Fun with Xtranormal

How many billion bucks?

Some $65.5 billion was spent on the Australian government's Building a Better Future program; more than $16.2 billion on the national Building the Education Revolution (BER) program. "More than" $287 million was to be invested in the state of New South Wales public school's National School Pride (NSP) program - with "up to" $200,000 per school. Figures to make your head swim, no?

So, one high school built in the 1960's - for which the planned purpose-built library was never built - uses with three classrooms with the walls knocked out as a library. They had this:


Costing out at less than 500 bucks - including signage - they asked for this (image generated using the Arcsoft graphics program):


Read that top bit again, will you? This is what this library got after about $50,000 had been spent on painting "selected bits" the school

image coming soon ....

Election Joke (Australian)

This is a true story - not even the names have been changed, as there are no Innocent parties. If you're not Australian, or you're under 40 years of age, you're not going to see the humour. Sorry.

Walking into the Polling Venue, and being greeted by a Polling Official, charged with making sure every one was in the right line): "Are you voting for Chifley?" My reply: "I didn't know he was standing."

Hahahahahhahhahah.

Yes, I made myself laugh, and the elderly couple behind me.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - -
A feeble attempt to explain the humour for those who won't be able to get to sleep unless they 'get it" ... Chifley is the name of a Federal electorate, named after Australia's 16th Prime Minister .

65 years since the end of WWII

Seems like a lot of folk let this anniversary pass without much thought. Perhaps "65" is not sufficiently MileStone in nature to merit commemoration? Having watched Inglourious Basterds [sic] (again) last night, I can now forgive at least the spelling of the film title.

On another, although related note, I much admire the work of Quentin Tarantino, in this case for the film's originality and non-linear narrative - a Tarantino trademark. Given that I am currently under prohibition (yeah, another one) in regard to writing any book reviews - in case I might somehow make financial gain - I'm guessing I might still be OK to comment on The Cinema. Ah well, I'll find out on Monday if I have again broken a conduct regulation ... which might not yet actually be in existence. Not that that's any excuse. Apparently.

POETS Day

I am unreliably informed that Friday is "POETS Day" (P--- Off Early Tomorrow's Saturday), and yet here it is, 5 minutes after the final bell for the day - and indeed week - and I'm still here. And I'll still be here for at least another 25 minutes, and possibly much longer. The staff car park is just about empty; the cleaners are here.

The significance of the fact that the janitorial staff all drive cars several decades younger than mine is not lost on me, particularly as my 'ride' could not be classed as a "Classic" for at least several more decades. If it doesn't fall apart before then. Like me.

So now I'm off to clear my filing backlog, open this morning's mail (hopefully nothing important), and attend to similar tasks that could probably wait until Monday. Now there's an idea ...

Our future in their hands ...

Latest update on the outcome of The Determination, following the submission of The Response to The Allegations ... the decision has been made, but won't be advised until next week.

So much for Article 5 (degrading punishment) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Similarly for Article 10 (fair and public hearing), Article 11 (presumption of innocence), Article 12 (attacks on reputation), Article 18 (freedom of thought), Article 19 (freedom of expression) etc etc. Not to mention copyright violation - using resources I created without firstly getting my own consent.

Go figure.

At least Guyana is listening to me ...

Still no word on the pending Determination ... and apparently They have "a three month period" (plus any extensions They believe are warranted - or if they get Very Busy or something) before They are required to tell anyone anything. Talk about "cruel and unusual punishment"!

But at least they're listening over in Guyana; or to be strictly accurate the Guyana Chronicle Online published an editorial extensively quoting the excellent article Ataxia in the Republic of Letters. Thanks, folks. Nice to know someone listens, even if it is on the other side of the planet.

The Reference Interview

So, today in the library ...

Patron: Do you have a pack of cards?

Librarian: We have books on playing cards, we have books on card rules, we have books on people who play cards, we have books on other indoor games, we have books on gambling and gambling addiction; I can direct you to websites where you can play online card games from home - not here though because they are blocked by the filters; I can give you cardboard and colouring media so you can make your own pack of cards.

Patron: Do you have any games?

Librarian: We have books on many types of games; we have fiction with stories about people playing games; we have access to the websites for organisations that control games; have you ever thought of making up your own game?

Patron: Do you know anywhere here (at the school) where I could get a game?

Librarian: Sigh. Try the games room.

So true ...

It occurred to me that my speech or my silence, indeed any action of mine, would be a mere futility.

Joseph Conrad (1857-1924)

Damned if you do, damned if you don't ...

At a school of my acquaintance, a teacher librarian of my acquaintance got hauled over the coals on Monday (for sending out letters for overdue books, including the statement "may be subject to an administration fee", and not signed by the CEO). Threatened with disciplinary action.

On Wednesday, hauled over the coals again, falsely accused of releasing students from sports detention class (yes, we're still talking the same Teacher Librarian) before 'finishing time' and not following a procedure - that hadn't yet been written. Threatened with disciplinary action.

