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Life from a Librarian's point of view. What books do I read? What TV shows and movies do I watch? Want a new fact every day? What's happening in my world and the world of Libraries. These are the adventures of your friendly neighborhood Youth Services Librarian.
Statistics for Michael's Mind - What Thoughts I Think
Number of Readers that added this blog to their MyJacketFlap: 1
Day 3 - Country - Vietnam Food - Ga Quay Mat Ong (Honey-Roasted Chicken) Cookbook - The Food of Vietnam: Authentic Recipes from the Heart of Indochina by Trieu Thi Choi and Marcel Isak; p. 106 Movies - Apocalypse Now (Director's Cut)
Today I saw Apocalypse Now. It's been a really long time sine I've seen that and the first time I've seen the director's cut. I forgot Harrison Ford was in it.
Speaking of Harrison Ford, did you see the news that several cast members will be returning in J.J. Abram'sStar Wars Episode 7. I really hope Mr. Abrams can revive the series. The first trilogy was great and I see the original theatrical release versions at least once a year. I don't like all the extra stuff that has been added in over the years. I haven't seen the second trilogy since they first came out. Once was enough.
I like what Mr. Abrams did with the first few seasons of Lost, Revolution, Person of Interest, Almost Human, Fringe and the new Star Trek films which made it watchable again. Hopefully he can create a good Star Wars trilogy. He's also set to produce the Half-Life and Portal movies which are based on the computer games of the same names. Fingers crossed for those.
I didn't have time to watch a second movie. Oh well.
Today I tried another version of the vegetable dumplings; this time I pan fried them. They turned out much better than the boiled ones yesterday. I think too much water got inside them when they were boiled. Today I made sure to crimp the corners and add more pleats. They were crunchy on one side and not as translucent.
The second recipe was a Honey Roasted Chicken. It had a sweet dry-rub marinade that sat on the chicken for about an hour and then a sweet sauce for basting. The basting is the key in this recipe. Instead of a small Cornish hen (enough for one) I used a large whole chicken. This gave me a larger canvas to work with and I was able to experiment. I used the traditional basting sauce for the entire chicken be then added a little extra honey and soy sauce mixture on half.
Both sides came out great. In the pictures, the darker half is due to the honey/soy sauce mixture. It added another level of crispiness to the skin and wasn't as sweet as I thought it would be.
It looks burnt but it's really not. It was really moist and juicy and had good flavor. I'm going to turn the leftovers into chicken salad.
Next I head for Korea. See you all tomorrow!
Michael
0 Comments on Asian Staycation - Day 3 as of 5/8/2014 3:08:00 AM
Day 2 - Country - China Food - Classic Barbecued Spareribs, Vegetable Dumpling and Wonton Filling Cookbook - The Chinese Takeout Cookbook by Diana Kuan; pp. 33, 41 Movies - China Syndrome, Chinatown, Big Trouble in Little China
I highly recommend all three! If you're only going to see one, however, go with Big Trouble in Little China. It's a hoot and a half! I'm not one who can sit and watch movies for six hours even when on vacation so I during part of the movies I did some small business work and some gaming. The exception was Big Trouble in Little China. That movie deserved my full attention. Keep on Truckin' Pork Chop Express!
BTW, the small business work is for my company Schor Enterprises LLC. Currently, it's mostly eBay and Amazon sales of books, games and collectibles. There will be a lot more to come. I'm trying to de-clutter and sell off what I don't absolutely need before I reach the hoarder level. I shipped my second sold item today; an action figure I sold on consignment for a friend.
I'm considering April-June to be a soft launch phase; low quantity, "auction" or "buy it now" only. By July, I should have the knack of shipping methods, inventory management and supply ordering. When I officially launch in July I should should have several hundred to a couple thousand items ready for listing. I'm trying to get a small SBA loan now so I can get some help cataloging, researching, pricing an listing writing. If I can't get the loan, I'll try ASU and the other local colleges and libraries to see if I can find an intern willing to work for free experience.
But, enough work talk. On to the food!
