Ho rinviato

I took nine months off to give birth to a notion. While I was out, I see that the world didn't improved one whit and in many ways is worse off than when I took my leave. "Disce pati" still applies, it looks like: Learn to endure.

For the record, I think I'm off the clever visuals and cutesy Boing Boing discoveries. Doesn't feel right for the times, really, if you're paying attention to what's going on out there in the national wilderness and global agora. I'm thinking what this country needs is a good five-cent contraceptive. We could stand to have the power cut for three-four days and see how we hold up without "Survivor" or Marie Osmond dancing her way into our subconscious. (Heavens, the TV writer's strike is making it hard enough!) It wouldn't take long to find out that we're not all that civilized, not too terribly enlightened -- in short, just like everyone else on earth, and that might be a good thing. American exceptionalism: Bad idea.

By the way, when are we going to start that fabled middle-class rebellion?

Not today. It's Sunday. The Pats are playin' the Eagles.