If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.

Just finished A Man Without a Country, a collection of Vonnegut's essays that paint a rather bleak picture for our future (and present). A self-proclaimed Luddite, he makes some pretty convincing arguments against our concept of "progress" and doesn't dance around his opinions on what have become highly politicized topics. Ok, enough with the summary. Just read it and, in the mean time, here are some excerpts to tide you over.

I thought his take on jokes was pretty interesting -- that "Freud said that humor is an almost physiological response to fear":

Even the simplest jokes are based on tiny twinges of fear, such as the question, "What is the white stuff in bird poop?" The auditor, as though called upong to recite in school, is momentarily afraid of saying something stupid. When the auditor hears the answer, which is "That's bird poop, too," he or she dispels the automatic fear with laughter. He or she has not been tested after all.

"Why do fireman wear red suspenders?" And "Why did they bury George Washington on the side of a hill?" And on and on.

Also, his pointed criticism of those who misuse religion for things like war, politics, and discrimination, e.g. this interesting observation:

For some reason, the most vocal Christians among us never mention the Beatitudes. But, often with tears in their eyes, they demand that the Ten Commandments be posted in public buildings. And of course that's Moses, not Jesus. I haven't heard one of them demand that the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, be posted anywhere.

"Blessed are the merciful" in a courtroom? "Blessed are the peacemakers" in the Pentagon? Give me a break!

But despite his cynicism, despite his disappointment, despite his lack of faith in the human race, he maintains some sense of inspired hope and appreciation for the good things in life. In Kurt's own words:

What made being alive almost worthwhile for me, besides music, was all the saints I met, who could be anywhere. By saints I meant people who behaved decently in a strikingly indecent society.

Another example, in the form of advice:

I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is."

So there you have it. I encourage you to read everything Vonnegut wrote, including his latest. It goes without saying that he will be missed. Kurt is up in heaven now.