After a week of non-stop twitnit discussion, starting a new week with a straight American man whining that he was forced to blog as a gay Syrian woman because of other peoples‘ “often superficial coverage of the Middle East and the pervasiveness of new forms of liberal Orientalism“…
I’m thinking that “The moon doesn’t have snacks, dipnut!” may be the most cogent political argument available at the moment.
So… what’s on the agenda in the reality-based community, assuming any remains?
alwhite
I thought Ted Rall’s “Tommy Friedman, Boy Reporter” today was on the mark:
http://www.gocomics.com/tedrall/
TreeBeard
“My hovercraft is full of eels”
amk
So this guy is another rwnj a la breitbart ? lmao on how the ‘lame stream media’ fell for yet another hoax.
kd bart
Prayers for The Big Man!!
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/clarence-clemons-has-suffered-a-stroke-20110612
dslak
@amk: It was reporters in the media who unearthed the hoax. Maybe you should read the story before commenting on it?
Chris
There was a Calvin and Hobbes like this. This one’s more fully developed, however.
amk
@dslak: yeah, after the real woman came out on BBC (I watched her Jeremy Paxman show) and fingered him. Even BBC admitted they fell for it. So, may be you should read the backstory on this.
Bruuuuce
What I’m waiting for is the chorus from The Mighty Wurlitzer about how the professional lieberals supported the hoax, and pushed for the search, and even now aren’t denouncing the hoaxer loudly enough — until suddenly the denunciations become a perfect example of how the left is always shrill.
Yes, the guy was a jerk. Yes, it sucks that it happened. But no, it’s not a left-wing plot.
::grumbles off to get something for breakfast and figure out how to rescue his fantasy baseball team’s pitching staff::
dslak
@amk: So you’re indicting everyone in the media due to a mistake by the BBC? And why doesn’t the media get credit for thoroughness when it’s journalists employed by them who uncovered the hoax?
amk
@dslak: here read this
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/uk-scotland-13747761
Yes, I’m saying the media is 99% fuckheads. Next ?
dslak
@amk:
Your evidence for this being the case is rather lacking. You’re well on the way to proving it to be true of yourself, however.
amk
@dslak: Obviously, your reading & comprehending skills are minimum.
What part of
“The blog, dating back to February this year, claimed to document the life of 25-year-old Amina Abdallah Arraf al-Omari, a half-Syrian, half-American lesbian living in Damascus.”
and
“The news was widely reported, including by the BBC, and bloggers and activists launched an online campaign to secure her release.”
you don’t get ?
He has been running the scam for 4 months and the scam came out when the real girl turned up on her own. The media just lapped up his drivel and did jacksquat till now to investigate his claims before citing his blog. And yet here you are blowing kisses at lame ass media’s collective ass. Suit yourself.
Linda Featheringill
Snarl! Hiss! Growl!
:-)
Monday is a day off for me, so I get to muddle around a bit. Sure is nice. Accomplish something? Nah.
dslak
@amk:
It’s ironic that you’re accusing me of poor reading comprehension, when you’re clearly hallucinating non-existent posts of me heaping praising the media.
If everyone in the media is as untrustworthy as you claim however, it’s hard to see how you can take their word that Gay Girl in Damascus is not a real person. In fact, you should be more convinced now that she is real, given that all the sources claiming that she is a hoax are mainstream reporters!
That, or your response is simply an attempt to rationalize your exceptional hatred of reporters and media organizations as a whole. I doubt that’s the case, though: you seem like a perfectly reasonable individual.
Suffern ACE
Shorter version: “Orientalism properly defeated, I can now return to my vacation.”
Unless what this fuckwit’s explanation will help people spot future hoaxes, I’m thinking we just throw stones at him and not listen one bit to what he has to say.
dslak
@Linda Featheringill: In my case, this is actually a nice break from academic writing. A good breather every paragraph or two helps to keep me engaged.
amk
@dslak: Note that I didn’t call 1% of media as fuckheads. So, there is that.
Linda Featheringill
@dslak:
watcha writin?
dslak
@Linda Featheringill: A doctoral thesis on political thought in classical India. It’s had its fun moments, but I’m thankful that I can nearly see the light at the end of the tunnel now.
UncertaintyVicePrincipal
@alwhite: That’s pretty good, but those metaphors are far too coherent for Friedman.
“Your luggage is heavy” the redcap told me. “Which got me thinking “My luggage is like the peace process: When you have just a few bags they can be hard to carry by yourself, but if you bring thousands of them, it becomes easier.”
dslak
@amk: No doubt you have a sound method for isolating that 1% from all the noise. Perhaps you’d deign to share it with us?
Linda Featheringill
@dslak:
Oooh!
The topic sounds interesting, although the dissertation itself will probably be in academia-ese. :-) Maybe a book later, written in real English?
TreeBeard
@dslak: Which era of classical India, if you don’t mind me asking?
dslak
@Linda Featheringill: One does not usually publish academic books written in real English until one has tenure. Don’t want to give the impression that you’re unserious, after all.
dslak
@TreeBeard: Since I’m relying primarily on texts with either unknown or controversial dates, it’s hard to be specific about timeframes.
I’ve been dealing with straightforward “law” texts like the Dharmashastras and Dharmasutras, more practical texts like the Arthashastra and the Pancatantra, and then arguments about sovereignty and legitimacy in the Mahabharata.
TreeBeard
Any mention to five brothers being allowed to marry one woman and then put her up as collateral for gambling debts? ;)
different church-lady
Clearly “Full-o-knowical” must become a new category.
ed drone
Suggested as a new tag, maybe?
ED
ruemara
the rare, amusing Get Fuzzy. Briefly sighted, like a unicorn or a rational republican, before it slips into the forest, as if but a dream.
grandpajohn
@dslak:
evidently you don’t pay much attention to the media or you would realize the evidence for his statement is self evident.
Fred
I find that whole story hilarious. Mostly because of the nitwits that believed it. Now they are shocked….shocked that something posted by someone on the internet was bullshit.
Gosh…what a surprise.
Barb (formerly Gex)
Hopefully next, he can join Tracy Morgan in taking the piss out of those dead gay teens who can’t handle a little bullying by their peers, the adults in their schools, the clergy in their churches, and quite possibly their parents.
Those with higher societal status have it rough.
(another) Josh
What does that even mean, “the real girl came out on her own”? Amina Arraf was fictional. One of the people who discovered that was Andy Carvan from npr. Deal.