Motorcycle diaries: Nice if not great
Just got back from Motorcycle diaries, which was a nice if not great film. The two main characters are pretty thinly drawn, but the (often very) brief sketches of the lives of the various poor and unfortunate they encounter are actually quite effective.
One thing it does drive home is the difficulty of dealing with the fact of the unfortunate. Acknowledging the existence of oppressed peoples raises that annoying question of whether our good fortune is in some way the cause of their misery. And while we know that our decision to eat or not eat the food before us will have little effect on the food on the plate of starving children in Mongolia, there’s the nagging worry that the fullness of our plate (regardless of what we choose to eat) comes at the expense of theirs.
Now I needs get back to the GECCO paper - the deadline is hard upon us! At least I’ve essentially finished all my files for my seven year post-tenure review. It’ll be interesting to see what the review committee’s response is.
Currently listening to Antibalas’ Who Is This America again. This album really rocks!
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January 24th, 2005 at 11:12
When I read “seven year post-tenure review,” I couldn’t believe that it had been 7 years since you earned tenure. I remember celebrating your tenure victory at Don’s the evening you heard. I also remember how stressed you were at the time. As a near-future professor, I can finally understand now why it’s such a scary process; with one vote, your life can radically change.
January 25th, 2005 at 08:45
Pretty amazing that it’s been that long, isn’t it? The Family were a huge part of making it all worth the stress and confusion. Thanks!