If you are rich, you can get in on the hot bargains

"If you have to ask the price, you, can't afford it". --Attributed to J.P. Morgan, when asked about the cost of maintaining a yacht.

Welcome once again to another edition of "Signs that the economy is bad" here at The Itinerant Librarian. Today we have a story about the 2009 Luxury Living Expo where they seem to be having a bit of a fire sale. According to the Chicago Tribune, which is reporting on "Luxury expo stays upbeat despite hard times," they have the attitude of "economy be damned, the 2009 Luxury Living Expo is on this weekend, and the deals you'll find along Luxury Lane at the suburb's convention center are nothing short of...amazing?" Now, keep in mind, that the Luxury Living Expo is something that "caters to the sophisticated lifestyles and high expectations of the world’s most wealthy, discerning clientele" (from their website).

For starters, let's see who are some of the fine exhibitors at the event:

• House of Windsor , interior design consultants. Because nothing says fine breeding and excellent taste than hiring a specialist "in fine European design for high-end residential homes" like House of Windsor. In other words, they are not coming to my shack anytime soon.
  
• Playa de las Palmas, a fancy Costa Rican retirement and residential destination. In other words, the place to build your place away from home.
  
• Of course, to get to Costa Rica, you may need a plane. Heaven forbid you fly commercial aircraft. So, not to worry, for Priester Aviation is here to provide all your charter plane needs. Remember that Priester "is an ideal means to get where you need to go in the luxury you deserve." And don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Make note that giving up your private jet is for wusses. Hmm, by the way, I noticed Cessna was not on the exhibitor list. I wonder why.
  
• And are you having an excess of Benjamins? Kind of short on things to light up with hundred dollar bills? Fear not, you can find excellent cigars from the Tesa Cigar Company.
  
• At least, the rich still drink, or so seems to think City Beverage of Chicago, who is present at the expo. They may not be able to afford the private aircrafts, but it is good to know they can still drink a Budweiser like the rest of us. Take a look at their brands list. Not a single high end liquor in the bunch, but you can also find your malt liquor. If these rich people want their Dom Perignon, they have to go someplace else. Apparently, it is not for sale here. Personally, I am more of a Veuve Clicquot person when it comes to my champagne, but I don't see that brand represented here either.

And that was just a small sampling of the fine exhibitors you will find at the luxury expo. Now, you may be wondering what kind of deals can you get this weekend only. Well, wonder no more. Here are some hot deals, according to the Chicago Tribune:

• "A diamond-encrusted platinum watch that would make Kanye West blush is marked down from $60,000 to $22,000."
• "There's a gently-used, cherry red Ferrari for a mere $229,000."
  
• "Leon Simons, New Jersey-based jewelry dealer, has Rolex and Versace watches going for the price of a Honda Civic, but they used to cost as much as a BMW." You got that? watches are no longer in the range of a BMW; they are just in the range of a Honda Civic. How the mighty have fallen. The humanity!
• And if you don't like Priester Aviation's rates, maybe you prefer to rent your plane by the hour with Marquis Jet. According to the newspaper, "John McCormick of Marquis Jet can get customers a private jet for 25 hours for as low as $132,000." And Marquis even offers the Marquis Jet Card which can give you "access to thousands of airports in North America, Europe and beyond" (remember that trip to Costa Rica?), "Choice of up to 10 aircraft types," and "The option to exchange your jet for a smaller or larger cabin depending on your needs (subject to availability)." That first jet not big enough for you? They can get you a bigger one. Because "the last thing most people want to deal with is O'Hare, but that's what separates the haves from the havenots, even when it seems everyone has less." Heaven help you if you have to take a flight out of O'Hare. I know. I have flown out of O'Hare. It is a nightmare.
  

At the end of the day, some of the prices may seem absurd to us mere peons. But remember, this is geared to the high end consumer. Sure, it is the high end consumer who has to look for bargains in his luxury automotive needs, for instance, but high end nonetheless. You can tell the economy is bad alright when the rich have to go bargain shopping for their jewelry and private jet needs.

Oh well, there's always Big Lots for the rest of us.

Booknote: The Year of Living Biblically

Another note I wrote on GoodReads I thought worth sharing:

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible by A.J. Jacobs

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I finally finished this one, and I have to admit that it was interesting. However, I did not think it was that much of a big deal. Since I am a skeptical person, and not religious, a lot of this book simply confirmed that a lot of religious people simply pick and choose from the Bible (or their religious book of choice) the things they like or that suit their values, leaving the ones they dislike behind. It's the cafeteria practice that fundamentalists decry that moderates do, even though fundamentalists do it as well. This is a point that Jacobs himself makes in the book towards the end. He goes on to write: "This year showed me beyond a doubt that everyone practices cafeteria religion. It's not just the moderates. Fundamentalists do it too. They can't heap everything on their plate" (328). Jacobs comes on the side of saying that you can get some good meals from a cafeteria (he is using the food metaphor). For me, it is not that easy, and it is mostly because I do have a problem with people who pick and choose from their religion, then decide to judge others who don't pick the same stuff on their plates (to keep using the food metaphor). If I want pizza on my plate, and I want to sit next to my gay friend, and your book says to eat only oatmeal and sit next to the people who dress in black, that is fine, just don't try to take my pizza away. Man, this food metaphor can be useful. And this also leads to my other problem with the book: he tries to be a little too reconciliatory. For a skeptic like me, that is not necessarily an option. That did not work for me, but if you like an ending that is somewhat "feel good," then it may work better for you.

One of the best parts of the book is when he goes to visit religious experts or goes to congregations and communities. He goes there as a learner, so he goes with an open mind. I found myself learning a few things, and this makes the book valuable. From Hasidim to Falwell's church (before Falwell died) to snake handlers in Appalachia. He even went to Israel. On the religious right, he makes an observation that not many people may realize: "That's the big secret: The radical wing of the Christian right is a lot more boring than its liberal detractors would have you believe" (262). But I don't think it is as simple as that. He pointed out how they can all be very friendly, but the reality is they are friendly as long as you meet their criteria. "I know that this friendliness has limits--and disturbing ones," Jacobs writes regarding his visit to Falwell's church.

There is some food for thought in this book. I think that for religious people, especially Jewish and Christian, they may be able to get a better understanding of why some things work out as they do in their religions. Also, we see that there are a lot of interpretations, and when I think about it, that may be why a lot of people practice cafeteria religion. But you also get a glimpse of the author as he comes to undertake a spiritual journey, albeit an imperfect one. You also learn a lot about context, which adds to an appreciation of the Bible.

The episodes I liked the least are the ones with his wife and kid. How his wife tolerates him at times is beyond me. There is some humor, but there were some times when I simply rolled my eyes when he tried to do something because it was prescribed even if it was not practical. Dude, just deal. And the fact he is so permissive with his kid simply grates at me; I am a parent, and we certainly had no problem or compunction disciplining our kid when needed (and we did not need the Bible nor the line about sparing the rod spoil the kid to do it). Moments like that did make him seem as a struggling human, which is fine, but he also come across as someone who is not quite the sharpest tool in the shed. And as a whole, his family runs the gamut from very Orthodox to very liberal, which added a nice tension touch.

