Librarian Fired for writing book about patrons

This book has caused a problem for the author, Sally Stern-Hamilton aka Ann Miketa. She lost her job when this book of fiction turned out to mirror real life in the public library that she worked at.

She wrote about the patrons who spent time in the Mason County district library in Michigan. Much of what was written was about folks who were identifiable in this small community. Hence was the reason given by the director when she was fired.

Having not read the book, I can't comment on it's contents or as to the reason behind her firing, but it does beg the question, 'what happened to freedom of speech?' The fact that this all occurred within the structure of the system that defends freedom of speech more vigilantly than any other organization is troubling. It makes me want to learn more to better understand what is really happening here. I might just read this book and see for myself what the hub-bub is really about. 

If this doesn't warm your heart...

...then you must be dead.

This young man is from Khabul, Afghanistan and is the first athlete to win a medal for his country ever. He took the bronze in Taekwondo. 

Fabulous!

What a wonderful feat for a country that can desperately use a hero right now. Congratulations to Rohullah Nikpai!

Serious recycling

We take recycling seriously.

These popped up around town recently. I'm waiting to see how they are received and how they work out.

The folks in my neighborhood don't know what is recyclable and what isn't recyclable. People who are making an effort place things in bins that won't be recycled because they are not recyclable items. No matter how the bins are labeled, they just don't bother to learn what is and is not. They end up creating more work for the folks that pick up the bins and much more work for those that have to sort through the receivables.

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be an effective way to get it through peoples heads. Over and over, it's the same week after week. Maybe these new bins will have a positive change among the masses. Maybe they will start to pay closer attention.... One can only hope.

Julia Child a spy???

The list of OSS spies was released this week and begetted some surprises. Among them was Julia Child, Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg, major league catcher Moe Berg, historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. and film actor Sterling Hayden. 

The release of the OSS personnel files unmasks one of the last secrets form the short-lived wartime intelligence agency, which for the most part was later folded into the CIA after President Truman disbanded it in 1945.

The CIA long resisted releasing the records. But a former CIA director, William Casey, himself an OSS veteran, cleared the way for transfer of millions of OSS documents to the National Archives when he took over the spy agency in 1981. The personnel files are the latest documents to be made public.

Texas Teachers to Carry Guns

The state that executes more people than all other states combined, has decided that teachers should be armed at school. The city of Harrold, in north Texas, is along a heavily traveled highway that administrators feel will make it a target for gun violence. Hence teachers will have the ability to carry concealed weapons while on school property. 

Of all the school shootings how many have involved close proximity to a highway so that the perpetrator could make a quick get-a-way? Ahh. Zero. Yea, the previous shootings have been by students who have felt disenfranchised. There is not one instance where a shooting occurred for convenience. What a load of bunk.

Yet more fear mongering for a select few to have their way. Having people in the general public carrying firearms scares the bejesus out of me. The general public, as a whole, are not the smartest group of people. Look what happens with crazy people and road rage. Now add a gun. It would be a return to the wild west. Yet one more reason not to move to Texas. 

Consciousness...? On the move...?

Conscious Good Alliance. 

That is how this bus is billing itself. It is a 1984 shuttle bus that has been modified to run on vegetable oil. It gets about 10 miles to the gallon. This group is touring the country promoting the Triple Bottom Line "a business philosophy that partners with, and is committed to, the social and ecological bottom line in equal partnership with traditional bottom line financial returns". 

I didn't buy it. The bus was full of hippy through backs who looked perpetually stoned and couldn't or wouldn't discuss ideas that didn't fall neatly into their spiel. They couldn't defend the position they were sent out to promote. My guess is people they encounter are mostly curious about the bus and do very little debating or even having a two way conversation about their "movement". 

I'm not sure what the qualifications where for this "job", but my guess would be the ability to live in close proximity to one another, better than average looks, and the ability to produce a 'dear in headlights' look of wonderment. Basically the classic sales technique that doesn't answer a question, but repeats it to the asker and is supposed make the asker feel foolish or not "normal". The way a slimy used car salesman would make you feel.

If a company is going to tout that it is not only interested in "the bottom line", then it's representatives ought to be able to construct a complete sentence. But alas, incompetence runs rampant everywhere. Nice bus, no one home.

Another woman for animal rights!

Olympic swimming gold medalist Amanda Beard launched her naked, anti-fur campaign poster for PETA this week at the Beijing Olympics. She posed nude in the PETA campaign because she loves animals and is horrified to see how fur in produced for fashion in some places. The original campaign launch was scheduled to take place inside Olympic Village, however, she was forced to unveil the poster outside the village gates after Chinese Authorities canceled the scheduled event because of safety concerns.

