The Nation magazine has me on its mailing list. (I signed up because
I find Katrina van den Heuvel intensely attractive, and I sorta hoped she might
want to date me. That bony face, those sleepy eyelids, those lush wryly-curved lips...)
*Mops brow*
Where was I? -- Oh yes, The Nation, capital T, capital N. They sent me a survey -- here's the link:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DFW3JM6
It probably won't work for you -- that last bit looks like a 'nonce' tag, and I used it up. But give it a whirl.
Some of the questions were pretty easy to answer -- though I lied on all of them, a thing I always do in surveys, and encourage everyone else to do. But still: "How old are you?" has a reasonable range of responses, from zero to 100-plus. Ten thousand is not believeable, pace Mel Brooks.
What stymied me was this question:
What would you like to read more of on TheNation.com? (Check all that apply.)I ground to a creaking halt on this one.
- Human rights issues
- Healthcare reform
- Corporate social responsibility
- Environmental issues
- Social/economic justice
- Public policy or legislation
- Political candidates/elections
- Gender issues
- Media issues
- Investigative/watchdog journalism
Note that "none of the above" is not an option; hell, even the SAT usually gives you that escape hatch. But TheNation.com is allowing no evasions here. These are your options. No others are imaginable. In fact, it's not even imaginable that others might be imaginable.
I wanted to be sure all my other lies were counted, so finally, in despair, I picked the last alternative -- "investigative/watchog journalism", a thing the Nation doesn't do, hasn't done in my lifetime, and clearly doesn't want to do.
When you're under the gun, it's surprising how the truth comes out. This was probably the least mendacious answer I gave.
Facts are always fun. But from The Nation -- capital T, capital N -- fantasy seems to be what we get.
Comments (6)
"Corporate social responsibility"?
What manner of Carrollian beast is that?
A cousin of the jabberwocky?
Posted by Jack Crow | June 18, 2010 7:37 PM
Posted on June 18, 2010 19:37
Since none of these issues would occur to, say, Pat Buchanan, TN is obviously counting its readers to spread their responses evenly among all of them, which will allow TN to go covering each of them in its inimitable, inconsequential way.
Posted by senecal | June 18, 2010 8:26 PM
Posted on June 18, 2010 20:26
"Investigative/watchdog journalism "
i picked the same one
immediately eagerly yelping madly
arph arph arph
and with canine gaity
he wags his tail to beat the band
fancy that
what if katrina herself
dives head first into the watch dog role
maybe i'll get to sniff her ass
Posted by op | June 18, 2010 8:38 PM
Posted on June 18, 2010 20:38
jack webb was the greatest
of the great
a bonze
why
in my branch
of the buddhism racket -fifth wheel adventist-
he soars above all other incarnations since
the 7 th century (ce)
"this is the city ..."
nothing equals the mastery
the sweep of that framing
of a procedural tale
http://www.amazon.com/Dragnet-1967-Season-Jack-Webb/dp/B0007Z9RB6
Posted by op | June 18, 2010 9:14 PM
Posted on June 18, 2010 21:14
OK, so I feel kinda strange coming to the defense of the Nation,
BUT, to say that they never have/never will do any investigative journalism is just nonsense.
Most of the information we have about Blackwater's mercenary activities in Afghanistan, Iraq, and beyond, we owe to Jeremy Scahill and his reporting in the Nation.
Do you not consider this to be investigative reporting?
Posted by Aaron | June 20, 2010 5:27 PM
Posted on June 20, 2010 17:27
I don't think we owe The Nation for Scahill's work. He's published all over the place, especially Democracy Now.
FYI: the survey link still works.
Posted by Nicholas Hart | June 21, 2010 3:29 PM
Posted on June 21, 2010 15:29