These were the words spoken to me by a patron who appeared to be rather frustrated when it took me more than 37 seconds to find an encyclopedia article on The Spiegel Act.
Turns out, we were looking for the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, commonly known as The Banking Act of 1933 (which we found approximately 23 seconds later. We were able to pull a few encyclopedia articles on the original act, as well as its repeal in 1999.)
The GSA was essentially an overhaul of the federal banking system - something much needed after the financial crisis the late 1920s/early 1930s. One of the major changes was the separation of commercial and investment banking -- commercial banks (that were members of the federal banking system) could not invest their money in the stock market (except for certain types of debt securities). This mandated separation was apparently repealed in another piece of legislation known as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) of 1999.
As part of the Banking Act of 1933, Congress also established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which insures bank deposits and "maintains the stability and public confidence in the nation's financial system." I have to admit, I've never really paid attention to the FDIC before, but they maintain a well organized and extremely informative website. Generate reports on the current state of the banking industry and learn about insured deposits to your heart's content.
By the way, I kept bumping into the comptroller of currency (not literally, of course) while reading about this stuff. A comptroller is a "public official who audits government accounts and sometimes certifies expenditures." Now you know.
9.23.2008
9.22.2008
Dudes...I been scraped
Two weeks ago I got an email from my friend Ann letting me know that she got a pingback on her blog from someone who full on copied one of my blog posts (in which I linked to Ann) and pasted it into their blog. This is called scraping, people, and it's not cool.
Kat's Adventures in Copyright Infringement
1. I freaked out a bit, and wrestled with a few overwhelming emotions. Why me? What if my taking action opens a bigger can of worms than I want to deal with? Remember that time when you were seven and you didn't confront the older kids who stole your bag of salt water taffy and how lousy you felt? Isn't it ironic, given how you feel about the ramifications of the DMCA, that you now use procedures outlined by the DMCA to deal with this? This would be flattering if it wasn't an automated process...little ol' me and my little ol' oranges and peaches blog worthy of being copied...too bad.
2. I thought back to what little I learned about copyright in Library 101. The only thing that really stuck was that only the copyright owner can file a copyright notice. Since I figured I would never *be* that copyright owner, I must have tuned out. The other thing that stuck is that one does not need to mark their work with a copyright notice in order to hold the copyright. But, I figured I should read Blogger's Terms of Service -- just in case I have to prove that this is my original content.
3. I read about how other people handled it when their content was lifted. There are some excellent sites that have outlined the steps to take when content has been scraped. I consulted One Cool Site and Lorelle, but there are lots of sites out there.
4. I found out as much information about the site as possible. WhoIs provides domain registration information. Since there was no contact information on that page, I clicked on the IP address and was able to determine which company was hosting the site. I also browsed through that company's AUP, or Acceptable Use Policy -- mainly for kicks, but also because I learned that every ISP has one.
5. I contacted abuse@theISPcompany.com to report the offending site. "I believe someone who is using your hosing services is scraping content from my blog. According to whois.arin.net, this IP address (xx.xxx.x.xx, www.url.net) is registered to [your company]. My original blog posts (urls) have been lifted in their entirety here (urls) without attribution or my permission. If this is your customer, and if you're able to do anything about this matter, please contact me. Blah blah blah." Just a note - It is not in my nature to use the official- and harsh-sounding language suggested in other copyright notice form letters I came upon. And, the DH (who responded to this kind of stuff when he worked at a local ISP) gave me permission to tone it down a bit. Just so we're clear, I did not write blah blah blah in my email though.
6. I contacted Google AdSense to notify them that one of their customers is scraping my content. I received a follow up email with instructions on how to submit my request in writing.
And, that my friends, is Kat's Adventure in Copyright Infringement sans results. Tune in next week for Kat's Adventures in Finally Locating and Killing that Damn Cricket in Her Basement.
Kat's Adventures in Copyright Infringement
1. I freaked out a bit, and wrestled with a few overwhelming emotions. Why me? What if my taking action opens a bigger can of worms than I want to deal with? Remember that time when you were seven and you didn't confront the older kids who stole your bag of salt water taffy and how lousy you felt? Isn't it ironic, given how you feel about the ramifications of the DMCA, that you now use procedures outlined by the DMCA to deal with this? This would be flattering if it wasn't an automated process...little ol' me and my little ol' oranges and peaches blog worthy of being copied...too bad.
2. I thought back to what little I learned about copyright in Library 101. The only thing that really stuck was that only the copyright owner can file a copyright notice. Since I figured I would never *be* that copyright owner, I must have tuned out. The other thing that stuck is that one does not need to mark their work with a copyright notice in order to hold the copyright. But, I figured I should read Blogger's Terms of Service -- just in case I have to prove that this is my original content.
3. I read about how other people handled it when their content was lifted. There are some excellent sites that have outlined the steps to take when content has been scraped. I consulted One Cool Site and Lorelle, but there are lots of sites out there.
4. I found out as much information about the site as possible. WhoIs provides domain registration information. Since there was no contact information on that page, I clicked on the IP address and was able to determine which company was hosting the site. I also browsed through that company's AUP, or Acceptable Use Policy -- mainly for kicks, but also because I learned that every ISP has one.
5. I contacted abuse@theISPcompany.com to report the offending site. "I believe someone who is using your hosing services is scraping content from my blog. According to whois.arin.net, this IP address (xx.xxx.x.xx, www.url.net) is registered to [your company]. My original blog posts (urls) have been lifted in their entirety here (urls) without attribution or my permission. If this is your customer, and if you're able to do anything about this matter, please contact me. Blah blah blah." Just a note - It is not in my nature to use the official- and harsh-sounding language suggested in other copyright notice form letters I came upon. And, the DH (who responded to this kind of stuff when he worked at a local ISP) gave me permission to tone it down a bit. Just so we're clear, I did not write blah blah blah in my email though.
6. I contacted Google AdSense to notify them that one of their customers is scraping my content. I received a follow up email with instructions on how to submit my request in writing.
And, that my friends, is Kat's Adventure in Copyright Infringement sans results. Tune in next week for Kat's Adventures in Finally Locating and Killing that Damn Cricket in Her Basement.