The first item I made was Boiled Vegetable Dumplings. These were very filling and I forgot to cut the recipe in half so I have lots of extra for tomorrow. I tried the boiled directions today and the mostly turned out pretty good. They look like little green brains but they were tasty. I think tomorrow I'll try the pan-fry method.
Pobody's Nerfect - Not everything worked out as planned ; here are the bloopers. Too much water/water seeped inside, dumpling was too dry when it went into the pan or over-stuffed so it broke apart.
The second recipe I cooked was Classic Barbecued Shortribs. The recipe actually called for a full rack of St. Louis Style Porkribs but to save money and my weight, I chose to use 4 medium to large beef short ribs. I used the full recipe for the marinade so I had plenty to baste with. They came our tender and very flavorful.
I added a couple spoonfuls of Chinese "Hot" Mustard on the side for dipping. It wasn't very hot but it still added another great layer of Asian flavors.
I am moving the third meal, Beef Chow Fun to the weekend. Between the dumplings and short ribs I was stuffed.
See you tomorrow (or today since it's past midnight) when my train arrives in Vietnam.
Michael
0 Comments on Asian Staycation - Day 2 as of 5/7/2014 3:53:00 AM
Day 1 - Country - India Food - Shrimp in Coconut Cream Sauce Cookbook - Flavors of India: Authentic Indian Recipes, by Meena Pathak; pp.51 Movies - Outsourced, Jeremy Piven's Journey of a Lifetime
The first movie I saw was Outsourced starring Josh Hamilton, Ayesha Dharker and Asif Basra. It was somewhat humorous if you can keep to the back of your mind all the jobs that were lost in the U.S. when the jobs were outsourced in a tough job market. It was released in 2006, not long before the recession. Bad timing.
Tonight's meal was Shrimp in Coconut Cream Sauce. Since I'm only cooking for one, I made some modifications to the book's recipe.
I cut the shrimp from 2.5 lbs. to 1 lb. In addition to a reduced number or portions it was also a cost saving measure. I increased the tumeric from .75 tsp. to 1 tsp. I knew the coconut milk and yogurt were going to cool the recipe flavor down so the extra tumeric kicked it back up to my preferred level of spicy.
I wish smell-o-vision had been invented because my kitchen smells really good right now.
Until tomorrow, I leave you with these pictures of my finished dish.
Michael
0 Comments on Asian Staycation - Day 1 as of 5/6/2014 1:45:00 AM
I've doing some research for my Asian staycation looking for a market where I can buy my food and other supplies. There's a little place down the street from me call House of Rice. All the years I've lived here I thought they were a restaurant but apparently they are also an Asian market will all the food, sushi kits, etc.
It just goes to show that there are still little nuggets of information I can find about my own neighborhood.
I was planning on going today after work but, unfortunately, I've been trapped in the apartment Africanized Bees.
The nest was discovered yesterday. It was brought to my attention when a man in a beekeeper suit knocked on my door. The next is on my level across the walkway. He was warning me that they are going to spray the nest and the bees were going to get really upset.
This morning I noticed that most of the bees were gone but about 30+ of them shifted from their nest to right in front of my door and window. They're bumping into the the door and window which I've been told is a good sign but it can take 24-72 hours after a treatment before they're gone.
I found out at a young age that I'm deathly allergic to bees so I'm pretty much stuck here until they are gone or until they are down to a quantity that I can slip by. After all, I don't want to spend my vacation in a hospital.
So until then, I'll do some library work at home and put some extra time into planning my trip.
BTW, don't forget that Phoenix Comicon is coming up soon and they have some really awesome guests and panels. Ticket prices go up tomorrow.
Until then true believer, make mine Marvel!
Michael
0 Comments on Asian staycation just got easier and cheaper. as of 4/30/2014 5:27:00 PM
Since I can't afford to travel to the places I want to go, I've been doing some staycationing. Sometimes it's just a weekend and sometimes it's an entire week.
What I do is create a theme for my week off. This means that I cook the food of the country I'm "visiting" and watching movies inspired by or filmed in those countries.
