Liberry Air

Is this really 2008?

2008-12-27T17:10:00.004-05:00

Ken Blackwell, the former Ohio secretary of state who appears to be leading in the race to become the next chairman of the Republican National Committee, is defending a rival who distributed a CD containing a song called "Barack the Magic Negro," and dismissing criticism as a sign of media "hypersensitivity" to race.

and...

"Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan issued a statement Saturday distancing the party’s leadership from one of the GOP’s best-known operatives, Chip Saltsman, who distributed a CD containing “Barack the Magic Negro” as part of his campaign to be elected chairman of the Republican National Committee next month."

Duncan's statement, in full: "The 2008 election was a wake-up call for Republicans to reach out and bring more people into our party. I am shocked and appalled that anyone would think this is appropriate as it clearly does not move us in the right direction."

My God! It took 22 hours and questions from the press about their silence before they even responded...with this? An uproar following the use of a racial slur is "hypersensitivity to race"? "...does not move us in the right direction"?? Is he shocked and appalled only because it's a disastrous political move? Because the story got out? These are the mainstream representatives of the Republican Party? Is there no depth to which these people will not sink?

Voting "Please, Lord: Now!"

2008-11-05T07:12:00.004-05:00

Voting this time was unlike any other. By 5:30 a.m., the line ahead of me was over a hundred people. Under the friendly, chatty atmosphere there was intensity, quiet, determination, and a sense of hope that was amazing and heartening.

I chose my vote by default: I couldn't vote for one candidate - it was just impossible as a woman; as someone who respects others' right to be different with dignity and full rights of citizenship; as a moderate; as an educator...as a thinking person. If nothing else, the possibility of having an unqualified, right wing religious fanatic as vice president (and quite possibly president) was too terrifying to consider.

In this state, it wouldn't have mattered if I voted as the outcome was a certainty. I considered not voting or voting down-ticket. In the end, I just couldn't bring myself to do that. The honor, privilege, and duty of voting could not be denied. With Tagore's definition of duty going through my mind, I went to the polls.

And I am so glad I did. Although I wish I had a candidate I really wanted to vote for available, being with a group of people blazing with the possibility of finally arriving at the shore after standing uninvited in the water for all those years was almost overwhelming. The hope and affirmation were palpable, almost blistering.

The little elderly lady, bundled in a too-big coat and tucked in a folding chair, waiting patiently to vote behind close to three hundred people smiled at each of us as we left, responding to good wishes with a repeated prayer: "Please, Lord: Now!"

Now the voting is over and the choice is made. I hope her vision holds true for more than this day.

OK That's It!

2008-08-30T14:12:00.003-04:00

I wondered what it would take to get me to vote for Obama. I really can't stand McCain...but Obama and his assortment of pathetic (at best) responses to issues I care about wasn't far behind. I actually considered not voting.

That is, I considered that path until the Old One nominated the anti-abortion, anti-evolution, anti-wilderness, etc. etc. beauty queen with no experience.

Bad enough that he might get to nominate a Supreme. But the idea that he might die and she become the President? No thanks!

ok Obama, that's one more (albeit a really reluctant one).

finally...

2008-03-26T20:50:00.001-04:00

News of worth

Hoorah!!

2008-03-04T17:56:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to U, Husband, and new Dynamic Duo! Be well!

Here We Go Again

2008-02-26T18:41:00.003-05:00

It looks like once again I might be stuck voting for the lesser of two evils: the wooer of conservatives or the guy who hopes we won't remember that JFK, while charismatic, was just not much of a president. Neither can demonstrate that he will be a positive force when it comes to women's issues; neither really so much as tries to do so.

*sigh*

I am sick of stupidity; sicker still of sheep.

In honor of this day

2008-01-21T09:02:00.000-05:00

From Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

"Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

"The good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human and, therefore, brothers."

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice."

Others:

"You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist." (I've seen both Golda Meir and Indira Ghandi credited with saying this.)

"The real differences are between those who embrace peace and those who would destroy it; between those who look to the future and those who cling to the past; between those who open their arms and those who are determined to clench their fists." President William Jefferson Clinton

"Peace has to be created, in order to be maintained. It is the product of Faith, Strength, Energy, Will, Sympathy, Justice, Imagination, and the triumph of principle. It will never be achieved by passivity and quietism." Dorothy Thomson

"Responsibility does not only lie with the leaders of our countries or with those who have been appointed or elected to do a particular job. It lies with each of us individually. Peace, for example, starts within each one of us. When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us." Dalai Lama

maybe i should just take pictures

2008-01-06T13:42:00.000-05:00

Lately I don't seem to have the time, or sometimes heart, to blog.

If I can figure out how to do it, maybe I'll be a copycat and do a 365 blog.

The days are getting longer, the quality of light is changing - and that might make all the difference!

happy, happier, happiest....sad, sadder, saddest

2007-12-12T17:40:00.000-05:00

Daughter and boyfriend might have wonderful opportunity for stellar job in nice city...

nice city is about 1500 miles away.

One of two or three truly close friends/colleagues at work is announcing her retirement as of the end of this school year. She's a wonderful person who deserves to have time to spend with her husband pursuing interests and traveling...

I'll miss her terribly.

Another closer friend/colleague is teetering on the brink of deciding to retire...see above.

I love the work I do...I have so much drivel to do I have little time to the professional part of my job - and I'm drowning.

Ed McMahon is becoming the man of my dreams.

Old and New

2007-10-06T08:21:00.000-04:00

The moving boxes for the haul to our currently-being-built new school are arriving soon so we can pack now those things we've used for the year and avoid moving trauma later.

How do you pack a library in advance? We don't finish units and put them away til next time. We're unpacking new books while others pack books away.

Can't count either

2007-10-06T08:19:00.000-04:00

Apparently I have bought, not 90 bulbs, but two sacks of 90 bulbs...Halloween presents?

maybe

2007-09-30T09:20:00.000-04:00

I'm thinking of making a truly frivolous purchase...just because it's something I would like to have.

Not sure why this seems so momentous instead of...normal.

Booking

2007-09-30T09:15:00.000-04:00

Unexpectedly really enjoyed: Practical Dragonkeeping by Christopher Moore

Expectedly really enjoyed: Harry Potter 7

plants

2007-09-30T09:10:00.000-04:00

I really love my gardens although they are truly pathetic.

Every time I pick a weeny little pepper or find a new flower, it's a little burst of pure joy.

Morning glories are so aptly named.

Soon we will have three softball-sized watermelons.

Time to plant bulbs. Buying 90 may have been overly optimistic.

coming soon to a library nearby

2007-09-30T09:05:00.000-04:00

Our new school is actually being built...and the library plans point to a facility that will be lovely.

Anyone moved into a new library? Got any advice? Warnings?

I already know the caveat about fighting for the ed specs dealing with shelving: a friend moved into her new space and started unpacking books. As she put them on the shelves, they started falling off onto her feet. They had changed her specs - wrong.

Anyone using wireless laptops instead of hard-wired units for all but a couple of OPACs? How's that going?

aging

2007-09-30T08:33:00.000-04:00

During last annual with one of my doctors, he noted I hadn't had a bone density done in some time - and had never had the full scan. So I had the scan. Then I had a phone call asking me to schedule a follow-up with him "No emergency; he just likes to go over the results personally with patients." Ahem. Even I am not that gullible, so I started getting religion (taking a couple of calcium supplements a day, eating more yogurt) and waited the month for the appointment (no rush to schedule a non-emergency visit - stealthily comforting).

We sat and chatted for a moment - after all, we've been seeing each other for thirty years. He delivered my daughter. I said, "So...? I'm guessing if all were well, we would not be having this little tete-a-tete." He grinned/grimaced and announced I have osteoporosis of the spine and osteopenia in my hips. So glad I had HRT and was not careful about calcium long ago. How smart to have somehow fallen off the walking bandwagon for quite a while. Well done.

