Thursday, December 31, 2009

Rincón Latino: ¡Libros en Español!

,,Nada" de Carmen Laforet


,,Nada es una novela escrita por Carmen Laforet en 1944, que ganó el Premio Nadal el 6 de enero de 1945 Luego, en 1948 obtuvo el Premio Fastenrath de la Real Academia Española. Llamó la atención no solamente por la juventud de la escritora, que por aquel entonces tenía 23 años, sino también porque mostraba la sociedad de aquella época. Hay quien dice que la novela es autobiográfica. Aunque la novela contiene elementos biográficos, la autora misma escribe en su introducción al cuento dentro de la compilación llamada Novelas (Primera edición 1957 Barcelona, Editorial Planeta) lo siguiente: "No es, como ninguna de mis novelas, autobiográfica, aunque el relato de una chica estudiante, como yo fui en Barcelona, e incluso la circunstancia de haberla colocado viviendo en una calle de esta ciudad donde yo misma he vivido, haya planteado esta cuestión más de una vez".
Es una novela de carácter existencialista en la que Carmen Laforet refleja el estancamiento y la pobreza en la que se encontraba la España de la época de la posguerra. La escritora supo transmitir con esta obra, escrita con un estilo literario que supuso una renovación en la prosa de la época, la lenta desaparición de la pequeña burguesía tras la Guerra Civil."

Blue Moons

Last night as I got home from work, the moon was rising. The sky was clear, the air was cold, and the moon was THAT BIG and brilliant! If the sky is clear tonight, we'll be able to see it again. Everyone's calling it a "blue moon" - but is it, really?

Almost everyone will tell you that a "blue moon" is the second full moon in a calendar month. But it hasn't always had that meaning. An earlier agricultural definition states that a blue moon is the third full moon in a season that has four full moons instead of the usual three. ABC News and Associated Press have written similar stories explaining the different meanings of the phrase. The About.com Astronomy site also has a page of links to facts, trivia, and legends about blue moons. Infoplease provides blue moon facts and myths, including an old proverb the Oxford English Dictionary says was first recorded in 1528:
If they say the moon is blue
We must believe that it is true.
What I found missing this year is the story that "Blue Moon" actually was the name of a Dutch trading vessel that returned to port so seldom that the folks named the intervals between port visits "Blue moons". Did I imagine it? Or does that story surface only once in a blue moon?
Just for fun, here's a list of Blue moon reading from the library's catalog - both fact and fiction.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Thoughts from Customer Appreciation Day


Customer Appreciation Day(s) were earlier in the month of December. At Central Library we celebrated with the staff sharing their thoughts of why we love our patrons and greeted our patrons with a cookie and an invitation to share their thoughts about why they loved this library. Below are a few thoughts from each.
Why We Love Our Patrons:


  • Hearing kids singing during story time makes my day.
  • They ask interesting questions for us to answer at the Reference Desk!
  • Sometimes they wear colorful socks.

Why Our Patrons Love the Library:

  • Free WiFi&Easy access.
  • There are so many art classes.

  • I can read free comics.
  • The staff is always nice and helpful. We find new resources every time.

Thank you Central Library Patrons!

Friday, December 25, 2009

Christmas in Holis

I was hoping I could all the staff together to sing this song. However, that didn’t happen. So I guess I’ll have to settle for the Run D.M.C. original.



There's always next year...

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The Circle Turns: Winter Solstice

It must have seemed to the Ancient Ones that when the sun went below the horizon it might never return. In order to prevent this they first practiced rites that would summon it back. In seeking to capture the light of the sun, fire became of central importance in the majority of these rites. If harbored and protected, fire would remain alive, as a symbol of the hidden sun. Sometimes it was enough to celebrate the return of the sun, at others it was necessary to make sacrifices to the god or goddess who was the source of its light, to insure that he or she returned. It's the legacy of these ancient ceremonies that lies at the heart of our acknowledgement of the solstice. Virtually every festival that was celebrated - or which still takes place today - owes something to these long-forgotten celebrations of the year's turning.

The word solstice itself comes from the Latin sol stetit, literally, "sun stands still," which recognizes that for approximately six days in December and again in June, the sun appears to rise and set at more or less the same point on the horizon, appearing to stand still in the sky.

This year, 2009, in our area the Winter Solstice was celebrated on Monday, December 21st 9:47 am, Pacific Standard Time. We still celebrate the return of the light with song and dance as demonstrated by The California Revels; and your local drumming circle may also have an event planned! Find out more about the Winter Solstice and how you can celebrate at www.religioustolerance.org/winter_solstice.htm and www.schooloftheseasons.com/celsolstice.html.

A splendid collection of winter solstice tales from many cultures is contained in The Return of the Light by Carol McVickar Edwards. An excellent history and folklore of the Christmas tree is: The Solstice Evergreen by Sheryl Ann Karas; and parents and caregivers who want to educate their children about the winter solstice are urged to read The Shortest Day by Wendy Pfeffer . These and other great books on holiday origins can be found on the Sacramento Public Library Catalog.


Tuesday, December 22, 2009

¡RINCóN LATINO: PELíCULAS EN ESPAÑOL!

,,Amanecer de un Sueño" de Freddy Más Franqueza


,,Amanecer de un Sueño" es una película española la cual trata de un triplete de amigos quienes se parecen a todos nosotros...buscando la felicidad y el significado de la vida. Pascual es un septuagenario propietario de una tienda quien también se dedica a cuidar a un niño huérfano soñador en un pueblo remoto. Dentro de las monstruosas brumas que rodean a la pequeña aldea como un velo de un sueño, un mundo aparte y distinto vive y muere. Dentro de ese mundo, personajes viven sus vidas...comparten sueños y deseos como si fuesen regalos de Navidad. ¡Disfruten esta película y compartenla con alguien especial!



Monday, December 21, 2009

Brittany Murphy, 1977-2009

My favorite Brittany Murphy movie does not happen to be Clueless.

