Thursday, February 28, 2008
What Do You Keep?
I'm not having too much trouble disposing of my books. Cookbooks--keeping only the functional, and I have almost decided having several years of Cooking Light is a Dumb Idea. Fiction--keeping only what I have a strong attachment to. THe same for the children's books, and also keeping only the stuff that's really out of print. However, I have a lot of vintage etiquette and advice books that I'm on the fence about keeping. Logically I should ebay them, and once it's done I'm pretty sure I won't miss them, but I still feel conflicted.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Bargain Bride--Evelyn Sibley Lampman
This book sparked my interest in the westward expansion and the suffragette movement as a kid. I found a copy of it at the big Case book sale several years ago and bought it immediately to see if it held up. It's not an ambitious or great book, but an enjoyable read and good for Women's History Month.
The story opens on Ginny Mayhew's 15th birthday, the day her husband comes to collect her. Ginny was married off to him at the age of 10 after her parents died on the trip out west to Oregon. See, the homesteading laws gave twice the acreage to married couples as it would to a single man, and with very few single women out in the territory they'd marry off girls as young as 5. And those girls' share of land would belong to their husband due to the property laws of the time. Nice. Selling Ginny to Stephen Mayhew paid for her cousins' farm, and ironically she's better off with a husband in his 40's who she barely knows. He's a successful farmer, and even built her a real house. He also dies of a stroke when they get to the farm (convenient!)
Ginny takes advantage of her independence as a widow to break ties with her cousin and take in Nona, the Indian "wife" of her nearest neighbor who has been set aside with their baby after his legal marriage to a white woman. Notice a theme here? This requires lots of lying to the neighbors because a teenage widow living out on a farm with an Indian woman is NOT DONE. Together they make it through the winter and into the courting season, as the gentlemen show up to court Ginny and are equally interested in her body and her land. The book peters out about halfway through the winter, and wraps up quickly in a perfunctory manner, but eh. What else can you do stuck out on a farm in the Oregon Territory?
Quick aside--I sold my copy on half.com this week to someone with a userid that indicates she might be part of the Quiverfull movement, and I just found it funny as I am one of those secular feminist types with an interest in women's issues spurred in part by this book and well, it just takes all kinds, let's say.
The story opens on Ginny Mayhew's 15th birthday, the day her husband comes to collect her. Ginny was married off to him at the age of 10 after her parents died on the trip out west to Oregon. See, the homesteading laws gave twice the acreage to married couples as it would to a single man, and with very few single women out in the territory they'd marry off girls as young as 5. And those girls' share of land would belong to their husband due to the property laws of the time. Nice. Selling Ginny to Stephen Mayhew paid for her cousins' farm, and ironically she's better off with a husband in his 40's who she barely knows. He's a successful farmer, and even built her a real house. He also dies of a stroke when they get to the farm (convenient!)
Ginny takes advantage of her independence as a widow to break ties with her cousin and take in Nona, the Indian "wife" of her nearest neighbor who has been set aside with their baby after his legal marriage to a white woman. Notice a theme here? This requires lots of lying to the neighbors because a teenage widow living out on a farm with an Indian woman is NOT DONE. Together they make it through the winter and into the courting season, as the gentlemen show up to court Ginny and are equally interested in her body and her land. The book peters out about halfway through the winter, and wraps up quickly in a perfunctory manner, but eh. What else can you do stuck out on a farm in the Oregon Territory?
Quick aside--I sold my copy on half.com this week to someone with a userid that indicates she might be part of the Quiverfull movement, and I just found it funny as I am one of those secular feminist types with an interest in women's issues spurred in part by this book and well, it just takes all kinds, let's say.
Tight Times--Barbara Shook Hazan
In honor of Our Upcoming Economic Collapse, I wanted to draw some attention to this book from 1979. It's got a good little applicable message --the 5 year old narrator tries to understand why his mom and dad are so tense, he can't have a dog, and why he has to eat lima bean things as the family pulls together when they're broke.
What really makes the book is Trina Schart Hyman's pencil drawings and how they convey the delightful 1970's-ness of the story. They're done in b&w with nice detail, and they really do look like what I remember my childhood seeming.
