Steampunk Gypsy

Our Internet connection is being hit hard, with one router dead. So I hope you all appreciate my slogging away to get links to work. It was accompanied by much cursing, as well as wondering how I survived before I had the connection I took for granted, now lost. Temporarily, anyway. So, yeah, you're all sending me cookies now, right? Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike A radical publishing collective: the Journal of Radical Librarianship   This innkeeper is offering her $900,000 lakeside inn to the writer of the best 200-word essay   March 30, 1820:  Anna Sewell, author of Black Beauty, is born  Related:  How 'Black Beauty' Changed The Way We See Horses   From Neil Gaiman:  The Facts of Death   Anglo Saxon remedy kills hospital superbug MRSA  "The project was born when a microbiologist at the University of Nottingham, UK, got talking to an Anglo Saxon scholar. They decided to test a recipe from an Old English medical ...

In the past couple days, I've finished two books, did some gardening, did laundry, made groceries, and helped Coconut build a zoetrope. I'd show you a picture of the zoetrope, but he and Swicky managed to break it within the hour. Ah, well...it was fun to put together, anyway. More laundry tomorrow, and maybe an art project with Swicky - we'll see! Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike Missouri Governor Proposes Massive Funding Cuts For Libraries  Related:  Missouri Governor Nixon is Putting Libraries in Peril   Venom library to store poison from Australia's deadliest creatures   Just when I thought I couldn't love Flannery O'Connor more than I already did... Flannery O’Connor Dissing Ayn Rand in 1960   Reading American cities: books about New Orleans   App That Aims To Make Books 'Squeaky Clean' Draws Ire From Edited Writers   Health & Science Lobbyist claims Monsanto’s Round Up is safe to drink, panics when TV host o...

Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike Unequal shelves in D.C. school libraries benefit wealthier students   New 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' book to arrive in November   Our Brain Sees Known Words As Pictures   A Quickie Roundup Of Clean Reader Stuff   NSF unveils plan to make scientific papers free   March 26, 1920:  F. Scott Fitzgerald’s first novel published Wallingford Superintendent of Schools Hits 'Pause Button' on Book Removal Controversy   House effort would completely dismantle Patriot Act Net & Tech Hocus Pocus! Your Data Has Been Anonymized! Now They'll Never Find You!   New tactic in war on net neutrality: Strip FCC of enforcement funding   USDA Announces Funding for Broadband Projects in Arkansas, Iowa and New Mexico   Health & Science What Would Happen If Bees Went Extinct?  TLDR: Nothing good. It's pretty bleak. Pence orders short-term needle exchange to stop HIV epidemic   Veg...

Harper Lee's 'Go Set a Watchman' cover revealed Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike Download 422 Free Art Books from The Metropolitan Museum of Art  "You could pay $118 on Amazon for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s catalog The Art of Illumination: The Limbourg Brothers and the Belles Heures of Jean de France, Duc de Berry . Or you could pay $0 to download it at MetPublications..." Happy Tolkien Reading Day!   Happy birthday Flannery O'Connor, avatar of the Southern grotesque   March 25, 1955:  U.S. Customs seizes Howl FUCK YOU, CLEAN READER: AUTHORIAL CONSENT MATTERS   Net & Tech Internet Providers Sue to Kill Net Neutrality   Science & Health Early death rates dropping, but not in many poor area   Ky. expands booster seat law to children under 57 inches   Other (Serious Stuff) Louisiana film program still costs taxpayers four times the cash it brings in, state study finds   1 dead after torn...

Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike Anti-pornography activist creates attack ad against Niles library trustee  And, of course, misrepresents the situation entirely.  Scott Bonner awarded the Lemony Snicket Prize for Noble Librarians Faced with Adversity  "On August 9, 2014, the shooting of unarmed teenager Mike Brown by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri set off a string of protests, demonstrations, riots, civil unrest, arson and violence. But in the middle of this climate of fear—where local disruptions caused businesses to board up their windows and delayed the start of the school year for the 12,000 youth in the Ferguson-Florissant School District— the Ferguson Public Library remained open and engaged, thanks to Bonner and the absolutely vital and tireless work of every member of his staff ." School cuts have decimated librarians  "In 1991, there were 176 certified librarians in city schools. Now there are 11 - for 218 schools."...

Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike Makeover complete at Bodleian libraries   March 23, 1839:  OK enters national vernacular Science & Health March 23, 2015: Emmy Noether's 133rd Birthday  "Emmy Noether was no ordinary person...need proof? How many people do you know can count Albert Einstein as a fan of their work? The legendary physicist once referred to Noether as, 'The most significant creative mathematical genius thus far produced,' a fitting endorsement for a mathematician who made groundbreaking contributions to the fields of abstract algebra and theoretical physics, all the while overcoming deep seated sexism in her line of work."  Ebola Returns to Liberia   Education Robert Reich Demolishes Myth that College Is Gateway to the Middle Class  I would like to see quality vo-tech programs - with additional basic humanities courses added. Especially philosophy - because I can't think of a single field that shouldn't...

