Went to my dearest auntie Lovey's house today. Her 2 yr old Elizabeth is a riot. She loves to talk but has trouble saying actual words. My snap shirt proved all the rage and she just kept undressing me, eventually I gave the shirt to her. She's so darn cute.

SUP QT!

New hope that PMT may be able to leave the sanctity of their home within the coming years.

A breakthrough study has found "that mice treated with a newly developed part-cat, part-human protein did not develop an allergic reaction." (e:Paul) would be so cute with cat-genes in him I think. Maybe grow a tail and learn to purr...

My question is, is that pain or bliss on her face?

So I'm in "class" reading Orientalism by Edward Said. Very nice chick next to me, actually 50ish, talkative, and utterly boring, says to me, whacha readin'? I show her the cover.

"What's that, some science fiction?"

"Errr...not so much...more like sociology or history, you know, political stuff."

Blank look ensues, "ohhhh, uh-huh."

"Well um it kinda talks about the word orientalism, you know, where it comes from and stuff. And, how we all react to the word, and the image that it evokes in our minds...yadda-yadda."

"Well, you know," with perplexed intensity, "I don't think they meant to do so much damage."

Questioning look on my face brings,

"You know, how the whole building came down. I think they only thought they would take out the one floor when they crashed into it."

"Oh! You mean 9/11?!"

"Yeah, I don't think they thought the whole building would come down and kill so many people."

Here I try to muffle my utter astonishment, "well, you know that's kinda the whole point of the book actually. It wasn't so much the oriental world that made that happen. That was a distinct group of people within the larger oriental society. Just like it wasn't America or Americans that bombed the federal building in Oklahoma. It was a single person who happened to be an American."

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"What's that you're reading terrster (i kid you not)?" An 'instructor' for the day, she likes to give me nicknames, like I'm the cute dog who does neat tricks.

"Oh just a book," I show her the cover.

"Ori-en-ta-lism, eh?"

I nod.

"Sounds pretty good. You ever read the Davinci Code?"...

I guess without the pretension of college (or any other 'elite' setting) it is impossible to be recognized for your scholarly achievements. Where were my oohs and aahhs for reading up on such a pertinent topic surrounding our present day society? They just realize I'm kinda boring, but at the same time are rather impressed that I read at all, let alone something without a plot. But there is never a recognition that I could possibly be taking something of value from these books. Ideas mean very little. Unless you can phrase them in harmless jokes. Yet, I grasp America through my workmates. I hear/see what it is like to be your so-called normal American. It is a useful experience. How can you belittle what you don't know? :) ;0