I mean, on the first page Mommy's on the bed in her bra sewing a button on her blouse before going to work, and Mommy's got little rolls of fat. Mommy also has huge glasses. After Daddy loses his job, "Then Daddy fixed us both special drinks" and it's obvious that Daddy's drink comes from the economy sized bottle vodka behind him. Shades of Sesame Street, Mommy and Daddy send their boy out onto the stoop to wait while they talk about their troubles. When's the last time you saw any of this in media aimed at kids?
A good book for kids, but one that GenX might also get a kick out of.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Kerry Reads The Paper!
What did I say 2 years ago? I said "Why the hell are they casting HPV and the new vaccine as a women's issue? If you're so worried about acceptance of the vaccine because it gasp! prevents disease spread by sex, then pitch it as a simple public health issue that affects everyone. Vaccinate both transmission vectors, because both sides get it! Fucking sexism!"
Yeah, so people looked at me all funny and then this comes out. Ha!
Further gripe--look, talk to your kids about sex or don't (my parents didn't at all, but I turned out okay) but for god's sake don't go around giving them really awful mixed messages like "you won't be be having sex until you've been married a long time." All that does is show how greatly disturbed you are. It's not cute.
Morons.
Oh, and genital warts? Good scare tactic. Having worked on a drug campaign for something that treats them and looked at lots and lots of b&w photos of outbreaks, I'm completely traumatized. Show your kids color pics and really freak them out.
Yeah, so people looked at me all funny and then this comes out. Ha!
Further gripe--look, talk to your kids about sex or don't (my parents didn't at all, but I turned out okay) but for god's sake don't go around giving them really awful mixed messages like "you won't be be having sex until you've been married a long time." All that does is show how greatly disturbed you are. It's not cute.
Morons.
Oh, and genital warts? Good scare tactic. Having worked on a drug campaign for something that treats them and looked at lots and lots of b&w photos of outbreaks, I'm completely traumatized. Show your kids color pics and really freak them out.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Specs
This is Specs. You want to adopt her. She was living rough around my house for almost a year. I kept leaving wet food out for her and last month when it got below zero she let me pick her up and bring her in. She's been vaccinated, defleaed, dewormed and is in good health. And even though she's got boy coloring, she's 100% girl. Just look at the eyeliner around her eyes!
She's a small cat with a lot of personality. She talks a lot, saying "Nao!" and meowing, giving her loud purr and snoring softly. She is very lazy, a dedicated lap cat who wants you to hold her like a baby and rub her face and tell her she's cute. She likes to hide her face in the crook of my arm. She's not too fond of Cain, but they can occupy the same house. She has one super bad habit, which is nipping at hands when frustrated or scared. She's not biting to hurt, but biting to warn. I have been employing the "No! Bad kitty!" and putting her down whenever she bites or moves in that direction. She's made a lot of progress.
She's a sweetheart. Give her a chance!
Good Stuff Cleveland
Two business that I've patronized lately that deserve some attention:
Paper Trails (Rocky River)--As some of you know, my aunt is pretty sick and somewhat housebound. When I was visiting last week, I asked what I could do to brighten the days--daily email, books, phone call? She and MFA Jane demurred on all but the suggestion of a daily letter (oh, and sign up and pay for online dating already, Kerry! Amuse us with tales of the mens of Cleveland and Arizona!) was received with some enthusiasm. Lacking writing materials, I trotted over to Paper Trails. It is a neat little store. Most of it is high quality cards and cute writing accouterments. They did not have what I wanted on the shelf, which was plain 8 x 11 writing paper. But don't fret! They were able to get me what I really wanted--white stationery with my initials in red at the top with matching envelopes! It was special order printing and they did it within 3 days. (I asked for this for Christmas, but no one thought I was actually serious about wanting this.) Go over and check it out and say hi to Katie! She'll set you up nicely.
So--anybody want a letter?
