Carol Sakoian, a vice president of Scholastic Inc., spearheaded a project to get many titles translated and published in Arabic countries around the world.  Through her efforts, the State Department agreed to fund half the printing costs of the project in order to get the ball rolling.  After countless hours of meeting with Arabic dignitaries and examining in minute detail several children’s classics, a list with thousands of titles was whittled down to 80 books.  Some of the books thrown into the reject pile?

• The I-Spy series because a tiny dreidel appeared in one of the pictures.
• Clifford was axed.  Clifford??  How could that lovable big red dog be offensive?  In the Muslim world, dogs are unclean.  Sorry Clifford.  No syndication on Al-Jazeera TV I guess.
• Anything with overtly independent or religious children was also chopped off the rapidly diminishing list.

However, some titles did make the cut.  The Arabic group liked books that talked about honesty, respect and cooperation among children.  But if a US flag or a pig was involved…whoosh!  Here comes the axe.  Talk about censorship.  As I read through this article, I began to wonder, “Is there anything redeeming about this project?”  My conclusion?  Yes, I believe there are several factors.

First, books in the Arabic world used to be reserved for the wealthy elite.  The lower classes didn’t have the leisure time required to sit and read a book, much less the funds to purchase one.  Books were (and still are) pricey treasures.  Through this project, free books were given to schools where children in lower-class neighborhoods are now learning about other cultures, learning how to think critically and experiencing things in true “Magic School Bus” fashion that has opened their eyes to a world previously hidden from them.

The next thing I love about this is that parents are getting involved.  One Jordanian father read every single title given to his child’s school before allowing his son to read the books.  Not only are kids learning, but the parents are suddenly getting a new perspective on education as well.

Finally, I would hope that through this exposure to children’s books, an entire generation of Arabic writers will rise up in the future and develop their OWN classic children’s literature which can be read and enjoyed by the masses, thereby creating another generation of writers, and another, and another.

So in spite of my initial misgivings, I say kudos to Ms. Sakoian for making this project a reality.  Because of her commitment and vision, who knows how many lives will be positively impacted?

Forget Heidi…let’s hear about “Asima” or “Salma!”

Apparently, this idea, or something similar, is coming to the web.  On July 3, the Wall Street Journal (online) published an article about a company with a “novel idea.”   Just as itunes created a sort of virtual “song-mobile,” Internet Archive, a non-profit digital library, is forming a coalition with several libraries to provide access to millions of ebook titles.  The goal of this group is to create a “one-stop shop” for users to “borrow” out-of-print books, scanned public domain books, and even contemporary titles for those readers hoping to find a current title on the shelves.

The website, http://openlibrary.org/ allows anyone to “check-out” any title within its collection for a period of two weeks.  At the end of the loan period, the software intrinsic to the ebook copy renders the file obsolete and the user can no longer access it.  Internet Archive hopes to give access to thousands upon thousands of books sitting on shelves, long forgotten, covered in dust, mold and various other fungi, by using one of 20 scanning centers it operates worldwide.  If openlibrary.org does not have a particular title, they most likely are linked with a library that does have a copy, either in print or digital form.  Through a subscription to openlibrary.org, you can link to that library, and follow the same procedures for borrowing the book as previously mentioned.  Sounds great, right?  It is great, but as usually happens when one stumbles on a good thing, there is a catch.

How do the libraries in question handle the issue of loaning copies of in-copyright, yet out-of-print, titles in digital form?  As Paul Aiken, executive director of the Authors Guild stated in the WSJ article, “I am not clear why it should be any different because a book is out of print. The authors’ copyright doesn’t diminish when a work is out of print.”  So what is the solution?

One option is to get permission from every author of every title in the collection.  Ugh.  A more feasible, and less time consuming option, at least until the copyright issues are resolved, is to loan out a digital copy of a title, but refrain from checking out the print form of the same title while the scanned copy is on loan.  The idea is fantastic…I will be interested to see how this plays out, especially with the advent of ebook readers such as the Kindle and now the ipad.

In the meantime, I might just throw some books in my car, whip open the doors and be transported back to that magical time in my youth.

