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Walt Crawford
Mostly retired library person/writer/speaker. All original FF contributions CC0 (public domain).
Blog maintenance: An update - http://walt.lishost.org/2012...
It’s not film noir, they’re Mist Filme - http://walt.lishost.org/2012...
We've been watching a bunch of these too, lately. Some of them are... wow, really REALLY bad.
- RepoRat
It took me a while to figure the need for a distinction between "entertainingly bad" and "just plain crappy." Too bad "cinema merde" was already taken, but "mist filme" will do--since I'm half-German by background, with no French.
- Walt Crawford
Finally read the Slate article on the Prop8 decision. Including this remarkable sentence: "Today, the most liberal judges in the most liberal state on the most liberal appeals court had an opportunity to make history. Instead, they opted to do far less."...
California "the most liberal state"? Really? The writer needs to visit Orange County, the Central Valley, far Northern California, and look at, oh, Washington and some other states...
- Walt Crawford
The California Court of Appeals made what I regard as the only sensible decision regarding Prop 8. Here's the LA Times squib and the whole 128-page decision (I only read the summary). http://documents.latimes.com/proposi...
Angel R. Rivera, Victor Ganata, Bird-botts and 2 other people liked this
Next, time to repeal the Defense of Homophobia Act--oh, sorry, it has some silly disguise name, doesn't it?
- Walt Crawford
The court also found that the proponents of the measure did have the right to represent it in court, since California's officials properly declined to defend the indefensible. I think they're right on that, too.
- Walt Crawford
Oops. Federal court, 9th district. And the decision possibly narrowly-enough drawn that the Supremes might sit it out (or not), since it only affects California, not the whole west-of-the-Rockies district.
- Walt Crawford
Remarkable passive-agressive spam - http://walt.lishost.org/2012...
That's a new one. The spammers I've been seeing have been taking the fulsome-praise tack.
- RepoRat
For some time, I've had a secondary stream of attack spam--I keep getting ones saying my posts are chock-full of spelling errors, for example. I'm averaging more than 100 spamments a day, so really don't look at most of them (and, sigh, really can't retrieve legit comments any more).
- Walt Crawford
Just reminded of how much fun Proper Online Business-Oriented Consultant-Speak is, in this "final post" (which includes the pseudofactoid that there are now more blog posts than page reads: a good Fake Stats twitter?): http://www.predictablesuccess.com/blog...
I think he missed a few Hot Business Consultant buzzwords along the way, but I'm sure he hit enough to assure the continued Predictable Success of his sure-fire blahblahblah...oh Gaia, it's catching.
- Walt Crawford
Micropublishing Tips: 1. Save Paper on 6×9 Review Drafts - http://walt.lishost.org/2012...
Box Office Gold, Disc 7 - http://walt.lishost.org/2012...
New experience with multifunction printer: Sending a fax. I didn't even know the printer had a modem built in... (Why? Wife needed to send a letter to congressman re idiot bills that would undermine American geneaology.) Worked; the sounds brought back distant memories...
Data and CC licenses: I’m confused - http://walt.lishost.org/2012...
suelibrarian and Hedgehog liked this
Confusion totes understandable. Data-as-facts not copyrightable, BUT there are some classes of "research data" that consist of copyrightable objects. Ever seen one of those cool-science-image contests? Images, even if they come off a microscope or telescope, are copyrightable, so CC would apply.
- RepoRat
The CC PDDL is also trying to tackle other data-IP problems, such as the European sui-generis database right.
- RepoRat
OK, that makes sense--if, in fact, they can make a PD assignment that's universally legal. And "research data consisting of creative objects"--I can see that.
- Walt Crawford
My timing in saying "I don't write about academic libraries as such any more" couldn't have been better. Just saw a statistical assertion in an acad. library post (no, Jenica, not your excellent discussion) that struck me as implausible (but not quite impossible)...and, y'know, there's no need to pursue it. Not at all.
No, there's not going to be a link this time. That would be pursuing it. I'm just noting the Zen-like quality of "Been there, done that, don't need to fret about it any more" as concerns academic libraries.
- Walt Crawford
Just looked at a library systems opening. "Christian" appears six times. And this "equality" statement: "equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse learning community of committed Christians from all racial and ethnic backgrounds." Let's talk about the war on religion...
