EllipticBlog

2003-11-19T17:59:00.000-05:00

Transition :: Please Note!
I will be transitioning to a different Blog platform within the next week or so.

You should update your records with the new URL:

http://elliptic.typepad.com

You will be re-directed to that site in 5 seconds or so.

2003-11-18T16:20:00.000-05:00

Even more about Old City!
There has been some talk about a new apartment / housing development taking root at:

1. The National Products Building on 2nd St. between Arch and Race, and
2. The empty lots between Bread St. and 2nd St.

I had only heard about this as an abstract plan, but I have bumped into some blueprints and visuals to accompany the proposal and a PDF of some of the changes to the plan resulting from community feedback.

There has been some concern about demolishing and/or altering the National Products Building -- concern that led to it being designated a historic building worthy of some protections. The other sector of the project, between 2nd St. and Bread St., fills some empty, blighted space left behind by a fire that razed some buildings about five years ago -- though there are some grumblings out there that it may "crowd" the narrow and rickety Bread Street.

| Center City Philadelphia Development Map 1992 - 2003 (PDF) |

2003-11-18T12:52:00.000-05:00

More changes to Old City (in Philadelphia) in the works...
Apparently, Yaron Properties has plans to revamp some spots in Old City.

The corner of Front & Market as well as the area around the corner of 3rd and Arch seem to be candidates for:

- a hotel
- a Stephen Starr restaurant
- a bank
- a "major national bookstore chain" ::shudder::
- a "5-star quality" spa

Of course, all this is subject to the impressive pressures known to be presented by neighborhood and historic associations -- so a "wait-and-see" attitude seems about right. Oh, and note that discussions about these initiatives have been going on for about two years now -- see "Related Topics" box next to the article in the Philadelphia Business Journal.

2003-11-08T06:05:00.000-05:00

Last one with photos
Confession: I ran out of battery power for the Nikon about five days ago and have been posting photos from the first three or four days of my visit. I'm actually quite glad that I forgot to bring the charger and have not thought about photography since those first few days.

Lunch at the Jardin des Plantes

Under a Bridge

Jardin de Luxembourg

2003-11-06T07:09:00.000-05:00

Almost a week...

6eme Arrondisement from Pont Neuf

Statue at Jardin de Luxembourg

Jardin Cavelier-de-la-Salle

2003-11-04T07:48:00.000-05:00

WiFi at Jardin de Luxembourg
Found a Wireless Access point near the 38 bus stop at the Luxembourg Gardens -- powerful enough to upload the photos and leave you with today's entry.

For Joe: Patisserie Espionage

Metro Sully-Morland - Ligne 7

Boules player - Jardin de Luxembourg

2003-11-01T12:07:00.000-05:00

Cafe Orbital
OK, found a decent Internet cafe that allows me to work with and upload photos. It is called Cafe Orbital -- right across from the Jardin de Luxembourg on Rue de Medicis.

I took some photos just to have some in the arsenal in case I bumped into a good Internet cafe. Here is a sample of the first batch:

Place Dauphine

Ile St. Louis

Seine

2003-11-01T07:41:00.000-05:00

In Paris
As some of you know, I will be spending the next 12 days or so in Paris. I plan on posting some notes every other day or so, depending on whether I find convenient Internet access points. If all goes well, I may post photos as well. In fact, I'd prefer photo-dominant posts, but that will depend on whether I can find Internet cafes that let me hook up the Powerbook.

Joe at Petit 4 has given me a small mission: take photos of his competition - sweet delicacies in Parisian patisseries. If anyone else has a special mission for me, let me know.

So far today, I've walked through the Bastille area, Ave. Ledru-Rollin, up to Rue Oberkampf and am currently in an Internet access shop on Rue Menilmontant in Belleville.

| Belleville-Menilmontant | Rue Oberkampf |

2003-10-27T16:14:00.000-05:00

A Treat
For those of you not familiar with homestarrunner.com, here is a sampling of what to expect: Strong Bad's e-mail: Children's Book.

Danger: Gaining knowledge of the existence of this site exposes you to the risk of losing innumerable hours of productivity. Hmmmm....then again, go ahead!

2003-10-24T09:55:00.000-04:00

Mystified
I saw Clint Eastwood's new film, Mystic River, with D.C. last week. I have not had the chance to chat with him about his views on the film, but I have to admit I am a bit mystified about the critical reception it has been receiving.

