Talkin' 'bout my generation

Surprise, surprise, the boomers love to read! See the Newsweek article about
Boomers and the books that defined their generation. But the more interesting part to me is the love for books that endures. I keep thinking about how back then the "establishment" expected rock 'n roll, hippies and radicals to destroy the world as they knew it...and in some way I guess they did...but yet again books rule!

The Gilded Lily

In the spirit of the Oscar, the Grammy and so forth, I've decided to give out my own award which I call the "Gilded Lily." Categories are random....because it's my award and I can do what I want with it. ;-)

Best late night talk show host: Craig Ferguson (because he's hilarious and makes me laugh out loud). He's also written a hilarious book: Between the Bridge and the River.

Best daytime talk show host: Ellen DeGeneres (because she's so down-to-earth and makes me laugh) Of course, this is the only daytime talk show I watch, although I do listen to the hot topics on The View more frequently now that Rosie is on...

Best new music album by an old boomer: Modern Times by Bob Dylan (because it's awesome and you can actually understand the words this time)

Best collaboration between a pre-boomer dude and today's artists: Tony Bennett Duets: An American Classic (because it makes me feel good)

Best new singer: K. T. Tunstall (because she sounds different than anyone else and is mesmerizing)

Best new serial: The Adventures of Mooie (because I'm addicted to it) This was a tough category and Javabell's photo diary runs a close second!

Best non-fiction book recently read: Honor Killing by David E. Stannard (because it's an incredible story and it did more to explain ethnic and political relations in Hawaii than anything else I had read) Honorable mention to 1776 by David McCullough (because it was fascinating and it took place in my backyard)

Best new historical romance writer: Diane Wylie, author of Secrets and Sacrifices (because she's a really good writer who incorporates lots of historical detail and features strong women protagonists) And, for full disclosure, she's also a really good friend of mine and we need to support new authors!

Best middle of the night TV: NBC's Poker After Dark 2amEST (because it beats anything else on at that time of night)

And that's it for now folks. Good night and thanks for reading!

Why aren't we surprised???

So, a congressionally mandated audit found that the Patriot Act was used improperly and alot more than the FBI claimed....Read the NYT story here.

I know librarians and the ALA are not surprised. Although this particular audit did not deal with the part of the Patriot Act that refers to libraries, one can not be faulted for expecting similar results... Keep up the fight!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Click here for an animated greeting!

Tall Tales

The setting: Anonymous public elevator leading to multi-tier carpark, yesterday.

The characters:
Mr. & Mrs. Lee - 60ish Asian-American couple
LN - 40ish overweight, tall Caucasian woman (could be played by Camryn Manheim in the movie version if she wore heels and cut her hair)

Mrs. Lee, brightly: “You’re really tall.”
LN, smiling politely: “Yes, I am.” Thank you so much for pointing that out. No one has ever mentioned it before. Clothes were always too short but I never realized why until you told me! Come to think of it, it must be why I’m usually looking down at people’s heads!

Mrs. Lee, brightly: “How tall are you?”

LN, flat, resigned: “6 ft.” Actually 5’11 ¾” in stocking feet according to the doctor, but nobody believes me.

Mrs. Lee, brightly: “For a man, 6 ft. is not so unusual, but for a woman that’s really tall.”

LN, nodding: “Uhmmm.” And you’re really rude, or at the very least, clueless. If you were a child, it would not be notable, but since you’re an adult...

Lest you think I’m being racist, this phenomenon of stating the obvious (do you think I’m stupid and don’t know I’m tall?) or commenting on physical features is not limited to strangers of any particular ethnic group. Over the years, there have been many other incidents, but one in particular stands out. About 10 years ago I was entering a movie theater in Nevada with my cousin Nick. (See picture; Nick's on the right and my cousin Ron is on the left.) The 18-20ish Caucasian male teenage usher says to me: “Wow, you’re really tall! How tall are you?” Me: “6 ft.” Usher: “No you’re not. I’m 5’11” and you’re way taller than me.” Me: “Ok, I’m not. Then why did you ask?” (He was lucky if he was 5’9 ½”). BTW, Nick was standing right next to me at the time and the usher never said anything to him.

Why do some people think it’s ok to comment on a stranger’s physical features/state the obvious? If you are my friend, I have no problem ‘discussing’ my height, weight (ok, I won’t tell you my weight, but I will admit what size I wear), my crooked nose and my bad knees, just as we discuss other topics that are intrinsic to who we are. People I know and love are free to tease me and I tease them back (especially the under-tall…hehe!) But why would I want to discuss such things with a stranger? And what makes a stranger think I care about their opinion anyway? Isn’t it bad enough that I have to deal with my family and their opinions? I have no energy to deal with strangers!!!

'Reel' Stuff

If you like a movie that makes you think, go see The Good Shephard. It's serious stuff and challenging movie-watching. The film offers a multi-layered presentation of the consequences that result from the path one chooses for one's life. The framework is the founding of the CIA and the type of men who were instrumental in setting it up. Choices are not good or bad but present various options that lead to specific consequences. The plot may be a bit complicated for the 'average' movie-goer, but if you're looking for something a bit deeper and more challenging than the typical hollywood flick, this fits the bill. I thought quite a few of the performances were really top-notch.

The times, they are a changing...

Well, actually, they have been changing for a long, long time. It's just that this particular change is finally being acknowledged as a mainstream trend. It turns out that 51% of [American] Women Are Now Living Without Spouse. (I'm sure the religious right will consider it a sign of the end of the world as they know it. hehe!)

This means I am no longer the abnormal one. Take that, dear traditional, judgemental family. The truth is that I was always just way ahead of my time. :-)

In all seriousness, one hopes that corporate America takes heed and adjusts their benefit and workplace policies accordingly.