Purple Cow Transforming Your Business By Being Remarkable by Seth Godin

Purple Cow Transforming Your Business By Being Remarkable by Seth Godin

Seth Godin is a motivational speaker about business. His focus is on marketing goods and services. He does not just talk about marketing; he also has created a social network, Squidoo http://www.squidoo.com as well as a very popular blog http://www.sethgodin.com . His focus is on being exceptional and different. He is the most popular marketing blogger on the internet.

In his words, a "purple cow" is a remarkable thing to see. Of course, it is also a Mother Goose nursery rhyme which many people remember as well from their childhood, "I never saw a purple cow, I hope, I never see one, but I'd rather see than be one."

Mr. Godin combines an ethic of showmanship with a very straightforward style. The message is easy to follow in this book; produce a remarkable unique product, find the early adopters who will sell your product by word of mouth, and try and create a strategy that others have a hard time following.

He urges people to take risks, because people are no longer paying attention to the tried and true methods of advertising. Television and radio do not catch peoples attention as easily. Most everyones basic wants and needs have been met. You must create a unique message with strong knowledge of what you are selling. His statements are quite compelling. They sound like common sense.

Seth Godin's examples are of newer companies; Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, Jet Blue, Ben and Jerry's, Apple Computer, Google, and Yahoo. His pitch seems to come right out of new media.

He consistently combines design with marketing. If you look at the cover of the book, Purple Cow, it is bright purple with white splotches and a picture of a cow on the front of the book. The book itself is well laid out with black and white pictures and very simple charts. There is a list of very prominent companies in the back of the book which would appeal to most business people.

This book is entertaining, focused, well designed, full of snappy writing, and not boring.

Daily Thoughts 4/30/2010

Seth Godin, the author of Purple Cow, the book I am currently reading.

Daily Thoughts 4/30/2010

This is an article on self publishing in the New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/magazine/02FOB-medium-t.html?ref=technology It is kind of interesting. Some of our staff members have written books with Author House which is kind of interesting. The results in trade paperback form are about on par with many big publishing houses. http://www.authorhouse.com

Daily Thoughts 4/29/2010

"The Library Automobile Truck in Washington County, Maryland". 1916.
Intermediate commentator notes "the truck appears to be an electric and has solid tires."

Daily Thoughts 4/29/2010

I am looking at two books, What To Do When The Economy Sucks by Peter Sander and Bill McKibben Eaarth. This is about some changes which may be coming in how we live because of global warming. He is talking about how disasters like Katrina, rising oceans, and other things will effect us economically in our every day lives.

2010 Best Crime Novels from Booklist http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=4145591

I am reading Purple Cow by Seth Godin which is a book about marketing. Seth Godin is a very popular business writer. He is making the argument that to succeed in marketing a product these days you need to have a very unique product which will be taken up by early adopters and spread quickly. He is arguing that television does not work that well. I kind of agree with this, I rarely read television, and untargeted newspaper and magazine advertising are not read that much. It is surprisingly entertaining for a business book.

I also took some time to look through library recommendation lists for websites. Most of the ones I looked at have very few review sites for films, audiobooks, and games for libraries. They still are very book oriented. They even miss some of the genres completely like media tie ins or inspirational fiction.

Daily Thoughts 4/28/2010

Cartoon in 1909 Tyee (yearbook of the University of Washington). An unidentified man is shown reading a book entitled How to Play Politics.

Daily Thoughts 4/28/2010

I finished reading What Distant Deeps by David Drake. It is basically an advanced reading copy. The book like most books in galley form had a few spelling mistakes, but was fairly polished. There were a few things I might have changed here and there, but it was an entertaining read.

I also read Live Free or Die which I really can't recommend. I think John Ringo does a better job as an action writer than a humor writer. I liked his Posleen stories better than this. He is also drawing from the webcomic, Schlock Mercenary which I like a lot http://www.schlockmercenary.com . I would rather read Schlock than Live Free or Die.

The Morph-mobile

There are a lot of advantages to being a humor writer ... not the least that we can burp in public without too much of an eye roll ... because people expect it.

But better, we have freedom other writers don't have. We can screw up, and our editor will go, "did you mean to put a weasel in your underpants?"

I mean, for most people, that's a screw up, but for a humor writer not necessarily so. The editor has does some hand-wringing, thinking, "there must be something funny about this that I'm not getting."

How liberating, huh?

Case in point. With my first book, "The Adventures of Guy ... written by a guy (probably)," there's a point in which my characters jump in an SUV and go off to battle telemarketers. But later on, I described the same vehicle as a mini-van. Later, it was an SUV again.

So my editor sends me a hesitantly phrased email asking, "Was this an 'oops', or is this the incredible morphing vehicle?"

I love putting doubt in my editor like this!

Anyway, yeah, it was a screw up, so I'm glad I had a sharp-eyed editor.

So when you're off writing your gut wrenching love stories, or twisty-turnie mysteries or whatever it is you write other than humor, remember ...

... we humor writers are laughing at you.

Norm

Get yourself some Fang Face today! $2.99 on ebook! A bit more expensive on paper, but worth it. Just go to my website www.normcowie.com, and follow the instructions.

Bewinged Jungle Beasts

A vehicle is defined as "any device or contrivance for carrying or conveying persons or objects, esp. over land or in space." That gave me a lot to choose from as far as "awesome" vehicles. But then the space part caught my eye. Air is space right?

If so, then the most awesome vehicle would have to be a Curtiss P-40. This WWII fighter plane was instrumental in the operations of the Flying Tigers, an American volunteer group that defended China. In 7th grade my friend and I did a documentary on the Flying Tigers (my great-great uncle was one), and learned a lot about the P-40s in the meantime.

The reason I think the P-40s are so awesome is the fact that they were able to be awesome against a ton of odds. The P-40s couldn't match the maneuverability of the opposing aircraft and there was a severe lack of spare parts, so repairs had to be made constantly. Despite these and other issues, the P-40s were the pride of the Tigers-- they even painted Tiger mouths on their planes.

