So. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a TV from a friend who's moving. And this weekend, I'm hoping to go shopping for a DVD/VHS player. So what, you say? What's the big deal? Well, it's a big deal for me because this will be the first time in seven years that I have actually had a television in my home. I've been without ever since I left my parents' place in 1997.

Now you all think I'm a freak. You're thinking you could maybe understand how someone could live without a cell phone, or without a home computer, but how can someone survive without a TV? Well, when I first left home I was too poor. Then when I moved back to Edmonton to do my Masters, I figured that I was good enough at distracting myself from schoolwork as it was without the added attraction of television. After that I was so used to keeping myself busy other ways that the expense of the equipment and the montly fee for cable seemed too much to pay for something I was doing just fine without. So why the change in attitude? I admit: the thing that tipped me over the edge was a desire to watch The Prisoner on DVD, and the thought that if I had the equipment I could use bellydancing instructional videos at home. So, here we go. Reentering the land of the wired, even if only in a small way.

Got to admit, though, part of me wonders if it will change my home life too much; if the Lure of the Screen will pull me away from all the books I'm trying to read and all the other stuff I'm trying to do until I'm a total couch potato doing nothing but watch videos all day (still not getting cable. I'm not ready! Don't push me!). Not like I haven't got a lot of precedent in stalling my attempts at personal growth and development with sudden needs to immerse myself in light fiction/socializing/whatever works as the excuse-of-the-moment. Well, we'll just have to see how it goes.

My search for Canadian employment continues this week as I put together my lastest application, this time for Queen's University. Last time I was hunting the academic positions were not forthcoming; I'm hoping for better (or faster!) luck this time. Luckily there are quite a few openings in and around Ottawa lately, which is where I'd prefer to go next. This position looks pretty good--it's in a Humanities library, and I have all of the required and most of the preferred experience, so with any luck I'll at least get an interview.

Ever the bookworm (what can I say, it's a vocational hazard), I've taken a book out from the library on blogging. So maybe this page will get a whole lot more exciting soon. Or, hey, maybe not... Stay tuned and we'll see.

ds9.5.2003

Site of the day: Peep Research

Because librarians take their patron surveys seriously!

Pulled out my copy of Light on Yoga today and went through the first series of poses. Though even some of those are a little too advanced for me right now. Sarvangasana on the first day? I know it's the "mother of all poses," but my body just isn't ready for it. Same with Halasana. So I'm going to progress just a little slower in some respects than Iyengar tells me to.

The ultimate goal, anyway, is to improve my bellydancing and get ready for some of the floorwork moves. Because even though I can do a little more than I thought I would be able to, some of the stuff our teacher is showing us is just beyond my present level. Usually this kind of thing frustrates me--I want to be better right now!--but so far I've been successful in cultivating a different attitude, and just being okay with where I am. Hopefully this means that I will also be more successful in sustaining practice over the long term, too...unfufilled potential being my lifelong nemesis.

We're getting into summer weather here in Florida, which means beastly hot and horridly humid. Even after being here for 2 1/2 years, I'm still not used to it. If you'd told me when I left home that I would miss winter weather, I'd have said you were joking, but my body really seems to need the seasonal cycle. As it is, it looks great outside, but if you try to actually get out and do anything, you're running for air conditioning and ice-cold margaritas within a few minutes. Frustrating!

ds8.5.2003

I'm really feeling depressed about the state of the world this morning. Can't really talk to much about the specifics of the situation, because the people involved don't want the details disseminated. I doubt anyone will read this at all, never mind anyone who would know who and where I'm talking about, but on the off chance, I'll refrain from outlining the whole sordid mess. Anyway, I never in a million years imagined something like this could happen to someone I know--never mind the particular person in question, who is quiet, gentle, and working to make the world a better place--and it's extremely depressing. Even worse is that the institutions that should be working to help this individual, the organizations we set up to ensure citizens' health and safety, are abandoning ship in droves. So who does one turn to when all else has failed?

The whole thing reeks of something I've encountered again and again in the past three years. Namely: a society that seems hell-bent on avoiding responsibility and accountability at all costs. How did we get to the point where so much of our energy is put into avoiding liability? I, and most of the people I know, work hard to accept the full burden of personal responsibility for our lives and our actions. We do this with the expectation that the people we work for, and the goverments and agencies we pay for with our taxes, will reciprocate. And all anyone is worried about is dissociating themselves from people that are in trouble, and shutting out those who truly need help. Because gods forbid that these people should ever be held accountable for anything. Or ever have to look beyond anything other than their own comfort, their own personal profit, and that of their friends. And if people's lives are destroyed in the process? If their lives are uprooted, or they lose their jobs, or they or their families are hurt? Well, you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, can you? Better change your inner-tude and figure out where the cheese got moved to before the dancing elephants make off with it.

Okay, I'm sad and pissed off and not even making sense anymore to anyone who can't follow the MotivationSpeak. So that's all for now.

ds7.5.2003

well, what do you know.... last night, I decided to spend more time blogging. And this morning, what should I hear on my drive to work but an NPR Morning Edition spot on new trends in blogs! Talk about synchronicity....Click here to see the text of the report.

Now, back to counting tax forms and sucking up my morning coffee...

~*LATER*~

I can't believe this. I decided to check the links on my web site, which I haven't done in a loooooong time, and it looks like all the cool librarian sites are gone! The Intolerant Librarian...gone...the link now leads to about 20 popup ads and a web site for some aspiring teenage actress. Thwart Not The Librarian...gone...without a trace. The Invisible Library....gone as well. Searching the web for the site names just brings up the old URLs. I am shocked and saddened. What are all us radical librarians going to do without all these great sites to show off? Help!

