The Taste of Thursday
* 5 Ways Obama Can Redeem His Nobel.
* Fight Climate Change, Not Wars.
* Hard to believe a tip like this turned out to be unreliable. Via Vu.
* Scientists have apparently uncovered syntax in monkey language. And yes, I learned this from The Colbert Report.
* Matt Taibi is—act surprised—unhappy about the health care compromise.
* Let me get this straight. You have a commission proposing a package of highly unpopular legislative changes. And, in addition to having to surmount the 60-vote barrier in the Senate, which is nearly insurmountable for major legislation and which was avoided for both of the last two major deficit-reducing bills, it’s also going to impose a new supermajority requirement in the House and a 78% threshold in the commission itself?
To say that this procedure “is designed to get results” shows a very odd understanding of American political institutions. (via Steve Benen)
* “A band of no-hopers”: The American team that beat England in 1950.
* Science: “The most effective way to contain the rise of the undead is to hit hard and hit often.” (Thanks, Steve!)
* The Disappearing Snows of Everest.
* David Foster Wallace, “All That,” and religion. At Infinite Zombies, still chugging along.
* John Malkovich is apparently your next Spider-Man villain. But why would they scrap the Black Cat for a made-up character called “The Vulturess”? That sounds impossibly stupid.
* James Cameron, you had me at “sci-fi samurai epic.”
* And today’s chilling vision of things to come: ‘Is 4chan the Future of Human Consciousness?’
#1 i still don’t understand — where exactly is All That from?
#2 what is your opinion on it? i just now finished it. (i read the inf. zombies post on it first)
Kate
December 10, 2009 at 11:38 pm
I think it’s part of The Pale King, the unfinished novel he was working on at the time of his death.
It’s hard to understand how to take this voice — it seems very authorial and autobiographical, and I wonder how it fits in the context of the larger work. I also (like Infinite Zombies) feel as though I want to rescue DFW from his own apparent religiosity…
gerrycanavan
December 10, 2009 at 11:41 pm
A few scant details on The Pale King and its relationship with “All That”:
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/authors/david_foster_wallace_novel_excerpt_in_the_new_yorker_145126.asp
gerrycanavan
December 10, 2009 at 11:43 pm
yeah, john darnielle releasing an entirely religion-based album was a disappointment to me. i sure hope the same doesn’t happen with DFW’s last work.
but i did like what i read. and the religion bit in the commencement speech pisses me off more, honestly, though i adore that speech.
Kate
December 11, 2009 at 12:03 am