tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-312637012017-11-26T06:06:03.713-06:00Austin Public Library BlogThe mission of the Austin Public Library is to provide information and services that promote life-long learning, literacy, and love of reading to the public so they can enrich the quality of their lives.Evelyn Carnahanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07758403956582858673noreply@blogger.comBlogger806125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-90777764638744430192012-03-08T12:45:00.006-06:002012-03-08T13:02:10.916-06:00Moving On<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_R3lkn1RONg/T1kCIkYKfqI/AAAAAAAAAxs/5uXvtYFafN8/s1600/new%2Bblog.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_R3lkn1RONg/T1kCIkYKfqI/AAAAAAAAAxs/5uXvtYFafN8/s400/new%2Bblog.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717603548150791842" border="0" /></a><br />The Austin Public Library blog <a href="http://library.austintexas.gov/apl-blogs">has moved</a> to our newly <a href="http://library.austintexas.gov/">redesigned website</a>. Please update your <a href="http://library.austintexas.gov/blog/24/feed">RSS feed</a> and <a href="http://library.austintexas.gov/apl-blogs">bookmarks</a>. On the blog home page, you'll see options for viewing the blog by subject: books, movies, music, and youth.<br /><br />We also feed the Austin Public Library blog posts to our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Austin-Public-Library/23296672318">Facebook</a> page, so you can get all of your library blogs, news, and events in one spot.<br /><br />Thanks for reading!<br /><br />The APL BloggersOraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00632066060676413256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-57706012393556505202011-12-19T08:00:00.000-06:002011-12-19T10:13:27.364-06:00Martha<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RwQVhZEmyPk/TuuXZDGXBqI/AAAAAAAAAF0/Y80dSTD7QCw/s1600/Martha-Stewart-1010-xl.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:left;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RwQVhZEmyPk/TuuXZDGXBqI/AAAAAAAAAF0/Y80dSTD7QCw/s320/Martha-Stewart-1010-xl.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686805411069888162" /></a><br />Are you like me? Does your heart melt looking at all those warmly lit, slightly overexposed (so they glow) photos of holiday celebrations in the Martha Stewart books, and do you hate her for reminding you that you never enjoyed a holiday so perfectly arranged and never will? The woman did time for obstructing justice! Why do I long to spend Christmas with her??<br /><br />Martha’s daughter didn’t profit (emotionally, anyway) from her mother’s homemaking (take a look at Alexis Stewart’s recent book, <em>Whateverland</em>; APL doesn't have it), so it should be obvious that it’s healthy to keep Martha at a distance—she directing teams of crafters in her snow-kissed Connecticut manse; I with my glue gun in Texas—yet I want just once to find myself sitting on a spindly Early American chair in a meticulously restored, candle-lit, antebellum New England home, Martha bending to offer me a perfectly made eggnog and a work-of-art sugar cookie painted flawlessly with royal icing.<br /><br />I can’t explain it. I bet you can’t either.<br /><br />There’s still time to create Martha’s fantasyland, if you can:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780307394545"><em>Martha Stewart’s Cookies</em> </a><br /><em><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0307405095">Martha Stewart’s New Pies and Tarts </a></em><br /><em><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780307396464">Martha’s Entertaining </a></em><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1419837141"><em>Martha’s Holiday Celebrations </em></a>(DVD)<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1419819216"><em>Martha’s Favorite Cookies </em></a>(DVD)<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780307236722"><em>Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook </em></a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1419816276"><em>Martha’s Homemade Holidays </em></a>(DVD)<br /><br />Authors' names:<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--b0CbMwFt3Y/TuuYKYxjh6I/AAAAAAAAAGM/9HWYlOao1GM/s1600/25.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 142px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--b0CbMwFt3Y/TuuYKYxjh6I/AAAAAAAAAGM/9HWYlOao1GM/s320/25.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686806258701797282" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-072KKiHZaeM/TuuYHFpnlgI/AAAAAAAAAGA/lUgirRsDv2g/s1600/28.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 260px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-072KKiHZaeM/TuuYHFpnlgI/AAAAAAAAAGA/lUgirRsDv2g/s320/28.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686806202028627458" /></a>ACLS Referencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07838707905314960995noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-16007223834196958072011-12-16T13:34:00.002-06:002011-12-16T13:47:18.855-06:00The Elephant in the Room<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/59/92059-004-66C864B0.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 391px; height: 260px;" src="http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/59/92059-004-66C864B0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>As a Midwesterner and a graduate of an Iowa College, I think about Iowa more than the average Texas resident. Some of my favorite facts about Iowa:<br /><ul><li>It is the home of Marion Morrison (later known as <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=%20Wayne,%20John,%201907-1979.">John Wayne</a>)</li><li>Iowa is the origin of the Red Delicious apple (you can read more about this factoid in Michael Pollan’s book <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=%200375501290"><span style="font-style: italic;">Botany of Desire</span></a>)</li><li>The Des Moines Register sponsors an annual bike ride across the state (Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa a.k.a. <a href="http://ragbrai.com/">RAGBRA</a>I)</li><li>It is hilly and beautiful (not technically a fact)</li><li>Iowa is also important (to me alone) because it is the first state in which I cast my vote for President of the United States of America. </li></ul>This last fact, which continues to bring me a warm fuzzy feeling, is also relevant because we are now a mere 18 days from an important event. The Iowa Caucus, partly because it is the first presidential caucus of the year, has taken on a huge amount of significance over the years. Stephen Bloom recently wrote an <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/12/observations-from-20-years-of-iowa-life/249401/?single_page=true">article</a> for The Atlantic in which he claims, “whoever wins the Iowa Caucuses in January will very likely have a 50 percent chance of being elected president 11 months later.” Probably explains why the GOP candidates came out with their figurative guns blazing during <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2011/12/gingrich-romney-face-increased-scrutiny-in-last-debate-before-iowa.html">last night’s debate</a> in Sioux City.<br /><br />Maybe, like many of us, you’re confused about why and how Iowa has become so important in elections. Guess what! Your local library can help you out. In addition to providing access to many newspapers in print and through our <a href="http://www.austinlibrary.com/databases/index.cfm?action=subject&amp;id=020">databases</a>, we also have quite a few books on this topic precisely!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A few suggestions:</span><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=%209780815702924"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Primary politics : how presidential candidates have shaped the modern nominating system</span></a><br /> by Kamarck, Elaine Ciulla.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=%209780804758031"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Grassroots rules : how the Iowa Caucus helps elect American presidents</span></a><br /> by Hull, Christopher C.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=%209780742556089"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">We will be heard : women's struggles for political power in the United States</span></a><br /> by Freeman, Jo<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=%200151006520"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Postville : a clash of cultures in heartland America</span></a><br />by Bloom, Stephen G. (Also the author of the Atlantic article reference above)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">An Electronic Resource:</span><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=%200585229953"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Iowa precinct caucuses [electronic resource] : the making of a media event 2nd ed.</span></a><br />by Winebrenner, Hugh, 1937-Bunny Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807640014097367932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-8102444838225911172011-12-14T08:00:00.003-06:002011-12-14T08:46:10.182-06:00Jung's Red Book<div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u3c3DKAg948/Tufwt0oaxlI/AAAAAAAAAFo/ah7n2JMK3yk/s1600/jung_red_book.