Los Angeles Times Pressmens 20 Year Club

Thought For Today 2-9-2010

2010-02-09T07:33:00.000-08:00

To listen well is as powerful a means of communication and influence as to talk well.

John Marshall

Women and PTSD

2010-02-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

"I think to an extent, there was also a social component in this: women are expected to muddle through even the worst of times.
Read the rest at:
The Kitchen Dispatch

Thought For Today 2-8-2010

2010-02-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.

Denis Waitley

War and the Art of Waiting

2010-02-08T09:36:00.000-08:00

"There was a message from a friend. She hadn't heard from her Marine, and her comfort level was being stretched."
Read the rest at:
The Kitchen Dispatch

Photo: A boy climbs a rocky hillside followed by his donkey, outside of Camp Wright in Kunar, Afghanistan. Photo by my husband.

You Have Woman, I Have 50 Turkeys, and Jack Bauer: A Luddite

2010-02-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

Related Afghanistan story to a high tech Navy conference I attended in San Diego.

"A farmer offered the Commander of their base 50 turkeys if they'd sell him their Lieutenant."

Read the rest at:
The Kitchen Dispatch

Thought For Today 2-7-2010

2010-02-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price.

Vince Lombardi

Thought For Today 2-6-2010

2010-02-06T15:33:00.001-08:00

The happiness that is genuinely satisfying is accompanied by the fullest exercise of our faculties and the fullest realization of the world in which we live.

Bertrand Russell

War and the Art of Waiting

2010-02-06T11:32:00.000-08:00

"....war has left me with an ineffable wallop, as if I've been punched in the gut. It's like always having an odd taste in my mouth: no matter how many times I brush my teeth or gargle, no matter how many mints I pop, it's still there."
Read the rest at:
The Kitchen Dispatch

Saturday Morning in the Blogosphere

2010-02-06T10:21:00.000-08:00

Twenty-three years at the Los Angeles Times, James Vasquez,
will be leaving the newspaper next month

Tweet and Sour - E&P in Exile
Chico paper to charge - Mark Lacter
Mapping the ‘drunkest’ cities - Erica Smith
Who will publish the new news? - The Gazette
Copy editors: the disappearing gatekeepers - inVocus
News-Press ordered to pay former editor - Gary Scott
NewBizNews: What ad sales people hear - Jeff Jarvis
James Rainey And Tina Dupuy Are Talking About You - Pandora
Magazines That Cut Subscription Prices Lose Subscribers - Ad Age
Newspapers continue fight to co-exist with the Internet - Tampa Bay BJ

On the Job with a Pressman

2010-02-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

Kenda Williams from the Savannah Morning News wrote an interesting article on pressroom supervisor Daren Howard that I'm certain my colleagues at the Los Angeles Times will enjoy reading.

The article explains how and what a pressman does to create the magic of a newspaper daily, in Mr. Howard's own words.

Included are still photographs and an entertaining short video.

I would enjoy it if our publisher Eddy Hartenstein sent a reporter over to the Olympic Production Facility for an article on our pressroom, with an interview of our press manager Johnny Walker. How about it Eddy?

Click here or on title to enjoy this article.

Photo Credit: John Carrington/Savannah Morning News

Black History - Tribute to Martin Luther King

2010-02-05T11:13:00.000-08:00

Our tribute to Martin Luther King in Celebration of Black History Month

Harlem black history clip for black history month

Friday Morning in the Blogosphere

2010-02-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles Times Pressmen Wayne Padelford and Sean Greer
Both men will be let go on March 15th, 2010

Caught in a blind spot - Los Angeles Times
Pressman Jobs in California - iHire Printing
Journalist To Novelist In One Step - TJ Sullivan
An Open Letter to Our Fellow Americans - Marc Cooper
OURstory: Rosa Parks (1913-2005) - Electronic Village
Judge Approves Tribune Co. Bonuses - Save Our Trade
Chicago Tribune announces format changes - Editors Weblog
Dan Neil, Zitner jump from LAT to Wall Street Journal - Kevin Roderick
Star Tribune staffers pony up $3,225 to honor ex-colleagues - MinnPost
Historic Newspapers: The Los Angeles Herald, Circa 1904 - Franklin Ave

Tribune Employees and FSA's

2010-02-05T09:58:00.001-08:00

Just a little reminder to Tribune Company Employees that have lost or will be losing their employment, use your flexible spending account or lose it.

From Kiplinger: I've been contributing $200 per month to my health-care flexible spending account, but it looks as though I might get laid off soon. Could I spend the full $2,400 that I had planned to contribute for the year, or just the $600 that I've contributed so far?

There's good news and bad news about FSA contributions. On the bright side, you can use the full $2,400 for eligible medical expenses at any time -- even if you lose your job before the year is over. "An employer cannot ask for the money back in most cases, unless the plan is written in a certain way, which is highly unusual," says Jody Dietel, chief compliance officer for WageWorks, which administers FSAs for many large employers. Ask your employer about the rules before you spend the extra money.

From the Los Angeles Times: Here's another thing to remember, Billet says: The full amount you allocate is available to you Jan. 1, even though you'll only just be starting the payroll deductions then. So if you think you could lose your job before 2010 ends, consider spending the full amount soon -- you won't have to pay it back. And if you do get laid off and have not been reimbursed for funds you spent, you can still file to be reimbursed any time before the plan year ends.

Exposing The Phoney War On Drugs !!!

2010-02-05T09:50:00.000-08:00

Jonathan Perri, writing for the Los Angeles Times, declares the war against drugs a dismal failure. Perri mentions an op-ed penned by D.A.R.E. America Chairman Skip Miller who claims his organization has reduced illegal drug usage by Americas children.

