Simplification and Evasion

Pasta
Today was pretty grey outside, which matches my disposition pretty closely. Attempts to engage with next week’s course readings dovetailed with my visit to midtown to pick up computerish stuff: a case to replace the one that doesn’t quite fit (which I returned) and a USB hub to so I can finally stop juggling cables. It’s impressive really: I regularly need 5 USB ports (printer, headphones, keyboard/mouse, hard drive and cell-phone charger). I feel a bit ashamed given how much they cost, but assuming I keep them as long as I plan on keeping the machine, it seems justifiable. The store, conveniently located right by the New York Public Library, claimed to be the biggest computer store in Manhattan. Guess I’m kinda starting to miss Fry’s Electronics.

One of the articles I read for next week was a fascinating discussion of the experience of Cambodian refugees in the American healthcare system. On one side, the system was clearly designed to assimilate the immigrants into western medicine, and force them into a certain kind of relationship with the state. And yet the immigrants, while not openly fighting back, effectively subverted the system at many junctures. In one case, they claimed symptoms in order to gain state-support, while avoiding the medicine which they did not approve of. Passive-resistance if you will, and surprisingly effective.

In other news, I tried making a new kind of pasta today. See, my life really is exciting sometimes!

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