Booknote: Book Love

Debbie Tung, Book Love. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2019. ISBN: 978-1-4494-9428-5.

Genre: graphic novels and comics
Subgenre: bibliophile, books, humor, reading
Format: small hardback
Source: Berea branch of the Madison County (KY) Public Library

This is a very amusing and cute collection of book and reading comics by Debbie Tung. If you are a bibliophile or just a reader, you'll appreciate the humor and warmth in these comics. The book has no fillers. It is all comics in various forms from beginning to end. The comics can vary in format from multiple panels to full page single pieces. The art is black and white with some grey as needed.

Overall, there is not much more to say. It is a sweet, beautiful book and a gift to book lovers and readers anywhere. Definitely highly recommended for everyone, and a must have for bibliophiles. This is one I'd love to add to my personal collection.

5 out of 5 stars.

Signs the economy is bad: August 30, 2019 edition

Welcome to another edition of "Signs the Economy is Bad" here at The Itinerant Librarian. This is the semi-regular (as in when I have time and/or feel like doing it) feature where I scour the Internet in search of the oh so subtle hints that the economy is bad. Sure, pundits may say things are getting better, but what do they know? And to show not all is bad, once in a while we look at how good the uber rich have it.


It is another Friday, and my four blog readers know it is time to look at the signs of the bad economy. Let's see what we got this week.

Education News

•  As if the testing companies' racket was not bad enough, now a company has a way of detecting when students are not making effort on standardized tests, i.e. when they are just doing "rapid guessing", i.e. just marking answers to get it over with. Story via The Hechinger Report. Here is a radical suggestion: maybe educational institutions should cut back on their obsession with assessment and multiple choice tests that do not really mean anything.

Rural News

•  The headline pretty much says it all: "21 states have no local newspaper with dedicated reporter to cover their representatives and senators in D.C." Story via The Rural Blog.Not that newspapers overall get read that much anyhow, but there you have it. They can barely keep track of the shenanigans in D.C.

Health and Medical News

•  This week, another story of seniors not being able to afford their prescriptions, so they are skimping or outright just not taking their needed medications, this time out of Oregon. Story via Public News Service.

Meanwhile back in the US colony

•  Two years later, Puerto Rico is still struggling to recuperate from Hurricane Maria. Story via Mother Jones.

The Bad Economy  Around the World

•  I always pay attention to economic news out of the African continent, specially ones about foreign investors because often they  just reflect a new version of the big colonial game. This time, we have news that Japan is one of the top investors to expand solar power there. From the story, "Mitsubishi joins a host of top investors, including European power utilities, that are exploring off-grid technology as a way of expanding their exposure to renewables and tapping new pools of customers." Story via African Stand.

In Other News of the Bad Economy

•  The Atlantic has an expose article on the immigrants in the United States who really do the meatpacking. The article is by Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation. Here is one of the article's quotes by the author: "Over the years, I’ve spent time with countless farmworkers and meatpacking workers who entered the United States without proper documentation. Almost all of them were hardworking and deeply religious. They had taken enormous risks and suffered great hardships on behalf of their families. Today workers like them are the bedrock of our food system. And they are now being scapegoated, hunted down, and terrorized at the direction of a president who inherited about $400 million from his father, watches television all day, and employs undocumented immigrants at his golf resorts." A hat tip to Food Politics blog. On a side note, I read Fast Food Nation a while back; no review on the blog since I did it before I started reviewing books formally.
• Inc. noticed that Facebook did a subtle change that could suggest they may (or not) charge for their social media site down the road. So naturally the magazine asked "would you pay for Facebook?" After a laugh, I said fuck no, which I get the impression many would also say. As I have said before, were it not for the fact I have some family there that are not likely to move elsewhere if I move, plus the fact my library has a Facebook page I help maintain, I would have deleted Facebook a long time ago. Who knows? Day can still come I do delete them and forget them. 
• So a question for readers out there: would YOU pay for Facebook if they decided to start charging you for it? Even if, maybe for example, they charge and you get no advertising.
• Meanwhile, Google is yet again shutting down another product that does relatively well because, well, fuck you, because they can mostly. By their own admission, "While Hire has been successful, we're focusing our resources on other products in the Google Cloud portfolio." Story via UPI. For me, I am reminded of when they shut down Google Reader, which was a good product, but again, they were "focusing [their] resources on other products. . . ". Hire was basically one of those things Google bought with other products of a small start up, and I guess now they are done playing with it, so shut it down. Oh well. 

Hustlin' in the Bad Economy

•  "Hustlin' in the Bad Economy" is meant to highlight folks who have to get creative somehow to make a buck in the bad economy. So this story, via HBS Working Knowledge, about influencers in the beauty market would qualify. However, I have mixed feelings since, to be honest, I find the whole "influencer" stuff  (not just for makeup, but for just about anything) on YouTube and Instagram to be mostly a crock. But hey, you gotta give the devil their credit, if they can make something more than just getting some product for compensation and exposure, if they can actually make a buck or two, hey, that is hustlin' in the bad economy. The article does note the brands do pay (no specifics on numbers, i.e. what they would pay an individual, but they do mention how much is spent overall). By the way, in the case of this makeup and beauty market, it is mainly a women's market, and a powerful market it is if you look at the numbers.

Hold My Beer (Serious fuckery in the bad economy)

• And in some more tech company fuckery, Amazon is opening one of their retail stores right across the street from the venerable and independent Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN. Story via LitHub. Why? Again, because fuck them and fuck you, that is why. 

Uber Rich

• P.Z. Myers of Pharyngula sums up well the issue of relying on the uber rich for funding good things like education, science research, and services.  This is specially evident in places like higher education. He writes in part, "Look around your university. See all those fancy buildings named after well-off alumni? That’s the problem, that we rely on the whims of assholes who inherited or stumbled into or stole great wealth, and they use science as Epstein did, as a cosmetic to cover up their crimes and make themselves look better than they are." This reminds me of the old quote attributed to Balzac, that also serves as the epigraph opening Mario Puzo novel The Godfather: "Behind every great fortune, there is a crime."

Finally, this week we have one of the

Great Debates of Our Time

• Via the BBC, do you dip or smother your food in ketchup? Feel free to comment on this great issue of significance (or anything else in this weeks post).

Booknote: Corporate Crap

Howard Harrison, Corporate Crap: Lessons Learned from 40 Years in Corporate America. Indianapolis, IN: Dog Ear Publishing, 2018. ISBN: 978-1-4575-6614-1.

Genre: nonfiction
Subgenre: humor, business, corporations, memoir
Format: e-galley
Source: NetGalley

Though the book's description states it "takes a humorous look at the business practices that lead employees to look for new employment," readers cannot be sure if this is really a humorous book or not. The book does have some humorous moments, but it also works to be a serious work including various research references in the text and observations. So to be honest, one cannot really be sure if the author is being serious or not. Do note that although he cites articles and studies, the book lacks a formal bibliography and/or works cited page.

The book contains a prologue, 23 chapters, and an epilogue. Some of the chapters' topics are:

• Hiring
• Bosses
• Exit interviews
• Meetings
• Corporate jargon

The book has some pluses and minuses. On the positive, the author has plenty of experience, and he has many tales to tell, some of which he features in the book. The book also has a lot that may speak to corporate workers. Some of it may also speak to academia, though I wonder if that is due to similarities or the fact that academia keeps getting more corporate. On the negative, as I said, the vagueness of the humor. Also the author tries to keep an illusion of neutrality, but it does not always succeed. He can go back and forth taking sides. Rather than sincere, he thus comes across a bit mercenary; your mileage may vary on this.

