Acts 8:27

I really need to tend to my car repairs

2009-07-21T08:11:35Z

Why?

Because if I find out why the "service engine soon" light won't go off and fix it, I can get my car inspected and smog tested.

If I pass my inspection and smog test, I can finally obtain a PA driver's license and registration.

If I obtain a PA driver's license and registration, I can use it as proof of my PA residence and finally get a library card.

Why?

old books

Because I'm going broke spending the little extra cash I have on books I would normally borrow instead of buy. In the last 3 weeks, I've bought 5 books either online or at Borders. Ladies and gents, that's more than the number I bought in the previous year.

Allow me to 'splain. In short, I'm a nut, folks. I wouldn't call myself an avid reader; I just like to read whatever strikes my fancy regardless of whether or not it impresses people. I'm not interested in having a vast library, and I don't want to join any book clubs. Just let me read what I want, when I want at whatever pace I want. Maybe I don't want to read your crappy Outliers book because I think Malcolm Gladwell is overrated. Or maybe I'm not in the mood to read Palahnuik's Pygmy just because the NYT bestseller list says he's awesome. Don't tell me I have to have the first 6 chapters read by next Tuesday because, you know, I may be busy all week and won't have time to read past chapter 3 before the next meeting. Stop trying to control me and let me just enjoy my damn book!

The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Junot Diaz

Okay, that was a bit much. But you get my point, right?

Again, I'm a nut. I prefer nonfiction over fiction any day. But when a great fiction piece comes along that piques my interest, I have been known to take the plunge. I think that's why I finally ventured out and bought Junot Diaz' The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. But it's also the reason why I haven't actually read it yet and it's sitting on my little desk next to 2 or 3 other books (nonfiction) that I've been meaning to get to.

Anyway, back to my original point. I'm a proud library card-carrying liberal. When I lived in Indianapolis, I actually knew my library clerks and page assistants by name. And I enjoyed hearing about their day as I would chat with them for a few minutes after they finished scanning my books through. The South Broad Ripple location on College Ave. was my favorite because they deliberately carried more books geared to my predominantly African-American and Latino neighborhood.

In L.A., the North Hollywood location was a weekly stop after my dance classes on Saturday afternoon. I would leave the dance studio, stop to check my P.O. Box, and then head onto the library to either return or pick-up a book or three. I didn't learn any of the library clerks names there, but there was one sista who had starter locs that always complimented me on my hair. And although more homeless people hung out there than at my Indy library, I loved sitting on the floor in the stacks flipping through a book on fashion or deciding which book on dance conditioning would actually help me not suck in my Jazz class.

And while we're on the subject in this disjointed lament, I agree with Sherman Alexie. Kindles and other digital readers may not the root of all evil, but I pray that they never replace the beautiful tactile experience of holding a book in my hands. The joy of seeing hard copy photos of Auguste Rodin's greatest works of art in a large 18 x 24 page tome cannot be matched by a digital image on a screen that measures 10.4" x 7.2" x 0.38". Here, he says it better than I:

"And all of my senses-sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste-come into play when I think and read about books. Books are tactile and eccentric. An eBook will always be a gorgeous but anonymous box. It will also be just a tool–perhaps an amazing and useful tool-but I don’t want it to replace the book. ... And I’m worried that Amazon and other eBook distributors will completely replace bookstores. The careers of nearly every successful writer are based on the amazing human interaction between bookstore employees and readers. I enjoy an amazing career because, over the last seventeen years, bookstore employees, librarians, and book lovers have handed a copy of my book to another person and said, “You have to read this.” That face-to-face interaction will become more and more rare."

