The Boy In The Striped Pajamas

Severus Snape

This picture, of this expression, is perfect for him because I am still so unsure of him. I remember reading the 6th book and becoming even more uncertain (thou, of course, a large part of that was probably confusion from reading it within 48 hours while travelling cross-country) and still am to this day. But as the biggest contradictory and confusion, he has a lot to teach us.

Bullying is horrendous. I remember that Lily separately both (1) ended her friendship with Snape because of the whispers/rumours of him and his friends that were all related to pre-Death Eater activities and (2) later dated, fell in love, and married James Potter (which is a whole different thing that I need more information on because he really was privileged asswipe). But while they both hurt Snape tremendously, this was just on top of the years of torment James, Lupin, Sirius and Peter bullied him. In the flashbacks and history, we know that Snape had a terrible home (unlike James) and then, with this hatred of the world, goes to a school where he thought things would get better and this guy just beats down on him for being poor and odd. Dumbledore’s statement that “maybe we sort too early” was accurate, and came a bit too late. As later expressed Snape was courageous in the moment and whom you are housed with matters and maybe had Snape been in a different house he would have had more time with positive and loving peer influencers like Lily and less with future Death Eaters. So yeah, things could have all been very different. That picture of Daniel Radcliffe probably not, but could have been an outcome for Harry with his parents being Lily and Snape but the things that happen to us when we’re young may not break us but do define us. 

This one is also tricky and not one I 100% agree with but see accurately represented in the books. Albus always insisted Harry call him Professor Snape. While I don’t believe in “respecting your elders” and, yeah, Dumbledore could’ve done more to ease this relationship he was overall right. Snape had a very traumatic life and while he was selfish and only came thru when it came to Lily, he still did with great harm to himself and was someone who should be respected because there were things he could teach Harry, thou not easily as both were incredibly stubborn. But on the other side, while Snape really needed to grow up when it came to Harry personally, there are teachers who are truly terrible and because of tenure stick around and should be fired and looked at to more by parents and teachers. On the other hand, especially in the states, teachers do so much more than parents and students and outsiders who don’t listen to the teachers they know realize. In one of the best funded and elite public-school districts we have, there are still young teachers I know who shell out a minimum of $400.00 a semester for thing their students NEED, let alone extra things they think can help their students progress. So before we whine and moan, remember that in most cases our teachers (and most people in public service) do more than we realize and are human; but there is a chance they might not be and if after a bit of reflection see that a teacher is either lazy or a bully report them, and parents, please listen. 

Touched on by both parts above, we are reminded by Snape that (1) Bullying is bad, and (2) People are Human, both of these combine and remind us about the terrible cycles that people and generations can get involved in. The bullied become the bullies, the abused become the abusers. You never know what someone is going thru. Like the Dementors, Snape (which I feel weird referring to him now from writing our passage two) represented a lot of rough and upsettings things that can happen in life. But as with most clouds, there is a silver lining. If given another chance Snape would have tried to have been a better person, hold his temper more, see evil for what it truly was earlier on. If not able to change a thing, then I have no doubt he would have relived his life again in order to save Harry for Lily, all in the name of love. Always. 

Side note: As contradictory and confusing as Snape is, and why with no one really knowing him, Harry felt he and those like him should be honoured. I get that part. But I will never accept that a child was named after him instead of Hagrid. Never! (But that’s a different issue of course). 

Best Couple Moments

1.      Season Five, Episode Two: Weightloss

When Jim proposes to Pam, it’s a lot of peoples favorites but what is truly perfect about it is how he acknowledges to Pam that they planned on waiting on getting engaged, but “I just—I couldn’t wait”

2.      Season Nine, Episode Twenty: Paper Airplane

First, Angela after hearing from Ester how they pity her tells Dwight “don’t you dare tank this”; and then he doesn’t after seeing how she is looking at him. It shows the respect they have for each other.

3.      Season Seven, Episode Four: Sex Ed

When Michael calls Holly to tell her about his possible herpes diagnosis, they’re able to joke with each other so easily, are so comfortable with each other, understand each other; Dwight loves Michael but does not understand what is going on with them

4.      Season Eight, Episode Sixteen: After Hours

After Val apologizes about how her boyfriend acted and brought up Val and Darryl seeing each other, Darryl lets Val know that he’s interested in her by saying so, but also as Kelly implied “ dot-dot-dot, dot-dot”

5.      Season Four, Episode Four: Money

After hearing how much debt Michael is in and how he runs away from the office Jan catches up to him and tells him she’ll stand by him

“What I want to say is, You Were There for me. By my side, without even a thought. That’s just who you are. I mean, no matter how badly I treat you, or what I’m going through. You just, you are there for me, and that’s a guy worth staying beside. So where’s this train taking us?”

