Monday, October 13, 2008

Bricolage

In 1984, Orwell propounds the "novel-writing machine," in which pre-composed sentences and plot elements are fitted mechanically together to produce full works. I can only conclude that Tom Friedman has mastered some form of this technology.

Posted by IOZ at 1:53 PM | email »
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18 comments:

Black Sea said...

I wouldn't say "mastered."

2:18 PM
paul from the clue-by-four said...

"What am I saying?"

It must be pretty cool to get a paycheck for a piece that starts its third paragraph with those words.

2:19 PM
cb said...

touche, black sea!

2:24 PM
Mr.Fundamental said...

Nicholas D. Kristof is off today.

what? this counts as work? something which requires a vacation? or a nap? or a good nights rest?

bitchplease.

2:33 PM
IOZ said...

I mean, any day I'm off from the blog, I'm just too hung over to type. Or else out corrupting barely legal boyz.

2:34 PM
Mr.Fundamental said...

it's newspaper commentary. jeeZUZ. I mean, can he be reached? is he ever on-call?

quick, get Kristof in here, we need to get his opinion on something! STAT! he's off? to the Hamptons! good christ. he's probably working in his garden as we speak. it's like one of those emails you get where the person signs off, "well I'm off to the store so I will see you later!" and you get it a day later. who cares where Kristof is. . .I show up to the site or open the newspaper, and either there's an op-ed in there by him, or not. I don't have a date with his column in the bathroom or anything. . .damnit Kristof! you lazy bastard. I can't even enjoy my dump today because "you're off." thanks for the warning.

talk about manufactured insecure self-importance.

I want one of them to write at the end of one of their pieces: toodlz. or, ttfn!

2:55 PM
NutellaonToast said...

I think they should end their columns with "peace out." You know, so they can keep it real and whatnot.

3:19 PM
Mr.Fundamental said...

jeez nutellaontoast, it's almost like you were a commentor on a blog. almost

3:26 PM
NutellaonToast said...

I hate blogs

3:33 PM
Mr.Fundamental said...

ok, now I actually laughed. good stuff.

3:40 PM
friedmansucks said...

so which is it? is the world flat or curved?

3:59 PM
cb said...

And, Friedman has made an extremely valuable contribution to American discourse. Because, without Friedman, Matt Taibbi would not have been able to review his book.

6:39 PM
NutellaonToast said...

Sweet, the internet accepts and approves of me.

And that book review made me pee a little. God do I hate Friedman. He's the only wing-nut whose writing is WORSE than his ideas.

9:12 PM
paul from the clue-by-four said...

Is he a wing-nut? I thought he was considered a moon-bat in the official taxonomy. Maybe it's the "Suck. On. This." business, but I thought that was just overcompensatory waving-of-dick.

Anyway: accepted! Approved.

11:44 PM
Anonymous said...

Tom Friedman, Tom Peters, and George Gilder walk into a bar......

8:15 AM
Anonymous said...

I can't be the only reader whose head hurt after reading TF, after reading Frank Rich on Sunday.
My thoughts naturally wandered to Ioz, and what he was thinking while trying to figure out what Friedman was trying to say.
(He and Charlie Rose make for classic teevee watching.)
Citing Orwell in this context?
Brilliant!

Mike
p.s. Ioz: in case you haven't perused it yet check out The New Yorker's take on "The Choice" by "The Editors" (Oct. 13th issue). Mon Dieu.

11:25 AM
Agi said...

McSweeney's has already got him pegged.

2:14 PM
Anonymous said...

My thoughts naturally wandered to Ioz

Gee, there's a surprise. Quit crushing on him and ask him out already, forfucksakes.

9:10 AM

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