Month: August 2010

Race & Our Neighbors to the South

While Afro-Mexican may not be the most common term, there have been communities in Mexico with populations of African descent since North America was colonised. This book, Black Mexico: Race and Society from Colonial to Modern Times by Ben Vinson III and Matthew Restall, collects many documents and interviews to create a series of chapters illustrating first-hand accounts across the timeline of this particular aspect of race in Mexican culture has changed and existed. It’s an interesting look into the perceptions of ethnicity and racial identity.

The Mobile Web: Design It While It’s Still Free

So on the issue of Net Neutrality, corporations like Google have been trying to argue that using your 3G or 4G or super-secretG mobile device should be tiered and priced separately.  A lot of people have made a good argument for why this is a bad idea, but for the moment, people using mobile devices are only limited by their data plan and how well Web designers program for these platforms.

Enter Programming the Mobile Web by Maximiliano Firtman.  If you have a standard website and need to make it accessible for iPhones and Androids, or if you’re out to design browser-based web applications, these cross-platform tips, techniques, and standards are essential for your ability to reach the widest audience possible. If you’re taking any sort of website design classes, check this book out.

Watch the Record Industry Die

When an entire industry refuses to adapt to technology and greed pushes artistry into the backseat, you can end up with the cautionary tale of the record industry.  In Steve Knopper’s Appetite for Self-Destruction, the author traces the creation of CDs, digital music distribution, and the iTunes model. Read how downloading didn’t kill the record industry as much as poor decisions made by company executives did.

It’s Not Bieber Fever. It’s Malaria

Despite the news today that slowing down Justin Bieber makes him tolerable to the ambient art-rock crowd, the only fever we’re here to talk about is malaria. Did you know it’ll impair over 300 million people this year, and as a whole, society’s reaction will likely be minimal? Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years by Sonia Shah talks about how this super virus has plagued humanity since forever ago, and why it remains so fascinating and resilient.

See You Wednesday, JCCC Students!

Wednesday marks the beginning of the fall semester, so here are some helpful reminders.

  • Parking here gets absolutely awful, so show up early. Even if your parking spot is still rubbish, you’ll at least make it to class on time.
  • Don’t let the Fall in Fall Semester fool you! It may still get unbearably hot out, which sometimes makes the AC super cold. I’d advise bringing something to pull over in case you get stuck in an ice box of a classroom.
  • The computers in the library have been known to get filled up quickly BUT! we have wi-fi access. If you have a laptop or iPad, it is advised to bring it.
  • Be nice to your professors. I heard from one that they can get nervous on the first day, too.

It’s just two days away, folks! We look forward to seeing you in the library!

Not the Bees!!!

Did you know that bees only live 5 weeks, and that in that time they have almost a dozen jobs? They’re like the worst temp ever! Actually, they’re really good at what they do: wax making, pollen gathering, wet nursing, mercenary guard work… Pretty amazing little creatures, huh?

Well, here’s your celebration of bee-kind, Bees: Nature’s Little Wonders by Candace Savage. It’s your sneak-peek into a miraculous macro-sized insect civilization taking place on a micro scale. They’re really interesting creatures!