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 256px; float: left; height: 278px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685777724591490642" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u3c3DKAg948/Tufwt0oaxlI/AAAAAAAAAFo/ah7n2JMK3yk/s320/jung_red_book.jpg" border="0" /></a>The new movie, <em><strong>A Dangerous Method</strong></em>, examines the intense relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud who began as friends, but then over time fought bitterly over the fundamentals of psychology, psychiatry and role of the psychotherapist. Freud generally viewed the unconscious mind as a warehouse for repressed desires, and Jung viewed the psyche as an inherently more spiritual and fluid place. His central tenets — the existence of a collective unconscious and the power of archetypes — have seeped into New Age thinking while remaining more at the fringes of mainstream psychology. When Carl Jung embarked on an extended self-exploration , where he said he "switched off consciousness", the result was a large, illuminated volume called the <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780393065671">The Red Book</a>. The book tells the story of Jung trying to face down his own demons, as he loses his soul and then finds it again. In Jung's view a successful life was all about balance. If our lives erred too much in one direction, our unconscious would compensate for the inequality. The book was never published during Jung's lifetime, though a few friends and disciples were allowed to examine it in a Swiss bank vault. Apparently Jung felt it was too personal for publication and he did use some of the text in other published works. In 2009 Jung's heirs decided to publish a complete facsimile and translation and we have three copies at the library. It's a huge book, resembling a medieval manuscript, with Jung's handwritten text and drawings.<br /><br /><div>If you just need a beginner's introduction to Jung, check out <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0691024553">The Essential Jung</a>, introduced and compiled by Anthony Storr. </div></div>ACLS Referencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07838707905314960995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-89743017101812439102011-12-12T15:05:00.001-06:002011-12-12T18:23:05.095-06:00Opposed to movie remakes!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> 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10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}</style> <![endif]--> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--EQbRQtoULg/TuZq8XB6OTI/AAAAAAAAAf4/5wwr4ZcPlIs/s1600/ClashOfTheTitans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--EQbRQtoULg/TuZq8XB6OTI/AAAAAAAAAf4/5wwr4ZcPlIs/s320/ClashOfTheTitans.jpg" border="0" height="187" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I love foreign films. To me it's wonderful to watch movies in their original language, and I don’t mind subtitles. Over the years, I’ve seen how there are so many new versions of foreign movies that were excellent but somebody thought that we needed to remake them. Ughhh! The only good reason for a remake I see is that you won’t have to deal with subtitles, which are a downer for some, but other than that I still wonder why they need to spend money on something already well done. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">When writing this blog I forgot that there were also remakes of movies that are amazing classics in English.<span> </span>Same feeling here: don’t touch those classics!!<span> </span>Are directors wondering: how can I make an awesome movie better? Have you ever seen a remake that is better than the original?<span> </span>I will be waiting for the remake of “Lord of the Rings.”<span> </span>I know this is going to happen!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Something I learned about myself when writing this blog: I refused to watch remakes of foreign films (because of that I’ve been called a movieist!). But, I am a bit more relaxed when it comes to watching remakes of American films. How about you?</div><div class="MsoNormal">Want some ideas of original titles and remakes? Here you go:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Remakes of foreign films:</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=741914021360">The cabinet of Dr. Caligari</a><span> </span>(Original silent film released in 1920) </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=014381396225">The cabinet of Dr. Caligari</a><span> </span>(remake released in 2005) </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0788857584">Infernal Affairs</a> (original in Chinese) </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9781419818134">The Departed</a> (by Martin Scorsese ) </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_110945281"> </a></span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=876964001731%20">Let the right one in</a> (original film in Swedish) </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=013132146195">Let me in</a> (remake by Cloë Moretz) </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1588179036">Dîner de Cons</a> (original film in French) </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1415756570">Dinner for schmucks</a> (remake by<span> </span>Jay Roach) </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0780030257">Three men and a cradle</a> (original in French) </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span>3 men and a baby (Coming soon to APL)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=705105743950">Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</a> (original in Swedish) </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span>Girl with the Dragon Tattoo<span> </span>(remake on the movie theatre soon)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Remakes of movies originally in English:</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=027616912039">Straw Dogs</a> (original movie from 1971) </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span>Straw Dogs (remake coming soon to APL)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=012569520523%20">The women: it’s all about men!</a><span> </span>(Original film from 1939) </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span>The women (Remake directed by Diane English coming soon)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=025195018258">The Rear Window</a> (original movie from 1954) </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1415731888">Disturbia</a> (remake directed by Joe Medjuck) </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0780655508">Nightmare on Elm Street</a> (original movie from 1984) </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0780660056">Nightmare on Elm Street </a>(remake by Samuel Bayer)<span> </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=096009081096">Last man on earth</a> (original movie from 1959)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=085391121022">Omega Man</a> (Remake by Boris Sagal) </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9781419860980">I am Legend</a> (Remake by Francis Lawrence) </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9781419888755">Clash of the Titans </a>(original movie from 1981) </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1419893009">Clash of the Titans</a> (remake by Louis Leterrier) </div>Alephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322943694598697371noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-609047990981591332011-12-09T12:54:00.002-06:002011-12-09T13:05:12.574-06:00Driving through the fog...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XN9G2IC7qIM/TuJY3LrPedI/AAAAAAAAATQ/AWkiq9f0qjI/s1600/fog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XN9G2IC7qIM/TuJY3LrPedI/AAAAAAAAATQ/AWkiq9f0qjI/s1600/fog.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">When I drove into work this morning I could not help but think of the movie <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=159445020X" target="_blank"><em>The</em> <em>Mist</em></a>.&nbsp; Have you seen it?&nbsp; It's about a thick fog that rolls into town and a bloodbath ensues.&nbsp; It's about 10:30 and I can still see the fog outside.&nbsp; I usually can see the river from our building, but not right now.&nbsp; This is creepy.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And of course, all this creepiness is making me think of creepy movies and books.&nbsp; You know the kind.&nbsp; Not the ones with zombies and Frankensteins, but the ones with a silent monster...your imagination.&nbsp; </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A sampling of some creepiness:<br />Alfred Hitchcock - <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=Alfred Hitchcock presents (Television program)" target="_blank">television series</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Amityville Horror - <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9781416507697" target="_blank">book</a>&nbsp;&amp; <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=883904108054" target="_blank">movie</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=012236112662" target="_blank">Blair Witch Project</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0784011168" target="_blank">Jacob's Ladder</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Misery&nbsp;- <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0670813648" target="_blank">book</a>&nbsp;&amp; <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0792846443" target="_blank">movie</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780307394996" target="_blank">The Night Strangers</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0788832093" target="_blank">The Others</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Paranormal Activity - <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1415753393" target="_blank">1</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1415757240" target="_blank">2</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The Shining - <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0743424425" target="_blank">book</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1419814842" target="_blank">movie</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div>Take a load off this weekend and relax with an intellectually stimulating thriller.&nbsp; Then get back to decorating the tree with the kids.&nbsp; Oooh, or perhaps do both at the same time...start a new holiday tradition.Evelyn Carnahanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07758403956582858673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-85692381251368011932011-12-07T16:56:00.004-06:002011-12-07T17:40:51.313-06:00George Plimpton. Athlete.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RjNVjh-vJm0/Tt_2JKtLn_I/AAAAAAAAAFc/janEJ_I4Shc/s1600/George%2BPlimpton.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683531892117970930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 307px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RjNVjh-vJm0/Tt_2JKtLn_I/AAAAAAAAAFc/janEJ_I4Shc/s320/George%2BPlimpton.jpg" border="0" /></a> George Plimpton fit much living into his life. The celebrated bon-vivant melded many professional and social lives, seemingly involved in everything and always conveying an air of cool nonchalance. He never seemed to be trying.