And they try to secede from the Union every now and again, too.
I don't rightly know if any "grassroots" movement is going to sweep the nation because of this town meeting takeover. Heck, I'm willing to wager that the referendum isn't due to a grasssroots effort at all, given that Vermont is for all intents and purposes a suburb of Boston now, and there's most likely a fair bit of move-on money still being thrown around up there.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Another Job Satisfaction Study is Out.
Job satisfaction? I've always figured that I'd have a day job that was tolerable in order to support my rich home life. I'm okay with that. Provided you train me, treat me with respect, and compensate me decently, I will do my best for you on your time. I at one point even liked that I was doing what I do ostensibly for the "greater good." Abuse of good faith, however can do one heck of a lot towards souring one's feelings towards one's place of employment, however. (Probably should lay off now and go to bed. This is a sensitive point for me. For a lot of us, I think.)
Job satisfaction? I've always figured that I'd have a day job that was tolerable in order to support my rich home life. I'm okay with that. Provided you train me, treat me with respect, and compensate me decently, I will do my best for you on your time. I at one point even liked that I was doing what I do ostensibly for the "greater good." Abuse of good faith, however can do one heck of a lot towards souring one's feelings towards one's place of employment, however. (Probably should lay off now and go to bed. This is a sensitive point for me. For a lot of us, I think.)
Granted, I do live in an area with a high concentration of "Kerry/Edwards for a Strong America" posters still on lawns in in house windows...but still. Walking home tonight, on Park Street in Somerville, I saw a little hybrid car with a bumper sticker that said:
"What Would Wellstone Do? (WWWD)"
May whoever strike me down for this, but being brain-fried into literal mode by the events of the day, all I could think of was, "be rolling in his grave?"
Did a google search on this item and found an interesting post on this grief fetishing, on not being able to let go. Mind you, this was written a bit over a year and a half ago by someone apparently in Wellstone's home state.
"What Would Wellstone Do? (WWWD)"
May whoever strike me down for this, but being brain-fried into literal mode by the events of the day, all I could think of was, "be rolling in his grave?"
Did a google search on this item and found an interesting post on this grief fetishing, on not being able to let go. Mind you, this was written a bit over a year and a half ago by someone apparently in Wellstone's home state.
Storms a'brewing
In Lebanon, in Egypt. I wonder where else next? (Iran, hopefully? Syria?)
Inclement weather due to hit at some point this evening here.
Work feels like a hurricane.
I took a moment to just sit and stare at a picture on my cubicle wall, to focus myself. Heard the funniest thing, too - a coworker a couple cubicles over humming a bit of Enya. It's actually very pleasant.
Sigh. Back to the grind.
In Lebanon, in Egypt. I wonder where else next? (Iran, hopefully? Syria?)
Inclement weather due to hit at some point this evening here.
Work feels like a hurricane.
I took a moment to just sit and stare at a picture on my cubicle wall, to focus myself. Heard the funniest thing, too - a coworker a couple cubicles over humming a bit of Enya. It's actually very pleasant.
Sigh. Back to the grind.
Les Pensées Sont des Flowers
Nothing so deep as the above; just thinking about flowers. Would you mind please dropping me a line to tell me about your favorites (for the garden, in a vase, behind your ear or in your teeth as you waltz around the ballroom floor, etc)? I'd really appreciate your input.
Nothing so deep as the above; just thinking about flowers. Would you mind please dropping me a line to tell me about your favorites (for the garden, in a vase, behind your ear or in your teeth as you waltz around the ballroom floor, etc)? I'd really appreciate your input.
Monday Morning Roadkill
Hal:
"I'm not positive these are the ones pulled from the market, but
they're pretty silly anyway."
For more info, see this.
Hal:
"I'm not positive these are the ones pulled from the market, but
they're pretty silly anyway."
For more info, see this.
By the way,
I took this off the last post, because something didn't quite jibe for me.