And unlike some, I don't have a strong desire to own every book I want to read. Quite the opposite. Yes, I wanted to keep all my books from college, but that's because I poured over those pieces week after week and scribbled notes in the margin that made them mine moreso than any exorbitant price tag ever could. Besides, English majors do not sell their books back to the store. That's not a hard-and-fast rule of life after college, but I think it could be. But other than my in-person autographed newbies and college library of Great Books, I'm perfectly content on borrowing from the library. And yet, here I am. Stuck in PA with no library card, so I keep buying books. Even before I can finish reading the ones I just bought a few weeks before. I don't remember having this problem with the library. Yeah, I'd get frustrated when I had to return something I hadn't finished yet because the loan period was too short for my hectic schedule (I'm looking at you, L.A.). But that wasn't much of a problem because I would simply add the book to my Amazon wishlist and try to check it out again in a couple months when all the frenzy died down.

But now I buy. Even before I'm ready to read. Even when I need to purchase another work that I need more. Many have been on sale, but that's only enabling me. ::sigh::

...

I really need to tend to my car repairs. :-/

In the last 3 weeks, I've bought:

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Fiction! I know, but it sounds like something I can sink my teeth into.

Life Is a Bitch and Then You Change Careers: 9 Steps to Get Out of Your Funk & On to Your Future by Andrea Kay

I kind of need this one right now. I hope it will help me do exactly what the title says. Besides, I bought this one with all the coin change I made from tips at work. $14.65 worth.

You Can Never Find A Rickshaw When It Monsoons: The World on One Cartoon a Day by Mo Willems

I love travel narratives and cool illustrations, plus it was on sale for $1.

A Day in the Life of the American Woman: How We See Ourselves

A coffee table book with amazing photographs. :-) It was also only $1.

Thanks for the Memories, Mr. President by Helen Thomas

Anecdotes from the Dean of the White House Press Corps. What was I suppose to do? It was only $4.

Except for the books I need to prepare for my upcoming job interviews, I seriously have to stop buying books before I can finish the ones I have. I finished The Anti 9-to-5 Guide, but 1,000 Places to See Before You Die in the USA and Canada keeps haunting me from my bookshelf. And I won't even go into the books I've purchased or borrowed months ago, but still haven't finished. :-( Honestly, is there a 12-Step program for this?

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RIP Michael

2009-06-26T05:54:11Z

The first album I ever bought was a Jacksons album. I didn't really have to buy music in my house because my mother had/has a record collection (and later CD collection) that could rival Wolfman Jack. But I remember that 2300 Jackson Street came out when I was in middle school, and I bought the album at a summer fair. I have no idea where that album is today, but you always remember your first music purchase and your first concert.

I was telling gamany via twitter that I used to know all the choreography for "Thriller", "Beat It", "Bad", and "Remember the Time". So when the videos came on, I would perform along with the dancers in my living room. And I had every step down in the "Smooth Criminal" video except that lean forward.

It's unfortunate that some people have trouble praising him today without criticizing or slamming him first. Michael Jackson grew up in the public eye and spent 25 years being lavished with love from strangers and the last 15 years being damned as a pariah from the same strangers. In the face of it all, he always had my respect as an artist and my sympathy as a man who clearly suffered from some profound psychology problems. But he never earned my hatred or disdain, no matter how often people insisted he should.

Today, I say to hell with the haters. People are coming together all over to remember how he influenced their lives, and that's the greatest gift he ever gave us.

The Jackson 5 - "Who's Loving You"

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Vox Hunt: Summer Reading

2009-05-30T04:33:10Z

Show us a book you feel like you should read, but just can't bring yourself to actually pick up.

Oh, there are so many to chose from. Just one book, huh? How about?

War And Peace (Signet Classics)

Leo Tolstoy

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A Brief Update

2009-04-28T00:39:57Z

Hey ladies and gents,

Long time, no blabber. Rest assured, I've been lurking about, but I simply haven't had the energy to bore you with my rants, my navel-gazing, and my witty bons mots lately. I can't say if I'll be back to normal any time soon, but I hope so.

I know I haven't been sharing my scintillating commentary on Castle and Heroes over on this blog. But trust me, I've been watching. And I eagerly await the season finale of Heroes tonight. And the crowd rejoiced! Yay!! This week is going to be a doozy as far as my schedule, but I'll do what I can to share my thoughts on the finale by Thursday evening at the latest.

