Sunday, September 30, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/29/2012

Kannazuki Print shows a man sitting on a veranda, reading, an incense urn next to him, and a woman standing at a door looking over his shoulder. Date Created/Published: [1770, printed later]

Daily Thoughts 09/29/2012

I read some of Finding My Elegy.  I rather like the poems.  There is a kind of stark, natural feeling to the poetry.  I also read some more of Madrigal's Magic Keys to Spanish, I am starting Chapter 35 right now.  I had to review a little bit of the book to get some concepts right.  Today has been very quiet.

Web Bits

Banned Books Week Timeline
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/timeline30-years-liberating-literature

Friday, September 28, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/28/2012

Anselm Feuerbach, The Fairy-tale Teller, 1866

Daily Thoughts 09/28/2012

I read a little bit of Madrigal's Magic Keys to Spanish on the way to work.  Right now, I am on chapter 34.  This morning, I checked the displays and the gift books.  I also updated the Twitter and Facebook page for the library.

It is Banned Books Week next week September 30-October 6, 2012.  I am going to work on a display for this.  http://bannedbooksweek.org/  I worked a bit on this today.

We had an ordering meeting today.  I have some money to order books with mainly nonfiction and some bestselling fiction.  I spent a little time checking the 800s in the mezzanine.  I also took a look at the graphic novels.

Web Bits

Ursula K. Leguin Northwest Poet
http://www.shelf-awareness.com/readers-issue.html?issue=133#m2552

Free Downloads
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/free_downloads

Freedom To Read
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/challengereporting

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/27/2012

Portrait of Leo Tolstoy in His Study, Moscow, The State Literature Museum, 1891

Daily Thoughts 09/27/2012

I have been reading The Kickstarter Handbook.  It is a fascinating book.  The process of crowdfunding used on this site for creative projects is explained in detail.  Most people are not aiming to make money initially on the site.  It is more focused on creating a new product like lamp shade kits, personalized watches, indie films, games, music cds, and other products.  I think this book will be quite useful for independent minded artists.

This morning, I checked the displays, the gift books, and the Facebook and Twitter pages for the library.  We are discussing ordering tomorrow.  Right now, I am looking at the collection management sheet where people write down patron suggestions.  We have a few requests for new computer books.

The computer lab is open from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. today.  I put the book, At the Mouth of the River of Bees by Kij Johnson on hold.  It is printed by Small Beer Press.  Small Beer Press press also published Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord which is based on Senegalese folk tales.

I spent some time checking the 800s in the mezzanine.  The clerks are checking some of the other sections; the computer books have been checked.  I also spent a little time on Kickstarter.  There is a publishing section on Kickstarter.  Some of the authors which I am aware of have done Kickstarter projects.  This is an example of a Kickstarter project done by the science fiction author Tobias Buckell http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1548859355/mitigated-futures?ref=live Tobias Buckell talked about Kickstarter at the O'Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing conference in 2011.

I finished reading The Kickstarter Handbook.  Even the failures which are described are interesting.  The whole process to me is captivating.  I especially liked the Crania Anatomica Filigre project on Kickstarter which succeeded.  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joshharker/crania-anatomica-filigre-me-to-you?ref=live

It was done with 3D manufacturing.  There is a new book out by Chris Anderson called Makers: The New Industrial Revolution.  One of the things which 3D printing can do is make art objects that were not possible before. 


Web Bits

Imaginary Friends-- A review of Michael Chabon's Telegraph Avenue in the New York Review of Books.
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2012/oct/11/imaginary-friends/

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/26/2012

The Ten Cent Breakfast, Willard Metcalf, 1887

Daily Thoughts 09/26/2012

This morning I watched a Spanish language instruction dvd.  Spanish language instruction is very popular at our library, especially, cd audiobooks and dvds.  People want media for language instruction more than books.

I checked the displays and updated the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  Also, the book, Finding My Elegy New and Selected Poems  by Ursula K. Leguin came in for me to read.  I spent some time checking the September 30, 2012 New York Times Book Review.

I also read the latest Forecast from Baker and Taylor.  There is a new book coming out by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in November called Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder.  Nassim Nicholas Taleb wrote The Black Swan.

The library has the Computer Lab open from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. today.  There are some people from the computer class on Tuesday practicing Microsoft Word.

