Mary Page's Baptism

Our little girl has finally been brought into the flock. She was baptized on Oct 30, 2010 at Chatfield in her mother's own baptismal gown. We are so pleased!

My Cutie Kewpie Doll!

Time has flown! Last week our daughter turned eight months old. Although infants change a lot over the course of their babyhood, one thing has remained consistent: she has ALWAYS resembled a classic Kewpie doll! However, at this time she particularly echoes the doll because of her size and shape. Judge for yourself--she even has the little topknot curl!

Oddly funny or funnily odd?

Found today: online comic strip "Hark! A Vagrant" by Canadian historian-turned-humorist Kate Beaton. Sometimes headscratchingly funny. Where else can you read illustrated humor featuring Nicola Tesla, Robert Peel, and the Headless Horseman all in one place?

I LOVE this sort of thing!

The Times Online has a link to this fantastic website that posts global information on a world map. Check out International Number Ones (Because Everyone is Good at Something). Spoiler Alert: the US is number one in Serial Killers.

Slimer Revisted at the NY Public Library

For all you folks that remember the '80s with a little fondness, the group Improv Everywhere has restaged "Ghostbusters" at the NY Public library. Lots of pictures and some memories!

Edible Book Festival!

Though they began this festival after my graduation from the program, as an alumna of the UT Graduate School of Library & Information Science (now known as the iSchool), I still follow some of the quirkier events. The Edible Book Festival is one of them. What a way to eat your words! Some look truly appetizing. Others, just clever. Nonetheless, they make great browsing! Check it out!

Librarians After My Own Heart

Having not worked in a public library for almost 10 years, I am thankful that I don't have to deal with the not so fun aspects of library work (angry ranters, disgusting mess cleanup). However I've truly missed the serendipitous encounters with odd books. Two librarians in Michigan can help fill that void with their blog “Awful Library Books.” For anyone who thinks all books are sacrosanct, remember, sometimes you’ve just gotta toss the trash to make room for treasure. Yes, bad books do exist.

Op-Ed Contributor - A Library to Last Forever - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Contributor - A Library to Last Forever - NYTimes.com

Librarians show their wild side| KXAN.com

Librarians show their wild side| KXAN.com

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Bamboozling Ourselves (Part 1) - Errol Morris Blog - NYTimes.com

Today the Extraordinaire shares a fascinating NY Times series written by filmmaker Errol Morris about art forgery, aesthetic shift, and how we perceive the past. Bamboozling Ourselves (Part 1) - Errol Morris Blog - NYTimes.com

The Extraordinarie's Extraordinary Adventures at the Doctor's Office

Most of the Informatician Extraordinaire's time of late has been taken up with recovering from a bout of bronchitis-turned-to-pneumonia. Though she has returned to work, today's installment of the continuing saga includes another round of antibiotics. Folks, this is week FOUR! Fortunately, swine-flu seems to not be in the picture. Meanwhile, this information manager is managing to stumble home and into bed. Maybe next week will offer a little less medical drama...

Dewey Decimalize Yourself!

For those of you who have nothing better to do (that's none of you, right?) check out this nifty, funny site wherein you can get yourself classified according to Melville Dewey's Great Classification System.

Jennifer Payne's Dewey Decimal Section:

879 Literatures of other Italic languages



Class:
800 Literature


Contains:
Literature, criticism, analysis of classic writing and mythology.



What it says about you:
You're a global, worldly person who wants to make a big impact with your actions. You have a lot to tell people and you're good at making unique observations about everyday experiences. You can notice and remember details that other people think aren't important.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

Results may vary, but are likely fun!

I want to buy a paper doll (part 1)

Librarians are collectors by nature. Its not "do you collect" but "what do you collect." Frequently it is books, but some of us branch out to other treasures. The Extraordinaire has many obsessions, high among them: paper dolls.

Lately she's been admiring the growing number of websites devoted to creating, collecting, and trading these little gems. eBay is a fantastic source too, but the Extraordinaire is always tempted to add to her collection. Look but don't touch (thy credit card) is the mantra she should be following. It's amazing the prices commanded by these little pieces of paper! Fortunately, many are "reasonable," though the Extraordinaire suggests that readers get familiar with the market before jumping in.

A few sites of interest:

Original Paper Doll Artists Guild
http://www.opdag.com/

Paper Doll Review
http://www.paperdollreview.com/catalog/index.php

Paper Dolls.com
http://www.paperdolls.com/

Paper Doll Game for the Fashionista
http://www.paperdollheaven.com/en/

Next: The Extraordinaire's Paper Dolls

Seeing Green

The color green has been on The Extraordinaire's mind a lot lately. Yes, it was recently St. Patrick's Day in all its glory; the world is also in a financial crisis that threatens to trickle down to yours truly as well as others in her circle; global warming continues to make the news too. However, what has taken her mind off of these pressing issues is her recent foray into Martha Stewart-ship and a dinner party given for an out of town friend to celebrate a recent engagement.

