Scoop’s Views

Hi, I’m Dave J. (Scoop0901), and this is my blog. Please enjoy your visit here, and when you’re done reading my rants, be sure to offer me some of your insights and opinions. Now that you’re here and now that you’re checking out my About Me page to learn more about me, well, what just what is it that you really want to know? That’s going to be tricky, and the answer for much of the stuff will be found in the various blog entries on the site. Since this is my blog, it’s only natural that I express my thoughts, comments, and opinions through the various entries. Doing that, however, will eliminate a lot of explaining in any About page.

Philadelphia: Born and Raised

I was born and raised in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, the Cradle of Liberty. A city where several inept politicians, where others seemingly sitting on their hands, and where a few try to bring change — only to be defeated because others don’t like thinking or conceiving new ways of doing things. Instead, it’s business as usual, complete with bribes and kickbacks, where too many politicos running the city allow the will of their partners in crime to rule.

What do I mean by partners in crime? Does the name Richard Mariano ring a bell? A quick reading of the News Memo (download a local copy here if the U.S. Dept. of Justice copy disappears) from the U.S. Dept of Justice about Mariano and five of his cronies. Let it be said Mariano was given nothing but a slap on the wrist, perhaps because of the shameful crying and pleading of his wife, children, and family for the judge to “be merciful.”

There was nothing for the judge to be merciful about: Mariano was a crook, sold out the citizens — the taxpayers — of the City of Philadelphia, and sold out very cheaply. He did it for personal benefit. Why should anyone have mercy on such a sap? Mariano wasn’t merciful or obedient to the laws of the land, the laws of the City of Philadelphia, and brought more dishonor upon the City of Philadelphia, as well as to City Council.

Why should any mercy be shown to such scum? No, all of our politicians are not corrupt. Some have just been in office far too long, thinking it is their job, a seat they’ve earn for life. In fact, one long-time city councilman died in office after a long incumbency. From my perspective, voters should never re-elect anyone.

I don’t care how well-intentioned any politician is during their first term. It takes one term to learn the tricks and where the money comes from for different things. After the first term, for many, things go downhill. Sure, there are a few who hold true to their ideals, but they are few and far between. You never know which one is going to be that proverbial good egg, so why risk it? Just get rid of all of them after one term.

When it comes time for re-election and you get the mailings, or, better yet, the knocks on the door, sometimes by the politician, telling you “how much remains to be done,” the best question to ask at that point is:

If you haven’t gotten it done in your first term, why would a second term make a difference?

When that question comes out, the politicians, always quick on their toes, come up with some really nice answers. Sometimes you hear the old excuse, Well, we could have gotten more done, but the [other political party] had control of the [legislative body], and despite my best efforts, we were defeated. This time, though, we are trying to get enough votes in the [legislative body] so we can get the bills for [list of issues goes here] adopted. To do that, though, I need your vote on election day. Can I count on your support?

Wow! He acknowledged your frustration, addressed the points, and then went for the immediate closing of the sale — all in one long breath. No wonder politicians are often called long-winded: because they are.

What will I do to change things?

Many people ask me, “So what do you do to stop them from being re-elected?” I love when I get asked that question. Sorry, but no, I will not run for office. I am not a politician, and while I agree that non-politicians, that people who are savvy in business and other professions need to step up to the plate and help with government these days, I am not the one to do it.

No, I will not campaign for any politician. I will not lend my name to another individual, in any capacity, as I do not know the thinking that goes on inside that person’s head, so I cannot be sure how anyone, other than myself, would respond under certain situations or to specific issues, such as bribery. Because of that, I will not publicly support or endorse any candidate.

So what will I do?

I will keep doing what I’ve always done. I will continue to always try to start conversation, asking questions, of candidates, of politicians or officeholders, challenging them about stances and their past actions. I will play Devil’s Advocate, asking questions, regardless of my personal belief, and challenge them on both sides of the issue. I will do this privately, but, more importantly, I will do it publicly.

