Raw Notes :: by the Singapore Rambling Librarian

Photoshop CS6: Visual QuickStart Guide/ Elaine Weinmann & Peter Lourekas

2013-12-30T17:32:00.001+08:00

006.686 WEI

Very concise; fully illustrated. Organised by features.

Some handy tips I picked up:

p.205. Clip Adjustment layers
Hold down the ALT/ OPTION key; click between the line of two layers to clip/ unclip them.

p.208/ 209. On using the Histogram panel
How to read the histogram; what's well balanced (basically must cover the graph range), under-exposed (slanted towards left with gaps on the right); overexposed (slanted towards right with gaps on the left); shadow pixels clipped (graph is like under-exposed but raised all the way on the right); detail loss (where there are comb-tooth like gaps between the graph).

p.264. Photomerge command/ feature (via Bridge)

p.336 Puppet Wrap command
Edit > Puppet Wrap (use SHIFT/ ALT/ OPTION keys for effect)

p.377 Transform (e.g. detach) effects
After creating the effects, right-click the Effects listing on the layers panel, then "Choose Layer" from the context menu.

You Can Do a Graphic Novel/ Barbara Slate

2013-07-17T15:40:00.001+08:00

The cover looks kiddish but this is an easy-to-understand, practical and informative book for those interested in creating a graphic novel.

Covers the how-tos of scripting, creating characters, plots, layouts.

It's not a very in-depth book but it doesn't have to be. Seems it's targeted at teens. Nonetheless I found this very insightful. I thought it covered the essentials.

Tips may seem somewhat simple but somehow they don't seem lightweight. Maybe because every piece of advise is steeped in practical experience.

Like turning off the overly critical voice that casts negativity to the whole creative process (So true! The creative craft is hard enough as it is).

Far from making motherhood statements, the advice are like timely reminders:

"Writing is rewriting. It is a rare writer who gets it on the first try."

The parts that were most practical for me:

Creating a profile of your character (e.. name, age, parents, siblings, describe the childhood, education, home life, employment, leisure activities, clothes, personal characteristics, love life, best friend, favourite colour, room mate... etc).

The "How to Plot" portion, much like working out a Gantt Chart for graphic novelists.

Colour-code each character (e.g. post-it notes).
Create columns, with each column representing chapters.
Write the scene/ idea/ dialogue for each character on the coloured note.
Place the note in each column (i.e. chapter).

Doing the above means the author is able to track the plot/ sub-plot, as "lived out" by each character, according to the chapters.

Brilliant.

The author's website, here.

ImagineFX: Fantasy & Sci-fi Digital Art/ Dec 2012

2013-07-09T15:28:00.001+08:00

Some photoshop layering tips from Dec 2012's issue.

P88. Workshop feature by Annie Stegg.

Group layers together, and apply Mask (mentions Alpha Mask; restricts painting to the area).
For lighting, suggests creating two layers: one set to Multiply and the other to Colour Dodge. Work between these layers to get definition and depth.

Once basic lighting is done, add texture. Create a new layer; "setting a basic Speckled Brush to Screen"; put the layer on Soft Light.

Use Emboss and Bevel effects (try setting the directions to Up/ Down) to create inset looks on plate armour.
Shortcut: Use [F] to cycle through different screen modes in Photoshop.
Use the Smudge tool to "pull" hair strands when painting hair.

ImagineFX: Fantasy & Sci-fi Digital Art/ Sept 2012

2013-07-07T22:58:00.001+08:00

From ImagineFX Sept 2012, p75.

Screen print effect using Photoshop:

Filter > Pixelate> Colour Halftone
Opacity to 15% or less
Blend mode: Overlay
Change the angles of the Halftone settings.

Learned about a software called Manga Studio.

Adobe Photoshop CS6 essentials/ Scott Onstott

2013-06-22T22:52:00.000+08:00

One thing I learned from this book: manipulating text/ fonts and working in tandem with path/ vectors.

Use the Pen tool; draw a path (free form or straight); then select the Text tool; place over the path (cursor will add on a little symbol to show a path); click and type.

Easy to follow short exercises.

Painter X for photographers/ Martin Addison

2013-06-18T22:50:00.000+08:00

Useful primer on Corel Painter. I'm using version 12 and can follow this easily even if its talking about an older version.

Comprehensive section on the various brushes, pens, pencils etc. Particularly useful on understanding the various Clone Brushes and their effects.

Dedicated section on Clone painting. With short descriptive tutorials and examples.

Customising brushes, paper textures.

Explains watercolours, oils and pastels, blender brushes, portrait painting, hand colouring, Layers, printing and presentations (colour management).

