Book Meme

Thanks Jessica for tagging me for this one, it's right up my alley. Not tagging anyone specific, but if you want to do it, consider yourself tagged. Also I got lucky in that my toddler tends to pull out all the books on the bookshelf next to the computer and an interesting one (and a personal favorite was sitting on top of the pile I had shoved back on the shelf (bad librarian, I know):

Book Meme:

The Rules: Grab the nearest book. Open the book to page 56. Find the fifth sentence. Post the text of the next two to five sentences in your journal/blog along with these instructions. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST. Tag five other people to do the same.

"Mamma," she said, flushing hotly and turning quickly to her, "please, please don't say anything about that. I know, I know all about it." She wished for what her mother wished for, but the motives of her mother's wishes wounded her.

From Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. Read it. Immediately.

Top Ten Awesome Things About December

10. X-mas lights
9. Latkes and other oil-drenched foods that are "allowed"
8. My half-birthday
7. Snow!
6. Coupons, sales, buy one, get one, etc. etc.
5. Shaving my legs is completely unnecessary and even provides me with extra warmth as a bonus.
4. Chanuka Parties
3. Less time outside, more time inside to read and drink hot cocoa under a blanket
2. Boots
1. Lighting the menorah the first night. And last night. And all the nights in between.

Talk about giving your children the best chances for their lives:

This is too insane for me to even discuss:


http://gothamist.com/2008/12/17/no_shoprite_cake_for_baby_hitler.php

We are Not What You Think

If you've been reading my blog you know that I don't wear a shapeless cable-knit cardigan and a glasses chain and only shush my children. Still here are two more stereotype-busting links so you can see how cool I truly am:

See, and I thought I was the only librarian superhero:
http://www.mlive.com/news/annarbornews/index.ssf?/base/news-30/122901008590970.xml&coll=2


And here is one about real heroes, librarians who helped settle the West a century ago:
http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=225940

Librarian Rage

We all have this kind of day....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzbDdgWiaS0

The Most Wonderful Time...

Believe it or not, I love this season. I like the lights all over the place, I love the Christmas songs on the radio, I insist on going into Manhattan and playing the tourist, walking around Rockefeller Center and looking at the Macy's windows. Why? Not quite sure, as I am and always have been Jewish and frum. I guess I'm just a sucker for the cheesy sentimentalism that goes along with the "holiday season." I get like this on the 4th of July, too. Play right into their hands, probably.
But what I don't like is the hordes of consumers descending upon every mall, store, shop, boutique, etc. etc. Lines are crazy, people are rude and pushy, and I get this overwhelming urge to remind people that nothing disastrous would happen if they give their loved ones gifts on the 26th this year. Have you ever been inside Macy's in December? It's a zoo. Wrapping paper and tinsel flying. It's frightening.
Which brings me to Black Friday. Anyone else hear about this trampling of a Wal-Mart worker? It's horrific that what was supposed to be simple bargain shopping turned into Chicago 1968.
Why did it happen? And who has the blood of Jdimytai Damour on his hands? Mob mentality is such a scary thing. I was indignant when I read about this and yet...I got to thinking. If I had been in that crowd when it surged forward, what would I have done? Stopped and waved my arms, trying to get everyone to calm down? Turned around and pushed back towards the parking lot? Chances are, if I had tried to do any of those things I would have gotten hurt, too. And chances are, I would have just gone along with it, like everyone else. And then blamed someone else for an innocent man's death.
No matter how this happened, it would have been sad. But for it to happen so some people could get cheap DVD players and digital cameras? A tragedy.

To Life

For anyone who spent countless childhood hours paging through her parents' and grandparents' old issues of Life, this is for you.

http://images.google.com/hosted/life

I could spend days here, so be warned. There's something fascinating about a glimpse into the life of someone else, be it someone famous or world renowned or just someone from a different time and place.
Enjoy!