Cakes Plus (Fairview Park)--A long time ago, I had the world's best cake, made by a woman who make crepes in the Arcade downtown. She moved to one of the other arcades and started selling brownies and cakes only, and they are seriously the best brownies, ever. They have the textural consistency of butter with real chocolate and sugar and a little flour to make the concept of eating soft chocolate butter appetizing. Cakes Plus is open Thursday-Saturday for walk-in brownies, but she also sends them by mail. It's expensive, but Aunt Marry Jane and MFA Jane agreed--best ever. Delicious. Seriously, you can eat them every day for a week and still not be tired. Okay, I realize that me and mine are not people who could ever not eat something rich and delicious for days and get tired of it, but still.
Paper Trails (Rocky River)--As some of you know, my aunt is pretty sick and somewhat housebound. When I was visiting last week, I asked what I could do to brighten the days--daily email, books, phone call? She and MFA Jane demurred on all but the suggestion of a daily letter (oh, and sign up and pay for online dating already, Kerry! Amuse us with tales of the mens of Cleveland and Arizona!) was received with some enthusiasm. Lacking writing materials, I trotted over to Paper Trails. It is a neat little store. Most of it is high quality cards and cute writing accouterments. They did not have what I wanted on the shelf, which was plain 8 x 11 writing paper. But don't fret! They were able to get me what I really wanted--white stationery with my initials in red at the top with matching envelopes! It was special order printing and they did it within 3 days. (I asked for this for Christmas, but no one thought I was actually serious about wanting this.) Go over and check it out and say hi to Katie! She'll set you up nicely.
So--anybody want a letter?
Cakes Plus (Fairview Park)--A long time ago, I had the world's best cake, made by a woman who make crepes in the Arcade downtown. She moved to one of the other arcades and started selling brownies and cakes only, and they are seriously the best brownies, ever. They have the textural consistency of butter with real chocolate and sugar and a little flour to make the concept of eating soft chocolate butter appetizing. Cakes Plus is open Thursday-Saturday for walk-in brownies, but she also sends them by mail. It's expensive, but Aunt Marry Jane and MFA Jane agreed--best ever. Delicious. Seriously, you can eat them every day for a week and still not be tired. Okay, I realize that me and mine are not people who could ever not eat something rich and delicious for days and get tired of it, but still.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Movie Review: The Big Easy
Aftereffects of Valentine's Day: I put The Big Easy(1987) on hold at the library. I saw it for the first time on cable maybe a year or so after it came out, so I would have been about 12 or 13. It is the first movie I think I ever watched and though, "huh, this is sexy." It may have cemented my love of Southern music and skinny men with wolfish grins.
If you've never seen it, it's a pretty good noir thriller set down in New Orleans. Well, New Orleans--the movie just breaks your heart right there. It's got a great cast--Dennis Quaid, Ellen Barkin, Ned Beatty, John Goodman, Grace Zabriskie. It's an odd movie in that there's actually conversations amongst the characters. Am I the only one who watches movies these days and and wishes for more dialogue? It seems like scenes in which characters converse have been replaced by music videos and there's an over reliance on music to convey emotion and manipulate the viewer. (Case in point: Juno.)
So the plot is this: there's corruption in the New Orleans Police Department. There's also some activity amongst the organized crime in the area, the usual drug smuggling and murdering. Oh yeah, it's connected. DA Anne Osbourne is investigating the cops which puts her in the path of Lt. Remy McSwain and his sliding scale of personal morality. He seduces her and then she prosecutes him on corruption charges, then they fight a bit and investigate together and the cold hard slap of truth wakes McSwain up to the evils of the petty corruption and how it slides into your soul and grows when you are not watching. That and true love, cherie.
Here's the rub--you think from the description above that it's a big ol' boy film and the girl's just along as eye candy, right? Oh no. The film doesn't work without the strong characterization of Anne. She's definitely flustered by McSwain (hello, wolfish grin, six pack abs and amazing hands!) but she stands up to him on how he uses his position as a cop to score favors and accept bribes. She prosecutes him without hesitation after she sees him taking a bribe, although not without regret. The girl's tough even when she trembles, foiling a mugging, smashing a car window and in the end being a full participant in saving herself. Throughout the movie you believe that Anne's smart, she's good at her job and generally got it together--mostly a good role model. The best bit is when she lays into McSwain with the words "Don't you dare be amused by me." And after a point, even though it's layered over with his desire to bed her, as a viewer you realize that, yes, he does respect her. Huh. And that's just one of the sexy bits.
