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, March 07, 2009
Posted
9:50 PM
by Gene
![]() TWENTY-FIVE MILLION AMERICANS LISTENED TO RUSH LAST WEEK!!!!!!!!!! Your head IS made of wood, isn't it, Charlie. Yes but when Mark Steyn gets near me I do a good imitation of the hole in his head. Who got it from a Web site called Small Dead Animals, who got it from SEN. FOGHORN MATTHEWS'S COMEDY SHOW?!?!?, who got it from HOWIE HAIRSHIRT, who got it from that JABBERING WHATISIT THE PUBLISHER OF TALKERS, who got it from -- this is starting to resemble Yente the Matchmaker! And now we know where that jackass Farhi got his inspiration: from grumbling fellow typists at The Daily Kaplan! TWO WRONGS DON'T MAKE A -- CORRECT. OR: "It's very hard to come up with an exact answer. It really reveals the embarrassing state of radio ratings." Which enabled you to say with absolute certainty to Howie: TWENTY-FIVE MILLION AMERICANS LISTENED TO RUSH LAST WEEK!!!!!!!!!! SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU! (Apologies to Edgar and Charlie -- we're not trying to identify them with any political persuasion.)
Posted
7:01 PM
by Gene
Posted
5:19 PM
by Gene
The Lone Ranger was smoking too; maybe he was playing the Marlboro Man.
Posted
2:44 PM
by Gene
That any number from PILLHEAD's mouth is an out-and-out fabrication is just as sure as with any number from Hubert -- Stren?
Posted
11:36 AM
by Gene
Okay, "A" -- does that include all the customer service types in INJA? Didn't think so. "A" also two-left-footedly admits we're in a depression. Great corporate advertising, guys!
Posted
11:04 AM
by Gene
Stewart, on the other hand, is the King of SWPL America. He takes quotes and events out of context, flips them around and presents them in such a way as to flatter his fans' very large sense of self-superiority. In other words, Frank Rich loves him. But honestly, that gag is getting old. It's also easy to do when you have a large crowd on your side. Let's see Stewart go to pits in Chicago and try to embarrass them. Next time though, guy, ditch the made-up acronyms. By the way, which is longer -- Wikipedia's article on The Daily Show or the one on the battle of Gettysburg? By about 200 words -- IDIOTS!!!!! (First link via BusinessInsider.com -- and we must confess Henry Blodget isn't all that funny either)
Posted
9:27 AM
by Gene
*We should have said, "every trick of the trade", professional KOLLEDGE sports having nothing to do with books.
Posted
9:11 AM
by Gene
And now that GE BANCORP's in trouble it's the company's few remaining working stiffs who'll get hurt, the kind we news hacks haven't had to hold our noses to in decades. Friday, March 06, 2009
Posted
7:38 PM
by Gene
How do you know, PILLHEAD? Did an angel whisper it in your ear? And did you have trouble hearing at the time? I want con-SER-va-tives to tell me this is part of The One's PLOT. OR: UPDATE: DCCC Executive Director Brian Wolff fires back: “RUSH LIMBAUGH’S REPREHENSIBLE REMARK THAT, ' BEFORE IT'S ALL OVER, IT'LL BE CALLED THE TED KENNEDY MEMORIAL HEALTH CARE BILL' IS TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! LEADER LIMBAUGH MINIMIZES THE STRUGGLE OF HARDWORKING AMERICANS WITHOUT ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE AND DEMONIZES A PATRIOTIC SENATOR WHO HAS SPENT HIS LIFE FIGHTING SO THAT EVERY PERSON HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM!! LEADER LIMBAUGH CROSSED THE LINE!!!!! NATIONAL REPUBLICANS MUST STAND UP TO THEIR LEADER, RUSH LIMBAUGH, AND TELL HIM THAT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!” (Democratic overemphasis added) TRANSLATION: We've done the same thing. SHUT UP, MUTUAL DIMWITS. (Revised 3/7/2009 at 1:20 p. m. to add self-righteousness)
Posted
7:29 PM
by Gene
I can do allegories too: WFB is the Father, Jo-NAH is the Son, and conservatives have given up the ghost. And didn't City Journal run that piece of junk about MS. TRAVERS'S favorite TV show being con-SER-va-tive? Yes, I believe it did.
Posted
2:03 PM
by Gene
Pelosi's Patience Wears Thin Who knew she had any? ...a long-overdue omnibus spending bill that had become a growing embarrassment for party leaders and President Barack Obama. Spending -- an embarrassment?
