Vapors of thought:
Monsters come in many forms. Every so often a monster is brilliant and that brilliance acts as a shield, an excuse — Polanski for instance. Often the monster comes in the form of the rich or well connected — as is the case with any of several Kennedy’s. Brilliant, wealthy, well connected monsters are easier to forgive (forget, and let go), than less intelligent, fiscally struggling monsters.
Where is the justice?
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It’s hard to stay healthy here, but when heaven can’t wait the US is top notch. At least according to the white paper featured in the Economist story Quality of death: A ranking of care for the dying by country .
My guess is that end of life specialists find it easier to say “you are going to die and all we can do is keep you comfortable” (Morphine is cheap), to a poor man than to a rich man. However, this study though featured in “The Economist”, doesn’t touch significantly on economic factors. Despite the irony of the exclusions it’s still an interesting white paper. Regardless, we die well here. The source pdf available here.
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Speaking of monsters I read Boystown, a good 13 year old Salon interview with the author of an old book I picked up while scavenging junk shops. The book, Our Guys: The Glen Ridge Rape and the Secret Life of the Perfect Suburb, is about a group of teenage jock types and their lifelong abuse and eventual rape of a 17-year-old retarded girl in Glen Ridge New Jersey. It’s also about how the community rallied around the rapists, that rallying phenomena is what provoked the author to write the book. Extremely disquieting read.
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In Politics, Sometimes The Facts Don’t Matter
via NPR
New research suggests that misinformed people rarely change their minds when presented with the facts — and often become even more attached to their beliefs.
Then my work here is done?
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This you’ll have fun with. It doesn’t relate to monsters in any way.
I’m overwhelmingly William Shakespeare, with a random James Joyce, and the current post a David Wallace.
What about you?
Peace, and don’t forget “this above all: to thine own self be true”
No justice, no answer.
In this a nation where the rich euthanize the poor if I can’t live well kill me comfortably.
What a surprise… facts don’t matter. ;)
That books sounds like something that would make me nauseous to read.
I got Kurt Vonnegut for three three submissions and then one Charles Dickens.. I’ll take it. Vonnegut that is.
G recently posted..Stars and Stripes
Vonnegut…I’m envious. ;0
Yea there is no justice, but let’s look on the bright side, we die well, believing exactly what we want to believe.
I write like Chuck Palahniuk,.
we die well, belie ving exactly what we want to believe.
great line and it’s true
You know, maybe if I’d done some bookkeeping during my tenure as an Internet Argument Trench Warrior, I’d have my name on some of those research papers. Alas.
The vast majority of my posts (and this comment) come up as David Foster Wallace, followed distantly by Dan Brown. I’m not quite sure what I think about the latter. Though I guess this means that I need to read some David Foster Wallace.
EsotericWombat recently posted..Drill- Baby- Drill
You’ll like Wallace I think. though the excessive use of footnotes will drive you mad. I’d read his first novel first or his essays, Harpers has a ton in their archives easily accessible Ii think.
I read Infinite Jest last summer. I will admit to it being an undertaking, and I expect I’ll read it again when time allows.
Interesting. I’ve been spending this week in class trying to get certified as a Senior Care Advisor. A note about end of life- Medicare will pay for hospice, unless you fail to die within 6 months, then you’re at risk of dying in the dark. Oh, well.
According to that test, a random paragraph of Shahrazade’s Wedding was written like Raymond Carver. N.B., though- some clever person ran a paragraph of Margaret Atwood through that machine and it apparently said she writes like Stephen King.
Doug recently posted..The Greater Grouch
Or she like him. lol
So, you’ll be my go to person for all things end of life….
Sure. I lead by example.
Doug recently posted..Billingsgate
Monsters hide under masks, sometimes we actually give them the mask.
Apparently I write like Ursula Le Guin and Steven King cool.
Bathwater recently posted..Cake
Good point about us giving them a mask.
George Orwell for this one: http://www.chipsquips.com/?p=1069
Margaret Mitchell here: http://www.chipsquips.com/?p=1581
Mark Twain: http://www.chipsquips.com/?p=207
Not bad.
Sterling (Chip) Camden recently posted..Chipping the web- July 13th
Not bad at all. Nice to hear from you Chip. You were my first.
(sunglass man)
I did two lighter posts (I know, aren’t all your posts light, Bone?) and got Stephen King on both. Which is fitting, as I have his On Writing in my bathroom.
I also got David Foster Wallace when I used a more serious post.
Bone recently posted..Into a cup- in the middle of the day
I see you more DF Wallace or … Hemingway.
Quite the monster mash. The New Jersey Story I’ve heard about I have relatives up there. Wasn’t aware there was a book though.
End of life care, that sounds so depressing. We have a lot of people who are attending their lives forever though so I think it’s necessary. I wouldn’t want to be on the ethics side of making those decisions.
It cost to stay alive because someone has to make a huge profit from it or it isn’t going to happen. Technologically and drug wise we are at a place where many lives can be extended, only it’s not free…one day maybe it will be.
I write like Arthur C Clark.and David Foster Wallace. I did place some King in their and it was detected as King I assume though that they used one of the most famous paragraphs from the Shining in their data base.
john recently posted..Why The Winner is South Africa
That book – . How can educated human beings and their families at like that.
A friend used to work for hospice, she now works for a hospital.
She loves working with people who are dying and helping them get their life in order ahead of time .I know it sounds icky but she said they always feel better when their papers and things are in order.
Please don’t tell my 5th graders that facts don’t matter.Some of their parents already tell them that as it is.
kait recently posted..From GOOP
The dying scene is to rough for me.
I just have to restate the NPR title about politics:
In Politics, the Facts Never Matter
and idiots never change their minds.
Chris recently posted..Dems Break Obstructionist Filibuster of FinReg
I thin in general facts don’t matter, certainly in politics, but notice how even science is disregarded these days?
I would think they’re harder to forgive as they should know better but that’s just me
I remember the Glen Ridge case when it happened. Very disturbing. It was hard for me to read the book for many reasons
Oh surprisingly and nicely Margaret Atwood. Have no idea what the criteria is
you’re my Atwood.
I think it’s a case of Monsters-R-Us; humanity is never short of them, however well disguised.
I want to write most like Joan Didion; whether I ever achieve it is another story.
ChrisJ recently posted..Do We Really Miss the Hungry Years
I am definitely lacking in Joan Didion collection – I keep meaning to read her.
Monsters R Us, yea I thik ou have something there.
I had an aunt who used to “have the vapors”, it’s a prerequisite in my family to mimic her.We are monsters. She died well though.
We breath misinformation, what else is there?
I write like James Fenimore Cooper
ben recently posted..Don’t Cry For Me Argentina
I’ve heard of “the vapors” on old black and white movies….
I’ve witnessed several people whacked out on drugs before they died, which reminds , me why is it that you have to be close to dying to get legal drugs?
India’s people are living the longest, and aren’t they allowed to smoke weed legally? Coincidence? NO!!!!!
I’ve got an in grown hair, so where’s my pot?
Bennet recently posted..Perfect Waste Of Time
They live longer because they eat well, walk a lot and are not obese .
…and smoke cannabis – FYI, or not
I can olny romance about it since I don’t partake in any of the sort – Ms.Literally.
Bennet recently posted..Perfect Waste Of Time
Sweet Jesus I posted a marketing piece wrote for work and that makes me Mark Twain.
Facts…pfft..who needs them.
Even if it is end of life, at least we are good at something.
jacob recently posted..McIlroy breaks course record on first day of the Open British
You are easily pleased, jacob.
Hmmm… the attitudes you describe sound strangely familiar. Or maybe I’ve been on a South Hadley kick for too long. Going there next week; think they’ll rally around me? Or will they hang me for suggesting too many have rallied around those bullies instead of standing up for the dead victim?
sauerkraut recently posted..Bite Your Ass Friday- is South Hadley High a jungle
I thoughT of the South Hadley situation when reading it.