Happy 19th Birthday Tristan!

Tomorrow, my baby turns 19. Here he is at age 7 preparing

for one of his many super-secret incognito spy missions.

Here's to many new adventures, baby.

This Is Just Wrong

I don't care how moist this Turkey Cannon makes your Thanksgiving turkey, this just doesn't seem right to me. It's supposed to infuse your turkey with whatever liquid (beer, stock, etc.) you choose, keeping the bird moist and juicy and lessen the cooking time per pound. I'm just not sure if I could add insult to injury by eating the poor thing after such a violation....

All I Had Was An Easy Bake Oven!

Check out these yummy-looking felt "shu-mai" dumplings for kids to pretend to cook! They're made by etsy artist dolittledesign and they come in their own bamboo steamer and includes a little cup of "soy dipping sauce" - all made from FELT. Other dim sum treats are also available including pot stickers, scallion pancakes and fortune cookies. Ah, to be six again!

Hide Your Quadrotritecale!

With the new Star Trek movie set to open in May, here come the associated action figures and other Trek paraphernalia. Check out these new Tribbles (if you don't know which episode this is from, just stop reading NOW). I do own a tribble, but since mine was purchased at Trek Con '78, it does not warble around Klingons....yet.

A Case Against Accelerated Reader

Sometimes parents come up to me in the library, point to their child and say, "She's such a good reader. Already at level 2 even though she's only in 1st grade." Whoopie. Or they'll ask me for a book with at least 6 points for their 3rd grader. My first question is always to the child, IF the parents bothered to bring them: "What do you like to read about?" (my second question would be, "Why are you doing your child's schoolwork?" but whatever) I have some experience with the popular, but arguably effective, Accelerated Reader program employed in some schools. Basically, a mathematical formula is assigned to *some* books based on number of pages, words per page and reading level, which is somewhat subjective. For four years, I was in charge of this program in an elementary school. I kept track of the kids' points, helped to initiate incentive programs and, as a library aide, was encouraged to "push the points." All this, I did with a heavy heart. I would always tell the kids, "Okay, this book is four points but keep in mind that there are many, many books in our library that are wonderful but have zero points." Most times, they chose the AR books, since reaching the ten point level won them a chain necklace with a dog tag. Reading became a contest, something you *win,* not something to be done for the sake of enjoyment. I would watch two friends high five each other as they finished a Brian Jacques book, since that afforded them a luxurious 16 point lead over a competitor. "But," I'd ask them, "what did you think about Martin the Warrior? Was he a hero, in your opinion?" The blank looks on their faces gave me the answer. AR tests don't measure comprehension -- not really. I know this because I've made up tests before, and while I promised myself to always read the entire book before creating the quizzes, I was encouraged to perform the mantra of standardized testing: "just scan for the answer words." Don't get me started. I worry about parents thinking that a 14¢ chain jangling with dog tags means their kid is literate. I worry about a school system that doesn't give the kids enough credit to choose for themselves to let their minds expand through imagination, without keeping a score card. But mostly, I worry about kids who may never know what it's like to lose yourself in a book that is really, really GOOD. Deliciously good. A book that makes you sigh when you close the last page, regretting that the experience is over. Satisfaction, not because it has a high number penciled onto its title page or because someone else put it on a list, but because the story touched something in that particular child; maybe something that could change that child's outlook on life altogether or make that child see the world in a completely different way than they'd been taught. For those of us who are dedicated, lifelong readers, just think what your life would be like without the influence of what we've already read: how did Jo deal with rejection as she tried to become a writer, or what was important to Charlotte as she prepared to die? I have no idea how many points these books are, and honestly, I don't care. I do care that the measure of a book should be how it affects the individual, not in the number of pages finished. One of my favorite recitations is, "The more you read, the more you know. The more you know, the smarter you grow. The smarter you grow, the stronger your voice when taking a stand or making a choice." In this time of big change and responsible choices, it seems that our priority should be making sure the next generation becomes as smart as possible.

Word Vomit

It's a running gag at my house that whenever someone, either on television or in person, uses the word "surreal," my right eye begins to twitch. Listen to any interview by anyone under the age of 30 and inevitably they will describe some experience as "surreal." Ack! "The MTV Awards were so SURREAL." Nooo. I'm guessing they're confusing the word with "unreal," and not "surreal," referring to the 20th century style of art using fantastic images to represent unconscious thoughts. I know I should be more tolerant when people blurt out the wrong word, but it literally sends shivers up my spine. That's another word that's frequently misused, "literally." It's supposed to differentiate between the literal and figurative uses of the phrase used but nowadays it's common to hear, "I literally died when I heard that!" Riiiiggght. I'm not the only one irritated by the flagrant misuse of this word, there's a weblog called Literally, A Weblog devoted to pointing some real groaners. And while we're on the subject of pet peeves, the one word that nauseates me more than any other is.....(wait for it...) SUPPOSABLY. Seriously, the back of my eyeballs feel like they're going to explode when people say this word. Of course, they mean to say "supposedly," but something totally WRONG happens when it leaves their lips. Aarghh!! I want to press their lips together and say, "Please, please try again! You can do it!" Unfortunately, now that I've brought it to your attention, you will hear this word ALL the time. Eyeballs everywhere....exploding. Being irritated by the misuse of words has a long history with me. Some of you may have heard me recall gems blurted by my mom, the Queen of Misused Words, say things like, "Don't get near that dog. He might be RABBI'd." With my sister furiously warning me with her eyes to shut up, I ignore her and say, "Well... that may be true because I think he was wearing a yarmulke." Or, Mom's famous line watching two cows on the news which had been wandering for days without food: "They're eating something...they don't look EMANCIPATED." My sister and I freeze and look at each other. Don't say it...don't say it... "Maybe just the black one." *wince* Restraining sarcasm is easier with the threat of a chopstick slap to the back of the head. But I'm getting better. I've come a long way from the days of refusing to listen to America's "Horse With No Name" because I was offended by the line, "Cause there ain't no one for to give you a name." Seriously?? And WHY doesn't the damn horse have a name? You're in the desert...what else is there to DO?? And yes, I admit to correcting bathroom wall grafitti with a red pen...but I digress. Why do people keep writing "definatly"?? I feel like I'm mellowing in my old age. At work, I stayed calm and reasonable with a co-worker who kept pronouncing the word "author" as "arthur" and "librarian" as "libarian." Mahaaablahh urgh...thud!!! Yes, my eyeballs felt like exploding everytime he said these words, but I believe that I've finally broken him of that annoying habit (one down, many to go). My nails have almost grown back from digging them in and I'm sure the circ desk can be sanded down from the gouging but I'm doing better. Amazing what blood pressure meds and a new outlook will do. Surreal...definatly.

Making A Change

An historic night with two incredible speeches. Both made me cry.