July 26, 2003
-
what I read while I was gone:
-harry potter book two
-the handmaid’s tale, atwood
-sorcery rising, jude fisher
-nickel and dimed, on (not) getting by in america , barbara ehrenreich
-the life and art of charles schreyvogel– painter, historian of the american fighting army, james horan
chas schreyvogel sounds an aweful lot like my granddad.
…not just a great artist, but a great Man.
mom and I got our feet done
and wouldja look at all those girl cousins??
(those are mine, that look like they might melt if water touched them)
an we stopped by our propity to take a look see.
sell or build…sell or build…
then I read nickel and dimed and not getting by in america and decided I was lowlife capitalist scum, no joke. we should sell it and open a low income daycare center.
I still haven’t read fast food nation. I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet.
excerpt from nickel and dimed:
guilt, you may be thinking warily. isn’t that what we’re supposed to feel? but guilt doesn’t go anywhere near far enough; the appropriate emotion is shame– shame at our own dependency, in this case, on the underpaid labor of others. when someone works for less pay than she can live on– when, for example, she goes hungry so that you can eat more cheaply and conveniently– then she has made a great sacrifice for you, she has made a gift of some part of her abilities, her health, her life. the “working poor,” as they are approvingly termed, are in fact the major philanthropists of our society. they neglect their own children so that the children of others may be cared for; they live in substandard housing so that other homes will be shiny and perfect; they endure privation so that inflation will be low and stock prices high. to be a member of the working poor is to be an anonymous donor, a nameless benefactor, to everyone else.
this book should be required reading for all north americans.
Comments (10)
WOW, that book does look interesting.
Fast Food Nation is good.
I’m not reading. I’m in cold wet grey London and finished the Fasting Girl which was a heavy sociological volume that strayed off-topic (it had, too, so ‘thin’ and boring was the topic) too much. I’m just going to veg. out and watch tv and read tabloids for a month.
I’ve been working poor, I’ve busted my ass working three jobs seven days a week for what one employer termed “starvation wages”. I lost 20lbs that I couldn’t afford to lose and had bruises on my legs from lack of protein. It sucks.
Danny was a homeless Drug addict/panhandler pushing a shopping cart for three years…
Personally, we don’t mind being able to buy new furniture and fill our bellies, the point is that we remember to give back. And at some point when we’re totally stable in a house, etc, we’re gonna open a homeless shelter and a battered woman’s shelter. That’s our goal. I don’t believe we should feel shame, but we should remember that the only reason Cain asked “Am I my brother’s keeper?” is because he’d killed him. Sorry this’ so long, glad you’re back-sounds like you had a fun time! Now, where were you exactly?
-M
North Americans can read?
Hi
glad to see you back. On the subject of… well… this… have you ever read Karma Cola by Gheta Mehta (not sure of the spelling there)? About the imperialist consumerism being imposed on developing nations. Depressing but real.
Been waiting for your return, Wonder Woman.
i’m reading the book of guys by garrison keillor and watched the second hp movie (the first two hp books blew anyway and columbus took the easy way out and decided to produce the next one).
“:D
and that book sounds like stuff i figured out in 11th grade anyway :O
missed you. M.Atwood is coming here in October to speak. i’m quite excited about it. the land looks peaceful, is there a highway behind you or are you secluded? anyhow, glad you are back.
highway and mountains directly behind and above, but there are two railway crossings too… still, rural as all get out. (15 acres)
I wish I could hear M. Atwood speak…too cool…
I’m reading Karma Kola!!!!
Are you freakin’ serious???? that is amazing. We are different people, right? RIGHT?
cool.