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i'm not ready yet to talk about autumn, but it is just around the corner. and even after all these years, autumn makes me long for a new hooded sweatshirt with my university logo on it, new pens and a stack of fresh, pristine textbooks, beckoning to be cracked open. let the enlightenment begin! in imagination i can smell the freshness of the autumn air and feel the crunch of leaves under my boots as i make my way to the quad. tho' i spent more time at iowa and arizona state, it seems the university of chicago is the setting in my imagination - the tree-lined streets of hyde park, walking past frank lloyd wright's robie house, ducking in to the seminary co-op bookstore (tho' it certainly didn't look like that modern monstrosity when i was there, it was tucked in a dark, dingy, but wonderfully labyrinthine basement in those days). i could go on, but it's making me wistful. alas, those days were nearly a lifetime ago and the hoodie has gotten a bad rap recently.

however, last evening on facebook, i learned that MIT has a load of free courses available online. i vaguely recall reading that somewhere awhile ago, but i never really went in search of it. by the way, this proves that facebook can be good for something. i reposted the link (i think it originated with those i fucking love science people, tho' i got it through an old friend who i worked with during college) and then cyndy came up with a brilliant idea. she suggested that we (and by we i mean all of you and me and cyndy) should take one of the MIT courses together - do the readings and assignments and share our thoughts with one another, maybe even in a facebook group. she suggested an anthropology course on food and culture. and i said, yes please! and then i went to bed because it was really late.

and when i awoke this morning, it still seemed like an excellent idea. so, who's in? let me know and i'll do something about organizing a facebook group for discussion of the topics and readings. we don't have to write the papers, but let's go to MIT together, what do you say?

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an interesting conversation about life as an expat in denmark is going on here.  in english and in the comments.

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why the picture of panzanella, you ask? it's food & culture, so i thought the food would inspire.