chatter from the Library Monkey

If life isn’t a joke, certainly it is a comic

let this be a lesson:
If televison’s a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who won’t shut up. — Dorothy Gambrell

More than 10 years ago I was dating this woman, it was a long distance relationship. We met through a letter exchange magazine. If I remember right she drew a picture and I responded to it. One of the interesting thing about the relationship is we started a comic. I lost most of them, but they were really good. I would come up with a phrase and she would draw a picture. I think because we lived 10 hours apart and our work on the comic was so disconnected, it was the reason it worked.

One of the things that made it great is she would always draw the people from weird angles and in parts. If she thought she couldn’t draw something she would have that be out of the frame. My captions were just as disjointed and that is why they went together well. i would come up with things that didn’t really make sense, but had a rhythm or poetry — and I think that is what inspired the drawings.

Another factor that worked with the captions was it is how people really talk. I am reminded of a creative writing project. I think it is a common assignment. Students are told to go some place and write down conversations they over hear. During the next class people would read what they heard and everyone laughs, but few ever use that knowledge of language. I know I hardly ever do.

I know when I use that style of dialog in a play, it always confuses the actors. I think that is because it is because the language has a personality, but not the personality of the actor. Made even more difficult in that the actor doesn’t understand that the confusing phrase is actually the door to knowing the person they are playing.

Man, I must really like popcorn. I was updating the list I keep of things I am grateful for and I have listed popcorn five times. I thought i would accidently repeat one or two, but I thought I would notice Popcorn after three times.

I wish I could remember when I started the Gratitude thing, I must have come up with 100 (if I count the repeat) things to be grateful for.

The Tigers are mking my life miserable on their way to losing. And possibly slipping out of first place. Considering they won yesterday and are 8-2 in the last 10 I shouldn’t be too upset, but I want to start winning at home and to start beating the teams that are consider the best in the league. The Twins —- lest you forget — were able to slip into the first place of the AL Central last year on the last day of regular season.

Another cool thing about the internet is the ability to see game highlights at my leisure. It will be interesting to see how the world will change when we call be all that much more self-absorbed. Used to be you had to see the sports highlights “film at eleven.” Then you had to have cable and watch ESPN for hours on end to see the play — which was teased five times an hour on the way to it. Now, I can watch the highlights before the game is even over.
And it will also be interesting to see how much gets onto Youtube before the lawsuits start.

I have my exercises in and the only way to complete my slacker day is to have a gin & tonic or two before bed time. O geeish, tuned into the Cleaveland game to hear the Cleveland announcer scream “HOW ABOUT THAT.” which means the Tigers are not in first place anymore. Cleveland is winning those one-run games on their way to a pretty good season. And the Twins are five games back.

I have been listening to some archive.org the last couple nights Cracker, Grateful Dead, Warren Zevon, etc.

Gratitude (3)

• I am grateful for a truck that is still running well
• I am grateful for plants around my place
• I am grateful for washer and dryer and a rack to dry clothes on

• pushups = 50
• crunches = 800
• squats = 800
• bike =

Technorati Tags:
Art, Blog Babble, Drinking, G&T, Grateful, librarian, first place, creative

a very exciting summer

I hope that making these little graphics that I do, stimulates the brain. I know if you do crossword puzzles it keeps you sharp. I need something to keep me sharp.

I am all about the graphics, that is for sure. I just created the CD cover (to the left) for the fake band: “Vonnebutt” and their album — Sirens of Desire. I have been thinking creatively.

I did the layout for the play, “1771″ and came up with character names and a few other notes for the play. Vonnebutt is a band that Mia listens to in Mia’s Mom. Which should I start.… hmmm.

Internet got hooked up and it was done in a snap, which was good, since it seemed like the guy who turned it on was: a) in a hurry and b) not very knowledgeable about Macs. The tech person I called didn’t seem very knowledgeable either. In fact I would guess at least a third of what she told me wasn’t correct.

One thing I learned was when I was at the libraries — posting these articles — they were indexed differently then they are when I use MarsEdit. Fortunately, the guy at MarsEdit is looking into it.

Not only did the Tigers win today, but they also got a great performance from Todd Jones, who got the Rangers out 1,2,3 in the ninth.

