You have been confronted by it
at least twenty-five times， beginning in at least 1978， but you have not man-
aged to retain the definition (something about building blocks)， and the reso-
nances (something about threesomes， something about birdshit) are even
more of a problem. You re feeling stymied. You worry that you may not use
spare time to maximum advantage， that the world is passing you by， that
maybe it wouM make sense to subscribe to a third newsweekly. Your coffee s
getting cold. The phone rings. You can t bring yourself to answer it.
Or it s like this: You do know what a quark is. You can answer the phone. It
is an attractive person you have recently met. How are you? How are you?
The person is calling to wonder if you feel like seeing a movie both of you
missed the first time around. It s The Year of Living Dangerously， with Mel
Gibson and that very tall actress. Also， that very short actress. \"Plus，， the
person says， \"it s set in Indonesia， which， next to India， is probably the most
fascinating of all Third World nations. It s like the political scientists say，
The labyrinth that is India， the mosaic that is Indonesia. Right?\" Silence at
your end of the phone. Clearly this person is into overkill， but that doesn t
mean you don t have to say something back. India you could field. But
Indonesia? Fortunately， you have cable--and a Stouffer s lasagna in the
freezer.
Or it s like this: You know what a quark is. Also something about Indonesia.
The two of you enjoy the movie. The new person agrees to go with you to a
dinner party one of your best friends is giving at her country place. You arrive，
pulling into a driveway full of BMWs. You go inside. Introductions ~re made.
Along about the second margarita， the talk turns to World War II. Sp~fically，
the causes of World War II. More specifically， Hitler. Already this i~la~t easy.
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