So, I've been collecting bits and pieces for a while to make my ultimate Halloween costume, and it's almost complete! I'll debut this Halloween, but the pièce de résistance is complete and in my greedy little paws! Is that 13 feet of scarf, or am I just happy to see you? No, it's 13 feet of scarf. This, my friends, is a replica of the Fourth Doctor 's scarf, made to scale and everything! Did I do this? Heck, no! My friend Mary Beth labored over this beauty for three years!  And then she gave it to me because she is the most awesome. She officially rocks, and I will love her forever, and I owe her all the cookies! I would give her my first-born child, but that'd be a " Ransom of Red Chief " situation, I know. Meanwhile, I received a present from my friend Amy, at Mudroot Pottery : It is awesome to have talented friends! Aren't those gorgeous? I spent so much time ooohing and aaahing and telling the kids they were nevereverever allowed...

Okay, you've been pretty good. * Here, as promised - you can see my brown spring shoes, too: I don't know, I just really like Oxfords. Yes, yes, you're welcome! Also, I just had the most wonderful conversation with a little patron. Now, I'm not a Children's Librarian, and I don't want to be  a Children's Librarian. Seriously, guys. I love kids theoretically, and I like Swicky and Coconut okay... Meh, I guess I'll keep 'em. I also like kids' books. But I don't like mobs of kids, and don't get me started on parents. I spend a lot of my time chasing down parents who've let their littles wander free. ** But I was walking around making sure everything was running smoothly on the public side **** when I passed through Children's. A little, probably 4 or 5 years old, said, "Mom, you're getting me a million books!! " I stopped and knelt down to her level ***** and said, "Oh my goodness, that's ...

Hurrah! It's Spring! You know what that means? Well, yes, obviously, beautiful ( bee-utiful? ) Google Doodle: (It's really pretty, and I love the bee!) But, also, it means I retire my boots for the season, and start wearing my spring shoes! Okay, maybe I'm the only one super-excited about spring shoes. Whatever. I have to say, though, I'm glad I'm in the South right now. Spring or no, winter storms have not ended for the North - Ultima is sweeping through, bringing more snow. I hope this is the last one this year for you guys! Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike Teens escorted out of Capitol while protesting budget cuts to Mo. libraries   Appeals court: Ky. library tax is legal   OverDrive Sold to Rakuten For $410 Million in Cash   March 20, 1852:  Uncle Tom’s Cabin is published   Stephen King: LePage ‘full of the stuff that makes the grass grow green’  A friendly reminder to not poke the authors. They're inf...

Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike New Vancouver Public Library map reveals hidden Literary Landmarks  What an awesome idea! Net & Tech Google warning: FBI wants to hack any computer in world   Science & Health Highly Transparent Solar Cells For Windows That Generate Electricity   When Was the Last Time Volcanoes Erupted on the East Coast? How One Abnormal Pap Smear Lost a Woman Access to Gynecological Care  This is what happens when your health is treated as a business commodity.   Why Is Insulin So Expensive In The U.S.?   Risks Run High When Antipsychotics Are Prescribed For Dementia   Trial Will Investigate Use Of MDMA In The Treatment Of Anxiety In Seriously Ill Patients   No one could see the color blue until modern times   Education Our view: Zero tolerance, or zero common sense?  "He was a happy-go-lucky 11-year-old boy in the gifted-and-talented program at Bedford Middle School. N...

Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike Celebrate National Library Week  "Celebrate National Library Week 2015 (April 12-18, 2015) with the theme 'Unlimited possibilities @ your library®.'" Free & Open to Everyone  "The New Orleans Public Library is the only information, education, and entertainment resource in New Orleans that is free to access and open to everyone – regardless of age, race, or financial status; which is why so many people, from all walks of life, visit the library everyday."  In cash-strapped School District, a hidden treasure trove of books  How frustrating... Tiny Library in Dr. Who Box Restored for Neighbors by Random Kindness Like a Rock Star – A Little Free Library Goes on Tour    March 18, 1932:  John Updike is born   Mexican Journalist Is Fired After Report About First Lady   Arthur Conan Doyle was victim of police conspiracy, archives show  "If it had a Sherlock Holmes title, it ...