So overall, if you have an interest in religion, this may be worth reading. If you have some background in the Bible (and I have read it cover to cover), you may get a better appreciation or at least learn more about some of the context for some of the writings. And if nothing else, you get to read about his attempts at herding sheep or keeping purity. Overall, an interesting book, but not a great one.

And by the way, he keeps making constant references to his previous book, The Know-It All. There is no need to have read that one to read this one, but I wish he could have left some of those references out. Yes, we know you read a whole encyclopedia and therefore you know a lot of trivia. Try not to brag about it as much. Besides, I did a similar thing when I was a kid (about 11 or 12); I read the Illustrated World Encyclopedia my parents got us. I did not write a book about it, but I learned a thing or two. Anyhow, I am curious about the other book, but I hope he does not spend part of it bragging about whatever previous project he had.



And there is my review.


View all my reviews.

The 10 Gadgets on the way out.

This prompt comes from CW's Ruminations, who points to another post leading to this list of gadgets on their way out. So I thought I would go over the list and see where I stand. Here are the items. The snarky commentary is mine.

1. Landline phones. I still have a landline phone. However, by now, I have one of those deals where it is bundled with your cable modem. So I don't really have a "Ma Bell" company phone line, but it is still a land line. Now most people these days advocate leaving the land line and settling for a cellphone. I can see the appeal to that. However, being reliant on only the cell would mean the stupid telemarketers and deadbeat debt collectors (who always call for Barbara or my personal favorite Jenna; apparently the previous owners of my land number were deadbeats) would be reaching my cell eventually. Since we keep our cellphone numbers private (only family and our employers, and that with some limitation), the landline catches the crap. Besides, landline has caller ID and an answering machine. We screen all calls. If we do not recognize the number, we ignore it. If you are some bottom feeder, we ignore you too. Now, before someone says, "hey, there is the Do Not Call" list, I am going to tell you it is nearly worthless. We have registered, and we still get tons of calls that are unwanted. So, we just let the landline catch the crap. Well worth it to keep our cellphones private.
   
2. Floppy disks. And to think that back when I was in college, these were suc; h a big deal. We have come a long way. I do not miss them. In fact, I recently spent some time moving files out of old floppies into a flash USB drive. I may have some older things still on floppies, mostly the odd paper I may want to keep, but overall, I have moved on and away from these. These can definitely go into the ash heap.
   
3. Wristwatches. I stopped wearing a wristwatch years ago, but it is not because I use the cell for a watch, like many do. In my case, I carry a pocket watch. Main reason is I was somewhat clumsy with a wristwatch, and I kept getting the belt caught in all sorts of places, breaking it. Getting the belt fixed was a hassle, so I got myself a nice pocket watch. It is nothing fancy, but it works nicely. I just replace the battery when it needs it, and that is it. Had it for years, and I am very happy with it. One side effect: the watch often becomes an object to play with when I get a little anxious or I am in deep thought.
   
4. VHS tapes and VCRs. I have mostly moved to DVDs by now. If I can go get the original Star Wars trilogy on DVD, I will be set. We do still have a cheap VCR in the house since there are some odd and ends in VHS floating around. Of particular interest are a series of musical specials from Puerto Rico my parents got me as gifts years ago. Those are on VHS, and so far, have not been remade on DVD. So I may have to hold onto a VCR a bit longer. Otherwise, I am working with DVD just fine.
   
5. Beepers. I never had a beeper. I do remember when my father first got one for his job as an industrial salesman. And it was very basic. The thing beeped, and then, get this, you could actually hear the brief message from the caller, including some static. There was no texting on it like the later models.
   
6. Film cameras. I have moved to a digital camera, but I was not an early adopter. It took me a long time before I finally decided to get a digital camera. Actually, it was only a few years ago when we first got our digital cameras. I use mine quite a bit for work and when I travel now and then. I like the idea of keeping photos in the USB drive, then being able to e-mail them to people I know. I still have an instant Polaroid at home, and a Kodak Advantix. The Advantix was the last film camera I ever got, and it was a present. I have not used it in years, but it still works as far as I know. The Polaroid still works as well, but again, not something I use. The digital uses rechargeable batteries, and with a memory card, I can store a good number of photos. Not that it matters since I usually move photos to the USB often.
   
7. Typewriters. When I went to college for the first time, a typewriter was one of the basic items I brought. I don't exactly recall, but I remember the move to a computer to type papers was a gradual process. I did use that typewriter, a Smith Corona (don't recall the exact model), pretty much til it wore out. Only typewriters I see now are in the technical services area when they still have to type a label or something like a form that is very basic.
   
8. The Walkman, Discman, and MiniDisc. I did have a tape walkman at one point. I've had portable CD players. In fact, still have one, though I don't use it as much. I have not made the move to an iPod or something similar yet. I am not quite at the point where I want to put all my music in a small device; I don't fully trust places like the Apple iTunes store, and I have real problem about DRM. Maybe when I find time to rip some of my CDs, I may then get an iPod or something similar. But I don't see a major need for it now.
   
9. Dial-up Internet Access. By now, I cannot do with anything less than broadband. Dial-up is pretty much the stone age for me. I may give up a lot of things, but I have to pay top dollar to get a good, fast, Internet connection, I pay it. I just do too many things online to be bogged down by dial-up. This is probably why I could never live in too rural of an area, the lack of Internet (fast Internet that is). I do have to get new computer at home (getting old), but the one I am using still works, so I can save for it at the moment. Anyhow, given all the social software, applications, and so on, they are just not made for dial-up.
   
10. DVDs. I don't quite see these as obsolete yet. I am still buying them. I have a Playstation 2, and I use it to play my DVDs in my home workstation. I am not upgrading to a PS3 any time soon or to Blue Ray Disks. Whether I may have to move to those in the future, we'll see. But for now, I can watch my movies and favorite older series on DVD just fine, which is not going away yet.
    

Looking over this list makes me see that I have evolved in terms of my habits and entertainment needs, but I have also evolved in terms of work needs as well. I back up all work related things from my work computer to my USB flash drive. I use a digital camera. Movies, which for so long were on VHS, I know watch on DVD, and DVDs to many are already becoming obsolete. I just find it fascinating that we have come so far in what seems so short a time. And yet, I still hold on to a few things like music CDs and that land line. Because in the end, as I have often said, it is all about what meets your needs and what works for you. How about folks out there. What is working out for them?

Booknote: Brainless: The Lies and Lunacy of Anne Coulter

Another review from my GoodReads page:


Brainless: The Lies and Lunacy of Ann Coulter by Joe Maguire

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
I read enough of this book to last me a while. The book is basically a refutation of Anne Coulter's works up to Godless. Anne Coulter is already hard enough to read; not because she is difficult, but because she is so vicious (from rudeness to personal attacks) and full of lies that one has to exercise restraint not to throw her books against a wall if one has half a brain and knows how to use it. What Maguire does is look at what Anne has written on various topics and then refute it with the actual truth. He used Anne's words pretty much to help bury her. The problem for me is that I have to read parts of Coulter, which illustrate his points, and eventually, this can wear you out as a reader.



