Okay, done. For now.
Just as one cannot simultaneously know an object's exact position and speed, one cannot complete the "23 Things" and say that one is now all nice and caught up. For in the time it takes to compose one of these blog entries, the technology has evolved, and one will find that what one has learned has morphed from new to now to then.
But we are librarians. Keeping up with the ever-changing universe of information is a constant struggle, and we are used to it. Of course, there is much, much, much more to keep up with now than there was back when I got degreed, but it is much, much, much more accessible.
Keeping up with all the various ways to access useful information is important, I think we can all agree. Is it equally important to know how to make your own jokey post-its or trading cards? Sort of: one need not be fluent in the more frivolous applications, but one must have a passing familiarity in order a) to impress those who might not know about them, thereby strengthening the conception that librarians are omniscient; and b) to avoid seeming clueless and out of touch to those already conversant in the area of silly, gimmicky web stuff.
So yeah. Now I got feeds, I got blogs, I got gmail, I got moldi, I got flickr, delicious, googledox, and on and on. Go, me. But ya know what? Still don't get twitter. Makes me think of an old joke: a kid grows up and never says a word, family thinks he's mute, until one day at dinner he says "Soup's cold." Family is astounded, demands to know why he went ten years without speaking, only now commenting that the soup is cold. Kid says, "Up until now, everything's been pretty much okay." The point is, I'm one of those who has trouble saying anything if I don't have anything worth saying. Even blogging is an effort. So put me on twitter, and I might say, "Soup's cold," but if the soup ain't cold, I won't take up my fellow twits' time. And to my twitter followers out there, ya know I love you all, but god help me it is a distraction that an easily-distracted person doesn't need. It's nothing personal.
Whew. Where was I? Oh, yeah, yeah, the 36 Chambers--I mean, the 23 Things. Much fun. Some I had already encountered, some were entirely new. Some I will continue to use on a daily basis, some not so much, but hopefully I now know enough to bring along the patrons. (I know, I called them "patrons." I think it's a classy word.) By this time next year, perhaps there will be a fresh 23 things. By this time next year, maybe I will be able to type these words by thinking them. By this time next year, Indiana will have a top-10 men's basketball team. By this time next year, I will have a kid in high school. By this time next year, Palin will be on a reality TV show. By this time next year, the economy will be in a shambles, there will be bread lines, and we will make tremendous strides in civil rights issues because people will have real problems and will realize that allowing dudes to marry dudes is not going to bring about the end of the world.
Ah, I'll miss this...
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Running with Louis L'Amour
Turns out that "Ride You Tonto Raiders" is almost perfectly timed for an 11 mile run, including pre- and post-run stretching. I finally managed to download it from MOLDI. Not that it was complicated: it is actually pretty intuitive. But I didn't want the thing taking up space on my hard drive at home, even temporarily, and the computer at my desk at work won't allow the download. Something about being unable to authenticate a verifying numbery whosis. So I imagined I was a library user and got on an express computer. I was able to browse for the title, check it out, download the Overdrive reader/manager, and download the book to a flashdrive during that one 15-minute session. Later, I simply moved the files from the flash drive directly onto my mp3 player. So easy. I've noticed, though, that the mp3 audio selections are pretty limited compared with pc, wma, ipod. I want to keep my iTunes and 'Pod free from stuff that I'll only listen to once. I guess it'll be the nano for shorter, high-intensity runs that call for Descendents and Angry Samoans, and the muvo for LSD runs (don't freak out, man--Long Slow Distance), when a story about a lone gunfighter helping a strong-willed widow keep her ranch will serve to keep one's mind off of developing aches, cramps, and chafed...um...nipples. (Sorry, no way to soft-pedal that. Think I'd have learned by now: for any distance over 10 miles, slap on a couple bandaids.)
Friday, November 7, 2008
What? Sorry, I was listening to this podcast...
Whoops. Sorry, I didn't hear you. I mean, I heard you, but I was listening to this podcast, so could you repeat what you said? Hold on, let me turn this off. Pause, pause, ah here we go: Pause. Now, then.
I have issues, you see, with multitasking. I can't be doing more than one thing at a time, or at least, I can't be doing more than one thing well at a time. When I'm reading, I've gotta read and not, say, drive. When I'm composing a blog post, I've gotta think about the words I'm typing and not the voice in my earbuds. Today, the voice is a guy who calls himself Steve Runner, and the podcast it "Phedippidations," the "podcast for runners." Turns out it is the ruminations of a fellow in New England about life, family, stuff, and not so much about running...at least not this latest one, the first I've heard. Or maybe it is and I'm missing the running content because I'm trying to think and type and, yeah.
I managed to find a couple (purportedly) running-related p'casts on podfeed.net. Maybe there will be some with more of an emphasis on the sport, less of an emphasis on this guy's experience going trick-or-treating with his kid.
But you know what these would be good for? Listening to on LSD days. Whoa, whoa, now, all you non-runners: LSD stands for Long Slow Distance, a workout you do once a week or once every two weeks. The Long Run, the one you do to train the body to run, not fast, but for a long time without stopping. On these days, you don't load your iPod with Motorhead and Minor Threat. You do an audio book or something. Like a podcast. You put your legs on autopilot and focus on the words, and zone out for a couple hours. (Maybe elite runners can actually focus on form and turnover and breathing for hours at a time. Not me, bruh.)