Oh well. At least we still have the Bellydancing Librarian....
ds6.5.2003

Okay. So obviously I'm *not* a good, regular blogger, filling all of you in on the details of my life. Somehow, it seems like an exercise in hubris to keep an online diary. Who would find the details of my life interesting? Would anyone ever visit it? Do I have anything at all interesting to say? And so on. So I'm going to start again, reminding myself that this is more of an exercise for me than something to show the world. Though I guess if I did update it regularly, friends and family could visit to see what I'm about.

Activities since the beginning of the year have been varied. Professionally, I moved to another location. So I'm out of the the emotional and physical toxic waste pit that was my old library, and in a newer building with less dust, less mold, and a much better work environment. I give you.....Southwest Regional Library! I originally moved into the Adult Reference Department, but a little over a month ago I transferred within my department to become the Librarian I in the Computer Technology Centre. This means I work the Lab desk more, the Reference Desk less, am responsible for computer troubleshooting, and teach more classes to both fellow staff and the public. I also get to supervise 2 paraprofessionals, which should fill a big gap in my resume. So far it's going pretty well.

Last month, I gave a presentation at the Florida Library Association's Annual Conference in Orlando, as part of a panel on joint-use libraries. See my PowerPoint presentation Here. Click on the slide background to start things rolling.

I also got rooked into running for Vice President/President-Elect of the Broward County Library Assocation. I'm hoping the other guy will win. So VOTE FOR NEIL!

Personally, I've been getting more involved in the local arts scene. I'm still doing the bellydance classes, which are going well. I got promoted to the Advanced class, which makes things a whole lot more challenging! Often I feel I'm in over my head, but it's also given me more motivation to practice at home, which makes it all good. Myriam (my teacher) has also started hosting monthly performance parties at a local cafe, and she has mentioned the possibility of my signing up to be a featured performer/soloist at one of these gatherings. This scares me, especially when I see the level most of the other performers are at. But didn't I tell myself I was going to stop fearing/watching/reading, and start doing? I've said I will maybe dance in July. We'll see if I keep my nerve up. Hopefully I'll have some dancing pictures of myself to post soon, too.

So why don't we give you some bellydance links:

Shira's site is put up by a California dancer and is very comprehensive. There are instructional tips, photos, video and book reviews, articles, history, zill rhythm diagrams...you name it, you can probably find at least a little bit about it here.

Aziza Sa'id's Middle Eastern Belly Dance Site is another comprehensive resource.

bhuz.com is an online directory and forum with message boards, an online journal, teacher and dancer listings, online store, and more.

Did you know that men bellydance too? DaVid has a huge list of links for your edification.

Morocco has got to be one of the foremost dancers and middle eastern dance authorities in the United States. She also was my instructor's "most influential" teacher. Learn about her and benefit from her experience on her site.

That enough to get you started? :)

On other arts fronts, after a long haitus from theatre, I managed to get a part in a local production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum put on by Broward on Broadway. I landed the part of Philia, the blond, not-to-intelligent virgin courtesan who wants to escape her contract with a famous Captain in order to be with her true love, Hero. Don't think we could have had any more fun putting on this show, and to my great surprise and pleasure, nearly all my friends came out to see it. Want to see some photos? Click here! I'm the one in the white...well...one of them.... It was great to get back on stage again. Another group here is putting on a production of Sweeney Todd in the fall, and I've signed up to audition.

Still picking at my guitar here and there, though I haven't had a lot of time/energy for it lately. Also trying to start up a regular yoga practice again, as a complement to the dancing. Ambitious? Me? All I know is this stuff, along with Michael, is what is keeping me sane.

Just about time for me to sign off here. I'll leave you with one last link: Bookcrossings, a totally cool place to set your previously read books free into the wild. I'm hooked!

--ds5.5.2003

Well, it's been a while. Just when you were starting to think that she'd abandoned the form completely...

I've started a few new things since I last posted here. For one, I've finally started teaching myself to play guitar. There are some good WWW resources for guitarists looking for instruction and other resources. Try Wholenote.com for a whole host of resources for players at any level. There's a lot of multimedia stuff available here, like online tuners and lessons. For tabs and lyrics, try OLGA--The online Guitar Archive

I've also started bellydancing lessons! Yes, Darcy is joining the legions of bellydancing librarians--and if you think that's a strange statement, just check Here to have your mindset readjusted... I'm taking classes with Harmonic Motion, and it's a lot of fun. I'm not anywhere near the performance stage yet, but I'm having some fun, so there you go.

Good evening everyone, and welcome back.

Here's a site for all you fellow booklovers: Centralbooking.com. It was recommended to my by my friend Dena, fellow Canadian expat and Unversity of Alberta Library and Information Studies graduate.

And while we're on that subject, check this out: Canadian World Domination. Resistence is futile. Heheheheheheheheheheheh....

Welcome!

Hello everyone, and thank you for visiting Darcy's world. This is an experiment for me, a chance to figure out how to use a new tool, so if you find any of it boring or self-centred I sympathise and encourage you to stop reading at any time! I'll be posting irregularly on how my life is going, rambling on on topics I find interesting (or enraging!), and sharing any interesting links and resources I find out there in my web journeying.

Here's the first thing I think you should all take a look at: The Librarian's Index to the Internet. I'm a librarian, so no big surprise there. I recently attended a very good Florida Library Association Conference session on successful web searching, the limitations of and concerns about the top-used search engines, and the value of so-called subject starters in effective web searching. The presenter was Rita Vine, founder of the company Workingfaster.com. Check out some of the search tool links on their site. I promise you won't be disappointed!

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting my world. Check out My Website if you like...and come back soon!

Darcy