Urban Legend?

I heard of a similar case a few years ago. The kid was raised by the gorillas and became a very successful lawyer. Mergers and acquisitions, I believe.

Excuse me, but before, um, actually ruining or damaging the reputation of the Bloomfield Camp should you call them first for a comment? (or confirmation or denial?)

A post from the public is one thing, but a story is another.

Don't even "citizen journalists" have some responsibility when transmitting what may be misinformation?

I would imagine that the reputation for safe child care is at the center of any day camp's prized qualities.

Anyone who has seen Home Alone knows how easily this could happen!!!

Ah, walleroo: it's only 98% of the lawyers that give the other 2% those bad reputations.

Nothing about this in the local media outlets (although Mr. Greene is mentioned prominently). I would think a 12-year old would be mature enough to figure out what to do. I mean, the guy that configures and manages my computer systems is only 11 1/2.

My best trip to tyhe zoo happened in the evening a few years ago. there were no screaming kids, the sun wasn't beating down and the aniamsl were far more active in the evening than in the daytime.

Walleroo's post was funny.

I believe you, conan. And I feel your pain. Incidentally, anytime you want to throw barbs at journalists, you have a free pass from me, who am one.

In this age of parent paranoia where mommies practically disinfect the ground the kids trod upon, how does one get lost in the Bronx?

walleroo: why harpoon yourself? I myself once considered journalism as a noble and profitable calling. When I found out I could make much more money as a part-time greeter at Wal-Mart, I took up technical writing instead. And, we do owe it to Ms. Segal not to discourage her this early in her career.

Frosty:

re: "...how does one get lost in the Bronx?" One crosses the GW Bridge, then the Harlem River, and takes either a right or a left.

And you can always tell the real suburban kids: their mothers make them wear helmets to play checkers.

Conan
(a born-and-brung-up Bronx guy)

You yam what you am, yes, walleroo? Just like Popeye?

I didn't know Walleroo was a journalist. This explains his "independent" status. I think most journalists are required to register this way, no?

(I think most journalists are required to register this way, no?)

ROC
No.

But we are not allowed to participate in activities that are deemed partisan- ie fundraising, rallies, campaign volunteer work... stuff of that ilk.

But voting is personal, and we are allowed to register anyway we like.

Is everyone here a reporter - past or present?

Interesting that with all the reporters around here it was left to me (the non-reporter) to rap the knuckles of the Barista about an unsubstantiated "report" which might result in injury to the reputation of a local day camp.

...interesting.

Barista - see what happens when are too nice to trolls? They'll bite the hand that feeds 'em!

ROC, I believe "the Bloomfield camp" is generic and unspecified, but I'll leave it to your advanced Googling skills to prove me wrong. The way I saw the story, this was a rumor about an unspecified kid at an unspecified camp and framed as an urban legend.

And yes we're all journalists in Baristaville. It took you til now to figure it out?

Well I am loathe to get into a parsing-pissing contest with a journalist, but in my grammatically challenged brain "the Bloomfield Camp" implies a proper name as in "the camp named Bloomfield" or, perhaps the only camp in Bloomfield, as opposed to "a Bloomfield Camp" which is unspecified.

But in either case, I wonder how many camps in Bloomfield there are which accept 12 year olds?

At any rate why not "source" the story (to use a parlance for which I am unqualified) before running it?

But, all in all, with all the members of the fourth estate running around your pages who clearly have no problem with the story as is (which I find interesting), I am clearly out of my league and off base with my criticism.

ROC - My guess is that the Barista must have worked for the NY Times...well known for 'sourcing' their reporter's work.

Well, now I'll step in to defend the Barista whom I genuinely like and respect. (mostly because she puts up with me.)

She is noooooo Jason Blair, John!

And Baristanet, as valuable as it is, doesn't fancy itself the "blog of record".

My problem is that I always imagine myself the owner or administrator of the "camp" in question and wonder how it must feel to see such a report, if untrue, even if peppered with responsibility avoiding "outs" such as qualified lingo.

That, or I have been reading waaay too much buzzmachine.

ROC: Quoting the famous Barista blogger 'Conan the Grammarian'...

"A word of warning: news will be treated sarcastically here, and sarcasm will be debated as if it is holy writ."

Say goodnight Dick

Is this blog considered reporting? I always thought of it as a gossip column. "I heard it through Baristanet"--a questionable source--but entertaining!

The people of a conservative persuasion who post here are hardly "trolls," despite a remark to the contrary above. Somewhat gnomish at times, maybe. But nowhere near as true and deep a source of night terrors as cant-spouting lefties at full ideological bore.

I'm tempted to add that the term "reporter" conveys more of an ongoing commitment to accuracy than "journalist." But the trade can't even really make that claim anymore, can it? (And yet there was some surprise when I referred to "New Grub Street" as a spiritual reality last week.)

cathar,
Love the line - "cant-spouting lefties at full ideological bore." The first name that pops in my mind is Chuckie Schumer.

I just realized this (but I always seem to be ahead of the Barista on the "day watch," for some reason): today is Bastille Day in the homeland (and the extensive colonial possessions, lefties please take note) of our erstwhile allies, the French. How come no one else has remarked on this? Is there to be no dancing on the cobblestones of Church Street, no Piaf or Johnny Hallyday songs on the jukebox at Egan's, no Champagne uncorked over dinner tonight?

(Please, please, please, please, Lord, let it be because others are as tired of the country that counts as its national hero a true oppressor of everywhere else in Europe as I am.)

"Somewhat gnomish at times, maybe."

I like to think of myself more as "puckish."

Anyway, I DO want to read the book to which your refer, "New Grub Street," although I can't help myself from making a reference to Lizzie Grubman whenever I see the title. :-)

(How come no one else has remarked on this?)