Okay, okay, now the guy's talking about strengthening the core and how that is important to running. This I can use. But of course I missed the first part of it because I was writing this. Gotta go back.
I have issues, you see, with multitasking. I can't be doing more than one thing at a time, or at least, I can't be doing more than one thing well at a time. When I'm reading, I've gotta read and not, say, drive. When I'm composing a blog post, I've gotta think about the words I'm typing and not the voice in my earbuds. Today, the voice is a guy who calls himself Steve Runner, and the podcast it "Phedippidations," the "podcast for runners." Turns out it is the ruminations of a fellow in New England about life, family, stuff, and not so much about running...at least not this latest one, the first I've heard. Or maybe it is and I'm missing the running content because I'm trying to think and type and, yeah.
I managed to find a couple (purportedly) running-related p'casts on podfeed.net. Maybe there will be some with more of an emphasis on the sport, less of an emphasis on this guy's experience going trick-or-treating with his kid.
But you know what these would be good for? Listening to on LSD days. Whoa, whoa, now, all you non-runners: LSD stands for Long Slow Distance, a workout you do once a week or once every two weeks. The Long Run, the one you do to train the body to run, not fast, but for a long time without stopping. On these days, you don't load your iPod with Motorhead and Minor Threat. You do an audio book or something. Like a podcast. You put your legs on autopilot and focus on the words, and zone out for a couple hours. (Maybe elite runners can actually focus on form and turnover and breathing for hours at a time. Not me, bruh.)
Okay, okay, now the guy's talking about strengthening the core and how that is important to running. This I can use. But of course I missed the first part of it because I was writing this. Gotta go back.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Everybody is on YouTube
Even those who think they are not. If you're not featured, you're in the background somewhere. Seriously. Everyone with a camera or a phone can put content up there. That Motorhead show you went to at the Newport? Okay, you didn't go, but I did, and I was not the least bit surprised to see eight or nine pieces on YouTube the next day. I first became aware of YT's archival aspect when my brother sent me links to clips from the 70s kids PBS show "Zoom." I was speechless. The beauty is, you can spend hours (in fact, up to 3 a day, if you're one of our patrons) hopping from one thing to another using the related content feature. Enter a word in the search box, something outlandish, something you just know won't be on there...and it will. Amazing. I've had a funky vid on my blog page for a month now--there it is, on the right. Take a look and see if it don't blow your mind.
Oh, and viddy this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8Wt4mRA2bgThat's me, the scrawny one. Told you everybody was on it.
Oh, and viddy this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8Wt4mRA2bgThat's me, the scrawny one. Told you everybody was on it.
Mail for Gees
Whaddup, G? I've been looking at Gmail, and here is what I especially like. First, much much much more memory. I have a "secret" yahoo mail account that I use for things like sending test emails from library patrons I'm helping, or saving a copy of a patron's document as time ticks down to zero, or entering silly contests, things like that. Free email services like yahoo and safemail seem to be much more limited than Gmail, and the user is constantly hit up to upgrade to a premium, non-free version of the service. (Will that happen with Gmail? We'll see.) Also, the organizational and search features are pretty nifty. I actually like it better than Groupwise. Finally, Gmail has the same clean and uncluttered look as other Google pages. I've created an account for my heretofore email-less son Sam. Later I will create one of my own and try to "migrate" the stuff from my yahoo account as Gmail suggests.
Now I feel like such a G.
Now I feel like such a G.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Fixya
This is a good site for troubleshooting...anything. You can search for a specific product or category of products, or you can browse brand names. Once you find the troublesome product, you can browse the lists of solved problems to see if any match the problem you're having. If not, you can browse the list of unsolved problems to see if someone has already asked your question, and if not, you can submit it. Someone out there knows the answer--either how to fix it, or that it can't be fixed and that all or part of it must be replaced.
Maybe you can be the expert: if you see a problem you've dealt with in the past, you can pass on your wisdom.
Everything from large and small appliances, to computers and other electronics, to video games, to cars. Especially in the case of electronic gadgets, I think there is a tendency to think of them as disposable, so if your Nintendo DS touch screen is acting up (say), you might think, well, might as well get the newer model rather than try to get it fixed. That is, unless you are unbelievably cheap. Like me. Ask my children.
Maybe you can be the expert: if you see a problem you've dealt with in the past, you can pass on your wisdom.
Everything from large and small appliances, to computers and other electronics, to video games, to cars. Especially in the case of electronic gadgets, I think there is a tendency to think of them as disposable, so if your Nintendo DS touch screen is acting up (say), you might think, well, might as well get the newer model rather than try to get it fixed. That is, unless you are unbelievably cheap. Like me. Ask my children.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Googledox
I get it...It's like a gigantic "shared work" folder. Instead of having a folder in the branch's or cmlinfo or youth services folder on the v-drive, you've got a depot out there somewhere that anyone with the appropriate password can edit. Marvelous!
