Recently I had the opportunity to tour the International Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago. This facility contains artifacts, illustrations, and sculptures that trace the healing practices of Eastern and Western medicine. Exhibits include medical imaging, ophthalmic art, nursing, pain management, surgicogenomics, orthopedics, and pharmacological science. The museum’s mission is “to enrich people’s lives by enhancing their appreciation and understanding of history, development, and advances of surgery and related subjects in health and medicine.” (brochure) Visit their website for more information http://www.imss.org/ .
The facility provoked my thoughts on the ubiquitous exposure the lay person has with modern medicine. Media, news articles, Internet and greater use of the health system forces one to become increasingly literate with the terms of medical science. “Doc-talk” is not necessarily the lingua franca of the public however. To help you decipher “doc-talk” I have planned two blog entries that will relate the meaning of certain terms and abbreviations commonly used by physicians and health care professionals. The lay person is expected to understand what has taken health care professionals years to master.
This first entry will reveal some of the more common medication abbreviations and medical terminology. The second will feature prefixed and suffixes most commonly used that will indicate anatomical and physiological terms. Many entries have their origin in Greek and Latin. Hopefully these blog entries will provide enough information so you can have a reasonable understanding of what is meant when your medical professional uses “doc-talk.”
Prescription abbreviations: Rx (from the Latin imperative recipe) – take thee of, ac (ante cibum) – before meals, ap (ante prandium) – before dinner, b.i.d. (bis in die) – twice daily, hd (hor decubitus) – at bedtime, p.r.n. or ad lib. (pro re nata or ad libitum) – as needed, q.h. (quaque sec hora) – every hour, q.i.d. (quarter in die) – four times daily, qtt – drops, sig (signa) – give following directions, ss (semis) – one half, t.i.d. (ter in die) – three times daily, ut dict – as directed.
Other terms used: Bx – biopsy, CBC – complete blood count, C/O – complains of, Dx – diagnosis, Fx – fracture, Hx – history of, NPO – (nil/nihil per os) nothing by mouth, O2 – oxygen gas, pH – acidity scale ( 0 – 14 with 7 as neutral; lower numbers are acid, higher numbers are basic or alkaline), R/O – rule out, c (with line over it) – with, s (with line over it) – without.
Other useful terms: ataxia – loss of control over body functions, edema – abnormal swelling or accumulation of fluid (pulmonary edema - accumulation of fluid in the lungs), ischemia – decrease in oxygenated blood being delivered to an organ (TIA – transient ischemic attacks or silent strokes that occur when brain is briefly deprived of oxygen, MI – myocardial infarction or heart attack caused by decreased oxygenated blood flow to the heart), metastasis – migration of cancer (CA) cells to other organs and parts of the body.
What is the difference between a CT Scan, MRI, fMRI, and PET Scan? The CT Scan (computerized tomography) utilizes an X-ray machine working with a computer to examine body organs, constructing a series of cross-section scans in one dimension. It is useful for viewing detailed pictures of body tissues and structures. The MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) uses nuclear magnetic resonance of protons to help distinguish between healthy and diseased tissues in a three dimensional proton density image. The fMRI (functional MRI) is a particular MRI that registers blood flow to functioning areas of the brain. A PET Scan (positron emission tomography) uses positrons to discover functional information. Images show molecular function and activity, the metabolic activities of body tissues. Its three dimensional images can be used to identify whether a tumor is benign or cancerous. PET Scans are often used to compliment the more common CT Scan and MRI.
Coming next: common medical suffixes and prefixes.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
I Most Certainly Am Not A Twit!
Nor do I “twitter.” Twitter is the new darling of short attention span egoists. Tweets of 140 characters or less keep hundreds of “followers” informed of their every move. Twitter is becoming as popular as Facebook and MySpace, two of the best known networking applications available on the Internet and on mobile devices. In addition to manic thumb typists, movie stars, newscasters, and TV personalities send cyber messages ad nauseam.
A recent AP article by Martha Irvine, writing for USA Today, examines the Twitter madness and other social networking behaviors. The article describes the results of a recent Pew Internet & American Life Project survey that divides Americans of all ages into three groups: 45 % who love socializing via computer or mobile device, 48 % who do not, and 7% described as “conflicted about staying in constant contact.”
One cannot escape Twitter. We are led to believe that those without continuous connection to total strangers are antediluvian. Self-esteem is determined by the number of friends and followers one amasses. Oprah claimed 100,000 Twitter followers within hours of setting up her Tweeter presence.
But, wait a minute. Look at the Pew survey numbers again. Only 45% of the population love incessant socializing via computers and mobile devices. If the percentage of those “who do not” incorporate with the “conflicted” a majority of 55% emerges. Is this majority unaware of every other news article and their favorite news journalist’s continual claims that everyone—read “them”—tweets? Why haven’t the 55%-ers embraced this hot phenomenon? Are they twits too?
The hype is manipulative. The tyranny of the minority tries to convince the majority to follow. It’s Madison Avenue in cyberspades. Is that 55% too embarrassed to speak up?
Well, I’m not. I have refused numerous e-invites to become someone’s “friend.” (Web bots become quite indignant when you turn down their invitations!) I don’t need to have my mobile phone glued to my ear. I use IM for work purposes only and “chat” very occasionally. If you have a Facebook page don’t tell me about it. If you’re eating a greasy burger in St. Paul I don’t want to hear about. It’s not all about you. Sorry.
Here’s my unembarrassed stand on Twitter. Quite frankly, I’m not important enough to need continuous attachment to 500 total strangers. Actually I like the freedom inconsequence brings. But I do recognize importance. The vast majority of tweets and Facebook-like entries are banal, trivial. It’s noise, and I like solitude. Norman Cousins wrote that “a life without silence is a life without privacy.” I’m very big on privacy—mine and yours. Most of what passes for cyber-connectedness is ersatz relationship.
Those of us in that 55% are not out of the loop; we prefer that the loop not choke. Would it not be refreshing and charming for actual human beings to learn the latest, relevant news from real people in real time? The 55%-ers are not Luddites. Most of this majority is techno-savvy and comfortable with useful applications whether these are the next great thing or not. Perhaps the 55%-ers are more self-assured and substantial. We assess the situation in hand and adjust our actions accordingly. Fortunately very little is crucially immediate.
Of course there exists a need for efficient communication in real emergencies, especially in the violent, uncertain times evident in our time. There are truly useful applications for Twitter-like applications. Knowing that the highway you drive to work has an hour backup can save time and aggravation. In-time information suits these reactive applications perfectly.
The concision required by the 140 character limit can challenge one to focus and think before thumbing. Concise is nice in its place, but consider the following tweet:
Hamlet here.Denmark stinks.Dad walks@midnight;Mom weds UncleC.’Phelia tops herself.Anybody ask me?Like I so don’t care.Crossed swords. Oops!
Thanks to Twitter concision you will not need those theatre tickets. The Hamlet experience is already yesterday. Tweet on to the next text thing. (The 55%-ers are grateful that Shakespeare wasn’t a tweeter, although he almost has as many followers as Oprah.)
Twitter will probably not go away until someone thinks up an equally annoying next great experience. Unfortunately the die has been cast for social networking applications. Recently a Pennsylvania pair, intending a world record, sent 217 thousand text messages in one month. (To be fair these were not Tweets.) Most of these were concision personified—one word messages like “LOL”. The pair racked up a phone bill for $26,000. Unfortunately the mobile provider had to write the debt off because the individuals had an unlimited no cost texting contract. The wife of one of these record breakers gave up trying to reach him by phone. Hopefully there were no real emergencies to address. Of course she wouldn’t have had the chance to tell her thumbilicious twit if she wanted to leave him either. It’s an ill wind…
Author George Eliot wrote, “Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving us evidence of the fact.” Thanks anyhow, Oprah. I’ll pass.
A recent AP article by Martha Irvine, writing for USA Today, examines the Twitter madness and other social networking behaviors. The article describes the results of a recent Pew Internet & American Life Project survey that divides Americans of all ages into three groups: 45 % who love socializing via computer or mobile device, 48 % who do not, and 7% described as “conflicted about staying in constant contact.”
One cannot escape Twitter. We are led to believe that those without continuous connection to total strangers are antediluvian. Self-esteem is determined by the number of friends and followers one amasses. Oprah claimed 100,000 Twitter followers within hours of setting up her Tweeter presence.
But, wait a minute. Look at the Pew survey numbers again. Only 45% of the population love incessant socializing via computers and mobile devices. If the percentage of those “who do not” incorporate with the “conflicted” a majority of 55% emerges. Is this majority unaware of every other news article and their favorite news journalist’s continual claims that everyone—read “them”—tweets? Why haven’t the 55%-ers embraced this hot phenomenon? Are they twits too?
The hype is manipulative. The tyranny of the minority tries to convince the majority to follow. It’s Madison Avenue in cyberspades. Is that 55% too embarrassed to speak up?
Well, I’m not. I have refused numerous e-invites to become someone’s “friend.” (Web bots become quite indignant when you turn down their invitations!) I don’t need to have my mobile phone glued to my ear. I use IM for work purposes only and “chat” very occasionally. If you have a Facebook page don’t tell me about it. If you’re eating a greasy burger in St. Paul I don’t want to hear about. It’s not all about you. Sorry.
Here’s my unembarrassed stand on Twitter. Quite frankly, I’m not important enough to need continuous attachment to 500 total strangers. Actually I like the freedom inconsequence brings. But I do recognize importance. The vast majority of tweets and Facebook-like entries are banal, trivial. It’s noise, and I like solitude. Norman Cousins wrote that “a life without silence is a life without privacy.” I’m very big on privacy—mine and yours. Most of what passes for cyber-connectedness is ersatz relationship.
Those of us in that 55% are not out of the loop; we prefer that the loop not choke. Would it not be refreshing and charming for actual human beings to learn the latest, relevant news from real people in real time? The 55%-ers are not Luddites. Most of this majority is techno-savvy and comfortable with useful applications whether these are the next great thing or not. Perhaps the 55%-ers are more self-assured and substantial. We assess the situation in hand and adjust our actions accordingly. Fortunately very little is crucially immediate.
Of course there exists a need for efficient communication in real emergencies, especially in the violent, uncertain times evident in our time. There are truly useful applications for Twitter-like applications. Knowing that the highway you drive to work has an hour backup can save time and aggravation. In-time information suits these reactive applications perfectly.
The concision required by the 140 character limit can challenge one to focus and think before thumbing. Concise is nice in its place, but consider the following tweet:
Hamlet here.Denmark stinks.Dad walks@midnight;Mom weds UncleC.’Phelia tops herself.Anybody ask me?Like I so don’t care.Crossed swords. Oops!
Thanks to Twitter concision you will not need those theatre tickets. The Hamlet experience is already yesterday. Tweet on to the next text thing. (The 55%-ers are grateful that Shakespeare wasn’t a tweeter, although he almost has as many followers as Oprah.)
Twitter will probably not go away until someone thinks up an equally annoying next great experience. Unfortunately the die has been cast for social networking applications. Recently a Pennsylvania pair, intending a world record, sent 217 thousand text messages in one month. (To be fair these were not Tweets.) Most of these were concision personified—one word messages like “LOL”. The pair racked up a phone bill for $26,000. Unfortunately the mobile provider had to write the debt off because the individuals had an unlimited no cost texting contract. The wife of one of these record breakers gave up trying to reach him by phone. Hopefully there were no real emergencies to address. Of course she wouldn’t have had the chance to tell her thumbilicious twit if she wanted to leave him either. It’s an ill wind…
Author George Eliot wrote, “Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving us evidence of the fact.” Thanks anyhow, Oprah. I’ll pass.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Gullible's Travels: Shibui
Balboa Park is enjoyed by native San Diegans as well as visitors. Its parks, gardens, and museums team with activity in this usually nice year-round climate. I say 'usually' because San Diego was cold, wet, and gloomy. Yes, they desperately need the rain and the mayor has initiated a water rationing plan that will begin this summer. However, for the winter-weary it was disappointing.
Despite the weather I visited several museums and galleries in the park. The buildings, since replaced with studier replicas, were built for the 1918 World's Fair that was designed to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal. Balboa 'discovered' the Pacific Ocean so who better to name the park after. The park is also home to the famous San Diego Zoo which I also visited. It was a second trip to the zoo, but the pandas had not been installed on my last visit. It was special to see them and the koalas.
My favorite museum was the Mingei International Museum which specializes in the presentation of contemporary folk art, craft, and design from world cultures. Not withstanding the ugly and misleading caricatures outside the building, the museum's collection is beautiful, thought provoking, and diverse. Of particular interest was the Japanese exhibit demonstrating the concept of Shibui.
According to WikiPedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibui "Shibui is a Japanese word which refers to a particular aesthetic of simple, subtle, and unobtrusive beauty...(that) can apply to a wide variety of subjects, not just art or fashion." Its original meaning, dating from the 14th century, suggested "astringent taste." Since the 17th century, the term defines anything "that was beautiful by being understated, or by being precisely what it was meant to be and not elaborated upon. Essentially, the aesthetic ideal of shibumi seeks out events, performances, people or objects that are beautiful in a direct and simple way, without being flashy." Shibui embraces the arts of the people.
The Museum exhibit enlarges on this definition. Shibui craftsmanship reflects a utilitarian and unadorned philosophy. The objects included in the collection are simple, everyday essentials of the common man. The exhibit includes dinnerware, chairs, clothes, and other everyday objects. Materials are natural and functional. Yet each is a work of art. Herein the paradox reveals itself.
Shibui translates well into European examples that are more familiar to me. What appears commonplace necessity, utilitarian, stripped of all non-essentials becomes rare and beautiful. Shibui is as elegant in its simplicity as the beautiful mathematical formula, epitomized in Einstein's equation E = mc². It is puissant in application, like a cosmic singularity. A shibui object is absolute potentiality veiled in functionality. The acerbic becomes a terrible beauty.
Both the haiku and an example of medieval Irish poetry demonstrate this concept in the language arts.
A splash of lightning sparks,
Forsythia;
Spring opening here today!
[Author unknown from The Haiku Anthology, n.d.]
The Sea
Look you out
northeastwards
over mighty ocean,
teaming with sea-life;
home of seals,
sporting, splendid,
its tide has reached
fullness.
[Medieval Irish Lyrics, translated by James Carney. Mount Rath Portlaoise, Ireland: Domen Press Ltd, c 1967, 1985, p. 41. The Irish poetry is elegant in the original Gaelic, but an English translation will have to do.]
In these comparisons and examples I realized that Shibui summons my memory of the essential Epicurean goal of ataraxia, which translates as tranquility, equanimity, and repose of mind. In this paradox the Epicurean becomes Stoic. The cold rain no longer causes irritation. Viewing the crafts of Japanese artisans helped banish the winter in my mind. I was exactly where I wanted to be, simple and unassuming.
We would do well to seek shibui/ataraxia in our daily lives, and more importantly, in our souls.
Despite the weather I visited several museums and galleries in the park. The buildings, since replaced with studier replicas, were built for the 1918 World's Fair that was designed to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal. Balboa 'discovered' the Pacific Ocean so who better to name the park after. The park is also home to the famous San Diego Zoo which I also visited. It was a second trip to the zoo, but the pandas had not been installed on my last visit. It was special to see them and the koalas.
My favorite museum was the Mingei International Museum which specializes in the presentation of contemporary folk art, craft, and design from world cultures. Not withstanding the ugly and misleading caricatures outside the building, the museum's collection is beautiful, thought provoking, and diverse. Of particular interest was the Japanese exhibit demonstrating the concept of Shibui.