So now my sudden burst of a couple of calcium supplements a day has morphed into Fosamax, three supplements a day, a search for a decent multivitamin to take every day, hard-wiring the yogurt-eating into my diet, and a long time to wait til the next bone scan to see if the loss can be stopped.

The good part is having discovered Adoras calcium supplements. They add 30 kcal each, so I had been leery about them. Wrong. They are disks of chocolate (dark or milk available) that really taste like...chocolate! I look forward to each supplement. They're less calories than an average candy. I haven't had any other chocolate in over 4 weeks now - I'm getting a guilt-free fix three times a day! Silver lining.

sad

2007-09-30T08:26:00.001-04:00

Ran into someone who used to be part of a circle of friends at a craft fair. Years ago, her husband, a close of friend of my husband's, collapsed and died shortly thereafter...but not so shortly that she could be spared the decision to remove him from life support when it was determined that the background count on the monitors was higher than his brain functions. She had a psychological break - in some ways, perhaps all of us did. The group evaporated, as did the relationships.

We asked each other how we were doing...fine, fine. She asked after husband; I stood there awkwardly. We smiled and moved on.

In some ways we've probably grown, but we seem to be diminished. The people we were have gone.

back

2007-09-30T08:23:00.000-04:00

I'm trying to find my way to blogging regularly. Like everything else, if I can learn to be less earnest and intense, the process might be more manageable.

AARRHH!

2007-05-27T09:23:00.000-04:00

Culminating events of fun birthday:

Trip here for fabulous Greek dinner

Trip to see this which would have been worth it just for the fine scenery. Well, the pictures of the ships and ocean were nice too. Turned out to be a really good movie - not at all the fluff that I expected - may have to see it again. Now I understand the comments Depp has been making lately about considering doing a fourth installment - sounds like the opening volley of fierce negotations.

And Keith Richards! Perfect!

Can't do anything else though

2007-05-20T21:28:00.000-04:00

Your IQ score is 140

This number is based on a scientific formula that compares how many questions you answered correctly on the Classic IQ Test relative to others.

Your Intellectual Type is Visionary Philosopher. This means you are highly intelligent and have a powerful mix of skills and insight that can be applied in a variety of different ways. Like Plato, your exceptional math and verbal skills make you very adept at explaining things to others — and at anticipating and predicting patterns.

Translation: No practical ability!

Got a hungry pet??

2007-05-07T19:11:00.000-04:00

Click on the Iams link below - you can fill out a form and they'll send you a coupon for a free sack of cat or dog food! Even if you don't use it yourself, I'll bet there's a shelter that could!

sheesh

2007-04-27T17:16:00.000-04:00

Another teacher and I got snookered into setting up a retirement party for a couple of fellow teachers. Suddenly there's a political mess, people not signing up, etc. etc. Except we have a contract with the expensive restaurant to show up with money for a lot of guests - or get socked with a disasterous cancellation fee.

Maybe now I'll have learned to let it go - and if there's no partying in the future...oh, well.

Anyone want to go to a retirement dinner? The dinner'll be really nice!!

What a day

2007-04-24T20:50:00.000-04:00

What a pip of a day!

Still recovering from slamming a finger between a library chair and table yesterday - finger is no longer twice its size and is less black, more blue.

The new motherboard for our circulation computer had not arrived by the time I left - meaning the chaos caused by the equipment failure would continue a bit longer. I feel for the IT guy - we have run him absolutely ragged the last couple of days, especially after a heating system malfunction superheated the building and killed equipment. Praying it's fine by tomorrow - we're seriously behind.

Fuel oil tank in basement had large puddle under it, called emergency service. Turned out to be a corroded line to the filter - easily fixed. (Technician also explained it would not have exploded or burned - good to know.)

Early exit from school (on a day I was fabulously busy) made me miss a meeting announced right near the end of school...at which our principal announced she's leaving after only two years - and before a number of reforms she was planning are in place. (And they would have moved us in the right direction, albeit with the faculty kicking and screaming the whole way.)

And it's only Tuesday!

Is this a water joke?

2007-04-17T07:47:00.000-04:00

The lake that our upper lawn has become spawned a rivulet which immediately headed across the driveway into my newly established flower bed. After lugging and ~~dumping~~ carefully spreading a dozen huge sacks of garden soil; planting a lilac; planting a burning bush; and planting an entire large sack of tulip bulbs, I coudln't let this continue. (Actually I'd have thought about it less if it weren't for all the holes laboriously dug for the tulip bulbs.)

Thanks to Ocean State Job Lot's sale on 32 quart sacks of potting soil, I acquired a supply of sand bags and banked the driveway. The new river was redirected...to the lower lawn. What luck that I had already purchased sacks of grass seed for some patching! Maybe I should just dump them in the junior river and let it spread the grass seed in its own path?

The garden disaster having been more or less averted, I can return to constructing annotated science ebibliographies. Oh, joy.

Sad

2007-04-03T16:18:00.000-04:00

One of our outside kitties was seriously injured somehow. Despite valiant efforts by Daughter and a nice vet, the decision had to be made that it would be inhumane to put him through any more suffering and he has been euthanized.

He was a very nice kitty and both we and the other outside kitty will miss him.

[Reserves perfect pebble til his ashes return in a couple of weeks.]

The Return of the Jedi

2007-04-03T16:03:00.000-04:00

We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732'

...and now the well is no longer dry. The idiot appliance repair contractor finally showed up - and only 2 and a half hours late (or 6 weeks late, depending on your perspective). Apparently we're supposed to be grateful he made an appearance at all.

After many false starts, which involved disassembling the entire water dispenser; looking intently (for no apparent reason and at length) at the brand new water hose; asking us for an extension cord (really. he did.); wondering aloud if an ungrounded plug could stop a water supply; and calling for backup from the bright folk who sent him here, he finally decided to take a look at the electrical connections to, you know, see if they might be creating the electrical problem. And lo! The spirit of the Lord came upon him - and he noticed that the wires were loose. So he tightened them and the connection was restored. Water issued forth from the dry dispenser and (after dumping the requisite number of contaminated batches) it was good. Of course, it could have been good on the day it was delivered in February but I am reminded that late could be better than never....it's a rather near thing.

I am in the wrong field. I get paid rather poorly to be a professional, with all that implies. I could be a seriously underaccomplished dolt, work shorter hours, have essentially no accountability, and get paid well. Who's the dummy??

Ok, so at least I have nice cold water and all the nice space that the big filtered water pitcher used to take up.

Revenge of the Sith

2007-03-18T07:30:00.000-04:00

Apparently the repair guy could tell by 8 a.m. that he wasn't going to be able to leave his driveway all day. Glad I got up so I could be out shoveling by 6 to clear our driveway so he could park easily. Still no chilly fridge-issued water and space sucked up by filter-pitcher. So much for the craptacular manufacturer's one year warranty on parts and labor; the warrantee is not thrilled.

Next available date: March 30 at which time we will have owned the fridge for almost a month and a half without full use of its glorious capabilities.

Surprisingly enough, they wanted to be paid for the whole fridge right away.

This is starting to feel like being in one of the old soaps. Stay tuned for the next installment of The Thirsty and The Restless? Open the fridge for the Guiding Light?

The Empire Strikes Back

2007-03-10T10:55:00.000-05:00

The plumber has come and gone; the ice maker is going through the process of making the first of three batches to be dumped (in favor of clean ice).

Why, you ask, this title?

Because the bloody water dispenser doesn't work. Apparently there's a solenoid that doesn't appear to be working - hence the dearth of nifty fridge-supplied drinking water.