Posted
1:45 PM
by Gene
Posted
12:15 PM
by Gene
Posted
11:39 AM
by Gene
Many of the most sweeping criticisms also come from folks who are the furthest from the action. A number of the loudest critics, from the Audit to The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz to any number of bloggers to "The Daily Show," which this week thrashed CNBC, with the help of the Times' Joe Nocera, to (for comic relief) Ben Affleck, who recently blamed Newsweek for the mess because it was nice to Henry Paulson, should ask themselves the following question: What were you up to when the disaster was building? Why didn't you ring the alarm bell? Their answer is usually, well, it wasn't my job or no one would listen to me. These turn out to be not unlike excuses proffered by many financial journalists -- to wit, I was covering my beat, which didn't extend into every toxic nook and cranny of finance. (OK, not Affleck, Kurtz or Jon Stewart: Their answer is that they were busy making lots of money in show biz.) Unfortunately he goes on to excuse financial news hacks with terms like opacity and complexity and blahblahblah, which did not stop some of the bizhacks from praising the heads of opaque, complex companies, like LEGENDARY WELCH, or JOHN THAIN. Which doesn't make EDDIE or HOWIE HAIRSHIRT any LESS prigs. (Via MediaBistro)
Posted
9:44 AM
by Gene
Posted
9:35 AM
by Gene
Don't you want to just pinch yourself to live in an age of movee greatness?
Posted
9:06 AM
by Gene
[O]perating months for January and February were “strong.” BofA, Wells Fargo: No Equity After Accounting for Bad Loans Sure, ST., sure.
Posted
8:35 AM
by Gene
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Posted
7:05 PM
by Gene
![]() With some businesses you wonder that anyone gets into them -- like horse racing. A firm called Magna Entertainment Corp., which owns Pimlico among other tracks, "has lost $638 million since 2002." There's been talk of the Preakness being moved from there. When we think horse racing we think broken-down men with cigars. We hope some semblance of the races can stay on, if only to remind us of what gambling was like before it became an industry, and because horses are such good and noble creatures, even when racing. (Photo added 3/6/2009 at 9:50 a. m.; Magna owns a track outside Berkeley)
Posted
6:56 PM
by Gene
Maybe it should put its money in AIG. It might be funnier.
Posted
6:41 PM
by Gene
WATCH: The Unhappiest Place to Live of All Well, if you're unhappy, Portland, Oregonians, go two doors down to -- The Funniest 911 Calls You'll Ever Hear
Posted
6:08 PM
by Gene
What is the point of the Surgeon General's office, aside from righteously adding unpleasant words to our conversations -- like condom?
Posted
6:03 PM
by Gene
Posted
5:50 PM
by Gene
![]() Soon I may be an outpost of the Sophia Loren Fan Club --- which I wouldn't entirely mind, despite not being read. P. S. at 8:15 p. m. I now learn my post of that picture was on page one of the Google and Google Images searches for Sophia Loren. Thank you -- and for once I will not call you G000,000,000,000,000GLE. Now again if only people would not pay so much attention to my beauty! And if only Sophia Loren were 21!
Posted
1:32 PM
by Gene
We will not call this the height of courage as Gorby waited long enough -- and he chose the right time -- but better late than never, we say.
Posted
1:26 PM
by Gene
How about -- enough so in his second term The One will launch a new cabinet-level agency to control their costs! Or maybe he can appoint another CZAR!
Posted
1:09 PM
by Gene
AN HONORARY NEUHARTHISM OF THE MONTH AWARD FOR LONG, BORING TONE-DEAFNESS TO EM!
Posted
11:47 AM
by Gene
Which is another way of saying EDDIE probably ignored the topic himself until it was too smelly to ignore -- and now that He doesn't have Dubya to kick around anymore I guess He needs new TARGETS. Oh -- people who work in SUMNER-RUN EMPIRES.... (Via the usual Romy, who takes Eddie VERY seriously)
Posted
11:24 AM
by Gene
Posted
10:21 AM
by Gene
We might ignore them from YOU -- SEN. GOLDILOCKS! (Via NRO, where the economy has yet to enter a recession)
Posted
9:33 AM
by Gene
Posted
9:13 AM
by Gene
Posted
8:54 AM
by Gene
Posted
8:50 AM
by Gene
WHO NEEDS NEWS HACKS? “Presidents age two years for every year that they’re in office,” said Dr. Michael F. Roizen, co-founder of RealAge, a Web site that tells you how much older your body really is because of all that smoking and drinking you have been doing. Haven't all those Web ads helped? WHO NEEDS NEWS HACKS?