There's a couple of things in the film you just do not see anymore. The clothes are spectacularly bad, especially for the women. The mid 80's were a time of shoulder pads and baggy skirts. The one female homicide cop wears primary colored men's clothing, including a tie. And that's just in the first scene. Anne's business suits look to be 2 sizes too big, which is in tune with her reserved, business-like character. The other thing is that she looks like a working adult--when's the last time on tv or in a film you saw a female attorney in conservative dress that didn't show off her figure? You have to remember that this movie came 20 years ago and that yes, the clothes reflect the time but also the position of women. A woman in power in the DA's office didn't get there in a lowcut blouse. I did however have shuddering flashbacks at the size of her reading glasses--every picture of me as a kid has me in similar owl glasses that overpowered my face. There's also a scene when Remy is discussing his arrest and suspension with his younger brother, who then pulls out a joint--holy casual drug use without censor, man!
It's a fun movie with great storytelling that just flows along. If you haven't seen it, check it out. If you have seen it recently, what did you think?
If you've never seen it, it's a pretty good noir thriller set down in New Orleans. Well, New Orleans--the movie just breaks your heart right there. It's got a great cast--Dennis Quaid, Ellen Barkin, Ned Beatty, John Goodman, Grace Zabriskie. It's an odd movie in that there's actually conversations amongst the characters. Am I the only one who watches movies these days and and wishes for more dialogue? It seems like scenes in which characters converse have been replaced by music videos and there's an over reliance on music to convey emotion and manipulate the viewer. (Case in point: Juno.)
So the plot is this: there's corruption in the New Orleans Police Department. There's also some activity amongst the organized crime in the area, the usual drug smuggling and murdering. Oh yeah, it's connected. DA Anne Osbourne is investigating the cops which puts her in the path of Lt. Remy McSwain and his sliding scale of personal morality. He seduces her and then she prosecutes him on corruption charges, then they fight a bit and investigate together and the cold hard slap of truth wakes McSwain up to the evils of the petty corruption and how it slides into your soul and grows when you are not watching. That and true love, cherie.
Here's the rub--you think from the description above that it's a big ol' boy film and the girl's just along as eye candy, right? Oh no. The film doesn't work without the strong characterization of Anne. She's definitely flustered by McSwain (hello, wolfish grin, six pack abs and amazing hands!) but she stands up to him on how he uses his position as a cop to score favors and accept bribes. She prosecutes him without hesitation after she sees him taking a bribe, although not without regret. The girl's tough even when she trembles, foiling a mugging, smashing a car window and in the end being a full participant in saving herself. Throughout the movie you believe that Anne's smart, she's good at her job and generally got it together--mostly a good role model. The best bit is when she lays into McSwain with the words "Don't you dare be amused by me." And after a point, even though it's layered over with his desire to bed her, as a viewer you realize that, yes, he does respect her. Huh. And that's just one of the sexy bits.
There's a couple of things in the film you just do not see anymore. The clothes are spectacularly bad, especially for the women. The mid 80's were a time of shoulder pads and baggy skirts. The one female homicide cop wears primary colored men's clothing, including a tie. And that's just in the first scene. Anne's business suits look to be 2 sizes too big, which is in tune with her reserved, business-like character. The other thing is that she looks like a working adult--when's the last time on tv or in a film you saw a female attorney in conservative dress that didn't show off her figure? You have to remember that this movie came 20 years ago and that yes, the clothes reflect the time but also the position of women. A woman in power in the DA's office didn't get there in a lowcut blouse. I did however have shuddering flashbacks at the size of her reading glasses--every picture of me as a kid has me in similar owl glasses that overpowered my face. There's also a scene when Remy is discussing his arrest and suspension with his younger brother, who then pulls out a joint--holy casual drug use without censor, man!
It's a fun movie with great storytelling that just flows along. If you haven't seen it, check it out. If you have seen it recently, what did you think?
Thursday, February 21, 2008
If Only They Were Hiding Cash...
So I gave away my entertainment center on Freecycle because I hated it. Two guys came to pick it up, and guess what I found when they lifted it up?