Calling the service number (on the nice refrigerator magnet they supply) does provide an opportunity to listen to the worst background music ever. It also lets you practice your skill in getting them to send a service person at a time when you are not normally at work. No, we do not want to take a personal day for this; we want you to recognize that the world works. Service hours should reflect this. I would love to have a job that would allow me to have my days off not on the weekend. Not having to hit the supermarket when Attila and the boys are out shopping too: priceless! Remember, Attila meant something like Scourge of God...and for good reason.

So Dr. A, normally a reasonable guy, got to speak to them. The general feeling was that it would probably not help matters if I started shrieking invective. Probably not.

He 'splained it to them. He suggested that since this was a brand-new fridge, we had a plumber standing next to the phone fuming in frustration, and they had a moral obligation to give us something that works for our money, they should send someone after 5 or on a weekend. And lo! they are!

So next weekend we find out whether the next title shall be The Return of the Jedi...or (ominous music) The Revenge of the Sith.

Meanwhile, it can take up to 48 hours for the ice unit to be fully operational so we're hanging onto the ice cube trays a bit longer. (And every time I hear a little clunk in the freezer, I hop up on my trusty step stool to view the latest little miracle issuing forth from the ice maker. Cool.) (On many levels.)

Freedom?

2007-03-04T06:45:00.000-05:00

Would Peter Zenger have bought a t-shirt saying "Will Rogers never met Ann Coulter"?

Bus duty blues

2007-03-02T20:47:00.000-05:00

Last week was Electrical Appliance Failure Week: first the fridge (still no sign of the plumber coming to hook up the new aquatic toys), then the mouse on my year old computer. The replacements are very nice and the credit card bill hasn't come yet, so things seem fine.

This week's Disaster Theme has been the weather. Is this random nastiness? Stochastic weather process? Global warming? Nah. It happens every time my team has bus duty. It has reached the point where some parents groan when they see us on duty. One has asked us to consider taking days off so the weather will improve and she can run errands in relative peace.

So what will next week bring? Blue skies? Happiness? Depends on how you feel about standardized tests. The tests in our state happen to be well-designed and give us good information. However, administering them is a difficult process at best: lots of security measures; a great deal riding on the outcomes. I always have groups of students who have learning difficulties and get more time to complete the tests. The word is out that my room is a nice place to test - partly due, no doubt, to the fact that I provide snacks and a quiet, nonjudgemental atmosphere. I really like the kids who come to me; I'm glad they feel comfortable in my room.

Between the actual testing dates (2 full weeks) and the make-up days, life as we know it will return right in time for April showers - such a heartwarmingly symmetric cycle.

O frabjous day...

2007-02-21T14:09:00.000-05:00

The refrigerator has arrived and it is wondrous to behold!

The drawers are clear, not opaque. Every shelf is adjustable - even the ones on the door. It can hold a 2 liter bottle of soda, a gallon of milk - standing up!

Another improvement over the old one: it's cold.

Now we can't wait for the plumber to come install the water line so we play with those gadgets too.

The guys who came to deliver it and remove the old frig were stellar - these were huge machines to maneuver through tiny doorways. They not only did it - but there were no dings - and they were not irritable; in fact, they were very pleasant and cheerful. They wouldn't take a tip either - just told us it was against company policy and they were happy we were pleased with the service!

Lowe's was already pretty high on the retail food chain - but it just moved up yet another notch!

Puddle jumping

2007-02-20T16:29:00.000-05:00

A puddle in your yard can be a good thing. A puddle in your kitchen surrounding your refrigerator is not.

This is an older house with a galley kitchen (read crappy little dark tunnel with appliances in it). New appliances are not the same size as their older, more petite counterparts, making finding a new refrigerator less fun. There are simply no spots available for a frig the size of a Sherman tank. (We can't fit a table or a dishwasher either - but the frig is kind of required.) Of course, the price tag tends to cut down on the amusement as well.

So we found a new frig for only twice as much as we had planned to spend. But it has nice shelves, an Energy Star rating, unnecessary devices (ok, so I'm secretly kind of looking forward to having an ice machine and a little water dispenser, even if they aren't on the outside of the machine and crank up the price!), and a glorious 21 cubic feet of space to fill up - quite a step up from a 15.6 cu. ft.

Also, the inside is white, not teal!

Tomorrow morning the Red Carpet Delivery and Installation Team will arrive, my VISA will melt, and hopefully the plumber we called to install a new little water line to make the water dispenser piddle in one's water glass will return our call and schedule a visit.

The whole deal, including the 2 extra years of warranty the sales guy sold us (mostly by not trying to sell us - so endearing!), will still cost less than the two new sets of snow tires we're grinding to nothing during the least snowy winter our state has ever seen.

Hoping the frig purchase is more productive than the snow tire purchase. (In all fairness, the storm we had last week - 7 or 8 inches of sleet and freezing rain - did make the snow tires worth the price! So did the AWD!) Probably cold juice, bacterium-free food, etc. will seem worth the expense. Diving into the garage for a glass of cold water and praying nothing we plan to eat is turning into a viral condo is already making the new frig sound like a real bargain.

Three cheers for Whirlpool!

Cataloguing: It's not just for experts any more

2007-01-06T10:42:00.000-05:00

What is it with vendor cataloging lately?

Full processing cataloging options are one-size-fits-all - except one size only fits some. Evidently those are folks who aren't too worried about matching sources like...Library of Congress. Why don't vendors just use the CIP??? In fact, why don't they use their own entries?

Yesterday I had the thrill of replacing the Dewey supplied in the vendor's MARC with the entry LC thought might be fun to use. Just for the heck of it I looked at the entry on the vendor's site from which I'd ordered. It did match LC! They didn't even check their own stuff!

This is particularly apparent when a book is biographical, but not primarily a biography. (The book in question is about a person's sports career leading to and including a trip to the Olympics - clearly centered on sports. LC thought 796.812. The vendor supplied 92.) Lately anything that refers to a person's life gets a 92. Maybe I missed something in the cataloging course; maybe I missed something in working in the cataloguing department at HugeU for years. Sure, there are often several valid ways to catalogue a book. However, the object of the exercise seems to be twofold: find the main emphasis of the book AND (drumroll) figure out the best entry to serve the needs of the patrons looking for the book.

I can understand that when I make quirky decisions based solely on the needs of my admittedly small user population, I need to just make the local authority decision and call it a day. However, when I'm following AACR2 and generally accepted cataloguing protocol, as evidenced by agreement by other libraries (such as the Library of Congress), I think I should see that process reflected in the cataloguing I receive from vendors.

Further, when I talk to the vendor and specifically request specific protocols, I damn well expect to get them! One vendor has really tried to accommodate this - with hilarious results. They have starting cataloging my orders individually and tried to go with the CIP - but when they remove the 92 and replace it with the right Dewey #, they never remember to replace the letters beneath - so I get the Dewey # with the first three letters of the subject's surname. At least they try.

I got a call from one cataloguing department head of a service used by one of the vendors - she actually called me dear as she condescendingly tried to explain why I should follow their standards. She even said they've whipped off a (probably snotty) letter to the Library of Congress to explain why LC's cataloguing department needed to change their protocol! Damn! This service is being phased out by the publisher - they're finding it's cheaper to hire their own people than to use the service because they make a lot of their profit from the processing purchases - and a lot of us threatened to stop buying the package.

So Monday I'll go back to checking the MARC record for every single book I receive and making changes and additions to each record as needed. It's still faster than doing the whole thing myself - but irritating nonetheless. The order I'm working on now is about 400 books - small when you have a cataloguing department; not so small when you ARE the cataloguing department.

Resolutions

2006-12-31T12:43:00.000-05:00

*blog more
*eat less
*exercise more
*worry less
*construct a new cv
*eat chocolate anyway!

Happy New Year!

No kidding

2006-11-12T01:32:00.000-05:00

What American accent do you have?

Your Result: The Northeast

Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.

