When I logged in, I noticed we had 1000 posts on this blog...who would have thought I had so much to say?
Sharing the online resources (and the print resources) available to North Metro Technical College students is enjoyable. Noticing the 1000th post notation reinforces the adage- "time flies when you're having fun".
I'm on break till January 5th but as I see or hear something I'll share. Which brings me to the Early Word blog- "steal this for your next speech". It made me laugh out loud.
I used to be a part of a giant public library system that would mail books to your home.....so when Brian Williams got to the.... well- you'll see- just watch and listen...and think of me laughing.
-kls
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
It's not just inked anymore
What do you think of when you hear the word encyclopedia? Several shelves of dark colored thick volumes with gold lettering on the spines and big numbers or letters at the bottom of the spine...the traditional 22 volumes of print....with an index that you might consider using if you're really into cross referencing?
Yes, that was the style encyclopedia I used for many years. In my earliest library days there were CD's that could be loaded on a computer. Then encyclopedias became available through a subscription service online. Wiki-pedia, the people's encyclopedia, became the free way online to find pop culture information (and quick facts). So what was a self respecting encyclopedia publisher to do?
Encyclopedia Britannica has moved well into the 21st century. I attended one of their webinars and came away thinking - this isn't the encyclopedia anymore!
It's a portal of information- full text articles from EB, magazine and journal articles from ProQuest and Ebsco, web sites vetted by humans, images, video-clips, and time lines. There are enough links within each page to make the most ardent web surfer happy.
Best of all you can create Workspaces and collect all those links into your personal library on a topic. We're going to use the workspace option for our History classes and English classes. We have collected web sites on delicious but this will add another dimension- best of all the link to the workspace can be e-mailed (or saved on delicious)!
What a wonderful well rounded resource the encyclopedia has become. It's available through GALILEO. You may get the password to use GALILEO at home from your Georgia librarian!
-kls
Yes, that was the style encyclopedia I used for many years. In my earliest library days there were CD's that could be loaded on a computer. Then encyclopedias became available through a subscription service online. Wiki-pedia, the people's encyclopedia, became the free way online to find pop culture information (and quick facts). So what was a self respecting encyclopedia publisher to do?
Encyclopedia Britannica has moved well into the 21st century. I attended one of their webinars and came away thinking - this isn't the encyclopedia anymore!
It's a portal of information- full text articles from EB, magazine and journal articles from ProQuest and Ebsco, web sites vetted by humans, images, video-clips, and time lines. There are enough links within each page to make the most ardent web surfer happy.
Best of all you can create Workspaces and collect all those links into your personal library on a topic. We're going to use the workspace option for our History classes and English classes. We have collected web sites on delicious but this will add another dimension- best of all the link to the workspace can be e-mailed (or saved on delicious)!
What a wonderful well rounded resource the encyclopedia has become. It's available through GALILEO. You may get the password to use GALILEO at home from your Georgia librarian!
-kls
Serendipity
Yesterday I mentioned the phase of the moon in my entry. Shortly afterwards I read what Mary Ludwick on LM_NET posted from the NASA Science News for December 9, 2008 -Not all full Moons are the same. This Friday's is the biggest and brightest full Moon of the year.
The full story may be found at NASA's page!
Isn't serendipity fun!
From Encyclopedia Britannica via GALILEO:
Main Entry: ser·en·dip·i·ty
Pronunciation: -'di-p&-tE
Function: noun
Etymology: from its possession by the heroes of the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip
: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for
You get the current password to access GALILEO at home from your Georgia librarian
-kls
The full story may be found at NASA's page!
Isn't serendipity fun!
From Encyclopedia Britannica via GALILEO:
Main Entry: ser·en·dip·i·ty
Pronunciation: -'di-p&-tE
Function: noun
Etymology: from its possession by the heroes of the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip
: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for
You get the current password to access GALILEO at home from your Georgia librarian
-kls
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
What phase is the moon in>
A cartoon co-incidence today -Rhymes with Orange refers to T. Oedipus Rex in paleo-psychiatry while One Big Happy plays on the word Rex as wrecks.
I started thinking about Oedipus Rex and realized - my brain is turning to jello and I couldn't remember anything- was it Shakespeare or Greeks? Who wrote it?
To get a quick answer I could have done a Google search but I thought better of it- and went to our OPAC and searched. We have four titles - two print and two electronic books. All looked like more information than I really wanted.
We purchase the full Credo Reference and have a search box on the library page. A search in Credo brought me 171 results. I chose The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Houghton Mifflin (yes, it was first on the list). I was reminded of the Greek myth and the play by Sophocless with a reference to Freud.
All in a paragraph in a reputable source- just as easy as Google without the angst of worrying if this is a credible resource!
-kls
I started thinking about Oedipus Rex and realized - my brain is turning to jello and I couldn't remember anything- was it Shakespeare or Greeks? Who wrote it?
