Finally

My school web page is done!

Namesake

Since my time with this blog is coming to a close, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss its namesake...

Box Full Of Letters was the first single released by one of my favorite bands, Wilco, back in 1995. It comes from their album A.M., which was released shortly after the breakup of Uncle Tupelo. The breakup of Uncle Tupelo resulted in Jay Farrar forming Son Volt and Jeff Tweedy forming Wilco with the rest of his former Tupelo bandmates. Uncle Tupelo are known as one of the founding members of what has been coined the alt-country genre. With A.M., Tweedy and Wilco stayed close to their Uncle Tupelo/alt-country roots, though Box Full Of Letters is pure pop:



Twelve years later, only two original Wilco members remain: Tweedy and John Stirratt. However, with the gradual additions of Glenn Kotche, Nels Cline, Pat Sansone, and Mikael Jorgensen, Wilco's current lineup is more solid and impressive than ever before. The following is a recent performance of Jesus, Etc., a track from 2002's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot:



Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is my favorite of Wilco's albums, and for those geeks who like to keep track of things (um...me), it also has a high rank on my personal list of Top 10 Favorite Albums. I tend to get lost in the frail beauty of YHF, and often leave it playing in my car for a week or so nonstop without even realizing that I've been listening to the same songs for days on end.

I'm going to see Wilco this September for the sixth time in the past five years in Columbia, Missouri. Due to my crazy schedule and complete lack of money this year, I haven't been able to see as many shows as I normally do. However, getting to see Wilco with one of my best friends along with some Shakespeare's and a cold beer will more than make up for this year's concert drought.

More On Copyright...

Mom Sues Universal Music for DMCA Abuse

Home Video of Dancing Toddler Yanked From YouTube After Bogus Claim

San Francisco - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed suit today against Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), asking a federal court to protect the fair use and free speech rights of a mother who posted a short video of her toddler son dancing to a Prince song on the Internet.

Stephanie Lenz's 29-second recording shows her son bouncing along to the Prince song "Let's Go Crazy," which is heard playing in the background. Lenz uploaded the home video to YouTube in February to share it with her family and friends.

But last month, YouTube informed Lenz that it had removed the video from its website after Universal claimed that the recording infringed a copyright controlled by the music company. Under federal copyright law, a mere allegation of copyright infringement can result in the removal of content from the Internet.

"I was really surprised and angry when I learned my video was removed," said Lenz. "Universal should not be using legal threats to try to prevent people from sharing home videos of their kids with family and friends."

"Universal's takedown notice doesn't even pass the laugh test," said EFF Staff Attorney Corynne McSherry. "Copyright holders should be held accountable when they undermine non-infringing, fair uses like this video."

Last May, UMPG's parent company, Universal Music Group, sent a baseless copyright takedown demand to YouTube for a video podcast by political blogger Michelle Malkin. That video was quickly reposted after Malkin fought back.

"Copyright abuse can shut down online artists, political analysts, or -- as in this case -- ordinary families who simply want to share snippets of their day-to-day lives," said EFF Staff Attorney Marcia Hofmann. "Universal must stop making groundless infringement claims that trample on fair use and free speech."

The lawsuit asks for a declaratory judgment that Lenz's home video does not infringe any Universal copyright, as well as damages and injunctive relief restraining Universal from bringing further copyright claims in connection with the video.

This lawsuit is part of EFF's ongoing work to protect online free speech in the face of bogus copyright claims. EFF is currently working with Stanford's Fair Use Project to develop a set of "best practices" for proper takedowns under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

For the video (since reposted):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1KfJHFWlhQ

For the full complaint:
http://www.eff.org/legal/cases/lenz_v_universal/lenz_complaint_final.pdf

For more on DMCA abuse and free speech:
http://www.eff.org/IP/freespeech/

Contacts:

Corynne McSherry
Staff Attorney
Electronic Frontier Foundation
corynne@eff.org

Marcia Hofmann
Staff Attorney
Electronic Frontier Foundation
marcia@eff.org

Jason Schultz
Senior Staff Attorney
Electronic Frontier Foundation
jason@eff.org
Posted at 01:08 PM

Seasick, Yet Still Docked

I've been dealing with some mystery malaise since last Wednesday, back in Pittsburgh. It began with dizziness, then morphed into dizziness plus bad headaches and what I refer to as "brain fog". The brain fog made me feel like I was drugged, and even caused me to slur my speech a bit. Scary! Last Saturday at work was awful, and I finally got to a doctor on Sunday who assured me that it wasn't a stroke or anything but perhaps a virus.

