Scrappy D.O.A.

Next weekend D.O.A. Sister #3 (of 5) and I are going on our second annual Scrapbook Retreat. I was rather new to scrapping then and had no idea what to expect or what to bring. I traveled really light, and had only one project (Disney trips) to work on, not many photos, and lots of blaringly brightly colored Mouse themed paper and stickers. Others there were hauling in huge black trunks and the large plastic drawers you can get, full of *stuff*. I was beyond intimidated. In the year since, I have found my scrapping feet, and accumulated mucho scrapping supplies. I will be bringing 4 projects worth of photos so I don't get burnt out (you scrap 12+ hours per day at these things) and paraphernalia that will make me right up there with my fellow scrap-ettes. Here is my helpful list of supplies for a weekend scrapbooking retreat:

o Photos
o Papers
o Stickers
o Embellishments
o Pages
o Page Protectors
o Scissors
o Adhesives (lots!)
o Scrapbooking pens
o Trimmers
o Corner Rounder
o Tickets, memorabilia
o Pencils
o Ruler
o Journaling paper
o Stencils
o Photo labeling Pencil
o Notepad
o Stamps (Rubber and otherwise)
o Ink Pads and re-inkers
o Colored pencils
o Chalks
o Scrapbook Magazines and books for inspiration
o Accordion file for the papers etc for each project
o Book of Quotes
o Small dictionary

Don't forget your jammies, the preferred evening wear of scrappers everywhere.

There's No Place Like The Library

I'm a huge fan of the Wizard of Oz, both the film and the books. I have a really nice Oz collection. Maybe it would all fit in my cubicle... Submitted by our Master Knitter, here is a video of a library that offers a place where Oz and Good Customer Service meet:




In case you want to collect Oz memorabilia, visit The Oz Collector

Join The International Wizard of Oz Club for information on all things Oz, the opportunity to subscribe to The Baum Bugle, and a discussion forum for Oz enthusiasts.

Get Thee to the Generator Blog, and Generate

This is just the sort of thing you didn't want to see me find. I have had alot of fun with Comics and Image Generators.

Now, I have found the Generator Blog! The blog has everything you can imagine. The blog subtitle is: "This blog is not about those machines used to change mechanical energy into electrical energy. It's about software that creates software. Software to play around and have fun with."

I tried a Chinese Movie subtitle page which would let you add subtitles to a short video clip. Unfortunately, this one didn't work for me, but others did! What a Goldmine!

Make your own Receipt, endlessly useful:



Eternal Life Coupon--who doesn't need one of those?



Your personal Rocket for all of us Spacey Types:



There are tons of things to try. The Generator Blog links to other sites who have created endlessly fun and useful images and mini-programs for you to personalize.

Motorcycle "Dance Routine"

For those of you who are still seeing spidery visions of the dancing Potato Salad Triplets in your Mind's Eye, here we have the truly amazing 1950s Italian Police Motorcycle Drill Team submitted by our own Catwoman. How did they get the aerial shots????

Book of Lies Unusual Promotion makes it a Must Read!

Clare on the Women of Mystery blog posted this video of thriller author Brad Melzer's Little League Team and residents of his grandmother's nursing home quoting bad reviews of his books as if they were dissing Brad himself. Luckily his grandma sticks up for him! I haven't read any of his books but this clever video makes me want to try him out. I'll get on a list for his new book The Book of Lies right away (I'm number 119 on the wait list! At least my library folk love him). Visit the poor trod upon author's web site and learn more! A+ on the video, Brad.

How I Became a Science Fiction Reader and The Hugo Awards Winners 2008

After seventeen years as a YA LIbrarian (and a term as a high school librarian before that) I am now the Adult Fiction personage. I really still enjoy YA books, and I like their readership too, since my own teen just recently passed out of teenhood, I can appreciate them and all they're experiencing.

Although I've been reading Mysteries heavily since about 1995, I am broadening my horizons and all that and have been reading science fiction and will attempt best sellers and a wider variety of genres.

I've been reading science fiction since sixth grade when my school librarian recommended "A Wrinkle in Time" which was science fiction, but she thought I'd like it. I told her I didn't want to read "about spacemen and blasters" but polite child that I was, I took it. A Wrinkle in Time has a teenage girl take on an evil society governed by "It", a disembodied brain, in order to rescue her little brother and her missing father. Although she has help, it is her own bravery and strengths that help her in her journey. Loaded with scientific ideas, the excellently drawn characters and the choices they need to make were so compelling I wanted lots more science fiction after reading it.

Although in the years from then till college I read some fantasy and horror, I was sold on science fiction. I have always been awful at math and science, but I loved the "real world, what if?" basis of science fiction, especially what they used to call "Hard Science Fiction". The more solidly grounded the science in the story, the better. I have struggled to understand chemistry and physics in stories that I would gloss right by in any other form.

