Farewell to Cosmo

Under other circumstances, I would have been tempted to say “Don’t let the door hit you in the behind” or “your shoulders can definitely fit through that exit door”But I am concerned for the door and its frame, given Cosmos’….uhh frame.”Good ridance” is the most adequate here.If Cosmo was halfway decent in a sea of mediocracy, that is no reason to hold on to ignorant, illiterate and classless media thugs. Just because you can’t attract great business journalists, you don’t have to hold on to wannabes in the meantime.Bye Cosmo. I hope they have a loading dock that suits your frame over at O’Neill’s. I am sure their big commercial service elevators will work just fine for you as well.This is the smartest move by Cosmo in a long time. He is getting a plush more discreet position ahead of a coming Herald meltdown. Cash in before your back is against the wall in a fire sale.Good luck to him anyway.You assumption about the Globe benefitting from Herald’s woes is a simple-minded one and an over-simplification of the Globe’s problems. To be direct, The Globe’s problems are NOT the Herald. The Globe’s problems are THE GLOBE first and foremost and purse-holders in New York less importantly. It would take no more than FIVE, count them, FIVE great journalists and principled editors to bring the Globe back.The solution is simple. The courage is not there. So let’s not blame Morrissey’s cr@p on the Herald anymore. If anything, the Globe owes the Herald another one these days with Beverly Bekham joining the Globe again these days.It seems they realize they can’t cut back that much more not only on original content specific to this area, but cutting valuable media personalities that are not replaceable easily by bringing som hick from nowhere like a Scott Allen Miller or any other mediocre cheap bum to fill seats.And please don’t give too much credit to the Herald business Section. It is irrelevant. They haven’t done anything substantial in a long long time, if ever. The Gilette coverage award is like giving a MacDonalds cook an award for flipping a burger. So what? There was nothing groundbreaking there.Besides, I am puzzled by your reference to this benign trooper story. Yes we know they love to ticket. They love to fill their coffers but they are also applying the law. DON’T speed and you’ll be fine. But the Herald emphasis on the heavy load on Taxpaye backs of Tolls and traffic tickets and varous other fees and taxes is just a continuation of The Herald’s, Howie Carr’s and Christie Mihos’ familar song of “I am a victimized white taxpayer that works hard to support crimaliens” We’ve all heard it before, what’s new?? Howie has millions in the bank and cries foul at paying tolls. The Herald is out of ideas and prioirties, so you get this State Trooper scrutiny. What was the last time they had piece genuinely thanking the troopers for the good job they do to maintain order and save many from harm? What a bunch of idiotic Herald ingrats…Finally, you touch on the Scalia fiasco. While that was not a great plus on Herald’s list of achievements, it was certainly a disgraceful episode. What was even more astonishing to me and extememly sad was Beat the Press’ reaction of glee. I like and respect the Beat the Press crowd but Emily saying that she enjoyed the fiasco and the whole group launghing it off was very odd and out of place.I disagree with Justice Scalia not only on many many issues and decisions, but also his interpretations and justifications of Law, Natural Law, Constitiuon uses/intents and his place as a judge in the whole process. I could go on for at least two days straight on that subject and pick it apart and analyze his decisions and disagree with many.But in no way that is a free ticket to disparage the guy the way the Herald did or other media corners did, like Emily’s. It is a classic example of beating on an unpopular figure for either circulation gain or self-gratification. It was disgraceful.He is after all a Supreme Court Justice and when he does a gesture as innocuous as he did, he did not deserve to be dragged in the mud for such a childish circumstance.This was petty. This meant that his ideological opponents can’t beat him or shut him up in a court of law or from a lecture stand, but only take cheap satisfaction in bringing him down in a manner where he can not defend himself effectively.If you want to bring Nino down, do it on legal turf and lock horns with him and pick him apart, for the benfit of our Constituion and Law’s health. Don’t disrespect him. That just says a lot about the state of our media ethics and civility.Andy Rooney wouldn’t hold it against him because he is a classy guy with a proper perspective, as grumpy as he is. He would rail on him for the right reasons. Leave it to the petty liberals who don’t have a clue on how to win or take a moral high-ground to try to cash in on that charade.But it gets even more interesting when the instrument that instigated this was none other than the (supposedly) ‘conservative defender of patriotism, principles and ideology, against lewdness and high taxation,’ our own Herald, Purcells pride.What a desperate crass move for the Herald to even go there. No wonder they are going down in flames when they have nothing better to put on the front page and can’t even stand up for ‘their own.’What a disgrace of an organization!No one deserves to be bismirched in that fashion. Whatever happened to the Tip O’Neill brand of politics???N.