So what's been going on, you ask? Like I said this is a brief update, so here you go.

I gave my two weeks' notice last Thursday at my part-time job.
Currently, I'm seeking a new part-time job and I'm ignoring those who keep barking at me about X, Y, and Z. I'm the one who has to endure the condescending insults and the constant harassment about sell, sell, selling the store's credit card to hapless customers during the worst recession since WWII, so the final's decision is mine. Spank you.
Still working on my website, but making little substantive progress
Networking, seeking FT gigs, contemplating grad school, etc.
Working at my craptastic PT job.

It doesn't seem like a lot, I know. But my plate is indeed full. And this week, I'm heading down to Philly for a Mashable Mixer. But before that, I have an interview with an agency. Keep your fingers crossed for me, will ya?

Okay, I think that's all I can share and still be considered brief. Talk to yous later in the week.

P. S. Has anyone else noticed that Hulu has added all of Season 3 to their Heroes page? Yay! Now, I can watch Ep. 8, "Villains" as often as I want until August 1st.

P. S. S. Is anyone else on the East coast still broiling from the heat wave? My room feels like a sauna right now.

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Things on Tuesday - Birthday Edition

2009-03-18T04:05:42Z

Okay, I'll call it the "Birthday and St. Patty's Day" Edition. I have no problem sharing. It's all good.

Ask me why I'm frowning

I have an aunt who is the biggest moocher this side of the equator. Once in a blue moon, she'll act like she's getting her house in order, then the next minute she's bumming another $80 off of someone in the fam and not paying them back. Oh well. I guess every family has one.
I had to work 7 days in a row in order to get my birthday off. Boo!
No new Heroes episode this week.
Natasha Richardson may be brain dead after a skiing accident. :-(
AIG. Seriously dude, WTF!!

Ask me why I'm smiling

Speaking of moochers, I'll be mailing off the first of several payments tomorrow to reimburse a loan from a close friend. Again, I'm a slow pay, not a no pay.
I got an e-mail and phone call about a freelance job for writing a grant proposal and portfolio for a civil rights monument being built here in Allentown. :-) Yay! Somebody likes me.
I have tomorrow off! I don't have any big plans, but I hope it will be a nice b-day celebration.
It was 57 degrees here today and the sun and weather made my folks' neighborhood feel like a scene out of Leave It To Beaver. So I went for a jog and enjoyed the fresh air.
My aunt Bonita (not the same aunt as above) was officially granted guardianship of her 3 grandchildren after spending the last 3 years as their foster mother. Nana is now Mama. :-D
I have both Vital Signs and Near Dark sitting on my TV stand to enjoy from Netflix.
The incredibly fun and helpful e-mail reply from Katrina yesterday. Thanks sweetie. I'll try to shoot off a reply before I hit the sack tonight.
I'm still enjoying the hell out of the HAKM. Is smut fiend.

Ask me why I'm ecstatic

I'm turning 32 tomorrow and never in my life have I ever felt the least bit down about turning a year older. I always welcome the chance to improve on the person I was year ago. :-D
I may be getting a tattoo for my birthday. Shhhhh. Let's keep this between you and me until after I chicken out.

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Things on Thursday ... well, Friday now

2009-03-06T05:52:13Z

Yeah, yeah. It's supposed to be "Things on Tuesday," but I like the alliteration of "Things on Thursday" more. :-)

Sadly, the negatives outnumber the positives this week. And I had to rack my brain just to come up with the six items I have on the positive list. Well, as I've mentioned before, it's difficult trying to see the glass as half-full right now. But I'm trying.

I’m lovin’ it

Heroes Volume 4
I jogged for 40 min. on my mother's treadmill on Monday after 2 1/2 weeks of inactivity.
I have new desktop wallpaper. Don’t act like you don’t like it.