Yes, she was cute in Clueless, and I did love that movie. She was sweet, and a bit tart, playing Tai, the new girl in town who joins the Beverly Hills' under aged in crowd. It wasn't even Happy Feet, though I did watch that film just this past Saturday, much to the dismay of the (male) guests who wanted us ladies to go watch it in the garage so they could watch a football game inside. (Like we were going to pick watching players smash into each other over cute, singing penguins.) Murphy certainly had way more screen/voice time in those vehicles, but my favorite film featuring her happens to be Drop Dead Gorgeous. This movie is horrible in the most gleeful way, poking fun of beauty pageants, small towns, and trying to escape said town, be it via winning a sparkly crown, joining a hockey team, or going to prison. Murphy plays Lisa Swenson, a goofy, giggly necessary after thought younger child. She cheese it up beside future big movie stars Kirsten Dunst, Denise Richards and Amy Adams, explaining of her parents, “You know they only had me because Peter needed a kidney.”

I won't print up here what she yelled at her father at the end of the film. That's because I like having a job.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Stressed Out?

There are times when I get just a little stressed out. I think it's a combination of no one listening to my instructions to use their indoor voices, and getting sad that I am over 30 yet I still don't have the money to buy an island home in Sweden. (Maybe if I put it on my New Year's Resolution List it will happen, LOL.) Instead of sinking into depression, I either go to YouTube and type in puppies, or to make a visit to Cute Overload. For some reason, no matter how many times I see this video it makes me happy. Enjoy.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Sacramento history photo of the week number 33!


The two mosaic-clad obelisks on Twelfth Street, one upon entering Alkali Flat and one when exiting, were designed in 1990 by landscape architect John Nicolaus as part of the 12th Street Beautification Plan. The structure at the corner of Twelfth and "H" Streets is pictured above. Longtime Alkali Flat resident and Royal Chicano Air Force member, Juanishi Orosco, was responsible for the artistic concept on the ornamented tiles. The project was funded by the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency.

The above photo and many more like it can be found in the Sacramento Public Library’s Sacramento Room which is open to the public Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 1 to 5, and Thursday 1 to 8.

Make sure to also checkout, "Sacrachicano," showcasing historical and current works by some of the RCAF's major artists as well as emerging artists who are carrying on the cooperative's tradition. The exhibit is in partnership with Galeria Posada and is curated by Gloria Burt and the same Juanishi Orosco who created the obelisk above. View the exhibit during library open hours through January 3, 2010.

¡RINCóN LATINO: PELíCULAS EN ESPAÑOL!


,,Máncora" de Ricardo de Montreuil

,,Máncora" es una playa en el norte del Perú donde sirve de refugio del mundo para muchos quienes buscan escapar de la realidad. Huír de la ,,maranidad" de un mundo que no toma prisioneros. ,,Máncora" es una película que trata de un trío compuesto de la bella Ximena, el cínico Iñigo y el infortunado Santiago. Los tres se encuentran al azar y lo que toma lugar para los próximos días es una pesadilla de verdad, lo que comenzó como un escape termina siendo una negra pesadilla donde saldrán muertos o moribundos. ¡Suerte para los que tiran los dados!










Saturday, December 12, 2009

Using Your Library @ Home and @ Anywhere

The Questions:
  1. It's 8:30 p.m. and your teen has just informed you that she needs 5 newspaper and magazine articles discussing global warming for her 1st period research paper, which is due tomorrow. All the libraries closed at 8. What can you do?

  2. Your 8th grader can't understand his algebra homework - and neither can you! What can you do?

  3. You have volunteered to host an exchange student from Japan for a month in January, and need to learn basic Japanese FAST! What can you do?

  4. You want to find out whether experts think your company's healthy and would make a good investment for your stock options - what can you do?

  5. You've been "downsized" and want to polish your resume and your interview skills so you can NAIL the next interview. What can you do?

  6. You're stopping for lunch enroute to a faraway state and want to find the nearest Macdonald's for the kids' lunch. What can you do?
The answers to all these questions, believe it or not, are the same: use your library! Your library card is the key to information access wherever you are. We make information and services available online, by phone, and by text messages even when the library is closed, so you don't have to arrange your needs around our open hours.

The Answers:
  1. Use our online magazine and newspaper databases - available 24/7 - to find full-text articles you can print and cite for that research paper. We have the Sacramento Bee as well as other newspapers, and over 5,000 online magazines.
  2. On the Kids' and Teens' pages, students in grades 4-college can click Homework Help Now! to get help from credentialled tutors via live chat. Tutors can help with math, writing, social studies, and more!
  3. Mango Languages provides an always-available, never-needs-to-be-returned language lab at home. You'll be fluent in Japanese in no time! Click the Mango link in the General Interests section of the database page.
  4. Morningstar Online, in the Business & Personal Finance section on the Database Page, is the place to go for current, expert information about stocks, mutual funds, and industry information. Morningstar also provides free online tutorials for YOU, our public, in the use of this database.
  5. JobNow, a new service, gives job-seekers tools to assess their interests, revise and polish resumes, get personal coaching on effective interview techniques, and links to career resources.
  6. Info Quest: Txt4Nswrs - Use your cell phone to send your question to an Info Quest librarian. You will receive an answer in just a few minutes. Include the abbreviation SPL in your text, so the librarian who answers knows which library you belong to.
See? It's entirely possible to use the great resources your library provides without even stepping through the door. All it takes is an Internet connection and a library card.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

RINCóN LATINO: ¡PELíCULAS EN ESPAÑOL!

"La Mujer Sin Cabeza" de Lucrecia Martel


Lucrecia Martel es una cineasta argentina que ha dirigido películas espléndidas como "La Ciénaga" y la internacionalmente aclamada "La Niña Santa" . En "La Mujer Sin Cabeza" la protagonista Vero atropella a un perro en la carretera durante en breve viaje. Pero debido a un peculiar estado psicológico, Vero ha tomado a una mujer por un perro. ¿Poe qué? Pronto veremos.


Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Sacramento History Photo of the Week Number 32!


In 1913, the Sacramento Lumber Company and its fifty employees opened at Twelfth and “B” Streets, where its proximity to the Sacramento River and Southern Pacific facilities kept handling costs low and profit margins wide. Pictured here are two modes of transport within the mill, horse-drawn wagon and, as evidenced by tracks, narrow-gauge engines. In the background is a shed which was designed to hold up to 1,000,000 feet of lumber. The mill was hit by fire in July of 1921, leading to the destruction of well over $30,000 in material. The warehouse, pictured above, was completely destroyed.

The company's primary timber stands, entirely virgin, enveloped Coos Bay, Oregon. The company's specialty was Port Orford cedar, which was brought by boat from Oregon to Sacramento. Similar stands in the Sacramento area had been denuded by the end of the nineteenth-century.

