Gotta say that between the idiocy underlying the Times Columbia application story and the general shittiness and literal harmfulness of the Times and its peers, to wit, the entire establishment news media, I just couldn't force myself to wade through the entire post today -- just too triggering for me, which is to say a me problem.
But for those who need a counterweight to the mainstream attacks on Mamdani, here:
Full disclosure: I'm something of a Spiers shipper. Never caught her being full of shit on anything. She's sharp and deserves a more successful career, eg, regularly reaching a bigger audience.
But getting back to my kvetching and whining above: I should take solace that audiences exposed to establishment reportage continues to shrink. To a degree, that can increase the ability of the masses to actually suss out the truth since, you know, it will never be reported in the mainstream.
Full of BINGO! Especially this: "But anything that looks like a culture-war issue or leftist overreach will be weaponized by centrists, often at the expense of marginalized populations. As a result, they alienate people who are affected by those issues, and so those who would naturally be part of any Democratic coalition are less motivated to participate..."
The moldy figs are unwholesome and need to be tossed.
"Democrats...use dated language that would have sounded high-minded a few decades ago but now just sounds out of touch. Who even is 'Main Street' anymore?"
I am deeply offended that this out-of-touch liberal elitist doesn't understand the importance of talking pocketbook issues 'round the kitchen table.
I responded to the NYT poll "Are you frustrated with racial categories on forms?" as follows:
"This is a transparent attempt to reverse-engineer a rationale for your original Mamdani piece, when it is clear as day no such rationale ever existed. It is shameful how far this once-great newspaper has fallen in a desperate search for access and clicks. Featuring chin-stroking, "just asking questions" pieces while democracy falls is bad enough. But collaborating with white supremacists to garner irrelevant material for hit pieces has totally discredited your reporting in the minds of sensible readers for the foreseeable future."
To be clear, I know it will not make a damn bit of difference. But it certainly made me feel better.
Understandably. My first attempt at comment started "You are fucking fascist collaborators" but then I backspaced. The NYT cares about their bottom line -- they have to. So I guess my thought process was if they get 1000 comments from people like me -- educated, informed, their target readership -- who don't sound like wild eyed leftists, it's possible someone may pay attention. They also required an email address to comment, so maybe some intern will be collating that information and find out I cancelled my decades-long subscription at the beginning of Trump II. And maybe the intern will recognize that pattern repeated across multiple comments. Hope springs eternal.
I keep leaving comments they never accept. The last one began "I'm trying like hell not to cancel my subscription but... an anonymous hack from a white supremacist?"
"I responded to the NYT poll 'Are you frustrated with racial categories on forms?' as follows:"
A newspaper that purports to be a national voice asking its readers such a ridiculous question is capitulating to Fascistic framing. This is what I mean by saying that Rufo is now its assignment editor. It also assumes your readers are all White.
But you don't know how much self-restraint it took on their part not to phrase the question, "You're frustrated with racial categories on forms, right?"
Absolutely. "Just among us pale people, aren't all these boxes wild?" is not something anyone asks out of curiosity, and is not in any way a necessary question to ask at all. It is cherry-picking and reverse-engineering to elicit the desired conclusion from a pre-selected group.
I completed their survey using every ounce of creativity at my disposal. Note that you cannot check *every* box in the “how many children living at home” question, but you can check every age group and also that you have grandchildren living with you as well. Which is good, for accuracy, if that situation applies to the fictional character completing the survey. I called mine “The Baileys.”
When I grew up, reporters were plucky and wore off the rack suits from Woolworth. They wore felt fedoras with a card that said "Press" slid into the band.
Maybe that's why the news is so shitty - reporters spend too much time shopping for clothes.
I’ll never be skinny enough for that suit and it’s ugly anyway, but the shoes are actually something I can imagine both affording and wearing, and that’s absolutely a first since I’ve been reading REBID.
Mamdani has the establishment in a complete tizzy. This is what you get from 35 years of Democrats running as being "not like those OTHER Democrats" and trashing their own Party.
Let's be fair, he's winning, they're Democrats, and they're just not used to it. "My oh my, what is this strange phenomenon where you get MORE votes than the opposing candidate? Doesn't seem fair, somehow!"
