Update on Clay Babies Mystery

WhenToWork.com message from David Bottorff  forwarded at your request.

Hi all,

I'm sending this message out in case anyone knows anyone involved in distributing the plaster casts of dolls/babies/cupie angels throughout the bookstacks this year.

If you do, I'd ask that you pass on the message that this is actually quite a dangerous thing to do, given the chance of one of these falling off a shelf and hitting a patron or (more likely) a student shelver. Last year, one of our student employees was almost hit on the head when a plaster doll fell from a shelf and shattered on the floor.

I'm not interested in knowing who's doing this or even knowing if you speak with anyone about it. I understand the temptation to leave odd little "easter eggs" for others to discover in the stacks, but in this case the eggs are 5 lb lumps of plaster and could seriously injure someone.

If you find any of these in the stacks while shelving, please bring them down to me (I've got a couple of examples sitting on top of the shelves in my office). If you know anyone who's leaving these "gifts" please ask them to stop. I don't want any of you or anyone else getting hurt, and I'm sure they don't either.

Thanks,
David

Despite my dripping sarcasm in the last post, the Clay Babies are real and nasty, people! They're up and about, waiting to scare the bejeezers out of unsuspecting patrons in the Bookstacks. Ha!

Full Empty

"There are these kids who have dreams

then there are these dreams that will grow

until they get so goddamned big that they explode

And what's left in the smoke and the falling debris

are grownups like them and losers like me".

- anon

University Library Seized By Clay Babies

CHICAGO,  May 18: The Joseph Regenstein Library bookstacks of The University of Chicago is seeing an increase in abnormal activities with the latest Clay Babies mystery. The Bookstacks Department headed by David Bortoff claims to have uncovered twelve clay babies planted amongst the library collection to date. Bortoff has reason to believe there are more Clay Babies "lying out there in the stacks, waiting to pounce and shock people with their crazy smiles and wide open baby stub of arms".

These white, identical baby figurines are believed to have been made out of paper machete (in which case its name would be a misnomer) or more likely, clay. 

Search Services Assistant, Christopher Straughn found two clay babies while doing his rounds early yesterday morning. A frazzled Straughn expresses his concern for the potential hazard Clay Babies may bring since "some had been planted on top of the moving shelves on the B-level and fell on patrons. " However, Straughn does not speculate the culprit has malicious intents, perhaps just a "morbid and horrible sense of humor".

A Cage Management Assistant who refused to be named insists "it must be the work of some weirdo lady who has nothing better to do", claiming condemnation by the feminist factions of the student body who is "sick of people almost always immediately pointing fingers to the likes of cat ladies, creepy lady stuck in 80s clothing and them 'hos."

A student employee reports that "[she] thought students getting it on in the stacks is pretty awkward, but these fugly babies are just plain sick."

"Totally creeeeepy!", another lamented.

Fondly known as The Reg, this library bookstacks is already home to major nerdy conversations and self-introspection in the form of wall graffiti that defeats social conventions and norms. Inglorious remarks are made upon the self with reference to Dante's Inferno, au contraire to common youth speak such as "FML" or "fuck this shit and that shit." One dark corner on the second level clearly speaks for the University culture as cost curves, cost functions, production-cost frontiers and supply and demand graphs grace the walls.

During the school's winter quarter, the library hosts the controversial, annual Athletics Team "Naked Streak", opening all floors to an orgy of skin, giggles and to some, terror. Acts of coitus is also common in the bookstacks and this alludes to the perverse eroticism that must lie within the walls of this brutalist and otherwise boring architecture.

And now, perversity continues to reign as Clay Babies terrorize bookshelves, fall on patrons, disrupt peace and inculcate fear amongst library frequenters. Bookstacks personnel, clearly paralyzed by the emergence of Clay Babies are considering organizing a strike in the lobby if  "this crazy sensation does not stop."

The library is home to 4.4 million  print volumes, making it one of the largest repositories of books in the world. It is open to the general public every day and visitors may request a free day pass at the ID and Privileges Office.