Adrian Pasdar

I bought 1/2 of a tank of gas for my car one month ago. I’m only just now reaching 1/8 of a tank because I drive roughly 3 miles per day between home and work.
I watched The Pompatus of Love via Netflix. It featured the infamous Pasdar sweater (or PaSweater) and some pretty strong evidence of Adrian's admiration for James Dean and Marlon Brando. It was a decent flick. Nothing special script-wise, but it had a good cast.
I finally purchased the Band From TV DVD. Katrina and I went to one of the two free concerts the band put on for this DVD shoot, and I think I can make out which freakishly tall, Amazon I am in the audience. (That's sarcasm. I'm the only woman towering that high.) I haven't watched all of the DVD yet, so I don't know if I'm in any shots where you can see my face, but I think I remember Katrina wearing her hair in two side ponytails and I was wearing my hair really short at the time. So far, I don't think the sound quality on the CD does the band justice. They sound much, much better live. My favorite song on the CD/DVD: "Will It Go 'Round In Circles" led by Mr. Hugh Laurie.

Will It Go Round In Circles

Band From TV

I’m hatin’ it

I’ve been poppin’ Excedrin Tension Headache pills everyday for the last 5 days. At least one per day, but sometimes 2 or 3.
What I ate yesterday: a small bowl of ice cream, some Starburst and Skittles from the breakroom at work, and 2 slices of pizza when I got home. :-( Can you say “diabetes,” boys and girls?
Money’s insanely tight. Huge shock, I know. Too many people want too much too often.
Can a woman have a Napoleon Complex? Is it a gender neutral phenomenon? Because I think that the only person at my job that annoys the holy hell out of me -- Jazmin, the 5’1” Lilliputian -- loves to overcompensate for her height by feigning managerial skills and riding everyone's asses for no reason whatsoever. That, plus she's wrong about a lot of procedures she corrects you on. ::sigh:: Every place of business has to have one, I guess.
Anyone of the 35, 45 full-time jobs that I applied for in the last 2 months could actually call me for an interview, you know. I’m not even talking about a job offer here, people. Just an invitation to an interview. Lie to me. Tell me you’re actually considering me for a position. Come on. You know you want to.
I’m still not sleeping for more than 3 hours at a time. This has been going on for 3 months now.
I’m still homesick for L.A.

I’m looking forward to

Watching Cement on DVD. I received it on Tuesday afternoon via Netflix, but I'm waiting until I'm not rushing or exhausted to watch it.
Despite the pain in the ass that is Jazmin, my Hobbit-esque supervisor at work, I enjoy working with Chelsey, Connie, Lilo and Mel.
My birthday is in two weeks - March 18th. Kelleah Day!! I don't have anything planned, but I'm looking forward to it.

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You know what I hate ... Ellipses points j/k

2009-03-04T07:25:59Z

Here I am. Awake again at 5:30am. I've decided to relax and accept my body's natural attempt to cope with this transition period. That's what I'm calling it now. My life's in transition. I'm not sure where I'm headed, but I have to believe that this time in my life is just a bridge to whatever phase or chapter that awaits me around the next turn.

It's not easy trying to focus on the positive though. It's not really in my nature to be a cheerleader for myself. For others, yeah. I can be a freaking PollyAnna without the slightest hesitation. But I think like most people, I'm a hardcore realist when it comes to dealing with what's on my own plate. Did I mention I hate my job? :-P

Since I'm awake, how about some random thoughts about "stuff"?

Tweets from qoolquest (?uestlove), LouisCK, and Mashable will be the death of me online. Too. Many. Tweets. Well, not really since I haven't figured out how to get Twitter sent directly to my cell phone from people who aren't following me as well. Why must James Kyson Lee ignore our love? J/k Please, don't call the police. I'm only joking.

