The Long Review of The Shallows

One of the assignments I had for work was to write a review of a book that was to be posted on the library's blog. I wasn't sure quite how to do this, so I decided to write as if I was writing a post for my own blog with a bit of academical writing creeping in. It turned out much too long for the library blog and I made a much shorter version. The fact that it was too long doesn't surprise me but, as you'll see, the topic prompted a wry grin at "too long." It's not up yet on the library blog. Since I had essentially written the first draft of the book review for my blog, I thought I might as well put it up here:

Nicholas Carr's book, The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, is definitely food for thought. Just about any review out there at least acknowledges that Carr's points are valid. I was merely going to skim the book, but then I started actually reading it. And I'm glad I did. I read all except the last 50 pages (then it was either read the rest or write a review). While reading, I was amused about the fact that I was reading a book about how hard most people find reading a book is these days.

Like most librarians, I am a bibliophile. I was one of those kids whose noses could be found stuck in a book much of the time. I remember being able to read for hours at a time and in all kinds of places. Now I'm happy if I get half an hour of uninterrupted reading and I am much more easily distracted. I had wondered why my reading abilities had changed; I was never quite satisfied with "growing up" as the answer.

While reading this book, I came to realize that it's not just me. Nearly all of us are willing to admit on some level that our internet browsing habits have indeed affected how our minds work. The general consensus is this feeling of distractedness and the diminished ability for deep thought.

However, it seems that few of us are willing to change how prevalent the role the internet plays in our lives. Even the author himself blogs, Facebooks, and tweets among other internet-based activities. For the book he moved somewhere that had now cellphone or broadband internet service, but after he finished writing he plugged right back in. "'I'm not sure I could live without it'" (Horgan).

There is definitely many advantages offered to us by the powers of the internet. After all, we have more information at our fingertips than ever before in human history; Google's main goal has always been to make as much information accessible as possible. Another big one is to get people in and out of their search engine as fast as possible. As Carr explains, what it really boils down to is "More clicks means more money" and this isn't limited to just from their search results pages but on any page we click from. Google would rather that we didn't spend the time focusing on the text. What does this mean for Google Books then? Are they pursuing conflicting goals? As it happens, digitizing books fits right in with their goals.

The ability to search full-texts of books is a great feature, but one that can be easily abused. As a way to find relevant information on a topic, it can help determine if the book warrants deeper reading. Skimming itself is not bad, but it has become the dominant mode of reading. Really, Google Books is not a library of book but a library of snippets. Therefore, when we read online material, "(we) revert to being 'mere decoders of information.' Our ability to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction remains largely disengaged" (page 124).

We can push ourselves to read deeply on the internet, but that's not what is rewarded. The internet is very interactive and immersive, yet more stimulation does not always equate better comprehension and almost never does on the internet. The main example Carr gave for stimulation is hypertext links dispersed throughout web page texts. It doesn't matter if we don't actually click on those links; our brains have to decide what to do with that link (to click or not to click) and it acts as a distraction, even if it seems like the tiniest roadbump.

One of the analogies that helped me grasp another one of Carr's concepts involves an imaginary bathtub (long term memory) and a thimble (working memory). Carr explains:
"When we read a book, the information faucet provides a steady drip, which we can control by the pace of our reading. Through our single-minded concentration on the text, we can transfer all or most of the information, thimbleful by thimbleful, into long-term memory and forge the rich associations essential to the creation of schemas. With the Net, we face many information faucets, all going full blast. Our little thimble overflows as we rush from one faucet to the next. We're able to transfer only a small portion of the information to long-term memory, and what we do transfer is a jumble of drops from different faucets, not a continuous, coherent stream from one source" (page 125).

Meg Trauner, a librarian, suggests that we all make reading print books part of our daily routine, since it's been suggested that this keeps our brains wired for the ability for deep thinking that Carr and many others fear we are losing. The concept is quite simple, similar to exercising muscles to keep them from getting weak. Just as our bodies need a balanced and varied diet, so do our minds. If we lose the ability for deep thought, we lose the ability to create new connections necessary for the advancement of culture, society, and, somewhat ironically, technology. In fact, how about starting with reading The Shallows yourself?

REFERENCE:
Carr, Nicholas. The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains. W. W. Norton & Company: New York, 2010.

