If you live in Michigan, you have seen ad after ad bashing Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens during her speech on the floor of the House of Representatives. It was passionate and it was rushed. Her opponents are viewing it as hysterical. And while it is hard to hear (and that is the case when you are trying to squeeze a three minute speech into 60 or 90 seconds), it is good stuff.
Haley Sevens represents the 11th Congressional District of Michigan. She is not my Representative, but I would be very proud if she were.
Her passionate speech was rushed because clearly it was too long for the allotted time. And as she recognized this, she spoke faster and faster.
While the text is below, many conservative critics have focused on her glove and her appearance. If you read the text below, you would definitely see someone who understood the gravity of our crisis back in March. This is definitely someone who deserves our vote and our support. Not our mockery.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens).
Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today in this Chamber during this critical time in the United States of America, where our country faces a battle with a pandemic, the biggest battle we have faced as a nation together in generations. Amidst uncertainty, we work
to keep Americans alive by stopping the spread of COVID-19.
In these times, heroes will be made and not selected. We are in a global pandemic. Many Americans may perish unexpectedly and suddenly in unfair circumstances.
These are not pleasant words to hear. Treatments and cures are needed. They will take time. Economic security must be guaranteed.
The outbreak of COVID-19 has spread throughout our land. Listen to the scientists and the doctors who have spent a lifetime in this space. Listen to Dr. Fauci. This is not a moment to provide the false comforts of times past.
We are so proud of Americans who are sacrificing so much right now. Our students, gone from their beloved classrooms and classmates. We beam for our manufacturers who have no----
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Ms. STEVENS. I request 30 more seconds because I rise before you adorning these latex gloves not for personal attention, but to encourage you to take the----
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Michigan an additional 30 seconds.
Ms. STEVENS. Join me in the calls of servitude, sharing in the profession with those who have now come before you. Similar times of trying medical need, wars and flus past, you will see darkness, you will be pushed, and our society needs you to stand together at this
time. Our country loves you.
To our doctors and our nurses, I wear these latex gloves to tell every American: Do not be afraid.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has again expired.
Ms. STEVENS. I tell my fellow Americans do not be afraid. Look and see the beauty and opportunity in nature and humanity all around you.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Michigan is no longer recognized.
NOTE - With the fundamental changes because of COVID-19 and the precautions to curtail this pandemic, the needs of food banks may actually be greater.
We are continuing our Food Drive and you can make donations to the Kresge Suite (K4521) in Michigan Ross.
There are many populations that need help more than ever. So if you are leaving campus with the move to online classes - please lighten your load and help out people in the area.
We are going to make deliveries to local food banks and pantries on a regular basis instead of waiting until the end of the term.
#BeAHelper
Corey Seeman - March 14th, 2020
Original Message -
9th Annual Kresge Library Services Food Drive - Now through Friday May 29th, 2020
Please join Kresge Library Services of the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business as we embark on our 9th springtime food drive for Washtenaw County food banks. We are looking to collect non-perishable food donations that will be distributed to local food banks in June. We are undertaking this food drive now for two big reasons:
While many organizations coordinate food drives around the holidays, hunger is a year round problem. Food drives during the spring and summer are less common, but are critical for food banks’ ability to help families in need.
At Ross, nearly 40% of our students graduate every year after Winter Term and many leave Ann Arbor. A food drive is a great way to lighten your load as you head out with your degree in hand, while helping less fortunate people in Michigan.
Starting today and running through Friday May 29th, Kresge Library Services will be collecting non-perishable food items and other personal products for Washtenaw Area food banks (Saline Area Social Services and the Hope Clinic in Ypsilanti).
The best part of this program is that we can assist local food banks at a time when donations are at their lowest. During our food drives since 2011, we collected between 30 and 50 boxes each year for Washtenaw County Food Banks thanks to the generosity of the Ross Community. This could be a challenging year for many of us - so helping those in need would be doubly appreciated.
Here are the specs:
Dates: Monday March 9th through Friday May 29th, 2020
Location: Drop-off food items in the Kresge Library Services suite (K4521) on the 4th floor of Kresge Hall. The cart is right at the entrance of the Library's suite.
Times: You can drop off food anytime the building is open.
