The banker rubs his nose, thinking of his cat stalking something on the lawn.

I enjoy my rights, but I revel in my privileges.

Deconstruction: peering suspiciously at the text, I wait for it to make a slip and betray itself.

Money: power at its most liquid.

Never invite to dinner: those who won't decide until the last minute; those who come more than half an hour late; those who want to bring along two or three friends; drunks; monologists; those who stay until three o'clock in the morning; those who think that conversation means having an argument; those who take a high moral tone; those who are stupid, ugly, or dull. Enforcement of these rules will enable one to eat alone every night in comfort.

The imaginary audience for my life is growing small and silent.

Never lie in writing.