I did post a tiny message to wish him well, but I think we should all give some thanks to the capitalism and wealth creation that allow for Lew to get eye surgery. Even easy accessibility to eyeglasses is a great triumph of the market that the anti-capitalists, especially the primitivists and anti-industrialists, never appreciate. And this is one innovation taken for granted out of millions, of course.
And thank goodness for Lew's eyes. Can anyone on this blog — however prolific and dedicated — imagine how devoted he must be to be using them, simply to keep this site going? This is no small feat. Twelve articles every day, including many originals he has to check with a chief editor's eye. How spoiled we readers are. And he somehow keeps up with blogs, emails, and writing his own stuff. Meanwhile, he is president of the very active Mises Institute, where he has lots of great and invaluable assistance and support, of course, but I am sure he must read a lot for that gig, too. Moreover, he keeps up with the news, leftwing and rightwing commentary, the important journals, and policy reports and studies from all over. He seems to stay current on scientific discoveries and sports as well. I can only expect that he reads considerably more religious writings than we get a sense of on this site. When I ask him about issues that many libertarians don't even bother with -- like the prison system -- he lets me know that there are 200-page studies out there on this or that detail that I might be interested in.
And he still manages many hobbies, some directly related to libertarianism and some not as much. He's told me he even keeps up with some of my favorite shows on HBO, too — more eye work, or, perhaps, eye relaxation after full days and weeks of constant labor.
Where would LRC and all its readers be without Lew's eyes? Well, thanks to capitalism and the great wealth in this country, perhaps he could make do — I hope he would. But it is clear to me that he has gotten a lot of mileage out of those peepers. One time, about a week after a certain very, very long book came out, he asked me if I had read it yet. He had, surely. I was in disbelief.
I asked him once if he just reads for 17 hours a day. He looked at me and said, "What, don't you?"
Not quite, Lew. But you do inspire me to try to keep up, to heed your admonition that "Reading is a lifetime occupation. Even then, you will only be able to read a tiny number of the books you should read."
And although you are usually one to point to others as the true greats when it comes to scholarship, serious reading and writing, I think you are too modest here.
May Lew's eyes live to be a hundred, for the sake of this site and the cause of liberty!
