Cryptogram Time

So noone goes into cryptogram withdrawl, here is one for today (answer on Saturday)

CFLKFLOY EQCP QKS HPKY HFYO DKJW YOP UBFPY VBII DG CPQLPX YXQGGFE QJDKL YOP VPQEO.

Kiss Me Baby, I Can Swim...

One of my sisters used to say that all of the time to her kids. This fish, via the Presurfer Blog is perfect for that one. And don't let anyone call you fishlips....

Murder in Winnebago County by Christine Husom

I'm pretty excited to meet the author of Murder in Winnebago County tonight!

Winnebago County is a fictional Minnesota County. I appreciate Minnesota authors and the vivid local settings the more I read them. Christine's story could be set just down the street, if I lived in a more rural area.

Murder in Winnebago County is a tale of revenge, madness and the sort of ugly secrets so many people apparently carry just beneath the surface of their busy lives.

Anyone who likes police procedurals will enjoy the book, you feel like you're right there with officer Corrine. Though not a detective she has the instincts, logic and an incredibly keen eye for human nature and character. As the series progresses, if she makes investigator, look out bad guys.

I loved the backstory for the main character, she is so well fleshed out, and her family and friends are not stock characters, but they sound as if she is lovingly describing people she knows.

The next two books in the series are Buried in Wolf Lake and An Altar by the River. I hoping to snap up copies of those tonight.

A romance note: pick Smoke, dump slimy Nick.

Ye Rebus Answer

A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road.
Henry Ward Beecher

10,000

Ha ha, the Blogger from the Land of 10,000 Lakes and a variety of puddles (really alot of rain this week) has finally reached 10,000 views on my site meter. Since this is the second or so meter, and the first one just stopped counting, I say it is legit, and ta da. That is all.

The Secret World

This game is being developed by Funcom, who do Age of Conan, but this seems to be a very interesting combination of puzzle and adventure and who knows what?

The Secret World, making the world blog post with developer Joel Bylos.

Crytogram Answer

DPS XBYAR JBHTA’V UBMBQCYM VNEQD VJEQMSF PERP EA DPS TEQ TV VPS VWYA DPQBYRP DPS EADQEUTDS VDSWV BC DPS FTAUS, QSOSTMEAR MEDPS, HYVUYMTQ LQBJA MSRV.

The young woman’s colorful skirt swirled high in the air as she spun through the intricate steps of the dance, revealing lithe, muscular brown legs.

From Longarm and the Bloody Relic by Tabor Evans (Number 390 in the long running series.)

Rebus Day at D.O.A.

Here is a charming quote:

Click to Enlarge


Answer on Sunday 6/26

The Art of the Adventures of Tintin from Weta Workshop

Doesn't this sound wonderful, even if I haven't read the TinTin books, I know I'm going to like the film. Adults and kids have come into the library for years trying to track down the series to read and re-read.

The D.O.A. Files: Library Roll-Play

Even in a place where most things can be borrowed for free, some things JUST DISAPPEAR, causing problems for everyone who deals with these unexpected losses.

Click to Enlarge

Today's Cryptogram

Here is an example of a longer cryptogram. Much easier, right?

DPS XBYAR JBHTA’V UBMBQCYM VNEQD VJEQMSF PERP EA DPS TEQ TV VPS VWYA DPQBYRP DPS EADQEUTDS VDSWV BC DPS FTAUS, QSOSTMEAR MEDPS, HYVUYMTQ LQBJA MSRV.

Answer on Thursday the 23rd.

Saturday's Cryptogram Answer

The Cryptogram and answer:

TZ QOG OKVZPDW EOR FTND ZPD YVWKTKS VL ZPD QVWFE.

IT WAS ANOTHER DAY LIKE THE MORNING OF THE WORLD.

From Death of a Perfect Wife by M.C. Beaton

Galaxy Project Writing Contest

Via Robert J. Sawyer on FB, a writing contest to bring the imagination filled tales from Galaxy Magazine into the 21st Century.

Submit a 15-20k novella or novelette to the Galaxy Project Contest by September 2, 2011. Fortune and Glory.

Muppet Domination Indeed

Character Name Generators

Whether you're writing a story or creating a character for other nefarious purposes, sometimes you can't think of just the right name.

This is where Character Name Generators come in handy. They will give you random name selections or allow you to make some choices or adaptations to generated names. All you need to do is click and you're off on a new adventure.


