On March 29, Google darkened its home page in the United States to alert people to Earth Hour http://www10.earthhourus.org/. Earth Hour, created by World Wildlife Fund, urged people to turn off the lights for one hour at 8 p.m. local time to illustrate a commitment to conservation.
NPR: San Francisco Plastic Bag Ban Interests Other Cities
San Francisco Plastic Bag Ban Interests Other Cities, by David Gorn: "In San Francisco, the age-old question "Paper or plastic?" was answered one year ago this week. The city banned hard-to-recycle plastic bags in grocery stores, and so far, that translates into 5 million fewer plastic bags every month. Now, other cities are considering similar bans, and companies are developing alternatives to disposable bags."
About the San Francisco Plastic Bag Ban
San Francisco Plastic Bag Ordinance
Oldest Voice Recording, A French Folksong
A 10-second version of "Au Clair De La Lune," now archived online, is said to predate Thomas Edison's Manhattan railroad sounds. A group of researchers has played what is thought to be the oldest recording of a human voice.
The recording played on March 27 predates Thomas Edison's invention of the phonograph (previously thought to have recorded the first sound) by 17 years. It captured about 10 seconds of the French folksong "Au Clair De La Lune" on April 9, 1860.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207000451
Can a sound be protected? Yes. The NBC broken chord with chimes was officially registered with the U.S. Patent Office in 1950 as a registered service mark, the first known case of a sound receiving trademark protection. They were last heard regularly on NBC television in 1976, used to mark the 50th anniversary of the network.
http://www.oldradio.com/archives/stations/sf/chimes.htm
The middle chime is the shortest indicating that it is the highest note.
Serial Number : 72-349496Type of Mark: SERVICE MARKMark Drawing Code: (6) NO DRAWING
Description of Mark: THE MARK COMPRISES A SEQUENCE OF CHIME-LIKE MUSICAL NOTES WHICH ARE IN THE KEY OF C AND SOUNDED THE NOTES G, E, C, THE "G" BEING THE ONE JUST BELOW MIDDLE C, THE "E" THE ONE JUST ABOVE MIDDLE C, AND THE "C" BEING MIDDLE C, THEREBY TO IDENTIFY APPLICANT'S BROADCAST SERVICE.
Owner Name: NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMPANY, INC., THEOwner Address: 30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA NEW YORK NEW YORK10112 CORPORATION DELAWARE 9
http://www.radioremembered.org/chimes.htm
history and sound clips at above link
Authenticated Public and Private Laws
GPO is pleased to announce the release of Authenticated Public and Private Laws for the 110th Congress on GPO Access: "Public and private laws are prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). GPO Access contains the text of public and private laws enacted from the 104th Congress to the present. The database for the current session of Congress is updated when the publication of a slip law is authorized by OFR. Documents are available as ASCII text and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files."
FTC Announces Settlement of Action Against Data Brokers Reed Elsevier and Seisint for Failing to Provide Adequate Security for Consumers' Data
News release: "In the FTC’s action against data brokers Reed Elsevier (REI) and Seisint, the complaint alleges that REI - through its LexisNexis data broker business - and Seisint collect and store in databases information about millions of consumers, including names, current and prior addresses, dates of birth, drivers license numbers and Social Security numbers. They obtain information about consumers from credit reporting agencies and other sources, and sell products customers use online to find and retrieve the information from their databases. The companies relied on user IDs and passwords (or “user credentials”) to control customer access to consumer information in their databases."
In the Matter of Reed Elsevier Inc. and Seisint, Inc., FTC File No. 052-3094
Wistful
by Donna Dean
Wherefore art thou, spring aborning?
Thou hast left me sad and mourning.
In the north I suffer longer
Waiting for the cold to flounder
Would thou find your way up North
Spreading warmth and bringing forth
Sunshine, flowers, color plenty
lifting spirits for so many
Bringing hope and giving freedom
From this trap that is not Eden.
On March 31, 1889, the Eiffel Tower was inaugurated in Paris. It was built for the Paris Exposition as part of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, and also as a demonstration of the structural capabilities of iron.
The tower elicited strong reactions after its opening. A petition of 300 names, including writers Guy de Maupassant, Émile Zola, and Alexandre Dumas the younger, was sent to the city government protesting its construction. The petition read, "We, the writers, painters, sculptors, architects, and lovers of the beauty of Paris, do protest with all our vigor and all our indignation, in the name of French taste and endangered French art and history, against the useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower."
On March 31, 1836 Charles Dickens began publishing his first novel, (books by this author) The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.
The Writer’s Almanac
Mezzmerize (419/891-0800), a Mediterranean restaurant specializing in Lebanese food opened last week at the northeast corner of Dussel Drive and Holland Road in Maumee, Ohio. The interior has unusual lighting, glass, stone and marble, with faux finishes by Toledo artist Beth Covert. When you enter, look up to see fantastic Chihuly-like glass pieces suspended high above. Visit a regular bar, a wine bar, or be seated in one of several dining rooms. The food is wonderful with a chef providing the breads and pizza crusts, and you can get small or large portions. Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Owner Sam Bazzi and his staff will strive to provide excellent food and service.
http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
I seriously cleaned my oven this morning for the first time in about 20 years. It went well. It helped that I put a bowl of vinegar and water in the oven overnight to loosen the goop.
The snow is twinkling down—we’ve had close to 60 inches of sparkly stuff this past season. But let’s think about April because
April is National Poetry Month (NPM)
http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/41
see list of events and frequently asked questions
Ways to celebrate
Memorize a poem
Recite a poem to family and friends
Organize a poetry reading
Put a poem in a letter
Eye/visual/sight rhyme looks like it rhymes but doesn’t
love, move height, weight
If the words look different, but actually rhyme, what shall we call it? Ear rhyme?
thyme, rime honey, funny
Near rhyme assonance, the repetition of identical vowel sounds in words
deep green sea
Poetry example: The Bells by Edgar Allen Poe
Eye Rhymes: Visual Art and Manuscripts of Sylvia Plath
another meaning is used for eye rhyme here
http://www.homepages.indiana.edu/092702/text/plath2.html
Symphonic diplomacy http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/world/asia/27symphony.html
When the New York Philharmonic played the opening notes of “Arirang,” a beloved Korean folk song, a murmur rippled through the audience. Many in the audience perched forward in their seats. The “Arirang” rendition also proved moving for the orchestra’s eight members of Korean origin. “It brought tears to my eyes,” said Michelle Kim, a violinist whose parents moved from the North to Seoul, South Korea, during the Korean War.