Hm, Do You Concur?

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Let's talk some Stats crap. It is seen here that Cov[Score|Study]= 0, thus implying that Corr[score, study]= 0 (There is no correlation between score and studying). On a more serious note, God forbid!

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Not!
Week 6, "you sak, you sak!"

p/s: If I may, a little inspiration to think about where your place (and what your purpose) is in the world: http://www.thegatesnotes.com/Default.aspx

pp/s: Oh hey, it's little miss-at-large's 100th post! Not too shabby for someone with a little ADD (aka hangat-hangat tahi ayam-ity) on the sides. 

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Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson is a personal favorite of mine on Guitar Hero. Of late, the song reminds me of a good friend and brother whom I won't say goodbye to, just see you later (to use Hanna's words). And I'm telling you, he is sorely missed, by the entire Chicago population, furreal. The Chi knows when the bro isn't around. The Chi thinks he should give Ezamil, Dezerk, Ainul, Kat and I that ludicrous "to the pound" we oh-so-miss. I speak for the rest when I say: One round of Adam-nity for the good ol' times. And one for the beautiful, new life you're leading with Shikin in London. I'm sure only good things will come your way. Good luck!

Second Opinion(s)?

I have an urgent, humble favor to ask of any of you precious people who happen to read this. I'm submitting four photos for a study abroad photo contest, and I'd appreciate it if you can help me choose two more. These are wholly amateur photos of no quality taken with a 7.2mp point-and-shoot camera, so forgive me for robbing you of one's most important commodity, time. 

Here are the two I'm definitely submitting.

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Townships, settlements of shacks and brick huts like this, dominate the Cape Town landscape of what is now known as Cape Flats. They are "reserved" for Black South Africa and is situated away from the scenic Table Mountain and the bustling Table Bay, and certainly out of the city center. Apartheid may have left the picture in 1992, but this painful legacy is still there to be captured by lenses and hurt the hearts that see.

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You would want to name a car after this antelope once you see how graceful it is. Enough said. Oh, and just that we saw hundreds of them until we got to the point where we agreed to only stop the Game Drive Vehicle if we see a baboon playing with a leopard that is standing on a lion preying on an impala.

And here are the ones I've shortlisted.

Telkom Tower, Johannesburg - Very Vuvuzela of you, South Africa!  

South Africa shows us its 2010 World Cup spirit and pride in style. And with the skyline, no less.

From the Carlton Tower, Johannesburg city center - AIDS in the shadows

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Venda children of Guyuni village, Hamakuya, Limpopo

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Rembuluwani homestead, Guyuni village, Hamakuya, Limpopo

The simplest meals of cornmeal porridge called Pap and vegetable dishes, eaten communally, left me with the fullest stomach and happiest heart for three days and two nights.

The contest deadline is April 30, which leaves me with 2 days. Do let me know what you think by leaving me a comment.  Thank you :(|)

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I am religious about putting on my best set of lingerie on/for a special day. Albeit nobody knows I have on some fancy pants getup (pun unintended) underneath, I feel the difference. Nothing like the brush of crisp, new lace against my sawo matang skin or the gentle touch of 98% cotton and 2% spandex of my more seasoned but still awesome panties. If you see me smiling confidently and strutting over like I own sexy back, you know my secret. Rest assured that I come in bursting, vibrant hues and cutesy designs, under the radar. Victoria’s Secret is nothing but apt. It is a woman’s best kept secret, after all, these things that lie close to your skin.

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Suffice to say I have found myself a new hideaway where I can go OTT and TMI (that's Over The Top and Too Much Information for the uninitiated) if need be. I needed a channel to go carte blanche on matters I am not ready to share with the whole world. Although, of course, I don't mean to suggest that the whole world reads this pathetic little blog of a little person. Oh pooh, you know what I mean. Fret not, I have too much of a sentimental hold to forever abandon this site. I'll keep coming back, just as we always come back to pictures of the past, especially those of gayest moments.