Realistic Dreams and other Achievable Aims.

As a child I was given a small print of the Edvard Munch
painting ‘The Sun’. It is a powerful painting. I kept the print
upon my wall for many a year.

The first time I went to Oslo was in 1983, and at long last I
was able to see the painting for myself.

Something I never dreamed might happen to me while I was a child.

Since then I’ve been to many other places which I never
dreamed about getting to while I was as child.

Come to that: –
I’ve been to places, and seen things which my grandparents
would never of been able to reach within their working lives.

Continue reading Realistic Dreams and other Achievable Aims.

Scaffolding and Library Lists.

Library and Information work is not just about being able to
provide information.

Neither is it just about how to use book content pages,
indices, or being able to update loose leaf binder files.

It is also about being able to interpret some of the
following:

– Telephone area codes.

– Post Office sort Codes, or Zip codes.

– Dewey Classification numbers.

&

– ISBN & ISSN Numbers.

Of course there are a lot of other codes or information
systems which one may be asked about during the course of
a typical Library working day.

Continue reading Scaffolding and Library Lists.

Another Fine Old Cinema Building Destroyed

The building which was the Scala Cinema
on the Stroud Green Rd,
or to be exact:
15 The Parade, Stroud Green Road, Finsbury Park,
is no more.

The Scala was a purpose built cinema which opened in
October 1914,
became New Scala in 1920,
& closed in 1924.

The building was put to many purposes after it closed as a
cinema, such as a clothing factory, etc, etc.

I had know the place since I was a child.

A couple of years ago I managed to get a news story about
the appalling state of the building in to the Islington
Gazette.

Unfortunate nothing ever came of my efforts.

I passed the site 3 days ago,
and was sad to see that it is in the final stages of demolition.

It’s sad to see that such an important historical building
should be lost to us all!

Should Library Cleaners Learn Dewey?

Here is a true story which should get you thinking.

All the staff in the library started to notice that books
were being put upon the shelves in a very random order.

This was not just the normal odd book being put back in the
wrong place,
but whole sequences of books being placed out of order, on,
or around, the shelves they should of been on.

What made this much more mysterious was the fact that it
would happen on various random days, & upon various
random shelves around the library.

Continue reading Should Library Cleaners Learn Dewey?

Derelict London – Now the Book.

I have always liked the Derelict London website:
because it shows the City as it really is.

The changing urban landscape.
– places which I used to know that have fallen in to
disrepair.
– places which I’ll never see the insides of again.
&
– buildings which are about to be pulled down.

Just take a look for yourself.

http://www.derelictlondon.com/derelict_london_com.htm

Now there is a Derelict London book.

Continue reading Derelict London – Now the Book.

Lost jobs of the past

Within my lifetime there have been a lot of jobs which have
disappeared from the urban landscape as a result of new
technologies, and various cost cutting exercises.

Here are some examples to prove the point: –

Railway porters.
If you look at old photos ( or films ) of railway stations,
then you will see these guys at work.
I’ve not seen one in a railway station for many a year.

The Milk Man.
Yes – I am told that they do exist, but there are fewer &
fewer of them around.

Bank messengers.
These guys used to carry fiscal transfer notes between the
various banks in the city. Now it’s all done electronically.

Continue reading Lost jobs of the past

Not believing everything I’m ever told.

It always seems like there is someone or other who wants to
rewrite history as the result of their own political
agendas.

My father was in the Fleet Air Arm during World War Two.

At one stage he was at the back of a ship which was
crossing the Atlantic Ocean. One evening while looking aft of the boat he saw a white trail pass across where his ship had been.

A couple of days later the British born Nazi ‘Lord Haw Haw’
( William Joyce ) announced upon the German radio that the
ship my father was on has been sunk in a U boat action.

There is a lesson here in terms of just not believing
everything which you may hear upon the radio.

Another meaningless word.

I keep hearing or reading the expression ‘People of faith’
or references to ‘faith schools’.

This is all part of a religionist agenda.

For the word ‘faith’ read religion.

For the expression ‘Faith Schools’ read:
schools which are run by Religionists, and in which
children are subjected to religionist propaganda.

Continue reading Another meaningless word.

Libraries on Film.

Here are a few facts for your next Library quiz, which should be filed under ‘Library Locations in the Movies’.

Pasadena Public library was used in the filming of ‘Ghost Busters’.

Teddington Library features in ‘Hot Fuzz’.

&

The New York Public Library plays a major part ‘the Day after tomorrow’.

How many other libraries can you add to this film location list?

The Problem of Religionists

It increasing looks as though the effects of religionist
thinking is going to be the greatest threat to our hard won
human rights.

I am not talking about religion itself, but those who would
have us all on our knees worshiping some kind of mythical
being.

Now if people wish to believe in any kind of religious idea,
then they should be left alone to pursue such activities.

It makes no difference to me if they worship Christ, Buddha,
or Satin.

Christian, Satinest, Hindu, Flat Earthers, or followers of
the pink rabbit.

It’s all the same to me.

Just as long as they pursue these ideas as consenting adults in private!

My objection to religion comes from being those religionists
who try & force their ideas upon others.

Continue reading The Problem of Religionists