I just started reading Stephen Colbert's I Am America (And So Can You). Pretty darn funny so far. I'm on page viii: "Because this book is for America's Heroes. And who are the Heroes? The people who bought this book. That bears repeating. People who borrow this book are not Heroes. They are no better than welfare queens mooching off the system like card-carrying library card-carriers. For the record, we're not offering this book to libraries. No free rides."
For the record, I just borrowed this book from our library. So call me a card-carrying library-card carrier. (Though I actually don't. I have my number memorized. You don't seem surprised, for some reason.)
I've just finished The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs. It's a humorous and surprisingly respectful account of Mr. Jacobs' attempt to live by as many biblical rules as possible in the course of one year. I found it an entertianing and enlightening way to learn about all sorts of biblical rules, including the contradictory ones. And I enjoyed following Mr. Jacobs' story of the spiritual effect his quest had on him--his transformation fron an agnostic secualr Jew to a somewhat spiritual mostly-agnostic secular Jew.
I'm also reading Rasputin's Daughter, which is pretty good so far (I'm on chapter 2), for those of you interested in the more conventional topic of Russian-revolution-era historical fiction.
Of course I'm reading manga, too--I'm about to start D. Gray-man, and Fullmetal Alchemist v. 14 is on its way to me. If you want to try manga and are brave enough to jump into something fairly involved, it's an excellent alternate-world fantasy about alchemy, the use and misuse of it, and the quandaries and efforts of two teenage brothers, their friends and acquaintances and enemies. The art is very good, and the characters are wonderfully three-dimensional and will likely crack if not break your heart--and make you laugh too. Best new (to me) manga I've read this year! I'm glad my anime-club members kept raving about it so that I finally tried it. Husband won't try it, but he did watch half of Mad Hot Ballroom with me--an excellent documentary about lower-economic-class NYC kids (4th and 5th grade) learning ballroom dancing and competing with each other and other NYC public schools. Boy can some of these kids dance!
Enough recommendations. Back to work for me...
Monday, October 22, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Karaoke in the living room!
I simply have to share this with you.
My husband found a karaoke channel on our cable TV system and started singing with it. I started singing "California Dreamin'" with him (and made him run it through to the end.) Then he made the mistake of mentioning that they had "I Got You Babe" so I insisted on doing that--Cher-and-Butthead style (if you haven't heard/seen their version, you haven't lived! Best cover/redo ever, or certainly the funniest!) We did a couple more, then finished with ..."Baby Got Back" And my husband doesn't even like rap. I was doing hip-hop moves (learned from my Zumba classes--not bad for a fortysomething white woman) and rappin' along because, well, I got back.
Awesome fun! We'll have to do some more! I think it chases away the cat.
My husband found a karaoke channel on our cable TV system and started singing with it. I started singing "California Dreamin'" with him (and made him run it through to the end.) Then he made the mistake of mentioning that they had "I Got You Babe" so I insisted on doing that--Cher-and-Butthead style (if you haven't heard/seen their version, you haven't lived! Best cover/redo ever, or certainly the funniest!) We did a couple more, then finished with ..."Baby Got Back" And my husband doesn't even like rap. I was doing hip-hop moves (learned from my Zumba classes--not bad for a fortysomething white woman) and rappin' along because, well, I got back.
Awesome fun! We'll have to do some more! I think it chases away the cat.
(In)famous Knights Templar dissolution document found!
The parchment denouncing and dissolving the Knights Templar has been found in the Vatican Library. Turns out it was mis-cataloged (thus proving my favorite library-school professor's statement that cataloging and indexing are all you really need to know about librarianship). Then it was found by one of the archivists--a woman, incidentally (they let women work in the Vatican Library?? I guess as long as she keeps her head covered modestly...), thus proving the importance of hiring good archivists...
OK, now that I've used this as a soapbox to declare the importance of both my job and my husband's I'll sign off...
OK, now that I've used this as a soapbox to declare the importance of both my job and my husband's I'll sign off...
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Saving the world from glamorous heinies...
Just part of our job here as public-library staff. (Thanks to my coworker Mary for the title!)
One of our patrons informed us that someone had spread glitter glue on the toilet seat and light switch of one of our public restrooms. We put up an "Out of Order" sign till our custodian came to clean up, but about 15 minutes later a woman came in dragging her son. She'd found out he was the culprit and brought him back to clean up. I gave them paper towes and Goo Gone (since the stuff on the toilet had hardened beyond the paper-towel point) and she made him clean up every bit.
We approved of the mother's method. I did write an incident report since it could be considered damage to public property. After all the serious incidents our management has to read about sometimes, I bet they got a chuckle about this glitter-glue vandal.
One of our patrons informed us that someone had spread glitter glue on the toilet seat and light switch of one of our public restrooms. We put up an "Out of Order" sign till our custodian came to clean up, but about 15 minutes later a woman came in dragging her son. She'd found out he was the culprit and brought him back to clean up. I gave them paper towes and Goo Gone (since the stuff on the toilet had hardened beyond the paper-towel point) and she made him clean up every bit.
We approved of the mother's method. I did write an incident report since it could be considered damage to public property. After all the serious incidents our management has to read about sometimes, I bet they got a chuckle about this glitter-glue vandal.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
My Birthday List
This is kinda frivolous, kinda serious...
Wheelie shoes. I think I won't break my neck with them, or even sprain my ankle as I did the first time I tried roller skates. And I want to wear them at work.
Manga. Lots of manga, including some that's published only in Japanese.
