La de da

Hello fair readers!

You might be asking yourself…where in the world did Leah go?  And if you’re old enough to remember it, you can even sing that little song from the show that was based on the PC game.

Remember that show?  Sigh.  Good times.

But seriously, where the hell have I been?  Let me give a little hint.

Yes, that’s right.  My life has basically been overtaken by grad school in the past few weeks.  More so than ever before.

Because guess who is done?  Just take a little guess.  A tiny, itty guess.

The girl with the Information Policy book?  Omg good guess.  Me!

So right now, I’m in the weird period between student and librarian.  Officially, I’m not a librarian until May 3rd.  Yet, course work is done.  Assingments…done.  I guess it’s just all up to the waiting game now.

Still, I would like to share some of my final projects that I worked on this semester.  I would like to think that some of these are a culmination of my graduate career.  So you better believe that I’m going to share the things that have been completely taking up ALL of my time in the past few weeks.

First, my Humanities Public Piece. 

In my resources in the Humanities class, we had to take a topic that bridged over several areas of the Humanities and then design a public piece around it.  I chose to do Pride Month because I have worked at a library that has done LGBT programming before.  It was widely publicized, extremely popular, and rewarding for everyone involved.  Also my boyfriend works at this amazing bookstore that specializes in LGBT lit. and I really saw an opportunity to create some unique programming.  If you would like to view my presentation, click here.

Second, my instructional tool.

I decided I wanted to focus on free, authoritative legal resources on the Web.  All you regular readers know that this is an area that is of special interest to me.  Most legal resources are difficult to find, difficult to use, and insanely expensive.  Legal research should not be for the few, but for the public.

And finally, my National Information Policy presentation.

We basically had to pretend we were being nominated for the Secretary of Information, a position that exists in most countries…just not the US.  I tried to really narrow my policy proposals, as you can see if you watch my presentation.  

There was more.  Papers to be written, evaluations of presentations to fill out.  It’s strange that this is now over.  This huuuuge part of my life…that really only lasted about 1 1/2 years.

This is me 2 years ago…to the month, graduating from Undergrad.

Oh Leah the Library Student…you had no idea what was in store for you.

To everyone at Dominican GSLIS graduating in two weeks….congratulations friends.  We made it.

1. Readings for school

2. Fix my insane sinus issues

3. Supervise my dog Shinji is his post-surgery state

4. Not lose my mind.

That’s an important one.

5. Post blog on Information Policy class….oh yeah, that’s right…..a cliff hanger……

::evil laugh::

Hello fair readers!

As I have mentioned before, I am in the process of looking for, what I like to call, my job job. In other words, my post-graduate position, my career, etc.

I had been warned before the process that it is trying. Hard on self-confidence. After about month I can say that yes, that is so very true.

Although this phrase is a bit hackneyed, looking for jobs is truly like taking on another job. It’s become a bit of a process for me and I figure I could share my process. It certainly is not a secret. All my resources are free and almost exclusively online. Because that’s just how I roll.

My first step is to check out my websites. I have a few that I religiously check everyday and some that I frequent when I have a bit more time to devote to searching. But my main sites are the following:

ALA JobLIST

MLS Careers

AALL Job Placement

CALL jobs

ARL Careers

Of course, the most major player in these sites, and also the one I probably devote the most time searching, is the ALA JobLIST. First off…..thank you ALA. omg. Seriously. This resource is amazing, well organized, easy to search. Obviously created by librarians.

Also a lot of the sites I look at are pretty specialized. Law library sites, Chicago specific. So these won’t be helpful to everyone. However they really work for what I’m interested in. So there.

My next step is an obvious one. Find an interesting job ad. For example, this one:

Access Services Librarian

I think to myself. “Ohh Colorado”.

“Pretty”

Yes. That is what went through my mind when I saw this ad. No lie.

Geography is very important to me. The job is important as well. But there are certain areas that I think I’m more suited to. So then I take the town and I google map it. I like to get a sense of where, for example, Durango Colorado is located because I know that not all of Colorado looks like the picture above. Some of it looks like this:

No thank you. Not for me. Maybe for some people….not for Leah. Nope.

After checking out the map, I go to Wikipedia, another one of my favorite first stops when researching towns. Now don’t freak out librarians.