<br /><br />In 1953 he joined The Paris Review as its first editor and remained in that position until his passing in 2003. He fashioned the journal’s offices as the de facto literary salon of America, hosting memorable parties in between constructing some of the best literary journal issues of the twentieth century. He was a <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0385154143">fireworks aficionado</a> and held the ceremonial title of Fireworks Commissioner of New York City. He was a Harvard buddy and close friend of Robert Kennedy and wrestled Sirhan Sirhan to the ground after Robert Kennedy’s assassination. He made numerous film cameos, including a turn as an urbane psychologist in Good Will Hunting.<br /><br />Outside of literary circles, George Plimpton was most known for his participatory journalistic exploits. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s he challenged numerous professional athletes and wrote about his humblings.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=796.357">Out of My League</a> is his account of pitching a pre-inning in the 1960 All Star game. He faced the National League lineup and intended to face the American League lineup as well but was replaced due to fatigue.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1599218097">Paper Lion</a> is probably Plimpton’s most famous book. He attended the Detroit Lions 1963 preseason training as a backup quarterback.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1599218070">The Bogey Man</a> is Plimpton’s tale of attempting to qualify for the PGA tour in the era of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.<br /><br />In <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0393022552">Open Net</a> Plimption recounts his time as a goalie with the Boston Bruins. He played briefly in a preseason game.<br /><br /><br /><div>Among other exploits he fought three rounds with light heavyweight champion Archie Moore and lost a tennis match to Pancho Gonzales. Plimpton was most dismayed by his loss to Gonzales, since he considered himself an accomplished tennis player.</div><br /><br /><div>And he was friends with Truman Capote. </div><br /><br /><div>Nelson Aldrich wrote a great book about Plimpton: <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9781400063987">George, Being George </a></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div>liblairianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098620273684185132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-81485470164658307522011-12-05T09:52:00.001-06:002011-12-06T13:48:44.604-06:00The Swerve<div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sJwRK67guY/TtqLIpDWjXI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/GslnB3Rqpes/s1600/%252B-%252B032605662_400%255B1%255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682006860456430962" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sJwRK67guY/TtqLIpDWjXI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/GslnB3Rqpes/s400/%252B-%252B032605662_400%255B1%255D.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 361px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 231px;" /></a>I'm reading one of those books that changes your life. It's called <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780393064476"><em>The Swerve</em></a>, and it's the story of the re-discovery of Lucretius' <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9781843794318"><em>On the Nature of Things</em></a> (a book that changed <em>all</em> our lives). <em>The Swerve</em> is about a secretary to the Pope, who, when he finds himself suddenly unemployed when his corrupt boss is sent to jail, goes on the hunt for lost works of ancient philosophers, and in 1417 finds a copy of <em>On the Nature of Things</em> in a remote German monestary. Within a few years hand-made copies (the only kind there were at the time) are circulating in Europe, inspiring the thoughtful and riling the church.<br /><br /><em>On the Nature of Things</em> describes Epicurean philosophy, which posits that the universe is made of atoms (yep--first century BCE) that join at random to create matter; that there is no overarching intelligence and no afterlife, so don't fear death, but enjoy what you have while you can. (Lest you find Epicureanism a rationale for selfishness, know that Epicures believed it wasn't possible to enjoy an immoderate life without relationships and charity). <br /><br />Christianity, especially early Christians' desire to emulate the suffering of Christ, overwhelmed hedonistic Epicureanism--what could be more opposite?--and Lucretius' book disappeared for a thousand years, until it was discovered in that German monastery. (Ironic that monasteries were the first places scholars looked for subversive works. Monks took librarianship seriously.) When <em>On the Nature of Things</em> reappeared in the 1400s, riling the church meant risking being burned at the stake. Even so, people read it, talked about it<em>,</em> and the renaissance followed.<br /><br />There's a little of the history of book making and of libraries in <em>The Swerve</em>, there's a little of the history of philosophy and art, and as enjoyable as I find that amalgam under any circumstances, it is made even better by the book's beautifully legible font, and when a book is easy to read, the ideas in it are more likely to endure, and <em>The Swerve's </em>author, Stephen Greenblatt, will explain <em>that</em> to you, too. <br /><br />Authors' names:<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wOf2M5bBVYg/TtuyY_hW0bI/AAAAAAAAAaU/ylk3_sfHJds/s1600/29.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682331497295958450" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wOf2M5bBVYg/TtuyY_hW0bI/AAAAAAAAAaU/ylk3_sfHJds/s400/29.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 140px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 273px;" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X56zVkZZO-8/TtuyPIbZfTI/AAAAAAAAAaI/b6hCf-UWWc8/s1600/30.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682331327888194866" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X56zVkZZO-8/TtuyPIbZfTI/AAAAAAAAAaI/b6hCf-UWWc8/s400/30.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 110px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 247px;" /></a> </div></div>tim sneadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02644508880261724535noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-50070400771448674902011-12-02T09:21:00.003-06:002011-12-02T09:31:46.450-06:00It was a Dark and Stormy Night<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cs.grinnell.edu/1790s/Projects/Justin/Graphics/justin22.gif"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 253px;" src="http://www.cs.grinnell.edu/1790s/Projects/Justin/Graphics/justin22.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>Well, it’s morning and it’s not exactly stormy but it is super gloomy which is perhaps why I woke up thinking about Gothic novels.<br /><br />Today I would like to encourage you to add a Gothic novel or two to your reading list. Now, I understand you may be wary of diving into a genre that took off in the late 18th Century, but let me remind you that the 1790s were a cRaZy time (lots of French Revolution-related beheadings). Today, you may have noticed an intense fascination in monsters. Zombies are everywhere, even inserted in Jane Austen novels. The Twilight Series, featuring both a werewolf and a vampire is hugely successful. The Sookie Stackhouse series has become a hit television program. But I say none of these hold a candle (candles are kind of ominous) to some of the classic Gothic novels.<br /><br />Check this out. Matthew Lewis’ The Monk was published in 1796 and caused quite a stir. So much so that Lewis and his publisher were indicted and the novel was essentially banned. No, there are no vampires. But you know what the novel does have? Evil Monks, wicked nuns, cross-dressers, hidden identities, black magic, magic mirrors, romance, duels, secret tombs in secret tunnels, seduction, lasciviousness, murder, ghost stories, the Inquisition, and the Devil himself! This is neither irony or hyperbole on my part. This novel is dark, creepy, and gripping. It has the added benefit of sometimes being so over the top that it is comical which can be a nice break. And here’s a bonus: it’s at the library!<br /><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0140436030">The Monk</a> by Matthew Lewis<br />FIC LEW<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Some other titles that are full of their own dark twists and turns: </span><br /><ul><li><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1883011574"><span style="font-style: italic;">Three Gothic Novels</span></a> (Wieland, or The Transformation, Arthur Mervyn or, Memoris of the Year 1793, and Edgar Huntly, or Memoirs of a Sleep-Walker) by Charles Brockeden Brown<a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=The%20mysteries%20of%20Udolpho%20:%20a%20romance%20interspersed%20with%20some%20pieces%20of%20poetry"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=The%20mysteries%20of%20Udolpho%20:%20a%20romance%20interspersed%20with%20some%20pieces%20of%20poetry"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Mysteries of Udolpho</span></a> by Ann Radcliffe</li><li><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0192816063"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Castle of Otranto</span></a> by Horace Walpole</li><li><a style="font-style: italic;" href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0321096983">Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein, or, The modern Prometheus</a> by Mary Shelley<br /></li></ul>As you’re reading, keep in mind that the library also has a great set of <a href="http://www.austinlibrary.com/databases/index.cfm?action=subject&amp;id=018">Literary Databases</a> that can provide extra context and intrigue!Bunny Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807640014097367932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-3586572869390264092011-11-30T16:00:00.010-06:002011-11-30T20:04:52.003-06:00Humor for the Holidays<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g-Jc3VN_FEE/Ttaq1n0q51I/AAAAAAAAAoQ/V72SKoeFmyk/s1600/book-cover-20111115.jpg"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 215px; display: block; height: 320px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680915818174146386" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g-Jc3VN_FEE/Ttaq1n0q51I/AAAAAAAAAoQ/V72SKoeFmyk/s320/book-cover-20111115.