I admired Eastwood's command of a particular genre: the thriller/mystery elements of a police procedural. However, his combination of this with a study of the sub-culture affected by the crime did not seem authentic. In fact, there seems to be a certain layer of condescension throughout the film. The portrayal of the rough-and-tumble, working-class Irish community that is connected to some type of organized crime background included these elements:

1. A "naturalist" presentation of damaged, not too bright individuals struggling to respond to a tragedy.
2. A "classic" presentation of a Tragedy where the protagonist unwittingly ends up damning himself.

However, these get sullied by:

3. A misogynist and woefully underdeveloped approach to the women in the film.
4. A tone that shifts from an observational portrayal of damaged characters to a romanticized attitude about the toils of the urban, Irish working class.

I did not think it was a good movie and I definitely have no clue what David Denby of The New Yorker was smoking when he called it "a masterpiece."

Though I tend to dislike Armond White's tone and about 90% of his judgments, I think he has come closest to expressing my view on the film:

"Mystic River’s sentimentality gets most deplorable when it becomes grandiose about the working- and criminal class. "That’s what I’ve done. I can’t undo it," Jimmy intones after he whacks an innocent man. And his wife Annabeth (Laura Linney) also gets a crazy speech, "Everyone is weak, everyone but us. We could rule this town... Nothing you do can ever be wrong." But this female fealty is wrong. She’s Lady Macbeth with no consequence. Eastwood and Helgeland’s suggestion that this is low-life truth dangerously imputes nobility to unhealthy machismo—another middle-class myth about the lower classes."

2003-10-15T22:23:00.000-04:00

In Boston...
I'm in Boston attending the User Interface 8 conference in Cambridge, next to MIT. I've had the good fortune to bump into two small gems:

"To Be and To Have" is an unassuming and disarming documentary about a teacher and his young students in a small schoolhouse in the French countryside (Auvergne) during, I believe, a one year period. It earns our emotional connection without any traditional dramatic manipulations and it avoids the trap of relying on precocious children to spark our amazement. It was one of the few unabashed and pure emotional experiences I've had with a film.

Have not read "The Art of Taking a Walk" yet, but I bumped into it while exploring the MIT Coop's class textbook area -- I believe it was part of a film studies course. In the preface, the author promises, among other things, to discuss the cinematic nature of being a flaneur on the city streets and to discuss what she considers to be a phenomenon that is rarely discussed: female flaneurs and the particular ways the cityscape is read/interpreted by them. Add to this a discussion of Weimar Germany and....well.

Perhaps, if you are oh-so-lucky, I'll write more about the book once I read it.

2003-10-10T14:32:00.000-04:00

Supply and Demand
I guess I'm a bit confused about how developers in the process of building new residential and office towers in Center City Philadelphia made the ultimate decision to go ahead and build.

It's a well-known fact that Philadelphia is suffering from a population drain -- most of that drainage going to the immediate suburbs. In addition, demand for office space is shrinking and companies with existing leases in Center City want to shrink their existing office spaces.

So, population drain + low demand for commercial space + existing companies shrinking their office space = less aggressive construction and development initiatives....right?

No. As you can see by paging through the blog, major construction initiatives are popping up all over the Center City cityscape. I understand that unlike the rest of the city, Center City itself is actually experiencing residential population growth, but signs are clear that there is little demand for commercial space that would justify the current construction and development projects.

What gives? Someone explain this to me? Is it part of that maverick, risk-taking entrepreneurial spirit that infects the land?

| Center City Data: Neighborhood-by-Neighborhood (PDF) |

2003-10-08T20:57:00.000-04:00

More Entries About Buildings and Food...
Well, not really - no food here. It is about another new building in the works in Philadelphia -- this time in my neighborhood. You can take a gander at Old City 108.

This is a residential tower in, arguably, one of the most historic areas in the USA. Many developers are securing and trying to sell property before the Old City area in Philadelphia receives historic designation which would make development in the area even more difficult.

Oh, just in case you were wondering: More Songs About Buildings and Food -- good stuff.

2003-10-06T14:43:00.000-04:00

Skyscraper Database
I wanted to find out the details about a new skyscraper that looks to be nearing completion at 8th and Walnut. So I did a little creative Googling and found a great resource for architecture-related research: Skyscrapers.com.