Needless to say, if you are a fan of Anne Coulter, this book, nor any other, will likely change your mind, no matter the evidence. And Maguire does do a good job of providing the evidence. If you are against Coulter, then this book may well provide some needed ammunition.






View all my reviews.

75 Bucks for a Bottle of Wine?

Once again, I welcome my two readers to another edition of "Signs that the economy is bad" here at The Itinerant Librarian. You know that the economy has affected all segments of society. Higher education is no exception. In fact, here at UT Tyler, the administration has put in some belt-tightening measures that are, to be polite, a little less than popular. However, we are nowhere near these guys in San Francisco.

According to The San Francisco Chronicle, UCSF had to actually pass a policy to tell their faculty and administrators to limit their wine drinking to less than $75 dollars a bottle (or $15 dollars per glass). By the way, this just covers their medical department. Now, while college administrators are often known for being a little more upscale, this certainly takes the cake. Or not. Here in Texas, many may remember the case of former Texas State University Priscilla Slade who was accused of using university funds to lavishly maintain her home and entertain people. With a hung jury, she seems to have gotten lucky. But in her case, there was no mention of fancy wine dinners (as far as I can tell). Now, in the interest of disclosure, I have to point out that I am a wine drinker. I think my two readers, if they have been paying attention, probably know this. However, I am an academic librarian in a small state institution. I don't get paid enough to afford a $75 bottle of wine. Heck, if I were to take some work-related travel, and I bought a glass of wine during a dinner for $5 (using the campus allowance), it may just be enough to get the auditors after me. If I buy it myself, and I keep it off the receipt I turn in, it's ok. You have to love the rules of the bureacratic state machine. Anyhow, I rarely drink when I go out on professional travel, and if I do, it is on my dime (that way it is no one's business but my own). But I digress. The point is that I find it both mildly amusing and mildly irritating that a time when things are tight, educators have to be told to limit their drinking on their university's dime. So, let's look at the SF Chronicle article some more. Because this is the kind of stuff that falls under "I could not make this up if I wanted to." As usual, the snarky commentary is mine.

• "The maximum reimbursement: $75 per bottle of wine, or $15 per glass." Notice that $75 is actually the maximum reimbursement. They are not being chided for spending that amount; just telling them to keep it at that number or less.
  
• "There is no explicit limit placed on how many bottles of wine may be purchased for such occasions, according to documents obtained by The Chronicle." On the other hand, you can purchase cases of wine as long as you keep the cost per bottle to $75 or less. Here in Texas, you can go to one of the fine state wineries (no, I am not being snarky about the fine wines; Texas really does produce some excellent wine, but that is another post) and get plenty of good wine for a lot less. Plus you would be sponsoring the local industry and keeping the local economy working. I am sure in California, known for its wines around the world, they could come up with some good deal with some winery or two in Napa for higher education entertaining. Yes, I understand college presidents and administrators once in a while have to entertain certain guests (say, donors). I am thinking what better way to have a good glass of wine with that fancy meal than going local. Don't get me wrong. I am sure you can get expensive wine in California wineries, but I am also sure you can get something as good if not better for a more modest price. Besides, it is known that in blind taste tests, the cheap wine and the expensive wine are not really different.
• "Additionally, [Michael] Chen [ a senior finance manager in the Department of Medicine] stressed another new policy at UCSF: "No reimbursement from university funds is allowed for mixed drinks or hard liquor." So you can forget about that nice martini before dinner or the even nicer cognac afterwards, at least if you expect the college to pay for it. And let's not even go into cigars here. However, may I suggest that maybe Kentucky could make an exception so that bourbon can be an option? I have no idea how colleges in Kentucky handle the wine issue, but again, thinking about the local economy and all. By the way, I have done parts of the Bourbon Tour (the link I put just now), and it is worth it. I am going to try to do the rest this summer. Stay tuned.
  
• "'Those meals have a real business purpose. But that doesn't mean they have to be treated like a banker or a corporate executive,' he said. 'Coming to UCSF means being willing to be a part of a public institution and be proud of it. We want people who are passionate about the patient care and research that we do.'" The "he" is Mr. Chen. So, in other words, we are not bankers or AIG people, dang it, so act accordingly. Translation: you work for a public university, so bring your passion and sense of service, because we sure as heck are not going to pay you what you may actually be worth or what you likely would get in the private sector.
  

And let's not even look at what many campuses are doing in terms of having to raise tuition while states cut more university funding left and right. Of course, having that fancy meal? That's all part of the program.

Thoughts on the cigarette tax

Roland Martin, a CNN Analyst (at least that is where I know him from. He is also an author and syndicated columnist. You can learn more from his website), recently wrote a column on CNN's website arguing that the cigarette tax is great. In the interest of disclosure, I will say that I am not a smoker. I will also add for the record that I do have family members who smoke; they tend to be thoughtful enough to go smoke outside. With that out of the way, let's go on.

I have to say that it is pretty hard to argue with a lot of Mr. Martin's logic. Smoking is unhealthy for you. This is widely known and documented (information from the CDC). Like Mr. Martin, I have a hard time understanding why anyone would do that to themselves. I am not as rabid as Mr. Martin in the sense that, whatever someone else does, is their business. But the health risks are very clear. Now, the point he raises about poor people and smoking is one worth of some thought.

He writes:

"Critics say the tax will disproportionately hurt poor people. Fine! Did we somehow forget that poor people already are likely to be in poorer health because they are living in areas where there are food deserts, and that means lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables?"

There is a point. If you are poor, what the heck are you doing spending five dollars (or more in some places) per pack buying cigarettes of all things? Mr. Martin is pointing out that the critics use the poor as the illustration of their objection: look how unfair this tax is, it will hurt the poor. Well, not quite. It pretty much gets anyone who buys cigarettes. If you need to feel sorry for anyone, feel sorry for the farmers who grow tobacco because in the very long term, they better be learning how to grow something else. I am not as sympathetic to the tobacco companies, which peddle a health hazard to make money. Martin writes on:

"Poor folks are likely to lack insurance, which means when they get sick, they will go to a city or county hospital, and taxpayers have to foot the bill. So their decision to buy cigarettes will probably hit us in the pocketbook later on."

A big problem is that health care in this country is dysfunctional, to put it mildly. Huge segments of the population lack access to it or the insurance that enables said access. Sure, in a pinch you go the emergency room. And if you are poor, the hospital pretty much eats the bill, so to speak. And before anyone out there says I have it for the poor, look at it from my point of view. If I go to the emergency room, I get socked with the full bill. Sure, my insurance may cover some of it, but I still would have to pay a big chunk because I am employed and the assumption is I should be able to afford it. Actually, I would not be able to afford it, and therein lies a problem. Unless you are dirt poor or dirt rich, health care is a major concern. So yes, I do tend to be sensitive to things like taxpayers picking up the tab for irresponsible people, and smoking is irresponsible, especially if you cannot afford the care when you get your cancer. I will go a bit further. If you are a millionaire with a lot of wealth, smoke away. After all, you can pay for the care. But if you are broke, you should be taking better care of your health, and that includes stop smoking. In an ideal world, people probably would not smoke at all, but this is not an ideal world.