Select recordings of Arirang here
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=philharmonic+korea+arirang&spell=1
Jane's Information Services Ranks 50 Most Stable and Prosperous Countries in the World
UK Times Online: "A one-year investigation and analysis of 235 countries by Jane's Information Services has put the UK joint seventh in the premier league of nations with the US at 22nd and Switzerland, normally associated with wealth and untouchable stability, is rated 17th. Here is the full list..."
Richard Widmark (1914-2008) was born in Sunrise, Minnesota and graduated from high school in Princeton, Illinois as senior class president. On a full scholarship at Lake Forest College in Illinois, he played end on the football team, took third place in a state oratory contest, starred in plays and was, again, senior class president. Graduating in 1936, he spent two years as an instructor in the Lake Forest drama department while acting in stage productions.
Then he headed to New York City, where a classmate was producing 15-minute radio soap operas and cast Mr. Widmark in a variety of roles. After a successful 10 years as a radio actor, Mr. Widmark tried the movies with “Kiss of Death,” which was being filmed in New York. He was originally turned down for the role by the director, Henry Hathaway, who told him that he was too clean cut and intellectual for the part. It was Darryl F. Zanuck, the Fox studio head, who, after watching Mr. Widmark’s screen test, insisted that he be given the part.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/arts/27widmark.html?ref=obituaries
Social Security's Financial Outlook: The 2008 Update in Perspective
Related to this posting today, Social Security Trustees Release 2008 Annual Report, a new report, Social Security's Financial Outlook: The 2008 Update in Perspective, by Alicia H. Munnell, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.
"The Trustees of the Social Security system have just issued the 2008 projections for the system over the next 75 years. The report contains two surprises. First, the 75-year deficit dropped to 1.70 percent of taxable payrolls from the roughly 2 percent it has been for the last 14 years. The decline was driven primarily by a change in the way Social Security projects immigration. Although the Trustees still project that the trust fund will be exhausted in 2041, the improved outlook enables scheduled payroll taxes to cover more than three-quarters of promised benefits after that point. The second noteworthy difference between this report and earlier ones is that it has not been signed by any public trustees. But this omission reflects a failure with the political process, not with the program itself."
To your health Energy Drink
Cool water that you have cooked vegetables in. Use as a drink or use in sauces, soups, stews, gravies.
Variation: Cool pasta water and water plants or use in soup—especially good with bean soup.
http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com
The snow is twinkling down—we’ve had close to 60 inches of sparkly stuff this past season. But let’s think about April because
April is National Poetry Month (NPM)
http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/41
see list of events and frequently asked questions
Ways to celebrate
Memorize a poem
Recite a poem to family and friends
Organize a poetry reading
Put a poem in a letter
Eye/visual/sight rhyme looks like it rhymes but doesn’t
love, move height, weight
If the words look different, but actually rhyme, what shall we call it? Ear rhyme?
thyme, rime honey, funny
Near rhyme assonance, the repetition of identical vowel sounds in words
deep green sea
Poetry example: The Bells by Edgar Allen Poe
Eye Rhymes: Visual Art and Manuscripts of Sylvia Plath
another meaning is used for eye rhyme here
http://www.homepages.indiana.edu/092702/text/plath2.html
Symphonic diplomacy http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/world/asia/27symphony.html
When the New York Philharmonic played the opening notes of “Arirang,” a beloved Korean folk song, a murmur rippled through the audience. Many in the audience perched forward in their seats. The “Arirang” rendition also proved moving for the orchestra’s eight members of Korean origin. “It brought tears to my eyes,” said Michelle Kim, a violinist whose parents moved from the North to Seoul, South Korea, during the Korean War.
Select recordings of Arirang here
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=philharmonic+korea+arirang&spell=1
Jane's Information Services Ranks 50 Most Stable and Prosperous Countries in the World
UK Times Online: "A one-year investigation and analysis of 235 countries by Jane's Information Services has put the UK joint seventh in the premier league of nations with the US at 22nd and Switzerland, normally associated with wealth and untouchable stability, is rated 17th. Here is the full list..."
Richard Widmark (1914-2008) was born in Sunrise, Minnesota and graduated from high school in Princeton, Illinois as senior class president. On a full scholarship at Lake Forest College in Illinois, he played end on the football team, took third place in a state oratory contest, starred in plays and was, again, senior class president. Graduating in 1936, he spent two years as an instructor in the Lake Forest drama department while acting in stage productions.
Then he headed to New York City, where a classmate was producing 15-minute radio soap operas and cast Mr. Widmark in a variety of roles. After a successful 10 years as a radio actor, Mr. Widmark tried the movies with “Kiss of Death,” which was being filmed in New York. He was originally turned down for the role by the director, Henry Hathaway, who told him that he was too clean cut and intellectual for the part. It was Darryl F. Zanuck, the Fox studio head, who, after watching Mr. Widmark’s screen test, insisted that he be given the part.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/arts/27widmark.html?ref=obituaries
Social Security's Financial Outlook: The 2008 Update in Perspective
Related to this posting today, Social Security Trustees Release 2008 Annual Report, a new report, Social Security's Financial Outlook: The 2008 Update in Perspective, by Alicia H. Munnell, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.
"The Trustees of the Social Security system have just issued the 2008 projections for the system over the next 75 years. The report contains two surprises. First, the 75-year deficit dropped to 1.70 percent of taxable payrolls from the roughly 2 percent it has been for the last 14 years. The decline was driven primarily by a change in the way Social Security projects immigration. Although the Trustees still project that the trust fund will be exhausted in 2041, the improved outlook enables scheduled payroll taxes to cover more than three-quarters of promised benefits after that point. The second noteworthy difference between this report and earlier ones is that it has not been signed by any public trustees. But this omission reflects a failure with the political process, not with the program itself."
To your health Energy Drink
Cool water that you have cooked vegetables in. Use as a drink or use in sauces, soups, stews, gravies.
Variation: Cool pasta water and water plants or use in soup—especially good with bean soup.
http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com
Thursday, March 27, 2008
U.S. International Reserve Position
March 26, 2008 U.S. International Reserve Position: "The Treasury Department today released U.S. reserve assets data for the latest week. As indicated in this table, U.S. reserve assets totaled $75,146 million as of the end of that week, compared to $75,366 million as of the end of the prior week."
Morals to a Japanese tale where the stonecutter is granted all his wishes
The grass is not greener on the other side.