For those of you interested in the new skyscraper on 8th and Walnut, it seems that it will be named The St. James and will contain 307 residential apartments with restaurants and retail at the ground level. Given that there is an interesting stretch of restaurants, shops and theaters in the immediate vicinity, let's hope that these new additions will blend in well with the neighborhood.

Official Rendering | Current State (Sept. 2003)

2003-10-03T14:41:00.000-04:00

longpauses.com
One of these days, I'll spend enough time to produce something as nice as longpauses.com. Until then, you folks will have to deal with this, somewhat skeletal, template-reliant interface.

It's a good place -- especially the "films" area.

2003-09-30T09:37:00.000-04:00

Gushing Praise
Jeesh, this story is so flattering it's a little embarrassing: Travel & Leisure | The Philadelphia Experiment.

2003-09-24T20:05:00.000-04:00

Photolog :: Allen Iverson Press Conference and the trek back home

2003-09-24T16:23:00.000-04:00

Conflicts of Interest
So, it seems that the City of Philadelphia's Historic Commission has given the Philadelphia Parking Authority permission to demolish three historic buildings on the 1900 block of Sansom Street.

This demolition is part of a project to build an eight screen Ritz film complex, a restaurant, some retail spaces on Sansom St. and over- and underground parking for, at least, 500 cars. The current buildings on Sansom St. would be replaced with: a freight elevator tower, a loading dock, a garbage storage area and the access ramp to the parking spots. However, the commission did give permission with the condition that the facade of the Rittenhouse Cafe be integrated into the design.

Regardless of your views on the merits of this project and regardless of your general views on the tension between preservation and development, one aspect of this deal has to be disseminated widely and discussed:

1. The City Historic Commission gave the Philadelphia Parking Authority the go-ahead to demolish.
2. The Chairman of the City Historic Commission is Michael Sklaroff.
3. Micheal Sklaroff is also the lead attorney representing the Philadelphia Parking Authority.

Sklaroff did recuse himself from the Historic Commission's decision-making process.

That's nice -- but the fundamental problem remains: the city has allowed the chairman of the commission designed to weigh and authorize development initiatives to be the same person who is hired by the Parking Authority and private developers to represent their construction initiatives.

This situation is such a prototypical example of a confilct of interest that I scratch my head and wonder if I am missing some subtlety.

2003-09-22T16:39:00.000-04:00

Film Capsule
Saw Lost in Translation (2003) with E.C. at the Ritz Five last night.

It's a jet-lagged, hermetic film about making an unexpected emotional connection with someone who might have been a transient figure in your life. It is moody, understated and, yes, elliptic.

I think it is an excellent film -- though I am not as effusive about it as some critics have been.

It does suffer from a common malaise: Primary characters that are well-developed tend to be surrounded by secondary characters that are either caricatures or are designed to magnify the primary characters' virtues (e.g., the frivolous movie star, the distracted husband, the surreal Japanese characters). Think of all the silly babbling aunts and bumbling displaced suitors in Merchant-Ivory type films.

It would have been nice if Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray's traits emerged on their own rather than through a stark contrast. That said, they were well-developed and unique characters nevertheless.

Go see it.

2003-09-19T20:32:00.000-04:00

Design Advocacy Group forum
Just came back from a forum organized by the Philadelphia Design Advocacy Group. The group invited the incumbent mayor, John Street (D), and Sam Katz (R), his opponent. Due to a "pressing engagement," Mayor Street could not attend but he was represented (to an extent) by Michael Sklaroff, Chairman of the City Historic Commission and an attorney for Ballard Spahr, Andrews & Ingersoll.

The forum allowed them to present their vision for and analysis of Philadelphia's urban development initiatives while fielding questions from a panel of architects and the audience. I must admit I came in with negative judgments about the Street administration's initiatives; thinking that it had relied on the aura of the Rendell renaissance.

Though the issues discussed are too numerous and complex to outline here, I will offer what I took to be a fundamental difference between them. The Street representative repeatedly stressed that the current administration is concerned with proper, conscientious urban planning, but that it had to be equally as senstive to the "real world, real time" pressures. Major, high-visiblity initiatives such as redeveloping Penn's Landing, bolstering the public transportation network and championing major construction projects has to be tempered by the "realities of the market." Though we would love to have a vibrant Penn's Landing, an efficient and well-utilized public transportation network and architecturally significant buildings, the market to fund and lease these initiatives is simply not there yet. Thus, pragmatism tends to place most of these initiatives on holding patterns.

