Burned

[clevermanka]

I've been sleeping without earplugs for a few months now. I've slept with earplugs nearly every night of my life since I was eighteen. I've always been easily awakened by noises, and the communal sleeping room in Miller Scholarship Hall made earplugs a necessity. Sometime late last year, though, I began wondering if part of my inner issues were caused by constant use of earplugs. So I stopped wearing them regularly, and only used them when mckitterick had people over late and I wanted to go to sleep, or if I was at a hotel, or sleeping over at someone else's house, etc. Special occasions.

Last night, I was so tired and wanted desperately to get a good night's sleep. So I put in earplugs. And slept nearly the entire night through. I woke only once, to go pee (as opposed to my recent nightly-three-bathroom-visits). When the alarm went off this morning, I felt refreshed which, let me tell you, was a mighty fine change from how I've been feeling lately.

So I'm going to have to resume wearing earplugs every night. If it means I have the energy to get up early enough to start exercising again, it's worth it. I've felt like a monster slug lately.

A thank you (?) to shrijani for the heads-up on this latest depressing big-government obscenity: The federal government has now advised that children’s books published before 1985 should not be considered safe and may in many cases be unlawful to sell or distribute. This is heart-breaking. Have I mentioned lately how much I hate government interference in my personal life? I hate it. A lot. I hate it that politicians heed the shrill screams of Chicken Littles instead of relying on reason and, oh, I don't know, facts when it comes to governing. I'm so very tired of laws based on fear and ignorance. I'm a rule-based person--it's my nature. But I've about had it to here with Laws. Bah.

UPDATE: I was just sent this link, here, which has a few amendments to the information in the previous article.

On page 8, in the box, are the exemptions. Books appear to meet that criteria, as long as they are for reading and not toys. Lots of board books do have toys included so I imagine those are of concern. The date of this report is Feb 10 and it does have a disclaimer: This information was prepared by CPSC staff, has not been reviewed or approved by, and many not necessarily reflect the views of, the Commission. It may be subject to change based on Commission action.

Looks like the information was not distributed in time to a lot of stores, though. Is anyone surprised?

Comments

[nottygypsy.livejournal.com]

1985, Oh yeah that's the year everything started to SUCK!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_luaineach/]

oh boo to that book banning. What a glum morning start. :(

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It's just maddening and so sad.

I never would have thought it possible, but I'm being slowly seduced to your crazy anarchist ways simply because of the nausea induced by my government.

[stuology.livejournal.com]

I knew about the toys and clothes--a used children's shop in Lawrence had to shut it doors because of this loss over stupidity.

I didn't know about the books though. I wonder what the Dusty Bookshelf has done. They are going to lose a lot of their children's books because of this. Also the library book sale.

If books before 1985 were such a terrible hazard, I'd be fucking dead by now.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

What are libraries going to do with their collections?

I really wish this had gotten more publicity. I don't even think my mother knew. And she works at a children's library for godssake.

If books before 1985 were such a terrible hazard, I'd be fucking dead by now.

Seriously.

[annamatic.livejournal.com]

Yeah, no shit. I got like 75% of my year-old son's stuff from there. We can't near afford to buy all his stuff brand new retail... and why would we want to anyway? I'm REALLY fuming over that.

[the-themiscyran.livejournal.com]

If everything pre-1985 was such a hazard, how is it that people were perfectly capable of raising happy, healthy kids with books before these new regulations?!?!?!? ARGH! Idiots! Bloody idiots!

I wonder if we'll be able to keep our children's book collection intact here at Watson, since we're a research library?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I wonder if we'll be able to keep our children's book collection intact here at Watson

I think so. Apparently there are provisions for collections that are not intended for use by children. Pfffff.

I'm trying not to think about it too much right now or I'll go into a tailspin.

[the-themiscyran.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the additional link. I've heard that the act is now in a review stage, hopefully to allow for the removal of the stupid, hands-waving-in-the-air panicky bits.

*sheesh*

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

OMG YAY for the excellent night of sleep! Is it too much to hope that something so simple could be The Answer for the way you've been feeling lately?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Dunno. We'll see.

[tinsoldier.livejournal.com]

Oh give me a damn break.

I still very much subscribe to George Carlin's theory about the pussification of society. Subsequent generations are going to turn into squishy little Eloi and we're going to be eaten by Morlocks. This crap just drives me insane.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

we're going to be eaten by Morlocks

*shrug*

Fine with me. I'm about to the "let it all burn, brush off hands, and start over" phase, anyway.

[the-themiscyran.livejournal.com]

George Carlin's theory about the pussification of society

"I was tempered in raw sewage." Luv.

Off topic

[slinka.livejournal.com]

I give you gift: ROLcats (http://rolcats.com/), Russian LOLcats.

Re: Off topic

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Oh my god. Someone really needs to send that to the girls at Coilhouse...