I just finished reading Paranormalcy by Kiersten White and I really liked it! Now, I've decided to give my copy away to one lucky winner!
More about the book:
Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.
But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.
So much for normal.
The contest will run through October 15th at midnight EST. To win, just become a follower of my blog and leave a comment on this post. You can also earn bonus entries by following me on Twitter, tweeting about the contest, or blogging about it (or hiring a pilot to sky-write the contest info up in the air).
Just remember to leave your total in the comment (it makes it easier on me. Math is not my strong suit).
+1 for being an old or new blog follower
+1 for being an old or new Twitter follower
+1 for tweeting about the contest
+1 for blogging about it
+1 for skywriting it (or any other clever way you choose to promote the contest)
Thanks for entering and good luck everyone!
-- Lisa
PS - Sorry to my international friends, I only ship within the U.S. (I hope this doesn't put a damper on our foreign relations).
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Daily Thoughts 9/30/2010 (reading, libraries, well being, outsourcing)
Poster of book exhibition, by Vladimir Taburin, 1910,
http://www.plakaty.ru/posters?id=1685 , Wikimedia Address
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TaburinPoster.jpg
Daily Thoughts 9/30/2010
Today has been a quiet, peaceful day. I did some more weeding in the oversize books, some spot checking in 300s, and checked on the shifting in the storage area. I am focusing on the 800s in storage right now. Things are moving along nicely. I like to keep track of the small details so things go right.
We have a program today by John R. Howard who is reading Faces in the Mirror, Oscar Micheaux and Spike Lee from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.. John R. Howard used to be on the library board. We picked up a few of Spike Lee's movies; Do The Right Thing and When The Levees Broke as well as the videocasette for Body and Soul by Oscar Micheaux. We also picked up a few books on their films as well.
Last night, I read Well Being The Five Essential Elements by Tom Rath and Jim Harter. This is a study by the Gallup organization on the elements of what makes a person well. The five elements are career wellbeing, social wellbeing, financial wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and community wellbeing. This book speaks volumes about how the general wellbeing of Americans is slipping. We are 19th in overall wellbeing. It also describes how poverty causes more than a lack of monetary wealth. It also increases the amount of pain people are in because of lack of healthcare, and limits physical safety. There are some interesting insights in this book. A lot of the interviews in this book were done in person because the book has international coverage where many people do not have phones or electronic equipment.
On the train home, I started on The Glamor of Grammar A Guide to the Magic and Mystery of Practical Enghlish by Roy Peter Clark. This is a surprising book. The author manages to make grammar fascinating. He argues that one should be immersed in language. Grammar is a tool to improve language, not a prescriptive or descriptive device. His argument is very likable. In chapter 3, he asks the reader to adopt a favorite letter. I chose Z because it reminds me of the Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz in Dr. Seuss's A B C.
Web Bits
From the Wall Street Journal, an article that argues that the internet is killing superstores, but will allow small stores to flourish. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703440604575496290813315552.html
This is an interesting idea. Maybe, we might see some of the specialty bookstores come back.
The New York Times article about outsourcing public libraries. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/business/27libraries.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1 I find this to be a little bit disturbing. There are two reasons. The first is sucking money out of the local community by sending it to a corporation that is not necessarily part of the local community. I would think this would have a similar effect to Walmart. You might get cheaper services, but the money does not go back into the community. The second problem is one of transparency. Libraries are public institutions run by the government where you can see how the money is spent. LSSI is a private corporation which does not release its financial figures. This is very short term oriented thinking.
http://www.plakaty.ru/posters?id=1685 , Wikimedia Address
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TaburinPoster.jpg
Daily Thoughts 9/30/2010
Today has been a quiet, peaceful day. I did some more weeding in the oversize books, some spot checking in 300s, and checked on the shifting in the storage area. I am focusing on the 800s in storage right now. Things are moving along nicely. I like to keep track of the small details so things go right.
We have a program today by John R. Howard who is reading Faces in the Mirror, Oscar Micheaux and Spike Lee from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.. John R. Howard used to be on the library board. We picked up a few of Spike Lee's movies; Do The Right Thing and When The Levees Broke as well as the videocasette for Body and Soul by Oscar Micheaux. We also picked up a few books on their films as well.
Last night, I read Well Being The Five Essential Elements by Tom Rath and Jim Harter. This is a study by the Gallup organization on the elements of what makes a person well. The five elements are career wellbeing, social wellbeing, financial wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and community wellbeing. This book speaks volumes about how the general wellbeing of Americans is slipping. We are 19th in overall wellbeing. It also describes how poverty causes more than a lack of monetary wealth. It also increases the amount of pain people are in because of lack of healthcare, and limits physical safety. There are some interesting insights in this book. A lot of the interviews in this book were done in person because the book has international coverage where many people do not have phones or electronic equipment.
On the train home, I started on The Glamor of Grammar A Guide to the Magic and Mystery of Practical Enghlish by Roy Peter Clark. This is a surprising book. The author manages to make grammar fascinating. He argues that one should be immersed in language. Grammar is a tool to improve language, not a prescriptive or descriptive device. His argument is very likable. In chapter 3, he asks the reader to adopt a favorite letter. I chose Z because it reminds me of the Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz in Dr. Seuss's A B C.
Web Bits
From the Wall Street Journal, an article that argues that the internet is killing superstores, but will allow small stores to flourish. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703440604575496290813315552.html
This is an interesting idea. Maybe, we might see some of the specialty bookstores come back.
The New York Times article about outsourcing public libraries. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/business/27libraries.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1 I find this to be a little bit disturbing. There are two reasons. The first is sucking money out of the local community by sending it to a corporation that is not necessarily part of the local community. I would think this would have a similar effect to Walmart. You might get cheaper services, but the money does not go back into the community. The second problem is one of transparency. Libraries are public institutions run by the government where you can see how the money is spent. LSSI is a private corporation which does not release its financial figures. This is very short term oriented thinking.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Daily Thoughts 9/29/2010 (Spook Country)
Die Allegorie der Poesie, Raffael 1508 - 1511. Fresco im Deckengewölbe der Stanza della Signatura, Vatikan,Kopie von H.-P. Haackhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Allegorie_der_Poesie,_Mosaik_von_Raffael.jpg
Daily Thoughts 9/29/2010
I finished reading Spook Country by William Gibson. I noticed that every single book mentions steganography. All the books are full of slightly masked details. They Bigend Series also uses a mix of various acronyms for secretive organizations or law enforcement, the NSA-- National Security Agency (United States), DEA--Drug Enforcement Agency (United States), IXO-- Information Exploitation Office (Swiss), and many other organizations.
Today, I did a little more checking in the 300s, and had someone do shifting in the 800s in the storage area.
It was a quiet, pleasant day.
Hola!
Hola! How would one advertise themselves? Most would say that advertising is trying to get people to take notice of something, like a product. Well, these blogs are here to advertise the people behind the blogs. So if I were to advertise myself, you'd probably find me doing an ad for some retro-vintage store wearing granny glasses, tie-dye, and bell-bottoms. That's who I am, I'm your average, every day, modern hippie beat-nik. I wear retro clothes, and I like older music. To tell you a little about me, I have a somewhat large family, most of them living in central Kentucky. I have a dad named Steve, a little sis named Jessica, but we call her Jessie, a mom named Brenda, and a step-dad named Greg.
I'm 19 and I'm a college student. This is my 2nd year at Gateway Community and Technical College. I'm going for an Associates Degree in Graphic Design. I enjoy listening to music and reading books in my off time, I love all kinds of music, like R&B, jazz, British Invasion-era, rock, Latin, club/techno(Rihanna), new wave, like U2 and Coldplay. I enjoy reading alot, my favorite books are The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, and I enjoy reading books about people because I enjoy learning new things about people I never knew before. My dad owns alot of biographies on people I have no idea who they are, mainly just British actors and comedians he likes. I only own 3, 2 are on actors, 1 is on a band I like. But when I'm not doing homework for school, I usually have my head stuck in a book or are listening to music. It's one of the simple pleasures I have. On Friday it's my birthday and I'm getting Chinese food for dinner.
