I used to work in a hospital library. I hated it, for many reasons, and I'll never go back. My reference shifts were spent answering strange (and some not so strange) questions. After a boring and mentally exhausting shift, I wrote down a few questions that I had recently gotten on the reference desk (taken from an entry in my journal on April 10, 2000):

Where's the bathroom?
Where's the photocopier?
Why can't I use my U of T copicard in your photocopier?
Why doesn't your photocopier take coins?
Can I buy this book?
How much is this book?
Do you sell videos?
How do you spell Harvard?
What time zone are we in?
What is Level II, Section C?
Are you a doctor?
Are there any doctors on staff in the library?
How can you help me if you are not a doctor?
Can you read this article for me?
Where is San Antonio?
Can I use your email account?
Can I use your computer?
Please pay for these subscriptions and send them to my office. (not really a question, is it?)
Can you tell me the name of the green book I signed out last week?
Do you have any medical books?
Do you have any journals?

There were more, many more....

Tags: libraries, reference questions

So much for pollsters: they got it wrong.

I just finished reading Salamander by Thomas Wharton (review). I loved Icefields, his first novel, much better. I did like this one. Actually, I liked it quite a lot. But, there is something about it that I just can't put my finger on.

I have also recently read: Badlands by Robert Kroetsch; Going to New Orleans by Charles Tidler; Man of Bone by Alan Cumyn, and some others I can't remember right now.

Whenever I recall recent books read, I reflect on those that I hated. What is the worst book I have ever read? I have an answer, but I could be wrong. After all, I abandoned many books part way through. This group includes Larry's Party by Carol Shields. I know this book received tons of praise, but I think it is boring and badly written. I used to struggle through books I didn't like, but now I realize that there are far too many good books waiting. I regret the hours and hours I spent fighting my way through Douglas Coupland's Microserfs.

Microserfs, in my humble opinion, is the worst book ever written. Well, it is the worst book I have ever read all the way through. It stinks. It is boring and tedious, or, in the immortal words of Bart Simpson: "I didn't know it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows."

I recently met Douglas Coupland: he signed an advanced copy of Eleanor Rigby. He is a nice guy. I liked a couple of his other books, but I think that Generation X is overrated. Maybe I read it too late. I am a Gen Xer, so I should have appreciated it.

Tags: reading, Douglas Coupland, Microserfs

Election Day

OK, so just a few comments on today's federal election...

I'd like to say, make sure you vote. But, if you plan to vote Conservative, forget about it. There has been much commentary on Stephen Harper's so-called "hidden agenda". Let's face it, it is not hidden. The Regressive Conservative party is anti-gay, anti-women, anti-middle class, anti-public health care. It the scariest party we have ever seen. How can we, especially people in Ontario, forget about the roots of this party? It is comprised of the remnants of failed regional parties and the tired and hopeless remains of the Progressive Conservative Party. The PC party ruined Ontario. If you are angry with Dalton, don't vote Conservative. Vote for anyone else, but not Conservative, please.

Tags: elections, Canada

Comments!-

I've added comments, at the advice of a friend. Maybe I will resume entries as well. Go forth and comment.

Tags: blogging

Happy Birthday to You

My daughter turns three years old today. She is very cute and very sweet.

Tags: family

Spalding Gray is Dead

I had hoped that he would just come back, like he had taken an unplanned vacation. Instead, they found his body in the East River. I am really saddened by this news.

Tags: Spalding Gray

Ten Stupid Things

Off the top of my head, a list of stupid things:

cigarettes
electric can openers
electric pencil sharpeners
the top 40
opinion polls
George W. Bush
milk
awards shows
leaf blowers
Stephen Harper

Tags: stupid things

I don't get it

The Liberals took a big hit in the polls after the sponsorship scandal hit the news. I would say that they deserved it. What I can't understand is why the support for the Conservative Party of Canada increased. This party has no leader; it is comprised of the remnants of two failed parties; it is dysfunctional. What about the NDP? Seriously. Jack Layton deserves a chance. Besides, the NDP supports the full decriminalization of marijuana. That's progressive.

