Top four things I've learned cataloguing my own books

For several weeks now, I've been (somewhat amateurly) cataloguing my personal collection of books with LibraryThing.  I love it.  Basically I'm just ensuring the proper and well-formatted title, checking it has the right cover, including the main authors and other responsibility holders, tagging them with my own main "categories", putting  them in collections of who in my family it really belongs to, specifying where and when I got it (if I can remember or figure it out), and putting in a Dewey number.  It's fun, of course, being the librarian nerd that I am, but it's also fascinating and I was thinking about how valuable but impossible it would be to have library school students actually do some personal cataloguing of at least a hundred titles.  Here are some of the interesting things I've found:

1. I've never really thought about the categories of books I've had before.  I've collected books from many sources and over a long period of time so I've never really had a very clear personal "collection policy" so there's plenty of odd stuff in there.  It's mostly graphic novels, reference books, philosophy stuff, science stuff, and of course kid's books but there are ones that stand out:  "Sesshu's Long Scroll", a spiral bound copy of "Understanding Neural Networks", and a nicely bound copy of the Qu'ran.  In the course of cataloguing some of these works, particularly when I'm tagging them with my basic subject areas of interest -- figuring out how broad or specific to make those tags or whether to use them at all if there's only going to be one or two with that tag anyway -- it really makes me think about subject headings and how they can and/or should be used.  I initially just wanted to be able to see the numbers of certain books in a subject that I find interesting and retrieve them easily.  But then I had to add non-subject tags like ".damaged" or ".gift".  And then format tags, such as "REFERENCE" or "GRAPHIC NOVELS".  I came across my copy of "Dark side of the moon : the making of the Pink Floyd masterpiece" and realized that, although I like music, I don't really have a lot of books on the subject.  Should I get more?  Is it worth my time?  I have so many other interests.  Going through my books subject-wise is like walking through a list of my interests, both proven by past actions and potential or maybe just hinted at.
2. Dewey numbers are crap for fiction.  Ok, everybody knows that but trying to put my books into some sort of order led to using Dewey numbers which led to the hard fact that Dewey doesn't do any kind of fiction justice, especially comic strip compilations and graphic novels.  I had to invent a personal organization method to use instead, roughly based on the solutions I've seen in public library.  For example, "FIC A Smi 1997" is a work of fiction, considered an "adult" novel (not sexual, just grown-up, to differentiate it from my YA books and juvenile books, or other formats), by someone with the last name starting with "Smi" published (or originally created) in the year 1997.  It's mostly, as Dewey is supposed to do, to lump alike things together.
3. It's a lot of work.  Again, not a new discovery here but it's really hit home.  And I'm not even truly cataloguing them.  Just cleaning up a few key pieces of metadata.  I was tidying up the publication statement and ensuring it had the right ISBNs but that starting taking too long and I didn't think it was really worth it.  And besides, I think LibraryThing records include ISBNs that I can't easily see since I get records with a search for an ISBN that doesn't end up being the in field.  Odd.  Anyway, not really important, and not worrying about it made things go a little quicker.
4. Finally, although you have to "judge a book by it's cover" it's better if you don't have to.  Describing a book, or really anything, should be done with someone that has a good deal of knowledge about the work (or thing).  Some key access points may not be immediately clear to someone who hasn't read the book.  If you don't know the subject area, then how could you know the place this particular work has in it?  Ideally, cataloguing should be done slowly by a few people who love the particular work, perhaps the particular author.  Philosophy texts should be catalogued by philosphers, collections of poetry, by poets.  How can I truly describe my book on neural networks?  I know very little about cognitive science.  But cataloguers don't and can't know the subject matter to that degree.  The work is done by people who know classification and the rules of AACR2 and RDA.  But when keying in even the tiny specks of metadata about my own collection, I find it much easier and much more rewarding to work with a book I have written a review of, like "Knitting the Semantic Web", or read a million times, like "Waiting for Godot".  Sometimes it makes me think of the part of "Farhenheit 451" when the main character meets the "books", the people who have memorized entire novels and have saved them that way.  Perhaps each book should have it's own cataloguer, who gets to know the work, inside and out, and therefore is the only one qualified to know how to describe it and give access to it.  Not good for the people in those jobs though, I guess, right?

