Slog
News & ArtsTuesday, August 9, 2011
Mailbag Goodbye
Posted by Dominic Holden on Tue, Aug 9, 2011 at 8:29 AM
I have been an avid reader of The Stranger for years. I lived through your endorsement of Mayor McGinn—for which you later acknowledged your mistake—but your recommendation to vote NO on the TUNNEL is the last straw. I will no longer read your newspaper and I will suggest the same to my friends.
Ron Harding
Dear Ron,
Sorry that you're out of straws. I recommend sipping directly from the glass. I'm also sorry that our surprise endorsement to "reject" the tunnel is driving you to never read The Stranger ever again. Really, who could see that one coming? It shocked all of our readers.
Anyway, Ron, it's been nice having you around. We'll always have an extra straw—for a camel's back or a breakfast beer—if you need one.
Tunnelly yours,
Dom
1
I bet that was one contentious editorial staff meeting, writing up the No on the tunnel editorial,
4
Well, that does it. I'm never going to read your newspaper again either.
Oh, wait - I'm in Denver. I already don't read it.
Oh, wait - I'm in Denver. I already don't read it.
5
The Stranger regrets endorsing Mayor McGinn? That one must have slipped by me. When did that happen?
7
@5
No doubt, even when it becomes obvious he cant work with Olympia without insulting them, even with the most obvious lie about pledging to not block the tunnel, The Stranger can see nothing wrong with McGinn and continue to pine and swoon for him.
Its like die hard conservative 28%'ers who approved of GW Bush no mater what he did.
No doubt, even when it becomes obvious he cant work with Olympia without insulting them, even with the most obvious lie about pledging to not block the tunnel, The Stranger can see nothing wrong with McGinn and continue to pine and swoon for him.
Its like die hard conservative 28%'ers who approved of GW Bush no mater what he did.
10
Dear Ron,
The tunnel is built upon lies and tunnel supporters are "idiots" and there's no room for reasonable people to disagree and did I mention the lies, because its all lies, and I will keep screaming this over and over again until everyone gets it through their thick skulls and yes it is difficult being smarter than everyone else and no I'm not "too close" to this and I will not take a step back and breathe and yes I think my message on this is gaining momentum even though the commenters on my posts have dwindled down to the same 4 fanatics and occasionally gus and yes I will mock readers like yourself because I'm right and you're wrong and sorry I don't have a towel for all the spittle I've just sprayed in your face.
Yours Truly,
Dom
The tunnel is built upon lies and tunnel supporters are "idiots" and there's no room for reasonable people to disagree and did I mention the lies, because its all lies, and I will keep screaming this over and over again until everyone gets it through their thick skulls and yes it is difficult being smarter than everyone else and no I'm not "too close" to this and I will not take a step back and breathe and yes I think my message on this is gaining momentum even though the commenters on my posts have dwindled down to the same 4 fanatics and occasionally gus and yes I will mock readers like yourself because I'm right and you're wrong and sorry I don't have a towel for all the spittle I've just sprayed in your face.
Yours Truly,
Dom
11
McGinn on the shit list? When did the paper say that? I must have missed that week. I'm glad Ron "lived" through the election of Mcginn. I hate when peoples head explode!
12
Dom does come across as thinking he is smarter than everyone by half. All he has is an opinion. And as we know opinions are like assholes...
13
While Ron there does come across as a little stiff-necked, I gotta admit that Charles Mudede's little nuggets of ridiculous sometimes make me wonder how worthwhile the Stranger is too. Couldn't you guys have found someone more relevant... or at least coherent?
15
@14 On some things yes. Like the tunnel, which was well researched. On others, there is a lot of conjecture and half-assed non-research to cover up his emotions as reporting.
16
Mad that the outsider got elected, angry that the Stranger isn't lockstep with the status quo... It's like our own little tea party here in Seattle. The Tunnel Everywhere Already party!
And the Times ed board is our own Fox News.
y u mad? u mad ron
And the Times ed board is our own Fox News.
y u mad? u mad ron
17
Ron's not alone, Dom. It's not so much the fact that this paper endorsed McGinn (oops) or that it opposes the tunnel (meh), it's the hysterically assholish tone it's taken while covering those and other issues.
Granted, being hysterically assholish has worked well for Fox News, but I doubt it will translate well to the Stranger's core demographic. And not only do you risk losing readers like Ron, but your further marginalize your own voice. You're just another talking (well, shrieking) head now.
And publicly calling out a reader, by name, for simply saying he doesn't like the editorial tone you guys have taken recently? You're a douchebag, Dom.