I know this isn’t authoritative. But there is no way to deny the handiness of Wikipedia. A nice first step in researching cities.

Now some of you may be thinking…why are you not looking at the websites of the libraries or the schools? What is wrong with you?

Well that is my next step. If the town is acceptable, I go on to check out the website of the library. Because I’ll tell you what…if you’re website looks shabby, I’m closing that window and not returning.

I can vow this: I will not apply to a library that has an awful web presence.

And instead of publicly embarrassing some libraries and talking about how awful their sites are, which is possible…oh yes, I will show you what I love to see. A good example is the Yale University Library. It looks professional. Well organized. Obvious links to IM reference, study guides, etc. You get the idea.

Now if all these things are in line: the city/town, the site, the job description…I apply.

And that is just one ad, from one site.

When I really have time, I hit up this one:

Library Job Postings on the Internet

I can spend literally hours upon hours, filing through the sites all congregated on this awesome resource. And before I realize it, my entire day is gone. Dedicated to a job search.

On good days, I get in applications to one or two jobs. On bad ones I end up wanting to throw my laptop across the room…but then think better of it because I freakin’ love my laptop!!

How I love thee Osaka, let me count the ways….

But overall, I just try to tell myself…it will all work out.

It will all work out.

Because it has to.

Right?

Happy Wednesday fair readers. And to anyone else job searching, may the force be with you.

Hello fair readers,

My sincerest apologies, as it seems I have come to a bit of a bumpy blog road.

I have been dealing with a bit of writer’s block. It’s not that things have been dull. Indeed things have been quite interesting and exciting.

I saw Yo La Tengo in concert

and not just saw them but this so happened to be my first first solo concert experience. Alone. And it was really lovely. Hands down my best concert ever.

I also threw a fairly decent, at least I hope so, Halloween party. Stefan and I went as Dwight and Angela from The Office.

My roommate Nathan went as a Jackson Pollock painting

And Shinji spent the night as an adorable rooster

Which he really despised at first and then came to realize that it was just his fate to become the cutest rooster pom ever.

And there were other events as well, like parties on the 33rd floor of highrises downtown…

long drives from Michigan to Chicago using backroads only…

and even Shinji’s first excursion to the pumpkin patch.

So why the blogging block?

Well fair readers, I just don’t know what to tell you. Hopefully this time of crisis will pass over soon enough.

Until then, here is the playlist for a late autumn mix. Listen, enjoy and wish me great topics for future bloggings.

Blogger’s Block Mix. For late Autumn.
1. The Way You Look Tonight - AIR

2. Anticipation - Blonde Redhead

3. Set the Ray to Jerry - The Smashing Pumpkins

4. Recommendation - Mirah

5. Lullaby - The Cure

6. Videotape - Radiohead

7. Cortez the Killer - Neil Young

8. Parallelograms - Linda Perhacs

9. Alyda - Yo la Tengo

10. Treehouse Song - Nina Nastasia

11. Masterfade - Andrew Bird

12. Company in my Back - Wilco

13. Scenic World (version off Lon Gisland EP) - Beirut

14. Strings - Asobi Seksu

15. Kids Will Be Skeletons - Mogwai

Have a lovely Tuesday everyone. Enjoy these dying days of Autumn. Aren’t they just so precious?

This article:

this one

made me think.

First it made me think: that’s nice. Bloomberg is an interesting politician.

Then it made me think: I’m glad he included tipping on there.

And I am. People who don’t know how to tip properly are infuriating. So let’s go over this once and for all. Here it is. A guide for bad tippers.

Warning!

This blog will now take a slightly condescending tone.

Warning!
Hello you. Have you ever wondered why you get treated badly at your favorite restaurant that you like to go to? Maybe it’s because you think leaving 10-15% as a tip for your server is a good thing.

Well it isn’t.

In fact, that is AWFUL.

You should always leave servers/bartenders and the like, at least 20%!

Otherwise you will embarrass the people you go out with, piss off servers all over, potentially get something nasty done to your food next time, and just overall look like an insensitive person.

Look at this website:

Revenge Against Bad Tippers!

or this one

Badtipper.com

and this:

Bitterwaitress.com

When you tip badly, people pretty much hate you. And you want to know why, bad tipper?