The book is a relatively easy read with very short chapters. You can just read a bit here and a bit there until you finish it.

Overall, I thought it was OK. Much of the content I've seen in other books about business b.s., so this is not really new or groundbreaking. It is presented in an easy and accessible format. I'd say for libraries this would be an optional selection for public libraries. I would not really recommend it for academic libraries. It makes some good points, and it has some humor, but that is about it.

2 out of 5 stars.

* * * * * 

Additional reading notes. This is a selection of some quotes I wanted to remember from the book with a bit of comment from me. I did jot a few more in my personal journal I am not sharing here:


 Corporate crap can be anywhere in the work world:

"Corporate Crap is not restricted to actual corporations but is practiced in private companies, professional associations, and all other entities that employ lots of people. And despite the emergence of 'virtual' companies, online businesses, and other ways you can make a living today, tens of millions of Americans still commute each day to impersonal, structured office environments where they're treated like they're still in high school" (8).

Where else do you see much of the above? In academia, including academic libraries. That may be the book I write some day when I retire (if I retire).

On poor hiring:

"In fact, most Corporate Crap is rooted in companies' inability to hire the best people to run their various departments and functions. Or is it the people who hire those people? And who hired them? It becomes a chicken-or-egg dilemma. The point is that the subjectivity required to make good hiring decisions is beyond the capability of most people who do the hiring in companies today" (14). 

This is one I agree with the author. He also believes in the old adage of people leaving bosses:

"There is an adage that people don't leave companies; they leave bosses. I believe this. A good boss can garner loyalty even if the employee isn't wild about the company. A boss you don't respect causes you to circulate your resume even if you love the company" (18). 

The bottom line on bosses and supervisors:

"It comes down to being respectful of others regardless of rank. Many people in supervisory positions can't do this. They are too insecure or full of themselves. Even if they have more experience or talent than subordinates (i.e. Tina Fey), good leaders don't flaunt it for authoritative leverage" (21). 

Academics, specially faculty and administrators, often fail at the above miserably. The need to flaunt brag, make sure others know who they are and their proper credentials means nothing gets done more often than not until egos get appeased.

A laughable crock of shit:

"Human Resources had told me that whatever I said would be kept confidential" (25). 

I am sure the author is not the only one lied to by HR. Human Resources is not there for the employees. They are there for the company/institution. It's a lesson workers often learn the hard way. The author learned this truth, and he then learned to never be forthright again. I learned that too as well ages ago. As Don Corleone wisely told his son Sonny, "never tell anyone outside the family what you are thinking again."

A statement of the obvious:

"When asked what the biggest time-waster is in their workday, most employees say meetings" (40). 

On "faking it" at work, and yes, this DOES include academia:

"There is no end to how much we have to 'fake it' in the office or workplace. We have to pretend to like or respect people we don't. We have to fake interest in how people spent their weekends. We join in group praise for others' successes (however loosely defined) even if we think the work sucked. I could go on forever. Acting lessons should become standard fare at business schools" (52). 

Library school should probably include acting lessons too. People have no idea how often we librarians have to "fake it" to make things work or deal with certain patrons (and coworkers, bosses, so on).

The difference between "faking it" and lying:

"When you call in sick when you're not, that's lying. Being polite to rude clients or customers because you have to, that's faking it" (52). 

Something the author does not get that I do not get either:

"I don't get this. If I have a business and need certain things done, and I have people who do those jobs exceedingly well and don't want anything else, why do I want to move those people out of those jobs?" (92).

Short booknotes on graphic novels 25 plus an extra or two

This is another list of comics and graphic novels that I have read recently. These are mostly quick reads, so I am just doing some short review notes. Most of these came from the Madison County (KY) Public Library unless otherwise noted.

Lincoln Pierce, Big Nate: Great Minds Think Alike. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-4494-36353.

In this volume, Nate's dad basically ruins Halloween by handing out soy nuts. Believe me, you do not want to have him for a dad. The plot with Mr. Ross the art teacher was pretty amusing. In the end, it was an amusing collection, some strips better than others. I liked it, but this is basically a volume to borrow.

3 out of 5 stars.


Kris Wilson, et.al., Cyanide and Happiness: Stab Factory. Los Angeles, CA: Boom! Box, 2015. ISBN: 978-1-66886-769-1.

This is a collection from the webcomic. It features comics you probably saw online plus 30 strips new for the book. Honestly, it amazes me this comic survives. It tries to be subversive, edgy, and dark, but if this book is an indicator, most of the strips' humor just falls flat. As I read, I counted about five strips in the whole collection that could be considered humorous. The rest are just blah overall. They are not bad, but they are nothing to write home about.  Do note the book has an advisory that  it is for mature readers.  But to be honest, it's not really that edgy. As kids would say, it was mostly meh. Borrow it if you must, or just read the comic for free online if you have to.

Borrowed from Hutchins Library, Berea College.

2 out of 5 stars (barely).


Jim Davis, Garfield Cleans His Plate: His 60th Book. New York: Ballantine Books, 2015. ISBN: 978-0-345-52608-3.

By now, Davis is in his stride. Jon continues getting along with Liz, and Garfield is up to his usual antics. Some highlights in this book include Jon losing his cellphone (and liking it, a feeling I can relate to), Garfield watching the Laughing Baby Channel (now there is an idea for a television channel), and Jon calls a fortune teller. Overall, I liked it. Nice easy read.

3 out of 5 stars.

Jim Davis, Garfield Cooks Up Trouble: His 63rd Book. New York: Ballantine Books, 2017. ISBN: 978-0-425-28562-6.

Though the title suggests this book might emphasize food and cookery humor, it is just another basic compilation of strips. It is a nice, easy read but no big deal. Highlights include Jon having a smart ass mobile phone assistant (think Siri), Garfield watching scary movies, and Garfield trying to convince Santa Claus he's been good.

3 out of 5 stars.


Jim Davis, Garfield Feeds His Face: His 64th Book. New York: Ballantine Books, 2017. ISBN: 978-0-425-28567-1.

It was a nice and light read with some cute and amusing moments. Davis does strive to keep up with trends such as cellphone use. Otherwise, the book is not much different from others. I am enjoying Jon's interactions with Liz.

3 out of 5 stars.


Jim Davis, Garfield Eats and Runs: His 65th Book. New York: Ballantine Books, 2018. ISBN: 978-0-425-28572-5.

Another Garfield collection. Still amusing and entertaining though the humor can be a little inconsistent on this one. A nice easy read.

3 out of 5 stars. 


Greg Farshtey, et.al., Night of the Nindroids (LEGO Ninjago #9). New York: Papercutz, 2014.

This is a nice little comic featuring the Ninjago ninjas from LEGO. In this issue, Zane, the droid ninja, is tempted to join the Nindroids. Will he betray his friends? The book has a few twists and turns. It's a good story, but it does not feel to be among the better ones in the series. The art is nice and very colorful. The volume also features a bonus story with Lloyd the green ninja. Fans will likely enjoy it. For me, it was a quick read. Unless your kids or you are fans, it is better to borrow this one. For libraries that already get LEGO books for children, this is likely a good option.

3 out of 5 stars.


Joel M. Hoffman, The Bible's Cutting Room Floor. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2014. ISBN:  9781250047960. 