Granted, being hysterically assholish has worked well for Fox News, but I doubt it will translate well to the Stranger's core demographic. And not only do you risk losing readers like Ron, but your further marginalize your own voice. You're just another talking (well, shrieking) head now.
And publicly calling out a reader, by name, for simply saying he doesn't like the editorial tone you guys have taken recently? You're a douchebag, Dom.
18
@10, what do you mean "4 fanatics and occasionally gus"? That's "five fanatics", plain and simple. I have an overspilling drool bucket right here to prove it.
24
So the boiler room finally made its way around to SLOG...guess they're desperate...but at least they're funding the local economy (sort of like in my generation being a paralegal back during the WHOOPS case).
25
@5: The Stranger is still very much the official newspaper of the McGinn administration. McGinn has even taken the remarkable step of trying to shut down one of their main competitors. It's a very cozy relationship.
Personally, I don't think mayoral propagandist is a role that suits The Stranger well, and I look forward to November 2013, when it will finally come to an end.
Personally, I don't think mayoral propagandist is a role that suits The Stranger well, and I look forward to November 2013, when it will finally come to an end.
26
I propose that we hold the next Slog Happy in honor of Ron. We'll remember the good times we had with him while he was still with us.
Slog Sad.
Slog Sad.
27
Alas, your rag has an opinion that differs in one aspect from Ron's perfect self-contained worldview.
Can't you see what you've done by going your own way? You've upset the man. His Ron-based universe is SHATTERED.
Can't you see what you've done by going your own way? You've upset the man. His Ron-based universe is SHATTERED.
28
@17, if you don't like hysterically assholish tones, why the fuck are you reading this paper/blog? Seriously y'all, Dom is smarter than most of you, except Seandr, those comments are genius!
29
@25: I'm pretty sure the Mayor has not tried to shut down Seattle Weekly. I think he just decided that the city will not advertise in it because he feels they're not doing enough to stop the child sex trafficking that is known to go through their business.
32
Another dickish attack on a reader you disagree with in a manner in which the reader being attacked can't respond in-kind.
What a fucking douchebag you are, Holden.
What a fucking douchebag you are, Holden.
33
@32, you must be too young to have read Spy magazine. Issaquah's own Taso Lagos wrote them lengthy letters complaining about this, that or the other journalistic failing, month after month. They'd smack him back, he'd write again...it was quite an 80's thing.
http://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=b…
Taso's now settled teaching night school at UW.
http://www.summer.washington.edu/edp/fac…
http://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=b…
Taso's now settled teaching night school at UW.
http://www.summer.washington.edu/edp/fac…
34
Dear Ron,
If you refuse to read anything that doesn't agree with you 100% of the time, you're going to end up with a very short reading list.
If you refuse to read anything that doesn't agree with you 100% of the time, you're going to end up with a very short reading list.
35
1) The stranger is snarky: WHAT OH MY GOD GUYZ, THIS IS NEW AND UNEXPECTED AND NEEDS TO BE COMMENTED ON.
2) The stranger doesn't support the tunnel: WHAT HOLY SHIT I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE EVEN THOUGH I'VE READ THE STRANGER AT ANY POINT IN THE LAST 6+ MONTHS!
2) The stranger doesn't support the tunnel: WHAT HOLY SHIT I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE EVEN THOUGH I'VE READ THE STRANGER AT ANY POINT IN THE LAST 6+ MONTHS!
37
@33,
Actually I'm 45 - and remember (wistfully) Spy magazine, which I thought might dovetail on the failing National Lampoon. No such luck ultimately.
Dom will eventually be lucky to get a gig teaching night school - or doggie obedience school for that matter.
Actually I'm 45 - and remember (wistfully) Spy magazine, which I thought might dovetail on the failing National Lampoon. No such luck ultimately.
Dom will eventually be lucky to get a gig teaching night school - or doggie obedience school for that matter.
38
How come all the guys that choose to sign their last names always have the same surname: "Harding"????
There's something not quite right here?
The Stranger boasts two of the top writers around, Lindy West (on the intellectual side for Lindy) and Cienna Madrid (on the serious side for Madrid). It has the best astrology section, and cleverly allows everyone to figure out the local douchebags with their "I saw U" section.
Also, I'm psychic and can see in the future. Last night I dreamt of the following headline from 2015:
"Yesterday, a pedestrian fell to his death when a giant sinkhole appeared at 1st and Columbia. The pedestrian was later identified as Ron Harding, former reader of The Stranger"
[Biographical note: sgt_doom is a Senior Fellow at the ultra-prestious think tank, the Cosmic Institute, popularly referred to as the 'tute.]
http://itchmo.com/wp-content/uploads/200…
There's something not quite right here?
