Terri Garey, faithful reader Pam Talley’s sister, received an award on August 2 presented in San Francisco before 2000 people, including Nora Roberts. Terri has two more books on the shelves and has three more under contract. Her debut novel, DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY was awarded Best First Book by Romance Writers of America.
http://tgarey.blogspot.com/2008/08/2008-rita-awards-dead-girls-are-easy.html
A TANK AWAY FROM TOLEDO OR COLUMBUS
The Midwest Sculpture Initiative has organized the Tecumseh Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition in Tecumseh, Michigan from May 1st, 2008 through April 15th, 2009. Tecumseh is located 25 miles southwest of Ann Arbor, Michigan and 45 miles northwest of Toledo, Ohio. Here are pictures and locations of the sculptures, and you will notice the first two shown are by Toledoan Calvin Babich.
http://www.msisculpture.com/exhibits/Tecumseh2008-09.htm
Ten of the fourteen sculptures are on Chicago Boulevard, Tecumseh’s main street. Pick up the 2008-2009 Art Trail Map brochure at the public library, 215 North Ottawa Street, for actual street addresses. Tecumseh District Library http://www.tecumseh.lib.mi.us/
While wandering on Chicago Boulevard, we saw Pentamere Winery (penta means five and mere means lake or sea). All the fruit in the wines comes from the Great Lakes watershed. www.pentamerewinery.com
We bought local cheese and butter at Boulevard Market at the corner of East Chicago Boulevard and South Evans Street. See article about the business: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080422/ART06/804220302
We then walked a few feet to Evans Street Station, a restaurant in a former firehouse. On Wednesdays, wines $75 and under are sold at half off. http://www.evansstreetstation.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=30
Pew Research Center - Men or Women: Who's the Better Leader? A Paradox in Public Attitudes, August 25, 2008
Americans believe women have the right stuff to be political leaders. When it comes to honesty, intelligence and a handful of other character traits they value highly in leaders, the public rates women superior to men, according to a new nationwide Pew Research Center Social and Demographic Trends survey. Nevertheless, a mere 6% of respondents in this survey of 2,250 adults say that, overall, women make better political leaders than men. About one-in-five (21%) say men make the better leaders, while the vast majority--69%--say men and women make equally good leaders.
The paradox embedded in these survey findings is part of a wider paradox in modern society on the subject of gender and leadership. In an era when women have made sweeping strides in educational attainment and workforce participation, relatively few have made the journey all the way to the highest levels of political or corporate leadership. Why not? In the survey, the public cites gender discrimination, resistance to change, and a self-serving "old boys club" as reasons for the relative scarcity of women at the top.
Knowledge Transfer is Critical to Companies' Competitive Edge, as Large Numbers Of Boomers Retire
News release: "Most companies do not have a plan to manage and transfer knowledge and even fewer factor cross-generational challenges into business strategy, says a new report from The Conference Board...
"As the Baby Boom generation of corporate leaders and experts approaches retirement, businesses in the U.S., Canada, and many European nations face the loss of experience and knowledge on an unprecedented scale," says Diane Piktialis, Mature Workforce Program Leader at The Conference Board and co-author of the report with Kent Greenes, Program Director, Learning & Knowledge Management Council, The Conference Board. "Younger workers can't be counted on to fill the void, as they lack the experience that builds deep expertise. They also tend to change jobs frequently, taking their technological savvy and any knowledge they've gained with them."
The result can be a significant drain of business wisdom that decreases innovation, lowers growth capacity, and reduces efficiency in the organization.
The Conference Board report - Bridging the Gaps: How to Transfer Knowledge in Today's Multigenerational Workplace (available for purchase only) - is based on a Research Working Group on Multigenerational Knowledge Transfer that explored the topic with a special emphasis on knowledge-retention challenges that organizations face due to shifting demographics and the shortage of new talent in the pipeline.
Bankruptcy Filings Near Million Mark for 12-Month Period Ending June 30, 2008
U.S. Courts: "In the 12-month period ending June 30, 2008, there were 967,831 bankruptcy cases filed, according to statistics released today by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. That is a 28.9 percent increase compared to filings for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2007, when cases totaled 751,056. Historic data on bankruptcy filings is available on the Judiciary's website under Bankruptcy Statistics."
In 16th-century Italy, beggars, using chalk on the plazas outside cathedrals, copied paintings of the Madonna by Raphael and his contemporaries. With these street painters, called I Madonnari (painters of the Madonna), an artistic tradition was born. Today I Madonnari festivals are held annually in Europe, Africa, and the United States.
19th annual Chalk Festival in Cleveland Fine Arts Garden
Saturday September 20, 11:00-4:00
Sunday, September 21, noon-5:00
Enjoy chalk artists and entertainment at no charge
Chalk your own pictures for a modest fee
For more information, please contact the Community Arts Department, 216-707-2483 or neisenberg@clevelandart.org
http://www.clemusart.com/educef/chalk/
Keepers After arranging my book collection, I left one shelf for “keepers,” books that I think are important enough to read again or to suggest to others. Here are a few titles:
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Control by William Goldman
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Watership Down by Richard Adams
The world's largest Louis Comfort Tiffany art glass dome in the Chicago Cultural Center has undergone a gleaming restoration, and is letting in natural light for the first time in more than 70 years
The Tiffany glass done is as old as the Cultural Center itself. It was constructed in 1897 when the building at 78 East Washington Street held the main branch of the Chicago Public Library. The dome is 38 feet in diameter and covers 1,000 square feet. It has 30,000 individual pieces of glass in 243 sections, according to the Cultural Center. Originally, natural light streamed into the room through a translucent shell that protected the Tiffany dome from the elements. But sometime in the 1930s, well before the library became the Cultural Center, an opaque copper and concrete shell replaced it.
In 2005, the Cultural Center found that 1,800 pieces of glass were cracked, and dirt had accumulated on all of the glass. The inspection also determined that there were rough chunks of clear, reflective glass, or "jewels," that had been facing into the ceiling rather than into the room. For the restoration, the glass panels were cleaned and restored to their original luster, and turned so the jewels again faced into the room.
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/cultural.center.dome.2.761138.html
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Google 2008 U.S. Election Coverage
See the latest news, videos, blog posts, and pictures from the conventions.
Library of Congress Country Profile - Afghanistan
Federal Research Division Country Profile: Afghanistan, August 2008
Concerned about its appeal to sponsors, the women’s professional golf tour, which in recent years has been dominated by foreign-born players, has warned its members that they must become conversant in English by 2009 or face suspension. The L.P.G.A. and the other professional golf tours, unlike professional team sports, are dependent on their relationships with corporate sponsors for their financial survival. The L.P.G.A.’s new language policy — believed to be the only such policy in a major sport — was first reported by Golfweek magazine on its Web site August 25.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/sports/golf/27golf.html?em
New GAO Reports: Hurricane Katrina, Medicare Part D
Hurricane Katrina: Continuing Debris Removal and Disposal Issues, GAO-08-985R, August 25, 2008
Medicare Part D: Some Plan Sponsors Have Not Completely Implemented Fraud and Abuse Programs, and CMS Oversight Has Been Limited, GAO-08-760, July 21, 2008
Turned-around phrases seen in different novels
Some the worse for wear
Up to no bad
40 years at the U.S. Open
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/08/25/sports/tennis/20080825_USOPEN_TIMELINE.html
Feng Shui (the Mandarin pronunciation is foong soyee, the Cantonese pronunciation is Fung Shwey) literally means wind and water. Feng Shui is the Chinese art of harmonic placement.
http://www.naturallyconnected.com.au/fengshui.htm
apograph (AP-uh-graf)
noun: copy or transcript
From Greek apo- (away, off, apart) + -graph (writing).
A.Word.A.Day
August 27 is the birthday of novelist Theodore Dreiser, (books by this author) born in Terre Haute, Indiana (1871). He came from a big family; he was the 12th of 13 children. When he was a boy, his father was injured by a falling beam, and his mother had to take in lodgers and washing to keep the family afloat. Dreiser had to walk across the railroad tracks looking for stray lumps of coal. He left home at the age of 16 and moved to Chicago, where he eventually became a newspaper reporter. One of his co-workers persuaded Dreiser to try writing fiction. One night, when he was trying to come up with an idea for a novel, he wrote the words "Sister Carrie" on a half-sheet of yellow copy paper. Within a year, he had finished the first novel, titled Sister Carrie (1900), about a chorus girl who advances in life by sleeping around.
Doubleday agreed to publish the book, on the recommendation of the novelist Frank Norris. But after Frank Doubleday and his wife read the manuscript, they refused to give the book any advertising or marketing because they thought the novel was shocking and amoral. And it was a big flop when the book came out in 1900. Only 456 copies were sold. Afterward, Dreiser started taking manual labor jobs, working in factories and on railroads. But his wealthy brother, who was a successful songwriter, helped him get a job as an editor. In 1907, Dreiser used his influence to get Sister Carrie republished, and it went on to become a great success. Theodore Dreiser said, "Art is the stored honey of the human soul, gathered on wings of misery and travail."
August 27 is the birthday of travel writer William Least Heat-Moon, (books by this author) born William Trogdon in Kansas City, Missouri (1939). Of mixed English-Irish-Osage ancestry and the son of a lawyer, he spent the first part of his life immersed in academia, earning four degrees: a bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. in literature, and then a bachelor's in photojournalism. He had been a university professor in the late 1970s when, within the course of a few months, he lost his teaching job because of declining student enrollment at his school, and his wife of 11 years separated from him. He decided to take to the open road and "live the real jeopardy of circumstance." He had a 1975 Ford van, which he made into a camper. Over the course of several months, he traveled 13,000 miles around the United States. He sat in local coffee shops and diners and parks and conversed with residents, listening to people narrate stories of their town. The book in which he chronicled his adventures, Blue Highways: A Journey into America, was published in 1982 and garnered widespread acclaim. He's also the author of PrairyErth (A Deep Map): An Epic History of the Tallgrass Prairie Country (1991) and River-Horse: The Logbook of a Boat Across America (1999).
August 28 is the birthday of novelist Liam O'Flaherty, (books by this author) born on Inishmore, in the Aran Islands off the western coast of Ireland (1896). He was the ninth of 10 children, born to a father who fished and farmed and a mother who was once a member of the Plymouth Brethren and whose family came to the islands to build lighthouses. He started writing fiction and sent his first manuscript of a novel to a publisher, but the publisher lost the manuscript — which was 150,000 words long. Within a few years, he had published Thy Neighbour's Wife (1923), The Black Soul (1924), and The Informer (1925). He also adapted The Informer into a screenplay, and the resulting movie won 1935 Academy Award for Best Picture. For the few decades after his first novel came out, he wrote prolifically, publishing 36 works — novels, memoirs, and short-story collections — within 25 years. In 1937, he wrote a historical novel, The Famine, about the potato blight of the 1840s, which caused a huge fraction of the Irish population to die of starvation or to emigrate.
The Writer’s Almanac
See the latest news, videos, blog posts, and pictures from the conventions.
Library of Congress Country Profile - Afghanistan
Federal Research Division Country Profile: Afghanistan, August 2008
Concerned about its appeal to sponsors, the women’s professional golf tour, which in recent years has been dominated by foreign-born players, has warned its members that they must become conversant in English by 2009 or face suspension. The L.P.G.A. and the other professional golf tours, unlike professional team sports, are dependent on their relationships with corporate sponsors for their financial survival. The L.P.G.A.’s new language policy — believed to be the only such policy in a major sport — was first reported by Golfweek magazine on its Web site August 25.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/sports/golf/27golf.html?em
New GAO Reports: Hurricane Katrina, Medicare Part D
Hurricane Katrina: Continuing Debris Removal and Disposal Issues, GAO-08-985R, August 25, 2008
Medicare Part D: Some Plan Sponsors Have Not Completely Implemented Fraud and Abuse Programs, and CMS Oversight Has Been Limited, GAO-08-760, July 21, 2008
Turned-around phrases seen in different novels
Some the worse for wear
Up to no bad
40 years at the U.S. Open
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/08/25/sports/tennis/20080825_USOPEN_TIMELINE.html
Feng Shui (the Mandarin pronunciation is foong soyee, the Cantonese pronunciation is Fung Shwey) literally means wind and water. Feng Shui is the Chinese art of harmonic placement.
http://www.naturallyconnected.com.au/fengshui.htm
apograph (AP-uh-graf)
noun: copy or transcript
From Greek apo- (away, off, apart) + -graph (writing).
A.Word.A.Day
August 27 is the birthday of novelist Theodore Dreiser, (books by this author) born in Terre Haute, Indiana (1871). He came from a big family; he was the 12th of 13 children. When he was a boy, his father was injured by a falling beam, and his mother had to take in lodgers and washing to keep the family afloat. Dreiser had to walk across the railroad tracks looking for stray lumps of coal. He left home at the age of 16 and moved to Chicago, where he eventually became a newspaper reporter. One of his co-workers persuaded Dreiser to try writing fiction. One night, when he was trying to come up with an idea for a novel, he wrote the words "Sister Carrie" on a half-sheet of yellow copy paper. Within a year, he had finished the first novel, titled Sister Carrie (1900), about a chorus girl who advances in life by sleeping around.
Doubleday agreed to publish the book, on the recommendation of the novelist Frank Norris. But after Frank Doubleday and his wife read the manuscript, they refused to give the book any advertising or marketing because they thought the novel was shocking and amoral. And it was a big flop when the book came out in 1900. Only 456 copies were sold. Afterward, Dreiser started taking manual labor jobs, working in factories and on railroads. But his wealthy brother, who was a successful songwriter, helped him get a job as an editor. In 1907, Dreiser used his influence to get Sister Carrie republished, and it went on to become a great success. Theodore Dreiser said, "Art is the stored honey of the human soul, gathered on wings of misery and travail."
August 27 is the birthday of travel writer William Least Heat-Moon, (books by this author) born William Trogdon in Kansas City, Missouri (1939). Of mixed English-Irish-Osage ancestry and the son of a lawyer, he spent the first part of his life immersed in academia, earning four degrees: a bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. in literature, and then a bachelor's in photojournalism. He had been a university professor in the late 1970s when, within the course of a few months, he lost his teaching job because of declining student enrollment at his school, and his wife of 11 years separated from him. He decided to take to the open road and "live the real jeopardy of circumstance." He had a 1975 Ford van, which he made into a camper. Over the course of several months, he traveled 13,000 miles around the United States. He sat in local coffee shops and diners and parks and conversed with residents, listening to people narrate stories of their town. The book in which he chronicled his adventures, Blue Highways: A Journey into America, was published in 1982 and garnered widespread acclaim. He's also the author of PrairyErth (A Deep Map): An Epic History of the Tallgrass Prairie Country (1991) and River-Horse: The Logbook of a Boat Across America (1999).
August 28 is the birthday of novelist Liam O'Flaherty, (books by this author) born on Inishmore, in the Aran Islands off the western coast of Ireland (1896). He was the ninth of 10 children, born to a father who fished and farmed and a mother who was once a member of the Plymouth Brethren and whose family came to the islands to build lighthouses. He started writing fiction and sent his first manuscript of a novel to a publisher, but the publisher lost the manuscript — which was 150,000 words long. Within a few years, he had published Thy Neighbour's Wife (1923), The Black Soul (1924), and The Informer (1925). He also adapted The Informer into a screenplay, and the resulting movie won 1935 Academy Award for Best Picture. For the few decades after his first novel came out, he wrote prolifically, publishing 36 works — novels, memoirs, and short-story collections — within 25 years. In 1937, he wrote a historical novel, The Famine, about the potato blight of the 1840s, which caused a huge fraction of the Irish population to die of starvation or to emigrate.
The Writer’s Almanac
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Worker Displacement 2005-2007
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
From January 2005 through December 2007, 3.6 million workers were displaced from jobs they had held for at least 3 years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor has reported. The number of displaced workers was about the same as the level (3.8 million) recorded in the previous survey that covered the period from January 2003 to December 2005. Displaced workers are defined as persons 20 years of age and older who lost or left jobs because their plant or company closed or moved, there was insufficient work for them to do, or their position or shift was abolished. The period covered in this study was 2005-07, the 3 calendar years prior to the January 2008 survey date.