To get a quick answer I could have done a Google search but I thought better of it- and went to our OPAC and searched. We have four titles - two print and two electronic books. All looked like more information than I really wanted.
We purchase the full Credo Reference and have a search box on the library page. A search in Credo brought me 171 results. I chose The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Houghton Mifflin (yes, it was first on the list). I was reminded of the Greek myth and the play by Sophocless with a reference to Freud.
All in a paragraph in a reputable source- just as easy as Google without the angst of worrying if this is a credible resource!
-kls
The perfect gift
Can you guess what this item is?
- No assembly required
- No batteries needed
- Does not become obsolete
- Can be taken anywhere
- Does not cause carpel tunnel syndrome
- No small parts to lose
- No annoying sound effects
- No updates or upgrades needed
- Never needs ironing
- Easy to wrap
- Good for hours of entertainment
- Easy to store
- Always fits
- Will not cause strife at airport security
- User friendly
- Easy to share files with friends
- Doesn't need extension cord
- Bookmarks easy to manage
- Great topics of conversation
- Never comes in the wrong color or size
- Doesn't need to be serviced by a dealer
- Doesn't need spare parts
- Easier to wrap than footballs
- Looks good with any decor
- Doesn't need watering or fertilizing
- Won't irritate your allergies
- Doesn't go out of style
- Doesn't get aphids or draw ants
- Doesn't bark or need to be walked in the middle of the night
- Won't stretch, shrink or fade
- Won't scratch the coffee table
- Won't get stale
- Doesn't have zippers that break
- Can be used over and over by many people
- Not empty when finished
- You can open this again and again
----it's a book!
I smiled as I went through the list. My youngest has asked for a complete set of the Ian Fleming, James Bond books. Nice- very nice- no batteries....
-kls
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
the House of Lords
Greetings,
Most Sunday evenings I tune in to watch the delayed broadcast of the Prime Minister's Question Time on C-SPAN. Question Time occurs live on Wednesdays from the British House of Commons in London. The House of Commons is the lower house of the British Parliament, and serves as the equivalent of our legislative branch and most of our executive branch of government. During Question Time, any Member of Parliament, or MP, can ask the current Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, a question, to which the Prime Minister replies. The 30 minute show is a jostling affair, with the members of the three main political parties hollering and cheering as their respective leaders get in various jabs and jarbs with questions and responses. The Speaker of the House tries to referee it all.
This Sunday the Question Time did not air. Instead, C-SPAN aired delayed footage of the ceremonial opening of the parliamentary session. This opening involves the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, and the upper house of the Parliament, the House of Lords.
The House of Lords was once the domain of the titled nobility. Nobles were given membership based upon their birth into a titled house. Over time, the power of the House of Lords, like that of the monarch, declined and became rather ceremonial in nature, with most power resting in the hands of the House of Commons. Her Majesty's Government is controlled by the party that wins the most seats in the Commons, although there are members of the Government's cabinet who come from the House of Lords.
Today the Lords serves as a bit of a reviewing body on laws passed by Her Majesty's Government. Interestingly, the Lords is also the highest judiciary body in Great Britain, with a small group of 12 members of the House of Lords fulfilling this duty.
Members of the House of Lords are called 'peers.' As mentioned above, membership was once dominated by 'hereditary peers,' those peers who inherited title by birth from their families. A dark time for the House of Lords was the Commonwealth period following the English Civil War. During this time both the monarchy and the Lords were abolished, and England was ruled by general and Parliamentarian Oliver Cromwell. The Lords was restored after Cromwell's death, when the monarchy was restored.
During the mid-twentieth century, legislation was passsed which enabled the creation of Life Peerages. Life Peers are those who are given title for service to Britain. These titles are not passed down to their children but expire when they die. Many former Prime Ministers and other notable members of the House of Commons, such as former PM Margaret Thatcher, have been made life peers. (Interestingly, the last Hereditary Peerage, which can be passed on to children, given to a non-member of the royal family, went to Thatcher's husband Dennis.)
Some peers are referred to as the Lords Spiritual. These members sit because of their office within the Church of England, which is the official state church. Unlike the other peers, Lords Spiritual may not show a preference for or identify with a particular political party. Other peers may choose to identify as Labour, Conservative, or Liberal Democrat. A few peers do not identify with any of the three major political parties.
The Labour Party has been more outspoken on the issue of reforming the nature of the House of Lords when compared to the Conservative Party. At one time, the Labour Party called for the abolition of the House of Lords. One of the platforms of Tony Blair's 'New Labour' election campaign in 1997 was reform of the House of Lords. This succeed in limiting the number of hereditary peers to 92 members, a minority of the members in the House of Lords. Votes on further reform showed support for making the House either 80% elected or 100% elected. However, these votes were not binding. The current government position is to move the House into a body of which 1/3 is up for election every general election, with an elected composition of either 80% or 100%.
Regardless, of future reforms, the House of Lords is a fascinating example of an upper house of government as compared to our own US Senate here in the United States.
