Oyarsa's Observances

SafeLibraries.org

2010-04-05T07:53:00.000-07:00

I encourage all parents to use this site and educate themselves. Remember: child predators have (and do) wait in public libraries for unsupervised children.

http://www.safelibraries.org/

Do You REALLY Know Anything About Narnia?

2006-06-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

If you read ALL the books, take the quiz yourself. If you just watched the first movie, you might want to skip this quiz.

Do you .:really:. know anything about NARNIA?

You surely know all that there is to know about NARNIA! If anyone deserves a tickit to True NARNIA, it's you!Congrats, you are a true NARNIA fan! C.S Lewis would be proud! Just like me, you love THE CHRONICALS and can't stand it when someone gets their facts wrong! You have spent so much time reading THE CHRONICALS that C.S Lewis, Aslan and the rest of the NARNIANS owe you a favor! After all, you were right there with them when NARNIA was born, the White Witch was slain, when the legendary LAST BATTLE took place, and every other memorable moment in between! All in all, no one can ever say you don't know you're NARNIA.***********************************Now that the quiz is over... ^^^^^please rate and message!^^^^^clicking a button takes up less than two milliseconds of your life, and I promise I will message you back if you message me!Thanx!
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Cool Health Search Engines

2006-05-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know there's WebMD and all the rest, but this one looks like it copies the google template; though they do not appear to be affiliated with Google.

Fealth.com

What do they have to offer?

Products:

Health Engine: Most advanced health search engine.

Health Sites by Topic: Users can browse and search health topics.

Government Health: Users can browse and search important Government health sites like medicare.gov and fda.gov.

Health Statistics: Users can browse daily health statistics

Very easy to search, authoritative sources. Pass it on.

Also check out:

http://www.BioMedSearch.com

BioMedSearch contains all PubMed/MedLine publications, additional journals, and a collection of theses and dissertations that are not in the PubMed database.

Best Tax Cartoons of 2006

2006-04-17T16:39:00.000-07:00

This list is in no way to be considered objective.

****

The Welfare Fraud Link--Your tax dollars at work!

2006-04-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

According to a Chicago Sun-Times article, welfare fraud not sends a portion of taxpayer money to buy drugs, but it may also fund terrorism.

My solution: kill the program. It's obviously not doing what it's intended to do, and it's unfair to the taxpayers and the families of the beneficiaries. Get the government out, and let private enterprises take care of providing services to the poor; they're not afraid to turn away people who want to take advantage of the system, while providing services to those who really need it.

If anything, the government excarbarates the problem. I was grabbing lunch at a McDonalds and happened to overhear two Black men in their early 20s or thereabouts speaking to eachother; one was ridiculing the other for working at McDonalds, saying that he'd "get more cash" if he applied for welfare". I didn't say anything, but the sentiment didn't surprise me. The more people get on welfare, the more people in the class line above welfare will no longer see a reason to work, which means the more the people that actually do work are forced to pay for those who won't. I truly hope the young man did not listen to the advice of his friend/acquaintance. I respect him for being willing to work.

Before anyone comments on compassion, consider this: your income taxes are not "donated" to the government; if you refused to pay them, the government would barge in your residence and force your compliance at the business end of a gun. You are not "donating" to the needy by paying an income tax. You are a victim of government mugging.

And I think that needs to stop. Before it gets any more out of hand.

Grad School Craziness

2006-04-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

Once again, I've had to take a leave of absence from blogging; graduate school and work responsibilities have made me put many of my hobbies aside. Hopefully I will be able to update this more often in the near future, but very likely posting here will be sporadic until the end of the month.

Apologies in advance,

--Oyarsa

Evil Overlord List and Comic

2006-03-08T16:25:00.000-08:00

For all you aspiring Fantasy writers out there, may I turn your attention to the Evil Overlord list. (If you've seen it already, tough. Review it repeatedly.)

By now, I'd guess that most fans of fantasy or science fiction have heard of it, but I figure a reminder won't hurt anyone.

(From the User Friendly Archives.)

Click on it to make it appear larger.

"Library Blogs Worth Reading"

2006-02-14T15:56:00.000-08:00

I haven't been keeping up on my library blog reading very well; graduate classes and studying eat up time that I formerly allocated for blog reading.

Thus, I did not notice till now that Heretical Librarian listed this blog in his recommended list of conservative librarian blogs.

Thank you, Heretical Librarian!

Though I would advise Readers to also check out LOTR Librarian where I primarily blog about library and librarianship related issues.

School Bans Pig Stories

2006-02-13T18:28:00.000-08:00

I wish this was a parody, but sadly, it's true. A West Yorkshire School has banned fictitious stories about pigs "in case they offend Muslim children"

Come again? The same Headmistress would think nothing of forcing an English schoolchild to read fictious works other cultures, but the same doesn't hold true for Muslim students?

Banning classic works of literature from a classroom in the name of tolerance offends me, and, no doubt, offends some of the non-Muslim parents as well. Depriving children from classics of literature such as "Charlotte's Web", a story celebrating an unlikely friendship, Winnie the Pooh tales, etc hinders their literary and intellectual growth.

Respect for other cultures is a two way street. Those children are living in a Western culture, they need to be taught Western traditions, not sheltered from them.

From the Religon of Peace--Pictures from London

2006-02-09T15:41:00.000-08:00

God have mercy on those who would ransack, threaten, kidnap, and kill in the name of Allah over a bunch of cartoons. Cartoons.

There's something I still want to know. According to this London Telegraph report:

"A leading hard-line Muslim cleric, Sheikh Yussef al-Qaradawi, called for the day of anger to protest against the printing of the cartoons - first published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten in September (my emphasis) - in other European papers."

Where was all the Muslim outrage when the cartoons were released last September? Where were the riots and the flag burnings? Anyone?

Regardless of what took them so long, the "Religion of Peace" has proved the point of the cartoonist.

(Thanks to Michelle Malkin for providing the gallery.)

But, back to the original point of the topic, which is, of course, the pictures from London.

Best Blonde Joke Ever!

2006-01-13T14:48:00.000-08:00

I found the best blonde joke ever on jcrue's blog.

Judge gives Child Rapist 60 day sentence.

2006-01-06T08:24:00.000-08:00

I'd like to start out this post by directing the reader's attention to this statistic from an article on Princeton U's site

Effectively, all this judge has done is give young, innocent girls in Vermont (and elsewhere if the criminal flees the state) a 60 day reprieve from being raped by this particular man.

In my opinion, someone convicted of raping a child should either receive life without parole or should be sentenced to death. Anyone who rapes should receive the full force of the law. That girl's trauma won't end in 60 days, or 60 weeks, or 60 months, for that matter. Why should his punishment?

The judge hasn't done the victim or her family any favors. He's all but ensured this guy will be able to create more victims.

--Oyarsa

Blanco: Louisiana not getting fair share of aid

2006-01-06T07:39:00.000-08:00

Blanco has a lot of chutzpah.

6.2 Billion dollars of taxpayer's money goes to New Orleans and its not enough.

This comes on top of a report about Blanco spending 564,838 to remodel the offices of some of her staff.

Want to know what that money went for?

"The newly refurbished office space on the sixth floor of the State Capitol includes hookups and mounts for two flat screen televisions, Swedish granite countertops, walnut paneling and frosted laminated glass. The floor, which will not be accessible to the public, was redesigned to add three new offices, a conference room and file storage areas." and "The coffee room in the northwest corner was modernized." A modernized coffee room, boy, that woman has her priorities straight!

How did she pay for her posh new remodeling?