There are two sides to every story.
There’s no place like home.
Be careful what you wish for.
Can you think of others?
National Data Center Energy Efficiency Information Program
"The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have initiated a joint national data center energy efficiency information program. The program coordinates a wide variety of activities from the DOE Industrial Technologies Program Save Energy Now initiative, the DOE Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), and the EPA ENERGY STAR program. The following Fact Sheets summarize ongoing efforts at DOE and EPA to provide information, tools, and resources to owners and operators of data centers to assist in their efforts to reduce energy consumption in their buildings. They also provide links to a wide variety of organizations outside of the Federal government that can be of help in your efforts to improve energy efficiency."
Fact Sheet for the National Data Center Energy Efficiency Information Program (10 pages, PDF)
Short fact sheet (2 pages, PDF)
Editing rules
Verbs has to agree with their subjects.Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat)Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.One-word sentences? Eliminate.If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.Who needs rhetorical questions?Proofread carefully to see if you any words out. (You will see examples of this in headlines and text of The Blade frequently.)
Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
Q. What do lamb, limb and jamb have in common?
A. The last letter in each word is silent.
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
http://www.irazoo.com/InterestingTopics/President's-Council-on-Physical-Fitness-and-Sports.aspx
Click on #4 to register for the President’s Challenge—registration is open through April 3.
History of the fitness program from 1956-2006
http://www.fitness.gov/50thanniversary/The%20First%20Fifty%20Years.pdf
Executive Orders about the President’s Council
CharterNotice of RenewalExecutive Order 13446 Executive Order 13385 Executive Order 13316 Executive Order 13265Executive Order 13225Executive Order 13138Executive Order 12694Executive Order 12539Executive Order 12399Executive Order 12345
Exercise to music as they did in 1961
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chicken+fat&search_type=
Federal Reserve Study Reveals Biggest Share of Checks Are Consumer to Business
News release: "The Federal Reserve’s 2007 study of the composition of the check market released today shows that nearly 50 percent of checks written are consumer-to-business checks. The Check Sample Study reports on the composition of the check market based on responses from nine large financial institutions that together account for about one quarter of total U.S. paid check volume. The study, which categorizes the use of checks by payer, payee, and purpose, is the third component of the 2007 Federal Reserve Payments Study. Results of the first two components of the study were released December 10, 2007."
"The 2007 Federal Reserve Payments Study is part of an ongoing effort by the Federal Reserve System to measure and analyze trends in noncash payments in the United States. It consists of three individual studies: the Check Sample Study (2007 CS study), the Depository Institutions Payments Study
Saga continues
Yes, our house reconstruction is almost complete. A few setbacks: We forgot to remove a clock from a wall and it fell off and broke during hammering. We ordered a cabinet made to be 8 inches deep .It arrived 13 inches deep. The plastic tube to our ice maker broke and flooded the kitchen and basement. After repair, it broke again and we had a second flood. The ice maker is removed now, and I don’t intend to ever get another. Workers picked up the cabinet and brought a correctly-sized replacement. They said they had no idea why the first cabinet was the wrong size.
http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com/
March 26, 2008 U.S. International Reserve Position: "The Treasury Department today released U.S. reserve assets data for the latest week. As indicated in this table, U.S. reserve assets totaled $75,146 million as of the end of that week, compared to $75,366 million as of the end of the prior week."
Morals to a Japanese tale where the stonecutter is granted all his wishes
The grass is not greener on the other side.
There are two sides to every story.
There’s no place like home.
Be careful what you wish for.
Can you think of others?
National Data Center Energy Efficiency Information Program
"The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have initiated a joint national data center energy efficiency information program. The program coordinates a wide variety of activities from the DOE Industrial Technologies Program Save Energy Now initiative, the DOE Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), and the EPA ENERGY STAR program. The following Fact Sheets summarize ongoing efforts at DOE and EPA to provide information, tools, and resources to owners and operators of data centers to assist in their efforts to reduce energy consumption in their buildings. They also provide links to a wide variety of organizations outside of the Federal government that can be of help in your efforts to improve energy efficiency."
Fact Sheet for the National Data Center Energy Efficiency Information Program (10 pages, PDF)
Short fact sheet (2 pages, PDF)
Editing rules
Verbs has to agree with their subjects.Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat)Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.One-word sentences? Eliminate.If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.Who needs rhetorical questions?Proofread carefully to see if you any words out. (You will see examples of this in headlines and text of The Blade frequently.)
Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
Q. What do lamb, limb and jamb have in common?
A. The last letter in each word is silent.
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
http://www.irazoo.com/InterestingTopics/President's-Council-on-Physical-Fitness-and-Sports.aspx
Click on #4 to register for the President’s Challenge—registration is open through April 3.
History of the fitness program from 1956-2006
http://www.fitness.gov/50thanniversary/The%20First%20Fifty%20Years.pdf
Executive Orders about the President’s Council
CharterNotice of RenewalExecutive Order 13446 Executive Order 13385 Executive Order 13316 Executive Order 13265Executive Order 13225Executive Order 13138Executive Order 12694Executive Order 12539Executive Order 12399Executive Order 12345
Exercise to music as they did in 1961
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chicken+fat&search_type=
Federal Reserve Study Reveals Biggest Share of Checks Are Consumer to Business
News release: "The Federal Reserve’s 2007 study of the composition of the check market released today shows that nearly 50 percent of checks written are consumer-to-business checks. The Check Sample Study reports on the composition of the check market based on responses from nine large financial institutions that together account for about one quarter of total U.S. paid check volume. The study, which categorizes the use of checks by payer, payee, and purpose, is the third component of the 2007 Federal Reserve Payments Study. Results of the first two components of the study were released December 10, 2007."
"The 2007 Federal Reserve Payments Study is part of an ongoing effort by the Federal Reserve System to measure and analyze trends in noncash payments in the United States. It consists of three individual studies: the Check Sample Study (2007 CS study), the Depository Institutions Payments Study
Saga continues
Yes, our house reconstruction is almost complete. A few setbacks: We forgot to remove a clock from a wall and it fell off and broke during hammering. We ordered a cabinet made to be 8 inches deep .It arrived 13 inches deep. The plastic tube to our ice maker broke and flooded the kitchen and basement. After repair, it broke again and we had a second flood. The ice maker is removed now, and I don’t intend to ever get another. Workers picked up the cabinet and brought a correctly-sized replacement. They said they had no idea why the first cabinet was the wrong size.
http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Tiny Plasma Lightbulb Promises Strong Illumination Without Mercury Problems
Follow up to March 20, 2008 posting, Energy Efficient Compact Fluorescent Bulbs Require Proper Disposal Procedures - this interesting news: The lightbulb of the future? Luxim's plasma lightbulb - "Silicon Valley's Luxim has developed a lightbulb the size of a Tic Tac that gives off as much light as a streetlight. News.com's Michael Kanellos talks to the company about its technology and its plans to expand into various markets."
