Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
My home state has been an embarrassment to me for the last 8 years or so but here is something that should make any Texan feel a little proud. You may have heard that Texas, thanks in part to T. Boone Pickins, is the leader in wind power, producing more than any other state, but now Texas is trying to become the leader in solar power as well. There are 69 alternative energy bills before the Texas legislature right now and 50 of those have to do with solar energy. Some legislators are actually referring to the current legislative session as "the solar session." Austin, the bright spot in our state, is planning to build a large solar panel just outside of the city. It will be the largest solar panel in the nation.
I doubt if this new interest in renewable energy has anything to do with fears of global warming, but more to do with the declining oil industry, and with making money. I really don't care why people are interested in alternative energy sources, I'm just glad they are. Now if we could just get them to believe in evolution.
I doubt if this new interest in renewable energy has anything to do with fears of global warming, but more to do with the declining oil industry, and with making money. I really don't care why people are interested in alternative energy sources, I'm just glad they are. Now if we could just get them to believe in evolution.
Monday, March 30, 2009
The White House Garden
Here is a picture (click to enlarge) of the layout of the new organic garden Michelle Obama started at the White House.
This is the first working garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt had a Victory Garden during WWII. Some of the produce will be used in the White House kitchen and some will be given to Miriam's Kitchen for the homeless in DC.
The garden is being tended to by the First Family and by local school children from Bancroft Elementary School.
This is the first working garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt had a Victory Garden during WWII. Some of the produce will be used in the White House kitchen and some will be given to Miriam's Kitchen for the homeless in DC.The garden is being tended to by the First Family and by local school children from Bancroft Elementary School.
I'm really enjoying reading my new favorite blog First Guns http://firstguns.tumblr.com/
Not only is it funny but there is also some useful information. This was in the last post I read: "The Essentials of Exercise Physiology tells us that when 63 women in a nursing home began strength training, their muscle strength increased an average of 113% percent. That is not a typo. More than 100%! Imagine how great it would be to improve anything by that much."
I thought is was too late for me and my arms but maybe it's not. I've never done strength training but I'm going to add this to my exercise program which now consists of walking with dogs.
Not only is it funny but there is also some useful information. This was in the last post I read: "The Essentials of Exercise Physiology tells us that when 63 women in a nursing home began strength training, their muscle strength increased an average of 113% percent. That is not a typo. More than 100%! Imagine how great it would be to improve anything by that much."
I thought is was too late for me and my arms but maybe it's not. I've never done strength training but I'm going to add this to my exercise program which now consists of walking with dogs.
I didn't know this but when a president takes office, he/she is allotted $100,000 of tax payer money for renovations for the Oval office and their private residence. No big surprise that the Obamas are not using this money or money from the White House Historical Association but will be paying for any renovations themselves. $100,000 isn't a lot of money, but at a time when so many people are losing their homes, it's a wonderful gesture, something the previous residents would never have thought of.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Thunder and Lightning
Michelle Obama's arms have their own blog now: http://firstguns.tumblr.com/
Here is a description from the blog "Everyone's been writing about us. Now we're speaking out. We're Thunder and Lightning, the First Guns."
Monday, March 23, 2009
Potluck #56: To Tweet of Not To Tweet...Twitter
I set up a Twitter account several months ago but have never really done anything with it. Today I tried to add a picture but it was too large, changed the background, added a line about what I was doing, added a brief biographical note, and am now following Keith Olbermann. I am also following another person I know. He was the one who initailly asked me to join Twitter.
1. Through Twitter Elite I found PETA's Twitter account and I Tweeted them. I'm still not sure how all of this works but something from PETA did show up on my Twitter page. I also found a lot of other people who follow PETA.
2. I typed pugs into the search field and got 8 hits. I decided to look at "Pug Tales" which is "The Stories and Adventures of Three Pugs. Otis, Elmer and Mrs. Beasley" This is a cute site so I'm going to follow their adventures. I'm thinking that rather than having my own Twitter account, I might see if one of my dogs is interested in doing this. Of course I would have to help.
3. I'm not sure about the advantages of Twitter. I prefer Facebook and I also think one social network site is enough for me.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Pot Luck #55: Getting the Most Out of Facebook
1. I've had a Facebook account for almost a year now. I have 35 friends which seem like a lot to me but is nothing compared to what younger people have. My niece has over 400 friends.
2. There are always new people to add to my "friends" list and I found another one and made a request.
3. Because I don't have enough dogs at home, I adopted a little mixed breed dog named Zogby. We went on a long walk and then played Frisbee and fetch. Unfortunately I don't have enough points to feed him. Sigh.
4. I like Facebook. It's a nice convenient way to keep in touch with people I don't see all the time. I also enjoy seeing all the pictures people post, especially pet pictures. When I was taking care of Lucy, the adorable Great Pyrenees puppy, for my neighbors a few weeks ago I posted pictures of her on my page. Then I wrote on the owner's wall telling him about the pictures. He received a message on his phone and looked at the pictures and commented on my wall. This all took less than 1 hour. I don't really care about applications like flair and adopting plants and pets but it seems others do since I get gifts and requests all the time. I don't have a lot of time for this but if I did I would probably do it more often. I do like being able to post a link to an article I've read with one click of the mouse. I also think its fun to join groups like "I have more foreign policy experience than Sarah Palin." Since I am "friends" with Bill White someone was able to contact me and ask for a contribution for his senatorial campaign through my Facebook account. There is also a group associated with this request that I can join. This seems like a useful tool.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Here is a transcript from a speech Obama gave about the AIG bail out and the bonuses paid. It's so wonderful to have a leader in Washington willing to accept responsibility and not play the "blame game." Thank you Mr. President for putting the country's well being before politics. What a refreshing change.
