Dostoevsky Question (on being a good person and faith)...

OK - - Dostoevsky is a downer (and a pretzel) so this will be the last in the series but its going to be twofer - here goes...

"What exactly does "faith" mean? As in "religious faith," "faith in God. etc." Isn't it basically crazy to believe in somethng that there's no proof of? Is there really any difference between what we call faith and some primitive tribe's sacrificing virgins to volcanoes because they believe it'll produce good weather? How can somebody have faith before he's presented with sufficient reason to have faith? Or is somehow needing to have faith a sufficient reason for having faith? But then what kind of need are we talking about?"

"Am I a good person? Deep down, do I even really want to be a good person, or do I only want to seem like a good person so that people (including myself) will approve of me? Is there a difference? How do I ever actually know whether I am bullshitting myself, morally speaking?"

-- David Foster Wallace

So... FD should have seen the made for HBO movie by ONE (Bono's charity org.) "The Girl In the Cafe". Here's the ridiculous plot: Very lonely middle aged man picks up young woman in cafe. Turns out he is a muckety muck in the British gov't. She is just - a girl in a cafe. He invites her to attend the G-20 meeting in Rekyievch, Iceland. She accepts. He is a really inhibited, uptight, shy, wonderful guy (played by Bill Nighe). And she finds him wonderfully appealing because he is so shy and so uptight yet so authentic and true. And she goes to the big dinner of all the honchos of the planet and during bullshit speeches about saving the planet while eating caviar and lobster she gets up and says "Every 3 seconds a baby dies of starvation who needn't die" and she snaps her fingers three times... and then again... needless to say everyone is appalled at her lack of politeness but somehow the G-20 guys get it and the next day they pass major resolutions to eradicate starvation on the planet.

The girl is played be somebody (Nellie?) (Macnormand?) who is now appearing in "the Merry Gentleman" with (and directed by) Micheal Keaton about two really sad and lonley people who meet and accept loneliness, tragedy and sorrow.

Totally Dostoevsky.