FDIC Consumer News — Summer 2008
Source: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
FDIC Consumer News provides practical guidance on how to become a smarter, safer user of financial services. Each issue offers helpful hints, quick tips, and common-sense strategies to protect and stretch your hard-earned dollars. Issue includes: Get a Good Night’s Sleep: Rest Assured, Your Money is Safe in an FDIC-Insured Account; Tips for Trying to Fix a Clogged or “Frozen” Home Equity Line; Dialing for (Your) Dollars: Beware of Phone and Fax Fraud; Reminder: Beware of Mortgage Rescue Frauds; “Green” Banking: Saving the Environment as You Save and Borrow Money.
Republican & Democratic Convention History (1856-2008)
"Poynter Online's Links to the News column compiles Web resources on current and previous news topics. This page, Republican & Democratic Convention History (1856-2008) [author - David Shedden], links to resources about the history of the Republican and Democratic national political conventions."
The Rosetta Project is a global collaboration of language specialists and native speakers working to build a publicly accessible digital library of human languages. Since becoming a National Science Digital Library collection in 2004, the Rosetta Archive has more than doubled its collection size, now serving nearly 100,000 pages of material documenting over 2,500 languages—the largest resource of its kind on the Net.
A major concern of the project is the drastic and accelerated loss of the world’s languages. Just as globalization threatens human cultural diversity, the languages of small, unique, localized human societies are at serious risk. Linguists predict that we may lose as much as 90% of the world’s linguistic diversity within the next century
http://www.rosettaproject.org/about-us/about-us
On February 14, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell's telephone patent application entitled "Improvement in Telegraphy" was filed at the USPTO by Bell's attorney Marcellus Bailey; Elisha Gray's attorney filed a caveat for a telephone just a few hours later entitled "Transmitting Vocal Sounds Telegraphically". Alexander Graham Bell was the fifth entry of that day, while Elisha Gray was 39th. Therefore, the U.S. Patent Office awarded Bell with the first patent for a telephone, US Patent 174,465 rather than honor Gray's caveat.
http://inventors.about.com/od/gstartinventors/a/Elisha_Gray.htm
dactylogram (dak-TIL-uh-gram)
noun: fingerprint
The study of fingerprints for identification purposes is known as dactylography or dactyloscopy. Dactylonomy is the art of counting on fingers. Dactylology is finger-speech--communicating by signs made with fingers.
From Greek daktylos (finger or toe) + gramma (something written).
A.Word.A.Day
On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment was formally incorporated into the U.S. Constitution. It proclaimed, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." It ended more than 70 years of struggle by the suffragist movement. It had passed through the House and Senate. At first, it looked like the amendment was not going to make it. And then, a 24-year-old legislator from Tennessee, Harry Burn, decided to vote for the amendment at the last minute because his mother wanted him to. And Tennessee became the 36th state to approve suffrage for women.
They sent the certified record of the Tennessee vote to Washington, D.C., and it arrived on August 26, 1920. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed the proclamation that morning at 8 a.m. at his home. There was no ceremony of any kind, and no photographers were there to capture the moment. And none of the leaders of the woman suffrage movement were present to see him do it. Colby just finished his cup of coffee and signed the document with a regular, steel pen. Then he said, "I turn to the women of America and say: 'You may now fire when you are ready. You have been enfranchised.'
The Writer’s Almanac
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
From January 2005 through December 2007, 3.6 million workers were displaced from jobs they had held for at least 3 years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor has reported. The number of displaced workers was about the same as the level (3.8 million) recorded in the previous survey that covered the period from January 2003 to December 2005. Displaced workers are defined as persons 20 years of age and older who lost or left jobs because their plant or company closed or moved, there was insufficient work for them to do, or their position or shift was abolished. The period covered in this study was 2005-07, the 3 calendar years prior to the January 2008 survey date.
FDIC Consumer News — Summer 2008
Source: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
FDIC Consumer News provides practical guidance on how to become a smarter, safer user of financial services. Each issue offers helpful hints, quick tips, and common-sense strategies to protect and stretch your hard-earned dollars. Issue includes: Get a Good Night’s Sleep: Rest Assured, Your Money is Safe in an FDIC-Insured Account; Tips for Trying to Fix a Clogged or “Frozen” Home Equity Line; Dialing for (Your) Dollars: Beware of Phone and Fax Fraud; Reminder: Beware of Mortgage Rescue Frauds; “Green” Banking: Saving the Environment as You Save and Borrow Money.
Republican & Democratic Convention History (1856-2008)
"Poynter Online's Links to the News column compiles Web resources on current and previous news topics. This page, Republican & Democratic Convention History (1856-2008) [author - David Shedden], links to resources about the history of the Republican and Democratic national political conventions."
The Rosetta Project is a global collaboration of language specialists and native speakers working to build a publicly accessible digital library of human languages. Since becoming a National Science Digital Library collection in 2004, the Rosetta Archive has more than doubled its collection size, now serving nearly 100,000 pages of material documenting over 2,500 languages—the largest resource of its kind on the Net.
A major concern of the project is the drastic and accelerated loss of the world’s languages. Just as globalization threatens human cultural diversity, the languages of small, unique, localized human societies are at serious risk. Linguists predict that we may lose as much as 90% of the world’s linguistic diversity within the next century
http://www.rosettaproject.org/about-us/about-us
On February 14, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell's telephone patent application entitled "Improvement in Telegraphy" was filed at the USPTO by Bell's attorney Marcellus Bailey; Elisha Gray's attorney filed a caveat for a telephone just a few hours later entitled "Transmitting Vocal Sounds Telegraphically". Alexander Graham Bell was the fifth entry of that day, while Elisha Gray was 39th. Therefore, the U.S. Patent Office awarded Bell with the first patent for a telephone, US Patent 174,465 rather than honor Gray's caveat.
http://inventors.about.com/od/gstartinventors/a/Elisha_Gray.htm
dactylogram (dak-TIL-uh-gram)
noun: fingerprint
The study of fingerprints for identification purposes is known as dactylography or dactyloscopy. Dactylonomy is the art of counting on fingers. Dactylology is finger-speech--communicating by signs made with fingers.
From Greek daktylos (finger or toe) + gramma (something written).
A.Word.A.Day
On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment was formally incorporated into the U.S. Constitution. It proclaimed, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." It ended more than 70 years of struggle by the suffragist movement. It had passed through the House and Senate. At first, it looked like the amendment was not going to make it. And then, a 24-year-old legislator from Tennessee, Harry Burn, decided to vote for the amendment at the last minute because his mother wanted him to. And Tennessee became the 36th state to approve suffrage for women.
They sent the certified record of the Tennessee vote to Washington, D.C., and it arrived on August 26, 1920. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed the proclamation that morning at 8 a.m. at his home. There was no ceremony of any kind, and no photographers were there to capture the moment. And none of the leaders of the woman suffrage movement were present to see him do it. Colby just finished his cup of coffee and signed the document with a regular, steel pen. Then he said, "I turn to the women of America and say: 'You may now fire when you are ready. You have been enfranchised.'
The Writer’s Almanac
Monday, August 25, 2008
2008 World Population Data Sheet
News release: "The demographic divide—the inequality in the population and health profiles of rich and poor countries—is widening. Two sharply different patterns of population growth are evident: Little growth or even decline in most wealthy countries and continued rapid population growth in the world’s poorest countries. In 2008, world population is 6.7 billion: 1.2 billion people live in regions classified as more developed by the United Nations; 5.5 billion people reside in less developed regions. "We will likely see the 7 billion mark passed within four years," said Carl Haub, PRB senior demographer and co-author of this year's Data Sheet. " And by 2050, global population is projected to rise to 9.3 billion. Between now and mid-century, these diverging growth patterns will boost the population share living in today’s less developed countries from 82 percent to 86 percent."
2008 World Population Data Sheet
Population Bulletin: "World Population Highlights: Key Findings from the 2008 World Population Data Sheet"
2008 World Population Clock
Harvard University, the richest institution in higher education, reclaimed sole possession of U.S. News & World Report's best-college ranking for the first time in a dozen years, dethroning Princeton University. Harvard, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, last held the title in 1996, the magazine said on its Web site. Harvard had been No. 2 behind Princeton, of New Jersey, since 2006. The annual U.S. News rankings, based on student test scores, selectivity, alumni contributions and graduate employment, stokes the rivalry between Harvard and Princeton, whose wealth, history, research prowess and famous alumni put them at the top of the eight elite colleges in the Ivy League.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a.qagYlHwlyo&refer=home
Most U. S. Measles Cases Reported since 1996
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
More measles cases have been reported in the United States since Jan. 1, 2008 than during the same period in any year since 1996, according to a report released in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Between January 1 and July 31, 2008, 131 cases were reported to CDC?s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). At least fifteen patients, including four children younger than 15 months of age, were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) and Aurora Australis (Southern Lights)
Auroras are best observed in the spring. See explanation and pictures at link below.
http://geology.com/nasa/aurora-borealis.shtml
The auroras, both surrounding the north magnetic pole (aurora borealis) and south magnetic pole (aurora australis) occur when highly charged electrons from the solar wind interact with elements in the earth's atmosphere. Solar winds stream away from the sun at speeds of about 1 million miles per hour. When they reach the earth, some 40 hours after leaving the sun, they follow the lines of magnetic force generated by the earth's core and flow through the magnetosphere, a teardrop-shaped area of highly charged electrical and magnetic fields.
As the electrons enter the earth's upper atmosphere, they will encounter atoms of oxygen and nitrogen at altitudes from 20 to 200 miles above the earth's surface. The color of the aurora depends on which atom is struck, and the altitude of the meeting.
Green - oxygen, up to 150 miles in altitude
Red - oxygen, above 150 miles in altitude
Blue - nitrogen, up to 60 miles in altitude
Purple/violet - nitrogen, above 60 miles in altitude
http://science.howstuffworks.com/question471.htm
Saint Louis University School of Law is offering students a three-part class on etiquette. Pointers include: avoiding distracting nonverbal communications (playing with your hair or mustache) and avoiding such verbal tics as “like” and “you know.” Put your name-tag on your right shoulder, so that when you shake hands there is a clear line of sight to your name, and if someone is toasting you, don’t take a drink. Everyone else gets to drink, but you don’t. Students will learn to pass salt and pepper together, to always rest the blade of a knife towards you, and to cut up food as you go, not in advance.
WSJ Law Blog August 22, 2008
“Living the Dream” is a series of four hilariously satirical vignettes about life in a law firm. (More may be forthcoming.) For fans of “The Office,” all you need to know is that the character of Nick Conley, the newest associate at Sullivan & Moore— “the most prestigious law firm in the entire country”— gives John Krasinski’s Jim Halpert a run for his money. Send home if you are at work to see Webisodes from Bitter Lawyer.
WSJ Law Blog August 22, 2008
August 25 is the birthday of journalist and novelist Frederick Forsyth (1938), (books by this author) born in Ashford, Kent, England. When he was just a student in Kent, Forsyth learned to speak French, German, Spanish, and Russian. At 17, he quit school and left home to see the world. He learned to fly a plane and joined the Royal Air Force as England's youngest pilot. And he set out to write thrillers like The Day of the Jackal (1971), The Odessa File (1972), The Devil's Alternative (1980), and The Fourth Protocol (1984). He wrote The Day of the Jackal (1971), his first book, in 35 days. It was based on the Algerian Crisis in early 1960s when French President Charles de Gaulle proclaimed Algeria independent from France. Feeling betrayed, leaders of France's Secret Army Organization plotted to kill de Gaulle. The assassin's code name was "Jackal."
August 25 is the birthday of conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, born in Lawrence, Massachusetts (1918). His father was a Russian immigrant. He bought and sold beauty supplies, and he discouraged his son from being a musician in favor of taking over the family business. When he was 10, his Aunt Clara was going through a divorce, and she sent her piano to the Bernstein home. Leonard became a pianist. He got an assistantship with the New York Philharmonic. And on a Sunday afternoon, November 14, 1943, when the conductor Bruno Walter got sick, Leonard Bernstein filled in and got a great review on page one of The New York Times. He became a celebrity at the age of 25. He wrote scores for many musicals, including "On the Town," "Wonderful Town," "Candide," and "West Side Story." Bernstein also wrote a book called "The Joy of Music" (1959), a collection of essays and conversations about music. In it, he wrote, "Music, of all the arts, stands in a special region, unlit by any star but its own, and utterly without meaning ... except its own."
The Writer’s Almanac
News release: "The demographic divide—the inequality in the population and health profiles of rich and poor countries—is widening. Two sharply different patterns of population growth are evident: Little growth or even decline in most wealthy countries and continued rapid population growth in the world’s poorest countries. In 2008, world population is 6.7 billion: 1.2 billion people live in regions classified as more developed by the United Nations; 5.5 billion people reside in less developed regions. "We will likely see the 7 billion mark passed within four years," said Carl Haub, PRB senior demographer and co-author of this year's Data Sheet. " And by 2050, global population is projected to rise to 9.3 billion. Between now and mid-century, these diverging growth patterns will boost the population share living in today’s less developed countries from 82 percent to 86 percent."
2008 World Population Data Sheet
Population Bulletin: "World Population Highlights: Key Findings from the 2008 World Population Data Sheet"
2008 World Population Clock
Harvard University, the richest institution in higher education, reclaimed sole possession of U.S. News & World Report's best-college ranking for the first time in a dozen years, dethroning Princeton University. Harvard, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, last held the title in 1996, the magazine said on its Web site. Harvard had been No. 2 behind Princeton, of New Jersey, since 2006. The annual U.S. News rankings, based on student test scores, selectivity, alumni contributions and graduate employment, stokes the rivalry between Harvard and Princeton, whose wealth, history, research prowess and famous alumni put them at the top of the eight elite colleges in the Ivy League.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a.qagYlHwlyo&refer=home
Most U. S. Measles Cases Reported since 1996
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
More measles cases have been reported in the United States since Jan. 1, 2008 than during the same period in any year since 1996, according to a report released in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Between January 1 and July 31, 2008, 131 cases were reported to CDC?s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). At least fifteen patients, including four children younger than 15 months of age, were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) and Aurora Australis (Southern Lights)
Auroras are best observed in the spring. See explanation and pictures at link below.
http://geology.com/nasa/aurora-borealis.shtml
The auroras, both surrounding the north magnetic pole (aurora borealis) and south magnetic pole (aurora australis) occur when highly charged electrons from the solar wind interact with elements in the earth's atmosphere. Solar winds stream away from the sun at speeds of about 1 million miles per hour. When they reach the earth, some 40 hours after leaving the sun, they follow the lines of magnetic force generated by the earth's core and flow through the magnetosphere, a teardrop-shaped area of highly charged electrical and magnetic fields.
As the electrons enter the earth's upper atmosphere, they will encounter atoms of oxygen and nitrogen at altitudes from 20 to 200 miles above the earth's surface. The color of the aurora depends on which atom is struck, and the altitude of the meeting.
Green - oxygen, up to 150 miles in altitude
Red - oxygen, above 150 miles in altitude
Blue - nitrogen, up to 60 miles in altitude
Purple/violet - nitrogen, above 60 miles in altitude
http://science.howstuffworks.com/question471.htm
Saint Louis University School of Law is offering students a three-part class on etiquette. Pointers include: avoiding distracting nonverbal communications (playing with your hair or mustache) and avoiding such verbal tics as “like” and “you know.” Put your name-tag on your right shoulder, so that when you shake hands there is a clear line of sight to your name, and if someone is toasting you, don’t take a drink. Everyone else gets to drink, but you don’t. Students will learn to pass salt and pepper together, to always rest the blade of a knife towards you, and to cut up food as you go, not in advance.
WSJ Law Blog August 22, 2008
“Living the Dream” is a series of four hilariously satirical vignettes about life in a law firm. (More may be forthcoming.) For fans of “The Office,” all you need to know is that the character of Nick Conley, the newest associate at Sullivan & Moore— “the most prestigious law firm in the entire country”— gives John Krasinski’s Jim Halpert a run for his money. Send home if you are at work to see Webisodes from Bitter Lawyer.