When people wish to discuss politics in an open forum, I will discuss issues. I will not, because of having spent more than 20 years in newspapers, ever disclose my thoughts on an issue, or my personal stance on a topic. Is it because I am afraid of someone harassing me about my particular beliefs? Not a chance. I made a terrific habit of writing neutrally about a variety of sensitive issues over the years, with the keyword being neutral.

I still do writing, albeit freelance. If I go about, publicly expressing my opinion, there’s no way I can ever write about those issues. If I keep my opinions to myself, keep them separate from my writing, which I’ve always managed to do, then things are good. Sure, there are naysayers who charge that no one can go about writing neutrally about any topic, especially politics. That’s where I will argue the case. I successfully managed to do it for more than 20 years. Was it easy? Not always, but if you focus on one thing, putting aside your emotions, and write about the topic at-hand, then yes, anyone can do it. Is it simple? No, but as with anything else in life, with practice comes perfection.

Well, okay, we will never be perfect, but there’s nothing wrong with aiming for perfection. Yes, I am a typical Type-A personality. Yes, there have been two times I stepped aside from a story, and both times involved cases where I spoke publicly about the role of newspapers and reporters in covering certain issues, and while I never stated my opinion, I had reservations that some may have taken the examples I used as my beliefs.

To avoid any issues, I didn’t cover the issues. I hold myself to high moral and ethical standards. I hold myself, and others, accountable for actions, words, and deeds. I will always go out of my way to aid another, without concern or though of reciprocation. If you repay me by wronging me, well, be prepared for the vengeance and ferociousness of tiger.

So what’s this thing about newspapers?

Yes, I worked for many newspapers and magazines over the years, as well as did freelancing for a few wire and content services. For more than 20 years, my feet were firmly entrenched in the world of print journalism. I actually started writing — and learning about the news professional as a child. At the ripe age of nine, following a tour of the the entire building, including the newsrooms, composing, and the catwalk overlooking what was then the world’s longest printing press collection if sat end-to-end, at the now-defunct Evening and Sunday Bulletin. Yes, I know there “is” another paper in Philadelphia using that name now, but it is a far cry from the paper that had printed under that title for more than a century.

After the tour, I decided I wanted to be a reporter. In fact, it was more than a childish whim. I went at least every few days, for months on end, to visit the various editors at the old Bulletin, telling them, “Make me a reporter!” After awhile, it got to be so routine that the editors actually began to meet me at the front desk, walk me to the City Desk, and pull up a chair for me to sit while we spoke.

There is an old saying that persistence pays off. In my case it did. I learned how to set type, both by hand and using a Linotype, an old monster of a machine. On the front end was an attachment that, at first glance, appeared to be a typewriter keyboard. In reality, it was, but the exception was that the layout was different that the standard typewriter most are familiar with today.

A Linotype sets a “line o’ type” at a time from hot lead. Yes, back in those days — the days of the dinosaur — every story had to be typed by a reporter on a typewriter, edited by an editor, then off to the city editor or other desk man for a headline. Everything back then was precise. You had to “count” the headline to ensure it would fit the space allocated for it, unlike in today’s newsroom where the person writing the headline can “tweak” it in QuarkXPress, PageMaker, or InDesign in a matter of seconds.

On the side, near the back of the old monster machine that brought each days news to life — at least twice each day for most major city newspapers — was something called a “Hell pot”, which was a pot of molten lead used to form the lines of type. When a line was cast and an error was found, the slug would be tossed back into the Hell pot and melted down for another use.

Once the type for a story was set, it found its way to composing. There a copy of the story would be made, and it was literally a copy. A roller with ink was rolled across the lead type in its case, a sheet of paper pressed against it, then a clean roller ran against the back of the paper made a better-than-laser copy of the story. This was the “final inspection” before the story saw print.

When all the type for that edition was ready, a paper mache mold, a matrix, was made of each page — or “bed” of type. Yes, you’re probably familiar with this term and have no idea why. Have you ever seen the old movies about newspapers where an editor yelled, “Put the paper to bed!” Well, that was the order to put the forms, at that point, into the final tray, latch everything down, so the matrix could be made.

