# Jeepers, What's Up with James Lileks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 25, 2003, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276 "2003-06-25T12:38:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/1 "2003-06-25T12:38:28Z")
Did you see today’s [Bleat](http://lileks.com/bleats/index.html)? ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/2 "2003-06-25T12:52:02Z")
Poor James. I don’t know what it is, but I hate to see him sounding so bad! ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/3 "2003-06-25T12:53:36Z")
I usually save the Bleat as an afternoon pick-me-up, but I read it after reading your post, **Eve**. It’s pretty grim. I hope whatever it is works out for the best. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/4 "2003-06-25T14:48:32Z")
“Oblique?” He’s being down right mysterious. I hate stuff like this. Now I’m going to be wondering for (probably) days what the problem is, whether the Bleat is ending, etc. I hope everything works out for him. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/5 "2003-06-25T14:55:12Z")
Publisher problems? Marriage problems? Health problems? Just in a bad mood? I wish to hell he’d clue us in . . . ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/6 "2003-06-25T16:24:16Z")
I’d tend to rule those out, **Eve**. I only say that because I got the impression that he was the target of some nasty malicious behavior on the part of someone in a snit. It also seems to be Bleat-related, but now I’ve gone beyond wild speculation straight into making stuff up. ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/7 "2003-06-25T16:26:23Z")
Say, I can’t usually get on the boards from work (something’s wonky today and it’s letting me) If someone finds out what’s up, can you drop me a quick email or something? I’d be very appreciative. ---
**Author:** ![SteverinoAlaReno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@SteverinoAlaReno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteverinoAlaReno)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/8 "2003-06-25T20:16:49Z")
I am sure all will be well. But you gotta love this paragraph from him: > [@](#): > > Other adages for today: when life hands you lemons, head down the hall, hide in the closet of your enemy, wait until they get a papercut, then leap out shouting BANZAI and crush the lemon in your hand right over the papercut. Save the peel. Go downstairs to the bar. Order a vodka. Use the peel. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/9 "2003-06-25T20:24:04Z")
I’ve been wondering for a while now if he has some kind of low-level depression or bipolar disorder going on. He SO overreacts to everything from 9/11 to bad customer service. And he can turn on a dime from down to up to down. Yikes. And he’ll write some horrible, depressed or angry Bleat and the next day come back and say, “Whoa, folks! I was only kidding! Don’t read so much into these things!” So I read this morning’s Bleat and immediately assumed he’s overreacting to something again, and tomorrow he’ll be just mildly grumpy. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/10 "2003-06-25T20:38:36Z")
Yeah, that’s what it sounds like, a35362, though I’m not a regular enough reader to have come to that conclusion on my own. There is a downside to instant communication and blogs. Folks without them can maintain plausible deniability (“I never said that!”). ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/11 "2003-06-25T21:04:11Z")
Sounds like it’s the work of some _woman_. “One silly minor person sets her jaw, decides to show someone what’s what, and the effect cascades through the lives of half a dozen other people.” I dunno, maybe it’s Ann Coulter related. Or her arch-enemy Hillary Clinton. Perhaps some sort of fracas at the Apple store. Maybe one of the Fark photoshops from last week drew ire from some co-worker. ---
**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/12 "2003-06-25T21:14:20Z")
Damn! I hadn’t read the Bleat until just now–what a shocker! I really hope it isn’t anything serious and that all will be back to normal tomorrow. Yikes…_“after today, a tree could fall on the house and we wouldn’t be surprised”_ does sound a bit ominous though, doesn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/13 "2003-06-25T23:08:01Z")
It’s probably some policy change at the day care center. Gnat is all he seems to write about anymore. I haven’t read a good architecture bleat in ages! Those are always his best. ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/14 "2003-06-26T06:27:35Z")
Is anyone else thinking drama queen? ---
**Author:** ![thatDDperson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@thatDDperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thatDDperson)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/15 "2003-06-26T06:28:44Z")
Read today… Wife lost job on day they were to sign new mortgage… She’s an attorney, they’ll be fine. ---
**Author:** ![mazirian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@mazirian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazirian)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/16 "2003-06-26T06:59:58Z")
My God! So it wasn’t the Evil Liberal Conspiracy? …or WAS IT?! One more vote for drama queen… ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/17 "2003-06-26T11:40:11Z")
Don’t I feel foolish. There I was, thinking it was something serious, like a full-blown blogwar or IP trouble. His wife got laid off? That’s it? Pfft. ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/18 "2003-06-26T11:48:25Z")
I have never in my life personally known so many people who have been laid off. Husband and wife friends were both laid off last week. It’s rampant in Minnesota. ::sigh:: ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/19 "2003-06-26T12:05:50Z")
Meanwhile Mrs. Lileks is thinking to herself, “why did I marry a _writer?!_” ---
**Author:** ![austen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@austen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/austen)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276/20 "2003-06-26T12:09:32Z")
I’m sorry, but isn’t someone allowed to react however they want to something that happens in THEIR own life? Losing a job, for whatever reason, is a big deal. To a lot of people. I mean, come on, his Bleat is like his LiveJournal - he’s writing what he is thinking and feeling. Cut the man some slack - sheesh. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeepers-whats-up-with-james-lileks/184276.md?page=2)