caffeine and curiosity

'Digital Skills Divide' Emerging

2008-03-25T09:54:00.000-05:00

National Library Week: Reference Desk | AL Focus

2008-03-25T09:36:00.004-05:00

National Library Week: Reference Desk | AL Focus

I heard about this video from the Shifted Librarian and it's really sparked a lot of thought in my cluttered brain. One problem I have with it is that I can't really determine who the audience is - if it's intended for librarians, then, yes, it's cute and funny - but if it's intended for patrons/publicity purpose (which is what I suspect it is), then it makes me cringe.

As a reference and instruction librarian, I spend a lot of time trying to convince students (I deal mainly with undergraduates, particularly freshmen) that the reference desk is a resource they should use. I'm afraid that the impression given by this video is that reference questions are stupid and annoying. It focuses solely on the questioner and no answers are presented. I just don't see how the take-away message from this is supposed to promote reference services to patrons.

I don't want to sound Pollyanna-ish, humorless, or overly critical, and the librarian side of myself certainly did laugh at some of the questions, but I think this attempt at irreverent humor landed a little too far on the insulting side for my tastes.

YouTube - Stephen King Presents the 2007 Red Sox

2008-03-19T09:43:00.000-05:00

YouTube - Stephen King Presents the 2007 Red Sox

City Council raises fine for loud car stereos- al.com

2008-03-19T09:42:00.000-05:00

City Council raises fine for loud car stereos- al.com: "The council also changed a clause in the law that had inadvertently made it illegal to listen to an iPod or a Walkman while on streets, sidewalks or parks. It's now only illegal to listen to music if can be heard from 25 feet away. Flo Kessler, a city attorney, said she noticed the original wording because her husband often listens to music while he walks their dog. 'It was a concern to me because walking the dog is the only useful thing my husband does,' she said at a council pre-meeting Tuesday morning."

LOLBooks and a Shout Out to Mobile, Alabama

2008-03-17T16:11:00.001-05:00

The Official Site of The Boston Red Sox: News: Manny finds wisdom with touch of gray

2008-03-12T19:42:00.000-05:00

The Official Site of The Boston Red Sox: News: Manny finds wisdom with touch of gray: "Ramirez's has a passion for reading, which he never did as a kid. 'That's all I do is read, read, read, read, read,' Ramirez said. 'I love it. I haven't finished [the book yet], but I don't need to. I love it. I already know what it's all about."

Trading Vows in Montana, No Couple Required - New York Times

2008-03-10T16:33:00.000-05:00

Trading Vows in Montana, No Couple Required - New York Times: "The three principals get down to the business of solemnizing this marriage. And when they are done, they will have another to solemnize, and another, and another, and another, because this is Montana, the only state to permit that strange and sacred ceremony, the double-proxy wedding, wherein the presence of neither the bride nor the groom is required."

This is fun!

2008-03-10T14:58:00.001-05:00

Beckett's first trip to the beach, Dauphin Island, Alabama

Dumb and Dumber: An Essay and Its Editors - washingtonpost.com

2008-03-07T13:51:00.000-06:00

Dumb and Dumber: An Essay and Its Editors - washingtonpost.com Oh, hells YES!

Fallout From a Literary Fraud - Love and Consequences - Margaret Seltzer - Margaret B. Jones - New York Times

2008-03-05T10:51:00.000-06:00

Fallout From a Literary Fraud - Love and Consequences - Margaret Seltzer - Margaret B. Jones - New York Times: "Despite editing the book in the aftermath of the scandal surrounding James Frey, author of a best-selling memoir, "A Million Little Pieces," who admitted making up or exaggerating details in his account of drug addiction and recovery, Ms. McGrath said she did not independently check parts of Ms. Seltzer’s story or perform any kind of background check. She said she relied on Ms. Seltzer to tell the truth.

"In the post-James Frey world, we all are more careful," Ms. McGrath said. "I had numerous conversations with her about the need to be honest and the need to stick to the facts.""

Um...

BostonHerald.com - Blogs: Clubhouse Insider� Blog Archive � How cold was it?

2008-02-28T12:15:00.000-06:00

BostonHerald.com - Blogs: Clubhouse Insider� Blog Archive � How cold was it?: "“I froze my (expletive deleted) (body parts) off,’’ said Ortiz of his ride in the sidecar of the lead motorcycle escort the team received between the airport and the White House, and from the White House to Walter Reed Army Hospital."

Boston Red Sox - Red Sox honored at White House for second time in 4 years - Boston.com

2008-02-27T16:48:00.000-06:00

Boston Red Sox - Red Sox honored at White House for second time in 4 years - Boston.com: "Then there was Jonathan Papelbon, the relief pitcher who danced in the Fenway Park infield in his underwear when the Red Sox when the pennant. 'Thanks for wearing pants,' Bush told him."

The Truth About Autism: Scientists Reconsider What They Think They Know

2008-02-27T08:28:00.000-06:00

The Truth About Autism: Scientists Reconsider What They Think They Know

McSweeney's Internet Tendency: Abstinence-Only Driver's Ed.

2008-02-25T13:55:00.000-06:00

McSweeney's Internet Tendency: Abstinence-Only Driver's Ed.: "The ONLY 100 percent effective method for avoiding car accidents is to ABSTAIN from driving until marriage."

Higher Education Gap May Slow Economic Mobility - New York Times

2008-02-21T16:06:00.000-06:00

Higher Education Gap May Slow Economic Mobility - New York Times: "Someone born into a family in the lowest fifth of earners who graduates from college has a 19 percent chance of joining the highest fifth of earners in adulthood and a 62 percent chance of joining the middle class or better."

