Tag: library

“Cats not Clowns” Friday

I can breathe again!!!
And no, I’m not referring to allergy season, because were it not for my allergy med cocktail, I might as well pack my nasal passages with cement, they’re so useless… but, considering the amount of delicious, recuperative sleep I’ve had, the oodles of tea before me, and the dripping, dreary weather outside, I shall not complain because breathing clearly was apparently a childhood phenomenon that I shall never experience again.

1) I’ve expounded before on my great love of libraries.
I also love cats.
I’ve never expounded on this because my love is private. I also love pirates, large eyeballs, and vintage cars… but no one needs to know about that.
So the very idea of a library with it’s very own feline is enough to make my extremities go numb.
I can’t feel my hands, ya’ll.
Mental Floss compiled this list of libraries… that are owned… by cats.
You might think the cats just live there, but those of us who have been around the cat block know the score.

2) All right, I’ll be honest… I don’t actually LIKE this.
I rather vehemently dislike it, but I feel like we should discuss it.
We need to discuss the Northampton Clown.
See, I’m rather afraid of clowns, me.
I’m sure that they’re fine in their own way, but that primal part of my brain that encourages me to avoid being burned alive or going on a date with a serial killer also encourages me to avoid clowns at all costs, particularly ones that appear without warning or reason and keep proclaiming their innocence… which is why I shall be keeping wide berth around Northhampton for the remainder of my days.

3) Speaking of creeps…
Look, if you have an affinity for clown culture, that’s fine.
You just do you… and I’ll stay far, far away.
It’s no big thing.
In all seriousness, there are situations (clown related or not) in which we may need to alert either friends and family members to our location or scream for help… and Mashable has compiled a list of apps that can do both.
My personal favorite is the one that will loudly yell pre-recorded messages… although I’d like the ability to personalize them and add my own, such “Swiper, no swiping!” or the fantastic “Do you feel lucky” speech from Dirty Harry.
If I had a teenage daughter, I would download one (or all… spare no expense) on her phone… and drive around behind her in an appropriate dark-colored Buick, carrying a gun or some Chinese ring daggers.
It’s only called “over-protective” when you do it right, folks.

4) “Emma Approved” starts on October 7th!
Despite the fact that the ONLY Mr. Knightley in my world is Mark Strong, I am still unashamedly excited for this series, another one of Bernie Su’s adaptations of Jane Austen novels, due to air on YouTube beginning October 7th.
Also, in related news, Allison Paige (Gigi Darcy of “The Lizzie Bennet Diaries” and “Welcome to Sanditon”) is starring as model/ undercover detective “Max Luna” in yet another webseries, “Gloss”.
In truth, I have never been a Gigi fan (unless we’re talking about the glorious 1958 musical with Louis Jourdan, Maurice Chevalier, and Leslie Caron) and it was, in fact, Gigi’s presence that caused me to abandon “Welcome to Sanditon” early in its run, but “Gloss” includes a healthy splash of murder with its fashion… and you know how I am about murder.

 


5) These two gentlemen are absolute champions.

Posted on by JRW 2

Silence in the Library

*cue Ray Lamontagne’s “Trouble”*

This year has been rather a year of new discoveries so far, as I’ve slowly immersed myself in geek/nerd culture online (as a spectator only). I’ve learned new things, and developed new obsessions (I use the term loosely), found new causes to be excited about, and also discovered that even in a group of super smart kids, we still can’t agree (or agree to disagree) on certain… issues.
I don’t know, I suppose I thought that people who had memorized every line from the original Star Trek series wouldn’t really have problems with sexism and racism.
Beneath my tough walnutty exterior, I am a soft, squishy idealist, I suppose.
So much for nerd utopia.

I toyed with the idea of writing a few blogs on those topics… but I don’t think I’m ready to expose those parts of my soft underbelly to the light of day and to opinions from other people who never mean any harm (but somehow manage to cause a bit everywhere they go). I might, eventually, delve into it, but now doesn’t particularly seem like a good time, what with the heat and state of current affairs and whatnot.

So, I thought to myself (you know, in those rare moments when I don’t think to other people… seriously, who comes up with these phrases?), “I’m not going to go there. I’ll go to the library instead. Libraries are friendly and neutral. Libraries don’t have any particular opinion on your femininity or skin color and libraries never ask you if you prefer to be called African American.”
Answer: No.
American will do.
I am not African.
If you must attach a color-based descriptor, black is fine and not at all offensive.

The folks over at Mental Floss have put together a list of the World’s Most Beautiful Libraries, and I was quite proud to see one of my favorites:
The Trinity College Library in Dublin (which often serves as my desktop background, so I can imagine that I’m working there… in silence… and a deliciously warm green sweater.

I did notice that some of the massive libraries on the list have tile flooring, which seems a bit counter intuitive, since people (myself included) like to wear clicky shoes, and libraries are supposed to be QUIET… but then, in my latest visit to my local library, I encountered people talking at the top of their voices, a man taking several business calls on his cell phone, and a beautiful, but noisy clock that chimed the hour… because people in a library love nothing more than to be jerked out of their reverie by the sound of many bells.
I don’t know, maybe we don’t have to be quiet in libraries anymore.
Was there a law passed about it? I don’t recall voting. Can we vote on this? I object.

I love the idea of libraries (except the noisy ones, of course) because libraries contain vast compendiums of knowledge, and yet, at the same time, are known as being places of peace and serenity. Imagine it… books with differing opinions and mindsets and agendas, standing side by side in peace… perhaps never agreeing, but never arguing either.

I wonder what would happen if humans could do that… learn and understand the “opposite” viewpoint, and clearly, calmly, and objectively state their viewpoint, and proceed on a basis of actual mutual understanding, rather than allowing the discussion to deteriorate into arguments and insults. I would love for there to be open frank discussions about issues, with the purpose of finding middle ground to stand on. We’re not at that place yet, even after all this time, and I suppose that the older I get, the more disillusioned I become with society that would rather be right and on top and at war.

Libraries are one of the few places where two opposing forces are together in a confined space and no one ever fires a shot. Again, it’s idealistic of me, but I would hope that we could learn something from that.

Posted on by JRW 101

Disintegrative Shaming: Library Style

I have an overdue library book.
I know… the guilt overwhelms.
I didn’t mean to do it… I just was suddenly so busy, and the day snuck up on me.
Then it snuck past me.
Then it sprinted hardcore in the other direction, fast as it’s little spindly legs could carry it, and I was left choking on it’s dust.

Do you know what the worst part of having an overdue library book is?
I’m pretty sure that the librarians can see trace evidence of your shame on their computers for the rest of your natural life, and when you go in to check something out, you can feel the distaste radiating from them. One perfectly arched eyebrow quirks, and they say, “Oh… you’d like to check something out, would you? Well, IT’S DUE ON THE 21st.”
If you listen closely, you’ll hear the unspoken word peasant hanging in the air as you tuck your newest, albeit temporary acquisition into your green (green as in eco-friendly, not green as in Kermit) book bag and slink away from the counter, ears hung low.
*shudder*
I can’t take it!
How can I ever face them?!

Posted on by JRW 0

Book Nerd Utopia

Can I just say Goodreads?

GOODREADS, PEOPLE!!!

I joined Goodreads this year and, honestly, I feel like I’ve found a whole country full of people that I would gladly sit behind in coffee shops, eavesdropping shamelessly on their conversations about books.
Wait… Did I say country?
I meant LIBRARY.
I’ve discovered a ginormous library full of librarians that I’m going to eavesdrop on.
It’s fabulous!

Disclaimer: Library does not mean “The Library” as in a large building inhabited by the Vashta Nerada.

My reaction will only seem strong if you’re not a somewhat solitary book nerd, who has occasionally screamed out the words “BOOK CLUB” and had them return void.

Did you hear that little sob in there?

Did you?

This website serves both my need for book nerd relationship and my need for privacy and precisely established social norms.
To hug or not to hug? Doesn’t matter… you’re on Goodreads.
Should you ask about the breakup that went nova on Facebook and that both parties seem rather red-faced about? This really isn’t the place. You’re on Goodreads.
Do you have a picture of a cute dog wearing a cute outfit during a cute, cute, CUTE doggy birthday party that you’ve been dying to share?! Stop. Check yourself. You’re on Goodreads.
This is a glorious place to find new books, become reacquainted with old books, and reinforce your reasons for avoiding certain popular books (with a profoundly awkward subject matter that is not to be discussed by ladies in polite society). I have lost countless, blissful hours flipping back and forth between Goodreads and my local library’s website, placing books on hold.
*sigh*
I have found myself casually dropping Goodreads into conversations (and by “casually”, I mean staring directly at a friend with lasers shooting out of my eyes and growling, “Are you on Goodreads? Well, WHY THE HECK NOT?!”) because I have a deep belief that we all need to become better acquainted with our inner book nerd.

You will be a better you with a splash of book nerd.

Think about it, won’t you?

Today’s count: Fourteen pages, helvetica size 12, single paced, 6913 words.

Posted on by JRW 0