BBC Guide to the House of Lords
JWF
Most Sunday evenings I tune in to watch the delayed broadcast of the Prime Minister's Question Time on C-SPAN. Question Time occurs live on Wednesdays from the British House of Commons in London. The House of Commons is the lower house of the British Parliament, and serves as the equivalent of our legislative branch and most of our executive branch of government. During Question Time, any Member of Parliament, or MP, can ask the current Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, a question, to which the Prime Minister replies. The 30 minute show is a jostling affair, with the members of the three main political parties hollering and cheering as their respective leaders get in various jabs and jarbs with questions and responses. The Speaker of the House tries to referee it all.
This Sunday the Question Time did not air. Instead, C-SPAN aired delayed footage of the ceremonial opening of the parliamentary session. This opening involves the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, and the upper house of the Parliament, the House of Lords.
The House of Lords was once the domain of the titled nobility. Nobles were given membership based upon their birth into a titled house. Over time, the power of the House of Lords, like that of the monarch, declined and became rather ceremonial in nature, with most power resting in the hands of the House of Commons. Her Majesty's Government is controlled by the party that wins the most seats in the Commons, although there are members of the Government's cabinet who come from the House of Lords.
Today the Lords serves as a bit of a reviewing body on laws passed by Her Majesty's Government. Interestingly, the Lords is also the highest judiciary body in Great Britain, with a small group of 12 members of the House of Lords fulfilling this duty.
Members of the House of Lords are called 'peers.' As mentioned above, membership was once dominated by 'hereditary peers,' those peers who inherited title by birth from their families. A dark time for the House of Lords was the Commonwealth period following the English Civil War. During this time both the monarchy and the Lords were abolished, and England was ruled by general and Parliamentarian Oliver Cromwell. The Lords was restored after Cromwell's death, when the monarchy was restored.
During the mid-twentieth century, legislation was passsed which enabled the creation of Life Peerages. Life Peers are those who are given title for service to Britain. These titles are not passed down to their children but expire when they die. Many former Prime Ministers and other notable members of the House of Commons, such as former PM Margaret Thatcher, have been made life peers. (Interestingly, the last Hereditary Peerage, which can be passed on to children, given to a non-member of the royal family, went to Thatcher's husband Dennis.)
Some peers are referred to as the Lords Spiritual. These members sit because of their office within the Church of England, which is the official state church. Unlike the other peers, Lords Spiritual may not show a preference for or identify with a particular political party. Other peers may choose to identify as Labour, Conservative, or Liberal Democrat. A few peers do not identify with any of the three major political parties.
The Labour Party has been more outspoken on the issue of reforming the nature of the House of Lords when compared to the Conservative Party. At one time, the Labour Party called for the abolition of the House of Lords. One of the platforms of Tony Blair's 'New Labour' election campaign in 1997 was reform of the House of Lords. This succeed in limiting the number of hereditary peers to 92 members, a minority of the members in the House of Lords. Votes on further reform showed support for making the House either 80% elected or 100% elected. However, these votes were not binding. The current government position is to move the House into a body of which 1/3 is up for election every general election, with an elected composition of either 80% or 100%.
Regardless, of future reforms, the House of Lords is a fascinating example of an upper house of government as compared to our own US Senate here in the United States.
BBC Guide to the House of Lords
JWF
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Planning ahead
It's quite chilly outside. Several staff saw snow flurries yesterday. When I went to GALILEO to look for a database, I noticed In the Spotlight (on the right hand side of the home page) the All About Birds web site (yes, Virginia, there are web sites in GALILEO).
I thought- winter (see the first two sentences) would be a great time to prepare for Spring- study the birds, listen to their songs. Think warm thoughts!
kls
All About Birds is a website from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that includes information about watching birds, learning their nesting behaviors, attracting birds, indentifying them, recording observations, and getting involved in bird conservation. The site includes guides, images, maps, sounds, videos, and much more. There is also a link to the Macaulay Library, an archive of animal sounds and videos.
I thought- winter (see the first two sentences) would be a great time to prepare for Spring- study the birds, listen to their songs. Think warm thoughts!
kls
Who invented that?
Yesterday I talked about gathering stories about your family- what if you hear that Uncle Bill invented something? How do you find out if that's 'true'? Dear Myrtle (a genealogy blogger) shares the experience of one of her readers with Google Patent. Myrt notes how one can search by name or by invention.
Thinking of simple Christmas gifts from my youth, I searched for 'hula hoop'. Amazing how many patents there are for the wide variety of hoops.
Which lead me to GALILEO to search for 'hula hoop'. From the home page I selected the Company and Industry information link, then Company information, I left the 4 suggested databases and searched for 'hula hoop'. Interesting current articles about this long lived toy!
From stories about family to stories about companies - tie them together by using authoritative resources.
kls
Thinking of simple Christmas gifts from my youth, I searched for 'hula hoop'. Amazing how many patents there are for the wide variety of hoops.