According to WikiPedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibui "Shibui is a Japanese word which refers to a particular aesthetic of simple, subtle, and unobtrusive beauty...(that) can apply to a wide variety of subjects, not just art or fashion." Its original meaning, dating from the 14th century, suggested "astringent taste." Since the 17th century, the term defines anything "that was beautiful by being understated, or by being precisely what it was meant to be and not elaborated upon. Essentially, the aesthetic ideal of shibumi seeks out events, performances, people or objects that are beautiful in a direct and simple way, without being flashy." Shibui embraces the arts of the people.
The Museum exhibit enlarges on this definition. Shibui craftsmanship reflects a utilitarian and unadorned philosophy. The objects included in the collection are simple, everyday essentials of the common man. The exhibit includes dinnerware, chairs, clothes, and other everyday objects. Materials are natural and functional. Yet each is a work of art. Herein the paradox reveals itself.
Shibui translates well into European examples that are more familiar to me. What appears commonplace necessity, utilitarian, stripped of all non-essentials becomes rare and beautiful. Shibui is as elegant in its simplicity as the beautiful mathematical formula, epitomized in Einstein's equation E = mc². It is puissant in application, like a cosmic singularity. A shibui object is absolute potentiality veiled in functionality. The acerbic becomes a terrible beauty.
Both the haiku and an example of medieval Irish poetry demonstrate this concept in the language arts.
A splash of lightning sparks,
Forsythia;
Spring opening here today!
[Author unknown from The Haiku Anthology, n.d.]
The Sea
Look you out
northeastwards
over mighty ocean,
teaming with sea-life;
home of seals,
sporting, splendid,
its tide has reached
fullness.
[Medieval Irish Lyrics, translated by James Carney. Mount Rath Portlaoise, Ireland: Domen Press Ltd, c 1967, 1985, p. 41. The Irish poetry is elegant in the original Gaelic, but an English translation will have to do.]
In these comparisons and examples I realized that Shibui summons my memory of the essential Epicurean goal of ataraxia, which translates as tranquility, equanimity, and repose of mind. In this paradox the Epicurean becomes Stoic. The cold rain no longer causes irritation. Viewing the crafts of Japanese artisans helped banish the winter in my mind. I was exactly where I wanted to be, simple and unassuming.
We would do well to seek shibui/ataraxia in our daily lives, and more importantly, in our souls.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Gullible's Travels: A Transcendental Interlude
We’ve just returned from southern California which is home to some of the country’s mega-mega churches. The thrill of breathing the same air with folks who attend the Crystal Cathedral or with the super-preacher, Rich Warren, sends shivers down my spinal column. How can such a rarefied atmosphere not affect one?
I think it might have. While preparing dinner last evening I asked my husband to bring in a few potatoes from the larder. He brought three, one of which was naturally shaped like a heart. “Wow, call Jerry Springer.” I cried. I looked more closely at my “love potato.” Could it be? If I looked very closely—preferably with my glasses off—did I really see the face of the Lord? An amazing wonder lay on the counter, Jesus in the Potato.
It was truly a wondrous miracle, especially after cutting into three onions before finding one that wasn’t rotten. “Jesus in the Potato, praise the Lord!” Others have seen such miraculous wonders in wax drippings or on the walls of a Chicago viaduct. In fact, “Our Lady of the Underpass” is scheduled for the PBS pledge drive tonight. Now I have had a visitation worthy of the 6 o’clock news. The Lord had chosen my kitchen counter and I was inspired.
I brought the potato into hubby’s den. In my best ministerial voice I proclaimed, “Alleluia! Jesus has chosen to appear in my potato. Send money, brother, and I will praise the Lord in your name.” Hubby was curiously unimpressed. His attention was focused on the 250 plus stock market losses of the day. Philistine!
“Brother, the Lord wants me to save you.” I held the potato high in the air as I invoked higher powers. While doing so, I glanced at the back of the Jesus Potato. Sure enough, it revealed the three-quarters profile of a squirrel. “Alleluia! Jesus is speaking through this humble cook. Send money. The Lord loves you, hubby. And he loves the ground squirrels enough to share my potato.”
I explained that the Lord’s message to the world was clear. “Send money. Send money so the Lord and I can build a Squirrel Haven.” My husband is a particular sinner with respect to Jesus’ chosen rodent. He has been destroying nests high up in the oak tree again. “Alleluia! Jesus and the squirrel on my potato can only mean that I have been chosen to shelter the least of His creatures. Send money!”
Hubby offered to send money for a ‘Squirrel Heaven’ which reflects a certain insensitivity on his part. “Jesus in the Potato is a sign, you sinner.” I was pulling out all stops. “You need to be saved. Send money. This Potato was sent for your redemption.”
“More like for my dinner,” he mumbled.
As I left his den, sincerely praying for his squirrel hating soul, I tried to think of other ways to get my message to true believers while converting the doubtful. I rushed back into the den. “Jesus in the Potato has one final message. It’s your last chance. Send money.” My husband turned on his favorite news program, wondering if dinner would ever make it to the table. “You’re going to be watching me on that TV,” I prophesied.
He turned to look at me. “What’s Jesus’ final message?”
I knew I had him now. “Well,” I said. “Jesus also says that 'Roland Burris is the best man for the job'. So there!” He tossed me a quarter.
Returning to the kitchen, I whispered under my breath, “Praise the Lord.”
Alleluia! I only needed two of those potatoes so I decided to spare the ‘Jesus in the Potato’ potato—at least as long as the donations continue to trickle in.
Who says travel isn’t rewarding?
I think it might have. While preparing dinner last evening I asked my husband to bring in a few potatoes from the larder. He brought three, one of which was naturally shaped like a heart. “Wow, call Jerry Springer.” I cried. I looked more closely at my “love potato.” Could it be? If I looked very closely—preferably with my glasses off—did I really see the face of the Lord? An amazing wonder lay on the counter, Jesus in the Potato.
It was truly a wondrous miracle, especially after cutting into three onions before finding one that wasn’t rotten. “Jesus in the Potato, praise the Lord!” Others have seen such miraculous wonders in wax drippings or on the walls of a Chicago viaduct. In fact, “Our Lady of the Underpass” is scheduled for the PBS pledge drive tonight. Now I have had a visitation worthy of the 6 o’clock news. The Lord had chosen my kitchen counter and I was inspired.
I brought the potato into hubby’s den. In my best ministerial voice I proclaimed, “Alleluia! Jesus has chosen to appear in my potato. Send money, brother, and I will praise the Lord in your name.” Hubby was curiously unimpressed. His attention was focused on the 250 plus stock market losses of the day. Philistine!
“Brother, the Lord wants me to save you.” I held the potato high in the air as I invoked higher powers. While doing so, I glanced at the back of the Jesus Potato. Sure enough, it revealed the three-quarters profile of a squirrel. “Alleluia! Jesus is speaking through this humble cook. Send money. The Lord loves you, hubby. And he loves the ground squirrels enough to share my potato.”
I explained that the Lord’s message to the world was clear. “Send money. Send money so the Lord and I can build a Squirrel Haven.” My husband is a particular sinner with respect to Jesus’ chosen rodent. He has been destroying nests high up in the oak tree again. “Alleluia! Jesus and the squirrel on my potato can only mean that I have been chosen to shelter the least of His creatures. Send money!”
Hubby offered to send money for a ‘Squirrel Heaven’ which reflects a certain insensitivity on his part. “Jesus in the Potato is a sign, you sinner.” I was pulling out all stops. “You need to be saved. Send money. This Potato was sent for your redemption.”
“More like for my dinner,” he mumbled.
As I left his den, sincerely praying for his squirrel hating soul, I tried to think of other ways to get my message to true believers while converting the doubtful. I rushed back into the den. “Jesus in the Potato has one final message. It’s your last chance. Send money.” My husband turned on his favorite news program, wondering if dinner would ever make it to the table. “You’re going to be watching me on that TV,” I prophesied.
He turned to look at me. “What’s Jesus’ final message?”
I knew I had him now. “Well,” I said. “Jesus also says that 'Roland Burris is the best man for the job'. So there!” He tossed me a quarter.
Returning to the kitchen, I whispered under my breath, “Praise the Lord.”
Alleluia! I only needed two of those potatoes so I decided to spare the ‘Jesus in the Potato’ potato—at least as long as the donations continue to trickle in.
Who says travel isn’t rewarding?
Friday, February 20, 2009
Gullible's Travels
Travel should broaden one’s perspective. We have just returned from a three week trip away from winter. The ‘away from winter’ part wasn’t very successful, but the first week’s weather was nice. Our initial stop was Phoenix, AZ. It’s been about 15 years since we were in Phoenix. The growth of this area is phenomenal. The temperature was in the mid 80s, very nice indeed for winter-weary Midwesterners. However it is extremely dry and the cooling effects of perspiration do not apply. All that glitters is not your damp skin.
Phoenix is an easy city to navigate as long as you don’t confuse Streets with Avenues. We did and I nearly got heat stroke looking for the Museum of Geology. Fortunately some very nice people in an attorney’s office took pity on us, offering cold bottles of water and a place to splash cool water on my very red and hot face. They were kind and helpful to the two senior yokels who stumbled into their offices on 15th Street. Unfortunately we should have been on 15th Avenue. Back to the map…
Both young people and middle aged people were amazing courteous throughout the city. We never entered a bus or the new and nice light rail without someone offering a seat, giving a smile. People answered questions and would phone for directions if needed. This rapidly growing city has not lost its small town character. Folks care about each other in Phoenix. What a nice change.
As is our habit, we visit libraries wherever we can. The main branch of the Phoenix Public Library System was very modern. Some of their ideas were very innovative. Some things were a surprise. On the front door of the library there is a sign which reads: “No weapons allowed in the library. Please check your weapons at the security desk.” Oh my! That’s not a sign this librarian is accustomed to seeing. Of course it perfectly legal to carry concealed weapons in AZ; probably better to expect people to have them. I wonder what the compliance rate is for checking them at security. It’s just not something you expect—perspective broadening though.
Phoenix, as a location, is not really new. There was a thriving Native population living there several hundreds years ago. The Hohokam devised a system of irrigation canals that could not be bettered by modern engineers. The area was a center of trade and the early Native Americans traveled over large areas to trade. Agriculture flourished. The Pueblo Grande Museum features archeological ruins that indicate sophisticated astronomical knowledge. The Hohokam loved their sports. A game court provided a means to excel. Only one problem however, the winners lost their heads—literally. One really needs to think about that outcome!
More about our winter get away later; Southern California chapter coming soon.
Phoenix is an easy city to navigate as long as you don’t confuse Streets with Avenues. We did and I nearly got heat stroke looking for the Museum of Geology. Fortunately some very nice people in an attorney’s office took pity on us, offering cold bottles of water and a place to splash cool water on my very red and hot face. They were kind and helpful to the two senior yokels who stumbled into their offices on 15th Street. Unfortunately we should have been on 15th Avenue. Back to the map…
Both young people and middle aged people were amazing courteous throughout the city. We never entered a bus or the new and nice light rail without someone offering a seat, giving a smile. People answered questions and would phone for directions if needed. This rapidly growing city has not lost its small town character. Folks care about each other in Phoenix. What a nice change.
As is our habit, we visit libraries wherever we can. The main branch of the Phoenix Public Library System was very modern. Some of their ideas were very innovative. Some things were a surprise. On the front door of the library there is a sign which reads: “No weapons allowed in the library. Please check your weapons at the security desk.” Oh my! That’s not a sign this librarian is accustomed to seeing. Of course it perfectly legal to carry concealed weapons in AZ; probably better to expect people to have them. I wonder what the compliance rate is for checking them at security. It’s just not something you expect—perspective broadening though.
Phoenix, as a location, is not really new. There was a thriving Native population living there several hundreds years ago. The Hohokam devised a system of irrigation canals that could not be bettered by modern engineers. The area was a center of trade and the early Native Americans traveled over large areas to trade. Agriculture flourished. The Pueblo Grande Museum features archeological ruins that indicate sophisticated astronomical knowledge. The Hohokam loved their sports. A game court provided a means to excel. Only one problem however, the winners lost their heads—literally. One really needs to think about that outcome!
More about our winter get away later; Southern California chapter coming soon.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Shakespeare in Thumbish
J/W 2B or not 2B? BTHOOM;
IDK IIMAD MEGO. Head’s FURTB. WIM.
Life’s MUBAR. TAR*U TRDMC;
LABATYD. TSNF.
DWBH CTA NVNG.
EOL ::poof:: GNSD.
NG FF & PN;
G4I.
Hamlet Act III, Scene i, lines 56-64.
This is a sample of how the Bard might have written this portion of the famous soliloquy if he was twenty-something texting to his friends.
For a translation see http://www.netlingo.com/emailsh.cfm
* Many of the chat acronyms and text message shorthand phrases include crude language. Some are included but I have omitted a letter I find totally unacceptable.
IDK IIMAD MEGO. Head’s FURTB. WIM.
Life’s MUBAR. TAR*U TRDMC;
LABATYD. TSNF.
DWBH CTA NVNG.
EOL ::poof:: GNSD.
NG FF & PN;
G4I.
Hamlet Act III, Scene i, lines 56-64.
This is a sample of how the Bard might have written this portion of the famous soliloquy if he was twenty-something texting to his friends.
For a translation see http://www.netlingo.com/emailsh.cfm
* Many of the chat acronyms and text message shorthand phrases include crude language. Some are included but I have omitted a letter I find totally unacceptable.
Monday, January 05, 2009
A Justification for The Godfather Part III
I don’t know what planet I’ve been on but I’d never seen Part Three of the Godfather before. The series is a guilty pleasure for me. As an Italian-American I should decry its depiction of Italians; as a movie lover I can watch it over and over. So why have I never seen the final episode until now?
One reason has to be the fact that it’s not very good. Performances are inconsistent; the focus unsteady; the plot unfolds in fits and starts. Its narrative does not enhance Puzo’s original story. Yet Part III is widely viewed. Is the collective taste of the American movie public so banal that people will throw their money at anything with the Godfather cache despite its merits? There must be a reason this film is important.
This question prompted some thought. At the center of all Italian culture is the FAMILY. Even though my family is not Sicilian, family-centricity is the keystone of Italian culture. The Godfather is certainly about family! Because this is an Italian family, the Roman Catholic family of Christ must add its woof to the weave. A sacramental sub-theme permeates all three parts of the series. Was this a conscious choice on Coppola’s part, or a ghost from a Catholic school past? I needed to consider how family, Sicily, and faith feature throughout the entire Godfather series in order to find justification for Part Three.
* * * *
In Part One the nuclear Corleone family frames the story. This necessarily includes Vito Corleone’s immediate family—more specifically his sons. In addition an extended, closely knit, mostly Sicilian, crime family is foundational to the story. These are the capos and soldiers of the godfather’s molecular family. Associated crime families of the greater New York area complete the picture. Difficulties arise when the concept of extended family seeks fulfillment beyond the molecular because the components refuse to bind.
The Corleone family has its roots in Sicily, where family honor and loyalty are paramount. It is Sicilian vendetta for the murder of his family that brings Vito to America. All three segments of the Godfather reflect an indivisible bond with the family’s Sicilian roots, both genetically and criminally. Sicily, the fountainhead, will provide whenever and however required. Sicilian ties bind tightly. The island’s history is far older than the Roman Catholic religion.
Sicily and its people endured. The triumph of their survival, after centuries of invasion and subjugation, is manifest because the only thing a Sicilian could rely on was family. The fierce loyalty and codes of conduct provided the Sicilian family with a narrow margin for survival. Sicilian survival becomes the metaphor for the immigrant’s struggle to survive in the United States.
