Books For Ourselves

Inequality: Indifference x Insufficiency

Today 300,000 plus Chicago students didn’t go to school today, spending the day at home, hanging out with friends or joining their fellow classmates and over 25,000 educational workers in Chicago who are striking against working conditions and educational opportunities of the Chicago Public Schools. 

Along with adequate nursing staff, emotional and mental health support a main complaint from parents is that there aren’t libraries in schools and how that lack of community space deepens the fractures occurring. Linked to the lack of community space in the schools, there is also a lack of bilingual teachers creating another barrier for students who either rely on other students to help them with their work or give up. 

The strike has two sides to it: the teachers and the students. The teachers need more pay in order to lessen their financial and connected emotional stress and anxiety so they can focus more on their students and be the best teachers they can. But they are also fighting for their students. By demanding smaller class sizes, mental health resources so student can be assisted before they hit that breaking point, and pushing for school libraries they are fighting for their students now, in their next grade, their next school and the rest of their lives

For nearly a decade, Diana Ramirez hadn’t been able to take a book home from the San Diego Public Library. Her borrowing privileges were suspended, she was told, because of a mere $10 in late fees, an amount that had grown to $30 over the years.

Ramirez, who is now 23 and stays in Tijuana with her mother, attends an alternative education program in San Diego that helps students earn high school diplomas. To her, the debt she owed to the library system was an onerous sum. Even worse, it removed a critical resource from her life.

“I felt disappointed in myself because I wasn’t able to check out books,” Ramirez said. “I wasn’t able to use the computers for doing my homework or filling out job applications. I didn’t own a computer, so the library was my only option to access a computer.”

In April, Ramirez finally caught a break. The San Diego Public Library wiped out all outstanding late fines for patrons, a move that followed the library system’s decision to end its overdue fines. Ramirez was among the more than 130,000 beneficiaries of the policy shift, cardholders whose library accounts were newly cleared of debt.

The changes were enacted after a city study revealed that nearly half of the library’s patrons whose accounts were blocked as a result of late fees lived in two of the city’s poorest neighborhoods. “I never realized it impacted them to that extent,” said Misty Jones, the city’s library director.

For decades, libraries have relied on fines to discourage patrons from returning books late. But a growing number of some of the country’s biggest public library systems are ditching overdue fees after finding that the penalties drive away the people who stand to benefit the most from free library resources.

From San Diego to Chicago to Boston, public libraries that have analyzed the effects of late fees on their cardholders have found that they disproportionately deter low-income residents and children.

‘We Wanted Our Patrons Back’ — Public Libraries Scrap Late Fines To Alleviate Inequity

Illustration: Connie Hanzhang Jin/NPR

Dolores Umbridge

I was wondering what I could write about what we learned from Umbridge, did I really need to write about all the characters, did I learn from them? How people in power can be corrupt and self-indulging, how people can use their greatest insecurities or fears and inner hate as a foundation against others, these are things we know already from life and can see from other characters so why write about her. Well, there are two things—one is just a quandary. It is interesting that as she became more and more in power, more absolute in her hatred of others that she also became more ‘polite’ (a false-politeness as most is) and more ‘girly’ focusing on a love of kittens, the color pink and attempts in being fragile. Why? She didn’t want to come across as fragile or dainty.

Secondly, there are many characters that are hated for the level of pain or evil they caused: the Dursleys, the Malfoys, Pettigrew, while Voldemort, Bellatrix and Umbridge are usually at the top and considered the worst, Voldemort has never been considered high above Umbridge in this aspect, and for many falls beneath her.  Here is the man who split his soul into seven pieces (then accidentally eight), had Cedric murdered just because he wasn’t useful (seriously, just knock him out), tried to kill a baby who might one day kill him (good job on that one), murdered his entire family (both sides), he’s just an evil guy. So how is he not automatically the big villain Umbridge is? Why is she even able to compete? It’s a personal opinion, and choice, and one that fluctuates for most. Umbridge is so hated I believe, because of how much power she was allowed to have, and how she was able to slip in, remain and grow within the Ministry and be seen as someone with intellect, someone who should be compassionate, engaging and encouraging was narrow-minded and without individuality. In comparison, Voldemort had to fight for his power and to promote his beliefs, and people fought against him and disrespected him for it. Being forced to respect either Umbridge or Voldemort will make them hated, but as Umbridge was considered by many adults as one of the ‘good guys’ or that her crimes and hatred against others weren’t important enough to be obliterated and that she was supported makes us hate her and the system more.