"Three days after crews started tearing out the old offices, the administration announced that the state's budget would be about $1 billion short because of damages caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. That day, Commissioner of Administration Jerry Luke LeBlanc told a legislative finance committee that the budgets supplying money for public health care and education would need cuts of 20 percent or more and that more than 18,000 state employees would have to be laid off."

Come to think of it. Maybe she does need more than 6.2 billion. She probably wants to update both her office and the governer's mansion, plus have a bit of spending money on the side.

Darthmouth Student Lied, Soldiers died?

2005-12-27T06:37:00.000-08:00

Perhaps a slight stretch, but it does have a certain ring to it. An article in the Boston Globe carries the story about the fabrication.

The ALA also weighs in on the matter.

How does this kid know the book is on a "rotating watch list of books" and how would that same kid know about the workings of said list, assuming it exists? Given his known track record of lying, I believe we can maintain a healthy degree of skepticism regarding its existence.

Heretical Librarian did the research and made some other observations, from which I quote part of his findings below:

The ALA article also mentions that the student "requested the book by phone from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst". This raises another question: why didn't the student simply order Quotations via UMass-Dartmouth's ILL service, as the first report of this story indicated? The student could also have used the Virtual Catalogs feature to order Quotations from another Massachusetts library. So why would he try to file an ILL request with UMass-Amherst, whose service appears to be limited to Amherst students, faculty, and staff only? If he simply called Amherst's library to ask about the availability of their copy of the book, would they not have advised him to order the item through his own institution or the Virtual Catalogs? Finally, the claim that the alleged request with Amherst was filed by phone would also make the existence of a record trail less likely, and thus harder to conclusively disprove the story.

Today's other bit of information comes courtesy of Wizbang. This item from the Boston Herald features a comment from the FBI: Complicating matters has been the student, who so far has refused to talk. Boston FBI spokeswoman Gail A. Marcinkiewicz said she has been unable to find evidence that FBI agents visited the student. “We don’t have interest in what people read,” she added.

Given the mounting evidence,I don't think this student should be given a pass. He's not a five year old lying to Mommy about how many cookies he took out of the cookie jar. He knew he was lying. He knew his lie would spread quickly. And if he truly 'didn't know' about the consequences of his lie, then it's all the more reason to put charages against him, before some other person tries the 'didn't know' excuse to leak something more serious.

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-25T20:19:00.000-08:00

As I celebrate Christmas, and not Hanukah or Kwanzaa, I wish all my fellow Americans a very merry Christmas indeed, whether or not you believe in the reason for the season.

May God bless you and keep you all, and may He reveal Himself, His holiness, and His love to all who read this blog.

--Oyarsa

Updated My Links

2005-12-24T07:55:00.000-08:00

I added yet another Tolkien site: One Ring: The Complete Guide to Tolkien Online. One Ring appears to be a directory of Tolkien websites: everything from books, to fanfiction, to movies, to image galleries and more. This site was a Librarian's Index to the Internet pick, and after reviewing it myself, I thought it was an appropriate addition.

--Oyarsa

Nina Shea's The Real War on Christmas

2005-12-23T09:58:00.000-08:00

Recently, I have been involved in online discussions with some Christians about our concerns with merchants subsituting "Happy Holidays" for "Merry Christmas." One of those participants believed such substitution to be "persecution". Oyarsa vehemently disagrees.

So, while not making light of this latest politically correct trend, I present for my fellow Christians Nina Shea's article, "The Real War on Christmas." Those who have done research in the area of Christian Persecution will know Ms. Shea as the author of In the Lion's Den: Persecuted Christians and What the Western Church Can Do About It.

PacMan in the Library?

2005-12-23T09:27:00.000-08:00

Evidently, two students at the University of Michigan came up with a prank to dress as Pac-Man and a Ghost, respectively. The pair ran through the UGLi (the Undergraduate Library) and the Fishbowl (a huge computer lab on Central campus) during finals week. Pac-Man screams in horror as the Ghost chases him yelling "Waka Waka Waka." According to Boing Boing, the video has spread like wildfire on the U of Michigan campus, and killed the original hosting site's bandwidth. Watch the video. (.mov file; make sure you have a player capable of playing it; you will likely need QuickTime. )

Of course, those who played Pac-Man will recall that the "waka" sound was only made by Pac-Man when he ate the pills. The ghosts were silent.

For those who did not grow up playing the game, learn more about Pac-Man through this Wikipedia article.

Chewbacca Sings!

2005-12-23T09:09:00.000-08:00

I received this link from a friend. Very funny.

But, don't take my word for it. Listen to Chewbacca sing for yourself.

Have You Seen This Penguin?

2005-12-22T13:23:00.000-08:00

A 3 month old penguin was evidently kidnapped from the Amazon World zoo on the Isle of Wight, in southern England on Saturday.

If you know anything about the whereabouts of said penguin, please contact the Amazon World Zoo.

--Oyarsa

Updated Link List: Environment

2005-12-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

Those of you interested in environmental issues might find some or all of these sites interesting.

--Oyarsa

A Better Earth

The site aims to introduce readers to "a wide range of alternative environmental approaches, including locally based 'eco-innovation,' outcome-based regulations, quasi-market pricing strategies, corporate and individual stewardship, property rights enforcement as a means of protecting the environment from polluters, and the cultivation of environmental aesthetics."

The Commons

A site devoted to "the principle of promoting environmental quality and human dignity and prosperity through markets and property rights. Put more simply, it’s about free markets protecting the environment."

Competitive Enterprise Institute

The Wall Street Journal has called the CEI "the best environmental think tank in the country."

Enviro-Truth

Envirotruth is dedicated to injecting badly needed truth into the debate about our environment. For too long, some environmental groups have seized the world stage and the public's attention by distorting facts, bending the truth and even committing acts of terrorism against innocent citizens.

Green Watch

Look here for information about nonprofit environmental groups. According to the group, "These tax-exempt groups orchestrate political, legal and public relations campaigns that aim to protect and improve the environment. But green activism, however well intentioned, often harms the environment it would save from Corporate America."

The National Center for Public Policy Research

The National Center for Public Policy Research is a communications and research foundation supportive of a strong national defense and dedicated to providing free market solutions to today's public policy problems. We believe that the principles of a free market, individual liberty and personal responsibility provide the greatest hope for meeting the challenges facing America in the 21st century.

National Wilderness Institute

"Too often we hear how people are going to be the ultimate demise of our environment. At NWI, we believe the opposite to be true, that people using a little creativity together with innovative technology offer the best solutions for our environmental problems."

PERC (Property & Environment Research Center

This organization uses a free-market approach to resolve environmental problems.

Cuban Library Updates

2005-12-22T06:18:00.000-08:00

My library brethern in Cuba have some news updates. I refer the interested to read both Secret Prison Libraries Flourish in Cuba and Labor Library Confiscated.

Once again, I am grateful that I do not live in Castro's Cuba.

--Oyarsa

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

2005-12-18T14:29:00.000-08:00

Well, I watched Chronicles of Narnia a second time last night, and saw the trailer for the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. I was impressed. Looks like it will be as good as the original. (At least, I hope so).

For the interested, the trailer is available on the movie's official website.

--Oyarsa

What don’t you remember?

2005-12-13T15:32:00.000-08:00

Received this challenge from a friend's blog. I filled out hers, so I'm obligated to pass this on. What don't you remember about me?

--Oyarsa

“If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now, (even if we don’t speak often) please post a comment with a COMPLETELY MADE UP AND FICTIONAL memory of you and me.

It can be anything you want - good or bad - BUT IT HAS TO BE FAKE.

When you’re finished, post this little paragraph on your blog and be surprised (or mortified) about what people DON’T ACTUALLY remember about you.”

