RIP Michael Lindenberger

 Until I saw the Chronicle's obituary story for its former deputy opinion editor, I never put the two and two together that it was the former Snooze editorial writer and columnist. 

I can't recall having direct run-ins with him, unlike a couple of the, er, THE Morning News' neoliberal columnists, who weren't even left-neoliberal, but who, under the dynasty of Keven Ann Willey, talked about how librul they really were. They weren't, even before going further right with Brendan Minitur as her replacement. And, what can you expect from a paper that couldn't get ancient history right?

But, I digress.

Per the Louisville Courier-Journal obit story, he was really sick if he dropped 50 pounds in just several weeks. I would say stomach cancer, but the story said his primary doctor couldn't nail anything down and he was scheduled to see specialists. Had to have been sad last days for him, wondering if he really was dying just months after getting a journalism dream job.

Hold on to your dreams, even if they're fleeting.

My connection of sorts to Bill Hartman

I saw a week ago that the founder and owner of Hartman Newspapers had died.

I'm not really an "ear to the grapevine" person on Texas newspapers. I'm here in a job and if a non-Texas newspapers, or non-newspapers, position comes along that's better, sign me up!

Anyway, this goes back to 2009.

Suburban Dallas' Today Newspapers was not long for the world and I knew that.

The Fort Bend Herald (and Texas Coaster!) had an opening. Kind of a hybrid position. And, a "too much" position," to be honest.

It was hybrid between the newspaper and some planned new magazines AND hybrid within the newspaper.

The first half? In addition to doing semi-regular work for the then-daily Herald (six-day daily back then), the person/position was responsible for producing three quarterly magazines, one a month for each of three different upscale, presumably gated, communities on the west side of Fort Bend County. No writing involved, but editorial solicitations, copy editing and proofreading of submitted material, photo solicitation or shooting or assigning to the paper's staff photographer, and all the layout. And, that was hybrid with work for the newspaper.

The hybridization within the newspaper? Doing a couple of pages of copy editing/layout every day plus a news beat.

It was a newly-created position, and, IMO, a "too much" position. Look, COVID has dumped shit on all of us, but not by choice. And, this was long enough ago, even in the early part of the Great Recession, though I hadn't realized yet how bad it would get, that, I wasn't ready to volunteer for "too much."

In addition, if I recall correctly, the ME said it was salaried and one of Fred's beancounters said hourly. On a "too much" position that's helluva different. If salaried, they WILL beat you like a rented mule. If hourly, they'll not pay overtime but yell at you for not doing more.

Besides, it's greater Helltown.

Hard pass. I eventually came out all right but not great, like a cat with nine PTSD-ed lives.

Anyway, I did meet Bill himself, and being a big baseball fan, ogled his office memorabilia and shot the shit with that on him a bit.

I can't remember how much, if at all, we discussed Roger Clemens and roiding, given his having covered the Astros long ago as well as being a BBWAA voter but my general impression of Bill on that was that he was totally "old-school" and opposed him, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, etc. getting into the Hall.

A newspaper where pets matter more than people?

Via a newspaper exchange, I get copies of my former newspaper, the Marble Falls Highlander, at my new location.

Well, I knew it offered to run pet obits, but we didn’t get any while I was there.

What I didn’t know until now was that, although obits for people are free for the first 500 words, the pet obit has a minimum charge of $10.

Never heard of such a thing before, with a newspaper valuing pets above people. That said, readers can probably insert jokes about this if they want, and there’s nothing I can do to stop you.