Friday Round Up

Why it's taken me so long to provide this link is beyond me, but here it is. I don't think I have to say anything more.

Wikis-Wikitravel, Muppet Wiki, Fluwicki,Cookbook Wiki, Sailwicki and Wookiepedia-a Star Wars wiki.

Fantasies-I have many. A fantasy that I have had for a very long time has me and Mon driving down the road in a candy-apple red convertible, great music wafting through the air-Nat singing Route 66, a little Brubeck, a little AWB from back in the day, and the Mother Road-Route 66. I have always had this thing for dirt roads, two-lane roads, the Lincoln Highway and Route 66. How cool would it be to own some property along this treasured-route?

And speaking of Route 66 these women have lived out my fantasy. Monica, you and I should have done this. Maybe in our retirement we can get that red convertible, put our old AWB and Barclays music on and make this trip.

The weather is cool and wonderful and it's the time of year when I love to explore cemeteries. And speaking of cemeteries who knew that Costco has caskets.

People have a lot of time on their hands and are very clever. None more so than the person who has this website. Oh yes, cats that look like Hitler. Now there's something I never thought I would be typing.

I came upon my admiration for Winston Churchill sort of in a roundabout way. I read a mystery where his mother Jennie Jerome was featured many years ago and that caused me to find out more about her famous son. The Library of Congress has an excellent exhibition about Winston Churchill.

A friend told me about Norma Valentines photographs on Flickr. That's all I am going to say.

Go here and set yourself free. Click your mouse to change colors.

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn."
John Muir (1838 - 1914)

Last Lists

Tomorrow is the beginning of Banned Books Week. Amnesty International also has a page devoted to Banned Books Week.


More lists.

Journey Woman is compiling of list of Great Antagonists of Children's Literature.

Jen Robinson has two lists going. 200 Cool Girls from Children's Literature and 175 Cool Boys from Children's Literature.

This list has nothing at all to do with books, but I think it's interesting-list of camouflage patterns.

“Books won't stay banned. They won't burn. Ideas won't go to jail. In the long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The only sure weapon against bad ideas is better ideas.” Alfred Whitney Griswold quotes (American Educator, 1906-1963)

Friday Round Up

It's Friday and I thought I would provide us with some cuteness. Check out the Tai Shan (Butterstick)gallery. And not to be left out tiger cubs Maharani, Melatii and Gunter also have a gallery. Ahhhh!!!!

Argh!!! How in the world did I miss talk like a pirate day on the 19th. I'm sure it was a fine day me missed, but, never fear me mateys there is always next year. Here are some pirate phrases to be keepin' ye entertained until next year.


The MacArthur Fellows list was announced and the magnificent David Macaulay was on this years list. Here is a gallery of this years fellows.

The Center for the Study of Political Graphics collects, preserves, and exhibits posters relating to historical and contemporary movements for social change. Through its varied programs, CSPG is reclaiming the power of art to inspire people to action. The CSPG also has a shop on their site where one can purchase some of these very cool posters.

There's a huge part of me that just refuses to accept that Kermit, Miss Piggy, Oscar, The Count and Statler and Waldorf aren't real. I had to give up my fantasy for just a split second when I saw this book in Borders the other day. . My Life as a Furry Red Monster: What Being Elmo Has Taught Me about Life, Love and Laughing Out Loudby Kevin Clash.

Have a very nice weekend.

"Never eat more than you can lift." Miss Piggy

Stuff and List

This is my 150th post. It just doesn't seem like I could possibly have that much to say. This has been a lot of fun. I'm learning a lot and I've met some very nice folks through this blog.

Now that I have said some nice things I'm going to whine a bit. For the past week I have been having some blogger problems. Apparently I am not the only one. I have been attempting to edit different things on my template and after much trial and error, andtips from all and sundry on the forums most of what I have done has worked. All except the date on each entry. WHY IS the FONT SO FREAKIN' BIG. I have decreased the percentage-it looks great when I preview my blog, but when it's published, the date is in its giant font. I was told to change the percentage to pixels-same thing. Preview-I do my happy dance because it's a nice small font, but when I publish-giant font. If anyone has any other tips let me know. And remember-I am just learning a smidgen of html, so if you have to, dumb down for me please.

Now, here is the list. I said this was going to be list week, and I was having a wheeze-fest at home yesterday and I didn't feel like making lists-I know-that should give you a clue as to how badly I was feeling.

This is a list culled from the Wikipedia. This list is a list of lists contained in Wikipedia. (i wanted to see how many times I could say list).