I don't believe my faith or lack thereof could have any legitimate bearing on my ability to be a first-rate systems librarian. But hey, that's fine--as long as that private institution is not receiving government $ of any sort, including student loan guarantees.
- Walt Crawford
Local supermarkets - http://walt.lishost.org/2012...
Must admit that I'm a bit taken aback when I click through for the last link on this page and it appears that ALA is sponsored by the Red Hawk Casino. Again and again. But I guess Scribd has to make money somehow. http://www.alatechsource.org/blog...
Adblock is your friend. I used to think that I hardly went to any sites with ads, but now whenever I'm using a browser without adblock, I can't believe how many ads are out there.
- Steveo Librareo
Keeping it going: Another update on library social networking et al - http://walt.lishost.org/2012...
How many public libraries have closed? Redux - http://walt.lishost.org/2012...
I do also think that net gain/loss in physical branches is worth investigating -- but in the main I agree with you. Even looking into net gain/loss would need significant analytical nuance; it may not be entirely budget issues at the root of change.
- RepoRat
Watch this space (and a question) - http://walt.lishost.org/2012...
A new one on me: Phone call, Indian voice in obvious call center, says from "Servicenter" and that my computer is sending out spurious signals that are causing them trouble. I hung up at that point. Assume attempt to sell malware "virus fighting tool" but...on the phone, that's new.
Interesting to me that it's new for you. Well known phone scam in Australia. Goes beyond selling. It's phishing by phone. They get the susceptible to hand over remote control and money. See http://www.microsoft.com/austral...
- suelibrarian
Maybe it's because the no-call list makes most things like this blatantly illegal even without the phishing. Or maybe I'm getting it now because I'm, ahem, aged and therefore gullible and don't understand that newfangled computer stuff. (After all, I've only owned one since 1982 and been programming since 1968...)
- Walt Crawford
Oh I know that a wide spectrum of people get them here not just our age. And we have no-call as well. I assumed as they originate in India they can't be prosecuted. I wonder and worry about their business model. They must be hooking quite a few to make the phone calls worthwhile.
- suelibrarian
from iPhone
Cites & Insights 12:1 (January-February 2012) available - http://walt.lishost.org/2012...
John Dupuis liked this
So...does anybody else's daily newspaper have a quarter-page ad from Jesus Christ, Son Ahman? The San Francisco Chronicle does. ("Revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ Given to President Warren S. Jeffs"--and the whole thing's in the voice of "I, Your Lord Jesus Christ, Even Son Ahman.")
Dramatic indication of how weather works around here: Tuesday, 25F at 7 a.m., clear. Wed., 27F, clear. Thurs., 32F, cloudy, rained late PM. Today at 7am: 50F, rainy (but not currently raining). Also, the brown stuff's washed away.
I know it's lazy to quote John Scalzi brilliance, but sometimes I can't resist (and, noting one comment, I too remember when Salon was worth reading, and that was years ago). http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012...
Victor Ganata liked this
I still read Ask the Pilot, and occasionally Glenn G. But that's about it.
- RepoRat
Huh. I thought it was sort of an interesting article, actually--not great, but an interesting note on the current economics of book-buying that could have been fleshed out into something much more interesting.
- laura x
I think it *could* have been fleshed out...but first I think you'd need to edit the hell out of it (after all, Salon is supposed to be an online magazine, not Facebook) and remove the victimization. I mean, seriously: Male novelists are getting the short end of the stick?
- Walt Crawford
Just attempted to read it again. Still not impressed. Of course, I have mixed feelings about mainstream fiction anyway; in some ways, I think it's become a genre of its own. But that's another set of discussions, and since I'm no fiction writer. (Tried, not good at it, and if I was, I'd be writing sff.)
- Walt Crawford
Almost all novelists get the short end of the stick, which I think the writer acknowledges. I'd be more interested in an article that looked at fiction publishing, reviewing, and buying patterns over time (fiction writing was, after all, one of the first ways women were ever able to make money). But then I read a lot of literary fiction and buy all the fiction of all kinds for the library and read a ton of reviews, so it's something I think about a fair amount already.