Cash: 27 cents
Once edible foodstuffs: 1 M&M, 1 dessicated cherry
Makeup brushes: 3
Ponytail holders: 1
Little balls: 3
Cat Greenies (balls of compressed catnip that apparently most cats adore and they help keep the teeth clean): 3
Kitty mice: 47
Times today I witnessed Cain jump around after a jellybean, scrap of paper, or specter in the air: 4
Note to self: quit spoiling the little beasts.
Cash: 27 cents
Once edible foodstuffs: 1 M&M, 1 dessicated cherry
Makeup brushes: 3
Ponytail holders: 1
Little balls: 3
Cat Greenies (balls of compressed catnip that apparently most cats adore and they help keep the teeth clean): 3
Kitty mice: 47
Times today I witnessed Cain jump around after a jellybean, scrap of paper, or specter in the air: 4
Note to self: quit spoiling the little beasts.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Library News
Libraries Will Soon Move Into Bay Area BART Stations: Note this story is taken from a tv news story, not any librarian press. The author therefore misses the point. The big huge push in libraries is to provide reader's advisory services, which takes more manpower, not less.
This is however, totally awesomely cool. I may break email silence with my old friend and disturb him in a few months to ask if he's seen these and how it is to use one. In the library world we spend a lot of time contemplating why people won't use our services (and why they violate our rules (not me, personally--I'm kinda meh on library rules sometimes, as a user)) and this is an ingenious idea to increase access. And not just for adults--imagine having the ability to pick up a picture book, get on the train, read it to your overtired, cranky kid and then return it when you get to your destination.
It may not increase reading among people not inclined to read, but it is a boon to inveterate readers like me who otherwise fritter money away on magazines or wind up with multiple books for a quick trip somewhere.
In darker, access limiting news, a tragic rape happened at the New Bedford, MA library. Of course, we all feel very bad. However, making people scan barcoded ids for entrance, and barring sex offenders--what the fuck are they thinking?
Not even speaking as a librarian, just as a citizen, this creeps me out. Frankly, I don't care to be "protected" in such a way. I consider it a violation of my civil rights--my right to privacy. The world's a dangerous place. Suck it up or go live off the grid and get eaten by elk. Now, I'll have to go live off the grid if this comes to pass.
This is however, totally awesomely cool. I may break email silence with my old friend and disturb him in a few months to ask if he's seen these and how it is to use one. In the library world we spend a lot of time contemplating why people won't use our services (and why they violate our rules (not me, personally--I'm kinda meh on library rules sometimes, as a user)) and this is an ingenious idea to increase access. And not just for adults--imagine having the ability to pick up a picture book, get on the train, read it to your overtired, cranky kid and then return it when you get to your destination.
It may not increase reading among people not inclined to read, but it is a boon to inveterate readers like me who otherwise fritter money away on magazines or wind up with multiple books for a quick trip somewhere.
In darker, access limiting news, a tragic rape happened at the New Bedford, MA library. Of course, we all feel very bad. However, making people scan barcoded ids for entrance, and barring sex offenders--what the fuck are they thinking?
Not even speaking as a librarian, just as a citizen, this creeps me out. Frankly, I don't care to be "protected" in such a way. I consider it a violation of my civil rights--my right to privacy. The world's a dangerous place. Suck it up or go live off the grid and get eaten by elk. Now, I'll have to go live off the grid if this comes to pass.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Free Read Roundup
Looking for something to read?
Tor is offering a free weekly e-book with subscription to its online newsletter.
The Internet Archive is another source for hard to find, scanned books. Gaslight is a site sponsored by Mount Royal College that does the same, along withLiterature.org and EServer's Fiction Collection offers both text, criticism, and links to other sites publishing fiction.
Five Chapters offers 1 short story per week, doled out in installments delivered by email or read on the web Monday-Friday. A great way to check out new writers.
Tor is offering a free weekly e-book with subscription to its online newsletter.
The Internet Archive is another source for hard to find, scanned books. Gaslight is a site sponsored by Mount Royal College that does the same, along withLiterature.org and EServer's Fiction Collection offers both text, criticism, and links to other sites publishing fiction.
