Anytime I start to feel that the world is irredeemably insane and life is completely pointless (about once an hour), I remember love. More specifically, my love of Fran Lebowitz. You may recognize her as a guest star on Law and Order or from her columns and articles in every magazine of consequence since the `70s. Or as the humorist (which is a word I hate. Humorists aren’t funnyor wise. Garrison Keillor is a humorist, Fran Lebowitz is a philosopher) who has written only two books in the last thirty years. She isn’t prolific but that’s one of my favorite qualities of hers. I wish more people would winnow their output, many to the point of silence.

Here is an excerpt, from Ruminator with Fran. I think it may have single-handedly changed my ideas about smoking bans. In fact, I’m going to go buy a pack of cigarettes right now.