A look at the many books and parts of what we know as the Bible that got left out, cut out, edited out over time for a variety of reasons, but often to enforce control and uniformity. Sure we know that Adam and Eve got kicked out of Eden, but did you know there are stories of what happened to them right afterwards? Also, there are way more psalms than the 150 you find in the Bible.  The book looks at various old texts that did not quite make it to answer a variety of questions. Like most scholarly books, it is fairly dry and not easy to read. I wanted to like this, and the topic seemed interesting, but it was a drag to read. Professor Hoffman does provide a good section of notes and bibliography for folks wanting to learn more. 2 out of 5 stars.

 
Tom Taylor, Star Wars: Darth Maul-- Death Sentence. Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse Comics, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-61655--077-6.

Darth Maul, after being rescued and restored from his almost lethal duel with Obi Wan Kenobi, is wreaking havoc with his brother Savage Oppress. When mining magnate Ja'Boag puts a bounty on their heads, they decide to target him. However, Ja'Boag has his own private army, and the Jedi are willing to help him.

The story is a quick read with a good amount of action. It takes place after the events of Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace. It is entertaining and a light story overall. Fans will likely appreciate it. I liked it overall.  3 out of 5 stars.

Max Bemis, et.al., Centipede. Volume 1: Game Over. Mt. Laurel, NJ; Dynamite Entertainment, 2018. ISBN:  9781524105860.

I do not have much to say about this book. It took me so long to post feedback because honestly I wanted to like this, and it was just a disappointment. I grew up on the classic Centipede game of the 80s, and this comic just does not do any justice to that. It starts out well, then it turns into a convoluted incoherent mess that one just does not know what or where to focus on. Overall, I usually like Dynamite Comics (often a lot), but this was not good. Oh well, I will wait for something better down the road. I do not recommend libraries adding this to their graphic novel collections (I am not adding it to ours).  1 out of 5 stars (barely). 

Book Review: Magic for the Resistance

Michael M. Hughes, Magic for the Resistance: Rituals and Spells for Change. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn, 2018. ISBN: 978-0-7387-5996-8.

Genre: nonfiction
Subgenre: spirituality, paganism, witchcraft, magic, politics, activism, resistance
Format: paperback
Source: Berea branch of the Madison County (KY) Public Library 

I picked this up from the public library mostly out of curiosity. In the current Hard Times we live in, many people feel a need to do something and engage in some form of activism. After the 2016 election, a resistance movement began to grow, and it included pagans, witches, and other heathens. In fact, the book's author is also the author of "The spell to bind Donald Trump and those who abet him." This book is for those activists who also work magic and spells and want to use their magic as part of their activism. If you are a magic practitioner with a social conscience, this may be a book for you.

The book is arranged as follows:

• Preface.
• Ten chapters.
• Conclusion.
• Appendix.
• Bibliography.

The book combines history and rationale of using magic in resistance movements with information and the tools for doing that magic. Hughes book is very accessible for beginners. If you've never cast a spell or done magic as part of your spiritual practice, Hughes gives you what you need and guides you in a clear, basic, and accessible way. For those who are well versed in using magic, this book offers plenty of inspiration and ideas as well.

Personally, as a reader and librarian, I found the historical narratives interesting. Hughes shows that there is plenty of precedent for oppressed peoples using magic for comfort, defense, and resistance. Hughes is also very open about using any and all resources available; after all, magic does have a strong history of syncretism. So if you are one of those uptight practitioners who preach staying in your lane and obsessed with gate keeping, you may want to skip this book. On this, Hughes makes a full note and explanation on appropriation in the book's preface. Here is part of it, but reading the full passage in the book is worth it. It is the kind of thing you want to keep handy and whip out when some overzealous activist witch or other mage wants to yell at you about "OMG appropriation! How dare you?" so you can tell them to STFU so they can do their thing and you do yours. So Hughes writes (notice emphasis in original text):

"My ethical rule is simple: if I learn something from a tradition, I do my best to acknowledge it and honor it, without claiming to be of it. I encourage you to do the same. Magic is our birthright, so go read and experiment, and when you learn something, give thanks and respect your teachers" (xvii).

In terms of magical practice, Hughes provides a broad range of options. Some topics include, but are not limited to:

• Offensive and defensive magic. Because "resistance magic is not always nice" (85).
• Toolkits including details such as tools and building your own altar. 
• Guerrilla magic.
• Rituals.
• Working in groups and covens (if you so choose). 
• Self care.

Hughes instructions are easy and clear. Many of the spells and rituals he describes can be done with  care and often with materials that are accessible and widely available. You can practice as simply or as ornately as you feel moved. If you've never done this before, Hughes walks you through it. Naturally, keep what works, experiment, leave aide what does not work. His tone is open and fairly easy going making readers feel they can do this with confidence. Heck, I felt I could try a thing or two, and I've never cast a spell or anything in my life. A strength of the book is in Hughes' openness and the clear and easy instructions.

Overall, I really liked this book. It is a book I will definitely add to my small but growing shelf of esoteric materials. For my pagan and witchy friends, this is a book I highly recommend. Also, for anyone needing something more active in their spiritual practice in these Hard Times, this book may help them try something new or different. I will also be ordering a copy for our library's collection of pagan materials.

5 out of 5 stars.

* * * * * 

Additional reading notes:

Defining magic resistance:

"Magic resistance is a term for the use of magic-- spells, rituals, prayer, divination, and other techniques-- to resist or impede dangerous or oppressive political movements, politicians, and actions, including authoritarianism, white supremacy, racism, misogyny, xenophobia, environmental destruction, attacks on marginalized populations, and other toxic and regressive ideologies" (4). 

Part of why magic is used by the oppressed and powerless:

"Magic is anarchic, wild, and antistructural. It is no wonder it has always terrified those in power, and easy to see why it has so often been employed by the powerless against the dominator culture" (11). 

On modern feminist witchcraft, one of the many groups and movements Hughes highlights:

"Indeed few other religions or spiritual traditions (with the possible exception of Quakers or Unitarians) can claim to be as broadly inclusive, egalitarian, pluralistic, and politically engaged as modern feminist witchcraft" (40). 

On offensive and defensive magic:

"While many popular books on witchcraft claim that magic should only be used for healing and 'positive' ends, I strongly disagree. Magic has always been used for self-defense and in defense of others. The idea that it should not be used defensively or to inhibit the actions of others is a twentieth-century invention, and the entirety of the historical record, from ancient times through the present makes that abundantly clear" (85).

And,

"Witchcraft and magic are tools. When you, someone you love, or a place of great beauty and spiritual power is threatened, why would you not use all the tools at  your disposal? " (88).

On magic as a tool of the oppressed:

"Magic has always been the tool of the oppressed, the downtrodden, and the persecuted. African American Hoodoo, Rootwork, and Conjure are prime examples. They grew from enslaved people who had little agency in their daily lives and  no recourse to justice. Their magic required curses, jinxing, and tying (binding) to fight injustice in their communities and to resist the oppressive slaver class. It arose from necessity" (89). 

On the spells in the book:

"The following spells have been created to be easy to follow and understand, and they utilize common or readily acquired components. That does not mean they are 'beginner' magic or in any way 'dumbed down.' This is the real deal. Approach these spells with respect and perform them responsibly.
With minor modifications, all of them can plug into a wide variety  of traditions, so adjust and tweak accordingly" (175). 

