Book of the Week: Thomas Jefferson: Author of America by: Christopher Hitchens

I have always been intrigued by our beloved president Jefferson. I wonder what it would be like to meet such a person. Was he funny? Was he really that intelligent?

If you'd like to learn more about Thomas Jefferson as a person and have a small amount of time to dedicate to read then this is the book for you. The author broke the chapters up to a specific portion of his life and provided a reasonable amount of information. It's a quick read, filled with all sorts of interesting tidbits.

Of his appearance:
"...he was very tall for his age and indeed very tall for his times, standing two inches above six feet. He was neither clumsy nor particularly graceful, having long but somewhat loose limbs. Reddish of hair and freckled of complexion, he possessed hazel eyes, thin lips, and a rather prominent nose and chin."
page 10

If you have a moment to read and have a desire to read about presidential hitory then I suggest you flip through this one. It may add to your social life, there are so many interesting bits to last a long night out.

Pharmacy ATM

What? An automated drug dispenser machine? That sounds like a seriously dangerous way to handle prescription drugs. Maybe they could be right next to the soda and junk food machines.

We have become a drug obsessed nation so why not right? You should be able to insert your prescription into a machine and poof get your meds without human contact. Imagine all the time that will save! I wonder how many mistakes will be made and who refills the machines?

And as usual California will begin the trial. How perfect.

Book of the Week: Friday Night Chicas By: Mary Castillo, Berta Platas, Caridad Pineiro, Sofia Quintero

Warning this is chick-lit, if you are male or are females that do not favor this type of literature then pass on reading this, it's in your own best interest.

I picked this book up at the local library.....wait that sounds a little trashy.....I selected this book because I needed something fun to read. Something non-committal, quick and easy. (Oh this is way too fun.)

This book is a collection of four un-related short stories about four young women. The common factors being: Each story takes place on a Friday night in a major US city, about young hip professional latina women, and the stories have to do with dating/sex/relationships. That said if you still are reading this then you may want to read the book. Kind of Sex in the City-esuqe literature.

The different writing styles made for a good variety. I found the first three stories to be very interesting, racy, well written and fun. As Paris Hilton would say "That's hot." The last story was hard for me to complete. Perhaps it was the storyline, not as exciting, or just my lack of interest. It wasn't as "hot" as the others.

Quick and easy, baby. I like that.

Winter Solstice

The shortest day of the year. How come that can't be here. What a long and boring day. Will QT ever come?

What divides you?

Will the Intelligent Design debate divide America?

This Dover, PA controversy has been a very touchy topic of discussion. How interesting it will be to see the result of the judge's decision. What is with people and this constant battle over science education? Some of the things I have been hearing have been frightening.


The American passions will come forth on this subject.

Book of the Week: How to Be a (Bad) Birdwatcher by: Simon Barnes

Can't beat a book that is both informative and funny. His no nonsense approach to birdwatching can inspire the most confused animal lover. The author is a sports writer by trade he covers the English football and American sports. He is a passionate bird watcher, the love of birds instilled in him by his equally passionate retired BBC reporter father.

His sarcasm is appreciated, I loved how he referred to birds and described his reactions to new found discoveries. Due to his very English ways his writing style is reflective of English prose. I enjoyed reading the lovely expressions and I must admit I find them much more clever than the American slang.

A wonderful informative fun quick read. If you ever wanted to begin birdwatching or were thinking about taking up this hobby then pick up this book.

Who needs Math?

Our duplex copier went down today, surprise. Of course it did. This is the time of year when the patrons need to make a plethora of copies for their research and the copiers take the biggest beating. As a way to provide better customer service I offered to make duplexed copies on an as needed basis.

A patron hands me an enormous stack of articles to copy double sided of course. I take them and proceed. There are 117 double sided pages in this stack. I bring the completed copies back and proceed to ring up the $23.40 in copies. The patron pays and leaves. Only to return and complain that we charged too much for the copies. You see this patron felt that I was charging double, the cost should be $11.70 not $23.40. As I explain that the stack contained 117 double sided pages, each side of the sheet counts as a copy, that adds up to 234 total copied sheets. The patron continues to disagree, insisting that I miscounted and accused me of purposefully over charging for the copies. As we argue over the simple math involved: each copy is ten cents......you have 234 pages....at ten cents a sheet....so on and so forth, it became apparent to me how this patron, being a PhD student will one day save the world with this research yet for some unknown reason cannot grasp simple mathematic principles.

After a 10 minute discussion the patron still felt wronged.

Run away I want to run away from this insanity.