I’m pretty sure if I’m not using Twitter right anyway. I’m not one to jump on bandwagons (dude, I only signed up for a Myspace acct. last December, and that’s was only to follow the bands, artists, and people I adore in L.A. while I’m in transition). But so far, Twitter has helped me cope with some of my crushing, immobilizing depression, so I figure it can’t be all bad. Yay distractions!
I put all this effort into planning and writing content for a fledgling website that I hope to put online at some point back in Dec. and Jan., and so far, the work has been for naught. I’ve laid it by the wayside and now I feel guilty because it’s just one more career-related item on my to-do list that I know may help me get a decent full-time job, but I’m still procrastinating.

Why is it you always hear about Type A personalities? What about all of those other types like B, C, D+, sigma? Why does Type A get all the attention? What is my type? ::goes off to Google::
Personally, I couldn’t care less about Rihanna and Chris Brown. And I’m really sick and tired of hearing about them as if their relationship deserves a hearing in the public court of opinion. No, I’m not a cold heartless bitca. I just wonder if this outpouring of support for Ms. Rihanna would be the same if her name was Latwayla and she worked second shift at the local Safeway ringing up groceries. And now the obligatory disclaimer: Unless you or someone else’s life is in immediate danger, a man has no excuse for laying his hands on a woman without her permission.

Having said that, why are people surprised she went back to Chris? If you truly care about domestic violence and bothered to understand why it's so prevalent throughout our society, you would know that most victims of DV go back to their partners. Why would you assume Rihanna would be any different? Because she's a celebrity? Last I checked, she was a human being first. Oh, but I forgot. Her first duty is to be a role model for the millions of people she's never met. Bullshit! And I call bullshit on Aisha Tyler and any other so-called concerned celeb citizen who assert that the most damaging aspect about the situation is NOT that Ri went back to Chris, but that doing so sends a message to millions that his behavior is acceptable.

Well, you know what, Ms. Tyler? F#ck You!! No, the most damaging aspect about the situation IS that she went back to Chris. Her well-being is 10,000 times more important than being your poster child for a society ill that you clearly don't understand. The psychological effects of DV are far more profound and debilitating than the physical abuse itself, but ignorant-ass people like you only see victims as enablers of their own conditions and their diminished sense of self-preservation is nothing more than a choice. I cannot stand this "Blame the Victim" philosophy that permeates our society. My blood boils every time I hear this fake-ass attempt to reduce complex problems into cookie-cutter, quick fix afflictions that deny any acknowledgment of the pervading message of socially acceptable sexism and violence that teaches men that a woman's sole purpose is to serve mankind, and by that extension, men. Of course she went back. It's unfortunate. But the most unfortunate thing is that people like Ms. Tyler are just as much apart of the problem as Mr. Brown.
Moving on to more pleasant rants, I finally finished watching my Profit DVDs. Overall, I liked the show, but I didn’t love it. Not because it wasn’t lovable, mind you. But because it wasn’t nearly as fantastic as reviews have made it out to be. It seems to suffer from a clear case of nostalgic revisionism. The praise you hear so often about this show is that it was soooooo ahead of its time, and there was nothing like it on TV that was even close to being this different and edgy, and the audience simply wasn’t ready for a villain protagonist in the lead role, etc. And maybe that’s true, but I think I was a bit put off by all the backslapping on the DVD commentary and the behind-the-scenes retrospective. I thought it was a good, solid show for the 9 episodes that they made, but, sheesh, it wasn’t all that, people.

Profit - The Complete Series

★★★★

The way John McNamara and David Greenwalt go on about the show, you would think that every single series that did something outside the television norm from 1998 - 2008 owes its ingenuity to Profit. Wow, buy your own hype much? It was a good show. Kind of cheesy in its delivery, but that’s intentional and I can respect that. It’s melodrama that knows it’s a melodrama. I would’ve preferred it if they had Profit either address the audience directly or delivered a voiceover throughout, not both. It seemed a little too intrusive to have both elements, IMO. I didn’t care for that in the first 2 seasons of Sex & the City either.