Oh, and one more thing.  I've discovered that I'm really weird.  I take great pleasure in considering the proper capitalization of my books.  For example, in AACR2, the only title words that get capitalized are the first one and any proper nouns.  I have the graphic novel "Star trek : countdown".  Although it looks weird, "trek" doesn't get capitalized because, in the context of the title, it's not a proper noun.  It's just a "trek" through the "stars".  But I also have "Star Trek : The Next Generation : technical manual".  In this case, "Trek" is capitalized because this is a technical manual for the ship in the TV show "Star Trek : The Next Generation".  TV show names are proper nouns.  (I mean, technically, the book should have been called something like "Technical manual for the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701D" or something like that, and not had a cool cover, but publishers like to think they're tricking us into buying their crap...  which they are.)  In the first case, the work is using the term as a name for the work and isn't referring to itself.  It's just using the words as they are, as the entire "Star trek" universe does.  The second case is using the term in reference to the series, to the previous works, to the fictional universe that the TV shows, movies, comics, etc. make up.

Of course, I'm only half way through my books so far so perhaps I'll learn more (or learn better?) as I go.  And then there's my movies and video games...  I need a "LibraryThing" for those.

Testing out Bitstrips.

Here we 2.0 again

Good, brief article about how the hesitation seen surrounding Web 2.0 movements mirrors that of the hesitation presented at Web 1.0 stuff.

I have to admit, although I am not the most regular blogger, Tweeter, or user of facebook, I find myself having to defend of them on a regular basis. "I don't need to know what people are having for lunch or when they go to the bathroom." Really? That's what you think people post? Yes, there's a lot of mindless chit-chat online wherever you go, but you find the same or worse in person, when you have to feign interest. At least when it's online you can turn it off, turn the page, scroll away, ignore it, or block it out forever.

Despite what so many people say, this mindless chatter about trivial things is what so many people LOVE. It's called socialization. We love learning about what other people are doing even if we disagree. Hell, for some people they like the "disagreeable" stuff the most. And we certainly like sharing our own anecdotes with others. So it's a little foolish to claim that you don't want to hear about it. I know you like it. I've listened in on your silly conversations on weather, trips to the bank, and the price of lettuce.

But perhaps that what this is all part of... Complaining about Web 2.0 is just like complaining about the weather. It IS the small talk itself. In fact, it's more like complaining about gossip. Even those who take part in it complain about it and complaining about it is just as much "fun" as taking part.

[ Web 2.0 déjà vu reveals human traits from Troy Media Corporation ]

My passion

I came across a simple question in my reading just now:  What is my passion/purpose?  Hmmm...  Good question.  My undergrad degree was in philosophy so I've thought about the purpose of life or existence but I have to say, honestly, I have never thought about what my passion would be.

So I started thinking.  The work I was reading suggested that I start writing down possibilities for what my passion/purpose could be and then stop when I find something that brings a tear to my eye.  Well, I am man enough to admit it had that happened but I found it pretty quickly and, although it didn't well up any tears, I was quite sure when I got to it.  The first thing I wrote down was "make a contribution".  I stared at that for a minute thinking, "Well, it should be a little more specific than that, right?"  I thought of my kids and how I'd like to help them grow up to be good and reasonable people.  I thought about philosophy and how I would like to promote rational thought.  And I thought about my work as a librarian, and then crazy words flew into my head:  SAVE THE LIBRARY.  I would like to save librarianship.  I would like to make more people understand the importance of libraries and librarians.  I would like to convince funders to do more funding, whoever they may be.  I would like the regular Joe/Joan on the street to have a better understanding and appreciation for what we do.  AND I would like for us to do better what we should and can do to maintain and streamline access to information.