After spending a year researching and presenting about them, I definitely think P-40s are pretty awesome vehicles.

Kieryn www.kierynnicolas.com www.kierynnicolas.blogspot.com RAIN print preorders are available!

Daily Thoughts 4/27/2010

Rotunda Reading Room, University of Pennsylvania Library, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, circa 1900.

Daily Thoughts 4/27/2010

The system has provided us with a content management system called Book Letters http://bookletters.com/ , that allows us to create newsletters, add widgets, and add material recommendations to our website. I am hoping that it will be interesting and useful. We also have been working on revamping our website which should be a big improvement.

I am reading an E-ARC from Baen Publishers called What Distant Deeps by David Drake. It is part of the Lieutenant Leary Commanding series. It is also the second ebook which I have ever purchased. It is not the completely edited text, but I like the series enough to read it early.

Eu sou mesmo uma ótima esposa!

Meninas, cada dia mais tenho certeza disso! E ainda sou completamente desprendida dos bens materiais! Duvida? Então veja só:
Eu e marido tínhamos celulares iguais, comprados a cerca de dois anos. Acontece que o meu celular continua funcionando perfeitamente e eu nem pensava em trocá-lo. Mas o de marido resolveu ficar voluntarioso, às vezes fazia birra e ficava mudo. Então, como boa esposa que sou, fui ao site do shoptime e escolhi um novo celular pra ele.
Hoje o celular chegou. E é aí que eu me supero! Para facilitar a vida de marido,e só pra isso tá?, acredita que eu troqei o meu (usado, surrado, mas igual ao qe ele tinha) pelo novo dele?!?! Assim, sem reclamar, sem querer mais nada em troca!
Viu só? Generosidade é o meu lema para um casamento feliz!!!! kkkk
E vocês, costumam ser tão generosas quanto eu?
Beijos!

A Big Beady-Eyed Bird

Another bird - this time one of Saundra Lane Galloway's ones from her visit to her local zoo.  You can see all her animals from her Surprise Day at the Zoo, here.

This I did in watercolour,  a medium that I still battle with.  Only one in 4 or 5 of my attempts at watercolour am I satisfied with.  Note the word satisfied - not thrilled, over-the-moon or ecstatic about, just satisfied.

This Winter we have a number of workshops arranged and I am determined to take at least one on learning to use watercolours.  I wish I could visit all those wonderful watercolourists in India and the USA for lessons, but no can do, so have to find someone from our local awesomely talented artists.

In the meantime, meet the Beady Eyed Crane!

Daily Thoughts 4/26/2010

An on-demand book printer at the Internet Archive headquarters in San Francisco, California. A finished copy of Darwin's On the Origin of Species emerges from a slot about 20 minutes after the job was started. 23 February 2008, User: Dvortygirl, Wikimedia. GFDL (Gnu Free Documentation License 1.2)

Daily Thoughts 4/25/2010

Publishing 3.0 A World Without Inventory http://ereads.com/2010/04/publishing-3-0-a-world-without-inventory.html . This is an interesting phenomenon. We can view print on demand as a reaction against physical inventory in bookstores. It is a way to limit returns. It is also a way to limit what gets printed. The number of titles which we order at our library which get cancelled has increased. If there are not enough copies for a particulr item ordered, the item gets cancelled. This has some benefits; we are less likely to get a book which no one will read.

However, not everything we order is based on circulation. There are prize winning books, or extremely well reviewed books which have literary quality which may be advertised, but not have enough demand from the warehouse. This brings up the question of how a publishers deals with very small runs in a print on demand system. With something like the Espresso Book Machine, it is very easy to print a single copy, but is that single copy economical. Do you have print on demand for small distribution houses like Small Press Distributors. http://www.spdbooks.org/Default.aspx

The other issue is the view about libraries. Libraries are even more of a warehouse for books and older materials than bookstores. We have far fewer returns than bookstores. We also store far more books for a much longer period. As print on demand increases will there be more demand for older books in libraries because they will be uneconomical to print for print on demand systems. Being careful with weeding and preservation will become even more important because of this.

Ebooks are another story. There are all sorts of issues surrounding ebooks in libraries. It is very easy to recommend free ebooks in a library setting. Many of the classics which are not available in the library are easily available as ebooks. We also subscribe to ebooks as part of our library system. The interesting thing about ebooks is that you can download them from any location with a library card and an internet connection. They do reduce inventory, but they limit access in some cases requiring specific devices. You might say, they exacerbate the digital divide. Making ebooks usable on any device, I think, is better for libraries.

Chuck Klosterman Eating The Dinosaur

Chuck Klosterman Eating The Dinosaur

Chuck Klosterman writes novels and journalism. This book is a collection of essays focused on popular culture. It has a slight edge to it, a kind of independent feeling you might associate with independent rock or independent bookstores. I had heard comparisons between Chuck Klosterman and Hunter S. Thompson, but it really does not feel that way. There is no sense of outlaw violence or danger in reading Chuck Klosterman's writing.

The essays are very self reflective and can seem a little overwrought at times. Even so, I can identify with what the author is writing about. The topics he is writing about, alternative rock, sports, film making, and popular culture seem to be aimed at men in the age range of twenty to forty. There is a bit of humor thrown in. I especially liked his chapters on why he hates television laugh tracks and why time travel movies got it all wrong.

To understand some sections, of his writing you have to be familiar with pop culture. He makes statements like Details magazine was the best interview magazine from the 1980s. This can be silly sometimes. He also refers to major rock bands like Curt Cobain and Cheryl Crow. I can almost picture his ideal reader as being a thirty year old man who listens to Garth Brooks, watches the Super Bowl, and likes to watch PBS documentaries.

He is especially good at picking out interesting and eccentric figures in popular culture. I liked reading about Errol Morris, the most prominent American documentary film maker. If you look in the index it looks like he picked names out of popular culture dictionary running from Paula Abdul to Tom Wolfe.

This was a relaxing read; a way to spend an afternoon letting your mind wander.

An 80s fasion flashback

I am a child of the 80s.

