Monthly Archives: October 2019

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TREES OF FIRE

By Anushka Yerramareddy

I first saw them on an evening stroll

They were quite a sight, I must say

Such that their beauty truly touched my soul

As the wind had made them sway.

 

At this moment, I came to a sudden halt

And I began to jump high, and higher 

You see, that sort of beauty was not my fault

And I began to jump, trying to touch the trees of fire.

 

They were so wonderful, so golden and bright

And all I could do was stare in awe

A camera could never capture that sort of light

As the leaves had no flaw.

 

Yet my height prevented me from doing so

And I stopped jumping higher

Then at last, I let go

I left them, my cherished, beloved trees of fire.

 

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Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind them All

By Mrs. Hiltner

Ruby, L. (2019). Thirteen doorways, wolves behind them all.

One of five winners of this year’s National Book award for Young Adult Literature, Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind them All, is a historical fiction novel with a paranormal twist. Vito, Frankie, and Toni are forced to live in an orphanage after the loss of their mother. Their father’s shoe business is failing due to the Great Depression, but he still visits every weekend. What began as a temporary situation, becomes more permanent when their father remarries and moves away with his new wife – taking only Vito.

The sisters Frankie and Toni find themselves left behind, unwanted and betrayed. And with impending war, poverty reigns. What will happen to them?

I will admit I do not know the answer. But I will be watching, waiting to find out.

That’s what ghosts do.

 

The dual perspectives of the book, with its many twists and turns, move the plot along quickly. What we keep behind closed doors to protect others, is true evil – and true to it’s title, there is a wolf behind every door.

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Diversion – True Crimes of the Hair Care Industry

By Ms. Hiltner

I have gone down the rabbit hole into the world of counterfeit beauty products. You read that right, counterfeit beauty products are a real thing. Diversion is what occurs when you purchase salon-quality products from an unauthorized dealer. Any reputable stylist is going to recommend products to keep your hair looking fabulous long after you’ve left their chair. Are they trying to upcharge you? Increase their sales? Circulate specific product? We’ve all thought it, which is why we wave off their recommendations. Target and Amazon carry the same products, right? And they’re more affordable. But what are those few saved dollars really costing you? Consider these factors:

Brand Integrity – the only way to guarantee your bottle of Redken is authentic is to purchase it from a salon. Stores like Ulta get around this by having one licensed stylist working the floor.

Brand Purity – diverted products are more likely to contain high levels of bacteria. Dilution often occurs, making the product not work as it should or putting you at risk of allergens.

 Money – remember, your stylist is the expert and knows what products will work best with your cut, style, and pH of your hair. Using anything else and they can’t guarantee their work.

So how are these products making onto store shelves? Shouldn’t it be illegal? Unfortunately, it’s not. It’s the breach in the distribution process that’s illegal. Somewhere along the path of distribution center to authorized dealer, product is getting diverted. Sometimes it’s after the product reaches the dealer – think back alley deals and under the table exchanges. How do we stop the cycle?

Recognize the signs of counterfeit or diverted products:

  • Labels or stickers over barcodes printed on bottles
  • Damaged or dented product
  • Outdated packaging or expired sell by dates

When in doubt, you can reach out to the parent company; they will have records of batch numbers and can verify your purchase.

Consumer awareness is the best solution to stopping diversion.

McCormick, L. W. (2019). Retailers gloss over diversions of professional hair careproducts. ConsumerAffairs. Retrieved from: https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/04/diversions.htmlOsborne, S. (2019, September). Personal interview.
Radocchia, S. (2018, October 23). Hair product diversion is dirty business. Here’s whatit will take to clean up the supply chain. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/samantharadocchia/2018/10/23/hair-product-diversion-is-dirty-business-heres-what-it-will-take-to-clean-up-the-supply-chain/#59f439425ff6

 

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Introducing our Little Free Library. Thank you to Mr. Krone and Allison Rojas for your time and talent. It’s gorgeous and exceeds expectations. Come to the Research Library to donate a book or to borrow or trade one!