Signs the economy is bad: August 9, 2019 edition

Welcome to another edition of "Signs the Economy is Bad" here at The Itinerant Librarian. This is the semi-regular (as in when I have time and/or feel like doing it) feature where I scour the Internet in search of the oh so subtle hints that the economy is bad. Sure, pundits may say things are getting better, but what do they know? And to show not all is bad, once in a while we look at how good the uber rich have it.


Welcome to another edition of "Signs the Economy is Bad." Got a bit of everything this week, so. . .

Big News This Week 

• The big news this week is that the U.S. Labor Department released one of their nice reports on the labor market. This one says that the labor market is strong in the second quarter, although GDP growth is expected to be revised down. Story via Reuters. Naturally, when a report like that comes out, questions I ask include why? Well, the reason given is "the number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, suggesting the labor market remains strong even as the economy is slowing." Again, this is where I ask why are there less filings for unemployment? What kinds of jobs are people getting, if any? And so on. And as we shall see in the next stories, this boils down to what do those pundits actually know because signs the economy is bad are all over. It is not really that strong if you are paying attention.

Education News

•  One of the issues keeping the Bad Economy rolling recently is the Tariffs Wars with China (and pretty much the rest of the world) versus the United States. The catch that, contrary to what the Pendejo In Chief or his pundits may say, tariff wars are not easy to win, and they often have all sorts of pesky repercussions, ricochets, and collateral damage. It's the stuff that no one thinks about right away that really gets you. For example, universities are now worrying that the economic conflict with China means a significant decrease in Chinese students coming to study in the U.S. Why is that a problem? According to this article, via Inside Higher Ed, "In 2017-18, China sent 363,000 students to the United States to study -- the most from any single country, and more than the next six countries combined. This pipeline is so valuable that many higher education institutions in the United States have focused their international recruitment efforts and fiscal margin of safety almost exclusively on the Chinese market." So now they are scrambling to figure out how to replace or minimize the impact of losing their cash cow.
• This is not so much a sign as a bit of useful tips for college students regarding buying their textbooks at the college bookstore. Story via Inside Higher Ed. While I say the tips here are good, the consensus is basically this: buy your books online or wherever they are cheaper, and they will usually be cheaper elsewhere. Do your homework.
• Also, this is where I take the opportunity to tell you all, once again, not to go expecting your campus library to have your class textbooks. While some libraries may have one (two copies tops, maybe) on reserve, usually for two-hour or so use inside the library, we as a general rule do not buy textbooks for the general library collection. So forget the notion you are going to be smart and check out all your textbooks from the library. Not going to happen. Trust me on this one. Want to know more? Leave me a comment, and I will expand on this explanation, but overall, as I said, trust me on this. I get a few students every year trying that only to find heartbreak. 
• Meanwhile, in library land, I see heartbreak is still being found as library school graduates continue to discover or experience the epiphany that the job market for our field is abysmal (to put it mildly) while library schools and professional associations like the American Library Association (ALA) keep touting going to library school as a great option for a career and good job. The headline of this article at In the Library With a Lead Pipe pretty much sums it up:  “'All I did was get this golden ticket': Negative Emotions, Cruel Optimisms, and the Library Job Search." To be honest, I am a bit surprised that people are still falling for this, and that the LIS Schools and ALA think it is still OK to peddle that bovine excrement. I mean, they were saying it when I became a librarian, and I've been around the block a bit by now. The line has not really changed much. This is also a topic that irks me, and it may be something that I write more about later. Meanwhile, there it is.

Government News

• In government news, just another piece of local political corruption and the need to follow the money. In Waukegan, Illinois, they have truck stops that are not really trucks stops, and electronic gambling machines are seriously gaining in popularity. Story via Pro Publica. And before anyone assumes it is the Party of Stupid, nope. It's the Republican Lite playing this game.

Meanwhile back in the US colony

• As the population exodus continues out of the island of Puerto Rico, the question rises: what do you do with hundreds of closed down vacant schools? Via Hechinger Report. 

The Bad Economy  Around the World

•  Out in Macau, the local casinos are not happy. Why? Apparently those pesky protests in Hong Kong are bumming out tourists and travelers who would go to Macau to gamble at the casinos. Story via Reuters. Apparently protesting for things like democracy and freedom is bad for high end casino businesses.
  

In Other News of the Bad Economy

•  When Reuters points out that the economy strong, less unemployment claims, blah blah blah, did by chance these folks in Ohio? Because, sure, more of them are employed but they are STILL in poverty. Story via Public News Service. Why? Well, for starters, as the article states, let's just say "not all jobs are created equal." 
• Speaking of collateral damage from the U.S. picking tariff wars with the rest of the world, it seems this could cost over 78,000 U.S. jobs in the drinks and hospitality industries. Story via The Spirits Business. Oh well. 
• Rolling Stone reports that yes, payola on the radio is still a thing. My natural questions were: people still listen to radio? At all? really? why?
• This item just caught my eye. Via Adult Video News (AVN. Warning: while this page is mostly OK, parts of the site can be NSFW), an interesting piece you may missed about Bloomberg News coming out against copyright protection for porn. Read it, then ponder it a bit why it is OK for Bloomberg to have their content protected but not adult entertainers and creators. If you are a writer, artist, or other content creator, this should be of interest.

Hustlin' in the Bad Economy

•  Some stories of making do and hustlin' in the Bad Economy via The Spirits Business: 
• Apparently, Hooters (yes, the restaurant chain) needs to raise some extra cash. Their solution? Make their own lineup of alcoholic spirits. Makes sense. People go there to eat, drink, and ogle the waitresses, so may as well get them to drink their own stuff. I think that is a form of synergy, is it not?
• Also, it turns out there is some new movement to drink less, "sober curious" they are calling it. Naturally, bars and other drinking holes do not want to be left out, so they are working to adapt to have low alcohol drinks and such. So is stuff like O'Doul's going to make a comeback? If you ask me, I do not think alcoholic drinks and spirits will disappear completely. Interest may go down a bit, or change, but they will always be there. Besides, there is plenty of room for alcohol and non-alcohol. 
• How do you get people to donate to food banks? Why, cocktails. A UK bar chain is doing that, offering a free cocktail if you bring in some canned/non-perishable goods to donate to food banks. I am all for anything creative that helps out. 
• A couple of items via Boing Boing: 
•  Ever wondered what a thrift store does with donations of, ahem, adult items and materials? Many likely discard them. This one store in Washington State saves them, then sells them once a year "after dark" adults only sale. Now that is hustlin' in the Bad Economy. 
• I am one of many people who tell others that they can save money on books if they borrow from their local public library. Well, some libraries, like this one, now give you receipts of your book checkouts that also tell you how much you save by borrowing the books. In the Bad Economy, it is good to save some money, and saving on your entertainment (libraries also have DVDs and even streaming media options) is a good thing. 
• And if you thought things were bad already, well, they are getting worse. Even fortune cookies, yes, those little things you usually get at the local Poopy Buddha after a meal, are now featuring advertising along with your fortune. 

