Fake crowd noise, fake investigations, fake integrity, fake neutrality, and yes, I have some thoughts about the shitheads to whom Substack has given advances.
I do not understand why we should care about the shooters personal life or motivation. Suppose he IS a sex addict and that’s why he did this: who cares? He’s still a deplorable human being who deserves to spend the rest of his life behind bars. I, as a citizen, do not want to discern exactly why this wretched human being felt it necessary to shoot up two massage parlors: I want him to go behind bars and I want the police to figure out how to stop more shootings in the first place.
We should remember the victims, prosecute the shooters, and finally do something about guns. It’s past time.
I'd argue that a good way to figure out how to stop more shootings in the first place is to figure out why they're perpetrated to begin with. Motive is not required to be proven in a court of law, but motive matters and knowing the genesis of crimes -- be it hate, greed, or anything else -- is essential to preventing future crimes in the same vein.
And the attitudes and prejudices that foment these types of shootings also underlie a myriad of other problems like discrimination, harassment, and domestic abuse.
That the Atlanta shooting was not racially motivated strains credulity. The Sheriff's office made the claim that perpetrator is a sex addict, but couldn't make the connection to the sexualization and fetishization of Asian women in this country. I shouldn't be, but I do get continually amazed by how clueless people are.
Kids, find something you love as much as Craig loves hating JD Vance. It’s an inspiration. (I know it’s easy, but still...)
Also, I was prepared to roll my eyes/skip the Substack thing but it was very interesting and thoughtful. I really enjoy this newsletter, but I would hate to have to follow you around the Internet because of someone else’s stupid decisions. If changing platforms works for you, great; but just like with jobs or relationships, it’s always smarter to jump to than jump from.
There's a shit-tonne of studies on the motivations of Trump voters, which all converge on racial resentment being a much stronger motivator than "economic anxiety." Of course, ignoring inconvenient data puts JD Vance in the mainstream for GOP politicians.
Lol. Vance’s friends don’t hate Obama because he’s black, they hate him because he’s a wealthy, Ivy League-educated man from a major metropolis. That’s why they ditched the Democratic party for... a wealthy, Ivy League-educated man from a major metropolis. The only difference between Obama and Trump (in Vance’s framing) is that Obama is actually intelligent and had to earn his way to what he got.
No kidding. If they hated wealthy Ivy League snobs, they should love the grew up poor, went to mostly state school, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Cori Bush. It's SO WEIRD they don't!
Freddie de Boer might be an asshole, but I've never heard anyone accuse him of being transphobic, nor does Doyle in the article you've linked to. To label him as such here seems unjustified.
I have amended that section as it appears on the site (can't take it out of people's inboxes). I was taking Doyle's assessment at face value, but no, I am not familiar enough with de Boer to know if it's accurate. Apologies.
I asked for a take on the Substack mishegos, and you delivered. You need to trademark some version of "Shitheads will be shitheads." Seems like media, tech, and MLB worlds repeat this theme on a fairly regular basis...and you call them out on it.
And frankly, it IS the publishing model. Publishers buy manuscripts that they believe will pay out the advance and then start making them some freaking money. Are MacMillan or Random House the same as Regnery in that they ONLY publish shitheads? No. Did someone somewhere make a judgement that a given book by Dinesh D'Souza would provide them with enough cash to swim in a pool, Scrooge McDuck style? Probably.
But they publish a LOT of stuff. So does Substack. But it is a publisher (though near as I can tell, it's more like those imprints that will take your money to print copies of your Magnum opus for you to hustle by yourself). Publishing isn't a scam, it's just an artistic decision given the force of cash.
Those Padres unis are the work clothes of the 3rd best tree service in town, the one you call after a storm and the first 2 booked full for 2 weeks and you really need someone to cut the branch off your roof and tarp it so the roofers can get started. All your neighbors are going to see that and ask, "You couldn't get the good tree guys?" or in this case, "Eric Hosmer? I guess you gotta have someone at first and he's someone."
