Tales of an eccentric redhead radical militant librarian

My other job

2007-06-28T02:20:06Z

This summer, I actually have two jobs (well, three I suppose. But two of them are at the same place). I'm also serving as the research assistant for the University Librarian (aka, the head honcho). Despite his title, he is not, in fact, a librarian; he's an economist. Needless to say, this has caused some grumbling among the ranks. Personally, I think it's actually a good thing, as he's questioning some business-as-usual stuff that really needs to be questioned such as, for instance, why our database search system Search Tools sucks so much. Or, asked differently, why do libraries put up with Ex Libris et al.'s shitty products? Sometimes, I think librarians need more of an economist and/or public manager's mindset.

Anyhoo, he's been having me look into how one can place a value on the invaluable: recorded heritage, archives, libraries, etc. Wrapped up in this whole debate is the value of publicly-accessible information (and a way of defending the University's liberal copyright stance with Google Book Search). I found one study from Florida that claims that, for every $6,488 invested in libraries, one job is created in the economy.

Now, I'm just as much of a promoter of libraries as the next librarian, but this just sounds patently false to me. Making grandiose claims like that may hurt our cause more than help it. As a politician looking at funding libraries, I would look at a study like this and think that the numbers were padded (the authors seem to use some pretty liberal assumptions).

On another topic, one of the paths down which Paul sent me was to find out about the quote "You should think of free as in free speech, not free beer. Interestingly enough, there's something that satisfies both conceptions of the term: FREE BEER!

Anyway, those are my ramblings for tonight. In case you're interested, here are some further thoughts on the topic of destroying books:

My job: tearing up books

2007-06-21T03:31:40Z

So my job at the public library gives me ample opportunity to work with "real people." I really do feel like I'm more in touch with reality there, even if the questions aren't stimulating, although I can't say that answering questions for clueless undergraduates is really that stimulating, either. Case in point:

Undergraduate: Do you have any articles on, like, sociology? [Yes, she actually said "like"]

Me: Yes, I can show you how to access LOTS of articles about sociology. Is there a specific topic you're interested in researching?

Undergraduate: No, I really just need articles on sociology. My paper's due tomorrow.

Anyway, one interesting feature of my public library job has to do with collection maintenance. I'm in charge of the adult fiction, mystery, DVD, and CD collections. Unfortunately, I don't get to purchase new stuff or anything cool like that. Instead, I scour the collections to spot duplicates, damaged books, things that smell, DVDs people have used as coasters, and other such nonsense.

What this means is that I destroy books. Yes, it's true. Members of that vaunted profession, librarians, tear of books on a regular basis. I really only do this for damaged books, however: broken spines, coffee stains, etc. Unfortunately, you can't really sell such items and it's not really worth the time and effort to repair them, particularly not if it's your 80th copy of the latest Janet Evanovich. Good stuff does get sold, though.

Even though tearing up the books is for the better (we're recycling the paper), I still feel somewhat queasy about the process. It's strange, in a profession whose underlying value is the proper stewardship of information, to be destroying it. In my stack of items to read is a book called Double fold: libraries and the assault on paper, written by a rabble-rouser of the profession, about more nefarious and/or unfortunate destruction of information. I wonder where the line should be drawn.

Anyway, on to cheerier things. Have I mentioned before how much I love Unshelved? Well, I do.

Summer o' libraries

2007-06-14T03:13:13Z

This summer, I have two jobs, one at the Ann Arbor District Library (AADL) and one at the University of Michigan Library. I've had a hiatus from the public library realm for a while, paying ye olde tuition bill by being a TA.

My return to a public library has made me realize how much I love working in them. I feel closer to real people. Well, maybe "real people" is the wrong term. I feel like I'm helping make the world a better place. At times, this even seems odd to me, since much of what I seem to do is place holds on DVDS for people. Nonetheless, I feel like I'm closer to helping solve people's problems than I do at the Graduate Library. Being back at a public library, despite my misgivings with AADL itself, really confirmed my desire to go into public librarianship.

But then I've been questioning even this of late. Last week, I was at a workshop/session on library 2.0, i.e. using web 2.0 applications in delivering library services, and I had this epiphany. Here we were, talking about exciting our patrons with tagging and high-level browse and reaching out to them on Facebook. And I began thinking about all those people who have to clue what Facebook or del.icio.us are, because they lack the information access with which we're blessed. Africa, Southeast Asia, South America. Maybe, I started thinking, I should try to promote information access internationally.

And to throw yet another wrench into the gears, I'm still thinking about going into state libraries, thank to my internship last summer at the Oregon State Library.

In sum, I don't know what kind of librarian I want to be. I just know I don't want to be holed up in a university library somewhere. I'm tired of being a student. I'm tired of working with academics (important though they are to our society). People have suggested that I go on to get a Ph.D. in library science, and I cringe at the thought. This is going to could terminally cheesy, but as a librarian, I hope to make a positive impact on the world. Hopefully, I'll find the right path to make that happen.

Wow

2007-05-11T00:38:02Z

As my first post in god knows how long, let me just say that this deserves mad props:

Source: Indexed

More real posts later.

remnil @ 2006-07-24T16:31:00

2006-07-25T00:05:49Z

So I finished Living among headstones: life in a country cemetery by Shannon Applegate a few days ago, and it naturally fed right into my somewhat morbid personality and affinity for cemeteries. It actually inspired me to visit a an old cemetery here in Salem, the Salem Pioneer Cemetery, which is right next to the Cityview Cemetery and Mt. Crest Abbey Mausoleum, as it so happens.

The Pioneer Cemetery is, naturally, rather old. But, aside from a few particularly well-kept graves, the sites is a little shabby. Ground squirrels have made their homes amongst the graves and, quite honestly, appear to rule the place. The plants and trees have grown large, their long branches hanging low over the graves. Many gravestones are unreadable, with lichens of various kinds obscuring their names and dates. Strangely, though, along with the traditional questions one might consider - who was this family that was important/rich enough to have an above-ground mausoleum - there was a peace there. Life was flourishing, and the cemetery keepers clearly made little effort to prevent those ground squirrels, those crows, those plans from spreading their life throughout the area. It felt as if the dead there had truly achieved peace, had returned to the earth, to heaven, to hell, to nothingness, to whatever you believe the death return. There was little order to the gravestones, either in their design or layout. The variety kept me constantly curious, constantly veering off the path toward another monument, small or large.

The Cityview Cemetery was quite a contrast. Clearly a newer cemetery, the gravestones were in neat rows and shone with the brightness of upkeep and modernity. No dull granite for contemporary folk: we want shiny marble. The mausoleum, built in the 1970s, was even more staid and ordered. Its walls shone like a Russian czar's palace.

But even with all of its order and the pomp and circumstance undoubtedly associated with its ceremonies, the newer cemetery seemed - unfulfilling. I don't mean for me - I would prefer not to be buried in such a place - but rather for the dead. By encasing the dead in these sealed marble tombs, by laying them out in defined rows, by cutting the grass whenever it exceeds some predetermined length, are we entrapping them? Is all this attention comforting, or stifling?

All along the edges of the new cemetery, you see like trying to creep in: weeds, blackberry vines, trees limbs. But they are unceremoniously cut when they reach the boundary. The only trees and plants within the confines of the cemetery were small, well-trimmed, and, if I might say, soulless. It seemed almost as if, by so rigidly controlling what was and was not in the cemetery, its keepers were saying: this is a place of death, and only by keeping it as such do we do justice to those who lay here.

But still, its age aside, the pioneer cemetery, an area teeming with life, seemed somehow more fitting. I wouldn't say it was neglected, just . . . allowed to develop a bit more naturally. And it seemed to carry the duality of life and death much more comfortably than the new cemetery, seemed to inherently acknowledge that the two cannot be artificially separated without generating angst, dissatisfaction, a lack.

Current book: Avatars of the word: from papyrus to cyberspace by James J. O'Donnell. This book is for class (ugh!). I'm only about a chapter and a half into it. The guy rambles a bit, and I'm skeptical of his interpretations of Socrates, but I'm keeping an open mind.

