An inspirational quote

"In the shoes of the other, we learn to have a great capacity for understanding, for getting to know difficult situations."

http://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2017/02/28/pope-francis-says-give-homeless-dont-worry-about-how-they-spend-it-lent

International Women's Day March 8

Today is International Women's Day.

The theme for this year is "Women in the changing world of work: Planet 50-50 by 2030".

http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/international-womens-day

I am sure that many of us love the classic female writers such as Jane Austen, Emily Dickinson, Christie Agatha. But for this International Women's Day, try something different - read one of these books that would enlighten your day:

(1) Rise of the rocket girls: The women who propelled us, from missiles to the moon to mars

(2) Hidden figures: The American dream and the untold story of the Black women mathematicians who helped win the space race

(3) Women of vision: National Geographic photographers on assignments

(4) The girls of atomic city: The untold story of the women who helped win World War II

(5) Wonder women: 25 innovators, inventors, and trailblazers who changed history 

(6) It's what I do: A photographer's life of love and war

(7) Half the sky: Turning Oppression into opportunity for women worldwide

(8) Rad women worldwide: Artist and athletes, pirates and punks, and other revolutionaries who shaped history

(9) In the company of women: Inspiration and advice from over 100 makers, artists, and entrepreneurs

What makes a life worth living?

Most people believe that you would be able to get an answer to the above-mentioned question after reading this book:

Paul Kalanithi, When Breath Becomes Air.

Most readers expressed that they found inspiration and hope from this book. On the contrary, I only feel the sadness and the unfinished business of life from the pages. It is simply because the young neurosurgeon's experience reminds my late husband - the sudden unexpected challenging of facing death.

"I can't go. I'll go on."

Something about libraries and librarians

(1) Librarian by any other name.: https://librarianhats.net/

(2) The argument: The library is not dead: http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2017/01/09/in-the-magazine/argument-library-not-dead.html

(3) Not dead yet: Libraries still vital, pew report finds: http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jan/22/entertainment/la-et-jc-pews-report-on-libraries-is-upbeat-20130119

(4) Do not go to library school. Librarianship is a dying profession [?]: https://hiringlibrarians.com/2014/01/14/do-not-go-to-library-school-librarianship-is-a-dying-profession/

(5) Are reference librarians dead? http://www.richardkong.com/2011/04/are-reference-librarians-dead/

(6) The beautiful librarians are dead: http://gwallter.com/libraries/the-beautiful-librarians-are-dead-academic-librarians-and-the-crisis-in-public-libraries.html

A very informative documentary - must-see

Documentary film: Frontline: United States of Secrets

It is very informative and chilling Frontline documentary. Here are my intakes of this film:

(1) It is a very disturbing; the ugly history of the US
(2) It is the "pre-Snowden" events
(3) It should be a "must-see" documentary for journalists and journalism students
(4) Inside the US government, there are still a few good men/women who have the courage to speak out and stand up for justice
(5) It is surprised that President Obama carried on the "NSA Program" - when he had the chance to change.  - is it the logo of Obama's presidency?

BBC Hard Talk with Singapore Prime Minister Lee

I couldn't sleep last night and listened to the BBC overnight program. It is very unusual (particularly for a very conservative society, Singapore) that PM Lee discussed gay rights Section 377A. What surprised me is that I have no ideas that if any gay person openly admits she/he is a homosexual person, she/he would be jailed a maximum penalty of two years in prison. What Prime Minster Lee explained that the section 377A is a law which was "handed" from British era - 1938 and it is not actively enforced.

Then... why get rid of it? We are now in the year of 2017! Prime Minister Lee said that he is "prepared to live with it until social attitudes change".

(1) http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/pm-lee-discusses-gay-rights-and-succession-planning-on-bbc-s/3558610.html

(2) http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/pm-lee-on-bbcs-hardtalk-most-would-back-retaining-section-377a-if-a-referendum-was-held

(3) http://www.pmo.gov.sg/newsroom/pm-lee-hsien-loongs-interview-bbc-hardtalk

We, the lucky Americans, are still enjoying our freedom and constitution rights.

My Alma Mater University of Wisconsin Madison has a LGBT Campus Center Library since 1998. The library is part of UW libraries system providing LGBT studies and theory and as well as popular film and documentaries.
https://lgbt.wisc.edu/library.htm

Your complicated digital life

Who can access or own your digital life after your death? It seems to me that the digital era has made our lives more complicated; but that can be done "properly".

Here are some of the interesting articles:

(1) "Who own your iTunes library after death?"

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/08/22/digital_assets_and_death_who_owns_music_video_e_books_after_you_die.html

(2) Your digital life after death:
http://ideas.ted.com/your-digital-life-after-death/

(3) Who gets ownership of your digital life after you die?
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/who-gets-ownership-of-your-digital-life-when-you-die/

(4) What happens to your digital life after death?
https://www.1life.co.za/blog/digital-after-death

(5) Digital life after death:
http://www.tgdaily.com/social/172521-digital-life-after-death