Which lead me to GALILEO to search for 'hula hoop'. From the home page I selected the Company and Industry information link, then Company information, I left the 4 suggested databases and searched for 'hula hoop'. Interesting current articles about this long lived toy!
From stories about family to stories about companies - tie them together by using authoritative resources.
kls
Monday, December 01, 2008
And we talked
Thanksgiving is a delightfully American holiday when we celebrate our blessings which range from a variety of food stuffs to friends and family. Some travel to visit kin over the long weekend. A family reunion may take place - where cousins see each other for the first time in years. The conversations around the table vary from reminiscing about long gone relatives to catching up on life's current little details. If someone in your family has started collecting the stories about the extended family, where are they keeping those tales? My family has a wiki that is accessible by invitation and password. The stories collect, get edited and enjoyed. Here's another way to preserve those stories.
Go listen, record, and share the stories of our lives!
kls
Story Corps is extending the National Day of Listening through the holiday season.
This holiday season, ask the people around you about their lives — it could be your grandmother, a teacher, or someone from the neighborhood. By listening to their stories, you will be telling them that they matter and they won’t ever be forgotten. It may be the most meaningful time you spend this year.
Go listen, record, and share the stories of our lives!
kls
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Greetings,
Ah, Thanksgiving . . . A time for turkey, family, fun, fall, and football. The National Football League is closely associated with the holiday, as for many years the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys have played respective games against rotating opponents on America's turkey day. Given the dismal state of the Lions over the last decade, there has been talk of taking the games away from Detroit and Dallas and rotating all four spots among the 32 teams. However, much of this talk has died down now that the NFL Network has started to air a night/third Thanksgiving game that features two rotating teams each year.
Today, Thanksgiving Eve, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its twenty five seminfinalists for induction to its hallowed halls. This number will soon be paired down to fifteen and also includes two senior nominees (guys who played a long time ago). Among the semifinalists are some perpetual semifinalists, including Ray Guy, Lester Hayes (Go Raiders!), and those eligible for the first time, including Shannon Sharpe. A player must have been retired for five years to be eligible, and a coach must have been retired for one year to eligible.
Despite its name, the Pro Football Hall of Fame focuses on the NFL/National Football League. However, some of the enshrinees spent portions of their career in other leagues, such as Minnesota Coach Bud Grant in the Canadian Football League and 49ers quarterback Steve Young in the 1980's United States Football League.
The Hall is a museum that is shaped like a vertical football. Some have compared the shape to an old orange juice squeezer. The Hall is located in Canton, Ohio. Why Canton? Canton was home to the Canton Bulldogs, one of the original professional teams in the sport, and is also home to some of the most competitive high school games you will find. The area around Canton is also considered one of the birthplaces of football.
The inductees will be voted on and announced the day before the 2009 Super Bowl. Some get in their first year of eligibility, such as Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, while others wait for many years to be inducted, such as Steelers wideouts Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. Other greats rise up out of the seniors pool to be inducted. Each inductee receives a distinctive yellow blazer, a ring, and has their bust cast in bronze for display in the museum.
The museum also houses famous memorabilia from past games. My personal favorites from my two visits are the white cleets Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett wore when he ran the 99 yard run from scrimmage against the Vikings and a pair of Rams running back Eric Dickerson's goggles. They also have Oilers coach Bum Phillip's belt buckle, which was the size of a small helicopter pad.
If you are ever in Canton/Stark County, give the Hall of Fame a visit.
JWF
Ah, Thanksgiving . . . A time for turkey, family, fun, fall, and football. The National Football League is closely associated with the holiday, as for many years the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys have played respective games against rotating opponents on America's turkey day. Given the dismal state of the Lions over the last decade, there has been talk of taking the games away from Detroit and Dallas and rotating all four spots among the 32 teams. However, much of this talk has died down now that the NFL Network has started to air a night/third Thanksgiving game that features two rotating teams each year.
Today, Thanksgiving Eve, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its twenty five seminfinalists for induction to its hallowed halls. This number will soon be paired down to fifteen and also includes two senior nominees (guys who played a long time ago). Among the semifinalists are some perpetual semifinalists, including Ray Guy, Lester Hayes (Go Raiders!), and those eligible for the first time, including Shannon Sharpe. A player must have been retired for five years to be eligible, and a coach must have been retired for one year to eligible.
Despite its name, the Pro Football Hall of Fame focuses on the NFL/National Football League. However, some of the enshrinees spent portions of their career in other leagues, such as Minnesota Coach Bud Grant in the Canadian Football League and 49ers quarterback Steve Young in the 1980's United States Football League.
The Hall is a museum that is shaped like a vertical football. Some have compared the shape to an old orange juice squeezer. The Hall is located in Canton, Ohio. Why Canton? Canton was home to the Canton Bulldogs, one of the original professional teams in the sport, and is also home to some of the most competitive high school games you will find. The area around Canton is also considered one of the birthplaces of football.
