tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16005364126007635342024-02-06T23:38:19.832-06:00Steampunk GypsyLibrary Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.comBlogger524125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-7284385522842012632017-04-16T14:08:00.004-05:002017-04-16T14:08:36.016-05:00Happy Easter! Here's Some More Easter Math!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/history-of-easter/infographics/easter-by-the-numbers" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKK2JcVi-Kl_5alhRgcmJMLjsnOKDBmKdM4I15MVDVuQegLinwTU0zHIdFPhogkYbabFB22Y4OtA8H1CcYG1kjVvmc8O3QSTcKAYyv0c_0KTNkQzjDMvvkFa-h2iJfaaKOGE5Y3Pb3ST4/s1600/easter-facts-infographic.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/history-of-easter/infographics/easter-by-the-numbers" target="_blank">[Source]</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-5469219996188065632017-04-13T18:04:00.003-05:002017-04-13T18:06:03.864-05:00Easter Math!<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Just what you wanted, I'm sure!</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Actually, it's really very cool:</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/8959/frequency-of-easter-sunday-by-date-from-1600-to-2099/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Infographic: What's The Most Frequent Easter Date in 500 Years? | Statista" src="https://infographic.statista.com/normal/chartoftheday_8959_frequency_of_easter_sunday_by_date_from_1600_to_2099_n.jpg" style="max-width: 960px;" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">[<a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/8959/frequency-of-easter-sunday-by-date-from-1600-to-2099/" target="_blank">Source]</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Easter is one of the Christian religious holidays without a fixed
worldly calendar date. It is celebrated on the first Sunday after the
ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or soonest after March 21.
Easter season begins on Easter Sunday and lasts seven weeks. In 500
years (from 1600 to 2099 AD) Easter was and will be most often
celebrated on either March 31 or on April 16 (22 times each) – the
latter incidentally being this years' date on which Easter Sunday falls. [<a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/8959/frequency-of-easter-sunday-by-date-from-1600-to-2099/" target="_blank">Source</a>]</span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Now, it makes sense to me that there would be this curve - dates to either side occur less frequently as Easter shifts about, and the middle dates would occur more often. I can even understand the wave pattern, so that we have four high dates, with dips between them. But I need someone to explainto me that big dip on April 9. It seems odd that it drops so suddenly for that date, and then jumps back up. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Anyway, this is cool. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Pretty picture! It's a selfie! And scattered dandelions!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1I-fVLutgs6VhkFN0FKXZfZjlEsuU8nxZ-6jZxbQZXh0y5vE8A1JQKKcqXh9LFv1yxeWpB6d_BpSDwOiXRpBRdDjfiwPHMcvRbJ1MN3ezAGBWNg3K0hU_gqLHRo95i42iSby9KFjFBg/s1600/Selfie+Shadow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1I-fVLutgs6VhkFN0FKXZfZjlEsuU8nxZ-6jZxbQZXh0y5vE8A1JQKKcqXh9LFv1yxeWpB6d_BpSDwOiXRpBRdDjfiwPHMcvRbJ1MN3ezAGBWNg3K0hU_gqLHRo95i42iSby9KFjFBg/s1600/Selfie+Shadow.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/?icid=hjx004" target="_blank">Books or Bombs: A Battle for the Soul of America</a><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="content-list-component bn-content-list-text text" data-beacon-parsed="true" data-beacon="{"p":{"mnid":"citation"}}">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">It’s
National Library Week this week. Typically this seven days would be a
mix of nostalgia and gentle prodding to get you to come take a look at
your local library. We’d earnestly show you how libraries are more
relevant than ever (Current Trends in public libraries include the <a class="bn-clickable" data-beacon-parsed="true" data-beacon="{"p":{"lnid":"Library of Things","mpid":1,"plid":"https://www.wsj.com/articles/need-pruning-shears-or-a-ukulele-try-the-public-library-1489767159"}}" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/need-pruning-shears-or-a-ukulele-try-the-public-library-1489767159" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Library of Things</a>, <a class="bn-clickable" data-beacon-parsed="true" data-beacon="{"p":{"lnid":"Veterans Services","mpid":2,"plid":"https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/helping-veterans/"}}" href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/helping-veterans/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Veterans Services</a>, and<a class="bn-clickable" data-beacon-parsed="true" data-beacon="{"p":{"lnid":"Library as Safe Space","mpid":3,"plid":"https://hafuboti.com/2017/02/02/libraries-are-for-everyone/"}}" href="https://hafuboti.com/2017/02/02/libraries-are-for-everyone/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Library as Safe Space</a>).
We’d waive your fines to get you back in the door and have some fun
activities for the whole family. In a typical year, in a typical
America, it’s a fun celebration of public education and culture. We
usually see an uptick in use after some friendly press and it is always
great for staff morale.</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">This is not a typical year, this is not typical America.... </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">This is about how we see ourselves as a nation, it’s about what it means
to be American in 2017. Do we offer a hand to our neighbor or do we
shun and fear them? Do we want to see our tax dollars spent on education
for local communities or do we want them tied up in missiles sitting in
storage waiting to kill enemies a thousand miles away? Do we aspire or
do we cower?</span></blockquote>
</li>
<li>Who doesn't love book giveaways? <a href="http://www.readitforward.com/giveaways?rf=361ff33c0183d0e8f664a64cfb1800f9" target="_blank">Enter to Win: 5 Coming of Age Stories</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/the-1000-day-mfa/how-to-build-a-habit-of-pleasure-reading-548bd8badea5" target="_blank">How to Build a Habit of Pleasure Reading (and why it’s important)</a> "Pleasure reading connects you to humanity, expands your universe, AND keeps your brain sharp."</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/@holden/facebooks-news-literacy-advice-is-harmful-to-news-literacy-3b354919b14d" target="_blank">Facebook’s News Literacy Advice Is Harmful to News Literacy</a> "There’s actually no evidence that this approach works. And conversely, there’s quite a lot history that shows this model does <i class="markup--em markup--p-em">not </i>work. We actually already trained a generation of students with variants of this method. Sometimes we <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://www.gettysburg.edu/library/research/tips/webeval/index.dot" href="https://www.gettysburg.edu/library/research/tips/webeval/index.dot" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">called it CRAAP</a>. In K-12, it often went by the name of <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://www.radcab.com/" href="http://www.radcab.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">RADCAB</a>. There are dozens of other variations, but they all look basically like this. And it failed."</li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="https://medium.com/@holden/how-media-literacy-gets-web-misinformation-wrong-45aa6323829d" target="_blank">How “News Literacy” Gets Web Misinformation Wrong</a> <br />"...[W]e need a web literacy that starts with the web and the tools it provides to track a claim to ground. As we can see from the confusing and confused reactions of students in the Checkology program, that’s not happening now, and 'news literacy' isn’t going to fix that."</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://mathwithbaddrawings.com/2017/04/12/its-obvious-why-students-cheat-we-just-cant-agree-on-the-reason" target="_blank">It’s Obvious Why Students Cheat; We Just Can’t Agree on the Reason</a> "Is the problem with cheating that it undercuts your own learning? That it steals glory from classmates in the zero-sum competition for grades? That it betrays the teacher’s trust? Are all acts of cheating equally terrible, and if not, what does that mean for 'zero tolerance' policies? We all know cheating is bad. But we seem unable to talk honestly about<i style="border: 0px none; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">why</i>. So, I offer up these dialogue-starting cartoons, a few badly drawn meditations on the most basic question: <i style="border: 0px none; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Why do students cheat?"</i></li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/04/in-this-ant-species-21-of-the-colony-has-major-injuries-from-war/" target="_blank">In this ant species, 21% of the colony has major injuries from war</a> "Though many ants spend their lives peacefully tending fungus farms and herds of aphids, others have it much rougher. Such is the case with the ant species<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="box-sizing: inherit;">Megaponera analis</i><span style="display: inline; float: none;">, native to many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, whose days are spent endlessly hunting termites to eat. In fact, a typical </span><i style="box-sizing: inherit;">M. analis</i><span style="display: inline; float: none;"> will engage in at least two battles per day with nests of angry termites. They sustain so many injuries that these ants have developed something that is extremely rare in the insect world: </span><i style="box-sizing: inherit;">M. analis</i><span style="display: inline; float: none;"> has learned how to rescue and rehabilitate ants that suffer extraordinary injuries on the battlefield."</span></li>
</ul>
<li>International</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/13/thailand-bans-online-sharing-of-articles-by-three-critics-of-regime" target="_blank">Thailand bans online contact with three critics of regime </a>"The military-run government of <a class="u-underline" data-component="auto-linked-tag" data-link-name="auto-linked-tag" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/thailand">Thailand</a> has announced a ban on all online interaction with three of its most prominent overseas critics. A letter from the digital economy and society ministry warned citizens that engaging on the internet with the Thai academics Somsak Jeamteerasakul and Pavin Chachavalpongpun as well as the journalist Andrew MacGregor Marshall could violate the law.... Thai authorities had previously warned that even Facebook shares could be considered a violation of the lese-majesty law. A student activist, Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, was <a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38196136">charged</a> in December for sharing a BBC profile of the new king on Facebook. Jatupat remains in jail having been denied bail."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/13/asia/north-korea-nuclear-site-punggye-ri/" target="_blank">Satellite photos show North Korean nuclear site 'primed and ready'</a> "'The activity during the past six weeks is suggestive of the final preparations for a test," 38 North analyst Joseph Bermudez told CNN. Their prediction comes as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday that North Korea <a href="http://cnn.com/2017/04/13/asia/north-korea-missiles-japan/index.html" style="background-color: #fefefe; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.2s;">may have the capability to deliver missiles equipped with sarin nerve gas</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.afp.com/en/news/23/syrias-assad-says-chemical-attack-100-percent-fabrication" target="_blank">Syria's Assad says chemical attack '100 percent fabrication'</a> "Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said a suspected chemical weapons attack was a 'fabrication' to justify a US military strike, as Moscow digs in to defend its ally despite increasing strains with Washington."</li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/13/politics/afghanistan-isis-moab-bomb/" target="_blank">US drops largest non-nuclear bomb in Afghanistan</a> "The US military dropped America's most powerful non-nuclear bomb on ISIS targets in Afghanistan Thursday, the first time this type of weapon has been used in battle, according to US officials.... Officials said the target was an ISIS cave and tunnel complex and personnel in the Achin district of the Nangarhar province."</li>
<ul>
<li>I'm sure this was all done thoughtfully and by-the-book. <a href="http://shareblue.com/spicer-refuses-to-say-if-trump-was-in-situation-room-for-afghanistan-strike-flees-amid-questions/#.WO_YGl3aM_4.facebook" target="_blank">Spicer refuses to say if Trump was in Situation Room for Afghanistan strike, flees amid questions</a> "White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer refused to say whether Donald Trump was in the Situation Room for the strike, and the president would not confirm whether he even authorized it." Oh, well, then.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/13/world/middleeast/syrian-fighters-airstrike-american-military.html" target="_blank">18 Syrian Fighters Allied With U.S. Are Killed in Coalition Airstrike</a> "The strike, on Tuesday in Tabqah, <a class="meta-loc" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/syria/index.html?inline=nyt-geo" title="More news and information about Syria.">Syria</a>, was the third time in a month that American-led airstrikes may have killed civilians or allies, and it comes even as the Pentagon is investigating two previous airstrikes that killed or wounded scores of civilians in a mosque complex in Syria and in a building in the west of Mosul, Iraq." Once is an accident; twice, maybe - but three in a month? I don't know, man. That looks really bad. After a while, "Oops" just doesn't cover it.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/13/us/sheila-abdus-salaam-judge-hudson-river/index.html" target="_blank">Sheila Abdus-Salaam, a trailblazing judge, found dead in Hudson River</a> "Abdus-Salaam's death came the same week a prominent Chicago judge was killed outside his home Monday. A suspect in that case has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Judge <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/12/us/chicago-judge-killed-arrest/">Raymond Myles</a>."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/12/523612815/north-miami-officer-is-arrested-over-shooting-of-therapist-during-standoff" target="_blank">North Miami Officer Is Arrested Over Shooting Of Therapist During Standoff</a> "The daytime shooting took place last July, when therapist Charles Kinsey was working to bring a 27-year-old man in his care back to the group home for mentally disabled adults. Video from the scene showed Kinsey lying on the ground next to his patient, his hands in the air, shortly before he was shot." I'm just wondering why it took almost a year to arrest the guy. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.episcopalcafe.com/prayers-on-the-eve-of-arkansas-easter-executions/" target="_blank">Prayers on the eve of Arkansas’ Easter executions</a> "'The cathedral will hold services if we reach the point when there is nothing left to do but pray,' said the Very Rev. Christoph Keller III, dean and rector, in an email message to Episcopal News Service. 'Then we will pray for the men who are about to die, and those who love them; and for those who died and suffered in the crimes for which they have been convicted, and those who love them.'"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/10/climate/trump-epa-budget-cuts.html" target="_blank">What’s at Stake in Trump’s Proposed E.P.A. Cuts</a> "What is at stake as Congress considers the <a class="meta-org" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/e/environmental_protection_agency/index.html?inline=nyt-org" style="background-color: white;" title="More articles about the Environmental Protection Agency.">E.P.A.</a>< budget? Far more than <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" style="background-color: white;" title="Recent and archival news about global warming.">climate change</a><span style="background-color: white;">." Try: tap water quality programs, criminal and civil enforcement of environmental regulations, regional cleanup programs, cleanups of hazardous materials (including radioactive metals), redevelopment of former industrial sites, research into endocrine disruptors, climate protection programs (including the popular Energy Star and SmartWay programs), Federal vehicle and fuel standards, programs to help states handle dangerous pollutants not covered under the Clean Water Act, and programs designed to keep the public informed about possible radiation dangers and respond to radiation threats. "One enforcement activity that could be set for an increase: security for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/09/us/politics/epa-scott-pruitt-global-warming.html">Scott Pruitt</a>, the new E.P.A. administrator." </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/04/09/trump_has_already_spent_almost_double_obama_s_annual_travel_budget.html" target="_blank">Trump Has Already Spent Almost Double Obama’s Annual Travel Budget</a> "If Trump keeps up the current pace of trips, he could spend $60 million in taxpayer cash solely to visit Mar-a-Lago this year. And, of course, that doesn’t even come close to estimating the full cost of protecting the president and his family."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ginandtacos.com/2017/04/13/cult-of-mediocrity/" target="_blank">Cult of Mediocrity</a> "Being raised in a country that pretends it is a meritocracy sends most of us toward adulthood with some questionable expectations about how life is going to work. It doesn't take long for the national myth of 'Work hard, be the best, and you will succeed!' to reveal itself for what it is. At some point you realize that there are an awful lot of people at The Top who only meet the 'success' part of that formula…too many to be a coincidence. Often there is an urge to lie to ourselves, because we don't want to give up on the idea that we might someday Make It. But by the time one enters the workforce permanently, all of the illusions are gone. Most of the people at The Top are mediocre at best, idiots at worst, and they achieved thanks to an extraordinary array of advantages that almost none of them are willing to admit they had."</li>
</ul>
</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-6650966670545185292017-04-12T21:35:00.000-05:002017-04-12T21:35:42.800-05:00Lost My Train of ThoughtActually, the whole line is down. I had a thing to say, but then I got home really late and I was tired and I grabbed a popsicle, but someone had taken two bites out of it and put it back in the wrapper and the box, so I'm sitting here finishing this popsicle and can't remember what I was going to say.<br />
<br />
Here's a pretty picture:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1w0dlfgLGqne8asDZSU67k1WzrbZCCR9BL-nTXvv6ocNVIwsumRLRL-Q4VdntJ3nhpcYbCMShnf5UtLjlwD27hggL4Y7PfyJDQfMVRuxSXaDsgf5Ctd0gzQrklpeKqukj_hr8JnR_LFw/s1600/Babycone+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1w0dlfgLGqne8asDZSU67k1WzrbZCCR9BL-nTXvv6ocNVIwsumRLRL-Q4VdntJ3nhpcYbCMShnf5UtLjlwD27hggL4Y7PfyJDQfMVRuxSXaDsgf5Ctd0gzQrklpeKqukj_hr8JnR_LFw/s1600/Babycone+2.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li>Happy <a href="http://www.kiro7.com/news/local/beezus-and-ramona-author-beverly-cleary-turns-101/511932854" target="_blank">101st birthday, Beverly Cleary!</a> Related: Happy <a href="http://www.dropeverythingandread.com/NationalDEARday.html" target="_blank">Drop Everything and Read Day!</a> Celebrating this one is easy - just drop what you're doing and <i>read!</i> Also, we encourage you to celebrate this particular holiday every day. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.booklistreader.com/2017/04/12/books-and-authors/help-young-readers-understand-the-refugee-experience-with-picture-books/" target="_blank">Help Young Readers Understand the Refugee Experience with Picture Books</a> "With all the fear, uncertainty, and difficulties that adult refugees face, a young child’s experience is likely to be exponentially more challenging. In encouraging understanding and empathy—especially in schools and other kid-centric institutions—picture books can be especially useful as validation for the refugee child in seeing her/ him/ themselves reflected in the pages, and as portals for their new classmates and friends to learn more about the refugee experience."</li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.recode.net/2017/4/12/15266200/trump-administration-net-neutrality-plan-lobbying-fcc-ajit-pai" target="_blank">Silicon Valley is beginning to fight the Trump administration’s net neutrality plan</a> "A lobbying group representing Facebook, Google, Twitter and other web giants told the U.S. Federal Communications Commission yesterday that it shouldn’t weaken net neutrality rules — an early warning shot at the ideas contemplated by the agency’s new Republican chairman, Ajit Pai."</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/privacy-international/defeating-encryption-the-battle-of-governments-against-their-people-91ba533e79b2" target="_blank">Defeating encryption: the battle of governments against their people</a> "Technologists hoped the 'Crypto Wars' of the 1990s — which ended with cryptographers gaining the right to legally develop strong encryption that governments could not break — was behind them once and for all. Encryption is a fundamental part of our modern life, heavily relied on by everything from online banking and online shopping services to the security our energy infrastructure." </li>
</ul>
<li>Randomnesses</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/2017/02/what-cats-can-teach-us-about-how-live" target="_blank">What cats can teach us about how to live</a> "The moralising philosopher who believed he had persuaded his cat to adopt a meat-free diet only showed how silly philosophers can be. Rather than seek to teach his cat, he would have been wiser to learn from it..."</li>
</ul>
<li>International</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2017-04-11-EU-Germany-Soccer-Explosion/id-90651c7866b0481e81e43d0ec790a85f" target="_blank">Germany: Pregame blasts rock soccer team bus; player injured</a> "Three explosions went off near the team bus of Borussia Dortmund, one of Germany's top soccer clubs, as it set off for a Champions League quarterfinal match on Tuesday evening. One of Dortmund's players was injured."</li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/san-bernardino-domestic-violence-terror_us_58ed2046e4b0c89f91222524?utm_hp_ref=black-voices&ir=Black%2BVoices&section=black-voices&" target="_blank">The Latest San Bernardino Shooting Reveals A Far More Common Form Of Terror</a> "The story police told was as American as apple pie: A rage-filled man taking his wife’s life.... An 8-year-old and his teacher were dead. But the public breathed a sigh of relief: At least the shooting was not an act of terrorism."<div class="content-list-component bn-content-list-text text" data-beacon-parsed="true" data-beacon="{"p":{"mnid":"citation"}}" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: NotoNashkArabic, ProximaNova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 720px; min-width: initial; padding: 0px; width: 715px;">
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<li> <a href="https://civicskunk.works/the-united-story-isnt-about-customer-service-it-s-about-class-warfare-52e47b455f2e" target="_blank">The United Story Isn’t About Customer Service. It’s About Class Warfare.</a> "It should be clear to anyone who’s paying attention that <b>this story is not about customer service. It’s about income inequality</b>.... When you get down to it, like everything else in America today, <b class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">this is about the haves and the have-nots</b>. If you’re in first class, you don’t need to worry about shock troops coming and beating you until you get out of the seat that you bought. If you’re not in first class, you’re on your own. If you’re in the top one percent on Wall Street, you turn a tidy profit off the whole ordeal. This is what class warfare looks like."</li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/4/11/1652221/-After-getting-dragged-off-a-plane-KY-newspaper-shamelessly-drags-United-passenger-through-the-mud" target="_blank">After being dragged off a plane, United passenger is dragged through the mud by KY newspaper</a> "Yes, instead of focusing on the background of the people who assaulted Dr. Dao or the policies that allowed him to be treated like this in the first place, the <i>Courier-Journal</i> went full steam with an article about Dr. Dao’s <a href="https://twitter.com/courierjournal/status/851790308471951360" target="_blank">prescription drug-related arrest in 2003</a>. As if that has anything to do with the treatment he received by United Airlines and security personnel."</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/11/alabama-church-police-force-senate-vote" target="_blank">Alabama senate votes to allow church to form own police force</a> "Lawmakers on Tuesday voted 24-4 to allow Briarwood Presbyterian church in Birmingham to establish a law enforcement department. The church says it needs its own police officers to keep its school as well as its more than 4,000 person congregation safe.Critics of the bill argue that a police department that reports to church officials could be used to cover up crimes." I'm sure this will end well..</li>
<li><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/earth-day-in-the-age-of-trump" target="_blank">Earth Day in the Age of Trump</a> "Next week, millions of Americans will celebrate Earth Day, even though, three months into Donald Trump’s Presidency, there sure isn’t much to celebrate. A White House characterized by flaming incompetence has nevertheless managed to do one thing effectively: it has trashed years’ worth of work to protect the planet. As David Horsey <a href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-pruitt-undermines-20170406-story.html" target="_blank">put it recently</a>, in the Los Angeles <em>Times,</em> 'Donald Trump’s foreign policy and legislative agenda may be a confused mess,' but 'his administration’s attack on the environment is operating with the focus and zeal of the Spanish Inquisition.'... How is it that a group as disorganized as the Trump Administration has been so methodical when it comes to the (anti) environment? The simplest answer is that money focusses the mind." Money isn't the only thing, though - "Combatting a global environmental problem like climate change would seem to require global coöperation. If you don’t believe in global coöperation because 'America comes first,' then you’re faced with a dilemma. You can either come up with an alternative approach—tough to do—or simply pretend that the problem doesn’t exist.... To acknowledge our interconnectedness is to acknowledge the need for caution, restraint, and, yes, rules. Almost a hundred days into Trump’s Presidency, it’s obvious that he has no agenda or coherent ideology. But two qualities that clearly have no place in his muddled, deconstructive Administration are caution and restraint. As a result, the planet, and everything on it, will suffer."</li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-energy-star-20170412-story.html" target="_blank">Energy Star ratings are cheap, effective and popular. Why does Trump want to kill them?</a> "At the EPA, many longtime veterans of the agency have their own ideas. They see Trump’s proposal to jettison the voluntary program as confirmation of their fears that his overarching goal is not to shift the mission of the EPA but to suffocate it. 'If this administration really wants to reorganize around the importance of individual decision-making, getting government out of people’s lives and giving them what they want, then they shouldn’t be getting rid of this program,' said Whitman. 'What they really want to do is get rid of the agency. The kinds of cuts they are making are scary.'"</li>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/04/trump-budget-director-wants-high-inequality-not-low-deficit.html" target="_blank">Trump Budget Director Admits Their Goal Is High Inequality, Not Low Deficits</a> "</span>For more than a generation, the Republican Party has single-mindedly pursued the goal of maximizing economic inequality. They have been almost as single-minded about not describing this as their priority. Republicans say their goal is reducing <a href="http://www.weeklystandard.com/text-of-paul-ryans-aei-speech/article/556818" target="_blank">out-of-control deficits</a>, or reducing <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bush-surplus-justifies-tax-cut/" target="_blank">out-of-control surpluses</a>, or promoting <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/23/paul-ryans-battle-plan/" target="_blank">economic growth</a>, or <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2005/02/02/retirement/stofunion_socsec/" target="_blank">saving Social Security</a> and <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/gop-rep-paul-ryan-were-saving-medicare/" target="_blank">Medicare</a>. But Donald Trump’s budget director Mick Mulvaney, in a new <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/11/trumps-budget-director-is-at-home-in-the-eye-of-the-storm.html" target="_blank">interview</a> with CNBC’s John Harwood, basically admits that what he cares about is reducing transfers from the rich to the poor..." Just so we all know where we stand, I guess. </li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/04/12/trump-changes-course-again-says-health-care-repeal-must-happen-before-tax-overhaul/" target="_blank">Trump changes course again, says health-care repeal must happen before tax overhaul</a> "The comments from Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney mark a sharp reversal from the administration’s approach just a few weeks ago. After they were dealt a stinging defeat when conservative Republicans refused to vote for a GOP health-care plan, Trump angrily said he was pivoting to tax reform and has been peppering his top economic adviser, Gary Cohn, for details of their tax timeline ever since."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-administration-moving-quickly-to-build-up-nationwide-deportation-force/2017/04/12/7a7f59c2-1f87-11e7-be2a-3a1fb24d4671_story.html" target="_blank">Trump administration moving quickly to build up nationwide deportation force</a> "An <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/apps/g/page/politics/planning-for-the-trumps-deportation-force/2194/" shape="rect" title="www.washingtonpost.com">internal Department of Homeland Security assessment</a> obtained by The Washington Post shows the agency has already found 33,000 more detention beds to house undocumented immigrants, opened discussions with dozens of local police forces that could be empowered with enforcement authority and identified where construction of Trump’s border wall could begin.... Government figures show the number of people illegally crossing the border from Mexico has dropped sharply in the first two months of Trump’s administration. The DHS assessment states that 2,100 detention spaces previously reserved by CBP and ICE during an immigration surge late last year are unused. 'Overall, it’s a wasted use of resources that could be used more efficiently,' Appleby said."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/11/politics/intelligence-contradicts-nunes-unmasking-claims/index.html" target="_blank">Classified docs contradict Nunes surveillance claims, GOP and Dem sources say</a> "After a review of the same intelligence reports brought to light by House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers and aides have so far found no evidence that Obama administration officials did anything unusual or illegal, multiple sources in both parties tell CNN. Their private assessment contradicts President Donald Trump's allegations that former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice broke the law by requesting the 'unmasking' of US individuals' identities. Trump had claimed the matter was a 'massive story.'" I am SHOCKED! SHOCKED, I tell you!</li>
<li><a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/04/sean-spicer-hitler-chemical-weapons" target="_blank">Sean Spicer Says Even Hitler Didn't Use Chemical Weapons, Apparently Forgetting About the Holocaust</a> "Anytime you have to issue a statement clarifying that you were not trying to 'lessen the horrendous nature of the Holocaust' is not a good day. Especially when you are the White House press secretary, and the time is the second day of Passover." It's even worse when you have to do it multiple times - and still never quite manage to get it right... "Spicer’s Holocaust snafu has, miraculously, temporarily aligned Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist who runs the fake news site Infowars, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi." This is not what we mean when we say we want to bring people together.</li>