America's Fastest-Growing Metros - Forbes.com

2008-02-12T13:40:00.000-06:00

America's Fastest-Growing Metros - Forbes.com: "It's no secret that the Southeast and Western United States are booming. The costs of living and doing business there are often cheaper there than in big coastal cities. But where and how much those cities are thriving might surprise you.

Take Alabama. The state has some of the fastest growing metro areas in the country, including Mobile, which is projected to have the greatest change in 'gross metropolitan product (GMP),' 34% between 2007-2012, according to research forecasts done for us by Moody's Economy.com." REPRESENT!

Kimberle Crenshaw and Eve Ensler: Feminist Ultimatums: Not In Our Name - Politics on The Huffington Post

2008-02-11T09:51:00.000-06:00

Kimberle Crenshaw and Eve Ensler: Feminist Ultimatums: Not In Our Name - Politics on The Huffington Post: "Young feminists have been vocal and strong in critiquing the claim that a vote for Obama represents some form of youthful naiveté, a desire to win the approval of men, or a belief that sexism no longer factors into their lives. While paying respect to those women who carried the banner for so many years, these young women have reminded us that feminism is not static but evolutionary, changing in content, scope and tenor as new generations elevate their concerns and aspirations."

Marry Him!

2008-02-11T09:41:00.000-06:00

Marry Him!: "And despite growing up in an era when the centuries-old mantra to get married young was finally (and, it seemed, refreshingly) replaced by encouragement to postpone that milestone in pursuit of high ideals (education! career! but also true love!), every woman I know—no matter how successful and ambitious, how financially and emotionally secure—feels panic, occasionally coupled with desperation, if she hits 30 and finds herself unmarried." Um... obviously Lori Gottlieb doesn't know me.

Boston Red Sox - Manny in motion - The Boston Globe

2008-02-08T14:07:00.000-06:00

Boston Red Sox - Manny in motion - The Boston Globe: "It's 8 a.m., and Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez is already sweaty. He looks ripped and ready to defend the world championship. He shouts 'Ohio Gozaimasu' - Japanese for 'good morning' - above the rock music blaring in the Athletes' Performance weight room. He runs sprints and agility drills on the Arizona State football field and signals touchdowns. He fetches bottles of water for his workout mates, Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis and Minnesota Twins third baseman Nick Punto. He then does a lefty weight resistance exercise and announces he's going to bat lefthanded this year. He's only kidding. When Youkilis is temporarily challenged by a 100-pound dumbbell, Ramirez stands over him and starts a 'Youk' chant that would make a Fenway bleacherite proud. The football players training for the upcoming NFL Combine think he's crazy."

Why sadness can blow your budget - CNN.com

2008-02-08T12:47:00.000-06:00

Why sadness can blow your budget - CNN.com: "If you're sad and shopping, watch your wallet: A new study shows people's spending judgment goes out the window when they're down, especially if they're a bit self-absorbed." Have they never heard of retail therapy?

‘An Intolerable Fraud’ - New York Times

2008-02-08T09:11:00.000-06:00

‘An Intolerable Fraud’ - New York Times: "There is very little regulation in the charity game, and if someone like Roger Chapin, the “nonprofit entrepreneur” who founded the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes and Help Hospitalized Veterans, wants to mismanage your money, he has great leeway in doing so. His veterans’ charities raised more than $168 million from 2004 to 2006, but spent only a pittance — about 25 percent — to help veterans. The rest, nearly $125 million, went to fund-raising, administrative expenses, fat salaries and perks. Mr. Chapin gave himself and his wife $1.5 million in salary, bonuses and pension contributions over those three years, including more than $560,000 in 2006. The charities also reimbursed the Chapins more than $340,000 for meals, hotels, entertainment and other expenses, and paid for a $440,000 condominium and a $17,000 golf-club membership."

Vera Wang-Maria Cornejo-New York Fashion Week - New York Times

2008-02-08T08:40:00.000-06:00

Vera Wang-Maria Cornejo-New York Fashion Week - New York Times: "Come fall, if professional women are taking their fashion cues from “Lipstick Jungle,” they will be wearing gauzy princess dresses that emphasize their breasts. If they are watching the runways, however, they will be dressing like Hillary Clinton." Um, ewww... on both counts!

Gwen Knapp / NEW LEASH ON LIFE / Raiders' Cooper dedicates himself to care of abused and mean dogs at animal shelter

2008-02-06T16:56:00.000-06:00

Gwen Knapp / NEW LEASH ON LIFE / Raiders' Cooper dedicates himself to care of abused and mean dogs at animal shelter: "As a college student, Cooper wanted to train for veterinary school, but the workload didn't fit with his football schedule. He now is certain that his future outside sports will be devoted to animal welfare. Working with Bad Rap, a nonprofit that promotes proper treatment of pit bulls, he has committed himself to helping pet owners understand and fulfill their responsibilities. He started an organization called Code 597, named for the California penal code against cruelty to animals, and recruited seven other Raiders to help, including Nnamdi Asomugha and Justin Fargas."

San Jose Mercury News - Stanford to get papers of paleontologist Gould

2008-02-06T16:06:00.000-06:00

San Jose Mercury News - Stanford to get papers of paleontologist Gould: "Famed Harvard paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould never taught at Stanford - and rarely visited. He referenced the university only once in his vast writings, and it wasn't flattering. And the campus doesn't even have any dinosaur bones. But the late science historian has bequeathed to Stanford his priceless collection of books, papers and artifacts - a gift not only to the university but also to the public, which someday will be invited to visit the treasure trove." PWND, Harvard! (I would LOVE to work on that project, and I can't wait till I can visit.)

