Lost – A TV Series Review

Chances are, you know someone (or know someone who knows someone) who watched Lost. Most likely, you’ve heard people complain about how confusing it is, how dumb it got near the end of the show, etc etc. Despite all of the problems Lost does have, I can tell you that it is one of the most artfully made shows of our generation.
In case you don’t know, the show revolves around a group of survivors of flight 815, who crash on a mysterious island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The island is far from ordinary and the survivors are faced with challenges extending far beyond the usual detail for one stuck on a tropical island. Flashbacks allow us to get the know characters backstory, and we become very closely acquainted with characters like Jack, a surgeon who quickly takes on a leadership role but is dealing with some deep seated family issues.
The show spans six seasons, jam packed full of new characters, new storylines and an unbelievable amount of plot twists. But what makes the show truly exceptional is the way the characters develop and change. Truly good television has the ability to show us that we are all capable of being “the bad guy” and “the good guy” sometimes at the same time. Lost displays the complexities of human nature, wrapped up with some very complex timey-wimey stuff and a lot of breaking the laws of physics. Also, it’s super addicting. Super, duper addicting. If your curiosity is getting the best of you and you’re dying to watch, you’re in luck- the library owns all six seasons! Good luck and happy watching! Whitni S.

They're ba-ack...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="194"] She's reviewing the Periodic Table of Elements in her head, we promise.[/caption]

Making a triumphant return this Reading Day, one of the most popular stress busters offered by the library will be available to students here at Coe once again.  That's right, the library will be offering chair massages once again as a way for students to unwind on Reading Day prior to finals!  The chair massages will be Tuesday, December 10th from 10 AM-3 PM, in the Perrine Gallery.  Massages will each be 10 minutes long, and they will be free!  So how do you get one, and what’s the catch?

• Sign up will start on Friday, December 6th.  Sign up will occur on both Friday, and the following Monday.


• You go to the Reference Desk to sign up.  If the reference desk is not staffed when you come, check in the Reference Office (right behind the Reference Desk.)


• Only current Coe students are eligible to receive a free massage


• You must come in person to sign up (no signing up for a group of friends, or by phone/email.)


• The day of the massages, you must check in 5 minutes prior to your massage.  If you do not check in prior to your massage, you are liable to lose your spot to students on the waiting list.

Sound good?  Great!  Swing by the library to sign up for your free massage, and be on the lookout for other Finals Week treats from the library as we try to support our students as they wrap up the semester!  Good luck on finals, and please feel free to stop by the Reference Office if you have additional research questions that you need some help with.

Free Museum Tickets!

Need something to do this weekend?  Smithsonian Magazine is sponsoring an event called "Museum Day Live!", place across the country this Saturday, September 28th.  As part of this promotion, the magazine is giving away FREE tickets to hundreds of museums around the United States, and to get your free tickets all you have to do is sign up here.  If you're staying local, some museums in the area offering free admission include:

• Brucemore


• Cedar Rapids Museum of Art


• African American Museum of Iowa

In Iowa City, museums include:

• Old Capitol Museum


• University of Iowa Museum of Natural History

 

And there are plenty more great museums for you to check out if you want an excuse for a road trip. You are limited to 2 tickets, and tickets must be used this Saturday.  That being said, this sounds like awesome way to spend part of your Saturday, and again, it's free!

Ninja Coe Squirrels

Since the dawn of time, man has befriended the squirrel. Man provided the squirrel with acorns and the squirrel provided man with cuteness. As time went by, man began presenting the squirrels with a pile of apples near Armstrong and the squirrels entertained with many leaps earning the title, Ninja Squirrels. Today, the circulation clan of the library wishes to honor the relationship between man and squirrel by rewarding those who can find the ninja squirrels hidden within the library.
So here’s the deal, guys! Paper squirrels will be hidden in the library and if you find one, you can get your picture taken (and put on the super awesome blog under amazing people) and a free piece of candy. But, there are some rules.
1. The squirrel and book must both be brought to the circulation desk.
2. The squirrel and book must be brought between the times of:
8:30 am to 4:00pm Monday-Friday
3. You can only win once a week.

