Le mieux blog dans le monde!

A Thought

I've seen significantly less negative press about the government's actions taken in response to the flooding in the Midwest than what we saw in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. There are more levees breaking along the Mississippi than there were that broke in Louisiana. And the flooding appears to affects a lot more people.

What was it about New Orleans that struck people's hearts? There was more talk about race and class issues. But you'd think some of that would apply to Midwest as well. Was it that the people in Louisiana were in more desperate circumstances so their disasters was more painful than for those in the Midwest?

Will the Midwesterners receive as much money and government aid as the people in New Orleans? Oh yeah, and there was flooding in Mississippi from hurricane Katrina but we rarely heard about that. Were the Louisianians too busy with their lives that they found themselves less prepared than these other areas that have been hit by natural disaster?

Or do we just not expect the government to help us anymore as our country's resources are stretched thin with the fires in California, the never ending war in Iraq, the housing slump, and the spike in gas prices, the current national debt, and a joke of a president, Congress, and Supreme Court?

Last night I had a dream that Oprah was in one of the cheesy LDS films. Why I dreamt about Oprah in the first place, I have no idea--I'm never home to watch her show. And I can think of two reasons why I dreamt about a cheesy LDS film: 1) I live in Utah and we have billboard advertising for these cheesy movies, and 2) Russ and I watched a series of cheesy made-for-Sci Fi (Channel) horror flicks the other day.

I couldn't believe that a low budget film could afford the talk show queen.

Rambling

Henry Fonda wasn't the best actor. Very solemn; puppy dog eyes; poker face. I'm not sure if his character was actually happy to marry the demure, sweet Claudette Colbert's character in Drums Along the Mohawk. I think he played his character similarly in The Grapes of Wrath.

Jane Fonda sure looks like her father. It's funny how a woman can be beautiful when she resembles her father, despite father being handsome.

My urge to write has returned.

So Hillary is something else, huh? She had a dream and is having a difficult timing letting it go. Really, aside from the tears, some policy ideas, and Mr. Bill, Hillary could have won the Primaries. I'm interested to hear what she has to say on Saturday.

As for married life, it has its ups and downs but I love being married!!!!! The hardest thing is giving up some independence but that's just something I need to work in general. I've also been pretty antisocial but am going out of my cocoon slowly but surely.

Yesterday I had went to a killer personal training session and my butt and thighs ached. I was mistaken for an old lady this morning during story time.

The wedding went really smoothly. Other than a case of nerves the night before the actual events of the BIG DAY went very well. The weather turned out beautiful so the out-of-towners arrived safely and the actual day was beautiful as well (just cold).

Can't imagine doing all the bells and whistles that people traditionally do for a wedding. Not only did we save a lot of money, but with the stress I was feeling the preceding month, I can't imagine having more events/activities surrounding the wedding than we did (just the sealing and then a luncheon). We do have an open house in Idaho the first of the month but that should be apple pie.

In Memory of George

Animals are special.

This dog gave his life to protect five children from a pit bull attack (there were 2 pit bulls).

The United States didn't go to Afghanistan to create an Afghani democratic government; that was Iraq. The U.S. went to Afghanistan to root out Al-Quaeda.

The report that women in Afghanistan are still treated as objects and have no real identity makes we think about the women in Iraq (see CNN's article: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/05/09/afghan.women/index.html). I haven't heard any profiles on the women in Iraq. How were they treated before Saddam was deposed? How are they treated now?

I did find a report by Human Rights Watch called Background on Women's Status in Iraq Prior to the Fall of the Saddam Hussein Government. It states that before the first Gulf War, Iraqi women had more freedoms than other countries in the Middle East. However, after the fist Gulf War, more restrictions were placed on women "by the last years of Saddam Hussein's government the majority of women and girls had been relegated to traditional roles within the home." I haven't done enough research to see how they're treated now, post Saddam.

I hope that our nation's leaders are considering the women of Iraq in their definition of a democracy. It would seem to me that this is a vital part of any truly democratic nation.

I also wonder why this isn't a priority in Afghanistan: creating a democratic Afghanistan. The United States must have a method of selecting countries to democratize while not attempting it in others. It would seem to me, however, that the motivations for going into Iraq were similar to going into Afghanistan: to root out terrorism and make the world, especially the United States, a safer place (at least thats what we're told).

Maybe we see that Afghanistan isn't culturally ready for democracy, including improving their women's rights, but we see that Iraq is.

I'll have a grow cheese sandwich

Just found this cute web site devoted to recording childhood beliefs.

I Used to Believe has several different categories, including bad habits, the law, toilets, and grown-ups. Anyone can contribute their childhood beliefs. You can also rate other people's beliefs.

Speaking of technology, boy, the little gizmos that are so popular (i.e. the ipod, cell phones that serve as camera/video recorder/mp3 player/etc) are so cool!

The iphone sounds super cool and well designed. The ipod shuffle now comes in different colors. Overall it seems that Apple has created some of the most user-friendly technologies (so phooey on those people who are afraid of new technologies, rather than the prices of them).

Cell phone companies make some of the new (at least new in the U.S.) phones so affordable and seemingly efficient(while none quite so capable as the iphone-wow!) when you don't have to tote around your digital camera, mp3 player and cell phone. And its nice to be available to keep in touch with people while running errands and traveling.

I can't decide which is more accurate: the companies marketing these technologies are either really good at what they do (in convincing the general population that they need these blobjects) or I really do need these products.

[sigh] Librarians...

While our professional duties imply the constantly learning servants to the public (in re the dissemination of information), I am sad to say that this is not the case.

After participating the Thinking Ahead Symposium (a conference for library professionals to meet and discuss the future of libraries and library services) last Fall in Salt Lake City, I was sorely disappointed to see the fear and resistance many librarians have towards learning new information resources (which typically are in various formats of technology).

After a meeting with the professional staff of my library system this morning, I was further disappointed that many appear to share this fear or appear disinterested in furthering their skills as information resources upgrade.

Perhaps in fifteen to twenty years I'll find myself stuck in a similar rut or simply be too busy to increase my knowledge in these areas.

What is it about technology that scares us so?
* New formats are introduced before we can become proficient in the old ones.
* Fear of change is a common trait of humans (according to all the self help books I read).
* There are rumors about different tools that scare the general populace.
* Lack of resouces (ex. money) to try the new technology.

Care to add to the list?

Seattle Underground

I just can't get over the Seattle Underground.

Already, Pike's Market and the rolling hills of streets downtown made an impression: Seattle is a maze. With several levels of Pike's Market that don't seem to fall one right on top of another and with entrances and exits for the same building on different floors, it takes some getting used to figuring out where you really are. It seems the Seattle Public Library represents the city planning in its own architecture (with its somewhat disturbing color scheme--red halls that look like the inside of the body's circulatory system--and unpredictable locations of stairs and elevators).

After going on the Bill Speidel's Underground Tour, and finding out why the city has so many levels. The Wikipedia describes it:
"On June 6, 1889, most of Seattle's central business district burned to the ground in the Great Seattle Fire.

It was decided to rebuild the city one to two stories higher than the original street grade, as Pioneer Square had been built mostly on filled-in tidelands and often flooded. The new street level also assisted in ensuring that gravity-assisted flush toilets didn't back up during high tide in Elliott Bay.

Several city blocks in the downtown region were enclosed with brick and timber barricades and the pavements between were raised. This left sidewalks and some storefronts as much as 36 feet below street level.

For a time, pedestrians climbed ladders to go between street level and building entrances, but eventually the building entrances were raised, and the old sidewalks covered over, creating the area now called the Seattle Underground. Merchants carried on business in the lowest floors of buildings that survived the fire, and pedestrians continued to use the underground sidewalks lit by glass cubes (still seen on some streets) embedded in the grade level sidewalk above. In 1907 the city condemned the Underground for fear of bubonic plague, two years before the 1909 World Fair in Seattle (Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition). The basements were left to deteriorate or were used as storage. In some cases, they illegally became flophouses for the homeless, gambling halls, speakeasies, and opium dens.

Only a small part of the Seattle Underground has been restored and made safe and accessible to the general public." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Underground_Tour

Furthermore, the Underground Tour relates the history of plumbing in Seattle. Because of the water pressure from being so close to the Sound, when a person went to flush a toilet, the water would spew up, out of the toilet. As a result, they had to put the toilet higher about ground level (the science of all this is beyond me).

Its just so fascinating!

Obama in 2008!

Hurray!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070116/pl_nm/usa_politics_obama_dc_3

Boys Shmoys!

Dating is really getting old. I've had five in the past two weeks and am ready to take a hiatus. I need to ensure that I have at least one night available to spend with friends and at least one for "me" time (not including the nights that I have class).

And I've decided that regardless of how cool a guy may seem NO DATING GUYS I MEET @ WORK!!!!! (Even if I meet them elsewhere afterwards and think they're cool!!) Only one of my work boyfriends is okay because he's so far out there that he's not capable (cross my fingers) of being creepy (although he just bought me some orange/chocolate thin mints because they were on sale and he thought of me).

Happy New Year!

Last January I was determined to never create a list of New Year resolutions since they were never met.

However, by February I realized how important they are for me (Ms. Disorganization in her physical, mental, and emotional space!!!) in recognizing my strengths and actually accomplishing some of the desires of my heart. While I forgot the majority of my goals for 2006 a month after I created the list, what stuck in my head did help me focus on enhancing important character traits, developing talents, and learning many new lessons of life in general.

So yesterday I made a list--not too long--with measurable objectives for eaching those goals. (Hopefully, I'll remember to print the list so I can hang it where I will often see it.)

By the end of 2007, I should be healthier, a better artist, more informed about real-life (nonfiction), and have a more organized living space. When you (the reader) wonder how my behavior is going to achieve the aforementioned broad goals, please say something to me!

And I'm known as the librarian with the orange hair.

A kid (a regular) came in yesterday and needed help with his myspace account. The person who helped him suggested he return today so I could help him out; the staff member used my name in the exchange.

The kid, not sure of my name, asked, "Is she the one with the orange hair?"

Orange hair, the voice of an older person....

Can't wait for the next impression!

A Diamond is Forever

Unfortunately, Blood Diamond is the kind of movie that will draw people who are already concerned about conflict diamonds entering the market or other cause-conscious moviegoers. To make a real impact on the diamond industry, more of the population must know about this issue and take a stand.

However, giving diamonds as gifts for a variety of occasions is so engrained in the minds of Americans that I can't foresee a call for the top diamond companies to create stricter measures to prevent conflict diamonds from entering their supply.

Also, as the movie points out, "This is Africa." When has the world truly been concerned for the welfare of Africans? What benefit would the world have in doing so? The Middle East and parts of Central/South America are important because of oil (not to mention the entrenched drug trade in these areas--hey, illegal drugs create jobs in America!). We have strong economic ties to Europe and Eastern Asia. What does Africa have to offer (especially, when we can go there and exploit the unrest and major problems. Wait! We don't have to go there; there are plenty of crooks in "some" of the governments--many of whom are there as a result of U.S. intervention)?

The other day a man came up to the circulation desk to check materials out. I asked him how he was doing and if he found the information he came in for.

His response: "Whoa! I didn' t expect you to have that voice!"

Further explanation: I look like I'm in my mid-20s but have the voice of a person in her mid-30s.
A voice can age (think of puberty or listen to an elderly person speak), but I thought that once between the ages of 13 and 80, there were no real indicators of the age of a person based on voice.

That man's comment-that horrible man (heh, heh, heh)-disturbed me. I don't want to sound 5-10 years older than I really am. I still consider myself young and fresh.

Merry Christmas!

Somehow, not only for Christmas,
But all the long year through,
The joy that you give to others,
Is the joy that comes back to you.
And the more you spend in blessing,
The poor and lonely and sad,
The more of your heart's possessing,
Returns to you glad.

--John Whittier

What a relief it is that the government is watching out for it's citizens!!!

With the extra opportunities for surveillance that the U.S. government has as a result of the USA PATRIOT Act, we can rest assured that when the government spies on "terrorist" suspects (such as the late John Lennon), they will get their man or woman!!

If only the USA PATRIOT Act was enacted earlier.... Maybe John Lennon would have been found guilty of more than not following the status quo.

"The FBI had unsuccessfully argued that an unnamed foreign government secretly provided the information, and releasing the documents could lead to diplomatic, political or economic retaliation against the United States.

"The newly released documents include a surveillance report stating that two prominent British leftists had courted Lennon in hopes that he would finance "a left-wing bookshop and reading room in London" but that Lennon gave them no money. Another page states that there was "no certain proof" that Lennon had provided money "for subversive purposes."

"I doubt that Tony Blair's government will launch a military strike on the U.S. in retaliation for the release of these documents," Wiener told the newspaper. "Today, we can see that the national security claims that the FBI has been making for 25 years were absurd from the beginning." http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/20/people.lennonfiles.ap/index.html

Such a waste of resources.... Makes me wonder why the prisoners at Gitmo are really there?

Hello, Ms. President

All this talk about Hilary running for president...
I certainly think she'd have a good chance--she's comparable to the other possible candidates for the Democratic ticket (except maybe Obama, but then that would bring up race--is American ready for a non-white President?).

But do we really need another Clinton in the Oval Office?

Are Americans ready for a female president? I don't see why not. How many people would not vote for a candidate solely because of his/her gender? So long as they compaign well and seem solid, I wonder if gender is an issue.

There are differences in the ways that men and women think in general. Are those differences significant enough to limit one sex's ability to be a good president? Probably not in and of themselves.

I'd like to see Hilary run, simply because she appears to be a women who has transcended the traditional gender divide in politics. But I'm not sure she could inspire me to respect the national party.