This first segment of the Godfather begins with the wedding of the Don’s daughter. Marriages make and extend families. Matrimony is a sacrament in the Roman Catholic religion. Connie’s marriage enlarges the Corleone family in concrete and symbolic ways. Part One of the series elaborates on the sacrament of Matrimony and the ties that bind it to Sicily when Michael marries Appollonia who is murdered before he can return to the USA and his pre-ordained fate. Marriage continues to prompt the story when Michael marries again, this time to his American love, Kay. The Corleone family becomes a triune entity—personal, Sicilian, and American.
Matrimony is not the only Catholic sacrament featured in Part One. In a perverse sense, the Godfather co-opts the sacrament of Confirmation. When a Catholic is confirmed, he or she becomes a “soldier of Christ.” The Corleone crime family has its own soldiers. Confirmation creates the church militant to protect the faith. The criminal militants defend their Don and his anti-Christ Capos.
A third sacrament is notable for its absence. It is the Sacrament of Last Rites, also known as Extreme Unction. The church blesses the body of the dying person. External sense organs are anointed as the body is sent on its way to God. “Through this holy unction and His own tender mercy may the Lord pardon thee of whatever sins or faults thou hast committed by sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, walking, carnal delectation.” Vito Corleone and his son, Sonny, die without the spiritual comfort of this sacrament. After his death Vito’s unblessed body is prodded with a stick that his innocent grandson wields. The stick, a symbol of power, mocks the old man. In death Rome—not Sicily—has the last word.
There is yet another sacrament with a role to play in Part One. The sacrament of Baptism introduces the innocent infant into the family of faith. The child is reborn into the family of Christ. In this sacrament the godparents renounce the devil for the infant. They stand ready to protect innocence from evil. The godparents vow to become surrogate parents for the child. Puzo’s choice of the term “godfather” evokes the paternal sacramental role as well as the Sicilian connotation. Don Corleone is surrogate father to his crime family. Michael is surrogate father to his sister’s son.
In the baptismal sequence this sacrament becomes sacrilege as Michael sets in motion the maelstrom that will “settle all family business” at the same time that he stands godfather to his nephew. His actions embrace the devil; good is renounced. Sicilian vendetta sanctifies a baptism-in-blood that brings with it eternal death. Innocence is slaughtered. The baby’s father is murdered by his godfather Michael Corleone. Surrogation becomes usurpation. As Part I ends Michael is acknowledged as Godfather to the Corleone crime family.
* * * *
Part Two expands the idea of family, forming a national “brotherhood” of crime. The Corleones have moved west, but their interests extend to the East Coast, Florida, and Cuba. Its tentacles include national politicians, legitimate businessmen, and alien religion. The combination proves lethal. Can loyalty and trust survive strangers?
Michael initiates a “Cuban marriage” with Jewish mobster Hyman Roth. This marriage fails. Problems on the East Coast multiply. Familial ties suffer at a distance. They are diluted when non-Sicilians are included. Michael is reminded that his father did business with and respected Hyman Roth, but “your father never trusted Hyman Roth.”
There seems no way to establish lasting trust that is not based on the Sicilian model. The old ways and codes of loyalty lose their meaning. Americanization allows the ‘individual’ to intrude. Over-extension and self-interest strain loyalty. Corleone brother, Fredo, betrays the Family from within because he is looking for “a little something for myself.” The sin of fratricide rends the familial fabric irrevocably, as does Kay’s abortion. Vendetta turns in on itself.
Part Two’s sacramental feature is the Holy Eucharist, familiarly known as Holy Communion. Michael’s son, Tony, is the First Communicant. The sacrament symbolizes the unification of the church faithful who partake in the body and blood of Christ, the food that brings eternal life. Holy Communion is an important step towards joining the family of Christ once the age of reason has been reached. It can only be undertaken when the individual is capable of distinguishing right from wrong. The boy’s father seems not to value this distinction. Holy Communion is usually preceded by receiving the sacrament of Confession which will be introduced in Part Three.
The sharing of food in an Italian family has special significance. Communal meals are important; they affirm the family. Food renews life; family sustains that life. Italians have a proverb, “Se si mangia, non hai mai morire.” (If you eat, you never die.) In the Communion hymn, “The Supper of the Lord” by Laurence Rosania, there is the phrase, “you that eat this bread shall never die.” In the sacrament the Eucharistic participant is nourished by Christ’s body and blood. The Eucharist promises eternal life for the family of Christ. The Corleone Crime Family feeds on the food of corruption and death. [to be continued]
© SMB/ettsme.blogspot.com
One reason has to be the fact that it’s not very good. Performances are inconsistent; the focus unsteady; the plot unfolds in fits and starts. Its narrative does not enhance Puzo’s original story. Yet Part III is widely viewed. Is the collective taste of the American movie public so banal that people will throw their money at anything with the Godfather cache despite its merits? There must be a reason this film is important.
This question prompted some thought. At the center of all Italian culture is the FAMILY. Even though my family is not Sicilian, family-centricity is the keystone of Italian culture. The Godfather is certainly about family! Because this is an Italian family, the Roman Catholic family of Christ must add its woof to the weave. A sacramental sub-theme permeates all three parts of the series. Was this a conscious choice on Coppola’s part, or a ghost from a Catholic school past? I needed to consider how family, Sicily, and faith feature throughout the entire Godfather series in order to find justification for Part Three.
* * * *
In Part One the nuclear Corleone family frames the story. This necessarily includes Vito Corleone’s immediate family—more specifically his sons. In addition an extended, closely knit, mostly Sicilian, crime family is foundational to the story. These are the capos and soldiers of the godfather’s molecular family. Associated crime families of the greater New York area complete the picture. Difficulties arise when the concept of extended family seeks fulfillment beyond the molecular because the components refuse to bind.
The Corleone family has its roots in Sicily, where family honor and loyalty are paramount. It is Sicilian vendetta for the murder of his family that brings Vito to America. All three segments of the Godfather reflect an indivisible bond with the family’s Sicilian roots, both genetically and criminally. Sicily, the fountainhead, will provide whenever and however required. Sicilian ties bind tightly. The island’s history is far older than the Roman Catholic religion.
Sicily and its people endured. The triumph of their survival, after centuries of invasion and subjugation, is manifest because the only thing a Sicilian could rely on was family. The fierce loyalty and codes of conduct provided the Sicilian family with a narrow margin for survival. Sicilian survival becomes the metaphor for the immigrant’s struggle to survive in the United States.
This first segment of the Godfather begins with the wedding of the Don’s daughter. Marriages make and extend families. Matrimony is a sacrament in the Roman Catholic religion. Connie’s marriage enlarges the Corleone family in concrete and symbolic ways. Part One of the series elaborates on the sacrament of Matrimony and the ties that bind it to Sicily when Michael marries Appollonia who is murdered before he can return to the USA and his pre-ordained fate. Marriage continues to prompt the story when Michael marries again, this time to his American love, Kay. The Corleone family becomes a triune entity—personal, Sicilian, and American.
Matrimony is not the only Catholic sacrament featured in Part One. In a perverse sense, the Godfather co-opts the sacrament of Confirmation. When a Catholic is confirmed, he or she becomes a “soldier of Christ.” The Corleone crime family has its own soldiers. Confirmation creates the church militant to protect the faith. The criminal militants defend their Don and his anti-Christ Capos.
A third sacrament is notable for its absence. It is the Sacrament of Last Rites, also known as Extreme Unction. The church blesses the body of the dying person. External sense organs are anointed as the body is sent on its way to God. “Through this holy unction and His own tender mercy may the Lord pardon thee of whatever sins or faults thou hast committed by sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, walking, carnal delectation.” Vito Corleone and his son, Sonny, die without the spiritual comfort of this sacrament. After his death Vito’s unblessed body is prodded with a stick that his innocent grandson wields. The stick, a symbol of power, mocks the old man. In death Rome—not Sicily—has the last word.
There is yet another sacrament with a role to play in Part One. The sacrament of Baptism introduces the innocent infant into the family of faith. The child is reborn into the family of Christ. In this sacrament the godparents renounce the devil for the infant. They stand ready to protect innocence from evil. The godparents vow to become surrogate parents for the child. Puzo’s choice of the term “godfather” evokes the paternal sacramental role as well as the Sicilian connotation. Don Corleone is surrogate father to his crime family. Michael is surrogate father to his sister’s son.
In the baptismal sequence this sacrament becomes sacrilege as Michael sets in motion the maelstrom that will “settle all family business” at the same time that he stands godfather to his nephew. His actions embrace the devil; good is renounced. Sicilian vendetta sanctifies a baptism-in-blood that brings with it eternal death. Innocence is slaughtered. The baby’s father is murdered by his godfather Michael Corleone. Surrogation becomes usurpation. As Part I ends Michael is acknowledged as Godfather to the Corleone crime family.
* * * *
Part Two expands the idea of family, forming a national “brotherhood” of crime. The Corleones have moved west, but their interests extend to the East Coast, Florida, and Cuba. Its tentacles include national politicians, legitimate businessmen, and alien religion. The combination proves lethal. Can loyalty and trust survive strangers?
Michael initiates a “Cuban marriage” with Jewish mobster Hyman Roth. This marriage fails. Problems on the East Coast multiply. Familial ties suffer at a distance. They are diluted when non-Sicilians are included. Michael is reminded that his father did business with and respected Hyman Roth, but “your father never trusted Hyman Roth.”
There seems no way to establish lasting trust that is not based on the Sicilian model. The old ways and codes of loyalty lose their meaning. Americanization allows the ‘individual’ to intrude. Over-extension and self-interest strain loyalty. Corleone brother, Fredo, betrays the Family from within because he is looking for “a little something for myself.” The sin of fratricide rends the familial fabric irrevocably, as does Kay’s abortion. Vendetta turns in on itself.
Part Two’s sacramental feature is the Holy Eucharist, familiarly known as Holy Communion. Michael’s son, Tony, is the First Communicant. The sacrament symbolizes the unification of the church faithful who partake in the body and blood of Christ, the food that brings eternal life. Holy Communion is an important step towards joining the family of Christ once the age of reason has been reached. It can only be undertaken when the individual is capable of distinguishing right from wrong. The boy’s father seems not to value this distinction. Holy Communion is usually preceded by receiving the sacrament of Confession which will be introduced in Part Three.
The sharing of food in an Italian family has special significance. Communal meals are important; they affirm the family. Food renews life; family sustains that life. Italians have a proverb, “Se si mangia, non hai mai morire.” (If you eat, you never die.) In the Communion hymn, “The Supper of the Lord” by Laurence Rosania, there is the phrase, “you that eat this bread shall never die.” In the sacrament the Eucharistic participant is nourished by Christ’s body and blood. The Eucharist promises eternal life for the family of Christ. The Corleone Crime Family feeds on the food of corruption and death. [to be continued]
© SMB/ettsme.blogspot.com
A Justification for the Godfather Part III, continued...
How does the Godfather Part Three complete the Sicilian family and sacramental sub-themes? In Part Three Michael seeks to extend his family’s power globally. He intends to capitalize on corruption within the Roman Catholic Church. Michael plans to buy or muscle his way in through a charity named in honor of his father. He has become a Commander in order of Saint Sebastian, who is the patron saint of soldiers (q.v. Part One, Confirmation), athletes, and, ironically reprising Michael’s first murder, municipal policemen. Corleone’s goal is to purchase the Vatican’s shares of the powerful international corporation, Immobiliare. But Rome is not Sicily, New York, or Cuba. Such a mixture may prove too rich.
Michael’s honors and success contrast with his failure in the things that matter. His nuclear family has been sundered through fratricide, abortion, divorce, estrangement. The molecular family’s bonds are friable. Alliances are framed by those who do not know or care to know the old Sicilian ways. Michael has lost his grip and the Corleone Family’s heir apparent emerges from a bastardly link.
Sonny’s illegitimate son, Vincent, reprises his grandfather’s lust for revenge. He uses the ancient Sicilian method of issuing a challenge when he bites off the ear of Joey Zaza whom he feels lacks respect for the Family. Vincent kills without conscience both in New York and in Sicily. The king is dead, long live the king.
No matter how wealthy and powerful Michael Corleone has become, Part III reveals a Godfather greatly diminished. His daughter, Mary, is the front for a charitable initiative that has international tentacles way beyond her ken. Michael permits his sister, Connie, to interfere in family business. In this era no Italian family worth its salt would allow women to be equal with the men in things that matter!
Why can Michael no longer maintain Family cohesion? Michael, Kay, and Mary return to Sicily for son Anthony’s operatic debut. Michael attempts to use the visit to justify his actions. He seeks renewal at the ancient fountainhead. Family loyalty distinguishes the Sicilian persona, but Sicily cannot offer succor as it once could. The Corleone Family business no longer receives instantiation from Sicily. American ways altered the centers of power, but all the power on earth can’t change fate.
The trip to Sicily ends in tragedy when Michael’s daughter Mary is killed by a bullet intended for her father. In Roman Catholic belief the Son of God became the sacrificial offering for the sins of the family of man. Mary is the lamb who must die for the sins of her family. Christ’s blood was shed to bring forgiveness. The hot blood of revenge consumes contrition.
The remaining sacraments make their appearance in Part Three. Michael receives the sacrament of Confession from Cardinal Lamberto who is destined to become Pope. In a cathartic scene Michael confesses to the murder of his brother Fredo. However, the Cardinal rightly estimates that the sacramental admonition “go and sin no more” will not be realized in Michael’s case. Absolvo te?
In keeping with the sacramental sub-theme, the last of the seven sacraments is woven within the Godfather saga in Part Three. It is not a sacrament the laity receives. It is limited to the priesthood. We learn that Tom Hagen’s son is now a priest, having received the sacrament of Holy Orders. The family uses its influence to get the young man to Rome, which could prove to be almost as good as having a judge or two in your pocket.
The anointing of Michael’s Confessor as pope is the highest expression of this sacrament. The patronage of Cardinal Lamberto, now Pope John Paul I and head of the Vatican, could bring success to Michael’s plan to buy up the shares of Immobiliare. This final sacrament becomes sacrilege when the pope is assassinated, taking with him all hope of fulfilling Michael’s global ambitions.
Finally, as in the first part, we have a death without benefit of the Last Rites when Michael, like his father, dies unanointed. It is an appropriate end to a life lived in contraindication to everything the Catholic faith should stand to mean. Michael, and most of his crime family, will probably be damned. A dog, symbolizing Cerberus who guards the gates of Hell, closes the movie as it sniffs at Michael’s dead body.
When considered according to its outcomes, ironies, and sacramental sub-theme, the Godfather has resolved into a Morality Play. Part Three essentially completes the lesson.
Power is an inconstant mistress. “For what shall it profit a man if he gain the world, and suffer the loss of his soul?” [Mark 8:36] Michael screams this truth when his daughter takes the bullet meant for him. Who can absolve him of this?
The Godfather is revealed as a false god. The movie’s apparent glorification of Sicilian American “Mafiosi” isn’t so apparent, nor does it glorify. Death festoons the Sicilian countryside. Corleone sacrilege brings eternal damnation.
The concept of family in the Godfather is a mockery of true Italian values. While the Sicilian idea of family honor has flowed as a bloody-stream throughout the three films, the destruction of the family and its dishonor has been the final result. Family honor is not the point; honoring the family is.
Part Three demonstrates these truths when the crime family implodes and vendetta comes full circle. The gates of hell await.
© SMB/ettsme.blogspot.com
Michael’s honors and success contrast with his failure in the things that matter. His nuclear family has been sundered through fratricide, abortion, divorce, estrangement. The molecular family’s bonds are friable. Alliances are framed by those who do not know or care to know the old Sicilian ways. Michael has lost his grip and the Corleone Family’s heir apparent emerges from a bastardly link.
