Saturday, April 13, 2013

"Oblivion" YouTube Trio







Little Free Libraries Take the Place of the Real Thing in Hadar, Nebraska (Pop. 293)



Little Free Library.  (Sturgis Journal, 4/11/2013)

Excerpt:   Perhaps the biggest fan of Little Free Libraries is author Charlotte Endorf, 46, who transformed her front yard into a library park and gathering spot in Hadar, Neb. (pop. 293). 

Her husband, Kevin, 46, built eight whimsical libraries, including ones shaped like a miniature railroad car and a horse. He laid a yellow brick “road” to the attraction, and bookworm Lela Newcombe, 98, donated a bench. David Cummings, 62, owner of the Village Inn Bar and Grill, installed a flagpole on his parking lot with a banner promoting the libraries. 

The park bustles day and night.


Hadar is home to state’s second Little Free Library. (Norfolk Daily News, 2/26/2012)

Excerpt:   Endorff and her family moved to Hadar last year and noticed the town didn’t have a library. So she knocked on the doors of the residents and asked if they were interested or would support it.

“People are so excited — from the little kids to the adults,” she said. 


The people were so excited that instead of one little library like many towns, Hadar has four. They range in size from a large mailbox to about the size of a newspaper stand

Sales of Print Travel Books Stabilizing


Why Google is pulling the plug on Frommer's. (CNN Money, 3/22/2013)

Excerpt [emphasis added]:  U.S. guidebook sales are down 10% to 20% since 2008, he said. Recently, sales have stabilized, providing a glimmer of hope. To reach a bigger audience, Lonely Planet has started a new series of books, Discover, that are for more mainstream travelers who must make due with shorter vacations. "I don't think anyone is pretending that sales of travel guides aren't down," Palmer said. "But they aren't off a cliff. What we're seeing now is a level of stability."

The Influence of Hollywood, The Power of Beauty






Friday, April 12, 2013

NoRoJo in 2016 (Chapter 9)

Johnson backs filibuster to prevent Senate gun-control vote. (Oshkosh Northwestern, 4/10/2013)


Related post:
Chapter 1.  (1/2/2013)
Chapter 2.  (1/10/2013)
Chapter 3.  (2/12/2013)
Chapter 4.  (2/13/2013)
Chapter 5   (3/11/2013)
Chapter 6.  (3/25/2013)
Chapter 7.  (4/8/2013)
Chapter 8.  (4/9/2013)

Joint Committee on Finance Budget Hearing at Lake Delton


Lake Delton legislative hearing draws big crowd; 130 people testify on budget. (Juneau County Star-Times, 4/12/2013)

Joint Finance Committee members heard testimony on the following topics:
  • Future of the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, 
  • School funding (including proposed expansion of vouchers)
  • Health care
  • Anti-tobacco programs
  • Community-based program to offer non-violent offenders alternatives to the criminal justice system
Excerpt:  Many speakers from throughout the state said the voucher proposals would have the effect of taking resources away from public schools, and in the case of special education students, taking away the type of accountability that is required in public schools.

Related posts:
Lambeau Field budget hearing.  (4/9/2013)
Paul Adair Attends the Joint Finance Committee Budget Hearing in Greenfield.  (4/5/2013)

Whoa! Jackson County Wisconsin, Behave Yourself!


Screenshot:  Jackson  County Chronicle

5 Minor League Assembly Republicans Sponsor Bill to Allow Armed Guards in Schools

Rep. Don Pridemore introduces bill to allow armed school guards. (The Capital Times, 4/4/2013)


If You Believe This, Have I Got a Deal for You!


On the Capitol: Talk with Walker tour not open to all. (Wisconsin State Journal, 12/1/2012)


ESBCO Searches and Sessions in the South Central Library System



Point/Counterpoint on Broadband Internet Speeds

Wisconsin ranks 22nd in broadband Internet speeds. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/11/2013)


Almost 100.

I wonder if access has improved for Stoughton resident Marsha Borling.  (Stoughton!  Dane County!)

