#BoutofBooks Read-a-Thon 1st Challenge #Brunei #Readathon

 
Hosted by #BoutofBooks Readathon.
Challenge Hosted by Sarah Says Read.

“What do you like best about readathons? Do you have any readathon traditions or rituals? If this is your first readathon, what do you like so far? Discuss away!”

Best Things about Readathons?
Readathons has been one of the events I have been looking forward to every year. Naturally I tend to participate in several of those within the year (though sometimes even burning the night light for the events if the next day happens to be an off day)

Ok, back to the question. What do I like best about the readathons! The excuse to read. *giggles* What? It’s not like I don’t read enough, but that’s my first favorite thing about readathons . Having a busy life and having alot of distractions tend to sway me away from picking up a book and just read. Readathon is an excuse to drop everything and read.

Second thing I like best is to actually be surrounded with readers! I mean real readers. People who read. Do you know how rare that has been? It’s like being readers are endangered species in danger of being extinct. ….I’m not being dramatic here. Look around you. Go public Go to a hospital, clinic, bus stops, resturants… etc. How many you can count who read while waiting for their turn? Count how many they are who are just waiting blankly, sitting, staring into empty space, playing the games on their phone or tabs and iThingy. I regress, I love to meet people who actually enjoy reading as I am, regardless what kind of genre they like to read, so yes, this is one other best thing I love about readathons.

Traditions/ Rituals?
I don’t really have a tradition nor a ritual, unless it’s a 24hr or a 48hr sort of readathons, where I tend to do ready my snacks, enough sleep, food, exercise, etc all that essential between reads. That, I mostly do during my off days from work.

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*Note*

*NOTE*
I can’t update as frequent as I should until my local ISP Telbru’s Espeed stop messing up and give me a stable connection rather than all this bullshit time outs every 5 seconds. Until they fix it, I can’t update much.

=/ sucky!

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Off-topic! Rant! Rant! Rant! A Readers Advocate Rants and Disappointments!

Let me interrupt your usual reading with a rant. Yes, a RANT! A short one but yes a rant.

I am a Readers Advocate.

I am a book reviewer.

And I’m a librarian.

Being a librarian, and a school librarian, as my full time job, that pretty much gives me this huge opportunity to actually do promote Reading Culture to students. I can mold a limited budget supply (once a year, very limited) into giving them good books to actually entice them to read.

And of course I’m usually being supported by the faculties around me.

BUT!

I’ve encountered people who actually give me an attitude that’s against “Pro Students Reading Culture.” Actually there's one everywhere, but this one just pisses me off. This character practically told me to get thick books that cost very expensive, as long as this character don’t have to type out all the great books the students could enjoy in this financial database. And of course, don’t forget to buy recipes books, and craft so this character to borrow. And this character persistence (for months) in trying to get me to buy these sort of books instead of books that actually students would enjoy, appropriateness, along with what students really needs, is to the point where this character actually said this one teacher told me these books are good for the students.

WTF?

There are like 4-5 shelves books full of recipes and crafts, where nobody actually care enough other than during Eid, and I’m having shortage of suitable books for these students. If it’s so incredible, buy them and donate them to the library!

I refuse to misuse the limited Government budget for Reading Culture to buy books that are practically have no value because of the quantity the library already have in that subject, which obviously will turn off the students from using the library!

Especially when we all know the 98% of what this character been doing in office is Facebooking!

God! I Facebook, but seriously, I actually DO MY JOB! And no! That do not involve just sitting down and stamp due dates on the books borrowed by the students. I actually teach students who can’t read, read, along with other things to promote reading culture.

I mean geez! If another person with your job can do it, why can’t you?! It’s your job! Do not shove it it to another person of another department to do it. You’re the one who actually have the course, NOT other people! I know people in your position can do it, cause I’ve worked in other places and I actually have colleagues in other schools. You’re the only one who DON’T and REFUSE to do your job!

Reading culture has to be supported by all faculties, teaching and non-teaching. If one rather just rather not do it, the support system would crash!

It actually disgusts me!

