Word: callings
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...next bill was rather tame, except for a call to Lander, Wyoming. Although the charge was for only 10 cents, none of us could recall dialing there. None of us had even heard of the place. So my roommate Eric decided to call the number and find out whom they knew at Harvard. He tried hard to communicate with them, but unfortunately they spoke only German. None of us did, and the fellow was convinced Eric was a prank caller and hung...
...resigned ourselves and paid for the call, and when Lander showed up on the bill again the next month, we were confused all over again...
Even simple things can become rather difficult on the phone. Although Eric is a sailor/FOP leader/athlete, he can't seem to master the use of call waiting. One conversation went like this: "Wait, I have to answer the call waiting. [presses button] Hello? Oh wait, I'll try again. [presses button again] Hello? This isn't working. [presses button again, accidently hangs up on both friends] !#$%&)*(*." And then both callers dial back again at the same time...
...That is partly because it wasn't necessary, but partly because he lacked Thatcher's principled determination. Thatcher's biographer Hugo Young says her greatest gift is "inspirational certainty." Reagan had inspirational certainty too, but of a different sort. His inspirational certainty was oblivious to reality, allowing him to call for a balanced budget through eight consecutive years of failing to propose one. Her inspirational certainty is oblivious to popularity, allowing her to produce a government budget that's actually in large surplus. Fiscal policy is one area of governance where the wrong principles are often better than no principles...
...Thatcher's alleged admiration of Reagan, in an important way the two societies have changed in opposite directions. Thatcher has taught the British people self- discipline. Reagan and Bush have taught Americans self-indulgence. After the past three American presidential elections, it is unthinkable for an ambitious politician to call on the citizenry -- or any sizable subset of it -- to make the slightest sacrifice for the good of society or its own future prosperity. Thatcher, by contrast, positively delights in delivering bad news and stern sermons. "After almost any major operation, you feel worse before you convalesce...