I noticed I have a Gmail invitation; email me if you want it! culturecat at gmail dot com.

UPDATE: They gave me five more invitations, yours for the asking. :)

UPDATE 11 September: I'm out of invitations and have closed comments on this post.

Well, I'm back. Not thrilled about it, but there it is. As always, I had a wonderful time at home; I miss hearing people say "billfold" instead of "wallet," "bluejeans" instead of "jeans." Sigh. Now I have to get ready for the beginning of the semester, but I'm not feeling like engaging in anything right now. I'm easing into it. For the moment, some of the pictures I scanned (more to come) -- you've seen my mom, now here are pictures of my dad from back in his Navy days, roughly age 18-21:

Via Palmer.

Last Cigarette: January 1, 2002, but I wish I could say I've never had one at all
Last Car Ride: from the airport, with 2 friends
Last Kiss: long time ago...maybe I could tell you if you hypnotized me.
Last Good Cry: around June 8, 2004, but for the record, I never find cries to be good. I guess catharsis is necessary, but I don't like it.
Last Library Book: big stack I checked out for prelims, lovely offerings such as Survey Research Methods by Floyd Fowler
Last book bought: Charmed Circle: Gertrude Stein and Company, for one dollar, used. It's got the dust jacket and everything -- great photos of Picasso, Alice B. Toklas, Gertrude Stein, Leo Stein, etc.
Last Book Read: See above
Last Movie Seen in Theatres: The Bourne Supremacy
Last Movie Rented: Bride of Chucky, Stir of Echoes, Picture Perfect
Last Cuss Word Uttered:
Last Beverage Drank: Fresca
Last Food Consumed: Almond butter

I'm waiting for my friends to get ready, so why not?

Virginia Woolf: Orlando. You are a challenge, for
outer events, the outside world, the time etc.
play no importance to you. Your focus is in
writing, in gender issues, and inside your own
head. Self-analysis and exploration of yourself
as well as the outer world hold great
importance to you.


Which literature classic are you?
brought to you by Quizilla


Via Palmer.

Tomorrow I go here:




This image comes from a series on diners I did back in 1997 as an independent study for my photography minor. Here's another photograph from the series, taken inside The Southland:

I didn't watch Julia Child's show, but all the tributes to her -- and this interview -- have made me want to. I wonder if they'll release it on DVD?

When Krista and I went to the movies recently, I made an excited noise when I saw the standee for Seed of Chucky (link goes to the trailer). A little embarrassing, yes, but what the heck, I've already said I want to watch The Pirate Movie. Krista made the insightful observation that the more theory one reads, the more one wants to watch pleasantly stupid movies. Having been bolstered by this validation, I believe I'll rent both The Pirate Movie and Bride of Chucky tomorrow evening. I've seen Child's Play 1, 2, and 3, but not Bride of Chucky, and I want to respect the narrative sequence.

Just read it. I needed those laughs. Everything this guy writes is funny (oh, and see also his story "Academia").

Via John & Belle.

Am I going to make it?

On Friday morning, I got my last two preliminary exam questions, and my answers are due Monday morning. The first essay is basically done, but I still have some work to do on it. I plan to mobilize for the second essay late tonight, get up in the morning, and write all day, yet again. I want to do anything but this right now. Things I'd rather do include:

• Knit
• Watch Farscape
• Go to my friend Brooke's show tonight at First Ave.
• Work on my syllabus for this fall's class
• Oh yeah, did I happen to mention, anything but these prelims?

I know, I know, this will be over soon and I'll look back and laugh.