There is a new beta catalog for the Westchester Library System at: http://westls.ent.sirsi.net/client/wls

Web Bits

An Open Letter to America's Publishers from ALA President Maureen Sullivan
http://www.ala.org/news/pr?id=11508

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/25/2012



Daily Thoughts 09/25/2012

This morning I read a bit more of Madrigal's Magic Keys to Spanish, I am on Chapter 32.  I also finished reading The End of Money.  The author is describing mobile phone payment systems.  He is specifically focusing on how mobile phone payment systems are being used in countries like Kenya and India instead of traditional banks by poor people to save money and pay bills.  It shows how financial transactions are changing.

This morning, I checked the displays, and updated the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  While I was looking through the new books, I picked up The Kickstarter Handbook Real-Life Crowdfunding Success Stories by Don Steinberg.  The computer books section is being checked right now.

I also spent a little bit of time discussing the computer lab.  I spent a little bit of time looking at Baker & Taylor's Forecast.  They list print run for books which is useful in determining whether or not a book will be popular.  Another source which gives a good indicator of future popularity is Booklist.  They have a tag which says High Demand Backstory on reviews which indicate a book will be very popular when it is released.  Earlyword.com also often picks up on very popular new releases as well as they are coming out.  

I spent a little more time checking the 800s in the mezzanine.  I try and do a little bit every day.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/24/2012

Hans Thoma, A Peaceful Sunday, 1876

Daily Thoughts 09/24/2012

This morning, I relaxed for a bit on the train.  I checked the displays and updated the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  I spent some time thinking about bookmarks and donations.  It has been quiet.

This afternoon, I spent a bit of time checking the new books and checking the 800s in the mezzanine.   I also spoke to a few people about programming.  We got a donation of new books from Disney/Hyperion publishers.  Many of them are young adult titles.

On the way home, I read some more of The End of Money.  David Wolman, the author, visits Iceland where there was a debate whether to join the Euro or stick with the local money, the Krona.  There is some discussion of how smaller countries are adopting larger countries currency like Panama which has adopted the United States dollar.  He also discusses virtual currencies like World of Warcraft gold and bitcoin.  This all has a very edgy feeling to it. It gets even more edgy when he visits Von Nothaus who is famous for creating the alternative currency the Liberty Dollar.  Von Nothaus was arrested by the federal government for creating a coinage competing with United States currency.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/23/2012


Yumeji Takehisa Postcard Showa Era

Daily Thoughts 09/23/2012

On Saturday, I watched a DVD on learning Spanish.

  I have been reading more of The End of Money Counterfeiters, Preachers, Techies, Dreamers-- And the Coming Cashless Society.  The book is quite interesting, but far fetched in some ways.

It reminded me of another book I've read, Boggs: A Comedy of Values by Lawrence Weschler.  Boggs is famous for making artistic depictions of money with his face on the bills as well as other peoples.  He questions how we value money.  Boggs is famous for offering either to pay his bills with the art he draws or real money.  He often does this in restaurants. The odd thing about this is that his artwork is worth far more than real money.

The End of Money has a similar feel to it.  The ideas being expressed are very valuable.  For example, it costs more to produce a United States penny than its face value, the same is currently true of nickels as well. They are being subsidized by United States citizens.  The value in metal is questionable in coinage because of the usefulness of the material involved.

The sections on counterfeiting are amazing.  Large bills like $100 bills subsidize and make certain kinds of crime more likely to happen.  There are many arguments in The End of Money much like this which are fundamental in how we interact with financial transactions.   Counterfeiting is political also, North Korea counterfeits United States bills.  Physical money like bills and coins is in essence dirty in the author, David Wolman's eyes.

On Friday night, I finished reading  The Comic Book History of Comics.  The authors, Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey's depiction of the eccentricities of Alan Moore are very funny.  I liked the background given on the graphic novel Watchmen.  There is also the story of artists rights in the comic book industry.  The original creators of Batman and Superman never got much money for their creations.

 The authors also do an excellent job of parodying Robert Crumb who is credited for making underground comix possible.  They correctly point out that late in his career, Robert Crumb moved to an isolated farm in the country so he could avoid his fans.   Now, Robert Crumb lives in the French countryside.  The authors also do a very interesting section on Osama Tezuka who is quite literally venerated as the god of all comics in Japan.  This is an enjoyable read with lots of tongue in cheek humor.