Trauner, Meg. "Book Review: The Shallows." Ford Library Blog. 15 November 2010. Duke University, The FUQUA School of Business, Ford Library. http://blogs.fuqua.duke.edu/fordlibrary/2010/11/15/book-review-the-shallows/

Horgan, John. "So Many Links, So Little Time." The Wall Street Journal. 4 June 2010. The Wall Street Journal, Bookshelf.

FURTHER READING:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703559004575256790495393722.html
http://www.slate.com/id/2255923/pagenum/all/#p2
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/books/review/Lehrer-t.html?_r=1
http://www.slate.com/id/2255923
http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/newsletters/newsletterbucketacademicnewswire/885758-440/a_case_for_mindful_browsing.html.csp

Thwarted Thursday

Today has been full of little misadventures. It all started when I woke up too early (don't know quite what time that was) and couldn't fall back asleep. Normally that's just plain annoying but I've been tired lately and that extra bit (an hour or more) before having to get up would have been much appreciated.

Then Colin had to run to the store to get milk, since we'd run out yesterday morning but were downtown with Tom and Keegan all day. Meanwhile, I showered and tried to dry my hair. Today was the day my hairdryer decided to fizzle out and quit for good. Colin had left the store by the time I found this out and I wasn't willing to make him pick out a hairdryer. So I dried my hair as best as I could in the hour before leaving. (For those of you who don't know: I need have my hair at least mostly dry before putting in my hearing aids.)

Then I left a bit earlier than usual to stop at CVS and get a hairdryer (I didn't want to have to buy one *after* work) and pick up a new prescription. They'd called me twice to have me come pick it up (I didn't need it yet and given the crazy week we've had I wasn't going to pick it up extra early for no reason), only for me to find out there wasn't a generic option. That was a big reason for changing to the new prescription, so in the end I have to wait for them to call me and let me know what else my doctor gave me instead (hopefully).

After getting back on the road, I realized I had left the latte Colin had made me at home. I almost turned around and went to get it, but I wasn't sure I had enough time to get to work on time if I did that so I pressed on. Luckily, someone had made a pot of hot water at the library and I made a cup of tea. Just now I got a pumpkin spice latte from the coffee stand. Hadn't gotten anything there before. Let's just say I'm glad it's flavored and it's got caffeine. It's not terrible, but it's not quite what I'm used to.

I also left my work keys at home so I have to use the spare for today. Normally I bring a certain bag to work, but today I brought my backpack and forgot to transfer the keys to the backpack. Mostly a minor annoyance but it adds to today's "Oops" pile.

Then things were changed around and I observed a reference class session instead of sitting in at the wifi printing Q&A. Which was fine - I was going to get the nachos and cheese from the black student union who were raising money for New Orleans right downstairs. Then they ran out of food just when I got to the head of the line. I had 15 minutes more for lunch so I ran down to the cafeteria and grabbed a couple random things, ate some of it, then ran back to the library. Turned out the class was late showing up anyway.

After that session, I ate the rest of my lunch, grabbed a coffee, and found a relatively peaceful spot in the library with a power outlet. My humor is still intact, which might end up being the most important part of getting through today.  So here I am, hoping to recollect my scattered brain and lazily wondering what else this day is going to throw at me.

Events of the past week

It's been a unexpectedly busy last week.

Wednesday: Had doctor's appointment (everything checks out fine). Colin hears that his uncle had passed away early that morning. We go to Deerfield as planned and see people there. Dinner with an ex-coworker of Colin's (from the first job he had) who has experience contracting; conversation helps Colin understand better what to do and expect while exploring the contracting option himself.

Thursday: At CLC from 10 to 10, worked 7 hours. Colin gets the car battery replaced. Becca arrives! Had to wait for security again to lock up. When guard asked, "Ready to escape, huh?" I merely say, "Yeah," when what I'm thinking is, "Um, I've been here 12 hours, I shouldn't have to wait extra for you, and my best friend who I haven't seen in a year is out in the car waiting, so duh!"

Friday: Lincoln Park Zoo! I woke up with a very stiff/sore back (no idea why) but took drugs and avoided crawling in any anthill modules (Becca graciously did that for me). We had gone there last year, but it's a nice and free one. Plus, a baby monkey had been born just a month previously and I was eager to see it. We also saw the barrel-loving anteater again, but he was sleeping this time. I caught a video of the lion roaring. Becca and I met back up with Colin at the Caribou in Gurnee - after a quick stop at Border's, of course. Dinner of spinach lasagna roll-ups and "Wall-E."