I grew up watching MTV, with all the hair bands, skinny jeans, and wild accessories. Van Halen, Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Cyndi Lauper.

When people say that "history repeats itself," it's true.

Walking through some department stores the other day, I saw skinny jeans, patterned vests, and wild accessories. I saw a girl who looked like a carbon copy of Cyndi Lauper.

Pity MTV doesn't play music anymore.

~*~

Heather S. Ingemar has loved to play with words since she was little, and it wasn’t long until she started writing her own stories. Termed “a little odd” by her peers, she took great delight in exploring tales with a gothic flair, and to this day, Edgar Allan Poe continues to be her literary hero. To learn more, please visit: http://ingemarwrites.wordpress.com/ or follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/heatheringemar

Buy a story (or two or three): Heather Ingemar on Echelon Direct

Daily Thoughts 4/25/2010

Lesender Mönch, Bronze-Plastik von Carsten Eggers, Photo taken by Ilona Eggers, 1987, Creative Commons Share A Like 2.5

Daily Thoughts 4/25/2010

Today has been a quiet day. I wrote my review of Eating the Dinosaur in the laundromat.

As ideias não surgem mais, e no lugar delas existe agora um imenso vazio.

Dúvidas que aparecem do nada.

Sentimentos que não se explicam, dores que não se sente.

Uma anestesia geral, que impossibilita de progredir.

Um olhar solitário, que procura encontrar algum brilho.

Pensamentos quebrados, que parecem não mais se unir.

Uma confusão que aflora no intimo da incerteza.

Tem-se a vontade, os assuntos, mas não forma-se a junção.

Um desejo de romper esse silencio que ecoa.

E a mente borbulha e trás de volta as lembranças de coisas que não se querem lembrar.

E no corpo uma falta de esperança, um olhar de desespero.

As frases repetidas, nessa rotina constante, procura um caminho diferente mas não sabe onde encontrar.

A consciência de estar perdida, procurando algum lugar.

Mas o esforço parece não trazer nenhum êxito, e os obstáculos parecem não mais ferir, e as lágrimas que apareciam com frequência não querem mais cair.

Apenas um cansaço, que não se percebe, nem se nota, apenas pode ser sentindo, no entanto é incapaz de ser decifrado.

Aprendeu-se a arte de fingir e não se pretende mais lutar.

Apenas espera, por algo que não existe identificação, inventa-se mil problemas, mil perguntas, e não encontra-se nenhuma resposta.

Momentos que são interrompidos, e perdidos, tiram o foco e ofuscam a luz, nesse imenso espaço escuro e oco.

Nada pode completar.Um forte desejo que essas confusões contínuas, essas agonias, que passam e ressurgem cada vez mais intensas, possam desaparecer de vez.

O medo do fim faz com que ele não exista, procura-se o sossego, a tranquilidade e a paz.Porém só se enxerga o desespero, o caos e as guerras.

A perturbação que não some, e que persegue como um inimigo que conhece cada detalhe da sua presa.Essa falta de ordem que não pode ser definida...fica apenas na espera e torce para que esses enleios possam acabar.

Nesse mundo reciclável de ideias em que o diferente é igual, e o igual não fascinaMostre-me o final, e me der algo variado de tudo que exista, para que eu possa entender os enigmas que não são decifráveis.

Aponte os meus erros, defina a minha solidão.

Eu apenas quero compreender e descobrir o porquê estou tão distante daquilo que hoje chamam de perfeição.

EdiToR : josué neto

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80's fashion is TOTALLY AWESOME

The 80s definitely boast “best in fashion.” I mean, what other time in history was it socially acceptable to crimp your hair, pull it back into a neon scrunchie and then tease your bangs six inches off your head with about half a can of Aquanet hairspray? True, after applying the product you could spend days trying to wash it out or just use it as a base for your next application.

Like most decades in the U.S., fashions were largely dictated by the music industry. From Madonna, to Michael Jackson, to the many “hair bands,” there was no shortage of fashion icons.

Madonna gave us lace fingerless gloves, headbands with large bows, and short tulle skirts over leggings.

Michael Jackson sported white socks, white suits and the infamous single white glove (before he became white).

The hair bands, meanwhile, gave us ... well, hair, along with every kind of outfit from ripped jeans to leather to animal print. These bands made having bed-head cool.

Last October some friends I went to Boogie Nights, one of our favorite nightclubs in Atlantic City that plays a great mix of 70’s and 80’s music. This time we decided to dress the part, too. I went all out, sporting a poofy dress, black lace-edged leggings, white socks and red pointy heels (see photo). I even crimped my hair. (Yes, I admit to still owning a crimping iron. You never know when you’re going to need it.)

We had a truly AWESOME time and everyone thought my shoes were really cool.

Katie Pasek is the author of “Sure-foot Sam in Jeopardy” and Junior’s New Home. For more information, visit www.katiepasek.com.

Daily Thoughts 4/24/2010

Français : Service des expéditions - Librairie Hachette - ca 1880, Hachette is a French Publisher.

Daily Thoughts 4/24/2010

Today has been a quiet day. I changed a book display from books on the American West to books on World War II. We also took some time to take out some older books from the displays. I also printed up some poster size signage for the shelves, I still have to do more of these. Then it will be shelf cards.

I was reading Booklist today. I am looking forward to seeing Beautiful Maria of My Soul by Oscar Hijuelos out in June. I enjoyed reading The Mambo Kings Sing Songs of Love. I am a bit conflicted about the book, He Walked Among Us by Norman Spinrad. It is a science fiction story about a prophet from the future. It has very mixed reviews. I liked reading Child of Fortune and Bug Jack Barron by him.

I checked out The Dream of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Palmer which looks like a more literary style of steampunk. It should be interesting. I tried to read some of it on the train, but found myself losing interest. I follow the fifty page rule where if a book does not hold my interest after fifty pages, I usually stop reading it. I read until page 62. The style is fine, but a bit dry. I think I will read something else.

Daily Thoughts 4/23/2010

Astrid Lindgren Stamp, Germany 2007, First Day of Issue

Daily Thoughts 4/23/2010

Today has been a nice day. We had an instructor come in and teach us about Microsoft Publisher. We make a lot of bookmarks, flyers, posters and banners. It was interesting learning some new techniques.

