Eugene David ...The One-Minute Pundit |
THE NEWS HACK'S CREED: I know more than you. I make lots more money than you. I'm smarter than you. I'm sexier than you. I appear on TV all the time. I work ten minutes a day. I rule the universe. I'm going to live forever. You are an idiot. THE NEWS HACK'S CREED, No. 2: A lie isn't a lie when it tells THE TRUTH. THE NEWS HACK'S CREED, No. 3: I've come to realize that the looseness of the journalistic life, the seeming laxity of the newsroom, is an illusion. Yes, there's informality and there's humor, but beneath the surface lies something deadly serious. It is a code. Sometimes the code is not even written down, but it is deeply believed in. And, when violated, it is enforced with tribal ferocity. --JOHN "OMERTA" CARROLL. THE NEWS HACK'S CREED, No. 4: News isn't news when we don't report it. PERMALINKS: THE NEWS HACKS' DICTIONARY THE EUGENE DAVID GLOSSARY AMERICA'S MOST UNINTENTIONALLY FUNNY WEB SITE! Blogroll Me! |
Saturday, July 05, 2003
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6:20 PM
by Gene
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6:07 PM
by Gene
I don't think plain old tap water does that.
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5:57 PM
by Gene
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5:41 PM
by Gene
P. S. Here's the weenie who runs the Tea Time Club in Canterbury: ![]() And here's the weenie who runs the Tea Time Club in Vancouver: ![]() I guess there's something about talking to yourself all day that makes you look like an overgrown dork. (I know from experience.)
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10:01 AM
by Gene
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9:42 AM
by Gene
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9:15 AM
by Gene
Friday, July 04, 2003
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6:28 PM
by Gene
WELL, I am SO proud. But isn't this the same company (no it's not; it's MIRAMAX) that may or may not be bankrolling Michael "Fatso" Moore's screed about how Dubya planned 9/11? I think the mighty Dr. Johnson may have had Mickey Mouse Michael in mind when he said, "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."
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6:22 PM
by Gene
![]() It is bad enough in the mind of some "activist" on Long Island that pigs should be raced -- but what takes the prize is, they race for OREOS!!!!! I wonder if PC would have happened if we'd remained British colonies. Anyway, I thought it would be cute to include Newsday's photo of racing pigs. Does that mean I'm exploiting them too?
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5:56 PM
by Gene
![]() Well, here's my celebration of July 4th. We should always remember this day isn't just about hot-dog-eating contests.
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5:43 PM
by Gene
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5:39 PM
by Gene
Computers and government don't mix.
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2:53 PM
by Gene
You can't have everything. Thursday, July 03, 2003
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7:46 PM
by Gene
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7:44 PM
by Gene
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7:36 PM
by Gene
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7:30 PM
by Gene
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7:23 PM
by Gene
![]() Why not preserve the statues of communist tyrants? We need a good laugh -- and a sober reminder.
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7:16 PM
by Gene
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8:59 AM
by Gene
More news hack excellence: On its front page MESS.com refers to it as an elevator. (These same clowns gave us a link to that STOOOOPID BLUNDER.com article.)
Posted
8:29 AM
by Gene
From what I've seen on the Web this morning cynicism is stronger with news hacks than ever.
Posted
7:07 AM
by Gene
And then when someone scolds him the little boy whines, "It came from across the street!" And after he's spent a long time studying the squashed bird on the pavement the little boy goes home, crying, "CHARLIE'S ANGELS 2! THE MOVIE OF THE CENTURY!!!!!"
Posted
6:56 AM
by Gene
Although I would think Democrats would be happy with more attacks on our soldiers. Then the news hacks would cry QUAGMIRE!!!!! some more, and the Democrats could politic some more, and....
Posted
6:50 AM
by Gene
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6:46 AM
by Gene
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6:44 AM
by Gene
And this goes hand in hand with show-biz PR and QUAGMIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! too.
Posted
6:37 AM
by Gene
If it's that good d'you think we could get MR. BUFFETT to run some in the magazine and your Web site? What news hacks don't spin, they sell. This and QUAGMIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! come from the same tenth-rate non-minds.
