This is not an official blog of the City. It is the work of Mark Kapel who is solely responsible for content.

Search This Blog

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Oscar 2012 Redux

The Oscars are over. This blog as the  City of Bloomfield Hills' most entertaining electronic rag (there is only one other) is proud to comment on the phenomena and offer a  preview or two  of coming attractions (which  for reasons we can not comprehend are now called of  are called trailers).

This writer is  probably the only person who didn't like Argo. It was just fine during the viewing. In fact I liked it  so much so that I went on line and read all about it. That was mistake. Why ? Because what really  happened was more exciting and less contrived than what was shown on the screen . A masterful plan made real by the CIA and Hollywood with helpers like Buckminster Fuller and  Ray Bradbury  (Fahrenheit 451) was ignored. In Argo that collaboration  is played  for yucks by the ubiquitous  John Goodman and  Alan Arkin. The latter  seems intent on reprising his role in Little Miss Sunshine.

The Canadians who aided us immensely in the escape, by sending embassy staff in and out of the country to ascertain airport security,buying the  departure tickets, and even tutoring  the Yanks on how to speak Canadian English, are  forgotten. The outcry over said prompted the  producer's of Argo to post a  post script at the film's  conclusion stating  that  the escape was the result on "international cooperation". The  movie has the CIA getting cold feet and almost scuttling  the project by not providing the departure tickets (which in reality were purchased by the Canadian Embassy). Even the CIA agent who helped mastermind the project and lead it a successful conclusion is compromised. In the film he and is wife are "taking a break from their marriage."  In reality on the day of his departure to Tehran the wife  drove the agent  to the airport.

If you would like, say for the sake of argument, to consider moral ambiguity Argo has none. Fanatics storm the US Embassy and the true story of how half dozen American with a little help from our friends escaped  is trampled  in a mad dash,  cut to the chase.

Zero Dark Thirty has  a smidgen  of moral ambiguity. In all other respects it suffers in comparison to  almost everything else including rather  ignominiously a  preview of a coming attraction for  the movie Emperor. Emperor is set during the United States occupation of Japan after the Second World War. In a matter of minutes the preview tells us  that General MacArthur  (Tommy Lee Jones)  is not sure what do with the defeated Emperor, connecture is not fact, and revenge is not justice.

Zero Dark Thirty starts with torture scenes that according to some experts provided negligible  information in the hunt for Bin Laden. One imagines that these scenes were included because  like desert sand they, just part of the landscape.  Part of the problems with  this film is that you are not  (perhaps for reasons of  security) privy to very many facts. It is never explained where the CIA lady (Jane Chastain ) who becomes  the protagonist comes from. She just drops in as do you.. I think the term is  "in medias res."  Unless you know a lot you really aren't sure of what is going on. Especially in the early stages. No offense intended . Spywise there is a name for leaving you in the dark. It's called trade craft.

As opposed to beginning of the film the  red, white, and  blue  finish with flying colors. While protagonist is 95% certain  the compound in question is actually  Ben Ladin's ,the CIA powers that be wait until that certainty is 100% before launching the raid. That's good. As is the efforts of the Navy Seals who attack an armed and locked  multi building compound  (It's much bigger than what you saw in the newspaper or TV photos). Going building by building blowing off doors with presumed plastic explosives they awaken  angry  nearby neighbors who make an appearance  Eventually the local authorities launch F 15 fighter  jets which we  probably sold them. By then the Seals have escaped into the night   Mission accomplished.

In contrast,  The Life of Pi and Les Miserables were most enjoyable and thought provoking,.
You want moral ambiguity ? How about Les Miserables  with the  X man  Wolverine as John Val Jean and  Inspector Jabert  played with  empathy and  surprising sensitivity by the normally  two
fisted  Russel Crowe  ?

