today. This might seem like not a big deal to some people, but it’s big news to me. There’s still an ice rink by the front door but it’s an improvement. What we don’t want is the weather to deteriorate, or as one BBC presenter said this morning “deterorate”. My question is was it written on the teleprompter like that or did she mispronounce it on her own? The people reading the news usually just read what they see on the screen in front of them, but this is a brain teaser in a way.
Speaking of news, I read quite a long article from the New Yorker Magazine written by an ex employee of the Washington Post, Ruth Marcus, excoriating Jeff Bezos for promising to save Democracy by buying the paper, and then destroying it. After losing interest and fawning over Trump Jeff has started shredding and shedding staff to the point where it’s just a shadow of it’s former self, says Ruth.
The standout part of this story in my opinion, was this one..”It’s almost like he’s (Jeff) treated it like Pets.com—an interesting experiment that he’s willing to lose some money on until he’s not. But the difference with this business is it’s not Pets.com. It’s not a business that just disappears into the muck of venture capitalism. It’s a business that is essential to the survival of the Republic, for Christ’s sake. So you don’t fuck around with it like that.”
Did you get that? “it’s a business that is essential to the survival of the Republic“. Oh, in that case…..These cats take themselves far too seriously. Robert Kaiser, the former managing editor, talking about the transformation and deterioration of the Post, had to stop himself during the interview, he was so overwhelmed with the blackness of the whole experience. “I’m going to cry,” he said, and paused. “Oh, God, it’s killing me.”
“Doesn’t give a flying fuck” Jeff’s moved on.
I’m beginning to understand..”The author David Maraniss was with the Post for forty-eight years. He resigned as an associate editor in 2024, after Bezos killed the editorial page’s planned endorsement of Kamala Harris. “He bought the Post thinking that it would give him some gravitas and grace that he couldn’t get just from billions of dollars, and then the world changed,” Maraniss said of Bezos. “Now I don’t think he gives us—I don’t think he gives a flying fuck.”
During its first fiscal year Pets.com earned $619,000 in revenue, and spent $11.8 million on advertising.
I know this is a little bit political, but I’m not taking sides, rather I think it’s an illustration of the old adage that “Money Talks, and Bullshit Walks”. I feel some sympathy for the people who believed that they were making a difference. We need these people. Unfortunately everything seems to devolve unto the mighty dollar. The Washington Post wasn’t my favorite newspaper, but most of them aren’t. If enough people want to read what they have to say it will survive one way or another.
Good Day