One has to ask what is Mr. Miller smoking?

Perri notes that D.A.R.E. and other such educational programs have in fact not reduced drug use. But in reality, our drug laws have failed to stop marijuana use among American youth but have succeeded in punishing them with damning criminal records, loss of financial aid for college and removal from after-school activities. As a graduate of D.A.R.E., I know all too well about the shortcomings of this program and of Americas war on marijuana, writes Perri.

A casual glance at the so-called war on drugs reminds one of Einsteins famous quip — insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Arresting and throwing recreational drug users in prison — primarily for possessing and smoking marijuana — will not win the supposed war. It simply creates a class of criminals where none existed before

Changes in Production at the Los Angeles Times

2010-02-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

The second day of the new production schedule at the Los Angeles Times Olympic Facility ran much more efficient then the first day, yet communications are still in need of improvement among staff in the press room.

Yesterday I was informed one truck load of newspapers arrived rather late (4:30 a.m.) to the distributor, this was not due to the Orange County and Olympic press rooms but a lost truck driver. No reports of late newspapers this morning, which is a positive sign.

With so many press runs running concurrently time seems to flow very quickly while working at the newspaper, our shifts are over at a blink of the eye.

Today's shift will be the biggest test of all as the press room is a very busy place on Friday's as we prepare Saturday's newspaper and the Sunday edition as well.

Word heard in the press room: "We should keep the Orange County Press room running, we need their help".

Thought For Today 2-5-2010

2010-02-05T09:17:00.001-08:00

It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it. If you think about that you will do things differently.

Warren Buffett

Los Angeles Times Extra Section

2010-02-04T10:55:00.000-08:00

The Los Angeles Times launched a new section this week titled LATExtra for late breaking news. The Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday edition is produced with the regular newspaper the night before publication.

On Wednesday the news section was produced at 6:00 p.m., with the sports and LATExtra sections produced after 11:30 p.m. with the latest news and sports updates.

Unfortunately for the press room everything did not go as anticipated, with many delays while attempting to print several sections of the newspaper while also preparing for the new late night editions.

The pressmen at the Los Angeles Times are a bright group of men and women, always seeking ways to streamline production, while attempting to appease management. So there will be a learning curve as different methods of producing the newspaper are tested to find solutions for the lack of time and personnel producing your favorite newspaper.

Moving the start times ahead by five hours to produce the the A Section opens the window of time for printing the following days newspaper, but it's at a very harried pace, which I hope eases with time. Management in the press room needs to take a step back and allow the press operators room to experiment, without the fear of repercussions for trying something new that may produce positive or negative results.

Here at the Olympic Press Room activity is extremely high with many different groups of men converting the presses to 44 inches. The men from Pressline are working seven days per week, 12 to 14 hours everyday, as many different componets are altered. The roller crew is also on hand swapping the rubber rollers out for narrower rollers, and there are hundreds of rollers to be changed. The iron workers are preparing units 6 and 7 for the addition of color couples, which will add eight addition full color pages to the newspaper, they are also working seven days per week.

The parking lot at Olympic is filled with cars, just as it was in better times.

Jeff Prescott said "If they just slapped "Metro" on the 'new' section, nobody outside of the Romenesko Tribe would know the difference."

We agree with Mr. Prescott.

Really Funny Newspaper Commercial

2010-02-04T10:47:00.000-08:00

h/t E&P in Exile

Thursday Morning in the Blogosphere

2010-02-04T10:43:00.000-08:00

Edward with writer Joseph Mailander.
Happy birthday Joseph

Four in the morning - Gary Scott
Staff shifts at the L.A. Times - Kevin Roderick
OURstory: 15th Amendment - Electronic Village
The Inexplicable Love of Writing - Celeste Fremon
The World's Most Generic News Report - Jour MO2
Good news for newspapers - for a change - The Star
Spreadsheet Journalism - Newspaper Death Watch
Blogging is for old people, Pew report finds - SF Gate
Acting Your Age Continues To Be A Felony - Advice Goddess
Local newspaper Lakeland Echo closes print edition - Editors Weblog

Thought For Today 2-4-2010

2010-02-04T07:59:00.000-08:00

Those truly linked don't need correspondence. When they meet again after many years apart, their friendship is as true as ever.

Deng Ming-Dao

Thought For Today 2-3-2010

2010-02-03T08:05:00.000-08:00

The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything they have!

Tuesday Morning in the Blogosphere

2010-02-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

Pressmen Mike Randall and Art Sanchez

For what it's worth - Gary Scott
Gannett Reports Profit for 4Q - E&P in Exile
Tribune Reorg Faces More Hurdles - Paid Content
What Happens to Your FSA If You're Laid Off - Kiplinger
LA Times To Freelancers: Write Less, Please - Pandora
If you think you could lose your job before 2010 ends - LA Times
L.A. Times changes its look on readers again - Kevin Roderick
Newsday Paywall Nets Just 35 Subs - Newspaper Death Watch
LAT curtails print edition amid recession, falling readership - TanTao News
Unsecured creditors seek to challenge Tribune Co. buyout - Chicago Tribune

Thought For Today 2-2-2010

2010-02-02T07:34:00.000-08:00

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.

Carl Jung

Gratitude: Overlooked but essential

2010-02-01T11:06:00.000-08:00

Very Important. Get in on The Gratitude Thread over on my blog. Let us know what you're grateful for!
Read it and respond to it here:
The Kitchen Dispatch

Thought For Today 2-1-2010

2010-02-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can't build on it; it is only good for wallowing in.

Katherine Mansfield