Janus

Some thoughts on Roman gods:

I always thought it peculiar that the Romans had a god of doorways, since that seemed a rather minor job for a deity, and would subject the fellow to ribbing at the God Conventions.

“What do you handle?”

“Oh, war, pestilence, violent expansionism. And you?”

“Doors.”

“Doors!” Coughs, looks into his drink. “Really.”

“Well it’s more than that, of course. There’s portals of any sort. Hinges and knobs as well. Knockers in all shapes and sizes. You’d be surprised how much is involved.”

“Yes. Quite. Well, nice talking with you . . .”

“Janus.”

“Right. Well, nice to meet you.”

Only Lileks.

Nominating Hagel

Whose terrible idea was it, anyway? Jonathan Chait is starting the circular firing squad. I have to agree with this:

As it turned out, the Hagel nomination has been a fiasco. (Clemons’s chins-up take that Hagel “met expectations” is the most optimism any Hagel backers can muster.)

He certainly met my expectations. I fully expected him to be the hapless fool and tool he always is. And I love this understatement: “Hagel himself does not appear to be especially brilliant.”

You don’t say.

[Update a few minutes later]

Obama advisor: Hagel’s conduct was “somewhere between baffling and incomprehensible.”

It’s only baffling to people so stupid that they thought he was smart.