But don’t get me wrong, I liked it. If I were grading the show, I’d give it a B+. Lisa Blount and Lisa Darr were freaking amazing and adorable, respectively. And Naked Nathan is always appreciated, of course. I guess I’m just tired of so many writers, producers, and showrunners in the industry constantly patting themselves on the back in interviews and DVD commentaries about how everything in the medium of television is wrong except for whatever it is they’ve created and the 2 or 3 pieces produced by their mentors and idols. Apparently, everyone in Los Angeles is doing it wrong except you. The ego knows no hypocrisy, especially if you wrap it in a thin veil of self-deprecating humor. The final word: False humility is for hipsters. Hipsters suck. Therefore, false humility sucks. QED

A little over a week ago, our new Attorney General Eric Holder gave a speech about race relations in America. I haven't been able to applaud or rebuke his statement for a few reasons. One, I've been busy, and two, what he said wasn't nearly as significant as I think others wanted it to be. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about his speech felt off. He tried to say something important, but he didn't quite hit the nail on the head or his execution was faulty or something. It was just off. Tim Wise does a somewhat decent job of pinpointing what it is about his statement that really felt like a wasted opportunity to address a social ill constructively and accurately. ::sigh:: I'm still not saying this right. Just go and read Wise's response. He doesn't articulate exactly what it is that bothered me about Holder's speech, but he does a better job of it than I.

However, I'm happy to say that at least my issues with Holder's statement didn't mirror the third grade flailing of celebrated comic book and sci-fi author Peter David. (I'm not providing a direct link to his site.) Apparently, AG Holder's speech really, really hurt David's feelings and he thinks that black people are really mean for trying to encourage people to talk about racism instead of simply sweep it under the rug like so many nice, sweet and gracious white people who only have our best interests at heart. Honest.

Frankly, I have no words that don't result in some horrible, yet accurate generalizations about how this constant attempt to derail discussions about racism, and thereby, actually promote social progress and cultural growth feels like a 500-year-old playbook that gets passed down from one generation to the next in Western (read Euro-American) Culture. This is why so many POC feel as if they have to pick their battles when dealing with racism. Because if they didn't, no one would live past the age of 35 due to constant stress on their hearts, minds, and health when addressing bullshit detractors and denial day-in and day-out.
If you're interested in one extreme case of "well meaning whites" attempting to derail a frank discussion of racism in science fiction, take a gander at Coffee & Ink's unfortuate predicament. The best thing to come out of that post is the fantastic support of Mely's rights and the denouncement of Cramer and Shetterly's fuckery. The second best thing to come out of that post is the fantastic list of book recommendations by authors of color that I've pinched from each page of replies. Yep! It's all about me and my needs. :-D

Feel free to ignore this. I'm posting these recs from the comments that caught my eye here for my future reference (I've also included a note re: the cultural perspective they represent). But if you see something that interests you, by all means, enjoy.

Futureland by Walter Mosley African-American
The Hanging of Angelique: Canada, Slavery and the Burning of Montreal by Afua Cooper African-Canadian
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (I already planned to read this, but those quotes cited in the comments just nudged it higher on my list.) Dominican-American
Journey From The Land of No: A Girlhood Caught in Revolutionary Iran by Roya Hakakian Persian
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (I had plans to read this one also, but the rec was for the audiobook read by Lynne Thigpen, whom I adored. May she rest in peace.) African-American
Black Space: Imagining Race in Science Fiction Film by Adilifu Nama African-American
The Colossus of New York by Colson Whitehead African-American author, Multi-ethnic perspective

Once Were Warriors by Alan Duff (This is the last movie I remember ever balling my eyes out uncontrollably. I fear the book will probably do the same, but it's a story that definitely needs to be told.) Maori and Samoan

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My life and fandom doesn't rise and, therefore, doesn't seem to converge

2009-02-18T08:20:34Z

In case you haven't noticed, I haven't been blogging about much other than my current fandoms and other non-depressing distractions. I rarely have anything positive to say about what's going on over here in cold, ass Pennsylvania, so I'm sticking with the vapid and amusing. I know that many of you have far more serious issues to contend with than I (Love you Jenn!!), so having me sitting here whining about this, that and the other seems more than a little rude. Almost bordering on offensive. So I won't.