27 First Set (Twenty-Seven)/ Charles Soule & others

2013-05-27T22:45:00.000+08:00

A "how to sell your soul to the devil and get away with it" story, told in a refreshing contemporary way.

Rock guitarist wants to regain his ability to play. Somehow gets hooked up with an entity called The Nine.

Not exactly the devil but a devil's bargain in that sense.

Strange buttons embedded in his chest, each giving him strange creative abilities.

He gets 27 chances, hence the title.

And what happens in the end?

A perfectly logical twist.

Like I wrote earlier, in a way this is the ageless "how to sell your soul to the devil and get away with it" story.

Like the Billy Goats Gruff triumphing against the troll.

Underdog wins. That's all I can say.

(Aside: from another angle, it's like the devil and trolls being short changed, but that's for another tale, I think).

Chew/ John Layman & Rob Guillory

2013-04-25T22:43:00.000+08:00

Had to borrow these since the title sported my family name!

It did not disappoint.

Tony Chu is a "cibopath" investigator for the US Food and Drug Administration, one who can get psychic impressions (past sequence of events) by taking a bite into things. Some things include corpses.

What a oddly different class of super powers.

Plus a really weird storyline that's so quirky and somehow believable, in a comic book way.

The FDA is a powerful agency namely because if the Avian Flu outbreak, resulting in a global enforcement of a chicken and poultry ban.

Add some high-powered (money and/ or similar new superpowers) characters -- baddies and sidekicks -- in a unfolding conspiracy, plus Alien writing in the sky.

So very X-files.

Adobe Photoshop CS6 Digital Classroom/ Jennifer Smith, AGI Creative Team 26

2013-04-05T22:40:00.000+08:00

Clear instructions; illustrated. Good systematic approach in learning Adobe Photoshop CS6. Presented as specific lessons and tasks (vs just describing each features).

Secrets of Corel Painter Experts: Tips, Techniques, and Insights for Users of All Abilities/ Daryl Wise

2013-03-27T22:39:00.000+08:00

Features individual Corel Painter users. Each digital artist shows a work, explains how its done. Most have a sequenced walk-through.

Plenty of inspiring works; insights into the digital art creation process using varying preferred techniques and styles.

A few artists I really liked (interestingly they happen to be asians):

Song Yang http://www.zhajiang.com
Benjamin
http://blog.sina.com.cn/benjamin
Youchan http://togoru.net
Pete Revonkorpi http://peterrevonkorpi.daportfolio.com

The Hidden Power of Blend Modes in Adobe Photoshop/ Scott Valentine

2013-03-22T22:37:00.000+08:00

Many 'Single-technique' examples of Photoshop CS6 blend modes (in Layers).

Second part has a more technical explanation of the workings and mathematical calculations.

UI Design with Adobe Illustrator: Discover the ease and power of using Illustrator to design Web sites and apps/ Rick Moore

2013-01-18T22:30:00.000+08:00

Well-organised book.
Clear instructions and illustrations.
Concise chunks on using specific Adobe Illustrator features.
Step-by-step guide in using the required features to complete a (mock) site.

Moved to RoughNotes.wordpress.com

2006-03-12T14:59:00.000+08:00

~~This blog has been moved to RoughNotes.wordpress.com (reasons for the migration posted here).~~

Update: 7 Jul 2013. I'm back.

Books/ Magazines Read in 2005 (amended)

2005-12-31T13:00:00.000+08:00

ll[Compiled & posted on 28 Feb 2006]

The list includes only books and magazines (AV items are excluded).

Total items read in 2005 = 91 items
Fiction Vs Non-fiction = 79% Fiction Vs. 21% Non-fiction
Subject composition (top 3 in terms of %) = Fantasy 23%, Science Fiction 23% (21 items each); Society/ Contemporary Fiction 15% (14 items); Military 4%, Art 4%, Science 4% (4 items each)
Items from Singapore Collection = 9 (10% of total read)
Formats = Books 48% (44 books), Magazines 12% (11 magazines), Graphic Novels 40% (36 graphic novels)
Value of items as per Amazon.com prices (excluding Out of Print items) = USD$1,019.13 (or SGD$1,654.35, as at 28 Feb 2006 conversion rates)

Titles read in 2005:

