Blogs

"STL Working Mom" Author: Marijean Jaggers

About the blogger: I lived and worked in St. Louis for 18 years then, suddenly, moved to Charlottesville, Va. at the end of 2005. I've kept my job in St. Louis and am still the STL Working Mom, traveling back for work and keeping my head in the 'Lou for most of the week. Charlottesville is home. This is the space where I tell tales about the boy, 16 and the girl, 10 and my furry co-worker, Clover. You'll also find random thoughts about being a working mom, working at home and traveling. There are also bits about St. Louis and Charlottesville and the transition from one to the other.

Recent Highlight (January 19): In a stunning move by the County, we've recently been notified that the elementary school will discontinue crossing guard services. The Albemarle County Police Department says that it is illegal for anyone other than a uniformed police officer to direct traffic.

I haven't been this riled up since my neighbor tried to weed my garden.

In 1969 the Chicago Journalism Review reported a story that had been ignored by the mainstream press, alleging that the political machine of Mayor Richard Daley had covered up the murder of two members of the Black Panther Party at the hands of police. The article led to a grand-jury indictment. It also ushered in the popularity of local "journalism reviews" as a check on the credibility and ethics of the hometown press.

Inspired by Chicago, Charles Klotzer founded the St. Louis Journalism Review in 1970. Among more than 30 journalism reviews that sprang up across the nation in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it stands today as the sole print-based survivor. (The Columbia Journalism Review and the American Journalism Review continue to critique media on a national level.)

It's debatable why other media reviews failed, but it certainly doesn't help matters that most cities now feature just one daily paper -- making for less "mainstream press" to evaluate. Also, with the advent of the Internet, anyone can hold the media's feet to the fire. Did anyone ever hear of Matt Drudge before he published the story Newsweek refused to run -- a sordid tale involving a White House intern and a sitting U.S. president?

The prohibitive cost of newsprint may be another factor. For the past eleven years, Webster University has subsidized the production costs of the SJR -- spending $30,000 to $40,000 to print and distribute the (by and large) monthly publication. Those subsidies end next month, and the SJR will once again land in the hands of its founder, Charles Klotzer.

Five months after meeting with St. Louis Post-Dispatch editors and P-D reporter Carolyn Tuft, a federal labor arbitrator has ruled that the daily must revoke Tuft's two-day suspension and reimburse her for lost pay, but he let stand the 576-word apology editors published reprimanding Tuft for a pair of investigative reports she wrote about local televangelist Joyce Meyer.

The articles, published in the spring of 2005, alleged, among other things, that the Meyer family lived "free of charge" in two residences owned by Joyce Meyer Ministries, a nonprofit. The articles also reported that "[t]he ministry's board of trustees, which is headed by Joyce Meyer, agreed to pay her a $900,000 annual salary in 2002 and 2003," and went on to state: "The board agreed to provide the couple with free personal use of a corporate jet and luxury cars, [and] a $2 million home where all bills are paid by the ministry."

The paper initially stood behind Tuft's reporting. One month later, however, editor Ellen Soeteber, who has since left the paper, and managing editor Arnie Robbins, who has since been promoted to editor, published an apology stating the articles did not meet their "standards for fairness and accuracy."

My usual Monday morning ritual goes something like this: Alarm goes off way too early. I hit snooze. Doze. Alarm goes off again. Snooze. Doze. Repeat a few more times, until I realize I'm going to be late to our Monday meeting. Swear. Hop out of bed, shower and throw on whatever clothes I can find. Go outside with wet hair, pray it doesn't freeze. Etc. Etc.

However, on this particular Monday morning, I paused from freaking out about how much crazy-old-lady white hair I have on my head (seriously — thanks, genetics) and from obsessively listening to the new Idlewild album, to check out the Point's new morning show.

In fact, I did not hit snooze for at least the first ten minutes I was awake, as my radio was broadcasting the sweet strains of U2's "Desire" and "Bullet the Blue Sky" sometime just after 8 a.m. Heartened, I continued to listen — only to hear Donnie Fandango throw down a request-line gauntlet for either System of a Down or Nickelback. (Like a Triscuit battling a Wheat Thin, that one. I'm not sure who won; at that point, I hit snooze.) Whatever artists received the most votes — listeners were to text either "S" or "N" to a specific phone number — would be played next, reminiscent of that pre-TRL MTV call-in-request show I was addicted to in seventh grade. (And no, not Totally Pauly.)

Move over, Nostradamus. Rev Halofan of the LA Angels blog Halos Heaven predicted World Series hero Jeff Weaver would sign with the Seattle Mariners in a January 3 post.

Excerpt:

Word is Nintendo has enough hydroponic profits they would have smoked with Zito that they are questioning why not go after Stoner #2...

My source says "Not 100%" (not yet like last year's inkwell) as Jeffo dug the Midwest Farmers Daughters in Saint Louie, but Boras will dig for the dough and it may be Emerald Green in a week or two...

Unreal genuflects in Halofan's general direction.

