Day 260: PushBack

PushBack by Alfred Wellnitz.  ISBN: 9781450234320. 

This blog post has been waiting for me all day.  I just don't want to write it.  But this is a Librarian's Life in Books and, because I read it, it gets a spot on the blog.  Damn you project, sometimes you are no good for me.

The nature of this book requires that I give a brief summary before I start going off on a tangent.  So here we go.  In 2033, the world goes to hell in a hand basket because the US dollar crashes (we are not told why) and hyperinflation occurs ($50/gallon of gas).  Eventually the United States divides itself into smaller nations, the main focus of this book being the southern states (mostly Alabama and Georgia) which are now known as the Federated States and are supported by the Russians as part of their bid to expand their energy empire.  The Federated States are basically run by neo-Nazis who institute an Ultimate Solution to wipe out black people, they hate Mexicans and what not too...but apparently they are not as much of a problem...even though they were earlier in the book.

Possibly the scariest tactic used by the Federated States was when John Renner was on a plane with a woman, whom he of course later had sex with.  She confessed to being an unwilling spy for the Federated States.  Apparently they track the movements of their citizens and if their travel plans coincide with suspected terrorists they are given missions to gather information.  The woman Renner met up with either confessed in order to get more information or because she didn't believe in the Federated States's agenda.

Either way this is a mostly effective means of gaining information and controlling a population's movements all while scaring the shit out of them.  If you want to travel you have to be prepared to accept these assignments, if you don't accept the assignment, they will kill you or your family, or at the very least confiscate your property and kick you out of the country.  These made-up people are batshit, they will do that.  But just think, you wouldn't even need a special spy program if you used this method.  If you terrorize your own country people you can get them to do almost anything for you.  Sure, a few may defect, leave the country, mess with the data, but these are the people you would end up killing anyway because they won't get in line, so no real loss there!

Really, this was an ingenious and terrifying idea on Wellnitz's part.  I sort of wish he had run with it a little more instead of only letting it play for a few measly pages.  Maybe I'll have to borrow and alter it for my own use, just to have fun with it and see how it plays out.  I'm giving myself chills over here. I really hope there aren't any countries actually doing this, even on a voluntary basis.  It's just too damned sneaky and I don't think I'd trust any country that asked civilians to spy without training and proper compensation.

*Note: Won free copy as part of Goodreads giveaway.

 My review can be found on Goodreads.

Day 259: Why Did I Get an eReader?

Hello readers,

I have a new toy.  I named it Hawthorne (after Nathaniel Hawthorne).  It's a Nook Wifi + 3G.  It's shiny.  Here look!

this is not MY Nook, image ganked from B&N

But wait, I'm a librarian, eBooks are the death of libraries, why am I buying an eReader instead of decrying them as the death of libraries and books and the publishing industry?!

Uh, probably because I'm more realistic than that.  Ebooks are a good thing.  They are good for literature, for the environment, for the publishing industries, and they have the potential to be good for libraries too.  This is not the end of books, this is just another incarnation.  It gives casual readers and people who don't have the desire to collect books, the ability to obtain them and keep them without cluttering their homes with things they're going to get rid of anyway.  It keeps those books out of the landfill when they fall apart or when bookstores can't get rid of them and libraries don't want them (as donations; that's right, libraries don't want your ratty copy of The Cat Who Wrote a Blogpost).  It allows people to buy more books at cheaper rates because they don't have to pay for shipping and handling or the cost of actually having the book printed and packaged.

People will still buy physical books.  They will.  There are benefits to owning physical books that cannot be replaced by eReaders.  Books can be lent and borrowed.  Books can be sold.  If you buy an eBook, you do not have the opportunity to get even some of your money back when you dispose of it; you have simply bought the data, it has no value once you "own" it.  I put own in quotations, because that data can and has been revoked by eBook companies.  You are simply purchasing access to that data, and do not have the guarantee of keeping it.  If the data gets corrupted, you lose it just as surely as dropping a book in a bathtub... only less so because most novels are still readable, however ugly, when they've been exposed to water. 