Sam Katz did attend and the vision he presented for urban development was more ambitious, giving plenty of lip-service to the aesthetic sensibilities of the overwhelmingly urbane and affluent audience. He's in favor of covering up I-95 at Penn's Landing (at an incremental pace dependent on evolving funding) and making the area a predominantly residential enclave rather than another hub for office buildings. He also envisions a more aggressive role undertaken by the city in order to modernize and manage public transportation (Sklaroff basically deferred such initiatives to SEPTA - our regional transit administration).

In a nutshell, Katz presented a more ambitious, aggressive vision and some plans to spark the market forces required to implement it. Sklaroff was more pragmatic and cautious while pointing out that while the Street administration's initiatives do not have the same visibility and "sexiness" factor, they have resulted in tangible quality of life improvements within neighborhoods and within inner city communities.

I, for one, lean toward the Katz vision -- we need to continue the aggressive initiatives begun by Edmund Bacon in the '50 and '60 and by Ed Rendell in the 90's. However, Sklaroff's plea to recognize and to not forget the less sexy initiatives is essential.

Glad I attended.

2003-09-19T14:48:00.000-04:00

It's been a while, I know. Let's catch up:

Philadelphia
I've lived here for 5 years now and my internal debate between the "keep-on-renting" and "time-to-buy" sides has intensified. A few years back, I was not sure whether I would commit to a long-term span of living in this city, but through a combination of inertia and some conscious decision-making, it seems that a long-term stay is not in the realm of the fantastic anymore.

Still am not sold on the so-called benefits of ownership -- though the strongest argument I heard is that paying a mortgage should be seen as paying for the right to make a future profit (assuming house prices go up, of course). I've decided to give it one more year and then I'll make the decision.

The city feels like a well-kept secret -- affordable, intriguing, gritty and buzzing with potential future development. Let's see.

Philadelphia 76ers
Well, if I can't commit to home ownership, at least I can commit to a season ticket for the Sixers' 2003-2004 season. New coach (Randy Ayers) and a new offensive threat (Glenn Robinson). I feel optimistic about the upcoming season -- Ayers will allow players to follow their natural tendencies and run the floor and Robinson may be that legitimate 2nd scoring option (finally!). Then again, optimism about a sports team that ends up being misguided is far too common in this town.

EllipticBlog
This has been dormant for a while. I think I need to change its tone and purpose. Instead of only being a collection of relatively serious ruminations, I will open it up and allow shorter, more frequent entries. Open it up to some friends and let them post comments. Make it a more dynamic place. Let's see.

Also, I want to add more photography into the Blog. Will need to carry the Nikon CoolPix 4500 with me often.

2003-03-19T12:23:00.000-05:00

THE PHILADELPHIA INDEPENDENT
EMERGENCY WAR ISSUE
SUBMIT! SUBMIT! SUBMIT!
MONDAY 9 AM DEADLINE
WAR@PHINDIE.COM

Dear People:

On Wednesday, March 19, The Philadelphia Independent will suspend its
regular publication cycle to produce a special WAR extra edition. The issue
will be released on Friday, March 28, 2003, in a press run designed for
maximum shock and awe. It will be a full-size broadsheet, distributed most
everywhere, FREE to the people of Philadelphia.

We want you to submit writing and artwork about Iraq, America, the Founders,
George W. Bush, thugs, land, money, power, death, territory and war. You can
tackle the present situation head-on or you can address it sideways. We wish
to gather together as many pieces and voices as possible and transmit them
to as many people as possible as soon as possible.

Please forward this email along to anyone who you think might be interested.

WRITING � Send essays, fiction, poetry, lists of protests you�d like to see,
vows, declarations, plans, calls to action, manifestos, interviews, news
articles, good links to information, editorials, opinions, and anything else
that ought to be read to WAR@PHINDIE.COM. Your work should be sincere,
immediate, disruptive and impolite. Write what you want people to read 50
years from now, not 50 days.