What I find strange about N.’s no-class attack on Cosmo is that he seems to have nothing specific about the Herald’s business coverage that he’s upset with.As for the trooper story … well, as someone with a heavy foot who not that many years ago had surcharges on his surcharges, I can relate.

Dear N:Wow. I had almost forgotten that I’ve gotten too fat over the past 10 years.Thanks for reminding me. I’ll work on it.You’re entitled to your opinion. Too bad it has to be anonymous.But I appreciate that you read both papers closely. Your opinion is off the mark, I think, but at least it’s informed.I’m proud of what we’ve done. But of course we can always do more. I’ll have to beg to differ on being irrelevant, though.Too many people in this town have made it known the Herald biz pages are important to them for me to believe otherwise.Funny thing, N. But I’m pretty sure I know who you are.Just curious: Do you still live in your mother’s place? Or are you back in dad’s basement?P.S. – Thanks to Dan for his very kind words. It means a lot to be recognized by someone who watches the press so closely.

Response time:Given that Dan posted a fluff post for Cosmo, I should expect his criticism and trying to comfort Cosmo in the face of harsh crticism, as he should.As a minority myself, I wouldn’t pile on someone for anything that makes them different, but Cosmo and his paper pile on someone, somewhere everyday. Cosmo’s coverage is far from being thorough and balanced. They are small pieces, often hit and run and don’t take the time to dissect all the facets of the business details to help a reader be fully informed and decipher WHERE this story is coming from and how it came about. They don’t have time to care about business and details. THey only want credit for ‘covering’ the stories with their hit and runs.So to say their business coverage is great is not only quite a stretch, it is ludicrous. ANd to illustrate my point, take any relevant business story and compare the Herald’s coverage and the corresopnding coverage from a NYT or WSJ or even a Globe article. It is night and day. ANd this has nothing to do with ideology. It has to do with a complete and business-minded serious coverage.I am sorry, I just don’t see it from the Herald. Yet I don’t hold it against the Herald since the whole world knows the Herald isn’t a business paper nor expects that concentration from them. But to come back and try to jam down our throats that the Herald is an excellent business source is pure fantasy.I understand Dan wanted to post a kind parting post for Cosmo, out of camaradery and civility but be accurate and honest at least. If you are the dean of “classy”, find a “classier” post that is closer to the truth, that would make it a bit “classier” than your piece of distorted reality.If a business leader or executive , starting his day wants to check out the local news scene and business section, the Herald is not the one he is running to first. That’s just a fact.The Herald is no Boston Business Journal. No way.Cosmo had to come on these blogs and try to defend some distortions on his paper and section. Let’s just say he wasn’t the clasiest rep from the Herald to put forward. So from their own style and way they do business, they open themselves to all the harsh criticism one can lobe their way. They didn’t hesitate to slime a sitting Mass Magistrate when he was their foe. The paper is not the classiest; far from. Anyone that accepts a check signed weekly by either Murdoch or protege of his has a character issue.At least he is now on the way to redemption. Maybe he can really watch real business at work and be from the other side and get a real sense of what he belonged to at Herald Sq.How objective is Dan going to be covering any member of the media when he knows them on a personal basis and has to maintain a level of civility and hedge his language?That is an ethical tug that prevents people from getting a transparent and true representation of many things out there. One huge example these days is sports. You have multi-billion dollar ventures pinned on personal relations, securing interviews and access and the fear to offend and breach any such relationships.I understand. Cosmo is a public person, responsible for public messages. I am not. He can take the criticism and should stand up for what he writes and