9.19.2008
Who's a good Samaritan?
Note: I can't help but read the title of this post in baby- or puppy-talk. "Who's a big girl?" "Who's the cutest puppy in the whole wide world?" "Who's a good Samaritan?"
My colleague came back from AED training the other day, and said something about good Samaritans that made me wonder -- is anyone, provided they act in good faith toward someone who needs help in an emergency, covered by the Minnesota Good Samaritan Law?
Yyyyyyesss! This is the opportunity I've been waiting for to read through various legal websites! Huzzah!
There's the duty to assist part, that charges bystanders at the scene of an emergency with a petty misdemeanor for failure to "give reasonable assistance" to a person "exposed to or has suffered grave physical harm shall" (unless said assistance would place said bystander in peril).
Then there's the immunity from liability part, where a non-professional-medical-type person can "render emergency care, advice, or assistance at the scene of an emergency" without worrying about liability. This is the part where "person" is defined as "volunteer firefighter, volunteer police officer, volunteer ambulance attendant, volunteer first provider of emergency medical services, volunteer ski patroller, and any partnership, corporation, association, or other entity."
None of those are me.
I suspect that the law is intended to encourage the regular person to help people, and if I'm the only other person in the room with a defibrillator and a person having a heart attack, that I, as a layperson, would be covered under this law in both the duty to assist and the immunity from liability if I do assist that person. But, that's just me. Or is it...
Legal Resources
Find Law
Probably the first place I would go if I really needed to find something.
Law Help MN
A collection of links to outside sources that summarize the law. A project of four legal services organizations. Nothing about good Samaritans in the search box.
The Law Library
Contains an abundance of Internet legal resources, including a full-text search of court opinions since May of 1996. Good reads, and there are a few about good Samaritans in there.
Law Moose
An easy to use, well organized site that pulls information from many legal sites into one, and uses something called MooseBoost (which sounds like their metadata system) to effectively search the site. (Refers to the public edition). While "good Samaritan" is not a topic on its own, the keyword search seems to work pretty well.
My colleague came back from AED training the other day, and said something about good Samaritans that made me wonder -- is anyone, provided they act in good faith toward someone who needs help in an emergency, covered by the Minnesota Good Samaritan Law?
Yyyyyyesss! This is the opportunity I've been waiting for to read through various legal websites! Huzzah!
There's the duty to assist part, that charges bystanders at the scene of an emergency with a petty misdemeanor for failure to "give reasonable assistance" to a person "exposed to or has suffered grave physical harm shall" (unless said assistance would place said bystander in peril).
Then there's the immunity from liability part, where a non-professional-medical-type person can "render emergency care, advice, or assistance at the scene of an emergency" without worrying about liability. This is the part where "person" is defined as "volunteer firefighter, volunteer police officer, volunteer ambulance attendant, volunteer first provider of emergency medical services, volunteer ski patroller, and any partnership, corporation, association, or other entity."
None of those are me.
I suspect that the law is intended to encourage the regular person to help people, and if I'm the only other person in the room with a defibrillator and a person having a heart attack, that I, as a layperson, would be covered under this law in both the duty to assist and the immunity from liability if I do assist that person. But, that's just me. Or is it...
Legal Resources
Find Law
Probably the first place I would go if I really needed to find something.
Law Help MN
A collection of links to outside sources that summarize the law. A project of four legal services organizations. Nothing about good Samaritans in the search box.
The Law Library
Contains an abundance of Internet legal resources, including a full-text search of court opinions since May of 1996. Good reads, and there are a few about good Samaritans in there.
Law Moose
An easy to use, well organized site that pulls information from many legal sites into one, and uses something called MooseBoost (which sounds like their metadata system) to effectively search the site. (Refers to the public edition). While "good Samaritan" is not a topic on its own, the keyword search seems to work pretty well.
9.18.2008
Are we sure English is her native language?
Maybe I don't read as much as I think I do.
That is the only explanation I can think of for the fact that I've spent years casually wondering what this special "brass tax" law, or code, or whatever is all about. Since anyone who has ever used that phrase in my presence was clearly talking about something tax-related, I can only presume that I naturally tuned out whatever they might have been saying.
I heard reference to the "brass tax" again at the meeting I attended yesterday (which did happen to be tax-related), and decided (as I'm trying to become the money person I know I can be) to figure out once and for all what this tax program is all about.
Dear Readers, (and, I recognize that I have only myself to inform here...) brass tacks is an idiom. It means "to start talking about the most important or basic facts of a situation."
You know, get down to business, as in "we've gotta talk about the brass tacks, here. Kat has poor command of key idiomatic expressions, and now everyone knows."
Or, at least, now her mother knows.
That is the only explanation I can think of for the fact that I've spent years casually wondering what this special "brass tax" law, or code, or whatever is all about. Since anyone who has ever used that phrase in my presence was clearly talking about something tax-related, I can only presume that I naturally tuned out whatever they might have been saying.
I heard reference to the "brass tax" again at the meeting I attended yesterday (which did happen to be tax-related), and decided (as I'm trying to become the money person I know I can be) to figure out once and for all what this tax program is all about.
Dear Readers, (and, I recognize that I have only myself to inform here...) brass tacks is an idiom. It means "to start talking about the most important or basic facts of a situation."
You know, get down to business, as in "we've gotta talk about the brass tacks, here. Kat has poor command of key idiomatic expressions, and now everyone knows."
Or, at least, now her mother knows.
9.17.2008
One missing piece of crucial information
I'm all about becoming a money person lately. To me, this means understanding our accounts, paying attention to and searching for ways to save dollars here and there (like trading time for fitness, utilizing the flexible spending account, etc.), and keeping track of spending. You know, stuff along those lines.
To that end, I've taken small steps to pay attention and be active. (And, I am talking small steps, here). In the last few months I have organized a filing cabinet and actually read through what I was filing, actually read our insurance policies and considered their costs, actually read my benefits statement from work, met with our financial dude after actually reading our statements and asked questions rather than just saying "oh, okay," and started checking in once in awhile at Yahoo Finance. Boring, small steps, but necessary stuff.