Today, I learned something new, which a good thing, considering the amount of money I am spending to work towards earning my Master’s degree in Library & Information Science.  I discovered a site called bloglines.com.  Many people use this site, I am sure, so it is with no small amount of trepidation at the ridicule I might receive that I admit to never having heard of it before.

What, pray tell, does this website do?  Simply put, it manages blogs.  It has a user-friendly interface which can track current blog postings for any number of sites you may subscribe to.  It also provides the opportunity for you to create your own blog.  Since I have this lovely experience already established, I chose not to go that route.  Clearly, one blog is more than enough for me.  Bloglines.com also manages news’ websites feeds, keeping you up-to-date on all current events at the click of a mouse.

Some additional features offered on bloglines.com is a list of the top 1000 subscriptions, tips on the best search functions and how to manage your account, and import/export subscriptions from other feed/blog managers.  All in all, this site is a useful tool for the average user who sits in front of her computer all day reading Facebook posts and playing Bejeweled Blitz.

At least now, with bloglines.com, I can pretend to know more than I actually do AND have the headline information to support my claims.  Check it out…you, too, can play!

They wandered in huddled under an umbrella, in the midst of a downpour, and proceeded to pick up and discuss almost every object in my garage–in rapid Chinese, no less. At one point , they crossed the “barrier” of tables into the garage sale world equivalent of the DMZ: The “not for sale” zone. The man started picking up my garden tools. He seemed rather taken with a hoe. I tried politely to let them know that the garden tools were not for sale and pointed to the rest of the items for sale in the garage not in this zone. They both smiled and nodded at me, then picked up the rake. At this point, I realized we had another sort of barrier with which to contend: the language barrier.

They should have had a sign that said “No English Spoken Here” for I would have saved myself a lot of foolish gestures and explanations. I even think (shudder) that I started to speak loudly to them as if they were deaf instead of simply not speakers of my language.

In spite of my repeated actions and shaking of head, the man pulled out the hoe again and, I am not lying, started to hoe some dirt in my yard! I guess he needed to test drive it before purchasing. At this point, my brother, who lives in Florida but was getting a blow-by-blow account via AIM, said to me “Just give him the dang hoe!”

After about 30 minutes of this interaction, they left. It caused me great amusement and my family and I chuckled over the whole experience.

This morning, I put the kids on the bus and was talking to some neighbors when I saw two Asian gentlemen riding bikes pull into my driveway. I could not believe my eyes…it was the same man! This time he brought along what I presume to be his interpreter….a younger man of Asian decent who actually said the word Hello.

The first thing the older man went for? THE HOE. I thought, “OK. This time I will sell it to him, but for what price?” Well, they soon left without asking about it again, so I decided I had escaped a second potential international incident. That is, until 2 pm.

I looked up and saw my friend, the old Asian man, standing in the garage, holding in his hand…..???? Yup.

THE HOE…

AND…

One quarter.

I thought, “Oh no, old man. You are not going to put me through this three times and get my hoe for a measly quarter.”

I smiled and shook my head, held up a $1.00 bill and said “One dollar.”  
He smiled and pulled out a 2nd quarter, offering 50 cents.
I smiled and shook my head. I held up 4 fingers and said “4 quarters.”
He laughed and pulled out two more quarters.

I had won! I negotiated with a little old Asian man who didn’t speak English and held out for more money. That, I think, was the hardest earned dollar I’ve ever made!

Oh well…at least we are still friends with China…at least in my neighborhood!

Although my neighbor pointed out to me that now I am a marked woman: they will come back every time I have a garage sale and try to buy all my garden tools…one at a time for a quarter a piece!

Today, I went to a bank right next to my house, to save time, and withdrew money from that bank’s ATM. I paid $3.00 for that convenience. Then I went through the drive thru and asked if they could please change the 5 twenty dollar bills into ones and fives for my garage sale. This is how the conversation went:

Me: Can you please change these twenties into ones and fives?

Teller: And what account is this associated with?

Me (with stupid look on my face): Excuse me?

Teller: Do you have an account with us?

Me: No. I just want to exchange cash for cash. I’m not asking you to cash a check.

Teller: Well, we do not normally do that.

Me: You cannot give me cash for cash?

Teller: Not unless you are an account holder with our bank. But I will do it for you today.

Me (still with stupid look on my face): You are kidding me, right?