This week I've been feeling better little by little. The brain fog has gone away, but I still get dizziness and headaches. I am so looking forward to the end of this semester so I can relax for a moment and catch up on some sleep on my days off from work. Until then, I shall remain the Dizzy Girl...

Pinch Me

I am finally done with Koha! Am not sure what exactly to post, though. Here's my link to my virtual shelf, which obviously cannot be accessed until logged in. And here is a list of my books:

1. Killing Yourself To Live – Chuck Klosterman – 0743264452
2. Sex, Drugs, And Cocoa Puffs - Chuck Klosterman - 0743236009
3. Dry - Augusten Burroughs – 0312272057
4. The Dharma Bums - Jack Kerouac – 0140042520
5. Desolation Angels - Jack Kerouac –1573225053
6. Wonder Boys - Michael Chabon – 0679415882
7. Pigeon Feathers, And Other Stories – John Updike – 0816160082
8. The Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemingway – 0791040755
9. High Fidelity - Nick Hornby – 1573220167
10. Black Swan Green: A Novel - David Mitchell – 1400063795
11. The Bust Guide To The New Girl Order - Edited by Marcelle Karp & Debbie Stoller – 0140277749
12. The World According To Garp - John Irving – 0679603069
13. Crossing California - Adam Langer – 1573222747
14. The Wilco Book - by Wilco and PictureBox, Inc – 0971367035
15. A Man Without A Country – Kurt Vonnegut – 141936457

Cohort 7: Warm Fuzzies

Home again!...

I got back yesterday at four. It would have been nice to have gone to lunch with some of the gang before leaving, but I've been feeling a little wonky since Wednesday. My head is a little foggy, and I have some dizziness that makes it feel like I'm walking on a trampoline and not solid ground. Let's hope it's just stress, right?

Anyway, I had such a good time in Pittsburgh. I was a little nervous about the campus visit, and now that I've met most of my classmates, I'm a bit bummed that we won't get to see each other on a regular basis like the on-campus students. So many great, interesting people in our cohort! Am looking forward to seeing you all in October...

I have the day off today, and I'll be spending it in Hudson celebrating all things Harry Potter. Due to school, I won't be able to read the new book right away (boo!). Am hoping to stay clear of all spoilers until the end of the semester...

And before I go, here's a few photos from the visit:

Hello From Oakland

Big thanks to Mapquest for getting me here! A member of our cohort will be rooming with me tomorrow for just one day (her husband will be here Sunday, and Drew and Cosmo will be here Monday). Since I'm kind of shy, it's nice to be able to meet one of my fellow classmates before we all gather together tomorrow. Until then, I'm going to get some work done and get to bed early. See you all tomorrow!

They say compassion is a virtue

But I don't have the time...

So much to get done this week! Will try to get as much done tomorrow as possible. Lots of errands to run, plus I'm overdue for an oil change. Also need to get some laundry and cleaning done before I leave for Pittsburgh. Unlike most people (just an assumption), I will be arriving Friday instead of Saturday. I would rather arrive at a reasonable hour Friday, than get up early and rush around Saturday morning and be fretting constantly over the time and finding my way around the area and campus. You could say I'm slightly neurotic, but I'd rather take my time than rush around and be stressed. That's just me. So Friday night I'll have my suite all to myself, and I'll get some reading done.

Am still really agitated over my Koha assignment. Have not been able to add any records at all, though I have been trying for days now. Tomorrow I will be catching up on the web page in between everything else...

“looking to put the ‘hep cat’ in cataloguing"

A former coworker of mine from BPL emailed this article to me today:

A Hipper Crowd of Shushers

Koha Out To Get Me

I haven't had any luck today with Koha. Every time I try to add a record, I get an error message. Others on the DB are having the same problem, so at least I know it's not just me.

Time to move on to something else, I suppose. I get to cover this bad boy (lucky me!) in our groups in Pittsburgh, so I better get cracking...

Groggy

Despite the holiday, most of yesterday was devoted to school. For some reason I am having a hard time getting going today. Tomorrow is a day off from work, so maybe I will let myself sleep in until 8 a.m. (ha!). The constant busyness of the summer thus far has rendered it almost impossible for me to believe that we are into July already. Next week we'll be gathering in Pittsburgh, and I am hoping to finally get to the Warhol Museum during some downtime.

