La Javanaise

I've probably never better understood KP's feelings about the woefulness of translating poetry until now.

La Javanaise is a bittersweet French love song by Serge Gainsbourg. The refrain is (badly translated) "If you don't mind, while dancing the Javanaise, our love lasted long as a song."

But the Javanaise isn't a dance. It's a slang. A French slang where you keep slipping in V's where they don't belong (think pig Latin).

Almost every stressed syllable in the verses begins with V's. If you don't mind, love in Javanaise, as long as a song. I'm just... that's... yeah. Wow.

More Harry Potter news

Jo Rowling at Carnegie Hall

Fresh air

I personally like "...before it was cool"

Vent

T. once told me of his ride in the back of a landscaping truck with a bunch of good old boys who told racist jokes along the way. What offended him, he said, was not so much the jokes (we've all heard offensive jokes) but rather that these guys had judged him to be someone who would find such things funny. I related to that.

I believe that with power comes responsibility. It offends me when those in positions of power do not use their power to lift up (or protect) those with less power. Perhaps the ideal of equality is less widely or genuinely held than I would like to believe. Perhaps people are just short-sighted. But I expect men to speak out against sexism, whites against racism, natives against xenophobia, heterosexuals against homophobia, Christians against religious bigotry. Not because a white straight Protestant American male is better or nobler or stronger than anyone else; rather because he is given the most power in society.

I spent my teens growing accustomed to social conservatism, the desire of people in various majorities to conserve the social status and power they held. I never grew accustomed to economic conservatism, though, perhaps because I didn't grow up surrounded by people with lots of money. I spent my twenties neither rich nor poor, needing to watch my money but confident in my future. On the eve of my thirtieth birthday I spoke to C. in England, and said that I felt I had enough income to live comfortably.

2002 was a watershed year. I turned thirty. America went to war. I went to America. My income and net worth began a steady climb. And I began to be surrounded for the first time with true economic conservatives.

I had always considered the best parts of my life to be mainly due to the good fortune and charity of others: my parents and grandparents who loved me, taught me values and looked out for me; teachers who showed belief in me and gave me opportunities; cousins and friends who shared themselves with me and gave me the confidence to be myself with them,; charitable people who funded scholarships and assistantships; taxpayers who subsidized my education; I could go on. I did my part, but it seemed a vanishingly small part.

So when I was surrounded by other people who were experiencing financial success, I expected to find a community of humble, grateful people who were energized by the possibility of what a difference they could make in the lives of others. Instead I found people who, while on the whole very affable and kind, were mainly preoccupied with the resolution of their new television, the features of their new car, the size of their new deck. These were not bad people; I like many of them. I just could not relate to the lack of humility or sense of responsibility.

Now thirty-five and in Texas, I find a different sort of economic conservative. Jealous of his money, he sees the world conspiring to mug him. He seeks to conserve his economic position, while dismissing equally the distasteful rants of the social conservatives (those nice Untouchables will work for less) and the tiresome complaints of the downtrodden (we can't afford to touch everyone).

But this is not what offends me. I am offended by this: on a weekly basis I am subjected to conspiratorial theses or jokes by those who seem desperate to convince themselves that anyone who would claim wealth carries responsibilities is motivated by greed or stupidity. Not greedy or stupid, us, we privileged.

Perhaps I am unfair. But to hear complaints about entitlement programs from those whose lives (like mine) *are* entitlement programs... it feels insulting, and with hot blood in the face I bite my tongue. Because wealth does carry responsibility, and my responsibility is not to waste the good I can do on self-defeating office rants. Too easy.

But still, another evening gone.

Evolution

"the implication of Wolpert's argument is that, at least under some circumstances, it is better to persist in an irrational belief than to vacillate, even if new evidence or ratiocination favours a change."

Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion

If you are familiar with the Prisoner's Dilemna (Wikipedia it), it is interesting to me the parallels between the selfish benefits of selflessness and the problem of natural selection of irrational belief. Coincidence? I think not.

Burning Supplies

I do keep thinking of stuff to blog, but as stated in a long past blog, good writing requires you to - in a sense - stop thinking long enough to express a past thought well. My mind hasn't been amenable to stopping, so no real blogs.

This one is practical, though. I am doing a cleanup of the flat, and have several pages of "things to buy for burning man." I've been holding on to them b/c I haven't wanted to throw them out without reviewing them. Specifically, what did I think I needed but didn't, or vice versa.

Without further ado,

**************************
Burning Man Supplies Recap
**************************

• AAA Card - good idea but not necessary. Terrain isn't that harsh, and lots of people on the roads, but it is in the middle of nowhere and gas is hard to come by.


• batteries - yeah, but didn't use that many. It's not that dark at night, so headlamps aren't on all the time. Maybe a half dozen or so.


• beef jerky - i did eat it all, so that's good, but you really don't want things that make you thirsty. I hated it by the end. Get real meat (ham with water added) instead.


