CSotD: A meditation on the abundant nature of blockheads
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If you haven't had enough Bezos-buys-the-Post cartoons, Michael Cavna has a wrap-up over at his Washpo blog. It's not all of them, but it's enough of a sample that I hope it scratches the itch, because I'm done at least unless something extraordinary happens.
Like, for instance, if it turns out the Post was facing a major lawsuit and Bezos bought it anyway and then they lost the suit and it cost him kabillions. That's how it came down when Sam Zell bought the Tribune company, but I can't provide details because if you feed the words "Sam Zell" and "lawsuit" into Google, your computer explodes.
It wasn't kabillions, but it was kamillions. And Zell hadn't had the sense to either hold off until it settled or insert some protective clause into the purchase agreements, which is not about knowing how to run a newspaper but knowing how to acquire a company, which, y'know, one would think a rapacious corporate raider might … oh well.
Anyway, I don't think Matt Wuerker's cartoon belongs in the Amazon/Washpo round-up, because that's pretty clearly Sam Zell (left) and not Jeff Bezos (right) And because it's a better statement about the all-around mismanagement of newspapers than it is about the recent acquisition.
The only real link being that somebody interviewed Zell and asked him what he thought of the acquisition, which raises the question, "WGASA?"
You want a relevant person to ask, you ask someone who has worked for Bezos and at Washpo. (He apparently posted this on his own; nobody actually appears to have thought to ask him.)
Anyway, I've rattled on about stupidity in high journalistic places quite often enough and will let Matt's cartoon have the penultimate word on the topic. The ultimate graphic commentary goes to HJ Ford, who illustrated Hans Christian Andersen's "Blockhead Hans" with this delightful depiction of Hans winning the heart of the beautiful princess.
How better has man ever won fair maid, indeed?
And there are far less adaptable print products:
Ernie's been trying to sell encyclopedias all week, with about the degree of success depicted in today's Piranha Club.
It will surprise no-one that I've done this, too, more or less. Actually, I sold "The Great Books of the Western World," which is to say, I went out and did a canned presentation for people, well before the Internet, but without a lot of sales. Or, to put a more precise figure on it, "any."
I had much more luck with the Kirby Classic.
However, I did learn how the parent company, Encyclopedia Brittanica, operated, which allowed me to have another experience that was pretty interesting: Testifying before the Federal Trade Commission against EB.
In any case, encyclopedias have failed to make the transition from print, and they are on the "oh, god, please, no!" list of the most unwanted donations for book sales, used books shops and thrift stores, along with collections of the National Geographic and Reader's Digest books.
I managed to unload one before the turn of the century, but, unless you live in a house with a lot of doors that need stopping, I've got no advice for anyone who still owns a set.
But you hang in there, Ernie, because selling them was only ever marginally about people wanting them, and the FTC's ruling on deceptive practices only scratched the surface.
And that was back when the FTC was actively trying to protect consumers.
Yes, children, I'm very, very old.
Though not so old that I can't still be shocked into a fit of disbelieving giggles.
Meanwhile, up in the sky:
I'm headed out to Dark Sky country and, along with connecting with childhood buddies, hope to catch some of the early Perseids, using this handy guide from xkcd to help me.
I'm also hoping that the promise of high-speed access is holding true. I used to go off the grid when I went home, but they've got high-speed Internet now and a cell tower in the hamlet where I'm staying, though the latter hasn't actually been switched on yet.
But there's another one about 15 miles down the highway that went live a few weeks ago, so I guess the trick is to climb the not-yet-switched-on Frankenpine, hold your phone up and hope you are now in range of the one that's working.
They also tell me that they've had a little problem with their router at the lodge, but that, if I can't get a good connection in my room, I can go sit on the deck overlooking the lake and pick up the signal from the restaurant even before it opens for the day.
You see the kind of sacrifice I'm forced to make to keep the daily-update streak alive?
Mike Peterson has posted his "Comic Strip of the Day" column every day since 2010. His opinions are his own, but we welcome comments either agreeing or in opposition.
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