I'm pretty certain that I'm correct about why Trois Couleurs: Rouge got short shrift (confusion as to its country of origin), but that was a couple years after the story of the Spanish Army deserter getting to schtup all the daughters in the family that takes him in (saving the virgin for last, and marrying her, of course) having gotten the best foreign film Oscar in 1993. The Scent of Green Papaya should have won. It was a much better film.
Pfft.
I took this off the last post, because something didn't quite jibe for me.
I'm pretty certain that I'm correct about why Trois Couleurs: Rouge got short shrift (confusion as to its country of origin), but that was a couple years after the story of the Spanish Army deserter getting to schtup all the daughters in the family that takes him in (saving the virgin for last, and marrying her, of course) having gotten the best foreign film Oscar in 1993. The Scent of Green Papaya should have won. It was a much better film.
Pfft.
If I knew you were coming, I'd have baked a cake.
(yawn)...good morning, Oscar viewing folks. Hope you enjoyed the festivities. I went to bed early last night, so wasn't particularly cognizant of much. Then again, since I didn't see any of the nominated films (though I did hear of roughly 1/2 of them), the prospect of watching an awards show about them seemed to be about as engaging as watching a cricket match or something. Anyway, hope you had fun and Happy Monday to you. I'm going to go make like Henry Darger, now and clean up some messes at work.
(yawn)...good morning, Oscar viewing folks. Hope you enjoyed the festivities. I went to bed early last night, so wasn't particularly cognizant of much. Then again, since I didn't see any of the nominated films (though I did hear of roughly 1/2 of them), the prospect of watching an awards show about them seemed to be about as engaging as watching a cricket match or something. Anyway, hope you had fun and Happy Monday to you. I'm going to go make like Henry Darger, now and clean up some messes at work.
Sunday, February 27, 2005
This seems like an excellent idea.
Since most (if not all) of the people who attacked the US on 9/11 did much of the planning/meeting in Europe, of course we need to concentrate getting our message out to the Middle Eastern populations in Europe. This would have to be a two pronged effort of both providing an alternative to the radical Islamic message and combatting European Anti Americanism. I don't think that we can rely on the French, Dutch, German, Belgian policymakers to help us out much (in spite of all the recent photo ops), as it's much easier for them to fall back on that, rather than to confront the problems they've gotten themselves into. We might as well take matters into our own hands.
As for this:
But independent experts say Alhurra's mass-market appeal is a risky departure from a Cold War propaganda strategy that sought to influence decision-makers rather than general audiences.
"I just don't know how effective it's going to be. A better use of resources would be to work with moderate leaders throughout the Arab world," said Nancy Snow, a propaganda expert at California State University, Fullerton.
First, this isn't the Cold War anymore. How battles are being waged has changed considerably since then. Also, my interpretation of past events is that the general audiences are the decisionmakers now. As for propaganda expert Snow's solution as to what constitutes a "better use of resources," which moderate leaders does she intend that the US work with? Moderate mosque leaders? Moderate country leaders? I think we're doing that right now. Or does she mean work with in the form of more aid (military and financial) to said leaders, like we've done with so much success in the past with the likes of Hosni Mubarak and the House of Saud?
Since most (if not all) of the people who attacked the US on 9/11 did much of the planning/meeting in Europe, of course we need to concentrate getting our message out to the Middle Eastern populations in Europe. This would have to be a two pronged effort of both providing an alternative to the radical Islamic message and combatting European Anti Americanism. I don't think that we can rely on the French, Dutch, German, Belgian policymakers to help us out much (in spite of all the recent photo ops), as it's much easier for them to fall back on that, rather than to confront the problems they've gotten themselves into. We might as well take matters into our own hands.
As for this:
But independent experts say Alhurra's mass-market appeal is a risky departure from a Cold War propaganda strategy that sought to influence decision-makers rather than general audiences.
"I just don't know how effective it's going to be. A better use of resources would be to work with moderate leaders throughout the Arab world," said Nancy Snow, a propaganda expert at California State University, Fullerton.
