Numbered drawers - Boing Boing

this makes me inexplicably happy.

Numbered drawers - Boing Boing

StopForwarding.Us | About

StopForwarding.Us | About: "This site was created to meet the need of those who are bothered by poor email etiquette, specifically when it comes to forwarded chain letters, urban myths, and bad jokes. The primary function of the site is to allow individuals to anonymously email someone who has sent them spam or forwards (also known as FWDs) a generic letter that politely asks the recipient to refrain from sending this type of email.

The recipient of this email is protected against abuse of StopForwarding.Us by a feature of the site that keeps the same email address from being used more than once every month. To facilitate this feature, the email address is kept on record for 30 days before automatically being erased from our system. These email addresses will not be used for any other purpose other than as mentioned above."

Bachelor's of Comic Books, with a Minor in Superheroes

UNT to Offer Grad-Level Course Dorkdom, Geekness Come Fall
Shaun Treat's a Visiting Professor of Rhetoric at the University of North Texas -- and, no, I have no idea what that means, not exactly. But just in time for the onslaught of super-hero movies crashing into multiplexii this summer, UNT today has announced that Treat's treating the school's grad-school students to a course sure to be populated by cheerleaders and jocks: Mythic Rhetoric of the American Superhero. Treat, whose dissertation "explored the mythic culture types and fantasy rhetoric of charismatic leadership," will use as his textbook 2002's The Myth of the American Superhero, and says the UNT media release announcing the new course, which debuts in the fall:

Treat said his students will also read various comic books and graphic novels, including Superman: Red Son, an alternative universe DC Comics story that has Superman growing up in the communist Soviet Union and eventually becoming powerful enough to unseat Joseph Stalin. In addition, the students will watch films such as 2005'sV for Vendetta, the X-Men movies and 2002's Road to Perdition, which was based on a Japanese graphic novel.

The fact I know, without even looking it up, that the latter's not true -- Road to Perdition, written by Max Allen Collins, was published in 1998 by DC Comics-owned Paradox Press -- means I am not going to take the course pass-fail. --Robert Wilonsky

have you hugged your librarian today?

hugs are nice, but i prefer hard currency ;)
Library Use Value Calculator - What is your library worth to you? : How much would you pay out-of-pocket for your library services? The calculator worksheet has been adapted from the downloadable spreadsheet, original provided by the Massachusetts Library Association and then adapted for the web by Chelmsford Public Library. Maine State library added extra accessibility coding and reformatting for ease of reading online. This spreadsheet requires either Microsoft Excel or the Excel Viewer.

Mental Detox Week - April 21 to April 27 (formerly TV Turnoff)

Mental Detox Week - April 21 to April 27 (formerly TV Turnoff)


For one week you take a break, unplug, turn off the TVs, computers, iPods, Blackberries, and cell phones. You don't have to go cold turkey, just challenge yourself to cut back a little. In the evening, you watch your favorite show if you have to, but then you switch off, relax, read a book, take a walk, or maybe go for a pint with a friend.

It's all about mental health. Recent studies have revealed a connection between our increasing use of a wide range of digital devices and growing stress levels and incidence of psychological disorders. Two out of three Americans suffer disconnection anxiety if they're away from their gadgets even for a few minutes, and The American Journal of Psychiatry has classified excessive gaming, porn surfing, emailing, and text messaging as a compulsive impulse disorder. Unplugging for a week is a non-pharmaceutical method of protecting your sanity and well-being.

So you take a step back from it all. Maybe for the first couple of days you'll feel crabby, sweaty, or agitated, like an addict in withdrawal. But then something remarkable will happen. Your over-stimulated brain will cleanse itself. You'll relax. You'll feel calmer and more grounded. You'll be whole again and see the world anew.

Mental Detox site

Funny Australian Public Library PSA

In Pictures: Online computer tutorials based on pictures. Free.

In Pictures: Online computer tutorials based on pictures. Free.: "In Pictures online tutorials are based on pictures, not words. They're the easiest way to learn computer subjects.

There's no complicated multimedia, just pictures that show exactly what to do. Learn more about our approach."

Article Records From British Library Now in WorldCat.org

Article Records From British Library Now in WorldCat.org
this is awesome news because the BL has one of the best docdelivery services in the world and now their articles are even easier to find.

‘Google Generation’ is a myth, says new research : JISC

‘Google Generation’ is a myth, says new research : JISC

LibrarianInBlack: National Library Week

Library Week! w00t!
LibrarianInBlack: National Library Week

He Wrote 200,000 Books (but Computers Did Some of the Work) - New York Times

He Wrote 200,000 Books (but Computers Did Some of the Work) - New York Times
"And he is laying the groundwork for romance novels generated by new algorithms. 'I’ve already set it up,' he said. 'There are only so many body parts.'"

The Nation - Iraq's Ruined Library Soldiers On

Iraq's Ruined Library Soldiers On: "The brutalities of the Iraq war accumulate so fast it is difficult to keep track. But in this season of fifth-year anniversaries, one largely forgotten crime demands to be recalled, in part because it relates directly to the politics of memory itself. Five years ago this week, US troops stood by as looters sacked the Iraq National Library and Archives (INLA)--one of the oldest and most used in the world. In Arab countries the old expression was 'Cairo writes, Beirut publishes, and Baghdad reads.'"

