Library porn!!! [link]

Totally work-safe.

Now, coming upon this post as you are, unawares, I feel I ought to clarify the title (which was alternately going to be sex libris) straight away by telling you what this post is not, in fact, about. By “library smut” I am in no way referring to the photo books on native peoples, or the illustrated health manuals, or any of the other volumes which, in your childhood, you lurked about the library aisle to find with the sole purpose of sneaking guilty glances at naked bodies. Nor am I referring to the “risqué” novels by Miller, Cleland, Réage, or Lawrence you leafed impatiently through as a teenager. No. What I’m talking about here is the full-frontal objectification of the library itself. Oh yeah.

Yesterday I came across a truly gorgeous book of photographs by Candida Höfer titled, Libraries, a title which pretty much says it all, because that is just exactly what it is, one rich, sumptuous, photo of a library interior after another. It’s like porn for book nerds. Seriously. They are gorgeous photos, nearly all without visitors and just begging to be entered. (ha. sorry.)

The site's kinda' slow right now, but worth the wait.

Good luck, Laura. I'm sorry you guys are getting it, even though I'm incredibly relieved it's not heading towards New Orleans.

Today's the anniversary of Katrina, in case anyone's managed to miss it. I'm already so sick of the stupid talking heads on the TV blathering heartlessly on about things they haven't thought about and don't care about. As far as I'm concerned, this has been the crappiest twelve-month stretch of my life, and today, the reset button is being pushed.

I'm sorry you guys are getting it, even though I'm incredibly relieved it's not heading towards New Orleans.

I agree completely. We are still not repaired from last year, but no where near as unprepared as the gulf coast. It was a big sigh of relief when it pointed our way, even for Floridians.

Laura, you are such a wonderful person.

Dana, I'm sorry. You and your family have been in my thoughts especially over the last couple days.

I just want to cry when reading the media coverage, especially when they profile volunteers and Katrina victims and they all say that there is still so much that needs doing and it's like they have been forgotten. I read the other day that the governor of Mississippi was withholding relief aid because he wanted to wait till the anniversary date to announce where it would be going.

I thought moving away would let me worry less during hurricane season, but I've been all obsessive about watching Ernesto's track and transferring my New Orleans worry to Florida - though Laura just helped a whole lot with that.

Library porn!!!

I actually found myself big-eyed and muttering "Holy mama!"

Hive mind/surf help needed:

Has anyone come across a red carpet photo from the Emmy's of Andre Braugher and his wife?

SUE! I hope you are feeling better soon. Can I bring you anything?

Article that supports my previous post:

“Hundreds of millions of dollars were raised,” says Card, and much of that has not yet been spent. “I’ve heard the argument that the money has not come down from [Mississippi governor] Haley Barbour because he’s waiting to make an August 29 announcement on the dispersement of funds.” Bureaucracy, Card argues, is getting in the way of helping people. The solutions aren’t necessarily easy or fast, but they are simple, she says, “and what makes me crazy is that you’ve got all these committees and sub-committees and commissions and studies,” and the money is not getting to the people. “For us to be a year later and not be further along is a failure. And that’s not even arguable. The failure is monumental,” says Card. “The mass emergency is over, but the rebuilding is not. People are living in conditions that no one should have to live in.”