The  Life of Pi  offers three religions, and two possible explanations for an unplanned often  spiritual journey of life  from French India (Goa. annexed  by the New Dehli government in the early nineteen sixties) to Montreal. The movie advertisement show a teenage boy and tiger sharing a lifeboat.  That is part of the film but don't let that deter you . Pi's  family "owned "a zoo in French India. As the  father pointedly states their  ownership stopped with the  the zoo animals and did not include the land the government would  annex.  That annexation prompted the family's departure by sea with animals in cargo..Story telling is at the heart of the movie.The story of how Pi came to be named , the problems his unusual name caused   and what he did about is hilarious and worth the price of admission .As is the extra $2 required for 3D viewing . The movie is narrated  matter of fact with a touch of semi  zen tossed in.. If one is curious many interesting interpretations abound on the internet

Lincoln is a historically accurate. It is also a very clever movie which works in the Gettysburg Address and the exact language of the 13th amendment and all the fighting  that went into it's passage while still being very entertaining.. Curiously Lincoln had a re-occurring dream in which he was on a small boat not unlike Pi 's  and was on drifting towards an unknown destination. Mary Todd Lincoln  (Sally Fields, nee TV's Gidget, and the Flying Nun   and  a two time Ocsar winner) said  Abe always had that dream when he was under stress.

Amour deal with death and morally ambiguous outcomes. It ends with a five word conversation husband a wives  often have when going somewhere. Like the Life of PI you can interpret the ending a number of ways. The denouement scene didn't sell this writer but  maybe it wasn't for sale. The ending was stunner. I did not however have the desire to go on line and consider various interpretations.

 Beast of the of the Southern Wild  despite being a low budget Indie  has enormous  heart  and depicts a  part of our country which is often underwater.. Both the Oscar nominated  actresses of Amour (age 86) and Beasts( age six when the movie was being filmed ) despite much adversity and the shadow of death  comment on the beauty of life. It is said that Beasts also cleaned out the community theaters and  drama guilds of southern Louisiana to populate it's film and give it a big picture feel.

The Nine Pictures (of which we have so  far discussed seven) sort of over lap and  in content could be packed together in a nine disk box set to be called  "The  Big Nine of 2012."

So  like the Zen Master says  in the end  we must go back to the beginning. In the beginning it was really quite simple. People did what they thought was right. There was no  consideration of  fairness or moral ambiguity because no thought they were doing anything wrong.

 Academy members who saw all of the above pictures,  because all  have been in theaters forever, gave
 King Ben Afflleck's  Oscar nomination for Best Director of Argo to another Ben,. Benh Zeitlin for the  Beast of the Southern Wild.  Hollywood money making interests  (not realizing how hard it is to direct amateur (often  first time actors) then went nuts over the perceived snub to Mr. Affleck.

Thus the need for good direction became obvious. Tit for Tat, Hollywood  may have  gone to  to the Central Intelligence Agency and asked for help. There aided by a  young lady with a code name ( no further explanation  provided )  a  95%  solution was arrived at.


 To rectify the snub to Big Ben Argo would get best picture. Life of Pie would get Best Director, Lincoln would get Best Actor. Silver Lining Playbook would get Best Actress.Amour would get best foreign film. Les Miserables would get Best Supporting  Actress  and a nice number on the Oscar show. Zero Dark Thirty in a tie with Skyfall would  receive the award for sound  editing. If that sounds paltry perhaps it is the price one pays for being semi -controversial. Beasts of the Southern Wild would have it's nominations (Picture, Actress, and Director) the latter two for first timers. Djano Unchained would get Best Supporting Actor . Nobody but nobody would brag about how many Oscars they received because nobody would receive very many.

Am I rewriting history ? Perhaps just a little or as Yogi Berra famously said  it could be  deja vu all over agian.

