I’m humbled by Slate reporters’ orneriness on pretty much every subject in the news (today’s example: the genre of edgeless indie rock). They’re like that guy in your freshman seminar who insists on disagreeing with everything, and ends up rousing even the most hungover classmate to fiery retort. I imagine it must tax the mind to be always looking for a fight. The whole’s effect is farcical, so I limit myself to little bits, just when I need to sand off some cynicism.
