consumerist memetics

Music: My Bloody Valentine: Loveless (1991)

Today was a productive day, the sort that leaves one without guilt: edited a book review and the worked on a manuscript; went to an awards luncheon; graded undergraduate projects and had dinner with the rockin' TAs; started reviewing an article. Then I watched last night's American Idol, then tonight's, as I laundered. Now doing the finishing lap catching up on email, blogging, and surfing the InterTubes. Amazingly, I don’t' feel busy. It seems like things are settling down to a humane pace. I'm working on my Slow Aesthetic (trademark pending).

Flavia (whom I don't know) started a meme, which Debbie continued, and which I in turn decided to continue. Flavia wondered what her first Amazon.com purchases were, so looked, and then published it. Debbie did the same. Both observed these purchases were during graduate study---both to help endure it (music) and do it (books). I thought: does Amazon.com really go back that far, to our first purchases?

Yes, yes they do. I was surprised to see my old, old "order history"---but the purchases made seem oddly familiar and not too old. So here's mine:

First purchase, April 6, 1998:

• H.P. Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine (1888)
• G. De Purucker, Occult Glossary: A Compendium of Oriental and Theosophical Terms

Commentary: I wouldn't start writing the dissertation for another two years, but I knew what I wanted to write about. Given Blavatsky's volume here is two volumes and over a thousand pages, it was nice to get a head start. I ordered the Purukcer on recommendation from a Theosophist, who said it was a good glossary for reading Blavatsky.

Second purchase, August 11th, 1998:

• The Lilac Time: Astronauts (1991)

I've been a fan of Stephen Duffy's work ever since Julie B. gave me a ride to (high) school---instant crush---and I spilled coffee all over her. Lilac Time was in the tape player. I still follow Duffy's career (the Lilac Time long since gone, I think). This album didn't fare well in the states, but was reissued in Japan in the mid nineties. Only Amazon carried the reissue. Now this reissue goes for $70-100 bucks. God knows what the original, British pressing sells for today.

Third purchase, January 6, 1999:

• Schubert: Death & the Maiden, Quartettsatz/Tokyo Quartet (1992)

Commentary: I never remember ordering this, nor do I remember getting it [Going into house to look for album]. Well, this album is not in my collection. Apparently, however, I paid for it. Oh well.