tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:16:17 +0000ethicsimagesInternational BusinessastronomyGoing GreenHealth and Illnesscablenewsmoviesinstructional technologiesnatureartlibrarypreservationscholarly journalscitationpetsLGBThumorHolidaysweatherbook loversbusinessMLA FormatfolkloreanatomyChildren's Literatureveterinary medicineHeroes of TechnologylanguagemythologyTeachingfood safetyReferenceinterviewsdesignfunstatisticsBoysdosageMechanicspaintingeducationStuds TerkelVincent Van Goghdatabases/search enginesAudiovisual(AV)coughingPsychologyLibrarieselectricityMobile Devicesarchivesocial networkinganimationsneezingFoodinventionsWritinge-learningFacebookelectriciansscienceAlternative EnergymathnursingcalendarsInternetphotographyConstructionelectrical power distributionAutoCaddisease controlAPA FormatpoliticsetiquetteparentingmusiccommunicationcareersWest Bendstudent involvementmuseumstelevisionVeteranssafety/securityWomen's IssuesnewspaperseconomicsMPTC Faculty and StaffenergyComputersBiographyhistoryreligionAlcohol/drug use/abusedigitalpeak oilautomotiveAmericanaHarper's Magazinecalculatorhttp://mparklib.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Rick)Blogger326125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-3367413681126962716Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:14:00 +00002012-02-10T08:16:18.083-08:00economicsethicsFoodIn prior posts I've criticized farm subsidies from the US government. Here is a video that puts it in clear and simple terms:http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2012/02/why-are-twinkies-cheaper-than-carrots.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jeff Siemers)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-7123032530793081047Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:59:00 +00002012-02-01T08:21:18.304-08:00funWhen you combine video clips of Seasame Street's Cookie Monster with the audio of Tom Waits' "God's Away on Business" here's what you get:http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2012/02/gods-away-on-business-cookie-monstertom.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jeff Siemers)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-8299169281466668727Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:10:00 +00002012-01-31T06:16:48.399-08:00funArt Supply"I used to work in an art supply store. We sold artists' canvas by the yard, and you could get it in either of two widths: 36 inches or 48 inches. Customer: 'Can you please cut some canvas for me?' Me: 'Certainly, what width?' Customer: (confused and slightly annoyed) 'Scissors?'"http://kcbx.net/~tellswor/artsuppl.htmhttp://mparklib.blogspot.com/2012/01/joke-of-week.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erika Fleisner)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-4161061277532910502Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:56:00 +00002012-01-18T14:06:11.515-08:00historyHolidaysYou may have had Monday off and not really thought about what the Martin Luther King holiday is about. Don't feel guilty: it happens with all holidays. Anyway, within the lifetimes of a lot of Americans, things have changed a lot. Before Martin Luther King came along, racial segregation was enforced by something called Jim Crow laws.Anyway, I know you don't want a long lecture, so I'll get to thehttp://mparklib.blogspot.com/2012/01/is-martin-luther-king-still-relevant.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jeff Siemers)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-1933672060881306321Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:20:00 +00002012-01-10T14:21:42.925-08:00fun"When I was working as a clerk at a sporting-goods store, a woman came up to my register with a package of white athletic socks. 'Will you open this up so I can see how the socks feel?' she asked. Reluctantly I tore open the package, and she scrutinized the merchandise. She handed me the package, saying, 'I'll take them.' Relieved, I started to ring up the sale, until she interrupted me. 'Can I http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2012/01/socks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erika Fleisner)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-6466771319835561154Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:16:00 +00002011-12-09T08:23:07.147-08:00historyHolidaysThe Book of Days first came out in 1869. (We have the edition that was republished in 1967 at MPTC's Fond du Lac campus.)I suppose that the print is too small for you to read the page above, but it is about the 12th day of Christmas, January 6th.That is right. January 6th is the 12th day of Christmas. And the second paragraph tells us that "primitive Christians celebrated the Feast of the http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-creep-and-book-of-days.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jeff Siemers)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-1835679878689244169Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:16:00 +00002011-12-02T06:33:53.637-08:00PsychologyThe main characters of a 90+ minute film I just saw comprise a normal French-Canadian middle class family. In fact, they seem like real nice people, the kind you'd like to have living next door.The Beaudry family managed to take a year out of their busy lives to see the world. They used the time to get away from industrial civilization and the "rat race." All five members of the family enjoyed http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/11/with-and-without-you-video-about.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jeff Siemers)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-1158568634162424061Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:15:00 +00002011-11-21T06:20:34.271-08:00funSince Thursday is Turkey Day, I thought this would be appropriate for this week's "Joke of the Week". Enjoy!Thanksgiving Themed MoviesThe Top 15 Thanksgiving-Themed Movies15. To Kill A Walking Bird14. My Best Friend's Dressing13. Thighs Wide Shut12. The Texas Coleslaw Massacre11. Casserolablanca10. The Fabulous Baster Boys9. 