A psychic website?

My wacky new age sister-in-law sent this, and its accuracy is unnerving. How does it read minds?

Names through history

I found this a while back but forgot about it until Deb's recent name post. This is a little online Java program that shows you how popular different names have been in the US since the 1880s. Just start typing a name and it will make a graph for you based on how common that name was.

For instance, type in "Kaylee" and it'll show you that this name didn't exist before the 1970s, but is now the 41th most popular name for American girls. For boys, "Edgar" was pretty popular in the late-19th century, but began declining and reached a low point in the 1960s. But it's rising in popularity again, and is now about as common as it was in the 1930s.

Although the program is called the Baby Name Wizard, I found it through a writing blog. It would be a great tool for someone writing a period piece novel -- it would tell you not to call your Victorian heroine "Tiffany", or that you shouldn't have a contemporary American adult named "Maddox" because this name was basically unheard of until Angelina Jolie used it for her son in 2002.

internets to deborah: you don't exist!

This is fun! Unless you have a weirdass last name. Howmanyofme.com computes the popularity of your first and last names, then tells you how many other people in the U.S. share your name. Deborah is pretty popular, so I share that with 700,000 or so other women (or maybe men?). But according to the algorithm, ZERO people with my last name live in this country. Does that mean I don't have to pay taxes?

I'm here for the graduate student - holiday edition

Well here I am again, shamelessly self-promoting mostly because I don't want to be known by my undergraduate choir-mates as "that quiet crossword-doing girl that never has anyone at the concerts." So, if you really enjoyed our last concert (or if you feel extra-guilty for not coming) come check out our Holiday Choral Concert on Sunday (that's December 3rd) at 2:00 or 4:00. It's at Luther Memorial Church (on University between Brooks and Mills). If you're one of those people that just can't kick off the holiday season without a rousing rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus, this one's for you!

everyone looked better twenty years ago

Um, so I'm really excited to go to Jonathan Franzen's reading/lecture tonight. And I'll probably read his new book. And The Corrections will probably remain one of my favorite postmodern novels. And I still think it's funny and awesome that he refused Oprah's book club invitation. But--cripes! For the holy love of Mary and Joseph, could the man take a new author photograph and stop his publicist from sending out this headshot from 1987? Yes, Mr. Franzen, you took a good picture that one time that made you appear to be pretty darn attractive. But now it's time to let go...

Top of My Wish List:

Temporary Librarian Tattoos. Need I say more?

Shushin' Freak

Ms. Dewey has inspired me to write a song about real librarians, the kind we know and love. The kind who read lots of books, are patient with patrons, and wear sensible shoes.

After a few failed attempts at "Don't Cha Wish Your Girlfriend Knew LCC?", I took a slightly different tack. The result: "Shushin' Freak", in the style of Rick James.

I hope, in the spirit of the holiday, that this makes you feel thankful. Thankful that you don't actually have to hear me sing this song out loud.

(Ahem. Do re mi fa so la te SHHHHH!)

She's a very mousy girl,
The kind who dresses like your mother.
She will never turn your questions down,
Once she's workin' at the desk.
Oh girl!
She likes the books that are banned,
She says that Twain's her all-time favorite.
When I make my move to the stack's it's the right time,
She always wants to read.

{Refrain}
That girl is pretty quiet now,
The girl's a shushin' freak.
The kind of girl you read about,
In Booklist Magazine.
That girl is pretty mousy,
The girl's a shushin' freak.
She's always got a new book,
Every time we meet.
She's all right, she's all right,
That girl's all right with me,
Yeah!

She's a shushin' freak, shushin' freak,
She's shushin' people, yow!
(Everybody read.)
Shushin' freak, shushin' freak.

She's a very special girl,
(The kind of girl you want to know)
From her bun down to her Oxfords.
(Down to her feet, yeah.)
And she'll wait for me at Borders with her girlfriends,
In a cardigan.
(Going back to New Fiction.)
Three's not a crowd to her, she says.
"College Library, we'll be waiting."
When I get there, she's got coffee, books, and journals,
It's a whole book club scene.

{Refrain}

{Bridge}

She's a shushin' freak, shushin' freak,
She's shushin' people, yow!

Archivists sing!
(Shhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuuuush!)
Shushin' freak, shushin' freak,
That girl's a shushin' freak.
(Shhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuuuush!)

She's a very mousy girl,
The kind who dresses like your mother.
And she will never turn your questions down,
Once she's workin' at the desk.

Go, Dewey!

{horn solo}