*****
A certain minor light may still
Leap incandescent

*****
... Miracles occur,
if you care to call those spasmodic
Tricks of radiance miracles. The wait's begun again,
The long wait for the angel,
For that rare, random descent.

Plath, Sylvia. "Black Rook in Rainy Weather." The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry. January 29, 2007. http://www.columbiagrangers.org.

Interested in poetry?

Check out Granger's World of Poetry Online here.

Posted by digitalk team at 06:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This year's Oscar nominations have gone global (Sunday Telegraph).

The bigger surprise was however, in the round-up of nominees for the 79th Academy Awards. Dreamgirls was excluded from the best-picture competition, despite it leading the field with eight nominations, making it the first time in Oscar’s history that a movie with the most nominations isn't a best-picture contender. (1)

The Latinos took away a record 20 nominations in total. In addition to the heavy Latino representation, five black actors were nominated in acting categories: Forest Whitaker (for The Last King of Scotland), Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness), Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) and Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond). (2)

Best Picture nominee or not, Dreamgirls managed to do well, scoring two nominations in the supporting actor ranks: for Jennifer Hudson (American Idol runner-up), and Eddie Murphy, who brings pathos and serious vocalising to the role of a soul-revue veteran.

Clint Eastwood's war-ridden Letters From Iwo Jima, may have bumped the popular musical off the card, along with the four other expected Best Picture nominees namely Babel, The Departed, Little Miss Sunshine and The Queen. (1)

Speaking of foreign language, let’s revert to the initial surprise of this post. This year's Oscar nominations have gone global (we’re just reinforcing this point). This seems to be a trend. Out of the 20 acting nominees, five are black, two are Latina and one is Japanese.

Furthermore, highly-acclaimed Best Picture nominees Babel is in Arabic, Berber, Spanish and Japanese, while Letters From Iwo Jima is almost entirely in Japanese.

Faring well alongside the blacks and Latinos were the Brits. It’s been the talk of the town for the British media with nominations for Helen Mirren in The Queen, Peter O'Toole in Venus, Kate Winslet in Little Children and Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal. British directors also fared well: Stephen Frears for The Queen and Paul Greengrass for United 93. (2)

The hits Cars (talking automobiles), Happy Feet (talking penguins) and Monster House (talking domiciles) will vie for animated feature film award.

Let’s take a look at the nominees for the 79th Annual Academy Awards.

And the nominees are (3),

BEST PICTURE - Nominees
Babel
The Departed
Letters From Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE - Nominees
Leonardo DiCaprio for “Blood Diamond”
Ryan Gosling for “Half Nelson”
Forest Whitaker for “The Last King of Scotland”
Will Smith for “Pursuit of Happyness”
Peter O'Toole for “Venus”

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE – Nominees
Meryl Streep for “The Devil Wears Prada”
Kate Winslet for “Little Children”
Judi Dench for “Notes on a Scandal”
Penelope Cruz for “Volver”
Helen Mirren for “The Queen”

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM – Nominees
Cars
Happy Feet
Monster House

DIRECTING – Nominees
Babel
The Departed
Letters from Iwo Jima
The Queen
United 93

More information here.

Sit back, relax and find out which individuals will be taking home the prestigious Oscar statuettes for 2007.

Read up more on this year’s Oscars Awards Ceremony in our News databases.

Direct Links :
(1) “Diversity gets the red carpet treatment.”
Rea, Steven. Sunday Telegraph (Sydney, Australia). January 28, 2007.
Taken from: Newsbank

(2) “Who’s in with a shout this year? – Oscars.”
Goodwin, Christopher. Sunday Times, The (London, England). January 28, 2007.
Taken from: Newsbank

(3) “For your consideration – Big Oscar nods? Here’s where they’re playing.”Paper: Boston Globe, Boston Globe, The (MA). January 26, 2007. The (MA)
Taken from: Newsbank

(4) “Dreamgirls and Babel lead Oscar nominations.”
Fern, Ong Sor. Straits Times, The (Singapore). January 24, 2007.
Taken from: Newsbank

(5) “The Oscar race begins... - With the nominations out, the jostling begins and predictions fly. But it is not so clear cut who the eventual winners will be.”
Fern, Ong Sor. January 24, 2007.
Taken from: Newsbank

(6) “3 filmmaker-friends conquering the academy.”
Wilmington, Michael. Chicago Tribune, (IL). January 28, 2007.
Taken from: Newsbank

Posted by digitalk team at 05:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another batch of databases for you to add to your diet plan - guaranteed non-fattening but definitely mind-enhancing and knowledge-developing.