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<li>Spicer really needs to pull it together. I hope. <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/328397-spicer-accidentally-says-trump-trying-to-destabilize-the-middle-east" target="_blank">Spicer says Trump trying to 'destabilize' the Middle East</a> "White House press secretary Sean Spicer apparently misspoke Tuesday evening, saying that President Trump is trying to 'destabilize' the Middle East. The comment came while Spicer was apologizing for his earlier, incorrect claim that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler did not use chemical weapons during World War II." At least, we all <i>hope </i>he misspoke."It's the second time Spicer has said 'destabilize' in recent remarks on the region." Sheesh...</li>
</ul>
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</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-41246193730760697762017-04-11T21:24:00.001-05:002017-04-11T21:25:30.149-05:00Well, At Least We Have Clean UnderwearI haven't the energy to be too outraged tonight, so you'll have to make do with a pretty picture and some links. The dryer quit, and we tried to fix it, and it melted, and we immediately regretted not having a professional come in to look at it, and so I spent more time than I like (which, let's be honest, is 'any') at a laundromat. But we have clean clothes for at least a week, and I'll worry about the rest later.<br />
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Here's the pretty picture first:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHd2iQb9K5vF-6328Z3OOBakUaBawfHrW1DLdXsR7orup0ZHw4s2MWHCjU4RBawCj3nsdfx3cf9Qo5G4mC94dYB0DRruT3JU1akx6n9TTheDqEhOyCPO-aAyUM-QqSEdr8CLWz4nbsFA/s1600/Dogwood+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHd2iQb9K5vF-6328Z3OOBakUaBawfHrW1DLdXsR7orup0ZHw4s2MWHCjU4RBawCj3nsdfx3cf9Qo5G4mC94dYB0DRruT3JU1akx6n9TTheDqEhOyCPO-aAyUM-QqSEdr8CLWz4nbsFA/s1600/Dogwood+4.JPG" /></a></div>
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Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.noshelfrequired.com/eserver-org-an-alternative-niche-for-free-quality-content-including-ebooks-in-the-arts-and-humanities/" target="_blank">EServer.org, an alternative niche for free quality content (including ebooks) in the arts and humanities</a> "Eserver is (justifiably) proud of its community and describes itself this way: The EServer is a growing online community where hundreds of writers, artists, editors and scholars gather to publish works as open archives, available free of charge to readers." Very cool! </li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.history.com/news/hunt-for-king-solomons-mine-yields-new-clues" target="_blank">Ancient Manure is Latest Clue in Biblical Mystery</a> "A team of archaeologists in Israel’s Timna Valley has uncovered evidence that appears to shed light on the biblical story of King Solomon, known for both his great wisdom and his enormous fortune. Their discovery of 3,000-year-old manure in an ancient mining camp suggests the site may have housed extensive operations in the 10th century B.C.—right around when King Solomon is believed to have harnessed just such industrial-scale metal production to build his famous Holy Temple in Jerusalem."</li>
<li><a href="https://tonic.vice.com/en_us/article/the-high-price-of-insulin-is-literally-killing-people" target="_blank">The High Price of Insulin Is Literally Killing People</a> "As of press time, a global GoFundMe search yielded 19,281 results for people seeking money to help pay for diabetes-related care, with 1,365,758 results for others crowdsourcing to raise money to help cover medical costs. Under a GOP healthcare plan, those numbers only threaten to rise. Not everyone reaches their goal, and sometimes the money arrives too late."</li>
</ul>
<li>Randomnesses</li>
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<li><a href="https://medium.com/@dennisojogho/martyrdom-in-three-movements-9e7a170c98f4" target="_blank">Martyrdom in Three Movements</a> "Three black children. Three American children. Three murdered children. Across different generations, in different inconvenience stores across the country, they are forever bound by martyrdom.... Though speaking of them as martyrs may make us feel better about their deaths, we cannot pretend that they willingly gave up their lives for our empowerment. Today, Emmett Till should have been a 75-year-old who plays with his grandchildren on the weekends. Today, Latasha Harlins should have been a 41-year-old who just went to see her daughter’s school play last week. And today, Trayvon Martin should have been a 22-year-old who is looking forward to graduating from college next month and to a world of possibilities after that."</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/@cambridge_uni/revealed-the-truth-behind-the-moon-landings-and-9-11-4bf8233b59d" target="_blank">Revealed: the TRUTH behind the moon landing and 9/11 conspiracies</a> "So, should we stop writing off conspiracy theorists, and instead view them — as Mathur does — as offering a critical commentary on our times? From Illuminati to ID cards, the latest crop of Cambridge research suggests that the history of weird ideas says as much about all of us, as it does about the people who believe them."</li>
</ul>
<li>International </li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-usa-putin-idUSKBN17D1K9" target="_blank">Putin says expects 'fake' gas attacks to discredit Syria's Assad</a> "President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia had information that the United States was planning to launch new missile strikes on Syria, and that there were plans to fake chemicals weapons attacks there." It's so rough to see a relationship start to go sour. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korea-state-media-warns-nuclear-strike-if-provoked-n745201" target="_blank">North Korea State Media Warns of Nuclear Strike if Provoked</a> "North Korean state media warned on Tuesday of a nuclear attack on the United States at any sign of American aggression as a U.S. Navy strike group steamed toward the western Pacific."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39566136" target="_blank">Chechen police 'kidnap and torture gay men' </a> "Gay men are fleeing brutal persecution in Chechnya, where police are holding more than 100 people and torturing some of them in an anti-gay crackdown, Russian activists say.... A government spokesman called the reports 'lies' and said homosexual people 'simply don't exist in the republic'."</li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/04/united-video-scandal-law/522552/" target="_blank">The Deeper Scandal of That Brutal United Video</a> "Sometimes, a shocking controversy like this one is both freakish and representative. Indeed, this incident is both an extraordinary occurrence—overbookings are common yet rarely involve thuggish yanking—and also a dramatic reminder of the profoundly unequal, and even morally scandalous, relationship between consumers and corporations in industries where a handful of large companies dominate the sector.... The first thought that I had watching the outrageous footage of a passenger being dragged through an aisle like a bag of trash was that this should never happen. But fundamentally, this is an old story: Companies in concentrated industries, like the airlines, have legal cover to break the most basic promise to consumers without legally breaking their contracts. The video is a scandal. But so is the law."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-11/spicer-suggests-even-hitler-didn-t-use-chemical-weapons" target="_blank">Spicer Says Even Hitler Didn't Use Chemical Weapons</a> Wait, what? "Minutes later, Spicer delivered a garbled defense of his remarks in which he tried to differentiate between Hitler's actions and the gas attack on Syrian civilians last week.... 'I think when you come to sarin gas, there was no, he (Hitler) was not using the gas on his own people the same way that Assad is doing,' Spicer said. 'There was clearly ... I understand your point, thank you. There was not ... He brought them into the Holocaust center I understand that.'" Um. I think he just made it worse. So, it's OK to gas Jews or the Romani - just not your "own people"?</li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/11/donald-trump-syria-bashar-al-assad-isis" target="_blank">What's Trump's plan for Syria? Five different policies in two weeks</a> "For years, Trump advocated against intervention in Syria’s war, except to attack the Islamic State militant group in a related but separate conflict. That policy seemed to end on Thursday, after the chemical weapons attack on Khan Sheikhoun on 4 April. Yet almost as soon as Trump ordered retaliatory strikes on a Syrian airbase from which the US said the regime had launched the chemical attack, his aides suggested that the one-off strike had satisfied US objectives. Until they contradicted themselves again." </li>
<li><a href="https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trump-is-just-the-latest-president-to-follow-the-path-from-isolationist-to-hawk/" target="_blank">Trump Is Just The Latest President To Follow The Path From Isolationist To Hawk</a> "During last year’s presidential campaign, Donald Trump....sounded almost isolationist at times in his insistence that the country would not rush to war and would seek to avoid entanglements in defense and trade. At several points, he <a href="https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/375609403376144384?lang=en">spoke out</a> against the idea of intervening in Syria, specifically. But it took less than three months in office for Trump to <a href="https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-syria-strike-is-trumps-first-big-break-from-his-campaign-rhetoric/">change directions</a> and get involved in Syria.Trump is hardly the first president to campaign on peace and govern in war." Heck, at this point, it's practically tradition; I think we need a new tradition, though. I'd like to see someone campaign on peace - and actually govern in peace.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/10/politics/donald-trump-obama-travel-costs/" target="_blank">Trump on pace to surpass 8 years of Obama's travel spending in 1 year</a> "The outsized spending on travel stands in stark relief to Trump's calls for belt tightening across the federal government and the fact that he regularly criticized Obama for costing the American taxpayer money every time he took a trip."</li>
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</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-47229653334401042692017-04-10T19:11:00.001-05:002017-04-10T19:25:28.945-05:00Let Them Eat Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today was our library's 7th annual Edible Books Festival! It was my first, though. It was great.</div>
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If you're not familiar with the concept, please note: we don't eat the books. (Please don't eat the books.) Instead, members of the community make or bake things that are book-related. We then take a day to judge them - that was today - and then, the next day (tomorrow), we eat them. </div>
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I am very much looking forward to the eating part.</div>
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This was my first time participating, and here was my entry:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiesF1WrAmoD50BeB3j_J5CukOAS42G7iIMFQIfHl21Ngrpi3pdrOlGoQs4klzaHuRjMbfBR6vHCd4DxMTDj2IjXom6dgdNzFuVQHPSzKHD8Dg0lzClqK3Zie_jC_XJ01rgKBkHiPEIms/s1600/IMG_1689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiesF1WrAmoD50BeB3j_J5CukOAS42G7iIMFQIfHl21Ngrpi3pdrOlGoQs4klzaHuRjMbfBR6vHCd4DxMTDj2IjXom6dgdNzFuVQHPSzKHD8Dg0lzClqK3Zie_jC_XJ01rgKBkHiPEIms/s640/IMG_1689.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Aw, poor lemon cake... Don't worry - it'll all be over soon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvisrwuzfnThW6SRr736P9XvgsLUWcokEO3qEmgMCfhQfiIlOkHKvk4peXqYMPRU_cg4Ase8Daoi7TD5wg7gwtiKWlpqN48FC09xj_bKbmyghWuelcxwnNe_ez_nZglY-ovQsX70XUyY0/s1600/IMG_1690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="595" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvisrwuzfnThW6SRr736P9XvgsLUWcokEO3qEmgMCfhQfiIlOkHKvk4peXqYMPRU_cg4Ase8Daoi7TD5wg7gwtiKWlpqN48FC09xj_bKbmyghWuelcxwnNe_ez_nZglY-ovQsX70XUyY0/s640/IMG_1690.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you're not familiar with the book, <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/862205489" target="_blank">The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake</a>, you should go pick up a copy and read it. It's the delicious story of Rose, a young lady growing up with a magical gift - or perhaps it's more of a curse: she can taste the emotions of those who prepare the food she eats. In the novel, we see how difficult it can be to love those you know the best, while growing to understand the interdependence we all rely on to live life. </div>
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Also, my cake made a really nice bookface.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDUdkL_bUd9bNJ4yNc7xj1cqsUD1js2TCSs_OyPhXLiwgMIMvxhZPOWdnWpQOzohH2iDsKP5F5YVB96ebPdmROxfkh8aQhgTmZWnLvcsyMm9m1hhzWdiqzXA_lDiVw_6jgFeusn4Lorc/s1600/Lemon+Cake+Bookface.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDUdkL_bUd9bNJ4yNc7xj1cqsUD1js2TCSs_OyPhXLiwgMIMvxhZPOWdnWpQOzohH2iDsKP5F5YVB96ebPdmROxfkh8aQhgTmZWnLvcsyMm9m1hhzWdiqzXA_lDiVw_6jgFeusn4Lorc/s640/Lemon+Cake+Bookface.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li>Happy National Library Week! <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/state-americas-libraries-2017/" target="_blank"> State of America’s Libraries 2017</a> "Today the American Library Association (ALA) released The State of America’s Libraries, an annual report released during National Library Week, April 9–15, that captures usage trends within all types of libraries. The report finds that library workers’ expertise continues to play a key role in the transformation of communities through access to services that empower users to navigate our ever-changing digital, social, economic, and political society." </li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="http://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2017/4/9/sunday-sweets-brings-cake-to-the-library.html" target="_blank">Sunday Sweets BRINGS CAKE To The Library!</a> "It's National Library Week this week, so who's ready to sink your teeth into a good book or two?" Me! I am! "Now, who wants to go to the library? Remember to thank a librarian while you're there!" Don't forget to bring us cake. </li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.pulitzer.org/prize-winners-by-year" target="_blank">2017 Pulitzer Prizes</a> So much goodness on this list, including <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/933420484" target="_blank">The Underground Railroad</a>, which I <a href="https://steampunk-gypsy.blogspot.com/2017/02/excellent.html" target="_blank">reviewed </a>earlier this year. It is amazing. If you haven't read it yet, you should do so.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/07/evicted-poverty-and-profit-in-the-american-city-matthew-desmond-review" target="_blank">Evicted by Matthew Desmond review – what if the problem of poverty is that it’s profitable to other people?</a> "What if the dominant discourse on poverty is just wrong? What if the problem isn’t that poor people have bad morals – that they’re lazy and impulsive and irresponsible and have no family values – or that they lack the skills and smarts to fit in with our shiny 21st-century economy? What if the problem is that poverty is profitable?"</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/the-little-prince-becomes-world-s-most-translated-book-excluding-religious-works-1.3358885" target="_blank">'The Little Prince' becomes world's most translated book, excluding religious works</a> "The cult classic by Antoine Saint Exupéry, originally written in French, has been translated into its 300th language -- Hassanya -- a North African variant of Arabic, reports Livre Hebdo, citing the Antoine de Saint Exupéry Youth Foundation. This makes 'Le Petit Prince' the world's most translated book, excluding religious works."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/03/lets-make-copyright-office-less-political-not-more" target="_blank">Let’s Make The Copyright Office Less Political, Not More</a> "The Register has gone from being a neutral expert to a political player. In theory, the bill would help mitigate this effect by making this Register <i>more</i> accountable to the public – after all, under the current regime the Register answers only to the Librarian of Congress. In practice, though, we fear it’s designed to do something else: allow powerful incumbent interests to use their lobbying power to control this increasingly politicized office. No president is going to select an appointee that will be shot down by special interests. And while the Librarian of Congress still oversees the Copyright Office, the Librarian of Congress would not be able to remove the Register no matter how poorly they perform their job."</li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/4/10/14471304/trump-border-wall-animals" target="_blank">The ecological disaster that is Trump’s border wall: a visual guide</a> <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div id="c13Wxv">
There’s a long debate over whether physical barriers on
the border actually curb the illicit flow of people and drugs. The
Border Patrol, which is backing Trump’s plan, <a href="http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/immigration/sd-me-cbp-union-20161117-story.html">says</a> they’re a “vital tool.” Migration experts <a href="http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/borders-and-walls-do-barriers-deter-unauthorized-migration">say</a> they’re more symbolic than effective. </div>
<div id="9nWz95">
But what is undeniable is that the 654 miles of walls and
fences already on the US-Mexico border have made a mess out of the
environment there. They’ve cut off, isolated, and reduced populations of
some of the rarest and most amazing animals in North America, like the
jaguar and ocelot. They’ve led to the creation of miles of roads through
pristine wilderness areas. They’ve even <a href="https://www.texasobserver.org/new-border-walls-designed-to-flood-texas-towns/">exacerbated flooding</a>, becoming dams when rivers have overflowed.</div>
<div id="ZKnlwF">
And while we don’t yet know exactly what path Trump’s new
wall would take, the Department of Homeland Security has been eyeing
unfenced areas in an east Texas wildlife refuge that conservationists
consider some of the most ecologically valuable areas on the border —
home to armadillos and bobcats. If a wall were to slice through these
ecosystems, it could cause irreversible damage to plants and animals
already under serious threat. </div>
</blockquote>
</li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2017/apr/10/this-mortal-coral-new-bleaching-at-the-great-barrier-reef-in-pictures" target="_blank">This mortal coral: new bleaching at the Great Barrier Reef – in pictures</a> "Aerial surveys of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef conducted in late 2016 and early 2017 show the Unesco world heritage site has suffered <a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in standfirst link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/apr/10/great-barrier-reef-terminal-stage-australia-scientists-despair-latest-coral-bleaching-data">severe coral bleaching for the second year in a row</a>. According to Prof Terry Hughes, who conducted the surveys, the bleaching is caused by ‘record-breaking temperatures driven by global warming’." The pictures are beautiful - even if the outlook isn't good. </li>
</ul>
<li>International</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-mosul-300-dead-20170406-story.html" target="_blank">Nearly 300 bodies pulled from rubble of Mosul airstrike</a> "Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, the top U.S. general commanding the fight against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, has said that there was 'at least a fair chance' that the U.S.-led coalition was responsible for the strike, but if so, it was 'an unintentional accident of war, and we will transparently report it to you.'"</li>
<li><a href="http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-egypt-attack-20170410-story.html" target="_blank">Egypt's Christians bury victims of bombings as Israel closes border at Sinai</a> "Instead of making him feel more secure, he said the state of emergency threatened to take Egypt 'back to the Mubarak presidential period,' an era of repression under longtime President Hosni Mubarak that ended with Arab Spring protests in 2011."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-navy-korea-idUSKBN17A0V5" target="_blank">U.S. Navy strike group to move toward Korean peninsula</a> "A U.S. Navy strike group will be moving toward the western Pacific Ocean near the Korean peninsula as a show of force, a U.S. official told Reuters on Saturday, as concerns grow about North Korea's advancing weapons program." Related: <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/9fb1699656a54d02b9fd7d9ee9cb1878/north-korea-says-syria-airstrikes-prove-its-nukes-justified" target="_blank">North Korea says Syria airstrikes prove its nukes justified</a> "The North called the airstrikes 'absolutely unpardonable' and said they prove its nuclear weapons are justified to protect the country against Washington's 'evermore reckless moves for a war.'"</li>
<li><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/schiff-russia-absolutely-complicit-syrian-chemical-attack/story" target="_blank">Schiff says Russia is absolutely 'complicit' in Syrian chemical attack</a> "'Absolutely they're complicit,' Rep. Adam Schiff of California told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on 'This Week' Sunday. 'Russian intelligence may not be as good as ours, but it's good enough to know the Syrians had chemical weapons, were using chemical weapons.'"</li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/10/us/san-bernardino-school-shooting/" target="_blank">2 dead in shooting at San Bernardino's North Park Elementary</a> "Two adults died in a shooting Monday in a classroom at San Bernardino, California's North Park Elementary School, in what is believed to be a murder-suicide, San Bernardino police said." Two students were also injured, and are in critical condition.</li>
<ul>
<li>Update: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/04/10/at-least-two-students-hospitalized-after-shooting-at-san-bernardino-elementary-school-police-say/" target="_blank">Teacher, 8-year-old student killed in San Bernardino special-ed classroom shooting, officials say</a> "San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said during a news conference Monday that Karen Elaine Smith, 53, a teacher, was killed inside a classroom at North Park Elementary School by her estranged husband, Cedric Anderson, 53. Anderson died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The chief said Jonathan Martinez, 8, was airlifted to a hospital, where he died. Burguan said a 9-year-old child, whose name has not been released, remains in stable condition at a hospital."</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/sessions-orders-justice-dept-to-end-forensic-science-commission-suspend-review-policy/2017/04/10/2dada0ca-1c96-11e7-9887-1a5314b56a08_story.html" target="_blank">Sessions orders Justice Dept. to end forensic science commission, suspend review policy</a> "Attorney General Jeff Sessions will end a Justice Department partnership with independent scientists to raise forensic science standards and has suspended an expanded review of FBI testimony across several techniques that have come under question, saying a new strategy will be set by an in-house team of law enforcement advisers." After all, how often does the forensic evidence actually get overturned later? "In 2015, the department and bureau reported that nearly every examiner in an elite hair analysis unit gave scientifically flawed or overstated testimony in 90 percent of cases for two decades before 2000. The cases include 32 defendants sentenced to death. Of those, 14 have been executed or died in prison." Ouch. </li>
<li><a href="https://qz.com/954265/russian-hacker-pyotr-levashov-arrested-in-spain-for-alleged-links-to-us-election-hack" target="_blank">Spain has arrested a Russian hacker at the US’s request</a> "A US arrest warrant accused Pyotr Levashov, arrested in Barcelona on Sunday while on vacation, of participating in a Russian cyber-espionage campaign to aid Donald Trump’s campaign..."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.stonekettle.com/2017/04/throwing-bombs.html" target="_blank">Throwing Bombs</a> "For the Revolutionaries who forged America, war was a means to an end. And that end was a new and better nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the principle … well, maybe they fell a little short back then but, yeah, that. They were nation builders. Two and half centuries later, we have become a nation of bomb throwers. Literally and figuratively. For us, war is no longer a means to an end, it is the end. It’s what we do, endlessly."</li>
</ul>
</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-65756714000763730362017-04-07T21:16:00.000-05:002017-04-07T21:21:55.892-05:00This Is How You Get Fleeced<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-internet-idUSKBN1790AP" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">U.S. FCC chairman plans fast-track repeal of net neutrality</a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wants to repeal net neutrality classification and just have ISP promise sweetly to keep the Internet open. We can trust them to do that, right? I mean, sure, they've argued all along that they don't want an open Internet, and they stand to make a <i>lot </i>of money if net neutrality dies - without even doing anything! - but if they <i>promise to be nice...</i>totally trustworthy and who needs government protections when Big Business comes to play?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Gah.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Pretty picture time:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwynsOUeP6-BjU_6KbcibOrjhRJCjR8c37i3PAbCXl71pMAQqpxUikxaBP-E43jrIYCnJoxgyeoYcL7uTNd6V0l92QEUs6rjyI4HERZKUU-p2uOpkpY36wcsmMF6LWIUfgyGUwIYTxbs/s1600/Bulb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwynsOUeP6-BjU_6KbcibOrjhRJCjR8c37i3PAbCXl71pMAQqpxUikxaBP-E43jrIYCnJoxgyeoYcL7uTNd6V0l92QEUs6rjyI4HERZKUU-p2uOpkpY36wcsmMF6LWIUfgyGUwIYTxbs/s1600/Bulb.JPG" /></a></div>
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<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.chronicle.com/article/How-a-Browser-Extension-Could/239714" target="_blank">How a Browser Extension Could Shake Up Academic Publishing</a> "When an Unpaywall user lands on the page of a research article, the software scours thousands of institutional repositories, preprint servers, and websites like PubMed Central to see if an open-access copy of the article is available. If it is, users can click a small green tab on the side of the screen to view a PDF." Love it!</li>
<li><a href="https://hyperallergic.com/370345/19th-century-photographs-of-black-women-activists/" target="_blank">Library of Congress Digitizes 19th-Century Photos of Black Women Activists</a> "The Library of Congress recently digitized rare 19th-century photographs of African American women active in suffrage, civil rights, temperance, education, reform, and journalism." Awesome!</li>
<li>I set a rather...ambitious...reading goal for myself on Goodreads; I need this list: <a href="http://offtheshelf.com/2017/04/the-little-list-10-short-books-with-big-stories/" target="_blank">The Little List: 11 Short Books with Big Stories</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.readbrightly.com/childrens-books-about-kindness/" target="_blank">Cool to Be Kind: Children’s Books That Champion Kindness</a> "We tell our kids that what goes around comes around. If you want to be treated with kindness, you need to treat others with kindness. We’ve been successful for the most part, but kids make mistakes (who doesn’t?) and need a refresher now and then." We could use a bit more kindness in the world. Check out the list - and maybe pick up one or three for your kids (or yourself, if you need to remember there's some kindness in the world, after all).</li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/04/07/522867040/as-measles-surges-in-europe-officials-brace-for-a-rough-year" target="_blank">As Measles Surges In Europe, Officials Brace For A Rough Year</a> "And the problem isn't just in Europe. Guinea is battling a widespread outbreak, with nearly 3,500 confirmed cases, Doctors Without Borders reports. Nigeria is having an emergency campaign to vaccinate 4 million kids after an outbreak flared up in a region crippled by violence. And Mongolia — which was declared measles-free in 2014 — is still reeling from a massive outbreak nearly 20,000 cases. In other words, 2017 is shaping to be bad year for the measles worldwide, says Dr. Seth Berkley, who leads the nonprofit Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, devoted to vaccinating children worldwide. There's one big reason why: Vaccine rates around the world have stalled, Berkley says.... 'You don't even need to be in the same room with a sick person to catch measles,' Berkley says. 'If you were to leave a doctor's office and someone came an hour later, that person could catch measles just from the virus left in the air.'"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/06/us-healthcare-wealth-income-inequality-lifespan" target="_blank">Rich Americans live up to 15 years longer than poor peers, studies find</a> "Increasing inequality means wealthy Americans can now expect to live up to 15 years longer than their poor counterparts.... Researchers said these disparities appear to be worsened by the American health system itself, which relies on for-profit insurance companies, and is the most expensive in the world. Their conclusion? Treat healthcare as a human right." It's almost like single-payer healthcare is good for people! (Actually, it's <i>exactly</i> like that...)</li>
<li><a href="https://hackernoon.com/the-wsjs-phony-internet-privacy-op-ed-5ab6b1d4ea52" target="_blank">The WSJ’s “Phony” Internet Privacy Op-Ed</a> "On March 31st, the Wall Street Journal published an <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-phony-internet-privacy-panic-1491000504" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-phony-internet-privacy-panic-1491000504" rel="noopener" target="_blank">op-ed</a> claiming to 'add a few facts' to the discussion over <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/34/text" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/34/text" rel="noopener" target="_blank">S.J. Res. 34</a>, which undoes Obama-era FCC protections for consumer internet privacy. Unfortunately, the Wall Street Journal’s fact-finding mission is fundamentally marred by inaccuracies of its own." An excellent article - go read it. Go ahead. I'll wait.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/technology/us-blinks-in-clash-with-twitter-drops-order-to-unmask-anti-trump-account.html" target="_blank">U.S. Blinks in Clash With Twitter; Drops Order to Unmask Anti-Trump Account</a> "Customs and Border Protection on Friday withdrew its demand that Twitter unmask the anonymous account, a day after the social media company sued the government to block the summons.... The government’s move defused a potential standoff pitting a presidential administration that has tried to clamp down on leaks against a technology company with a history of defending its users’ First Amendment rights."</li>
</ul>
