I Hate Everything

This post was deleted by hackers 1/12/2009 and recovered from a cache version and re-published. The post was originally parked at http://www.stumplane.us/blog/?p=306 but not anymore! The comments were likewise deleted but cannot be recovered.

YOUR MONTAG TOOK a nice long vacation over the holidays which was a nice break from everything. Now, it all comes rushing back. Begrudgingly, I feel compelled to post something here, if only because there have been some new folks stopping by from Jon Swift’s year-end post and the latest COTL, (thanks for linking, guys.) Not being up for a long form essay, or “thinking,” even, I’m just going to reel off a few random malformed thoughts.

• Re: a BBC international radio documentary, What Lies Beneath. Anarchy under the sea! The tensions between treasure hunting and desires to preserve the archaeological artifacts of shipwrecks and such. In the documentary, a man put forth the proposition that the recovery of pottery from a wooden chest in a way that the chest, and it’s tell-tale markings, are not preserved amounts to “cultural vandalism.” Which is a weird idea to me. And I’m not quite sure it makes sense in the context of artifacts lost under the sea.
• Re: Things that make me laugh but no one else. (Letter home from school edition.) The following passage is from a school letter informing parents of a survey students will be asked to fill out. This is a questionnaire. A 30 minute questionnaire. To be administered in their customary classroom. Voluntarily. “Potential Risks. There are no known risks of physical harm to your student. Risks of psychological or social harm are very small. None have been reported in ten years of survey administration. In rare instances, some discomfort might be experienced from the questions. The school’s counseling services will be available to answer any personal questions that may materialize.” LOL.
• Re: Gaza Here’s a primer for those with no imagination whatsoever. And here’s something for those who need to be hit over the head with it. This is terrorism.
• Re: Blargblagjovich, Panetta, the new congress. I’m trying to not even poke fun. Better living through following Dmitry Orlov’s advice for getting along in a declining empire. (See Below.)

Dmitry Orlov:

Slide [21] Many people expend a lot of energy protesting against their irresponsible, unresponsive government. It seems like a terrible waste of time, considering how ineffectual their protests are. Is it enough of a consolation for them to be able to read about their efforts in the foreign press? I think that they would feel better if they tuned out the politicians, the way the politicians tune them out. It’s as easy as turning off the television set. If they try it, they will probably observe that nothing about their lives has changed, nothing at all, except maybe their mood has improved. They might also find that they have more time and energy to devote to more important things.