What American accent do you have?

ok

2006-11-07T21:44:00.000-05:00

From a pragmatic, realistic standpoint, the election here has gone reasonably well. Some of the candidates I hoped would win have done so. One candidate I loathed marginally less has also won - interesting to have voted for that one after never voting for him before.

Big hurray for the reelection of the woman who is the first African American (and the first woman) to hold her post.

One race is still too close to call - hoping the upstart finally beats the incumbent.

Once again I have not voted a straight party ticket.

ok.

A meme!

2006-11-04T08:33:00.000-05:00

bold = things I’ve done

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea - from the shore
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage does grade school count?
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language well enough to have a decent conversation probably not now though
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about tried - not so sure about succeeding
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions college ones
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language ever tried to gesture mushroom and barley soup?
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Why do they call it a "dance"?

2006-10-28T09:41:00.000-04:00

Chaperoned the first school dance last night. Seldom do any of the kids actually dance really. There are packs of girls who dance together, consistent with the history of school dances. There are also the traditional packs of boys who spend the evening running around the gym. There are still wallflowers, although they now sit and take pictures of others on their cell phones and/or talk on said phones. Oddly, there are now also packs of boys who dance together (or twitch in unison).

What the group really lives for are the group dances - the electric slide, the hustle (yes, it's back), the chicken dance, and a newer, extraordinarily popular gem called Cotton-Eyed Joe. After the first two or three notes sound, the crowd erupts in shrieks (literally!) of glee and dashes pell-mell through the crepe paper streamers and sagging Christmas lights to the front of the gym, streaking into lines and "dancing" in the prescribed pattern. Is this really descended from the kind of line dancing engaged in during Mozart's time?

You really haven't lived until you've watched the 8th grade Elvis ~~impersonator~~ tribute artist doing the macarena - or maybe you have.

WOOOOHOOOO!!!

2006-10-21T06:30:00.000-04:00

Daughter has been organizing my pictures in a file - and I have boldly gone where I've never gone before. I click help at school all the time and figure things out. Don't know why I haven't simply done this at home.

To celebrate this sublime moment: one of the only views of a recent visit from the fabulous Wienermobile that doesn't include identifiable local landmarks. Very personable crew - very quick on the jokes. We asked if the 'Mobile is just a car or also has sleeping accommodations. Answer: It's a car, not a Wienerbago! (Maybe I've been in a middle school too long!)

Speaking of one's destiny...

2006-10-21T06:27:00.000-04:00

Anyone use Follett's Destiny in their library? Comments?

uh huh

2006-10-21T06:23:00.000-04:00

Wish I were sensing an impending phone message from Ed McMahon!

Happy Anniversary Comebacknikki!

2006-09-24T13:32:00.000-04:00

In honor of the second anniversary of Starfish and Coffee...The Two Meme:

Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1. jeans
2. a favorite Tshirt ("The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves." Black Elk)

Two Things You Want in a Relationship:
1. humor
2. honesty

Two Things You Want Really Badly:
1. a new kitchen
2. a better job

Two pets you had/have:
1. lots of cats, especially Bud
2. hamsters (really babysat hamsters while daughter was in college)

Two Favorite Sports:
1. hockey
2. there are other sports besides hockey??

Two people who will fill this out:
1. me
2. see #1

Two things you did last night:
1. shopped with daughter - fun
2. ate too much

Two Favorite Places to eat:
1. Seasons Breakfast Buffet at Mohegan Sun
2. Atlanta Bread Company

Two People that live in your house:
1. husband
2. daughter

Two things you like about yourself:
1. work ethic
2. sense of humor

Two things you ate today:
1. challah with honey: Happy New Year
2. apple bread casserole

Two people you Last Talked To:
1. husband
2. sb

Two Things You're doing tomorrow:
1. work
2. work more

Two things that make you laugh:
1. Monty Python
2. Eddie Izzard

Two Favorite Holidays:
1. Halloween
2. Christmas

Two last films you've seen:
1. Pirates of the Caribbean 2
2. Taladega Nights/Ricky Bobby

Seen at Starfish and Coffee

A Perfect Smooth Stone for David Weiss

2006-09-11T18:11:00.000-04:00

I will remember David Weiss as a kind, brilliant guy with a big cheesy grin; a person who made everyone feel valued and welcome, whether in a difficult class or in the midst of a snowball fight.

I refuse to remember David Weiss as a cinder in the incinerated remains of Cantor Fitzgerald. To do so is to devalue his essence and his life. To do so is to ensure that all that he was is lost.

So David: I hope you're having a good laugh somewhere! You live in our memories.

mixed bag

2006-08-23T21:16:00.000-04:00

Turns out my principal is actually very happy with the way the library changes are going - nice to know.

Stopped at light tonight ('cause it was, you know, like red and there were cars coming) - guy behind me "thought" I was going to go - so he went. Waiting for adjuster to call tomorrow - low speed but he hit the bumper and I need to be sure it didn't compress.

The moron was telling the trooper "Well, I though they wer going" - the trooper whipped around and said "You hit them, right?" End of conversation.

Wound up being late to hair appointment, late to store so many things I wanted were out, my poison ivy really itches, I'm bummed.

*sigh*

And now

2006-08-19T09:40:00.000-04:00

One of the few colleagues and friends at school is being recruited by another school - and I can't see how she can refuse their offer or the zero commute.

I'm hearing around that the principal, when I'm not there, is frustrated with my room - not moving fast enough for her, not getting rid of enough "useless" stuff. They've moved the "new" (they're old & crappy) computers in - and one of my tables disappeared (principal decided I didn't need it). So now I don't have enough seating for a class unless they're at computer tables - which don't have enough room for them to do anything but work directly on a keyboard: no notes, no books, no binders. My library has become a computer lab. It doesn't matter if I'm comfortable in it; it has to fit someone else's vision and comfort level.

The landscape of my so-called professional life grows bleak.

Anyone know of a nice community college here in the Land of Surprises looking for a librarian, not a technician?

Not priceless

2006-08-16T16:31:00.000-04:00

So it turns out you're not supposed to tip yard crap out of your wheelbarrow by dumping it forward. Hmm, you say. How have you acquired this bit of widsom? By dumping the wheelbarrow incorrectly and not letting go when it went over forward, thereby landing in a heap on top of the wheelbarrow and wrenching my good knee (not feeling so good now but not as bad as bad knee was when I wrenched it).

I now realize you're supposed to tip the thing sideways so the stuff falls out and you and the barrow do not fall over.

Better idea: get husband to dump it! Turns out Dr. A quite likes dumping stuff out, so this works well. Now that's priceless!

Have I hit bottom yet?

2006-08-16T10:02:00.000-04:00

Redoing my room in the image my administrator has for it. It's one of those projects where you have to hit rock bottom before you can start building and see any improvement. I think I may have hit that point - physically and emotionally. And I don't know if I'm going to see the "improvements" in the same light - ever. My room is starting to feel like a lab, not a library. A library can include the components of a lab; it is not, however, a lab. Some things will be really nice in terms of research instruction, particularly when computers are being used. Research, however, is an intellectual process, not a compendium of tools. If I lose that concept, there will be no point in continuing this effort - for me. I'd like to think of myself as partly a technologist, but I'm not, primarily, a technician.

I'm phenomenally lucky to have the best educational network administrator (henceforth known as GeekyGuy - because Stellar, Hip Geeky Guy is too long). Yesterday, when I was really ready to start thinking about a different service profession ("Would you like fries with that?"), he came up with several wonderful suggestions for my room and the stuff in it that will be technologically superior, enhance instruction, and keep the library..you know, a library. I wish more of my colleagues were even close to understanding education the way he does.

Note to anyone inclined to care: it is not a good idea to have the custodians, no matter how wonderful they are, sort library and personal materials, throw things they deem not valuable away, and rearrange the rest for me. Had I wanted this service, I'd have requested it. I didn't. Scrambling around in fury to undo the damage asap is also a lousy idea: you could bend down too fast and wrench your knee - the "good" knee. Harumph.

