Blu-ray discs meet call numbers

I'm focusing on Blu-Ray movies tonight because I'm getting a Blu player for us for Christmas.  They're down to $75 for a decent model, and we're not doing the wireless stuff.  So I've been looking at my favorite local library's collection via the online catalog.  First Blu I'm buying?  "Die Hard."  It's a Christmas movie, remember?

Here is how the Upper Arlington Public Library depicts one "A" movie's call number.

"Blu Ass?"  That's pretty good, and I bet the cataloger chuckled.  I won't be renting this one; I've got a high-def version of it in HD-DVD.  Yes' I'm one of the 400 people who bought HD-DVD, only I bought the player and some discs after the format died.  I can tell you it's the superior "spin-disc" format because the discs load fast and are less prone to skipping than Blu.

Also, one film that looks fantastic on HD-DVD is Nancy Meyers' "The Holiday."  Blu-Ray reviews have been harsh, and I've heard that the HD-DVD is the better picture.  Just watched this cute rom-com again with the Mrs; we're making it a holiday tradition.  This is the 3rd year we've watched in HD.  I know that HD only holds 30 GB to Blu's 50, but on our smaller high-def TV's it's a noticeable upgrade from DVD.

As far as the rom-com genre goes, I'm not a huge fan, but "The Holiday," "Failure To Launch," and "How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days" are our favorites.  I can do without seeing Terry Bradshaw's bare bottom, but hey that flick was only $3 in HD-DVD.  Now go watch "The Holiday" with someone you love.  You'll be glad you did.

Just plain old blogging...

...and testing.  I'm testing Opera 11.60 on my Windows XP system.  I simply want faster web page access, and I'm tired of how Internet Explorer 8 and Firefox are slow in handling all the gunk that comes with Yahoo! news stories.  I know, the answer should be to get my news elsewhere.  But I'm so very busy and lazy!

Still not following librarianship other than to check a few of the Ohio job boards.  It's sad to see director's jobs in the rural parts of the state pay only $33,000 annually.  However, I recall that 20 years ago, I worked for just about half of that pay.  Appalachian Ohio living can be cheap:  My one-bedroom apartment ran only $270/month.

Am glad Christmas is almost here.  I really don't like all the dark and wish it stayed light until at least 6:00 p.m.  Lighting a Christmas tree and focusing on the religious aspects of the holiday provides me with a reprieve from all that hustle/bustle out on the roads and at the shops.  Will likely be getting small speciality items for some of the family.  Daughter is getting a Kindle, and I get the fun of configuring it and loading it up with fun novels and classics.  When Dad's a librarian, there's an insistence on reading.

That's it for now.  In about three months I gun for the MBA-desired jobs offered in my Chase location.  Wow, this company loves to promote from within.  And I've come to realize that I don't intimdate anymore.  Many of the job descriptions state they want to know how you would communicate with upper management.  Face-to-face is my attitude.  They're going to be white, middle-aged males with a business school background.  Kind of like me, and I'm coming in with more workforce experience and likely a better pedigree.  Cocky sounding, I know, but I'm damn good and worth more than they currently pay me.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Sure beats where I was last year at this time: no job and feeling very blue.

Bye for now.  I thought blogging tonight might be kind of cathartic, but no such luck!

Fun image from about 10 years ago

Hi, I'm back after a two-month hiatus, which was mainly caused by working so many hours.  The bank loves to move its scanned documents about, and a few thousand of them daily don't go where they should--some seemingly vanish into the ether...

Anyway, here is a (doctored) graphic I had from the previous, library job.  Working for the mega-but-no-longer-nice library company.  World's largest library company.  The one that stiffs its professional staff.  Still bitter 15 months on, am I.  Oh, yes.  Let's see if a .png file will load.

It loads pretty well!  It's graphics like these that really made me hate pie charts.  (Still love pie, though.)

Busily Employed

Wow, three weeks has gone by quickly, and I'm settled into my new job at Chase in the mega-plex on the north side of town.  Just me and about 10,500 other staff there.  They even have fun facts posted on the website about how large an office park it is.

Following librarianship?  Not at the moment.  I just graduated summa cum laude with a (technically, my school doesn't recognize the cum laudes at grad level) 4.0 GPA from Ohio Dominican University's LEAD program.  I remember back in undergrad how my college buddies said I couldn't handle business school.  Now, with two Master's, I'm looking to teach in graduate business school.  (Just the intro. writing/team building class).  I need to check with the LEAD lead instructor.  It's $2100 per six-week course, and one or two of those would offset the diminished pay at Chase.

