To start with something amusing …

Remember that Volkswagen commercial from this year’s Superbowl? You know – the one with mini Darth Vader getting frustrated with his apparent inability to use the Force? There is now an adaptation of that commercial floating around to advertise Marvel Comics’ upcoming Thor movie. I haven’t been watching TV recently, and I’m probably going to pass on Thor (much as I’m a fan of Natalie Portman and Kenneth Branagh), but I got a good laugh when I saw this ad courtesy of a friend’s post on Facebook. If you haven’t seen it yet, here it is:

Speaking of Facebook and the posting of videos, I’m a member of a group called I Love Libraries. One of the things they posted today is an inspiring video. Luis Soriano of La Gloria, Colombia, has been a teacher for at least ten years. His area is very rural, but he’s managed to set up and keep running his own version of a bookmobile: Biblioburro! Check out the video. Isn’t YouTube great? 

On the job front, it’s the same as usual: I’ve applied for more jobs, and there’s nothing much else to report. I signed up with a local temp agency recently, and they called me yesterday to say they might be able to get me a receptionist-type gig with an HVAC-ish company a few towns over. I’ll have to wait and see about that. I also contacted the director of a local library that I can get to by bus to see if they need any volunteers. She invited me to come visit, and I’ll try to do so on Saturday if the weather isn’t too horrendous.

The joys of the job hunt

I had a phone interview last Friday for a part-time circulation position with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, specifically the Arts, Architecture and Engineering Library. I made the Top 10 list for the job based on my resume (W00t!), but unfortunately I didn’t make the Top 4 according to the voicemail I received yesterday. This sounds like a “reality” talent show, doesn’t it? It’s the best way I have to explain the process that was explained to me. Anyway, I won’t be going out to Michigan for a face-to-face interview this time, but I was encouraged to keep en eye on the UMich job board for other positions and apply. I’m still stuck working retail, but the stress has lifted a bit from knowing there’s at least one library out there seriously considering my professional value. I’m going to keep trying with UMich (not that I’m going to ignore other possibilities) because everything I’ve read and heard about them indicates that would be a great place to work and start a career.

I’ve been hearing a lot recently about teens committing suicide because they were getting bullied for various reasons. This makes me sad. I just read an article this afternoon about a girl who was the fourth kid in her town to commit suicide after being heavily bullied at school. It says her (and the others’) parents are suing the school for not paying closerattention.  
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101008/ap_on_re_us/us_bullying_one_town

I’ve also been hearing about the It Gets Better Project, which is posting videos on YouTube geared towards gay teens. These videos try to offer hope by letting them know that the people bullying them aren’t the be-all-end-all of opinion, and that there are plenty of welcoming and supportive people and communities out there. The following links lead to the Project’s YouTube channel and two videos contributed by Sara Silverman, actress and comedienne, and Tim Gunn, fashion guru and co-host of Bravo’s Project Runway.  
http://www.youtube.com/itgetsbetterproject