I'm turning 20 and I could care less.Anymore, birthdays are like just another day to me. Some of the goals I have for the near future is to simply graduate, nothing too hard. And for the far future, I want to travel the world, see some of the beautiful places in the world, like China, Japan, Italy, Australia. I enjoy traveling everywhere. The teachers here at Gateway are totally awesome. They're always here to help and that is good. I'm enjoying every second of school I can, because soon I'll graduate and I'll be in the working world. Some think it's scary, but I'm looking forward to it. My dad tries to say it's hard, and for all I know, he might be right, but I'll just have to wait and see. My dad says I'll be one of those super, peppy, happy, cheery people in the morning who greets everyone with a million dollar smile. I'm not going to be like that in the morning, but I will enjoy my job.
Because if you see me in the morning, I'm not peppy, happy, cheery. I need my coffee to do that. I'm not a morning person unless I have my coffee! But I'm basically the kind of person that treats everyone with the kindness and respect I think they deserve. I'm hoping to go into a job like advertising or any job that involves CD cover design. Because in one of my classes here, my final project for this one class of mine, 2D design, was to create a CD cover for a band/artist we like, I did Aerosmith for my CD cover. It was a little blurry when it came out maybe because of the printer or something, but I'm proud of it. If I can land a job doing advertising or CD cover design, you'd think you bought me the world I'd be so happy.
I'm also the type of person that, when given the chance to do something, I go at it full force. I enjoy my work, and I'm not sure if that's a problem, but I enjoy doing graphic design, it's what interests me. Out of all the classes I've had here at Gateway, I'd have to say that my most favorite classes are the Intro to Computers, Fundamentals of Drawing, Computer Page Layout, 2D Design, my Macromedia Flash class, Corporate Identity. Those are my favorite classes because they are fun.
I'm 19 and I'm a college student. This is my 2nd year at Gateway Community and Technical College. I'm going for an Associates Degree in Graphic Design. I enjoy listening to music and reading books in my off time, I love all kinds of music, like R&B, jazz, British Invasion-era, rock, Latin, club/techno(Rihanna), new wave, like U2 and Coldplay. I enjoy reading alot, my favorite books are The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, and I enjoy reading books about people because I enjoy learning new things about people I never knew before. My dad owns alot of biographies on people I have no idea who they are, mainly just British actors and comedians he likes. I only own 3, 2 are on actors, 1 is on a band I like. But when I'm not doing homework for school, I usually have my head stuck in a book or are listening to music. It's one of the simple pleasures I have. On Friday it's my birthday and I'm getting Chinese food for dinner.
I'm turning 20 and I could care less.Anymore, birthdays are like just another day to me. Some of the goals I have for the near future is to simply graduate, nothing too hard. And for the far future, I want to travel the world, see some of the beautiful places in the world, like China, Japan, Italy, Australia. I enjoy traveling everywhere. The teachers here at Gateway are totally awesome. They're always here to help and that is good. I'm enjoying every second of school I can, because soon I'll graduate and I'll be in the working world. Some think it's scary, but I'm looking forward to it. My dad tries to say it's hard, and for all I know, he might be right, but I'll just have to wait and see. My dad says I'll be one of those super, peppy, happy, cheery people in the morning who greets everyone with a million dollar smile. I'm not going to be like that in the morning, but I will enjoy my job.
Because if you see me in the morning, I'm not peppy, happy, cheery. I need my coffee to do that. I'm not a morning person unless I have my coffee! But I'm basically the kind of person that treats everyone with the kindness and respect I think they deserve. I'm hoping to go into a job like advertising or any job that involves CD cover design. Because in one of my classes here, my final project for this one class of mine, 2D design, was to create a CD cover for a band/artist we like, I did Aerosmith for my CD cover. It was a little blurry when it came out maybe because of the printer or something, but I'm proud of it. If I can land a job doing advertising or CD cover design, you'd think you bought me the world I'd be so happy.
I'm also the type of person that, when given the chance to do something, I go at it full force. I enjoy my work, and I'm not sure if that's a problem, but I enjoy doing graphic design, it's what interests me. Out of all the classes I've had here at Gateway, I'd have to say that my most favorite classes are the Intro to Computers, Fundamentals of Drawing, Computer Page Layout, 2D Design, my Macromedia Flash class, Corporate Identity. Those are my favorite classes because they are fun.
Busy day
Weeee! Tomorrow me and my friends are finally invading Belgium!
But first I have tons (and I mean TONS) of stuff I have to fix before leaving…
But first I have tons (and I mean TONS) of stuff I have to fix before leaving…
- Study - BIG TIME. I really have to finish all assignments and homework for next week -.- [x]
- Run some errands in town [x]
- Go check out H&M's fall sale (important! :P) [x]
- Exchange money [ x]
- Do a facial [x]
- PACK (also very important) [x]

Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Daily Thoughts 9/28/2010 (Spook Country, Electric Cars, Directors Station)
English: Painting "Still life with red material", by Russian artist Anatoli Nenartovich (1915-1988), 1979
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nenartovich-Anatoly-Still-life-with-red-material-pos04bw.jpg
Daily Thoughts 9/29/2010
Today I took the train up to Chappaqua. We had a user group for Sirsi Dynix, Directors Station. Mostly it was about how to get circulation statistics for books. There were a few other surprising applications. Someone was tracking fines with it, another person was generating lists of missing items, another librarian was checking for duplication, and another person was keeping track of the last activity date patrons used their cards to determine if they should be kept on the mailing list.
The reports were exportable to microsoft excel which allows people to change a few things so they are more useful. The auditorium was fairly nice and it was easy follow. It was a chance to meet a few of the library directors and people working in the library system. They served coffee and cake.
I'll probably try to get a better sense of it tomorrow.
The day went well. I printed up some bookmarks on material on AIDS & HIV. I also did some checking in the oversize 300s and regular 300s.
While reading through Publishers Weekly, I noticed the book Jolt The Impending Dominance of the Electric Car by James Billmaier. This is very interesting. If you follow http://www.teslamotors.com/ like I do, you might see some very interesting things coming up with electric cars, specifically the S Class sedan. Also Phoenix Motors is promising as well http://www.phoenixmotorcars.com/ I know it is a bit off topic with this one.
I read some more of Spook Country by William Gibson on the train home. You could call the trilogy The Bigend Trilogy. On P.106 of Spook Country , there is an excellent quote which says a lot about the book."Secrets," said Bigend beside her, "are the very root of cool." This ties a lot of the themes in the book together. His characters in the series are partaking of or searching for secrets. Their jobs are usually cool; fashion is cool, spies are cool, music is cool, locative art is cool, and even advertising is cool in the novels.
Web Bits
Blio the new ereading software from Baker and Taylor was released today. http://www.blio.com/
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nenartovich-Anatoly-Still-life-with-red-material-pos04bw.jpg
Daily Thoughts 9/29/2010
Today I took the train up to Chappaqua. We had a user group for Sirsi Dynix, Directors Station. Mostly it was about how to get circulation statistics for books. There were a few other surprising applications. Someone was tracking fines with it, another person was generating lists of missing items, another librarian was checking for duplication, and another person was keeping track of the last activity date patrons used their cards to determine if they should be kept on the mailing list.
The reports were exportable to microsoft excel which allows people to change a few things so they are more useful. The auditorium was fairly nice and it was easy follow. It was a chance to meet a few of the library directors and people working in the library system. They served coffee and cake.
I'll probably try to get a better sense of it tomorrow.
The day went well. I printed up some bookmarks on material on AIDS & HIV. I also did some checking in the oversize 300s and regular 300s.
While reading through Publishers Weekly, I noticed the book Jolt The Impending Dominance of the Electric Car by James Billmaier. This is very interesting. If you follow http://www.teslamotors.com/ like I do, you might see some very interesting things coming up with electric cars, specifically the S Class sedan. Also Phoenix Motors is promising as well http://www.phoenixmotorcars.com/ I know it is a bit off topic with this one.