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Four new books of humor can lift your spirits during the holiday season:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9781598531077"><em>The 50 Funniest American Writers: an Anthology of Humor from Mark Twain to the Onion</em></a> by Andy Borowtiz is a hand-picked collection of the best funny writing in America: David Sedaris, John Hughes, Nora Ephron, George Carlin and dozens of others guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. You can find Andy's humor on <a href="http://www.borowitzreport.com/">his blog.<br /><br /><em>I Found This Funny: My Favorite Pieces of Humor, and, Some That May Not be Funny at All</em></a> by Judd Apatow<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780307886262"><em>Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (and other concerns)</em></a> by Mindy Kaling<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0892967412"><em>Thank You Notes<br /></em></a>by Jimmy FallonCarolyn Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15762837913747343000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-10819184548619059942011-11-27T13:44:00.020-06:002013-10-12T16:30:58.670-05:00El Eternauta<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JEkGPD_0z8s/TtOm0V6kDDI/AAAAAAAAAXI/g8cX8lLH3JM/s1600/El%2BEternauta.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680066973210512434" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JEkGPD_0z8s/TtOm0V6kDDI/AAAAAAAAAXI/g8cX8lLH3JM/s320/El%2BEternauta.jpg" style="float: left; height: 227px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 222px;" /></a><br /><div>There once existed a comic strip that sought to speak truth to power in Argentina during a time in which the country was rapidly devolving into dictatorship. The story uses elements of science fiction as metaphors for the paranoia, fear, destruction, and brutality perpetrated by the military junta that came to displace a more democratic form of government. As the years wore on, the author of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Eternauta">El Eternauta</a> became less and less subtle in his critiques of the authoritarian rule that plagued his country. So much so that he was eventually forced into hiding only to be captured and executed as the price for his opposition. </div><br /><br />Below are some titles available in the library's collection chronicling perhaps Argentina's darkest historical period that came to be know as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_War">Dirty War</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=850700001919">The Disappeared</a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9781558616035">Departing at Dawn: A Novel of Argentina's Dirty War</a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1417201460">Cautiva</a><br /><br />You can also request copies of El Eternauta via <a href="http://www.cityofaustin.org/library/lbill.htm">Interlibrary Loan</a> if you are curious.Curious Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11471118384246397531noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-86603016470137162011-11-25T23:30:00.000-06:002011-11-26T00:03:48.363-06:00Holiday Stress<table class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0fqX1E9JrZM/Ts1tod6Q4UI/AAAAAAAAATI/-qBhJnlIbF4/s1600/holiday-stress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img hda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0fqX1E9JrZM/Ts1tod6Q4UI/AAAAAAAAATI/-qBhJnlIbF4/s200/holiday-stress.jpg" border="0" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">from healthyrevelations.com</td></tr></tbody></table>So, are you just as stressed out as I am about the holidays? I have come to dislike the November-December holiday blitz. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy very much eating turkey on Thanksgiving and I enjoy very much opening presents on Christmas day, but I do not like the hustle and bustle of getting everything ready for those few hours of enjoyment on those two days. I wish that we can have Christmas <em>after</em> Thanksgiving. Have you noticed that almost every store or home had their Christmas decorations up at least a week before Thanksgiving. What is that about? I don't understand that logic. I can understand wanting to spread the holiday out as long as possible, but can we at least get the current holiday over with before we get to the next one?<br /><br />Okay, enough of my ranting. I have a plan to de-stress. I like to craft. It makes me happy, and this is the perfect time of year to do so. I like to make presents for my family and friends. This year I am making felt toys for the little ones. I bought some fabulous fabric in New York City this fall and am making some scarves for the ladies in my life. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to make for the men, have any ideas? If I can't think of anything, I'll go local and shop for something perfect. Maybe, I'll tuck in a massage or pedicure for myself among all that crafting. How's that for de-stressing? What do you do to relax this time of year? <br /><br />Here's a very short sampling of some great craft books available at the library, search "handicrafts", "crafts", "holiday craft", and any other good combination of keywords in our <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/X0zDOacNVd/ACE/78810004/49" target="_blank">catalog</a> to come up with more. <br /><div> </div><div style="border: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r3yfFKbRA-U/Ts1tBWexdPI/AAAAAAAAATA/9ssOrtQPvo8/s1600/msholidays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img hda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r3yfFKbRA-U/Ts1tBWexdPI/AAAAAAAAATA/9ssOrtQPvo8/s200/msholidays.jpg" border="0" height="200" width="163" /></a><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780307586650" target="_blank"><em>Sewing in a Straight Line</em></a> by Brett Bara</div><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780307586902" target="_blank"><em>Martha Stewart's Handmade Holiday Crafts</em></a> by the fabulous Martha Stewart<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1616083220" target="_blank"><em>Complete Book of Home Crafts: Projects for Adventurous Beginners</em></a> by Carine Tracanelli<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780823026920" target="_blank"><em>Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi</em></a> by Anna Hrachovec<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1847738141" target="_blank"><em>Rediscovered Treasures</em></a> by Ellen Dyrop<br /><br /><div>Want to do a little shopping, but want to avoid the big boxes? Check our directory databases, <a href="http://www.austinlibrary.com/databases/index.cfm?action=individual&amp;db=261" target="_blank">AtoZ</a> and <a href="http://www.austinlibrary.com/databases/index.cfm?action=individual&amp;db=65" target="_blank">ReferenceUSA</a>. Do a custom business search in either one, then do the following:</div><ul><li>select Keyword... under Business Type, </li><li>select City under Geography, </li><li>select Number of Employees (or Employee Size) under Business Size</li><li>type "knitting" (or whatever else!) in the lookup box under Keyword</li><li>choose Austin under Texas in the city section</li><li>choose 1-4, 5-9, and 10-19 (the fewer the number, the smaller the business)</li><li>then click update count and view results (or search)</li></ul>Voila! Chances are the list you get will be the smaller, locally owned businesses in town as opposed to those big box stores you're trying to avoid. Pretty cool, huh? Now, you can show all your friends what you've learned and perhaps earn a nice thank you/holiday gift in return.<br /><br />Relax and enjoy the season.Evelyn Carnahanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07758403956582858673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-2249370353796192922011-11-23T16:19:00.006-06:002011-11-23T16:39:10.806-06:00Clouds.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HwDMToeZGuI/Ts1zpfmp5LI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/c1wRBB2Xmd0/s1600/Cloud%2Bchart.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 253px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HwDMToeZGuI/Ts1zpfmp5LI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/c1wRBB2Xmd0/s400/Cloud%2Bchart.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678321861879522482" /></a>In September I wrote about the virtues of doing nothing. I am still enamored with doing nothing (or striving to do nothing), but sometimes something has to be done: like admiring clouds. Cloud-watching is the perfect non-activity and provides ample layers of engagement. You can wrestle with determining when a cloud crosses classification from an altocumulus to a cirrocumulus. You can catalogue the animals you see in the clouds. Or you can simply admire. Try it. Take a moment to look up. The world will soften. You will lighten.<br /><br />Gavin Pretor-Pinney, founder of <a href="http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/">The Cloud Appreciation Society</a> and devout cloud enthusiast, claims clouds can help us regain our youthful exuberance and wonder. He points out that children, full of wonder and exuberance, are constantly cloud-watching as the world is built for adults thus children are always looking up. As we grow our sightline evens out and often in adulthood our eyes tend to focus on the ground. So, take a look at these books and then look up.