So now that that's out of the way, why did I personally want to obtain an eReader?

They are the future, and I'm willing to embrace them.  They are insanely convenient, and there is an amazing amount of free material available that is much more pleasant to read via eReader than on a laptop or computer screen.  A lot of publishers are moving towards eBooks for galleys and this is a way for me to continue to obtain advanced reader copies.  It is necessary for my professional development as a blogger and as a librarian to use the latest technology for reading and accessing information.  Will it replace me using the library for the bulk of my reading material?  No way in hell.  I obtained the reader, I'm not going to go crazy buying books online I'm going to read once, even at the bargain price of $10.

That's right, I'm using it solely to access free materials, at least at the moment.  When I have money to spend, I may be more likely to purchase books that are harder to find or that I want to keep as reference material.  Many libraries also offer access to eBooks through Overdrive and other media lending services.  The collections aren't large yet, but as more people purchase eReaders, iPads, and similar materials, they will be more likely to provide a wider selection.  Ebooks won't replace regular library collections, but I can easily see them supplementing them, both by expanding the collection and reducing wear and tear on physical copies.  If you have more people reading the eBook, that's fewer people covering copies of Twilight in glitter.  Borrowing books from Overdrive and buying from places other than Amazon is probably the number one reason I did not buy a Kindle.  Kindle is proprietary so they don't allow other eFormats on their reader.  This is bullshit, and Amazon needs to get over themselves. 

Why did I choose the Nook 3G?

After looking at a few eReaders I decided the Nook 3G was the way to go.  If there aren't any wireless networks available, it hooks up with the AT&T 3G network free of charge.  For an extra $50 one-time fee, this seemed worth it to me.  I also liked the wireless download.  It means if I somehow get stuck in a place without computer access, I will not be stuck without a book to read.  There are enough free wireless connections out there to hook up to that it's pretty much guaranteed I will have a library at my fingertips wherever I go.

I didn't go for the color, because to me that defeats the purpose.  It uses an LED screen, which is just harder on the eyes.  It has more functionality, but I don't really need more distraction from my reading than I already have.  I like that the Nook does have a small touch screen at the bottom where I can quick view covers of books.  It's a bit finicky, but once you get used to it it's no more difficult to use than an iPhone or a touchscreen ATM.  In fact, the keyboard is surprisingly easy to use, if a bit laggish.  The touchscreen also functions as a page turner when it goes dark, so that you can "flick" pages rather than using the arrow keys on the side.

The Nook has the benefit of having a Notes and Highlight feature that I can access at any time while I'm in the book.  It works right there on the page.  I do wish it had a separate notes section for making general notes to myself (like keeping a running to-read list to plop on Goodreads, but since I can access Goodreads anyway, not as big of a problem).  The only downside is that I can only highlight and notate books or documents that I own, but what the hell, I usually have a notebook on me anyway.

Physically I like that the Nook has a rubber back and fits well in my hand.  I have surprisingly tiny hands for someone of my size (5'8, 220lbs, yes I'm a fatty).  The rubber back makes it less likely for the otherwise slick eReader to jump out of my hands, and does pretty well at replacing the texture of holding a book, although much slimmer.  And omg, accessories.  You can change the appearance of your Nook by buying all sorts of different frames, backs, covers, and carriers.  At some point, I will at least buy a protective cover for my Nook, so if someone still needs to buy me a Christmas/birthday gift... there you go. I also really like how much cordage they saved by combining the USB and AC adaptors.  Here, check it out, it's pretty.  Oh yeah, and I can choose my own background and screensaver, that's kinda awesome.

