Jeez Berger: Unreal Takes the Pulse of the STL via Jerry Berger (October 30 Edition)

Our years apart have not dimmed the torch Unreal carries for former Post-Dispatch gossip columnist Jerry Berger. (Now that we think of it, make that "former Post-Dispatch and Globe-Democrat gossip columnist Jerry Berger"!) Yet we realize that not every St. Louisan follows the Bergermeister's journalistic peregrinations as loyally and breathlessly as we do.

So for those who don't regularly check in on JB's newish website, bergersbeat.com, we offer highlights of Berger's most recent dispatch, dated today, October 30.

Jer's lead item, "Pressing On," is a scoop and a half! He reveals that one cost-cutting measure Lee Enterprises is mulling for the Post involves removing the giant bottles of water the company provides via coolers. Even better, Berger writes that "publisher Kevin Mowbray has spent more than $160,000 to outfit his new office on the sixth floor. Costs include $48,500 for his private bathroom, that includes black fixtures. More than $2,000 was paid to install light switches. Then, there is the matter of a plasma, wide-screen television price-tagged at about $3,000."

Sadly, Berger's sensitive nose for news did sniff out one truffle that turns out to be rotten...  Cautions the scribe:

CONSUMER BEWARE: They're at it again!  This time, it's a phone call from an individual describing himself as an AT&T service technician, who said he was conducting a test on the telephone lines.  He stated that in order complete the test, the person on the other end of the call should touch nine, zero and # and then hang up. Upon contacting the phone company, our source was informed that by pushing 90#, you're giving the requesting person full access to your telephone line, which enables him to place long-distance calls billed to your phone number. Do not dial 90# for anyone!