I read some more of Spook Country by William Gibson on the train home. You could call the trilogy The Bigend Trilogy. On P.106 of Spook Country , there is an excellent quote which says a lot about the book."Secrets," said Bigend beside her, "are the very root of cool." This ties a lot of the themes in the book together. His characters in the series are partaking of or searching for secrets. Their jobs are usually cool; fashion is cool, spies are cool, music is cool, locative art is cool, and even advertising is cool in the novels.
Web Bits
Blio the new ereading software from Baker and Taylor was released today. http://www.blio.com/
Monday, September 27, 2010
TV shows
Everyone has a favorite TV show, don't they? Well, I have a lot of favorites. Law and Order:SVU is my biggest favorite. I enjoy watching that show because it's actually good. And I watch this one show my step-dad got me hooked on. It's called Top Gear, it's a show out of England that my step-dad watches. It's about these 3 British guys who do stunts with cars. I'm also a big CSI:NY fan. I really don't watch TV all that much, because most of the time I have my head in a book reading or I'm working on something for school.
But at night when I'm not doing something school related, I watch TV. I recently started watching this show on TV called Glee. It's pretty cool, I like it. There's this other show I like watching because it's funny. It's called Everyone Hates Chris. It makes me laugh. Alot of the stuff on TV that I watch has to do with police work, like Criminal Minds, Cold Case, CSI:NY, Law and Order:SVU, Numb3rs(this is a show), it's almost like a pattern with me, I guess it's because when I was younger, I wanted to be a police officer.
The reason being that I'm tired of seeing criminals, pedophiles, rapists, you name it getting more rights than the victims. When a man rapes a woman, think about it, in court, the rapist's lawyer will make it almost sound like she seduced him into having sex and she cried rape. I guess that's the reason I wanted to be a cop when I was younger. But when I hear about all the fatalities that come out of being a cop, I quickly changed my mind and went into something else that interested me--art.
I figure since I love art, go into a job like that. But that's probably the reason I love police related shows, police work endlessly fascinates me. It's funny how things end up, huh? When you were younger, you liked certain things and when you grow up and look back, you think "man, did I really like that?" You think that it's corny, that the stuff you liked when you were younger is corny now.
Believe me, it's a pattern with me, I'll watch anything that has to do with music, police work or sometimes reality. Now, I'm not sure if Cake Boss is considered reality, but if it is, I love it. I just love how he does all these intricate little designs. If I ever get a cake from him, I want a Sopranos-themed cake, I love that show! And Dancing with the Stars? I actually do like that show because I enjoy dancing, whether it be ballet, tango, Swing, or club dancing like the cha-cha slide or whatever. I love dancing! If you ever see me at a club or something where there's dancing, you'll see I'm most happy when I'm dancing! But some of the people on the new season of it I can't actually believe are on there: Bristol Palin,
Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino. What he needs to do is wake up and smell the coffee-he is not impressive, yeah he may have a body like Stallone, but he isn't going to hook any chicks if his ego is bigger than the entire country of Italy. And now Bristol Palin, from what I hear, she's a diva, thinking that just because she is famous for having a child out of wedlock, she can win. That's now how it works. I hear this one comedian is going to try out, I think her name is Margaret Cho, I hear she's funny, so I hope she wins.
But at night when I'm not doing something school related, I watch TV. I recently started watching this show on TV called Glee. It's pretty cool, I like it. There's this other show I like watching because it's funny. It's called Everyone Hates Chris. It makes me laugh. Alot of the stuff on TV that I watch has to do with police work, like Criminal Minds, Cold Case, CSI:NY, Law and Order:SVU, Numb3rs(this is a show), it's almost like a pattern with me, I guess it's because when I was younger, I wanted to be a police officer.
The reason being that I'm tired of seeing criminals, pedophiles, rapists, you name it getting more rights than the victims. When a man rapes a woman, think about it, in court, the rapist's lawyer will make it almost sound like she seduced him into having sex and she cried rape. I guess that's the reason I wanted to be a cop when I was younger. But when I hear about all the fatalities that come out of being a cop, I quickly changed my mind and went into something else that interested me--art.
I figure since I love art, go into a job like that. But that's probably the reason I love police related shows, police work endlessly fascinates me. It's funny how things end up, huh? When you were younger, you liked certain things and when you grow up and look back, you think "man, did I really like that?" You think that it's corny, that the stuff you liked when you were younger is corny now.
Believe me, it's a pattern with me, I'll watch anything that has to do with music, police work or sometimes reality. Now, I'm not sure if Cake Boss is considered reality, but if it is, I love it. I just love how he does all these intricate little designs. If I ever get a cake from him, I want a Sopranos-themed cake, I love that show! And Dancing with the Stars? I actually do like that show because I enjoy dancing, whether it be ballet, tango, Swing, or club dancing like the cha-cha slide or whatever. I love dancing! If you ever see me at a club or something where there's dancing, you'll see I'm most happy when I'm dancing! But some of the people on the new season of it I can't actually believe are on there: Bristol Palin,
Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino. What he needs to do is wake up and smell the coffee-he is not impressive, yeah he may have a body like Stallone, but he isn't going to hook any chicks if his ego is bigger than the entire country of Italy. And now Bristol Palin, from what I hear, she's a diva, thinking that just because she is famous for having a child out of wedlock, she can win. That's now how it works. I hear this one comedian is going to try out, I think her name is Margaret Cho, I hear she's funny, so I hope she wins.
Daily Thoughts 9/27/2010 (Spook Country)
Gerard Dou (1613, Leiden – 1674, idem), Painter With A Pipe and Book, Self Portrait, Oil On Panel (1650)
Daily Thoughts 9/27/2010
We have a community program on AIDS tomorrow. I am putting together a bookmark with recommended book titles and pulling some books on AIDS and HIV for the program. We also have the Directors Station meeting tomorrow at Chappaqua. This should be interesting.
Today has been a steady day. I checked the displays, did some spot checking in the 300s, and did a small amount of weeding in the oversize 300s. I also did a little bit of checking on BWI.
The book Spook Country by William Gibson came in for me to read. I also finished reading Third World America by Arianna Huffington on the train in to work.
Spook Country is revealing some common themes in the trilogy of Spook Country, Pattern Recognition, and Zero History. Each book seeks to find something hidden, has ornate background descriptions, uses music as a kind of subtheme to add to the mood of the writing, and usually has some right wing secretive group as the opposition.
Hubertus Bigend is a kind of representative of a hidden war that is going on in the United States for control of our ideals through advertising, hidden messages, and shadowy deals. There is a theme of secret brands, hidden artwork, and shadowy figures playing a game of cat and mouse with hacking, corporate espionage, and memes. It has a very different feel when you look at the books together.
There is a lot to think about.
Daily Thoughts 9/27/2010
We have a community program on AIDS tomorrow. I am putting together a bookmark with recommended book titles and pulling some books on AIDS and HIV for the program. We also have the Directors Station meeting tomorrow at Chappaqua. This should be interesting.
Today has been a steady day. I checked the displays, did some spot checking in the 300s, and did a small amount of weeding in the oversize 300s. I also did a little bit of checking on BWI.
The book Spook Country by William Gibson came in for me to read. I also finished reading Third World America by Arianna Huffington on the train in to work.
Spook Country is revealing some common themes in the trilogy of Spook Country, Pattern Recognition, and Zero History. Each book seeks to find something hidden, has ornate background descriptions, uses music as a kind of subtheme to add to the mood of the writing, and usually has some right wing secretive group as the opposition.
Hubertus Bigend is a kind of representative of a hidden war that is going on in the United States for control of our ideals through advertising, hidden messages, and shadowy deals. There is a theme of secret brands, hidden artwork, and shadowy figures playing a game of cat and mouse with hacking, corporate espionage, and memes. It has a very different feel when you look at the books together.
There is a lot to think about.
Words of wisdom
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Clementine by Cherie Priest
Clementine by Cherie Priest
This is a chase novel. One main character, Captain Beauregard Hainey seeks to recover his stolen property, a war dirigible. Another character, Maria Isabella Boyd, must make sure the stolen dirigible, the Clementine reaches its destination. This creates opposing chases.
