Totally Random

Learned about this creature today. One of the most hideous things I have ever seen. You should watch the video on BBC. They had the dumbest headline "Saber Toothed Sausage" which of course made me want to see what the hell they were talking about. It was the Naked Mole Rat. Interesting creature, but I am utterly turned off by its appearance.

And yes, I do have better things to be doing. But whatever...

Simultaneously Terrifying and Hilarious

I feel like that rarely happens. When you see or hear or read something that is really really scary, but at the same time utterly amusing. Today's example - Tom Cruise interview. And yes, I know we shouldn't be suprised by anything that comes out of that man's mouth, but this was too much.

As a Scientologist, at the scene of an accident, "you know you are the only one who can help." -Yep b/c non-Sc paramedics don't know anything.

"We are the authorities on getting people off drugs. We are the authorities on the mind."
- Just watch the video to know why this is really ironic.

"We unite cultures!"

"If you are a Scientologist you see things....... the way they are."

And I am not linking to the video, b/c I am a little paranoid and more than a little scared of those people.

...Of Cats and Corsets and Chocolate Ice Cream

I used to have two other cats. I had them when I was an undergraduate, but left them with my parents b/c I couldn't have cats in my apt where I live now (i.e. Kishka is a secret, so don't tell my landlord). Their names are Nikolai Ivanovich and Ivan Nikolaiovich - and no I didn't make those names up to be mean. It is from a book. What I noticed was that they would always sit on the things that I needed. Like if I were reading a book, or if there were some papers on the floor. Apparently Kishka has this problem too, except that he gets mad when you try to move him. Like today. I moved him off of my makeup, he sat on my purse, I moved him from there (all the while he is making these fussy not quite growling not quite meowing sounds), he tries to sit on my glasses, and I have to intercept. Finally he storms off to sit on the corner of my bed after swatting at me a few times with his paws. B/c I found the entire incident amusing I took a little video - well, and also b/c I kinda like playing with my new phone.




The other stuff referred to in the title here is that I went to a mini food festival type thing today. I went a few years ago - both times it was fun. Of course it was though b/c what could be better than all the restaurants in your town gathering in one place, and offering samples of their food? I had some squash curry, buttermilk hush puppies, eggplant fries...oh, and some dark chocolate ice cream. All really really delicious.
However, today was a game day. So all the crazies were out (and all wearing red). Got asked a few weird questions. The first I won't type out here b/c I have no clue what the girl was talking about, and my luck it is some sexual position that I do not want to know about.
The second question was "could you buckle my shoe?" Strange enough having someone ask you that who is waiting for a bus at 10pm at night. Even stranger was that she was wearing a tiny plaid school-girl style skirt and a white corset. I am thinking she couldn't buckle her shoe b/c the corset was too tight, but I mean really if you are wearing something that prevents you from getting properly dressed - i.e. buckling your red 4 inch heels - then you probably shouldn't be wearing it. But maybe I'm just too conservative...

Just Because

Forthcoming will be a couple of posts here about my touristy adventures in San Francisco. On the other blog I will post my reactions on the conference itself, and some of the papers I heard.

But first, because I am officially delirious, I have written a poem:

Attenuating Seasons And Days

Oh, shall I count the many ways

that the outstanding papers

over the course of several days

without flurries or frivolous capers

cited the man, Asad (power!)

quietly, with reverence, as if for vespers

while I leaned forward with a glower

(religion, history, and the secular)

listening to essays hour after hour?

Talal "no universal definition of religion" Asad

Talal "reads more than enough Foucault" Asad

Talal "at least he doesn't write in French" Asad!

Please don't leave a comment telling me how much I suck - yes, I know that I can't write poetry. But I had fun doing it, and besides I went to talk on anthropology and poetics - so there!!