<li>Randomnesses</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2017/04/07/522992390/why-expertise-matters" target="_blank">Why Expertise Matters</a> "By definition, an expert is someone whose learning and experience lets them understand a subject deeper than you or I do (assuming we're not an expert in that subject, too). The weird thing about having to write this essay at all is this: Who would have a problem with that? Doesn't everyone want their brain surgery done by an expert surgeon rather than the guy who fixes their brakes? On the other hand, doesn't everyone want their brakes fixed by an expert auto mechanic rather than a brain surgeon who has never fixed a flat? Every day, all of us entrust our lives to experts from airline pilots to pharmacists. Yet, somehow, we've come to a point where people can put their ignorance on a subject of national importance on display for all to see — and then call it a virtue." </li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/slackjaw/5-further-pitches-by-the-creatives-behind-that-pepsi-ad-ac25786cbef9" target="_blank">5 further pitches by the creatives behind that Pepsi ad</a> I love the snark.</li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="https://medium.com/greater-than/hey-pepsi-here-are-25-free-ideas-take-them-please-e7ba83eed2cf" target="_blank">Hey, Pepsi. Here Are 25 Free Ideas. Take Them. Please.</a> "I’d estimate that Pepsi spent somewhere in the $5–10million range in production on that spot (including talent fees for Ms. Jenner, civil rights activist). It’s also not hard to imagine that there was a $20million media buy associated with the campaign. That means Pepsi effectively flushed $30million down the toilet. What could Pepsi have done with $30million that would’ve been better for their brand? Lots of things! Here are 25 ways that Pepsi could’ve spent that money." Some of these are actually really good ideas; others are snarky. Hurrah!</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.history.com/news/ice-age-village-in-canada-is-one-of-oldest-north-american-settlements" target="_blank">Ice-Age Village in Canada is One of Oldest North American Settlements</a> "According to the oral tradition of the Heiltsuk Nation, an aboriginal group on British Columbia’s Central Coast, some of their earliest ancestors survived the last ice age by huddling on a strip of land that never froze, even as glaciers covered most of the rest of North America." A neat myth, right? "Now, a team of archaeologists digging on Triquet Island has discovered evidence to back up that legend." Oh. OK, then. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/07/why-people-with-no-religion-are-projected-to-decline-as-a-share-of-the-worlds-population/" target="_blank">Why people with no religion are projected to decline as a share of the world’s population</a> "To be clear, the total number of religiously unaffiliated people (which includes atheists, agnostics and those who do not identify with any religion in particular) is expected to rise in absolute terms, from 1.17 billion in 2015 to 1.20 billion in 2060. But this growth is projected to occur at the same time that other religious groups – and the global population overall – are growing even faster."</li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li>Syria gets its own subcategory here: </li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-weighing-military-options-following-chemical-weapons-attack-in-syria/2017/04/06/0c59603a-1ae8-11e7-9887-1a5314b56a08_story.html" target="_blank">U.S. strikes Syrian military airfield in first direct assault on Bashar al-Assad’s government</a> "The U.S. military launched 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield early Friday in the first direct American assault on the government of President Bashar al-Assad since that country’s civil war began nearly six years ago.... It was not immediately clear whether Friday’s assault marked the beginning of a broader campaign against the Assad government."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/07/us-russia-relations-syria-military-strikes-putin-trump" target="_blank">White House has no clear plan for next steps in Syria after missile strike</a> "The White House appeared to back away from wider military involvement in Syria less than 24 hours after launching Tomahawk missiles at one of Bashar al-Assad’s airbases. The press secretary, Sean Spicer, refused to discuss any next steps – military or diplomatic – by the US in Syria, as the world struggled to understand Trump’s policy toward the grueling civil war.... Trump’s missile barrage suggested a reversal from his previous indifference to Assad’s continued rule; the US president now faces conflicting demands from Congress to escalate militarily – and from Russia to back down. Humanitarians, meanwhile, are demanding evidence of a strategy to end the conflict peacefully."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/07/522982477/russia-says-u-s-broke-international-law-in-striking-syria-citing-pretext" target="_blank">Russia Says U.S. Broke International Law In Striking Syria, Citing 'Pretext'</a> "Before the U.N. session began, Russia notified the U.S.-led coalition in Syria that it intends to suspend the 'deconfliction channel' that was created to prevent unintentional encounters between U.S. and Russian forces that are operating in the same country." </li>
<li><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/was-u-s-missile-strike-syria-legal-n743936" target="_blank">Was the U.S. Missile Strike on Syria Legal?</a> "Legal experts differ on whether Thursday's cruise missile strike on a Syrian airfield violated U.S. or international law. But they largely agree that even if it did, there won't be any practical legal consequences."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/06/the-us-warned-the-russians-ahead-of-syria-missile-strikes-official.html" target="_blank">The US warned the Russians ahead of Syria missile strikes</a> Related? <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/International/eyewitness-syrian-military-anticipated-us-raid/story?id=46641107" target="_blank">Eyewitness says Syrian military anticipated U.S. raid</a> "Syrian military officials appeared to anticipate Thursday night's raid on Syria's Shayrat air base, evacuating personnel and moving equipment ahead of the strike, according to an eyewitness."</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/immigration/ct-immigration-check-ins-met-20170404-story.html" target="_blank">More immigrants afraid to show up for ICE check-ins</a> Undocumented immigrants, who have been working with the government to stay in the country with their spouses and children, are now terrified to do so. These are not "bad hombres" - these are business owners, mothers and fathers, who, in many cases, were brought here as children and have lived here long enough to have children of their own. They have nothing to go "back" to - this is their home. These are their communities. And now many are going into hiding. It's a catch-22 - if they go into hiding, they're not checking in like they're supposed to; if they check in, they face deportation, and forced abandonment of their families. '"What would you do?' said longtime immigration attorney Kalman Resnick. 'Go get deported, go to the horrible violence and poverty of much of Central America and Mexico, to horrible instability and no jobs?'"</li>
<li><a href="http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/327266-maryland-governor-signs-fracking-ban-into-law" target="_blank">Maryland governor signs fracking ban into law</a> "Maryland is now only the second state in the country to ban fracking, after New York established a similar ban in 2015." Go, Maryland! <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
...[A]nti-fracking advocates celebrated the move as one designed to protect public health and the environment. <br />
<br />
Hogan agreed with that viewpoint when he <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-hogan-fracking-ban-20170317-story.html" target="_blank">announced</a> in March that he would support a fracking ban. <br />
<br />
“The
possible environmental risks of fracking simply outweigh any potential
benefits,” Hogan said then, calling the bill in the Democratically
controlled Legislature an “important initiative to safeguard our
environment.”<br />
He added, “Protecting our clean water supply and
our natural resources is critically important to Marylanders, and we
simply cannot allow the door to be open for fracking in our state.” </blockquote>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bs-md-ci-consent-decree-folo-20170404-story.html" target="_blank">Baltimore leaders pledge police reform will occur with or without consent decree </a>"'I'm asking the citizens to have faith that we will continue this work,' Pugh said. 'We do want to transform our Police Department.' 'Those reforms are going to take place no matter what," said Police Commissioner Kevin Davis. 'We have to continue to stress the necessity of constitutional policing in Baltimore.' They and police experts also acknowledged, however, that reform will be more difficult, and take longer to implement, if the Justice Department leaves the table."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/us/politics/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court.html" target="_blank">Neil Gorsuch Confirmed by Senate as Supreme Court Justice</a> I wonder if he'll just plagiarize Justice Kennedy's papers? </li>
</ul>
</ul>
</div>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-9532490253278073212017-04-06T20:13:00.000-05:002017-04-06T20:31:30.963-05:00Too Much Going On...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBHUzttXBfemRJuqzJeIaMFWzfoLQONzLpqs-PRu3gj8pPcHTfHW4WEjcONtSnDOndAm_5ADSwv1gXubaaebmZy-Yy3pWfyRuOxXQU80gYt_Rky8SwiDlHwc0mvKSTjcyYUryd58BMG0/s1600/Leaf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBHUzttXBfemRJuqzJeIaMFWzfoLQONzLpqs-PRu3gj8pPcHTfHW4WEjcONtSnDOndAm_5ADSwv1gXubaaebmZy-Yy3pWfyRuOxXQU80gYt_Rky8SwiDlHwc0mvKSTjcyYUryd58BMG0/s1600/Leaf.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
I had to start with the Pretty Picture today, because I couldn't pick just one story below to talk about, so enjoy the picture and then check out the links.<br />
<br />
But let's first get out in the open the one I have next to know information about: <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39523654" target="_blank">US launches strikes against Syria</a><br />
<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/opinion/why-authoritarians-attack-the-arts.html" target="_blank">Why Authoritarians Attack the Arts</a> "We need the arts because they make us full human beings. But we also need the arts as a protective factor against authoritarianism. In saving the arts, we save ourselves from a society where creative production is permissible only insofar as it serves the instruments of power. When the canary in the coal mine goes silent, we should be very afraid — not only because its song was so beautiful, but also because it was the only sign that we still had a chance to see daylight again."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/05/us/politics/donald-trump-childrens-books.html?_r=0" target="_blank">Telling Trump’s Story to Children: For Book Publishers, It’s Tricky</a> "After an election cycle whose divisive effect on voters is still being felt, publishing books for classroom use has been unusually perilous. For Ms. Sutinis, the difficulty went beyond the time crunch to finding concise quotations from Mr. Trump’s campaign appearances that didn’t include contentious remarks." Tricky.</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/@holden/how-media-literacy-gets-web-misinformation-wrong-45aa6323829d" target="_blank">How “News Literacy” Gets Web Misinformation Wrong</a> "...[W]e need a web literacy that starts with the web and the tools it provides to track a claim to ground. As we can see from the confusing and confused reactions of students in the Checkology program, that’s not happening now, and 'news literacy' isn’t going to fix that."</li>
<ul>
<li>Somewhat related, but from a very different angle: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/03/education/edlife/fake-news-and-media-literacy.html" target="_blank">This Is Not Fake News (but Don’t Go by the Headline)</a> "Fake news — a neologism to describe stories that are just not true, like Pizzagate, and a term now co-opted to characterize unfavorable news — has given new urgency to the teaching of media literacy. Are Americans less able to assess credibility? Can they discern real news from disinformation?... In a paper to be published this spring, Dr. Mihailidis explores the creation and spread of fake news and argues that media literacy as currently conceived may not solve the problem."</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/04/05/trumps-epa-moves-to-defund-programs-that-protect-children-from-lead/" target="_blank"> Trump’s EPA moves to dismantle programs that protect kids from lead paint</a> "Environmental Protection Agency officials are proposing to eliminate two programs focused on limiting children’s exposure to lead-based paint, which is known to cause damage to developing brains and nervous systems....<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6302a6.htm" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(213, 213, 213); box-sizing: border-box; color: #1955a5; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 18px; text-decoration: none; zoom: 1;">In a 2014 report</a><span style="color: #111111;">, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 243,000 children had blood lead levels above the danger threshold — and that permanent neurological damage and behavior disorders had been associated at even lower levels of lead exposure." Yeah, who needs to worry about that, anyway?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #111111;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/06/522914335/twitter-sues-homeland-security-to-protect-anonymity-of-alt-immigration-account" target="_blank">Twitter Sues Homeland Security To Protect Anonymity Of 'Alt Immigration' Account</a><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; float: none; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.70588; margin-bottom: 1.17647em; max-width: 680px; padding: 0px 15px; position: static; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3539853-Twitter-v-DHS.html" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5076b8; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">lawsuit from Twitter</a> alleges that DHS demanded to know the name, login information, phone number, mailing address and IP address of the user behind the account and threatened that failure to comply could lead to court actions.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; float: none; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.70588; margin-bottom: 1.17647em; max-width: 680px; padding: 0px 15px; position: static; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Twitter also says DHS "requested" that the company not reveal the existence of the summons. Twitter did not comply with either the summons or the request for silence — instead, the company is asking a federal court to declare the summons "unlawful and unenforceable."</span></div>
</span></span></li>
</ul>
<li>Randomnesses</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://imgur.com/gallery/bCqRp" target="_blank">The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus</a> It's so true it hurts. The "prosperity gospel" is the biggest heresy of our time; it's really disgusting.</li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-04-05/what-would-jesus-disrupt" target="_blank">What Would Jesus Disrupt?</a> "For two days, the crowd sits in darkness in plush theater seats, watching the church stage. There are smoke machines and LED screens, harnessed climbers scaling a scaffold 'mountain' and raising their arms in symbolic victory over the startup world’s arduous climb. There’s talk of destiny-defining 'exits.' Of Jesus and his disciples: 'The most successful startup in history!' Of the parable of the talents, in which two servants are lauded by their master for turning a profit with money he staked them: 'The first recorded instance of venture capital and investment banking in history!' Of ancient business elites: 'A church is the oldest marketplace in the history of the world.' Of the promised land of angel investing, where divinely inspired entrepreneurs dwell: 'Because God creates things, too!' Mark Burnett, the producer of <i>The Apprentice</i> and <i>Shark Tank</i>, shows up to remind everyone that 'the Bible is full of merchants and people doing work.'" </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>International</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/05/politics/un-security-council-resolution-syria/" target="_blank">Haley threatens 'our own action' in Syria if UN doesn't act</a> I was pretty convinced WWIII would start in North Korea, after all - but then Syria made a move to take the lead again. It might come down to how strong Trump's relationship with Russia really is: "Haley, who is also the UN Security Council president, was speaking as the council considers a resolution condemning the Assad regime for the attack, which killed dozens, including many children. Russia, which backs the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has troops in Syria, is likely to veto the resolution. 'How many more children have to die before Russia cares?' Haley said, leaving her presidency chair as she displayed photos of the victims."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/06/young-girl-found-living-monkeys-northern-india/" target="_blank">Young girl found living with monkeys in northern India</a> "Initial psychological assessments he said indicated that she had probably had early human contact before living with monkeys but it was difficult, for now, to determine the time frame. 'The fact that she is responding to humans shows that she has some memory of living with them,' Mr Lal said." Wow...I hope they find her family soon... </li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.ginandtacos.com/2017/04/05/minimally-invested/" target="_blank">Minimally Invested</a> "Perhaps a person in deep poverty would feel differently, but the point that hit me was how truly little $6 is. And I'd like to think it's not just very little money <em>to us</em> because we're middle income urban hipsters. It's just not much, period.... Six dollars, to all but the totally destitute, would very quickly be judged in economic terms, 'Not worth an hour of my time.' It strikes me as at or below the amount of money one could make panhandling or collecting returnable aluminum cans for an hour or two.... If you think about minimum wage employment in terms of actual dollars, it's not at all difficult to come to the conclusion that regardless of whether one is comfortable financially or at the poverty line it would be hard to look at the prospect of working to bring home $180 per week and thinking, 'What's the point?'"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/us/politics/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court-senate.html" target="_blank">Senate Republicans Deploy ‘Nuclear Option’ to Clear Path for Gorsuch</a> "In deploying this so-called nuclear option, lawmakers are fundamentally altering the way the Senate handles one of its most significant duties, further limiting the minority’s power in a chamber that was designed to be a slower and more deliberative body than the House. The move, once unthinkable among senators, is a testament to the creeping partisan rancor in recent years, after decades of at least relative bipartisanship on Supreme Court matters. Both parties have warned of sweeping effects on the court itself, predicting the elevation of more ideologically extreme judges now that only a majority is required for confirmation."</li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2017/04/06/daily-202-the-legislative-filibuster-will-be-at-risk-as-soon-as-the-senate-goes-nuclear/58e5c0afe9b69b3a72331e4f/" target="_blank">The legislative filibuster will be at risk now that the Senate has gone nuclear</a> Oh, sure, McConnell says he's not going to blow up the legislative filibuster, but - "Five years ago, McConnell said he would not invoke the nuclear option <i>for Supreme Court nominees</i>. Back then, he called it 'one of the most cherished safeguards of liberty in our government—the right of a political minority to have a voice.' Now he argues that doing so will be good for the Senate."</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-bill-oreilly-harassment_us_58e51f1ee4b0917d347635f9?section=politics" target="_blank">Donald Trump Kicks Off Sexual Assault Awareness Month By Defending Bill O’Reilly</a> Not really a surprise, given Trump's own history: "More than <a class="bn-clickable" data-beacon-parsed="true" data-beacon="{"p":{"lnid":"a dozen women have accused Trump","mpid":8,"plid":"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/a-running-list-of-all-the-women-whove-accused-donald-trump-of-sexual-assault_us_57ffae1fe4b0162c043a7212"}}" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/a-running-list-of-all-the-women-whove-accused-donald-trump-of-sexual-assault_us_57ffae1fe4b0162c043a7212">a dozen women have accused Trump</a> himself of sexual assault. Trump called them liars and <a class="bn-clickable" data-beacon-parsed="true" data-beacon="{"p":{"lnid":"threatened to sue them","mpid":9,"plid":"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-sue-sexual-assault-accusers_us_584710aae4b0ebac5806fb74"}}" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-sue-sexual-assault-accusers_us_584710aae4b0ebac5806fb74">threatened to sue them</a> after the 2016 presidential election ended, but so far has taken no legal action. The Washington Post unearthed a video in October of Trump claiming he can grab women '<a class="bn-clickable" data-beacon-parsed="true" data-beacon="{"p":{"lnid":"by the pussy","mpid":10,"plid":"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-women-comments_us_57f8016de4b0e655eab4148d"}}" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-women-comments_us_57f8016de4b0e655eab4148d">by the pussy</a>' because he is a celebrity. He dismissed the comment, which was made in 2005, as '<a class="bn-clickable" data-beacon-parsed="true" data-beacon="{"p":{"lnid":"locker room talk","mpid":11,"plid":"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-locker-room_us_57faeb1fe4b0b6a430334198"}}" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-locker-room_us_57faeb1fe4b0b6a430334198">locker room talk</a>.'" </li>
</ul>
</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-6327545646248530572017-04-05T22:21:00.001-05:002017-04-05T22:21:47.674-05:00OK, I Might Want to Build a Wall<h1 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/05/522712279/photos-the-many-possible-shapes-of-trumps-border-wall" target="_blank">The Many Possible Shapes Of Trump's Border Wall</a></h1>
I have never liked the idea of Trump's wall. I think it's stupid and unnecessary and there are so many other things we could spend our money on.<br />
<br />
But no one asked me, so bids went out to build the damn thing, and "there was no lack of companies competing to build the wall..." [<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/05/522712279/photos-the-many-possible-shapes-of-trumps-border-wall" target="_blank">Source</a>]<br />
<br />
Most of them are ugly and ridiculous. Wire mesh? Really? And then there's the wall that looks like a really cheap panel room divider. One's a curtain wall - are we expecting to hold off a Medieval siege? Does it come with a moat?<br />
<br />
But there's one I would love to see built:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQQ1tm-V7pfYRiDQASYP9xTJBLIzwVVu4WYtqPUk80D5r2037Q-pzXhFfg8a_BiPAUbKXXo4JvjAeoXY7wZxWm2EE6CPudf2iCs64qdB6ZtEKAKQOuS9EyUoKyn9kdZsFcZ1AYXIxXyA/s1600/wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQQ1tm-V7pfYRiDQASYP9xTJBLIzwVVu4WYtqPUk80D5r2037Q-pzXhFfg8a_BiPAUbKXXo4JvjAeoXY7wZxWm2EE6CPudf2iCs64qdB6ZtEKAKQOuS9EyUoKyn9kdZsFcZ1AYXIxXyA/s1600/wall.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; float: none; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.70588; margin-bottom: 1.17647em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 680px; padding: 0px 15px; position: static; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is reasonable to conclude that this proposal is not exactly what Trump has in mind for his signature campaign promise.</span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; float: none; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.70588; margin-bottom: 1.17647em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 680px; padding: 0px 15px; position: static; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"We propose a trans-national 'New Deal' to build an innovative shared co-nation based on local economic empowerment, energy independence and revolutionary infrastructure and transit," says the <a href="http://www.otranation.com/team" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5076b8; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">MADE Collective</a>, a cross-disciplinary team that argues for the creation of what it calls <a href="http://www.otranation.com/features/background" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5076b8; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">the Otra Nation</a> — a "regenerative co-nation shared by citizens of both Mexico and the United Stated and co-maintained by respective governments."</span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; float: none; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.70588; margin-bottom: 1.17647em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 680px; padding: 0px 15px; position: static; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Far from a boundary between two states, the Otra Nation proposal envisions the construction of a <a href="http://www.otranation.com/features/hyperloop-transit" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5076b8; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">hyperloop transit system</a> and the rights to <a href="http://www.otranation.com/features/otra-id" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5076b8; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">cross open borders</a> of the three North American countries without impediment. [<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/05/522712279/photos-the-many-possible-shapes-of-trumps-border-wall" target="_blank">Source</a>]</span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
Guys - now I really want to build this wall.<br />
<br />
Pretty picture time!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z2So205K2jcualobyn-Liqdqv7gk9cXtmB7uxr0CQ-kuBxvALaLyo4cOFyzxdInLYmHuo6HTZzTI6mXyssS8lAOfjlKkbm6hO0jtAAy1IUiNbWuzW5jkqkub2bQArXNEeEmfqHXtYIM/s1600/Raindrops+1+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z2So205K2jcualobyn-Liqdqv7gk9cXtmB7uxr0CQ-kuBxvALaLyo4cOFyzxdInLYmHuo6HTZzTI6mXyssS8lAOfjlKkbm6hO0jtAAy1IUiNbWuzW5jkqkub2bQArXNEeEmfqHXtYIM/s640/Raindrops+1+.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land </li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-great-library-at-alexandria-was-destroyed-by-budget-1442659066" target="_blank">The Great Library at Alexandria was destroyed by budget cuts, not fire</a> "Though we imagine that knowledge and civilizations are destroyed in one fell stroke, a rain of fire as it were, the truth is a lot more ugly and more slow. The ancient world's greatest library didn't die in battle — it died from thousands of little cuts, over centuries, that reduced this great institution of knowledge to a shadow of its former self." </li>
<li><a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/what-white-folks-who-teach-in-the-hood-get-wrong-about-education/" target="_blank">What ‘white folks who teach in the hood’ get wrong about education</a> "In '<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0807006408/ref=s9_simh_gw_g14_i1_r?ie=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=0DTWHWKAWS8TCGK89CAY&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2437869742&pf_rd_i=desktop" target="_blank">For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood … and the Rest of Y’all Too</a>,' his new book released this month, Emdin draws parallels between current urban educational models and Native American schools of the past that measured success by how well students adapted to forced assimilation. Instead, he calls for a new approach to urban education that trains teachers to value the unique realities of minority children, incorporating their culture into classroom instruction."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/04/05/these-high-school-journalists-investigated-a-new-principals-credentials-days-later-she-resigned/?utm_term=.1b981d64f672" target="_blank">These high school journalists investigated a new principal’s credentials. Days later, she resigned.</a> Very cool! "The student journalists had begun researching Robertson, and quickly found some discrepancies in her education credentials.... 'All of this was completely overlooked,' Balthazor said. 'All of the shining reviews did not have these crucial pieces of information … you would expect your authority figures to find this.'" </li>
<li>Someone needs a dictionary for her birthday: <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ivanka-trump-interview-what-it-means-to-be-complicit" target="_blank">Ivanka Trump interview: "If being complicit is wanting to be a force for good ... then I'm complicit"</a> That's not what complicit is.</li>
<li><a href="https://secure.politico.com/story/2017/04/gorsuch-writings-supreme-court-236891" target="_blank">Gorsuch's writings borrow from other authors</a> "Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch copied the structure and language used by several authors and failed to cite source material in his book and an academic article, according to documents provided to POLITICO.The documents show that several passages from the tenth chapter of his 2006 book, 'The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia,' read nearly verbatim to a 1984<a href="http://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2208&context=ilj" target="_blank"> article</a> in the Indiana Law Journal. In several other instances in that book and an academic article published in 2000, Gorsuch borrowed from the ideas, quotes and structures of scholarly and legal works without citing them." Shockingly (where's that sarcasm emoji when you need it?), "The White House...pushed back against any suggestion of impropriety." It's plagiarism, pure and simple - and ewwww.</li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/04/03/you-cant-deny-climate-change-once-you-see-these-images/" target="_blank">These stunning timelapse photos may just convince you about climate change</a> "Melting glaciers, from Greenland to Antarctica, have become symbols of global warming — and monitoring their retreat is one major way scientists are keeping tabs on the progress of climate change. Now, scientists are trying to bring the issue a little closer to home by using time-lapse photos to show the effects of climate change are already occurring."</li>
</ul>
<li>Randomnesses</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/03/identity-theft-racial-justice" target="_blank">For 18 years, I thought she was stealing my identity. Until I found her </a> Lisa Davis's search to free her legal identity from entanglement with those of other Lisa Davises became a social justice epiphany: "Brownsville, the South Bronx, East Harlem, Bed-Stuy (at least eight years ago, when the ticket was issued), all of them are neighborhoods with large black or Hispanic, and very small white, populations. It was then that it became clear to me: the reason for the tickets wasn’t that these Lisa Davises were petty criminals. The reason was likely that they lived in highly policed areas where even the smallest infractions are ticketed, the sites of '<a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/08/inside-william-bratton-nypd-broken-windows">Broken Windows' policing</a>. The reason, I thought, was that they weren’t white... I felt there was only one thing to do. I had to find the Lisa Davises, to untangle myself from them, to talk to them about being Lisa Davises, and to see if they agreed with my supposition: that the real 'crime' they had committed was being non-white. " Nothing gets solved - but it still ends OK.</li>
<li><a href="https://story.californiasunday.com/cooking-lessons" target="_blank">Disillusioned with fine dining, one of the world’s great chefs took on fast food. It has been harder than he ever imagined.</a> "For the previous two years, Patterson and his partner Roy Choi, <a class="regular-link" href="https://story.californiasunday.com/roy-choi-food-revolution" target="_blank">the tattooed king of L.A. food trucks</a>, had been raising money, developing recipes, designing the Locol brand, overseeing construction, and giving presentations and interviews about their plan to disrupt the predatory corporate fast-food industry. They talked about creating a chain of gorgeous new restaurants that served healthy food at Burger King prices in so-called food deserts, impoverished communities where the only places that sell anything edible are liquor stores, convenience stores, and conventional franchises. They promised to hire from surrounding neighborhoods and pay fair wages while teaching the culinary fundamentals necessary to launch a cooking career. That first Locol, near Jordan Downs in the core territory of the Grape Street Crips, one of the most famous African American gangs in the United States, had been deliberately designed to appeal to neighborhood residents and not look like the first step toward gentrification." Of course, as you might imagine, the whole project was more complicated than it seemed. Patterson seems like a really cool guy.</li>
<li> <a href="http://variety.com/2017/biz/news/kendall-jenner-pepsi-commercial-protest-twitter-controversy-1202023140/" target="_blank">Twitter Rips Pepsi, Kendall Jenner for ‘Tone-Deaf’ Protest Commercial</a> "In an attempt to court a politically active younger demographic, Pepsi may have instead set them off." Oh, maybe a tad... Some of us not so young people were a bit offended, as well.</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/maryanngeorgantopoulos/pepsi-says-it-missed-the-mark-with-the-controversial" target="_blank">Pepsi Says It "Missed The Mark" With The Controversial Kendall Jenner Ad</a> And now I'll be copying my own comments from someone else's post on Facebook: <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><br /></span></span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Pepsi
says they 'missed the mark.' You have to ask, then: What was the mark?
