The Angel and the Idiots
What do Lady Gaga and Mother Teresa have in common? A lot, according to this vapid piece at The Economist: The Angel and the Monster. The piece isn't sacrilegious (though it does recount some of Hitchens' bogus criticism), but it is downright stupid. In its attempt to draw parallels between the two women (they both work hard, they both connect with people, etc.), it completely misses the gulf that separates the two women: one was motivated by love, the other motivated by self-love. The writer might as well have drawn parallels between Hitler and Maximilian Kolbe: both died as a result of WWII, both had a big impact, both were charismatic. You can draw parallels between any two people; heck, between any two things (women frequently draw comparisons between their husbands and rocks). The mere ability to compare doesn't mean the contrast doesn't dwarf the similarities, and in the case of Lady Gaga and Mother Teresa, the dwarfing-effect is huge.
Paul Krugman says the liberals understand the conservatives, but the conservatives don't understand the liberals. I can't tell whether this guy is an attention-monger or whether he really believes this stuff. * * * * * * * * Wow, I saw a shoot-out in the Black Hills a few years ago (in Deadwood). I'm guessing the show we saw was a bit more well-oiled: Three tourists were injured Friday night when a simulated Western shootout in Hill City went dangerously awry. * * * * * * * Humorous late night: "In Greece, 20,000 angry protestors filled the streets and threw yogurt at the police. All I can is thank God the police stopped the crazy mob before they got down to the fruit layer." Conan. "Osama bin Laden's former deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has officially taken over as the leader of al-Qaida. I know that, because today he updated his profile on LinkedIn." Fallon * * * * * * * Jim Rogers' favorite investment for the next ten years: agriculture. Rice, maybe sugar. Link.