Not to mention being in the wrong room - the one instructed by the CEO, rather than the one instructed by the sports organiser. Or maybe it was the other way around? It seemed that there was a lot of uncertainty on all three sides on that one. But somehow it was all the Teacher Librarian's fault.

Apparently though - and this is a good 'rule of thumb' for others in a similar situation, although that might change with circumstances, context, phases of the moon, etc (check your local chicken entrails before making any assumptions) - is that a written instruction from a Sports Organiser trumps a verbal instruction from a principal.

Gee, and its only Wednesday!

See Also: Damned if I do, damned if I don't ... "you are not authorised to do this-that-the-other; you need my consent first; it wasn't you decision to make" as opposed to "why didn't you use your initiative?" Now, what play is that from???

On a lighter note (butane, I think), I am still awaiting the Determination. So life continues on pretty much as before, except I'm now one wisdom tooth lighter than when the week started. And still two days to go. Hurrah?

Human Rights and Civil Liberties

There's been a few television shows on introducing some 'kultchya' into the lives of what may be most kindly described as "rough girls". Our grandmothers' generation may have called them "trollops", but they weren't talking about Anthony.

Indeed, a number of charitable institutions have adopted this same cause. Even in some of our educational institutions, there are significant attempts (OK, a few half-hearted policy documents and a bit of lip service for the sake of PR) to be proactive in this area.

But I say we should let zygones be zygones.

________________________

Speaking of which, the Response to the Allegations has been submitted. A response to the Response has not yet been forthcoming. As usual, it will probably be necessary to respond to the Response to the Response, particularly as I wasn't really satisfied with the way I addressed one of the issues.

In my own defense though, I'm completely at a loss to understand how to respond to the charge that I neglected to ask myself permission to use my own work. Maybe there's a pro-forma somewhere that I didn't complete - and submit to myself. To follow the usual protocols, I guess I'm going to have to discipline myself, but you know what? I'm not that much into the whole SM thing ...


Divider graphic used with permission of Steve R. Morris of U.Florida

Hahaha

Found on the floor near the (computer) printer at the end of a busy and wet lunchtime ... a print out of instructions on Being Organised. Obviously still a bit of a gap there in planning, collating, and storage ...

The Return of the Three-Letter-Acronym

My little "reward" for having stopped smoking (cigarettes that is - the steam still comes out of my ears at times of high stress) was a nice flat-panel LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TV ... at six times the size of the last computer monitor I bought, and maybe even more significantly half the price of the monitor. No wonder our GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is in such a state.

Anyway, now I have access to an EPG! Golly gee whiz! I even looked it up, and found that this was an electronic program guide - which we already had through our cable TV connection (CTV). Pffft, thought I (onomatopoeic, not an acronym), we've had that facility in libraries for decades with our OPACs (which is four letters, and therefore obviously a much higher class of acronym - although not quite as trendy).

I can't see much use for the PLS (Parental Lock System), given that our at-home children are far more technologically advanced than we are - and to attempt to engage the PLS can only provoke acts of retaliation which would ultimately render us not only humiliated, but locked out of viewing anything at all.

I'm still pondering the relative merits - or indeed the existence of any difference between - a PVR (Personal Video Recorder) in comparison to a DVR (Digital Video Recorder), but I guess as the glossary lists both without any See Also reference, there has to be at least a modicum of difference, regardless of how vague and tenuous.

At least now we don't need a STB (Set Top Box) given the OEA (Outrageously Expensive Aerial) we had installed. The last TLA (Three Letter Acronym) doesn't actually appear in the glossary in the current edition, but I'm going to suggest it to the manufacturers for their next revision.

Of course, this is all diversionary self-delusion (DSD) whilst still awaiting more important information (MII) on that other matter (TOM) which is hanging like the Sword of Damocles (SoD). WTF, do I hear you ask ... but no, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (WTF) have not yet been fruitful to date. But then again, Monday is only 18 hours away.

Fictional prescience?

Still awaiting more details of exactly what I am apparently guilty of - now two weeks since I asked for more details. However, an extension of the deadline has been granted; deadline hopefully not synonymous with "flat line" ...

In the mean time, consider:

"... do you think it stops with me? If that were so, the world would still be ruled by all the other cowards who tried to murder the truth - the Nazis, the Communists, the dictators - and wound up on the trash heap of history." Patterson, Richard North: No Safe Place p295. Random House ISBN 009175320

Whistleblower teacher threatened with dismissal

The teacher behind the resurgence of the DET's coverup on unflued gas heaters in schools is under threat of dismissal. Internal 'police' unit EPAC claims the teacher had placed a link on a government owned website to another site selling products made by the teacher.

With a 14 day period to respond, EPAC has not provided sufficient details of the allegation to prepare an adequate defence. The request for an extension of time has gone unanswered, as has the query for more specific information.