Book of the Week: Justice for None By: Gene Hackman and Daniel Lenihan

I thought that this might be a good try, a little different, not my typical selection. I like my books a little less cliche. However I wanted to give it a read and see what one of Hollywood's veteran actors could put together.

Lesson learned: Don't do that!

This was not a particularly interesting read. It was difficult for me to maintain my focus and often I found myself too bored to finish the page. The storyline seemed to drag on and on and on. That comes from the authors trying to make this a combination between a literary and commercilized novel. I can see where in parts, Hackman's director mind came into play. However, there were many pages of unnecessary blather that would have been better served in a paragraph. Sometimes you can be too descriptive.

I know that Gene Hackman was raised in the heart of America, and that is where his inspiration for this book's setting came. The story takes place in 1929, the protagonist, Boyd Calvin, a World War I veteran, discovers his ex-wife dead. He is wrongly accused of the murder because he was seen leaving the murder scene. Calvin meets George in jail, a black man who's been charged with raping a white woman. The two become friends and fugitives together. Interesting aspect of story: Both men have always been on the fringe of society. A black man facing daily oppression and a war veteran seeking a place to belong.

This could be a good book depending on your mood. It's filled with many Hollywood-esque lines, and tough guy feel. I didn't find this to be my favorite, it lacks focus, making for a tedious and poorly organized read. Once you get through half way it becomes a better read. Perhaps skimming the first half is the best approach. If you're in the mood for a tough-guy murder trial story then this is your book.

Winter and a book

It snowed last night. We have a lovely snow covered world. There's something about snow that makes me happy. It is peaceful and cleansing. I feel more relaxed. Maybe it's the childlike wonder I feel every time it snows. And if I'm lucky I might be able to slip outside enjoy the beautifulness and grab a few pictures before the snow melts.

I presume that I will have a calm day. Since snow in this region means school and work closures I may actually get to read that book I selected last week.

Birds!

Today I thought I was hearing things and so did my co-workers, you know they do think I am odd, but this time I am not imagining things. On my morning rounds I heard chirping, it was rather loud yet it didn't seem to be coming from outdoors. As I approached the eastern corner of the building the chirping became louder.

I was amusing myself by listening to the birds chirp away as if chattering about their morning. So relaxing. It was then that reality summoned my brain, I thought 'argh, birds in the library, not good.' As I was thinking of how birds could get into the library, you expect them in supermarkets, home improvement places but libraries? Then it hit me. The hole in the roof.

Due to the gigantic hole in the roof we now have a new group of tenants. Which is perfect for the birds since it is much warmer in the library than outside. So long as they stay between the roof and ceiling all will be well.

I can't wait until they start flying around inside, now that will be exciting!

Book of the Week:The One Thing You Need to Know : About Great Managing, Great Leading, and Sustained Individual Success By: Marcus Buckingham

If you are a manager/supervisor READ this book! Actually if you are a good manager you already have been reading up on leadership and management topics and this book is on your list. (Hint, hint, wink, wink) This book is clearly written, informative, and enjoyable. I think the book aims to motivate readers to act differently. The author provides concrete examples and specific lessons.

During the author's travels he has interviewed numerous people and has discovered there is a core concept to even the most complex topics. There are single "controlling insights" within a range of situations, and when properly applied, can encourage improvement and lead to precise results. He has determined that there are three elements necessary for achieving success in managing.

The best nugget to take away from the book is about understanding the dynamics of your employees. The challenge of being a good manager lies in filtering out the nonessential matters and distinguishing "between what is merely important and what is imperative" in order to produce the greatest and most far-reaching effects. Great managers think like chess masters. In chess you must know each particular piece - how each one moves and performs. If you can master this skill then you are on your way to productivity. A perfect analogy, I have been thinking this for years.

The lessons within need not be confined to the work environment, it will be very useful indeed in your personal life too. Understanding the sociological concepts in this book can help one become more productive in all aspects on life. I encourage everyone to read this book.

How not to save a file

This morning while assisting a patron with saving a file to her flash drive I had a moment of idiocy.

I sat next to the patron grabbed the mouse and set about trying to get that file saved. As I am explaining the process I notice that the arrow wouldn't move. At first I was thinking the computer froze. After a few seconds I realized that no, it's not frozen, something else was wrong. I was more aggressive moving the mouse this time maybe the little roller was jammed. It was then that I discovered the problem. I was using her cell phone.

Oh yes. I am that stupid. Luckily she found it amusing. I am surprised that she was still willing to allow me to show her how to save her file.