"I know Washington's all in a tizzy, and everybody is pointing fingers at each other, and saying it's their fault, the Democrats' fault, and the Republicans' fault. Listen: I'll take responsibility. I'm the President.
We didn't draft these contracts. We've got a lot on our plate. But it is appropriate when you're in charge to make sure that stuff doesn't happen like this, so we're going to do everything we can to fix it.
So for everybody in Washington who's busy scrambling to try to figure out how to blame somebody else, just go ahead and talk to me, because it's my job to fix these messes even if I don't make them.
But what's just as important is that we make sure we don't find ourselves in this situation again, where taxpayers are on the hook for losses in bad times, and all the wealth that's generated in good times goes to those who are at the very top of the income ladder."
"I know Washington's all in a tizzy, and everybody is pointing fingers at each other, and saying it's their fault, the Democrats' fault, and the Republicans' fault. Listen: I'll take responsibility. I'm the President.
We didn't draft these contracts. We've got a lot on our plate. But it is appropriate when you're in charge to make sure that stuff doesn't happen like this, so we're going to do everything we can to fix it.
So for everybody in Washington who's busy scrambling to try to figure out how to blame somebody else, just go ahead and talk to me, because it's my job to fix these messes even if I don't make them.
But what's just as important is that we make sure we don't find ourselves in this situation again, where taxpayers are on the hook for losses in bad times, and all the wealth that's generated in good times goes to those who are at the very top of the income ladder."
Monday, March 16, 2009
Books, Readers and Beyond: #54 Social Networking Through Books
1. I am not now, nor have I ever been a member of a book club. If I was going to join one I would prefer to join an in-person club.
2. If I was going to implement a book club at a library I would be inclined to go with some of the "Great Books" and not more popular fiction, just because it would force me to read books I'm not disciplined enough to read on my own. I looked at the website for the Houston Great Books Council and found a group called the Philosophy Cafe that I find fairly intriguing. I might model a book club on this one with my first selection being The Plague by Camus or Process and Reality by Whitehead. This would probably be a really small group.
3. On Goodreads, Animal Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver has an average rating of 4.20 with 11,313 ratings. I'm not sure what the rating means but I enjoyed this site and reading reviews by members. It also has recommendations for other books if you like this one.
The Readerville Forum has no way to search for specific titles so I couldn't look up this author or title. Shelfari has over 233 reviews of this book and over 11 discussions. Almost all of the comments are positive but I couldn't find a specific rating.
2. If I was going to implement a book club at a library I would be inclined to go with some of the "Great Books" and not more popular fiction, just because it would force me to read books I'm not disciplined enough to read on my own. I looked at the website for the Houston Great Books Council and found a group called the Philosophy Cafe that I find fairly intriguing. I might model a book club on this one with my first selection being The Plague by Camus or Process and Reality by Whitehead. This would probably be a really small group.
3. On Goodreads, Animal Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver has an average rating of 4.20 with 11,313 ratings. I'm not sure what the rating means but I enjoyed this site and reading reviews by members. It also has recommendations for other books if you like this one.
The Readerville Forum has no way to search for specific titles so I couldn't look up this author or title. Shelfari has over 233 reviews of this book and over 11 discussions. Almost all of the comments are positive but I couldn't find a specific rating.
Books, Readers and Beyond: # 53 Finding Books Online
1. Since the West University Branch is the one closest to my house I decided to look for bookstores in that area rather than the Adm. building. The bookstores that I found are Brazos Books on Bissonnet (my favorite bookstore in Houston), Murder by the Book (also on Bissonnet) and Half-price Books on University at Kirby. Brazos has a wonderful website: http://brazos.booksense.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp They include many features including what Houston is reading, Brazos picks, Brazos Kids, Indie picks, and information about upcoming events and signings.
Murder by the book also has a great website: http://www.murderbooks.com/ with award winners, book discussion group events, book signings, best sellers, and a lot more.
Half-price books books has a store locator and map for the specific store I choose but individual stores don't seem to have their own websites.
2. When I searched Barbara Kingsolver in the search field at the Brazos bookstore website I got 72 hits. One of her latest books Animal,Vegetable, Miracle is available in all of these formats: 26.95 (hc), 14.95 (pbk), 39.95 or 99.95 (CD), Audiocassette (94.55), Adobe, Microsoft and Palm e-reader (all 11.95).
3. I went to the HCPL website and tried to download a book. First I had to install an Adobe program and while I was there decided to look through their (Adobe's) selection of books. I downloaded The Geography of Bliss: One Man's Search for the Happiest Places on Earth / by Eric Weiner. I didn't actually download the whole book, but the introduction and contents. Then I went back to HCPL and downloaded The Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book / by Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough. Even though I don't cook or bake I like looking through recipes. This book has some wonderful recipes including one chocolate cookie made with tofu!
