Good to know my government is looking out for me

I dunno about y'all, but I know I feel so much safer knowing that our government, in their infinite wisdom, is deporting Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens). According to the Yahoo! story, he "will be deported to Britain after being denied entry to the United States because his activities could be 'linked to terrorism,' a U.S. official said on Wednesday."

Well, of course! A man who famously sang these lyrics must be feared:

"Now I've been happy lately, thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be, something good has begun

Oh I've been smiling lately, dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be, some day it's going to come

Cause out on the edge of darkness, there rides a peace train
Oh peace train take this country, come take me home again...

...Now I've been crying lately, thinking about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating, why can't we live in bliss"

(Damn! I have used that song in story hour! Hope my name doesn't end up on a list!)

Plus, of course, he founded the charity Small Kindness, which "works to alleviate the suffering of families and children in the Balkans as well as the Middle East, promoting community development and prosperity by providing relief and educational programs to needy peoples ravaged and made homeless by war and conflict." That's gotta be suspect.

C'mon! I would like to say that this is un-freakin'-believable but, sadly, in W's Amerika, it isn't hard to believe at all.

Sigh.

Read the whole story.

Hey, Ho!

What's going on?!? The Ramones are dropping like flies!

If I were Tommy Ramone, I think I might be a tad nervous right about now...

Happy 70th Birthday, Tomie dePaola!

Warmest birthday wishes to Children's Book Giant, Tomie dePaola as he celebrates his 70th birthday!

I just finished our book display of Tomie's books and we will be having a birthday party for him next Tuesday night as the theme of this month's Slumberland Express Pajama Storytime program. We have also been allowing kids to write Tomie special birthday notes, which we will send on to him later.

A man who creates such beautiful -- and accessible -- art deserves a beautiful year ahead!

Judy Blume to receive honorary award

"Judy Blume, a beloved children’s book writer known for such candid tales as Deenie and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, has been named this year’s winner of an honorary National Book Award for contributions to American letters." Read the rest.

Well, shiver me timbers!

Don't forget to celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day this coming Saturday with some well placed "Arrrrr's" and the like. Check out the Talk Like a Pirate Day site for all manner of pirate-y fun.

Sometimes I love Mayor Daley

In response to Alan Keyes assertion That Jesus would not vote for Barack Obama in the upcoming election, "Chicago Mayor Richard Daley said he's pretty sure Jesus Christ hasn't endorsed anyone in Illinois' U.S. Senate race.... 'I don't think Jesus Christ has endorsed anyone yet,' Mayor Richard M. Daley said. 'I don't know -- we have pastors here. He's not made any official endorsement. If you know that, tell everyone in the world what it is.'" Read the rest.

Saying I'm "cool..." Isn't that cancelled out by me posting this at all?

You are a fridge! You can keep your cool, even when faced with a heated situation. You enjoy being the center of attention, and people come to you for advice or when they want something. People also like to stick things to the front of your body.
What kitchen utensil are YOU?

I dunno if I always keep my cool, although I can certainly pretend to. Don;t like the attention so much, although people do come to me for advice (or at least 'cause I'll listen). As far as that last sentence goes... Well... (blush)

Thanks to Clare at Semi-Evil Squirrel for the link.

Ex*cuse* me?

I got an e-mail from my friend, Pam, last night alerting me to a letter in this month's issue of Esquire. Apparently, "Answer Fella stood up for men everywhere in July (Man at His Best) when he counseled a reader to ignore his wife's sartorial harping." In September's issue (page 50),a reader wrote in to say, "Hey, AF. I like your advice generally, but don't you think you might be awfully misogynistic, referring to a guy's wife as a shrew and ball breaker merely for saying 'you're not fifty yet'?"

The Answer Fella's response?

"The 'guy' who asked for help was a) a librarian and b) twenty-nine years old. Fact A suggests that he's not quite a man in full to begin with...."

WHAT?!?

In my experience, guybrarians are brilliant and we all know that smart = sexy as hell. (Not to mention that I've known a fair number of male librarians who are pretty damned hot -- and would be no matter *what* their profession!) Maybe if they grabbed their crotches, spit, and hollered at female patrons from across the room ("Hey, Bay-bee! I got your Chaucer right here!") they'd be somehow more "manly?" Ridiculous!

I plan to write to this "Answer Fella" (maybe he is just feeling threatened because librarians -- guys and chicks alike -- are the *real* Answer Folk?) and tell him how wrong he is. I suggest that all of you out there in blogland might consider dropping him a note, too. You can contact him by going here.

Librarians of the world, unite!