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The envied are like bureaucrats; the more impersonal they are, the greater the illusion (for themselves and for others) of their power.
-- John Berger
Tuesday, July 1, 1997
I dealt with bureaucracy (a tough word to spell!) and came away unscathed! I don't know where I picked up my phobia, but I do tend to put off or avoid any dealings with governmental agencies and offices. I'll admit (shh! don't tell!) that because of this curious reluctance, I have been driving in an undocumented fashion for longer than I care to admit.
But today I needed to fix this situation because the airlines want to see a picture ID when one travels, and I didn't want to cause a problem by proffering an expired driver's license and having them cavil at it at the gate.
The DOL (Department of Licensing) isn't too far from my office, so I went there today. At the door you are presented with a panel with four buttons, and requested to choose one depending on what your desired transaction is. The small machine then emits a ticket with a number, which number varies according to your chosen category. Clever! There are rows of seats with people staring either at a silent TV playing videos of scenic Washington views, or at the number panels above each clerk telling us what number was currently being served.
I decided to risk trying for a renewal, even though I had been expired for such a long time. When my number came up, the nice gentleman said that as long as it was within four years of expiration, all you have to do is pay ten dollars extra! You don't have to take the driving test again, and they don't yell at you! I was very pleased indeed!
So a new picture, and I am a legal driver! Hurray! Then a visit to the used book store that was next door, and a sandwich at the very nice German deli next door to that. What a fine expedition!
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The second Clarion West reading for the summer was given by Samuel R. (Chip) Delaney. He has a beard of Marxian proportions, truly impressive. He read several short pieces from various books he has written, which made me want to read more of him. I know I must have read something by him, but I don't think I have read any of his novels. Probably I read any of his stories that were included in anthologies that we were all reading in the late sixties and early seventies, like Dangerous Visions.
When I was choosing dinner in the Eliot Bay Books cafe, I remembered what it is that I really like to eat there! The Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich is my favorite thing on the menu, but last week I didn't remember that and got some insipid quiche.
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