Woah, right?  Big wish.  Big plan.  All you non-librarians out there may even think that it's a little silly.  (I'm hoping those in the profession don't think that.  lol)  But that's what would make me happy:  to ensure that librarians and what we do are still around in 10, 20, 50, or 100 years.

But how?  Well, some of the details of the wish suggest some of the macro-methods:  setting down the importance of librarianship and communicating it, contacting and lobbying those with the money that do and/or can support libraries, and to actively market libraries and librarians to the public.  And of course, to promote ways to improve ourselves.  We are not perfect.  No profession is.  But we, perhaps unlike many professionals, have the resources, the intelligence, and the flexibility to make those improvements.  All we really need is the plan and the desire.

Yeah...  that's what I'm talkin' about...

Music for May 27, 2011

Playlist for this morning's walk:

1. "Lovely Allen" by Holy Fuck
2. "Bed of Nails" by Alice Cooper
3. "How does the brain wave?" by Baby Elephant
4. "Teldrassil" from the World of Warcraft soundtrack
5. "I'm Eighteen" by Alice Cooper
6. "Jóga" by Björk

Music for May 26, 2011

Playlist for this morning's walk (it was an all-AIC walk):

1. "Head Creeps"
2. "Grind"
3. "Heaven Beside You"
4. "Brush Away"

Just before I put my headphones on, a car pulled up on the side of the road and pointed up.  I thought he was asking for directions but he was actually pointing to a hawk sitting on a streetlamp.  Cool.

"The Great Karoo" by Fred Stenson (review)

I'm not a big fan of historical fiction. Actually, I avoid it like the plague. I'm thinking that from my years working in book stores and then as a librarian, I have questioned and been a bit frustrated by the curiously vast numbers of history books in the world. I'm not a history fan and I guess this has unfairly set my sights away from history and anything historical.

But I selected this among many others through the Early Reviewers List way back in 2008 primarily because it was a work of fiction about Canadians. And I received it. This has been the only work that I've received (so far).

Although I read it right away, I put off writing a review for a long time mostly because I wasn't sure what to make of the book. Then, recently, I thought to myself, "I wish I could get another 'Early Reviewer' book. I'd better write that review." So I read it again.

I was pleasantly surprised. This is a very good book. Although it is a work of historical fiction (starting in 1899, following a Canadian soldier sent to Africa to support Britain in the Boer War), this is a character study of Frank Adams, a naive young cowboy who makes and breaks connections to people during his time in Africa, for good or for bad. But, as with most stories about war, it is a commentary on our fascination with war, with the dangers of thinking too highly of being a soldier, and how painfully gruesome and wearing war really is. I think the moral of the story is, "Don't go to war. And if you have to, keep your head down and stay out of war's way as best you can."

I'm glad I read it. And I'm glad I own it. I may read it a third time. So I guess I'm going to have to rethink my stance on historical fiction.

Buy "The Great Karoo" by Fred Stenson through Amazon or read about it through LibraryThing.

[ Reviewed for LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program ]

Coolendar: Not for me. Maybe for you?

Checked out Coolendar. This was described to me in the Lifehacker article I read about it as "an alternate take on calendars, turning the matrix-style calendar into a more simplified list."

True enough. Although later they say "a little more like a to-do list than a calendar", I would have to stick with calendar mostly. Although it looks like a to-do list, since everything seems to require a date and a time (it sets an item for 11pm if you don't specify a time), this is a calendar in list form. A very pretty list mind you. Very easy to look at, to play around with, to navigate. And entering items is pretty easy: type the date, time and some text and it creates and organizes it for you. There are ready made lists: all, today, tomorrow, and month. You can mark some things as important and there's a separate list for them.

But I'm a little OCD when it comes to date/data management. I may like a simple tool to begin with but I inevitably think of things I wish it could do, and if it doesn't do it, then I feel cramped. I want this to handle non-time-limited items. I want to be able to add more information than just when and what. I want to postpone things. I want to set things as due in the past. The list goes on. I guess I've been spoiled by Remember the Milk.