9-11: Artists respond – Vol 1
9-11: Emergency relief
A bit of earth/ Suchen Christine Lim
A life force/ Will Eisner
A morbid taste for bones (a Brother Cadfael series)/ Ellis Peters
AD & D (Asian Defence & Diplomacy)/ Feb 2005 vol 12 no.2
Aliens: Stronghold/ Dark Horse Comics
American Gods/ Neil Gaiman
Analog Science Fiction & Fact/ Jan-Feb 2005
Asian geographic/ n27, issue 5, 2004
Asimov's Science Fiction/ Apr-May 2005
Asimov's Science Fiction/ Feb 2005
Asimov's Science Fiction/ Jan 2005
Asimov's Science Fiction/ Mar 2005
Asimov's Science Fiction/ Dec 2004
Astronomy/ Aug 2005
Astronomy/ Oct 2004
Balzac & the little chinese seamstress/ Dai Sijie
Cities/ (ed. Peter Crowther)
City people notebook/ Will Eisner
Concrete: Killer smile/ Paul Chadwick
Concrete: Think like a mountain/ Paul Chadwick
Digital Painting/ (pub. Ballistics/ digital artists master class)
Dreaming down under/ edited by Jack Dann & Janeen Webb
Fax from Sarajevo: A story of survival/ Joe Kubert
Finding Ben: A mother's journey through the maze of Asperger's/ Barbara Lasalle
Firebirds: Anthology of original fantasy and Science Fiction/ Sharyn November (editor)
Fistful of colours/ Suchen Christine Lim
Getting results: Five absolutes for high performers/ Clinton O. Longnecker & Jack L. Simonetti
Google power: Unleash the full potential of Google/ Chris Sherman
Heartland/ Daren V. L. Shiau
Hellboy: Seeds of destruction/ Mike Mignola
Hellboy: The chained coffin & others/ Mike Mignola
How to draw and sell comic strips for newspapers and comic books/ Alan McKenzie
Insider's Singapore: The alternative city guide/ David Brazil
Iron Council/ China Mieville
Isn't Singapore somewhere in China, luv? Stories about Singaporeans abroad/ Josephine Chia Over
King Rat/ China Mieville
Kite runner/ Khaled Hosseini
Last day in vietnam: A memory/ Will Eisner
Lila: An inquiry into morals/ Robert M. Pirsig
Lonely planet norway
Marching to Valhalla/ Michael Blake
New Spring (A Wheel of Time novel)/ Robert Jordan
Norway rough guide
Orbiter/ DC Comics
Perdido Street Station/ China Mieville
Reading & the reference librarian: The importance to library service of staff reading habits/ Juris Dilevko & Lisa Gottlieb
Reinventing comics: How imagination and technology are revolutionizing an art form/ Scott McCloud
Samurai cat goes to hell/ Mark E. Rogers
Scientific American/ Dec 2003
Seabiscuit/ Laura Hildebrand
Seventeen/ Colin Cheong
Sleeper: Out in the Cold/ Ed Brubaker & Sean Philips
Space Usagi/ Stan Sakai
Star Wars: Chewbacca/ Dark Horse Comics
Star wars: X-wing rogue squadron. Mandatory retirement
StormWatch Vol. 1. Force of nature/ Warren Ellis
Stormwatch. Vol. 2. Lightning strikes
Stormwatch. Vol. 3. Change or die
Stormwatch. Vol. 4. A finer world
Stormwatch. Vol. 5. Final orbit
Stormwatch. Team Achilles. Book 1
Stormwatch: Team Achilles book 2
Tangerine/ Colin Cheong
Terry Pratchett's The light Fantastic
The alchemist/ Paulo Coelho
The complete Concrete/ Paul Chadwick
The dreamer (A graphic novella set during the dawn of comic bks)/ Will Eisner
The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein/ Robert A. Heinlein
The fifth mountain/ Paulo Coelho
The five star stories (vol 10)/ Mamoru Nagano
The green man: Tales from the mythic forest/ Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling (editors)
The last heros/ W. E. B. Griffin
The matrix comics Vol 2
The reef/ Nora Roberts
The Sandman: Endless nights/ Neil Gaiman
The Sandman: The wake/ Neil Gaiman
The Scar/ China Mieville
The secret history/ Donna Tartt
The seige of Singapore/ Lim Thean Soo
The Sgt. Rock archives Vol. 1/ DC Comics
To kill a mockingbird/ Harper Lee
Tuesdays with morrie/ Mitch Albom
Understanding comics: The invisible art/ Scott McCloud
Void decks and other empty places/ Colin Cheong
Walk like a dragon: Short stories/ Goh Sin Tub
We, the media: Grassroots journalism by the people, for the people/ Dan Gillmor
Wildcats Version 3.0: Brand Building
Wildcats Volume 3: Serial boxes
X-wing Rogue Squadron: Mandatory Retirement/ Michael A. Stackpole

Almost-read in 2005
Nil - I guess I was pretty selective this year.

Reading & the reference librarian: The importance to library service of staff reading habits/ Juris Dilevko & Lisa Gottlieb

2005-12-23T23:03:00.000+08:00

Published in 2004, the book elaborates on a survey of the reading habits of librarians from academic libraries and public libraries in the US and Canada.