So, operating in this gung-ho mode I decided to actually attend a benefits-related meeting this morning on the health care savings plan. I got there a minute after they started, but I jumped right into learning mode. I learned about the plan (that contributed funds are invested in the stock market but that I could diversify as I saw fit, that the employer would not have to pay FICA taxes on those funds, that if a percent of the salary is contributed, the percentage of the employer's contributions to the 401 plan would be affected), thought about tax implications, started doing mental calculations, etc.
And I'm thinking I did a pretty good job in my newly formed vision of myself as "money person."
Oh, and that missing piece of crucial information? That fact that was mentioned in the first minute of the meeting before I got there, and presumably mentioned in the emails announcing this meeting?
The meeting was for non-unionized people, i.e. NOT ME.
Oooooo, I was ticked at myself. I needed that hour and a half to plan storytime! One of my coworkers said that I might have to do this plan at some point, so it isn't completely wasted time. And I did get a blog post out of it, so...
To that end, I've taken small steps to pay attention and be active. (And, I am talking small steps, here). In the last few months I have organized a filing cabinet and actually read through what I was filing, actually read our insurance policies and considered their costs, actually read my benefits statement from work, met with our financial dude after actually reading our statements and asked questions rather than just saying "oh, okay," and started checking in once in awhile at Yahoo Finance. Boring, small steps, but necessary stuff.
So, operating in this gung-ho mode I decided to actually attend a benefits-related meeting this morning on the health care savings plan. I got there a minute after they started, but I jumped right into learning mode. I learned about the plan (that contributed funds are invested in the stock market but that I could diversify as I saw fit, that the employer would not have to pay FICA taxes on those funds, that if a percent of the salary is contributed, the percentage of the employer's contributions to the 401 plan would be affected), thought about tax implications, started doing mental calculations, etc.
And I'm thinking I did a pretty good job in my newly formed vision of myself as "money person."
Oh, and that missing piece of crucial information? That fact that was mentioned in the first minute of the meeting before I got there, and presumably mentioned in the emails announcing this meeting?
The meeting was for non-unionized people, i.e. NOT ME.
Oooooo, I was ticked at myself. I needed that hour and a half to plan storytime! One of my coworkers said that I might have to do this plan at some point, so it isn't completely wasted time. And I did get a blog post out of it, so...
9.16.2008
Plato
Quick! If someone asked you for Plato's Origin of Love, would you know what dialogue they are referring to?
Time's up. Someone asked me for this story yesterday, and I found myself in a situation where I thought I should know the answer, but didn't.
(And, I refrained from asking her if she meant Darwin's Origin of Species. You know, given my blog title... okay, yeah. You get it).
Plato's The Symposium is a dialogue between Aristophanes, Socrates and a bunch of others in which they discuss the philosophical and intellectual properties of Love, and lament the fact that there are no love songs in their day (something that has since been rectified many times over). So much has been written about it already, and given that I only skimmed it last night, I cannot give it it's proper due.
But, I will share the thoughts running through my head as I jumped around the text last night.
Time's up. Someone asked me for this story yesterday, and I found myself in a situation where I thought I should know the answer, but didn't.
(And, I refrained from asking her if she meant Darwin's Origin of Species. You know, given my blog title... okay, yeah. You get it).
Plato's The Symposium is a dialogue between Aristophanes, Socrates and a bunch of others in which they discuss the philosophical and intellectual properties of Love, and lament the fact that there are no love songs in their day (something that has since been rectified many times over). So much has been written about it already, and given that I only skimmed it last night, I cannot give it it's proper due.
But, I will share the thoughts running through my head as I jumped around the text last night.
- I don't think I've actually read anything that Plato wrote before.
- Humor has come a long way since then. The funniest thing happened...Plato (uninvited to the house of Agathon) walked in first, and Socrates (the guest) stayed behind for a minute and was nowhere to be seen. Crack me up.
- They sure do take a lot of time to decide whether drinking is the first order of business or not. How different is that from what we do today? The first question I usually have is "what are you going to have"? (They finally decide drinking is not their primary objective, and let everyone drink as much or as little as they chose. Wise choice.)
- Hmmmm...Green Melange Tea from the Tea Source is still my favorite.
- My favorites of their observations are:
- Open loves are held to be more honourable than secret ones (no secret love affairs, people)
- in the pursuit of his love the custom of mankind allows him to do many strange things...and he will not be judged harshly by his friends for doing weird stuff in the name of love. (True. I tend to stand by my people when they have new crushes or boy troubles.)
- If the object of one's affections turns out to be a jackwad, the person who is deceived is off the hook, for if he is deceived he has committed a noble error. For he has proved that for his part he will do anything for anybody with a view to virtue and improvement. (Don't give up! It's not you, it's him!!)
- Open loves are held to be more honourable than secret ones (no secret love affairs, people)
- Oh, geez. Now they're going into elements, and seasons, and something else.
- I wonder if Plato and his chums could relate to the girls of Sex and the City.
- Interesting...they cure their hiccups by sneezing. And then they laugh about it.
- I really like my "shhhh...I'm reading" mug from Barnes and Noble. I wonder if they make a "shhhh...I'm blogging" mug. (a few minutes of browsing through cafe press later) Not exactly, but they do have a lot of blog-related mugs.
- Oh, lord. Now Aristophanes is describing the original three sexes - man, woman, and man and woman melted into one. Don't they have another party to go to? How much more of this is there? (See The Origin of Love from Hedwig and the Angry Inch for a description of this).
- No wonder I didn't finish reading Brideshead Revisited before it was due back at the library. I'm easily distracted by stuff I find on the Internet. Okay. Back to The Symposium. I've made it this far, and have to finish. It would be much easier if I didn't have 8 pounds of perfect (my cat) crawling all over me...
9.15.2008
Bowling lexicon: that's what she said
I was impressed with the amount of bowling terminology that was being tossed about by my friends the other night. (We *were* at a bowling alley, and two of the group are members of a league, so the bowling talk wasn't completely unexpected.)
Anyway, I decided it was time to get up to speed with the bowling lingo.