Teller: No, I am not.

She proceeded to exchange my money, but under clear duress. I had no idea that it was such big ordeal for banks, who have on hand usually more than $100 in cash, to trade one denomination of currency for another denomination.

When she returned and sent my money to me, she assured me that this was a common practice for ALL banks. This piqued my curiosity. I came home and called my bank. The woman who answered the phone seemed as dumbfounded by my experience as I. So I’m not sure where the original bank teller got her information.

I just know I will NEVER bank with that bank.

Do you see me trying to exchange my money and you won’t let me? Rude!

The other day I found her swinging on our swingset, watching a kite being flown in the distance. She was utterly, completely happy. It was a great thrill for her to swing and watch that kite toss about on the wind. I will never forget her look of tranquility.

She has the joy of a child and is blessed enough to be able to have that for the rest of her life. It’s a good lesson for me to remember to enjoy life. It is a blessing from God and worth my time to slow down and enjoy what He has given me.

Thanks, Jen, for the reminder!

Origin:

1660–70

a⋅ga⋅pe

2   /ɑˈgɑpeɪ, ˈɑgəˌpeɪ, ˈægə-/ [ah-gah-pey, ah-guh-pey, ag-uh-]

–noun, plural -pae  /-paɪ, -ˌpaɪ, -ˌpi/ [-pahy, -pahy, -pee], -pai  /-paɪ, -ˌpaɪ/ [-pahy, -pahy]

1. the love of God or Christ for humankind.

2. the love of Christians for other persons, corresponding to the love of God for humankind.

3. unselfish love of one person for another without sexual implications; brotherly love.

4. love feast (defs. 1, 2).  

I felt this Agape love recently. I experienced it. I absorbed it. I was overwhelmed by it and I do not think I will ever be the same.

Walking amongst Christians who truly love me because of Christ’s love for them…it’s the most humbling sensation and one I hope will never, ever go away.

It has changed the way I love my husband. It has changed the way I love my children. It has changed the way I love my family and friends.

I hope and pray that anyone who reads this post has either known this love or will know it one day in their life.

God is good and He truly loves me. I know I cannot ever be worthy of that love but after experiencing it so completely, I know I want to try my best for the rest of my life.

“Loving Frank: A Novel” (Nancy Horan)

In her debut novel, Loving Frank, Nancy Horan delves into the private world of Frank Lloyd Wright and his ongoing love affair with Mamah Borthwick Cheney.

The affair was scandalous, mainly because they were both married, just not to each other, when the affair began. Borthwick was married to Edwin Cheney, a great follower of Wright’s architectural skill. He encouraged his wife to agree to having a home built by Wright…a decision I’m sure he regretted for the rest of his life.

Mamah Borthwick was not the average turn of the (twentieth) century woman. She was a feminist and lived her life as true to her feminist ideals as possible, even at the expense of others. She did not make her decisions lightly, nor without great remorse, but she remained true to herself.

While I disagreed with many of her life choices, I also struggled to balance those same choices with the struggles every woman faced in the early 1900s. She was a suffragist, yet wanted much more for women than voting rights and equal pay. She wanted freedom for all women.

I strongly recommend this book. I found I could not put it down, even when I was disgusted or irritated with Borthwick throughout the story. The fact that Horan, the author, strove to weave the fabric of her story as close to the truth as she could discover, only made it more interesting.

I think the Chicago Tribune’s review sums the book up perfectly:

“An impressive and admirable debut…If FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT is the reason people will pick up this book, MAMAH BORTHWICK is the reason they will keep reading it….”

Harder than you might think. I am struggling to focus on stories that are actually interesting and not merely page fillers. It’s difficult to find stories, too. I hope one day to be inundated with stories, but my market is local (Indianapolis) so it limits me to stories that really capture peoples’ eyes.

Keep checking my site…who knows, one day I might uncover a great story that will be picked up by CNN or FoxNews!

About three weeks ago, I woke up with a brilliant blog post. I crafted it to perfection in my head and knew it would draw in thousands of readers. Perhaps even millions. Then I promptly fell asleep.

Now I have no idea whatsoever…not even a hint…of what that blog post would have been about.

Oh well…as I said, the best laid plans….blah blah blah.