Skip to my Lulu

It was intriguing to see Lulu.com as first place in the book category for the Web 2.0 awards. I first heard about the website when a very popular comedian on Youtube, TJ, told everybody he was shilling his memoirs there. The book is entitled: Scumbag, Musings of a Subhuman. I may just have to purchase it just because of the title. Rumor has it that TJ made quite the profit, as his charisma translated well from video to book form.

Lulu is a self-publishing company that allows authors to upload their files to Lulu's web site, select binding and other options, and set the amount of profit they wish to earn on each copy. If the document is not already in PDF format, Lulu converts it to PDF. This site is a great opportunity for up-and-coming writers to have their books distributed to the unsuspecting masses. Most newbies wouldn't be able to secure a major distribution deal, leaving them in the cold.

I don't see Lulu working well in a library setting. Most of the materials we purchase comes from well established publishing companies. I don't think we would catalog any random book from any Joe Schmo author.

Worst Zoho Ever!

Here I go again. It's time, once again to bring my negative spin to another library thing. I feel like I'm turning into the comic book guy on the Simpsons.

In theory, Zoho Writer feels like a great idea. There could be a heavy burden lifted when you can access all of your documents from any computer, anytime, anywhere. Back in my day, I had to worry about losing computer disks that stored my papers. I did lose some disks, which only adds to the stress of completing a research paper.

My only caveat with Zoho Writer is the concern with security. As a horrendously protective neurotic of my writings, I would worry about my Zoho account being hacked and exposed. I rarely shared my work to be proofread and I didn't really pay for it. I made it through school just fine without receiving much constructive criticism.

Wikis: Don't believe the hype

I trust Wikipedia as much as I can throw it. There's a very good reason why college professors don't allow it as a usable research option. Because of this Wiki ideal in which everyone is allowed to contribute, getting the facts right becomes an afterthought. The masses can merely create the truths they want to believe in, and do they ever. Who's to stop a group from creating an entry that The Holocaust never happened, or that saying the number of elephants has tripled in the last six months.

Implementing wikis as a less formal medium is a more reasonable approach. I didn't have a problem with any of library wikis I visited. I think it would be a great idea for the SPL website to create something like the BookLovers Wiki. Patrons could share their favorite books with everybody, as well as receivng recommendations. This could provide a more interactive experience with the community that hopefully some people could take advantage of.

Bloody hell

I'm so glad I'm not an Englishman right now. I bet you could hear a pin drop over there, the silence must be deafening. UN-FRICKEN-BELIEVABLE. That's millions and maybe even billions of pounds down the tubes.

Hard work is beneath me

Blah. Double Blah. Ever since I got back from attending the Zag game, I've been working like mad to find free vids from todays UFC pay-per-view. Come on you stupid links, work! Is it too much to ask to see the Michael Bisping/Rashad Evans throwdown? This is very frustrating, I have only found two working vids so far. For F's sake, this never-ending quest marches on.........

Poke This!!!!!!!!!!

The other day I was exploring Facebook. After doing so, it appears I won't be creating my own profile. I can see how it would be a useful social networking tool to link up with your current circle of friends, or to reconnect with long lost pals. This whole poking phenomena, on the other hand, is another story. I just don't get it, somebody needs to explain it to me. The idea of a complete stranger poking me for no apparent reason, turns me off. I mean, I wouldn't email or call somebody if I had nothing to say.

If poking occured in real life, I imagine it would be something like this:

Some random, internet douchebag: Hey bro, I'm on your Facebook.
Me: Uh, ok. That's cool, I guess.
Douche: Yeah
Me: Yep
Douche: ......................
Me: .......................
Douche: ...........................
Me: So........did you have anything to say to me?
Douche: Not really bro, just chillaxin!
Me: Riiiiight, I'm gonna go now. Goodbye sir.

A quick message to TV and Movie execs: Go fug yourselves!!! Twice!