We are also putting up new signage for the shelves. We are designing shelf cards, banners, and shelf labels. I am hoping it will look nice. We are using the green and gold colors from our logo as part of the design.

This afternoon, the gentleman who is interested in the poetry program came by. He brought a wireless microphone which he wanted to show me. I also let him borrow the manual which I had from the PITB Poetry In The Branches program. I think we will be able to put together a very interesting program. http://www.poetshouse.org/librariespitbw.htm

I also finished reading Chuck Klosterman, Eating The Dinosaur on the way home from work. It is very cerebral. He is making a kind of commentary on popular culture that is very self reflective.

Preciso urgentemente de um homem, e não serve o meu marido! - atualizado

Calma, tire esses pensamentos devassos da sua mente! Eu não quero um amante!
Quero um homem que faça tudo o que meu marido definitivamente não faz:
- Que coloque as prateleiras no escritório
- Que bata pregos para os quadros e relógio
- Que monte uma armação de madeira do tamanho do fundo do armário pra eu forrar de tecido
- Que ajuste as gavetas da cômoda
- E, muito importante, seja caprichoso e entenda o que é alinhamento!
Beijos


Atualizando: Meninas, a coisa aqui em casa é séria! Não adianta jeitinho não, porque a má vontade não é de agora, de pegar pra fazer, é lá de trás, de pegar pra aprender! Definição de marido por ele mesmo: "Eu trabalho é com a cabeça, se eu baixar a cabeça pra fazer as coisas tudo pára." Pode? Aí eu tenho que esperar um momento de folga do funcionário severino, e isso é raro...
Pena que eu não moro em BH porque senão eu alugava o marido da Isabel correndo!
Agora, se vocês tiverem um jeitinho pra que o marido tome gosto por reparos domésticos podem começar pela técnica de trocar lâmpadas sem reclamar!

Alexander Jablokov Brain Thief

Alexander Jablokov Brain Thief

Bernal Hayden Rumi works for an eccentric millionaire. He troubleshoots projects like an attempt to reseed the great plains of the United States with mammoths. One day his employer disappears and he ends up on a chase through wild and strange circumstances. The author is quite original in his approach and his subjects.

This novel is the landscape of fringe science, stolen crogenically frozen heads, black market scientific equipment, planetary exploration robots, and animal experiments gone wrong wind through this story. Alexander Jablokov philosophically challenges scientific experiments on animals and the idea that the singularity when robots become smarter than humans is a good thing.

Bernal gets to experience the worst aspects of human behavior while he seeks his employer; a serial killer, kidnapping, drugs, murder, thievery, and violent irrational philosophy.

The story is an intriguing, fast read without a happy ending. It is a mix of speculative fiction and mystery. The dialogue is crisp, often surprises, and takes unexpected turns. Many of the characters are more than a little deranged. The science is on the edge of the possible. This was a very entertaining read. The writing is quite high quality. There is nothing quite like it.

Daily Thoughts 4/22/2010

Jhumpa Lahiri, Creative Commons Attributions Share Alike 2.0 Generic, By: Incman, Wikimedia. Jhumsp Lahiri's short story collection, Interpreter of Maladies won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

Daily Thoughts 4/22/2010

I have been reading Chuck Klosterman, Eating The Dinosaur. For some reason the book reminds me of readers advisory. It feels like the author is reviewing and creating opinions on a variety of subjects. This is something which I do a lot of in the library.

One of the central functions of talking to patrons is recommending other titles to compare what they are reading with. I've been doing this a lot of other things than just books. For example, a person might ask for American Splendor, the film, then I might recommend the graphic novel, American Splendor, and the film Crumb which was quite disturbing, David Lynch who produced Blue Velvet helped in writing the biopicture for Robert Crumb. I might also recommend Art Spiegelman if the person liked Harvey Pekar the writer of American Splendor It is about creating connections between books, film, and other media.

Another person who was looking for something more lighthearted might ask for Shannon and Dean Hale's graphic novel, Rapunzel's Revenge and I might suggest the sequel, Calamity Jack as well as the anime movie, Steamboy. There are various connections that can be drawn.

Linnea Sinclair Rebels and Lovers

Linnea Sinclair Rebels and Lovers


Linnea Sinclair writes science fiction romances. This is a sequel to the novel Hope's Folly. Hope's Folly was nominated for the Reviewers Choice Award by Romantic Times. It is a story of forbidden love and rebellion. Devin Guthrie, the scion of a wealthy family is chasing after his nephew, Trip Guthrie who has run off to join the rebellion.



Devin and Trip must avoid imperial forces and criminals who are attempting to kidnap Trip. There are many classic devices used; the bar fight, the chase, the family betrayal, the evil imperial bureaucracy. It makes for light hearted escapist reading.

While this is happening Devin falls in love with Makkaiden Griggs, a down on her luck starship captain. She needs a bit of saving. The saving adds a bit of spice to the love scenes.

There is just the right amount of technical wizardry to make it science fiction. Trip hacks the computer of a spaceship, there are laser pistols, a few aliens, and even a medical malady caused by exposure to toxic chemicals.

If you want to read some lighthearted science fiction romance, Linnea Sinclair's novels are very entertaining. I especially liked The Down Home Zombie Blues, it had some poetry and musical lyrics in it. Her website is at http://linneasinclair.com/books.html

Feriadão rima com arrumação!

Olá meninas! Estou aqui, passando o feriado entre a blogosfera e a arrumação! Resolvi arrumar algo que me incomodava há tempos: roupa de cama, mesa e banho, o enxoval.
Quando a gente vai casar prepara tudo boniitinho, aí, o tempo vai passando, você compra uma peça aqui e outra ali, separa alguma coisa que você morre de dó de usar, e no fundo das gavetas, o que fica? As peças mais velhas, com defeito, precisando de um reparo, aquela fronha avulsa, a toalha sem jogo...
Pois hoje tomei coragem, esvaziei os armários e separei tudo seguindo os seguintes critérios:
1) Juntar os pares.
2) Verificar se as peças estão inteiras: se não tem buraquinhos, elástico bambo, costura soltando.
3) Se tem defeito, dá pra arrumar? Compensa? O tecido ainda está bom?