The above photo and many more like it can be found in the Sacramento Public Library’s Sacramento Room which is open to the public Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 1 to 5, and Thursday 1 to 8.

Hanukkah

The Festival of Lights is a celebration of Jewish people everywhere. It is observed for eight nights, on the Hebrew month of Kislev beginning on the 25th day. The holiday is a remembrance of the rededication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem after winning it back from a foreign nation. A miracle happened when the oil used in the eternal lamp of the Temple lasted for eight days instead of the usual one which allowed more oil to be made.
Today a special Menorah holding nine candles is the centerpiece of the celebration. One candle is lit on the first night and one additional candle is lit each night with a total of eight being lit on the final night. The ninth candle is used to light the other candles and is called the “shamash” or “servant” candle.
Customs of Hanukkah include eating foods fried in oil like latkes (potato pancakes) and Sufganiyah (jelly filled doughnuts). Playing a game using a four- sided top is another custom for children. Each child has a pile of coins, nuts, candies or some other object to play with. The top is spun and depending on which side is face up, the player either puts in one object, wins an object or nothing happens.
For more information read: “The Hanukkah Family Treasury” by Steven Zorn and Rabbi Joui Hessel; “Eight days of Hanukkah : a holiday step book” by Harriet Ziefert; or “ A Hanukkah holiday cookbook” by Emily Raabe. There are many other books to check out from the library!!
For internet sources go to http://www.holidays.net/chanukah/, http://www.holidays.net/chanukah/ or http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/holiday7.html.

---By SK

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!


Today, the National Weather Service issued a warning for a very cold winter storm that is expected to drop snow levels as low as 52 feet (that's Sacramento's elevation.) Yes, that's 52, not 5200! The warning says there is a 100% chance of snow in downtown Sacramento! It began raining about an hour ago, and that should be changing to snow in the very early morning.

Because of the very cold temperatures on Monday, drivers will need to be extra cautious and check weather and road conditions, drive more slowly, and leave extra room between cars on the roads.

Some snow stories to share with the kids
Some books about snow for the curious

Friday, December 4, 2009

RINCóN LATINO: ¡PELíCULAS EN ESPAÑOL!


"Ladrones" de Juan José Ballesta
Alex y Sara ... Bonnie y Clyde ... "Ladrones" se trata de dos jóvenes españoles que se dedican a pinchar carteras de sus víctimas confiados. Alex es un huérfano infortunado y esa experiencia le ha pintado la vida en colores opacos y crudos. Sara es una guapa chica quien no tiene talento para robar pero se encuentra con Alex y los dos combinan sus talentos para convertirse en una pareja profesional. Después la relación se convierte en una relación amorosa y pronto la novata Sara lentamente se gradúa en ladrona profesional capaz de hacer lo inesperado. ¿Cómo terminará su relación? ¿Seguirán siendo amantes? ¿Sus vidas peligrosas determinarán un final apropiada? ¿o no?



Monday, November 30, 2009

The Sacramento History Photo of the Week, Number 31. Childhood Recollections of Weinstocks...

Weinstock's department store was a social and retail institution in Sacramento for well over 100 years. Along the way, children - who are now adults - remember a lot of things about the warm and cozy store. However, one of the the most common recollections involves the Milk Bar. Pictured below, it was a spot reserved for kids to belly up to the bar while their parents were off shopping.


One such kid was Nancy Phillips, who grew up in Sacramento amidst the innocence of the 1940s and 50s. Part and parcel was this magical destination of Weinstock’s, a Capital city-based super business that created a reputation for excellence and family friendliness all along the West Coast. From the newness of the escalator to the flattering grown-up-ness of the Milk Bar, Weinstock’s is a spot not easily forgotten from the childhood memories of thousands of native Sacramentans. To watch a short video of Nancy's recollections of Weinstock's click the image below:


The above "Milkbar" photo and many more like it can be found in the Sacramento Public Library’s Sacramento Room which is open to the public Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 1 to 5, and Thursday 1 to 8.

Monday, November 23, 2009

RINCóN LATINO: ¡LIBROS EN ESPAÑOL!

Magia Blanca Mexicana. Hace unos meses atrás una encantadora vendedora de libros en español basada en Nueva York me dio a conocer una editorial que se dedica a publicar libros exclusivamente dedicados a las religiones, sectas, cultos, esotericismo, y a las artes ocultas en general. En los próximos días toman ojo de nuevos títulos de esta editorial.


,,Esta obra es una exploracion sobre los efectos magicos de los ritos y plegarias a la Virgen de Guadalupe. Algunos tienen raices aztecas y sobrevivieron a la conquista espanola. Antes de la llegada de los conquistadores se adoraba a la diosa azteca Tonantzin, y cuando "La Virgen de Guadalupe" aparecio, estos ritos fueron dedicados a ella. En esta obra, 16 mujeres revelan sus rezos, practicas ceremoniales, ritos, oraciones y meditaciones a la Virgen Morena. Tambien ofrecen consejos sobre el uso del tarot, como encontrar a sus santos guardianes y como honrarlos para lograr proteccion contra el mal. Aprenda que ritos realizar en dias de celebracion y como convertirse en un sacerdote o sacerdotisa." --- Llewellyn Español

Sunday, November 22, 2009

I'm Thankful for Cake Box Mixes

Here is my two-cents on how main chefs/chief bottle washers/indentured servants can get through Thanksgiving unscathed: Don’t cook.

Cooking for the holidays is overrated. Whenever I hear someone say, “Oh, I love home cooked meals!” I translate it to mean, “Oh, I love when someone else cooks while I watch football and pretend to be too tired from eating to do anything that might resemble actual work!” Last year, after being drafted to cook the turkey at the last minute, I found myself still up at 3 am, said turkey transferred to an oversized plastic Macy’s bag as I tried to pry the neck out of the frozen carcass to get to the giblet package. Meanwhile my (useless) teenage nephew proclaimed from the family room, “I’ve never heard you curse before!”

Sometimes it’s all I can do not to brain someone with a can of cranberry sauce.