This week we have some serious fuckery in the Bad Economy. Just when you thought it was done, these stories make one say:

Hold My Beer

•  Did you know a bank could ruin your sexual life? Well, if you run a sex business in any way, shape or form, banks think your money is apparently filthy lucre, and they want nothing to do with it. Story via VICE. This makes life a living hell for your honest sex business operator trying to make a living who needs to do some banking. It's moralistic fuckery from the banks, pure and simple. 
• Life is already hard as it is. People in the United States are notorious for not taking vacations, even when their jobs provide vacation benefits. Fact is many people just cannot afford to take vacation. So, what is the solution? If you listen to folks from companies like BankRate as well as media like CNBC and Fox News, the answer is simple: get another credit card and charge that vacation. The fact that "Americans already owe more than $1 trillion in credit card debt, and the average new credit card interest rate is over 19%" is not an issue to these people. Fuck you, get a credit card. Me? I will save my pennies and do a modest staycation instead, which is actually what my family and I did last month: took a nice staycation, some some local things, did not spend much. Give it a try, and don't listen to those "pundits." 
• I have said this before, but I will say it again just in case: I have zero sympathy or respect for anyone who does not tip their waiter, waitress, or other food service where tips are part of their compensation (specially because employers pay below minimum wage and would have them as slaves if they could). So people who do not tip are in my personal list of people who deserve the worse karma can offer. Anyhow, before I go on a rant, here is a waitress responding to one of those assholes who did not tip. Her response is certainly more classy that I could ever be. I do agree with her, including this point she makes: "Don't even bother walking into a restaurant if you can't afford to tip. There's a McDonald's down the street if you're that cheap." Poor service is not an excuse not to tip; go complain to management if that is the case. Better yet, lobby for them to get better pay so tips are not needed. Otherwise, STFU, tip or stay home and cook. Story via GOOD.Is.

How are the Uber Rich doing?

• On the other hand, if you are one of those who does not have to concern yourself with tipping because eating out means cost is no object, then you clearly work to avoid eating with the hoi polloi. There is nothing more terrifying to the uber rich than realizing there may be a plebeian that somehow got into their fine exclusive eatery.  Well, to avoid this shameful situation, nice restaurants now use Google to research potential customers to make sure they are "special people." Story via VICE. I can tell you this: if they google me, they are going to tell me there is a Taco Bell around the corner, and that is fine by me. 
• Speaking of uber, as in the company Uber, they are losing a shit ton of money. In this case, shit ton means a projected $8 billion loss in 2019. To rich people like them, that is no big deal. To peons like me, yea, that is a shit ton of money.

Booknote: Diderot and the Art of Thinking Freely

Andrew S. Curran, Diderot and the Art of Thinking Freely. New York: Other Press, 2019. ISBN: 978-159051-670-6.

Genre: nonfiction
Subgenre: biography, history, intellectual history
Format: hardcover
Source: Berea branch  of the Madison County (KY) Public Library 

I picked this  book up out of curiosity. I knew of Denis Diderot, but it was not much. This book will definitely give you a good look at the man and his  time. Philosopher, thinker, dramatist, encyclopedist, art critic, and even sexologist, Diderot thought about many things; he studies and learned a lot in various topics and dared to ask questions during very repressive times. In fact, some of his skeptical writings got him sent to prison. When he was released,  he decided to keep on writing, but he would leave his most daring and risky writings for posterity. Meanwhile, he continued his other works such as plays and his encyclopedia, though even his encyclopedia got him in trouble at times from ecclesiastical authorities. As he hoped, Diderot's genius was truly recognized by the French and eventually the world after his death.

Curran presents a pretty comprehensive look at Diderot's life. In addition, Curran discusses Diderot's major works, his thinking and  theories, and how they fit into or more often challenged the mores of his time. In a time when the Roman Catholic Church was in full power, Diderot dared to be an atheist and outright criticize the Church, Christianity, and religion in general. Diderot had many interests, and Curran presents them well.

A strength of the book is that Curran takes time to explain the thinking and theories of the time. We can truly get very close to Diderot's mind, the thoughts and ideas, and why they were significant and even dangerous at times given the era. It does make for a book that can be a bit dense at times but it is worth the effort.

The book is arranged in two major parts. Part One has five chapters covering his early life including his time in prison. Part Two covers his later life, mainly looking at this works, writings and thoughts. Part Two is more a look at the topics he took interest in and explored. Additional features include a chronology, a cast of characters, notes, and works cited.

Overall, a very good and solid book. A bit more scholarly than popular reading but still accessible. I really liked this one.

4 out of 5 stars.

* * * * * 

Additional reading notes:

Diderot was more than a philosopher:

"The man was a pantophile, according to Voltaire: the type of thinker who falls desperately in love with every subject he studies, be it mathematics, sciences, medicine, philosophy, politics, classical antiquity, drama, literature, musicology, or the fine arts. This passion for learning made him seem like an ancient truth-seeker, a simple and 'honest soul' who was 'born without ambition'" (8).

As a librarian now, I aspire to be a pantophile, but this is not likely to happen. I tried to have a love affair with mathematics. Math did not love me back. I do try to get as close to being an honest and fair truth-seeker as I can.

Note that Diderot was also a great conversationalist; this was another way in which he shared ideas and arguments, with close friends and associates in homes and small salons.

On leaving religion, an insight that should be applicable today:

"Perhaps the most critical insight that he had by the time he left the Sorbonne was that reasonable people had the right to subject religion to the same scrutiny as any other human tradition or practice. Seen from the critical angle, the Catholic faith itself could be rationalized, improved, and perhaps even discarded" (49).

Diderot's aphorisms, which also show the spirit of the Enlightenment:

"The first became Diderot's mantra: 'Skepticism is the first step toward truth.' The second is a logical clarification of this point: 'What has never been called into question has never been proven.' And the third is a forceful declaration of the right to think freely: 'One can demand of me that I seek truth, but not that I must find it.'" (73). 

Diderot was contemporary to men like Voltaire and Rousseau. In fact, Diderot often was first reader for Rousseau. One of the topics Rousseau was concerned with was inequality. Rousseau, in his Discourse on Sciences and Arts (link to PDF copy, if you are interested) 1750, explored the topic. Curran explains:

"Rousseau's message was simple and compelling: the more we advance technically and intellectually, the more we regress morally. Progress is not only a mirage that humankind is foolishly chasing; it is our downfall" (97). 

Certainly makes you wonder given the times we live in, specially in the United States. It is also worth noting that some of the U.S. Founders read authors like Rousseau; what they learned or not from them is another question.

Still, despite being a skeptic, Diderot kept on believing in the goodness of humanity. I admit in this he may have been more patient than I would be given humanity today. Still the overall point is good. Curran writes:

"People become virtuous, he believed, not because someone had scribbled down some guidelines on a scroll some two thousand years before, but because moral actions themselves were beautiful, a natural extension of the secular trinity of truth, beauty, and the good" (193).

Media Notes: Roundup for July 2019

This is a somewhat random selection of the movies and series on DVD and/or online I watched during July 2019.

