According to news reports , BYU is considering going independent in football and rejoining the WAC for other sports. This seems like a questionable decision at best for a team that is hardly dominating their conference in football.
While there is no doubt that BYU is consistently able to schedule teams from BCS conferences for football, they don’t seem to beat them very consistently. Over the last 10 years BYU is a rather pedestrian 14 - 18 versus the BCS conferences and no bids to any of the major bowls. The one year they looked to be on their way as the first “BCS buster” they went 12-0, before being embarrassed at Hawaii and then losing their bowl game to end up 12-2. In contrast, the University of Utah has gone 18-11 with a Fiesta Bowl win and a Sugar Bowl win.
BYU did defeat Oklahoma at a neutral site for their opening game in 2009 with a late touchdown. They also lost at home to a bad Florida State team that finished 6-6 and TCU. In 2008, they lost to TCU in Texas, beat Washington 28-27 – Washington would finish the year 0-12 - and lost their bowl game to an Arizona squad they’d beaten earlier in the season. In 2007, they did beat Arizona to open the season, but lost to UCLA and Tulsa in consecutive weeks. In 2006, BYU had losses to Arizona and Boston College.
In just the last 4 seasons they are 4-4 versus the so-called major conferences. I would hardly call that dominating the larger schools with that record, and now BYU thinks they should get a Notre Dame exemption into the BCS if they go independent. This seems akin to Navy asking for an exemption simply because they are a service academy.
This would be understandable if BYU had in fact been dominating the Mountain West Conference and had a BCS bowl win to show for it. The fact is they have the exact same number of BCS bowl wins as Notre Dame in the last 10 years in three fewer appearances.
As a side note, I’d be the first to say that the Notre Dame exemption in the BCS bowl selection is absurd. No independent should be given consideration over a smaller conference to get into a major bowl. Certainly no team winning only 9 games, regardless of affiliation, deserves to go to a major bowl just because a non-BCS conference school was ranked in the top 12 of a poll, but that’s another argument all together. The simple fact of the matter is that everyone else has to be in a conference that has an automatic bid – another item that should be done away with – or they have to finish in the top 12 of the BCS poll.
Since the MWC came into being, BYU has won 2 football league titles outright and tied for a third. In ten years, that is not an overwhelming number. In the same time frame, the University of Utah has won 3 outright league titles and tied for a fourth in football. TCU, who joined in 2005, has won 2 conference titles. TCU also won 2 WAC titles and a Conference USA title in the years that the MWC has existed, prior to joining the conference.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
They didn't teach me this in library school...
Working in a public library has it's moments where you discover that all the education in the world didn't prepare you for the realities of working in the public sector.
Saturday, I was on the desk when a patron approached and told me that he thought another patron was having a siezure in the men's restroom. I checked the restroom to discover a man lying on his side in the handicapped stall with his legs quivering.
Being resourceful, I promptly called 911, a manager, the on-sight police officer and the front desk, in that order. Yea me! Since it was the third 911 call I've had to place in the 3 years I've been here, I'd like to think that I've got it down.
We're not sure what happened to the man in the restroom - the belief is that there was a fight - since the toilet was knocked off the wall. But my point is that library school with all it's emphasis on theory, doesn't prepare you for dealing with the general public, especially it's transient members. What makes it worse is that library school often has professors who write incredible articles about public libraries that prove they haven't set foot inside one in 20 years. In some cases these same "experts" never worked in a public library, which begs the question, what can they teach me about working in a public library when they don't have any actual experience working in one?
Saturday, I was on the desk when a patron approached and told me that he thought another patron was having a siezure in the men's restroom. I checked the restroom to discover a man lying on his side in the handicapped stall with his legs quivering.
Being resourceful, I promptly called 911, a manager, the on-sight police officer and the front desk, in that order. Yea me! Since it was the third 911 call I've had to place in the 3 years I've been here, I'd like to think that I've got it down.
We're not sure what happened to the man in the restroom - the belief is that there was a fight - since the toilet was knocked off the wall. But my point is that library school with all it's emphasis on theory, doesn't prepare you for dealing with the general public, especially it's transient members. What makes it worse is that library school often has professors who write incredible articles about public libraries that prove they haven't set foot inside one in 20 years. In some cases these same "experts" never worked in a public library, which begs the question, what can they teach me about working in a public library when they don't have any actual experience working in one?
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Business as usual in Florida
From today's Orlando Sentinel Leaders Await Mildred Fernandez replacement after her arrest. The county commissioner in question is accused of taking bribes among other felonies. Naturally that led her to claim "This is politics."
My question today is why a politician tries to hide behind an inane statement when they are accused of wrongdoing. I have no idea if this woman is guilty or not, but I strongly suggest that the claim of it being politically motivated is irrelevant. If you did the crime, do the time, to borrow an old overused cliche. Otherwise, get a lawyer and have your day in court.
My question today is why a politician tries to hide behind an inane statement when they are accused of wrongdoing. I have no idea if this woman is guilty or not, but I strongly suggest that the claim of it being politically motivated is irrelevant. If you did the crime, do the time, to borrow an old overused cliche. Otherwise, get a lawyer and have your day in court.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Libraries and censorship
A story from the online version of Florida Today discusses libraries having R rated movies in the library. Apparently, an older patron (story says she's 69) had an issue with the movie "The Informers" due to the content (language, nudity, etc.) and is "concerned" that children under 18 will be able to access the movie.
I have multiple problems with her complaint. First of all, parents have the ultimate responsibility to know what their children are watching/renting/checking out from the library. It should not be the purview of any other patron or the library to dictate what can and cannot be accessed at the library (within reason) by any other patron. Just because patron A believes that an R rated movie is "inappropriate" does not mean that others should be prevented from seeing the movies and being allowed to judge for themselves. The only time we can dictate what material others people are exposed to are when we are the parent of said minor (i.e. under the age 18) children. Otherwise, you have no business dictating to others what is and is not "appropriate".
Problem number 2 is the argument about use of tax dollars. Libraries are the stewards of public money, but at the same time we serve the "public interest". I would no sooner be able to justify removing the genealogy databases and materials from our library -despite my personal questions about the suitability of acting as a repository for genealogy and not for other historical documents - than I can to remove/restrict access to a movie like "Saving Private Ryan" due to it's excessive and pointless (in my opinion) violence.
Problem number three, the membership of the county library advisory board. The newest member is apparently unaware that the library had R rated movies. That doesn't say much for the members of a board that is to advise the library own usage of the library. I find it odd that you would be a member of an advisory board and have so little knowledge of what the business does or offers. A library advisory board should be made up of library advocates and not career politicians looking for a stepping stone.