My last week-long staycation was following the Griswolds through National Lampoon's European Vacation. Before that I spent a week following them through the states in National Lampoon's Vacation. I've also spent time in Spain, Jamaica, Iceland, Hawaii, etc.
Next week, I'm spending five days in Asia (or Staysia):
Day 1 - Country - India Food - Shrimp in Coconut Cream Sauce Movies - Outsourced, Swades
Day 2 - Country - China Food - Classic Barbecued Spareribs, Vegetable Dumpling and Wonton Filling, Beef Chow Fun Movies - China Syndrome, China Connection, Big Trouble in Little China
Day 3 - Country - Vietnam Food - Ga Quay Mat Ong (Honey-Roasted Chicken) Movies - Good Morning Vietnam, Apocalypse Now
Day 4 - Country - Korea Food - Cabbage Kimchi, Cucumber Kimchi, Glass Noodles with Beef and Vegetables Movies - MASH, Die Another Day (James Bond 007)
Day 5 - Country - Japan Food - Miso Soup, Salmon and Avocado Sushi Roll, Tuna Sushi Roll, Cucumber Pickles, Green Tea Ice Cream Movies - Godzilla (1954), Gamera (MST3K), Gamera vs. Guiron (MST3K)
I think I'm looking forward to Japan the most. I love sushi and the classic Godzilla movie. Sushi is also something I can share with Vivian and she's smitten with Gamera!
Food pictures and recipes will follow.
0 Comments on Preparing for my Asian Staycation as of 4/29/2014 11:55:00 PM
Today officially kicked off the ALA 2013 conference. I began the day at the Class of 2k13 debut authors. The program was hosted by Veronica Roth (Divergent, Insurgent and Oct 2013's Allegiant). The line up was:
A trivia game followed with each of the debut authors hosting a table; to the winners (not me) were "super" grab bags. It was a fun program and it looks like it will be a good year for YA fiction. The next program I attended was Intellectual Freedom 101 hosted by the Office of Intellectual freedom and then the General Opening Session. At this point the Exhibitor Hall opened and there was a flash flood of Librarians being swept down the aisles, grabbing what they could as they poured down the aisles, More details and pics to come. Michael
Today was the first full day in Chicago. The weather was great and even had a few minutes of nice cool rain early in the morning.
Today's goals were to get my conference badge, scope out the convention center and begin to "nest".
The first two tasks were accomplished. The third is under way. I've got a couple of days worth of food from the local store. With a small fridge in the hotel room, this is a great cost saving measure as restaurants, room service and snack machines get expensive for a conference that lasts 4-5 days. One of the few benefits of being diabetic is getting a higher priority for a hotel fridge for the room.
As an added bonus, the 9 story Harold Washington Library was right across the street from the store. Topped with a skylight garden and gargoyles at the top, this is an impressive building.
The first floor houses their Popular Collection and Information desk.
The second floor is the 18,000 sq.ft. Thomas Hughes Children's Library. A quick look around shows that the space clearly is designed for children; my opinion is that a children's space should look appealing to children. This is true of this space. Kudos to the Chicago Public Library System.
The third floor contains the computer commons, the newspapers/periodicals and my favorite part, the new Maker Space. According to an employee, this is set to open in about a month but as a conference attendee I was able to join the group that was touring the space. There were about half a dozen laptops, a laser etching machine and several 3-D printers working away. The coolest part was the laptop hooked up to a Microsoft Kinect sensor that, after taking a picture of someone, was able to send the image directly to the 3-D printer to create a bust of the person. Uber-cool!
Unfortunately, at this stage, my blood sugar took a major drop and I had to leave. I think the 13 hours it took to get from AZ to IL yesterday and today's humidity combined with the four miles I walked in 3 hours was a bit too much. Like a dope I left my sugar boosters in the fridge at the hotel. D'oh!
No worries though. The store across the street supplied me with what I needed and I was able to down some orange juice and stock up on a couple days of supplies. I returned to the hotel with plans to check out the rest of the library before leaving town.
