Sunday Paper 05 July 09: A Review

I grew up reading the Sunday newspapers. To this day I still mix and match, reading one or more depending on how much time I have (and the weather conditions) on any given Sunday. Today's paper of choice is the Albany Times Union.

Personalities In The News

We'll start right off with Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings who gets front page treatment with the headline "The Mayor's Special Friends." Co-written by Brendan Lyons and Chris Churchill, the "exclusive" is the latest in a series of verbal barrages the paper has tossed in front of Albany's "powers that be." Look for more... and I wouldn't be surprised if the paper endorses Shawn Morris for Mayor.

Next up, beneath the fold, Siena College prof Tom Coohill gets his 15 minutes of ink, in a story by Pete Iorizzo detailing the prof's search for explorer Henry Hudson's final resting place. A great story of local, state and perhaps national interest.

Page A2 raises the ghost of Michael Jackson, the pop and ring-tone king... 1pm New York time Tuesday ABC, CNN, E! and MSNBC (and Lord knows who else) will carry jacko's memorial LIVE from the Staples Center in L.A. After this I hope we can put Michael to rest. By the way, the late Russert "lived longest in the media" after his untimely death, but I don't think MJ will last as long (after this Memorial) and Russert will remain the recordholder.

On A5 we learn that British music manager Allen Klein passed away Saturday at the of 77. many blame him for the Beatles' break-up. (Many more blame Yoko Ono).

In Sports Section C on page one we learn former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was found dead in a Nashville condo along with his 20-year old girlfriend. They're saying it's a "murder-suicide' - SHE killed him! That should have been the top story, instead, we see "Serena bests Sister" (*yawn*) - I am so tired of the Williams sisters. We need new blood in tennis to knock these out of play. They are b-o-r-i-n-g!

Capital Region Section D brings the mandatory Empire State Plaza Fireworks display picture (*yawn*) [Once you've experienced the New York City fireworks show, ESP is totally b-o-r-i-n-g!], a report about "Nothing" happening with the NY Senate (to which I ask, "Why bother to ocntinues reporting if there is nothing to report? And the TV news is the same, letting these guys mug for the camera is bordering on ridiculous!) Page D3 carried a human interest tale of a local woman who just turned 103 and on D5, Def Leppard and Cheap Trick (bands who may as well be 103) going thru their respective motions at SPAC (b-o-r-i-n-g).

The "personality" that comes to mind now is Joe Bruno: Business Section E has a front-page story about the old Amtrak hi-speed-rail Turboliners and why they weren't successful...

Page 6 of the "Unwind" section profiles local blogebrity LIZ FUNK! Liz has written a book entitled "Supergirls Speak Out" - kudos to you, Liz! (As the paper sez, Liz "achieved more at the age of 14 than most men and women have at 30.") Hmmmm... why is that? Why does that happen? Why do some of us from 12 on live full, rich, rewarding lives, while neighbors struggle? Why do some burn out and die before ever reaching 30? Why are some of us "late bloomers" who finally "get somehwere in life" at the age of 40, 50, 60 - even 70 and up!

PARADE Magazine mentions in the PersonalityPARADE section that Jonathan Frid may cameo in the Johnny Depp movie version of "Dark Shadows" (an American TV Soap Opera about vampires that was the mid-1960s pop culture phenom, sorta like what "Gossip Girl" is today.)

So, Times Union, thanks for a good Sunday paper! Next time I do a "Sunday Paper" post I'll either visit a different paper or maybe compare one against another. Anyway, it's Monday again, and another work week begins... If any of the above stories make it to the "office water cooler" I think Albany folk will first of all ask one another "Didja see the fireworks" and after that "Are you gonna watch the Michael Jackson memorial?" ("Oh sure, I'm gonna leave work early for that!") While a few thoughtful souls will ponder the Steve McNair death. See you later, I've got stuff to do!

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