Craig Ferguson is a late-night host who embraces writers

From Esquire:

Authors have always made damn good late-night talk show guests. Think Jack Kerouac reading On the Road accompanied by Steve Allen on piano. Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal nearly trading blows on The Dick Cavett Show, which also featured the verbal dueling of Truman Capote and Groucho Marx...

But over the past couple decades, authors have gone largely missing from late night. I'm not talking The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report, or Charlie Rose and Tavis Smiley, where you'll often see authors as guests... No, I'm talking strictly the Big Three networks. Sure, every once in a while Letterman will have on David Sedaris or Sarah Vowell or Anthony Bourdain. Yet they are as much radio and TV personalities as writers. Conan will occasionally have on a writer whose work has crossed over into film and TV, like George R.R. Martin. But when's the last time Dave or Conan — or Fallon or Kimmel or Meyers, for that matter — had on a true-blue novelist, short-story writer, essayist, or memoirist?

Craig Ferguson is different. He's an author himself — having published a novel and a memoir, both best-sellers — and in nearly a decade of leading The Late Late Show, he's regularly had on fellow scribes. He might joke about the perceived obsolescence of books in the digital age, as when introducing one of Sloane Crosley's four appearances on the show: "My next guest is an author. What's an author, Craig? It's like a bloggy person without a computer." But in truth, few modern media personalities short of Oprah have done more to promote reading and literature. Not to mention boost book sales.

The Good Wife episode about music copyright infringement, Glee and Jonathan Coulton

The copyright dispute between Jonathan Coulton and the television show Glee about the "Baby Got Back" cover was the blueprint for this week's episode of "The Good Wife", [probably my favorite show] named "Goliath and David". The plot followed the real case in close detail, up to the point where they discovered a section in the audio that sounded like it was lifted from the independent musician's track (a duck's quack in Coulton's case).

Watch it here from CBS.

(Description edited from Christoph Drösser's Facebook page.)

35 Years Of Newscast Recordings To Be Digitized, Archived

A librarian who faithfully taped 35 years of TV news with the hope that one day it would prove to be valuable, searchable historical material did not live to see her dream realized.

But the vision of Philadelphia resident Marion Stokes, who died last year at 83, will become a reality now that her 140,000 video cassettes are being archived in an online library.

The trove, which totals about a million hours of newscasts, is expected to arrive Tuesday at the Internet Archive in Richmond, Calif., where it will be digitized and made available to the public, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported (http://bit.ly/1ksefVO).

"We were awestruck by two things," said Roger Macdonald, the virtual library's director of TV archives. "One, the size of the collection. And two, the human story behind it, that one person could create so extensive a collection."

The massive collection ... includes local news shows from Philadelphia between 1986 and 2012, and broadcasts from Boston, where she once lived, from 1977 to 1986. All the while, she also recorded national news and cable channels, leading to her to run several VCRs simultaneously 24 hours a day.

More from Huffington Post.

Finding Lieutenant Columbo

In 1974, a man named Fred L. Worth published "The Trivia Encyclopedia," a 300-plus page tome of minutiae One of the questions asked what [TV detective] Columbo's first name is, and Worth's book claimed that "Phillip" was the correct answer. This is incorrect... but it isn't an error per se. Worth made up the answer entirely and intentionally. He figured that if anyone other books subsequently claimed that Columbo's first name was Phillip, that publisher would have ultimately "learned" the fact from his book -- they had to have, because no one else could be the source for a fact that Worth had made up.

The trap worked. A while later, Trivial Pursuit published a board game which included a question about Columbo's first name, using "Phillip," not "Frank," as the correct answer. Worth sued, claiming that Trivial Pursuit has stolen his intellectual property by re-using his made-up fact (and likely, had plagiarized many other facts from his book) without credit or compensation. He demanded $300 million for the violation of his copyright.

HOW WAS THIS RESOLVED? SEE HERE at Now I Know.

Friends of the APL programs now on TV!

The time slot for the airing of Friends of Albany Public Library programs will be Wednesdays at 7:00 pm. The programs will be aired on Channel Albany, which is the Public Access channel. In the Albany area, it is channel 18.

Our first program, Brett Hartman's author talk of his book Cadillac Chronicles, will be shown this Wednesday, March 20, 2013.

NYCLU program on cable channel 18 in Albany

A program from the Project Liberty series produced by the NYCLU will appear on Channel 18 in Albany. The program will air on the following dates.

Wednesday December 12 at 3 pm
Thursday December 13 at 5 pm
Friday December 14 at 5 pm
Saturday December 15 at 2 pm

Here is the description from NYCLU:

Project Liberty, the New York Civil Liberties Union’s very own television show, is back and broadcasting across New York State. Our fourth episode highlights the NYCLU’s relentless fight to guarantee that New York’s criminal justice system respects the rights of all New Yorker’s, not just those who can afford their own Johnny Cochran.

