I was a young reader and loved reading books as a child. I always needed more books to read. The first document I ever owned was a library card.By the time I was 12, I had read the entire family encyclopedia of 25 volumes and several of my parents' saved textbooks. I had gone through the entire local library's "young adult" section (defined as age 12-15 or something close to that). I had to get permission from my parents and the librarian to check out more adult books.
My parents approved, but I vaguely recall the librarian asking questions about the difference between information and fiction. I don't recall my answers the least bit, but apparently, when it was clear I understood the difference between William and Clark exploring Western North America and Isaac Asimov and Buck Rogers, I was allowed to read more adult books.
In the years afterwards, I spent a LOT of money buying both science fiction AND information books. So I love books and cherish the enjoyment of reading and the real information at my fingertips.
10 years ago, I packed half of my sci-books into boxes to clear some shelf space. It was the half I thought the least of. A few years ago, I went through my shelves and removed those "information books"I thought had little value. Those got tossed after I learned the local library didn't want my kind of books.
I've started a de-clutterring project. Today, I went through the information books and tossed most of them into the recycling bin and put more in boxes in the garage because the recycling bin was filled.
The era of information books is over. The internet provides all the information I can use. I skimmed through many of the books and I couldn't find anything in them that wasn't easier to find on the internet. Basically, the internet (in this regard) is a bigger faster library a few keywords away.
And books go obsolete so quickly sometimes. Or even were decades ago. I looked at one World History book and it was written in 1937! So I got brutal about it. Any information book that seemed overcome by new information (historical, scientific, or repair) went.
I kept books like 'The Peter Principle' and 'Murphy's Laws' and 'Flatland' and Human and Cat evolution. And those may go in the some future weeding.
Six 3' shelves became one. Some I'll keep because their information doesn't age much (backyard landscaping projects or linguistic explanations). And some books went because I'm not sure why I bought them in the first place.
But I bet I tossed out books that cost me $5,000 originally. And a shelf of National Geographic maps; Google does that better. I got rid of 10 years of various magazines a few months ago. I got rid of books of Poe stories and Kipling verses. I even tossed al dozen Ayn Rand books I thought I would read and never did after 20 years.
I hesitated before doing this today, but I thought about the last time I did a few years ago and couldn't recall a single book of them. Obviously, I did not miss them. I bet I won't miss these either.
It was hard to start tossing them, but easy to continue once I realized I wasn't losing information, just accepting that there was a better way to get at it that didn't fill up physical bookcases.
OK, so books had their time. I guess I just went screaming and kicking into the 21st century today. One day centuries ago, a storyteller started reciting a memorized tale of some hero, and the King said "I have that book, and others. You're fired".
Things change. And I'm not done tossing books. The recycle bin is mostly filled and very heavy. So tomorrow I'll pile more in boxes and stack them in the garage for the next recycle pickup. I'm keeping every sci book I own. Those don't actually become obsolete.
Showing posts with label Internet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Internet. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Blog Invasions And Other Stuff
I'm used to having Microsoft swoop into my cat blog and making 100 separate visits in a day every month or so. I assume they are stealing all my pictures. On the other hand, they seem to be registering my subjects to allow others who search a subject to find the cat blog, so "OK".
Have you noticed that Amazon has gotten into that too? In the past 4 days, they have visited me 1150 times and they don't appear to be slowing down...
Should I be concerned about this?
I can't tell. Internet searching about "why is amazon visiting my blog" doesn't produce any results.
Any thoughts?
And I noticed recently, looking at some statistics that one day, most visitors came from China. But I can't find a problem it caused. Maybe my firewall software saved me from some invasion or ransomware attack. Is this something to worry about?
I bought a new router months ago and finally installed it. Took me a week (ignoring the prob most days) to get it connected. Works fine (and maybe better, being 5G), but I've heard Verizon refuses to stop charging for a router. Anyone know anything about that? I'll be calling them in a couple days and any info might be helpful.