WSJ Law Blog August 22, 2008
August 25 is the birthday of journalist and novelist Frederick Forsyth (1938), (books by this author) born in Ashford, Kent, England. When he was just a student in Kent, Forsyth learned to speak French, German, Spanish, and Russian. At 17, he quit school and left home to see the world. He learned to fly a plane and joined the Royal Air Force as England's youngest pilot. And he set out to write thrillers like The Day of the Jackal (1971), The Odessa File (1972), The Devil's Alternative (1980), and The Fourth Protocol (1984). He wrote The Day of the Jackal (1971), his first book, in 35 days. It was based on the Algerian Crisis in early 1960s when French President Charles de Gaulle proclaimed Algeria independent from France. Feeling betrayed, leaders of France's Secret Army Organization plotted to kill de Gaulle. The assassin's code name was "Jackal."
August 25 is the birthday of conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, born in Lawrence, Massachusetts (1918). His father was a Russian immigrant. He bought and sold beauty supplies, and he discouraged his son from being a musician in favor of taking over the family business. When he was 10, his Aunt Clara was going through a divorce, and she sent her piano to the Bernstein home. Leonard became a pianist. He got an assistantship with the New York Philharmonic. And on a Sunday afternoon, November 14, 1943, when the conductor Bruno Walter got sick, Leonard Bernstein filled in and got a great review on page one of The New York Times. He became a celebrity at the age of 25. He wrote scores for many musicals, including "On the Town," "Wonderful Town," "Candide," and "West Side Story." Bernstein also wrote a book called "The Joy of Music" (1959), a collection of essays and conversations about music. In it, he wrote, "Music, of all the arts, stands in a special region, unlit by any star but its own, and utterly without meaning ... except its own."
The Writer’s Almanac
Friday, August 22, 2008
Several people reported getting multiple copies of yesterday’s muse and I’ve removed your names, then added them again. Hope this issue comes but once. It is probably not connected, but a reader sent me a forwarded mass message as I readied the muse. Remember to delete humorous, political, inspirational “send this to everyone you know” messages.
New on LLRX.com: Technology Tools for Information Management
Technology Tools for Information Management Roger V. Skalbeck and Barbara Fullerton's share a fast paced presentation of 19 practical, low cost and innovative tech tools they respectively use on a regular basis. Here are ideas to improve your use of Outlook, RSS, Adobe, and enhance your presentations and collaborative goals.
Investors Achieve Major Company Commitments on Climate Change
News release: "Investors engaging with U.S. companies on the financial risks and opportunities from climate change achieved breakthrough results during the 2008 proxy season. A record 57 climate-related shareholder resolutions were filed with U.S. companies, of which nearly half were withdrawn after the companies agreed to positive climate-related commitments. Remaining resolutions that went to a vote received record high average voting support of 23.5 percent, including 39.6 percent support for a resolution filed with coal company CONSOL Energy, the highest vote ever on a global warming shareholder resolution.
The ’08 proxy season was marked by several major victories, including Ford Motor Co.’s detailed plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its vehicles by 30 percent. Two major homebuilders, Centex and KB Home, also announced major commitments to increase the energy efficiency of the homes they build beginning in 2009. These actions will dramatically reduce direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from the millions of vehicles and homes that the three companies make each year."
Related postings on climate change
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit revived a class action brought against it by consumers who say they were never warned that excessive consumption could lead to mercury poisoning. The appeals court found that a lower court improperly dismissed the suit on the grounds that it was pre-empted by FDA regulations. Here’s a report from the Legal Intelligencer, and here’s the 38-page opinion.
WSJ Law Blog August 20, 2008
‘Thermopylae,’ means ‘hot gates’: ‘hot’ because of the sulfur springs there and ‘gates’ rather than ‘gate’ because of the three separate places where the land narrows.
http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-thermopylae-leonidas-the-hero.htm
Greek for hot: thermo-, therm-, thermi-, -thermia, -therm, -thermal, -thermic, -thermias, -thermies, -thermous, -thermy +
http://www.wordinfo.info/words/index.php?v=info&a=view_unit&s=thermal&page=4&u=4265&spage=1
Latin for cold: frigo-, frig- +
http://wordinfo.info/words/index/info/view_unit/857/?letter=F&spage=5
The United States is one of the richest countries in the world when it comes to natural language resources, with an estimated 311 languages spoken within our borders--162 of these are indigenous languages, and 149 come from other countries. The third president, Thomas Jefferson, spoke between five and seven languages. Herbert Hoover and his wife were fluent in Mandarin, and they translated a book from Latin into English.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/08/11/caught_in_the_grips_of_linguistic_paranoia/
Q. What is contorno?
A. A platter of vegetables usually accompanying the main course in an Italian meal. The word contorno loosely translates as "contours" and refers to the fact that the vegetable course helps shape and define the meal.
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/Mangia-Traditional-Italian-Dining.id-2331.html
August 22 is the birthday of writer Annie Proulx or E. Annie Proulx, (books by this author) born Edna Annie Proulx in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1935. Proulx wrote her first short story at age 10 when she had the chicken pox and was bedridden, and she published her first story in Gourmet magazine at age 20. She wrote magazine articles on topics that included canoeing and mice, and how-to books like Sweet and Hard Cider: Making It, Using It and Enjoying It (1980). She only had time to write a few stories a year, but all of them got published. She didn't want to write anything but short stories — she said, "I find it satisfying and intellectually stimulating to work with the intensity, brevity, balance, and word play of the short story." But her first collection of short stories, Heart Songs (1988), got such good reviews that her editor suggested she write a novel. She decided to give it a try, and "within a half-hour, the whole of Postcards was in my head." Postcards (1992) was followed by more novels, including The Shipping News (1996). She is the author of the short story "Brokeback Mountain" (The New Yorker 1997), which inspired the film.
The Writer’s Almanac
New on LLRX.com: Technology Tools for Information Management
Technology Tools for Information Management Roger V. Skalbeck and Barbara Fullerton's share a fast paced presentation of 19 practical, low cost and innovative tech tools they respectively use on a regular basis. Here are ideas to improve your use of Outlook, RSS, Adobe, and enhance your presentations and collaborative goals.
Investors Achieve Major Company Commitments on Climate Change
News release: "Investors engaging with U.S. companies on the financial risks and opportunities from climate change achieved breakthrough results during the 2008 proxy season. A record 57 climate-related shareholder resolutions were filed with U.S. companies, of which nearly half were withdrawn after the companies agreed to positive climate-related commitments. Remaining resolutions that went to a vote received record high average voting support of 23.5 percent, including 39.6 percent support for a resolution filed with coal company CONSOL Energy, the highest vote ever on a global warming shareholder resolution.
The ’08 proxy season was marked by several major victories, including Ford Motor Co.’s detailed plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its vehicles by 30 percent. Two major homebuilders, Centex and KB Home, also announced major commitments to increase the energy efficiency of the homes they build beginning in 2009. These actions will dramatically reduce direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from the millions of vehicles and homes that the three companies make each year."
Related postings on climate change
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit revived a class action brought against it by consumers who say they were never warned that excessive consumption could lead to mercury poisoning. The appeals court found that a lower court improperly dismissed the suit on the grounds that it was pre-empted by FDA regulations. Here’s a report from the Legal Intelligencer, and here’s the 38-page opinion.
WSJ Law Blog August 20, 2008
‘Thermopylae,’ means ‘hot gates’: ‘hot’ because of the sulfur springs there and ‘gates’ rather than ‘gate’ because of the three separate places where the land narrows.
http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-thermopylae-leonidas-the-hero.htm
Greek for hot: thermo-, therm-, thermi-, -thermia, -therm, -thermal, -thermic, -thermias, -thermies, -thermous, -thermy +
http://www.wordinfo.info/words/index.php?v=info&a=view_unit&s=thermal&page=4&u=4265&spage=1
Latin for cold: frigo-, frig- +
http://wordinfo.info/words/index/info/view_unit/857/?letter=F&spage=5
The United States is one of the richest countries in the world when it comes to natural language resources, with an estimated 311 languages spoken within our borders--162 of these are indigenous languages, and 149 come from other countries. The third president, Thomas Jefferson, spoke between five and seven languages. Herbert Hoover and his wife were fluent in Mandarin, and they translated a book from Latin into English.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/08/11/caught_in_the_grips_of_linguistic_paranoia/
Q. What is contorno?
A. A platter of vegetables usually accompanying the main course in an Italian meal. The word contorno loosely translates as "contours" and refers to the fact that the vegetable course helps shape and define the meal.
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/Mangia-Traditional-Italian-Dining.id-2331.html
August 22 is the birthday of writer Annie Proulx or E. Annie Proulx, (books by this author) born Edna Annie Proulx in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1935. Proulx wrote her first short story at age 10 when she had the chicken pox and was bedridden, and she published her first story in Gourmet magazine at age 20. She wrote magazine articles on topics that included canoeing and mice, and how-to books like Sweet and Hard Cider: Making It, Using It and Enjoying It (1980). She only had time to write a few stories a year, but all of them got published. She didn't want to write anything but short stories — she said, "I find it satisfying and intellectually stimulating to work with the intensity, brevity, balance, and word play of the short story." But her first collection of short stories, Heart Songs (1988), got such good reviews that her editor suggested she write a novel. She decided to give it a try, and "within a half-hour, the whole of Postcards was in my head." Postcards (1992) was followed by more novels, including The Shipping News (1996). She is the author of the short story "Brokeback Mountain" (The New Yorker 1997), which inspired the film.
The Writer’s Almanac
Thursday, August 21, 2008
FTC Issues Final Telemarketing Sales Rule Amendments Regarding Prerecorded Calls
News release: The Federal Trade Commission has announced two amendments to the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR). One will expressly bar telemarketing calls that deliver prerecorded messages, unless a consumer previously has agreed to accept such calls from the seller. The other related technical amendment modifies the TSR's method of calculating the maximum permissible level of "call abandonment." The amendments will not affect consumers' ability to continue to receive calls that deliver purely "informational" prerecorded messages--notifying recipients, for example, that their flight has been cancelled, that they have a service appointment, or similar messages. Such purely "informational" calls are not covered by the TSR because they do not attempt to sell the called party any goods or services.
SEC Announces Successor to EDGAR Database
News release: Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox has unveiled the successor to the agency’s 1980s-era EDGAR database, which will give investors far faster and easier access to key financial information about public companies and mutual funds. The new system is called IDEA, short for Interactive Data Electronic Applications. Based on a completely new architecture being built from the ground up, it will at first supplement and then eventually replace the EDGAR system.
Justia Pre-Beta Lawyer Directory Released
Justia: Find Attorneys, Legal Aid and Legal Services - Arranged by practice areas, states and metro areas.
FEC Summarizes Party Financial Activity
Source: Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has announced that Republican party committees raised $409 million from January 2007 through June 30, 2008. This represents about a one-percent increase over a similar period in 2006, but reflects a 12-percent decline in funds raised during the first six months of the 2004 Presidential campaign. Democratic party committees continued to raise more money than in previous years, with total receipts of $351.1 million from January 2007 through June 30, 2008. This is an increase of 21 percent over a similar period in 2006 and 26 percent higher than in 2004.
New GAO Report and Correspondence (PDFs)
Source: Government Accountability Office
18 August 2008
+ Reports
1. PBGC Assets: Implementation of New Investment Policy Will Need Stronger Board Oversight
2. Food and Drug Administration: Approval and Oversight of the Drug Mifeprex
3. Supply Chain Security: CBP Works with International Entities to Promote Global Customs Security Standards and Initiatives, but Challenges Remain
+ Correspondence
1. Superfund: Funding and Reported Costs of Enforcement and Administration Activities
Thoughts from the Bonesetter’s Daughter, a novel by Amy Tan
Some people talk about peeves more than passions.
Discoveries are refreshing.
Television can be an artificial caregiver.
Novel of the week according to The Week, August 22-29, 2008
The Lace Reader by Brunomia Barry—bizarre set of characters in Salem, Massachusetts
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has ruled that the NFL did not violate the Sherman Antitrust Act when it awarded an exclusive license for its apparel to Reebok. The plaintiff in the case was American Needle Inc., which prior to 2000 was one of several vendors licensed to make apparel for the National Football League. In 2000, the NFL awarded an exclusive license for most of its apparel to Reebok. American Needle then filed suit against the NFL in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, claiming that the league was in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, which outlaws any "contract, combination... or conspiracy, in restraint of trade."
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202423923888
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog in three acts starring Dr. Horrible/Billy Buddy, Penny and Captain Hammer—was shot in six days and viewed more than 2.2 million times in its first week. Please send home for viewing if you are at work.
http://www.hulu.com/videos/search?query=horrible
On August 20, 1882 the "1812 Overture" debuted in Moscow. Pyotor Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote the piece to commemorate Russia's defense in 1812 at the Battle of Borodino against Napoleon's invasion of Russia. The piece includes 16 cannon shots, which are written into the piece along with all the other orchestral instruments. The overture is 15 minutes long, and begins with a Russian Orthodox hymn, moving through traditional and military themes to convey the distress of the Russian people at the invading French. But even though it is a piece about Russia and France, it's now a popular choice for patriotic American festivals. This tradition began in 1935 when Chicago's Grant Park Orchestra performed it for the Fourth of July. Now the Boston Pops Orchestra plays it every year for their huge July 4th celebrations. It's played every July 4th on the Capitol Lawn in Washington, D.C., and the United States Army Band performs the piece every August.
August 20 is the birthday of the poet Edgar Albert Guest, (books by this author) born in Birmingham, England, in 1881. He spent most of his life in Detroit, and he is the first and only poet laureate of Michigan. After his father died, Guest dropped out of high school to work full time at the Detroit Free Press, where he went from copy boy to reporter. He wrote poems that were syndicated in over 300 American newspapers, and these verses were called "Breakfast Table Chat." Even though Guest was the author of more than 11,000 poems, he called himself "a newspaper man who wrote poems."
The Writer’s Almanac
News release: The Federal Trade Commission has announced two amendments to the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR). One will expressly bar telemarketing calls that deliver prerecorded messages, unless a consumer previously has agreed to accept such calls from the seller. The other related technical amendment modifies the TSR's method of calculating the maximum permissible level of "call abandonment." The amendments will not affect consumers' ability to continue to receive calls that deliver purely "informational" prerecorded messages--notifying recipients, for example, that their flight has been cancelled, that they have a service appointment, or similar messages. Such purely "informational" calls are not covered by the TSR because they do not attempt to sell the called party any goods or services.
SEC Announces Successor to EDGAR Database
News release: Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox has unveiled the successor to the agency’s 1980s-era EDGAR database, which will give investors far faster and easier access to key financial information about public companies and mutual funds. The new system is called IDEA, short for Interactive Data Electronic Applications. Based on a completely new architecture being built from the ground up, it will at first supplement and then eventually replace the EDGAR system.
Justia Pre-Beta Lawyer Directory Released
Justia: Find Attorneys, Legal Aid and Legal Services - Arranged by practice areas, states and metro areas.
FEC Summarizes Party Financial Activity
Source: Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has announced that Republican party committees raised $409 million from January 2007 through June 30, 2008. This represents about a one-percent increase over a similar period in 2006, but reflects a 12-percent decline in funds raised during the first six months of the 2004 Presidential campaign. Democratic party committees continued to raise more money than in previous years, with total receipts of $351.1 million from January 2007 through June 30, 2008. This is an increase of 21 percent over a similar period in 2006 and 26 percent higher than in 2004.
New GAO Report and Correspondence (PDFs)
Source: Government Accountability Office
18 August 2008
+ Reports
1. PBGC Assets: Implementation of New Investment Policy Will Need Stronger Board Oversight
2. Food and Drug Administration: Approval and Oversight of the Drug Mifeprex
3. Supply Chain Security: CBP Works with International Entities to Promote Global Customs Security Standards and Initiatives, but Challenges Remain
+ Correspondence
1. Superfund: Funding and Reported Costs of Enforcement and Administration Activities
Thoughts from the Bonesetter’s Daughter, a novel by Amy Tan
Some people talk about peeves more than passions.
Discoveries are refreshing.
Television can be an artificial caregiver.
Novel of the week according to The Week, August 22-29, 2008
The Lace Reader by Brunomia Barry—bizarre set of characters in Salem, Massachusetts
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has ruled that the NFL did not violate the Sherman Antitrust Act when it awarded an exclusive license for its apparel to Reebok. The plaintiff in the case was American Needle Inc., which prior to 2000 was one of several vendors licensed to make apparel for the National Football League. In 2000, the NFL awarded an exclusive license for most of its apparel to Reebok. American Needle then filed suit against the NFL in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, claiming that the league was in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, which outlaws any "contract, combination... or conspiracy, in restraint of trade."
