Eh....Anonymous

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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

Argo, Catch me if you can, Milk?

All stories, even documentaries, are subjected to interpretation and a point of view. We choose to dig deeper into a character, see past some flaws or ignore particular qualities because we all come from different perspectives that have been building over our entire lives. The ‘world of Hollywood’ is about dramatization, intrigue and even stories that are unbelievable all on their own get tweaked to be shown on the big screen not only because of time constraints or believability but because otherwise they’d be too hard to follow in the short run. 

While these stories based of true events should promote the idea that it is not 100% accurate, that shouldn’t give these film the license to completely discard the truth because for the stories that are based on actual events, their overall strength comes with their ability to inspire either by the actions that occur during the story and to not translate the truth would not only due a deserve to the real events and the viewers and the films potential, but also to the world that comes after this films release that could have been inspired. (shit sentence i know, I’m tired). Overall my point is that these and other stories while being entertaining and mostly meant to be entertaining and may not be accurate or may put a rosier picture on some truly horrible events or circumstances, if you feel inspired whether out of rage over an injustice or happiness by someone’s success--go with it, change the world, fight for a better society, better world, deeper understanding even in a small scope. Just dig deeper

Ryan <3 Kelly

Ryan Howard

Ryan’s Best Moment: When he ‘empties’ out his desk during Cleaning Day but nothing is there (Season Two, Episode Eleven: The Secret)

“If I had to, I could clean out my desk in five seconds; and nobody would ever know I had ever been here. And I’d forget too.” *sighs*

                                                     +++

Ryan’s Worst Moment: He mentions to Kelly and Pam that he doesn’t ever see himself after getting married after Kelly notes she’d like to get married in June and asks Ryan when he’d like to get married. Pam asks that he be more sensitive to Kelly’s feelings for him. Pam mentions to Ryan that he should be nicer about what he says since Kelly clearly is interested in him. (Season Two, Episode Seventeen: Dwight’s Speech)

“I know what I said”

                                                    +++

Ryan’s Most Memorable Moment: When Ryan get’s delivered new business cards on the day they are told the branch is closing (Season Three, Episode Seven: Branch Closing)

“It makes perfect sense that it would happen today because I just received this in the mail—a thousand business cards with this address and phone number”

                                                   +++

Ryan’s Best Line: Ryan gives “a reason” but really every reason for why he cannot go out with Michael, Andy and others to lunch so Jim can’t provide another reason. (Season Three, Episode Ten: A Benihana Christmas)

“Oh man I can’t, I’m not feeling so well. I got a ton of work to do here, MSG allergy, peanut allergy, I just ate their last night” (Season Three, Episode Ten: A Benihana Christmas) when he first gives Michael excuses to why he can’t go to ‘Asian Hooters’ and then the rest to Jim

Kelly Kapoor

Kelly’s Best Moment: When getting the Women in the Workplace Training from Jan and they’re going over sports metaphors about successes and failures in the workplace Kelly refocuses it on romantic sports metaphors, poking at Jan’s recent romantic interactions with Michael (Season Two, Episode Fifteen: Boys and Girls)

“What about second base? Like, if Michael said he got to second base with you. Does that mean you like, closed a deal? I mean that’s a baseball term right?”

                                                      +++

Kelly’s Worst Moment: When she tells Ryan he got her pregnant when he’s back visiting the branch after getting promoted (Season Four, Episode Two: Dunder Mifflin Infinity)

At first she solemnly nods no to the camera expressing she’s not pregnant but as we learn he agrees for them to talk in private after work about ‘everything’ she gets all excited and chirps “We have a date!”

                                                      +++

Kelly’s Most Memorable Moment: When another interesting thing finally happens in the office. (Season Eight, Episode Seventeen: Test the Store)

“Will someone explain what’s going on here. Since the interesting thing happened, so much time has past. It feels like my life is buffering”

                                                      +++

Kelly’s Best Line: Kelly explaining how she’s *so smart* following the minority executive training program…but she’s still Kelly (Season Seven, Episode One: Nepotism)

“You guys, I’m like really smart now, you don’t even know. You could ask me ‘Kelly, what’s the biggest company in the world?’ and I’d go blah blah blah, blah blah blah’ giving you the exact right answer”

It's a great goal, but really, just keep reading at whatever pace you can do and enjoy. It's not a race. I love reading because I enjoy seeing and learning something different. Not always, but those books you read when you then have to look up stuff and find more books to read and things you want to learn. But also the books where you can really breathe it in and reflect. Those are the big things, the big moments in reading, but really the small moments are great too. There is the heartbreaking story that's only six words: "For sale: Baby shoes,never worn" So much can come from so little and the same is so with reading. Don't feel overwhelmed, just keep reading, don't feel bad when you maybe need to take a break for a few days. Don't worry too much about what you read, just read and read and read

The Power of Fear

In his inauguration speech, President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. He followed this with gratitude, that the fears that were plaguing the nation at the time was not a disease, but financial constraint and that we as a nation could overcome if we worked together.  

Fear, is not all bad. In moments of danger, fear can kick start your reflexes allowing us a greater advantage and even in non-immediate danger fear can bring about clarity and a different way of thinking. But fear can also be blinding, and when left unchecked it can grow until it becomes all-consuming. It is important when dealing with one’s fear that you truly think about what you are fearing and where that fear comes from—choosing only to work with the fear of an actual threat.

