Roger L. Simon is a genius

We caught Tiny in a Rembrandt Moment this afternoon as she stared atop Tuck's computer at things we don't see in the countdown to supper. Update from Tuck in the comments: "Here is a masterpiece. This portrait speaks to the wonder of our beloved companions; here is a thinking, compassionate, responsive, introspective being."

Alpha blogger Ann Althouse may protest — too much? — but we have never felt prouder of our association with Pajamas Media than we are at the thought of Roger L. Simon & Company's inspired decision to hire Joe the Plumber as Israel war correspondent for PJTV. Once there, JTP's hooking up with our sub rosa blogfriend Richard Landes and Danny Seaman, Israel’s GPO (Government Press Office) director, reports Roger. Being a bit behind in our blog reading, we happened to first hear about it all last night from the lips of Bret Baier, cutie-pie new host of Fox News's "Special Report with Brit Hume,"** and delving further today were delighted to see that everyone's talking about it, from the straight-reporting Times of India to a predictably snickering NYT. The usual suspects are horrified, as Roger explains:

This has created quite a brouhaha in the media — cable television, newspapers, wire services, etc.  Everyone from CNN to gawker.com has something to say about Joe heading for the Middle East …

To be honest, some (maybe much) of this reportage is pretty snotty. Nora O’Donnell of MSNBC — herself an MA in international relations, lahdeedah — fairly frothed at the mouth at the prospect of the unqualified Joe having the temerity to report news in a foreign land. Those hipoisie over at Gawker weren’t too charitable either.

Evidently, a lot of people are annoyed that Joe’s fifteen Warhol minutes aren’t quite over yet. Or perhaps they’re threatened that a common man can be a reporter simply by asking common sense questions — no Columbia J-school degree required.

Self Portrait as a Young Man by Rembrandt van Rijn. 1634, Oil on canvas. Uffizi, Florence, "It shows the artist with a strong-willed expression, in an extremely natural, uneffected three-quarter pose; the figure is illuminated by a light coming from the left whose spreading glow enlarges the space which serves as a background." Compare Tiny's natural, uneffected three-quarter pose with light coming from the right, above.

We totally agree with Althouse commenter ricpic, who asks rhetorically why Ann is not amused:

Why? Because he isn't credentialed? Intelligence and good sense — which Joe has in abundance — are fungible. He'll make an excellent war correspondent.

Ann has her reasons, discernible in a parsing of her own comments following her post, but we haven't been so energized since the moment last summer when Sarah Palin sprung full blown into our consciousness in a Larry Kudlow interview we stumbled upon at YouTube when rumors were rumbling that the Alaska Governor would be McCain's VP pick. And now Garbo Palin talks in a totally awesome exclusive interview with John Ziegler of howobamagotelected.com, featured today at Andrew Breitbart's spanking new run-against-the-cultural-herd Big Hollywood. Ziegler leaves Gibson and Couric and their fellow-traveling Northeast Corridor conservatives in the dust.

Now back to the cultural left's apoplexy at the idea of Joe the Plumber in Israel, from an imail conversation this evening:

We: You are known by your enemies. They feel threatened.

She: I am heartsick for Israel. I hope they stick to their rockets, and continue to STAND AND FIGHT!

We: They MUST.

She: The lying spinning that has become the mantra … "Israel is inhumane." The world has, indeed been co-opted by insane ideologies.

We: It is SO medieval. It is more important for leftists to be in solidarity with their "tribe" than to seek truth.

Speaking of truth seekers, here's Roger L. Simon with the next-to-the-last word:

I must say I find amusing the idea of Joe lined up with all the telephoto cameras at that Gaza media overlook with Cooper, Amanpour, et al. It’s certainly the stuff of Frank Capra.

And now the last word, from a post of ours back in March of 2005:

The importance of being noticed makes the world go 'round, from al-Queda types who intimidate through cold-blooded murder of innocents to impress their "brothers," to internet hackers who wreak havoc amongst online innocents to impress their own fellow travelers. On the good side, each one of us seeks, through our accomplishments, to earn a place of honor among our peers. The real issue is, whom do we select as our peers.

We're throwing in our lot with the brothers and sisters of Pajamas Media and Big Hollywood.

Update: Roger tickles our funny bone in the comments:

Thanks, Sissy. I have sent this post to my mother.

That's her Barney!*

Update II:  Ziegler's Palin interview at Breitbart's Big Hollywood gets the red-link treatment at Drudge (screenshot above). You go, boys!

Update III: Unlike Althouse, Instapundit is amused:

WELL, DUH. Still, there’s a value to stating the obvious.

Thanks for the link, Professor.

Update IV: Michelle Malkin asks — and answers —"Who’s afraid of Joe the Journalist?"

Update VI: Lots more amusements at Modulator's Friday Ark #225.

*"That's my Barney" is one of our sis's favorite quotations from her favorite musical, "The Music Man," the words every proud mother calls out when she sees the flesh of her flesh doing her proud.

** Thanks to readers kimsch of Musing Minds and megrez 80 in the comments for FoxNews corrections.

Comments

[Roger L. Simon]

Thanks, Sissy. I have sent this post to my mother.

[Connecticut Yankee]

So wonderful to see a photo of Tiny again. Apropos of Rembrandt and cats, here is a PDF of Rembrandt's 1654 etching of the Virgin and Child with a cat.

Still thinking of Baby, especially after finding out yesterday that the First Cat (India) just died at the age of 18.