The characters are also described in opposition. Captain Beauregard is an African American air pirate, arms smuggler, and wanted man. Maria Isabella Boyd is an ex-confederate spy hired by the Pinkertons. This makes for a novel with strong clashes.
The clashes between the opposing sides happen at a whirlwind pace. The reading is as fast as the storyline. It is nonstop action mixed with intrigue; aerial dirigible battles, dirigible hijackings, and quick thinking.
The setting is a steampunk version of the American civil war replete with clockwork technology. The book makes some references to her previous novel, Boneshaker, but it is not necessary to read it to understand the action. There are a few cliches in the novel like a man portable gatling gun and a diamond powered deathbeam. This is the only real flaw I found in the writing.
I sat and read the book on the train home, then finished it that same night. It works very well as an action novel. If you want a couple days worth of fast paced escapism, this novel is worth reading.
I'm a Query Class Grad!
I finished my Query Workshop with C.J. Redwine this weekend and now have an awesome query to show for it. Thanks so much, C.J., for all your help! I'd highly recommend the class to anyone else who is struggling to craft the perfect query letter.
Here's the finished product...
Dear [Awesome Agent]:
Katie Morland is about to spend the weekend in a haunted house. Lucky for her, the guy of her dreams is sleeping right across the hall.
Eighteen-year-old Katie has always been sweet and caring, but sometimes she's just a little too naïve for her own good. Thanks to her newfound obsession with horror movies, she's become convinced ghosts and ghouls actually do exist. So, when Katie meets Hal Tilney, who's not only charming and smart but also happens to live in one of the most haunted houses in America – the home where The Amityville Horror took place – she thinks she's found the perfect guy for her. The down side? Hal believes all the stories of hauntings and demon possession were just one big hoax.
When Katie is invited to visit Hal's house, she has high hopes the weekend will send chills up her spine in more ways than one. But in Amityville, Hal seems distant and unfeeling. Could the source of Hal's sudden coldness be his infamous house? Katie is determined to find out if demons do haunt these halls and if she can win Hal's heart forever. But, little does she know that indulging her horror-fueled imagination might lead to something really frightening – losing the guy she loves.
HIGH HOPES, my 50,000-word young adult novel, is a modern retelling of Jane Austen's classic, Gothic parody, Northanger Abbey. Since you [insert reason for querying here], I thought my work might be a good fit for you. I have a bachelor's degree in English and currently work as a writer and editor for American Greetings.
At the end of this email you will find [requested materials].Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Lisa Galek
Brothers
Missing again for a week and this time I wasn't even painting!
I have been trying to catch up with mundane things though, like all this blasted administrative work I seem to be surrounded with lately. But I've promised myself, it's painting tomorrow, come rain or shine!
This painting was done a few weeks back and submitted for our Annual selection day. Unfortunately the judges didn't like it, so it didn't make it. But I was quite pleased with it, and after the initial disappointment, am still happy with it. Hope you like it too.
Daily Thoughts 9/26/2010 (Where The Wild Things Are)
"Where The Wild Things Are" graffiti, in Kelsey-Woodlawn, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, 27, May 2009, 16:59, Scott Woods-Fehr (Freedom of panorama)
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Freedom_of_panorama#Canada , Creative Commons Attribution 2.0, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Where_The_Wild_Things_Are_graffiti_04.jpg
Daily Thoughts 9/26/2010
I watched the new film of Where The Wild Things Are which was released to dvd in 2010. It is a live action film. I very much liked the monster costumes. My favorite was the minotaur. The film was about anger and being wild. Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak was one of my favorite books as a child.
I also read some more of Third World America by Arianna Huffington. I liked the line, "There are no lobbyists for the American Dream," on p.133. She argues that there are too many lobbyists and moneyed interests for change to effectively take place for the better in congress. Arianna Huffington also describes how infrastructure from bridges, roads, dams, electricity to broadband internet is falling apart and costing the United States leadership in business. The book mainly attacks republicans, but also does not spare some democrats incompetence. It is very much a call for change.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Freedom_of_panorama#Canada , Creative Commons Attribution 2.0, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Where_The_Wild_Things_Are_graffiti_04.jpg
Daily Thoughts 9/26/2010
I watched the new film of Where The Wild Things Are which was released to dvd in 2010. It is a live action film. I very much liked the monster costumes. My favorite was the minotaur. The film was about anger and being wild. Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak was one of my favorite books as a child.
I also read some more of Third World America by Arianna Huffington. I liked the line, "There are no lobbyists for the American Dream," on p.133. She argues that there are too many lobbyists and moneyed interests for change to effectively take place for the better in congress. Arianna Huffington also describes how infrastructure from bridges, roads, dams, electricity to broadband internet is falling apart and costing the United States leadership in business. The book mainly attacks republicans, but also does not spare some democrats incompetence. It is very much a call for change.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Being spontaneous
The evening that was suppose to be spent studying turned into a spontaneous trip to Malaysia’s embassy in Stockholm instead. Not that I have any regrets though…or not yet at least. ;)
Tonight’s dress-for-success: green top (Lindex), cardigan (H&M), trench coat (VILA), jeans leggins (Lindex), shoes (Converse)
Tonight’s dress-for-success: green top (Lindex), cardigan (H&M), trench coat (VILA), jeans leggins (Lindex), shoes (Converse)
The Liar Society
This is pretty cool... I won an ARC for Lisa and Laura Roecker's upcoming The Liar Society!
I was one of the people that suggested the name for the snobby sisters in their second book. I liked Tinsley and that's what they picked. It sounds pretty uppity, so I think it's a good choice.
Can't wait until the book arrives!
-- Lisa
I was one of the people that suggested the name for the snobby sisters in their second book. I liked Tinsley and that's what they picked. It sounds pretty uppity, so I think it's a good choice.
Can't wait until the book arrives!
-- Lisa
Ebooks, Ereaders, and Digital Content Meetup
Roland Lange, Manager for Strategic Partner Development at Google, explains Google Book Search at the Innovation Forum of the Frankfurt Book Fair 2007. 11.10.2007, User Weltach. Gnu Free Documentation License
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Google_booksearch.jpg
Ebooks, Ereaders and Digital Content....
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Google_booksearch.jpg
Ebooks, Ereaders and Digital Content....
I might have been a little bit exhausted this time. I was offered a business proposition to work on a social networking site on the way home. It was a serious enough offer for me to spend some time talking about it. It is a very interesting idea. This made me a little late for the meeting. I got there at 7:00 p.m. The meeting was at the Landmark Tavern in Manhattan. I also walked to the tavern from the subway. It was a fairly long walk.
I am going to mainly go over some of the ideas which I ran into. There was too much to put in a single post.
The Landmark Tavern was a nice place. The service was good. The selection of beer was also very solid. I had a Guinness Stout. There was enough space to sit down. It did a get a little loud at points because it was quite crowded.
One of the most striking things which I saw was the ability to synchronize the iphone and ipad so they worked together. Robert Forrester of Forrester Networks was showing different applications on his ipad. He showed how his ipad, iphone, and computer all synched together. One of the applications he showed was Evernote, a clipping application for the internet and documents.
A lot of the people were marketers, researchers, or media strategists. Bowker which owns the Proquest magazine and newspaper database as well as Books In Print was there. Bowker was there to discuss marketing. Most of the people were from a corporate background. I admit, I felt a little bit like a fish out of water. The language I heard was very different than the language of econtent. I did not hear the new terms like "Internet Producer" or "Creative" that much.
It was a bit different than the librarian meetups. I go to. http://www.meetup.com/nylibrarians/ I think I have the tech meetups and library meetups pretty well figured out. I am not sure that I have the publishing meetups that well down.
I rather liked the one line pich of The Idea Logical Company, "The Idea Logical company is a book publishing futurist." It has a nice ring to it.Very similar to a tech evangelist style. http://www.idealog.com/blog
How Elaine Bloom's business card read, "LinkedIn In Strategist, LinkedIn is more than just your profile." http://www.linkedinstrategist/ I took a look at her site, and followed up on a suggestion to join interest groups. I joined one on science fiction and one on blogging.