But if you are interested in what's happening in my neck of the woods /Al Roker, here's 3 things to help paint a wee picture:

Working a 4 1/2-hour shift on your feet feels like working a 7 1/2-shift sitting on your ass.
I had an awesome Gmail chat with Madeline last Tuesday that honestly made my week, if not my month. Thank you Ms. Madeline. I really needed that shot in the arm. I haven't discovered any news on the Atlanta front, but I'll keep asking. Also, thank you so much for the LinkedIn recommendation. {{{Hugs}}}
After I'm finished here, I'm going to crawl back into my cocoon of fanfiction and Adrian Pasdar-related YouTube videos. It's nicer there than it is out here.

And since I'm here, I might as well share my thoughts on Monday night's new Heroes episode.

Generally speaking, it was okay. It wasn't bad or disappointing, just okay. Which I expected because I never anticipate 3 kick-ass episodes in a row. I just know better. So I'm okay with this episode serving as a lovely little bridge between Ep. 15 (the Specials are fugitives now and Nathan is short and hot) and Ep. 17 (Mr. Bennet gets no love; yet we love him even more. **sob**). So I can't hate on the writers for minding their ebb and flow.

Although she and I don't agree on every issue, mystery_sock on LJ gives a wonderful recap of the latest Heroes that's definitely worth the read. But before you jot over there, my 3 quick notes on the episode go like this:

Claire has just moved into a dead-heat with Maya as my least favorite character on the show. I knew that HRG deserved a freakin' medal for putting up with her during the second season, but now he's teetering on sainthood. Poor Noah. You confused, morally ambiguous bastard.
Heroes:X-Men::Nathan Petrelli:Senator Kelly
Will Sylar please kill this kid already? Please. please.

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Bring Back the Federal Writers Project

2009-02-08T08:21:19Z

I have very little faith in this Congress to consider such a project. It was the political equivalent of pulling teeth with a set of pliers to get Federal One underway the first time back in the 1930s. (I'm still confused about how the GOP who are no longer control the Legislative or Executive branches of government seem to be controlling it nonetheless. Either the Democratic Party is brimming with spineless cowards or ... I have no other option to complete that thought.)

But I like the article anyway. There's an eerie sense of deja vu at play here, and yet the arguments never seem to change.

Here's a link to the HuffPo source and the article in full.

*****

Bridges and Books: Bring Back the Federal Writers Project

by Stuart "Buz" Teacher
February 6, 2009 | 06:05 PM EST

I love books and that's a problem. I've had a really great time working in publishing with many of the finest people you'd ever want to meet. I mean, these people truly love their work. And now for the bad part: book publishing was supposed to be recession-proof, and we are all disappointed to learn that it's not.

I was brought up in my family's bookstore, and I remember hearing my dad say that Random House started publishing just before the Great Depression. When times are tough, people need diversion and entertainment, and it's not that times are tougher now than they were back in the 30's and 40's -- it's just that books have become much more of a popular consumer item. In my family's store, where I worked in the early 1960's, we saw the same customers come through the door every week. Back then, some people were nervous about even walking into a bookstore. Like most booksellers at that time, my dad knew his customers so well that he would routinely put aside a selection of new arrivals for the regulars.

All that changed for the better when the visionary, brave souls running Waldenbooks and B. Dalton Booksellers, and a little later Barnes & Noble and Borders, decided that what American consumers wanted were more books. They opened small footprint stores in the enclosed malls and, with a lot of hard work, all of a sudden one of the oldest products of all time became something a new generation was really excited to have. Thanks to them and many wonderful independent booksellers, books became mainstream.

