Thursday, May 12, 2005

A Deficit of Diligence

Today's edition of The State features some lazy reporting. Result: what could have been a compelling and important story instead remains underdeveloped, a yawn.

Here's the flabby article, a puff piece on Columbia's small, superflous, second airport.

Here's the Owens Field Downtown Airport website. Here's the website of Columbia's real airport.

Anyway, let's get back to the story. Gina Smith points out that the renovations cost $4.5 million but she never follows the reporter's first rule: follow the money. Who's getting it? Is it taxpayer money? Is there any suspcious or unaccounted overspending?

Instead we get banal, boring, booster-ish paragraphs like this one:

The project is looking so good that the S.C. Aviation Association recently chose the new terminal as the location of the S.C. Aviation Hall of Fame display.

Local journalism doesn't have to be dull. So why does The State insist on it?

Posted by Bill Smith at 11:36 AM | 8 comments

Comments:

Mr. Bill is off at Charm School.

Eeeeks...almost nothing from him for a week. Do you think he ran out of rancid slurs? OhhhNooo, Mr. Bill!

Sorry, I forgot to tell you, both of his loyal readers, that I, The Evermost Humble , Midnight Stalker, purchased Mr. Bill a scholarship to Charm School.

Yes, for the last week he's been at Charm School. Yes, Charm School!

He's learning to be critical without using slimy rancid slurs. Learning to exercise his Constitutional right to his own opinion without slander, libel and without using rancid slurs.

He's Listening to Hootie CD's and singing:

Kum ba ya. Kum ba ya, My Lord, Kum ba ya. Oh Lord, Kum ba ya...

Love to you and yours, Mr. Bill.
Kum ba ya...
The Midnight Stalker

P.S. Mr. Bill, My link is just a joke. Please, don't take it personally.

# posted by

The Midnight Stalker : 5/12/2005 09:58:00 PM

And, Mr. Bill said:
Deus Meus! Securis in capite meo est.

# posted by

¡Dios mio! ¡Hay un hacha en mi cabeza! : 5/12/2005 10:19:00 PM

OhhhNooo Mr. Bill,

I forgot to highlight your slurs.

“…Deficit of Diligence…”
“…lazy reporting…”
“…yawn…”
“…flabby article…”
“…puff piece…”
“…superflous...”
“…banal, boring, booster-ish…”

My compliments, Mr. Bill. These slurs are not quite as rancid.

That Charm School education must be working for you!

Mr. Bill probably doesn’t get out much. He probably has never been to Owens Field.

...he probably has no clue how much traffic it supports.
...he probably has no clue how much business traffic it sees.
...he probably has no clue how much it contributes to our economy.
...he probably has no clue, period.

“Banal?” It seems Mr. Bill’s hobby is “Word Power” in Reader’s Digest.

Mr. Bill, no mas, no mas! We are not impressed by pompous words.

Maybe you should put Word Power down and listen to Hootie.

Gee, “…follow the money.”
What a novel concept.

“Who’s getting it? Is there any suspicious or unaccounted overspending?”

Probably not. The project is certainly audited.

But, you can spend your time looking to haints and goblins if you like.

And, yes, Mr. Bill. It’s almost certainly taxpayer money.

Yours, mine, ours. Spent by those authorized to spend it.

Love to you and yours,
The Midnight Stalker

# posted by

The Midnight Stalker : 5/13/2005 01:26:00 AM

OhhhGeee Mr. Bill,

Just two little posts from you in over a week. "We" (me and the mouse in my pocket) are starting to worry about you. Don't get boring on us.

Did you graduate from Charm School? Maybe you stayed to work on your MIM Degree (Masters in Manners).

Heaven knows, you sure need the help. Your rancid slurs were really starting to get so very offensive.

Sincerely,
The Midnight Stalker

P.S. Be serious and check my link.

# posted by

The Midnight Stalker : 5/15/2005 12:17:00 AM

Wow! Mr. Bill,

You're still uncharacteristically quite quiet. Working hard at Charm School?

Did you notice?

I used "uncharacteristically" and the phrase "quite quiet" in the same sentence. Pretty good, huh?

I'm reading "Word Power" in Reader's Digest so I can start using fancy big wurds just like you.

Today's copy of The State was rich with the kind of stuff you like to focus your putrid pompous slimy slurs on.

See how I'm starting to link together wurds like you? You are my hero!

Your friend,
The Midnight Stalker

P.S. Mr. Bill, the 60-53 vote defeating PPIC was not as close as it seems. Many of "the 53" are "dead set" agaist PPIC. Many just voted to allow debate. Many of them are still solidly against PPIC. If it had been allowed to come to an "up or down" vote, it would have been even more eemmbbaarrassiinngg to you and yours and the G'ub'nor. And, it would never ever sell in the Senate.

# posted by

The Midnight Stalker : 5/15/2005 07:12:00 PM

hey stalker, how much is The State paying you? They ain't getting enough for their money.

# posted by

No One : 5/17/2005 08:28:00 AM

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# posted by

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