The Order of Indignations

I've noticed a trend in indignation.

I was at a "green friendly" grocery store the other day, and while checking out was asked if I had brought my own sack for the groceries. I had not. The fact that the check out lady could see I had no such carriers made the question itself annoying, but after I replied to the negative she harummpfed at the cash register as if I was personally responsible for the glacier ice melt.

Then yesterday I used the following phrase to a co-worker, "well, then you'll kill two birds with one stone." Innocent enough, I thought. But I was told by the co-worker that she doesn't use that phrase. She's a vegetarian, so "killing-animal" colloquialisms are off limits. Wow, I'm thinking I must be out of touch.

These are minor offenses and ones for which I have no animosity towards the offended, but I do think it is odd the things that for which we get indignant. We all do, from time to time, think "how could they" do this or that. The telling thing is not that we get indignant, but what incites the indignation.

St. Augustine defined virtue with this short phrase: "ordo amoris." The order of loves. Such as, loving a pick-up truck is okay as long as you love your children more. St. Augustine recognized a hierarchy of goods and suggested that our affections and actions should follow that proper order. In some ways the things for which we show indignation indicate the things we love, or that which we consider most important.

My point is this: it is good to want to protect the earth, icebergs and chickens -- but what about the eternally valuable, can we show a little indignation on their behalf once in a while? Want some justified indignation? Travel to one of dozens of countries and see how women and children, the weak and sickly, are treated. "

We'd rather pick more comfortable indignations, ones where the only sacrifice is the time it takes to count our carbon footprint. It's nice to be able to afford the indignations of the wealthy. Indignations of convenience. But this disordered value is inhuman and embarrassing. Sorry, that's the way I see it.

I started the essay with a tolerant disposition towards the opinion of others, and now ended, being indignant over the indignant. So I guess I'll stop.

Air Jordon

I saw my first Apple MacBook Air. Like everything Apple does these days, it is design-marketing-engineering perfection.

Name: perfect. Look: perfect. Size/weight: perfect.

This is a beautiful piece of equipment and, like the commercial demonstrates, is light enough to be held easily with one hand -- something I did as the MacBook Air was handed to me across the table. The monitor is a standard, small-notebook size but is hi-res with the super-clear glass. It's impressive.

The mouse pad is bigger than a standard notebook and takes the same finger commands as the iphone. Genius.

The Air has built-in wireless and a camera with "photobooth" software so the lens can be used as a camera. The monitor acts as the flash. I kid you not, I tried it.

One feature I loved: the electric cord has four small prongs and attaches magnetically to the laptop. It pops off with a sturdy tug.

3 pounds. 2Gig ram. 80 gig hard drive. More than sufficient. No dvd/cd drive. Who cares? The laptop has become a web-access appliance.

What does Apple have that Dell/HP/IBM/Microsoft don't? Vision. Steve Jobs provides a focused mission that guides the company and the products show it. Will the $1700 price tag keep people (like me) away? Yes, but in this case you do get what you pay for.

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Saint Paul in Prison / Rembrandt / 1627

From the Acts of the Apostles

When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia,
but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them, so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas.
During the night Paul had a vision.
A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words,
“Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
When he had seen the vision,
we sought passage to Macedonia at once,
concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.