Oops!

So this is seeming less and less like a library blog, which is really okay with me, but I thought I'd mention it in case you just happened upon this blog and actually expected me to say something about libraries! Oh, foolish one, why would you ever think that? *smile*

I am slowly following the list of 15 things that I'm supposed to learn about. I have signed up for RSS feeds from a few websites (and I might even add some library ones at some point). I haven't even scratched the surface of what you can do with RSS feeds - did you know that you can set up your RSS feed so you are informed everytime a new picture comes up on Flickr for a subject that you are interested in. For instance, "Libraries" or something silly like that.

Photo courtesy of Erik Van Hannen, Flickr.com

Where is the Love?

Liya Kebede

I'm a librarian, but my first love is fashion - not always evident in the clothes I wear, but that's another story to be told another time. Anyway, I just read a couple of articles that stated that Black models haven't been used as much as in times past. I have to say that I'm not completely surprized, but I also wonder where all the other models of color were (and I don't mean Caucasian models who happen to be born and/or raised in "exotic" locations - and yes, of course there are gorgeous Caucasian models too, but my point is that there's plenty of room for everyone). If you think that all the Black models retired with Iman, America's Next Top Model (and even my favorite, Project Runway, to a smaller extent) has proven that there still are little girls of color who want to grow up to be supermodels, so why aren't they on the runway?

Du Juan

Runways Fade to White. New York Times, October 14, 2007

Fashion Week Runways Almost a Total Whitewash. Jezebel.com, February 11, 2008

Where Are All The Black Models? Start By Asking Anna Wintour. Jezebel.com, October 15, 2007

It seems to me that the argument that Black models (and other models of color) do not sell magazines (or whatever else) is a load of it. Its the same argument that Hollywood bigwigs use to explain away their inability to cast more than just a couple of Black, Asian and Latino actors (don't even get me started on the tendency to stick them right in the proverbial stereotype box when they do get cast). I'm feeling quite optimistic today, but I'm feeling like there are a lot of people who will buy from (or pay to see a movie starring, or vote for) someone whose work they appreciate. And sometimes, its about who gets pushed on us as the "next great new thing." Who's in charge of that? If those in charge think a particular person is not going to be appealing to the "whiter" population, they won't hire them, which just becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Elsa Benitez

As Obama's popularity (and number of delegates) has shown, not all people in the general population (and not just in my "progressive" neck of the woods) are as closed-minded as people in fashion and entertainment (and the news media?) would like to think. However, I do wonder about those who are in charge of the magazines, the fashion houses, the booking agents, the casting agents, and the movie producers. I think it's their closed-mindedness we really have to worry about.

**(Update: I have to say that I had the hardest time finding images of high fashion Latina and Asian fashion models - does that say more about me or about who the fashion industry chooses to promote? And don't even think about mentioning Gisele Bundchen as an example of a Latina model. Just being from Brazil does not make you Latina. And yes, I am aware of Jaslene Gonzalez - Boriqua! - but I was looking for established editorial models.)

All photos courtesy of Photobucket.com -thanks Photobucket!

Back in the Day

I was checking out "Long Live the Message" http://themessageshow.blogspot.com/ when I noticed a post for "What We Grew Up On." It made me think off all those things I miss from when I was a kid. Like this:


1. The Super Friends. I got up early one morning a few years ago to watch my favorite Saturday morning cartoons, and they were gone! Of course, I can't even remember when I last watched them - probably before I got my first job at 15, which was "mmhmm-muffle-muffle" years ago. (Pay attention. If you really want to know my age, you'll probably figure it out)

As an only slightly related aside, did you know that San Francisco has a Hall of Justice? I guess it has a jail and superior court's criminal division, but everytime I pass it, all I can think of is..."Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice." from the Super Friends. It never fails to make me laugh (or at least giggle.)

2. Other Great Saturday morning standbys - Bugs Bunny/Road Runner, and Fat Albert (maybe Fat Albert didn't come on Saturday mornings, but I can't imagine when else I would have been watching it. Maybe Saturday afternoon instead?)

3. The Bionic Woman - as much as I loved Wonder Woman, Jaime Sommers was my girl. She wasn't super cool like some superheros. She wasn't an Amazon. She wasn't born with superpowers, and I loved that she was stronger than she looked. She was just ordinary - if you didn't count the bionic legs, arm and ear and the fact that she was a tennis pro before she became a schoolteacher. Plus, you could make all sorts of sound effects when you pretended to be her. That was the best. "Chhhh-chhhh-chhh."

More later. Blogger's been giving me fits.

