I didn't even come close to covering everything I've been thinking of.

I've been running out of time to post this past week. Let's fix this a bit.

I have an interesting quirk in that I consistently fail to consider the weather- specifically when I'm exercising or just gauging how tired I am during the day my mind immediately measures how much sleep I've had as well as how I've eaten the past little while- and if I've had my sleep, had my munchies, and yet still find myself out of breath during a run I can never figure out what the deal is... until I get home and the news says "...so after a sweltering day" and I realize-

"Oh! Hot makes slow and tired!"

That said, I was still pretty speedy yesterday.

I've got a nice little burn from working sunday- I'm one of the lucky few peons at Ontario Place who gets to work inside most of the time, but they gave me a few additional responsibilities for the boat parade that happened. Still didn't think I was outside long enough to burn, but that was clearly my mistake. Still tender on the ol' forehead, but otherwise it should turn into simply a little colour in the next day or so.

Catch-22: I almost forgot about it.

I may have already mentioned this, but the way I read it- reading the first hundred pages before getting distracted with other stuff, helped reinforce my impression that it was something constructed in such a way that any chapter could have held up on its own. Often the chapters kept asserting an every day insanity that most people either don't seem to realize or simply accept as the natural way of things.

The protagonist Yossarian realizes the insanity, but can no longer accept it or go along with it.

The concluding chapters obviously had to be at the end (I say this because I feel the order of most of the chapters, particularly the beginning ones, could have been rearranged with little effect on the narrative) where Yossarian is offered his way out of the war- the only caveat being that he must act as corrupt as those in charge that have placed him (and others) in danger.

He was trapped by the two options- either becoming a corrupt fraud, or acquiescing to the demand of flying unlimited dangerous bombing missions. Until he realizes it doesn't have to be an either/or thing, he can knock over the table and run away, because there's always hope, as evidenced by the incredible story of Orr (think that was the character, there are a lot of extra characters in this book, especially this long after reading it) surviving his crash and running to safety in Sweden.

I was always pretty sure Orr had survived his crash, that he planned it for the purposes of desertion, but it confused me that Yossarian hadn't come to that conclusion himself. Either I'm just a little more genre savvy than Yossarian (readily possible, this was a book written fifty years ago) or else the author had to limit Yossarians insight for the purposes of the ending he had in mind for the novel. If the second option is true, it's disappointing- I'm not a fan of writing to the ending, but writing to the character... though I find it hard to imagine someone saying "Yes, I'm a fan of writing to the ending, disregarding the characters natural inclinations."

The book is often a nightmare scenario- I mean any time Yossarian is yelling/pleading at someone for some humanity, to just listen to him and respond in a way that makes sense, and almost nobody comes through.

This one monster, Aarfy, is often just mindlessly laughing in response to Yossarian's cries to STOP LAUGHING! Just leave! Yossarian is even hitting Aarfy, but to no effect. Seeing something you want to stop, and can't effect it all, if that isn't a nightmare, I don't know what is.

***

I also wanted to talk about a few comics I finished reading, but I'm tired (it's hot out)

so don't let me forget to bring up Steve Niles and Kelley Jones Batman: Gotham After Midnight, Ed Brubaker (and... Sean Phillips? not sure) Incognito, and Harvey Pekar's American Splendor: Another Dollar, as well as my impressions on Wonder Woman #600.

I don't neccesarily have much to say about them (I've got a bunch to say about Wonder Woman actually), but I'm needing a break.

My brother picked up some stuff at the library for me- chief of which is that Gravity's Rainbow I know my friend Kristen likes. Honestly, I'm worried I won't "get it" or like it, but we'll see what happens. It's not as though I've even cracked it open yet, and I do like a challenge every now and then.

Going a little cross eyed here, so one look over will have to do- publishing now