No miracle

2006-08-13T21:31:00.000-04:00

Five days after my friend learned there were no more treatment options for her ovarian cancer and was moved to palliative care in a hospice unit, she passed away. Her husband and children were with her; it was peaceful.

We're all still stunned at this turn of events: if ever there were someone who would survive, despite long odds, she would have been the one.

Her wake was intensely, almost unbearably, sad.

I miss her already.

Now would be a good time for a miracle

2006-07-27T18:27:00.000-04:00

As soon as I saw the email, I knew the news would not be good. A friend and colleague who has been seriously ill has been moved from aggressive treatment to palliative care; her kids are flying in. Prayers for her - and for a miracle - have been requested. I look at the monsters discussed in today's news - the murderers of children and other innocents, the serial killer who has taken at least forty lives - and I just don't understand why they enjoy good health and are still alive while good people are claimed by horrendous disease. Someone want to tell me the story of the loving deity again?

Farther

2006-07-22T10:44:00.000-04:00

Up to 263 today - round trip = 2.62

Thurs. elliptical for 10 minutes - painful
Friday - zip. knee really unhappy

walking is best

Un autre meme

2006-07-19T12:48:00.002-04:00

1. Grammatical pet peeve.
"Quotation marks" - um, no. I really do mean quotation marks - where none are warranted (e.g., the sign in the product section at the market this week: "Avocados" - above avocados).
Does this include stupidisms?
Current favorites:
Proactive
Reflect back
Pre-draft
Pre-boarding
Pre-work
VIN number
Please RSVP
Roast beef au jus with gravy (that really should be in quotation marks)

2. Household pet peeve.
No bloody dishwasher after all these years. Thinking about one of those roll around types until renovated kitchen is possible.

3. Arts & Entertainment pet peeve.
Illiterate responses given by movie stars during press conferences (Tom Cruise may be the worst. Response to question about working with one of Britain's finest actors: "It was, like,...wow!")
Rock star-ese: refer to the Super-nova competition, particularly assessments by the esteemed panel of judges.

4. Liturgical pet peeve.
Isn't that a redundancy?

5. Wild card.
Unsolicited personal advice (e.g., "Gee you look nice. You'd look even nicer if you wore better underwear.")
Runner-up: the guy in the produce section this week who gave me the lecture on the quality (or lack thereof) of the sweet corn.

Bonus: Things that I do that become other people's pet peeves?
Talk too much.
Give unsolicited advice.
Avoidance of the phone.

Seen at 12 cats

Progress

2006-07-19T12:45:00.000-04:00

Walked up to #225 today - coincidentally that's about 2.25 miles round trip. Maybe next time I'll manage the whole 3 mile route. Have not slipped off diet in over a week now. Woohoo.

And the beat goes on

2006-07-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

Yet another reason not to shop at WalMart: Paidcritics.com

Better news: WalMart has agreed to make emergency contraception available in CT and disapproving pharmacists are required to either get another staff member to help the customer or send the customer to a convenient other pharmacy. Are they doing this because they want to? Nah. The state government finally got sick of negotiating with them and told them they could comply with this or the state medical benefits' prescription plan would not include Wally World as a provider. So, all that hooey about their considered positions comes down to...money. They do have a price, as huge as they are.

All of this, plus their attempt to go after Target's business, and Costco's business, encourage me to continue to boycott.

BTW, considerable research I've done has not come up with even one story I can confirm on Target's prescription "problem" other than the one we all saw. Target is required to honor dissenting pharmacists positions, but does require them to treat the customer well and make appropriate referrals. They also do seem to have disciplined employees who don't comply. I'm shopping there again.

What a champ

2006-07-16T11:59:00.000-04:00

Finally got my butt out the door yesterday and walked a little over a mile. The Knee expressed some mild dissatisfaction.

So today I went a little over 1.5 mi. Knee was pissed and said so - but only for a while. After 3/4 mi, stopped whining and was ok. Maybe I'll go out for a while longer this evening, when it will be back down to only hot again.

The last time I lost 40 lb, the walking was the key. Stopped walking - gained back half. I want the second half gone again. It was the best I ever felt, both physically and in terms of being less dissatisfied with appearance.

A Meme!!

2006-07-15T09:36:00.000-04:00

Plain = haven't seen it. Italics = seen it a few times. Bold = favorites. snf = saw lots, but not favorite.

24 Several times when husband was watching - feh
4400, The
7th Heaven probably have a dozen in ten years - or it may have been the same one over and over
Absolutely Fabulous
Adam-12 have seen probably all of them - but not a favorite
Addams Family, The
Adventures of the Gummi Bears
Aeon Flux
ALF
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alias
All Creatures Great And Small
All in the Family well-intentioned ploy that didn't work as expected
America's Next Top Model saw two - seemed like only 20
American Dad
Andy Griffith Show, The snf
Angel
Arrested Development
A-Team, The
Avengers, The (the ones with Diana Rigg!)

Babylon 5
Babylon 5: Crusade
Batman
Batman:the Animated Series
Battlestar Galactica (the new one)
Battlestar Galactica (the old one)
Baywatch ick, just...ick
Beavis & Butthead just like being at school!
Ben 10
Beverly Hillbillies, The snf
Brady Bunch, The snf
Beverly Hills 90210 kind of like a trainwreck - you just have to watch
Bewitched the first one with Montgomergy & York - well maybe a favorite
Blackadder
Blossom
Bonanza favorite til age 12 - liked Hoss; so impressed he had a PhD
Boondocks, The
Bosom Buddies
Boy Meets World
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Bug Juice

Carnivale
Carol Burnett Show, The
Chappelle's Show
Charlie's Angels
Charmed
Cheers
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
CHiPS
Closer, The
Code Lyoko
Cold Case Files
Columbo
Commander in Chief
Cosby Show, The
Coupling [BBC]
Coupling [the NBC series that got cancelled]
Courtship of Eddie's Father, The ok maybe it was kind of sarfy but it was
very sweet
Cowboy Bebop
Crossing Jordan
CSI
CSI: Miami
CSI: NY growing on me - like the new reshuffled second season
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Cybll

Daily Show, The
Danny Kaye Show, The loved it when we were kids
Danny Phantom
Daria
Dark Angel
Dark Shadows a major hoot!
Dark Skies
Darkwing Duck
Dawson's Creek
Dead Like Me
Dead Zone, The
Deadwood
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Designing Women kind of liked their attitude
Desperate Housewives
Dharma & Greg
Diagnosis Murder eh
Dick Van Dyke Show, The loved it when we were kids
Different Strokes
Dinosaurs
Doctor Who
Dragnet when we were kids, Friday was a god
DuckTales
Due South

Ellen
Emergency!
Entourage
ER
Everwood I see whiny kids all the time - don't need another
Everybody Loves Raymond

Facts of Life
Family Guy
Family Ties
Farscape
Father Ted
Fawlty Towers
Felicity
Firefly
Flintstones, The
Flying Nun, The snf
Frasier
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The
Friends
Fury
Futurama

Gargoyles
Get Smart would you believe a big favorite?
Gilligan's Island thought the Professor was extremely cool
Gilmore Girls
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. jeez
Golden Girls, The
Goodies, The
Green Acres this was so bad it was kind of good?
Green Wing
Grey's Anatomy
Growing Pains
Gunsmoke always wanted Matt to wind up with Miss Kitty

Hannah Montana
Happy Days
Hell's Kitchen
Henry Rollins Show, The
Hercules
Honeymooners, The on when we were kids - LOATHED with the heat of a
thousand suns
Hogan's Heroes so it was pathetic but Hogan was cute - who knew
Home Improvement
Homicide: Life on the Street
House