I can see how this would be much more flexible, being able to work and collaborate from anywhere. I'd imagine that compatibility issues would not be completely vanquished--for instance, if one wanted to save the document into a file on one's own computer? Have to play around with it a little more...
...Maybe after the election. I am totally distracted these days. I keep refreshing msnbc to see if the poll numbers have changed. I'm giddily anticipating the election night party. Oh-Bam-Ah! Oh-Bam-Ah! It has been so long since I've voted for a winner. I'll be glad when we can look back and laugh, and when we can tell our grandkids that, yeah, this Palin woman was actually on the national ticket. ("No! Seriously?" "Yes. Oh yes." "You're making that up, gramps. There's no way." "I kid you not, sonny boy." "You guys must have been freaking out!" "Yup. It was hilarious and terrifying at the same time. Now run along and fetch grandpa a cold one.")
I can see how this would be much more flexible, being able to work and collaborate from anywhere. I'd imagine that compatibility issues would not be completely vanquished--for instance, if one wanted to save the document into a file on one's own computer? Have to play around with it a little more...
...Maybe after the election. I am totally distracted these days. I keep refreshing msnbc to see if the poll numbers have changed. I'm giddily anticipating the election night party. Oh-Bam-Ah! Oh-Bam-Ah! It has been so long since I've voted for a winner. I'll be glad when we can look back and laugh, and when we can tell our grandkids that, yeah, this Palin woman was actually on the national ticket. ("No! Seriously?" "Yes. Oh yes." "You're making that up, gramps. There's no way." "I kid you not, sonny boy." "You guys must have been freaking out!" "Yup. It was hilarious and terrifying at the same time. Now run along and fetch grandpa a cold one.")
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Of course you care about my opinion...
Thank you for this opportunity to let you know what I think. Favorite movies, favorite sports, favorite music...Hey, I didn't see favorite music. Well, now, I'm glad you asked.
I am a believer in the "Birdseye" theory of musical predilection. You can be raised in whatever tradition, you can be exposed to all manner of music throughout your life, but there is a window during adolescence when the stuff you are listening to is "flash frozen" into your psyche. For the remainder of your life, it will evoke a response like no other type of music.
For me, thankfully, it was american hardcore punk rock. Man, if I'd been born a couple years earlier, I'd have come up listening to disco or some of the dreadful radio music of the mid seventies. Luckily, by the time I was hitting my teenage stride, I was listening to the DKs, DOA, Agent Orange, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Suicidal Tendencies, and all that good stuff. A mellower part of me was into Joy Division, Bauhaus, early (i.e. scary and depressing) Cure, the Cramps, and a bunch of others. Oh, and the Ramones, which is its own category.
And so to this day, that music tickles the old hypothalamus like nothing before or since. I listen to and enjoy all kinds of stuff, but throw on some Husker Du...ahhh, oooh, yeah, right there.
And hey, want my opinion on Palin? She's stupid.
I am a believer in the "Birdseye" theory of musical predilection. You can be raised in whatever tradition, you can be exposed to all manner of music throughout your life, but there is a window during adolescence when the stuff you are listening to is "flash frozen" into your psyche. For the remainder of your life, it will evoke a response like no other type of music.
For me, thankfully, it was american hardcore punk rock. Man, if I'd been born a couple years earlier, I'd have come up listening to disco or some of the dreadful radio music of the mid seventies. Luckily, by the time I was hitting my teenage stride, I was listening to the DKs, DOA, Agent Orange, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Suicidal Tendencies, and all that good stuff. A mellower part of me was into Joy Division, Bauhaus, early (i.e. scary and depressing) Cure, the Cramps, and a bunch of others. Oh, and the Ramones, which is its own category.
And so to this day, that music tickles the old hypothalamus like nothing before or since. I listen to and enjoy all kinds of stuff, but throw on some Husker Du...ahhh, oooh, yeah, right there.
And hey, want my opinion on Palin? She's stupid.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Wiki wiki woo
Okay, Wikis are good. Er, yup.
I don't have any great insights on the topic. Sorry. I see how they are being used by people in the profession, and they are good and useful creatures. Very democratic.
Remember the Husker Du song? "Everybody's an authority/In a free land."
I don't have any great insights on the topic. Sorry. I see how they are being used by people in the profession, and they are good and useful creatures. Very democratic.
Remember the Husker Du song? "Everybody's an authority/In a free land."
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Rant 2.0
Hey there, it's me, Librarian 2.0. I call myself that because it's, like, Web 2.0, but only I'm, like, a librarian. Get it? It makes me cutting edge. Try as we might, we librarians still have a complex about seeming to be on the outside looking in when it comes to our desperate struggle to be relevant to our users. Now it seems we have coopted "2.0", a meaningless designation if ever there was one, to signify our with-itness.
Come on, people, it goes without saying that we continually strive to anticipate our users' interests and needs, to keep pace with technology, to contemplate our changing role in society. We've always done that. You think that back when the 'brary had nothing but books, microfilm and vinyl lps we were just sitting back feeling smug and satisfied? No, man, there's always some new development just around the corner to replace the new development that just sucker-punched you. You can make a game out of anticipating it, but you'll never win.