 Hollywood needed a play book. Preferably one with a silver lining. As luck would have it a movie by exact;y that name came long. The film  had  the de rigueur  number of tie ins to other he other nominated pictures. It had the karma  of Pi,  the passion and sincerity of Lincoln.  Silver Lining Playbook  provided  a  cop who makes  Inspector Jabert look like the Welcome Wagon, and  a hero  hampered by restraining orders. at every turn, The movie  also spoke French. Well sort of. Our hero goes  goes bananas every time the song Mon Cherie Amour is played. It is a  wonderful romantic comedy that will warm the hearts and  prompt impromptu cheering  from those who hate romance and comedies. Silver Lining Playbook is in this writer's opinion, the Best Picture of the year  and can boast a proud pedigree. The first to come to mind is  Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac  but there are other parallels as well.

Silver Lining Playbook  is the  the first film since 1981 to receive nominations in each of the important categories  Thiry years ago then King Warren Beatty's  Reds  was nominated for Best  Picture, Director, Actor, Actress,  Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, and Adapted Screen Play.

For the  happy ending  Silver Lining requires two possible but  improbable events to occur on the same day. It is similar to  Beatty's  other blockbuster  hit Heaven Can wait  in which an athlete improbably passes on a pass through the pearly gates in order  to to compete in the Super Bowl.

Regrettably this  writer  has yet to see Djano Unchained which is the second (in three years)  award winning collaboration of  the seemingly unlikely combination of  the urbane European Christopher Waltz and the sassy and brassy American Quentin Tarantino who directed Waltz in  in both Djano and 2010's Inglorious Bastards.  Waltz won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in both films . This year  Tarentino won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. In 1994 he won the same award for Pulp Fiction. Neither triumph went unnoticed or unacknowledged  by Studio Babelsberg  which produced Inglorious Bastards  and  Roman Polanski's The Piano and Ghostwriter.

Hollywood is still the star  but best stay on it's toes because Babelsburg, Bollywood, and some say South Korea with spectacular CGI war movies is waiting in the wings. For more see 1950's Best Picture All about Eve.





Sunday, February 24, 2013

Searching For Sugar Man, a film nominated for Best Documentary Feature at tonight's Oscars is of local interest.

Dreaming of becoming a rock star is not unusual. The odds of that happening for most of us are  a million to one. What are odds of having that dream come true   and not even knowing about it until 30 years after the fact, when  two fans dismissing the rumors of your death, decided to come looking for you, and actually "find" you in Dearborn Michigan ?  A Billion to one ?



That is the story of  Searching for Sugar Man,  a 85 minute documentary feature nominated for best in it's category at tonight's Oscar presentation. It is not hard to think of  possibilities that make the true story plausible. In the late sixties  and early seventies Motown still ruled the Motor City and nationwide there were  many talented artists and groups vying get to their music published to  compete for shelf space in stores.

Sixto (pronounced (Seesto) Diaz Rodriguez had talent and  got two albums published. They didn't sell well in this county  and the publisher  didn't encourage Rodriguez to continue. Rodriquez had  success  with his music in South Africa in the seventies where his anti establishment, pro urban working class  lyrics become a large portion of the anti apartheid anthem. In South Africa  Rodriquez is often compared to the likes of Dylan, the Beatles, and even Elvis. South African Human rights activist Steve Biko was reported to be a fan
ThumbnailHow popular Rodriquez was in the Southern Hemisphere in the 1970's is a subject of debate. Critics of the documentary say he was never as far removed from the music  scene as  the film implies. One album  did go platinum in South Africa and he toured in  Botswana, Australia, and  New Zealand. Proponents of the documentary  that is hardly the top of the music world.

In 1981 Rodriguez graduated from Wayne State's Monteith College. He later ran for public office in Detroit but was not successful . He also held a series of urban construction jobs like building demolition which did not pay particularly well.  In 1980's and 1990's his music activity  diminished   as well. He was not aware of his popularity in South Africa until a daughter happened on a South African website that purported to be looking for him. A widely accepted rumor in that country was that  Rodriguez had died on stage years prior.


