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15 August 2003 (Friday): shock of the new

Hello hello. First day in a while that I've had prolonged internet access. For a few weeks now it's been "Oh look, so-and-so's emailed me. I should...oop, there it goes. Disconnected. I'll write back when I next get online, I guess..."

Everyone's scattering to the winds. Zach is off to graduate school, Ms. Slithy-Tove has beamed from Boise to Chicago, Mr. ECheng is off carousing in tropical lands somewhere (oh wait, he's always off carousing in tropical lands somewhere). Even Soren and I will be going our separate ways for a few months -- he to academia, I to the opposite, whatever that is. He got on a plane today; I miss him already.

I have been reading novels. This is probably less noble than tackling some factual tome about international economic policy (which does fascinate me, admittedly), but my brain is only fit for narratives right now. After finally giving Joseph Heller's Catch-22 its due attention, I raced to the end of the book and immediately started re-reading. I'll have to keep this one on my shelf for a few years. Also on the polished-off list: Dave Egger's You Shall Know Our Velocity! and Nick Hornby's How To Be Good (by way of jimbatcho), both fine conversation starters, both well catered to my generation of confused-because-we're-free, guilty-because-we're-comfortable types. Next up: William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying and Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage. Oh yes, we're looking to be cheered up around here.

posted by enjelani @ 03:08 PM PST

Replies: 4 comments

Hey, lady! *hug* I'll cheer you up. Come for a visit! I'll even have Syndromes over. :P We'll make ya smile. Lessee.... a joke perhaps? "This dyslexic walks into a bra ---"

posted by moonpuddle @ 16 08 2003 08:41 AM PST

I must belong to a different generation. Why "guilty because we're comfortable"? One is comfortable when one has the essential questions figured out, when one believes that, by and large, he is doing the right thing. One ought to be proud.

Welcome back, enjelani. Missed you.

posted by beefeater @ 16 08 2003 10:00 PM PST

i meant comfortable in the material sense - leaving plates half-full at the restaurant table while people starve to death elsewhere, for example. one continent is no less deserving than another; it's a matter of circumstance. so is this simply a fact of life, or something one should work to remedy? to what degree is inequality acceptable?

by the way, beefeater: i've been reading the issue of Doubletake you sent me. it's far less intimidating than what i thought you'd send. :)

posted by enjelani @ 16 08 2003 11:05 PM PST

Ah, thank you for asking. Is inequality a normal condition, or a problem to be solved? To what degree is inequality acceptable? Ayn Rand gives an answer to this question. John Rawls gives a different answer. Utilitarianism offers yet another. If you seriously want to figure it out, things can get "intimidating".

Glad you liked Doubletake. I thought you would. I've enjoyed it for years.

posted by beefeater @ 17 08 2003 01:09 PM PST