My Thoughts on the latest LWW Release (Contains Spoilers)

2005-12-12T22:59:00.000-08:00

For the most part, I thought it quite good when I saw it on Saturday. I thought the little girl who portrayed Lucy was simply adorable. All in all, quite honestly, it turned out to be better than I was expecting, though I was curious as to a number of the changes that were made.

ATTN: Spoilers from this point forward!

Repeat. Anything repeated below are synopses of scenes and changes from the movie. If you want to be surprised or do not wish to hear about anything from the movie, DO NOT READ BELOW. If you do decide to be smart, and read below anyway, don't come crying to me.

***********************

As far as the changes from the book....(most of these are minor)

1. The children did not have to obey a laundry list of rules at the professor's. The only "rule" in the book is that they must stay out from underfoot when the housekeeper is taking guests through tours of the house.

2. Lucy & Tumnus do not panic and hide from eachother when they first encounter eachother.

3. The exchange with Peter and Susan and the professor is cut short and altered; it doesn't have the same 'tone' of a logical Platonic questioning the book has.

4. The scene with Mr. and Mrs. Beaver explaining about Aslan and the prophecies is cut much shorter.

5. The reason for #4 is that, contrary to the book, the wolves (servants of the White Witch) enter the beaver's dam and nearly catch the children.

6. Edmund and Tumnus (both imprisoned in the dungeons) have a brief chat. Tumnus was a statue when Edmund first enters the witch's castle, and Edmund was never imprisoned in the book.

7. A fox helps hide the children from the pursuing wolves (the children climb a tree) and nearly loses his life when one of the wolves begins closing his jaws on the fox's neck & shoulders. The only mention of a fox in the book is a fox that leads a toast with food provided by Father Christmas. (The witch turns the whole drinking party into stone).

8. Every animal 'knows' that the children are the children of the prophecy. This is never emphasized in the book.

9. When crossing an ice covered river (not in the book) during the thaw caused by the return of Aslan to Narnia, the children are once again confronted by the wolves, and are swept down river. (Lucy is feared dead by Peter and Susan).

10. Peter attempts on several occasions to keep his siblings out of the battle and to return them to home (Earth). He intends to stay and rule. (Not in the book.)

11. The treatment of Edmund by the witch is rather cleaned up.

12. The rescue of Edmund by the good animals has been altered. In the book, they fall upon Edmund, the witch, and her dwarf servant. (The witch's army had not arrived in the book).

13. The sacrifice of Aslan is less brutal than it was in the book (understandable, it's being marketed to the child'uns.)

14. Aslan frees the statue-prisoners of the witches castle, but a scene with him rallying the former statues to help him fight the armies of the witch is noticably missing.

15. Aslan does not finish the witch by (presumably) biting her head off; in the book, he pounces on her, and they roll on the ground, ending with Aslan on top of the witch.

16. The dialogue in the coronation scene has been altered.

17. The end scene with the professor has been changed a bit from the book. (due in part to another bit they altered, see below:)

18. The children do not hide in the wardrobe to escape the consequences of breaking a window & knocking over a suit of armor. They hide in there to avoid a group of guests being led around the house.

So, those are the things I noticed. If anyone caught anymore, let me know.

I think some scenes that were filmed for the movie may have been cut as well, as I remember seeing a scene of a dance (presumably a coronation celebration) during the trailer and don't recall seeing that particular scene anywhere in the movie.)

LWW is a Blockbuster

2005-12-12T15:34:00.000-08:00

...and recommended by British librarians, too, as Conservator reports.

Yes, I saw the movie Saturday. Look for my thoughts of the movie shortly.

"Why Blogs Matter"

2005-11-28T21:19:00.000-08:00

Heretical Librarian has an excellent entry on the topic.

Note: I will have to review my blog; I made a post critical of Gorman, but the date eludes me. This post will be edited when I have that information.

--Oyarsa

Happy Turkey Day

2005-11-24T15:11:00.000-08:00

This is the e-card that's been making its way around the net. Enjoy.

--Oyarsa

Why an Early Withdrawl is a BAD Idea

2005-11-18T09:16:00.000-08:00

Here's a snippet from a wonderful post on the Anchoress' blog:

In order to succeed they (the Iraqi people--Oyarsa) need two things. They need time - to train their forces and police and to get their political infrastructure established. They need reassurance that America will not desert them when their success is so tantalizingly close.

In order for the Iraq move to Democracy to fail and to descend into murderous chaos, the insurgents need only two things, too. They need the press and the politicians to continue to dwell on negatives and call for withdrawal of our troops. They need to see America “end this war” not in victory but in turmoil and shame. And they need the troops to abandon the people.

Just like, you know, Vietnam. Then they can create their own Killing Fields. And America can descend into isolationist revelry for as long as she lasts - which will not be long, because a great nation that has spilled its blood for freedom will have now twice been seen to lack the spirit to finish what it has begun. A nation that cannot keep its committments cannot be trusted to lead, and if America does not lead, she will die, for she will never follow.

Hard to top that, Anchoress, but I'll try.

To those who have been demanding for us to leave prematurely, are you willing to pay the penalty? Terrorists around the globe will smell our weakness--and they will see it as weakness, and they will exploit it. Imagine an attack hundreds of times worse than we saw on 9-11.

Furthermore, the call to leave before the time is right bespeaks of childishness and immaturity. It is the child, not the mature adult, who wants to run and hide rather than take responsibility for the broken cookie jar. It is the teenager, not the mature adult, who wants her parents to give her a break when she totals the car, or finds herself in an unplanned pregnancy. Why do they do this? They hope they can minimalize the cost to them. And some parents let them get away with it. But, ultimately, the children hurt themselves, just as the U.S. will hurt itself with the call to pull out prematurely. When that happens, those who called for us to pull out will likely be the same ones who complain that we didn't keep on the terrorists long enough. Mark my words.

--Oyarsa

A Soldier Speaks

2005-11-18T07:01:00.000-08:00

Just finished reading a letter from a soldier in the 101st division in Iraq. Simply beautiful.

--Oyarsa

Wanted: Wheelchair for Iraqi Translator

2005-11-17T18:52:00.000-08:00

Matt, a soldier serving in Iraq, blogs about an Iraqi translator who has been maimed by a terrorist attack and needs a wheelchair.

Kevin is now carried everywhere by his family in a folding chair because his family cannot afford a wheelchair. This is obviously not practical. More importantly though, it is extremely painful for him to be transported in this fashion due to his substantial internal injuries.

(Learn more about Kevin's story.)

Bloggers are trying either to collect enough money to buy him a chair or find someone willing to donate a wheelchair.

If you're able to and wish to donate to help this Iraqi man whose life was almost taken away by a terrorist attack, go to The Military Vote and paypal a little bit of money to help out. Alternatively, you can go to the same site and let David, the blog's owner, know that you're able to donate a wheelchair.

If you have a blog, feel free to pass this around.

--Oyarsa

Welcome, OpenSource Media!

2005-11-17T18:26:00.000-08:00

Just ran across their website today. I wish them all success. I will be linking to their site shortly in the links list.

--Oyarsa

What is Open Source Media? The best way to answer that is through the explanation of its founders, bloggers Roger L. Simon and Charles Johnson:

OSM’s mission is to expand the influence of weblogs by finding and promoting the best of them, providing bloggers with a forum to meet and share resources, and the chance to join a for-profit network that will give them additional leverage to pursue knowledge wherever they may find it. From academics, professionals and decorated experts, to ordinary citizens sitting around the house opining in their pajamas, our community of bloggers are among the most widely read and influential citizen journalists out there, and our roster will be expanding daily. We also plan to provide a bridge between old media and new, bringing bloggers and mainstream journalists—more and more of whom have started to blog—together in a debate-friendly forum.

