There’s nothing about this story I don’t love: Art Cullen, the 60-year-old editor of the Storm Lake Times, doesn’t bother with rinky-dink journalism contests. “I don’t need a wooden plaque or a piece of paper,” Cullen told the Erik Wemple Blog on Monday. That’s when he won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing at the twice-weekly Storm Lake Times in Iowa. “They give you 15 grand. That’s worth it,” said Cullen. So how’s Cullen and Co. spending the money? “We intend to put a jag on, then donate the rest of the money half to IFOIC and other local charities, … Continue reading Tiny Paper Wins Sweet Prize, Throws Raging Kegger
This isn’t how God works: President Donald Trump has increasingly infused references to God into his prepared remarks — calling on God to bless all the world after launching strikes in Syria, asking God to bless the newest Supreme Court Justice, invoking the Lord to argue in favor of a war on opioids. That … isn’t finding religion. It’s finding a sales pitch. For, let us be clear, war, war and more war. “I’ve always felt the need to pray,” Trump said in that late-January interview. “The office is so powerful that you need God even more because your decisions … Continue reading Even For Politico This Is So Gross: Happy Easter!
They’ve declared war on us: We’re used to seeing our national bird as a valiant hero in nature documentaries plucking salmon from pristine streams, on the back of every dollar bill in our wallets, or on pretty much every federal seal — from the NSA and the CIA to the office of the president. But in Dutch, especially in winter when it’s harder for them to catch fish, you can see eagles for what they really are: hardy, scrappy scavengers. Turns out that when you live with a federal symbol up close and personal, day in and day out, it’s a little … Continue reading Even the Bald Eagles Have Fucking Had It with Trump
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. I’m not religious but I was raised Greek Orthodox. This year Greek Easter is the same day as what my most pious relative calls “American Easter.” My memories of Easter revolve around food: leg of lamb was always the main course at our house. I may not celebrate the holiday but I wish those of you who do well.
In Easter related news, it looks as if Team Trump is screwing up the annual White House Easter egg roll. It’s typically an East Wing thing but Melania lives in Manhattan and nobody else seems to be in charge. Holy symbolic ineptitude, Batman. I hear Harvey and Bugs Bunny are organizing a protest…
“Everyone seems to know it. But it’s never been a hit, a hit song so to speak, on the charts,” says Lowe, reflecting on the song’s legacy. “It is really strange — and I don’t want to sound too, kinda, ‘wet’ — ‘cause when I hear it, it doesn’t really sort of sound like my song any more. I don’t feel hugely possessive about it.”
<SNIP>
“The song had a rather humorous birth,” he says. “It was written, initially, from the point of view of an old hippie who was still sticking to his guns and seeing his kind of followers all suddenly wearing pointy-toed shoes and drinking cocktails. … It’s like they had come to their senses, rediscovered alcohol and cocaine. … They were rather embarrassed that they’d ever been hippies … and thought the hippie thing rather funny.
“And he’s saying to them: ‘Well, you all think I’m an idiot. You’re sniggering now. But all I’m saying — and you can’t argue with this — is what’s so funny about peace, love and understanding?’”
I’m presenting three versions for your amusement. First, the 1974 original recorded with the pub-rock band, Brinsley Schwarz. Then the Elvis Costello rendition that put the tune on the map; it was produced by Nick. Finally, the way I like it best: a solo acoustic version by the songwriter himself.
One thing that *is* funny about Nick Lowe is that his hair is still awesome. I should hate him for that but I’m trying to be a bigger man. I am, however, fuming over the injustice of it all right now. It’s best to insert a break at this point while I take a deep breath.