After college, I moved to the publishing side (my dad never forgave me), but I can tell you the tremendous expansion of the book business in America could never have happened without the American consumer saying Yes give us more!

In little more than one generation, America saw a heartening proliferation of both booksellers and publishers. Bookstores have enhanced their communities. They are department store for ideas and learning. Now, with the recession, the entire industry is undergoing a major contraction. Layoffs and reorganizations were recently announced at many publishing houses, with more job losses likely to come.

While this downsizing may be unavoidable, there is much of great value that is worth protecting. America has one of the world's largest book publishing industries, second only to the UK. Let's not take this accomplishment for granted. Not so long ago, books were available only in bookstores and libraries. Now they are sold everywhere from Target to Home Depot to independent gift stores. Customers protesting the recent closing of a Waldenbooks store in Lexington, Mass. sent a letter to parent company Borders' headquarters pointing out that the store "isn't a restaurant--this is an intellectual center in town."

So here's what I'm thinking. President Obama and Congress are working on an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. As far we know, roads, bridges, and schools will be included in the revitalization of our infrastructure. Advisors to the president announced late last year that three million new jobs will need to be created to tackle unemployment.

Writers, editors, designers, researchers, photographers, and others in the book business are seeing their positions eliminated at an alarming rate. As publishers cut back, authors now have substantially fewer places to see their work published. In December, venerable Houghton Mifflin announced plans to publish no new books in the near future -- astounding. The entire industry is contracting very quickly and there is something we should consider doing about it: Bring back the Federal Writers Project, which was originally established in 1935 by Franklin Delano Roosevelt to support writers, historians, and artists as a small but significant part of the WPA.

It is well known within the industry that a career in publishing is rarely chosen for the compensation. It has always been a relatively low-paying business attracting talented people who are there because they want to make books. With magazines and newspapers suffering as well, it will be difficult for these people to find jobs that fit their professional skills.

In the 1930s the Federal Writers Project employed more than 6,000 writers, photographers, illustrators, editors, out-of-work schoolteachers, and librarians. It was considered a great success at the time and is now viewed as an invaluable resource that recorded American history and culture for posterity. Some 3.5 million books for adults and children were produced.

Participants in the original program included Ralph Ellison, Studs Terkel, John Cheever, Saul Bellow, Margaret Walker, Arna Bontemps, and Zora Neale Hurston. Louis Mumford called the Federal Writers Project "the finest contribution to American patriotism" of his generation.

Vice President Biden has said that the three million new jobs are necessary for the future prosperity of the country and the benefit of the broad middle class. I hope a new Federal Writers Project has the opportunity to be part of that ambitious and crucial effort.

REAL BENEFITS OF A NEW FEDERAL WRITERS PROJECT

A new FWP would have a substantial ripple effect on many other areas, including printers and binders, paper manufacturers, booksellers, illustrators, photographers, schools, and libraries. It would create jobs that would not be lost to other countries, keeping virtually all the work here at home. The U.S. government could make an investment to support an essential industry that helps build stronger minds and has a long-lasting cultural impact.

Publishing is manufacturing. Books are a product we can be proud of and create entirely in the US, raw materials and all.

The final product of intellectual property and copyright would be public domain, and would be owned by the people who paid for it, the taxpayers.

FDR's program employed a wide range of white-collar and clerical workers as well as established and aspiring writers. The majority of people working in publishing today are middle class, as are the majority of those losing their jobs in this recession.

A new Federal Writers Project could take advantage of many new technologies, including print on demand, audio, Kindle and Sony Reader, and Google. Royalty-free access could be provided to schools and libraries.

The FWP was a remarkable success and left a great legacy of our diverse American culture. If
the right projects were selected, the program would have the opportunity to create something of real and lasting value. Our culture and the value of books are part of those fundamental systems that have kept America so strong.

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QotD: Must-See TV

2009-02-07T23:24:11Z

What television show do you never miss?

30 Rock Wallpaper

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