This year I decided to do something low key. I asked to dine at a restaurant, followed by dessert at our house. The way my relatives reacted one would have thought I’d asked if I could serve popsicles for dinner. They revolted. In turn, I refused to cook anything big. I don’t care how much food I have sitting around the house; it’s not like the Keebler Elves are showing up to put everything together. Someone asked, “Aren’t you going to use your apples to make apple pie?” To which I responded, “Why would I do that?” Let me see, I could buy two Mrs. Smith’s apple crumb pies for $7 or I could spend four hours and $15 in extra ingredients to make something from scratch. Gee, my poor brain is simply overwhelmed figuring out which one I’m going to do…
To please everyone, I’m bringing an apple crumb pie (the other will never make it out of the kitchen) along with an easy to fix yet highly impressive semi-homemade item. I love Sandra Lee, and it’s not just because she insists on having cocktail time even when she’s setting up a kids’ party. It’s because she also doesn’t see a reason to be chained in a kitchen. Another favorite of mine is Anne Byrn, the author of the Cake Mix Doctor series. Take a regular cake mix, throw in something you already have in your pantry, and presto! Instant good impression. Remember, if it takes more than 15 minutes to throw a dish together, it’s probably not worth the bother. Should it be too late to check out a library book, go to All Recipes for shortcut ideas. So for those of you who normally cook, take a break this year. If someone complains, offer to make them toast and popcorn the next time around.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Sacrachicano, the Royal Chicano Air Force and Sacramento History Photos of the Week, Numbers 29 and 30...

The Rebel Chicano Art Front, more commonly known as the Royal Chicano Air Force, proved to be one of Sacramento and the nation’s more influential art cooperatives during the 60s, 70s and 80s. Founded in 1969, and germinating from downtown Sacramento’s Alkali Flat neighborhood, the group’s crafting of posters, T-shirt designs, flags and boycott signs helped promote the Chicano movement's struggle for civil rights, labor organizing and self-definition.


Pictured above is a work done by the RCAF’s Ricardo Favela and offers a composite of imagery far beyond the overt message of a Mother’s Day 1976 dinner and dance at St. Joseph’s School at Ninth and “G.” Familiar symbols and “unifiers” of the Chicano liberation movement, the Virgin of Guadalupe and the “Eagle,” representing the United Farm Workers, are blended with encouragement to boycott the Gallo Winery.

Ramiro Martinez's rollicking Club Artistico Reno at 415 12th Street served as a cultural hothouse for Alkali Latinos for over twenty-five years. Over that span, three Spanish-language movies were filmed there and its stage was graced by Latin American singers and actors alike. To make way for 12th Street redevelopment, the Club was razed in the spring of 1987. Below, this exquisite RCAF poster, and crafted by Juanishi Orozco, promotes a music and poetry event at the Reno.


These photos and many more like them can be found in the Sacramento Public Library’s Sacramento Room which is open to the public Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 1 to 5, and Thursday 1 to 8.

Make sure to also checkout, "Sacrachicano," showcasing historical and current works by some of the RCAF's major artists as well as emerging artists who are carrying on the cooperative's tradition. An important aspect of Sacrachicano is a traditional El Dia de los Muertos altar for Armando Cid and other deceased RCAF artists. The exhibit is in partnership with Galeria Posada and is curated by Gloria Burt and Juanishi Orosco. View the exhibit during library open hours through January 3, 2010.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Book Review: Vincent Bugliosi's "Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy."

The assassination of John F. Kennedy sits like a big, ugly scar upon the cheek of Lady Liberty. She remains beautiful, inspiring and entirely imperfect. But that scare – it’s there and rests in the nation’s craw like an unmade bed. It’s hard for many of us, whether alive at the time of the assassination or not, to accept the fact that a twisted, unfocused, malcontent could harm, let alone, kill, the most powerful man in the world and arguably one of the more inspirational political leaders in world history. Certainly, a Presidency, based on a new optimism and appeal to the best of humanity could never end this way. Unthinkable.

This sustained mourning and shock, spanning decades and generations, might have something to do with the fact that 7 in 10 of us think that there was something nefarious afoot, an evil plot spawned by the CIA, FBI, LBJ, the Mafia, the Castro brothers, and/or the Soviets.

Vincent Bugliosi of Charles Manson, Helter Skelter and OJ fame, takes on the issue of the assassination with this Reclaiming History: the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. While not nice to conspiracy theorists, the attorney, who actually prosecuted Lee Harvey Oswald in a 1986 mock court, facilitated by an English television channel, lays out – clearly and meticulously – a defense of the Warren Commission’s conclusion that Oswald did it by himself. I’m not sure that there’s a lasting argument that Oswald “participated,” firing shots from the 6th floor window of the depository. It seems to now come down to the other guy – a “badge man” or clean-shaven “hobo” from beyond the picket fence. Here are a few of the arguments that Bugliosi proffers.

1) Counsel for the Commission, Burt Griffin, was hell bent on finding a conspiracy. Like so many of the younger members of the group (including Arlen Specter), they wanted to be heroes. They wanted to find something that would enable a springboard effect for their political careers. Yet, there was nothing.
2) The members of the Commission had little motivation to facilitate a conspiracy. Why would they fetter their careers and sully their legacies with conspiring to kill the Commander-in-Chief?
3) Why would an ardent Marxist join forces with the CIA, the actual agency that planned the botched invasion at the Bay of Pigs?
4) The Warren Commission took 10 months to compile its report, conducting tests, interviews and research all on its own, without using much at all of the FBI’s - thought my many to be dubious - investigative conclusions. J. Edgar Hoover, suspected to be an enabler for conspiracy, was a scoundrel all on his own and didn’t need to add coup d’état to his resume.

There’s a whole lot more to Bugliosi’s argument than this. Plus, as someone whose read a few assassination treatises, his layout and narrative of the events in Dallas is impressive. Also, for those of us who are medically-minded, his description of the treatment of both the President and assassin are unprecedented in their detail. He also produces myriad facts about the assassination, so easily lost.

1) Jack Ruby thought Lee Harvey Oswald was handsome – thought he looked a lot like Paul Newman.
2) At a funeral where Oswald’s pallbearers were newsmen, the lone floral arrangements were donated by a mysterious figure named Virginia Leach.
3) In spite of numerous appeals from a jumpy Secret Service, LBJ refused to ride in a covered limo during the funeral procession to Arlington, stating that he’d “rather die than be afraid to die.”
4) Kennedy’s longtime aid, Ken O’Donnell, and the Secret Service, bull rushed the Dallas County Coroner and several Dallas city police officers to get the President’s body out of Parkland Hospital. When the coroner said that he had no interest in the person in the coffin, but that Texas state law required an autopsy be done, O’Donnell exclaimed “go ---- yourself” and the group tore off to Love Field to return to Washington.

