#174 - A potentially useful term:

Check out the concept of fractal wrongness:

The state of being wrong at every conceivable scale of resolution. That is, from a distance, a fractally wrong person's worldview is incorrect; and furthermore, if you zoom in on any small part of that person's worldview, that part is just as wrong as the whole worldview.

Debating with a person who is fractally wrong leads to infinite regress, as every refutation you make of that person's opinions will lead to a rejoinder, full of half-truths, leaps of logic, and outright lies, that requires just as much refutation to debunk as the first one. It is as impossible to convince a fractally wrong person of anything as it is to walk around the edge of the Mandelbrot set in finite time.

If you ever get embroiled in a discussion with a fractally wrong person on the Internet--in mailing lists, newsgroups, or website forums--your best bet is to say your piece once and ignore any replies, thus saving yourself time.

***

I finished reading Mommy Millionaire by Kim Lavine and I'm about halfway through How to Start a Home-Based Craft Business by Kenn Oberrecht. I, um. Wow. It's a good thing I'm at least starting to read about these things somewhat early, because about 75% of the things I was reading about (the paperwork, the people you have to deal with, the money you need to get) sort of made me want to curl up in a corner and die. I'll have to take notes later, but not this week because I've got to help out with cleaning and such for my brother's high school graduation party.

-Reileen
it ain't my fault, it ain't my call

#174 - Moar reasons why the Bush Administration fails (as if we needed any more!).

By now, everyone's probably heard about how in December, the White House "refused to accept the Environmental Protection Agency's conclusion that greenhouse gases are pollutants that must be controlled, telling agency officials that an e-mail message containing the document would not be opened". BushCo: Sterling examples of proper adult human conduct, aren't they? "LA LA LA LA LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU LA LA LA LA LA LA." I love it! It's practically a philosophy of Rovian genius, right up there with the 50%+1 approach to winning elections! [/sarcasm]

Therefore, I shall instead report on another shocking-but-not-really story that has come out about Mistah Shrub:

President Bush met with Filipino President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo today at the White House. Arroyo was in Washington while her country tries to recover from a typhoon that devastated coastal areas and flipped a ferry carrying over 800 passengers last week. Before discussing aide for the Philippines, Bush couldn't resist beginning the sober meeting with a quip about a Filipino member of his kitchen staff.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Madam President, it is a pleasure to welcome you back to the Oval Office. We have just had a very constructive dialogue. First, I want to tell you how proud I am to be the President of a nation that -- in which there's a lot of Philippine-Americans. They love America and they love their heritage. And I reminded the President that I am reminded of the great talent of the -- of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House. (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Yes.

PRESIDENT BUSH: And the chef is a great person and a really good cook, by the way, Madam President.

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Thank you.

Yes, because clearly the greatest accomplishments of the Filipinos and the Filipino-Americans (which is the correct term, daghan kaayong salamat) can all be summed up in their cooking! Wow, way to totally not derail the stereotype of the Filipino maid, Mr. President! I would be applauding the extent of your ignorance and condescension if I weren't too busy facepalming repeatedly with both hands.

...okay, to be fair, we do have some awesome dishes, like chicken adobo and pancit and siopao and puto and a dessert called "food of the gods" which I unfortunately don't know the official name of and...okay, I'll stop now.

But seriously, what the shit is this? President Arroyo goes to the White House to request US aid and the first (only?) thing Bush can compliment her people and the descendants of her people on is what good servants they make for the 'Mericans? As Angry Asian Man said, it's like Bush thinks this is a country club. "Yeah, compliments to your Phillippine cook! Excellent adobe, by the way. What's that, you say? It's called adobo, not adobe? Well, it's close enough."

-Reileen
quo modo (shadow to light)