This brings me to the Hugo Awards. They are given out in August each year, and are voted on by readers and fans of science fiction. In order to vote, you need to register for the current year Worldcon (world convention). You can attend the convention or not, but you do have to purchase membership to vote. I wish I could have gone this year when it was held in Denver (I have never been to a Worldcon), but no. In any case, once good way to get a feel for the latest and most interesting science fiction is to read the Hugo winners list. That is my goal between now and the next one, to read all of the winners and if I whip through those, to read the nominees. I'm hoping this brings me up to speed science fiction wise so I can help our local readers find good reading, and release my inner science fiction self from the "mundane" I have become. Voila!

Here are the winners for 2008:

Go to the Hugo Awards Site for nominees, information on the next Worldcon, and past year winners if you would really like to dig in and read some good science fiction.

Best Novel: The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon (HarperCollins; Fourth Estate)

Best Novella: “All Seated on the Ground” by Connie Willis (Asimov’s Dec. 2007; Subterranean Press)

Best Novelette: “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate” by Ted Chiang (Subterranean Press; F&SF Sept. 2007)

Best Short Story: “Tideline” by Elizabeth Bear (Asimov’s June 2007)

Best Related Book: Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction by Jeff Prucher (Oxford University Press)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form: Stardust Written by Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn, Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman Illustrated by Charles Vess Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Paramount Pictures)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form: Doctor Who “Blink” Written by Steven Moffat Directed by Hettie Macdonald (BBC)

Best Editor, Long Form: David G. Hartwell

Best Editor, Short Form: Gordon Van Gelder

Best Professional Artist: Stephan Martiniere

Best Semiprozine: Locus

Best Fanzine: File 770

Best Fan Writer: John Scalzi

Best Fan Artist: Brad Foster

Other Duties As Assigned

In my thirty or so years in the business, I have been really lucky to have dealt with few "bodily fluids incidents". This afternoon, I was informed that there was a small wee personage in the children's restroom turning the water on and off with a little too much relish and regularity. (That isn't how the customer put it).

In I went, and there, happily filling the sink with rushing water was a small child who had cleverly shredded a good half roll of TP into the sink, clogging it. I asked her to go find mama, and take her bear along too (thankfully he hadn't gone for a swim). Although it was only cold water and TP, it seemed gross somehow. I found rubber gloves, but the water was at the top of the sink and when I plunged my gloved hand into the cold papery water the water went right on over the top. Ick.
It took about ten minutes to clear the drain. I sooo need a shower. Gross, gross.

Wii came, Wii had a Bowling Tournament

The Floating Lush and I held our first ever Wii Bowling Tournament in conjunction with Grandparents day. Grandparents and Grandfriends could come to the library with their grandchildren for a loosely organized competition. A few were familiar with the game and had played it at home, others had never tried the game. Ages ranged from 3 to 70+.

We had 16 people, which is great for a first time. People asked if we would be doing this more often, and one wondered if we had the tournaments weekly. The joy on the faces of the new players who mastered the moves was priceless, and well worth the technical glitches we had setting things up:

Doh, we had two Wiis but only one data projector...how did we think we were going to get the second unit displaying the game?

The television in our lounge is too much of a dinosaur to have the proper data cable connections, we found this out after moving the couch out of the way and dragging the behemoth cart and tv to the meeting room.

My clever idea to use some folding tables as a second screen didn't work out...

We had no snacks for our hard working CC team of The Primrose Reader and The Wii Bowling King, let alone the ace bowling teams.

We gave out certificates as our inaugural prizes:

Highest score (Team)
Highest Score (Individual)
Lowest Score (Team)
Lowest Score (Individual)
Best Stance
Best Celebratory gesture/dance
Loudest screen talker
Funniest Screen wiggler
Most Improved (Team)
Most Improved (individual)
Smooth moves
Best A and B Button Control (new players had alot of trouble holding and releasing both buttons at once, whilst swinging their arms and doing odd things with their legs)
Best New Bowler
Power Ball Toss (We had some really powerful movers and shakers, at both ends of the age range)

We let them pick their certificate, and had multiples of a few of the spicier ones. Nobody wanted the high/low score ones so I think next time we'll go for wacky award names. Silly is good when playing with imaginary balls.

Presenting Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine

Mystery writer Bill Crider shows us how to do a really excellent blog with book reviews, observations and video clips. I love the title of the blog as well.

He had this posted last week. I thought it was just a nineteen forties musical type song and dance routine but keep watching it is an eye popping dance, done with incredible cheer. This is from the movie "Broadway Rhythm" (1944), and the dancers are the Ross sisters, Aggie, Maggie and Elmira. The Floating Lush says she can (or could, in her Lush Gymnast Days) do the initial flips.

My Name in Lights! Fortune and Glory!

Fortune and Glory is mine, I'm quite sure (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom reference, thus the cute Lego Indy...great game by the way, buy it now!).

Scott Westerfeld posted my Uglies series cartoon on his blog Westerblog He also places me in the post heading with hurricane Gustav!!!!! Hurricane D.O.A. will surely be the next step in my ascension :) He also kindly linked visitors to D.O.A. Central, aka this blog.

Since I gloriously have tomorrow off, I'll be writing and posting my Uglies series review. Also, off I go to Barnes and Noble to pick up the Midnighters Series, which has always sounded intriguing, and his first book in the Succession series "Risen Empire".