It is going to be a very exciting summer — as far as baseball goes. The Tigers are set to light up the league, but then the Cleveland Indians are showing no signs of rolling over. That said — the Detroiters still have a half game lead in the AL Central. What is tough is the Indians continue to win the close games and coming back to win in late innings. Today they scored three runs in the seventh inning to get the 4-3 victory

Listening to the Mudhens. They have been playing quite well of late — winning the last six in a row en-route to first place. Tonight they are trailing by one run (4-3). It’s in the ninth inning, so there is still a chance. One of the coolest things about the Mudhens is they have a webcam pointed on the field. I am not sure if the pix to the right will continue to be updated or even be there when people are looking at this. If it continues to update, it might be darkness, depending when people long onto this. I guess they have some timer on it and it stop taking pictures around 8:45 p.m. Maybe earlier if there isn’t a game. You can go there even in the winter.

OOOO a close one. The Mudhens get a runner on second and with two outs the last hitter (Dane Sardinha) smashes one, but it was snagged in the infield. Or….it would have been a tie game. Instead the Mudhens lose 4-3 (same as the Indian’s score). As Mr. Frank Gilhooley said, “Can’t win them all.” Funny to hear Gilhooley doing the play by by. He used to be the sports guy on Toledo TV way back when.

The Buffalo Bisons won and are also in first place. TheSeawolves are in second place in AA league.

I’ve been listing to the yankers off and on. They have had three rain delays and the lead has bounced back and forth a couple times. They are putting the tarp back on —- it’s still in the eighth inning geeish!.

I was just looking at baseball schedules and it is possible when I go to see the Tigers, I could also see three different minor league teams (Erie, Toledo and Buffalo) play. It will be interesting if I do it.

I have this bot (buddhabot27) and it cracks me up. All it does is give you quotes from Buddha, no matter what you ask it. What is funny is how people come to it and will say something like, “I like Buddha.” After getting three more quotes the visitor will start to swear. I guess they like Buddha but really don’t want to practice benevolence. BTW, buddhabot27 isn’t always up…I try to restart it when I can, but I am not always able to remember.

I might have the record number of animations in this. It might be tough to load, but I have super speed internet connection now, so I don’t notice it. I have ranted enough — time to go on.

Gratitude (3)

• I am grateful for web cams
• I am grateful for free radio broadcast of minor league baseball games
• I am grateful for popcorn

• pushups = 0
• crunches = 0
• squats = 0
• bike = 5 miles

Technorati Tags:
Animation, Baseball, Blog Babble, Buffalo, Buffalo Bisons, Drawings, Erie Seawolves, MarsEdit, Mia’s Mom, Novel, novel ideas, Todd Jones

Hot hot hot

There is a heat wave going through the Adirondacks. Still cools off at night. This should be posted from home — written on Wednesday, but on Thursday with newly connected internet…I hope!

By the way, I believe Internet costs to be one of the typical scams that Americans are saddled with. If you can get basic tv cable for $29, (which I think is a scam too, but for argument sake…) which gives you 15 channels or so, you should be able to get the Internet — one channel — for that price and lower.

I feel that I have been taken advantages in a couple ways. I am paying $40 plus many sundry taxes for cell service. I don’t have a contract, which means I can quit at any time, however most people are paying that, and get a free phone. So the phone company, at the very least, is making the cost of a cell phone each year or so.

With the internet, it is another example of an infrastructure that was put together with tax dollars, but now it is being sold to us.

Let’s see, the heat…over billed… well I have a good reason to further my experiments with the piña coladas.

I really miss listening to baseball games. Almost as much, I miss the getting ready to listen to baseball games. I guess not getting ready so much, but know that it is coming at 7 p.m. Knowing I can exercise during the game, but dishes make too much noise, so they have to be done. Or mostly done so I can finish between innings. I also read about the players on line at the ‘official’ sites.

***

With the heat, I am missing the shaver part, since the hair on my neck is driving me nuts.

Internet
I think what is tough about the internet not being is not the information, though that is very important, but the contact with the world.

For example, I follow the Tigers and I want the internet so I can tune into a game. But I also go to message boards and discuss the games. I use it to by some tickets to a game.

One room down, the living room has most all the junk out.. now I have the others to work on.

I just can’t believe the overwhelming abundance of tattoos. I am reminded this by the young woman at the library. She had a little star of some sort on her foot. Those are ones that I think start out as a solar system and then the woman finds out how much tattoos cost or how much they hurt or both. There are several things that I wonder about.