Philosophical ramblings on gender

2006-07-18T00:06:47Z

All right, so I know I haven't posted in, well, forever. But for the time being, I'm not going to update on what I've actually been doing and instead comment on a great book I've just read.

This weekend, I finished Sheri S. Tepper's The gate to Women's Country, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel about a society run by women.

As one would expect with such a subject, the story naturally asks the question, "How would society develop if women were in power?" This question has always fascinated me. And Tepper's answer, of sorts, proves even more intriguing.

A testosterone-driven nuclear pissing match generates the unspecified apocalypse of Tepper's world. With only a few people left, one enterprising woman takes control of a village and determines that male's violent tendencies must be genetically bred out of the population. Essentially, Women's Country engages in a gender-targeted form of eugenics (and I don't necessarily use that term pejoratively).

Ethical concerns aside, I think the premise of the book raises an equally interesting question: are men naturally inclined to be violent? I remember getting into a conversation with kaeruneko about precisely this topic after a Gender Studies Symposium at LC. At the time, I argued that men have at least some biological predisposition to be so. I have since somewhat backed off from this position. This retreat may not be so much be due to new evidence - if anything, recent news and articles I've read regarding genetics suggest that it is indeed true - as it is a sincere hope that we can peacefully coexist in a society which seems to unfortunately be dominated by men.

But this novel, as well as the recent news have made me wonder if violence is inherently male or simply inherently human. Certainly I cannot deny that putting too many men together in one place has terrible results. Lord of the flies is an ample thought experiment on that (Although John Dollar provides an interesting female contrast). This is also one of the many reasons why I will never join the military. But would more women in positions of power help? I'm really not sure. Anecdotally, I would say that it would simply shift the violence to other forms; there are forms of non-physical (e.g. psychological) forms of "violence" that are stereotypically attributed to women, although I have no idea what the research says regarding this.

In other words, are we simply naturally-violent, whatever one determines to be violent? If so, we as a society need to work on setting up social institutions that promote nonviolence, just as many groups have been trying. But if violence is indeed concentrated in men, is there some sort of gender-specific intervention that would help? Eugenics certainly crosses an ethical boundary in that regard, but is there something less intrusive that would help?

Maybe I've simply been reading too much post-apocalyptic sci-fi lately, but I find the question to be a frightening and dire one. Despite the end of the Cold War, we quite obviously still have the potential to generate a tremendous amount of damage to ourselves and the world. What can we do to avoid it?

At the very least, we can work on the social factors that affect violence in society. Among other things, the US cultural portrayal of masculinity sends terrible messages, and it's only exacerbated by today's media and political environments.

Anyway, that's my philosophical dilemma for the week. I hope that y'all are doing well.

Current Book: Living among headstones: life in a country cemetery by Shannon Applegate. A fascinating book about a woman (a friend of my mother's and an ex-babysitter of mine, actually) who inherits a family cemetery.

Willie Nelson > everyone

2006-02-20T16:54:45Z

Willie Nelson is so cool.

Who else could pull off a song like this?

I realize that the original is by Pansy Division, Willie's managing to bring the song to an audience that nobody else could.

Like I said: Willie Nelson is the man.

Bumper sticker amusements

2006-02-15T23:06:31Z

Bumper sticker seen on a car in Ann Arbor this morning:

"Focus on your own damn family."

Nice. Very nice.

I got tagged! - My quirky habits

2006-02-07T00:51:30Z

Ground Rules: The first player of this "game" starts with the topic "5 weird habits of yours" and people who get tagged need to write an LJ entry about their 5 quirky habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next 5 people to be tagged and list their names

1. One of my fidgety habits is to continually tear a piece of paper into smaller and smaller pieces.

2. When I'm thinking, I often subconsciously make a craoaking sound by pushing air into my cheek.

3. I actually read the discussion and revision history in Wikipedia articles.

4. I like eating raw potatoes, when given the chance.

5. I am orderly to a fault in the context of my library jobs, yet my desk at home is always piled with unordered papers and whatnot.

Tagging: cymric, johnnylemonhead, kaeruneko, madamanada, and saffron_ree

Ah, economists!

2006-01-30T01:03:08Z

Quote from microeconomics textbook:

"As income rises, households satisfy progressively less pressing needs. When income is low, it is devoted to the necessities of life - food, clothing, shelter, and television sets. As income rises, more is spent on luxury goods such as theater tickets and textbooks."

Current Book: A guide to benefit-cost analysis, 2nd ed., by Edward M. Gramlich

Achieved with a little research (though not much)

2006-01-26T02:53:13Z

Head Librarian
You scored 86% on knowledge of librarianship.

No pun intended. You know your stuff! Not only do you know the basics,
but you know your library history, your who's who, your politics, and
your technicalities. You are a true-blue librarian.

My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 99% on knowledge

Link: The Are You a Librarian Test written by attention on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

A book list a la averagesmartguy

2006-01-25T01:38:13Z

Bold the books you have read
Italicize the books you had read to you as a child or read as a child and cannot remember
Underline the books you intend to read
Strike the books you hated so much you couldn't finish them
Add three

