Bokelskere.no

Det man oppdaget om seg selv når man oppdrog barn, var ikke alltid hyggelig eller sjarmerende.

Ingen liten del av eksistensens pinsel er at Tid kontinuerlig blir presset på oss, aldri lar oss få igjen pusten, men alltid kommer etter oss, som en tuktemester med en pisk.

Det lå i deres natur å slå armene om faren, men denne naturen var korrigert ut av dem.

Chip was struck by the broad similarities between black-market Lithuania and free-market America. In both countries, wealth was concentrated in the hands of a few; any meaningful distinction between private and public sectors had disappeared; captains of commerce lived in a ceaseless anxiety that drove them to expand their empires ruthlessly; ordinary citizens lived in ceaseless fear of being fired and ceaseless confusion about which powerful private interest owned which formerly public institution on any given day; and the economy was fueled largely by the elite's insatiable demand for luxury. (In Vilnius, by November of that dismal autumn, five criminal oligarchs were responsible for employing thousands of carpenters, bricklayers, craftsmen, cooks, prostitutes, barkeeps, auto mechanics and bodyguards.) The main difference between America and Lithuania, as far as Chip could see, was that in America the wealthy few subdued the unwealthy many by means of mind-numbing and soul-killing entertainments and gadgetry and pharmaceuticals, whereas in Lithuania the powerful few subdued the unpowerful many by threatening violence.

Robin turned and looked straight into her. "What's life for?" "I don't know." "I don't either. But I don't think it's about winning."

His tiredness hurt so much it kept him awake.

Without privacy there was no point in being an individual.

”Anyhow”, her father said, ”now you’ve had a taste of life in the real world”.

And Ted’s right on top of that, he thinks our culture attaches too much importance to feelings, he says it’s out of control, it’s not computers that are making everything virtual, it’s mental health. Everyone’s trying to correct their thoughts and improve their feelings and work on their relationships and parenting skills instead of just getting married and raising children, like they used to, is what Ted says. We’ve bumped up to the next level of abstraction because we have too much time and money, is what he says, and he refuses to be a part of it.

“So, what, you got cigarette burns, too?” Gitans said. Chip showed his palm, “It’s nothing.” “self-inflicted. You pathetic American.” “Different kind of prison,” Chip said.