Another Loss to Literary Scholarship

Literary scholars have lost another friend. I bow to your ghost, Ms. Stern. Your research brought delicious chills and gothic thrills back into literature for me.

Dog Love

Ok, so we (the girls and I) don't usually promote the canines of others. The girls get a little jealous. But, I just couldn't resist this mug. Congratulations, Craig & Steve! Archie will make a fine addition to your family.

And, if you really love bulldogs or just dogs in general, check out the new children's picture book The Fabulous Bouncing Chowder by Peter Brown. It made me laugh out loud, over and over again. Gotta love the drool!

Film Recommendation

I just finished watching a fairly entertaining documentary entitled The Education of Shelby Knox (premiered on PBS-POV in 2005). This film focuses on the struggles of a high school student in Lubbock, TX as she attempts to work with her school board and urban government to revamp the sex-education offered to teens. For those who have biases in their minds about teen slackerdom, this documentary offers a refreshing portrayal of how some kids are stepping up and trying to change their world. If Shelby Knox stays focused and on her political path, she will certainly make a difference. (BTW, she is now a PoliSci/pre-Law major at U-TX-Austin.) You go girl!

Jury Duty

After 22 years of adulthood, I finally was called for jury duty. The county clerk wanted me to serve back in January at the end of the academic semester. That would have caused significant difficulties for my school district, so I asked for, and was granted, a rescheduling / postponement to this week. Although I wasn’t thrilled about having to be away from my new job (in my second week), it worked out to be a good time to be away. My library/office is closed to the public this week for administrative catch up and preparations for the upcoming academic year.

So, the morning started off in the brand new courthouse building – snazzy interior. As always, I arrived way early. I had a great book to read and settled into the waiting room to get through a few chapters before the process began. Of course, there was an older gentleman talking, talking, talking with another juror as if it were his first opportunity to be with people in years. Perhaps it was. I just couldn’t concentrate on my book. His loud conversation on his colonoscopy was just the last straw. I got up and moved into the larger juror waiting/presentation room. Finally a bit of quiet or at least softer conversations between people. Once it was time for the basic information delivery of the process, people from the smaller waiting room and halls joined us in the larger room. In a room able to accommodate at least 200 people, with 1/3 of the chairs empty, guess who sat down next to me? Yeah, colon-talking-guy, and he smelled a little funny, too. I just focused on the directions and presentation (a cheesy talking head video).

My group was called up right away and sent up to a main courtroom. I was called for the original 23 jurors from which the court members (defense/prosecutor) would choose the final 12. The case was a criminal case & involved domestic violence, so while questions were addressed to potential jurors, I had to mention my study and classroom work in this area, especially my classes focusing on social justice (gender issues). I also had to note that I was involved in women’s group activities (i.e., Take Back the Night planning). I did emphasize that I believed I could be impartial, but the concern was raised. Big surprise—I was not selected to serve on the final jury.

Those of us not selected were sent back to the reception area. We were done for service. Although I am honestly thankful that I did not need to serve on a jury for this particular criminal case, I wish that I had been able to see the process all the way through. It was interesting – slow going with all the directions – but interesting.

If you are called to serve. Be on time! Dress in layers. Take good reading materials or spend some time journaling. Make sure you know how to turn off your cell phone. Take along all of your patience. Oh, and brush your teeth – the person sitting next to you will appreciate it.

Importance of the Vote

In hopes that democracy will prevail.....

Americans should take heed of the importance of the democratic process and the luxury of the vote (NY Times article re: Sierra Leone). There should be no more excuses of why we couldn't get to our polls. And, perhaps we should discuss more about making Election Day a national holiday where business shuts down to accommodate that democratic process, where children are given better educational opportunities to learn about elections, and where neighbors have time to actually talk about and understand politics.

Rise up and speak to create the peace you desire!

A No Brainer

This study by University of Washington researchers shows what teachers, librarians, and others-in-the-know have been saying all along: turn off the television/videos and interact with your child, play with your child, READ TO YOUR CHILD.

...duh!