Finally, does the woman who filed the complaint not see the inherent arrogance of trying to dictate to the public what they can and cannot watch? Most if not all grown adults are capable of making rational decisions for themselves. We do not need the local "busybody" dictating what is and is not appropriate. If you had children you had the opportunity to be the dictator until they were 18 and judge what was and was not appropriate. If you did not have children, you missed your opportunity.
I have multiple problems with her complaint. First of all, parents have the ultimate responsibility to know what their children are watching/renting/checking out from the library. It should not be the purview of any other patron or the library to dictate what can and cannot be accessed at the library (within reason) by any other patron. Just because patron A believes that an R rated movie is "inappropriate" does not mean that others should be prevented from seeing the movies and being allowed to judge for themselves. The only time we can dictate what material others people are exposed to are when we are the parent of said minor (i.e. under the age 18) children. Otherwise, you have no business dictating to others what is and is not "appropriate".
Problem number 2 is the argument about use of tax dollars. Libraries are the stewards of public money, but at the same time we serve the "public interest". I would no sooner be able to justify removing the genealogy databases and materials from our library -despite my personal questions about the suitability of acting as a repository for genealogy and not for other historical documents - than I can to remove/restrict access to a movie like "Saving Private Ryan" due to it's excessive and pointless (in my opinion) violence.
Problem number three, the membership of the county library advisory board. The newest member is apparently unaware that the library had R rated movies. That doesn't say much for the members of a board that is to advise the library own usage of the library. I find it odd that you would be a member of an advisory board and have so little knowledge of what the business does or offers. A library advisory board should be made up of library advocates and not career politicians looking for a stepping stone.
Finally, does the woman who filed the complaint not see the inherent arrogance of trying to dictate to the public what they can and cannot watch? Most if not all grown adults are capable of making rational decisions for themselves. We do not need the local "busybody" dictating what is and is not appropriate. If you had children you had the opportunity to be the dictator until they were 18 and judge what was and was not appropriate. If you did not have children, you missed your opportunity.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
SB6 and Teachers
By Friday April 16, Florida Governor Charlie Crist must make a decision on SB 6 - a bill passed by the Florida Legislature which would require merit based pay raises for teachers. One of the largest problems with this bill is the lack of accountability for school administration. Why should teachers who make every effort to do their job, who send disruptive children to the office for disciplanary reasons - where the kids are often rewarded for misbehaving by being given chocolate and other treats once they promise to behave - be held solely accountable for student performance when it's clear that parents, administrators and school boards are not.
My wife is a teacher and as she puts it, there are 4 kinds of students - Those who can do the work and will, those who can do the work but won't, those who cannot do the work but try and those who cannot and will not do the work - sadly many in the last category are students who were in special education when I went to elementary school and are now "mainstreamed" despite the obvious disruption they create in the classroom. The sad part is the kids who can but won't often have parents who blame the school and the teachers for their own inability to parent. Having a child in school makes it your responsibility to help them learn by assisting with homework, making sure the kid is fed and gets to bed at a reasonable hour. It is not nor should it ever be solely the teachers responsibility to ensure the child gets through school.
It seems that if the governor decides to pass this bill we have but one choice - pass an amendment to the Florida constitution that would require every pay raise for state officials to be put to a vote by the people. In fact, done correctly we could set a starting wage for Senators and House members and then based on what they do or don't accomplish in a given term vote on whether or not they deserve a pay raise. I can only imagine the outcry if suddenly every state senator had to work for the $30,000/year (or less) that teachers make and then found they couldn't just vote themselves a raise after passing poorly thought out legislation like SB 6.
My wife is a teacher and as she puts it, there are 4 kinds of students - Those who can do the work and will, those who can do the work but won't, those who cannot do the work but try and those who cannot and will not do the work - sadly many in the last category are students who were in special education when I went to elementary school and are now "mainstreamed" despite the obvious disruption they create in the classroom. The sad part is the kids who can but won't often have parents who blame the school and the teachers for their own inability to parent. Having a child in school makes it your responsibility to help them learn by assisting with homework, making sure the kid is fed and gets to bed at a reasonable hour. It is not nor should it ever be solely the teachers responsibility to ensure the child gets through school.
It seems that if the governor decides to pass this bill we have but one choice - pass an amendment to the Florida constitution that would require every pay raise for state officials to be put to a vote by the people. In fact, done correctly we could set a starting wage for Senators and House members and then based on what they do or don't accomplish in a given term vote on whether or not they deserve a pay raise. I can only imagine the outcry if suddenly every state senator had to work for the $30,000/year (or less) that teachers make and then found they couldn't just vote themselves a raise after passing poorly thought out legislation like SB 6.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Inappropriateness at work
Once more I'm going to get up on my soapbox of common sense and rant about one of the typically trivial things that goes on at my work place. I work with people who like to change the desktop wallpaper on the shared computers fairly regularly. The changes range from the silly - LoLCatz pictures, Chuck Norris quotes - to serious - Picasso and Manet. Until this morning, I had never found any of these to be particularly bad or not for public consumption. Today I have been informed by a co-worker that the wallpaper of Homer Simpson holding his ubiquitous pink frosted donut with the caption MMMM... Donut.. is offensive.
I'm not sure in what way this is offensive. Do we have an issue with bald, fat cartoons who eat donuts? Do we find the Simpsons offensive? Are we just having a bad day where we thing that the only opinion that matters is our own and everyone should conform to our belief system?
I'm not sure in what way this is offensive. Do we have an issue with bald, fat cartoons who eat donuts? Do we find the Simpsons offensive? Are we just having a bad day where we thing that the only opinion that matters is our own and everyone should conform to our belief system?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Random ramblings from February
I got a disturbing email this morning. A friend from high school sent out a mass email asking us to pray for her best friend who Is recovering in the hospital today, a victim of domestic violence. The best friend is an acquaintance of mine. I would hesitate to call her a friend since I haven’t had contact with her since our 10 year high school reunion 10 years ago. Prior to that, I hadn’t seen her since we were in our junior or senior year of high school, so it would be hard to call her my friend as well. The links to the two stories are here: http://www.riograndesun.com/articles/2010/02/18/news/doc4b7c46ea6f84a714742537.txt Rio Grande Sun
http://www.koat.com/news/22586611/detail.html KOAT Channel 7
The domestic violence thing is what bothers me. Both my wife and my sister have been victims of domestic violence. I have no doubt that there was a history, however subtle, of domestic issues for this acquaintance and I’m sorry that for whatever reason she wasn’t able to leave. My hope is this woman recovers and is able to move on with her life. I would ask that you offer prayers to a god I’m not on the best of terms with on her behalf.