Related postings on energy efficiency
Paperless Existence Still an Illusion - At Work and at Home
Still Seeking a Truly Digital Life - Analysis: "The French call it 'dematerialization' but the search for a paperless existence continues to elude even technophiles." Peter Sayer, IDG News Service.
FDIC State Profiles - Fourth Quarter 2007
FDIC State Profiles - Fourth Quarter 2007, last updated March 21, 2008.
A stonecutter’s wishes area all granted. What is the moral of this tale?
Oh, if only I were a rich man. He became one, but envied a prince.
Oh, if I were only a prince. But the sun was mightier, and scorched his grass.
Oh, if I were only the sun. But the clouds came between him and the earth.
Oh, that I were a cloud. The cloud’s rain destroyed towns and villages, but not rocks.
Oh, if I were only the rock. A stonecutter came and cut off great blocks.
Oh, if I were only a man. He became a man again and toiled mightily, but he was satisfied.
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/japan.html
For lexophiles and punophiles
A backward poet writes inverse.A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France resulted in Linoleum Blownapart.Local Area Network in Australia : The LAN down under.He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.A calendar's days are numbered.A boiled egg is hard to beat.Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.Acupuncture: a jab well done
To your health Circles Salad
Wheel-shaped pasta, cooked and drained
Vegetables such as radishes, carrots, leeks zucchini and cucumbers, sliced in circles
Salad dressing
Mix ingredients together and serve at room temperature, or refrigerate and serve chilled.
Variation: Circles and Chunks Salad Add chunks of cheese, meat or croutons.
White Easter
If you live in northwest Ohio, you may want to see the massive rabbit sculpted from snow located on the south side of Sylvania Avenue between Centennial and King Roads. The snow rabbit is positioned seated with long human-like legs going forward.
http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com/
Follow up to March 20, 2008 posting, Energy Efficient Compact Fluorescent Bulbs Require Proper Disposal Procedures - this interesting news: The lightbulb of the future? Luxim's plasma lightbulb - "Silicon Valley's Luxim has developed a lightbulb the size of a Tic Tac that gives off as much light as a streetlight. News.com's Michael Kanellos talks to the company about its technology and its plans to expand into various markets."
Related postings on energy efficiency
Paperless Existence Still an Illusion - At Work and at Home
Still Seeking a Truly Digital Life - Analysis: "The French call it 'dematerialization' but the search for a paperless existence continues to elude even technophiles." Peter Sayer, IDG News Service.
FDIC State Profiles - Fourth Quarter 2007
FDIC State Profiles - Fourth Quarter 2007, last updated March 21, 2008.
A stonecutter’s wishes area all granted. What is the moral of this tale?
Oh, if only I were a rich man. He became one, but envied a prince.
Oh, if I were only a prince. But the sun was mightier, and scorched his grass.
Oh, if I were only the sun. But the clouds came between him and the earth.
Oh, that I were a cloud. The cloud’s rain destroyed towns and villages, but not rocks.
Oh, if I were only the rock. A stonecutter came and cut off great blocks.
Oh, if I were only a man. He became a man again and toiled mightily, but he was satisfied.
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/japan.html
For lexophiles and punophiles
A backward poet writes inverse.A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France resulted in Linoleum Blownapart.Local Area Network in Australia : The LAN down under.He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.A calendar's days are numbered.A boiled egg is hard to beat.Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.Acupuncture: a jab well done
To your health Circles Salad
Wheel-shaped pasta, cooked and drained
Vegetables such as radishes, carrots, leeks zucchini and cucumbers, sliced in circles
Salad dressing
Mix ingredients together and serve at room temperature, or refrigerate and serve chilled.
Variation: Circles and Chunks Salad Add chunks of cheese, meat or croutons.
White Easter
If you live in northwest Ohio, you may want to see the massive rabbit sculpted from snow located on the south side of Sylvania Avenue between Centennial and King Roads. The snow rabbit is positioned seated with long human-like legs going forward.
http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com/
Monday, March 24, 2008
Energy Efficient Compact Fluorescent Bulbs Require Proper Disposal Procedures
Shining a light on fluorescent bulbs - Energy-efficient coils booming, but disposal of mercury poses problems. By Alex Johnson, MSNBC: "Compact fluorescent light bulbs, long touted by environmentalists as a more efficient and longer-lasting alternative to the incandescent bulbs that have lighted homes for more than a century, are running into resistance from waste industry officials and some environmental scientists, who warn that the bulbs' poisonous innards pose a bigger threat to health and the environment than previously thought."
EPA: What to Do if a Fluorescent Light Bulb Breaks 12 step procedure
Maine Compact Fluorescent Lamp Breakage Study Report, February 2008
Interviews of United States Supreme Court Justices
In Series of Videos, Supreme Court Justices Make Their Case - Justices' candid observations and pet peeves spill forth in legal writing guru Bryan Garner's video interviews. Legal Times, Tony Mauro March 11, 2008.
"...the collection of videos on LawProse.org were shot at the Supreme Court and they star eight of the nine justices speaking passionately, sarcastically, angrily, into the camera as they answer questions about brief writing, oral advocacy and their own love-hate relationships with the written word. Their interviewer, legal writing guru Bryan Garner, quietly posted the eight videos on the Web site in January. Garner has interviewed dozens of judges, lawyers and writers over the years, seeking video clips for use in his profitable legal writing seminars. But he realized the interviews with the justices, conducted a year ago or more, were a unique treasure that he should not profit from, so he put them up without restriction, editing, fee or fanfare."
The phrase it's all greek to me comes from a translation of the Latin Graecum in the medieval phrase Graecum est; non potest legi—literally, "It is Greek; it cannot be read."