Part of our discussion was about people being out of work. This is one of the reasons I go to these things. From my experience and what I have seen, many recruiters are forgoing resumes and going right to the social networking sites to recruit people.
http://www.ere.net/2010/09/13/social-media-recruiting-by-the-numbers/
I have had some interesting experiences. My father got his job not because he sent in a resume, but because he posted his profile somewhere. His view is put up a public profile if you are looking for a job.
I have talked to people who have been looking on job boards for years. Sometimes social media works better. http://www.meetup.com/, Bernardo's List
http://www.bernardoslist.com/, and other places list events in the tech community. Some people are not aware this is happening. Even if you don't want to put your profile up, go to social media events to make contacts.
I remember that I got my job at an internet service provider partially because I proved that I was web savvy by selling on ebay as eye-in-the-sky-books which I no longer maintain. Blogs are free to put up. I freely admit to being one of those people who scare recruiters. I like talking to them, but don't easily match with many recruiters ideals.
There is a kind of long chain back with eye-in-the-sky-books. I used to hangout in Manhattan at a now defunct science fiction bookstore. This is where I got most of my books. I also learned about http://www.bibliomania.net/ from selling specialty and signed science fiction books on ebay. This is where Bibliomania started. Most of the specialty science fiction bookstores in Manhattan are gone.
It is a kind of sad thing to happen. It reminds me that I have to go back to look at the Soho Gallery for Digital Art http://sohodigart.com/ which is owned by John Ordover. John corrected me, there used to be a sceince fiction bookstore further down on Sullivan street from the gallery.
Elaine Bloom asked me what I thought about the future of the book. I gave a half an answer because I was a bit tired, but this is how I see the future of books. I see the publishing companies switching to a mix of print on demand and ebooks. Dorchester is an excellent example. http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/publishing/dorchester_publishing_switches_to_ebook_printondemand_model_170114.asp .
If you follow the big distributors, they are planning for more ebooks and print on demand. The platform which Baker and Taylor is banking on for ebooks is called http://www.blio.com/ , Ingram, the largest distributor for bookstores owns Lightning Source the largest print on demand company.
I also see print on demand becoming far cheaper with new technologies like the HP Inkjet digital printer. http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2010/100309a.html Eventually, I think that print on demand will integrated with 3D printing making for much more interesting books made of different materials than paper. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/technology/14print.html If you go to the childrens section of bookstores, you can find books full of textures, embossing, popups, photographs, and other innovations. I think this will carry over into the adult generation.
A good example of a this is Cradle to Cradle Remaking The Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. The pages are made of lightweight, tough recycled plastic. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/technology/14print.html The book is designed to be completely recyclable. I have seen a number of books which are both 100% post consumer material and completely recyclable.
I also see many large content providers aligning themselves with print on demand technology. Google Books is in alliance with Espresso Book Machine. http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/09/google-books-publish-on-demand/ Google Books is also providing a free public access terminal to every public library in the United States. http://www.oclc.org/research/publications/library/2009/2009-01.pdf
There was a question about what happened to the Google Books settlement. Columbia University law school has quite a bit on the future of the google settlement in relation to copyright and authors rights.
http://copyright.columbia.edu/copyright/special-topics/google-settlement/
Ebook devices will most likely become much cheaper and more flexible. The Copia which integrates an ebook reader with a social network for $100 is an interesting example of this. I find the site intriguing. http://www.thecopia.com/ which . I applied for the beta but did not get in. There is also the cheap Indian laptop which costs $35 which is in the works. http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2010/07/23/going-for-cheap-indias-35-laptop/ This makes me think we will see ebook readers for less than $100 very soon.
It was interesting hearing about a person who was using a kindle which she checked out from her library. Someone donated 16 kindles to her library to circulate. She had kept the kindle out past the due date and was charged one dollar a day until she renewed the item. The idea of circulating kindles is very interesting.
It would be nice to circulate ebook devices. We have video games, video game controllers, Transparent language flash drives http://www.transparent.com/ , and playaways that can be checked out as devices. We are looking at MP3s players and ereaders. These are expensive and we of course have to look closely at the security of the devices in a library setting to prevent loss.
I think we are at the begining of changes to the publishing business. Media will become a lot more integrated.
Another conversation was about science fiction books and music. There is a fairly strong tie with many science fiction authors with music.This is an article about the soundtrack for Finch performed by Murder by Death http://www.jeffvandermeer.com/2009/10/06/murder-by-deaths-soundtrack-for-the-novel-finch/ . Margaret Atwood sells hymns of a fictional group she created from The Year of the Flood.
http://www.yearoftheflood.com/us/music/ Linnea Sinclair listens to trance music while she writes. http://www.blacktigerrecordings.com/ It fits very well with her books.
I was a bit tired. We talked a little about libraries and ebooks. The main thing which we have right now is Overdrive http://www.overdrive.com/ which has lots of ebooks and audiobooks which are available for download. I have recommended it a few times. We are getting steadily increasing usage of overdrive. We also buy playaways which are preloaded audiobooks http://www.playaway.com/ . These seem to do best with assignment books for high school and junior high school at the library I am at. We interfile the playaways next to the book on the shelf in the young adult area.
We would like to get more devices, but there is quite a bit we still have to figure out about security for things like MP3 players, Nooks, and other devices. Most of the books on Overdrive are single use licenses. There is some drm free material on Overdrive as well http://www.libraries.wright.edu/noshelfrequired/?p=672 . I sometimes recommend free ebooks that are classics to patrons. It is alternative way to get them what they want. Even if you pay for classic books, many of them are $2 each as downloads. The formatting is better on the pay downloads most of the time. Stanza is also an excellent free ereader http://www.lexcycle.com/ . I am also partial to Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/
I mentioned two authors that gave away their ebooks under creative commons license as a strategy to sell more of their paper books. These were Cory Doctorow and Charles Stross. I should have also mentioned The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It by Jonathan Zittrain which is available as a free download. I was a bit tired at the time. http://futureoftheinternet.org/download
I could not help but hear snippets here and there. People were talking about the next George R.R. Martin book and showing different things on their ipads. There was mention of a George R.R. Martin television pilot for A Game of Thrones. http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/11/12/hbo-greenlights-fantasy-television-pilot-for-george-rr-martins-a-game-of-thrones/
I saw a lot of ipads, but no kindles. I think the ipad is becoming the tool of choice now. The most obvious advantage it has is the color. It also has a lot of applications. http://www.pomodoro.com/ was an application for time management which Robert Forrester was showing on his Ipad.
I think I might have caught a few more things if I was less tired. I know that Kobo which makes the ereader was there. I know I still made a few mistakes. I still have not gotten a more professional business cards for my blog; just a card with my name and email. Sometimes, I think it is better to have a LinkedIn connection than a business card. It is more permanent and it is harder to lose.
This reminds me of another discussion. This one was about how to use Facebook. I am on Facebook under my name. Facebook is based on building communities. You go out and choose who you want to follow in your specific interest. I follow lots of library related content, author related content and some people that I know. Some of the library and book related content I follow is, I Love Libraries, American Libraries Magazine, Book Expo America, and Book Bloggers Convention. Some of the authors, editors, and publishers I follow are John Ordover, Ellen Datlow, Charles Stross, Cory Doctorow, For Beginners Books, Fantagraphics, and Robert Sikoryak.
I stayed at the meetup from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. It started at 5:30 p.m. The conversation flowed freely, the drinks were pleasant, the appetizers were tasty, lots of business cards were exchanged. This one of the first meetups of the group.
It is very much a ground floor opportunity like the Book Bloggers Convention was at Book Expo America. The LinkedIn group is seeking to grow. http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=1515307 I am fairly sure they will be having another meetup in New York announced on LinkedIn. Bill Glass, the person who confirmed my invitation is seeking to grow the group.
There are other things which I remember clearly, but might be better for another day.
It was a long day. I meditated a bit on the train home. It does not look that different from napping.
You wonder sometimes when you write these posts. I am not sure exactly why I am doing it. I don't really consider myself a journalist, even though I have been given access to news areas at conventions sometimes. As with so many things, you can't include everything, but it is worth the try.