Fast Internet service spotty in rural areas. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/26/2011)

Excerpt: Fast, reliable access was as common as telephone service where she previously lived in the Chicago suburbs, according to Borling, a health care consultant who works from home. 

"This is like being in the Bermuda Triangle," she said about not having cable or wired broadband service in her neighborhood along the Yahara River. 

Borling and her neighbors use wireless devices for Internet access. But she says the wireless signal is unreliable and much slower than cable or wired service. 

"My husband and I have a cabin in northern Wisconsin that's literally in the middle of nowhere, and it has a much faster connection," Borling said.

Related post:  
Bill Esbeck, the Town of Dunn is on line 1.

The Town of Dunn is also located in Dane County.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers: Libraries adapt to support Wisconsin's communities



Education Funding: Not Yet 'Ripe for Discussion' in Some Quarters

Nass, Kedzie won't attend Fort forum. (Jefferson County Daily Union, 4/11/2013)



Photo credits:  Wisconsin State Legislature




Thursday, April 11, 2013

Touche: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Election -- Where Tony Evers Won in Washington County



Closest contest:  City of West Bend (Wards 4-6):  Pridemore 325, Evers 312.

Buncha hippies!

Washington County tally:
  • 15,440 - Don Pridemore (65.44%)
  •   7,773 - Tony Evers       (33.29%)


Related post:
Where Don Pridemore won in Dane County.  (4/11/2013)
Where Don Pridemore won in Milwaukee County.  (4/11/2013)

2013 State Superintendent of Public Instruction Election: Where Don Pridemore Won in Dane County


Dane County vote tally:
  • 67,226 - Tony Evers (79.0%)
  • 17,816 - Don Pridemore (20.9%)

Related post:
Where Don Pridemore won in Milwaukee County.  (4/11/2013)

2013 State Superintendent of Public Instruction Election: Where Don Pridemore Won in Milwaukee County



Total Milwaukee County vote
  • 37,950 - Don Pridemore
  • 63,459 - Tony Evers

Dreaming of a New Main Library in Boise



Boise Library Trustees to Open Book On 'Vision Project' to Study Future of Main Branch. (Boise Weekly, 4/1/2013)




Well, in this case, I certainly hope not.

Boise deserves better.  The dream needs to become a reality.

 

The Short Answer is "No"

Are local libraries in process of checking out? (Anchorage Daily News, 11/7/2009)

Excerpt:  When Loussac closed on weekends and Mondays last summer, it just seemed like more disappointment.  (And it was, indeed, a disappointing budget season for the library.)

But according to the screenshot in the slide below, the library is once again open on Mondays and weekends, and the cafe is open 66 hours per week, so I........


Merriam-Webster defines "trite" as "hackneyed or boring from much use: not fresh or original": Part 4

The Capital Times, February 28-29, 2004





Related posts:
Close the book.  (3/8/2013)
Library turns page.  (3/5/2013)

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Foghorn Leghorn for AAG



And to think this guy thought he had the stuff to be President.




Those dang Iowa Republicans; they'll gitcha every time.

Thompson drops out of GOP presidential race. Former senator finished far behind in first contests. (NBC, 1/22/2008)

Snark Alert: Another Newspaper Discovers That, By Gum, People are Still Using Libraries


NH libraries say they're busy in electronic age. (Manchester Union-Leader, 4/7/2013)

New libraries in
New libraries on the drawing board in 
Yeah, I know, I'm a bad person for poking fun at an article with its heart in the right place.

Wisconsin Club for Growth Looks at the U.S. with Rose-Colored Glasses

They say.
(received via email)

The people beg to differ.

Here's how it looks for Governors up for re-election in 2014.  Republicans hold 10 of the 12 lowest job approval ratings, according to the FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silver's Political Calculus.

The fact that Republican-led states have tons of disapproving voters is no coincidence.  (Highlights in Governor and party affiliation columns added by RG.)


The Republicans' Laser Focus on Jobs


Bill floated to ban use of aborted fetal tissue in scientific research. (Wisconsin State Journal, 4/10/2013)

Oshkosh Public Library's High Hopes Early Literacy Program

Sharon Grover, Head of Youth Services at Janesville's Hedberg Public Library, recently talked to my Public Library class.  One of the topics she covered is the growing willingness to emphasize the educational benefits of storytimes, particularly as they apply to early literacy and family literacy, as she and her staff are doing at Hedberg.