Becca in the anthill:

Video of lion roaring:

The best picture I could get of the baby monkey with the very protective mother (you can see his face right above her left hand):

Saturday: Milwaukee County Zoo! Bigger and more spread out than Lincoln Park Zoo. Parts were disappointing; some were simply closed and it was very hard to see the rhinos and elephants who were inside behind glass that reflected the bright snow. Some kids were right up against the glass screaming and roaring at the lions inches away from them. We got to see many animals being fed. It was very fun to watch 3 year old chimp Mahal play with his surrogate mom. There was also an aardvark who ran incessantly in circles, weaving between and under things in his exhibit. There was a tomato that looked like a frog - I mean, a frog that looked like a tomato. It was creatively named a "tomato frog." After the zoo we wandered Gurnee Mills mall and then made a stop at Joann Fabrics before getting home. Dinner was enchiladas and "Sherlock Holmes" which Becca hadn't seen before.

Mahal and his mom:

Tomato frog:

Kids with the lion ... fails to depict the full absurdity of the event:

Sunday: Becca hits the road, heading home. We clean and pack. Then Colin and I hit the road, heading south to Cinci. We arrive about 9 PM at the hotel.

Monday: Colin's uncle's memorial service. Gave his aunt some colored valentine's day cards (from here). Spent time with his family before heading back home. Fell into bed at midnight.

Today: Woke up. Lazed around. Did some research on great-grandpa who was in WWI. Watched a Covert Affairs episode with lunch. Had headache so took short nap. Still have headache.

There are more zoo pictures here!

Fellow CLC librarians blogging

As part of my job, I've been actually taking a course. It might not be an official course but I still spend some time reading through the Blackboard forums and completing the assignments. The purpose is to help get all the librarians at CLC familiar with the various social network options out there, which I think is a great idea (mainly so I can get used to Blackboard). We're just wrapping up the blogging section of the course where we looked at our library's blog and looked for other library blogs to compare and come up with suggestions on how to improve our library's blog. Then people shared links to their own blogs, many which are newly-minted. It was fun to see the different themes and setups and to read the posts. I thought I'd share a stack of them here:

http://crazyliblife.blogspot.com/ - funny title, enjoy the blog's voice
http://nationalforestthaticampedat.blogspot.com/p/shawnee-national-forest.html - obviously I want to hear more about these adventures
http://cakexxorxxdeath.blogspot.com/ - this wins the fanciest/coolest setup award
http://recipegrabber.blogspot.com/ - I might be biased but this looks very promising - and yummy
http://stuffifoundinadrawer.blogspot.com/ - quirky and fun
http://mybackyardvicki.blogspot.com/ - apparently this is going to ever have one post but it was fun to read although the writing could use some formatting
http://emilie-emsdaily.blogspot.com/ - looks like a promising another "me-ness" blog

This isn't a list of all of them, just the ones I have open in tabs at the moment. Blackboard is so hard to navigate that I groan at the thought of going through all the discussions again to grab all the other links. So if you're a CLC librarian and your link isn't found above, put a link to it in a comment? Any that I get I'll post in a later blog entry.

They are all open to suggestions and comments so let's spur them on!

I wrote a post for an hour yesterday about a tech exploration before I realized I wasn't done thinking it through. I'm still not quite done and I doubt I will be able to get it together in a post for at least another week, mainly because I have some things to check on at work Thursday first - and Becca will be here Thursday pm to Sunday! If I try to give a one sentence summary of what I'm talking about it will turn into a paragraph, I can promise you that ... so, instead I'll just say that it's a step beyond searching for instructions and using my slightly-more-than-basic linux skills because I can't find enough tips online to get it going. I really am trying something new it looks like. Hence the need to have a clear post about it.

I kept meaning to put up a link to the blizzard photo album (I'm still hoping to take pictures outside the house and by just posting a link to the picasa album will make the excuse "but I already put pictures up on my blog I don't want to put up more" moot). I just put captions on the second batch which were uploaded on the second snowday we had.