If you think something smelled rotten that day in Dallas (I continue to), then I still recommend reading Bugliosi’s work. A sharp study of the Kennedy assassination should include a strong dialectic of ideas – if you care enough to read about the assassination, you owe the fallen President and the truth that much. The 46th anniversary of JFK's death falls on Sunday, the 22nd of November at 10:30 AM PDT.

Friday, November 6, 2009

RINCóN LATINO: PELíCULAS EN ESPAÑOL

,,Tres Días" de Francisco Javier Gutiérrez


¿Qué harías sí tuvieras solo tres días para vivir? ¡Encontrarías a alguien para hacer el amor a todas horas! ¡Comerías todas las delicias que siempre has gozado! ¿Qué? ¿Qué? En ésta película del director andaluz Francisco Javier Gutiérrez ha desempeñado una película sorprendente muy a la americana: Tres Días ó según el título en inglés ,,Before the Fall."

En esta película un meteorito estallará contra la Tierra en tres días y todo el mundo está loco ... los gobiernos pierden su legitimidad, la gente se desespera y causan situaciones anárquicos, algunos se suicidan, otros buscan satisfacer sus deseos lujuriosos. Algunos otros interesantemente buscan a vengarse antes de morirse en una final absoluta. Esa es la situación de esta familia que terminan siendo el blanco de las hazañas maléficas de un asesino recién escapado de una prisión.
¡Un final irónico!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Got Doughboy? The Great War in the Great Valley and Sacramento History Photo of the Week, Number 28...


Think about it. Not since the 14th century's Black Death had Europe experienced such a monumental loss of life. The plague claimed one of every three European. Worldwide, the Great War One killed 16 million people. It also formed the nexus of where the time-tested tactics and strategies of the Little Corporal met the buzzsaw of technology.

And though an ocean and continent away, the War touched Sacramento in so many ways. On Thursday night at the Central Library, a few days before Veterans' Day, on November 5, from 6:00 to 8:00, we will talk about World War One and how it came to claim a spot in the Sacramento Valley for nearly two years. The ways in which we ate, worked, learned, spent and related to one another were all affected.

The photo above is of the 1917 Cadet Corps at Sacramento High School. In the spring of 1918, Sac High and several other area high schools, gathered their forces at Del Paso Park near present day Auburn and Watt Avenues to learn how to make war. The exercises lasted for a week.

This photo and many more like it can be found in the Sacramento Public Library’s Sacramento Room which is open to the public Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 1 to 5, and Thursday 1 to 8.

Friday, October 30, 2009

RINCóN LATINO: PELíCULAS EN ESPAÑOL

,,Leonera" de Pablo Trapero

,,Leonera" es una película argentina dirigida por Pablo Trapero y se trata de una mujer llamada Julia Zárate quien ha cometido un delito, el cual la manda a una cárcel para mujeres. Ahí descubren las autoridades penitenciarias que Julia está embarazada y la trasladan a otra prisión, ahí da luz a Tomás. Con Tomás aisla su desesperación y desolación emocional y en lugar donde no hay secretos Julia crea un paraíso y de una absoluta libertad. Es decir, que la inocencia de un niño no existe la abrumante soledad y terror de una cárcel, y dentro del amor que existe entre Julia y Tomás no hay prisiones.



Thursday, October 29, 2009

Costumes Galore!

I found a Halloween costume!

This may not sound like a big deal for some of you, i.e., children and men. This is because costume designers have decided anyone under yea tall and/or with XY chromosomes may have all the fabric you want because, hey, it’s not like they’re using much on the women’s costumes. Every outfit I found either had a skirt cut to high heaven, a top so low you can see your navel, it was see-through, or a combination of the three. Which is fine...in the summer time! Do designers mistakenly believe Halloween happens in July? Apparently none of them has ever gone to Wunderground and discovered October is a fairly cold month.

And they're expensive! These almost non-existent outfits are like condos---they seem cheap until you add in all those hidden accessories such as the tail and the ears and the $261 HOA fee. I thought I’d go crazy (or crazier) when I finally found something. But for those who have not been fortunate enough to find a costume, have you thought about making one? I’m not talking about dragging out the sewing machine and buying a truckload of fabric. I’m talking about something simple.

Like decorating a paper bag.

What Can You Do With a Paper Bag? Apparently plenty. You can make hats and caps, accessories and costumes. Paper bags are great! They’re easy to get, and they’re affordable. After all, you had to buy groceries anyway. Just remember to ask for paper the next time you’re in the store.

For all the other people who think making an outfit at the last minutes sounds a bit daunting, do what I did---go to Claire's. I'm sure there's a few set of wings left on the rack.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Sacramento Career Night

I remember back when I was searching for a “real” job---you know, the kind with health care and benefits people in Europe take for granted (along with leaving their babies outside of restaurants while they eat in peace). My mother had always said, “Somebody has quit, retired, died or got fired since yesterday.” In other words, keep trying. However, I wasn’t too worried until the day she told me, “I don’t want anyone to die, but you need a job.” Imagining my mother wearing one of those hideous orange jumpsuits because she committed some unspeakable crime to land me my dream job was enough to intensify my search…

That, and staying home with children was driving me crazy.

If you’ve never stayed home with children, your own or others, I advise against it unless you have the patience of Morgan Freeman in Driving Miss Daisy, enjoy wearing splattered clothes, eating chicken crackers, chicken fingers, and chicken noodle soup daily, fishing toys (and jewelry) out of the toilet, carrying on bizarre conversations, or watching the same DVD for hours (months) on end. Using your remote to block out all the horrible children's programming only goes so far in reserving your sanity. The day I repeatedly told everyone, “He said banana! Can you say banana? Banana! Say banana! You’re such a good boy!” was the day I applied to graduate school.

But for those of you who aren’t looking forward to five figures in student loans, the Sacramento Bee, the Sacramento Public Library, UC Davis Extension, and SETA presents Sacramento Career Night: Resources to Help you Stand out from the Crowd. Enjoy a free session that will help you land a job, create an effective resume, switch careers, stand out from other candidates, and find career success in today’s job market!

This event starts at 5 pm in the Library Galleria. Parking in the Library Garage (off of J St. between 8th and 9th streets) will be available for $5.

We hope to see you there!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Sacramento History Photo of the Week Number 27!


Pictured above, in the fall of 1917, are Helen and Janet Kay, the daughters of David and Janet Kay. The picture was taken at a rally, held at the State Armory, located underneath what is today Interstate Highway 50.

