I have an open mind on the question of what the Times is or isn't doing in this
instance.
Probably a lot of coffee-drinking ... you know, from the blue-emblazoned
paper cups dispensed by corner coffee vendors ... the ones that pop up
in movies a lot -- with the little white anchor or the Greek flag? Those
street vendors have the best coffee, and it also gives employees a good
excuse for leaving their work hive, to pop out on the street and get
coffee, usually from a long list supplied by the assistants to
second-bananas and assorted important flunkies. At Newsweek, they had
the "Newsweek Cafe," which offered a fairly good assortment of food
(mushroom-and-spinach salads in plastic boxes, wraps, pizza, soups,
daily specials) but only offered Starbucks coffee, so if you didn't
crave that mephitic and oily brew or the unpredictable "fair-trade"
blend, it was time to pound pavement in search of the red and orange
umbrella of the vendor ... who was apt to be demoniacally vending in
front of the old Coliseum book store at 57th and Broadway (before it
conglutinated near Bryant).
So I'd guess those folk are gulpin' down java, worried about getting
outsourced, and following the editorial lead of the most feared honchos
... anything that gets them through their shift. And yes, plagiarism.
They are probably worrying about plagiarism.
Yours in pure spec,
Eric
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