Kwanzaa, a Young Adult Celebration of African-American Heritage, West Covina

Young adults and their families celebrated Kwanzaa at the West Covina
Library, Saturday, December 23. The celebration featured a poetry class
and reading by poet, Tajji Samone. Volunteens, Aimee, Alyssa, Genevieve,
Oni, and Daniel decorated the meeting room using black, red, and green
bows, origami, construction paper, posters, and brightly-colored balls.
Informational literature was provided to attendees, as was a poetry
newsletter produced by Samone. Following the reading, approximately
thirty guests enjoyed soul food from Hungry Al's Barbeque, including
saucy ribs and delicious collard greens. For dessert, the teen crowd
gobbled peach cobbler, red velvet cake, and assorted pastries prepared
by library staff and patrons. Thank you to the Friends of the West
Covina Library for sponsoring this educational and fun celebration of
African-American culture!

Evaluation Form Comments:
"Very well presented" M. Curry
"It was very good and I enjoyed it -- very educational. I hope to see
this happen next year." April W.
"Very good, I loved it." Semaj L.
"It was great participating and learning about other cultures. It
should be done more often!" Millie A.
"Thank you. It was very educational." Andrew L.

Halloween for Kids, by Young Adults, West Covina

It looked like rain, so we couldn't bring out the giant TV console. One of the kids thought up limbo instead of karaoke. The West Covina staff party reappropriated the camera from me (so evil!), so I couldn't photograph my FAVORITE part, the pinata-smashing!!! We also had a costume contest that Andy won for his Lakers uniform (his second costume contest win that day). We had 6 or 7 actual tweens or teens, all of whom watched the 4 or 5 little ones (mostly younger siblings) have fun. Of course, the teens did like the smashing part. Target makes a seriously hard pumpkin pinata.

Second Annual Barnes & Noble Shopping Spree for Teen Read Week, West Covina

In celebration of Teen Read Week, teens shopped for the young adult (YA) collection and enjoyed Starbucks at the West Covina Barnes and Noble, Saturday, October 21 st (total cost $350). In shopping, teens earned experience in collection development techniques. YAs also gained expertise in marketing as they promoted the library, speaking one-on-one with bookstore shoppers about turning in a "Love your Library" voucher along with their purchases. Each voucher that was presented at the time of purchase resulted in a donation by Barnes and Noble of 15-25% of the sale to the Library (total donation to library - $500). The teens enjoyed socializing with other YA readers and working with Friends of the Library members. The President of the YA Board, Sami , says of the event, "It was really cool knowing that we made a difference by raising money for the library. It was just really fun and the result feels awesome."

Mountain Lion Foundation Lecture for Young Adults, West Covina

We had a Mountain Lion Preservation Fund Program on Thursday, Oct. 20. I bought some giveaways for the teens from the fund, including T-shirts, post card books, and mugs. This program was so special that we decided, at the last minute, to invite all of the families in the library to attend. The children and teens enjoyed the snacks, slide show, and memory game contest.

Project Spunway (by Monique D.)

(Kom—d-gär-'sOn) Michael Kors nearly got it right, had he not pronounced Comme as comb. It’s French Mikey; ce n'est pas Kors-ican.
Uli’s mom’s German wasn't interpreted for us as was Michael Knight’s English last week.
Jeff’s mom, Jeff, Angela, and her mofo: why do they always have to murder the innocent yardage first? No more lamé should be spilt for Jeff’s oily everything.
Uli was cheated; worstly, Robert’s been robbed, which means we’re stripped of witty gay banter for the remaining season. ATTENTION PROJECT RUNWAY! You try watching a Bravo show --- with chicks kissing on an Orbitz commercial --- sans homosexual innuendo for an entire hour! Ugh. It is a fit as ill as Angela’s Best Little Whorehouse in Texas madam git-up. (FYI, Kors, that’s 'ma-d&m.)

New Orleans Narcissus (by David S.)