I Dream of Jeannie
I Love Lucy also on when we were kids - wanted to smack her then; still
want to smack her
Incredible Hulk, The
Inuyasha
Invader Zim
Invasion

JAG don't like courtroom dramas except the old Perry Masons
Jackass
Jeffersons, The loved the women
Jetsons, The
Joey
Johnny Bravo
Jonny Quest
Junniper Lee
Justice League, The

Kingdom Hospital
Knight Rider the car had the best lines - and the most acting ability

L Word, The
Land of the Lost
Laugh-In
Law & Order
Law & Order: SVU
Law & Order: CI
Little House on the Prairie bleh - same for the books
Lizzie McGuire
Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Lost
Lost in Space warning! warning Will Robinson!
Love, American Style
Love Boat, The

M*A*S*H
MacGyver still watch reruns
Malcolm in the Middle
Married… With Children a few - unfortunately
Melrose Place
Miami Vice
Millennium
Mission: Impossible the original, Mr. Phelps
Monk so OCD is amusing now?
Monkees, The when we were kids these guys were so cool
Mork & Mindy nanoo nanoo
Mr. Ed
Muppets Tonight
Murder She Wrote
My Favorite Martian
My Three Sons another staple when we were kids - wanted those parents
My Two Dads
Magician, The
Man From U.N.C.L.E., The collected the cards - guys were absolutely
swoonworthy
Munsters, The
Muppet Show, The
My So-Called Life
My World and Welcome To It

NCIS
Night Gallery the first set - scared the living crap out of me every time
Nip/Tuck
Northern Exposure
Numb3rs
One Tree Hill
Oz
O.C., The
Office (UK), The
Office (US), The
Outer Limits, The
Outlaw Star

Penn & Teller's Bullshit!
Perry Mason and Della!
Pokemon
Power Rangers
Pretender, The
Prison Break
Profiler
Project Runway
Quantum Leap
Queer As Folk (US)
Queer as Folk (British)
Quincy ME
Real World, The

Red Dwarf
ReGenesis
Rescue Me
Road Rules
ROME
Roseanne
Rose of Versailles, The
Roswell

Sailor Moon
Saved by the Bell
Scrap Heap Challenge
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?
Scrubs
Seinfeld I must be one of the only living humans who really didn't like this show
Sex and the City
Six Feet Under
Shield, The
Simpsons, The
Six Million Dollar Man, The
Smallville
Smothers Brother’s Comedy Hour, The
Sopranos, The
So Weird
South Park have to admit I'm liking this better now that they've squared off
against the loonies
Spaced
Spongebob Squarepants
Star Trek
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Enterprise
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate SG-1
Suite Life of Zack and Cody, The
Superman when we were kids this never seemed so corny (nor did using a beach towel for a cape to wear while jumping off the back porch)
Supernatural
Surface
Survivor

Third Watch
Three's Company
Top Chef
Top Gear
Taxi
Teen Titans
That 70's Show
That's So Raven
Transformers, The
Twilight Zone, The
Twin Peaks

Veronica Mars
Venture Brothers, The

Waking the Dead
Waltons, The
Whose Line is it Anyway?
Will and Grace
Wings
Without A Trace
West Wing, The
Wild, Wild West, The loved Artemus Gordon and the gadgets were neat - do not remember seeing any stretchy pants on guys in old photos though
Wonder Years, The

X-Files, The
Xena
Xiaolin Showdown
Young Ones, The
Zorro the really old one

And what about:
Monty Python
The Prisoner?
Legend unfortunately extremely short-lived (the Edison jokes alone were
worth watching)
Jet Jackson
Sky King
Dr. Kildare
The Lone Ranger
Soap
The Green Hornet
Ed Sullivan (his look when he introduced the Beatles: priceless)
Howdy Doody still have my Howdy-Doody puppet washcloth!
Surfside 6 they were all so cool and so unattainably gorgeous - terrible show
Wyatt Earp
Hopalong Cassidy
Maverick
Roy Rogers
Bat Masterson
Sargeant Preston
The Swamp Fox
Leave It to Beaver
I've Got a Secret
To Tell the Truth
Ernie Kovacs
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Beat the Clock with Bud Collier - my parents were actually on this show - won a Fridgidaire!

Amazing how much TV we watched (all in black and white on only three channels). Makes you wonder though: those were the good old days?

Seen at 12 cats

A substance we call plastic

2006-07-14T12:48:00.000-04:00

You know how everyone complains about those annoying seals on a new CD or a new DVD? Well, try ordering a whole bloody CASE of them for your school and trying to process them. I ordered (and paid for) shelf-ready. What did that mean? Did it mean they did all the dirty work: took off the crappy, tabless, shrink-wrapping, magically magnetic frickin' plastic? Put on all the stickers? Put on all the various permutations of glossy and non-glossy labels necessary for use? Have them ready to actually go on a shelf? No. It meant they throw most (not even all) of the crap you need to do this in a big honkin' envelope and ship it to you, all crinkled and mushed up in the bottom of the case of DVDs. So what the hell do you get when you don't order shelf-ready? One hestitates to even ask.

Well, I may not ask, but it's what I'm gonna order next time. I can pay $3+ bucks a head for "shelf-ready" processing and do all the work or I can pay about a buck a head for whatever the alternative is and do all the work. Even I can do this math.

And they can't catalog for crap either.

jerks.

Nice how I elevate the literacy level of the blogosphere, eh? Class-eee.

There are social conventions for chewing gum, but...

2006-07-13T11:23:00.000-04:00

Having read all those articles with suggestions for what to do when a friend is ill, I find it's still incredibly hard to know what to say or do. A colleague (also a LIBERRian) has a horrendous illness. She's seldom at work (and we work in different buildings) so I haven't seen her - so we email. Somehow sending cards and ecards seems lame. I've offered to help with her LIBERRy (did learn that from some article: don't just say "let me know what I can do" - offer something specific you can actually manage) - if she's able, we'll meet so I can do that next week.

I know that one of her greatest fears, besides worrying about if she'll survive, is that we'll forget her. So how do we reassure her that we are constantly thinking of her?

Her illness is not contagious, but you'd think it was from our response. Why do we not have more contact when something like this happens? Do we just really not know what to say? Are we denying the possibility that one of us could wind up with the same illness - something almost impossible to detect before it's too late? Are we so forcefully reminded of our own mortality that we're moving away as a form of denial?

This woman is one of the strongest people I know. She's been fighting for her life for almost a year now - fighting hard and maintaining a positive attitude...until now. Her latest email sounded weary, plaintive, fearful. Maybe it was because she emailed after a trying, tiring procedure. Maybe it was because it was only to a couple of us and she felt comfortable enough to be honest and not have to maintain the woman of steel persona. Maybe not.

Sad

2006-07-13T09:25:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago our eldest cat (16 years old) passed away. He had been cruising around earlier that day, snoozing in his various preferred places, drinking water from his personal plastic cup (he never liked water dishes). That morning I had been petting him - when I started to head downstairs, he patted me with his paw, his usual signal for "more petting please", purring like crazy. So I sat with him longer. When I found him, he was lying in one of his favorite spots, front paws daintily crossed as usual. I only realized something was wrong when he didn't jump up when I came trudging up with a load of laundry. Of course, I also keep wondering if there were signs he wasn't well I missed ( was he drinking more? less? anything?).

I miss this kitty. For years when husband was away consulting 100% of the time and daughter was at college and grad school, he and I were companions. He'd sit with me while I read, reviewed books, compiled ebibliographies for school. He also liked watching the Weather Channel (although his favorite was watching Pillsbury commercials - loved the doughboy).

He was a gentle, sweet kitty. As fond as I am of our multitude of current kitties, none of them has been a special companion yet - some have potential, some haven't. I hope one of them turns out to be like him; none will eclipse him or take his place.

First things first

2006-07-09T22:39:00.000-04:00

First thing:

I owe my wonderful Spoil-A-Blogger Pal a huge thank you!!!