Conclusão:
1) Preciso comprar lençóis para minha cama. Tenho jogo s de fronhas e viróis sem o lençol de baixo.
2) Não compro mais lençol de malha. É muito gostoso, confortável ao extremo, e não deforma, mas fura com rapidez. Então, de volta ao percal!
3) Tenho toalha sobrando. Tive um surto de bordar toalha e bordei um monte. Fiquei com tanta que separei 6 jogos completos e guardei.
4) Preciso urgentemente de jogos completos de solteiro. Tive pena dos meninos! Como não arrumo mais a cama deles e não sou eu quem lava e passa, perdi o rumo com a roupa de cama deles. Só trapinhos! Não, não sou uma mãe desleixada, mas nessa eu vacilei... Mas uma pontinha já parecia me alertar pra isso, porque eu estou terminando de bordar 2 jogos de lençóis pra eles...
5) Necessidade básica gritando com urgência: "Vai comprar um armário pra colocar tudo isso! Aproveita e compra também os lençóis, umas toalhas de mesa, traz mais uns paninhos de prato e, se não for pedir muito, compra também uma cortininha!"
Ai, deu medo! Se eu continuar assim por onde passar nessa casa, não há dinheiro que chegue!
(Marido, acho que vamos precisar trabalhar mais um pouquinho...)
Beijos!

Daily Thoughts 4/21/2010

Caricature of Anthony Panizzi, a librarian who worked for the British Museum and was from Italy.

Daily Thoughts 4/21/2010

This morning, I finished reading Before The Throne on the train in to work. It is a very interesting story. The leaders of Egypt are being judged before the ancient gods Horus, Osiris, Isis, Ptathotep, in the tribunal of the dead. Each must state their case in life. This determines their place among the immortals, or whether they will be sent to hell, paradise, or purgatory.

The summaries are very brief one to two pages of the leaders down through ages, Ramses, Khufu, Amenhotep and other ancient egyptian leaders are judged down the ages. It changes slightly with more modern leaders from the caliphates, the ottomans, and even modern Egypt. The elder gods get a first chance to review them before they are sent before their appointed god; christian, coptic, or islamic.

Each is judged by how they ruled and what they did for the Egyptian people. It is a quite interesting book. There is a sense of nationalism in the writer. He includes the nation builders of Egypt like Anwar Sadat and Mustafa Kamil.

It is a kind of literary imagined history. It gives a different view of history by a modern Egyptian writer. Naguib Mahfuz won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1988. He is an excellent literary writer.

Today we had an order meeting. I put in my orders for the month. I also ran the Graphic Novels club today. We had the president of the Graphic Novels club from the high school and the middle school at the club today. I showed one of the parents some of our newer graphic novels. I changed the books in the rotunda gallery displays to books on portraiture by artists as well.

Chuck Klosterman, Eating The Dinosaur came in for me to read. I think it will be an interesting read.

The 70's - The Decade of Fashion Disasters!

The 70's wasn't such a bad decade. Some of the music was pretty good. The Eagles, the Doobie Brothers, Kansas, Jim Croce (my personal fav), Bob Dylan (still going strong!) and, ahem...cough, The Bee Gees. Okay, so most people hate the Disco Era! I probably wouldn't have given the Brothers Gibb a second though either, except Barry was so darn good-looking!! And, I still like songs such as Nights On Broadway, How Deep Is Your Love, To Love Somebody, etc. So, give me a break.

Oh, but the clothes!! I gag just thinking of polyester! Does anyone out there remember leisure suits? If not, you're in for a treat. Yep. This is how we dressed in the early 70's. Enough to gag a maggot...right?

When the 70's fashion look began creeping its way back a year or two ago, I just shook my head. No way, no how. I would NOT be a party to such awful clothes. Been there-done that. Not again. NEVER! Okay, so shoot me. I did break down and buy a couple pairs of flared-leg pants and jeans, but only because they guaranteed to make me look taller! Just don't get me near polyester! That ship has sailed.


Mary Cunningham is the author of the award-winning, 'Tween Fantasy/time-travel series, "Cynthia's Attic," women's humor book, "WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty," and several short stories.

Mary Cunningham Books
Amazon
Kindle
Fictionwise
Quake/Echelon Press

Louise Erdrich Shadow Tag

Louise Erdrich Shadow Tag

I was watching Bill Moyers interview Louise Erdrich about this book in the laundromat while I was folding my clothes. Bill Moyers is retiring on May 7, 2010. The interview really caught my attention. This is a link to Channel 13's website which includes a bit about the interview. The interview made me want to read Shadow Tag. http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04092010/profile.html

Shadow Tag is a literary novel. Louise Erdrich's novel Love Medicine which was excellent won the National Book Critics Circle Award. I remember having to read Love Medicine as part of my orientation to being a library at Brooklyn Public Library.

Shadow Tag is a tragedy and a love story. It is a story about a marriage that slowly drifts towards disaster. The two main characters, Gil and Irene America are symbolic of the darker side of artistry. Gil uses his wife as his model for his paintings. Some paintings are described as tender and beautiful and others as dark and degrading. Irene America writes her thesis about George Catlin a painter of Native Americans who had a very troubled and exploitative history.

Gil is filled with jealousy and envy about his wife, and Irene has a tendency to be passive, manipulative and alcoholic. This combination is used to explore the darker side of love where love and hate mix together into abuse. The abuse doesn't just affect the couple, it also affects their children.; Riel America constant imagines the end of the world and the teenage son Florian drifts into drugs and alcohol. The only one who seems oblivious is Stoney the kindergartner.

There is no positive end to this story. The story is not just about the anger in the marriage, it also touches on the anger of being a Native American in an unjust society. It explores the history of why the characters are the way they are.