Sonny’s illegitimate son, Vincent, reprises his grandfather’s lust for revenge. He uses the ancient Sicilian method of issuing a challenge when he bites off the ear of Joey Zaza whom he feels lacks respect for the Family. Vincent kills without conscience both in New York and in Sicily. The king is dead, long live the king.
No matter how wealthy and powerful Michael Corleone has become, Part III reveals a Godfather greatly diminished. His daughter, Mary, is the front for a charitable initiative that has international tentacles way beyond her ken. Michael permits his sister, Connie, to interfere in family business. In this era no Italian family worth its salt would allow women to be equal with the men in things that matter!
Why can Michael no longer maintain Family cohesion? Michael, Kay, and Mary return to Sicily for son Anthony’s operatic debut. Michael attempts to use the visit to justify his actions. He seeks renewal at the ancient fountainhead. Family loyalty distinguishes the Sicilian persona, but Sicily cannot offer succor as it once could. The Corleone Family business no longer receives instantiation from Sicily. American ways altered the centers of power, but all the power on earth can’t change fate.
The trip to Sicily ends in tragedy when Michael’s daughter Mary is killed by a bullet intended for her father. In Roman Catholic belief the Son of God became the sacrificial offering for the sins of the family of man. Mary is the lamb who must die for the sins of her family. Christ’s blood was shed to bring forgiveness. The hot blood of revenge consumes contrition.
The remaining sacraments make their appearance in Part Three. Michael receives the sacrament of Confession from Cardinal Lamberto who is destined to become Pope. In a cathartic scene Michael confesses to the murder of his brother Fredo. However, the Cardinal rightly estimates that the sacramental admonition “go and sin no more” will not be realized in Michael’s case. Absolvo te?
In keeping with the sacramental sub-theme, the last of the seven sacraments is woven within the Godfather saga in Part Three. It is not a sacrament the laity receives. It is limited to the priesthood. We learn that Tom Hagen’s son is now a priest, having received the sacrament of Holy Orders. The family uses its influence to get the young man to Rome, which could prove to be almost as good as having a judge or two in your pocket.
The anointing of Michael’s Confessor as pope is the highest expression of this sacrament. The patronage of Cardinal Lamberto, now Pope John Paul I and head of the Vatican, could bring success to Michael’s plan to buy up the shares of Immobiliare. This final sacrament becomes sacrilege when the pope is assassinated, taking with him all hope of fulfilling Michael’s global ambitions.
Finally, as in the first part, we have a death without benefit of the Last Rites when Michael, like his father, dies unanointed. It is an appropriate end to a life lived in contraindication to everything the Catholic faith should stand to mean. Michael, and most of his crime family, will probably be damned. A dog, symbolizing Cerberus who guards the gates of Hell, closes the movie as it sniffs at Michael’s dead body.
When considered according to its outcomes, ironies, and sacramental sub-theme, the Godfather has resolved into a Morality Play. Part Three essentially completes the lesson.
Power is an inconstant mistress. “For what shall it profit a man if he gain the world, and suffer the loss of his soul?” [Mark 8:36] Michael screams this truth when his daughter takes the bullet meant for him. Who can absolve him of this?
The Godfather is revealed as a false god. The movie’s apparent glorification of Sicilian American “Mafiosi” isn’t so apparent, nor does it glorify. Death festoons the Sicilian countryside. Corleone sacrilege brings eternal damnation.
The concept of family in the Godfather is a mockery of true Italian values. While the Sicilian idea of family honor has flowed as a bloody-stream throughout the three films, the destruction of the family and its dishonor has been the final result. Family honor is not the point; honoring the family is.
Part Three demonstrates these truths when the crime family implodes and vendetta comes full circle. The gates of hell await.
© SMB/ettsme.blogspot.com
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
A "Memorable" Christmas
Memorized any poems or stories lately? Until recently, memorization was common not only amongst school children, but also with adults. One-hundred-fifty years ago, Christmas celebrations would feature performances from the audience. It was expected. Everyone had some story, poem, or song to contribute to the evening's festivities. Gentlemen would recite tales of daring do; ladies performed on spinet and or sang well-known songs. Mary Shelly created her story of "Frankenstein" for her traveling party whilst waiting out a snow storm on Christmas Eve. Couples would delight with charming duets. Innocent games, fraught with innuendo and wit, encouraged party guests to join in the fun. Everybody was encouraged to participate.
What could you contribute to a Christmas evening's entertainment? Have you any poetry memorized or songs practiced? Could you spend the evening conversing with others on the season's experiences? Do you know any simple, yet fun parlor games? Can you even fathom such an evening?
To be honest I would be able to manage a couple of poems by Robert Frost, one or two short speeches from Shakespeare, or a variety of Christmas songs--preferably accompanied by someone who could play piano and/or drown me out when I went off key. Charades might be managed, or Password-type games. These would be nothing compared to our fore bearers. They would probably be bored to death with me, but too polite to say so. What would you do to enliven the event?
Maybe you could complete my Christmas story. It begins: Once upon a time, before TV, football, Game Boy and Wii, friends and family gathered together to celebrate Christmas and the holiday season. They spoke with each other face to face. Everyone had the present of themselves to offer...(you continue)...and they went into the New Year joyful and happy to know each other.
What could you contribute to a Christmas evening's entertainment? Have you any poetry memorized or songs practiced? Could you spend the evening conversing with others on the season's experiences? Do you know any simple, yet fun parlor games? Can you even fathom such an evening?
To be honest I would be able to manage a couple of poems by Robert Frost, one or two short speeches from Shakespeare, or a variety of Christmas songs--preferably accompanied by someone who could play piano and/or drown me out when I went off key. Charades might be managed, or Password-type games. These would be nothing compared to our fore bearers. They would probably be bored to death with me, but too polite to say so. What would you do to enliven the event?
Maybe you could complete my Christmas story. It begins: Once upon a time, before TV, football, Game Boy and Wii, friends and family gathered together to celebrate Christmas and the holiday season. They spoke with each other face to face. Everyone had the present of themselves to offer...(you continue)...and they went into the New Year joyful and happy to know each other.
Monday, November 24, 2008
The 140-Year-Old Wonder
The World Almanac and Book of Facts celebrated its 140th birthday this year. Its longevity as a reference source for all sorts of quick facts and background information can be directly related to its excellence. It is one of the most useful books I have in my home. No library—whether public, academic, special, medical, or personal—should be without a recent copy. The paperback editions are inexpensive. It makes a good gift too.
I have no monetary connection with World Almanac Books. I pay the relatively low price for a new version every couple of years. I purchase a second copy for my son, who is a high school social studies teacher. I hope he keeps it on his classroom desk.
In order to get the most from your copy I recommend that you use both the topical table of contents in the front of the book and the comprehensive index at the back. A “quick reference” index is also included, but learning to use the full index will increase the utility of this book while it amazes you with it comprehension. An online component has been added in recent years.
What types of information will you find? There are clear world maps and photographs of newsmakers. There is a perpetual calendar that can help you determine the day of the week for events in the past as well as in the future. Other calendars will help you determine the date of Easter, Islamic holy days, Julian and Gregorian dates, leap years, and Chinese New Year. Time zones are delineated.
The History and World Countries sections are massive. Find biographies of U.S. Presidents, election results, population figures, the words to historical documents, and flag code protocols. A concise history of the world and a brief description of each nation will help you to understand the historical context of our culture. Learn about world leaders—historical to modern. Ever wonder which are the longest rivers, highest mountains, deepest lakes, or most active volcanoes? It’s in there.
Like numbers? There are vital statistics, health data, mileage between cities, numbers of eggs produced by state, attendance at worldwide theme parks, insurance data, number of licensed motor vehicles, and a dizzying array of other statistical and economic information. Learn about the fastest growing franchises, number of families in poverty, median income by race, and how much money is spent on selected items from personal income. The list of stock market record gains and losses as well as the number of bank failures will certainly be of interest in the forthcoming editions.
Interested in sports? The World Almanac has Olympic and Professional statistics to satisfy the most dedicated fans. Sports biographies are included. Championship records for most sports are inclusive. You’ll find all you want to know about NASCAR, the Olympics, college sports, and MVPs.
This book has it all—and so much more! Here’s a very random sample of items from the 2007 edition. The 2009 version is on my Christmas list.
Johnny Podres, a pitcher, was the World Series’ Most Valuable Player in 1955.
The Statue of Liberty weighs 450,000 pounds.
FDR is on record as having the most total vetoes (635).
The chances of having a full house in poker are 693 to 1.
A heat wave in the summer of 2003 was responsible for the death of approximately 35,000 deaths in Europe.
The Edo Period of Japan began in 1603 and lasted until 1867.
In 1928 Elizabeth Robinson of the United States ran 100 meters in 12.2 seconds at the Amsterdam Summer Olympics.
The Patagonian desert in Argentina is 300,000 sq. miles in area. The Sahara is more than ten times larger.
When the temperature is 0 degrees Fahrenheit, a wind of 15 miles per hour can make it feel like it is 19 below zero.
Nearly 85% of the land in Nevada is federally owned.
Woodrow Wilson’s portrait is on the $100,000 bill. Read The Almanac to learn why you will never see one. Read The Almanac for fun. I do.
I have no monetary connection with World Almanac Books. I pay the relatively low price for a new version every couple of years. I purchase a second copy for my son, who is a high school social studies teacher. I hope he keeps it on his classroom desk.
In order to get the most from your copy I recommend that you use both the topical table of contents in the front of the book and the comprehensive index at the back. A “quick reference” index is also included, but learning to use the full index will increase the utility of this book while it amazes you with it comprehension. An online component has been added in recent years.
What types of information will you find? There are clear world maps and photographs of newsmakers. There is a perpetual calendar that can help you determine the day of the week for events in the past as well as in the future. Other calendars will help you determine the date of Easter, Islamic holy days, Julian and Gregorian dates, leap years, and Chinese New Year. Time zones are delineated.
The History and World Countries sections are massive. Find biographies of U.S. Presidents, election results, population figures, the words to historical documents, and flag code protocols. A concise history of the world and a brief description of each nation will help you to understand the historical context of our culture. Learn about world leaders—historical to modern. Ever wonder which are the longest rivers, highest mountains, deepest lakes, or most active volcanoes? It’s in there.
Like numbers? There are vital statistics, health data, mileage between cities, numbers of eggs produced by state, attendance at worldwide theme parks, insurance data, number of licensed motor vehicles, and a dizzying array of other statistical and economic information. Learn about the fastest growing franchises, number of families in poverty, median income by race, and how much money is spent on selected items from personal income. The list of stock market record gains and losses as well as the number of bank failures will certainly be of interest in the forthcoming editions.
Interested in sports? The World Almanac has Olympic and Professional statistics to satisfy the most dedicated fans. Sports biographies are included. Championship records for most sports are inclusive. You’ll find all you want to know about NASCAR, the Olympics, college sports, and MVPs.
This book has it all—and so much more! Here’s a very random sample of items from the 2007 edition. The 2009 version is on my Christmas list.
Johnny Podres, a pitcher, was the World Series’ Most Valuable Player in 1955.
The Statue of Liberty weighs 450,000 pounds.
FDR is on record as having the most total vetoes (635).
The chances of having a full house in poker are 693 to 1.
A heat wave in the summer of 2003 was responsible for the death of approximately 35,000 deaths in Europe.
The Edo Period of Japan began in 1603 and lasted until 1867.
In 1928 Elizabeth Robinson of the United States ran 100 meters in 12.2 seconds at the Amsterdam Summer Olympics.
The Patagonian desert in Argentina is 300,000 sq. miles in area. The Sahara is more than ten times larger.
When the temperature is 0 degrees Fahrenheit, a wind of 15 miles per hour can make it feel like it is 19 below zero.
Nearly 85% of the land in Nevada is federally owned.
Woodrow Wilson’s portrait is on the $100,000 bill. Read The Almanac to learn why you will never see one. Read The Almanac for fun. I do.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
High Praise Indeed from Old Black Thumb
My favorite houseplants are the two that require occasional dusting. The “real ones” survive to spite me. Their sole raison d’être is to suck up the carbon dioxide in my air and spew forth oxygen. That is, if they can breathe at all through the drought induced dust on their leaves.
Our outdoor plants are usually those simple to grow. Long ago I gave up tulips. The squirrels watched me plant the bulbs and, as soon as I went inside, they were digging them up. Partially chewed squirrelly guides to bulb locations were all they left behind. Seeds have a less than 50 % chance of germination under my guardianship. After I thin the bravest about 25 % of those will actually bloom. For obvious reasons, the flower and vegetable flats that cost a fortune are my best bet. They have been cold—and gardener—hardened before I put them in the ground.
It’s not that I don’t admire a nice garden. My neighbor has a master plan of lovelies that blooms from April through October. I enjoy the view. Tactfully, they never mention theirs. Travel in Ireland, Great Britain, and France as well as a number of area botanical gardens reveal beautifully planned and executed displays. I’ve enjoyed strolling through many such gardens, hardly deterred at all by swarms of bees that have my name engraved on their stingers.
It is strange indeed for me to promote any floral oases, but I have just returned from Southern California (again!) and need to sing the praises of a little gem we found in Corona Del Mar. The Sherman Library and Gardens are special. The garden specializes in rare cacti and succulents of desert regions from as distant as South Africa. A delightful Conservatory is tucked away in one corner of the property. It features ferns, orchids, bromeliads, and a koi pond abounding in large, varied colored fish. Beautiful flowers treat the eye throughout.
There are fountains, sculptures made of natural materials, and creative displays that emphasize color, texture, and contrast. There is a library that has a special collection of materials on the history of the Pacific Southwest and the Gulf of California. The library's old maps depict California as an island.
Our outdoor plants are usually those simple to grow. Long ago I gave up tulips. The squirrels watched me plant the bulbs and, as soon as I went inside, they were digging them up. Partially chewed squirrelly guides to bulb locations were all they left behind. Seeds have a less than 50 % chance of germination under my guardianship. After I thin the bravest about 25 % of those will actually bloom. For obvious reasons, the flower and vegetable flats that cost a fortune are my best bet. They have been cold—and gardener—hardened before I put them in the ground.
It’s not that I don’t admire a nice garden. My neighbor has a master plan of lovelies that blooms from April through October. I enjoy the view. Tactfully, they never mention theirs. Travel in Ireland, Great Britain, and France as well as a number of area botanical gardens reveal beautifully planned and executed displays. I’ve enjoyed strolling through many such gardens, hardly deterred at all by swarms of bees that have my name engraved on their stingers.
It is strange indeed for me to promote any floral oases, but I have just returned from Southern California (again!) and need to sing the praises of a little gem we found in Corona Del Mar. The Sherman Library and Gardens are special. The garden specializes in rare cacti and succulents of desert regions from as distant as South Africa. A delightful Conservatory is tucked away in one corner of the property. It features ferns, orchids, bromeliads, and a koi pond abounding in large, varied colored fish. Beautiful flowers treat the eye throughout.
There are fountains, sculptures made of natural materials, and creative displays that emphasize color, texture, and contrast. There is a library that has a special collection of materials on the history of the Pacific Southwest and the Gulf of California. The library's old maps depict California as an island.
The facility has a Café operated by North African chefs well tutored in the art of the crêpe. Café tables surround one of the fountains. The peaceful and relaxing sounds of the water enhance the dining experience. A larger area is available for catered events.
We spent hours exploring and enjoying this treasure of Orange County. Little did I realize that a garden could be as relaxing as sitting on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean as the tide begins to ebb. High praise indeed…
The photos that accompany this entry include (from bottom to top) the fountain near the Café, a corner of the garden resplendent with a variety of cacti, the Koi Pond, and a variety of cacti I’d like to call the Prickly People Eaters.
