or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
•
"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
•
"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
August 27, 2010
Thank You for Your Interest in USA Today
Can you remember what happened during the six months before the U.S. invaded Iraq? Yes? I'm sorry to hear that—I'm afraid there's no way we can hire you for a reporting job at USA Today.
—Jonathan Schwarz
Posted at August 27, 2010 02:34 PMMay be their "research dept" has been downsized like everything else!! I guess, the Wall Street guys did not do them any favours!!! Of course, USA Today has an affliction or chronic maladie.....like all MSM... called "amnesia" or more kindly put, "a fertile imagination"!
Posted by: Rupa Shah at August 27, 2010 04:40 PMOkay, can't expect much from The Motel News-- so-called because the only times I read USA was when it was delivered to my motel-room door as an "amenity"--.
But if you're interested in some real humdinger let's-all-make-believe, I direct you to Congressional Resolution on Iraq (Passed by House and Senate October 2002) here:
http://hnn.us/articles/1282.html
Copy it. Print it. Keep it in a safe place to show to your children's children, lest they suspect you of dementia for the reason that Congress would never pass such lunacy.
Posted by: Paul Avery at August 28, 2010 03:50 AMJon, we professional leftists have to remember that we must look forward to the future, not back to the dead past.
Posted by: Duncan at August 28, 2010 06:59 PMThe news may be the only medium that if you read it, you actually know less than you did before you read it.
Posted by: Rob Payne at August 28, 2010 10:47 PM@ Rob Payne
"The news may be the only medium that if you read it, you actually know less than you did before you read it."
Thank you. I will borrow your words and quote them to some friends during conversations.
In 1997 the left journalist Danny Schechter published a book called "The More The Less You Know." It referred to studies that showed that the more people relied on the corporate media for information, the more misinformed they were -- not just because of the tabloid-media emphasis on celebrity trivia, but because of the misinformation they received on "hard news." I first heard about this in the aftermath of the first Gulf War -- 92 or 93, probably.
Posted by: Duncan at August 29, 2010 07:57 PMRupa Shah,
I'll bet they won't believe you. But you never know.
Duncan,
That I believe.
Posted by: Rob Payne at August 29, 2010 11:27 PM@Rob Payne
Well, I had an opportunity to use your words yesterday itself and my friend was impressed ( I did give YOU credit for them ). We happened to be talking about Beck's Rally and she mentioned something about media. She is on our side and now "your words" will be quoted by two!
@Duncan
I am a great admirer of Schechter and try to read all the articles I can find written by him. He is an amazing person ( have been lucky to meet him as he is a friend of a friend and we talked about 'health care'). I have nominated him ( if Mr Schwarz allows ) to be included in the NCL in the above post. Thanks for recommending his book. If I may, it is "The More You Watch the Less You Know". I guess, I am doing something right. I do not read the newspapers and do not watch TV!