Some people may say that targeting smoking is unfair. Why not tax alcohol? It is unhealthy too. Well, in some cases it can be unhealthy, but not in others. On the one hand, there is evidence showing that excessive drinking is bad for you (again, using the CDC). On the other, there is evidence that moderate alcohol consumption can be good for you (here and here for some information). Now I am not saying that we should give alcohol a free pass, so to speak, because it is not as bad as cigarettes. What I am saying is that the argument for just taxing alcohol to be fair is not that simple. Actually, if we read a little history, we find that before Prohibition, the U.S. did tax beer quite heavily and got a lot of income from it. It did not deter beer drinkers (see the book Ambitious Brew. My note on it here). I suppose we could tax alcohol a bit more and use it for better health services, like SCHIP, which is what the new cigarette tax is going to be used (assuming the politicians don't pocket the money after claiming they are using it for children). Contrary to what critics may say, a little tax on alcohol just might discourage a risky drinker or two. And by the way, don't even think about trying a prohibition again. We saw how that worked in the United States.

As I understand it, tobacco also has the disadvantage in that it can harm others. Secondhand smoke can be harmful. Alcohol does not generate "second hand" drunkenness, i.e. I am not getting tipsy because I stand next to a drinker, but my lungs may suffer if I stand next to a smoker. I will grant this may not be the best image, but this leads back to what Mr. Martin says about secondhand smoke. I am not about to stop drinking; yes, I do enjoy some alcoholic drinks in moderation. But it would be nice if people would stop smoking. Either that, or find some place where they can just smoke happily without exposing the rest of us to it.

Just a thought.

Hmm, maybe we need to be shopping at pawn shops now

Once again, welcome to another edition of "Signs that the economy is bad" here at The Itinerant Librarian. MSNBC recently had a feature about how you can find many hot items in pawn shops. And I don't mean hot as in illegal or shady, but as in very desirable (to some people) high end items. It seems that with the economy souring, all the superfluous and frivolous buys like big screen televisions and Wii game consoles are suddenly being pawned left and right. Here are some sample items you could get for cheap, or at least get a better deal for than retail, at your local pawn shop:

• Gold and jewelry. This has always been a staple of pawn shops, but now it seems the rich and affluent are suddenly dumping their jewels as if they were radioactive. After all, the price of gold is pretty high right about now, and it is always seen as safe investment. Plus, I am willing to bet a few ladies could well be getting rid of gifts from exes. Why hold on to some necklace an ex gave you when you can cash it in? But aside from that, hey, there is a need for cash. Even the football players: "He [Joe Cacciatore, owner of Tampa, Fla.-based Capital Pawn & Financial Services] has even had football players bring in Super Bowl rings and NFL rings for pawn. (He wouldn't tell us their names)." I wonder why.
  
• The big flat panel televisions. If you wanted to get one, this may be a good chance to get it since you are likely to get a slightly better deal than going to a regular retail store. However, if you are considering pawning your tv, keep in mind that many of the pawn shops will only take it if it was manufactured in the last two years (i.e. capable of handling digital programming).
  
• Power tools and tools in general. Apparently, contractors and craftsmen who get tight on cash will pawn their tools. Usually for the short term hoping to get them back once they get back on track, but you can still get good tools if you look. "'Since most of the tools are used, prices are typically 50 percent below what you'd find at Lowe's or Home Depot,' said [Jack] McCrory [owner of the Ace Pawn Shops chain in Indiana]. Power tools can go anywhere from $3 to $300, he said."
• Guns and musical instruments, another pawn shop staple.
  
• The Wii. This was the big hot ticket item this past Christmas. Clearly, some people spent too much last holiday, and now they figure getting fit with the Wii may not be as cost effective. By the way, this also goes for other systems like the X-Box.
  

So there you have it. If you are shopping, maybe you need to consider your local pawnbroker. If you need some cash, and you got something of value, maybe this is an option. Who knows? The article also links to a small video with advice for first time pawn shop consumers. After all, a big reason this article is written is because there are a lot of newcomers.

And there you have it: another sign that the economy is bad.

Are Wal-Mart Greeters Next to be Laid-off?

Welcome to a bonus edition of "Signs that the economy is bad" here at The Itinerant Librarian. Today we learn that Chicago's O'Hare Airport has replaced all its greeters with computer kiosks. Some points:

• First of all, I had no idea O'Hare had greeters. I lived in the Midwest for a good chunk of my life, and I have flown out of O'Hare more than a few times. Where the hell were these greeters? Were they like Chicago voters? You know, the dead ones that always show up on Election Day?
  
• And check this out, these greeters made a pretty decent salary. According to the article, anywhere from 38K to 58K. Heck, in some cases, they made more than I do. On the positive, I am still employed. And this is probably better than what the Wal-Mart greeters make.

Which leads me to the observation that it may be a matter of time before Wal-Mart greeters get replaced by computers. However, unlike the Chicago airport, Wal-Mart does not just have greeters to say hello to people. They are there to keep an eye out for shoplifters. Now, little old granny may not be able to tackle the average crook down (or maybe I am wrong. There are some very tough grannies out there). The point is that Wal-Mart may have some more sophisticated needs in terms of greeters who can also work at loss prevention. May I make a suggestion?






Sure, it may have some bugs, but this may save some money in the long run, which is what Wal-Mart is about: saving you money and keeping those prices low, and what better way to do it than with a piece of computer technology. Plus, in some hot neighborhoods, no one would dare steal from Wal-Mart with one of those puppies parked in front. Heck, I would probably not even dare to shop there.

Now one of my two readers may think I am just being too snarky or mean. Well, if folks have seen the film Robocop, especially, the first one, they know that the film does make a strong commentary about what happens when you start letting corporatism run wild, when you think you can replace every human being with a machine (for every Officer Murphy you get a few ED 209s or worse), and when you think you can simply sweep problems under the rug. It is also a fine example of the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." If my two readers recall, in the Robocop films, OCP, the big bad corporation, is always trying to come up with something to replace Robocop, and what happens? Robocop has to come in and fix the mess, proving he works just fine.

Sure, we can make a little joke about the O'Hare people being replaced by machines. But this would not be the first time a machine has come and replaced humans. Just look at the history of automation over time. Think of those pesky call centers we hate where you never reach a human being. The line goes that people will simply do other tasks that the machines can't do. But how long before we make machines that kick us out of our jobs because they are (supposedly) cheaper? I am sure some of the powers that be in MPOW would love to lay off librarians and replace them with a computer and an automated phone tree. Not very likely to happen because at the end of the day, there are some things you still need a human for, like basic human contact and service. So, one has to wonder what does O'Hare lose in terms of generating goodwill from visitors to Chicago in laying off their greeters in favor of impersonal computer kiosks.

Just a thought.

You know things are going down when the billionaires cry

Welcome to another edition of "Signs that the economy is bad" here at The Itinerant Librarian. In this semi-regular feature (semi-regular as in "when I feel like it and find a story to highlight and snark about"), we have talked about how to tell that the economy is bad. For example:

• Teachers having to sell ad space in their class materials.
• Having to settle for cheap vodka or cheap beer.
• States getting rid of executions.
• College students having to furnish their dorm rooms on the cheap.