Still, no complaints.  I will be starting my 2nd shift and earning that 10% differential in about six weeks.  It will be weird working Thursdays through Sundays and until midnight, but it means I only have to drive my ol' jalopy of a car to work four days a week.

So that's it for now.  More to come when I have time to discuss all things library.

Employed!

Wow, what a difference a week makes.  In my last post, I was feeling blue, unhireable, and distraught due to the year-long drought without a job.  But thanks to the folks at JPMorgan Chase, I now am employed.

I start on August 1 as a account/help-desk rep, but it's an internal help desk gig, not call center stuff.  Plus, the money is enough for the family to live on!  It's not what I used to make, but it's about 90%, and we can get by on that.  Of course, I gotta work second shift until midnight, but aside from that... not too shabby.

I'm getting further removed from the librarian profession, but heck, I'm getting a new Master's and it's in management.  Time to climb the corporate ladder and woo over new fans at Chase.  May even get a new bank account with these guys--world's largest bank, depending on which Wikipedia page you turn to.  (I know:  Don't trust Wikipedia.)

So, more to come, and I actually interviewed for a very good (and good paying) library job last Friday, four days after accepting the Chase offer.  Don't think I'll make it to round two, but it was nice to talk in a relaxed manner.  I only spoke with the HR rep, and she stated that there would be two more rounds of interviews:  Not my strong suit.

So the 410+ nights of restless sleep and 410+ mornings of waking up with a sense of dread and without a job has ended.  It literally is like waking from a nightmare; it took my wife two days to sink in that her husband is no longer aimless and wandering in an unemployment void.  That feeling of desparation and despair is quickly lifting.

More to come.  Time to finish college in 1.5 weeks and buy the Five Man Electrical Band debut album on CD that Amazon has.  I'd link to it, but no doubt my 0 readers would be quick to snatch it up!

Been busy!

Well, this blogger will never soar to the heights of folks like Jessamyn West or some of the other famed librarians.  Not with going on one gawky job interview after another.  I'm overqualified to work in a very tiny, "virtual" library and not familiar with Excel 2010 pivot tables, so there goes another.  But I earned $100 for two days of warehouse pick 'n' pack.  Lord, that is tough work.  And in 1.5 weeks the unemployment runs out!

So it's on to cashing in the first of my retirement packages around August 1 if I don't find employment.  The pick 'n' pack might pick up again, but it's sporadic work; a day here, four hours there.  Wouldn't even amount to 1/4 of my former salary.

But everyone I know who prays is praying for me.  This is all very weird.  At 47, with (nearly) three college degrees, I should be working.  Especially in Columbus, Ohio, which certainly has the best economy in the state.  I'm not asking for a director's gig with tenure (read about Jenica's cushy gig at Attempting Elegance), but even $13/hr. could suffice if it isn't 30 miles across town.

I'm going to ramp up my call center applications.  I'm not going to like it, but obviously I am not the first pick anywhere anymore.  I had a 2nd interview today, but I was one of about four candidates in that pool.  The man I met with, who'd be my bosses' boss, was of the same demographic as me:  white, male, mid-to-late-40's.  That never bodes well.  At least he didn't say, "Why would you want this job?"  I've encountered that question from aloof hiring managers who have no clue what it is like to be out of work for nearly a year.

Ten more days and I hit that one year of unemployment.  So, yeah, I will say on future interviews that I've been picking up temp jobs on the side and removing viruses from PC's for money.  Still gotta see some money from that gigging, but at least I know I can do it.  If I had a few more hundreds in the bank, I'd get my A+ certification.  Been reading an 856 page e-book on it.  Kind of neat stuff to know, and certifications seem to be better to tout than college degrees.

Tonight I pray that the unemployment extension goes through.  Another half year of not working, and I will be financially wiped out.  Some thanks, Oh, See Hell, See.

Gosh, I'm one grumpy (but still unbeknowingly greatest) librarian.

How to Write a Book Review

Popular librarian and author Will Manley shows why librarians often make the best book reviewers, which isn't all that unexpected when you think about it.  Reading his review of  Paul Allen's Idea Man makes me want to spend this evening curled up with this book.  See the well done review here.

This topic is not the type of history that really interests me, but Manley's review will make me look for this title at the library when I stop reading business books and start reading again for the sake of... just getting smarter on my own terms.  Now back to business and the required business books.