Hints to the location of the squirrels can be found on the twitter: @CoeSquirrels which will be updated with either a short summary of the book, a famous quote from the book or a pop-culture allusion to the book. The twitter will be updated on a weekly basis.

Happy hunting!

*no squirrels were injured in the making of this activity

Riddle Me This! Brainteaser Thursday

Part of being a successful searcher (in my mind anyway) is being able to logically think through your search while linking together related information to complete the big picture of whatever issue you are researching. Thus, the justification for posting this riddle, allegedly created by Albert Einstein a century ago.  There are no tricks, as this can be solved with some simple (and complex) logical thinking.  Give it a try and have fun!

The Riddle

1. In a street there are five houses, painted five different colours.
2. In each house lives a person of different nationality
3. These five homeowners each drink a different kind of beverage, smoke different brand of cigar and keep a different pet.

THE QUESTION: WHO OWNS THE FISH?

HINTS

1. The Brit lives in a red house.
2. The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
3. The Dane drinks tea.
4. The Green house is next to, and on the left of the White house.
5. The owner of the Green house drinks coffee.
6. The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.
7. The owner of the Yellow house smokes Dunhill.
8. The man living in the centre house drinks milk.
9. The Norwegian lives in the first house.
10. The man who smokes Blends lives next to the one who keeps cats.
11. The man who keeps horses lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.
12. The man who smokes Blue Master drinks beer.
13. The German smokes Prince.
14. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
15. The man who smokes Blends has a neighbour who drinks water.

Massages are back!

Here at the library, we try to offer support to students in a variety of way during finals. Today we can officially announce that the library will be offering chair massages once again as a stress-buster for students prior to finals on Reading Day!  The chair massages will be Tuesday, December 11th from 10-3:30 PM, in the Perrine Gallery.  Massages will each be 10 minutes long, and they will be free!  So how do you get one, and what’s the catch?

• Sign up will start at 10 AM on Friday, December 7th.  Sign up will occur on both Friday, and the following Monday.


• You go to the Reference Desk to sign up.  If the reference desk is not staffed when you come, check in the Reference Office.


• Only current Coe students are eligible to receive a free massage


• You must come in person to sign up (no signing up for a group of friends, or by phone/email.)


• The day of the massages, you must check in 5 minutes prior to your massage.  If you do not check in prior to your massage, you are liable to lose your spot to students on the waiting list.

Sound good?  Great!  Swing by the library to sign up for your free massage, and good luck on your finals!

Time Lines for Music

A helpful resource for Music History buffs, is the timeline...

here are some website examples....

http://www.jazzinamerica.org/jazzresources/timeline

http://www.d-vista.com/OTHER/Liszttime.html

http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/51727

These are great aids in relating subject matter to what was going on in history at the time.  There are timelines available for all sorts of subjects, I just chose music to blog on today.

You can also find time line posters and charts as well as the online scrollable kind. It is a wonderful way to expand what you know, or find out more about what you want to know. Next time you google add "timeline" to your search.

Rich A.

Register to Vote!

For many Coe students, the upcoming election is one of the first opportunities that they have had to participate in a national election.  However, before one can vote, first you have to be registered.  Although the registration deadline has passed in some states, it's still open in others.  If you are unsure of whether or not the deadline in passed in the state in which you plan on voting, Rock the Vote (an organization devoted to getting out the youth vote) has a on registration deadlines.
Assuming you can still register, the next step is to get yourself signed up!  Then, once election day comes, you are all set when it comes to voting.  If you plan on registering within Iowa and voting here, but can't make it to the polls on election day, you have two options:

1) Vote early!  Iowa is one of several states that has early voting locations available to voters.