M-W Word for the Wise
FTC Issues 2008 Fair Debt Collection Practices Report to CongressSource: Federal Trade Commission
Issuance of Commission report to Congress: The Commission has authorized the staff to release publicly the 30th Annual Report to Congress on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). This report, which is available now on the FTC’s Web site, summarizes the Commission’s administration and enforcement of the FDCPA during 2007. It presents an overview of the types of consumer complaints received by the Commission, descriptions of the Commission’s debt-collection law enforcement actions, and a summary of the Commission’s consumer and industry education initiatives. The FDCPA prohibits deceptive, unfair, and abusive practices by third-party debt collectors. Section 815 of the FDCPA requires the Commission to submit annual reports to Congress. The Commission vote to issue the report was 5-0.
+ Federal Trade Commission Enforcement of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act: The Thirtieth Annual Report to Congress: The Types of Consumer Complaints Received, Commission Debt Collection Enforcement Actions, and Commission Consumer and Industry Education Initiatives In 2007 (PDF; 138 KB)
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Optimizing a Personal Wine CellarSource: Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Center for Hospitality Research
This report takes what we believe to be the first scientific approach to optimizing a personal wine cellar. We identify the key factors related to optimizing a personal cellar: performance metrics, such as drinking the best possible wine; constraints, such as budget and cellar capacity; and decisions, specifically what to buy and when to consume the purchased wines. We describe the Personal Wine Cellar Optimizer, which is a tool designed to identify the optimum cellar management plan. This report is cosponsored by The Vance A. Christian Beverage Management Center, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.
+ Full Report (PDF; 862 KB)
Free registration required.
Permalink
Tips for green living
http://www.idealbite.com/
daily e-mails available--example from idealbite:
Except with fish, salt, and water--which can't be organic
· A "100% organic" label means the product is entirely organic.
· An "organic" label means the product ingredients are at least 95% organic.
· A "made with/contains organic ingredients" means the ingredients are at least 70% organic.
· An "all natural" claim means zilch.
March 22 is a big day for birthdays
Two famous musical composers, Stephen Sondheim born in New York City (1930) and Andrew Lloyd Webber born in London (1948).
Poet Billy Collins, (books by this author) born in New York in 1941. Collins is both a critically acclaimed and popular poet, a unique combination in the world of modern poetry
The Writer’s Almanac
If at work while reading this, you may want to forward the article below to your home PC so you can relax and enjoy the puppets and the music in comfort.
2007 YouTube winners announced
Tens of millions voted for their favorite picks in 12 categories, including music, sports, comedy, politics, eyewitness, and adorable. On March 21, the video-sharing site announced their winners.
This year one of the biggest Internet sensations has been the hugely popular amateur video "Chocolate Rain," which won for best music video. "I don't have any formal training as a musician," Tay Zonday, 25, told ABC News. In the past six months, "Chocolate Rain" has been viewed almost 16 million times.
He still won't explain what those convoluted lyrics mean from the song's catchy refrain, "chocolate rain, this is why you feel the pain." "What is chocolate rain? I always say the question is more important than the answer," Zonday said with a straight face.
Click here to watch "Chocolate Rain." Story
Another big win went to The Potter Puppet Pals in "The Mysterious Ticking Noise" for best comedy award. The man behind the puppets, Neil Cicierega, said he can't believe 20 million people have watched his video, or that he is among the YouTube elite.
Click here to watch Cicierega's Harry Potter puppets.
Click here to see the full list of winners and their videos on YouTube.com
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4500854
Shining a light on fluorescent bulbs - Energy-efficient coils booming, but disposal of mercury poses problems. By Alex Johnson, MSNBC: "Compact fluorescent light bulbs, long touted by environmentalists as a more efficient and longer-lasting alternative to the incandescent bulbs that have lighted homes for more than a century, are running into resistance from waste industry officials and some environmental scientists, who warn that the bulbs' poisonous innards pose a bigger threat to health and the environment than previously thought."
EPA: What to Do if a Fluorescent Light Bulb Breaks 12 step procedure
Maine Compact Fluorescent Lamp Breakage Study Report, February 2008
Interviews of United States Supreme Court Justices
In Series of Videos, Supreme Court Justices Make Their Case - Justices' candid observations and pet peeves spill forth in legal writing guru Bryan Garner's video interviews. Legal Times, Tony Mauro March 11, 2008.
"...the collection of videos on LawProse.org were shot at the Supreme Court and they star eight of the nine justices speaking passionately, sarcastically, angrily, into the camera as they answer questions about brief writing, oral advocacy and their own love-hate relationships with the written word. Their interviewer, legal writing guru Bryan Garner, quietly posted the eight videos on the Web site in January. Garner has interviewed dozens of judges, lawyers and writers over the years, seeking video clips for use in his profitable legal writing seminars. But he realized the interviews with the justices, conducted a year ago or more, were a unique treasure that he should not profit from, so he put them up without restriction, editing, fee or fanfare."
The phrase it's all greek to me comes from a translation of the Latin Graecum in the medieval phrase Graecum est; non potest legi—literally, "It is Greek; it cannot be read."
M-W Word for the Wise
FTC Issues 2008 Fair Debt Collection Practices Report to CongressSource: Federal Trade Commission
Issuance of Commission report to Congress: The Commission has authorized the staff to release publicly the 30th Annual Report to Congress on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). This report, which is available now on the FTC’s Web site, summarizes the Commission’s administration and enforcement of the FDCPA during 2007. It presents an overview of the types of consumer complaints received by the Commission, descriptions of the Commission’s debt-collection law enforcement actions, and a summary of the Commission’s consumer and industry education initiatives. The FDCPA prohibits deceptive, unfair, and abusive practices by third-party debt collectors. Section 815 of the FDCPA requires the Commission to submit annual reports to Congress. The Commission vote to issue the report was 5-0.
+ Federal Trade Commission Enforcement of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act: The Thirtieth Annual Report to Congress: The Types of Consumer Complaints Received, Commission Debt Collection Enforcement Actions, and Commission Consumer and Industry Education Initiatives In 2007 (PDF; 138 KB)
Permalink
Optimizing a Personal Wine CellarSource: Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Center for Hospitality Research
This report takes what we believe to be the first scientific approach to optimizing a personal wine cellar. We identify the key factors related to optimizing a personal cellar: performance metrics, such as drinking the best possible wine; constraints, such as budget and cellar capacity; and decisions, specifically what to buy and when to consume the purchased wines. We describe the Personal Wine Cellar Optimizer, which is a tool designed to identify the optimum cellar management plan. This report is cosponsored by The Vance A. Christian Beverage Management Center, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.
+ Full Report (PDF; 862 KB)
Free registration required.
