Blogging, Marching, and Matrimony

Alex MacDonell spotted the phrase 'Nom de Blog' in the New York Times of 15 February. "It looks," he suggests, "as though 'blog' is joining 'plume' and 'guerre' as an American-French appellation." It turns out to be fairly common and has already reached several online glossaries of terms. There's also "nom de Web" and the much older "nom de Usenet", which is recorded as far back as 1990. (From: World Wide Words 2/24/07)

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'March of the Librarians' is a video about the latest convention of the American Libraries Association, done as a take-off on March of the Penguins. "How they know to congregate in the same spot, no one knows. They come to learn, network, collect free stuff and, possibly, to mate."

Click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td922l0NoDQ
(From: www.LibrarianOfFortune.com 2/13/07)


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Just for the record, I've been married 41 years today - to the same person no less !

A Matter of Perspective

The Lone Ranger and Tonto stopped in the desert for the night.After they got their tent all set up, both men fell sound asleep. Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and says,"Kemo Sabe, look towards sky, what you see?"

The Lone Ranger replies, "I see millions of stars."

"What that tell you?" asked Tonto.

The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute then says, "Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning. Theologically, it's evident the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meterologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow."

Tonto is silent for a moment, then says,"Kemo Sabe, you dumber than buffalo. It mean someone stole tent."

Sometimes all it takes to make sense of a situation (maybe even the world in general) is to look at it from a different perspective. Today we are more likely to hear words like 'think outside the box' but it basically means the same thing. Maybe that's part of why it's often good to talk things over with someone else. Individuals see things differently. Discussing those differences can help us reach useful conclusions...or compromises.

I have a sheet I've used in difficult situations that depicts a pig saying, "Oink, oink, oink" and a duck saying "Quack, quack, quack." This 'conversation' goes on for a while until both critters are saying "Quoink, quoink, quoink." In other words, they've reached a compromise and can get on with their lives/projects/etc.

What's a 'Brambly Hill"?

In the discussions about how to start up a blog, one of the questions the learners are often asked to deal with is to select a name or title for the blog. Usually the chosen names have something to do with the occupation of the blogger or his/her hobbies or interests...maybe the blogger even uses his/her name as part of the title. So, you ask, "what's with 'Brambly Hill'? It's the name I give my house. I live on a steep hill along the Wisconsin River. The hill is filled with large trees and prickly things (and Poison Ivy too)...I like the feeling of the words 'Brambly Hill' in my mouth. I haven't formally named the house so this blog seemed to be a place where I could use the words. OK?

I AM WOMAN - HEAR ME @ YOUR LIBRARY...or your grocery story mag rack

Every year, more than 500,000 entrepreneurs start new businesses in the United States. But how and where to they get the resources and support it takes to succeed? The answer is @ your library.

From now until May 10th, Woman’s Day magazine, in conjunction with ALA’s Campaign for America’s Libraries, is collecting stories on how its readers have used the library to start their small businesses.

Do you know someone who has been impacted in this way? Visit the article on the ALA website... http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Template=/ContentManagement/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=149969
about promoting this campaign, or encourage your patrons to submit their story.

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Talking about women (we were you know - in the previous entry) reminds me of a recent trip to the grocery store where I overheard a mom (presumably) say to her teen-age daughter that she had to learn that women weren't as important as men in our world and she needed to learn that lesson early or she'd be miserable for the rest of her life. I stopped in my tracks and looked around just to make sure that this wasn't a dream. What was I hearing? In this 'enlightened' day these things were still being passed on? Could it be true?

I am almost 65 years old. I guess I am very fortunate that the men in my life have always encouraged me to do and be whatever I wanted. I remember my oldest brother sitting me down when I was about 13 or so (at the time he was about 20) and telling me that one of the most important things I could do for myself in my whole life is to get an education or training where I would always be able to get a decent-paying job so that I could support myself financially no matter what else happened in my life. He pointed out that it would be even better if that education or training could be in a field that I liked but that 'basic survival' (and not having to be totally financially dependent on anyone else - ever) was at the bottom of his advice. I've always remembered that advice and even passed it along others. I found it to be empowering.

Hasn't our civilization grown yet to the place where we can quit making either men or women more important than the other and, instead, actively look for ways for everyone (men, women and children of both sexes) to give and receive our different gifts to each other and to our communities? Men are not always physically stronger and they are certainly not always smarter or more financially astute than women or even children. Then again, women are not always the best nurturers/cooks/cleaners/teachers/etc. By sharing our strengths, we can all be strong...at home or at work.