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202423923888
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog in three acts starring Dr. Horrible/Billy Buddy, Penny and Captain Hammer—was shot in six days and viewed more than 2.2 million times in its first week. Please send home for viewing if you are at work.
http://www.hulu.com/videos/search?query=horrible
On August 20, 1882 the "1812 Overture" debuted in Moscow. Pyotor Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote the piece to commemorate Russia's defense in 1812 at the Battle of Borodino against Napoleon's invasion of Russia. The piece includes 16 cannon shots, which are written into the piece along with all the other orchestral instruments. The overture is 15 minutes long, and begins with a Russian Orthodox hymn, moving through traditional and military themes to convey the distress of the Russian people at the invading French. But even though it is a piece about Russia and France, it's now a popular choice for patriotic American festivals. This tradition began in 1935 when Chicago's Grant Park Orchestra performed it for the Fourth of July. Now the Boston Pops Orchestra plays it every year for their huge July 4th celebrations. It's played every July 4th on the Capitol Lawn in Washington, D.C., and the United States Army Band performs the piece every August.
August 20 is the birthday of the poet Edgar Albert Guest, (books by this author) born in Birmingham, England, in 1881. He spent most of his life in Detroit, and he is the first and only poet laureate of Michigan. After his father died, Guest dropped out of high school to work full time at the Detroit Free Press, where he went from copy boy to reporter. He wrote poems that were syndicated in over 300 American newspapers, and these verses were called "Breakfast Table Chat." Even though Guest was the author of more than 11,000 poems, he called himself "a newspaper man who wrote poems."
The Writer’s Almanac
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
National Campaign For Fair Elections: 2008 Voter Registration Guides
2008 Voter Registration Guides: The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, founded in 1963, and its pro bono law firm partners have compiled comprehensive third-party voter registration guides for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The guides will help volunteers, organizers, and leaders navigate the complex rules that govern voter registration in each state. They are designed for informational purposes only.
California County Plans Huge Solar Power Farms
Scientific American: "The amount of solar photovoltaics harnessing electricity from sunshine in the U.S. will more than double by 2013, thanks to plans to build 800 megawatts worth in California. The two vast solar farms—covering more than 12 square miles—will be among the largest ever built in the world and dwarf the current U.S. record holder: Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada with 14 megawatts.”
Related postings on climate change
Report: Reconceiving Research Libraries for the 21st Century
Council on Library and Information Resources, pub 142 - No Brief Candle: Reconceiving Research Libraries for the 21st Century, August, 2008 (74 pages, PDF)
"In February 2008, CLIR convened 25 leading librarians, publishers, faculty members, and information technology specialists to consider this question. Participants discussed the challenges and opportunities that libraries are likely to face in the next five to ten years, and how changes in scholarly communication will affect the future library."
A nugatory law is invalid or ineffective.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&defl=en&q=define:nugatory&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title
New on LLRX.com: Expanding the FOIA
FOIA Facts: Expanding the FOIA - Scott A. Hodes highlights the recent introduction of legislation that would eliminate the FOIA shield for the Smithsonian Institute, and the continued lack of transparency when dealing with other federal agencies.
A search of Google images produces 17,000 hits for prometheus sculpture. Adding paul manship takes it down to 235. http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=en&q=prometheus+sculpture+%22paul+manship%22
American sculptor Paul Manship (1866-1966) produced the famous 1934 Prometheus fountain sculpture in front of Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. A list of his works in museums (including Toledo) and public art galleries is here: http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/manship_paul.html
Inflatable dog turd created by the American artist Paul McCarthy blown from its moorings at a Swiss museum on July 31 The exhibit, the size of a house, brought down a power line and broke a window before landing in the grounds of a children's home.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/12/3?gusrc=rss&feed=artanddesign
2008 Voter Registration Guides: The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, founded in 1963, and its pro bono law firm partners have compiled comprehensive third-party voter registration guides for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The guides will help volunteers, organizers, and leaders navigate the complex rules that govern voter registration in each state. They are designed for informational purposes only.
California County Plans Huge Solar Power Farms
Scientific American: "The amount of solar photovoltaics harnessing electricity from sunshine in the U.S. will more than double by 2013, thanks to plans to build 800 megawatts worth in California. The two vast solar farms—covering more than 12 square miles—will be among the largest ever built in the world and dwarf the current U.S. record holder: Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada with 14 megawatts.”
Related postings on climate change
Report: Reconceiving Research Libraries for the 21st Century
Council on Library and Information Resources, pub 142 - No Brief Candle: Reconceiving Research Libraries for the 21st Century, August, 2008 (74 pages, PDF)
"In February 2008, CLIR convened 25 leading librarians, publishers, faculty members, and information technology specialists to consider this question. Participants discussed the challenges and opportunities that libraries are likely to face in the next five to ten years, and how changes in scholarly communication will affect the future library."
A nugatory law is invalid or ineffective.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&defl=en&q=define:nugatory&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title
New on LLRX.com: Expanding the FOIA
FOIA Facts: Expanding the FOIA - Scott A. Hodes highlights the recent introduction of legislation that would eliminate the FOIA shield for the Smithsonian Institute, and the continued lack of transparency when dealing with other federal agencies.
A search of Google images produces 17,000 hits for prometheus sculpture. Adding paul manship takes it down to 235. http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=en&q=prometheus+sculpture+%22paul+manship%22
American sculptor Paul Manship (1866-1966) produced the famous 1934 Prometheus fountain sculpture in front of Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. A list of his works in museums (including Toledo) and public art galleries is here: http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/manship_paul.html
Inflatable dog turd created by the American artist Paul McCarthy blown from its moorings at a Swiss museum on July 31 The exhibit, the size of a house, brought down a power line and broke a window before landing in the grounds of a children's home.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/12/3?gusrc=rss&feed=artanddesign
Monday, August 18, 2008
Grand Canyon floods breach dam, force evacuations
When a small group of hikers returned to the spot where they had tied their rafts, they found that a flash flood had left them stranded. They were stuck without rafts, no supplies, no food and very little water.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gqaCenny-50jvG0nV16P40tF0FTAD92KL6RG0
Makers of Airborne Settle FTC Charges of Deceptive Advertising; Agreement Brings Total Settlement Funds to $30 Million
Source: Federal Trade Commission
Airborne Health, Inc., the Bonita Springs, Florida maker of the popular Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, an effervescent tablet marketed as a cold prevention and treatment remedy, has agreed to pay up to $30 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it did not have adequate evidence to support its advertising claims. The FTC’s lawsuit also names Victoria Knight-McDowell, the former schoolteacher who invented Airborne, and her husband Thomas John McDowell. If the settlement is approved by the court, it will prohibit the defendants from making false and unsubstantiated cold prevention, germ-fighting, and efficacy claims. The monetary judgment will be satisfied by the defendants’ adding $6.5 million to the funds they have already agreed to pay to settle a related private class-action lawsuit, bringing the total settlement fund to $30 million.
“There is no credible evidence that Airborne products, taken as directed, will reduce the severity or duration of colds, or provide any tangible benefit for people who are exposed to germs in crowded places,” said Lydia Parnes, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
+ Federal Trade Commission v. Airborne Health, Inc…
+ Archived webcast (with transcript)
Pew Internet Report on Search Engine Use
News release: "The percentage of internet users who use search engines on a typical day has been steadily rising from about one-third of all users in 2002, to a new high of just under one-half (49%). With this increase, the number of those using a search engine on a typical day is pulling ever closer to the 60% of internet users who use email, arguably the internet's all-time killer app, on a typical day."
Search Engine Use Data Memo, August 6, 2008
Local Leaders in Sustainability: Green Counties
AIA news release: "American counties are showing how to "Walk the Walk" on sustainability by creating impressive green building programs across the country County green building programs have increased fivefold since 2003, and the future looks bright for green design, according to Local Leaders in Sustainability: Green Counties, an analysis conducted by the AIA and the National Association of Counties (NACo) of the current state of green building development in the 200 most populous U.S. counties, representing 168,864,538 Americans, or a little more than half of the country's population."
More than 50 years ago, Congress approved the Founding Fathers Papers Project to oversee the publication of definitive editions of six founders’ writings, along with the historical notes and edits that would make the meaning and context of these documents clear to modern audiences. Progress has been slow. While Alexander Hamilton’s papers have been completed in 26 volumes, George Washington’s papers will not be complete until 2023 (54 volumes have been published, with 35 to go). Jefferson’s end date is 2025 (34 published and some 40 to go). Benjamin Franklin’s is 2016 (38 done, 9 to go); James Madison’s, 2030 (30 done, at least 16 to go); and John Adams’s, 2050 (30 published, 29 to go).
http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=38608
David Rice Atchison was born on August 11, 1807
If the title President Atchison doesn't ring any bells, you may not be familiar with the tale of how the U.S. Senate's president pro tempore allegedly assumed the U.S. presidency for a day.
The senator from Missouri never actually served as president; that legend was born in the history that Zachary Taylor, whose presidential term began on Sunday, March 4th, 1849, was not inaugurated until noon on March 5th (and neither was his VP, Millard Fillmore). But although the rules of presidential succession have raised issues among constitutional scholars, they did not raise the president pro tem to president. Pro tem is a shortening of pro tempore—"for the time being," in Latin. The president pro tempore, a member of the U.S. Senate, is usually a leader of the majority party who is chosen to serve as presiding officer of the senate in the absence of the vice president.
M-W Word for the Wise
Q. What is Big Ben?
A. The name Big Ben refers not to the clock-tower in Houses of Parliament (also called Westminster Palace) in London, but to the thirteen ton bell hung within. The bell was named after the first commissioner of works, Sir Benjamin Hall.
http://www.aboutbritain.com/BigBen.htm
Big Ben measures 2.7 metres in diameter and 2.2 metres in height.
www.bbc.co.uk/.../2006/03/14/bigben3_440x320.jpg
When a small group of hikers returned to the spot where they had tied their rafts, they found that a flash flood had left them stranded. They were stuck without rafts, no supplies, no food and very little water.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gqaCenny-50jvG0nV16P40tF0FTAD92KL6RG0
Makers of Airborne Settle FTC Charges of Deceptive Advertising; Agreement Brings Total Settlement Funds to $30 Million
Source: Federal Trade Commission
Airborne Health, Inc., the Bonita Springs, Florida maker of the popular Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, an effervescent tablet marketed as a cold prevention and treatment remedy, has agreed to pay up to $30 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it did not have adequate evidence to support its advertising claims. The FTC’s lawsuit also names Victoria Knight-McDowell, the former schoolteacher who invented Airborne, and her husband Thomas John McDowell. If the settlement is approved by the court, it will prohibit the defendants from making false and unsubstantiated cold prevention, germ-fighting, and efficacy claims. The monetary judgment will be satisfied by the defendants’ adding $6.5 million to the funds they have already agreed to pay to settle a related private class-action lawsuit, bringing the total settlement fund to $30 million.
“There is no credible evidence that Airborne products, taken as directed, will reduce the severity or duration of colds, or provide any tangible benefit for people who are exposed to germs in crowded places,” said Lydia Parnes, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
+ Federal Trade Commission v. Airborne Health, Inc…
+ Archived webcast (with transcript)
Pew Internet Report on Search Engine Use
News release: "The percentage of internet users who use search engines on a typical day has been steadily rising from about one-third of all users in 2002, to a new high of just under one-half (49%). With this increase, the number of those using a search engine on a typical day is pulling ever closer to the 60% of internet users who use email, arguably the internet's all-time killer app, on a typical day."
Search Engine Use Data Memo, August 6, 2008
Local Leaders in Sustainability: Green Counties
AIA news release: "American counties are showing how to "Walk the Walk" on sustainability by creating impressive green building programs across the country County green building programs have increased fivefold since 2003, and the future looks bright for green design, according to Local Leaders in Sustainability: Green Counties, an analysis conducted by the AIA and the National Association of Counties (NACo) of the current state of green building development in the 200 most populous U.S. counties, representing 168,864,538 Americans, or a little more than half of the country's population."
More than 50 years ago, Congress approved the Founding Fathers Papers Project to oversee the publication of definitive editions of six founders’ writings, along with the historical notes and edits that would make the meaning and context of these documents clear to modern audiences. Progress has been slow. While Alexander Hamilton’s papers have been completed in 26 volumes, George Washington’s papers will not be complete until 2023 (54 volumes have been published, with 35 to go). Jefferson’s end date is 2025 (34 published and some 40 to go). Benjamin Franklin’s is 2016 (38 done, 9 to go); James Madison’s, 2030 (30 done, at least 16 to go); and John Adams’s, 2050 (30 published, 29 to go).
http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=38608
David Rice Atchison was born on August 11, 1807
If the title President Atchison doesn't ring any bells, you may not be familiar with the tale of how the U.S. Senate's president pro tempore allegedly assumed the U.S. presidency for a day.
The senator from Missouri never actually served as president; that legend was born in the history that Zachary Taylor, whose presidential term began on Sunday, March 4th, 1849, was not inaugurated until noon on March 5th (and neither was his VP, Millard Fillmore). But although the rules of presidential succession have raised issues among constitutional scholars, they did not raise the president pro tem to president. Pro tem is a shortening of pro tempore—"for the time being," in Latin. The president pro tempore, a member of the U.S. Senate, is usually a leader of the majority party who is chosen to serve as presiding officer of the senate in the absence of the vice president.
M-W Word for the Wise
Q. What is Big Ben?
A. The name Big Ben refers not to the clock-tower in Houses of Parliament (also called Westminster Palace) in London, but to the thirteen ton bell hung within. The bell was named after the first commissioner of works, Sir Benjamin Hall.
http://www.aboutbritain.com/BigBen.htm
Big Ben measures 2.7 metres in diameter and 2.2 metres in height.
www.bbc.co.uk/.../2006/03/14/bigben3_440x320.jpg
Friday, August 15, 2008
Google Reports Virus Email Activity At All Time High In July 2008
Official Google Enterprise Blog: "In July, our Postini datacenters saw the biggest volume of email virus attacks so far in 2008, with a peak of nearly 10 million messages on July 24. One of the more prominent attacks in the month involved a spoofed UPS package-tracking link that was intended to lure recipients into clicking on it and downloading malware. Our zero-hour virus protection technology first started catching these emails on July 20."
House Foreclosure Activity Rises 55% From July 2007 to July 2008
News release: "RealtyTrac®, the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, has released its July 2008 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report™, which shows foreclosure filings — default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions — were reported on 272,171 U.S. properties during the month, an 8 percent increase from the previous month and a 55 percent increase from July 2007. The report also shows one in every 464 U.S. households received a foreclosure filing during the month.
New Congressional Database of Lobbyist Campaign Contributions
Senate Lobbying Contributions Database
House Lobbying Contributions Database
"The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 requires lobbying registrants and individual lobbyists to file a semi-annual report of certain contributions, along with a certification that the filer understands the gift and travel rules of both the House and the Senate. These reports are due by July 30th (for the January through June reporting period) and by January 30th (for the July through December reporting period) or the next business day should either of those days fall on a weekend or holiday. Registrants, and each of their lobbyists, who were active for all or part of the semi-annual reporting period must file separate reports detailing certain FECA contributions, honorary contributions, presidential library contributions, and payments for event costs."
New Research Reveals Consumers Reducing Medical Visits to Save Money
News release: "To save money, many Americans are cutting back on medical care — potentially putting their health at risk — according to new research from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). A national survey of 686 consumers, fielded in July, found that 22 percent of U.S. consumers say they have reduced the number of times they see the doctor as a result of today’s economy. Furthermore, 11 percent of consumers say they have cut back the number of prescription drugs they take or the dosage of those medications to make the prescription last longer."
Paycheck Fairness Act of 2008
H.R.1338 - To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes.
