Happy New Sneer
| Posted Friday, Jan. 2, 2009, at 4:17 AM ET
Friday, January 2, 2009
New Yorker 's Sasha Frere-Jones has found a way to make himself readable --limit himself to 140 characters at a time. Unfortunately it seems to be a stunt, not a hard technical limit. [ Via Rachel Sklar ] 4:16 A.M.
___________________________
Footnote to a footnote to a footnote: Those closely reading the complaint in the Vicki Iseman libel suit against the NYT (and who isn't, really) may notice a quote from Matt Yglesias on page 21, calling the Times' Iseman story "a pretty shameful attempt to set up a Kaus-like presumption of guilt." Q: What's that "Kaus-like" all about? A: Yglesias was almost certainly referring to this 2007 kf post , which isn't about McCain and Iseman but about John Edwards and Rielle Hunter. It argued that Edwards' initial denial of the National Enquirer' s original story was too sharp and confrontational (he'd said it was "made up") which was "not necessarily a smart move for a politician in Edwards' position." Yglesias thought I had assumed Edwards' denial was b.s. (which of course it was). I claimed I didn't assume his guilt --that even if Edwards was innocent it would be unwise for him to directly attack his accusers, lest that spur them redouble their efforts and make it a two-day story or worse. I admit it was difficult to avoid assuming Edwards' guilt since I pretty much knew he was guilty.
P.S.--Yglesias wrong, so very wrong: In the event, Edwards' denial spurred the Enquirer to redouble their efforts and they nailed him. ... Meanwhile, Yglesias had argued: "No doubt by now we've had all the legitimate news organizations in the country looking into it and it seems that . . . nobody can come up with any evidence." It turned out, of course, that "legitimate" news organizations hadn't spent a lot of effort looking into it. ...
Whatever you do, do not let this man speak for the Center for American Progress Action Fund! ... 3:17 A.M.
___________________________
1) Immigrants are leaving Southern California . 2) Crime is falling in Southern California (contrary to criminologists' 'hard-times=crime' predictions).
Is there a connection? I don't know. But don't expect the Los Angeles Times to even ask . ... [ Thanks to alert reader R. ] :2:07 A.M.
___________________________
I missed "The Music of Seal on Ice" TV special. Did someone liveblog? ... 1:44 A.M.
____________________________
___________________________