The mark was you and me and everyone else who is involved in protesting
injustice. We were marks, in the conman sense - because Pepsi, like
other companies, saw the opportunity to Commodify the Revolution, and
tried to do it. </span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Pepsi did a bad job of it, no
doubt. I'm concerned, too, with the ones who are doing a good job of it.
Any time we're called on to buy something 'because injustice!' we
should stop to ask: Why does buying this help? Where's this money going?
Is this a publicity stunt? Because I don't know about you, but I'm
tired of being a mark.</span></span></blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Related: My comments above were in response to Awesomely Luvvie's thoughts on Pepsi's commercial: <a href="http://www.awesomelyluvvie.com/2017/04/pepsi-ad.html" target="_blank">Dear Pepsi, That Ad was a Gold in the Fail Olympics</a> "This commercial is so bad that the word 'bad' is now offended. The type of bad where I hope many people get fired for it. MANY. My goodness. The level of utter disrespect is off the charts. The message is basic as fuck, just like the protest signs throughout. And this is what marketing looks like when it checks the boxes without having the depth. This ad didn’t have the range." </li>
<li>Although - let's be honest - no one beats <a href="https://twitter.com/BerniceKing/status/849656699464056832" target="_blank">Bernice King</a> for 'best reaction':</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/BerniceKing/status/849656699464056832" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="https://twitter.com/BerniceKing/status/849656699464056832" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL03FrG7mL8k4R-wggHuXIi442GMarQM0yOhVVgvcAGL21jP6Bbmk0ZI-CD8RYQVxSxPNnrkYpVCrP5SnJdJoCT5m9FPwSRbYFUK72M5YOY4afYqvvmw94Vd1RVLtAhcO5RkKAhY7-wPY/s400/King+Tweet.jpg" width="361" /></a> </div>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>International</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dozens-japans-earliest-animated-films-put-online-mark-100-years-anime-990996" target="_blank">Dozens of Japan's Earliest Animated Films Put Online to Mark 100 Years of Anime</a> Neat! </li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/republicans-chemical-plant-safety_us_58e2789be4b0c777f7894350?section=politics" target="_blank">GOP Wants To Weaken Safety Rules At Chemical Plants Issued After Deadly Texas Explosion</a> "The new regulation that Republicans want to scuttle was meant to address lapses by the EPA in its risk management program. Among other changes, the new regulations would require facilities covered by the law to study whether they could be using safer technologies to protect workers and the surrounding community. It would also require facilities that have had accidents to pay for safety audits performed by independent third parties. In other words, companies would be expected to help fund some of the safety improvements.... The new president has shown little love for chemical safety regulations in particular. In fact, his proposed budget would wipe out the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, which is responsible for investigating accidents and enforcing safety laws." Seriously, Trump and the Republicans as a whole have made it very clear that they are more interested in supporting Big Business profits than in protecting the lives, livelihoods, and well-being of the citizenry. </li>
<li>Well, at least one piece of crazyness has been fixed: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-04-05/bannon-removed-from-national-security-council-role-in-shakeup" target="_blank">Bannon Taken Off Trump National Security Council in Shake-Up</a> "President Donald Trump reorganized his National Security Council on Wednesday, removing chief strategist Stephen Bannon from a key committee and restoring the roles of top intelligence and defense officials..."</li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/05/us/politics/national-security-council-stephen-bannon.html" target="_blank">Trump Removes Stephen Bannon From National Security Council Post</a> "...[T]he reorganization seemed a clear victory for General McMaster as he struggles to assert control over national security. In addition to the changing membership of the principals committee, the new order also puts the Homeland Security Council under General McMaster rather than making it a separate entity, as Mr. Trump’s original order had done."</li>
<li>Also related: <a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/04/05/522733074/trump-chief-strategist-steve-bannon-removed-from-national-security-council" target="_blank">Trump Chief Strategist Steve Bannon Removed From National Security Council</a> "According to the <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2017-07064.pdf">Federal Register</a>, the new memo also adds the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and the secretary of the Energy Department to the principals committee. And in another change, the national security adviser will set the agenda for the council as well as for the Homeland Security Council, and can delegate that at his discretion. Previously the homeland security adviser was able to set the agenda."</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-84932872058373398592017-04-04T20:40:00.000-05:002017-04-04T20:40:36.951-05:00The Rights StuffToday, we remember the <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr-assassination" target="_blank">assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.</a> It's a day to honor the Civil Rights movement and a man who was willing to die for the chance to be heard. As was made perfectly clear in our own history (and, honestly, more than once or twice), we need to be loud to secure our rights and we need to be quick to cry out against injustice - the quieter we are and the longer we wait, the more bloodsoaked our hands become. Especially when we shake hands with the Devil.<br />
<br />
So, yeah, these headlines worries me:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-egypt-human-rights_us_58e2a47ce4b0d0b7e163b368?section=politics" target="_blank">Human Rights Abuses In Egypt Are ‘Best Discussed Privately,’ White House Says</a> </li>
</ul>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last year, during his presidential campaign, Trump hammered then-President Barack Obama for lacking what Trump called the “moral courage” to publicly condemn “systematic violations of human rights” in Egypt....</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="content-list-component bn-content-list-text text" data-beacon-parsed="true" data-beacon="{"p":{"mnid":"citation"}}">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yet Trump’s passion for human rights was nowhere to be seen Monday, amid his elaborate display of camaraderie with el-Sissi in the Oval Office.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/04/03/we-agree-so-many-things-despite-human-rights-abuses-trump-heaps-praise-egypts-al" target="_blank">'We Agree On So Many Things': Despite Human Rights Abuses, Trump Heaps Praise on Egypt's Al-Sisi</a><br /><br />President Donald Trump is meeting Monday with Egyptian President General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi—who's overseen a "brutal human rights crackdown"—with the U.S. president telling the autocrat: "You have a great friend and ally in the United States and in me."<br /></li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/02/abdel-fatah-al-sisi-donald-trump-egypt" target="_blank">Warm welcome awaits Sisi as Trump rolls out red carpet for Egypt strongman</a><br /><br />Trump’s choice to welcome Sisi to the White House contrasts with that of his predecessor. <br /><br />The US capped the aid it provides to Egypt in October 2013, shortly after Sisi seized power, reducing it to $1.3bn in annual military assistance and preventing the sale of some larger items such as fighter jets. <br /><br />The Obama administration also repeated demands for Egypt to refrain from the mass trials, widespread jailing of opponents and crackdown on civil liberties that swept Egypt under Sisi’s rule. While the aid cap was lifted in 2015, relations remained frosty until Obama’s exit.<br /><br />But Trump has yet to publicly mention Egypt’s human rights record. “Our approach is to handle these types of sensitive issues in a private, more discreet way. We believe it’s the most effective way to advance those issues to a favorable outcome,” the White House official said.<br /></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/opinion/enabling-egypts-president-sisi-an-enemy-of-human-rights.html" target="_blank">Enabling Egypt’s President Sisi, an Enemy of Human Rights</a><br /><br />American presidents must sometimes deal with unsavory foreign leaders in pursuit of America’s national interest. But that doesn’t require inviting them to the White House and lavishing them with praise and promises of unconditional support. <br /><br />Yet that’s what President Trump <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/03/world/middleeast/-egypt-sisi-trump-white-house.html" target="_blank">did on Monday</a> in not just welcoming but celebrating one of the most authoritarian leaders in the Middle East, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, a man responsible for killing hundreds of Egyptians, jailing thousands of others and, in the process, running his country and its reputation into the ground.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
There's more (of course there's more), but I can't list all the links here. I already list tons of links. Also, I thought it was shady enough that he was happy to <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/online/after-chilly-merkel-meeting-trump-offers-two-handshakes-to-egyptian-dictator/" target="_blank">shake el-Sisi's hand after refusing to shake Merkel's</a>. But I guess he just has a thing for dictators. Or maybe he dislikes powerful women. Both?<br />
<br />
Whatever. We already know the man has a crush on "strong leaders" like <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/donald-trump-s-history-praising-dictators-n604801" target="_blank">Putin and Hussein</a>, and we know <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/09/us/politics/trump-women-history.html" target="_blank">he has a history of treating women badly.</a> That already shows a seriously disturbing callousness towards human rights. But to treat el-Sisi like a best buddy and say his documented horrors should be "discussed privately" is just repulsive.<br />
<br />
And maybe we ought to be very, very worried about a president who isn't concerned with human rights, y'all. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty fond of human rights.<br />
<br />
Pretty picture time:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFofxCkWHb69pdskGdn0CQiEdJi8_Cncnq07Ysi3FaU_ZO-J2CXv23aAZ08ELdfZGVbVq19mrsMjQ5n8sDREBak1FNqYD090Jz0TGKSRBuG1zEwbFjK0plo_pArpS8LQqbetwcJf9a6w/s1600/Pink+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFofxCkWHb69pdskGdn0CQiEdJi8_Cncnq07Ysi3FaU_ZO-J2CXv23aAZ08ELdfZGVbVq19mrsMjQ5n8sDREBak1FNqYD090Jz0TGKSRBuG1zEwbFjK0plo_pArpS8LQqbetwcJf9a6w/s640/Pink+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
In case you missed him, there's a little ant in the flower there. Here, let me show you:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9yFk4frd4-k5oEW5hU5z0QV8s2xGZ9WHXSzdVpfftueWZz1bJ3Rf48uuWdliKKRSafI-InNy6AWmAWwv4bGir191wCYKzb_pKDWtXyGbkN2S0JgNdpTV8_Ghf5zgO7O8fq_-6ZHFJrA/s1600/Ant+in+Pink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9yFk4frd4-k5oEW5hU5z0QV8s2xGZ9WHXSzdVpfftueWZz1bJ3Rf48uuWdliKKRSafI-InNy6AWmAWwv4bGir191wCYKzb_pKDWtXyGbkN2S0JgNdpTV8_Ghf5zgO7O8fq_-6ZHFJrA/s400/Ant+in+Pink.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I didn't see him there when I took the picture, so it was a lucky shot!<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Links!</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Library Land</span></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/03/public-records-activist-violated-copyright-by-publishing-georgia-legal-code-online/" target="_blank">If you publish Georgia’s state laws, you’ll get sued for copyright and lose</a> "<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you want to read the official laws of the state of Georgia, it will cost you more than $1,000. </span>Open-records activist Carl Malamud <a href="https://law.resource.org/pub/us/code/ga/pro_v_georgia/discovery/PRO_Georgia/RFD_1/lexis.20150722.pdf" target="_blank">bought a hard copy</a>, <span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">and it cost him $1,207.02 after shipping and taxes. A copy on CD was $1,259.41. The 'good' news for Georgia residents is that </span><a href="https://store.lexisnexis.com/categories/product/official-code-of-georgia-annotated-skuSKU6647" target="_blank">they'll only have to pay $385<span style="background-color: white;">.94</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">to buy a printed set from LexisNexis. </span></span><span style="background-color: white;">Malamud thinks reading the law shouldn't cost anything." I'm with Malamud on this. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/apr/03/banksy-of-punctuation-puts-full-stop-bad-grammar-bristol" target="_blank">'</a></span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/apr/03/banksy-of-punctuation-puts-full-stop-bad-grammar-bristol" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">Banksy of punctuation' puts full stop to bad grammar in Bristol</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> "For more than a decade, an unknown corrector of poor English has been venturing out in the dead of night and tidying up the punctuation on Bristol’s shop fronts and street signs. The identity of the man remains unknown but on Monday the </span><a class="u-underline" data-component="auto-linked-tag" data-link-name="auto-linked-tag" href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/bbc" style="font-family: inherit;">BBC</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> announced it had tracked him down and had accompanied him on one of his night-time missions... When it was put to him that what he was doing was probably illegal, his </span>defence<span style="font-family: inherit;"> was staunch. 'I’m sticking on a bit of sticky-back plastic. It’s more of a crime to have the apostrophes wrong.'" My hero!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://medium.com/migration-issues/we-need-more-universities-96e734eed612" target="_blank">We Need More Universities</a> "So then I think there is a <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">reasonably plausible case to be made</em> that there may be systematic under-entrance in the higher ed market. With entrance suppressed by key features of the market relating to what it means <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">to be</em> a university, price can be bid way up even as enrollees expand too, because expansion at a given university does not create price competition in the way expansion at two universities would." A real problem; an interesting solution. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://medium.com/@ShannaPeeples/school-isnt-uber-and-never-should-be-89bb6942da09" target="_blank">School Isn’t Uber And Never Should Be</a> "Our children — all of our children — deserve to go to school. That’s why Presidents Adams and Jefferson believed in <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://www.libertarianism.org/publications/essays/excursions/thomas-jefferson-public-education-part-1" href="https://www.libertarianism.org/publications/essays/excursions/thomas-jefferson-public-education-part-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">'the general diffusion of knowledge' </a>as a public good and why Jefferson saw education as 'the keystone in the arch of our government.' Until we return to this most American value and belief, we are doomed to try on the failed experiment of making our public good into the private profit of an elite few."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.bustle.com/p/9-real-life-places-that-inspired-famous-classic-novels-45845" target="_blank">9 Real Life Places That Inspired Famous Classic Novels</a> Who wants to go on a trip?! (Also, can you pay my way?) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://bookriot.com/?p=123308" target="_blank">20 Fantastic Edible Books From The World’s Biggest Edible Book Festival</a> Some of these are cute, some of them are...more complicated than I'm ever going to try, but <i>gorgeous! </i>None of them look like what I'm planning on doing for our Edible Books Festival next week.</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Health, Science, & Technology</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/04/history-health-care-america-obamacare-aca/521541/" target="_blank">Government Paid for Poor Citizens' Health Care Some 300 Years Before Obamacare</a> "Americans seem to have lost an understanding of government’s historical role in health care, as most of their political battles target programs just a few years old. Also lost is the promise the poor laws made for more than 300 years: If you need health care, you will receive it, thanks to the people you belong to."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/forget-about-climate-change/" target="_blank">Forget about Climate Change</a> "We should be embracing energy efficiency and the low-carbon economy because they promote jobs, national security and human health" I don't know about "forget climate change" - but, yeah, clean energy has lots of other benefits we can talk about.</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Randomnesses</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/your-cat-thinks-youre-cool" target="_blank">Your Cat Thinks You're Cool</a> "We tend to see <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/introduction-to-a-special-edition-on-cats-and-dogs/">house cats as aloof and independent</a>, mostly preferring to engage in their own kitty business. But that assumption may be littered with error. Because a new study finds that, given a choice, <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/not-bad-science/what-we-understand-about-cats-and-what-they-understand-about-us/">Fluffy would probably pick you</a> over her favorite toy or treat." </span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">International News</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/world/middleeast/syria-gas-attack.html" target="_blank">Gas Attack Is Said to Kill Dozens in Syria</a> "A toxic gas attack killed dozens of people in northern Syria on Tuesday morning, including women and children, and sickened scores more, according to medics, rescuers and witnesses in the rebel-held province of Idlib, who said the gas had been delivered by a government airstrike. A few hours later, according to several witnesses, another airstrike hit one of the clinics treating victims, who had been farmed out to smaller hospitals and maternity wards because the area’s largest hospital had been severely damaged by an airstrike two days earlier." Because of the large number of persons who were killed, that they died outside in the open air, and various physical reactions of the dead and sickened, it looks as though a toxic nerve agent, not chlorine gas, was used. </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-north-korea-fires-another-ballistic-1491349824-htmlstory.html" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">North Korea fires another ballistic missile, South Korea says</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> "</span>North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the waters off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korean officials said. The missile -- fired from the North's eastern coastal town of Sinpo on Wednesday morning -- flew about 37 miles, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement."</li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">U.S. News</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.statnews.com/2017/04/03/hospitals-resident-visas" target="_blank">Hospitals rush to get accelerated visas for foreign medical residents</a> Bad dudes, huh? "...a program that allows employers to fast-track H-1B visa applications for their employees has been <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-will-temporarily-suspend-premium-processing-all-h-1b-petitions">suspended</a> as of Monday. US immigration officials announced the change just a month ago — and <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2017/03/17/match-day-residency-international/" target="_blank">Match Day</a>, when new residents learn where they will be placed was March 17 — leaving some hospitals rushing to figure out who needed this kind of visa and to apply before 'premium processing' would no longer be an option." </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/upshot/freedom-caucus-health-care-pre-existing-conditions.html" target="_blank">Republican Health Proposal Would Undermine Coverage for Pre-existing Conditions</a> "Late Monday night, word emerged that the White House and the group of conservative lawmakers known as the Freedom Caucus had discussed a proposal to revive the bill. But the proposed changes would effectively cast the Affordable Care Act’s pre-existing conditions provision aside." Technically, insurance companies would still have to offer plans to people with pre-existing conditions - but they'd also be able to make it so expensive that only wealthy people could afford to buy it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2017/04/03/nestle-pumps-water-national-forrest-without-paying-sparking-protest/99982518/" target="_blank">Nestle pipes water from national forest, sparking protests</a> "'The water is on National Forest Service land, it belongs to all people. This is everyone in California’s water,' [Aaron Mandell, of the University of Redlands' chapter of Young Progressives Demanding Action] said. 'And an international corporation is stealing it and selling it back to us for billions.'" California has gone through more than five years of drought, but Nestle took 32 million gallons of water in 2016 alone to sell as bottled water.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-pulls-back-obama-era-protections-women-workers-n741041" target="_blank">Trump Pulls Back Obama-Era Protections For Women Workers</a> "<span style="font-family: inherit;">On March 27, Trump revoked the<span style="background-color: white; color: #232323; letter-spacing: 0.01rem;"> </span><a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/07/31/executive-order-fair-pay-and-safe-workplaces" target="_blank">2014 Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces<span style="background-color: white; color: #232323; letter-spacing: 0.01rem;"> </span></a><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.01rem;">order then-President Barack Obama put in place to ensure that companies with federal contracts comply with 14 labor and civil rights laws. The Fair Pay order was put in place after a</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #232323; letter-spacing: 0.01rem;"> </span><a href="http://www.gao.gov/assets/310/309785.pdf" target="_blank">2010 Government Accountability Office</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #232323; letter-spacing: 0.01rem;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.01rem;">investigation showed that companies with rampant violations were being awarded millions in federal contracts.</span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">In an attempt to keep the worst violators from receiving taxpayer dollars, the Fair Pay order included two rules that impacted women workers: paycheck transparency and a ban on forced arbitration clauses for sexual harassment, sexual assault or discrimination claims."</span> </span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/04/04/522518472/trump-donates-salary-to-national-parks-even-as-he-tries-to-cut-interior-departme" style="background-color: transparent; letter-spacing: 0.01rem;" target="_blank">Trump Donates Salary To National Parks Even As He Tries To Cut Interior Department</a><span style="background-color: transparent; letter-spacing: 0.01rem;"> That's just shady! "Yeah, I know you need the car to get to work - but, see, I'm going to take your car and give it to </span>dude<span style="background-color: transparent; letter-spacing: 0.01rem;"> over here who really wants a third car. You can have this unicycle, though! That's good enough, right?" Salt in the wound, man - salt in the wound. "Press secretary Sean Spicer delivered an oversized check...to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke at the start of Monday's White House briefing.... Conservationists denounced Trump's donation as a '</span><a href="http://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2017/04/sierra-club-pans-trump-s-park-donation-publicity-stunt" style="background-color: transparent; letter-spacing: 0.01rem;" target="_blank">publicity stunt</a><span style="background-color: transparent; letter-spacing: 0.01rem;">.'" Gee, you think?!</span> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/03/522309537/justice-department-to-review-all-civil-rights-agreements-on-police-conduct" target="_blank">Justice Department To Review All Civil Rights Agreements On Police Conduct</a> "The new directive by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the bid to reconsider an agreement in Baltimore are the strongest signs yet that the Trump administration not only plans to scale back the number of new investigations it launches into unconstitutional policing, excessive force and other law enforcement misconduct allegations but also the likelihood it will seek to reopen agreements the Obama civil rights unit had already negotiated." This, despite repeated findings of "patterns of brutality and racial discrimination, problems the DOJ attributed to sweeping, systemic problems in local law enforcement agencies, not a few bad apples on the force." Because, as I mentioned above, Trump really could not care less about human rights abuses. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, just in case you were still wondering if Trump was working for Team "We the People" or for Team "Big Business is People, Too - Only More So": <a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/04/trumps-signature-makes-it-official-isp-privacy-rules-are-dead/" target="_blank">President Trump delivers final blow to Web browsing privacy rules</a> "'President Trump has signed away the only rules that guarantee Americans a choice in whether or not their sensitive Internet information is sold or given away,' said Chris Lewis, VP of consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge. Trump's action also 'eliminates the requirement that broadband providers notify their customers of any hacking or security breaches.'" </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Related: <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/trump-internet-privacy-bill-fcc-578718" target="_blank">President Donald Trump Signs Off on Killing Internet Privacy Protections</a> </span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Donald Trump said he was going to drain the swamp, but it didn’t
take long for the swamp to drain him,” Evan Greer, campaign director of
Fight for the Future, said in an emailed statement to <em> Newsweek</em>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“The
only people in the United States who want less internet privacy are
CEOs and lobbyists for giant telecom companies who want to rake in money
by spying on all of us and selling the private details of our lives to
marketing companies.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Greer also pointed out the irony of Trump expressing outrage about
alleged violations of his own privacy while signing legislation that
will <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/congress-killed-internet-privacy-fight-back-576619"> significantly infringe on the privacy of Americans</a>.</span></blockquote>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-87666843112940652722017-04-03T20:23:00.001-05:002017-04-03T20:23:37.268-05:00Just Read the LinksI have nothing in particular to rant about today.<br />
<br />
Oh, but have a pretty picture, anyway:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVomq-0__3qCsYDpjkavab-Rm1bHBR-DrVgDFpjx_XkybgTWDsaI18TIFK3pErJS1idYr04-DlsIEriA4DJcBPcP2G7NGqoKoeEyk2TrEZGolG9T3GqD7XOra4BcU3-oM07NO4O5VeJ4/s1600/Green+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVomq-0__3qCsYDpjkavab-Rm1bHBR-DrVgDFpjx_XkybgTWDsaI18TIFK3pErJS1idYr04-DlsIEriA4DJcBPcP2G7NGqoKoeEyk2TrEZGolG9T3GqD7XOra4BcU3-oM07NO4O5VeJ4/s640/Green+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-school-librarians-cuts-dystopia-perspec-0330-jm-20170329-story.html" target="_blank">Without school librarians, we're on a dystopian path</a> "Who needs to douse kerosene on a stack of books and light a match when it's so much easier to devalue our school libraries and lay off our librarians?"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/open-access-campaigners-toughen-stance-towards-publishers" target="_blank">Open access campaigners toughen stance towards publishers</a> "Open access advocates want universities to be prepared to 'pull the plug' on their subscription deals with big publishers, in a sign of an escalation in tactics to open up more research."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/brian-k-vaughan-recommends-10-comics-need-read-theyre-awesomely-unadaptable/" target="_blank">Brian K. Vaughan Recommends 10 Comics You Need to Read—Because They’re Awesomely Unadaptable</a> If you haven't read Vaughan's <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/921897192" target="_blank">Saga</a>, you need to read it. It is amazing. Now excuse me while I go put a bunch of these comics on my TBR pile...</li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-03-29/house-votes-to-restrict-epas-use-of-scientific-studies" target="_blank">House Votes to Restrict EPA's Use of Scientific Studies</a> "...Democrats said the measure, called the Honest and Open New EPA Science Treatment Act, handcuffs the EPA and has the potential for abuse. The American Lung Association, National Medical Association and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America are among the groups that opposed for the bill Monday in a letter to Congress.... Critics said the EPA would be prohibited from making regulatory decisions based on peer-reviewed research studies that involve information that cannot be made public, like medical records, severely limiting the data available to EPA regulators." </li>
</ul>
<li>Randomnesses</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.ginandtacos.com/2017/04/02/theres-no-trick-its-just-a-simple-trick/" target="_blank">THERE'S NO TRICK; IT'S JUST A SIMPLE TRICK!</a><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">...Maybe the real moral of the story is that no matter how ridiculously strict a person is about financial habits, $7.25/hr just isn't enough money to allow an adult American in 2017 to do much of anything except survive paycheck to paycheck in the very best scenario. And that's if you get close to 40 hours on the regular, which you won't.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Americans are terrific at learning the wrong lessons from looking analytically at poverty. Were this a satirical effort to show that someone earning minimum wage is in a no-win situation it would be brilliant. Instead we have yet another example of how clueless the Silicon Valley Thought Leader types are and how willingly they ignore the reality that the system they exploit so well is not sustainable in the long term.</span></blockquote>
