The Ego Genome Project

Novelist Is Street Wise but Ain't No Snitch

2009-09-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

The best thing about Novelist is it has a search bar! It's a relatively sophisticated search bar too. Take that Author Yellowpages! You and your 'sort' function, how ridiculous.

So I used the recommended reads tab to browse the hip hop/rap memoir and biography pages. Immediately I found "From Pieces to Weight: Once Upon a Time in Southside Queens" the terribly uninteresting looking biography by 50 Cent. What's this? He came from the streets? Wow that is so unique for a rapper. Wha? He also abandoned the dangerous life of crime and faced off with a dangerous drug lord that nearly ended his life? Wow his music is so authentic to the streets he grew up on, especially that song "Candyshop" which was later reworked and featured on a Kidz Bop album.

I also found the biographies of dope slinger turned rapper Notorious B.I.G., former criminal turned rapper, turned back to criminal DMX, and an amazing book called "Bling Bling: Hip Hop's Crown Jewels." There was also the fantastic...

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm going to let you finish but first I just want to say Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time!"

Thanks Kanye.

The Book Report Network does what exactly?

2009-09-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

I wasn't exactly sure what I was looking at. The Book Report Network was right there in big bold letters but what is it? I'm still not sure. Then I just randomly clicked on links. The first "Author Yellowpages." I tried to search for an author but there's no search bar, only a sort function. Okay, Foer, Jonathan Safran. Nope. Let's try Franzen, Jonathan. Nope. How about Eggars, Dave. Finally an entry! 33% return rate is half bad, its appalling. I then noticed the top search list. No. 1 Sparks, Nicholas. This site is not for me.

The next page I landed on was "Book Reporter.com." Great, another sort list. Where is the search bar on these sites. At least here I found an interesting Q&A with Foer, circa 2002.

I don't get these sites. They are dated and hard to search. Adios! I'm off to Bing.com.

Second Minute or Hour

2009-09-11T11:47:00.001-07:00

Weebly

2009-09-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

Weebly is so easy that it makes sharing secret CIA safe house locations with the public a piece of cake! Check it out. I like how you really don't have to know any of that barbaric code garbage to create a page. The cavemen over at Dreamweaver should take note. Seriously.

Omega!

2009-09-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

So I surfed my way over to MasterFile Premier and did a quick search for Omega watches and what I found was very suprising! I edited the search to show only photos. Expecting to see high fashion watch ads or Omega store fronts I was taken back by the number one image return: A picture of Anna Kournikova posing with Omega Ltd. President Stephen Urquhart. What the?

Both looked very happy sporting their $1,000 time piece, smiling for the cameras. It's the most believable I've seen Anna since she 'acted' in the Enrique Inglesis video a few years back. The next picture? Another former tennis hottie Martina Hingis riding through New York in a handsome cab.

Moving away from that maddness I popped over to the Biography Resource Center searched out my favorite author Raul Duke, aka Sebastian Owl aka, Dr. Gonzo aka, Hunter S. Thompson. Did you know that Sports Illustrated hired Thompson to cover a desert motorcycle race in Nevada? They never got their article but the trip inspired the Vegas book.

2009-09-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to earcos off of Flickr I've got this great photo! Creative Commons is great. I've used images for posters and ads before and it saves so much time. The tough thing about free downloads is that they usually suck but if you take the time to search a little bit you can find some great stuff!

PS - Thanks Trent and Thom for leading the charge in the fight against over priced music!

Tonight's Today

2009-09-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

Really Rad Redundant Reader Resources

2009-09-08T14:46:00.000-07:00

Recently I sat down and thought about who would hang out on a social network devoted solely to books. I concluded after a whole 15 seconds of continuous thought that its the same person who posed for this read poster. I don't get why you would want to start another social media account when you can do essentially the same thing on Facebook. Join a book network on Facebook and be done with it. Shelfari is on Twitter, and probably on Facebook, so just follow it there. Kill two birds with one stone people!

Theoretically the Boulder Good Reads Page would be great for the library but I say we funnel everyone through our Facebook page. Boulder's page only has 15 members. The work to set it up doesn't seem worth the reward.

Spit At Stars

2009-08-28T08:10:00.001-07:00

These are my OR(E) scrubs. O.R. th(E)y?

2009-08-28T07:23:00.000-07:00

The not so subtle reference in this blog title is to Max Fischer off of "Rushmore." Max is an ambitious kid, but usually falls just short of making the big impact. Often caught up in his own world, unable to see the big picture, Max is an over achieving failure that we absolutely love.

The one thing that I gathered from the two readings was that libraries are a bunch of Max Fischers. For whatever reason there is that communication gap that libraries are trying to overcome. Everyone is working on communication and reaching out to public. I think it is a great idea to educate staff on all library aspects. That will help with customer service and making the bigger connection with the public.

If you haven't seen "Rushmore" do so. I won't ruin the ending for you but Max Fischer's fate is something we can all appreciate.

Be The One

2009-08-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

Wake Up! Reserve Items Online

2009-08-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

What a timely task considering part of our Library Card Sign-Up promotion is based around this idea! Smart thinking Webolution team!

