Another Zenformation FAQ

Okay...going through random e-mails in my In-Box...trying to clean out some of my 1,000 messages built up - work, school, play, and the ol' ZeFo Pro stuff.

I ran across a few random questions from readers from a while ago:

Q: Why did you become a librarian?
A: Well, I love information and the absolute power that comes from being able to locate, evaluate, and utilize information effectively. Simply being "classically trained" as a librarian means, well, I know how to find information better and faster than about 90% of human beings on the planet. We can out-google the world, we can spot a bad print resource at 50 paces, and we're the last line of defense in defending intellectual freedom and the freedom to read. Simply put, being a librarian is absolutely bad-ass.

Q: Do you listen to emo?
A: Sure, but I don't buy into the whole "emo" culture - i.e., psuedointrospective, psuedointellectual whining about being middle-class white bread folks. If you're biggest problem in life is choosing which wrist to slit as a cry for help, see a therapist, choose cognative therapy, and fix your life! Emo isn't a type of music; as I said in an earlier post, it's a marketing ploy. Most of the bands labeled as Emo hate the label, its their record-exec handlers who use the name to sell albums. And these artists, as anyone would do in their situation, choose the big paychecks and bling paid for by the respective fans. A a good portion of those fans are using the music as an excuse to live life so self-absorbed that they'll be unprepared to face the same challenges in life that they run the risk of being a "bummer" on America's calendar.

Q: Do you still consider yourself a punk?
A: Nope. I'm me. I channel my inner-punker,though, every damned day. Its part of the Zenformation Experience. I listen to a ton of punk music, I still have an affinity for the old-school camaraderie and culture, but when the a genre of music/culture becomes available in shopping malls, is available for sale in places like Hot Topic, it loses its relevance as an outlet for its initial audience. When I was younger, I got caught up in the whole "sell-out" mindset, especially when bands like Green Day and the Offspring made it big. But, as an adult, I'm so happy for their success, especially the Offspring - Epitaph Records has been pumping out quality tunes for decades and finally was able to achieve recognition. I love hearing a teenager say that American Idiot introduced them to Black Flag, the Ramones, the Descendents, Bad Religion, Grave 45, etc. But punk is not about the clothes you wear, the hairstyle you sport, or the external vanity that's pushed nowadays as punk by the music industry and pop culture. Punk is a mindset, an internal balance between intellect, emotion, and the desire to be free. Its rugged individualism and liberation from the status quo. Its taking a stand in the mosh pit of life, pogo dancing into freedom. Punk, as a lifestyle, is dead; punk, as a philosophy, is as eternal as the Declaration of Independence and the Bible.

Q: How do I find good books/articles/etc. in Oxford?
A: Well, check out your Library and talk to a librarian or other library staffer! Miami's Libraries boasts an A-Team of wonderful librarians, highly trained in the Zen of the I-World. If you're not a Miami student, check out Lane Public Library - its free, with a friendly staff, open to all, and full of the things you may need to better yourself and to better your time in the community. If you're a high school student, hit up your school's media center or library. If its out there, every library is dedicated to find it for you.

Q: Do I have to have any particular background to become a librarian?
A: You need to, alas, go to an ALA-accredited library and information science graduate program.

Q: Did you dance with me at 45 East a few months ago?
A: Hmmm...maybe.

Q: What's your take on the lack of diversity in Oxford?
A: Well, there are folks working in the community to fix that. Oxford has existed in a vacuum for decades now. The student body at Miami tends to use Oxford as nothing more than a playground during the school year. The townsfolk, especially the older ones I've met, will secretly admit to a Catch-22 sense of hatred for the university. A lot of locals also cannot afford to attend Miami as well, which is extremely bizarre for me. Most universities around the country have a good balance of locals vs. "carpetbagger" students. Diversity is a frame of mind, and that has to be learned. Its more than just statistics citing race, color, creed, and sexual orientation. It encompasses diversity of ideas, cultures, and lifestyles. And that takes commitment. Without diversifying the community, there will be a slow and painful death in terms of quality of life.