Westworld
• Local stations air non-stop news coverage - Variety
• Tribune's 3Q Profit Slides 7 Percent - Associated Press
• Press problems delay Ventura County Star delivery - Ventura Star
• Police To Press: Shave Head, Get Scoop - The Daily Pulp
• M'SOFT AND GOOGLE DUKE IT OUT OVER FACEBOOK - NYP
• California Fires Drive Traffic -- And Challenge Coverage - E&P
• A Historic Day For Broadway And All Of Los Angeles! - Brady Westwater
• Socal Fires Point Up Need For Local Ownership - Ken Reich
• Media myths about the Jena 6 - Christian Science Monitor
• Zell: Too much “complacency” in newspaper industry - SFN
• Zell on Tribune Deal - Free Press
• Sam Zell Speaks at Inland Conference - Editor & Publisher
• Zell: newspapers 'too slow to change' - Greenslade
• Claremont: "Security through Obscurity" - Claremont Insider
• Hoy expands advertising reach with Google Print Ads - 901am
• New York Times quarterly profit, revenue rise - Reuters
• FCC Proposes Rules to Allow for Media Consolidation - Salon
• Houston Chronicle to Trim its Work Force - Houston Chronicle

Save Our Trade: Incident Reports and L.A. Times/N.L.R.B. Settlement available on Save Our Trade

You can now download and print copies of the incident report document as well as the recent settlement between the company and the NLRB. Just click here to get to the Links/Resources page. I suggest you save the incident report on your computer should you need to report any incidents you feel violates our rights under the National Labor Relations Act.

Thank's Albaro for making these documents accessible to the members who utilize the resources you make available on Save Our Trade's Homepage. Keep up the good work.

Ronnie

Incident Reports and L.A. Times/N.L.R.B. Settlement available on Save Our Trade

The Front Page I Never Read

Seems many newspapers are having a difficult time delivering their products to subscribers, with fires raging and wind howling through Southern California the last few days. On Monday Kevin Roderick reported that the Daily News was unable to deliver their product to many consumers, and today my San Gabriel Valley Tribune was missing the main section, both MediaNews papers. They made up for the missing sections by adding an additional local news section into my newspaper, which I did not discover till I unwrapped my paper tonight. Appears the production transition from Azusa to Valencia is not going very smoothly.

AT&T California Offering Free Emergency Phone Services to Customers Displaced by Southern California Fires

Below is information about free emergency phone services to

customers displaced by fires. I thought this information may be of

value to friends, neighbors, relatives, etc.


For more information contact:

Brian Brokowski, 619-246-3810 or

Courtney Bylund, 714-926-8106


San Francisco, October 22, 2007 - In response to the fires in Southern California, AT&T California is making available a number of free services to support AT&T customers displaced by the fires to ensure they have the ability to send and receive calls to family members and others.

AT&T California is providing certain voice mail and call forwarding features, free of charge, for 30 days to displaced consumers and small businesses. For customers who need a local service line installed at a temporary or new location the Line Connection Fee will be waived. AT&T residential customers displaced by the fires can call 1-877-722-6787 and small business customers can call 1-800-750-2355 to set up the following services:

• Call Forwarding - Automatically forwards calls to any phone number.

• Remote Access to Call Forwarding – Allows displaced customers to dial in and direct normal home phone calls to another number from any phone.

• Remote Call Forwarding – Allows displaced customers to permanently forward their number to another number.

• Message Center/Voice Mail Series 50/50+ - Allows displaced customers to retrieve messages left at their home or business phone line from any location, as well leave a greeting telling callers their status.

• Phone Line – For displaced AT&T customers who set up phone service at a new location, AT&T will waive installation charges.

"The necessity to communicate with family, friends and loved ones, as well as critical community support services, becomes even more vital during a crisis," said Mark Leslie, San Diego area vice president for external affairs. "We are doing all we can to ensure those impacted by the fires will be able to keep in touch with family and have access to other important contacts during this difficult time.”

The voice mail box being made available is located inside AT&T’s central office, so it will be a central and secure place to leave and receive messages. With call forwarding and remote access to call forwarding, impacted AT&T customers can direct incoming calls to their home numbers to the telephone number of their choice to ensure they are receiving their phone calls.

Again, AT&T residential fire victims can call 1-877-722-6787, and small business customers can call 1-800-750-2355 for information regarding the free AT&T phone services.