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials Trilogy, Philip Pullman (First one)
4. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. 1984, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick Susskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnights Children, Salman Rushdie
101. Three Men In A Boat, Jerome K. Jerome
102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett
103. The Beach, Alex Garland
104. Dracula, Bram Stoker
105. Point Blanc, Anthony Horowitz
106. The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens
107. Stormbreaker, Anthony Horowitz
108. The Wasp Factory, Iain Banks
109. The Day Of The Jackal, Frederick Forsyth
110. The Illustrated Mum, Jacqueline Wilson
111. Jude The Obscure, Thomas Hardy
112. The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 1/2, Sue Townsend
113. The Cruel Sea, Nicholas Monsarrat
114. Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
115. The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy
116. The Dare Game, Jacqueline Wilson
117. Bad Girls, Jacqueline Wilson
118. The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
119. Shogun, James Clavell
120. The Day Of The Triffids, John Wyndham
121. Lola Rose, Jacqueline Wilson
122. Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy
124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski
125. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett
127. Angus, Thongs And Full-Frontal Snogging, Louise Rennison
128. The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle
129. Possession, A. S. Byatt
130. The Master And Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
131. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
132. Danny The Champion Of The World, Roald Dahl
133. East Of Eden, John Steinbeck
134. George's Marvellous Medicine, Roald Dahl
135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett
136. The Color Purple, Alice Walker
137. Hogfather, Terry Pratchett
138. The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan
139. Girls In Tears, Jacqueline Wilson
140. Sleepovers, Jacqueline Wilson
141. All Quiet On The Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
142. Behind The Scenes At The Museum, Kate Atkinson
143. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby
144. It, Stephen King
145. James And The Giant Peach, Roald Dahl
146. The Green Mile, Stephen King
147. Papillon, Henri Charriere
148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett
149. Master And Commander, Patrick Obrian
150. Skeleton Key, Anthony Horowitz
151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett
152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett
153. The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett
154. Atonement, Ian McEwan
155. Secrets, Jacqueline Wilson
156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier
157. One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, Ken Kesey
158. Heart Of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling
160. Cross Stitch (aka Outlander in the U.S.), Diana Gabaldon
~~161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville~~
162. River God, Wilbur Smith
163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon
~~164. The Shipping News, Annie Proulx~~
165. The World According To Garp, John Irving
166. Lorna Doone, R. D. Blackmore
167. Girls Out Late, Jacqueline Wilson
168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye
169. The Witches, Roald Dahl
170. Charlotte's Web, E. B. White
171. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams
173. The Old Man And The Sea, Ernest Hemingway
174. The Name Of The Rose, Umberto Eco
175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder
176. Dustbin Baby, Jacqueline Wilson
177. Fantastic Mr. Fox, Roald Dahl
178. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
179. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, Richard Bach
180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery
181. The Suitcase Kid, Jacqueline Wilson
182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens
183. The Power Of One, Bryce Courtenay
184. Silas Marner, George Eliot
185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis
186. The Diary Of A Nobody, George and Weedon Gross-Smith
187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh
188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine
189. Heidi, Johanna Spyri
190. Sons And Lovers, D. H. Lawrence
191. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera
192. Man And Boy, Tony Parsons
193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett
194. The War Of The Worlds, H. G. Wells
195. The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas Evans
196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry
197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett
198. The Once And Future King, T. H. White
199. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle
200. Flowers In The Attic, Virginia Andrews
201. The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
202. The Eye of the World, Robert Jordan
203. The Great Hunt, Robert Jordan
204. The Dragon Reborn, Robert Jordan
205. Fires of Heaven, Robert Jordan
206. Lord of Chaos, Robert Jordan
207. A Crown of Swords, Robert Jordan
208. Winters Heart, Robert Jordan
209. Crossroads of Twilight, Robert Jordan
210. A Path of Daggers, Robert Jordan
211. As Nature Made Him, John Colapinto
212. Microserfs, Douglas Coupland
213. The Married Man, Edmund White
214. Winter's Tale, Mark Helprin
215. The History of Sexuality, Michel Foucault (only part III though; it was for class)
216. Cry to Heaven, Anne Rice
217. Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe, John Boswell
218. Equus, Peter Shaffer
219. The Man Who Ate Everything, Jeffrey Steingarten
220. Letters To A Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke
221. Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn
222. The Vampire Lestat, Anne Rice
223. Anthem, Ayn Rand
224. The Bridge To Terabithia, Katherine Paterson
225. Tartuffe, Moliere
226. The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka
227. The Crucible, Arthur Miller
228. The Trial, Franz Kafka
229. Oedipus Rex, Sophocles
230. Oedipus at Colonus, Sophocles
231. Death Be Not Proud, John Gunther
232. A Doll's House, Henrik Ibsen
233. Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen
234. Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton
235. A Raisin In The Sun, Lorraine Hansberry
236. ALIVE!, Piers Paul Read
237. Grapefruit, Yoko Ono
238. Trickster Makes This World, Lewis Hyde
239. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
240. Chronicles of Thomas Convenant, Unbeliever, Stephen Donaldson
241. Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny
242. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon
243. Summerland, Michael Chabon
244. A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole
245. Candide, Voltaire
246. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, Roald Dahl
247. Ringworld, Larry Niven
248. The King Must Die, Mary Renault
249. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein
250. A Wrinkle in Time, Madeline L'Engle
251. The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
252. The House Of The Seven Gables, Nathaniel Hawthorne
253. The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne
254. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
255. The Great Gilly Hopkins, Katherine Paterson
256. Chocolate Fever, Robert Kimmel Smith
265. Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder
267. Where The Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls
268. Griffin & Sabine, Nick Bantock
269. Witch of Blackbird Pond, Joyce Friedland
270. Mrs. Frisby And The Rats Of NIMH, Robert C. O'Brien
271. Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt
272. The Cay, Theodore Taylor
273. From The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg
274. The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster
275. The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin
276. The Kitchen God's Wife, Amy Tan
277. The Bone Setter's Daughter, Amy Tan
278. Relic, Duglas Preston & Lincolon Child
279. Wicked, Gregory Maguire
280. American Gods, Neil Gaiman
281. Misty of Chincoteague, Marguerite Henry
282. The Girl Next Door, Jack Ketchum
283. Haunted, Judith St. George
284. Singularity, William Sleator
285. A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson
286. Different Seasons, Stephen King
287. Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk
288. About a Boy, Nick Hornby
289. The Bookmans Wake, John Dunning
290. The Church of Dead Girls, Stephen Dobyns
291. Illusions, Richard Bach
292. Magic's Pawn, Mercedes Lackey
293. Magic's Promise, Mercedes Lackey
294. Magic's Price, Mercedes Lackey
295. The Dancing Wu Li Masters, Gary Zukav
296. Spirits of Flux and Anchor, Jack L. Chalker
297. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice
298. The Encyclopedia of Unusual Sex Practices, Brenda Love
299. Infinite Jest, David Foster Wallace
300. The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison
301. The Cider House Rules, John Irving
302. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
303. Girlfriend in a Coma, Douglas Coupland
304. The Lion's Game, Nelson Demille
305. The Sun, The Moon, and the Stars, Stephen Brust
306. Cyteen, C. J. Cherryh
307. Foucaults Pendulum, Umberto Eco
308. Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson
309. Invisible Monsters, Chuck Palahniuk
310. Camber of Culdi, Kathryn Kurtz
311. The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand
312. War and Rememberance, Herman Wouk
313. The Art of War, Sun Tzu
314. The Giver, Lois Lowry
315. The Telling, Ursula Le Guin
316. Xenogenesis (or Liliths Brood), Octavia Butler
317. A Civil Campaign, Lois McMaster Bujold
318. The Curse of Chalion, Lois McMaster Bujold
319. The Aeneid, Publius Vergilius Maro (Virgil)
320. Hanta Yo, Ruth Beebe Hill
21. The Princess Bride, S. Morganstern (or William Goldman)
322. Beowulf, Anonymous
323. The Sparrow, Maria Doria Russell
324. Deerskin, Robin McKinley
325. Dragonsong, Anne McCaffrey
326. Passage, Connie Willis
327. Otherland, Tad Williams
328. Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay
329. Number the Stars, Lois Lowry
330. Beloved, Toni Morrison
331. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, Christopher Moore
