Braided Blog

Goodbye

2009-03-19T14:55:00.001-05:00

Pretty poseOriginally uploaded by yanajennI am missing you so much right now and you aren't even gone yet. But you are clearly unhappy and tired and feeling crappy, even if you aren't in much pain yet. And I want to keep you from any possible pain.The rational part of me knows that this is the best decision. The other part of me is wailing and screaming and doesn't want you to leave.You have

Morning sabotage

2008-11-15T13:14:00.004-06:00

Inspired by E's post, I decided to note down my own current morning routine for posterity.3:30am Wake up for no good reason. Check my jaw to see if I've been clenching my teeth in my sleep again. Think angry thoughts that I can't seem to get rid of and struggle to fall back asleep.5:00am Startled out of sleep by the awful toilet-plunger noise (hurka, hurka) the cats make. Check to see that they

Proof

2008-11-06T13:49:00.001-06:00

I voted!

Ego boost

2008-08-15T22:37:00.004-05:00

Well, damn. I am apparently way too modest about many of my abilities...You Are Sexually PowerfulYour attitude toward sex is healthy, safe, and sane.You enjoy sex as much as (or possibly even more than) the average person.You're open minded, intelligent, and adventurous when exploring your sexuality.And while you never take things too far, you take them far enough!Are You Sexually Powerful?

Horribly Awesome

2008-07-27T15:39:00.004-05:00

Best pie chart ever.more song chart memesIf you have no idea what the graph is referring to, then you need to view Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. I was lucky enough to see it when it was free, but now you'll either have to 1) find a pirated copy, 2) buy it from iTunes, or 3) wait for it to come out on DVD. I think you'll be pleased whatever route you choose.

I want a post-apocalyptic bookmobile!

2008-07-25T18:29:00.002-05:00

Who wouldn't want to watch a educational sci-fi video series from 1985 about library skills?!http://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/24/postapocalyptic-book.htmlAll videos can be accessed on YouTube. And there is more info on Wikipedia.It is 2123 and everyone on Earth is leaving, in order to escape "the Wipers." All human knowledge has been collected (and organized) for preservation in the ultimate

See food?

2008-07-24T20:01:00.003-05:00

You know how when you're hungry, you keep revisiting the fridge and freezer to see if something new and more appetizing has appeared since the last time you checked? Yeah? Never works, does it?It works even less when you investigate an unfamiliar ziploc bag from the freezer and (re)discover the pet fish that died last month.Adding "bury Gibby" to the to do list. And avoiding the deep freeze for

Geekery and an attempt at real-time blogging

2008-06-28T17:43:00.022-05:00

I'm letting myself have a little non-job search fun at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, California, so I'm attending a session called Science Fiction and Fantasy: Looking at Information Technology and the Information Rights of the Individual. Just thought I'd take some notes on what was being said and discussed. Any errors or mis-perceptions below are entirely my fault. Enjoy!As I begin to

More want!

2008-05-08T18:25:00.003-05:00

Ooo, pretty! And some people wonder why I like medieval (and pre-20th century) Russia. Can you imagine living with this type of beauty around you? Makes the cold (and the oppression, and the Oprichniki, and the terem, and the Orthodoxy...) almost bearable. Go look at these gorgeous interiors and exteriors!

Warnings

2008-04-28T11:03:00.004-05:00

I'm at the Urbana Free Library doing some schoolwork, which I hadn't planned doing here, but since my 11am appointment isn't actually until 1pm (I'm conflating calendar entries now, apparently) and I needed to stop in and pick up some books I have on hold, why not get a few hours of enforced writing in?But before I sat down and got to business, I went over and browsed the new books like I always

OMG!

2008-04-18T04:41:00.001-05:00

Earthquake! Just now! Whoa!Um...I'm in mid/downstate Illinois.....The sky is falling, the sky is falling!I'm going back to bed now.

Spring want!

2008-04-11T11:17:00.004-05:00

Okay, I need someone to buy this and then let me borrow it so I can make a pattern. It only goes up to size 14 and I'm (mumble) sizes bigger than that. Mycra Pac Designer Wear Reversible Scrunch Neck Travel CoatLike it would be so hard to manufacture a swing coat in more than three sizes. Sigh.

Recovering from heart attack (not a real one)

2008-04-01T10:35:00.008-05:00

Things you do not want to see when you are already anxious about finishing school:Instruction is actually over on April 30, by the way. I think GSLIS needs to update their RSS feed to show dates. But this was a pretty good, if inadvertent April Fool's joke. Back to breathing normally.