List of ACLU cases

List of Admissions Tests

List of Amtrak Stations

Birdwatching-List of Journals and Magazines Relating to Birding and Ornithology

List of Bond Girls-I had forgotten Diana Rigg, excuse me Dame Diana Rigg was a Bond Girl

List of Cocktails

List of Cowboys and Cowgirls

List of Fictional Psychiatrists

List of Game Show Hosts

List of Isms

List of "M"Series Military Vehicles

List of River Name Etymologies

List of Swords (divided by country-very cool)

List of Timelines

I could go on and on and on, but I'll stop here.

"Why is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least triviality that happens to us, and yet not good enough to recollect how often we have told it to the same person?"
Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613 - 1680)

Meme

The Laundress has tagged with the Seven Songs I Am Into Right Now meme so here goes.

Gnarls Barkley-Crazy from the St. Elsewhere CD

Vivaldi-The Four Seasons (I was home dealing with asthma nonsense yesterday and I listened to this most of the day)

Miriam Makeba-what is left to say about Mama Africa

Celtic Woman-I can listen to Celtic/Irish music all day long

Renee Fleming-if I had half the voice that this amazing woman has I would feel that I had died and gone to heaven

Jock Jams-yes I know-I can't help it-I started exercising, which amounts to me dancing my heart out to this, and I love it.

K.T. Tunstall-Black Horse and the Cherry Tree-I heard her sing this on that A& E Arts program awhile ago and I was hooked. The imagery in this song is great.

Lila Downs-another incredible set of pipes

"If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die."-William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

I just realized I have 8. Math never was my strong suit.

Pears

Making lists has always been something that I find very comforting and this week I could use some mental comforting so this is going to be the week of lists. These lists will by no means be comprehensive,but I will do my best.




Kingdom: Plantae; Division: Magnoliophyta; Class: Magnoliopsida; Order: Rosales; Family: Rosaceae; Subfamily: Maloideae; Genus: Pyrus

SPECIES
Afghan Pear
Algerian Pear
Almond-Leafed Pear
Austrian Pear
Callery Pear
Cacasian Pear
European Pear
Iberian Pear
Nashi Pear
Oleaster-Leaf Pear
Plymouth Pear
Sage-Leafed Pear
Siberian Pear
Snow Pear
Wild Pear
Willow-Leafed Pear
Ya Pear

Varieties: Alexander Lucas,Arriang, Atago, Autumn Sweet,Aylton Red, Bartlett, Belle Julie, Bergamote de la Pentecote, Beth, Beurre, Beurre Bosc, Buerre Diel ,Bosc, Callery,Chasseurs, Chujuro, Clapp Favourite, Comice, Concorde,Conference,D'Anjou, Conseiller a La Coeur, Dasui Li, Delicious,Doyenne Boussack, Doyenne d'Hiver ,Doyenne de Juillet, Durondeau,El Dorado, Flemish Beauty, Forelle,Glou Morcelle, Gorham, Green AnjouJargonelle,Hardy, Yosui, Josephine de Malines, Kaiser, Kam-Chun,Louise Bonne de Jersey,Kieffer, Merton Pride,Nouveau Poiteau,Packham, Olivier de Serres, Onward,Passé Crasanne. Red D'Anjou,Red Bartlett or Red William,Rocha, Saint Ghislain,Seckel, Shinko, Shin-Li, Shinseiki, Shinsui,Stark Crimson,Sweet-N-Sour, Thompsons, Warden,Williams Bon Chrétien and Winter Nelis Young San

Very cool that pears are members of the rose family.

I have never been much of a fruit lover, but I am getting a bit better. Right now I'm imagining sitting in the back yard on a night when there's some chill in the air, fire pit crackling, me sitting by the fire and sipping some nice pear wine. Mmmmm!!!!

"I had a little nut tree, nothing it would bear
But a silvery nutmeg and a golden pear;
The king of Spain's daughter came to visit me,
And all for the sake of my little nut tree.

Her dress was made of crimson,
Jet black was her hair,
She asked me for my nut tree
And my golden pear.
I said, "So fair a princess
Never did I see,
I'll give you all the fruit
From my little nut tree." Nursery Rhyme

Bibliographies

I think I have finished my "Mouse" bibliography. It's 79 pages long and contains children's books that have a mouse, mice or rat as the protaganist. I know there are titles that I have missed, and some I excluded-like all of the Mickey Mouse titles on purpose. I don't know why I didn't include Mickey, I like Mickey and his wife Minnie. Did they ever get hitched? I had a huge meltdown when I got to books about Mickey and I just didn't include them. I will more than likely go back and include them, because I want to stop feeling guilt about it and I also want to be as thorough and accurate as I can. And if you are old enought to remember you may recognize those two cuties above-that's Pixie and Dixie of course.

I think anyone that compiles a bibliography has that nagging feeling, that doubt, that SOMETHING IS MISSING.