I agree with these essays, for the most part. We ought to be proactive in packaging and delivering information in a manner that best suits our users. That is, and has always been, our area of expertise. Therein lies our value, and that is how we are, and will continue to be, relevant. Let's not pretend that we're right there at the forefront, on the very crest of the latest wave. We reflect the latest interests and needs, we respond to them. We do not determine them.
What I'm saying, I guess, is that this is nothing new. Even the stodgiest, stuffiest, crustiest old geezer librarian in the mustiest, shushiest, dustiest library-of-old recognized that the mission of the library as an institution depends on the needs and interests of the user. Without that, it's just a big collection of files and records, a tree falling in the woods with nobody around to hear it. The reality of change is constant; only the pace of it is different, thanks to technology. But the essayist/bloggers here think they've discovered it themselves, kind of like the teenager who believes he/she is the first to every have a certain thought or feel a certain way.
If it makes you feel any better to call the latest evolution in library service something like "creating an experience," well, fine.
Come on, people, it goes without saying that we continually strive to anticipate our users' interests and needs, to keep pace with technology, to contemplate our changing role in society. We've always done that. You think that back when the 'brary had nothing but books, microfilm and vinyl lps we were just sitting back feeling smug and satisfied? No, man, there's always some new development just around the corner to replace the new development that just sucker-punched you. You can make a game out of anticipating it, but you'll never win.
I agree with these essays, for the most part. We ought to be proactive in packaging and delivering information in a manner that best suits our users. That is, and has always been, our area of expertise. Therein lies our value, and that is how we are, and will continue to be, relevant. Let's not pretend that we're right there at the forefront, on the very crest of the latest wave. We reflect the latest interests and needs, we respond to them. We do not determine them.
What I'm saying, I guess, is that this is nothing new. Even the stodgiest, stuffiest, crustiest old geezer librarian in the mustiest, shushiest, dustiest library-of-old recognized that the mission of the library as an institution depends on the needs and interests of the user. Without that, it's just a big collection of files and records, a tree falling in the woods with nobody around to hear it. The reality of change is constant; only the pace of it is different, thanks to technology. But the essayist/bloggers here think they've discovered it themselves, kind of like the teenager who believes he/she is the first to every have a certain thought or feel a certain way.
If it makes you feel any better to call the latest evolution in library service something like "creating an experience," well, fine.
Tag!
Okay, the delicious method of tagging is something I can get behind. This makes sense, as anyone used to searching a library catalog would know. How often do you find that the subject you're looking for is too specific or esoteric to merit a heading or a see/see also reference? Kids, I remember when the net got rolling, and it was propelled by these far-flung communities of people with common interests and a common lingo. Of course, back then these people tended to fall into two categories: academics and sexual deviants. Now we are able to more fully sound the depths of the web with the help of people who share our interests and use our jargon, whether we are children's librarians or japanese heavy metal enthusiasts. It has been said that the web is the world's largest democracy. I think it is more like the world's largest high school cafeteria.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Twaddle
Allright. I have a twitter account. Now I can let all my friends and relations know that I am going to have chinese food tonight. I'm sure they'll be absolutely fascinated. How inane. This is the online equivalent of the people you see pushing their grocery carts and talking on their phones, saying, "Hi. Yeah, I'm at the grocery store. Buying groceries. Ooo, asparagus is on sale." My god. This is like blogging without a topic. "Havin' a cup of coffee." "Think I'll go buy a magazine." "Wonder what's on TV." "How 'bout them Buckeyes." Who uses this? Someone who is online all the time. All. The. Time.
Yeah, yeah, no doubt I've misunderstood the purpose of this wonderous innovation. No doubt this is a way for friends and relations to keep in close touch, learn about each other, whatever. I can do without being tweeted at. "What's that you say? The Chipotle you had for lunch is giving you gas? My, my! I am SO glad you told me."
Could this have an application in library service? I rather hope not. But if you wanna follow me around and learn all about my adventures, here: http://twitter.com/meesterdavid
Yeah, yeah, no doubt I've misunderstood the purpose of this wonderous innovation. No doubt this is a way for friends and relations to keep in close touch, learn about each other, whatever. I can do without being tweeted at. "What's that you say? The Chipotle you had for lunch is giving you gas? My, my! I am SO glad you told me."
Could this have an application in library service? I rather hope not. But if you wanna follow me around and learn all about my adventures, here: http://twitter.com/meesterdavid
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Pulp Fiction
My librarything library shall be devoted to exceptionally brutal crime fiction. This handful are recent reads; I'm sure I'll come up with more.http://www.librarything.com/catalog/meesterdavid
Monday, September 8, 2008
All the news that's fit to print...
Man, there are a lot of really stupid people out there. I went shopping for news feeds via the suggested tools, and yes, I found some to add. I was continually drawn to the comments on each story, and I found myself reading these more carefully than the news itself. They say opinions are like...well, they say everyone has one. I am amazed at some of the hillbillies out there. How do these people feed themselves? How do they live?
