Quotes by novelist Nelson DeMille 

Everyone looked pensive, which is good cover-up for clueless.    Somehow our devils are never quite what we expect when we meet them face to face.   

In America, "chai" has become known as a flavor of tea with predominantly cinnamon or cardamom notes.  But in India, chai is not a flavor of tea; it is tea—chai literally translates to "tea" in Hindi, so when you are saying "chai tea," you are basically saying, "tea tea."  Chai culture in India developed out of British colonization.  During this time, the British East India Company was thriving, with tea from Assam, India being one of its biggest commodities.  Tea consumption in India grew, and eventually, Indians took the British preparation of tea—black with milk and sugar—and put their own spin on it, with the addition of spices such as ginger, cinnamon and cloves.  Nowadays, India is not only one of the largest producers of tea in the world, but also one of the biggest consumers of it.  In most big cities, you'll find chaiwallas (vendors who specifically sell chai) on every corner, with their enormous steel pots or kettles full of simmering chai.  Chai almost always includes milk, and that milk is usually whole.  Chai can include a number of different spices.  Cardamom is the most common ingredient, followed by some mixture of cinnamon, ginger, star anise and cloves.  Pepper, coriander, nutmeg and fennel are also used, but they are slightly less common. https://www.foodandwine.com/tea/chai-tea/what-is-chai-how-to-make-chai   

On a recent trip to San Diego, I stumbled across a little garden tucked into a public state beach—a thoughtful space full of native plants, each labeled with its name, the child who planted it, their grade in school, and which wildlife species it supported.  Curious, I stopped to chat with the woman pulling weeds nearby.  That’s when I met Cassie, the force behind this humble yet powerful project.  Cassie lives near the garden in Palisades Park and is pursuing an MA in Wildlife Conservation Biology.  She’d been noticing how cultivated, non-native plants were taking over her community—draining precious water and offering nothing to the wildlife around them.  But her neighbors were skeptical about native plants.  They worried a native garden would look messy or uncared for.  Instead of arguing or trying to convince them with words, Cassie decided to show them. 

·         She called and emailed city and park officials, a lot.

·         She canvassed her neighborhood.

·         She recruited volunteers and teachers to get on board.

·         And then she dug in—literally—moving two tons of earth and weeds to bring the garden to life.   

What’s especially remarkable is that she did all of this on public land—a space tangled in red tape and approvals.  And that garden has done something the internet or a local Facebook group rarely manage:  it’s fostered conversation, not shouting.   

·         Kids now know the plants and wildlife they’ve nurtured.

·         Neighbors see firsthand that native plants can be beautiful, not messy.

·        And without a single “comment thread,” trust and connection have grown where skepticism once lived.    

In a time when the internet bombards us with endless information—some helpful, much not—and social media sows distrust between neighbors, this garden is proof of the power of quiet action.  It’s not a debate.  It’s not a post.  It’s just there—living, growing, and inspiring.  Cassie didn’t just restore a patch of land; she restored a sense of community.  What could you show your neighbors in your corner of the world?  Thank you Muse reader!   

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2910  February 21, 2025

Samuel Jones Tilden (February 9, 1814–August 4, 1886) was an American politician who served as the 25th governor of New York and was the Democratic nominee in the disputed 1876 United States presidential election.  Tilden was born in 1814 into a wealthy family in New Lebanon, New York.  Attracted to politics at a young age, he became a protégé of Martin Van Buren. After studying at Yale University and New York University School of Law, Tilden began a legal career in New York City, becoming a noted corporate lawyer.  He served in the New York State Assembly and helped launch Van Buren's candidacy in the 1848 United States presidential election.  A War Democrat who opposed slavery, Tilden opposed Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election, but later supported him and the Union during the Civil War.  Afterward, he became the chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee and managed Horatio Seymour's campaign in the 1868 presidential election.  Tilden initially cooperated with the state party's Tammany Hall faction, but he broke with them in 1871 due to boss William M. Tweed's rampant corruption.  Tilden won election as governor of New York in 1874, and in that office, he helped break up the Canal Ring.  His battle against public corruption, along with his personal fortune and electoral success in New York, made him the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in 1876.  Tilden was selected as the party's nominee on the second ballot.  In the general election, Tilden faced Republican nominee Rutherford B. Hayes.  Tilden focused his campaign on civil service reform, support for the gold standard, and opposition to high taxes, but many of his supporters were more concerned with ending Reconstruction in the Southern United States. 