Ok ok, a Frenchie won today's stage in the Tour de Lance... how appropriate ne cest pas?

"Interesting that with all the reporters around here it was left to me (the non-reporter) to rap the knuckles of the Barista..."

Not interesting, really. For one thing, it would be rather cheeky and unprofessional to publicly critique or edit another journalist's work, though for a non-pro that's fair game. Also, Barista seems to me to be trying to balance factual reporting with lighter fare, which ain't easy, and she does (they do) a pretty darned good job of it on the whole. We wouldn't want Barista to be too much like the Gray Lady, now would we?

The Barista merely quoted a 'Bloomfield Forum' blogger who used the phrase "the Bloomfield Camp." That person started with "Today I heard" then immediately jumped to the conclusion that the rumor was true. No libelous Chicken Little is our Barista: she requested confirmation or denial, like a good journalist should.

Yet it seems that whenever an item in this Wunder-blog receives more than 4.37 responses, the intercourse degrades into polarized political petulance. Everything presented here does not have to be sorted into conservative vs. liberal, Bush vs. Kerry, gnome vs. ogre, etc. vs. etc.

No matter which particular camp one attends (or is abandoned by in the Bronx), sometimes a cigar truly is just a cigar. Sorry Monica.

Now, where were we? Oh yes: DATELINE: Fordham Road at the Bronx River Parkway...

"ROC - My guess is that the Barista must have worked for the NY Times...well known for 'sourcing' their reporter's work."

J.Blair, Oh, it's so easy to criticize. Would that all your work were published for all to see...

> Tour de Lance

LOL!

(> Tour de Lance

LOL)

I have to say Chris, I am OBSESSED with this race... and Lance.

It is pathetic...I make them bring the feed in at work so I can watch it.

Luckily, my boss is also a huge fan, and an avid bike rider so it's all good.

Please, Pam, make that "avid bicycle rider." Bikers are 1000 ccs or better (save for vintage Trumpets, which are allowed into the pantheon at 750.)

Years ago, there was a film project on the Tour de Lance (yes!, great usage) to which Dustin Hoffman was attached for some years, called "The Yellow Jersey." I found that scary whether we call them bikes or bicycles. And please, please, please, please, Lord, let Lance win this one too and cast the country that sank the "Rainbow Warrior" forever into the Hall of Athletic Also-Rans.

Pam,
Or chivalrous on the part of Lance?

Conan
So anything goes as long as you are quoting someone else, no matter how wrong or unfounded? No need to make any determination of veracity? Even in terms of likelihood. Say, now, this is starting to resemble the practice of Modern Journalism in all its glory!

Walleroo, "unprofessional" to question or criticize a colleague? Heard of the concept of "peer review"? Better you all should "hang together", eh? Wow.

If that is the state of ethics in the modern press corps it is little wonder it is "us vs. them".

(imagine a doctor telling you "I don't want to question my colleague, so I am afraid I can't offer a second opinion")

yikes.

(Pam,
Or chivalrous on the part of Lance?)

ROC - could be... but he does like to win stages... so I dunno.

actually, it's jayson blair. not jason blair.

Geez,
Didn't the French help in our battle for independence? If not for them, we could still be a British colony dealing with our Royals in the tabloids.

But then we returned the (big, yes) favor twice, Paz. Two World Wars! Here is a true political rule to live by: never, ever, trust any nation that has not produced a great rock and roll band. (I know that leaves out so many countries, but roll with it, it's the "Coalition of the Rockers.") That alone is reason enough to forever distrust France and Germany, but, strangely, not Sweden, which at least gave us ABBA. Remember St. Lucy's Day next December, Barista!

Gee, is it off-topic to go back to the topic after it's veered off-topic?

Yes, it is "the Bloomfield camp." The town camp, run by the recreation department, based in town. The only camp in Bloomfield, too, making it even more "the" Bloomfield camp. The kids go to Brookdale School and participate in summer activities and field trips so the moms and dads can keep going to work without having to put the kids on buses out to East Jbip.

So, Alison, as the only one here who might actually know: did a kid get left in the Bronx?

You still miss my point, ROC. This space -- and the interesting and eclectic group of regulars who inhabit it -- regularly displays news, rumor, innuendo, and other juicy tidbits that may or may not be based in reality, but are certainly effective pot stirrers. If incorrectly-based accusations occurred, they occurred in the NJO Blog, not in that of Bloomfield Avenue.

IMHO it is perfectly OK in this type of interactive conversation to quote a statement and ask for confirmation, denial, or comment or just expound on it as if it were truth. But for the Internet, how else would Pierre Salinger have known that friendly fire brought down the TWA flight to Paris?

But it took until the 37th post for us to learn the real name of the camp, and we still don't know if a camper truly was left behind in the wilds of the Occupied Bronx. Not very good reportorial journalism, eh?

Baristanet the microcosm

I don't know the truth of it - the kids I know who attend the town camp aren't old enough to have gone on the trip. However, as the veteran of many a school field trip, I can tell you that it's entirely possible. We even had one trip where a bus driver was left behind (the bus company will never be used again - the trip would have been a comedy of errors had it been funny.)

Kudos to Konan for your sagacity and sanity when the Blog gets out of hand..."he intercourse degrades into polarized political petulance. Everything presented here does not have to be sorted into conservative vs. liberal, Bush vs. Kerry, gnome vs. ogre, etc. vs. etc."

I must temper my blather from always turning into political petulance

Alison, uh ... that wasn't DeCamp by any chance, was it? There are several drivers on that line who need to get lost. Permanently.

(Oh Goodie! Another blatant digression!)

Conan

"...that wasn't DeCamp by any chance, was it? There are several drivers on that line who need to get lost. Permanently."

MWHAHAHAHAHAH!