NLB Call No.: q025.52 DIL
Search NLB Catalogue

One key takeaway from reading the book -- the librarians surveyed recognise the importance of reading (for personal and job competencies), but they have no time to read on the job, and most did it outside working hours. Some librarians surveyed do have time to read on the job, but that's the minority.

As I read the book, I wondered how Singapore librarians would fare. I'm sure many of the survey results would be consistent, especially the "no time to read" part. It was interesting to note that this seems to be a problem faced by librarians across the world!

The first part of the book is on academic librarians & second part on public library reference librarians.

The book puts a convincing case that reading gives an edge to the reference librarian (in collection development, programmes & outreach etc). I thought the real question is whether those reference librarians who don't read (or not as often) are less effective than those who do? (chpt 7 addresses this, which says there's a link between effectiveness and reading).

In fact, same applies to "successful" people. I think there definitely a strong positive correlation bet reading & personal effectiveness but it's one's ability to assimilate & apply info that really gives an edge -- and that is something hard to qualify & quantify.

p. 8 - web call centre. Describes how chat works
p. 10 - scathing review of S & Coffman's paper
p. 12 - on the role of librarians & librarianship
p. 21 - "re-intellectualise ref work in the 21st century"
p. 22 - walking resource - role of lib
p. 30 - issue of whether there's value in becoming a mini-expert
p. 31 - pple often ask what they read from newspapers
p. 43 - diff bet an adequate lib & a great one (on reading newspaper & mags)
p. 59 - impact on job specific responsibilities
p. 66 - conversation starters
p. 68 - debunkers
p. 78/ 81 - types of fiction & NF read (NF mostly biographies)
p. 83 - *how reading fiction helps (see also p101)
p. 84 - "it's the totality of reading that is impt" & "it doesn't matter where the content comes from"
p. 95 - on reader's advisory
p. 115 - by inference above 76% read on their personal time
p. 118 - why some don't read/ don't want to read outside work time

p. 133 - PL ref staff/ p134 - successful (pl) ref lib is one with a quizzical mind. 79.2% surveyed don't have paid time to read but are strongly encouraged to during "slow times"/ p135 - reading is part of professionalism & resp of salaried staff so not necc to have paid time

p. 148 - how keeping current helps PL ref (but undelying assump is that users want to ask PL. A chicken-egg issue?)

p. 164 - diff deg of emphasis placed by academic & pl lib wrt reading & ability to relate to the cust they serve. For PL, it is the relationship rather than direct bk knowledge.

p. 177 - 187: char of "impressive ref svc" by academics, why they were disappointed, char of "preferred ref lib"

p. 192 - advice/ feedback from academics to ref lib on what makes good svc/ p202 - on how to stay current

Appendices - methodology & survey questions asked

King Rat/ China Mieville

2005-12-20T22:57:00.000+08:00

The problem with writing about stories like King Rat is that it's easy to give the plot away. But if you don't describe with details, the review's very cryptic. So forget it, I told myself. This isn't a review.

NLB Call No.: MIE
Search in NLB Catalogue

Here are my thoughts/ notes on the book:

Saul was told about his heritage a bit like Harry Potter style.
It cuts from boring fantasy to something weirdly intriguing.
There's a british-fantasy flavour to his writings. A Faery-tale (rather than a fairy-tale).
It's not as grim & grungy as the New Crobuzon stories; it's almost Stephen-King-ish but not quite horror.
A play on the pied piper of Hamelin myth(oops, plot spoiler..)
I find that I actually sympathised with the rodents than humans.
A novel that makes hiphop (Jungle) hip! Rewind!*

* Mieville mentions this in his intro. Why "rewind"? You have to read the book to find out!

The Secret History/ Donna Tartt

2005-12-19T22:46:00.000+08:00

If you enjoy murder mysteries, you're really going to like this. The story takes place around the 1990s, revolving around six college students (five boys and one girl in their 20s) enrolled in a laid back American town.

NLB Call No.: TAR
Search in NLB Catalogue

The story is told from the perspective of a young man, Richard. What's interesting is that by the first paragraph of the novel, you're already told that Bunny is they guy who gets killed, and Richard and the rest seems to have gotten away with the deed (yet you're not quite sure yet).

The novel proceeds at a leisurely pace yet not boring, mind you (quite a delft stroke or storytelling which I thought is refective of the quite and laidback mood of the surroundings in which they meet and form their bonds. The characters slowly develop with complex layers added as the story proceeds.

You learn more about Henry, the quiet intellect and unspoken leader of the group. Francis is a closet gay; Charles and Camille are twins; then there's 'Bunny'. You can't help but dislike the guy (a sponge, taking advantage of the good will of others). Yet halfway after I learn why they killed Bunny, I couldn't help but pity Bunny and thought that no one deserves to be murdered.

