Rain, Rain, Go Away...

It's raining! Not only is it raining, but it is supposed to rain all day! When I was little enough to still spend days at a time at my grandma's house, I used to sing that "Rain, Rain, Go Away..." song whenever it rained, much to her protest (of the song's intention, not my singing). Back then, I hated being cooped up by the rain. Several years later though, I came to love the rain and I would go outside and get soaked in it, much to my parents' protest. Sometimes I think I should move to Seattle...

Library Internet Filters

Beginning Tuesday, October 26, internet filters will be used on ALL computers at Mesa Public Libraries in order to be in compliance with the Children's Internet Protection Act. Adult patrons will NOT be able to have the filters turned off on a case by case basis. Although I agree with the intentions behind the move, I do not agree with this new policy for several reasons.

For one, internet filters are not as effective as some people would like us to believe. Please read Nancy Kranich's article about the problems with internet filtering, including underblocking and overblocking.

Secondly, it is called the CHILDREN"S Internet Protection Act for a reason. Adults are fully capable of filtering through websites without the aid of software. So why is the City Council not giving adults the option of having the filters turned off?

I haven't heard mention of what type of filter the library will use, but it will most likely be live filtering which is based on vocabulary. I will check it out once it is up and see if I have any trouble accessing sites that are not intended to be blocked (anything about breast cancer, chicken breast recipes, Charles Dickens, Dick Cheney, Planned Parenthood, etc.).

The Media and the 2004 Presidential Election

I had to laugh when I read Emmy Joy's post "Finally, intelligent people..."-- she sounds so exasperated! I find it hard to believe that she hasn't heard more anti-Bush talk. My uncle asked me the other day if I had heard much talk about the upcoming election. When I told him that I have heard a decent amount and that all of it was in support of Kerry, he said that he has noticed the same thing. It's funny the media hasn't noticed it...

Speaking of the media, I just read that Sinclair Broadcasting Group ordered sixty-two of its television stations to air an anti-Kerry film, but they rescinded the order on Wednesday (11/20). I take that back-- they are still going to air the film, but only excerpts will be shown as part of a "news program." That could be just as bad... I first read about this outrage at Rank.

Random Thoughts on... Space Travel

I hadn't had a chance to read Ciao Pollo for a while so I decided to catch up on the posts. The "Space Tourism" post caught my eye-- Pollo reports that one company is claiming that space tourism will be available within the next few years. I find it hard to believe we have so much money, technology and (in some instances) intelligence, yet we are still struggling with issues like poverty, war, disease and intellectual freedom, among other things. We're obviously doing something wrong...

Is This Being Censored?

I read this article today about global warming, written by Mark Hertsgaard for "The Nation." From this article, it sounds like global warming is imminent so I decided to look into it a little bit. It's one of those things that is always briefly mentioned, but no one really seems to know the details. It made me wonder whether global warming is going to be that serious in the near future and, if so, then why haven't we heard more about it in the news?

First off, the EPA has an entire website dedicated to global warming if you would like to learn a little bit about it. It's simple in its explanations, but it contains quite a bit of information. You can even click on a map to learn about what is being done about global warming where you live. According to the "Climate Change and Arizona" report, the average temperature in Tucson has risen 3.6 degrees just in the last century. That reminded me of some pictures I saw while I was going to school there. One of my classes visited the geological research center located on "A" Mountain and they showed us pictures of what Tucson looked like only about one hundred years ago. The pictures were taken from the same spot we were standing at and the difference was incredible. The original pictures showed lots of plant life and a river (it didn't look at all like the desert we all know), but the river was later dammed and the plant life disappeared.

Also, I remembered hearing people talk about Al Gore's speech about global warming in January 2004, but all I ever heard about it was people laughing because the weather was so cold the day he gave the speech. They didn't seem to take it seriously, but that seems to be the problem with a lot of things (I'm a recycling fanatic and it drives me crazy when people don't recycle at all because they don't think it makes a difference-- you know the excuse: "I'm just one person. It won't make a difference." With that attitude, we won't.) I also found this criticism of his speech which accuses Gore of lying in his speech.

I'm so skeptical about everything I read these days so I decided to check out information that focuses on the controversy. This article was informative, but I wanted to do a little more research. I didn't have the patience to sort through that much more information so this last article isn't at all technical, but I found it quite interesting. Apparently, the Bush administration is changing its position on global warming. We'll see if it leads to anything though... This article summarizes what has been done so far (apparently with little effect) under the Bush administration, .

