Lest we forget...

What being a librarian is REALLY about...fun!

One Smashing Event

TV Turn Off Week celebrated

by Kelly GrinsteinnerAssistant Editor
Published: Thursday, April 24, 2008 6:10 AM CDT

HIBBING — It’s obvious that Summer Campbell isn’t afraid of heights.

On Wednesday afternoon, the sixth grade student at Lincoln Elementary School was lifted more than 65 feet into the air by truck bucket. Below her, a large bull’s-eye was painted on the avenue.

Traffic along 21st Street between Fourth and Fifth Avenue had been rerouted to accommodate the TV stunt. With all her might, and a little assistance from Public Works employee Jon Blazina, Campbell hurled the TV set to the ground.

The TV set — as predicted — broke into several pieces.

Similar to a pinata, the “guts” of the TV had been taken out and replaced with treats and small toys. All those present made a mad dash for the goodies once the TV set hit the pavement

“That was awesome,” said Campbell, once her feet were back on the ground.

The first-of-its-kind event was organized by the Hibbing Public Library, which is celebrating national TV Turn Off Week, April 21-27.

The stunt was thought up by Children’s Librarian Chuck Bell. The aim was to give kids and families the opportunity to get out and away from the TV.

“TV is predictable,” he said when asked the message of the event. “While you never know what can happen at the library.”

Campbell was chosen as the TV tosser through an essay contest. All kids in grades three through six were eligible. To enter, kids had to write a one-page essay on “Why Books are Better than TV.”

“I really like books,” said Campbell when asked why she entered. “Books, to me, are like an adventure. I also like to write.”

She said the essay was easy to pen, adding that she also likes to compose songs and write poems.

Campbell’s entry was chosen by a committee of librarians from a few entries. Bell said they would have liked to receive more, “but the ones we got were stellar and hard to choose between.”

He went on to comment on Campbell’s essay.“She did her research,” said Bell. “ Each point she made was backed up by a book or genre reference. I was impressed.”

The TV-avoiding festivities continued inside the library. There, several local groups and organizations manned booths to promote their activities.

That was in addition to family-oriented programs and entertainment including a puppet show, a medieval combat demonstration and karaoke.

Bell explained that he was first exposed to the TV Turn Off concept while serving as a librarian in Wichita, Kan. He had wanted to introduce it here, hoping simply to draw attention to it.

“I saw the need for something unusual, something that would really get people talking,” he said. “I wanted buzz about the event. While brainstorming, I remembered a radio station that allowed people to throw watermelons off their broadcast tower and I thought, ‘why not TVs?’”

TV Turn Off Week was started in 1994 by the Center for Screen Time Awareness, as a way to promote activities that involved anything but the television.

The Center, according to its Web site, provides information so people can live healthier lives in functional families and vibrant communities by taking control of — rather than being controlled by — the electronic media in their lives.

Bell said he’d deem the event a success if, three months later, people are still talking about it and wondering what will happen next year. He also confirmed Wednesday that plans are being made for more TV smashing in 2009.

“Absolutely, and promotion will start earlier,” he said. “I want to have a greater ‘block party’ atmosphere, with concessions and entertainment.”

From the Hibbing Daily Tribune, April 24, 2008. More pics to come!

Another useless test!

The fact that I took this one proves several things:
1. I have way too much time on my hands.
2. I miss my old video game consoles.
3. I miss the old video arcades.
4. I love taking these useless tests.
5. Too much pop culture can make you stupid.
6. I'm old enough to remember these characters!

I am Mario. I like to jump around, and would lead a fairly serene and aimless existence if it weren't for my friends always getting into trouble. I love to help out, even when it puts me at risk. I seem to make friends with people who just can't stay out of trouble. What Video Game Character Are You?

That's what its all aboot!

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland   "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
Philadelphia
The West
Boston
The South
The Northeast
The Inland North
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Thanks, Charlie Brown!

Well, we certainly felt needed yesterday, when the line was out the door for tax forms!

Yeah, baby! Yeah!

Now THIS is what I call air superiority! Cue "Imperial March..."