On another topic, I’d like to rant a little about politics. We live in a great country that is currently being hamstrung by it’s political system. Regardless of political affiliation, it should be obvious that we have a problem and it needs to be fixed. Too many decisions are being held up for the simple reason that “the other party” introduced the idea. It’s no wonder that the world looks at us with disdain, we can’t seem to accomplish anything without subjecting it to some ridiculous political shenanigans.
Two things I would like to encourage all of you out there to do:
1) Get acquainted with the issues. Take the time to actually read both sides of the argument and fact check what you hear. Don’t waste time just listening to some talking head like Glenn Beck or Arianna Huffington, unless you’re willing to research what they are telling you and see if it’s actually factual or just their spin on it. We live in a world where this kind of fact checking is easy, take the opportunity to find out the truth instead of just drinking the Kool-Aid provided by people trying to sell themselves.
2) Get out and vote. Prove to your senators and representatives that they work for us, the people of the United States. There is no accountability in the capitol these days and it needs to change. The best change may come by getting the career politicians who will only tell you what they think you want to hear, yet don't actually do anything.
I got a disturbing email this morning. A friend from high school sent out a mass email asking us to pray for her best friend who Is recovering in the hospital today, a victim of domestic violence. The best friend is an acquaintance of mine. I would hesitate to call her a friend since I haven’t had contact with her since our 10 year high school reunion 10 years ago. Prior to that, I hadn’t seen her since we were in our junior or senior year of high school, so it would be hard to call her my friend as well. The links to the two stories are here: http://www.riograndesun.com/articles/2010/02/18/news/doc4b7c46ea6f84a714742537.txt Rio Grande Sun
http://www.koat.com/news/22586611/detail.html KOAT Channel 7
The domestic violence thing is what bothers me. Both my wife and my sister have been victims of domestic violence. I have no doubt that there was a history, however subtle, of domestic issues for this acquaintance and I’m sorry that for whatever reason she wasn’t able to leave. My hope is this woman recovers and is able to move on with her life. I would ask that you offer prayers to a god I’m not on the best of terms with on her behalf.
On another topic, I’d like to rant a little about politics. We live in a great country that is currently being hamstrung by it’s political system. Regardless of political affiliation, it should be obvious that we have a problem and it needs to be fixed. Too many decisions are being held up for the simple reason that “the other party” introduced the idea. It’s no wonder that the world looks at us with disdain, we can’t seem to accomplish anything without subjecting it to some ridiculous political shenanigans.
Two things I would like to encourage all of you out there to do:
1) Get acquainted with the issues. Take the time to actually read both sides of the argument and fact check what you hear. Don’t waste time just listening to some talking head like Glenn Beck or Arianna Huffington, unless you’re willing to research what they are telling you and see if it’s actually factual or just their spin on it. We live in a world where this kind of fact checking is easy, take the opportunity to find out the truth instead of just drinking the Kool-Aid provided by people trying to sell themselves.
2) Get out and vote. Prove to your senators and representatives that they work for us, the people of the United States. There is no accountability in the capitol these days and it needs to change. The best change may come by getting the career politicians who will only tell you what they think you want to hear, yet don't actually do anything.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Random rants
So it's been almost 2 years and I have a lot to rant about right now.
I just finished reading "This Book is Overdue. How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All" by Marilyn Johnson. I highly recommend this book to anyone in the library profession or anyone who wants to get a better idea of the kind of people who work in libraries. Good stuff including the notes which indicates that a librarian who worked for the famous New York Public Library managing the Bronx branch left because of the pay. It's unfortunate that in the most expensive city in the world a Master's degree holding librarian was making less than $35,000 a year. This is especially galling when there were people in her system making mid to high 6 figure salaries. When the economy picks up it may be the libraries that start to suffer the most because librarians are like any other employee - we want to be paid commisserate with our skill set. It's a small wonder there is such great competition in Florida for the academic librarian positions given the low salaries for public library positions which require an M.A. It's not like getting an M.A. in Information Studies costs any less than getting an equivilent degree in Computer Science, Business or any other field.
Point number 2: The absurd continuing arguements about high-speed rail. A person commenting on a recent article about the stimulus money spent on high-speed rail in Florida indicated that not enough people commute between Tampa and Orlando to justify the expense. Data from the state department of transportation estimated that the average annual daily traffic leaving Tampa going into Polk County was ~80,580 units and it rose to 148, 000 units by the time it reached the Central Florida Parkway. Those numbers came from the year 2000 and it was expected to grow to 141,326 and 186,695 by the year 2020. Despite the current downturn, it should be expected that with a robust economy those numbers may be on the conservative side. To claim that not enough commute was typical of someone who failed to do any research into the matter. In addition, the creation of a high-speed rail corridor would create jobs and reduce pollution and automobile emmissions.
Point 3: To those people who are complaining that the democrats haven't done anything to help the economy. It's going to take time to fix problems that are 8 to 20 years in the making. Many of the seeds of the current economic recession can be dated back to the 1980s and a president named Ronald Reagan. Keep in mind that the ancient Greeks discovered that "trickle down" economics was a fallacy because people are greedy. Cutting taxes on people with high incomes does not create jobs, it just ensures the rich will continue to make more money.
Point 3a: Quit complaining about the spending of stimulus money - President Bush signed the initial bill with Republican support and that money was mostly spent to ensure that overpaid bankers got bonus checks.
Point 4: No Child left behind is a disaster. Teachers are no longer allowed to "teach" but they are required to spend only set amounts of time on too many subjects and give homework to kids who are not ready to handle the responsibility. Teachers no longer have "teachable moments" explaining questions to children when the child has an inquiry because they don't have the time. There is no flexibility in the classroom. You will teach math for 30 minutes, then 40 minutes of English, take the kids to resource (music- if available -, P.E., Library, etc.) It's no wonder there is a shortage of good teachers - they don't get to "teach" and they don't get paid worth a darn either. If they really want to fix education, focus on the basic skills - Math, Reading, and Writing - and raise the minimum standards and pay for teachers to a reasonable amount.