In the 1960’s, the medium may have been the message, but in the new century, it’s time for the medium to get out of the way. Call it the blogosphere, call it citizen journalism, or call it (we hope) Open Source Media—but the next phase in the democratization of ideas has begun. Stick around, read some blogs, and come back often. Our door will be open.

Webdesign Basics

2005-11-17T17:29:00.000-08:00

About.com ran an article on webdesign basics. So, for kicks, I decided to evaluate how well this blog messages up. Feel free to give imput if you don't agree with any of my um...scientific...yeah, scientific...findings.

*****

Graphics

1. Think small: If I take the time to upload the graphics, they meet this criterion. If I just 'borrow' someone else's image source code, then it doesn't. File this one under, "work on"...

2. Use graphics that fit the content. I'd say for the most part I've been following this one...

3. do not use images that blink I shouldn't have any images that blink on here, so I'll file this under "does not apply".

Layout

4.Stick with standard layouts Blogs, by definition, have a standard layout...

5. Whitespace is just as important in a Web layout as it is in a paper layout Got me here. Goal for this blog: find ways to use whitespace more effectively.

6. Use your graphics as elements in your layoutsI do that to a point.

Fonts

7. Serif for headlines and Sans-Serif for text. Truthfully, I haven't given the font I use much attention. Will need to look into that.

8.Limit the number of different fonts I do this by default.

9. Use Standard font families: I basically do this by default as well.

Advertising

10. Don't be greedy. I do have some banners that link to other websites. But I don't make a dime off any of them. Banners chosen reflect the interests of Oyarsa, hence, their inclusion on my personal blog. Anyone having problems with any of my banners should email me (view email link in my profile) or leave a comment on any of my posts.

11. Treat ads as you would any other image I think all the banners on my blog are as small as I could configure them. At any rate, they're all deliberately placed so as to avoid throwing the template out of whack, again.

Remember Your Readers

12. Test your pages in multiple browsers: Guilty as charged. I should do this, but I haven't been.

13. The same is true for operating systems. Something else I need to work on. majorly.

14. Write content that they want. This gets a bit iffy, because it is a blog. I try to keep my readers in mind, but, as I said, I can improve in this area.

So, these are my scientific results compiled by ~~myself~~ a group of independently hired researchers of web design.

The Return of Oyarsa

2005-11-15T21:28:00.000-08:00

A long time ago in a blogosphere far, far away....

just kidding.

Seriously, sorry for the delay in updating this blog. I've been busy with graduate school projects and things all last week. But I think I've caught up enough for some updates to my blogs.

--Oyarsa

Gorman Makes Bad Impression on Library Blogger

2005-11-09T19:34:00.000-08:00

I'd never heard of LibrarianinBlack before today, but I think I'll be paying more attention to her blog after this. Sarah Houghton (a.k.a, LibrarianinBlack) doesn't appear to be to thrilled with Gorman, President of the American Library Association at this time.

didn't think it was possible for Gorman to alienate me even more, but he did just that. Shame on Michael Gorman for shunning those people in the profession who are its future.

Read the rest

Wake up, Europe! You've got a war on your hands!

2005-11-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

Lets see, you take in people from other nations and cultures, you get them on welfare so that they can't earn there own way--which is why they came to your country in the first place, so they'd have that opportunity. You don't assimilate their children into their culture, but permit them to keep their own for "diversity's sake, with the end result that they identify FAR MORE with the 'old country' than with you--and then your newest welfare-ites go into synagogues which preach hatred of the West and violence towards it, and you wonder WHY? Hello!

All right, end of rant. Besides, Mr. Steyn has put it best:

"Ever since 9/11, I've been gloomily predicting the European powder keg's about to go up. ''By 2010 we'll be watching burning buildings, street riots and assassinations on the news every night,'' I wrote in Canada's Western Standard back in February.

Silly me. The Eurabian civil war appears to have started some years ahead of my optimistic schedule."

--Oyarsa

"Get With It"

2005-11-05T08:31:00.000-08:00

This is a 42 page booklet designed to introduce parents (though those working with youth in community technology centers, libraries and schools might also find it helpful) to many of the new technology changes that have come into vogue over the past few years. It communicates understanding and sharing of new media technologies with your children. The guide gives an overview of what new technologies can do and explains that these are not something to fear but, rather, embrace.

Read the "Get With IT" booklet (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

--Oyarsa

Bible Quote of the Day

2005-11-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

Bible Gateway's quote of the day can be found at the bottom of the blog. Check it out.

--Oyarsa

Military Applications of Silly String

2005-11-05T08:23:00.000-08:00

I haven't used silly string since my high school graduation. Fun stuff to play with, but I never considered a possible military use. But, I'm glad the military is using it to help keep our soldiers safe (or, I should say, as safe as a soldier can ever be in a war....)

--Oyarsa

Now a Blogshares Blog.

2005-11-03T08:56:00.000-08:00

As you can see from the lefthand column, I'm now listed on Blogshares.

Click on the button that looks like this to go to my blogshares.com space.

The One Underserved Group Libraries Overlook...

2005-11-02T13:49:00.000-08:00

Men. The overwhelming majority of librarians are women, so we are naturally more comfortable designing libraries and selecting materials that would appeal to women; this doesn't mean that none of our collection is geared towards men.

For instance, look in your interior decorating section. Are most, if not all, the books geared toward what most women would consider attractive? How large is your section of hunting & fishing manuals and books? Your section on car detailing? You get the idea. But I ramble. Marylaine Block puts it better than I could.

--Oyarsa

Oh, the Places I've Been!

2005-11-02T13:45:00.000-08:00

I still have much to go, but considering the time it takes to travel from state-to-state, I doubt I will be able to visit many of my unvisited states any time soon, unfortunately.

--Oyarsa

create your own visited states map

How Much is Your Blog Worth?

2005-11-02T12:42:00.000-08:00

More than I thought, but with time, let's hope it'll be worth more. :-)

--Oyarsa

My blog is worth $1,129.08.
How much is your blog worth?

Oyarsa's Index

2005-11-02T12:18:00.000-08:00

This index will become more involved as my blog increases in size. All entries are listed alphabetically and are linked directly to the corresponding post in this blog. Please inform me of any broken links.

--Oyarsa

Censorship

Open Letter to Michael Gorman, An

Abstract: Robert Kent's as-yet-unanswered letter regarding the plight of Victor Rolando Arroyo, Cuban librarian.

Two libraries raided, librarian sentenced for "dangerousness"

Abstract: Two libraries raided; 292 books seized (total) and librarian sentenced for "dangerousness"; will be imprisoned 2 years for charge.

Technology, Future of

Future PC & You, The

Abstract: A DigitalTechNews article predicting future trends of personal computers.

The Future PC and You

2005-11-02T12:11:00.000-08:00

For those who are as interested in Technology as I am, it will be interesting to see how many of the technologies listed will come, and how many will be quickly surplanted by something else.

--Oyarsa

"How will people use computers in the years to come? Will today's PC be replaced by Smartphones, and other personal computing devices, or will some of us still be tied to a desktop computer? NewsFactor Network's Jack M. Germain reports on a number of ways our use of personal computer devices will change in the future. A major shift in computers is expected to usher in an era of more portability and power."

Read the rest....

Two libraries raided, librarian sentenced for "dangerousness"

2005-11-02T12:06:00.000-08:00

No, that's not what's happening in America, folks. It's a library in Cuba. If you agree, and especially if you are an ALA (American Library Association for those of you not in the library world...) member, please email or call the ALA and demand that the ALA not only condemn such activities but take whatever action is within its power to help the Cuban librarians.