Texas Pages Blog | Guidelive.com

good news for North Texas bibliophiles!
Texas Pages Blog | Guidelive.com

Should the public library no longer be public? | Library Stuff

this is going nowhere good.
Should the public library no longer be public? | Library Stuff: "Tewksbury Advocate - “As the national economy plunges further into recession, gas prices continue to hike, and the price of living continues to climb, local governments like Tewksbury that are already wrought with fees and cuts are exploring the notion of privatizing the public library.”"

ResourceShelf Databases: Science: Say Hello to Green File, Free from EBSCO; EBSCO, Hasselt University Library, IODE Developing Open Science Director

ResourceShelf Databases: Science: Say Hello to Green File, Free from EBSCO; EBSCO, Hasselt University Library, IODE Developing Open Science Directory: "GreenFILE, a freely accessible research database focusing on the relationship between human beings and the environment, with well-researched but accessible information on topics ranging from global warming to recycling to alternate fuel sources and beyond. Comprised of scholarly and general interest titles, as well as government documents and reports, GreenFILE offers a unique perspective on the positive and negative ways humans affect the ecology. Drawing on the connection between the environment and disciplines such as agriculture, education, law, health and technology, GreenFILE will serve as an informative resource for anyone concerned about the issues facing our planet. GreenFILE’s initial release will include A&I for more than 600 titles, including comprehensive coverage – from to volume 1, issue 1 to present – for Bioscience (back to 1964), Conservation Biology (back to 1987), i>Journal of Ecology (back to 1913) and Journal of Environmental Planning & Management (back to 1948). The total number of records is approximately 295,000, and full text is provided for more than 4,600 records from open access titles.
Note: Be sure to set a bookmark for http://www.greeninfoonline.com. This link takes you directly to the GreenFILE"

EDGAR's new companion, EMMA | Free Government Information (FGI)

EDGAR's new companion, EMMA | Free Government Information (FGI): "Everyone knows about the SEC's EDGAR database. Now, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, a self-regulatory organization established by Congress to develop rules for broker-dealers and banks that underwrite, trade and sell municipal securities, has launched a pilot project, EMMA (Electronic Municipal Market Access). EMMA is an Internet-based disclosure portal that provides free public access to disclosure documents and real-time municipal securities trade price data for the municipal securities market. The EMMA website is now accessible at emma.msrb.org"

beSpacific: First Ever Congressional Hearing Simulcast in an Internet-based Virtual World

beSpacific: First Ever Congressional Hearing Simulcast in an Internet-based Virtual World: "First Ever Congressional Hearing Simulcast in an Internet-based Virtual World

Online Virtual Worlds: Applications and Avatars in a User-Generated Medium, Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet
Tuesday, April 1, 2008. Witness List & Prepared Testimony.
# News release: 'Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, conducted the first ever Congressional hearing simulcast in an Internet-based virtual world [April 1, 2008]. The hearing addressed the evolution, culture and future of virtual worlds such as Second Life, Zwinky and There which are part of a new form of communication that has exploded over the last few years...'Virtual worlds are at the cutting edge of so-called 'Web 2.0' applications and services, which enable users to generate the content of the realm, such as with YouTube and Flickr and Facebook. Virtual worlds can also support business operations and commercial applications - from real estate sales, to business conferences, product marketing, music sales, and the general buying of goods and services.'"

Scribd Converting Paper to iPaper, Free

Scribd Converting Paper to iPaper, Free

DrWeb's Domain: A Chat with NYC's Coolest Culinary Librarian - IgoUgo

DrWeb's Domain: A Chat with NYC's Coolest Culinary Librarian - IgoUgo: "Who boasts the best menu in New York? Our vote goes to Rebecca Federman, keeper of the New York Public Library’s culinary collection. The passionate bibliographer—and writer of Cooked Books—talks to IgoUgo about her fascinating job and favorite tables."

Google April Fools!

Wake yourself up with our new Google Wake Up Kit!
Do you have trouble getting out of bed in the morning? We do, too. In fact this problem became so serious at times that it sometimes resulted in lacklustre attendance at team meetings. To help solve the problem we've created an innovative solution called the Google Wake Up Kit.

hehehehe....
Google WakeUp
"'I could never wake up on time to get to our team meetings. But thanks to the new Google Wake Up Kit, I'm always on time now!' - Pedro C.

In combination with the kit, you can receive a new type of notification from Google Calendar, called the "wake up" notification. This notification is relentless in ensuring your timely awakening from restful slumber. The "wake up" notification uses several progressively more annoying alerts to wake you up. First it will send an SMS message to your phone. If that fails, more coercive means will be used. The kit includes an industrial-sized bucket and is designed to be connected to your water main for automatic filling. In addition, a bed-flipping device is included for forceful removal from your sleeping quarters." Learn more