Tilden won the popular vote by 250,000 votes.  However, 20 electoral votes were in dispute, leaving both Tilden and Hayes without a majority of the electoral vote. As Tilden had won 184 electoral votes, one vote shy of a majority, a Hayes victory required that he sweep all of the disputed electoral votes.  Against Tilden's wishes, Congress appointed the bipartisan Electoral Commission to settle the controversy.  Republicans had a one-seat advantage on the Commission, and decided in a series of party-line rulings that Hayes had won all of the disputed electoral votes.  In the Compromise of 1877, Democratic leaders agreed to accept Hayes as the victor in return for the end of Reconstruction.  Tilden is the only presidential candidate to win an absolute majority of the popular vote while losing the election.  Tilden retired in the early 1880s, living as a near-recluse at his 110-acre (0.45 km²) estate, Greystone (now part of Untermyer Park and Gardens) in Yonkers, New York.  He died a bachelor at Greystone on August 4, 1886, at the age of 72.  He is buried at Cemetery of the Evergreens in New Lebanon, Columbia County, New York.  In reference to the 1876 election, Tilden's gravestone bears the words, "I Still Trust The People".  Of his fortune, estimated at $7 million (equivalent to $237.38 million in 2023), $4 million (equivalent to $135.64 million in 2023) was bequeathed for the establishment and maintenance of a free public library and reading-room in the City of New York; but, as the will was successfully contested by relatives, only about $3 million (equivalent to $101.73 million in 2023) was applied to its original purpose.  In 1895, the Tilden Trust was combined with the Astor and Lenox libraries to found the New York Public Library, and the building bears his name on its front. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_J._Tilden    

Quotes attributed to Samuel Jones Tilden: 

“I shall receive from posterity the credit of having been elected to the highest position in the gift of the people without any of the cares and responsibilities of the office.”

“Everybody knows that, after the recent election, the men who were elected by the people were counted out; and the men who were not elected were counted in and seated.”

“It has been our faith and our pride that we have established a mode of peaceful change to be worked out by the agency of the ballot box.  The question now is whether our elective system, in its substance as well as its form, is to be maintained.”

 “Be of good cheer.  The Republic will live.  The institutions of our fathers are not to expire in shame.  The sovereignty of the people shall be rescued from this peril and reestablished.”  https://billofrightsinstitute.org/activities/handout-d-tildens-response-to-the-election    

The William T. Tilden Middle School is an historic, American middle school that is located in the Paschall neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  It is part of the School District of Philadelphia.  The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.  Designed by Irwin T. Catharine and built between 1926 and 1927, this historic structure is a three-story, eleven-bay, brick and limestone building that was created in the Late Gothic Revival style.  t features projecting end bays with one-story entrances, brick piers, and a crenellated parapet.  The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_T._Tilden_Middle_School  The Muser attended high school next door:  John Bartram High School is a public secondary school serving neighborhoods of the Southwest Philadelphia area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  The school, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the School District of Philadelphia.  Bartram (According to a history of the school published on its 50th anniversary, the school was originally planned to be built at 74th Street and Dicks Avenue, but the site was changed before construction started.)  It was one of the first Philadelphia high schools named for a prominent individual rather than a geographic region of the city.  Bartram served grades 10 through 12 when the Muser attended.    

Boston Terrier, breed of dog developed in the latter half of the 19th century in Boston.  Bred from the English Bulldog and a white English terrier, the Boston Terrier is one of the few breeds to have originated in the United States.  It has a terrier-like build, dark eyes, a short muzzle, and a short fine coat of black or brindle, with white on the face, chest, neck, and legs.  At maturity, it stands 15 to 17 inches (38 to 43 cm) tall at the withers and weighs 12 to 25 pounds (5 to 11 kg).  The breed is characteristically gentle and affectionate.  https://www.britannica.com/animal/Boston-terrier  Thank you, Muse reader!    

This bok choy recipe is a basic stir-fry that can be served as-is, or you can add meat or tofu to make it more substantial.  Serve with fluffy white rice or over noodles in soup.  The amount of raw bok choy may look too much, but it will cook down.  Prep Time:  10 mins  Cook Time:  10 mins  Total Time:  20 mins  Servings:  4   Find instructions at https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/218619/easy-bok-choy/    

Marion Nestle (born 1936) is an American molecular biologist, nutritionist, and public health advocate.  She is the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health Emerita at New York University.  Her research examines scientific and socioeconomic influences on food choice, obesity, and food safety, emphasizing the role of food marketing.  Through her work at NYU and her award-winning books, Nestle has had a national influence on food policy, nutrition, and food education.   Nestle became a Fellow of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences in 2005.  In 2019 she received the Food Policy Changemaker Award, as a "leader who is working to transform the food system".  In 2022, the University of California Press published Slow Cooked:  An Unexpected Life in Food Politics, a memoir.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_Nestle  Thank you, Muse reader!    

Delaware Park (also known as DelPark) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track, casino, and golf course in Stanton, Delaware.  It is located just outside the city of Wilmington, and about 30 miles from Philadelphia.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware_Park_Racetrack   Thank you, Muse reader!    