Movies and films (links to IMDB.com for basic information unless noted otherwise). Some of these I watched via TubiTv.com or other online source. The DVDs come from the public library (unless noted otherwise). In addition, I will try to add other trivia notes, such as when a film is based on a book adding the information about the book (at least the WorldCat record if available):

• Fort Apache (1948. Western. Drama.). The John Wayne film part of the John Ford Western Trilogy. Here, Wayne portrays Captain York, who held command of Fort Apache until its new commanding officer, Lt Colonel Thursday, portrayed by Henry Fonda arrives with his daughter, portrayed by Shirley Temple. Unlike the practical York, Thursday is a by the book stubborn man who while a stickler for strict rules is not necessarily endowed with common sense. This all leads to the eventual confrontation with the Apache Indians.  Aside from the plot, I find classic movies like this interesting for their combination of romance, light humor at selected times in the film, and let's be honest, the scenery is still beautiful. Plus these movies often had a nice musical number or two, so overall you get a lot of entertainment for the two hours or so. Overall, this is still a good movie worth watching. The performances are very good, especially Fonda as the stubborn and proud Lt. Colonel Thursday. On a side note, Pedro Armendariz plays one of the sergeants in the regiment, and naturally, he is the translator between the Americans and Cochis, the Apache chief, because even back then, Americans need Latino translators into Spanish (Cochis speaks Apache and also Spanish, plus in the film, as if to make sure we know, Armendariz's character, Sgt. Bufford, toast to "la tierra de mi madre," the land of my mother. He may be Latino, but he does not even get a Latino last name, just saying). Some things have remained the same. Via DVD from the Berea branch of the Madison County (KY) Public Library.
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017. Science Fiction. Adventure).  Not going to comment much on this since people have made a fuss one way or another. On the plus side, it was not as bad as a lot of people made it seem. It had good moments. On the negative, the good moments were very few. I think the main issue is the makers are trying to hold on to and recycle the past as much as possible (certain tropes, formulas repeating. You get a lot of heavy deja vu) and also trying to add new things to keep the story going. The result is a film that is not really consistent, and while it has some entertainment value, it just does not seem to be sure what it wants to be: pass on the legacy or not. Pass it on they will since, if nothing else, they are running out of original cast members. So not bad, but not great either. To make it worse, the movie does drag on a bit too long (Two and a half hours give or take, and at least an hour too long). To be honest, at this stage, I find the standalone movies like Rogue One and even Solo to be better, more entertaining, and just a better thrill (not great, but better than this). I will likely watch the last one just to finish out the trilogy (I've followed Star Wars since the opening of the very first film, so I am invested) but like this one, keeping expectations low for the next. Disney overall is not really doing well by the series (to put it mildly). On a side note, some of the new novels are OK, so I may just read more of those and see what happens, and hope for a new standalone movie or two (although it is Disney, so expectations low). Overall, the wonder is just not really there. I am glad I waited to watch it at leisure at home because I do not think the movie was worth the price of admission (despite the hardcore fans who go in no matter what). Via DVD from Berea branch of the Madison County Public Library.
• Narco Finance: How Cartels Have Taken Over The World Banks (2014. Documentary. Crime. Finance. 2 episodes of 52 minutes each). A look at how Mexican cartels, and other cartels, have infiltrated and used the banking systems to move their money. However, this French made documentary is so much more. For example, the key role Texas played (unwittingly or not) in making things easy for the cartels ranging from being a place cartel members can move in, buy properties and business, and settle in to get away from violence in Mexico to lax regulation of guns that allowed the cartels to basically have an arsenal at their disposal from Texas any time they wanted thanks to things like lax gun shows and the expiration of regulations on assault weapons. Houston is highlighted as a particularly good place for the cartels to do business.Wonder about the so-called "Texas miracle"? (how they managed to fare well in the Recession in mid-2000s. Well, the cartels were not all of it, but they did help Texas out infusing money there in various ways). What is fascinating is the cartels' ability to adapt and diversify as governments, especially in Mexico, crack down on them. Overall, an interesting documentary that covers a lot of ground. Being a foreign film, it looks at as many sides as possible, even talking to a real estate agent in Houston making a fortune selling mansions to "nice people coming to Mexico" to areas like The Woodlands (a very posh area of the city. That one I know personally as I lived in Houston for a while). And that is just barely the beginning as the cartels (Mexican, Colombian, so on) and their money moves around the world, often with very willing help from big banks. If the topic interests you, worth a look. Via TubiTv.
• Sands of Oblivion (2007. Fantasy. Adventure. Action. Made for TV movie). The plot description: "A replica of ancient Egypt was rebuilt in 1923 for a movie [the original The Ten Commandments] and then mysteriously burried when the filming stopped. Now a soon-to-be-divorced archaeologist couple and an Iraq War combat veteran have uncovered the secret DeMille could not keep hidden." This is a take on the ancient Egyptian curse coming to life in modern times genre. Film features Adam Baldwin, one of the lesser Baldwins, and yes, that is George Kennedy in there too (briefly). The concept had potential, but in the end, just a typical B-Movie you'd find on the SyFy Channel. It was OK. Via TubiTv.
• Ron White: A Little Unprofessional (2012. Comedy. Stand up comedy). Ron White's special performed live at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas.  This is one of the stand up comedians I enjoy, and this performance was pretty good. Not as great as his older material, but it is still amusing. This special may be a bit more raunchy or risque, or at least seemed that way. Via TubiTv. 
• Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005. Documentary). Considered one of the better documentaries on the rise and fall of Enron, it details a story that basically boils down to this: the so-called smartest guys were a bunch of greedy, unethical, immoral assholes who were only interested in one thing, and that one thing was making money for themselves without regard for who they fucked over. It was not just Enron by the way; banks, investors, auditors, accountants, and other companies abetted and made money off the Enron schemes that in the end left thousands of employees on the street with nothing and left a lot of devastation for regular people. Meanwhile, said assholes got off relatively light if they even got punished. Catch is the U.S. just does not learn as other corporations and individuals, gaining benefit from lax to non-existing regulations that said con men worked to get legislators to remove (this is where the legislators abet companies like Enron even today) continue getting bigger until they blow up. Worth a watch but depressing when you recall or realize the U.S. as I said has learned nothing from this. For me, I remember the fall of Enron, and I even vaguely remember small attempts that were made to warn about it that no one listened to. Go figure. Documentary is based on the book by the same title. Via TubiTv.
• Primary Colors (1998. Drama. Politics. Comedy). The film based on the book of the same title by Anonymous (well, Anonymous at the time. Since then it has been revealed Joe Klein wrote it) that is a very thinly disguised as fiction look at Bill Clinton's first run for the presidency during the primary season.  I had seen this a while back. It has aged a bit since then, specially in light of how things have changed for the worse in American politics. Yet it captures a lot of how U.S. politics and media really work, often more into the spectacle and what sells than what is right. For me, it was the characters of Libby Holden (Kathy Bates) and Richard Jemmons (Billy Bob Thornton) who really speak to me in the movie. They both speak to parts of me, Libby the younger idealistic part and Richard the more cynical part of me who really knows how things work. The rest of the cast do great work here too. I did enjoy watching it. Via TubiTv. 
• Mad Dog Morgan (1976. Action. Drama. Adding Wikipedia link for a bit more information on the film). A young Dennis Hopper portrays the Australian bushranger (outlaw) Dan Morgan. Film is an example of Ozploitation films, the Australian form of exploitation films of the 1970s. Once the story starts, it keeps going onto the very end. Morgan is romanticized somewhat in the film, but he is also shown as a bit erratic. Film is based on Morgan - the Bold Bushranger, by Margaret Frances Carnegie.. An interesting film to see now. Via TubiTv.
• Indigenous (2014. Horror). Another entry in the genre of "U.S. college kids who travel abroad to get drunk and laid only to find the local horror creature after them." The local creature this time? El Chupacabra. Fact the film starts with a found video that mostly implies most of them if not all are killed is not too encouraging. From the found footage, we go to two days earlier where the story begins as part of the group is already in Panama, and the last two members arrive. So now becomes a matter of how they all die. The twist on this one is that one of the tourists manages to get a phone video on social media while trapped in the jungle, and the video goes viral. So the real question is will they get rescued in time? In the end, as one of the local says in the film, the foreigners never respect the legends, and legends are there for a reason. Overall, the movie is seriously slow. The characters are pretty much your run of the mill stupid gringo kids who should have stayed in their nice resort instead of going into a jungle they were warned about, basically characters you could not care much about. The scares are actually pretty tame too. Overall, there are better entries in this genre. This movie is pretty forgettable. Via TubiTv.

