Gnosis

Spilling out over the side to anyone who will listen

Tuesday, November 12, 2002

In last Tuesday's midterm elections, Republicans retook the U.S. Senate, giving them control of both houses of Congress. What do you think?

"You know, they say people get the government they deserve, but I don't recall knife-raping any retarded nuns."

Jared Andruss
Shipping Clerk

10:07:08 PM     What do you think? ()

Who Doesn't Get It?

Eric lives in an elaborate fantasy world where my wife hates him, his girlfriend speaks like Butterfly McQueen and persecutes him, and he has street cred (arty or otherwise). Here in the real world, I merely noted a humorous connection between two of his Weblog entries. But in Eric's world, that gives him license to insult my residential and educational choices. That is needlessly personal and makes me want to cry. I cannot help who I am, where I was educated, or where I live, and insulting me on those bases is tasteless and even cowardly. After all, I don't insult him based on his numerous assignations with Starbucks staff.

8:28:49 PM     What do you think? ()

Can I Get a Hallelujah?

Today, nearly one month after moving in and nearly three months after closing, we finally got approval from our management company to go ahead with the renovations on our kitchen. They're trying to shake us down for a bit more money, but one way or another we should be able to eat in our apartment without using the bathroom sink for water before the end of Thanksgiving. This is truly exciting.

8:01:02 PM     What do you think? ()

When Is Friendliness Not a Virtue?

Eric and Chris are worrying over the treatment they're getting from certain (mostly male) cashiers at various local Starbucks. Leaving aside the likelihood that their experiences have probably been not so subtle gay pick-up attempts, I agree that excess familiarity in what is otherwise a fairly impersonal interaction is disconcerting, or as Eric nicely puts it, "It seems there are strings attached to what should be a simple vector for getting caffeine into my veins."

Just yesterday, I stopped for lunch at the nearby Pret A Manger, where I go maybe twice a week. The food is fast, reasonably healthy, and pretty good, and it couldn't be more conveniently located. However, virtually all of their sandwiches come with mayonnaise (which I hate), so whenever I go there, I invariably get the same sandwich. Yesterday, as I handed my food to the cashier, smiling she said, "Still with the salami and mozzarella."

Like Eric, I had the thought that I should stop going to that establishment. I get that feeling whenever a cashier gets the idea that I have a "usual." I don't mind cashiers being personable (in fact, I prefer it), but I feel that what I'm buying is personal. Their discussing it with me feels like a violation of my privacy.

8:20:29 AM     What do you think? ()

Do You Think Too Much?

The habit of thinking sometimes prevents us from experiencing reality, inoculates us against it and makes it seem no more than yet another thought.

In that single incisive sentence (which happens to be very short by his standards), Marcel Proust sums up the much discussed indecision of Hamlet, the ultimate failure of Jimmy Carter as President, and the emotional tribulations of my family.

7:52:26 AM     What do you think? ()

Do You Know the Way to Sna Jose?

Eric says he wishes that Chimera supported spell checking in form fields. If it did, would that have prevented this?.

7:46:34 AM     What do you think? ()

What Does Nurturing Mean to You?

7:41:54 AM     What do you think? ()