Lileks Loses Star Tribune Column

The writing was on the wall After the “Backfence” was changed to the “Daily Quirk” Lileks should have known the end was near.  The “Quirk” theoretically ties in with the theme of the Source section each day.

That works great as an exercise in a writers’ workshop.  But day in and day out, week after week, not so much.

Gee, Meg, jealous much? Using phrases like “chickenhawk Napoleons” pretty much eliminates you as a serious person. (Although it would make a cool name for a band…)

on the local beat I suspect that Lilek’s comment on Hugh Hewett’s radio program set him up for this.  When Hugh asked James what he thought newspapers could do to stem the bloodletting Lileks said going intensely local with reporters going out and talking to people.  Oops.

But darling… that’s what Lileks and the Powerline boys are: little, itty bitty men who love war……as long as someone else is fighting instead of them. Sorry if this hurts your feelings or Isn’t Serious Enough For You.

And no, I’m not jealous of wing-nut welfare. I just don’t respect it. These are the same folks who talk about the Power of the Marketplace. Except they don’t play in the market.

Chickenhawks on the economic front too.

Finally! A newspaper downsizing that I can get behind! Here’s pretty much what I sent to the Reader’s Rep: readerrep@startribune.com. I urge other people to write too.

“No, I don’t want the Strib to “save” James Lileks’ column. I stopped reading it years ago. And why should the Strib pay for Lileks to have a nice, big Online gig when people like TCF Chair and New Florida Resident Bill Cooper or some other Taxypayers League Sugar Daddy could set Lileks up, just like they’ve set up those little Chickenhawk Napoleons over at Powerline.

Lileks writes, “I am not Biff Deadline, Ace Reporter. ” And he seems stunned that he’d actually have to earn his salary by having a beat, coming into the office, calling people up or going out to interview them like an actual working (oh, the horror, the horror) reporter.

I tell you, these right-wing guys are such a bunch of whiners. Work, taxes, accountability—this stuff is always for other people, never themselves.”

Lileks column The column is now called the Quirk. When it went daily and shorter, it dropped the Backfence name.

Thanks. I’ve corrected it in the story above.

Lileks column The column is now called the Quirk. When it went daily and shorter, it dropped the Backfence name.

Thanks. I've corrected it in the story above.

Finally! A newspaper downsizing that I can get behind! Here's pretty much what I sent to the Reader's Rep: readerrep@startribune.com. I urge other people to write too.

“No, I don't want the Strib to “save” James Lileks' column. I stopped reading it years ago. And why should the Strib pay for Lileks to have a nice, big Online gig when people like TCF Chair and New Florida Resident Bill Cooper or some other Taxypayers League Sugar Daddy could set Lileks up, just like they've set up those little Chickenhawk Napoleons over at Powerline.

Lileks writes, “I am not Biff Deadline, Ace Reporter. ” And he seems stunned that he'd actually have to earn his salary by having a beat, coming into the office, calling people up or going out to interview them like an actual working (oh, the horror, the horror) reporter.

I tell you, these right-wing guys are such a bunch of whiners. Work, taxes, accountability—this stuff is always for other people, never themselves.”

Gee, Meg, jealous much? Using phrases like “chickenhawk Napoleons” pretty much eliminates you as a serious person. (Although it would make a cool name for a band…)

on the local beat I suspect that Lilek's comment on Hugh Hewett's radio program set him up for this.  When Hugh asked James what he thought newspapers could do to stem the bloodletting Lileks said going intensely local with reporters going out and talking to people.  Oops.

But darling… that's what Lileks and the Powerline boys are: little, itty bitty men who love war……as long as someone else is fighting instead of them. Sorry if this hurts your feelings or Isn't Serious Enough For You.

And no, I'm not jealous of wing-nut welfare. I just don't respect it. These are the same folks who talk about the Power of the Marketplace. Except they don't play in the market.

Chickenhawks on the economic front too.

The writing was on the wall After the “Backfence” was changed to the “Daily Quirk” Lileks should have known the end was near.  The “Quirk” theoretically ties in with the theme of the Source section each day.

That works great as an exercise in a writers' workshop.  But day in and day out, week after week, not so much.