Laundry issues

2008-03-31T12:45:00.004-05:00

Very grey in downstate Illinois today. Spring has sprung, but it keeps bouncing back into Winter mode, unfortunately. One thing about nicer weather that makes me happy is that I can hang my laundry out on the clothesline, instead of having to use my coin-operated dryer all the time. It's too expensive and rarely dries things completely, plus I absolutely hate the fact that random people from

One

2008-03-31T12:15:00.003-05:00

via jennyjennyOne Word OnlyYou’re Feeling: anxiousTo Your Left: airOn Your Mind: schoolLast Meal Included: eclairYou Sometimes Find it Hard To: finishThe Weather: ickySomething You Have a Collection of: boxesA Smell that Cheers You Up: laundryA Smell that Can Ruin Your Mood: cigarettesHow Long Since You Last Shaved: decadesThe Current State of Your Hair: messyThe Largest Item On Your Desk/

Notes to self

2008-03-29T14:03:00.003-05:00

Remember to make sure that you have a contact lens case at your boyfriend's before spending the night. Otherwise, you will be forced to use a shot glass for one lens and a double-shot glass for the other. And you will also end up standing in front of the sink for at least 5 minutes, looking puzzled and trying to remember which eyeball gets which glass.

A job for me?

2008-03-25T11:56:00.003-05:00

I'm starting to keep an eye out for job possibilities, since I may actually be graduating this May. Well, as long as I get my incomplete classes out of the way, that is. Right now I'm torn between moving elsewhere and starting my "professional" life and staying in Champaign-Urbana and working on a "Certificate of Advanced Study," which is sort of a PhD-lite degree. It would be 40 more credits,

What OS are you?

2008-03-24T17:44:00.002-05:00

Well, I didn't expect this result. I've never even used a Linux OS. Yet.Which OS are You?Found via Dave

Resolutions

2007-12-30T19:11:00.001-06:00

I resolve to not resolve to:Lose weightGet a jobGraduateOf course, not resolving to do the things won't make me not do them. It will just make me not feel like a failure if I don't attain all of them.But I do think I should make 2008 "the year of actually using the craft crap I've collected."

Want!

2007-12-09T15:40:00.000-06:00

I think I might be hallucinating. Could there actually be something that combines my love of books, fine chocolates, and boxes (also known as "things to put other things into")? It looks like there is:zChocolat's Carpe Diem CollectionIt's a book that's actually a wooden box. Which is filled with chocolate and more wooden boxes. 211 assorted French chocolates from four different chocolatiers. A

Man cold

2007-12-09T14:30:00.000-06:00

The weather is nasty and I don't feel like working on school stuff. Grump.But this made me laugh:Reminds me of when I was married....

Ding dong

2007-12-08T14:14:00.000-06:00

Doorbells are evil and must be destroyed. I've decided that I prefer the low-tech alternative of knocking, especially after recent experiences.One day this summer, my doorbell started going off randomly. I stuck my head out to see what was going on and noticed my handyman next door, looking confused. Turns out he was installing a new doorbell at number 8 (I'm number 7) and was trying to figure

Maiow.

2007-10-19T15:45:00.000-05:00

At least my two cats don't pull my ears. Or hit me with things. Although that would explain all the strange bruises on my legs this summer...Found on Michelle's blog

Reminder to self:

2007-10-01T22:02:00.000-05:00

Never, ever, move to Alabama.From BoingBoing: Supreme Court Denies Alabama Women Mechanically Induced Orgasms.Alabama’s anti-obscenity law, enacted in 1998, bans the distribution of "any device designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs for anything of pecuniary value."And from the AP Article:The law does not ban the possession of sex toys, and it doesn't

Why I am a librarian

2007-09-30T21:01:00.000-05:00

Because I am too much like Dewey to be anything else:Be sure to read irresponsibly in celebration of Banned Books Week! W00t!Banned Books Week on FlickrBuy schwag!Read a banned book!(and I am appalled that ALA doesn't have Banned Books Week featured more prominently on their website)

GSLIS Cat

2007-09-24T21:52:00.000-05:00

I do believe that this cat is familiar with the GSLIS moodle!Apologies for the in-joke.Fromhttp://icanhascheezburger.com/2007/09/24/not-ur-laptop-iz-mai-happy-place/">I Can Has Cheezburger?

Pet Project

2007-09-21T09:14:00.000-05:00

This is an absolutely awesome idea. Turn old sweatshirts into pet blankets/beds. And no sewing! It would be nice to make lots of these and give them to an animal shelter. If I had any old sweatshirts laying around, I'd add this to my procrastination project pile in an instant.