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2909 February 19, 2025   

The three hardest things to say are:   

1.  I was wrong.

2.  I need help.

3.  Worcestershire sauce.  Thank you, Muse reader!   

Canfield Solitaire is a classic card game that has been around for centuries and is named after its inventor, Richard Canfield.  The object of the game is to remove all the cards from the board using a series of moves.  Play at https://games.aarp.org/games/canfield-solitaire   

Richard Albert Canfield was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on June 17, 1855.  After his father’s death, his mother moved the family to Providence, Rhode Island, when Richard was 11.  At 14, he graduated from grammar school and seems to have had no further schooling.  Gambling caught his interest early on; he spent his late teenage years working in gaming houses.  By the time he was 21, he financed a trip abroad with his winnings, steeping himself in European art and culture.  In 1883 he took a partial partnership in the Casino in Saratoga Springs, NY buying the property outright the following year for $250,000.  Richard invested an estimated $800,000 in enhancements to the building and the grounds of Congress Park, to try to bring them up to the standards of the top European establishments.  In 1902–1903 he added a sumptuous dining room to the back of the Casino, fitting it with stained glass windows and an early form of air conditioning.  Richard Canfield, who died in 1914, was recognized as the King of Gamblers, and Saratoga Springs was seen as the “American Monte Carlo.”  https://www.saratogahistory.org/canfield  

Canfield (US) or Demon (UK) is a patience or solitaire card game with a very low probability of winning.  It is an English game first called Demon Patience and described as "the best game for one pack that has yet been invented".  It was popularised in the United States in the early 20th century as a result of a story that casino owner Richard A. Canfield had turned it into a gambling game, although it may actually have been Klondike and not Demon that was played at his casino.  As a result, it became known as Canfield in the United States, while continuing to be called Demon Patience in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canfield_(solitaire)    

Twenty years after its initial release in 1999, Galaxy Quest remains as endearingly beloved as ever.  The high-concept science fiction comedy followed a group of actors from a cult sci-fi show who are recruited by an oppressed alien race to defend them from a malevolent galactic warlord.  Upon release, Galaxy Quest proved an affectionate love letter to Star Trek, the original "wagon train to the stars," and a far cry from the mean-spirited parody some may have been expecting.  In addition to universal critical acclaim, the film was successful at the box office, grossing over $90 million on a budget of $45 million.  In the decades since its release, Galaxy Quest has been adopted by the Star Trek fan community as an unofficial entry in the franchise's widespread canon.  Back in 1999, Rainn Wilson was almost completely unknown to the world.  The Office was still six years away, and the actor, who had been struggling to make a name for himself in New York, moved to Los Angeles to make a go of it on the West Coast.  Galaxy Quest marked Wilson's feature film debut, in the role of one of the Thermians who initially enlist the aid Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen) to protect them from the villainous reptilian, Sarris.  Ironically, he would later be cast in Star Trek:  Discovery, as Harcourt Fenton "Harry" Mudd.  https://screenrant.com/galaxy-quest-rainn-wilson-interview/    

The first recorded association of Saint Valentine's Day with romantic love is believed to be in the Parliament of Fowls (1382) by Geoffrey Chaucer, a dream vision portraying a parliament for birds to choose their mates.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day    

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2907  February 14, 2025 

Charles Gates Dawes (1865–1951) was an American diplomat and Republican politician who was the 30th vice president of the United States from 1925 to 1929 under Calvin Coolidge.  He was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1925 for his work on the Dawes Plan for World War I reparations.  Born in Marietta, Ohio, Dawes attended Cincinnati Law School before beginning a legal career in Lincoln, Nebraska.  After serving as a gas plant executive, he managed William McKinley's 1896 presidential campaign in Illinois.  After the election, McKinley appointed Dawes as the Comptroller of the Currency.  He remained in that position until 1901 before forming the Central Trust Company of Illinois.  Dawes served as a general during World War I and was the chairman of the general purchasing board for the American Expeditionary Forces.  In 1921, President Warren G. Harding appointed Dawes as the first director of the Bureau of the Budget.  Dawes served on the Allied Reparations Commission, where he helped formulate the Dawes Plan to aid the struggling German economy.  Dawes was a descendant of Edward Doty, a passenger on the Mayflower, and William Dawes who rode with Paul Revere to warn American colonists of the advancing British army at the outbreak of the American Revolution.  Dawes was a self-taught pianist, flutist and composer. His composition Melody in A Major became a well-known piano and violin piece in 1912.  Marie Edwards made a popular arrangement of the work in 1921.  Also, in 1921, it was arranged for a small orchestra by Adolf G. Hoffmann.  Melody in A Major was played at many official functions that Dawes attended.  In 1951, Carl Sigman added lyrics to Melody in A Major, transforming it into the song "It's All in the Game".  Tommy Edwards's recording of "It's All in the Game" was a number-one hit on the American Billboard record chart for six weeks in 1958.   Edwards's version of the song became number one on the United Kingdom chart that year.   Since then, it has become a pop standard.  Numerous artists have recorded versions, including Cliff Richard, the Four Tops, Isaac Hayes, Jackie DeShannon, Van Morrison, Nat "King" Cole, Brook Benton, Elton John, Mel Carter, Donny and Marie Osmond, Barry Manilow, Merle Haggard, and Keith Jarrett.  Dawes is the only U.S. vice president to be credited with a number-one pop hit.   Dawes and Bob Dylan (as a writer) are the only persons credited with a number-one pop hit to have also won a Nobel Prize.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_G._Dawes    