Surprising that the Times seems not to have picked up on the other scandal of Zohran's college career. It's what National Review uncovered from 2011: the early proof of "his casual attitude toward private property," as first reported by the Bowdoin campus paper's crime beat reporter.
What does having "a casual attitude toward private property" look like as a stance? It must be a spectrum of behavior.
Here we find one such casual person standing on the sidewalk, chin in hand, regarding a private home and its lovely the roses.
Across the street we observe a more strident casual attitude, in someone who cuts across the lawn at the corner and snatches a bloom in passing, smelling it, before casting the flower casually aside.
On the next block, we see a natural progression: Looting and slave-taking. Mobs of wild-eyed idealists, hirsute and unkempt, going from house to house. Say, isn't that your wife over a Mamdani look-alike's shoulder?
IIRC didn't the PP get all upset over AOC caught on video dancing freely and joyfully around her college campus? Can't trust those young'uns they have too much fun.
Oh my God, that listicle of all the Times hit pieces, not having a subscription I had no idea. AIDS got less attention from the Times, and AIDS killed people.
Ideology gone viral could be deadlier! Don't try to tell the red baiters that the only Leninists are GenZ kids who have just discovered the Beatles and vinyl, with spelling errors in their texts, intentional and otherwise. Rebel against grammar Nazis!
The suggestion that Philo go undercover reminds me of the first part of The Godfather.
Vito Corleone and Luca Brasi cook up a little scheme.
Luca puts out the word that he's unhappy with the Corleones and wants to sign with another crew. Thus infiltrating The Turk's organization and giving his Don the information he needs to strategize in a changing landscape.
Everything goes swimmingly until Luca winds up sleeping with the fishes.
Had a day. During this day, I hoped Roy would touch (with EXTREME prejudice) on the issue at hand. Imagine my delight! Go ahead, imagine. Thaaaat’s it…
And on to the comments. I realized early on my thumb was gonna sprain hitting the heart button so often, so I altered my approach. Today, for what I believe is the first time ever, I’m awarding 2 marks for every damn commenter. Not every comment (that’s just too far). But every commenter. So line up there and hold out yer hands - HEY! NO double dipping! Manqueman - just take the marks and save the comments about their provenance for another time. Steve, Steve - TWO marks. TWO.
Sheesh this is harder than I thought it would be.
Now back to waiting two extra hours for a flight outta town.
Gotta say that between the idiocy underlying the Times Columbia application story and the general shittiness and literal harmfulness of the Times and its peers, to wit, the entire establishment news media, I just couldn't force myself to wade through the entire post today -- just too triggering for me, which is to say a me problem.
But for those who need a counterweight to the mainstream attacks on Mamdani, here:
https://www.elizabethspiers.com/zohran-mamdani-did-all-the-things-the-estabishment-hates-he-won-anyway/
Full disclosure: I'm something of a Spiers shipper. Never caught her being full of shit on anything. She's sharp and deserves a more successful career, eg, regularly reaching a bigger audience.
But getting back to my kvetching and whining above: I should take solace that audiences exposed to establishment reportage continues to shrink. To a degree, that can increase the ability of the masses to actually suss out the truth since, you know, it will never be reported in the mainstream.
Thanks for the link!
Full of BINGO! Especially this: "But anything that looks like a culture-war issue or leftist overreach will be weaponized by centrists, often at the expense of marginalized populations. As a result, they alienate people who are affected by those issues, and so those who would naturally be part of any Democratic coalition are less motivated to participate..."
The moldy figs are unwholesome and need to be tossed.
I’m telling you, Spiers is a treasure.
"Democrats...use dated language that would have sounded high-minded a few decades ago but now just sounds out of touch. Who even is 'Main Street' anymore?"
I am deeply offended that this out-of-touch liberal elitist doesn't understand the importance of talking pocketbook issues 'round the kitchen table.