First, this isn't the Cold War anymore. How battles are being waged has changed considerably since then. Also, my interpretation of past events is that the general audiences are the decisionmakers now. As for propaganda expert Snow's solution as to what constitutes a "better use of resources," which moderate leaders does she intend that the US work with? Moderate mosque leaders? Moderate country leaders? I think we're doing that right now. Or does she mean work with in the form of more aid (military and financial) to said leaders, like we've done with so much success in the past with the likes of Hosni Mubarak and the House of Saud?
And if all your friends were to go jump in a lake, would you do it too?
I found a lovely site by just hitting that random blog surfing button at the top of my page. Much as I love my little bit of Eden carved out in the big, bad city, Swamp Thing sounds like just the neighbor I'd love to have later on. (Not to mention Butterfly, another site I found on Swamp Thing's.)
Anyway, Swamp thing was told she had to do this by Butterfly, who let herself be swayed by peer pressure.
Instructions:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.
Here goes:
"...Ma mère, ayant appris qu'il composait, lui avait dit par amabilité que, quand elle irait le voir, il faudrait qu'il lui fit entendre quelque chose de lui. M. Vinteuil en aurait eu beaucoup de joie, mais il poussait la politesse et la bonté jusqu'à de tels scruples que, se mettant toujours à la place des autres, il craignait de les ennuyer et de leur paraître égoïste s'il suivait ou seulement laissait deviner son désir. Le jour où mes parents étaients allés chez lui en visite, je les avais accompagnés, mais ils m'avaient permis de rester dehors, et comme la maison de M. Vinteuil, Montjouvain, était en contrebas d'un monticule buissonneux, où je m'etais caché, je m'étais trouvé de plain-pied avec le salon du second étage, à cinquante centimètres de la fenêtre..."
"...My mother, having learned that he composed, had mentioned to him affably that, when she came to visit, he would have to let her listen to something of his. Monsieur Vinteuil was thrilled at the prospect, but he had the habit of pushing politeness to the point where, in always trying to 'put himself into other people's shoes,' he feared boring them or even appearing self-centered if he imposed on them or even dropped hints about his loves. The day my parents went to visit him, I accompanied them. They, however, let me stay outdoors, and since Monsieur Vinteuil's home, Montjouvain, was just below a little wooded hill where I hid myself, I found myself at the same level as the third floor salon, roughly a couple feet from the window..."
(Yup, you guessed it - Gosh Darned Proust. No, this is not considered cool by anyone I know. Yes, I am made fun of for this sort of stuff (ask me about my various nicknames sometime). Although this was not the closest book to me, it makes a heck of a better read than the book that was lying on top of it.)
Who's next?
I found a lovely site by just hitting that random blog surfing button at the top of my page. Much as I love my little bit of Eden carved out in the big, bad city, Swamp Thing sounds like just the neighbor I'd love to have later on. (Not to mention Butterfly, another site I found on Swamp Thing's.)
Anyway, Swamp thing was told she had to do this by Butterfly, who let herself be swayed by peer pressure.
Instructions:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.
Here goes:
"...Ma mère, ayant appris qu'il composait, lui avait dit par amabilité que, quand elle irait le voir, il faudrait qu'il lui fit entendre quelque chose de lui. M. Vinteuil en aurait eu beaucoup de joie, mais il poussait la politesse et la bonté jusqu'à de tels scruples que, se mettant toujours à la place des autres, il craignait de les ennuyer et de leur paraître égoïste s'il suivait ou seulement laissait deviner son désir. Le jour où mes parents étaients allés chez lui en visite, je les avais accompagnés, mais ils m'avaient permis de rester dehors, et comme la maison de M. Vinteuil, Montjouvain, était en contrebas d'un monticule buissonneux, où je m'etais caché, je m'étais trouvé de plain-pied avec le salon du second étage, à cinquante centimètres de la fenêtre..."