Before long, I was asking asking yourself what was it that made them want to murder Bunny and the beauty is that the reason is revealed right smack in my face -- not quite a slap but more like a gust of wind. As suddenly as that.

The story doesn't stop there. It's only halfway. The police and FBI gets into act when Bunny is discovered missing. I started wondering if the five of them get caught? More complex layers are added to the characters as they get caught up in the crime investigation.

The Greek Tragedy also plays itself out, but alas I'm know very little about Greek Tragedies. I'm sure if I did, I'd appreciate the novel even more. I suspect the whole story is a Greek Tragedy in itself. I understand that Greek Tragedies were dedications to the gods... which in a way, that was what they were doing.

Ok, so do they get caught? You'll have to read the book! And then reflect on why the title is called "Secret History"...

Google power: Unleash the full potential of google/ Chris Sherman

2005-12-17T13:40:00.000+08:00

If you want to increase your search productivity using Google, read this book. Experienced searchers might also find this as a good refresher.

The book is obviously about using Google but where relevant, other search features and tools (like those from Yahoo!, Altavista and others) are also introduced. Later chapters include interviews of expert searchers, where they explain their favoured search techniques and resources.

NLB Call No.: 025.04 SHE - [COM]
Click here to check for item availability.

Some notes that I took:

Chapter 1 - mainly on how google works (good diagram to show how the crawler, indexer, and search engine works)
Faster to retrieve cache copy (than click on website) if required info isn't time sensitive
Some "metrics" related to how google retrieves webpages (these could be important clues when designing blogs and websites):

- terms appearing in the title of webpage
- appearing in unique font elements (bold, italics)
- other "prominent" areas of pg, e.g. Bulleted list
- frequency in which the terms appear on a page
- off-page metrics like no of links to that page

Page 25 - Google isn't case sensitive. E.g. NLB and nlb is the same to google
Recommends that you use multiple search terms to make your search more specific. E.g. qi gong will give very broad results Vs qi gong chinese medicine
internal exercises asthma)
Use 32 words or less in your search (Google will ignore any thing more than 32 words)
Use quotes, i.e. phrase searching. E.g. "qi gong" Vs qi gong (it seems that phrase searching is a favoured techique by the experts cited in the book).
You also use quotations to ensure stop words (i.e. the, a, is) are included in your search terms. E.g. "to be or not to be".

32 google translation tool
36 abt boolean searching (common mistake is confusing or and And operator)
38 other operators + - *wildcard ~fuzzy
"Brave new *"
"Dinosaur ~facts" will return "dino info"

Chpt 3 is about understanding google's search results page. Intuitive to most users but if you're planning on how to max the retrieval of your blog post or page, worth a read (e.g. Impt of page title & link, even image alt text)

Chpt 4 - using the advanced search page.
From p.105 on google operators:

cache: www.archive.org (shows most recently crawled version of stored page in google)
related:www.northpole.com (shows similar pages)
link:www.searchengineguide.com (shows all pages linking to a specific URL)
info:www.sina.com (show info about a specific URL)
"burning man" filetype:ppt (restrict results to a file type)
"employee memo" ext:doc (restricts to pages of specific file type)
goliath frog site:www.ssarherps.org (limit to particular site)
allintest:dormedary arabia water (show pages where all search terms appear in the body portion of the page)
allintitle:combinatorial mathematics (show pages where search terms appear in title)
intitle:funicular (show pages where single search term appears in title)
allinurl:crazy eights (show pages where all search terms appear in URL)
inurl:ouagadougou (show pages where a single search term appears in URL)
allinanchor:issaquena county (show pages where all search terms appear in the text of links pointing to the page)
inanchor:neanderthal (show pages where a single search term appears in the text of links pointing to the page)

Chapter 6: searching for images (how google searches for clues for images, and therefore how you can improve retrieval of your images if you want them to be found). Results depend on file name, text surrounding the image. P. 151 - operators like cache:, link:, and related: have no effect on image search. Tip: to limit to Macromedia Flash files, search for "filetype:swf" operator. Try search terms site:research.microsoft.com filetype:pdf

What I like about this book is how it shows tools beyond google. Examples listed (for images):

search.yahoo.com/images
www.altavista.com/image
pictures.ask.com
www.ctr.columbia.edu/webseek
www.davidrumsey.com/collections
flickr.com

Chpt 7 on google groups, various ways of searching (useful if you want to go beyond webpages and into information from discussions). Tip: combine with terms like "forums", "message boards", "discussion groups", "mailing lists".