Bad Rack
Definition: A full set of pins that appears to have one or more not properly positioned; generally undesirable.
Usage example: It's not me, this lane has a bad rack. I can't seem to knock down the 7-pin.
Bed Posts
Definition: The 7-10 split
Usage example: Those damn bedposts are killing me.
Body English
Definition: Movements and contortions of the body intended to steer the ball as it travels down the lane.
Usage example: Body English may work in Wii Bowling, but in regular bowling standing at the foul line pointing with your head or your fingers and yelling at the ball to "go that way!" does not yield the desired result.
Kegler
Definition: German word for bowler
Usage example: I thought a kegler was someone who regularly throws keg parties. But no, we were bowling next to some keglers, easily identifiable by their speaking in German.
Kingpin
Definition: A 1996 movie staring Woody Harrelson and Bill Murray
Definition: A Marvel character, a common thug turned criminal mastermind with no superhuman powers, and hired a sniper to take out Peter Parker.
Usage example: I think *someone* should dress as Kingpin for Halloween, but wear a bowling pin costume with a crown on top. :)
Lofting
Definition: Throwing the ball in the air beyond the foul line
Usage example: Can you see that huge dent in the head of the lane where B's ball landed? She's a lofter, that one.
Open Frame
Definition: A frame having neither a spare or strike.
Usage example: Of the twenty frames I threw, sixteen of them were open frames.
Turkey
Definition: Three consecutive strikes
Usage example: According to some, a turkey is cause for a round of wild turkeys.
Bowling Terminology Resources
BowlingBall.com
The website that provides "community, content and commerce."
PBA.com
The official site of the Professional Bowlers Association
Anyway, I decided it was time to get up to speed with the bowling lingo.
Bad Rack
Definition: A full set of pins that appears to have one or more not properly positioned; generally undesirable.
Usage example: It's not me, this lane has a bad rack. I can't seem to knock down the 7-pin.
Bed Posts
Definition: The 7-10 split
Usage example: Those damn bedposts are killing me.
Body English
Definition: Movements and contortions of the body intended to steer the ball as it travels down the lane.
Usage example: Body English may work in Wii Bowling, but in regular bowling standing at the foul line pointing with your head or your fingers and yelling at the ball to "go that way!" does not yield the desired result.
Kegler
Definition: German word for bowler
Usage example: I thought a kegler was someone who regularly throws keg parties. But no, we were bowling next to some keglers, easily identifiable by their speaking in German.
Kingpin
Definition: A 1996 movie staring Woody Harrelson and Bill Murray
Definition: A Marvel character, a common thug turned criminal mastermind with no superhuman powers, and hired a sniper to take out Peter Parker.
Usage example: I think *someone* should dress as Kingpin for Halloween, but wear a bowling pin costume with a crown on top. :)
Lofting
Definition: Throwing the ball in the air beyond the foul line
Usage example: Can you see that huge dent in the head of the lane where B's ball landed? She's a lofter, that one.
Open Frame
Definition: A frame having neither a spare or strike.
Usage example: Of the twenty frames I threw, sixteen of them were open frames.
Turkey
Definition: Three consecutive strikes
Usage example: According to some, a turkey is cause for a round of wild turkeys.
Bowling Terminology Resources
BowlingBall.com
The website that provides "community, content and commerce."
PBA.com
The official site of the Professional Bowlers Association
9.14.2008
A walking dictionary, and he's mine
Note: Parking around the corner of 26th and Lyndale is not always easy to come by on a Friday night. So, when I spotted a smallish opening, I went for it demonstrating once again my excellent parallel parking skills. I was focused on not hitting he car in front of me, but the DH was thrown by something else...the name of the car. We parked behind a VW Toureg.
The DH: That's a strange name for a car
Me: I guess...
The DH: A tuareg is a camel walker
Me: What?
The DH: They're people in Africa who lead camel caravans.
Me: You're a word nerd
The DH: Maybe VW is trying to say something about their gas mileage, if camels store water and can go long distances, maybe this thing can do the same with gas.
Well, no - it doesn't. But I still think it's a nice name for the car, however misleading.
The DH: That's a strange name for a car
Me: I guess...
The DH: A tuareg is a camel walker
Me: What?
The DH: They're people in Africa who lead camel caravans.
Me: You're a word nerd
The DH: Maybe VW is trying to say something about their gas mileage, if camels store water and can go long distances, maybe this thing can do the same with gas.
Well, no - it doesn't. But I still think it's a nice name for the car, however misleading.
9.08.2008
Theremins: look ma, no hands!
The DH is...can I say obsessed?...with Dragonforce. (Thank you, Guitar Hero). I sat down with him tonight to watch "the making of" DVD that came with the most recent album. Now, I've actually started to enjoy the music (although, not at 7am) and quite enjoyed listening to them talk about their stuff.
Then! This one guy pulls out a theremin (minute 4:07) and incorporates the sounds into their album. I'm quite impressed...with myself for knowing what it was.
The theremin (pronounced thair uh minn) is a musical instrument that is played by controlling the electromagnetic field between two metal antenae with your hands. For more information and a demonstration, check out this TED talk. There is one on display at the Bakken Museum near Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. Check it out!
And while I'm sitting here pleased with myself for knowing what the theremin is, I'd like to take this moment to point out that several years ago, I also knew that the instrument Sting used during the performance of You Will Be My Ain True Love was the hurdy-gurdy.
Hey, since I mostly admit what I don't know, a few posts about what obscure things I do know now and then can't hurt.
Then! This one guy pulls out a theremin (minute 4:07) and incorporates the sounds into their album. I'm quite impressed...with myself for knowing what it was.
The theremin (pronounced thair uh minn) is a musical instrument that is played by controlling the electromagnetic field between two metal antenae with your hands. For more information and a demonstration, check out this TED talk. There is one on display at the Bakken Museum near Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. Check it out!
And while I'm sitting here pleased with myself for knowing what the theremin is, I'd like to take this moment to point out that several years ago, I also knew that the instrument Sting used during the performance of You Will Be My Ain True Love was the hurdy-gurdy.