I just finished reading "This Book is Overdue. How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All" by Marilyn Johnson. I highly recommend this book to anyone in the library profession or anyone who wants to get a better idea of the kind of people who work in libraries. Good stuff including the notes which indicates that a librarian who worked for the famous New York Public Library managing the Bronx branch left because of the pay. It's unfortunate that in the most expensive city in the world a Master's degree holding librarian was making less than $35,000 a year. This is especially galling when there were people in her system making mid to high 6 figure salaries. When the economy picks up it may be the libraries that start to suffer the most because librarians are like any other employee - we want to be paid commisserate with our skill set. It's a small wonder there is such great competition in Florida for the academic librarian positions given the low salaries for public library positions which require an M.A. It's not like getting an M.A. in Information Studies costs any less than getting an equivilent degree in Computer Science, Business or any other field.
Point number 2: The absurd continuing arguements about high-speed rail. A person commenting on a recent article about the stimulus money spent on high-speed rail in Florida indicated that not enough people commute between Tampa and Orlando to justify the expense. Data from the state department of transportation estimated that the average annual daily traffic leaving Tampa going into Polk County was ~80,580 units and it rose to 148, 000 units by the time it reached the Central Florida Parkway. Those numbers came from the year 2000 and it was expected to grow to 141,326 and 186,695 by the year 2020. Despite the current downturn, it should be expected that with a robust economy those numbers may be on the conservative side. To claim that not enough commute was typical of someone who failed to do any research into the matter. In addition, the creation of a high-speed rail corridor would create jobs and reduce pollution and automobile emmissions.
Point 3: To those people who are complaining that the democrats haven't done anything to help the economy. It's going to take time to fix problems that are 8 to 20 years in the making. Many of the seeds of the current economic recession can be dated back to the 1980s and a president named Ronald Reagan. Keep in mind that the ancient Greeks discovered that "trickle down" economics was a fallacy because people are greedy. Cutting taxes on people with high incomes does not create jobs, it just ensures the rich will continue to make more money.
Point 3a: Quit complaining about the spending of stimulus money - President Bush signed the initial bill with Republican support and that money was mostly spent to ensure that overpaid bankers got bonus checks.
Point 4: No Child left behind is a disaster. Teachers are no longer allowed to "teach" but they are required to spend only set amounts of time on too many subjects and give homework to kids who are not ready to handle the responsibility. Teachers no longer have "teachable moments" explaining questions to children when the child has an inquiry because they don't have the time. There is no flexibility in the classroom. You will teach math for 30 minutes, then 40 minutes of English, take the kids to resource (music- if available -, P.E., Library, etc.) It's no wonder there is a shortage of good teachers - they don't get to "teach" and they don't get paid worth a darn either. If they really want to fix education, focus on the basic skills - Math, Reading, and Writing - and raise the minimum standards and pay for teachers to a reasonable amount.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Final post
To my small group of readers, this will be my final post on this blog. I may start a new one at some point, but right now I just don't have time to keep up with it. Thank you all for reading and (hopefully) laughing at my cynicism about the world. Let me know what you think and if I decide to start a new blog I'll be happy to email you the name...
Saturday, July 12, 2008
I rant a lot about journalism. So many articles in many newspapers in this country are just one step up (if that) from tabloid journalism. This problem becomes even more obvious when you notice that a major bank fails in this country - IndyMac was taken over by Federal regulators on 7/11/2008 - and the major newspaper here barely mentions it. The same day the major newswires are producing a number of articles on the problems with Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac - more fallout from the real estate bubble - and this only gets a short article in the local paper.
I begin to suspect that the problem here is one of misunderstanding who makes up your core audience. The population of the metro area here has grown by about 1 million people in the last 30 years. That kind of increase brings in a larger pool of educated people, yet the local paper seems to continue to aim it's coverage at the least educated; in effect they "dumb down" the news. Case in point is the lack of coverage on the IndyMac debacle. Not front page news but buried in the business section after 7/12. Can't let people know what's going on when it's far more important that they know about the new Batman movie or the that the local gymnast broke her leg and can't go the the Olympics. Don't do any real research or find an actual news story because that might require work.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised, after all some of the local reporters don't do their own research anyway, they just call the library. Then they have the nerve to complain that the library only directed them to sources and didn't just give them the answer. It makes me wonder if "journalists" in this town are just a bunch of 8th grade drop outs who still think that a "homework help" line will do the homework for them so they don't have to bother.
I begin to suspect that the problem here is one of misunderstanding who makes up your core audience. The population of the metro area here has grown by about 1 million people in the last 30 years. That kind of increase brings in a larger pool of educated people, yet the local paper seems to continue to aim it's coverage at the least educated; in effect they "dumb down" the news. Case in point is the lack of coverage on the IndyMac debacle. Not front page news but buried in the business section after 7/12. Can't let people know what's going on when it's far more important that they know about the new Batman movie or the that the local gymnast broke her leg and can't go the the Olympics. Don't do any real research or find an actual news story because that might require work.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised, after all some of the local reporters don't do their own research anyway, they just call the library. Then they have the nerve to complain that the library only directed them to sources and didn't just give them the answer. It makes me wonder if "journalists" in this town are just a bunch of 8th grade drop outs who still think that a "homework help" line will do the homework for them so they don't have to bother.
Update on the Tequila is the new wine
I ran across an article from AP yesterday saying that bourbon was gaining popularity worldwide. So I guess that means that Bourbon is the new Tequila which was the new wine which was probably the new beer right????
Friday, July 11, 2008
Interesting story about creating petroleum products from agricultural waste - http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19786825&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=639295&rfi=6
The story claims that the inventor is able to take regular farm waste - cracked soy beans, cotton, etc. - and turn it into crude oil. The most interesting part is that the oil then burns at 100% efficiency - i.e. there are no discernible waste products after burning.
Now I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bit skeptical about a number of things. If this oil can truly burn at 100% efficiency, I will have to revise my view of chemical reactions or retake some science courses. I can admit that my science background is a bit dated. I haven't taken any kind of chemistry class since my first year of college 17 years ago. I do have a more recent background in physics - 4 hours short of a minor - but again I haven't studied that in 6 years. I mention this because I recall vaguely that nothing burns at 100% efficiency - there is always something lost to waste and heat even if it's a very small amount.
That said, I find this inventor's experiment intriguing. What it appears he has done is speed up the process of decomposition for specific forms of organic material. Crude oil as pumped from the ground is generally made up of organic material that has decomposed. Wikipedia's article gives a good basic synopsis - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum
So if what this inventor has done can be independently repeated, we could have a partial solution to our current energy woes. However, I think this leads to an additional problem - we haven't weaned our dependency on oil. What good will it do if suddenly we're using all this "farm waste" to create fuel? Will we suddenly be facing a shortage of food as farmers grow "waste crops" to produce petroleum? What kinds of new pollution will result as a part of the refining process to create this petroleum and what new by-products will start to appear?
