Alicia In Wonderland

The Loss of Cursive Writing

2011-05-02T15:38:00.001-07:00

I've noticed in the past few years a decrease in my facility with cursive writing -- a condition I attributed to the constant use of my fingers on keyboards. Now this article from The New York Times, The Case for Cursive by Katie Zezima, seems to confirm my suspicion.

If indeed cursive writing is disappearing from our culture, I mourn the loss of individuality that penmanship signifies. This is yet one more instance of standardization and conformity in our digital age.

Bing Crosby, My Guru

2010-06-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

Or maybe that should be Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen who are my gurus...as they wrote the lyrics for a song Bing made famous, Accentuate the Positive.

I always thought it was a fun, peppy tune, but never realized the wisdom and science behind its words until I read Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom, by neuropsychologist Rick Hanson, Ph.D., with neurologist Richard Mendius, M.D.

Hanson and Mendius tell us that our thoughts literally shape our brains, and they discuss practical ways that we can overcome our natural propensity to look for trouble. It's comforting to know that the negativity habit is not a character flaw: our brains were designed to keep our bodies alive, and therefore to be constantly alert to threats to our physical survival. The problem is that this instinct has outlived its usefulness for us modern types, but it remains alive and well and wreaking havoc on our peace, inner and outer. More often than not, any threats are of our own imagining or, if any dangers do lurk, they imperil our sense of self more than anything else.

Author Hanson generously samples from the book on his site. I invite you to "latch on to the affirmative" and read this excerpt from the chapter, Taking in the Good. We can actually build our brainpower (alert to those of us over 50) if we do as the song says and "spread joy up to the maximum, bring gloom down to the minimum."

May you be healthy, happy, and free from suffering...and may your life be as smooth as Bing's crooning.

New Technologies: Libraries and Beyond (Part II)

2009-08-20T08:55:00.001-07:00

The Southeast Florida Library Information Network (SEFLIN) really knows how to pull together a conference. One of the most useful aspects is the Conference Toolkit they put together following the event in July, 2009. (My session is listed under "Breakout Sessions" -- Using LibGuides. Also check out the Survey Results, including "Additional Comments".)

Food, Inc.

2009-07-28T05:34:00.000-07:00

I'm sure the film, Food, Inc., is all over the blogosphere, so I won't add too much to the noise about it. But just for all one of you who might stumble upon this blog, do go see it! If you're hungry for more about this topic, read the Cheap Eats chapter in Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture, by Ellen Ruppel Shell. While you're at it, anything by Michael Pollan is instructive (he's one of the major players in the movie).

Both of these authors are journalists and journalism academics. In this age of "citizen journalism" and the soapbox-gone-digital-and-ubiquitous, they exemplify why we need the probity, thoroughness, and writing skills of real journalists!

New Technologies: Libraries & Beyond

2009-06-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

Joanne Cameron from Palm Beach Community College (PBCC) and I will present break-out sessions on LibGuides at the New Technologies: Libraries & Beyond conference of the Southeast Florida Library Information Network (SEFLIN). Other colleagues from PBCC and around the state will be presenting - do take a look!

This opportunity came to me because of this project for CCLA last summer.

Generation Jones

2009-04-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

Well, live and learn.

I've just discovered while reading this C&RL News article, Hang together or hang separately: Improved information services through communication and culture, that having been born between 1954 and 1965 (1959) makes me part of a Baby Boom sub-set known as Generation Jones. In the immortal words of Christopher Walken as The Continental, "Surprise to me!" And some hip and aware people I've asked hadn't heard of it either (my Gen-Xer colleague Jeremy said it sounded like it could be the title of a "blaxploitation movie with an Isaac Hayes soundtrack").
:-) :-)

The term was coined by Gen-Joneser cultural historian Jonathan Pontell.

From a pop-culture reference standpoint, this label fits me. The Baby Boom generation is typically defined as the huge cohort born between 1946 and 1964. However, although I dig rock'n'roll music and it was the soundtrack of my childhood, I was out playing in the Florida sunshine the summer before 5th grade while a half-million older children of God were descending on Max Yasgur's farm for three days of peace and music (and other entertainments). I much more identify with Dazed and Confused - I swear I went to high school with these people in the late '70s!

Thanks For This Assignment

2009-04-07T07:17:00.001-07:00

Getting ready to present next week at the International Conference on College Teaching and Learning with friend and colleague Judy Nolasco. Dusting off and polishing up presentation materials. (For more about LibGuides, see my earlier post, LibGuides and Me.)

Judy and I have previously given some version of this talk to faculty and librarians...in Feb.08, at TYCA-Southeast in Louisville, KY...and most recently in our own back yard at Suncoast Information Specialists. We've also done in-service sessions for faculty at our own institution, Hillsborough Community College, in Tampa, Florida.

My Friend Raciel's Photography Assignment

2008-11-04T10:09:00.000-08:00

This scanned image doesn't do justice to a really well-executed photograph. My young friend and fellow Cuba native Raciel Bravo got an "A" on his photography assignment. His task was to take portraits that would capture the essence of his subjects' personalities. Raciel, a former University of Havana law student, is presently enrolled at HCC, where I work. He is taking photography this term as a humanities elective. Thank you, Raciel, for including me in your assignment. Congratulations!

Monthly Check-In

2008-10-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

It's been about a month since I last posted something here - an unheard-of omission in this age of overexposure and self-promotion! Just shows that my slackerdom has no bounds, even reaching into the domain of Web2.0 :-) Just posted, in my Reading Material: "sad but true" article from The Boston Globe about grade inflation and other assorted ills afflicting higher ed.

Happy Birthday to Me

2008-09-13T07:02:00.000-07:00

Just in time for my 49th birthday, which was on 9/11 (!)...a great article to add to my Reading Material ("Google Shared Items") gadget...that pretty slate-blue box on the upper right. The article's by Marc Fisher of the Washington Post: "I'll Keep My Aging to Myself, Thank You Very Much."

What Am I Doing Now?

2008-08-01T10:17:00.001-07:00

Still experimenting. Just added my Del.Icio.Us tag roll and my Google Reader blog roll (now, those bloggers have something useful to say - unlike this one!) On my Using LibGuides LibGuide (see July 11 post below), I added a SlideCast of my PowerPoint presentation. Go to the LibGuide linked there, click the tab, My SlideCast, and get all the details of this fascinating :-) exercise in using social media for instructional purposes.

LibGuides and Me

2008-07-11T10:34:00.000-07:00

Continuing my Web2.0 adventure: a webcast for CCLA about LibGuides, a content management system for libraries with a Web2.0 look and feel. Click here to see the guide I created for this presentation (which includes lots of background on this system). As with everything in our Web2.0 world, the guide is in "continuous beta" because I am, too. It will change as I learn new things, and it will be adapted to other uses.

Welcome!

2008-06-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

I'm surprised you found me, as I keep this blog kind of hidden. It's mostly a platform for my Web2.0 self-education...not a soapbox for my rants. Only my real friends get to hear those. :-) At this time I don't expect to be giving the world the benefit of my opionions other than brief reactions to things I read online, which will go in My Shared Items. These will tend to reflect interests listed in My Complete Profile. I'll be adding widgets and other fun things as I go along. It will also be a place to promote/document my professional activities. That's about it!