Steampunk Gypsy

Sort of. See, I'm in Kentucky for the holidays, so I probably wouldn't have been posting much anyway...but then I went and slammed my finger between the car door and one of those concrete pillar things at gas stations. Guys, it's really hard to type wearing this thing... I think the finger tip is broken. And it's going to be gross when/if I lose the fingernail. Ewwww... Meanwhile, the blog will be on hiatus until it's better.

Links! Libraries, Books, & Authors 25 titles added to National Film Registry  "Steven Spielberg's 1998 World War II epic, 'Saving Private Ryan,' Joel and Ethan Coen's cult comedy 'The Big Lebowski' and the 1976 drama 'Please Don't Bury Me Alive!' — considered by historians to be the first Chicano feature film — are among the 25 titles added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress." Dec 17, 1843: A Christmas Carol is published   Agriculture regulators in Minnesota and Pennsylvania warn libraries about their seed-sharing programs   Norman Bridwell, Clifford creator, dead at 86  "Starting in 1963 with Clifford, the Big Red Dog , Bridwell wrote and illustrated more than 40 Clifford books, from Clifford and the Grouchy Neighbors to Clifford Goes to Hollywood . More than 120 million copies have sold worldwide, along with cartoons, a feature film, a musical, stuffed animals, key chains, posters and stickers. Image...

I promised you a substantial post. This is not that post. I have D&D tonight, and I had to make baklava for a work party tomorrow.  Yummm.... Er, so...enjoy the links! Unless you're playing D&D with me tonight - then you can have leftover baklava AND links. Aren't you special?! Links! Libraries, Books, & Authors Dec 15, 1936: George Orwell delivers the manuscript for The Road to Wigan Pier Things That Make the Librarian Angry   Seven ways schools kill the love of reading in kids — and 4 principles to help restore it   Librarians: the Latest Pawns in the Debate  "It’s a lot easier to ignore the 100+ scholars, ignore the entire actual debate, and pick on the librarians. It’s not like any of them would be able to read carefully and pick apart that kind of BS, now is it." Eheheheheh.... Religious Post: I did a review on Amazon for Sammy Adebiyi 's   Christmas Stories You've Never Heard: Like How Baby Jesus Had A Cone He...

I swear I'll write something substantial at some point this week....  :D Links! Libraries, Books, & Authors Don't Judge a Book by its Cover: Tech-Savvy Teens Remain Fans of Print Books   Jane Austen gets her own day (Dec. 16)   ​Preserving our nation's film heritage   Net & Tech U.S. slips in measure of Internet freedom, access   Pointing Users to DRM-Stripping Software Isn't Copyright Infringement, Judge Rules   Other England Has Avoided Eric Garners and Michael Browns by Doing What the U.S. Won't   Prosecutor Quietly Releases New Ferguson Documents   F.B.I. to Investigate a Hanging Death in North Carolina  "The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Friday that it had joined the inquiry into the August death of a black teenager in North Carolina, where family members and their supporters have questioned the finding by the state authorities that he committed suicide." Irked NYPD union asks de Blasio not to attend of...

But they're really good ones, I promise... Links! Libraries, Books, & Authors School board presented with measure that would restrict what students may or may not read   New York Times reporter James Risen may be offered deal to avoid jail   Iceland’s Jólabókaflóð: The Christmas Book Flood   Net & Tech Censorship 2.0: Shadowy forces controlling online conversations  "...certain parties – whether individuals with mischief in mind, organisations with vested interests, or certain nation-states – have been using false identities to control online conversations.   Unknown forces are making sure their voices are the loudest in online discourse." Web firms won’t promise no ‘fast lanes’  My guess is because that's exactly what they want to do. Ghost of Antipiracy Bill SOPA Haunts New Copyright Push  Do we need copyright law reform? Absolutely! But SOPA/PIPA - well, that was the wrong way to go.  Congress quietly expands NSA powers f...

Although I had a blast tonight. DH and I took Swicky and Coconut to see the Christmas lights at the park, and roped a couple of our friends into going with us, as well. It was fun! Links! Libraries, Books, & Authors When the Prison Doors Slam Shut On a Teen: Hope in Literacy   Prison book ban is unlawful, court rules  "In his ruling, the judge said that it was strange to treat books as a privilege when they could be essential to a prisoner’s rehabilitation." J.K. Rowling's Crime Novels To Step Onto The Small Screen   Can You Identify The Plural Of These 14 Tough Words?  I got them all correct - no surprise to anyone, I'm sure.  Zuckerberg's Reading Material Has Some in China Crying Foul   International Community Rallies to Support Zunar   Nobel laureate writer Orhan Pamuk slams climate of 'fear' in Turkey    'Fault in Our Stars' returned to middle school libraries  Hurrah!   Net & Tech Verizon's New, Encrypt...