It is no accident that I am a librarian in a public library. I think libraries are important. I think access to information is vital to a democratic society. I take seriously the mission to help every single person who crosses our threshhold. I would be pretty lousy at my job if I didn't like people and think they were deserving of our service and resources.
But sheesh, all of that milk of human kindness stuff goes right out the window after five minutes of being fed news articles about the world and all its problems, followed by the shallow, hateful comments of the willfully ignorant. It really challenges me, all this drivel.
I just have to have the discipline to read my handily-delivered news feeds, right down to the last word, and ignore the comments of those awful, awful people. Come on, face it: Palin is a jerk. She has as much business running the country as, let's see, who's a really good example of an inept and unscrupulous scoundrel, oh, I know, gwb. I know some disagree; well, opinions are like...well, they've got a right to their opinions, but they are a fools. AAAA, ranting again! Jeez. Imagine how much worse this would be if I were writing from home at 3am?
It is no accident that I am a librarian in a public library. I think libraries are important. I think access to information is vital to a democratic society. I take seriously the mission to help every single person who crosses our threshhold. I would be pretty lousy at my job if I didn't like people and think they were deserving of our service and resources.
But sheesh, all of that milk of human kindness stuff goes right out the window after five minutes of being fed news articles about the world and all its problems, followed by the shallow, hateful comments of the willfully ignorant. It really challenges me, all this drivel.
I just have to have the discipline to read my handily-delivered news feeds, right down to the last word, and ignore the comments of those awful, awful people. Come on, face it: Palin is a jerk. She has as much business running the country as, let's see, who's a really good example of an inept and unscrupulous scoundrel, oh, I know, gwb. I know some disagree; well, opinions are like...well, they've got a right to their opinions, but they are a fools. AAAA, ranting again! Jeez. Imagine how much worse this would be if I were writing from home at 3am?
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Never Be Bored Again!
Bloglines! Marvelous! Now I can simply sit here and be fed a steady stream of amusement! Never again will I have to strike out on my own in search of time-wasting diversions, for here they are, served up on a silver platter. Most convenient!
Of course this is useful, but only if you subscribe to practical, substantial feeds. But, let's be honest: who's gonna do that? No, we are going to subscribe to stuff like bizarre news stories, humorous pet photos, daily 80s TV trivia quizzes, that kind of stuff.
I've actually tried to balance my list. For every time-waster (New Urban Legends), I try to have a semi-work-related feed (NYT Book Review), or one that is socially redeeming (Obama!).
Hey, how about that Obama guy? Did you ever think we'd wake up from the nightmare and get a president we could actually be proud of? I know what Michelle Obama meant when she made her much-criticized comment. I, too, am proud of this country, and yet, let's face it, we're all a little embarrassed by our government. I'm no less embarrassed that there are millions in this country who voted for w, not once, but TWICE! If you still have a bush/cheney bumper sticker on your car, you are an idiot, completely beyond hope, and I will tell you that to your face. AAAA! SEE?! I knew this would happen. My blog has become a rant! I'm a ranter! I sat down and started typing without really having anything to say, and now I'm a rambling ranter! Look away, turn away now!
Of course this is useful, but only if you subscribe to practical, substantial feeds. But, let's be honest: who's gonna do that? No, we are going to subscribe to stuff like bizarre news stories, humorous pet photos, daily 80s TV trivia quizzes, that kind of stuff.
I've actually tried to balance my list. For every time-waster (New Urban Legends), I try to have a semi-work-related feed (NYT Book Review), or one that is socially redeeming (Obama!).
Hey, how about that Obama guy? Did you ever think we'd wake up from the nightmare and get a president we could actually be proud of? I know what Michelle Obama meant when she made her much-criticized comment. I, too, am proud of this country, and yet, let's face it, we're all a little embarrassed by our government. I'm no less embarrassed that there are millions in this country who voted for w, not once, but TWICE! If you still have a bush/cheney bumper sticker on your car, you are an idiot, completely beyond hope, and I will tell you that to your face. AAAA! SEE?! I knew this would happen. My blog has become a rant! I'm a ranter! I sat down and started typing without really having anything to say, and now I'm a rambling ranter! Look away, turn away now!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
At home with the lights out
Technology is wonderous. Not wonderful, mind you, but certainly wonderous. I think that if one wants to live peacefully, mindfully, real-ly, then technology can be a tremendous distraction. Ninety percent of technology makes our lives easy, or--never mind easy--makes our lives possible. Any of you old-timers remember what it was like to take a long car trip to a place you'd never been, without Mapquest, GPS, a phone, for goodness sake? Anyone remember standing in line, a literal line comprised of people, for tickets? Anyone remember having to carry cash? The remaining ten percent of technology, that stuff we refer to as "technology" in this context, generates ninety percent of the din. Blogs. Photo sharing. The mythical online community. Streaming video. Games. Toys. Widgets. Whatever.
We are obliged to be reasonably fluent in this new language. It is no longer enough to be able to help our patrons with basic survival stuff like job and apartment listings, printing tax forms and pay stubs, opening an email account, searching for information. Now we have to know our way around when it comes to that noisy, sexy ten percent. Is it really important to know about amusements like how to design your own trading card? Do we really care if this guy wants to rip off a bunch of music via Limewire and load it onto his iPod? Should we have to be up on the nuances of various social networking sites? Well, yeah. We're expected to. If we want to be good at our jobs, we have to.