There is some adult content in The Comic Book History of Comics because they are also covering the history of underground comix, titles like Metal Hurlant the French version of Heavy Metal, and some very eccentric comics artists.  The story of Sheldon Meyer, the creator of Wonder Woman is a bit different.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/21/2012

Men reading headlines posted in street-corner of Brockton Enterprise newspaper office, Brockton, Mass.  Date Created/Published: 1940 Dec.  Part of: Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Collection 11671-1 Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-fsac-1a33873 (digital file from original slide) LC-USF351-25 (color film copy slide)

Daily Thoughts 09/21/2012

This morning, I read some more of The Comic Book History of Comics.  They are discussing the beginings of Silver Age comics.  Stan Lee is being discussed currently.  Stan Lee is known for his creation of Spiderman and The Fantastic Four.  His comics are still very popular.  I learned something surprising, Steve Ditko is a follower of Ayn Rand which I found a bit different.

I also read a little bit of Madrigal's Magic Keys to Spanish on the train, I am more than half way through the book.  I am hoping to watch some dvds on Spanish as well.

The book, The End of Money Counterfeiters, Preachers, Techies, Dreamers-- And the Coming Cashless Society by David Wolman came in for me to read.

This morning, I checked the displays and updated the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  I like to see what new books are coming in in the new book display.  I try and have a sense of what we own so I can make recommendations of titles to patrons.

 I also spent a little bit of time thinking about gifts and donations.  The Friends of the Library are having another book sale, November 1st through November 3rd.  I always like book sales.  The Friends of the Library have been downstairs sorting through the donated books in preparation for the big book sale.  Some of them are retired librarians or clerks who previously worked at this library.

I spent a little time checking the 800s in the mezzanine.

Today has been a quiet day.  Very peaceful.

While I was looking through the September 10, 2012 Publishers Weekly, I noticed an advertisement in Baen Books for a nonfiction book called A New American Space Plan by Travis S. Taylor.  The book is coming out on 11/15/2012.  I am considering purchasing it as an e-arc.

Web Bits

Back to the Drawing Board, Bob Kohn Files Another Comic Brief in DOJ Case
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/54057-back-to-the-drawing-board-bob-kohn-files-another-comic-brief-in-doj-case-.html

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/20/2012

Sugawara no Michizane Print shows Sugawara Michizane, full-length, standing next to a tree beneath a full moon, writing poetry. Date Created/Published: [188-] 

Daily Thoughts 09/20/2012

I finished reading Abundance The Future is Better than You Think last night.  It was a good reminder that we choose which technologies we are going to use and how we will use them.  Many of the choices we make as individuals affect how our future will happen.

This morning, I updated the Twitter and Facebook pages for the library.  I also checked the displays.  I read the latest Library Journal.  I also placed the book The end of money : counterfeiters, preachers, techies, dreamers-and the coming cashless society by David Wollman on hold.

We had the computer lab this afternoon between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

I spent some more time this afternoon looking at the new books.  The new travel books are quite popular.

Things are changing a bit.  We have a new director, Donna Hurwitz.

I read some of The Comic Book History of Comics on the train home.  It is very enjoyable.  The books images often parody the history of comics.  I like the pictures of Walt Disney with Mickey Mouse ears. This makes the book entertaining.  There are a lot of very eccentric artists in the history of comics.  I like reading about people like Hal Foster, Jack Kirby, Joe Siegel, Winsor McCay, Bob Kane, and Wil Eisner.  This book covers the major figures in comics history.  Right now, I am reading about Fredric Wertham who wrote Seduction of the Innocent a critique of comics which led to censorship of the comics industry and a number of legal battles.

Web Bits

Why Philip Roth Needs A Secondary Source by Cory Doctorow
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/sep/19/why-philip-roth-needs-secondary-source

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/19/2012

Sketchbook of Hans von Aachen, before 1625
Daily Thoughts 09/19/2012

I read a little bit more of Madrigal's Magic Keys to Spanish.  I finished Chapter 29.  I am getting past what I had learned previously in high school, so I might be going a little slower.  I also read some more of Abundance.  The authors are writing about education.  The one laptop per child initiative is praised.

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also did my daily check on e-mail reference.  I also spent some time looking at the monthly website statistics and the purchase alerts list for items that are on hold.

I am thinking a little bit about programming.  Programming Librarian has a calendar of events.  http://www.programminglibrarian.org/library/events-and-celebrations.html

I have the latest New York Times Book Reivew and Publishers Weekly to read.

