I Say LUSTRUM - You Say CONSPIRATA

Why does S&S think Conspirata is a better title for Robert Harris's Lustrum, the second installment in the author's tales of Tiro, Cicero's secretary? (The first title was Imperium - 2006.)

Since Lustrum's publication in the UK I've been looking out for the publication in this country of Lustrum for several months -- and here it turns out I was looking for a book that doesn't exist in the U.S. Most frustrating.

In any case, this is a rotten day. Up before 6 because the mouse exterminator was supposed to be here at 8:30 AM. -- who, of course, didn't arrive until 10. We got something like 4 hours of sleep.

The mouse population in this building has gotten out of control. We're used to trapping a mouse or two a year, but this is something else. There are 20 restaurants and other food purveyors on this block alone, with another one opening on every block surrounding us seemingly every month. Every store that goes out of business gets turned into a food purveyer. Even big block clothing stores like Dolce Gabana have a tea - coffee -- veddy expensive pastry and sandwich shop on our side at street level. Is it possible this situation has something to do with our mouse problem? And that there are many young single males living in our building who don't know how to wash dishes without a dish washer (if, even then?), or how to clean up after themselves -- pizza boxes, etc. -- I'm judging by their garbage, you see.

No Ground Hog shadow yesterday. Instead yet another in the endless installment of freezing days, plus the added bonus last night of snow. Blech. Rotten day, and we have to go to a reception of an artist friend at 5 this evening, hosted by our State Assembly person. Don't tell anybody but while I like this artist as a friend very much, the artist's work, not so much.

The radio talk people are telling me again that our school system is bad for boys and gives girls unfair advantage, because girls mature their verbal skills sooner, so we need separate classrooms and schools for boys.  We know how that will turn out.  This is how it will turn out -- women will get shut out again from higher education and the professions.

Long ago I noticed that when women get access to education and professions from which they'd been barred with only few exceptional exceptions throughout history, those skills and professions rapidly become devalued. I noticed this first in the medical profession.  Now it is happening with law.  There are more women graduating from law school than men.  Now (law school, always the lit grad student's fallback) law firms are cutting back on hiring, reducing payment, etc.

Additionally, I have read and heard many times that the real cause of the medical and education crises in this country are BECAUSE women chose to be M.D.s instead of nurses, and college professors instead of primary school teachers.  If they stayed in their god-ordained places as subservient servitors of the professional males, none of this would have happened.

Did I mention it is cold, dank and dingy?

Bah.