Posted
8:26 AM
by Gene
Professional investors tend to be more conservative, so it's perhaps no surprise they're concerned. "The basic agenda of Obama's Administration is going to be more leftist and less centrist than I had anticipated," says John Merrill, chief investment officer at Tanglewood Wealth Management in Houston. WwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwWELL!
Posted
8:23 AM
by Gene
With luck, the same place Steve Ross, Gerry Levin, Steve Case and Dick Parsons took it.
Posted
8:17 AM
by Gene
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Posted
5:44 PM
by Gene
The way it bought five percent of AOL, we hope. (Via Seeking Alpha)
Posted
5:34 PM
by Gene
![]() DRIP, DRIP, DRIP: Moisture plagues 'impermeable' gallery And guess which impermeable STARCHITECT designed it? No wonder he's had to lay off staff. Oh wait, it's never the BOSS. (First link via the usual AhtsJournal)
Posted
5:01 PM
by Gene
How does this serve democracy, O Huff? O SUPERDUPERMEGAGIGABLOGGERS? (Via the usual Romy)
Posted
4:57 PM
by Gene
“It’s great for us, great for him, great for the press.” And LOUSY FOR THE REST OF US -- but idiots like YOU AND YOUR FRIEND wouldn't want it ANY OTHER WAY. Before the end of the month THE NEW CW will have spent more time and resources on this STUNT than on LEGITIMATE REPORTING.
Posted
11:06 AM
by Gene
Posted
9:53 AM
by Gene
SLIME'S GOT THE PROGRAM! He bought TWO newspapers with The Wall Street Journals, and now He intends to milk them! Which should prevent further goodwill writedowns from His overpaying. (Via The Oval, which reminds us -- GCI at $2.27, NWSA at $5.53)
Posted
9:46 AM
by Gene
S.&P. Cuts Bank of America’s Rating Again Again? They did it before? We didn't know. This means something? (Via Seeking Alpha)
Posted
9:40 AM
by Gene
Sudan does not recognize the court's jurisdiction and refuses to arrest suspects. So there!
Posted
9:29 AM
by Gene
Posted
9:22 AM
by Gene
And now for....Page Two! What makes you think you're worthy of Page ONE, Mr. Farhi? This is another way the hacks irritate me -- by being exceedingly cute with their writing, thinking they're being humorous. I suppose anyone who types for public consumption is guilty of it now and then but some writers do it far more than others, and too many of those have jobs. Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Posted
8:55 PM
by Gene
1. The folks who celebrate People as the greatest magazine ever get enthusiastic over a feature in its sister rag's Web site -- you know, InStyle, the rag that's even dorkier than People -- that lets women try on celebs' hair styles. The TWXSTERS should extend this to men; I wonder how I'd look with Moe Howard's wig. ![]() 2. These folks get equally excited that The Big G has rolled out retro cereal boxes at Target -- without the retro prices, no doubt. I suspect a FIVE-LETTER WORD is missing from the boxes too.
Posted
7:01 PM
by Gene
Or maybe the warning...wasn't ignored.
Posted
6:41 PM
by Gene
Which is why so many craven Republicans luuuuuuuuuuhve PILLHEAD!
Posted
6:14 PM
by Gene
It’s kind of crazy to see “West Side Story” the night after “Guys and Dolls.” It makes you wonder why no one writes real songs anymore. It’s a lost art. Which will not prevent the hacks from demanding their free passes, and taking advantage of said free passes to write fatuous raves, and which will not prevent us from laughing over the likes of GanNETt's junk..."paper" -- and we'd guess the whole cri-TIC-al staff of USAOKAY!!!!!'s got theirs. Best of luck come double-one time! Or Rog, for that matter -- but heck he is a press agent.
Posted
5:44 PM
by Gene
![]() A Swiss-cheese factory! Caveat: This is from the same "preactice" that gave us the Dresden HDTV, so maybe they just have too much time on their hands. Although this apartment building in the Netherlands isn't too bad.
Posted
5:38 PM
by Gene
They SAY. (Via The Consumerist, about which more later)
Posted
5:33 PM
by Gene
PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!
Posted
5:25 PM
by Gene
Posted
4:59 PM
by Gene
TRANSLATION: Even Steny realizes that not all homeowners may act responsibly, and that Uncle Sucker may not have unlimited resources for them. Yes, even a Democrat realizes this.