Chpt 8 on using google tool bar

Chpt 9: google labs (try google scholar)
P. 195 - something called google sets (www.langreiter.com/space/google-set-vista) where it generates a visual image of related terms

p. 198 - On Google WebAlerts (google.com/webalerts)
p. 200 - google.com/webalerts or newsalerts

p. 204 - www.google.com/press/zeitgeist.html - snapshot of most popular queries Google received during previous month

Chpt 11 talks about web research managers, collaborative bookmark managers like furl.net, www.onfolio.com

p. 224 - monitoring fav websites:

product update pages: www.mozilla.org
movie trailers: www.movie-list.com
fav blogs: www.researchbuzz.com
radio prog schedules: www.npr.com.org/about/schedules
best selling books: www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bestseller

chapt 12, p.230 - the art of googling people;

p. 231 rules of thumb:

always put person's name in double quotes

google ignores most punctuation symbols, so "john smith" also results "st. john's, smith square". advises that put a plus sign infront of search terms to force an exact match

google isn't case sensitive

use boolean OR to expand results

p. 232 on strategies to search for people (create your own biography, basically build list of terms; start with few terms; eliminate negative words; dont' overlook googlegroups)

p. 241 - finding email address tricky bec google ignores "@" symbol. try things like DOT AT anselATadmasDOTcom or insert space ivanchew @ nlb . gov . sg)

p. 243 - 245 finding personal webpages and blogs (but google just came up with blogger search)
tip like "barbara smith" intitle:"home page" or allintitle: "barbara smith" "home page"
"charles miller" site:geocities.com OR site:anglefire.com

p. 250 - Examples listed:

"charles miller" site:blogger.com OR site:blogspot.com

"name" intitle:"user profile" site:blogger.com (find blogger's profile)

"name" "my web page" site:blogger.com (find blogger's homepage)

"name" "recent posts" site:blogger.com (find recent posts mentioning other people)

Mentions tools like feedster.com, technorati.com, bloglines.com, www.daypop.com

p. 261 - finding reliable health information. good coverage on how to evaluate information

286 - searching googlenews using the advanced news search interface. Other tools like:

www.findory.com
newsbot.msnbc.msn.com
newsnow.co.uk
www.topix.net
news.yahoo.com/fc?
newsblaster.cs.columbia.edu

p. 295 - on "weblogs and nontraditional news sources"... "bloggers have broken numerous news stories before the mainstream media picked them up." [Aside: Librarians need to ask & answer the question "why search for content in blogs?" ~ Ivan]

p. 296 brief mention of RSS (alternative name for RSS - "rich site summary")
Recommends this site for list of news - http://directory.google.com/Top/Reference/Libraries/Library_and_Information_Science/Technical_Services/Cataloguing/Metadata/RDF/Applications/RSS/News_Readers/

p. 300 - on Froogle.com

p. 348 - about discovering relationships with linkage maps TouchGraph GoogleBrowser www.touchgraph.com/TGGooleBrowser.html

p. 351 - 4 : finding out what companies don't want found; "googledorking" - googledork is "an inept or foolish person as revealed by google".
Googledorking - process of trolling the internet for confidential information (that has been placed there by mistake). Some common key words in googledorking - ("total", "profit margin", "salary", "marketing plan", "confidential", "secret", "do not circulate") with "filetype:" operator.

Stormwatch/ Wildstorm Productions

2005-12-15T21:19:00.000+08:00

I normally don't go for SuperHero-type of comics but for some reason, I picked up Stormwatch and I got hooked. Managed to borrow the complete series (over a few visits to libraries).

Maybe it's the gritty and fast-paced storyline. Or the fantastic powers of the superheros fighting against equally powerful and strange superpowered beings. It's kind of like X-men but somewhat more violent.

Ok, a lot more violent.

It deserves a "Parental Guidance" warning label. But then children are exposed to alot more weirder and violent stuff on TV and movies, I must say.

My favourite was "Team Achilles" -- where strangely it's a group of non-superpowered humans who kick the butts of superpowered beings, using hi-tech weapons, skill and plain luck. You just have got to read it to believe it.