The Stranger boasts two of the top writers around, Lindy West (on the intellectual side for Lindy) and Cienna Madrid (on the serious side for Madrid). It has the best astrology section, and cleverly allows everyone to figure out the local douchebags with their "I saw U" section.
Also, I'm psychic and can see in the future. Last night I dreamt of the following headline from 2015:
"Yesterday, a pedestrian fell to his death when a giant sinkhole appeared at 1st and Columbia. The pedestrian was later identified as Ron Harding, former reader of The Stranger"
[Biographical note: sgt_doom is a Senior Fellow at the ultra-prestious think tank, the Cosmic Institute, popularly referred to as the 'tute.]
http://itchmo.com/wp-content/uploads/200…
39
@25, seandr, I believe the Seattle Weekly's only competitor is perhaps Eat the State, but I could be wrong on that, as I've never actually met anyone who reads it.
40
Dominic, who has no formal education and actually dropped out of high school, is smarter than all of us? O RILLY?! bwahahaha
41
@40 - the smartest man I know dropped out of high school (he got his GED) and has no additional education beyond classes he's taken "just for fun" to learn something new. He remains a genius.
In summary, I'm not sure what your point is.
In summary, I'm not sure what your point is.
43
41 - um thanks for the anecdote? I'm just not convinced that a guy who didn't pursue higher learning at all and was a fucking waiter before getting tapped to write then edit does not merit the smarmy, I'm always right, jerk-assertiveness that comes across in his tone. But now that I think about it, I think this lack of fundamental intellectual development is probably what informs that attitude. Hmm.
But hey. I must be the enemy because I don't agree exactly with him or you
But hey. I must be the enemy because I don't agree exactly with him or you
45
Damn.
There goes another suburban reader who wants Seattle citizens to pay for "his" Deeply Borrowed Tunnel.
Maybe he should move to Somalia, or someplace with a decent credit rating ...
There goes another suburban reader who wants Seattle citizens to pay for "his" Deeply Borrowed Tunnel.
Maybe he should move to Somalia, or someplace with a decent credit rating ...
46
@43 - You remind me of the people who say Obama's only experience was as a community organizer - as if there was nothing else he'd done to qualify him for the job. Dom has done more than just "be a waiter" and while I realize that doesn't fit your narrative, it makes your argument specious.
Also, I never said you were "the enemy." Your word choice is insightful... perhaps you're projecting your feelings onto those who don't share your views?
Also, I never said you were "the enemy." Your word choice is insightful... perhaps you're projecting your feelings onto those who don't share your views?
48
@17:
How long have YOU been reading The Stranger? I've been reading it almost continually for just short of 20 years now (speaking of which September 23rd will be the 20th Anniversary of the publication of the first issue - will there be a party?), and I can say without hesitation that "hysterically assholeish" has pretty much described their editorial position from Day One.
So, far from alienating its "core demographic", as you suggest, I would counter that this is precisely the tone that ATTRACTS its core demographic, not to mention the effect it seems to have on the rampaging hordes of mouth-breathing nut-cases who apparently are locked in some sort of pathological compulsion to read it (despite their continuous claims of hatred for just about every position the paper takes), and who constantly kvetch about it NOT representing their particular wack-job points-of-view.
Seriously, it's like total win-win: people who agree with their positions read it, and people who are vehemently opposed to their positions also read it.
How long have YOU been reading The Stranger? I've been reading it almost continually for just short of 20 years now (speaking of which September 23rd will be the 20th Anniversary of the publication of the first issue - will there be a party?), and I can say without hesitation that "hysterically assholeish" has pretty much described their editorial position from Day One.
So, far from alienating its "core demographic", as you suggest, I would counter that this is precisely the tone that ATTRACTS its core demographic, not to mention the effect it seems to have on the rampaging hordes of mouth-breathing nut-cases who apparently are locked in some sort of pathological compulsion to read it (despite their continuous claims of hatred for just about every position the paper takes), and who constantly kvetch about it NOT representing their particular wack-job points-of-view.
Seriously, it's like total win-win: people who agree with their positions read it, and people who are vehemently opposed to their positions also read it.
50
Oh Ron, the Stranger has a common habit of supporting something, then turning against it (Gulf War #2, the monorail, ad nauseum). And I like to push back on the tunnel with comments on Slog. Besides, it doesn't cost me a damn thing because I don't have to pay for their paper, or pay to comment on Slog.
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