- laura x
It made me think of a great monologue from our Great Canadian Novelist on the faculty here. He said his agent was telling him what percentage of women read literary fiction and then gave a very low number for what percentage of men read literary fiction. "Really? Is that true?" the GCN asked his agent. "No, it's not true, it's much LOWER than that, I can't tell you the real number because I'm afraid you would never write anything again."
- Steveo Librareo
Oh, sigh, wish I hadn't checked @herpderppedia. I knew in my heart of hearts that there was a lot of homophobia still around, and that it was probably linked to gross stupidity, but geez... https://twitter.com/#!...
Zulema ⋅ spicy cocoa tart liked this
C&I v.11 out–and 25% savings on any book - http://walt.lishost.org/2012...
ωαřмaiden BrokerPokerface liked this
For that matter, you can get the paperback The Librarian's Guide to Micropublishing for 40% off, directly from ITI, but that sale ends on Monday, I think. (And, unlike Lulu's discount, I'm guessing that 40% off comes out of my royalty as well...)
- Walt Crawford
ITAL goes OA: Hooray - http://walt.lishost.org/2012...
50 Movie Comedy Kings Disc 7 - http://walt.lishost.org/2012...
Reading Church & State this weekend, I remember why I wasn't surprised (as some apparently were) by Rep. Issa's sponsorship of RWA: He's a big one for championing government support of certain religions.
best. oneliner. in this whole mess.
- RepoRat
Oddly enough, I hadn't thought of it, but Unfettered Capitalism Benefiting the Very Wealthy is, to be sure, one of those religions.
- Walt Crawford
A library is…: A possible offshoot of a social network scan - http://walt.lishost.org/2012...
This post reminds me that I'm an *old* Californian: $10K for a UC campus *with* aid doesn't seem like a bargain, even for a first-rate campus like UCSD (where my wife got her Bachelor's and first Master's...for a whole lot less money!)...
[The tone of the excerpt leaves out one aspect of UCSD: It may be near the ocean and Baja, but it sure ain't no fluffy party school...]
- Walt Crawford
Clicked through to the actual article ("article" may be more like it, with the one-para descriptions). Three of the top 10 are UC campuses. Interesting. And I do see that it notes "top research" for UCSD. [When I went, total costs for 4 years were under $10K, I think. Of course, you had to watch out for the dinosaurs...]
- Walt Crawford
The Librarian’s Guide to Micropublishing: Get it! - http://walt.lishost.org/2012...
Marianne, lris, Steveo Librareo and 7 other people liked this
Just recommended this for SLIS purchase. If we can get it soon enough (I have no idea how long acquisitions takes around here), I'll use it for this summer's publishing-and-libraries course.
- RepoRat
No need to duck. The chance is 100%. ITI uses a conversion service (in this case, with some difficulty, since all the typeface and spacing examples need to turn into images); I'll be checking the epub results today (using Calibre), and ITI plans to make it available next week in ebook form.
- Walt Crawford
And I just did that. The figures and examples came out great, and the anomalies (missing italics and bold, a few spacing issues with ligatures and kerning) are about what I expected.And, come to think of it, I suspect the issues are Calibre ones, since my contact at ITI--who actually uses ebook readers--also checked this and said it was fine.
- Walt Crawford
Just put in a purchase suggestion for our library!
- laura x
Thanks, both. RR: Hadn't thought about publishing-and-libraries courses (didn't really know about them), but this should be a natural. Sigh: Somebody put up something on Lulu with "micro-publishing" in the title; it appears to be a 31-page jokey piece by an academic that uses "micro-publishing" for all digital and non-traditional publishing, and is, how you say, casually formatted.
- Walt Crawford
[To some extent, this book was born out of a talk my wife & I gave to a local genealogical society about doing this stuff. Since then, at least two members from the relatively small group have produced books via Lulu...even without the quality template we're now providing. And others are apparently working on it.]
- Walt Crawford
How does one get the template?
- Steveo Librareo
Steve: The web address is in the book. Hint, hint. It's linked to from the required webpage for the book. "It" actually being six of them, including .dot and .dotx versions, versions with and without example text, and .odt versions for LibreOffice users, although those aren't tested.
- Walt Crawford
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