6.      Season Nine, Episode Fifteen: Couple’s Contest

Erin comes out to tell Pete that she just couldn’t break up with Andy but he lets her off the hook “You don’t have to apologize, I just, I just want you to be happy, ok”

7.      Season Two, Episode Eleven: The Injury

When Dwight has his concussion, he’s friendlier with Pam but is more outgoing with Angela by flirting with her and complimenting her. First telling her she’s “sweeter than Candy” and then smacking her butt in full view of the documentary crew

8.      Season Nine, Episode Fifteen: Couple’s Discount

When after hearing about Brian and Alyssa breaking up, and how they are walking on egg shells with each other, Pam tells Jim she doesn’t want to just ignore their problems and she wants to fight.

 “Do you really want to fight on Valentine’s Day?”

“Yeah I do”

9.      Season Three, Episode Ten: A Benihana Christmas

Jim and Karen both getting each other Bridget Jones Diary for Christmas, because it was a terrible movie that they saw on one of their dates.  

10.  Season Five, Episode Six: Employee Transfer and  Season Nine, Episode Five: Here Comes Treble

The fact that Andy dresses up as a kitten (not a cat) and Erin dresses up as a puppy (not a dog)

Psst, I totally get it, you're by yourself And the last thing you want to do is take a picture But seriously, my little girl loves you She's always singing, "I'm gonna pop some tags" I'm not kidding, my oldest, you even got him to go thrifting And "One Love", oh, my God, that song - brilliant Their aunt is gay, when that song came out My son told his whole class he was actually proud That's so cool, look what you're accomplishing Even an old mom like me likes it cause it's positive You're the only hip-hop that I let my kids listen to Cause you get it, all that negative stuff isn't cool Yeah, like all the guns and the drugs The bitches and the hoes and the gangs and the thugs Even the protest outside - so sad and so dumb If a cop pulls you over, it's your fault if you run Huh?

There is no attack against the police, there is no conspiracy or propaganda agenda AGAINST the police or law enforcement. 

With decades worth of law and police shows such as Law and Order (and those spin-offs), CSI, NCIS, Blue Bloods, Sherlock, Bones, Homicide Hunter, Monk, Southland; we have received propaganda for the police- how we should trust them, they’re here to help us, they exist for us. Their slogans in NYC are Courtesy, Professionalism and Respect. But these are not true.

But our daily, real-life experiences fall fall-short than the ideals presented for our consumption in mass media. It is entertaining, but it is not real. They put a siren on to go race thru a red light, text and drive, park illegally everyday-so we are not surprised when they murder young black men and children without provocation, we are not surprised that they overreact and attack black woman or any citizens against their rights granted to them just being in this country and by being humans themselves. 

Whether it comes from an actual fear out of racism, or just an authoritarian ideal that they can get away with it--it does not matter. We believe the true victims of those who are murdered because we see the proof every day, the murders are just the tip of the iceberg. 

The best thing about modern technology is exposing the way cops fuck over black people to white people. Literally no black person is surprised that they would do this to a black mother grieving over her child.

Lovely, lively then lament

It’s National Book Month, but while I have been given and introduced to books through school, from friends and family, following reviews online, many of the books I have been able to read because of my local library.

More than ‘just’ books many local libraries also have classes, are a meeting space, have activities for children or other community specific events with some being hosts of local political events or debates. In addition, local public libraries have become a symbol of the shared public space that is not only central to the community but a place you can go that is FREE (separate from taxes of course). Even as the world turns more digital there are certain databases, and historical texts that aren’t being added online or would be difficult to absorb separate from the understanding that staring at a screen 24/7 is bad for you.

Libraries are glorious and should be as much of a necessity as a post office or grocery store for a community but they’re not always appreciated and people commonly undervalue the benefits a good library can bring allowing them to slowly disappear for things that will make a bigger profit.

so metropolitan museum of art has a register of books they’ve published that are out of print and that you can download for free! they’re mostly books on art, archeology, architecture, fashion and history and i just think that’s super useful and interesting so i wanted to share! you can find all of the books available here!

Best Company moments

1. Season Seven, Episode Two: Counseling

When they all support and try to help Dwight with the mall fiasco even before they knew what happened. After first storming in and demanding everyone “Boycott the Steamtown Mall” and then again when help him prepare to Pretty Woman the salesclerk (per Kelly’s suggestion).

Kelly “You shirt and tie are disgusto-barfo”

Oscar “Maybe not so monochromatic, not so matching”

Ryan, Kelly, Pam and then Ryan again “The glasses are a little….I liked them…I thought they were kinda cute…yeah I liked them too”

Darryl "Say Stuff like ‘good morning, good afternoon. People appreciate that’” Darryl

Andy “If someone offers you a cocktail, accept, but keeps your wits about you” Andy

Angela “Please and Thank you go a long way”

2. Season Seven, Episode Twenty-Two: Goodbye Michael

When they all sing Rent, and calculated the actual minutes (9,986,000)  that he had been at the company

3. Season Five, Episode Fourteen: Stress Relief Part 1

When, more than those you’d expect, began dancing to them singing ‘staying alive’ to know when to pump for CPR. First Andy joining in singing, then Kelly dancing, Phyllis and Creed bopping their heads, then Michael stops with the CPR and gets up to also dance as does Andy later dancing with the instructor and even Meredith and Dwight bopping their heads as well.

