Dalrymple Sighting
Aye, at times my ignorance surprises even me. Dalrymple has written a great little book review/essay about an author whose name doesn't even ring a bell: Paul Hollander, a man who "is not one of those sociologists who disdains to make his meaning clear to the average man, or at least to the average educated man. Though English was not his mother tongue, he writes with force, clarity, and even elegance."
The review touches on a ton of issues that interest me: anti-Americanism, personal ads, growing old, utopianism, and even my old favorite topic: ennui:
Hollander can find social significance in the apparently trivial detail, like the phrase uttered by all of his retired friends and colleagues: “Busier than ever.” (I have used it myself, often, since I retired from hospital practice.) Why should the elderly in our society be busier than ever rather than, say, contemplative, as they are in other societies? Secularization has led to the general belief that human life has no transcendent meaning beyond itself; it is necessary, therefore, to pack as much into it as possible, to prolong it as long as possible, and to ward off disturbing thoughts of dissolution. Ceaseless activity will accomplish these things. The hyperactivity of American retirees suggests that religious belief is much less rooted in American life than is commonly believed.
The book is a bit salty for my tastes ($39.95), but once the used copies start circulating on Amazon, I plan to pick one up . . . that or wait for the paperback (or movie).
The Daily Eudemon Freak-Out
It's a fact that people have a disproportionate fear of things they hear about anecdotally: stories mentally far outweigh solid statistics. That's part of the reason people fear flying: the anecdotes (that fiery crash replayed on CNN twelve times) outweigh statistics that show it's the safest way to travel. So, just in time for the swine flu outbreak: The Five Deadliest Pandemics of All Time. It's a pretty good list, stretching all the way back to The Peloponnesian War:
The very first pandemic in recorded history was described by Thucydides. In 430 BC, during the Peloponnesian war between Athens and Sparta, the Greek historian told of a great pestilence that wiped out over 30,000 of the citizens of Athens (roughly one to two thirds of all Athenians died).
BTW: I've emailed a doctor friend of mine that is an expert on infectious diseases to get his opinion on the swine flu. When I get a response, I'll pass it along, unless (of course, of course) my survival depends on the rest of you dying, in which case I'll pass along some disinformation.
B16 in the Holy Land
Received in an email:
As you may know, Pope Benedict XVI is about to embark on a pilgrimage tour in Israel in a mission of peace and reconciliation. His Holiness defined his pilgrimage to the Holy Land as a visit to the birthplace of the Christian faith.
The Pontiff's pilgrimage will take him to Jerusalem, Nazareth and Bethlehem, and will take place between May 11th and May 15th 2009.
In order to provide catholics around the world with as much information as possible regarding the pope visit, the Israel Ministry of tourism has set up a website that will cover all the planned pilgrimage details, and supply news and updates on the pope visit to Israel in real-time.
You may view the website here:
http://www.holyland-pilgrimage.org/en/
A Notre Dame alumni coalition verified that donors have pledged to withhold $8.2 million from the university in protest of the school's decision to honor President Barack Obama.
The coalition launched the national outreach effort one week ago, appealing to alumni and benefactors to hold back donations until the university's president, Father John Jenkins, is replaced.
