Comments on: I am in awe http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:15:15 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: nick http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/comment-page-1/#comment-69326 nick Mon, 25 Apr 2005 17:42:59 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/#comment-69326 Robert Fisk tends to use the epithet 'my old chum, the increasingly <a href="http://www.google.com/search?rls=en-gb&q=fisk+messianic+friedman&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8" rel="nofollow">messianic</a> Tom Friedman'. Curiously, Airmiles appears to be the only person to <i>leave</i> Jerusalem and then get a messiah complex. Must be all those cheap consumer electronics. Robert Fisk tends to use the epithet ‘my old chum, the increasingly messianic Tom Friedman’. Curiously, Airmiles appears to be the only person to leave Jerusalem and then get a messiah complex. Must be all those cheap consumer electronics.

]]> By: Rn Grntz http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/comment-page-1/#comment-69341 Rn Grntz Mon, 25 Apr 2005 14:21:20 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/#comment-69341 Y cn b gns f ltrry ncmptnc t! http://www.mcswnys.nt/2004/4/28wrd.html Y cn b gns f ltrry ncmptnc t!

http://www.mcswnys.nt/2004/4/28wrd.html

]]> By: Jim Harrison http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/comment-page-1/#comment-69245 Jim Harrison Sun, 24 Apr 2005 23:12:36 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/#comment-69245 It would be unrealistic to expect anybody to maintain the quality of their prose, let alone their integrity, after so many years of playing to the cheap seats. It would be unrealistic to expect anybody to maintain the quality of their prose, let alone their integrity, after so many years of playing to the cheap seats.

]]> By: Robert http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/comment-page-1/#comment-69181 Robert Sat, 23 Apr 2005 17:36:00 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/#comment-69181 Tom Friedman - the columnist for people too dumb to understand Norman Angell. Tom Friedman – the columnist for people too dumb to understand Norman Angell.

]]> By: Billy Banter http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/comment-page-1/#comment-69136 Billy Banter Sat, 23 Apr 2005 07:57:44 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/#comment-69136 >Billy Banter, I think Taibbi is saying that Friedman is a genius, a “genius of literary incompetence.” But his sentence doesn't say that either! (Maybe he's been reading too much Friedman, and his brain is starting to melt down). >Billy Banter, I think Taibbi is saying that Friedman is a genius, a “genius of literary incompetence.”

But his sentence doesn’t say that either! (Maybe he’s been reading too much Friedman, and his brain is starting to melt down).

]]> By: Chris Martin http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/comment-page-1/#comment-69074 Chris Martin Fri, 22 Apr 2005 19:41:57 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/#comment-69074 Don't forget http://www.gawker.com/topic/the-thomas-friedman-affair-015327.php http://www.gawker.com/topic/the-thomas-friedman-affair-part-ii-015333.php Don’t forget

http://www.gawker.com/topic/the-thomas-friedman-affair-015327.php

http://www.gawker.com/topic/the-thomas-friedman-affair-part-ii-015333.php

]]> By: xy http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/comment-page-1/#comment-69058 xy Fri, 22 Apr 2005 18:52:34 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/#comment-69058 Friedman is incapable of rendering the most banal detail without stupidity. Friedman is incapable of rendering the most banal detail without stupidity.

]]> By: Pete http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/comment-page-1/#comment-69044 Pete Fri, 22 Apr 2005 18:18:11 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/#comment-69044 Billy Banter, I think Taibbi is saying that Friedman is a genius, a "genius of literary incompetence." Billy Banter, I think Taibbi is saying that Friedman is a genius, a “genius of literary incompetence.”

]]> By: 1MaNLan http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/comment-page-1/#comment-69039 1MaNLan Fri, 22 Apr 2005 18:04:34 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/#comment-69039 I would have liked it better if the canary's testicles were spreading over the face of the new economy Savannah.... But, no matter, still reveals Friedman nicely while having a bit of fun. I would have liked it better if the canary’s testicles were spreading over the face of the new economy Savannah…. But, no matter, still reveals Friedman nicely while having a bit of fun.

]]> By: Ereshkigal http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/comment-page-1/#comment-68983 Ereshkigal Fri, 22 Apr 2005 15:49:55 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/#comment-68983 <em>The walls had fallen down and the Windows had opened...</em> Doesn't he have an editor? Did the walls fall down before the windows were opened? Why open a window that only looks to the ground-- even in a metaphorical sense? I just can't get past the silliness of his imagery long enough to appreciate the true ineptitude of his flat earth metaphor. The walls had fallen down and the Windows had opened…

Doesn’t he have an editor? Did the walls fall down before the windows were opened? Why open a window that only looks to the ground—even in a metaphorical sense?

