... the IT man in LibraryLand
Here's a caution for you all. Going to the footy on a cold winters evening to see your team out of the game after the first 10 minutes is not good for your spirits.
One can only hope that Ms Magpie was able to keep her cool as if anything could break her new icy footy-watching calm it would be the teams performance.
On the good side I got to spend ludicrous amounts of money on donuts.
Sundays was a gaming day and we had a bumper turn out, with The Valkyrie and Pirate Dave showing up for the first time in years. Main game of the afternoon was Sword and Skulls a love child of Talisman and Monopoly (but one that actually finishes in a couple of hours).
Today was back to work and back to puzzling "why does it work on that computer but not on this one" problems - oh and the obligatory network outage just when I was nutting out a problem.
... The Beaumaris Flu
Beaumaris Flu Strikes Brighton!
Named for it's origin point, the Beaumaris Flu has now been tracked to Brighton were a minor infection was threatening to become a full blown outbreak as many of the PCs at Brighton were beginning to show the symptoms of freezing and inexplicable crashing.
Luckily the IT Officer was on the scene today and commenced to inoculate the circulation PCs with a dose of client upgrade 8.2.15D to stabilise their condition.
Things seem to be back under control for now but it remains to be seen if the Beaumaris Flu will once again mutate and remain a threat to continued library operations.
... 2.0 Remedial Class
Having made no progress in 2.0 for a very long time I was sent along to a day of 2.0 seminars at the state library today. It was interesting and did open my eyes to a few more ways to incorporate 2.0 into what we do at the library. I do still remain a little skeptical about 2.0 being the way all things in the library will go in the future which is the impression that a lot of the Library 2.0 talk gives me.
In an anti-eponymous move I went to lunch with Alecto who works in the state library instead of staying for the free lunch. Word is it was very good so I'll be having a sleepless night of regret tonight.
In an anti-eponymous move I went to lunch with Alecto who works in the state library instead of staying for the free lunch. Word is it was very good so I'll be having a sleepless night of regret tonight.
... The Evil Plant
Since my last post I have had a relapse of my cold. The culprit ... my plant. It was brought home innocently from work and put in a wonderful spot in the bedroom from whence it began to poison me with CO2 overnight. If it hadn't been for Doctor J bringing her plantology knowledge to bear I may never have known about the plant's evil scheme to switch from producing oxygen in the daytime to consuming it overnight. Consider this a caution as apparently alll plants do this so there must be some sort of League of Evil Plants.
(There is an alternate theory that I ran myself ragged over the previous weekend and then walked home in an icy wind that destroyed my immune system on Monday night but it's so far-fetched that I give it no credence.)
Monday saw the setup of Brighton's self-issues machine while the Fiction was Ghetto-ised and some carpet replaced. There was a free lunch involved so I had to work there all day.
Tuesday was the glorious debute of the self-issues machine and it has been going well - up to about 8% of the daily loans by the end of the week. As an aside if anyone calls the machine "the fast-track" again I might just lose it - I'm looking at you Groovy Spirits!
Wednesday was a much needed sick day at home as it was followed by one of those meetings and software install days.
Friday I was back home at Sandringham branch for as day of knocking of little jobs. The evening was spent at BestFriendSincePrep's place as the subject of his massage course practise and then watching Lady in the Water - an M Night Shyamalan film. We both love his movies and this one was no exception. It is a wonderful fairy-tale full of hope. It does require you to leave your cynicism at the door though so might not cut it for a lot of people.
Went to ArchEnemy's last night to watch Australia in the soccer and see the team treated like thugs for minor indiscretions. Are the refs really so easily swayed by media hoo-ha about playing style??
Finished reading the novelisation of Judge Dredd this morning. It is fairly literal translation of a mediocre script for one of my favourite comics. Film and book both do away with the great black humour and go with straight-forward action movie material. Its no wonder that they never got the franchise past the first film.
The day was topped off with a family lunch with all of the Legion gathered at the ancestral home and of course I was called on to do some computer fixing for Freeloading Mum.
(There is an alternate theory that I ran myself ragged over the previous weekend and then walked home in an icy wind that destroyed my immune system on Monday night but it's so far-fetched that I give it no credence.)
Monday saw the setup of Brighton's self-issues machine while the Fiction was Ghetto-ised and some carpet replaced. There was a free lunch involved so I had to work there all day.
Tuesday was the glorious debute of the self-issues machine and it has been going well - up to about 8% of the daily loans by the end of the week. As an aside if anyone calls the machine "the fast-track" again I might just lose it - I'm looking at you Groovy Spirits!
Wednesday was a much needed sick day at home as it was followed by one of those meetings and software install days.
Friday I was back home at Sandringham branch for as day of knocking of little jobs. The evening was spent at BestFriendSincePrep's place as the subject of his massage course practise and then watching Lady in the Water - an M Night Shyamalan film. We both love his movies and this one was no exception. It is a wonderful fairy-tale full of hope. It does require you to leave your cynicism at the door though so might not cut it for a lot of people.
Went to ArchEnemy's last night to watch Australia in the soccer and see the team treated like thugs for minor indiscretions. Are the refs really so easily swayed by media hoo-ha about playing style??
Finished reading the novelisation of Judge Dredd this morning. It is fairly literal translation of a mediocre script for one of my favourite comics. Film and book both do away with the great black humour and go with straight-forward action movie material. Its no wonder that they never got the franchise past the first film.