This episode marks five years since we filed Hurrell-Haring v. State of New York – our landmark, class-action lawsuit challenging New York’s failed system for providing effective legal counsel to poor people accused of crimes.

It features two of our lead plaintiffs, Kimberly Hurrell-Haring and Jackie Winbrone, whose heart-wrenching stories provide viewers unique insight into how the state’s fractured and dysfunctional public defense system is ruining people’s lives.

On the advice of her now-disbarred public defender, Kimberly pleaded guilty to a much more serious crime than the one she committed. As a result, the mother-of-two lost her job and her home. Jackie’s assigned counsel was missing in action as she languished in jail for a crime she did not commit. Her husband died during the 52 days she was incarcerated.

NYCLU Senior Staff Attorney Corey Stoughton, lead counsel on the case, explains the over-arching consequences of New York’s five-decade long failure to provide a functional public defense system. Each day in courtrooms across New York, people face judge and prosecutor without a lawyer accompanying them. When lawyers do appear, they struggle under huge caseloads to find time to investigate accusations and properly counsel clients about their rights.

Barrie Scheck, co-founder and director of the Innocence Project, and Thomas Giovanni, counsel to the Justice Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, offer perspective on grave harms that occur when our adversarial process is permanently skewed to favor prosecutors.

The whole point of this process is to ensure that the right people go to jail. When the system breaks down, people’s lives are upended – just ask Jackie and Kimberly.

For more information or to find out when Project Liberty will air on your local cable access station, visit our website: nyclu.org

C-SPAN at UAlbany

The M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives is prominently featured on C-SPAN2’s BOOKTV show that will broadcast on Saturday December 8 at 12:00 noon on CSPAN2. The program is part of C-SPAN’s LCV (Local Content Vehicle) 2012 Cities Tour of all of America’s state capitals and will also be available on their web page later today. Here’s a link to the C-SPAN Local Content page for Albany.

Bruce Hallenbeck interview

Bruce Hallenbeck is a horror film maker and compiler of books dealing with horror films, and a nice fellow to boot! I knew him from my FantaCo days.

For those who are early risers (or who have DVRs), Bruce will be interviewed on Forum 13, Channel 13's public affairs show, this coming Sunday at 6:00 AM. Phil Bayly will chat with him about his books and writing awards. It has been already taped. But don't you want to hear the answer to his question, "Were you a weird kid?"

Public, Education and Government Access Oversight Board

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Public, Education and Government Access Oversight Board (PEGAOB)

The Albany Common Council is seeking applications from qualified residents of the City of Albany for the following position:

Title of Position:

Member: Public, Education and Government Access Oversight Board (PEGAOB); 4 Common Council openings.

Members appointed by the Common Council shall be residents of the City of Albany and possess knowledge and interest in promoting public access cable television in the City of Albany. In making such appointments the Common Council shall endeavor to reflect the diversity of the City of Albany.

Additional members of the Board include two appointees of the Mayor and one representative of each of the following: Albany School District; College of St. Rose; New School of Radio and Television; Capitalize Albany Corporation; and Albany Public Library.

Term of Appointment:

Members are appointed for a three (3) year term except that of members initially appointed by the Common Council: two shall be for a term of one (1) year; one shall be for a term of two (2) years; and one shall be for a term of three (3) years. Of members initially appointed by the Mayor: one shall be for a term of two (2) years; and one shall be for a term of three (3) years. Thereafter all members shall be appointed for a term of three (3) years.

Position Responsibilities/Duties:

The City of Albany recently entered into a Franchise Agreement with Time Warner Cable to provide access channels designated for non-commercial public, educational and governmental use (otherwise known as “PEG” access) and funding for equipment for PEG access programming. In addition, the City has also entered into “Memorandums of Agreement” with various stakeholders for purposes of implementing PEG access. The PEGAOB was established by the Common Council to oversee implementation of PEG access, the cable television public access facility/studio in the City of Albany and to promote public awareness of public access in the City.

Specifically, the Board:

 Assists in the development of public, education and government access television in the City including by promoting the use of the public studio to citizens and groups throughout the City;

 Oversees the cable television public access facility/studio and assists the Public Access Coordinator, whom shall be responsible for the day to day operation of the public access facility/studio;

 Reviews memorandums of agreement between the city and relevant entities to assure implementation of PEG access

 Makes recommendations on the success of the programs in Phase I of PEG funding and based upon said findings makes recommendations for expenditures of Phase II funding.

Members of the Board serve without compensation. The Board is expected to meet no less than quar-terly for the purpose of conducting any business necessary to its operation, and may meet at such addi-tional times and places as deemed necessary by its members, or on the call of the Chairperson (during Phase I implementation of PEG access it is anticipated that the Board shall meet on an at least monthly basis). All meetings of the Board are considered public meetings under the “Open Meetings Law” and shall provide a reasonable opportunity for public comment in accordance with rules and guidelines adopted by the Board. The Board is also required to prepare an informational pamphlet on, and regu-larly publicize, its mission and purpose and annually report to the Common Council regarding its ac-tivities and performance, including recommendations, if any, to the Mayor and the Common Council.

