Цитаты из книги Муравечество

“Can you give me an example of something you remember that hasn’t yet happened?”
“In the future, everybody talking about Brainio. That’s a for example, if you must know.”
“Brainio?”
“Yeah.”
“Can you elaborate?”
“What is Brainio?”
“Brainio everywhere you look. Brainio. Brainio.”
“But what is it?”
“Brainio. It’s like a radio or a TV set, except it’s in a person brain.”
“Oh, like shows are broadcast directly into a person’s head?”
“Everybody talking about Brainio.”
“In the future.”

but this is my only opportunity and I must seize it,

I spend hours at my peephole. It is not healthy. He never leaves his apartment. I hatch and discard plan after plan. Might I borrow some ingredient or other for a pie? I’m going to the grocery store, does he need anything? Does he know a good barber? When is trash day again? Do you smell that?

I’m grasping at straws. It is not fair to me that he is suspicious of all white people. I understand from whence that instinct comes, but still.

“I mean you no harm,” I tell him again, this time louder.“Perhaps I could have you over for tea,” I say.
No response.

“No!” he screams and slams his door.
But I believe he is. And now I want to know him. More than anything, I want to know him. I pound on his door.
“I want to visit,” I say. “I’ve changed my mind.”
“Go away” he yells.

I’d best be off.

The old man stares. I am not certain how long we have been in his doorway.

And as we all know, perception is everything.
<…>
I will say that there is a witch hunt mentality in our society in regard to any and all perceived aberrations. We have become a country of politically correct sheep.

I refocus on my previous train of thought:

Just as when I have dental issues, I consider how much better a world it would be if people had beaks, and I mean instead of teeth. Beaks in addition to teeth would solve no problems, obviously.

The Germans are nothing if not punctual.

I am an expert on the film, of course, having viewed it several thousand times, not only forward, but backward, something I do with films that interest me.
<…>
I view all worthwhile films this way, as well as once with the monitor upside down, which forces me to not take gravity for granted as a force in the film.

Why are they threatened by a person’s choice of clothing, by thon’s mannerisms?

I sigh and treat myself to a smallish break to check email. To check Facebook. To check Twitter. To check the various Internet sites I frequent:

I suspect he didn’t think that far into his new fantasy female incarnation.

I pinch my nasal bridge between thumb and forefinger. Drew’s notebook is feeling like a disappointment, muddled, incoherent, and fetishizing.

Does she have earphones in? No. She does not have earphones in. She heard me and ignored me.

She looks at me incredulously for a very long time—I want to say five minutes?—then turns and disappears into the back. I really need her to like me. What can I do to change her mind?

She watches me, heavy-lidded.
“Welcome to Slammy’s,” she says, clearly meaning nothing of the kind. “How may I help you?”
“Hello. I just need to use the facilities,”