Yea, Amanda! You go girl!

Progressive Community

These are two examples of different types of infrastructure one will find in Ann Arbor. We are a progressive community and are experimenting with different methods of energy.

The wind turbine powers a light on the pole. It is difficult to see, but it is there. Not to be mistaken for the traditional light on the left.

The GIANT utility pole is a mystery to me. I have no clue as to why it is there, or what it's purpose is. What I do know is it sticks out like a sore thumb when you drive by it. It is huge and highly unattractive. Does anybody have any idea what is going on here?

The only thing I can think of that it is positioned right across the street from the new GIANT football practice area. Maybe it needs so much power to build the ugly building, that it needs hefty power lines that need the support of this strange power pole. 

Redneck Stonehenge

I love this! 

This farmer erected this car fence as a comment to his neighbors who complained about living next to a farm that they built their home next to. They didn't like the smell and bugs that were associated with farm life. They liked looking at the animals, but apparently the animals weren't supposed to have animal smells, noise or waste. 

Gotta love those urbanites!

The farmer has a great sense of humor as he has buried the cars so that they will easily be removed. He doesn't want to cause a rift. He just wanted to make a point that he was there first and it is now a little late to complain about the situation that they put themselves in. 

I'm sure they are also complaining about the cost to drive to their homes from the distant cities they left. 

The Smoking Police

The problem is, it might just happen here in Michigan!

Lost In Translation

Now that the Olympics are starting there will be many, many examples of things that just didn't get translated properly. 

Imagine all of the giggles that will be heard in bathroom stalls upon encountering signs similar to this.

I'm keeping my eyes open for the best 'misses' during the next 17 days.

Taking the whole family on vacation

Wondering where to take your vacation? Worried that Fido will miss you so much (or vice versa) that maybe you want to take him/her with you? Yea? 

Well, then here is an article for you! They have surveyed folks with pets to find the ones that welcome pets, not just tolerate them. After all they are part of the family! At the bottom of the article are the top ten vote getters.

Or check this site out for other pet friendly establishments. I'm glad that businesses are making the connection that good service includes taking care of the entire family!

Animal cruelty

Oh, the silly things we do to our pets. Do you suppose they feel as humiliated as they look?

John McCain is no moderate...

It's interesting how many people still think Senator John McCain's positions are "moderate" when it comes to reproductive health care and rights, when the opposite is true. Do your friends and family know that John McCain's views on important issues like women's health are just as bad or worse than President Bush's? Do your part to dispel the myth! Share this video, created Brave New Films. Your words today and during the next few months matter.

Otherwise, your next President might just decide to take actions on his statement,  "I do not support Roe verses Wade. It should be overturned."

There is MUCH riding on this election. Register to vote and make your voice heard!

Desperation

How much is a house worth to you? Well, to one woman, it was worth her life. 

Charlene Balderama faxed a letter to the mortgage company that was foreclosing on her home that afternoon stating that by the time they had received this letter, she would be dead.

The mortgage company called police who found her dead from a self inflicted gunshot wound from her husband's high power rifle. Next to her body was a note telling her family to "take the (life) insurance money and pay for the house." 

This horrible situation with bad lending practices is taking it's toll in so many ways. I equate this mess to the Enron scandal. Not much is being done to hold those that got rich from this scam accountable, while others are paying the ultimate price. Shame on Countrywide, Citibank  and the other banks that took advantage of those most vulnerable. All in the name of the almighty buck.

R.I.P. Sweet Gabby

Little Gabby Brabbs-Checchi passed away unexpectedly this afternoon. Her loving family found her in their yard undisturbed. We don't know what took her short life, but fortunately she passed away outside in her favorite place to be. R.I.P. little girl. Know you were loved dearly and are missed by many.

Here is some competition for Google!

There is a new search engine on the web! www.cuil.com (pronounced cool) was designed by x Google employees who are ready to take on the big one! They claim to have the ability to search 121,617,892,992 web pages to find what you are looking for, which is far greater than Google. They also have a great privacy policy that states they do not collect data while you use their search engine. This is in direct opposition to Google which collects and analyzes how you use the web. Privacy advocates are applauding this new search engine. 

I tried to use it several times tonight, as was apparently, everyone else, as I sometimes was told to try again. However the times I did get useful information it was displayed in an easy to read and decipherable manner. I've already added it to my bookmarks. You might want to consider trying it too!

Of course the down side for me is the graphics that Google does with their name. Part of the fun is seeing what they have done from day to day which varies. It doesn't look like Cuil will be doing that.