Despite the severity of the fire emergency and the mass evacuations, calls to 911 are being routed appropriately and the AT&T network is performing well.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Voice Mail services provided by AT&T Messaging. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.



© 2007 AT&T Knowledge Ventures. All rights reserved. AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademarks of AT&T Knowledge Ventures. For more information, please review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at http://www.att.com/newsroom.

Colleagues Impacted by Fires

Four of our colleagues from the Olympic Facility have been impacted by the wildfires in the Aqua Dulce and Castiac Fires, Greg Malcolm, John Walker, Kal Hamalanen, and families have been evacuated from their homes. Everyone at Olympic is hoping for a positive outcome in the aftermath of this terrible disaster.

Our prayers are with you.

Bill Delgado, on his way home to Apple Valley last night, was caught in the closure of the 15 Freeway. Both directions of the freeway were closed, and Bill was awaken by the California Highway Patrol around 2:30 a.m., as he slept waiting for the passageway to open. He was unable to drive home, but returned to his parents home in Los Angeles. Let's hope he has better luck getting home to his family tonight.

Something to think about

Just so you know, Ed, Nubia & I are still supporting the fundraiser to send military kids to summer camp. Today we learned that among the many who have been evacuated are many military families down around the Navy Base around Coronado.

Fire Information

Those of you who have friends or family in the local fire areas can get information at these sites:

• Cal Fire


• Cal Fire News


• City of San Diego Emergency Fire Information


• Daily Bulletin


• Los Angeles County Fire Dept.


• National Interagency Fire Center


• Orange County Fire Authority


• Riverside County Fire Dept.


• San Bernardino County Fire Dept.


• Ventura County Fire Dept.
  

SOURCE : Claremont Insider

Outstanding Fire Coverage - OShea memo

Congratulations to the staff for the outstanding newspapers of the last few days. We've distinguished ourselves with our incredible fire coverage, both in the newspaper and online. We've given the reader compelling, authoritative fire coverage but also utility in our consumer features. The layout and design of the paper have been great. And I can't take my eyes off the fire photos. We are also working much better with our colleagues online. Our website traffic is soaring. You are simply the best. We've continued to cover the rest of the world, too, with stellar reporting, photos, graphics, headlines and writing throughout the paper. You should all be proud of your work. I know I am.

Thanks so much,

Regards,
Jim

James O'Shea
Editor
Los Angeles Times

Wild Dogs Run in Packs

A pet agency with an Iron Hand has littered the news lately. Ellen DeGeneres adopted a dog, then gave it to the family of her hairdresser. No big deal, unless a contract says you cannot do this. Read all contracts! Also take note of Ellen's hair, could this woman really care for a dog??
Marina Baktis, (rhymes with Bat Kiss) the owner of "Mutts and Moms", explained that her policy is "A new house must fill out an application online." Well, long story short, authorities came to recover "Iggy the Dog", from Ms. Hairdresser. Here is a picture of Bat Kiss holding the dog in question, and demanding a can of Chuckwagon for the ride back to doggy jail.

While I did not personally sign any contracts to get our dog "Wrinkleskins" from the seller, I am sure there may be some unspoken guidelines. For instance, this week Mrs. Speedcat and I went to the Halloween Pet Show at the community center back in Hollydale MN. Wrinkleskins` costume was probably NOT very comfortable, and as you can see, she is in the front seat behind the steering wheel without a seat belt. I'll have to be careful not to let anyone see this! They might send PETA or the Humane society to take her away from our home.

. . . . . . . Basketball Neck Wrinkleskins
I wrote all of this to convey the way in which news is blown out of proportion. We have issues with children in homes where neglect is common, a major health care problem in the US, and issues of free speech being squelched. Let the dog be....