I responded to the NYT poll "Are you frustrated with racial categories on forms?" as follows:
"This is a transparent attempt to reverse-engineer a rationale for your original Mamdani piece, when it is clear as day no such rationale ever existed. It is shameful how far this once-great newspaper has fallen in a desperate search for access and clicks. Featuring chin-stroking, "just asking questions" pieces while democracy falls is bad enough. But collaborating with white supremacists to garner irrelevant material for hit pieces has totally discredited your reporting in the minds of sensible readers for the foreseeable future."
To be clear, I know it will not make a damn bit of difference. But it certainly made me feel better.
I just sent insults!
Understandably. My first attempt at comment started "You are fucking fascist collaborators" but then I backspaced. The NYT cares about their bottom line -- they have to. So I guess my thought process was if they get 1000 comments from people like me -- educated, informed, their target readership -- who don't sound like wild eyed leftists, it's possible someone may pay attention. They also required an email address to comment, so maybe some intern will be collating that information and find out I cancelled my decades-long subscription at the beginning of Trump II. And maybe the intern will recognize that pattern repeated across multiple comments. Hope springs eternal.
I keep leaving comments they never accept. The last one began "I'm trying like hell not to cancel my subscription but... an anonymous hack from a white supremacist?"
I'm just thrilled to hear we might have a foreseeable future, or any future at all, really.
Thank you for your service! 🫡
From each according to his/her/their skills.
Insults: When you care enough to send the very best
I told them they were a disgrace and should all resign and find new lines of work.
"I responded to the NYT poll 'Are you frustrated with racial categories on forms?' as follows:"
A newspaper that purports to be a national voice asking its readers such a ridiculous question is capitulating to Fascistic framing. This is what I mean by saying that Rufo is now its assignment editor. It also assumes your readers are all White.
But you don't know how much self-restraint it took on their part not to phrase the question, "You're frustrated with racial categories on forms, right?"
"No, I'm not"
"Oh, come now, you can be honest with us, we're all White people here!"
"No, really, I don't see the problem with it."
RESPONSE REJECTED
“Please provide a 200-word screed on racial categories in the space provided.”
"Along with a current resume"
Absolutely. "Just among us pale people, aren't all these boxes wild?" is not something anyone asks out of curiosity, and is not in any way a necessary question to ask at all. It is cherry-picking and reverse-engineering to elicit the desired conclusion from a pre-selected group.
I completed their survey using every ounce of creativity at my disposal. Note that you cannot check *every* box in the “how many children living at home” question, but you can check every age group and also that you have grandchildren living with you as well. Which is good, for accuracy, if that situation applies to the fictional character completing the survey. I called mine “The Baileys.”
Deep cut!
Your commentariat is brilliant and current, but also capable of delivering AOR-style deep cuts.
Uncle Billy just hasn't been the same since they lost the Building & Loan.
Occupation: "Lassos the moon".
Identity: “Patriotic Toaster Oven”
Their sympathies have always lain more closely with the Potters of this world.
"What do neighborhood groceries and free buses get you? A lazy, discontented rabble instead of a thrifty working class!"
When I grew up, reporters were plucky and wore off the rack suits from Woolworth. They wore felt fedoras with a card that said "Press" slid into the band.
Maybe that's why the news is so shitty - reporters spend too much time shopping for clothes.
Re Brictal: it struck me that his is the first suit I remember costing less than $1000.
He's not in the big room yet. Also, judging by Roy's links, I'd say the clothing industry has got "Suits for anorexic men" pretty well covered.
I’ll never be skinny enough for that suit and it’s ugly anyway, but the shoes are actually something I can imagine both affording and wearing, and that’s absolutely a first since I’ve been reading REBID.
I like the shoes too
Either you're dressing up or Roy's dressing down.
I have shoes very similar to that that I got about $70 a few years ago
Meanwhile, the NYT reporters on the Mamdani hit pieces think the movie “Ace in the Hole” is inspirational.
"But... but... HOW MANY CLICKS DID HE GET"
“The fact that people are still talking about our callous disregard for human life means it’s a valid story.”
eThICs iN SpELuNkING joUrnALism
Meanwhile L. Ron Musth has involved himself by attempting to build a rocket-launch site at the scene. . .
Mamdani has the establishment in a complete tizzy. This is what you get from 35 years of Democrats running as being "not like those OTHER Democrats" and trashing their own Party.
