Your Humble Blogger is behind in Book Reports, although no further behind than in actual blog notes. Not that for actual blog notes I am actually behind anything, as I don’t have a long list of things that I am intending to blog but haven’t yet. I do have ten books that I was supposed to blog at some point, and perhaps I will. Some of them I haven’t blogged primarily because they are rereads and I haven’t much to say about them that I didn’t say last time (such as the purported subject of this note, One for the Morning Glory), some because they were frankly uninteresting to read and would be uninteresting to write about, and some because they are so interesting and complicated that the idea of writing about them makes me weary, so I give up on the idea and go lie down.
Mm. Going and lying down. That sounds good.
Yes, Your Humble Blogger remains listless as far as this Tohu Bohu goes. The burst of posts two weeks ago seems to have passed without any major change in my attitude. Feh.
Of course, part of the malaise may well be related to this latest teacup blogstorm over, if I understand correctly, a minor scandal involving a respected resident of Left Blogovia’s A-Street, an alleged attempt to cover up the scandal by the Pope of Left Blogovia, and the journalistic practices (including one major and admitted cock-up) in covering the cover-up, if there was one. Anyway, I find the whole thing depressing. I had mentioned some time ago that there was at least a rhetorical need for a Code of Ethics in Blogovia, and although this ministorm is certainly more minor than a lot of scenarios I could have imagined, it was essentially predictable that a total lack of transparent procedures would lead to plausible allegations of conflict of interest, which would degrade the reputation of denizens of the A-List. All of which is painfully obvious, depressingly obvious, which is why I find it depressing.
Not that my Book Reports have anything much to do with that storm. None of my Tohu Bohu does, really. My own Code on this matter (in general, that I don’t accept compensation of any kind to mention particular books in my Tohu Bohu, and in cases where I feel that I have accepted compensation to read the book (so far such has been entirely by people unaware of the blog) I mention the nature of it, and that in cases where I might be swayed by personal acquaintance with the author, I restrict myself to speculation as to how I could possibly cash in on that acquaintance) is not only clear but utterly unnecessary, as my reputation is not under attack. It was obvious, though, that the A-List would be under rhetorical attack, and under increasing attack as their influence grew, and if their confidence in their ability to improvise under such attacks was obviously unwarranted. Which is depressing in itself.
And, you know, when you are depressed, sometimes it’s nice to read a really good book.
chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek,
-Vardibidian.