Capitalism and the Best of All Possible Worlds

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In his novel "I Married a Communist," Philip Roth writes: "He tells you capitalism is a dog-eat-dog system. What is life if not a dog-eat-dog system? This is a system that is in tune with life. And because it is, it works.

"Look, everything the Communists say about capitalism is true, and everything the capitalists say about Communism is true. The difference is, our system works because it's based on the truth about people's selfishness, and theirs doesn't because it's based on a fairy tale about people's brotherhood. It's such a crazy fairy tale they've got to take people and put them in Siberia in order to get them to believe it."

-- Roger Cohen for The New York Times

Mr. Cohen is actually writing in response to one of those sleazy business practices: backdating stock options to when the stock market was at its lowest during the 9/11 aftermath, a sort of profiteering off the terrorist attacks on America. But you can see the thought evolves from there.

Life in the real world, baby, is no perfect world, and we have to make do with what we got! The real choices.

Though, like religion, it is perhaps irresistible, especially for life's losers, to think that life can be better than this. Some day. Over the rainbow. When there is more on tap than bitter vinegar. Whatever gets you through the day, baby!

( Cohen column )

xXx

Capitalism and the Best of All Possible Worlds

♠
In his novel "I Married a Communist," Philip Roth writes: "He tells you capitalism is a dog-eat-dog system. What is life if not a dog-eat-dog system? This is a system that is in tune with life. And because it is, it works.

"Look, everything the Communists say about capitalism is true, and everything the capitalists say about Communism is true. The difference is, our system works because it's based on the truth about people's selfishness, and theirs doesn't because it's based on a fairy tale about people's brotherhood. It's such a crazy fairy tale they've got to take people and put them in Siberia in order to get them to believe it."

-- Roger Cohen for The New York Times

Mr. Cohen is actually writing in response to one of those sleazy business practices: backdating stock options to when the stock market was at its lowest during the 9/11 aftermath, a sort of profiteering off the terrorist attacks on America. But you can see the thought evolves from there.

Life in the real world, baby, is no perfect world, and we have to make do with what we got! The real choices.

Though, like religion, it is perhaps irresistible, especially for life's losers, to think that life can be better than this. Some day. Over the rainbow. When there is more on tap than bitter vinegar. Whatever gets you through the day, baby!

( Cohen column )

xXx

E-Religion

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TIRUCHIRAPALLI, India -- Balaji, a Hindu priest, stood before the reclining god and offered a plate of coconut and bananas. His chest bare and his face adorned with red and yellow sacred paste, he set the food at the foot of a statue that Hindus regard as an embodiment of the powerful god Vishnu.

Following ancient tradition deep inside one of India's oldest and holiest temples, he chanted Vishnu's names 108 times to beseech health, wealth and good fortune -- not for himself, but for an Indian emigrant living in London who had purchased the prayer with her credit card on a Hindu Web site.

-- Kevin Sullivan for The Washington Post

Evidently, religion is getting so big on the Internet that it is even rivaling Internet porn. Just let me say, if you ever hear of Monk buying such religious services online instead of Internet porn, go ahead and hire a contract killer online to shoot me, because I have obviously lost all my will to live.

xXx

E-Religion

♠
TIRUCHIRAPALLI, India -- Balaji, a Hindu priest, stood before the reclining god and offered a plate of coconut and bananas. His chest bare and his face adorned with red and yellow sacred paste, he set the food at the foot of a statue that Hindus regard as an embodiment of the powerful god Vishnu.

Following ancient tradition deep inside one of India's oldest and holiest temples, he chanted Vishnu's names 108 times to beseech health, wealth and good fortune -- not for himself, but for an Indian emigrant living in London who had purchased the prayer with her credit card on a Hindu Web site.

-- Kevin Sullivan for The Washington Post

Evidently, religion is getting so big on the Internet that it is even rivaling Internet porn. Just let me say, if you ever hear of Monk buying such religious services online instead of Internet porn, go ahead and hire a contract killer online to shoot me, because I have obviously lost all my will to live.

xXx

After the Rains

The way the sun clears through this afternoon
drying out our street-rivers and lawn-ponds
and one can already see the yard greening

even as we know the Nile system can spin back
and turn around and come down on us again

xXx

After the Rains

The way the sun clears through this afternoon
drying out our street-rivers and lawn-ponds
and one can already see the yard greening

even as we know the Nile system can spin back
and turn around and come down on us again

xXx

Fun Reading First

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The "Israel" book is being reduced to just the morning reading. As much as Monk supposedly finds the history dramatic and fascinating, he needs the pure pleasure of escapist fiction more, where there is a greater hunger to turn the pages, even if it is about as edifying as pornography.

The fear was that Monk might not get around to finishing "Magic Mountain." It cannot serve as the fun reading, after all. The first thought was to go back to having such serious literature serve as weekend reading, but even that is no longer bearable. The answer is to treat it as serious reading, which means leaving it aside until after the library season. The fun reading gets all the weekend.

One has to get some enjoyment from life.

xXx

Fun Reading First

♠
The "Israel" book is being reduced to just the morning reading. As much as Monk supposedly finds the history dramatic and fascinating, he needs the pure pleasure of escapist fiction more, where there is a greater hunger to turn the pages, even if it is about as edifying as pornography.

The fear was that Monk might not get around to finishing "Magic Mountain." It cannot serve as the fun reading, after all. The first thought was to go back to having such serious literature serve as weekend reading, but even that is no longer bearable. The answer is to treat it as serious reading, which means leaving it aside until after the library season. The fun reading gets all the weekend.

One has to get some enjoyment from life.

xXx

You Don't Know Me

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Playing Elvis-radio in the background, Monk hears "You Don't Know Me," a favorite, and he was inspired to see if YouTube has it. He did not see Elvis, but he tried the version by Michael Buble, and he fell in love with it.

You Don't Know Me

♠
Playing Elvis-radio in the background, Monk hears "You Don't Know Me," a favorite, and he was inspired to see if YouTube has it. He did not see Elvis, but he tried the version by Michael Buble, and he fell in love with it.