[goomp]

Choosing one's peers or those with whom we would be peers says it all. PJ Media, Townhall, Tom Sowell, Walt Williams, Sisu, Joe the Plumber they are for me.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

The more Ann comments about PJM, you know, the happier I am that she doesn't work with us, too.

[Tom the Redhunter]

What a photo of Tiny. Words escape me, but you are right, it is a shade of Rembrandt.

I love the photos on this blog. They remind me of my dear departed cats, and the ones yet to come.

[Karen Jo]

The photo of Tiny is just wonderful. I am glad you like my tribute to Baby.

[kimsch]

Saw Joe on Fox this afternoon. He said after all the brouhaha he really couldn't be a plumber anymore. What if he went to a house and they didn't like "Joe the Plumber" and insisted on another plumber?

The man's life has been changed forever.

[Steve White]

Joe should do well. I remember when journalism was, like plumbing, a trade and not a profession. Joe's a tradesman. He'll figure it out and do it respectfully well.

And that's what has Nora O'Donnell worried: not that Joe will do well. But that Joe will remind everyone that journalism is a trade.

[Blacque Jacques Shellacque]

Great picture.

[Jimmie]

Meh. It still smells of publicity stunt. If Joe hadn't gotten his 15 minutes of fame he wouldn't be going. I think PJM would be a lot better served, if they were interested in journalism, by sending a mid-level blogger or a decent conservative journalist (like Stacy McCain or someone of that sort).

[Teresa]

Unlike so many, I'm willing to give the guy a chance. Let's see how he does before saying he "can't".

It's reporting not brain surgery. While there are certain talents good reporters have, if they don't do it well (stumble over words, etc) the world won't end. Credentialed reporters have proven that often enough.

It's startling how much vehemence this one man going to the Middle East has stirred up. Since he is not the only reporter over there and since he's not reporting for a mainstream news outlet, I'm finding it hilarious to see all these people writhing about, nearly frothing at the mouth because this one man is getting a trip to a war zone.

I tell ya, there is no other entertainment to top it.

Lovely picture of Tiny. And once again, you find exactly the right bit of fine art to complement the post.

[Donna B.]

Awesome photo. I wouldn't mind having a print on my wall. In fact, I'd love it!

As for Joe the Plumber and journalism as a trade, you are exactly right. Many trades can be taught, but professionalism is earned.

[cubanbob]

Journalism is a trade not a profession. Joe the plumber as a tradesman probably has something journalists do not have: a license backed by a competency exam. Journalists have no more in the way of professional licensing and certification than garbage men, and of late no one has ever claimed that garbage collection is a learned profession. And reading what passes for news in most of the wire services, garbage men seem to have a greater work ethic than journalists.

[kerochee]

Roger L. Simon is a genius, indeed. When I saw all the coverage of Joe the Plumber going to Israel, I laughed and laughed and declared Simon the winner. How better to get free advertising for Pajamas Media than to let the MSM networks do it for you? Talk about irony! As I said, I laughed and laughed. Roger L. Simon.... GENIUS!

[Sam Spade]

The protests/sneers from the media about Joe invite the question "what does the professional media person offer that Joe does not". There may be some hidden ability on the part of CNN to distinguish between faked news and real news, but that ability is not obvious. If all CNN offers is to be present at a particular location with a camera, well any Joe can do that as well.

[john b]

It's funny how the liberals say conservatives don't do any original reporting and then complain when one does.

[megrez80]

FYI, Bret Baier is the new host of 'Special Report', replacing Brit Hume. Neil Cavuto is the host of 'Your World'.

[Jack Tanner]

JTP's uncredentialed - he never once put out Saddam's propaganda for access.

[Gayle Miller]

Journalism used to be taught by committed professionals (who themselves were journalists in addition to their teaching duties) at respected universities nationwide. What was taught was integrity, professionalism and honesty in presenting any story on which we worked. I was always proud that I was a journalism major at The Ohio State University in the late 50s and early 60s. I shudder to think what that once admirable program is producing now!

Sadly, that is no longer the case and the former "profession" has reverted to what used to be called ink-stained wretches - and they're carrying their wretchedness to unbelievably low levels.

Thus, Bernard Goldberg can accurately refer to the mainstream media as "slobbering" all over President-elect Obama and it is entirely a justified criticism and indictment of what was once an honorable calling.

[md]

did you even bother to read the NYT blog piece? ...apparently not. anything from the NYT is a priori snickering...it so much easier that way

[ZZMike]

People can argue about JtP and whether he's "qualified", but as they say, time will tell.

Michaels Yon and Totten (for example) aren't exactly Cornell journalism majors, but they do have backgrounds and experience. JtP is the new kid on the block; no-one knows what he's going to do; no-one knows if he can write; no-one knows if he's going to get the front-line acceptance that Yon and Totten have.

On the other hand, I seriously doubt that Simon &c hired him sight unseen.

In any event, I eagerly await his first dispatches.

[Tuck]

Here is a masterpiece. This portrait speaks to the wonder of our beloved companions; here is a thinking, compassionate, responsive, introspective being.

Snapshots of cats playing with yarn or wearing some silly hat are an insult.

You get so many compliments on your photographs. It's because they show a cat as it sees itself.

It explains why people love cats . . . Not because they scamper across the floor and are cute and pretty like children but because they're cats, and your photographs show what that is.

[RR Ryan]

If Anderson Cooper didn't have Banacek hair and Gloria Vanderbilt for a mother it's unlikely anyone would give him the time of day. Give Joe a shot. He'll probably be dreadful, but so are most people when they get in front of the camera. On the other hand, he could be very insightful.