About Time

So, what's new with you? Me? I've been busy...

My graphic novel reading habit has finally paid off. A few months back I was trying to find a ticket to go see Art Spiegelman give a lecture here in Seattle. I acquired the ticket and in the process came across another activity presented by Seattle Arts and Lectures called Wednesday University. I clicked, scrolled, and discovered a class about consumption and consumerism that had been given last winter. I cursed the heavens for missing it and vowed to track it down.

Shortly thereafter, I found myself emailing the teacher, who is also a professor at UW, and asking her if I could enroll as a non-matriculated student in her "History of Consumerism and Consumption" class for the Spring quarter. My request was blessed, signatures were obtained, and money was paid. I'm three weeks into the class, as of yesterday, and totally digging it. We've read Thorstein Veblen, talked about Heinz, watched a film about Coke; we have examined how women fell prey to the advertisers while in search of sovreignty and how patriotism and consumerism almost go hand in hand. If you're in the market to do a little shopping yourself, I'd suggest "Sold American" by George McGovern (we, in the class, refer to the purchase of books as a positive mode of consumption). Furthermore, my final paper is going to attempt to address the development of sustainable building practices and why it has taken so long to implement them.

So yeah, I stumbled into the right place.

In maintaing my own consumptive habits, I've:

read the Wind-Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami and almost all of Palestine (graphic novel) by Joe Sacco.
watched the first few episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm from season one as well as the movie "Avenue Montaigne."
bought plane tickets for a month-long sojourn to Spain with my lovely bride (Jabiz, if you read this, we're coming to New York on the way back.)
listened to quite a bit of Ratatat, Explosions in the Sky, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Amon Tobin, and The Roots.
been to my second Seattle Men's Chorus performance to watch Jeremy sing.
gone to see Sarah Vowell.

So yeah, what's new with you?