Hey, since I mostly admit what I don't know, a few posts about what obscure things I do know now and then can't hurt.
9.02.2008
Word Nerds
I love being part of a word family. So, this is a shout out to my mom, aunts and uncles -- you're a bunch of word nerds, and you're awesome.
A new vocabulary word
Davit
noun
either a par of uprights that can be swung out over the side of a ship for lowering or raising a small boat; or
a crane in a ship's bow, formerly used to raise or lower the anchor
A demonstration of a modern hydraulic davit system can be seen here.
Resources for Word Nerds
Word Nerds
A podcast about words, language, and why we say the things we do.
World in Words
Another podcast about language, with political analysis of how we use language across the globe. From PRI's The World.
Confusing Words
A growing database of English words that are often misunderstood or misused. Or just confusing.
Online Etymology Dictionary
As it sounds, a site that explains the roots of words.
Free Rice
For every vocabulary word you define correctly, they donate 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program. (I've been playing off and on since November, so I've probably mentioned this before).
A new vocabulary word
Davit
noun
either a par of uprights that can be swung out over the side of a ship for lowering or raising a small boat; or
a crane in a ship's bow, formerly used to raise or lower the anchor
A demonstration of a modern hydraulic davit system can be seen here.
Resources for Word Nerds
Word Nerds
A podcast about words, language, and why we say the things we do.
World in Words
Another podcast about language, with political analysis of how we use language across the globe. From PRI's The World.
Confusing Words
A growing database of English words that are often misunderstood or misused. Or just confusing.
Online Etymology Dictionary
As it sounds, a site that explains the roots of words.
Free Rice
For every vocabulary word you define correctly, they donate 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program. (I've been playing off and on since November, so I've probably mentioned this before).
9.01.2008
Put it on a stick to increase its awesomeness factor
Breakfast: Key Lime Pie on a Stick
Early Morning Snack: Pronto Pup on a Stick
Mid-Morning Snack: Garlic Stuffed Olive on a Stick
Lunch: Fresh French Fries
Early Afternoon Snack: Deep Fried Cheese Curds on a Stick (a mistake, btw)
Desert: A Martha's Cookie (thanks, Amy!)
Early Afternoon Beverage: Draft Root Beer Float
Mid Afternoon Beverage: Honey Weiss (we ran into Matt and Amy, Joe and Jane! Of course we'd have a beer together!)
The only time I publish a food journal is my annual trip to the Minnesota State Fair. Sure, I go for the huge pumpkins, newborn piglets, honey bees, huge smelly cows, beautiful horses, quilts, radio stations and people watching too, but the food...the food is an experience that I a) don't want to miss, and b) don't want to experience more than once a year. I wasn't smart about it this year, though. I didn't do my usual prep work, and I missed out on the chocolate covered bacon (aka pig lickers) strong enough to tempt even the most veggie of vegetarians.
A few other highlights...
Al Franken
We stopped to listen to Al Franken give a smart and passionate speech about his vision of and for Minnesota and the country. He took care to point out that there's nothing wrong with America that can't be fixed with what's right with America, which is refreshing during this season of "look at the mess the other guy made."
A Bernina test drive
I test drove the dreamiest sewing machine ever. I knew that Bernina makes a superior sewing machine (and learned that some models operate Windows), but had never used one. Oh, it was lovely. So smooth and smart and perfect. And I walked away with a Bernina Breeze on a Stick.
My first butterhead sighting
I won't question this tradition. I guess I never wandered into the dairy building before, and was secretly hoping that the butterheads were urban state fair myth, but they do exist.
And in other news, the McCain booth looked pretty wimpy and pathetic. Of course.
Well, until next year...
Early Morning Snack: Pronto Pup on a Stick
Mid-Morning Snack: Garlic Stuffed Olive on a Stick
Lunch: Fresh French Fries
Early Afternoon Snack: Deep Fried Cheese Curds on a Stick (a mistake, btw)
Desert: A Martha's Cookie (thanks, Amy!)
Early Afternoon Beverage: Draft Root Beer Float
Mid Afternoon Beverage: Honey Weiss (we ran into Matt and Amy, Joe and Jane! Of course we'd have a beer together!)
The only time I publish a food journal is my annual trip to the Minnesota State Fair. Sure, I go for the huge pumpkins, newborn piglets, honey bees, huge smelly cows, beautiful horses, quilts, radio stations and people watching too, but the food...the food is an experience that I a) don't want to miss, and b) don't want to experience more than once a year. I wasn't smart about it this year, though. I didn't do my usual prep work, and I missed out on the chocolate covered bacon (aka pig lickers) strong enough to tempt even the most veggie of vegetarians.
A few other highlights...
Al FrankenWe stopped to listen to Al Franken give a smart and passionate speech about his vision of and for Minnesota and the country. He took care to point out that there's nothing wrong with America that can't be fixed with what's right with America, which is refreshing during this season of "look at the mess the other guy made."
A Bernina test driveI test drove the dreamiest sewing machine ever. I knew that Bernina makes a superior sewing machine (and learned that some models operate Windows), but had never used one. Oh, it was lovely. So smooth and smart and perfect. And I walked away with a Bernina Breeze on a Stick.
My first butterhead sighting
I won't question this tradition. I guess I never wandered into the dairy building before, and was secretly hoping that the butterheads were urban state fair myth, but they do exist.
And in other news, the McCain booth looked pretty wimpy and pathetic. Of course.
Well, until next year...
8.31.2008
3log Day
Question: for those who text, does it really save that much time to type a '3' rather than a 'B'? Anyway...
Today is Blog Day. Today is a day for bloggers everywhere to take a moment to find and/or share five blogs that are interesting to them, and that are somewhat under the radar. So, you know, this is not the time to sing the praises of Boing Boing or The Huffington Post.
In alphabetical order...
Daily Writing Tips
Exactly as it sounds, tips are for the professional writer, the casual blogger, the standard-issue word nerd and anyone who writes anything.
Dictionary Evangelist
What can I say? Lexicographer Erin McKean really loves dictionaries, and I love dictionaries too.
