Give The Los Angeles Times credit for a little outside the box thinking. They’re running an occasional column called Outside The Tent, which the describe as follows:
An experimental column in which the Los Angeles Times invites outside critics to take their best shot at Southern California’s heaviest newspaper.
The L. A. Times invited Kausfiles blogger Mickey Kaus to pen the first column (registration required), and he does a great job of explaining exactly what the southland is missing – competition in the form of gossip. It sounds bizarre, but Kaus illustrates how lack of competition has left the L. A. Times fat and lazy when it comes to local reporting.
Now lets see if they invite Patterico to write one of those columns. He certainly qualifies as a critic – note that he has an entire category (Dog Trainer) devoted to takedowns of the L. A. Times…
Update: Another late night blogger (of the considerably more famous variety) on the other side of the Potomac beats me to the punch… Damn Golden Globes (w/ TiVo delay), distracting me from blogging…
OT- Suggested caption for the advertisment showing
Document Dan with a pencil seemingly stuck in his ear:
“You see, I stick the pencil in here, twirl it a bit, and it
comes out all sharp and ready for action!”
dchamil, that would actually be a productive use of the space inside his head.
For a change.
The only thing “fat” about the L.A.Times is their Classified Section and their telemarketing. That and their preposterous forebearance of too much ink on too much newsprint.
Oh, and I forgot to add, the fatness that exists between the ears of whoever thought up and edits the “Outside the Tent” — you know, they have to generate interest SOMEhow, and, you know, it gets them mentioned here and there, and, you know, well, here they are, mentioned without much else involved other than the L.A.Times is again talking about the L.A.Times.