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Jason was over at my apartment last night--we were working on Eternity--and I heard a noise outside, like people wailing. Jason told me about an Al-Franken-inspired protest during W's speech last night, one intended not to draw on police resources. You were asked to throw open your window and yell "Fugeddaboutit!" and similar things, especially if you lived near Madison Square Garden. I was delighted and threw open my window on the courtyard. I could hear people yelling. Jason and I climbed up onto the roof and yelled in the general direction of MSQ. There was LOTS of yelling coming from that direction--Manhattan Plaza overlooks my building, and a lot of actors live there, so they were all wailing. It was SO. COOL.
Sep. 3rd, 2004
Inspired by the recent movie version..
Sep. 3rd, 2004 12:17 pmI'm re-reading Vanity Fair online. Thank God for the Gutenberg project.
I remember not liking it that much before, although I thought the Fair metaphor was marvelously well-developed. But it's engaging me this time--it's not so precious, as tittering as I thought before. I liked this passage:
[Becky] took advantage, therefore, of the means of study the place offered her; and as she was already a musician and a good linguist, she speedily went through the little course of study which was considered necessary for ladies in those days. Her music she practised incessantly, and one day, when the girls were out, and she had remained at home, she was overheard to play a piece so well that Minerva thought, wisely, she could spare herself the expense of a master for the juniors, and intimated to Miss Sharp that she was to instruct them in music for the future.
The girl refused; and for the first time, and to the astonishment of the majestic mistress of the school. “I am here to speak French with the children,” Rebecca said abruptly, “not to teach them music, and save money for you. Give me money, and I will teach them.”
Minerva was obliged to yield, and, of course, disliked her from that day. “For five-and-thirty years,” she said, and with great justice, “I never have seen the individual who has dared in my own house to question my authority. I have nourished a viper in my bosom.”
“A viper--a fiddlestick,” said Miss Sharp to the old lady, almost fainting with astonishment. “You took me because I was useful. There is no question of gratitude between us. I hate this place, and want to leave it. I will do nothing here but what I am obliged to do.”
It was in vain that the old lady asked her if she was aware she was speaking to Miss Pinkerton? Rebecca laughed in her face, with a horrid sarcastic demoniacal laughter, that almost sent the schoolmistress into fits. “Give me a sum of money,” said the girl, “and get rid of me--or, if you like better, get me a good place as governess in a nobleman’s family--you can do so if you please.” And in their further disputes she always returned to this point, “Get me a situation--we hate each other, and I am ready to go.”
I've read comparisons to Gone with the Wind--Becky is supposed to be Scarlett; Amelia, Melanie. Jos. Sedley could be Charles Hamilton, and the Napoleonic wars, the War Between the States. Scarlett wasn't really a climber though--her father was, and Scarlett was pretty grasping, but she was well-born enough for the times. And Melanie was a lot smarter than Amelia--in general, I think the characters in GWTW are better-developed, probably because Thackeray was writing one long extended metaphor, rather than an actual novel (i.e., in the original sense of the word, a character study).
I remember not liking it that much before, although I thought the Fair metaphor was marvelously well-developed. But it's engaging me this time--it's not so precious, as tittering as I thought before. I liked this passage:
[Becky] took advantage, therefore, of the means of study the place offered her; and as she was already a musician and a good linguist, she speedily went through the little course of study which was considered necessary for ladies in those days. Her music she practised incessantly, and one day, when the girls were out, and she had remained at home, she was overheard to play a piece so well that Minerva thought, wisely, she could spare herself the expense of a master for the juniors, and intimated to Miss Sharp that she was to instruct them in music for the future.
The girl refused; and for the first time, and to the astonishment of the majestic mistress of the school. “I am here to speak French with the children,” Rebecca said abruptly, “not to teach them music, and save money for you. Give me money, and I will teach them.”
Minerva was obliged to yield, and, of course, disliked her from that day. “For five-and-thirty years,” she said, and with great justice, “I never have seen the individual who has dared in my own house to question my authority. I have nourished a viper in my bosom.”
“A viper--a fiddlestick,” said Miss Sharp to the old lady, almost fainting with astonishment. “You took me because I was useful. There is no question of gratitude between us. I hate this place, and want to leave it. I will do nothing here but what I am obliged to do.”