I have now decided to start compiling another bibliography again on children's literature, but the subject is jazz. The impetus for this is Wynton Marsalis' book on jazz Jazz ABZ and also the book Celia Cruz: Queen of Salsa by Veronica Chambers. I'm not so sure Ms. Cruz was a jazz singer, but she sure was amazing.

If anyone can think of any titles please let me know.

"I don't like the sound of all those lists he's making - it's like taking too many notes at school; you feel you've achieved something when you haven't." Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle, 1948

Friday Round Up

Vanderbilt, Pennsylvania-beautiful little corner of Southwestern, PA. Filled with rural beauty and a host of critters. Wild turkeys, rabbits, possums, deer, pheasants and skunks all call this bucolic place home. I don't recall ever actually seeing that many skunks, but every once in awhile you would catch the aroma of one, or one of the poor things would get themselves squashed on the road. These skunks were the black and white variety. Speaking of that someone should write a children's book on all of the black and white animals-skunks, orcas, magpies, zebras....Anywho-back to skunks. I didn't know that there were other varieties of skunks until I visited the Skunk Haven website. Any and everything one could possibly know about skunks is on this site. Scroll down to the Skunk Colors link (it's PDF)and see the variety.

Any event that I have attended for the last couple of years has had a plethora of cupcakes. They have been all of the rage. And why not. There are hundreds of recipes, thousands of different types of icing or frosting and loads of ways to decorate cupcakes. Plus they are perfect for kids parties. What might have proved tricky is transporting these babies. Not anymore. Meet the cupcake courier.
Here's Linens N Things version.

Some very cool and helpful knitter has created a Random Stripe generator.

I'm a sugar addict all the way, but every once in awhile I get a hankering for potato chips. My favorite from when I was a kid was Wise Barbecued Potato Chips. The couple times a year I "need" to nourish my salt craving I usually end up with Pringles or whatever I can find in the drugstore. The Chippie might assist me in broadening my salty horizons.

If you are in the market for ribbons, buttons, any sort of bric-a-brac then visit the Tinsel Trading Company website and if you are lucky enough to be in New York City give them a visit. There story is just as charming as their website and I'm sure their store.

Belly timber, hissian and betokens aren't words you hear very often. Twould though it should be. After perusing the list of words on the How to Speak 19th Century site I was surprised and pleased to see how many words are still used in every day language.

I sometimes wonder where I have been to have missed certain things in life. Even though I do relish in these discoveries, those moments when it seems like the universe is really a great place and is even focusing on you for a millisecond. That is how I felt when I discovered these Enid Collins purses. I love folk art, more so than any other type of art. These purses just blew me away. There are quite a few on eBay, most out of my price range. Here are some that have been lovingly placed on Flickr.

And speaking of things I have never heard of vist Dirty Laundry's wonderful blog and see her post and image of the Silkie Chicken. Who knew????

If you have small children or if you are just a children's literature nut like I am you must, must read Alphaoops!: The Day Z went First by Alethea Kontis. I have a thing about alphabet books anyway and this one is just adorable and very clever.

Have a wonderful weekend. (I'm so excited it's finally getting to be my type of weather-YIPEEE!!!!)

"Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?" Stephen Wright

Friday Round Up

This round up is mostly devoted to library information.

I came across two very interesting articles about libraries and librarians. The first article was in The Nation entitled Librarians at the Gates. Author Joseph Huff-Hannon speaks out about the courage of librarians. Excellent article about what some librarians go through to ensure our rights and freedoms as citizens of the United States.

The other article is about public libraries and librarians. It's been a long time since I worked at a public library. I go to my neighborhood public library all of the time and I see how the library is being used as a babysitter,etc. And this is a mid-size suburban library. Public libraries are being asked to provide a multitude of services and their budgets are always decreased. Drafted: I Want You to Deliver E-Government is on the Library Journal website.

Speaking of public libraries, the Waterboro, Maine Public Library blog (h20boro lib blog)has links to recommended fall books.

The August 30, 2006 entry of the h20boro lib blog contains links to sites that feature series books. I hadn't thought about these childrens series books in years. Not until I started compiling a bibliography of aviation-related childrens books for work. I used some of the links covered for my bibliography. Take a trip down memory lane or perhaps find some series books that you have never heard of like I did like the Girl Aviator books by Margaret Burnham.

I said that this entry was going to be devoted to books and libraries, but with the primaries coming up next week I would feel remiss if I didn't urge people to vote-maybe not urge-just a bit of a nudge. It is so important and in these times I feel that it is crucial. Here are some interesting films to see before you vote.

Have a good weekend.

"Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote." George Jean Nathan editor and drama critic

"No right is more precious in a free coutnry than that of having a voice in the election of those who make the laws... [because] other rights, even the most basic, are illusory if the right ot vote is undermined." Justice Hugo L. Black, Feb 17, 1964