On cultural ignorance

Two items, first short: Our public library stocks no Nietzche nor David Hume. And boasts three full, double-lined shelves of romance paperbacks. :choke: Go marketplace of ideas. Go democracy.

Second: I think my annoyance at this trend ought to deepen into righteous indignation. I don't bloody care if "you might lose business" because you're not paying second-by-second attention to your Blackberry or iPhone while interacting with other people. It's rude to answer a call or text while you're with other human beings, just like it would be rude to shut the door in their face suddenly. This is not just a matter of manners, but a loss of respect for humanity. People are not economic units, a measure of thrill you can and should easily ditch for something potentially more lucrative or exciting. That's what peeking at your e-mail or phone while in face-to-face conversation or time with others indicates: "I'm attempting to maximize utils—and, baby, if you ain't got enough compared to my incoming option, you aren't worth any more time or attention."

Sick, sick, sick. And everyone has started to assume you should be at their immediate beck and call because, on the receiving end, they're about to offer you the monetary or social Holy Grail and thus chokehold the other end of your chain. Sorry. I don't measure my life in social points. I don't measure my life at all. Someone Else does. And doesn't He say something somewhere about preferring others before yourself, about loving your neighbor (aka the person right in front of you), and taking caution against loving money because it doesn't last anyway?

Don't even get me started on the communal narcissism of Twitter.