The French Revolutionary Calendar (or Republican Calendar) was officially adopted in France on October 24, 1793 and abolished on 1 January 1806 by Emperor Napoleon I. It was used again briefly during under the Paris Commune in 1871. The French also established a new clock, in which the day was divided in ten hours of a hundred minutes of a hundred seconds--exactly 100,000 seconds per day. The calendar was adopted after a long debate involving the mathematicians Romme and Monge, the poets Chénier and Fabre d' Eglantine and the painter David. The mathematicians contributed equal month division, and decimal measures of time. The poets contributed the name of the days, choosing the names of plants, domestic animals and tools; the months rhyme three by three, according to the "sonority" of the seasons.
http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars/calendar-french.html
Flood figures for University of Iowa
$231 million damage
2 million square feet of campus affected by flooding
20 buildings flooded
Iowa Alumni Magazine August 2008
78 counties in Iowa (out of 99) considered federal disaster areas for public assistance
The unearthing of a Stone Age cemetery is providing the first glimpses of what life was like during the still-mysterious period when monsoons brought rain to the desert and created the "green Sahara." The more than 200 graves that have been explored so far indicate that, beginning 10,000 years ago, two populations lived on the shores of a massive lake, separated by a 1,000-year period during which the lake dried up. Among the scientists' most surprising discoveries has been a poignant burial tableau of a woman and two children with fingers intertwined.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-sahara15-2008aug15,0,583067.story
Official Google Enterprise Blog: "In July, our Postini datacenters saw the biggest volume of email virus attacks so far in 2008, with a peak of nearly 10 million messages on July 24. One of the more prominent attacks in the month involved a spoofed UPS package-tracking link that was intended to lure recipients into clicking on it and downloading malware. Our zero-hour virus protection technology first started catching these emails on July 20."
House Foreclosure Activity Rises 55% From July 2007 to July 2008
News release: "RealtyTrac®, the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, has released its July 2008 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report™, which shows foreclosure filings — default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions — were reported on 272,171 U.S. properties during the month, an 8 percent increase from the previous month and a 55 percent increase from July 2007. The report also shows one in every 464 U.S. households received a foreclosure filing during the month.
New Congressional Database of Lobbyist Campaign Contributions
Senate Lobbying Contributions Database
House Lobbying Contributions Database
"The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 requires lobbying registrants and individual lobbyists to file a semi-annual report of certain contributions, along with a certification that the filer understands the gift and travel rules of both the House and the Senate. These reports are due by July 30th (for the January through June reporting period) and by January 30th (for the July through December reporting period) or the next business day should either of those days fall on a weekend or holiday. Registrants, and each of their lobbyists, who were active for all or part of the semi-annual reporting period must file separate reports detailing certain FECA contributions, honorary contributions, presidential library contributions, and payments for event costs."
New Research Reveals Consumers Reducing Medical Visits to Save Money
News release: "To save money, many Americans are cutting back on medical care — potentially putting their health at risk — according to new research from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). A national survey of 686 consumers, fielded in July, found that 22 percent of U.S. consumers say they have reduced the number of times they see the doctor as a result of today’s economy. Furthermore, 11 percent of consumers say they have cut back the number of prescription drugs they take or the dosage of those medications to make the prescription last longer."
Paycheck Fairness Act of 2008
H.R.1338 - To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes.
The French Revolutionary Calendar (or Republican Calendar) was officially adopted in France on October 24, 1793 and abolished on 1 January 1806 by Emperor Napoleon I. It was used again briefly during under the Paris Commune in 1871. The French also established a new clock, in which the day was divided in ten hours of a hundred minutes of a hundred seconds--exactly 100,000 seconds per day. The calendar was adopted after a long debate involving the mathematicians Romme and Monge, the poets Chénier and Fabre d' Eglantine and the painter David. The mathematicians contributed equal month division, and decimal measures of time. The poets contributed the name of the days, choosing the names of plants, domestic animals and tools; the months rhyme three by three, according to the "sonority" of the seasons.
http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars/calendar-french.html
Flood figures for University of Iowa
$231 million damage
2 million square feet of campus affected by flooding
20 buildings flooded
Iowa Alumni Magazine August 2008
78 counties in Iowa (out of 99) considered federal disaster areas for public assistance
The unearthing of a Stone Age cemetery is providing the first glimpses of what life was like during the still-mysterious period when monsoons brought rain to the desert and created the "green Sahara." The more than 200 graves that have been explored so far indicate that, beginning 10,000 years ago, two populations lived on the shores of a massive lake, separated by a 1,000-year period during which the lake dried up. Among the scientists' most surprising discoveries has been a poignant burial tableau of a woman and two children with fingers intertwined.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-sahara15-2008aug15,0,583067.story
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Vetting Jurors via MySpace
As personal information becomes more widely available on blogs, MySpace, Facebook and other social networking Web sites, the Internet has become an important tool for jury consultants and trial lawyers. Such sites are a treasure trove of information about potential and seated jurors that can be used in picking the right jurors, bouncing potential jurors and even influencing jurors during trial and in closing arguments. [National Law Journal, August 11, 2008 - subscription required]
Wander the Warehouse District in Toledo on Sunday, September 7
Architect Paul Sullivan’s new work/living space is one of seven sites to visit. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at South St. Clair and LaFayette the day of the event. For more information, see http://www.wanderthewarehouse.org/locations/default.asp
See locations at above link
A TANK AWAY FROM CHAMPAIGN OR CHICAGO
A faithful reader has visited Funk Farm just south of Bloomington, Illinois. The Funk name is associated with hybrid corn seed and the family was very successful in many areas. Their farm was fully wired, lit and they had their own generator operated by an engine that one son built from scratch at the turn of the century. The house was heated, had full bathrooms—again, at the turn of the century. One son got into stones and gems and gathered a large collection of them and now there is a display room showing some of his favorites. Their farming habits were highly acclaimed and apparently good enough to buy 25,000 acres of central Illinois!
http://www.funksgrove.org/
Lin Miaoke, who was seen belting out "Ode to the Motherland" as the Chinese flag entered the National Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics became an instant celebrity and was quickly christened a "smiling angel." The image of her in a pretty red dress appeared around the world.
But it wasn't Miaoke who was singing. Chen Qigang, the ceremony's music director, told state broadcaster Beijing Radio that the voice heard around the world belonged to 7-year-old Yang Peiyi. Peiyi had the voice and was supposed to perform, but was yanked at the last minute because her looks were deemed not suitable by a senior Communist Party official, Chen said. "It was for the national interest," Chen told Beijing Radio. "The child on camera should be flawless in image, internal feelings and expression."
Actual singer Yang Peiyi
Lin Miaoke
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-fg-lipsync13-2008aug13,0,3009926.story
Lip-syncing is not new
In the 1951 film Show Boat, Ava Gardner's singing voice was dubbed by vocalist Annette Warren. Gardner's vocals were included on the soundtrack album for the movie.
Saturation zones in Arkansas
The Helena-West Helena City Council (the two towns merged a few years ago) has voted 9-0 to allow police to expand curfews into any area of the city. “The saturation areas are ‘hot spot’ areas across the city where the criminal element is more active.” Here’s the AP story, and one from the Helena Daily-World.
Q. What is the only island state?
A. Hawaii is the only island state and the southernmost state in the United States. Hawaii consists of the Hawaiian Islands and a few other geographically unrelated islets located near the center of the northern Pacific Ocean. The state is composed of eight main islands and 124 islets, reefs and shoals.
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761576663/Hawaii_(state).html
austral (O-struhl)
adjective: Southern From Latin auster (south). That's why Australia is so named, but that does not apply to Austria, in central Europe. Austria's name is a Latinized form of its German name Österreich (eastern empire, referring to the eastern boundary of the Frankish Empire at one time).
A.Word.A.Day
August 14 is the birthday of Danielle Steel, (books by this author) born in New York City (1947). Her books have sold more than 570 million copies and are read in 28 languages.
She spends her days writing in her bedroom on a 1948 metal-body Olympia manual typewriter, wearing her flannel nightgown . She often writes 18 hours a day. She said, "Once a book is really going, I can't get away from it. Sometimes I forget to comb my hair. And if I'm in the bathtub, I'll scrawl notes on the mirror or the wall. Writing is just an all-consuming passion." She says, "It drives everyone else crazy."
The Writer’s Almanac
As personal information becomes more widely available on blogs, MySpace, Facebook and other social networking Web sites, the Internet has become an important tool for jury consultants and trial lawyers. Such sites are a treasure trove of information about potential and seated jurors that can be used in picking the right jurors, bouncing potential jurors and even influencing jurors during trial and in closing arguments. [National Law Journal, August 11, 2008 - subscription required]
Wander the Warehouse District in Toledo on Sunday, September 7
Architect Paul Sullivan’s new work/living space is one of seven sites to visit. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at South St. Clair and LaFayette the day of the event. For more information, see http://www.wanderthewarehouse.org/locations/default.asp
See locations at above link
A TANK AWAY FROM CHAMPAIGN OR CHICAGO
A faithful reader has visited Funk Farm just south of Bloomington, Illinois. The Funk name is associated with hybrid corn seed and the family was very successful in many areas. Their farm was fully wired, lit and they had their own generator operated by an engine that one son built from scratch at the turn of the century. The house was heated, had full bathrooms—again, at the turn of the century. One son got into stones and gems and gathered a large collection of them and now there is a display room showing some of his favorites. Their farming habits were highly acclaimed and apparently good enough to buy 25,000 acres of central Illinois!
http://www.funksgrove.org/
Lin Miaoke, who was seen belting out "Ode to the Motherland" as the Chinese flag entered the National Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics became an instant celebrity and was quickly christened a "smiling angel." The image of her in a pretty red dress appeared around the world.
But it wasn't Miaoke who was singing. Chen Qigang, the ceremony's music director, told state broadcaster Beijing Radio that the voice heard around the world belonged to 7-year-old Yang Peiyi. Peiyi had the voice and was supposed to perform, but was yanked at the last minute because her looks were deemed not suitable by a senior Communist Party official, Chen said. "It was for the national interest," Chen told Beijing Radio. "The child on camera should be flawless in image, internal feelings and expression."
Actual singer Yang Peiyi
Lin Miaoke
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-fg-lipsync13-2008aug13,0,3009926.story
Lip-syncing is not new
In the 1951 film Show Boat, Ava Gardner's singing voice was dubbed by vocalist Annette Warren. Gardner's vocals were included on the soundtrack album for the movie.
Saturation zones in Arkansas
The Helena-West Helena City Council (the two towns merged a few years ago) has voted 9-0 to allow police to expand curfews into any area of the city. “The saturation areas are ‘hot spot’ areas across the city where the criminal element is more active.” Here’s the AP story, and one from the Helena Daily-World.
Q. What is the only island state?
A. Hawaii is the only island state and the southernmost state in the United States. Hawaii consists of the Hawaiian Islands and a few other geographically unrelated islets located near the center of the northern Pacific Ocean. The state is composed of eight main islands and 124 islets, reefs and shoals.
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761576663/Hawaii_(state).html
austral (O-struhl)
adjective: Southern From Latin auster (south). That's why Australia is so named, but that does not apply to Austria, in central Europe. Austria's name is a Latinized form of its German name Österreich (eastern empire, referring to the eastern boundary of the Frankish Empire at one time).
A.Word.A.Day
August 14 is the birthday of Danielle Steel, (books by this author) born in New York City (1947). Her books have sold more than 570 million copies and are read in 28 languages.
She spends her days writing in her bedroom on a 1948 metal-body Olympia manual typewriter, wearing her flannel nightgown . She often writes 18 hours a day. She said, "Once a book is really going, I can't get away from it. Sometimes I forget to comb my hair. And if I'm in the bathtub, I'll scrawl notes on the mirror or the wall. Writing is just an all-consuming passion." She says, "It drives everyone else crazy."
The Writer’s Almanac
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Some of the most spectacular moments of the Olympic Games opening ceremony, which was watched by three billion people, were faked
The global television audience watched as a series of giant footprints, lit up by fireworks, proceeded through the night sky from Tiananmen Square to the Bird's Nest stadium, not realizing they were watching a computer-generated animation. Even the giant television screens within the stadium itself broadcast the fake images. The fireworks were real outside the stadium, but those shown in the stadium and on television had been filmed months in advance.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/china-faked-awesome-olympic-opening-ceremony-13936327.html
New Website Fuelly Tracks Your Gas Mileage To Help Save Gas and Money
Fuelly is a site that lets you track, share, and compare your gas mileage. Sign up, add a car, and begin tracking your mileage. By recording and analyzing your mileage, you can see how much money you can save with small driving changes. You can also see how your mileage compares with EPA estimates and the mileage of other drivers using Fuelly. Tips and a discussion forum also offer ways to save. The site is free.
And you thought Bach was dignified
On August 4, 1705 in Arnstadt, Germany, J.S. Bach and a bassoonist named Johann Heinrich Geyersbach cross paths late a night and an argument ensues--Geyerbach threatens Bach with a stick and Bach draws his sword--both are hauled up before the city magistrate and reprimanded for their behavior.
Composers Datebook from American Public Media
Guide to Bach tour in Arnstadt
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Tour/Arnstadt.htm
A previously unknown portrait of a woman by Vincent van Gogh has been revealed. Scientists used a new technique to peer beneath the paint of van Gogh's 1887 "Patch of Grass." Already it was known there was something there, likely a portrait of some sort. Van Gogh was known to paint over his work, perhaps as much as a third of the time. Behind the painting, done mostly in greens and blues, is a portrait of a woman rendered in browns and reds.
http://www.livescience.com/history/080730-van-gogh.html
Articles from LiveScience
http://www.livescience.com/common/archive/
tenderfoot
A newcomer or a beginner at something, one not used to hardships.
Originally the term was applied to newcomers to ranching and mining districts in the western United States.
A.Word.A.Day
Quotes
The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost.
Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.
G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936), English essayist and poet
Novel of the week according to The Week, August 15, 2008
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Written as a series of letters between a London columnist and a small Channel Island community that survived Nazi occupation
April 12 is the birthday of classics scholar Edith Hamilton, (books by this author) born in Dresden, Germany (1867). Her parents were both Americans, and she grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She started learning Latin and Greek when she was seven years old, and she went on to study classics in Europe at a time when women were not often admitted to universities. It wasn't until after her retirement that she began to publish books about Greek civilization like The Greek Way (1930). Academics hated the fact that she didn't use footnotes, but her books were incredibly popular. For many years, most American children first learned about Hercules and Medusa and Odysseus from her book Mythology (1942), which was an illustrated retelling of all the important Greek myths.
April 12 is the birthday of mystery novelist Mary Roberts Rinehart, (books by this author) born in Pittsburgh (1876). Shortly after she and her husband married, the stock market crashed in 1903, and they lost a lot of their assets. She began to write to bring in extra money. The first book she published, The Circular Staircase (1907), was a mystery novel and it became a big hit, eventually selling more than a million copies.
From this book comes the start of her role as the "mother" of the "Had-I-But-Known" school of mystery writing—in which the protagonist is largely clueless about something that most people would have picked up on, usually related to criminal activity. From her writing, we get the cliché "the butler did it."
The Writer’s Almanac
The global television audience watched as a series of giant footprints, lit up by fireworks, proceeded through the night sky from Tiananmen Square to the Bird's Nest stadium, not realizing they were watching a computer-generated animation. Even the giant television screens within the stadium itself broadcast the fake images. The fireworks were real outside the stadium, but those shown in the stadium and on television had been filmed months in advance.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/china-faked-awesome-olympic-opening-ceremony-13936327.html
New Website Fuelly Tracks Your Gas Mileage To Help Save Gas and Money
Fuelly is a site that lets you track, share, and compare your gas mileage. Sign up, add a car, and begin tracking your mileage. By recording and analyzing your mileage, you can see how much money you can save with small driving changes. You can also see how your mileage compares with EPA estimates and the mileage of other drivers using Fuelly. Tips and a discussion forum also offer ways to save. The site is free.
And you thought Bach was dignified
On August 4, 1705 in Arnstadt, Germany, J.S. Bach and a bassoonist named Johann Heinrich Geyersbach cross paths late a night and an argument ensues--Geyerbach threatens Bach with a stick and Bach draws his sword--both are hauled up before the city magistrate and reprimanded for their behavior.