The inductees will be voted on and announced the day before the 2009 Super Bowl. Some get in their first year of eligibility, such as Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, while others wait for many years to be inducted, such as Steelers wideouts Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. Other greats rise up out of the seniors pool to be inducted. Each inductee receives a distinctive yellow blazer, a ring, and has their bust cast in bronze for display in the museum.
The museum also houses famous memorabilia from past games. My personal favorites from my two visits are the white cleets Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett wore when he ran the 99 yard run from scrimmage against the Vikings and a pair of Rams running back Eric Dickerson's goggles. They also have Oilers coach Bum Phillip's belt buckle, which was the size of a small helicopter pad.
If you are ever in Canton/Stark County, give the Hall of Fame a visit.
JWF
Monday, November 24, 2008
Bidding for what
Over the weekend various channels were running stories about the assassination of JFK 45 years ago.
Mike Huckabee interviewed Dan Rather for Saturdays show on Fox. Mr. Rather shared the story about the bidding for the film taken by Abraham Zapruder.
Who would bid today - with the ubiquitous news crews and the everyday person with a camera phone who may post to their blog, YouTube, MySpace, Flickr - providing immediate, unfiltered access to the event.
-kls
Mike Huckabee interviewed Dan Rather for Saturdays show on Fox. Mr. Rather shared the story about the bidding for the film taken by Abraham Zapruder.
Who would bid today - with the ubiquitous news crews and the everyday person with a camera phone who may post to their blog, YouTube, MySpace, Flickr - providing immediate, unfiltered access to the event.
-kls
The Power of Art at the Library
Greetings,
Need a bit of art in your life to spice up the drab days of late fall and early winter? Look no further than the North Metro Tech Library.
We have just acquired the DVD edition of the BBC/PBS series 'the Power of Art' by Simon Schama. The series focuses on eight great works of art. Each episode takes the viewer back in time to the creation of the piece and examines the cultural and social context in which it was created. The episodes also look at the life of the artist and how that shaped the creation and style of the work. The episodes span several different periods in time and art.
We also have the companion book to the series, for those of you seeking further information. Both the dvd and book are reserve materials, which means that they are available for use within the library.
Schama is a writer well known for his works on the French Revolution and slavery, among other topics. You may recognize him from his tv series 'A History of Britain,' which aired on the History Channel several years ago. Schama is known for his distinctive delivery and narrative prose.
JWF
Need a bit of art in your life to spice up the drab days of late fall and early winter? Look no further than the North Metro Tech Library.
We have just acquired the DVD edition of the BBC/PBS series 'the Power of Art' by Simon Schama. The series focuses on eight great works of art. Each episode takes the viewer back in time to the creation of the piece and examines the cultural and social context in which it was created. The episodes also look at the life of the artist and how that shaped the creation and style of the work. The episodes span several different periods in time and art.
We also have the companion book to the series, for those of you seeking further information. Both the dvd and book are reserve materials, which means that they are available for use within the library.
Schama is a writer well known for his works on the French Revolution and slavery, among other topics. You may recognize him from his tv series 'A History of Britain,' which aired on the History Channel several years ago. Schama is known for his distinctive delivery and narrative prose.
JWF
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Get in Shape Georgia
The President's Challenge is a government program designed to get Americans into better physical shape. The website for the program is very interactive and has programs and activities geared toward children, teens, adults, and seniors.
You can create an account on the website and use your account to log your activity. At the adult age level, there are bronze, silver, and gold award levels. You achieve these awards by logging your activity in your account. The website tabulates up the amount of points you earn for each activity based upon time, distance, degree of intensity. The website keeps track of your points and will display the progress that you have made toward your goal. Once you have reached an award level, you are eligible for a certificate from the office of the President.
There are many great features on this website. It also saves you the time of having to keep track of your activity on paper. I am personally using the website. I have a goal of completing the bronze level before President Bush leaves office and getting a certificate from him, then getting a certificate from President Obama for the silver level. At present I am over 50% complete with the bronze level.
JWF
You can create an account on the website and use your account to log your activity. At the adult age level, there are bronze, silver, and gold award levels. You achieve these awards by logging your activity in your account. The website tabulates up the amount of points you earn for each activity based upon time, distance, degree of intensity. The website keeps track of your points and will display the progress that you have made toward your goal. Once you have reached an award level, you are eligible for a certificate from the office of the President.
There are many great features on this website. It also saves you the time of having to keep track of your activity on paper. I am personally using the website. I have a goal of completing the bronze level before President Bush leaves office and getting a certificate from him, then getting a certificate from President Obama for the silver level. At present I am over 50% complete with the bronze level.
JWF
Monday, November 10, 2008
Cornhusks and the Electoral College
Greetings,
The eyes of the electoral world were upon the state of Nebraska for a brief moment on Friday. It was announced that Barack Obama had won one of the state's five electoral votes. This is due to a system of awarding some of the state's electoral votes based upon who wins in a particular Congressional district, not on who wins the popular vote statewide.