Non-social post-birthday girl

2007-09-20T17:52:00.000-05:00

And now begins my self-declared non-social week. I have schoolwork to catch up on, house stuff that needs accomplishing, errands to run, and other things to do, all of which have been procrastinated for long enough. Richard happens to be out of town, so the timing is perfect. I'm not going anywhere except to run errands and to meet with a fellow ASIS&T officer for some officer-business

Silly virtual men

2007-09-06T11:43:00.000-05:00

I tend to get random IMs from people I have never met, never IM'd, and never would correspond with. Apparently, if you have boobs, you get these unsolicited please for attention. I've learned that it is best if I just ignore them and close the conversation window. I used to answer back, but then I got sent pictures of naked, hairy (or overly shaved) body parts, which I didn't particularly care

Buzz

2007-08-21T18:08:00.001-05:00

How most people conduct Google searches. If they understand how to use Boolean, anyway:fruitflies "fruit flies" "fruit flies" kitchen eliminate how "get rid of" "fruit flies" (kill OR eradicate OR destroy) "fruit flies" (massacre OR slaughter) "fruit flies" "fruit flies" death "most painful" torture "I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL MURDER YOU LITTLE FLYING FUCKERS" "fruit flies" "

Tweets for Today

2007-08-21T06:01:00.001-05:00

10:43 Enjoying cooler weather and having one of my favorite breakfasts: steel-cut oatmeal, coffee, oj, 2 slices of toast, 1 w/honey, 1 w/cinnamon # 16:30 Rainy, rainy day. Nice and cool. #Automatically tweeted by LoudTwitter

Tweets for Today

2007-08-20T06:01:00.001-05:00

11:56 Misha-cat wants to lie on my foot, but he doesn't like it when I move my foot. Claws=ow. # 13:05 Trader Joe's Marcona Almonds with Rosemary are evil and must be destroyed/eaten #Automatically tweeted by LoudTwitter

mentally exhausted

2007-08-13T11:39:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting in an un-air conditioned cafe in Chicago at the moment. A bit stuffy, but free wireless. And only on the other side of the block from my friend Darryn's, where Richard and I are staying for a few days while he does some work at the Field Museum and I take a "break" before school and work start up full-force for the Fall.And I just emailed a finished paper off to one of my instructors.

I {heart} my local library

2007-08-09T16:12:00.000-05:00

You know, finishing up an incomplete paper at the library is not so bad when you:Have a sizeable table next to a window and an electrical outletHave free wirelessHave a cafe where you can get a hand blended pomegranate soda, a lemon madeleine, and a Ritter Sport marzipan chocolate squareGuess which of those is keeping me coming to the library to write?

Furry bookmobiles

2007-08-04T14:26:00.000-05:00

Okay, this is both realy cool and really cute. There is a university in Venezuela that is using pack-mules (bibliomulas)to carry books to remote communities around the area. Venezuela's Four-legged Mobile LibrariesReminds me of the pack-horse librarians of Kentucky, started by the WPA in the 1930s. There's even a book about them called Down Cut Shin Creek. And here's a nice interview with the

Librarian Geekery

2007-07-29T20:25:00.001-05:00

I'm currently rewarding myself for working on an incomplete paper for 6.5 hours today by playing my favorite online game Kingdom of Loathing. I'm adventuring in the "Hidden Library" and then I come across this adventure. Click the image to see the screenshot.Hee! I love this game! I wonder what librarian helped with this particular sequence...

Bike bike

2007-07-28T20:49:00.000-05:00

This morning I had no bike. Now I have two.One is a cute red cruiser, the type that you pedal backwards to brake. I googled to find out more about it and it appears that it is actually a Huffy bike. I shall strive to move beyond the embarrassment of owning a bike normally associated with a Green Machine tricycle. It needs a tuneup and a rear tube, possibly a new seat. But it is *red*. And missing

Neighboors

2007-07-09T15:47:00.001-05:00

My neighbors suck. The one family, which consists of Michael (4 or 5 years old), Mom (early 20s), Grandma (I think she lives there), and random guy, who is the squeeze of either mom or grandma. I'm not sure if he lives there or not.Today it is thundering out, getting ready to storm. I think they've locked the kid out of the house because he has been screaming and crying to be let in for the past

If you want to sing out, sing out

2007-07-09T10:40:00.000-05:00

I told everyone back in April that I was going to be performing in the annual GSLIS storytelling festival. Well, the recording of the Fest worked and you can listen to me sing The Scotsman right here. Just scroll down a wee bit and you'll see the link to the audio file. Not a half-bad photo of myself, either.And no, I haven't been brave enough to listen to myself yet.