332. The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon, I mean Noel, Ellen Raskin
333. Summer Sisters, Judy Blume
334. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Victor Hugo
335. The Island on Bird Street, URI Orlev
336. Midnight in the Dollhouse, Marjorie Filley Stover
337. The Miracle Worker, William Gibson
338. The Genesis Code, John Case
339. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson
340. Paradise Lost, John Milton
341. Phantom, Susan Kay
342. The Mummy or Ramses the Damned, Anne Rice
343. Anno Dracula, Kim Newman
344: The Dresden Files: Grave Peril, Jim Butcher
345: Tokyo Suckerpunch, Issac Adamson
346: The Winter of Magics Return, Pamela Service
347: The Oddkins, Dean R. Koontz
348. My Name is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok
349. The Last Goodbye, Raymond Chandler
350. At Swim, Two Boys, Jaime ONeill
351. Othello, by William Shakespeare
352. The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas
353. The Collected Poems of William Butler Yeats
354. Sati, Christopher Pike
355. The Inferno, Dante
356. The Apology, Plato
357. The Small Rain, Madeline L'Engle
358. The Man Who Tasted Shapes, Richard E Cytowick
359. 5 Novels, Daniel Pinkwater
360. The Sevenwaters Trilogy, Juliet Marillier
361. Girl with a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier
362. To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf
363. Our Town, Thorton Wilder
364. Green Grass Running Water, Thomas King
335. The Interpreter, Suzanne Glass
336. The Moor's Last Sigh, Salman Rushdie
337. The Mother Tongue, Bill Bryson
338. A Passage to India, E.M. Forster
339. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky
340. The Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux
341. Pages for You, Sylvia Brownrigg
342. The Changeover, Margaret Mahy
343. Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones
344. Angels and Demons, Dan Brown
345. Johnny Got His Gun, Dalton Trumbo
346. Shosha, Isaac Bashevis Singer
347. Travels With Charley, John Steinbeck
348. The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
349. The Lunatic at Large by J. Storer Clouston
350. Time for Bed by David Baddiel
351. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
352. Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre
353. The Bloody Sun by Marion Zimmer Bradley
354. Sewer, Gas, and Electric by Matt Ruff
355. Jhereg by Steven Brust
356. So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane
357. Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
358. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Bronte
359. Road-side Dog, Czeslaw Milosz
360. The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje
361. Neuromancer, William Gibson
362. The Epistemology of the Closet, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick
363. A Canticle for Liebowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr
364. The Mask of Apollo, Mary Renault
365. The Gunslinger, Stephen King
366. Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
367. Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
368. Season of Mists, Neil Gaiman
369. Ivanhoe, Walter Scott
370. The God Boy, Ian Cross
371. The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Laurie R. King
372. Finn Family Moomintroll, Tove Jansson
373. Misery, Stephen King
374. Tipping the Velvet, Sarah Waters
375. Hood, Emma Donoghue
376. The Land of Spices, Kate O'Brien
377. The Diary of Anne Frank
378. Regeneration, Pat Barker
379. Tender is the Night, F. Scott Fitzgerald
380. Dreaming in Cuban, Cristina Garcia
381. A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway
382. The View from Saturday, E.L. Konigsburg
383. Dealing with Dragons, Patricia Wrede
384. Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Lynne Truss
385. A Severed Wasp - Madeleine L'Eengle
386. Here Be Dragons - Sharon Kay Penman
387. The Mabinogion (Ancient Welsh Tales) - translated by Lady Charlotte E. Guest
388. The DaVinci Code - Dan Brown
389. Desire of the Everlasting Hills - Thomas Cahill
390. The Cloister Walk - Kathleen Norris
391. The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien
392. I Know This Much Is True, Wally Lamb
393. Choke, Chuck Palahniuk
394. Ender's Shadow, Orson Scott Card
395. The Memory of Earth, Orson Scott Card
396. The Iron Tower, Dennis L. McKiernen
397. Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand
398. A Ring of Endless Light, Madeline L'Engle
399. Lords of Discipline, Pat Conroy
400. Hyperion, Dan Simmons
401. If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things, Jon McGregor
402. The Bridge, Iain Banks
403. How to Be Good, Nick Hornby
404. The Stone Diaries, Carol Shields
405. A Map of the World, Jane Hamilton
406. Eragon, Christopher Paolini
407. A Series of Unfortunate Events, Lemony Snicket
408. Lullaby, Chuck Palahniuk
409. Veronika Decides to Die, Paulo Coelho
410. White Oleander, Janet Fitch
411. The Land of Laughs, Jonathan Carroll
412. Forrest Gump
413. Roots, Alex Haley
414. Kleopatra, Karen Essex
415. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Gregory Maguire
416. The Psycho-Ex Game, Merrill Markoe, Andy Prieboy
417. Digital Fortress, Dan Brown
418. Deception Point, Dan Brown
419. Bookends, Jane Green
420. Little Men, Louisa May Alcott
421. Vectors, Michael P. Kube-Mcdowell
422. Redwall, Brian Jacques
423. Millennium, Felipe Fernàndez-Armesto
424. Disgrace, J.M.Coetzee
425. Shardik, Richard Adams
426. Tehanu, Ursula Le Guin
427. Z - A Love Story, Vigdis Grimsdottir
428. Diary, Chuck Palahniuk
429. Don Quixote I, Cervantes
430. Season in hell, Arthur Rimbaud
431. Collected poems, Anna Akhmatova
432. Breath, eyes, memory, Edwidge Danticat
433. The Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie
434. The Gospel According to Jesus Christ, José Saramago
435. Not Before Sundown (or Troll - A Love Story), Johanna Sinisalo
436. Hannibal, Thomas Harris
437. The Iron Dragon's Daughter, Michael Swanwick
438. A Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin
439. The Ballad of Reading Gaol, Oscar Wilde
440. The Universe in a Nutshell, Stephen Hawking
441. Complicity, Iain Banks
442. Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro
443. The Bane Of The Black Sword, Micheal Moorcock
444. Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt
445. Delta Of Venus, Anais Nin
446. Lost souls, Poppy Z Brite
447. Belle de jour diary of a london call girl
448. Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman
449. City, Alessandro Baricco
450. Hippopotamus, Stephen Fry
451. Thank you, Jeeves, PG Wodehouse
452. Tout à l'Ego (Everything for Ego), Tonino Benacquista
453. Betty Blue, Philippe Djian
454. Naive.Super, Erlend Loe
455. Everything is Illuminated, Jonathan Safran Foer
456. Faust, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
457. Krabat, Otfried Preußler
458. Lieutenant Hornblower, C. S. Forester
459. The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde
460. Drawing Blood, Poppy Z. Brite
461. Lady Chatterley's Lover, D. H. Lawrence
462. The Bounty, Caroline Alexander
463. The Matarese Circle, by Robert Ludlum
464. Coraline, by Neil Gaiman
465. Searching for Dragons, Patricia C Wrede
466. The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul, Douglas Adams
467. The Flanders Panel Arturo Pérez-Reverte
468. This Alien Shore, C. S. Friedman
469. Beauty , Robin McKinley
470. The Eight, Katherine Neville
471. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling
472. In this House of Brede, Rumer Godden
473. The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis
474. Reginald, H.H. Munro (Saki)
475. Queen Lucia, E.F. Benson
476. A Shadow On The Glass, Ian Irvine
477. The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro
478. Obernewtyn, Isobelle Carmody
479. The Ancient Future, Traci Harding
480. The Surgeon, Tess Gerritse
481. Blindness, Jose Saramago
482. The Quiet American, Graham Greene
483. Portrait in Sepia, Isabelle Allende
484. Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides
485. I, Claudius, Robert Graves
486. A Clash of Kings, George R. R. Martin
487. Sammy's Hill, Kristin Gore
488. The Ordinary Princess, M.M. Kaye
489. To Say Nothing of the Dog, Connie Willis
490. Miss Manners Rescues Civilization, Judith Martin
491. Mythology, Edith Hamilton
492. Danse Macabre, Stephen King
493. Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang, Kate Wilhelm
494. Nancy Drew - The Secret of the Old Clock, by Carolyn Keene
495. Behind the Attic Wall, by Sylvia Cassidy
496. Mirror Dance, Lois McMaster Bujold
497. Beggars In Spain, Nancy Kress
498. Darwin's Radio, Greg Bear
499. The Last Don, Mario Puzo
500. Sharpe's Rifles, Bernard Cornwall
501. Sharpe's Waterloo, Bernard Conrwall
502. Freakonomics, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
503. Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris
504. The Social Contract, by Jean Jacques Rousseau
505. A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess
506. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon
507. Transparent Things, Vladmir Nabokov
508. People Of The Lightning, W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear
509. The Neutronium Alchemist, Peter F. Hamilton
510. Society Of The Mind, Eric L. Harry
513. Swell Foop, Piers Anthony
514. Hidden Empire (The Saga of Seven Suns), Kevin J. Anderson
515. Daughter of the Empire, Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts
516. The Twelve Caesars - Suetonius
517. Farmer Giles of Ham - JRR Tolkien
518. Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut
519. Under Western Eyes - Joseph Conrad
520. The Turn of the Screw - Henry James
521. LA Confidential - James Ellroy
523. The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas
524. Magick in Theory and Practice, by Aleister Crowley
525. The Complete Plays of Christopher Marlowe
526. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman
527. Basket Case, Carl Hiassen
528. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, Chuck Klosterman
529. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
530. Coinlocker Babies by Ryu Murakami
531. Maniac McGee by Jerry Spinelli
532. A Solitary Blue by Cynthoia Voight
533. The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima
534. My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier
535. The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies
536. The wisdom of crowds by James Surowiecki
537. Tao Te Ching by Lao Tsu