The other think I'm pondering is this: Could this experiment not be a modern day successor to the early 1900s "automobiles that run on water" demonstration - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water-fuelled_car and http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/car-runs-on-water-inventor-to-be-kidnapped-by-exxon-177716.php
The reason I wonder is that I live by one simple rule: If it's too good to be true it probably isn't.
The story claims that the inventor is able to take regular farm waste - cracked soy beans, cotton, etc. - and turn it into crude oil. The most interesting part is that the oil then burns at 100% efficiency - i.e. there are no discernible waste products after burning.
Now I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bit skeptical about a number of things. If this oil can truly burn at 100% efficiency, I will have to revise my view of chemical reactions or retake some science courses. I can admit that my science background is a bit dated. I haven't taken any kind of chemistry class since my first year of college 17 years ago. I do have a more recent background in physics - 4 hours short of a minor - but again I haven't studied that in 6 years. I mention this because I recall vaguely that nothing burns at 100% efficiency - there is always something lost to waste and heat even if it's a very small amount.
That said, I find this inventor's experiment intriguing. What it appears he has done is speed up the process of decomposition for specific forms of organic material. Crude oil as pumped from the ground is generally made up of organic material that has decomposed. Wikipedia's article gives a good basic synopsis - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum
So if what this inventor has done can be independently repeated, we could have a partial solution to our current energy woes. However, I think this leads to an additional problem - we haven't weaned our dependency on oil. What good will it do if suddenly we're using all this "farm waste" to create fuel? Will we suddenly be facing a shortage of food as farmers grow "waste crops" to produce petroleum? What kinds of new pollution will result as a part of the refining process to create this petroleum and what new by-products will start to appear?
The other think I'm pondering is this: Could this experiment not be a modern day successor to the early 1900s "automobiles that run on water" demonstration - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water-fuelled_car and http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/car-runs-on-water-inventor-to-be-kidnapped-by-exxon-177716.php
The reason I wonder is that I live by one simple rule: If it's too good to be true it probably isn't.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Living in the past
Random thought about Fourth of July in this country. While I think it's a great time to get together with family and celebrate, I get really sick and tired of the people who feel they need to set off firecrackers, fireworks, etc. hour after hour into the night. I come from a state which has banned almost all handheld fireworks - bottle rockets, and any others which can fly - due to the increased chance of injuries. They also enforce the law and I've seen many people get cited for having illegal fireworks which were then confiscated.
Then I moved to Florida and I feel like I stepped into the 10 year time warp. I came to a state that still allowed drive up windows on liquor stores, had radio stations that played '80s music like it was still 1985 - the same 10 songs on the play list, play 2 songs, 18 commercials, 5 minutes of inane DJ chatter, a few more commercials, 3 songs, etc. In addition, they had the same STUPID morning shows which had the "Thursday Morning" psychic, and that kind of drivel -and Florida allows an obscene number of different fireworks packages to be purchased regardless even when the state is having a huge drought. Totally bizarre. Plus, the majority of jobs in this state seemed to be service oriented -restaurants, gas stations, clothing and other mall stores - or tourism related. There was no apparent "big business" in Florida. Skip ahead a few years and .... it still seems like nothing has changed.
The drive-up windows at some liquor stores such as ABC Fine Wines and Spirits, have closed down, but that wouldn't have happened if not for a newspaper article pointing out how much drive up alcoholic beverage sales contribute to drunk driving. Closing the windows was a huge improvement considering how ABC allegedly used to hand out a cup with ice and a swizzle stick in it to anyone asking at the counter or through the drive up. They had stopped the cup of ice policy by the time I worked there in 2002 - not that the same people didn't CONSTANTLY ask for it and whine when we wouldn't provide it -, but the drive up windows (in Tallahassee) didn't close until at least 2003, right around the time for Florida A&M's homecoming game as I recall.
My point being this state is backward in a great many ways. Those of us that have moved here from elsewhere in the US, probably came for the weather, I know I did. In my case, I also came to attend one of the top Master's programs in my field. I love the weather here - including the occasional hurricane - and want to be in Florida. Unfortunately, unless some things change, such as moving the economy away from tourism, I won't be able to stay. There just aren't enough jobs for those of us who got our Master's degree and expect to be paid as such in this state, and I find that unfortunate.
Then I moved to Florida and I feel like I stepped into the 10 year time warp. I came to a state that still allowed drive up windows on liquor stores, had radio stations that played '80s music like it was still 1985 - the same 10 songs on the play list, play 2 songs, 18 commercials, 5 minutes of inane DJ chatter, a few more commercials, 3 songs, etc. In addition, they had the same STUPID morning shows which had the "Thursday Morning" psychic, and that kind of drivel -and Florida allows an obscene number of different fireworks packages to be purchased regardless even when the state is having a huge drought. Totally bizarre. Plus, the majority of jobs in this state seemed to be service oriented -restaurants, gas stations, clothing and other mall stores - or tourism related. There was no apparent "big business" in Florida. Skip ahead a few years and .... it still seems like nothing has changed.
The drive-up windows at some liquor stores such as ABC Fine Wines and Spirits, have closed down, but that wouldn't have happened if not for a newspaper article pointing out how much drive up alcoholic beverage sales contribute to drunk driving. Closing the windows was a huge improvement considering how ABC allegedly used to hand out a cup with ice and a swizzle stick in it to anyone asking at the counter or through the drive up. They had stopped the cup of ice policy by the time I worked there in 2002 - not that the same people didn't CONSTANTLY ask for it and whine when we wouldn't provide it -, but the drive up windows (in Tallahassee) didn't close until at least 2003, right around the time for Florida A&M's homecoming game as I recall.
My point being this state is backward in a great many ways. Those of us that have moved here from elsewhere in the US, probably came for the weather, I know I did. In my case, I also came to attend one of the top Master's programs in my field. I love the weather here - including the occasional hurricane - and want to be in Florida. Unfortunately, unless some things change, such as moving the economy away from tourism, I won't be able to stay. There just aren't enough jobs for those of us who got our Master's degree and expect to be paid as such in this state, and I find that unfortunate.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Pregnancy Pact Fallout
Now it's being contested that there was no actual pregnancy pact in the Massachusetts high school. See this article from the Boston Herald http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view/2008_06_25_Preg_pact_story_unravels/srvc=home&position=0
I find this disturbing on a great many levels. First, the journalist of the original piece is still insisting that she is correct. While I can understand her motivation, I want to ask a question "Are you just trying to maintain your 'journalistic integrity' by refusing to admit you may have misinterpreted an off-hand remark?" One of the benefits and curses of having a very free press is that often remarks that were made for specific individuals in an attempt to be humorous get completely taken out of context and turned into "news" stories. It's like the revenge of the National Enquirer set. Based on the above link and other related stories, it could appear that one of the social workers may have been trying to be funny when she said that the girls all made a pact to get pregnant by the end of the school year.
