Month: May 2012

Diary, Doc5 Comments

Tits on a bull

Summer for me usually meant about three days of vacation, followed by 14 weeks of crazed servitude. I attended college prior to the days when the state government looked at higher education and said, “What? Why should we subsidize that? I ain’t never gone there and I done just fine!” (Thank you, Gov. Walker. You can sit down now…). As ridiculous as it seems now to my students, a decent summer job combined with an unyielding work ethic could almost pay off the next year’s tuition and even bankroll a little spending money. Now, the only way you can pay … Continue reading Tits on a bull

Athenae, On Wisconsin, Scott Walker's Horcruxes, Stupid Republican Tricks6 Comments

Everyone Must Get Screwed

Allison Hantschel

So apparently today is Be Extra Stupid today.Glad I found out about that before I went into the office: Act 10 came up in the first question of the night. Asked whether it had been good for the state, and whether he would do it again, Fitzgerald replied that it had been necessary to “claw back” from a place where unions held too much power and public employees had been insulated from the economic downturn. Right. Because it’s only fair that people who have not been cheated out of the kind of middle-class life that used to be the norm … Continue reading Everyone Must Get Screwed

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media7 Comments

Journalism Today: We Must Cut the Thing that Makes Us Money

Allison Hantschel

Fuck these guys. For decades, the Newhouse chain of papers, which includes The Times-Picayune, was famous in newspaper circles for its “pledge,” as it was known to employees. The pledge stated, “No full-time, non-represented, regular employee will ever be laid off because of economic conditions or because of the introduction of new technology.” The pledge was rescinded in February 2010. The fear in the T-P newsroom this week has been that the paper would follow “the Michigan model.” In Michigan, Newhouse cut the print frequency of several state papers, wrapping them into “MLive.com” — the website that serves as the … Continue reading Journalism Today: We Must Cut the Thing that Makes Us Money

Current Affairs1 Comment

What’s The Matter With Tennessee?

southernbeale2014

There was much rejoicing in the liberal blogosphere over the weekend when a Vanderbilt University poll showed President Obama in a statistical dead-heat with Mitt Romney in my home state of Tennessee. Oh, my! Those of us who actually live here got a good laugh because if you read past the headline and got into the actual story, you realized that while Obama fared well in a poll of adults, among those who are registered voters Romney maintains a comfortable lead. And of course we all know our state Republicans have done a masterful job ensuring people of the Democratic … Continue reading What’s The Matter With Tennessee?

Athenae, Immoral Values, Stupid Republican Tricks7 Comments

Holding America Hostage

Allison Hantschel

There’s about six things going on here. 1. If you are a dumbass, STAY THE FUCK OFF TWITTER. AND FACEBOOK. AND EVERYWHERE. Use the Internet for what your fellow stupids use it for, which is watching pornos and ordering dog beds on Amazon and that kind of shit. Don’t use it to say the same butt-ass ignorant crap you say at the family barbecue. 2. I would pay cash money to have this guy tell me exactly which Young Black Thug is holding him hostage. Even money he is lumping “black men cast as criminals on CSI” and “that black … Continue reading Holding America Hostage

Adrastos, Mad Men Recaps, Television6 Comments

Mad Men Thread: Hare Kinsey

Peter Adrastos Athas

I loved the latest episode, Christmas Waltz. It had a Season1 or 2 feel with the return of Kinsey and the flirtfest between Don and Joan. All it lacked was the return of my homeboy, Bryan Batt, as Sal. I have renewed hope that he’ll be back, perhaps in time for the company Easter egg hunt or something… Lane Returns: I’m not quite sure what to make of this sub-plot. I know he has that stiff upper lip thing going on but if he’d gone to Don or Roger, he might not have had to resort to embezzlement. Hell, Roger … Continue reading Mad Men Thread: Hare Kinsey

Athenae, On Wisconsin, Scott Walker's Horcruxes, Stupid Republican Tricks6 Comments

Everyone Must Get Screwed

So apparently today is Be Extra Stupid today.Glad I found out about that before I went into the office: Act 10 came up in the first question of the night. Asked whether it had been good for the state, and whether he would do it again, Fitzgerald replied that it had been necessary to “claw back” from a place where unions held too much power and public employees had been insulated from the economic downturn. Right. Because it’s only fair that people who have not been cheated out of the kind of middle-class life that used to be the norm … Continue reading Everyone Must Get Screwed

Adrastos, Current Affairs, So Called Liberal Media8 Comments

NOLA Notes: Who needs a daily paper?