Because servers make usually anywhere from a whopping $2-$3 an hour. Did you realize that? Repeat this with me:

Servers live off of tips!

So just cough up a few more dollars. The difference between$3 and $5….not that much. But it does mean more to the server. It means you recognize their importance and value their hard work and just simply, you are not an idiot.

So let’s all remember service industry workers and their extremely difficult jobs next time we go out to eat. Because serving is hard. Bartending is hard.

You know what isn’t hard?

Calculating 20% of your bill.

Don’t be a jerk fair readers. Learn how to tip.

Happy Wednesday.

Noticing a theme here? I guess I’m just feeling lovey and happy. Recently I’ve been discovering things that make me really really happy. Here are a few:

• Planet Earth

This program is amazing. I makes me cry and cringe and laugh. It’s amazing to watch not only the breath taking animals and environments here on Earth but the feats the production crews went through to create this work of art.

• Chocolate Chip Cookies

I actually use Hillary Rodham Clinton’s recipe for cookies. Last night I made them and realized as I started that I didn’t have any vanilla. I substituted a bit more sugar and upped the amount of chocolate chips. And let me tell you….they are yummy.

• 1234

Feist’s newest album is wonderful. You should go buy it. Now.

• Facebook
  

I think it’s just leaps and bounds better than Myspace for several reasons. Less advertising is probably the biggest. Also it’s more private. And not owned by News Corp. On that same note, I have finally deleted my myspace page. So if you thought I defriended you or something of that nature, that is not what happened. I’m actually kind of proud of myself. You all can do it too. It’s not the most straight forward process in the world (as in you must click through to about 8 million pages deep, then confirm, check your email, log in again and again confirm) but once it’s done you can then start a blog here or here and join this better social networking site.

• La Croix

Cheap sparkling water? Yes please.

• Autumn

Yes. I know. It’s not here yet. But it should be, damn it! I demand cooler, milder weather and I demand it now! Summer. Your time is over. Let’s give the other lovely seasons a turn to shine. And be less muggy.

• My pets

Isn’t it great how completely weird and wonderful pets can be? Not that they have been doing any extremely odd in particular. I just think their personalities are really strange and adorable.

And finally

• The Wonkette

Probably the cheekiest and most amusing political blog I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. (Thank you Stefan, for the introduction)

Well that’s about all the love I can handle right before I have to go to class. Have a lovely Wednesday everyone.

Be prepared. I am about to rant. I’ve been scouring the internet for reviews sites to rant as publicly as I can. Because I’m just vindictive that way. So I’ve ranted here, here and even here. And here. Oh yes, and here.

And here.

So now I’m going to rant on my blog. Because I want to. And because, fair readers, I don’t like being treated like garbage.

Or even this kind of Garbage.

Because they both suck.

So let’s just get to the story, shall we?

My sister is getting married on Saturday. My super cool, awesome, totally amazing older sister Colleen.

(She’s the one of the left)

And she chose me to be the maid of honor, which is wonderful. So I buy the dress she picks out for the bridesmaids and I like it. It’s cute. Like this:

but in Lilac…

Very pretty.

And, as most bridemaid’s dresses must be, my dress needed to be altered. So! I decide to take my dress to….. *insert evil, sinister music* la modista ltd. on clybourn!!

I made my appointment for about a month before the wedding, plenty of time to take in the bust. At least I thought so. So I go in for my appointment and they tell me that they don’t have me written in their appointment book.

I tell them I called a week ago…and they basically imply that I’m lying to them but that they can manage to fit me in.

How kind.

So they measure me. Pin the dress. And tell me that cannot get it back to me until August 1st…and they know damn well that the wedding is on August 4th because I had just told them that. That seems fine to me. They take my number and I go on my way.

And this wasn’t all that awful. I still was feeling like I had picked a nice place. Everything would be fine. la de da.

Well, I go back yesterday and try on my dress to find that, low and behold, it will not stay up. They didn’t take the bust in enough. I walk out of the dressing room and tell the owner (who wasn’t the woman who originally fitted me but this time was helping me). Right away she calls over the woman who did fit me, as she’s pinning the dress so that it will stay up. When she shows her what she did wrong, the woman (and I’m not even kidding) points to my chest and says, “Well that’s why I didn’t pin it so tight. Look at that pudge”.

