Crankster

Monday, December 17, 2007

Update

Whenever I take a little time away from blogging, my brain fills up with all sorts of weird useless screeds that I feel the need to download. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of time to do so right now, so here are three things that are currently floating around, in no particular order:

1. A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I had started reading Raymond Chandler. Well, last week I finished. Having now read all of his books, I would strongly recommend him to anyone who likes tight, philosophical, inspiring, and generally outstanding writing. I really got a kick out of his last two novels. The Long Goodbye is a depressing but honest contemplation on disillusionment and betrayal. Although it's a downer, it is also an honest end to Chandler's oeuvre, and would have been a good place to stop. However, a few years later, he wrote Playback. Much more energetic and lighthearted, it seems shallow after The Long Goodbye, but is a lot more fun to read. Best of all, Chandler writes his main character, Philip Marlowe, an awesomely hopeful ending in it. I liked it so much that I had to read the last ten pages twice.

That having been said, you need to eat dinner before you can get to dessert, and without The Long Goodbye, the ending to Playback doesn't make any sense. Together, though, they are a perfect meal.


2. I am working in a temp job that I really don't like very much. As I was financially strapped after the Jerome incident, I needed a job quickly and took the first temp assignment that came down the pike. It doesn't pay very much, and is in Human Resources. My job is refiling the entire employee records of a large company. In the process, I have to go through every record, which makes me feel a little bit like God. More precisely, I feel like a sad god, as I have to read these little biographies that detail the constant struggle for security and job satisfaction, which is so often undermined by drinking, divorce, cruddy superiors, and other problems. Added to this, I want to shoot most of the executives in the company, as they keep giving themselves gargantuan bonuses while dickering over $.50/hour raises for their employees. It's really pretty despicable.


3. Ella is having another operation on Friday. I am going out to see her on Thursday night, and will hopefully be back on Saturday or Sunday. They're going to put a drain in on the right hand side of her liver. She's strobing between anger, humor, irritation, and sadness, which seems about appropriate for the circumstances. Afterwards, she is coming up to the city to spend Christmas with us. One of my best friends, the infamous John, will also be coming up and is bringing his sons. Although it's going to be a cheap Christmas (we're all broke), it also looks like it'll have a lot of joy.

So that's it for now. I'll hopefully get the time and distance to write something more coherent in the next few days!

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11 Comments:

  • interesting how you equate 2 good books to a great meal. Satisfying.

    Poor Ella, wish her our best. I'm sure she's a bit fed up with her current situation. Fingers crossed all goes smooth for her.

    As for Christmas, joyous is a wonderful thing.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At December 18, 2007 at 11:15 AM  

  • Will be thinking of you! Joy is a good thing to have!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At December 18, 2007 at 3:26 PM  

  • God rest ye Merry Gentlemen, and Women too. And have a Joyous Time too. I wish I was with you! Wishing good thoughts for Ella.

    By Blogger The CEO, At December 18, 2007 at 8:53 PM  

  • Capitalism sucks.

    Hope your sister is flourishing again soon.

    Puss

    By Blogger Glamourpuss, At December 19, 2007 at 7:14 AM  

  • Pool-
    All crossed fingers are greatly appreciated! And, as far as the meal metaphor is concerned, once in a while, you find two books that go together like that. It's a nice discovery!


    Franki-
    Thanks. Joy is what I'm aspiring to. Well, that and survival!


    CEO-
    Hope your holiday is outstanding, and thanks for the warm thoughts. Keep 'em coming!


    Puss-
    The trouble is that unrestrained capitalism has been making a comeback over the last couple of years. It's actually pretty disgusting.

    And thanks for the kind thoughts. I hope so, too.

    By Blogger Crankster, At December 19, 2007 at 7:28 AM  

  • Thanks for the book recommendations. They sound like my kind of thing. I'll check them out in the new year.

    Working in HR....I feel for ya. I'd rather poke my eyes out than have to do that. And you're right, executives are misers.

    I expect glowing reports about your sister. My thoughts are with all of you {Hug}. Be well and if you don't make it back here before Christmas, have a Merry time!

    By Blogger Echomouse, At December 19, 2007 at 1:25 PM  

  • Those Wall Street bonuses make me sick.

    Another awful thing about life is that I've read everything by Raymond Chandler but can't really remember much off hand. Damn.

    Good luck w/ the job hunt.

    By Blogger M@, At December 19, 2007 at 2:00 PM  

  • I remember working for a financial firm and being really disgusted when they decided to lay off a bunch of peeps in Nov. but the officers all got their year end bonuses which was in the millions!!

    Best wishes to Ella!!

    By Blogger Claudia , At December 20, 2007 at 11:34 AM  

  • Echomouse-
    I hope you enjoy the books! Regarding Ella's operation, thanks for the supportive thoughts!


    Matt-
    I've discovered that the details of Chandler dissipate, but the overall writing lingers. I've forgotten some of the characters and situations, but I still remember much of the sharp writing.


    Claudia-
    Yeah, the distance between what they think they deserve and what they withold from others is pretty amazing.

    And thanks for the warm wishes!

    By Blogger Crankster, At December 24, 2007 at 12:52 AM  

  • wherefore art thou Crankster? I miss your witty posts about life in my old home town...

    hope all is well,
    happy new year,

    -e-

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At December 31, 2007 at 9:21 PM  

  • E-
    Many thanks. I'll try to keep in better touch!

    By Blogger Crankster, At January 2, 2008 at 7:14 AM  

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