I was working the newsroom this week, when my wife sent me a photo with the caption, “Who are these people?” It turned out to be a “Save the Date” card from two of my former students who found love while finishing off their degrees here. The editor in chief of the paper poked her head over my shoulder and asked what was up. “I just got a Save the Date card from Ashley and Isaac,” I explained. She had a blank stare on her face. “You were here when Isaac was the managing editor, weren’t you?” Again, a total … Continue reading Remember the 32
It’s time for another Della in a box picture. I believe my copy of Michael Tisserand’s Krazy came in this Barnes & Noble box. Della Street, however, is more of an Ignatz than a Krazy. It’s why we don’t let … Continue reading Friday Catblogging: Bookish Cat
This post was inspired by the Pulp Librarian’s Twitter feed. I’d never heard of The Eunuch Of Stamboul before. It turns out to have been a wildly successful thriller that has been reprinted many times hence all the swell covers below. … Continue reading Pulp Fiction Thursday: The Eunuch Of Stamboul
Thus spake Gabriel in a scene with Philip. Crossbreed is one of the best episodes in series history. It’s a perfect jumping off point for the rest of the season. The producers should immediately send a DVD of this episode to Emmy voters. It’s past time for Matthew Rhys, Keri Russell, and Frank Langella to win Emmys on the awards show I do not watch. The Oscars are bad enough even if this year’s ceremony had a boffo ending as did Crossbreed. OMFG as the kids say.
I wonder if I’m the only viewer whose favorite character is Gabriel. Crossbreed is very Gabriel-centric, which is why I enjoyed it so much. There’s even a major plot twist involving him but we’ll save that for after the break. Frankly, I don’t watch to spoil so much Langella deliciousness. See you on the other side.
My friend Kyle D. Drummer (not his real name but it should be) thinks the only downside of Yes’ admission to the RRHOF is the exclusion of founding lead guitarist Peter Banks. Since I’m partial to guys with that first … Continue reading Album Cover Art Wednesday: Out Of Our Hands
It’s not just Obamaphones and poor people’s choice of TVs: Make no mistake: the decline of customer service is part of the political anger out there. #United — Helaine Olen (@helaineolen) April 10, 2017 It’s that it takes six calls to the insurance company to get routine drugs approved. It’s that there are fees tacked onto everything for seemingly no reason at all. It’s that when you go on the website to make a doctor’s appointment they tell you to call, and the voicemail auto-answering thing tells you to go on the website and then hangs up on you. It’s … Continue reading Everything Is An Enormous Pain in the Ass
Another wingnut sees money to be made bemoaning the State of Things Today, and another company jumps to pay him money for it: During his 30 years in editing, Adam Bellow has handled some of the most controversial and notorious right-wing books of our era, including “The Bell Curve” by Charles Murray and Richard J. Herrnstein, Dinesh D’Souza’s “Illiberal Education” and David Brock’s “The Real Anita Hill.” But last fall, in the middle of one of the most acrimonious and divisive presidential elections in American history, Mr. Bellow, 60, made a surprising pivot. He left his post as editorial director … Continue reading Wingnut Publisher Now Sad Publishing So Wingnutty
“…veterans of past administrations and members of Congress from both parties criticized the decision to put Mr. Bannon on the principals committee, saying that it risked injecting politics into national security. President George W. Bush’s senior adviser, Karl Rove, was generally kept out of sensitive national security meetings. Mr. Obama’s senior adviser, David Axelrod, attended some national security meetings but was not given formal status.”
“As for Bannon, who may be cut from the NSC, Trump’s decision will be carefully watched as such a move would be potentially perceived as a relaxation of Bannon’s influence over Trump, a topic which has been of material focus for the press in recent weeks.”
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Steve Bannon is the most important figure in our President’s inner circle. Truly one of our own.
2 posted on 2/25/2017, 1:15:53 PM by catnipman ( Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!)
To: GoldenState_Rose
More junk/fake news from the Ny Slimes being reborn as new junk/fake news:
(snip)
Zero News, takes warmed over Ny Slimes Fake news and makes it into Junk/Fake News.
7 posted on 2/25/2017, 1:19:53 PM by Grampa Dave (No country has a right to ship their poverty laden, killers, rapists & criminals to our/my country!!)