Monteith College Alumni in the News:
Sixto Rodriguez (PhB '81) 
Wall Street Journal (July 20, 2012):  A Rock 'n' Roll Mystery


If you are interested in seeing the documentary, Searching for Sugar Man it is currently playing at

The full movie  is also available at Netflix (no streaming. Just the disk by mail) or on You Tube for $3.99 by clicking here,
If you would like to see a You Tube 14 minute clip about Rodriguez and  the documentary which appeared on CBS 60 minutes click here .

  Will the documentary win an Oscar ? In South Africa they are confident it will. In this country the Rodriguez story is certainly popular but the competition for the Academy award is this year is rather  fierce. If it loses it won't be anything new. As the sayings go a prophet is not recognized in it's own land  but it is hard to keep a good man down.


Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Baldwin New Titles 2/19/2013. Argo, Academy Award Best Picture Nominee tops list.



Editors Note: Due to popular demand we have upgraded this feature to include the Item Details from the Baldwin Library for DVDs.

  • Baldwin Library Card holders will be able to place a hold directly from this page.
  • Find more titles from the same author, or find more on the topic discussed.
  • You will also be able to see how many copies are available and what their status is.
  • Some titles will provide an estimated waiting period. 

It is essentially the same info you would get by clicking on the red check availability  link but now you don't have to click. We believe your time is valuable and we appreciate the time you spend with us. We hope the inclusion of Item Details will provide the information you seek quickly and concisely. Light Blue items will take you to more info on the library's website.

Regrettably  we have not been able to do the same with books. For whatever reason the same info as is available for DVDs takes up more than our allotted space with books. Since what we offer as new and improved is really the result of playing around we will  continue to experiment with books. 

The information proved for DVDs is current as of this writing. If you are viewing this page a week or so down the road, Check availability next to the DVD or Book description will take you the latest Item details information.

 Argo (DVD)On November 4, 1979, Iranian militants stormed the American embassy in Tehran and captured dozens of American hostages, sparking a 444-day ordeal. There's a little-known footnote to the crisis: six Americans escaped and a mid level agent named Antonio Mendez devised an ingenious yet incredibly risky plan to rescue them. Check Availability

Item Details

  • Item Information 
  • A Look Inside
  •  
  • Catalog Record
  • Bibliographic Information

    Title
    Argo [videorecording]
    Author
    Heslov, Grant, 1963-  
    Pub date:
    2013.
    Pages:
    1 videodisc (120 min.) :
    Item info:
    2 copies available.
    17 copies total in all locations. Copies on order
    • Visit new URL: http://midwesttapes.com/images/movies/000/000/000/010/022/000000000010022476.gif
      • Holdings
        Holdings
        Call numberCopiesMaterialLocation
        DVD ARGO91-Week DVD/VHSPickup Shelf - On Hold for a Patron
        11-Week DVD/VHSMaterial has been checked/charged out
        HOT PICKS DVD52-Day Hot Picks DVDMaterial has been checked/charged out
        ON ORDER 01/13 DVD F11-Week DVD/VHSIn Process--Not Yet Available
        ON ORDER 02/13 HOT PICKS DVD (2)12-Day Hot Picks DVDIn Process--Not Yet Available

    Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson:  Top plastic surgeon Elijah Creem is renowned for his skills in the operating room, and for his wild, no-expense-spared "industry parties," bringing in underage exotic dancers and models for nights of drugs, champagne, and uninhibited sex. That is, until Detective Alex Cross busts one of Creem's lavish soirees and ruins his fun. Now Creem is willing to do anything to avoid going to jail. Check Availability
      



    End of Watch (DVD): Two young officers are marked for death after confiscating a small cache of money and firearms from the members of a notorious cartel, during a routine traffic stop.
    Check Availability


    Item Details

    • Item Information 
    • A Look Inside
    •  
    • Catalog Record
    • Bibliographic Information