-Unreal

In case Night & Day hasn't given you enough ideas for what to do tomorrow night, you could also head over to Joe's Café (6014 Kingsbury Avenue) from 9 p.m. to midnight for a fundraiser benefiting Boots Contemporary Art Space. This new-ish gallery's Party to Publish hopes to raise enough cash to put out the first edition of Boot Print, the art space's newspaper. The ubiquitous Jason Wallace Triefenbach sets the party mood by providing the soundtrack for the video projections — and the drinking. And you supply the funds (admission costs $10; drinks are free).

-Alison Sieloff

Calling all techno-geeks, electro-freaks, house-heads, trance-dorks and whatever clever genre-noun combination you want to employ: The RFT is again holding its annual competition to find one DJ in town that will be flown to Miami and represent for St. Louis at the Ultra Music Festival, which takes place this year on March 23 and 24. (Adrian Fox was the city's representative last year; see "Music Sounds Better With You," March 8, 2006, for how things shook out.)

Like last year, to enter the contest please send me a mix of music — any length, although one CD will more than suffice — that shows off your beatmatching skills, individual style and personal flair. The deadline for submission is 6 p.m. on Monday, February 12. I repeat: 6 p.m. on Monday, February 12. No exceptions.

Finalists will be notified by Monday, February 19, and there will be a final DJ spin-off to determine the winner on Thursday, March 1 at Atomic Cowboy; details will be announced later. Feel free to send this link to appropriate parties. Email me with any questions — as always, I'm found at...

-Annie Zaleski

Since I now know my mother reads these blog entries at Ye Olde RFT Blog (Hi, mom! Sorry I haven't called lately; volunteering at the nursing home every night after work is a tough job!), this post is dedicated to her.

You see, when she and I visited St. Louis a handful of times from 1994-1998, she tolerated my obsession with 105.7 FM The Point (er, and Vintage Vinyl and West End Wax -- see, I'm old school) with grace and patience. (For those curious: I had surgery at St. Louis Children's Hospital back in the day; ask me about it sometime if you see me, I'll certainly talk about it -- but I won't show you the scar.) As a music-obsessed teenager, I listened to the radio constantly, and being able to tune into the Point was one of the highlights of my many trips here. In fact, I have fond memories hearing the Breeders and Paul Weller (and, er, Crash Test Dummies), as well as XTC on the flashback lunch.

I was heartened this morning, then, to wake up to the news on the Point that the Cleveland-based syndicated show Rover's Morning Glory was no more. (I love my hometown, but that show was a painfully unfunny, shock-jock trainwreck.) In its place, the station is going to have Donnie Fandango, an on-air personality from 1996-2001, preside over a show that's — gasp — "music intensive," according to a press release I received from Kristi Carson, Public and Community Relations Director of Emmis in St. Louis. (Emmis Communications is the parent company that owns the Point.)

Music in the morning? In St. Louis? A non-syndicated morning show? What's going on?

The announcement goes on to say that "Donnie will have free reign over the music and will be experimenting on-air with different playlist themes, on-demand requests, and listener input on which band or artist to play next."

With the commercial radio stations in this town growing ever-impersonal, I can't help but think that this move — no matter how it turns out — is a positive step forward. Sure, one can mock the Point because they still play too much shitty metal, but I also heard the Dead Milkmen's "Bitchin' Camaro" a few weekends ago. So I'll certainly tune in for the possibility of hearing more stuff like that.

-Annie Zaleski

This just in, from unitedforpeace.org:

St. Louis Portrait for Peace
Saturday, January 27th 2007 11:30 a.m.

Location:
South Grand and Arsenal (NW corner, by Tower Grove park) across the street from 3606 Arsenal St. Louis MO 63118

Can't March on Washington? Be Counted In The St. Louis Portrait For Peace
Congress Get the Picture - No New Funds for the War

Pose for group photo of St. Louis war opponents. Send it to Congress and Call for an End to the War. Coffee and Cocoa provided by Mokabe's.

Contact:
Bill Ramsey
staff@insteadofwar.org
314-725-5303

-Unreal

Last week Lew Prince got a phone call from Let Justice Roll, a group that lobbies on behalf of a higher minimum wage. Prince, co-owner of Vintage Vinyl (and sometime Riverfront Times opera critic), actively campaigned for Missouri's minimum wage ballot initiative, which voters overwhelmingly approved last November. The caller asked whether Prince would participate in a press conference with Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, who is spearheading the campaign to lift the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour by 2009.

The bill passed the House last week, and Kennedy wanted to do a little press surge for the Senate because his Republican colleagues wanted to tack on tax breaks for restaurants and other businesses that rely on low-wage workers.

Recalls Prince: "I e-mailed back saying, 'Of course. Just tell me when to be by my phone and where to call.' I got this frantic phone call saying, 'No, no, no. You have to be in Washington.'"

"Five Dollar Camera"

Author: Kathy

About the blogger: Kathy lives in south St. Louis and prefers tepid diet soda. As a ten-year-old Catholic schoolgirl, she declared herself an atheist.

