Toledo Free Press – Fired up and ready go to…
If you have ever attended a political rally, the phrase “Fired up and ready to go” is one often heard, but in this week’s Toledo Free Press, the term “fired up” has a different meaning, the cover story focuses on the Smoking Ban and how the Senate introduced Bill 346 would give some of the decision making process on smoking versus non-smoking back in the hands of some of the business owners as it was felt the original voter approved issue was supposed to provide.
It’s always hard for me to acknowledge compliments, but after I read Michael Miller’s piece it confirmed for me that I’m doing what I need to do. Some of you won’t agree, but I found the Captain Ahab quest for power ala Lucas County Republican Party a good read. Karl Rundgren focuses on beyond intermodal and raises some excellent points about moving more than just freight. Related to the topic of intermodal, it could be said that Lucas County Commissioner Ben Konop is “fired up and ready to go.”
One of my secret passions (well now it’s not so secret anymore) is listening to Type O Negative, they are coming to Toledo on June 23rd. While I doubt I’ll be at Headliners to hear them, visiting their website is something I’ve done often. My personal favorites from this group is their remake of “Cinnamon Girl” and “Love you to Death” which when no one is home, you can probably hear coming from my upstairs window…
This week’s Blog it! was inspired by my post the other day on Governor Ted Strickland’s Cornhole Tournament. It led into a blogging adventure on Cornhole and other fun. There’s much more online and in print in this week’s Toledo Free Press, so either head to your porch or head for your pc…
Michael Miller needs to get a clue. A good place to start would be Lessenberry’s article about the Wack reports. Miller purports to be journalist yet doesn’t understand that the Blade would have been nothing more than a TFP reporter if they’d failed to follow up on the can o’ worms Wack opened in that courtroom. And to think that it was then the Blade’s job to also explore Stainbrook’s background shows an utter misunderstanding of responsible reporting. But if it pleases him to let his hatred of all things Stainbrook fester like this, fine, I hope he enjoys his pathetic little hobby. But I just hope I never make the mistake of clicking on one of his links again. I always feel like I need a shower afterward.
June 15th, 2008 at 10:02 pmI actually think Lessenberry missed the point, but more on that is coming along with why I think the Blade and the media continues to be selective in who they believe’s past we should know and who’s we should not.
I think all things considered that Michael Miller has done a much better job in not letting his personal feelings get in the way of his work than can be said for several of the Blade reporters.
June 15th, 2008 at 10:06 pmYou must read a different version of the Blade than I do because I think several articles about Stainbrook have been making fun of him. And you must be reading a different Michael Miller than I have because his personal feelings permeate what he writes.
Lessenberry did not miss the point, but apparently some miss his point.
June 15th, 2008 at 10:18 pmLike anything related to Jon Stainbrook, it’s clear we both see this differently. I have my opinion, you have yours. Mine is based on knowing many of those involved on both sides, looking for much more information than just what people tell me.
Miller writes an opinion piece, and I believe considering some of the real hatred out there that I’ve personally experienced and witnessed happen to others, his piece is rather mild compared to what could have been stated. Our personal perceptions and experiences do have an impact on how we view something or someone to me that’s one of the reasons why it’s important the media not be one sided or let their own agendas get in the way. Miller is open and honest about how he feels, that can’t be said for many.
June 15th, 2008 at 10:25 pmYeah, Michael’s open, honest, childish, oafish, crude, insulting, petty, etc. etc. Reading his work is a total waste of time and I won’t let it happen again.
“One-sided” would have been if the Blade had reported on Wack’s theft and more recent legal run-ins without also providing the positive comments offered up by Reichert in her defense.
I’m really tired of all the Blade bashing that goes on in Internet posts. I, for one, would hate to have to do without the Blade. And speaking of bashing, Miller bashed the City Paper for being a friend of Stainbrook’s and writing positive stuff about him, but didn’t get the irony of his own comments given his and TFP’s hatred of Jon and repeated bashing of him. What Miller can’t stomach from others he does himself, then pats himself on the back for being such a fair guy. Puke. There’s a little too much self-congratulation going on by people who are guilty of the very thing they claim to deplore.
June 15th, 2008 at 10:46 pmThere is also alot of judgement happening by those only willing to judge one side.
June 15th, 2008 at 10:52 pmAnd a lot of people are so caught up in their own view of things that they think anyone who disagrees with them can see only one side. It doesn’t cross their minds that someone can see both sides and reach a different conclusion. They just dismiss those people as being biased and assume that only they have made any effort to understand the facts.
June 15th, 2008 at 11:03 pmLilly, the lighting the fuse is an opinion piece. There is a difference between a column vs what comes out in a news story. I think MM is referring to what is coming out as news stories. My opinion may be different if it came out in a column vs a news story.
June 15th, 2008 at 11:33 pmLily, I don’t know, at times it’s pretty obvious when you are in a situation where someone has actually tried to view the other side and/or be open to those who have experienced something different versus being close minded in their own individual position and not being willing to go beyond that.
You have not liked the paper since the whole Stainbrook versus Toledo Free Press saga. You’ve also made it clear that you think Wack is some type of an evil person and Jon’s similar items as well as similar items on others doesn’t matter. That is also your choice.
Just because I blog about something doesn’t mean you have to read it. I gave up trying to please everyone quite some time ago as well as trying to endlessly debate when I know no common ground can be found. However, bottom line is had the Jon’s past not come out, whether you feel it’s relevant or not, you would not have had the choice to feel it was relevant or not. I’m not comfortable with others making the decision for me as to what I should know and what I should not know…
Which is why Lessenberry to me missed the point, it wasn’t related to did we have the right to know about her, it was didn’t we have the right to know about him too? You can say no, but I’ll continue to say that it is what responsible journalism is supposed to be about, providing more than just one side and sometimes you have to read more than one source to get both sides. It’s not the ideal situation but it’s better than a purposeful attempt to skew public opinion.
June 15th, 2008 at 11:34 pmLisa, As you must know by now, I haven’t said that Jon’s past isn’t relevant. I’ve said it wasn’t relevant in to what was reported about Wack. Putting his past into that story would have been like dropping a tidbit about the price of eggs into a story about the latest Paris fashions. Makes no sense. If the Blade decided to take a look at John or every politician, but for reasons unrelated to Wack’s criminal history and her lie on the stand, fine. They’re public people and that’s something that makes sense. It then becomes a judgment call by the news organization as to whether the past infractions matter (you know, not displaying a valid license plate on a car vesus stealing thousands of dollars of, say, antique silver. One they might think is the public’s right to know; the other they might think is too petty to report. The only reason they might bring up trivial charges in a news story is if they’re recent and the person in question has stated her legal problems were youthful indiscretions — you know, like Wack did.
You say to me: “You have not liked the paper since the whole Stainbrook versus Toledo Free Press saga. You’ve also made it clear that you think Wack is some type of an evil person and Jon’s similar items as well as similar items on others doesn’t matter. That is also your choice.”
Yes, I dislike the paper’s actions regarding the book proposal, and for good reason. What TFP did was wrong but it has no bearing on how I view the current situation. Yes, I think Wack has shown herself to be someone who has trouble staying within the law. I have not yet seen anything in Jon’s record that compares with the seriousness of her felony conviction, but even if it came out that he committed grand theft auto a month ago, I would not see how that information would belong in a story about Wack’s transgressions. Apples and oranges. It would, however, deserve it’s own place in media reporting, unrelated to Wack.
You are accusing the Blade of a purposeful attempt to skew public opinion when all they did was report the Wack story rather than go into the unrelated side issue you would have rather read about and that is where your fairness crusade falls flat on its face.
You say, “Just because I blog about something doesn’t mean you have to read it.” That’s as close to a “no trespassing” sign as I’ve ever seen here, so I’ll just toddle off the property now. No need to lock the gate. I won’t be back
June 16th, 2008 at 8:55 amThat’s entirely your choice as well, my point was that not every post here was going to be to each individual’s liking and that since you did not like the TFP, you or anyone feeling as you did could easily opt to not read it.
I do my best to post on a variety of topics, for that very reason, knowing not everyone will want to comment or want to read about a certain issue.
June 16th, 2008 at 9:15 amBoth the Blade and the Free Press are owned and run by Marxists/socialists in my opinion. The only difference is the stain is a buddy of Block, hence the FP trashes stain and the blade supports stain.
It seems the folks that frequent this site have similar, sometimes petty allegiances.
I personally think that wack and stain are both poor excuses for human beings and that the FP and blade are pieces of crap.
June 16th, 2008 at 9:45 amBye Ms. Lilly Caucasion…
I love The Blade….fits perfectly in my bird cage.
With Jon as Chairman….Democrats beware….a Republican majority throughout the County/City in no time. Oh ya, Marci…you better watch your six.
June 16th, 2008 at 11:11 am