Two Variations On the Theme of It Finally Happened, And How Long it Took.
Today, with lunch, I had a cup of Nescafe. An hour later, doing some reading for my grad school apps ("A Game-Theoretic Analysis of Corruption in Bureaucracies", Era Dabla-Norris, IMF Working Paper, 2000), on page eleven, I found myself thinking, boy, that was a tasty cup of coffee. Today is Wednesday, October 26th, 2005: one year, four months, and fourteen days since I arrived in Kazakhstan, and that, my friends, is how long it took for me to enjoy instant coffee.
Furthermore, in March 1973, Thomas Pynchon published "Gravity's Rainbow", an ode to Pavlovian psychology, Nazi rocket technology, and paranoia, in which, on page 614 (Bantam, 1974 edition), he wrote the following dialogue:
"'But what if they did shoot him?'
'No. They weren't supposed to.'
'Springer, this ain't the fuckin' movies now, come on.'
'Not yet. Maybe not quite yet. You'd better enjoy it while you can. Someday, when the film is fast enough, the equipment pocket-size and burdenless and selling at people's prices, the lights and booms no longer necessary, then...then...'"
Furthermore, in March 1973, Thomas Pynchon published "Gravity's Rainbow", an ode to Pavlovian psychology, Nazi rocket technology, and paranoia, in which, on page 614 (Bantam, 1974 edition), he wrote the following dialogue:
"'But what if they did shoot him?'
'No. They weren't supposed to.'
'Springer, this ain't the fuckin' movies now, come on.'
'Not yet. Maybe not quite yet. You'd better enjoy it while you can. Someday, when the film is fast enough, the equipment pocket-size and burdenless and selling at people's prices, the lights and booms no longer necessary, then...then...'"
4 Comments:
Hey Ryan.
Just wanted to let you know I still read your blog and I still love hearing about Cock-A-Stan.
Madagascar is insane! I'm up at a quarter to three in the morning just to get a decent internet connection. Aaah!
Classes are going better. I miss you. I send you lots of good thoughts. Send some back.
Lindsay
Incidentally, when are we going to get our blogs in POME form?
POME FORM? COMING RIGHT UP
Hi Lindsey,
I'm glad you're doing better. I think about you often and worry a little. I hunger (hunger!) for news from you, but it sounds like your internet access is the limiting reagent there.
I would love to visit. Um. We'll see if we can arrange that somehow in the next year.
Ryan
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