Until Friday, I had been a loyal, sometimes critical, and of late, “pulling my hair out” WaDaFa screaming reader of Ye Olde Grey Lady. For decades. Come to think of it, three decades. Hmm, my how thyme fries.
Even if I cancelled the weekday papers to economize in hard times, the Sunday edition was always worthy of a read from cover to cover, with the addled bonus of multiple crosswords and other puzzles.
And then, the impossible happened. America’s best candidate for the position “National Newspaper” hired a rat. True, it was not the first rat, quite possibly not the bigliest rat, and certainly not its last rat, not with Judy Miller, acting as a stenographer for Dick The Cheney and his war plans, or the sad specimen of pathetic plagiarism, Jayson Blair, or even the applause directed towards the Trump’s test-tacular MOAB in Afganistán. But still an effing huge rat. No, it took something even more unthinkable. Hiring a climate change denier.
From today’s Huffing Poh:
Now, scientists are rallying people against the Times and its new hire.
Climate scientist Michael E. Mann launched the hashtag #ShowYourCancellation this week after the paper’s public editor defended the decision to hire the former Wall Street Journal columnist, dismissing its so-called “left-leaning critics” who they claimed were leading a “fiery revolt.”
Mann called for people to prove to the Times that they were actually ending their subscriptions to the paper over Stephens, who published his first column on being skeptical about the effects of climate change on Friday.
Mann’s movement is more than welcome, it is necessary for the Body Jounalist, much like impeachment of Trump is necessary for the health of america’s Body Politick.
So, yesterday, unaware of a scientist named Mann, or his welcome efforts. I called the NYT and asked the human on the other end to cancel my long time subscription. (Anyone else getting tired of corpserstions using AI telephonic systems to piss off customers and put 17 layers between one human talking to another?) So, eventually, after giving my address, SSN, telephone, city, birthdate, account number, mother’s maiden name, father’s mother’s maiden name, the name of my first pet, my favorite restaurant, my favorite teacher, my waist measurement, height, weight, hat size, glove size, and my shoe and jock strap sizes to prove it was really me calling, they agreed to allow me to cancel my account. Finally, they asked why.
I told them that hiring a climate change denier was the final straw. I refused to pay money to a news org that had its values so fucked up that the hired a climate denier in these most dangerous times.
So, the dude came back with a three month offer at half price to keep me on. I said no. He then asked if it was the only reason, I said, “Yes. Well, not quite.Jayson, Judy, and the MOAB r action helped. “
He the offered six months at half price. I thought for a bit, and responded, “Sorry, I have my standards, unlike today’s Times, and I will not be bribed.”
I asked that he take my comments up the line internally. He promised that he would. I asked if I was the only one. He paused, then said, I've been instructed not to discuss that. I told him I understood. He and I were polite, even friendly. I thanked him, he thanked me.
But so long as that rat is on staff, no NYT for me.