Links! Libraries, Books, & Authors Library of Congress apologizes for “egregious lapse” in Twain book   Ursula K. Le Guin on Where Ideas Come From, the “Secret” of Great Writing, and the Trap of Marketing Your Work   51 Of The Most Beautiful Sentences In Literature   Weird and wonderful bookshops worldwide – in pictures   Net & Tech Hey, Parents. What Minecraft Is Doing to Your Kids Is Kind of Surprising.  "Players squabble about 'where to place a block or what material to use,' and in extreme cases, someone might put dynamite on a creation to 'blow it up for fun.'" Or they might fill your entire dream house with a rain of chickens through a hole they blew in your roof and I am never forgiving you for that, DH! Google News Shuttered in Spain Thanks to “Ancillary Copyright” Law   Science In The Ocean, The Most Harmful Plastic Is Too Small To See   Google Doodle Honors Astronomer Annie Jump Cannon   Other Spending deal w...

Happy birthday, Emily Dickinson ! Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality. We slowly drove – He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility – We passed the School, where Children strove At Recess – in the Ring – We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain – We passed the Setting Sun – Or rather – He passed Us – The Dews drew quivering and Chill – For only Gossamer, my Gown – My Tippet – only Tulle – We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground – The Roof was scarcely visible – The Cornice – in the Ground – Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses' Heads Were toward Eternity –                                             ( Source ) Links! Libraries, Books, ...

No more secret trade agreements! We know that there are provisions in the TTIP and TPP trade deals that lead to censorship. The US is the only country blocking the release of the TTIP to the public, and now they’re refusing the release of the TPP. No government should be able to hide in the shadows and act on our behalf. It’s time to release the text. Links! Libraries, Books, & Authors On Information Privilege   The Strange Story Of The Man Behind 'Strange Fruit'   Fascinating Text Book Doodles Made By Bored Students From 800 Years Ago   Random House Promises Changes To Lena Dunham Book   Other Why Poor People Stay Poor  "ecause our lives seem so unstable, poor people are often seen as being basically incompetent at managing their lives. That is, it’s assumed that we’re not unstable because we’re poor, we’re poor because we’re unstable. So let’s just talk about how impossible it is to keep your life from spiraling out of control ...

My reaction to the grand jury decision regarding the homicide of Eric Garner ? Jon Stewart wrapped it up pretty well: The Daily Show Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes , The Daily Show on Facebook , Daily Show Video Archive So, too, did Fr. James Martin, SJ: Really, what else is there to say? Links! Libraries, Books, & Authors Publishers Weekly honors ALA leadership for library ebook advocacy   Edmonton Public Library Adds Homeless Outreach to Five New Branches   What Kids Want in Books  "A sneak peek from Kids & Family Reading Report: Fifth Edition Full report coming in January 2015" I can't wait to see the full report! Net & Tech This Will Revolutionize Education  "So why has technology not revolutionized education? According to Derek Muller from Veritasium, there’s two reasons: technology is not inherently superior to traditional teaching methods, and learning is a social activity." A quick, jargon-free expl...

I'm doing a terrible job of keeping up on my blogging, I know. Links! Libraries, Books, & Authors NPR’s Book Concierge: Our Guide To 2014’s Great Reads   All of Ireland’s Catholic Church records to go online   Science Journal Nature Makes Its Articles Free To Read And Share   Net & Tech Twitter to make reporting abuse and blocking 'easier'   Are you a robot? Introducing “No CAPTCHA reCAPTCHA”   Science Remember Ebola? President Obama reminds Congress it still exists   HIV Could Be Evolving Into A Less Deadly Form   Ancient Carnivorous Leaves Discovered in Amber   Authority Issues Tamir Rice: The story behind the senseless killing, character assassination, and resulting cover-up   Police consider charges against Michael Brown's stepdad   The Plea and Promise of “Hands Up”   Eric Garner: No charges in NY chokehold case  Related:  A Grand Jury Did Indict One Person Involved In Eric Garner's K...

Links! Libraries, Books, & Authors New York Public Library Expands Free Wi-Fi Program   Publisher changes titles after seven-year-old girl’s complaint   Charles Dickens’ Comeback Tour  "On December 2, 1867 Charles Dickens kicked off his first U.S. reading tour.  It was a gutsy move." Location, Location: GPS in the Medieval Library   How an eBay bookseller defeated a publishing giant at the Supreme Court   Russell Brand pledges funding to set up library at his former school   UK libraries protest copyright restrictions with empty spaces   School libraries are essential for learning  "Here's a quiz. Which of the following are required by Pennsylvania to have libraries and certified librarians:  (a) barber and cosmetology schools,  (b) nursing programs,  (c) adult prisons,  (d) juvenile detention facilities,  (e) public schools?  The answer is all of them, except for public schools." Net & Tech ...