RINCON LATINO: "LA BREVE Y MARAVILLOSA VIDA DE OSCAR WAO"

Aunque el título de este maravilloso libro está inglés ( La Breve y Maravillosa Vida de Oscar Wao ) , esta obra del escritor dominicano Junot Díaz ganó el Premio Pulitzer hace algunos meses. El libro tardó más de 11 años para que se cumpliera pero como dice el escritor en una entervista con BBC Mundo "... hay obras en las que uno tiene que luchar ."

El tema brevemente tratado se concentra de un emigrante latioamericano recién llegado a los Estados Unidos. Para Díaz, nadie a pesar de donde sea sabe lo que involucra vivir como emigrante menos que un emigrante. Y él pasó por aquella estrecha durísima poco después de llegar a Nueva Jersey con su familia desde la República Dominicana.

Learn about the Paranormal Online

Central Library is hosting new computer classes that not only help patrons hone their computer skills, but also further their knowledge on how to find information on a specific subject.

One subject that was taught on Saturday, October 18th is fitting for the Halloween season: Learn About the Paranormal Information Online. Attendees learned about where to find a variety of paranormal information as well as finding advice from research organizations and parapsychologist on how to investigate hauntings coupled with critical thinking skills. Many websites covered in the class included ghostly photographs and testimonials via video, audio and podcast on true ghost accounts, near death experiences, poltergeists, psychic phenomena, electronic voice phenomenon (digital or tape recording of spirits apparently communicating), and other unusual phenomena. Since there is no sure answer to what is really going on when paranormal activity occurs, the websites provided for the class help open minds to all the different types of phenomena, theories and speculation to what may be really happening behind the bangs in the night, ghostly visions, unusual sounds, and extra sensory perception.

Some highlight websites from the class:

About.com - Paranormal Phenomena
http://paranormal.about.com/mbody.htm
Finding paranormal phenomena on About.com's, is a good way to start, and find a large variety of paranormal information which includes famous ghost photographs, electronic voice phenomena recordings, and video footage.

Ghost Village: ghost research, evidence, and discussion
http://www.ghostvillage.com/
Ghost Village is dedicated to providing ghost research, evidence, and discussion from around the world. They welcome and explore all viewpoints, from the skeptical to the religious, and from the scientific to the metaphysical.

Mike Daniels – Psychic Science
http://www.psychicscience.org/
Find some free educational and educational-entertainment resources for parapsychology, psychical research and mind magic. Site includes a host of audio and video documentaries from popular paranormal specialists and investigators.

Parapsychological Association
http://www.parapsych.org/
The Parapsychological Association, Inc. (PA) is the international professional organization of scientists and scholars engaged in the study of ‘psi’ (or ‘psychic’) experiences, such as telepathy, clairvoyance, remote viewing, psychokinesis, psychic healing, and precognition. The site also has a links to Online Psi (psychic) Experiments.

International Association for Near-Death Studies, Inc.
http://www.iands.org/
IANDS explores the near-death and near-death-like experiences, their effects on people’s lives, and their implications for beliefs about life, death, and human purpose. IANDS does not subscribe to any particular interpretation of the near-death experience.

Check the library's event calendar for future computer classes at Central Library.

by Tuula Laine

Ask Us Through "AskUs" and Get the Answer...

An interesting thing happened when we opened the "inbox" to the AskUs reference portal (askus@saclibrary.org). This popped up:


We love questions like these...

A medal - an old one - was located in a collection of keepsakes belonging to a long-time Sacramentan. The fellow had passed away and a family member wanted to get the story on this curious artifact.

It read:

"PRESENTED BY THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO, CAL. DEC. 21st, 1918."

"TO A MOTHER OF DEFENDERS OF LIBERTY."

The story behind the story was found in the library's copy of the Sacramento Bee for dates December 21st and 22nd, 1918. Sacramento lost over 100 of its own in the Great War. On December 21, 1918, the city of Sacramento honored over 1,300 mothers and the sacrifices endured by their sons and daughters at the city's Native Sons' Hall on Eleventh and "J." Two of the mothers received a medal with five stars (indicating the number of sons that they had sent overseas), but most were of the one star variety.

Also present were many area luminaries; D.W. Carmichael, the founder of present-day Carmichael and Governor William Stephens. It was cool on that day in Sacramento and the setting was...

"And when we present you with this little token, we do so, realizing that during the years to come it may, in some degree tarnish and grow old, but with its age may we assure you will grow the thoughts of kindness, the thoughts of appreciation, the thoughts of love and esteem which we, the people of Sacramento, the donors of this badge, bear to you, to whom we give -- the mothers of the defenders of liberty."

