Человек есть существо ко всему привыкающее

Man is a creature that can get used to anything - so said Dostoevsky, and he documented that amply with specific examples in the House of the Dead.

Лидия Вележева, Идиот, 2003

These days, it seems as if the human species is in danger of losing its self-consciousness entirely amid a never-ending stream of self-administered electronic dopamine jolts transmitted from one mass hive to the next.  And we seem to be just fine with that - after all, as long as there is still ice left to melt, your drink stays cool, right?  Only one with the stubbornness of a Nastasya Filippovna -- one who can be self-directed along an independent path even at the risk of unreason -- has a chance of breaking out of those patterns.  As her example shows, however, there are costs and dangers to that path.

Last Christmas

Returning from a more extreme hibernation experience than expected, this bear discovered that George Michael was added to the long list of departed musicians this year.  If he is gone at 53, it makes one less optimistic about long-term prospects.

Did not even realize until today that "Last Christmas" was originally a George Michael/Wham! song, what with so many cover versions about.  But my ignorance makes it all the more tragic.  Death angels have arrived.