Once the paper mache matrix was formed, a half-cylindrical printing plate, weighing around 50 lbs. was made. That plate sat on the actual printing press and hence, the presses rolled. In a couple of hours, the papers were on the street and the process started all over for the next edition.

I learned more and more about the inner workings of newspapers, such as typesetting, using both the California job case and the Linotype; counting headlines; and all sorts of other cool things. Much of that stuff, today, though, is only understood in theory by youngsters at newspapers today. When they talk about “fitting” a headline in a hole, they are literally going to make the text on the screen fit the hole. Back 30 years ago, well, that wasn’t easily done, and when someone insisted, it took time. No one sat at a Linotype, keyed in text for one line of a two-deck headline, and “made it fit” in seconds like they do today. If you use Microsoft Word and change font sizes to “make something fit” a specific area, you’re familiar with much of what newspaper editors and designers do today.

Getting my chance

In 1978, my chance at writing came in the form of a call around 11:30 p.m. at home. Since I was still young — not even a teenager — my mother had issues with anyone calling that late. When the phone was finally handed to me, I was told there was a shooting several blocks from my house. The editor asked if I wanted to “cover it” for the morning paper. The only catch was I had to call him back within 30 minutes or so with details.

“Mom, I need to go out!” After arguing for a few minutes, explaining what was at stake, I finally shot out the door.

The next morning when I ran to find a copy of the paper was one of the days of my life. I saw my name in print for the first time. After that, the byline on stories was only important to show that I did, indeed, write the story for future assignments, employers, and freelance opportunities, but as for me, the “new” had worn off and I had decided on my career goal.

Sitting down over the next few months, I decided that writing was my life. I wanted to get through high school, attend Northwestern’s School of Journalism, and win a Pulitzer before I was 30. After that, after I accomplished what I needed to do, then I would find time for women, family, and any other pursuits. Until then, though, my life was to be kept busy reading, writing, learning, reading, studying, writing, learning, and so on.

Over the years, mostly because I was in the right place at the right time, I’ve had the opportunity to do work for the Associated Press, the Kankakee Daily Journal, Editor and Publisher, a group of newspapers based in St. Louis (Mo.) county, some freelance work for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Naperville Sun, The Wheaton Leader, the Monee Monitor, the New Lenox Reporter, Manteno News, the Northeast (Philadelphia) Times, the News Gleaner, the now-defunct Philadelphia Journal, among others.

Whether behind a manual typewriter, clanking out sheet-after-sheet of copy to finish a story or working on any variety of computer-age equipment, from the age-old monster known as ATEX, to a Macintosh-based system running BaseView for QuarkXPress and creating — and arguing about the need some 12-to-15 years ago — databases for news, photos, and general notes.

People back then were just getting exposed to computers in the newsroom. Databases were something the government used, not newspapers. I created databases using FileMaker and a few other products back then, demonstrating the need, and the efficiency they provided on deadline. It took about three months before people actually saw the databases really helping, but once they were used on deadline, there was no turning back.

Life and stuff

I’ve accomplished, done, and seen a lot. I’ve created numerous Goals lists over the years, and then, as time went by, accomplished the goals on the lists, which meant it was then time to create a new Goals list. I learned  years ago that when you stop growing and dreaming, you stop living. I believe that principle, as it helps keep me going each and every day.

I worked for more than 20 years for newspapers and magazines, mainly as a reporter and editor. I left the corporate world in 1995 without regret. I currently devote my time as a volunteer, drinking coffee, doing freelance work and some editing, and a fair amount of freelance desktop publishing using InDesign CS3 and QuarkXPress. I love photography, my coffee, my family, and my dog. I devote a great deal of my time to helping others. I enjoy quiet evenings at home, and am often find myself entrenched in a good book (perhaps the Good Book), and some light conversation.

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