First up is...

which focuses solely on Internet commerce. Business-to-consumer and business-to-business companies make use of its contents to make informed decisions in the complex and rapidly changing Internet economy.

Offering strategic analysis and insight of industry trends and forecasts as well as today's best practices. Jupiter's analysis is backed by proprietary data and emphasizes actionable findings.

Go to eDatabases and look under the letter "J"

AVAILABLE at all NLB branches and remote.

... and a little closer to home ...

The easy to access Singapore lowdown you have been waiting for! Annual audited financial performance of Singapore's top 1000 corporations and top 500 small & medium enterprises. Information includes corporate rankings by turnover and profit, as well as 5-year sales trend by industry and sales and net profit in terms of industry.

Go to eDatabases and look under the letter "S"

AVAILABLE at all NLB branches only.

Posted by digi.talk team at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The ubiquity of computers, Internet and media technology can no longer be disregarded. This is reflected in a major paradigm shift in the dynamics of social relationships and the increasingly apparent, potentially detrimental effects on common social interactions.

For instance, with regards to video gaming, researchers have found that violent video games provide a forum for learning and practising aggressive solutions to conflict situations. The active nature of the learning environment of video games suggests that this medium is potentially more dangerous than TV and movie media.

On the other hand, there is also the issue of time, when it comes to media consumption.

The average American spends more time using media; an iPod, computer, radio, television, etc. than in any other wakeful activity, almost nine hours a day. The amount of time people spend immersed in the media environment affects the way they behave and interact outside of that space.

According to a survey conducted by the Washington Times, “65 per cent of 1001 adults surveyed said they spent more time with their computers than with their spouse or significant other”.

Based on a study conducted by the Los Angeles-based Kelton Research, “Americans’ relationship with their computers are affecting their relationship with family and friends, as nearly 74 per cent of Americans say they bring their computer problems home with them”.

“As computers become increasingly pervasive in our lives, our relationships with them can begin to seem almost as important as a relationship with a significant other”.

Check out these research articles from our eDatabase collection dealing with Computers and Social Interactions:

- The Over-Mediated World
Tucker, Patrick. The Futurist, Washington. January/February 2007. Volume 41, Issue 1.
Taken from: ProQuest
Link: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1189106621&sid=4&Fmt=3&clientId=13402&RQT=309&VName=PQD

- Computer mediated communication: social interaction and the Internet
Beidler, J. Choice. Middletown. October 2004, Volume 42, Issue 2.
Taken from: ProQuest
Link: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=718454871&sid=4&Fmt=3&clientId=13402&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Direct Links:
1) “Technology may cause marital system failure - Computers the new home wrecker."
Washington Times (The) January 23, 2007.
Taken from: Newsbank

2) Video Games and their Effects on Children.
Media Development Authority.
Retrieved January 24, 2007 from http://www.mda.gov.sg/wms.file/mobj/mobj.579.parents_vid-effects.pdf

Posted by digitalk team at 05:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"glass glitters more than diamonds because it has more to prove".
- Terry Pratchett, Author

Posted by digitalk team at 04:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Would it soon be the last days of mother Earth?

That’s what the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists concluded, when they moved the Doomsday Clock’s time up two minutes to 11:55pm. So now, we’re symbolically five minutes away from apocalypse.

The scientists say the world is in its “most perilous state'' since the Hiroshima bomb in 1945. - 4

The world has been successful in avoiding nuclear holocaust for 60 years, ever since the Doomsday Clock was created. Till today, the clock remains a powerful symbol of the risk that the world could see a nuclear holocaust.

However, the Bulletin has come to a conclusion that the clock they created needs a rewind, citing nuclear proliferation and climate change. Thus, inching us closer to the ‘end of the world.’ - 1

For the 18th time, those hands of the ominous clock have been moved. What’s worrisome is that factors other than nuclear attack were considered. “Threats to global survival,” such as global warming (it’s definitely getting hotter here); the genetic engineering of diseases and the growing threats of terrorism were taken into account.

"It's time to pay attention in a very serious way to what we see as potentially civilization-ending technology and trends," said Kennette Benedict, the Bulletin's executive director. "We extended and really took the idea of doomsday seriously." - 2

London’s climate change is as great a threat to the world as terrorism and nuclear war, cosmologist and mathematician Stephen Hawking said. Professor Hawking, of the University of Cambridge, also added the twin dangers of global warming and nuclear proliferation should be tackled urgently.

Doomsday Clock

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Doomsday Clock conveys how close humanity is to catastrophic destruction, which was begun by scientists in 1947.

Climate Change - A Threat?