We spent hours exploring and enjoying this treasure of Orange County. Little did I realize that a garden could be as relaxing as sitting on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean as the tide begins to ebb. High praise indeed…
The photos that accompany this entry include (from bottom to top) the fountain near the Café, a corner of the garden resplendent with a variety of cacti, the Koi Pond, and a variety of cacti I’d like to call the Prickly People Eaters.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Twenty Minutes
What if…You have finished all your work and find that you have twenty minutes absolutely free. You are home alone and must remain in the house. What would you do in that allotted time? Bear in mind that “social networking” will not be allowed. No telephones, “texting,” TV, A/V devices, or computers! Would you spend the time, waste it, use it, or kill it? There is a difference. And that difference can say a lot about you.
Some might read—a book, magazine, old mail. Some might write—a journal, a letter (paper only!), or a list of things to do. Others might make music or draw. A few might take a nap, or daydream. Maybe you would do yoga or another form of exercise. How many would pace the house like a caged animal?
There is no correct answer to this “what if”. If you reflect on what you would have done, how you would have filled those 20 minutes, you might learn something important about yourself. Are you comfortable with quiet, with being alone? Do you need something to do? Were you at a loss to fill those long, long minutes or were you happy to have the opportunity to do something you haven’t had time for in ages?
Did the nap refresh you? What did you dream? Were those twenty minutes a ‘treat’ or a “time waster”? Did the time pass slowly or quickly? Was it terribly difficult to be without your electronic toys for even that short period? Were you glad to “get on with your life” or would you want to have those twenty minutes again?
If you considered the time as 20 minutes to kill, what was so much more important that you were kept from? If you used your twenty minutes, do you feel like something was accomplished? If you wasted the time, is there cause for guilt or anger over such unproductive behavior? If you spent the time well, perhaps it could be considered an investment in yourself. Examine your reactions. Twenty minutes isn’t much. Your perception is all. The difference is subtle but important.
What if…you had those twenty minutes every day, a few times a week, or a couple of times a month? Could that small amount of time enrich your personal life? Is it valuable enough to you to want those minutes on a regular basis? How could you find the time? You don’t find it. You take it. What if…
Some might read—a book, magazine, old mail. Some might write—a journal, a letter (paper only!), or a list of things to do. Others might make music or draw. A few might take a nap, or daydream. Maybe you would do yoga or another form of exercise. How many would pace the house like a caged animal?
There is no correct answer to this “what if”. If you reflect on what you would have done, how you would have filled those 20 minutes, you might learn something important about yourself. Are you comfortable with quiet, with being alone? Do you need something to do? Were you at a loss to fill those long, long minutes or were you happy to have the opportunity to do something you haven’t had time for in ages?
Did the nap refresh you? What did you dream? Were those twenty minutes a ‘treat’ or a “time waster”? Did the time pass slowly or quickly? Was it terribly difficult to be without your electronic toys for even that short period? Were you glad to “get on with your life” or would you want to have those twenty minutes again?
If you considered the time as 20 minutes to kill, what was so much more important that you were kept from? If you used your twenty minutes, do you feel like something was accomplished? If you wasted the time, is there cause for guilt or anger over such unproductive behavior? If you spent the time well, perhaps it could be considered an investment in yourself. Examine your reactions. Twenty minutes isn’t much. Your perception is all. The difference is subtle but important.
What if…you had those twenty minutes every day, a few times a week, or a couple of times a month? Could that small amount of time enrich your personal life? Is it valuable enough to you to want those minutes on a regular basis? How could you find the time? You don’t find it. You take it. What if…
Monday, September 15, 2008
Citizenship 101: “Only the Educated Are Free”
An informed citizenry is the keystone of freedom. Far too many voters are content to read and/or hear only those political messages that suit their personal preferences. They too readily accept “spin”, innuendo, half-truths, and blatant mendacity as factual. Critical analysis seldom characterizes this electorate’s decision making process. This laxity does no service to the individual, or to the country.
One can hardly escape the charges, assertions, and derision that are presented to the American public during a major election. Outrageous statements are leveled at each opponent with the expectation that trace elements of the message will have a half life one hour beyond Election Day.
Epictetus warns “Be not swept off your feet by the vividness of the impression, but say, ‘Impression, wait for me a little. Let me see what you are and what you represent. Let me try you.’” This sentiment is reinforced in the book UnSpun: finding facts in a world of disinformation by Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson. The theme of this excellent book is that the “consumer” be skeptical of factual claims, that they demand and weigh evidence supporting those claims, and that they should maintain an open mind.
Educate yourself. This approach to “evidence” reprises what every librarian has been taught. Evaluate information according to criteria that require authoritative sources, confirmation, and objectivity. (See my blog entries “How to Evaluate Health Websites” dated March 11, 2007, and “How to Judge a Book by its Cover” dated February 3, 2007, for criteria used by information specialists.) Strategies like those in the Jackson book, as well as those practiced by good librarians, should be used to develop the habit of reflection any responsible citizen can utilize when making a political choice.
The responsible citizen should demand good value from those who wish to win his vote. I am including several websites that can help the voter determine the accuracy of political statements. In each case, the voter should visit the “About Us” portion of the website. Read the “Mission Statements.” Look at the Boards of Directors and Staff. If a claim is made for nonpartisanship, check it out. I have reviewed the sites that follow. They are quality choices.
Sites that verify political statements include FactCheck http://www.factcheck.org/. This site is the result of Jackson and Jamieson’s work for the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Their stated mission is that “We are a nonpartisan, non-profit, 'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics.” (From “About FactCheck.org”) Use this site to determine the truth of political charges and counter-charges.
Project Vote Smart http://www.votesmart.org/ is a product of dedicated volunteers. It specializes in the unbiased research of candidate biographies and voting records. It records campaign contributions, issue positions, public statements, finance, and evaluations of candidates by competing special interest groups. The purpose of Project Vote Smart is “to strengthen the most essential component of democracy—access to information—even as it suffers from candidates and political parties, many who are now willing to manipulate information and deceive voters.” (From “About Project Vote Smart”)
OpenSecrets http://www.opensecrets.org/ is “nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the organization aims to create a more educated voter.” (From “Our Mission”) It’s chief focus is to inform citizens of the effect money has in politics. Essentially, OpenSecrets follows the money. On this site you can learn who and what entities are contributing to which candidate.
In this election two partisan fact check websites have appeared. These are Obama Fact Check http://www.obamafactcheck.com/ and McCain Fact Check http://www.mccainfactcheck.com/ These sites purport to offer “an objective resource to determine whether (a media claim about each candidates) is true or not. (From “About Us”)
Sites that offer subject specific evidence allow the responsible voter to dig into the issues. These can be divided into governmental and independent sources. I urge you to familiarize yourself with these resources. It is amazing what expertly researched material is available at no charge and without a subscription.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) http://www.gao.gov/ investigates how your tax dollars are being spent. The GAO is often referred to as the “congressional watchdog.” Information provided to Congress is “objective, fact-based, nonpartisan, nonideological, fair, and balanced.” (From “About GAO”) Current reports include studies on financial markets and housing, gasoline prices, immigration, and elections.
If you want the primary source for the legislative records of individual members of Congress, Thomas http://www.thomas.gov/ is the official site of record on roll call votes and legislative proposals. How did the candidate really vote?
The U.S. Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/ is a primary source for information about income, poverty, health insurance, and business economic data. Use this source for accurate numerical information when evaluating candidate’s claims.
The Energy Information Administration http://www.eia.doe.gov/ is the prime statistical arm of the Department of Energy. This agency’s mission is “to provide policy-neutral data, forecasts, and analyses to promote sound policy making, efficient markets, and public understanding regarding energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment.” (From “About EIA”) Resources available here include all current and proposed energy sources. Topical reports on energy uses, forecasts, and international energy information are available.
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/ collects statistical information on health topics that enable policy makers to “document the health status of the population and of important subgroups, identify disparities in health status and use of health care by (various) characteristics…provide information for making changes in public policies and programs, and evaluate the impact of health policies and programs.” (From “About NCHS”) The website is designed for quick and easy access to authoritative data to clarify the candidates’ proposals.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/ is “the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics.” (From “About BLS”) Information is impartial, timely and accurate. Subject areas include inflation, spending, employment, and unemployment. This is a primary source for labor and economic information.
The final governmental resource included is FedStats http://www.fedstats.gov/ This gateway resource provides access to more than 100 federal departments and agencies that provide information on essential topics. FedStats will enable you to quickly identify the governmental agency that collects the statistical data you wish to verify. There are various ways to find information on this resource: topical, subject areas, agencies, and a keyword search.
Truly objective, nonpartisan, private sector websites that address specific topics are not easy to find, but some do exist. The following are highly regarded nonideological resources. The information they make available to interested citizens, educators, policy makers, and business is the result of highly qualified experts who adhere to the highest of ethical standards.
Resources For the Future http://www.rff.org/ is a “nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that conducts independent research—rooted primarily in economics and other social science—on environmental, energy, and natural resource issues.” (From “About RFF”) Some of the topics this organization researches include pollution, land and water use, energy, climate, transportation, the natural world, and health. Its research includes testimony given before Congress and other regulatory agencies amongst its publications.
The Kaiser Family Foundation http://www.kff.org/ is a “non-profit, private operating foundation focusing on the major health care issues facing the U.S. with a growing role in global health.” (From “About the Kaiser Family Foundation”) The Kaiser Foundation produces policy analyses on health care issues. Access to accurate research and studies on health care is free to all in order to insure that all interested parties have the same, accurate, and complete information upon which to base decisions.
The Peterson Institute for International Economics http://www.iie.com/ focuses on international economic policy. This private, nonpartisan research organization “has provided timely and objective analysis of, and concrete solutions to, a wide range of international economics problems.” (From “About the Institute”) This is reliable source for information about international monetary and finance issues. It emphasizes global macroeconomics and is an excellent source for research on NAFTA, international banking standards, monetary policy and world trade agreements.
The “gold standard” for information on U. S. tax policies is the Tax Policy Center http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/ It provides independent, timely analysis and factual data relating to tax policy for citizens, journalists, policy makers, and researchers. This nonpartisan center “combines top national experts in tax, expenditure, budget policy, and microsimulation modeling to concentrate on four overarching areas of tax policy that are critical to future debate: fair, simple and efficient taxation, social policy in the tax code, long term implication of tax and budget choices, and state tax issues.” (From “About Us Our Mission”) This is an excellent source for policy analysis and tax facts.
The privilege of citizenship in the United States requires that the individual voter take seriously her responsibilities when choosing representatives and leaders. That responsibility can only be discharged by an educated citizen. The websites listed herein can help to lead you out of the darkness of political “spin.” As Jules Michelet wrote in the mid-19th century, “What is the first part of politics? Education. The second? Education. And the third? Education.”
When in doubt, check it out.
Note: The quotations are cited from Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, Sixteenth Edition. John Bartlett. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company c 1992. The first two are from Discourses Book 2 by Epictetus. The third is attributed to Jules Michelet in Le Peuple.
One can hardly escape the charges, assertions, and derision that are presented to the American public during a major election. Outrageous statements are leveled at each opponent with the expectation that trace elements of the message will have a half life one hour beyond Election Day.
Epictetus warns “Be not swept off your feet by the vividness of the impression, but say, ‘Impression, wait for me a little. Let me see what you are and what you represent. Let me try you.’” This sentiment is reinforced in the book UnSpun: finding facts in a world of disinformation by Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson. The theme of this excellent book is that the “consumer” be skeptical of factual claims, that they demand and weigh evidence supporting those claims, and that they should maintain an open mind.
Educate yourself. This approach to “evidence” reprises what every librarian has been taught. Evaluate information according to criteria that require authoritative sources, confirmation, and objectivity. (See my blog entries “How to Evaluate Health Websites” dated March 11, 2007, and “How to Judge a Book by its Cover” dated February 3, 2007, for criteria used by information specialists.) Strategies like those in the Jackson book, as well as those practiced by good librarians, should be used to develop the habit of reflection any responsible citizen can utilize when making a political choice.
The responsible citizen should demand good value from those who wish to win his vote. I am including several websites that can help the voter determine the accuracy of political statements. In each case, the voter should visit the “About Us” portion of the website. Read the “Mission Statements.” Look at the Boards of Directors and Staff. If a claim is made for nonpartisanship, check it out. I have reviewed the sites that follow. They are quality choices.
Sites that verify political statements include FactCheck http://www.factcheck.org/. This site is the result of Jackson and Jamieson’s work for the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Their stated mission is that “We are a nonpartisan, non-profit, 'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics.” (From “About FactCheck.org”) Use this site to determine the truth of political charges and counter-charges.
Project Vote Smart http://www.votesmart.org/ is a product of dedicated volunteers. It specializes in the unbiased research of candidate biographies and voting records. It records campaign contributions, issue positions, public statements, finance, and evaluations of candidates by competing special interest groups. The purpose of Project Vote Smart is “to strengthen the most essential component of democracy—access to information—even as it suffers from candidates and political parties, many who are now willing to manipulate information and deceive voters.” (From “About Project Vote Smart”)
OpenSecrets http://www.opensecrets.org/ is “nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the organization aims to create a more educated voter.” (From “Our Mission”) It’s chief focus is to inform citizens of the effect money has in politics. Essentially, OpenSecrets follows the money. On this site you can learn who and what entities are contributing to which candidate.
In this election two partisan fact check websites have appeared. These are Obama Fact Check http://www.obamafactcheck.com/ and McCain Fact Check http://www.mccainfactcheck.com/ These sites purport to offer “an objective resource to determine whether (a media claim about each candidates) is true or not. (From “About Us”)
Sites that offer subject specific evidence allow the responsible voter to dig into the issues. These can be divided into governmental and independent sources. I urge you to familiarize yourself with these resources. It is amazing what expertly researched material is available at no charge and without a subscription.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) http://www.gao.gov/ investigates how your tax dollars are being spent. The GAO is often referred to as the “congressional watchdog.” Information provided to Congress is “objective, fact-based, nonpartisan, nonideological, fair, and balanced.” (From “About GAO”) Current reports include studies on financial markets and housing, gasoline prices, immigration, and elections.
If you want the primary source for the legislative records of individual members of Congress, Thomas http://www.thomas.gov/ is the official site of record on roll call votes and legislative proposals. How did the candidate really vote?
The U.S. Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/ is a primary source for information about income, poverty, health insurance, and business economic data. Use this source for accurate numerical information when evaluating candidate’s claims.
The Energy Information Administration http://www.eia.doe.gov/ is the prime statistical arm of the Department of Energy. This agency’s mission is “to provide policy-neutral data, forecasts, and analyses to promote sound policy making, efficient markets, and public understanding regarding energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment.” (From “About EIA”) Resources available here include all current and proposed energy sources. Topical reports on energy uses, forecasts, and international energy information are available.
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/ collects statistical information on health topics that enable policy makers to “document the health status of the population and of important subgroups, identify disparities in health status and use of health care by (various) characteristics…provide information for making changes in public policies and programs, and evaluate the impact of health policies and programs.” (From “About NCHS”) The website is designed for quick and easy access to authoritative data to clarify the candidates’ proposals.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/ is “the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics.” (From “About BLS”) Information is impartial, timely and accurate. Subject areas include inflation, spending, employment, and unemployment. This is a primary source for labor and economic information.
The final governmental resource included is FedStats http://www.fedstats.gov/ This gateway resource provides access to more than 100 federal departments and agencies that provide information on essential topics. FedStats will enable you to quickly identify the governmental agency that collects the statistical data you wish to verify. There are various ways to find information on this resource: topical, subject areas, agencies, and a keyword search.
Truly objective, nonpartisan, private sector websites that address specific topics are not easy to find, but some do exist. The following are highly regarded nonideological resources. The information they make available to interested citizens, educators, policy makers, and business is the result of highly qualified experts who adhere to the highest of ethical standards.