And that does not even cover the usual signs of high gas prices last summer, foreclosures, bank bailouts, and the usual suspects. Now, we get the latest: sad news that billionaires are losing money (via AlterNet). Now that could be a serious sign that the economy is bad. This is really shocking news worthy of stopping the presses. Forget the people losing their houses. Screw the many who have been laid off from the bad economy. Billionaires are losing their net worth, and this is really a serious problem.

Now, in the interest of disclosure, I will say that I care not what a man or woman does for a living, as long as it is honest and legal. If you made your big fortune in an honest and legal way, good for you. If you made it a la Bernie Maddoff by scamming people or by some dishonest way, then I lack serious sympathy for you. Having said that, if the only pain as a billionaire is that you lost a few million, that is not pain. Stop whining and suck it up like the rest of us who work for a living. The AlterNet piece is commenting on a story out of Forbes magazine. I am sure Forbes and company feel a lot more sympathy than I would given their audience.

Let's look at some highlights:

• "'Like the rest of us,' intones Forbes, 'the richest people on the planet have endured a financial disaster.'" No, not like the rest of us. Unlike them, the rest of us get financial disaster, we end up homeless and unemployed, oh, and praying to the deity of our choice we may not need medical care since we would also lose our overpriced health insurance. They endure financial disaster, it just means they have to give up a corporate jet and maybe sell off their private island. "Not too many current or former billionaires, as the Toronto Star's Andrew Chung suggested last week, need "give up the $6,000 Dorchester Suite in London, or the $5,000 nightclub outing at Famous in Moscow, or the $7,000 Kiton suit from Saks Fifth Avenue in New York."Hardly financial disaster. I am lucky if I can afford an outing to Sonic once in a while.
  
• Of course, to some, there is "real" suffering: "In at least one case, these numbers certainly have translated into real suffering. This past January, Germany's fifth-richest billionaire, Adolf Merckle, killed himself. The industrialist stepped in front of a commuter train shortly after losing $500 million in the German stock market." I guess Mr. Merckle did not know how to handle his stress and suck it up. Then again, on reading the linked story, it seems Mr. Merckle was doing a little gambling, speculating on certain financial instruments, and he lost. Too bad, so sad. Yes, a death is a tragic thing, but if you decided to play around with money, you should either be able to cover your bet or not do it. There is a reason I do not go to casinos, you know, and that includes the double-wide casinos here in East Texas.
  
• Merckle seems to be the only extreme case. Most of the billionaires are doing just fine.
• In some cases, they are even doing better now. For example: "Hedge fund manager John Paulson, for instance, doubled his personal fortune to $6 billion, mainly by cashing out on bets that the mortgage market would nosedive." He clearly knew when to get out, so to speak. Obviously, that is not suffering or financial disaster. Where is the pain? I am not hearing any howls of anguish.
  
• And even when they do lose, it's not so bad, if it even is bad at all: "In billionairedom, even losers smile. The colorful Donald Trump, for one. He has lost almost half his fortune since last year's Forbes billionaire tally. No matter." He is even buying stuff he has not bought before.
  

Now the problem may be that I lack empathy for these people because I cannot appreciate the numbers. I mean, a billion bucks is a lot of money. Let me help my two readers visualize it:

"An average person who makes $50,000 a year would have to work 20,000 years to accumulate a fortune worth a simple $1 billion. The world's 793 billionaires now hold fortunes that average $3 billion."

So I am not just being a smart-aleck. Can you really shed a tear for these people? Give me a break. These are the people, many of them, who enabled the mess and the actual suffering of real people while they profited. Then again, to people like Forbes himself, these financial predators are not responsible, " Forbes editor-in-chief Steve Forbes seems to feel no one really bears any personal responsibility for our current economic carnage. He sees the meltdown as more or less a natural catastrophe." Hey, Katrina was a natural catastrophe. The financial meltdown is basically a man-made catastrophe for the average people caused by greed and a serious lack of regulation of people like you and your ilk in Wall Street, the government, and the financial world.

And why should we care after we make the jokes? Here is why: "More dangerously, for the rest of us, these super rich can still afford to powerfully influence -- and distort -- the political decisions that determine who will pay and who will really suffer in the troubled days ahead." In essence, these are the people that lobby Congress and make political donations to the President's campaign (yes, even Obama has taken donations from AIG); these are the people who write the legislation more often than not that the legislators then barely read and pass. Not exactly worthy of a whole lot of sympathy.

Then again, it is another sign that the economy is bad. Just the wrong sign.

Booknote: The Mastery of Love

GoodReads offers a feature where you can use some HTML code they generate of any book review you write on their site so you can blog it. I am trying it out here for the first time. I may use a bit more often. We'll see. Anyhow, anything below this is what the site generated with what I wrote:


The Mastery of Love: A Practical Guide to the Art of Relationship: A Toltec Wisdom Book by Miguel Ruiz

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I liked this book, but compared to The Four Agreements, it is not as tight or tidy, so to speak. The book presents some very good points, but it is a bit repetitive at times. In other words, what he did in about 200 pages, he could have done in 100, or at least 150, without losing the essence of the message.



The main thing I took away from it was the need to look into ourselves. This is a common sense concept and important because it leads to the idea that we cannot love or respect others if we do not love or respect ourselves first. You need to be aware, then you need to work towards forgiveness, then attain love. Some of the ideas from his previous book are here, particularly the idea of not taking things personally. Very often, people do things which may seem personal but are not. Notice I say "very often." I have struggled with Ruiz's idea of not taking it personal because there are always one or two not so nice people out there more than willing to harm you. Maybe it is the cynic in me, or maybe I just need to work more on some things. Anyhow, it is a book well worth reading. I think it may be beneficial for some couples as well, but do be warned, it can get a bit wordy sometimes. And that wordiness is what made me give it just the three stars instead of four. It made the pacing go a bit slow for the reading.


View all my reviews.

No time to pray? Pay someone to do it for you

I am not sure what can be more disturbing? That some religious people think they can just pay someone to pray for them when they do not feel like it (or can't), or the fact that someone is more than willing to take said payment. Allow me to present Information Age Prayer. Yes, now you can pay for someone to pray for you. By this I mean someone will do your praying for you. I mean, you have to be either extremely lazy or just extremely dumb to actually fall for this scam. From the site:

Information Age Prayer is a subscription service utilizing a computer with text-to-speech capability to incant your prayers each day. It gives you the satisfaction of knowing that your prayers will always be said even if you wake up late, or forget.

I thought this was a joke the first time I saw it, but on looking further at the site, I come to realize that they mean serious business. And to make things easy, they have promotional rates for first time users, and they give you some choices of religion. Unfortunately, if you happen to be pagan, satanist, or anything that does not fit the box, so to speak, you are out of luck. Sure, they have an "unaffiliated" option, but what does that exactly mean? Anyhow, you can pay for specific prayers, or you can get a few of them in a bundle.

Of course, there are no real guarantees. According to the company,

"As with all prayer, the final results are up to God as everything follows His will. We make no claims regarding the efficacy of the service, however it is our opinion that the omniscient God hears the prayers when they are voiced, as He hears everything on this Earth. The omniscient God knows exactly who has subscribed and who each prayer is from when their name is displayed on screen and their prayer voiced."