..and then everything clicked

2007-07-07T15:24:00.000-05:00

I've been pretty angry lately. Now, I'm not talking about flying into a screaming rage and destroying things; that's not my style. And I know that I'm pretty good at hiding feelings, so people may not have even noticed the extent of my situation. Not that I've ever lied when asked directly about how I was doing; I'm a horrible liar. But I've definitely had a general feeling of daily unspecified

Dessert, anyone?

2007-07-03T11:52:00.000-05:00

Cake ArtBeautiful cakes that I would never be able to bring myself to eat, even though the entire cake is edible (no plastic or other indigestibles). There's even a little Russian medievalesque-village wishing us a "Happy New Year!"

Dot dot dot...

2007-06-28T17:59:00.000-05:00

Turns out, I'm an ellipsis. I think I could have guessed that one...Found on Mark's blog. Your Score: ellipsis You scored 46% Sociability and 64% Sophistication! Your life can be difficult because of your insecurities, but you should know that it isn't your fault. YOU didn't ask to be thrown in around thirty times per page in every bodice-ripper on the shelf!

I like driving, but...

2007-06-12T08:26:00.000-05:00

Seen on this week's Chronicle job listings:Position: Digital Projects LibrarianSalary: UnspecifiedInstitution: University of Alaska at FairbanksLocation: AlabamaDate posted: 6/11/2007Now *that's* a commute! No wonder they don't specify the salary.

Cataloging geekery

2007-06-05T12:08:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned before that I really love the game "God of War." Well, yesterday I got to do something really cool. At least I thought it was cool. I got to originally catalog (catalog from scratch) the first copy of God of War II to make it into the OCLC database. Here's the WorldCat record. I even added a subject heading for Greek mythology fiction, for users searching desperately for games on

Oh, hai! I has funny thing!

2007-06-02T17:52:00.001-05:00

Liberry cat Originally uploaded by yanajenn I'm in love with LOLCats, when they're done well. No idea if this one is particularly good, but it combines cats and books, which are two of my favorite things. Especially when they're my cats and my books. Kthx, bye!

Do want!

2007-06-02T17:24:00.000-05:00

Best LOLCats ever!via icanhascheezburger?

Sick, ad infinitum

2007-06-01T19:33:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I am sick. Again. I think that over the past two months I have been well a total of about a week. I've either had a sore throat, a cold, asthma flare-up, or a combination of the three. This time it is a really nasty cold with accompanying aches and a fever, plus an annoying cough. I was so muzzy at work today that I couldn't focus on anything for more than a few minutes. A bad

Does the public library have a happy hour?

2007-05-29T22:23:00.000-05:00

Having been to the American Library Association conference twice, I can attest to just what trouble drunken librarians can be. And it isn't a "gaggle" of librarians, it's a "shush." Get your group terms straight. You can even verify it yourself by checking The Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Put that in your reference desk and file it, beeyotch.Questionable Content cartoon on

well, it is a really big place...

2007-05-09T20:09:00.000-05:00

I'm doing a little bit of planning for my Chicago trip next week and I came across this gem:Am I allowed to bring my bicycle to McCormick Place?Yes, you can bring your bicycle to McCormick Place. However, you are not allowed to ride it inside the building.Oh, I soooo want to hear the story behind this rule.

inanity in the afternoon

2007-05-09T15:08:00.000-05:00

I think that's a word; "inanity..."Anyway. Do not watch this video while taking a break from cataloging videos in the lower (and therefore quietest) level of the Undergrad library. Why? Because you will hurt yourself trying to keep from shrieking with laughter. If you're me, that is. Especially about 30 seconds from the end of the video.SNL video: Training the crack TSA team in the fight against

Down to business

2007-05-08T20:03:00.000-05:00

The semester is over. I finished all my classes. Maybe I didn't do as well as I had hoped, but they are done. Tonight I put all the materials for those classes away. Now all that is in my living room study area are a few printouts for upcoming Summer classes and the materials for my incomplete classes.And I will get the damnable things (3 papers) done this week. Come hell or high water. And

Don't run, it's only storytime!

2007-05-07T20:58:00.000-05:00

Aaaaaa!!!!The big bad wolf ate up...well, a piggy, a bird, a bunny, and a little girl. This is so cool! I must make one. And then scare the bejeezus out of little kids at storytime. Bwahahahahaha!There are reasons I shouldn't be a youth services librarian.

greedy

2007-05-07T18:33:00.000-05:00

Neener, neener, I own an integer and you don't! Well, you can too, but not this one! It's mine, all mine! C1 C1 52 A3 97 CE 83 52 A0 70 70 2B 06 66 D0 D0And you can't know it or copy it or look at it or anything. Or I will sue. Just like the AACS.