Recent Highlight (January 1): Raise your hand if you're having black-eyed peas today. I'm not. I've been doing that for about the last ten years, and it's never brought me good fortune. According to my grandma, it has something to do with eating simply and being thankful for what you have. If eating simply and frugally is the goal, I've already cheated by eating a three-dollar candy bar this morning and a wheat-free waffle. Yeah, how contradictory. I don't even have a wheat allergy, (and I kind of feel like I'm stealing valuable foodstuffs from those that do). By the way, the quasi-healthful waffle negates the fat-laden candy bar. But you knew that, right? It's like diet soda with dessert. Or eating standing up. Food eaten while vertical has no calories.

(January 6): The one in which I say what I really want to say to people in the supermarket:

Move.

Could you please not stand there in the middle of the aisle staring slackjawed at the canned peas?

I've almost fully convinced myself it's okay to repeatedly run over your foot with my cart.

Move.

(In the self check-out lane) Hey you with the white earbuds, you're up next. HEY YOU WITH THE LITTLE WHITE EARBUDS, YOU'RE UP NEXT!

This box of crackers is expired. I don't think March 2005 is coming back, no matter how much you will it. (I really did say this to the stock boy.)

Move.

(In the self check-out lane) Yes, you speak English, touch English. That's cash in your hand, touch cash. No you don't have any coupons. Please do ask an attendant, don't just stand there staring at the computer screen. The attendant is right there, see? She's looking at you, she's waving you over.

Move.

Know of an Unreal-worthy local blog? Send the URL to Unreal

National media outlets have had Washington University senior Susannah Cahalan on speed-dial all day long.

Cahalan's fifteen minutes of fame was clinched Sunday, when she published in the New York Post an exclusive jailhouse interview with Kirkwood resident Michael Devlin. The headline: "I Am Still Too Scared to Tell My Mom And Dad, 'Kidnap' Creep Admits."

Devlin's lawyers quickly pounced on the Post, claiming Cahalan never identified herself as a reporter to the alleged kidnapper. The Rupert Murdoch-owner paper plans to issue a statement later today, insisting that that Devlin knew full well he was speaking with a Post correspondent.

The Post placed a gag order on Cahalan yesterday. Nonetheless, she's expected to share her side of the story with CNN's Anderson Cooper and FOX News' Greta Van Susteren, among other media titans, during television broadcasts this evening.

Cahalan has an impressive a resume for a college senior, thought to be either 22 or 23. In addition to logging numerous bylines in the Post, the Summit, New Jersey, native and former All-American lacrosse player has also written for the New York Times.

"She's freakin' amazing for how young she is," says Brad Hamilton, investigations editor at the Post. "She's smart, she works her ass off, she has great instincts, and she proved it by getting this interview. "

In other developments, the Post is also the only media outlet reporting that Shawn Hornbeck's deceased biological father was a convicted sex offender who did three years in Missouri prison on drug and sodomy charges. According to the paper, the boy was just six months old when his parents split.

- Kristen Hinman

Postscript: Cahalan has also contributed to Wash. U.'s Student Life, where an archive search yields highlights including "Fun in the Dorms" (a guide to makeshift sex toys) and "The Official Guide to Faking an Orgasm: Gal's Version."

-Unreal

Mixtapes — whether they're the smash-hit mashups of Danger Mouse or the CD-Rs sold out of an up-and-coming DJ's backpack — are an integral part of hip-hop culture. Perhaps more than in any other musical genre, these compilations build buzz for the featured artists — and for the mixtape DJs themselves. The relationship is typically symbiotic, particularly when the artists are under-the-radar rappers who need the publicity. All good, right? Wrong. Because when the mixtape DJs start turning a not-insignificant profit, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) starts a paying a not-insignificant amount of attention.

Which brings us to the developing case of Atlanta mixtape kings DJ Drama and DJ Don Cannon. The pair, who distribute the popular "Gangsta Grillz" mixtapes, were arrested Tuesday under Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. According to an article published in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution, police seized 81,000 mixtapes, and Drama and Don Cannon (real names Tyree Simmons and Donald Cannon) each face one to five years in prison (plus a fine of $10,000 to $100,000) if convicted.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch sportswriter Dan O'Neill makes a career of cutting and pasting. His thrice-weekly column, a page-two mainstay in the sports section, comprises short, bold-faced news and gossip O'Neill snips from media nationwide. Given the freedom the author has to jump topics as he sees fit, it makes a certain sense that the column runs under the heading "Hit and Run."

With yesterday's installment, though, that heading took on a different meaning. O'Neill used comments St. Louis-based broadcaster Bob Costas made on his show, Costas on the Radio, to fill most of his 700-word allotment.

While he was at it, he seized the opportunity to belittle the award-winning broadcaster, whom he referred to as "Costie."

Press your tux and re-ruffle your ball gown! (Or vice versa!) The nominees for the 2007 Kevin Kline Awards were announced today, honoring outstanding achievement in the local theater arts. Once again in this, the program's second year, the field is strong across the board, as you can see [nominees after the jump]: