Read the Book, Don't Wait for the . . .

So Borders entered Chapter 11. I don't mean of one of their tomes, either. Three local stores will be closing. I did get a very nice email from the CEO telling me that just because they can't make it in this economy doesn't mean they won't still be selling books. You can visit here for more information. They blame the economy and the electronic reading devices for the failure of the brick-and-mortar stores. People just aren't reading the way they used to. Sure, they read, just not paper. There are some old-fashioned holdouts like me who like paper copies. It's partly because I like the tactile experience, but more because I'm cheap. Sure some e-books are free or not expensive to download, but I don't want to pay for the reader. Not when I can buy library discards at 5 for $1.50 like I did a couple days ago.
I was also pondering: I had a conversation with someone recently about children who are more likely to read. If a family has many books, a child is more likely to read, even above children who are taken to the library. The logical conclusion is that books must be important if one is going to keep them around. Even more important if you bring copious amounts home only to take them back within a couple of weeks. So what does this mean for a person whose library is inches thick? I could download all 3,000+ books, without taking an inch of shelf space; I've paid for them, but is my child going to see that? Hmm. . . Just pondering.

Your Wife's a Phenomenal Asset

Why do I suddenly have the lyrics for "Rainbow Tour" from Evita running through my head? And why would you go overseas for your husband's birthday--without him? Maybe I just don't understand politics.

What's the Deal?

Deals just aren't what they used to be. Remember the days when a restaurant coupon was "Buy one dinner (and maybe 2 drinks) and get one free"? Like, say, last year? Now it's buy one, get one for $4.99, $5.99; something that isn't much of a deal at all. I'm not an economist, but I'm guessing that the driving factor behind these poor deals is the economy. They need to make money, too, and giving away free meals isn't going to do it. On the other hand, in such an economy, a person is less likely to take up the offer. Five bucks when it used to be free? No, thanks.
Now comes the worst deal I've stumbled across yet: Hometown Buffet charging for drinks. Sure, again they've got to make money, and this is a way to not raise the buffet price but still make money. Honestly, though, adding an Icee machine and a cappucinno machine to a formerly free beverage bar doesn't seem to justify the $1.79 (plus tax). Now you can blame me, we went there, we paid for the buffet and the beverage bar. On the other hand, I had a coupon the terms of which, incidentally, stipulated that one had to purchase the beverage bar to recieve the advertised price. What a deal.

A Refugee, Slain

Coming from a war-torn country to America. You'd expect this story to have a happy, prosperous ending in the land of the American Dream. This story broke my heart. A family flees a war-torn country only to have a 15-year-old son gunned down in a drive-by shooting.
Parts of the story stuck out in my mind. "Many of them don't have dads, but [the refugee students] write about them as if they were still alive." Here are families who had dads, but they're dead, not dead-beat. Widows and orphans.
"All sought the roomy and cheap accomodations of the apartment complex. . .in a neighborhood that did not always welcome outsiders and is known for its violence." The refugees have struggles finding housing for their large families without credit or work history, so they take what they can get.
"Those close to [the victim] described him as the self-designated man of the house and an honor roll student sho talked of college and eventually going back to Eritrea to improve his home country." Here is the kind of person who wants to work to make the world better.
Why did it take a whole month for this incident to get front page press? You can put on your "Visualize World Peace" and "Coexist" bumper stickers, but until we face the realities of strife, we cannot solve it. This incident happened not "somewhere over there" but within my own metro area. Sure, it's easy enough for me to sit in my little suburban home and blog about it. Let it be known that my indignance is enough for me to sit here and blog about it. What will it motivate you to do? One person's motivation can be another's and another's and another's. I hope it will motivate someone to welcome a refugee instead of shooting them. Forget that which divides us and let's start living as people in a civilized country where we are above gunning down teenagers who fled warfare in an uncivilized country. I'd put that on my bumper sticker, but it won't fit.

Spare and Spoil?

To spank or not? A new article affirms not. Spanking, it asserts, is ineffective. My generation (Gen X) was one that was hit-or-miss with spanking. My parent's generation, that was another story. Yet, my parents' generation was more respectful (on the whole) to their parents than mine. Was it because we weren't spanked? Not really. It was because our parents had that "question authority" period known as the '60s to change their minds. Is it any wonder their kids began to question their authority? "Who are you to tell me what to do?" The reaction was not, "because I'm the parent" but rather, "I guess I can't make them do what they don't want to, that's not fair/nice/reasonable." Over the years we've paid for it--just look at school discipline--when I was doing teaching practicum in college, a student at one of the practicum schools threw a desk (no kidding)! Would a spanking have helped? He probably would have called the authorities and accused the spanker of abuse. Resentful kids know all the tricks.
Here's a thought, though: If you aren't going to spank, DO SOMETHING. (Pardon the all caps, but there is still discipline between spanking and nothing.) Kids will not behave on their own. They need guidance. Not lectures, not empty threats, not letting it go until it gets to a point where it can't be ignored. Here's my shameless plug: try Love and Logic. My parents didn't know about it, but they followed many of the principals without knowing it. Sure, they spanked too, but they knew a spanking was not a cure-all for every misbehavior. Let me tell you about the pile of rocks we picked up because we were misbehaving--on second thought, maybe I shouldn't admit so much.

Vocation

I am not desirous of disparaging our brave military personnel. They put their lives on the line every day to protect freedom.
I will, however, bring up the question of women in the military. I think of the line from The Pirate Movie where the father says, "With women leading our armies, we'll never have another decent war again." I'm not saying women don't have the ability; however, is it something they should be doing? Take this case: why should women have to choose between family and military? I don't think we should point the finger at the military, however. One who enlists basically knows what they're getting in to, and families will have to be left behind. There seems to be a growing trend of single moms enlisting because of the economic benefits; yet, what about the children left with others while mom goes into potentially deadly situations. Sure, dads do that too, but usually there is a surviving parent. Not so with single moms (ok, sure the dad may be around somewhere, but obviously not involved with the child's life).
Those who push for women to be equal to men (not equality but EQUAL) would reject this antiquated notion, but just because "we girls can do anything" doesn't mean we should. Maybe that's just another sign that my thinking hasn't evolved.

My Pick for Oscar

I want Up in the Air to win. Mostly because it was filmed locally and has a story line apropos to the times. I have a feeling that Avatar will win because it has all the special effects and the story line leans more to the direction in which those voting for the awards prefer.

I can't truly say which movie has more cinema qualities like acting and story line and the like, as I have not actually gone to a movie in a theater since 500 Days of Summer, which was the first I'd seen since I don't remember when. Hence, I can only base my opinion on the reviews I have heard and read. Maybe that's a poor reason to pick a movie for an Oscar, but it seems that some of the best movies always just miss winning the Oscar. Perhaps Mr. Clooney can remember that when the largest grossing movie of all time takes the little statuette.

It's Called The Job, Sir

With all due respect, Mr. President, you might want to get used to the fact (or inform your media buddies) that you are not a private citizen for the remainder of your term. You can't always expect a restful Chrismas vacation. I know everyone hates comparing your administration to the the previous one, but do remember that even he couldn't go read stories to little Floridians without being interrupted with news about plane crashes. It's how the job goes.
I suppose I can give you the benefit of the doubt: it is not you complaining of no R & R on vacay, but your media buddies. Maybe they're the ones complaining that THEY couldn't get rest over the holidays because of some nut job trying to blow up a plane. Sorry guys, news happens when it happens. I know, maybe we can encourage the terrorists and idiots around the world who want to kill Americans to do it on a more convenient time frame, and not over the holidays. Maybe talk to Fox News and see if they can get that word out, as they're not really doing any real news coverage; therefore, they have time to work on that.
Now if you'll excuse me, the baby is crying, the washer is out-of-balance, and the phone is ringing, so I can't have a restful blog-typing session. Maybe next time.

Rememberies

November 10, 1483: Martin Luther's birthday.

November 10, 1975: The Edmund Fitzgerald sank.
These two incidents are completely unrelated, and I remember neither of them; however, it is good to reflect on their historicity.

Another anniversary is the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. I do remember this event fairly well, as well as its historical impact on the world. I met a German once who had photographs of the Wall coming down, as he lived in Berlin in 1989. The pictures were exactly like the magazine pictures, postcards, and news footage we saw in America. I pondered what it would be like to be at such an historical event.

There are pieces of the Berlin Wall everywhere these days. In the years after 1989, pieces were packaged and sold on the streets of Berlin. I purchased one when I was over there. Larger sections of the wall were sent around the world. A major section can be seen at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California. Then there are these sections in Las Vegas. It is a tale of irony and sarcasm. The formidable wall which once meant death to those who attempted to cross it and symbolized the divide between communism and capitalism is now reduced to this.

There's a lesson in there somewhere. . .

Cover, Wash, Repeat

Our school has been getting emails about H1N1 and how to prevent the spread thereof. Part of prevention is covering one's sneezes. Crook of the arm, people--not the hand! Does there need to be a demonstration?

Part of prevention is handwashing. Okay, fine; I have a request: Make handwashing better for the public when it comes to public restrooms.
First, if proper handwashing is lather for 15-20 seconds, replace silly push-top or twist-and hold on faucets. A proper handwasher just gets soap all over the handle. Then if they don't stay on, the germs one has just lathered off gets right back on when the faucet has to be turned back on. In a similar vein, have spigots that are not all hot or all cold. Have a lukewarm setting. After 20 seconds of lathering, the hot often gets too hot, and then one has to germify the hands again to turn on the cold to keep from getting scalded.
Second, please replace the air dryers with paper towels. Proper handwashing indicates turning off the faucet with paper towels. It's difficult to do that when there are no paper towels. I don't care how many trees or landfills are saved. Try replacing the styrofoam containers instead of taking paper towels away.
Third, please make the door push on exiting the bathroom, not a handle to pull. It defeats the purpose of handwashing. Either that or put a trash can near the door so that a proper handwasher can pull the handle with a paper towel and then have a place to properly dispose of it without having to throw it on the floor or do some yoga-like stretching exercises to hold the door with one foot and reach the trash can.
Remember: Only you can prevent the flu. We need to eradicate H1N1 lest healthcare reform impact flu coverage.

The Illusion Shattered

I've come to the conclusion that Facebook can be--not a bad thing, not a negative thing--I guess it's a disillusioning tool. It is disillusioning in the sense that there are people from my youth who have become more or less characters; a person to be mentioned in a story the way Dave Barry might mention a kid on the block from his past. Characters don't grow up and have Facebook pages. They stay static. So when one comes across one of these characters and discover they have become an adult just like the rest of us and have an actual life, it's like finding out that Superman has become a flabby, middle-aged journalist and doesn't feel like running around saving the world when his allergies are flared up. I guess it happens to the best of us.

I'm Fine, Thanks

I've discovered that telling someone I'm pregnant is rather like when I was in college and told someone I was from California.

Telling someone you're from California always elicits a response such as these: "Oh, my (cousin/brother/niece/sister-in-law's best friend's boyfriend) lives in California in (random town one has never heard of);" or "I visited California on vacation--I hated/loved it;" or "I was stationed there when I was in the military." No matter what, there is ALWAYS a response; but tell someone you're from a random midwestern state and they'll say, "Oh."

Being pregnant elicits a gamut of responses ranging from "when I was pregnant" to some horror story that could curl hair. Nowadays I mostly get more free advice than I can ever process. I am constantly answering the questions, "How are you feeling?" and "Do you know what you're having?" Here are my answers--mark them down--"Fine," and "A baby." Okay, the last answer is a little glib, but we are waiting until birth to find out if it's a boy or girl. Old-fashioned, sure, but hey, if it was good enough for our parents. . .

Maybe I shouldn't be so testy; after all, all this attention cancels out the problem I seem to be having lately: invisibility--but that's another post for another day.

I Thought I Smelt Something Odd

Rating: MS
So what is going on in that region called California? The water has been shut off to save the fish at the expense of the people.
There is no question that the Central Valley of California is the agricultural nerve center it is only because irrigation has turned what is technically classified as a desert into farmland. Without water there are no crops, jobs, or food for much of the country.
Environmentalists have been at odds with California issues for decades. The legend says that John Muir died of a broken heart because of the dam built on the Hetch Hetchee which flooded one of his favorite valleys in Yosemite. It may be fact, it may be legend--I don't know. Then there was the spotted owl crisis. I distinctly remember the prevention of the development of a piece of property due to a kit fox living there. Now the water will not flow because of an endangered fish.
I do not encourage deliberate harm to the environment. I don't think that the draining of Tulare Lake was the best idea. I think it is important to save endagered species like the condor. It is right to save the environment at the expense of the people? Yes, yes, I hear you--what good is saving the people if they have no place to live? Let me pose the opposite--what good is saving the place to live if there are not people to live there?
There are tens of thousands of people out of work and food prices are bound to climb. In this economy the government which is pumping billions of dollars into the country to help pull its people out of a recession/depression is the same government which has deepened the economic crisis in the Central Valley by turning off the water.
Ebenezer Scrooge told those seeking philanthropy ". . .if [the poor] are to die, then let them die." Later the ghost of Christmas present says tells Scrooge that before he makes statements such as these, he might want to know who the poor are before he makes a blanket statement. Maybe those who fought to shut off the water should also consider the people who are being deprived of their livelyhood--or make other plans to pump water to vital crops.
Perhaps people just aren't important to some people, and that's the problem more than 3-inch fish getting caught in pumps.

Just Joking!

Rating: All in Fun. . .
Do NoT tRy To AdJuSt YoUr CoMpUtEr. It Is ApRiL fIrSt. . .
You may not be able to adjust it anyway, as it may have crashed--thanks to the Conficker worm.
I'm not really a party pooper--I like a good joke; however, I guess I've never understood the point of April Fool's Day. I once read that historically it goes back to the old calendar and the new year began on April 1, not January 1. People who continued to celebrate April 1 as the new year were called "April Fools." I don't know if that's the truth; it's certainly plausible. I am just too lazy to look it up.
Still, what's the point of pranks? A good prank now and then is sure to get a laugh; in fact, I'd love to "get them good" for once. Who? Anyone, I just can never pull it off with a straight face.
Still, the April Fool's Day pranks seem futile. It starts with the elementary school children: "You have a spider on your shoulder." Yeah, yeah, that one gets old after about 5 minutes.
They tend to become a little more elaborate in junior high and high school, but with more elaborate comes the tendency to be more mean-spirited as well.
Aside from newspaper comics and some TV shows, do many adults pull April Fool's Day pranks (aside from the afore-mentioned malicious Conficker worm)?
Fortunately, it lasts only a day.

Book Confessions Meme

I saw this on a couple of different blogs, but since McCain (Paul, not John) said that if I read it I was tagged, I guess I must. To quote him: "Bibliophiles unite! Enjoy."
Book Lovers True Confessions MEME
Book Confessions Meme
1. To mark your page you: use a bookmark, bend the page corner, leave the book open face down? If the book requires much thought, I will use a bookmark. If the book is a novel, especially one I have previously read, I generally remember my spot; ergo, I will not mark it with anything. I will place it open face down if I will be back briefly. Never do I bend the corner. The book corners tend to rip off that way, and I loathe that.
2. Do you lend your books?Sometimes. I may have to bug the person to get them back.
3. You find an interesting passage: you write in your book or NO WRITING IN BOOKS!I If the book is mine, I may or may not write in it. I frequently wrote in my college textbooks.
4. Dust jackets - leave it on or take it off? Generally I leave them on. If I want to take the book with me and the dust jacket may get messed up, I will take it off and replace it later.
5. Hard cover, paperback, skip it and get the audio book? I prefer hard cover, but I'm too cheap to always buy hard cover.
6. Do you shelve your books by subject, author, or size and color of the book spines? Yeah, right. My books are loosely shelved by subject. I may shelve them by author if I can. Often they go where they fit.
7. Buy it or borrow it from the library later? Usually buy, but recently someone reminded me that the library is cheaper. I could always buy it later. . .
8. Do you put your name on your books - scribble your name in the cover, fancy bookplate, or stamp? I sometimes write my name in the cover. I'd like to label them eventually.
9. Most of the books you own are rare and out of print books or recent publications? I don't have much rare. Some are out of print, most are either recent publications or reprints of older books. Some are ones I picked up cheap or free.
10. Page edges - deckled or straight? Deckled seems pretty cool, but aren't those a little more expensive?
11. How many books do you read at one time? Often two at a time, but sometimes as high as three.
12. Be honest, ever tear a page from a book? Never on purpose.