Stormwatch. Force of nature (c.1999) - Vol. 1

NLB Call No.: q741.5973
ISBN: 156389646X
Click here to check for item availability

Stormwatch. Lightning strikes (c.2000) - Vol. 2

NLB Call No.: q741.5973
ISBN: 1563896508
Click here to check for item availability

Stormwatch. Change or die (c.2000) - vol. 3

NLB Call No.: q741.5973
ISBN: 156389646X
Click here to check for item availability

Stormwatch. A finer world (c.2000) - vol. 4

NLB Call No.: q741.5973
ISBN 1563895358
Click here to check for item availability

Stormwatch. Final orbit (c.2001) - vol. 5

NLB Call No.: q741.5973
ISBN: 1563897881
Click here to check for item availability

Stormwatch. Team Achilles. [Book 1] (c.2003)

NLB Call No.: q741.5973
ISBN: 1401201032
Click here to check for item availability

Stormwatch. Team Achilles, Book 2
(Last I checked, NLB only has up to Book 2 for Team Achilles)

NLB Call No.: q741.5973
ISBN: 1401201237
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There's also "The Authority" series. Search for "Warren Ellis" in Amazon.
NLB OPAC keyword = "Stormwatch"

Sleeper Vol. 1: Out in the Cold/ Wildstorm Productions

2005-12-15T21:16:00.000+08:00

Imagine being a secret agent, forced to go deep undercover into a criminal organisation carrying out acts of terrorism and killings -- the very things you were sworn to protect against. And imagine the only person who could prove you are one of the good guys is now lying in a coma with little hope of being revived.

"Sleeper" is like that, but with the added dimension of a world where there are humans and superhumans (both good and bad) infused with super-powers.

by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips
ISBN 1401201156
NLB Call. No: q741.5973
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The term "sleeper agent" refers to an agent who lies hidden until called into action.

Holden Carver is that sleeper agent. What I enjoyed about this graphic novel is that it really tells the story of his dilemmia. He's faced with a boss (the head of that criminal organisation he's forced to work in) named Tao, whose superpowers is actually in manipulation and strategy. You get the impression that Tao suspects and perhaps even knows Holden is a sleeper but for some reason, he made Holden one of his top henchmen.

Another thing I enjoyed is the many plots and sub-plots, like the elicit romance between Holden and Misery (who has to do evil deeds to stay alive!). Along the way, Holden even has to kill some good guys who were on the verge of discovering his double-agent status. He hates himself even more of course and wonders if he's falling into "the dark side".

It's complex storytelling in comic-art form.

I would rate this graphic novel for adults, and not for children. Parental guidance might be required for teens as there is nudity, depiction of sex and swearing. Mild by today's adult standards but something to watch out for in any case.

Holden has a superhuman power too, but I'll leave you to read it for yourself on what it is, and how he got it...

BTW, Tao was mentioned in "WildC.A.T.s covert-action-teams: Homecoming". I learnt that "Tao" stood for "Tactically Augmented Organism".

ISBN: 156389582X
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d'artiste: Digital Painting

2005-12-15T20:54:00.000+08:00

If you are into computer art, computer drawing or computer graphics, then you'd love 'Digital Painting' featuring the works of Linda Bergkvist, John Wallin, Philip Straub and Robert Chang.

Ballistic Pub., Australia: c2004
Call No.: q750.285
ISBN: 09 750 9655 9
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Each of the featured artist talks about their style and techniques, where they draw their inspiration and ideas. There's also a step-by-step tutorial where you get to see how the digital canvas is transformed into a picture.

Amazing stuff. I thought the paintings were acrylics or oils but was stunned to learn that it's all digital.

The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein/ Robert A. Heinlein

2005-12-15T20:21:00.000+08:00

I was surprised to learn that Heinlein wrote "Fantasy". But reading this, I felt only two of the stories ('Magic Inc.' and 'The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag' fitted the Fantasy Genre while the rest were closer to Sci Fi. But a good read anyway. Heinlein rarely fails to please, at least for me.

ISBN: 0312875576
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Magic Inc. - About a man who got "cursed" by a syndicated out to monopolise the magic market. Turns out that the "man" responsible for this was a devil...
"-- And He Built A Crooked House" - About a house built along the laws of quantum physics or something (it definitely defied normal physics.
"They --" - A man being treated for mental disorder claims that the doctor, his wife and his life aren't real; that they are the implanted memories...
Waldo - The technology powering the world is failing and it seems only Waldo can help. Waldo is an eccentric & crippled boy-genius. But turns out he can't figure out what's happening, until he receives guidance from an old man.
The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag - Hoag can't remember what he does during his waking hours and hires a private investigator to tail him. But turns the P.I. and his wife can't quite fantom what's happening (they seem to see different versions). The plot turns into the fantastic, involving some god-like beings. Hoag turns out to be a, ahem, "art-critic" of worlds as Heinlein explains.
Our Fair City
The Man Who Travelled In Elephants
"--All You Zombies --" -- A narrative by An Unmarried Mother, who used to be a man, who signed up and joined the Space Corps "Woman's Hospitality Order Refortifying & Encouraging Spacemen" (go figure the acroymn!)

Book Blog Partner - Lansing Adult News blog & High Browse Online

2005-12-08T21:55:00.000+08:00

Earlier, when Kelli and I were IMing about her library podcasts, I told her about High Browse Online and we discussed the possibility of a "sister blog" (e.g. cross posting, referrals etc).

