Banned Books Week, a Celebration against Censorship

Librarians and others celebrate the freedom to read during the Banned Books Week, reports the American Library Association on its website. Mining the site takes one to the list of nearly 50 most challenged novels, with links to sources for a list of 100--and the reasons the books were challenged. The reasons span from foreign governments banning a book for political reasons to the inclusion of profanity or other unacceptable words, sex, or violence that would make the book unsuitable for high school library use. The 50 listed on the web page are, for the most part, American classics: To Kill a Mockingbird, Slaughterhouse Five, Animal Farm, etc. Surprisingly, Lord of the Rings is on the list, as is Call of the Wild.

Librarians and other groups and citizens fought to keep the books available in libraries, even high school libraries in many instances. So they are. It is the American way to read provocative, controversial books and to reflect on our lives and future through the lens offered by such amazing authors.

Let's Keep Moving Forward, America!

Election time is upon us. Since this blog is monetized with merchants that prefer not to be identified with political views, I wish to invite you to read the blog comments posted elsewhere.

I also post comments on Facebook.

The Need for a New Grammar

I want to change the English language to make it easier for me to type. I want to spell Web as web; Web page as webpage; Web site as website; estore should be capitalized as eStore--as should all words with an e prefix that references something online; dates are more easily written as 23Aug10 or even 23aug10; caps should be seldom used; and sentences ending with URL's and email addresses should be allowed a space behind the .com . Think typing for the new age will change more than just the addition of emoticons?:)

While we're at it, why not put parenthetical info between comment tags so we can just cut and paste?<!- - why not? - ->

You've Been Warned, a video on Facebook

I have strong opinions about lots of things, but this blog is not politically- oriented. However, I have taken a political stance. To that effect, I invite you to read the latest posting on Knee Jerk Reactions.

A Global Warming Perspective for Today

I am watching the Documentary Channel (DOC) series Global Warming Solutions broadcast 4/4/10. I just had to stop and make these comments about the show.

• It is an excellent show.
• It presents great ideas.
• It talks about prevention and fixing climate change.
• It talks about green products.
• It was first aired years ago.

Today I have a major shift in thinking. These are the points of the new outlook or paradigm.

• Global Warming or Climate Change is here; it is too late to talk about prevention.
• Solving the problems of Climate Change is now a matter of limiting the damage and attempting to reverse some of the effects.
• We must now live with the new climate conditions.
• We must anticipate the short-term effects of the damaged climate and develop responses to acute problems.
• We must adjust our economies to the new realities.
• We must anticipate the changes to ecosystems so new agricultural economies can be planned and implemented.
• We must anticipate the stresses on societies worldwide and plan effective interventions to prevent famine and societal meltdowns.

Today we must learn to live with an array of different economic and social conditions.

• New agricultural regions since the climate has shifted the boundaries of ecosystems and habitats.
• New resource shortages as economies adjust to changes in agricultural regions and water sources.
• New levels of class memberships: Increased poverty, struggling middle class, huge gaps between the wealthy and the middle class.
• New industries and products that will change the traditional uses of energy and resources.
• New politics that are pushed by multinational corporate interests in conflict with civil liberties and in competition to various problematic forms of government.

Tomorrow will be challenging, interesting, and surprising. I must trust that we in the USA will learn to cope and will make good decisions.

Whatever the politicians and deniers say, Climate Change is here and is already resculpting the biosphere's habitats, ecosystems and local climatic regions.