posted 02-04-2001 10:21 PM               

All right, shoot me now.

Actually, I'm thrilled Pattie's made the career choices she has. For one thing, she has the combination of organization skills, work ethic and creativity to succeed in an office setting, whereas I have a pile of books and papers that threatens to overwhelm our home office and evolve into its own form of sentient life -- and boy, is it going to be ticked about the shredder. For another, it actually pays, which is really a radical concept for a guy who sits around contemplating the hidden structure of the universe 6 or 7 hours a day. (I still don't understand the lack of demand for that, but hey, live in the possible world you're actual in, ya know what I'm saying? You don't? See, this is why I fail in the office setting. Anyway.) And finally, that hard, flinty practicality is extremely useful. Say it's a warm day, and I've just made a pitcher of iced tea that has not had time to actually become iced. (And which, given that it's instant, may not actually be tea, either.) I'll just place the pitcher on the dinner table, sit down with Pattie, and say,

"So I was thinking today, I really want to pursue an advanced degree in [fill in liberal arts/humanities subject area here], after I finish the [fill in advanced degree I decided to pursue last week]."

posted 02-04-2001 10:22 PM               

Having grown up and left college and made it in the actual world to some degree, I find this picture largely to be true, although to be fair many business-type individuals would also like the concubines to be dressed as waitresses or construction workers, depending on gender and sexual orientation.

The problem is, I want these things too, but my youthful idealism has hung on just enough to make obtaining them impossible, so I have to make do with halfhearted assurances that I’m making a difference in the world around me and if I change just one person’s life with my work then blah blah bling blah bloo.

posted 10-15-2001 12:27 AM               

quote:

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So, Kev, now that you've quit your job and all, does that mean that your youthful idealism has returned with a vengeance, or is this just a tactical retreat to try and figure out another way to get the concubines?

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I think that youthful idealism can attract an entirely different class of concubines, less willing to bathe, but more willing to invite friends.

Oh, shut up.

posted 10-20-2002 11:19 PM               

The edit feature is very nice.

What can be done to increase demand? Isn't aristotle's law of non-contradiction the foundation, lynchpin, keystone, or any other pivotal this is really very important stuff rhetoric of all western thought?