The Stupidest Angel: A Recommendation

Christopher Moore's "heartwarming tale of Christmas terror" centers around a dumb-ass angel granting a Christmas wish and nearly bringing about the zombie apocalypse.  Yep, that is about all I need to say.  

Here are a list of the people that will like this book:

Christopher Moore fans - Let's face it, you probably already own it.

Zombie Lovers - Thanks to the last few years, there are a lot more of you out there.

Comedy/Horror fans - Right up your dark alley filled with rubber chickens.

People really tired of Christmas - It may just get you back in the spirit, what with all the swords and guns and brain eating.

Anyone named Raziel - There is just not enough representation of this name.

Frank - Yep.  You, sir, are gonna love it.

If you have not already picked this gem off the shelf, then get to it.  A refreshing take on the zombie attack, much like Shaun of the Dead.  I can not recommend this enough.

Power to the People!

Plug it Up!

Are you bored with books and DVDs from your library?  How about a power meter?  Yep, at the Marysville Public Library you can check out a power meter along with all the other stuff.  The power meter is for showing how much power is being used in your homes (electrical, tough luck for those still living in windmills).  I would also like to nominate a few other products the library could check out:

1.  Sand bags for flood times.

2.  Katanas for defending your honor and/or seppuku.

3.  Cars for getting home.

4.  Third world countries for feisty vacation spots.

5.  DVD players

Original article and image found here.

Libraries Closed Across the Land

Saturday, libraries across the nation will close in protest what a truly crappy year this has been.  Did anything really good happen?  Layoffs, tax raises, budget reductions, Sarah Palin reality show, and many other horrors were visited upon the land.  Well, at least the Harry Potter movie was good... so was True Grit if ya have not seen it.  Dude, and Scott Pilgrim rocked!  Hell, at least we had some good distractions.  

From everyone here at Banned Library, Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

And if you have a little extra, go over to Child's Play Charity.  It is never too late to give.

Closed Image from here

Who Knew G-Dub Could Type?

G-Dub Myspace Duckface

The George W. Bush presidential library archivist's have claimed that along with printed materials, the presidency also created nearly 80 terabytes of electronic media, including emails, photos, and other items.  How much is that?  Hold out your arms as far as they can reach.  More than that.  We are talking bigger-than-a-breadbox here people.  According to this article, the man sent 200 million emails in the 8 years he played this country like a harp from hell.  We can only conclude at least half of those were chain letters and photo-shopped pics of Al Gore's head on assorted people/animals he forwarded to Chaney.  To the brave archivists and archivistettes that have to sift through this garbage, I say "Good on ya.  Keep on Truckin."

G-Dub pic from here

Holidays at the Library

The holiday season is a magical time for the library.  All is transformed by gaudy displays of lights, fake tree branches, and that most hateful of all, cheer.

Here's my definition of cheer

So here we are, the holiday season.  Is your library prepared?  


1. Decorations
The first thing you want to start with is the crap on the walls.  Not literally, that's Moe the Hobo's thing and he does not work here.   I am talking about the fake tree branches, the pictures of jolly old fat men, and little chotchkies spread around the library.  

This should be your reference desk.

Once all the stockings are hung and everything is in place, sit back and think about what more could be put around the library.  Little dancing Santas are a good touch, especially if they are the kind that come on with noise.  Nothing like little red suited spies to show the patrons they are disturbing others, am I right?

2. The Tree
The center piece of all festivities should be second on your list, only if because this gaudy monstrosity from pagan times can illicit random comments from the uneducated about the true meaning of the season.

Yep, this is the reason for the season... or a detraction of the true meaning.  Whatever, don't let it dry out.

This joyous symbol of the season can be a center piece to your mastery of the holiday.  Adorn with lights, ribbons and various ornaments depicting literary characters, this tree can become a main attraction for most libraries.  Or a giant fire hazard in the middle of the city's biggest fire hazard.  

Told ya.

3. Carolers

Has anyone in libraries ever worked in a retail center or restaurant during the holidays?  If you have, you know one truth in this life:  Christmas carols are mind-numbingly, bone-crunchingly, debilitatingly horrid way of torture that drives anyone with half a brain into a mindless drone after the second repeat of the CD.  The ONLY ways Christmas carols should be delivered are either in short, one-off playings or by live singers.

Even if it is your local LARPing group...

4. Santa
As the center of the community that has no major department store or mall, the library can be the only place to host a scary man in a red suit who likes children to sit in his lap.  Let that sink in for a moment.

Yep.  Sinking in...

Images
Liquor pic
Xmas decorations pic
Tree pic
Tree fire pic
Carolers pic
Santa pic

"A Dog of Flanders" Finds Way Home After 76 Years

Worth more than your soul?

After 76 years, Mark McKee finally returned the book "A Dog of Flanders" to the Mount Clemens, MI public library.  Whew, thank god, I was getting worried.  Every time I went in for the last 75 years I would ask, "Has the book come back yet?"  The staff would just shake their heads and look to the floor.  They bought another copy, and another after that one was destroyed by Tommy Tomerson's labradoodle, but this is about the principle of the thing.  Now the library says that on top of not charging him fines estimated in the thousands, they are not putting the book into circulation.  Rather, they are displaying the book and Mr. McKee's letter as an example that crime pays.  At least that is what I learned from it.  Also, do not be too greedy with the thieving.  Someone should know better now.


Original, more truthful and heart-warming story here.


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Net Neutrality: That's in the News

The Internet, as seen from space

You may have turned on the news recently to see a lot of talk about net neutrality.  Where is my sandwich?, you ask yourself.  I do not know about your sandwich, but here is the skinny on net neutrality.  

Net neutrality is the theory that the entire Internet, from big corporations to little crappy blogs like this one, should be open for the same type of access from Internet Service Providers (ISPs).  ISPs are companies like Comcast that you pay money to give you Internetz.  Well, the FCC (look it up) have wanted to kinda put their two cents into the internetz for a while because it is sorta in their ballpark as far as that whole communications goes.  This week they released what amounts to a do and do not list that includes things like transparency for ISPs (they have to give reasons for what they do), non blocking (they can not just cut off parts of the Internet traffic), and unreasonable discrimination (they can not slow the traffic of particular services or sites without good reason).   Because bureaucracy is so fun, Congress has to review to see if the FCC has this power and how they will wield it.  Kinda like in those Lord of the Rings films.  

There is a lot more to this, plus the FCC has not fully released exactly what they will or will not do until Congress checks it out.  We shall see and report back.

Better explained in this article from PC mag.

Image from here