Quote (and thoughts) of the (Fri)day

Seven random, dissociate thoughts for Friday Afternoon:

1. Ahab has been silent for much of the week for reasons that will be disclosed all in good time. Ironic, considering it's election time.

On that front, I'll say only that Layton disappoints in calling for complete withdrawal from Afghanistan today (though I'm still voting Alexa) and our country might be the only one where comments simply stating the obvious by a guy named Buzz (ie. vote for the Liberals in ridings where the NDP can't win) qualify as "big" news. I am pleased to see substantive tax and child care policy discussions so early, but it is pretty obvious in these parts that the real campaign won't begin until 2006.

On that note, count me completely averse to the obsessive fear-mongering that has taken over "progressive" bloggers these days re: American conservative "involvement" in the upcoming vote. In the days of Dean, people south of the border welcomed the involvement of myself, Alex of TO, and other random Europeans and Australians working on the primary campaign in New Hampshire. One op-ed piece in the Washington Times is nothing to get up in arms over. Conservatives in the US support Harper? The shock. I can only imagine the response of these shrills if they favoured Martin: "Even the Washington Times supports the Liberals!"

It's a democracy, people. Let whomever try and convince Canadians how they should vote. We'll decide.

2. Anyone out there looking to buy me a Christmas present, look no further. I can wait until February.

3. The quote of the week is one from about a year and a half ago. I arrived in lovely Munchen courtesy of an overnight drive from Berlin with an anonymous guy named Norbert who advertised a few extra seats on a website. I found my way to Dr. Wolfgang's office where I was to work for 5 weeks and, since there was nothing to do, perused his library. The books, predictably, were in German, but a few were English. Almost at random, but surely by some design, I came across the following:

"The inn that shelters for the night is not the journey's end. The law, like the traveler, must be ready for the morrow. It must have a principle of growth."

- Benjamin Cardozo, The Growth of the Law (1924)

On the road for about 2 months at this point, yet ultimately headed to Oxford for the law masters, it is difficult to convey how my heart glowed to read those words in late July '04. This travler hearts the great Cardozo's sentiments. Ready, even eager, for the morrow indeed.

4. Speaking of travellers and inns, here's a gem of a poem from Wordsworth (he of melancholy forebodings) entitled "Guilt and Sorrow", starts "A TRAVELLER on the skirt of Sarum's Plain", and proceeds accordingly.

5. Those looking for sweet music are advised to check out the samplings posted from time to time by my favourite person currently residing in Indiana, who styles herself as "euphoriclustbug". Her taste in music is impeccable, so here's hoping more eclectic songs get posted. I picked up Pink Moon at the used CD shop on Barrington a few days ago, and have been waiting for the right context to evaluate "Horn". Could this be the year I get to the 500 and hear Jim Nabors in person?

6. The Theory of Incompetent Design. Heh.

7. The last word goes to the incomparable Vonnegut. Upon waking this morning, I noticed Timequake on the shelf of my roommate, the copy I borrowed from him and devoured at a frenetic pace in the span of a few days sojourning in Paris back in 2000. In the epilogue, he discusses the death of his brother. The last lines of the book are thus:

"A woman who knew Bernie for only the last ten days of his life, in the hospice at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany, described his manners while dying as "courtly" and "elegant." What a brother!

What a language."

I echo the marvel in those final three words. Happy weekend and good luck, all. Monday Mas.