Monday Morning News

• David Hiller to Kevin Roderick: Show Me the Money - Kate Coe
• Lauren Padgett $130 from Walk for Hope Goal - City of Hope
• Daily News not Delivered to Most Readers - Kevin Roderick
• NLRB Settlement Notice - Ronnie Pineta
• Yes, some blogs are profitable - very profitable - SF Chronicle
• Dishonorable Discharge - Claremont Insider
• Just sack all the editors - Baltimore Sun
• Interactive Map of Los Angeles Wildfires - Brian Humphrey
• Venice Beach Ordinance 42.15 - Zuma Dogg
• Improve the Newspaper - Stop the Buyouts - Romenesko
• Presidential Cabinet members start blogs - Associated Press
• 'Wash Post' Edges Up Monthly List of Top 30 Web Sites - E&P
• A Windy, Firey, Devastating Sunday - Franklin Avenue
• How Many Site Hits? Depends Who’s Counting - New York Times
• Newspapers down but definitely not out - Fortune
• Malibu Fire - Day Two - Veronique de Turenne
• Blogging the SoCal wildfires - Michelle Malkin
• Out-of-Control Malibu Fire Keeps Burning - Nikki Finke
• Chronicle finds another way to display ads - San Francisco Peninsula P.C.

NLRB Notice to Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times has reached a settlement regarding violations of the labor code at the newspaper, and signs in the two pressrooms have been posted for employees to better understand the charges and the settlement.

Ronnie Pineta has the full story at Save Our Trade.

Photo by Victor Banuelos

Mixed Messages on Tribune Transaction

On Thursday, October 18th, the mainstream media informed the American public the Tribune deal with Sam Zell would be consummated. Yesterday, the media did a flip-flop, and questioned weather the FCC would approve the transaction, which in turn ran the price of Tribune stock down to $26.49.

I suppose us gullible readers are to believe there is actually a debate occurring regarding cross ownership of media in the same city. The Tribune Company deal will go through as planned, end of debate.

Message from Dennis FitzSimons - CEO Tribune

From: Dennis FitzSimons
Sent: Friday, October 19, 2007 1:46 PM
Subject: FCC review process

Dear Fellow Employee,

During the last two days, you may have seen some of the stories about the Federal Communications Commission’s ongoing review of local media ownership rules. There has been a great deal of speculation about the FCC’s process and its impact on our going-private transaction. Two months ago, however, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin told a congressional oversight committee he expected that during the fourth quarter the commission would vote on our request to transfer our TV licenses and extend our waivers in markets where we own both a television station and a newspaper. We continue to believe that the commission will act within the chairman’s stated timeframe, enabling the company to close the going-private transaction before the end of the year.

In the meantime, let’s continue to focus on serving our readers, listeners, viewers and advertisers in the best way possible.

Sincerely,

United States of Mexico?

As I exited the Santa Monica Freeway, at Sante Fe/Mateo, Monday I noticed something unsettling on Enterprise Street, the Mexican Flag in front of a pallet business. As you know, my mother is from Mexico, and has a home on the Island of Cozumel, so I’m not anti-immigrant. But, I am pro American, and disagree with the message S.A.Q. Pallets is sending out to the drivers that pass the business daily. Someone needs to tell S.A.Q. Pallets this is still an American City, so hang the Flag of the United States above the Mexican Flag, or return to Mexico.

Click on pictures to enlarge.

The Weekend is Upon Us News

Former LAT Pressman Robert Rios with Victor Banuelos

• City Admits Error in Paystubgate - Claremont Insider
• Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, and Clint Eastwood Rule in San Dimas - Foothill Cities
• Lauren Padgett Raises $470.00 in Walk for Hope - City of Hope
• New Photographers at Los Angeles Times - Kevin Roderick
• Sheriff's deputies arrest New Times owners - AZ Central
• FCC plan clouds deal for Tribune - Chicago Tribune
• St. Paul Pioneer Press, news union strike deal - Newsvine
• Futurists Envision the Newspaper in 2020 - World Association of Newspapers
• Tribune depending on FCC media consolidation rules - Beachwood Reporter
• Inspiring Team Spirit at the Los Angeles Times - LAObserved
• Tribune deal is mired in FCC rift over cross-ownership rules - LAT
• Dennis Zine Speaks On Illegal Phone Tax - Zuma Dogg
• Won’t you take me to Chinatown? - Michelle Malkin
• California Poet, Robinson Jeffers - Kanani Fong
• McClatchy debt at risk of share buybacks - Reuters
• Sacramento Bee editor resigns after dispute - San Francisco Peninsula P.C.
• FCC chief wants December media ownership decision - Reuters
• Rift Over Media Ownship Rules Threatens Tribune Deal - New York Times
• The OTHER Proposed Massive Giveaway To Giant Corporations - D-Day
• Singleton memo on business, Putin meeting - San Francisco Peninsula P.C.
• Tribune deal mired in FCC debate - Reuters
• Willanserbellouwskifimkerskinnzz - SpeedCat Hollydale

San Dimas Invaded by Pirates

Yesterday as I scanned my favorite blogs I ran across an article on the Foothill Cities Blog regarding the take over of San Dimas by pirates. The only problem was the lack of an address, so I mentioned the pirate ship to my grandson David, and we were off on an adventure to discover where the house turned ship could be located. All we had to go on was the decorated home was near the Clint Eastwood movie being filmed in San Dimas. As we drove up and down the streets, we became discouraged and finally decided to head home. Just as we started home we spotted the ship, and stopped to admire the homeowners work.