This has been a really rough year on a number of levels. One of the very few lovely aspects has been your packages - and your thoughtfulness. Megan, you are so appreciated! I should have blogged long ago - even in my almost never blogging phase.

I keep holding out for pictures of your wonderful LUSH package (I did take pictures!) Picture lessons are very high on my list now that it's summer - then the Blogosphere can see how generous and kind you've been.

Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!

Hey, Charger? No.

2006-06-12T21:52:00.000-04:00

Seen the ad for Dodge Caliber? Sent to Dodge contact:

We have just seen the advertisement for Dodge Caliber with the cartoon fairy who flies into the wall etc.

Although it happens not to apply specifically to us, we find the underlying homophobia and stereotyping utterly unacceptable. Please see yesterday's news about the singer who was beaten within an inch of his life by the kind of people to whom your ad appeals.

From the time we owned a '72 Charger until now, we had been favorably inclined toward Dodge products. That positive perception has just evaporated. If we stand by and accept your ad campaign as amusing or even tolerable, we become, like you, perpetrators of a truly vile form of cultural transmission. To consider purchasing a Dodge product at this point would constitute implicit acceptance and cooperation; that is an unacceptable course of action.

Shame on you for taking the extraordinarily low road!

The best and the worst

2006-05-12T21:27:00.000-04:00

Had rehearsal for event happening soon at my school. WonderfulKid, Heretofore WK, one of my favorite students (ever), has huge part in this event - and is envied by those who feel they should have been selected. He was picked because he's talented, he worked his butt off preparing, and he bloody well deserved it. During rehearsal WK collapsed - shaking, nauseated, white to the lips. Finally figured out (took only a couple of minutes - felt like a lifetime) that he had last eaten at lunch (6 hours earlier), hadn't had a snack, hadn't had anything to drink, and had worked vigorously in hot clothing during rehearsal: blood-sugar dive plus dehydration. So...ran to get him juice. While he had juice realized how low on fluid he must have been and turned to go for a cold water bottle.

I wound up looking straight at the kid who most thought he should have had WK's part. The look on his face has chilled my soul: he had a huge, wolfish grin - really happy. Clearly he thought it was serious - and was delighted at this kid's misery and the possibility (he thought) of getting to replace WK. It made the grin on Jack Nicholson's face in the witches of Eastwick look tame.

I've been teaching for a long time. I cannot remember ever being so infuriated, so appalled, so nauseated. It's more than a day later and I still feel ill. That kid was so unfeeling, so miserable, so arrogant...

WK is fine - went on to rehearsal today, will do the part tomorrow. I'm delighted for him!

I'm not delighted to have seen that other kid - it feels like a piece of me shriveled up or died seeing that evil look. Thank God I only have him for another six weeks before summer cuts in.

Oh, give me a break

2006-05-09T19:54:00.000-04:00

Just got back from Nice Little Market - where I managed to not see a grape someone had dropped in the produce section. I stepped on said grape, foot went out from under me, and I did a graceful, swooping flop to the floor.

What is it with this falling on slippery crap lately??

So the ibuprofen is making the still-sore-from-before self feel better, but the dignity is wounded. Actually, wrist hurts - same wrist I landed on in February...the wrist that had just finally felt better.

The squished grape remains on the seat of my pants added such a nice touch.

Feh.

Happy, Happy,...

2006-05-09T19:47:00.000-04:00

A very merry birthday to U!

Somehow I'm always happy about birthdays in your generation (you, sb, et al.) - even though they are also reminders of the aging of my generation.

A good day

2006-05-03T20:32:00.000-04:00

Today was a long-awaited event: a book study group and lecture with Heidi Hays Jacobs who is the acknowledged queen of curriculum mapping (and rightly so). The woman is extraordinary! Her work is so insightful, fair, caring...I felt unworthy to be in the same room.

The hardest part of going to any lecture, workshop, etc. of great worth is the workshop euphoria: you get all fired up to race back and implement the model you've just learned/discussed/become attached to...and then you realize you can't do it alone - and you're really unlikely (as in snowball's chance) to find acceptance among your colleagues. The euphoria turns into serious sadness, frustration, and a rage that builds, quietly but inexorably, over a long time. I sometimes wonder, in a detached way, what my limit is...and how I'll know I've reached it...and what I'll do.

Relative to that, another incredible thing happened at the workshop: a coordinator from another district is trying to recruit me. I'm still stunned.

Two of my dearest friends and most valued colleagues in years past were also there (they both work for the presenting agency) - something else to make the day really special.

As if all ofthis weren't enough: I was out just in time to have a late lunch with daughter. This would be a treat anyway, no matter how mundane the lunch (the day we sat huddled in our jackets, semi-sitting on the brickwork sill of the Jamaican restaurant's storefront, munching super-spicy patties last fall - it was a blast). TOday we went to the Thai place maybe a mile from our house (we've only gone for take-out once or twice and never eaten there). What's wrong with us??? This place is wonderful! For less than $8 each we had a huge lunch (another day lacking in diet bliss) and it was delicious. Lunch included soup (coconut chicken for her, chicken noodle with tofu and basil for me) - great! Then four egg rolls (more like spring rolls - light, crisp, excellent. We both had shrimp dishes (garlic for her, seriously spicy shrimp with basil for me. Both really great. Overall: Yum-O!!! Have to do this more often - splendid food and time with daughter - doesn't get much better!

Now have spent hours on professional growth project - it's still nowhere but I'm further along (I know - but it's true).

Maybe the "happy dance" urge will make it one more day?

Oh, and did I have a damn business card with me when the woman asked for my contact info? Nah, why carry cards (I bought the blanks - just haven't run them) when you can whip a sheet off your official Crowne Plaza Bas Mitzvah Souvenir Pad?

A nation of [the right kind of] immigrants?

2006-05-01T20:13:00.000-04:00

As a young girl in AustriaHungary, my grandmother was stunned when two of her sisters decided to go to America. They begged the rest of the family to come with them or join them soon, before it was too late to escape. They did not. One evening my grandmother, as was her wont, snuck out without finishing her chores, instead hiding among the tall grass near the fields to read. My great-grandmother would not be able to see her; her disappointment would be postponed until later in the evening.

She also could not be seen when the pogrom engulfed the household: she could hear the shots after they dragged out her father, brothers, and other males in the household. She could hear the shrieking as the women and girls were raped. She could hear the women beg to save the lives of the small children. She could hear the rest of the shots. She could listen to the silence before the house was consumed by the flames set by the marauders.

My grandmother walked miles to the next shtetl to find cousins, their village stunned by the atrocity that taken her family: perhaps because her father worked for the aristocracy, or perhaps because they were a well-educated family (including the women and especially my great-grandmother),it had been assumed that they would be safe. The cousins scraped together enough to send my grandmother to her sisters.

When she arrived in New York, my grandmother gained entry, not as part of some treasured huddled mass. No, she understood the people around her and realized she would be sent back if she could not find a way to avoid being one of the "too many Jews that day" seeking freedom. She spoke half a dozen languages: one was the language of a large family near her - and she became their daughter, for a little while.

Was my tiny, learned, witty grandmother an illegal alien? Is that what we call anyone who doesn't fit our racist quotas on a given day? in a given year? in a lifetime or generation or history?

So who are the right kind of immigrants? Folks who already have money? People with the right kind of job arranged in advance? People who are not brown or yellow or red - anything but white? People of the right religion? People who "know their place"?

When did the people who "discovered" this land decide others were not welcome? At least that answer is easy: right away! They came, for the most part, for freedom to practice their version of religion, not to grant others the freedom to do anything else. Good old Peter Stuyvesant tossed out anyone who was Jewish - apparently he had some free time when not harassing Africans, indigenous people, or pretty much anyone who wasn't like him.