I just can’t get past the silliness of his imagery long enough to appreciate the true ineptitude of his flat earth metaphor.

]]> By: Billy Banter http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/comment-page-1/#comment-68977 Billy Banter Fri, 22 Apr 2005 15:25:04 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/#comment-68977 >“he is a Joyce or a Flaubert in reverse (-1), incapable (-1) of rendering even the smallest details without (-1) genius” 1*1—1 = -1 => hes no joyce or flaubert :) Strewelpeter, you should be in government with logic like that! :) Just in case you're not joking: "incapable of rendering even the smallest details without genius" means the opposite of what "he is a Joyce or a Flaubert in reverse" is saying. This will be clearer if you replace "rendering even the smallest details" with "x-ing". That gives you "incapable of x-ing without genius". That is, every time he x-es, he does it with genius. he can't do x without being a genius about it. Not what was meant. >“he is a Joyce or a Flaubert in reverse (-1), incapable (-1) of rendering even the smallest details without (-1) genius”
1*1—1 = -1
=> hes no joyce or flaubert :)

Strewelpeter, you should be in government with logic like that! :)

Just in case you’re not joking: “incapable of rendering even the smallest details without genius” means the opposite of what “he is a Joyce or a Flaubert in reverse” is saying.

This will be clearer if you replace “rendering even the smallest details” with “x-ing”. That gives you “incapable of x-ing without genius”. That is, every time he x-es, he does it with genius. he can’t do x without being a genius about it. Not what was meant.

]]> By: Matt http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/comment-page-1/#comment-68973 Matt Fri, 22 Apr 2005 14:34:51 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/#comment-68973 Brilliant. Even as an inexperienced undergraduate assigned to read "The Lexus and the Olive Tree" for a globalization seminar, I knew something was horribly amiss. Inept turns of phrase, incessant name- and place-dropping, childishly oversimplified worldview. Oh, the humanity. Brilliant. Even as an inexperienced undergraduate assigned to read “The Lexus and the Olive Tree” for a globalization seminar, I knew something was horribly amiss. Inept turns of phrase, incessant name- and place-dropping, childishly oversimplified worldview. Oh, the humanity.

]]> By: strewelpeter http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/comment-page-1/#comment-68972 strewelpeter Fri, 22 Apr 2005 14:33:50 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/#comment-68972 Those links were great thanks. I had only vaguely heard of this guy when I read through his peice in the Guardian yesterday in which he detailed where every individual part of his laptop was made. Then he threw in this gem: "UPS ships 13.5 million packages a day - which means that at any given moment, 2% of the world's GDP is in the back of a UPS delivery truck" Theres logic for you. Those links were great thanks.
I had only vaguely heard of this guy when I read through his peice in the Guardian yesterday in which he detailed where every individual part of his laptop was made. Then he threw in this gem:
“UPS ships 13.5 million packages a day – which means that at any given moment, 2% of the world’s GDP is in the back of a UPS delivery truck”

Theres logic for you.

]]> By: mq http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/comment-page-1/#comment-68970 mq Fri, 22 Apr 2005 14:25:07 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/#comment-68970 That Taibbi column is pretty mild compared to what the Exile crowd used to write about Friedman. I think he is gradually beating them into submission with sheer volume of bad prose. Here a couple of "golden oldies" from the last few years -- enjoy! Review of "The Lexus and the Olive Tree" http://www.exile.ru/books/review92.html Metaphor madness: http://www.nypress.com/16/20/news&columns/cage.cfm Tom Friedman gets outsourced: http://www.exile.ru/2004-March-04/outsourcing_thomas_friedman.html That Taibbi column is pretty mild compared to what the Exile crowd used to write about Friedman. I think he is gradually beating them into submission with sheer volume of bad prose. Here a couple of “golden oldies” from the last few years—enjoy!

Review of “The Lexus and the Olive Tree”

http://www.exile.ru/books/review92.html

Metaphor madness:

http://www.nypress.com/16/20/news&columns/cage.cfm

Tom Friedman gets outsourced:

http://www.exile.ru/2004-March-04/outsourcing_thomas_friedman.html

]]> By: strewelpeter http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/comment-page-1/#comment-68969 strewelpeter Fri, 22 Apr 2005 14:23:41 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/04/21/i-am-in-awe/#comment-68969 emmm maybe not: "he is a Joyce or a Flaubert in reverse (-1), incapable (-1) of rendering even the smallest details without (-1) genius" -1*-1--1 = -1 => hes no joyce or flaubert :) emmm maybe not:
“he is a Joyce or a Flaubert in reverse (-1), incapable (-1) of rendering even the smallest details without (-1) genius”
1*1—1 = -1
=> hes no joyce or flaubert :)

]]>