Composers Datebook from American Public Media
Guide to Bach tour in Arnstadt
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Tour/Arnstadt.htm
A previously unknown portrait of a woman by Vincent van Gogh has been revealed. Scientists used a new technique to peer beneath the paint of van Gogh's 1887 "Patch of Grass." Already it was known there was something there, likely a portrait of some sort. Van Gogh was known to paint over his work, perhaps as much as a third of the time. Behind the painting, done mostly in greens and blues, is a portrait of a woman rendered in browns and reds.
http://www.livescience.com/history/080730-van-gogh.html
Articles from LiveScience
http://www.livescience.com/common/archive/
tenderfoot
A newcomer or a beginner at something, one not used to hardships.
Originally the term was applied to newcomers to ranching and mining districts in the western United States.
A.Word.A.Day
Quotes
The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost.
Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.
G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936), English essayist and poet
Novel of the week according to The Week, August 15, 2008
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Written as a series of letters between a London columnist and a small Channel Island community that survived Nazi occupation
April 12 is the birthday of classics scholar Edith Hamilton, (books by this author) born in Dresden, Germany (1867). Her parents were both Americans, and she grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She started learning Latin and Greek when she was seven years old, and she went on to study classics in Europe at a time when women were not often admitted to universities. It wasn't until after her retirement that she began to publish books about Greek civilization like The Greek Way (1930). Academics hated the fact that she didn't use footnotes, but her books were incredibly popular. For many years, most American children first learned about Hercules and Medusa and Odysseus from her book Mythology (1942), which was an illustrated retelling of all the important Greek myths.
April 12 is the birthday of mystery novelist Mary Roberts Rinehart, (books by this author) born in Pittsburgh (1876). Shortly after she and her husband married, the stock market crashed in 1903, and they lost a lot of their assets. She began to write to bring in extra money. The first book she published, The Circular Staircase (1907), was a mystery novel and it became a big hit, eventually selling more than a million copies.
From this book comes the start of her role as the "mother" of the "Had-I-But-Known" school of mystery writing—in which the protagonist is largely clueless about something that most people would have picked up on, usually related to criminal activity. From her writing, we get the cliché "the butler did it."
The Writer’s Almanac
Monday, August 11, 2008
The 2008 Olympics boast some 10,500 athletes from 204 countries. China has been planning for this moment since 1993, when it was passed over in favor of Sydney for the 2000 games. The opening ceremony paid homage to China's great inventions--gunpowder, paper, movable type and the compass.
http://www.mercurynews.com/othersports/ci_10148682
Follow the Olympics with complete coverage from The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/olympics2008/index.html
Americans Made Over 1 Billion Hospital and Doctor Visits in 2006
News release: Patients in the United States made an estimated 1.1 billion visits to physician offices and hospital outpatient and emergency departments in 2006, an average of four visits per person per year, according to new health care statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data come from various components of CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics National Health Care Survey and are featured in a series of new National Health Statistics Report.
Federal Study of Environmental Hazards in the Eight Great Lakes States
Researchers found low birth weights, elevated rates of infant mortality and premature births, and elevated death rates from breast cancer, colon cancer, and lung cancer. The 400-plus-page study, Public Health Implications of Hazardous Substances in the Twenty-
Six U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern, was undertaken by a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the request of the International Joint Commission, an independent bilateral organization that advises the U.S. and Canadian governments on the use and quality of boundary waters between the two countries. The study was originally scheduled for release in July 2007 by the IJC and the CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
Executive Summary
Introduction
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Conclusions
Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings.
(to, too, two//bear,bare//yolk.yoke//their/there/they’re//principal,principle//capital,capitol)
Games, activities and lists are at link provided by eMINTS National Center, a non-profit, independent business unit of the University of Missouri.
http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001152.shtml
loquacious (lo-KWAY-shuhs)
adjective: Talkative; wordy.
From Latin loqui (to speak). The word loquacious has a negative sense, but a positive word to come out of the same Latin root is eloquent.
A.Word.A.Day
On August 9, 1854, Henry David Thoreau published Walden; or, Life in the Woods. The first edition was 2,000 copies, and it took five years to sell them off.
August 9 is the birthday of P(amela) L(yndon) Travers, the penname of Helen Lyndon Goff, (books by this author) born in Maryborough, Queensland, Australia (1899). P.L. Travers is famous as the author of Mary Poppins. In her 20s, she moved to Dublin and created the character for her own amusement, a prim, somewhat ill-humored, magical British nanny who appears at a household in a high wind and floats away when the wind changes. Mary Poppins came out in 1934. It was a big success in Britain and the U.S., and P.L. Travers wrote seven sequels.
August 10 is the birthday of one of Brazil's best-loved writers: Jorge Amado, (books by this author) born near Ilhéus, Brazil (1912). He is one of the most widely translated novelists in the world; they called him the "Pelé of the written word." His 32 books sold millions of copies in 40 languages. Brazilian hotels, bars, and restaurants, as well as brands of whiskey and margarine, were named for characters from his books. He's the author of Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon (1958), Home is the Sailor (1961), and Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (1966).
The Writer’s Almanac
http://www.mercurynews.com/othersports/ci_10148682
Follow the Olympics with complete coverage from The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/olympics2008/index.html
Americans Made Over 1 Billion Hospital and Doctor Visits in 2006
News release: Patients in the United States made an estimated 1.1 billion visits to physician offices and hospital outpatient and emergency departments in 2006, an average of four visits per person per year, according to new health care statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data come from various components of CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics National Health Care Survey and are featured in a series of new National Health Statistics Report.
Federal Study of Environmental Hazards in the Eight Great Lakes States
Researchers found low birth weights, elevated rates of infant mortality and premature births, and elevated death rates from breast cancer, colon cancer, and lung cancer. The 400-plus-page study, Public Health Implications of Hazardous Substances in the Twenty-
Six U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern, was undertaken by a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the request of the International Joint Commission, an independent bilateral organization that advises the U.S. and Canadian governments on the use and quality of boundary waters between the two countries. The study was originally scheduled for release in July 2007 by the IJC and the CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
Executive Summary
Introduction
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Conclusions
Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings.
(to, too, two//bear,bare//yolk.yoke//their/there/they’re//principal,principle//capital,capitol)
Games, activities and lists are at link provided by eMINTS National Center, a non-profit, independent business unit of the University of Missouri.
http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001152.shtml
loquacious (lo-KWAY-shuhs)
adjective: Talkative; wordy.
From Latin loqui (to speak). The word loquacious has a negative sense, but a positive word to come out of the same Latin root is eloquent.
A.Word.A.Day
On August 9, 1854, Henry David Thoreau published Walden; or, Life in the Woods. The first edition was 2,000 copies, and it took five years to sell them off.
August 9 is the birthday of P(amela) L(yndon) Travers, the penname of Helen Lyndon Goff, (books by this author) born in Maryborough, Queensland, Australia (1899). P.L. Travers is famous as the author of Mary Poppins. In her 20s, she moved to Dublin and created the character for her own amusement, a prim, somewhat ill-humored, magical British nanny who appears at a household in a high wind and floats away when the wind changes. Mary Poppins came out in 1934. It was a big success in Britain and the U.S., and P.L. Travers wrote seven sequels.
August 10 is the birthday of one of Brazil's best-loved writers: Jorge Amado, (books by this author) born near Ilhéus, Brazil (1912). He is one of the most widely translated novelists in the world; they called him the "Pelé of the written word." His 32 books sold millions of copies in 40 languages. Brazilian hotels, bars, and restaurants, as well as brands of whiskey and margarine, were named for characters from his books. He's the author of Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon (1958), Home is the Sailor (1961), and Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (1966).
The Writer’s Almanac
Friday, August 8, 2008
I have called Buckeye-express for help because some of you report getting three copies of the same muse. Their first suggestion is to remove people from the list, and then put them back on the list. I have done this with the seven people who reported the problem. If you continue to get extra copies, let me know, and I’ll call Buckeye back.
Google is giving everyone a chance to peek deeper into its database of search requests and discover the things that preoccupy individuals and, in aggregate, entire cities, states or nations, at any one time.
The company is introducing a free service called Insights for Search. The tool is intended for marketers, but it allows anyone to track the popularity of various words and phrases that people type into Google’s search box. The service is an extension of Google Trends, a two-year-old service. The collection of search queries that people type into Google has been called a “database of intentions” since it is a window into what people are interested in and, sometimes, what they are interested in buying.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/business/media/06adco.html?_r=1&ref=technology&oref=slogin
Commission Orders Comcast to End Discriminatory Network Management Practices (PDF; 137 KB)
Source: Federal Communications Commission
Comcast Corp.’s management of its broadband Internet networks contravenes federal policies that protect the vibrant and open nature of the Internet, the Federal Communications Commission found on August 5.
Ruling on a complaint by Free Press and Public Knowledge as well as a petition for declaratory ruling, the Commission concluded that Comcast has unduly interfered with Internet users’ right to access the lawful Internet content and to use the applications of their choice. Specifically, the Commission found that Comcast had deployed equipment throughout its network to monitor the content of its customers’ Internet connections and selectively block specific types of connections known as peer-to-peer connections.
In La Crosse, Wisconsin, a newspaper deliveryman is alleged to have created thousands of fake New York Times subscribers, recycled the papers, and made about $227,000 on the wily subterfuge. Michael Holtet, a 50 year-old La Crosse man who worked as a local newspaper distributor for the Times in Wisconsin and Minnesota, was arrested in connection with the scheme and presented in Wisconsin federal court. Here’s the criminal complaint, and here’s a press release put out by the SDNY.
WSJ Law Blog August 5, 2008
100 different sites and networks to find bibliophiles
Find networks for book collectors, librarians and online communities of book lovers. Share information, find blogs, learn about authors. Sites for children, teens and adults are included. (Reading does not have to be an individual activity.)
http://oedb.org/library/beginning-online-learning/100_places_to_connect_with_bibliophiles_online
UK libraries run Book Bag for Life campaign
More than 7,000 plastic carrier bags have been saved from landfill in the last year thanks to Devon Libraries 'Book Bag for Life' campaign. The Library Service is celebrating a successful first anniversary of the jute book bag with sales of 7,224 since August 1, 2007. The jute book bags are available from all Devon libraries. The scheme is supported by the 'Don't let Devon go to waste' partnership which teamed up with library staff in 2007 to find a practical and lasting alternative to plastic bags.
http://www.middevonstar.co.uk/news/devon_news_mix/3257188.Libraries_avoid_bags_more_rubbish/
Right letters, wrong word in newsletter received yesterday
I find it hard to focus, so bare with me.
The Santa Monica Public Library’s new website features the history of the 1935 mural by Stanton Macdonald-Wright, a sliding presentation of its 38 panels depicting 160 historical and mythological figures from primitive man to 1930s Hollywood. Following its conservation in 2005, the mural was re-installed in the new main library, which opened in January 2006. The mural covers nearly 2000 square feet of wall.
Find images, articles and locations of art by Stanton Macdonald-Wright
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/macdonald-wright_stanton.html
Google is giving everyone a chance to peek deeper into its database of search requests and discover the things that preoccupy individuals and, in aggregate, entire cities, states or nations, at any one time.
The company is introducing a free service called Insights for Search. The tool is intended for marketers, but it allows anyone to track the popularity of various words and phrases that people type into Google’s search box. The service is an extension of Google Trends, a two-year-old service. The collection of search queries that people type into Google has been called a “database of intentions” since it is a window into what people are interested in and, sometimes, what they are interested in buying.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/business/media/06adco.html?_r=1&ref=technology&oref=slogin
Commission Orders Comcast to End Discriminatory Network Management Practices (PDF; 137 KB)
Source: Federal Communications Commission
Comcast Corp.’s management of its broadband Internet networks contravenes federal policies that protect the vibrant and open nature of the Internet, the Federal Communications Commission found on August 5.
Ruling on a complaint by Free Press and Public Knowledge as well as a petition for declaratory ruling, the Commission concluded that Comcast has unduly interfered with Internet users’ right to access the lawful Internet content and to use the applications of their choice. Specifically, the Commission found that Comcast had deployed equipment throughout its network to monitor the content of its customers’ Internet connections and selectively block specific types of connections known as peer-to-peer connections.
In La Crosse, Wisconsin, a newspaper deliveryman is alleged to have created thousands of fake New York Times subscribers, recycled the papers, and made about $227,000 on the wily subterfuge. Michael Holtet, a 50 year-old La Crosse man who worked as a local newspaper distributor for the Times in Wisconsin and Minnesota, was arrested in connection with the scheme and presented in Wisconsin federal court. Here’s the criminal complaint, and here’s a press release put out by the SDNY.
WSJ Law Blog August 5, 2008
100 different sites and networks to find bibliophiles
Find networks for book collectors, librarians and online communities of book lovers. Share information, find blogs, learn about authors. Sites for children, teens and adults are included. (Reading does not have to be an individual activity.)
http://oedb.org/library/beginning-online-learning/100_places_to_connect_with_bibliophiles_online
UK libraries run Book Bag for Life campaign
More than 7,000 plastic carrier bags have been saved from landfill in the last year thanks to Devon Libraries 'Book Bag for Life' campaign. The Library Service is celebrating a successful first anniversary of the jute book bag with sales of 7,224 since August 1, 2007. The jute book bags are available from all Devon libraries. The scheme is supported by the 'Don't let Devon go to waste' partnership which teamed up with library staff in 2007 to find a practical and lasting alternative to plastic bags.
http://www.middevonstar.co.uk/news/devon_news_mix/3257188.Libraries_avoid_bags_more_rubbish/
Right letters, wrong word in newsletter received yesterday
I find it hard to focus, so bare with me.
The Santa Monica Public Library’s new website features the history of the 1935 mural by Stanton Macdonald-Wright, a sliding presentation of its 38 panels depicting 160 historical and mythological figures from primitive man to 1930s Hollywood. Following its conservation in 2005, the mural was re-installed in the new main library, which opened in January 2006. The mural covers nearly 2000 square feet of wall.
Find images, articles and locations of art by Stanton Macdonald-Wright
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/macdonald-wright_stanton.html
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Apollo Group, Inc., owner of the for-profit University of Phoenix, persuaded a judge to throw out a $277 million securities-fraud verdict over the company’s failure to disclose a report criticizing the school’s operations. Here’s the order from U.S. District Judge James A. Teilborg in Phoenix. And here’s a Bloomberg report.
Government Fleet Cost to Taxpayers In Excess of 3 Billion for 2007
AP report, July 31, 2008: "While Cabinet and other officials say they need the vehicles to do their jobs, watchdogs say mismanagement of the government fleet is costing millions of dollars a year in wasteful spending."
Federal Fleet Report for Fiscal Year 2007, January 31, 2008 [Word doc.]: "Federal departments, agencies, and their contractors use motor vehicles to perform their missions. These vehicles, totaling more than 642,000 for Fiscal Year 2007, are obtained from three primary sources: agency purchase, lease from the GSA Fleet Program, or commercial lease. This report presents inventory, utilization, costs, and fuel use associated with the Federal motor vehicle fleet." [Note: Congressional vehicle reporting is not included.]
The song of the blue whale, one of the eeriest sounds in the ocean, has mysteriously grown deeper. The calls have been steadily dropping in frequency for seven populations of blue whales around the world over the past 40 years, say researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and WhaleAcoustics, a private research company.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/science/29whale.html?ref=science
There isn't one American middle class; there are four. Each is different from the others in its attitudes, outlook and financial circumstance--sometimes in ways that defy traditional stereotypes of the middle class, according to an analysis of a recent national survey conducted by the Pew Research Center Social and Demographic Trends Project.
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/911/americas-four-middle-classes
Executive Order: Further Amendments to Executive Order 12333, United States Intelligence Activities -
"1.1 Goals. The United States intelligence effort shall provide the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council with the necessary information on which to base decisions concerning the development and conduct of foreign, defense, and economic policies, and the protection of United States national interests from foreign security threats. All departments and agencies shall cooperate fully to fulfill this goal.
Background Briefing by Senior Administration Officials on the Revision of Executive Order 12333
"I would say at the outset that this is an exceptionally complex executive order...It's a foundational document for the intelligence community...It has a daily and significant impact on the activities of the intelligence community and the relationships in that important community. At the highest level, of course, the aim here is to create a more effective intelligence community, where these 16 agencies can be better integrated, work more collaboratively with one another, and also share more information freely."