All fifty states have electoral votes. Each state has two for its US Senators, and at least one for the number of members it has in the House of Representatives. Example, California: 2+53=55, Wyoming: 2+1=3, Tennessee: 2+9=11. Remember, it is not the candidate who wins the national popular vote who becomes President, but rather the candidate who wins the most electoral votes. As a result, candidates fight to win individual 'swing' states to gain the most electors rather than run a campaing to pile up the biggest amount of votes nationwide. (Note: It is possible to come in 2nd in the popular vote but win the electoral vote and become President. Ex. Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876 and George W. Bush in 2000).
Forty-eight of the fifty states currently award all of their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote within the state. Some have argued the fairness of this system, as a candidate might win California by one vote (theoretically), but not pick up any of its 53 electoral votes. Colorado voters in 2004 defeated a statewide referendum that would have awarded their electoral votes on a proportional basis.
Nebraska and Maine are the two exceptions. These states award their electoral votes in a unique way. The two electoral votes for the two US Senators in each state are awarded to the winner of the statewide popular vote. As a result, McCain picked up two in Nebraska and Obama two in Maine.
Here's where it gets a bit trickier. The remaining votes are awarded based upon the candidate who wins the most votes in each of the Congressional districts in the state. Until 2008, there was nothing unusual about this as in both Maine and Nebraska the statewide winner also won in each state's Congressional districts. However, that changed in 2008. After the counting of mail-in ballots, it was determined that Barack Obama had won more votes than John McCain in the Nebraska 2nd Congressional district (the smallest district in the state, which includes the city of Omaha). As a result, one of the Nebraska electoral votes was awarded to Obama for a 4 to 1 McCain to Obama split in the state's electoral votes. (Maine awarded all votes to Obama). Also, the Republican candidate in the 2nd district won the Congressional election, which would seem to indicate that many voters in the Nebraska second congressional district voted a split ticket.
And in a further peace of trivia, Nebraska is the only state government to not have an upper and lower house in its legislature. It operates on a unicameral system, one where there is only one house in the legislature and one in which the members are officially non-partisan.
JWF
The eyes of the electoral world were upon the state of Nebraska for a brief moment on Friday. It was announced that Barack Obama had won one of the state's five electoral votes. This is due to a system of awarding some of the state's electoral votes based upon who wins in a particular Congressional district, not on who wins the popular vote statewide.
All fifty states have electoral votes. Each state has two for its US Senators, and at least one for the number of members it has in the House of Representatives. Example, California: 2+53=55, Wyoming: 2+1=3, Tennessee: 2+9=11. Remember, it is not the candidate who wins the national popular vote who becomes President, but rather the candidate who wins the most electoral votes. As a result, candidates fight to win individual 'swing' states to gain the most electors rather than run a campaing to pile up the biggest amount of votes nationwide. (Note: It is possible to come in 2nd in the popular vote but win the electoral vote and become President. Ex. Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876 and George W. Bush in 2000).
Forty-eight of the fifty states currently award all of their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote within the state. Some have argued the fairness of this system, as a candidate might win California by one vote (theoretically), but not pick up any of its 53 electoral votes. Colorado voters in 2004 defeated a statewide referendum that would have awarded their electoral votes on a proportional basis.
Nebraska and Maine are the two exceptions. These states award their electoral votes in a unique way. The two electoral votes for the two US Senators in each state are awarded to the winner of the statewide popular vote. As a result, McCain picked up two in Nebraska and Obama two in Maine.
Here's where it gets a bit trickier. The remaining votes are awarded based upon the candidate who wins the most votes in each of the Congressional districts in the state. Until 2008, there was nothing unusual about this as in both Maine and Nebraska the statewide winner also won in each state's Congressional districts. However, that changed in 2008. After the counting of mail-in ballots, it was determined that Barack Obama had won more votes than John McCain in the Nebraska 2nd Congressional district (the smallest district in the state, which includes the city of Omaha). As a result, one of the Nebraska electoral votes was awarded to Obama for a 4 to 1 McCain to Obama split in the state's electoral votes. (Maine awarded all votes to Obama). Also, the Republican candidate in the 2nd district won the Congressional election, which would seem to indicate that many voters in the Nebraska second congressional district voted a split ticket.
And in a further peace of trivia, Nebraska is the only state government to not have an upper and lower house in its legislature. It operates on a unicameral system, one where there is only one house in the legislature and one in which the members are officially non-partisan.
JWF
Thursday, November 06, 2008
A swift goodbye
The Official Michael Crichton site notes his passing. Blogs and news outlets have shared the information. Wiki Pedia has a complete list of his work with links.At NMTC, we don't have many pleasure reading books - but in our netLibrary collection there is the 1996 edition of Michael Crichton : a critical companion by Elizabeth A. Trembley.