"...My mother, having learned that he composed, had mentioned to him affably that, when she came to visit, he would have to let her listen to something of his. Monsieur Vinteuil was thrilled at the prospect, but he had the habit of pushing politeness to the point where, in always trying to 'put himself into other people's shoes,' he feared boring them or even appearing self-centered if he imposed on them or even dropped hints about his loves. The day my parents went to visit him, I accompanied them. They, however, let me stay outdoors, and since Monsieur Vinteuil's home, Montjouvain, was just below a little wooded hill where I hid myself, I found myself at the same level as the third floor salon, roughly a couple feet from the window..."
(Yup, you guessed it - Gosh Darned Proust. No, this is not considered cool by anyone I know. Yes, I am made fun of for this sort of stuff (ask me about my various nicknames sometime). Although this was not the closest book to me, it makes a heck of a better read than the book that was lying on top of it.)
Who's next?
Idle thoughts for an Idle Sunday
Early to bed last night, but a not so early to rise today. Fell asleep looking at my gardening porn and woke up to my two little odalisques curled up with me under the covers.
Made myself the usual 1/2 pot of coffee and some improvised pain perdu (mashed a banana into the batter), then actually sat down to enjoy it in the sunny, sunny kitchen. Noted that the amaryllis I got as a gift a couple Christmases ago is getting ready to bloom - maybe in a week or so. It kind of looks like Audrey, and I really should get a picture of that.
Need to get out today some. Vitamin D and walking are two things that they haven't figured out how to charge an excise on here, so really should profit from both. Maybe I'll go to Target as part of my quest for nice looking, inexpensive matching sets of dishes (no two dinner plates match anymore in my house, and, maybe it's a sign of age - but that's really starting to bother me.) Dinner's going to be a Beef Burgundy, so need to get stuff (Beef and Burgundy, among other things) for that.
Wat ook? Well, bills need to get paid and I need to do some shredding/organizing. Also need to think about getting some part time work, as, well, ends are meeting, but not as closely as I'd like any more. It's weird being relatively educated, in your mid thirties, and still living somewhat like a college student (back in the days of yore), as salaries in most realms don't keep up with the cost of living.
Don't feel like thinking about this stuff anymore. Let's go take that bath, get some sunshine while the gettin's good, run our errands and enjoy the day. I have a couple other little projects I'm working on - maybe I'll talk about it all later, maybe not.
Post script: No, no more talk. Blogger decided to eat a good chunk of my post (quite a few problems with that lately), so this is it. Do go look at Ann Althouse's site, though. I did earlier. She's got a lot there.
Early to bed last night, but a not so early to rise today. Fell asleep looking at my gardening porn and woke up to my two little odalisques curled up with me under the covers.
Made myself the usual 1/2 pot of coffee and some improvised pain perdu (mashed a banana into the batter), then actually sat down to enjoy it in the sunny, sunny kitchen. Noted that the amaryllis I got as a gift a couple Christmases ago is getting ready to bloom - maybe in a week or so. It kind of looks like Audrey, and I really should get a picture of that.
Need to get out today some. Vitamin D and walking are two things that they haven't figured out how to charge an excise on here, so really should profit from both. Maybe I'll go to Target as part of my quest for nice looking, inexpensive matching sets of dishes (no two dinner plates match anymore in my house, and, maybe it's a sign of age - but that's really starting to bother me.) Dinner's going to be a Beef Burgundy, so need to get stuff (Beef and Burgundy, among other things) for that.
Wat ook? Well, bills need to get paid and I need to do some shredding/organizing. Also need to think about getting some part time work, as, well, ends are meeting, but not as closely as I'd like any more. It's weird being relatively educated, in your mid thirties, and still living somewhat like a college student (back in the days of yore), as salaries in most realms don't keep up with the cost of living.
Don't feel like thinking about this stuff anymore. Let's go take that bath, get some sunshine while the gettin's good, run our errands and enjoy the day. I have a couple other little projects I'm working on - maybe I'll talk about it all later, maybe not.