Executive Order 12333: United States Intelligence Activities (as amended)
Statement by the Press Secretary
Fact Sheet: A Lasting Framework for United States Intelligence Activities
Statement by the Director of National Intelligence, Mr. Mike McConnell, on Executive Order 12333
Commission Approves Final Consent Order in Matters of The TJX Companies, Inc., Reed Elsevier, Inc. and Seisint, Inc.
Follow up to March 27, 2008 posting, FTC Announces Settlement of Action Against Data Brokers Reed Elsevier and Seisint for Failing to Provide Adequate Security for Consumers' Data, this August 1, 2008 FTC news release: "Following a public comment period, the Commission has approved the issuance of a final consent order and authorized the staff to respond to the commenters of record In The Matter of The TJX Companies, Inc...[and] In The Matter of Reed Elsevier Inc. and Seisint, Inc."
Related from EPIC: "The settlements arose from data breaches, which exposed the sensitive personal information of over 500,000 consumers and resulted in millions of dollars in financial fraud. Earlier this year, EPIC filed comments with the FTC urging the Commission to include civil penalties in the settlements. EPIC wrote that civil penalties are necessary to provide incentives for companies to safeguard personal data. EPIC also noted that the FTC imposed $10 million in civil penalties in the Choicepoint case. The final agreements impose security and audit responsibilities, but no financial penalties."
paper tiger (PAY-puhr TY-guhr)
One who is outwardly strong and powerful but is in fact powerless and ineffectual.
A.Word.A.Day
Government Fleet Cost to Taxpayers In Excess of 3 Billion for 2007
AP report, July 31, 2008: "While Cabinet and other officials say they need the vehicles to do their jobs, watchdogs say mismanagement of the government fleet is costing millions of dollars a year in wasteful spending."
Federal Fleet Report for Fiscal Year 2007, January 31, 2008 [Word doc.]: "Federal departments, agencies, and their contractors use motor vehicles to perform their missions. These vehicles, totaling more than 642,000 for Fiscal Year 2007, are obtained from three primary sources: agency purchase, lease from the GSA Fleet Program, or commercial lease. This report presents inventory, utilization, costs, and fuel use associated with the Federal motor vehicle fleet." [Note: Congressional vehicle reporting is not included.]
The song of the blue whale, one of the eeriest sounds in the ocean, has mysteriously grown deeper. The calls have been steadily dropping in frequency for seven populations of blue whales around the world over the past 40 years, say researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and WhaleAcoustics, a private research company.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/science/29whale.html?ref=science
There isn't one American middle class; there are four. Each is different from the others in its attitudes, outlook and financial circumstance--sometimes in ways that defy traditional stereotypes of the middle class, according to an analysis of a recent national survey conducted by the Pew Research Center Social and Demographic Trends Project.
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/911/americas-four-middle-classes
Executive Order: Further Amendments to Executive Order 12333, United States Intelligence Activities -
"1.1 Goals. The United States intelligence effort shall provide the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council with the necessary information on which to base decisions concerning the development and conduct of foreign, defense, and economic policies, and the protection of United States national interests from foreign security threats. All departments and agencies shall cooperate fully to fulfill this goal.
Background Briefing by Senior Administration Officials on the Revision of Executive Order 12333
"I would say at the outset that this is an exceptionally complex executive order...It's a foundational document for the intelligence community...It has a daily and significant impact on the activities of the intelligence community and the relationships in that important community. At the highest level, of course, the aim here is to create a more effective intelligence community, where these 16 agencies can be better integrated, work more collaboratively with one another, and also share more information freely."
Executive Order 12333: United States Intelligence Activities (as amended)
Statement by the Press Secretary
Fact Sheet: A Lasting Framework for United States Intelligence Activities
Statement by the Director of National Intelligence, Mr. Mike McConnell, on Executive Order 12333
Commission Approves Final Consent Order in Matters of The TJX Companies, Inc., Reed Elsevier, Inc. and Seisint, Inc.
Follow up to March 27, 2008 posting, FTC Announces Settlement of Action Against Data Brokers Reed Elsevier and Seisint for Failing to Provide Adequate Security for Consumers' Data, this August 1, 2008 FTC news release: "Following a public comment period, the Commission has approved the issuance of a final consent order and authorized the staff to respond to the commenters of record In The Matter of The TJX Companies, Inc...[and] In The Matter of Reed Elsevier Inc. and Seisint, Inc."
Related from EPIC: "The settlements arose from data breaches, which exposed the sensitive personal information of over 500,000 consumers and resulted in millions of dollars in financial fraud. Earlier this year, EPIC filed comments with the FTC urging the Commission to include civil penalties in the settlements. EPIC wrote that civil penalties are necessary to provide incentives for companies to safeguard personal data. EPIC also noted that the FTC imposed $10 million in civil penalties in the Choicepoint case. The final agreements impose security and audit responsibilities, but no financial penalties."
paper tiger (PAY-puhr TY-guhr)
One who is outwardly strong and powerful but is in fact powerless and ineffectual.
A.Word.A.Day
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Although not recognized as a cause of action in most jurisdictions, "desk rage", abusive or threatening conduct at the workplace—is a growing problem and a growing concern to employers and the lawyers who advise them. At its worst, the occupational violence that can result from stressed and angry employees facing increasing pressures in a difficult economy can be deadly. But even when the problem is relatively minimal, it can result in reduced productivity and increased attrition, according to a New York Law Journal article reprinted by New York Lawyer (registration required).
http://www.abajournal.com/news/beyond_traditional_tort_law_desk_rage_is_now_a_potential_claim/
The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 8-24, 2008
http://en.beijing2008.cn/
“One World, One Dream”: three main themes
http://www.chinaorbit.com/2008-olympics-china.html
The Olympian
Lang Lang, China’s “first for-export pianist,” has so much commercial potential that lawyers are trademarking his name. His signature, which he fashions into the shape of a piano, is protected by Chinese law.
The New Yorker August 4, 2008
Definitions of olympian on the Web
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&defl=en&q=define:olympian&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title
boustrophedon
A method of writing in which lines are written alternately in opposite direction. I was first introduced to this word by an exceptionally educated land surveyor, Ted Rollheiser. The USGS Township and Section surveys are numbered boustrophedonically. Within each Township, the first Section is at the northeast, and the last at the southeast, like this:
6 5 4 3 2 1
7 8 9 10 11 12
18 17 16 15 14 13
19 20 21 22 23 24
30 29 28 27 26 25
31 32 33 34 35 36
A Township is approximately six miles square, so each Section is approximately one square mile. From Sarah Yardley
You are reading this thanks to the boustrophedonic experience of a 14-year-old boy, Philo T. Farmsworth. While plowing a potato field, he realized that the back-and-forth lines were a good way to make images on a screen, thus inventing television and, from that, the computer monitor. From Mark Chartrand
A.Word.A.Day
Books and other items are flowing out of public libraries in record numbers as the price of gas goes up and the economy sours. Librarians throughout Northeast Ohio report seeing more people coming through their doors and leaving with more books, movies and CDs than ever.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5920609.html
August 5 is the birthday of Wendell Berry, (books by this author) born in Port Royal, Kentucky (1934). He grew up on farmland that had belonged to his family since 1803. As a boy, he was taught by his grandfather how to work a farm with nothing but a plow and a team of mules, no mechanized sprinkler systems or tractors. Berry had an uncle he described as "an inspired tinkerer with broken gadgetry and furniture ... and a teller of wonderful bedtime stories." His uncle kept a ramshackle cabin up in the woods, and Berry often went up there as a kid to get away from everything. It was in that cabin that he first read the work of Henry David Thoreau, and where he first fell in love with poetry.
He lived in California and Italy and New York City. But through all those years, he never stopped thinking about the place where he grew up, and he often went back to his uncle's old cabin. He finally decided to move back to the area permanently. He began farming it the way his grandfather had taught him, without any machines. He grew squash, corn, and tomatoes, and he got a flock of sheep, a milk cow, and some horses. And he wrote about his experiences as a farmer in more than 40 books of poetry, fiction, and essays. His collections of poetry include The Farm (1995) and A Timbered Choir (1998). But he's best known for his essays in books such as The Gift of Good Land (1981), What Are People For? (1990), and Life Is a Miracle: An Essay Against Modern Superstition (2000).
The Writer’s Almanac
http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com
http://www.abajournal.com/news/beyond_traditional_tort_law_desk_rage_is_now_a_potential_claim/
The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 8-24, 2008
http://en.beijing2008.cn/
“One World, One Dream”: three main themes
http://www.chinaorbit.com/2008-olympics-china.html
The Olympian
Lang Lang, China’s “first for-export pianist,” has so much commercial potential that lawyers are trademarking his name. His signature, which he fashions into the shape of a piano, is protected by Chinese law.
The New Yorker August 4, 2008
Definitions of olympian on the Web
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&defl=en&q=define:olympian&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title
boustrophedon
A method of writing in which lines are written alternately in opposite direction. I was first introduced to this word by an exceptionally educated land surveyor, Ted Rollheiser. The USGS Township and Section surveys are numbered boustrophedonically. Within each Township, the first Section is at the northeast, and the last at the southeast, like this:
6 5 4 3 2 1
7 8 9 10 11 12
18 17 16 15 14 13
19 20 21 22 23 24
30 29 28 27 26 25
31 32 33 34 35 36
A Township is approximately six miles square, so each Section is approximately one square mile. From Sarah Yardley
You are reading this thanks to the boustrophedonic experience of a 14-year-old boy, Philo T. Farmsworth. While plowing a potato field, he realized that the back-and-forth lines were a good way to make images on a screen, thus inventing television and, from that, the computer monitor. From Mark Chartrand
A.Word.A.Day
Books and other items are flowing out of public libraries in record numbers as the price of gas goes up and the economy sours. Librarians throughout Northeast Ohio report seeing more people coming through their doors and leaving with more books, movies and CDs than ever.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5920609.html
August 5 is the birthday of Wendell Berry, (books by this author) born in Port Royal, Kentucky (1934). He grew up on farmland that had belonged to his family since 1803. As a boy, he was taught by his grandfather how to work a farm with nothing but a plow and a team of mules, no mechanized sprinkler systems or tractors. Berry had an uncle he described as "an inspired tinkerer with broken gadgetry and furniture ... and a teller of wonderful bedtime stories." His uncle kept a ramshackle cabin up in the woods, and Berry often went up there as a kid to get away from everything. It was in that cabin that he first read the work of Henry David Thoreau, and where he first fell in love with poetry.
He lived in California and Italy and New York City. But through all those years, he never stopped thinking about the place where he grew up, and he often went back to his uncle's old cabin. He finally decided to move back to the area permanently. He began farming it the way his grandfather had taught him, without any machines. He grew squash, corn, and tomatoes, and he got a flock of sheep, a milk cow, and some horses. And he wrote about his experiences as a farmer in more than 40 books of poetry, fiction, and essays. His collections of poetry include The Farm (1995) and A Timbered Choir (1998). But he's best known for his essays in books such as The Gift of Good Land (1981), What Are People For? (1990), and Life Is a Miracle: An Essay Against Modern Superstition (2000).
The Writer’s Almanac
http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com
Monday, August 4, 2008
I usually put out the muse on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. If you receive three muses at a time, check the dates. Perhaps you are receiving three different issues rather than three copies of the same issue.
Report: Offshore Aquaculture Would Benefit U.S. Economy
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Aquaculture shows significant economic potential and good prospects for success in the United States, according to a new report commissioned by NOAA. The report by leading fisheries and resource economists and business experts, Offshore Aquaculture in the United States: Economic Considerations, Implications & Opportunities, examined a range of topics on the industry’s potential and found that a significant domestic offshore aquaculture industry could develop and be successful over the next 20 years with a clear regulatory framework.
A primary barrier to developing an offshore aquaculture industry is the lack of a clear regulatory or permitting process to allow seafood farming in federal waters, three to 200 miles offshore. To address that gap, President George W. Bush proposed legislation to give the Department of Commerce the authority to set regulations for this type of marine aquaculture. The legislation, which is currently pending before Congress, would provide a clear regulatory process for businesses and individuals to develop safe, sustainable aquaculture in U.S. federal waters.
Download in sections (PDFs) or as full report (PDF; 2.7 MB).
Employment Situation Summary: July 2008
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
The unemployment rate rose to 5.7 percent, and nonfarm payroll employment continued to trend down in July (-51,000), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor has reported. Employment continued to fall in construction, manufacturing, and several service-providing industries, while health care and mining continued to add jobs. Average hourly earnings rose by 6 cents, or 0.3 percent, over the month.
Justice Department officials vetted potential DOJ employees using the awesome power of the Nexis news database. Here's the search string they used:
[first name of a candidate] and pre/2 [last name of a candidate] w/7 bush or gore or republican! or democrat! or charg! or accus! or criticiz! or blam! or defend! or iran contra or clinton or spotted owl or florida recount or sex! or controvers! or racis! or fraud! or investigat! or bankrupt! or layoff! or downsiz! or PNTR or NAFTA or outsourc! or indict! or enron or kerry or iraq or wmd! or arrest! or intox! or fired or sex! or racis! or intox! or slur! or arrest! or fired or controvers! or abortion! or gay! or homosexual! or gun! or firearm!
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_07/014186.php
Amazon has reached an agreement to acquire AbeBooks, the British Columbia-based online marketplace that has over 110 million titles for sale through its bookseller network. The purchase, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter, will strengthen Amazon's already dominate position in the used book field
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6583489.html?nid=2286&source=title&rid=1192404514
Ten top baby names for 2007 from Social Security Administration
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/
Square breathing technique from Man Camp by Adrienne Brodeur http://www.gotomancamp.com/
breathe in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four
August 2 is the birthday of the Chilean novelist Isabel Allende, (books by this author) born in Lima, Peru, in 1942. Her father was a diplomat to Peru, and his cousin was Salvador Allende, who later became the first elected socialist president of Chile. During those years of the socialist government, Isabel Allende was a popular TV host. Her two shows weren't directly political, but they were about feminism and about challenging the machismo of Chilean culture.
Then on September 11, 1973, a military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte overthrew the government, and Salvador Allende was assassinated. Isabel Allende was put on a wanted list, and she received death threats, so she fled with all her family to Venezuela, where she assumed she could stay for a couple of months and then return. Instead, she remained in exile for 17 years.
While she was in exile in Venezuela, Isabel Allende found out that her beloved grandfather was dying in Chile, and she began to write him a letter. She says that she wrote the letter "to tell him that he could die in peace, because I had all his memories with me and I had not forgotten anything and I began telling him his own anecdotes. And then something happened. I started drifting away from the memory and the past and reality into something that was much richer and fun ... a year later I had a book." And that book was The House of the Spirits (1985). Like all her books, it's rooted in politics and history, but it also uses the techniques of magical realism. She is the author of 17 books.
August 3 is the birthday of the science fiction writer and journalist Clifford Donald Simak, (books by this author) born in 1904 in Millville, Wisconsin. He grew up in rural Wisconsin, and it became the setting for all his science fiction. Simak is called a "pastoral" science fiction writer because instead of alien worlds or epic clashes of technology, he writes about parallel worlds in time and about ordinary farmers and workers living in rural Wisconsin and drinking beer on the porch, who might or might not turn out to be aliens. His most famous work is a collection of short stories called City (1952), in which humans abandon cities for the countryside and eventually abandon Earth, which is left to robots and intelligent dogs.
On August 3, 1492 Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain on his first voyage, the voyage that took him to the Americas. He set off with three ships (Santa MarÃa, Pinta, and Niña) and 90 men. In September, the crew restocked in the Canary Islands and on October 12th, they sighted land—an island in the Bahamas
The Writer’s Almanac
Report: Offshore Aquaculture Would Benefit U.S. Economy
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Aquaculture shows significant economic potential and good prospects for success in the United States, according to a new report commissioned by NOAA. The report by leading fisheries and resource economists and business experts, Offshore Aquaculture in the United States: Economic Considerations, Implications & Opportunities, examined a range of topics on the industry’s potential and found that a significant domestic offshore aquaculture industry could develop and be successful over the next 20 years with a clear regulatory framework.
A primary barrier to developing an offshore aquaculture industry is the lack of a clear regulatory or permitting process to allow seafood farming in federal waters, three to 200 miles offshore. To address that gap, President George W. Bush proposed legislation to give the Department of Commerce the authority to set regulations for this type of marine aquaculture. The legislation, which is currently pending before Congress, would provide a clear regulatory process for businesses and individuals to develop safe, sustainable aquaculture in U.S. federal waters.