Permalink
Tips for green living
http://www.idealbite.com/
daily e-mails available--example from idealbite:
Except with fish, salt, and water--which can't be organic
· A "100% organic" label means the product is entirely organic.
· An "organic" label means the product ingredients are at least 95% organic.
· A "made with/contains organic ingredients" means the ingredients are at least 70% organic.
· An "all natural" claim means zilch.
March 22 is a big day for birthdays
Two famous musical composers, Stephen Sondheim born in New York City (1930) and Andrew Lloyd Webber born in London (1948).
Poet Billy Collins, (books by this author) born in New York in 1941. Collins is both a critically acclaimed and popular poet, a unique combination in the world of modern poetry
The Writer’s Almanac
If at work while reading this, you may want to forward the article below to your home PC so you can relax and enjoy the puppets and the music in comfort.
2007 YouTube winners announced
Tens of millions voted for their favorite picks in 12 categories, including music, sports, comedy, politics, eyewitness, and adorable. On March 21, the video-sharing site announced their winners.
This year one of the biggest Internet sensations has been the hugely popular amateur video "Chocolate Rain," which won for best music video. "I don't have any formal training as a musician," Tay Zonday, 25, told ABC News. In the past six months, "Chocolate Rain" has been viewed almost 16 million times.
He still won't explain what those convoluted lyrics mean from the song's catchy refrain, "chocolate rain, this is why you feel the pain." "What is chocolate rain? I always say the question is more important than the answer," Zonday said with a straight face.
Click here to watch "Chocolate Rain." Story
Another big win went to The Potter Puppet Pals in "The Mysterious Ticking Noise" for best comedy award. The man behind the puppets, Neil Cicierega, said he can't believe 20 million people have watched his video, or that he is among the YouTube elite.
Click here to watch Cicierega's Harry Potter puppets.
Click here to see the full list of winners and their videos on YouTube.com
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4500854
Friday, March 21, 2008
March 21, 2:40 p.m. EDT — Full Worm Moon. In this month the ground softens and the earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of the robins.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22727948/
See dates and times for full moons in 2008 plus the names given them by Native American tribes.
The Borrowers
A secular love song was borrowed by Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612), re-worked by J.S. Bach (1685-1750) at least five times, revived by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) in 1829, and recorded in many ways, including "American Tune" by Paul Simon.
Economic Stimulus Payment Calculator
http://www.irs.gov/app/espc/
Have your 2007 Form 1040, Form 1040EZ, or Form 1040A available. You will be entering information from one of these forms.
IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TAC) are your source for personal tax help when you believe your tax issue cannot be handled online or by phone, and you want face-to-face tax assistance.
http://www.irs.gov/localcontacts/index.html
ValueClick to Pay $2.9 Million to Settle FTC ChargesSource: Federal Trade Commission
Online advertiser ValueClick, Inc., will pay a record $2.9 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that its advertising claims and e-mails were deceptive and violated federal law. The agency also charged that ValueClick and its subsidiaries, Hi-Speed Media and E-Babylon failed to secure consumers’ sensitive financial information, despite their claims to do so. The settlement, filed by the Department of Justice on behalf of the FTC, requires ValueClick to clearly and conspicuously disclose the costs and obligations consumers must incur to receive the products it touts as “free” and bars future violations of the CAN-SPAM Act. The settlement also bars deceptive claims about the security of the consumer information collected at its e-commerce Web sites.
+ United States of America (for the Federal Trade Commission), Plaintiff, v. ValueClick, Inc., Hi-Speed Media, Inc., and E-Babylon, Inc., Defendants
Permalink
Do Payday Loans Cause Bankruptcy? (PDF; 1.28 MB)Source: Paige Marta Skiba, Vanderbilt University Law School and Jeremy Tobacman, University of Oxford
An estimated ten million American households borrow on payday loans each year. Despite the prevalence of these loans, little is known about the effects of access to this form of short- term, high-cost credit. We match individual-level administrative records on payday borrowing to public records on personal bankruptcy, and we exploit a regression discontinuity to estimate the causal impact of access to payday loans on bankruptcy filings. Though the size of the typical payday loan is only $300, we find that loan approval for first-time applicants increases the two-year Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing rate by 2.48 percentage points. There appear to be two components driving this large effect. First, consumers are already financially stressed when they begin borrowing on payday loans. Second, approved applicants borrow repeatedly on payday loans and pawn loans, which carry very high interest rates. For the subsample that identifes our estimates, the cumulative interest burden from payday and pawn loans amounts to roughly 11% of the total liquid debt interest burden at the time of bankruptcy filing.
Permalink
NOAA: Coolest Winter Since 2001 for U.S., GlobeSource: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The average temperature across both the contiguous U.S. and the globe during climatological winter (December 2007-February 2008) was the coolest since 2001, according to scientists at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. In terms of winter precipitation, Pacific storms, bringing heavy precipitation to large parts of the West, produced high snowpack that will provide welcome runoff this spring.
+ Complete analysis
Permalink
A group of physicists who are going head-to-head with a publisher because it will not allow them to post parts of their work to Wikipedia, blogs and other forums.
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/opinion/mg19726473.300-physicists-slam-publishers-over-wikipedia-ban.html?feedId=online-news_rss20
The physicists were upset after the American Physical Society withdrew its offer to publish two studies in Physical Review Letters because the authors had asked for a rights agreement compatible with Wikipedia. The APS asks scientists to transfer their copyright to the society before they can publish in an APS journal.
News release <http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2008/pr08_028.htm> : "Free and green. Those are the goals of a pilot program launched today by the U.S. Postal Service that allows customers to recycle small electronics and inkjet cartridges by mailing them free of charge. The “Mail Back” program helps consumers make more environmentally friendly choices, making it easier for customers to discard used or obsolete small electronics in an environmentally responsible way. Customers use free envelopes found in 1,500 Post Offices to mail back inkjet cartridges, PDAs, Blackberries, digital cameras, iPods and MP3 players – without having to pay for postage.
Postage is paid for by Clover Technologies Group <http://www.corerecycling.com/> , a nationally recognized company that recycles, remanufactures and remarkets inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges and small electronics. If the electronic item or cartridges cannot be refurbished and resold, its component parts are reused to refurbish other items, or the parts are broken down further and the materials are recycled. Clover Technologies Group has a “zero waste to landfill” policy: it does everything it can to avoid contributing any materials to the nation’s landfills.
karuna (KUH-roo-na) noun
Loving compassion.
[From Sanskrit karuna (compassion).]