Since then I've been on the lookout for other examples.

High Hopes parent workshops at Oshkosh Public Library.  (Oshkosh Northwestern, 4/9/2013)

Excerpt (bold added):    High Hopes parent workshops complement the new High Hopes storytimes that the library started offering as a pilot project earlier this year. These sessions, offered on Wednesday mornings, integrate basic pre-literacy practices into a fun, interactive storytime program that parents and caregivers attend with their children. 

Libraries have always offered entertaining storytime programs that combine books, music and motion to encourage a love of reading. High Hopes storytimes integrate the same stories, songs, fingerplays and rhymes as a traditional storytime, but include playtime, as well as special library materials and instruction for parents.


Oshkosh Public Library

Not surprisingly, I now have this song in my head.

A little bit o' trivia from Retiring Guy's life. Saw A Hole in the Head at this theater while on a Nelson amily vacation

Next Generation Science Standards



National science standards likely to raise 'ruckus',(USA Today, 4/10/2013)

Next Generation Science Standards

Why Standards Matter

Standards arranged by Disciplinary Core Idea

Topic Arrangement of Next Generation Science Standards

Michelle Mau-Mau will certainly add to the 'ruckus'.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Milton Makes a Funny


22 Wisconsin Legislators Sponsor Nanny State Bill

Wisconsin farmers, grocers oppose junk food bill.  (Chippewa Herald, 4/8/2013)

Assembly Bill 110.   Relating to: a pilot program to limit foods under FoodShare and providing an exemption from rule-making procedures.


One of the G.O.P. principles.

I Believe … Good government is based upon the individual and that each person’s ability, dignity, freedom, and responsibility must be honored and recognized.

Not exactly practicing what they preach.

One Down, One to Go (NoRoJo 2016, Chapter 8)

Unlike Penney's, we in Wisconsin have to wait until 2016 to fire our Ron Johnson.


Related post:
Chapter 1.  (1/2/2013)
Chapter 2.  (1/10/2013)
Chapter 3.  (2/12/2013)
Chapter 4.  (2/13/2013)
Chapter 5   (3/11/2013)
Chapter 6.  (3/25/2013)
Chapter 7.  (4/8/2013)

Staying Ahead of the Learning Curve with Ebooks

Libraries struggle to keep up with e-book demand. (Oshkosh Northwestern, 4/8/2013)