How to win an election

OK, compared to John McCain, Hill and Barry are rank amateurs. If he can pull this off, McCain is poised to show he can promote the economy before he is even elected. The gas prices hit everybody and McCain, if successful, will prove that he is willing to take in less money for the government AND give us a break (small, yes, but a break nonetheless).

Politic. Presidential. Conservative.

Flood!

Okay, there is 34 inches of snow on the ground. Add to that temperatures in the 50's with sun for the next week. Canoe, anyone?

Then again...

If Minnesota were a girl, she'd be called a "tease." At this moment, there is 12 inches of snow on the ground and it supposed to snow for another 20 hours. It will begin to warm up again in the next few days, so will begin what my buddy Deane calls "The Season of Mud."

UPDATE, 4/11/2008: Another winter blast today, 10 more inches with blowing and drifting snow. I was supposed to go to a conference today, but there is no getting out of Hibbing. Maybe tommorrow.

Total snowfall since April 6: 36 inches.

I'm starting to think I live in Narnia, where it is "always winter but never Christmas."

Fiddy

Yep, 50 degrees and sunny here in northern Minnesota. If you ignore the big piles of snow (resulting from all the plowing and shoveling), it seems like spring has arrived.

'Cause the Brits don't understand art

A Picaso adorning a common bedroom in Britain should not be all that surprising. Rowan Atkinson made a joke of it in the film "Bean" by having the main character keeping "Whistler's Mother" on the wall of his flat.

Grimmy loves Spongebob!

I've been a big fan of "Mother Goose and Grimm" since the '80's; I've even got a Grimmy plush. But now I like him even more! Check out the show he's watching!

Back in the SCA

In 1996, I walked away from the Society for Creative Anachronism, vowing "Never again!" Well, never say "never."

After leaving, I spent many more years in medieval re-enacting. I performed with the Order of St. Sebastian, did foam fighting with my buddies Jeff and Allen, and served as Lord Chamberlain to the Royal Court at the Great Plains Renaissance Fair. I had been a fighter in the SCA and whenever I went to an event where there were fighters, I would stop, watch and have a mighty internal struggle over getting back out there. Just before I moved, I went to a fighter practice in Wichita and put on loaner armor. After several minutes of being humiliated and reminded of how out of shape I was, I had two marshals and a knight tell me that, if I wanted to, I could authorize easily. And after nearly 13 years!

Cole and I moved up here to northern Minnesota and looked around for fun in garb. The only game in town was the SCA, so we met the folks and joined up. I am now the group marshal and should have a complete set of armor within two weeks. Our friend Sven is now here as well and he is an authorized fighter and armor maker.

Let the beatings begin! The Kingdom of Northshield is not as restrictive in it's crown list rules as the Middle Kingdom, so my hope is to enter Crown Tournament next year. I do not believe for one moment that I could win. It is for the honor of fighting for my lady. I hope I can make her proud.

Or it could mean there is no such thing!

Once again, greenies ignore real evidence. Can you imagine how unpleasant these people will be in their retirement?

Men have always known this!

Cold pizza and warm beer, the breakfast of champions!

A sincere apology

Politicians are into this, so why not?

Once upon a time, I wrote smack about a co-worker who owned a monochromatic aloha shirt. I felt such a thing was an abomination before God and man. Well, now I own one. What a hypocrite!

Sorry, Sheldon. I'm a bad man...

Ahead of my time, if just by a few days.

Wow. I said it first. But thanks for the affirmation.

Monkey of Doom

Hey, anthropologists! What species of primate is this?

Spring is in the air!

Wow, my first spring in northern Minnesota! After 4.5 months of really, really, REALLY cold weather, we are enjoying a day with both sunshine and air temperatures above freezing. MMmmm...slushy...

Well, I can believe it.

"I don't know how somebody who is in second place is offering the vice presidency to the person who is first place."
The Junior Senator from Illinois, about his opponent

She can because her arrogance is unmatched, which deludes her into thinking that she is in the lead. To her you are Al Gore, an annoying little parasite that should be moved down the hall before you REALLY get in her way.

I'm just saying...