Tags: sponsorship scandal, political parties

TDSB News

The Toronto District School Board is considering a plan that would cut the number of full- time librarians from 101 to 38. No secondary school within the system will be left with a full-time teacher-librarian! Some libraries may only stay open for 70 minutes per day!

This is scary. I find this inconceivable. I can't imagine how high school would be without consistent access to a library. Students have less and less understanding of how information is organized, and no idea how to access quality information.

Despite the fun we made of our high school librarian, I learned a lot from him. I am amazed that many third and even fourth year university students do now know how to find journal articles, and have no comprehension of the differences between books and journals. When I was a high school student, we would drive to the local University to get articles for our history papers. By the time I got to University, Historical Abstracts was a very familiar resource.

This budget cut, if it happens, will have serious repercussions.

Tags: librarians, Toronto District School Board

Get out of the Bike Lane

Why is it that Taxis are permitted to use shared lanes? You know, like the ones on Bay Street. These lanes are reserved for buses, taxis, and bicycles. Why? Taxis are no solution to pollution or road congestion. They drive around looking for fares, or else they are usually carrying ONE passenger. This sucks. In my opinion, these lanes should be reserved for buses and vehicles with three or more people inside. What I really think is that there should be bike lanes on more streets. And not like that idiotic bike lane on Spadina.

Get out of the bike lane!

Tags: cycling, Toronto

OCAD Building

I am amazed that some people dislike the new OCAD building. I think it's fabulous. If you walk down McCaul Street, you will notice that everyone is looking up at it. In fact, try not looking up. It's impossible. Toronto lacks radical architecture. We have little beyond an 1800-foot phallic symbol.

Tags: architecture, Toronto, OCAD

$$$

I have this urge to spend money, but no money to spend. It's the way things go. After buying a bunch of darkroom supplies, I am low on cash, until I get paid. I hate getting paid monthly. Whose invented monthly pay? I'd rather get paid weekly, or daily. After all, I work daily (usually).

Two friends have bought iPods. I have iPod envy.

Try This.

Tags: money

Winter Blahs, Spalding Gray, TV, etc.

I think I am getting sick of winter. The fall was so warm, and then January really sucked.

Well, it's been one month since Spalding Gray disappeared. I am still saddened by this news. My ex-girlfriend lent me her copy of Monster in a Box about eleven years ago. I still think this slim book is one of the funniest things I have ever read. There are serious themes in his work too.

We were fortunate to have seen him give a monologue in Toronto some years back. I had hoped to see him perform again. That doesn't look likely now.

We have seen two episodes of This is Wonderland on CBC. Hey, this show is pretty good. Somehow, I keep missing the new Rick Mercer show. Maybe I don't really care about it.

Does everyone have a friend that just won't stop sending email to you? It wouldn't be so bad, but it's just stupid jokes. It is frustrating.

Tags: Spalding Gray, TV

Breasts are dangerous to your health

Get this: some banker from Knoxville has filed a class action lawsuit against Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, CBS, MTV, and Viacom. Terri Carlin said the "sexually explicit conduct" caused millions of people to "suffer outrage, anger, embarrassment and serious injury."

Serious injury? If seeing a breast can cause serious injury, I'd be dead by now. Embarrassment? Say what? I wasn't embarrassed. Seeing breasts is not embarrassing. If it is, there is something wrong with you. This is probably the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard. Wait, weapons of mass destruction in Iraq comes close.

Meanwhile, many people have already commented on the Superbowl ads, which we are not allowed to see in Canada. If you ask me, a farting horse is far worse than a breast. I think that could really cause serious injury.