…..

…………

bitch.

At the time…I was so stunned that I didn’t yell. I didn’t scream. I just dropped my mouth in utter surprise. I know I’m not tiny but I certainly don’t consider myself chubby. Which is what she was implying.

I just looked at the owner and who was saying that she could have it ready for me by Friday. I told her I couldn’t do that. I wanted to just take my dress and leave.

So essentially I paid $35 for some stupid woman to tell me that I don’t look good in this bridesmaid’s dress. Grrrrr.

Honestly, I like the dress. I think I look good. And that woman was probably just trying to cover her ass because she didn’t do a good job. But seriously, who does this? Insult the customer? Is that really a good idea?

So basically this means that I have to whip out the old sewing kit and make myself some straps.

It will certainly be simple. But it could have been avoided if some people did their job correctly.

So! What have we learned?

• Don’t go to La Modista Ltd. on Clybourn.
• Don’t tell the customer that they are fat.
• Don’t go to La Modista Ltd. on Clybourn!

Lesson learned. They suck.

Have a lovely Thursday everyone.

Hello Fair Readers!

For the past few days I have been spending my time at Pitchfork Music Festival, an extremely well organized and quite fun music festival. In comparison to Lollapalooza, which I’m sure will be amazing no doubt, but the price has now reached a whopping $190, lovely little Pitchfork is $50 for 3 days of music, beer, and fun.

Pitchfork is held is the picturesque Union Park

which indeed has the space to accommodate the large amounts of people who are there. For the most part.

Some of the really nice things about the festival is the organization. Food is not awful and overpriced. I had a veggie curry for only $5 and all the water is quite large and only a $1. Also the beer is kept simple. All Goose Island all the time, which means all 312 for this little blogger.

The concerts were fun. I was accompanied by a very nice group of people, including two librarians

and Stefan’s friends who happened to bring Battleship.

he lost.

But no matter, we were having a grand, slightly drunken time. We saw two particularly interesting groups including (my favorite of the day) Battles, this crazy Math Rock band that was just…well….pretty damn amazing.

And also we did catch part of Cat Power’s set. Unfortunately my view looked a lot like this…

which is, as you can imagine, kind of lame. But still she was pretty wonderful.

At this point, we were all getting slightly drunken.

as you can see. So we decided to head out for the day. The train ride home was…well….eventful.

But we made it back in one piece. It was a blast.

Probably the most amazing thing about Pitchfork so far was Friday night. A company called All Tomorrow’s Parties in collaboration with Pitchfork, presented Sonic Youth performing Daydream Nation

and the GZA performing Liquid Swords

Needless to say….it was probably one of the better concerts I’ve ever witnessed. Alas, I was sans camera. So you’ll just have to imagine it in your mind.

*insert musical day dream here*

So today I’ll be off to Pitchfork for the last day. I’m sure it will be as amazing as the first two. And as always, it will remind me just how lucky I am to be in such a wonderful city.

Happy Sunday fair readers.

So, here it is. The new blog.

For those of you who don’t know already, I hosted a blog on myspace for a little over 2 years now and have finally decided to graduate.

Yep. That’s me. Granted it is me just over a year ago…but still. Me.

Hi.

I left the myspace blog for several reasons. But mainly I really hate News Corp. and I’ve made a conscious decision to not support them anymore. (unless you have been living in a cave for the past few years then you know that Murdoch purchased myspace for millions of dollars….bastard).

How about a little introduction. I have been living happily in Chicago for just over a year now. I’m also attending graduate school at Dominican University for my MLIS (Master’s of Library and Information Science). Because, I’m not sure if you know this or not, but Librarians are awesome. Seriously. You don’t believe me?

Proof:

Told you so.

More about me because I know you are dying to find out. Don’t lie.

I’m an avid reader and big supporter of libraries (obviously) and independent bookstores. You should be shopping here: Unbridged Bookstore

And you should not be shopping here: Pure Evil

Also I love music, windy days (which we have plenty of here in Chicago) and my adorable little dog Shinji.

He’s precious. I know.

So welcome to my blog! I post about anything and everything, including politics, music, movies, library stuff and people who I think are stupid.

I think this will be quite fun.

Happy Thursday fair readers.

-Leah