</li>
</ul>
<li>International</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39481770" target="_blank">St Petersburg metro explosion kills 11 in Russia</a> "Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in a Facebook post that the explosion was a 'terrorist attack'. An anti-terror investigation has been opened, but other possible causes are being investigated."</li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li> <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/04/02/americans-right-to-protest-is-in-grave-danger-under-trump-united-nations-warns/" target="_blank">Americans’ right to protest is in grave danger under Trump, United Nations warns</a> '"The trend...threatens to jeopardize one of the United States’ constitutional pillars: free speech,' [Maina Kiai and David Kaye, independent U.N. experts on freedom of peaceful assembly] wrote. And the bills violate international human rights law, they said."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/01/business/media/bill-oreilly-sexual-harassment-fox-news.html" target="_blank">Bill O’Reilly Thrives at Fox News, Even as Harassment Settlements Add Up</a> "The women who made allegations against Mr. O’Reilly either worked for him or appeared on his show. They have complained about a wide range of behavior, including verbal abuse, lewd comments, unwanted advances and phone calls in which it sounded as if Mr. O’Reilly was masturbating, according to documents and interviews."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/04/02/senate-panel-vote-supreme-court-nominee-neil-gorsuch/99842232/" target="_blank">Senate panel to vote on Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch</a> "The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote on the nomination of federal appeals court <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/31/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court-trump-nominee/97082620/">Judge Neil Gorsuch</a> just 62 days after his nomination by President Trump — a vote Republicans denied President Barack Obama's nominee, Merrick Garland, for 293 days last year."</li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-panel-prepares-to-consider-gorsuch-as-threat-of-filibuster-looms/2017/04/03/129bcd8c-186a-11e7-bcc2-7d1a0973e7b2_story.html" target="_blank">Democrats secure enough votes to block Gorsuch, setting stage for ‘nuclear option</a> </li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/@davepell/forget-the-smoke-we-already-found-fire-979f2607822a" target="_blank">Forget the Smoke. We Already Found Fire.</a> "Donald Trump calls the investigation into Russia’s meddling in our election 'a witch hunt.' What it’s really become is a <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">which</em> hunt. We’re trying to figure out <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">which</em> misdeeds Donald Trump is guilty of: Disloyalty, treachery, betrayal, traitorousness, treason, or all of the above."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/03/us/politics/twitter-trump-clinton-obama.html" target="_blank">Trump on Twitter Renews Attacks on Clinton and Phone Tapping Claims</a> "In a burst of four Twitter posts starting at 5:15 a.m., Mr. Trump sought again to turn attention away from the investigation into contacts between his associates and Russian officials by pointing back at Democrats. He has argued repeatedly that 'the real story' is how President Barack Obama’s administration targeted him and how Mrs. Clinton and her associates had ties to Russia, as well." Good grief...</li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="http://www.stonekettle.com/2017/04/unpresidented.html" target="_blank">Unpresidented</a><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What is <em>unprecedented</em> here is that so many people so close to the President of the United States have so many ties to foreign power brokers and were therefore caught up in intelligence collection.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is <em>unprecedented</em> that so many people so close to Donald Trump have been in the employment of foreign agents and foreign governments and foreign <em>adversaries</em>.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And it is <em>unprecedented </em>that not a single day goes by where we don’t learn of yet <em>another</em> adversarial foreign connection to this administration.</span></blockquote>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-10868853798393295872017-03-31T21:01:00.000-05:002017-03-31T21:03:47.538-05:00Metal ArtYesterday, we got to have dinner with my parents - Hi, Parental Units!<br />
<br />
It was lovely.<br />
<br />
MP brought them a couple pieces he'd made for them, and I grabbed some pictures before they took them away.<br />
<br />
For my Mother Unit:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5n9j3WrHC9Edk4sbFlG-_ZIjs5Nvc2kYnB35_IiEr5JdBgJIjtNEzLbC5byEaddu4yloZyjdGDGAoIzQvb5KwBTUZsnVzN-IIwOgKMJdghnBUgdx4HLxsJvwQgNq6f_11tIJ_AUvPYs/s1600/Heart.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5n9j3WrHC9Edk4sbFlG-_ZIjs5Nvc2kYnB35_IiEr5JdBgJIjtNEzLbC5byEaddu4yloZyjdGDGAoIzQvb5KwBTUZsnVzN-IIwOgKMJdghnBUgdx4HLxsJvwQgNq6f_11tIJ_AUvPYs/s640/Heart.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Awwww....</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
For my Father Unit:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohbMkJIZkAazioS5LD4qqjveRdRlyY7SPF7ZBS70cPGPX4NBRQ4OX9BpKYnWJeTpbv8iXHVtIjG7_7Uk0GsDpBeKj3Oh_lt-N3C8xSMKD_r-frVCc4u2gKQbPO4P98eJtvajbk_MpA2I/s1600/Pipe+Tree+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohbMkJIZkAazioS5LD4qqjveRdRlyY7SPF7ZBS70cPGPX4NBRQ4OX9BpKYnWJeTpbv8iXHVtIjG7_7Uk0GsDpBeKj3Oh_lt-N3C8xSMKD_r-frVCc4u2gKQbPO4P98eJtvajbk_MpA2I/s640/Pipe+Tree+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>TIM-BERRRR!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The little saw is so cute! Also, surprisingly sharp.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKjVVWnYJ4Hh8LL41Fm2iQXozp8qOkKu-2i9cnPm59uvaakW4TvV2Y6XP_RWBzKIyWQbrP75JhdBgUkIhREo81olmYiLTNdc56Wq23R0E9XNLJykj75NbVUUCL8cgmsaWExr2yDa2Pzk/s1600/Saw+Edge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKjVVWnYJ4Hh8LL41Fm2iQXozp8qOkKu-2i9cnPm59uvaakW4TvV2Y6XP_RWBzKIyWQbrP75JhdBgUkIhREo81olmYiLTNdc56Wq23R0E9XNLJykj75NbVUUCL8cgmsaWExr2yDa2Pzk/s640/Saw+Edge.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Youch...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
MP has some talent, hey?<br />
<br />
In other news, tomorrow in April Fools' Day. I won't be playing any pranks - but some people have apparently gotten started early, so: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2017/03/31/an-updated-and-depressing-list-of-all-the-april-fools-pranks-on-the-internet/" target="_blank">An updated (and depressing) list of all the April Fool’s pranks on the Internet</a> Be careful, y'all! Also, the Google Maps Ms. PacMan is harder than I thought it'd be...<br />
<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.districtdispatch.org/2017/03/top-10-things-know-saving-imls/" target="_blank">Top 10 things to know (and do) about saving library funding</a> "The talk of Washington and the library community (when people aren’t talking about the President’s tweets, anyway) is the recent recommendation by the President to completely eliminate funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), including their library funding implementing the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Innovative Approaches to Literacy program within the Department of Education. Here are the top ten things that you need to know about saving IMLS and more than $210 million in annual federal library funding that will be going on all year."</li>
<li> <a href="http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/03/ala-and-acrl-join-higher-education-library-groups-urge-fcc-and-congress" target="_blank">ALA and ACRL join higher education, library groups to urge FCC and Congress to uphold net neutrality</a> "The groups signing today’s letter support the FCC’s February 2015 Order and believe that it has served the interests of consumers, broadband providers, libraries, and higher education. In addition they note that the process to get to this point produced unprecedented public support for strong net neutrality protections: the rulemaking process that led to the 2015 Order generated the greatest number of public comments in the agency’s history, which were overwhelmingly pro-net neutrality. And the ruling was subsequently affirmed by a federal appeals court. The proposed principles call upon the FCC to ban blocking, degradation, and 'paid prioritization'; ensure that the same rules apply to fixed and mobile broadband providers; promote greater transparency of broadband services; and prevent providers from treating similar customers in significantly different ways."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/30/opinion/president-trump-vs-big-bird.html" target="_blank">President Trump vs. Big Bird</a> "The humanities do not immunize a society from cruelty and overreaction; early-20th-century Germany proves that. But on balance, the arts humanize us and promote empathy. We need that now more than ever." </li>
<li><a href="http://www.history.com/news/long-lost-letters-from-suffrage-pioneers-shed-new-light" target="_blank">Long-Lost Letters from Suffrage Pioneers Discovered</a> "The collection includes 26 letters from <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/susan-b-anthony" target="_blank">Susan B. Anthony</a> and 10 from <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/elizabeth-cady-stanton" target="_blank">Elizabeth Cady Stanton</a> written to advocate, abolitionist and lecturer, Isabella Beecher Hooker (the half-sister of <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/harriet-beecher-stowe" target="_blank">Harriet Beecher Stowe</a>). What makes these artifacts so unique is that they are political, not personal. They provide a unique look into the behind-the-scenes, day-to-day maneuvering, by both key players and lesser-known suffragists, that went into securing women the right to vote."</li>
</ul>
<li>International</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-airlines-electronics-gulf-idUSKBN171274" target="_blank">Gulf airlines Etihad, Qatar work around U.S. cabin laptops ban</a> "<span id="midArticle_1" style="font-family: , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10px; transform: translate3d(0px , 0px , 0px);"></span>Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways are lending some passengers laptop computers and tablets to use on board following the U.S. ban on most electronics devices from being taken into the cabin on United States-bound flights." </li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li>In Atlanta: <a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/traffic/collapses-after-massive-fire-the-entire-bridge-compromised/FRzANVZ9vgyWW2WZfyN6jI/" target="_blank">I-85 collapses after massive fire: ‘The entire bridge is compromised’ </a>That's not good... Luckily, no one was hurt - but this is going to be a massive headache for commuters and truckers. Related: <a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/traffic/live-updates-plan-for-traffic-mess-after-fire-collapse/jq8EM2L0D3AIzyfYNIRS3O/" target="_blank">LIVE UPDATES: Plan for traffic mess after I-85 fire, collapse</a></li>
<li><a href="http://gizmodo.com/this-is-almost-certainly-james-comey-s-twitter-account-1793843641" target="_blank">This Is Almost Certainly James Comey’s Twitter Account</a> "... I care deeply about privacy, treasure it." That's sort of amusing, coming from the head of the FBI, isn't it? Anyway, this should be interesting. I looked around a bit, and it appears the Twitter account named just happened to delete all its tweets after the article came out, which I think is pretty good evidence she's on to something, hey?</li>
<li><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/326484-senate-votes-to-eliminate-obama-era-retirement-rule" target="_blank">Senate votes to eliminate Obama-era retirement rule</a> "Senators by a 50-49 margin approved the House-passed resolution, which rolls back a rule meant to encourage a state's 'political subdivisions,' like cities and counties, to create retirement plans for private-sector workers whose employers do not offer their own retirement plans." I don't even think Republicans are looking at what they're rolling back, at this point - they're just voting to eliminate anything they can. </li>
<li><a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/tom-price-intervened-rule-hurt-drug-profits-same-day-acquired-drug-stock" target="_blank">Tom Price Intervened on Rule That Would Hurt Drug Profits, the Same Day He Acquired Drug Stock</a> That's not shady <i>at all</i>. </li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/flynn-offers-to-cooperate-with-congressional-probe-in-exchange-for-immunity/2017/03/30/bfd48584-159f-11e7-ada0-1489b735b3a3_story.html" target="_blank">Flynn offers to cooperate with congressional probe in exchange for immunity</a> "'General Flynn certainly has a story to tell, and he very much wants to tell it, should the circumstances permit,' Flynn’s attorney, Robert Kelner, said in a statement Thursday evening."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/secretary-of-state-rex-tillerson-spends-his-first-weeks-isolated-from-an-anxious-bureaucracy/2017/03/30/bdf8ec86-155f-11e7-ada0-1489b735b3a3_story.html" target="_blank"> Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spends his first weeks isolated from an anxious bureaucracy</a> "Eight weeks into his tenure as President Trump’s top diplomat, the former ExxonMobil chief executive is isolated, walled off from the State Department’s corps of bureaucrats in Washington and around the world. His distant management style has created growing bewilderment among foreign officials who are struggling to understand where the United States stands on key issues. It has sown mistrust among career employees at State, who swap paranoid stories about Tillerson that often turn out to be untrue. And it threatens to undermine the power and reach of the State Department, which has been targeted for a 30 percent funding cut in Trump’s budget."</li>
</ul>
</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-76853626606898346022017-03-30T20:44:00.000-05:002017-03-30T20:44:05.464-05:00Monsters Aren't All Imaginary<h1 class=" ">
<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/energy-department-climate-change-phrases-banned-236655" target="_blank">Energy Department climate office bans use of phrase ‘climate change’</a></h1>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h1 class=" ">
A supervisor at the Energy Department's international climate office
told staff this week not to use the phrases "climate change," "emissions
reduction" or "Paris Agreement" in written memos, briefings or other
written communication, sources have told POLITICO.</h1>
</blockquote>
When I was little, sometimes I had very vivid nightmares; I'd wake up and be sure there were monsters in my room. I'd keep my eyes shut very, very tight until I was sure there were not, in fact, monsters in my room.<br />
<br />
It worked - but only because the monsters weren't real.<br />
<br />
Climate change, however, <i>is</i> real, and refusing to see the monster won't actually make it go away.<br />
<br />
Pretty picture time!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5jrC3snQQcaDJlZDumU_6Oqk2-cMWvvPJmuPByhc1cG5ow_BrE4wX9DcTygFuEVjWhRnGkUaKJF3wiaBnWmzbbcgo_4zbzR5rzhMQRRr5md785MmJL_DEVGnGFnRkpxCHikna7ANHNI/s1600/Moss.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5jrC3snQQcaDJlZDumU_6Oqk2-cMWvvPJmuPByhc1cG5ow_BrE4wX9DcTygFuEVjWhRnGkUaKJF3wiaBnWmzbbcgo_4zbzR5rzhMQRRr5md785MmJL_DEVGnGFnRkpxCHikna7ANHNI/s640/Moss.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/22/celebrity-deals-childrens-authors-publishing" target="_blank">How celebrity deals are shutting children's authors out of their own trade </a>"One prize-winning writer, who didn’t want to be named, left her last
publisher after a new media star received a huge advance for a
ghostwritten novel that consequently bombed. 'The massive advances mean
publishers put all their marketing into making these books work in order
to earn back the investment,' she says. 'So when they fail, not only
have they taken money for publicity that could have helped the rest of
us, but there is no money left.'... Surely children’s books – which help form our outlook on life, which we carry into adulthood and old age – deserve better?" </li>
<li><a href="http://forreadingaddicts.co.uk/reading-habits/history-bookmark-no-dog-ears/18044" target="_blank">The History of the Bookmark: No More Dog Ears!</a> "In the current age of digitization, where paperback is transforming into
e-books, one can even bookmark favourite web pages. But from classical
bookmarkers (they became known as bookmarks much later) to the ones on
the Internet today, this literary paraphernalia has a long history."</li>
<li>Today is Anna Sewell's birthday! She is the author of Black Beauty, which she wrote very shortly before her death. Although it's considered a children's book now, it wasn't meant to be - it was meant for those who work with horses, to hopefully instill some kindness in them. I read Black Beauty when I was a kid, though, and it kicked off The Great Horse Book Season that most readers go through at some point or other. <a href="http://forreadingaddicts.co.uk/authors/6-anna-sewell-quotes-full-beauty/18046" target="_blank">6 Anna Sewell Quotes that are full of Beauty</a> </li>
</ul>
<li>Randomnesses</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.grubstreet.com/2017/03/worlds-most-caffeinated-coffee-is-black-insomnia.html" target="_blank">This Bonkers New Coffee Has 300 Percent More Caffeine Than Your Morning Starbucks</a> I'll let you know what I think after I get a chance to try it. </li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://backchannel.com/handcuffing-cities-to-help-telecom-giants-7d13cbb600b7" target="_blank">Handcuffing Cities to Help Telecom Giants</a> "Right now, plans are being implemented at the FCC and at least 17 state
legislatures to block cities from constraining uses of their
rights-of-way by private cellular companies for 5G deployments
that — you guessed it — are coming <i class="markup--em markup--p-em">any day now</i>.
In other words, if a city wants to set up a fair and competitive system
that favors competitors, citizens, and long-range goals instead of the
interests of a single big company—well, that would be illegal. This
nationwide effort is aimed at, effectively, privatizing public rights of
way."</li>
<li><a href="https://journal.standardnotes.org/vpns-are-absolutely-a-solution-to-a-policy-problem-3b88af699bcd" target="_blank">VPNs Are Absolutely a Solution to a Policy Problem</a> Did you not go get a VPN when I told you to yesterday? Do it today. "Stop making
your data so valuable, and stop relying on governments for
self-protection that you can handle yourself. If it’s not the current
administration that will repeal our protections, it will be the next
one. And what then?<div class="graf graf--p graf-after--p graf--trailing" id="9a6d" name="9a6d">
The best form of protection is better data habits. Let us begin forming them, starting today." </div>
<div class="graf graf--p graf-after--p graf--trailing" id="9a6d" name="9a6d">
</div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2017/03/trump-epa-brain-damaging-pesticide" target="_blank">Trump's EPA Just Greenlighted a Pesticide Known to Damage Kids' Brains</a> "Major studies from the <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1003183/" target="_blank">Mount Sinai School of Medicine</a>, the <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1307044/" target="_blank">University of California-Davis</a>, and <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1003160/" target="_blank">Columbia University</a>
have found strong evidence that low doses of chlorpyrifos inhibits
kids' brain development, including when exposure occurs in the womb,
with effects ranging from lower IQ to higher rates of autism. Several
studies—examples <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3414435/" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15367928" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17687456" target="_blank">here</a>—have found it in the urine of kids who live near treated fields. In 2000, the EPA <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/chlorpyrifos" target="_blank">banned most home uses of the chemical</a>, citing <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/09/us/epa-citing-risks-to-children-signs-accord-to-limit-insecticide.html" target="_blank">risks to children</a>." But, hey, we can't damage the profit margins of corporations! That's just crazytalk. </li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2017-03-29/un-peacekeeping-is-a-good-deal-for-the-trump-administration" target="_blank">U.N. Peacekeeping Is a Good Deal</a> "The Trump administration's recently released 2018 federal <a href="http://blogs.cfr.org/campbell/2017/03/17/president-trumps-skinny-budget-and-peacekeeping/">budget outline</a> could mean <a href="http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/03/23/trump-administration-eyes-1-billion-in-cuts-to-u-n-peacekeeping/">significant cuts</a>
to the $2.5 billion per year the U.S. contributes to United Nations
peacekeeping operations. These costs savings would go toward <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-presidential-budget-2018-proposal/">increased U.S. military spending</a>. In theory, this sounds like a good idea: Why should
the U.S. spend taxpayer dollars on foreign peacekeepers when it could be
using the money to increase the capabilities of its own military? The answer is that U.N. peacekeeping operations are generally successful and much more cost effective than using U.S. forces."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.elle.com/culture/news/a44095/maxine-waters-impeachment-tweet/" target="_blank">Maxine Waters Explains it All...Including That Impeachment Tweet</a> I like Waters; she's my latest political crush, y'all. "I could not remove myself from this debate about Trump. I could not
abide his indecency. I could not live with the way he treated other
people. When he undermined, mocked, and mimicked that disabled
journalist, I thought, 'What mature grown man would do that?'..... And when he talked about grabbing
women? Okay? I'm out to get him. I'm gonna see him out of office." Yeah, I love Aunt Maxine. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/article/Beto-O-Rourke-to-challenge-Ted-Cruz-in-Texas-11036228.php?t=b4eb45d765438d9cbb" target="_blank">Beto O'Rourke to challenge Ted Cruz in Texas' 2018 Senate race</a> "A Cruz-O'Rourke race would offer a stark ideological contrast; a staunch
conservative and self-described Constitutionalist versus an unabashed
liberal who supports recreational marijuana."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-29/christie-ex-ally-baroni-gets-two-years-for-bridgegate-role" target="_blank">Christie’s Former Allies Get Prison Time for Bridgegate Roles</a> "...[Bridget Anne Kelly] continued to
press her case, which she made during the trial, that she was tarred by
Christie’s administration and that she told the governor a month before
the lane closings about a planned traffic study. Outside the
courthouse, Kelly, a divorced mother of four who had asked for
probation, said: 'I want to assure my kids and everyone else that this
fight is far from over. I will not allow myself to be the scapegoat in
this case.'"</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/30/politics/donald-trump-xi-jinping-to-meet/index.html" target="_blank">Donald Trump to meet with Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago </a>Is there any real reason the President can't meet with foreign officials at the White House or Camp David? Seriously, these every-weekend trips are pissing me off. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-46698944804750114752017-03-29T21:36:00.001-05:002017-03-29T21:36:24.807-05:00Really, O'Reilly?<a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/media/326107-oreilly-mocks-maxine-waters-for-wearing-james-brown-wig" target="_blank">O'Reilly mocks Dem Maxine Waters for wearing 'James Brown wig'</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Fox News host Bill O'Reilly said Tuesday he "didn't hear a word" Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) said during recent comments on the House floor because he was focused on "the James Brown wig." </blockquote>
Seriously. Watch it:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bRaG6zPx5Ic" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
<br />
<div>
This right here? Is why women still believe we are not taken seriously. This is why we need loud feminism. Here is a powerful woman being ignored and treated flippantly because a random man (and there are few men as random as O'Reilly) was so focused on the way she looks. She doesn't look unattractive, inappropriate, or clownish - she looks professional, which she is - but O'Reilly can't seem to help himself: the man's eyes somehow stop his ears and brain from working. Although, let's be clear, I don't particularly care if she was Deadpool ugly in clown make-up and a tutu: she should be heard. She should be taken seriously. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That a loud man with a large audience can treat an elected legislator this way and be expected to get off with a weak apology is disgusting; but do you think women without her level of power and visibility fare better? Of course not. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/stevens/ct-maxine-waters-bill-oreilly-balancing-0329-20170329-column.html" target="_blank">Bill O'Reilly's 'James Brown wig' comment is the latest example of tuning out women</a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It's such a widely accepted setup — intelligent woman talks; people stare at her hair/dress/legs/baby bump — that we even sneak it into children's entertainment. Remember "Lego Movie," when the fierce, fearless Wyldstyle is talking to Lego Emmet (who harbors a secret crush on her) and all he hears is, "blah blah blah proper name place name back-story stuff."</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Ha ha ha. I can't hear you. You're too beautiful. Or you're not beautiful enough. Or you don't fit my teeny-tiny definition of beautiful. Something about beauty, which is a woman's duty to uphold, above all else. </blockquote>
<div>
It might be 'the way things are', but it's not the way things ought to be. And if men are so distracted by the way a woman looks that their brains turn off - well, the problem ain't with the women.<br />
<br />
Maxine Waters, herself, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/03/28/bill-oreilly-compared-a-black-congresswomans-hair-to-a-james-brown-wig/" target="_blank">responded beautifully</a> to O'Reilly's idiocy, as you might expect:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Let me just say this: I'm a strong black woman and I cannot be intimidated. I cannot be undermined. I cannot be thought to be afraid of Bill O'Reilly or anybody,” Waters said on MSNBC's “All In with Chris Hayes.” </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“And I'd like to say to women out there everywhere: Don't allow these right-wing talking heads, these dishonorable people, to intimidate you or scare you. Be who you are. Do what you do. And let us get on with discussing the real issues of this country.”</blockquote>
That said, I will admit, my own first response was more along the lines of <a href="https://twitter.com/angela_rye/status/846749444439728129" target="_blank">CNN commentator Angela Rye's tweet</a>:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/angela_rye/status/846749444439728129" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3f85A__JW5YcTzWjIi50sLHl2vwoBbl8v2BIsE8Q2Ti-zrWTbnlzNP0vW4wFbIpaRiN_Ps6m-TDICr48s9oiBz-paYkOzZiMF1i3V-C26MZ5Lks177LTJRBluOG8D3lkPiVIghQjQEP4/s640/Screenshot+from+2017-03-29+10-39-04.png" width="640" /></a></div>
I don't know about <i>you</i>, but I could use a pretty picture:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNmRK6R-tMEbIBthVmMZ8-yLEAA4-VuWFe2vMEupfh9GSgIlg5_VOS4OV3cDAczIM8qVJEPb89ffUtSw1kaTwYJqoRWfHQirL0rvD6gpMtjl2rEnE0q7cLn6vW8y1g9GlLwEoJsxdbtk/s1600/Lichen+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNmRK6R-tMEbIBthVmMZ8-yLEAA4-VuWFe2vMEupfh9GSgIlg5_VOS4OV3cDAczIM8qVJEPb89ffUtSw1kaTwYJqoRWfHQirL0rvD6gpMtjl2rEnE0q7cLn6vW8y1g9GlLwEoJsxdbtk/s640/Lichen+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/39417573/bookshop-turns-classics-into-clickbait-to-get-people-reading" target="_blank">Bookshop turns classics into clickbait to get people reading</a> "The idea has, naturally, been called 'litbait'." I totally loved this one: “He befriended a bear when he was a kid and fate reunites them years later” Such a feel-good story. (It's The Jungle Book!) </li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/first-drug-for-aggressive-ms-nets-fda-approval/" target="_blank">First Drug for Aggressive MS Nets FDA Approval</a> "The drug, called <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2016/02/19/progressive-multiple-sclerosis-ocrelizumab/" target="_blank">ocrelizumab</a>,
takes a different approach than the more than a dozen other MS drugs on
the market. It blocks certain immune system cells called B cells that
Hauser’s lab discovered play a critical role in the disease. The other
drugs target the immune system’s T cells, long thought to be the main
culprit in MS."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/03/28/521831393/congress-overturns-internet-privacy-regulation" target="_blank">Congress Overturns Internet Privacy Regulation</a> "The House of Representatives has gone along with the Senate and voted
215-205 to overturn a yet-to-take-effect regulation that would have
required Internet service providers — like Comcast, Verizon and Charter —
to get consumers' permission before selling their data. President Trump is expected to sign the rollback, <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/03/28/statement-administration-policy-sjres-34-%E2%80%93-disapproving-federal">according to a White House statement</a>.... ISPs collect huge amounts of data on the websites people visit,
including medical, financial and other personal information. The FCC
regulation would have required ISPs to ask permission before selling
that information to advertisers and others, a so-called opt-in
provision." But, no - now your ISP can sell that information without your knowledge or permission. I mean, maybe you don't care who knows where you are or are planning on going; maybe you don't mind people snooping through your browser history; but are you really OK with who-knows-who digging through your medical information? And, if so - why??</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.ginandtacos.com/2017/03/28/oh-well-in-that-case/" target="_blank">OH, WELL IN THAT CASE…</a> "Anti-government
invective paired with pro-business propaganda has produced some
monumentally strange results in the belief systems of many Americans."
