Mr. Lat, this is off-topic. But for 8-1/2 of the last nine days, I've had no electric power and have had to follow events, including complicated legal developments affecting my practice and my politics, via an overworked smartphone — recharged a few times each day from my car battery during air-conditioning interludes for me and my two dogs. (We're all fine; but tens of thousands of other Houstonians no more worthy than us continue to swelter without power.) During this ordeal, I valued your newsletter's breadth and skill in collecting, curating, and summarizing even more than I usually do. Now that I again have a regular keyboard to type my thanks upon: Thanks!
The closest thing in my experience to this was when we lost power for a week during Hurricane Sandy, back in 2012. But I was actually able to decamp for my cousin's place uptown and stay with her for a few days, so I wasn't in as tough a situation as you. (Some parts of NYC lost power, but other parts—sometimes not even that far away—still had power.)
Great article, but I always find talk of survivors a bit sad as it suggests that we are so worried about appearing weak that we need to avoid pure expressions of sympathy for victims lest they suggest weakness (hence we wrap it in an ascription of strength).
Don't get me wrong, it's the right thing to do and it seems to be an unavoidable part of being a social product of evolution -- most animals go to great lengths to hide any injury. But I really wish we lived in a world where people didn't feel the constant fear of any hint of weakness.
Mr. Lat, this is off-topic. But for 8-1/2 of the last nine days, I've had no electric power and have had to follow events, including complicated legal developments affecting my practice and my politics, via an overworked smartphone — recharged a few times each day from my car battery during air-conditioning interludes for me and my two dogs. (We're all fine; but tens of thousands of other Houstonians no more worthy than us continue to swelter without power.) During this ordeal, I valued your newsletter's breadth and skill in collecting, curating, and summarizing even more than I usually do. Now that I again have a regular keyboard to type my thanks upon: Thanks!
I'm so sorry to hear this! It sounds awful.
The closest thing in my experience to this was when we lost power for a week during Hurricane Sandy, back in 2012. But I was actually able to decamp for my cousin's place uptown and stay with her for a few days, so I wasn't in as tough a situation as you. (Some parts of NYC lost power, but other parts—sometimes not even that far away—still had power.)
Great article, but I always find talk of survivors a bit sad as it suggests that we are so worried about appearing weak that we need to avoid pure expressions of sympathy for victims lest they suggest weakness (hence we wrap it in an ascription of strength).
Don't get me wrong, it's the right thing to do and it seems to be an unavoidable part of being a social product of evolution -- most animals go to great lengths to hide any injury. But I really wish we lived in a world where people didn't feel the constant fear of any hint of weakness.