It also made me a little angry that it gets 12 am and 12 pm mixed up. Doh!

Bottom line: Not powerful enough for what would want, but good for a simple date/time based reminder system.

[ Informed of Coolendar's existence through Lifehacker's article "Coolendar Is a Half Calendar, Half To-Do List Webapp" ]

Web Design, No Time

I LOVE pages like this. Nothing but great web design examples. Although they do make me a little evil - since I want to "steal" everything on them. I immediately think about how I can use these ideas somewhere for me, for my work, or even somewhere else, anywhere else.

In fact, reading this made me want, nay NEED, to redesign my site. Coming soon.

[ Inspired by Inspiration: 30 Web Designs with Beautiful Typography ]

Move all done!

Haven't posted in a while for one primary reason: I've been looking for a new job, found one and moved to Thunder Bay! Whew!

Although the move is technically completed the new (town)house is still filled with boxes to unpack and sort out. (The kids have build a fort out of them in the living room... I should post a picture of that... lol) We don't even have internet access at home yet so I have to make do with the occasional dribs and drabs at work between actual WORK. Speaking of which, I've settled into my new job (on my 6th day here) and am excited about my new responsibilities and projects! (Yeah, I'm a dork.)

Thunder Bay, although cold (had to shovel the driveway already last Tuesday), is really nice. There are plenty of walking paths, places to play for the kids, and it's easy to get around town. I think we'll like it here.

Have you recently moved? How did it go? Or are you happy where you are and don't plan to live anywhere else?

Not enough time in the day

I spent a lot of today trying to fit in all the chores and responsibilities I have to do into a coherent and workable schedule, one in which I can get what I need to get done done but also not go absolutely bonkers with no time for myself, my kids, or the unknown.

I THOUGHT I had achieved a rock solid schedule but of course, it has cracked in a few key places already: forgot to include my daughter's new homework club time that started today, dinner took longer than expected to prepare particularly because the kids helped out, and important phone calls interfered. All perfectly expected unexpected things to happen and I'm glad they happened today... it will help me work out the kinks of the "time layout".

But it does bring into sharp relief the fact that, no matter what you're doing or what your priorities are, you can't get everything done. There is not enough time to fit everything in. You have to pick and choose and some things will have to fall by the wayside. I'm not sure what I'll have to drop but it will have to be something.

What has helped me is that I've taken the advice of almost every productivity-related website and actually written down my goals. I've even put them in order of importance:

1. My health (Exercise and eating right, as well as my comfort and entertainment. If I'm not happy and well, what's the point?);
2. My family (Both immediate and extended, my being with them and their welfare.);
3. My money (Not only making it but keeping it and saving it. Kind of important in this world.);
4. My learning (This includes self-imposed challenges, much of my non-fiction reading, things I would like to learn as well as things I really should learn for my career.);
   
5. My friends (Just as with my family, this in about connecting to them as well as supporting them. And it also includes other social efforts, making new friends, chatting up strangers meeting new people and the like.);
   
6. My profession (Librarianship of course, but can include related efforts such as anything else academic. This involves both working on my own professionalism and librarianship skills but also supporting the profession itself, with getting published and presenting at conferences.);
   
7. My "goodness" (Lacking a better single word for this, it refers to my efforts at making the work a better place, ethical goals, and helping people, however that manifests itself.); and
8. My administrative matters (Checking email, filing, organizing, communicating, etc. Holding a lot of the previous 7 together.).

Although I've created this list, and tag all my activities in my to do list (RTM) with them as appropriate, I don't feel as though I've fully integrated them (and it) into my routine and efforts. But I guess, what it should come down to is that activities furthering goals near the bottom of the list must be sacrificed for those nearer to the top. Thinking of it this way, I'm not sure I can, although I quite sure I should. I can't really stop checking email or the going through the bills as they come it. Perhaps for things like that, they need to be filtered and focused on how they support what is higher on the list of priorities. That sounds better. Still, some things I'm trying to do, must be canceled. Don't know what of course, and all that rambling above means that it's not going to be a simple matter to determine what or how.