Then there's also the expandability of the Nook.  I can apparently add up to 16GB via the internal SD slot.  This is insane given that the 1.5GB it comes with (not including the .5ish the software takes up) can supposedly hold up to 1500 books.  Granted, I can also use it as a music player or audiobook player and it DOES have external speakers on top of having a headphone port.  I haven't tested how good the sound is from the external speakers, but I like the idea of being able to bring text and audiobooks with me on roadtrips.  In fact, I should probably borrow a couple from the library to put on there.  Note: I always delete them when I'm finished, so go away Copyright hounds.

Finally, the last reason I decided to go for the Nook: in store service.  I don't have a B&N close by, but I like knowing that if something goes wrong with it, I can drive the 15-20 minutes and have someone take a look at it.  Ideally they'll be able to fix it while I'm in store and I can enjoy some coffee and sit around reading, but I have no problems going back to a bookstore.  If I bought a Kindle I'd probably have to send it off, even for a relatively minor problem or deal with customer service over the phone.  If I'm going to be made to feel stupid because I forgot to plug it in or because I hit the wrong button, I at least want to opportunity to be laughed at in front of my face.  And if I'm in the store I can read any eBook I want for an hour a day free... plus they give me coupons for coffee.  Speaking of, there's still some left in my pot and I need to get back to my reading.

This is not a paid advertisement.  Barnes and Noble has not offered me any compensation to promote their product.  I have had said product since the 4th as an early Christmas present (thank you, Danny!), and my opinion of it may change over time.  At the moment I am thrilled and happy with my gift.  Dear B&N, if you would like to compensate me in anyway for the positive press... gift card?

Final word:  I still like physical books better and this will not prevent me from carrying around a novel everywhere I go, it will just mean I pack fewer when I go on roadtrips and will never again fear having nothing to read.

Day 258: Dan Walker (guest blogger)

Fated by S. G. Browne.  ISBN: 9780451231284.

I've always considered fate and destiny to be two sides of the same coin: fate is the bad stuff that's supposed to happen to us, destiny the good stuff.  I kind of like Browne's take on the concepts: people are born either on the Path of Fate or the Path of Destiny, and can't travel between the two.  The people on Fate's path have a predetermined life destination, if you will, that can be changed slightly by the choices they make; Fate spends a lot of time complaining that people tend to make bad decisions, and thus their fates go down the tubes pretty quickly.  The people on the Path of Destiny, however, are, well, destined for great things.  Those with fates, if they make the right choices, can sometimes get as high as, say, a one-term president, but those with destinies will become people who make world-changing decisions.

I feel like I was once on the Path of Destiny.  In school, it seemed like I was really going to take my smarts someplace.  People told me I had a lot of potential, but what I lacked was direction, focus, or motivation.  I never knew what I wanted to be, even though I could have been anything, and no one ever really pushed me towards anything.  The praise was great, but I think all it did was give me an inflated ego -- and that's not exactly a career choice.

In reading this book, I can see where I could have made much better decisions in my life.  Bad luck and outside influences have had a lot of negative effects on me, and I tend to blame those exclusively instead of myself.  It would have taken a lot more maturity than I think I have ever had until recently, and the ability to analyze my own behavior and decisions.  That ability, by the way, I believe is sorely lacking in our society.  If people were able to self-reflect on a regular basis, I think we'd have a lot less discord, because that action generates a consciousness of others in relation to our behavior.  You wouldn't have self-entitled jerks making unreasonable demands on retail clerks and fast food cashiers, for example.

But getting back to me, yeah, I've made some bad decisions in my life.  When I graduated high school, I wanted to get into game design, because I was really into video games at that point (talk about a bad influence), but I had no idea how to go about doing it.  So I went in for computer engineering in the hopes that I might be able to get a job and work my way through a technical video game school.  This was, by the way, back when there was ONE school that taught video games, and it was on the opposite coast from me, not to mention it was expensive and didn't offer scholarships.  I was therefore lucky to even be able to get into college, due to my working-class background, but I made a mess of it.

