Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

Dear Washington Post, you are the darkness now.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. keep building.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

Balloon Juice, where there is always someone who will say you’re doing it wrong.

Giving in to doom is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Today in our ongoing national embarrassment…

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

Relentless negativity is not a sign that you are more realistic.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

American history and black history cannot be separated.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

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29Comments

  3. 3.

    John Cole

    I am an idiot.

    But I am not running things, and again, I refer you to my business model:

    I write my blog.
    I run ads chosen by someone else rather than the hit or miss of blogads.
    Someone sends me a check.
    I spend the money on booze, gambling, loose women, electronics and video games, and I guess maybe just piss the rest of it away .

    Now that is a business model I understand.

  6. 6.

    Pb

    I haven’t been paying too much attention, but that entire navel-gazing blogospheric debacle has been at least mildly entertaining. A trademark dispute over “Open Source”? Say it ain’t so!

  7. 7.

    Marcus Wellby

    Sorry, but either way — Pajamas Media or OSM, it all sounds too similiar to the “hip” internet start-ups of the late 90’s.

    Be careful with a name — need I remind you of the “B Sharps”?

  9. 9.

    demimondian

    A trademark dispute over “Open Source”? Say it ain’t so!

    Indeed. Particularly in the software world, where there’s one hell of an 800 pound gorilla sitting on the trademark in the first place. (Which means that Leyden’s trademark is questionable, in my mind. It certainly confused me, and, last I knew, I was an informed consumer of both kinds of open source media.)

  10. 10.

    Joel

    OK, now all they need to do is is decide what the hell it is they are trying do, because as it stands right now the site is miserable and I have no idea what the point is. Worse: neither do they apparently. The same “blogjam” graphic has been occupying the front page for the past 5 days it seems. And personally I want nothing to do with any sort of “jam” that isn’t pulverised fruit.

    The B-Sharps is Homer Simpson’s Barbershop Quartet and the point Marcus Welby is making comes from their choice of group name. That is they decided they needed a name that souded funny the first time you heard it, but became less funny with each successive usage.

  11. 11.

    Marcus Wellby

    I have never heard of the “B Sharps.” That might be your point.

    The B-Sharps are from a Simpsons episode. Homer and the gang form a highly succesful Barbershop Quartet and need a name. Someone says what we need is a name that first sounds witty and clever, but starts sounding stupid after you’ve heard it a while — the result is: The B Sharps.

    My point is (and I seldom have points) that Pajamas Media may sound “witty” or even “clever” now, but in a year from now people are going to cringe when they have to tell others they are associated with it.

    There used to be this doofus here in Boston on the Howie Carr(AM talk, righty but funny) show who went by the name of “VB” it was short for Virgin Boy. It was stupid but they got laughs out of it because the guy was such an idiot you suspected he was a genuine 40 year old virgin. Years later this same doofus got a job on the local Fox morning news. He still goes by the name “VB” as that is the name he is known by and pretty locked in at this point. Though when people who don’t know him ask, while he is interviewing them, what VB is short for he gets all quiet and sort of mumbles his way out of it.

  12. 12.

    circlethewagons

    And then the running gag becomes “make sure you ask him what VB stands for…”, although he’s not technically in on the gag.

  14. 14.

    slightlybad

    The whole OSM/pajamas thing has pretty gone over my head. I read a lot of the bloggers involved pretty regularly and wish you guys the best of luck, although from the product so far I would say that there is still a lot of work to do.

    What I really don’t understand is some of the opposition of other bloggers. If you think the output sucks, don’t read it (pretty much my take for the time being). I don’t understand the snarky pieces attacking the idea from Althouse, et al, who seem to think that this is ruining blogging, that these people have sold out, whatever. I used to read Althouse for some of her legal commentary, but her reaction (and others) to this thing is mystifying.

    I personally don’t blog (just leave stupid comments) but I thought the whole idea was having a public forum to write what you want to write about. The idea that trying out a new forum/idea somehow violates the sanctity of the blogosphere is just dumb…it reminds me of that whole blogger code of ethics thing. Even online, there are people who can’t seem to stomach the idea of other people doing something that they don’t like, even if it has no impact on them. There are a bunch of highly educated professionals acting like this is still the 6th grade and trying to shout down people doing something new because it might end up being cooler than them. The whole thing is just queer (no offense to the queers).

  16. 16.

    docG

    Possible conclusions based on the evidence presented:
    1. A group of people started an LLC without consulting an attorney.

    2. A group of people started an LLC, consulted with an attorney who did not bother to discuss trademark issues in naming the business.
    3. A group of people started an LLC, consulted with an attorney who did discuss trademark issues in naming the business, but gave bad, perhaps even falsified, advice.

    4. A group of people started an LLC, consulted with an attorney who did discuss trademark issues in naming the business, gave good advice, but it was not followed.

    If you are pro-John Cole, you will pick #2 and #3 as the correct scenerio. If you are anti-John Cole, #1 and #4 are the possible correct scenerios.
    Of course, we are already into the business, so any possible mistakes in how it came to be aren’t important. It is our patriotic duty to support our bloggers who have so bravely placed themselves in harm’s way. And parody IS NOT A CHEMICAL WEAPON, GODDAMMIT!!!!

  17. 17.

    tzs

    It’s tulip bulbs All Over Again…

    Nah, just a standard CF put together by a bunch of people with no business experience and less sense. From what I can tell, John has more of a business plan as outlined above than these idiots.

    And don’t tell me that having got “VC money” means anything. I’m watching right now the trajectory of at least two nanotech companies that are great at conning VC money out of people who should know better. Supposed payback is in an ultra-niche market with a product that has crappy technology, is over-priced, and has already been superceded by the competion.

  18. 18.

    slightlybad

    John, I think you stole your philosophy from Georgie Best, the Manchester United soccer star from the ’70s:

    I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.

  19. 19.

    danelectro

    the only objection i have it that lgf’s charles johnson is a loathsome individual, and i would never have any sort of business relationship with him. john has addressed this issue slightly, and he obviously sees it a different way. but that is his choice, an definitely not one i would make.

  21. 21.

    Steve

    I like the John Kerry-esque position that they erred by listening to their consultants and handlers, but watch out, they’re going to be a new man now!

  22. 22.

    slightlybad

    Actually, he was from Belfast. Probably the greatest player of his generation, but partied it all away.

  23. 23.

    srv

    My sources tell me they’re going to come out with a line of jammies and dolls for blogreaders. Now you’ll be able to go to bed with jammies designed by John, Jeff, Michelle and Glenn. Dolls will whisper your favorite quotes, like “America, better than Saddam(tm)”.

  26. 26.

    OCSteve

    I hope they are on the right track now and wish them well. They did make plenty of screw ups to date. Especially that launch party (what the heck was that), (apparently) screwing over Dennis and the other early partner, and signing up 300 bloggers then cutting 230 of them. They got a lot of ridicule and a lot of advice in a short time, sometimes from the same person (Jeff Jarvis for instance). I hope they can make a business out of it. Obviously they should have gone with the soft launch, started slow with a few early adopters. Lessons learned I hope.

  28. 28.

    Mason

    Oh, goodie. That OSMPajamas Media link requires an account to read. How annoying. Never thought I’d have to go to bugmenot just to read a damn blog post.

  29. 29.

    don surber

    John, Gay Orbit also talked about OSM/MSM/PJM in the third person. Whoa. You guys ARE the OSM/MSM/PJM/PB&J
    And I am so jealous
    But hey, be honest in your posts about “it” because in your case it is “me”
    You hold the NYT accountable, be accountable

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