--Oyarsa

HAVANA, Oct. 27, 2005 (Assembly to Promote a Civil Society) - At 7:05 A.M. on Oct. 26, three members of the political police arrived at the house of Pedro Castellanos, located at 7504 64th Avenue in the city of Cienfuegos. Pedro Castellanos is a member of the national directorate of the Assembly to Promote a Civil Society (APSC, initials in Spanish). The police detachment consisted of a captain and two young women, dressed in police uniforms. They presented a search warrant and were accompanied by two official witnesses.

During the search they confiscated 130 books, which made up the collection of the José Antonio García Tablada Independent Library. They said the books were subversive. They also seized two radios and a fax machine, and they tried to to take an asthma inhaler belonging to the wife of Pedro Castellanos.

Read the rest of the story here

An Open Letter to Michael Gorman

2005-11-02T12:04:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2005 (Friends of Cuban Libraries) -

Dear Mr. Gorman: October 20, 2005

On October 3 I made a telephone call to your office to request support for saving the life of an imprisoned Cuban librarian, Victor Rolando Arroyo, who was near death as a result of a prolonged hunger strike. The receptionist who answered the telephone was informed of the emergency nature of the call, and she tried without success to put the call through. But she did say you had promised to return my emergency telephone call.

Sadly, as of today, no return telephone call has been received. This effort to save the life of Victor Rolando Arroyo followed upon an earlier message sent to your e-mail address on September 27. The e-mail message did not receive an answer either.

Read the remainder of the letter at this link

State and Federal Treasuries "Profit" More from Gasoline Sales than U.S. Oil Industry

2005-11-02T09:50:00.000-08:00

Sez who? Sez the Tax Foundation.

A sample of their findings:

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Energy Information Administration

Read their report; it's only 3 pages, printed, and there is a table and a graphic (see above).

Can't Take Credit for the Pumpkin.

2005-11-01T16:31:00.000-08:00

I've received several compliments off-blog over "my" pumpkin. Sorry to disappoint, but I wasn't the one who carved it. No idea who did. If the real carver will please stand up, I'll be happy to add accreditation. All I know is the website I found the picture on.

--Oyarsa

Coming soon....Oyarsa's Index....

2005-11-01T13:51:00.000-08:00

In honor of my 6th month of running this blog (though I've been blogging longer...) I am going to index and all my blog posts at one single link, which I will make easily providable through the main page of my blog. Look for it!!!

--Oyarsa

Patriot Debates!

2005-11-01T13:42:00.000-08:00

Stumbled across this while surfing the Blogosphere. Experts debating and discussing the Patriot Act. They don't have their comment function on (because of all the potential mudslinging, etc.)

Check it out.

--Oyarsa

Top 3 Items for the Web Developer in Your Life

2005-11-01T13:37:00.000-08:00

Found these off an About.com article. I cleaned up their links since they didn't redirect for me. They should now go directly to the merchandise. Have a look. Laugh. Enjoy.

--Oyarsa

1) < head > Hat

2) I Wrote Code, So You Don't Have To T-Shirt

3) Keep out of direct sunlight T-Shirt

InquisitorX Search Engines Gives Answers BEFORE You Hit Enter

2005-11-01T13:31:00.000-08:00

Still in the beta stage, and needs improvements, but this is definitely something to keep an eye on.

--Oyarsa

Several months ago I covered a few search engines that would give suggestions as you type. Now there's a search engine that gives results as you type, without your having to hit the enter key on your keyboard. InquisitorX is in beta and is available at http://www.inquisitorx.com/beta/.

Start typing out your search query. As you type you'll get suggestions for additional searches and three results of a Web search (which is the big weakness with this engine as I see it; only THREE results?) and links at the bottom of the results for search results on other pages -- Technorati, Amazon, Flickr, etc.

Source

Find Copyrights & Trademarks FOR FREE!

2005-11-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

Those of you in the library field, especially, might be interested...

--Oyarsa

The Virtual Chase has an article by Genie Tyburski on finding copyright and trademark information for free. It too is free and available at Virtual Chase: Find Copyrights & Trademarks. The article is divided up into three sections: Copyright Research, Trademark Research, and When To Use Commercial Research Services. Not a huge article but plenty of pointers to resources and some searching tips. (Source)

Search Engine Logo Generating Silliness!

2005-11-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

You guys have to try this!

--Oyarsa

If you're not content with the Google and Yahoo logos as they are, then visit Googlefor.com and Yahoofor.com, respectively. These two sites will take the text that you specify and generate it in Yahoo or Google font.

Read the rest of the article here...

Controlling Web Robots

2005-11-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered how sites like Google and Dogpile and other search engines find all their sites? Yes, some of them are submitted by the authors, but most are found through automated processes. These processes are called robots or 'bots. The robot will come to your site, parse through all the pages it can find, store the data in a database and move on....

Find out Why and How to control Web Robots here

How to Reach a Human Being

2005-10-31T19:53:00.000-08:00

Ever call a company and then go nuts trying to get hold of a human being? So has this guy. But unlike you or me, he's done something about it. He's compiled a list of companies and how to get a human when calling each one. When you get to the page, click the "all records" link to get an idea of what he's got.

Bug Me Not!

2005-10-31T16:20:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not asking people to stop bugging me. I'm just spreading the word of this cool new site I found.

Bug Me Not is a site designed to bypass compulsory web registration on various URLs. For instance, if you're attempting to read an online news article and getting a page demanding you to log in or register, you can use their login information and be on your way.

How does it work? You go to Bug Me Not's website and type in the URL of the site that demands you to register. Assuming the site has a username & password combo at Bug Me Not, you will receive login details for that website.

Cool, huh? Check it out. Play with it.

--Oyarsa

I'm moving on up!

2005-10-31T10:24:00.000-08:00

Did a search for "oyarsa" in Google. My blog is hit #4! (And the two LISnews.com links--hits #2 & 3 are me as well, btw. Oyarsa.com is not me.)

"Ask a Librarian" Pumpkin

2005-10-31T08:04:00.000-08:00

Well, kiddies, I'm running to the store after this to pick up my own pumpkin! I wanna try this!

--Oyarsa

(Oh, yeah, here's where I first saw the pic.)

Honey I shrank the e-Indictments pic.

2005-10-31T08:01:00.000-08:00

If you want to see the larger image, just click on the thing. What matters is that now you don't have to scroll down to read my latest thoughts.

Methinks the ALA should follow its own advice....

2005-10-31T07:52:00.000-08:00

Quoting the Conservator...

ONE OF THE SUPPORTING CLAUSES OF THE ALA COUNCIL'S "Resolution on Disinformation, Media Manipulation & the Destruction of Information" of last summer states, "the removal [...] of information from the public domain" is "anathema to the ethos of librarianship and to the functioning of a healthy democracy."

Anyone tried recently to access the ALA Handbook of Organization 2004-2005 on the ALA Web site?

Good point. Why is the handbook of organization kept on the member's only page? Isn't it possible that a non-member might wish to access and use it as well?

--Oyarsa

An excellent post on Norma's blog.

2005-10-31T07:37:00.000-08:00

For those who don't know, Norma is a retired librarian who comments on a variety of topics within her personal blog. Fascinating woman.

Here, she quotes from the opinions of "Dr. Sanity" (guest appearing on the Sigmund, Carl, and Alfred blog) on the topic of how our over-emphasis of installing self esteem in children is detrimental to their well-being.

Given your experience in a university setting, in your opinion, do lowered academic standards impact campus life and social development?

