Assorted Odds & Ends
Josh Marshall Strikes Again. I've enthused before about uber-blogger Josh Marshall and his TalkingPointsMemo and the related TPM Cafe. His Latest Innovation: the Bolton Watch. Named for the horse's ass ignoramus that our idiot president sent to misrepresent us at the United Nations (he's so corrupt that even Sen. George Voinovich couldn't stomach him!), it promises to be worth watching. The first bit of news it broke: Bolton has actually been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Unbelievable.
Why Do Liberals Go on Fox's O'Reilly Show? More than a year ago, Slate's wonderful media critic, Jack Shafer, wrote this lively piece full of suggestions on how one might survive a guest slot on Bill O'Reilly's boxing match "news" show. Now, the Boston Phoenix's Mark Jurkowitz, who shocked some people not long ago by leaving his gig as media reporter for the Boston Globe to return to his previous alt-weekly stomping grounds, asks a perfectly good question, and answers it in interesting ways. The bottom line, says one guy he quotes: "if you're not going to do the homework (to prepare), don't go on these shows that are rigged." You can read an interview with Mark here and check his Globe story archive here. Anyway, the whole thing reminded me that I've yet to go rent the reputedly excellent documentary on Fox News, Outfoxed. Maybe this weekend. Anyone seen it yet?
Dan McGraw Resurfaces With Smart Piece on 'Sports Welfare.' Former Cleveland-based writer Daniel McGraw, a rare blend of great reporter and first-class writer, has resurfaced. He recently published this interesting piece in Reason, the generally well-regarded bible of the libertarian movement (which is mildy famous in journalism for being a truly virtual operation, with the editor working from Cincinnati, of all places, and others sprinled throughout the country). When last we heard, McGraw, who got his start at the Lake County News Herald, was writing for U.S. News & World Reports, from a base in Texas. During that stint, he also managed to produce a moving book-length memoir on his relationship with his father, told through the lens of their shared love for the Cleveland Browns. It's a beautiful book by a marvelous writer.
8 Comments:
I thought Dan got his start waiting tables at Classics and that I was his favorite bartender?
Lou, I take it you're serious and speaking literally. If so, that's interesting. I didn't know he worked there, because in fact I never even met the guy. We just shared one important mutual friend (an editor for whom we both wrote), who kept me informed about him for a time, because he knew I admired his work. And Dan was briefly famous in journalism circles early on for one memorable reason: when, as a fulltime staff reporter for the Lake County rag, he began writing some wonderfully vivid, well-reported pieces for the Cleveland Edition, the idiots who run the former paper ordered him to stop (it no doubt called attention to how they were the reason the paper was so awful, not the reporters). But the way in which they chose to order him to stop is what remains so memorable for me: he had to read the diktat on an in-house bulletin board, masked as a general rule to the entire staff, when in fact he was the only one to which it then applied. Cowards and fools tend to abound at the top of bad publications. And of course the good people just vote with their feet, and leave.
I'd recommend Outfoxed. It's eye-opening to hear from people who once worked at the network.
Don't know if you've seen Fahrenheit 9/11, but if you have, check out the counter-balancing FahrenHype 9/11 as well. The two go together like oil and water.
John, very serious. It was through Dan that I was able to land the gig as tuxedo-wearing-manhattan-pouring-bartender at the big C. I knew Dan a couple years before that through Cleveland State. Frequented his gig as b-tender at the Holiday Inn across from CSU. Dan's a good guy.
Thanks, Miles. I hope your foray into fulltime writing is beginning well. And I did see Farenheit. As for Lou the newlywed, the world is a very small place, isn't it? I can see you in that tuxedo even now.
George who?
No, I'd say the horse's asses are those who would make a comment anonymously. But then that's probably the way I'd prefer to remain too if I were forced to try to defend the undefendable, which is this idiot administration.
Ok Folks, here's the latest from Dan McGraw.
Had some wild sex with some very good chick last night, and she said she had done some google search on me and found this site. So while we are reclining afterwords, I have to explain waiting tables and wearing a wool tuxedo at Classics. For those interested, she was bored by all that. Still, she worked hard, trying to give good head while I bored her with bad conversation. For those who are interested, I am still writing, have a novel coming out with Random House in six months, and am still as nutty as before. Those who knew me a long time ago can find me at danielmcgraw@sbcglobal.net. Why you're even talking about me is very funny.
Dan McGraw
817.737.8588
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