Franklin D. Roosevelt explained in his speech that the fear people were feeling could paralyze them and make things worse if they let it, in these current times it is important to understand how these small fears can grow and manipulate and take over. There are the fears of many Americans are based in the unknown, fears of potential violence and financial loss. But those who are coming to this country have true fear, fear that powers them through hundreds of miles of desert, and starvation. Fear of starvation and violence, death and disease. They show how fear can produce action over insurmountable odds.

What we also must remember is again how this fear can grow and how it can be stopped. The United States entered World War II after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but by then, fear of the unknown and fear of an uncertain future had killed hundreds, thousands and millions throughout the world due to famine, panic and genocide. While we all have our fears, we must also think about how we can act when that fear is small, easier to conquer and what it may mean for others who are living in more present danger than ourselves.  

 My family and I are alive today thanks to the countries that rose above their fear of the unknown to help those who were running for their lives, and the members of my family who were able to use that fear of death and persecution to empower them to walk at least 2,000 miles to start to a sanctuary, Tehran. We must not let our fear blind us to our potential and the true victims of hate and violence and the unknown.

i have a reading list longer than my life expectancy

Mother: Maybe if you went out of the house more you'd have more friends

Ravenclaw: I already have two. What more do you want?

Draco Malfoy and Sirius Black

First, I know she has come to the understanding that people are more crushing on Tom Felton than Draco Malfoy, but I cannot understand why JK Rowling is so unnerved by it. Yes, Draco Malfoy is a shitty person, but it’s so typical that it really is quite a gift. Be glad we’re wasting our ‘fall for the bad guy’ on a literary character over an actual guy who smokes cigarettes in 2018.

There are a few core things we could learn about from Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter. Two of the main ones being how people change, and that the world isn’t black and white. But the biggest understanding I think can be gained is comparing his life and struggles with Sirius Black. Whether Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor first and then got a deeper understanding of how his beliefs and morals were different from the majority of his family or if he knew he had these beliefs before starting school, Sirius’ showed us the result fighting for what is right and against your family when your family doesn’t have the same moral standing you do. In comparison to when Percy either let himself be blinded or was just obsessed with power, his family continued to try and connect with him and love him, while Sirius’ family disowned him.

Both Draco and Sirius at points were bullies, but there is a huge difference between being a bully and being evil. When it came down to it, neither was evil, and at times I’m sure both were scared in trying to do what was right under extreme pressure and thru their stories we got to see both sides. While Sirius’ story focused on the results of his fight he was abandoned, depressed and obsessed with fighting against the Voldemort and the beliefs of those who abandoned him. During the struggle we see Draco, who once demanded and forced to do the wrong thing, couldn’t handle it as it wasn’t him. As Dumbledore remarked he cowardly tried to kill Dumbledore and even when push came to shove and his life depended on it, still couldn’t. He was frozen and like Sirius he overtime became depressed and alienated himself from all around him.  It’s tricky, but I don’t know if Draco would ever had been able to choose either side by himself, he seemed unable to go against his family and what was a burden on him to protect them; only ending up morally okay when his mother realized how the battle would end.

Thru their parallel struggles we see what happens when you are able to go against your family and when you cannot. While Draco was able to live a fuller life and Sirius had a truly supportive family in his friends, both suffered and arguments for both can be made for against when we remember these characters were children at the time of this crossroad. It’s hard, it’s heartbreaking, and there are so many people in the world who while they should be themselves and are accepted by others, we need to be reminded that since your family is supposed to love you unconditionally—you can turn yourself into a Horcrux with the pain and fear of what may happen if they don’t and be more open-minded with those struggles.

While not the best of ideas, in the pre-internet times--books sometimes were your only saviour. Even today, I still appreciate the new worlds, in some aspect better worlds books can take me to and inspire me to create

Scrimgeour and Fudge

There are many different types of leaders in our world, teachers, pop stars, activists, CEOs and of course, actual political or governmental leaders. As within our daily world, the wizarding world showed Harry Potter and the rest of us that there are all types of leaders, even within the same field. Two of the biggest political leaders that would show different ends of the spectrum were Cornelius Fudge and Rufus Scrimgeour

Before we knew how bad things would get, we knew Fudge was an oaf. While some of his calls were good (increased efforts in protecting Harry Potter from Sirius Black), most of them were done out of self-preservation, for glory and prestige. Why he ever got involved in government, probably stems mostly from that wanting to see important as he portrayed no backbone, showed extreme jealousy and little critical skills. His role in the rise of Voldemort is not large, but important. As the spokesperson and leader of their world any small thing he did differently would have had a tremendous impact, but when the opportunity finally rose not only did he freeze at the challenge, he purposefully put everyone at greater risk just so he could keep his glory days. Seriously thou, what did he think was going to happen?

As former Head of the Auror Office, Scrimgeour was more experienced with the current priorities the ministry faced and was expected to be better at handling the situation when compared to Fudge as a leader. However, in terms of leadership, they were unfortunately, very similar. Considering the threat everyone was under and previous year of administrative secrecy, Scrimgeour should have operated with as much transparency as possible for both the safety and trust of the wizarding and muggle world. Instead, he was very much like Fudge: temperamental, would push for ridiculous propaganda with Harry Potter and bogus arrests, and an illogical paranoia and hatred against Dumbledore. While his death and life focused on the greater good, one cannot help but wonder what would have happened, how many more lives would have been saved, if he were more like Potterwatch being honest, hopeful and encourages those to not only fight for themselves but for others.