September 11, 2015

2015.09.11
Atwater ordered food. The waiter said: 'That dish takes twenty- five minutes.' Atwater said: 'I have my life before me.' The waiter went away, shaking his head.
Anthony Powell, "Afternoon Men"
'Americans always have such a lot of misdirected party spirit,' said Gosling. 'One came to a party I gave two years ago and drank so much that he died soon after.'
Anthony Powell, "Afternoon Men"
He laughed and lay in her arms, kissing her. The universe seemed notably absent.
Anthony Powell, "Afternoon Men"
Being a novice is safe. When you are learning how to do something, you do not have to worry about whether or not you are good at it. But when you have done something, have learned how to do it, you are not safe any more. Being an expert opens you up to judgement.
Helen Macdonald, "H is for Hawk"
Hunting in Maine is not obviously riven with centuries of class and privilege. There are no vast pheasant shoots here where bankers vie for the largest bags, no elite grouse moors or exclusive salmon rivers. All the land can be hunted over by virtue of common law, and locals are very proud of this egalitarian tradition. Years ago I read an article in a 1942 edition of Outdoor Life that stirred wartime sentiment by appealing to it. 'One of my grandfathers came from northern Europe for the single reason that he wanted to live in a country where he could try to catch a fish without sneaking onto some nobleman's property where the common people were excluded.'
Helen Macdonald, "H is for Hawk"

Jimminy F'in Crickets; somehow my (autoreloading) Dunkies card has been used for $465.29 of NY/NJ charges since 8/23.

I've been seeing more crap like this lately; I cancelled my old number because of mysterio Uber charges.

It's why I only keep one card, and try to watch it like a hawk.