On Moore's "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"

Here’s the problem with having seen the movie based on the book before reading the book: if the movie sucks, you’re pre-judging the book. 

But then sometimes you go back and read the book, and you wonder how in the heck the people making the movie took such interesting source material and then adulterated it so that it was almost unrecognizable. That happens here. There are two distinct stories, and as far as I recall, the movie didn’t use them at all. What’s up with that?

There is one thing that took me out of enjoyment though. There is this long Almanac of magical places, descriptive of places like where Alice Liddell fell down the rabbit hold. It is clever, but it is way too long and dry. I tried to read it, stopped, and then tried again. I finally decided that the payoff was not worth the effort and it was outside the main narrative so I’m not missing much having only read two thirds of it.

Stand (The Only Poems I Write are Love Poems)

Against the wind

I will shelter you

As you will shelter me

Against the cold

I will give you warmth

As you share yours with me

Against the fire

We will run, your hand

In mine and mine in yours

Even

In the face of Apocalypse

We will stand together

No matter the adversary.

Towards the Library Election

Everyone involved in this library election was on the board or in the volunteer group working towards the building of a new library. I myself would not have volunteered my time if I did not think that having a new library would be beneficial to the community.

The problem for all candidates is that the referendum for building a new library lost. We can try to mollify ourselves and our supporters with whatever words we want, but there is one truth. Either we did not do enough to sell our vision or we over-promised that vision.

The positive effects of a library are hard to quantify, and harder since we’re projecting into the future. The future we can project but is ultimately unknowable.

This unknowable future is why the library is so important to me though. The building we didn’t approve is one that was open and flexible in a way that the current one is not. Space is limited and programs are closed. Our vision was broad and open.

The library as we know it will always be the center of learning. It is not just books but a place for everyone to communicate and learn and grow.

Ultimately the library is a community resource. My vision is growth, but accepting that we might need to reach out to our opponents. The library is a resource for all citizens.

No matter what happens, the goal is to serve all the people of Brookfield.