The respect, power and approval by the ‘good guys’ she was given is similar to my earlier point in how her affection for kittens and delicate things was in opposition, and a falsehood, of who she really was. I cannot speak for others, but I do feel that giving someone with the same hatred and cruelty in her as Voldemort, giving her the power and respect he wanted is what makes her so hated—what she does is approved and while teachers under Voldemort’s rule would torture students, they did it as it went against their beliefs and because that’s who they were. They didn’t pretend it was for the benefit of the other students or under the guise of someone else. With all her arrogance and self-importance, she really had no confidence or true pride.

Power Family: Stanley, Phyllis and Andy

Stanley’s Best Moment: Season Five, Episode Two: Weight Loss Part 2

When he takes off 5 extra days for vacation anyway as a reward to himself for losing seven pounds over the summer

 Stanley’s Worst Moment: Season Two, Episode Twenty-One: Conflict Resolution

After his complaint comes out that Phyllis cries too much and she says they’re close he replies “we sit close” when you can see she’s clearly upset and feels she’s getting ganged up on

 Stanley’s Best Line: Season Four, Episode Twelve: Did I Stutter?

Line: “It’s like I used to tell my wife, I do not apologize unless I think I’m wrong. And if you don’t like it you can leave. And I say the same thing to my current wife and I’ll say it to my next one too”

 Stanley’s Most Memorable Moment: Season Six, Episode Twenty-One: Happy Hour

After doing 26 pushups and getting to go home early he just says “excuse me” and just leaves for the day

Phyllis’ Best Moment: Season Six, Episode Ten: Murder

When she does well fooling everyone (but Dwight) that she was the murder as Beatrix Bourbon; and how upset she gets when she’s outed by Michael.

Phyllis’ Worst Moment: Season Nine, Episode Eighteen: Promos

When she makes everyone uncomfortable as she humps everything around her while listening to 50 Shades of Grey on tape.

 Phyllis’ Best Line: Season Seven, Episode Twenty-Two: Goodbye Michael

“But, you can’t get them wet, and they can’t be dry cleaned either. You have to hand was without water, ring dry gently, and use a hair dryer on cool.”

Phyllis’ Most Memorable: Season Five, Episode Eleven: Moroccan Christmas

“Oh I don’t think its blackmail, Angela just does what I ask her to do so I won’t tell everyone that she’s cheating on Andy with Dwight. I think for it to be blackmail, it would have to be a formal letter”

Andy’s Best Moment: Season Eight, Episode One: The List

When he doesn’t accept Robert California’s bullshit explanation of why it’s okay he called people losers.

“But, you don’t know these people but I do and if I let you work with fault information than I’m not doing my job as regional manager”

Stanley, you may think he is a lazy grump but did you know he has the most consistently high sales numbers of anyone in this office

Meredith Palmer, supplier relations, the word no, not even in her vocabulary

Pam, easily the most creative and kind person I have ever worked with

Erin, the receptionist and my closest confidant, a winner if there ever was one 

Andy’s Worst Moment: Season Nine, Episode Sixteen: Moving On

When he hires Alice and Gabe, Pete’s and Erin’s exs, to “prove a point” about how working with an ex while they are in a new relationship at the office isn’t something you just “move on from”. Yes it’s rough but Erin and Pete weren’t obnoxious about their relationship, but also, Gabe could probably guess on some level why he was getting hired and at least knew Erin would be there. We have no idea what Alice left or why, it was really messed up and selfish.

Andy’s Best Line: Season Four, Episode Three: Launch Party

When he gets his acapella group to help him sing a song in asking Angela out

“If you change your mind, I’ll be first in line. 

Honey I‘m still free, take a chance on me.