I’ve worked, and still work, with my mentors who happens to be promoting Reading Culture in the front line nation wide. I, myself, worked with reading culture work groups off work publicly and other schools.  Working with people who claimed to support promote reading culture YET have selfish need to misuse what is given that is more of a disadvantage to the student patrons, rather than giving them advantages is a huge disappointment.

I repeat. I’m a Readers Advocate and I work to promote reading, NOT as your tool to get free cookbooks and crafts books for yourself! You have a salary. BUY IT YOURSELF! If it’s true it’s really important for the students to get another book to a huge quantity of the same subject, BUY IT AND DONATE IT!

Now I’m off my soapbox.

Back to usual posting for me

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Borders closing.. Oh noes

I know this is a belated reaction to the news but here goes!

Oh my god! Did you guys heard? Borders filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and closed 200 stores! I have seen Indie stores closing but we are talking about major bookstores here.

What happened? I thought they are one of the most well-known and well rooted bookstores around the world?

This is devastating in several levels it’s kind of offensive. 
   1. The sudden lose of jobs due to the messed up of “EFF”ing people who messed up!
  
   2. A way for reader to discover books ion their own by “discovering” by “shopping”.
  
   3. This will affect people who motivates reading.

   4. It’s a bookstore. They are NOT supposed to close down. PERIOD!

Living in Brunei, I know the feeling of “lack of good bookstores” around. In fact in my district, there’s only one good bookstores (Bismi and Pustaka Remaja don’t count! they are stationary stores!) I’m talking about Icklebooks in Pandan, KB. They have good books but bestsellers books are not that much available in a good basis – to my expectations, not to forget god damn expensive! My other favorite book stores would be Best Eastern and Paul & Elizabeth (for fiction the least). and that’s about it. Locally it would be appalling if these place close down. Yes yes.. we can go border crossing and get cheaper books but hey that’s tiring =/ I don’t wanna cross over just to get one book.

Regressing… news of bookstores and libraries closing, is kind off depressing if you are in the reading community. So many good books, so little time to read. It’s a dying trend but like I said, I am so glad to be part of it.

So where did they go wrong? Why are bookstores drowning?

Prices. For the love of books, why is they so expensive?!

Locations. Some bookstores aren’t hidden. I know a few lesser known bookshops located in the most hidden spots where people can’t find them.

Cold hard. I don’t know other readers, but I want my bookstores homey. Instead of totally cold unwelcoming, narrow aisle… you know what I mean.

Not Updated. Ok… it’s fine to have classics, good books on sell. but please follow with the bestsellers and what’s new. I’m honestly sick of waiting 2 weeks for a new release book… When a new Harry Potter book came out, waiting for depressing. Everybody was talking about it and I was afraid of bumping onto spoilers during the delivery time from Amazon. *blinks*

Lack of popularity. Ok, not in celebrities kind of way, but I guess it would be cool to have celebrities of any form to promote reading. What I mean is, do you know what’s in your bookstores now? What books they are selling? I know I don’t until I actually step in and browse about. Try reaching out to the public with what you have. We want books, but we have no idea if you have the books we want. Half of the time, I realized bookstores have the books I wanted but I’ve already ordered it off ebay or Amazon! It’s ridiculous.

Swags? Coupons? Author signing? Anything! Some bookstores gives up book discounts, coupons, etc etc.. give out initiatives for more readers. Entice! Do your research on good books to sale. Do something! I think these are a few reasons why bookstores are going down the drain. Somebody fix it.

Ok I better stop ranting.

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Aiti says "No Comment" to Facebook Banning

If you hadn't heard, the noisiest topic in Brunei at the moment, regards on the blocking of Facebook for local use. Why? because we have idiots who blatantly thought they were smart (but ended up as a smartasses and stupid, breaking a couple of laws here and there because of the “sakai-ness” and apparent misuse of conveniences provided for the public use.  (The rumor just grew in such a scale, that most of the users (including me), wishes (and keep an eye) for the proper authorities to give a public announcement.
    It’s finally on the news but they are keeping their mouths shut on the matter. *No comment” but I guess that would mean anything. Most probably to keep out vast wide panic? (yes that kind of sound pathetic in one hand). I can't shake the pessimistic feeling when it comes to this decision. But we’ll see what’s the truth at the end of December to what’s going really on.