I have pictures to upload including some shots with Flat Stanley. My new phone isn't playing nice with the computer right now but I'll get them up soon.
Time to catch some zzzzz's. The conference kicks off with sessions tomorrow.
I’m writing this email to let you know about a new venture I’m in. The American Library Association Annual conference (ALA 2013) is coming up and I am trying something new to get there. This is the premiere conference in my industry and due to budget cuts, etc. over the past five years libraries around the country have cut back drastically on sending front line staff to not only this industry conference but many others. For library staff to progress in their careers and become more valuable to their communities these conferences can be essential.
Last year, I was invited to join my second national committee; the Library Information Technology Association (LITA) Top Technology Trends Committee. This was a huge and unexpected honor so I jumped at the chance. Over the past several months, I have been working on brainstorming ideas/topics and helping create a panel of Library and Technology insiders for our program at ALA 2013 in Chicago.
Unfortunately, due to the cost (registration hotel, transport, etc.), I have not been able to attend since I first became a librarian in 2007. My fellow committee members and the committee chair agree that it would be a good idea to have me on site as one of the planners and liaison to several panelists. They understood not just my financial issues but also library financial positions however, as tech people, we thought there had to be a way around this. And, thus, an idea was born.
Conference attendance overall has been slipping gradually; not because the content isn’t fresh or relative but because library budgets and staff pay have been cut around the country, and the world and people just can’t afford the out of pocket costs. We brainstormed and researched and our committee chair came up with the brilliant idea to start a crowdfunding campaign. If you’re not familiar with the concept, people will post to a site like Kickstarter or gofundme and ask for donations to help them reach their goal. Our goal is very similar however unlike other sites we are exclusive to library staff who want to attend library conferences where, due to financial barriers, they would not be able to.
We decided that I would be a good test case. I want to assure you that you will not receive any emails, etc. from anyone else. The heart of Crowdfunding is to first ask direct family, friends and colleagues. There has been quite a bit of red tape to go through but we are now ready to launch. We hope to be offering this to more library staff around the country and for more library related conferences. The really exciting part is that we don’t need to raise all of the money on our own. We have several companies within the library world that have agreed to be sponsors and match every dollar raised! This means we only need to fund half of what we need. For example, my campaign will try to raise $945 and then the sponsors will match that. I’ve already put in all I can. There’s no “mad money” in there. This covers the conference registration, hotel, flight, transportation, and other requirements only.
Disclaimer: I am doing this as a private citizen and not a member/representative of my city or library system.
My main reason for posting this is also so you know my social media accounts have not been hacked. Since this has never been tried before it may or may not get the interest of media or association journals and we will be promoting this heavily by word of mouth as well as online. Please do not feel obligated to donate although it would be greatly appreciated.
Here is the link to my crowdfunding campaign. Sorry for the long post and if you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading it :)
Sorry it's been so long since my last update. I didn't realize it had been so long. As I said in my last post, I did move. The new place promised not to do the ridiculous increases as the old place (32% increase in rent over 2 yrs). Well, the day before Thanksgiving (great timing, right?) I was informed that my rent was going up 15%. I really wish I could afford a house. Anyway, I'm still here but if they do that again I won't be able to afford to stay. We'll have to see what happens next year.
On a positive note I've finally started pushing forward with my small business and have listed and sold my first item on eBay. I hope to get another dozen or so listed this weekend. It's not going to make me rich but will, hopefully, compensate for the years of pay cuts and the increases in rent.
I'll update soon (I promise this time) with a link to my eBay store.
Now on to the more important stuff. I'm going to borrow from the Librarian in Black and list my "best of 2012". I know it's 4 months late, give me a break, it hasn't been easy :)
Personal Accomplishment – 1 Year post bankruptcy. Living cash only, no credit cards, etc. Professional Accomplishment – Winning both Hall of Fame Award and Outstanding Achievement awards in my library system. Library Innovation – 3M 7-bin book return sorter Indoor Event – 3rd Annual Gadgets and Gaming Day Fair Outdoor Event – Scottsdale Culinary Festival Treat – Parcel Day Applesauce (From the UnOfficial Hunger Games cookbook) Photo of me that you will never see – me preparing to rub noses with Vivian (my turtle) Meme – Grumpy Cat
Well, that's 2012 in a nutshell.