Any ideas? Anyone out there in this situation with any part of the solution?

Not as much but more than I have.

A little over a month ago, I said I was going to learn French. Well, I took longer than I expected to prepare, started later than I expected, postponed it more than I should have, and changed my strategy too often.

But that's ok. I have certainly learned more French than I ever have before. I am still slowly working on it but, what with traveling and preparing for interviews and their presentations, plus other work I have to get done, I have reduced my efforts to learn La Belle Langue quite a bit. And the workload will only get worse. What I need is some touch of formal pressure to keep up with it. Maybe a language partner, or a regular tv show or vodcast to understand, something like that. My other issue is my efforts to retain what I have tried to learn each day... with my other responsibilities and projects, I need some easy way to insert repetition of key lessons into the following 24 hours, whether it's a vocab list to carry around or a phrase to go over in my head. Something to drill something into my head until it sticks.

Learning a new language is hard. Or maybe it's just me? Anyone else have issues with this kind of thing? Any tips on making it easier?

Tweet my own horn...

So as some of you may have noticed, I've been using Twitter for a while now. Everytime I mention it in conversation to a person not twit-lightened (lol), they shake their head violently and laugh about reading about whenever people go to the bathroom (and it's not because I used the word "twit-lightened"... I swear, this is the first time!).

I really like it actually. I find I'm thinking up a kinds of new types of tweets to put up. I've started listing the children's books I'm reading to my son every night (as well as the books and stories I'm reading), linking to them and (since I'm at finding the link at Amazon anyway) writing a little Amazon review about them (example). I'm always complaining about the dearth of book reviews out there to inform librarians in their collection development efforts so I figured I could do my small part to help out.

I've enjoyed Twittering so much, and see it as so potentially useful as an information dissemination tool, as well as a networking and archiving tool (I actually back-up my tweets myself, not being confident in Twitter's own willingness to store my inane statements throughout the years), that I've put in on my daily to-do list. Crazy, I know. Anyone else been using Twitter lately? Or something similar?

No more "beta" in Gmail et al.

As of yesterday, Google has removed the BETA label from Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs and GTalk.

Wow. What a time to be alive... Where was I, at, uh, 8:02 am?!?! Asleep? Eating breakfast with the kids? Well, I didn't notice until Lifehacker told me yesterday when I checked my RSS feeds at around 10 am. And it didn't really sink in until tonight.

But it is somewhat of a big thing. On the Google blog entry about this, they talk about the issue of our new "world of rapid developmental cycles where products like Gmail continue to change indefinitely". The beta label could have suggested that these tools were not "perfected" yet, possibly meaning that something could go wrong at any moment. I know I thought about that recently when I noticed the beta sticker on Gmail a few weeks ago and mulled over what that meant. Should I go with something else? What else is there really? Does that word really mean that another free tool lacking the label would be any better? And there's always the issue of data back-up. Should I be doing that? Do I want to? Do I have the time? Is it even possible in all the tools I may want to do so for?

Although the removal of the beta label from these Google products is virtually meaningless directly, it makes a kind of sense to be done around now. The nature of these tools are not really changing - they will still be improved and changed as Google sees fit - but it was probably past due keeping it as a conspicuous issue in these tools in comparison with the other new things Google is and will be producing.

What do you think? Was it a good move? And what does it mean for them or for us users?

Busting my own hump.

For what feels like years, I've had an item in my to do list that I've managed to continually postpone despite the fact that I was so gung-ho when I wrote it down. Learn something new. I know, as a librarian I'm always doing that but I wanted it to be an active, concrete task that chose. Each month (crazy, huh?). I even made a list that has quite a few items on it, ranging in specificity from the incredibly broad and vague (e.g. Health.) to the painfully narrow (e.g. Learn the basics about "canonical discriminant analysis".).