Some of non-users wouldn't care much about this banning, but I guess, that due to them not utilizing the site personally or professionally so it doesn’t effect them in any way.

I must admit, Facebook is one of my first must open sites when it comes to checking the internet. No, not because I’m addicted, it’s mostly due to one of the convenience available where I can keep up with love ones, friends, colleagues and of course to check up on my business and opportunities. Not to forget be updated with what’s going on in Brunei, lifestyles and work wise. The best thing about this is, I can keep myself updated with things with my colleagues from another school and department as well as other work related stuff.

Facebook Pros
1. Keep up with contacts. If you’re like I am, you probably use Facebook as a keep yourself updated and stayed in contact with love ones, friends and such locally and abroad. Families are known to be closer when it comes to this channel, not to forget those easy photo sharing sessions. Plus not to forget, I reconnect with old friends from the school days via FB. My family usually use Facebook to contact each other when it comes to family emergencies and such. You can’t deny the effectiveness when it comes to that.

2. Career Utility. Facebook is one of the facilities I use to enhance my working environment. Less hassle, improve productivity *surprisingly* and easy to contact people at work here and there. I could easily reach people at the head office or other offices whenever I could.. and it actually works better than calling in. Yes, Government offices have their own Facebook. Can you see how baffled I am, about this annoying unsettling rumor? A certain plus would be, Facebook don't have a “closing hour”, so we can just leave a query and somebody else could answer our query easy without any complain.

I personally was contacted by publishers and authors to review their books, and then few other sites where I can actually get paid for writing articles. Do I get that anywhere else? I doubt it.

3. Businesses. Some would consider Facebook as one of the biggest easy to reach to customers facility. You can’t deny it. Advertising is hard money, but Facebook actually help lessen the problem with a single click of a button. I run a second hand books business and FB has managed to help me burst through the local market easily. I’m sure things are livened up with my FB fellow sellers.

4. Facebook for kids. If you don’t trust your own underage kids and they still wish to have their own facebook. Try getting them an account here instead.

Bottomline:
I find it plainly stupid if they go ahead with this banning, when it’s due because some ill-social stupid juvenile decided to be stupid online. I rather have them IP track these idiots and just shove them into rehab or fine their asses, instead of making the rest of us pay. I don’t get why Facebook? When I can see there are more of them at MySpace and Friendster. Is it because Facebook is way popular? or just this is a social propaganda? Or just because they can’t figure out a better way to deal with our problematic young-ins? This is plain vandalism in an internet scale. Banning Facebook just means they are going to find some other place to do this irresponsible idiocy.

And that’s my 2 cents.

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Learn Spanish!

I have been an avid learner of languages, and after reading a book which has lot of Spanish speaking characters within, I tend to start learning them instead of putting it down. Amazingly, I love it enough to actually try learning the language, with bits and pieces it can offer me. It's pretty useful in other ways as well, since I happened to be a Spanish soap drama junkie. *winks*

The No. 1 'Learn Spanish' Product In CB For 5 Years! Commission Paid On Download And Shipped Versions. We Even Have A 1-800 Number To Help Close Sales For You. Go To www.rocketlanguages.com/affiliates/ Or Email Marketing@rocketlanguages.com For More. Click Here!

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Verification can be such big pains.

Word Image Verification has manage to enter my pet peeves and they have become quite an annoyance to in my blogging life.

Above are a few examples of what I call.. extreme verification images I keep stumbling onto while blog exploring. I know I am 4-eyed but damn, can anybody else actually read those? Of course I can read the last image but seriously, the verification process has become all too extremely mashed up I actually have to reenter 3 verification process just to actually give a response.

It has come to the point where I could differentiate is it a "d" or "ol" or "b" if you get my meaning. Oh well...

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