Current book: Still on Mere Christianity. Damn schoolwork!

Once again, Scalia disappoints

2006-01-17T15:42:19Z

Some of you may remember that the venerable Justice Scalia came to speak at Lewis & Clark (followed shortly after by Michael Moore) a few years ago. During his speech in which he defended his strict constructionist views, he said that if people wanted rights, the people should write and pass bills to ensure them. This prompted one audience member to comment that Oregon's physician-assisted suicide law fits that standard precisely. Scalia agreed that the PAS measure was the proper protocol for ensuring rights.

He agreed, that is, up until he actually had to vote on the issue.

Way for consistency.

And while I'm at it, what a disappointing start for Roberts. With Alito in there, too, we'll have a lovely cabal of literalists.

Shameful music confessional: A country music apologia

2006-01-10T02:09:56Z

I admit it: I enjoy country music. I say this having done much soul-searching, deep consideration, and other such nonsense. Jamie converted me.

However, previously having been adamantly opposed to the lot, I feel it necesary to defend my position. So here you have it, folks: reasons why country music is great.

This is perhaps my most important criterion. I know of few, if any, styles of music that can make fun of themselves quite as well or often as country. With other genres, it takes someone like Weird Al to properly make fun of their style, lyrics, subject matter, etc., and this is despite the fact that most types of music have plenty to laugh about, such as the almost preteniously-serious alternative (see: Lmp Bizkit). However, country manages to pull of songs that make fun of itself, and it makes fun of itself in a way that even people who hate country can't beat. Some examples:

Save a horse (ride a cowboy) by Big & Rich
Friends in low places by Garth Brooks (definitely a classic)
Chicks dig it by Chris Cagle
She thinks my tractor's sexy by Kenny Chesney (my personal favorite)
Do you want fries with that? by Tim McGraw
Alcohol by Brad Paisley
All my exes live in Texas by George Strait
Redneck woman by Gretchen Wilson

There are more, but I'm sure you get the point.

He is one hot Aussie!

The country genre has attracted some absolutely amazing vocalists, primarily female. While there are certainly strong singers in every genre, country particularly seems to highlight their vocal talent. Some examples:

Garth Brooks
Alan Jackson
Alison Krauss
Natalie Maines
Jennifer Nettles
Joe Nichols
Leann Rimes
George Strait
Rhonda Vincent

Some country music is just so classic as to have become an essential part of the American music history. Some examples:

Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett
I walk the line by Johnny Cash
Devil went down to Georgia by the Charlie Daniels Band
Blue by Patsy Cline
Crazy by Patsy Cline
On the road again by Willie Nelson
Pnocho and Lefty by Willie Nelson

I'm missing tons, of course, but there's a sampling.

Some country songs are simply very touching or beautifully expressed. Others express setiments not often heard in other genres. Some examples:

Goodbye Earl by the Dixie Chicks
An entertaining, empowering song about, of all thngs, domestic violence.

Travelin' soldier by the Dixie Chicks
A poignant story about a boy who goes off to war and the girl he leaves behind.

When you say nothing at all by Alson Kraus
One of the most gorgeous, heartfelt love songs that I've ever heard.

She only smokes when she drinks by Joe Nichols
A beautiful, compelling description of how heartache affects a person.

Whiskey lullaby by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss
This is quite simply one of the most beautiful, poignant duets I have ever heard. Absolutely stunning!

She let herself go by George Strait
A song about what happens when a woman is released from the bonds in which love placed her.

And there are lots of others, of course

This is not to say that country music isn't without its problems.

Some people might say these songs are beautiful. I say they're cheese to the max.

God's Will by Martina McBride (or really almost anything else by her)
Skin by Rascal Flatts (or really almost anything else by them)

Yah America! Or at least that's what lots of country artists say. And it gets lame right quick.

Courtesy of the red, white, and blue (the angry American) by Toby Keith (Believe me, this is sufficient to prove my case)

For god and country. Oy vei!

Jesus take the wheel by Carrie Underwood

There are lots of others. I just can't think of them at the moment because I try to avoid them.

No, but seriously, I do enjoy country music. It's especially great if you like steel guitars, banjos, and mandolins. Try it. You might like it, like me!

Current Book: A guide to benefit-cost analysis, 2nd ed., by Edward M. Gramlich. Back to schoolwork (sigh). But this is a pretty interesting book, a cornerstone of policy analysis that we're reading for our microeconomics class. It should be interesting.

Of “Information professionals” and policy wonks

2006-01-02T15:35:28Z

I did in fact come to Ann Arbor to attend school, believe it or not. I study at the School of Information and the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

Naturally, being a dual degree student, I get TONS of email, approximately two or three million messages daily from each school, to be exact. Having only one email, it can be confusing to tell from which school a particular message hails. However, with a semester under my belt, I have created a rough mental flowchart that helps me determine the source of a message:

City Council candidates – Ford School
Poverty – Ford School
iPods – School of Info
Football – Ford School
Anything to do with Google – School of Info
V1agr.@ - School of Info

Yes, folks, The University of Michigan School of Info - the cream of the crop of the information profession, one of the top-ranked information schools in the country, a place filled with technology junkies of all sorts – cannot filter spam out its school-wide listserv. Technology is so grand.

No, but seriously, things are going quite well. Among other things, my leg muscles are huge! In addition to living in a third floor apartment, both of my schools are on the fourth floors of their respective building. This fact, combining with my frantic biking to campus on a daily basis, often in the snow (I’ll have stories to tell my grandchildren: “I used to bike a mile and half in the snow!”), has given me legs of steel.

Oh, and the classes are good, too. Here’s what I had last semester (which is blessedly over now!):

Pubpol 513: Calculus
Pubpol 555: Microeconomics A
Pubpol 580: Values, Ethics, and Public Policy
SI 501: Uses of information

This schedule gave me decidedly more number crunching than the average Info student and decidedly more advertisements for Macintoshes than the average Policy student. I have come to the conclusion that the School of Info is, in fact, one big Apple advertisement. Looking at the back row of chairs in the SI 501 class, and what should one see but a shiny row an Apple iBooks. And iPods? Ubiquitous. The School of Info has made me inclined towards Windows; it makes me counterculture there. How weird is that?

The programs are both actually quite good, with some caveats that I suspect are common to any sort of professional masters degree programs: they don’t actually teach you practical skills to do your job. For instance, while SI 501 is fascinating, and the information I’m learning is vaguely applicable to librarianship in that academic sort of way, I am glad that I came to UM with some library experience already under my belt. From taking the class, I have concluded that I could never be an information scientist; they’re far too unconcerned about the practicality of their research.

The class had a very interesting component to it, however. We were assigned into groups and have to do a huge project analyzing information flow in an organization. The exact nature of the project depends on the organization your group selected. We selected a business, Edwards Brothers, a book printer. We basically did a workflow analysis and are trying to offer them suggestions to improve their shipping process. It was a pretty interesting project, all things considered. Oh, and we got to learn about all that “working in groups, BS, too, which mainly consisted in me being frustrating that one of our other group members rarely got things in on time.

Calculus and Microeconomics were pretty much what one would expect. The professors, on the other hand, are not. Our Calculus professor is a rather old, rather tall man who has an odd tendency to start speaking very loudly at random moments in his lectures. He also has the problem of being whiteboard pen inept (You LC folks should now what I’m talking about). The Microecon professor is similarly writing-implement challenged, although his problem is more with chalk. He tries to use different colored chalk to help us see the difference between the various graphs, but for some odd reason the chalk always looks white. He’s not one of the clearest professors I’ve ever had, so I can’t honestly say that I’m disappointed that he’s a visiting professor. Nonetheless, he is entertaining, if not purposely.

Both schools have great faculty in that they are extremely interdisciplinary. The range of research interests and fields is huge. Alas, however, the School of Information lacks an epistemologist. I’m working on them, though.

What I find most fascinating, actually, is the difference between the students. Policy students are, on the whole, much more driven; they tend to know what they want to do with their degrees. It’s also very common for them to be seeking dual degrees. I somewhat stand out in that category, however: I’m currently the only Info/Policy dual degree student. That’s not the only thing that makes me weird, however; my foci do as well. Most Info/Policy dual degree students specialize in Information Economics, Management, and Policy at the School of Information. However, I focus on Library & Information Services, with a focus on Nonprofit and Public Management at the Ford School. This generally draws looks of bewilderment from info students.

Info students tend to also be much more counterculture, as evidenced by the fact that I can safely assume any email about UM football is from policy students. It is also evidenced by the copious amounts of Apple products.

All in all, my program’s going really great. I have to admit, though; I’m ready to be working already. I know that I have another two and a half years, but I want to run my own library. Well, someday . ... .

And on the docket for this upcoming term:

Pubpol 529: Statistics
Pubpol 558: Microeconomics B: Cost-Benefit Analysis
Pubpol 587: Public Management
Pubpol 638: Integrated Policy Exercise
Pubpol 671: Policy and Management in the Nonprofit Sector
SI 502: Choice & Learning

And, as further evidence of my geekhood, I’m excited about this schedule. I think that I’m becoming an econ dork. While I can’t say that I really care for many of the things economic theory is used to justify, I find the theories themselves fascinating. I just provides a different way of looking at the world, which always proves beneficial.

Current Book: Still on Mere Christianity.

I don't think we're in Oregon anymore, Miepcat

2006-01-02T03:23:48Z

Michigan is most definitely not Oregon. I have come to this conclusion after conducting exhaustive ethnographic research in which I have lived and worked among my subjects, the Michiganders. My research has led me to the following conclusion: Michiganders are nuts. Certifiably nuts. I say this not as a normative comment but as a simple statement of fact.

