julifolo's Journal

2:45pm: Weird library problem today.
Cataloging a thesis "Libraries and the Occult" -- attitudes of librarians toward the subject (not buying or keeping hidden) and public opinion about it. I think the shelf number will be straight forward; currently I'm stuck finding relivant subject headings. Bleh.

Case in point: the subdivision "controversial literature" (normally 'free floating' for topics) is disallowed under "Occultism", as being redundant (There's a cross-reference). That's saying Occultism is BY DEFINITION controversial.

9:09am: Dickens Google doodle today
I like it

https://www.google.com/

3:44pm: /headdesk
I'm cataloging a 48 p. booklet about copyright. It has no publication date.

Pardon me while I scream.

AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHH

11:06am: Heh, backlogs.
Looking at a piece now that has a note from one name I don't recognize to another name I don't recognize "Do you have any idea what I can do with this item? The notes indicate it's been a problem for years" -- dated 11/19/91. The piece is a bifold extension bulliten dated 1900...

10:27am: What nonsense.
I'm cataloging a local history book about WW II published by the News Gazette. I'm taking the authors from the book jacket. No author names on the title page, the verso lists the editorial staff of the newspaper & "project coordinator"

Neither the acknowledgments statement nor the preface are signed.

???

So I'm listing 5 "responsibility" access points: the two authors, the editor & coordinator & the newspaper. If the dustjacket gets lost, those two names are listed *nowhere*

/headdesk.

12:46pm: An Occupy Wall Street video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK1MOMKZ8BI

The first minute is Elizabeth Warren doing her usual fine job of explain what happened for 140 years, then what worked for 50 years and what "should have been a warning". Great voice and clarity.

The next three minutes are intermixed clips of congressional hearings (adding context to Warren's points) and Occupy Wall Street reactions.

It's a well edited video. Besides doing very well for Warren (she shows up again toward the end), my next favorite passage is the drum riff at the end, and there's a 2 second clip of a crowd of drummers playing in unison (& in time with the soundtrack).

1:42pm: Fun, anonymous art
http://community.thisiscentralstation.com/_Mysterious-paper-sculptures/blog/4991767/126249.html

A dragon, teacup & more ...

6:21am: Would you kill a man if 7 of 9 witnesses retracted?
Email in my inbox tells me State of Georgia has just declared their intention to do that: Troy Davis has his 4th execution date set for September 21st.

Georgia is the state where they had the huge prison strike December 2010. Georgia is the state that had harvest rotting in the fields because of over-broad anti-immigrant laws that scared off even legal migrant workers. I believe Georgia government wants to send a message about who has power and who doesn't.

For background, here's a link to an old story listing the problems of the original testimony:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/06/23/lies-troy-davis-death-row-hearing/

9:35am: The Google doodle to day is Freddie Mercury
http://www.google.com/

(press play to start animation)

1:39pm: A quote from a review of a book I won't read
After giving some examples of why a book's analysis was convoluted and erroneous, the reviewer sealed the drumbling with the following:

The chapter on S* is not just mistaken in its use of Z*, but embarrassing in how clearly it borrows wholesale from an article by N*. The chapter is not long, and of it's 11 citations, N*'s work is directly referenced 7 times. The citations are in the same order as in the original article. 2 other citations are of the books that N* used, and one of them is quoted verbatim. The reason [the editors] did not just print N*'s original article in its entirety may be that he drew different conclusions than N*.

I don't even need to know anything about the subject area to nod in agreement. And applaud a well done snark.

9:57am: Neat Google doodle today: Jorge Borges for his 112th birthday.
kinda steampunk

1:56pm: too little sleep
Up late into wee hours packing for Seattle trip. I could have finished earlier but I didn't want to be carrying 2 shoulder bags + backpack + purse. It's just one (the smaller) shoulder bag. Going to visit Fran & talk & make jewelery. So I had to spend a long time packing down (why bring 10 gms seed beads when 1 gm is plenty? x over a hundred colors). Tues night I did a presentation, so I was concentrating on that (& taxes before). Usually I have a few more boxes, but not as many colors to choose from since I was bringing the whole stash of each color. And it will be great to see my friend again! It's been too long. I should have gone last year but I needed all my vacation time for the England trip.

But, yaaaaawwwwnn, 3 hours of sleep isn't enough. I'll be able to sleep soon on the bus.

9:49am: Why Title X is vital
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/42484024#42503559

Lawrence O'Donnell, as part of 'The Last Word' reads as email asking 'Stop these wackos', an unemployed woman saying what Planned Parenthood has done for her. This after a great indignant riff about why the idea of PP shouldn't be a problem. He about loses it at the end ... and I was crying. I want to give that woman help & a hug. He could not have been half as effective without her words. Via dKos.

3:28pm: Adventures in cataloging
CDROMs from the gift backlog.

