Our Own Paparazzi

Minnesota doesn't need paparazzi. We have internet reporters who will report on the internet any rumor that one of his buddies who still works at a real job emails to him. Just read this ridiculous report from Lambert, who thinks that someone told the Star Tribune editorial board to not support a gas tax for fixing the bridge. He finishes with, "I don't even have ninth-hand as to who that might be."

Great reporting. Keep up the good work. I'm surprised he didn't find a way to slam me in it. (You can just see his earlier post for that.) Like I said, who needs the paparazzi?

A Beautiful Relationship

You can tell a lot about a guy from his friends, the saying goes. Well read this post at an internet blog called "Fraters Libertas":

There's got to be something right about a guy who's enflamed such hatred in the local journalism community.

and

Please. Par Ridder's antics damaging the "credibility and integrity" of the Star Tribune is like saying the ocean floor damaged the hull of the Titanic.

Now this guy gets it! He loves free market economics, hates reporters, doesn't question authority, and his internet blog links to those execs at TCF bank who write Powerline. He even agrees with the getting rid of all our negative national coverage of the White House and focusing on local news.

Fraters Libertas even took care of that hack Brian Lambert. He points out how Lambert does nothing but "document" and "revel" in my trial, even though the trial is on-going and I'll be cleared of any wrong doing.

But he's wrong about one thing, though. He says I'm doing something right. Come on buddy, I'm doing a lot of things right, if you know what I'm saying. Stop down to the Star Tribune sometime, and we'll have the company will take you out to lunch.

I See How It's Gonig to Be

You've probably heard by now that the writers guild voted to not vote on "no confidence". Nope. They're going to wait to vote that I should resign.

Fine. Go ahead. See what difference it will make.

Did you read Lambert today? Everyday with this guy. He said Singleton has spent 3 mill suing me. What a fucker. It's cost almost htat much for Avista, too. When my civil trial end, you can bet we're going to counter sue that bastard for every penny we lost. And we're going to get it back, too. You'll see. Avista isn't going to loose that kind of money. Not a private equity group. I'm going to show returns. Even if the Stewards don't want me to, all of them.

What a fiaso. In our meeting today I told Chris we I should have just let someone else from management take that damn information and had soeone else void the non-competes. Breach of ethics. This is business! I told Barrett that too tonight when we were out for drinkss. CEOs can't catch a break man. I'm telling you.

Newspaper Manager Extraordinaire

Does Lambert even know what he's complaining about anymore? It's like this guy makes a living off of bitching about what I say at work and what I do in my personal life. No wonder he's not an actual reporter anymore.

Hey buddy, let me clarify something. I'm running a newspaper. And that paper needs a direction. We can either keep up with national coverage or we can go more local. Looking at the marketplace, the only time there's local coverage is when there's an apartment fire or sex abuse story or Prince has a concert. We're going to change that at the Star Tribune. Advertisers and readers will know who's reading the Star Tribune. It's the people in Minnesota.

Maybe you already forgot your post complaining about not enough coverage of Bloomington, you know, Minnesota's fifth largest city, or when you say we take too many AP pieces. But if you want to think covering local events gives a free pass to the President, whatever man. The few people who read your internet column probably think your conspiracy theory is true.

While you keep bitching, my remaining staff are going to cover all of the events in the state, even if it means extra hours for the reporters and editors. How's that for business literacy?

Yesterday Lambert wrote another attack piece on me. He thinks the Writer's Guild is going to have a vote of no confidence in me as publisher. Yeah right. Lambert must not read this blog. Avista, the people who own the paper that employs the Writer's Guild, have full confidence in me. Even though hacks with columns on the internet don't want the Star Tribune to make money, Avista does. That's why they hired me. So grow up, people. Let's get back to business. The President isn't going to get impeached and neither am I.

Oh, and speaking of business, what's this about Singleton wanting my head on a spike? I say we let the quarterly numbers do the talking. Unless Singleton can't stand that heat. There should be a vote of no confidence in Dean Singleton. He owns 57 papers and only comes to town to when it's time to sue someone. What a jerk. If he wants to step up, we'll see who's head goes on a spike.

Back Fire

Lambert's attack column today back fired on him.

Look at what he says I did at the Pioneer Press: "reorganized", "right-sized", and cut overhead costs on the "labor line". Exactly. Those words might sound too professional to Lambert, but it's the job of a publisher to captain the company's ship. Being a captain means making sure the ship sails as well as it can. Being a captain means sometimes you have to cut some crew. Those thing are not easy to do, but that's why it's important to have a good captain.

It's also not easy to have your ship change owners. If your paper gets new ownership, it takes more effort to direct your crew. It should be obvious that's why I received the extra $600,000 payment. It's for, as my contract says, the sale of the company and the "adverse effects" of the new management. It's for the extra effort of running the changed ship.

The status quo wasn't going to work for McClatchy. My management team and I had to tighten our belts and the ship's sails. That's why we pursued disciplinary action against reporters who had ethics violations and discipline issues like attending a Bruce Springsteen concert. Having reporters argue with management might seem like a good idea to Lambert, but insubordination to cutting costs and crew is not productive for a paper.

Ganging Up on Me

Brian Lambert had to bring in re-enforcements for his daily attack on me yesterday. Ron Rosenbaum from KSPT called my testimony lies and called me stupid. Thanks guys. I'm testifying in a trial right now and it doesn't help to have journalist hacks call me names.

Both Lambert and Rosenbaum wanted to know why Avista hasn't fired me yet. I'll tell you why. It's because the organization needs a good publisher. And I'm that publisher. That's why I was brought over from the Pioneer Press. And that's why I brought over the last few years of data from that newspaper to my new job. Was it illegal? Of course not! It was being prepared for my new job!

And if Lambert or Rosenbaum or whoever think I got my new job as publisher just because my parents are close to Avista, you're wrong.

Jerks on the Internet

Some people on internet website called MNSpeak made some pictures of me in an orange jumpsuit. First hacks like Lambert harp on me, now I've got internet geeks messing with my picture.

I talked to one of our family lawyers about sending the website operator a cease and desist letter, but he didn't think it would work. I thought it would because the picture isn't accurate. Hey internet geeks, the trial isn't for me to go to jail! It to prevent me from working at the Star Tribune, you jackasses.

My lawyer also suggested that I contact the Bartels. They run the site and my lawyer told me that the dad bought the site and gave it to his son to operate. So maybe they'll hear me out. But probably not. That's fine, if you're going to be at the top, you've got to deal with the spotlight. And people get jealous. I bet Kevin Garnett knows what I'm talking about.