I haven't bothered to post anything about the Minneapolis Star-Tribune's Nick Coleman and his bizarre diatribe directed at the Powerline guys last week. Coleman was thoroughly dissected and discredited, and there didn't seem to be any point in piling on. But after reading Coleman's recent nasty email to NRO's Jim Geraghty (incidentally, Jim, I love the blog, but "TKS" is a stupid name), I was reminded of an old Bill Cosby routine:
I said to a guy, "Tell me, what is it about cocaine that makes it so wonderful," and he said, "Well, it intensifies your personality."
I said, "Yes, but what if you're an asshole?"
Email tends to work the same way. Kind of makes you glad for Coleman that he does have editors--based on this and other ugly emails, his ability to self-edit appears to be lacking.
I don't think Coleman realizes that he comes across as an insufferable prick, and it's pretty clear that he doesn't know what you should do when you find yourself in a hole.
No worries. The problem will correct itself sooner or later.
Remember when you first discovered email? That's what's happening with Coleman. He is so fascinated with this amazing new way of communicating that he is not thinking things through the way he should.
Journalists should just stick to the Walter Cronkite response to email and the internet...hide under the desk and curse the evil spirits casuing his typewriter to speak "you've got mail" until it's safe to emerge again.
I caught a few minutes of a weird movie on TV many years ago in which 17th century pirates capture a modern sailing ship in the Caribbean, and find a stash of marching powder.
What is this?
Medicine.
What does it cure?
Low self-esteem.
Journalists resent bloggers for the same reasons that hookers resent nymphomaniacs.
The amateurs are more enthusiastic, often better, and they give it away for free!