Why The Ladders is Often the Funniest Job Board

Granted, I'm not the least bit qualified for this job, but here in Columbus, Cargill apparently will pay over $100,000 annually for the following:

 

Ah, to be the Dressing, Sauces & Mayonnaise Superintendent.  I'm not one to talk:  I had to glance at the ad to ensure I spelled "mayonnaise" correctly.  Hopefully, ITT Technical Institute will bring me on board soon.  I'd work for half the salary of the mayonnaise superintendent. 

Counting Down The Days

Or weeks, actually.  Just eight weeks to go until this very unemployed librarian finishes the MSM degree at Ohio Dominican University.  Will a job be forthcoming?  Probably not, but I am applying for gigs that would really tax the car on the daily commute.  Call center positions 28 miles from home mean hundreds of miles per week.  The only upside of these positions is that after a few months workers often can switch to four 10-hour days, and that saves over 50 miles of wear, tear, and gas on the car.

So now even collections jobs are looking acceptable, especially if the pay is $16/hr.  That's not enough for us to get by on for a long time, but it keeps the roof over our heads, and allegedly there's the chance for a bonus.  I head out to New Albany tomorrow to do my best schmoozing the Discover Card call center folks.

Having done seven and a half years in phone/e-mail support has prepared me to be a real canned-response pitbull and I would work hard to get the big credit card company its payments.  They say collections is one of the most stressfull, god-awful positions out there, possibly worse than telemarketing.  But in 2011's economy, this hard worker will take it.  More to come...

Foul!

Well, in a word, "foul" is how I'd describe my mood right now.  I didn't even get an interview at Ohio Dominican's Spangler library; turns out the person who got the job received her MLS in 2010.  That fresh, new library degree must be so much better than my aged and rotten 1990 MLS!  I'm guessing seeing my 1986 undergraduate degree listed on my resume quickly let the hiring team gauge my age, and not many places are hiring 47 year-olds.

Also, OHIONET has passed me over after my one, reasonably good interview.  Again, here I'm thinking that their hiree will be someone under 40.  I can't imagine anyone better qualified to support OCLC services at a regional "partner" than a guy who just spent the last 7.5 years as subject matter expert for cataloging at OCLC, but again... 47 seems to be the kiss of death.

I continue my search for a call center job "that doesn't so closely resemble hell," but I'll take a bad one soon enough if that's all there is out there.  I know people at Discover Card.  I know people who drive 60 miles daily back and forth to their piddlin' jobs at Discover Card.  My commute would only be 58 miles.

Comedy Queens Face-off

Squeezing in some Sony Reader reading isn't an easy thing when combining family life, a mega- job search, and the graduate business school stuff I schlep through.  But I did get through two books recently by two very funny and rather raunchy ladies.

First, was Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin.  Next, was The Bedwetter:  Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee by Sarah Silverman.  These two books were both real page-turners, although it took me a little while to get into Griffin's tome.  Both women are very good at stand-up, but neither wants to be known for it.  They multi-task whenever given the opportunity and seemingly never turn down work (especially you, Griffin).  The comediennes have different backgrounds, but it's easy to compare and contrast their views and accomplishments.  So here goes:

Both tried out for Saturday Night Live and a for role on Suddenly Susan.
(Silverman got SNL; Griffin got Susan.)

Both appeared on Seinfeld.  Griffin praises him; Silverman ignores him

Both had their cable TV shows salvaged by the gay community.

Both write about poor body image (Griffin seriously; Silverman humorously)

Silverman:  Had a brother die in childhood
Griffin:  Had a brother die after a troubled life

Both credit their dad for ingraining a viscious comedic streak.
Silverman:  Dad would pass gas to offend
Griffin:  Dad would say something outrageous, but with great timing

Griffin:  "Dated" Jack Black
Silverman:  Appeared in School of Rock with him

Small roles in big films:
Griffin:  Seen in Pulp Fiction
Silverman:  Seen in School of Rock
(I find School of Rock to be the better film.)

Controversial remarks:
Silverman:  Offended Asian-Americans in 2001
Griffin:  Offended Christians in 2007

The better read:  It's very close, but I'm gonna go with The Bedwetter.  Sarah never strays from her silliness, although it is disconcerting how she glosses over what obviously is major drama in her life, and the book is a very quick read.  Kathy pads her book toward the end with thoughts on Paris Hilton and an odd correspondence between her and potential beau, Steve Wozniak.