The day was topped off with a family lunch with all of the Legion gathered at the ancestral home and of course I was called on to do some computer fixing for Freeloading Mum.
... Pan's Labyrinth
I watched Pan's Labyrinth this morning. It was an enjoyable and beautiful movie with a nice touch of "did it really happen?" mixed with a Brazil-like ending.
Other things going on have been a farewell dinner for ChantellattheLibrary who will be missed as a brightener of the Sandringham workroom. The good part is that I no longer have to clear shelf space for the storytime collection and can continue to horde my obsolete IT equipment - just in case.
After the dinner ArchEnemy brought Legion2 over for some gaming long into the night.
To further deny me a proper nights sleep, Sir Clive Pitbull invited me out last night for a catch up drink in the city. Hector TN was there and we listened raptly to the latest in the ongoing saga of Sir Clive's crazy ex.
Other things going on have been a farewell dinner for ChantellattheLibrary who will be missed as a brightener of the Sandringham workroom. The good part is that I no longer have to clear shelf space for the storytime collection and can continue to horde my obsolete IT equipment - just in case.
After the dinner ArchEnemy brought Legion2 over for some gaming long into the night.
To further deny me a proper nights sleep, Sir Clive Pitbull invited me out last night for a catch up drink in the city. Hector TN was there and we listened raptly to the latest in the ongoing saga of Sir Clive's crazy ex.
... Cetacean Scifi
This morning I finished reading Startide Rising by David Brin. The basic story involves an earth ship crewed by humans and uplifted dolphins and a chimp, hiding out on a world as representatives of various "mature" galactic species fight over who will claim them and their important discovery.
The world building is excellent and the waterworld is a joy to read about. Also great was the dolphin language and psychology and their struggle to stay true to their relatively newfound sentience. In the end I found it unputdownable and delayed my trip into work by another ten minutes just to finish it off.
Of special interest to LibraryLand is the subplot about the Galactic Library which each species is given access to as they gain sentience. It is a high ideals concept that has suffered from the Galactics giving earth a somewhat edited and even falsified version making it as trustworthy as some people think Wikipedia is. It also brings to mind the idea, that staff talk about every now and again, of getting rid of not only the unused books but also the "incorrect" books, one example being the multitude of diet books with suspect nutritional advice.
Should librarians be the arbiter of what is worth being in the library? And if not then who should be?
The world building is excellent and the waterworld is a joy to read about. Also great was the dolphin language and psychology and their struggle to stay true to their relatively newfound sentience. In the end I found it unputdownable and delayed my trip into work by another ten minutes just to finish it off.
Of special interest to LibraryLand is the subplot about the Galactic Library which each species is given access to as they gain sentience. It is a high ideals concept that has suffered from the Galactics giving earth a somewhat edited and even falsified version making it as trustworthy as some people think Wikipedia is. It also brings to mind the idea, that staff talk about every now and again, of getting rid of not only the unused books but also the "incorrect" books, one example being the multitude of diet books with suspect nutritional advice.
Should librarians be the arbiter of what is worth being in the library? And if not then who should be?
... the Week of Business as Usual
Since the last entry I have regained a semblance of my pre-upgrade, pre-floorboarding lifestyle.
I have had TV and gaming ; soccer and weekend sleep-ins; lot's of "hey Phill" jobs moving between branches.
Things out of the ordinary have included:
I have had TV and gaming ; soccer and weekend sleep-ins; lot's of "hey Phill" jobs moving between branches.
Things out of the ordinary have included:
- The arrival of our self issues machine for Brighton. After a little wrestling to get it to work after rebooting I have won the battle and it's a well behaved computer - which means it does what we tell it to do not what we want it to do. Suffice to say there is still a little bit of parameter adjusting to get it responding in the way we want.
- Seeing the French comedy I Do with Rugrat Twin. I still maintain that is not a girly romantic comedy that would be embarrassing to see but a fine comedy which happens to have an expected and not entirely believable romantic twist.
- A never-ending planning meeting on Thursday. It did include a free lunch sao it wasn't all bad.
- A Full House for Thursday night gaming - all ten players crammed into a small living room. Needless to say it became more of a social night than a gaming one.
- Bidding a fond farewell to Genealogy Jane who has wised up and retired from all this crazy library stuff.
- Free cocktails (actual live cocktails not just beer and wine) at H's birthday bash.
- A flatwarming gaming day at my new place.
... The Mountain of Disappointment
This weekend was the annual camping trip with BestFriendSincePrep, Legion2 and other friends from high school. It was the twentieth anniversary of the first time we went up to Mt Disappointment, just north of Whittlesea, for a night of bonfire, booze and blokeyness. It was just the core group of six this year, though not by design, as things had been a bit too hectic to invite others along.
In library news, last Thursday Supervisor S and I went out to Sydenham Library to investigate their RFID set-up and self-check machines. Our guide from the library was a clone of Mr Prada! (although he didn't have quite the sense of style of the original). Scary for an IT man like myself was the 38 (although their website claims 40) public access PCs!!
On the home front things are looking more like a home now and less like a messy warehouse.
In library news, last Thursday Supervisor S and I went out to Sydenham Library to investigate their RFID set-up and self-check machines. Our guide from the library was a clone of Mr Prada! (although he didn't have quite the sense of style of the original). Scary for an IT man like myself was the 38 (although their website claims 40) public access PCs!!
On the home front things are looking more like a home now and less like a messy warehouse.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)