Post script: No, no more talk. Blogger decided to eat a good chunk of my post (quite a few problems with that lately), so this is it. Do go look at Ann Althouse's site, though. I did earlier. She's got a lot there.
Nope, you just can't make this stuff up.
For that matter, the big funeral outfit where I come from's called Amigone. (They're Greek. It's pronounced like Antigone. Yeah, right.)
For that matter, the big funeral outfit where I come from's called Amigone. (They're Greek. It's pronounced like Antigone. Yeah, right.)
Saturday, February 26, 2005
A South of the Charles Girl Chimes In
I've not written anything on the latest Lawrence Summers/Harvard controversy because emotions are high and plenty of other people have taken up the in-the-moment sort of commentary. I have nothing to add to this. I'm more interested in the big picture anyway, and have been just sort of keeping an eye on what's been going on since I moved up to Somerville and all hell started breaking loose. To me it seems as though Summers may be onto something if he's managing to piss off all the right people like he seems to be.
This Tech Central Station article provides an excellent synopsis of the controversies to date, from Summers denouncing a call for Harvard to divest from Israeli companies to his calling Cornell West on his quality of scholarship, disallowing the law school from participating in that suit over federal funding for schools that do not allow military recruitment on campus, and the current tempest fomented by some hysterical reactionaries regarding his comments on women in the sciences.
To this, I would probably add that he's gained no fans for the current relooking at Harvard's reexamination of its student rape/harassment policy, as well, though I'm not certain to what level he's involved.
It's at this point that I make my admission that, though I have no real fondness to this behemoth north of the Charles that tends to overshadow everything else, I'm watching with much interest how this all pans out for Dr. Summers. I wish him the best in his endeavors, as 17 years ago, when I moved here, the former "sleepy commuter school," and "backwater Boston College" I was attending was in the throes of almost exactly the same sort of conflict. The gritty, strong-armed visionary who set nearly everyone on edge over there managed to pull something amazing off, too, by turning this former party school into what is now considered to be an "academic powerhouse." (I see a lot of parallels to Summers in Silber, as well - from the confrontational style to the ramping up of academics to even the Democratic politics with tough-love delivery). Boston University had nowhere to go but up, and it skyrocketed, thanks to John Silber. Harvard will always be Harvard, but perhaps with Summers to kick it back into shape, it will reverse its decline in some areas into a "Coach Bag" diploma (expensive, pretty, lots of brand name cache, but of decreasing quality - is that a BU girl metaphor or what?).
I've not written anything on the latest Lawrence Summers/Harvard controversy because emotions are high and plenty of other people have taken up the in-the-moment sort of commentary. I have nothing to add to this. I'm more interested in the big picture anyway, and have been just sort of keeping an eye on what's been going on since I moved up to Somerville and all hell started breaking loose. To me it seems as though Summers may be onto something if he's managing to piss off all the right people like he seems to be.
This Tech Central Station article provides an excellent synopsis of the controversies to date, from Summers denouncing a call for Harvard to divest from Israeli companies to his calling Cornell West on his quality of scholarship, disallowing the law school from participating in that suit over federal funding for schools that do not allow military recruitment on campus, and the current tempest fomented by some hysterical reactionaries regarding his comments on women in the sciences.
To this, I would probably add that he's gained no fans for the current relooking at Harvard's reexamination of its student rape/harassment policy, as well, though I'm not certain to what level he's involved.
It's at this point that I make my admission that, though I have no real fondness to this behemoth north of the Charles that tends to overshadow everything else, I'm watching with much interest how this all pans out for Dr. Summers. I wish him the best in his endeavors, as 17 years ago, when I moved here, the former "sleepy commuter school," and "backwater Boston College" I was attending was in the throes of almost exactly the same sort of conflict. The gritty, strong-armed visionary who set nearly everyone on edge over there managed to pull something amazing off, too, by turning this former party school into what is now considered to be an "academic powerhouse." (I see a lot of parallels to Summers in Silber, as well - from the confrontational style to the ramping up of academics to even the Democratic politics with tough-love delivery). Boston University had nowhere to go but up, and it skyrocketed, thanks to John Silber. Harvard will always be Harvard, but perhaps with Summers to kick it back into shape, it will reverse its decline in some areas into a "Coach Bag" diploma (expensive, pretty, lots of brand name cache, but of decreasing quality - is that a BU girl metaphor or what?).