Resources For the Future http://www.rff.org/ is a “nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that conducts independent research—rooted primarily in economics and other social science—on environmental, energy, and natural resource issues.” (From “About RFF”) Some of the topics this organization researches include pollution, land and water use, energy, climate, transportation, the natural world, and health. Its research includes testimony given before Congress and other regulatory agencies amongst its publications.
The Kaiser Family Foundation http://www.kff.org/ is a “non-profit, private operating foundation focusing on the major health care issues facing the U.S. with a growing role in global health.” (From “About the Kaiser Family Foundation”) The Kaiser Foundation produces policy analyses on health care issues. Access to accurate research and studies on health care is free to all in order to insure that all interested parties have the same, accurate, and complete information upon which to base decisions.
The Peterson Institute for International Economics http://www.iie.com/ focuses on international economic policy. This private, nonpartisan research organization “has provided timely and objective analysis of, and concrete solutions to, a wide range of international economics problems.” (From “About the Institute”) This is reliable source for information about international monetary and finance issues. It emphasizes global macroeconomics and is an excellent source for research on NAFTA, international banking standards, monetary policy and world trade agreements.
The “gold standard” for information on U. S. tax policies is the Tax Policy Center http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/ It provides independent, timely analysis and factual data relating to tax policy for citizens, journalists, policy makers, and researchers. This nonpartisan center “combines top national experts in tax, expenditure, budget policy, and microsimulation modeling to concentrate on four overarching areas of tax policy that are critical to future debate: fair, simple and efficient taxation, social policy in the tax code, long term implication of tax and budget choices, and state tax issues.” (From “About Us Our Mission”) This is an excellent source for policy analysis and tax facts.
The privilege of citizenship in the United States requires that the individual voter take seriously her responsibilities when choosing representatives and leaders. That responsibility can only be discharged by an educated citizen. The websites listed herein can help to lead you out of the darkness of political “spin.” As Jules Michelet wrote in the mid-19th century, “What is the first part of politics? Education. The second? Education. And the third? Education.”
When in doubt, check it out.
Note: The quotations are cited from Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, Sixteenth Edition. John Bartlett. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company c 1992. The first two are from Discourses Book 2 by Epictetus. The third is attributed to Jules Michelet in Le Peuple.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Summer's End
The days are growing noticeably shorter and the nights deliciously cool. In a few days the neighborhood children will return to school. Quiet resettles the block. Leaves will soon begin to reveal their startling yellows and striking reds. Tomatoes are abundant; our bounty is shared with friends and neighbors. At the end of August the season’s memories are as savory as juicy, ripe strawberries.
The plants did well, critters not withstanding. Our apples are nearly ready for the picking, i.e. if we can beat the squirrels to them. We put the glider away yesterday. We need to start to think about autumn lawn fertilizer and replacing broken rakes. The end of summer is “such sweet sorrow.”
The economy and gasoline prices kept many of us close to home this summer. Fortunately for us family members were able to visit from California. Our granddaughters experienced running through lawn sprinklers—such an experience will never be possible in dry southern California. They were introduced to Midwestern flora and fauna. The younger child can easily recognize dragonflies and Queen Anne’s lace. Fireflies will light their dreams for months. The girls appreciate the delights of playing on the dunes and swimming in the warm, calm waters of Lake Michigan. Thunder and lightening were wondrous if somewhat scary.
On our own again, we launched our own boarder excursion into Wisconsin. If it weren’t for winter, Wisconsin would be a very nice place to live. In mid-August the Milwaukee area is host to several festivals. The Irish Fest on the lakeshore was terrific. We’ve attended many over the years and this year’s was one of the best. Celtic music, dance, and foods were in abundance; the currach races intensely fought; Irish dog breeds strutted their stuff; and, transport to the fest by the express County bus the best way to get there. Port Washington, just north of Milwaukee, hosted the Maritime Festival. Several tall ships were featured. They look so very lovely in full sail on the lake! Our “Cheese Head” neighbors really know how to celebrate summer.
As we drove back home, a nagging question recurs. We are always faced with this question when returning home. Why are the free roads in Wisconsin so much better than those in Illinois, where you are charged for the ‘privilege’ of using them? Illinois offers few viable options to its toll system. The fact that the Illinois toll road was undergoing construction doesn't really temper the problem. The expensive toll roads are usually crowded and the repairs won’t last long. Yes, “Cheese Heads” are taxed at a higher rate, but they seem to do so much more with what they receive. Wisconsin road rest stops are convenient, clean, and provide the tourist with useful information. Illinois' expensive “oases” are far apart and totally commercial. I imagine our perennial summer question will not be resolved. We actually know the answer, but don’t want to face up to it on such a beautiful summer day.
Summer is at an end. We enjoyed it. Now it is time to move on.
The plants did well, critters not withstanding. Our apples are nearly ready for the picking, i.e. if we can beat the squirrels to them. We put the glider away yesterday. We need to start to think about autumn lawn fertilizer and replacing broken rakes. The end of summer is “such sweet sorrow.”
The economy and gasoline prices kept many of us close to home this summer. Fortunately for us family members were able to visit from California. Our granddaughters experienced running through lawn sprinklers—such an experience will never be possible in dry southern California. They were introduced to Midwestern flora and fauna. The younger child can easily recognize dragonflies and Queen Anne’s lace. Fireflies will light their dreams for months. The girls appreciate the delights of playing on the dunes and swimming in the warm, calm waters of Lake Michigan. Thunder and lightening were wondrous if somewhat scary.
On our own again, we launched our own boarder excursion into Wisconsin. If it weren’t for winter, Wisconsin would be a very nice place to live. In mid-August the Milwaukee area is host to several festivals. The Irish Fest on the lakeshore was terrific. We’ve attended many over the years and this year’s was one of the best. Celtic music, dance, and foods were in abundance; the currach races intensely fought; Irish dog breeds strutted their stuff; and, transport to the fest by the express County bus the best way to get there. Port Washington, just north of Milwaukee, hosted the Maritime Festival. Several tall ships were featured. They look so very lovely in full sail on the lake! Our “Cheese Head” neighbors really know how to celebrate summer.
As we drove back home, a nagging question recurs. We are always faced with this question when returning home. Why are the free roads in Wisconsin so much better than those in Illinois, where you are charged for the ‘privilege’ of using them? Illinois offers few viable options to its toll system. The fact that the Illinois toll road was undergoing construction doesn't really temper the problem. The expensive toll roads are usually crowded and the repairs won’t last long. Yes, “Cheese Heads” are taxed at a higher rate, but they seem to do so much more with what they receive. Wisconsin road rest stops are convenient, clean, and provide the tourist with useful information. Illinois' expensive “oases” are far apart and totally commercial. I imagine our perennial summer question will not be resolved. We actually know the answer, but don’t want to face up to it on such a beautiful summer day.
Summer is at an end. We enjoyed it. Now it is time to move on.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
The Annual Festival of Genetic Affirmation: 50 Years Strong
The first Sunday in August fills the residents of a Wauconda subdivision with foreboding. Dozens of autos, filled with families, will descend on the old cottage. The cottage itself is an anomaly. It is more than 75 years old; the building with the attached lots reflects an historical time of summers spent “in the country.” Wauconda’s newer homes on smaller lots bespeak the modernity of the last quarter of the 20th century. The old cottage lives in a 30s movie. The building is deserted most of the year—another anomaly in this bedroom community.
But it is the sheer number of people who descend on the cottage that amazes. The first Sunday in August is the date of the annual Family Picnic. Hundreds of family members arrive to affirm their consanguinity and celebrate their Italian heritage. I refer to it as the Festival of Genetic Affirmation—an appellation bestowed with tongue in cheek as well as a great deal of pride.
This year commemorated 50 years of official Family Picnics, although family summer outings began decades earlier. The golden anniversary brought relatives from Germany, the East Coast, the West Coast, all over the Midwest, and across the street. The family picnic newsletter assumed gigantic proportions as memories and photos, some old as the cottage, were shared. A professional photographer was hired to document the event with “The Largest Family Picture Ever.” A website was established to view the 50th anniversary photos.
Cousins so numerous that it stymies the imagination share traditional Italian cuisine, old stories, kisses, and hugs. Each family member professes amazement over how children have grown. Each keeps unspoken how others are now so frail. The pleasure of each other’s company pervades every reunion. Additionally it is an occasion to remember family members no longer alive. Many are gone, but so very many others perpetuate the traditions.
The Family Picnic celebrates the four brothers and one cousin who left Calabria with nothing but hope, courage, and the willingness to work hard. My Grandfather, the oldest, arrived in 1904. Two years later a younger brother made the voyage. My Grandmother joined her husband in 1907. Others followed. Each brother and cousin came with the desire to become Americans, promising that their children would be free, educated, and have good lives.
The American dream was there to be earned with hard work. They worked hard. My Grandfather helped build the railroad west. He and my Grandmother owned grocery and fish stores that served their fellow immigrants. They worked to start a cartage company. Their family flourished. The old cottage reflected their success when it was purchased in 1939. It was a refuge from the city. Grandma finally had her own garden. The family swam, fished, played softball, and enjoyed the clean air. Family was everything.
The family worked hard and achieved the American dream my Grandfather promised in 1904. Subsequent generations renewed this dream for their children. Today great-great grandchildren begin families confident that even the youngest child will own that heritage. The Annual Festival of Genetic Affirmation assures the preservation and propagation of the promise of 1904. Every one of the successive generations honors the progenitors of their American dream on the first Sunday of August when they gather for food and fun at the old cottage. Grandfather would be proud.
But it is the sheer number of people who descend on the cottage that amazes. The first Sunday in August is the date of the annual Family Picnic. Hundreds of family members arrive to affirm their consanguinity and celebrate their Italian heritage. I refer to it as the Festival of Genetic Affirmation—an appellation bestowed with tongue in cheek as well as a great deal of pride.
This year commemorated 50 years of official Family Picnics, although family summer outings began decades earlier. The golden anniversary brought relatives from Germany, the East Coast, the West Coast, all over the Midwest, and across the street. The family picnic newsletter assumed gigantic proportions as memories and photos, some old as the cottage, were shared. A professional photographer was hired to document the event with “The Largest Family Picture Ever.” A website was established to view the 50th anniversary photos.
Cousins so numerous that it stymies the imagination share traditional Italian cuisine, old stories, kisses, and hugs. Each family member professes amazement over how children have grown. Each keeps unspoken how others are now so frail. The pleasure of each other’s company pervades every reunion. Additionally it is an occasion to remember family members no longer alive. Many are gone, but so very many others perpetuate the traditions.
The Family Picnic celebrates the four brothers and one cousin who left Calabria with nothing but hope, courage, and the willingness to work hard. My Grandfather, the oldest, arrived in 1904. Two years later a younger brother made the voyage. My Grandmother joined her husband in 1907. Others followed. Each brother and cousin came with the desire to become Americans, promising that their children would be free, educated, and have good lives.
The American dream was there to be earned with hard work. They worked hard. My Grandfather helped build the railroad west. He and my Grandmother owned grocery and fish stores that served their fellow immigrants. They worked to start a cartage company. Their family flourished. The old cottage reflected their success when it was purchased in 1939. It was a refuge from the city. Grandma finally had her own garden. The family swam, fished, played softball, and enjoyed the clean air. Family was everything.
The family worked hard and achieved the American dream my Grandfather promised in 1904. Subsequent generations renewed this dream for their children. Today great-great grandchildren begin families confident that even the youngest child will own that heritage. The Annual Festival of Genetic Affirmation assures the preservation and propagation of the promise of 1904. Every one of the successive generations honors the progenitors of their American dream on the first Sunday of August when they gather for food and fun at the old cottage. Grandfather would be proud.
[Note: Photograph taken on Labor Day 1945. Family celebrates Victory in World War II. Already some military members are home; others await de-mobilization.]
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
It's An Ill Wind...
There is an old adage that states “It’s an ill wind that blows no good.” It is generally understood to mean that no matter how bad something may be, some good can come of it for someone. The energy crisis and rising gasoline prices are certainly ill winds.
Concerned Environmentalists find good in the reduction of carbon emissions with some relief for the problem of global warming. People are driving less, no doubt about that; cleaner air (however slight) is a result.
Inventive Americans seek ways to economize. Gas-saving tips abound for those who must drive. We are told to avoid aggressive driving and to keep within the limit because these habits can decrease gas mileage as much as one third. Drivers are advised not to accelerate to beat yellow-turning-red lights. Abrupt acceleration reduces mileage efficiency too.
Entrepreneurship is rising to the challenge too. It is reported that the brothels in Nevada are offering a gas card incentives to its truck driving clientele. Others are stealing the used cooking oil restaurants have been begging recyclers to take for years. Suddenly stinking French fry oil is gold. Creative responses abound!
U.S. News and World Reports suggests ways to carpool, using websites like RideSearch and eRideShare. Who knows, one might relax on the way to work a few times a week while making friends! They also recommend a good tune-up. Clean engines are more efficient. Another suggestion is to reduce your horsepower. Cycle down to four-cylinders. These cost less so you save money; while you can claim the moral high ground of saving the planet. Win-win.
There is real interest in alternative vehicles. It’s about time! Welcome to the global community who seek ways to be friendlier to the earth, extending the old girl’s useful life with fewer greenhouse emissions. There are more people taking public transportation. This trend will reduce congestion on highways. Increased use of public transport is a mixed blessing to such systems. On the one hand they have been trying to increase rider-ship for years; on the other, their fuel costs are soaring.
My personal nominations for the benefits created by out-of-control gasoline inflation are admittedly tinted with schadenfreude. For years, large, outsized SUVs—and worse—have blocked my vision in parking lots; they have created dangerous driving on ice, snow, and slush; blinded me at night with their higher placed headlights and aggressive tailgating; hogged parking places. Now, the owners of those leviathans can’t get rid of them fast enough. Used car dealers don’t want them. Going prices for trade-ins are at rock bottom.
Airlines are clamping down on those who think their steamer trunks qualify as carry-on luggage. For years my regulation size case has had to fight for space while the greedy travelers shoved huge suitcases, life-sized stuffed toys, television sets, etc. in the overhead bins. Pay for them!
Finally, all those self-righteous health nuts who have lorded it over those of us less fit have become “just folks” now. I’m referring to those who, in the past, have donned ridiculous outfits, straighten their halos, and biked to work—because they are fitter and cared more about the earth, presumably. Move over; there are a lot of folks too poor to afford the sleek outfits out there biking to work because they can’t afford the gas. They’re too busy holding on to their brown bags to straighten the halo.
As I said, “It’s an ill wind…”
Concerned Environmentalists find good in the reduction of carbon emissions with some relief for the problem of global warming. People are driving less, no doubt about that; cleaner air (however slight) is a result.
Inventive Americans seek ways to economize. Gas-saving tips abound for those who must drive. We are told to avoid aggressive driving and to keep within the limit because these habits can decrease gas mileage as much as one third. Drivers are advised not to accelerate to beat yellow-turning-red lights. Abrupt acceleration reduces mileage efficiency too.
Entrepreneurship is rising to the challenge too. It is reported that the brothels in Nevada are offering a gas card incentives to its truck driving clientele. Others are stealing the used cooking oil restaurants have been begging recyclers to take for years. Suddenly stinking French fry oil is gold. Creative responses abound!
U.S. News and World Reports suggests ways to carpool, using websites like RideSearch and eRideShare. Who knows, one might relax on the way to work a few times a week while making friends! They also recommend a good tune-up. Clean engines are more efficient. Another suggestion is to reduce your horsepower. Cycle down to four-cylinders. These cost less so you save money; while you can claim the moral high ground of saving the planet. Win-win.
