Author Archive
January 21, 2012 by Cyrus Patell
Star Wars and the Technophobic Imagination
Some years ago — never mind how long precisely — having little or no money in my purse, but an invitation and funding from the American Studies Association of Korea (ASAK), I traveled to Seoul to give a paper called “Technophobia: Star Wars, Star Trek, and Other Sites of Technocultural Anxiety.” The talk was subsequently [...]
December 1, 2011 by Cyrus Patell
On the Eve of National Day
It’s exhilarating, but not a little strange, to be living in a country that’s younger than I am. I turned 50 back in October; the United Arab Emirates turn 40 tomorrow. Every December 2, the country celebrates “National Day,” which commemorates the day on which the Constitution of the UAE came into effect. Before 1971, [...]
November 30, 2011 by Cyrus Patell
We Do Have Weather
In case you were wondering, those of you reading the blog back in the USA, yes, we do have cloudy days here in Abu Dhabi. Right now at 9:30 a.m., it’s about 80 F, windy, and mostly cloudy. Very pleasant, actually, especially considering that it’s the last day in November. Here’s what it looks like [...]
November 26, 2011 by Cyrus Patell
Some Girls and the MXR Phase 90
I’ve been listening to the newly released remastered version of Some Girls and enjoying the 12 bonus tracks that accompany it. I’ll be writing about those tracks here in the months to come with the idea of producing a Kindle-based companion volume to my book on the album, which appeared in Continuum’s 33 1/3 series. [...]
November 25, 2011 by Cyrus Patell
The Week in Pictures
November 24, 2011 by Cyrus Patell
Happy Thanksgiving from Abu Dhabi
This year’s Thanksgiving animal of choice was the camel. No, we didn’t eat one. In fact, we’ve deferred our celebratory Thanksgiving meal until Saturday, when we’ll be joining a number of NYUAD colleagues here in Sama Tower. But we spent much of our day in search of the beasties pictured above. We woke up this [...]
November 18, 2011 by Cyrus Patell
Galaxy’s Youngest Sith Lord
[Graphic by Chani Gatto-Bradshaw]
November 16, 2011 by Cyrus Patell
Tonight’s Sunset
Here’s the view out our window this evening, looking vaguely to the southwest past the Emirates Palace. Last month, I conquered my fear of driving in Abu Dhabi, figuring that if I could drive in Massachusetts and in Manthattan, I could manage anywhere. After our Eid holiday, however, I know this assertion to be untrue: [...]
November 15, 2011 by Cyrus Patell
Today’s Coffee
Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Manhattan anymore.
October 25, 2011 by Cyrus Patell