Silk, lace- and ribbon-trimmed lingerie of all kinds, in lilac and pink and midnight blue, that makes me look 15 lbs. thinner.
Ivan to not wake me up at 4 am. And 4:45, 5 am, 5:25... By walking on me, of course.
Top-to-bottom apartment cleaning by someone else.
Time off to file or ditch old papers, send stuff we don't need to the appropriate charities (Goodwill, Chesapeake Computer Users Group, etc.) and do some scrapbooking.
Update, Oct. 8:
We went to the Green Festival yesterday and talked and shopped with about 1/4 of the vendors. Small Meadow Press had the most beautiful papergoods. I love the Book Leaves (under "All in Order" in The Shop) and am debating what I want printed on my Name Cards--I like the Lucy Maud Montgomery one with the roses the best.
Also, there's a story that goes with this... Lesley Austin, who runs Small Meadow Press, said "I know you" but wasn't sure where from. We ran through the usual (the libraries I've worked at, New Jersey--nope, she was from Virginia) and then finally something clicked. I asked if she was a Quaker, and she is! Turns out we'd met last winter at the Women's Retreat.
Yes, more!
"Ain't Never Been Plugged," the new cd by Mike Agranoff. This includes "The Dream" (which I'm sure is the infamous song that Amy L. introduced to the Folk Project; Hands on the Switch/The Explorer, which I have fond memories of hearing at his old concerts; "The Water is Wide;" and a parody by Mike called "The Water is Weird" (I can only imagine so I must have it.)
Wheelie shoes. I think I won't break my neck with them, or even sprain my ankle as I did the first time I tried roller skates. And I want to wear them at work.
Manga. Lots of manga, including some that's published only in Japanese.
Silk, lace- and ribbon-trimmed lingerie of all kinds, in lilac and pink and midnight blue, that makes me look 15 lbs. thinner.
Ivan to not wake me up at 4 am. And 4:45, 5 am, 5:25... By walking on me, of course.
Top-to-bottom apartment cleaning by someone else.
Time off to file or ditch old papers, send stuff we don't need to the appropriate charities (Goodwill, Chesapeake Computer Users Group, etc.) and do some scrapbooking.
Update, Oct. 8:
We went to the Green Festival yesterday and talked and shopped with about 1/4 of the vendors. Small Meadow Press had the most beautiful papergoods. I love the Book Leaves (under "All in Order" in The Shop) and am debating what I want printed on my Name Cards--I like the Lucy Maud Montgomery one with the roses the best.
Also, there's a story that goes with this... Lesley Austin, who runs Small Meadow Press, said "I know you" but wasn't sure where from. We ran through the usual (the libraries I've worked at, New Jersey--nope, she was from Virginia) and then finally something clicked. I asked if she was a Quaker, and she is! Turns out we'd met last winter at the Women's Retreat.
Yes, more!
"Ain't Never Been Plugged," the new cd by Mike Agranoff. This includes "The Dream" (which I'm sure is the infamous song that Amy L. introduced to the Folk Project; Hands on the Switch/The Explorer, which I have fond memories of hearing at his old concerts; "The Water is Wide;" and a parody by Mike called "The Water is Weird" (I can only imagine so I must have it.)
We need a bit of good world news...
With all the crap going on between wars, unethical politicians and corporations, and environmental disasters, I figured you all would appreciate reading aboutlogging community in the Congo that provides for the community including a way to protect their sacred places.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Celebrate Banned Books week!
It's Banned Books Week (till Saturday, I think)! As a librarian and a supporter of intellectual freedom, I'm delighted. So, here's the American Library Association's article on the top banned and challenged (books people attempt to ban) books of 2006, with links including one to a list of banned books over the years.
My absolute favorite is a tie between two:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, which I've already mentioned was the book that got me started on reading science fiction, as well as being one of the better science fiction and fantasy (it's both) titles I've read. Its crimes: witchcraft and "nontraditional view of Christianity" 8-P
Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden, the first significant young adult book written about a lesbian relationship. It's as beautifully written and authentic as any GLBT book for teens that I've read. The romance is simply lovely from Annie and Liza's first meeting at the Cloisters in NY city to their differences in social status to the personal and social complications they have to deal with.
Update: Since there's no room on our Banned Books display at work, I put a copy of Annie on My Mind on our Staff Recommends display!
I also enjoyed reading the most-banned/challenged book of 2006, And Tango Makes Three, about two male penguins raising an egg and chick that the mother of a male/female pair couldn't handle. Not coincidentally a lovely adoption story that warmed the heart of this prospective adoptive mom.
Want to tell me some of your favorite banned or challenged books?
My absolute favorite is a tie between two:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, which I've already mentioned was the book that got me started on reading science fiction, as well as being one of the better science fiction and fantasy (it's both) titles I've read. Its crimes: witchcraft and "nontraditional view of Christianity" 8-P
Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden, the first significant young adult book written about a lesbian relationship. It's as beautifully written and authentic as any GLBT book for teens that I've read. The romance is simply lovely from Annie and Liza's first meeting at the Cloisters in NY city to their differences in social status to the personal and social complications they have to deal with.
Update: Since there's no room on our Banned Books display at work, I put a copy of Annie on My Mind on our Staff Recommends display!
I also enjoyed reading the most-banned/challenged book of 2006, And Tango Makes Three, about two male penguins raising an egg and chick that the mother of a male/female pair couldn't handle. Not coincidentally a lovely adoption story that warmed the heart of this prospective adoptive mom.
Want to tell me some of your favorite banned or challenged books?
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