Slow news day, investigating corruption story, so here are some random observations:
-- Florida Gov. Rick Scott's war on public schools and teachers stinks -- and it will likely backfire on him in a big way. He wants to cut teachers' salaries by 5 percent while at the same time putting more tax dollars into private schools. Suddenly, Charlie Crist looks like one of the greatest statesmen in Florida history. You get the idea that Scott figures he's going to be a one-termer and is just trying to get away with as much as possible while he's still in the seat.
-- The Miami Heat have gone off the rails and have apparently taken to crying in the locker room about it. Readers know how I've felt about Erik Spoelstra all along, but having Pat Riley's mini-me at the helm is just one of the problems. Right now you feel like the heart and soul of the squad, D-Wade, is off-kilter. Gotta make him the lead dog again and let the team go where it may behind him. Worked in 2006.
-- Fort Lauderdale's own David Cassidy was ramrodded last night (and not in a good way) on that Celebrity Apprentice show by the terrible Richard Hatch. It was pretty sad, as Cassidy kept whining about alleged physical abuse from the larger Hatch, looked for help from the odd Jose Canseco like he was his big brother, and couldn't get much support in the fundraising department. His low point must have been when he complained to Trump that Hatch was an egomaniac. Had Cassidy forgotten that he was appealing to one of the most boorish megalomaniacs on the planet? Of course, Trump quickly showed Cassidy the door as his first fire. At least the former teen idol came off as a decent fellow, which is more than you'll ever say for Trump or Hatch, who seem made for each other.
-- Inside, a look at how the Palm Beach Post is blending advertisements in with editorial content in a new -- and totally insidious -- way.
Check out the Palm Beach home page:
You see mixed in with the top stories -- about the heartbreaking Nubia murder case, a young homicide victim being identified, and the like -- you get a headline for a "huge buying event" at a local gold shop.
That was Sunday. Here's the website today:
It's seamless: The ad, while clearly marked, has been put on the same plane as the news. The last headline is the ridiculous "Koch's School a hit!"
You may not think much of this, but the Post is definitely breaking down a significant wall here -- and it's a new place to be. Camouflaging advertisements as news is a slippery slope that ultimately could hurt the newspaper's credibility.
But hey, it might help monetize the internet hits, so it must be a good thing, right?
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