The computer lab is open from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. today.

Web Bits

Codecademy Free Kits Help Kids and Educators Learn to Code
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/09/k-12/codeacademys-free-kits-help-kids-and-educators-learn-to-code/
I took a bunch of lessons on HTML and CSS and started on Javascript at Codecademy.  I really have to get back to this.  I ams surprised this made it into Library Journal online.

Forbes Folly The Real Net Worth of a Library Degree
http://www.americanlibrariesmagazine.org/features/09172012/forbes-folly
This reminds me how much public service is being critically examined.

The Social Library: How Public Libraries Are Using Social Media
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the-social-library-how-public-libraries-are-using-social-media.php?utm_source=LISNews

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/18/2012

Portrait of a man writing at a table. Hendrick Martensenz Sorgh, 1663

Daily Thoughts 09/18/2012

This morning, I spent some time reading Abundance.  The authors are writing about energy.  Most of the focus is on solar energy with a little bit on wind energy, smart grid technologies and biofuels.  There was nothing on wave energy which was disappointing and next to nothing on geothermal energy.  Still it was interesting.  They discuss the concept of how Moore's law affects photovoltaics in a similar way that it affects semiconductors.  This is description of how photovoltaic costs are plummeting over time. http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2011/03/16/smaller-cheaper-faster-does-moores-law-apply-to-solar-cells/

I also finished reading The Rapture of the Nerds last night on the train home.  It was very enjoyable and quite ironic.  I will probably write about it later.

I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  I also checked the displays and the gift books.   The career counselor is here today.  She does 45 minute sessions.  The computer lab is also open between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m..

I sometimes don't get a chance to read all the books which I check out.  I returned a bunch of material today.  I also spent a little bit of time looking at the local paper online.

The library has the Computer Classes tonight.  I spent a little time setting up the lab.  This week is Constitution Week from September 17 to September 23, 2012 http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/education/constitution_week.html

Web Bits

How a Small Net Zero Energy Library Got the Worlds Attention
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2012/09/buildings/lbd/how-a-small-net-zero-energy-library-got-the-worlds-attention-library-by-design/

Monday, September 17, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/17/2012

Dans la Bibliothèque (1872). Oil on canvas. Auguste Toulmouche.

Daily Thoughts 09/17/2012

I read some more of Abundance  this weekend.  There is quite a bit on technophilanthropy which is often focused on global issues.  The Bill Gates Foundation addresses issues like sanitation which can effect everyone.  There is also some material on the concept of dematerialization.  This is how objects are becoming increasingly smaller and being computerized.  A cell phone now functions as a camera, telephone and  in some cases computer.  This changes the amount of material needed to make things.  This especially true with nanotechnology.   Earlier in the book, the authors cite the book, Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology by Eric K. Drexler which was written in 1987.

I also read a little more of Madrigal's Magic Keys to Spanish.

I am enjoying reading The Rapture of the Nerds A tale of the singularity, posthumanity, and awkward social situations.  I am finding it both funny and ironic.  Cory Doctorow and Charles Stross seem to be writing a fractured science fiction novel.  The main character Huw dislikes technology.  Many of the ideas in a typical science fiction novel are turned on their heads.  The writing is different because it includes things like taking baths, swearing, and eating which are the every day things often left out of science fiction novels.

 The future is not so wonderful and the human condition seems to prevail.  It even prevails with various ideas like uplifted gibbons and artificial intelligence devices.  They are often as cantankerous as the people in the story.

Ellen Datlow was part of the editorial team for The Rapture of the Nerds.  I think this adds to the story with some strong characterization.

I put the book Finding my elegy : new and selected poems, 1960-2010 by Ursual Le Guin on hold.  

The Comic Book History of Comics by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey came in for me to read.  It is the history of comics in comic book form.

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts.  

Web Bits

What Popular Culture Is Telling Us About Libraries
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2012/09/opinion/backtalk/what-popular-culture-is-telling-us-about-libraries-and-why-we-should-listen-backtalk/

Print On Demand: Major Announcement Could Change How You Buy Books
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/13/print-on-demand-books-espresso_n_1882616.html?ref=topbar

Friday, September 14, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/14/2012

Samuel Stillman Osgood, Portrait of Edgar Allen Poe at the National Portrait Gallery, 1845, Oil on Canvas.