• bicycles - again, yes and no. It's not *that* bad to walk. Cycling is much faster (water run in 10 minutes rather than 40) but the "roads" kill your rear end. Either pad the seat, make a mutant vehicle, or walk. That said, small cheapo bike is fine, just tighten it.


• bike bell - nah


• bike carrier (car) - absolute must


• bike headlamps - yes


• bike locks - absolutely


• bike rack for back of bike - nah, but a front basket is great


• bike repair kit - eh


• bike taillight - not so important really so long as you have headlamp


• bike water bottle - eh


• binoculars - didn't have, small and light would have been good, as lots to see.


• breads - yes for sandwiches. Keep it moist


• breakfast bars - didn't have, wouldn't recommend


• bug spray - no


• bungee cords - yes, for stringing up stuff in tent. 4-6 is fine.


• camelback - yes, light one, put ice in it YUM


• gifts - fewer, smaller, relevant


• chapstick - yes, 1-2 sticks


• collapsible shovel - no


• compass - nah


• cooler - essential. Wheeled is great.


• costumes - yes (1-3)


• disposable camera - ok


• dust mask - either that or bandana is absolute necessity


• earplugs - if light sleeper. yes, to be safe


• fire extinguisher - suppose


• first aid - must


• fix a flat - nah, have AAA


• flashlights - use headlamp


• fleece/sweater - 1 is fine


• frisbee - ok, but do you want to carry?


• fruit cocktail - would have been great


• gatorade - hated it. hated it. Sprite was a godsend.


• gloves - didn't use, but did get a blister, so I suppose good.


• goggles - essential only behind water


• GPS - unnecessary


• hand sanitizer - yes, 2-3 little bottles from Target hooked to beltloop


• hat with chinstrap - yes, though no necessary if sunscreened


• head lamps - yes, can serve as bike headlamp probably


• high wind candles - no


• ice insulated bags - yes, but *must* be very strong, or else have an outer bag to carry


• instant cooked food - hit or miss. oatmeat good, lasagne passable, rice dishes blandly icky


• lawnchair - yes, but nice if one is there, tend to be some around


• lemonade mix - ick. ick ick, at least instant.


• luggage - well yeah, but it *will* get dust embedded in it for eternity


• matches/lighters - 1 lighter


• nuts - awful. dries the mouth, intolerable. threw them out.


• pb&j - would have been okay maybe with a drink (the J part), but nah


• plastic bottles/tennis balls - to cover stakes. Use bright orange stakes instead, else yes.


• portable shower w drain - cheated this. tough one; yes but drain is something to still figure out.


• power charger for car - yes.


• pyjamas - yes


• multitool - yes, for the scissors/knife and pliers part.


• road atlas - yes, or AAA maps


• sandals - yes, but remember sunscreen for feet!


• long shirt - ok, tho for coverage not warmth


• short shirt - yes


• shorts - yes, or swimtrunks / cool undies


• sleeping bag - yes


• soap - liquid better


• socks - nah


• spray mist bottle - yes, 1


• stove - nah, but if no access then no "just add hot water" foods


• tarot deck - didn't use, no unless built into something


• tarp/plastic sheeting - yes yes yes. car, tent, inside after you leave, bring 3x what you think you need.


• tent - yes, unvented if possible. all about the dust


• tire pump - for bike, yeah i suppose


• toilet paper - yes, but less than you think (some there, and you go less than you'd expect)


• toothbrush/paste - yes


• towels - yes, 1 each + 1 in case


• trash bags - yes, though we went ovweboard. needed about 15 all told.


• travel neck pillow - good not essential


• tripod light/lantern - used overhead light; want some fixed source for tent.


• trousers - not really, 1 for travel back (hot day, costume night)


• umbrella/shade structure - if none for camp. not stay in tent, too hot, need breeze.


• utensils - depends on food.


• vienna sausages - didn't take, suspect would be OK but need drink.


• visine - yes, but clean eyelashes first w/ water else salt runs in eyes, makes worse. get normal kind, not allergy watery-eye


• walkie talkie - nah


• washbasin - nah


• washcloth/puff - 1 ok, not critical, but exfoliating puff afterwards is great


• water - yes, 2 gal/day fine


• sunscreen - yes, and use it


• wet naps - yes, but didn't use tons.


• windbreaker - ok, wasn't cold in '07


• zip ties - optional


• ziplock bags - ok, but NOT repeat NOT waterproof. if could find waterproof would be great


• blanket - ok, want some kind of underneath layer below sleeping bags (little rocks)


• advil - should be part of good 1st aid kit


• kite - ok, good environment if you get out into playa


• videocam - yes, but need approval and keep it polite (good for surveying art, capturing vibe)


• plastic cups - yes, lots if serving drinks but mind disposal


• skin lotion - good idea

Wish we'd had:

• more juicy stuff (think nectarine not apple)


• soda


• more ham


• more cheese

So that's that. And now back to our regularly scheduled procrastination...