Heaven help me, though, it is exhausting. Bombarded as we are with nifty new how-did-we-ever-live-without-these online "tools," I sometimes feel like an overstimulated child who needs a nap. It's all really, really cool, and surely we will never again want for distractions, but at the end of the we could be excused if we wanted to go home and sit in a quiet, dark room.
We are obliged to be reasonably fluent in this new language. It is no longer enough to be able to help our patrons with basic survival stuff like job and apartment listings, printing tax forms and pay stubs, opening an email account, searching for information. Now we have to know our way around when it comes to that noisy, sexy ten percent. Is it really important to know about amusements like how to design your own trading card? Do we really care if this guy wants to rip off a bunch of music via Limewire and load it onto his iPod? Should we have to be up on the nuances of various social networking sites? Well, yeah. We're expected to. If we want to be good at our jobs, we have to.
Heaven help me, though, it is exhausting. Bombarded as we are with nifty new how-did-we-ever-live-without-these online "tools," I sometimes feel like an overstimulated child who needs a nap. It's all really, really cool, and surely we will never again want for distractions, but at the end of the we could be excused if we wanted to go home and sit in a quiet, dark room.
Elvis at Alpine
I should never have done this, simply because once you do Elvis to promote SRC, there's no place else to take it. The year: 2006. The theme: "Tune in: Read." The mild-mannered, bespectacled librarian is introduced to the gymful of kids and parents. He presses play on a boom box and darts behind a curtain. Soon the audience hears the strains of "Also Sprach Zarathustra." Then the band launches into CC Rider, and Elvis Himself bursts onto the stage. The King exhorts the kids and parents to come into the library to sign up for SRC. They do, of course they do. They might have anyway, but you can't say no to Elvis.
Maybe I had to do this, after all. Once it occured to me that doing SRC visits dressed as Elvis might...make an impression...then it always would have been out there as a possibility. This was a demon that needed to be slain.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Limestone Quarries and Pre-Responibility
Any kid who grew up in Bloomington, Indiana probably put some in time at at least one of the several local quarry holes. The abandoned limestone pits were essentially man-made ponds. There were even small fish in some of them. We'd get there however we could, on four wheels or two, sometimes even walked. We'd climb around, lay around, try to think of increasingly stupid and dangerous ways to enter the water.
You non-hoosier types have probably seen the movie "Breaking Away." Filmed in B-town when I was a lad of about 12, it features one of the larger quarries. Here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/toothpaw/2071110458/
We used to visit this one, but it got to be too well known. We favored a couple of the smaller ones, including one called "Icebox" (they all had names). The name didn't have anything to do with the abandoned fridge Dennis Quaid swam into in the movie. Icebox was colder than the others. Must've been deeper. It had a tower on one steep side with a cable hanging down across the quarry. On the other side, it hung at such a height that you could grab it and step off the wall, drop down towards the water, and the weight of the cable would pull you back up. There was also an end of the quarry that was composed of jumbled blocks of stone that went all the way down into the water, how deep I never learned. What we used to do, though, was dive down into the dark, cold, green water and swim through the gaps in the jumbled blocks. We used to try to find different ways through and do them in different combinations. It was really a very stupid thing to do, would've been easy for one of us to get stuck. People did get hurt in those places, but we never heard of someone biting the big one. Surely some local historian, or some kid at IU writing his or her thesis, has researched it. I don't really want to know. This is what I remember.
I'll probably never dip a toe in the quarries again, and I'd go nuts if my kids went and did the stuff I did. But it is a very, very good thing to have done.
You non-hoosier types have probably seen the movie "Breaking Away." Filmed in B-town when I was a lad of about 12, it features one of the larger quarries. Here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/toothpaw/2071110458/
We used to visit this one, but it got to be too well known. We favored a couple of the smaller ones, including one called "Icebox" (they all had names). The name didn't have anything to do with the abandoned fridge Dennis Quaid swam into in the movie. Icebox was colder than the others. Must've been deeper. It had a tower on one steep side with a cable hanging down across the quarry. On the other side, it hung at such a height that you could grab it and step off the wall, drop down towards the water, and the weight of the cable would pull you back up. There was also an end of the quarry that was composed of jumbled blocks of stone that went all the way down into the water, how deep I never learned. What we used to do, though, was dive down into the dark, cold, green water and swim through the gaps in the jumbled blocks. We used to try to find different ways through and do them in different combinations. It was really a very stupid thing to do, would've been easy for one of us to get stuck. People did get hurt in those places, but we never heard of someone biting the big one. Surely some local historian, or some kid at IU writing his or her thesis, has researched it. I don't really want to know. This is what I remember.
I'll probably never dip a toe in the quarries again, and I'd go nuts if my kids went and did the stuff I did. But it is a very, very good thing to have done.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Blog vs. Rant
Up until now I have been reluctant to blog, and I think I've narrowed the reasons for this down to three:
1. Nobody could possibly be interested. Blogging when I have nothing to say is disrespectful to any potential reader, who surely found my post by accident. Even if I have something to say, though, why should anyone care? A blog is like a diary one writes in and leaves lying around hoping someone will peek at it.
