Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Good Afternoon, Good Evening


One of the best possible uses of a dollar bill. A dead president becomes an elephant.

Good Afternoon

This morning, I spent a little time working on my post on the concept of a turbine future. I just felt compelled to write something a little different.

I had my coffee this morning, so I am feeling pretty good. I spent an hour and a half weeding the social sciences books, then I spent another hour and a half going over social science titles to buy.

As usual, I found something interesting to order, The First Billion Is The Hardest, Reflections On A Life of Comebacks and America's Energy Future by T. Boone Pickens. This book is supposed to have a complete description of his energy plan and investments in alternative energy. If this is true, it would be an interesting opportunity for exploring some green investments.

I got a few minutes to look at the new books which came in. I put a few books on display, and put aside two items to read, Impact, How To Get Noticed, Motivate Millions, and Make a Difference in a Noisy World by Ken McArthur and Rebel Visions The Underground Comix Revolution 1963-1975 by Patrick Rosenkrantz. This book is published by Fantagraphics which is my favorite of the alternative comic book publishers. Fantagraphics publishes The Comics Journal. This book is definitely for adults. It has mature content. The book lists a lot of very interesting comics artists, Bill Griffith, R. Crumb, Vaughn Bode, Richard Corben, Kim Deitch, Denis Kitchen, Dan O'Neill, Art Spiegelman, Trina Robbins, and many others.

This morning, I also spent some more time reading Groundswell. It is describing how to put together message boards, blogs, and community sites for corporations. It even gives some guidelines on how to choose which type of social networking tool for a company. I think I will finish reading it on the train home tonight.

Now, that I am not clicking away at Entrecard, I got a chance to look at some book sites.

This is a rather interesting article from Library Journal. http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6592086.html?desc=topstory
It is absolutely true in my experience that we cannot provide enough computers with internet access at our library. From the moment we open to the moment we close there are people waiting to use computers to get internet access. We expand the internet access and more people come to use the computers. People get an hour to use the internet per day. At my local library, there is usually a waiting list for the computers as well. I usually have to wait for half an hour to a full hour to get the computers.

Like many of the people waiting for the computers at the library I work at, I am looking for some light reading while I wait. Many people read graphic novels (comic books), magazines, or the newspapers while they are waiting for their turn. I usually read graphic novels while I am waiting if I go to my local library.

I was looking at Locus magazine and saw an interesting book which I want to get for the library (as well as for my own reading) Cory Doctorow, Content: Selected Essays On Technology, Creativity, Copyright and the Future of the Future. Cory Doctorow is a fairly important figure in the history of intellectual freedom on the internet. This is a brief bio from his site.

3 comments:

Ken McArthur said...

Hope you enjoy Impact: How to Get Noticed, Motivate Millions and Make a Difference in a Noisy World!

I'd be very interested in hearing what you think about my work.

Lot's of exciting things going on with people putting it into practice. We just finished up an Impact Boot Camp with a hundred people who are taking our message that anyone can make a difference and be heard in a noisy world to a crowd of 2,000 people in Long Beach at the end of September and trying to raise awareness, education and access to resources for preventing teen suicides.

Check out:

http://SpeakUpSaveLives.org

or

http://theimpactfactor.com

Thanks for reading my book!

All the best,

Ken

Ken McArthur

Book Calendar said...

Hi, Ken,
Yes, I started reading your book on the train this evening. So far, it is quite interesting. Often people don't realize how much a simple moment where a simple decision happens can change their lives forever. Sometimes it is as simple as crossing the street.

Book Calendar said...
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