Former fighting dogs get a second chance - Pet health- msnbc.com

2008-02-06T15:43:00.000-06:00

Former fighting dogs get a second chance - Pet health- msnbc.com: "An underdog’s second chance Saved from Michael Vick’s property, pit bulls now in loving homes"

Beer Gets Seatbelt. Child Doesn't - washingtonpost.com

2008-02-06T09:55:00.000-06:00

Beer Gets Seatbelt. Child Doesn't - washingtonpost.com: "ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Police have arrested a motorist they say had a 24-pack of beer strapped in with a seat belt but had a 16-month-old girl unrestrained in the back seat with the toddler's mother."

Information literacy tutorials and metaphors

2007-12-12T16:22:00.000-06:00

Lately I've been looking at a lot of information literacy tutorials in preparation for starting one at work. I really like the way UCLA has done theirs, which is called The Road to Research. Their tutorial has four main modules: Starting Points, Find It, Judge for Yourself, and Road Etiquette. I like that this is a little more informal and fun than stuff like "The Research Process" and "Evaluating Information."

I'm thinking I might try a sports metaphor for our tutorial, since the university just announced that we're getting NCAA football (and marching band). Maybe: The Starting Line, The Thrill of the Chase, Fair or Foul?, and Good Sportsmanship. But maybe it's too cutesy? Mixes sports metaphors? I'm not sure.

Bonfire of the Disney Princesses

2007-12-12T08:40:00.000-06:00

Bonfire of the Disney Princesses: "Disney likes to think of the Princesses as role models, but what a sorry bunch of wusses they are. Typically, they spend much of their time in captivity or a coma, waking up only when a Prince comes along and kisses them. The most striking exception is Mulan, who dresses as a boy to fight in the army, but--like the other Princess of color, Pocahontas--she lacks full Princess status and does not warrant a line of tiaras and gowns. Otherwise the Princesses have no ambitions and no marketable skills, although both Snow White and Cinderella are good at housecleaning."

Go Fug Yourself: Fug or Fab: Keira Knightley

2007-12-07T16:50:00.000-06:00

Go Fug Yourself: Fug or Fab: Keira Knightley: "Given that she's one of the approximately three British actors never to appear in a Harry Potter film, Keira seems to be getting in on the fun however she can -- in this case, wearing a sartorial ode to Devil's Snare, the plant that reaches out and tries to trap you in its slimy tentacles."

The Official Site of Boston Red Sox: News: Boston Red Sox News

2007-12-07T16:11:00.000-06:00

The Official Site of Boston Red Sox: News: Boston Red Sox News: "BOSTON -- The Red Sox will have one of the most dependable members of their bullpen back for another year. The club officially announced on Friday that Mike Timlin has been re-signed for one year." Yay!

Stringativity: Yarn Harlot - ness

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

Stringativity: Yarn Harlot - ness: "I'm talking to and touching a man who one day, could be, the most powerful man in the world and all I can say is, 'Will you hold my knitting?' Oh that is wrong on so many levels I don't even want to consider them all. But it is kinda funny, so funny/strange/demented I guess, that he laughed and said, 'Sure. Should I hold it like this?' took my knitting, reverently held it and smiled that incredible smile of his."

Broadsheet: Women's Articles, Women's Stories, Women's Blog - Salon.com

2007-11-28T16:23:00.000-06:00

Broadsheet: Women's Articles, Women's Stories, Women's Blog - Salon.com: "When I am president, one of my first acts, after ending hunger/ war/ poverty/ discrimination/ bandannas on dogs, will be to reverse the mandate that every mention of 'single women' must include a reference to 'Sex and the City.' (I may not be elected until at least 2012, but believe me, it will still be happening. Even if the movie sucks.)"

The iPod lecture circuit - Los Angeles Times

2007-11-27T09:03:00.000-06:00

The iPod lecture circuit - Los Angeles Times: "BERKELEY -- Baxter Wood is one of Hubert Dreyfus' most devoted students. During lectures on existentialism, Wood hangs on every word, savoring the moments when the 78-year-old philosophy professor pauses to consider a student's comment or relay how a meaning-of-life question had him up at 2 a.m.

But Wood is not sitting in a lecture hall on the UC Berkeley campus, nor has he met Dreyfus. He is in the cab of his 18-wheel big rig, hauling dog food from Ohio to the West Coast or flat-screen TVs from Los Angeles to points east.The 61-year-old trucker from El Paso eavesdrops on the lectures by downloading them for free from Apple Inc.'s iTunes store, transferring them to his Hewlett-Packard digital media player, then piping them through his cabin's speakers. He hits pause as he approaches cities so he can focus more on traffic than on what Nietzsche meant when he said God was dead, then shifts his attention back to the classroom."

ESPN - Catastrophe? Saban uses history to make point - College Football

2007-11-21T09:05:00.000-06:00

ESPN - Catastrophe? Saban uses history to make point - College Football: "TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama fans aren't the only ones treating the Louisiana-Monroe loss as a monumental event. Coach Nick Saban described the humbling defeat in almost apocalyptic terms Monday, mentioning the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Pearl Harbor in talking about how his team must rebound like America did from a 'catastrophic event.'"

Boston Red Sox - Lowell finalizes deal with Red Sox - Boston.com

2007-11-20T16:22:00.000-06:00

Boston Red Sox - Lowell finalizes deal with Red Sox - Boston.com: "During the team's victory parade, Ramirez also cast a vote for the incumbent: 'Forget about A-Rod,' he yelled, 'we've got Mike Lowell in the house!'" Now that this is final, I can relax and await spring training.

'Swirling' new college trend

2007-11-20T11:24:00.000-06:00

'Swirling' new college trend: "But he is part of a growing number of students who attend multiple schools to earn their four-year degrees. The practice has become so popular that college officials have come up with a name for the trend: 'swirling.'"

