Some of Nothing

Unexpected Consequences
Friday, January 2, 2009

One of the most fulfilling aspects of the minimalist holiday was taking the time to focus--to coin a cliche--on the important things. But one unexpected consequence of doing that for an entire week is that one becomes less tolerant of the unimportant things afterward. Case in point would be my blogging. Every post I try to write these days seems frivolous and strained--an indulgence in unadulterated hackery, if you will. And every single post I've written before now looks pretty much the same to me. So, since the blog isn't currently a remunerative element of the Some of Nothing empire, and since the cause of karmic justice is hardly served through gibberish, updates to the SoN blog will be sporadic for a while.

Carry on.

Nothing New byslag at 12:04 PM 0 dispense karmic justice! (or just comment here)  

Bush's Brain on Books
Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Karl Rove embarrassed himself yesterday by publishing an Op-Ed claiming that George W Bush reads about 95 books a year:

There is a myth perpetuated by Bush critics that he would rather burn a book than read one. Like so many caricatures of the past eight years, this one is not only wrong, but also the opposite of the truth and evidence that bitterness can devour a small-minded critic. Mr. Bush loves books, learns from them, and is intellectually engaged by them.

Many people have noted the mathematical improbability of Rove's claim, while Richard Cohen keeps his journalistic reputation unspoiled by believing every single word of it. For me, however, it's not the claim's mathematical unlikelihood or the fact that Bush can't seem to remember anything he's read that inspires incredulity here. I don't think I'm misunderestimating our President when I say that it's simply impossible for him to both be a serious reader and have such a foul understanding of the English language. What?...is he reading his books in their original French and Latin? Even so, he would have a better grasp of simple sentence structure than he has now. Categorically. Impossible.

But what really interests me about Rove's Op-Ed is that it confirms a feeling I've had about Rove for some time now: he, himself, desperately needs to feel intellectually superior. Just the fact that it's so important for him to try to resurrect this White House's intellectual image rouses suspicion but that he chooses to show off his own (probably exaggerated) literary habits in order to juxtapose them with his boss' really makes the case. Every time I see Karl Rove, he immediately calls to mind a particular PG Wodehouse character named Jeeves, the butler. The two are quite similar: each getting a gleeful look in his eye whenever he has the opportunity to use his intellectual abilities in the service of his master, all the while making sure to retain a certain amount of superiority and control. Their bosses both maintaining a cartoonish level of ivy league ignorance while sporadically displaying rare, impracticable glimpses of hazy insight. And in that respect, Karl Rove's tragedy is Jeeves' tragedy. To both of them, appearances matter a great deal, but sadly, their fortunes are always inextricably linked to their bosses' inevitable buffoonery. Furthermore, it's painfully obvious to the even the most casual of observers that neither Rove nor Jeeves would ever seem so smart if the people he worked for didn't always seem so...less smart.

Nothing New byslag at 9:43 AM 0 dispense karmic justice! (or just comment here)  

Minimalist Maximus
Monday, December 29, 2008

Well, the minimalist holiday was a smashing success. MFP and I spent an inordinate amount of time playing board games, reading books, hanging out with friends we hadn't seen in forever, and taking long walks through various inches of snow. But a lot has been going on in the world, so catching up with the news today is no easy task. For instance, while MFP and I were busy practicing our downward-facing dog yoga positions last week, the Middle East was apparently once again melting down. While we were spontaneously scoring deep-tissue massages at a local spa, Joe Biden was discussing ways to revive the anemic middle-class. And while MFP and I were exchanging our gifts of wool socks, the retail industry was totally tanking. Not to mention the fact that I have absolutely no idea what I've been doing while the Arctic sea ice has been melting (probably sitting in front of the fireplace because I love irony).

Micro to macro in one day...not recommended.

Nothing New byslag at 3:02 PM 0 dispense karmic justice! (or just comment here)  

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc?
Wednesday, December 24, 2008

1. The streets are covered in snow.
2. The word on the street is that Obama yard signs make great sleds.
3. Yards that were sporting Obama signs last week are now bare.

Nothing New byslag at 8:24 PM 2 dispense karmic justice! (or just comment here)  

Holidays Unplugged
Monday, December 22, 2008

MFP took this week off work, so he and I are going to try a new holiday-appreciation tactic: minimal use of computers/dvds/other electronic media, minimal partaking of unhealthy foods and sweets, minimal buying of unneccessary consumer goods. Key word: minimal.

Have a happy holiday and will hopefully see you next week.

Nothing New byslag at 10:23 AM 2 dispense karmic justice! (or just comment here)  

Freaky
Saturday, December 20, 2008

Based on the information about him presented in this video from The Rachel Maddow Show (via Pam's House Blend), it sounds to me like Reverend Judgey McJudgeypants is really in no place to be judging anybody:

Rick Warren: I'm naturally inclined to have sex with every beautiful woman I see...

There's one commonality among serious social conservatives that has always struck me as troubling: They seem to lead way more interesting lives than the one I lead. For instance, when Mike Huckabee told Jon Stewart that being gay is a choice, I felt a pang of envy. Unlike Mike, I've never willfully chosen to be not gay (it just sort of turned out that way), so I have no way of knowing what it's like to really have to think about it for a while. Is it like deciding on your favorite flavor of ice cream: "Do I want the Strawberry or the Chunky Monkey?" Or is it more like trying to answer an, "If I were a tree, what kind of tree would I be," kind of question? And for people like Rick Warren who are so bursting with passion that they must struggle to control themselves every minute of the day, I just think: "Damn...if we could harness that untapped energy, we could use him to power an entire city block...he must be some sort of super hero! I wish I were a super hero..." But sadly for me, I don't know what it's like to make these kinds of choices or to be a super hero. Envy...I hear it's one of the seven deadliest sins.

Nothing New byslag at 10:08 AM 0 dispense karmic justice! (or just comment here)  

Seeking Karmic Justice Opportunities
Friday, December 19, 2008

So, instead of celebrating the presidential inauguration in the company of Rick Warren and friends, I'll be looking to dispense some serious karmic justice on that day. Specifically, I want to do something to forward the cause of equality--preferably, equality for LGBT folks since they really got the shaft this year (no inappropriate puns, please). If anyone has any novel suggestions to that end, bring 'em on.

Also, if you want citizen-funded elections, vote asap for ChangeCongress.org here.

Finally, CREW is suing Dick Cheney (again):

"Dick Cheney's lawyers are asserting that the vice president alone has the authority to determine which records, if any, from his tenure will be handed over to the National Archives when he leaves office in January. (...)

"The vice president alone may determine what constitutes vice presidential records or personal records, how his records will be created, maintained, managed and disposed, and are all actions that are committed to his discretion by law," according to a court filing by Cheney's office with the U.S. District Court on Dec. 8.

Cheney is being sued by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a government watchdog group that is trying to ensure that no presidential records are destroyed or handled in a way that makes them unavailable to the public.

They should get a little something extra in their Christmas stocking for that.

Nothing New byslag at 10:38 PM 0 dispense karmic justice! (or just comment here)