Photo credit:  Winnefox Library System

Related posts:
"Books are dead yet," sez Salon.  (3/21/2013)
Ebooks and the hype of emerging technology.  (1/8/2013)
Based on this column graph, print books are not likely to go away anytime soon.  (1/2/2013)
Printed books still lead ebooks by a significant margin.  (12/28/2012)
Ebook market pauses to take a breath.  (12/25/2012)
Year-to-date book revenues:  Jan-Jul 2011 and Jan-Jul 2012.  (11/1/2012)
Libraries get screwed when it comes to price of and access to ebooks.  (9/10/2012)
Millennials lead the way....to fewer bookstores?  (8/22/2012)
Ebooks sliding down the peak of inflated expectations.  (8/18/2012)
Adult hardcover book sales hold their own, paperbacks sales drop in 1st quarter of 2012.  (6/17/2012)
Library ebook circulation skyrockets @ the Greendale Public Library and throughout Wisconsin.  (5/29/2012)
In so many words:  Libraries will have a place at the table. (4/30/2012)
3M Cloud Library ebook lending service goes beta at select libraries.  (4/28/2012)
Pew Research:  The rise of e-reading, summarized. (4/5/2012)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution attempts to get a handle on the ebook era.  (4/2/2012)
And I quote from "Bringing Up an E-Reader".  (3/29/2012)
The Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board weighs in on ebooks and libraries. (3/19/2012)
Carl Zimmer responds to Franzen.  (1/31/2012)
It's only Monday but this is still the best ebook headline of the week.  (1/20/2012)
Jonathan Franzen has something to say about ebooks.  (1/30/2012)
As they have been doing all along, libraries adapt to technology.  (1/29/2012)
Floating an Idea: The Harvard Library Innovation Laboratory's Library License.  (1/17/2012) 
Getting in line @ your library for ebooks.  (1/15/2012)
The Post-Christmas ebook sales surge. (1/10/2012)
Honey, we've been 'trying' it.  For years.  (12/25/2011)
Chris Bohjalian on our totemic connection to books.  (12/20/2011)
Hold that bricks-and-mortar bookstore obituary.  (12/13/2011)
Your local public library: The greenest option of all in the ebooks vs. print books debate.  (12/11/2011)
Go directly to Amazon, do not pass library.  (11/3/2011)
Ebooks in U.S. public libraries.  (10/22/2011)
How ebook buyers discover books.  (9/27/2011)
Cookbooks make the transition to digital publishing.  (9/27/2011)
Redefining what an ebook is and who gets to publish it. (9/19/2011)
The L.A.Times on ebooks: An Amazon tablet, push into interactivity. (9/16/2011)
The Economist:  "Great digital expectations".  (9/16/2011)
Lev Grossman presents a short history of the reading device..  (9/6/2011)
Speaking of gadgets, here's the latest iteration of ebooks.  (8/25/2011)
Sounds like another digital divide in the making.  (7/30/2011)
Libraries and ebooks:  Any book, not any time soon.  (6/1/2011)
On the distinction between the book reader and the book owner.  (5/10/2011)
Demand for ebooks grows exponentially in Wisconsin.  (5/2/2011)
Struggling to find an ebook common agenda between libraries and publishers.  (4/5/2011)
Ebooks and libraries:  "The challenges just keep piling up".  (3/28/2011)
Publishers Weekly tracks ebook sales.  (3/18/2011)
Word is getting out:  Ebooks @ your library.  (3/18/2011)
Ebooks continue to gain market share.  (3/17/2011)
Publishers look to bottom line in formulating ebook policies for libraries. (3/15/2011)
News stories on HarperCollins ebook decision go mainstream.  (3/5/2011)
9 years of book sales:  trade and ebook.  (2/17/2011)
Will ebook readers be wooed by Barbara Cartland?  (2/12/2011)
The impact of ebooks on libraries.  (2/11/2011)
OverDrive news release: Library eBook circs up 200% in '10. (1/10/2011)
Mashable: 5 ebook trends that will change the future of publishing. (12/29/2010)
Christmas 2010 the tipping point for ebooks?  (12/24/2010)
Ereader as brown paper bag.  (12/9/2010)
The ebook reader compatibility surprise.  (12/3/2010)
Ereader ownership:  Survey says....  (11/30/2010)
David Carnoy asks, "Does the Kindle pay for itself?" (11/29/2010)
Need to repair that ebook reader?  (11/19/2010)
Who uses an ereader:  Survey says....  (9/22/2010)
Book industry wrestles with print vs. pixels.  (9/2/2010)
Coming soon to a screen near you:  Ads in ebooks.  (8/20/2010)
Ebooks now comprise 8.5% of book sales. (8/12/2010)
Genre paperback publishers drops print.  (8/6/2010)
Ebooks and libraries.  (5/4/2010)
Ebooks eliminate a free form of adversiting:  the book jacket.  (3/31/2010)
Ebooks: another round of false promises?  (3/19/2010)
The skinny on ebooks.  (3/8/2010)
Hardcover vs. ebook:  Breaking down the costs.  (3/1/2010)

Morality in Media's Dirty Dozen: Top 12 Facilitators of Porn in America


 LINK


Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza? No, thanks, I'll pass

Why pizza, tacos, and Pop-Tarts have gone 'crazy.  (CNN Money, 4/8/2013)

Sandwich Monday: The Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza.  (NPR, 4/8/2013)





2 slabs and -- dingdingdingdingdingdingdingdingding -- and you've easily passed the halfway point of your recommeneded daily fat intake.

Wisconsin Public Library Support, by Public Library System (2011)