Second, the backlash, deserved or not, is going to dominate the news and take away from actual news stories that people need to know about. For example, when was the last time that current information about the war on Terror in Afghanistan made the news? Have we caught that Bin Ladin character yet? No? Don't care? Well, that's sad, because that is actual news from a war that affects everyone, not just those of us in the US.
There's a reason that the American news is ridiculed, it's that we have no content in our news. It's just one sensationalistic story after another - such as the continuing coverage of the b-list (or lower) celebrities like Britney or Paris - while some people care about what happens to people who are famous for their meltdowns or what their grandparents did to make money, it is NOT news when they break a fingernail! Interrupting a news broadcast about Afghanistan to show Ms. Hilton going to jail is absurd.
Finally, when there is a retraction due to shoddy journalism, it's buried on the back pages of a newspaper or footnoted at the end of the broadcast. And those two conditions only occur when the "news journalists" ADMIT they may have erred. All too often, the mistakes are just ignored in the hope that they will go away.
It's unfortunate that so many "news" sites, magazines and TV shows seem to run this kind of sensationalized story in an effort to improve hits, ratings or sales. Sensationalizing the news can only reduce the quality of the news source to one step, if that, above the supermarket tabloid.
Regardless of the outcome, it's still painfully obvious that whatever we are teaching our teens about sex and babies, it's horribly flawed. I feel that the basic understanding here must be that teens are going to have sex, REGARDLESS of what we teach them about it. No amount of abstinance pacts, abstinance only sex ed, contraceptive use sex ed in the classroom is going to change that. Scaring them does not seem to work either, just look at the rates of STDs in this county. So what is the solution? Perhaps parents should make the effort to talk to their kids about uncomfortable subjects. Surely talking to them can't do a worse job with sex ed than politically dictated sex ed does. The advantage to having the parents do the talking means that the schools/teachers will no longer have to listen to as much complaining about the lousy job they did preparing a daughter to get pregnant by her hook-up boyfriend.
I find this disturbing on a great many levels. First, the journalist of the original piece is still insisting that she is correct. While I can understand her motivation, I want to ask a question "Are you just trying to maintain your 'journalistic integrity' by refusing to admit you may have misinterpreted an off-hand remark?" One of the benefits and curses of having a very free press is that often remarks that were made for specific individuals in an attempt to be humorous get completely taken out of context and turned into "news" stories. It's like the revenge of the National Enquirer set. Based on the above link and other related stories, it could appear that one of the social workers may have been trying to be funny when she said that the girls all made a pact to get pregnant by the end of the school year.
Second, the backlash, deserved or not, is going to dominate the news and take away from actual news stories that people need to know about. For example, when was the last time that current information about the war on Terror in Afghanistan made the news? Have we caught that Bin Ladin character yet? No? Don't care? Well, that's sad, because that is actual news from a war that affects everyone, not just those of us in the US.
There's a reason that the American news is ridiculed, it's that we have no content in our news. It's just one sensationalistic story after another - such as the continuing coverage of the b-list (or lower) celebrities like Britney or Paris - while some people care about what happens to people who are famous for their meltdowns or what their grandparents did to make money, it is NOT news when they break a fingernail! Interrupting a news broadcast about Afghanistan to show Ms. Hilton going to jail is absurd.
Finally, when there is a retraction due to shoddy journalism, it's buried on the back pages of a newspaper or footnoted at the end of the broadcast. And those two conditions only occur when the "news journalists" ADMIT they may have erred. All too often, the mistakes are just ignored in the hope that they will go away.
It's unfortunate that so many "news" sites, magazines and TV shows seem to run this kind of sensationalized story in an effort to improve hits, ratings or sales. Sensationalizing the news can only reduce the quality of the news source to one step, if that, above the supermarket tabloid.
Regardless of the outcome, it's still painfully obvious that whatever we are teaching our teens about sex and babies, it's horribly flawed. I feel that the basic understanding here must be that teens are going to have sex, REGARDLESS of what we teach them about it. No amount of abstinance pacts, abstinance only sex ed, contraceptive use sex ed in the classroom is going to change that. Scaring them does not seem to work either, just look at the rates of STDs in this county. So what is the solution? Perhaps parents should make the effort to talk to their kids about uncomfortable subjects. Surely talking to them can't do a worse job with sex ed than politically dictated sex ed does. The advantage to having the parents do the talking means that the schools/teachers will no longer have to listen to as much complaining about the lousy job they did preparing a daughter to get pregnant by her hook-up boyfriend.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Decline of North Eastern Civilization
Time is running a story about a pregnancy boom in a Massachusetts high school - http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1815845,00.html
Apparently the gist is that a group of young ladies - most of whom are around 16 years old - made a pact to try to get pregnant before the end of the school year. While I feel that this story would be disturbing to many people, there is a point to be made here. Having this large a group of unwed pregnant teens can only point to the failure of the "abstinence only" sex ed program currently espoused by a certain political party. I find it very hard to look at it any other way. When you don't bother telling the kids anything except "don't do it because I said so" can you honestly have any expectation of them obeying you? I think not.
Children of any age are currently more wily and sophisticated than many of their parents were at the same age. Why? Because they have access to a great deal more information both good and bad at a younger age; they are constantly bombarded with information while seldom having time to burn off the excess energy - at least this is true here in Florida where many schools have canceled recess to add an additional PE class due to state mandates - and they interact with their environment in a completely different way than their parents or even some of their older siblings. Kids need to be given credit by adults for knowing a lot more than they let on.
As for the situation in Massachusetts, the parents are also to blame. There is no excuse for being so uninvolved in your children's lives that they can go out and make a silly pregnancy pact. Parent's need to quit blaming the schools - teachers are often underpaid, under appreciated and yet expected to put up with a ridiculous attitude from parents who won't even consider taking a tax increase to give teachers a raise - and teachers for their own lack of involvement in their kids lives. Be a better parent, take an interest in your child and quit trying to blame all your problems on everyone else because those of us without children are getting tired of watching our tax dollars go to raising your grandkids.
