Like a few hundred other folks, I attended Thursday’s program on “dead wood in libraries.” It was the only program I was able to go to–had I not been felled with a cold, I would have done a couple more on Friday, but such is life. At any rate, this was a great [...]
Tags: Congrunts
“Marriage, whatever the word’s separate meaning as a spiritual or religious rite, will remain a pressing constitutional issue in a country founded on equality. If marriage laws were set in stone, after all, same-race marriage would still be the only legal kind.” Frank Rich, 2/29/04
Frank Rich–drama critic, political columnist, arts writer, and novelist–may well [...]
Tags: Gay Rights
I recommend these titles for anyone interested in learning more about Cuba:
Isadora Tattlin [pseud.]. Cuba Diaries: An American Housewife in Havana.
A view of Cuba during the worst part of the “Special Period.” While the writer had unusual privilege, her camera’s-eye view of Cuban life at many levels is interesting and valuable. This is [...]
Tags: Cuba
I came down with such a powerful cold that I left early on Friday, but on Thursday, from early morning until mid-evening, Thursday was a glamorous whirlwind of programs, vendor meetings, and parties. The Webjunction party was where every it-person in librarianship seemed to be. So nice to see everyone! Wish I had pix from [...]
Tags: Congrunts
Congrunts are a takeoff on refgrunts, which in turn are brief near-real-time brain dumps of what you experienced on the reference desk that day.
Raced to convention center, split cab with Highsmith vendor. We discussed RFID for a while and then debated whether or not ALA had met at Seattle sometime in the 1990s (I [...]
Tags: Congrunts
From the Human Rights Campaign: “Mayor Newsom is … having an LGBT Town Hall meeting this Saturday, February 28th. It is being held in the auditorium of James Lick Middle School, 1220 Noe, San Francisco from 11 am to 1 pm. He would very much like as large an attendance as possible.”
Other [...]
Tags: Gay Rights
I moderate comments on this blog primarily to kill the evil sp*m monster (surely the Voldemort of blogging), but also because I’ve had a few trolls under my bridge. Mostly I moderate after the fact, and if you’ve successfully posted on FRL before and haven’t been banned (which only happened to one person, a creep [...]
Tags: Recto and Verso
Jack Stephens crossed a line, and didn’t apologize, so he is banned from this site. (Actually, it was a hat trick: his comment was homophobic, xenophobic, and disrespectful.) Jack may figure out how to get around the technical aspects of the ban, but at that point his behavior would be harassment. Don’t [...]
Tags: FRL Penalty Box
The spring, 2003 arrests and lengthy prison sentences of the 75 Cuban journalists, writers, and independent librarians receive some much-needed attention this Sunday, February 22, in a Parade Magazine article, “The World’s 10 Worst Dictators,” by journalist David Wallechinsky. The reporter interviewed human rights organizations to determine this year’s list, and focused on the [...]
Tags: Cuba
My partner and I stood on line for over three hours tonight, but after that long haul were able to make an appointment to get married at noon on Friday, March 5, 2004, at San Francisco City Hall. Thanks to Mayor Newsom and all the supportive people in SF’s government for making this possible. We [...]
Tags: Intellectual Freedom