Something-versaries

Rating:MS

What does one call the anniversary of something negative? There is no joy in remembering the anniversary of tragedy. Somber events should be remembered in soberness and meaning. To call it an anniversary seems somewhat incongruous. To call it an un-niversary seems rather trite. What then should one call it? It seems it should have its own nomenclature.

You Never Know

I was thinking the other day (shocking, I know) about people of whom I esteem. Then I thought about the average person crossing paths with these people, and I wonder, do they know them? Then I thought about the people with whom I might cross paths and wonder--are these people who are highly esteemed? For example: Could the person I'm honking at because they are not going quickly enough be a college professor? Could the person standing behind me in line at the big box store be a well-respected artist in her field? Might the person sitting near me in a restaurant be a retired Boeing engineer who developed some supersonic something-or-other that I may never understand? It's interesting to ponder. . .

Did I Say Too Much?

I found the following poem scrawled on a piece of paper. I forgot I had written it.

The Full Stop

Period.
End mark.
Just a spot
Which tells us
We should just
Stop.

Pondering the News

Rating: NSS
Today would have been the day--too bad Congress did something about it. The DTV countdown would have expired, had it not been prolonged. Perish the thought someone might miss an episode of their favorite reality show. Ah yes, the government is requiring the switch and does not want anyone to not have access to important information. All well, fine, and good, yet we all know that the news is not top television viewing priority for many.
In other news, GM and Chrysler are cutting around 50,000 jobs. What can one say? I suppose I could make a glib comment about the triumph of capitalism, or I could make sarcastic remarks about bailouts. I could, but when it comes to 50,000 jobs, something gets lost under a sardonic tone.
A school district in the metro St. Louis area has "seclusion rooms," according to the local evening news. Part of me says, "Gasp!" Part of me says, "What were they thinking?" The teacher part of me says, "I'll believe 50% of what comes to school if you, the parent, believes 50% of what comes home." Don't get me wrong: Putting children in a padded room is not an acceptable form of discipline. Still it leaves me to wonder: what recourse does a teacher have these days to discipline a disruptive child? Teachers are caught between "you can't make me" and parents who defend their children to a fault. Love and Logic calls them helicopter parents--ones who swoop in and save their children whenever times get tough. Forget your homework? I'll fax it to you. Tardy again? I'll make your excuses for you and tell your school how they should understand how it is difficult to get to school on time. Get in trouble? It must be because your teacher is mean. Sorry if I sound exceedingly cynical, but the 50/50 rule (see above) is exceedingly applicable.
I suppose it could be worse: A train station in England has posted "No Kissing Signs"to avoid traffic congestion. No smooching your sweetie goodbye. . .

Happy Balemtime's Day.

Rating: MS
It’s strange—I’ve been told I’m a romantic, yet I dislike Valentine’s Day. I mean that over-commercialized, wear red, created-to-sell-cards holiday which falls just before the ides of February. Maybe my bad attitude stems from elementary school when all my classmates gave out paper valentines AND boxes of conversation hearts or the cool Lifesaver suckers while all I gave out was paper valentines because we couldn’t afford more. Perhaps my negativity comes from junior high when we were no longer compelled to give out valentines equitably. We still gave to all, but some people got “better” valentines. Possibly my dislike of Valentine’s Day comes out of my high school experience of “Val-o-grams” where, for a minimal cost one could buy a carnation tied to a pre-printed card and it was delivered to a recipient in the school. It was quite obvious who had friends and who did not. The teachers hated them because they were a disruption; I disliked them due to my lack of receiving them. (Sore Loser Alert!) I suppose it’s silly to dislike a harmless day due to what happened when I was younger. Maybe it is because I am a romantic and yet never had a romantic Valentine’s Day. All I can say is this year, at least we get a Friday the 13th first!