Comments on: Paul, Pundits, and Poetry http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/ America's favorite blog Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:06:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.11 by: John Isbell http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3653 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3653 I like the No-Fact Zone. "Tired of opinions backed up by research? Then take a spin in the No-Fact Zone." By Steven Colbert ("That's French, bitch."). PS That one extract nagged me until your Jerry explanation. Then it made sense. Weird sense. I felt like a mute howler monkey in a room full of telepathic pterodactyls. No elbow room. I like the No-Fact Zone.
“Tired of opinions backed up by research? Then take a spin in the No-Fact Zone.”
By Steven Colbert (”That’s French, bitch.”).

PS That one extract nagged me until your Jerry explanation. Then it made sense. Weird sense. I felt like a mute howler monkey in a room full of telepathic pterodactyls. No elbow room.

]]> by: Eva http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3654 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3654 So glad you wrote about this. I read Kinsley earlier this week and couldn't believe it. Sullivan saying stupid things I expect- but isn't Kinsley supposed to be on our side? So glad you wrote about this. I read Kinsley earlier this week and couldn’t believe it. Sullivan saying stupid things I expect- but isn’t Kinsley supposed to be on our side?

]]> by: UncleBob http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3655 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3655 Andrew Sullivan is a total suck-up to Bush Jr. and the Republicorp masquarading as a reasonable and intelligent human. And he's wearing a lousy costume. I have come to the conclusion that the best tactic for dealing with Sullivan is not to mention him ever again (starting right *now*) and certainly never, ever linking to his web site if you slip and do mention him. Andrew Sullivan is a total suck-up to Bush Jr. and the Republicorp masquarading as a reasonable and intelligent human. And he’s wearing a lousy costume.

I have come to the conclusion that the best tactic for dealing with Sullivan is not to mention him ever again (starting right *now*) and certainly never, ever linking to his web site if you slip and do mention him.

]]> by: r http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3656 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3656 I don't know about which side any given pundit is supposed to be on -- I would hope that punditry would ideally be an art of analysis without imposed ideology (please forgive my hopeless naïveté) -- but I have to agree that Kinsley's digression on the blind/deaf image comes across as exceptionally, hilariously clueless. Determinedly so, even, as if a conclusion about O'Neill were arrived at with lightning speed and Kinsley was not going to let further thought, reflection or analysis get in the way of that. A strong, nicely-written bit of commentary, Adam. Love the allusion to the stage direction from <i>A Winter's Tale</i>. I don’t know about which side any given pundit is supposed to be on — I would hope that punditry would ideally be an art of analysis without imposed ideology (please forgive my hopeless naïveté) — but I have to agree that Kinsley’s digression on the blind/deaf image comes across as exceptionally, hilariously clueless. Determinedly so, even, as if a conclusion about O’Neill were arrived at with lightning speed and Kinsley was not going to let further thought, reflection or analysis get in the way of that.

A strong, nicely-written bit of commentary, Adam. Love the allusion to the stage direction from A Winter’s Tale.

]]> by: B http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3657 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3657 Is it just me or is it really not that hard to extract the meaning from O'Neil's statement? He's essentially stating that Bush and his advisors never really communicated with one another. The blind person can talk but they can't hear. The deaf can try to write or sign but the blind can't see. That leaves touch, taste and smell to communicate with and I don't want to go there ;) Is it just me or is it really not that hard to extract the meaning from O’Neil’s statement? He’s essentially stating that Bush and his advisors never really communicated with one another.

The blind person can talk but they can’t hear. The deaf can try to write or sign but the blind can’t see. That leaves touch, taste and smell to communicate with and I don’t want to go there ;)

]]> by: Bryan http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3658 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3658 It is quite simple: these people can not deal with analogies, metaphors, or any other figure of speech. When your career is based on obfuscating to prevent libel/slander suits, the reality that someone might actually use a figure of speech to clarify their meaning is beyond the pale. Of course, the fact that many live in societies that hide the disabled, so that they have no personal knowledge of a blind person interacting with a deaf person, severely limits their comprehension. It is quite simple: these people can not deal with analogies, metaphors, or any other figure of speech. When your career is based on obfuscating to prevent libel/slander suits, the reality that someone might actually use a figure of speech to clarify their meaning is beyond the pale.