So very true.</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/@stephen.hawkins/congress-votes-to-sell-your-dignity-2da08eda04ea" target="_blank">Congress Votes to Sell your Dignity</a> "Privacy
is dignity. We all struggle in our lives, but at least we have the
agency to bring our best self to work or to school or to church. We have
the capacity to reinvent ourselves before our next job interview
without our every decision brought under scrutiny. We have the ability
to grow as individuals without forever being haunted by a former online
gambling addiction or involvement in an ugly chat forum. Even if we have
nothing at all to hide, do we really want telecoms to be selling
details about our dating histories, our every insecure search query, our
every file download?"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/data-privacy-is-trumps-fcc-redefining-public-interest-as-business-interest/" target="_blank">Data Privacy: Is Trump's FCC Redefining Public Interest as Business Interest?</a> Short answer: Yes. The real question is, what are we going to do about it? "Media is more than just our window on the world. It’s how we talk to
each other, how we engage with our society and our government. Without a
media environment that serves the public’s need to be informed,
connected and involved, <a href="http://thenewpress.com/books/rich-media-poor-democracy">our democracy and our society will suffer</a>." </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>International</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/scottish-parliament-passes-motion-in-favor-of-referendum-on-independence/2017/03/28/3b09628e-13a6-11e7-ada0-1489b735b3a3_story.html" target="_blank">Scottish Parliament passes motion in favor of referendum on independence</a> "Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party, wants the referendum held within two years. In such a scenario, Britain would be engaged in negotiations to leave the European Union — a process often referred to as Brexit — while, simultaneously, Scotland would vote in a referendum on independence from Britain."</li>
<li>Speaking of Brexit: <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/29/europe/brexit-article-50-to-do-list/" target="_blank">Brexit: 50 things the UK needs to do after triggering Article 50</a> "<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/29/europe/article-50-brexit-theresa-may-eu/index.html">Brexit officially began Wednesday</a> after UK Prime Minister Theresa May triggered <a href="http://cnn.com/interactive/2017/03/world/article-50-annotated/">Article 50</a>, kicking off Britain's withdrawal from the European Union and the painstaking legislative to-do list that comes with it."</li>
<li><a href="https://sojo.net/articles/we-cannot-bomb-our-way-peace-mosul" target="_blank">We Cannot Bomb Our Way to Peace in Mosul</a> "The awful thing is that we know … this will never work. We cannot bomb our way to peace. When the airstrikes stop and all the bodies are finally pulled from the rubble, Mosul will be left with destruction, not harmony. In this conflict, we can’t even bomb our way to victory, because each airstrike that takes innocent human life or blasts a hole in someone’s home in Iraq or in Syria simply plants the seeds of future extremism."</li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/ronald-reagan-understood-the-humanities-teach-us-who-we-are-whats-happening-today/" target="_blank">Ronald Reagan understood ‘the humanities teach us who we are’ — what’s happening today?</a> "'The humanities teach us who we are and what we can be,' [Reagan] said. 'They
lie at the very core of the culture of which we’re a part, and they
provide the foundation from which we may reach out to other cultures.
The arts are among our nation’s finest creations and the reflection of
freedom’s light.'"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/house-science-committee-calls-on-alt-science-to-drive-policy/" target="_blank">House Science Committee Calls on Alt-Science to Drive Policy</a> "Today, the House Science, Space and Technology Committee will hold a
hearing that will frame climate change as a debate, by including the
field’s most prominent skeptics as witnesses. It also will explore the
hostility faced by those who come forward with views outside the
mainstream. In addition, a bill that would allow for greater industry
participation in U.S. EPA’s Science Advisory Board, which can strongly
influence regulations on industry, is expected to pass the House this
week." Gross incompetence and corporate greed strike again. Actually, that appears to be the very heart of this administration.</li>
<li><a href="https://sojo.net/articles/montana-tribe-sues-trump-administration-lifting-coal-moratorium" target="_blank">Montana Tribe Sues Trump Administration for Lifting Coal Moratorium</a> "The Northern Cheyenne Tribe, located in southern Montana, said the
administration lifted the moratorium without hearing the tribe's
concerns about the impact the coal-leasing program has on the tribe, its
members, and lands."</li>
<li><a href="https://sojo.net/articles/seattle-sues-trump-administration-over-threat-sanctuary-cities" target="_blank">Seattle Sues Trump Administration Over Threat to ‘Sanctuary’ Cities</a> "Seattle Mayor Ed Murray told reporters the Constitution forbade the
federal government from pressuring cities, 'yet that is exactly what the
president’s order does. Once again, this new administration has decided
to bully.' 'Things like grants helping us with child sex
trafficking are not connected to immigration,' Murray said, adding: 'It
is time for cities to stand up and ask the courts to put an end to the
anxiety in our cities and the chaos in our system.'"</li>
<li><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/white-house-newsletter-parody-lampooning-cruel-budget-64ce43a341ff" target="_blank">White House forgets to read the article, shares parody lampooning its cruel budget</a> "If this is a tradition to include a parody lampooning a key item of the president’s agenda in these newsletters at the end of the week in lieu of a 'casual Fridays' dress code change, it will become evident next week."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/03/28/devin-nunes-could-be-facing-an-ethics-probe-for-spilling-secrets.html" target="_blank">Devin Nunes Could Be Facing an Ethics Probe for Spilling Secrets</a> "House rules compel Congress to ‘investigate any unauthorized disclosure
of intelligence.’ That’s what the intel chair seems to have done when he
talked about Team Trump and foreign surveillance."</li>
<li>O'Reilly isn't the only man having issues with women recently: <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/stop-shaking-your-head-sean-spicer-lashes-out-reporter-april-n739691" target="_blank">‘Stop Shaking Your Head’: Sean Spicer Lashes Out at Reporter April Ryan</a> </li>
</ul>
</ul>
</div>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-70908718731164368202017-03-28T19:55:00.000-05:002017-03-28T21:17:05.905-05:00IMLS Matters in Tennessee<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="2250" scrolling="no" src="//e.infogr.am/elimination_of_imls_funds_places_tn_libraries_at_risk?src=embed" style="border: none;" title="Elimination of IMLS Funds places TN Libraries AT RISK" width="550"></iframe><br /></div>
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #dadada; font-family: "arial important"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0 30px; padding: 8px 0; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://infogr.am/elimination_of_imls_funds_places_tn_libraries_at_risk" rel="nofollow" style="color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">Elimination of IMLS Funds places TN Libraries AT RISK</a><br />
<a href="https://infogr.am/create/bar-chart?utm_source=embed_bottom&utm_medium=seo&utm_campaign=bar_chart" rel="nofollow" style="color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">Create bar charts</a><br />
[<a href="https://infogr.am/elimination_of_imls_funds_places_tn_libraries_at_risk" target="_blank">Source</a>] </div>
Let's be honest - your state's stats probably look much the same - and the more needed your libraries are, the more affected they're likely to be! <br />
<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.readbrightly.com/what-kids-learn-about-books-from-watching-you/" target="_blank">Reading by Example: What Kids Learn About Books from Watching You</a> "The fact that she — someone I admired — read made me want to read and
eventually grew my appetite for devouring books. It didn’t matter to me
what she read; I never did develop a taste for romance novels the way
she loved them, and she never did understand why I would read science
fiction and fantasy novels with such passion. But she shared a love of
reading with me." </li>
<li><a href="http://bookriot.com/?p=122576" target="_blank">10 Books We Wouldn’t Have Without the NEA</a> "To put it more simply: NEA grants help writers. The grant money gives
writes time to work on their creative output in a world that rewards
them very little for such endeavors most of the time. To highlight this,
we’d like to share some incredible books that have felt the impact of
the NEA grants awarded to their authors."</li>
<li><a href="https://go-to-hellman.blogspot.com/2017/03/reader-privacy-for-research-journals-is.html" target="_blank">Reader Privacy for Research Journals is Getting Worse</a> "Despite the backwardness of most journal websites, there are a few signs
of hope. Some of the big journal platforms have begun to implement
HTTPS. <a href="https://link.springer.com/" target="_blank"><i>Springer Link</i></a> defaults to HTTPS, and Elsevier's <i><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/" target="_blank">Science Direct</a></i> is delivering <i>some</i>
of its content with secure connections. Both of them place trackers for
advertising networks, so if you want to read a journal article securely
and privately, your best bet is still to use <a href="https://www.torproject.org/download/download-easy.html.en" target="_blank">Tor</a>."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.acrl.ala.org/acrlinsider/archives/13478" target="_blank">National Library Groups Oppose Bill to Make Register of Copyrights a Presidential Appointee</a> "On March 23, 2017, the leaders of the House Judiciary Committee introduced legislation entitled the '<a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/SLW_502_xml.pdf?utm_source=House+Judiciary+Committee+Press+Releases&utm_campaign=0a41230351-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_03_23&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_df41eba8fd-0a41230351-101298629">Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act of 2017</a>.'
The bill would make the position of the Register of Copyrights subject
to Presidential appointment and Senate confirmation. Under current law
(17 USC 701), the Librarian of Congress selects the Register." This is an area that should most definitely be under the purview of the Librarian of Congress.</li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.freecodecamp.com/how-to-set-up-a-vpn-in-5-minutes-for-free-and-why-you-urgently-need-one-d5cdba361907" target="_blank">How to set up a VPN in 10 minutes for free (and why you urgently need one)</a> "Soon
every mistake you’ve ever made online will not only be available to
your internet service provider (ISP) — it will be available to any
corporation or foreign government who wants to see those mistakes. Thanks
to last week’s US Senate decision, ISPs can sell your entire web
browsing history to literally anyone without your permission. The only
rules that prevented this are all being repealed, and won’t be
reinstated any time soon (it would take an act of congress)." Your private data is now a public commodity. But there are still some ways to protect your privacy - here's a good start: V(irtual) P(rivate) N(etwork). Learn what it is and how to get one - because your private <a href="http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/bit-binary-digit" target="_blank">bits</a> should not be for sale. </li>
<li><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/27/facebook-officially-launches-town-hall-for-contacting-government-reps-adds-local-election-reminders/" target="_blank">Facebook officially launches “Town Hall” for contacting government reps, adds local election reminders</a> Now the site you're stuck on because that's how you keep in touch with everyone will also help you be a more responsible citizen. That's nice. "...Zuckerberg...said he wanted Facebook to focus on increasing civic
engagement in a world where 'participation in voting sometimes includes
less than half our population.' With the addition of 'Town Hall,' Facebook took a step towards this
goal. The feature makes it simpler for users to know who represents them
in government, and reach out through whichever means the politician
lists on their Facebook page." </li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/un-hackable/the-bizarre-pre-internet-history-of-ransomware-bb480a652b4b" target="_blank">The Strange History of Ransomware</a> "When
people first hear about ransomware, there is always this moment of
stunned disbelief. It sounds like a plot line snatched straight from
dystopian fiction: you flip open your laptop only to discover you have
been locked out of all your files.A
ransom note hovers into view, written in bad English and a potpourri of
fonts, explaining you have one week to pay $500 in bitcoins, otherwise
you will lose access to your data forever. <i class="markup--em markup--p-em">Really</i>." Here's an interesting history of data held hostage. </li>
<li><a href="https://theringer.com/tamagotchi-collectors-bandai-digital-pets-9b946143c747" target="_blank">Inside the Secret World of Tamagotchi Collectors</a> Great, now I miss my Tamagotchi. I remember it being tons of fun; I also remember it becoming very demanding...</li>
</ul>
<li>Randomnesses</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2017/03/winners-of-the-2017-sony-world-photography-awards/521052/" target="_blank">Winners of the 2017 Sony World Photography Awards</a> "The Sony World Photography Awards, an annual competition hosted by the World Photography Organisation, has announced the winners of its Open categories and National categories for 2017. This year's contest attracted 227,596 entries from 183 countries. The organizers have again been kind enough to share some of the winners and runners-up with us..." So very pretty! </li>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-28/after-141-years-baseball-finally-chooses-an-official-hot-dog" target="_blank">After 141 Years, Baseball Finally Chooses an Official Hot Dog</a> "MLB announced today that Nathan’s Famous Inc., the fast-food chain that started as a Coney Island stand in 1916, will be the league’s official hot dog, putting the wiener alongside other sponsorship categories including lawn care, cloud storage and insurance." I'm not a big baseball fan - but I do love a good hot dog. </li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li> Not Trump</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-03-23/inside-alabama-s-auto-jobs-boom-cheap-wages-little-training-crushed-limbs" target="_blank">Inside Alabama’s Auto Jobs Boom: Cheap Wages, Little Training, Crushed Limbs</a> "The pressure inside parts plants is wreaking a different American carnage than the one Trump conjured up at his inauguration. OSHA records obtained by Bloomberg document burning flesh, crushed limbs, dismembered body parts, and a flailing fall into a vat of acid. The files read like Upton Sinclair, or even Dickens." This is why it's vital to have worker's protections - people's lives and livelihoods are more important than corporate profit. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2017/03/27/us-women-hockey-team-boycott/99683488/" target="_blank">Five things to know in U.S. women's hockey team showdown with USA Hockey</a> "An emergency meeting is scheduled for noon ET today as USA Hockey’s
90-member board of directors is expected to vote on an agreement that
would end the women’s national hockey team boycott of the IIHF Women’s
World Championship." While women players are technically paid the same as the men players, they receive far fewer additional benefits - and their pay isn't ancillary to professional hockey positions. The women would like to earn a living wage, and be treated the same as the guys. Seems reasonable to me.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/27/us/rocks-billboard-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">Jewelry store puts up a billboard that says 'It's OK to throw rocks at girls.'</a> "Last month it was the infamous <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/23/us/nc-billboard-protest-trnd/">"Real men provide. Real women appreciate it" </a>sign that stirred passions and protests. This month it's a message from an Asheville jewelry store." While some people think it's a clever way to sell diamonds, others think it promotes violence against women. Personally, I think diamonds are overrated and stupid, anyway. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fearless-girl-statue-will-face-wall-street-bull-another-year-n738991" target="_blank">‘Fearless Girl’ Statue Will Face Off Wall Street Bull for Another Year</a> "The four-foot 'Fearless Girl' statue was installed in front of the
bronze 'Charging Bull' in time for International Women's Day earlier
this month as a way of calling attention to the gender pay gap and lack
of gender diversity on corporate boards in the financial sector, the
Wall-Street firm that installed the popular statue has said."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.episcopalcafe.com/bishop-of-oregon-stands-in-support-of-dreamer-arrested-by-ice/" target="_blank">Bishop of Oregon stands in support of “Dreamer” arrested by ICE</a> "Francisco works for a local community organization coordinating a food pantry for low income families and he coaches a soccer team." Yeah, he sounds like a really bad hombre. </li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/28/us/politics/health-care-obamacare-freedom-caucus.html" target="_blank">Affordable Care Act Repeal Is Back on the Agenda, Republicans Say</a> Aw...but Trump promised we could keep the ACA! We'll see - I don't know how they can make enough people happy to actually get a conservative bill passed. </li>
<li><a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/8301/the-countries-holding-the-worlds-nuclear-arsenal/" target="_blank">The Countries Holding The World's Nuclear Arsenal</a> "Currently, there are an estimated 14,905 <a href="https://www.statista.com/topics/1087/nuclear-power/">nuclear </a>warheads in the hands of just eight countries. At the top of the list, as compiled by the <a href="https://fas.org/issues/nuclear-weapons/status-world-nuclear-forces/">Federation Of American Scientists</a>, are of course <a href="https://www.statista.com/topics/2675/russia/">Russia </a>and the <a href="https://www.statista.com/topics/760/united-states/">U.S.</a>
With a combined arsenal of almost 14,000, this particular hangover from
the cold war is still plain to see. Up to now the two have been
undergoing programmes of disarmament - of this 14,000, over 5,000 are
officially retired and awaiting dismantlement. Last week, however,
Donald Trump stated that he intends the U.S. to be 'top of the pack'
when it comes to nuclear arsenal. As our infographic shows, although the
two countries are on a very similar level, Russia would currently hold
this particular accolade." OK, look at this, guys - I really don't think ramping up our nukes is either necessary or desirable! Sheesh... </li>
<br a="" gt="" href="https://www.statista.com/chart/8301/the-countries-holding-the-worlds-nuclear-arsenal/" title="Infographic: The Countries Holding The World's Nuclear Arsenal | Statista" /><img alt="Infographic: The Countries Holding The World's Nuclear Arsenal | Statista" height="auto" src="https://infographic.statista.com/normal/chartoftheday_8301_the_countries_holding_the_world_s_nuclear_arsenal_n.jpg" style="height: auto; max-width: 960px; width: 100%;" width="100%" /></ul>
<ul><br /></ul>
<li>Trump</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/28/sanctuary-city-mayors-fire-back-at-trump-administrations-threat-to-cut-fed-funding.html" target="_blank">Sanctuary city mayors fire back at Trump administration's threat to cut fed funding</a> "'If they actually act to take away our money, we’ll see them in court,' vowed New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said taking federal funding from the city would be 'unconstitutional.'"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-panel-plans-to-interview-trump-son-in-law-kushner-in-russia-probe/2017/03/27/84fe10ae-12f9-11e7-ada0-1489b735b3a3_story.html" target="_blank">Nunes admits meeting with source of Trump surveillance documents on White House grounds</a> "The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee acknowledged Monday
that he had made a secret visit to the White House last week to view
intelligence files he then cited as proof of potentially improper spying
activity against President Trump, casting new doubt on the independence
of a congressional investigation into Russian election interference." Good grief... </li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/03/28/calls-grow-for-nunes-recuse-himself-from-russia-probe/UvsYDpwXHk0FBhq0UyaftK/story.html" target="_blank">Nunes refuses to recuse himself from Russia probe: ‘Why would I?’</a> There are <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/03/28/the-devin-nunes-wiretapping-saga-explained/" target="_blank">reasons</a>. </li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://aguyintheworld.blogspot.com/2017/03/trump-is-wrong-americas-our-allies-are.html" target="_blank">Trump is Wrong: America's Our Allies Are A Critical Strategic Advantage</a> "We should obviously continue to evaluate whether our current security agreements make sense, and a little jaw-boning to urge our allies to pay more for the common defense makes sense. But we also need to remember that the alliance network created since Wold War II has served us well, and is a key element of our national power."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trump-moves-decisively-to-wipe-out-obamas-climate-change-record/2017/03/27/411043d4-132c-11e7-9e4f-09aa75d3ec57_story.html" target="_blank"> Trump moves decisively to wipe out Obama’s climate-change record</a> "The order sends an unmistakable signal that just as President Barack Obama sought to weave climate considerations into every aspect of the federal government, Trump is hoping to rip that approach out by its roots. The president did not utter the words 'climate change' once, instead emphasizing that the move would spur job creation in the fossil fuel industry." Because more money for the wealthy is far more important than a stable environment for the rest of us. </li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/03/28/what-trumps-new-climate-actions-mean-a-faq/" target="_blank"> What Trump’s new climate actions mean: A FAQ</a> "On Tuesday, a week after the end of the sixth-warmest winter in the continental United States in recorded history, President Trump will announce a series of actions meant to unwind or dramatically halt Barack Obama’s efforts to fight climate change. What does this mean? What will the effects be? Can Trump keep his promises on energy job creation? Allow us to answer those questions in the form of a FAQ."</li>
<li>Also related: <a href="https://theintercept.com/2017/03/24/a-louisiana-town-plagued-by-pollution-shows-why-cuts-to-the-epa-will-be-measured-in-illnesses-and-deaths" target="_blank">The Plant Next Door: A Louisiana Town Plagued by Pollution Shows Why Cuts to the EPA Will Be Measured in Illnesses and Deaths</a> "The air pollution crisis in St. John the Baptist may be the best illustration of why we need the EPA — and how the imminent slashing of the federal agency’s budget will be measurable in illnesses and deaths." It's shady that Trump's budget proposal is likely to cut the agencies and programs most responsible for protecting citizens from the health risks of living next to businesses that produce toxic waste. If it succeeds, we can expect a rise in everything from asthma and rashes to cancer and other deadly diseases. </li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-sought-to-block-sally-yates-from-testifying-to-congress-on-russia/2017/03/28/82b73e18-13b4-11e7-9e4f-09aa75d3ec57_story.html" target="_blank"> Trump administration sought to block Sally Yates from testifying to Congress on Russia</a> "The Trump administration sought to block former acting attorney general Sally Yates from testifying in the House investigation of possible links between Russian officials and Donald Trump’s campaign, according to letters provided to The Washington Post.... According to the letters, the Justice Department notified Yates earlier this month that the administration considers her possible testimony — including on the firing of former national security adviser Michael Flynn for his contacts with the Russian ambassador — to be off-limits in a congressional hearing because the topics are covered by attorney-client privilege or the presidential communication privilege." Not sure how that matches up with the Pres's insistence that <a href="https://secure.politico.com/story/2017/03/trump-clinton-russia-236571?" target="_blank">"Trump Russia story is a hoax"</a>. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-11221322610360617272017-03-27T20:14:00.001-05:002017-03-27T20:14:53.790-05:00So Many Links! And a PictureI've been experimenting with <a href="http://tiddlywiki.com/" target="_blank">TiddlyWiki</a>, and having fun doing it. So much so, I've just assembled a list o' links, rather than writing anything today.<br />
<br />
But here's a pretty picture, too:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFXTg75o_9DwVFb9l0OfjelLjXNNHhVVtT5xd6nZwHMqyIkJski6GPJ8J63cuJZrtPdaYNIxdgWyQRd6eO6wTnfuojYiM4MbUC4fV9F5gwx2Qmy5YxnfMlV06XIA5jXnR0d1U02nHSzw/s1600/Dandelion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFXTg75o_9DwVFb9l0OfjelLjXNNHhVVtT5xd6nZwHMqyIkJski6GPJ8J63cuJZrtPdaYNIxdgWyQRd6eO6wTnfuojYiM4MbUC4fV9F5gwx2Qmy5YxnfMlV06XIA5jXnR0d1U02nHSzw/s640/Dandelion.jpg" width="628" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/@snowdenbecker/libraries-as-a-luxury-item-d97998b48d8f" target="_blank">Libraries as a luxury item</a> "We need government services that support our physical wellbeing, and we need the services that support our intellectual, aesthetic, and cultural lives too. Not only that, but libraries, museums, and cultural institutions don’t exist apart from essential services'; they’re intertwined with them, and in fact they often provide them.... Libraries and arts organizations are <i>not</i> luxury items for our society. (That’s especially the case for those segments of our society who already have the fewest luxuries, and <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/09/15/who-uses-libraries-and-what-they-do-at-their-libraries/" target="_blank">yet poor and less educated people have seen disproportionate declines in library use</a> — perhaps because of cuts to local services.) Spending on them, and on the agencies which support their work, is <i>not</i> government waste. These agencies have earned their place on our list of national priorities, and they deserve to stay there."</li>
<li><a href="https://psmag.com/seed-librarians-are-fighting-to-protect-the-u-ss-resilient-and-diverse-food-system-7c1b6a1bd98d" target="_blank">Seed Librarians Are Fighting to Protect the U.S.’s Resilient and Diverse Food System</a> "Inside every seed library — and there are more than 400 of them now — is another tale. Here are seeds that have been locally cultivated, saved, and passed along from farmer to farmer. They are repositories of genetic information that have been quietly spreading across America during the last decade. They tell the story of how, at a time of unprecedented climatic stress on our food supply, people are fighting to expand their range of crop choices to respond to changing climate conditions."</li>
</ul>
<li>International</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.cntraveler.com/story/emirates-royal-air-jordanian-bite-back-at-electronics-ban-on-twitter" target="_blank">Emirates, Royal Jordanian Bite Back at Electronics Ban on Twitter</a> "Get ready for some serious social media sass." I am never <i>not</i> ready! "Nineteen airlines around the world were affected by Tuesday's dual electronics bans.
