Comments | primary_benelux: (82) A relevant excerpt from The Art of Governing.

primary_benelux

(82) A relevant excerpt from The Art of Governing.

Apr 13, 2006 01:24

RELGREY: Ambrose Bierce once defined a year as consisting of "a period of 365 disappointments." Ever since I chanced upon that witticism, I've toyed with the tyranny of time and advanced a step further than Bierce by actually measuring my life in the number of disappointments. Of course, one does not experience a single disappointment per day. ( Read more... )

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joshuavorbis April 13 2006, 16:24:07 UTC

YES. THANK YOU. An excellent spark of inspiration. I needed something to read and I need to read a Bierce book. I will let you know what I choose.

primary_benelux April 13 2006, 20:01:44 UTC

I don't think he ever wrote novels (in fact, he mocked them in one of his revisionist definitions), but I'm sure there's something that compiles his short stories somewhere. As for The Devil's Dictionary, I bought an unabridged version from Borders for $2, and it's definitely a worthwhile investment.

yes joshuavorbis April 13 2006, 20:04:02 UTC

I have only read a few short stories, so I was referring to some sort of compilation, which is exactly what I got. There just isn't a lot of stuff of his floating around here, apparently.

Re: yes primary_benelux April 13 2006, 20:11:15 UTC

Ahh, where are you at?

Re: yes joshuavorbis April 13 2006, 20:16:27 UTC

i'm in Wilmington, NC, but I'll be moving in a month to the capital of the state. Bookstores there are quality and plentiful. I will feel more at home and at ease there.

Re: yes primary_benelux April 13 2006, 20:21:12 UTC

Oh yes, there shouldn't be any shortage of those in the Research Triangle! My city was the last state capital to have a public library. We're always so far behind on everything.

Re: yes joshuavorbis April 13 2006, 20:30:45 UTC

this is the part where i ask you what capital would that be? i will first venture three guesses.

1)pierre, south dakota
2)santa fe, new mexico
3)tallahassee, florida

Re: yes primary_benelux April 14 2006, 01:54:14 UTC

Bam! #3 it is. Can't believe Juneau squeezed one in before we did.

Oh! primary_benelux April 14 2006, 07:46:24 UTC

And now we're the only state capital without a performing arts center. They've been debating on one for years but still can't make up their minds because it takes 25 years to decide anything here. Of course, I think it should be constructed, but I think it'd be even better if they modelled it after the plans Walter Gropius made to build a civic center here in 1955 (plans which were scrapped mainly because he didn't take segregation into account and the public was uninterested). The plans are still in the Strozier Library at Florida State. I've seen them once and thought it was marvellous. We'd finally have some interesting architecture here if we were to build it.

Re: Oh! joshuavorbis April 14 2006, 14:37:06 UTC

well, i cheated. i knew it was tallahassee because i clicked on the links in your LJ profile for clues. but i've been to tallahassee, so it didn't surprise me all that much. what a weird place.

NC's triangle is a nice place, no doubt. it's really grown on me since i've lived elsewhere, so i'm anxious to get there and start grad school in the fall. good luck fighting the powers that be in tallahassee (take that line and RAP IT in a protest somewhere). i'm gonna make you an LJ friend because i want to.

it is nice to meet you, i am joshua.

Re: Oh! primary_benelux April 14 2006, 15:38:58 UTC

Ahh, it's okay. I haven't been to Raleigh -- the closest I've come to it would be I-95 when I rode a Greyhound to New York City and back.
I'm Ian, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

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