New Orleans does, that’s who. I was off the grid when the news started bubbling on the tweeter tube so I learned about the treachery, malakatude and douchebaggery of the suits at Newhouse from A right here on lil’ ole First Draft. My twitter and facebook feeds are on fire with the news plus the Gambit’s estimable editor, Kevin Allman, has posted amemo sent to staff by the retiring publisher and NOLA nob, Ashton Phelps: The story, which can be accessed throughthis link, details the formation of NOLA Media Group, a digitally focused company that will launch this fall and … Continue reading NOLA Notes: Who needs a daily paper?

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media7 Comments

Journalism Today: We Must Cut the Thing that Makes Us Money

Fuck these guys. For decades, the Newhouse chain of papers, which includesThe Times-Picayune, was famous in newspaper circles for its “pledge,” as it was known to employees. The pledge stated, “No full-time, non-represented, regular employee will ever be laid off because of economic conditions or because of the introduction of new technology.” The pledge was rescinded in February 2010. The fear in the T-P newsroom this week has been that the paper would follow “the Michigan model.” In Michigan, Newhouse cut the print frequency of several state papers, wrapping them into“MLive.com” — the website that serves as the papers’ online … Continue reading Journalism Today: We Must Cut the Thing that Makes Us Money

Michael F2 Comments

National Review Exclusive — The REAL Titans of the Civil Rights Movement

FromAlbum4 They were…white conservative Republicans! Gee, who’d have figured? Actually, in a day and age when Arnaud de Borchegrave is lionized as a “cool-named foreign correspondent” as opposed to a right wing kook/conspiracy theorist nut (and plagiarist, according to the report), it’s not surprising they’d try to pull off a full twist of Civil Rights movement history. I guess they think they can make us believe almost anything. Continue reading National Review Exclusive — The REAL Titans of the Civil Rights Movement

Adrastos, Economy, Stupid Republican Tricks6 Comments

Vial Relic

Peter Adrastos Athas

Here’s the latest and weirdest entry in the GOP’s Reagan worship file:a Britsh auction site claims to have a vial of his blood for sale. The bidding has reached £9,181 as of this morning. In the letter of provenance, the unnamed owner details how he or she came to own the vial: “Her laboratory was the laboratory contracted by Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well as the George Washington University Hospital to handle blood testing as well as other types of testing,” the letter states. “Her lab did the blood work and testing for President Reagan. The test tube … Continue reading Vial Relic

Adrastos, Television6 Comments

Mad Men Thread: Hare Kinsey

I loved the latest episode, Christmas Waltz. It had a Season1 or 2 feel with the return of Kinsey and the flirtfest between Don and Joan. All it lacked was the return of my homeboy, Bryan Batt, as Sal. I have renewed hope that he’ll be back, perhaps in time for the company Easter egg hunt or something… Lane Returns: I’m not quite sure what to make of this sub-plot. I know he has that stiff upper lip thing going on but if he’d gone to Don or Roger, he might not have had to resort to embezzlement. Hell, Roger … Continue reading Mad Men Thread: Hare Kinsey

Athenae, Big Damn Heroes, On Wisconsin, Scott Walker's Horcruxes, So Called Liberal Media12 Comments

Make All Those Mean Recalls Go AWAAAAAAAY

Allison Hantschel

Covering a Story That Won’t Die is difficult. It’s exhausting. Day in, day out, talking to the same people about the same stuff all the time, trying to find something — anything — new to say about the same issues, getting calls from the same six pissed off people no matter what you do … it’s worse than just about anything. Other than having your rights and working dignity stripped away, hearing your reasonable compensation blamed for financial catastrophes not of your making, and being vilified for the unpardonable sins of teaching schoolchildren to read and mopping the floors of … Continue reading Make All Those Mean Recalls Go AWAAAAAAAY

Adrastos, Economy, Stupid Republican Tricks6 Comments

Vial Relic

Here’s the latest and weirdest entry in the GOP’s Reagan worship file:a Britsh auction site claims to have a vial of his blood for sale. Thebidding has reached £9,181 as of this morning. In the letter of provenance, the unnamed owner details how he or she came to own the vial: “Her laboratory was the laboratory contracted by Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well as the George Washington University Hospital to handle blood testing as well as other types of testing,” the letter states. “Her lab did the blood work and testing for President Reagan. The test tube and … Continue reading Vial Relic

