This is why librarians need liquor. Librarians ‘suffer most stress’ from BBC News. (Thanks Philip!)
Rock Rock Rock n’ Roll Librarian
Hey avenging librarians… A few weeks ago, Bill Harmer wrote a letter asking for our help. You may remember Bill as the founder of the Rock n Roll library tour that was featured on This American Life. I wrote about the show here.
Bill wants to take the Rock n Roll library tour nationwide. Last summer the Michigan tour was a big success, and he wants to get at least one library to sign up in each of the 50 states. This is a killer after-school program that serves the dual purpose of getting reluctant readers in the library, and busting through some myths about how the library is boring. You know? Those myths? Now you can do something about them.
After some initial hoo-ha-ing, the ALA got its act together and is sort of helping out. You can now register your very own ever-loving library for the tour. You’ll be booking library rock n’ roll veterans The High Strung for an all-ages show and a question and answer session afterward.
Just read the press release, then write to Bill and he’ll make it happen.
I hope they come here. Ithaca is desperate for decent music. There’s a large Contra Dance movement here that MUST BE STOPPED. Also, if anybody has suggestions or offers of help, I think Bill would be glad to hear them.
Maysan Haydar is Cool
My friend Maysan Haydar has always been cool. She introduced me to Bratmobile and Swing dancing back when such things were hip. She got a tongue ring before everyone else. She was the first person I knew to dye her hair purple.
She escaped from Flint, majored in Linguistics and moved to NYC to write for The Nation. Now she’s a social worker. Oh. And she wears the hijab. Here’s an excerpt from an article she wrote for the book Body Outlaws
Cat and Girl on Vertical Files
I like Dorothy’s Donation Derby almost as much as I like her comic Cat and Girl. If you send her money, she does a small drawing to show how she spent it. The result is an autobiographical comic blog with snippets of funny dialogue and moments from her life. Today there was a library mention that will be funny to anyone who still maintains vertical files. Don’t we have computers for that? I spent a good chunk of my life cutting out newspapers for the wonderfully eclectic American Radicalism & Popular Culture vertical files when I was an undergrad at Michigan State University. If you ever happen to be in East Lansing researching representations of Grant Wood’s American Gothic in advertising, MSU’s got yer back. We never got into any screaming matches either.
Bloggies
Last year I attended the Bloggies at the South by Southwest Interactive conference. The presentation was wonderfully low-budget, like a high school assembly. But, oh THE FUNNY. Not only were funny people doing the presenting, there was a huge screen next to the stage showing the IRC conversation about the presentation. So, imagine a presenter saying something funny, and then almost simultaneously, more funny people chatting about the presenter and mocking him. It was so meta that several audience members actually turned inside-out and had to be rushed to the hospital.
Anyway, I’m going again this year (yes, you’ll get your feminist strippers – hang on) and I WANT A BLOGGIE. Gimme gimme. Please. Although there are far more worthy candidates, I’m asking anyway. Won’t you nominate me? Please? I have included this emotionally manipulative kitten to help you with your decision.
To nominate Librarian Avengers for the Best Topical Weblog category, go here. Yes, I know I’m a publicity whore. La la la. Tttpth.
Here are the other fabulous blogs I’ve nominated. I left out some of the obvious ones, like Boing Boing, since they were well-represented last year. Check them out, but not while you are drinking anything that will hurt if you snort it through your nose. I’m just saying.
Best weblog application
WordPress
Spam Karma
Best Australian or New Zealand Weblog
Boudist
Best American Weblog
Dooce
Mimi Smartypants
Best Tagline of a Weblog
Bad News Hughes – Striving to find a way to punch people in the face by using the internet.
My Life as an American Gladiator – Caution! Do Not Insert In Ear Canal!
Best Entertainment Weblog
Pink is the New Blog
Gallery of the Absurd
Best Weblog About Politics
Sivacracy
Low Culture
Salon Broadsheet
Best GLBT Weblog
The Book You’re Not Reading
Pink is the New Blog
Most Humorous Weblog
Bad News Hughes
Mimi Smartypants
Cat and Girl Donation Derby
Best Writing of a Weblog
Echidne of the Snakes
My Life as an American Gladiator
Pound
Best Web Development Weblog
A List Apart
Best Designed Weblog
Megatokyo
Jenny’s Realm
Lifetime Achievement
Dave Shea
Best-Kept-Secret Weblog
PostSecret
Dog Blog
The Ten Thousand Year Blog
Best New Weblog
50 Books
Daleks
At work we have a squadron of slightly outdated DVD jukeboxes. I’ve always been a bit intimidated by them, but until today I didn’t know why. However, the truth has finally come out…
The new BBC Dr. Who is really good, by the way.
Trash for Christmas
I’m back, and am the proud new owner of a headlamp! If anyone wants to go dumpstering with me this weekend, send an email. I’m well-equipped. If you think dumpster diving sounds horrible and gross, here’s a good, well thought-out discussion of the topic, along with some great examples of what you can find. Being filth-averse, I tend to stick to non-food dumpsters and recycle bins. Also, here’s a link to an interesting California legal precedent which might help with the police if you ever get caught. Librarians: this is a great way to aquire new books…as long as you aren’t picky about things like covers. .
The decorating thing…
Hi there – I’m on vacation. woo. Owl’s passed out next to me in a big long bundle of fur. Thanks for all of the great holiday decorating comments. You guys are hilarious and ever-so-various. I just wanted to follow up, because I think a few folks got the wrong impression about where I stand on this crucial topic. That whole rant? The previous post? About the cookies and the survey and the tinsel? That wasn’t me saying that guys don’t decorate or should decorate more. That would be dumb.
What I’m saying is that asking a woman you don’t know about her holiday decorations is a Gendered Question. This is a Gendered Question because Society (not me! society!) has associated women, fairly or unfairly, with homemaking stuff. This is also a Gendered Question because it is almost exclusively asked about women (and by women).
I, personally, don’t really like being asked Gendered Questions because I would rather be associated with the things I actually care about and value like PlayStation and my Large Cat. Not that any stranger is going to realistically come up to me and ask about any of the weird shit I enjoy. Still, I can dream of a world where people greet each other with a hearty “Have you read Seamus Heaney’s new translation of Antigone?” Or thump each other on the back with a cheerful “Ever considered opening up your 802-11 G wireless network?” I can dream my little holiday dreams.
So good for all y’all decorators and non-decorators alike. Good for all you lads who make with the tinsel, and you dudes who snooze through the whole month of December. Rock on my friends, I wish you a happy break.