From what I have read, I'd wager that global warming is more serious than some people would like to admit. My guess is that the issue has been downplayed by the press, especially in articles like this. I especially liked this short article about the interplay between politics and science. I'd like to find something that specifically discusses the role that private interests play in censoring global warming news stories-- if you know of anything credible, please let me know.

Check This Out

If you are anything like me, you probably love writing as much as you love reading. If so, then you should check out A State of Writing. So far, the posts have been rather erratic and the latest post was on September 19, but it has potential. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that its creator will start updating it more often. It's so hard to find interesting, up-to-date blogs.

I know I have pointed you here before, but this seems to be one of the few blogs I have found that is both interesting and updated on a pretty regular basis, though only about once a week. Life in a Local Band appeals to me because it deals with an artsy subject, though from a more technical, business-like approach. My only complaint is that there is no info regarding upcoming shows on the blog, but you can also check out the band's website VistaLance. They are in the process of opening a new site that looks more professional. You can check out what they have done so far, but it won't be completely up until November.

If you are thinking about applying to grad school, AZ Schoolgirl's Psyche is pretty entertaining. I especially like her post "Discouraged..." Emmy Joy is applying to law school and this blog is all about the admissions process from a personal persepctive. I just read this blog for the first time this morning and I love it even though I'm not going straight into grad school for several reasons:

1) I'm not positive what I want to do yet. I'm leaning towards library science because I love books and I work in a library that I absolutely love. However, I have this fear of spending the rest of my life in a career that I get sick of right away so I want to be a little more sure before I drop a s#%tload of money on grad school.

2) I would love to go out of state for grad school. AZ doesn;t have any good schools for library science and I want to go to one of the best. I told my mom last night that I need to grow up more before I can move out of state (She just laughed. I've always been told that I am mature for my age, but I'm not quite sure I am ready to give up being physically close to my family).

3) I figure if I play my cards right, I will get a job with a company that pays for my schooling 100%. My mom works for a company that pays for her classes and textbooks, which comes out to about $1000 per class. Crazy, eh?

Excuses, Excuses

I know you aren't really interested in my excuses for not blogging so much lately, but this past week has been so hectic! I've been out of town twice and it was midterm week-- I'm still trying to catch up with everything. Not only do I have midterm projects due, but I also have to turn in a proposal for one of my term papers already. Ughhhhh! This is going to be pretty short because I should be getting ready for work, but oh well.

I only took about ten minutes to look at the Arizona Republic this morning. I found a little blurb on page D3 of the business section that says Florida-based company Applied Digital Solutions has been given the okay to market michrochips that are implanted under the skin in order to provide doctors with easy access to patients' medical records. There is actually a longer article available online that was printed on the 13th. Even though this particular implant may be beneficial, it brings to mind books like The Giver, 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 (this one has a great little article written by Bradbury). Technology is a wonderful thing, but it's also dangerous in the hands of men...

Other Random Blogs

Check out this blog that compares George W. to a robot. It's short, but funny. You might find some other entertaining posts there, all related to robots in one way or another.

I must say that you should check out The Impossible Trumpet even if you have no particular interest in trumpets. I have never played a brass instrument (only strings), nor have I had a desire to, but reading this blog makes me appreciate those who do even more. You can read about Jessie's personal stories pertaining to practice, recitals, etc. There is even a link to a music theory site to help explain pentatonics.

Last, but definitely not least, check out what Cyber Prof has to say. She posts some great articles about blogs and academics.

Judy Blume's "Forever"

I decided to read "Forever" as one of my optional books for school. My memories of reading Judy Blume during adolescense don't jump out at me as being particularly shocking so I decided to see why "Forever" was the eighth most challenged book from 1990-2000. The opening line gave me an idea of why the book is so frequently challenged:

"Sybil Davison has a genius IQ and has been laid by at least six different guys."

Just from the reading of this one line it is easy to understand why most conservative parents would object to their children reading the novel. According to the "2004 Banned Books Resource Guide", one parent went so far as to call it pornagraphy and another said, "It glamorizes [sex] and puts ideas in their heads" (23). However, the novel is not licentious or even pornographic at all. The novel was written over twenty years ago but the topics it addresses are still relevant today. I think Judy Blume understood that an opening sentence like that would grab the attention of young adults who were curious about sex, but afraid to ask about it. The story deals, in a very straightforward, realistic and responsible way with many of the sexual questions and feelings that teenagers have. The book also touches on the subject of abortion, homosexuality and suicide-- all things that teenagers need to be informed about.

