Is it wicked to have glee over the news that the TomKat union may have been subverted by her parents over the ChristmaDays? Yes, it saddens me to imagine that their baby might grow up in a single-parent household (Didn’t I? And look how I turned out…), but it’s not like Tom hasn’t already put the baby at risk. Then again, I can understand why her parents might be skeptical of his intentions. First, there was the whole thing with Pené’s parents, which was creepy. And then, the Los Angeles Times comes out with a report about how the scientologists planted a field with wildflowers so he could romance Nicole. Do you think they did anything of the sort for Katie? I don’t. But still, and in spite of myself, I do hope that the two can patch things up, or if that’s not possible, that some pitying director will find a way to miscast Katie in another blockbuster or two, whether as (I swear! I’m not) an 18-year-old city prosecutor, or a surgeon, or something.
Addenda:
- It appears that the Jewish Historical Society of New York has sold a significant portion of its collection of paintings of one of the first, prominent Jewish families in the colonies to—what else?—Crystal Bridges.
- Brokeback Mountain plays in Iowa City, starting tonight! We plan to see it either today or tomorrow, although we may change our minds and watch Munich instead.
Finally, 
Cat under lamp update:
The other feline creature who lives with us but not pictured above, sat under this lamp an hour ago. Suddenly, What is that smell? It smells like burning… hair!
Sure enough, the cat was smoldering. I wiped her down with a wet washcloth to make sure she didn’t catch fire, and now she’s peacefully asleep on the printer.
by greg—Jan 6, 12:44 PM
Not many tomkat fans eh?
by greg—Jan 8, 12:13 AM
The first link you’ve provided above is actually the same as the second, so I’m totally up on the whole avian flu risk thing, but I’m sadly behind on the latest parental subversion (I could, of course, look this up for myself, but that might cause me to have to acknowledge a more than idle interest in the topic. . . .)
The cat under lamp picture is quite lovely, though.
by Laura—Jan 8, 12:37 PM
i’ve just taken to prowling or lurking or whatever other perverse term is used for reading and not posting lately…got a syllabus to finish up and i think i’m in way over my head…it’s the sor juana class.
by Jeremy—Jan 8, 02:34 PM
Oh. Sorry. Try the first one now. I must’ve got some wires crossed. The story really hasn’t progressed more than is included there. tom & katie apparently left her parents’ house early at xmas. rumors that mr. & mrs. holmes don’t like mr. cruise, etc.
Also, if you didn’t see it when it came through the pipe, Chris provided the relevant link of 2005.
Finally, there are two phrases in the best words of 2005 that are better than truthiness (see link at right). “whale tail,” which you should read about yourself, and “jump the couch,” in reference to tom’s oprah antics.
so if all of that isn’t enough to get your interest piqued, then… well, you’re flat out a better person than I.
by greg—Jan 8, 02:34 PM
the lamp singed cat was funny…
and, i guess scientology doesn’t have a problem with sonograms…since i think tom is having his to-be undergo the jelly and the gram on a daily basis.
also, the pene parent story was a little freaky…
by Jeremy—Jan 8, 02:37 PM
emy & I were writing at the same time.
Sor Juana sour on-ya?
In undergrad & grad school, I only ever took one single-author class. It was intense, and it was intended to give a sense of the author’s breadth and of the depth of criticism of him.
by greg—Jan 8, 02:41 PM
writing at the same time twice.
by greg—Jan 8, 02:43 PM
me too, and it was the long/organ faulkner class.
no, not sour on sor juana…just wondering in my student will be able to handle it…wondering if i’ve bit off more than i can chew and am asking them to swallow and digest it…or something like that.
last semester’s end of term papers are among the things that make me think i’m crazy in the head
by Jeremy—Jan 8, 02:46 PM
Oh, thank you—I feel so up-to-date now! Someday I may even get the truth and the facts back together.
by Laura—Jan 8, 08:43 PM
No Brokeback this weekend. We went today, but it was already sold out.
J. Is the Sor Juana class a grad class? If not, why not divide up the writing: say, into two or three shorter essays? Even if a grad class you could do this. It may be a way you can drag them (kicking and screaming) to the kind of work you expect.
by greg—Jan 8, 10:38 PM
We saw Brokeback Mountain last night. It’s sad. I heard it described as a “weepie.” I think the moniker is apt.
I also finished Housekeeping (see link at right) today, which I heartily recommend.
More on both sometime this weekend, but a question for Laura: do you have any good or bad stories about Ms. “I won the Pulitzer this year” Robinson? She’s quite the town star these days, especially now that all Iowa’s reading Gilead, yet the only thing I ever hear is that she’s churched at the UCC downtown… Just curious, is all.
by greg—Jan 14, 02:04 PM