The Adventures of Super Manuscript Girl!

The potential dangers of Google

nobody@vox.com(Super Manuscript Girl) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:43:27 -0700

I really like this article in the July/Aug issue of Atlantic Monthly.

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Sex and the City (possible spoilers)

nobody@vox.com(Super Manuscript Girl) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:12:30 -0700

To the critics who said it had no plot, you weren't paying attention. While the show was about the girls' daily lives, the movie was about their relationships with each other. If you need that further explained to you, you just don't understand women.

While I did love the movie, there were a couple of odd moments definitely worth discussing.

First of all, what was up with Anthony and Stanford? There was no love lost between those two during the series. Now they are kissing at midnight? Maybe they are saving that story for the sequel.

I love how Carrie took books out of the NYPL's Research Library. Books don't circulate there.

And I have to say, the chances of it snowing in NYC on New Year's is pretty slim. But I guess they just wanted to prove it was winter.

Can't wait for this to come out on dvd!!

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Sex and the City (no spoilers)

nobody@vox.com(Super Manuscript Girl) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:54:57 -0700

Just saw the movie this afternoon. LOVED it!!

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things i find unnecessary on a receipt

nobody@vox.com(Super Manuscript Girl) — Thu, 29 May 2008 19:38:06 -0700

Thank you for your patronage (that part is ok)
Have a Blessed Day (borderline)
PSALMS 1:1-2 (is this really necessary, people?)

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When making iced tea...

nobody@vox.com(Super Manuscript Girl) — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:59:37 -0700

Make sure to wait a while before transferring the hot liquid to a cheapo plastic container.

oops!

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Of grocery stores and recycling

nobody@vox.com(Super Manuscript Girl) — Thu, 15 May 2008 06:05:52 -0700

The other day I went to the grocery store and, as usual, I brought my own bag. For the third time in a row they didn't give me the nickel credit they are supposed to. Third time being the charm, I went to the Customer Service Desk and asked if they were no longer providing the credit. I made a point of saying that I don't do it for the nickel, but the manager still gave me $0.15. He asked if I mention to the cashier that I have my own bag, and I explained that I always put the bag on top of the groceries, which means that the cashier has to pick it up and move it. They have to know it is there! This morning I had to stop in for a loaf of bread. There were new signs on the all the doors encouraging people to recycle bags in order to get the 5 cent credit. I, however, had stepped over my bag as I walked out of my apartment, so couldn't take advantage of it. But at least I told the cashier I didn't need a bag.

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Google 1, Online catalog 0

nobody@vox.com(Super Manuscript Girl) — Thu, 08 May 2008 09:00:01 -0700

I seriously dislike our online catalog. I can't find anything with it, and I am an information professional. No wonder people get frustrated when they come into this library and can't find what they are looking for.

It really frustrates me when a patron is looking for an item and I am unable to find it for them. This happens several times a week. I just feel incredibly ineffective and wonder why I spent two years in grad school. Anyone can fumble; I'm supposed to know what I'm doing.

This morning I was trying to find a biography to include in a finding aid. While I was over in the reference section, a woman asked me a question. Not being very familiar with anything outside of the Special Collections bubble, I was unable to answer the question. I had to go back to the reference section a couple of times, and she was still searching. The main reference desk had merely pointed her toward the aisle, and left her to it. I decided I was going to find a call number for the book. She told me it was called "Hitemans", but she had no more information than that.

Ok, classic reference case. I can solve this one. I went to our catalog and typed in "Hitemans". The catalog thought maybe I meant "Hitman's". Most of the entries on the screen were for Hitler. I decided to do a search by call number, entering the call number of the book I had been using. I paged through a few screens, but found nothing. Unwilling to give up, I turned to my trusty companion, Google. I typed in "hiteman revolutionary war". The very first link:

Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army During the ... - Google Books Result

by Francis Bernard Heitman - 1892 - United States - 525 pages
I transmit herewith a list of the names and rank of the officers of the Revolutionary War, as complete as the records of the Department will furnish, ...
books.google.com/books?id=_GwsAAAAMAAJ...

BINGO!

I then returned to the online catalog, entered the title, found the call number, and located the book for a very pleased patron.

Every once in a while we all need to have our skills validated. It feels good.

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Yeah, so?

nobody@vox.com(Super Manuscript Girl) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:00:05 -0700

Actual email sent to me today:

I will be visiting Colonial Williamsburg April 30-May 8. I am interested in material concerning children in Colonial Williamsburg, African-Americans, and the Indian school that existed in Williamsburg at the time of the revolution. I would be particularly interested in diaries, journals, letters or any other records pertaining to these subjects.

Sincerely,
[name withheld to protect the oblivious], PhD, History

That was it. The whole thing. It is taking every inch of restraint in my body not to write back and say, "That's nice." Am I supposed to be jumping for joy, inviting you to lunch, putting these things on display in the historic district? Or are you actually planning to visit the library and you want me to pull these things out for you?

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emailaholic

nobody@vox.com(Super Manuscript Girl) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:48:11 -0700

Hi, my name is Super Manuscript Girl, and I am an emailaholic. I sit at my computer for hours on end waiting to hear the *ding* indicating a new mail message. When hours go by without a single ding, I start feeling nauseous. I start checking blogs to see if anyone has posted anything that my RSS reader has yet to pick up. When that fails, I go to Facebook to see if anything of interest has happened there. I get up and use the restroom hoping that I am suffering from the 'watched inbox never dings' syndrome, and that upon my return there will be something to read.

It is a slow day at work. All I want to do right now is go home and take a nap.

And it's only Tuesday. AUGH!

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SWF seeks...

nobody@vox.com(Super Manuscript Girl) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 13:30:27 -0700

Ok boys and girls, it's that time of year again. Six months have gone by since my last date. That seems to be just enough time to forget how bad match.com is and to contemplate once again giving them my credit card number. I know there are sites out there other than match, but since I don't actually believe any one of them is actually better than another, I'm going to stick with what I know.

Here's where you, my reading public, come in to play:
If you were setting me up on a blind date, what would you tell the guy about me?

Let's face it, there are some things that show up in just about every profile. Everyone is trying to find someone who is honest, funny, enjoys spending time with family and friends, likes to travel, eats the occasional meal, blah blah blah. I just can't bring myself to write that stuff anymore. Why be a scoop of vanilla when you could be Mackinac Island fudge*? What should I write? More specifically, what do you see as some of my finer, or more unique, qualities? As an example, one guy I dated for a while liked the fact that when I get tipsy I tend to giggle.

Should you know of anyone who is available, or have a method of meeting people with a success rate higher than that of online dating, please share! I'm trying to remain open minded, but I do have some preferences. First of all, rednecks need not apply (despite the fact that being in VA this does drastically reduce the size of the pool). Keep in mind that I am 5'8" and enjoy wearing heels. His political views must be liberal (friends don't let friends vote Republican). Religiously speaking, I grew up attending a very liberal Protestant church with a Jewish mother and a father who goes just for the music. Bible beaters and I probably won't mix well (again, reducing the VA pool). I also remain pretty strict about the college graduation requirement.

So that about covers it for now. I am going into this with the mindset that I will be in VA for a while. I honestly don't know if I will be, but I can't keep living life with only one foot in the door.

THANKS!!!

*Vanilla with chocolate syrup, chunks of fudge, and maybe some nuts (I can't quite remember). In a word: yummy!!

P.S. If there are any guys out there reading this who are also contemplating putting a profile online, I have just one piece of advice. Do not put a photo up of you and another woman. I don't care how good you look standing next to your [ex-, sister, mother, or high school Spanish teacher]. It doesn't sell!

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