      Title
      End of watch [videorecording]
      Author
      Ayer, David,  
      Pub date:
      [2013]
      Pages:
      1 videodisc (110 min.) :
      Item info:
      No copies currently available. Place Hold (Estimated wait is 3 days) .
      6 copies total in all locations.
      • Visit new URL: http://midwesttapes.com/images/movies/000/000/000/010/017/000000000010017297.gif
        • Holdings
          Holdings
          Call numberCopiesMaterialLocation
          DVD END11-Week DVD/VHSMaterial has been checked/charged out
          31-Week DVD/VHSPickup Shelf - On Hold for a Patron
          HOT PICKS DVD22-Day Hot Picks DVDMaterial has been checked/charged out

                                                            
      Fun Size (DVD): Wren, a whip-smart high school senior, has her plans for Halloween go awry when she's stuck babysitting her annoying little brother. When he gets lost in a crowd of trick-or-treaters, it's up to Wren and her three friends to find him as they set off on the most unexpected and unforgettable adventure of their lives, as long as mom doesn't find out! Check Availability

      Item Details

      • Item Information 
      • A Look Inside
      •  
      • Catalog Record
      • Bibliographic Information

        Title
        Fun size [videorecording]
        Author
        Schwartz, Josh, 1976-  
        Pub date:
        c2013.
        Pages:
        1 videodisc (86 min.) :
        ISBN:
        1415769869
        Item info:
        1 copy available in Hot Picks DVDs.
        3 copies total in all locations.
        • Visit new URL: http://midwesttapes.com/images/movies/000/000/000/010/039/000000000010039571.gif
          • Holdings
            Holdings
            Call numberCopiesMaterialLocation
            DVD FUN11-Week DVD/VHSPickup Shelf - On Hold for a Patron
            11-Week DVD/VHSMaterial has been checked/charged out
            HOT PICKS DVD12-Day Hot Picks DVDHot Picks DVDs

        Atlas Shrugged, Part II (DVD): Part two of Ayn Rand's groundbreaking novel. The global economy is on the brink of collapse. Brilliant creators, from artists to industrialists, continue to mysteriously disappear. Dagny Taggart, Vice President in Charge of Operations for Taggart Transcontinental, has discovered what may very well be the answer to a mounting energy crisis, a revolutionary motor that could seemingly power the World. It's a race against the clock to find the inventor before the motor of the World is stopped for good. 
        Check  Availability



        Item Details

        • Item Information 
        • A Look Inside
        •  
        • Catalog Record
        • Bibliographic Information

          Title
          Atlas shrugged. Part II [videorecording]
          Author
          Sandefur, Duke.  
          Pub date:
          2013.
          Pages:
          1 videodisc (112 min.) :
          Item info:
          1 copy available in Hot Picks DVDs.
          3 copies total in all locations.
            • Holdings
              Holdings
              Call numberCopiesMaterialLocation
              DVD ATLAS21-Week DVD/VHSPickup Shelf - On Hold for a Patron
              HOT PICKS DVD12-Day Hot Picks DVDHot Picks DVDs



          Friday, February 15, 2013

          State Rep McCready at Baldwin Library. Monday Feb 25th (9:30 am to 11:30 am) to meet with residents. No appointment necessary.


          "Hearing concerns and ideas from local residents will help me represent them well in Lansing," said McCready, R-Bloomfield Hills. "More work is still needed to make our economy healthier and I encourage local residents to share their ideas on how to improve our state with me during office hours."


           Residents unable to attend these scheduled times can contact Rep. McCready toll-free at (855) 373-8670 or via email at MikeMcCready@house.mi.gov to schedule an appointment. 

          Meet McCready and Staff at work.


          State Rep. Mike McCready and his guest Bloomfield Township Supervisor Leo C. Savoie in the House Chamber prior to Gov. Snyder's 2013 State of the State address.  (1/17/2013)



          Tuesday, February 12, 2013

          American Tower or Clemis Tower ? An Update as finale to this afternoon's 4pm Planning Commission Meeting..