Born in a Big Easy brothel, my mom had an economical amount of boyfriends named Jon who helped us pay rent. Okay, that’s not true and mom would kill if made aware of her son’s sordid sobs. The temptation to autobiographically fish-tale is great, but I can brag a luxuriously colorful life.
Just the facts: I am a handsome male and the ladies treat me well. The Mrs. is not pleased by for my aforementioned popularity --- a light cross I carry, moon walking. My hide currently hosts many hours of blu-black ink. Why currently? Because an uninsulated power line electrified me, blowing out the back of my left leg and taking with it twenty minutes of arm tattoo (litigation pending). Epidermal modification unearthed by desire to attract attention, then to prove, finally, I am really, really cool. Narcissistic --- never a truer adjective dubbed me by English majors.
A trio of half-brothers are the balancing, humbling force. My youngest older brother is a junkie. Fun at parties, good when backaches need relaxing. Another mid-brother is a Rush-Limbaugh-type (not in drug-use, but politics). Though not nearly rich enough to be Republican, scared by pre-Katrina New Orleans, he sought protection in the GOP. Multinationals gathering in one, bra-free city to bear bosom? A horrid event, in his psyche. I love it. Until recently, eldest-brother taught Hungarians English. As of last sighting, he smelled very Hungarian. Among my four European nieces it is agreed that his smell is puzzling; they swear that his is not the national scent.
Since high school, I’ve dabbled in hundreds of hobbies, a favorite being gator-wrestling. I am the Louisiana Gator Wrestling King of Mardi Gras, 2001. A disputed title, oui, cher. According to local opinion, just because one gets drunk and anoints oneself a title after wrestling a fat broad that looks like a gator from a piece of king cake.. Well, that doesn’t make you the first second millennium Louisiana Gator Wrestling King of Mardi Gras. Non, I say. Oh, and I am still a Saints fan.

Beauty is Pain: We Test the Beautiful Products & Myths So You Don’t Hafta': First Fiction: You Sell the Sizzle (by Monique D.)

The Beauty Tale: In ancient times, Japanese gals employed searing metal implements in making flippy lashes. My eyeball. Beauty is pain. (Sizzle.) Eyeball sssssssss’ing. Heavy onomatopoeia. Gangsta’ that I am, I touched the oven-roasted butter knife to my tongue. Tongue sssssssss’ed. Temporarily blinded, then healed by Rx antidote, Gentak brand, Gentamicin Sulfate Ophthalmic Ointment USP, 0.3%. I kept tha’ eyeballs, this anecdote, and accidental Jackass-like shame.
My lashes weren’t even that curly.
The Guilty Parties: Most recently the heated-utensil-as-underground-Far-East-stylist-tool fable wafted among friends in bars. My obsession stemmed from the Nordstrom sparkle-dealing blondazons. The glamazon story of hardcore ancient Japanese bitches and modern contemporaries with plug-in eyelash permers was paired with heartless sales pressure. These Nordie wannabe’-mid-life-crisis-trade-ups were selling the Japonesque. The mini-heated curler that gently warms eyeballs like love. A love and a heat reminiscent of the $1 Tejas stripper boob-facial sparklizer. But less dangerous. Pony up to the tip bar, folks, it feels that good, and it lasts that long. Asian battery-operated toy-time is a short run; so, if you need that eyeball tan and a flashing green light, trade up to the $10 cheaper equaline version pictured here (Albertsons). The crimping action is intense for a heating curler, and the handling is safer than the more weapon-like name-brand designs.

The Post-Script: As per my Japanese-American pal, Mary, Asian lashes can be course and difficult to curl, hence the hot action.

No. 1 Project Runway Bloggi (by Monique D.)

Pretentious moron Michael Kors said something about a trump lloyd belt (sixth episode, third season). At least that's what his pronunciation sounded like. I think he meant trompe l'oeil (tromp-'l&-E, trO np-'l[oe]i). He likes to use big words!
I.e., "That looks like a brioche." We get it, Kors; you're gay.I also like how Angela keeps trying to boisterously hug contestant Michael, and he disses her in new, innovative ways every time. That's quickly getting to be the best part of the show for me.
Even though Michael won again this time; I think he mostly lost.
No. 2 'Cuz Jeff said that Michael's clothes have no flavor. Ooo. He's not black enough for Jeff. Jeff is more black, as he has India ink tattoos and dark-colored clothes. And his hair is noire, too!
No. 1 B/c the film editing staff interpreted Michael's speaking by writing his (perfectly clear) words on the bottom of the screen after he spoke. They should be doing that for Michael Kors' French!

Ray Bradbury Event for Young Adults (Arranged by Yours Truly), West Covina

West Covina Library hosted one of the greatest science fiction writers in history, Mr. Ray Bradbury, on June 8, 2006. We raised funds by selling 200 of his books, which we received at cost through Random House. (Ray Bradbury speaks/signs books at libraries to raise funds for library needs.) We had about 200 participants, some of whom filtered in and out of the lecture. Many of the students drove 40 miles from Sepulveda High. We provided bottled water and cookies baked by volunteer teens (with staff assistance).