First, there is their driving. Weather conditions do not hinder them: rain, snow, plague of locusts, what have you. They continue to drive as quickly as possible, which leads to the prodigious number of accidents on snowy days such as today. Other drivers also do not hinder them? Is there a car approaching quickly down the road that you want to be on? If you’re from Michigan, you’ll just pull out in front of them. They’ll stop! Bikers and pedestrians? Mere nuisances! You should zip past them as soon as they’re a fraction of inch away from your vehicle.

If it’s any indication of the driving craziness, you are required to carry $1 million of inanimate object damage insurance in Michigan. Yes, that’s right: if you’re crazy driving manages to take you into the side of a building, you’ve got to have insurance to cover it.

Second, there is their infatuation with the car companies. In the words of one NPR guest, “For Michiganders, the problem at the Big Three is the end of the world. For the rest of the country, it’s business.” People are keenly interested in federal bailouts of GMC and the like and in general will pass almost any law to keep them here. Out of any given year, I would say that probably an entire month of radio time is devoted to talking about the car companies. Among some here, it’s still considered traitorous to drive a foreign vehicle.

Third, there is their politics. Michigan really wants to be the Montana of the East; they have this libertarian spark that leads them to argue about things such as not having motorcycle helmet laws. However, there’s just one problem: Michigan likes telling people what to do. Needless to say, Michigan laws have a rather intriguing mix. For instance, you are not required to wear a helmet when you ride a motorcycle, but your live-in girlfriend has to leave when your children visit. Ah, libertarian paternalism!

Fourth, there is beer pong. Beer pong is quite obviously the official sport of Ann Arbor. An old door or sheet of plywood adorns just about every college student house here, simply perfect for playing beer pong. And people play it freely at all hours on their lawns. Are you bored at one in the afternoon? No problem! Just buy some Pabst (which strangely, they consider to be quality beer here) and break out the beer pong table!

Fifth, there is football. I think I’ve said enough.

But really, Ann Arbor is actually a lovely town. Many of the houses (including our own) are late 19th and early 20th century houses that are simply gorgeous. Our neighborhood is beautiful, as are most of the neighborhoods we’ve visited in A2 (as it is affectionately called). It’s a shame that the property is so ridiculously expensive here . . .

Oh, and did I mention that it snows here? Eight inches last week. We probably got another eight inches just today, too. Michigan makes me very happy that I no longer wear glasses. It has also altered my sense of what constitutes “cold.” When Jamie and I hear on the radio that the high will be in the lower thirties, we comment that it’s going to be warm. The humidity here, or lack thereof as the case may be, is retched, however. It is tremendously dry here. Maybe the ladybugs are moisture vampires or something. Who knows. Regardless, if you visit Michigan, you are hereby warned: bring eyedrops!

Unlike Portland, Ann Arbor is quite clearly a college town. Oh sure, it has some corporate headquarters (Pfizer, makers of Viagra! Oh, and Dominos Pizza)., but it mainly exists to serve the University of Michigan. As such, Ann Arbor has great social and cultural events (Jamie took me to see Leo Kottke for my birthday. That man is genius, pure genius), good bookstores, a nice selection of stores, no parking whatsoever, and an absolutely terrible layout. Think Eugene minus the protected left turns and generally polite Oregon drivers. Oh, and it has college students who walk into the streets randomly.

To avoid the driving weirdness, I have been biking everywhere: to school, to work, oftentimes to the grocery store. Biking is interesting in the snow. Well, actually, the snow is not so bad; it’s when it turns to slush that it gets nasty. I’ve managed to kick up enough nasty snow onto my coat to make myself look like a Dalmatian. But biking has its advantages, i.e., I never have to wait 15 minutes to find somewhere to park.

Speaking of parking, it seems a (continual) rite of passage for Michiganders to receive enough parking tickets to get one’s vehicle impounded. Or at least almost impounded. Since we never really use our vehicle, we have not had this honor. However, it is not uncommon to hear one of my classmates casually mention that s/he has $300-400 in parking tickets. I’m unclear as to why they don’t just pay for the parking outright. Again, Michiganders are crazy.

And Michigan’s main problem? It’s Ory-gun, not Ory-gone. Now, repeat after me . . .

Seriously, though, I do like it here. It’s rather different from Oregon (and New Jersey and Florida), but it is nonetheless an interesting place to live. Living here has made me realize how much I am a creature of the Pacific Northwest, however, Oregon in particular. I find myself saying and thinking “back in Oregon” several times a day. I miss the people of Oregon (both the Portland and Langlois variety), I miss the beach, I miss the spectacular sunsets (although Michigan’s aren’t too shabby, all things considered), and I even miss the rain. Perhaps Jamie and I will end up back in Oregon.

Current book: Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I haven't actually started it yet, so I don't have an opinion right now. I figured it's probably something I should read, however, so it's next on the list.

Mawwiage!

2005-12-31T05:26:15Z

As I believe most of you already know, I am now a married man. I check “married” on my tax forms. I wear a ring on my finger. I wake up everyday next to the love of my life. I am blissfully happy.

In case you hadn’t guessed it, I am thoroughly enjoying married life, and I think (hope) I can safely say the same for Jamie. We are comfortably settled into our new apartment (more on that later) with our dear fat, whiny, yet ever-so-lovable child, Miep.

Our wedding was beautiful. We held it in a state park, Shore Acres, that used to be the estate gardens for one of those logger baron types so common in my dear home state. For all you Clarkies out there, the garden looks not unlike the LC gardens.

Some of Jamie’s family – her parents, sister, grandmother, aunt and uncle, and uncle – came all the way out from New Jersey for the wedding. All in all, however, it was an intimate affair. We only had about 35 guests. Ironically, the wedding itself was smaller than the engagement party that Jamie’s family threw for us when we visited in New Jersey. We were married by a Unitarian minister who read a ceremony that we pieced together and highly edited. We were photographed by a crazy man with an unnatural ability to properly place wedding dresses. I suppose that comes with having a bazillion years of wedding photography experience. He also made Jamie run through the cold Oregon ocean water. I’m sure that she will be happy to tell you her thoughts on that.

The planning process was an interesting one, though not in that “we wanted to kill each other” kind of way common to many weddings. It was more interesting for me because Jamie’s parents were paying for everything. Those of you who know me also know that the deck of life dealt me an Emersonian “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” existence. I have to admit, I found it a tad difficult to get used to the fact that Jamie and I weren’t responsible for ultimately paying for the affair, reconciling it with my general life outlook.

That being said, we planned the entire event ourselves, and rather cost-efficiently, I might add. Our only “eek” moment was when our caterer’s house burnt down which, needless to say, left us without food. Fortunately, we did find somebody and, more importantly, the caterer is getting her house rebuilt.

Some of you may be surprised to hear that I had a somewhat traditional wedding. But the planning process (and my wife) taught me the value of tradition, or more specifically, how tradition can enhance an already wonderful event. The vows, the presence of friends and family, the clothes, the exchanging of rings - all of these really came to symbolize the love filling the moments. It was quite beautiful.

Married life is also not quite what I expected; it is far better. There are those who say that marriage changes everything. And perhaps for some it did. But I don’t feel that it fundamentally changed Jamie and my relationship. This may sound funny, considering that we just went through a ceremony and the official process to be married. However, it didn’t change the nature of our relationship with each other. We already cared for each other very deeply before being married; the change in status represents our desire to express our commitment to the world. My wedding band reminds me of this fact every time I look at it. Jamie is everything she was to me before a more now: she’s my wife.

Of course, this status does cause some weirdness, mostly with the rest of the world. For instance, it took me a while to adjust to marking “married” on all of my forms. I can only imagine what Jamie must be going through with a name change. But being married also creates a feeling of being, in Jamie’s words, “old and married”: that simple change in marital status seems to increase your age to the outside world exponentially. Single people look at you differently, it seems. Perhaps it’s just my perception of how they perceive me (ah, self-psychoanalysis), but it certainly feels different.

Anyway, I’ll stop with my rambling and give you all what you really want: pictures.