Statutory Authority:

Code of the City of Albany, Chapter 42, Article XLIX, sections 42-373 to 42-380.

Application Requirement:

Applicants are requested to submit a letter of intent describing qualifications and include a current re-sume to:

Cashawna Parker
Senior Legislative Aide
Albany Common Council – Room 206
City Hall
Albany, NY 12207

Tel: 434-5087
Fax: 434-5081
e-mail: parkerc@ci.albany.ny.us

Applicants will be interviewed by a selected committee of the Common Council prior to appointment.

Deadline for Applications: Close of business, Wednesday, April 13, 2011.

Policy Statement

The Common Council is committed to assuring that its appointments to city boards, authorities, com-missions or committees is representative of the diversity of Albany’s population. Consistent with the City of Albany Human Rights Law, it is the policy of the Common Council to prohibit discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, disability, marital or domestic partner status in all aspects of its personnel policies, programs, practices and operations.

TV Interview: Why NYS Cuts to Libraries Hurt

NYLA Director Michael Borges and Guilderland Public Library Director Barbara Nichols Randall were interviewed Saturday, January 23, by CapitalNews9's Sabina Kuriakose about the problems faced by New York State libraries as a result of the cuts proposed by Governor Paterson's 2010-2011 budget. This report explains why library advocates say the cuts couldn't come at a worse time.

To view the video, please click here.

If this link does not work, please copy and paste this into your web browser:
http://capitalnews9.com/capital-region-news-12-content/494071/libraries-face-deep-cuts

Summer Reading to be featured on U.S. Department of Education TV program

On June 16, the U.S. Dept of Ed TV program, Education News Parents Can Use, will be airing a show titled: "Summer Learning Programs: Preventing the Slide, Promoting the Achievement."
At the end of the one-hour program, the past president of the Collaborative Summer Library Program, Sally Snyder, has been asked to give some tips to parents on keeping their children reading during the summer months. The New York state Library has provided Sally with the New York Statewide Summer Reading Program's flyer "SIX EASY WAYS TO GET CHILDREN TO READ THIS SUMMER" along with the translated versions.

Information about the program is available here.

DOCUMENTARY ON STATE LIBRARY'S NEW NETHERLAND PROJECT FEATURED ON WNYT

The New York State Library’s program that has shaken American history studies to their foundations, the New Netherland Project, is featured in the documentary “Uncovering America’s Forgotten Colony: The New Netherland Project.” The film will be aired on WNYT, Channel 13 on Saturday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m. The documentary focuses on the work of Dr. Charles Gehring and his colleagues. It highlights more than 30 years of uncovering America’s forgotten Dutch colonial history through the transcription and translation of the official archives of New Netherland.

One of the most unique history projects in America, the New Netherland Project provided the documentation and inspiration for Russell Shorto’s recent best seller, The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America.

A program of the New York State Library, the New Netherland Project has been working since 1974 to translate and publish the official 17th-century Dutch colonial documents of one of America’s earliest settled regions. Originally created under the sponsorship of the New York State Library and the Holland Society of New York, the New Netherland Project has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the New York State Office of Cultural Education. Translated documents and other work by the New Netherland Project can be accessed at www.nnp.org.

The documentary “Uncovering America’s Forgotten Colony: The New Netherland Project” was produced by Mogul One Productions in partnership with the New Netherland Institute. For more information on the New Netherland Project, go to www.nnp.org.

Television Viewing in Infancy and Child Cognition

Since 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended no screen media for children <2 years of age. Nevertheless, recent nationally representative data indicate that 68% of children <2 years of age use screen media on a typical day, and one quarter of these children have a television (TV) set in his or her bedroom. Additional data suggest most US-born infants <2 years of age watch between 1 and 2 hours of TV daily. Given the large number of infants who are regularly exposed to TV, and the large number of parents who believe that it is good for their development, it is important to determine the effects of TV viewing on the developing cognition of young children...

CONCLUSION. Television viewing in infancy does not seem to be associated with language or visual motor skills at 3 years of age.



http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/123/3/e370 Television viewing in infancy does not seem to be associated with language or visual motor skills at 3 years of age.

A New TV Age

If you are receiving your television signal through rabbit ears and you've been procrastinating about getting your coupon for the digital converter box, you should know that they are out of coupons until enough coupons already sent expire. I ordered my coupons about six weeks ago, right after the ice storm and they arrived only two days ago.

This means you've got only about three weeks to figure out how you're going to keep up with 60 Minutes. Get on the coupon waiting list by visiting this website and keep your fingers crossed.

And here you thought they couldn't make a TV series just about librarians

At least in Australia. But not a very pleasant one, judging by the title of the article: Bigotry by the book.