:-?

"I regard the two major male archetypes in 20th Century literature as Leopold Bloom and Hannibal Lecter, M.D. Bloom, the perpetual victim, the kind and gentle fellow who finishes last, represented an astonishing breakthrough to new levels of realism in the novel, and also symbolized the view of humanity that hardly anybody could deny c. 1900-1950. History, sociology, economics, psychology et al. confirmed Joyce’s view of Everyman as victim. Bloom, exploited and downtrodden by the Brits for being Irish and rejected by many of the Irish for being Jewish, does indeed epiphanize humanity in the first half of the 20th Century. And he remains a nice guy despite everything that happens...

"Dr Lecter, my candidate for the male archetype of 1951-2000, will never win any Nice Guy awards, I fear, but he symbolizes our age as totally as Bloom symbolized his. Hannibal’s wit, erudition, insight into others, artistic sensitivity, scientific knowledge etc. make him almost a walking one man encyclopedia of Western civilization. As for his “hobbies” as he calls them -- well, according to the World Game Institute, since the end of World War II, in which 60,000,000 human beings were murdered by other human beings, 193, 000,000 more humans have been murdered by other humans in brush wars, revolutions, insurrections etc. What better symbol of our age than a serial killer? Hell, can you think of any recent U.S. President who doesn’t belong in the Serial Killer Hall of Fame? And their motives make no more sense, and no less sense, than Dr Lecter’s Darwinian one-man effort to rid the planet of those he finds outstandingly loutish and uncouth."

--Robert Anton Wilson

Speaking from my Shadow:  Fond as I am of Dr. Lecter (or perhaps because I am fond of him), I do not think it's correct to say he represents our age.   Frankly, in my opinion, the age would be more accurately-embodied as one of his victims than the man himself.... Then again, I am a bit of an unapologetic elitist when it comes to intelligence and, heh, taste.  (Does anybody else find it slightly sad that a psychotic-if-classy cannibal can be considered preferable company in comparison to society at large...?)

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Which Classic Story Role Do You Play?

- You Are The Key Character
"It's what I was meant to do."

You are the true enigma. No one knows much about you, you do not understand much of yourself, and your life seems to carry no purpose. Yet regardless of everything around you - everyone knows that you are here for some reason, even if no one yet knows what that is. Things seem to simply fall into place for you. Almost as though some force is working either through you, for you, or around you. No matter your troubles, you have been sent here to unlock something. This is your destiny.
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Eep

gah, getting off work, and I still haven't caught up completely on my friendlist and  an ocean of comments have materialized in my inbox! :-P  Well, all the more fun for tonight I suppose... not to mention the whiskey. >;-)

Obligatory semi-melodramatic autumn post (I think I make one every year)

Does anybody else notice that there's this feeling to autumn, particularly in October? It's like anticipation with just an edge of fear; it's this taste on the wind like dust and earth and a touch of smoke.  Like exciting things are happening if you're just quick enough to catch them.   I was walking back to my room this morning, and the trees behind the hotel were alive and black with starlings.  In large groups like that, they swarm like insects or shoals of fish.  I love watching them.  

On a chill, windy, wild night like this I should be out in the world, not sitting at work... even if this corndog does taste good. :-P  But, oh well.  On to the ocean of comments.  Maybe a favorable south wind will come up if I promise not to shoot the albatross...