Who do I still think I am??

This one's about libraries, the hot button, and the bio.

30DBC PROMPT: "In the modern era, do you think libraries have lost their relevance? Do you have any special library moments that you remember?"

'Sup y'all? Nothin'...I say, nothin' like startin' out a blog entry with a good ol' Opinion Thursday piece, where there can be no right or wrong answers. Everyone's entitled to believe what they want and have the forum with which to say it in, and you're not incorrect for agreeing, disagreeing, or feeling indifferent.

Personally, I'm a fan of libraries...most of the time. I appreciate the notion behind them; usually they're some sort of public/taxpayer-funded operation that seeks to instill a love of reading in a child and provide a solid base of resources for teenagers and adults. I started writing my first blog ("I'm Studying You" ) at a library...it originated as a detailed account of the summer before I started dating my ex, when I'd wake up, go to the store she was working at, flirt with her, and then blog about how chickenshit I was to not ask her out on a date. I worked in my elementary school's library in 4th grade, and in my high school's as a senior. I guess you could say libraries hold a special place in my heart.

Or should I say "well-run libraries"? Because I've got nothin' but animosity for the library in Cortland, and it's been that way pretty much since day one of me being here (see "This one's about the limit. Part 1."  and "This one's about the limit. Part 2." )...which sort of leads me indirectly to today's prompt. I don't think libraries have lost their relevance, but I do think that if library systems aren't maintained and/or can't keep up to date with technology and trends, you'll start to see a gap develop between areas with exceptional libraries and areas with substandard libraries.

They're not just places to go to read a magazine or a newspaper, or check out a book. They're also internet hot spots, places of gathering, a venue for continuing education, and so many other things. Lots of libraries have crowded, busy-looking bulletin boards...have you ever taken the time to actually see what's posted on them? It's not just info regarding a lost dog or someone trying to sell a cheap car...maybe you need your GED, or English As A Second Language classes. There could be all sorts of useful community events going on, and the library's doing its part to keep you informed.

But like I said...if all a library wants to do is open its doors and wait for people to borrow books, it's gonna have a hard time getting by in the 21st century. As people increasingly turn to technology in all facets of life, the modern library has to adapt to its patrons' needs. Having a selection of titles available for e-readers isn't enough; if your computer-illiterate grandmother bought herself a Kindle because she no longer wishes to carry around a heavy book, but you're too far away to show her how to use it, wouldn't it be great if someone at the library (where she might be going to use a computer anyway) could help her out? Offering classes on different kinds of technology is just one way a library can keep up with and engage the community, and for all the times I've bitched about the Cortland library, I do have to say that's one area they excel in.

As for special library moments? I'm not sure. Getting my feet wet in blogging maybe? Does that count? I've probably written at least a third of my entire blog catalog in one library or another, but I'm usually tryna mind my own business when I'm out in public like that. I guess libraries just always felt like some magical place that held a lot of knowledge and truth and adventure, and that's kinda special in its own way.

BCF PROMPT: "Assuming that the legalization of marijuana and gay marriage are the 'hot-button' issues of our current time, what do you think the next hot-button social issues will be and why?"

It's hard to say, because there are so many other things going on right now as well...gun control, wars abroad, the immigration thing, etc. You're also gonna have the consequences (if you can call it that) from the legalization of pot in Colorado and Washington...the other 48 states are paying attention to their successes and failures, which will determine how they'll choose to act down the road. That may just turn out to be a hot-button issue that sticks around a lot longer and will take more adapting to than the legalization of gay marriage, or any other topic taking up real estate on the front pages of newspapers.

I almost wanted to say having a female president would be a big, polarizing issue...but after thinking about it for a moment I'm not so sure. The next presidential election will be in 2016, meaning we're over two years out still. Candidates don't really start shaking out until about 18 months beforehand. And if a woman is running, it'll be a gigantic story...until the election's over. If she wins, the focus will shift to her acclimation to the White House; lose and she'll basically be a trivia question after a few weeks (and I don't mean that at all to sound harsh or judgmental...I just think that a few months after the election the media's focus will be on more pressing matters concerning national and international affairs, and not on what the runner-up's up to). Come 2020, same thing...we'll hear more about it then, but afterward the talk will subside. How many people, in 2014, are still referring to Obama as "our first black president", even though he's been in office now for almost six years? A lot less than those who were back in 2008 and 2009, I'm sure.

