Loriene Roy for President!!

I don't think I've ever endorsed a candidate for ALA President before, but I was very excited to learn that UT Austin LIS professor Loriene Roy is running for President. She'd have my vote for US President too (much better than another "Texan"). Alas, Dr. Roy is only running for ALA President. In any case, she certainly has my vote and best wishes. In terms of personality, Loriene can be a soft-spoken person, who is an excellent listener, however, she is truly engaged activist-intellectual on a number of fronts, including library service for Native people. I was happy that she came to the HLA Conference on the Big Island (although I arrived too late to hear her speak). I enjoyed the chance to talk with her on the way back to the Kona Airport. Check out her homepage or her ALA Presidential Campaign blog .

I am so behind in writing letters to family and friends. I always have to write belated greetings, but I am so enjoying these few days between semesters to work on research.

Of course, one should still take a break -- even from research, so Noriko and I caught a nice concert with jazzmaster DeShannon Higa on Friday at the rather swank Hanohano Room at the Sheraton Waikiki. The drinks were a bit expensive, but tasty. The band was tight, although I was not so crazy about singer's loungelike repertoire (although I had never heard a jazz version of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time"). Some annoying patrons seated (much too) close to us seemed to enjoy her singing though. They kept complaining loudly to the waitress that they wanted something like "less jazz, and more entertainment," almost demanding she get the singer back on stage. Alcohol does not seem to help all personalities. The view from the 30th floor made the drinks worth the extra price, especially as there was no cover. It is good to have options in terms of jazz now, even here in Hawaii.