Frusration w/ Modernism ---

As I am slowly --- I think --- winning my war with modern communications. I have learned that you start *&^%#! AOL not by desperatately holding the button in, but by holding it in for just a split second .

One of my children does it with her/his toe.

Redundancy is everywhere: If the phone doesn't work, use EMail. If the television set doesn't work, read a newspaper, magazine or book (good books, I think, still deliver the best bang for the buck.

People are helping me. I was growling about my technophobic streak in the elevator the other evening, and an African-American tekkie, offered to help, and did so. He lives one floor below me and refuses to take compensation. I finally gave him a modest gift certificate.

I find myself tipping more generously. It's an excellent form of charity. The recipients work hard and deserve it, with no complex regulatory interventions.

I even occasionally give money, unwisely, to panhandlers. It encourages them

The blog is unbelievable, just perfect for my sort of writing --- bam-bam-bam-bam --- a gentle punch in the nose.

Except for Sidney Blumenthal whom, uh, I do not appreciate.

Ben