The first of my radio presets has gone to all Christmas music.

Has anyone else been following what’s been happening in Iceland?

The whole thing reads like a cautionary tale for the U.S. which unfortunately occurred too late for anyone here to draw any lessons from it. Aside from the fact that the dollar can’t (because of its greater importance to world markets) be let collapse quite as far as the krona, I’m afraid we’re on a course to follow Iceland down the path to economic disaster. 15% inflation here we come.

Feeling not so fresh?

Don’t worry. Douse your “delicate tissue” with LYSOL.

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As I noted a while back, the Bobbsey twins books were recently republished in a newly revised edition more agreeable to modern sensibilities.

At the time, I never really wondered about the older version of the book I had, which, upon reflection, is a bit odd: I’m well aware of the fact that Nancy Drew, published by the same syndicate, was revised and re-released in the 50s and 60s. The Bobbsey Twins, as it so happens, were also victims(?) of this.

Nowhere is this so clear as in the first book, now known as The Bobbsey Twins of Lakeport but originally published as The Bobbsey Twins: Or, Merry Days Indoors and Out. Happily, the Bobbseys are even older than Nancy, and as their first book came out in 1904, there are quite a few of the original texts now available through Project Gutenberg. I’ve been reading through some of them, and they are incredibly amusing.

I leave everyone with this dire warning courtesy of Mr. Bobbsey, particularly E, who I know recently purchased a jump rope.

“She was–was jumping rope, and couldn’t jump any more,” sobbed Nan. “Oh, papa, she–isn’t de–dead, is she?”

Mr. Bobbsey was startled and with good reason, for he had heard of more than one little girl dying from too much jumping. He took the limp form up in his arms and hurried to the Lavine house with it. “Run and tell Doctor Briskett,” he called back to Nan.

[...]

“Grace is not dead,” he announced. “She had a fainting spell, that is all. But I think after this she had better leave rope skipping alone.”

Now, I can’t say that I am a fan of peanut butter in sandwiches. I prefer it with something wetter (like celery or ice cream).  Bread, jam, or even Fluff is not enough to cut the dryness of it all.

 But of all the stupid things for the legislature to be having a battle over…

A panel description from the upcoming ALA conference:

Millennials (born after 1979) are the largest new adult generation since Baby Boomers. What will Millennials want in a new library service or building? What are the ideal Millennial space and service characteristics? Will Millennials support public library tax levies? This is a rare opportunity to interact with a panel of Millennials who will respond to your own plans for innovation, and to learn how they react to the ideas of other librarians.

… view them in their native habitat! Watch them mate! Pay bills! Eat exotic foods!

Clever and amusing yet also… ew.

What in the hell does Google have to do with cars?

… you are DEAD TO ME.

Meh.