ARTWORKS � Send as a TIFF or JPEG file to WAR@PHINDIE.COM. Or stop by with a
ZIP disk or burned CD at 307 Market Street, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA
19106. Black and white only, please.

We know these deadlines are short, but this may be our last chance to
exercise our First Amendment rights. Free speech may turn out to be but a
brief recess in the long school day of human history. Who's up for one last
game of kickball?

Sincerely yours,

THE EDITORS

P.S. :: ADVERTISERS � If you�d like to support this effort, please consider
buying an ad. Because of the short deadline, we are lowering our rates to
about half of the usual price. We will be accepting ads for the issue in
four sizes. Here are the rates:

Small ad :: 5 inches wide x 5 inches high :: $100
Medium ad :: 5 inches wide x 10 inches high :: $175
Half page ad :: 16 inches wide x 10 inches high :: $500
Full page ad :: 16 inches wide x 20 inches high :: $900

Send your ads as TIFFs or JPEGs to ADS@PHINDIE.COM, then mail a check or
money order payable to The Philadelphia Independent to:

The Philadelphia Independent
Department of War
307 Market Street
2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Or bring it by in person.

We must receive your check by MONDAY, MARCH 24, 5 PM for your ad to run in
the issue. Please call 215-351-0777 with any questions.

2003-01-29T15:08:00.000-05:00

I am in the process of reading "In the Metro" by Marc Auge. It is a small book where he muses about his experiences in the Paris Metro and engages in "ethnography" of its population.

There is an interesting bit about the tendency to give stations the name of some historic figure (e.g., "Charles de Gaulle - Etoile") or of some famous feature of the area (e.g., "Bastille"). Perhaps those in charge of naming such stations believed that the names would foment an appreciation of the history of the city or an appreciation of the unique places of the city. Being confronted with those names on a daily basis as one moves from one point to another might cause further reflection about Charles de Gaulle's contribution to France, for instance.

Auge, however, notes that the effort to increase civic knowledge and pride by naming subway stations in this manner actually may have the opposite effect. Think of the times you have coursed through a public transportation system and looked at maps and signs to orient yourself. Perhaps, during your first encounter with these names, you may have had some sustained thoughts about their referents. As time passes and familiarity with the transportation system increases, however, the names lose that historical/regional reference and they simply become scribbles and/or noises referring to that stop where the dentist's office is.

Sure. This is a generalization -- but there is some truth to it. Yet, Auge does not condemn people for losing hold of the original referents of those terms. Oddly enough, losing touch of the historic or regional referents of those names and creating your own idiosyncratic associations with those names is part of the process of becoming a full-fledged member of the urban community you are in.

Auge asks you to think of times when you are commuting in your subway system and you witness a tourist near you. The tourist glances out of the window at the station you are in, smiles and says with a sigh "Ah, the Bastille." It is at those moments when you set aside your primary associations (e.g., the place where my dentist is, good bookstore a block away, crappy coffee) and recall the grander intent of the subway planners.

It is a nice discussion and there are several other incisive observations about our relationship to our subway systems ranging from the complicity we feel travelling to mass events (e.g., sports events, political rallies) to the highly personal, almost Proustian memories that specific subway stations trigger in us.

| In the Metro by Marc Auge | The Subway Page: Links to Subway Maps from around the world |

2003-01-17T11:35:00.000-05:00

When I was younger, a highlight of any trip I took involved getting to know the airports and train stations that were part of the trip. Since I lived in Mexico City, the Benito Juarez International Airport became a significant structure early on.

This airport, and many others at that time, had a clean and spare modernist logic. One huge marble hallway allowed the criss-crossing of passengers on the way to the smooth, curved plastic ticket counters. Despite the fact that waiting would be an important component of the experience, the black leather seats sprinkled throughout the hall seemed to be added for the sake of aesthetics rather than convenience.

I feel nostalgia for these types of airports. Their organization and decor drive one toward one central activity: transit. The lack of regional decor or identity within the edifice made it clear that you had entered a conduit. Once you entered the airport, you were invited to shed the sensory memories of the location you had dwelled in. Now, your senses were being purged in preparation for travel to a new locale -- where new sensory data could bombard you and thrill you with the newness of it all. The architecture and organization invited meditation on what was to come.

