That light at the end of the tunnel is a train

And the monkeys are running the zoo.

It has been an interesting week of boredom and fascination with boredom. My job intrigues me, not because it is terribly boring and tedious, but rather because I curiously feel like the forgotten bastard child. I go about my day in the most anonymous of fashion, not by design I tell you, but out of geography and utter lack of responsibility or accountability for one of the alleged “most important” jobs in the firm. The rhetoric is understandable, but the rationale is laughable.

Eerily quiet down here, today it was. The combination of the markets being closed and the rumor of the subways being attacked (thanks NYPD for the email telling us it was all a hoax and for the incredible security nonetheless) produced quiet streets. Understand that ‘quiet’ is somewhat of a relative term, the horde of humanity normally present was replaced with a small throng. Also, it was the national day of mourning.

The circumstances of the last week do fascinate me. As a student of the history and a watcher of the people, the passing of Reagan and its aftermath are quite fascinating. The cult of the leader seems to be alive and well. In death, suddenly he has become a secular messiah of sort to the masses and the power structure. Unfortunately, for me much of this seems hollow. In a weird way it reminds me of those royal weddings of monarchs in Europe. The pomp of a state funeral is a place to be seen—it is in no way different than a hot oscar party. A few are undoubtedly exceptions, family namely but also those who were truly friends, even if they happen to be former world leaders—Thatcher came to mind.

I was unable to watch today’s ceremonies but did read all the transcripts. Moreover, I read tons of commentary today and the range of opinions are understandably wide—but criticism is conveniently pushed off to the side. The thing that is intriguing is not how many have written or spoke glowingly, no one wants to look like they are shitting on the freshly dead, but rather how those true believers in all things Reagan have capitalized on his death as an opportunity to further criticize any opposing belief and rekindle the mantra that if you are not ultra-conservative you lack the conviction to be an American. Why make death divisive?

Hopefully the death of the father of the neo-conservatives will spur some positive change—namely stem-cell research. Unfortunately, it is also an opportunity to rehash all the policies and jingoisms that made him so beloved by conservatives and furthers the political, social, and economic chasms that paralyze our country.