Per the guidelines established by many food banks, we ask you to make sure that the donated items are:
• Non-perishable food products
• Contained in factory-sealed containers
• Currently not expired products
• Not in glass containers (most food banks avoid these as they can break in transit)
Food Items in great need include:
• Tuna Fish or other canned fish or meat
• Beef Stew, Meat Soups
• Hearty Soups
• Canned Spaghetti or Pasta
• Chili
• Beans (kidney, pinto, green, yellow, refried or black beans)
• Baby Food or Formula
• Ensure or other nutritional supplement drinks
• Rice
• Dry Beans
• Noodles, Macaroni
• Powdered Milk
• Pancake or Baking Mixes
• Cereal/Oatmeal
• Granola Bars
• Peanut Butter
• Jelly (in plastic jars)
Many Food Banks also collect unopened personal products including:
• Diapers
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes
• Soap
• Shampoo
• Disposable Razors
• Travel sized personal products are also very useful
If you would rather make a donation to these organizations, that would also be wonderful:
So I have been very, very fortunate over the past year. Maybe not everything was perfect - but from a squirrel perspective - it was a great year. I thought it might be fun to pull together some of the highlights of my squirrel obsessed life in 2019. It was a banner year - and I hope to do this every year for Squirrel Appreciation Day - January 21st.
On Friday April 5th, 2019, I got my picture of the year. There is a cavity nest in the Law Quad in a tree that has since been taken down. I had seen this squirrel coming out of her cavity nest a few times, but I got the picture of the year one day around 10am when I got a great old yawn as she left the nest. I loved this picture right from the time I first saw it.
I decided that it would be a perfect one to send to the Comedy Wildlife Awards. I was thrilled when it was selected as a semi-finalist and then a finalist. In November, it was announced that this picture was recognized as Highly Commended!
Michigan Today Podcast
When I was asked by Deborah Holdship if I wanted to do a podcast about my interest in squirrels - I believe I said something to the extent of "you had me at squirrels." We did this late in the year and it came out just before the holidays.
Dude's got class....
When the Ross School of Business launched their Online MBA this year, the team they assembled to support the new endeavor were located in our suite. Among the team they brought in was Toon Mertens, a tremendous videographer who would produce a number of videos for the online program. They wanted to create a prototype of a 'pitch' video that faculty could use to attract attention for their classes from students.
I had just met Toon and he 'pitched' the idea to me upon returning from a February vacation. I was hoping that he would find a better idea - but he persisted. So off we went - co-writing this piece. Furthermore, he asked me questions that were recorded to get more spontaneity. This is a version that does not have the Block M - but it is just as much fun. This was tremendous fun.
Albino Squirrels in Olney, Illinois
Barbie National Convention was in Kansas City this year and Pam and I decided to drive. I learned about the albino squirrel population in Olney, Illinois from a great article in the Squirrel Week Series from John Kelly of the Washington Post. When I discovered that it was kinda on the way from Michigan to Kansas City, a plan was hatched!
We spent one night in Olney. On the first day, we visited with Belinda Henton, a certified wildlife rehabilitator and she invited me to look her up when we got into town. Pam and I went out to visit. She had a newborn albino (you can tell by the white in the nails) who needs to be bottle fed as it fell out of a nest. Then there was Rocky Dale. Rocky Dale seems to have suffered some brain damage as a result of a fall. He can move around, but only turns left (so he picked up the name Dale to honor the NASCAR legend). She let me hold Rocky Dale and he climbed all over me. It was amazing and the most fun I have had in a good while. She said that Rocky Dale is not like that with everyone - so that felt good.
The following day, I got this great picture of an albino squirrel by the Olney Library - because you can always find everything you need at the library!
The Squirrel Doctor Makes House Calls
I once spoke with a faculty member at Michigan who also is a fan of squirrels - and she mentioned about medication you can give squirrels who have mange. So when I started noticing some squirrels with mange in the Law Quad, I reached out to the Friends of Wildlife Michigan. They connected me with someone who has worked up some medicated pecans for me to feed the squirrel. Each dose is two pecans - to be given one week apart.
Here is "Patches O'Houlihan" on Monday July 1st 2019 in the Law Quad. This was a couple of days after I gave her the first dose. I named all the patients after characters in the 2004 movie "DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story."
