Thank you!

Sorry for the long absence from the blog.  I have a good excuse, but excuses sound lame, so my sincere apologies, and here we go...


As my dad likes to say, sometimes good, old-fashioned percussive maintenance fixes the problem.  True, but the power of a well-written thank you note cannot be overlooked (just go with me here...)  I know what you're thinking, you're probably saying to yourself, "yeah, but my thank you notes are boring because I always say the same thing, and clever e-thanks are just a click away, so why bother?"  Ok, I'm going to get a little crotchety now - an electronic, canned message with barking bunnies and hopping puppies (well, you know what I mean) can NEVER replace a handwritten note (harrumph, harrumph).  If the pressure to dazzle someone with real, live, written words causes a rash, then may I suggest an alternative: make the card yourself, and the brevity of the message won't matter because your thoughtful craftiness will astonish and warm the heart of the recipient.  And you know what?  There's a perfect book for you: Thank You Notes by Jan Stephenson Kelly.   Don't worry - you can thank me later (with a beautiful, handmade note...)

New titles about....what?

So, I was checking out some of the recent arrivals here in the technical services department, and I came across two titles that made me realize how much I don't know.  First title: The Definitive Guide to Plone by Maurizio Delmonte.  Now, I'm sure there's a whole gamut of people out there who know exactly what this book is about, but I wasn't one of them.  Plone???  Could it be a misspelling? (phone, maybe? But wouldn't it be The Definitive Guide to the Phone instead of ...Guide to Phone?  kind of takes on an all-powerful aura without that little article...)  And then as if that title wasn't worth a double-take, here comes the second title: The Quick Python Book by Vernon Lee Ceder.  Ok, hold on now, is a quick book necessary?  I can just imagine the conversation at a book store:
"Sir, may I help you?"
"Yes, I need something quick about a python."
"Oh, well let's rush over to the reptile section."
Customer and employee survey snake books.  "See anything that looks good?" winded employee asks.
"Well, these all look pretty long.  Isn't there anything shorter?"
"Yes, of course there is...let me just pull out The Quick Python Book!!"

Then I took a closer look at the cover, and instead of a large snake staring back at me, I found a drawing of an oddly dressed woman.  Ok, something's amiss, I thought to myself, so I opened it up, along with the mysterious Plone book, and you know what I discovered?  The world of computers has so passed me by.  Who knew python is a computer programming language, and plone is a type of open source software?  Oh, my aching head...(still not sure what an oddly dressed woman has to do with Python, but I'm just not going to worry about that...)

 

Happy Earth Day!

I'm home from work, sitting at my computer, and I'm looking out the window at an incredible view... the earth is so awesome.  This weekend sounds like it will be good for yard work, and if you're like me, and love to play in the dirt but don't always have the knack for tending Mother Nature's bounty, this book might offer some welcome assistance: How to Cheat at Gardening and Yard Work: Shameless Tricks for Growing Radically Simple Flowers, Veggies, Lawns, Landscaping, and More.  Rock on, planet earth!