Download in sections (PDFs) or as full report (PDF; 2.7 MB).
Employment Situation Summary: July 2008
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
The unemployment rate rose to 5.7 percent, and nonfarm payroll employment continued to trend down in July (-51,000), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor has reported. Employment continued to fall in construction, manufacturing, and several service-providing industries, while health care and mining continued to add jobs. Average hourly earnings rose by 6 cents, or 0.3 percent, over the month.
Justice Department officials vetted potential DOJ employees using the awesome power of the Nexis news database. Here's the search string they used:
[first name of a candidate] and pre/2 [last name of a candidate] w/7 bush or gore or republican! or democrat! or charg! or accus! or criticiz! or blam! or defend! or iran contra or clinton or spotted owl or florida recount or sex! or controvers! or racis! or fraud! or investigat! or bankrupt! or layoff! or downsiz! or PNTR or NAFTA or outsourc! or indict! or enron or kerry or iraq or wmd! or arrest! or intox! or fired or sex! or racis! or intox! or slur! or arrest! or fired or controvers! or abortion! or gay! or homosexual! or gun! or firearm!
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_07/014186.php
Amazon has reached an agreement to acquire AbeBooks, the British Columbia-based online marketplace that has over 110 million titles for sale through its bookseller network. The purchase, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter, will strengthen Amazon's already dominate position in the used book field
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6583489.html?nid=2286&source=title&rid=1192404514
Ten top baby names for 2007 from Social Security Administration
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/
Square breathing technique from Man Camp by Adrienne Brodeur http://www.gotomancamp.com/
breathe in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four
August 2 is the birthday of the Chilean novelist Isabel Allende, (books by this author) born in Lima, Peru, in 1942. Her father was a diplomat to Peru, and his cousin was Salvador Allende, who later became the first elected socialist president of Chile. During those years of the socialist government, Isabel Allende was a popular TV host. Her two shows weren't directly political, but they were about feminism and about challenging the machismo of Chilean culture.
Then on September 11, 1973, a military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte overthrew the government, and Salvador Allende was assassinated. Isabel Allende was put on a wanted list, and she received death threats, so she fled with all her family to Venezuela, where she assumed she could stay for a couple of months and then return. Instead, she remained in exile for 17 years.
While she was in exile in Venezuela, Isabel Allende found out that her beloved grandfather was dying in Chile, and she began to write him a letter. She says that she wrote the letter "to tell him that he could die in peace, because I had all his memories with me and I had not forgotten anything and I began telling him his own anecdotes. And then something happened. I started drifting away from the memory and the past and reality into something that was much richer and fun ... a year later I had a book." And that book was The House of the Spirits (1985). Like all her books, it's rooted in politics and history, but it also uses the techniques of magical realism. She is the author of 17 books.
August 3 is the birthday of the science fiction writer and journalist Clifford Donald Simak, (books by this author) born in 1904 in Millville, Wisconsin. He grew up in rural Wisconsin, and it became the setting for all his science fiction. Simak is called a "pastoral" science fiction writer because instead of alien worlds or epic clashes of technology, he writes about parallel worlds in time and about ordinary farmers and workers living in rural Wisconsin and drinking beer on the porch, who might or might not turn out to be aliens. His most famous work is a collection of short stories called City (1952), in which humans abandon cities for the countryside and eventually abandon Earth, which is left to robots and intelligent dogs.
On August 3, 1492 Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain on his first voyage, the voyage that took him to the Americas. He set off with three ships (Santa MarÃa, Pinta, and Niña) and 90 men. In September, the crew restocked in the Canary Islands and on October 12th, they sighted land—an island in the Bahamas
The Writer’s Almanac
Friday, August 1, 2008
Coming to Shumaker charity sale in Toledo
The Bancroft Strategy by Robert Ludlum ™ hardbound 538 pages
“All footsteps were the same, yet all were different; there were variations in weight and gait, variations in the composition of soles . . . to the trained ear, capable of being distinguished like different voices.”
Robert Ludlum, though deceased, left enough work in progress that his creative legacy continues to build even after his death. This is one of his post-mortem books.
http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews2/0312316739.asp
Flesh and Blood by Jonathan Kellerman hardbound 369 pages
Fifteenth novel featuring Alex Delaware, the crime-solving psychologist
http://www.themysteryreader.com/kellerman-flesh.html
The Innocent Man by John Grisham paperbound 377 pages
Bestseller on murder and injustice
http://bestsellers.about.com/od/nonfictionreviews/gr/innocent_man.htm
Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel paperbound 368 pages
http://mcgoodwin.net/pages/otherbooks/ds_galileodaughter.html
Louis Elzevir , 1540-1617, Dutch printer and bookseller, whose name also appeared as Elsevier or Elzevier
He produced his first book at Leiden in 1583. Under his descendants, the business was continued until 1791. In its best years it was easily the greatest publishing business in the world. The Elzevirs were typically neither printers nor scholars but businessmen. They owned presses and type and employed good editors and printers. Their books were legible and inexpensive. Family owned and operated agencies were established in numerous cities, from Denmark to Italy. The Elzevir types are typically legible and sturdy, rather than elegant, and the books tended to be of small size with narrow margins. Louis's son Bonaventure Elzevir, 1583-1652, and his grandson Abraham Elzevir, 1592-1652, continued and expanded the business. A famous designer of types employed by the Elzevirs was Christopher van Dyck . Roman type such as he designed, known in England and America as "old style" type, is known in Europe as "Elzevir" type.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Elzevir.html
The company’s most dramatic growth at the start of the new millennium was achieved after Harcourt put itself up for sale and most of it was acquired by Reed Elsevier, including an educational publishing group that became a fourth piece in the Reed Elsevier collection (along with Elsevier in science and medicine, LexisNexis in law and Reed Business in trade magazines and exhibitions).
http://www.elsevier.com/framework_aboutus/pdfs/historyofelsevier.pdf
FTC Report Sheds New Light on Food Marketing to Children and Adolescents
News release: The Federal Trade Commission has announced the results of a study on food marketing to children and adolescents. The report, Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents: A Review of Industry Expenditures, Activities, and Self-Regulation [see also Appendices A-F], finds that 44 major food and beverage marketers spent $1.6 billion to promote their products to children under 12 and adolescents ages 12 to 17 in the United States in 2006. The report finds that the landscape of food advertising to youth is dominated by integrated advertising campaigns that combine traditional media, such as television, with previously unmeasured forms of marketing, such as packaging, in-store advertising, sweepstakes, and Internet. These campaigns often involve cross-promotion with a new movie or popular television program. Analyzing this data, the report calls for all food companies “to adopt and adhere to meaningful, nutrition-based standards for marketing their products to children under 12.”
Whole Foods-Wild Oats Merger
In February, 2007, Whole Foods announced its plan to buy smaller rival, Wild Oats, for $565 million. Five months later, the FTC sued to block the deal, saying it would stifle competition in the market for natural and organic groceries. In August, District Judge Paul Friedman denied the FTC’s request to block the deal, concluding that that it had failed to prove that the merger would hurt competition. On July 29, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia reversed Friedman, ruling that Judge Friedman “underestimated the FTC’s likelihood of success on the merits” when he denied the agency’s request. Here’s the opinion. Here’s a Reuters report.
WSJ Law Blog July 29, 2008
Testing the Waters 2008: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): "NRDC's annual survey of water quality and public notification at U.S. beaches finds that pollution caused the number of beach closings and advisories to hit their second-highest level in the 18-year history of the report. The number of 2007 closing and advisory days at ocean, bay, and Great Lakes beaches topped 20,000 for the third consecutive year, confirming that our nation's beaches continue to suffer from serious water pollution that puts swimmers at risk.
Aging and poorly designed sewage and stormwater systems hold much of the blame for beachwater pollution. The number of closing and advisory days due to sewage spills and overflows more than tripled to 4,097 from 2006 to 2007, but the largest known source of pollution continues to be contamination from stormwater, which caused more than 10,000 closing and advisory days in 2007. Unknown sources of pollution caused more than 8,000 closing and advisory days."
Summary of findings
Beach Pollution FAQ
Guide to Finding a Clean Beach
Full Report: Testing the Waters - A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches - Eighteenth Edition, August 2008
Q. What is a Pyrrhic victory?
A. A victory gained at too great a cost--King Pyrrhus of Epirus gained such a victory over the Romans.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/297150.html
August 1 is the birthday of the man who wrote "Call me Ishmael," one of the most famous first lines in literature: Herman Melville, (books by this author) born in New York City, in 1819. When he was 20, he worked as a cabin boy on a ship that went to Liverpool and back, the first of his many voyages. In 1841, he joined the crew of the whaler Acushnet, which sailed around Cape Horn and through the South Pacific. After his travels, he wrote the novel Typee (1946). It was rejected by a Boston publisher, so Melville published it in London, where it became an immediate best seller. He wrote a sequel called Omoo (1847), which was also a big success. He continued to write and publish, but he was never as popular again.
Melville got married and had four children, and the family bought a farm in Massachusetts, where Melville became friends with Nathaniel Hawthorne. Melville was working on Moby-Dick, his story of Captain Ahab's obsessive hunt for the great white whale, and Hawthorne encouraged him to make the novel an allegory, not just an account of whaling.
He was elated when he finished his novel (published in 1851) and considered it his greatest work yet. He wrote to Hawthorne, "I have written a wicked book and feel as spotless as the lamb." Readers didn't like it. His American publisher only printed 3,000 copies, and most of those never even sold; in 1853, a warehouse fire destroyed the plates and the unsold books, and the publisher refused to reset the book or compensate Melville.
He wrote poetry but couldn't find a publisher, so he had to publish it himself. He moved to New York and got a job as a customs inspector on the New York docks. The manuscript of his final work, Billy Budd, was found in his desk after he died. At the time of his death, Melville had been almost completely forgotten, and The New York Times called him "Henry Melville" in his obituary. Moby-Dick is now considered one of the great American novels. He said, "It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation."
The Writer’s Almanac
The Bancroft Strategy by Robert Ludlum ™ hardbound 538 pages
“All footsteps were the same, yet all were different; there were variations in weight and gait, variations in the composition of soles . . . to the trained ear, capable of being distinguished like different voices.”
Robert Ludlum, though deceased, left enough work in progress that his creative legacy continues to build even after his death. This is one of his post-mortem books.
http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews2/0312316739.asp
Flesh and Blood by Jonathan Kellerman hardbound 369 pages
Fifteenth novel featuring Alex Delaware, the crime-solving psychologist
http://www.themysteryreader.com/kellerman-flesh.html
The Innocent Man by John Grisham paperbound 377 pages
Bestseller on murder and injustice
http://bestsellers.about.com/od/nonfictionreviews/gr/innocent_man.htm
Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel paperbound 368 pages
http://mcgoodwin.net/pages/otherbooks/ds_galileodaughter.html
Louis Elzevir , 1540-1617, Dutch printer and bookseller, whose name also appeared as Elsevier or Elzevier
He produced his first book at Leiden in 1583. Under his descendants, the business was continued until 1791. In its best years it was easily the greatest publishing business in the world. The Elzevirs were typically neither printers nor scholars but businessmen. They owned presses and type and employed good editors and printers. Their books were legible and inexpensive. Family owned and operated agencies were established in numerous cities, from Denmark to Italy. The Elzevir types are typically legible and sturdy, rather than elegant, and the books tended to be of small size with narrow margins. Louis's son Bonaventure Elzevir, 1583-1652, and his grandson Abraham Elzevir, 1592-1652, continued and expanded the business. A famous designer of types employed by the Elzevirs was Christopher van Dyck . Roman type such as he designed, known in England and America as "old style" type, is known in Europe as "Elzevir" type.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Elzevir.html
The company’s most dramatic growth at the start of the new millennium was achieved after Harcourt put itself up for sale and most of it was acquired by Reed Elsevier, including an educational publishing group that became a fourth piece in the Reed Elsevier collection (along with Elsevier in science and medicine, LexisNexis in law and Reed Business in trade magazines and exhibitions).
http://www.elsevier.com/framework_aboutus/pdfs/historyofelsevier.pdf
FTC Report Sheds New Light on Food Marketing to Children and Adolescents
News release: The Federal Trade Commission has announced the results of a study on food marketing to children and adolescents. The report, Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents: A Review of Industry Expenditures, Activities, and Self-Regulation [see also Appendices A-F], finds that 44 major food and beverage marketers spent $1.6 billion to promote their products to children under 12 and adolescents ages 12 to 17 in the United States in 2006. The report finds that the landscape of food advertising to youth is dominated by integrated advertising campaigns that combine traditional media, such as television, with previously unmeasured forms of marketing, such as packaging, in-store advertising, sweepstakes, and Internet. These campaigns often involve cross-promotion with a new movie or popular television program. Analyzing this data, the report calls for all food companies “to adopt and adhere to meaningful, nutrition-based standards for marketing their products to children under 12.”
Whole Foods-Wild Oats Merger
In February, 2007, Whole Foods announced its plan to buy smaller rival, Wild Oats, for $565 million. Five months later, the FTC sued to block the deal, saying it would stifle competition in the market for natural and organic groceries. In August, District Judge Paul Friedman denied the FTC’s request to block the deal, concluding that that it had failed to prove that the merger would hurt competition. On July 29, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia reversed Friedman, ruling that Judge Friedman “underestimated the FTC’s likelihood of success on the merits” when he denied the agency’s request. Here’s the opinion. Here’s a Reuters report.
WSJ Law Blog July 29, 2008
Testing the Waters 2008: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): "NRDC's annual survey of water quality and public notification at U.S. beaches finds that pollution caused the number of beach closings and advisories to hit their second-highest level in the 18-year history of the report. The number of 2007 closing and advisory days at ocean, bay, and Great Lakes beaches topped 20,000 for the third consecutive year, confirming that our nation's beaches continue to suffer from serious water pollution that puts swimmers at risk.
Aging and poorly designed sewage and stormwater systems hold much of the blame for beachwater pollution. The number of closing and advisory days due to sewage spills and overflows more than tripled to 4,097 from 2006 to 2007, but the largest known source of pollution continues to be contamination from stormwater, which caused more than 10,000 closing and advisory days in 2007. Unknown sources of pollution caused more than 8,000 closing and advisory days."
Summary of findings
Beach Pollution FAQ
Guide to Finding a Clean Beach
Full Report: Testing the Waters - A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches - Eighteenth Edition, August 2008
Q. What is a Pyrrhic victory?
A. A victory gained at too great a cost--King Pyrrhus of Epirus gained such a victory over the Romans.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/297150.html
August 1 is the birthday of the man who wrote "Call me Ishmael," one of the most famous first lines in literature: Herman Melville, (books by this author) born in New York City, in 1819. When he was 20, he worked as a cabin boy on a ship that went to Liverpool and back, the first of his many voyages. In 1841, he joined the crew of the whaler Acushnet, which sailed around Cape Horn and through the South Pacific. After his travels, he wrote the novel Typee (1946). It was rejected by a Boston publisher, so Melville published it in London, where it became an immediate best seller. He wrote a sequel called Omoo (1847), which was also a big success. He continued to write and publish, but he was never as popular again.
Melville got married and had four children, and the family bought a farm in Massachusetts, where Melville became friends with Nathaniel Hawthorne. Melville was working on Moby-Dick, his story of Captain Ahab's obsessive hunt for the great white whale, and Hawthorne encouraged him to make the novel an allegory, not just an account of whaling.
He was elated when he finished his novel (published in 1851) and considered it his greatest work yet. He wrote to Hawthorne, "I have written a wicked book and feel as spotless as the lamb." Readers didn't like it. His American publisher only printed 3,000 copies, and most of those never even sold; in 1853, a warehouse fire destroyed the plates and the unsold books, and the publisher refused to reset the book or compensate Melville.
He wrote poetry but couldn't find a publisher, so he had to publish it himself. He moved to New York and got a job as a customs inspector on the New York docks. The manuscript of his final work, Billy Budd, was found in his desk after he died. At the time of his death, Melville had been almost completely forgotten, and The New York Times called him "Henry Melville" in his obituary. Moby-Dick is now considered one of the great American novels. He said, "It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation."
The Writer’s Almanac
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