Terms of Endearment

From time to time, I like to indulge in online quizzes. You know, take advantage of the opportunity to see how smart I truly am, because what other way is there to really test my knowledge than with an online quiz?

This morning, I came across a quiz that caught my attention. It's universal in appeal and even though I am only fluent in my native tongue, I still earned a whopping 70% on this one. Included in the quiz are words in German, Estonian, Hindi, Urdu, Hawaiian, Flemish, Italian, Croatian, Welsh, and Basque.

Go ahead and test your knowledge by taking the Mother or Father Terms of Endearment Quiz.

Good Question

I attended the ALSC pre-conference storytelling event last night, where I met many friendly, and humorous, librarians.

One woman asked me a very good question - one that I love answering but rarely have the opportunity to. She asked, "How long have you worked for Kane/Miller and what do you like about it?"

Instantly, I smiled. Actually, I think I beamed. I found it so intriguing that this woman actually wanted to know about my role and my experience with the company.

I'll sum it all up for those who haven't heard this before (Yes, this is the shortened version):

I've worked for Kane/Miller for seven years now, since March of 2001. I remember every detail of my career, especially the interview and requesting that I start after March 1st since I was flying home (St. Paul, MN) at the end of February to surprise my mom for her birthday.

I started working for K/M knowing little, if nothing, about children's publishing, even though I grew up with books, spent several years of my youth (cumulatively, of course) in the library, inside a book - and fell in love with language and literature because of my early exposure to storytelling.

My mom taught me to read before I started kindergarten. We went to the library often for story time, quiet time, and now that I have a child of my own, I realize that we also went there so my mom could have some alone time.

Now, thanks to my mom, teachers and librarians who encouraged my love of reading, I now have a job that I absolutely love. It was simply meant to be.

Kane/Miller is a small, independent publishing company, founded by siblings who shared a love of language, children's literature, art, and the world - and what I love most about Kane/Miller is...Everything. From the atmosphere at our office to the books we publish; from the mission statement that hasn't changed in 25 years to the logo which has; I can't see myself working in any other industry or for any other company.

I was honored to be asked such a personal question and I think it's safe to say that my response - my strong emotional reaction - impressed upon my audience why Kane/Miller is so unique.

While no job is perfect, I would have to say mine is pretty close. I get to work with people who share a love of language, children's literature, art, and the world. Plus, now that I have a son, I am able to pass on that love, nourish it, and watch it grow.

I can't imagine anywhere else I would rather be.

Language Lessons for Little Ones

I love San Francisco. I can't wait until my son is old enough to really enjoy visiting new places and experiencing the city. There's so much to see and do there but for families who live in, or near the city, there is a wonderful opportunity to have your children learn a foreign language at a very early age. Language at Play offers courses in Mandarin, Chinese, Spanish or French.

For those of us who live outside of this beautiful Northern California city, there's always the Lingolook Flashcards.

Oh, and in case you haven't already been to the site, I highly recommend that you visit the San Francisco Musem of Modern Art online to get a glimpse of what the museum has to offer. Their gift shop (and print catalog) are filled with amazingly beautiful products (and books) designed by fantabulous artists. I can't wait to get my hands on the next catalog when it comes in the mail.

Stuck in the Muck...Oh #$%@!

I swear this is something that was sent to all Kane/Miller employees last week but I won't give away the sender's identity...

This article, posted on the UK's Metro News site, claims that swearing at work is good and I have to agree that swearing does (as the article mentions) "help to relieve stress and build team spirit."

Now, if only we could argue for this in all professional settings. I'm sure NFL coaches and players on the sidelines would love to shout out some expletives if it weren't for the TV cameras on them during the entire "show." After all, building team spirit is what the game is all about, right?

What about surgeons, when they've discovered that they've left some important tool inside their patient after surgery? I'm sure they don't wash their mouth out with soap after these frustrating situations, but probably should.

Let's face it, feeling comfortable enough to use whatever type of language you feel is necessary under any circumstance is what makes a workplace great (or not). This article explains - in a lighthearted way - how speaking openly encourages employees to express their feelings and to further develop and strengthen workplace relationships.

Speaking of relationships, we've decided to change the name of our Customer Service / Accounts Manager position to Relationship Manager. We're hoping that the relationship we have with our accounts / customers will improve greatly with the use of this new language.

And we promise we won't swear if you call us with a problem - at least not until we've hung up the phone.

From England
Duck in the Truck
by Jez Alborough