If you need me, let me know, gonna be around.

If you got no place to go, if you’re feeling down.

If you’re all alone, when the pretty birds have flown. 

Honey I’m still free, take a chance on me.

Gonna do my very best, and that ain’t no lie.

If you put me to the test, if you let me try.

Take a chance on me”

 Most Memorable: Season Six, Episode Thirteen: Secret Santa

When he got Erin the 12 days of Christmas, even though he could have done the first days with just the birds differently, pushing to the 12 drummers drumming was perfect.

Whoops—

As we work to improve access, equality of access, and diversity some of us will get there faster than others as some have more pressing matters to focus on. For many young girls, their time is mainly taken up walking miles every day to bring clean water home to their families. For them, having a book that describes their personal story or an ancestral connection is first dependent on whether they were in school long enough to know how to read. Other challenges such as those taken on by Malala Yousafzai, deal with female suppression, war and tyranny and of course children who are currently walking hundreds of miles to escape violence, war and famine. 

Not all have the ability to begin to think about education, our stories and our futures as they can only think of reaching tomorrow. But for those that in the midst of this chaos, there is still hope and those who work to bring books to those who don’t have the ease of going whenever they can.

(1)    https://litreactor.com/columns/the-10-most-unusual-libraries-in-the-world

Aberforth

Aberforth, oh Aberforth how I wish we knew of you aBEFORth...yeah

Aberforth represents someone we all know. For every person who wants to be in the spotlight, there is someone (much more actually) that aren’t and either don’t mind or are glad. While referenced as “the simple life”, Aberforth choices and life is one that is more complicated and I hope people who read Harry Potter tried to understand and think about how terrible his life was on some level and who is truly was as a person. While we don’t learn much about him, the few things we did spoke a lot about the character of those who decide to shine away from the spotlight. While not obvious, Aberforth has a lot more in common with Harry Potter than Dumbledore ever did or would and how these characteristics can be in all of those who choose to act on them. 

1. Both Harry and Aberforth grew up being seen as second best, as many do. To the girl in your class who got the perfect SAT score or the guy in your computer science class who just started his own startup company and doesn’t have to go to college; their sibling's lives can be awful if not handled properly. Being second best is something that creates a dark (and usually not addressed) cloud that encompasses your entire life. Not everyone is good at everything and no skill or talent should directly outrank another; heck, look at Petunia (another reason why she really should’ve treated Harry better knowing how it felt to be him), she never got over Lily being a wizard and her parent's treatment of her afterwards. So again parents, grandparents and humans in general: don’t pretend that you treat your children the same if you don’t and definitely don’t act as if it’s something to just accept and get over. Yes, everyone is not created equally, there is always out there that is better at something than we are, but it’s being treated respectfully, as a person that makes ALL the difference. 

2. Standing up for what’s right, especially against those that are supposed to be your allies.

But Aberforth went against his brother and his friend, two people who were considered out of his league but at the time were morally repugnant. Regardless of what others thought they knew Aberforth held his ground, defending his sister and his mother against his superstar brother and friend and that takes courage, bravery, self-confidence, and gumption. 

For the most part, Harry had the support of his friends and chosen family, and while the times that others should have listened to him (Draco year Six), you can also see why they always didn’t. Harry and his friends did continue, no matter the odds of success, to always try to help others and protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. 

3. Short and sweet: Neither did anything they did, for glory (maybe Harry a bit when he was younger thought it’d be cool....but it wasn’t why he KEPT ON TAKING ON Voldemort)

“Public libraries are such important, lovely places!” Yes but do you GO there. Do you STUDY there. Do you meet friends and get coffee there. Do you borrow the FREE, ZERO SUBSCRIPTION, ZERO TRACKING books, audiobooks, ebooks, and films. Have you checked out their events and schemes. Do you sign up for the low cost courses in ASL or knitting or programming or writing your CV that they probably run. Do you know they probably have myriad of schemes to help low income families. Do you hire their low cost rooms if you need them. Have you joined their social groups. Do you use the FREE COMPUTERS. Do you even know what your library is trying to offer you. Listen, the library shouldn’t just exist for you as a nice idea. That’s why more libraries shut every year