I am sorry, but if the Big Guy (or Gal) is all-knowing, would he not know about your praying already without having to pay these pirates? If he knows exactly who has subscribed, does he express a preference then? Maybe get you a discount?

So if you are spending way too much time working, out partying, or heaven forbid, having some sex, and you feel a need to send up some prayers to make up for your heathen ways, for at least $3.95 a month, these people will send them right up for you. Hell, I am guessing that if you pay enough, you may just be able to skip church altogether. Let's see how this may work for some religious people:

• I would not pretend to make claims for Catholics; after all, Pope Benedict is quite the mean slave driver (let's let people die of AIDS rather than promoting condom use? Really? Get real). Now, I can see where some Catholics may find this useful. They go to confession, and the priest gives them the old "One 'Our Father' and 'Ten Hail Marys'" for whatever it was they did. No problem. Go to the website, and you can pay $3.95 monthly for the first prayer. The Hail Marys are conveniently bundled in packs of ten already for $19.95 a month, which they claim is less than 7 cents a day (go look at the website; I am not making this up). Kind of sounds like one of those commercials for sponsoring kids in the third world, "for less than 7 cents a day, Alberto in Guatemala will get fed, and you can get a picture of Alberto in the squalid shack he lives in with 20 other family members." And since it is a subscription, your penance is well covered. Hell, you might get some praying ahead of time for next time you go to confession. You see, you do save time.
  
• But this could work for those Protestants who do what they want anyways.
  
• And how about Muslims? Is there a guarantee that their prayers, at least the ones requiring them to face Mecca, are said facing Mecca? Can they get out of the obligatory prayers they have to do five times a day? Nope, not quite. According to the service, when it comes to obligatory prayers like the First Daily Prayer, "You may not fulfill your daily obligation to pray through this service, nevertheless, praising God is always encouraged and it certainly doesn't hurt to have this holy prayer voiced!" So, you lazy Muslim, get down and pray, but hey, feel free to send them some money anyhow for some extra prayer mojo, "and it certainly doesn't hurt to have this holy prayer voiced!"
  
• For the budget conscious Jew, they offer a "Complete Jewish Package." No, I am not trying to do a joke about Jews. They really offer that, go look it up. According to the website, "save money by subscribing to the discounted package deal. This special Jewish Prayer Package includes the basic morning and evening prayer (shema), 5 Get Well Prayers and a Prayer for Peace." And you get the whole enchilada for the low monthly price of $25.95.

Then again, if you are already very busy working, partying, and fucking, you are probably skipping church anyhow. I could not make this up even if I tried. As I sit here looking at it, stifling some laughter, I have to wonder who in the world is gullible enough to fall for this.

I will remain a heathen, thank you very much.

A hat tip to Pharyngula.

Booknote: Shake Hands With The Devil

I read Shake Hands With the Devil, the account of the UNAMIR Peacekeeping Operation in Rwanda by its commanding officer, Roméo Dallaire. The title comes from a line by the general:

"'In Rwanda, I shook hands with the devil, so I know there is a god. I know the devil exists, and therefore I know there is a god.'"

I have to admit that this is not an easy book for me to read. It has a similar effect to reading one of Jonathan Kozol's books. I get angry; I get outraged, and I am deeply moved. Indifference and just plain political inaction are things that have always infuriated me. Dallaire faced so many obstacles, and in spite of them, he did the best he could to save some lives during the Rwandan genocide. But when I read that so many more lives could have been saved had the United Nations superiors and the nations of the world actually gotten off their asses and done something, it simply makes me upset. It's just not right to allow people to die, mostly because they live in some Third World country, said country has no strategic or national interest value to other nations, or its inhabitants do not share their color of skin.

At various times, General Dallaire has said that Rwanda will stay with him forever. I think for readers, this is a book that will stay with them for a long time as well. In a way, it reminded me of the film Schindler's List, where at the end, Schindler cried because, in spite of saving as many as he did, there were so many more he could not save. This is a very similar situation where so many could have been saved, but the evil of some men, and the indifference of many more, allowed a genocide to happen.

And to a small extent, personally, I also tend to identify with people like Dallaire and Kozol, who face obstacles of politics, inefficient or arrogant superiors, and indifferent people who would rather remain complacent and distant than lift a finger to help their brethren be it people being killed by ethnic cleansing or children being abandoned to poor educations. In the education world, I have seen it often enough, and it is not a pretty sight. And yet, we need to read these books. We need to learn. We need to educate ourselves, to have our eyes opened, that we may act as we can. And maybe some day, we can get those arrogant excuses for leadership out of their positions so something can actually be done. General Patton, another favorite historical figure of mine, said at one point, "Lead me. Follow me, or get out of my way." If only those arrogant UN bureaucrats had done their jobs, if only the nations had provided the necessary resources, something could have been done. Instead, we still find ourselves dealing with the consequences of Rwanda and other places where there is such great suffering.

This is definitely a book I highly recommend.

If you wish to learn more, in addition to the book, General, now Senator Dallaire, does have his own website at http://www.romeodallaire.com. The Wikipedia article on him does give a decent summary of his life and work, especially what he has done after Rwanda. And here is a small post from the Creative Generalist blog about Dallaire.

"Peux Ce Que Veux. Allons-y!" (Where there is a will, there's a way. Let's go!) --Lt. Gen. Roméo Dallaire.

Yet another teacher selling ad space, this time for pizza

Welcome to yet another edition of "Signs that the economy is bad" here at The Itinerant Librarian. Today we have a report of a teacher selling ad space on his student handouts and materials for his class. The story comes from Idaho. This is not the first story of this type that I have covered here. Some other stories in this same vein:

• College professor advertises for a burrito joint in his classes.
• I've talked about corporate branding in colleges.
• And also about placing ads in textbooks.

But I get the impression that with the bad economy, we are going to see more of the entrepreneurial spirit in our school and college teachers. The latest story has a history and economics high school teacher selling ads for Pocatello Pizza. Why did he do it? Oh the usual reason of the school not having enough resources. According to the article, "The school recently cut back on paper allowances for teachers to prevent shortages." So, he struck a deal with the pizza place, and now he has plenty of paper for the rest of the term.

Now is this going to become a trend? We know how taxpayers love to whine about having to pay taxes for their public schools, yet they often whine louder when some teacher has a good idea like this one. Because at the end of the day, the ads are not really intrusive, and the teacher is just using a little ingenuity to get what he needs to educate the students. Communities should either pony up and pay to educate their kids with the necessary resources, or they should shut the hell up if they don't provide enough money, and teachers have to find it elsewhere. You don't hear the whining when the school sells the naming rights to their new football stadium to Coke or Sprint. Why would doing it in an academic classroom be any different? Sure, there is the whole thing about academic spaces getting corporate, but again, I don't see the community paying up to prevent it.

Anyways, I think this opens the way to a whole new advertising opportunity:

• Home economics is now sponsored by Frank's Crafts.
• The cooking classes would be sponsored by Pizza Hut. If in Texas, it would be either Dairy Queen or Jack in the Box.
  
• The Lowe's Shop Class.
  
• If it's auto mechanics class, that would be underwritten by Pep Boys.
  
