Hideo Nomo Has a Posse

Reading Infinite Jest again this summer as part of Infinite Summer. Wondering what to make of this little quip of Hal’s as he’s talking to Mario in their darkened dorm room, discussing the death of their father and their mother’s sad/not sad reaction:

Remember the flag only halfway up the pole? Booboo, there are two ways to lower a flag to half-mast. Are you listening? Because no shit I really have to sleep here in a second. So listen – one way to lower the flag to half mast is just to lower the flag. There’s another way though. You can also just raise the pole. You can raise the pole to like twice its original height. You get me? You understand what I mean, Mario?

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