I decided that I'd gone into engineering for the wrong reasons and switched to computer science because most of the classes counted for credit between the two majors.  But comp sci wasn't my thing.  Not only was I not good at it, I more or less predicted the dot-com bust and got out of the field.  I knew that if I didn't, I'd be competing for jobs with people who were vastly more talented in the field than I was.  It's the best decision I ever made.  Unfortunately, then I went into English, because it was easy.  Yes, I missed writing, but I really wish I'd gone back to engineering.  I might have been able to make something of myself that way.

I dicked around in grad school after that, and made a couple more bad decisions that landed me with this unusable Master's degree.  What have I learned from it?  Don't trust omens, that's what got me in trouble.  I've always looked for the fantastic to guide me, because it's a handy excuse to not take responsibility for my own actions.  Well, no more.  I know what I want now, and I know how to get it.  Being able to get it, on the other hand, is another matter entirely, and that's one I can't really figure out at this point.  One day, I hope to get back on my right path and see if I can salvage whatever my fate may be.

Dan Walker (pseudonym) is a writer from Northeast Ohio, who would be teaching ESL if he wasn't unemployed temporarily working at a bookstore. He received a BA in Creative Writing from Wright State University in 2004 and a Masters in Teaching English as a Second Language from Kent State University in 2009. He will make some lucky librarian a wonderful husband someday. 

Day 257: Does My Head Look Big in This?

Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah.  ISBN: 9780439922333.

In this book, Amal struggles not only with her identity, but also with her beliefs.  She is challenged, and rigorously, about something that teenagers have to deal with in a way that us old folk with more adjusted hormones don't have to -- sex.  Amal's beliefs make this especially difficult as she believes not only in abstinence, but in no kissing or sexual touching of any kind with another person (masturbation was not discussed in the book, so I probably won't focus on it). 

This may surprise people, but I am not against abstinence.  I am against abstinence being presented as the absolute only choice and I am definitely against saying that abstinence doesn't have any negative consequences.  That is simply not true.  Every single decision we make in our daily lives has negative and positive consequences, and with something as important as our sexuality and related health issues, we need to know all the details before making an informed and adult decision.  And even though teenagers are not adults, this is an adult decision and they will make it whether you like it or not.  If you think about it, having sex or not is the first adult decision children really make.  For the most part I think this is a good thing, as it is a decision over which they will hopefully have complete autonomy and be will ideally a means of expressing adult feelings to another person who has similar feelings (regardless of whether it is actually capital L Love).

I consider abstinence to be a valid choice in terms of birth control, lifestyle, and emotional preservation, but there are downsides and I think people should consider those downsides before they make the decision not to have premarital sex.  I will list the problems here:

1. Sexual frustration
2. It will affect romantic relationships (to be fair I would add this to the Pro side, as well as the Pro/Con list of Not Abstaining)
3. Peer pressure
4. Differences in experience level when the person does become sexually active
5. Inability to relate to friends, etc. on this topic
6. Being left potentially unprotected or without a birth control method if sex is forced or abstinence is abandoned
7. Marrying someone you are sexually incompatible with

I would say that numbers six and seven are the biggest problems on this very short list.  I did not include all the problems involved in abstinence-only education.  Some of these are not really that much of a downside depending on how well you can cope and/or exactly the level of abstinence.  For instance, someone who perhaps allows dry humping may be better able to cope with sexual frustration, relate to their friends who have had sex, and gain enough sexual experience for it to be less of an issue with a future partner or partners.  Number six can be avoided by carrying protection and/or undergoing chemical birth control methods as a safety measure.  I highly promote the carrying of condoms regardless of sexual activity; there have certainly been times when I've needed one and not had one available.  The worst thing that will happen is that you or your friends will never need them and they expire.

I think number seven causes the most potential damage.  People are entering into marriage with no prior sexual experience and are unable to please their partners or even explain what it is they like, because they simply don't know.  Some of this may get better as newly married and previously abstinent couples become more experienced with each other or seek outside help from sex therapists, literature friends, or family, but some of it is also chemical and physical.  There are people you can love, and just not find yourself sexually attracted to.  I think this is probably more of an issue with people who don't have the benefit of the initial kick that falling in love gives us.  They miss out on that opportunity to have a kind of sex that is impossible to have once body chemistry reaches equilibrium and the "high-as-a-kite in love" feeling wears off.

