From the Depths of the Haunted Library....

Well, okay, I don't know if it's actually haunted. But this used to be a church, which implies that people were burried beneath here at one point, and that's where the stacks are, one two subterranean levels, and thus where I have to go everytime I want to get a book or a journal article, and it's creepy!

The library is quite nice, though. If you missed it, here it is again:

Yup, that's where I am right now. The white thing in the bottom corner there is one of the book stealing sensors, and from there you go down a short flight of stairs to the main floor, and I am just to the right of those stairs right now (though I can't see them, as they're blocked by a large shelf of books).

I normally can't work in the library, as it's too...restrictive. I like to be able to stop and go as I please, to cough loudly, to sing along with whatever is playing, to watch DVDs or iTunes shows...I can't do that stuff in here, people get angry. However, Thursday mornings my room gets cleaned by University staff (yes, they clean my room...I'm not sure why, I have two theories: 1) they use it as an opportunity to make sure we aren't burning candles or using hotplates and things like that; 2) by so doing they can justify charging us more for our accomodation. It's probably a combination of the two...), and so I can't be in there. I could just go to the kitchen on my floor, or the lounge downstairs, but there's no internet in the kitchen, and I never thought of going to the lounge until just now, so I come to the library. It's also a good chance for me to get books or articles that I've come across in my reading, so I'll keep doing it. Besides, it's probably good if I'm seen to be working at the school sometimes, rather than be working unseen in my room constantly. This way, I at least put out the image that I'm working hard, right?

Right.
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I was very impressed by this. Eric Holder, the Attorney General of the United States of America, commenting on issues of race before the Justice Department. I think he's right, absolutely right. Only by communicating are we ever going to move beyond, but right now everyone is too scared to communicate, lest they be labelled a racist. I quote an email from a friend, in which he writes:

'Here's a preview of this new dialouge:

In an effort to confront the race issue, people have 'frank discussions' about race, say something offensive, and get labled racist. Problem remains/gets worse. Repeat.'

Yes, there is good reason to be cynical, and yes, that will probably happen a lot at first. But if no one is willing to take the risk, nothing will ever change, right?

Right.
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Also, apparently I don't update on Tuesdays anymore, I just update when I feel like it. I think that'll be a better system, as then I won't have to throw dozens of pictures and interesting news stories at you at one time (the half dozen of you that read this, that is).

Oh, I just had a big yawn'n'stretch in the library, and this girl scrounging through the shelves around me gave me a funny look. As if she'd never seen anyone yawn'n'stretch before, or never done it herself. Hypocrite.
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Next week is Mardi Gras, and Ash Wednesday. Best come up with something to give up, Catholics. And other traditions that do the same thing (Anglicans? Presbyterians? I never know which Protestants keep the same traditions as the Catholics).
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Also, I feel the need to point out that I was working hard in the library today, reading through a book. But the author summarized his points in the opening paragraphs of each chapter, and as all I needed was to summarize his points, I didn't have to keep reading. So thank you, Atsuhiro Asano.

-stephen