The snow hasn't really compressed into smaller piles like I thought it would. It'll be interesting to see if they attempt to make the huge mounds any smaller before nature does the job when seasons change. Also, there has been a little snow falling today.

Yesterday morning, Colin found our car had all the warning lights lit up in the garage. We're not sure how that happened, but it wouldn't start. He had plans (soccer game, lunch, and geek toy shopping with friends) downtown Chicago and he was carpooling because I had work yesterday afternoon. So I threw on some clothes and the person picking Colin up was nice enough to drop me off at work. Four hours early. Oh well - one of the perks for working in a library is that I like being there anyway. I was at the library for almost eight hours for four hours of work. Things were really slow yesterday at work, probably because everyone focused on finishing their shoveling and getting things back in order at home.

You ever have one of those days were it's all those little things that keep not working? On top of the car problems, yesterday was one of those days. Adding that to the fact that Colin sat in the parking lot waiting an extra fifteen minutes for me while I waited for security to come lock things up, I was definitely more impatient about having to wait than I normally would have been.

My internet is cutting in and out about every fifteen minutes if not more and has been doing so since I got home last night. I even shut down the computer overnight (which I rarely do and don't really feel guilty about because it uses very little power while it's sleeping). Also, it's horrible at telling me when I don't have internet; I don't find out until a page doesn't load. Usually Pidgin will show I'm still online, the little network connection notification in the menu bar will show great connection ... Something I guess I'll have to look into and try to fix today.

Naan recipe

I know I've talked about my ongoing experiments with naan and the tricks I've found, but I just realized I didn't have the recipe here. http://www.frugalupstate.com is a blog I like to read and for this week, I noticed the meal plan included an Indian dish with naan. The author mentions never making it before and I was curious if they planned to make the naan or get it pre-made. So I left my first comment there, asking that question. I was going to just point them to my blogpost that had the recipe when I couldn't find the post. Derr. So, here it is, in all its detailed glory!

Yield: 8 naan, enough for 3-4 people as a side
From start to finish including making the paneer masala and rice: 1.5 hours

1. In a small bowl, combine 2 TSP YEAST, 1 TSP SUGAR, and 1/2 CUP water. Stir to dissolve. Let sit for a few minutes or until it is frothy on top. I find frothy or not doesn't seem to make a difference.
2. While waiting, combine 1 CUP FLOUR with 1/2 TSP SALT in a larger bowl.
3. Stir in 1/4 CUP VEGETABLE OIL, 1/3 CUP PLAIN GREEK YOGURT, and 1 LARGE EGG into the yeast/sugar/water bowl.
4. Put wet mixture into bowl of flour/salt. Stir until well combined. Continue adding half a cup of flour at a time until you can no longer stir with spoon (1 to 1.5 cups later).
5. Dump ball of dough onto well floured counter top. Knead for about 3 minutes, adding flour as necessary to keep dough from sticking (I have a cup of flour on hand for this). Dough should be smooth and soft but not sticky.
6. Loosely cover dough and let rest double in size (about 45 minutes). Tip: It's best to leave it on counter semi-squashed flat instead of putting it back in a bowl.
7. After it rises, heat a large skillet over medium heat with a dollop of vegetable oil in it. (This is also a good time to start the rice if making some for the same meal. Paneer masala should be well started before you start hopping back and forth from dough balls to skillet, with just the need for a quick stir occasionally. Also paneer or its substitute goes in the very last for just a couple minutes, enough to be heated up.) Then, gently flatten and cut or tear the dough (doesn't seem to matter which) into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a small ball by stretching the dough back under itself until the top is smooth and round. *Don't ignore this step!* I found out it makes a world of a difference between just lumping into round balls and stretching the dough back.
8. Take one ball and, using a rolling pin, roll it out. Tips: I usually put my hands on the pin itself instead of using the handles. Push down while slowly rolling one direction then the other. When it doesn't seem to want to get any thinner, push the pin diagonally from original position to stretch the width. It also doesn't hurt to hold it up and let gravity stretch it a bit. This all might seem like overkill but unless you want "naan cake" this is the best way to do it - gets you lots of bubbles (bubbles are good!) and is easy to rip chunks off with one hand for eating.
9. Put the rolled out dough in the skillet one at a time, letting bubbles develop and the underside get golden brown (dark brown or black spots are fine, perhaps even better). Flip and cook other side. Tip: The sooner you put it on the skillet after you roll it out the more bubbles you get.

