Summation and Sabbatical

The Salt Dome HQ -- See summary of salt shakings at the bottom of this post 

Someone once told a tired Truman Capote that he shouldn't complain so much about the demands of being a writer. After all, the friend admonished him, Jack Kerouac just sat down and wrote whatever came into his head. Capote replied, "That's not writing, that's typing."

Bloggers know what Capote meant, and so it has been with the Salt Lick. I hate placing this site "on hold," I really do. It's lots of fun. Other projects, however, demand the time otherwise spent keeping the Salt Lick current. When the dust settles, I'll reevaluate and see whether to continue digging or close the salt mine.

In the meantime, I can rest easy knowing Jerry, Steve, Darrell, Spacecraft, "John," Norman, Will, and the folks at WikiRoanoke keep a watchful eye for the days the Roanoke Times careens off into the land of delusion, spleen, and moonbat rage. And hopefully some of the other new blogs popping up all over Virginia will help them as well. I will continue to visit and comment at other sites until I decide what to do with this one. I'll also check the comments on this post periodically if anyone wants to contact me.

I've listed links below that lead to some of my posts detailing Roanoke Times bias. One thing I'm immensely proud of is having assembled a catalogue proving what many SW Virginians allege -- that the Roanoke Times is a mean-spirited, left-wing, Democratic house organ. Publisher Wendy Zomparelli's response to critical readers that "bias lies in the eyes of the beholder" has been revealed for the disingenous, arrogant, dodge it is. In the past nine months she and Tommy Denton have had several opportunities to hire a moderate or conservative to balance their editorial staff. They've chosen each time to hire someone whose past work speaks "left wing" or "liberal." Despite what some journalists think, actions speak louder than words.

The people that control the Roanoke Times have no respect for intellectual diversity; they don't want it at their newspaper. They've become arrogant and dismissive, insular and narrow-minded, bigoted and hateful. The election of George Bush seems to have pushed them into a region of self-righteous rage where they feel justified in doing whatever it takes to twist the citizens of SW Virginia to their agenda. Roanoke no longer has a newspaper written by real journalists, but only bumf onto which is poured the undiapered leavings of incontinent minds.

Frankly, these people are just not that interesting to me anymore. For anyone desirous of stepping in where Salt Lick leaves off, however, here are stories yet to be researched and written:

-- Compilation and posting of the Roanoke Times' most frequent local business advertisers. Ultimately, advertisers are the best way to make a newspaper sit up and listen.

-- Editorial page editor Tommy Denton's career as press aide to Democratic Lloyd Bentsen and his tenure as editor at The Fort Worth Star Telegram, in George Bush's home state of Texas.

-- Editorial page editor Dan Radmacher's views on the evils of capitalism. His published writings on this bear scrutiny.

-- Connections between the owners of Landmark Communications -- the Roanoke Times parent company -- and Virginia Democrats, some of whose campaigns they donate to.

-- Introductory piece on new editorial page editor Luanne Traud. I started this but didn't have time to finish. As I said, she appears to be a reasonable liberal, not a moonbat.

-- A comprehensive study of the RT's "news" side, analyzing the stories Mike Riley chooses, where he puts them, and what headline he writes for them.

OK -- for new readers blundering into the Salt Lick, or for long-time readers wishing to relive the clanging, teeth-grinding screech of posts unmasking the Roanoke Times' bias, here are our "greatest hits."

Bias? Don't believe your lying eyes.

Do Tommy Denton and George Bush go waaaay back?

Tommy Denton gets that old time left-wing religion

God's Democrat

Yes, it's that Dan Radmacher

Attention news editor Mike Riley -- your credibility is in the toilet, even if the Koran isn't

Bill Moyers, Patron Saint of the Roanoke Times

The hypocrisy of Bill Moyers, Patron Saint of the Roanoke Times

Hidden racial prejudice at the Roanoke Times?

Roanoke Times and minorities -- do as I say, not as I do

So the Roanoke Times is racially and intellectually bigoted?

Roanoke Times' fear of intellectual diversity?

Democrats are mostly Jews, blacks, and atheists?

Is the Roanoke Times deceiving the elderly?

Roanoke Times -- the dog that wouldn't bark

Editorial roundup -- Bush McHitlerburton is just plain evil

Pictures are worth a thousand words -- Roanoke Times political cartoon roundup -- Republicans are evil

Cries and Whispers in the Roanoke Times newsroom