The new regulations, released by both the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security and the U.K. Department of Transport, prohibit passengers
flying to the U.S. or U.K. from certain airports in the Middle East and
North Africa from bringing any electronic devices bigger than a
smartphone into flight cabins (more on why <a href="http://www.cntraveler.com/story/you-want-me-to-mail-my-laptop-the-electronics-ban-explained">here</a>).
Of those 19, a handful seemed determined to make the best of a bad
situation, using it to emphasize their planes' in-flight entertainment
set-ups—or even better, to make some serious(ly hilarious) digs at the
whole affair. Because, really, what's a little harmless sassing
interspersed with more informative tweets?" </li>
<li><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/03/26/521594477/russians-take-to-the-streets-in-nationwide-anti-government-protests" target="_blank">Russian police Russians Take To The Streets In Nationwide Anti-Government Protestsopposition leader, hundreds of protesters</a> "In a rare show of force, thousands of Russians took to the streets of
Moscow and other cities in the biggest anti-government protests in
years. In Moscow, police arrested hundreds of demonstrators,
including prominent Russian opposition leader and anti-corruption
activist, Alexei Navalny, who orchestrated the uprising. On Monday,
officials announced that Navalny will serve a 15-day jail term, saying
that he disobeyed police.<span id="article-text"><span class="article-prime">"</span></span></li>
<li><span id="article-text"><span class="article-prime"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/26/hong-kong-chooses-new-leader-amid-accusations-of-china-meddling" target="_blank">Hong Kong elections: Carrie Lam voted leader amid claims of China meddling </a>"</span></span>Lam’s loyalty proved far more important than the will of ordinary
Hong Kong citizens. Tsang was the more popular candidate, ahead of Lam
by 26 points in the day leading to the election, according to a poll by
Hong Kong University. Many in the city’s pro-democracy camp decried the poll as a 'selection, not an election', and about 1,000 protesters gathered in the
city’s main shopping district a day before the poll to rally against
the vote."</li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-politics-idUSKBN16Y0FK" target="_blank">Hong Kong protest leaders charged day after new leader chosen</a> "<span id="article-text">The protest leaders dubbed 'the Occupy trio' -
law professor Benny Tai, sociology professor Chan Kin-man and Reverend
Chu Yiu-ming - were each charged with conspiracy to commit public
nuisance, incitement to commit public nuisance and incitement to incite
public nuisance.... </span><span id="article-text"><span id="article-text">Six others including two legislators and two
former student protest leaders were also charged with crimes related to
public nuisance during the 2014 unrest, which brought parts of the city
to a standstill for months.</span>"</span> </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/325943-sessions-says-grants-to-be-withheld-from-sanctuary-cities" target="_blank">Sessions says grants to be withheld from sanctuary cities</a> "'Such policies cannot continue. They make our nation less safe by
putting dangerous criminals back on the streets,' Sessions said during a
surprise appearance in the White House press briefing room." Which is an old (<a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/criminalization-immigration-united-states" target="_blank">and verifiably false</a>) argument. </li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/12/us/politics/trump-loosen-counterterrorism-rules.html" target="_blank">Trump Administration Is Said to Be Working to Loosen Counterterrorism Rules</a> "The Trump administration is exploring how to dismantle or bypass
Obama-era constraints intended to prevent civilian deaths from drone
attacks, commando raids and other counterterrorism missions outside
conventional war zones like Afghanistan and Iraq, according to officials
familiar with internal deliberations." Because who wants to prevent civilian deaths?! </li>
<ul>
<li>While there may be no official backtracking from these rules, it certainly appears they're being ignored: <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/centcom-investigates-whether-u-s-airstrikes-killed-200-civilians-mosul-n738481" target="_blank">CENTCOM Investigates Whether U.S. Airstrikes Killed 200 Civilians In Mosul</a> "The dramatic uptick forced Airwars — a monitoring group which notes
casualty numbers — to stop tracking Russian strikes and only focus on
U.S. and coalition strikes that result in civilian casualty claims. For the first time since Moscow's intervention
in Syria, claims of civilian casualty deaths caused by the coalition
outstripped claims against Russia, according to Airwars." </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>It's no surprise. Trump really just dislikes human rights, apparently: <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-rights-oas-idUSKBN16S2YP" target="_blank">U.S. pulls out of human rights panel on Trump executive orders</a> "'The U.S. has attended these hearings for the last eight years,' said Goncalves Margerin. 'By failing to be present at this hearing, the U.S. joins Cuba and Venezuela in turning its back on people in the Americas who seek justice for human rights abuses.'"</li>
</ul>
<li>Human rights protections aren't the only thing Trump would like dismantled: <a href="http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-to-sign-order-undoing-obama-clean-power-plan" target="_blank">EPA Chief: Trump To Sign Order Undoing Obama Plan To Curb Global Warming</a> "EPA chief Scott Pruitt says the executive order to be signed Tuesday
will undo the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan, an environmental
regulation that restricts greenhouse gas emissions at coal-fired power
plants." Clean air? Safe water? Stable environment? Liberal nonsense, I guess.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/democrats-delay-vote-supreme-court-nominee-neil-gorsuch-n738901" target="_blank">Democrats Delay Vote on Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch</a> "Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee forced the delay of a
vote on Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch on Monday. The one-week delay
in sending the nomination to the full Senate comes as the partisan
battle lines over his final confirmation votes begin to harden. At least 19 Democrats have come out in
opposition to Gorsuch and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has said
that he will filibuster the nominee, which means he'll force a 60-vote
threshold once it clears the committee."</li>
<ul>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/25/us/politics/trump-health-care-defeat-gop-civil-war.html" target="_blank">Trump Becomes Ensnared in Fiery G.O.P. Civil War</a> "Like every one else who has tried to rule a fissured and fractious party, Mr. Trump now faces a wrenching choice: retrenchment or realignment. Does he cede power to the anti-establishment wing of his party? Or does he seek other pathways to successful governing by throwing away the partisan playbook and courting a coalition with the Democrats, whom he has improbably blamed for his party’s shortcomings?"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-13/schumer-warns-of-government-shutdown-over-trump-s-border-wall" target="_blank">Schumer Warns of Government Shutdown Over Trump’s Border Wall</a> "Senate Democrats warned Republicans Monday that attempts to take funding
away from Planned Parenthood or pay for President Donald Trump’s border
wall in a stopgap spending bill that must pass by late April would
result in a government shutdown."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/03/26/nearly-one-out-of-every-three-days-he-has-been-president-trump-has-visited-a-trump-property/" target="_blank">Nearly 1 out of every 3 days he has been president, Trump has visited a Trump property</a> "As of writing, it’s not clear who was included in Trump’s three meetings
at Trump National. A post on Instagram tagged at the club on Sunday
appears to show Trump and two other people watching television in the
course’s clubhouse.... If Trump traveled to Trump National for meetings, it raises another
question: Couldn’t those meetings have been held at the White House?" </li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/democrats-intoduce-mar-lago-act-force-trump-provide-visitor-logs-n738426" target="_blank">Democrats Introduce ‘MAR-A-LAGO’ Act to Force Trump to Provide Visitor Logs</a> "Democrats are giving Donald Trump a transparency gut check in the form
of a new bill with a mouthful of a name — and an acronym that takes an
unsubtle dig at the president.... The legislation, introduced in the House and Senate on Friday, calls for
the creation of a publicly available database to be updated every 90
days.... '[Trump] basically moved the office of the presidency," said Richard Painter,
the former ethics czar for the George W. Bush administration and vice
chair of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or
CREW. 'Under those circumstances, in which taxpayers are paying for you
to do government work and for your Secret Service protection, they're
entitled to know what private parties are moving in and out of there.'" </li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-66522946677475235152017-03-24T14:09:00.000-05:002017-03-24T19:53:32.283-05:00Time for a MakeoverSo, yes, as you can see (if you've come to my site and this isn't your first time), I've been changing it up. It's fun to change things up occasionally. The best part is getting to mess with the code.<br />
<br />
That is all.<br />
<br />
Pretty picture time!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZp79HGl9VJGJ-MnZKkfYwGP8rrqZuemEyDVuAsCUacCjsdxrfb273ZVw0DfTXJNX8_kMIVwfDalx4tBnWO8E62PV815dSX4X2W_0dizisHc61arfecowcaGwN9BX5a4hbRj1CdRXccZQ/s1600/Flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZp79HGl9VJGJ-MnZKkfYwGP8rrqZuemEyDVuAsCUacCjsdxrfb273ZVw0DfTXJNX8_kMIVwfDalx4tBnWO8E62PV815dSX4X2W_0dizisHc61arfecowcaGwN9BX5a4hbRj1CdRXccZQ/s640/Flower.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.noshelfrequired.com/de-gruyter-sponsors-directory-of-open-access-books/" target="_blank">De Gruyter sponsors Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB)</a> "<strong>De Gruyter Open Access Book Library</strong> contains between
800 and 900 titles and is intended to draw attention to the growing
number of open access books. Half of the Library contains De Gruyter’s
open access books, while the other half is by publishing
partners. Forty percent of the titles are in history, social sciences
and philosophy, ten percent are STM books and the remaining 50 percent
distributed among other humanities."</li>
<li><a href="http://lithub.com/the-life-and-death-of-the-library-of-alexandria/" target="_blank">The Life and Death of the Library of Alexandria </a>"The library became one of the original and most spectacular hostages to
fortune in all of world history. The tenet “knowledge is power” was its
founding creed; yet if knowledge is power, it can also be threat,
temptation, corruption and heresy. It was a sequence of natural
disasters that saw the original city swallowed by the sea, but
Alexandria’s library had vanished long before. It was claimed neither by
cataclysm nor by catastrophe, but by man." </li>
<li><a href="https://artplusmarketing.com/five-evernote-alternatives-to-suit-any-workflow-714be108e2d9#.ecij2iuva" target="_blank">Five promising Evernote alternatives</a> "As Evernote recently <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://blog.evernote.com/blog/2016/06/28/changes-to-evernotes-pricing-plans/" href="https://blog.evernote.com/blog/2016/06/28/changes-to-evernotes-pricing-plans/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">changed its pricing plans</a>, <b class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">restricting free access to only two devices,</b>
the interest in alternative note taking applications had seen a sudden
surge. As people have started to look for a better, or at least more
affordable solution, the many shortcomings of the most popular note
taking application had come to light, from privacy concerns, to the
question of who really owns your data. When a company can <b class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">suddenly restrict access to your own files</b>,
it might occur to you that keeping your data on other people’s servers
(or using the buzzword term, 'The Cloud'), might not always be the idea,
unless you have assurances that you may do with it as you please." Hey, look, <a href="http://tiddlywiki.com/" target="_blank">TiddlyWiki</a>! I can tell you from (family) experience that it is easy to use and gives you great control of your data. I haven't played with the others, but they all sounds nifty. </li>
<li>Just so you know, I get most of my news from a wide variety of aggregators, as well as a bunch of sites I <a href="http://www.whatisrss.com/" target="_blank">RSS</a>. One of the best - and definitely the snarkiest - is <a href="http://www.theskimm.com/?r=0a9967b1" target="_blank">theSkimm</a>. I don't share everything they send me, so if you need more news and/or snark, I highly recommend them. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2017/03/21/sesame-street-v-trump-shows-long-history-mocking-donald-grump/99445290/#" target="_blank">'Sesame Street' v. Trump: The show's long history of mocking 'Donald Grump'</a> "Released last week, <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/03/20/trump-budget-sesame-street/99403424/">President Trump's proposed 2018 budget</a> puts the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting on the chopping block, cutting $485
million in federal funding from the budgets of National Public Radio
(NPR), the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and the broadcasters' more
than 1,500 local affiliates." Maybe he's just bitter.</li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/how-to-protect-our-disappearing-bumble-bees/" target="_blank">How to Protect Our Disappearing Bumble Bees</a> "While federal regulations will provide some protection for this species,
there are steps you can take in your own community to support the
survival of these bees."</li>
<li><a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/who-killed-the-smart-gun" target="_blank">Who Killed the Smart Gun?</a> "The path to market for smart guns has been a long one that's repeatedly hit a dead end. In fact, a pair of pioneering American gun manufacturers coordinated with the US government to design a smart gun, and it almost sunk both companies."</li>
<li><a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/how-the-science-of-blue-lies-may-explain-trumps-support/" target="_blank">How the Science of "Blue Lies" May Explain Trump's Support</a> "How does the former reality-TV star get away with it? How can he tell so many lies and still win support from many Americans? Journalists and researchers have suggested many answers, from
hyper-biased, segmented media to simple ignorance on the part of GOP
voters. But there is another explanation that no one seems to have
entertained. It is that Trump is telling 'blue' lies—a psychologist’s
term for falsehoods, told on behalf of a group, that can actually
strengthen the bonds among the members of that group."</li>
</ul>
<li>International</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/airstrike-hits-syria-school_us_58d233a8e4b0f838c62dc62d?" target="_blank">Suspected U.S. Airstrike Hits School Sheltering Displaced People In Syria</a> "At least 33 people were killed in an airstrike that hit a school
sheltering displaced people near the Islamic State-held city of Raqqa, a
group that monitors the war in Syria said on Wednesday."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/03/23/tdsb-wont-approve-new-student-trips-to-us.html" target="_blank">TDSB won't approve new student trips to U.S.</a> "Canada’s largest school board will not approve any new student trips to
the United States in the wake of controversial travel restrictions
proposed by President Donald Trump.... The TDSB is the latest to join the growing
ranks of organizations altering travel policies amid concerns that
members of their groups could be denied entry at the border. Earlier this month, <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/03/13/girls-guides-suspend-trips-to-us-citing-border-concerns.html">Girl Guides of Canada cancelled trips to the U.S.</a>, citing safety concerns and uncertainty at the border, and to ensure all guides can participate in group travel. This week, <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/03/21/ryerson-essex-county-schools-cancel-us-trips-amid-travel-ban.html">Ryerson University and the Greater Essex County School Board followed suit</a> and suspended trips."</li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.register-herald.com/news/dep-responds-to-spill-at-injection-well-site-property-owners/article_bd4cc4fe-fd76-5d92-947d-901a4526c9bb.html" target="_blank">DEP responds to spill at injection well site, property owners concerned operation is breaking judicial order </a>"North Hills Group terminated Webb's lease in July 2015, and in June
2016 Fayette County Judge Paul Blake ordered Webb to stop pumping waste
onto the 3,294-acre property. North Hills Group Attorney Kevin Thompson said leaks were spewing fluid when he arrived, as if under pressure. 'I expected them to follow Judge Blake's injection. I expected them to follow the law,' said Thompson." He expected too much, I suppose.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/23/politics/keystone-xl-pipeline-trump-approve/index.html" target="_blank">Trump administration approves Keystone XL pipeline</a> "The approval follows years of intense debate over the pipeline amid
hefty opposition from environmental groups, who argued that the pipeline
supports the extraction of crude oil from oil sands, which pumps about
17% more greenhouse gases than standard crude oil extraction.
Environmentalists also opposed the pipeline because it would cut across
the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the world's largest underground deposits of
fresh water. The State Department concluded in January 2015 that the project would
create about 42,000 jobs directly and indirectly, but just 3,900
construction jobs if it was built in one year. The pipeline would create
50 permanent jobs to maintain the pipeline." It's environmentally disastrous and does nothing substantial for the American people - of course he approves. </li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3069114/even-if-the-keystone-pipeline-is-approved-there-may-not-be-enough-demand-to-build-it" target="_blank">The Keystone Pipeline Is Approved, But There May Not Be Enough Demand To Build It</a> "'When it was first envisioned, the industry was riding high, oil prices were high, and companies from around the world were investing billions in planned expansions of new projects in the tar sands,' [Adam Scott, a Toronto-based senior campaigner for the advocacy group Oil Change International] says. 'They were talking about increasing production continuously by millions of barrels a day for the coming decade. That’s completely changed in just the last two or three years with the oil price crash.'"</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/03/23/trump-and-automakers-have-criticized-obamas-fuel-standards-as-expensive-job-killers-a-new-study-disagrees/" target="_blank">Trump and automakers have criticized Obama’s fuel standards as expensive job killers. A new study disagrees.</a> "Lutsey said the increased investment in fuel efficiency technology could
actually lead to more jobs — both in the auto sector and across the
economy. 'Everything I’ve seen suggests this is probably job creation,
not what the counter arguments would suggest about losing jobs,' he
said." </li>
<li><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/judge-rules-wisconsin-right-work-law-unconstitutional-n553286" target="_blank"> Judge Rules Wisconsin Right-to-Work Law Unconstitutional</a> "The unions argued that Wisconsin's law was an unconstitutional
seizure of union property since unions now must extend benefits to
workers who don't pay dues. Dane County Circuit Judge William Foust
agreed.
He said the law amounts to the government
taking union funds without compensation since under the law unions must
represent people who don't pay dues."</li>
<li><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/while-gorusch-was-testifying-the-supreme-court-unanimously-said-he-was-wrong-33b9ff7eca77#.bcqc8wa8t" target="_blank">While Gorsuch was testifying, the Supreme Court unanimously said he was wrong</a> "Awkward." Ouch.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/03/23/521239749/in-major-blow-to-trump-gop-health-care-bill-vote-delayed" target="_blank">Trump Ultimatum For House GOP: Vote On Health Bill Or Affordable Care Act Stands</a> "The White House issued an ultimatum to House Republicans on Thursday:
Vote for the current GOP health care replacement plan or leave the
Affordable Care Act in place and suffer the political consequences."<i> </i>Promise?!</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/03/24/521395060/ryan-trump-meet-as-more-republicans-defect-from-health-care-bill" target="_blank">Republicans Kill Health Care Vote As GOP Members Defect</a> So, that's it, right? Trump said he'd leave ACA in place if it didn't pass today - so we get to keep ACA, yes? The bigger issue is that Republicans may still be able to undermine the ACA and make it fail - but it appears they can't simply repeal it outright. But I'll do a little happy dance right now, anyway. [No, I will not post a video of me doing my little happy dance.]</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/president-trump-called-my-cellphone-to-say-that-the-health-care-bill-was-dead/2017/03/24/8282c3f6-10ce-11e7-9b0d-d27c98455440_story.html" target="_blank">‘Hello, Bob’: President Trump called my cellphone to say that the health-care bill was dead</a> I think it's hilarious that Trump is upset that not even <i>one</i> Democrat would be for this plan. Really?! It wasn't even acceptable to the moderate Republicans, and he expected Democrats to come over because...? </li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/23/opinion/theres-a-smell-of-treason-in-the-air.html?_r=0" target="_blank">‘There’s a Smell of Treason in the Air’</a> "We don’t know yet what unfolded, and raw intelligence is often wrong. But the issue cries out for a careful, public and bipartisan investigation by an independent commission. 'There’s a smell of treason in the air,' Douglas Brinkley, the historian, told The Washington Post. He’s right, and we must dispel that stench."</li>
</ul>
</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-53579285967923445732017-03-23T18:12:00.000-05:002017-03-23T18:12:24.492-05:00[Info]graphic Content<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img class="attachment-progression-single-uncropped size-progression-single-uncropped wp-post-image" src="http://elearninginfographics.com/wp-content/uploads/Why-Υou-Should-Support-Your-Local-Library-Infographic.jpg" height="12663" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="601" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[<a href="https://ebookfriendly.com/libraries-matter-library-infographics/" target="_blank">Source</a>]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/23/us/florida-book-burning-fire/index.html" target="_blank">Florida fire started by book burning destroys at least 10 homes</a> "At least 10 homes in Nassau County, Florida, were destroyed in a wildfire caused by a man who was burning books Wednesday.... The man has been issued a notice of violation and will be sent a
forestry bill for all the equipment and personnel used into fighting the
fire, which could be several thousands of dollars, Winter said. He
could also be held civilly liable for any damage caused by the fire." </li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/going-out-guide/wp/2017/03/23/yes-there-actually-is-going-to-be-a-disco-party-with-gloria-gaynor-at-the-library-of-congress/" target="_blank">Yes, there actually is going to be a disco party with Gloria Gaynor at the Library of Congress</a> "Last year, Gloria Gaynor's disco anthem 'I Will Survive' became one of 25 new additions to the <a href="https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/recording-registry/complete-national-recording-registry-listing/" target="_blank">National Recording Registry</a>,
a collection of sound recordings considered 'culturally, historically,
or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United
States' and kept at the Library of Congress.... In May, Gaynor is coming to the Library of Congress, where she'll
perform in the Great Hall as part of the Library's 'Bibliodiscotheque,' a
series of films, lectures and events celebrating the disco era, capped
with — what else? — a late-night dance party in the historic Jefferson
Building. All events are free and open to the public. <a href="http://www.loc.gov/concerts/disco">Tickets will be available</a> beginning at 10 a.m. on March 30." I wonder if I can talk my boss into letting me attend as professional development...</li>
<li><a href="https://www.berea.edu/news/st-johns-bible-returns-finds-permanent-home-berea-college/" target="_blank">St. John’s Bible Returns, Finds Permanent Home at Berea College</a> "The St. John’s Bible Heritage Edition consists of 1,150 pages bound into
seven volumes, each 2 feet by 3 feet when open and weighing about 20
pounds. They present the books of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation,
through calligraphy and illumination, a technique used to embellish the
work with luminous colors, especially gold and silver leafing." Whoa! I need to visit my alma mater. </li>
<li><a href="https://ebookfriendly.com/libraries-matter-library-infographics/" target="_blank">Libraries matter: 18 fantastic library infographics</a> OK, yes, this was the source of the neat infographic above - but the rest of them are so awesome, I had to be sure you clicked the link. DO IT. DO IT NOW. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.vibe.com/2017/03/sesame-street-muppet-dad-in-jail" target="_blank">“Sesame Street” Introduces A Character Who Has A Father Is In Jail</a>"For decades, <i>Sesame Street</i> has taught children the educational
basics, as well as how to deal with life’s challenging obstacles. Hot
off the heels of introducing Julia, the first character with Autism,
it’s just been announced a new character has been added. His name is
Alex and unfortunately Alex’s father is in jail....The purpose of the initiative is to help children find support while
their parent serves their sentence, along with tips for how family can
talk to their kids about incarceration." </li>
<li><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/science-sting-exposes-corrupt-journal-publishers/" target="_blank">Science Sting Exposes Corrupt Journal Publishers</a> "The goal: to test whether, with just a CV — full of fake scientific
degrees — and a profile on Academia.edu as well as a fake university,
some would accept a scholar named 'Anna O. Szust' (which translates to 'Anna, a Fraud' in English) as a member of their editorial boards.