2)Request an absentee ballot from the Linn County Auditor's office (this is if you are registering at your Coe address. If you consider another address your home/permanent address, you will need to check in with the auditor in your home county.) Here is the link for the Linn County office.
The hope is that this post has clarified a few issues related to voting, but if not, feel free to post questions, OR check your Coe email for a message from Tom Hicks that has more information on voting locations and other relevant.  Have fun participating in democracy!
-The Reference Department

Neat Q and A on Internet Law

This is a neat blog post that I found earlier today on Lifehacker.  The site hosted a Q & A session with  Derek Bambauer, an associate professor of law at the University of Arizona, where he teaches about internet law and intellectual property. In the past, he was also involved OpenNet Initiative, which tested and studied censorship in countries such as China, Iran, and Vietnam. Although the session is now over,  you'll find lots of great questions in the comments on Internet behaviors and law that I think would be of interest to pretty much everyone who uses the Web

Internet law and rules, answered by an expert

This is a neat blog post that I found earlier today on Lifehacker.  The site hosted a Q & A session with  Derek Bambauer, an associate professor of law at the University of Arizona, where he teaches about internet law and intellectual property. In the past, he was also involved OpenNet Initiative, which tested and studied censorship in countries such as China, Iran, and Vietnam. Although the session is now over,  you'll find lots of great questions in the comments on Internet behaviors and law that I think would be of interest to pretty much everyone who uses the Web.  If you need a break today, take a look!
-Katelyn, Head of Reference

Suggested Reads for Spring Break

These are in no particular order, except for alphabetical, so expect the first to be as good as the last!

“The Bonadventure: a Random Journal of an Atlantic Holiday” By Edmund Blunden

"This little book is not intended for anything beyond the statement on the title page.  I am sorry myself that there are no adventures of blood-curdling sort in it; but I could not go out of my way, nor do tramps find time, it seems, for propitiating cannibals."

~Edmund Blunden in his authors note

 “For Lust of Knowing: Memoirs of an intelligence Officer” By Archie Roosevelt

This is a charming, anecdotal report of a life spent in intelligence work in the Middle East and Africa. Grandson of one president and nephew of another, Roosevelt says little about his specific activities in World War II military intelligence and post-war CIA work, but portrays the history and atmosphere of the region in lively sketches.

~American Library Association

 “I fly for news” By Larry Rue

When Larry Rue, star newspaper correspondent, became the first newspaperman to fly his own plane, he piled up more experiences in a short time than many correspondents accumulate in a lifetime.  Rue's recital of cheating death from the dangers of the air and the implements of war on the ground, combined with a succinct survey of the political situation in a score of countries, abounds in humor and puts I fly for News in a rank of its own.

~The Pittsburgh Press

 “Living With Cannibals and Other Women’s Adventures” By Michelle Slung

The spirit of adventure sweeps through the chapters of this exciting volume as we encounter the inspiring, sometimes tragic, often humorous tales of adventurous women -- from the 18th century to the 21st century.  Selected from National Geographic's rich archives, this colorful group portrait pairs female adventurers of the past with their contemporary counterparts -- in a "then and now" approach.

~from library catalog

 “My Old Man and the Sea: a father and son sail around Cape Horn” by David Hays

A story of adventure on a small boat, for fathers, for sons, and for those who love them. On this voyage the father relinquishes control, the son becomes the captain, and before long they are utterly alone, with only the huge waves of Cape Horn, a compass, a sextant, a pet cat, and the tiny boat they've built together.

~from library catalog

 “National Geographic expeditions atlas”

The National Geographic Expeditions Atlas is an intimate and lively retrospective of the Society's extended family, both past and present. Here are the adventurers, scientists, and others who for more than a century have epitomized the Society's enduring mission to explore our world and everything in it.

~from library catalog

 “Other Routs: 1500 years if African and Asian Travel Writing” edited by Tabish Khair

Hoping to mitigate the "almost total erasure of non-European travel accounts" that results in a Eurocentric view of the globe, Khair (Univ. of Aarhus, Denmark) and his fellow editors showcase travel writing by international travelers of Asian and African origin. The editors offer 33 carefully excerpted travel accounts that range chronologically from the 5th century CE to the late 19th century.

~American Library Association

“Prose” by Elizabeth Bishop, edited by Lloyd Schwartz

Among the pieces in Prose, never before published, is Bishop's original text for the Life World Library book on Brazil, which was heavily edited.  "They rewrote wholesale things [Bishop] had written and she hated the book."  Schwartz put together the bulk of what Bishop intended. "This is the closest we can get to what she wanted, and it is really quite remarkable," he said.