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media

Making Something Happen in Journalism

Community newspapers should survive, so let’s make sure that happens: Whatever he’s doing, Buffett’s newspaper collection is growing. Berkshire would pay $140 million and make $445 million in loans to Media General in return for its newspapers — everything except the Tampa (Fla.) Tribune and the company’s 18 network-affiliated TV stations. “I know the dailies,” Buffett said. “They’re all doing OK, to varying degrees, and I think they’ll do even better when we get our people in there. They’re keepers.” Berkshire has owned the Buffalo (N.Y.) News since 1977, the days when he said newspapers were “enormously valuable” because of … Continue reading Making Something Happen in Journalism

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media

Making Something Happen in Journalism

Allison Hantschel

Community newspapers should survive, so let’s make sure that happens: Whatever he’s doing, Buffett’s newspaper collection is growing. Berkshire would pay $140 million and make $445 million in loans to Media General in return for its newspapers — everything except the Tampa (Fla.) Tribune and the company’s 18 network-affiliated TV stations. “I know the dailies,” Buffett said. “They’re all doing OK, to varying degrees, and I think they’ll do even better when we get our people in there. They’re keepers.” Berkshire has owned the Buffalo (N.Y.) News since 1977, the days when he said newspapers were “enormously valuable” because of … Continue reading Making Something Happen in Journalism

Athenae, Immoral Values, Stupid Republican Tricks7 Comments

Holding America Hostage

There’s about six things going on here. 1. If you are a dumbass, STAY THE FUCK OFF TWITTER. AND FACEBOOK. AND EVERYWHERE. Use the Internet for what your fellow stupids use it for, which is watching pornos and ordering dog beds on Amazon and that kind of shit. Don’t use it to say the same butt-ass ignorant crap you say at the family barbecue. 2. I would pay cash money to have this guy tell me exactly which Young Black Thug is holding him hostage. Even money he is lumping “black men cast as criminals on CSI” and “that black … Continue reading Holding America Hostage

Athenae, Terrorism6 Comments

On Police States

Allison Hantschel

Show me what a police state looks like? I’m on record any number of times saying that Godwin’s Law is a law for a reason, and that Hitler is like Hitler and pretty much nobody else is like Hitler. If you’re going to call somebody a Nazi, they’d better be invading Poland. So no, Chicago is not like Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia this morning. But it is possible to hold in our minds the idea that this is not in fact an actual police state, and also that “Not Soviet Russia” is not, shall we say, the highest standard … Continue reading On Police States

Current Affairs1 Comment

What’s The Matter With Tennessee?

There was much rejoicing in the liberal blogosphere over the weekend when a Vanderbilt University poll showed President Obamain a statistical dead-heat with Mitt Romney in my home state of Tennessee. Oh, my! Those of us who actually live here got a good laugh because if you read past the headline and got into the actual story, you realized that while Obama fared well in a poll of adults, among those who areregistered voters Romney maintains a comfortable lead. And of course we all know our state Republicans have done a masterful job ensuring people of the Democratic persuasion have … Continue reading What’s The Matter With Tennessee?

Athenae, Big Damn Heroes, On Wisconsin, Scott Walker's Horcruxes, So Called Liberal Media12 Comments

Make All Those Mean Recalls Go AWAAAAAAAY

Covering a Story That Won’t Die is difficult. It’s exhausting. Day in, day out, talking to the same people about the same stuff all the time, trying to find something — anything — new to say about the same issues, getting calls from the same six pissed off people no matter what you do … it’s worse than just about anything. Other than having your rights and working dignity stripped away, hearing your reasonable compensation blamed for financial catastrophes not of your making, and being vilified for the unpardonable sins of teaching schoolchildren to read and mopping the floors of … Continue reading Make All Those Mean Recalls Go AWAAAAAAAY

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media4 Comments

12 Arrests is a Low-Key Bears Game

Allison Hantschel

It’s not on the video, but last night’s coverage, natch, quoted the guy in the most outlandish costume who would only refer to himself as “Vermin Supreme.” Because after five solid minutes of reporting on various police techniques, you want to cut straight to the nuttiest person in any crowd for “the other view.” Why were people protesting? Not a clue, going by the TV news coverage. But hey, we’ve got a rundown of the streets that are closed and how this is all going to screw up “your” commute. The protesters having nothing to do with the presumed audience … Continue reading 12 Arrests is a Low-Key Bears Game