What worries me more than the low college academic standards is the “dumbing down” of the K-12 curriculum Having a daughter in school has made me all too aware of the extent to which the “self-esteem” gurus and the priests of multiculturalism and political correctness have infiltrated even the hallowed halls of kindergarten! Students are propagandized from age 5 on these days (OK, so I’m exaggerating a little bit) and this is the place where the primary aspects of social –and intellectual—development should begin to flourish. By the time these kids get to college, they have learned that their self-esteem is everyone else’s concern; that their feelings are primary; and that thinking is for suckers. Such an outlook on life is bound to have an impact on campus life and any further social development. Sadly, for most college students, lowered academic standards are what they feel entitled to, and most university professors aren’t highly motivated to take on the consequences of challenging the system. Besides, many of them like the system; particularly since they can have much more of an influence on students who have been properly discouraged from independent thinking."

Unfortunately, this goes back quite a ways. I remember going to an awards banquet over 20 years ago when my daughter was in junior high. I sat through interminable presentations and realized that my daughter wasn't really being honored--every kid got something, not for excellence or skill, but for effort and showing up. She was already pretty and smart, but I guess they wanted her to be an athlete too.

Google Adds Interviews to Its TV Archive

2005-10-31T07:34:00.000-08:00

Google announced in their blog that they've added a bunch of interviews from the Archive of American Television -- over 450, as a matter of fact. You can get to 'em at http://video.google.com/.

You can read the rest here: Research Buzz.com's article.

Through Bloglines, I am now subscribed to google's official blog. If you are in the information science field, you might want to subscribe as well. Your choice.

--Oyarsa

Why You Should Rewrite Your URLs on Your Webpage

2005-10-31T07:26:00.000-08:00

Ironically, the About.com page where this article is posted uses a rather perplexing URL. Seems About.com needs to take their own advice, eh?

Seriously, looks like a lot of good, sound information in this article. Enjoy.

--Oyarsa

**************

"It's funny how important URLs are to a Web page. You might be thinking that they really don't matter, because they are just used as links, but the reality is that people look at URLs all the time...."

Rewrite Your URLs

Heretical Librarian is at it again!

2005-10-31T06:45:00.000-08:00

He may never win an award for "Most Popular Librarian", but he certainly makes one think.

--Oyarsa

Worldvision Rant

2005-10-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

I gave Worldvision one or two donations while in high school. They just sent letters requesting money, I knew nothing faulty about the company, so I donated. Hopefully the vast majority of it went to the right people.

But, over the past several months, it seems that Worldvision has given in to 'guilt' mailings. I call them guilt mailings because that is what they are designed to do: arouse guilt in the sender if a donation isn't mailed back. Evidently, it's an effective tool, because I keep getting them.

Here's what's been happening the last couple of months: Worldvision sends me an envelope with a letter, a donation envelope, and a packet of seeds. Why the packet of seeds? Because some starving families who have been through a horrendous drought lost their crops. Fine. I don't mind giving money to a good cause, once I have money to give again (College & Grad school tend to be money drainers). I *do* mind that seeds which could have been planted and growing if they had been given DIRECTLY to those in need are sitting in a package on my end table.

And it makes me wonder, if I give "x" amount of dollars to worldvision, how much of MY money will be wasted on this type of guilt mailing?

So, sorry Worldvision.

Knock it off with the seeds, and I will return to donating to your charity.

Continue with the seeds, and I will continue to pitch your letters and give the seeds to the local needy, where they will be used.

Best Blog Search Engines

2005-10-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

The best blog search engines, according to Mr. Dube, are

Google Blog Search

Technorati

Yahoo Blog Search

BlogPulse

PubSub

Feedster

Ice Rocket.

Check out what Dube says about each one.

--Oyarsa

E-Indicting!

2005-10-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

Saw this on a website and I *had* to copy this over here. Isn't it hilarious? I guess I self-indicted myself. Oh well. Click on the image to make it larger.

******

E-indictments
By Red Square

E-indictments are sweeping the nation! Read testimonials from some of the satisfied customers:

I used E-indictment on my Republican neighbor because I didn't like his dog growling every time I entered his property, or the fence he put up to stop sharing his stuff with me. Now that he's been indicted I can use his barbecue grill anytime and I don't have to clean it too!

My abusive wife hated my political activism and one night even slapped me when I just asked her to say she's my sister to those Code Pink activists I brought home from a street protest. I slapped her back with an E-indictment! Thanks Thelma and Louise for the link!

My co-worker refused to cover my extended lunches and never laughed at the jokes that I cracked every five minutes about Bush and the Neo-cons. I logged on to E-indictments.com and soon he was making license plates while I took his position. Who's laughing now?

My boss refused to give me a promotion during the long six weeks that I worked for him. He even made a snide comment about my "liberal" work ethics. I used E-indictments.com and I never saw him again. The company closed down and that's good because I now qualify for unemployment benefits!

Update

2005-10-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

Added the following blog to my links list:

The Window in the Garden Wall--A C.S. Lewis Blog C.S. Lewis quote of the day (Monday-Friday) blog.

Hope you enjoy reading it.

If you haven't, go to Bloglines.com and begin subscribing to the blogs you read often. Good timesaver.

Sorry about the sporaidic posting

2005-10-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

I hit "save draft" on some of my posts because I was having issues with Blogger and just now had the time to publish them. Sorry for any inconvenience.

--Oyarsa

All About Daylight Savings Time!

2005-10-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to adjust your clocks back one hour this Sunday, folks!

learn more than you ever wanted to know here.

--Oyarsa

MySpace!

2005-10-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

I just signed up for a myspace account. Check out my page!

Sign up for your own myspace accounts and add me to your friends list. (There isn't an 'enemies list' so you can't add me to that one. Ha!)

Where has October gone???

2005-10-25T18:58:00.000-07:00

Not even a week left in the month. Arrgh! There ought to be a law agianst this happening; if October is nearly over, then November is close, and December means the end of another semester.

I need a hug.

Lewis Quote of the Day

2005-10-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

I liked today's excerpt from the C.S. Lewis Quotes blog.

And do this quiz. That's an order.

My top result for the SelectSmart.com selector, Which Narnian are you?, is Lucy

Midterms!

2005-10-19T23:35:00.000-07:00

Arrgh! I have midterms this week. Waah! Pray for me, those so inclined. I will let you know how I do.

Movie Night!

2005-10-18T18:34:00.000-07:00

Finding Nemo. I know it's a cliche, but that movie is an instant classic.

And no, I don't buy into the arguments of some people that the parent in the movie was deliberately warped to be dysfunctional by Disney. No parent is normal, and Marlin is portrayed as a good Father (though he does make mistakes). Frankly, it's one of the best father portrayals to come through disney in recent movies, in my honest opinion.

So, pop it in your player at your place, watch it, and watch those Dory jokes....

Google Clarifies Privacy Policy

2005-10-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

Thought my librarian readers would appreciate this.

The company described in more understandable terms how it uses user data, but remains mum on how long it hangs onto the information.

Google Clarifies Privacy Policy

Will you be the next Terri?

2005-10-17T01:58:00.000-07:00

"I can't imagine that there couldn't," said Karmen Hanson, an end-of-life policy analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures. "It all depends on how the laws are interpreted."

More at the link

There will likely be THOUSANDS of MILLIONS of people whose quality of life is deemed insufficient to be kept alive, as more and more medical professionals are taught to measure the 'quality of life' over the actuality of life.

Never forget that a judge ordered the death of a handicapped woman. Never forget that she was starved and dehydrated.

--Oyarsa

The Abolishment of the USA--It's happening before our Eyes

2005-10-16T18:18:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In five years, the foundations for the removal of the three soverign nations of Mexico, Canada, and the US will be in place if certain officials in those three nations have their way. I cannot, in good conscience, permit them to create our three seperate nations into one continental nation. I am an American citizen, and I will remain so until my death.

I begin to agree with those who say we are facing the beginning of the end; it may be that this single country of "North America" may be one of the 10 kingdoms prophesied during the end times.