Posted
6:34 AM
by Gene
Or as one typically anonymous quote source says, "I think the academy should now go buy some land and build an academy jail." Wednesday, July 02, 2003
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5:47 PM
by Gene
But do the Babbitts still stay away because of -- never mind. (Of course it helps too that the town's population's been cut in half.)
Posted
5:39 PM
by Gene
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5:25 PM
by Gene
It’s a wonderful thing to have a high aim in life, a real ambition. Today all you see is self-pity and "I’m so misunderstood, poor little me, I’m such a failure." No humor in anything. And everyone getting kicked around by society with an excuse. I will not accept excuses and I will never give one. You’re either on time or you’re late. You either remember your lines or you don’t. You either pay your bills or you go to jail. I’m sick and tired of a whole generation of kids who say "I’m tired" or "I’m nervous" or this and that. If you’re tired, give yourself some gas and climb that hill. Why you can’t do something is of practically no interest at all to me, unless you say you’ve got a size-eight foot in a size-five shoe and can’t take another step. To this I say take off your shoes and hop on my back and I’ll carry you the rest of the way. But it’s a poor habit in life to blame anyone but yourself for anything. I was brought up by two freedom-loving parents, the eldest of six children, and we were taught to express ourselves as long as we were interesting and could hold the floor. But if we were bores and there were other fascinating people in the room, we damned well learned to keep our big mouths shut. My parents were funny, vigorous and right on top of all the new thinking, but I was mightily snubbed as a kid by many, many people, which put a good chip on my shoulder to get ahead and show that I was worth something. You were worth something. God bless you, Kate -- even if you were an atheist.
Posted
5:21 PM
by Gene
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5:13 PM
by Gene
Hmmm. Wonder where they got those?
Posted
5:09 PM
by Gene
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5:05 PM
by Gene
Of course, whenever news hacks report on the biz, practically the only words in their stories are "cash flow."
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5:01 PM
by Gene
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10:52 AM
by Gene
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10:36 AM
by Gene
What's good for AOL.... Tuesday, July 01, 2003
Posted
7:22 PM
by Gene
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6:05 PM
by Gene
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5:56 PM
by Gene
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5:53 PM
by Gene
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5:52 PM
by Gene
And a Wall Street superdupersales -- er, analyst approves (Jessica "Rife" Reif Cohen, another JACK job contender).
Posted
5:42 PM
by Gene
Gypsy would work if it was me directing and Hillary Clinton as Mama Rose. And heck, Mr. Steyn, ever since you were exiled from oh-so-PC Canada, we've made you our national treasure.
Posted
5:30 PM
by Gene
[N]o government power can be abused long. Mankind will not bear it. If a sovereign oppresses his people to a great degree, they will rise and cut off his head. There is a remedy in human nature against tyranny, that will keep us safe under every form of government. he anticipated protests like the one in Hong Kong. Sadly, he couldn't have anticipated the People's Republic of China.
Posted
5:18 PM
by Gene
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5:04 PM
by Gene
I see also in this column that Stephen King has called The Corrections "patronizing and self-indulgent." Maybe he isn't that bad.
Posted
10:53 AM
by Gene
The ideological pretzel of liberalism acquires new knots.
Posted
10:22 AM
by Gene
It may reduce fat and sugar, but you can bet it won't reduce dollars to The Osama Channel. ADDENDUM: Clearly poor diet is linked to disease. I see nothing wrong with food companies subtly reengineering products and widening our choices (although God knows there are already enough line extensions), and they should educate consumers on better eating. And it's understating it that the food companies have played too many marketing tricks with kids: Kellogg's practically invented bad children's television as the patron saint of Hanna-Barbera. What bugs me is this biz will go on a grand PC New Coke campaign and leave us with inferior products and the tantrum throwers unsatisifed. And yes, the PC angle (and Altria MOtive Foods's tobacco connections) makes this one reek.