I work in 2 libraries and live withing walking distance of 2 major bookstores so I probably won't download ebooks I also prefer to have an actual book in my hand. I would have loved this when I was a child because I never had enough books to read. ebooks would be great for people in rural areas or for people who for one reason or another can't leave their home.
Murder by the book also has a great website: http://www.murderbooks.com/ with award winners, book discussion group events, book signings, best sellers, and a lot more.
Half-price books books has a store locator and map for the specific store I choose but individual stores don't seem to have their own websites.
2. When I searched Barbara Kingsolver in the search field at the Brazos bookstore website I got 72 hits. One of her latest books Animal,Vegetable, Miracle is available in all of these formats: 26.95 (hc), 14.95 (pbk), 39.95 or 99.95 (CD), Audiocassette (94.55), Adobe, Microsoft and Palm e-reader (all 11.95).
3. I went to the HCPL website and tried to download a book. First I had to install an Adobe program and while I was there decided to look through their (Adobe's) selection of books. I downloaded The Geography of Bliss: One Man's Search for the Happiest Places on Earth / by Eric Weiner. I didn't actually download the whole book, but the introduction and contents. Then I went back to HCPL and downloaded The Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book / by Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough. Even though I don't cook or bake I like looking through recipes. This book has some wonderful recipes including one chocolate cookie made with tofu!
I work in 2 libraries and live withing walking distance of 2 major bookstores so I probably won't download ebooks I also prefer to have an actual book in my hand. I would have loved this when I was a child because I never had enough books to read. ebooks would be great for people in rural areas or for people who for one reason or another can't leave their home.
Books, Readers and Beyond: #52 What to Read
1. For this exercise I choose the author Barbara Kingsolver. Some of the recommended read-alikes suggested by Novelist Plus are books by Lorna Landvik, Billie Letts, Sandra Dallas, Rachel Carson, Hannah Holmes, and Michael Pollan. I tried Fiction L Booklists but could not find a place to enter an author. I instead looked at A Sense of Place 1 Novels where the scene, the setting, or the environment is a major character because I knew I would find Kingsolver on that list and her book The Bean Trees was on the list. Even though it didn't work like Novelist Plus I like this site better because there are so many options/genres to choose from. It's very detailed and has some great lists like "Books for porching." What should I read next didn't work even though I tried it many times. Library Booklists and Bibliographies has at least 2 different lists of recommended books, many of which I have read and enjoyed including books by Jonis Agee, Charles Baxter, Gail Godwin, and Louise Erdrich. Of all the sites I looked at I would probably use Fiction L Booklists again because I really like the very detailed lists.
2. Since it's spring and she is almost in 5th grade and precocious I decided my 4th grade girl who likes animal stories would like to read Julie of the Wolves by Jean C. George which is for grade 5-6 and Star in the Storm by Joan Hiatt Harlow.
For her older brother who like ghost stories I recommend: Get that ghost to go by Catherine MacPhail and John Bellairs's Lewis Barnavelt in The whistle, the grave, and the ghost by Brad Strickland. For this assignment I used Novelist Plus.
3. For the reader who likes Dean Koontz, Novelist Plus recommends Dan Simmons and John Saul. Library Booklist recommends Peter Straub and Greg Bear.
4. For the reader who has read Alanna: The first adventure by Tamora Pierce and wants to read the other books in the series I looked at Novelist Plus. The name of the series is Song of the Lioness and the titles in that series are: In the hand of the goddess (2); The woman who rides like a man (3); and Lioness rampant (4).
2. Since it's spring and she is almost in 5th grade and precocious I decided my 4th grade girl who likes animal stories would like to read Julie of the Wolves by Jean C. George which is for grade 5-6 and Star in the Storm by Joan Hiatt Harlow.
For her older brother who like ghost stories I recommend: Get that ghost to go by Catherine MacPhail and John Bellairs's Lewis Barnavelt in The whistle, the grave, and the ghost by Brad Strickland. For this assignment I used Novelist Plus.
3. For the reader who likes Dean Koontz, Novelist Plus recommends Dan Simmons and John Saul. Library Booklist recommends Peter Straub and Greg Bear.
4. For the reader who has read Alanna: The first adventure by Tamora Pierce and wants to read the other books in the series I looked at Novelist Plus. The name of the series is Song of the Lioness and the titles in that series are: In the hand of the goddess (2); The woman who rides like a man (3); and Lioness rampant (4).
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Prescott Public Library
Prescott Arizona is one of my very favorite places in the US. My friend and I went there every time we would go to Arizona, which was a lot, and we would always climb Thumb Butte Mountain and go to the Sharlot Museum downtown.
I also love the Prescott Library and would love to work there. When I went to their website tonight I found this nifty Library Use Calculator where you enter the number of time you use different services offered by the library (like checking out DVDs) and it calculates how much money you save by using the library. Here is the link: http://www.prescottlibrary.info/index.php/about/89.html
The calculator was developed by the Maine State Library and their website explains more about how these figures were calculated and how you can customize one for your own library. There is a link on the Prescott site to the MSL.