As a Christian, I counsel my fellow believers to be diligent and bold. Eventually, a one world government will come to pass, but we have an obligation to warn those around us. If you know anyone in the media, please, have them get on the air and talk about it.

If you are reading this and are not a Christian, or are a Christian and are not familiar with the Bible, the establishment of a one world government is a precursor to the end of the world. Those who lead the one world government will do everything in their power to destroy any who believe in the One True God, and they will deceive many.

I counsel you, read the Bible now, cover to cover; memorize as much as possible. Then be good Bereans and test it to discern the truth; if I am lying or deceiving, then what I warn you about will not come to pass, and if it does come to pass, the government will be benevolent.

But I am not lying, nor deceiving any of you; I merely attempt to get a warning out to the public before it is too late.

Thank you for your consideration.

--Oyarsa

Click here to read the article "Abolishing the USA"

Staged?

2005-10-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

Let me get this straight....newscasters reading from teleprompters, sitting in a certain way, and speaking with a practiced air is acceptablej; politicians being fed easy questions is acceptable, while soldiers who are advised how to sit, where to look, and what they will be asked is unacceptable?

Hello!?!? Of course it was staged, just as the 6 o'clock news is staged! Mary Katherine Ham put it best in her article, so I won't try to repeat it. Check it out.

--Oyarsa.

Time to do away with the campaign finance law

2005-10-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

3 democrats and 1 left wing judge appear to be doing their darndest to censor blogs. Details below:

The Federal Election Commission is beginning the process of extending its controversial 2002 campaign finance law to the Internet, potentially threatening political blogging and online punditry, a member of the panel warns.

The Internet was exempted from the McCain-Feingold regulations in a 4-2 vote by the FEC in 2002, but U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly overturned the decision last fall, reports CNET News.com.....

The panel's three Republican members, including Smith, voted to appeal the Internet-related part of the judge's decision, but they needed four votes and were unable to convince one of the Democrat members to join them.

The article continues....

I guess free speech is only free if you're with an "official" news agency in the eyes of the Dems.

Time to exercise our rights and put pressure on the Feds while there's still time.

100th Post

2005-10-14T22:20:00.000-07:00

I have officially made it to 100 posts in my blog. Considering this landmark, I believe it to be appropriate to state the direction I intend for the blog to go in:

I. More of my personal interests.
II. Continued postings of current events and news items that are or might be of interests.
III. Increase in library related material.
IV. More links.
V. Website

Since I am using so many tags to describe the blog and since so few of my posts cover all the content in the tags, I will make a more concentrated effort to cover as many of the relevant tags as possible.

Of course, I will continue to comment and link to articles about current events.

As my knowledge of librarianship increases, expect a greater number (exponentially greater) of librarianship related posts. I'll try to keep the jargon to a minimum, perhaps even provide a glossary for the non-librarians who read this.

Next, I will be adding more links, very likely at my website, as I will run out of space here on the blog, I fear...

To accomodate my growing blog, I will be creating a personal website that can go a bit more in depth about me and my interests.

Thank you for reading, and please, if there is any way I can improve on this, please, let me know either in the comments section, by email, over IM, or in person. I can't improve if I don't know what needs fixin'!

:-)

Adding RSS Feed to my Blog.

2005-10-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

I'm looking at some free RSS feeds to add to my blog. I'll let you know when I have something set up. For now, my blog is tagged under Oyarsa at Technorati.

Google and Librarians

2005-10-13T17:15:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a conference of librarians. Learned some new and interesting things, particularly in the sphere of technology and libraries. Rolled my eyes at a few parts. In some ways, librarians are two political; I don't care what part of the political spectrum you're on, but please, it's not the place of a library association to make judgments on non-library related events). If a librarian has an opinion on the War on Iraq or what have you, fine and good. Voice it. Just keep the organization out of it. We have enough challenges without dipping our fingers into realms unconnected to librarianship.

Enough of that rant. What bothered me today was the remark of a fellow library science student:

"I am finding Google to be almost ruthless. They stop at nothing to dominate. I refuse to be a Googlarian!"

My response is as follows:

Google is no more evil or benevolent than any company; like other businesses, they give customers what they want and build a reputation accordingly, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Currently, they have the good opinion of the general public, for better or worse.

I personally wonder if by establishing one's self as an anti-Googlarian won't hurt libraries more than it helps them. Yes, we want patrons to know about the many wonderful services libraries offer, yes, we want to make sure they know 'good' sources from 'bad' ones. But is it necessary to cement the stereotype that librarians are hostile to the googlization trend?

I teach users that Google is a wonderful tool, but it is just that, a tool. It is excellent for some things, and terrible than others, just like a hammer is wonderful for hammering a nail, while a hacksaw simply won't gain you anything other than multiple gashes in the wall (and possibly scratches and cuts on the nail). Does this mean we should discourage the use of hacksaws? Of course not!

What we need to do is teach users how to use search engines more effectively. Your average bright six year old can use google, but your average sixteen year old might not be aware of all the ways you can phrase something so that the exact information needed is found.

At least, that's my two cents. Sorry for the rant, all.

Remember the U.S.S. Cole

2005-10-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 5th anniversary of the attack on the U.S.S. Cole.

.

I think Michelle Malkin sums up what needs to be said, though you should check out the BBC article as well.

Most importantly, take a look at Stars and Stripes tribute.

My sincere condolences to the families who lost their loved ones on this fateful day.

In the pursuit of safety, teeter-totters and swings are disappearing from playgrounds

2005-10-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

This stuff is just ridiculous. How do you expect kids to stay fit and active if you keep taking down equipment because of the fear that some parent might hurl a lawsuit at you.

So Johnny jumped from the slide and broke his leg, guess what? Johnny learned how gravity works and why slides aren't meant to be jumped from. Now Johnny has a cast that all his buddies can sign. Not to mention EVERYONE will want to try out the crutches.

Geesh. We need to outlaw lawyers, or at least fine laywers 250,000 each time they accept to take on a junk lawsuit like this.

Yet another reason for homeschooling my kids...I can at least purchase some playground equipment for my backyard if the local park takes down their equipment.

Find out what I'm ranting about here

Who Ya Gonna Call?

2005-10-10T22:18:00.000-07:00

Porkbusters!

Click on the image to view the article.

Bands Meme!

2005-10-10T19:39:00.000-07:00

Stole this over from a friend at LiveJournal.

The rules:
1. Open a music player.
2. Go to 'all music'/'library'.
3. Hit shuffle.
4. Find photos of the first 10 artists/bands that come up [no repeats and no cheating].
5. Have people guess who the artists/bands are... don't cheat!

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1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

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If you guess all ten of these, and I know you in real life, next time we meet, I will treat you to the restaurant of your choice. Or give you a gift certificate to your favorite store.

Science Links Added to Link List

2005-10-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

As always, feel free to suggest (or even challenge) links. I'll be adding more links shortly.

Stay tuned.

Katrina House Tax

2005-10-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

If the phone tax after the Spanish-American war is any indication, this one will be around after it's purpose is resolved...

Will homeowners in 2112 still be paying fees on their mortgages to cover the clean up costs of Hurricane Katrina as telephone users are still paying the "temporary tax" to pay for the Spanish-American War?

Link continues here

Future of Libraries

2005-10-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

I was reading a discussion over at LISNews by Blake. AN excerpt of his article is below:

"For years I've been on the fence when it comes to our digital future. I've always bought into the assumption that books are here to stay. That libraries will always have a place. That 100 years from now we'll still want to browse the stacks to see what's related. I think I've fallen off that fence, and landed on the side with the digitalists. I've chosen sides based on things I've read from both the crumugednons like Gorman, and the many techno-freaks on the other side. I don't know what this means for the millions of books we hold currently. I don't know what this means for the future of libraries & librarians, nor do I know what, if anything, we can do to ensure we're still around in 20 years, but below I'll share with you why I've moved from fence sitter, to digitalist."