12 Hungry Men8. Silence of the Yams7. For Love of The Game Hen6. I Know http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/11/joke-of-week_21.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erika Fleisner)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-7630190243016138402Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:39:00 +00002011-11-17T14:09:12.538-08:00ethicsenergyThe Association for the Study of Peak Oil, more commonly known as ASPO, had their Truth in Energy Conference earlier this month. One of the speakers was Angelina Galetiva, the founder of Renewables 100, a renewable energy policy institute. Her talk was summarized in a post on the highly esteemed Oil Drum.As recounted in The Oil Drum, Galetiva ended her talk with a poem of sorts, or maybe we http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/11/galetiva-asks-whose-job-is-it-anyway.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jeff Siemers)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-8553929634926776541Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:43:00 +00002011-11-09T14:16:14.447-08:00economicsethicsenergyAccording to the Bloomberg website, fossil fuels received six times the subsidies that renewable energy received from the governments of the world last year. The article cites the International Energy Agency's report of an increase to an equivalent of $409 billion in subsidies for natural gas, coal and gasoline. This happened despite a 2009 pledge by G20 nations to phase out subsidies for "http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/11/fossil-fuels-are-heavily-subsidized.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jeff Siemers)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-2658545972359333850Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:59:00 +00002011-11-01T12:12:04.189-07:00funOverdue Bill"A lawyer sent an overdue bill to a client. A note was attached that stated: 'This bill is one year old.' By return mail the lawyer had his bill back. To it was attached a card which read: 'Happy Birthday.'"http://kcbx.net/~tellswor/overdueb.htmhttp://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/11/joke-of-week.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erika Fleisner)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-3702962162753162304Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:34:00 +00002011-10-26T07:50:40.483-07:00newsDISCLAIMER: I have never been to New York City. The screencaptures you see below were taken from the latest post to The Buring Platform (don't know why it is called that unless it has something to do with the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill). The title of the blogpost is A Lesson in Democracy and Our Most Excellent Adventure in NYC.My thanks to Jim Quinn and anybody else associated with The Burninghttp://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/10/signs-seen-at-occupy-wall-street.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jeff Siemers)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-6421557759707767472Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:44:00 +00002011-10-13T11:20:38.691-07:00economicsNationally renowned retired physics professor Albert Bartlett told an interviewer in 2005 that he suspected that economic growth "has never paid for itself. It's a racket."But what a racket it is. Every candidate for Congress, the presidency and down to the mayors of towns and cities big and small know that they have to promise growth to get elected and re-elected. The same is true for http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/10/economic-growth-is-racket.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jeff Siemers)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-2991186677631313317Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:13:00 +00002011-10-05T07:27:59.225-07:00funFoodIf you remember the early 1980's, you know that Pac-Man was a major video game craze. (Statistically, Ms. Pac-Man may have been an even bigger craze if my memory of video game history is correct.) In the interest of promoting art and nostalgia, and possibly to familiarize you with some culinary terminology, I now present the Pac-Man Musical:http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/10/delicious-musical-about-pac-man.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jeff Siemers)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-8917976091667935867Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:22:00 +00002011-09-27T06:37:11.987-07:00funScrimp and Save"After years of scrimping and saving, a husband told his wife the good news: 'Honey, we've finally saved enough money to buy what we started saving for in 1979.''You mean a brand-new cadillac?' She asked eagerly.'No', said the husband, 'a 1979 Cadillac.'"http://kcbx.net/~tellswor/scrimpsv.htmhttp://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/09/joke-of-week_27.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erika Fleisner)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-2521432007978216942Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:18:00 +00002011-09-20T06:35:38.707-07:00funOut of Gas"After finising an out-of-town errand, I discovered that my car wouldn't start because it was out of gas. A passer-by told me there was a service station a half-mile away, so I took a gas can from the trunk and trudged the distance in the sweltering sun. The attendant filled my two- gallon can, and I lugged it back and poured the gas into the tank. But when I tried to unlock the car http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/09/joke-of-week.