As soon as the Great War started, interest in the Red Cross (ICRC) grew – folks who couldn’t pick up a rifle, because of age, gender or disability wanted an army to join and the ICRC was there. And, by the end of April, a headquarters had been established at Fourth and “J.”

What was required of Sacramento members early on was the ability to type, lift, sterilize and prepare surgical equipment, and drive (especially if you had your own car) so as to collect supplies and donations. Sewing was also in demand and Sac High offered 125 female pupils to do as much.

The Southern Pacific shops immediately signed up 1,700 members. And while the capital city had formed its own chapter, Walnut Grove, North Sacramento, Auburn, Loomis, Newcastle and Stockton were all quick to establish chapters as well.

Fund drives were organized around the ICRC – in early May, county employees had raised $600.00 while Weinstock-Lubin had donated $3,034. The earliest goal for the IRC in Sacramento was $30,000.

The city also voted to levy a property value tax of two cents, just to fund the local chapter – for a total of $14,000. An additional method of funding came from a Red Cross thrift shop on Front Street. Clothing, books, scrap iron, even bones, donated by a local butcher shop, brought in funding for the organization.

Learn more about the Sacramento Red Cross as, on November 5 at 6:30, the Central Library will be presenting The Great War in the Great Valley: Sacramento During the First World War. The program will include discussion on the city and War and a presentation of photos of Sacramento during World War I.

This photo and many more like it can be found in the Sacramento Public Library’s Sacramento Room which is open to the public Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 1 to 5, and Thursday 1 to 8.

Internet Librarians

Every year during the last week of October, about 4,000 librarians gather in Monterey, CA for the Internet Librarian conference sponsored by InfoToday. Four librarians from Sacramento Public Library are wandering around in the Monterey fog this week - quite literally, check the weather report - and hobnobbing with the very best Internet Librarians in the world - also quite literally, as we've met folks from Nigeria, South Africa and Canada just in the first few hours. This year's theme is "Net initiatives for tough times," and we're expecting to come back with some exciting ideas we can put to work for Sacramento Public Library.

We are all blogging our conference sessions, and you can follow us by visiting the Conference Calls blog. We've listed our blogs in the right sidebar. Librarians @civillibrarian, @hapalibrarian and @annot8 will be tweeting as well, and photos from everyone will proliferate over the week on Flickr.

Monday, October 19, 2009

RINCóN LATINO: PELíCULAS EN ESPAÑOL




,,Paraíso Travel" es una película colombiana dirigida por el director Simón Brand, la cual se trata de un grupo de colombianos en busca del sueño americano. El título de la película tiene cierto son cómico amalgando dos realidades las cuales una opuesta a la otra. También el título ,,spanglés" oculta una realidad verdaderamente negra. ¿Cuáles son esas realidades? La principal realidad es la de los Estados Unidos como un verdadero paraíso hecho en realidad, la otra es la pesadilla que muchos hemos vivido en la actual América Latina. Pero el sueño americano que muchos latinos buscan en vano es eso: un sueño. ¡Y ese sueño no se puede repartir en partes iguales para todos!
No me malentienden...la cosas bondadosas que nos ofrece la vida están a nuestra alcance pero también requieren cierto esfuerzo. Pero el esfuerzo el cual de que yo hablo no es necesariamente de sudor y sangre sino de inteligencia. Me refiero al siguiente: el trailer que ustedes pueden disfrutar abajo es la versión para el mercado estadounidense y la otra es para el mercado europeo. Comparen las dos versiones y pienso que ustedes podrán llegar a una clara conclusión.

Versión EEUU:









Versión Europa:







Friday, October 16, 2009

Fright Night

I love Halloween. It has pretty colors, you can dress up, it has great movies, and unlike other holidays, there’s no awkward moments with relatives, or plastering on a present face after the cousin you gave a KitchenAid Mixer to gifts you a Chia Pet shaped like the president’s head. And there’s no turkey to cook! After last year’s incident in which I was forced to transfer the turkey to a Macy’s bag at 3 a.m. on Christmas morning when I realized I hadn’t removed the plastic giblet bag from its frozen carcass, I’m pretty sure I won’t be placed on poultry duty this year…

But people are lazy, so you never know.

Still, Halloween has its drawbacks. Finding a costume can be a real pain. For those of you who haven’t had your laugh for the day, Google “modest adult female Halloween costume” and see what pops up. Apparently modest means choosing between mid drift clothing or a nun’s habit. Then there’s the logistics of it all. Thus I’ll give people a few tips on how to approach Halloween.

1. Go easy on the vampires, okay?
Yes, we get it. You’re enthralled with vampires. They’re mysterious…just like the contents of that Tupperware container in my vegetable bin. I, too, like vampires, hence the Lynsay Sands and Sherrilyn Kenyon novels in my personal collection. However, living forever on a disintegrating planet doesn’t appeal to many of us non-Twilight mania people. Plus, as a children’s librarian, when I hear about a 100 year-old man obsessed with a 17 year-old girl, I don’t think, “How romantic!” I think, “Pedophile!” So enough with the vampires already. We realize adding plastic teeth to your already black wardrobe makes for a cheap costume, but you might want to check with your friends first. No one needs to see 20 Edward wannabes at a single party.

2. Remember, it’s cold outside.
The average women’s Halloween costume is skimpier than my college cheerleading outfit. I’m not bringing up college cheerleading because a class reunion is staring me in the face and I realize I need to lose 10 (or 20) pounds, get my teeth whitened, and make $50,000 more per year within the next few months in order to compete with my former teammate (or with their Facebook profiles). I’m saying this because we were freakin’ cold! At least in high school they allowed us to be fully “clothed” i.e., an outfit with a real sweater. Should you mistakenly purchase the scrap of clothing retailers call a costume, add some leggings. And a turtleneck. Maybe a scarf…

3. You may play some Michael Jackson music.
Sometimes I forget Michael Jackson has passed away. Then I hear the Billy Jean ring tone on someone’s cell phone and I’m reminded all over again. Usually, when musicians you’ve never met pass away and you start listening to music you hadn’t played in x number of years, I would give you four weeks before screaming, “Enough!” But there’s the Thriller album to consider, a perennial favorite come October, so I’ll let it slide if you throw in a few songs. That being said, unless you want your iPod docking station thrown into the bond fire, don’t scroll to his name and hit play. It’s Halloween, not an MJ tribute.