Still, both are worth a look, and I give Kathy credit for going to bat and opening up about personal experiences.  Now if she only didn't fawn over every celebrity she with whom she shares a room.  But that's her schtick and she's schtickin' to it.

Transforming Traditional Organizations Controversy

Okay, I admit, I'm rehashing what the movers 'n' shakers in library blogging have pointed out days (weeks, now?) ago regarding Jeffrey Trzeciak's speech on how he reshaped McMaster University's libraries over the last five years.  Jeffrey certainly is a visionary, but MLS professionals bristle at the thought of in-with-the-Ph.D.s and out-with-you,-MLS-holders.

I like what the always erudite K.G. Schneider has to say, and also Jenica Rogers' thoughts on the matter.  Both critiques are worth a look.

Now if only someone wrote about the optimal library value of the Ohio Dominican MSM degree, I'd feel much better about my chosen profession.  (And yes, that means I'm still looking for work.)

Library Q & A can prove depressing

Back after much schoolwork and housework and job searching.  Speaking of that last topic, the Career Q&A with the Library Career People helps point out how frustrating the library job search has become.

Things will improve, but the lesson from the March 29th posts is always to leave your current job on a good note.  Unless Oh, See Hell, See, downsizes your talented butt!

Busy testing with Twitter and the Twitcam capability

This spring break (aka Tuesday) I've been testing with the webcam and Twitcam.  It works fairly well, but I don't think I'll be looking to get my family (vacationing in Florida) to use it to see me at the computer with the dog in the background.

Still, Twitcam works fairly well, albeit with much advertising.  More testing to come, but it's the easiest webcam launcher over the Internet that I've found.  Powered by Adobe Flash (which I will not link to).

Starbucks vs. Ramen

I read two books over the last three months for pleasure; believe me, I'm reading a bunch of dry textbooks, too. Both of the fun books were food/restaurant based.

How Starbucks Saved My Life is not a bad little book, but it reads too much like a plea to opt film rights, which is what I believe Tom Hanks has done. Michael Gates Gill came from affluence, rubbed elbows with Hemingway and bumped elbows with Queen Elizabeth II, but lost his job at the most prestigious NYC ad agency. Next stop, Starbucks as a 63 year-old barista.

He learns a lot about serving good coffee and the perspectives of the less fortunate, but no-less hard-working. He even makes some headway in improving the relationships with his children. Not a bad tome, but not the greatest read either. You'll come away from it thinking it's kind of a conversation piece to tell your friends you've read... over coffee.

A better read is The Ramen King and I, by Andy Raskin. Now this guy is a mess. An MBA fluent in Japanese, he is commitment-phobic and likely a sex addict, too. He leaves a trail of broken hearts through Tokyo, New York City, and San Francisco. Along the way, he becomes obsessed with ramen noodles. His counselor encourages him to pray to the inventor of ramen, Momofuku Ando. Raskin does this.

Are his prayers answered? I think not, but he does travel to Japan to attend Momofuku's funeral. Life lessons ensue. Raskin gets much credit for baring his soul and his weaknesses and obsessions. This book was one of the best DRM-protected works I've checked out of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Definitely worth a look.

Job market for librarians is picking up

...but not for this librarian. Still, more midwestern positions available this week than in weeks past. Indeed.com and LISjobs.com seem to have a higher-than-usual number of listings.

The Columbus Metropolitan Library keeps sending me rejections, but Ohio Dominican possibly could interview me. My hard-earned (unemployment) dollars go there, so I'm hopeful they give me consideration.

And apparently 47 is too old for customer support gigs. I've had three job interviews in the last three months where the hiring manager was a man my age or close to it. Seems to be the kiss of death for a job if someone who is demographically similar isn't interested in bringing you on board. I want to say, "But you're a late-40's, white man, and you get to work here! How 'bout me?"

Thank goodness I get to vent on this blog!

Library work? In Ohio?

Well, that fortnight went by quickly. How did two weeks come and go without a post? School work has taken precedence, and the job hunt has been curtailed to approximately two job applications per week. That's not enough to get any hits, and it's certainly a lot less than the eight or nine I had been firing out.

Most of these positions are in customer support (because that's what I had been doing at the amazing Oh, See Hell, See), and I may have applied at one of the Columbus Metro. branches for part-time work. Basically, there are no library jobs available in central Ohio. The job seeker must go back a month or more to find some outdated listings in Granville or Newark. I didn't apply to those: It's not cost effective to drive 38 miles each way for a $15/hr. position. Finding a call center post in Hilliard for $13 is more realistic, and it would cut down on a lot of wear on my car.