On the iPod Cult(ure):
Walkmen came and went...now we've got the iPod. Personally, I don't see what's so great about them. When you're living in a big city, it's good to have your wits about you. Especially in a city known for its horrible drivers (who are most likely otherwise engaged, so not paying attention to pedestrians, other drivers, stoplights, etc.)
This reader at Andrew Sullivan's site in another "bohemian section" of Boston hits on something that I've seen quite a while ago - a broader culture of isolationism.
Allied to the iPod thing is the taking your laptop out on dates trend. For example, my roommate has told me about his desire to buy a laptop so he can sit and surf the net in the Davis Square cafes. I think that that is the saddest thing in the world. Aren't cafes places to go to meet people and socialize? Why go out and take up a table somewhere if all you are going to be doing is browsing Match or playing Myst? Though I used to spend a decent amount of time in different cafes here, I find that it's just too annoying to do so anymore as the vast majority of the seats (if not all of them) tend to be taken up by people spread out with their laptops. Generally if I decide I want a coffee, I get one to go and sit in a park or I make my own. The places in my neighborhood (Somerville) just aren't friendly or even relatively pleasant to an un-plugged-in person anymore.
Montaigne used to talk about cultivating a petite arrière boutique so that, even if you were in a crowded room, you could enjoy the benefits of solitude. Boston society (and maybe all urban society?) has gone way beyond that into what seems to be an aggresively antisocial mode. We seem to be all "back shop" and no retail space - no public face forward. No space for interaction. Heck, we can't even get it together to attempt to play together (nicely or otherwise) anymore.
Walkmen came and went...now we've got the iPod. Personally, I don't see what's so great about them. When you're living in a big city, it's good to have your wits about you. Especially in a city known for its horrible drivers (who are most likely otherwise engaged, so not paying attention to pedestrians, other drivers, stoplights, etc.)
This reader at Andrew Sullivan's site in another "bohemian section" of Boston hits on something that I've seen quite a while ago - a broader culture of isolationism.
Allied to the iPod thing is the taking your laptop out on dates trend. For example, my roommate has told me about his desire to buy a laptop so he can sit and surf the net in the Davis Square cafes. I think that that is the saddest thing in the world. Aren't cafes places to go to meet people and socialize? Why go out and take up a table somewhere if all you are going to be doing is browsing Match or playing Myst? Though I used to spend a decent amount of time in different cafes here, I find that it's just too annoying to do so anymore as the vast majority of the seats (if not all of them) tend to be taken up by people spread out with their laptops. Generally if I decide I want a coffee, I get one to go and sit in a park or I make my own. The places in my neighborhood (Somerville) just aren't friendly or even relatively pleasant to an un-plugged-in person anymore.
Montaigne used to talk about cultivating a petite arrière boutique so that, even if you were in a crowded room, you could enjoy the benefits of solitude. Boston society (and maybe all urban society?) has gone way beyond that into what seems to be an aggresively antisocial mode. We seem to be all "back shop" and no retail space - no public face forward. No space for interaction. Heck, we can't even get it together to attempt to play together (nicely or otherwise) anymore.
Friday, February 25, 2005
Go Hargo!
I'm sorry that he had to take the images down. I particularly loved the pictures featuring his cat Edie, who reminded me of Pablo's Tony and my little Bashi (rest his soul).
I'm sorry that he had to take the images down. I particularly loved the pictures featuring his cat Edie, who reminded me of Pablo's Tony and my little Bashi (rest his soul).
Just got my National Poetry Month promotional packet in the mail...leaving me plenty of time to get the word out and get people excited for this year's fun.