Exhausted

2007-05-04T20:24:00.000-05:00

As of this morning, I successfully (I hope) completed this semester. Woohoo! Now I just need to finish last semester...And I'm feeling so much better! My ears still aren't working quite right and the asthma cough isn't gone, but everything else seems t be healthier. Just in time for wet, dreary weather.GSLIS is doing a bar crawl tonight, but I am just not up to it. Icky weather, the fact that I

gaaaah!!!!! [hack, cough]

2007-05-03T14:33:00.000-05:00

I am still sick. I have a final at 9am tomorrow. I will have tons of bad karma sent my way if I cough and blow my nose the entire time during our final. I do not need bad karma. I need to take a nap. I have woken up the last four nights with a throat that felt like it was filled with shards of glass. I have woken up the past two mornings with my eyes glued shut with sticky crap. My joints and

Acronomious?

2007-04-19T14:01:00.000-05:00

During an IM conversation with Richard today, I came up with what I think is a very clever acronym. SOUP: Significant Other Upgrade Program. As in, something to avoid installing at all costs because it tends to crash the relationship.Hee.So, SOUP is like a kind of virus. Except soup is usually good for getting rid of viruses, which makes it that much more insidious. Ah, geekery.

Progress

2007-04-14T15:23:00.000-05:00

Okay, the To Do list is all updated. And I even knocked a few things off of it! Yay me. Now, on to the most urgent To Do items, school assignments. And in order to guilt/remind myself, I'm listing them here.Last day of classes and also the last day anything is due is May 4. That's about three weeks. And here's what I need to accomplish, in chronological order.Summary: Classism articleAdvanced

Storytelling Festival

2007-04-14T13:59:00.000-05:00

So...I've been asked to perform at the GSLIS Storytelling Festival this coming Saturday, April 21. I was totally shocked (but incredibly happy) to be asked, especially since my class nominated the story-songs I sung in Storytelling class.I will be singing either "Mr. Fox" (creepy), or The Scotsman (funny), or both. I'll find out on Monday what it is going to be. And they record the Festival (

Small steps

2007-04-14T11:41:00.000-05:00

The goal today is to work on my to-do list. No, not to accomplish things on the list, to actually update the damn thing. I have hope (ever optimistic) that I will get to the items on it, but the only thing I am holding myself to is the updating part. Wish me luck.Only 3 weeks left to the semester...

hate, hate, hate

2007-04-12T16:09:00.000-05:00

I hate voice-activated phone help lines. Hate.

Irony

2007-04-07T15:08:00.000-05:00

Today's procrastination exercise is taking the form of a cleaning spree. I've done laundry, cleaned the litter boxes, and as a coup de grace, I cleaned the fish tank.The dirty, filthy, hadn't-been-cleaned-in-over-6-months aquarium. Poor fish.I haven't been taking very good care of them lately. I forget to feed them (luckily they can go safely without food for several days), ignore them, and don't

Shiny!

2007-04-06T12:48:00.000-05:00

I think setting up a Koha installation has taken over my personality...Delicacy and specialness? Hmm, I could get behind that.Your results:You are Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic) 80%Malcolm Reynolds (Captain) 70%Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic) 60%Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command) 55%Jayne Cobb (Mercenary) 55%Wash (Ship Pilot) 55%River (Stowaway) 55%Derrial Book (Shepherd) 50%

Blue

2007-04-04T13:23:00.000-05:00

1. My vacuum is broken and both sets of parts that I've ordered to fix it are the wrong ones. I picked the right ones, but the ordering website was wrong. The shipping costs were also unreasonably high.2. There is something in my kitchen that smells awful and I can't find it.3. I can't have anyone over because there are cat hair tumbleweeds everywhere. See broken vacuum above.4. I had to bring my

Koha on Windows

2007-04-01T16:02:00.000-05:00

I finally figured out how to partition my external hard drive so that I could save both Windows and Mac files to it, even though I've been told that I could save both file types without needing to partition. I decided that I would have better control with syncing if I put Windows files in one place and Mac files in another. But first I had to figure out a way to both partition and format as fat32

Crazy renter

2007-04-01T12:58:00.000-05:00

I just got done writing a crazy-tenant letter to my landlord. I hate being a bother, but since I am paying to live here...1. Futon frame, car tires, other bits and bobs sitting behind the dumpster for months now. Not their responsibility to haul away, but something needs to be done. I'm tired of the view (my place faces the back of the dumpster) and the potential mosquito breeding ground and the

Google TiSP

2007-04-01T11:51:00.000-05:00

No mention of the OCLC takeover on Google's homepage, but I did find this:Google TiSPGoogle TiSP (BETA) is a fully functional, end-to-end system that provides in-home wireless access by connecting your commode-based TiSP wireless router to one of thousands of TiSP Access Nodes via fiber-optic cable strung through your local municipal sewage lines.And what do you get when you spell TiSP backwards?

