Hi. Just popping in to say I’m still in California & have no real time to do serious updates. Please familiarize yourself with the links page and I will be back online on Sunday. Thanks.
Month: November 2003
who loves you like the library?
Writer’s Digest includes this shining endorsement of libraries as a spark for writing creativity and a plethora of writing resources. Also don’t miss 10 cool library maneuvers for writers. [thanks penny]
tv in the library, are cheeseburgers next?
In the “do you want fries with that?” model, a library with a TV on in the lobby for the Internet users who “don’t like to read.” I have mixed feelings about this, the columnist seems to think that using the Internet is the same as [or similar to] reading, this is not always the case. Of course, if you are someone waiting for your ‘net fix at the public library, I would think you could perhaps pretend to be interested in books, or maybe the newspaper, just to humor us. I have seen people shuffle in place and stare off into space for upwards of half an hour because they couldn’t find anything else to do in the library until it was their turn. One of the Sisyphean tasks I have given myself is to try to find something else that these peope are interested in. [thanks dsdlc]
exactly right
Karen Schneider writes a thoughtful piece on why she won’t recommend filters
I’ll keep on with my message, and I won’t dilute it or confuse it by appearing to help anyone “choose” a filter. Internet content filters block access to Constitutionally protected speech. Filters are bad news. That’s why we fought CIPA and COPA. We lost, but we were still right. Decades from now, we’ll look back at our primitive, panicked decisions, and wonder what all the fuss was about. But if you are waiting for me to love the bomb, pack a lunch and bring a blanket, because you’re going to have to wait until Hell freezes over.
hi
Hi. My law school boyfriend went to a lunchtime presentation on the PATRIOT Act yesterday with the director of the local ACLU and the US Attorney for the District of Vermont. Two interesting things were learned from the attorney. One, the upshot of his discussion was “you people need to trust us. If you don’t trust [FISA] judges, why are you in law school?”. Two, he claims the DoJ only reads the headers of people’s email to look for ne’er-do-wells. This isn’t great news, but it IS news.