• Biology class is sponsored by Pfizer.
  
• The library/AV Center is now the Barnes and Noble Memorial Library.
  
• Math class is brought to you by H.R. Block.
  
• Art classes are now funded by a generous contribution from Crayola.
  
• The Dow Chemistry seminar classes.
  

You get the idea. I just picked some random corporations to make the point. I did go with bigger corporations, but this could certainly work with local level businesses. If teachers like like Jeb Harrison in Idaho can make it work, it can work in other schools.

Just another sign that the economy is bad.

A hat tip to AdFreak.

People switching to cheap vodka and other cheap spirits

Welcome to another edition of "Signs that the economy is bad" here at The Itinerant Librarian. The New York Times has a column by Andrew Martin on "Reaching for the bottom shelf." Apparently the economy slowdown is having an effect on vodka sales, and people are starting to buy more of the cheap brands like Popov. Popov is an interesting case. According to the article,

"Even Diageo, the liquor conglomerate that owns the Popov brand, seems reluctant to own up to it. Popov, which can sell for less than $9 a 750-milliliter bottle, isn’t mentioned on its Web site, and when asked about the brand, a company spokeswoman kept trying to steer the conversation toward pricier spirits."

This is pretty much true. I tried doing a search myself, and it was next to impossible to find a corporate page for the brand. If Diageo does indeed sell the stuff, they must be doing it out of the back of vans in the middle of the night. There is not a single hint on the corporate website that they own the brand. If memory serves me right, I think the liquor store I run to outside of Smith County (our county is dry, go figure) to buy my liquor might carry it. But you know it is not a good sign when the company that carries it pretty much disowns it, even at a time when it is actually selling. And by the way, last time I did buy vodka, it was a cheap brand, Sobieski; it was a time I decided to get something other than Smirnoff's since that was on sale. Actually, it's pretty decent. So you see, even I have to make choices about my drinking needs with the bad economy.

Now, the fact that alcohol drinkers are switching down to cheaper brands of their favorite poison is not new. Last year, I pointed to another story about beer drinkers switching to cheaper brands. It was at the time when gas was expensive, and the bumper stickers of "Beer is cheaper than gas, so drink, don't drive" were appearing all over the place. It seems we may need to continue buying the cheap brands. In the case of vodka at least, technically it is a neutral spirit. This means, well, according to the article, "by government definition, vodka is supposed to be a neutral alcohol without distinctive character, aroma, taste or color, and some believe that the differences among vodkas are so subtle that only connoisseurs can distinguish them." I am not a connoisseur when it comes to vodka. I have a sense of what brands are cheap and which ones are premium, but that is about it. Ask me about wines, I know a lot more, but vodka, as long as it mixes well with whatever cocktail I may be trying out, it works for me.

Anyhow, just another sign that the economy is bad. And remember, if you choose to drink, please do so safely and responsibly.

Corporate Jet Maker Says, "If you give up your private jet, you are a wuss"

Maybe the company did not use the term "wuss," but in their latest ad campaign, Cessna, maker of fine corporate aircraft, did say that executives who give up their corporate jets are pretty much cowards. Welcome to another edition of "Signs that the economy is bad" here at The Itinerant Librarian. When the maker of a corporate jet pretty much has to resort to calling out their potential clients, labeling them as lacking vision or being chicken, you know the economy is bad.

Read a little more about this in The Wall Street Journal here. The main problem is that corporate jet makers are down on the mat much like the auto industry. According to J. Lynn Lunsford in the WSJ, "Orders for business jets nose-dived after lawmakers pilloried leaders of Detroit's Big Three auto makers for flying corporate planes to Washington to seek a government bailout." So Congress shamed the executives for excessive spending at a time when their companies are laying off people left and right and then having the gall to ask for government bailout money. So Cessna, in a bout of inspiration, decides to tell executives, "are you men or mice? What the fuck are you letting Congress tell you how to travel? Damn it, you are a high powered executive paid to make big decisions (no one said they had to be good decisions). You deserve that big jet." After all, it is not just a jet, it is a flying office in the words of Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association (from the WSJ article). It just so happens it is an office with a variety of luxury amenities you won't be getting on a commercial aircraft. For instance, drinks from the bar, anyone? Because we all know every office has a bar as part of the work environment. And what better way to get work done at 10,000 feet or so than with some Crown Royal on the rocks?

It is a bit shameful the jet maker has to resort to this kind of campaign, but it is basically another sign the economy is bad. Let's be honest: Cessna pretty much makes a luxury item (well, their corporate jets at least). Then again, if you hear it from Cessna (link to their corporate press release and campaign), they would have you think that their private jets are a necessity of the corporate world. They call it a "leadership campaign." Because heaven forbid those high priced CEOs have to fly in a commercial aircraft like the rest of us. Could it be that those CEOs are just not like the rest of us? So dang it, put that private jet to work and bring the country back to prosperity (their line). What of it if you are spending on fuel, the jet, and other costs while laying off a few people? Who cares if you may be getting your salary capped, and who gives a shit that your woman may be leaving you because you are broke? You may not be man enough for that gold digger, but you better have the balls to keep the jet, preferably a Cessna jet (and yes, I did notice most of the references in the ads imply male CEOs. Apparently female CEOs are a scarce rarity nor do they fly corporate jets). In the words of Hamilton Nolan at Gawker, if you give up your jet, you are one of the "bitch-ass punks." Actually, Mr. Nolan is a bit more spicy in the language than I am, but the message is the same. Cessna is calling those executives out, pure and simple.

After all, Cessna has employees too, dang it. Just lay off a few more auto plant workers or construction machinery workers. You'll see that nice, little, manly, and fast jet practically pay for itself after you let go a few hundred or thousand people and get some salary savings. After all, we need to keep the economy running and flying, don't we?

Americans' Online Searches show economy is bad. Really?

Welcome to another edition of "Signs that the economy is bad," here at The Itinerant Librarian. I came across this press release from ComScore on "Americans' Online Search Behavior Points to Significant Increase in Personal Financial Turmoil." It seems that more Americans are running online searches with terms like "unemployment" and "coupons." I wonder why. Could it be that the economy really is bad, and people are trying to get information to help them out? On the one hand, this study seems a statement of the obvious. I kind of wonder how much they spent on the study. But on the other hand, I do find it interesting that they (the powers that be) can keep track of things like the search terms people are using. I do wonder a bit how they do it to break it down by demographics. Anyhow, you know things are bad when Internet searches are not so much for porn as they are for "unemployment benefits" and "coupons."

P.S. The ComScore site had a little "Blog This" feature, which I am using for this post. Not as rich as just firing up Blogger itself to do it, but it does give you enough to make a post on the fly. Not too shabby.

The Guardian's 1000 Novels List: Damn, that's a lot of books!

I came across The Guardian's 1000 Novels Everyone Should Read a while back. It is a cool idea, even if I may not agree with all of the choices. Since I can't resist book lists, I am making a note of this one here. Now, when you go to the link I posted above, it will take you to the main page. You see, The Guardian has a series of small articles and posts related to the list. broken down by topics. Finding the actual list itself takes a little digging, but I am saving you the trouble by putting the list's link right here. The list is broken down by genres, which may be helpful. Personally, I think it is a little too high brow, but that is just me, and the labels are not perfect (there are a few things under the scifi/fantasy list that are not scifi by any common standard or stretch of the imagination). By the way, these lists cover fiction. You want nonfiction, you have to go someplace else. So, go take a look. See what you have read. Find some ideas of what else to read. Or just wonder about the fact someone made yet another book list claiming it is one everyone should read.

