Greg Bales

shaun / Oct 28, 02:52 PM

Thanks for the link to that article on Federer. It’s quite remarkable how Wallace is able to bring technical knowledge of tennis movements and strategies to bear on an aesthetic appreciation of the sport. Technical analysis, in other hands, usually kills the beautiful.

It helps that he’s right. Federer’s game is utterly beautiful.

greg / Oct 28, 04:30 PM

Yeah, it’s a nice essay, really good at conveying the experience of watching tennis. Made me want to go to the U.S. Open or Wimbledon.

I’ve got “Consider the Lobster” open on my browser, too. Maybe I’ll post on it when I’ve finished it.

Neil / Nov 22, 10:56 PM

I was just going to suggest “Consider the Lobster”. I’ll have to read the Federer analysis and the Henig article based on your recommendation, especially since the rest of your list are articles I’ve enjoyed.

Although I’ve never seen an episode of the Wire (seven seasons is a big commitment), I enjoyed the Bowden article. I was surprised at how the author (or maybe Simon) conflates a deadly inefficient government bureaucracy with “big capitalism.” I need to see the show.

And the Lethem is – to me – a convincing argument that intellectual “property” is a convenient fiction whose boundaries must be determined by how well they serve its intended purpose “to promote the useful arts.”

greg / Nov 22, 11:17 PM

You’re in luck: The Wire is only 5 seasons! I would say the show isn’t nearly so simplistic to conflate government bureaucracy alone with capitalism. Rather, in The Wire bureaucracies of all kinds—in the drug gangs, in the city government, in the police department, in international shipping, in the Baltimore _Sun_—more or less represent immovable objects against which the show’s heroes bang their heads. Simon has described his plan for the show as a modern-day Greek tragedy in which the gods hold all the cards. To that end, he was consistent and brilliant. I agree: you really should see it.

greg / Nov 22, 11:35 PM

Oh, and Henig’s article about anxiety is fascinating, as is much of what comes from Jerome Kagan’s work, who I want to say is responsible for one of the awesomest studies of all time: offering kids a cookie from the cookie jar in front of them now or two cookies later, then leaving the room to see if they can delay gratification. (I heard about the study on RadioLab, I think, but for the life of me I can’t find the segment. If Kagan didn’t do that study, then I’m sure one of his students did.)