Here is Patches on August 7th, 2019. Her fur had almost entirely grown back, with the exception of this area on her left leg that she was agitating. Over the coming months, it would be harder and harder to tell which ones had mange - so that was wonderful news.
Project 365 Squirrel Pictures at the University of Michigan
Here are all my pictures of the day featuring squirrels from the University of Michigan during 2019!
Lefty!
I do not give all the squirrels names - but one is so famous, she has actually two names. In December 2018, I first noticed a squirrel who was missing her front right paw. She also had part of her right ear removed. I have named her Lefty - though colleagues at the President's House and Tappan Hall call her Tripod. She has been seen in Law Quad, behind Martha Cook, in front of the Clements Library and by the President's House. All these locations are near South University.
I have seen a great deal of Lefty over the course of the year. There isn't a day where she does not cheer me up. She does great and does not suffer one bit by having three paws.
Dude is an Artist!
On December 1st, 2019, I participated in my first art show and showed a number of squirrel related items featuring my wonderful campus squirrels. This wonderful event was very well attended and featured 20 artists (including me) at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor). I also had my photos at Carrigan Cafe in Saline in September. Seems I will be the regular September artist at the cafe for the next few years!
Delmarva Peninsula Fox Squirrels
We were in Baltimore for the Integrity Toys Convention. Two hours to the south is Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Was it worth driving nearly two hours each way from Baltimore to see these little ones - ABSOLUTELY! Here are pictures of Delmarva peninsula fox squirrels I saw on the trails near Wildlife Drive. I was very excited to see these squirrels for the first time on the Marsh Edge Trail and the Woods Trail along Wildlife Drive. They were tricky to photograph - as they were constantly moving and deep in the brush on the bottom of these wooded areas. So I did each trail at least three times to make sure that I got to see as many as I did. I ended up tossing nearly 2/3 of the pictures because they were not good. The squirrels are fantastic and I am so glad that I made the trip.
This is my first visit to this wonderful refuge - and hopefully not the last. Taken on Thursday October 10th, 2019.
Been an exciting year - from a squirrel perspective! Here's hoping for another great year in 2020!
Here is my fourth entry in my Librarians on Old Time Radio series. After two episodes featuring crimes and one featuring the old American West, I think it is only fitting that we feature one of the comedies. Sometimes the comedies do not translate well to modern sensibilities and tastes, but they are part of the genre and definitely part of the culture at the time. And since immigration is such a common story in the news these days, spending a half an hour with Luigi Basco might be in order.
Wrigley Building in Chicago - May 2014
From 1948 to 1953, CBS Radio featured a weekly half-hour situation comedy telling the story of a recent immigrant to the United States in the times after World War II. The program is Life With Luigi, a comedy series staring J. Carrol Naish in the title role. It was the brain-child of Cy Howard and starred J. Carrol Naish plays the title character, Luigi Basco, who was spending his new life in Chicago. Character actor Alan Reed (maybe best known as the voice of Fred Flinstone) plays Pasquale, Luigi's sponsor and best friend. Each of the episodes starts off this the same opening - as announcer Bob Stevenson would say:
We invite you to enjoy life – Life with Luigi – a new comedy show created by Cy Howard and starring that celebrated actor, Mr. J. Carroll Nash with Alan Reed as Pasquale.
A year ago, when Luigi Basco left Italy to start his new life in America, he promised his mother that he would write and tell her about his adventures. So now let’s read Luigi’s letter as he writes to Momma Basco in Italy.
The episode we are featuring first aired on May 1st, 1951. Luigi starts off (as he does each week) with his letter to Momma Basco and was talking about a great picnic they went to back in the old country. Then it goes to their citizenship class as it often does. But all the students, immigrants from all over Europe, could not remember who wrote the Village Blacksmith (it was Longfellow). What had the students all worked up? They were all going to Riverview Park that coming Sunday, and everyone had two tickets. So who were they going to bring? Would Luigi bring Rosa? Nope, he needed a real date...but where? He finds a date in a place he was not expecting - the library. He had to go there after class to return a book that was overdue. It did not take him longer to read, but he was lending the book to others. He seemed to be running his own private library. But talking with the librarian led to small talk - and the next thing you knew, Luigi had a date to the park. Sure they took advantage of making all the librarian jokes you can think of - they do have a certain charm. But when Pasquale finds out that he is not taking Rosa, he places a bet that he would not get a kiss that day. And things do not end exactly as Luigi might have wanted, but they were good in the end. The cast includes J. Carrol Naish, Alan Reed, Mary Shipp, Joe Forte, Ken Peters, Hans Conried, Jody Gilbert and was written by Mac Benoff and Lou Derman.