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0399532560">The Cloudspotter’s Guide: the Science, History and Culture of Clouds</a> (Gavin Pretor-Pinney) <br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0374177155">The Invention of Clouds: How an Amateur Meteorologist Forged the Language of the Skies </a> <br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0395562686">Peterson First Guide to Clouds and Weather </a> <br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0961513209">In Pursuit of Clouds: Images and Metaphors </a> <br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0760735360">The Book of Clouds</a><br /><br />If your interest in clouds grows beyond admiration, the nitty gritty can be found in numerous articles accessible through our databases. <a href="http://www.austinlibrary.com/databases/index.cfm?action=individual&db=1">Academic Search Complete</a> provides great articles for the cloud scholar. Apparently the water vapor in an average-sized cumulus cloud weighs the amount of eighty elephants. Thunder makes sense to me now.ACLS Referencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07838707905314960995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-34389734735048800482011-11-21T10:05:00.007-06:002011-11-21T10:57:03.786-06:00Thanksgivingasaurus<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rFt5I2RJiag/Tsp9UlQL_PI/AAAAAAAAAZY/eamyYOZUtDE/s1600/birdasaur.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677488072804793586" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rFt5I2RJiag/Tsp9UlQL_PI/AAAAAAAAAZY/eamyYOZUtDE/s400/birdasaur.jpg" /></a><br />You know that birds are the descendants of dinosaurs, right? That paleontologists have found fossils of dinosaurs with feathers, or protofeathers? A few scientists argue that birds and dinosaurs diverged early and developed separately, and so birds are not dino descendants, but that's not the consensus, and I'm glad of that. I prefer to think that I eat dinosaur a couple of times a week.<br /><br /><em><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1416569847">Birdology</a></em><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0471247235"><em>Glorified Dinosaurs</em></a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0253343739"><em>Feathered Dragons</em></a><br /><br />So how are you going to cook your Thanksgiving dinosaur?<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0767901363"><em>Thanksgiving 101</em></a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0848715187"><em>Home for the Holidays Cookbook</em></a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0201632152"><em>A Southern Thanksgiving</em></a><br /><br />Or not:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0028625676"><em>Vegetarian Times Complete Thanksgiving Cookbook</em></a><br /><br />Authors' names:<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k8H0w4ld-k4/TsqCNzzLdRI/AAAAAAAAAZw/wrDp2iq8-Xs/s1600/27.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 158px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 82px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677493454008710418" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k8H0w4ld-k4/TsqCNzzLdRI/AAAAAAAAAZw/wrDp2iq8-Xs/s400/27.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SPyesL0aq5o/TsqCEo4H-WI/AAAAAAAAAZk/k5mqpwWNvck/s1600/26.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 179px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 54px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677493296457840994" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SPyesL0aq5o/TsqCEo4H-WI/AAAAAAAAAZk/k5mqpwWNvck/s400/26.jpg" /></a>tim sneadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02644508880261724535noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-55116644264827901542011-11-18T16:20:00.002-06:002011-11-18T16:33:34.788-06:00Where did you learn to drive? I took a correspondence course.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/80/74980-004-A3FAF939.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 450px;" src="http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/80/74980-004-A3FAF939.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I’ve had Muppets on the brain recently. This recent brain activity is not due solely to the upcoming Muppet movie starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams (but really starring Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy), but also because of a recent reference question I received. In short, I was tasked with finding some materials that would entertain a seven-year old and two adults simultaneously. I can think of anyone that does this better than Jim Henson’s Muppets. As a kid, you see bright, silly characters bouncing around doing dances and it’s great. As an adult, you can appreciate lines like this:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Bernie:</span> You, you with the banjo, can you help me? I seem to have lost my sense of direction!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kermit:</span> Have you tried Hare Krishna?<br /><br />Awesome! But most likely a bit over your tot's head. Plus, Dom DeLuise is Bernie and it just doesn’t get much better than that.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1204342/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Muppets</span></a> comes to theaters starting November 23rd which feels like a long time to wait. You could take the Fozzie Bear approach and try hibernating until then OR you could come down to <a href="http://www.cityofaustin.org/library/">your local library</a> and experience some Muppet awesomeness.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A sampling of what we have to offer:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Movies:</span><br /><ul><li><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0788860119"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Muppet Movie</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=%200788860127"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Great Muppet Caper</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=%200767857186"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Muppets take Manhattan</span></a></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Music:</span><br /><ul><li><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=%2012%20761%20Laserlight%20Digital"><span style="font-style: italic;">A Christmas Together</span></a> (featuring John Denver)</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Some surprises:</span><br /><ul><li><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=%209781608865161"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Muppet Show comic book: on the road</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=%201571201017"><span style="font-style: italic;">Quilting with the Muppets: 15 fun and creative patterns</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1559583665"><span style="font-style: italic;">Kermit learns Windows: Starring Jim Henson's Muppets</span></a></li></ul><br />They do it all!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">For fun:</span><br /><a href="http://gizmodo.com/5858453/the-muppets-are-real-and-miss-piggy-got-a-boob-job">Gizmodo’s interview</a> in which the cast of the new movie discusses the importance of the puppets all being real instead of computer generated!Bunny Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807640014097367932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-88184440761801580202011-11-16T11:00:00.001-06:002011-11-16T11:18:22.363-06:00eBooks are here!<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both" class="separator"></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><a style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: left; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em; cssfloat: left" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--nXffJ-lx3A/TrxUZ4WQoAI/AAAAAAAAAS4/gV11h1iydZw/s1600/ebooks.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--nXffJ-lx3A/TrxUZ4WQoAI/AAAAAAAAAS4/gV11h1iydZw/s400/ebooks.jpg" width="400" height="90" nda="true" /></a></div>If you haven't already noticed, there's a big banner on our website announcing the new <a href="http://austinlibrary.lib.overdrive.com/70F42891-C30A-4788-A59C-72C5F412A1B7/10/845/en/Default.htm" target="_blank">downloadables</a>. These "downloadables" are our eBook and eAudiobook collection. We signed a contract with Overdrive and now have several thousand items in the e-collection. Do you have a Kindle, iPad, Nook, or Sony eReader? You're in luck, you can download to all these devices and many more! To figure compatibility, look <a href="http://www.overdrive.com/resources/drc/" target="_blank">here</a> and see what format you should download.<br /><br />Need help in exploring this ebook adventure? Go to the <a href="http://austinlibrary.lib.overdrive.com/70F42891-C30A-4788-A59C-72C5F412A1B7/10/845/en/Help-QuickStartGuide.htm" target="_blank">help page</a> first, if nothing there works, give us a <a href="http://vrlplus.cb.docutek.com/apl/vrl_entry.asp" target="_blank">call</a> and we'll do our best to walk you through whatever you need. I find that reading through the <a href="http://www.austinlibrary.com/virtual/?snaction=downloadables&amp;lnaction=" target="_blank">FAQs</a> is very helpful, myself.<br /><br />Looking for books that are available? (Don't you hate it when you find a title only to discover that it's checked out?) Tick the "only available copies" in the quick search box on the <a href="http://austinlibrary.lib.overdrive.com/70F42891-C30A-4788-A59C-72C5F412A1B7/10/845/en/Default.htm" target="_blank">downloadables</a> homepage, near the top left corner.<br /><br />Want to read <a href="http://austinlibrary.lib.overdrive.com/70F42891-C30A-4788-A59C-72C5F412A1B7/10/845/en/PublicDomainCollection.htm" target="_blank">public domain</a> or <a href="http://austinlibrary.lib.overdrive.com/70F42891-C30A-4788-A59C-72C5F412A1B7/10/845/en/SearchResults.htm?SearchID=5887976" target="_blank">Disney</a> books? These do not count toward your three book limit. Read something while you wait for that hot, new bestseller to come back in. By the way, you can put that bestseller on hold; you have a limit of five.<br /><br />eBooks and eAudiobooks can be checked out for seven or fourteen days. At the end of the checkout period the item will automatically be returned. You can return eBooks early, but not eAudiobooks. If you need instructions for returning items early, read <a href="http://austinlibrary.lib.overdrive.com/70F42891-C30A-4788-A59C-72C5F412A1B7/10/845/en/Help-Policies-Borrowing-EB.htm#question-7799" target="_blank">this</a> before you <a href="http://vrlplus.cb.docutek.com/apl/vrl_entry.asp" target="_blank">call</a> us.