GIVE ME BACK MY DAMN SHOWS YOU GREEDY, CORPORATE SCUMBAGS, NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, it's only been two weeks into the strike of the Writer's Guild of America, and it's already taking a heavy toll on me. Three of my can't-miss-shows have completely closed up shop: The Colbert Report, Late Night with Conan O'brien and the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The only show keeping me alive is House M.D. Fortunately, they keep whipping out new episodes, for now. I just hope the strike is resolved before Fox is forced to air reruns.

The situation looks dire, I'm clutching at straws here. If negotiations continue to fail, TV programming will be overrun with mindless reality shows. I can't be so desperate as having to watch vacuous drivel like The Hills or Survivor!

I'm in full support of the WGA. Let's level the playing field and give them more DVD profits or whatever realistic demand they so desire.

I miss you so much big guy!

A childhood of discontent

http://www.garbagepailkidsworld.com/create.html



Oh wondrous Garbage Pail Kids, such are the painful memories of a disenfranchised youth. I know my mother is responsible for bringing me into this world, that was swell. But, I will never forgive her for throwing away my GPK collection. A grudge is forever, according to this owner of a cold, scornful heart.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc26/RandomZagFan/pailkid.jpg

Watching Gonzaga > Working on Tuesday

Huzzah for floating holidays! I'm glad I saved them up until the last minute. My priorities are unquestionably in the right place.

Back to your regularly scheduled program on Wednesday........

Library 2.0: A prophecy of doom?

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHY?????? WHY??????? WHY????????????? WHY????????????????

As you can see, I'm currently in the midst of an epic meltdown/collapse. If I weren't at work right now, I'd be having an even bigger hissy fit, believe that. Nevertheless, p2p will never give up. I shall try my best to finish this post and pick myself up by the bootstraps. Actually, I really need this. Bloggin' is an ideal solution to distract my worried soul.

So anyhoo, p2p read two articles, "Away from Icebergs" and "Into a New World of Librarianship." The former was the only essay worth commenting about. Rick Anderson, the author of Away from Icebergs, essentially tells us a futuristic, magical tale of gloom and bedlam. The crux of Anderson's argument is that there are several obstacles potentially threatening a library's success. He decides to focus on three major obstacles (he calls them icebergs for metaphorical effect, I suppose).

1) The "just in case collection": Anderson does not believe in a library collection, in the traditional sense. We shouldn't amass a comphrensive collection of materials, just for the sake of doing so. When circulation numbers go down, the new materials will be unused, merely collecting dust. I can already see this trend at SPL. We seem to be way more selective in what we choose to purchase.

2) Reliance on User Education: In this point, Anderson wants to somehow improve library services as so every patron would fully understand it, with hardly any instruction provided to them. Sure, I would agree with providing efficient and more fluid methods to help out patrons, but there is an eventual line I do not want to cross. Libraries are institutions of academia, and should not completely "dumb" down. If you want to go to a place where everything is reduced to the lowest common denominator, I suggest you visit a frat house or rodeo.

3) The "Come to us" model of library service: As a final nail in the coffin, Anderson says we must adapt to keep people interested in visiting the library. In today's complex world, a library is just one of many options we can occupy our time with. With the internet, TV and other various technolgies, patrons can find the same services that a local library provides. It's as if he was thinking of SPL when he described this dilemma. Our organization can definitely receive a major upgrade with technology. Researching more about Ebooks comes to mind. Or how about the ability to accept credit and debit cards for crying out loud!

The Technorati community hates me

http://www.technorati.com/people/technorati/page2peon

Great, this is just what I needed, another pick-me-up! I now have something else to painfully remind me how insignificant I am in the grand scheme of things. I currently possess a Technorati ranking very close to 9 million. Let's put this in perspective folks. The population of New York City is around 8.2 million. To bump up the total to 9 million, Jacksonville, Florida fit the bill. So, according to the wise beings at Technorati, EVERY single person living in NYC and Jacksonville is better than me. I don't need your approval Technorati, I know what awesome potential I can unleash on this unkind universe!

Exloring popular blog, searches and tags on the site is really uneventful. All it does is feature the same 'ol crap that every trend follower likes.

