Monday, October 02, 2006

Ruthie Is Back!!!

WHERE HAVE I BEEN???!!! Hellooooo Campers!!! Slowly I am going to catch back up to speed here!

And either today or tomorrow I will post new photos, too!

Here's what happened: There I was...getting settled-in for the winter months in Wheeling, West Virginia. I had two sources to use for free-net access sites: the community college and the public library.

I had my room at the YWCA and the company of all of the delightful, crazy ladies that live on the fifth floor.

Even the maintenance man liked me.

And then it happened.

As you can see, my posts stopped around September 15.

I was posting at the community college library and, as you know, the Feds have made it possible for librarians to monitor what people do on their computers.

And Wheeling is a VERY Republican, gung-ho war-mongering community. I mean, the Federal Building in downtown Wheeling is ultra-modern and takes up an entire city block!

That should tell you something.

[Click on the post headline above to read "Homeland Stupidity's" coverage of this activity]

[Despite what anyone says...I am convinced that the covert monitoring is still going on in some free-net access locations around the Country]

Those people don't mind sending their own over to get blown-away in the Middle East!

So...

I was online taking care of business when I realized that I had to make a phone call.

I grabbed my cell phone and didn't realize that I wasn't supposed to do that in that library.

Hey, honest mistake, ya know!

This big guy came over to me, leaned over the table, got right in my face [This is no exaggeration] and told me: "Stop talking, don't say another word and turn-off that phone NOW!"

I was stunned.

The so-called "librarian" practically spit at me while anger oozed out of his pores.

At that moment, the question of whether that facility had ever received a Gates grant
flashed through my head.

There I was, in one of thousands of free-net access sites that I have used in 49 States, on a long-distance call...with an ugly American in front of me.

I would have expected it in Chicago or Detroit or maybe downtown New York City...but not in Wheeling, West Virginia!!!

But it happened.

And as I walked out the door I vowed that I would make my point to the Dean of the college and never set foot on that campus again.

I have been true to my word.

First, I would like to share the email that Dean Steve Woodburn sent to me:
_______________

[Ms. Rader,

I have been out of the office for a week and it will take me a while to investigate the situation. I will begin right now with a big apology and let you know that there is no reason for any one at this college to be treated the way you stated. The investigation will conclude with this being handled internally. You have my sincere word that this situation will be handled professionally and with due diligence.

Thank you,

Steve]
_______________

I have called and sent email to Dean Woodburn but haven't received a response from him since.

And after my experience with that man in the library, I decided to stay away from that so-called "hall of hateful learning."

So...there went my first option to post to my blog.

That left me with the public library.

NOW...I will tell you what happened THERE!

The college library and the public library stand almost next-door to each other. And since Wheeling is a small-town city, the librarians from one building invariably talk to the cronies who staff the other one.

And guess what?

Yup.

Next thing I knew, I was hassled by a red-neck farm girl librarian wanna-be who told me that I took too long to log-off a computer.

That isn't true.

Well, duh!

As you can tell by glancing at the archives, I have traveled the entire expanse of North America many times and posted to my blog since December 2004.

Without a hitch, Campers!

But there I was, being called "irresponsible" and told that the library "isn't a day-care center" and that the librarian isn't my "babysitter."

Yes, those comments are verbatim!

It took several seconds for me to figure out what was really going on. I tried to reason with the director of the library but she was worse than the bertha-bruiser librarian!

I left there and spent the next two weeks trying to find an alternate free-net access site in the Greater Wheeling area. No dice.

That city doesn't even have a single cyber cafe!

So I made my mind up a few days ago to leave.

Which I did.

And I am now posting to you from a nice library in the small city of Burlington, Iowa.

It's a bit difficult because I broke my glasses but I am determined to make this happen today.

So...HELLO CAMPERS! RUTHIE IN THE SKY IS BACK!!!

2 comments:

Pixie said...

When you hear from Dean Woodburn, sweet Ruthie, be sure to ask him why HE NEVER RETURNED MY PHONE CALL (in which I left both my work number AND my personal cell phone number) regarding your situation.

Sickening the way you were treated. Just pisses me off (can you tell I'm feeling better????).

I love you Ruthie.

Miranda said...

So why are you not allowed to use a cell in a library? Unless you were talking too loud? Weird.
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