The One Book Meme

My two readers know by now that I can't resist a book meme. I got this from CW, who in the tradition of fine memes everywhere got it from someplace else. Anyhow, here goes:

One book you’re currently reading: Marc Gascoigne and Christian Dunn, eds., Let the Galaxy Burn (short fiction collection, Warhammer 40,000).
One book that changed your life: Paulo Coehlo's The Alchemist.
One book you’d want on a deserted island: Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough For Love.
One book you’ve read more than once: Harold Rabinowitz and Rob Kaplan, A Passion for Books.
One book you’ve never been able to finish: Tim Powers, The Anubis Gates.
One book that made you laugh: George Carlin, 3 Times Carlin: An Orgy of George.
One book that made you cry: N/A (have not found one yet)
One book you keep rereading: Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude
One book you’ve been meaning to read: Douglas Adams, A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
One book you believe everyone should read: Alan Moore, Watchmen.

Like CW, I found challenging not repeating books because for me a couple of these could fall in different categories. Now I could also expand a bit on some of these titles, but the meme is to simply list them. So we'll leave the explanations and commentary for some other time.

Some states may get rid of executions to save money

This could be another edition of "Signs that the economy is bad" here at The Itinerant Librarian, but this topic is a bit more serious than the usual fare for my semi-regular feature here. I came across this story reporting that "US States May Axe Executions to Cut Costs." One of the folks leaving a comment on that story was glad that "that none of the politicians are arguing that they should just cut the 'red tape' that allows for appeals and lawyers." Well, I will argue it.

Comedian Ron White has said of Texas, "other states are trying to abolish the death penalty. My state's putting in an express lane." I don't necessarily want to make light of the issue, but let's be honest. A big reason the death penalty does not work is that it takes years to execute someone. You should indeed have an express lane to execute people. And in the interest of disclosure, while I say you should not use the death penalty lightly, there are some crimes that are just so heinous, so monstrous, so dehumanizing, that nothing less than the death penalty will do. The problem is society chooses to keep the death row people behind bars so they can do appeal after appeal after appeal for decades on end. That has to stop. Set a limit on their appeal, and once they are exhausted, so be it.

The article goes on about some of the costs of an execution. For instance:

• "On top of a complex and lengthy process, appeals can last years and the prisoners are often represented by lawyers paid by the state." So, not only do the condemned get appeals that seem unlimited in some case, but the state has to pay their lawyers too. Big cost right there.
  
• "Guarding death rows and death chambers are also costly items on a state's budget." This is pretty evident. The longer you keep them in jail, the higher the costs. After all, it is not just guarding them. As long as they are in jail, they get their three squares a day and full medical care as well as a roof over their head. More costs.
  

Now, I do not think the death penalty as it currently works is perfect. The idea that someone innocent could get executed is pretty abhorrent. Having said that, once their guilt is determined beyond whatever legal requirement, it's high time to apply the punishment.

On the other hand, you could just imprison those folks for life, and life would mean exactly that. They die behind prison walls without ever having the chance to see the outside world at all. Anyone remember the scene in Shawshank Redemption where they are cleaning the graves of the prisoners? My point exactly. Overall, I do find it interesting that all it takes is an economic downturn and suddenly states want to look over the issue of executions, an issue they pretty much ignore or take for granted, or in the case of Texas at least, they seem to relish. I say if you have it in the books, stop procrastinating and use it. Otherwise, get rid of it and imprison those who would have gone on death row for life. Just keep in mind your costs are not necessarily going to go down.

You still have to build more prisons if you are going to keep more people in prisons. Then you have to find places to build your new prisons. Americans are notorious for their NIMBY attitude. So good luck with building more prisons. Overall, what they do not tell you in the article is the other costs of keeping people in prison long term and increasing the numbers of said prisoners over time.

Just a thought.

A hat tip to Common Dreams.

First it was the bankers' women, now the bankers themselves are whining

Welcome to yet (hey, two in a day) edition of "Signs that the economy is bad" here at The Itinerant Librarian. Today we have bankers crying and whining because they may get their salaries capped at 500K if the new U.S. President gets his way in the bailout legislation. As if their women did not have enough to worry about, The New York Times tells us the sad tale of the poor millionaire bankers who may have to learn to live within their means. Imagine that. Their banks are not making as much money, and they may have to downsize and/or draw on their savings like the rest of us. The horror. Let's look at some of the numbers the article offers to illustrate this catastrophe:

"PRIVATE school: $32,000 a year per student. Mortgage: $96,000 a year. Co-op maintenance fee: $96,000 a year. Nanny: $45,000 a year."

Hmm, let me see. Send your kids to public school, find a cheaper place to live, and a cheaper day care arrangement (or how about maybe taking care of the kids yourself for a change). Most people would probably think as I am thinking now. But not these people who live in overpriced and hyped New York City. Heaven forbid they learn to commute and use public transportation, which by the way is a hell of a lot better than the rest of the country (and that is not saying much).

I can understand the basic math. I mean, the government is quite a pirate when it comes to taking your taxes no matter who you are. If you hold a job, the saying of taxes as one of the two sure things holds:

"Like those taxes. If a person is married with two children, the weekly deductions on a $500,000 salary are: federal taxes, $2,645; Medicare, $139; state taxes, $682; and city, $372. With an annual Social Security tab of $6,621, the take-home pay is about $293,000 annually, said Martin Cohen, a Manhattan accountant."

Having said that, adding this to the equation is not going to get you a lot of sympathy, especially if you were one of those play loose bankers who helped cause this mess in the first place:

"Barbara Corcoran, a real estate executive, said that most well-to-do families take at least two vacations a year, a winter trip to the sun and a spring trip to the ski slopes. Total minimum cost: $16,000."

Maybe Barb and her ilk need to learn to live within means. I would love to take two vacations a year, but I know I can't afford it. Not at $16K a pop. Get over it and teach your kids some frugality. Also, you may want to learn about the idea of a staycation for a change, and NYC does have plenty to do, unlike Tyler, TX where I live. And even when I go out of town for a small vacation with the itinerant family, I still don't spend $16K. Next:

"A personal trainer at $80 an hour three times a week comes to about $12,000 a year."

Time to do your own personal training. Get an exercise video. Go for a walk. Get a book and learn to do your routines yourself. Works for the average peons; you can learn it too. Besides, you are not making the money to pay for the $80 sessions. When you were making it, it was all fine to spend it. You are not making that kind of money anymore, stop whining and adjust your lifestyle. Everyone else learns to adjust in tight times. Consider yourselves lucky. Congress is bailing your banks out. Many regular people who are really suffering will get squat from Congress.

So, to my two readers, go ahead and read the rest of the article. I don't think you will hear much of the maudlin violins the NYT is trying to play for its readers.

A hat tip to Boing Boing.