Teachers Should Blog, Tweet and Flirt Online Like the Rest of Us

2007-11-19T15:54:00.000-06:00

Teachers Should Blog, Tweet and Flirt Online Like the Rest of Us: "All adults who work with youth should be aware of how young people communicate, fall in love and stay connected; I encourage teachers to try social networking services, to have a blog, to text message with their own families and friends. Experienced teachers will not only gain a better sense of the world their students live in -- indeed, a world their students are creating -- they will have a greater understanding of the young teachers entering the profession."

The death of e-mail. - By Chad Lorenz - Slate Magazine

2007-11-15T09:04:00.000-06:00

The death of e-mail. - By Chad Lorenz - Slate Magazine: "Those of us older than 25 can't imagine a life without e-mail. For the Facebook generation, it's hard to imagine a life of only e-mail, much less a life before it. "

Salon.com Arts & Entertainment | Sexiest Man Living 2007

2007-11-15T09:01:00.000-06:00

Salon.com Arts & Entertainment | Sexiest Man Living 2007: "Naming Strong Bad, a character from the cartoon and game site Homestarrunner.com, among the sexiest men living may require a flexible understanding of the word 'living' -- and, for that matter, a flexible understanding of the word 'man.' The animated Adonis is fictional, and though he's definitely male, we're not totally sure he's human. But factor in his gravelly voice, wicked wit and perpetual shirtlessness, and it's clear that Strong Bad is indeed real, real hot."

The Modesto Bee | Exclusive to The Bee: Secret librarian handshake revealed!

2007-11-14T08:33:00.000-06:00

The Modesto Bee | Exclusive to The Bee: Secret librarian handshake revealed!: "Q. Hey Library Man: I always seem to find very attractive librarians working the reference desk, but I'm intimidated by how smart they are. Do you know any good librarian pickup lines I could 'borrow'? -- Bo

A. Dear 'Bo' (if that's your real name): The librarian mystique -- prim, proper and brainy by day, but transforming into wildcats after sunset -- can be intimidating. But don't be too bashful. Remember, Laura Bush was a librarian, and she settled for a smarmy frat boy who never read anything thicker than a Cliff's Notes pamphlet. His opening line was probably 'Are you with me or against me?' or 'If it's a date you want, bring it on.'"

Study Finds Working At Work Improves Productivity | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

2007-11-13T09:17:00.000-06:00

Study Finds Working At Work Improves Productivity | The Onion - America's Finest News Source: "WASHINGTON, DC—According to a groundbreaking new study by the Department of Labor, working—the physical act of engaging in a productive job-related activity—may greatly increase the amount of work accomplished during the workday, especially when compared with the more common practices of wasting time and not working."

ESPN - Williamson fined for attending funeral - NFL

2007-11-09T15:40:00.000-06:00

ESPN - Williamson fined for attending funeral - NFL: "Williamson's maternal grandmother, who helped to raise him and with whom he was very close, died last week and he returned to South Carolina, where he played a large role in arranging her funeral. He also had to make travel arrangements for several of his siblings, some of whom are in the armed services. He returned to the team on Wednesday as the Vikings began practicing for this Sunday's game against Green Bay.

The team apparently apprised Williamson on Wednesday that he would not receive a paycheck for the game that he missed.

'I don't care if they would have [taken] my pay for the rest of the year, I was going home,' Williamson told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. 'It wouldn't have mattered to me.'"

Yarn Harlot: Three things

2007-11-08T16:22:00.000-06:00

Yarn Harlot: Three things: "She's got the whole skein just draped over her knees. It's HOW SHE KNITS. Several knitters just reeling in shock offered, nay, practically insisted that the skein be taken to the ball winder, but Cornelia declined. She doesn't wind the yarn into a ball because Cornelia thinks that the cakes of yarn that come off a ball winder are ugly. She prefers the aesthetic of a nice hank just draped on her lap. She gracefully unwinds as she goes. We were stunned."

ESPN Page 2 - The Sports Guy: Most Valuable Team

2007-11-08T16:10:00.000-06:00

ESPN Page 2 - The Sports Guy: Most Valuable Team: "I promised my daughter there would be a payoff at the end -- that somebody on Colorado would make an out, that the Red Sox players would jump on each other and celebrate, that there would be dancing and hugging and everyone would be really happy. She understands absolutes (words like 'happy' and 'dancing' and 'hugging') and understood something special was about to happen, but she had never heard the word 'celebrate' before.' She liked the way it sounded, so she kept saying it. Celebrate. Every time something happened in the last two innings -- a strikeout, a groundball, whatever -- she'd ask me why they didn't celebrate and I had to keep telling her, 'No, you'll know when they're celebrating, I'll tell you when.'"

Facebook Is Marketing Your Brand Preferences (With Your Permission) - New York Times

2007-11-07T16:24:00.000-06:00

Facebook Is Marketing Your Brand Preferences (With Your Permission) - New York Times: "Facebook says that many of its 50 million active users already tell friends about particular products or brands they like, and the only change will be that those communications might start to carry ad messages from the companies that sell them. Facebook is letting advertisers set up their own profile pages at no charge and encouraging companies like Blockbuster, Condé Nast and Coca-Cola to share information with Facebook about the actions of Facebook members on their sites." So brands can have profiles, but not schools and libraries? What's up with that? (Oh, yeah, capitalism.)

Devices Enforce Silence of Cellphones, Illegally - New York Times

2007-11-07T16:22:00.000-06:00

Devices Enforce Silence of Cellphones, Illegally - New York Times: ""If anything characterizes the 21st century, it’s our inability to restrain ourselves for the benefit of other people," said James Katz, director of the Center for Mobile Communication Studies at Rutgers University. "The cellphone talker thinks his rights go above that of people around him, and the jammer thinks his are the more important rights.""

Dethpack Day 6: p. 206 (end of Part I)

2007-11-06T16:36:00.000-06:00

Maybe it's that I don't have a television or any sort of social life, but unlike most of the other members of the Dethpakt I am not frustrated by the pace of the book so far.