Dave Parker was “the Cobra” in Pgh. But boppin’ was the product of the “Lumber Company”. Always in contention, always exciting, their hitting for average and power lasted several years in the ‘70s. In those pre-internet days, it was standard to read box-scores, and “league-leaders” each morning. The Pirate starters and bench would appear 5,6, or 7 times in the top ten in BA & RBI. That did not translate to total domination, but evidenced the hitting talent. Harry “the Hat” Walker deserves some credit for instructing light-hitting speedsters like the Alou brothers, and even Maury Wills, to hammer the ball into the ground, and sprint to first. Parker, Stargell, Roberto Clemente, (until ‘72) Al Oliver, and Richie Hebner drove in those singles hitters. Those teams were exciting, dramatic, and real.
Alas, we have memories; but it is particularly cruel to be a fan, who at age 9 loved the 1960 Champions, and remains a fan of NL baseball sentenced to living today in Pittsburgh.
Back in '79 my dad took us to Dodger Stadium when the Pirates came to town. WE were a little early to the game, but the players should have been there hours before. So who are we following through the parking lot? Dave Parker, carrying a huge boom box on his shoulder (which was the style at the time), strolling towards the ballpark. He's flanked by two men, each identically dresses in all white, and of equal height, about a foot and a half shorter than Dave. Bodyguards, I assumed. Pirates won, though I don't remember how Dave did.
I always found it interesting that the Pirates of the 70s won five division crowns and two World Series -- the exact same number as Cincinnati's Big Red Machine -- and are almost completely forgotten by history.
Granted, the Reds won two additional NL pennants and their World Series wins were consecutive. But that's still a damn good decade in Pittsburgh that almost no one remembers.
I certainly remember; and those games, division games as well as playoff series, were always competitive, close games. There was little daylight between those two clubs. I have a clear memory of Bobby Tolan’s speed on the base paths trying for extra bases as an equally fast Omar Moreno hustled to cut off a ball sliding toward the gaps on the carpets at 3 Rivers or Riverfront. I have a foul ball I caught off Johnny Bench’s bat in August, 1977 in Pittsburgh.
People remember teams/people with a nickname. Bash Brothers, Core Four, Boys of Summer, Murderers Row, Miracle Mets, Big Red Machine.
IDK. The first half of those Pirates were We Are Family but I don't think it stuck. And the second half had big turnover. Maybe it's because there was no Pete Rose shoved in our faces for 40 years.
I think the more likely reason is their two World Series winners were so vastly different. The first was Clemente, Sanguillen, Steve Blass, etc., and the 79 team was Parker, Moreno, Garner, Candelaria. Different generations of teams with only Willie Stargell in common.
Although it's notable in itself to undergo such a complete makeover while continuing to win division titles on the regular. They finished lower than second only once the whole decade.
Man, his second tweet is about the best bait you could find to get Craig to comp a sub (note, I don’t think that’s what he’s doing, just that this is how one would do it).
One thing I would argue about theoretically leaving Substack is that even if you alone leaving doesn't have an effect on the "shitheads", the last thing the company wants is to have a general exodus of one side of the political compass. Not because it would necessarily affect the bottom line, as I would guess that some of those losers bring in a significant-enough subscriber base on their own to still run the company. But if they end up getting a reputation as the "toxic" newsletter production platform, that puts them in the position of having to defend the bad people just to keep them around and avoid shutting down completely.
RE: Dave Parker and the inspiration for his shirt. Do baseball players still go to bars after games? Or in the age of camera phones is it just not worth it? I remember reading how the 84 Tigers would take over the AC Lindell after games.
I do not understand why we should care about the shooters personal life or motivation. Suppose he IS a sex addict and that’s why he did this: who cares? He’s still a deplorable human being who deserves to spend the rest of his life behind bars. I, as a citizen, do not want to discern exactly why this wretched human being felt it necessary to shoot up two massage parlors: I want him to go behind bars and I want the police to figure out how to stop more shootings in the first place.
We should remember the victims, prosecute the shooters, and finally do something about guns. It’s past time.
I'd argue that a good way to figure out how to stop more shootings in the first place is to figure out why they're perpetrated to begin with. Motive is not required to be proven in a court of law, but motive matters and knowing the genesis of crimes -- be it hate, greed, or anything else -- is essential to preventing future crimes in the same vein.
And the attitudes and prejudices that foment these types of shootings also underlie a myriad of other problems like discrimination, harassment, and domestic abuse.
