In light of recent events surrounding United Airlines, I'm reposting this account of my 2015 United flight experience. Having flown them once since (to collect the $500 voucher referenced below), I made reservations with Sweetheart to fly United later this year. At the moment, I'm rethinking that decision and wishing my economic reality was such that … Continue reading An Open Letter to United Airlines: Rerun with Update
Category: Society
I am a lucky person. On weekday mornings, my alarm clock is Sweetheart coming through the bedroom door and handing me a cup of hot coffee. The ritual dates back to the early days of our relationship. Since January 20, there's been a new component. He hands me coffee. My line after "Thank you" is: "What fresh … Continue reading American ‘Greatness’ in action: Best celebrity gossip site & worst quiz ever
There is a lot of talk on social media about not letting the barrage of crazy shit coming out of the White House overwhelm us into paralysis. The best of these messages came from my pal Flo, who I will quote here: "The important thing for all of us to remember is that … Continue reading Use your words: Wise words from Flo and a letter to a Republican Senator
Ever been told to be careful about that sour expression on your face because “It might freeze like that?” The truth is actually simpler and more complicated, and I offer up as Exhibits A (male) & B (female) our current mess of a president and one of his "counselors." … Continue reading Kill ’em with kindness: Donald Trump, Kellyanne Conway and the ‘Old People Hypothesis’
By this time tomorrow, a Giant Bowl of Id and his minions will be running the country. I'm anxious and I know I'm not alone. We need to band together and work to make sure this doesn’t happen in four years, including making sure mid-term elections head us in that direction. But demoralized, depressed people … Continue reading Staying sane in Trump’s America: a few handy survival tips
The best seven months of my work life so far are the ones I’ve spent as a public librarian. Here are a few of my favorite moments librarying and some pictures of the reason I now describe myself as my library’s “Display Queen.” (Yes, I did use “library” as a verb. Thank you for noticing.) … Continue reading Great moments in librarying (yes, it’s a verb now), with illustrations
2016 is in the rear-view mirror. Last night, we attended a New Year’s Eve party at a house we’ve been lucky enough to be invited to for the past several Dec. 31sts. The host (a guy about my age) remarked that, “We’re old enough that the people who influenced us are starting to die off.” The observation was … Continue reading Strange rites of passage and no bullshit: Welcome, 2017!
In summer of 2008, I took an Ethics of Information class. Our final project was a paper on the topic of our choice. I wanted to look at what I saw as the New Third World - the way on-line information about us could and was possibly already being used to exploit us, make our … Continue reading ‘Big Brother meets the digital Third World’ or ‘I wrote a paper in 2008. Check it out.’
This morning, I woke up to the Facebook village and Twittesphere going nuts over what happened when Vice-President Elect Mike Pence went to see "Hamilton" last night. My first thought was "Geez! If I'd known becoming vice president would have helped me get 'Hamilton' tickets, I would have applied for the job." But who am I kidding? … Continue reading Two post-election vignettes: ‘Hamilton’ cast makes most of ‘Carpe Diem’ moment; Ephemeral display lets librarian do the same
Dear American Muslims and others feeling unsettled by the possibility of no longer being safe in your own country: There is no delicate way to say what I am about to say, so I am just going to say two things that have been running through my mind since Tuesday night. I am so sorry … Continue reading An open letter to American Muslims and Anyone Else Unsettled by the US Election: a Dispatch from the Land of Trumpelstiltskin
the sentence factory 