Daily Thoughts 09/14/2012

I read more of Abundance this morning.  The authors are writing about the future of food production.  It includes a number of subjects which I find interesting including vertical farms, aquaponics, aeroponics, integrated aquaponic farms, and cultured meat.

I came in a little early to work this morning.  We had a meeting which went well.  I spent a little time writing my thoughts down.  I checked the displays, the new books, and updated the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  Arts Westchester is bringing in a new exhibit with proposed statues that are being suggested for the library.  It should be quite interesting.

I also looked at Library Journal Online, Lisnews, Publishers Weekly Online, and the various LinkedIn groups I belong to to see if there was any news of interest. 

This afternoon there was an installation put in the Rotunda Gallery of three different models of sculptures that are finalists for a proposed sculpture in front of the children's room.  This is Sponsored by the library and Arts Westchester.  The sculptures are interesting to look at.

I checked out Volume 1 and Volume 2 of Smart Spanish which is a language instruction cd audiobook.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/13/2012

Robert Martineau, Last Chapter, 1863
 
Daily Thoughts 09/13/2012

This morning, I relaxed and took some time to think on the train to work.  There will be a new exhibit coming in the gallery soon in the rotunda.

I checked the Facebook and Twitter account for the library.  I also took some time to look at the new books this morning.  I always enjoy looking at the new books.  We have some new Batman, Fantastic Four, Spiderman and other traditional superhero comics.  We have a group of young men who like superhero comics.  They often read the graphic novels before they go on cybercorner to use the internet.

I spent some time checking the poetry section in the mezzanine today.  The library has the Computer Lab open today from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. today.  I helped someone set up an email account today.

I am looking at Richard Stark's Parker The Score Adapted and Illustrated by Darwyn Cooke.  It is a graphic novel in very stark yellow, orange, black, white, and brown.  Richard Stark is a pseudonym for Donald E. Westlake, the mystery writer.  Parker is a very hard edged professional criminal in this story.  He is a master thief, bank robber, and criminal organizer.  The feel of the story is very much a 1950s crime noire.  It is a large scale criminal caper.

I read a bit more of Abundance.  I rather like the idea that the concept of Cornucopia is a counter philosophy to Malthusian ideas about overpopulation.  If Cornucopia works it is better than overpopulation.

I also read some more of Margarita Madrigal's Magic Keys to Spanish.  I finished Chapter 25.  I think I am beginning to understand things a little better.

Web Bits

Vintage Ads for Libraries and Reading
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/09/11/vintage-ads-for-libraries-and-reading/

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/12/2012

Ex-libris of P. F. Madigan (Patrick Francis Madigan, book dealer in New York?); figure reading a book (by Kelmscott Press), in the background "Madigans Bookshop", Before 1907 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ex_libris_of_P_F_Madigan.jpg

Daily Thoughts 09/12/2012

This morning on the train to work, I read a little bit more of Abundance.  The authors are writing about Ray Kurzweil and Gordon Moore who have had a big impact on technology.

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  I also checked the displays and gift books.  We are getting new books every day for the new books display.  People like it. I also spent a little time in the local history room looking at pictures and clippings.  There are quite a few old pictures of the library in the files.  http://www.mountvernonpubliclibrary.org/Library-in-pictures

We have the computer lab today from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Some of the students from the computer classes on Tuesdays come in to practice typing and other things in the lab.

I did a little more checking of the 800s in the mezzanine.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/11/2012

[Reading room, view toward the delivery room, Carnegie Library and Music Hall, Allegheny City, Pennsylvania] Date Created/Published: [ca. 1890]

Daily Thoughts 09/11/2012

This morning, I updated the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  We have a display next to the circulation desk for 9/11 remembrance.  I also checked the other displays and the gift books.

We have the computer classes this Tuesday evening.  There was also a meeting with the new director in the afternoon.  I did a tiny bit more checking the 800s in the mezzanine.

The book, The Rapture of the Nerds A tale of the singularity, posthumanity, and awkward social situations by Cory Doctorow and Charles Stross came in for me to read.  Cory Doctorow writes columns for Locus Magazine and Publishers Weekly.  He is one of my favorite authors.

On the way home, I read some more of Margarita Madrigal's Magic Keys to Spanish, I am on Chapter 23 now.  I also read some of Abundance The Future Is Better Than You Think.  It is currently about how people tend to create a much more pessimistic view of the future than is actually occurring.  They are also trying to create a philosophical and material approach to the future which will guarantee food, shelter, education, water, and comfort for all of humanity which is very positive.