The writing is intelligent and complex. It is a difficult, mature novel on hard subjects like trust, fidelity, lying, rage, sex, art, and alcohol. It does not try to redeem the characters. I found the book to be excellent.

Daily Thoughts 4/20/2010

The Great Library at Osgoode Hall, Toronto, Canada, 1870

Daily Thoughts 4/20/2010

We are working on new signage for the shelves. I am looking at a couple examples of shelf signage. Hopefully, some examples should be put up today. On April 23, 2010, we are having a computer instructor from the system come in to give some instruction on Microsoft Publisher which should be helpful.

Last night, I went on a tour of Channel 13 in Manhattan and visited the library which was quite interesting. Everything is now digital. It was like being in a network operation center for an internet service provider.

I started Reading in the Brain: The Science and Evolution of a Human Invention by Stanislas Dehaene on the train to work this morning. I also checked out Naguib Mahfuz, Before the Throne.

The cable person from Time Warner came and fixed my internet connection today. I had a chance to start reading Before the Throne. Naguib Mahfuz won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988. His writing is compelling.

TODAY SHOW'S "Top Dog Contest"

My granddaughters and I take Gypsy, my Jack Russell terrier, to nursing homes to entertain the residents. She does a routine of tricks. I just sent a video of her tricks to the Top Dog Contest being held on the TODAY SHOW. Winner gets a trip to NY and gets to perform on the show. If you'd like to see her tricks, click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQUu3LC9Y_U

Kirstenbosch Visitors

Whilst on duty at Kirstenbosch during the Merit Exhibition, a group of pre-schoolers came for an outing through the gardens.  

This is a regular occurrence during the week with all sorts of school groups coming through to learn about the gardens, how they are run, and more importantly, to respect the natural order of nature and not to just pick and destroy.

This little group was part of a very much larger group who gathered together on the stone steps waiting for instructions and direction from their teachers.  They were also the cause of much photographing by the adults, including me, as they presented such a cute picture.  I am hoping to do a few more of the kids as they sat on the steps, but this is the first.

and a close up of the three

I have also been given another award - Martine Alison who does the most amazing paintings, writes in French, a language I have had no connection with, and consequently have to rely on Google translate to understand fully what she says.  She is a lovely lady who never fails to leave a comment on my blog.  Martine, bless you, and thank you.

Aviões do Forró – Promocional de Março




Baixe agora no : josuenetopensador

Artista: Aviões do Forró

Álbum: Promocional de Março

Gênero: Forró

Lançamento: 2010

Gravadora: M. Shadows

GravaçõesTamanho: 63MB

Formato: MP3

Qualidade: VBR Kbps

Tracklist:
01. Meteoro

02. Aqui É Seu Lugar

03. Pegadinha Do Inglês

04. Bicicletinha

05. Tcha Tcha Tcha

06. Amor Próprio

07. Embala

08. Ela Gosta É Da Pisadinha

09. Só Love

10. Sorri, Sou Rei

11. Tum Tá Tá

12. Sem Você Sou Feliz

13. Eu Vou Morrer

14. Porque Te Amo

15. Bará Bará

16. Só Falta Você

17. Choro, Te Ligo

18. Toma Lá, Dá Cá

19. Pense Em Mim

20. Me Acha

Link - baixe agora !

http://www.filestube.com/0c2d59bd324fde8403ea/go.html

Link to my term three project

check it aout

http://lucaproject.tumblr.com/

Bell Bottom Blues

by Pam Ripling

Whether you participated in, slept through it or weren't even born yet, the 1970's happened and there's no refuting the mark they made on fashion. The sixties set up the trends with permissive, bold, "free" design that evolved with the help of a fun-loving media and a daring entertainment industry.

Paisley. Hot pink and orange. Loud anything, sparkles, tight fitting. Think John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever (1977). Goldie Hawn in Rowen and Martin's Laugh In (1968 – 73). Below, she is with Monkees Mike Nesmith, Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz, sporting his own rather eye-catching garb. Platform shoes and disco boots came into their own. Glam rockers made it okay for men to wear shiny metallic spandex jumpsuits and makeup. Unisex garb raged, too. How about hot pants? Bell-bottoms or flaired pants peaked in the mid-70's.

Me? I was just a kid, but I loved the bells and the crop-tops. My favorite fashion faux pas was a brown velveteen hat with a green feather on the side, shaped similar to Robin Hood's famous chapeau. My BFF and I both had this hat, and we wore them everywhere. Our trademark, so to speak. Wish I had a photo.

Some things have not changed. Underground fashion icons of TV's The Mod Squad (1968 – 73) would not look out of place today, really, with the possible exception of Linc's (Clarence Williams III) fabulous Afro. Julie's (Peggy Lipton) long hair is timeless, as are Linc's and Pete's (Michael Cole) classic Levi's. Not sure about the necklaces, though.

Pam Ripling is the author of middle-grade mystery, LOCKER SHOCK! Buy it at Quake, Fictionwise or Amazon today! E-book version now available for your Kindle! Visit Pam at www.BeaconStreetBooks.com.

Daily Thoughts 4/19/2010

This is an image of the book cover designed by Alfred Garth Jones for the first hardback publication of Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles, 1902

Daily Thoughts 4/19/2010

Today has been a quiet day. I signed up for Library Journal's Day of Dialog on May 25, 2010. http://www.libraryjournal.com/info/CA6720797.html It is well worth going to this to learn what publishers are planning for the coming year for public libraries.

I think I am going to the Channel 13 archives today. http://www.meetup.com/NYLibrarians/calendar/13068957/

We put up a sign today for a display of jazz books, dvds, and cds. Displays with more than one media are often better than displays with only books. We also moved most of the fiction books out of the old fiction room. I also picked out some books to show for the graphic novels club on Wednesday.

SILENCIO NAS FAVELAS DE TODO O BRASIL !!!! O FLAMENGO FOI VICE !!! A URUBUZADA TA CALADA !!!
CHORA MENGO RSRSRSRRS...