4. Season Eight, Episode Five: Garden Party

When they all come together to cheer Andy up after the Garden party; even to where they ignore him as he tries to leave and apologize with Darryl asking him he wants a “Cheeseburger or Hamburger” and Oscar calling him “Nard-dog” before tossing him a beer.

5. Season Seven, Episode Seven: Christening

When they all shit on the churchgoers at the Christening; they are their own type of family

Ryan “Teach for America girls are way hotter—but their nuts”

Phyliis “Who takes a kid to Mexico”

Stanley” I would run to Mexico if that’s where the sandwiches are”

Dwight “You wanna know my 11th Commandment, I will not be undersold”

Andy “What if the Moon was your car and Jupiter was your hairbrush”

Ending with half-assed claps and Ryan playing with his cup

6. Season Six, Episode Fifteen: Sabre

When they work together to repackage the Sabre box

7. Season Seven, Episode Nine: WUPHF.com

When they figured out the server password first thinking of things topical for when it was set, IT guys, and then that it made Michael laugh when he heard it, but Pam got offended.

8. Season Seven, Episode Six: Costume Contest

“Is there no limit to what Stanley won’t notice?”

Jim’s OJ wasn’t his hot coffee

Kevin dressed up as Phyllis

Andy naked except for his tie

The computer monitor being replaced by a cardboard box with a picture on it

Michael with fake teeth

The conference meeting having everyone but him sitting backwards and the meeting talking about the projections on Jupiter

Pam with a mustache

and Dwight with a pony

 Except—he notices the clock is slow and it’s after 5pm

9. Season Nine, Episode Eight: The Target

When Pete, Kevin, Erin, Meredith, Creed, Nellie and Darryl all work together to build the complaint tower and support Pam getting a complaint

10. Season Nine, Episode Eighteen: Promos

When they realize the camera crew followed them more than they realized, and all looked at the camera simultaneously

Four Brothers

The first movie I labelled as a “favorite” was Four Brothers with Mark Wahlberg and a very young and missed Sofia Vergara. It was extremely violent, focused on vigilante antics by underdogs, and portrayed a different part of family love. I loved it for all of these reasons, the brothers were hectic and loud but for the most part stood by each other—as with the friend saying of how you can pick up right where you left off, even after a decade. They called themselves degenerates, but really only in current US society. In past generations their take charge and gruffness would made them things; and you have to appreciate the brotherly love they gave to each other, openly, in 2005. Finally, there is the note of four siblings that when close together in age usually have a particular set of strong bonds with each other, four brothers more than four siblings or four sisters.

This movie isn’t the favorite it used to be, but for all the reasons I listed I still love it, and can still watch it from the beginning, right after just finishing it. 

Inequality: Indifference x Insufficiency

Today 300,000 plus Chicago students didn’t go to school today, spending the day at home, hanging out with friends or joining their fellow classmates and over 25,000 educational workers in Chicago who are striking against working conditions and educational opportunities of the Chicago Public Schools. 

Along with adequate nursing staff, emotional and mental health support a main complaint from parents is that there aren’t libraries in schools and how that lack of community space deepens the fractures occurring. Linked to the lack of community space in the schools, there is also a lack of bilingual teachers creating another barrier for students who either rely on other students to help them with their work or give up. 

The strike has two sides to it: the teachers and the students. The teachers need more pay in order to lessen their financial and connected emotional stress and anxiety so they can focus more on their students and be the best teachers they can. But they are also fighting for their students. By demanding smaller class sizes, mental health resources so student can be assisted before they hit that breaking point, and pushing for school libraries they are fighting for their students now, in their next grade, their next school and the rest of their lives

Hailed, Held, Hung

While my main venture into a library will be for books, as previously stated they are also community centers and should me a resource to increase opportunity and equality of the local residents. A recent episode of Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj looked at another form of inequality, unequal access to the internet.

The internet had become an additional resource all residents in the U.S. and in other developed nations need to have in order to be a successful part of society. Further than the internet, more accurately it’s the instant access to the internet via smartphone but even if not instant the internet has replaced many telephone, mailing and older forms of communication and information access, especially when it comes to research, employment and getting assistance. And again, libraries were part of making up for these inequalities for those who cannot afford, understand or otherwise access the internet.

Unfortunately, again libraries and the communities who need these opportunities and access are hit the hardest. Closing libraries, shorter operating hours and fines related to late library books are creating a further divide. As the world progresses, we have to make sure that not only we don’t leave people behind but that we are doing what we can to rise everyone up together