Web Bits

Something Old, Something New, Dicing Data at NYPL Labs
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/09/digital-libraries/something-old-something-new-dicing-data-at-nypl-labs-cover-story/

Monday, September 10, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/10/2012

Daydreaming. Signed A Seifert. Oil on panel. 24.2 x 17.6 cm by 1901
Daily Thoughts 09/10/2012

This morning I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  I also checked the displays.  The library is doing a display on 09/11.

I checked out the book, Revolution 2.0 The Power of the People is Greater Than the People In Power by Wael Ghonim.  In addition, I put the book, Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon on hold.

Today has been a quiet day.  We have the computer lab open today.  I read through the latest copy of Booklist and am currently reading through the New York Times Book Review.

We are having a meeting tomorrow.  I am looking at a book called Abundance The Future Is Better Than You Think by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler.  It is a book filled with technological optimism.  I like to think there is a better future ahead.


Sunday, September 9, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/09/2012



Daily Thoughts 09/09/2012

I finished reading We Are Anonymous Inside the World of Lulzsec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyberinsurgency by Parmy Olson.  This is focused on true crime.  I was more interested in the books content on hacktivism.  It focuses on three people mainly, Jake Davis who's identity online is Topiary, Sabu whose real name is Hector Monsegur, and Kayla who is Ryan Mark Ackroyd who were members of Lulzsec.

The action takes place in message boards starting with the network called 4Chan.  4Chan is famous for having generated LOLcats and is an image sharing network.  Also, at least according to this book, it is the place of origin for Anonymous.  (IRC) Internet Relay Chat rooms provided anonymous places for people to meet. To me, this is amazing.

 I don't think any kind of electronic network from computers to telephones is ever completely secure.  Care should be used on all forms of electronic communication.  Even having a computer monitor turned on makes a person using a computer possibly susceptible to eavesdropping because of the electromagnetic emissions from a monitor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Eck_phreaking 

What I am really interested in is the changes that occurred because of Anonymous in places like Tunisia and Egypt.  There is a new book by a Google executive, Wael Ghonim who created a Facebook page on the Egyptian revolution and wrote a book about how computers changed Egypt called Revolution 2.0.  While We Are Anonymous includes quite a bit on hacktivism, it is very different than what I was expecting.  There is also a very brief mention of some members of Anonymous being involved with the Occupy Movement.

The focus in We Are Anonymous is about security and anti-security, hackers who want "information to be free", and security people who want to protect companies assets.  There is quite a bit about copyright, Sony, and Wikileaks in this book.  Parmy Olson, the author, also describes denial of service attacks against Paypal, Mastercard, and Bank of America.  This again shows how vulnerable electronic banking and online transactions are.  The book has a lot of information in it.

There is some use of the phrase "Information Wants to be Free" which has a variety of possible meanings.  It is something which I have heard often with different attributions.  I can think of free as in open source, free to be recreated, or free as in price.  The different meanings make me a bit ambivalent.  http://www.rogerclarke.com/II/IWtbF.html

 The story also involves Julian Assange and Wikileaks.   It also touches on a security company called HBGary  Federal.  This includes a lot on Facebook. According to the book, HBGary Federal, a company with government ties surveilled people on Facebook. Parmy Olson, the author, shows how careful people need to be when providing information on social networks like Facebook.  There were descriptions of prank hacking against people which left them very exposed.

 Anonymous, as it is described in this book is very much focused on clashing with surveillance companies, government agencies, and other organizations.  I was stunned while reading about Lulzsec's attack on the FBI's computers.  What made it even more incredible was the idea that the group did it for the lulz, or as a kind of dark prank.  Later in the book, Anonymous has disagreements with Lulzsec.

The story got even more interesting when Lulzsec, briefly takes down the servers of 2600. 2600 has been around for quite a while and has done a lot of work with the Electronic Frontier Foundation. http://www.2600.com/covers/01871.gif

Some of the examples in the book, We Are Anonymous are over the top.  A lot of the language is imagined conversations in chat rooms between hackers.  The writing at times has a surreal quality to it.  This is because the author tries to recreate the language used inside chat rooms like BRB-- Be Right Back, lulz, and other in group slang.

At  the end of the book, most of the members of a small offshoot of Anonymous, Lulzsec are caught.  However, as the book describes it, Anonymous is a large amorphous, quickly changing organization, with lots of secrecy and different groups inside it.

