Zipper

Yesterday I recovered my jacket from A1 Taylor where they fixed my broken zipper. Now I can zip up when it's chilly. I'm so happy, I'm wearing my zipped up jacket right now.

Doctors are not to be trusted

Why do they have to get all up in everyone's business?

The Pessoptimist

There is certainly a lot to say about the book, and it's best to do it carefully. For now though, I'll say this: Habiby uses satire in a way that causes me to rethink big historic moments and smaller everyday ones in the same way. Some culminate in grand atrocities and others are superficial wounds that, only though repeated attention, do they weigh equally, if not more. I'll add more about this soon.

return

I haven't visiting my blog in awhile, I've been thinking of how to make this experience a little more worthwhile than just spouting off catchy remarks. I've doing an independent study this term on Palestinian Cinema and I'm pairing movie-watching with reading theory, history, and fiction by Palestinian authors. I'm considering setting up a new blog (or adding on to this one) reflections on all this activity. Not today though, as I'm in the midst of grading a 12lb. stack of undergraduate papers on aspects of 1930s cinema. But tomorrow perhaps, I'd like to start with thinking about Emile Habiby's "The Secret Life of Saeed: The Ill Fated Pessoptimist".

Words of Wisdom

Nope.. still none.

blogging for sheer joy

As I was telling Bobby this morning, I'm not really blogging for the sheer joy of it. But I'm enjoying it nonetheless. No words of wisdom today.

Thursday

Not very productive today, the problem is, I love sleep. I can't ever get enough. And now that I'm sick (just a little) I need even more. There was a time when I could get up in the morning. In fact, this time last year I was getting up around 7am twice a week. But now that's totally unthinkable. I think those automated coffee machines with the built-in timer might be the ticket out of bed.

Wednesday

I'm over the hump, thought this day would never come.

she just left

I was just about to chronicle the last five minutes of my life in the wake of a talkative, cellphoneaphelia afflicted coed who was sitting right next to me. I'm in the computer lab. She just left so the point I was about to make is moot. I was considering whether to take out my aggression in writing, so my faithful readers could read how I chastise all those who chit chat in areas designated for rigorous research and other electronic related endeavors or whether to take out my aggression on HER, and say, "hey lady, give it a rest willya" or perhaps, "do you think you could talk somewhere else". What would you do?

back to Saturday

Something fishy happened, seems like my Sunday post overrode my Saturday one. Since yesterday's post was extremely important, I'll just put it up again. It went as follows:

love: fresh towels
hate: being sick

Oh, and stop sending those "get well" cards. I appreciate it, but it's just a cold.

tea types

ginger, lemon, green (decaf), white, peppermint

Thursday

Lots to do today.

Shafei...read my blog

Why do I have to beg and beg? Please Shafei, I'd be the happiest classmate of yours if you would just read my blog. I know it's not Al-Jazeera but it's still news. Shafei!

for you or me?

As I learned last week, it's all for you. Naive little me, I'm a first time blogger and newbie to the wonders of the internet, I just assumed that only I and a few incidental friends were reading this thingy. And in general, I have nothing to hide. But stick a couple googleable search terms in there and lo and behold, semi-complete strangers have access to my innermost thoughts (well, the outer layer of inner I suppose). Now that I've mentioned the words "Palestinian" and "Palestine" and even worse (note: not synonymous) "Hamas", I guess I should kiss my alleged right of privacy within electronic and telephonic communications goodbye, or at least, lila'liqa. If anyone of any securitorial importance should be reading this right now, or later, you should check out some of those filmmakers I mentioned in my previous entries. No, not in THAT WAY. I mean, just watch their films. And if there are parts you don't understand... like... "what's that funny language they're speaking?" or "why are those refugees so mad in the second half" let me know and I'll try to sort it out. Like I said, I've seen a ton of films over the past few weeks and I don't expect to lighten my load anytime soon.

behind

Not much time for blogging today. I'm behind in my work for a change. I'm still overdue about 90 pages of reading on French poetic realism and a short paper criticizing some essays and synthesizing some ideas of Palestinian cinema. It would also be nice to get some art done too.

Why is there only one Elia Suleiman?

Before I move any further, I should note that the title of today's blog is taken from a converation I had with my friend and colleague Tal Assif. This was originally her question but now it's mine too. After watching more Palestinian films than I would wish upon most Jewish, Arab, or Arab Jewish leftists (I can provide my list upon request), I'm left wondering where the other Suleimans are? After watching Chronicle of a Disappearance for the first time about 5 years ago (and about a dozen times since then), I've been hooked on Suleiman. But where are the others? Palestinians definitely have a lot to say. Within the next few months Tal and I will find the others and you're all invited to idyllic Ann Arbor to check out them out. We're putting together a film series to premiere next fall. Any suggestions are welcome.

as expected, not bad

After a 3am bedtime last night, I clocked in today around one. A bit of a late start, in fact, the latest start I've had in awhile, but the day turned out quite nice. I started it off with a strong coffee and a bit later, a smoothie. My new roommate just bought a blender which might end up changing my life. I headed to the studio and continued the project which was put off for too long, but is moving along ahead of schedule. There's a show coming up at the end of February that I wanted to finish it for but I think I'll have it done before then, which would be wonderful. I may make something else for the show then too. Then, my pal ol buddy on the other side of the world (i.e. Finland) was on skype, so I got my fix of transatlantic chit chat about, among other things, politics. At this point, the feds probably realize that I'm not really worth the wiretap even though it's probably tempting. My friend (i.e. Kevin) also called me "weird" but I'm not sure why. I really don't think I am. But after I got over it, it was back to work and then on to a lecture by glib political cartoonist, Ted Rall. Swell cartoons, but the guy.... Anyhow, then a nice introductory hang-out over coffee with all my favorite Israeli and Palestinian expats. I should mention here that even though "the world was stunned" over Hamas' victory today (or rather yesterday), I'm not. I'll leave my theories to myself (for now). Hamas used to have a website but as far as I can tell, it's now defunct. I'm suspicious, they seem to be the type of organization that would want to keep their domain name current, so perhaps the Israelis (or the Finns) are up to something. Till that matter is resolved, perhaps The Palestine Information Center is a good source for news on that end. And what better note to end on than a word of congrats to Hamas.

chocolate

I'm now back to 6 bars of chocolate in my studio, which is good. I've also decided not to be shy about turning the heat up in here. 69 degrees, the default setting, should be good. But it's not. Maybe it's the leaky skylights? The tall industrial ceilings? For whatever reason, 69 just aint cutting it but at 74, it's feeling great. In other news, I checked out a book from the library today by Emile Habiby and I'm really exicted about it.

stop being so negative

I can't get into the specifics here but feel free to send me an e-mail and I'll let it all out then. I feel like things are on the up and up though. There's Thursday to look forward to. Friday should also prove to be a good day. Saturday goes without saying, and Sunday, well, that's God's day so what could go wrong then? In other news, I'm all out of chocolate.

sleep

It's never enough.

I just woke up from a nap at the library.