Let's be fair, he's winning, they're Democrats, and they're just not used to it. "My oh my, what is this strange phenomenon where you get MORE votes than the opposing candidate? Doesn't seem fair, somehow!"
But they also pushed a "Vote Blue, No Matter Who" philosophy until they weren't the representative blue
Surprising that the Times seems not to have picked up on the other scandal of Zohran's college career. It's what National Review uncovered from 2011: the early proof of "his casual attitude toward private property," as first reported by the Bowdoin campus paper's crime beat reporter.
Zack Beauchamp read the NR so we don't have to. https://bsky.app/profile/joshtpm.bsky.social/post/3ltfzr5vva22d
Josh Marshall posted the Bowdoin column. (Good thing Zohran chose activism and politics, when he might otherwise have settled in at The Onion.)
https://bowdoinorient.com/bonus/article/6544/
What does having "a casual attitude toward private property" look like as a stance? It must be a spectrum of behavior.
Here we find one such casual person standing on the sidewalk, chin in hand, regarding a private home and its lovely the roses.
Across the street we observe a more strident casual attitude, in someone who cuts across the lawn at the corner and snatches a bloom in passing, smelling it, before casting the flower casually aside.
On the next block, we see a natural progression: Looting and slave-taking. Mobs of wild-eyed idealists, hirsute and unkempt, going from house to house. Say, isn't that your wife over a Mamdani look-alike's shoulder?
Oh, the humanity!
The progression may not be natural. DHS staged the scene at the last block, and Fox is playing it on a loop.
IIRC didn't the PP get all upset over AOC caught on video dancing freely and joyfully around her college campus? Can't trust those young'uns they have too much fun.
Excellent. Especially “Which one?” Maybe those assholes could get their hands on Trump’s transcripts.
The spirit of Jeff Gerth rules the Times.
Oh my God, that listicle of all the Times hit pieces, not having a subscription I had no idea. AIDS got less attention from the Times, and AIDS killed people.
Ideology gone viral could be deadlier! Don't try to tell the red baiters that the only Leninists are GenZ kids who have just discovered the Beatles and vinyl, with spelling errors in their texts, intentional and otherwise. Rebel against grammar Nazis!
Viral Socialism could cause severe trauma to the bank balances of many in The Landlord Community. Whereas AIDS... well, you know...
Amazing they could find so much free time to trash Mamdani when there's still trans athletes running around in public.
Trump voters sit in their diners, uninterviewed.
Waiting for Gigot. (No, wait, that's the Wall Street Journal)
I like the mom that complained her girl kid lost to a trans kid in an event open to both sexes, so being trans should make no difference
Authentic Diner Gibberish.
This story needs more Christopher Rufo, in the way that the actual F**king NY Times needs less Christopher Rufo.
There's an active volcano that needs more Christopher Rufo.
Sure, take work away from the army of hungry rats I've been training all these years.
"When I'm through with this article, Spider-Man will be run out of town."
-J. Jonah Jameson
The suggestion that Philo go undercover reminds me of the first part of The Godfather.
Vito Corleone and Luca Brasi cook up a little scheme.
Luca puts out the word that he's unhappy with the Corleones and wants to sign with another crew. Thus infiltrating The Turk's organization and giving his Don the information he needs to strategize in a changing landscape.
Everything goes swimmingly until Luca winds up sleeping with the fishes.
Still, not a bad plan.
Had a day. During this day, I hoped Roy would touch (with EXTREME prejudice) on the issue at hand. Imagine my delight! Go ahead, imagine. Thaaaat’s it…
And on to the comments. I realized early on my thumb was gonna sprain hitting the heart button so often, so I altered my approach. Today, for what I believe is the first time ever, I’m awarding 2 marks for every damn commenter. Not every comment (that’s just too far). But every commenter. So line up there and hold out yer hands - HEY! NO double dipping! Manqueman - just take the marks and save the comments about their provenance for another time. Steve, Steve - TWO marks. TWO.
Sheesh this is harder than I thought it would be.
Now back to waiting two extra hours for a flight outta town.