We’ll save that for the American Music Awards.

4. Don’t go completely disgusting.
Have you seen Extreme Halloween? It’s really cool. The projects are akin to taking the kitty litter cake to the nth degree of grossness. There are a few things in there that are doable. However, if you make food which is too gross, no one is going to eat it. You’d be better off setting out a platter of wheat germ. Everyone’s going to stare at the dish you spent $25 and six hours of your time creating and pass it right by. If you make the house too scary, no one’s going to knock on your door and you’ll have a bucket of candy to eat all by yourself. This may seem great (“Mine! Mine! All mine!”) until mid-November hits and you realize you have 10 pounds of Halloween candy left, and since it’s covered in pumpkins and ghosts, you can’t foist it off on others.

5. Come to the library for ideas and programs.
We’re free. Which means a lot in this economy. Central Library is hosting Trick or Treat @ Your Library on Sunday, October 25th at 1 pm. Families, children and teens are invited to put on a costume, park their cars on the street (it’s free on Sundays), and join us for stories, crafts, trick or treating, Rock Band and snacks. I promise not to make anything gross---when it comes to baking, I’m more Martha Stewart than I am mad scientist. (Plus I’m not willing to put one of my nice baking pans at risk.) For those with itty-bitty-teeny-tiny babies, we have the Baby Boos and Ghouls Lapsit Storytime on Saturday, October 31st at 10 am. Costumes are optional, and parking is free at the 10th and I Street and 10th and L Street city parking garages.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Sacramento history photo of the week number 26!


In April 1917, America was still a nation of the perpetual stand down, using a small volunteer army and then calling on the citizen soldier when needed. On the eve of the Great War, the regular army numbered 97,000. By the end of the War 4.5 million Americans had been mobilized to military service.


Now, contrary to what you may think, with this Great War to make the world safe for democracy, soldiers weren’t blazing their way to the recruiting office to sign up. The Sacramento Naval recruiting office had 12 recruits in the first week. The Marine office averaged 2 a day for the first week and the Army office had similar numbers. By the end of April, the voluntary option had enabled California to fill 21percent of its quota of 4,700 recruits. Nationwide, the figure was abysmal – 17 percent. Nevada led the country at an astonishing 97 percent.


The only solution would be a draft bill, which President Wilson signed on 28 May, 1917. So, the draft was now law and all able-bodied men between 21 and 30 were required to register. Governor Stephens, in line with this, created a statewide registration holiday which would close businesses and free up these fellows to do their legal duty. This meant that major businesses closed – Weinstock-Lubin, Lavenson’s Shoes, and Breuner’s Furniture were a few.
That day would be June 5.


Overnight 10,000,000 Americans would be eligible to be drafted. In Sacramento County, it was estimated that between 8,000 and 10,000 men registered. However, over half of those claimed exemption – in most cases, for dependency. By July 12, it was determined that Sacramento City would be required to provide roughly 507 men for service, the county 196, while the entire state would have to provide a total of 23,000.


On the morning of August 4, Karl Oehler, a bank teller at the Fort Sutter National Bank and the son of a German-immigrant pastor was the first Sacramentan to take a physical examination under the draft. He claimed exemption on grounds of having a dependent wife. Didn’t matter – Oehler didn’t pass the physical because he didn’t weight enough according to his 5’11” height – 8 pounds short.

Learn more about the WWI Draft as, on November 5 at 6:30, the Central Library will be presenting The Great War in the Great Valley: Sacramento During the First World War. The program will include discussion on the city and War and a presentation of photos of Sacramento during World War I.


This photo and many more like it can be found in the Sacramento Public Library’s Sacramento Room which is open to the public Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 1 to 5, and Thursday 1 to 8.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

RINCóN LATINO: PELíCULAS EN ESPAÑOL

,,Bajo La Sal" de Mario Muñoz

,,Bajo La Sal" es una película mexicana dirigida por Mario Muñoz, y se trata de un tema algo similar a las muchachas asesinadas en Ciudad Juárez hace algunos años atrás. Ésta película toma lugar en una salinera gigante situada en Baja California del Sur nombrada Guerrero Negro. Muchachas trabajando en la salinera o en el pueblo cercano han desaparecido misteriosamente. La delegación policial del pueblo ha contratado a un detective de muchos años de expereiencia, el Comandante Trujillo (actuado por Humberto Zurita) para resolver el misterio antes que la serie de desapariciones afecta negativamente al imagen de la salinera. Una historia verdaderamente estremecedora para los que no les gusta películas de esta índole. A mi, me encantó ,y realmente el director y los actores involucrados
se les merece un gran elogio.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Sacramento history photo of the week number 25!


Pictured above in 1918 is Mather Field's first graduating class of airmen.

In January of the same year, a group of Army officers traveled to the Sacramento area to view prospective sites for aviation school. Although North Sacramento lobbied hard for the field, the military opted for a spot 12 miles southeast of Sacramento known as Mills Station, right on the Southern Pacific line. In its original form, the base would encompass over 700 acres and include over 50 buildings, a machine shop for repairs, a PX, a 100 foot “swimming tank,” and a machine gun target range. Once completed, it would service roughly 1,000 aviation cadets. The construction project immediately brought 2,500 jobs to the area’s economy with the contract went to McDonald and Kahn. Overall, the base was projected to produce an annual payroll of $200,000 and construction was complete in 70 days!

Apparently, upon arriving, the first thing the first cadets did - having just graduated from the UC Berkeley 'ground school' - was build a baseball diamond. Other diversions to follow were a field band and a football team that was good enough to beat the big, bad Presidio 45-0 at Buffalo Park in October 1918. Boxing was also big on base. The many vineyards that surrounded the base also provided a ready source for jam. The base newspaper was originally called the “Fly Paper,” but was soon changed to “Air Currents.”

The specter of Mather for Sacramentans was enormous – how many Sacramentans had actually seen an airplane (ship) before let alone be close to an airport? The first official flight from Mather – conducted by Lieutenant John F. Buffington - took place on the evening of June 12th – in a plane built at North Sacramento's Liberty Iron Works, a JN-4 or "Jenny". Weeks later, during 4th of July festivities in Sacramento, a squadron of planes from Mather was armed with hundreds of small, American flags which they dropped over business and residential sections of the city.