Television and other series (basic show information links via Wikipedia unless noted otherwise). Some of these come in DVD from the public library. Others may be via YouTube, which, as noted before, I keep finding all sorts of other old shows in it, often full episodes:

• Mobsters (Documentary. true Crime. biography. 2007-2012). I continue watching episodes of this series via YouTube here and there. See the June 2018 roundup for previous commentary on the series overall.  Episodes watched:
• "Nicodemo (Little Nicky) Scarfo." A violent man who rose to be boss of the Philadelphia Mob more by chance than skill. What he had going for him was his propensity for violence, but that also came back to bite him as he was paranoid, and his underlings all feared him. The result was when the time came, those closest to him became government witnesses just due to fear Scarfo would turn against them. 
• "Joe Bonanno." He died in 2002, living well into his nineties. He led his Mafia family through some hard times, had to put up with internal insurgencies from his subordinates, and yet managed to survive. In fact, he even wrote his memoirs back in the 80s or so, something no other Mafia boss has ever done or is likely to do. Then again, he is the rare mob boss who managed to retire and die in relative peace (granted, of a heart attack if I recall, but I mean his business did not kill him). Unwittingly, his book did serve him as a form of revenge as prosecutors like Rudy Giuliani used it as material to help them prosecute the mob back in New York (in his later life, Bonanno had retired to Arizona). If anyone is curious, the book is A Man of Honor: the Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno (link to Worldcat, where you can find various editions).
• "Family Secrets." A look at the "Family Secrets" FBI operation that brought down major members of the Chicago Outfit, mainly through the story of the dysfunctional Calabrese family: Frank Sr, his son Jr, and Junior's Uncle Nick. Their dysfunctional dynamic meant Junior could not get out of the mob no matter how hard he tried due to his father's insistence his son stay inside, including outright abuse. Junior eventually turns state evidence in one more attempt to turn his life.  
• "Jimmy Hoffa." Interesting episode. They did make him look a bit more sympathetic than he probably was in real life, but still a good look at his life. 
• C.O.P.S. (1988-1989. Animated series. Police. Action. Humor. Children and Young Adult).  See my comment on this in the May 2019 roundup. Watched (3) episodes.
• Episodes 8 and 9 actually give the origin story for the C.O.P.S. organization. The story is framed as a police file that was kept secret "until now." Otherwise, this would have been the "pilot." Federal Agent B.P. Vess (later known by his codename "Bulletproof") is called in to Empire City as the local police can't take the Big Boss on their own due to Big Boss hiring a scientific genius and launching a high tech crimes spree. Vess comes in, and he eventually puts the team together to bring order to the city, though he pays a price as he is wounded on duty severely. However, in good science fiction fashion (these are future cops after all), Vess is healed with a good amount of cybernetics and making him a great crime fighter, ready to eventually lead his team. Like other episodes, a blend of light humor, action, and a little silliness here or there, yet as mentioned, even a little science fiction blended in. After all, it is a kids' show but entertaining.

Booknote: Please Don't Grab My P#$$y

Julia Young, et.al., Please Don't Grab My P#$$y: a Presidential Guide. Chicago: Animal Media Group, 2018. ISBN: 9781947895027. 

Genre: poetry
Subgenre: humor, politics, political humor
Format: e-galley
Source: NetGalley

President Trump is notorious for grabbing pussy (by his own admission by the way). So in order to remind him that grabbing women's privates without their consent is not welcomed, the author wrote a series of poems to remind him not to do that and suggesting other things he may want to grab instead.

The book features a series of poems accompanied by oil paintings. Each poem gets a painting. The poems are all four lines long, and they usually feature an ABCB rhyme scheme (i.e. the second and fourth lines usually rhyme) with the fourth line containing a variant/synonym/euphemism/alternative name for pussy. The amusing part of the book is seeing how many different terms for pussy the author can present. At the same time, the gimmick does wear thin after a while. Some of the rhymes are quite forced, and some of the terms may seem a bit of a stretch. So the book starts strong but it loses steam as you keep on reading. I also need to note that a term or two can be a bit crass, so keep that in mind as you read.

The art is nice. It is not great, but it does complement the poems well enough. Basically the art depicts a scene that may be conjured in the poem.

Overall, an amusing book, but no big deal. I liked it, but readers' mileage may vary. This is definitely a book to borrow if you can as it is one of those gimmick books you read then move on.

3 out of 5 stars.

Booknote: MAD About the Trump Era

The Usual Gang of Idiots (edited by Bill Morrison and Dan Telfer), MAD About the Trump Era. New York: MAD Books, 2019.

Genre: humor
Subgenre: art, comics, parody, satire, political humor
Format: e-galley
Source: NetGalley

I did not know this book was a sequel to another MAD book: MAD About Trump (link to WorldCat).

That does not matter because this one stands on its own just fine. The book description states the following:

"As we enter the second half of President Donald Trump's interminable, unimpeachable reign, MAD feels it's high time to commemorate our steady slide into annihilation with a brand-new collection of caricature, mockery, and ridicule." 

That sums up a lot of the book. The Usual Gang of Idiots is in good form in this collection. The book is divided into five major sections:

• Very fine people on both sides
• The best people
• The witch hunt
• Covfefe
• Fake News

Inside we get a variety of caricatures and satire on topics such as:

• A liberal hopes/a liberal knows (to be honest, this one may not be as much satire as they claim).
• 2018 President's Summer Reading List
• What's in Sean Hannity's desk?
• "Tyrant of the Caribbean." (Yes. They did a movie poster parody covering his paper towel throwing in Puerto Rico. I admit I appreciated the fact they did cover this). 

Overall, the humor is timely at this moment. The quality of the satire and sketches varies. Some are good, others are average, and one or two are just OK. However, the book does catch a sense of the times we are currently living and the ridiculous nature of it all. We do need to be honest here: some of this may well be just barely satire. Reading this now given current events may feel a bit too real or sting a bit.

In the end, I liked it. Some parts were more amusing than others, and a few hit close to home. Still, if you like MAD, you'll probably like this too. If you read and liked the previous book, you may as well keep going and read this one too. In terms of libraries, this is one mainly for public libraries, specially if you have other MAD books and/or good selections in political humor and pop culture. Oh, and by the way, I really liked the cover on this book too.

3 out of 5 stars.

Booknote: The Language of Tarot

Jeannie Reed, The Language of Tarot: a Proven System for Reading the Cards. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Worldwide, 2019. ISBN: 9780738759425. 

Genre: nonfiction
Subgenre: Tarot, divination, cartomancy
Format: e-galley
Source; NetGalley

Up front, I will say two things.

One, this is not a book for beginners. The author may be constantly telling us about her teaching experience and background and the classes and her students, but this is still not a beginner book. It does assume you come to it with some Tarot knowledge already.

Two, the book has some issues that may be significant and may cause concern for some readers. I will go over some of those in this review. I will point out that she does include two prominent disclaimers at the start of the book on health and healing and on legal matters. This is not uncommon; other Tarot and "spiritual advisors" do similar disclaimers, but then again they also tend to stay away from topics in the legal, medical, and financial fields, which this author happily engages in despite any disclaimers.

