Honestly, you meet the most appalling sort of people....

Giles ,'Chosen'


Natter .38 Special  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


Nutty - Sep 19, 2005 11:47:21 am PDT #8954 of 10002
"Mister Spock is on his fanny, sir. Reports heavy damage."

Were you doing them any good, though?

Well, talking up and linking articles. I wouldn't subscribe, but other people might. Really, though, it's hard to be the paper of record if large numbers of people can't/won't read you.

am I to believe that reporters swallowed government pronouncements without doubting them much?

How long did the gay porn star ask softball questions in the White House press room before somebody cried foul? Four years. Now, it's downright likely that everybody knew the gay porn star was a walking bamboozle, but didn't feel like they had the audience mandate to pursue it. Still and all, that's the whole point of muckraking journalism -- your audience doesn't know how badly they're being bamboozled, and it's your job to unboozle them.

The Times did a retrospective, some months after we invaded Iraq, and admitted in print that they'd swallowed the republican party line like a big, stupid flounder. They swore to be more skeptical, but it only shows up on alternate Thursdays.


§ ita § - Sep 19, 2005 11:51:05 am PDT #8955 of 10002
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

Really, though, it's hard to be the paper of record if large numbers of people can't/won't read you.

Weren't they the paper of record before putting stuff on the web?

I can't argue the point too hard, because I'm not sure what the paper-of-record criteria are, but I'd assumed that the online news market was primarily for presence, and was a loss leader. If NYT thinks they're still a gorilla, why try and bleed less green?

that's the whole point of muckraking journalism -- your audience doesn't know how badly they're being bamboozled, and it's your job to unboozle them.

I thought the point of muckraking journalism was to scandalise and tittilate, and truth transmission was an occasional side effect.


Burrell - Sep 19, 2005 11:53:58 am PDT #8956 of 10002
Why did Darth Vader cross the road? To get to the Dark Side!

Were you doing them any good, though?

Yeah, that's my attitude. I mean, I'm gonna miss the free access to articles, and no doubt I'm going to bitch about it, but realistically, giving stuff away for free when what you want is for people to pay... well, it can't go on forever.

About the second -- am I to believe that reporters swallowed government pronouncements without doubting them much?

And do you really believe they are going to suddenly become more circumspect about the information coming from the WH? Me doubts it.


Jessica - Sep 19, 2005 11:58:37 am PDT #8957 of 10002
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset

4Frontiers wants to open a small human settlement on Mars within 20 years.


Topic!Cindy - Sep 19, 2005 11:59:12 am PDT #8958 of 10002
What is even happening?

I suspect this means The Boston Globe is next, because the NYT owns it. Damn.


msbelle - Sep 19, 2005 12:04:07 pm PDT #8959 of 10002
I remember the crazy days. 500 posts an hour. Nubmer! Natgbsb

am not dead. carry on.

welcome back.

happy days.

need minions.


dw - Sep 19, 2005 12:06:58 pm PDT #8960 of 10002
Silence means security silence means approval

Shares of Blockbuster fell nearly 10 percent Friday to a 52-week low of $4.60 amid reports that customers are shying away from traditional DVD rentals and are gravitating to online services like NetFlix or are preferring to buy DVDs at retail chains like Wal-Mart and Best Buy, which sometimes offer DVDs for sale at "loss-leader" prices.

Couldn't happen to a nicer group of people. Late fees from hell, zero inventory, and the most annoying undertrained staff of a video store.

Scarecrow has been doing quite well with the video rental thing as Blockbuster bleeds.

Blockbuster management has also been criticized by some investors for its policy of effectively doing away with late charges.

Except they didn't -- it's something like "if you don't return it in time, you buy it, but we'll give you most of the money back if you return it." And that's hurt them. Meanwhile, Netflix is killing them with the "keep it as long as you want, return for a new movie" policy that makes them a nice chunk of cash, all while Costco is selling $11 DVDs and people build their video libraries.

Blockbuster is facing extinction, and soon.


§ ita § - Sep 19, 2005 12:07:11 pm PDT #8961 of 10002
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

This pic makes it look like her swayback is even worse.

Apparently one of my co-workers started a conversation with her mouth entirely full of food and during talking spat a bunch of it onto her audience's arm. Apparently she wiped it off and kept on going.

Now, I'm not sure what she should have done otherwise, but that seems entirely inadequate. Died of humilation? Cried? Quit? Prostrated herself? Something.


tommyrot - Sep 19, 2005 12:08:15 pm PDT #8962 of 10002
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.

4Frontiers wants to open a small human settlement on Mars within 20 years.

And I'd like to be king of all Londinum and wear a shiny hat.


bon bon - Sep 19, 2005 12:08:32 pm PDT #8963 of 10002
It's five thousand for kissing, ten thousand for snuggling... End of list.

She has swayback? That picture is not flattering at all. Is there a cure for swayback?