Eagerly awaiting a bride

The beautiful bride arrives!

Taking our vows

Aren't we cute?

My personal favorite photo

Our (very) fat and happy child

Current Book: The penultimate peril by Lemony Snicket, the most recent of A series of unfortunate events. The man is a riot. I think he channels Roald Dahl or something.

Mobile apartments and other tales of domestic life

2005-12-22T22:39:26Z

We arrived here in Ann Arbor to find an absolutely beautiful apartment in quite a nice section of town. You can actually look at it, if you want. FYI, though: that’s not our stuff in the picture.

We live on the third floor of a house built back in the 1920s, I believe. As it so happens, the house is actually mobile – well, somewhat anyway. Apparently, it used to be downtown (about a mile and a half from where it is now). The landlord’s grandfather bought it back in the 50s, but he decided he didn’t like its location. So what did he do? He moved it. If that’s not down-home American ingenuity, I don’t know what is? Don’t like your house’s location? Then pick the whole thing up and move it wherever you like. Steve (our landlord) tells us that they had to take down power lines to make it fit through some of the roads. Go figure. Apparently our apartment was added on back in the 50s after The Great Move.

Anyway, our apartment is quite lovely. It’s on the third floor, so we get plenty of exercise. The hardwood floors are a nice touch because our dear sweet Miep cat can’t tear them up bit by bit. She has, however, adopted the desk chair as her very own. What once was grey now is coated in a rather thick layer of white cat fur. I keep telling Miep that one of these days, I’m going to knit a new cat out of all that hair. I don’t think she believes me, though.

We have the perfect amount of space for the two of us. With this perfect amount of space, however, came copious amounts of closet space. In fact, we have so much closet space that we converted one of them into a pantry and another into a garbage area. If we lived here for 50 years, I sincerely doubt we could ever use up all of our closets. It would probably be a great place to play hide-and-seek, though . . .

Jamie and I are actually vaguely considering buying a house in the area, preferably a duplex where we could have a renter to help us pay the mortgage. Ann Arbor property prices are ridiculous, but the areas just outside of town are pretty reasonable.

I’ve noticed something rather interesting about living in Michigan, though: household pests. Whereas in Oregon one had problems with spiders and ants, here we have problems with ladybugs. Well, I shouldn’t really say “problem,” as it’s not really that bad, but nonetheless . . . We have ladybugs all over our house. I never really considered them to be an insect one had to worry about getting into your house. Your garden, perhaps, but not your house. The ladybugs currently coexist peacefully with the squatters (i.e., us), but I’m just waiting for an uprising.

As long as I’m speaking of being domestic, Jamie and I are actually becoming bonafide cooks, preparing actual meals. We’ve acquired a veritable arsenal of kitchen gadgets, appliances, and spices. Thus, it’s only a matter of time before you see a Nielsens cooking show . . . OK, maybe not, but we’re having fun nonetheless. Cooking and eating in general is an absolute joy here because we are less than a mile away from a Trader Joe’s. Oh joy! Oh rapture! There’s nothing quite as exciting as going to buy trail mix and granola and having whole shelving units from which to choose. The hippy in me rejoices. Plus, I can buy lots of macadamia nuts to make white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. Life is good.

I have also come to an astounding realization: having sharp knives is wonderful. Thanks to Erin and Raj, we have a shiny new set of knives, and it is oh-so-marvelous. For instance, we can actually slice tomatoes without smashing them. We can cut onions without sawing through them. We don’t have to use a butter knife to cut broccoli. Yes, life is fabulous in kitchen-land. And the new crock pot? Well, that’s just icing on the cake.

In addition to being kitchen mavens, Jamie and I are also NPR junkies. This fact undoubtedly puts us in the category of crazy pinko commies and bleeding-heart liberals. Nonetheless, Michigan Radio has something for both the conservative and liberal listener to love, what with Michigan being politically nerurotic. More on that in a later post.

If any of you folks care to visit these crazy pinko bleeding-heart Ann Arbor commies, we have a lovely apartment with a lovely futon in which you can crash.

P.S. Happy holidays! (which, in this age of the "War on Christmas" is not just a greeting but also a political statement!)

Current Book: The Time Traveler's Wife by by Audrey Niffenegger, an absolutely fascinating book about just what it says: a woman married to a man who travels through time. It's really a beautiful love story told through the lens of a science fiction story.

Of laundry, Wall Drug, and desolation

2005-12-16T01:20:53Z

Or, The trials and tribulations of Jamie and Buzzy’s cross-country adventure.

This is the first in a series of very backdated posts demonstrating that I am indeed still alive and just as ornery as ever. More will follow, eventually.

Jamie and I began our journey across the country (i.e. Oregon to Michigan) with a UHaul, a Miep cat, and lots of food. We ended our journey with a UHaul, a Miep cat, somewhat less food, and a bumper sticker proving that we visited Wall Drug in South Dakota, among other things.

We did, however, get slightly more out of it than that. The trip took us about 12 days overall because we really wanted to spend our time and enjoy this beautiful country of ours (no I haven’t gone Republican on you; I’m serious!). Our first stop was actually visiting Patrick in Vancouver, which was a most-wonderful visit. Our visit began with a covert operation to smuggle Miep into Patrick’s apartment complex, an operation that resulting in a basket of laundry with quite remarkable mobile qualities. Anyhoo, our visit with Patrick was quite lovely.

We decided that we would stay in KOA campgrounds along the way, specifically in the Kamping Kabins® (please note the use of the trademarked “K.” This is very important in distinguishing what we stayed in from mere camping cabins). While certainly high in the kitsch factor, the KOAs were nice because a) the were relatively cheap, b) they’re pet-friendly, and c) they have hot tubs and pools. Our first stop was in an Idaho, where we promptly hopped into the hot tub. We were occasionally joined by some vaguely obnoxious children, but a good time was had by all.

Next stop was Montana. Actually, the next several stops for Montana. I’m pretty sure that we were in Montana for at least three or four months. Maybe more. That state is frickin’ huge. First, some general observations about Montana:

A) There seems to be a reason why Montana is called “big sky country” – the sky is indeed rather huge there. Huge, but beautiful.

B) Montanans, along with what little we heard from Wyomingites (I looked this term up to make sure that it’s correct. Here, see for yourself), seem to have an inordinate fondness for Garth Brooks (I mean, who doesn’t?) and the song “Billy’s got his beer goggles on.”

C) And I thought that Oregonians were crazy libertarians! Sheesh, you can do anything in Montana!

C1) Along with the ability to do anything comes a price. Montana has TONS of markers in memory of people who died in alcohol-related crashes.

D) Montana is quite gorgeous. It was probably my favourite state that we visited in terms of its pure beauty.

Our first significant stop was unscheduled but quite a surprise. Simon was visiting his parents in Missoula! And Abby was there, too! We stayed with Simon and had quite a lovely time. Missoula was a great town. And we got to visit Tipu’s Tiger, the fabulous Indian food restaurant at which Simon used to work and his brother does now. Mmm, Indian food.

After Missoula, we went up to visit Glacier National Park. The park itself, while beautiful, sucked for us. We couldn’t go anywhere because we had our UHaul. Plus, the area of it to which we were restricted seemed really commercialized. We stayed around for a bit, but we eventually decided to go back to our KOA. While at this particular KOA, I had the distinct honor of overhearing three teenagers doing their laundry:

T1: This doesn’t seem to be working. It’s not washing.
T2 (grabbing the detergent box from T1): Well duh! You just put the soap in and it washes stuff!
T2 (pushing the coin acceptor in and out): it’s still not working!
Other Kamper® : The machine takes 5 quarters, honeys, not 3.
All: Oh!

Later on, Jamie and I came back in to pick up our laundry only to find the three girls sitting with their feet in the sink eating ice cream. “Our feet were cold” they told us. We did not wash any of our clothes in that sink.