2. There are millions of blogs out there. If I do it too, I'll be contributing to all the noise. By not blogging, I am taking a principled stand against web clutter, though it may be an immeasurably small gesture. Just as I know that using a compact flourescent bulb in my laundry room is not making a huge impact on the global climate crisis and yet I do it anyway.
3. I know myself, and I know that if I keep at this long enough my innocuous ramblings will evolve into vitriolic rants bound to anger and alienate all who stumble upon them.
But I'm doin' it anyway. And I know you are hanging on my every word...
1. Nobody could possibly be interested. Blogging when I have nothing to say is disrespectful to any potential reader, who surely found my post by accident. Even if I have something to say, though, why should anyone care? A blog is like a diary one writes in and leaves lying around hoping someone will peek at it.
2. There are millions of blogs out there. If I do it too, I'll be contributing to all the noise. By not blogging, I am taking a principled stand against web clutter, though it may be an immeasurably small gesture. Just as I know that using a compact flourescent bulb in my laundry room is not making a huge impact on the global climate crisis and yet I do it anyway.
3. I know myself, and I know that if I keep at this long enough my innocuous ramblings will evolve into vitriolic rants bound to anger and alienate all who stumble upon them.
But I'm doin' it anyway. And I know you are hanging on my every word...
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Old Dog/New Tricks
We are all fond of saying we're lifelong learners. The truth is, though, we resist learning new stuff, and are only lifelong learners 'cause we have to be. We're laying on a sunny beach, trying to relax and luxuriate, but the waves keep washing up over us, warping our sand castles, dredging up all kinds of crawly stuff, and generally roughing our smooth. You can adjust, shore up that sand-castle wall, reapply your sunscreen, but there's always another wave.
If you are grimly set on getting back to your relaxing/luxuriating state (an illusion anyway), you will end up frustrated and cursing those waves. Ah, but if you engage the waves, play in them, cheer them as they breach your sandcastle's defenses, wonder at the wiggly critters they bring you, you will have a more rewarding day at the beach.
If play doesn't do it for you, maybe you are more of a surfer, a person who derives satisfaction from a sense of mastery, from staying on top of that wave, running up and down it, riding it in and going after the next one. It's not play, so much as a challenge.
Or maybe you are the lifeguard, hurling yourself into the waves, reckless of your own safety, to rescue some poor soul who is overcome. (I think most of us can identify with this, at least in part.)
I could go on but I think I already have.
If you are grimly set on getting back to your relaxing/luxuriating state (an illusion anyway), you will end up frustrated and cursing those waves. Ah, but if you engage the waves, play in them, cheer them as they breach your sandcastle's defenses, wonder at the wiggly critters they bring you, you will have a more rewarding day at the beach.
If play doesn't do it for you, maybe you are more of a surfer, a person who derives satisfaction from a sense of mastery, from staying on top of that wave, running up and down it, riding it in and going after the next one. It's not play, so much as a challenge.
Or maybe you are the lifeguard, hurling yourself into the waves, reckless of your own safety, to rescue some poor soul who is overcome. (I think most of us can identify with this, at least in part.)
I could go on but I think I already have.
The Monster Method
I'm a runner. I've been running seriously since January 1, 2000. I run a lot, and if I'm training for a race, a whole lot. I do a half marathon every year and a full marathon every other year. Running has made me pretty damn fit, pretty damn spry.
And yet, something was missing. I tried getting up before dawn every other day and going to the cheap gym I joined to do some feeble, zombied reps on the weight machines. This didn't do anything that pushups on the living room floor wouldn't do, it wasn't any fun, and it was easy to blow off.
Now, my kids take karate at Metro Martial Arts and Fitness on High Street in Columbus. Metro moved into a new location awhile back, and the owner, Vic Magary, had a vision. It involved a large, high-ceilinged storage room at the back of the studio. He fixed it up, but he didn't fancy it up. It has cinder-block walls, a concrete floor, exposed ductwork, no windows...it looks like a dungeon. The dungeon is home to the Monster Method workout.
To call it Old School is kind of trite. It's more like Olde Schoole. Mats. Medicine balls. Barbells. Dumbbells. Kettlebells. Jumpropes. Chinning bars. A tractor tire. And a guy with a stopwatch.
Vic is the guy. Twice a week, at 6:00 a.m., I and anywhere from five to ten other victims do a circuit class of high intensity interval training. The stations, the activities, change from one class to the next. For instance, here's what we did Tuesday morning:
1. I started at the hopscotch station. I know, doesn't exactly sound badass. This is a station where you stand on a mat about 4 feet square with dots arranged in a quincunx. You start with feet on two widely spaced dots at the bottom, bring your feet together as you hop onto the center dot, then out wide again to the dots at the top. And back. Fast. Over and over. Now, I was cool with this. My legs are pretty strong, so this was no biggie--but I should have ended on it, not started on it.
2. Trunk rotation station. Sit on a mat, heels in the air, and touch a medicine ball to the floor on either side of you. Over and over.