While a comedy, I think they always respected the characters and what they did to come to the States. There were a number of programs that had immigrants as major characters, but this is one of the best known. Kinda interesting when you listen to the episodes today. I hope you enjoy.
Here is my third entry in my new series - Librarians on Old Time Radio. I am going to feature programs that have librarians and related information professionals in key roles in the story. These might be fairly straight forward - or only tangentially related to librarianship. This episode features a a detective/crime series that I have always loved. I am moving this to the front of this series because I heard this on XM recently when driving back from Pittsburgh - not Boston.
Suzzallo Library at the University of Washington
Seattle, Washington (May 2018)
One of my favorite Old Time Radio series is Boston Blackie. These crime stories always leave the police, especially Police Inspector Farraday, frustrated and befuddled. But to the rescue is Boston Blackie - who always solves the crime and saves the day. Each of episodes starts the same way - with this phrase that says everything you need to know about Boston Blackie:
"Enemy of those who make him an enemy,
friend to those who have no friend."
Remember that phrase! Boston Blackie moves effortlessly on both sides of the law, but is primarily interested in doing what is right. If that means working with the police, then so be it! The character was created by author Jack Boyle, Boston Blackie was a safecracker who served time in prison before turning his attention to making things right. The most well known episodes were syndicated by Frederic W. Ziv to Mutual and other networks after World War II. Staring in the role as Boston Blackie was Richard Kollmar. Mary Wesley (his constant companion) was played by Jan Miner. Maurice Tarplin plays Police Inspector Farraday, who starts off most episodes with the belief that no matter what the crime was, Blackie was involved. Tarplin is also know as the voice of the Mysterious Traveler and The Strange Dr. Weird.
On September 3rd, 1946 - the ABC Radio Network broadcast an episode known as the "Stolen Rare Book." It starts out with Mary Wesley looking for a valuable first edition of a book at the local library. She is heading to the rare book vault to see the work - when someone alerts everyone that the attendant there has collapsed. So when Inspector Farraday shows up, so does Boston Blackie. But in the hubub of the collapsing attendant - it seems that a rare book has been stolen. Blackie and Mary Wesley discover that the person who noticed the collapsing attendant works for a rare book dealer Harold Benson - and might be responsible for the missing volume. And while they were thinking that Benson might be involved - the story and the case changes when it is discovered that the rare book dealer was murdered. So as you might imagine - there are all sorts of "keep quiet" librarian gags throughout the episode. But once again, Boston Blackie saves the day and figures out the crime.
My Nancy Pearl Action Figure back in 2009 on my old office toy all. She is one heck of a librarian!
Here is my second entry in my new series - Librarians on Old Time Radio. I am going to feature programs that have librarians and related information professionals in key roles in the story. These might be fairly straight forward - or only tangentially related to librarianship. Maybe there is a minor part of a librarian in the story. Anyway, I should have a good number of episodes to feature over the upcoming months. I hope to feature one entry a week - but this last week got past me - fingers crossed for catching up soon. Hope you enjoy them. In the late 1950s, there was one network that was producing great radio programming. It was the same network that we featured last week with their landmark program, Suspense. While during the late 1950s, networks were focused on television, CBS produced a number of great programs for the medium of radio. Some of these programs were relatively short lived, but thankfully, we still have them. One of them was a vehicle for CBS Radio star John Dehner, who I featured a few years back on the centennial of his birth. John Dehner was practically a regular guest star on Gunsmoke, appearing in over 200 episodes. When you needed a bad villain, you called John. When you needed a good villain, you called John. Pretty much, you called John. He would star in the radio program Have Gun, Will Travel (also on the CBS Network) and that would start only weeks after the show I am featuring today, Frontier Gentleman. This was one of the adult western programs that CBS offered, but with an interesting twist.