This beautiful picture which I didn't take shows the library in Prescott with beautiful mountains in the background
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Here is a letter I received today from the chairman of the Texas Democratic Party:
Dear fellow Democrat,
Today, Governor Perry announced that he intends to turn down $555 million in stimulus funds that would provide additional benefits for unemployed Texas job-seekers who are trying to get by in the wake of layoffs caused by the Republican recession. After his announcement, it was clear the Governor cares about only one job - his own. First, he compared out-of-work Texans to junkies, and now he's using them as political pawns to appeal to the talk show bosses that drive the agenda of his Republican base. We don't need a right-wing candidate masquerading as Governor; we need a leader who will work with mainstream Texans in a bipartisan effort to rebuild our economy. It's shameful that Rick Perry would rather play politics to keep his job than help Texans who have lost their jobs. In these tough times, Texans should be able to count on our elected officials to look out for our best interests. But we're not getting any help from Gov. Perry -and our U.S. Senators, Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn, have refused to condemn Perry's destructive actions. Call on U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn to oppose Gov. Perrys' stunts. Sen. Hutchison's Washington D.C. Office: 202-224-5922Sen. Cornyn's Washington D.C. Office: 202-224-2934Here are the latest facts on our unemployment crisis in Texas. According to the Texas Comptroller and the U.S. Federal Reserve: * The Texas economy will lose between 180,000 to 300,000 jobs in 2009* The Texas unemployment rate is expected to rise from 6 to 8.2 percent by October * 26,000 Texans are filing new unemployment claims each week* The unemployment fund is already running low and will reach zero by October 1st
Your fellow Democrat,
Boyd L. Richie
Chairman Texas Democratic Party
Dear fellow Democrat,
Today, Governor Perry announced that he intends to turn down $555 million in stimulus funds that would provide additional benefits for unemployed Texas job-seekers who are trying to get by in the wake of layoffs caused by the Republican recession. After his announcement, it was clear the Governor cares about only one job - his own. First, he compared out-of-work Texans to junkies, and now he's using them as political pawns to appeal to the talk show bosses that drive the agenda of his Republican base. We don't need a right-wing candidate masquerading as Governor; we need a leader who will work with mainstream Texans in a bipartisan effort to rebuild our economy. It's shameful that Rick Perry would rather play politics to keep his job than help Texans who have lost their jobs. In these tough times, Texans should be able to count on our elected officials to look out for our best interests. But we're not getting any help from Gov. Perry -and our U.S. Senators, Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn, have refused to condemn Perry's destructive actions. Call on U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn to oppose Gov. Perrys' stunts. Sen. Hutchison's Washington D.C. Office: 202-224-5922Sen. Cornyn's Washington D.C. Office: 202-224-2934Here are the latest facts on our unemployment crisis in Texas. According to the Texas Comptroller and the U.S. Federal Reserve: * The Texas economy will lose between 180,000 to 300,000 jobs in 2009* The Texas unemployment rate is expected to rise from 6 to 8.2 percent by October * 26,000 Texans are filing new unemployment claims each week* The unemployment fund is already running low and will reach zero by October 1st
Your fellow Democrat,
Boyd L. Richie
Chairman Texas Democratic Party
So many stupid people
I was driving the other day and saw a bumper sticker with Sarah Palin 2012: real change for America. I honestly couldn't believe it. Are people really that stupid? I turned to the woman in the car and said: "are you a f*** ing idiot?" Of course my window was rolled up and her window was rolled up and she wasn't looking at me so it didn't really matter.
Today I read that Bristol Palin and the father of her child are breaking up and that Bristol won't allow the father's family access to the baby because they are white trash. Takes one to know one I guess.
Meanwhile, the stupid republicans continue to embrace Rush as their new leader. Rush wants Obama to fail even it means our country fails. Our incredibly stupid Governor Goodhair has rejected 555 million dollars of the stimulus package intended to help unemployed people in Texas. I guess he would rather punish the people in this state than take a chance that Obama and the democrats might succeed in getting us out of the mess caused by his predecessor.
I can't understand how any person with a conscious or a brain could support any of these horrible people. I also don't know any democrats who wanted Bush to fail, especially after 911. Even though I didn't support his stupid war I said to several people that I hoped I was wrong and that there were WMD's in Iraq. I would never put my party before the good of our country. To bad most republicans would rather see America destroyed than see a democrat succeed.
Today I read that Bristol Palin and the father of her child are breaking up and that Bristol won't allow the father's family access to the baby because they are white trash. Takes one to know one I guess.
Meanwhile, the stupid republicans continue to embrace Rush as their new leader. Rush wants Obama to fail even it means our country fails. Our incredibly stupid Governor Goodhair has rejected 555 million dollars of the stimulus package intended to help unemployed people in Texas. I guess he would rather punish the people in this state than take a chance that Obama and the democrats might succeed in getting us out of the mess caused by his predecessor.
I can't understand how any person with a conscious or a brain could support any of these horrible people. I also don't know any democrats who wanted Bush to fail, especially after 911. Even though I didn't support his stupid war I said to several people that I hoped I was wrong and that there were WMD's in Iraq. I would never put my party before the good of our country. To bad most republicans would rather see America destroyed than see a democrat succeed.
