Things to Do When You're Off Line

Some Internet connectivity issues around here on Thursday night. Was it fallout from the worldwide hacker attack by Burandan rebels as part of their liberation struggle? That bit of direct action might have put Twitter on hold as well, I hear, a disaster of such proportions that I expect panic in equity markets on Friday.

More likely, it was my ISP being its not-quite-perfect self. So I went out to look at the full Moon, except it was cloudy. A couple of days ago I spent a few minutes out on the deck after dark, looking at the nearly full Moon. It had an unusual luster, probably caused by obscure, temporary components of the atmosphere, or maybe I was just more receptive to it for obscure, temporary reasons having to do with brain chemistry.

And again, I thought, looking at the white orb and its gray patches: a dozen men walked there. Were sent there by dint of enormous effort. It's a hell of a thing, really. A marvel to go with the luster of the Moon. No wonder the thought befuddles simple people.