F+W is here in town.  It was just a couple of miles from my old home.   I knew them well before they even bought Popular Woodworking from a CA company.  It's been crazy there the last couple of years, laying off a lot of the people that made it what it is.  But I finally did not renew at the end of last year.   Good decision in retrospect.

 

https://blog.lostartpress.com/2019/03/11/an-alternate-ending-for-fw-media/

That is a sad, sad story. And, unfortunately, not unique. 

Sad story, worked for Pepboys for 11 years, got out before the new guy went crazy and started selling luggage and quick margin items.  Think juju beads.

A few years ago, Glen Huey, Bob Lang, and Chuck Bender left under unclear circumstances.   Last year, Megan Fitzpatrick and Brendan Gaffney (a relatively new hire) parted ways with PopWood.   In between there were a number of short-termers.  David Thiel (one of the original crew) was still there doing video production and David Lyell (also a recent hire) along with a couple of other guys I did not know that well.    Steve Shanesy, who really made it mature in the early years has been retired, and Chris Schwarz has gone his own way and is doing a great job.

9 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

That is a sad, sad story. And, unfortunately, not unique. 

Not unique at all.  A common saying is that Gen 1 starts a business, Gen 2 grows the business and Gen 3 wastes the business.  I have seen it happen many many times.

The only thing I disagree with in the article is the disparagement of debt and bankers.  Money and debt are tools.  Used properly they can do great things, used improperly  you can ruin your life.  Just like my table saw, or my pickup truck.

 

Sad to see it go.

24 minutes ago, Cal said:

The only thing I disagree with in the article is the disparagement of debt and bankers.  Money and debt are tools.  Used properly they can do great things, used improperly  you can ruin your life.  Just like my table saw, or my pickup truck.

Quite often we go to the banker to blame, and the debt we inflicted upon ourselves.

In my area our home we purchased took a dive in value during the crash of 08', we owed more than it was worth. During that time it was popular for folks to abandon their homes because their values were flopped. My gut told me to stick it out, we don't have any of our original neighbors that we moved in with, they all foreclosed, not because they couldn't afford the payment, but because they did not like being upside down. They all told me I should do that same, while I smiled at them and nodded my head, my gut was saying, this just isn't right, you signed an agreement with the bank, you signed a contract, and you need to honor that contract, and just because your values went wonky, you think it's right to walk? And leave the banker with all that debt, that you agreed to pay back? Because of all the foreclosures, our area took a hit, it looked bad, but we stuck it out, because we signed a contract, and we were going to show our kids that you don't walk away from a contract, even if it hurts.

We are still here, our value have gone back up, and we are in the black, and life is good, the area came back up, we have great neighbors again, and we never blamed the banks for our woes.

Sorry for spewing words here, but that really chapped my hide when all that was happening, folks can afford the payments, but they walked away from their signatures on the contracts. Losing your job and falling on bad times is one thing, but just walking because your hurt, is another.

The banks, always to blame, the big guy on the hill, everybody hates the rich man, I've never been hired by a poor man.

 

Kudos to you, John for being a parent that sets a good example for their children. You are teaching them ethics, integrity, and honor. This is something that most parents don't teach their kids in today's world. This is why today's generation(s) feel that everything is owed to them and that they deserve to have it by any means necessary.

 

You are teaching your children that they have to work for what they want. There is no free lunch.

 

You are one of the few people that, obviously, still believe that your handshake is as good or better than a written contract. I would do business with you any day, sir.

John I agree...….Sitting in the waiting room yesterday every person in that room had their head stuck in their phones except me.....I guess that is why I am so out of touch with the world...

My wife bought me one of those cheap things at Walmart and it never leaves my desk where the computer is....She does keep it charged but right now I don't even see it here anymore...

  We did request when our kids come to see us to please leave their phones in the car....They actually do that,,,,,,, but every few minutes it gets the best of them and they go wandering out to their cars to see if there are any important messages like what street are you on now or what room are you in now. Just so many important questions that needs answers....

  Yes I do read the news and visit the weather channel before I go out to the shop on the computer but I leave it sitting on the desk at all times....

   I just wish all these companies that provided insurance for these cars would have a clause added to the policy that if a cell phone is on in the drivers seat when an accident occurs then the insurance company will not be responsible... Or something like the motor will not start if a cell phone is on.. Yes I am mean but hey, driving a vehicle needs all of a persons attention not just when one wants to pay attention..

Some more info

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonysilber/2019/03/11/fw-media-citing-debt-decline-and-mismanagement-files-for-bankruptcy-protection/#3e1a31a04355

 

https://www.wcpo.com/money/business-news/venerable-cincinnati-publishing-house-drifts-into-bankruptcy

Edited March 12, 20197 yr by kmealy

Some more info

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonysilber/2019/03/11/fw-media-citing-debt-decline-and-mismanagement-files-for-bankruptcy-protection/#3e1a31a04355

47 minutes ago, Smallpatch said:

I just wish all these companies that provided insurance for these cars would have a clause added to the policy that if a cell phone is on in the drivers seat when an accident occurs then the insurance company will not be responsible...

 

Nice idea except for the fact that your uninsured motorist insurance would go up enough to double your current insurance bill.  It all boils down to someone has to pay and the insurance company isn't going to let it come off their bottom line.

If the magazines wouldn't have offered the online version they may still have a magazine.  Can't read it if you don't buy it.  It's easier to lay a magazine off to the side open to where I left off then to find my place again in the computer.

 

Our local paper used to have a dozen sections to it and now it only has a dozen pages.  It won't be around much longer and it is the only paper in town.  When the local paper goes out the online edition will go with it.

12 minutes ago, HandyDan said:

If the magazines wouldn't have offered the online version they may still have a magazine.  Can't read it if you don't buy it.  It's easier to lay a magazine off to the side open to where I left off then to find my place again in the computer.

 

Our local paper used to have a dozen sections to it and now it only has a dozen pages.  It won't be around much longer and it is the only paper in town.  When the local paper goes out the online edition will go with it.

One of the problems with today's newspapers, are that they don't do any investigative reporting. All they do is regurgitate what every other news outlet spews almost word for word.

 

People want to read about what affects them locally, not what some some media home front across the country wants to spew about things that don't matter locally.

Edited March 12, 20197 yr by schnewj

8 minutes ago, schnewj said:

One of the problems with today's newspapers, are that they don't do any investigative reporting. All they do is regurgitate what every other news outlet spews almost word for word.

  

People want to read about what affects them locally, not what some some media home front across the country wants to spew about things that don't matter locally.

 

You hit that nail on the head.  Don't often see a followup story anymore either.

I really could care less about the karwhatinans and some grande character and where they eat, sleep, or whatever.  More interested in ancient ruins, what went on in my local area and the weather guesstimate for next 10 days for comic relief.

I personally feel that this is a justified end to a questionable magazine.  I subscribed to PW for about a year and was not impressed.  In fact, I built a foldable table from a print in one of their issues.  I don’t recall exactly how many measurement errors there were but there were so many that the table wasn’t buildable using the printed design.  When I called the publisher they basically shrugged their shoulders.   The ensuing mags went directly to the trash.

It's sad to see any publisher meet their demise. But, we've still got People and O. And, for WBBN and me, Mad Magazine is still around.

1 hour ago, Gene Howe said:

nd, for WBBN and me, Mad Magazine is still around.

 

EXACTLY!!!

11 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

And, for WBBN and me, Mad Magazine is still around.

Don't forget @schnewj

What, me worry? NOT.

 

Great satire is priceless.