So I'm taking a class on Economics and thought that I would watch "Trading Places" to brush up on the topic. I tried both methods to find the DVD and both search methods are easy to use. I usually only look for one item at a time and reserve it using the "Place a Hold" link in the catalog. If you were to check out multiple items at once however, the "add to book bag" feature would be the way to go. You only have to log in once and it makes browsing easy.

I was irritated to find out that though Basalt Library does carry "Trading Places," it is in storage and therefore will not be in my DVD player in 3 - 5 days. What good is it to have a DVD that no one can watch? Come on Basalt!

Torn On the Platform

2009-08-20T15:38:00.000-07:00

MyFaceSpaceBook

2009-08-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

So how trendy am I? I've been a Facebook and MySpace member since 2004. So what does that tell me about Coke, Obama, and the NPG? They want to harness my generation's awesomeness and turn us into another statistic! Don't let them use you! Boycott capitalism! (FYI - I'll be done with my MBA in a year and half or so.) Lemmings! Don't jump off the cliff! (Anyone for a Starbucks Chai mocha latte?) Avoid the status quot! (I wonder if Google is hiring?) Anarchy! (Darn, I just spilt mocha on my Gap terracotta chinos.)

Well I'm quiting both Facebook and MySpace and joining the next generation of social networkers on "Twit," a super micro blogging site that only allows you to post emoticons. Status update: @:) (turban)

Have I Been A Fool?

2009-08-20T15:11:00.001-07:00

Quizie Wizzie

2009-08-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

So I took the quiz and scored an astounding 86.666666666667%. I was fooled on two questions: 1) Where can you find the suggest a purchase form? and 2) How man different ways can a patron contact a reference librarian? So I learned one important thing, it's now impossible for the reference librarians to duck my questions. Six points of contact!?! Unreal.

"Pull My Heart Away"

2009-08-20T14:44:00.000-07:00

Pandora's Musical Box

2009-08-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

In Greek Mythology, Pandora's box contained all of mankind's evil tendencies: ills, toils, sickness and hope. Ironically, those are the same characteristics I look for in music! To truly enjoy Pandora radio I found that you have to create a master music mix. I created "LCD Soundsystem Radio" which is playing tunes based on the following bands: !!!, Animal Collective, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Eagles of Death Metal, Kaiser Chiefs, Kings of Leon, MGMT, Passion Pit, Phoenix, TV on the Radio, The Dead Weather, and The Smiths. Listening to the station for just a few minutes proved worth while. Pandora suggested other killer bands like The Black Keys and Franz Ferdinand (both good bands), while also playing unknown songs by bands that I checked above. Massive! By far though the best thing about Pandora is it gives you the option to "thumbs down" a song. Nothing more satisfying.

2001: Webolution Oddity

2009-08-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

Good morning fellow astronauts! I can't wait to blast off on this discovery journey to the outer limits of Webolution; a vast misunderstood realm where innovation and stupidity live side by side. Please contact me via Ground Control at any time during our journey. Floating through dark nebulous mass can be quite lonely so comments are most welcome and encouraged!

What did I learn: Me in a Nutshell

2007-09-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

Well I could tell you that I've learned this and that but....
In preparation for this final blog entry I looked back at past posts. This is what I know:

1) I have a confidence problem
2) I really like Rock and Roll, yet lack the skills to seriously devote myself to that lifestyle
3) I'm delusional
4) I have an eating disorder
5) I watched to much Monty Python as a child because my humor is way to British
6) YouTube is awesome

So this is me in a nutshell: "Help! I'm in a nutshell! How did I get into this bloody great big nutshell? What kind of shell has a nut like this?"

I'm not one to psychoanalyze but please fell free to form your own opinions.

Hello AudioBooks!

2007-09-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

Personally I'm not really big on audiobooks but one feature that I really like is that you don't have to worry about late fees. Once your audiobook due date expires then it automatically gets checked back in. It's the kind of stuff that Blockbuster promises but this time it's actually true!!

Life in a Pod

2007-09-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

There are two podcasts that I regularly download. They are my music Metamucil. They keep me feeling great and clear out those backed up thoughts garnered from rehashed musical excrement I generally hear on the radio.

The first is called Bands Under the Radar, a podcast devoted to playing music by breaking bands. I've discovered a couple bands from that podcast that I now count as my top favorites.

The other podcast combines music and comedy, two of my favorite things in life. The Geoff Show, broadcast out of London, is witty banter, subtle stupidity, and Beatles music. This pretty much sums up the show:

"19 years after his birth, Geoff made it into the world of show business, with a job reading out South Manchester and North Cheshire's traffic news on the now defunct Signal Radio Cheshire. After losing this job, Geoff unsuccessfully applied to be a shopping trolley warden at Sainsbury's. Outside of work Geoff is known to be a keen collector of Hulk Hogan memorabilia, boasting to own more than 60 items connected to the former wrestler."

Both podcasts are available on iTunes.

You-Tubular

2007-08-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

Since vH1 and Mtv no longer show music videos, one must turn to YouTube. Check out these selections.

Wiki Wookie!!!

