This American Life #293

A Little Bit of Knowledge

And Dan Savage's Column with Sherman Alexie guesting (NSFW)

Savage Love 9/3/2008

I had a whirlwind 7 days in Paris, France. Here are some illustrated highlights:

1. Tour Eiffel
The gold stars are for France's EU presidency.





2. Au Pied de Cochon
We finally ate at the original, years after the DC location closed because of tax issues.


3. Versailles
Where we see why the peasants revolted. Funniest line from the audio commentary: After the king is awakened by his nurse (who kissed him), doctor and surgeon, "sometimes they changed his shirt because sometimes he sweated."



4. Bercy
Where we learned about Melies and attended a wine festival. They also have wifi in the park.



5. Notre Dame



6. Lots of art
I even did the Da Vinci Code tour from the Louvre website.



7. Colonialism
Chicken Pho at the Vietnamese place down the block from the apartment.



8. Moulin Rouge



9. Michou
We sat next to him at a restaurant in Montmartre. He blew my mom and I a kiss when we left.



10. Art Deco Metro Stations

I have had a very busy Summer Reading Program and now that it is almost over, I am getting ready for a trip to Paris, France.

If anyone wants a postcard from Paris, just send me your address.

Two young women approached me at the Reference desk last night and asked the following question: "What is the difference between sorry and apology?" My first reaction was to direct them to the dictionary and I did. They dismissed that suggestion and started saying something else that wasn't helping me understand their question better and ended with "Well, I guess we'll just have to ask an English professor." Without letting me give the question another try, they turned and hurried out, giggling, leaving me and another patron with our mouths open in disbelief.

I<3UTERI

It is probably I <3 U Teri but I like to think that some OB/GYN owns this car and it is I <3 Uteri. Especially since that's what I initially thought it was.

Things have been going well lately except for a couple snags:

On Friday night, after dropping my boyfriend off, I almost got hit by a train. As I approached the red light before the train crossing, I watched the two cars already at the light make left turns on red and wondered about it. As I got closer, I saw that the train crossing railings were down. Okay, I was ready to wait. After a minute or so, the red light starts blinking and the railings are raised. I wait until the light turns green, then I proceed. As I move into the rail zone, the bells start ringing, the lights start flashing and the railings start lowering. I see a train coming towards my passenger door. The car behind me was able to stop outside the rail zone but I, and the car next to me, had to keep moving. I have no idea what the deal was except that I'm glad that I made it.

This morning I had to meet someone early in the morning but I couldn't find my keys. I searched for 45 minutes until I found them under my dining table in between a drink tub and a keg. Very odd place for them to be. When I got off work, I went to Lowes and got copies of my keys made but I was unable to find one of those things to put on my keychain that beep when you clap.

In happier news, I received my first review copy for the Beatty committee!

I am on the 2009 John and Patricia Beatty Award Committee and we are currently looking for books to read that qualify for the award.

A qualifying title is one that is:

-published in 2008

-a children's or young adult book set in California and published in the United States

-a work of fiction OR non-fiction


If you have read or heard about a book that fits the criteria, let me know!

High speed chase ends in crash, in front of my apartment building. As far as I know he only hit parked cars and then made a run for it but was caught down the street as he tried to run jump high walls and such. The first thing I thought was it was an explosion or someone dropping a dumpster but the sirens were immediate.

Bolded items are true for me.

* Father went to college
* Father finished college
* Mother went to college
* Mother finished college
* Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor
* Were the same or higher socio-economic class than your high school teachers
* Had more than 50 books in your childhood home
* Had more than 500 books in your childhood home
* Were read children's books by a parent
* Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
* The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively.
* Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18
* Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs
* Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs
* Went to a private high school
* Went to summer camp
* Family vacations involved staying at hotels - We didn't take family vacations for as long as I remember.
* Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
* There was original art in your house when you were a child
* You and your family lived in a single family house
* Your parent(s) owned their own house(s) or apartment before you left home
* You had your own room as a child
* You had a phone in your room before you turned 18
* Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course
* Had your own TV in your room in High School
* Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College
* Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
* Went on a cruise with your family
* Went on more than one cruise with your family
* Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up
* You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family

Since the only phone calls I receive on my land-line are solicitations from companies that I do business with and charities (since they are exempt from the Do Not Call list), I have gotten into the habit of not actually answering the phone but just picking up the receiver slightly and hanging back up.

Th other night I decided to actually answer the phone. The first call was from B0fA about insurance. I told the man that I already had some and he said he would take me off the list.

The second call was the best (or worst.) I answer the phone and of course they greet me by my first name as if we are old friends, which I hate. The woman starts into her spiel about thanking me for my previous support. When I get a chance, I politely say that I don't have money to give right now, have a good night. As I'm hanging up I hear her say something along the lines of: how do you know you don't have any money to give, you don't know that. The last part was said kind of sarcastically disbelieving. I just ignored her and finished hanging up the phone but I really wanted to say: of course I know, it's my money.

It's time again for Christmas cards. If you would like to be added to the list, have an address change, or whatever, let me know.

Do not go see this movie!

It was like they took a plot outline and the two sentence description of each character and filmed it. The whole movie required suspended disbelief. There was no character development. There was no reason to believe that the couple would be so deeply in love after a one night stand!

This review is pretty close to how I felt about the movie:
http://mark-reviews-movies.tripod.com/reviews/A/augustrush.htm

I should have seen Enchanted.

For more information on the Broadway Stagehands strike:

http://humblenailbanger.com/WordPress/

http://onenycstagehand.blogspot.com/

Also, I feel bad for the families who traveled from far and wide to see Broadway shows only to find them canceled because of the strike but let's have some perspective. If not seeing "The Grinch" on Broadway in November is enough to "ruin [your] Christmas," then maybe you need some perspective on the what the holiday season is all about. The stagehands and the writers are putting their livelihoods on the line, not just for themselves but for their fellow workers.

People do not go out on strike because it is fun, they go out because they have tried all other options. The stagehands have been working without a contract for 4 months.

People do not get paid when they are on strike. Think about the Christmas that the families of the striking workers will have and then maybe missing out on The Grinch or your favorite TV show won't seem like such a sacrifice.

Blogs to watch for info:

http://www.unitedhollywood.com/

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/

So, the Annoyed Librarian actually got me to read my copy of American Libraries the day that it arrived in my mailbox. After reading the article in question, I think her reaction and that of some of her commenters is a bit off the mark but she does get people thinking about things.

In other news, I have been selected to serve on The John and Patricia Beatty Award committee. It's a two year term and I'm very excited.

My Librarian Film Festival went well last night. Black Mask was the audience favorite for awkward dubbing and outlandish storyline, plus pre-Hollywood Jet Li.

Reading Log is updated.