My idea was that I would systematically add skills and content to my repertoire that would help me in my work, my profession and my life in general. But it's hard to do! With time constraints, chores at home, kids running around, and a billion other potential projects waiting for my attention, I have yet to sit down and choose something for my "month of learning".

But today was different. I chose something. French. Ok, not everything. I don't expect to become fluent. Just the basics. I remember a good deal of my high school French classes. I'm Canadian (that's got to count for something). And it's in my blood - my grandfather is fluent and very French-Canadian. My goal will be some basic (re)understanding of the fundamentals of grammar, a handle on accurate pronunciation, and a small but practical vocabulary. Perhaps enough to visit Quebec or France and not have to hope that someone speaks English! lol

Any self-directed learning plans of your own? Have you had any difficulties getting them accomplished, or even started? How have you solved them, or have you? Any ideas?

P.S. Oh and my deadline is actually August 1st so I actually have less than a month but I wanted my repeating task (of choosing a new something to learn) to be scheduled for the first of each month.

Project completion obstacles.

I've only recently starting thinking about some of my more complicated tasks as "projects" as defined by David Allen's GTD system/book. I think this has helped me immeasurably (that's a lie, I could totally measure it) by at least forcing me to break the process into smaller more manageable bits. My problem is that I'm not prepared to do it the way GTD suggests - recording the first action and then dealing with the next action when that's done (or at least that's my reading of it) - because I know that I would put off each step just a little which would add up to a whole bunch of procrastination. So I determine all the steps, their order, and which ones can be done simultaneously. This front loads the project work which is one of the big barriers but once it's done you'd think it would be easy from then on in. My big problem is that I don't have a tool or system built well enough to easily organize the individual tasks and then, in the midst of completing them, I come up with a better way of organizing them, or I remember a new task that I forgot to insert somewhere... What I need is a good seamless method/tool to help me manage all this and insert it into my work flow I already have (i.e. Remember the Milk). I keep looking but I have yet to reach the finding stage.

It makes me so angry...

...and confused.

We have all felt frustrated with a large (or small) company before, after an experience with a sales person, a service person, a help desk or even website. Why does this happen? Why do large groups of people (a business) cooperating (somewhat) on a common goal (to provide a service or product for a fee) but then fail so miserably so consistently in achieving that goal? Are they all incompetent? Well, some people plainly are, whether aware of it or not, but I'm not sure that's the reason in most cases. Are they evil? Perhaps we'd like to think so... that we're running into the BOFH every single time, but alas there is only so many and they can't have taken over civilization yet.

I think, for the most part, it's a matter of a lack of respect for one's own work, our preoccupation on money, and, often, simple miscommunication.

Too many people in too many jobs are there because they simply need a job. They may or may not have been well-trained for their position but, however they go there, they're there now and they're not moving. It's almost as if, in today's Western society (at least in the USA and Canada), no one can actually LIKE their job. I enjoy being a librarian but I feel almost guilty telling anyone other than a librarian that. If you don't like your job, or at least keep saying you don't, you will certainly limit your motivation for doing it well. You can only say TGIF so many times before you start calling in sick on Monday.

Along with our lack of preoccupation with our work is our preoccupation with the reason why we're there: Money. We are constantly needing things and therefore needing money. Again, I'm made to feel awkward (which I don't mind, because I'm just weird like that) when I say my family doesn't have cable TV (and therefore any TV at all). We "need" all these standard "trappings" of society. They may be different around the world but we all have them and the West has them in spades. I think it's getting better but it's not reached "good" yet. This preoccupation with money keeps ours eyes on the prize instead of where we're running and the people we trip over on the way.

In the end though, miscommunication is to blame for much of these problems we have with businesses. Face it, we are none of us experts at communication. Even between two people who speak the same language, come from the same culture and have the same expectations can get tripped up on the words we use to collaborate and transfer data. As a librarian, I know full well how difficult people find it to simply explain what they need help with. Many people are too busy trying to convince me that they don't need help to get their question out in a understandable way. We have a hard time seeing things from another persons perspective, especially when those "things" are the words flying out of our mouths.