Anyway, the pace seems to be picking up with the entrance of Nikolai Stavrogin and Pyotr Verkhovensky. I think I can see where the nihilism will come in.

I'm more confused by the Dasha story-arc, and I have to say that I do feel pretty rotten for her.

One plot summary of the book says: "At the end of Book I all of the major characters have been introduced, but very little has been resolved. Dostoevsky uses this tension and confusion to build upon in Book II. Book I is typical of Dostoevsky in that he focuses on the character development, which is then incorporated to produce a scandalous climactic scene. He also creates a sense of disarray that sets the scene for the chaos that is to follow."

Tangentially related, here is Charles Bukowski's poem Dostoevsky:

against the wall, the firing squad ready.
then he got a reprieve.
suppose they had shot Dostoevsky?
before he wrote all that?
I suppose it wouldn't have
mattered
not directly.
there are billions of people who have
never read him and never
will.
but as a young man I know that he
got me through the factories,
past the whores,
lifted me high through the night
and put me down
in a better
place.
even while in the bar
drinking with the other
derelicts,
I was glad they gave Dostoevsky a
reprieve,
it gave me one,
allowed me to look directly at those
rancid faces
in my world,
death pointing its finger,
I held fast,
an immaculate drunk
sharing the stinking dark with
my
brothers.

Slow Month In Baseball Saved By A-Rod | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

2007-11-06T09:04:00.000-06:00

Slow Month In Baseball Saved By A-Rod | The Onion - America's Finest News Source: "'Thank you, A-Rod,' said ESPN's Peter Gammons, who left a baseball game in Denver between the Boston Red Sox and the Colorado Rockies immediately after hearing the news Sunday and flew to Legends Field in Tampa to get comments from Yankees front man Hank Steinbrenner. 'We desperately needed something to get us out of the never-ending drudgery that is fall baseball. This is a real treat. '"

As Cool as They Want to Be - New York Times

2007-11-05T13:59:00.000-06:00

As Cool as They Want to Be - New York Times: ""All I ever think about is whether my niece is popular, thin and happy enough," said Peggy Siegal, the movie screening doyenne and New York social engine. "Her mother tells me I have very bad values." Well, there’s nothing like an insouciant aunt, uncle or grandparent to sweep in to spew some bad values and opinions, right?" Jeepers.

Dethpakt days 2-3-4

2007-11-03T14:41:00.000-05:00

Hi! I'm in Panama City Beach, watching my little brother compete in the Ironman Florida. Guess what's not with me? Yup, in my rush out of work yesterday I left Demons sitting on my desk. D'oh!

Chronicle Careers: 12/16/2003: Lessons in Time Management

2007-11-02T11:56:00.000-05:00

Chronicle Careers: 12/16/2003: Lessons in Time Management: "When new faculty members cross paths on campus, there's a shorthand they share. 'You making it?' 'Busy. You?' 'Swamped.' Sometimes, there's just time for an exchange of eyerolls.

Dethpakt Day 1: pages vii to 27

2007-11-02T11:33:00.000-05:00

As if on cue, all sorts of distractions arrived in the mail on November 1st, which combined with my World Series-induced sleep debt to limit my progress. This weekend, however, I should have plenty of down-time while watching my brother compete at the Ironman Florida.

So far, there hasn't been much action, but I am getting a good mental image of Stepan. I found myself giggling at quite a few points, two of which I've excerpted below.

Having been involved in academia in some manner for almost my entire life, this passage rings particularly true:

"Later -- though by then he had already lost his lectureship -- he managed to publish (in revenge, so to speak, and to show them just whom they had lost), in a monthly and progressive journal, which translated Dickens and preached George Sand, the beginning of a most profound study –- having to do, apparently, with the reasons for the remarkable moral nobility of some nights in some epoch, or something of the sort. At any rate, some lofty and remarkably noble idea was upheld in it. Afterwards it was said that the sequel to the study was promptly forbidden, and that the progressive journal even suffered for having printed the first part. That could very well have happened, because what did not happen back then? But in the present case it is more likely that nothing happened, and that the author himself was too lazy to finish the study." (p.9)

I really like the phrase "civic grief" (and, for that matter, spleen is a word that has fallen into terrible underuse, IMHO):

"In the course of his twenty-year-long friendship with Varvara Petrovna he used to fall regularly, three or four times a year, into a state known among us as "civic grief" – that is, simply a fit of spleen… Later on, besides civic grief, he also began falling into champagne..." (p.13)

Regarding "civic grief" the endnote says: "The phrase "civic grief," meaning an acute suffering over social ills and inequities, was widely used in Russia in the 1860s; the disease itself became fashionable in Petersburg, where the deaths of some high-school students and cadets were even ascribed to it." How positively emo!

Papelbon on Letterman - Extra Bases

2007-11-01T08:14:00.000-05:00

Papelbon on Letterman - Extra Bases: "Papelbon: 'And this is actually coming from a guy, um, not very many people know this, but David Ortiz happens to be a huge Bedazzler.' (Dave cracks up laughing, audience laughs) 'So, yeah, yeah, see like this jacket right here? He couldn't wear this jacket normally, he'd have to put, like, Bedazzle a Lamborghini in the back, or something like that.' (audience laughs)"

What Did You Call It? - New York Times

2007-10-30T15:49:00.000-05:00

What Did You Call It? - New York Times: "Another view was offered by John H. McWhorter, a linguist and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, who pointed out that the women associated with introducing the word — Ms. Winfrey, the Miranda Bailey character on "Grey’s Anatomy" — are middle-age African-Americans. "The reason that vajayjay has caught on, I think, is because there is a black — Southern especially — naming tradition, which is to have names like Ray Ray and Boo Boo and things like that," Dr. McWhorter said. "It sounds warm and familiar and it almost makes the vagina feel like a little cartoon character with eyes that walks around."" Um, WHAT? (I was fine with the term vajayjay until I read that last sentence.)