Never mind about the food, the table looked FANTASTIC!

Green tablecloth, green Bordallo Pinheiro pottery from Portugal with silver chargers, and a grapevine hanging from the chandelier.

There's a commercial out there where a woman whose Southern accent is thicker than even that of The Extraordinaire's mother (and that's pretty darn Southern) who remarks "I can't cook, but I sure can set a cute table." Fortunately for the guests, the cooking that night was pretty good, but for once there was a feast for the eyes.

Yes this is bragging, but, well, sometimes you've just got to show off and with my track record, this may be the only time such a thing is worthy of sharing!

Another Book-thingy for Organizing Your Reads

As yet another example of how the Extraordinaire is behind the times, yet quickly catching up: yesterday, finally, the facebook application VisualBookshelf appeared onto the radar. A recent joiner of online social networks, Yours Truly has become quite the adapter, albeit a late one, of various add-ons and other nifty services. VisualBookshelf is the latest.

Disappointed that LibraryThing was not so easily integrated into her service of choice, The Extraordinaire discovered that several friends were using something else as part of their Facebook accounts. Fortunately, because the she is, indeed, an Infomatician, ISBNs to thousands of her collection were easily acquired. Though still in the process of updating, the collection has grown and now even includes some of her reviews. Now her friends on Facebook can marvel at the breadth and absurdity of her bookshelves. Hopefully she'll have an opportunity to learn what other people think of the books they've read. Check out her library shelves and she'll happily take a look at yours...

Maple syrup at Pastoral Symphony Farm!

Pastoral Symphony Farm: It's syrup season!

Hear ye, hear ye! For those inclined towards natural sweeteners, the lovely folk at Pastoral Symphony Farm are giving away a pint of homemade maple syrup. All the Extraordinaire need do is remind those down in the part of the country where maple trees don't work properly how expensive maple syrup is in the stores and how insipid it tastes. Fresh syrup, though, is a delight. Enter at your own risk, for the Extraordinare may well come after your prize!

999 Challenge - Can the Informatician Extraordinaire Meet or Exceed Expectations?

Considering the Extraordinaire's Library Collection, you would think she reads books all day. Alas, her time is broken up between commuting to work, cooking dinner, then trying to sleep. Nonetheless, she does try to turn a few pages every morning while trying to wake up and before turning out the light after midnight. Although she doesn't much care to have lots of books imposed on her "must read" list, she is intrigued by a concours by her favorite online book cataloging tool LibraryThing. Called the 999 Challenge, the idea is to read nine different books in nine different genres (categories to you non-bibliothequers) by 09/09/2009. Hmmm..I wonder if I can include magazines in the count...

Happy Valentine's Day

Wishing you the best Valentines Day ever!

In the Wake of Disaster

As is implied in the subtitle of this blog, the Extraordinaire is in the employ of The People. In this case, those residing in the State of Texas. With a territory as big as it is, lots of things happen here. Sometimes they aren't nice things such as the big hurricane with the little name that blew onto the coast last year. The Extraordinaire's office happens to be in the business of controlling the beaches and those things that happen to be on them and so everyone's been busy responding to the aftermath of Ike. The devastation was such that Texas isn't responding alone and so the Federal government in the guise of FEMA is working within our cubicle real estate. They're also needing access to our electronic information and so yours truly has had a chance to work closely with them.

Now for someone originally from Louisiana with friends and relatives who survived Katrina, FEMA is truly a four letter word, but I have to say, the folk from the Fed are quite nice and willing to work in very crowded conditions. They're a plucky bunch from all over the United States.

What's the point of this diatribe? Well, the Extraordinaire wanted to pen a note saying how desperately Texas wants to get Galveston and other points coastal up and running and back in business. The fair port city on the Gulf has survived countless hurricanes, wars, epidemics, and other tragedies. It needs to be known once more for cruise ships, Mardi Gras, Dickens on the Strand, and tacky tacky shops on the pier. Although Government is often decried for its pork, waste, and inefficiency, the Extraordinaire just wanted readers to know that the people within do sometimes have a heart and even a soul...

BREAKING NEWS: "Miracle on the Hudson" pilot gets extension on overdue library book

Just when the Extraordinaire was about to wonder whether it was worth going back to work in a regular library situation (the possibility is always out there), she reads an article that absolutely convinces her that YES, there are a few responsible library patrons out there! Don't misunderstand, though, the Extraordinaire couldn't care less about library fines as long as the books eventually get returned in circulatible condition. Obviously in this case, the book will not, but the hero of the moment actually contacted the library and let them know the situation. WOW! Better than shoving a waterlogged mess through the book drop one long holiday weekend. That, dear readers, is my Miracle on the Hudson...