So the moral of the story is:

1. Find a job you like, or like the one you have (as much as you can);
2. Chill out about money... you don't need as much as you think; and
3. Think about your communication a little more - you may be surprised at the difference between what you're saying and what you think you're saying.

Of course, sometimes, it is their fault. Give 'em hell! lol

[ Inspired by an article from Mon Jul 30 2007 entitled "Dell Tries To Repair $10 Battery, Hoses $150 Video Card" from "The Consumerist" ]

Things fall apart.

No, I'm not referring to the Chinua Achebe novel (of course, it just made me think about the novel and, realizing how little I remember of it since I read it years ago, I had to go find a quick plot outline to refresh my memory). I'm talking literally: things fall apart.

• Tried to cut the lawn and only managed to finish the backyard since the right front wheel fell off.
• Found a cracked glass in the cupboard. Many of our dishes are being dropped or getting cracks or chips in them.
• Opened a window the other day and some little piece of plastic, plugging a hole in the other pane frame, was jutting out just a little too much and the edged was snapped off.
• And, of course, the "0" button on the laptop I'm writing this on has been waiting in the case for weeks now, for me to get it reattached.
  

Things fall apart. I was thinking about how horribly unfair this is, how this is all I need, what with money being tight and having no luck in finding a new job for after my current contract ends. But of course, things fall apart. Things break. Things die and rot and gather dust and get loose or get rusted or whatever the age-related verb is for any given inanimate object.

Get over it, bub.

Things fall apart. Get new things.

Wash, Rinse, Relax.

About a month ago, I heard on the radio (it's CBC so it's trustworthy) that, for the good of your hair, really, we shouldn't be washing our hair every single day. It has to do with the fact that your scalp/follicles produce oils to prevent your head from drying out (I think that's what they said) and since shampooing removes all that oil and grease, it's actually drying it out, causing more oils to be produced. Shampooing indirectly makes your hair greasier. And the last thing I need is to be doing damage to my already retreating hair. "Come back here, you!"

So I tried it. I only wash my hair about 3 times a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, just to make it easy to remember. I've been doing it every since that fateful radio show, so it's been about 5 weeks, and honestly, I really can't tell the difference. It felt somewhat weird the first few days without it, and I thought everyone was going to be able to tell and be all grossed out, but no, I'm not disgusting people daily, I haven't been scaring small children on the street.

So what do you think? Eww or yay? Try it. It saves your hair, oh and it also saves shampoo. Bonus!

Twitter: A new frontier.

March 26th. I guess I had nothing to do. And I certainly wanted that certain monkey off my back that's been hounding (Monkey? Hounding? From my back? Hmmm.) me ever since it became such a sensation.

Yes. I started a twitter account and feed back then. And now it's into May and I have been updating it once in a while. And that's ok. I didn't start it to be the constantly-updating-of-everything-I-do-and-everything-I-think kind of twitter. I chose something focused, practical, and simple. I tweet only about the books I'm starting or finishing, or articles, or movies, or other media in my life. That's it. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) I have not had much time to read or watch anything with all my work, volunteering and job-searching. Those are 3 full-time jobs that I'm doing alongside my flawless parenting and husbanding (no, not husbandry... we've got two kids and we're done as far as I'm concerned).

And it's kinda fun too. Limited to, what is it, 140 characters? Yeah, I can fill THAT up pretty quick. And since I've kept a strict rein on what I'm going to tweet about, it should be easy to keep up. The only problem is that now I have not only joined a community ("So-and-so just created at Twitter account! So-and-so is following your feed!") but it comes with a whole new set of info-streams that I'm tempted to redirect, process and absorb (Very borg-like.) but that I've managed to put off for now.

So go try it if you haven't already. And if you have, tell me about what you've learned so far. Or give me the link to your feed. You know I'll buckle and then you'll be famous. At least at my house.