As I snapped several photo's of the ship, I caught the attention of the homeowners, and they told me channel 7 had also came out for some footage, with no date of when the story would be aired.

The pirate ship is located at 623 Pershire Ave., San Dimas, CA.
Here's the map from Mapquest in case you would like to pay the ship a visit.

The owners requested that visitors bring a bag of candy for all the children that come to see the house nightly.

Veracruz Mexican Restaurant

Former San Fernando Valley pressman, Robert Rios, always wanted to own his own restaurant, and his dream finally materialized after leaving the Los Angeles Times. I have only met Robert twice, yet his charm gives you the impression you have known one another much longer as he greets his customers with a big smile and welcome. Located but a few miles West of the Times Olympic Facility, at the Hoover exit of the Santa Monica Freeway, call in your order and it will be ready as you walk in the door as I did just a few days ago. And Robert would enjoy seeing his old colleagues as well, so either give him a call or better yet, stop in before your shift begins. And for you non-Spanish speakers, Robert's restaurant specializes in sea foods such as Camarones, Langosta, Cocktails, Pescado, and Caldos.

Veracruz Y Cocina Mexicana

2306 South Union Avenue

Los Angeles, CA. 90007

213.745.3003

Closed on Monday's the regular hours of operation are11:00 am to 9:00 pm.

MAP to restuarant

A Message from Lauren Padgett on Breast Cancer

Walk For Hope To Cure Breast Cancer

I just wanted to inform everyone that I'm not only doing this Walk for Hope to Cure Breast Cancer, to aid cancer victims; I have volunteered to do this special walk in honor of my Nana, she passed away on May 14, 2007 from breast cancer.

Her case was a little bit different from others. The doctors gave her a few months to live about 3 years ago. Well she proved those doctors wrong! She kept on fighting the entire time and ended up living much longer than predicted.

I remember when I first found out my Nana had breast cancer, I was devastated as was my family. I remember saying to myself why her? She is such a loving and good person and to top it off my grandma. I always knew she was a fighter and she knew it wasn't her time to go.

I cherish the last few years I have had with my Nana. She was always there for me any time I needed her. She always had answers to any questions I had about life or just anything. I always would go to her for any advice I needed, as it was always good advice! I just hope one day we will be able to find a cure for this horrible cancer so others won't have to lose loved ones in such a horrible way.

Thank you to everyone for your support and donations. I never thought I would be over my original goal of $300 by now as I just signed up for the walk on Monday, October 15. I have raised the bar a little bit and I hope you will all support me!

In Loving Memory
Mary Bridget Martinez
January 19, 1941 - May 14, 2007

Sincerely,
Lauren G. Padgett

Editors Message: Yesterday I visited our human resources office at the Olympic Facility seeking the matching gift form from the Tribune Company. When I was unable to locate the form I asked our representative, Sam Parks, if he could supply the needed form to match my one-hundred dollar donation, and Sam told me "The Tribune has reached it's limit this year for matching employee contributions". WOW, I said to myself. I challenge all Tribune Employees to make a donation, even if our company will not do so, by clicking on the link below the picture or clicking on the title of this post. If you would rather donate by check or money order feel free to contact me for the file I will send via email. Thank you, Edward

Rehabilitation Program for Tribune Employees

As I pondered checking myself into the Tribune sponsored rehabilitation center in Malibu, California, I daydreamed about how I would spend my time rubbing elbows with stars also attempting to give up cigarettes. But when I logged onto the cessation site, my dreams were shattered when I discovered I would not be staying at the plush rehabilitation center after all.

If you would like to kick the smoking habit, for personal reasons or to avoid the $100.00 per month tariff to your health insurance premiums, visit Free & Clear to register for the program today.