Thanks for reading!
Michael
0 Comments on Really? Nothing since Jan 2012? Egads! as of 1/1/1900
I'm planning an update and regular posts coming soon.
Due to health issues, a 32% increase in rent in just the past 2 yrs (23% just last yr) and years of pay cuts, I'm moving again. Once things settle down, hopefully in late Feb, I'll give a band update, etc. update.
Sorry it's been such a long time between posts. I'm getting back into the blogging groove now. I won't go into what's been happening in this post because I'm doing this one as a special "return to the blogosphere". This blog post is being made for the Library Day in the Life Project.
"The Library Day in the Life Project is a semi-annual event coordinated by Bobbi Newman of Librarian by Day. Twice a year librarians, library staff and library students from all over the globe share a day (or week) in their life through blog posts, photos, video and Twitter updates. "
Yours truly is #221 (out of, currently, 248)
So without further ado, here is a day in my life at the library for Tuesday, July 26 2011.
Today began with a photo shoot at the police crime lab. Don't worry; I wasn't in trouble. The library is making life-size cardboard cutouts of some staff members to promote library contents and services and I volunteered. Doing it down at the crime lab means we didn't need to hire an outside photographer; it's always a smart idea to use internal resources as often as you can to keeps costs down.
I spent around an hour down there (I had a lot of props to try out) and the winning picture of my set is:
I'm holding an oversize pencil and calculator and giving the camera my Spock inspired raised eyebrow look.
I'm not sure when the final cutout will be released but I'll let you all know.
So, after I returned to the Mustang branch (my new location; more about that later) I had a little time before my cashier shift so I got caught up on emails (37 new ones since the day before) and began tracking down the Arizona Library connection for legislation. This is important information as I am on the Legislative Committee for YALSA and I'm trying to get the word out about our upcoming District Days events (more on that later as well).
So after leaving a message for the contact person I found I went off to do my cashier shift. This was a standard day in the cashier box. It's great to see so many people finding books in the library shop as the money we make from there goes to help pay for our programming and other things.
After my cashier shift I had another "off pod" hour so I returned to my desk and did some more work on my new space science program youth services will be doing this Fall. The PowerPoint and game board I am creating for this one is "The Sun".
After some time on the PowerPoint as well as refil
1 Comments on A Day in the Life of a Librarian, last added: 7/31/2011
Interworld is the story of Joey Harker, a young man with no sense of direction yet can walk through the myriad of worlds that make up the altiverse. Every time a major decision is made a new version of the universe is created, one where the decision was made continues on and another with the path not taken. Best guess is that there are trillions of alternate universes. Each Joey Harker in those universes, whether boy, girl, or cybernetic adaptation has the ability to "walk" the In-Between and travel from universe to universe. Some of these alternate universes are low on the technological end and have a form of magic (HEX) and some are high on the scale and excel in science complete with lasers and liquid metal type suits (BINARY). Each is trying to conquer the other and take over the entire altiverse. The one group standing in their was is a group of various Joey Harkers.
Don't worry. It's not as complicated as it sounds. It was actually a really fun read by two great and creative minds.
0 Comments on Book review - Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves as of 1/1/1900
I know that's a lot to take in however, if you subscribe to my YouTube channel and "follow" my blogs, you'll know every time there is a new video or blog posted. It's easier for you and good for me. The stats would really help!
Thanks and see you all in the internet!
Michael
0 Comments on New home for my lap-band blog posts and info as of 1/1/1900
Well, the big push is on to both get published and try to make some extra money. I've submitted a book and poem to publishers and had both rejected. I'm a real author now! :)
I currently have my first picture book submitted to a literary agency and hope to hear back soon. I've also signed up with a couple of online sites (eLance and ChaCha) to try to earn some extra money. These of course are just supplemental sources. I may need to find a second regular job soon as well.
