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Add one part satire to two parts sincerity. Sprinkle on a couple of rants. Stir liberally.
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Daily Blah FAQ
Who are you?
I'm the newly-appointed Future editor at Business 2.0 and the former San Francisco correspondent for Time Magazine.
Wow, so does this mean everything you write reflects Time Inc's opinion? Or do you perhaps have some sort of standard disclaimer to the effect that it doesn't?
Naturally, the opinions contained in this blog are not those of my employers. In fact, some opinions may be the polar opposite of my employers. Some may be the same, for all I know. Hey, it's not like I ask my employers their opinions about everything in the news, okay? Let's just say that if this were a Venn diagram with one circle marked "my opinions" and the other one marked "my employers' opinions", there would doubtless be some overlap. But neither I nor my employers are able to pinpoint exactly where that overlap is.
What is this Daily Blah thing?
An experiment for a column I wrote about blogging back in December 2001. All these years later, I haven't been able to kick the habit.
If it's called Daily Blah, how come you don't ... hey, wait, you're writing every day!
See? Told you I'd try harder.
Mister, you talk funny. Are you one of them furrners?
Why yes I am, as it happens. I was born, raised and educated in Great Britain. I've been living in the U.S. since 1996 and identify as British.
I say, old chap, you forgot the "u" in "colour."
No I didn't. I may identify as British, but I am also an American journalist writing for an American audience about mostly American issues. These two different sides of me are a constant source of tension. Nevertheless, Daily Blah will adhere to American English grammar and spelling.
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Daily Blah for... Tuesday, February 26, 2002
Errata & Fermata
My friend Mac, he of the fabulous Daily Blah redesign, had some issues with the previous two posts. On the tax question, he slammed the New York Times' Paul Krugman, who is indeed my source for this story. "Stop listening to befuddled economists and talk to your CPA," he rages (as if I have time to talk to that guy more than once or twice a year), before offering what seems to be a quote from some unknown source on how line 47 is not a snatch-back but an opportunity for those who missed out on the refund to get theirs. Since I do not know better, I bow to Mac on this one. Then he lays into my commentary on Bush's Asian trip, thus:
"Why is it serious people can mock Bush's accent and feel good about it? I could get comedic mileage out of Blair's lilting English tones, but what is the point? Regarding the Yen matter: that a simple syllable swap ("value" for "fla") by the President causes a minor currency tempest (one that was by the way quickly cleared up), shows how much power he weilds on behalf of the US. If Bush says devalue, then, surely, there will be devaluation.
"One suspects deeper motives in your Bush nitpicking--that you just don't like the guy, and it's in the tradition of Guardian lefty-ism to hide the real issues behind a patina of school-yard swipes. The real issues being Korea, China and Japan. Starting off, South Korea is a place known for protests (and it is thanks to the US that they have the ability to conduct them, unlike the terrorist North). At the end of Bush's visit, S. Korea's President Kim proclaimed "We were able to reconfirm that there was no difference of opinion between Korea and the United States." In China -- though he did fail to get a hoped-for missle agreement -- Bush broadcast remarks to the whole nation about religious freedom and democracy, while maintaining a united front with Chinese leadership on terrorism and North Korea. Perhaps the trip comprised a certain amount of damage control re: the Axis speech, but it was hardly a hostility-fest."
My my, such defensiveness! It's amazing how many people I've encountered recently who will press Bush to their bosom like an overprotective parent at the first hint of bullying. Come on, Mac, George is a big boy now, he can take criticism. I'm quite happy for you to make fun of Blair's lilting tones. Most Brits do that all the time anyway, even his supporters. Mature democracies know that mocking their leaders is part of the deal, even if -- especially if -- you agree with their point of view.
That said, have you ever, in your entire life, or could you ever imagine yourself, ever, ever, ever mistaking the word "deflation" for "devaluation?" Okay, yes, maybe, if you were drunk off your face, or it was first thing in the morning and you hadn't had coffee and your bleary eyes were having trouble reading the fine type of the front page. But if you were at a state function with the Japanese Prime Minister, for crying out loud, wouldn't you be a bit more careful about what you said? We're not just talking about a slip of the tongue. Bush did not correct his statement at the time; his aides had to clean up the mess after him (and not for the first time over slipped words, I might add). Wouldn't that suggest that he simply doesn't understand the difference? You say it shows how much power he wields. Yes, I know how much power he wields. I am very afraid of the power wielded by someone with the nuclear football in one hand and a garbled lexicon in the other. The power he wields is precisely the reason he should guard his tongue, and why we should take him to task when he doesn't.
Anyway, because I feel like giving Mac the right of reply, or rather because I'm desperately experimental about anything that might keep this blog interesting, I've given him the keys to the place so he can post on his own. I, of course, will respond to his response in the most scathing and brilliantly intellectual manner possible. Let's see how this works. It could become a very revealing, gripping, Socratic dialog, or it might just be a couple of blowhards arguing about Bush.
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