Google buys OCLC!

2007-04-01T11:37:00.000-05:00

It's finally happened. Hell has frozen over. Google buys OCLC, announces new productsAs of today, WorldCat has been renamed "Google Library," and every work ever published is now available for full-text searching in the system. Publishers are already crying foul and their lawyers are furiously filing lawsuits, but our reading of copyright law and the fact that Google has added the name "library"

I need a nap

2007-03-28T14:33:00.001-05:00

Oh, for fuck's sake, I already had SyncToy installed.Backing up files now.

I hate technology

2007-03-28T13:28:00.000-05:00

Remember how I said I'd be spending my day installing Koha? Yeah.So I got through a large portion of the install on my Mac. And then I go to the part where you need to reconfigure your root directory. I realized that maybe it would be a good idea to backup my files before I did that, especially since I have never created a backup and my Mac is my main computer now. I currently have an external

Koha-ing the day away

2007-03-28T10:08:00.000-05:00

I'm working from home today because I'm not feeling great (nothing serious, just stomach issues) and I'm saving my strength for class this evening. Normally, I'd be at the Family Resiliency Center (warning: really annoying background music) working on setting up their library. But today I'm installing Koha on my Mac so that I can play with settings and then later transfer them to the FRC setup,

Respect the librarians

2007-03-27T11:38:00.000-05:00

Actually, I don't care if you are looking at porn, as long as it isn't near the children's department and you are being somewhat discreet. And you aren't, um...doing anything else. Ah, Madison Public Libraries, I miss you sometimes!Homeless guy #1: Damn! I just got kicked out of the library! Damn!Homeless guy #2: What did you do, man?Homeless guy #1: I don't know. I don't know.Homeless guy #2:

Let the shopping begin

2007-03-27T11:07:00.000-05:00

Finally. Cafe Press has just figured out that maybe, just maybe, it should offer women's plus sized tshirts for those of us who are curvier than the norm. Or are the norm, really. I foresee a shopping spree in the near future.

So dizzay...

2007-03-13T11:38:00.000-05:00

Best. Animal. Video. Ever.Twirl-a-squirrel birdfeeder device.I like squirrels, and I was laughing my ass off.Those Russian squirrels better watch out...

Damn academic aspirations

2007-03-08T09:58:00.000-06:00

Okay, aside from taking a class on the subject, which doesn't seem to be likely anytime soon given the upcoming courses being offered, how the hell do I become a better academic writer? I've never been strong at deciding when and how to cite sources (beyond the obvious technical aspects, I mean) and how much and how deeply to explain a concept to the intended audience. I am great at creating "

Cata-wha?

2007-03-07T14:12:00.000-06:00

Another cataloger burns out...Dewey Decimal System Helpless To Categorize New Jim Belushi BookDUBLIN, OH-Members of the OCLC Online Computer Library Center's Editorial Policy Committee, which oversees the Dewey Decimal System library....onion_embed {background: rgb(256, 256, 256) !important;border: 4px solid rgb(65, 160, 65);border-width: 4px 0 1px 0;margin: 10px 30px !important;padding: 5px;

Awww, man....

2007-02-22T21:49:00.000-06:00

I'm nowhere near ready to start looking for a job, but damn, this one looks potentially fun:College Librarian - Culinary ArtsThe Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago (CHIC)Phooey.

Hoo-hah

2007-02-22T18:35:00.000-06:00

Finally! Someone (Susie Bright, to be exact) has pointed out that "most librarians are not tight-lipped prudes, they're courageous front-liners on First Amendment issues." Thank you!In case you haven't been following the story, a librarian at the Sunnyside Elementary School in Durango, Colorado complained that the book "The higher power of Lucky," which contains the word "scrotum" on its first

snow day

2007-02-14T12:37:00.000-06:00

It is days like this when it really sucks to live on the other side of town, away from all my friends. I live in on the far side of Urbana and most everyone else is in Champaign. Too far to walk and there's no way I'm driving right now. Sigh. No one visits, no one calls...poor lonely me.Okay, enough of that. That's just depressing.My neighbors are currently making a mess by spinning their tires

whoa, again

2007-02-13T19:06:00.000-06:00

Aaand...the University is going to be closed tomorrow. Wow. I don't think that's ever happened before. And yes, it is really nasty out. Even this Nebraskan is impressed. I'll take some pics tomorrow. Oh, and my front door, which faces North, unfortunately, leaks badly and gives a really high whistle when the wind blows right. I am seriously considering nailing a rug to hang down over it to keep

whoa.