In the same issue of the Bee, there was also talk of a new auditorium to be built in honor of those who had served and died in Europe.

We hold a run of the Bee that goes back to 1857. That said, the paper is a great way to better understand the events of the day and the story behind that which could have been easily pulled from a time capsule.

If you have a question that you'd like to submit, Askus would be happy to answer it. Simply write us at askus@saclibrary.org and we'll get back to you within 24-hours.

To view a short movie, remembering the lives of seven Sacramentans who died in the Great War, click on the image below:

True Crime

Even though I am personally too scared to read true crime books, I know that they are hot property in any public library, and the Central Library is no exception. We have books about classic figures, like Jack the Ripper and The Black Dahlia, as well as information about less famous cases. So if you're in the mood to be scared, especially with Halloween coming up, head downtown to the Central Library and browse the 364.1523 sections in Central Express on the first floor and the main collection on the 2nd.

RINCON LATINO : XXY

"XXYes una película argentina escrita y dirigida por Lucía Puenzo estrenada el 14 de junio de 2007 y protagonizada por Ricardo Darín, Valeria Bertuccelli e Inés Efrón. Trata la historia de una persona intersexual de 15 años que junto con sus padres huye a una pequeña villa frente al mar para evitar ser rechazada por la sociedad y aprender a aceptar su condición.
XXY ha recibido una extensa aclamación de la crítica, ganando el Gran Premio de la semana de la crítica del Festival de Cannes en 2007 y el premio Goya a la mejor película extranjera de habla hispana el mismo año, además de haber sido nominada por la Asociación de Cronistas Cinematográficos Argentinos a 8 premios Cóndor de Plata.
Su título es una referencia al Síndrome de Klinefelter, también conocido como Síndrome XXY, condición en la que los hombres tienen un cromosoma X extra. Dicho título ha sido catalogado por la Unitask, una organización italiana para personas con el síndrome de Klinefelter, como confuso debido a que los hombres con este síndrome no tienen rasgos físicos femeninos y el protagonista de la película si."

Need a break from reality?

Have you opened up your retirement account statement lately? You might want to keep a paper bag handy for when you start hyperventilating. Right now saving for retirement seems to have about the same outcome as sending a check to that Nigerian prince who has millions of dollars but needs a few thousand up front first. Our current election feels like it started back in 1984 when Marvin Gaye was still alive and Indiana Jones was a big hit...Okay, that last bit happened this year, too. Still, things are just...

CRAZY!!!!!

Once I get home I have little desire to think. I just want to lay on the couch like a blob and zone out while eating sugary soy based products. But zoning out doesn't happen if you're watching regular TV. You have to listen to "reporters" discuss celebrities and their book based baby names. Or you accidentally flip to a Rihanna video, and, after realizing you're not that much older than her but she looks waaaay better, you end up exercising for an hour. While this may be good for you, is it truly relaxing?

No.

So, If you're like me, and you just need some down time, here are a few videos I recommend to help get your mind off your disintegrating account balances:

Planet Earth

The Matrix Reloaded

In the Heat of the Night

The Shawshank Redemption

Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb

Network

Star Wars

Back to the Future

Genealogy News

Fall is a busy time of year for those interested in genealogy in the Sacramento area! Here are some recent and upcoming family history events that will interest both beginners and long-time researchers:

The Central Library staffed a table at this year’s Family History Day at the California State Archives on Saturday, October 11th. This free event included several genealogy classes and tours of the Archives throughout the day. For more information, including a schedule of classes, visit the California State Archives website. Watch for this event next year!

Central Library’s upcoming genealogy programs will be held on Saturdays, 1:30 – 3:00 pm, in the West Meeting Room. These programs are free:
January 10th: Help! The Courthouse Burned!, with Pamela Dallas
January 24th: Using Federal Census Records, with Glenda Lloyd
January 31st: Exploring Ellis Island, with Lisa Lee
For more information, call the library at 916-264-2920, or visit www.saclibrary.org.

Book a Genealogist at Central Library, 4th floor. Meet with a genealogy volunteer for individual help with your research. For an appointment, call the library at 916-264-2920 or visit www.saclibrary.org

The Sacramento Family History Center is offering Eternal Keepsakes, a day-long genealogy seminar on Saturday, November 1st, 8:00 am – 3:30 pm at 2745 Eastern Avenue in Carmichael. There is a small fee for this seminar, which is open to the public. The Family History Center also has free genealogy presentations most Wednesday evenings, 7:00 – 8:30 pm. For more information, call 916-487-2090, or see the Family History Center’s website.

Take advantage of these great programs to learn how to explore your family’s history!