The book has lots of dialogue in it.  It also includes extensive notes and sources which often came directly from interviews, there is a timeline of the story in the book, and a glossary with terms.  I learned a whole slew of new words and ideas.

The story was informative and intricate. The author, Parmy Olson is the London Bureau chief for Forbes magazine. 

I read some more of Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish today.  I am on Chapter 21 right now.  I also took some time to look up some words in Harper Collins Spanish English Dictionary.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/07/2012

Lady Writing A Letter With Her Maid, Johannes Vermeer, circa 1670-1671
Daily Thoughts 09/07/2012

This morning, I checked the displays and the gift books.  I also updated the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  I also did the monthly statistics for programs.  Our computer lab is doing well.  I have been thinking a little bit about the ordering process.  Some of the 900s are being moved to the mezzanine and shifted.

There are still lots of new books coming in.  I enjoy looking at new books.  Our library has a large order of travel books coming in.  I checked out the Harper Collins Spanish English Dictionary.  

Web Bits

How To Make An E-book Cover for Non-designers-- Free Ebook
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0096FR8NW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0096FR8NW&linkCode=as2&tag=greecarddesi-20&goback=%2Egmp_2414597%2Egde_2414597_member_160315356

Is Publishing The Future of Search?
http://blog.publishingtechnology.com/blogs/publishing-future-search/
The idea that Google has bought Frommer's and Zagat is quite interesting. 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/06/2012

Statue of Anonymous in Budapest http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anonymous_-_Budapest_6_2006.jpg

Daily Thoughts 09/06/2012

There is a reception for the new director this evening from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m..  I think it will go well.  I updated the Facebook and Twitter pages for the library this morning.

On the way to work, I read more of We Are Anonymous.  It is kind of interesting.  The author describes botnet attacks, social engineering, and denial of service attacks used by hackers.  She also describes how the first major example of hacktivism was against scientology.  There are also sections on Pirate Bay, copyright protests, and Wikileaks.

The computer lab was open from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. today.  I also placed the book, How to Create A Mind: The Secrets of Human Thought Revealed by Ray Kurzweil on hold.  Ray Kurzweil also wrote The Singularity is Near.  This book is at least partially about artificial intelligence.


I noticed that Baker and Taylor bought parts of Follett and has purchased BWI.  We order some of our material from BWI and also have an account with Baker and Taylor.  This is a change which should be quite interesting.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/book-news/libraries/article/53843-follett-sells-part-of-bwi-to-b-t.html?goback=%2Egmp_2655023%2Egde_2655023_member_160093090

Web Bits

DOJ Briefing on Ebook Case in Comic Book Form
http://www.scribd.com/embeds/104906877/content?start_page=1&view_mode=&access_key=key-10d80ioh76stj2r8mue0&imm_mid=093e3e&cmp=em-toc-newsletters-sept5-elist

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/05/2012

Portrait of John Keats, listening to a nightingale on Hampstead Heath, 1845

Daily Thoughts 09/05/2012

We have a new director at our library.  It feels very different.  This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  I also checked the displays and the gift books.  Because people were out, I had to do the computer lab a little bit later from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.  I helped someone close out their email and Facebook accounts.

I also read the latest New York Times Book Review and Publishers Weekly today.  There were some copies of Love and Rockets, the comic book in the gifts as well as a set of Neil Gaiman, Sandman graphic novels.

I am reading something a little different, We Are Anonymous Inside the Hacker World of LulzSec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyberinsurgency by Parmy Olson.  It is both about cyber crime and hacktivism.  The book is categorized as true crime.  It reminds me of The Hacker Crackdown by Bruce Sterling which is an earlier book about hacking. The book has a slightly rude, sensational, irreverent feel to it which is entertaining. 

Web Bits


Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/04/2012



Daily Thoughts 09/04/2012

This morning, I finished reading Evolutionaries by Carter Phipps. I enjoyed the philosophy and ideas in the book.  However, it failed for me in some ways.  There was very little about the science of evolution, history of science, or philosophy of science in the book.  It is hard for me to accept that a book which claims to combine a science, evolution, with philosophy and religion does not include enough material on science.  For example, there is one sentence mentioning Einstein's view of god.  It would have been interesting to have some material on physicists views on religion. 