I apologize for being the boring blogger today. What I need is The Specials to get me going:

From A Few Years Back...

..but still funny.

Revised Patriot Act Will Make It Illegal To Read Patriot Act

WASHINGTON, DC—President Bush spoke out Monday in support of a revised version of the 2001 USA Patriot Act that would make it illegal to read the USA Patriot Act. "Under current federal law, there are unreasonable obstacles to investigating and prosecuting acts of terrorism, including the public's access to information about how the federal police will investigate and prosecute acts of terrorism," Bush said at a press conference Monday. "For the sake of the American people, I call on Congress to pass this important law prohibiting access to itself." Bush also proposed extending the rights of states to impose the death penalty "in the wake of Sept. 11 and stuff."

Zoomcloud

Scroll down a bit and look to the right...my Zoomcloud has been posted. Hooray for SuprGlu!

Unfortunately, I did not find success with my Bloglines agitation...

In regards to school, this week is going to be brutal. At least I was able to kick back a smidge during the weekend. The Scottish games were fun, and I did get my haggis and a wee dram. And the caber toss, as always, was immensely entertaining. I took photos, but lack the time to upload them. I'll get there one of these days.

But for now, back to reality...

Google Co-Op

Here's my Ultimate U2 search engine. Search away...albums, tours, band members. It's all covered!

Headache

Am more than a bit frustrated with the Bloglines/Scopus assignment. I saved my search feed into Bloglines, and created the folder. Now I can't for the life of me figure out how to make it shareable or public...

Techno-Aggravation

I am one of the folks who have not been able to access the VPN through Firefox, only by installing Internet Explorer. Some have found success after deleting Java, then reinstalling Java. I'm going to give it a whirl today, and pray that it works. Life would be so much easier if I could access the library through Firefox.

In the meantime, I am finally giving the new White Stripes album, Icky Thump, a listen. The White Stripes are one of my favorite bands, and I've been looking forward to this release for months now. Thus far, I'm digging every minute of it...

Goal For The Week:

Get as much schoolwork done as humanly possible! Last week was so busy, and now it's time to play catch up again. However, it won't be all work and no play. The goal is to get a lot done so I can enjoy myself for a little while this weekend without stressing about what needs to be done...

Friday I'll be setting a few hours aside to meet up with a good friend, and Saturday I'll be at the Ohio Scottish Games. Mmm...haggis.

The Day In Photos

Despite the fact that my day wasn't too exciting, I thought it would be fun to put together a photo blog entry for today.

The day started with coffee:



Then it was time to check email, blackboard, etc. (my news and celebrity gossip - ha):



I did schoolwork for a while, then took a ride to the park for an easy 2 1/2 mile walk on the Ohio & Erie Canal towpath trail with Cosmo:



Along the way, I stopped to take a picture of Cos:



A few other photos from the walk:






At home, there was more schoolwork to get to. Since this was a day off, school was the focus of my day:



When I'm not reading, I keep my iTunes on shuffle. Got to have my music!



I still have more work to do, but in an hour or so, I think I'll kick back with one of these:




It's a shame that we can't get Yuengling in Ohio. Drew and I brought some back with us after a camping trip in Cook Forest a week before this semester began.
We've been savoring them ever since.

Back to work...

Print vs. Electronic

There seems to be a bit of a debate over print vs. electronic resources. I happen to like both, but for lengthier readings, I prefer print. As someone in my class pointed out, it is much easier to curl up with a book than say, a laptop. Also, constant use of computers can lead to repetitive strain injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome.

While I've never been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome (perhaps that has something to do with a lack of medical insurance...hmm), I've had some major problems with my right wrist due to computer usage. It began in college, during my English major days when I was constantly writing papers for class. The symptoms became worse during my junior year when our reserve room at the campus library where I worked went digital. Scanning pages and cropping them for hours put me in agony. The constant work involved with the mouse lead to pain and numbness. I worked through it though, and after graduation the symptoms went away.

A year and a half later the symptoms came back when I started a job at a small public library. Working at the circ desk, I had to lock and unlock hundreds of dvds a day. The locking and unlocking put a huge strain on my wrist, and once again found me in constant pain. During a slow day, I would try to unlock with my left hand, but despite working in a small public library, we were hopping most of the time and my left hand is a bit too gawky and slow to deal with the rush times. Using the Internet at home, I would also try to use the mouse and type with my left hand to compensate for the overuse of the right, but still, it wasn't enough.

