Social Climbing in Life and Literature

Columnist Anne Applebaum wrote earlier this month about that gate-crashing scandal at the White House. The scandal per se does not interest me, it's old news now. Where the column astounds me, is in Ms. Applebaum's cerebral treasure-trove of classic literature, as she contemplates the art of social climbing. She cites the writings of Twain, Proust and Wharton, with comfortable familiarity.

I like that.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/29/AR2009112902013.html

New Year's Resolution -- revive this blog

A blog does not have the instant gratification of Facebook, where your posts can instantly be read by hosts of friends. In a blog, you have to work a little harder, generally, to build up your readership and bring attention to your writings.

But in a blog, you have a little bit less cramped space. Your posts are less likely to get buried in an avalanche of other people's updates.

So I resolve in this new year to revive the friendships that were built here at Isis.