Idioms using the word red:  Red herring, red flag, red in the face, paint the town red, red-letter day, and seeing red.  See other idioms using the word red at https://literary-techniques.com/red-idioms/   

What should not go in your garbage disposal: 

·        Toss your coffee grounds in the trash can, add them to your compost pile, or sprinkle them around your garden as a natural fertilizer.

·        Celery, artichokes, rhubarb, corn husks, edamame pods, and kale are all no-go foods for a garbage disposal.  They have stringy bits that can get wrapped around the garbage disposal blades and cause a jam.

·        Eggshells have a thin membrane that can get wrapped around the blades and cause a clog.  Toss them in the trash can instead.

·        Toss bones in the trash rather than the disposal.  

·        Pasta or rice expand when soaked in water—rice, for example, can grow up to four times in size.   

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/how-to-clean-garbage-disposal#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20quickest%20and,drain%2C%20disposal%2C%20and%20pipes.   

Svengoolie is an American hosted horror movie television program.  The show features horror and science fiction films and is hosted by the character Svengoolie, who was originally played by Jerry G. Bishop from 1970 to 1973, before Rich Koz succeeded him in the role from 1979 on.  Before and after commercial breaks, Svengoolie presents sketches, tells jokes, and performs parody songs related to the films being aired.  The show is a long-running local program in the Chicago area and in recent years expanded nationally, airing Saturday nights on MeTV.  The show airs both low-budget and classic horror and science-fiction movies, with host "Svengoolie"--a portmanteau of the words Svengali and ghoul--played by Rich Koz (pronounced "Koze"), who wears thick skull-like makeup around his eyes and cheekbones, a moustache, goatee, and long wig, all black, and a black top hat with a tuxedo jacket over a bright-red, open-collared, pleated tuxedo shirt.  The show opens with a reference to early radio broadcasting:  "Calling all stations, clear the air lanes, clear all air lanes for the big broadcast."  This is a sound clip from the preview "trailer" of one of the four "Big Broadcast Of . . . (1932, 1936, 1937, 1938)" movies.  In a running gag throughout the series, Svengoolie's mentions of the Chicago suburb of Berwyn are met with an audio clip of several people groaning "BERWYN?!?"  Another recurring gag involves rubber chickens thrown at Svengoolie after a weak joke, usually at the end of an episode's opening and closing sketches.  Visitors assist the crew in throwing rubber chickens during taping.  Rich Koz did most of the artwork for the show when he revived it as Son of Svengoolie at WFLD.  For every episode, Koz researches the film to find interesting facts, then writes each episode, spending about four hours doing so.   The camera shots and audio effects are handled by director Chris Faulkner and Kevin Reisberg, the show's assistant director.   In 2014, the original casket prop used by both Bishop and Koz on camera was retired and donated to the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago.  Segments showcasing the original casket continued to be rebroadcast on the MeTV schedule.  Rebroadcasts often will use improved prints of the films if they have become available, while keeping the old comedy skits.  The show's original title was Screaming Yellow Theater.  The title was derived from Screaming Yellow Zonkers, a yellow, sugary glazed popcorn snack, first produced in the 1960s.  The show debuted on September 18, 1970, on WFLD (channel 32) and ran on the station until September 7, 1973.  Svengoolie was played then by Jerry G. Bishop.  In later seasons, Rich Koz--a fan who sent in sketch ideas--became a show writer.  In 1973, Kaiser Broadcasting took over WFLD from Field Communications and Screaming Yellow Theater was cancelled and replaced with The Ghoul from Cleveland.  The Ghoul lasted until 1974 when it was taken off the air.  Field Communications re-purchased WFLD back from Kaiser Broadcasting in 1978, which led Jerry Bishop and Rich Koz to discuss the show's resurrection.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svengoolie     

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com   Issue 2906  February 12, 2025