Dear Cyndy,

Thank you for your letter. I'm composing this reply on my laptop computer which is
connected to the Internet by "wi-fi", courtesy of the Nantucket Steamship Authority.
I awoke early and backed out of the driveway at 5:30 a.m., half an hour sooner than 
planned.The automobile trip to Hyannis was uneventful. I'm seated now in the louge of 
the boat at it is pulling away from the wharf. It takes 135 minutes to cross 
Nantucket Sound.

Your questions: Mr Jeff Garmel is assistant general counsel for WGBH. He has been my
patient for many years, and has expressed some interest in my legal shenanigans. In reply
to my letter (of which I sent you a copy) he suggested a telephone conference which
we held at 1 p.m. yesterday. Less than satisfactory. He was in an unusually critical mood.
Suggested that the litigation was not going at all well, because even though the court
has not ruled against me, its deliberate procrastination is depriving me of use of the
house. He thinks I should hire a very high priced lawyer and sue for damages. It's a bit
discouraging to realise how little he understands.

There's nothing I could say that would ameliorate the situation in Amherst. To presume to 
express sympathy raises the question what sympathy means, whether sympathy is suceptible to 
being expressed. It might be helpful to distinguish between tragedy and pathos. As I experience 
it, life is often very sad, pathetic, - to be accepted, - but seldom if ever tragic - to be 
regretted. The issue of theodicee which you broach, is, as I interpret it, a consequence of 
postulating an anthropomorphic deity. I'm not sure that anthropomorphism is helpful, in this
context, or in any other.

Lack of sleep is catching up with me, and it's time to take a short nap, before we get to
Nantucket.

Jochen