Lastly, my di-hydrogen oxide supply is low and the time travel machine is just not working well. Any sources?
Mark
Have you noticed that Amazon has gotten into that too? In the past 4 days, they have visited me 1150 times and they don't appear to be slowing down...
Should I be concerned about this?
I can't tell. Internet searching about "why is amazon visiting my blog" doesn't produce any results.
Any thoughts?
And I noticed recently, looking at some statistics that one day, most visitors came from China. But I can't find a problem it caused. Maybe my firewall software saved me from some invasion or ransomware attack. Is this something to worry about?
I bought a new router months ago and finally installed it. Took me a week (ignoring the prob most days) to get it connected. Works fine (and maybe better, being 5G), but I've heard Verizon refuses to stop charging for a router. Anyone know anything about that? I'll be calling them in a couple days and any info might be helpful.
Lastly, my di-hydrogen oxide supply is low and the time travel machine is just not working well. Any sources?
Mark
Saturday, September 30, 2017
A Week In The Life.
Some of you know that I don't live a regulary-scheduled life, LOL!
So here is the past Tuesday through Saturday:
1. Stayed up all night Tuesday 8pm - Thursday 8 am visiting cat blogs, processing camera pictures, and shifting between a gardening forum and an atheist forum. Yeah, that 36 hours. Went through a 1.5 l bottle of wine and 4 packs of cigs (hey, it WAS 36 hours).
2. Visiting my cat-friends takes about 2 hours, and then I get email notifications to new posts and I comment. I always comment.
3. I love reading posts at the gardening site and spent a total of a few hours there. Sometimes there are questions I know something about and I answer. I've been veggie and flower gardening for a few decades, so I have some experience. I I have a good library to consult when I'm not sure. I consulted my Peterson Guide of Eastern Trees when somewhere was trying to identify the specific one in her back yard. It was one I have never seen, but the leaf shape was unique, so I mentioned it.
Sometimes there is new information I value. Sometimes I ask questions. I am new to growing Venus Fly Traps (for example) , so I'm the one asking questions there.
4. The atheist forum takes a lot of time. There are atheists, agnostics, and theists there, and many of the posts are long and factual. It takes some time to reply to those well. I probably spend a lot of time there. I joined this forum October last year and have over 4500 posts there now.
Mostly, I discuss everyday events with other atheists. Yes, atheists discuss almost everything from politics to cooking, to movies. But it does mean we don't have a religious view on them. Atheists may have a more reality-based approach to life, but we also love sci-fi and can do the "willing suspension of disbelief" as well as anyone if not better.
5. I tend to switch back between the gardening and atheist forums. I use up all the threads in one and go back to the other. I don't mean that I post fast. I give a lot of thought to each. My interest is to answer posts carefully, well, and in detail without be overly long.
You can always tell tell the theists' posts by length. They go on forever before they start quoting religious texts to get to their point. I treat them kindly, with facts. They can decide whether to change their minds if they want.
6. After a long time on the computer, I usually feed the cats (yes I fed them regularly before) but always make sure to feed them a good meal before I go to bed. Because staying up that long means I'll sleep 12 hours after.
7. When I got up Friday, I started on making a hinged top for the new compost bin. Sometimes you build things by measurement. But having the compost bin built, I simply put boards on the top and marked the edges for cutting. Friday, I cut a lot of boards to size. I glued and clamped some but even with mosquito repellent all over me, they were fierce around my eyes and fingers. I worked fast and ran.
8. Saturday afternoon (after another 12 hours in bed- I did have to catch up) I went out to complete the top. Fortunately, it was windy and the mosquitoes have trouble with winds over 10 mph. I got the entire top structure completed. OK, not the screening, the wood structure. The hinging was perfect. The 2 bins now have tops that lift up smoothly. All I have to do now is attach 1/2 wire mesh to the top and add a few spacer boards under it. That will leave no space for even a mouse to get inside.
