Martin Schneider writes:

Slate's Tom Scocca is on to something here with some reassignment suggestions for the New Yorker editors. I also enjoyed his description of the magazine as "America's leading crypto-newsweekly," which is simultaneously complimentary and deliciously suggestive of a subtle publishing conspiracy.

Martin Schneider writes:

In October, the political blogosphere celebrated the 10th anniversary of Andrew Sullivan's "Daily Dish" blog. I did not contribute any testimonials, not because I don't find Andrew Sullivan an interesting and stimulating blogger but because I don't feel any particular kinship with him. Sullivan's very good, but he's not "my guy." (This is a phrase my dad always used, usually about musicians, but not about Sullivan. Sullivan's was my mom's "guy.")

Little did I realize that Josh Marshall would be celebrating his 10th anniversary as a blogger just a few weeks later. (The actual date is tomorrow, November 13.) This time, my affinity runs much deeper.

It's always necessary to say that one was there "at the beginning," whether it's an unknown band that later becomes

Martin Schneider writes:

One more quick thing about the most recent episode, "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword." The news that SCDP would be handling Honda's nascent automobile division could not but remind me of Randall Rothenberg's engrossing book Where the Suckers Moon. That 1994 book detailed the circa-1990 process whereby Subaru hired a new advertising agency for its upcoming campaign and, as such, is an essential resource—one I haven't seen mentioned enough—for anyone who wants to read more about Don Draper's job description (albeit 25 years later).

Mad Men's description of Honda's new cars as "motorcycles with a frame around them" (or whatever) immediately brought me back to Rothenberg's account of Subaru's early years. At the time—an automobile enthusiast could confirm if this is still true—Subaru was kind of the ignoble stalwart on the lower end of the Japanese automobile market. Their cars were clunky, cheap, and reliable, and they were also known for pioneering the four-wheel drive. Somehow I can't help but think that Weiner and Co. are obliquely referring to Where the Suckers Moon here; it's just too close.

Martin Schneider writes:

It's interesting how positive a reaction the Honda shenanigans got from all the pro bloggers documenting every detail of the Draper Saga. During one commercial break while watching the most recent episode, "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword," I commented to my co-watchers, "What is this, Three's Company?" It reminded me of the Ham Scam from s04e01, after which Don scolded Peggy, but good. Nobody I read pointed out the parallel. The Honda sequence was as rich and enjoyable as everything that happens in Mad Men, but I didn't enjoy it more than anything else on the show.

I was more taken by the plight of Sally Draper, whose predicament is getting more gut-wrenchingly alarming by the scene. I think what skewers our hearts so damnably about Sally is that nothing is really under her control. Her supposedly "rebellious" act of cutting her own hair seemed just beyond