The teacher, a paying member of the NSW Teachers Federation for 25 years, approached the union for assistance. At the time of writing, the extent of that support was limited to an offer of 'editing' any response written by the teacher.

Union support to date has been limited to an offer to 'edit' the teacher's own response to the charges, and an instruction to limit contact to a Federation Officer currently on leave.

... and thanks for all the fish?

Many thanks to those colleagues who have shared their own (similar) experiences, the expressions of support, and advice. Isn't it strange that in a supposed democracy such as Australia, there is still an automatic assumption of guilt - requiring the "accused" to prove innocence? But this is not the case in "common law" - only those in the employment of government services, who make the laws. Go figure.

This needs to be brought to the attention of Someone Who Cares. In the location of such a personage or organisation lies the first of many hurdles. What a shame my friend Steve Price moved to Melbourne ...

Hope you're sitting down ...

... today I was officially presented with a formal letter from my employer's Stazi Unit; I am charged with making money from Warrior Librarian, and providing resources for free to my colleagues. I kid you not. Oh, and I breached copyright because I wrote stuff related to my work - so "technically" it belongs to my employer, even though I did it in my own time and on my own equipment - that I then gave away.

When you've finished laughing yourself sick (I vomited myself, but I can't say I was laughing at the time), you might be interested to know that I was told that my employer considers these allegations are as seriously as those levelled against child molesting teachers.

But perhaps what rankles the most is the fact that the allegations were made by one of my "colleagues". But together with the automatic presumption of guilt, and the requirement that I prove my innocence, comes the provision of anonymity of my accuser. Sure, I've got a fair idea who it is most likely to be, but they won't be made to face me after I've shown the charges to be without substance, frivolous, and motivated by malice.

So much for 'natural justice', transparency, and good old fashioned fairness. Indeed, this situation is contrary to common law in this country, and violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

I have 14 days to respond to the allegations. I could sum up the whole situation in just one word, but I think I'm expected to be more prolix and less expressive ...

Assessing the Effectiveness of Web 2.0

They say "everything old becomes new again", and so it would appear to also be true in the matter of Online information dissemination. I've lost track of the number of hugely successfully authors (critically acclaimed as well as commercially viable) who stated their work is read because there's "something there to offend everyone" - or words to that effect.

And what better way to assess the effectiveness of Web 2.0 communication than to collate data as to what and why "advice" is given regarding the restriction of "certain information".

Whilst still contemplating the implications of the very recent verbal instruction that a certain person "did not expect to see their name mentioned" by me on "any website or listserv", and the confidential classification of The Meeting, and a prohibition on revealing the nature of the discussion, and the expectation of that none of the identities of the other parties would be revealed ... it occurs to me that perhaps I may have been the only one present that sees the true nature of the instruction.

We're not talking anti-terrorism strategies, national security policies, or even daytime television programming. This was a conflict resolution meeting regarding different perspectives on library management.

Can't tell you any more at this stage without appropriate clearances re identities, agenda, outcomes, determinations, etc. I'm already in trouble with the Fashion Compliance Unit, The Diet Council, and the Grammar Police. However, I'm reasonably sure that there isn't yet a prohibition on my "reflecting" or inviting comment on my reflections.

So pretty much it came down to an experienced, qualified and practicing Library Manager disagreeing with the principle of "non-accountability", unqualified, and precedent-reliant line managers determining policies which negatively impact on resource security, OHS issues, and pure and simple Human Rights.

Not to mention MLTU - the misinformed leading the uninformed ... to the exclusion of the only informed perspective. Such is the way of the world. Apparently.

A very small victory for order ...

You remember I had that box of bookmarks? And you remember I had that floppy disk storage box? And you remember how I threw out the floppy disks? Which left me an empty floppy disk box and no idea what to do with it?

Solved that one! Once I found that the bookmarks are exactly the right size to store in the floppy disk box (or maybe it was the other way around), the answer came to me in a flash.

Put the bookmarks in the floppy disk box.

The result is astounding. This strategy means that I've managed to throw out one small box (that used to have bookmarks in it). A small step for man, a giant step for feng shui. Ok, maybe more like a shuffle ...

Yet more repurposing?

Another imponderable ... now that I have thrown away all the old floppy disks (except one for archival purposes), what to do with the purpose built floppy disk box?

Not strictly speaking only a home-office/library problem ... there's a build up of these containers at the DJ Library as well. But at least there the many cupboards provide some storage space.

Here's a few ideas to be going on with: they're the ideal size for a small animal coffin, although being basically "open casket" in function, not suitable for road-kill; a lockable pen caddy for really treasured memento-type stationery; those cute mini-CDs fit in there nicely - but as they're mainly advertising, do we really want to keep them?; for families with dysfunctional oral hygiene, the containers could be used for overnight storage of multiple dentures; or what about miniature glass houses for growing designer herbs?

OK, maybe not the best of options, but perhaps someone out there has other ideas?