represents. For his response above he deserves credit for a more gracious than usual reaction. And I don’t expect him to say he isn’t proud of what he has been part of or has done. He probably should. No one wants to easily and openly admit he just wasted a long time being part of something, true or not true.But now, he’ll have to opportunity to look at it from the outside and a couple of years from now, he’d be able to say what I said and many believe.Sincerely, good luck to Cosmo. I really want anyone to thrive after they leave the grips of such crappy organizations.But I don’t have to mask the truth to please the crowd looking on one message from one scribe to another.We have enough masks. Not enough gut checks and reality checks.Blogs open that. Spineless despots want to close them, like that wimpy message from 4:58 PM.Enough charades, people.If The Herald and Globe had enough no nonsense and absolute dedication to their coverage with no sugar-coating and more honest assessment, they wouldn’t BE where they are today. They’d be thriving in one of the most thriving areas in the whole world, for Pete’s sakes. Instead they are moribond at best, if not on the verge on insolvency.I wish newspapers were non-profits with a dedicated mission and no worries about profit, only covering their costs and salaries.But if they don’t want to and want to be stock-listed businesses, then ACT like a business. You can’t lie in a business. You can’t fabricate. You can’t stall. You can’t cut corners. If you cheat in accounting or advertsing messages or law courts, you’d be punished and fined. If you slack off, you are out of business. If you sugar coat, you end up with upset creditors, employees or customers or shareholders. You forget you target audience, your profits disappear…so….again…Why do you want me to sugarcoat ????I know I won’t hear from people who agree with me but I hope my message is loud and clear.And Cosmo, please drop that thuggish ” I know who you are” line used here before. I know the Herald wants to sound intimidating but stick to responding. If you really do, then give me a call and let’s take our respective families for a barbecue and hash out our thoughts over a beer. Somehow I think I’ll be waiting for a long time. Otherwise, write more poignant stuff please, here or on your “business” section.N.

I think N’s post is worthless. But I was really disappointed with Cosmo’s response:”Just curious: Do you still live in your mother’s place? Or are you back in dad’s basement?”I haven’t read Cosmo’s column in a while. But if it contains these types of petty insults, I can understand why some people are happy to see him go.

Whatever, Dan… Neither have you provided me with any specific big contributions on record. Very vague attributions.Cosmo managed the busines section for a lot shorter time than his overall tenure in the Herald. So business or no business section, Cosmo or no cosmo, I am talking about what they do in general. The culture and style that permeates ALL the paper sections.I love that 8:00Am post. Another simple-minded ignoramus with the classic trick to brush aside others’ views. Republicans have been very adept at doing that, trying to emulate Reagan when he first did that. Except, that they are losing on every front, it isn’t proving as useful or making the issues go away by brushing them aside, like this retard was trying to do. I see where you are coming from, Anon. By the way, Dan, did I miss your farewell post to a truly classy guy who has only been around these airwaves for some 40-odd years and especially coming out of a very sensitive and dangerous surgery. His name is Gary Lapierre.I may be wrong, but I missed that “classy” send-off.Or is it that you are not buddy buddy with him as much as others you run into more than you’d encouter him since he’s been ‘hiding’ too much down in Florida???He is a truly classy guy and a great classic Boston voice you’d associate with this town.What gives????Or do you only have time “between classes” for fluff pieces on colleagues like that misinforming Laurel Leff post?N.

Curious exactly what “N.” stands for. For someone so modest he sure loves the sound of his own voice. For someone so sure of himself he would appear to lack some strength of conviction.

Damn you’re windy. don’t you have a job or some dishes to wash or something?