For that matter, let me say it again that I have another site called Waiting for April that I open up for National Poetry Month. I'd love it if you'd go over, take a look at how it's set up, and consider submitting a favorite poem along with a little blurb on your choice. Don't worry...I'm not going to grade anyone on anything. Heck, you don't even have to use your name. It's all in good fun, and to me, a great way to communicate with others about other creative means of communication.
For that matter, let me say it again that I have another site called Waiting for April that I open up for National Poetry Month. I'd love it if you'd go over, take a look at how it's set up, and consider submitting a favorite poem along with a little blurb on your choice. Don't worry...I'm not going to grade anyone on anything. Heck, you don't even have to use your name. It's all in good fun, and to me, a great way to communicate with others about other creative means of communication.
Ann Althouse warns against romanticizing Hunter Thompson's suicide:
I repeat the point from my title: do not romanticize a suicide. I'm sure the family needs to find ways to deal with their own loss and their own sense of responsibility and, less sympathetically, has an interest in preserving and promoting the reputation of the author, but statements like this are reckless and dangerous. How many young (and older) people read and admire Hunter S. Thompson and sometimes have thoughts of suicide? Portraying it as a beautiful thing, a triumph, and an act of sublime control over destiny is profoundly wrong!
Excellent point. How many disaffected twenty-somethings did I know in school who were trying to live the Bukowski life, as though destroying your body like he did his was the path to enlightenment? (Many grew out of this, some did not.) For that matter, how many young men in Romantic Era Europe shot themselves in the head a la Werther, as though this were a fashion choice not dissimilar to tying their cravats in the way their fictional hero described himself doing?
***
Thank you for the link, Ann. Working for an agency that treats behavioral health issues and having dealt with the deaths (self inflicted - slow method and quick) of more than one depressed artistic friend, I do find the media's playing up this romanticized image of suicide very irresponsible. People are so impressionable.
I repeat the point from my title: do not romanticize a suicide. I'm sure the family needs to find ways to deal with their own loss and their own sense of responsibility and, less sympathetically, has an interest in preserving and promoting the reputation of the author, but statements like this are reckless and dangerous. How many young (and older) people read and admire Hunter S. Thompson and sometimes have thoughts of suicide? Portraying it as a beautiful thing, a triumph, and an act of sublime control over destiny is profoundly wrong!
Excellent point. How many disaffected twenty-somethings did I know in school who were trying to live the Bukowski life, as though destroying your body like he did his was the path to enlightenment? (Many grew out of this, some did not.) For that matter, how many young men in Romantic Era Europe shot themselves in the head a la Werther, as though this were a fashion choice not dissimilar to tying their cravats in the way their fictional hero described himself doing?
***
Thank you for the link, Ann. Working for an agency that treats behavioral health issues and having dealt with the deaths (self inflicted - slow method and quick) of more than one depressed artistic friend, I do find the media's playing up this romanticized image of suicide very irresponsible. People are so impressionable.
Carnival's up! Already I've found something that I'm going to make for dinner this weekend if not tonight.
Also, check out the Rocket Man's site. He's a hoot and a holler, for cryin' in a bucket. (This juvenile observation in particular had me on the floor.)
Also, check out the Rocket Man's site. He's a hoot and a holler, for cryin' in a bucket. (This juvenile observation in particular had me on the floor.)
Thursday, February 24, 2005
I'm not really sure why a friend sent this to me, except maybe to annoy me. If I'm schtupping you, for crying out loud, I'm making damn sure that I'm not going to get into trouble, as I never know if I might need to get the hell away from you. Biological links tend to complicate these sorts of matters.
I think that out of everyone involved, the one I feel the most sorry for is the child. Imagine (not so hard, really) having two self-centered gits for parents like this poor thing's.
I think that out of everyone involved, the one I feel the most sorry for is the child. Imagine (not so hard, really) having two self-centered gits for parents like this poor thing's.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