Five Chapters offers 1 short story per week, doled out in installments delivered by email or read on the web Monday-Friday. A great way to check out new writers.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Jane Austen's Guide To Dating--Lauren Henderson
My family has caught the Jane Austen bug. We're all watching the PBS versions, and my mom has picked up all the books too. I am woefully behind on the films, but I am catching up. We now have topics of conversation.
Between the advent of the series and MFA Jane and I taking up worldwide domination by dating, I've had to bring out my copy of this title. It deserves more widespread attention. It has been sadly neglected in the readalike lists for Austen that I've seen. This is my favorite dating advice book. Most dating books make me feel unnatural. Apparently, I am a man--I am direct, I don't grasp the games and witholding affection, waiting annoys me. I like you, please kiss me. The only thing I do right is wear a skirt. Oh, hell.
I love this book because of the commonsense approach combining advice, case studies, and analysis of literature. Lauren Henderson distills 10 dating principles from all of which are commonsense ways of dealing people in any relationship, not just courtship. Show your interest, trust yourself, don't settle, look for someone who will bring out the best in you. She then brings in as evidence regular modern people who screwed up or succeeded in love, and analyzes all the couple in Austen's novels, from the doomed (Marianne and Willoughby) the unhappy (Mr. & Mrs. Bennet, Charles and Mary Musgrove), and the happy (Darcy and Elizabeth, Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot).
This book is addictive and readable. It's a bit of a crib book on the novels, since it goes into great detail about the characters and plots. There's quizzes to help you figure out what Austen heroine you may be, and which hero your fellow may be and how well you are suited. And the stories Henderson tells back up her theories and analysis persuasively. She's got a chatty tone to this book that reassures and guides the reader. It's very girlfriend/sister giving advice. But most importantly, it is reassuring to those of us who may feel confused and apprehensive about putting ourselves out there and trying to find a mate. As modern women we may not be financially dependent on the institution of marriage to secure our futures, but the search for love and partnership is still nerve-wracking. Henderson counsels that by being yourself you will wind up in the best situation for you, which is more important than perception of status or wealth by those outside the relationship (example, Elinor Dashwood and Edward Ferrars).
Henderson is best know for her mystery series with renegade sculptor Sam Jones, a great series whose irreverent narrator toned down some horrific events. This nonfiction book shares arch observations of human nature and great humor.
Between the advent of the series and MFA Jane and I taking up worldwide domination by dating, I've had to bring out my copy of this title. It deserves more widespread attention. It has been sadly neglected in the readalike lists for Austen that I've seen. This is my favorite dating advice book. Most dating books make me feel unnatural. Apparently, I am a man--I am direct, I don't grasp the games and witholding affection, waiting annoys me. I like you, please kiss me. The only thing I do right is wear a skirt. Oh, hell.
I love this book because of the commonsense approach combining advice, case studies, and analysis of literature. Lauren Henderson distills 10 dating principles from all of which are commonsense ways of dealing people in any relationship, not just courtship. Show your interest, trust yourself, don't settle, look for someone who will bring out the best in you. She then brings in as evidence regular modern people who screwed up or succeeded in love, and analyzes all the couple in Austen's novels, from the doomed (Marianne and Willoughby) the unhappy (Mr. & Mrs. Bennet, Charles and Mary Musgrove), and the happy (Darcy and Elizabeth, Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot).
This book is addictive and readable. It's a bit of a crib book on the novels, since it goes into great detail about the characters and plots. There's quizzes to help you figure out what Austen heroine you may be, and which hero your fellow may be and how well you are suited. And the stories Henderson tells back up her theories and analysis persuasively. She's got a chatty tone to this book that reassures and guides the reader. It's very girlfriend/sister giving advice. But most importantly, it is reassuring to those of us who may feel confused and apprehensive about putting ourselves out there and trying to find a mate. As modern women we may not be financially dependent on the institution of marriage to secure our futures, but the search for love and partnership is still nerve-wracking. Henderson counsels that by being yourself you will wind up in the best situation for you, which is more important than perception of status or wealth by those outside the relationship (example, Elinor Dashwood and Edward Ferrars).