As always, I try to say something positive. Feel free to comment, make corrections, ask for inclusions. I don't mind a little bit of pointed conversation so long as the language remains clean.
As always, I try to say something positive. Feel free to comment, make corrections, ask for inclusions. I don't mind a little bit of pointed conversation so long as the language remains clean.
I am trying to include full urls in this post. It makes it a little bit harder to edit. Blogger is really designed to change the links into captions. The reason I do this is that I like to be able to see full urls when I search for things. I parse urls into sections. The recruiting term for this is x-raying a url. This is a tool which lets you see the full url for shortened urls http://urlxray.com/
Friends ♥
Friday, September 24, 2010
CSA - Community Supported Agriculture
Recently, at a friend's holiday table, we were discussing apples. And I said, "Oh it's not apple-picking season yet! It's too hot!" And friend's friend said, "It is too. My CSA has been full of apples!" Then, a little silent reflection on how funny that statement sounds, or at least would have sounded 5 years ago. And then smiles all around.
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Even if people aren't sure of that at first mention, they usually get what I mean when I continue with "it's where you sort of buy a share in a farm and get some fruits and veggies every week for a season," and I usually only get halfway into that before the nodding and the "OH YEAH THAT, I HAVE HEARD OF IT." I wanted to try using a CSA a few years ago thanks to major raves from F, but I kept shying away. Cost (and no income, as a student), work (finding time and recipes to use the produce), and travel (I always wanted to do it for summer, and I'd look at the calendar and see we'd be gone half of it). So this fall I said no more excuses, let's do this. On the sage recommendation of Evan the Carnivore I signed us up for a half-share for fall at Normans Farm Market. $120 for fall. A slight discount if you do all three seasons.
A handful of my pals have blogged their CSA adventures, including The Dirty Radish and The Proudfeet. I'm following in their footsteps.
First, Normans is pick-up. The pickup I chose isn't far from where we live, and it's easy for me to pick up on my way home because I drive. When I arrived on the first day, I was given a small basket from a stack of small and large options. I could fill it up once with my choice of veggies (zucchini, onion, tomato, eggplant, potatoes sweet and not, cucumbers, peppers), then again with fruit (pears, peaches, plums, apples), then I get 2 "options." 2 acorn squash = one option, 1 pt grape tomatoes = one option, 1 butternut squash = 1 option, 2 heads of broccoli = one option, etc. I just ask someone who works there what is what and go from there.
Here's my goods from the first week. Very little planning went into what I chose. It was mostly OMG I GET TO CHOOOOSE SO MANY CHOIIIIICES YAY. I am easily entertained.
glamour shot:
Decoded: Black plums (that at first looked to me like figs), white eggplant, yellow zucchini, acorn squash, pears, sweet potato, tomato, grape tomatoes, peaches.
I sauteed some of the vegetables and added a can of no salt diced tomatoes, white wine, garlic, quinoa and chicken breast pieces into a big bowl of steamy food. Mmmm food. I want to try to make this quinoa squash gratin next time.
I sort of wish I was picking up on Tuesday so I could have the haul at the beginning of the week. But I usually have the most time to cook on the weekends, and fall/winter food usually takes roasting and simmering (I'm talking to you, roasted squash and hearty stews). Also, I find myself busy after work this past Tuesday, next Tuesday, and the one after. So I guess Thursday was meant to be. PS click that link and watch the trailer if you know what's good for ya.
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Even if people aren't sure of that at first mention, they usually get what I mean when I continue with "it's where you sort of buy a share in a farm and get some fruits and veggies every week for a season," and I usually only get halfway into that before the nodding and the "OH YEAH THAT, I HAVE HEARD OF IT." I wanted to try using a CSA a few years ago thanks to major raves from F, but I kept shying away. Cost (and no income, as a student), work (finding time and recipes to use the produce), and travel (I always wanted to do it for summer, and I'd look at the calendar and see we'd be gone half of it). So this fall I said no more excuses, let's do this. On the sage recommendation of Evan the Carnivore I signed us up for a half-share for fall at Normans Farm Market. $120 for fall. A slight discount if you do all three seasons.
A handful of my pals have blogged their CSA adventures, including The Dirty Radish and The Proudfeet. I'm following in their footsteps.
First, Normans is pick-up. The pickup I chose isn't far from where we live, and it's easy for me to pick up on my way home because I drive. When I arrived on the first day, I was given a small basket from a stack of small and large options. I could fill it up once with my choice of veggies (zucchini, onion, tomato, eggplant, potatoes sweet and not, cucumbers, peppers), then again with fruit (pears, peaches, plums, apples), then I get 2 "options." 2 acorn squash = one option, 1 pt grape tomatoes = one option, 1 butternut squash = 1 option, 2 heads of broccoli = one option, etc. I just ask someone who works there what is what and go from there.
Here's my goods from the first week. Very little planning went into what I chose. It was mostly OMG I GET TO CHOOOOSE SO MANY CHOIIIIICES YAY. I am easily entertained.
glamour shot:
Decoded: Black plums (that at first looked to me like figs), white eggplant, yellow zucchini, acorn squash, pears, sweet potato, tomato, grape tomatoes, peaches.
I sauteed some of the vegetables and added a can of no salt diced tomatoes, white wine, garlic, quinoa and chicken breast pieces into a big bowl of steamy food. Mmmm food. I want to try to make this quinoa squash gratin next time.
I sort of wish I was picking up on Tuesday so I could have the haul at the beginning of the week. But I usually have the most time to cook on the weekends, and fall/winter food usually takes roasting and simmering (I'm talking to you, roasted squash and hearty stews). Also, I find myself busy after work this past Tuesday, next Tuesday, and the one after. So I guess Thursday was meant to be. PS click that link and watch the trailer if you know what's good for ya.
Birthdays: what a joy!
Birthdays: What a Joy: Why does it seem like as you get older, birthdays get less and less exciting? Does it seem like everyone else's birthday is better than mine and mine ends up being just another day? When I was younger, I used to be so anxious for birthdays to come because I would bake stuff in the oven and take them in for my classmates, nowadays, it's like "Caitlin, it's your birthday" and I say "Yeah whatever", or "Wow, I didn't even notice, it felt like another day". I guess it's part of growing up, you lose that special magic when it comes to birthdays and Christmas. When I was younger, I used to get up early to see what 'Santa' brought me, and I would have to wait until my parents woke up, but 2 years ago at Christmas, I was actually sick for the first time on the holidays.
My mom was pestering me Christmas Eve because she thought we loved our aunt more than her and it's not true, and it got me so upset that I had an upset stomach because of it. You see, in my family, having divorced parents isn't always easy, because no matter what, my parents will always speak bad about each other behind their backs, and they drag me and my sis into the middle.
But it just seems that as you grow up, Christmas loses that special magic, it's become too commercialized, it's all about who can spend the most on gifts, who can get the most gifts, having the biggest and best decorations on the block, I hate it. Every year at Christmas, I see commercials for people buying their non-deserving loved ones Cadillacs for gifts, expensive iPods, expensive stereo systems, you name it. In fact, last Christmas was just fine with me, I didn't get alot, but I didn't want alot.
My parents and aunt says it's hard to buy for me because they don't know what I like and don't like. It's that way when it comes to birthdays/Christmas. So, if you know me, you know I like music, reading, arts and crafts, etc.
My mom was pestering me Christmas Eve because she thought we loved our aunt more than her and it's not true, and it got me so upset that I had an upset stomach because of it. You see, in my family, having divorced parents isn't always easy, because no matter what, my parents will always speak bad about each other behind their backs, and they drag me and my sis into the middle.
But it just seems that as you grow up, Christmas loses that special magic, it's become too commercialized, it's all about who can spend the most on gifts, who can get the most gifts, having the biggest and best decorations on the block, I hate it. Every year at Christmas, I see commercials for people buying their non-deserving loved ones Cadillacs for gifts, expensive iPods, expensive stereo systems, you name it. In fact, last Christmas was just fine with me, I didn't get alot, but I didn't want alot.
