Mark Steyn is a little rough on the paper formerly known as the paper of record, and on the press in general. But then, what else is new? And what the heck, it’s no more than they deserve.

…the New York Times has had a pretty risible war since October 30, when it loosed veteran correspondent R W Apple Jr to do a front-page “news analysis” with the hilarious opening: “Like an unwelcome specter from an unhappy past, the ominous word ‘quagmire’ has begun to haunt conversations among government officials and students of foreign policy, both here and abroad. Could Afghanistan become another Vietnam?” By “students of foreign policy”, I think he meant him, and “the ominous word ‘quagmire’ ” was haunting government officials only in the sense that some pill from the NYT kept bringing it up every press conference.

He does tip his hat to the blogosphere, though, and the man who coined the term:

…an estimated 10,000 Palestinians whooped it up in the streets of Gaza, celebrating their glorious victory on the battlefield of the university’s Frank Sinatra Centre. Those Palestinians hipsters won’t dance to Frank – no Songs For Swingin’ Lovers in Gaza – but give ’em some Songs for ‘Splodin’ Losers and you’ve got a capacity crowd ready to cheer all the old favourites: Come Die With Me, I’ve Got Jews Under My Skin, I’ve Got The World On A Fuse, all the hits. As the internet pundit William Quick put it, we haven’t seen Palestinians looking that happy since . . . oh, yeah, September 11, when they celebrated in Ramallah.

As usual, the whole thing is a joy and a hoot.