There is real interest in alternative vehicles. It’s about time! Welcome to the global community who seek ways to be friendlier to the earth, extending the old girl’s useful life with fewer greenhouse emissions. There are more people taking public transportation. This trend will reduce congestion on highways. Increased use of public transport is a mixed blessing to such systems. On the one hand they have been trying to increase rider-ship for years; on the other, their fuel costs are soaring.
My personal nominations for the benefits created by out-of-control gasoline inflation are admittedly tinted with schadenfreude. For years, large, outsized SUVs—and worse—have blocked my vision in parking lots; they have created dangerous driving on ice, snow, and slush; blinded me at night with their higher placed headlights and aggressive tailgating; hogged parking places. Now, the owners of those leviathans can’t get rid of them fast enough. Used car dealers don’t want them. Going prices for trade-ins are at rock bottom.
Airlines are clamping down on those who think their steamer trunks qualify as carry-on luggage. For years my regulation size case has had to fight for space while the greedy travelers shoved huge suitcases, life-sized stuffed toys, television sets, etc. in the overhead bins. Pay for them!
Finally, all those self-righteous health nuts who have lorded it over those of us less fit have become “just folks” now. I’m referring to those who, in the past, have donned ridiculous outfits, straighten their halos, and biked to work—because they are fitter and cared more about the earth, presumably. Move over; there are a lot of folks too poor to afford the sleek outfits out there biking to work because they can’t afford the gas. They’re too busy holding on to their brown bags to straighten the halo.
As I said, “It’s an ill wind…”
Monday, June 23, 2008
The Persistence of Error
The other day the old French round, French Cathedrals, was stuck in my head, the victim of some benign cognitive itch. There is a term for songs that you can’t get out of your mind; songs you mentally sing all day. The word is earworm, from the German Ohrwurm. Knowing the word is not the point however.
What I found when I searched the Internet for the few words I couldn’t recall was all too common—a variety of cathedral names, either incorrect or spelled “creatively.” In this particular instance Beaugency and the words after Notre Dame were up for grabs. [Incidentally my spell checker does not like the word Beaugency. It has offered the word “biogenic” as a replacement. Ah, but spell check’s a whole blog entry of its own.]
As a professional librarian I try to avoid giving any information source from wikipedia. Wikis are fun and can be a place to jump off when all else fails, but wikis are risky. Whether the errors come from a deliberate attempt to mislead or from an over-willing spirit, once the error appears, it persists in the electronic ether a very long time. Librarians like to find the most authoritative source possible. By authoritative we mean an expert source. If the only result GOOGLE can give is a wiki answer, the librarian needs to try a different approach—maybe a book. Of course there is also the possibility—fortunately very rare—that there is no answer. Yes, sometimes the answer does not exist. Making one up is not ethical.
Books can contain errors too. It’s a good idea to look at more than one source. Occasionally an authoritative source, for example, a journal article, may contain mistakes. I often suspect some of these errors are deliberate so those who plagiarize can be identified. Others may be typos, but these types of errors generally do not affect the correctness of the information in a reputable source.
Yes, people make innocent spelling errors. My Misspeller’s Dictionary has been heavily thumbed. Spelling may soon become an endangered skill. Instant messengers have a lexicon no dictionary could wish to include. But the problem is much deeper than shortcuts, spelling errors and typos. It goes way beyond “wikiinfo.” The ease and anonymity of Internet information creation fosters a culture of those who don’t really care about accuracy or truth. Contributor e-prints are raisons d’être. Information is egalitarian in its inception. Its creation is a World Wide Web right. Content, and more importantly, context, is not particularly important. After all, information begins with an “I.”
Equally important to the perpetuation of mistakes in today’s asynchronous and instantaneous media is the lack of critical evaluation. People are only too willing to believe what they read on the Internet, or hear around the water cooler for that matter. Evaluation is a skill that must be nutured. Questions must be asked. The information seeker needs to ask about the credentials of the source. Does this information jibe with what is already known? Is there some sort of “agenda” behind the information? Is the information seeker relying too much on a social consensus? How important is truth?
The persistence of misinformation is insidious. The lack of intellectual rigor will undermine the corpus of knowledge that has been painstakingly created over centuries. Mistakes are self perpetuating. Fundamental elements of knowledge that are built on the shifting sands of social affirmation will collapse eventually. I worry that those who will need to reconstruct reliable information, those who will need to organize that information into knowledge, will no longer have the intellectual tools necessary for the job.
If this happens, then the irony of the situation derives from the inception of the Internet itself. Back in the late 1960s, universities, government entities, and the defense establishment created a network through which accurate and timely information could be shared. The many “creative” versions of French cathedrals was not what they intended.
What I found when I searched the Internet for the few words I couldn’t recall was all too common—a variety of cathedral names, either incorrect or spelled “creatively.” In this particular instance Beaugency and the words after Notre Dame were up for grabs. [Incidentally my spell checker does not like the word Beaugency. It has offered the word “biogenic” as a replacement. Ah, but spell check’s a whole blog entry of its own.]
As a professional librarian I try to avoid giving any information source from wikipedia. Wikis are fun and can be a place to jump off when all else fails, but wikis are risky. Whether the errors come from a deliberate attempt to mislead or from an over-willing spirit, once the error appears, it persists in the electronic ether a very long time. Librarians like to find the most authoritative source possible. By authoritative we mean an expert source. If the only result GOOGLE can give is a wiki answer, the librarian needs to try a different approach—maybe a book. Of course there is also the possibility—fortunately very rare—that there is no answer. Yes, sometimes the answer does not exist. Making one up is not ethical.
Books can contain errors too. It’s a good idea to look at more than one source. Occasionally an authoritative source, for example, a journal article, may contain mistakes. I often suspect some of these errors are deliberate so those who plagiarize can be identified. Others may be typos, but these types of errors generally do not affect the correctness of the information in a reputable source.
Yes, people make innocent spelling errors. My Misspeller’s Dictionary has been heavily thumbed. Spelling may soon become an endangered skill. Instant messengers have a lexicon no dictionary could wish to include. But the problem is much deeper than shortcuts, spelling errors and typos. It goes way beyond “wikiinfo.” The ease and anonymity of Internet information creation fosters a culture of those who don’t really care about accuracy or truth. Contributor e-prints are raisons d’être. Information is egalitarian in its inception. Its creation is a World Wide Web right. Content, and more importantly, context, is not particularly important. After all, information begins with an “I.”
Equally important to the perpetuation of mistakes in today’s asynchronous and instantaneous media is the lack of critical evaluation. People are only too willing to believe what they read on the Internet, or hear around the water cooler for that matter. Evaluation is a skill that must be nutured. Questions must be asked. The information seeker needs to ask about the credentials of the source. Does this information jibe with what is already known? Is there some sort of “agenda” behind the information? Is the information seeker relying too much on a social consensus? How important is truth?
The persistence of misinformation is insidious. The lack of intellectual rigor will undermine the corpus of knowledge that has been painstakingly created over centuries. Mistakes are self perpetuating. Fundamental elements of knowledge that are built on the shifting sands of social affirmation will collapse eventually. I worry that those who will need to reconstruct reliable information, those who will need to organize that information into knowledge, will no longer have the intellectual tools necessary for the job.
If this happens, then the irony of the situation derives from the inception of the Internet itself. Back in the late 1960s, universities, government entities, and the defense establishment created a network through which accurate and timely information could be shared. The many “creative” versions of French cathedrals was not what they intended.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Being At-One With Nature
Each spring my peasant DNA demands expression. The primal need to get my hands into the loess of a garden urges me to plan a garden. There’s nothing like the smell of good soil; the feel of well turned dirt is incomparable! The sounds of birds building nests and tending their young fill my heart with delight. Life has returned to the Midwest. I am at-one with nature.
"The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
…
I spend hours of back breaking labor joyfully, kneeling in reverence to Mother Nature. The floral theme for the front yard is red and white this year. Nearly four dozen candy striped impatiens will greet visitors drawn to the Veranda which is surrounded by red and while striped geraniums and firecracker salvias. Soon baby rabbits will poke their heads out from the tell-tale holes we found in the front yard.
The back will host a variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers. I have great hopes for the gladiolas. Sun exposure is perfect for the comestibles. Shady areas will feature forget-me-nots and the left over impatiens. Jolly dahlias will greet those who enter the yard. Peonies provide an early burst of color. The five-varieties-in-one apple tree already has delightful “baby apples.” Adding to the tree’s charm is a robin’s nest, carefully guarded by mom and pop red-breast.
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn:
All the plants are in. I can sit back and reap the benefits of my plans and toil. My husband has helped with the drudge work. He, however, is not as “at-one” with the seasons as I. The cause of his unease is the pesky squirrel.
My husband has a “thing” about squirrels. He hates them. We have a large red oak in the backyard that provides beauty and shade. Hubby insists that the squirrels use the tree to bombard him with acorns in the fall. Marksmen squirrels take turns dropping their missiles on his head. He wanted to have the tree cut down last year, but rationality prevailed.
The oak is perfect for aerie squirrel nests. Parent squirrels break off branches and tear leaves to make their cozy home. A high and comfortable platform where large branches diverge makes secure footing for their fledgling rodents. Three times this spring the man has risked life and limb to knock the nests down. He has fashioned a nest destroying pike from the extendable tree trimmer. He wields his pike with abandon while precariously perched on an extension ladder.
I expect to be made a widow over those squirrels. “What harm are they doing?” I ask. “After all the poor things have to live somewhere.” I urge him to relax, enjoy, and stop to smell the roses. I exhort him to be at-one with nature.
God’s in his heaven—
All’s right with the world." [Robert Browning’s Pippa Passes]
He should be more like me, attuned to the rhythms of the earth. He must learn to enjoy birdsong at dawn; listen for the twitter of baby robins with sweet anticipation; yearn for an early glimpse of those adorable baby bunnies.
Wait! From the front gutters a secret sparrow nest spills groundflood too near the foundation. Those d---d rabbits are eating my geraniums and salvias. Squirrels have been digging up the corms. All those hours on my knees! Husband, hand me your pike.
"The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
…
I spend hours of back breaking labor joyfully, kneeling in reverence to Mother Nature. The floral theme for the front yard is red and white this year. Nearly four dozen candy striped impatiens will greet visitors drawn to the Veranda which is surrounded by red and while striped geraniums and firecracker salvias. Soon baby rabbits will poke their heads out from the tell-tale holes we found in the front yard.
The back will host a variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers. I have great hopes for the gladiolas. Sun exposure is perfect for the comestibles. Shady areas will feature forget-me-nots and the left over impatiens. Jolly dahlias will greet those who enter the yard. Peonies provide an early burst of color. The five-varieties-in-one apple tree already has delightful “baby apples.” Adding to the tree’s charm is a robin’s nest, carefully guarded by mom and pop red-breast.
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn:
All the plants are in. I can sit back and reap the benefits of my plans and toil. My husband has helped with the drudge work. He, however, is not as “at-one” with the seasons as I. The cause of his unease is the pesky squirrel.
My husband has a “thing” about squirrels. He hates them. We have a large red oak in the backyard that provides beauty and shade. Hubby insists that the squirrels use the tree to bombard him with acorns in the fall. Marksmen squirrels take turns dropping their missiles on his head. He wanted to have the tree cut down last year, but rationality prevailed.
The oak is perfect for aerie squirrel nests. Parent squirrels break off branches and tear leaves to make their cozy home. A high and comfortable platform where large branches diverge makes secure footing for their fledgling rodents. Three times this spring the man has risked life and limb to knock the nests down. He has fashioned a nest destroying pike from the extendable tree trimmer. He wields his pike with abandon while precariously perched on an extension ladder.
I expect to be made a widow over those squirrels. “What harm are they doing?” I ask. “After all the poor things have to live somewhere.” I urge him to relax, enjoy, and stop to smell the roses. I exhort him to be at-one with nature.
God’s in his heaven—
All’s right with the world." [Robert Browning’s Pippa Passes]
He should be more like me, attuned to the rhythms of the earth. He must learn to enjoy birdsong at dawn; listen for the twitter of baby robins with sweet anticipation; yearn for an early glimpse of those adorable baby bunnies.
Wait! From the front gutters a secret sparrow nest spills groundflood too near the foundation. Those d---d rabbits are eating my geraniums and salvias. Squirrels have been digging up the corms. All those hours on my knees! Husband, hand me your pike.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Italian Americans in Chicago
On Thursday, May 8, the Casa Italia in the Chicago suburb of Stone Park was the venue for the start of a three day conference dedicated to exploring the roots of the Italian American experience in the Chicago area. The official title of the conference was “Reconstructing Italians in Chicago: 25 Authors in Search of Roots and Branches.” It was both a celebration and a process of discovery.
Two of principal organizers were Dominic Candeloro and Fred L. Gardaphe, both professors of Italian American studies at their respective universities—University of Illinois at Chicago and New York’s SUNY. Their energy and enthusiasm was matched only by their hard work. Much of the success of the conference can be attributed to their vision, dedication, and sweat equity. Many other committed researchers and writers contributed to the success of the event.
The presentations were varied and my appreciation for my ancestors enlarged. Although I was able to attend only the first day, I was impressed by the energy exhibited. I learned a great deal that day, and, of course, ate well in the process. I would like to share some of the “epiphanies” I experienced.
Billy Lombardo is a spare and fierce young man. He is passionate about his writing, his family, and his Italian American heritage. Billy is gifted. After telling the audience about his Bridgeport neighborhood experiences, he read a portion of his book, The Logic of the Rose. WOW! What a magnificent command of language that man possesses. His book is a prose work well worth reading. His poetry must be fantastic.
The irony of early twentieth century do-gooders brought a smile to my face. Social workers and nutritionists tried in vain to eradicate the eating habits of southern Italians. They tried to replace their healthful diets of whole grains, olive oil, and vegetables with red meat and potatoes. Little could they have predicted that today’s Mediterranean Diet is lauded by the medical profession.
I had no idea that Italian American communities flourished beyond the near West Side of Chicago, near Taylor Street. There were so many neighborhoods with their churches and community organizations. There were too many neighborhoods to enable Italian Americans the political clout that the Irish and other immigrants have achieved. Several speakers indicated that this Chicago Diaspora within the larger Immigrant Diaspora was intentional. Italian American neighborhoods were gerrymandered to prevent political power accruing to this group. Chicago Italian Americans will never forgive Mayor Richard J. Daley’s theft of “Little Italy.” This vibrant neighborhood was sacrificed to the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Circle Campus.
Several of the speakers revealed the anguish they endured while struggling with academia in order to have the Italian American immigrant experience admitted as a field of legitimate study. Doctoral degrees were placed in peril just trying to get permission to explore the field. It remains difficult to this day. One must ask why our families’ experiences and the talent of Italian American writers are considered unworthy of scholarly study. The sting of rejection is a deep and extensive. It pervades our identity.
The stench of the Sopranos, the Godfather and the Black Hand lingers subliminally when others think of Italian Americans. It will never wash away. This stigma denigrates the accomplishment and generosity of the real Italian American. Will we always be different, sullied by the assumption that somewhere in each family tree lurks a Mafioso?
I have always been somewhat uncomfortable with my Italian American Heritage. My mother did not have Italian ancestry. I was the family’s first “half breed.” I never quite belonged. This separation deprived me of an appreciation of an important part of my identity. I have come to realize that my Italian American relatives were as vulnerable as I. Conferences like the one in Stone Park clarify memories. My Italian American heritage becomes a legitimate source of strength. Beneficial reconstruction of my roots was promoted by Thursday’s experiences. Wish you could have been there!