CAPS ARE MY ADDITION N to Boston: Stay Classy “…that is no reason to hold on to ignorant, illiterate and CLASSLES media thugs.”“Andy Rooney wouldn’t hold it against him because he is a CLASSY guy.”“If you are the dean of “CLASSY”, find a “CLASSIER” post that is closer to the truth, that would make it a bit “CLASSIER” than your piece of distorted reality.”“Let’s just say he wasn’t the CLASIEST rep from the Herald to put forward. So from their own style and way they do business, they open themselves to all the harsh criticism one can lobe their way. They didn’t hesitate to slime a sitting Mass Magistrate when he was their foe. The paper is not the CLASSIEST.”“I missed that “CLASSY” send-off. Or is it that you are not buddy buddy with him as much as others you run into more than you’d encouter him since he’s been ‘hiding’ too much down in Florida??? He is a truly CLASSY guy and a great CLASSIC Boston voice … He is a truly CLASSY guy and a great CLASSIC Boston voice you’d associate with this town.”Try Flossing next time, do that.“Another simple-minded ignoramus with the classic trick to BRUSH aside others’ views. Republicans have been very adept at DOING THAT, trying to emulate Reagan when he first DID THAT. Except, that they are losing on every front, it isn’t proving as useful or making the issues go away by BRUSHING them aside.”Two hit and runs in one night“They are small pieces, often HIT AND RUN and don’t take the time to dissect all the facets of the business details to help a reader be fully informed and decipher WHERE this story is coming from and how it came about. They don’t have time to care about business and details. THey only want credit for ‘covering’ the stories with their HIT AND RUNS.”N’s problem is Globe Problems “…an over-simplification of the GLOBE’S PROBLEMS. To be direct, THE GLOBE’S PROBLMES are NOT the Herald. THE GLOBE’S PROBLEMS are THE GLOBE…” These days are getting better and better“If anything, the Globe owes the Herald another one THESE DAYS with Beverly Bekham joining the Globe again THESE DAYS.”Ouch! N has some more piles”I wouldn’t PILE on SOMEONE for anything that makes them different, but Cosmo and his paper PILE on SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE everyday.”Too Snobby”I can’t seem to understand what exactly your asking, in your SNOBBY little style. That name just sounds like some bitter SNOBBY little affirmative action light-weight”N: Cosmo is my business”COSMO managed the BUSINESS section for a lot shorter time than his overall tenure in the Herald. So BUSINESS or no BUSINESS section, COSMO or no COSMO …”Let’s just be friends instead “Or is it that you are not BUDDY BUDDY with him.”

