keeping a notebook

'why did I write it down? in order to remember, of course, but exactly what was it i wanted to remember? how much of it actually happened? did any of it? why do i keep a notebook at all?'
joan didion

keeping.a.notebook at gmail dot com
Sep 29
Permalink

I got a B in the only economics class I ever took.*

So that’s where I’m coming from on this whole financial crisis.

Anyway, a few months ago I ended up spending some time in the Murray Hill apartment of this young investment banker who had his undergraduate diploma in Economics framed and hanging on his bedroom wall. His lease was up soon and one of his roommates wanted to move to Gramercy, but he vetoed the idea because that area was ‘too freaky’.

So when I first heard about this bailout I was like, ‘Fuck that. I want that guy to pay for being a gross person’. But now I kind of agree with this bald dude on CNN who said something along the lines of, ‘You have every right to be pissed off that your neighbor’s kid set the block on fire, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to put it out.’ I only understand the economy through metaphors and metaphors can be so wrong.

Also, that Murray Hill guy sucks but has pretty much nothing to do with what’s going on.

*In my defense though: I think I’m some kind of Econ prodigy. I got the highest grade in my class on our first test and then just got really drunk/whatevered for the subsequent five months.