Best Intros

1. Season Five, Episode Fourteen: Stress Relief Part One

     The Fire

2. Season Six, Episode Four: Niagara Part 1

When Dwight insists on eating an egg at his desk after Pam asks people to change some of their habits during the morning sickness part of her pregnancy; so then Pam throws up, then Andy, and Erin, Phyllis, Meredith, Oscar, Angela….Creed eating his noodles, and Pam just taps her mouth with a tissue

3. Season Eight, Episode Sixteen: After Hours

First Angela and Pam complain about Oscar and his dog,

Oscar and Angela complain about how Angela pretends her kids are more advanced than they are,

Angela and Oscar complain about Pam talking about two kids instead of just one, 

Then all three complain about Andy and his boat.

4. Season Two, Episode Nine: Email Surveillance

When Michael racially profiles the new IT guy, and turns off the office lights and has them all hide.

5. Season Five, Episode Twenty-Two: Dream Team

When Kevin is the receptionist. First, he forgets he’s supposed to answer the phone and second, we find out that he’s been having trouble understanding how to transfer so he just calls whoever the call is for to come up to reception.

Then, in this scene Jim reminds him how to transfer by hitting “transfer, extension, transfer” (Kevin had written it on his hands but then washed his hands and forgot) to transfer a call to Andy first transfers the call to the empty desk across from Meredith, then to Stanley, and then to Andy; all while politely speaking to the customer.

6. Season Three, Episode Fifteen: Phyllis’ Wedding

When Jim “Pavlov’s Dog” Dwight with an altoid whenever he reboots his computer

7. Season Four, Episode Three: Launch Party

The TV cube-corner countdown; it’s something we’ve all experienced, just as passionately.

There’s this cube on the screen that bounces around all day. And sometimes it looks like its hitting Right into the corner of the screen And then at the last minute it hits a wall and bounces away. And we are all just dying to see it go right into the corner.

8. Season Five, Episode Nineteen: Golden Ticket

“THE KGB WILL WAIT FOR NO ONE!”

9. Season Five, Episode Twenty-Six

When Michael had not a pot pie, or an entire pot pie but an entire, family-sized, chicken pot pie for lunch and after letting the office be dark and quiet for a while Jim changes the computer time, Pam changes his watch, and Dwight changes his car time so they can all get a half-day.

10. Season Three, Episode Eleven: Back from Vacation

When Jim starts tell lies about what Dwight is doing in the meeting since Dwight is recording the meetings since Michael is away with Phyllis and Karen joining in later

Jim “you’re not allowed to take your pants off at the office—oh my god, he has a knife”

Phyllis “Jim Carrey just walked in, oh Dwight, get his autograph for Michael, quickly”

Karen “Dwight, what is that on your stomach? Is that a “Muppet Babies” tattoo?”

Best End Moments

1.  Season Six, Episode Ten: Murder

After the end of the Murder Mystery game(s) when Michael, Andy, Dwight and Pam are all still at the office, past six, trying not to get shot by each other because they all announced how they were double agents ….and Jim has to drag her away

2. Season Eight, Episode Twenty-Two: Fundraiser

When everyone thinks Kevin doesn’t realize his dog Ruby is dead because he tells them:

She’s doesn’t do anything, just lays there all day

She barely touches her food

She doesn’t really poop

She just lies there all day

He has to prop her eyes open to watch the tv

She smells horrible

3. Season Five, Episode Twenty-Eight: Company Picnic

When Jim and Pam find out they’re expecting

4. Season Six, Episode Twenty-One: Happy Hour

Hide’s story

“In Japan, heart surgeon. Number one. Steady hand. One day, Yakuza boss need new heart. I do operation. But mistake! Yakuza boss die. Yakuza very mad. I hide fishing boat, come to America. No English, no food, no money. Darryl give me job. Now I have house, American car, and new woman. Darryl save life. My big secret: I kill Yakuza boss on purpose. I good surgeon. The best”