A lot of this book is the author telling about her experiences, how she came to divination and cartomancy, how she built her practice, and how she discovered the best method for reading cards, namely her method. To put it in simple terms (and I am simplifying for this review), the method is to read the cards as words and phrases so a spread makes sentences you can then "read" and thus be accurate. Is it the best method to read Tarot (or other oracle cards)? The author is fully confident it is and that settles it. I am not so sure given other authors and books I've read that do it differently and do it well. Personally, I feel leery of folks who say their way is definitive and if you don't get it or do it there is something wrong with you (you are not "ready," need to study more, practice more, etc. until you get it their way). This author does that. All I can say is that, while her method can be good, I've read enough to know it is not the last word.

In addition, humility does not seem to be a virtue in this book as the author is constantly reminding the readers of her multiple talents. For example, she makes sure we know when she tells us: "So I guess I do have the instinct that's needed for crime solving work" (6- emphasis in the original). I reread that line, and my snarky reply would be, "so does Batman, but you do not hear him brag about it." For me, that is an issue. There is a current in this book of the author constantly reminding us of her credentials, her skills, how good she is at various things, so on. I'd say a bit more showing and a lot less telling. The author seems to be unaware however since she writes later in the book: "In this regard, I watched a reader once who was so darned invested in showing off, I was disgusted" (20). Ironic since up to at least that point in the book the author has been showing off and bragging about how good and better than others she is a reader.

The real big issue for me was her enthusiastic embrace of card reading for things like health, and this is highly emphasized in the book. Sure, the author may give enough legal disclaimers (to cover against a potential lawsuit or two), but she also writes things like: "In medicine, it [Tarot] can be the mystical equivalent of an X-Ray" (61). That seems a bit shaky to say the least. However, all I will say to others reading the book is that your mileage may vary based on how skeptical or believing you may be in and of things like this.

A note on the card definitions section of the book, and I noted this as I was reading the book just after finishing the Major Arcana section, but it is applicable to all the definitions chapters. After reading this section,  the definitions, which are (mainly the author's), seem awfully short. To be honest, her shorthand definitions at times are not that much different than "traditional" keywords or definitions. For all the buildup earlier in the book, this part of the book was lackluster. Do recall these chapters cover how the author reads cards, her notes in a way (i.e. what others may call a Tarot journal).

Overall, the book seems more geared to professionals and those who may be getting ready to go pro. This can explain why it feels like a lot of material is left out on a book ostensibly made to teach about Tarot. As I stated previously, it assumes readers already bring in a lot such as ability with and knowledge of Tarot. It also seems to assume the reader having psychic ability (this is a given to the author). In the end, the author makes some good points, but she does not do so consistently. It is more like listening to some rambling guru who now and then remembers a good insight, shares it, then goes back to rambling with little or no follow up. I'd say skim the book, find the good parts that can help your craft (there are some good exercises in the book), skip the rest.

This is a book to borrow, unless you really like the author. Otherwise, borrow it and skim it. For libraries, I see this as a very optional purchase. If you have a small Tarot and/or pagan collection, skip this one. There are better and more accessible books on Tarot out there you can get before this one. If your library has a comprehensive collection on Tarot, I'd say still consider it optional unless you feel a need to be a completist.

For me it was just OK, mainly for the few good parts it has. I did learn a thing or two, but overall, I am glad I read it so I can move on to other books and learning.

2 out of 5 stars.

* * * * * 

Additional reading notes:

Author's definition of oracles:

"To be clear: oracles are methods and devices for knowing what's hidden. Knowing the future" (2).

The author does not believe in chance, and you need to work out your brain more to get that psychic ability working:

"See, nothing is by chance. If you're meant to recognize something that's there right in front of you, you will. What you have to do to get there is to develop your right brain as if it's a muscle" (3. Emphasis in the original). 

The author does not recommend any old book:

"If I recommend a book, it's because that book and its thinking have stood the test of time" (4). 

I get it, but if I did that in reader's advisory, it would severely limit what I could recommend to readers.

The books she does recommend; I've added links to WorldCat for those who may want to find the books:

"Eden Gray's basic book, A Complete Guide to the Tarot; Rachel Pollack's two books on the two Arcana; Sallie Nichols' Jung and the Tarot: an Archetypal Journey. These are not 'old.' In my opinion, they're seminal to my chosen field. In the same way, I recommend without hesitation medium Jeffrey Wands' Another Door Opens. This book and its principle will stand the test of time" (5). 

I am guessing the author is referring to Pollack's 78 Degrees of Wisdom, which used to be published in two volumes, but you can find it now as a single book. The Pollack and the Nichols are already on my TBR list, and I have copies of them. The Gray is also on my TBR list, but it is lower on the list than the previous two. Do note there are many other books, old and new, you may want to read in your cartomancy journey, so feel free to explore, find the ones that work for you.


 For the author, it's the Rider-Waite Tarot deck or nothing pretty much (although she will accept some decks that many may call "clones." of Rider-Waite). By the way, it is Rider-Waite for her; poor Pamela Smith does not even get a mention even though she did the art for Arthur Waite, but I digress.The author writes:

"I need to say one more thing here, kind of a warning: tarot packs that are all pictures of shoes or other objects are not tarot packs. They are pretending to be. What you want and need is probably either the Rider-Waite pack (which I started with) or a more recent pack based on their designs. See, the Rider-Waite tarot images were very carefully thought out over a hundred years ago, and this pack has inspired hundreds of other packs, including the Morgan-Greet, the Robin Wood, Hanson-Roberts, and Aquarian, all of which are in use to this day. And this tells us that the Rider-Waite images and thinking have stood the test of time because they work" (9. Emphasis in the original).

I could say so much about the above quote, but I will refrain myself. I see, for instance, no mention of Thoth Tarot deck, which is also in  use to this day, and I am sure Crowley and Lady Harris also put a lot of thought into it. I will also note as a side note that the person who inspired me to learn and study Tarot and cartomancy uses a Thoth deck. She is a pretty good professional reader here locally. Plus, before RWS, there was Marseilles Tarot, also still in use today. Anyhow, this is where, once again, I quote the Rivera Tarot Corollary to Ranganathan:

"Every deck its user/owner/collector, and every user/owner/collector their deck." 

The following statement by the author just makes me wonder what LGBT and queer Tarotistas may have to say or comment:

"There is no particular card in Tarot to represent homosexuality, despite the percentages being thrown around" (59). 

Do note that in the same page as the statement above, the author then goes on to tell us how she does notice certain cards, court cards in her example, did have "meanings that I both consciously and probably unconsciously associate with gayness" (59. Emphasis in original). This seems a bit contradictory, but this is not the only contradiction in this book. Actually, it is a common pattern where then author says something relatively absolute then contradicts it with a personal example or some other exception. Going back to what I said, I wonder what LGBT and queer Tarotistas may say on the quote, also in light of recent Tarot decks being developed and in use today that reflect queerness and LGBT values and images.

And here is one of the parts that, well, I will just say I was not comfortable with and leave it at that. The author does not practice medicine (see all the disclaimers) but. . .

"No, I don't use oracles to practice medicine. It's against the law to practice medicine without a license in the first place. But over the years I have been blessed to do some tremendous healing work using cards. As a matter of fact, I'm told there's a doctor at New York University Hospital here in Manhattan who refers patients to me occasionally, when the medical staff is stumped" (63). 

I will just leave readers to decide on that one.