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The best and the worst come together in Times Square

Did you hear about the massive swarm of bees that descended upon Times Square earlier this week? From the New York Times: “Thousands of bees swarmed part of Times Square on Tuesday afternoon, sending tourists and passers-by scrambling before the bees settled on the cart of a very unhappy hot-dog vendor at 43rd Street and…

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The problem with crossword puzzles

I’ve never done a crossword in my life. Like Sudoku, I hated the idea of working on something that yields nothing in return when I’m finished.  Yes, my vocabulary might improve, and I’ll exercise my brain a bit, but I could just read a book instead and get all that a story or nonfiction title has…

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The New York Times use of honorifics must end.

I like the New York Times. I’m an online subscriber to the New York Times. Despite Trump’s insistence that the New York Times is failing, digital subscriptions are at a record high, the stock price is near a 52 week high, and Trump gave a long and damning interview to the paper just last week.…

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Worst obituary ever. Greatest correction ever.

Bob Hoover, aviation legend, died in October of last year. The New York Times published an obituary on the great man, which required the single greatest correction of all time.  This is real. Also embarrassing and hilarious. 

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Trump called the media “the enemy of the American people.” This could not be further from the truth.

Donald Trump’s assault on the press took a new and ominous step yesterday when he called the press the “enemy of the American people.” At a rally in Florida, he misquoted Thomas Jefferson in an effort to defend his position, a fact brought to light by journalists.  The Jeffersonian quote that Trump should’ve used was…

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This correction could only be found in a New York Times wedding announcement

I’m not a fan of the New York Times wedding announcements. Based upon some number crunching by The Atlantic, it’s clear that these announcements amount  to lists of white people who graduated from Ivy League schools, work as Congressional staffers, and/or work as elite attorneys. Not exactly scintillating reading. Not exactly folks in need of…

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One of the most remarkable pieces of writing in New York Times history – for reasons that will surprise you

A New York Times piece from July 2009 entitled Cronkite’s Signature: Approachable Authority is truly remarkable.  It’s not remarkable because of the content. The information and insight into Walter Cronkite is interesting but hardly groundbreaking or revelatory.  And it’s not remarkable because of the writing style or particular assemblage of words. It’s well written and effective…

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The New York Times gets haiku all wrong, and I’m infuriated. Probably more than I should be.

The New York Times has been publishing “serendipitous haikus” for the last couple years on a Tumblr called Times Haiku. An algorithm designed to detect potential haikus in text periodically scans the New York Times home page for newly published articles. Then it scans each sentence looking for potential haikus by using an electronic dictionary…

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