3. Rebounder. 20 pound rubber medicine ball, hurl it sideways at the cement wall, get the rebound, do it from the other side. Over and over.
4. Ab wheel. A small wheel with handles on either side, which you grip as you roll from a kneeling position down to a fully extended position, then back. Over and over.
5. Burpee pullups. Urgh. Burpee=squat, then prone, chest on the floor in pushup position, back to a tuck, then extend and jump. Only on the jump, now you grab the bar and end with a pullup. Release the bar and back to your squat. Over and over.
6. Thrusters. Barbell (I used 75lbs today) at chest/shoulder height ("clean" position, is it?), squat down until your butt touches the medicine ball, then fully extend so the barbell is over your head. Then back down, like a piston...over and over.
Each station for 40 seconds, with a 15 second break in between. Four rounds with a minute between rounds.
This is a very, very efficient workout, which is maybe what appeals to me the most. In about a half an hour you get your ass thoroughly kicked, and you never master it because each time you go as hard as you can. More weight, faster reps, variations...You can get good at it, and I've gotten pretty good at it, but it never, ever fails to absolutely wipe you out. (If it does fail to do so, you were doing it wrong.) Oh, oh, oh!--and just when you get comfortable, you go in and Vic has something special planned, like Tabata intervals (google it) or "the human stopwatch", wherein everyone keeps going at their station until one person does a predetermined number of reps on one of the stations. The possibility of special days will keep you on your toes.
The MM has turned out to be the missing piece to my personal fitness strategy. I dread it, but not nearly as much as I look forward to it. I have missed it twice, when I was on vacation. I'm paying more for it than the cheap gym, but it's still pretty damn cheap, and besides, it works.
Do it. I dare you. Do it one time.
And yet, something was missing. I tried getting up before dawn every other day and going to the cheap gym I joined to do some feeble, zombied reps on the weight machines. This didn't do anything that pushups on the living room floor wouldn't do, it wasn't any fun, and it was easy to blow off.
Now, my kids take karate at Metro Martial Arts and Fitness on High Street in Columbus. Metro moved into a new location awhile back, and the owner, Vic Magary, had a vision. It involved a large, high-ceilinged storage room at the back of the studio. He fixed it up, but he didn't fancy it up. It has cinder-block walls, a concrete floor, exposed ductwork, no windows...it looks like a dungeon. The dungeon is home to the Monster Method workout.
To call it Old School is kind of trite. It's more like Olde Schoole. Mats. Medicine balls. Barbells. Dumbbells. Kettlebells. Jumpropes. Chinning bars. A tractor tire. And a guy with a stopwatch.
Vic is the guy. Twice a week, at 6:00 a.m., I and anywhere from five to ten other victims do a circuit class of high intensity interval training. The stations, the activities, change from one class to the next. For instance, here's what we did Tuesday morning:
1. I started at the hopscotch station. I know, doesn't exactly sound badass. This is a station where you stand on a mat about 4 feet square with dots arranged in a quincunx. You start with feet on two widely spaced dots at the bottom, bring your feet together as you hop onto the center dot, then out wide again to the dots at the top. And back. Fast. Over and over. Now, I was cool with this. My legs are pretty strong, so this was no biggie--but I should have ended on it, not started on it.
2. Trunk rotation station. Sit on a mat, heels in the air, and touch a medicine ball to the floor on either side of you. Over and over.
3. Rebounder. 20 pound rubber medicine ball, hurl it sideways at the cement wall, get the rebound, do it from the other side. Over and over.
4. Ab wheel. A small wheel with handles on either side, which you grip as you roll from a kneeling position down to a fully extended position, then back. Over and over.
5. Burpee pullups. Urgh. Burpee=squat, then prone, chest on the floor in pushup position, back to a tuck, then extend and jump. Only on the jump, now you grab the bar and end with a pullup. Release the bar and back to your squat. Over and over.
6. Thrusters. Barbell (I used 75lbs today) at chest/shoulder height ("clean" position, is it?), squat down until your butt touches the medicine ball, then fully extend so the barbell is over your head. Then back down, like a piston...over and over.
Each station for 40 seconds, with a 15 second break in between. Four rounds with a minute between rounds.
This is a very, very efficient workout, which is maybe what appeals to me the most. In about a half an hour you get your ass thoroughly kicked, and you never master it because each time you go as hard as you can. More weight, faster reps, variations...You can get good at it, and I've gotten pretty good at it, but it never, ever fails to absolutely wipe you out. (If it does fail to do so, you were doing it wrong.) Oh, oh, oh!--and just when you get comfortable, you go in and Vic has something special planned, like Tabata intervals (google it) or "the human stopwatch", wherein everyone keeps going at their station until one person does a predetermined number of reps on one of the stations. The possibility of special days will keep you on your toes.
The MM has turned out to be the missing piece to my personal fitness strategy. I dread it, but not nearly as much as I look forward to it. I have missed it twice, when I was on vacation. I'm paying more for it than the cheap gym, but it's still pretty damn cheap, and besides, it works.
Do it. I dare you. Do it one time.
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