Swiss Army Librarian
In the "this is what I meant for Oranges and Peaches to be and why didn''t I think of that" category, here is a reference librarian sharing some of his more interesting reference questions.
Strange Maps
Again, exactly as it sounds. My favorites include the cannibal map, all the world in a song, pop vs. soda and the country codes map. UFO hotspots is pretty good, too.
Ugandan Insomniac
I love her writing style, and the range of topics she writes about.
8.29.2008
My professional glory
So, yesterday morning I overheard my colleague's phone conversation with a patron who was looking for a book that had an extensive waiting list. While my colleague was searching for the book, I listened as she described how to find it on YouTube while waiting for the book to come in.
I felt that I was missing something, so asked what she was talking about. After hearing a description of the tradition of "the last lecture" at Carnegie Mellon (professors are invited to lecture on what matters most to them as if they were about to vanish from the face of the earth) and learning the fact that the author/professor of the book in question was diagnosed with pancreatic (i.e. terminal) cancer before giving his lecture, I put the pieces together.
And, in all my professional glory, I asked the question to top all questions:
"Oh! Is this that book that people are reading?"
Oh. My. God. The. Mortal. Embarrassment.
Why, yes. Yes it is.
Just in case I'm not the last person (although I'm sure I am the last librarian) on Earth to hear about this book, it is an expansion on his lecture, Achieving Your Childhood Dreams. He compiled the book, with the help of others, during the final stages of his disease.
And from what I've heard, it is a pretty good read if you're into life lessons stuff.
I felt that I was missing something, so asked what she was talking about. After hearing a description of the tradition of "the last lecture" at Carnegie Mellon (professors are invited to lecture on what matters most to them as if they were about to vanish from the face of the earth) and learning the fact that the author/professor of the book in question was diagnosed with pancreatic (i.e. terminal) cancer before giving his lecture, I put the pieces together.
And, in all my professional glory, I asked the question to top all questions:
"Oh! Is this that book that people are reading?"
Oh. My. God. The. Mortal. Embarrassment.
Why, yes. Yes it is.
Just in case I'm not the last person (although I'm sure I am the last librarian) on Earth to hear about this book, it is an expansion on his lecture, Achieving Your Childhood Dreams. He compiled the book, with the help of others, during the final stages of his disease. And from what I've heard, it is a pretty good read if you're into life lessons stuff.
8.28.2008
I heart google, but...
...it isn't the end all and be all.
The search engine is easy, especially with the search tool right there in my browser, and the other products makes my life easier. I use Google Reader to keep track of blogs, Google Docs to keep everything in one place (for work and for home), Google Maps for the most reliable online directions, Picasa for pics and Blogger for blogging (both owned by Google) and Google Alerts to keep track of my library in the news. (And *that* has been pretty active lately). I mean, I use just about everything Google has to offer with only one user name and password. (Except their silly social networking thing. puh-leeeeeeze. srsly.)
Wayne Curtis wrote that "the Internet is great for finding the needle in the haystack. But it's not so good at finding the haystack - at culling infinite possibilities into a manageable list of options." He was writing about using the Internet as the only travel resource, but this thought definitely applies for other Internet searches as well. And that is what Google does well, in my opinion.
A lot of times, when people come to the information desk at the library, they have done the basic searches on Google. They have found a bunch of needles, but they were actually in search of a haystack.
Some other favorite search engines that help identify "the haystack," without getting to library school assignmenty.
Exalead
Exalead indexes sites (acquired with the use of robots and user submissions) from the Internet. While not perfect, there results are organized very nicely. The suggested search terms, while a feature not unique to Exalead, can be quite helpful, along with their division of results into site type (blog, forum, commercial, non-commercial...).
Clusty
A metasearch engine based on the technology from Vivisimo (founded by Carnegie Mellon scientists) that 'clusters' results. I like that the results are sorted by keywords, sources and domain making it easier to evaluate sites quickly.
iZito
Another metasearch engine that sorts results into pretty smart categories. Plus I like that the pages you click on automatically open in a new tab, and that it includes an mp3 search.
BananaSlug
Okay, I wouldn't use this at work. It couples your search terms with random words resulting in sites that you wouldn't find otherwise, and it is a fun way to browse the Internet.
That's just a few... and this is a reminder for myself as much as anything to use a variety of sources.
The search engine is easy, especially with the search tool right there in my browser, and the other products makes my life easier. I use Google Reader to keep track of blogs, Google Docs to keep everything in one place (for work and for home), Google Maps for the most reliable online directions, Picasa for pics and Blogger for blogging (both owned by Google) and Google Alerts to keep track of my library in the news. (And *that* has been pretty active lately). I mean, I use just about everything Google has to offer with only one user name and password. (Except their silly social networking thing. puh-leeeeeeze. srsly.)
Wayne Curtis wrote that "the Internet is great for finding the needle in the haystack. But it's not so good at finding the haystack - at culling infinite possibilities into a manageable list of options." He was writing about using the Internet as the only travel resource, but this thought definitely applies for other Internet searches as well. And that is what Google does well, in my opinion.
A lot of times, when people come to the information desk at the library, they have done the basic searches on Google. They have found a bunch of needles, but they were actually in search of a haystack.
Some other favorite search engines that help identify "the haystack," without getting to library school assignmenty.
Exalead
Exalead indexes sites (acquired with the use of robots and user submissions) from the Internet. While not perfect, there results are organized very nicely. The suggested search terms, while a feature not unique to Exalead, can be quite helpful, along with their division of results into site type (blog, forum, commercial, non-commercial...).
Clusty
A metasearch engine based on the technology from Vivisimo (founded by Carnegie Mellon scientists) that 'clusters' results. I like that the results are sorted by keywords, sources and domain making it easier to evaluate sites quickly.
iZito
Another metasearch engine that sorts results into pretty smart categories. Plus I like that the pages you click on automatically open in a new tab, and that it includes an mp3 search.
BananaSlug
Okay, I wouldn't use this at work. It couples your search terms with random words resulting in sites that you wouldn't find otherwise, and it is a fun way to browse the Internet.
That's just a few... and this is a reminder for myself as much as anything to use a variety of sources.