And finally, if searching for "learning 2.0," using the advanced search tool is the way to go. The tag window or blog directory will weed out several links that are irrelevent.

(One postive note: I love how my secret lover is on the thumbnail of my blog link!)

I'm always tagging, 'cause I'm from the streets fool

Del.icio.us is not delicious. It tastes like the Durian fruit, Yuk! Sorry, I'm not a fan. My dilemma is that I'm so conditioned to finding interesting articles via search engines. I'm more than willing to waste a few more minutes of my time typing in several keywords in order to find exactly what I want.

I can see how a Del.icio.us account may be useful if somebody wanted to accumulate a cache of the fascinating items they come across the internets. A helpful archive like this would come in handy when specific research problems arise.

Unfortunately, my attention span is at such a low point, I don't care to fuss over tagging. Once I'm finished reading something, it usually becomes dead to me. I want to move on to the next big thing.

Christmas has come early for a pathetic GU Fanboi

Yay! The joy and rapture are finally here!!!! The start of the season is today, and my elation has never been higher. It appears this squad has the most amount of talent ever, in terms of depth. My expectations are astronomical. Anything less than a Elite 8 appearance will be a disappointment.

In my life, I'm usually introverted and composed. During the GU season however, all my caution is thrown to the wind. When I watch a game, I turn into a caveman. It's sooooo damn embarrassing. There are lots of curses and other shrieks of displeasure to be had! Obviously, there were plenty of those last season, since we had an off-year.

So, enemies of the GU nation, have at thee!!!! Do your worst. Bring your tired mushroom jokes, your outdated "mid-major" labels, and your constant rumours of Mark Few's departure. We will not falter.

(Just as a sidenote, I will never be convinced that Gonzaga is pronounced Gone-zaag'-uh. If the school is named after an Italian saint, shouldn't the pronunciation have a more continental flair to it?)

I have a secret lover and she's a perfect 10!

Meet the woman of my wildest dreams. *Jaw dropping to the floor*


She is the epitome of the sacred feminine. She is the reincarnation of Aphrodite. She had me at "lucky you." She is.....well, you get the idea.





"Baby I'm a want you, Baby I'm a need you."
(Isn't Bread the greatest band ever??????)

This was harder than my AP exams

So what is p2p up to this weekend? Absolutely, friggin nothing! Oh well, C'est la vie. Making an attempt to be sociable is far too arduous. It's simply a Herculean task that I cannot master.

I suppose one activity I did is worth mentioning. Try this.........
http://www.addictinggames.com/theimpossiblequiz.html

I got up to question 80 or so, before giving up. Lets see if you smartasses can beat me.

Rollyo assignment: Arsenal 2, Man Utd. 2

Today was the English Premier League match of the year, Arsenal F.C. versus Manchester United. Unfortunately the match itself was anti-climatic, ending in a unsatisfying draw. Man U. went twice ahead, but my lads clawed their way back to rescue a point.

To honor Arsenal's tremendous spirit, I created a searchroll. It was simple enough. All it takes is mindless data cruching. Just type in the websites, and you're on your way.

http://rollyo.com/page2peon/the_obsessed_gooners/

Of course cute bears support Arsenal!

Cesc Fabregas is the greatest footballer at only twenty years of age. I just hope he grows the mullet back!

The Evil Care Bears want you to look at my LibraryThing

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/page2peon



Creating a LibraryThing was an enjoyable experience. I tried as best I could to list my favorites from my childhood years up until the present time. It was intriguing to observe the evolution of my reading history. Clearly my tastes have always been impeccable!

Huzzah for nostalgia!

Image Generators, They're soooo self-defeating

Click here for a clearer view of my Emo Peon.
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc26/RandomZagFan/Emopeon.jpg



















Hello, EmoPeon here. Not that you care. In fact, you don't care about anything at all. Everyone is isolated, left to survive by themselves in this cruel, harsh world.

Life is pain. Life is suffering. Life's a bitch, and then you die.

Gawd, I'm so depressed.

*Goes back listening to Bright Eyes and My Chemical Romance*