It's St. Patrick's Day! There's an awesome Google Doodle for today! I wore green, but totally by accident. And I think it would probably be inappropriate to go around pinching patrons who forgot. How did that tradition start, anyway? Well, it's long been traditional to wear green on St. Patrick's Day, but this particular tradition started in America! Legend has it * that leprechauns will pinch anyone they can see on St. Patrick's Day, but they can't see anyone wearing green. [ Source ] Today is St. Patrick's Day because this is the day the saint died , which is typical for saints' days and also sort of sad. Today also marks the first St. Patrick's Day parade , in New York City.You can also learn more about St. Patrick's Day - history, traditions, and even some Irish foods - from The History Channel's St. Patrick's Day site ! *Is America even old enough to have legends yet? It feels a bit like when seven-year-old Coconut sa...

Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike Funding for libraries is becoming more important, not less   How some savvy librarians saved the Treasure of Timbuktu   Archival discoveries and collaboration at Minnesota Public Radio  "Marking the 40th anniversary of the first large-scale arrival of Hmong people in Minnesota, MPR News recently launched a Hmong collection page and broadcast a few news stories–all using archive recordings to tell the story of Hmong-Minnesotans." Why There Should Be an Oscar Category for Dramatic Research   Terry Pratchett: Reading order for Discworld  I chose to read them chronologically this time around; usually, I use the Penny Pincher way.  Terry Pratchett will 'live on in the clacks' thanks to fans' programming code  "Now GNU Terry Pratchett will run through the internet forever, underlining Pratchett's own line in Going Postal: 'A man's not dead while his name's still spoken.'" The Inklin...

Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike Napa: Wine library pairs bookworms, history buffs Japan Seeks to Promote ‘Correct’ View of Wartime Past   In Japan, A Library Works To Restore What Was Lost In The Tsunami   Weapons of Mass Instruction: Watch a 1979 Ford Falcon Get Converted in a Tank Armored with 900 Free Books   Yale library acquires blockbuster collection of ’70s and ’80s VHS tapes   Science & Health Fracking will ruin sacred, preserved sites in the ‘American cradle of civilization’ - lawsuit   This Italian Apartment Building Uses 150 Trees To Protect Residents From Noise And Pollution   Paris Has Turned the Eiffel Tower Into a Wind Energy Machine    Other (Serious Stuff) Police Killing of Unarmed Georgia Man Leaves Another Town in Disbelief  "Witnesses to the fatal police shooting of an African-American man gave differing accounts Tuesday. But they all ended with a similar question: Why was it necessar...

March 14 is always Pi Day, but today we can go several digits further! Today is 3/14/15, and at 9:26:53 AM we got a full ten digits of pi! Tonight, we can hit 3.141592653 again, at which time I plan on serving pie, of course, although I don't yet have a pie, so I'd better get on that. Here are some Pi Day links: Official  Pi Day  site!  Pi Day Isn't Just Magical, It's Mathematics. And There's Pie!   10 pi facts for the most irrational Pi Day of your life   Exploratorium's Pi Day  site A Day In The Life Of Pi   Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike Banned books from Waldo to wild things   March 14, 1887:  Sylvia Beach, bookstore owner and publisher of Ulysses, is born   Net & Tech Secret Treaties: Why I'm Against the TPP   What Net Neutrality Means for Digital Inequality and Schools   Public Knowledge Raises Significant Concerns with Data Breach Draft Bill   Google wants to rank...

I'm sure it's not news to anyone by now that Terry Pratchett has died . When I found out yesterday, I put my computer away and spent the rest of the day disconnected from everything except my little family here. I cried, and I took a nap, and I did a lot of reading. In fact, that's what I did most of today, too, until Swicky accidentally broke one of my favorite coffee mugs and I had to go online to order a replacement. I figured, while I was online, I might as well write up my thoughts on the death of one of my very favorite authors. I don't remember who handed my my first Terry Pratchett novel. It may have been my uncle, who had a large collection of fantasy and sci-fi books in his apartment. It may have been a librarian - I had a tendency to pester them for books they didn't believe I was old enough to read yet. It may have been my mother, with whom the Discworld was a shared land to escape to while doing dishes or sitting out in the yard. The first one I rea...

Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike No Due Date: Books of The People’s Library  "Do you remember the OWS Library books?" March 11, 1818:  Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is published.   Science & Health This world-first bionic heart works without a pulse   Large Study Concludes Homeopathy Does Not Effectively Treat Any Health Condition   Tylenol maker to pay $25 million for selling metal-contaminated drugs   International Boko Haram child captives 'forgot names'   Other (Serious Stuff) Cookie-Cutter ALEC Right-to-Work Bills Pop in Multiple States  "RTW laws require unions to provide the same representation and workplace services to all workers in a workplace but make contributing to the cost of that representation optional. They lead to smaller, weaker unions and lower worker wages and benefits." Arizona Senate Gives Initial Approval to Bill Blocking any New Federal Gun Control   Other (Fun Stuf...