Two of principal organizers were Dominic Candeloro and Fred L. Gardaphe, both professors of Italian American studies at their respective universities—University of Illinois at Chicago and New York’s SUNY. Their energy and enthusiasm was matched only by their hard work. Much of the success of the conference can be attributed to their vision, dedication, and sweat equity. Many other committed researchers and writers contributed to the success of the event.
The presentations were varied and my appreciation for my ancestors enlarged. Although I was able to attend only the first day, I was impressed by the energy exhibited. I learned a great deal that day, and, of course, ate well in the process. I would like to share some of the “epiphanies” I experienced.
Billy Lombardo is a spare and fierce young man. He is passionate about his writing, his family, and his Italian American heritage. Billy is gifted. After telling the audience about his Bridgeport neighborhood experiences, he read a portion of his book, The Logic of the Rose. WOW! What a magnificent command of language that man possesses. His book is a prose work well worth reading. His poetry must be fantastic.
The irony of early twentieth century do-gooders brought a smile to my face. Social workers and nutritionists tried in vain to eradicate the eating habits of southern Italians. They tried to replace their healthful diets of whole grains, olive oil, and vegetables with red meat and potatoes. Little could they have predicted that today’s Mediterranean Diet is lauded by the medical profession.
I had no idea that Italian American communities flourished beyond the near West Side of Chicago, near Taylor Street. There were so many neighborhoods with their churches and community organizations. There were too many neighborhoods to enable Italian Americans the political clout that the Irish and other immigrants have achieved. Several speakers indicated that this Chicago Diaspora within the larger Immigrant Diaspora was intentional. Italian American neighborhoods were gerrymandered to prevent political power accruing to this group. Chicago Italian Americans will never forgive Mayor Richard J. Daley’s theft of “Little Italy.” This vibrant neighborhood was sacrificed to the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Circle Campus.
Several of the speakers revealed the anguish they endured while struggling with academia in order to have the Italian American immigrant experience admitted as a field of legitimate study. Doctoral degrees were placed in peril just trying to get permission to explore the field. It remains difficult to this day. One must ask why our families’ experiences and the talent of Italian American writers are considered unworthy of scholarly study. The sting of rejection is a deep and extensive. It pervades our identity.
The stench of the Sopranos, the Godfather and the Black Hand lingers subliminally when others think of Italian Americans. It will never wash away. This stigma denigrates the accomplishment and generosity of the real Italian American. Will we always be different, sullied by the assumption that somewhere in each family tree lurks a Mafioso?
I have always been somewhat uncomfortable with my Italian American Heritage. My mother did not have Italian ancestry. I was the family’s first “half breed.” I never quite belonged. This separation deprived me of an appreciation of an important part of my identity. I have come to realize that my Italian American relatives were as vulnerable as I. Conferences like the one in Stone Park clarify memories. My Italian American heritage becomes a legitimate source of strength. Beneficial reconstruction of my roots was promoted by Thursday’s experiences. Wish you could have been there!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Dumping Dewey
Libraries are an important constituent element in a community’s identity. Librarians take seriously their responsibility to keep materials relevant and useful to their particular service populations. Libraries are service organizations. This is true no matter what type of library—public, academic, or special.
What portion of the community is served by a public library? Ideally that number should approach 100%. Outreach services provide the home bound with library materials. Schools have close relationships with public librarians so that assignments can be completed beyond the carefully husbanded resources of a school library. Best sellers are purchased in quantity so that library patrons will not need to wait long before they have a chance to read what’s “hot.” Videos and DVDs fly off the shelves. Patrons have already paid for these services through their taxes. What’s not to like?
Unfortunately, the average community serves less than a quarter of its population. Some of the non-library users are just not interested. Many more are uncomfortable in a library setting. Even those who regularly check out best sellers and movies may be unaware of other services available. I can’t estimate how many people told me that they had no idea the reference librarians would answer their questions (and for free). Others feel uncomfortable asking for help. They “feel stupid.”
No one should ever be made to “feel stupid” in a public library. No one should leave without getting what they came for, or advice on how to get it. When our library was testing the viability of having a roving reference feature each of us tried taking a laptop to the people using the library. I stationed myself at the top of the stairs and asked those who were leaving the building if they had found what they were looking for. It was amazing to learn how many had not.
When library patrons leave unsatisfied, the library has failed. The reasons behind that failure may be complex; part of the solution can be simple. Dump Dewey. There are two major classification systems used by libraries: the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and the Library of Congress System (LC). The latter is used most often by universities because it is more enumerative than Dewey which is widely used in public and school libraries. Dewey has a long history in library classification and is currently in its 22nd version.
[The Dewey Decimal Classification system is a proprietary entity; DDC22 is currently owned by OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc.]
LC employs about 21 main subject headings; DDC has ten. After an initial subject heading like “P” for Language and Literature, LC becomes very complicated, placing fictional works in the same “P” category as literary and language materials. Most public libraries learned long ago that placement of fictional works by author and genre worked well for its users.
The issue for public libraries arises when classifying non-fiction. Dewey often tends to aggregate too many different subjects within one of its ten divisions, known as the hundreds (“100s”). A breakdown by the “10s” becomes the only way to sort out topics. For example: the 700s are designated for “the Arts.” It is used for architecture, landscape design, photography, games, art, fashion, music, dance, sports, movies and TV, interior design and other “arts.” Sports are in the 790s; baseball is at 796.357. It is extremely difficult to browse the “700s” when you don’t understand its nuances and you’re not sure exactly what you’re looking for! If you want on baseball injuries, you’re in the wrong section.
Dewey has been used in public libraries for decades. It has an internal consistency and logic that few fully appreciate. These features are often expressed in the replication of a number sequence or to the right of the decimal point. Decimal places are also assigned as a means to refine sub-sub-topics. For example: European History is classified in the 940s. Irish history is classified at 941.5. Travel to Europe falls in the 914s; travel to Ireland is 914.15; travel books about Dublin alone are at 914.1835. Many libraries classify biographies at 920 and 921. A science book about a physicist’s life in science might be classified with the DDC call number 530.92.
DDC has subtleties that are admirable. Too often, these subtleties create barriers for non-cognoscenti who are looking for a book. Health books can be found in the 610s, 362s, 646s, 100s, and even the 700s, depending on which aspect of health and medicine is emphasized. The library user wants a book, not a tour of the stacks!
Logic, consistency, and precision are highly valued by library catalogers who want to place materials in just the right spot. These qualities become ludicrous when overdone. Try searching for a book with a call number like 341.0097623941 Ab76. Believe me; this little old librarian lady with bifocals is going to have a hard time finding that book especially if it is on the bottom shelf! What of the casual library visitor?
[The Cutter letters and numbers that follow a call number like Ab76 usually refer to authors, but can refer to subjects and titles. Cutters reflect the holdings of a particular library—but we are not going there.]
Unfortunately the average library user does not visit their public library to admire the classification system. What they come for is to find something to read. Why do libraries have to make it so hard? Would Melville Dewey turn in his grave if libraries gave their users a break? Libraries need to take a page from the book store. KISS!*
Today’s information seeker is more accustomed to using keywords that are inclusive and straightforward. Surely subtlety can meld with simplicity to create a system both user-friendly and logical. Libraries should rethink classification and adapt organization of knowledge to the end user. The following example, which I’ll call the Direct Classification System, may not be the best solution but it’s a place to begin. New paradigms must be established to keep libraries relevant to the community’s needs.
First I would propose the creation of straightforward, commonsense keywords, not “official subject headings.” Primary keywords should take precedence over Dewey classification definitions. Keywords should be user-friendly and universally accessible to the public; inclusive without nit-picking. Sub-topic divisions—or secondary keywords—would reflect the topic’s most important aspects. More detailed classification using a modified Dewey could be used to reflect the cataloger’s art and logic within sub-divisions. Online catalogs would indicate placement by Primary and Secondary Keyword Areas before any number designations. This Direct Classification System might get the user to the target area faster.
Next, I would organize keyword areas broadly. Sub-divisions should intelligently incorporate the complete spectrum of materials that come under the commonsense main heading. If books deal with health put them all together. Mental illness and psychology/self help are currently in separate Dewey 100s sections. Books on family and children’s health are in the “domestic science” section but childhood diseases and autism are in “medical sciences” although both fall into the “600s” designated for “Technology.” Additionally, many libraries remain ambivalent about Audio/Visual materials. These need to be located on the same shelf as books that deal with the same topic. Why not place exercise DVDs next to the exercise books?
Finally keep the end user in mind at all times. Be flexible and open ended. Signage must be attractive, clear, and plentiful. Sections should be situated according to some recognizable plan, most commonly alphabetically, or a combination of alphabetical and related topics. If the user does not want to use the online catalog, the logic of this classification system will lead the user directly to the correct area and its sub-divisions. A simple and attractive explanation of each section and its sub-sections can be placed on the stack ends.
Direct Classification reflects a 21st century mind set that utilizes familiar keyword retrieval terms and graphics. As an example I will use Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, Sixteenth Edition. Using the Library of Congress system it will be located at PN 6081. B27 (date), just before all the fiction in the “PRs.” Most public libraries will place it at 808.882 Bar. There are a lot of 808s. A “Dewey Free Zone” public library using the Direct Classification System would place it in “Writer’s Resources” (with nice graphic), followed by alphabetic subdivisions like “Grammar,” “Publishers,” and “Quotations.”
Which would you prefer?
*Keep It Simple,Stupid—in this case it’s the complex library classification system that qualifies most ironically as “stupid.”
What portion of the community is served by a public library? Ideally that number should approach 100%. Outreach services provide the home bound with library materials. Schools have close relationships with public librarians so that assignments can be completed beyond the carefully husbanded resources of a school library. Best sellers are purchased in quantity so that library patrons will not need to wait long before they have a chance to read what’s “hot.” Videos and DVDs fly off the shelves. Patrons have already paid for these services through their taxes. What’s not to like?
Unfortunately, the average community serves less than a quarter of its population. Some of the non-library users are just not interested. Many more are uncomfortable in a library setting. Even those who regularly check out best sellers and movies may be unaware of other services available. I can’t estimate how many people told me that they had no idea the reference librarians would answer their questions (and for free). Others feel uncomfortable asking for help. They “feel stupid.”
No one should ever be made to “feel stupid” in a public library. No one should leave without getting what they came for, or advice on how to get it. When our library was testing the viability of having a roving reference feature each of us tried taking a laptop to the people using the library. I stationed myself at the top of the stairs and asked those who were leaving the building if they had found what they were looking for. It was amazing to learn how many had not.
When library patrons leave unsatisfied, the library has failed. The reasons behind that failure may be complex; part of the solution can be simple. Dump Dewey. There are two major classification systems used by libraries: the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and the Library of Congress System (LC). The latter is used most often by universities because it is more enumerative than Dewey which is widely used in public and school libraries. Dewey has a long history in library classification and is currently in its 22nd version.
[The Dewey Decimal Classification system is a proprietary entity; DDC22 is currently owned by OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc.]
LC employs about 21 main subject headings; DDC has ten. After an initial subject heading like “P” for Language and Literature, LC becomes very complicated, placing fictional works in the same “P” category as literary and language materials. Most public libraries learned long ago that placement of fictional works by author and genre worked well for its users.
The issue for public libraries arises when classifying non-fiction. Dewey often tends to aggregate too many different subjects within one of its ten divisions, known as the hundreds (“100s”). A breakdown by the “10s” becomes the only way to sort out topics. For example: the 700s are designated for “the Arts.” It is used for architecture, landscape design, photography, games, art, fashion, music, dance, sports, movies and TV, interior design and other “arts.” Sports are in the 790s; baseball is at 796.357. It is extremely difficult to browse the “700s” when you don’t understand its nuances and you’re not sure exactly what you’re looking for! If you want on baseball injuries, you’re in the wrong section.
Dewey has been used in public libraries for decades. It has an internal consistency and logic that few fully appreciate. These features are often expressed in the replication of a number sequence or to the right of the decimal point. Decimal places are also assigned as a means to refine sub-sub-topics. For example: European History is classified in the 940s. Irish history is classified at 941.5. Travel to Europe falls in the 914s; travel to Ireland is 914.15; travel books about Dublin alone are at 914.1835. Many libraries classify biographies at 920 and 921. A science book about a physicist’s life in science might be classified with the DDC call number 530.92.
DDC has subtleties that are admirable. Too often, these subtleties create barriers for non-cognoscenti who are looking for a book. Health books can be found in the 610s, 362s, 646s, 100s, and even the 700s, depending on which aspect of health and medicine is emphasized. The library user wants a book, not a tour of the stacks!
Logic, consistency, and precision are highly valued by library catalogers who want to place materials in just the right spot. These qualities become ludicrous when overdone. Try searching for a book with a call number like 341.0097623941 Ab76. Believe me; this little old librarian lady with bifocals is going to have a hard time finding that book especially if it is on the bottom shelf! What of the casual library visitor?
[The Cutter letters and numbers that follow a call number like Ab76 usually refer to authors, but can refer to subjects and titles. Cutters reflect the holdings of a particular library—but we are not going there.]
Unfortunately the average library user does not visit their public library to admire the classification system. What they come for is to find something to read. Why do libraries have to make it so hard? Would Melville Dewey turn in his grave if libraries gave their users a break? Libraries need to take a page from the book store. KISS!*
Today’s information seeker is more accustomed to using keywords that are inclusive and straightforward. Surely subtlety can meld with simplicity to create a system both user-friendly and logical. Libraries should rethink classification and adapt organization of knowledge to the end user. The following example, which I’ll call the Direct Classification System, may not be the best solution but it’s a place to begin. New paradigms must be established to keep libraries relevant to the community’s needs.
First I would propose the creation of straightforward, commonsense keywords, not “official subject headings.” Primary keywords should take precedence over Dewey classification definitions. Keywords should be user-friendly and universally accessible to the public; inclusive without nit-picking. Sub-topic divisions—or secondary keywords—would reflect the topic’s most important aspects. More detailed classification using a modified Dewey could be used to reflect the cataloger’s art and logic within sub-divisions. Online catalogs would indicate placement by Primary and Secondary Keyword Areas before any number designations. This Direct Classification System might get the user to the target area faster.
Next, I would organize keyword areas broadly. Sub-divisions should intelligently incorporate the complete spectrum of materials that come under the commonsense main heading. If books deal with health put them all together. Mental illness and psychology/self help are currently in separate Dewey 100s sections. Books on family and children’s health are in the “domestic science” section but childhood diseases and autism are in “medical sciences” although both fall into the “600s” designated for “Technology.” Additionally, many libraries remain ambivalent about Audio/Visual materials. These need to be located on the same shelf as books that deal with the same topic. Why not place exercise DVDs next to the exercise books?
Finally keep the end user in mind at all times. Be flexible and open ended. Signage must be attractive, clear, and plentiful. Sections should be situated according to some recognizable plan, most commonly alphabetically, or a combination of alphabetical and related topics. If the user does not want to use the online catalog, the logic of this classification system will lead the user directly to the correct area and its sub-divisions. A simple and attractive explanation of each section and its sub-sections can be placed on the stack ends.
Direct Classification reflects a 21st century mind set that utilizes familiar keyword retrieval terms and graphics. As an example I will use Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, Sixteenth Edition. Using the Library of Congress system it will be located at PN 6081. B27 (date), just before all the fiction in the “PRs.” Most public libraries will place it at 808.882 Bar. There are a lot of 808s. A “Dewey Free Zone” public library using the Direct Classification System would place it in “Writer’s Resources” (with nice graphic), followed by alphabetic subdivisions like “Grammar,” “Publishers,” and “Quotations.”
Which would you prefer?
*Keep It Simple,Stupid—in this case it’s the complex library classification system that qualifies most ironically as “stupid.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
