I saw a listing of hotels in a travel magazine with Oklahoma classified as Midwest.  This made me wonder:  just what states are considered in the Midwest.  Education Place lists 11 Midwest states, and Oklahoma is not one of them.  https://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/midwestus.pdf  The U.S. Census Bureau lists 12 states in the Midwest and lists Oklahoma as one of 16 states in the South region.  http://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/maps-data/maps/reference/us_regdiv.pdf  The Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor lists 10 states in the Midwest and lists Oklahoma as one of 11 states in the Southwest region. http://www.dol.gov/whd/programs/dbra/regions.htm

We've all been to the library to check out books, rent DVD's, and surf the web.  But now at three Phoenix libraries you can do more; work out.  Fit Phoenix unveiled a new way for people to improve their health all while reading a book.  These treadmill desks are available to use at three Phoenix libraries including; Palo Verde, Harmon, and Yucca.  "What you do is come to the library with your library card, check into the computer like you normally would with one of the normal , but it has a treamil with it, and you'll be able to walk slowly at 2 miles and hour while you use the computer," said Jon Brodsky.  Brodsky says they're always looking for ways to boost the health of the community, he's hoping these treadmills do just that.  "The funding came from an NFL Super Bowl legacy grant, so when the NFL was here they left grants to community organizations, we applied for one and we were excited to get one," said Brodsky.  On the treadmill you can basically do everything you would normally do sitting down at the library like surf the web, read a book, and it's safe for all ages.  Danielle Miller  http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-news/40881133-story

The Thirty-Nine Steps is an adventure novel by the Scottish author John Buchan.  It first appeared as a serial in Blackwood's Magazine in August and September 1915 before being published in book form in October that year by William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh.  It is the first of five novels featuring Richard Hannay, an all-action hero with a stiff upper lip and a miraculous knack for getting himself out of sticky situations.  The novel formed the basis for a number of film adaptations, notably:  Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 version; a 1959 colour remake; a 1978 version which is perhaps most faithful to the novel; and a 2008 version for British television.  The Thirty-Nine Steps is one of the earliest examples of the 'man-on-the-run' thriller archetype subsequently adopted by Hollywood as an often-used plot device.  In The Thirty-Nine Steps, Buchan holds up Richard Hannay as an example to his readers of an ordinary man who puts his country’s interests before his own safety.  The story was a great success with the men in the First World War trenches.  One soldier wrote to Buchan, "The story is greatly appreciated in the midst of mud and rain and shells, and all that could make trench life depressing."  Richard Hannay continued his adventures in four subsequent books.  Two were set during the war when Hannay continued his undercover work against the Germans and their allies the Turks in Greenmantle and Mr Standfast.  The other two stories, The Three Hostages and The Island of Sheep were set in the post war period when Hannay's opponents were criminal gangs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thirty-Nine_Steps  See also http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jul/07/100-best-novels-39-thirty-nine-steps-john-buchan-robert-mccrum and http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/8243300/John-Buchan-and-The-Thirty-Nine-Steps.html

In the Words of Mark Twain, a performance by Judy Cook  Saturday, November 14, 2015  1-4 p.m.  Toledo-Lucas County Main Library  McMaster Center  325 Michigan St.  Toledo, OH   Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was a larger-than-life American author and humorist.  Come hear his words, wit and wisdom interspersed with songs of the era and stories of the man himself.  Author and performer Judy Cook has been actively touring throughout both Britain and the United States for more than 15 years.  She is recognized for her in-depth research, dedication, understanding and storytelling ability.  Her presentation and delivery combine with her joy of singing to delight all listeners.  This program is FREE and open to the public.  Free on-site parking.  Sponsored by the Library Legacy Foundation

"Cook the onions and garlic and celery and carrots in a wading pool of good olive oil and bacon fat until they carmelized, growing sugar like a crop in a skillet field."  Off the Grid, a novel by P. J. Tracy (a pseudonym for American mother-daughter writing team Patricia (P. J.) and Traci Lambrecht.   

Dawn of the Selfie Era:  The Whos, Wheres, and Hows of Selfies on Instagram  Analysis of millions of photos shows that the amount of selfies has increased by 900 times from 2012 to 2014.  Selfies are an effective medium to grab attention; they generate on average 1.1–3.2 times more likes and comments than other types of content on Instagram.  See 11-page article at http://arxiv.org/pdf/1510.05700v1.pdf

Actor Ethan Hawke has written a book to help start a dialogue with his children, and provide guidance for parents and children around the world.  In Rules for a Knight, the four-time Oscar nominee and father of four outlines 20 guidelines to living a better, and more principled, life.  See BBC interview at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34805223  4:07

November 12, 2015  A woman is laughing, head tossed back, focused on something over her right shoulder.  A man stares at her, unsmiling.  The caption reads:  Spike your best friend’s eggnog when they’re not looking.  This advertisement, part of Bloomingdale's new holiday catalog, inspired instant backlash on the Web.  In response to the uproar, Bloomingdale’s issued a prompt apology:  “In reflection of recent feedback, the copy we used in our recent catalog was inappropriate and in poor taste.”  A spokesman wouldn’t say how the spiking directive was approved.  Bloomingdale's is the second large company this year to face accusations of promoting rape.  In April, 2015 an ill-fated Bud Light label went viral:  “The perfect beer for removing ‘no’ from your vocabulary for the night.”  Danielle Paquette     https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/11/12/what-a-creepy-bloomingdales-ad-tells-us-about-americas-understanding-of-rape/

A California judge threw away a copyright lawsuit against Taylor Swift by using Swift's own lyrics.  Musician Jessie Braham filed the suit claiming that Swift took lyrics from his song "Haters Gone Hate" and used them in her song "Shake It Off," the lead single from her hit "1989" album.  Where Braham's song includes the lyrics, "Haters gone hate, playas gone play.  Watch out for them fakers, they'll fake you every day," Swift's song goes, "'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play. And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate ... And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake."  In her dismissal of the case, District Court Judge Gail Standish borrowed words from Swift's songs "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "Blank Space."  "At present, the Court is not saying that Braham can never, ever, ever get his case back in court.  But, for now, we have got problems, and the Court is not sure Braham can solve them," she wrote.  See judge's order dated November 10, 2015 at http://www.businessinsider.com/judge-dismisses-taylor-swift-copyright-lawsuit-2015-11

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 1377  November 13, 2015  On this date in 1927, the Holland Tunnel opened to traffic as the first Hudson River vehicle tunnel linking New Jersey to New York City.  On this date in 1940, Walt Disney's animated musical film Fantasia was first released, on the first night of a roadshow at New York's Broadway Theatre.  Word of the Day for November 13:  Romanesco noun  1.  Romanesco broccoli, a light-green edible flower bud of the species Brassica oleracea, which is thus related to broccoli and cauliflower.  Its form is a natural approximation of a fractal.  2.  Romanesco dialect, the dialect of Italian language spoken in Rome.