Just want to wish everyone out there good tidings and a Happy New Year. If you're jonesing for an LL fix, feel free to visit the ghost of LL Christmases past and paster.
What I'm Listening To:Christmas Island by Leon Redbone.
Finally, what you should be listening to today and tomorrow....
Gang members use obscure hand gestures to fellow gang members, signaling their membership.
Librarians use obscure hand gestures to patrons, signaling they'll be right with them just as soon as they finish answering simultaneous reference questions that arrived via phone, chat and e-mail.
Gang members wear colorful bandanas to announce their gang affiliations.
Librarians wear colorful conference ribbons to announce the fact they were talked into being division secretary yet again.
Many gang members adopt street names to impress their fellow members.
Many librarians adopt absurdly long position titles for business cards in the hope of impressing colleagues.
Gang members wear athletic t-shirts and extremely baggy pants.
Librarians wear outdated summer reading t-shirts and extremely baggy cardigans.
Gang members tattoo a tear underneath their eye for every person they've "taken care of"
Librarians highlight with a tear on an Excel spreadsheet each serial title they need to cancel to make next year's budget.
Possession or use of weapons is often an indication of gang membership
Possession or use of pointless facts that drive friends insane is often an indication of librarian-like tendencies.
Several negative encounters with law enforcement could be a sign of gang membership.
Several negative encounters with incensed mothers who think libraries are just county-sponsored babysitting services could be a sign you've been a children's librarian way too long.
And I think I have even more to come....
What I'm Listening To Dept:Don't Tell Columbus by Graham Parker. 'Cause it ain't always about the hip-hop.
Not sure why, but yesterday was an alignment of fame planets day (or for Repo Man aficionados out there, a plate of shrimp moment) for the LL: shout-outs in the DailyKos and Wonkette, albeit in comments.
What's interesting is each example illustrates how Lipstick Librarianness is now shorthand for two views of women: DailyKos reflects the intelligent/hottie thingy view. Wonkette? Smart women who are not dumpy looking. Or dumpy looking no more. But what's really depressing is that both reflect how so many of us are still inclined to tie women's achievements to their looks, as inadvertent or backhanded the comment may be.