My parents and aunt says it's hard to buy for me because they don't know what I like and don't like. It's that way when it comes to birthdays/Christmas. So, if you know me, you know I like music, reading, arts and crafts, etc.
Daily Thoughts 9/24/2010 (Ebooks, overdrive)
The Scott Monument in East Princess Street Garden in Edinburgh, a Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. John Steell's statue, made from white Carrara marble, shows Scott seated, resting from writing one of his works with a quill pen and his dog Maida by his side. Picture by Ad Meskens.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scott_Monument_Statue_4.jpg
Daily Thoughts 9/24/2010
This morning we had a general staff meeting. It was a chance to meet the new president of the board of directors and hear a little about what was happening. There was some discussion of retirement packages, a number of people were offered packages, holding a gala by the library foundation in the library, and our 156th anniversary as a library. Our building was built in 1904, but our library was started much earlier in a local school.
We also have an exhibition of local artists in the rotunda. There are a number of landscape paintings, abstract paintings, photographs, and pencil drawings their now. We also have a number of books on display from our oversize book collection of art books. The oversize art collection has books close to the date when the building was built in 1904.
I did some more weeding in the oversize 300s.
On Tuesday, I am going to a demonstration of the Directors Station for Sirsi Dynix which allows people to look at the statistics for usage in our library. Hopefully, I will learn a little more. I am hoping I can look at our statistics to be better able to choose what people use. http://www.sirsidynix.com/products/directors-station
Also, I should be visiting a local library media center soon to look at the way they have their computers setup for Overdrive Digital Media catalog. I have also been noticing that patrons have been taking out dvds and watching them on the computers in our Job Information Center.
I am going to the Linkedin group meetup for Ebooks, Ebook Readers, Digital Books and Digital Content... this afternoon at the Landmark Tavern in Manhattan. Hopefully, it should be very interesting.
Today was a bit challenging. I like equilibrium. The director commended me for helping clean up the collection. The number of missing items has dropped considerably. I also was complimented on the display of art books in the rotunda. There is stilll quite a bit to do.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scott_Monument_Statue_4.jpg
Daily Thoughts 9/24/2010
This morning we had a general staff meeting. It was a chance to meet the new president of the board of directors and hear a little about what was happening. There was some discussion of retirement packages, a number of people were offered packages, holding a gala by the library foundation in the library, and our 156th anniversary as a library. Our building was built in 1904, but our library was started much earlier in a local school.
We also have an exhibition of local artists in the rotunda. There are a number of landscape paintings, abstract paintings, photographs, and pencil drawings their now. We also have a number of books on display from our oversize book collection of art books. The oversize art collection has books close to the date when the building was built in 1904.
I did some more weeding in the oversize 300s.
On Tuesday, I am going to a demonstration of the Directors Station for Sirsi Dynix which allows people to look at the statistics for usage in our library. Hopefully, I will learn a little more. I am hoping I can look at our statistics to be better able to choose what people use. http://www.sirsidynix.com/products/directors-station
Also, I should be visiting a local library media center soon to look at the way they have their computers setup for Overdrive Digital Media catalog. I have also been noticing that patrons have been taking out dvds and watching them on the computers in our Job Information Center.
I am going to the Linkedin group meetup for Ebooks, Ebook Readers, Digital Books and Digital Content... this afternoon at the Landmark Tavern in Manhattan. Hopefully, it should be very interesting.
Today was a bit challenging. I like equilibrium. The director commended me for helping clean up the collection. The number of missing items has dropped considerably. I also was complimented on the display of art books in the rotunda. There is stilll quite a bit to do.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Kefi
If Kefi were to be broken down into an equation wherein Kefi = X, then X = Delicious + nice (read: sit-down, real plates, good service) + takes reservations + good portions + affordable in NYC. Are you with me? It seems totally impossible, especially on this typically expensive island.
The scene is Upper West Side, rain, and one special birthday. We needed some comfort and warmth. Kefi to the freakin' rescue people. Sorry about the dark photos--I have trouble staying steady and the lighting is low! When a gal like me sees a chunk of feta that large, I'm bound to be impatient.
First we had an unbelievably spread of--er--spreads. The dips were taramosalata,a caviar; melintzanosalata, eggplant; revithia, chickpea (like hummus); and tzatziki--needing no explanation, right, yogurt fans? Each one was so so good. I was least familiar with the taramosalata but I could not get enough of it. Dangerous spreads. We also shared a salad of the day that had eggplant along with large chunks of tomatoes and feta.
L had the lamb burger (as if there was ever a question), which was very tasty. But I was feeling burger-y, and in a change of pace, I didn't feel like eating with my hands. Ta da! Sheeps milk dumplings, ricotta, and spicy lamb sausage (some tomato and pine nuts too). This is the dish people talk about, and that's why I tried it. I originally had my eye on the flat pasta with braised rabbit. I'll try to get the rabbit next time, if I can manage not to order the dumplings. I want to go to sleep right now and dream that I'm eating them. Cool, fresh cheese, spicy savory sausage, soft pillowy dumplings--HOW IS IT POSSIBLE!?!? If there was a recipe for warm happiness, the chefs at Kefi have it. And the proof is in the dumplings.
Kefi
505 Columbus Ave
NY, NY
Hopstop it

The scene is Upper West Side, rain, and one special birthday. We needed some comfort and warmth. Kefi to the freakin' rescue people. Sorry about the dark photos--I have trouble staying steady and the lighting is low! When a gal like me sees a chunk of feta that large, I'm bound to be impatient.
L had the lamb burger (as if there was ever a question), which was very tasty. But I was feeling burger-y, and in a change of pace, I didn't feel like eating with my hands. Ta da! Sheeps milk dumplings, ricotta, and spicy lamb sausage (some tomato and pine nuts too). This is the dish people talk about, and that's why I tried it. I originally had my eye on the flat pasta with braised rabbit. I'll try to get the rabbit next time, if I can manage not to order the dumplings. I want to go to sleep right now and dream that I'm eating them. Cool, fresh cheese, spicy savory sausage, soft pillowy dumplings--HOW IS IT POSSIBLE!?!? If there was a recipe for warm happiness, the chefs at Kefi have it. And the proof is in the dumplings.
Kefi
505 Columbus Ave
NY, NY
Hopstop it
Labels:
Greek,
Mediterranean,
NYC,
Travel,
UWS,
Weekend Escapes
Random Thoughts and Weird Moments
If anyone out there read any of my recent blogs, they would know that my sister has recently started dating. I thought she met 'the one', the Mr. Perfect for her, well, all is not well, last night she came home in tears, her boyfriend, I can't believe I'm saying this, texted her and said that his grandma wouldn't allow them to see each other anymore, that his grandma wants him to focus on school work and dating would tear his family apart!
Can you call this a WTF moment? Last night, I felt helpless, I didn't know what to do, I wanted to help, but I couldn't figure out what to do. She was an emotional wreck! But after she got over the initial blast of it, she perked up and said "If he doesn't have the common decency to call/text back, then f--- him" I swear to you all as you read this, that is what she really said. I wouldn't lie about something like that, she had me almost laughing at that. She's doing better but she worries that her nosy coworkers at Schneider's Sweet Shop are going to butt in as almost all teens do, not to mention, to add insult to injury, one of her stupid classmates said to her "You don't know what love is." Yeah right, that coming from a classmate everyone calls slutty and got knocked up and now she has a child, not to mention her parents hate her boyfriend.
Ah, high school drama. But, if you read this, you'll know the stress at home I deal with. I wish I could help my sister, but I'm clueless as to how to help her, I've never dated.
She's doing better now, but I still worry about her, I mean, she has to see this guy at school and her nosy classmates and coworkers are probably going to make life a miserable h--- for her, not ever letting her hear the end of it, but if I know my sister, she'll probably flip the finger to them or cuss them out in Italian or something. She's tough and I'm here to help and so is my dad.