So, anyway, here is my new video blog. Please remember to subscribe/follow this blog so I know you're out there.
Bye for now!
Michael
0 Comments on Michael's video blog #14 - lap-band and life update as of 1/23/2011 10:47:00 PM
In this video I talk about my weight loss progress after the lap-band surgery, show you the new weight loss tracking Excel file I created (link below), and give some feedback on a couple of websites I've been using for support pre-surgery.
So, enjoy the video and feel free to download and use the weight-loss tracker spreadsheet.
Please comment or email me if you have any suggestions or would like me to personalize the spreadsheet for you or would just like to chat.
Well, I'm now 11 days post-surgery. I actually started the lap-band diet a few weeks before surgery so I was able to lose about 8 lbs for I went in and have lost about 5 more lbs since my surgery 11 days ago.
Current weight - 248.2 Goal weight - 180
0 Comments on Video blog #11 - 11 days post-surgery as of 1/1/1990
The lap-band is not the end-all solution to weight loss however; it is a tool that will help you get to your goal of a healthier and longer life.
How does it work? The lap-band is surgically inserted around the opening to the stomach. It will act as a funnel and sends a signal to the brain telling you that you are full. This means that you will not be hungry for about four to five hours after eating. If you feel hungry before then, it is not “real” hunger; you are more likely feeling a desire for food.
In most cases, the band is inserted laproscopically, with several small incisions. Most people can return to work 3-5 days after surgery. For people who live alone or do not have someone to stay with them the day of surgery, patients will stay overnight in the hospital for observation.
Even though the lap-band is safer than other surgeries such as gastric bypass, there are risks involved. The risks include band slippage, blockage and absorption into the stomach lining.
The post surgery diet consists of liquids for a week or two, then soft foods and finally solids. It is important to follow the plan and move on to solids. If there is ever a feeling of something being stuck, make an appointment right away. If, after a fill, the water does not stay down, return to the office immediately.
Fills and un-fills are done through a port under the skin, where a saline solution is added or removed from the band.
Most solid meals after the band will consist of 3-4 ounces or protein and 6 ounces of vegetables (always eat the protein first). Do not drink anything until at least one half hour after eating. If food is moist, drinking during the meal will not be needed. Meat should be moist; nothing microwaved.
After the band I expect to feel a better sense of healthiness. I expect to feel and look better. This will improve my overall outlook on life. Financially, when I use the band correctly, my food and medication expenses should decrease. Of course, this will not happen unless I use the lap-band, my weight loss “tool” correctly.
Essentially, after surgery, the ball is in my court. It’s up to me to follow through with the band. Food passes through in about one minute. Eating slowly and in small portions as well as chewing thoroughly is very important. To help me on my journey is Southwest Weight Loss’s after care program. The after-care program consists of support group meeting, podcasts, recipes, etc. Most of these are hosted or created by Dr. Simpson. In addition to the after-care I will make monthly visits in the first year for fills/un-fills as needed along with follow-ups with my primary care doctor.
These people give me the tools and support I need, the rest is up to me.
0 Comments on The "how and why" lap-band post as of 1/1/1990
Here it is.... Video #8. I have jumped through the final hoop for insurance. My weight is over and I expect to be having the surgery the 3rd week of December. Enjoy the video.
Michael
0 Comments on Video blog #8 - lap band update as of 1/1/1990
Hi all. Sorry it's been a while. I was sort of demoralized after my September lap-band surgeon consult. It's partially my own fault since I didn't try hard enough to continue losing weight. I just thought "I'm having surgery, I might as well eat all the stuff I won't be able to eat after surgery." Wrong. I put on a couple pounds and got in trouble for it. However, this month I really tried and lost 11 pounds so things are back on track.
Enjoy video blog #7.
Michael
0 Comments on Video blog #7 - 10/29/10 as of 1/1/1990
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Library swag? lol(jay)