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erika Fleisner)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-5640410624948429419Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:08:00 +00002011-09-17T10:03:41.254-07:00LibrariesCheck this link to read about a current series of studies conducted about libraries, librarians, professors and students:http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/08/22/erial_study_of_student_research_habits_at_illinois_university_libraries_reveals_alarmingly_poor_information_literacy_and_skillsThe research conducted is no surprise for this librarian. The article states that the main library at thehttp://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/09/sobering-study.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Pettit)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-5882872939269286752Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:17:00 +00002011-09-08T11:31:26.323-07:00ComputersSometimes it is easier to memorize a keyboard shortcut than to use toolbars to locate buttons or menus from office software.So the public library in Chelmsford, Massachusetts compiled the following list of keyboard shortcuts - it is not a complete list, but rather a list of the ones you're most likely to use. With no further adieu, here it is:For more information, or to at least get a better lookhttp://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/09/try-these-keyboard-shortcuts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jeff Siemers)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-6429157869580015011Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:03:00 +00002011-08-29T07:14:53.458-07:00funOverdue Books "While working in the library at the university, I was often shocked by the excuses students would use to get out of paying their fees for overdue books. One evening an older student returned two books that were way overdue and threw a fit over the 'outrageous' $2 fee that I asked her to pay. I tried to explain how much she owed for each day, but she insisted she should be exempt. http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/08/joke-of-week_29.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erika Fleisner)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-1932078649652269194Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:56:00 +00002011-08-26T11:40:48.530-07:00funAmericanaIn the United States' Tobacco Settlement of 1999 so-called outdoor advertising (aka billboards) for cigarettes were outlawed. Sure, smoking is a bad habit, an unhealthy addiction, but don't you miss the ads? Well, if you do, there's no need to "white knuckle" it, becuase the Duke University libraries have wisely made room for the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) Archives. (I http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/08/remembering-cigarette-billboards.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jeff Siemers)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-1582167409665491840Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:36:00 +00002011-08-23T07:50:15.983-07:00funSatellite Dish "When Dad's satellite dish conked out, I found him on the phone with the help desk. The TV set was pulled away from the wall, and he was staring at the mass of tangled wires spilling out the back of it. He looked absolutely overwhelmed. 'Tell you what I'm going to do', Dad said to the technician. 'I'm going to hang up now, go to college for a couple of years, and then call you http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/08/joke-of-week_23.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erika Fleisner)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-4644672224822268512Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:53:00 +00002011-08-23T07:50:38.307-07:00fun"A famous football coach was on vacation with his family in Maine. When they walked into a movie theater and sat down, the handful of people there applauded. He thought to himself, 'I can't believe it. People recognize me all the way up here.' Then a man came over to him and said, 'Thanks for coming. They won't start the movie unless we have ten customers or more.' " http://kcbx.net/~tellswor/http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/08/joke-of-week_15.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erika Fleisner)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-4407128056881242673Tue, 09 Aug 2011 18:46:00 +00002011-08-09T12:43:58.944-07:00ethicsGoing GreenenergyWhen I told somebody that I was watching Gasland, the reaction was laughs. Isn't it funny that people's tapwater is flammable? Well, maybe it is a good thing that the filmmaker and some of the people he interviews have better senses of humor than I do. If you ask me, the film is sad and shocking, but not something to be ignored. As a consumer of fossil fuels, you may want to know the http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-dvd-gasland.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jeff Siemers)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-1042967605982810242Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:43:00 +00002011-08-23T07:50:52.425-07:00funAnimal Noises "A group of young children were sitting in a circle with their teacher. She was going around in turn asking them all questions. 'Davy, what noises does a cow make?' 'It goes moo.' 'Alice, what sound does a cat make?' 'It goes meow.' 'Jamie, what sound does a lamb make?' 'It goes baaa.' 'Jennifer, what sound does a mouse make?' 'Err.., it goes...click!' http://kcbx.net/-http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/08/joke-of-week.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erika Fleisner)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007440061357481945.post-7748608614711658132Tue, 02 Aug 2011 20:31:00 +00002011-08-04T12:40:09.635-07:00economicspeak oil Have you heard the phrase "the wolf is at the door"? That phrase and variations like "I'm just keeping the wolf away" are idioms that refer to poverty and starvation.Well, I'll let you decide for yourself how bad our economy is, but it would be hard to deny that many people are unemployed and many more are struggling one way or another.Our global/industrial economy depends on large inputs of http://mparklib.blogspot.com/2011/08/is-wolf-at-our-door.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jeff Siemers)0