Jail for the Hero, Mansions for Murderers
The courageous Iraqi journalist Muntader al-Zaidi who threw his shoes at the mass murderer bush received 3 years in prison for his actions. According to a recent poll by ABC News and the BBC, 62% of the Iraqi people consider him a hero with only 24% seeing him as a criminal. Meanwhile, the real criminal sits in his multi million dollar mansion in Dallas, polluting my state.
Iraqi artist Laith al-Amari was inspired by the incident to built this huge shoe statue with a poem honoring al-Zaidi. It resides in Tikrit.
Iraqi artist Laith al-Amari was inspired by the incident to built this huge shoe statue with a poem honoring al-Zaidi. It resides in Tikrit.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Lucy and Sparky
Lucy slept in my bed last night along with the other dogs. She is supposed to sleep in her crate but we decided we wanted her with us. She is getting spoiled here. Good thing her parents don't read my blog. This morning she went on a long walk and then she and Sparky took a nap together.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Lucy
I'm dog sitting for my neighbors this weekend. They adopted a Great Pyrenees mix puppy from the SPCA a few weeks ago and she is staying at my house. I'm having a great time but my dogs are a little annoyed because she is jumping on them wanting to play with them. Her name is Lucy but I can't help calling her Little Bear or Knut because she looks like a little polar bear. If you are a little depressed or down I suggest borrowing a puppy for a few hours.
One of the pictures is of Knut.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wowbrary
I signed up for Wowbrary http://www.wowbrary.org/ last week. I had read about it on Stephen's Lighthouse and wanted to see how it worked. Wowbrary is a free service that lets you know through email or RSS what new items are at your chosen library. Of course I choose HCPL and since I catalog new materials I can easily check to see if it works and if it's current. In addition to seeing what items are new you can also click on the item and get more information and also place a hold. Since I had cataloged quite a few CD's this last week I checked the new CDs and the ones I had cataloged were there along with nice descriptions and pictures.
Here is a picture and description from Wowbrary of one of the CD's I cataloged last week:
1997 album for the late folk singer/songwriter. 11 tracks including her classic cover of Christine McVie's 'Songbird'. Blix Street.
Here is a picture and description from Wowbrary of one of the CD's I cataloged last week:
1997 album for the late folk singer/songwriter. 11 tracks including her classic cover of Christine McVie's 'Songbird'. Blix Street.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Simply Sinful Salty Chocolate Bark
Simply Sinful Salty Chocolate Bark
2 sticks of butter
2/3 cup sugar
Club Crackers
1 12 oz bag chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350.
Line crackers on a large foil-lined cookie sheet.
Melt butter and sugar together and pour on crackers.
Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately spread chocolate chips on crackers using a spatula to gently spread.
Sprinkle with pecans, gently pressing down.
Place in refrigerator until set.
Break apart and enjoy.
My favorite Greek, Chrysanthe, brought these to work yesterday and they were a big hit. Today she brought in more, this time made with black and white chips and butterscotch chips. They were gone in about 30 seconds.
2 sticks of butter
2/3 cup sugar
Club Crackers
1 12 oz bag chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350.
Line crackers on a large foil-lined cookie sheet.
Melt butter and sugar together and pour on crackers.
Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately spread chocolate chips on crackers using a spatula to gently spread.
Sprinkle with pecans, gently pressing down.
Place in refrigerator until set.
Break apart and enjoy.
My favorite Greek, Chrysanthe, brought these to work yesterday and they were a big hit. Today she brought in more, this time made with black and white chips and butterscotch chips. They were gone in about 30 seconds.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
FourDogMom's Dewey Decimal Section:
930 History of ancient world to ca. 499
FourDogMom= 110825541454 = 110+825+541+454 = 1930
Class:
900 History & Geography
Contains:
Travel, biographies, ancient history, and histories of continents.
What it says about you:
You're connected to your past and value the things that have happened to you. You've had some conflicted times in your life, but they've brought you to where you are today and you don't ignore it.
Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Michelle Obama
Our new first family promised to make the White House accessible to more people and on Wednesday, Michelle Obama did just that by inviting 200 6th and 7th graders to a Black History Month celebration in the East Wing. Mrs. Obama talked to them about how slaves built the White House, how the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Lincoln in the bedroom named after him and how civil right leaders met in the White House with Kennedy and Johnson to discuss ending segregation. She also encouraged them to work hard, "put your best foot forward, even when no one is looking" and to help out at home with chores.
The children also got to hear from Stephen Rochon, the first African American to be named chief usher and director of the executive residence and were entertained by the Grammy Award winning group Sweet Honey in the Rock. First daughters Sasha and Malia also attended the event.
In case you haven't guessed this already, I love our new First Family. I think the president is doing a terrific job, and I absolutely love having such a beautiful and most of all smart woman in the White House. She is a wonderful wife, mother, and role-model for all women.
Socks
Former First Cat Socks was euthanized on Friday. He was 19 or 20 years old and had been diagnosed with cancer. Socks was a stray who was adopted by Chelsea Clinton when her father was governor of Arkansas. When Clinton was elected president, Socks moved to the White House and was so popular the White House had to issue a statement asking reporters to leave him alone. Socks had his own fan club and was featured in many books including one written by Hillary Rodham Clinton called Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to the First Pets. Not to be outdone by his family, Socks was involved in his own scandal when Indiana's Republican Representative, Dan Burton questioned the use of White House staff and postage to answer the many letters Socks received.