A.Word.A.Day
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22727948/
See dates and times for full moons in 2008 plus the names given them by Native American tribes.
The Borrowers
A secular love song was borrowed by Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612), re-worked by J.S. Bach (1685-1750) at least five times, revived by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) in 1829, and recorded in many ways, including "American Tune" by Paul Simon.
Economic Stimulus Payment Calculator
http://www.irs.gov/app/espc/
Have your 2007 Form 1040, Form 1040EZ, or Form 1040A available. You will be entering information from one of these forms.
IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TAC) are your source for personal tax help when you believe your tax issue cannot be handled online or by phone, and you want face-to-face tax assistance.
http://www.irs.gov/localcontacts/index.html
ValueClick to Pay $2.9 Million to Settle FTC ChargesSource: Federal Trade Commission
Online advertiser ValueClick, Inc., will pay a record $2.9 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that its advertising claims and e-mails were deceptive and violated federal law. The agency also charged that ValueClick and its subsidiaries, Hi-Speed Media and E-Babylon failed to secure consumers’ sensitive financial information, despite their claims to do so. The settlement, filed by the Department of Justice on behalf of the FTC, requires ValueClick to clearly and conspicuously disclose the costs and obligations consumers must incur to receive the products it touts as “free” and bars future violations of the CAN-SPAM Act. The settlement also bars deceptive claims about the security of the consumer information collected at its e-commerce Web sites.
+ United States of America (for the Federal Trade Commission), Plaintiff, v. ValueClick, Inc., Hi-Speed Media, Inc., and E-Babylon, Inc., Defendants
Permalink
Do Payday Loans Cause Bankruptcy? (PDF; 1.28 MB)Source: Paige Marta Skiba, Vanderbilt University Law School and Jeremy Tobacman, University of Oxford
An estimated ten million American households borrow on payday loans each year. Despite the prevalence of these loans, little is known about the effects of access to this form of short- term, high-cost credit. We match individual-level administrative records on payday borrowing to public records on personal bankruptcy, and we exploit a regression discontinuity to estimate the causal impact of access to payday loans on bankruptcy filings. Though the size of the typical payday loan is only $300, we find that loan approval for first-time applicants increases the two-year Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing rate by 2.48 percentage points. There appear to be two components driving this large effect. First, consumers are already financially stressed when they begin borrowing on payday loans. Second, approved applicants borrow repeatedly on payday loans and pawn loans, which carry very high interest rates. For the subsample that identifes our estimates, the cumulative interest burden from payday and pawn loans amounts to roughly 11% of the total liquid debt interest burden at the time of bankruptcy filing.
Permalink
NOAA: Coolest Winter Since 2001 for U.S., GlobeSource: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The average temperature across both the contiguous U.S. and the globe during climatological winter (December 2007-February 2008) was the coolest since 2001, according to scientists at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. In terms of winter precipitation, Pacific storms, bringing heavy precipitation to large parts of the West, produced high snowpack that will provide welcome runoff this spring.
+ Complete analysis
Permalink
A group of physicists who are going head-to-head with a publisher because it will not allow them to post parts of their work to Wikipedia, blogs and other forums.
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/opinion/mg19726473.300-physicists-slam-publishers-over-wikipedia-ban.html?feedId=online-news_rss20
The physicists were upset after the American Physical Society withdrew its offer to publish two studies in Physical Review Letters because the authors had asked for a rights agreement compatible with Wikipedia. The APS asks scientists to transfer their copyright to the society before they can publish in an APS journal.
News release <http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2008/pr08_028.htm> : "Free and green. Those are the goals of a pilot program launched today by the U.S. Postal Service that allows customers to recycle small electronics and inkjet cartridges by mailing them free of charge. The “Mail Back” program helps consumers make more environmentally friendly choices, making it easier for customers to discard used or obsolete small electronics in an environmentally responsible way. Customers use free envelopes found in 1,500 Post Offices to mail back inkjet cartridges, PDAs, Blackberries, digital cameras, iPods and MP3 players – without having to pay for postage.
Postage is paid for by Clover Technologies Group <http://www.corerecycling.com/> , a nationally recognized company that recycles, remanufactures and remarkets inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges and small electronics. If the electronic item or cartridges cannot be refurbished and resold, its component parts are reused to refurbish other items, or the parts are broken down further and the materials are recycled. Clover Technologies Group has a “zero waste to landfill” policy: it does everything it can to avoid contributing any materials to the nation’s landfills.
karuna (KUH-roo-na) noun
Loving compassion.
[From Sanskrit karuna (compassion).]
A.Word.A.Day
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Welcome, sweet springtime
The vernal equinox occurs on March 20 in 2008, marking the beginning of spring in some cultures. The vernal equinox will occur at 5:48 a.m. at Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). However places that are six hours or more behind UTC will observe the vernal equinox as early as March 19.
Twice a year, around March 20 or 21 and September 22 or 23, the sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night are nearly equal in all parts of the world. These two days are known as the vernal (or spring) equinox and the autumnal equinox.
The word “equinox” derives from the Latin words meaning “equal night” and refers to the time when the sun crosses the equator. The word “vernal” means “spring” in Latin. At such times, day and night are everywhere of nearly equal length everywhere in the world.
While the vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere, it is the start of autumn in many parts of the southern hemisphere.
http://www.timeanddate.com/news/holidays/vernal-equinox-2008.html
On March 16, we heard theatre organist Father Andrew Rogers play at the Collingwood Arts Center in Toledo. http://www.collingwoodartscenter.org/public/
Father Andrew is a staff organist at Detroit’s Fox Theatre, a travel agent, a member of the Global Harmony Band and a director of the Global Harmony Foundation. http://www.global-harmony.org/
In addition to lots of peppy organ solos (sometimes using added percussive attractions) he accompanied Buster Keaton’s film, The Goat.
Federal Reserve announces two initiatives designed to bolster market liquidity and promote orderly market functioning
News release: "The Federal Reserve on Sunday announced two initiatives designed to bolster market liquidity and promote orderly market functioning. Liquid, well-functioning markets are essential for the promotion of economic growth. First, the Federal Reserve Board voted unanimously to authorize the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to create a lending facility to improve the ability of primary dealers to provide financing to participants in securitization markets. This facility will be available for business on Monday, March 17. It will be in place for at least six months and may be extended as conditions warrant. Credit extended to primary dealers under this facility may be collateralized by a broad range of investment-grade debt securities. The interest rate charged on such credit will be the same as the primary credit rate, or discount rate, at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Second, the Federal Reserve Board unanimously approved a request by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to decrease the primary credit rate from 3-1/2 percent to 3-1/4 percent, effective immediately. This step lowers the spread of the primary credit rate over the Federal Open Market Committee’s target federal funds rate to 1/4 percentage point. The Board also approved an increase in the maximum maturity of primary credit loans to 90 days from 30 days."