“The dangers posed by climate change are nearly as dire as those posed by nuclear weapons,'' the BAS said.

“The effects may be less dramatic in the short term than the destruction that could be wrought by nuclear explosions, but over the next three to four decades climate change could cause irremediable harm to the habitats upon which human societies depend for survival.''

Professor Hawking, a sponsor of the clock, said: “We foresee great peril if governments and society do not take action now to render nuclear weapons obsolete and prevent further climate change. As scientists, we understand the dangers of nuclear weapons ... and we are learning how human activities and technologies are affecting climate systems in ways that may forever change life on Earth. - 2

Our Environment

While nuclear weapons and climate change each present their own set of challenges, the resetting of the doomsday clock is symptomatic of a broader rejection of science and reason that is taking place across Western society. This rejection can be seen particularly in much of the environmental movement, which, instead of looking to science and public policy to prevent and ameliorate climate change, seeks to use the phenomenon to remake society in its own image.

Over the past 20 years especially, the green movement has become a stalking horse for snobbery, and socialism. At its heart is the assumption that there is something wrong with capitalism providing physical comforts, such as four-wheel drives or air-conditioning, at prices ordinary people can afford.

It’s definitely time for us to be environment-conscious.

Direct Links:

1) Apocalypse when? Each generation suspects that it will be the last.
Halicksstaff, Richard. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The (GA). January 20, 2007.
Taken from: Newsbank

2) Doomsday Creep.
Chicago Tribune (IL). January 20, 2007.
Taken from: Newsbank

3) Scientists turn back clock on progress.
MATP. Australian, The (Australia). January 19, 2007.
Taken from: Newsbank

4) Doomsday is closer.
MATP. Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia). January 19, 2007.
Taken from: Newsbank

5) Image taken from: NLB Gale Virtual Reference Library

Posted by digitalk team at 05:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Global Warming by Burkhard Bilger Series: Earth at Risk Publisher: childrensElibrary The combined activities of modern civilization are polluting the atmosphere with excess amount of "greenhouse gases," like carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide which has resulted in increasing the greenhouse effect. "Earth at Risk: Global Warming" tells the story of the discovery of this phenomenon and the scientific controversy surrounding it. It also describes the ways in which climatic change may threaten civilization and what governments and individuals will have to do to control it. To access this title! Click on OVERDRIVE.

Posted by digitalk team at 05:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK, I know we missed out telling you - but trust me there were some good reasons and anyway it's not too late to let you in on the next few rounds of the “I am @ Youth.SG”the first -I venture to say- Singapore Blogging Festival (but not the first in the world as can be seen here).
The folks at youth.sg have been trying to get the young and older youths worked up about the creative potential of blogging - asking the Generation Youth of Singapore to put themselves on record - "who they are and what they do." - [that means YOU - if you consider yourself a "youth"]

The festival runs from January to March 2007 and the dates you need are:
12 Jan to 26 Jan - PRIZE - A Canon Ixus 60
26 Jan to 9 Feb - PRIZE Motorola KRZR K1
9 Feb and beyond - details were not available

So, of course, we think that blogging is a good thing and we say "get out there and express yourself!" All you need to know is here!

[cartoon courtesy of www.loiclemeur.com]

Posted by digitalk team at 04:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The only reason why we ask other people how their weekend was is so we can tell them about our own weekend.

- Chuck Palahniuk, Invisible Monsters, 1999

Posted by digitalk team at 04:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was an excellent time for the rest of us, who are excluded from the Hollywood population, to simply sit back, rest on our laurels and universally subscribe to the kind of “attention-deficit entertainment.”

It’s none other than the Golden Globe Awards, which basically encompasses “a speedy compendium of short bursts, abbreviated clips of the nominated works, condensed acceptance speeches and peekaboo camera pans of the audience.”

It was also an ideal source of material for the latest scoop on celebrity discord and ‘snubbing’ especially at the red-carpet warm-up shows.

"You have great teeth," Joan Rivers said to Sheryl Crow on the TV Guide Channel. "Are they yours?"

Even the award ceremony itself wasn’t spared from the Hollywood travesty. After opening the envelope for best supporting actress in a movie, George Clooney announced "Leonardo DiCaprio."

When the artist Prince, still known for being short, didn't show up in time to accept his award for best original song in a motion picture, the presenter Justin Timberlake, accepted for him by crouching down below the microphone.

Still, despite these “classic” moments of hilarity, the point of the Globe shouldn’t go unnoticed, especially when it comes to giving credit where its due.

Images Galore!

