jumbledpileof searchin'


if you don't like this, you certainly won't like:

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The part that isn't thinking

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If someone misbehaves you can put them in leg irons

Unshelved, the comic strip set in a library, visited a prison library for a week (May 16 | May 17 | May 18 | May 19 | May 20), reminding me yet again why I don't like the cursed thing.

∞ | May 23, 2006 in jail library journal | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Green

It's rained for a week straight. We finally gave in and mowed wet grass yesterday (of course, today it's sunny and windy).

This toadstool was big as a saucer.

Mowed toadstool

The raspberries aren't looking too bad. I just planted (i.e. stuck in random bare patches of mud) strawberries and rhubarb.

Strawberry plant

Time to learn how to make pie crust.

∞ | May 18, 2006 in domestic life | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"What are independent bookstores really good for? Not much."

Can I spoil the end of The death of the independent bookstore by Tyler Cowen for you? OK:

Spend more time in public libraries, which offer many of the best features of indie bookshops, including informed staff, diversity, and offbeat titles. Of course, public libraries aren't exactly atmospherically "cool." The clientele is often young children, women over 40, and retired men. I visit five public libraries on a regular basis, and each one makes me feel old. But they deliver the goods.

∞ | May 17, 2006 in librariana | Comments (2) | TrackBack

LibraryThing now the 100th largest library

Wow! Tim asks,

Now does anyone know somebody at the ALA?

∞ | May 11, 2006 in librariana | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Poptimism

At the tail end of a Slate article, The difficulties of accounting for musical taste, Adam Christian cites an expert "poptimist":

Does your iPod need some updating? Be sure to consult jmsr525's top 100 "best songs from 1955 to 2001" before putting together that poptimist playlist.

Who are these people with their lists? Oh, wait...

∞ | May 11, 2006 in media | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Dynamic gnomes

Yep, that's us - here's some WAPL coverage on the WLA/MATS website. Handouts for "Communication…that’s the key! Blogs, Wikis, Email…When to use what?!" (big ol' pdf) are up, too. Have I mentioned I love my job?

(I used to have this halfhearted approach to anonymous blogging, but that's obviously gone right out the window.)

∞ | May 9, 2006 in librariana | Comments (0) | TrackBack

TypePad wishlist

So there's this invitation from TypePad Hacks to TypePad users to write up their feature wish list. After reading other people's mine seem really unsophisticated, but here's what I have.

  1. I wish when you swich from "compose post" to "edit html" view, your cursor/selected text stayed in the same place.
  2. I wish I could upload multiple files in the Control Panel.
  3. I wish I could make a custom 404.
  4. I wish I could give guest and junior authors control over typelists, and approving posts and comments - in fact, it would be awesome if the permissions were a lot more customizable. (Maybe they are in MT?)

Also, I want to say the TypePad "help ticket" system is great customer service - they always get back to you fast, and answer even the dumbest questions. I went back to the 24 tickets I've submitted since signing up in 2003 for ideas for this list.

∞ | May 4, 2006 in metablog | Comments (2) | TrackBack

b's read-a-thon diary

Over at the tigers of wrath, blogger b posts his journal of the Madison Area Literacy Council Read-a-Thon: they shoot readers, don't they? (part 1). I just couldn't wait for part 2.

∞ | May 3, 2006 in librariana | Comments (0) | TrackBack

How much is that

Doggie in the window

It's WAPL. I'm in Rapids. At this store downtown, there's a dog whose face followed me around until I realized it wasn't a prop.

∞ | May 3, 2006 in domestic life | Comments (0) | TrackBack