The story is about Katherine, a senior in high school, and her relationship with Michael. Katherine believes that she and Michael will be together forever and she eventually decides that she is ready to lose her virginity to Michael. This isn't a rash decision that Katherine makes- she thinks about it, she asks her mom questions, she insists that Michael wear a condom, she talks to him about his sexual history and health and she even goes to Planned Parenthood to go on birth control after her feminist grandmother sends her information packets.

In contrast, Sybil, who the reader is introduced to in the opening line, eventually gets pregnant, doesn't know who the father is, doesn't tell her parents until it is too late for them to force her to get an abortion , gives birth to the baby, gives it up for adoption because she realizes it is the best thing she can do to take care of it. The novel only briefly touches on Sybil's story and emotional pain of having to giver up her baby, but it is there to show the readers what a huge difference being responsible can make.

Mainstream Media

I'm changing the topic a little bit this week. One of my professors mentioned last week that there are only five major corporations that control the media. Although I have heard this before, I never found the time to look into it. I decided this is the perfect opportunity. So here is an article about a book titled "Into the Buzzsaw" that consists of 18 individual stories of award-winning journalists who are shunned by main-stream media for their efforts to unveil controversial stories such as "the CIA's role in drug smuggling, lies perpetuated by the investigators of TWA flight 800, POWs rotting in Vietnam, a Korean war massacre, the disenfranchisement of black voters in Bush's election, bovine growth hormone's dangers and a host of other unpopular issues." Check it out-- the book may provide some interesting reading.

If you want to research the topic a little, this page has a ton of links and lists pertinent books. There are also some good quotes on the main page.

Or you can check out this page, Project Censored. It annually puts out the top 25 censored newsstories of the year.

Some more random blogs

I don't really follow sports, but this guy does. I would check him out if you are interested in sports or are just looking to be a little more well-rounded, as I am.

I've pointed you to this blog before, but this week Pollo has posted about her own personal run-in with retinal scanning. It's like something out of a sci-fi movie, but all too real.

If you are looking to study abroad, check out JMP's recent post with some links to information about living and working in a foreign country. I'm hoping that if I read this blog often enough I will just pick up and leave after a while.

Happy Monday!

Get Involved

Anyone can (and should) get involved in the fight against censorship. Censorship negatively affects everyone. Here are a few ways to get involved:

You can join...

Freedom to Read Foundation
Article 19
American Association of School Administrators
American booksellers Foundation for Free Expression
American Civil Liberties Union
American Humanist Association
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Digital Freedom Network
Electronic Privacy Information Center
Feminists for Free Expression

There are even more organizations that you can get involved in. You can find another list here or let me know if you would like a complete list.

You can...

• wear an anti-censorship t-shirt (or make your own)
• organize a banned book reading group
• petition your community to fight censorship (send the petition to the school board, governor, state representatives and the U.S. Congress)
• write to your local newspaper
• read/buy a banned book

These are just a few ideas from the "2004 Banned Books Resources Guide" by Robert P. Doyle. Be creative. There are many other ways for you to get involved.

Banned Books List

Did you know that this is the 23rd year of "Banned Book Week"? I've been perusing a copy of the "2004 Banned Books Resource Guide" by Robert Doyle. I decided to share some info from it, including a few examples of books that have been challenged. I borrowed the book from one of my teachers who bought it from the ALA website, but I can't find a picture and description of it online. However, I did find a book called "Teaching Banned Books: 12 Guides for Young Readers" that looks like it might be interesting for those of you who teach childrn.

Here's a short article on banning classic literature. According to the "2004 Banned Books Resource Guide," some of the challenged and banned books in 2003 and 2004 include (but are not limited to):

Judy Blume's "Deenie"
David Guterson's "Snow Falling on Cedars"
Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World"
Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird"
Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye"
Walter Dean Myer's "Fallen Angels"
J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series
John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men"
Mildred D. Taylor's "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry"
Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"

I found this cute little blurb about teenagers' desire to read banned books simply because they are banned. I was the exact same way when I was younger (and still am to some extent). I went to a parochial school where the library was arranged by grade level, with all of the picture books in one section, the chapter books for grades up to 6th in another, and books for 7th and 8th grade in its own area. The problem was that I was an advanced reader and in third grade, I was bored with the books in my area. I started checking out books from the 7th and 8th grade section, but one day the librarian wouldn't let me anymore. I was furious and from that day forward, I refused to check books out from the school library because I didn't want my choices restricted. Later that year I went on to read "First Blood" (I read real literature too, but that book stands out because it definitely wasn't intended for younger readers).