Seventh Sanctum

http://www.seventhsanctum.com/index-name.php

Dungeons and Dragons Character Name Generator

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20010208b

Behind the Name Random Name Generator

http://www.behindthename.com/random/

Fictional Character Name Generator

http://www.jimwegryn.com/Names/FictionNames.htm




ASR Klingon Character Name Generator

http://www.alt-starfleet-rpg.org/misc/klingonnamegen.html

Generator Land Character Name Generator with personality, occupation and hometown

http://www.generatorland.com/glgenerator.aspx?id=44&rlx=y

PANDA WOW Name Generator

http://wow.wolfdragon.net/panda-wow-name-generator/



Character Name Generator
For your D&D, fantasy, or sci-fi roleplaying character.

http://www.dilloscape.com/generatorz/cng.htm

Quizopolis Halloween Character Name Generator (this site site has other themes too.)

http://www.quizopolis.com/halloween-character-name-generator.php

All the Fantasy Name Links

http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/fantasylinks.htm

Chris Pound’s Language Machines

http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~pound/

Voidstate’s Exalted name Generator

http://www.voidstate.com/name_generator/

Wordlab's Character Name Generator

http://www.wordlab.com/name-generators/character-name-generator/

Short Story Ideas Character Generator

http://shortstoryideas.herb.me.uk/characters.htm


SquidOrgs RPG Random Generator


Regency Name Generator

http://www.squid.org/tools/random/index.php

http://www.ugoi.net/nonsense/name.html

More fun with First Lines at "Hey there's a Dead Guy in the Living Room"

Serendipity! Over at Hey there's a Dead Guy in the Living Room, Robin Agnew is also thinking about the charm and appeal of First Lines. There is a contest to guess which books the list of posted first lines is from.

Sharpen those tacky brains and try to guess them!

First Lines Cryptograms

I had the scathingly brilliant idea yesterday to do a series of Cryptograms from first lines of books that came across my desk.

Cryptograms substitute letters of the alphabet in a phrase or sentence and they're in a sort of code. I'm not clever enough by far to make up my own codes, so I'm using several sites which allow me to make cryptograms from my first lines. So, I'll post the cryptographically altered first line today and will post the title and author of the book on Tuesday the 21st. Two days is plenty to solve it, right?

Lots more where this came from, so consider it that rare thing here at D.O.A. Central, a Regular Feature.

The Cryptogram:

TZ QOG OKVZPDW EOR FTND ZPD YVWKTKS VL ZPD QVWFE.


To get started, write out the alphabet on a piece of paper and look for recurring letters in the sentence, and make educated guesses as to what they might be. Then ponder what makes sense in an English sentence for the rest of the words. As I was looking for first lines and reading about Cryptograms, I found that longer sentences work well because you have more recurring letters, and that first lines of dialogue or with alot of proper names don't work well. I know this one is short, but it was the one that triggered the idea and I just plain liked the sound of the sentence.

Exit Stage Right...Door

I'm getting acclimated to my new spot in the BIG LIBRARY. Still, when the alarm went off for an

EMERGENCY EXIT DOOR


I knew right away what it was, but Dept.of Oops, I didn't know where the offending door was. Nevertheless, like a tracker dog my beagles would be proud of, I followed the klaxon noise and the shrieks of the child who had opened the door (they are always sooo surprised at the loud noise) and was able to restore order.

Later on in the day when it went off again, I was farther away and others restored peace but hey hey, I could have walked right to that dang door if need be.

The Horn Book Awards

Just in time for summer recommended reading, the Boston Globe -Horn Book Awards for children have been announced.

They are a nice mix of fiction and non-fiction, picture books and chapter books.

I note the book Chime by Frannie Billingsly on the honor book list-highly recommended by my co-workers but unread by me so far.

On the Desk: Summer Reading

Click to Enlarge


Summer Reading Club has begun at libraries across the country, including our very own. You would not believe, unless you work in a library or take your own small person in to sign up how excited kids are to join. They love talking to the librarian one on one while they sign up, and later they are so enthusiastic about books they're reading for the pure joy of it. You can't get this kind of customer interaction anywhere else, but in a library.

Librarian D.O.A.'s June Garden 2

Librarian D.O.A.'s photostream on Flickr.

Here is the progress in my garden. Trying Flickr for this show. Wishing it had transitions and other cute bling. The garden will need to Bling on it's own. The Beagle still doesn't like his picture taken, as you can see.

Hmmpf here is the actual slideshow. Tricksy.

Welcome to my Garden

We took down our white picket fence this year and put up a privacy fence on a smaller section of yard. This makes the neighborhood a little quieter on the baying beagle alert front, and much calmer on the neighbor on a stick front. Soooo...also dealing with a wierdly cold then hot spring/summer beginning. The garden has a long way to go, but here is the new garden's beginning. Note: the beagles, as you can see, do not like the new fence. They can HEAR the enemy going by, but they can't SEE them unless they lay their head sideways and look under the gates.

Yesterday's Rebus Answer

Deucedly simple:

Ask

Listen

Learn

Know

Rebus Time

Here is a simple Rebus for you Rebus fans.

As always, click to enlarge