Posted
6:35 AM
by Gene
P. S. With what he thinks is cleverness, a New York Times scribbler likens Hackett's face to "a plate of mashed potatoes." I'd rather liken the Times' writing to a plate of petrified mashed potatoes. P.P.S. More on the news hacks' obsession with reliable stats: The Times says he was 78. Reuters says he was 79. How old was he?
Posted
6:32 AM
by Gene
I'll say it again: What drives me bananas about the jaysonists is that they criticize -- usually in the oblique, weasel-worded manner of "objectivity" -- but they don't offer alternatives, perhaps because if they tried it would expose their near total ignorance. I stand corrected : TWO staff sergeants (the other is cited very briefly, with a neutral quote). That's still three fewer staff sergeants than retired whatisits that appeared in the other piece. Monday, June 30, 2003
Posted
9:05 PM
by Gene
A Monotonic Cyborg Learns to Say 'Pantsuit'
Posted
8:33 PM
by Gene
Posted
8:27 PM
by Gene
Is listening to the Beeb hazardous to your health?
Posted
6:21 PM
by Gene
Sorta like, uh, Jayson. Right?
Posted
6:13 PM
by Gene
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5:55 PM
by Gene
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5:44 PM
by Gene
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5:41 PM
by Gene
As usual, there was no debate. Like with the Disney Protection Act.
Posted
5:38 PM
by Gene
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5:35 PM
by Gene
You still mad at ESPN, Keith? Or are you trying to live the definition of "Get a life?"
Posted
5:25 PM
by Gene
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5:22 PM
by Gene
Thanks again, Hans, for -- what?
Posted
5:17 PM
by Gene
Better run for gov'nor, AH-nult.
Posted
5:07 PM
by Gene
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6:51 AM
by Gene
Sunday, June 29, 2003
Posted
7:07 PM
by Gene
(I see the news hacks are doing their doubleplusgood routine by calling her a feminist. Is there any escaping their knee-jerk lockstep sieg heil?)
Posted
4:57 PM
by Gene
Posted
4:04 PM
by Gene
This is another thing that drives me bananas about the jaysonists: they criticize -- usually in the oblique, weasel-worded manner of "objectivity" -- but they don't offer alternatives, perhaps because if they tried it would expose their near total ignorance. PUT UP, I SAY, OR SHUT UP.
Posted
3:52 PM
by Gene
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3:42 PM
by Gene
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1:56 PM
by Gene
Or as Arthur Freed would say, "That's Entertainment!"
Posted
12:58 PM
by Gene
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12:22 PM
by Gene
As for disappearing audiences, no amount of managing will solve that one. Classical music has only itself to blame. It has indulged the creation of a narcissistic avant-garde speaking in languages that repel the average committed listener in even our most sophisticated American cities. Intelligent, music-loving and eager to learn, such listeners largely understand that true talent and originality must find their own voice. What they do not understand is why the commitment to reach and touch listeners in the seats does not stand at the beginning of the creative process, as it did with Haydn and Mozart. This kind of art-for-art's-sake has much to answer for.
Posted
11:32 AM
by Gene
Cyd Charisse['s]...legs are deadlier than all the firearms in Chicago. ![]() Nuf said.
Posted
10:10 AM
by Gene
Posted
10:05 AM
by Gene
Don't worry. Three months isn't that long.
Posted
9:35 AM
by Gene
The more news hacks use statistics, the more they get people mad -- and the more politically charged a story the more suspect the numbers. These same people said that hundreds of thousands, millions, protested war in Iraq; they've given counts on Iraqi war dead that have ranged from thousands to gazillions; they gave us numbers of dead in the Riyadh bombing from 10 to 91; they give us movie box-office estimates that are sometimes off by several millions; they said untold zillions would die from SARS; they've told us anywhere from 750 to 3000 troops would be deployed to fight terrorism in the Philippines; they've said 3,000 or 18,000 are active in al Qaeda; they're addicted to global warming stories because they let them famously screw around with numbers -- AND, the biz employs Paul Krugman. News hacks already tell lies and damn lies; the statistics are but the icing on the cake.
Posted
9:16 AM
by Gene
Posted
9:01 AM
by Gene
You can go back to sleep now, David.
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