Surprise, surprise

So Monsieur Defarge's surprise birthday party was this weekend, and I think he was at least mildly surprised. Not bad for my first attempt. I don't know that surprises are my thing, though. Or at least I can only handle one at a time. Cases in point:

If you want to surprise someone, let me in on that fact.

My brother-in-law flew in from Texas for the party. His parents also attended. When he arrived, he asked if I had told them he was coming, because he hadn't. Of course, I had, on numerous occasions, having completely missed out on the fact that it was a secret.

On the other hand ...

If you want to surprise someone, it may be better not to tell me.

My brother-in-law's fiancee hopped a ride with some of our other Iowan friends. She made sure to tell me that she hadn't mentioned it to him and that it was a surprise. When he arrived and my initial blunder in announcing his arrival in advance became known, I tried to make amends by assuring him that while I may have told his family he was coming, I hadn't told his fiancee. When I saw the confused look on his face I realized I had gotten that secret reversed. Then, as a crowning touch, I said "Fuck!" in front of his family, which was probably the first time they'd heard that word outside of the movies.

Why didn't I think of this?

I love a good plague.

Encyclopedia of Plague and Pestilence
From Ancient Times to the Present Revised Edition
George Childs Kohn, Foreword by Dr. Mary-Louise Scully, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, Yale University

Specifications:
Indexes. Appendixes. Bibliography. Cross-references. Chronology. Further reading lists with major entries. 464 Pages. 8 1/2 x 11.

Reviews:

“The latest edition of this unique reference work catalogs the history of epidemic diseases, 11th century BCE to the present...presents concise articles that explore the origin, development, outcome, and significance of particular epidemic breaks...the entries provide vivid historical detail...Kohn uses both primary and secondary sources to illustrate colorfully the social, historical, and public health themes of infectious disease outbreaks. Each entry provides suggestions for further reading, with complete citations listed in an extensive bibliography at the end of the book. Useful cross-references and a highly detailed index are also supplied. The three appendixes list entries chronologically, by disease, and by location. No other work approaches this topic in such a brief, encyclopedic manner...Kohn’s encyclopedia will be a useful addition to any academic reference collection, lower-division undergraduate and up.” - Choice

“…does an excellent job…a conscious effort to put a human perspective on pestilence…Given the climate of the times and the concerns about bioterrorism, this title would be useful for a variety of subject areas. Recommended.” - The Book Report"Encyclopedia of Plague and Pestilence...is a very informative reference work that details the influence of epidemics on mankind." - Calliope"...factual, yet fascinating...There is plenty of information in each alphabetically arranged entry, and suggestions for further reading are included for more serious scholars. A book that will enrich science, social studies, English, and other classes, as well as inform general readers." - School Library Journal

Summary:

Praise for the previous edition:

"...factual, yet fascinating...Although it is a reference book, it may be read as history and geography of world diseases." - School Library Journal

"Although other reference sources discuss specific infectious diseases...none offers such a complete catalog of specific epidemics covering as long a time span. Recommended..." - Choice

"...the articles are informative, making this a useful ready-reference source." - Library Journal

"...a good source for high school and public libraries." - Booklist

"A highly accessible comprehensive reference..." - Book News

"...a worthy, significant, and welcome addition to the reference literature." - Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences

Tracing the history of infectious diseases from the Philistine plague of 11th century BCE to the anthrax occurrences in the United States in 2001, the Encyclopedia of Plague and Pestilence, Revised Edition remains the only single-volume, A-to-Z reference offering comprehensive international coverage of the subject.This volume provides concise descriptions of more than 700 epidemics, listed alphabetically by location of the outbreak. Each detailed entry includes when and where a particular epidemic began, how and why it happened, who it affected, how it spread and ran its course, and its outcome and significance. New features include a foreword written by an expert on infectious diseases, and updated indexes and appendixes, including a new appendix listing the entries alphabetically by disease.

Coverage includes:

Smallpox (France, 580)
Black Death (Europe, 1347-1380s)
Yellow Fever (Philadelphia, 1793)
Congolese Sleeping Sickness (Congo, 1895-1906)
Anthrax (Russia, 1979)
Malaria (Madagascar, 1987-1988)
HIV/AIDS Pandemic (Worldwide, 1980s-2000s)
Hantavirus (United States, 1993)
Onchocerciasis (river blindness) (Brazil, 1996)
Ebola outbreak (Uganda, 2000).

About the Author(s):

George Childs Kohn has written and edited numerous reference works, including Dictionary of Wars, Encyclopedia of American Scandal, and Dictionary of Historic Documents for Facts On File. He lives in Madison, Connecticut.

Someday, when I have more than four hours of vacation time ...

The best part of being a librarian (or an almost-librarian) is knowing other librarians who know about cool travel sites like these:

Hotel des Arts, San Francisco. The rooms are painted by emerging artists, and you can choose which one you want to stay in. Plus the rooms are scarily cheap -- $294 a week!

Unusual Hotels of the World. The name pretty much says it all. The rating system ranges from "different" to "WOW."

And, finally ...

Propeller Island City Lodge, Berlin. In case your trip to Germany isn't complete without being able to sleep in a coffin. Or a cage. Or a prison cell.

MySpace: Not just for meeting your Israeli soulmate anymore

Who knew? Not me -- I thought the whole "social networking" thing involved high schoolers posting drunken pictures of themselves to be used against them by school administrators or prospective employers or the U.S. Justice Department. But after not one but two fellow semi-adults suggested it as a means of keeping tabs on people from one's former high school class, I decided to give it a try.

The verdict: It's a great way to reinforce the fact that I NEVER WANT TO SEE THESE PEOPLE AGAIN.

This is, of course, useful, because just last night one of my coworkers was trying to convince me that I should attend the upcoming reunion. She's also the one who suggested scoping out MySpace to see who is on and what they're up to. She failed to mention (or maybe this does not apply to everyone's high school) that the experience is something akin to a trainwreck. Instead of spending last night after work studying for the exam I had this morning, I spent it in front of the computer, periodically shrieking and covering my eyes in embarrassment and disgust at what some people are willing to post about themselves on the Internet. (Yeah, I know where this is posted. But at least I haven't listed my astrological sign or my relationship status, written any poetry, or announced what type of superhero or flower I most resemble.)

The upshot of the whole experience is that I rediscovered some classmates that I had forgotten about -- and now I have to go through the process of repressing those memories all over again, as well as forgetting the information about their sex lives, disturbing nicknames, or pictures of these freaks with small children that I have now been exposed to.

And I'm now reconsidering my initial interest in attending my 50th high school reunion. I don't think 40 more years will be sufficient for me to get over the experience of not seeing them this time around.