Today, I deal with this problem by wearing a magnetic bracelet everyday (it works!), and by wearing a wrist brace at night while I sleep. I still have pain (I do right now), but it's much more manageable. And back to the main point, this is why I still am a big fan of print resources.

On the other hand, electronic resources can be wonderful, fast, and easy to search. I also love being able to use links to gain access to other information. If I am reading about something that interests me and there is a link, I will generally click on it to learn more. After all, I do enjoy learning and digging around for research. Guess that's just the librarian in me. However, links can lead to huge time-suckage (as I call it). Sometimes I'll be poking around reading something, and get lost. An hour or two later, I will emerge wondering where the time went...

Overwhelmed

Life has been crazy since school started. Family gatherings, family illnesses, a baby shower, a good friend in from California who I haven't seen in almost three years, helping out the boyfriend after he threw his back out, trying to keep this house presentable and the dog exercised, leaving one job and beginning another. Oh yeah, then there's schoolwork and trying to deal with financial aid issues. I hate feeling like I am so behind already....

Just needed to vent.

And breathe.

Appreciation

For years I've gotten by without much knowledge of the world of computers. I've been internet proficient for years, and I've been blogging since 2004. My grandparents all seem to think that I'm very techno-savvy because of this, but I'm not. My overall knowledge of computers is pathetic.

Despite this, I am lucky to live with a techno-geek who helps me out. Sometimes he gets exasperated by how little I know, but generally, he's a good sport. I'll speak for both of us when I mention how much I am appreciating LIS2600. For years, I've been too lazy to read up on computers, even though I know I should. There's just too many good books to read to give up my valuable reading time. But being in this class forces me to read and learn more of what I need to know. And for this, I am appreciative.

Thanks to Dr. Tomer...

I've now got Return To Sender stuck in my head. Actually, it's been bouncing around in there for a few hours now. Not that there's anything wrong with that, as I do enjoy Elvis.

After all, I've wreaked havoc on Memphis, danced with the ghosts at Sun Studio, eaten peanut butter and nanner sandwiches, and I've hung out at Graceland. Shoot, I was even Elvis for Halloween back in 2001:



Thankyou, thankyouverymuch.

Limping Along...

No, it's not that bad. Things were really hectic for me Saturday through Monday. Monday evening came along, and I started to panic. Though I had taken some of my books with me, I had to spend two days away from home and later felt like I was so behind. As in, how can I be so behind and it's only week two? Granted, not every weekend is going to be as crazy as this last one was. And yes, I've accepted the fact that my weekends will consist primarily of schoolwork this semester...

I'm starting to settle into a routine though, so hopefully that will keep me in line. I've already informed friends and family of my hermit status this summer. There is just so much to do! And honestly, this makes my first grad school experience feel like it was kindergarten.

While overwhelming, it does feel good to be challenged.

Introduction

Greetings from Cohort 7! My name is Kristina, and this isn't my first foray into the blogging world. I've been blogging for three years now, though this is my first educational blogging experience. This also isn't my first foray into grad school, but that's a story for another time...

I never thought that I would pursue a career in libraries. It all kind of happened by chance. At BGSU, I was an English major, with a minor in Popular Culture. My dream job was to be a music journalist, but I got realistic. I just don't have the personality for the field! I've always been a bookworm, and love doing research. Throughout my years at BG, I worked at our campus library. By my senior year, things began to fall into place and I realized which direction I should head in, career-wise. Four years and a few stumbles later, I am finally here!

What else to say? I moved from my hometown in Geauga County to Akron last summer. My passion in life is music, though I am not a musician. Perhaps my passion stems from my being envious of those who create it? Anyway, some of my favorites are U2, Wilco, The Clash, The Beatles, The Smiths, Radiohead, Neil Young, and The White Stripes. I'm known for following my favorite bands around the U.S. (and even into the U.K.!). However, with this grad program, I guess I'll just have to stick to local shows (ha!).

I'm also big into travel, reading (of course), films, hiking, photography, food and wine. And my dog, Cosmo:



He rocks. I also enjoy beating people at trivia games, as I am a barrel of useless knowledge. Anyone up for a game?

I look forward to meeting you all in July!