First, clearly it is a style thing…I don’t believe that 20 years ago people were thinking of tattoos the way they do now. If you got one, you thought a long time about it and you were a little more selective about your placement. Usually on the butt, breast or shoulder — the meaty area so it didn’t hurt as much. In the spin area wasn’t really thought about much.

It reminds me of the new secretary at work. During the final day we had a luncheon and when I walked behind I could see on the middle of her back a little sun tattoo. Not much skin was exposed, but maybe she did have the whole universe on her back (make your own uranus joke). I would guess she is in her 30’s possibly in her 40’s. But past the age of someone who would have what is called a ‘tramp stamp’ on her lower back.

It’s not a tattoo I understand. I guess I do, but it seems like a weird public thing to do. I could kind of understand it if women got those tats, but then wore a shirt over it. I think there is a Las Angeles tattoo shop that has a billboard showing a woman’s lower back tattoo, with the the catch phrase: “showing the world what position a woman likes.”

It’s not that I don’t find tattoos attractive, it just gives off the aura of ‘biker chick.’ And maybe that is the goal.

The Tigers were rained out today — so I guess did not miss a game today. I never got a chance to see if I could listen to a game at a library. Hopefully the afternoon game tomorrow will be on and I will be able to hear it. And log on to the forums I participate in. I could have done it more at the library, but I would have to remember and punch in my passwords.

Gratitude (3)

• I am grateful for changing weather
• I am grateful for salads — especially during hot weather
• I am grateful for the over priced internet coming tomorrow.

• pushups = 120
• crunches = 700
• squats = 700
• bike =

Technorati Tags:
Adirondacks, Blog Babble, Creative Writing, Detroit Tigers, Gratitude, Things to be grateful for, tattoo

When you have time

I don’t think the nap thing is going to go away. Maybe that is what happens when you get old — when I get old. A very lazy day. I woke up at 3:30 a.m. with a head ache… could be the result of the piña coladas. i will experiment again tonight. They are so sweet and cold… I cut way back on the rum.

I might end up becoming a Yankers announcer fan. I like the two (Susan Waldron and John Stewart) that do the play by play. I am listening to the Yanker game because I can’t find a Tiger game and I want to see now they are doing. Of course I tune in to hear scores and in the middle of the announcers giving scores, the signal fades out. At night I can get the AM signal, but it moves around some.

Real lazy today, I didn’t ride my bike or do any crunches. I did mow the grass, but not much than that.

About the only really accomplishment today is to listen to: “Soon I will be Invincible,” by Austin Grossman. It is kind of fun. It is about superheros (made up ones based on the comic book ones (ass oppose to the real ones)). I like how it is kind of a parallel universe — appropriate for a book based on comic books. For example he writes it as if it is real and some of the super heros (called ‘Champions’ based on the ‘Fantastic Four’ I think) and there is a little discussion about how they appeared on “Saturday Night Live,” with John Buleshi. (As soon as I get the Tiger score, I will listen to the end of the book.)

i miss the internet for little things, like looking up things quickly — for example how to spell ‘Belushi’ or to find out the names o fthe Yankers broadcasters.

Baseball is turning into basketball. It’s the last inning and they are taking longer to play the last three outs than the previous three innings. Granted the guy has loaded up the bases and a couple odd things have happened. Like it sounds like the the batter was hit by the pitch, but not called. AND it was a passed ball but the runner didn’t come home — I think because he thought it was a free pass home on the Hit By Pitch. Sad game for the Yankers; the relief pitcher walked in the winning run.

One of the things that I like about the announcers is they aren’t complete homers — actually they remind me of the Tigers’ announcers in that when the team plays bad, they say it. I think I should clarify that to say — when they don’t play up to their potential.

One of the annoying things about the Yanker broadcasts is how they have a sponsor for everything: “good hands,” “best cut,” “change of the game” and so on. So it takes forever to get to the ’scoreboard.’ I guess The Tigers game will be over by the time they get to it, I am hoping the signal doesn’t fade away.

Cleveland won, another last inning victory for them. They have some poise. Crap and the Tigers lose and Jones gave it up, so I guess it would be good I wasn’t listening. That means the Indians and the Tigers are tied Let’s go Tigers, we got to pick it up.

What really needs to happen is the Tigers need to play as well at home as they have on the road.

Winning the rest up to the All*star break would do the trick.

I need to sit down and make a list of things to do tomorrow.

Gratitude (3)