Book: 20250724 to 20251115, "Catch-22" by Heller, Joseph

20250725 - Chapter 1: The Texan

Catch-22 required that each censored letter bear the censoring officer's name. p9
Is this what this book about? No one monitor the ones who are in charge?

20250725 - Chapter 2: Clevinger

20250725 - Chapter 3: Havermeyer

20250725 - Chapter 4: Doc Daneeka

"Maybe a long life does have to be filled with many unpleasant conditions if it's to seem long. But in that event, who wants one?"
"I do." Dunbar told him. p44
It's boredom vs pain. Boredom is worse than pain, as pain may some potential benefit to us later on, while boredom is always futile.

20250725 - Chapter 5: Chief White Halfoat

Catch-22. Anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't really crazy. p52
True.
Just like that any cell in our body is on duty if it works. Or else, it will be disolved.
There is no way to run away. The only thing we can do is to run away in advance.

20250806 - Chapter 6: Hungry Joe

20250806 - Chapter 7: McWatt

20250806 - Chapter 8: Lieutenant Scheisskopf

"It will make no difference, " Yossarian promised, and Yossarian was right. "They're after everybody." p92
This reminds me of a lot of books and a lot of life experiences. For example, "The Crowd".
When people are in huge stress or strong emotion, they lost the capability to think independently, and were transformed into something like locust swarm.
How? It's decided by our subconsciousness.
Why? No idea.

This book is great!

20250808 - Chapter 9: Major Major Major Major

What would I say to Yossarian if I were Major Major?
"The best thing I can do is to let you fly milk runs."

20250824 - Chapter 10: Wintergreen

20250824 - Chapter 11: Captain Black

20250824 - Chapter 12: Bologna

20250824 - Chapter 13: Major ---- de Coverly

The rule should be adjusted a bit, such as: only the one who flighted 50+ times and won a medal can be retired.

Milo could survive because he provided something other people could not: purchase fresh eggs and other food in large amount. Selling spade is better than digging gold.

20250824 - Chapter 14: Kid Sampson

20250824 - Chapter 15: Piltchard & Wren

War is cruel to everyone. Including Pilots.

20250917 - Chapter 16: Luciana

Luciana is impressive. She is the perfect wife for most of man.

20250918 - Chapter 17: The Soldier in White

20250918 - Chapter 18: The Soldier Who Saw Everything Twice

When there is no legal way to exit, damages come along.
Emotion is not real. It's just imagination from gene.

20250918 - Chapter 19: Colonel Cathcart

The world is nothing more than a giant amateur show.
To individual, any rule is better than no rule.
Following right principle, then we have better chance to thrive.

It seems that Lieutenant Colonel Korn is the only competent officer in this book so far. He is sharp, smart and bold, but there is no dedicated chapter of him. :-)

20250919 - Chapter 20: Corporal Whitcomb

Corporal Whitcomb is also an idiot.
Mr Heller must put all idiots into this book.

20251005 - Chapter 21: General Dreedle

General Dreedle is also an idiot.
How did these people reach their level?
Do similar thing happen in enterprises?

20251005 - Chapter 22: Milo the Mayor

This is impossible.
Stakeholders would ask for larger and then larger share.

20251006 - Chapter 23: Nately's Old Man

"The Germans are being driven out, and we are still here. In a few years you will be gone, too, and we will still be here. You see, Italy is really a very poor and weak country, and that's what makes us so strong. Italian soldiers are not dying any more. But American and German soldiers are. I call that doing extremely well. Yes, I am quite certain that Italy will survive this war and still be in existence long after your own country has been destroyed." p278

Do the Jews killed in concentration camp agree about this?
Do the Poland people in WW2 agree about this?
Italian were just lucky that Italy was not occupied by Soviet Union or Japan.
It's more about options. The one with more options win the game of survival in long term.

20251006 - Chapter 24: Milo

Did similar thing like this happened during WW2?
Highly unlikely.
It's no good to portray the military personnels like this.

Refuse to wear cloth is a good idea, after such trauma.

20251017 - Chapter 25: The Chaplain

A normal good man in peace age.

20251017 - Chapter 26: Aarfy

20251018 - Chapter 27: Nurse Duckett

Wierd joke from fate.

20251018 - Chapter 28: Dobbs

This chapter is more about Orr. An excellent engineer.
The talent gave him higher chance to survive, but no guarantee.

20251029 - Chapter 29: Peckem

General Peckem is another idiot. His contribution to the war is negative.

20251029 - Chapter 30: Dunbar

Poor Kid Sampson and McWatt.

That's the problem of "the black swans".

20251029 - Chapter 31: Mrs. Daneeka

20251029 - Chapter 32: Yo-Yo's Roomies

20251030 - Chapter 33: Nately's Whore

20251030 - Chapter 34: Thanksgiving

20251030 - Chapter 35: Milo the Militant

20251031 - Chapter 36: The Cellar

20251031 - Chapter 37: General Scheisskopf

It seems that most of people went crazy at the same time. :-)

20251113 - Chapter 38: Kid Sister - 450

20251115 - Chapter 39: The Eternal City

20251115 - Chapter 40: Catch-22

20251115 - Chapter 41: Snowden

20251115 - Chapter 42: Yossarian

I see people cashing in on every decent impulse and every human tragedy. p510
This is one of the strategies that individual adopt to thrive, so the whole system envolve.
Sometimes it's the best choice.

What's the catch? All gain have cost.

Everyone has their responsibility, but no one should be force to pay much more to benefit the system, or else some bureaucracy or people will take advantage of him/her. Obedience could be harmful to the system for long term.

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