There are also terms like cosmic which are used without any background in cosmology in the book.  The feeling is one of a kind of mystical foggy view of science.  I saw no references to more advanced topics in science like superdeterminism, information theory, quantum physics, or even evolutionary biology.

 There is also a tiny bit on Darwin.  I had hoped there would be more on Darwin's ethical views which are quite interesting.  Darwin was very much against slavery.

The reason to read Evolutionaries is to learn some very interesting views on philosophy and religion in relation to evolution as a concept.  I especially liked the section on transhumanism which is the closest idea to science in this book.

This morning, I checked the displays.  We have a lot of new books out in the new book display area.  More are coming in.  I also checked the gift books and updated the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.

I have a copy of Publishers Weekly and the September 2, 2012 issue of the New York Times Book Review to read.  Also, the graphic novel Days of Destruction Days of Revolt by Chris Hedges and Joe Sacco has come in for me to read.  It looks like a very polarized book.

Web Bits

Library as Platform
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2012/09/future-of-libraries/by-david-weinberger/

How Copyright Enforcement Robots Killed the Hugo Awards
http://io9.com/5940036/how-copyright-enforcement-robots-killed-the-hugo-awards



Monday, September 3, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/03/2012

Bakery window page, A Little Book for A Little Cook, L.P. Hubbard, Pillsbury,1905

Daily Thoughts 09/03/2012

I have been reading more of Evolutionaries.  The author, Carter Phpps, is writing about Spiral Dynamics which is a very radical theory about the evolution of culture.  I found it to be very odd.  He writes about an even more radical philosophy in the next chapter, Integral Studies which is a philosophy focused on finding the common links between all the different fields of knowledge.  It is on the very edge of academia. This is a quote on Ken Wilber from the book.
For Wilber, every event in the manifest world can be viewed from any one of these four perspectives: individual interior (I), collective interior (we), individual exterior (it), and collective exterior (its).

This is a very radical notion.  The book right now is getting quite interesting, if a bit hard to follow.  Carter Phipps wrote for a magazine called Enlighten Next something which I have never read.  I looked at the site which Enlighten Next is from and it is basically a religious organization focused on something called "evolutionary  enlightenment."  It looks like a syncretic philosophy pulling together religion and science.  It is not something that I am part of.  Now, that I am looking at the site, the presentation is very toned down in the book.

As I read more of the book, I am coming across the same names in philosophy and religion repeatedly, Teilhard De Chardin and Sri Aurobindo who both had very radical notions of the place of man in the universe.  Other names which came up are R. Buckminster Fuller and Alfred North Whitehead.  The book is a very potent mix of ideas.  There are also a number of people who seem to have very different worldviews like Barbara Hubbard.

I also read some more of Margarita Madrigal's Magic Keys to Spanish. I am slowly getting a better grasp of Spanish.  I also have been doing the exercises in How to Keep People from Pushing Your Buttons.  

Today is Labor Day so the library is closed.  I plan on getting a copy of a Spanish dictionary when I get back to work.  I also plan on working on ordering and a few other things.


Saturday, September 1, 2012

Daily Thoughts 09/01/2012


At the Tomb of Omar Khayyam, in From Constantinople to the Home of Omar Khayyam, pre-1911 image.

Daily Thoughts 09/01/2012

I have been reading more of Evolutionaries.  The author is writing about more modern philosophy, Hegel, Voltaire, and Integral philosophy.  This is new territory for me.  I have mostly read the classics and Greek and Roman philosophy. I read another chapter in Madrigal's Magic Keys to Spanish and How to Keep People from Pushing Your Buttons.

One of the keys to succeeding with task oriented books is to read a little bit every day and do some of the exercises every day.  It is the ideal of steady progress which succeeds in the end.

I have been on vacation, relaxing mostly.

We sometimes order inspirational or christian fiction because our patrons ask for it.  Amish fiction is quite popular so is historical fiction set in the holy land.  There is a separate award for Christian fiction called the Christys. http://www.christyawards.com/ca_new/  Beverly Lewis, Kendra Norma-Bellay, and Kimberla Lawson Roby are extremely popular.  There is also an imprint called Urban Christian http://www.urbanbooks.net/Urban-Christian/index.html focused on redemption which is a kind of counter to urban fiction.

Web Bits

The Woman Reader by Belinda Jack was listed on lisnews.com today.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0300120451/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0300120451&linkCode=as2&tag=xj9k72-20