To: GoldenState_Rose
More fake news. Not one single comment from McMaster on Bannon.
35 posted on 2/25/2017, 2:15:23 PM by LS (“Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually” (Hendrix))
Groupthink doubleplus ungood.
And then – the Bannon Hammer comes down!
Bannon Removed From National Security Council Role in Shakeup [Link Only]Bloomberg [Link in Body] ^ | April 5, 2017 | Jennifer Jacobs Posted on 4/5/2017, 10:43:16 AM by C19fan
For shit’s sake, this nonsense: Most of what President Trump has done and said in his brief time in office has bordered on squalid, incompetent or unbalanced. The bold moral clarity of his missile attack against a Syrian air base involved in chemical warfare deepens rather than resolves the mystery of the real character of this president. He started his campaign calling Mexican immigrants rapists and murderers. He thinks you can grab women by the pussy. He wants to ban Muslim refugees from America based on their religion. He has told you who he is, over and over and over. … Continue reading Let’s Use Death in Syria to Obsess over Trump’s ‘Character’
Lotus 1-2-3 was an intense and emotionally fraught episode of The Americans. Philip starts the episode in bad shape and ends up in a exceptionally dark place after a revelation that we’ll deal with later.
There was, however, one humorous bit. Philip ends up playing Topeka-boo with the logistics expert chick. She uses computer talk as a sort of geeky foreplay by recommending the Lotus 1-2-3 program to Philip. After they do the deed, she offers to show him her print-out. Hence the post title. Hubba, hubba.
Philip and Elizabeth declined Stan and Renee’s invitation to see Romancing The Stone, which was a monster hit in 1984. In a futile effort to avoid spoilers, we’ll close this section with an Eddy Grant song that was written for the movie but ended up on the cutting room floor.
Says journalism: It was no secret during the campaign that Donald Trump was a narcissist and a demagogue who used fear and dishonesty to appeal to the worst in American voters. The Times called him unprepared and unsuited for the job he was seeking, and said his election would be a “catastrophe.” Still, nothing prepared us for the magnitude of this train wreck. Like millions of other Americans, we clung to a slim hope that the new president would turn out to be all noise and bluster, or that the people around him in the White House would act as … Continue reading Journalism is Unprepared For This Moment
As with most things that get posted by me on this site, this feature came out of a conversation Jude and I had while we were avoiding other work. I present to you the very first installment of GREAT MOMENTS IN OTHERWISE TERRIBLE MOVIES: This movie is so devoid of attention to detail that the dialogue is nearly drowned out by the armor clickety-clacking, like your SOUND MIXING is what is fucking up the experience. Some of that is the age of the thing but also muffle the goddamn joints. Yet … that line is a keeper. A. Continue reading GMIOTM: Inaugural Post
WASHINGTON — Mike Flynn, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, has told the Federal Bureau of Investigation and congressional officials investigating the Trump campaign’s potential ties to Russia that he is willing to be interviewed in exchange for a grant of immunity from prosecution, according to officials with knowledge of the matter.
As an adviser to Trump’s presidential campaign, and later one of Trump’s top aides in the White House, Flynn was privy to some of the most sensitive foreign-policy deliberations of the new administration and was directly involved in discussions about the possible lifting of sanctions on Russia imposed by the Obama administration.
He has made the offer to the FBI and the House and Senate intelligence committees though his lawyer but has so far found no takers, the officials said. Flynn’s attorney, Robert Kelner, declined to comment.
There’s no proof of the thing we’re only talking about because there was TONS OF PROOF: Penn State trustee Albert L. Lord said he is “running out of sympathy” for the “so-called” victims of former Nittany Lions assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, according to an email sent to The Chronicle of Higher Education. Lord, a former CEO of student loan company Sallie Mae, also defended Graham Spanier, the dismissed Penn State president who was convicted of one count of child endangerment last week for his handling of complaints about Sandusky. “Running out of sympathy for 35 yr old, so-called victims with … Continue reading Fuck Penn State and All Its Works
