Sunday, June 22, 2008

Forgive Me

"For what what the world spends on defense every 2.5 hours, about $300 million, smallpox was eliminated back in the late seventies. For the price of a single new nuclear-attack submarine, $726 million to $1 billion, we could send 5 to 7.5 million Third World children to school for a year. For the price of a single B-1 bomber, about $285 million, we could provide basic immunization treatments, such as shots for chicken pox, diphtheria, and measles, to the roughly 575 million children in the world who lack them, thus saving 2.5 million lives annually. For what the world spends on defense every forty hours, abut $4.6 billion, we could provide sanitary water for every human being who currently lacks it."
--James A. Dunnigan and Albert A. Nofi




I loathe writing about vice. I find myself increasingly saddled with responsibility, deadlines, demands, external and internal pressures, and it's hard on my system. I can't drink anymore, can't tolerate fatty fried foods, don't have time for messy affairs even if I had the desire for them.

So forgive me if I numb my brain with occasional images of 7-foot behemoths smashing spherical material through nylon mesh, while I yell at the TV, "De-fence! C'mon!"

Forgive me if I swear at computer screens 'fuck you piece of shit you have one function in life why can't you do it?!'

Forgive me if I swear too much in general, grumble and complain and sometimes neglect the pleasantries.

Forgive me if I take work to bed and sleep in come morning.

Forgive me if I need a little caffeine in the morning, and if I come off a little cynical when you're whimsical, dreaming your dreams for two.

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Comments:
Strikes me that the impersonal gods who rule us seem to think that "offing" a large number of poeple will solve at leaast part of the food problem.

Bob Dylan.

When ya gonna wake up
When ya gonna wake up.
Don't let Henry Kissinger tie you in a knot.
When ya gonna wake up?
 
Some of the best creative writing (and painting) has been accomplished while on a caffeine high, so no need to aplogize.
(works for me)
 
I actually love writing about vice. I think it's funny.

I would whimsically point out that the computer monitor doesn't have a life, and is therefore really immune to the need of self-actualization. It really can't care whether it works or not.

The problem is, I see too many people like that.
 
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

It appears that someone takes themselves too seriously. Do you have a tweed jacket with leather elbow pads, a pipe to pontificate around? Do you get invited to the toniest parties as a party favor, that touch of celebrity? No? Then you haven't worked hard enough at your craft. Haven't turned it into a vice to write about some would say.

Personally "fuck it or 'em" works in any given situation and a fried Jalapeño is a cleansing agent for both bowel and soul.

Have another martini and sleep in. the words will be there for writing when you are.
 
Ivan: even in his born again phase he made a lot of sense. if by gods you mean the ones on earth we're completely agreed.

wilsonart: how different would art be without caffeine?

XD: i could forgive the computer its lack of ambition if it wasn't so smug about it.

TWM: taking oneself too seriously is good comedy.
 
no need to be forgiven. You are obviously a talented and hilarious person. Whatever you're doing, cussing or consuming far too much caffeine, it's working.

and what x. dell said about the computer is absolutely true and had me and the people who read over my shoulder lauging hysterically.
 
egads ..
you sound just like me ..
and don't you just hate smug computers .. :)
 
oh, it's me ..
foam
 
Foam: they're all smug. have you seen I, Robot? terrible movie, but it made a good point.
 
It took me a second (well a day or two) to see something but in the beginning portion about defense spending Benji, isn't the figure higher with the American war. Aren't we spending on the order of $5,000,000 a second just on Iraq?
 
TWM: yes. those figures are from 2003 or earlier so they're in fact much higher now. bad as things were with clin-ton, they got worse with bush as the fool on the hill.
 
Computers also taunt and make empty promises.

The amount of money is really mind boggling, as is the human cost of course.

The end of this was very heartfelt.
 
I checked...it is $5000 a second
 
Oh poor you! Can't drink anymore? Awful.

Thanks for leaving such a nice comment on my other blog Middle Ditch. I never know under what name I should blog and I alternate it.
 
Lynn: yeah, and the e-waste! why do we use these things?

TWM: such a disgusting number. Most expensive assassination of a foreign dictator ever.
 
Monique: well, not in any great quantity anyway. my poor wife, being pregnant, can't drink at all! and the near-beer tastes like skunk pee.
 
Ouch!

...and iRobot is a book I need to read. I doubt somehow that it contains the main character shamelessly endorsing All-Stars like he did in the movie.
 
sometimes good books make the worst movies. and sometimes vice versa.
 
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