Well, it's still Wednesday as far as I'm concerned

...And we're still in the doldrums.

Although, I must say that the heavy hand that's come crashing down on top banker and insurance executive salaries is heartening.

And so is the continuing news of generational dissidence coming out of Iran. The story of Narges Kalhor in today's Times is really encouraging, even though it means that a family has split. But when it's a question of life or death, tyranny or freedom, so be it.

absence makes the heart grow

...wearier.

I apologize to the two or three of you who've looked for entries here over the last few weeks and found nothing. As you few know, I was in France for September, shuttling back and forth between Paris and Caen in the latter of which I was doing intensive archival research on Duras for the Pléiade edition of her complete works.

Then, the return and the readjustment...

I kept up with news from the U.S. while over there by listening to Countdown downloaded to my iPhone every weekday and be reading the French press about "us". You know what I know, so there's no reason to elaborate further.

Just to get myself back into the swing of this, I'll comment on one little tiny item that I've just heard about. Hélène tells me that Phil Graham has declared his distance from Rush Limbaugh, saying that he's not the voice of the Republican Party, etc. etc. Folks, for those of you who need a translation, this is the first official declaration of candidacy by a Republican for the presidency next time 'round. It basically boiled down to this: the first Republican to declare her or himself more moderate than Glenn Beck or that other pink pig was the first aspirant to the throne.

I'd love to read responses.

And I promise to be back every Wednesday, even if it's not with a big long rambling entry.