Thursday 10 March 2011

Funny bit out of my textbook...

Yes, this is HONESTLY in my textbook. It's in the chapter of "The Electronic Library" discussing the Net and how it has no classification standards whatsoever. There is a quote, "On the Internet, truth needn't take precedence over humor" and this is the story that they use to make that point:

This is from Ton Kuntz from the article, "The Information Age is Here. Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" from The New York Times from July 3, 1998. This is the story of an "actual radio conversation between a U.S. naval ship and Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland.

Canadians: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid a collision.

Americans: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the north to avoid a collision.

Canadians: Negative. You will have to divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid a collision.

Americans: This is the Captain of a U.S. Navy Ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.

Canadians: No. I say again, you divert YOUR course.

Americans: This is the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Lincoln, the second-largest ship in the United States' Atlantic fleet. We are accompanied by three destroyers, three cruisers and numerous support vessels. I demand that you change your course 15 degrees north. I say again that's one five degrees north, or counter-measure will be undertaken to ensure the safety of this ship.

Canadians: This is a lighthouse. Your call.



Now, it's stuff like THAT that make me chuckle, and you KNOW I'll remember it for a long time. But do you think I can learn all these different givens and wanted descriptors and the different categories of tools to search for reference interviews? Dear Lord, help me!!

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