Fascinating??? Are you kidding me? No wonder this new generation of media people, with low standards and low bars, have poor judgement.It doesn’t take much to entertain you, Jules.To clarify, your name sounds like a chick’s. You look like an arrogant jock…sound like one too.And that play of words is a tepid one. That should be above the pale for someone who has the CV you do – on the surface. Not much to be said on how it shaped your ethics and effectiveness and competence so far. Or you are just being a cretin-dden…(like those word plays??)Listen, why can’t you, as well as Dan and the many anonymous media types on here, who supposedly live and breath the First Amendement or at least pretend to defend it and uphold it, try to respect other -regular- people’s basic exercise of it???I can’t wrap my mind around the fact that people on a “Media Critic” webite would be ostacized for speaking their mind, however unpopular and direct of a style, short or long.I can’t think of a better profession that projects, protects, promotes and lives by the First Amendement. Lawyers and Politicians could have ulterior motives but Journalists, for a long time at least, have been more assiduous, more reliable and were paid far less for it.I can’t even think of the last lawyer that died or was jailed for protecting his or her Nation’s right to a Free Press and Freedom of Expression for its people. We know how many jouranlist lose their lives and freedom almost every week for doing just that.And to hear these twerps on this site, try to pressure others just because it isn’t an opinion they like out in the open is beyond insulting to the spirit of the nation and your practice, it is shameful and counterintuitive.As much as I have liked Dan for a long time and think he is a decent man, he is a poor steward to this site: He fosters this atmostphere of censorship and guilt. The Only Free Speech he likes is one he shares. He has contempt for dissenters and the middle of the country that is on a very different planet from him.A couple of years ago, he wrote an unflattering piece about the Herald and these are a couple of quotes:”With each day, the tabloid (Boston Herald) was looking more and more like Rupert Murdoch’s lurid New York Post,” – Dan Kennedy from a Phoenix article in April 2004 (http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/top/features/documents/03720736.asp)And this response:”Dan Kennedy of the Boston Phoenix basically declares war on the Boston Herald in this Rhyme of The Ancient Mariner-length ode to the Globe.” – Cosmo Macero, Jr., Boston Herald columnistOnly a couple of years ago, guys and girls…what a sea change you say, right??? Or is it just a colleague hugging another with politeness…The Herald is the Herald. We give it its credit when it deserve it and it should be crticized when it deserves.I did just that. Some don’t like it? Tough. There are examples of Cosmo calling people he is reporting on names and his paper is a treasure trove of such practice. This indignation over criticism going the other way now, however dry and brash is disingenious.When I wrote my 1:18 AM post, there were stories coming through the wires of FIVE GIs losing their lives in Iraq.That Sir, is nowhere to be seen in the Herald Front pages or first pages for the next couple of days. It is always buried somewhere, pardon the pun. Now you have been in those neck of the woods for them. Tell me what is the use and principle behind sending someone like you to cover such conflicts and they don’t even run the facts, concentrating on the sentaional and hitting out at People they don’t like. Example: On April 9th, splashed on PageOne is a story about Judge Gregory Phillips.Now, that story is newsworthy but is it Number One that day??It is a gotcha paper with a lockerroom style.You want a brilliant Business Herald piece?? How about this one:http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=134582That's when options trading meets lottery betting written in bookie style.Or this unfolding scandal of ….undersized chocolate, on the heels of the Monster Flake drama:http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=134579Give me a break!Why should I mute and mask and sugar my post when media critics are MIA, afraid to burn bridges more than doing what they are supposed to do.So, Jules, are you for or against Freedom of Speech? Are you for or against no-nonsense media? Are you for or against honest appraisals and not hypocrisy and fake smiles??I don’t expect an answer…I’ll look at your work down the road and see if your work is a useful body or a self-serving incomplete work in progress.Cheers,N.

“If someone verbally kicks the stuffing out you, that’s free speech.”Wow, scary how ignorant that statement is.Now we nave journalists who don’t make a diff between Free Speech and violating criminal statutes.What a sorry thing to say, Dan. You aren’t helping your cause.I have a lot to learn still. SO do you and most people. There is no absolute knowledge. It never ends. ANd misguided people still have to be corrected.But I can teach you this:Along with Free Speech, comes the Freedom NOT to hear or agree with it. No one can be forced to listen or agree with an opinion. If you don’t like it, turn away. That’s what your ellitist unfair climate you foster doesn’t allow or accomplish. You condoen witchhunts of speech you dislike.There are open questions as of whether actions and appearance is Free Seech or should it be regulated under a different umbrella. The Supreme Court I believe is taking on the issue this year of whether Nudity for example is Free Speech. So don’t be parsing words here, being cute.Respond directly to my critique and don’t get all riled up with some crazy out of wack statements.FYI, researching quotes, the one I found and posted DID NOT contain the part you added. I didn’t leave it out on purpose, but I still take responsibiltiy for it missing.But the bigger pont I meant there still stands:a- You have your own harsh criticisms of the Herald, eventhough it performs slightly better these days, it doesn’t absolve your past blasts. So this Cosmo kissy deal is not the full picture. I tried to paint the whole picture.b- It’s ok for you to criticize the Herald but NOT for others to do so. Get it???N.