8.25.2008
Viscounts: simple and not-so-simple
Simple
Viscounts, a term I heard from my friend Chris, rank fourth class in the British peerage (after duke, marquess, and earl, but before baron). And, apparently, make perfectly dreamy characters for teen historical romance fiction.
Not-so-simple
The British Peerage, not to be confused with honours, is kind of complex for this outsider. It was just within the last year that I realized that peer titles can be handed down, or not. The Duke of York, for example, is a title given typically to the second son of the Monarch. And, since there are only 8 of them in history, I can sort of understand that it is a title that comes and goes. The peerage in government also gets complicated, and just looking at the current makeup of The House of Lords, there are Life Peers under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act of 1876, Life Peers under the Life Peerages Act of 1958 and Peers under House of Lords Act of 1999.
Ugh.
Viscounts, a term I heard from my friend Chris, rank fourth class in the British peerage (after duke, marquess, and earl, but before baron). And, apparently, make perfectly dreamy characters for teen historical romance fiction.
Not-so-simple
The British Peerage, not to be confused with honours, is kind of complex for this outsider. It was just within the last year that I realized that peer titles can be handed down, or not. The Duke of York, for example, is a title given typically to the second son of the Monarch. And, since there are only 8 of them in history, I can sort of understand that it is a title that comes and goes. The peerage in government also gets complicated, and just looking at the current makeup of The House of Lords, there are Life Peers under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act of 1876, Life Peers under the Life Peerages Act of 1958 and Peers under House of Lords Act of 1999.
Ugh.
8.22.2008
Felt
Note: I did a lot with felting as a knitter, and I've been paying attention more to fabric in general since I started quilting in January. I love having conversations with other quilters, artists, and crafty people about fabric -- it's construction, design, quality, etc. So, on one hand I get it. On the other hand...
Yesterday I had a conversation with a fellow who was very passionate about billiards. Not only did I learn more about the tournaments, leagues, and diverse patronage of Shooters in Burnsville, I learned about billiard cloth. Simonis (one of the most quality fabrics and his pool felt of choice) doesn't pill, is naturally stain resistant, is designed for extended used and can handle the wear and tear of the balls, and even "meets the stringent standards of ISO 9001:2000 certification for the production and sale of billiard cloth."
Hmmmmm...
1) I could tell that he has had as many if not more discussions about billiard cloth as I have had about fabrics for quilting, and
2) I don't think The CC Club knows about this.
Yesterday I had a conversation with a fellow who was very passionate about billiards. Not only did I learn more about the tournaments, leagues, and diverse patronage of Shooters in Burnsville, I learned about billiard cloth. Simonis (one of the most quality fabrics and his pool felt of choice) doesn't pill, is naturally stain resistant, is designed for extended used and can handle the wear and tear of the balls, and even "meets the stringent standards of ISO 9001:2000 certification for the production and sale of billiard cloth."
Hmmmmm...
1) I could tell that he has had as many if not more discussions about billiard cloth as I have had about fabrics for quilting, and
2) I don't think The CC Club knows about this.
8.18.2008
Funny or die
I had to share Paris Hilton's response to McCain's stupid ad that apparently attempts to link fame with incompetence.
Isn't it kind of scary when she offers her energy policy? She sounds...intelligent!
Found via Rosco's Family. Thanks Kris!
Isn't it kind of scary when she offers her energy policy? She sounds...intelligent!
Found via Rosco's Family. Thanks Kris!
Not just for kids
I heard children's and young adult book expert Anita Silvey speak (a few years ago, now) and she pointed out that one thing Harry Potter did for the publishing world was validate, or at least reinvigorate the teen market. Many publishing houses invested more in publishing literature for teens. Authors who write primarily for adults (James Patterson, Alice Hoffman, Carl Hiaasen, Isabel Allende - to name a few) began writing for the teen market, and more new authors were able to get into the market. Teens, like everyone else, have a wide range of interests, and I'm so happy to see the range of selection for teens.
Also, teen protagonists started showing up in adult literature more frequently. (I don't remember her examples, but) In my own reading I've definitely noticed the characters in Jodi Piccoult and Stephen King's novels, for example. I think this trend definitely helps teens make the transition to the adult market, and I think it helps adults feel not-so-oogie about reading books published for teens. This is all good.
Books published for teens that I think should be on every adult's list
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
An Indian boy from the res goes to the white school in town. This is one of those books that will make you laugh out loud and break your heart. The life on the reservation - the extreme poverty and accompanying mentality - it not glorified or put down. It just is. Same goes for the school he attends. It just is. And this just is a must-read.
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
Death himself narrates this hauntingly tender Holocaust story about a Jewish orphan named Leisel. And if you think you've read enough Holocaust stories...do yourself a favor and read one more.
Life As We Knew It, by Susan Pfeffer
When a meteor hits the moon, the climate on earth changes radically and threatens the earth's survival. I'm not a scientist, but she makes this seem like such a real possibility that when I finished the book I called my mother...you know...just to check in.
Books published for teens that I would strongly encourage adults to read
An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green (or, anything of his. he's awesome).
I admit that I originally picked this one up simply for the title. This is a coming-into-your-own story about Colin. Colin has had 19 relationships -- the girls have all been named Katherine, and they've all dumped him. Now he's on a road trip to prove his Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability (he's a math nerd) in the hopes that he can predict the outcome of future relationships for himself and dumpees everywhere.
Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
You know...the vampire love story. Now, I'm not a vampire person, but this is a very good read. And, it's everywhere. Adults are reading it, and I would encourage you to do the same. It will explain all the references to Edward Cullen you've been hearing.
Also, teen protagonists started showing up in adult literature more frequently. (I don't remember her examples, but) In my own reading I've definitely noticed the characters in Jodi Piccoult and Stephen King's novels, for example. I think this trend definitely helps teens make the transition to the adult market, and I think it helps adults feel not-so-oogie about reading books published for teens. This is all good.
Books published for teens that I think should be on every adult's list
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman AlexieAn Indian boy from the res goes to the white school in town. This is one of those books that will make you laugh out loud and break your heart. The life on the reservation - the extreme poverty and accompanying mentality - it not glorified or put down. It just is. Same goes for the school he attends. It just is. And this just is a must-read.