This does not mean I think people should have premarital sex.  It means that I think they should be aware there are potential consequence and they should be prepared to cope with them.  I do not imagine that would be an easy thing to handle emotionally as a newly wed couple, and so I think it deserve more attention.  To say that abstinence has absolutely no consequences is not doing anyone any favors.

As a note, I made the decision to abstain from intercourse until I was 18.  I feel that it was a very good choice for me, but I do not think it is the best choice for everyone.  I would be happy to discuss my thoughts further for those who are interested and can hold respectful dialog.  Trolls aren't fed here.

My review can be found on Goodreads.

Day 256: Does My Head Look Big in This?

Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah.  ISBN: 9780439922333.

I actually love the hijab.  I think they're beautiful, both in appearance and for what they symbolize.  I'm sure some of my long time readers are a bit confused given my personal views on religion, but I can respect and appreciate a person willing to profess their faith in a relatively non-confrontational but public manner.  There is something so amazing about a person choosing to adhere to such a visible demonstration.  Perhaps I'm so impressed by it because my religion does not have many adherences to comply with.

I always have the option of wearing the chalice, which is the symbol of my faith, but it is not a widely recognized symbol.  People don't judge me based on that symbol unless they recognize it, and most people who do are also Unitarians.  There are certainly people who have misconceptions about who and what we are, but not on the same scale as Muslims.  I don't want my religion to incite the hostility that being Muslim does, I don't want anyone to be persecuted for the religious beliefs, but I do believe it requires more faith/perseverance than being in the majority or accepted belief system.  We are prone to try to fit in with others socially, and being stigmatized would just about drive anyone underground about any signs of their most intimate and basic beliefs.

But maybe having more subtle signs of belief as a Unitarian is a good thing.  I'm able to judge someone based on who they are first.  For instance, I started attending a knitting meeting at the local coffee shop awhile back.  I went to several meetings before realizing they were also all Unitarian Universalists.  How did I know?  Trigger words.  UUs have a special language regarding our faith.  Certain words that belong to us, mostly the phrase "worth and dignity."  A woman at the meeting said these words in regards to a law on the ballot this year and I immediately knew she was a Unitarian.

We all laughed about it, but I think it shares one thing in common with the hijab: they both express one of our shared beliefs.  There are many different kinds of UUs and many different kinds of Muslims, but when you strip away the different interpretations of a religion and the cultural additives, these are the things that are truly indicative of the faiths.  The hijab being a symbol of modesty, a sign of faith, a means of recognizing others of the same faith, and a means of maintaining personhood in relationships with men (by reducing display of sexuality). The UU language is, at least for me, a means of reminding myself what the basic tenets are.  Even if I forget the exact phrasing or what all 7 Principles are, I can always remember that everyone has Worth and Dignity.  I don't think I could be prouder to be part of a religion in which those two words are the ones that most easily identify its members and beliefs.

My review can be found on Goodreads.

Day 255: Drowned Sorrow

Drowned Sorrow by Vanessa Morgan.  ISBN: 9781605941622.

Here's something I can agree with:

[Kenny] believed that a house revealed a lot about one's personality.

Unfortunately it continues into something I am less inclined to agree with:

People who wanted to live in a place like this [small and cozy] were usually introverted and looking for protection, but the ones who chose a spacious house were balanced and open.

Uh...  This makes Kenny sound like an asshole.  Which I don't think he really is.  He's obviously a very driven person, having given up most of his life to achieve his dream of being the best surgeon in the country/world/whatever only to find that he has cancer and will soon die before ever achieving that goal.  But anyway, back to the house thing.