Henderson is best know for her mystery series with renegade sculptor Sam Jones, a great series whose irreverent narrator toned down some horrific events. This nonfiction book shares arch observations of human nature and great humor.
Jane Austen Ladies
This video is so sublimely fun and ridiculously cheerful that I can barely control myself and fight the urge to boogie.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
If Only Women Could Vote, I'd Vote For You--Be My Valentine!
I went over to SuperC's tonight, as she kindly invited me for dinner. She has an awesome collection of Valentines sent and received by her family from the 1910's throughout the 1940's. Oh, the designs! I think my favorite was one of the above, the suffragette valentine.
Speaking Of True Love...
Isn't it adorable when library geeks marry?
I should talk. I think the 2nd floor of CPL Main Library, right by the elevators and under the lovely WPA mural, would be the bestest place ever to get married, provided you could keep it to a party of 10.
I should talk. I think the 2nd floor of CPL Main Library, right by the elevators and under the lovely WPA mural, would be the bestest place ever to get married, provided you could keep it to a party of 10.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Linguistics
The Washington Post addresses a word that I love , the ever useful "so."
As someone who will be working on her Spanish the moment she hits Phoenix, I like this article on babies picking up foreign languages at daycare .
When I saw this article, "Humdinger of a Project: Tracing Slang to Ireland", I missed my dad because that would have been an awesome Christmas present. Miss G bought it for her dad, and describes it as a neat little compendium. I'm not sure what I think of the theory, but I have to admire the devotion.
Who doesn't love a LOLCat? Who doesn't find herself talking like a LOLCat sometimes? Not me. Anil Dash: Cats Can Has Grammar is an interesting post breaking down the grammar that has evolved around pictures of cats doing funny things.
Some of you have heard of my latest adventure in man catching (I was at the coffee bar at Trader Joe's and struck up a conversation a cheery "You're not from here!" when I heard an accent from back East coming out of a good looking fellow). May I recommend the International Dialects of English Archive for checking your own regionalism? The Central NJ (Princeton) accent is about half my speech, but years of Southern literature, country music and Ohio residence have flattened some vowels and sent some of my pronunciation past the Mason-Dixon.
As someone who will be working on her Spanish the moment she hits Phoenix, I like this article on babies picking up foreign languages at daycare .
When I saw this article, "Humdinger of a Project: Tracing Slang to Ireland", I missed my dad because that would have been an awesome Christmas present. Miss G bought it for her dad, and describes it as a neat little compendium. I'm not sure what I think of the theory, but I have to admire the devotion.
Who doesn't love a LOLCat? Who doesn't find herself talking like a LOLCat sometimes? Not me. Anil Dash: Cats Can Has Grammar is an interesting post breaking down the grammar that has evolved around pictures of cats doing funny things.
Some of you have heard of my latest adventure in man catching (I was at the coffee bar at Trader Joe's and struck up a conversation a cheery "You're not from here!" when I heard an accent from back East coming out of a good looking fellow). May I recommend the International Dialects of English Archive for checking your own regionalism? The Central NJ (Princeton) accent is about half my speech, but years of Southern literature, country music and Ohio residence have flattened some vowels and sent some of my pronunciation past the Mason-Dixon.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Just Me?
So am I the only person on the planet who went to see Juno and was dismayed at how Juno treated Bleeker and felt really sorry for him?
In general, it was a very well-written and acted film--it does deserve the Oscar nods. J.K. Simmons is great in his small part as Juno's dad, and Alison Janney as her stepmom is awesome. They haven't really been mentioned in the accolades.
In general, it was a very well-written and acted film--it does deserve the Oscar nods. J.K. Simmons is great in his small part as Juno's dad, and Alison Janney as her stepmom is awesome. They haven't really been mentioned in the accolades.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Time To Face Facts--The Sartorial Edition
Note to self: You don't wear scarves. The ex's comment about your thick neck still stings after all these years (really, you should have broken up with him for that comment right quick) and scarves detract from the awesome ability of your breasts to attract male attention. Really, don't destroy the landscape with clutter. Just give it all to Goodwill.