For the rest of the article, click here

I also found Greg's rebuttal interesting:

"As for libraries? I'm starting to get peeved with my profession. For the last 100 years we've let ourselves become trivia kings but aside from just offering a wide selection of reading material, fiction and nonfiction, our primary goal should be offering local information both current and historical. Its not the most glamorous part of the job but it is the most challenging and time consuming. Because of that I think we constantly put it on the backburner. Regardless, it has nothing to do with Google unless we put it up there for Google to search. If libraries disappear it won't be because of the Internet it will because we lost sight of our own purpose."

(Read the rest of the rebuttal.)

It gives one some food for thought. How relevant will libraries continue to be in 20, even 10 years? Something we all need to be mindful of. As the major library organizations and librarians themselves become more political in their activism (more on that later), I fear that the public at large will begin to turn away from the local library.

Science Smogasboard

2005-10-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

I can now officially take over the world with my new scientfic knowledge. Only after much torture and interrogation was I able to force a young scientist to reveal the super-secret science websites only "they" know about and don't want YOU to know about...don't worry. The scientist will live...if the scientist agrees to be my lackey. So, how about it?

**********

NASA For all you space geeks.

Unwise Microwave Oven Experiments The best way to describe this site is by its own disclaimer: Disclaimer: This information is presented for your information only. Anyone who tries to duplicate these demonstrations does so entirely at their own risk. There is a chance that you will damage your microwave oven. There is a chance that you will cause a fire. There is a chance that a heated object will explode. Heated water can unexpectedly burst into violent boiling. Messing with a microwave oven is stupid if you don't know what you're doing.

The Complete Guide to Physics An About.com site. Has articles and a physics glossary, answers to physics problems, etc.

Savings & Clone I'm probably going to take some heat for this. This is a creepy company that clones pets.

Biology Directory "The Sciences Directory aims to cover a broad base of scientific sites that are related to the content of Biology Online and could prove useful for your informational needs in the sciences."

The Biology Project "an online interactive resource for learning biology"

About.com's Biology All kinds of biology and science fair resources.

WebElements Online Version of Periodic Table.

About.com's Chemistry Encyclopedia, glossary, finished problems and more.

Snowflake and Snowcrystal photos Pretty pictures and everything you'd ever want to know about snowflakes.

DNA Interactive Interactive modules and other fun stuff that help you learn about DNA.

That's all for now. I'll add the links to my links list.

Friday Humor

2005-10-07T06:15:00.000-07:00

...from a friend...

"If one woman can have a baby in nine months, can nine women have a baby in one month?"

*grin*

Are You Willing To Have United Nations "Control" Your Internet Access?

2005-10-07T06:12:00.000-07:00

Breaking America's grip on the net
After troubled negotiations in Geneva, the US may be forced to relinquish control of the internet to a coalition of governments

Kieren McCarthy
Thursday October 6, 2005

Guardian

You would expect an announcement that would forever change the face of the internet to be a grand affair - a big stage, spotlights, media scrums and a charismatic frontman working the crowd.
But unless you knew where he was sitting, all you got was David Hendon's slightly apprehensive voice through a beige plastic earbox. The words were calm, measured and unexciting, but their implications will be felt for generations to come.

story continues here...

Verse of the Day

2005-10-06T18:03:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 26:4 (New American Standard Bible)

4"(A)Trust in the LORD forever,
For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting (B)Rock.

Cross references:

A. Isaiah 26:4 : Is 12:2 ; 50:10 ; 51:5

B. Isaiah 26:4 : Is 17:10 ; 30:29 ; 44:8

EnviroSpin Watch

2005-10-06T13:06:00.000-07:00

"A Weblog monitoring coverage of environmental issues and science in the UK media. By Professor Emeritus Philip Stott. The aim is to assess whether a subject is being fairly covered by press, radio, and television. Above all, the Weblog will focus on science, but not just on poor science. It will also bring to public notice good science that is being ignored because it may be politically inconvenient."

This is going on the links list. *grin*

EnviroSpin Watch

Calling All veterans of the U. S. Armed Forces!

2005-10-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

I got a tip from Political Dogs about an armed forces website. So, I decided to pass it on so that anyone reading this who knows (or is) a veteran can know of the website and check it out.

The website is I Served America, a web site developed to collect, preserve and publish veteran's stories, is seeking contributors. If you're a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, and have a story to tell, send it in.

Bible Verse of the Day (10/5)

2005-10-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

6 (A) Seek the LORD while He may be found; (B) Call upon Him while He is near.

Cross references

A. Isaiah 55:6 : Ps 32:6 ; Is 45:19, 22 ; 49:8 ; Amos 5:6

B. Isaiah 55:6 : Is 58:9 ; 65:24

Oyarsa's Observances

SafeLibraries.org

Do You REALLY Know Anything About Narnia?

Cool Health Search Engines

Best Tax Cartoons of 2006

The Welfare Fraud Link--Your tax dollars at work!

Grad School Craziness

Evil Overlord List and Comic

"Library Blogs Worth Reading"

School Bans Pig Stories

From the Religon of Peace--Pictures from London

Best Blonde Joke Ever!

Judge gives Child Rapist 60 day sentence.

Blanco: Louisiana not getting fair share of aid

Top Science Stories of 2005

Darthmouth Student Lied, Soldiers died?

Merry Christmas!

Updated My Links

Nina Shea's The Real War on Christmas

PacMan in the Library?

Chewbacca Sings!

Have You Seen This Penguin?

Updated Link List: Environment

Cuban Library Updates

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

What don’t you remember?

My Thoughts on the latest LWW Release (Contains Spoilers)

LWW is a Blockbuster

"Why Blogs Matter"

Happy Turkey Day

Why an Early Withdrawl is a BAD Idea

A Soldier Speaks

Wanted: Wheelchair for Iraqi Translator

Welcome, OpenSource Media!

Webdesign Basics

The Return of Oyarsa

Gorman Makes Bad Impression on Library Blogger

Wake up, Europe! You've got a war on your hands!

"Get With It"

Bible Quote of the Day

Military Applications of Silly String

Now a Blogshares Blog.

The One Underserved Group Libraries Overlook...

Oh, the Places I've Been!

How Much is Your Blog Worth?

Oyarsa's Index

The Future PC and You

Two libraries raided, librarian sentenced for "dangerousness"

An Open Letter to Michael Gorman

State and Federal Treasuries "Profit" More from Gasoline Sales than U.S. Oil Industry

Can't Take Credit for the Pumpkin.

Coming soon....Oyarsa's Index....

Patriot Debates!

Top 3 Items for the Web Developer in Your Life

InquisitorX Search Engines Gives Answers BEFORE You Hit Enter

Find Copyrights & Trademarks FOR FREE!

Search Engine Logo Generating Silliness!

Controlling Web Robots

How to Reach a Human Being

Bug Me Not!

I'm moving on up!

"Ask a Librarian" Pumpkin

Honey I shrank the e-Indictments pic.

Methinks the ALA should follow its own advice....

An excellent post on Norma's blog.

Google Adds Interviews to Its TV Archive

Why You Should Rewrite Your URLs on Your Webpage

Heretical Librarian is at it again!

Worldvision Rant

Best Blog Search Engines

E-Indicting!

Update

Sorry about the sporaidic posting

All About Daylight Savings Time!

MySpace!

Where has October gone???

Lewis Quote of the Day

Midterms!

Movie Night!

Google Clarifies Privacy Policy