The summary notes: Until now, Michael Crichton's many readers have had nowhere to turn for more information on one of America's most popular novelists. This companion features clear analyses of Crichton's life and literary influences, as well as chapters on each of his 13 novels to date. It will help Crichton's readers to learn more about how significant events in his life affected the development of his fiction and literary style and how the heritage of popular fiction, including mystery, gothic, adventure, and science fiction, influenced his writing. This study provides close textual analysis of each of his novels in turn, focusing on plot, character development, theme, and critical interpretation.
You can check World Cat in GALILEO for the nearest library that owns a Michael Chrichton title. You may also do an Interlibrary Loan request through World Cat. We'll borrow the book for you from another library! Save on gas - let your computer do the searching.
-kls
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Through the air with the greatest of ease
Just reading the news - and this story grabbed me - Pilot completes jetpack challenge ....Known as "Fusionman," he was aiming to follow the route taken by French airman Louis Blériot 99 years ago when he became the first person to fly across the English Channel in a plane.
Which reminded me of the Caldecott winner in our collection, The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot July 25, 1909 by Alice Provensen [TL 721.B5 P76 1987]
The pictures are gorgeous - which one would expect from a Caldecott winner. The story is inspiring as well. It wouldn't take long to read either.
Which reminded me of the Caldecott winner in our collection, The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot July 25, 1909 by Alice Provensen [TL 721.B5 P76 1987]The pictures are gorgeous - which one would expect from a Caldecott winner. The story is inspiring as well. It wouldn't take long to read either.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
New Native American Related Resources at the Library
Excelsior!
Greetings. Here at the NMTC Library we would like to inform you of two books we have recently received, both of which relate to Native American studies.
The first is a 2008 biography of noted Lakota chief Sitting Bull. This book is by Bill Yenne. The cover is interesing because it features a very stoic portrait of the man himself. Also, at the bottom center of the cover, you can see the autograph of the English version of his name that Sitting Bull learned to write. Just beyond the title page, the book quotes the Dictionary of Canadian Biography as follows: "the greatest Indian engima of his time, perhaps of all time."
A review of this work is available in Galileo . Go to Databases A-Z, then go to 'B,' then go to Book Index with Reviews. Search by title and limit the publication dates to 2008. Then you will find a review of this work.
We also have the book 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus. The book deals with how the Native Americans lived prior to the arrival of the Europeans in 1492. (Although the Vikings got to North America before that and some say that English fisherman had contact with First Nations tribes off the coast of Newfoundland in the mid-1400's.) One area the book focuses on is the large cities that Native Americans constructed, such as Tenochtitlan in Mexico and Cahokia in Illinois.
A review is available of this work as well in Book Index with Reviews. Do a title search for 1491.
We are very pleased to have both of these resources available at the North Metro Technical College Library for your use. The 1491 book is considered one of the definitive popular books on Native American studies of the last few years.
JWFTo be or not to be
...that is the question posed in Hamlet. We're building our Shakespeare collection to support the growing number (and depth) of our English literature classes.
I'm fond of the No Fear Shakespeare series. It has 'regular' English on one side and 'Shakespearean' English on the other. The cover notes"the play plus a translation anyone can understand".
Quite handy. Check it out - you'll find our No Fear collection amidst the Shakespeare titles PR 2807 etc.
-kls
Monday, November 03, 2008
Election Day and the Fab Five
As Americans go to the polls tomorrow, our thoughts turn to New Wave.
Confused? You shouldn't be if you are a fan of New Wave/New Romance. New Wave was a genre that emerged as both a response to and an extension of punk rock in the early 1980's. Heavy on the synth, New Wave is remembered for its flashy fashions and its lyrics that contrasted from light to brooding and angst ridden.
One of the artists that defined the New Romance expression was a group from Birmingham, England not Alabama, called Duran Duran. (Named for a character in the Jane Fonda camp classic Barbarella.) Made up of singer Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, bass player John Taylor, drummer Roger Taylor, and guitarist Andy Taylor, Duran Duran approached a Beatlesque level of popularity for a few years, leading to their nickname of the 'Fab Five.' Girls swooned at the sight of the band, and fans bought up their record in drove. Note that none of the Taylors were related.
The look of Duran propelled the band to stardom as much as their music. Duran was able to form a synergy between the two elements using the newly popular genre of the music video. Duran seized on the young medium of MTV to display what were then some of the most creative and innovative music videos on the airwaves. Duran videos captured the look and feel of 1980's New Romance as much as any other entry into the field. The videos were especially known for their exotic third world shooting locales. The band even cut the title track for the last Roger Moore James Bond film 'A View to a Kill.'
All things must come to an end, and Duran Duran's last performance in their original incarnation was at the Live Aid superconcert until they reunited in 2001. Just prior to Andy Taylor and Roger Taylor leaving the band in the late 1980's, the band formed two side projects. John and Andy helped form the Power Station, a group that had some commerical success with Robert Palmer as the lead singer. Nick, Roger, and Simon formed a group called Arcadia, which cut a studio album but never toured.