6/21
Check out this story from USA Today Online where no one else seems to know about this alleged pact. http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/06/mass-school-off.html
Apparently the gist is that a group of young ladies - most of whom are around 16 years old - made a pact to try to get pregnant before the end of the school year. While I feel that this story would be disturbing to many people, there is a point to be made here. Having this large a group of unwed pregnant teens can only point to the failure of the "abstinence only" sex ed program currently espoused by a certain political party. I find it very hard to look at it any other way. When you don't bother telling the kids anything except "don't do it because I said so" can you honestly have any expectation of them obeying you? I think not.
Children of any age are currently more wily and sophisticated than many of their parents were at the same age. Why? Because they have access to a great deal more information both good and bad at a younger age; they are constantly bombarded with information while seldom having time to burn off the excess energy - at least this is true here in Florida where many schools have canceled recess to add an additional PE class due to state mandates - and they interact with their environment in a completely different way than their parents or even some of their older siblings. Kids need to be given credit by adults for knowing a lot more than they let on.
As for the situation in Massachusetts, the parents are also to blame. There is no excuse for being so uninvolved in your children's lives that they can go out and make a silly pregnancy pact. Parent's need to quit blaming the schools - teachers are often underpaid, under appreciated and yet expected to put up with a ridiculous attitude from parents who won't even consider taking a tax increase to give teachers a raise - and teachers for their own lack of involvement in their kids lives. Be a better parent, take an interest in your child and quit trying to blame all your problems on everyone else because those of us without children are getting tired of watching our tax dollars go to raising your grandkids.
6/21
Check out this story from USA Today Online where no one else seems to know about this alleged pact. http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/06/mass-school-off.html
Friday, June 13, 2008
Random Rants
What do you get when Friday the 13th and a full moon seem to come at the same time? Random bouts of weirdness, like the guy falling asleep while receiving a verbal warning from staff about sleeping in the library. Do you not think you're going to get in trouble?
Another weird one, RIAA - the group that is suing people for illegal music downloads - drops a case just before the judge can decide on the defendants motion for dismissal, then refiles with another judge a new case, same defendants, but "convienently" forgot to inform the new judge that the cases were related. This despite the fact that this particular case has been dismissed twice before and was not allowed to be refiled. Read more about that particular action here: http://recordingindustryvspeople.blogspot.com/2008/06/riaa-files-new-action-against-cassin.html I particularly like the comment referring to how the RIAA is looking for the "real" infringers. Sounds like someone else who was looking for the "real" killers...
Funny thing about RIAA cases, when they are pressed to reveal how they have determined that a particular person using a particular computer has downloaded and therefore cost the record company and artist six figure amounts of money, they tend to obfuscate the issue with unrelated information. The thing that seems to keep coming up in these RIAA cases is that the RIAA - which is NOT supported by all recording artists by any means - is on a witch hunt.
Finally, as noted here http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/06/12/Yahoo_ends_talks_with_Microsoft_nears_Google_deal_1.html
Yahoo is dissing Microsoft for Google. Can we file this in the how far has Microsoft fallen since the antitrust case?
Another weird one, RIAA - the group that is suing people for illegal music downloads - drops a case just before the judge can decide on the defendants motion for dismissal, then refiles with another judge a new case, same defendants, but "convienently" forgot to inform the new judge that the cases were related. This despite the fact that this particular case has been dismissed twice before and was not allowed to be refiled. Read more about that particular action here: http://recordingindustryvspeople.blogspot.com/2008/06/riaa-files-new-action-against-cassin.html I particularly like the comment referring to how the RIAA is looking for the "real" infringers. Sounds like someone else who was looking for the "real" killers...
Funny thing about RIAA cases, when they are pressed to reveal how they have determined that a particular person using a particular computer has downloaded and therefore cost the record company and artist six figure amounts of money, they tend to obfuscate the issue with unrelated information. The thing that seems to keep coming up in these RIAA cases is that the RIAA - which is NOT supported by all recording artists by any means - is on a witch hunt.
Finally, as noted here http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/06/12/Yahoo_ends_talks_with_Microsoft_nears_Google_deal_1.html
Yahoo is dissing Microsoft for Google. Can we file this in the how far has Microsoft fallen since the antitrust case?
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Back with some mild ranting
I'm still wondering about the whole "Y is the new X" thing. Who thinks up stupid things like that? Very non-creative people I suppose.
Today I ran across our copy of New York Magazine, the one with Lindsay Lohan recreating the Last Sitting. Naturally, one of our patrons felt the need to cut the pictures out with scissors, thus defacing the magazine. Granted I am assuming it was a patron and not someone who works here because after all aren't librarians supposed to believe in freedom of expression? Now back to the rant...
I'm not so certain I care that the pictures were cut out. Go to New York Magazines online site and you can see them, plus a couple that did not get put in the magazine. Big deal. I don't like the vandalism, but I think it proves something I believe. IF you want to prevent crimes like theft, vandalism, etc. you have to establish a visible presence at your work area. This means that librarians have to (ohmigawd don't say it) WALK AROUND! Get off your lazy butt and take a walk around your reference area when you're on the desk. It's just like any other business, if people see you, you make eye contact, maybe talk to them a little, offer to help, they are much less likely to damage/destroy/steal material. Why? Because as you walk around and do those little things they get UNCOMFORTABLE. Duh!
Today I ran across our copy of New York Magazine, the one with Lindsay Lohan recreating the Last Sitting. Naturally, one of our patrons felt the need to cut the pictures out with scissors, thus defacing the magazine. Granted I am assuming it was a patron and not someone who works here because after all aren't librarians supposed to believe in freedom of expression? Now back to the rant...
I'm not so certain I care that the pictures were cut out. Go to New York Magazines online site and you can see them, plus a couple that did not get put in the magazine. Big deal. I don't like the vandalism, but I think it proves something I believe. IF you want to prevent crimes like theft, vandalism, etc. you have to establish a visible presence at your work area. This means that librarians have to (ohmigawd don't say it) WALK AROUND! Get off your lazy butt and take a walk around your reference area when you're on the desk. It's just like any other business, if people see you, you make eye contact, maybe talk to them a little, offer to help, they are much less likely to damage/destroy/steal material. Why? Because as you walk around and do those little things they get UNCOMFORTABLE. Duh!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Trendwatching for 2008
Recently received a link to a list of things (http://influxinsights.com/blog/article/1724/jwt-has-80-things-for-us-to-watch-in-08.html) to watch for in 2008. Obviously I'm a little behind since it's late February and the list was created in December, but I feel the need to make comments on a few of these issues.