Talula does the hula from Hawaii

What kind of a title is that? Believe it or not, it is the name of a child in New Zealand. That is until recently. A family court judge decided that this name was a burden to the child. 

"The court is profoundly concerned about the very poor judgement which this child's' parents have shown in choosing this name," he wrote. "It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap, unnecessarily". 

The girl had been so embarrassed that she had never told her closest friends what her name was. She told people to call her "K". Her new name has not been released for privacy reasons. Thankfully this child will have a chance now. 

Drawing is easy!

Think you can't draw? Well, with the tap of your fingers on the keypad you can draw your own bunny, too! Give it a try....

 (\__/)

 (='.'=)

 (")_(")

This is a bunny. Can you see the resemblance? Put him in your signature and help him make his way around the world.

Bunny revolution!

Frankin Foods

What do you know about the foods you consume? Do you read the labels? If you do, do you know what the ingredients are? 

More and more of the foods we consume are being modified for many reasons. Produce has been changed to have a longer shelf life. Did you know that food travels over 1500 miles to get to your plate on average? For it to make that distance, it has to have a longer shelf life. One way to do that is to change the cell structure of the food. If you have a fragile peach, change it to have a tougher skin and firmer body. But when you modify a peach what does that do to it's taste? Have you had a store bought peach verses a locally grown peach? There is no comparison. 

When folks tell me they don't like peaches or tomatoes, I ask, have you had a fresh off the vine/tree one before? If not, go to your local farmer's market and try one. The taste is like drinking freshly squeezed orange juice verses Sunny Delight. No comparison. Aside from the health benefits, you lower your cabon footprint since the food doesn't travel that long distance. 

Think chemical enhancement verses nature. Doesn't the latter sound better? Yep. It sounds better and it tastes better, plus it is better for you. Go support your local farmer's! Keep your economy and your body healthy! It's a win-win!

Pay Equity

Not too long ago a CEO of a company made 25 times the amount the average joe in the company makes. Now things have changed dramatically. That amount is now up to 400 times! How insane is that? 

Consider that the same is true for college professors and football coaches. How much more money do you think the coach makes? Ten times the amount a professor does. How crazy is that? 

What is ii about society that we place "value" on the guy who bosses 18 year old boys around on a field? But not on the professor that feeds the mind of the 18 year old? The latter is going to have (or should) have a bigger impact on the 18 year olds life and shouldn't we value education over sports ability. 

U.S. Army shoots pigs

Despite opposition for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and other groups, the U.S. Army is going ahead with it's plan to shoot pigs. They are doing this as a training tool for soldiers who are training for battlefield medical trauma.

There are more advanced and humane options available, including high-tech human simulators that could be used instead. But the Army is moving forward because they are being conducted under the Department of Agriculture license. They say that the pigs will be under the careful supervision of veterinarians.

Hm. But won't it still cause indescribable pain for the pigs? How come the public allows this? Have we become so callas that we don't have compassion for our fellow beings? So, which do you think is worse, being shot or living in an industrial pig farm? As the saying goes, there is a reason slaughterhouses don't have windows. 

Should I be worried?

Okay. So I opened a can of mandarin oranges the other day and this is what the inside of the can looked like. (Sorry for the quality of the photo.) Is this something that I should be worried about? Does anyone know? 

I ate the oranges and lived to write about it, but should I reconsider doing that if I find another can that looks like this?

U of M Monstrosity

These are photos of the additions that are being constructed at the 50 yard lines of the University of Michigan football stadium. The photos really don't indicate how out of proportion the addition is to the original structure. 

The photo with the car shows the side of the structure that abuts Stadium Road. It literally is built as close to the road as possible. When you approach it it feels overwhelming. 

This project has caused quite a stir in the community. Folks who live in area had to ask the city to enforce noise ordinances as they were building every day, beginning early and ending late. Then they wanted to shut down parts of the roads so they had more room for materials, etc. The city denied this request.

This project has emphasized how badly U of M interacts with it's neighbors. They have been building at a ferocious rate (you'd never know that Michigan was in an economic crisis). This is just one example of a project that they pushed along without much consideration to the existing architecture or neighborhoods. U of M could do better in every way.

Two greats pass away....

The following was taken from an article by Charles Siebert from the New York Times magazine in the December 30, 2007 edition ~

There is in the end, no telling what tales they had to tell, the two greatest 

nonhuman linguists of our day: Washoe, the sign-language-wielding chimpanzee with an intense footwear fetish; and Alex, the wildly outspoken parrot, an African gray known to regularly order about his human researchers and to purposely give them the wrong answers to their questions just to alleviate his boredom. After all, we only ever gave them our words to work with.

To continue reading the article, click here.

Amazing animals!