Teaching our children (or other adults) that one sex is always 'better' in any way is such a waste of human potential, don't you agree?

Journaling

It's Monday again. How come the time between Friday and Monday seems to go so much faster than the time between any two week days?

For many years I have kept a notebook in which I write/copy things I like. Once in awhile I review it. It's a kind of a diary in that, over the years, I can see the differences in what appeals to me.

This morning my email offered me this bit to add to my journal....One way to strengthen your soul is to "Find your chocolate - and eat it too. Chocolate, particularly the dark variety, stimulates the release of natural endorphins that boost mood. If you don't like chocolate, find 'your chocolate' -- whatever makes you feel good when you're feeling low. It could be music, gardening, reading or talking with a loved one." Another soul-strengthener is to "Carry a small journal to record happy mements in your life."

Journaling - no matter the form - is a happy, healthy thing to do. It helps you 'dump' your negative feelings and record your better ones - all the while leaving a trail of who you were at that time in your life.

Give it a try sometime.

Pity the pig. Pauvre petite porker. He pokes his probiscus into often poorly ventilated piles of p---p (you get the point).

But pigs are pretty. They have pointy feet and pearly teeth.

Did you ever dream about being able to speak PIG? Not Pig-latin (igpay atinla) If so, say all these words in order...

Piggies
About
Talking
Wuz
Dummy
This
Long
How
Look

Then say the word pig before each word.
Piggies
About
Talking
Wuz
Dummy
This
Long
How
Look

Now say the word pig after each of these words.
Piggies
About
Talking
Wuz
Dummy
This
Long
How
Look

Now say pig before AND after each word.
Piggies
About
Talking
Wuz
Dummy
This
Long
How
Look

Now read the words going up begining with look.
Piggies
About
Talking
Wuz
Dummy
This
Long
How
Look

Hey, this is Friday of a week where I've stretched my brain...you expected pearls of wisdom maybe?

Maybe next week.

Thanks for your comments throughout the week - they've helped put some humor into this exercise.

Chinese New Year

The Chinese calendar has us off and running to find out about pigs (boars) because 2007 (beginning 2/18) is the Year of the Pig. Yesterday I shared my Technie Wanna-Be pig pal so today I'll share a porcine personality profile. Give it a try....use it on your family...try it on your co-workers at a staff meeting, share it with your library/library system/ or Friends board but first, test yourself.


PIG PERSONALITY PROFILE

Here's a fun personality profile activity that can be used to start or finish any number of training sessions.

Supplies: paper and pencil per participant.

On a blank piece of paper, draw a pig.
· The pig is of the animal variety.
· DO NOT look at your neighbor's pig.
· DO NOT give any further instructions.
· DO NOT influence how the pigs are drawn.
After participants complete the assignment. Explain that their drawing will serve to interpret their personalities.

If the pig is drawn on the top portion of the page you are optimistic and very positive.
If the pig is drawn in the middle of the page you are realistic and factual.
If the pig is drawn toward the bottom of the page, you are pessimistic or tend to have a negative outlook.
If the pig is facing left, you are traditional, friendly and remember birthdays and dates.
If the pig is facing right, you are innovative, action-oriented, not family or date oriented.
If the pig is facing straight ahead, you are direct, like to play devil's advocate and don't avoid issues.
If the pig is very detailed, you are analytical, cautious, suspicious.
If the pig has little detail, you are emotional, bored by detail, naive, and a risk taker.
If the pig has four feet, you are secure, stubborn, and have firm beliefs.
If the pig has less than four feet, you are insecure or going through major changes in life.
The larger the pig's ears the better listener you are.
And last, but not least the longer the pig's tail the better your social life.

A day for lovers

On the board in the office I drew a red heart and put the letters HVD inside. One of the staff members stopped by my office to tell me that it sounded like a STD. H-m-m-m Not exactly what I had in mind but, still, it created a giggle.

Today I'm trying to follow through on what I started yesterday, i.e., to create a blog. My self-assignment today was to learn how to put a photo/drawing/etc. in the blog.

This is part of a year-long staff assignment that each staff member should learn about something about two tech-related things this year...an opportunity to use staff time to stretch our brains a bit.

So, let's see if I remember how to send this (and check if there's a picture - you'll recognize it, it's a drawing of a lazy pig who must assume she can learn stuff with no work - just osmosis ;-)

editing

this isn't quite as easy as I thought it would be.............