Okay, I know this seems like a complicated recipe, but it's really not ... Especially when you have enough guidance (like the tips above in italics) and know what you're doing. For background information: Most Indians never make naan even once in their lifetime. Instead, one or two people in the large extended family will make them and there's a special kind of oven they use in India just for naan. So good for you for even trying!

For the last batch I've made I completely forgot the Greek yogurt. I was baffled as to why it was so dry and I could only knead in less than an extra cup of flour. I thought it had something to do with letting the liquid mixture sit for longer than I ever have, but it wasn't until a couple days later that I suddenly went "Oh! The yogurt!" The naan turned still thin, not quite as many bubbles, but much more greasy than usual. So next: experiment with varying amounts of Greek yogurt.

Godly Fire Bones and Hellish Snow Plows

THIS: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JamieTheVeryWorstMissionary/~3/VDsSe9C2lP4/fire-bones.html

First of all, the first half made me laugh. Secondly, I have enjoyed every entry that's come through my google reader the last few months (something I can say for very few blogs), but this one really struck a chord. I can totally relate to this woman.

Faith isn't something I normally blog about (or even talk about) but it is a part of the undercurrent of who I am, even when I'm not feeling particularly fond of, well, religion. In my mind, the time and effort someone spends within an organized religion or at a religious building has very little to do with correctly gauging their relationship with God (or the deity/deities of said religion). And right now (for quite a few years now), I have not felt the need to actively seek out and participate in a church family - beyond the church library volunteering session I go to every week.

However, at the same time I recognize the convenience of having a set time every week when you are in a religious setting and (at least for me) you start daydreaming about all things religious or at least send up a quick prayer. There's also the added bonus of being held accountable by other people when they say "Hey, where were you last week?" I do believe church/synagogue/etc can be a truly religious, powerful and positive place, but the reality is simple for why I haven't really sunk any roots in such a community: I have been on the move so much these past few years. That alone makes the task difficult, not to mention how hard it is finding one that works for you.

I suppose I'm not really going anywhere in this post, except to say I really enjoyed VWM's post and feel reassured that even a missionary has trouble keeping the fire alive.

Oh, and we have made it home safely from dinner. Definitely wintry out there, but the only real problem we ran into was in the subdivision we were visiting which is really bad at plowing. There was a truck with a plow sitting at the entrance with its lights on when we arrived and when we left. It had not moved. Getting out onto the road was challenging while the whole time the plow sat maybe 100 feet from the part where we kept going forward and reversing, trying to get out of some drifted snow. Bleah.

Winter settles in

It is snowing hard out and makes me crave hot chocolate ... I might make some even though we'll probably attempt to go to Colin's ex-coworker's for dinner in less than an hour. If that sounds like a repeat of what I said yesterday, that's because it is. It didn't quite work out last night (good dry run, got to pet a puppy) so we tentatively rescheduled for tonight. We're supposed to get "1 to 3 feet of snow" so we'll see how things look in half an hour or so. It isn't a very long drive at all.

When I mentioned to Becca last night we were going to get at least a foot, she reminded me that schools probably wouldn't even close way up north on at Mich Tech where she is. Which is probably true (and for Charlevoix) but when I head one to THREE feet of snow today I finally thought, "Okay, now it's getting real."

We went to the grocery store a couple hours before the blizzard warning was to take effect. Unfortunately, I didn't realize I was hungry before I got there so I was a bit dazed and there were carts hurrying everywhere (saw at least eight gallons of water in one cart). But we got enough to tide us over for a couple days. It has been snowing all day and the parking lot was much more like the winters both Colin and I are familiar with (although he said it had to be colder, but it can't get much colder and still be snowing).

The doctor moved my appointment for tomorrow morning to next week (which is something I don't think I ever heard of happening growing up, but I appreciate the call for safety - just because I could have driven in these conditions up north doesn't mean I or anyone else should here). On top of that, the college has been shut down since 2pm and will stay closed all of tomorrow. Doesn't change anything for me personally except for the amount of emails announcing the cancellation of individual campus events.

I repeat: Stay safe, warm, and dry! Or let me know how things are better/worse where you are and make me jealous/sorry.