Part one:
A 2005 CD-ROM using Acrobat 6.0, included. What's on my machine is 9.0. I don't have administrative clearance to add 6.0 to my machine so I can fully look at the content, but the few scenes I did get plus the CDROM case means I could do well enough. If a library user checks it out, I don't think they'll be prevented from loading A 6.0 on their home machine!

Part two:
ouch, my ears! I put in the CDROM and it auto-plays LOUD DRAMTIC music at each screen without warning and no off or volume option.

I wonder if me putting a "loud sound" warning in the notes field would be appropriate professional cataloging behavior. Grump. Not cataloging this today.

10:25am: FOX lies again.
Crowds in Wisconsin weren't violent enough for FOX, so they put in an old clip from Sacremento.

Grrr.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/03/fox-buses-in-footage-from-sacramento-to-make-union-protesters-look-violent-video.php?ref=fpblg

Fox Buses In Footage From Sacramento To Make Union Protesters Look Violent (VIDEO)

If they did this via the mail, wouldn't that be mail fraud? I don't know if this is illegal, but it should be.

9:16am: Library was closed Wednesday
& I can't fill out my timesheet. We haven't got the word yet on the status of the 2nd -- when my work place was closed -- if it's a "snow day" or a mandated "vacation" day, or (in my case) "sick day"

Grump

12:13pm: Pattern error, oops.
Necklace is *not* accomplished. The error front & center. Must restring. And it was my shortest length, so I won't be able to reuse the center part of the stringing wire in a shorter necklace, unless I make one for a doll. :-(

And this necklace detour was supposed to be a break between paperwork sessions (bank statements & sales taxes to do...)

12:52pm: Next book I'm reading
I think I'm going to be glad this was the book I picked this book off the "to read" pile: "Throughout history, activities customarily performed either by men or by women have become associated with and deemed appropriate to members of one sex or the other." Mary C. Beaudry, Findings: the material culture of needlework and sewing, ISBN 9780300110937 , a gift from Folo a few years back.

Of the "feminine" pursuits, I've skipped motherhood, have pursued some cookery out of necessity, & am much taken by all manner of textile matters, especially if the equipment needed is small (& therefore portable), even if I'm bad at research. I think this will be a fun read.

8:23am: Fastest ever meal call.
Cold, long, hard rain last night -- I woke up thinking I should check the bird feeder. It was down to crumbs so I put more out. When back in & got my distance glasses (to better watch) & got back to the door & all 6 perches were full & being argued for. *grin*

4:18pm: Hurrah! I'm in O'Hare
I have been for hours. I've just paid money to connect to the internets.

11:17am: The Miners
FYI: the miners would have been able to rescue themselves by climbing up the emergency ladder ... the mine owners had never bothered to have the legally required ladder completed.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/chile/8059649/Chile-mine-rescue-first-miner-to-surface-within-hours.html

Chile mine rescue: first miner to surface within hours
The first of Chile's 33 trapped miners to be rescued may reach the surface by Tuesday evening, as their two month ordeal after a cave-in draws to an end.

7:26am: Herding Cats
Herding cats. The making of video here (4 min): http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2010/9/11/144852/814/10#c10

http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2010/9/11/144852/814/26#c26

Scandinavian Day was a lot of fun, many good conversations with the public (& friends). Babette finally got to play with my warp-weighted loom, and I got a lot done on my nalebinded mittens.

8:02pm: An excellent essay on how LGBT people get punished
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/8/12/892390/-Gay-people-are-eeeeveryyywhere

Gay people are eeeeveryyywhere
by indiemcemopants
Thu Aug 12, 2010 at 06:42:15 AM CDT

It's a list of problems, including how homeless youth are disproportionately LGBT, but have a harder time getting into homeless shelters (because many are run by faith based organization who discriminate), & ends with:

... This economy is hitting us really hard. The unemployment levels suck for everyone, but for gays who can't get a job or keep one because of discrimination, it's worse. For gays who don't have a home or even an opportunity to find a safe place, it's worse. We can deal with bullying and hatred any day. But it's not separate from any other issue going on in this country. We don't want ponies. We want the government to stop sanctioning hatred against us and inflicting punishments upon us.

Is that too much to ask for?

11:09am: Updated: Prop 8 trial
Fingers were crossed:

Federal judge to rule on whether gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry [Updated]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/08/federal-judge-to-rule-on-whether-gays-have-a-constitutional-right-to-marry.html

News, with link to the decision:

http://www.towleroad.com/2010/08/judge-declares-proposition-8-unconstitutional.html

appeal planned ...

7:37pm: A well-written story about art (graffiti)
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/7/8/882770/-Art-Irritating-Life

It's crazy when you think that if it weren't for a mysterious, upstart artist sneaking in and scribbling on a wall somewhere inside the biggest shit hole in Detroit, we might never have known who let it get that way.