i think the accelerating destruction of intelligent discussion and language is the reason i hate politics. basically, it’s all a bunch of BS. from the new yorker:

It was Orwell, of course, who first explained the relation between decadent language and corrupt politics. “In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible,” he wrote in “Politics and the English Language.” “Thus political language has to consist largely of euphemism, question-begging, and sheer cloudy vagueness.” In our time, the corruption takes a different form. Instead of defending the Soviet purges with Latinate words like “liquidate,” politicians and journalists use clichés mainly borrowed from sports, war, and rural life in order to seem to be saying something tough-minded when in fact they’re saying nothing. Instead of Orwell’s intellectuals and bureaucrats clouding their true, sinister meaning “like a cuttlefish squirting out ink,” we have television personalities disguising the emptiness of their thoughts with a set of pre-baked homespun idioms, or else with a technical campaign vocabulary that gives a false impression of privileged knowledge.

next up: yes i realize this first-person account of psychotropic drugs and mental illness is from may, but it’s new to me. this guy is very young, but if you liked the infamous david carr piece, you’ll like this.

For the first week, I refuse to go the mandatory group therapy session. Instead I read books in my bed. My routine: wake up, breakfast, take pills, return to bed and read, lunch, read in bed, dinner, read, watch TV, meds, bed. Repeat. One day I read “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” It gives me an amusing perspective on my situation. I begin referring to a condescending and tyrannical staffer who wears too much eyeliner as Nurse Ratched. I meet a giant Native American with a long ponytail who has frequent seizures and anger problems. I call him Chief to everyone but not to his face. I am told to get out of bed and attend groups or my visitor privileges will be revoked. From then on, I just carry the books with me.

then there’s gilbert arenas, who is easily one of the most entertaining pro athletes, in a charming anti-vince young/T.O. way. the nonexistent relationship with his mother that he describes in his blog is gilbert-rrific candid. i know he probably didn’t type the letters into the computer himself (he has people), but this is definitely him:

So, back to the comment. When the commenter goes, “How come you never gave your mother a second chance?” I thought about it. That’s not a question you need to be asking me, that’s a question you need to be asking her.

You give somebody a second chance when you’ve cut them off in the past. Like, if I fire somebody, for instance, I could give them a second chance. She left me. She should have given me a second chance. That’s how I look at the situation.
…
There’s going to be one day when I knock on that door and say, “Hi, I’m Gilbert. I’m your son.” But not while I’m playing basketball. I don’t want nobody coming into my life while I’m a pro because there’s been all these years when I wasn’t and no one came into it.

and lastly, if that’s too serious for you, just read this gilbert interview. just skip to the short answer portion, where you’ll find gems like this:

SLAM: What do you know about Sarah Palin?

Gil: That she’s a female Bush. Retarded. I’m not that into politics, I try to stay away until things get closer. But just from what I can tell she’s a moron. She can’t bullshit yet. As a politician she doesn’t know how to bullshit. She’ll just run around the question. “Who’s better, Kobe or LeBron?” “Well you know D.Wade, he’s been looking nice lately, so those are tough choices.” What the f*ck are you talking about?!

i think gilbert has said he’s voting republican (b/c he’s rich) in his blog before, but he may have changed his mind by now. i’d say who cares, but i think he lives in virginia, a swing state. gilbert: if you want the GOP to win, do us a favor. don’t vote.

thanks kent and jimmy for some of these links.

Tags: basketball, gilbert arenas, sports, writing | Comments (1)