           Click here for agenda pack
          Below you will find:
          • A transcript of Mayor McClures' remarks about the Tower made at the Jan 8th 2012 City Commission meeting. 
          I have a couple of things that I just wanted to bring up. As you know at one of our last meetings we approved having a consultant for the cell tower discussion  

          (Editors note: here the Mayor explains that it is not as yet certain how the final decision will be made.  She says It could be a City Commission, Planning Commission  or combination of the two decision.  The reason for this uncertainty she will explain later is due to whether or not the tower will be an American Tower with twevle more more stories and capability for other wireless  carriers to piggy pack or a  smaller Clemis  only tower)
            I wanted to give  an update of where (were we are at) as a Member of the Planning Commission and as a member of the sub committee that was looking at this.
          As you may remember the county contacted American tower last year (Editors note: The contact was actually made in mid 2011) because they wanted the Clemis system fully operational. There are some dead spots by our DPW lot. So (Clemis)  contacted American Tower . For American Tower to make the tower commercially feasible they eant to put up a 120 or 140  foot tower with a number of carriers. That was sent to the Panning committee and the planning  Commission did a sub committee on the issue. It was determined that such a specialized thing with detailed engineering that we should hire a consultant and City Commission approved.

          So those are the things that have been discused . Is it just a Clemis issue or is an AT and T  issue.( Editors note, The reference to an AT+T issue is unclear. A similar reference was made the Planning Commission Chairman at the November meeting. We think it either means poor AT+T coverage in the southern part of the City or the fact that American Tower wants to carry the AT+T  Signal amongst others). If it is just a Clemis,( Oakland) County Issue that can be separated out from having a 140 foot tower ,,, That is what we are discussing now, If the consultant (advises us) that it can just be a Clemis Solving Issue, a very basic monopole or lattice tower (can suffice). (A workable Clemis solution)  might be able to on one of the  existing  Towes . Tight now it sounds other wise would have to pay $300 for study to see of  DTE is a structure (that would work), Or the consultant has said for 20 or 30 thousand dollars we could build our own tower, The question is would Clemis pay us if we built our own tower....City Manager Cravens is going to set up a meeting  with the sub committee, our consultants  and the county  to get  more fleshed out detaills on this. At the same time we  confirmation that we don't need to solve an AT+T problem. From what  they (?) tgave us the AT+T problem is more in the southern portion of the City which might be solved by putting a tower equipment on Christ Church Cranbrook .
          • A copy of the Planning Commission meeting minutes of the November and of October 2012 meetings that dealt with American Tower. Due to lack of Agenda items the commission has not met since November 2012. The minutes are interesting because for the first time they separate the the components of the Tower proposition. 
          In the very beginning July 2011 the interested parties and particulars were 

          •  Clemis (a county wide emergency communications network) and
              American Tower appeared before City Commission.Clemis said the City of Bloomfield Hills was a dead spot for emergency wireless communications that needed to be rectified. A communications tower was required.
          • Our Public Safety Department concurred and gave a presentation of their on own emphasizing the need for such a tower.
          •  American Tower said the would build such a Tower at little or no cost. The City would also relieve a small monthly check for leasing the land. The only fly in the ointment was the size of the tower. To recoup it's costs American Tower would next to build a tower of 120 to 160 feet or 12 to 16 stories high. That would allow American Tower to sell space to other cellphone signal providers.






          Easy Baldwin Library New Titles, Full of Grace Returns, and the Baldwin at City Hall Satellite Library.

          Almost every week  we publish  a list of new  titles available to City residents who have Baldwin Library Cards. If you don't have a card you can get one at the Birmingham Baldwin Library which takes less than  two minutes. Regardless of whether you use the library  you pay for it. So you might as well use it to see of you like it.