From the Digital Deli entry (linked below), they described Frontier Gentleman thusly:
"The protagonist of the series is J.B. Kendall, a cashiered British Cavalry officer who spent most of his military career in the Punjab area of India. He takes a position with the London Times, on assignment to cover the developing frontier of the Montana and Wyoming Territories of America during the 1870s. His portfolio is to transmit first-person accounts of the roaring American frontier, offering insights into that tumultous time of exploration, colonization, warring Indian tribes, and the rampant anarchy still prevalent in most of the frontier towns of the era."
While there were only 41 episodes of this program, that ran from February to November, 1958, it is a fun way to see the American west through the eyes of an outsider. John Dehner's J.B. Kendall uses the column that he would have written as a frame for his adventures, much like Johnny Dollar used the expense reports.
On October 5th, 1958 (toward the end of its only season on the air), the episode broadcast was called "The Librarian". In this episode, a widower by the name of Almira Danworthy from out east tries to scare off a settler who is trying to take over her land claim. She was a librarian out east and moved west with her husband. After being swindled by a shady land developer, they found themselves on this plot that they had to develop - or lose. But in working the land, her husband died of exhaustion. But in returning to their land, she discovered that someone else had taken over the property, a Confederate veteran. So, its just another story of a librarian who has to share space with people who don't belong. Alas, some things never change. Joining John Dehner in the cast is Virginia Gregg as the librarian, Vic Perrin (billed as "Richard Perkins" - from the RadioGOLDINdex), Charles Seel, Eddie Firestone with Bud Sewell as the announcer. The story was written by Tom Hanley and Antony Ellis was the producer and director.
Kresge Library (Michigan) Collection Surplus - July 17, 2014
I have started up a number of series of blog posts on the Golden Age of Radio - or old time radio. I have focused on Christmas, Thanksgiving, diet, baseball, African-Americans, world travel and lighthouses. Today I am starting a new series that I have been planning for some time. As a librarian (13+ years at the University of Michigan), I have long wanted to match my love of old time radio with my profession. So today, I start up my new series - Librarians on Old Time Radio. I am going to feature programs that have librarians and related information professionals in key roles in the story. These might be fairly straight forward - or only tangentially related to librarianship. Maybe there is a minor part of a librarian in the story. Anyway, I should have a good number of episodes to feature over the upcoming months. I hope to feature one entry a week. Hope you enjoy them. Among the very best shows that were broadcast during the Golden Age of Radio, the CBS Network's Suspense really stands out as one of the best of the best. Radio's "outstanding theater of thrills" had a 20 year run on CBS - starting in 1942. In fact, the last Suspense episode in 1962 marks the end of the Golden Age of Radio. As you might imagine for a program that ran for 20 years, you have a great combination of excellent stories and fantastic production values. If CBS was the best network on the radio, this was their star attraction. Week in, and week out, they had one amazing program after another. One of the reasons why I love listening to the early episodes is because I enjoy the sponsor, Roma Wines. Their commercials are the best - Salute! So maybe I should have held this one back - but why not start with a bang! On September 20th, 1945, Suspense featured the great actress Myrna Loy as Prudence Roberts, in their production of "Library Book." We open with Prudence Roberts at the circulation desk at a librarian answering a phone call to see if they carry or carried the Racing Form. We are then have a patron return a book the counter. Gone With The Wind was returned 2 days late (that would be 4 cents) when the patron mentioned that pages 931 and 932 were pulled from the book. So Prudence followed the rules and wanted to charge the patron who returned the book for the vandalized copy of this work. The last thing she wanted to do was to buy another best-seller. When a colleague interceded and suggested that if the patron vandalized the book, would she have brought it up? While many might have tossed the now damaged book aside, she discovered that words were marked up on page 933. While Gone With The Wind is a romance, this is becoming a mystery. (Though to the young boy who thought it was about airplanes, it was very disappointing). Prudence discovers that the missing page and the one afterwards are leading to a kidnapping plot. Joining Myrna Loy in the cast were Cathy Lewis, Wally Maher, Conrad Binyon, & Joseph Kearns as the announcer. The story is based on the 1939 short story by Cornell Woolrich called "The Book That Squealed." It was adapted by William Spier, who also directed the episode. I hope you enjoy this episode, albeit filled with the stereotypical depictions of librarians, but the accurate telling of our love of rules! Library Book (Suspense, September 20th, 1945)
Here are some links to programs relating to Old Time Radio and Suspense:
