Pedallers and Hackers
This month’s cover art was provided by Nathrop-area photographer Taf McMurry. She made our job very difficult after providing dozens of great photos depicting all kinds of bicycles in a variety of artistic stylings. We decided we needed to run at least one more of her images in this issue so we did, on page fifteen.
Although we don’t consider this to be a “theme” issue, the fact of the big race scheduled for August in Central Colorado was enough to devote several pages of content to the velocipede.
If you haven’t been on a bike in a while we hope it inspires you to get back onto one or at least go out and ring a cow bell for the racers coming here from all over the planet this month.
**************
Several months back I wrote a piece in this spot about the state of journalism in the 21st century and did not attempt to conceal my thoughts about the media mogul who has apparently become the victim of his own dirty tricks.
Those who have still not recovered from the media orgy over the Casey Anthony saga may have missed one of the bigger news stories so far this year occurring “across the pond” in jolly old England. Seems that old Rupert Murdoch and his son James are being raked over the coals by the English Parliament for their role in the hijinks of some of their employees at the now defunct News of the World (NoTW). Apparently some overzealous “journalists” were caught hacking into the cell phone of a missing teenager and erasing existing messages to access newer ones. With allegations flying about concerning bribery by Murdoch’s minions, Scotland Yard has seen two resignations thus far; Sir Paul Stephenson, it’s outgoing head, as well as it’s counter-terrorism chief, John Yates.
Even the U.K. Prime Minister, David Cameron is feeling the heat after hiring a former NoTW editor, Andy Coulson to be his communications chief despite warnings about his nefarious background.
Murdoch, in a case of burning down the village to save his own hide, chose to shut down the tabloid, costing nearly 200 jobs. On top of that, the chief executive of Murdoch’s News International, Rebekah Brooks resigned and was arrested several days later in connection with the phone hacking incident. Over here in the U.S., Les Hinton, the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, also owned by Murdoch, resigned after appearing to have given false information in front of Parliament.
Murdoch has already lost his bid to control the U.K.’s largest cable company and it looks like his papers will lose access to British athletes ahead of the 2012 Olympics there. Stay tuned to this one folks, it’s got legs. – Mike Rosso