Books Read 2008
Stetson--S.L. Rottman
Lady in Red--Karen Hawkins
For The First Time--Kathryn Smith
Born To Rock--Gordon Korman
A Week From Sunday--Dorothy Garlock
Duke in Disguide--Gayle Callen
Untamed--Hope Tarr
Twist of Fate--Jayne Anne Krentz
Till Next We Meet--Karen Ranney
Lady in Red--Karen Hawkins
For The First Time--Kathryn Smith
Born To Rock--Gordon Korman
A Week From Sunday--Dorothy Garlock
Duke in Disguide--Gayle Callen
Untamed--Hope Tarr
Twist of Fate--Jayne Anne Krentz
Till Next We Meet--Karen Ranney
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Born To Rock--Gordon Korman
I have an appreciation post about Canadian author Gordon Korman coming up, but when I found this book in the YA shelf at the Euc, I had to grab it.
Leo P. Caraway has known for a long time that his dad isn't his biological father, and that's okay. He's not that curious about the Marion X. McMurphy listed on his birth certificate, who his mom refuses to discuss. He does refer to his occasional urges to wildness and rage as his McMurphy side. But still, as a Young Republican, honor student and future Harvard man, his future is secure. Until he gets innocently mixed up in a cheating scandal, loses his scholarship, gets dropped by the Young Republicans and finds out that Marion X. McMurphy is actually King Maggot of the seminal punk band Purge. In short, what the hell went wrong with his life? And how the hell can this guy be his father?
Leo sets out to get King to pay for his college education, but finds himself surprised by the man and developing a real bond. He signs on as a roadie for Purge's reunion tour, and hijinks ensue as he copes with hazing from the other roadies, finds himself being stalked by some high school friends following the tour, and dealing with needy, aging punk rockers.
The book's slim on character development, but Korman keeps the pace quick and humor coming. Leo is likeable, and no one is quite a stereotype. But I found myself most interested in King Maggot himself, and curious about what turned a would-be Kansas CPA into a punk rocker. There's an interesting novel right there.
There's read a likes galore for this book--the original (and best) issues of the comic Hopeless Savages, the other boys and bands books I've reviewed lately, Pagan Kennedy's The Exes, any Henry Rollins performance CDs or books, Jello Biafra's High Priest of Harmful Matter--Tales From The Trial spoken word album, Our Band Can Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991 by Michael Azerrad, Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil, and Lou Reed's poetry. Korman's earlier books have a singularly loopy charm that go well with writers like Connie Willis and P.G. Wodehouse.
Leo P. Caraway has known for a long time that his dad isn't his biological father, and that's okay. He's not that curious about the Marion X. McMurphy listed on his birth certificate, who his mom refuses to discuss. He does refer to his occasional urges to wildness and rage as his McMurphy side. But still, as a Young Republican, honor student and future Harvard man, his future is secure. Until he gets innocently mixed up in a cheating scandal, loses his scholarship, gets dropped by the Young Republicans and finds out that Marion X. McMurphy is actually King Maggot of the seminal punk band Purge. In short, what the hell went wrong with his life? And how the hell can this guy be his father?
Leo sets out to get King to pay for his college education, but finds himself surprised by the man and developing a real bond. He signs on as a roadie for Purge's reunion tour, and hijinks ensue as he copes with hazing from the other roadies, finds himself being stalked by some high school friends following the tour, and dealing with needy, aging punk rockers.
The book's slim on character development, but Korman keeps the pace quick and humor coming. Leo is likeable, and no one is quite a stereotype. But I found myself most interested in King Maggot himself, and curious about what turned a would-be Kansas CPA into a punk rocker. There's an interesting novel right there.
There's read a likes galore for this book--the original (and best) issues of the comic Hopeless Savages, the other boys and bands books I've reviewed lately, Pagan Kennedy's The Exes, any Henry Rollins performance CDs or books, Jello Biafra's High Priest of Harmful Matter--Tales From The Trial spoken word album, Our Band Can Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991 by Michael Azerrad, Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil, and Lou Reed's poetry. Korman's earlier books have a singularly loopy charm that go well with writers like Connie Willis and P.G. Wodehouse.
A Little Objectification For A Good Cause
I'm tempted to buy one of the 2008 Mildly Attractive Men of SLIS calendars just to see if they do have a guybrarian for every taste.
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