Depois de três anos de espera e decepção, o torcedor alvinegro pode soltar com toda a força o grito: o Botafogo é o campeão do Campeonato Carioca de 2010. Um título incontestável e, o melhor, em cima do grande rival: o Flamengo. Com a vitória por 2 a 1, neste domingo, no Maracanã, o Alvinegro conquistou a Taça Rio. E como também já havia ganho a Taça Guanabara levanta o troféu sem a necessidade de uma final. A última vez que um clube venceu os dois turnos do Estadual foi em 1998, com o Vasco.

A vitória veio com dois gols de pênaltis. E dos dois artilheiros. Herrera e El Loco Abreu cobraram muito bem, sem chance para o goleiro Bruno, conhecido por ser um grande pegador de penalidades. Vagner Love, que termina como artilheiro do Campeonato Carioca com 15 gols, descontou. Foi uma partida nervosa, com 15 cartões amarelos e duas expulsões.

Os últimos minutos foram emocionantes, com o goleiro Jefferson defendendo um pênalti cobrado por Adriano, o maior ídolo rubro-negro. Após o apito final, os alvinegros caíram emocionados no gramado, se abraçaram como nunca. O presidente Maurício Assumpção desceu para o campo chorando de emoção.

O título vem com gosto de vingança. O Botafogo havia perdido as últimas oito decisões para o Flamengo: a Taça Rio de 1991 e 2009, o Campeonato Brasileiro de 1992, a Taça Guanabara de 1995 e 2008, e o Campeonato Carioca de 2007, 2008 e 2009. Mas o trauma acabou.

EDITOR :JOSUÉ NETO
FONTES :globoesporte.com

A história da Geladeira Cinderela

Era uma vez uma geladeira branca, comum e sem graça que vivia no canto da cozinha.
Numa manhã de domingo, ela percebe que há um movimento diferente na casa. Observa e percebe que o motivo tem a ver com ela.
- Oh, meu Deus, o que será? Será que deixei de cumprir minha maior obrigação e a Coca está quente?
Mas as pessoas passaram, se serviram de Coca-Cola e saíram sem reclamar. Não era isso? O que poderia ser então?
A dona da casa entra na cozinha com a mão cheia de coisas: um frasco de álcool, um vidro com algodão e um estranho canudo de papelão que ela nunca havia visto na casa.
Em pleno domingo, começam a lhe dar uma limpeza completa, as coisas estavam mesmo estranhas...
- Opa! O que é isso que estão pregando em mim??????



Então, de repente, a geladeira percebe que estava toda enfeitada! E se sentiu linda! E se lembrou da Cinderela... e agora ela espera a meia noite, torcendo para que o encanto não se quebre.



Como foi a minha primeira experiência com adesivos, mesmo tendo assistido ao vídeo demonstrativo, acabou dando muuuiiita bolha que eu tive que furar. Acho que esse desnível da porta também ajudou pra isso. Mas eu adorei o resultado e filho mais novo também. Vamos ver o que marido vai achar assim que ele chegar em casa...
Quer um também? Vai lá no site da R+, tem desconto pra seguidores do Criando Asas.
E Márcia, seu palpite estava certo...
Beijos!

Holy Swifties!

Author Edward Stratemeyer created Tom Swift, a character well known for his play on words. Some are hilarious:

"Get away from the dynamite," Tom said explosively.

"I'm an ordained minister," said Tom reverently.

Maybe this was an inspiration for some of the dialogue in the original Batman series. Robin sure uses the same concept to create some hilarious, memorable lines, like this one:

"Holy costume party! That's the Penguin!"

Can you think of a Robin Swiftie? I'll give it a whirl:

Holy blizzards, Batman! What a snow job!

Holy shrubbery! An ambush!

Holy wagging tongues! You're on the front page of the National Enquirer!

Have fun! :)

Warmly,
J.R. Turner

J.R. Turner is the author of the Extreme Hauntings series. The first book, DFF: Dead Friends Forever is available at Amazon.com, Kindle, Fictionwise, and Echelon Press.com

Daily Thoughts 4/17/2010

Daily Thoughts 4/17/2010

My internet connection died at home today. I think the cablebox is no longer working. Time Warner Cable told me that they would have a technician over on April 21, 2010 on Wednesday. This is a little bit of time away. They also said something about they might have someone call me today and let me know if they can reschedule the technician for an earlier date. The last time I had a problem was about three years ago. It is an expensive service.

I am reading my various emails from yahoo, looking at Facebook and Blogcatalog. I also learned that Ning is shutting down its free networks, http://bookblogs.ning.com will probably shut down. I am hoping that they find a new place to migrate to or get a sponsor for their site.

Right now, I am at my local library using their computers. I have about an hour to use the computer then I will think about what else I might do.

PENSAMENTO DO DIA :
LEIA E REFLITA UM POUCO
CLICK NA IMAGEM E LEIA ATENTAMENTE ,VOCÊ VAI SE SURPREENDER

AUTOR : DESCONHECIDO

EDITOR: JOSUÉ NETO

Como Ser Guerreiro !




Ser guerreiro é...Saber que não existem atalhos para o destino.
E que em hipótese alguma,haverá vitória sem luta, e não haverá luta sem adversários.
A derrota, para o guerreiro, nada mais é que o adiamentoda inevitável vitória.
O Guerreiro é, por natureza própria, perseverante.

Pensa em desistir mas não desiste,

pensa em fugir mas não foge,

pensa em vingança mas não vinga.

Se sente medo, não o deixa dominá-lo,tampouco deixa invadi-lo,
o conhece apenas para evita-lo.
Assim, através do autodomínio, alcança a plenitudedo não-pensamento,
onde o Tudo se torna Vazio,e o guerreiro se torna um com esse vazio,
restando apenas oinfinito Amor.
Alcançou seu objetivo,se tornou um com seu caminho.

E deste ponto em diante, do alto de seu Satori,
sabe que nada é impossível.