Posted
3:14 PM
by Gene
Well that's obvious -- it's a BANK, isn't it?
Posted
2:57 PM
by Gene
But they have to be mushy moderate to make up for the tin-eared Bushian bellicosity, and they have to be tin-eared Bushily bellicose to make up for the mushy moderation. Don't you think, PILLHEAD? (No, of course you don't -- except of CHEAP CHANNEL.)
Posted
9:44 AM
by Gene
Have you noticed their coordinated effort to label Rush the leader of the Republican Party? Do you think it's accidental that James Carville so describes him? Do you think it's just coincidental that Obama called Rush out personally and that the entire flock of mainstream media sheep followed suit? Could it be there's no Republican leader worthy of the name? Could it be Republicans have been so obsessively identified with big business and the hyperrich -- who aren't on anyone's popularity list anymore -- and con-SER-va-tives have been so obsessively devoted to their care and feeding, as to vacuum their ranks of leadership and thought? Could it be the opportunistic PILLHEAD stepped into the void to keep him and his CHEAP CHANNEL empire in the fore forever? Could it be we're sick and tired of all of you for your nonstop buck-passing?
Posted
9:39 AM
by Gene
Posted
9:25 AM
by Gene
Posted
9:13 AM
by Gene
MPAA budget takes $20 million hit Move by member sudios [THR IS UPSET SIC!!!!!] will trim group's size, scope This means no more direct links with the FBI! No more harassing people for using their computers! Maybe they'll have to outsource JACK'S SECRET POISONOUS-RECIPE ALPHABET SOUP -- or stop making it at all! And we can think of few deserving a pay cut more than SAMMY GLICK...MAN!!!!! THIS MAKES OUR DAY! Monday, March 02, 2009
Posted
8:02 PM
by Gene
![]() Is this the title? ![]() Or is it this?
Posted
7:45 PM
by Gene
![]() We'd say this to Ross, if we could: PILLHEAD and QUEEN OPRAH are alike in one very distinct way: ten years after they retire they will be as well remembered as Phil Donahue is today (?) -- and twenty years after they retire not a single living soul will have any idea what the fuss over them was all about. And if you want a primer on yesterday's hot celebs -- think RUDY VALLÉE.
Posted
7:38 PM
by Gene
Posted
7:25 PM
by Gene
Well that didn't take long -- and he didn't even have to appear on the show! He knows who runs the REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT!
Posted
7:06 PM
by Gene
For the year, CC posted a $4 billion loss in part to a $5.2 billion impairment charge. Revenue declined 3 percent to $6.7 billion. Radio revenue dropped 13 percent in fourth quarter to $788.8 million. About 43 percent of the division's decline occurred during the fourth quarter, sending full year revenue down 7 percent to $3.3 billion. [Emphasis added] The good news is, it's CHEAP CHANNEL. The bad news is, it's the economy.
Posted
5:59 PM
by Gene
We think THE DUHB's essay is starting to sink in, however imperfectly. But if we're going to attack PILLHEAD let's NOT use words beloved of their mere polar opposites. Conant, the RNC spokesman, didn’t say whether Steele would go on the show. 1. Yes; and 2. I'm sorry. See above.
Posted
5:49 PM
by Gene
02 Mar, Mon, 09:46:51 Google Images: voluptuous women 02 Mar, Mon, 10:27:59 Google Images: ugly bikini And yes, they both link to that picture of the very plump beauty contestant we posted last year. Oh well, one of these days people won't hit us up because of my looks.
Posted
5:45 PM
by Gene
We should give a NEUHARTHISM OF THE WEEK AWARD to RITA for running this press release but we figure she was just trying to be witty, so we'll leave it at that.
Posted
5:31 PM
by Gene
![]() A super-duper high-def set in Dresden. The preactice [SIC] is based in Spain.... Yes, and when you design HDTVs you should call yourself a preactice.
Posted
5:15 PM
by Gene
![]() Don't listen to my whiny, sing-songy voice -- listen to my message! Sure, Ronny, Sure. P. S. WHY G000,000,000,000,000GLE DESERVES TO SELL FOR AT LEAST FIFTY TIMES GE BANCORP: I entered the opening of the ASSPress's story into its search: Widely panned for his national TV address.... ...and I got: Did you mean: Widely banned for his national TV address Well, I guess you could say that.
Posted
3:12 PM
by Gene
The Environmental Protection Agency will soon begin testing the air around schools for toxic contaminants. The $2.25 million program announced Monday will be the first to specifically target air contamination near schools. The EPA already operates a nationwide monitoring network that collects information on a variety of air pollutants.... But it is unclear what the agency can do about it if it finds that some pollutants are posing risks on school grounds. There are no federal standards for the 188 chemicals classified as air toxics. It can also be difficult to trace a pollution problem back to a specific source. [Last graf]
Posted
11:50 AM
by Gene
We have been glib about Wall Street thus far because mostly the GEKKO KUDLOWS have been hurt -- we have no sympathy for St. Warren, however straight He tells it -- but each time the GEKKOS inflict more hurt on themselves some ants can get hurt too.
Posted
10:41 AM
by Gene
And pray tell, what is "the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries"?
Posted
10:17 AM
by Gene
As Sky the heartbreaker, Mr. Bierko (who starred in the 2000 revival of “The Music Man”) gives the smoothest performance, but it’s also bland. Like the others he sometimes seems to disappear while you’re watching him. Next year -- an Os-CAR®! Or at least the Branson East Best Carnival Barker Award.
Posted
10:09 AM
by Gene
(Reluctant link via IWantMedia)
Posted
10:05 AM
by Gene
You have that much space on your site? She'd be a great blogger if she weren't co-president.
Posted
10:00 AM
by Gene
"His media empire is a shadow of what it used to be," said Vogel, noting that the value of CBS and Viacom shares, like those of many other media companies, are a fraction of what they once were. "This is what's putting pressure on him," Vogel said. "It's a nightmare at his stage in life that the values of his companies have evaporated." Oh, a nightmare! that in early middle age he will never again revel in putting America under his big greasy thumb with his junky entertainments. Good for us! Until another thumb comes along. (Via IWantMedia) Sunday, March 01, 2009
Posted
5:32 PM
by Gene
Never borrow money needlessly, But when you need to borrow, see HFC. HSBC* borrowed money needlessly to buy HFC (well, Household International) which lent money needlessly to all sorts of people borrowing money needlessly on their houses (which many no doubt needlessly bought on ARMs). After the subsequent needlessly brilliant experience you may not wonder why it's all but shutting down HFC (er, Household International -- er, HSBC Finance Corporation). And to top it off the company's ready "to buy discounted assets from weakened competitors". Some people will never learn. P. S. It's still giving out credit cards, like the GM Card. We wonder how long that will last. P. P. S. SHUCKS, IT WAS A STOCK SWAP. We figured they must have borrowed money needlessly to keep the thing going. And all those shares cost something. Right? P. P. P. S. Just as well: HSBC Finance was popular with its customers. *We still don't know what it means. We don't want to guess. (Via Seeking Alpha, sort of)
Posted
5:10 PM
by Gene
1. Who says banks can't market? Northern Trust did it. Everyone knows its name now. Problem is there are certain kinds of "marketing" banks now do too well: accepting government handouts, sponsoring CEO-pleasin' sports events, raising fees, lowering credit limits, being a pain where the sun don't shine -- and all sorts of cute puppies and reassuring words on TV will not help a business a great many people now HATE. 2. Advertisers intend to plaster more and more annoying ads on TV than ever, in every conceivable way. The plan is to render TiVo useless. Do that, advertisers, and you may render TV useless. Please!
Posted
1:50 PM
by Gene
Posted
1:42 PM
by Gene
This is the nice little spot between the rock and the hard place our side's gotten into when our chief spokespoop is PILLHEAD.
Posted
9:28 AM
by Gene
Now we KNOW this isn't true. Isn't THE PROFESSOR always telling us THE PEEPUL will rise to take the place of the hacks? Isn't ROGER forever gassing about the virtues of CITIZEN JERNALISM? Isn't B. S. DEFENDER saying the hacks are a bunch of old fogies who can't tell Web 2.0 from Web 1.0? Yes even HOWIE HAIRSHIRT must admit the press has suffered from its own "arrogance". But expecting the PEA-BRAINED SUPERDUPERMEGAGIGABLOGGERS to fill in more than one pea in the press pod is testimony to their own. We should not take the press's protestations too seriously; how much better informed were we when full-to-bursting staffs swigged Perrier in their luxury news suites? But whatever difference will not be made up with inch-tall Napoleons like SAM LITTLE spewing bile frenetically from his den.
Posted
9:20 AM
by Gene
• Buffett Says Economy Will Be `in Shambles' This Year, Promises Recovery So! God has promised a recovery! He said so! What could be more definitive than that?
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