posted by admin at 7:44 am
On the Road is younger than John McCain.
I wonder what John McCain, who was around 21 when On The Road was published and who was already indoctrinated or on his way to being indoctrinated into the very structured military way-of-life, thought about this classic work… one that was filled with sex, fueled by drugs, and so much about journeying for the sake of journeying (I think there’s a line in there somewhere about there being “no place to go but everywhere”) and experiencing humanity for the sake of experiencing humanity.
I wonder if he’s ever read it. I wonder if he can relate to people who swear by it.
Not that anyone asked, but here’s my favorite passage from the book (and it’s probably also my favorite from any book):
“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes ‘Awww!’”.
And finally, I also love the forward that he wrote for this classic.
Buy the book: "72 Things Younger Than John McCain"
posted by admin at 4:25 pm
“Prosser on Torts” is younger than John McCain.
While researching this topic, I learned several things:
1. A “tort” is “the name given to a body of law that creates, and provides remedies for, civil wrongs that do not arise out of contractual duties.”
2. “Prosser on Torts” is a book that is widely regarded as the leading work on the subject of tort law… and has been so for many, many generations.
3. Many people believe that tort laws need to be reformed because the high costs of compensation awards are passed through to consumers. (It should be noted that others blame insurance companies and our very litigious society.)
4. John McCain’s take on tort reform includes voting for a bill “that would place caps on damage awards in medical malpractice suits against obstetricians and gynecologists” (Roll Call #15, 02/24/04) and a bill “that would bar lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, dealers and importers of firearms” (Roll Call #16, 02/25/04).
5. And, finally, Google Images still has a very, very long way to go (see above).
(Thanks to Jill and her co-workers for the tip!)
Buy the book: "72 Things Younger Than John McCain"
posted by admin at 2:22 pm
Let Us Now Praise Famous Men is younger than John McCain.
This classic work by writer James Agee and photographer Walker Evans started as a New Deal program designed to put focus on the poorest segments of the American population - to produce, as Agee says in the preface, “a photographic and verbal record of the daily living and environment of an average white family of tenant farmers.”
I think the fact that he described the subjects as “an average white family” is part of what gives the quote context… and it shows what the country was like way back then. An equally interesting point to ponder is the question of who’s writing this book today? Who are today’s tenant farmers?
And what kind of person is going to put more focus on their plight?
Buy the book: "72 Things Younger Than John McCain"
posted by admin at 10:02 pm
The Grapes of Wrath is younger than John McCain.
I have to admit that I never read the book (1939) and was only turned on to the movie (1940) because of the Springsteen album (The Ghost of Tom Joad) but its message is timeless (I guess that’s part of what makes a classic).
In a nutshell, the economy is down the drain, lenders are foreclosing left and right, there are more applicants than there are jobs, and people are in search of a way to return to dignity.
Hmm, I wonder if they’ll ever make a sequel?
Buy the book: "72 Things Younger Than John McCain"
posted by admin at 9:38 pm