Can you call this a WTF moment? Last night, I felt helpless, I didn't know what to do, I wanted to help, but I couldn't figure out what to do. She was an emotional wreck! But after she got over the initial blast of it, she perked up and said "If he doesn't have the common decency to call/text back, then f--- him" I swear to you all as you read this, that is what she really said. I wouldn't lie about something like that, she had me almost laughing at that. She's doing better but she worries that her nosy coworkers at Schneider's Sweet Shop are going to butt in as almost all teens do, not to mention, to add insult to injury, one of her stupid classmates said to her "You don't know what love is." Yeah right, that coming from a classmate everyone calls slutty and got knocked up and now she has a child, not to mention her parents hate her boyfriend.
Ah, high school drama. But, if you read this, you'll know the stress at home I deal with. I wish I could help my sister, but I'm clueless as to how to help her, I've never dated.
She's doing better now, but I still worry about her, I mean, she has to see this guy at school and her nosy classmates and coworkers are probably going to make life a miserable h--- for her, not ever letting her hear the end of it, but if I know my sister, she'll probably flip the finger to them or cuss them out in Italian or something. She's tough and I'm here to help and so is my dad.
Daily Thoughts 9/23/2010 (Third World America, Banned Books Week)
"Banish lonely hours in camp! Help provide libraries filled with books for soldiers A million dollars for a million books for a million men--Leave your money at the public library or at any bank. The Library War Council - appointed by the War Department through the American Library Association - is raising one million dollars during Camp Library Week, Sept. 24-30, to build and maintain a library at every training camp and cantonment for soldiers, sailors and airmen, at home and abroad. Massachusetts Library War Council."
Daily Thoughts 9/23/2010
Today has been very steady. I started on weeding the oversize 300s. Sometimes even doing a small amount is enough to get things going. I also gathered together some bookmarks and flyers for my colleagues who are going to a career fair at the local high school. A lot of our focus during the last week has been very much about business and jobs. There is going to be a workshop from the Women's Enterprise Development Center for computers for business.
I also did a few minor things, bringing out some things that needed to be mended from storage, shifting some paperbacks around, and spotchecking the 300s for orderliness.
The young adult department is doing a display for banned books week. Two books which I suggested for the display are a young adult novel by Laurie Halse Andersen called Speak and the graphic novel Bone by Jeff Smith. There are of course many of the classic books; The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, and Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Attempting to censor books often has the opposite effect on reading material. It makes the books more popular, not less. Banned Books Week runs from September 25- October 2, 2010 http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm
The book, Third World America How Our Politicians Are Abandoning The Middle Class And Betraying The American Dream by Arianna Huffington came in for me to read. I started reading it on the way home. It is about the dismantling of the middle class by government and business. It describes the process of creating massive industries based on personal credit and foreclosure of property. Arianna Huffington describes how some elements in government and business feed off the middle class pushing people into poverty, then create mechanisms like payday loans, complex bankruptcy and foreclosure laws, and expensive healthcare to reinforce this poverty. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thirdworldamerica
There is a strong liberal theme in this book. It argues against the dismantling of the safety net for the middle class. There is a lot to think about in what this book is saying so far. Hopefully, it will spark some interest in change.
This book would also tie in well with another book Broke, USA: From Pawnshops to Poverty, Inc.How the Working Poor Became Big Business by Gary Rivlin who is a journalist for the New York Times. This book also has strong polemics in it. It is about the poverty industry, payday loans, credit repair groups, pawnshops, rent to own furntiture and similar financial schemes. Sadly, this is a growth industry in our current economy.
Web Bits
Four color inkjet printers from Hewlett Packard. This could make print on demand even cheaper. http://bit.ly/aZB8v8
From Information Week. People with ebook readers, read more books. http://bit.ly/bxJwYL
Daily Thoughts 9/23/2010
Today has been very steady. I started on weeding the oversize 300s. Sometimes even doing a small amount is enough to get things going. I also gathered together some bookmarks and flyers for my colleagues who are going to a career fair at the local high school. A lot of our focus during the last week has been very much about business and jobs. There is going to be a workshop from the Women's Enterprise Development Center for computers for business.
I also did a few minor things, bringing out some things that needed to be mended from storage, shifting some paperbacks around, and spotchecking the 300s for orderliness.
The young adult department is doing a display for banned books week. Two books which I suggested for the display are a young adult novel by Laurie Halse Andersen called Speak and the graphic novel Bone by Jeff Smith. There are of course many of the classic books; The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, and Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Attempting to censor books often has the opposite effect on reading material. It makes the books more popular, not less. Banned Books Week runs from September 25- October 2, 2010 http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm
The book, Third World America How Our Politicians Are Abandoning The Middle Class And Betraying The American Dream by Arianna Huffington came in for me to read. I started reading it on the way home. It is about the dismantling of the middle class by government and business. It describes the process of creating massive industries based on personal credit and foreclosure of property. Arianna Huffington describes how some elements in government and business feed off the middle class pushing people into poverty, then create mechanisms like payday loans, complex bankruptcy and foreclosure laws, and expensive healthcare to reinforce this poverty. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thirdworldamerica
There is a strong liberal theme in this book. It argues against the dismantling of the safety net for the middle class. There is a lot to think about in what this book is saying so far. Hopefully, it will spark some interest in change.
This book would also tie in well with another book Broke, USA: From Pawnshops to Poverty, Inc.How the Working Poor Became Big Business by Gary Rivlin who is a journalist for the New York Times. This book also has strong polemics in it. It is about the poverty industry, payday loans, credit repair groups, pawnshops, rent to own furntiture and similar financial schemes. Sadly, this is a growth industry in our current economy.
Web Bits
Four color inkjet printers from Hewlett Packard. This could make print on demand even cheaper. http://bit.ly/aZB8v8
From Information Week. People with ebook readers, read more books. http://bit.ly/bxJwYL
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
How To Make Kd Without Milk?
Jordi Abelló specific: Dehumanization blurred Marja
The Catalan artist Jordi Abelló (Reus, 1970) presents in Castellón a compilation of his past jobs.
This time next to their paintings, we find a proposal that contextualizes and videographic allows theorizing of his work. The video, first of all, try to clarify the meaning of the room almost cinematic. It present the metaphysical character of the human and the atmosphere that surrounds our daily, in short, an atmosphere that may be destroyed at any time.
The main series of the sample being the title of the exhibition is Crim / Crime , is a small group of paintings format with which our artist tries to recreate the necessary investigations in relation to murder. Thus, we see little compositions in which the suspects are the players, giving free rein to speculation and conjecture, thus freeing an air of mystery in the room in search of the possible culprit. Similarly, the series Faces presented as a frieze shows her last portraits, such as close-ups of the series Crim / Crime , loaded with a great psychological and introspective, in which emulates the posters JA the police issued search and arrest.
addition part of the recent conflict in Baghdad prompted Jordi Abelló to capture on paper all the feelings that produced the situation that existed in Middle East. JA drawn to remember and record the facts, that many media presented to the viewer as a mere spectacle, so banal and totally without mercy. The artist intends, through about 1,300 pictures collected in thirteen books, highlight the plight of thousands of people terrorized by the fear and misery that brings all conflict.
On the other hand due to the genocide in Darfur, western Sudan set to work on the series From Leonardo to Darfur, which aims to show the connection between physical suffering of the paint surface and the earth as human habitat. Abelló work in this case on the spatial and temporal displacement creates an overlap, ie synchronization through a video projection. In "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci offers an arid landscape that allows the paint craquelé chapped be an arid land and desert like Darfur. JA evokes so, the face of time and evoking the land wound sensitization hidden behind the unbeatable dehumanization.
Leaving all bloody conflict, the Van Gogh series is planned as a tribute to the painter of the Netherlands, but at the same time endorses his previous series, since under the self-portrait latent blood circulating .
Thus, the author, through his series, makes Darfur, Baghdad, and Van Gogh an area where industry all the feelings and the essence of humanity behind the tragedy and suffering of being.
Jordi Abelló thus faces the viewer in front of the mirror a reality that surrounds us. Undoubtedly, you wake up the passive observer, oblivious and unresponsive in an active individual, coherent and sensitized to the successful conquest of dehumanization experienced by the Earth.
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