2007-02-13T10:06:00.000-06:00

The University Library is closed today due to the weather. Actually, the entire University has closed. It's as if the Universe is closed. We never close! At least, we haven't since 1979 or so. All classes are canceled.Honestly, it doesn't look all that bad out. But that's the Nebraskan in me talking, plus I was planning on staying home today anyway. I guess everyone who was at the grocery store

Librarian heroes

2007-02-12T12:59:00.000-06:00

From Overheard in New York:Thug teen: I wanna take out this fuckin' book.Librarian: Okay, well, go to the check-out desk.Thug teen: I got to go to the other fuckin' desk, mothafuckah?Librarian: Yeah, motherfucker. The other fuckin' desk.--Brooklyn LibraryGee, sounds like some of my Public Library experiences. And Undergrad, on some evenings.

Weekly Update

2007-02-12T12:54:00.000-06:00

In no particular order, this week I:Watched an episode of Lost with a group of people. Definitely an experience I want to repeat.Saw Night at the Museum with Mark. It was cute, but probably would have been more enjoyable if seen when it first came out.Stitched and bitched at Jen's (I'm making a knitted and felted laptop case).Wrote my final project proposal for Advanced Cataloging class.Evaluated

Here's hoping...

2007-02-11T18:38:00.000-06:00

I'm crossing my fingers.From Indexed

ooo, shiny!

2007-02-11T14:46:00.000-06:00

This is sooo much better than a plastic putty-colored case. If I only had more time...and knew how to do this type of metal and glass work.Steampunk PC caseMustn't...take..on...new...project! The PC needs a memory upgrade much more than it needs a prettiness upgrade.Damn it. Now I want to watch Firefly episodes. Back to homework.Via Brassgoggles.

Telling Tales

2007-02-06T19:40:00.000-06:00

I told my first story to my Storytelling class last night. I kicked ass.I actually got gasps and satisfied "aha" sounds at the ending, which still makes me do a little pleased wiggle when I think about it. The instructor said that I really "owned the story."Okay, mustn't let head get too swelled. One bit of constructive criticism that I got (from a former theater student) was that I might want to

The Groundhog spoke truthfully

2007-02-05T22:04:00.000-06:00

Wow! Tonight is going to be a toasty -5 degrees. That's a whole degree warmer than last night. Spring must be on the way. I'll have to switch out my seasonal wardrobe...Stupid weather. Why have I lived in the Midwest all my life? Still, it's better than the one Nebraska winter I endured where, with the wind chill, it reached -60 degrees one day. I remember it well because I had to duck into the

Curled up on the couch clutching my gut

2007-02-04T12:02:00.000-06:00

From laughing too much, I mean. I know certain people have had enough of pirates for the time being, so they didn't get an email about this find, but I thought other people would appreciate it. From the Metal and Magic gallery, from which I have been snagging desktop images from for the past half-hour:Arrgh! It be non-girly protection ye be wantin'?

Mwah hah hah!

2007-02-03T23:25:00.000-06:00

Okay. I went back and changed one answer. But I knew which one I had gotten wrong, so that proves something, right? Other than the fact that I'm bored and at home alone on a Saturday night, I mean.

Talking to tabbies

2007-02-03T19:52:00.000-06:00

Well, neither of my cats is a tabby, but I always try for some alliteration.On Monday I will tell my first of three stories in front of my Storytelling class. I love this class. It's giving me a nice break from my other two classes while feeding my little anthropologist heart. Naturally, I've chosen a Russian folktale. I've been practicing telling it out loud for the past two weeks; in the car,

Everything has just clicked into place

2007-01-25T10:25:00.000-06:00

On the LiveJournal "The Society for Librarians who Say Motherfucker" I came across the following reply to a post:A wise librarian once told me there are two types of patrons: those who use the library to look at naked people and those who try to censor naked people in libraries. The world makes so much more sense now.

Baked

2007-01-20T12:59:00.000-06:00

I'm in a cooking mood this weekend, so I decided it was time to make my favorite cookie bar in the world: seven-layer bars. Well, mine are actually six-layer bars because I don't like butterscotch chips. I got everything ready and opened a can of sweetened condensed milk. It was tan. Okay, it's been a while since I made these, but to my recollection, sweetened condensed milk is more of an off

Hah!

2007-01-17T22:15:00.000-06:00

Oh. My. God.The Daily Show has a segment on right now about a guy running for sheriff in Platteville, Wisconsin, where I lived for one and half horrible years. Apparently, he changed his name to "Andy Griffith" to get more votes. And his motto? "Vote for me, you hicks." Looks like the lead content in the water is just as high as ever.Ah, memories.