When the Clinton's left the White House, Socks went to live with Clinton's' secretary Betty Currie. She and Socks had become very attached over the years and she asked if she could keep him. In the last few years Socks made few public appearances choosing to enjoy the company of his family, his special home-made chicken dinners, and the occasional visit from his former family.
The Clinton's issued this statement: "Socks brought much happiness to Chelsea and us over the years, and enjoyment to kids and cat lovers everywhere. We're grateful for those memories, and we especially want to thank our good friend, Betty Currie, for taking such loving care of Socks for so many years."
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo starts on March 3rd and goes on until the 22nd. I can never understand why anyone would pay to see animals being abused. It makes me sick just to think about it. Every year at least one person asks me if I'm going to the rodeo and I reply "only as a protester." I have never actually protested at the rodeo but that's the only way you could get me there. When I was little the rodeo was a big deal. It was in the Coliseum downtown and Roy Rodgers was always there. We got to dress as cowboys or cowgirls and shake his hand when he rode on his horse around the ring at the end of the show. I loved going but that was before I realized what was happening to the animals who were "entertaining" us. It seems like every year one of the kids who is raising animals for the livestock show has an animal stolen. The kid goes on TV crying about how much they love their cow or whatever, pleading for it's return. This is an animal they are going to sell to the highest bidder for slaughter. Please spare me the tears. Someone said to me this year how good it is because the kids who participate get scholarship money for college. How about making good grades or borrowing the money or working to go to college. Why do animals have to be tortured so you can attend college. Someday I hope to move to a more progressive place. One of the requirements is that there isn't a rodeo.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Pink Panties
Last month a Hindu mob attacked women who were drinking in a bar in the Indian city of Mangalore. The men who brutally beat these women, calling them whores and prostitutes, are members of a group called Sri Ram Sena, or Army of Ram. They consider themselves the "custodians of Indian culture" but others see this attack and others on women in India as an attempt to "talibanize" India. The group, led by Pramod Mutalik, is also against Valentine's Day. Last week he said: "Valentine's Day is definitely not Indian culture and we will not allow celebration of that day in any form."
Here's where the pink panties come in. A group of women in India have formed a group on Facebook called The Consortium of Pubgoing, Loose and Forward Women to fight against Mutalik and his group Sena. They also have a blog: http://www.thepinkchaddicampaign.blogspot.com/ The group, with over 40,000 members, last time I checked, is asking people to send pink panties (chaddis) to Mutalik on Valentine's Day. The website says: "most women in this country have enough curbs on their lives without a whole new franchise cashing in with their bully-boy tactics. Join in. Be imaginative, have fun and fight back!"
I joined the Facebook group because I love the name and I love the fact that women are fighting bullies like this is such a humorous way. Women really should be in charge of the world.
Have a wonderful Valentine's Day everyone!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Ringo
Ringo the cat came in again tonight and drove the dogs crazy by jumping up where they couldn't get to him.
Charles Darwin
Today is Charles' Darwin's 200th birthday. 2009 is also the 150th anniversary of the publication of his most famous work On the Origin of the Species, so we will probably be seeing a lot about him in the coming months. Anyone interested in Darwin can go to this website: http://darwin-online.org.uk/ where Cambridge has digitized the complete works of Darwin including more than 30,000 items and 90,000 images. Cambridge University Library is the only place that has the complete collection of Darwin publications. It's wonderful that so many libraries are digitizing collections like this one, making material that was previously available to only a few, available to anyone with access to a computer.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Puzzled
Today I discovered a new puzzle similiar to Sudoku called KenKen which means "square wisdom" or "cleverness squared" The New York Times has just started putting this puzzle on their website and I managed to do an easy one. I'm going to try a harder one this evening. I love Sudoku and KenKen actually looks like it will be more challenging. I also did a crossword puzzle from the NYT. I was totally convinced that I couldn't do crossword puzzles because the only ones I ever tried were in the Sunday paper (the hardest). LibraryLioness8 convinced me that I could and even printed one out for me. It was from a Monday paper and the easiest. I didn't know that and just assumed that if I couldn't do the Sunday one I couldn't do any of them. Thanks LL8!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
New Ice Cream Flavors Inspired by the Last Eight Years
Ben & Jerry created the "Yes Pecan!" ice cream flavor for Obama.
For George W. Bush, they asked for suggestions from the public.
Here are some of their favorite responses:
Grape Depression
The Housing Crunch
Abu Grape
Cluster Fudge
Nut'n Accomplished
Good Riddance You Lousy MotherF**ker... Swirl
Iraqi Road
Chock 'n Awe
WireTapioca
Impeach Cobbler
Guantanmallow
imPeachmint
Heck of a Job, Brownie!
Neocon Politan
RockyRoad to Fascism
The Reese's-cession
Cookie D'oh!
Nougalar Proliferation
Death by Chocolate... and Torture
Freedom Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate Chip On My Shoulder
Credit Crunch
Mission Pecanplished
Country Pumpkin
Chunky Monkey in Chief
WMDelicious
Chocolate Chimp
Bloody Sundae
Caramel Preemptive Stripe
I broke the law and am responsible for the deaths of thousands...withnuts
For George W. Bush, they asked for suggestions from the public.