<br /><br />Don't see what you're looking for? Suggest a title be purchased using our "<a href="http://www.austinlibrary.com/suggest/index.cfm" target="_blank">suggest a purchase</a>" form. Chances are very high that we'll buy it.<br /><br />Hope you enjoy our new service, it'll only get better.Evelyn Carnahanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07758403956582858673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-54981868919657947752011-11-14T11:43:00.003-06:002011-12-19T08:07:35.665-06:00Peeking into Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz’s world<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fr_6Krr8LSA/TsFR6DebnDI/AAAAAAAAAfo/DMz7JsmTGII/s1600/sor_juana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fr_6Krr8LSA/TsFR6DebnDI/AAAAAAAAAfo/DMz7JsmTGII/s320/sor_juana.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><br /><br />Every once in a while, you are presented with a gift so big that it takes a while for your mind to compute its magnitude. You experience so many feelings at once that your spirit floats up to limbo, numb for a while. Well, that was me last week, and I am still day dreaming about what happened. The Benson Latin American Collection invited a small crowd (including yours truly) to a conversation about Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, known also as Mexico’s Tenth Muse. In the invitation they said that they were showing a selection of her rare books and manuscripts. I was so excited!<br /><br />Before I continue with my story, let me tell you about Sor Juana. She was born in Mexico in 1648. From an early age she displayed signs of an amazing intelligence. She learned to read at age three and started writing at age eight. She taught herself Latin, and Nahuatl, and read voraciously everything she could get her hands on. The Marquis of Mancera, viceroy in Mexico at that time, took her under his wing. Wanting to know how much the young Juana knew, she was fifteen at that time, the Marquis asked 40 scholars to test her orally on various topics ranging from theology to science. To their surprise, she responded correctly to all the questions and her reputation grew in the vice-royal court.<br /><br />But let’s remember, we are talking about a woman in the seventeenth century with many things against her: she was illegitimate, her family wasn’t rich, she was very pretty (yes, this could be bad in those days) and finally, she was female. Because the only other option left to her was to get married and stop studying, Juana joined the convent of the Discalced Carmelite as a nun. Later she transferred to the Convent of the Order of St. Jerome. She wrote poems, essays, plays and papers, both secular and religious, which were mostly published in Spain. But Sor Juana's writings were dangerous. She criticized the hypocrisy of society, its double values and sexism. Many admired her, but also many hated her, and in 1694 she was forced to give up her desire for learning in a document which she signed in her own blood: <span style="font-style: italic;">I, the Worst of All.</span><br /><br />And last week, there I was, in a small room in the Benson Latin American Collection, standing in front of that very same document, the one she signed with her blood more than three hundred years ago. I could only imagine what was going through her mind and soul while signing that document. A document that curators only let you peak at for a couple of minutes every 50 years or so, and a manuscript that made me feel grateful for my freedom and the opportunity I have had to learn what I want, whenever I want. What an inspiration Sor Juana is still for us today! I now have a good story for my grandkids to tell.<br /><br />At Austin Public Library you can find:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=720229910545">I, the worst of all</a> (DVD)<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0826319300">The divine Narcissus poems by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz</a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0781809851">Treasury of Mexican love poems, quotations &amp; proverbs : in Spanish and English</a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0292705093">A reader in Latina feminist theology: religion and justice</a>Alephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322943694598697371noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-13840409699593581192011-11-11T21:55:00.010-06:002011-11-12T10:07:47.495-06:00Fascination with Steve Jobs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AkQgimSDs-w/Tr36j0EfelI/AAAAAAAAAn4/A6v12gOyYtI/s1600/steve-jobs-bio-story-body.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 169px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AkQgimSDs-w/Tr36j0EfelI/AAAAAAAAAn4/A6v12gOyYtI/s320/steve-jobs-bio-story-body.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673966598736542290" border="0" /></a>I have watched all the interviews, read all the articles, and listened to most of the NPR reports on Steve Jobs. Why I am I so fascinated by him? Partly, it's trying to figure out how he became such a genius, a master at putting together ideas, art and technology. It's also seeing in him the usual human foibles, one example is the one I am experiencing, fascination with celebrities. I read that Jobs had a relationship with Joan Baez because she had been romantically involved with Bob Dylan, and Steve was a huge fan of Dylan's. His quest for perfection contributed to his success, but that is another human trait that can often wreak havoc.<br /><br />But I am not yet ready to read the <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9781451648539">biography</a>. There is something unsettling about reading intimate details of this immensely private man so soon after his death, especially about his last few months of illness. Friends who have read the book say it does not disappoint. It presents a man who has so many contradictions that your jaw drops, his charm and aggression, his eating disorders, his lack of hygiene, his abandonment of his first child just as he was placed for adoption. The library has lots of copies, but you will need to place a hold. Our new <a href="http://austinlibrary.lib.overdrive.com/23F744D2-6E10-4AA2-8459-ADF853C72652/10/845/en/Default.htm">downloadable</a> service doesn't have it yet, but you can download <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">I, Steve</span>, a 160-page collection of quotations by him.Carolyn Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15762837913747343000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-28178947743686602362011-11-09T13:37:00.007-06:002011-11-09T17:29:56.341-06:00Resources for Writers<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Ovyd09QVEk/TrsM63gbMSI/AAAAAAAAAE4/D5dJmmvm-jM/s1600/writing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Ovyd09QVEk/TrsM63gbMSI/AAAAAAAAAE4/D5dJmmvm-jM/s400/writing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673142361075167522" /></a>La Princesse de Cleves presented a new information guide last month: <a href="http://www.austinlibrary.com/ig/?snaction=Creative%20Arts&lnaction=Resources%20for%20Visual%20Artists">Resources for Visual Artists</a>. The visual artists guide provides all kinds of helpful information for painters, sculptors, and photographers. I'd like to introduce a companion guide: <a href="http://www.austinlibrary.com/ig/?snaction=Creative%20Arts&lnaction=Resources%20for%20Writers">Resources for Writers</a>. This guide provides resources to develop your writing craft, information to aid in connecting with the publishing industry, and opportunities to secure funding for your writing. There is also information about local writing groups as well as vital writers' advocacy organizations. The physical and digital resources featured within the guide are all free to check out or access digitally with your Austin Public Library card. <br /><br />While writing has the floor, I'd like to suggest three great books about writing. <br /><br />Milan Kundera's <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0802100112">The Art of the Novel</a> <br /><br />James Wood's <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780374173401">How Fiction Works</a> <br /><br />Annie Dillard's <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0060161566">The Writing Life</a>ACLS Referencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07838707905314960995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-69289219888857439822011-11-07T10:38:00.000-06:002011-11-07T10:39:28.997-06:00Civil Disobedience<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DASTFpQGfFU/TrLl8ot06OI/AAAAAAAAAY0/aWmilcC60zQ/s1600/occupy-wallstreetposter%255B1%255D.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 264px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670847710697416930" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DASTFpQGfFU/TrLl8ot06OI/AAAAAAAAAY0/aWmilcC60zQ/s400/occupy-wallstreetposter%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a>Occupy Wall Street is facing winter, and the weather in the northeast has been as extreme in its way as ours has been in Texas. It's a good bet winter will be deep at Zuccotti Park--it's already been early. Will the protesters persevere? Do they need to? Have they already changed the conversation? Because of them, are we talking about meeting the needs of the undercapitalized in a capitalist country?<br /><br />Twenty years from now, will historians write about OWS in the same vein as the great civil uprisings of the 20th century--Vietnam war protests, civil rights marches, women's- and gays'-rights demonstrations? Remind yourself how powerful the OWS method has been:<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><em><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0742563162">Challenging Authority: How Ordinary People Change America </a></em><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1="><em>Why Not Every Man?: African Americans and Civil Disobedience</em></a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1="><em>Confronting the War Machine</em></a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1="><em>Civil Disobedience in Focus</em></a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1="><em>The Power of Nonviolence</em></a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1="><em>Walden and Civil Disobedience</em></a></div><br />Keep up with <a href="http://occupyaustin.org/">Occupy Austin</a><br /><br />And here are puzzles! Author's names:<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dFhcRGh39zA/TrQVBlH5M9I/AAAAAAAAAZA/k4mLAISh9iw/s1600/32.