Professions of infinite love

Now that I have consummated my relationship with Infinite Jest, and what a rollercoaster it has been, I figured I could return to my single-dom, bookwise. Little did I realise that there was no going back. There is no life without it. IJ will be mine forever. The last month, you drove me mad, madder than I usually am, but you took me to heights of pleasure that I never thought possible from prose. I say this with no shame: I love you Infinite Jest. And will always.

Woody Allen says

In my next life I want to live my life backwards. You start out dead and get that out of the way.

Then you wake up in an old people's home feeling better every day. You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, and then when you start work, you get a gold watch and a party on your first day.

You work for 40 years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You party, drink alcohol, and are generally promiscuous, then you are ready for high school. You then go to primary school, you become a kid, you play. You have no responsibilities, you become a baby
until you are born.

And then you spend your last 9 months floating in luxurious spa like conditions with central heating and room service on tap, larger quarters every day and then Voila! You finish off as an orgasm!

I rest my case.

Sacred?

I got into a debate with a muslim friend about Satanic Verses, who while not supporting the fatwa felt that it was a reasonable position to hold that Rushdie should never have written the book if it would hurt the religious feelings of millions of followers of Islam. There is the freedom of expression and how it is the bedrock of democracy. There is the freedom from religious oppression angle to it. But that is not the reason why I consider it shouldn't be banned or why it is one of my favourites. I think it is an extraordinary book. A masterpiece. I have had similar arguments about M.F. Hussein. Even moderates who are not incited to a frenzy, advice that he shouldn't paint something if it'd be controversial. Nevermind that very few people understand modern art (and those who do have no problems). And of course there are also hacks, who will do something just because it is controversial.

I understand it is a complicated issue. I swear to God, that everytime I hear a Glenn Beck or O' Reilly speak, I wish they didn't have the rights to pollute the airwaves with garbage. Or that time Ben Stein promoted Intelligent Design in a documentary (if you could call it that with a straight face) and asked scientists if they stopped beating their wives (Roger Ebert has a scathing article about the movie). I am stumped when people say that they should be allowed to call global warming a myth or evolution, "just a theory" because they have the fundamental rights to free speech (But thats for another post).

It is tempting and oftentimes easy to just ban things. Call them protecting minority rights or preventing the promotion of violence through hateful speech. I often ask the question, "Where do we draw the line?".

And clearly, I am not qualified to give an answer.

As I was browsing through the internet for some info about the whole affair and watched an hour long BBC documentary, I also came across an essay by Rushdie himself, aptly named, Is nothing sacred?. Read and enjoy.

As for me, I am perfectly happy to take the position - nothing is sacred. Nothing.