For those who missed the show, listed below are some of the 2007 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS winners.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
BABEL
Anonymous Content Production/Una Producción De Zeta Film/Central Films Production/Paramount Pictures/Paramount Vantage

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
HELEN MIRREN (The Queen)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
FOREST WHITAKER (The Last King of Scotland)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
MERYL STREEP (The Devil Wears Prada)

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
DREAMGIRLS
DreamWorks Pictures/Paramount Pictures

Check out all about the 2007 Golden Globe Awards news from worldwide newspapers with image editions at Newsbank, which can be found at here.

Direct Links:
(1) “At the Globes, Tears Are Fine, but Fast and Mean Is Much Better”
Stanley, Alessandra. New York Times, The (NY), January 16, 2007
Taken from: Newsbank

(2) Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Press Release. (2007, January 15). Retrieved January 17, 2007 from http://www.hfpa.org/news/id/55

(3) Images taken from: Newsbank Electronic Image Edition

Posted by digitalk team at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Life is just a mirror, and what you see out there, you must first see inside of you."

- Wally 'Famous' Amos, US cookie businessman (1936 - )

Posted by digitalk team at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Though it's thousands of miles away
Sierra Leone connect to what we go through today
Over here it's a drug trade, we die from drugs
Over there they die from what we buy from drugs
The diamonds, the chains, the bracelets, the charmses
I thought my Jesus piece was so harmless
'Til I seen a picture of a shorty armless
And here's the conflict
It's in a black person soul to rock that gold
Spend your while life tryin' to get that ice
On a Polo rugby it look so nice
How can something so wrong make me feel so right?
Right? 'fore I beat myself up like Ike
You can still throw your Roc-a-Fella diamond tonight

- Diamonds from Sierra Leone, Kanye West

Recently released blockbuster Blood Diamond has been causing a stir. And no, we are not talking about the usual Hollywood movies with made-up stories that most often seem surreal here.

However saddening, dramatic and violent Blood Diamond may seem, ultimately, it tells a true story.

This controversial movie focuses on the illicit diamond trade in Africa. It reflects how mercenaries routinely sneaked diamonds over the Liberian border to be sold, with the money funnelled back to finance various what? factions. The diamond industry has since begun issuing conflict-free certificates in an effort made to eradicate this unlawful trade.

Nearly 100 survivors of the civil war in Sierra Leone watched this Hollywood's depiction of the 11-year conflict. Reviews were positive, but the experience proved difficult and grievous. Most who attended said the movie was accurate, painfully so. (3)

Apparently, less than 1 percent of diamonds on the market today are “conflict diamonds.” Nonetheless troubling it is, when you ponder how much this 1 percent amounts to, it is no small sum.

At the film's Hollywood premiere, "Blood Diamond" director Edward Zwick reportedly called 1 percent "a funky number" that does not capture the breadth of the problem. Zwick has positioned his film as a galvanizing tool to warn consumers about diamonds illicitly mined by rebel armies during wartime.

The movie, with box office receipts of more than $25 million, follows Kanye West's 2005 hit song "Diamonds From Sierra Leone." Up next was (which tense – past or present?) a History Channel documentary, "Blood Diamonds," and early this year, there would (which tense – past or present?) be a VH1 documentary called "Bling: A Planet Rock," which will feature hip-hop stars travelling to Sierra Leone to highlight the issue. (1)

The diamond industry maintains it has safeguards to guarantee most rough diamonds come from areas free of violent conflict through the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). The KPCS is an international certification, implemented in 2003, which aims to stem the flow of "conflict" diamonds and protect the legitimate diamond industry.

However, critics say there is no independent oversight of the industry's monitoring and that conflict diamonds still make their way to the marketplace. The issue is trickling down to stores and bridal Web sites as the news media, Hollywood stars and rap songs (think Kanye West!) delve into the subject.

International human rights groups like Amnesty International and Global Witness, which first publicized the issue of conflict diamonds in 1998, say dirty diamonds still reach the market because of smuggling and weak controls by some producing countries, and that consumers have no surefire way of telling if a diamond is clean.

The good news is that consumers have started reading up and reacting accordingly. Several jewellers said people have made it clear they want only conflict-free diamonds and have asked where the stones sold at retail were? mined.

