for 19 November 1999. Updated every WEEKDAY.
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The New Biography While I think associating Microsoft with fascist Italy is a tad heavy-handed, I appreciate the visual pun (bundling/fascio) you employed. Sort of ... appropriately complex. Oh, I also enjoyed the article, in case you were wondering. Benedict Warr <warrped@hotmail.com> Fascists make great party guests and pun targets, and the reference is even more appropriate in light of Friday's findings of fact regarding Microsoft's friendly overreaching in some of its business dealings. But the kudos for that go to Terry Colon, the artist, not to me. Glad you enjoyed the piece and that you got the Fascista reference. We've gotten some good feedback and will attempt to employ Mussolini-esque art whenever possible. Cheers, Peter Hyman  Peter, Fascinating. I am writing my own autobiography (whose else?) and would like to cite you (for contempt, or perhaps for paraphrasing the obvious). Your permission is not required, but appreciated. Mark <beer@dirtroad.net> I have absolutely no idea what your email meant, beginning with the paranthetical "whose else" ... did you mean who else's? And if so, what were you referring to? The obvious fact that only you could write your own autobiography? In the literal sense, obviously you are correct. That is why my piece was called The New Biography, not Autobiography. The Morris book is Biography as Borgesian memoir, a sort of first-person insertion exercise. I cited the review quote simply as a means to get into my piece. Very opportunistic, eh? If you do cite me, please make sure to do so in proper bibliographic format. That way you'll be protected when they link the sourcing back to my obvious essay. Best of luck with your book. Yr pal, Peter Hyman Why is it that our first thought when recalling killing and murderous people is of "hate-mongering white supremacist groups" and not of hate-mongering black, Hispanic, and Asian street gangs? I do it too; it is my first thought when thinking of such things. I have taken an informal survey and the results are staggering: Ninety percent have no idea why they think of whites first. Most of the remaining 10 percent believe it comes from a higher expectation of whites than from other racial groups. The higher expectation leads to more shock at the behavior. I wanted to get your unique perspective, as I noticed the phrase "hate-mongering white supremacist groups" in your words. Michael Davis <bearcot@yahoo.com> Yours is quite a serious question and as such, I'll refrain from making a sarcastic remark. I cannot claim to have scientific evidence of the increased propensity of whites to inflict hate crimes and to then defend those crimes under the banner of some "higher" calling (e.g., an Aryan Nation, the Creator), but there have certainly been rencent articles that examine this. I did not, however, mean to imply that only whites commit murder. My point was to reference Buford Furrow, Benjamin Matthew Williams, the killers of Matthew Shephard, and other recent events (Jasper, Texas; Columbine) in connection with the boiled-down party line of the NRA (that guns don't kill people) in order to satirize the notion and link the two thoughts. I'm sure there are plenty of nice, honest, well-intending members of the NRA and, conversely, plenty of hate-filled white supremacists who are not dues-paying NRA members, but I'll just bet the points of intersection are bigger than anybody can prove. Peter Hit & Run Very interesting viewpoints. It is far easier for one to sound intellectual and loaded with knowledge than it is to actually be one with both. Your Web site truly skims the surface and is appropriately named. Garry Marino <gmarino1@tampabay.rr. com> "... than it is to be one with both"? That must be a reference to the Zen master who approached the hot dog vendor with the request: "Make me one with everything." Thanks for the deep thoughts, Gar! Appropriately named, the Sucksters I'm thrilled you've linked the contest, but I'm less than thrilled that you have linked my personal site. It has nothing to do with the contest. I'm also a little bothered that you stole an image. Anyway, please remove all links to http://home.kscable.com /bwhite. The official site is at http://members.aol.com/ modernhair/superstar /contest.html or http://go.to/ superstarcarwash. Thanks. Brandon White <bwhite@ kscable.com> Thanks, Brandon. You should really be complaining to the folks at AltaVista who still have your kscable site listed for the contest and who have a far greater impact on Web traffic than we could ever hope to match. Good luck with the contest. Sadly, it never happens until you give up hope. Yr pal, BarTel "... liberal, hummer-advocating author Naomi Wolf ..." So come on, are you talking about blow jobs or SUVs? (Either one could do something about Al's "beta male" image.) Brian Zimmerman <b-zimmerman@uchicago.edu> But only one would help him distance himself from the Bill Clinton legacy. the Sucksters Subject: Predictions Do you have the list of ridiculous predictions for the future as reported recently by Reuters? It's supposed to be by the top people in their fields. They appeared in an English newspaper recently. Thank you very much. Ralph W. Gaston <rwgaston@primenet.com> Yes, we have the list. You can't have it. The top people in our poppy field, the Sucksters The New Biography Hi! Where do you live? The Midwest? I know someone who knows your cartoonist, which is why I ask. Thanks for sharing, L. <jjanusz@med.wayne.edu> I was raised in the Midwest but live now on the East Coast in a gilded city well-known as a center of finance, fashion, and Francophilia. What, exactly, do you mean when you say you know my cartoonist? Know the cartoonist how? Under what circumstances? We shall have the authorities examine this strange coincidence, and I suggest you not refer to the Midwest in written form again. Thanks, Peter Hello, Thanks for a great article today. I, too, hate lazy literary transitions! Who knew? And what about being over that? Isn't there anything you're over? You go girl! Your pal, Nina Gregory <ninag3@corp.earthlink.net> I'm over not being over it for those who say I should be over it, whatever it really is. Over and out. Peter Hyman Footnotes 5 percent entertaining? Try 0.5 percent. With sugar, Jimmy <shenyuan_guo@hms.harvard.edu> Actually, according to the Gallup Organization, it was more on the order of .4236799 percent (though we at Suck will call that an even .424 percent, seeing as we are nonsticklers for repeating decimals). But you wouldn't have had access to those figures, as they were classified. If you multiply that percentage by Avagadro's number you get the address for the Hilles Library at Harvard: 59 Shepard Street. Imagine that!! Yr pal, Peter Hyman |
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