Recently she emailed me to follow up on the idea, and also crafted this short and sweet statement:
Taking advantage of the world wide web's abilities to transcend boundaries, we are teaming up with another library blog to offer you additional book reviews and reading suggestions.

So, High Browse Online and Lansing Adult News Blog are Book Blog Partners. Any other libraries interested in this? It costs nothing. : )

Would love to hear from you.

Tag: book blog

Finding Ben : a mother's journey through the maze of Asperger's/ Barbara Lasalle

2005-10-01T22:28:00.000+08:00

Brutally honest.

That's how the book came across to me. In the preface, Lasalle explains that even though the book was about her, her journey and discovery, she wasn't sure if it was OK for her to write the story so she had to ask for permission from her son, Benjamin. Her hesitation became clear when reading more of the book.

ISBN: 0071431942
NLB Call No.: 618.9289820092 LAS
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It tells of one mother's experience of discovering her child not behaving like other kids his age, and not quite knowing what exactly was the problem because medical science had yet to give a proper diagnosis and name to the problem.

While much of the story is from the mother's point of view -- of trying to find a school for a son who couldn't quite fit in (none of the teachers understood his condition either); of her strained relationship with her ex-husband and even the second one; of her frustrations of her son's behaviour and weight problem.

Her story is also interspersed with the Ben's personal account of certain specific episodes of his life. Like the part where he was arrested and jailed, being humiliated by the police and prisoners alike. It's especially poignant when told by Ben himself.

Lasalle does not gloss over her disappointment, shame, guilt and bitterness of having a son with Asperger's. It was this brutal honesty that kept me turning the pages.

What's interesting is also Lasalle's account (near the end of the book) of her meeting Jack -- a man who spoke in riddles and in non-linear and logical ways due to an aneurysm. Yet Jack's utterances sometimes made the most sense, in a strange way.

The reader learns that there is no cure for Asperger's. One has to just deal with it as best as one can. That's the medical reality and it is this factual acceptance that enables both Barbara and Ben to cope.

P. 273 has a list of recommended resources:

Books and articles on Asperger's Syndrome
Books on dealing with Issues of Loss and Disappointment
Mother's Accounts
Support Groups

Benjamin has an official website at http://aspergerjourney.com/

The fifth mountain/ Paulo Coelho

2005-10-01T21:10:00.000+08:00

I didn't quite get what Paulo Coelho's introduction alluded to, until after reading the last page of the book. I think that's the beauty of this particular story.

ISBN: 0060175443/ 0722536542
NLB Call No.: COE
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In his introduction, Coelho gave an example of how he was suddenly dismissed from his job when his career was at its peak. So basically, the story attempts to answer the question of why problems and tragedies seem to befall on people when they are at their most secure and confident time of their lives.

The Fifth mountain tells the story of the Bible's Prophet Elijah from Elijah's perspective -- his escape from persecution and then winding up in the city of Akbar.

The chapters are short and succint. I borrowed this so that I had something to read on my 16-hour flight to Oslo, Norway. Finished it when I touched down in Norway. Perfect timing.

The writing was simply poetry in motion to me. Very Zen.

Little wonder that Coelho's works are labelled as "Spiritual Fiction". Fifth Mountain was my first Coelho's story. If this is representative of Coelho's works, I'm definitely going to read more.

P. 21: Souls too, like rivulets and plants, needed a different kind of rain: hope, faith, a reason to live. When this did not come to pass, everything in that soul died, even if the body went on living

P. 64: The high priest knew that, of all the weapons of destruction that man could invent, the most terrible -- and the most powerful -- was the word. Daggers and spears left traces of blood; arrows could be seen at a distance. Poisons were detected in the end and avoided. But the word managed to destroy without leaving clues.

P. 128: "All life's battles teach us something, even those we lose. When you grow up, you'll discover that you have defended lies, deceived yourself, or suffered for foolishness. If you are a good warrior, you will not blame yourself for this, but neither will you allow your mistakes to repeat themselves."

P. 145: "... Fear reaches only to the point where the unavoidable begins; from there on, it loses its meaning. And all we have left is the hope that we are making the right decision."

P. 180: "... They had achieved everything they desired because they were not limited by the frustrations of the past."

P. 193: "The pain you and I feel will never go away, but work will help us to bear it. Suffering has no strength to wound a weary body."

P. 201: "... I know that children have no past... A child can always teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires."

P. 212: "Tragedies do happen. We can discover the reason, blame others, imagine how different our lives would be had they not occurred. But none of that is important: they did occur, and so be it. From there onward we must put aside the fear that they awoke in us and begin to rebuild."