Tom Zoellner, who researched the industry for his book "The Heartless Stone" (St. Martin's Press, 2006) said, “The best defense against dirty diamonds, is to ask questions.” (4)

Impact of the movie “Blood Diamond”

Human-rights activists credit the movie with already spurring changes in the industry. Last month, diamond producers met for their annual review of the Kimberley Process. The industry agreed to several additional measures sought by activists, such as giving Ghana a three-month deadline to show that it is not exporting illicit conflict diamonds from Cote d'Ivoire. (5)

Terminology

The terms "conflict diamonds" or "blood diamonds" refer to gems that have been used by rebel groups to pay for wars that have killed and displaced millions of people in Africa, the source of an estimated 65 percent of the world's diamonds. Learn more about Conflict-free diamonds here. (4)

For more on conflict-free diamonds, do check out the cited articles below. Cut and paste the titles into Newsbank to retrieve the articles.

Links:
1) “Blood Diamonds: A River or a Droplet?”
Duke, Lynne. Washington Post, The (DC). December 27, 2006.
Taken from: Newsbank

2) “Cruelty-free consumerism.”
Boston Globe, The (MA). December 23, 2006.
Taken from: Newsbank

3) “Sierra Leone movie dead-on, viewers say – Survivors cry during Blood Diamond.”
Boonestaff, Christian. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The (GA). December 18, 2006.
Taken from: Newsbank

4) “Diamonds Are for Never?”
Navarro, Mireya. New York Times, The (NY). December 14, 2006.
Taken from: Newsbank

5) “Sometimes diamonds can cut up a country – They have ruled civil wars, but industry says situation has changed.”
DeBare, Ilana. San Francisco Chronicle (CA). December 10, 2006.
Taken from: Newsbank

6) “A New Diamond War.”
Marques, Rafael. Washington Post, The (DC). November 6, 2006.
Taken from: Newsbank

Posted by digitalk team at 07:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Good Doctor's Guide to Colds and Flu by Neil Schachter, M.D. Publisher: HarperCollins Under the weather? Eminent lung specialist Neil Schachter, M.D. arms you with the knowledge you need to boost immunity and avoid illness. And when colds, flu, and other respiratory infections do strike, you'll know exactly how to relieve uncomfortable symptoms like congestion and fever. In this book you'll find: - Treatment plans for the most common respiratory infections, including colds, flu, bronchitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, and strep throat - The right way to use vitamin C and zinc to combat a cold - The important difference between a head cold and chest cold - The five best ways to quiet a cough - Three signs that indicate if it's a cold or flu - Three symptoms that signal it's time to call a doctor - Why humming five seconds a day can reduce risk of sinus problems - The surprising reason why women catch more colds - And much more! With this eBook, you'll stay one step ahead of colds and flu. To access this title! Click on OVERDRIVE.

Posted by digitalk team at 02:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.
- Andy Warhol, The Philosophy of Andy Warhol, US artist (1928 - 1987)

Posted by digitalk team at 04:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last month, the Digital Library Services Promotions Team (yours truly!) organised a database training session especially for young people, aged 10-15 years old. Training was conducted for six different databases that are useful to young people, for their schoolwork and even to build their general knowledge.

So just how did the training go? Why not let our exclusive photographs do the talking?

Presenting the lovely Ms Aviya doing a flashy presentation on the database CAMIO: Catalog of Art Museum Images Online.

Time to surf the NLB way!

“Amiable” Ms Aviya offering her assistance to the eager young learners.


Our highly attentive audience during the training on database EBSCOHost Searchasaurus.

Even our fellow colleagues couldn't risk the idea of missing out on the wealth of information.


All eyes glued to the screen.

It was either hands-on or back off, everyone cleverly chose the hands-on way.

Curiosity with technology starts young these days.

This part was when it was all about NATURE.

A fun-filled training session for all indeed. Sharanya, 15, student said “the training was really useful.” She mentioned that she couldn’t wait to check out all of our eResources.

There will be many more upcoming training sessions for everyone, so do look out for our announcements right here at digi.talk.

If you would like to be in the loop of our training sessions, please email:
Miss Privina @ Privina_ABHISEGARAN@nlb.gov.sg

Posted by digitalk team at 05:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"The great use of life is to spend it on something that will outlast it." ~ James Truslow Adams

Posted by digitalk team at 01:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Breaking Free Introducing a New Method of Psychological Self-Exploration by Nathaniel Branden Publisher: Barnes & Noble Publishing Do you believe you’re worthless? Ineffectual? Mediocre? Helpless? Nathaniel Branden, best selling author of The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem introduces a revolutionary method to show you how repressed feelings and forgotten past experiences may have shaped your current sense of self. Through dramatized case studies, Branden reveals how responding to these key questions can expose you to new ways of thinking about yourself and your past. Breaking Free will liberate you from your inhibitions and allow you to have a greater sense of yourself and your true potential. To access this title! Click on OVERDRIVE.

Posted by digitalk team at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)