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 93px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671180947655570386" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dFhcRGh39zA/TrQVBlH5M9I/AAAAAAAAAZA/k4mLAISh9iw/s400/32.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qcC9ZHwb4To/TrQVNtBhWLI/AAAAAAAAAZM/kqflC95ekWM/s1600/31.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 246px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 102px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671181155934754994" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qcC9ZHwb4To/TrQVNtBhWLI/AAAAAAAAAZM/kqflC95ekWM/s400/31.JPG" /></a>tim sneadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02644508880261724535noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-1612940771370655802011-11-03T13:43:00.011-05:002011-11-04T12:57:14.728-05:00Goodbyes<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yZubYgLwBAo/TrMjKRxmZfI/AAAAAAAAAPE/gU-GlCfyRqc/s1600/muppets.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670915015266690546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 210px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 175px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yZubYgLwBAo/TrMjKRxmZfI/AAAAAAAAAPE/gU-GlCfyRqc/s200/muppets.jpg" border="0" /></a> Well, this is my last post for the Austin Public Library's blog. After almost 4 years as a librarian here at Austin Public Library, I am moving to Corvallis, Oregon to accept a librarian position I was recently offered. This is a huge move for me. Virtually all of my family lives in Texas and many of them are right here in Austin and have been for years. We moved to Austin when I was 10 years old and I've watched it grow from a small, quiet city to a big, bustling urban center (not without a bit of bitterness, though - I liked my small city). I grew up thinking Willie Nelson was the best country singer on the planet and didn't realize until I moved to North Carolina briefly for graduate school that not everyone felt that way. I'm going to pack up a moving van in about 2 weeks and drive 2200 miles to a new home in a strange new land. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't crazy nervous about how it will all work out, but I'm also giddy with the excitement. A new adventure and a new life are ahead!<br /><br /><p>I've loved writing for the blog and being a part of Austin Public Library. My colleagues, in particular, will be dearly missed. I may be biased, but I think Austin Public has some of the best reference librarians in the country and, if you don't believe me, you should utilize our <a href="http://vrlplus.cb.docutek.com/apl/vrl_entry.asp">Ask a Librarian</a> service and find out.</p><br /><p>I leave you all with a list of movies and TV shows that have some of my favorite goodbye scenes. Do you have a favorite I haven't listed here? (Please note that the YouTube clips provided may contain spoilers!)</p><br /><p><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0783256434">Almost Famous</a><br />There's more than one good goodbye scene in this movie and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qn3tel9FWU">here's a link to one</a> of them.</p><br /><p><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1417054069">Battlestar Galactica</a><br />Truth be told, I did not find the ending of this show to be all that satisfying. Overall, though, this television series is awesome. (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcOt2rQMUs4">YouTube clip</a>)</p><br /><p><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1419895184">Casablanca</a><br />"We'll always have Paris." or "Here's looking at you, kid." (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3odtrWWc2A">YouTube clip</a>)</p><br /><p><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1419878778">Gone With the Wind</a><br />"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2RxWs60dRM">YouTube clip</a>)</p><br /><p><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1558908641">Good Will Hunting</a><br />"Sorry, I had to go see about a girl." (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoPT4p1Iwg4">YouTube clip</a>)</p><br /><p><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0788856359">The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</a><br />"So long and thanks for all the fish!" (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojydNb3Lrrs">YouTube clip</a>)</p><br /><p><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0783297807">Lost in Translation</a><br />(<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCB7cxv-Ey8">YouTube clip</a>)</p><br /><p><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0767857186">The Muppets Take Manhattan</a><br />(<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNfHU748SYQ">YouTube clip</a>)</p><br /><p><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=025192074363">The Office, Season 7</a><br />The episode "<a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/235368/the-office-goodbye-michael">Goodbye, Michael</a>" really choked me up. Come back, Steve Carell!</p><br /><p><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=786936770100">Rushmore</a><br />This one doesn't really have a goodbye scene, but I just love the way the last scene wraps up the movie and the song is just perfect. Please note that some of the material is explicit. (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0pWNprikrk">YouTube clip</a>)</p><br /><p><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1415750467">Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan</a><br />"Live long and prosper"</p><br /><p><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1419838830">V For Vendetta</a><br />"He was Edmond Dantés... and he was my father. And my mother... my brother... my friend. He was you... and me. He was all of us." (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnPvbfogeSI">YouTube clip</a>)</p>Ragged Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848176404258505710noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-41955150395070866632011-11-02T12:20:00.019-05:002011-11-02T14:12:45.472-05:00Who Am I?<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sHvWP6HgDHM/TrGEZbPJtMI/AAAAAAAAAns/xh0zFGm8tu8/s1600/whoami.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 191px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 274px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670458978179069122" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sHvWP6HgDHM/TrGEZbPJtMI/AAAAAAAAAns/xh0zFGm8tu8/s320/whoami.jpg" /></a> Austin must be full of philosophers. Most of the 2011 philosophy books at APL are checked out. One just added to the<a href="http://www.austinlibrary.com/recommends/index.cfm?taction=Non-Fiction&amp;laction=Best"> Best 2011 Nonfiction </a>list is<a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0385531184"> Who Am I? And If So, How Many? A Philosophical Journey</a> by Richard David Precht. The book is an entertaining tour of the biggest philosophical questions and their relevance to our daily life. The author draws on neuroscience, psychology, and history to elucidate the questions at the heart of human existence, such as, what is truth? does life have meaning? why should I be good? Another title on the entertaining side is <a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1444336401">Philosophy on Tap</a> which examines 48 of the greatest philosophical conundrums and pairs each with an exceptional beer. If God exists, why are there bad beers?<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9781416596158">All Things Shining: Reading the Western Classics to Find Meaning in a Secular Age</a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=143916871"><span style="color:#ff6666;">Driving with Plato</span></a><span style="color:#ff6666;"><br /></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1932073493">The Four Purposes of Life</a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1573244759"><span style="color:#ff6666;">How Plato and Pythagoras Can Save Your Life: The Ancient Greek Prescription for Health and Happiness</span></a><span style="color:#ff6666;"><br /></span><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9781440512414">I Watch, Therefore I Am: from Socrates to Sartre, the Great Mysteries of Life as Explained through Howdy Doody, Marcia Brady, Homer Simpson, Don Draper, and Other TV Icons </a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9781439192818"><span style="color:#ff6666;">The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True </span></a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0756668611">The Philosophy Book</a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1444336401"><span style="color:#ff6666;">Philosophy on Tap: Pint-Sized Puzzles for the Pub Philosopher </span></a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0226137961">The Soul of the Greeks: An Inquiry</a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780393064476"><span style="color:#ff6666;">The Swerve: How the World Became Modern</span></a><span style="color:#ff6666;"><br /></span><br />We also have created a <a href="http://www.austinlibrary.com/ig/?snaction=Research&amp;lnaction=Philosophy">Philosophy Information Guide</a> to answer more of you philosophical musings.Carolyn Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15762837913747343000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-8131550581619296312011-10-31T12:52:00.039-05:002011-10-31T18:42:07.001-05:00Health Care - OMG!!!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sx3Vba3l9Dk/Tq8vmm12YzI/AAAAAAAAAWw/PVkRaK7It9Q/s1600/health-care.