UPDATE: library displays
Well, the blogging world isn't made of perfect people, but it still burns me that MCW is "moderating" the comments to only show those who agree with him. My comments never appeared, and I never even got near rant-mode. He chose instead to post comments like this:
"Do you know how hard it is to look at these little gay people in prom dresses and eat at the same time? I thought I was going to have to reclaim my eggs out of the key board. I didn’t know whether to laugh or puke."

I don't have a problem with moderating out cursing or threat filled comments, but this just shows how some people think. My way (FOR EVERYONE!) or the highway. I guess I was naive to think he would include any comments that were not as hateful as his own statements.
- posted by lore @ 12:01 PM
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library displays
It seems that there is always something to complain about in a library. Either they don't like the displays, they don't like the policies, or they don't like the books.

Sometimes I write a comment, the Meeciteewurkor blog moderates the comments so I'll reproduce here in full. I admit, I fell into the "dialect of the locals" at the end:

lore: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
June 22nd, 2005 @ 11:03 am
Why did you find it necessary to mention that the holocaust display mentioned the disabled? Do you find down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or people in wheelchairs “immoral”? Do you believe only in “perfect” people? Many groups were murdered during the holocaust based on their beliefs, ethnicity, and physical condition. Statements about the disabled should not be lumped in with your beliefs about homosexuality.

We are lucky to live today in America where you are not in danger of being executed by the government because of your religion, race, sex, or health conditions. I disagree with your views on homosexuality, but we all have the right to follow our own religion and to express our political beliefs.
I encourage you to find out more about the display policy at the library and create a political statement of your own within the display regulations (whatever they are). My public library allows a wide variety of displays, and even has a great section in the kid’s are for them to display their own collections (legos, stamps, trains, etc). You might suggest a similar setup for the Tulsa library in the kid’s area.

I also have one question since I am not from the Tulsa area and cannot visit the library. You state about your video “That short clip starts out looking toward the children’s library and I turn around to show the gay exhibit.” Where are you standing when you filmed? From your video, it looks like the display cases are in a main lobby sort of area with other general displays. Is the adult reading section nearby? The entrance doors? You could suggest that the children’s section be enclosed, so that the rest of of the library is not visible to them, and kids can’t run out the front door unsupervised. It is the parent’s responsibility to monitor what their children read, and where they are in the library. Too many parents assume the library is a safe place to leave kids unattended, when any stranger can walk in off the street.

Good luck with your inquiries. Remember to cherish your right express your views, and that others have the same rights.
- posted by lore @ 11:40 AM
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t-shirts
Fun t-shirts can be found at Threadless. I found the site through preshrunk, and now I'm back almost every day to vote on new designs. I love the idea that the designs are voted on, so the participants have a say in the next punny or political shirt.

I can't say that I always like what wins. The shirts I rate at a 4 or 5 tend to finish out at a 2 or 3. I guess I just have different tastes.
New design I like: Gingerbread Nightmares
- posted by lore @ 5:30 PM
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letting go
I should have just let this blog stay dead, but I couldn't resist linking to NoMilk's post about Terri S.
I also told myself that if/when I started blogging again, I would stick to odd facts, books, and educational themes instead of getting political. So much for New Year's resolutions.

Thank you to the dead pope for distracting the world from the whole Terri issue. At least I get to see cute swiss guards on the cover of the morning paper.
- posted by lore @ 6:29 PM
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-ist
More fun found through websurfing. The Gothamist site is great, if you live in NYC. Unfortunately, the Chicagoist site just isn't as detailed as Gothamist. I really miss the different sidebar categories for postings, and the events coverage. Hopefully Chicagoist is a growing blog that will improve over time.
- posted by lore @ 11:28 AM
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the secret bookcase
I always wanted a bookcase door, to conceal the hidden passages to the underground treasure vault, of course. Well, maybe just the coat closet.
- posted by lore @ 7:09 PM
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random surfing
I've been surfing down the "next blog" chain and found a blog I want to mention.

PCL LinkDump
It has some great pop culture, I loved the comics links to Kenn Minter and Thrilling Adventures. I'll have to do some detailed exploring.



- posted by lore @ 6:39 PM
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piles upon piles of books
Yes, I have an obsession. One can never have too many books. I just brought home another 15 books from the free book cart at the library, and I don't know where I will be able to put them. I have 4 book cases that are almost entirely full of books (they also hold some videos and cd's) so I'll have to do some rearranging to fit them all in.

An article in The Chronicle of Higher Education expressed how you can quickly find yourself buried in your treasures:

I wonder whether I am afflicted with something more than a "gentle madness," as Nicholas A. Basbanes described it in his 1999 book on the history of book collecting. You see, I spend more on books than I do on food.

There are at least 700 books in my English department office. There are another 200 stashed in filing cabinets in the hallway. In my home office I estimate there are more than 2,000 on the shelves and another 300 in a pile on the floor. There are about 400 books on cooking and gardening in the kitchen. And, finally, there are about 50 books on a shelf next to my bed. Those are the ones I intend to read soon. That shelf tends to fill up during the academic year and empty out during the summer.

read the rest of this article here.
- posted by lore @ 7:37 PM
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Oh, Canada!
Americans meant it that they said they didn't want another four years of Dubbya:

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The number of U.S. citizens visiting Canada's main immigration Web site has shot up six-fold as Americans flirt with the idea of abandoning their homeland after President Bush (news - web sites)'s election win this week.



"When we looked at the first day after the election, Nov. 3, our Web site hit a new high, almost double the previous record high," immigration ministry spokeswoman Maria Iadinardi said on Friday.


On an average day some 20,000 people in the United States log onto the Web site, www.cic.gc.ca -- a figure which rocketed to 115,016 on Wednesday. The number of U.S. visits settled down to 65,803 on Thursday, still well above the norm.

Read the rest of the story here.
- posted by lore @ 10:04 AM
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Get out and Vote!
I've done my civic duty, I voted before work. The polls were very busy the first hour, but I didn't have to wait too long in line. My location used the optical scanner system. I'm interested to know what other systems are out there, and which is used the most. So get out there and vote, then leave a comment about what system your polls use. I'm also curious about how many polling places hand out those little stickers that say "I voted today".

No Milk has a great comic for election day on his blog The Deep South, so take a look.
- posted by lore @ 9:47 AM
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