Arcadia's one hit from their one album was entitled 'Election Day.' The song features a spoken word moment by Grace Jones, who played an evil Bond girl in the film 'A View to a Kill.' So for true believers in Duran, the term 'election day' conjures up thoughts of music as much as votes.
Duran has a special meaning for me as well. My best friend and his father share names with two of the Taylors in Duran, and yes the two Taylors that I know are related. My friend was married back in the spring, with yours truly as best man, near the city of Gainesville, Georgia. During the drive down and back, I listened to the music of Duran, forming an association of Duran with that wedding weekend.
Andy Taylor, who left the band in the 1980's for a solo career, has left the reunited Duran Duran. He has recently released a book on his experiences in rock and roll. You can read a review of it in Galileo. Go from the Galileo homepage to 'databases a-z' then select 'b.' Then go to Book Index with Reviews. Type 'Andy Taylor' in the search bar and the fourth result will be for his book 'Wild Boy: My Life in Duran Duran.' Click on the result link to read a review of the book (the book has received mixed reviews).
Now isn't all that just as interesting as ballot boxes, dimpled chads, swing states, and red to blue/blue to red?
JWF
Confused? You shouldn't be if you are a fan of New Wave/New Romance. New Wave was a genre that emerged as both a response to and an extension of punk rock in the early 1980's. Heavy on the synth, New Wave is remembered for its flashy fashions and its lyrics that contrasted from light to brooding and angst ridden.
One of the artists that defined the New Romance expression was a group from Birmingham, England not Alabama, called Duran Duran. (Named for a character in the Jane Fonda camp classic Barbarella.) Made up of singer Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, bass player John Taylor, drummer Roger Taylor, and guitarist Andy Taylor, Duran Duran approached a Beatlesque level of popularity for a few years, leading to their nickname of the 'Fab Five.' Girls swooned at the sight of the band, and fans bought up their record in drove. Note that none of the Taylors were related.
The look of Duran propelled the band to stardom as much as their music. Duran was able to form a synergy between the two elements using the newly popular genre of the music video. Duran seized on the young medium of MTV to display what were then some of the most creative and innovative music videos on the airwaves. Duran videos captured the look and feel of 1980's New Romance as much as any other entry into the field. The videos were especially known for their exotic third world shooting locales. The band even cut the title track for the last Roger Moore James Bond film 'A View to a Kill.'
All things must come to an end, and Duran Duran's last performance in their original incarnation was at the Live Aid superconcert until they reunited in 2001. Just prior to Andy Taylor and Roger Taylor leaving the band in the late 1980's, the band formed two side projects. John and Andy helped form the Power Station, a group that had some commerical success with Robert Palmer as the lead singer. Nick, Roger, and Simon formed a group called Arcadia, which cut a studio album but never toured.
Arcadia's one hit from their one album was entitled 'Election Day.' The song features a spoken word moment by Grace Jones, who played an evil Bond girl in the film 'A View to a Kill.' So for true believers in Duran, the term 'election day' conjures up thoughts of music as much as votes.
Duran has a special meaning for me as well. My best friend and his father share names with two of the Taylors in Duran, and yes the two Taylors that I know are related. My friend was married back in the spring, with yours truly as best man, near the city of Gainesville, Georgia. During the drive down and back, I listened to the music of Duran, forming an association of Duran with that wedding weekend.
Andy Taylor, who left the band in the 1980's for a solo career, has left the reunited Duran Duran. He has recently released a book on his experiences in rock and roll. You can read a review of it in Galileo. Go from the Galileo homepage to 'databases a-z' then select 'b.' Then go to Book Index with Reviews. Type 'Andy Taylor' in the search bar and the fourth result will be for his book 'Wild Boy: My Life in Duran Duran.' Click on the result link to read a review of the book (the book has received mixed reviews).
Now isn't all that just as interesting as ballot boxes, dimpled chads, swing states, and red to blue/blue to red?
JWF
Another chance to vote
The old saying about Chicago is the party bosses want you to vote early and vote often....
Now that you're in the mood to vote - try out the GALILEO survey:
The staff at GALILEO take this survey as seriously as a Presidential election. They really do want to hear from their users! So go vote.
-kls
Now that you're in the mood to vote - try out the GALILEO survey:
When you open the GALILEO website today, you will see an invitation to participate in the annual user survey. Don't miss this chance to provide your feedback on your experience with GALILEO and to enter the drawing to win an iPod Nano. The annual surveys, conducted since 1997, have provided valuable firsthand feedback from users about what they think about the GALILEO web site, as well as experiential feedback from library staff on how their patrons are navigating the site and finding the content they need. Be sure to encourage your users to complete the survey to be entered into the drawing. The survey will be conducted November 3-9, 2008. Just click on the GALILEO User Survey link on the GALILEO home page to participate....info from Karen Minton
The staff at GALILEO take this survey as seriously as a Presidential election. They really do want to hear from their users! So go vote.
-kls
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