historical perspective
If Obamacare passes, that free insurance card that’s in people’s pockets is going to be as worthless as a Confederate dollar after the war between the states — the Great War of Yankee Aggression.
I remember hearing that phrase for the first time delivered by a 90-something archbishop in a sermon at a summer camp I worked at in Virginia — it was shockingly ridiculously gorgeously idiotically beautiful.
a meditation on personal translation
Tyler Cowen reviews a newly translated collection of van Gogh’s letters.
As for his letters to Theo, these are so full of life that it’s easy for the reader to assume that his brother is getting the “real Vincent.” But is he? Through much of this period, Theo is supporting van Gogh, either by sending him money, by selling his art (or trying to), or both. Writing to Theo, the artist comes across as whining, manipulative, and in careful control of the flow of information. It’s a kind of faux frankness, maybe not untrue but designed to portray a mind in creative ferment and to fit a certain stereotype. There is often first a thanks for money received, a blizzard of reports about what van Gogh is doing and painting, and then at the end a suggestion that even more painting, activity, and creative ferment might be possible if only Theo would do everything to support him. Time and again, the reader wonders just how much van Gogh and his brother trust each other. In the letter of August 14, 1879, for instance, he complains that Theo has advised him to give up his quest to be an artist. “And, joking apart, I honestly think it would be better if the relationship between us were more trusting on both sides,” van Gogh suggests, before apologizing for the possibility that so much of the family sorrow and discord have been caused by him. These look and sound like letters to his brother, but in essence we are reading fund-raising proposals.
The larger review serves as a meditation on personal translation — the way we interpret ourselves for others.
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Augustine House.
Lowell Roman.
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Millie Chacon.
from the spam
mothers pussy
boneless leg of lamb
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Mrs. Fatima Alghanim.
«We like lists because we don’t want to die.»
[ more ]
Dear Clusterflock
What is the opposite of militia?
crash blossom
spam name
Usuman Yaya.
Oration
There are almost too many ideas floating around this article to summarize it adequately (Lloyd takes a pretty good stab at it). One of my favorites is the suggestion that great political orators are incapable of existing now because politicians give too many speechs:
The modern politician also has to make more speeches than ever before. It is “the tyranny of the diary”, according to Collins – where ministers will make hundreds of speeches a year, to conferences, pressure groups, openings of doctors’ surgeries. “The vast majority of these speeches are dates in the diary rather than things you’ve got to say. It’s no wonder speeches are boring if you’re doing that many. None of us has got novel things to say every week.” Lancaster agrees, remembering times working for Johnson when he’d be “churning out 10,000 words” a week. He sounded tired at the thought. “That’s not the best way to do it.”
Atkinson blames the media. He believes we are obsessed with personality, with “endless bloody interviews”. In his eyes, the devaluing of politics at the hands of journalists is encapsulated by the decline of the speech. Broadcasters, he suspects, have conspired against the form, convinced that it makes bad television. The media no longer have the time or interest to engage with the issues. Instead, they demand the soundbite, the personality and, best of all, the gaffe.
spam name
Caleb Davila.
SarcMark
The punctuation mark for people who don’t understand sarcasm.
(thanks, Aaron)
from the spam
When Lanthan backed up a step, putting distance between them, something behind her heart twisted. His hands came over her eyes, which wouldn’t see then the black truly took over. Brevin gave thought to seeing his own mother but decided to visit his brother instead. Eyrhaen sipped her wine and decided that, tonight, she would be in a good mood. His control rushed up around hers, holding her in, holding her back. Now, again, there were tunnels.
spam name
Ola Sands.
biblical exegesis on unusual blogs
Yesterday, Drew asked about some of the language of the Lord’s prayer and today there is a reference to a section of Galatians at (!) The Awl. What is going on with you people and why are you making me use my koine Greek on Friday?
What’s this called again?
from the spam
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Dion Carlisle.
from the spam
Who knows anymore, things are getting realy wierd lately.
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Dick Gay.
correction
An earlier version of this post misquoted Mr. Remnick on his comparison between the book and a New Yorker article he had previously written. He said the book would not be a “pumped up” version of the article; he did not say that it would not be a “pimped out” version of the article.
real name
spam names
Ken Bacon.
Barbara Plummer.
Sterling Baxter.
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Marylou Jeffers.