There are some people out there who are perfectly happy living in smaller homes than they need to, not because they are introverted and looking for protection, but because they are comfortable with themselves and the people they share their space with.  If you think about it, it's much easier to get away from yourself mentally when you're in a big open space than if you feel crowded and cramped by your surroundings.  I think this is why people enjoy being out in nature so much: they can lose themselves in the wilderness.  If you're stuck inside your house, you find yourself reflected back 100 times over.  It's easier to escape if "you" are more spread out through an entire house.

You know what else a big house says?  It says you have something to prove to the world.  I think if I was a world class surgeon I would have already proved that and wouldn't need a huge house.  Someone in a big house is saying, "I've achieved and I need you to know that."  I see that as being uncomfortable that no one will know about it, instead of feeling that the achievement is worth it in and of itself.

I don't feel the need to have a large house or a brand new car every three years or less.  I would rather have that money for emergencies or traveling to gain new experiences, to have smaller comforts rather than an extravagant space.  I don't plan on having a house full of kids or pets; I'll be happy with the same 900 square feet I had as a graduate student (although I'd take an extra 300 for a workspace/guest room).

My review can be found on Goodreads.

Day 254: Drowned Sorrow

Drowned Sorrow by Vanessa Morgan.  ISBN: 9781605941622.

One of the things I think this novel did well was to remind me of how present water is, and how inescapable and how scary that might be if it were suddenly out to get me.  Although in the case of Drowned Sorrow the fear of water was caused by legitimate threats by the water in Moonlight Creek, there is such a thing as aquaphobia (note: hydrophobia is usually a symptom of rabies).

What would it be like to be afraid of something that is so basic to our lives?  There is not one day that goes by where we are not confronted with water in some form or another.  It is still the best possible way to get clean and of course it's pretty difficult to escape the weather.  Can you imagine how terrifying a bathroom must be for someone with a severe case of hydrophobia?  And then there's the fact that water covers 70% of our planet, and it's probably increasing thanks to global warming.  There would be absolutely no escaping if water was actually out to get you.

I've had a couple of experiences that have made me more aware of being trapped in water.  If you remember my blog posts about Susan Casey's The Wave, you'll know what I mean.  But most of this is caused by lack of appropriate respect or precautions taken by The Dumb Humans.  There are some terrifying weather events, to be sure, like my run in with a flood in Tennessee last May.  To be honest, I really ought to be more traumatized around water than I am, but all of those near drownings and weather disasters were more or less out of my control once I was in the situation and so being afraid of it wouldn't help me survive.  I did have one experience that almost stopped me from swimming, not because of the water, but because it was the first time I learned people will literally step on you to get what they want. 

I might have been anywhere from five to eight years old at the time this incident occurred.  I was swimming at a public pool, most likely on a military base.  The lifeguard had just blown the whistle to indicate that kid's swim was over and it was adult only swim now.  I was probably somewhere close to the deep end, but still technically in the shallow end.  I had hold of the hand rails and had lowered myself into the water in order to get a little more lift to haul myself up, when I felt someone step on my head and push me to the bottom of the pool.  My head must already have been underwater a bit, but even at the age of five I was already 4ft tall.  I remember thinking how heavy it was and how much pressure there was between the bottom of the pool and the person standing on top of me.  It felt like they took forever getting out, and I didn't have a full breath of air to go on, I remember clawing at their ankle. 

I don't know what they thought, but when the weight was finally off of me, there wasn't anyone standing over me to help me out of the pool or see if I was alright.  I know it was a white man, because I remember watching those ankles walk away as I coughed and tried to focus my eyes.  Kind of put a damper on swimming for a while.

Morgan definitely did a good job of making the water present, but perhaps it was a little too present.  I just don't think anyone would stay in a hotel that obviously smelled of mildew and had significant water damage.  There are enough instances of omnipresent water without having to find new ways of introducing it.  I think a more subtle touch would have been scarier and could have led to a bigger build up.  There was a lot of creepy-scary upfront that ruined the danger-scary for me at the lack-of-climax-because-it-was-all-heightened-emotion ending.  That jumped into a bit of a review; I'd apologize, but it can't all be me, me, me.