In a mood

2007-01-17T21:56:00.000-06:00

Things I have realized and/or re-remembered this week:Fat women aren't allowed to have access to nice, technical outerwear (I used to sell the stuff, so I know what to look for). And wearing a men's size instead simply means that if the jacket is large enough to go around my hips, the arms will be hanging down to the floor. Apparently, I don't need to have decent protection from the elements

Sidetracked

2007-01-11T17:40:00.000-06:00

So I just took a break from paper writing to look at my physical mail, which Misha Cat was keeping warm for me by sleeping on it. I got the usual slew of bills and such, plus the One Spirit catalog. I actually enjoy looking through it, at least until I get to the angel books ("...channel both the analytical energy of Gold guardian angels and the intuitive wisdom of their Silver counterparts...")

End of Year Wrap Up

2006-12-31T18:12:00.000-06:00

Yep, I'm following the meme which I've seen on so many blogs. It's good to look back and just assess everything, even in a cursory manner.1. What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before?Visited Orlando, New Orleans, and East St. Louis, Illinois.2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?Hah! It is to laugh. Of course I'll make more.3. Did anyone

Hair today...

2006-12-29T22:22:00.000-06:00

...and much less of it, uh...now.I got a haircut on Wednesday. For those who haven't known me all that long, perhaps you do not understand just how momentous an event this was for me. I have a slight hair-cutting phobia, you see. I even have dreams (nightmares, really) of my locks being snipped off by strangers or it getting caught in things and ripped out. This is the first haircut I've had in

I just found a new use for my camera

2006-12-28T13:12:00.000-06:00

Oh, baby. I've always known that librarians were hot (I'm one of them, after all), but I just found something just as nice. Babes With Books.Sweet. Now I just need to find a site with pretty boys and books, just to be balanced, you know. Or maybe I should suggest a calendar as a GSLIS fundraiser. But which student group would be most appropriate/have the most willing models? ALA? ASIS&T? SLA? Hmm

End of semester, pre-final wrap up thingy

2006-12-10T22:08:00.000-06:00

Almost done with my first semester as a full-time grad student. Feeling tired and annoyed at my (lack of) study habits, and vowing to do better next semester.I'm taking an incomplete in my Collection Development class, with the agreement that I finish up before the first day of Spring classes, which is entirely reasonable. I'm not very happy with myself for having yet another incomplete under my

Washing the floor, the hard way

2006-12-03T15:24:00.000-06:00

I am back safe and sound from our second and final trip to East St. Louis. More on that later. For now, I am stuck at home cleaning up my utility room because my washer has decided that it is more fun to spill water all over the floor instead of into the sink, where it should go. The cats were not amused, especially since that's where their litter boxes are kept.Can we say "ick?"My jeans and

More life lessons

2006-11-28T16:06:00.000-06:00

It does me no good to own a multimeter in order to test batteries when the batteries in the multimeter are dead.I'm off to the store.

Braided Blog

Goodbye

Morning sabotage

Proof

Ego boost

Horribly Awesome

I want a post-apocalyptic bookmobile!

See food?

Geekery and an attempt at real-time blogging

More want!

Warnings

OMG!

Spring want!

Recovering from heart attack (not a real one)

Laundry issues

One

Notes to self

A job for me?

What OS are you?

Resolutions

Want!

Man cold

Ding dong

Maiow.

Reminder to self:

Why I am a librarian

GSLIS Cat

Pet Project

Non-social post-birthday girl

Silly virtual men

Buzz

Tweets for Today

Tweets for Today

mentally exhausted

I {heart} my local library

Furry bookmobiles

Librarian Geekery

Bike bike

Neighboors

If you want to sing out, sing out

..and then everything clicked

Dessert, anyone?

Dot dot dot...

I like driving, but...

Cataloging geekery

Oh, hai! I has funny thing!

Do want!

Sick, ad infinitum

Does the public library have a happy hour?

well, it *is* a really big place...

inanity in the afternoon

Down to business

Don't run, it's only storytime!

greedy

Exhausted

gaaaah!!!!! [hack, cough]

Acronomious?

Progress

Storytelling Festival

Small steps

hate, hate, hate

Irony

Shiny!

Blue

Koha on Windows

Crazy renter

Google TiSP

Google buys OCLC!

I need a nap

I hate technology

Koha-ing the day away

Respect the librarians

Let the shopping begin

So dizzay...

Damn academic aspirations

Cata-wha?

Awww, man....

Hoo-hah

snow day

whoa, again

well, it is a really big place...