5. Season Five, Episode Nine: Frame Toby

Dwight’s Perfect Crime

6. Season Three, Episode One: Gay Witch Hunt

“I was gonna quit, but Jan offered me a three month paid vacation and a company car. All I had to do was sign something promising I wouldn’t sue. We’re going to Europe. Kids, sometimes it pays to be gay”

7. Season Eight, Episode Twenty-One

After Ryan somewhat pours his heart out to Kelly in the parking lot, Pam searches the waste basket to find the love poem he wrote to her because of how bad Pam expects it to be but after reading the whole thing with Jim that they are both brought to tears Jim tells the camera team “Ryan can never know”

8. Season Eight, Episode Four: Garden Party

When Jim keeps leaving and re-entering the Garden Party so Dwight has to keep announcing him and knowing that Dwight is so committed to throwing a good Garden Party that he asks Dwight who he really think the best salesman in the office is and then timing to walk back into the party so Dwight’s answer comes out as “Obviously M—Mr. James Halpert!”

9. Season Five, Episode Twenty-One: Two Weeks

When after Michael and Pam quit, Charles puts Kevin on “phones” and to decrease the time wasting makes Stanley his productivity czar and be ‘on top of that’

10. Season Seven, Episode Ten: China

After Andy first texts Darryl about him and Michael wearing the same tie, Darryl tells Andy to text him less. Then when Andy texts him “Megan Fox?” Darryl holds Andy to one bad text away from getting blocked. Andy maintains his “good text status” by only next texting Darryl two pigeons eating ice cream.

A Walk to Remember, Holes

The book is almost always considered better than the film, and really, how couldn’t it be (shout-out to all the people who were in the same theatre as me during the first Harry Potter and had to deal with me going thru the book in the theatre and complaining about the inaccuracies for the first third); there’s no budget, no timeline for the writer or the reader and you get to become more immersed (bonus: movies are expensive!). But except for times when the movie greatly alters the story (the Giver), I understand that movies are more restricted than the books and sometimes even very important plot points not 100% relevant to the main story ‘must’ be omitted (R.I.P S.P.E.W). However, two stories that were big as I grew up went from book to movie, one that I first saw as a movie (A Walk to Remember) and one I first read as a book (Holes)

A Walk to Remember was a big deal in my school when it first came out, even after those who saw it first shouted about the ending and while the dramatics of young love being lost to death area big plot point in young adult novels, many of the aspects of high school were accurate even when they’re cliché. There are kids who are ‘losers’ and hate it, but also don’t care; and some people who are assholes in elementary school, are assholes for life—but others, may not even be assholes by the end of high school whether due to basic maturing and growth or dramatic circumstances change them (I’ve seen both). About ten years after the movie came out, I came across the book and decided to read it as there some things in the book that didn’t make sense to me (main point, her leukaemia being so devastating at such a young age and the school being overly involved with Landon’s criminal activity punishment). Turns out, the original book was set in the 1950s!!! but adapted so more teens would go see it. As with most of the stories I love, this one I loved because it gave a good background as to why and how Landon falls in love with someone ‘not his type’, it’s both explained and unexplainable—completely accurate and brings the idea to kids that there are many reasons why people are the way they are and you can only truly know someone by getting to know them. As a side, while mostly ignored in both the movie and novel, both stories do have the reconnection made between Landon and his father.

Holes: is, was, and will always be; hysterical. From Stanley = Yelnats, to the curse being centered on a pig and a dumb rich girl, to the kids at camp green lake really not being hardened criminals but just really overactive kids, and of course, the fact that them digging holes was going to not just make them strong enough to beat the counsellors up. There were so many amazing stories and lessons portrayed in both the movie and the novel: racism, how love can turn into anger, how women can be ruthless, how it’s important to find love that is equal, to thank your friends who try and help you and to always be optimistic (though maybe a bit more realism wouldn’t have hurt). Both the film and the movie portrayed the lessons they wanted to get across well, especially, the greatness that is true friendship and compassion for others.

Both A Walk to Remember and Holes to me are stories that were adapted and made sure to keep the true story and the experiences of the characters intact, so while not everything aligns up perfectly, only a snob would complain about the outcome.