R.I.P., Carlos

Sad news that the Miami Herald's Carlos Mielgo has died. It was not unexpected but still a blow. Carlos arrived in the newsroom, from corporate headquarters, after Knight-Ridder moved to California. Although there was often no love lost between news and corporate staffs, Carlos' helpfulness and good nature endeared him to many, quickly.

Keeping track of newsroom expenses is a thankless job, and has been in these decades of expense cutting. But somehow Carlos always managed to find a way to get my expensive database subscriptions covered. And he always had the best gossip. How could you not love that?

I didn't know about Carlos' career in the Air Force, cut short by 'Don't ask, don't tell'. What a loss for the service.

So, here's a salute to Carlos, and to the people who believe in journalism enough to endure the tedious paperwork involved in keeping it afloat amid dire straits. Vaya con Díos....