~PBS Newshour

“The Royal Road to Romance” by Richard Halliburton.

When Richard Halliburton graduated from college, he chose adventure over a career, traveling the world with almost no money.  The Royal Road to Romance chronicles what happened as a result, from a breakthrough Matterhorn ascent to being jailed for taking forbidden pictures on Gibraltar. "One of the most fascinating books of its kind ever written."

~Detroit News

 “A Tramp Abroad; Fallowing the Equator; Other Travels” by Mark Twain

It was as a humorous travel writer, in The Innocents Abroad and Roughing It, that Mark Twain first became widely known, and at the height of his career he returned to the genre in the works collected here. Like those earlier books, the frequently hilarious A Tramp Abroad (1880), based on his family's 16-month sojourn in Europe from April 1878 to August 1879, blends autobiography and fiction, facts and tall tales.

~from library catalog

 

What's Up Front Right Now

While the library is a wonderful place to study, research and get help from librarians, the library offers some leisure choices.  The Whipple Browsing area is filled with best sellers and current interest books with such authors as Stephen King, James Patterson and Tami Hoag.  There is also a display of on the first floor for Black History Month.  And for something completely different, stop by the circulation desk and help us finish the puzzle.

Massages at the library

Alright folks, the post last week ended up serving as a bit of teaser, but today we can officially announce that the library will be offering chair massages as a stress-buster for students during finals.  The chair massages will be Wednesday, December 14th from 2-5 PM.  Massages will each be 10 minutes long, and they will be free!  So how do you get one, and what's the catch?

• Sign up will start at 9 AM on Tuesday, December 13th.


• You go to the Reference Desk to sign up.


• Only current Coe students are eligible to receive a free massage


• You must come in person to sign up (no signing up for a group of friends, or by phone/email.)


• The day of the massages, you must check in 5 minutes prior to your massage.  If you do not check in prior to your massage, you are liable to lose your spot to students on the waiting list.

Sound good?  Great!  Swing by the library to sign up for your free massage, and good luck on you finals!

-Katelyn, Head of Reference

From the Archives...

If you need a quick break from studying, check out the digital exhibits on the archive website.  You can watch old Coe Advancement films, listen to Coe songs, see what the campus looked like in the 1930s, and read about student life (did you know you had to have a permission slip from your parents to attend dances in 1913?).  There are also flunk day posters, the Cosmos from 1890-2008, and George T. Henry photographs. ~Sara

Movies based on books

Personally, I find myself split at times, as to whether or not I like books based upon a movie.  When I read a book, a very clear picture forms in my mind as to how the story should look, so seeing an actor who looks like the stand-in that I've created in my head results in a dissonance that can be tough to get over.  Likewise, I also hate how parts of the plot invariably end up getting cut because there's not enough time, or because it doesn't translate into film well.  However, there is one movie based upon a book that I am looking forward to: The Hunger Games.  Based on Suzanne Collins' young adult novel, the Hunger Games is set in a post-modern dystopia in which young tributes compete to the death on live television, evoking the Greek myth of the minotaur.  If this sounds a little dark, well, it is.



As you can see from the trailer, the movie looks fairly intense.  And while the books might be written for a young adult audience, there will no doubt be a level of violence with which some parents of younger readers are not going to be comfortable.  However, I think this movie will still do fine, box-office wise, due to the fact that there seems to be less stigma associated with adults reading young adult fiction, so there will be plenty of twenty-somethings and up waiting in line at midnight the day this opens.  With current young adult fiction, the themes are often just as mature as those found in "adult" fiction, with allowances made for the book's length or pacing.  It can be nice to pick up a YA novel and blow through it in an afternoon or two, when you are just looking to escape for a while.  And if you are looking to escape for a bit, with finals fast approaching,  feel free to stop by the library here at Coe and check out the Hunger Games. Because really, it's almost always best to the read the book before you see the movie.

-Katelyn, Head of Reference