9. Added a lot more garden stuff into the old toolshed with the new shelves. Every day, I will clear more basement space. Weeded the Fall garden a bit. Not many weeds left. A year of weeding as removed most and I suspect there aren't many viable weed seeds left there. Which means I can FINALLY tackle the part of the backyard overgrown with wild blackberries soon.
There is always SOMETHING that needed attention "last year", and I am always behind on some part of the yard. On the other hand, suppose I caught up with everything? What would I do? OK, fix up the house better...
I'll do that when Winter arrives...
So here is the past Tuesday through Saturday:
1. Stayed up all night Tuesday 8pm - Thursday 8 am visiting cat blogs, processing camera pictures, and shifting between a gardening forum and an atheist forum. Yeah, that 36 hours. Went through a 1.5 l bottle of wine and 4 packs of cigs (hey, it WAS 36 hours).
2. Visiting my cat-friends takes about 2 hours, and then I get email notifications to new posts and I comment. I always comment.
3. I love reading posts at the gardening site and spent a total of a few hours there. Sometimes there are questions I know something about and I answer. I've been veggie and flower gardening for a few decades, so I have some experience. I I have a good library to consult when I'm not sure. I consulted my Peterson Guide of Eastern Trees when somewhere was trying to identify the specific one in her back yard. It was one I have never seen, but the leaf shape was unique, so I mentioned it.
Sometimes there is new information I value. Sometimes I ask questions. I am new to growing Venus Fly Traps (for example) , so I'm the one asking questions there.
4. The atheist forum takes a lot of time. There are atheists, agnostics, and theists there, and many of the posts are long and factual. It takes some time to reply to those well. I probably spend a lot of time there. I joined this forum October last year and have over 4500 posts there now.
Mostly, I discuss everyday events with other atheists. Yes, atheists discuss almost everything from politics to cooking, to movies. But it does mean we don't have a religious view on them. Atheists may have a more reality-based approach to life, but we also love sci-fi and can do the "willing suspension of disbelief" as well as anyone if not better.
5. I tend to switch back between the gardening and atheist forums. I use up all the threads in one and go back to the other. I don't mean that I post fast. I give a lot of thought to each. My interest is to answer posts carefully, well, and in detail without be overly long.
You can always tell tell the theists' posts by length. They go on forever before they start quoting religious texts to get to their point. I treat them kindly, with facts. They can decide whether to change their minds if they want.
6. After a long time on the computer, I usually feed the cats (yes I fed them regularly before) but always make sure to feed them a good meal before I go to bed. Because staying up that long means I'll sleep 12 hours after.
7. When I got up Friday, I started on making a hinged top for the new compost bin. Sometimes you build things by measurement. But having the compost bin built, I simply put boards on the top and marked the edges for cutting. Friday, I cut a lot of boards to size. I glued and clamped some but even with mosquito repellent all over me, they were fierce around my eyes and fingers. I worked fast and ran.
8. Saturday afternoon (after another 12 hours in bed- I did have to catch up) I went out to complete the top. Fortunately, it was windy and the mosquitoes have trouble with winds over 10 mph. I got the entire top structure completed. OK, not the screening, the wood structure. The hinging was perfect. The 2 bins now have tops that lift up smoothly. All I have to do now is attach 1/2 wire mesh to the top and add a few spacer boards under it. That will leave no space for even a mouse to get inside.
9. Added a lot more garden stuff into the old toolshed with the new shelves. Every day, I will clear more basement space. Weeded the Fall garden a bit. Not many weeds left. A year of weeding as removed most and I suspect there aren't many viable weed seeds left there. Which means I can FINALLY tackle the part of the backyard overgrown with wild blackberries soon.
There is always SOMETHING that needed attention "last year", and I am always behind on some part of the yard. On the other hand, suppose I caught up with everything? What would I do? OK, fix up the house better...
I'll do that when Winter arrives...
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