Learn more about Mather Field as, on November 5 at 6:30, the Central Library will be presenting The Great War in the Great Valley: Sacramento During the First World War. The program will include discussion on the city and War and a presentation of photos of Sacramento during World War I.

This photo and many more like it can be found in the Sacramento Public Library’s Sacramento Room which is open to the public Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 1 to 5, and Thursday 1 to 8.

Friday, October 2, 2009

RINCóN LATINO: NOVEDADES

¡BRASIL será la próxima sede Olímpica 2016!


Es oficial...Río de Janeiro será la sede de la ciudad olímpica en 2016. Otras ciudades en compatencia fueron Chicago, Madrid y Tokio pero por primera vez en la historia olímpica una ciudad sudamericana será la sede en 2016. En años pasados hubo murmuraciones de ciudades como Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile y Caracas pero por una razón u otra estas ciudades no fueron elegidas. Brasil será la ciudad del Mundial 2014 y ahora los cariocas estarán de moda. Brasil se encuentra al umbral de una época espeluznante ya que su economía y su cultura está para reventar con cambios profundísimos para el país y para América Latina.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Where the Wild Critters Are

As previously discussed, there are only three animals I truly like: bunnies, doggies and kitties. Bunnies are fluffy, kittens are cute, and doggies are cute, sweet, plus they’re actually happy to see you, unlike cats, who think humans were put on this earth to be their servants. But, as someone pointed out to me, no one wants to see a library program on bunnies, doggies and kitties. Correction: no one but I would want to see such a program. Thus on Sunday, September 20th, we hosted Nature's Critters, a local group which presented Where the Wild Critters Are. Julie Allen brought in animals from different habitats: salamanders, hedgehogs, chinchillas and more. The children especially liked the snake, which was extremely lucky to have been born in captivity---she was missing a pigment which would have made her easy to spot in the wild. Adults cringed as the snake came near, but the children were more than happy to wear the snake around their necks.

As for me, I’m okay with animal…in print form. I don’t know about you, but mock croc and faux snakeskin are as close as I need to be to the real things.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

RINCóN LATINO: PELíCULAS EN ESPAÑOL

,,Desierto Adentro" de Rodrigo Plá


,,La culpa de los padres caerá sobre los hijo." sirve como epitafio a la humanidad en esta película del director mexicano Rodrigo Plá. Durante la turbulenta década de los años 20, la gran mayoría de las iglesias católicas fueron cerradas abruptamente debido a la separación del estado mexicano y las iglesia, y también a la ola de anticlericismo tan fuerte en ése país. Esa historia sirve como el trasfondo histórico de esta película que se trata del comienzo d ela guerra cristera. Aunque esta película se estrenó hace varios años aún sigue causando largas charlas conmovedoras sobre los crímines realizados no solamente por parte del gobierno sino también de parte de los mismos Cristeros. ¡Las heridas aún estan abiertas! ¡Muy buena película!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Sacramento history photo of the week number 24!

In January of 1918, as America's involvement in the First World War was ratcheting up, bond drives were a common sight around the nation. In the case of Sacramento, millions of dollars were accrued. Motivational tools would abound as bond-buyers had their names printed in city papers while it was the community's responsibility to build this "Soldier of Freedom," as he stood against the wall of Sacramento's first and only (at the time) Federal building, the U.S. Post Office. Each section of the body represents a county within the Sacramento Valley. Sacramento County was represented by the soldier's rifle. The trick was simple - the more bond monies won by the county, the faster the respresentative body-part or accessory were placed on the soldier.



Mark your calendar as, on November 5 at 6:30, the Central Library will be presenting The Great War in the Great Valley: Sacramento During the First World War. The program will include discussion on the city and War and a presentation of photos of Sacramento during World War I.

This photo and many more like it can be found on the Central Library's Third Floor, which is where one can view both the Sacramento Bee and Union back into the mid-nineteenth century.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

First Floor Display: Staff Picks

"You must really love your job! You get to sit there and read all day long!" We hear this every so often, and we sure wish it were true! The truth is library staff works at work, and reads at home or on the bus.

This month's book display on the first floor is "staff picks". These are titles we've read and enjoyed, and thought you might, too.

My personal "picks" this week are:

John Hamamura's "The color of the sea", a semi-autobiogaphical novel about the Japanese-American experience in Lodi during the Second World War.



Andrea Levy's "Small Island", which chronicles the experiences of two Jamaican families when they move to London, post World War II



Meve Binchy's "Whitethorn Woods", where the stories of several people tell the story of St. Anne's Well and Whitethorn Woods. The stories are like threads in a tapestry. Only when they are all woven together does the full picture appear.


Sarah Smith's "Chasing Shakespeares", a lightweight mystery involving a bequest of Shakespeare collectibles to a minor American university. One of the manuscripts seems like it might actually be valuable, and it is taken to London for examination by experts.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

RINCóN LATINO: PELíCULAS EN ESPAÑOL

,,Lake Tahoe" de Fernando Eimbcke


En medio del desierto en el norte de México Juan decide chocar el coche de su familia contra un poste telefónico. ¿Porqué? Bueno...Juan acaba de vivir un episodio trágico cuando un familiar de repente muere. ¿Cómo vivirá las siguientes 8-9 horas de su vida? El interesante y espeluznante elenco de personalidades que habitan éste pequeño pueblo como por ejemplo Don Heber, un viejo mecánico paranóico quien ambula sus proximidades con Sica su mascota boxer con habilidades casi humanas. Lucía, una joven madre con aspiraciones de ser un cantante punk ,y "él que sabe", un joven mecánico obsesionado con las artes marciales. ¿Qué tiene que ver el título con el pintoresco lago californiano? ¡NADA!

¡Escuchen la entrevista con Fernando Eimbcke!

LAKE TAHOE Podcast by Film Movement

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

The Number Three - Mary Travers


Folk tales, folk songs, fables and jokes all use the number three: three pigs, three bears, three sons, three attempts, three choices, three chances. This week, yet another loss rocks America with the death of Mary Travers, the "Mary" in Peter, Paul and Mary. Affecting statements from Peter and Paul appear on their web site.

I was introduced to their music at age 15 by a cousin from Canada, and immediately began collecting their albums. Having grown up with recordings by Pete Seeger and Burl Ives, the familiar folk format in a new setting thrilled us and provided material for many sing-alongs.

The Biography Resource Center
and Marquis Who's Who On the Web contain additional information about the life and career of Mary Travers.

May her music and her message be forever blowin' in the wind.