My review can be found on Goodreads.

Day 253: Kill and Kill Again

Kill and Kill Again by Hugh Pentecost.  ISBN: 9780396088981.

We meet a man named Mark Foreman pretty early in the book.  He's one of the big bosses at Manchester Arms and therefore a potential Bad Guy.  With the way he was introduced, you automatically want to like him.  He's a down to earth guy, the kind of person you would want to be your boss if you worked in a factory job or other mind numbing labor.  Quist and the reader meet Foreman for the first time while he's wearing work blues and greasy gloves, and he explains he's just been down in the factory, "Where the work actually gets done," to ensure product quality and make sure things are running smoothly.

It seems like there are so few bosses like this now it makes me cry.

I worked in a deli/bakery at Winn Dixie when I was 18 and there was one day we just didn't have the staff to cover.  Instead of telling us to deal with it, my manager put on a hair net and a pair of gloves and started slicing meat with the rest of us schmucks.  This impressed me greatly because the management at the previous job I had at a Christian thrift store was horrendous and downright unethical.  To go from a place where the management actively tried to destroy their employees by firing them just before they would get benefits and then rehiring them after a period where their seniority was reset to a shining example of humanity and authority... well, I can't tell you how amazing that was.

Of course, it seems that in most companies people don't work their way up anymore.  If you don't work your way up, you don't know how hard the people below you are actually struggling with their jobs, etc.  You also don't know exactly what goes on or how things operate.  If you don't know the basic functions of the workers below you, how can you possibly make good decisions about where to cut corners and how to improve assembly lines or service?  If we're going to pay our corporate managers the wages of three to four people, shouldn't they know how to do the jobs of at least that many people well enough to take over for them in an emergency?  Why are we only paying them for one job, as stressful as it may be?

I think if corporate managers knew how hard people worked at those jobs, they wouldn't be so quick to lay them off instead of giving up their bonuses.  I think they would realize how much they need those workers to provide the best possible service, the best possible product, and to do so in the safest way.  And this goes for pretty much every industry.  As a librarian, it often angered me to see people enter the library school program with intentions of becoming a librarian without first having any experience as a page, and no intentions of getting that experience.  If you aren't willing to go into the stacks and pull or shelve the books, I don't think you should even think about asking someone else to do it for you when you're a manager.

According to the review from Publisher's Weekly on Amazon.com, this wasn't even a very good book when it was published.  Psst, I don't like linking to Amazon either.

Day 252: Kill and Kill Again

Kill and Kill Again by Hugh Pentecost.  ISBN: 9780396088981.

So the premise of this book is that a country music star's sister was killed, and the murder was covered up by someone working for Manchester Arms.  The bright idea that Wally Best (the singer) has is to get elected mayor of the town so he can have unhindered access to any information or shady deals.  The premise is almost silly, but the campaign is actually run closer to a current day campaign.

Pentecost may have been concerned about the track politics was on, having lived through most of Reagan's two terms.  And of course now campaigns are almost laughable.  There's hardly any real content to campaign ads that actually allows us to intelligently select our next leaders.  Instead, it's about who can entertain or charm the most, and who can provide the scariest story about the other guy or the economy or Oh God the Gays Are After Us.  I think Pentecost would have considered the last three or four presidential collections very helpful in writing this; unfortunately he didn't have that help and really once Quist (the Public Relations official turned private eye...type...person...thing?) got involved with solving the crime, there was no more focus on the whole reason Quist went to Bridgetown in the first place.  Yes, Wally wanted to solve the crime, but Quist was just supposed to get Wally elected so that Wally could do that.  Instead Quist snatches that away and does all of the work for him.