Given our tepid visit to Glacier, we decided to skip our previously-scheduled visit to Yellowstone and instead spend lots of time in the great state of South Dakota! Actually, S.D. was one of my favorite places that we visited. Because we got to visit the Badlands. I found the Badlands absolutely fascinating. Whereas parks like Glacier and the parks I used to visit in Oregon were beautiful for their trees and lakes and such, the Badlands was beautiful in its desolation. While barren, it exuded a certain majesty in that barrenness. The Badlands was also interesting in that we could go anywhere that we wanted; no part of the park was restricted. In fact, there’s a southern part of it that separated from the rest of the park that people can hike through despite the presence of unused ordnance. There’s a big warning about it to hikers: do not use cellular phones as they may cause set off the ordnance. Not that there are cell phone towers in the boonies of South Dakota, but the warning is nonetheless appreciated.

On our way back from Badlands, we managed to run into the infamous Wall Drug, a veritable smorgasbord of kitschiness. Giant dinosaur statues! Fake cowboys! Rock shops! Children galore! And Jamie got food poisoning there, too! But hey, at least we got our free bumper sticker, right?

We also visited Deadwood, which was kitsch combined with lots of casinos. It was actually really interesting there. It’s a shame that the town has become so commercialized, but it was fun to see nonetheless. Southwest South Dakota in general was very beautiful. It was such a different environment from Oregon, or at least western Oregon. The rest of South Dakota, however, was not that exciting.

Southeast South Dakota and Minnesota mainly consist of corn and soybeans.

Next stop was paying a visit to Regina in Madison! It was exciting to get to see Regina, since we hadn’t seen each other in forever-and-a-day. However, it was rather nerve-wracking trying to a) drive the UHaul in downtown Madison with oblivious college students walked all about the road and b) attempting to back it out of the cul-de-sac on which Regina lives. Regina, Jesse, Jamie, and I got to watch a lovely concert in the park while we were there and listen to the violinist play his recently-acquired, rather-expensive Stradivarius.

And then it was off to Ann Arbor!

P.S. Driving through Chicago sucked. Those people are crazy, though not as crazy and Ann Arborites. More on that later.

Wow!

2005-07-30T15:07:22Z

I'm getting married in fewer than six hours to the love of my life. Life is wonderful.

Grrrr

2005-04-06T00:09:38Z

Never, under any circumstances, ever get high-speed internet through Starband.

That is all.

remnil @ 2005-04-02T10:07:00

2005-04-02T18:07:03Z

Howdy folks,

As you probably noticed from my last post, I have some exciting news: I'm engaged to the most beautiful, intelligent, supportive, sweet, and generally wonderful woman in the world! (No offense intended to all of the other beautiful, intelligent, supportive, sweet, and generally wonderful women out there.) We've been busily planning a wedding for this summer whilst searching for housing in Ann Arbor.

Life is going quite well for me. The Ford School of Public Policy accepted me, so I get to do the dual-degree program in Library Science and Public Policy. And the School of Information has offered me a half-tuition scholarship. Unfortunately, I didn't get the fellowship position for which I was hoping, but I'm pretty sure the Ford Family Foundation scholarship will come through, which pays for 80% of unmet costs including living expenses. There are some nice job opportunities in the Ann Arbor District Library, too, which I'm pretty sure I can get. One of them is a Public Library Associates position for UM students. Since my career path is public library, this position would probably prove more useful than working in an academic library anyway.

I think I'm getting the job-equivalent to senioritis at the high school; I'm just not as motivated to get things done. Admittedly, there isn't that much left for me to do, but still. Also, in my waning days as Library Specialist, I think that Mr. Murphy has his sights set on me. I got a new(er) computer, trasnferred all of the library catalog files (I mean EVERYTHING), yet it didn't transer the card and label settings. These are a major pain in the ass to redo as you basically have to go through about bazillion sheets to get them right. Grr.

Yesterday was a professional day for teachers which meant that I was supposed to get a day off. However, the principal asked me to present on the CIM to the teachers. Well, I came in and what should happen but: 1) nobody bothered to bring the LCD projector back to the library like I asked them, so I had to play projector sleuth to track it down ; 2) a couple of weeks ago, somebody from another building borrowed the audiovisual screen and didn't bother to tell me or to bring it back, resulting in almost having to do the presentation on the blinds ; and 3) I wasn't informed that I was actually presenting at 2.00p instead of 1.00p. I suppose that I should be happy that it wasn't the other way around. "I'm not suposed to be here today!" was what I was thinking all day

Anyhoo, that's what's new in my life. I probably should think about getting to work now. TTFN.

Current Book: It's a bird by Steven T. Seagle and Teddy Kristiansen. An interesting graphic novel about a man who writes Superman comics.

remnil @ 2005-03-21T06:11:00

2005-03-21T14:10:13Z

Surprise!

Woo hoo!

2005-02-21T20:06:06Z

-----Original Message-----
From: si.admissions@umich.edu
Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2005 10:05:57 -0700 (GMT-07:00)
Subject: School of Information

Dear Mr. Nielsen:

On behalf of the Dean and Faculty of the School of Information, I am pleased to recommend you for admission to the Master of Science in Information program at the School of Information, University of Michigan, for Fall 2005.

The School of Information offers you the opportunity to become part of a community of world renowned faculty and outstanding students. You will be able to choose courses from an interdisciplinary curriculum which corresponds to four specializations, from which you may launch a variety of exciting careers. An important part of our curriculum is the ability to engage in internships and group projects with a wide array of businesses and non-profit organizations. For information about SI's curriculum, courses, practical engagement program, special seminars and colloquia, be sure to visit our Web page at si.umich.edu.

We invite you to attend Visiting Days @ SI, March 19-21. This is a special event for students admitted for Fall 2005, and will include a range of activities for you to learn about areas of study and research, connect with employers about part-time job possibilities, explore housing options, and develop friendships with future classmates. Please read the enclosed flyer for more details. We are also happy to arrange individualized visits.

SI's Fall 2005 New Student Orientation will be held during the week before the start of classes. This mandatory event will include information on courses and curricular options, faculty advising, computing orientation, class registration, career services, financial aid resources, and will feature social activities with new and current students. Additional details will be provided to you. Classes for Fall 2005 begin Tuesday, September 6th.

Please e-mail si.admissions@umich.edu to inform us of your enrollment decision directly. Rackham will finalize your admission, and provide you with a Web site to inform them of your enrollment decision as well. Please send changes in your contact information (address/phone/email) in the coming months to si.admissions@umich.edu.

We hope you plan to join the SI community for your graduate education. I am confident that you will enjoy your learning experience at the School of Information, the city of Ann Arbor, and the opportunities that our program will present.

Sincerely,

C. Olivia Frost
Associate Dean for Professional Programs

remnil @ 2005-02-18T22:15:00

2005-02-19T06:31:24Z

So this week I got told by one of our new students (an East Coaster, no less) that I "rock socks." Given her tone and generally-positive attitude toward me, I'm taking it as a compliment, if an odd one. I suppose my lack of understanding is yet another sign that I'm getting old. At least I'm not as old as the other teachers, though (and it's a good thing none of them read this).

Since my last post, I can now actually see my floor, or at least I could if I were at home. Of course, the sad part is that I just cleaned it last night, two weeks after noting my own slobbiness, and I didn't do all that great a job at it. And I'm starting another marathon bout of housesitting, so I'm not really going to be around to finish the job. Oh well. At least I finally found my checkbook, eh?

Jamie and a few of her friends went to Sunriver for the long weekend, but since I work on Saturday and am starting house/catsitting on Sunday, I had to stay home. [sigh] She left me her keys, though, so I do have free reign of her libraries. For those of you who are not librarian types, a good deal of fun can be had alone in a library. Imagine have a free run of Watzek. And yeah, I know I'm a complete dork.

Despite not getting to go on this little vacation, I am excited because this summer I'll actually be unemployed for a couple of months or so. Now most of you might be wondering what I find so exciting about being unemployed, but believe me, it's exciting. I've always had a job or something (usually several somethings) to keep me occupied since I was 14, so the thought of having no responsibilities for a few months is pure bliss. It'll be a nice break before getting back into the thick of school again. Jamie and I are going to travel a bit, visiting some of her family and friends in New Jersey and Florida. A good time shall be had by all.

Anyhoo, that's my life in a nutshell. I think we'l be in p-town from March 21-24, if any of you will be up there.

Current Book: Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Absolutely gorgeous.