How would you describe your father?

As posed by Mad Men.

How do you answer that?

New camera

The greatest books...

Have and will continue to occupy the top two tiers of my bookshelf.  The first tier belongs to Ayn Rand and a certain series of graphic novels by a Japanese author.  It's a weird dichotomy, but they are both woman warriors in their way.  And both changed my life.

The second shelf features Rushdie, Eco, Austin (I'm a girl afterall), Steinbeck, Garcia Marquez, Capote, Waugh, Kingston, Golden, Ellis, Orwell, Milton, Simmons, Montgomery, Carroll, and Alighieri.  If you haven't read The Satanic Verses, Pale Fire, The Name of the Rose, The Fountainhead or East of Eden I don't want to know you.  The others you can get away with...but they're still good.

La cuisine

I took this photo in an abandoned monastery in northeast Philadelphia during a clean-up of the property that the institution I work for had volunteered to undergo.  It was a really interesting place - and I probably took more pictures than I actually cleaned - but it was really hard to keep my camera in-pocket.  I like the color and shading here, although I probably could have done with a longer exposure.

Ain't no magic in the breakdown baby...ain't no magic in the break

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ7w-z4BvMo

Life's little silver linings:

I know people who know people - sometimes that gets me into private houses in Barbados for free.  This was taken in Barbados in May 2007 on the private beach of a property at which I was staying.  Imagine walking out into the ocean with your snorkel gear and swimming out to coral and sea turtles...it was pretty much like that.  Barbados is fine, but having been to the USVI and Aruba...well, I recommend them just a little bit more.  They both have better snorkeling and scuba.  But hey - free is free.  Also, Barbados has excellent rum.

My favorite verse by Pushkin:

'Tis time my dear, 'tis time. The heart demands repose.
Day after day flits by, and with each hour there goes
A little of life; but meanwhile you and I
Together plan to dwell . . . yet lo! 'tis then we die.

There is no bliss on earth: there's yet peace and freedom, though.
An enviable lot I long have yearned to know:
Long have I, weary slave, been contemplating flight
To a remote abode of work and pure delight.