2. Antibiotic Backlash - this has been in the news before mainly due to antibiotic resistant strains of diseases cropping up. Is this a new issue? I think not.
4. Beijing 2008 - They're holding the Olympics in China so we'll go through the inevitable fads of so-called "culture" that usually have nothing to do with the country in question - Crocodile Dundee anyone?
7. British actress Kira Knightley - already overexposed in the entertainment world.
49. Nollywood - can we come up with something better than another Hollywood knockoff - Metro Goldwyn Nigeria, Nigerian Artists, SOMETHING????
69. Tequila as the new wine - tequila connoisseurs will have a field day with this. Simple facts about distillation - any liquor can be distilled/aged into a fine sipping beverage suited for cocktail hours, dinner, or after dinner drinks. This has already happened with scotch (single malt), rum and whiskey (single barrel or single batch or small batch). Does this mean next year watch out for Gin or Vodka as the new tequila?
Further rant on #69 - what is it with calling everything the new X (the new black, the new wine, etc.) It's an absurd premise and a lousy comparison device. Simply put, call the item the new trend in it's field - Tequila will be the big news in alcoholic beverages rivalling wine for it's versatility and be done with "the new" fad.
2. Antibiotic Backlash - this has been in the news before mainly due to antibiotic resistant strains of diseases cropping up. Is this a new issue? I think not.
4. Beijing 2008 - They're holding the Olympics in China so we'll go through the inevitable fads of so-called "culture" that usually have nothing to do with the country in question - Crocodile Dundee anyone?
7. British actress Kira Knightley - already overexposed in the entertainment world.
49. Nollywood - can we come up with something better than another Hollywood knockoff - Metro Goldwyn Nigeria, Nigerian Artists, SOMETHING????
69. Tequila as the new wine - tequila connoisseurs will have a field day with this. Simple facts about distillation - any liquor can be distilled/aged into a fine sipping beverage suited for cocktail hours, dinner, or after dinner drinks. This has already happened with scotch (single malt), rum and whiskey (single barrel or single batch or small batch). Does this mean next year watch out for Gin or Vodka as the new tequila?
Further rant on #69 - what is it with calling everything the new X (the new black, the new wine, etc.) It's an absurd premise and a lousy comparison device. Simply put, call the item the new trend in it's field - Tequila will be the big news in alcoholic beverages rivalling wine for it's versatility and be done with "the new" fad.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Funny stuff
So it must be the full moon, early spring and something else I can't quite put my finger on because I am getting the weirdest issues at work this week. First was the regular patron who came in and sat down at a table already occupied by a studying student. The student came to me and asked if I would have the other patron move as the student was doing school work and was being disrupted by the regular patrons loud phone conversation. Upon asking VERY POLITELY if the intruding patron would move, I was called racist and told that the FBI would be checking up on me.
Second fun incident: I woke a sleeping patron to give her a copy of the library rules and explain that she could not sleep in the library. Patron's response "What kind of library is this?" before storming off...
I can't help but laugh at both incidents because they are so typical of our patron base. Working downtown in a large public library has it's moments of genuine weirdness and this is shaping up to be the week for them.
I also ran across a couple of neat library memes that I will probably be participating in soon. I have some great ideas for both of them.
Second fun incident: I woke a sleeping patron to give her a copy of the library rules and explain that she could not sleep in the library. Patron's response "What kind of library is this?" before storming off...
I can't help but laugh at both incidents because they are so typical of our patron base. Working downtown in a large public library has it's moments of genuine weirdness and this is shaping up to be the week for them.
I also ran across a couple of neat library memes that I will probably be participating in soon. I have some great ideas for both of them.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Libraries and E-government part 2
To follow-up to yesterday's post about libraries and e-government. The point I'm trying to make is that libraries are being asked to assume a great deal of extra responsibility with no extra funding. Basically what is happening is that many government entities are streamlining their services in an effort to cut costs. One of the ways they do this is by putting information they used to provide in print form into an electronic format. While there is no doubt that this streamlines their workload, the work doesn't just disappear. In fact, the work load has to be picked up by someone else, and in this case it's the public library.
There are other solutions to the problem. One of them would be to just refuse to help and send them back to the government agency. While this would be extremely poor service by the library, it would get the message back to places like DCF that we are not going to pick up their slack.
Another option is to allow the customer internet access - which we already do - and show them which web site they need, then walk away and refuse to offer any additional help. Again this is a customer service problem, but it protects the librarian from a huge responsibility and liability for the patron personal information.
A third option is to arrange for a training session from someone working for a government department. DCF in Florida does have a liaison for most counties and is apparently willing to send people out to conduct training sessions. I feel this creates the problem of our enabling DCF to continue shirking their responsibility by taking over a portion of their job. Again, librarians are not and should not have to be social workers. On the other hand, if DCF is going to kick back to us some of the $30 million they are "saving" each year by not offering services, then perhaps we could make a deal.
The big picture here is that libraries need to find their niche for the 21st century. The only way to do this is by offering needed services for the public and being able to prove that we have value. This will mean having direct statistical evidence that we are providing services - number of applications for food stamps we helped with this month, number of e-government website visits, number of job applications assisted with, etc. If we can bring those kind of numbers to the state legislature via our lobbyists, then perhaps we can start seeing more money to offset the costs associated with being government's safety net.
There are other solutions to the problem. One of them would be to just refuse to help and send them back to the government agency. While this would be extremely poor service by the library, it would get the message back to places like DCF that we are not going to pick up their slack.
Another option is to allow the customer internet access - which we already do - and show them which web site they need, then walk away and refuse to offer any additional help. Again this is a customer service problem, but it protects the librarian from a huge responsibility and liability for the patron personal information.
A third option is to arrange for a training session from someone working for a government department. DCF in Florida does have a liaison for most counties and is apparently willing to send people out to conduct training sessions. I feel this creates the problem of our enabling DCF to continue shirking their responsibility by taking over a portion of their job. Again, librarians are not and should not have to be social workers. On the other hand, if DCF is going to kick back to us some of the $30 million they are "saving" each year by not offering services, then perhaps we could make a deal.
The big picture here is that libraries need to find their niche for the 21st century. The only way to do this is by offering needed services for the public and being able to prove that we have value. This will mean having direct statistical evidence that we are providing services - number of applications for food stamps we helped with this month, number of e-government website visits, number of job applications assisted with, etc. If we can bring those kind of numbers to the state legislature via our lobbyists, then perhaps we can start seeing more money to offset the costs associated with being government's safety net.
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