smart comment may get posted

this is what a very smart person wrote me as a comment :

Marxist sociologist Pierre Bourdieu (also French) has coined the term Habitus in his book Distinction: a social critique of the judgement of taste. Habitus implies a kind of bubble, part conscious, part unconscious, in which each one of us lives. The music we like, the kind of furniture we think looks respectable, the kind of cloths we wear, the gestures we make, and yes, the type of dinners we organise, all derive from our Habitus. Habitus challenges free will; we don't really have much choice but to like what we like because this is how we were brought up, not only by our parents, but by our standing in society. However, we can also gain what Bourdieu calls Cultural Capital, which is not money, but prestige acquired through education, magazine subscriptions and sit-down-dinners (for example). Acquiring cultural capital makes you distinct (hence the name of the book, distinction), not in general, but from other social groups.
Now, in light of this, we must ask ourselves: was the sit-down a product of Habitus, or was it an attempt to gain cultural capital and draw a DISTINCTION between those who host sit-downs, and those who invite for buffets?
An anthropological remark about Israeli society: since for many of us, our grandparents generation broke away rather violently from their Habitus in Europe of North Africa (granted, leaving some tendencies, but distorting others), Israeli society has been busying itself with a frantic accumulation of cultural capital. People who didn't know what a napkin was growing up now order only the finest wine in the most expensive restraunts, people who's parents did kitchen duty in the kibbutz all their life instruct their third-world-country maid in french serving etiquette when hosting sit-down dinners for 12.
When I was growing up, when guest came over it was polite to serve Burekas, argaliyot and Elite instant coffee.
Today, depending on your status, it could be mini tartelettes from Arcafe, or perhaps some russian caviar with Fortnum and Mason crackers served with handcarved tortois-shell spoons.
But now that you have been described as a kid, you think you are going to get Lego for your birthday?

"yes, Iv'e said that many times..."

aruuuuuuu... must find a way to fly to nyc in the springtime... i am need of some america, and also, some gap shit, i know, i know, how banal, but hey, if it works... and also, it will be so mega coooooooollllllllllll....

gnite