Here are some of their favorite responses:
Grape Depression
The Housing Crunch
Abu Grape
Cluster Fudge
Nut'n Accomplished
Good Riddance You Lousy MotherF**ker... Swirl
Iraqi Road
Chock 'n Awe
WireTapioca
Impeach Cobbler
Guantanmallow
imPeachmint
Heck of a Job, Brownie!
Neocon Politan
RockyRoad to Fascism
The Reese's-cession
Cookie D'oh!
Nougalar Proliferation
Death by Chocolate... and Torture
Freedom Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate Chip On My Shoulder
Credit Crunch
Mission Pecanplished
Country Pumpkin
Chunky Monkey in Chief
WMDelicious
Chocolate Chimp
Bloody Sundae
Caramel Preemptive Stripe
I broke the law and am responsible for the deaths of thousands...withnuts
Monday, February 2, 2009
A friend sent me a link to some unusual hotels. Of course my favorite one is the Dog Bark Park Inn http://www.dogbarkparkinn.com/ in Idaho, a bed and breakfast inside a huge beagle. You enter the beagle through a 2nd story deck and there is a sleeping alcove in the muzzle.
For more unusual hotels see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/picturegalleries/4397883/The-worlds-weirdest-hotels.html
Monday, January 26, 2009
I watched a wonderful movie this weekend. The Visitor was written and directed by Tom McCarthy who also wrote and directed another favorite movie of mine The Station Agent. Both stories are about how and why people from different backgrounds connect. In The Visitor, Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins), a professor in Connetticut who has lost his passion for teaching and for life, ends up befriending Tarak, a Syrian and his girfriend Zainab who is from Senegal when he discovers them living in his apartment in Manhattan. The couple, victims of a real estate scam, have no place to go so Walter allows them to stay. In return, Tarek teaches him to play his African drum, the djembe. This unlikely friendship transforms Walter's life by opening up a whole new world of drummers and jazz clubs to him. When Tarek is arrested and threatened with deportation, Walter feels compelled to help him and when Tarek's mother shows up, Walter reaches out to her too. Through these new friendships, Walter is able to regain a passion for life that he thought was lost forever.
The Real Reason Obama Ran for President
Springsteen's new album Working on a Dream is being released tomorrow and every review I've read says it is as good or better than his last album Magic which I have been playing almost non-stop since it came out. It's nice to know that our wonderful new president loves Springsteen too. This is what he said at a concert before the election:
"... the reason I'm running for president is I can't be Bruce Springsteen. I can't be Billy Joel. I can't sing like John Legend and India Arie," he said. "All I have is words. In some ways words are always inadequate. You guys have just heard four of the finest musicians in the world."
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Health Benefits of Tea
I'm trying to drink more tea. I would like to give up my one cup of coffee that I have in the morning and switch to tea but so far haven't been able to. I did stop drinking expensive bottled Honest Tea, except on the weekends. I now buy 2 bottles a week rather than 7. My favorite flavor is Mango Acai White Tea. I switched to tea bags and my favorite is Allegro China White Citrus. White tea is supposed to be the best health wise because the leaves have been processed the least and I like the taste of white tea better over green or the more traditional black tea.
Eat Drink Better http://eatdrinkbetter.com/ just had an article about some of the health benefits of tea which I will sum up here:
Tea contains antioxidants which help with cell regeneration and may prevent cancer.
Tea can lower stress hormone levels.
Tea fights cavities and reduces plaque.
Tea keeps you hydrated.
Tea may reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack by preventing formation of blood clots.
Tea can help lower blood pressure.
Tea aids your body in digestion.
Tea may help prevent diabetes.
Tea can help beat bacteria.
Tea aids your immune defenses.
Eat Drink Better http://eatdrinkbetter.com/ just had an article about some of the health benefits of tea which I will sum up here:
Tea contains antioxidants which help with cell regeneration and may prevent cancer.
Tea can lower stress hormone levels.
Tea fights cavities and reduces plaque.
Tea keeps you hydrated.
Tea may reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack by preventing formation of blood clots.
Tea can help lower blood pressure.
Tea aids your body in digestion.
Tea may help prevent diabetes.
Tea can help beat bacteria.
Tea aids your immune defenses.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Pasta
I found this recipe on Care 2 http://www.care2.com/
It looks delicious and nutritious. I may make it this weekend.
INGREDIENTS
8 ounces whole-wheat angel hair pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups shredded, peeled sweet potato (about 1 medium)
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup diced plum tomatoes
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar or lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes or according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon oil and garlic in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is sizzling and fragrant, 2 to 5 minutes. Add sweet potato, bell pepper, tomatoes and water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bell pepper is tender-crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and keep warm.
3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the vegetable mixture, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, parsley, tarragon, vinegar (or lemon juice), salt and cheese; toss to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 2 tablespoons at a time, to achieve the desired consistency.
Recipe Nutrition: 4 servings, about 1 3/4 cups each
Per serving: 402 calories; 12 g fat (3 g saturated fat, 6g mono unsaturated fat); 7 mg cholesterol; 62 g carbohydrates; 12 g protein; 9 g fiber; 546 mg sodium; 738 mg potassium
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (140% daily value), Vitamin A (120% dv), Potassium (21% dv), Iron (15% dv).
