cultural observation
grrlscientist | May 14, 2009tags: NYC Life, NYPL, public services, public education, public libraries
Today, I spoke with several people who work at and administer their local library branches in NYC about the economic situation they are faced with. Mayor Bloomberg, the eighth richest person in America, is proposing a 22% funding cut to all three New York City public library systems (NYPL, Brooklyn and Queens). These cuts would eliminate 943 employees, end all weekend service, and the materials budget will be cut by at least 30%. The City Council must approve this budget by June 30.
"At the Brooklyn Public Library,…
grrlscientist | May 12, 2009tags: homelessness, unemployment, poverty, NYC Life, social policy
A homeless woman eats dinner (it looks like "Sheba" brand cat food, doesn't it?)
Image: orphaned.
I awoke this morning at 5am, as usual, and one of the first things I heard on the morning news was Mayor Bloomberg, one of the richest men in the world, saying that the city is charging rent for the homeless to stay in a shelter. Blinking in the darkness, I thought I was listening to the Onion news report instead of NPR. Sure, I heard that Bloomberg was considering this, but never thought he was cruel enough to actually enact…
grrlscientist | May 9, 2009tags: employment, humor, satire, streaming video
A new Department of Labor report finds personal outsourcing is revolutionizing how Americans don't do their own work. [2:23]
grrlscientist | April 18, 2009tags: Antwerp, The Sound of Music, public stunt, streaming video
This video shows more than 200 dancers who performed "Do Re Mi" in the Central Station of Antwerp on 23 of March 2009, 8:00 AM. It was a promotion stunt for a Belgian television program, where they are looking for someone to play the leading role, in the musical of "The Sound of Music" [4:01]
grrlscientist | April 12, 2009tags: book review, memoir, homelessness, unemployment, Cadillac Man, Thomas Wagner
The homeless are everywhere in New York City. I run across them every day while riding public transit, while walking around the city and while using wireless in the public libraries. After a few conversations with homeless people, I've learned that most of them avoid shelters because of the risk of violent crime there. So where do they sleep? Where do they go to get a shower and clean clothes? Are all homeless people either crazy or crackheads? How did these people end up living on the streets in the first…
grrlscientist | March 30, 2009tags: books, memoir, religion, godlessness, losing faith, William Lobdell
Unlike most people who were raised in a religious household and grew up surrounded by religious people, I never experienced a "crisis of faith" since I never believed there was a god any more than I believed there was a Santa Claus or a Tooth Fairy. However, some of my friends are religious and because I value them as people, I have listened to them from time to time as they pondered aloud the deep questions that all of us face in the wee hours or after experiencing a significant loss or other life-changing event -- the…
grrlscientist | March 30, 2009tags: politics, good citizenship, humor, America, streaming video
This streaming video provides essential educational advice to Americans on how to be good citizens -- I was especially impressed with Mary's frugal meals, but seriously, she'd spend le$$ if she stopped eating meat altogether! [10:39]
Hattip: Travelgirl.
grrlscientist | March 29, 2009tags: religion, atheism, humor, streaming video
Eternal purity requires eternal vigilance against the devil's hand. Here are some practical tips to keep you from "playing with your Genesis" [5:02]
grrlscientist | March 22, 2009tags: Christianity, war, humor, streaming video
Wow, this insightful little video shows that war happens because of made-up religions from the Middle East and, as a bonus, it also proves that the Muslim "god" is fake! [3:14]
grrlscientist | March 21, 2009tags: religion, atheism, humor, streaming video
Christians know that science is wrong about a lot of things. But if you just use your own eyes, and your faith, you can make your own scientific discoveries. And you don't have to be a God-hating know-it-all to do it [3:46]
grrlscientist | March 20, 2009tags: religion, atheism, humor, streaming video
The deluded, ignorant followers of Darwin believe that man is actually a type of animal. This video disprove this godless blasphemy with totally real facts [3:46]
grrlscientist | March 19, 2009tags: religion, atheism, humor, streaming video
This video discusses the burning question: What would the world be like without a god [3:33]
grrlscientist | March 18, 2009tags: religion, atheism, science, streaming video
Wow, this insightful little video presents indisputable Biblical proof that scientists and atheists are deluded and stupid [3:07]
grrlscientist | March 17, 2009My original hometown of Seattle,Washington, is experiencing a profound loss, a loss that has been or will soon be experienced by other cities throughout the country. Seattle is losing their morning newspaper, the Seattle P-I. Today, the last print version of "the P-I" will be published, although the paper will maintain a presence on the internet as an electronic-only newspaper -- the largest newspaper to do so -- so far.
Certainly, as a regular reader of five electronic newspapers who doesn't subscribe to any print newspapers, I am part of the problem. However, I do eagerly read the NYTimes…
grrlscientist | March 15, 2009tags: get religion, religion, godlessness, atheism, streaming video
Here's an ad for one of the world's favorite time and life-wasters: Religion. Presented here as a public service (notice the background music) [1:25]
grrlscientist | March 6, 2009tags: The Science of Cuteness, cute overload, baby animals, behavior, streaming video
The "science of YouTube" guys are back, with a look at the true meaning of cute web videos [2:33]
grrlscientist | February 28, 2009
You've watched the video, so let's do our best to help Joe Biden, and to do this, I suggest that we start at the beginning. I have two questions for you: Do you consider yourself to be "Middle Class"? If so, what is "Middle Class" in America?
Unlike most Americans, I do not, and never have, considered myself to be "middle class", although I don't know where I fit in precisely, since I have a PhD (an upper middle class achievement), but I don't have a job, and I've been without health insurance for most of my life (both, ugly features of poverty). As a result, I am not precisely sure what is…
grrlscientist | February 2, 2009Have you read the latest piece of anti-intellectualism to come out of the LATimes? Apparently, their so-called journalists are showing their ignorance by stating that Jill Biden, who earned her PhD in Education -- and who also happens to be the wife of Senator Vice President Joe Biden -- cannot be referred to as "Doctor Biden". What have they been smoking??
"My feeling is if you can't heal the sick, we don't call you doctor," said Bill Walsh, copy desk chief for the Washington Post's A section and the author of two language books. (He apparently agrees with the LATimes' stupidity, because…
grrlscientist | January 30, 2009tags: ornithology, claymation, film, black comedy, streaming video
People have always been conflicted about pursuing knowledge, and this short claymation film captures some of that emotion in this black comedy [4:41]
grrlscientist | January 23, 2009tags: politics, GW, George Bush, humor, funny, streaming video
This hilarious video features a toddler who recounts all the lessons that GW taught her -- and the nation -- during his eight years as the illegal White House resident [1:08]