F for Fake is a great movie and if just got HBO Max to hate-watch the Snyder Cut, reward yourself with F for Fake after.
That the Atlanta shooting was not racially motivated strains credulity. The Sheriff's office made the claim that perpetrator is a sex addict, but couldn't make the connection to the sexualization and fetishization of Asian women in this country. I shouldn't be, but I do get continually amazed by how clueless people are.
Couldn’t, or wouldn’t?
Fair.
The Sheriff who made the claim has a history of public racism against Asians, so his statement isn't a surprise.
Yup, jumping off Team "He's Clueless" and joining Team "He's a Racist Asshole."
Kids, find something you love as much as Craig loves hating JD Vance. It’s an inspiration. (I know it’s easy, but still...)
Also, I was prepared to roll my eyes/skip the Substack thing but it was very interesting and thoughtful. I really enjoy this newsletter, but I would hate to have to follow you around the Internet because of someone else’s stupid decisions. If changing platforms works for you, great; but just like with jobs or relationships, it’s always smarter to jump to than jump from.
Re: those Padre hat/uni combos
*Dean Wormer voice* Oh my god.
There's a shit-tonne of studies on the motivations of Trump voters, which all converge on racial resentment being a much stronger motivator than "economic anxiety." Of course, ignoring inconvenient data puts JD Vance in the mainstream for GOP politicians.
Lol. Vance’s friends don’t hate Obama because he’s black, they hate him because he’s a wealthy, Ivy League-educated man from a major metropolis. That’s why they ditched the Democratic party for... a wealthy, Ivy League-educated man from a major metropolis. The only difference between Obama and Trump (in Vance’s framing) is that Obama is actually intelligent and had to earn his way to what he got.
No kidding. If they hated wealthy Ivy League snobs, they should love the grew up poor, went to mostly state school, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Cori Bush. It's SO WEIRD they don't!
When you say “watch me flail”, are you planning on just flailing your arms around and saying “What in the world?” over and over for two minutes?
I can see this being a really effective way to sum up <<flails arms around>> ALL THIS
If the thing started right now, yes, that would be the plan because I got nothin'
I'd watch this.
I assumed you’d go with some version of Ohio promoting itself as a progressive Mecca even as it continues to deny the existence of COVID.
I'd open up my favorite search engine (DuckDuckGo, if you must know), enter "What in the world", and see what AutoComplete gets me....
what in the world bju
what in the world jack scott
what in the world are they spraying
Just three of the suggestions.....
You gotta work Wembley in, somehow.
Freddie de Boer might be an asshole, but I've never heard anyone accuse him of being transphobic, nor does Doyle in the article you've linked to. To label him as such here seems unjustified.
I have amended that section as it appears on the site (can't take it out of people's inboxes). I was taking Doyle's assessment at face value, but no, I am not familiar enough with de Boer to know if it's accurate. Apologies.
Yeah, his issues are more interpersonal/mental health things. His first post is about this, and is worth the read: https://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/the-weight
Yeah, I had seen that and some earlier stuff he wrote about that whole episode.
I have a high school friend who went through the same sort of thing last year and I was/am both empathetic and rattled by it all.
His latest book is a justification of race/iq essentialism from what he thinks is a leftist perspective.
I asked for a take on the Substack mishegos, and you delivered. You need to trademark some version of "Shitheads will be shitheads." Seems like media, tech, and MLB worlds repeat this theme on a fairly regular basis...and you call them out on it.
And frankly, it IS the publishing model. Publishers buy manuscripts that they believe will pay out the advance and then start making them some freaking money. Are MacMillan or Random House the same as Regnery in that they ONLY publish shitheads? No. Did someone somewhere make a judgement that a given book by Dinesh D'Souza would provide them with enough cash to swim in a pool, Scrooge McDuck style? Probably.
But they publish a LOT of stuff. So does Substack. But it is a publisher (though near as I can tell, it's more like those imprints that will take your money to print copies of your Magnum opus for you to hustle by yourself). Publishing isn't a scam, it's just an artistic decision given the force of cash.
Those Padres unis are the work clothes of the 3rd best tree service in town, the one you call after a storm and the first 2 booked full for 2 weeks and you really need someone to cut the branch off your roof and tarp it so the roofers can get started. All your neighbors are going to see that and ask, "You couldn't get the good tree guys?" or in this case, "Eric Hosmer? I guess you gotta have someone at first and he's someone."
