Thermomixed Up, a Pause
This is a Thermomix
(Previously, Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4)
A pause for some catch-up and dot-connecting.
This discursive ramble of mine was set in motion when I read a piece by Reihan Salam and a piece by Megan McArdle.*
The key passage in Reihan’s piece:
[W]e are in a sense living through a cultural war in which some who’ve chosen, say, more leisure and prestige are waging a symbolic struggle against those who’ve chosen more income — the object is to devalue the accumulation of material possessions, to characterize it as “greedy,” etc.
And the key phrase from Megan’s apologia for her recently purchased Thermomix:
There is, of course, the joy of acquisition. And why give that short shrift? The high may be temporary, but the same is true of climbing a mountain. Why valorize one over the other?
Last weekend Joe went into the city for a friend’s Christmas party. Of course because he was in New York City, everyone asked him, “So what do you do?” and Joe said, “I’m building a boat” and people were very, very impressed.
Joe and I both laughed about this because we both know if he had said, “I’m doing some construction work” people wouldn’t have been as impressed.
“Why do we valorize one over the other?” can be inflected anyway you like. My preference is to consider it, not as a rhetorical question, but as a ligitimate line of inquiry, in which the answers are not so obvious as they might at first seem.
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More working with our cabinet scrapers today. I’ve been fooling around with epoxy for about a dozen years, but I feel like I’m born again. More on that soon.
*Generally I find using first names presumptuous, and wish to make no such presumptions. I have referred to Mr. Salam and Ms.McArdle by their first names because it seems to be a blogging convention.
““Why do we valorize one over the other?” can be infected anyway you like. My preference is to consider it, not as a rhetorical question, but as a ligitimate line of inquiry, in which the answers are not so obvious as they might at first seem.”
I have this problem in conversation where people think I’m asking a rhetorical question when really I’m just asking a regular question. Like just tonight, I asked my stepson, “Why isn’t your room clean?” and he responded by apologizing. But I really want to know the answer! Does he not care? Is he just messy? Was he planning on doing it tomorrow? Or not at all?
“Generally I find using first names presumptuous, and wish to make no such presumptions. I have referred to Mr. Salam and Ms.McArdle by their first names because it seems to be a blogging convention.”
I agree. I’m still generally trying to swim against the current of the blogosphere. Some of the cadence of the blogosphere drives me nuts.Report
Interesting how that can vary culturally. In New Zealand first-name is the norm barring uniquely formal occasions. I haven’t really called anyone by their last name since I left high school.Report
In Singapore, its more complicated. You call strangers Mr or Ms or Mdm. You address your seniors by their titles even if they are not strangers and you address those who are your equals or your subordinates by their first name. But this set of rules is adhered to mostly by the more conservative minded folk. The younger more westernised people like to call everybody by their first names and this can get the more conservative folk angry at what they see as over-familiarity.Report
I prefer to be invited to call a person by their first name, as in, “Hi, I’m David.” or “Please, call me David.”
The iNet doesn’t easily create the opportunity for this sort of invitation.Report
I tend to only use first names if (a) I am on a first name basis with them anyway, or (b) it appears to be their prefered way to be addressed. At the CCD site, we decided to address each other by first names (even if we didn’t know each other) to try to foster a friendly atmostphere.
By the way, Mr. Ryan, I am thoroughly enjoying this series.Report
Personally, I like the Southern/Black way of saying “Miss Kim” or “Mrs. Kim” or “Mr. Mark” — it’s a decent way of elevating someone whom you’re familiar with, but not … intimate with.
Not that I can get away with using it…Report
We named our youngest daughter, Scarlet. She gets the Miss thing a lot (and she’s only 7 months).Report
That was supposed to be a reply to Kim.Report