Coming Soon: ‘Law School Nation’? - New York Times

2007-10-30T15:43:00.000-05:00

Coming Soon: ‘Law School Nation’? - New York Times: "YALE LAW SCHOOL has graduated some of the nation’s most prominent public figures, among them Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr., and Michael B. Mukasey, the nominee for United States attorney general. In January, a new alumna will grace their ranks, one whose attempted suicide, drug use, self-mutilation and indiscriminate sex have made her famous. That would be Elizabeth Wurtzel, the author of "Prozac Nation: Young and Depressed in America" and "More, Now, Again: A Memoir of Addiction." Once dubbed by Salon.com "the Suzanne Somers of literary letters," she is now completing her transition from woman behaving badly to doctor of jurisprudence."

But really, Dethpakt has a better ring to it:

2007-10-30T09:47:00.000-05:00

Reading Room - Sunday Book Review - New York Times Blog: The illustrious Dr. Baker points out that the New York Times currently has its own online club reading the new translation of War and Peace.

Broadsheet: Women's Articles, Women's Stories, Women's Blog - Salon.com

2007-10-30T08:46:00.000-05:00

Broadsheet: Women's Articles, Women's Stories, Women's Blog - Salon.com: "Even in the storm of controversy and opinion, Northrup's New Age gloss on the disease seems particularly egregious. On her Web site's page devoted to hypothyroidism, following a more medical definition of the disease, she writes: In many women thyroid dysfunction develops because of an energy blockage in the throat region, the result of a lifetime of 'swallowing' words one is aching to say. In the name of preserving harmony, or because these women have learned to live as relatively helpless members of their families or social groups, they have learned to stifle their self-expression. These women may, in fact, have struggled to have their say, only to discover that it doesn't make any difference -- because in their closest relationships they have been defined as insignificant. In order for this complex, entangled state of affairs to be resolved, a woman might need to take not only supplemental progesterone and thyroid hormone, but also an unblinking look at what parts of her life and interpersonal relationships need to change." Oh, for fuck's sake!

Dostoevsky's Demons Dethpakt

2007-10-29T21:43:00.000-05:00

Last spring, some friends of mine held an online book club of sorts for the reading of Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow. It was known as the Gravity's Rainbow Death Pact.

Recently discussion arose about having another such reading event, and I proposed that a suitable book might be Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsy (also translated as The Possessed and The Devils). I mentioned this work because it has occupied a place on my shelves for several year and thus far has resisted my attempts to read it. I have read and enjoyed all of Dostoevsky's other major works and would like to complete the list.

I initially became interested in Demons after seeing the amazing documentary The Stone Reader. I actually met the subject of that film, Dow Mossman, and talked with him about what he'd been reading, and this is one of the things he recommended.

Dethpakt II officially kicks off on November 1st. For the rules, such as they are, see the link about the original and substitute Demons for Gravity's Rainbow in your reading of it. We also have a Flickr group, and a list of participants and their blogs (for commiseration) will be posted somewhere.

Papelbon marionette

2007-10-29T16:40:00.001-05:00

My pumpkin let me show u it

2007-10-26T23:25:00.000-05:00

The Onion on the Sox

2007-10-26T09:24:00.000-05:00

Red Sox Attempt To Break Fabled 'Curse Of Relief Pitcher Curtis Leskanic' | The Onion - America's Finest News Source: "The Boston Red Sox, who have failed to win a single World Series since the departure of relief pitcher Curtis Leskanic in 2004, are attempting to defy the odds and do the impossible: reverse the curse of the journeyman reliever whose ghost has haunted this team since the mid-2000s."

Terry Francona Announces Josh Beckett Will Start Games 1, 4, 7, 2, 6, 3, 5 | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Now It’s Nobody’s Secret - New York Times

2007-10-25T16:40:00.000-05:00

Now It’s Nobody’s Secret - New York Times: "Ms. Mitro of Victoria’s Secret recalls that in the late ’90s, when younger shoppers began wearing panties or thongs that peeked above the tops of their jeans, she couldn’t believe they actually wanted their underwear to show. The company responded with styles that were decorated at the rear with flowers, ruffles and Swarovski crystals. "Suddenly," she said, "what was on the back of a panty became an important part of our design concept." Other lingerie makers have been quick to come on board. "We’re not focusing so much on hidden detail," said Franceska Luther, the creative director of Myla, an upscale British brand, "but tending instead to do a lot of frills and bows. I’m definitely creating products that allow for more exposure."" NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Listen, people, it's called underwear because it goes under what you wear!

Zombies in Plain English

2007-10-24T08:22:00.000-05:00

From Common Craft comes the latest in the series of "In Plain English" videos - just in time for Halloween:

Sean O'Hagan: Wear your heart on your sleeves

2007-10-23T10:28:00.000-05:00

Sean O'Hagan: Wear your heart on your sleeves | Review | The Observer: "In the days before iTunes, when you wanted to impress a girl you lovingly put together a compilation tape from your LPs. Now - thanks to the wondrous choice of digital music - mix tapes and vinyl are dying out. But is some of the mystery and meaning of music also disappearing?"

I was never any good at making mix tapes, but I do still have one that a boy gave me the summer I was sixteen. It's long since become unplayable, but I hang onto it for sentimental reasons, despite my usual lack of sentiment attached to physical objects.

ESPN - Arrested Red Sox fans get homework as sentence - MLB

2007-10-23T09:42:00.000-05:00

ESPN - Arrested Red Sox fans get homework as sentence - MLB: "Seven rowdy Red Sox fans have a homework assignment, and it has nothing to do with baseball. A judge has ordered them to write a five-page essay explaining what they have learned from their experience of being arrested after the Red Sox won the American League Championship Series on Sunday night."