Nowadays, airports have succumbed to commercialization. The Philadelphia International Airport, for instance, has constructed a mall in the largest and most congested hall of the airport. This makes it difficult to slip into the dreamy anticipation that precedes travelling. Given that this commercial standardization of airports is a trend, airports are losing their ability to focus travellers' attentions on the process of slipping from one environment to another. My city has plenty of Starbucks and Brookstone outlets -- now, they follow me to the airport, on-flight and to the destination's airport.

I miss those spare modernist airports -- and not because of the current, though fading, modernist revival in design and home decor. The current trend in airport architecture makes it more difficult to purge before shuttling your way across the globe. Of course, there are exceptions -- and I would love to catalog those.

| Philadelphia International Airport 1 | Philadelphia International Airport 2 |
| Copenhagen Airport 1 | Copenhagen Airport 2 |
| ID-Cafe Thread on Airports and Airport Signs |

2003-01-06T10:31:00.000-05:00

Let's start with a discussion of what it means to be a flâneur. A simple definition would be "one who strolls aimlessly through urban spaces." Often, being a flâneur is associated with idleness and with the decadent luxury of having enough time to take those meandering strolls.

Though the original use of the term might have applied to folks that were decadent dilettantes with plenty of idle time, several writers, theorists and philosophers have appropriated the term and have used it to refer to a more complex activity. Walter Benjamin, in particular, has done the most to bolster the meaning of the term. Instead of assuming that those who have the time to wander aimlessly through urban landscapes are only engaged in a cursory and leisurely survey of their environment, Benjamin brought attention to the cognitive value and pleasures associated with urban strolling.

A flâneur, under this interpretation, becomes an active sociologist or reader of the environment around him or her. As urban landscapes become more dense and the architecture more complex, opportunities to observe and interpret events and objects have increased in number and complexity. Unfortunately, this has occurred in tandem with accelerated industrialization and the entrechment of the capitalist work-ethic. More often than not, we spend time in our cities commuting to and from our work places; too preoccupied or tired to take note of the visual complexities around us. We rarely have time to pause and admire small details in the architecture or to pursue a reverie caused by some stranger's facial expression. Our workplaces have also become barren environments where, more often than not, visual complexity has been replaced by monotony -- all in the name of economic efficiency (i.e., cubicles).

This lack of engagement is worrisome since we are not exercising our cognitive skills to read our environment. Whether it is the result of the pressures of commuting, of our inane habit of completing errands at break-neck speeds or of simple laziness, our visual intelligence is becoming rusty. Whether it should be deemed an aesthetic and/or political movement, it is time to rekindle our abilities to engage actively with our immediate environment and resist the tendency to let it pass unnoticed as the rythmic swaying of our bus or train lulls us into a stupor.

“The street becomes a dwelling for the flâneur; he is as much at home among the facades of houses as a citizen in his four walls. To him the shiny, enamelled signs of business are at least as good a wall ornament as an oil painting is to a bourgeois in his salon. The walls are the desk against which he presses his notebooks; newsstands are his libraries and the terraces of cafés are the balconies from which he looks down on his household after his work is done.”
––– Walter Benjamin, “The Flâneur”

| Flâneur, Fall 2002 | The Arcades Project, Walter Benjamin | v-2.org |

2002-12-30T19:49:00.000-05:00

Welcome to EllipticBlog. Why "Elliptic"? Well, I enjoy the tension inherent in one of its definitions:

a. Of or relating to extreme economy of oral or written expression.
b. Marked by deliberate obscurity of style or expression.

On the one hand, I want to offer a series of musings about urban life, art, film, architecture, etc. that are clear and engaging to you without getting bogged down in the swamp of self-indulgence. On the other hand, I'm content to leave untouched some paths for further discussion -- hoping that you will tread through those and contribute your thoughts.

Subtlety is an aesthetic and moral value that is central to my daily concerns. When a work of art tends to "leave things unsaid," it welcomes you to fill in the void with sustained thought and analysis. Sometimes, negligent obscurity and a lack of meaning are mistaken for depth and subtlety. I'd like to discuss authentic instances of subtlety; whether they are found in our immediate urban environment, in a few fleeting seconds on celluloid, in a shady corner of the city or in the lucid layout of a subway map.

So, please join me as I try to chronicle fleeting instances of beauty and do slap me upside the head if I become self-indulgent [but, frankly, the right kinds of self-indulgence are virtues].