Barring any major international conflicts or epic scandals, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some sort of major shake-up in the FDA regarding labeling of food products and the ingredients used to make them. There's a huge push to limit/ban the use of GMO's, and I think as more consumers trend toward organic and home-grown options, you'll see companies start to shift their practices. Of course, this will also cause changes in the cost of doing business, and it wouldn't shock me to see bigger companies try to gouge the average shopper by charging a premium for 100% all-natural ingredients, pitting those willing to pay more for a healthier alternative versus those on a fixed or limited income who are forced to buy cheaper items while running a higher risk of the after-affects associated with GMO-laden foods. It also wouldn't surprise me if some of the larger food manufacturers split up into even smaller branches, for the purpose of offering a wider variety of products with varying degrees of nutritional toxicity at multiple price points, which could force the FDA into becoming for food what the NSA is now to privacy. And it won't be the American people who benefit from this...it'll be the supermarket chains that need to get bigger and bigger, and the real estate developers who will be willing to accommodate them by pushing them into communities that will offer sufficient tax breaks. It'd become the 21st century version of being careful what you wished for, because maybe it's not as cost-efficient and beneficial to the population as we were originally hoping it'd be; instead, we might be healthier, but at what other cost?

MUSICAL BREAK!!

Speculation regarding the future, as a pastime, has evolved so much in the last twenty years. No longer is there just blind emphasis on our dreams and what we envision, but there's also now a tangible thread that nearly everything's possible and will be available sooner rather than later...provided there are certain fragments of the population willing to make the necessary sacrifices of his or her personal time for what is perceived as "the greater good".

"In a city of the future it is difficult to concentrate."
Lyrics.  

THE DAILY BOX SCORE:

"If you could have any author, living or dead write your biography, who would you choose?"

Ouch. Here's where I make a bit of a confession...I don't think I've read enough literature by the same author to say I prefer one's work over another's. Also, I've probably read as many autobiographies as I've read anything else, and each person probably can tell their own story much better than they'd be able to tell someone else's.

So basically what I'm lookin' at here is "pick an author, based on one book you've read of theirs, who can tell your story better than anyone else could, including you". Because if I had my way, I think I'd rather write my own biography, if you don't mind.

I know I wouldn't want one of those celebrity biographers...that seems too safe and mainstream. They probably have some kind of software now where all they have to do is plug in some details and quotes, and out comes 400 pages of mundane drivel intended for casual yet interested fans. No thanks. I want something for the die-hards and completists. Something with balls, that isn't afraid to take you out for a few drinks after stealing your girlfriend. The trouble is, who writes that way? All the authors I can think of that might, well, I'm not too familiar with their work.

I'd like to see what a poet could do...someone like Kerouac or Ginsberg, although perhaps my life at times would be more suited to the style of e.e. cummings or whoever writes the trash you see on greeting cards that are sent to you but kinda don't make sense. How great would that be? "I'll send you a copy of my autobiography!" and it's a fucking greeting card that's a mix of condolences and "thinking of you" sentiments with a picture of a crabby bastard wearing a funny hat on the front. The inside font would look like a kindergartener's scribbling, and you could smell the hot booze breath that accompanies my early- to mid-thirties. And it could be yours for the cost of a postage stamp!

"Congratulations, I'm sorry. 1975-present."

Here's another gem from the world of Gawker: A London art gallery removed a painting from its collection   because an otherwise fully-clothed subject is showing a little too much pube. I understand it was originally positioned in an area where lots of children would be subjected to it...but they replaced the portrait with another artist's rendering of a fully nude woman. Is that not a little ass-backwards?

So the work thing at Capco   is going well...my coworkers say nice things about me to my supervisors and apparently I come up with good ideas. Why can't this be a real job?? Mon.-Fri, 8 hrs./day with benefits and paid vacations? I could handle that. I wouldn't even ask for a really huge salary...just enough to live slightly more comfortably.

Yup...the pre-physical therapy appointment anxiety for tomorrow is already kickin' in. If I didn't have to be in that general vicinity anyway at some point during the day, I'd strongly reconsider going. But I'mma tough it out...I'm not sure at this point if it's gonna be harder to deal with physically, or mentally. Just thinking about what might happen is making me nauseous, and I know I shouldn't and it won't be that bad, but that's how I am.

I finally got my first physical WDC awardicon today (thanks to Future Mrs. Boo )...and it's such a cool little thing! I really didn't know what to expect, but it's certainly more meaningful having something you can hold than just going on a website and looking at a 2-D icon (not that I'm complaining about non-physical awardicons...those are always just as special). When WDC first rolled out merit badges and awardicons many years ago, I think having physical versions of them was something a lot of us thought of at one time or another and figured, "Maybe in the future, when everything's gonna be more awesome!" and then we kinda forgot about it. Oh, what next, mighty WDC?

And just like that, we've reached the end of another entry. Thanks for playin' along...peace, everyone is made for life, and GOODNIGHT NOW!!

The hot-button revolution should now be televised.