ESPN - Attack on Web site shuts down Rockies tix sale - MLB

2007-10-23T08:47:00.000-05:00

ESPN - Attack on Web site shuts down Rockies tix sale - MLB: "About 20 people had lined up in near-freezing temperatures outside the Denver Public Library before it opened in hopes of using public-access computers to score tickets."

The OED on "crunk"

2007-10-22T15:32:00.001-05:00

Inside College Sports' Biggest Money Machine - WSJ.com

2007-10-22T09:54:00.000-05:00

Inside College Sports' Biggest Money Machine - WSJ.com: "At $109,382,222 for the current year, Ohio State's athletic budget is the largest in the nation and the biggest in the history of college sports. It allows the school to field 36 varsity teams in everything from baseball and soccer to riflery and synchronized swimming. The school spends about $110,000 on each of its 980 athletes, which is triple the amount the university spends per undergraduate on education."

A vision of students today

2007-10-22T09:35:00.000-05:00

I somehow missed this YouTube video from Michael Wesch, but it really captures a lot of what I've been thinking about lately as far as the challenges of my job. Maybe later I'll write more about what I've been thinking.

There's also a transcript of the film.

Terry Francona Sends Eric Gagne Down To Made-Up Triple-A Team |

2007-10-19T14:08:00.000-05:00

Terry Francona Sends Eric Gagne Down To Made-Up Triple-A Team | The Onion - America's Finest News Source: "CLEVELAND—Following Eric Gagne's 11th inning meltdown in Game 2 of the ALCS, Red Sox manager Terry Francona informed the reliever that he was being temporarily demoted to the 'Appleton Red Wolves,' a completely fabricated Triple-A team that, unbeknownst to Gagne, Francona made up right on the spot. "

Red Sox win Game 5 | Salon

2007-10-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

Red Sox win Game 5 | Salon: "That ends by far the longest, most stable and most successful managerial era of the Steinbrenner era for the Yankees, and it probably would have totally overshadowed the ALCS if the Red Sox hadn't been playing. As it is, ESPN is playing it cool, though it has commissioned Philip Glass to write an opera about Torre's contract negotiation that will debut Sunday afternoon."

The Smart Set: The Handbag - October 17, 2007

2007-10-19T08:28:00.000-05:00

The Smart Set: The Handbag - October 17, 2007: "If one thinks anthropologically, handbags may be a vestigial expression of women’s biological desire to nest. We need to feel that all the necessities of life are immediately within reach — and these necessities have increased in number as civilization has grown more complex. By the same token, the handbag may only be a shrewd invention on the part of patriarchy to keep women enslaved. The dead white male who invented it knew that it was an accessory that we wouldn’t be able to resist."

Elephant Hamper

2007-10-16T11:49:00.000-05:00

Elephant Hamper - I could use a new hamper. Isn't this cute?

Cleveland Midge Mask

2007-10-15T15:50:00.000-05:00

Cleveland Midge Mask: Props to Cleveland for this, but my Sox are made of tougher stuff than the Yanks!

Matsuzaka workout day interview

2007-10-14T17:55:00.000-05:00

The Official Site of The Boston Red Sox: News: Boston Red Sox News: "I was wondering if you saw the swarm of bugs that attacked here in the last series, what were your impressions of that, and is there anything you can do to prepare for something crazy like that?
DAISUKE MATSUZAKA: I did bring along some bug spray (laughter). "

The World’s Biggest Stash? at Mochimochi Blog

2007-10-11T22:24:00.000-05:00

The World’s Biggest Stash? at Mochimochi Blog This is truly impressive.

Right Brain v Left Brain | Herald Sun

2007-10-11T14:53:00.000-05:00

Right Brain v Left Brain | Herald Sun This is wacky. At first I see her going counter-clockwise, but if I shut my eyes and open them again she's going clockwise. I can't seem to get her to go back the other way. Does this mean I start out left-brained and switch to right? Or is this all malarkey?

Cute Overload! breaks teh intarwebs once and for all

2007-10-11T13:32:00.000-05:00

Cute Overload! :) Now that I've seen this, I'm pretty sure the internet is over.

Just One More Before Bedtime! - New York Times

2007-10-10T11:38:00.000-05:00

Just One More Before Bedtime! - New York Times: I'm hardly a Luddite, and I'm far from blameless when it comes to following celebrity gossip, but this article really makes me want to go live off the grid somewhere.

No, no, it's not OK.

2007-10-10T09:53:00.000-05:00

Yes, There Is Crying in Baseball (and It’s O.K.): 'And her Torre tears created a bookend to the Yankees’ ultimately disappointing season. On May 6, she went far over the top in describing the scene at Yankee Stadium when Roger Clemens announced his return. In a more extreme version of her Game 4 lamentation, she shouted that afternoon with untrammelled joy: "Roger Clemens is in George’s box and Roger Clemens is comin’ back. Oh my goodness gracious, of all the dramatic things — of all the dramatic things I’ve ever seen, Roger Clemens is standing right in George Steinbrenner’s box announcing he is back."'

WCBS NEWSRADIO 880 - Roger Clemens is BACK!

Which spectator sport is best for the environment? - By Brendan I. Koerner - Slate Magazine

2007-10-09T08:35:00.000-05:00

Which spectator sport is best for the environment? - By Brendan I. Koerner - Slate Magazine: "Antiquated Fenway Park in Boston is arguably one of the most eco-friendly stadiums in the nation, because of the fact that parking is so scarce and most fans must take public transportation. That gives it a big leg-up on modern counterparts that claim to be green, whether by virtue of their solar-powered LED boards or their cup-and-bottle recycling programs. But cutting down on automobiles, of course, is easier said than done, especially in cities with less developed public-transportation options than Boston."