Have we changed? Not when we were limiting the number of Asians who could come, even for menial work. Not when we were belittling Italians (my husband's family was cheerfully referred to as "black Italian"). Not when we were tossing thousands of American citizens into concentration camps and robbing them of all their possessions, their self-respect, and their freedom without any evidence they were in any way disloyal. Not when we turned away the St. Louis. Not during the generations of attempting to obliterate the cultures and identities of indigenous nations. Certainly not during the quality time we've spent denying the humanity, let alone rights, opportunities, and freedoms of Africans Americans - along with any other people of color.

Now we've turned out sights on people who happen to be from Mexico. Why? Do we really want the crappy jobs they have come to fill out of desperation? Or do we just need more fuel to fire our hatred?

I'm never going to be as eloquent as Uccellina and I didn't have the sense to quote her like sb.

Better to have blogged and been rather pathetic than never to have blogged at all? Hope so.

A Meme! A Way to Ease Back In To Blogging! Procrastination!

2006-04-23T09:13:00.000-04:00

Oh, goody!

bold = seen it

underlined = own the DVD

italicized = seen parts of it

"2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) Stanley Kubrick

"The 400 Blows" (1959) Francois Truffaut

"8 1/2" (1963) Federico Fellini

"Aguirre, the Wrath of God" (1972) Werner Herzog

"Alien" (1979) Ridley Scott

"All About Eve" (1950) Joseph L. Mankiewicz

"Annie Hall" (1977) Woody Allen

"Bambi" (1942) Disney hate.this.movie

"Battleship Potemkin" (1925) Sergei Eisenstein

"The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) William Wyler

"The Big Red One" (1980) Samuel Fuller Fell asleep part-way through

"The Big Sleep" (1946) Howard Hawks if ever there was an accurate title!

"Blade Runner" (1982) Ridley Scott have somewhere on VHS

"Blowup" (1966) Michelangelo Antonioni

"Blue Velvet" (1986) David Lynch

"Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) Arthur Penn depressing

"Breathless" (1959) Jean-Luc Godard

"Bringing Up Baby" (1938) Howard Hawks

"Carrie" (1975) Brian DePalma not as good as the book - which wasn't so hot either

"Casablanca" (1942) Michael Curtiz

"Un Chien Andalou" (1928) Luis Bunuel & Salvador Dali

"Children of Paradise" / "Les Enfants du Paradis" (1945) Marcel Carne

"Chinatown" (1974) Roman Polanski depressing - too bad it's so violent - good lesson on geographical determinism

"Citizen Kane" (1941) Orson Welles

"A Clockwork Orange" (1971) Stanley Kubrick even more depressing if you work in a middle school

"The Crying Game" (1992) Neil Jordan

"The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) Robert Wise
depressing that we would have almost certainly behaved this way

"Days of Heaven" (1978) Terence Malick

"Dirty Harry" (1971) Don Siegel husband is a fan of Clint's - I'm not

"The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" (1972) Luis Bunuel

"Do the Right Thing" (1989) Spike Lee the debut of Mr. Didactic

"La Dolce Vita" (1960) Federico Fellini quite the movie to
sneak a peak at when I was a kid - and not worth the risk

"Double Indemnity" (1944) Billy Wilder

"Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" (1964) Stanley Kubrick

"Duck Soup" (1933) Leo McCarey

"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982) Steven Spielberg went to see it to see if we should bring daughter - hated it

"Easy Rider" (1969) Dennis Hopper

"The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) Irvin Kershner best of the "first" three

"The Exorcist" (1973) William Friedkin *sigh*

"Fargo" (1995) Joel & Ethan Coen

"Fight Club" (1999) David Fincher

"Frankenstein" (1931) James Whale

"The General" (1927) Buster Keaton & Clyde Bruckman

"The Godfather," "The Godfather, Part II" (1972, 1974) Francis Ford Coppola Husband owns the whole set on DVD - but STILL watched them on network TV complete with commercials ALL DAY yesterday - ech!

"Gone With the Wind" (1939) Victor Fleming

"GoodFellas" (1990) Martin Scorsese

"The Graduate" (1967) Mike Nichols depressing

"Halloween" (1978) John Carpenter

"A Hard Day's Night" (1964) Richard Lester

"Intolerance" (1916) D.W. Griffith saw in class in college, along with Birth of a Nation - this guy was a racist, fascist, disgusting cretin (and those are his good points)

"It's A Gift" (1934) Norman Z. McLeod

"It's a Wonderful Life" (1946) Frank Capra husband loves this

"Jaws" (1975) Steven Spielberg rooted for the fish

"The Lady Eve" (1941) Preston Sturges

"Lawrence of Arabia" (1962) David Lean

"M" (1931) Fritz Lang

"Mad Max 2" / "The Road Warrior" (1981) George Miller husband loved this too, so I wound up sitting through it on TV - I do NOT go to Mel Gibson flicks

"The Maltese Falcon" (1941) John Huston

"The Manchurian Candidate" (1962) John Frankenheimer

"Metropolis" (1926) Fritz Lang

"Modern Times" (1936) Charles Chaplin

"Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1975) Terry Jones & Terry Gilliam just realized we don't own the DVD - put on wish list!

"Nashville" (1975) Robert Altman except for MASH, do not
understand this guy's appeal

"The Night of the Hunter" (1955) Charles Laughton

"Night of the Living Dead" (1968) George Romero ick

"North by Northwest" (1959) Alfred Hitchcock excellent

"Nosferatu" (1922) F.W. Murnau film festival in college

"On the Waterfront" (1954) Elia Kazan

"Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968) Sergio Leone

"Out of the Past" (1947) Jacques Tournier

"Persona" (1966) Ingmar Bergman went to an entire Ingmar Bergman festival in college - required for a class - actually liked them, but that was a really long week - really liked The Dove (parody of Bergman)

"Pink Flamingos" (1972) John Waters

"Psycho" (1960) Alfred Hitchcock eeek eeeek eeeek

"Pulp Fiction" (1994) Quentin Tarantino

"Rashomon" (1950) Akira Kurosawa

"Rear Window" (1954) Alfred Hitchcock

"Rebel Without a Cause" (1955) Nicholas Ray

"Red River" (1948) Howard Hawks

"Repulsion" (1965) Roman Polanski

"Rules of the Game" (1939) Jean Renoir

"Scarface" (1932) Howard Hawks

"The Scarlet Empress" (1934) Josef von Sternberg

"Schindler's List" (1993) Steven Spielberg

"The Searchers" (1956) John Ford

"The Seven Samurai" (1954) Akira Kurosawa

"Singin' in the Rain" (1952) Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly

"Some Like It Hot" (1959) Billy Wilder

"A Star Is Born" (1954) George Cukor

"A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951) Elia Kazan Steeellllaaa

"Sunset Boulevard" (1950) Billy Wilder

"Taxi Driver" (1976) Martin Scorsese

"The Third Man" (1949) Carol Reed

"Tokyo Story" (1953) Yasujiro Ozu

"Touch of Evil" (1958) Orson Welles

"The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948) John Huston

"Trouble in Paradise" (1932) Ernst Lubitsch

"Vertigo" (1958) Alfred Hitchcock

"West Side Story" (1961) Jerome Robbins/Robert Wise

"The Wild Bunch" (1969) Sam Peckinpah

"The Wizard of Oz" (1939) Victor Fleming

Where are my favorite flicks??? GIven that I'm an really unsophisticated viewer (and seldom go to the movies - watch on TV), there are some that imho should be on any list

"The Fellowship of the Ring" - Jackson

"The Two Towers" Jackson

"The Return of the King" - Jackson

"The King of Hearts" - de Broca 1966-ish

"Man Who Would Be King"

"The Lion in Winter" (the Hepburn one)

All the Harry Potter movies so they're not great films, but they're interesting and fun

etc.

So there! :P

Seen at 12 cats and Phantom