Of course, the fact that many live in societies that hide the disabled, so that they have no personal knowledge of a blind person interacting with a deaf person, severely limits their comprehension.

]]> by: Elayne Riggs http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3659 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3659 What Bryan said. Also, some otherwise-smart people just have trouble visualizing stuff. My husband is an artist and got the "blind man in a room of deaf people" visual analogy right away, but it did take me a bit of figuring out, and that's after years of trying to improve my visual perception. What Bryan said. Also, some otherwise-smart people just have trouble visualizing stuff. My husband is an artist and got the “blind man in a room of deaf people” visual analogy right away, but it did take me a bit of figuring out, and that’s after years of trying to improve my visual perception.

]]> by: Anonymous http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3660 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3660 right, right, right, but I had trouble with that image too. I mean, it was circumlocatory. So I worked it out. A blind man walks into this bar, see, where everyone is deaf. He asks for a drink. No one hears him. But they see him. So they see his lips moving, and they read what he says, and they get him the damned drink. right? so, I mean, awkward, but it works. There could have been a better image. I mean, I love analogies, but....gotta be a better one...right? right, right, right, but I had trouble with that image too. I mean, it was circumlocatory.
So I worked it out.

A blind man walks into this bar, see, where everyone is deaf.
He asks for a drink.
No one hears him.
But they see him. So they see his lips moving, and they read what he says, and they get him the damned drink.
right?
so, I mean, awkward, but it works.
There could have been a better image.

I mean, I love analogies, but….gotta be a better one…right?

]]> by: historyenne http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3661 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3661 Except O'Neill said that Bush was the blind man, not one of the deaf ones. If the blind man walks into the bar and asks for a beer, even if the deaf bartender lipreads the request, he wouldn't be able to communicate to the blind man that he's out of beer and wouldn't the blind man prefer a nice white wine? All the deaf people in this hypothetical room can communicate with each other, and can perhaps understand the blind man, the point is that the blind man can't understand anything they try to tell him. Meanwhile, I think the analogy's been extended far enough . . . Except O’Neill said that Bush was the blind man, not one of the deaf ones. If the blind man walks into the bar and asks for a beer, even if the deaf bartender lipreads the request, he wouldn’t be able to communicate to the blind man that he’s out of beer and wouldn’t the blind man prefer a nice white wine? All the deaf people in this hypothetical room can communicate with each other, and can perhaps understand the blind man, the point is that the blind man can’t understand anything they try to tell him.

Meanwhile, I think the analogy’s been extended far enough . . .

]]> by: Ananna http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3662 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2004/01/17/paul-pundits-and-poetry/#comment-3662 I always thought it meant, "a man with no vision, speaking to a room of people who cannot hear him." But that's just me. Anyway, it summed up perfectly what the Bush administration looked like to me from the outside, so I never went much further than that. Please tell me Kinsley didn't write that. You made that up, right? You actually just transcribed a Jerry Seinfeld routine, right? Jerry's got a mocumentary coming up, right? This is all part of the press junket for that, right? Please tell me that, even if you have to lie. I always thought it meant, “a man with no vision, speaking to a room of people who cannot hear him.” But that’s just me. Anyway, it summed up perfectly what the Bush administration looked like to me from the outside, so I never went much further than that.

Please tell me Kinsley didn’t write that. You made that up, right? You actually just transcribed a Jerry Seinfeld routine, right? Jerry’s got a mocumentary coming up, right? This is all part of the press junket for that, right? Please tell me that, even if you have to lie.

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