621 replies to this topic

[Bob Fugger]

^odd.

On a sidenote, David Obie (sp?) will be taking over the Editor-in-Chief position from Acting Editor-in-Chief Denise Helm. Denise Helm took over after Lucinda Choden departed for Edmonton.

Maybe he can look at upgrading their mobile site so it isn't so damned buggy. It is just awful trying to read a TC article on my iPhone - it keeps looping back to the home page for absolutely no reason.

[Aloha Jones]

Maybe he can look at upgrading their mobile site so it isn't so damned buggy. It is just awful trying to read a TC article on my iPhone - it keeps looping back to the home page for absolutely no reason.

Their website is indeed buggy. I'm a paper subscriber, I have a log-in user ID but when I try to read an article on-line my screen is obscured by a sign-in box asking for my ID/pw, which I provide and which is rejected even though I am already logged in. I have contacted the TC and received quasi-technical bafflegab. Anybody else having similar troubles? TIA

[VicHockeyFan]

8am and no web edition yet today.

Wikipedia:

According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the average daily paid circulation for the Times Colonist, Tuesday to Friday, was 57,823 for the six months ending March 31, 2011. This a drop of 10.3% from the previous year. As a result the paper is attempting to raise revenue by charging readers who read more than twenty on-line digital articles a month.

Wow, they used to hit over 90,000 in the early 90's.

Has Glacier taken possession now?

[Sparky]

I think so. They are paying their bills again.

[VicHockeyFan]

I think so. They are paying their bills again.

Ya, the "pay no bills" transition period of a take-over is very funny to watch (except to those owed payments I suppose). I'm guessing it keeps lots of lawyers paid well in large take-overs.

8:36am, today's edition is up.

[gumgum]

This paper is a sinking ship.

[gumgum]

Btw, Metro papers are coming to town. Another nail in the coffin.

Sorry, didn't mean to edit, meant to quote.

[Mike K.]

Like Ms. B. Havin has said many a time, the TC tries to "own" the news by refusing to direct readers to sources of some of the news it reports and it's oftentimes editorialized news alienates readers.

Most VV readers won't know this, but several years ago when the TC caught wind that we had agreed to sponsor the Baroque Festival they threatened to pull their sponsorship if VV has allowed to remain as a sponsor. In short we were politely thanked and asked to step down as a supporter by the organizer. And this was several years ago before VV had picked up steam.

So if the TC reaches some 60k readers a day, how many of those are in Victoria? 40k maybe?

[martini]

Most VV readers won't know this, but several years ago when the TC caught wind that we had agreed to sponsor the Baroque Festival they threatened to pull their sponsorship if VV has allowed to remain as a sponsor. In short we were politely thanked and asked to step down as a supporter by the organizer. And this was several years ago before VV had picked up steam.

How chintzy

[Sparky]

Btw, Metro papers are coming to town. Another nail in the coffin.

I think Metro will be digital only in Victoria though.

[martini]

Review: Paul Rodgers looked and sounded terfific
http://www.timescolo...4078/story.html

oops

[Holden West]

Terrific + Fabulous = Terfific

[Mike K.]

Terfific, Victotria. The MSM lose its spell checker budget?

[Hotel Mike]

I was there. Awesome!! Warm up band, The Flu, also blew the house away.

[VicHockeyFan]

Alright, I've got some time here to pick this apart...

http://www.timescolo...8825/story.html

Five teenagers, four from the Cowichan Valley and one from Langley, are fortunate to have survived two nights in the woods after the pickup truck they were riding in ran out of gas in the woods southwest of Lake Cowichan.

First off, I don't think they are that lucky to survive. I think they'd be unlucky if they died. I mean, it was just two nights.

Two 17-year-old females, one 18-year-old male and two 19-year-old males went for a drive Monday night onto the McLure Mainline logging road, 14 kilometres from Caycuse.

OK, but then...

On Tuesday, one of the males walked to his home in Caycuse, a distance of about 20 km, and telephoned his father for help. But a snowstorm had moved in, and the father and son were unable to reach the others.

OK, so maybe they went for a drive onto the McLure Mainline road, then 6 km up it (?)

But the map doesn't show that to make sense:

About 11 p.m. Tuesday, a search commenced involving members from the Cowichan Search and Rescue and three members of the Sno-Blazers snowmobile club.

It took about 90 minutes for the snowmobilers to reach the stranded truck, said Rob Hanna, president of the Sno-Blazers club...

...En route to the stranded group at 4 a.m. Wednesday, the searchers found the two females, who had walked several kilometres in an attempt to get out and had collapsed in the snow, said Hanna.

I'm having trouble following this timeline.

The snowmobilers went back and got the two remaining males, getting them out to the Caycuse fire department by 6 a.m., when they were taken to hospital for routine examinations.

Who knows. Anyway, these kids made two big mistakes. Well, they made a bunch with regards to fuel, blankets etc. But more importantly:

Two 17-year-old females, one 18-year-old male and two 19-year-old males went for a drive Monday night onto the McLure Mainline logging road, 14 kilometres from Caycuse.

They brought one too many males to ensure a good time. Brutal mistake.

[Sparky]

^ Maybe the extra guy was supposed to buy the gas, bring the satellite phone and the map. Then again maybe he just brought the booze.

Nice work inspector.

[sebberry]

You mean people go into the back woods without a sat phone, flares, GPS, and enough provisions to last for three days?

[Sparky]

^ I know.....what the hell were they thinking?

I carry that stuff whenever I venture to Fernwood and Gladstone

OK.... maybe it's for the trip home.

[Mike K.]

I know those roads well and would never, under any circumstance travel them without proper tools and equipment. I've been caught in a sudden snow storm out there before (the very same area, coincidentally) and the going was rough but luckily I had the right vehicle for the conditions. It's quite amazing how much snow can accumulate in a relatively short amount of time west of Cowichan Lake and how easy it is to lose your bearings when the gravel road disappears under a blanket of snow. By night you'd be hard pressed to find your way out unless you knew the roads well (If you're not familiar you can forget about reading a map under those conditions).

This incident will hopefully serve as a warning for anyone who wants to venture out along those roads and has little to no experience driving up steep inclines on windy gravel roads in what can be dramatically changing weather conditions.

As an aside, several years ago I was about to travel down Gordon Main (which connects to McLure through the network of logging roads) and was warned by individuals in Port Renfrew who had come upon a pickup truck stranded along the mainline just a day or two prior. The driver had fallen through six feet of snow and was literally stuck on the road and had no way of alerting anyone for help. What had happened was he drove onto a section of the road which had iced over and eventually caved under the weight of his truck. Prior to falling through he had no idea he was driving on snow and ice several feet thick.

[VicHockeyFan]

Times-Colonist:

...are fortunate to have survived two nights in the woods after the pickup truck they were riding in ran out of gas in the woods southwest of Lake Cowichan.

CFAX:

The group had gone four wheel driving on Monday, but became stranded when their jeep ran out of gas.