Got a job interview (customer support) on Friday, the 25th. I'm optimistic--someone's gotta hire me! Perhaps when I finish my second Master's degree in August, that will help. Good Lord, if getting as much college under my belt as a lawyer doesn't help, I don't know what will.

File under world's grumpiest librarian.

Sony Reader DRM title and expired status

I'm discovering that a whole week+ can go by without having a chance to blog. This post is just to show what a DRM-protected EPUB title looks like when the 14-day countdown is done. Note the "Expired" status to the right of Get The Job....

What's strange is that I was able to continue reading the book two days after the Expired status kicked in, because I hadn't stepped off this title. However, once I stepped off (by selecting one of my RTF files) and keeping the RTF file while a day elapsed, only then did the Expired status really delete the book.

With DRM titles, the Reader displays the expired book's length as one-page on the information screen. The "page" that displays just informs you that the title has expired.

Fortunately, I was able to renew the title online and I just need to sync it again to the Reader. So back to it as time permits...

ALA membership for the underemployed

In the spirit of partiality, the American Library Association is offering reduced membership dues, just not free. (I was hoping "free," just for the chance to say I'm a card-carrying member.) The cost for un- and under-employed members is $46 annually, and the best page for starting the membership process is found at the Member Dues page.

Once I return to the land of the paid, I'll pay these fees. Just not the best expenditure of $46 right now.

Shameful nerdiness?

Time magazine (online) has pointed out a map compiling shameful stats about all 50 states. Ohio (my turf) comes out looking good due to having the "highest number of library visits per capita (6.9)." The full-size map and stats are found at Pleated Jeans.

The libraries are good and pretty well-funded; they just aren't hiring, as is the case with all sectors in Ohio.

Book recommendation

For those of us in the job hunt, it's often helpful to have one book that's the one you turn to time and again for motivation and diligence. I've been using Ford R. Myer's 2009 text, Get The Job You Want Even When No One's Hiring, to keep me going.

Most of these job-hunt titles have the same emphasis: Network instead of job seek, and this book is no different. Myers has a field day stressing having a "laser focus" on the exact type of job you want, and he makes no bones emphasizing that if you take a job just for the necessary paycheck, you may regret it later. Still, the 2009 publication acknowledges the depth of the recession, and Myers understands what the desparate job seeker will resort to.

One of the best features is the inclusion of sample letters and positioning statements. Nicely formatted, these resume-with-blurbs pages show you how creating a few Microsoft Word templates can result in an eye-catching promotional piece that's no ordinary resume.

So keep your ladder-climbing aspirations high, and don't necessarily jump at the Starbuck's help wanted signs down the street. Admittedly, I've applied for a shift manager position at Starbuck's and for two jobs at Barnes & Noble. Maybe it's for the best that they haven't gotten back to me. Onward and upward, even while filling out the storefronts' applications just to meet Ohio's unemployment requirements.

DRM-based countdown on a Sony Reader

Here are two snaps of how a Sony Reader (model PRS-300) displays an Overdrive e-book that I downloaded through the Columbus Metropolitan Library.  Note the last title, "How To Get The Job You Want."  It's got the little clock on the right showing five days remaining.  I started with 14 days and it's been counting down for nine days.  I think I'll just get a "Protected Page" message when it expires.

The EPUB format with digital rights management might be adding a bit to the file size.  Normally, a 131-page book isn't 2.6 Mb.  It would be more like 246 Kb. I use Calibre software to alphabetize by surname, but I can't do that with this Get the job you want title, as it would remove the DRM. So the alphabetization is off, but I can live with that for 14 days.

 

Next to restoring Sunday hours, these EPUB (and PDF and Mobipocket) downloads are the coolest thing the Columbus Metropolitan Library has done in 2011.  I definitely like having this title on the Reader!  Sedaris is the more entertaining author, though.

Firing it up!

Wow, January has nearly come and gone, and I am still seeking work.  As I tell the missus, if this were 2001 instead of 2011, the job offers would be forthcoming and plentiful.  (I recall that 2000 was a very good year for getting library work).  Still undaunted, the search continues.

Stay tuned for my list of folks who impressively have gotten their greatness out via the 'Net.  You don't have to know everything about all of the aspects of library work to be the world's greatest... but you should have a great skill set and the ability to get published or get to those conferences.