          In Today's world there are fewer  book stores, video stores, and  movie theater's than there used to be.  Thus the Baldwin Library may be our closest source of entertainment, education, and enlightenment. If our residents are using the library and  recent numbers indicate they are, it call also be very  prudent economical  alternative known as cost sharing which will also reduce household clutter, and time wasted.

          This week the new titles at the Baldwin Library include  a novel  Guilt by John Kellerman. Many of you want to read this novel. We r know that because of an ad in the Target Sunday supplement which offers the Book  for a $19 (or so) special price.  Best Buy does the same for the James Bond movie Skyfall advertising a Blue Ray version at $19.95 and a the DVD for slightly less.  Skyfall  is not available at Red Box the coin operated ( $1,27 )movie renting machine at the two krogers on Maple Road (at Lahser  or Woodward) stores. Neither is Sessions which is nominated in the category of best/or supporting Actor/Actress category for this year's Oscars. If you follow the awards you a probably looking this film which left the theaters long ago,  Some of the pay per view services  have Sessions and the more advertised coming of age flick, The Perks of Being a Wall Flower at prices around $3.95 or $5. Less if you have a coupon. The latter film is also available at Red Box.

          Red Box used to be the best deal in town at $1.27 for 24 hours but now the Baldwin Library  is offering Free rentals for all DVDs for a minimum of 48 hour. Some less current  DVDs are availble for a week.

          All of the above titles are available now (depending on your definition of available now) for free at  the Baldwin Library. To get one or more of the above titles you will have to lift a finger. Literally. Click on the words "Check Availability" which appear in red  beside the title's description. A screen will  display. Unless today  is your lucky day it  will  say  the  title is unavailable for now. You can however put the item for hold  for yourself. Just enter the number beneath the bar-code on your library card and a four digit pin number.

          Don't have a pin ?1066 is always a good one (Norman invasion of England which gave English literature  Robin Hood , Ivanhoe  and a zillion  French words).If entering the multi digit number beneath the bar code is a pain you can in conjunction with the  librarian at the main desk give yourself a pet or secret name to use in it's place. Big Max 77   is but one workable example. Unless of course it is already taken.


          Once you enter your particulars and click on "place Hold" your work is done . The Library does the rest and will notify you when the title  you selected is available.. The number of estimated days appears on the page where you place your hold.

          Then you have to retrieve your book or DVD. Perhaps the most arduous aspect of the whole transaction.
          Unless you like  the touch and feel  of a book, the convenience of a disc or the possibility of running into friends at the library.

          Some day soon the Library  will  be able  beam  books and DVDs   to your  television , computer, cell phone, or wrist watch. That technology is all already in place for audio and e-book loans available  from the   library on line . The same technology takes the book automatically away on the due date.

          For City residents returning the book is as easy as putting  in the drop box at City Hall. How will the library  know when you did that ? It doesn't and therein  lies two schools of thought.

           In today's cynical age some companies and institution  assume the worst and charge  for it.  Whatever the contents of the return box may be,  they are not "returned" to  the library's "possession" until Thursday and therefore any due date prior to Thursday should be fined accordingly.  Besides the Patron could have avoided those charges by returning the book directly to the library. The cold, calculating, logic is hard to fault.

          The Baldwin Library doesn't think that way however .The drop box was intended to be a convenience for City Residents and to function as  an extension of the  Library. Therefore every item returned before  the Thursday pick up is assumed to have been returned on the dates due from the Thursday prior to the current Thursday. Any fines  charged in  this time period is are reversed

          Last but not least,... City residents who do not have a Baldwin Library Card may still borrow the DVDs  and books via the honors system  at the City Hall  Baldwin Satellite Library.  At last glance popular DVD titles s included Moneyball, (Brad Pitt) Bridesmaids (An ensemble cast hoot), and Last Chance Harvey (Dustin Hoffman).