Peoria Pundit

Just last night, I was considering writing a post about how those luddites at the Peoria Journal Star were too behind the times to realize that they ought to have an account on Twitter. After all, almost every newspaper in America has discovered that’s a simple and free method to drive traffic to your Website.

I’ve been on Twitter since at least July, and it’s brought in quite a few hits to Peoria Pundit and Blog Peoria. It’s also a great way to follow the work of other journalists and like-minded people. It also can be a good way to liveblog an event, considering how easy it is to write those nifty little 140-character posts.

When I joined, it was still kinda new. In the months that have followed, practically everyone and their manma has a Twitter account. In other words, it’s not that new anymore.

The Journal Star’s lack of Twitter was starting to get embarrassing for them. I mean, it’s FREE and the process is pretty quick and painless. And Twitter is all the rage in media circles, so I’m sure word of this service had managed to permeate even the dense cognitive fog that often surrounds 1 News Plaza.

So, I added “PJS isn’t on Twitter yet” to my mental list of things to write about.

And today, there it was on PJStar.com, an announcement that the Journal Star has Twitter pages for news and for sports.

Just 34 followers so far as I write this. And the PJS is following just two other media organizations. Two.

Still a ways to go, I see.

The following Blog Peoria Network blogs updated on Monday:

• Peoria Pundit
• It’s Billy’s Blog
• The American Guesser
• Peoria Illinoisan
• A Dark And Quiet Room
• Askewed News
• Morton Malaise
• Angie’s Drama

Peoria Pundit received some incoming link love from Secret Server, Drying Ink, Marathon Pundit and Capitol Fax.

Remember how the New York Times mentioned a rumored affair between Sen John McCain and a lobbyist as a way to illustrate a way McCain might be behaving unethically if in fact the rumors might be true? Well, she’s suing.

That’s a huge increase, except when the starting price is  per share. Via Turner Report.

The company’s stock price improved 1 1/2 cents to 4.5 cents per share today, trading on the Pink Sheets.

For the newbies in our audience, GateHouse Media owns the Peoria Journal Star and most daily and weekly newspapers in West Central Illinois.

I had the “Kennedy Center Honors” on the tube tonight. I had it running in the background, but I started paying attention to the tribute to Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend.

And I completely agree with Jack Black. He was absolutely the wrong celebrity to bring on to introduce The Who.

And was it just me, or did Townsend look to be smiling though the pain while Joss Stone (I had to look her up) sang “My Generation?” Of course, the smiles on his and Daltrey’s faces were genuine while “Queen of the Blues” Koko Taylor, B.B. King and other blues singers performed in honor a Morgan Freeman.

And I was charmed by the cops and firefighters who serenaded the duo with “Teenage Wasteland,” in a thank you (of sorts) for the concert they headlines to raise money for 9/11 first responders.

My Generation (not the Joss version):

I know this is true because Wil Wheaton gets paid to write blogs entries like this.

Stop exporting your dangerous, violent gangs to Peoria. ‘Kay?

On one hand, former Illinois comptroller and attorney general Roland Burris seems a decent about person to serve the remainder at Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat.

But why in the world Burris, at or near the end of his career, wants to taint himself with corruption by associating himself with Rod Blagojevich is beyond me.

It’s not like they are going to let him serve. Secretary of State Jesse White isn’t going to certify the appointment. And if he does, the U.S. Senate will refuse to seat him.

Yes, I know. There are Constitutional issues involved in both scenarios.

But by the time those get sorted out, Blago will be out of office thanks to impeachment, and new Governor Pat Quinn will be able to pick someone who wont be tainted by Blago, which is what the Illinois Constitution says should happen.

Feh.

New posts from Merle Widmer here, here and here.

And the following Blog Peoria Network blogs updated today:

• Peoria Pundit
• PeoriaED
• A Road Less Traveled
• A Knight in Dragonland

And Peoria Pundit is getting some incoming link love from Extreme Wisdom and Peoria Chronicle.

Via Turner Report:

Though its stock is no longer traded on the New York Stock Exchange, GateHouse Media is still active on Pink Sheets trading, but not doing any better.

The last transaction, dated Friday, shows the stock selling for four cents per share.

Seriously, what’s stopping some really, really rich guy with an itch to be a media baron from buying the whole company? Oh, yeah, now I remember: The debt.