Primary Dealer Credit Facility
Terms and conditions
Frequently asked questions
Alan Greenspan, Financial Times: "The current financial crisis in the US is likely to be judged in retrospect as the most wrenching since the end of the second world war. It will end eventually when home prices stabilise and with them the value of equity in homes supporting troubled mortgage securities."
To your health Grain berries
1/3 cup rye or wheat berries
1 cup water
Cook ingredients to desired consistency, adding liquid if necessary. Twenty minutes will be crunchy if you have soaked the berries overnight. Without soaking, it will take an hour or so. If desired, add one or more of the following:
Butter, salt, honey, slivered nuts, diced fruits
Serves one as a cereal or side dish.
You’ve heard the words sexism, chauvinism, racism, ageism, weightism, heightism. But have you heard of--
speciesism (SPEE-shee-ziz-uhm, -see-ziz-uhm) noun
The assumption of superiority of humans over other animal species,
especially to justify their exploitation.
[Coined by psychologist Richard D. Ryder (born 1940) in 1973. From Latin species (appearance, kind, form), from specere (to look). Ultimately from the Indo-European root spek- (to observe) which is also the ancestor of such words as suspect, spectrum, bishop (literally, overseer), espionage, despise, telescope, spectator, and spectacles.]
A.Word.A.Day
Although we moderns consider knowledge a noun, back in the days of Middle and Early Modern English, knowledge was a verb. Over time, before it faded from usage in the 1600s, knowledge functioned as a transitive verb meaning both "acknowledge" and "to recognize, admit, or confess the fact or truth of (something)."
M-W Word for the Wise
New GAO Report (PDFs)Source: Government Accountability OfficeIntellectual Property: Federal Enforcement Has Generally Increased, but Assessing Performance Could Strengthen Law Enforcement EffortsHighlights Full Report
Permalink
The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1146438/
The Librarian is expected to return to TV in April.
The vernal equinox occurs on March 20 in 2008, marking the beginning of spring in some cultures. The vernal equinox will occur at 5:48 a.m. at Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). However places that are six hours or more behind UTC will observe the vernal equinox as early as March 19.
Twice a year, around March 20 or 21 and September 22 or 23, the sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night are nearly equal in all parts of the world. These two days are known as the vernal (or spring) equinox and the autumnal equinox.
The word “equinox” derives from the Latin words meaning “equal night” and refers to the time when the sun crosses the equator. The word “vernal” means “spring” in Latin. At such times, day and night are everywhere of nearly equal length everywhere in the world.
While the vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere, it is the start of autumn in many parts of the southern hemisphere.
http://www.timeanddate.com/news/holidays/vernal-equinox-2008.html
On March 16, we heard theatre organist Father Andrew Rogers play at the Collingwood Arts Center in Toledo. http://www.collingwoodartscenter.org/public/
Father Andrew is a staff organist at Detroit’s Fox Theatre, a travel agent, a member of the Global Harmony Band and a director of the Global Harmony Foundation. http://www.global-harmony.org/
In addition to lots of peppy organ solos (sometimes using added percussive attractions) he accompanied Buster Keaton’s film, The Goat.
Federal Reserve announces two initiatives designed to bolster market liquidity and promote orderly market functioning
News release: "The Federal Reserve on Sunday announced two initiatives designed to bolster market liquidity and promote orderly market functioning. Liquid, well-functioning markets are essential for the promotion of economic growth. First, the Federal Reserve Board voted unanimously to authorize the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to create a lending facility to improve the ability of primary dealers to provide financing to participants in securitization markets. This facility will be available for business on Monday, March 17. It will be in place for at least six months and may be extended as conditions warrant. Credit extended to primary dealers under this facility may be collateralized by a broad range of investment-grade debt securities. The interest rate charged on such credit will be the same as the primary credit rate, or discount rate, at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Second, the Federal Reserve Board unanimously approved a request by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to decrease the primary credit rate from 3-1/2 percent to 3-1/4 percent, effective immediately. This step lowers the spread of the primary credit rate over the Federal Open Market Committee’s target federal funds rate to 1/4 percentage point. The Board also approved an increase in the maximum maturity of primary credit loans to 90 days from 30 days."
Primary Dealer Credit Facility
Terms and conditions
Frequently asked questions
Alan Greenspan, Financial Times: "The current financial crisis in the US is likely to be judged in retrospect as the most wrenching since the end of the second world war. It will end eventually when home prices stabilise and with them the value of equity in homes supporting troubled mortgage securities."
To your health Grain berries
1/3 cup rye or wheat berries
1 cup water
Cook ingredients to desired consistency, adding liquid if necessary. Twenty minutes will be crunchy if you have soaked the berries overnight. Without soaking, it will take an hour or so. If desired, add one or more of the following:
Butter, salt, honey, slivered nuts, diced fruits
Serves one as a cereal or side dish.
You’ve heard the words sexism, chauvinism, racism, ageism, weightism, heightism. But have you heard of--
speciesism (SPEE-shee-ziz-uhm, -see-ziz-uhm) noun
The assumption of superiority of humans over other animal species,
especially to justify their exploitation.
[Coined by psychologist Richard D. Ryder (born 1940) in 1973. From Latin species (appearance, kind, form), from specere (to look). Ultimately from the Indo-European root spek- (to observe) which is also the ancestor of such words as suspect, spectrum, bishop (literally, overseer), espionage, despise, telescope, spectator, and spectacles.]
A.Word.A.Day
Although we moderns consider knowledge a noun, back in the days of Middle and Early Modern English, knowledge was a verb. Over time, before it faded from usage in the 1600s, knowledge functioned as a transitive verb meaning both "acknowledge" and "to recognize, admit, or confess the fact or truth of (something)."
M-W Word for the Wise
New GAO Report (PDFs)Source: Government Accountability OfficeIntellectual Property: Federal Enforcement Has Generally Increased, but Assessing Performance Could Strengthen Law Enforcement EffortsHighlights Full Report
Permalink
The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1146438/
The Librarian is expected to return to TV in April.
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