3 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 4 starch, 2 fat
INGREDIENTS
8 ounces whole-wheat angel hair pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups shredded, peeled sweet potato (about 1 medium)
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup diced plum tomatoes
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar or lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes or according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon oil and garlic in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is sizzling and fragrant, 2 to 5 minutes. Add sweet potato, bell pepper, tomatoes and water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bell pepper is tender-crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and keep warm.
3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the vegetable mixture, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, parsley, tarragon, vinegar (or lemon juice), salt and cheese; toss to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 2 tablespoons at a time, to achieve the desired consistency.
Recipe Nutrition: 4 servings, about 1 3/4 cups each
Per serving: 402 calories; 12 g fat (3 g saturated fat, 6g mono unsaturated fat); 7 mg cholesterol; 62 g carbohydrates; 12 g protein; 9 g fiber; 546 mg sodium; 738 mg potassium
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (140% daily value), Vitamin A (120% dv), Potassium (21% dv), Iron (15% dv).
3 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 4 starch, 2 fat
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Barack Obama's letter to his daughters
Dear Malia and Sasha,
I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have. But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn't make up for all the time we've been apart. I know how much I've missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.
When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me-about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.
I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential-schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college-even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.
I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.
Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country-but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free-that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.
That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.
She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better-and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It's a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.
I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you've had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much-although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.
These are the things I want for you-to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure.
I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.
Love, Dad
I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have. But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn't make up for all the time we've been apart. I know how much I've missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.
When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me-about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.
I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential-schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college-even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.
I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.
Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country-but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free-that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.
That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.
She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better-and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It's a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.
I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you've had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much-although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.
These are the things I want for you-to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure.
I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.
Love, Dad
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
"We had fun"
Yes, that what George Bush said during his exit interview. During the last 8 years our country suffered the greatest terrorist attack in it's history, New Orleans drowned during Katrina, thousand of Americans died in a war he lied to get us into, hundreds of thousand of innocent Iraqis have been killed in a war they didn't deserve, Iraq has been destroyed, the constitution has been trampled on, the world hates us, the economy is in ruins... but bush and his partners in crime had fun.
Another quote: "In the darkest moments of Iraq and every day when I was reading the reports about soldiers losing their lives, no question there was a lot of emotion, but there were times where we could be lighthearted and support each other." He was unapologetic but admitted there were a few "disappointments" like Abu Ghraib, not finding WMDs, and having the "mission accomplished" sign.
Seven more days and this evil, lying piece of garbage will be gone. If we ever recover from the last 8 years maybe the rest of us can have fun too.
Another quote: "In the darkest moments of Iraq and every day when I was reading the reports about soldiers losing their lives, no question there was a lot of emotion, but there were times where we could be lighthearted and support each other." He was unapologetic but admitted there were a few "disappointments" like Abu Ghraib, not finding WMDs, and having the "mission accomplished" sign.
Seven more days and this evil, lying piece of garbage will be gone. If we ever recover from the last 8 years maybe the rest of us can have fun too.
For the fourth year, Chicago health commission Dr. Terry Mason is urging everyone in his city to give up meat during the month of January. On his Sunday morning radio show Doctor in the House he had this to say: "For the entire month, I'm not eating any meat. If it walks, runs, hops, flies, swims, crawls or slithers, I won't eat it. If it has eyes, I won't eat it. If it had a momma and a daddy, I won't eat it. I'm going to focus on eating a healthy and delicious variety of fresh vegetables and fresh fruit and I want you to do the same."
Last year Mason managed to stay a vegetarian for 7 months and this year he is hoping to make it a permanent change.
Last year Mason managed to stay a vegetarian for 7 months and this year he is hoping to make it a permanent change.
Friday, January 9, 2009
YES PECAN
In case you are wondering what to eat on inauguration day, Ben and Jerry's has come up with a new flavor to celebrate our new president called YES PECAN. It's described as an inspirational blend with amber waves of buttery ice cream with roasted non-partisan pecans. If you go to a Ben and Jerry's shop during the month of January and order a scoop, the proceeds will go to the Common Cause Education Fund, a "nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization founded as a vehicle for citizens to make their voices heard in the political process. They are committed to honest, open and accountable government, as well as encouraging citizen participation in democracy. Their Education Fund conducts research, education, and outreach activities." For more info: http://www.commoncause.org/ If you join Common Cause or donate a dollar to the education fund, Ben and Jerry's will match your one dollar donation.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Freezebubbles
In places a lot colder than Houston, if you blow bubbles in the air, they have time to freeze before hitting the ground. Here is a link to a website with beautiful picture of these frozen bubbles: http://www.skipweasel.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/freezebubbles/album/index.html
Friday, January 2, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
What to wear (under) on New Year's Eve
Here is a New Year's tradition I had never heard of before. I guess I'll have to go out and buy some new underwear after I decide what I most want in the New Year.
red underwear = luck in love
yellow underwear = luck with money and business
green underwear = health
red underwear = luck in love
yellow underwear = luck with money and business
green underwear = health
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