It was in vain that the old lady asked her if she was aware she was speaking to Miss Pinkerton? Rebecca laughed in her face, with a horrid sarcastic demoniacal laughter, that almost sent the schoolmistress into fits. “Give me a sum of money,” said the girl, “and get rid of me--or, if you like better, get me a good place as governess in a nobleman’s family--you can do so if you please.” And in their further disputes she always returned to this point, “Get me a situation--we hate each other, and I am ready to go.”
I've read comparisons to Gone with the Wind--Becky is supposed to be Scarlett; Amelia, Melanie. Jos. Sedley could be Charles Hamilton, and the Napoleonic wars, the War Between the States. Scarlett wasn't really a climber though--her father was, and Scarlett was pretty grasping, but she was well-born enough for the times. And Melanie was a lot smarter than Amelia--in general, I think the characters in GWTW are better-developed, probably because Thackeray was writing one long extended metaphor, rather than an actual novel (i.e., in the original sense of the word, a character study).
(no subject)
Sep. 3rd, 2004 06:04 pmThis whole Russian school hostage thing (by Chechen Muslim rebels) is making me sick.
As is the wholesale slaughter of 12 Nepalese civilians by militant Islamists in Iraq.
As is the murder of two Turkish civilians yesterday by--you guessed it--militant Islamists.
You know what? I'm going to come right out and say it--I really have a problem with Islam. Not as it's supposed to be practiced--there's a lot that's good about it in the abstract--but the current state of it. I really have a problem with the outright misogyny, anti-Semitism and general xenophobia of it, not to mention the concept of sharia (which I find incompatible with democracy). I can't ignore those in the name of...whatever...those are non-negotiable issues to me. And it pisses me off that any attempt to take a hard, critical look at Islam and its practitioners is considered racism (Arabs are not a race, and Arab =! Muslim, nor vice versa) or bigotry or something. There are serious problem with Islam as it's currently practiced and promoted today, and there's so much defensiveness within the community it's become the elephant in the room, about which everyone whispers but no one wants to say out loud, for fear of the finger being pointed at them.
And yeah, I get that there are psycho Christians as well. Falwell and Robertson come to mind--when Falwell made his lovely remarks in the aftermath of 9/11 about feminists and homosexuals, there was no moral difference between him and the hijackers. Hate is hate. The difference is, a storm of criticism greeted those remarks.
I would love to be exposed to the peaceful side of Islam. I've read enough about it to be very curious--I love comparative religions, I love studying belief systems. But I can't reconcile my serious reservations about Islam with my desire to know more about it. I think we have a huge problem on our hands.
As is the wholesale slaughter of 12 Nepalese civilians by militant Islamists in Iraq.
As is the murder of two Turkish civilians yesterday by--you guessed it--militant Islamists.
You know what? I'm going to come right out and say it--I really have a problem with Islam. Not as it's supposed to be practiced--there's a lot that's good about it in the abstract--but the current state of it. I really have a problem with the outright misogyny, anti-Semitism and general xenophobia of it, not to mention the concept of sharia (which I find incompatible with democracy). I can't ignore those in the name of...whatever...those are non-negotiable issues to me. And it pisses me off that any attempt to take a hard, critical look at Islam and its practitioners is considered racism (Arabs are not a race, and Arab =! Muslim, nor vice versa) or bigotry or something. There are serious problem with Islam as it's currently practiced and promoted today, and there's so much defensiveness within the community it's become the elephant in the room, about which everyone whispers but no one wants to say out loud, for fear of the finger being pointed at them.
And yeah, I get that there are psycho Christians as well. Falwell and Robertson come to mind--when Falwell made his lovely remarks in the aftermath of 9/11 about feminists and homosexuals, there was no moral difference between him and the hijackers. Hate is hate. The difference is, a storm of criticism greeted those remarks.
I would love to be exposed to the peaceful side of Islam. I've read enough about it to be very curious--I love comparative religions, I love studying belief systems. But I can't reconcile my serious reservations about Islam with my desire to know more about it. I think we have a huge problem on our hands.