An Undesired Leave of Absence

Enjoy your respite from “high technology”!

You are in for a treat, as long as you have a certain tolerance for Scandinavian gloom. And then if you’re really a glutton for…Norwegian Catholic literature, you can read the equally long Master of Hestviken.

Andrew, we’ll be waiting impatiently for your return.
MomVee, be sure you read Gunnar’s Daughter, too.

No, Mr Cusack, do not “enjoy your respite” from that high technology which keeps your magical blog afloat. Surely there is someone out there who can do something useful with his surplus cash by sending it to you forthwith?
As for Northern novelists: do not stop with the Catholics. Knut Hamsun does more with ten words than they do with a thousand.

Mr. Clark is completely right. I invite all “Cusackians” (and fellow travelers with Cusackian sympathies) to make use of the link provided under ‘DONATE’ in the right hand column. I know Cusack hates what he calls “money-grubbing,” but I hope that we can all chip in a bit to contribute towards the $999 a new MacBook costs (or $1199 for the much better one). May these contributions along with whatever “oojah” Cusack is being paid for the odd-jobs he’s doing in New York bring the swift return of this blog.

If I were not myself in sudden, dire financial straits I would willing assist Mr Cusack in maintaining this particularly valuable bit of electronic-real-estate. There is nothing worse than letting a fine piece of property become destitute and flounder into a tragedy of crumbling statues and over-grown gardens; the weather striping its façade and wearing down the very foundations of a once glorious dwelling. I would not be without sympathisers if I exaggerated slightly and said that this site has become something of a cultural treasure.

I note with some amusement that Mr Cusack really does seem quite indisposed to so-called “money-grubbing,” there is the most inconspicuous donation advert, with an even more elusive link centred on the rather unexciting word, “here”.

As an offhand comment, maybe we should aim to get him the 17″ MacBook Pro @ $2499. Doesn’t he deserve it, fellow Cusackians?

Andrew…there’s always the library’s computer….

Tut tut, Mr. Bond. The less expensive, the sooner we get andrewcusack.com back (but unquestionably it must be a Mac). Besides, Cusack’s never been one for fancy doodads. In fashion terms he is a redoubtable old tweed not a flash new suit.

“Mes camarades!”?

What’s wrong with “Esteemed readers” or “Dear friends and supporters” (although this last might be interpreted as a vulgar solicitation of funds) ?

Or has there been a sudden conversion to the Left?

“Meine Parteigenossen und =genossinnen” anyone?

Liz S., it was merely a suggestion. Mr Cusack’s sense of fashion is patently obvious to a reader of this journal. I agree that the sooner the better and by whatever means. Mrs P makes a good point, though it is inconvenient considering the labour intensive posts we have become accustomed to.

As for French, I might remind Baron v Hetterscheidt that English cannot be divorced from French, whether we’d like to or not. Our language is 3/5 Norman French. It’s in our blood, e.g. anyone who pays attention to Whitehall realises that endorsements on bills between the Commons and the Lords take the form of Norman French,”soit baillé aux communes”. A Commons Bill to which the Lords have agreed, is endorsed “A
ceste Bille les Seigneurs sont assentus”; if amended “avecque des amendements” is added.

And need I mention, “Dieu et mon droit” & “Honi soit qui mal y pense”.

The New Yorker, in its gilded era, had regular fillers called, e.g., “Words of One Syllable Dept.” and “Which page of the … d’ya read?” and “Fascinating News from All Over” for various literary oddities and foibles the editors found amusing or instructive. Along these lines, it often occurs to me, as a Cusackophile, that many of his posts suggest an ironic “Lost Causes” category. Hopefully this last will not define Cusack’s current internet lapse.

Mr Bond appears to have missed my point.
I am no enemy of the French language (the French themselves are perhaps another matter), and was referring to the revolutionary savour of “mes camarades”. If Mr Bond is English he knows perfectly well that “Comrades” is only used, unless ironically, by foaming radicals. The same is true of this unfortunate word in both its French and German versions.
My actual German quotation is meant to conjure up the late and very unlamented Rosa Luxemburg (and no doubt many others of her ilk who, like her, were enamored of this ugly phrase), and was meant to remind Mr Cusack of the dangers of even the slightest nod towards the Left and its pernicious habits of mind and speech.

The first thought that came across my mind was “I’m so happy for you!”

“I am no enemy of the French language (the French themselves are perhaps another matter)…”

Those insufferable French!

I hope the absence isn’t too long Mr. Cusack. This journal is a valuable cultural asset and a nice retreat from the egalitarian rabble. Gott mit uns

Well, this stinks.

Baron v Hetterscheidt, you have my sincere apologies. I have been dense, where your meaning was obvious.

Don’t worry, Mr Bond, we all read far too quickly these days.
In any case, we can all agree that our common concern is to see Mr Cusack back on line, and the sooner the better.

I thank all for their appreciative sympathies.

The good news is that my computer has recovered — somewhat — and it looks like I will actually be able to get a little more use out of it. A week ago I couldn’t even write a single sentence without it going haywire in all sorts of ways, but now this temperamental machine seems to deem typing acceptable. Consequently blogging should resume shortly.

Hip hip Hurray!

Andrew,

Enough Shilly-shallying: Have you been to Tekserve?
Is the MacBook in the Vale of Tears?

How much has been committed to you for a 13″ MacBook Pro?
I’ve told you my offer.

Rgds – Tim

I suspect Tekserve won’t be able to save this MacBook without an incongruous level of investment.

So far I have just over $400 in the new computer fund, whether it ends up being a new MacBook or a MacBook Pro.