Dave Parker was “the Cobra” in Pgh. But boppin’ was the product of the “Lumber Company”. Always in contention, always exciting, their hitting for average and power lasted several years in the ‘70s. In those pre-internet days, it was standard to read box-scores, and “league-leaders” each morning. The Pirate starters and bench would appear 5,6, or 7 times in the top ten in BA & RBI. That did not translate to total domination, but evidenced the hitting talent. Harry “the Hat” Walker deserves some credit for instructing light-hitting speedsters like the Alou brothers, and even Maury Wills, to hammer the ball into the ground, and sprint to first. Parker, Stargell, Roberto Clemente, (until ‘72) Al Oliver, and Richie Hebner drove in those singles hitters. Those teams were exciting, dramatic, and real.
Alas, we have memories; but it is particularly cruel to be a fan, who at age 9 loved the 1960 Champions, and remains a fan of NL baseball sentenced to living today in Pittsburgh.
Back in '79 my dad took us to Dodger Stadium when the Pirates came to town. WE were a little early to the game, but the players should have been there hours before. So who are we following through the parking lot? Dave Parker, carrying a huge boom box on his shoulder (which was the style at the time), strolling towards the ballpark. He's flanked by two men, each identically dresses in all white, and of equal height, about a foot and a half shorter than Dave. Bodyguards, I assumed. Pirates won, though I don't remember how Dave did.
I always found it interesting that the Pirates of the 70s won five division crowns and two World Series -- the exact same number as Cincinnati's Big Red Machine -- and are almost completely forgotten by history.
Granted, the Reds won two additional NL pennants and their World Series wins were consecutive. But that's still a damn good decade in Pittsburgh that almost no one remembers.
I certainly remember; and those games, division games as well as playoff series, were always competitive, close games. There was little daylight between those two clubs. I have a clear memory of Bobby Tolan’s speed on the base paths trying for extra bases as an equally fast Omar Moreno hustled to cut off a ball sliding toward the gaps on the carpets at 3 Rivers or Riverfront. I have a foul ball I caught off Johnny Bench’s bat in August, 1977 in Pittsburgh.
People remember teams/people with a nickname. Bash Brothers, Core Four, Boys of Summer, Murderers Row, Miracle Mets, Big Red Machine.
IDK. The first half of those Pirates were We Are Family but I don't think it stuck. And the second half had big turnover. Maybe it's because there was no Pete Rose shoved in our faces for 40 years.
The Lumber Company was a pretty cool name.
I think the more likely reason is their two World Series winners were so vastly different. The first was Clemente, Sanguillen, Steve Blass, etc., and the 79 team was Parker, Moreno, Garner, Candelaria. Different generations of teams with only Willie Stargell in common.
Although it's notable in itself to undergo such a complete makeover while continuing to win division titles on the regular. They finished lower than second only once the whole decade.
On a happier note, Craig has won perhaps the most important endorsement any baseball writer could get. https://twitter.com/oldhossradbourn/status/1372509702035214336?s=21
Man, his second tweet is about the best bait you could find to get Craig to comp a sub (note, I don’t think that’s what he’s doing, just that this is how one would do it).
He did not, in fact comp a sub :(
Wow, the nerve of that guy.
In fairness, Hoss, a daguerreotype isn't a valid form of ID.
I saw me open for Baratunde Thurston at 20x2.
And, for the record, I BOMBBED.
I mean ... you'll do great, Craig. Just great.
One thing I would argue about theoretically leaving Substack is that even if you alone leaving doesn't have an effect on the "shitheads", the last thing the company wants is to have a general exodus of one side of the political compass. Not because it would necessarily affect the bottom line, as I would guess that some of those losers bring in a significant-enough subscriber base on their own to still run the company. But if they end up getting a reputation as the "toxic" newsletter production platform, that puts them in the position of having to defend the bad people just to keep them around and avoid shutting down completely.
RE: Dave Parker and the inspiration for his shirt. Do baseball players still go to bars after games? Or in the age of camera phones is it just not worth it? I remember reading how the 84 Tigers would take over the AC Lindell after games.