Although we were out of the country on vacation, we still managed to see the majority of this week’s judiciary committee meeting regarding Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations of sexual assault against him.
And it’s complicated.
SUMMARY: (3 of 5 stars) This is a nice, if a little small, all-inclusive, adults-only resort lodged on a steep hill next to the ocean. Gorgeous views, decent service, and acceptable food. Our trip would have been improved without myriad minor inconveniences and if it had been shorter or had been with a group of friends.
If people want to think of Bert and Ernie as lovers, there’s nothing anyone can do to stop them. And I don’t think there’s really any harm in thinking that. In fact, I guess if it helps someone to think Bert & Ernie are gay, then they should go on thinking that. But I think this whole dustup is pretty dumb because Bert and Ernie just are not gay. As characters, they are not written to portray fully-developed human beings with sexual/romantic feelings at all. They’re written to portray children who are best friends and that’s it.
As I get ready to turn in for the evening, reflecting on September 11, 2001, that’s where my mind and heart is. How did this change us? Has it changed us so much that we’ve forgotten where we came from? How we got here? Where we were trying to go?
This is a very long, rambly post in which I discuss the recent NYT op-ed from an anonymous White House official.
Spoiler: I don’t like it.
(5/5 stars) This is an exploration of shame as a punishment, as a fundamental human impulse, as a force for good and bad. Ronson goes into a little bit of the history of how shame has been used in the past, but focuses especially on how shame functions in our internet-based society today. To wit, he explores several contemporary case studies in shaming.
This book functions in some ways as a collection of essays rather than a structured exploration of ideas. As such, there are points where he pursues aspects of shame that seem to be a digression from the core theme, for example the parts about Radical Truth and humiliation paraphilia. Those parts don’t make the book less interesting, but readers should be warned: you probably won’t come away with any strong conclusions about what can be done about internet lynch mobs.
In sum, this book is funny and thought-provoking. I highly recommend it.
Rumor’s of Facebook’s death are greatly exaggerated… but in some ways I hope they aren’t.
What do people actually mean when they talk about free will or volition? I don’t have any answers to that question, but I think about it from time to time and I thought this time I would jot down some of my thoughts.
I’m way behind on my book reviews again, so here’s catching up. Also, a special announcement regarding future reviews on this site.