warriorlibrarian.com Blog

Yet another of Life’s Great Language Mysteries was solved, and by a Ten Year Old.

Following the advice dispensed that “you shouldn’t dis people just because they’re different”, peals of laugher broke out - “OOOOh, mum thinks she’s cool just because she said ‘dis’!!!”

Response?  “Well, in My Day we knew how to say the whole word. ‘Disrespect’. Not just ‘dis’.  I wonder why kids can’t say a whole word? Or even a whole sentence?”

Explanation? “It’s because of cheapskateness.  People just download the demo version, not the whole language.”

So now we know …

Just for those aren’t sure how to accurately and succinctly answer the question “How are you?”, this online biorhythm generator will help out with this sometimes pesky but common question:

Biorhythm Generator

And in case you were wondering how *I* am today: I (apparently) haven’t quite reached my intellectual peak for this week, so don’t expect my best work for a day or two. Unfortunately I’m now in decline regarding my physical energy, so I might have to leave early if I can’t get a sleep at my desk. But on the good news front, I’m still in the ascendent emotionally – so if you have to upset me, please wait for a few more days …

There’s a small smattering of books that I put aside for a second reading at a later date, but this is the first one that I’ve wanted to re-read almost immediately following finishing it for the first time.  At least the first in about 40 years.  And it’s not because of big print, a paucity of pages, or I didn’t finish coloring in one of the pictures.

Quite the opposite, really.  Short History has a LOT of pages, SMALL font (at least in the edition I read), and NO illustrations. But all that aside, it was so jam-packed with interesting material that was written with such elegant prose and more than the odd splattering of humor, it was a pleasure to read.  And will be again, I’m sure.

Found this one, when looking through an educational publishing catalogue - Getting it to work: Physics equipment for high school. (1996). The description reads “the manual provides information on how to use selected pieces of equipment, hints on how to overcome commonly identified problems in their use and ideas for innovative teaching strategies using the equipment in the classroom.

I am ’staggered’, to say the least. After 16 years of teaching high school science, I’d always thought that oscilloscopes etc weren’t actually supposed to work; that they were merely techno-boffin props to lend a vague air of authenticity to lab practicals …

Just read today that the Nobel Prizes are not granted posthumously. Which is really bad, at least for me. Was actually sort of hoping that while my life to date has been nothing prizeworthy, at some distant point in the future someone might have researched into something I said or did (or maybe didn’t say or do) and found that it had Earth-shattering consequences for the future of the planet, or perhaps even beyond. (We are talking very distant future here.)

But now it looks as though I might have to actually do (or say) something significant before Passing On. So far I’ve only excelled in the Not Doing (or Not Saying) anything too startling. Mind you, given the sheer volume of what I’ve not done, that really should count towards a major award of some sort …

So your average punter has spent a good hour or so searching the stacks for enough brain fodder to keep them going for a week or so.  Where the heck are they going to find the right ambience to do their reading.  Sure, there’s always the good old bedroom, late at night - when something of the heft of a 10-foot bargepole is needed to keep the eyelids open.  But where does one find such a reading aid, let alone instructions for using it?

Of course, there’s those lucky enough to use a ‘commute’ to work - ideal place to read? Not.  At least the Poms have cell phone-free rail carriages - but what about the rest of the semi-civilised world?  Even if the moron next to you on the train isn’t jabbering on inanely and incessantly about some great new love of his/her life, there’s the choom-choom-choom of personal (!) music systems to contend with.

Despite having so far resisted the urge to carry wire cutters or small nail scissors to further personalise a listening experience - by a little subtle snipping of earphone wires, nothing involving the actual spilling of blood, you understand - there are days when there is  clearly a need for Noise Police on public transport.

Sure, there are Transit Police, largely responsible it seems for ensuring the continued existence of railway coffee shops; the ubiquitous Ticket Inspectors  that protect the state’s fragile economy, adding to the billions of dollars surplus the government isn’t keen to actually part with;  not to mention our fine, though stretched, ‘mainstream’ Police Service.  But who is going to conserve a potential reading environment for those library users attempting to maximise the use of their travel time?  Commuting librarians with nail scissors?

Last Friday, my eldest brother was diagnosed as having a tumor on his spine.  he was faced with the decision to  do nothing and become a paraplegic very soon, or have surgery and risk further spinal damage.  Today, he went into surgery.

Despite incredible pain now, the surgery ‘was successful’, the tumor was benign.  He will walk again, but not for a while. Throughout the whole period, he’s retained his courage and sense of humor.  I’m proud to belong to such stock.

Some readers may think this news possibly does not belong here in this blog;it probably doesn’t interest many readers. Nevertheless, it’s here now.  Get well soon, Des.

The US Department of Education’s E.R.I.C. (Education Resource Information Center) has included the (irreverent) Warrior Librarian Guide to Library Assessment (“Strikeback”) in its database. Probably because it was published in the august journal LMC … although under the banner of satire.

And I’d always thought that The Suits didn’t have a sense of humor.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s Top 10 (book sales) for independent bookshops lists The dangerous books for boys (HarperCollins) at No #2 this week.

Could authors now be deliberately seeking out notioriety in order to increase revenue?  Will it be long before we see other titles like maybe: Racial slurs for all public speaking engagements,  S*xist remarks to make at formal dinners, or indeed  Offensive behaviour for every occassion.

Maybe these books already exist; as many liberry users seem to think that liberrians keep them locked away somewhere, with all the other good stuff ….

Here’s something interesting (at least to me) … the Google Guide to advanced search operators actually uses - and mentions by name, even - Warrior Librarian! I always knew the Google folk were a class act!