I mentioned last week that West put out an ad stating that if you know your librarian on a first name basis, you may be spending too much time in the library. Years before, Lexis--West’s arch-rival in the computerized legal research field--put out a full page ad showing a library sinking into water. Electronic research is wonderful, but there are times when your best resource may be a person.

The hard truth about ice in central Virginia
Cold air damming is a frequent feature of winter weather in Central Virginia. Cold air draining down from the north is trapped in by the mountains to the west of the Richmond region, confining that air just west of the I-95 corridor. Warm air then lifts in from the south and overruns the cold air, leading to a wintry mix.
http://www.theweatherprediction.com/weatherpapers/080/index.html

Rita’s Julia story and her salmon story
I was under deadline for this column and the subject was cooking with wine. On a whim, I called Julia and, of course, she was "out" but the secretary said she'd give her the message. About a half hour later the phone rang and when I picked up the phone and said hello, the voice that said hello back was ... Julia's! She was so nice, answered every question, and then just asked about my family and me. We talked for a total of 30 minutes, 10 of which was professional and the rest was personal. And guess what? She even sent me a signed thank you note.

Perfectly grilled salmon
The 70/30 rule applies to any seafood on the grill. Have the grill hot, lightly brush both sides of the fish with oil, and start grilling skin side up with the grill closed as much as possible. (Or just put a disposable pan over the fish). Leave it alone until about 70 percent of the fish is done on the first side. You'll know it by the looks and also if it will release easily. This allows the fish to form a nice crust. Turn it and finish cooking. The rule seven to 10 minutes per inch of thickness works well, too.
http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/20090826/LIFE04/908260304/Mastering+the+art+of+salmon+grilling
Rita’s blog http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=blog08

Redundant adjectives:
• advance planning
• close proximity
• end product, result
• first priority
• general rule
• hot-water heater
• integral part
• major breakthrough
• new beginning
• past history
• root cause
• separate entities
• temporary reprieve
• total annihilation, destruction
See redundant nouns, prepositions, adverbs and phrases at:
http://languagerules.wordpress.com/2006/09/16/close-proximity-isnt-close-to-correct/

What is viral marketing?
The buzzwords viral marketing and viral advertising refer to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_marketing
A technique aiming at reproducing "word of mouth", usually on the internet or by e-mail, for humorous, political or marketing purposes
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/viral_marketing
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&defl=en&q=define:Viral+marketing&ei=TVqVSsHzC42GMaPc3PkH&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title

A 17-year-old Briton became the youngest person to sail round the globe single-handed on August 26, 2009 after nine months at sea. Mike Perham suffered knockdowns and damage to his yacht during the 24,000-mile (38,700-km) trip and the teenager from Hertfordshire, southern England, said he was now looking forward to a “good meal and a very good night's sleep.” http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE57Q2V220090827

Christopher Bird of Cambridge University and a colleague exposed rooks to a 6-inch-tall clear plastic tube containing water, with a worm on its surface. In a series of tests, the four rooks named Cook, Fry, Connelly and Monroe were offered a tempting treat–a juicy worm floating on the surface of water in a vertical tube. To start with, the worm was out of reach. Videos of the experiments show the birds examining the tube from different angles, appearing to think the problem through. Then the researchers provide a solution in the form of a handful of pebbles. The rooks can be seen picking up the stones and dropping them into the tube to raise the water level and bring the worm within reach.
Cook and Fry succeeded straight away, while Connelly and Monroe took two attempts.
The birds appeared to estimate how many pebbles were needed from the outset. Rather than try for the worm after each stone was dropped, they waited until the time seemed right. They also selected larger stones over smaller ones, for greater effect. In other experiments, the rooks quickly understood that sawdust cannot be displaced in the same way as water. Rooks and crows both belong to the corvid family.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2009/0807/1224252151840.html
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/08/06/crow-water-stones.html

smalto noun colored glass or enamel used in mosaic
from Italian smalto (enamel, glaze), related to smelt (to melt)
A.Word.A.Day

August 31 is the birthday of Maria Montessori, (books by this author) born on this day in Chiaravalle, Italy (1870). She was a bright student, and she wanted to study engineering, so when she was 13, against her father's wishes she entered a technical school, where all her classmates were boys. After a few years, she decided to pursue medicine, and she became the first woman in Italy to earn a medical degree. It was so unheard of for a woman to go to medical school that she had to get the approval of the pope in order to study there. The Writer’s Almanac