Não há e nem haverão de existir barreiras insuperáveis,inimigos invencíveis, ou caminhos que não possam serpercorridos.
E também sabe que, quando se quer algumacoisa, o universo inteiro conspira a seu favor.
Fazendo a vida valer a pena, tentando sempre, desistindo jamais.
Tornando o sonho verdade, o erro em acerto, a barreira em passagem,
o desespero em solução. Verdadeiro, simples, decidido e objetivo.
Compreende a todos, mesmo sabendo que é incompreendido.
Com coragem, através da honra, e pelo Amor,sempre!

autor : desconhecido

editor chefe : josué neto .

E AI PESSOAL !!! EU VOLTEI !!!

depois de varios meses sumido e

por muitos pedidos de todos eu voltei !!!

SEJAM BEM VINDOS NOVAMENTE !!!

Alegria, alegria!

Minhas novas mesas chegaram! Gente, eu to tão alegre! Pareço criança ganhando presente de Natal... Por enquanto só deixei tudo funcionando, porque além de blogueira eu sou gente que trabalha...
Ainda tem um monte de coisas pra eu colocar no lugar, coisas para enfeitar, coisas que eu fiz e que ainda quero fazer. E dale empolgação!
Fotos, pra variar mal tiradas. (Ainda faço um curso de fotografia!)





Além disso ainda ganhei presentes! Apresentando por ordem de chegada:

Presente número 1:

Selinho que ganhei da querida Elisângela, do Cantinho da Eli:



Regras do selinho:
* 1º - Deixar um comentário aqui neste post respondendo o que Jesus representa em minha vida :

Jesus para mim é um exemplo. E na sua palavra podemos encontrar respostas, consolo, alívio, razões para seguir em frente.

* 2º - Presentear quatro seguidoras com este mesmo selinho.
É difícil escolher só 4, mas... vamos lá:
Ly Mello - Design my life
Renata - Rerossini
Maria - Novelos Coloridos

Cin - Casa Suess

Presente número 2:

Estava eu, estudando com filho mais novo (semana de provão, voltei a fazer quinta série...), entra marido em casa:
- Chegou uma encomenda pra você lá na loja. Não sei bem o que é...
Nem dava pra terminar a frase! Desci correndo as escadas e me deparo com meu presente: um lindo adesivo que a R+ me mandou! O modelo? Segurem a curiosidade, quando estiver no lugar eu mostro!



Beijo "feliz, alegre e satisfeito"!

Daily Thoughts 4/16/2010

Beitou Branch, Taipei Public Library13 March 2007, User:KaurJmeb, Wikimedia, Creative Commons Attribution Share A Like 2.5

Today has been a nice quiet day. I spent some time looking at donor lists and events from public libraries in the area.

Paolo Bacigalupi has a new young adult novel coming out in May, Ship Breaker. He is a very interesting author. I am hoping it is as good as The Windup Girl. His writing is excellent.

I am reading two books at once right now, Linnea Sinclair, Rebels and Lovers, and Louise Erdrich, Shadowtag.

We put up a display with jazz books, cds, and dvds.

Daily Thoughts 4/15/2010

Edmund Spenser best known for his poem, The Faerie Queene.

Daily Thoughts 4/15/2010

I finished reading Brain Thief by Alexander Jablokov this morning. It was fun to read. I have not read anything quite like it. He manages to combine a mystery with science fiction. The elements are quite a surprise, a serial killer, a thief of cryogenic heads, and an edgy setting.

I spent a little bit more time going over my orders and reading Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. I also spent some time talking about the poetry program to an older gentleman. I think it will get even better next time.

I also spent a bit of time cleaning my desk and sorting through the donations. I found a few large print donations to add including Salman Rushdie, The Enchantress of Florence.

Digital Eel which makes independent computer software games has a nice selection of free etexts of classic speculative fiction and horror which they call The Dusty Bookshelf. http://www.digital-eel.com/blog/library.htm

On the way home, I read a bit of Shadowtag by Louise Erdrich. It is a story about an artistic family. The story focuses on the strained relationship between a woman and her artistic husband. The woman keeps a set of diaries on her life. I am just starting to get a feel for the novel. It is about jealousy, love, and all the emotions that go into a marriage.

A Swallow

I've decided I like painting birds and am going full steam ahead (well, full steam in between everything else), and putting together some good old South African birds.

This is a Swallow.  He lives somewhere around here because the picture was taken in the Paarl area just outside Cape Town by fantastic photographer John Kennekam.  John has kindly given me permission to paint some of his birds and boy, does he have a lot to choose from.

Hope you like this little fella even though I picked up a bit of glare on the blue!

Maree, who is totally knowledgeable about these things, has pointed out that this is a Swallow, not a Sparrow!  Oops!  Thank you Maree, I just know he is a really pretty bird!

Daily Thoughts 4/14/2010

Ian Fleming oil painting, 16 January 2009, Constance Vlahoulis, Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 2.0 Generic from Wikimedia.

Daily Thoughts 4/14/2010

I finished reading Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran. I especially liked the short story at the end of the book, The Incident of the Dog's Ball. I also liked that she was Robert Grave's neighbor. The book was interesting to read. It was mainly a set of notes rearranged to give details on the different works she wrote. Agatha Christie was more than a mystery writer. She also wrote successful plays and radioscripts as well as wrote as a novelist under a pseudonym. This book has notes on almost all of her short stories, plays, and books. If you are an Agatha Christie fan it is well worth reading.

Alexander Jablokov, Brain Thief came in for me to read. It looks like a combination of a cyberpunk science fiction novel and a thriller.

I spent some time today looking at different library fundraising around the county. I also checked on the progress of shifting fiction books and short stories out of the fiction room.

I also spent a little time looking through the gift books. We had some new African American romance paperbacks which were donated to us with popular authors like Rochelle Alers and Brenda Jackson. We also got a few books on cd, including an unabridged CD of a Isabel Allende book.

A patron suggested that I read Chuck Klosterman, Eating the Dinosaur. He compared him to Hunter S. Thompson. I have put it on hold.

Today is the first National Book Mobile Day, April 14, 2010. Our book mobile went out today to do the rounds with the older adults. http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6726127.html

National Library Week 2010 America's Most Amazing Libraries from the Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/12/national-library-week-201_n_533978.html