We Got Answers, the Browns

But before I forget (again), I should note that my submission appears in the Carnival of Bad History, which I got to indirectly through Mr. Brown.

1. What CDs are currently in your various listening devices?

Our choir performed A Ceremony for Carols by Benjamin Britten for our Advent vespers on December 4. I’m listening to a recording of our performance – it ain’t bad! I had never sung it or heard it before, though I understand it’s a popular choice for this time of year. Also, Frank Sinatra, Reprise box set. New Stevie Wonder, which I got for Christmas.
New Diana Krall Christmas CD which I gave Carol for Christmas. And the CD I made for Chris. I also got other tunes for Christmas that I want to play – two Christmas discs (Michael McDonald, James Taylor), the new Macca album Fred is reviewing someday, an old Clash album (Super Black Market Clash), Our New Orleans 2005: A Benefit Album; and the disc I just opened, 100% Santa Free from Eddie! Thanks, Eddie – hope you blog soon.

2. Who is your favorite Beatle?

As I’ve noted on December 8, I identfied heavily with John. Having said that, I have more solo albums by George between 1970 and 1980 than John, and Paul is second. I bought every other Macca disc, but almost every Harrison disc. Then after John’s death, the count between George and Paul’s about even. When George died in the fall of 2001 – a fact I remember only because it was about the first TIME magazine cover that featured anything other than 9/11 coverage since 9/11-

I was sad, but I knew he was dying. Later, as I remembered his life – bringing Indian music to the West, Concert for Bangladesh, I got very melancholy. George was a Pisces, so I related to him at some other level.

3. What’s been your favorite book you’ve read this year?

It’s Pajama Time by Sandra Boynton: “Pajammy to the left, pajammy to the right. Jamma Jamma Jamma Jamma Jamma, P-J.” I’m no rapper, but I read it what I consider in rap form. Oh, you mean grown-up books? Can’t recall if I’ve read any. Magazines and newspapers, yes, but books not geared toward children? I have looked at 1000 Record Covers, which is a book of, well, you know.
I start LOTS of books, such as Eats Shoots and Leaves (or is that Eats, Shoots, and Leaves?). I’m two-thirds of the way through American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush by Kevin P. Phillips. Will I finish it? Probably , but then the periodicals just pile up.
Oh, wait, I probably read Stupid White Men earlier this year. The book I read this summer was The Zen of Zim, by Don Zimmer, the former Yankee coach who looks like Popeye. He says appropriately mean things about Steinbrenner. He was a member of the “Boys of Summer”, the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers team that won the borough’s only World Series.

4. Have any “problem patron” library stories to divulge?

Our library is different in that the ultimate client we don’t see or talk with. The clients go to one of our two dozen centers around the state, the advisor meets with the client and then contacts us. We really prefer that the advisor call us, so we can do what we librarian types like to call the “reference interview.” Otherwise, we tend to get lengthy reference questions via fax or e-mail passed through from the client to us. We have received questions with 30 or more bullet points, (REALLY), and we are forced to imagine whether the client actually needs to know all of those items at this point in the business cycle. We wonder whether the questions make sense to the advisors, because if the advisor who has met with the client doesn’t understand it, we, who try to parse this information from the narrative, probably won’t. Also, with other advisors to serve, we often don’t have time to work on questions with 30 or more bullet points, so we will make our determination as what we think is most important, or most accessible, and we don’t want to be in that position.

The classic question came by fax several years ago. It described the business, who owned it, its financial difficulty, the client’s ethnicity, lines of interesting text. What it lacked was a QUESTION. I took it off the fax machine and said, “That’s nice, what does the advisor want us to DO to help the client?” We used to refer to ourselves as the Psychic Research Network, because we had to use our crystal balls to try to discern the question.

Yo, the inquisitive Kelly Brown–

1. If you could change one thing that you have done as a parent what would it be and why?

Nothing.

I mean, if I had my druthers, I’d have done it earlier. This parenting thing is a younger person’s gig. I went to Christmas Eve service, and the father of one of the members was a year behind me at Binghamton Central High School. He has a 2-month old granddaughter while I have a 21-month old DAUGHTER.

We might have put her into a different daycare last year, but we couldn’t get in.

So, it all happens for a reason, and I TRY not to sweat it too much.

2. If you had wings what would you do?

Molt. Well, I mean fly, as I do in my dreams.

3. What is the first book that you want your daughter to read on her own when she can?

Green Eggs and Ham. She IS a Green, after all.

4. Will you allow your daughter to have a blog if she wants?