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
Death himself narrates this hauntingly tender Holocaust story about a Jewish orphan named Leisel. And if you think you've read enough Holocaust stories...do yourself a favor and read one more.
Life As We Knew It, by Susan PfefferWhen a meteor hits the moon, the climate on earth changes radically and threatens the earth's survival. I'm not a scientist, but she makes this seem like such a real possibility that when I finished the book I called my mother...you know...just to check in.
Books published for teens that I would strongly encourage adults to read
An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green (or, anything of his. he's awesome).
I admit that I originally picked this one up simply for the title. This is a coming-into-your-own story about Colin. Colin has had 19 relationships -- the girls have all been named Katherine, and they've all dumped him. Now he's on a road trip to prove his Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability (he's a math nerd) in the hopes that he can predict the outcome of future relationships for himself and dumpees everywhere.
Twilight, by Stephenie MeyerYou know...the vampire love story. Now, I'm not a vampire person, but this is a very good read. And, it's everywhere. Adults are reading it, and I would encourage you to do the same. It will explain all the references to Edward Cullen you've been hearing.
8.16.2008
Papers? In order??
Trying to think of a way to make this topic interesting...and...it simply is not.
I heard a 'professional' organizer give 'advice' on the radio the other morning. (I use quotes because her 'professional advice' was to use the Outlook calendar to keep track of stuff. I use Outlook at work because I have to, and I use iCal at home to keep track of giving my boy cat his pain meds, but really...she kept saying "use Outlook" over and over. The hosts of the show had better advice. But I digress). She briefly mentioned making sure you have a home for your personal records and filing them right away, (the more interesting issue is why I don't do what I know I'm supposed to) and I started to browse through record retention guideline sites. You know, for kicks, and to make sure I wasn't missing something obvious.
I always knew about keeping your tax records for 7 years, and the big stuff in a safe place, etc. And the littler stuff? Here's one organizer's expert advice (did you know you're supposed to keep your credit card statements for three years? Don't they mean three months? Or that (get this) your supposed to keep important correspondence for forever? Guess I knew that already...that's why I have every single letter my mother has ever written to me) -- and another's practical advice (I didn't know I was supposed to keep my mortgage statements for the life of the mortgage...I think they meant loan papers...). This isn't the type of information I would rely on, but I think I have the prompt that I need to go through that fire-proof safe and make sure that I have stuff in there that should be in there.
Add that to my week-of-vacation-to-do list, along with cleaning the carpets, fixing leaky bathroom faucets, repairing the drywall below, install new closet fixtures, hauling crap to the dump, taking the car in..
This is going to be the best. vacation. ever. ugh.
I heard a 'professional' organizer give 'advice' on the radio the other morning. (I use quotes because her 'professional advice' was to use the Outlook calendar to keep track of stuff. I use Outlook at work because I have to, and I use iCal at home to keep track of giving my boy cat his pain meds, but really...she kept saying "use Outlook" over and over. The hosts of the show had better advice. But I digress). She briefly mentioned making sure you have a home for your personal records and filing them right away, (the more interesting issue is why I don't do what I know I'm supposed to) and I started to browse through record retention guideline sites. You know, for kicks, and to make sure I wasn't missing something obvious.
I always knew about keeping your tax records for 7 years, and the big stuff in a safe place, etc. And the littler stuff? Here's one organizer's expert advice (did you know you're supposed to keep your credit card statements for three years? Don't they mean three months? Or that (get this) your supposed to keep important correspondence for forever? Guess I knew that already...that's why I have every single letter my mother has ever written to me) -- and another's practical advice (I didn't know I was supposed to keep my mortgage statements for the life of the mortgage...I think they meant loan papers...). This isn't the type of information I would rely on, but I think I have the prompt that I need to go through that fire-proof safe and make sure that I have stuff in there that should be in there.
Add that to my week-of-vacation-to-do list, along with cleaning the carpets, fixing leaky bathroom faucets, repairing the drywall below, install new closet fixtures, hauling crap to the dump, taking the car in..
This is going to be the best. vacation. ever. ugh.
8.15.2008
Barbary
There's a restaurant in my neighbor city called Barbary Fig. I enjoyed the Mediterranean cuisine, but never understood the name. Until now...
I'm reading a book called Six Frigates: the epic history of the founding of the American Navy (Why? Because book clubs are over and now and I can read anything I want! And, after touring the US Brig Niagara, I'm fascinated by the historical context of the naval ships. Okay? Okay.) and I got to the part where the British and other European nations would simply pay the Barbary pirates for protection and in order to trade with the Barbary states along the North African coast -- states such as Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya...
And what is the cuisine at Barbary Fig? North African.
Aahhhh, the world is making a little bit more sense.
And in case you started to wonder, as I did, whether the words "barbary" and "barbarian" were connected, they aren't really. From the Online Etymology Dictionary: "The actual relations (if any) of the Arabic and Gr[eek] words cannot be settled; but in European langs. barbaria, Barbarie, Barbary, have from the first been treated as identical with L. barbaria, Byzantine Gr[eek] barbaria land of barbarians" [OED].
I'm reading a book called Six Frigates: the epic history of the founding of the American Navy (Why? Because book clubs are over and now and I can read anything I want! And, after touring the US Brig Niagara, I'm fascinated by the historical context of the naval ships. Okay? Okay.) and I got to the part where the British and other European nations would simply pay the Barbary pirates for protection and in order to trade with the Barbary states along the North African coast -- states such as Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya...And what is the cuisine at Barbary Fig? North African.
Aahhhh, the world is making a little bit more sense.
And in case you started to wonder, as I did, whether the words "barbary" and "barbarian" were connected, they aren't really. From the Online Etymology Dictionary: "The actual relations (if any) of the Arabic and Gr[eek] words cannot be settled; but in European langs. barbaria, Barbarie, Barbary, have from the first been treated as identical with L. barbaria, Byzantine Gr[eek] barbaria land of barbarians" [OED].
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