Comments on: Close only counts in hand grenades and health care http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/ \"...a somewhat popular blogger\" Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:18:01 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Downpuppy http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38565 Downpuppy Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:09:34 +0000 http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38565 <p>And will she clean up or double down on stupid?</p> <p><a href="http://meganmcardle.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/08/correction_community_rating_tu.php" rel="nofollow"><br /> Asked & Answered.</a></p> And will she clean up or double down on stupid?


Asked & Answered.

]]> By: slippytoad http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38545 slippytoad Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:24:17 +0000 http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38545 <p>Now, you have to remember that everybody in <strike>America</strike> The Upper Class has a right to a <strike>job</strike> sinecure and we wouldn’t want a bunch of poor little babies like McArdle sitting at home bored and useless, would we?</p> <p>We prefer them being useless right out there in public.</p> Now, you have to remember that everybody in America The Upper Class has a right to a job sinecure and we wouldn’t want a bunch of poor little babies like McArdle sitting at home bored and useless, would we?

We prefer them being useless right out there in public.

]]> By: MarkD http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38474 MarkD Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:52:27 +0000 http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38474 <p>Derelict nailed it — I’m also a professional writer and editor (10 years now) and the overall intelligence level and abilities of those in the higher ranks has just plummeted. It’s like going from a lineup of All Stars to one of … well, the KC Royals. (I’d normally type, “Thank gawd for football season!” but the Chiefs will probably blow dead goats this year as well.)</p> <p>I could blame both the chase for profits (which are earned when someone writes something stupid or inflammatory enough to sell lots of copies or get lots of viewers/readers) and the desire to compete with all media at once (the Internet, cable, etc.) instead of focusing on a core competency and doing it well. Both are certainly part of it.</p> <p>But the most blame has to be placed squarely on editors who let this crap get published, and the managers/directors/execs who hired those incompetent editors despite their glaring lack of knowledge and/or skills.</p> <p>It’s basically gone from “Let’s Publish Articles From Smartest Folks we Can Find” to “Who Can I Get To Publish What I Want?” or “What Will Get Us Noticed, Good or Bad?”</p> <p>It’s disgusting, and MM is just but one example.</p> <p>/thesis</p> Derelict nailed it — I’m also a professional writer and editor (10 years now) and the overall intelligence level and abilities of those in the higher ranks has just plummeted. It’s like going from a lineup of All Stars to one of … well, the KC Royals. (I’d normally type, “Thank gawd for football season!” but the Chiefs will probably blow dead goats this year as well.)

I could blame both the chase for profits (which are earned when someone writes something stupid or inflammatory enough to sell lots of copies or get lots of viewers/readers) and the desire to compete with all media at once (the Internet, cable, etc.) instead of focusing on a core competency and doing it well. Both are certainly part of it.

But the most blame has to be placed squarely on editors who let this crap get published, and the managers/directors/execs who hired those incompetent editors despite their glaring lack of knowledge and/or skills.

It’s basically gone from “Let’s Publish Articles From Smartest Folks we Can Find” to “Who Can I Get To Publish What I Want?” or “What Will Get Us Noticed, Good or Bad?”

It’s disgusting, and MM is just but one example.

/thesis

]]> By: wavydavy http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38467 wavydavy Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:32:05 +0000 http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38467 <p>Don’t forget it also applies to slow dancing.</p> Don’t forget it also applies to slow dancing.

]]> By: gmoke http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38448 gmoke Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:55:05 +0000 http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38448 <p>Almost also applies to shotguns and the game of horseshoes. I suspect it applies to nuclear weapons as well but I certainly don’t want to test that hypothesis.</p> Almost also applies to shotguns and the game of horseshoes. I suspect it applies to nuclear weapons as well but I certainly don’t want to test that hypothesis.

]]> By: cleek http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38446 cleek Wed, 05 Aug 2009 01:56:05 +0000 http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38446 <p>when normal people are wrong, it’s unfortunate and a bit embarrassing. but when right-wing ideologues are wrong, it’s and interesting and thought-provoking comment on the blatant liberal bias which permeates nearly all facts and events. therefore we need more wrong right-wing ideologues.</p> <p>i think that’s on the default masthead .DOT template.</p> when normal people are wrong, it’s unfortunate and a bit embarrassing. but when right-wing ideologues are wrong, it’s and interesting and thought-provoking comment on the blatant liberal bias which permeates nearly all facts and events. therefore we need more wrong right-wing ideologues.

i think that’s on the default masthead .DOT template.

]]> By: DennisSGMM http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38443 DennisSGMM Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:22:56 +0000 http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38443 <p>Derelict @13 hit it: these publications want their columnists to write about how they feel - as if anyone gives a flying fuck about that. Truthiness is as good as truth for them because it’s all about how they feel about reality and not about anything as mundane as reality itself. If they were good writers, or even competent writers they might come up with something worth reading every now and then but, their prose is as muddled as their thinking. The measure of their narcissism is that they actually believe that their sophomoric logorrhea should be published for others to read.</p> Derelict @13 hit it: these publications want their columnists to write about how they feel – as if anyone gives a flying fuck about that. Truthiness is as good as truth for them because it’s all about how they feel about reality and not about anything as mundane as reality itself. If they were good writers, or even competent writers they might come up with something worth reading every now and then but, their prose is as muddled as their thinking. The measure of their narcissism is that they actually believe that their sophomoric logorrhea should be published for others to read.

]]> By: Lesley http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38441 Lesley Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:16:13 +0000 http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38441 <p>This is what happens when Daddy pays for everything and your Atlantic gig income is spent on lattes, IPhones, and holidays in the Hamptons.</p> This is what happens when Daddy pays for everything and your Atlantic gig income is spent on lattes, IPhones, and holidays in the Hamptons.

]]> By: moistenedbink http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38440 moistenedbink Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:00:13 +0000 http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38440 <p>I feel the same way. The injustice of paying these idiots big bucks (as well as Beck, Rush, etc) while very talented and intelligent people are scraping for freelance work if they haven’t given up altogether. I read a Time Magazine cover piece recently by Caitlin Flanigan (? sp) that nearly caused a blood vessel in my brain to burst. It was a piece on how infidelity is ruining marriage. It wasn’t an editorial, a column, an op-ed, it was a cover feature. It was so full of assumptions, stereotypes and her own personal experience/opinion that it was worthless. I am sure that she was well compensated for it.</p> I feel the same way. The injustice of paying these idiots big bucks (as well as Beck, Rush, etc) while very talented and intelligent people are scraping for freelance work if they haven’t given up altogether. I read a Time Magazine cover piece recently by Caitlin Flanigan (? sp) that nearly caused a blood vessel in my brain to burst. It was a piece on how infidelity is ruining marriage. It wasn’t an editorial, a column, an op-ed, it was a cover feature. It was so full of assumptions, stereotypes and her own personal experience/opinion that it was worthless. I am sure that she was well compensated for it.

]]> By: DennisSGMM http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38439 DennisSGMM Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:58:51 +0000 http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/close-only-counts-in-hand-grenades-and-healthcare/#comment-38439 <p>It’s yours. The Law of Averages provides me with a “good one” approximately every 500 posts. Today was our lucky day.</p> It’s yours. The Law of Averages provides me with a “good one” approximately every 500 posts. Today was our lucky day.

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