The .Plan

Taking off from the “counter-signalling” thread at Marginal Revolution, Julian Sanchez at Notes from the Lounge takes on the infernal dodge:

It’s always struck me as a thousand times more obnoxious for exactly that reason. In the “countersignalling” case (though maybe it’s more like “tangential signalling”) it’s either just a variant of false modesty or, depending on the context, a way of talking about school (especially with people you’ve just met) without risking being mistaken for one of those folks who drops the H-bomb into every conversation. Fair enough.

The message in the second case is: “Naturally, not having gone to Harvard, you will have an inferiority complex in my presence, so I’ll do my best to try to spare you this inevitable intimidation.” I suppose if you’re talking to someone with very little formal education who seems insecure about it, that might be right—apparently Stuart has encountered such cases, and fine. In most contexts, though, it seems to me that you have to be a bit of a prick to walk around solicitously agonizing over how you can avoid awing and cowing people too much.

The weather in Seattle tonight is perfect. Just perfect.

I don’t care if Monday’s blue
Tuesday’s grey and Wednesday too
Thursday I don’t care about you
It’s Friday I’m in love

Winding road, sea spray, sandy beaches… and tacos.

Day fades to night through Venice and Santa Monica, and in the morning, we burst onto the open road. This stretch of Highway 1, just before Santa Barbara, where the road hugs the Pacific so tightly you can see the spray coming off the rocks, makes you want to laugh and crank up the music. In the summer, the wildflowers spring up, paving the way to San Francisco. You know it’s been said a million times, but this really is the great American road trip.
–Cindy Price, “Chasing the Perfect Taco Up the California Coast”, New York Times, July 21, 2006

One of these days I will redeem the Road Trip From Hell.