DUELING PIANOS!!!!

When? Thursday 11/2 (after class)
Where? Madison's on King
Why? Because I've been dying for some dueling pianos since I moved to this city. Plus, we can request "Paradise by the dashboard lights."
Who's down?

Volunteer for Fair Wisconsin

Does anyone want to volunteer for Fair Wisconsin with me on Saturday morning? I am canvassing from 10am to 2:30pm. If you are interested please email me or sign up here.

If you need any inspiration to get out and help, watch this awful add put together by the opposition.

Hot Library Smut

Check out this bibliophile "porn" and just try to keep yourself from drooling!

I just wonder if the Conway and Witt libraries only have one color of books each...? My fave from this blog: definitely the shot of Trinity College Library in Dublin! Now that's hot!

Trick-or-Treat to SAVE your SOUL

While reading today's Christian Science Monitor I came across an article about people passing out religious pamphlets with candy. I say get the gouls before they get you!

My favorite titles from the SLIS children's collection

Teeny Gay, by Charlie May Simon (1936).

Sugar Bush, by Dorathea Dana (1947).

Halloweenies

My brother-in-law's band- Houses in Motion, they play Talking Heads covers- is playing at Cafe Montmartre on Saturday night. Justin & I will be there, hopefully a safe distance from any hooligans and/or rioters.

The second set is going to be a faithful reproduction of the movie "Stop Making Sense". How could you say no to that?!

W does Google

Yup, more "news" courtesy of Leah's obsession with The Best Week Ever Blog.

The Google

The Pin-Up Librarian

There have been many depictions of librarians in various media over the years, but I think artist Gil Elvgren is the only one to really capture the essense of our work and that certain special je ne sais qua of librarianess.

I mean, how many times has this happened to you: you're all dressed for work in your eyeglasses, bun, button-down dress, and bright red high heels, you get up on the ladder to shelve some books, and the next thing you know your skirt is pinned under a bookend and you're dropping MacKinlay Kantor novels on the floor and flashing your black thigh-high stockings to all of creation!

I tell you, it's days like that when I wonder why I didn't stick to teaching. Or maybe I should have given nursing a shot, especially since nurses and librarians seem to wear exactly the same dress and hose.

Inmate uses laxatives to flee jail

Look girls, your portable pharmacy may come in handy some day.

Only interesting to those currently in Cataloging

And potentially not even that interesting to them. Remember assignmant two:
Of grammatology / by Jacques Derrida ; translated by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak?

Well, today in doing a completely unrelated assignment for the advanced reference class, guess what I just happened to run across? That's right, Ms. Spivak's biographical information, including this: "Among her publications are Of Grammatology (translation with critical introduction of Jacques Derrida's De la grammmatologie)."

So not the most interesting thing in the world, but my little mind was boggled at the coincidence and I had to share.

Photoshop workshop tomorrow

In case anyone is interested, I'm doing a workshop on Adobe Photoshop for the Web tomorrow (Wednesday) at 2 pm in the SLIS comp lab. I'll be covering basic photo editing as well as optimizing images for the Web. It was designed for the Information Architecture class, but anyone can come. Just e-mail Awa so she'll have enough copies of the handout.

Awa told me that no one from outside the Information Architecture class has signed up for the workshop yet, so there should be plenty of room for anyone else who wants to learn about Photoshop.

Ten Things I Hate About Commandments

This is my favorite new movie trailer remix.

things that cost forty thousand dollars

A set of Marilyn Monroe's old bustiers at auction.
A Lexus Hybrid.
A horse trailer.
74 acres in South Dakota.
An Ingersoll Rand Compressor.
A newly minted librarian.

Revelations!

This is likely old news to more experienced librarians than I, but I learned something today which I found amusing. I was at the ref desk at Memorial when a student asked where he could find a Bible. He wasn't interested in the edition. MadCat revealed Bibles could be found under "BS." Could there have been an atheist at the library of congress with a sense of humor???

Spoooky Library Event Reminder

Wisconsin Ghost Lore at the Middleton Public Library, Thursday Oct. 26 at 7pm. Anyone who wants to hitch a ride let me know! I can fit 3 plus moi, and my mummy helped me clean my car so it's spic'n'span. (She's a nice mummy like that.)

Also, don't forget to register so there are plenty of vittles for everyone: call 608-827-7403, email mid@scls.lib.wi.us or stop by at the library's Reference Desk.

Your name in Japanese

Here's a site I found today that will transliterate common English first names into Japanese katakana. Set the style to "Calligraphy", "Sans Serif", or "Manga" for the most easily readable results.

I checked out several names and it seems to work well. Apparently the programmer took the trouble of actually making a dictionary of common names and their transliterations instead of the easier (and far less accurate) method of transliterating each combination of letters separately.

The downside of this is that if you have an unusual name or one not in the database, it won't be able to transliterate your name. But for the names it does have (and there are a lot), it does a pretty good job.

I'm here for the graduate student

If any of y'all want to come hear me sing this weekend with a crowd of undergrads, we're having a concert on Sunday night (7:30) at Mills (in Humanities). All of the university choirs (there are six) will be singing a few songs. So if you'd like, come cheer me on!

thanks for the tip, Reuters!

It confirms my love for our favorite drink, The Librarian.

I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper

This is possibly the best video I've ever seen in my life.

I hesitate to say more lest I spoil it, so I'll only say that it's a sci-fi themed pop song by Sarah "Ex-Mrs. Lloyd-Webber" Brightman and it really shows why the 1970s were such a great decade.

Proof reading is hard

I get my news from Jon Stewart and/or VH1:

Foley, D-FL

we can't wear this for halloween because this is what we look like in real life.

Via librarian.net.

Target's "Adult's Naughty Librarian Costume" described on Target's online store as:

"You should check out his naughty librarian costume. Includes a navy blue dress with screen-printed skirt, attached tulle petticoat, shawl, rhinestone glasses and removable "Naughty Librarian" badge. Pearl necklace not included. 100% polyester."

I can't believe that Target's Design department thinks that librarians wear mini shoulder shawls. We are a CLASSY professional group, people! And, YES, you DO need a master's degree to wear a book-spine skirt.

Two for One

How much do I love you guys? Lots! So much so that I have two gifts for you today:

1) Baby Toupee--Small Wigs for Small People
For the excellent price of $25, your baby can look like Donald Trump or Lil' Kim. Then you can send your pictures capturing the traumatic moment to their online gallery.

But wait, there's more!

2) The Betty Glover Library Workout Tape
Featuring some classic 80s music, frumpy 80s librarians, a woman carrying a riding crop and doing some creepy voiceovers, and lots of old school library equipment being used for exercise.

See? True love!

If Librarianing doesn't work out

Jessica Simpson may be looking for a new UW grad.

Fun with romance novels

This site features real romance novel cover art...with new titles added in Photoshop.

Ghosties and Ghoulies!

The Middleton Public Library's having author Dennis Boyer do storytelling from his book Driftless Spirits: Ghosts of Southwestern Wisconsin on Oct. 26 at 7pm.

There will also be refreshments. If you're interested, they'd like you to pre-register (827-7403) and I'd be happy to drive a few peeps over in my dilapidated car.

I'll also re-post this a little closer to the event.

Best headline ever

Jesus image found in dog's butt

A Little Sunday Morning Bollywood

This little dude has moves!