***, ***, ***, *** - really interesting entries that remind me of my mom, what with her love of words and how Old World stuff slips into family life (like today, she ironically shifted to Italian instead of Arabic in the midst of a polemic on how Xuemei and I need to grow balls)

-yet another Bloodlines plug (I'm totally down with someone buying me this)

-Islamic art - my favorite is the one with the angel Gabriel, natch

-Treasure Box - kind of an antiqued and smaller Samarost