It’s a Jon Ralston word. He uses it at least once a month.
Schadenfreude: a feeling of enjoyment that comes from seeing or hearing about the troubles of other people.
Knowing all the bridges and relationships he’s burned over the past quarter century — going from Las Vegas Review-Journal cop reporter to political reporter to columnist to email newsletter writer, turning coat and jumping to the Las Vegas Sun, starting a television show and an online site, all tagged with his name — there are more than a few who read Saturday’s R-J story about television ratings and experienced a feeling of enjoyment.
I recall all the times I could hear him half way down the hall cursing at some source who failed to satisfy his grasping for scoops. Perhaps a few of those managed a chuckle of schadenfreude.
You see, since KSNV-TV dropped “Jeopardy” from the 6:30 p.m. time slot and inserted Ralston’s chat show, which is all about Ralston preening and not about his guests or news, the ratings have fallen 60 percent, to about 15,000 TV sets.
Though the station recently canceled — without notice — the similarly formated afternoon gab fest “The Agenda,” a KSNV spokesman told the R-J’s Christopher Lawrence the Jim Rogers-owned station has no plans to replace Ralston “with something more competitive.”
But, as Lawrence put it, “KSNV went from dominant to dominated at 6:30 p.m.”
As further illustration of the self-absorbed nature of the Ralston franchise, take the Politico piece by Ralston posted online over the weekend.
The headline is: “Machiavelli With Malaprops,” but the subhed is: “A quarter-century of covering Harry Reid.”
It is not about Harry. It is about Jon.
Speaking of frequently used words, Ralston can’t refer to Reid’s upbringing in Searchlight without using the word “hardscrabble.” He uses it in the Politico piece and in an October piece and a July piece. A more exhaustive search surely would find several more.
For some reason, Reid will not appear on Ralston’s program. Perhaps he fears a critical mass if their egos come too close.
Now, that is something I might watch.
4TH ST8 
I have often wondered about the origin of the word,”hardscrabble.”
hardscrabble (adj.) 1804, U.S. colloquial, the name of an imaginary barren place “where a livelihood may be obtained only under great hardship and difficulty;” from hard + scrabble. First recorded in journals of Lewis and Clark. Perhaps the original notion is “vigorous effort made under great stress,” though this sense is recorded slightly later (1812).
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=hardscrabble
There’s a Hardscrabble Road in my long ago hometown, Ischua, NY, however, the county road sign people apparently believe the spelling and printed “Hardscramble” on the sign, nevertheless it’s called Hardscrabble by the hardscrabble people that live on it. I don’t really have a point, but those hardscrabble Appalachian foothills people never foisted any socialist/Marxist on the nation, unlike Searchlight. .
Sad to say, Ralston is propping up the ratings on KSNV’s new format.
My wife likes Jeopardy and Wheel on KLAS. Even if I wished I couldn’t pry the remote from her hand.
And I have been married long enough to know there are many way to win such an argument with a woman. I have listed those ways below.
Feel free to try any of them!
Just gave Ralston’s Politico article.
I found it unflattering to to Reid. Of course that may simply be me reading with my biased vision but Ralston seems to be (if anything) rather backhanded in his admiration of Reid.
And there is one bit where I find myself in full agreement with Ralston.
Reid’s influence on Sue Lowden’s run for LT Gov. I simply cannot shake the feeling Sue Lowden actually helped Reid in 2010 and this run just smells of a repeat considering all the baggage she brings to the Republican Party in this state after the 2010 campaign. Ralston even claims Reid was behind Angle’s run for the Republican primary in 2010, by casting her as an outsider in carefully written scripts Reid helped Angle take votes away from Lowden.
That baggage carries more than chicken. There is money, there are former supporters and bad feelings among people like me. Sue Lowden should get out of Mark Hutchinsons way and she should pay her bills. Maybe then she could be LT Gov when Mark Hutchinson takes over for Brian Sandoval in 2016.
IMHO, Brian Sandoval and Mark Hutchinson are the best way to finally get Reid out of the Senate.
Jon Ralston is Nevada’s own “Napoleon XIV½”
“Perhaps he fears a critical mass if their egos come too close.”
Reminds me of a quote about Isaac Newton: “He had an ego so large it had its own gravitational field.”
No, petey, you don’t have to check that one. Neither Jefferson nor Madison said it…
[…] has been excellent, and his office has always response when an inquiry is made. Ralston is just upset that he isn’t being treated like a real journalist like the big boys. Clearly Heller is […]
[…] is one of Jon Ralston’s favorite words. He uses it all the time. It is the pleasure one derives from the misfortunes of others. It is […]