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669802796190688050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 167px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 139px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sx3Vba3l9Dk/Tq8vmm12YzI/AAAAAAAAAWw/PVkRaK7It9Q/s320/health-care.jpg" border="0" /></a> Until recently, my thoughts regarding Health Care in the United States were relatively abstract. I knew the cost of receiving medical care was high because I kept being told it was so. I know the cost of insurance is high because I see the monthly premiums charged by health insurance companies. Not until I became intimately involved with the healthcare system in this country did I become truly alarmed.<br /><br />A short time ago my daughter fractured her elbow. She was simply running along and fell awkwardly on her arm. It was as simple and undramatic as that. However, the redundancy and costs associated with such a relatively minor injury were shocking. I went to an emergency care clinic hoping to avoid the exhorbitant cost of a trip to a hospital's Emergency Room. A pediatrician and nurse examined my daughter's arm, an x-ray technician took five or six images of her elbow, and a pediatric radiologist examined the images. All of these costly professionals agreed that I should take her to a hospital's Emergency Room to essentially start the process over again, which I dutifully did, only this time in a more costly facility involving yet more costly medical professionals.<br /><br />Now, my daughter's arm is healed. The cast she wore is a charming momento in my closet. I am grateful. However, the total cost associated with this incident has really woken me up to the profound dangers of leaving such a societally crucial service open to market forces. I recently heard a story where a <a href="http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/10/21/pm-walmart-announces-cutbacks-on-employee-health-care/">sales associate</a> working at a big box retailer and making minimum wage, was facing a $5000 deductible. This means that she will be personally responsible to pay for the first $5000 of medical care she receives before her insurance company will even begin to consider paying for the remainder. The speed with which one can rack up a $5000 medical bill is dizzying. Suffice it to say, I am giving serious thought to my daughter not participating in organized sports of any kind and will double my efforts to remain healthy just to keep away from the untenable morass and quagmire we currently have in place.<br /><br />Books:<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780452296602">You Can't Afford to Get Sick: Your Guide to Optimum Health and Health Care</a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780982417119">Sick and Tired: How America's Health Care System Fails its Patients</a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1608192814">Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans</a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780802119384">Fresh Medicine: How to Fix Reform and Build a Sustainable Health Care System</a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780199769124">Health Care Reform and American Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know</a><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780813544281">Flatlined: Resusitating American Medicine</a><br /><br />Film:<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9781594449024">Sicko</a>Curious Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11471118384246397531noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-33749683083019757312011-10-28T09:29:00.020-05:002011-10-29T09:24:49.894-05:00Who's Afraid of Zombies?<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nIcIrXLKi7k/TqrA5gOz0JI/AAAAAAAAAnc/aiKWUAOn6lY/s1600/zone%2Bone.jpg"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; display: block; height: 241px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668555175136317586" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nIcIrXLKi7k/TqrA5gOz0JI/AAAAAAAAAnc/aiKWUAOn6lY/s320/zone%2Bone.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:verdana;" >The word "zombie" never appears in Colson Whitehead's post-apocalyptic story of a world decimated by a plague that turns humans into flesh-eaters. But the staggering, ravenous creatures that haunt the novel are unmistakably zombies, and </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780385528078">Zone One</a><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:verdana;" > (coming soon to APL) is an unmistakable contribution to an increasingly popular horror sub genre. When I search for zombies as a subject in the catalog, I get 276 titles.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:verdana;" >Unlike vampires, werewolves, demons, witches, goblins and shapes-shifters, zombies can't be endowed with rich, complex personalities. But they can be used to point out the flaws, foibles and quirks in our society as in the TV show, </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=013132264691%20">The Walking Dead</a><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:verdana;" >. You may find a certain monotony built into the genre: the flesh eaters advance, are repelled, advance again and are repelled again. Many zombie novels often read like plague narratives. You have to wonder whether our fascination with these hungry hordes has something to do with a general anxiety about the earth's dwindling resources: a sense that there are too many people out there, with too many urgent needs. Or perhaps they are tapping into our fear of weird, out of control viruses. Whatever it is, don't let the books make you as paranoid as the characters in the books</span><span style="font-family: arial;">.</span><br /><b>HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!<br /></b><br /><b>Recommended Zombie Novels </b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0312570007">Autumn </a>by David Moody<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9781439176672">Day by Day Armageddon </a>by J L Bourne<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0786023600">Flesh Eaters</a> by Joe McKinney<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0316102954">Flip This Zombie </a>by Jesse Peterson<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1597801909">The Living Dead 2</a> by John Adams<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1560258500">Monster Island </a>by David Wellington<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780312559717">The New Dead: A Zombie Anthology</a> by Christopher Golden<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0805092439">The Reapers Are the Angels </a>by Alden Bell<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780312547738">Walking Dead: the Rise of the Governor </a>by Robert Kirkman<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780307346612">World War Z </a>by Max Brooks<br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1616082062">Zombie, Ohio, a Tale of the Undead</a> by Scott KennemoreCarolyn Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15762837913747343000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31263701.post-16572433141539459252011-10-26T09:00:00.000-05:002011-10-26T09:48:57.151-05:00The World Series<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yDPU8OXhHjA/TqHa_4pz_uI/AAAAAAAAAEU/i03tJ9N5PY0/s1600/World%2BSeries.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666050597283167970" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yDPU8OXhHjA/TqHa_4pz_uI/AAAAAAAAAEU/i03tJ9N5PY0/s400/World%2BSeries.jpg" /></a>I went to game five of the World Series Monday night. Attending the World Series fulfilled a lifelong dream. Seeing my team play in the Fall Classic made it even better. Growing up in Dallas, we called the Rangers the Strangers; their perennial mediocrity ensured they did not make the playoffs. Throughout most of the Rangers' history a day at the ballpark was just that: a day at the ballpark, many fans attending to see the parade of big stars on other teams. The past two seasons have been different with two trips to the World Series.<br /><br />The best sports writing is about baseball. I’m not sure why. Perhaps the cadence of the game lends itself to a thoughtfulness absent from other sports. Or, perhaps one man’s thoughtfulness is another man’s boredom. There certainly is plenty of down time in baseball, providing the sportswriter time to begin constructing stories. I don’t write at baseball games, but I tend to carry a book along. Not much beats an afternoon game with some reading snuck into the slow, steady cadence of the game.<br /><br />As for the World Series, I did not take a book. I relished every pitch, swing, hit, pop fly, double play, cheer, high-five, laugh, and smile.<br /><br />Below are some excellent books about the World Series.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1402777566">Glory in the Fall: the Greatest Moments in World Series History</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9780385526241">The First Fall Classic: the Red Sox, the Giants, and the Cast of Players, Pugs, and Politicos Who Reinvented the World Series in 1912</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=9781401323103">Game Six: Cincinnati, Boston, and the 1975 World Series: the Triumph of America's Pastime</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=1586484192">The Gashouse Gang</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0060592273">When Chicago Ruled Baseball: the Cubs-White Sox World Series of 1906</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0312317611">Praying for Gil Hodges: a Memoir of the 1955 World Series and One Family's Love of the Brooklyn Dodgers </a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?searchdata1=0760757267">100 Years of the World Series 1903-2003</a>ACLS Referencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07838707905314960995noreply@blogger.com0
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hostname: ip-10-151-110-145.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2017-51
operator: Common Crawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for December 2017
publisher: Common Crawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf