2012 — 22 October: Monday
I do wonder what arguments were put forward at the meetings of the 'Intelligent Design' steering committee in favour of pesky viruses1 — I prefer the more obvious benefits of a good night's sleep. Followed, of course, by a nice cup of tea. And Mendelssohn's Lieder ohne Worte. (It's still almost too early for words.)
Speaking of words...
... Joe Queenan has a new book coming out this week. Source and snippet:
I dread that awkward moment when a friend hands you the book that changed his or her life, and it is a book that you have despised since you were 11 years old. Yes, "Atlas Shrugged." Or worse, "The Fountainhead." No, actually, let's stick with "Atlas Shrugged." People fixated on a particular book cannot get it through their heads that, no matter how much this book might mean to them, it is impossible to make someone else enjoy "A Fan's Notes" or "The Little Prince" or "Dune," much less "One Thousand and One Places You Must Visit Before You Meet the Six People You Would Least Expect to Run Into in Heaven." Not unless you get the Stasi involved.
The world is changing, but I am not changing with it. There is no e-reader or Kindle in my future. My philosophy is simple: Certain things are perfect the way they are. The sky, the Pacific Ocean, procreation and the Goldberg Variations all fit this bill, and so do books. Books are sublimely visceral, emotionally evocative objects that constitute a perfect delivery system.
I've never seen the Pacific Ocean :-)
I unearthed, and...
... have been delightedly renewing my acquaintance with, a small stash of awkwardly-sized magazines and comix, all dating from a book-buying trip up to London in September 1990. How's this for a fabulous piece of cover art?
The artist is Dennis Janke, who was doubtless taking a refreshing break from his work in the mid-1980s on Captain America.
Low energy...
... levels at the moment do make it quite easy just to lounge around. Good (un)job I'm retired! Still, the bugs seem to be on the retreat. I shall continue to batter them with my devastating combination therapy2 of tea and pottering around. It comes very naturally to me :-)