I might quibble with the MBTA being called "developed."

Thank-You Note Enters College Admission Game - New York Times

2007-10-09T08:26:00.000-05:00

Thank-You Note Enters College Admission Game - New York Times: "There are even thank-you notes that are less than thankful, like the one from a young man who announced he had visited Lehigh under parental duress and begged to be rejected. "He said, ‘My parents don’t know I’m sending this letter,’" said J. Leon Washington, the dean of admissions and financial aid."

What is wrong with us?

2007-10-08T08:36:00.000-05:00

Photoshop Of Horrors: Faking Fitness? Really, It's Time To Stop With The Photoshop - Jezebel: Self magazine photoshops its models to look "bigger, healthier."

Meanwhile, the NY Times wonders, "Is the 'Mom Job' Really Necessary?" I would say, emphatically, no.

Halloween decorations

2007-10-08T08:06:00.000-05:00

Lately, a lot of people in my apartment complex have been decorating their doors for Halloween. I decided to join in the fun, but I was bored with store-bought skeletons. This was the result.

Jonathan Papelbon has dancing skillz

2007-10-05T20:55:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Sheila for passing along the link. I don't have a TV so I didn't get to see this back when the Red Sox clinched. Ah, YouTube, how I love you.

LibX USA Toolbar for Firefox and Internet Explorer

2007-10-05T16:26:00.000-05:00

LibX USA Toolbar for Firefox and Internet Explorer: I was delighted to learn earlier this week that there is now a LibX toolbar for Internet Explorer. I had been playing around with a Firefox version for University of South Alabama, and over the last day or so I've spent some time tweaking it to add more features. I also created this documentation page for our version of the toolbar, LibX USA.

Since You Asked, by Cary Tennis: My sister is a famous designer and I'm jealous | Salon Life

2007-10-05T08:32:00.000-05:00

Since You Asked, by Cary Tennis: My sister is a famous designer and I'm jealous

I don't have a sister, but I liked this snippet of the response:

I love myself because I have to. I love myself because suicide is not an option. I love myself because other people love me and I've got no right. So I love myself immoderately and without delay. I love myself without recompense, without reason, without state sponsorship or licensing, without writing a proposal first or getting a grant, without getting dressed up first and taking a shower, without calling ahead to find out what time I should love myself, without buying a bottle of wine and some flowers first, without shining my shoes and clipping my nails. I love myself because of you. I love myself because there are people like you and me all over the world beating ourselves up because our sisters made more money, because our sisters are more perfect, because everybody loves our sister better. Jesus, woman! Love yourself! Take the afternoon off. Pick up something you've made that you love and admire it. Spend all day admiring it. Don't criticize it. Don't pick it apart. You made it. You are a creative person. You don't control the market. You don't even control your creativity. It's a gift. Take care of it.

Wetlands on campus

2007-10-04T20:04:00.000-05:00

Now that it is cooler here in Mobile, I'm starting to explore my surroundings. These are some wetlands across the street from the library. In this picture, I am facing towards the library, which is the glass building.

It is very disconcerting to me that it is October and the temperatures are now down to the mid-80s.

Bibilomu-u-u-u-las!

2007-10-04T12:33:00.000-05:00

BBC NEWS | Venezuela's four-legged mobile libraries:

"The idea of loading mules with books and taking them into the mountain villages was started by the University of Momboy, a small institution that prides itself on its community-based initiatives and on doing far more than universities in Venezuela are required to do by law...

..."Bibilomu-u-u-u-las," they shouted as the bags of books were unstrapped. They dived in eagerly, keen to grab the best titles and within minutes were being read to by Christina and Juana, two of the project leaders.

"Spreading the joy of reading is our main aim," Christina Vieras told me...

... As the project grows, it is using the latest technology. Somehow there is already a limited mobile phone signal here, so the organisers are taking advantage of that and equipping the mules with laptops and projectors."

Holy Cow! A Bookcase!

2007-10-04T08:07:00.000-05:00

Holy Cow! A Bookcase! This bookshelf is adorable.

Nerdy knitting: daleks

2007-10-03T21:21:00.000-05:00

I've never actually seen an episode of Doctor Who, but I do know what Daleks are. A while back I showed some friends my nomination for the ugliest sweater pattern ever, and one commented that it made her think of Dalek. Ever since then I've liked the idea of knitting a Dalek.

Naturally, someone else on the internet has already thought of this. First there was the crocheted Dalek shaving cream cozy.

And here is the EXTERMIKNIT! Dalek knitting pattern.

Let the final words on the subject come from the lovely SparkleJ: "If you knit a dalek, you should make a little blobby-squiddy guy to hide inside. Ooh-ooh! If you want to score big geek points, you should get a little voice recorder so it can say EXTERMINATE! That would be cool! Or so uncool that it becomes cool... I can never tell the difference."

Papelbon on Beckett

2007-10-03T17:32:00.001-05:00

Boston Red Sox - Deal turned up an ace - The Boston Globe: "'He's trying to grow up. Put him in this locker room with a lot of respectable intellectual people like myself and he changes. I think he's benefited by sitting next to me all year. That's why we got him in this locker room. If I can help him in any way I can, then that's what I'm going to do.'"

This makes me almost as happy as the NESN segment early in the season in which they put a wire on Papelbon and recorded batting practice. The resulting segment showed Papelbon and Beckett going to Terry Francona to mediate a dispute about whether you can use a word in a sentence if you don't know how to spell it. (The word, used by Beckett, was emphatically - but don't ask him to spell it.)

New website design

2007-10-03T16:14:00.000-05:00

I have updated my website, knowltonian.net. You might say the following Foxtrot cartoon (from Sept. 22, 2006) was my inspiration:

I am also going to try to update this blog with the stuff that I always mean to email to people. We'll see how that goes.