The Kingpins of Cowtown

Finally, some details about Martin

Earlier in the day, the lawyer for local radio DJ Russ Martin said the assault case would be dismissed quickly. Probably wishes he hadn't said that now.

Who does Martin think he is, Batman?

Clues in the Russ Martin mystery

A few more details on the Russ Martin arrest. But not much considering he's one of the top radio personalities in DFW. His lawyer has told him to be quiet, and that makes sense, but that doesn't explain why the police are being so secretive. See my aforementioned conspiracy theory.

He wasn't on the air Monday, but word is he'll be back Tuesday and here's his statement from Frontburner. Tune in tomorrow.

Why the Russ Martin mystery?

The radio talker got arrested Friday while working out at Larry North's in Southlake. The arrest warrant was for assault with a deadly weapon. But details have been hard to come by.

Wonder why? One conspiracy theory lies here.  I also wonder if he'll be on the air today. Tune in at 3.

Crawling out from under a cloud

Sorry I haven't blogged much lately. Just haven't felt like funning.

Times have been pretty rough 'round here at the Star-T, where 130 people -- 50 in the newsroom -- have lost their jobs recently. For many, they're losing their professional identities, too.

Journalism has always been more of a mission than a job. Be a cynic if you want, but everybody I know who is in this business considers it a calling ... to tell stories, to deconstruct tough issues, to protect the public and hold leaders accountable, to uncover human interest stories, to make readers laugh (and cry), and to reflect our communities.

It isn't to make money or be famous, or even to bowl with celebrities ('cept for me).

No matter how bleak the outlook has been in our industry the last few years -- and ours certainly isn't the first newspaper company to lay people off -- journalists stick it out because we love what we do. Readers just don't love us back the way they used to. And, I'm not gonna lie, it hurts.

Helping my friends and colleagues pack their things and bid farewell to the craft we cherish has been heartbreaking. But I've been struck by just how classy their exits have been. In their hours of uncertainty, all have offered words of encouragement to those of us staying afloat for now.

They've talked about being lucky and feeling honored to do this work for 10, 15, 20 years. And about the opportunities we all still have "to share stories that matter, to shine a light in corners that need cleaning, to make noise about problems in real people’s lives."

It's inspiring, really. But also sad.

Last night, I took advantage of one of the many perks of working for the Star-Telegram -- a free ticket to see Monty Python's Spamalot at Bass Hall. And it felt great to laugh. Some of the friends who will be leaving the S-T were there, too, and when King Arthur and his dancing knights broke into "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," I smiled ... and nearly shed a tear.

And with that as my new theme song, I now return you to the regularly scheduled silliness of this blog. Check out this titillating story from Slate about how boobs might just power your iPod.

-- Kingpin

Don't hate Nike, just the Nike ad

Not to sound like a cranky old man, but here's a high-gloss version of what's wrong with sports today.

Sure, it's just a Nike ad, but somewhere there's a rage-aholic Little League dad watching it and getting a bit too revved up. Or a high school football player trying to resist the urge to take steroids, who'll see this and give it a another thought. Or a little kid who will think it's OK to be a trash-talker because, well, LT of the San Diego Chargers is doing it right there on my TV.

It's a shame, I think, that Nike has to resort to that to keep up with the UnderArmors of the world. 

Sermonizing, over and out.

No more Weekly World News in print

They're taking away another one of my guilty pleasures at the supermarket checkout lane.

Next month, The Weekly World News won't be publishing any more. The last issue is Aug. 27.

I always would stand in the longest line at the supermarket so I would have time to peruse this latest black-and-white tabloid with its eye-catching headlines. That's where I found out that a "SPACE ALIEN BACKS BUSH FOR PRESIDENT!" (see above photo)

So now where am I going to get the latest on Bat Boy? Or Elvis? Or Bigfoot?

Well, actually, you can get them online now. The Weekly World News will be available exclusively in cyberspace.

But it's not going to be the same.

That kind of stuff is all over the Internet anyway. No novelty.

In its pulp form, The Weekly World News was something that made a trip to the supermarket special. You didn't mind the people ahead of you getting ready to check out with a fistful of coupons. Or the dimwit check-writer who didn't make out his check until his total was rung up.

My Weekly World News fix made the whole supermarket trip tolerable.

Now, I'm going to have to take my laptop with me on my next grocery run. Man, I hope they have a Wi-Fi hot spot.

-- Tommy Cummings | tcummings@star-telegram.com