2007-08-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

So I messed around with the wikis for a while. They are okay. It's cool that you can essentially publish yourself. It's empowering. Speaking of, I really wanted to post something but I couldn't think of anything that could top my last blog entry so I figured a picture would be the best way to go. If you would like to check out my wiki post follow this link.

http://webolution.pbwiki.com/FrontPage

Cheers.

Consumer Health Smells So Good I Could Eat it.

2007-08-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

The other day I was washing my hands with scented soap. The apple cinnamon soap created such an aroma that I was tempted to taste it. I could see that I was not holding fresh apple pie in my hands, but the smell was overpowering, it was apple pie according to my nose. When I was done washing up I took a little finger tip glob to try and there was no hint of fresh apples or cut cinnamon in that taste. Just bitter disappointment. Anyway that got me thinking. What other non food objects have you been dying to try? Chapsticks maybe? The entire Bath and Body Works store?

I was so interested in the phenomena of eating non food objects that I jumped onto Consumer Health Complete and did a little research. There is actually a legitimate disease called Pica that people who eat various things have.

Pica is actually an eating disorder. People who have pica eat items that are not food such as dirt, ice, bugs, wall plaster, paint chips, hair, and other items. (I can say from personal experience that I have only tried three of the above listed items.)

Unfortunately there is no test for pica, nor is there any psychedelic drugs you can take to ween you off non food products. I also found out this helpfully depressing tidbit from Consumer Health. Pica usually starts in early childhood and lasts only a few months. If it lasts longer the child may have developmental problems. Great. Not only am I eating soap as a 20 something, I may also have a disability of some sort.

Confucius Says Library Web Pages are for Librarians

2007-08-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

While the ALA, PLA, CAL, CLiC, and other such library web pages are fine and dandy, the site I find most helpful is http://librarymarketing.blogspot.com/. This nice little blog is really helpful in seeing how patrons view the library, not how librarians view the library. Is anyone even reading this by the way? This blog is full of ideas both good and bad, practical and outlandish. Seriously anyone? You can also easily search for past posts which is really handy. The person who posts the blog doesn't pretend to be an expert but who cares? Great discoveries are often made by total idiots.

Like they need help

2007-08-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

Image generators are great because you can make celebrities look funny.

If you could taste the Internet it would be Del.icio.us

2007-06-27T07:24:00.000-07:00

Delicious. Mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm. Delicious. Boy I would like to blog about my experience with Del.icio.us, but right now my mental taste buds have been blown by the tasty treats this little website holds. I'd like to be the composer of letters, the genius wordsmith that I usually am, but I'm stuck in a euphoric brain blown state of mind, and honestly, I really can't move right now.

I'll write more later, but right now I need a moment alone.

Okay, I'm back. So after surfing the Del.icio.us pages one more time, I really don't see the big picture. It looks like if you had a large group of professionals, let's say librarians, who needed a place to bookmark usefull sites for other librarians to use and reference, then yeah, it would be useful. I guess it would be cool for my fans to go to one Del.icio.us website and be able to find links to my many fan pages, but I'm not going to set that up. I've got rockin' to do.

No SOS with RSS

2007-06-22T14:33:00.000-07:00

As my fans will recognize, I have been lacking in keeping up my blog. Well, sorry, but I was vacationing in the south of France with the Rolling Stones and things just got crazy. Never fear though, I'm back with a vengeance to share with you my thoughts on RSS, or Really Simple Software.

The thing with RSS is it keeps me connected with my brethren around the world. I've got my main news man John Norris sending me the latest crisis from the MTV front, I'm getting the latest from Rolling Stone, plus I can track my protege Justin Timberlake's progress on the iTunes Top 25. It's great!

It was such a hassle having to text everyone separately on my brand new iPhone, thanks Steve Jobs for hookin me up by the way, while I'm sipping King Louis XVI congac at 30,000 ft. You know what I mean? Using Bloglines allows me to better serve my fans, and hey, who doesn't love that?

I leave you with this:
"Do work son" - Big Black

Ego out.

Flick 'r' ific!

2007-05-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Flickr is a piece of cake for a genius like me. This is a cool place to post and share photos for other people to look at. I surfed the site a bit and found some okay images, but nothing to exciting. That's why I created my own account so I could share with the world some truly great moments in my life. Coming soon will be photos of me winning the Nobel prize for physics, the Presidential Medal of Freedom for overall awesomeness, and my buffalo wing eating championship ceremony. Those will of coures be posted once they happen. For now enjoy a tour through rock and roll history.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8524030@N05/

Everyone's Got Something to Hide Except for ME and MY Ego: The Webolution is mine

2007-05-10T11:35:00.000-07:00

Why did I decide to participate in the Webolution? Because it's all about ME. Webolution gives ME the tools I need to create MY own avatar to spoon feed those cyberspace crawlers with MY music, MY pics, MY thoughts, and MY overwhelming brilliance. It's a ME generational world and I'm just a ME generational girl. Or boy, whatever.

As the genius name Webolution implies, its a new way of thinking, a new beginning, a revolution. There is a certain freedom that Webolution gives you. There are no rules, no boundaries, just ME and my spewing brilliance for the world to consume. Never mind the bollocks, here is the Ego Genome Project.