Oh, Miss Scarlett

So my husband has this obsession with Scarlett Johansson - or rather, whenever she is mentioned, he repeats her name in this whiny voice that can not be adequately described without hearing it. I can't really tell if he's making fun of all the people who are sooooooo in love with her or if he's a little enamored himself. I think it's funny. This morning, I picked up the phone to a tape-recorded message of Miss Johansson herself asking me to vote for Barack Obama. Of course, I sent it on to my husband at work, where he proceeded to jokingly boast that Scarlett Johansson called him.

I think the last time there was a presidental election, I got a phone call from Robert Redford, which, admittedly, would have been a bigger thrill if he still looked the way he did when he was younger. It's kind of cool, and yet, a little eerie. I hope that no one really thinks that just hearing from a particular celebrity will make someone vote for a particular person if they weren't going to already. Actually, as much as I'd like to have faith that celebrity endorsement wouldn't actually influence someone one way or another, I could see that happening. I mean, come on, Arnold Schwarzenegger is our governor.

Since tomorrow is Super Tuesday, and I have to vote early in the morning to get my vote in, I'm still terrifyingly undecided. So I'm abandoning the blog (just for now) to take time to better educate myself about my choices.

Go Giants!

We had a Super Bowl party at our place last night. This was probably one of the best games for it. Everyone at the party was rooting for the Giants - either because they were underdogs, because of issues with some of the Patriot's players and/or the way the whole team does business, or rooting for the hometown (Bay Area) boy - the Giants' Amani Toomer, who is from SF originally (not Tom Brady, who is from San Mateo - no offense, San Mateo). It's funny, too, because 3 out of the 10 of us are actually from New England. I am not the kind of person who blindly cheers for a team just because I happen to be from the same part of the country, and I usually go for the underdog. Plus, the Patriots were going to move to Connecticut at one point and then reneged, so they are on my bad side, anyway. (For more about why that pisses me off, see: Patriots Nix Hartford, Stay in Foxboro)

The Giants fought every step of the way. They came out fighting. They didn't shrink from the challenge. They believed they could do it. And that's what I love.

The Giants scored first, but the Patriots slipped a touchdown in at the end of the first quarter. The score was 3-7, Patriots for the longest. I almost thought that was going to be the final score for a while. But the Giants weren't going to have it. Even when it got down to seconds, the Giants were still putting their all into plays like this amazing catch by Tyree (see photo - thanks to S.I.) that set them up to win. He would not let that ball go, slamming it against his helmet while falling backwards over Patriot Rodney Harrison's knees (that had to hurt) and still holding on. By the time Plaxico Burress caught the winning touchdown pass, we were riled up, ready for it, and still shocked. Shocked that the Giants pulled off one of those amazing Hollywood sports movie type wins. But this time, it was real.

I'm not a football fan so much as a Super Bowl fan. I love watching the best put everything out there to win the title. It's inspiring. I usually don't have much of a clue of all the statistics and I'm still baffled by all the first and 10, down this and down that talk - what does that mean, really? I have still yet to get an explanation that I can understand. I do understand fighting to be the best, though. I get that.

I do have an issue with some of the coverage. I felt like ESPN's post-game coverage smacked of fair-weather friend attitude. To say that the Patriots whole season is now a failure is b.s. Let me repeat, I am not a Patriots fan. But did people forget that before last night, they were 18-0. That's not shabby. At all. Of course people are going to remember that David killed Goliath. People were making them out to be indestructible. But now, after the game, they want to say that everything else they did doesn't count. Fair is fair. Give Goliath his credit. And give the Giants their trophy. Ho-oh! :)

As for the commercials...Mostly, I wasn't that impressed. I guess the great commercials that I've seen in the past have spoiled me. Some of them really left me baffled or with my face screwed up. AMP, anyone? Among the best: The E-Trade Baby (amazing work to fit all his motions and the voiceover and make it look so real), Dwayne Wade and Bugaboo Charles Barkley for T-Mobile (their T-Mobile commercials are always funny. Remember "is this your dad?" Or "sexy!"), and the Thanksgiving Parade Balloons (Underdog and Stewie) fighting over a balloon bottle of Coke. You can watch all last night's Super Bowl commericals and vote here for your favorite: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22844081/



SPOILER ALERT - Balloon Charlie Brown appears out of nowhere and ends up getting the Balloon bottle of Coke - it's about time poor Charlie Brown won at something!

Just in case you love the Barkley/Wade T-Mobile commercials like I do, or if you have no idea what I am talking about: Here's a link to "Is That Your Dad?"and"Sexy".

Enjoy!