Tags: breasts, Janet Jackson, media

Janet Jackson's Right Breast

My immediate reaction is that, since her nipple was covered with a steel shield, it doesn't count. It's simple: if you can't see the nipple, it's not really nudity. Anyway, what a huge fuss about absolutely nothing. It just figures that the puritanical right wing conservative religious types would freak out over a breast. It's just a breast. Violence dominates North American television and movies. You can watch people die, being tortured, decapitated, etc., but a breast makes people have a seizure. Give it a rest.

Tags: Janet Jackson, breasts, media

I spent three days at the Ontario Library Association conference. It wasn't too bad. The trouble with every conference is that, inevitably, you will chose a stinker session. In small sessions, I worry that the speakers will be offended if I were to walk out. Can you enter a new session already in progress? If so, when is it too late? I witnessed people entering sessions during the ending question part. What's up with that?

Anyway, I saw some good sessions and some bad (I won't name names). Top Ten Tech Trends is always interesting. The occasional free beverage was even better. My suggestion is that they reconfigure the conference to run from Wednesday to Friday, and leave Saturday out of it. That, in my mind, is the major flaw of every library conference.

Tags: Ontario Library Association, conferences, libraries

I think downloading music sucks. I don't understand why people want to get music this way. Forrester Research is predicting that Compact Discs will disappear in five years, and that virtually all music will be purchased from online stores. Maybe I am a Luddite, but I would hate this arrangement.

As we know, downloaded music offers no improvement in sound over CDs. You get no liner notes, no lyrics, no production details, no artwork. Instead, you are responsible for archiving the music. You will keep needing larger hard drives. I have had a hard drive failure. I wouldn't want to have to repurchase all of that music. I have 1200+ CDs.

SACD and DVD audio offer better sound quality than CDs. Surely, music lovers should prefer better sound quality over ease of downloading. It irritates me when I hear people complain that they shouldn't have to buy a whole CD for just one song. If you only like one song from an artist, you shouldn't be a fan. You've been duped.

Downloading isn't more economical. Some online stores are selling songs for 99 cents each. The last Radiohead CD has 14 tracks. 14 times 99 cents is just about what I paid for it, and I have the disc, and the artwork, and I don't have to worry that I will erase the songs, or that my hard drive will crash. And, yes, I like all of the music on the CD, not just one song. I predict that the 99-cent model will soon disappear. We will be paying a lot more than 99 cents in the future.

What I'd like to know is if on online store would sell Brian Eno's Thursday Afternoon for 99 cents. It is, after all, a 61-minute song.

I have downloaded lots of legal music, so that I can hear new musicians. That, to me, is the value of downloads. If I want the music, I will buy it.

I'll take a CD any day. Forrester says that within five years, CDs will be things that only old people have. I guess I am old.

Tags: downloading, CDs

I love cycling in winter. Today, the wind chill is -22 celsius, and the snow is blowing. However, we are in for ice pellets tomorrow morning. I may have to skip a day. It would be one of a handful of missed days in the last five or six years.

I like to cycle because I hate the TTC. The TTC is overpriced, if you ask me. It is crowded. People walk slowly. Fresh air (and exercise) is the better way.

I haven't had much to say lately. I guess I've be concentrating on playing the guitar and taking pictures. I'll be back in the darkroom on Thursday.

Tags: cycling, TTC

Spalding Gray is missing. This is sad news. This article presents the recent facts. What can I say about him, expect that he always amazed me with his humour and brutal honesty? He has made a personal industry out of describing his personal life, including an affair, something that I think was rather brave. I hope he is found in good health.

Tags: Spalding Gray

Wow, it's been ages since my last entry. I just suffered through the flu, or something very flu-like. It was a killer. I couldn't get out of bed for three days and I ate virtually nothing for four days. It's not like I need to lose weight.

I think that my Lomo LC-A is broken. Yes, I am irritated. It's overpriced, thanks to that ridiculous marketing machine in Austria. This should be a cheap camera. It is made cheaply, and it has a limited life-span. I am not going to replace it.

Tags: flu, Lomo, photography