But the campaign is not even good entertainment.  If politics is going to be turned into a three-ring circus, I at least want some decent bear baiting and motorcycles in cages.  What is this weak watered-down excuse for a petting zoo?  There's no pleasure in watching a bunny rabbit stared down by Katie Couric, it's just painful.  If we're going to torture anyone with leadership based on who can entertain the best during the stupidly long campaign, it ought to be the candidates.  I think I'd much rather see a Fear Factor-based campaign than watch another attack ad which tells me absolutely nothing about the candidate running it.  I think people probably know and learn more about the kids from Jersey Shore than their own elected officials.  How messed up is that?

Also, who wants to bet that my blog stats will get a boost just from mentioning Jersey Shore...

According to the review from Publisher's Weekly on Amazon.com, this wasn't even a very good book when it was published.  Psst, I don't like linking to Amazon either.

Day 251: Everybody Marries the Wrong Person

Everybody Marries the Wrong Person by Christine Meinecke. ISBN: 9780882823195.

There are a lot of things I don't agree about in this book, including the idea that telling a partner what they can do to better suit us is a bad idea.  Obviously there are things that should be off limits, and as long as it is not actively hurting anyone, it shouldn't be something to keep bringing up every chance you get, but addressing it once or twice seems like it could be helpful for all parties involved as a means of talking about the relationship.

But let's try to keep it positive here.  I think the one piece of advice I can really get behind in this book is that the marriage and the relationship ought to be redefined as often as necessary.  Some of you may be saying, "What the hell does that mean? Marriage is marriage right?"  Well, yes, and no.  There are many different kinds of marriage, and I'm not just talking about open marriage, although that's certainly part of it.  People marry for different reasons, and those reasons are likely to change as they get older and no longer have the same needs or ideas.  I think rather than ignoring this fact, it is a good idea to sit down with your spouse and really talk about what the marriage has done for you in the past, what you hope it will do for you in the future, and what it is doing for you now.

It could be that there isn't actually a problem between you and your spouse, so much as there is a difference of opinion about what the relationship currently is.  Danny and I have already had a discussion or two about what our relationship is, was, and will be or might be in the future.  In some ways it made things infinitely easier to talk about in terms of recognizing that our current situation is not ideal, and may not be for a while, but that both our needs are being met as much as possible given the situation.  We don't have an open relationship per se, but I don't think either of us would begrudge going on a date with another person in the sense that we want to enjoy a special evening out with someone we may or may not end up having fun with.

I have taken advantage of this once in our relationship, and honestly it was too weird to really pursue any further.  This may change in the future, and I have every intention of always asking permission - not because my husband has any right to control my actions, but because I respect his feelings and opinion on the matter.  If he wasn't okay with it, I would at least think very carefully about continuing that action, or I might attempt to rephrase my argument about why he should be okay with it, etc.  This doesn't just apply to extramarital relationships, it's just the easiest example.

Think of it more in these terms: Danny is a wonderful, kind, caring human being who makes me laugh my ass off more often than not.  However, there are areas where he is lacking.  He does not enjoy the same movies or books or activities that I do, and he is somewhat unskilled with the nuances of very in-depth conversation regarding literature and art and a few other areas.  For this reason, I require relationships with other people to fulfill my more intellectual needs.  I engage Danny in these conversations whenever possible, but I don't think he's as passionate about it and he's not as practiced at it as some of my other friends, so I enjoy it more with others.

This will obviously change as I'm able to talk more with Danny, as we read more literature together that we both like and want to discuss, etc.  My relationship with him will also change as we rely more on each other financially, as our parents and other relatives pass on, as we get jobs and move in together, etc.  So as we gain or lose roles, it only makes sense to redefine my relationship to my fiance as husband, friend, lover, court jester, editor, punching bag, what-have-you.  To ignore those changes is to ignore new facets and points of interest, and more dangerously, to ignore potential potholes and problems.  To overlook either would be devastating because I would miss out on the chance to know even more about the person I intend to be with for life, and to blindly neglect new needs or other adaptations that are essential to happen to adjust for life changes.

My review can be found at Goodreads.