And many did."</li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-internet-idUSKBN16U2ER" target="_blank">U.S. Senate votes to overturn Obama broadband privacy rules</a> "...<span id="article-text">Democratic Senator Ed Markey said, 'Republicans
have just made it easier for American’s sensitive information about
their health, finances and families to be used, shared, and sold to the
highest bidder without their permission.'" Your information, like your browsing history, can now be sold by your ISP to third parties - without your permission. Privacy: eh, it was nice while we had it.</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/03/22/520842043/social-media-math-and-the-mystery-of-a-mumps-outbreak" target="_blank">Social Media, Math And The Mystery Of A Mumps Outbreak</a> "As <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2016/08/25/peds.2016-2127">vaccine hesitancy gains ground</a>
in the United States, we place ourselves at risk for
vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, mumps and rubella. While
these childhood illnesses <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/vaccines/mmr-vaccine.html">aren't fatal to most people</a>, those who are most susceptible to serious adverse effects, such as <a href="https://idsa.confex.com/idsa/2016/webprogram/Paper56915.html">children under the age of 1</a> and <a href="https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/infections/vaccination-during-cancer-treatment.html">cancer patients</a>, are often those who can't be vaccinated. And
this is why herd immunity is so important. When we vaccinate, we
protect not only ourselves but the most vulnerable members of our
communities, too." </li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/new-research-identifies-a-sea-of-despair-among-white-working-class-americans/2017/03/22/c777ab6e-0da6-11e7-9b0d-d27c98455440_story.html" target="_blank">New research identifies a ‘sea of despair’ among white, working-class Americans</a> "Sickness and early death in the white working class could be rooted in poor job prospects for less-educated young people as they first enter the labor market, a situation that compounds over time through family dysfunction, social isolation, addiction, obesity and other pathologies, according to a study published Thursday by two prominent economists."</li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="http://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/3/23/14988084/white-middle-class-dying-faster-explained-case-deaton" target="_blank">Why the white middle class is dying faster, explained in 6 charts</a> "There’s no single reason for this disturbing increase in the mortality rate, but a toxic cocktail of factors."</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/8641/american-doctors_-the-prognosis-isnt-good/" target="_blank">American Doctors: The Prognosis Isn't Good </a>"<a href="https://aamc-black.global.ssl.fastly.net/production/media/filer_public/a5/c3/a5c3d565-14ec-48fb-974b-99fafaeecb00/aamc_projections_update_2017.pdf">The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)</a> has projected that between now and 2030, the US is going to face a shortage of tens of thousands of doctors.... Due to rapid advancements in medical technology and the ever-changing
nature of the profession, the direct impact of the shortfall is
difficult to predict, according to a recent CBS News report. However,
with another study finding that nearly half of all American nurses want
to leave their jobs, US medical care faces some tough challenges over
the coming decade" Yeesh...</li>
<li><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/03/16/520281317/how-to-make-farmers-love-cover-crops-pay-them" target="_blank">How To Make Farmers Love Cover Crops? Pay Them</a> "These are plants that tolerate cool weather and grow on farm fields
after the crops are harvested. They hold the soil in place and are
probably the most effective way to keep nutrients in<b> </b>fields, rather than polluting nearby streams." What's not to love, anyway? "Farmers can be reluctant to plant cover crops because it means extra work, especially at crucial times in the fall and spring." OK, but it may end up making farmers money, anyway - "...because a cover crop can pay for itself. It keeps soil healthy and keeps
valuable nutrients in the field, so farmers don't need to spend as much
money on fertilizer." But pay them for the extra work, and farmers will do it. It's a win-win for everyone, really.</li>
</ul>
<li>Randomnesses</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/23/us-soldier-admits-killing-afghans" target="_blank">US soldier admits killing unarmed Afghans for sport </a>"An American soldier has pleaded guilty to being part of a 'kill team'
who deliberately murdered Afghan civilians for sport last year. Army Specialist Jeremy Morlock, 23, told a military court he had
helped to kill three unarmed Afghans. 'The plan was to kill people,
sir,' he told an army judge in Fort Lea, near Seattle, after his plea....Some soldiers apparently kept body parts of their victims, including a skull, as souvenirs." </li>
<li><a href="http://zackhunt.net/2015/12/07/are-we-finally-witnessing-the-death-of-christianity-in-america/" target="_blank">Are We Finally Witnessing The Death Of Christianity In America?</a> "The future of Christianity in this country isn’t threatened by shifting demographics. The Christian faith in America is on life support because far too many of us have simply stopped living like Jesus....We say we believe in the Bible and God and that Jesus rose from the
dead, but once we claim our certificate of orthodoxy we seem to think
we’ve been freed from the obligations of grace, from the cost of
discipleship, from the way of Jesus that is defined not simply by the
ideas in our head but the actions of our lives." </li>
</ul>
<li>International </li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/03/22/521095756/u-k-parliament-under-lockdown-after-firearms-incident" target="_blank">British Police Arrest 8 In Investigation Into London Attack That Left 4 Dead</a> "'It is still our belief — which continues to be born out by our
investigation — that this attacker acted alone yesterday and was
inspired by international terrorism,' [Mark Rowley, national lead for counterterrorism policing] said, <a href="http://news.met.police.uk/news/latest-on-westminster-incident-229843?hootPostID=5365b3ff97d3c2c323491773822b3d4b">reading from a statement</a>. 'To be explicit — at this stage, we have no specific information about further threats to the public.'" </li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/gunman-in-ukraine-kills-putin-foe-in-attack-denounced-as-state-terrorism/2017/03/23/72ddd20e-0fc7-11e7-ab07-07d9f521f6b5_story.html" target="_blank">Days before his death, Putin critic said in an interview he knew he was in danger</a> "At a time when the question of Russian influence dominates U.S. politics, Voronenkov’s death will add further scrutiny to the extent, and potential lethality, of Russia’s reach abroad. It remained unclear who might have wanted to killed Voronenkov — theories include Russian agents, Ukrainian nationalists or business interests — but the fact remains that he is just the latest Kremlin opponent to wind up dead."</li>
<li><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/suspect-arrested-israel-connection-bomb-threats-us-jewish/story" target="_blank">Israeli-American man arrested in connection to bomb threats against Jewish centers</a> "Police have not commented on the teen's motives. It is unclear if he will be tried in Israel or the U.S., police said."</li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.newsweek.com/robert-reich-where-are-grown-ups-white-house-572125" target="_blank">Robert Reich: Where Are the Grown-Ups in the White House?</a> Great question, Mr. Reich. "Where we need thoughtful resolve we have thoughtless name-calling. Where
we need democratic deliberation we have authoritarian rants and
rallies. Where we need vision we have myopia. The only way out of this crisis of governance is for us—the vast
majority of Americans who deserve and know better—to take charge. Your
country needs you desperately."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/03/23/ivanka-trumps-west-wing-job-isnt-just-unethical-its-also-dangerous/" target="_blank">Ivanka Trump’s West Wing job isn’t just unethical. It’s also dangerous.</a> <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Ivanka Trump’s personal relationship to the president may compromise our national security in immediate and practical terms. If she gets a high-level security clearance, that will grant her access to the nation’s more sensitive and consequential secrets — a fact that highlights the risks of compromising financial relationships and lack of expertise. It would be astounding, however, if her background investigation failed to uncover a <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/13/donald-trumps-worst-deal" target="_blank">recent article</a> detailing her involvement in a hotel deal in Azerbaijan that “appears to be a corrupt operation engineered by oligarch tied to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.” No ordinary person would be granted a clearance before questions of business ties to sanctioned individuals or entities were fully resolved. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The president is empowered to ignore that kind of derogatory information on a background investigation. But to do so would be a grave breach his oath of office — an oath his daughter will not take in her officially unofficial role. So the American people will now see if Donald Trump really intends to treat Ivanka like any other staffer. Will he act in the best interest of the American people in assessing whether she has demonstrated the judgment and integrity expected of those entrusted with our nation’s secrets? </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Blood is thicker than water. We must now wonder if the president’s commitment to his oath of office is stronger than his family loyalty.</blockquote>
</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/23/healthcare-vote-delay-house-republicans-obamacare-repeal" target="_blank">Republicans delay House vote to repeal Affordable Care Act</a> "The Republicans on Thursday abandoned a vote on their plans to repeal
the Affordable Care Act, as Donald Trump and House speaker Paul Ryan
faced rebellion across the House Republican caucus. According to a leadership aide, the scheduled Thursday House vote on
the bill was delayed at least for one day as Republicans scramble to
find a legislation that can achieve a majority within the chamber."</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/koch-brothers-obamacare-house-republicans-236389" target="_blank">Koch network pledges to defend Republicans who vote against GOP health bill</a> So the real question becomes: Who will Republicans work for - their constituents or the Koch Bros.? Because, make no mistake, the Koch Bros. are not on our side - they don't want the GOP health bill to pass because <i>it doesn't go far enough.</i> </li>
<li><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/trump-health-care-admission-dd759907622f#.bk2bv9m8a" target="_blank">Trump admits his health care plan would benefit rich investors, screw over people who voted for him</a> "President Trump sat down Wednesday for an interview with Fox News’
Tucker Carlson, and Carlson asked him to respond to criticisms that the
Republican health care plan favors the wealthy and hurts most of the
voters who supported his election. Trump didn’t hesitate to agree that
that is exactly what it does.... He openly admits that this plan does the exact opposite of what he
promised voters during the campaign. And he supports the plan anyway."</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.history.com/news/dwight-eisenhowers-shocking-and-prescient-military-warning" target="_blank">Dwight Eisenhower’s Shocking—and Prescient—Military Warning</a> "Eisenhower stated that this immense military establishment was a new
phenomenon for the United States, and that its 'total
influence–economic, political, even spiritual—is felt in every city,
every state house, every office of federal government.' Going so far as
say that this new establishment was a 'potential enemy of the national
interest,' he warned that it could very well weaken or destroy the very
liberties, institutions and principles it was designed to protect, as
the role of diplomacy and military restraint was replaced by a public
policy deeply beholden to military and business interests."</li>
<li><a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/news/325350-watergate-reporter-ive-been-saying-for-a-while-now-this-is-a-coverup" target="_blank">Watergate reporter on Russia: 'I’ve been saying for a while there’s a coverup going on'</a> "Bernstein called on the White House to ask for a full investigation into
potential coordination instead of 'pushing back' against the probe....'The heroes of Watergate were really Republicans, they were Republicans
in the House and the Senate who wanted this investigated to the bottom:
What did the president know and when did he know it,' he said. 'That’s
what we’re not seeing here. We’re not seeing it from the Republicans on
the Hill who are consumed by supposedly looking for leaks.'"</li>
<ul></ul>
</ul>
</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-89411623400169890482017-03-22T21:33:00.001-05:002017-03-22T21:33:50.826-05:00Where Are We Going, And Why Are We In This Handbasket?Today has been too crazy and it's late, so I'm just gonna leave these here:<br /><br />
<a href="http://aguyintheworld.blogspot.com/2017/03/questions-raised-by-chairman-nunes.html" target="_blank">Questions Raised by Chairman Nunes Disclosure of "Incidental Collection" of Trump Officials</a>: <blockquote class="tr_bq">
My sense is that the Trump team somehow thinks this disclosure helps them revive the quite discredited claim that Obama was spying on the Trump team. Of course, it doesn't come close to doing this. All this suggests is that the U.S. was spying on certain foreign officials (which it should obviously do) and that Trump's people spoke to these foreign officials. Rather than vindicate Trump's false claim, it raises new and disturbing questions about who the transition team were talking to--and why.</blockquote>
<div>
<br /><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/schiff-there-is-more-than-circumstantial-evidence-now/520509/" target="_blank">Schiff: 'There Is More Than Circumstantial Evidence Now'</a>:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said MSNBC Wednesday afternoon that there is evidence that is "not circumstantial" of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.</blockquote>
<div>
<br /><a href="http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/325330-mccain-congress-doesnt-have-credibility-to-handle-russia-probes" target="_blank">McCain: Congress doesn't have 'credibility' to handle Russia probes</a>: </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"It's a bizarre situation, and what I think, the reason why I'm calling for this select committee or a special committee, is I think that this back-and-forth and what the American people have found out so far that no longer does the Congress have credibility to handle this alone," McCain told MSNBC's Greta Van Susteren. "And I don't say that lightly."</blockquote>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What a mess...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here's a pretty picture:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnwVaH409bukl8U1ND2K1UpLa050Wf-SdmXFlqI-2qVovNBEq5T_hmvBHyL5JRnODHIl3y5Ly3bsGSwHT5ZabajN00MhzxvYB5Docro6Kz_qstvtnZoIo7hFNyjw8pxt5COUksh3648c/s1600/Frost+Flower+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnwVaH409bukl8U1ND2K1UpLa050Wf-SdmXFlqI-2qVovNBEq5T_hmvBHyL5JRnODHIl3y5Ly3bsGSwHT5ZabajN00MhzxvYB5Docro6Kz_qstvtnZoIo7hFNyjw8pxt5COUksh3648c/s640/Frost+Flower+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /><br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.quirkbooks.com/post/noteworthy-women-sci-fi-history" target="_blank">Noteworthy Women in Sci-Fi History</a> <i>Real</i> women in sci-fi history, folks! One who got left out - and I'm not happy about her absence - is Nichelle Nichols. She ought to be on that list. </li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/smog-will-choke-crops-if-climate-plan-is-scrubbed/" target="_blank">Smog Will Choke Crops If Climate Plan Is Scrubbed</a> "Along with carbon pollution, coal-fired power plants spew pollutants
that form ground-level ozone, or what we know as smog. The contribution
of smog to increased rates of asthma and premature deaths was already
known. The new research estimates the extent to which smog, under
air-pollution policies in place before the Clean Power Plan, would limit
production in 2020 of four major crops: corn, cotton, potatoes and
soybeans."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-schizophrenia-and-autism-share-the-same-root/" target="_blank">Do Schizophrenia and Autism Share the Same Root?</a> "In children with a deletion on chromosome 22, having autism does not
boost the risk of developing schizophrenia later in life, according to a
new study.... The new findings, published 21 January in <i>Schizophrenia Research</i>, support <a href="https://spectrumnews.org/opinion/viewpoint/dna-deletion-paves-paths-autism-schizophrenia/" target="_blank">an alternate theory</a>: Autism and schizophrenia are independent outcomes of the same genetic syndrome."</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/athena-talks/on-trusting-your-fat-friend-c1eae6750c1#.yns0pdign" target="_blank">On believing your fat friend.</a> "So little about our lives is simple, and it is tempting to believe that a
new or different body could bring order to an unstable world, to
slippery relationships and doubts about ourselves. We are all more
complex than our bodies. We are more expansive, more potent, more real
and messy than the shape of our skin."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.statnews.com/2017/03/21/epipen-recall-mylan/" target="_blank">Tens of thousands of EpiPens recalled for faulty mechanism</a> Not good. "More than 80,000 EpiPens are being recalled across multiple countries because they might fail to work in an emergency, the company announced this week. The devices included in the recall were distributed in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and a variety of European countries, but not in the United States, said a spokesperson for Mylan, the company that markets the device."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/21/15014614/doj-lithuanian-scammer-email-phishing-scam-tech-companies" target="_blank">A Lithuanian phisher tricked two big US tech companies into wiring him $100 million</a> "The scammer, 48-year-old Evaldas Rimasauskas, did so by masquerading as a
prominent Asian hardware manufacturer, according to court documents,
and tricking employees into depositing tens of millions of dollars into
bank accounts in Latvia, Cyprus, and numerous other countries.... What makes this remarkable is not Rimasauskas’ particular phishing scam,
which sounds rather standard in the grand scheme of wire fraud and
cybersecurity exploits. Rather, it’s the amount of money he managed to
score and the industry from which he stole it." </li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<li>International</li>
<ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/22/world/europe/uk-westminster-parliament-shooting.html" target="_blank">Deadly Attack Near U.K. Parliament; Car Plows Victims on Westminster Bridge</a> "The police said they were treating the attack as terrorism, which
appeared to make it the most serious such assault in London since the
deadly subway bombings more than a decade ago."</li>
<ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<li>Related: <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-39355505" target="_blank">London attack - latest updates</a> </li>
<li>Also - sadly, embarrassingly - related: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/03/22/britons-are-denouncing-donald-trump-jr-s-attack-on-londons-mayor/" target="_blank">Britons are denouncing Donald Trump Jr.’s attack on London’s mayor</a> </li>
<ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<ul></ul>
<li>Schadenfreude (Schadenfraud?): <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/03/22/ex-colo-gop-leader-said-only-democrats-committed-voter-fraud-now-hes-charged-with-voter-fraud/" target="_blank">Ex-Colo. GOP leader said only Democrats committed voter fraud. Now he’s charged with voter fraud.</a> Apparently, "...Steve Curtis, a conservative radio host and former Colorado Republican Party chairman....fill[ed] out and mail[ed] in his ex-wife’s 2016 ballot for president... Officials in Weld County, Colo., said they learned of Curtis’s
allegedly fraudulent ballot when his ex-wife, Kelly Curtis, called the
local elections office in October asking how she could cast a vote by
mail in Colorado from her new home in South Carolina, Fox 31 reported. An election worker reportedly told her the office had already received her ballot." </li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/secret-service-asked-for-60-million-extra-for-trump-era-travel-and-protection-documents-show/2017/03/22/0967e7b6-0a85-11e7-a15f-a58d4a988474_story.html" target="_blank">Secret Service asked for $60 million extra for Trump-era travel and protection, documents show</a> Not total - <i>additional</i>. "The Secret Service would not provide any details on the typical budget
for protecting the first family. The agency requested $734 million for
its fiscal 2017 'operations and support' protection budget, which would
include the expenses for all protected individuals and foreign heads of
state, DHS budget documents show."</li>
<ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</div>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-77061652246751096052017-03-21T21:17:00.000-05:002017-03-21T21:17:23.981-05:00Money MattersA quick but thorough explanation of Trump's proposed budget:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A3h5kcNHVxA" width="560"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
Yeah, it's pretty bad.<br />
<br />
John Oliver's take is less about the actual budget and more about what this says about the current administration:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ySTQk6updjQ" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
<br />
John Oliver specifically calls out the cuts that will affect Tennessee - and other areas that overwhelmingly voted for Trump. <br />
<br />
But if you want a really great article on the issue, try this one: <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/killing-science-and-culture-doesnt-make-the-nation-stronger/" target="_blank">Killing Science and Culture Doesn't Make the Nation Stronger</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Science has an essential advantage of creating associated technologies that power the economic engines of modern society. But the essential value of science for the human condition is not different from that of art, music, and literature. All of these cause us to reflect upon, and sometimes change our perspective of our place in the cosmos, while at the same time inspiring awe and wonder about the world around us. I have recently described the story of our 2000 year long intellectual quest to explore the universe and unravel its mysteries as the greatest story ever told…so far, because it reflects the essential greatness of human civilization, along with the ever-changing nature of progress. In this journey, the arts and humanities are inextricably linked with science as we have bravely march together forward toward a future full of surprises that were previously unimagined. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
To place our society’s priorities so blatantly in favor of military defense while abandoning central features of what it is that makes our country worth defending reflects a fundamental antipathy toward science, the arts, and those features of our country that truly help make it great.</blockquote>
Pretty picture time!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVW2Zf-73yCyjRHM70ikVFKbTEdQzf9gHvowUNBlztF4h0cWglo53khPcpQkVNNBZleoqLoCESuOUx7jtQSnJqOM9FdAjzjRUkAX0l6U6JFjQCQR_kcAdBEp0TplXcDWdujUJnZj4Crak/s1600/Frost+Flower+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVW2Zf-73yCyjRHM70ikVFKbTEdQzf9gHvowUNBlztF4h0cWglo53khPcpQkVNNBZleoqLoCESuOUx7jtQSnJqOM9FdAjzjRUkAX0l6U6JFjQCQR_kcAdBEp0TplXcDWdujUJnZj4Crak/s640/Frost+Flower+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Frosted</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/a9157850/trump-budget-libraries-funding/" target="_blank">What Donald Trump Doesn't Understand About Libraries</a> "I wish I could say that Trump is attacking libraries because he knows that the information literacy we exist to create is exactly the skill our electorate needs to shut down his lying, cheating, hate-mongering administration. I wish I had confidence that he thought that hard, or strategically, about any of the terrible policies he’s spent the first 50 days of his presidency advancing. But I don’t. I think that instead, like many of the <a class="body-link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/09/white-voters-victory-donald-trump-exit-polls">out-of-touch, wealthy Americans who voted for him</a>, to whom the $17 to buy a picture book is an afterthought, who are likely among the <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/internet-broadband/">75 percent of Americans with in-home broadband internet</a>, he thinks libraries are a luxury. And he thinks refusing the 0.00006 percent of support the federal government currently grants those libraries makes him look tough and fiscally conservative. But, in reality, they make him look callous and short-sighted. Americans need libraries, and libraries need the IMLS."</li>
<li><a href="http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2017/03/best-of/best-free-reference-websites-apps/" target="_blank">Best Free Reference Websites & Apps</a> You're welcome.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sesame-street-to-welcome-first-autistic-muppet/?WT.mc_id=SA_DD_20170321" target="_blank"><i>Sesame Street </i>to Welcome First Autistic Muppet</a> "A redhead who loves to sing and remembers the words to lots of songs, Julia will debut on the show for preschoolers on April 10 after a five-year outreach effort to families and experts on autism, Sesame Workshop said on Monday."</li>
<li><a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/a-court-will-decide-if-a-gif-can-be-considered-a-deadly-weapon" target="_blank">A Court Will Decide if a GIF Can Be Considered a ‘Deadly Weapon'</a> "Eichenwald, who has been vocal about his epilepsy in the past, allegedly suffered an eight-minute seizure in December after opening a tweet containing the flashing GIF and a message that read: 'you deserve a seizure for your posts.' Eichenwald's wife found him and called 911. The FBI later arrested one John Rivello, who has been charged with cyberstalking and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon."</li>
</ul>
<li>International</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/press-release/more-than-625000-affected-by-severe-flooding-in-northern-peru" target="_blank">More than 625,000 affected by severe flooding in northern Peru</a> "According to Peru’s National Institute of Civil Defence (INDECI), 75 people have died and over 625,000 are affected, including more than 70,000 who have lost their homes. The flooding, which started four days ago, is the result of record downpours that have engorged rivers, triggered landslides and wiped away people, crops and buildings. Heavy rains are expected to continue until at least April."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/mar/20/us-forbids-devices-larger-cell-phones-flights-13-countries" target="_blank">US bans larger electronic devices on some flights from Middle East</a> "US authorities have secretly required airlines from eight nations to forbid passengers from carrying any electronic or electrical device larger than a cellphone.... The affected airlines are Royal Jordainia, Egyptair, Turkish airlines, Saudia airlines, Kuwait airways, Royal Air Morocco, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad.... The circular does not address electronic flight bags (EFBs), which allow flight crews to display diagrams mapping flight patterns, maps of airports and other digital documentation, usually on an iPad. The lack of specificity leaves airlines in the dark as to whether their employees will be cited or otherwise punished for performing the vital functions of aircraft crew as usual."</li>
</ul>
<li>Randomnesses</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://mediainsight.org/Pages/'Who-Shared-It'-How-Americans-Decide-What-News-to-Trust-on-Social-Media.aspx" target="_blank">'Who Shared It?': How Americans Decide What News to Trust on Social Media</a> "Whether readers trust the sharer, indeed, matters more than who produces the article — or even whether the article is produced by a real news organization or a fictional one..."</li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-tillerson-idUSKBN16S04I" target="_blank">Tillerson plans to skip NATO meeting, visit Russia in April </a> "Skipping the NATO meeting and visiting Moscow could risk feeding a perception that Trump may be putting U.S. dealings with big powers first, while leaving waiting those smaller nations that depend on Washington for security, two former U.S. officials said." I mean, when events conflict, you have to choose, right? "A former U.S. official and a former NATO diplomat, both speaking on condition of anonymity, said the alliance offered to change the meeting dates so Tillerson could attend it and the Xi Jinping talks but the State Department had rebuffed the idea." Oh, OK, then. Never mind.</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/healthcare/news/2017/03/17/428601/coverage-losses-congressional-district-house-aca-repeal-bill/" target="_blank">Coverage Losses by Congressional District Under the House ACA Repeal Bill</a> Sometimes the big numbers are hard to imagine - but when you get down to the local level, it's easier to see the damage. Download the table to see how your district will be impacted.</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/mtvnews/what-republicans-dont-understand-about-health-care-846d4895a257#.5cx0b8uw2" target="_blank">What Republicans Don’t Understand About Health Care</a> "Lots of people will bail [on insurance] right there, because several hundred dollars a
month is a major strain, one a lot more pressing than the worry that one
illness or accident could turn catastrophic. Republicans will then call
this a choice, made by free citizens. Later, in private, if they think
at all about this choice, the one made by free citizens, they will spout
the same sort of bullshit Chaffetz said. 'Guess they wanted iPhones
more.' This erases moral culpability, and is a strategy not unlike
removing all the lifeguards from a public beach.... <span class="markup--quote markup--p-quote is-other" data-creator-ids="anon" name="anon_e3a4eba8599c">When
people opt out of health insurance, it is not because they don’t want
health care. It’s because they don’t have enough to get by in their
daily lives."</span></li>
<li><span class="markup--quote markup--p-quote is-other" data-creator-ids="anon" name="anon_e3a4eba8599c">Even those who would vote against repeal are facing pressure from the White House: <a href="https://secure.politico.com/story/2017/03/trump-health-care-obamacare-repeal-236281" target="_blank">Trump to Republicans: Vote for Obamacare repeal or lose your seat</a> "</span>Trump even called out the bill's most vocal critic in the House, Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), who's led the conservative opposition to the Republican health care plan. 'Mark, I'm gonna come after you' if he keeps it up, Trump said, according to multiple sources."</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/03/20/ivanka-trump-moves-into-west-wing-office-acknowledges-no-modern-precedent-for-her-role/" target="_blank">Ivanka Trump moves into West Wing office, acknowledges ‘no modern precedent’ for her role</a> Will she receive classified information? Yep. Is she bound by government ethics? Nope. We'll just have to take her word that she'll be ethical. I am not reassured. </li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/03/21/520965076/ivanka-trumps-move-to-the-white-house-raises-questions-about-ethics" target="_blank">Ivanka Trump's Move To The White House Raises Questions About Ethics</a> "Kathleen Clark, a law professor at Washington University in St Louis and a specialist in government ethics, says the Trump administration's arguments that conflict-of-interest rules don't bind the president or his daughter are disheartening. 'My biggest concern is that this is yet another erosion of government ethics standards in this White House,' Clark said."</li>
</ul>
<li>Interesting: <a href="http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/03/donald-trump-wiretapping-claim-214929" target="_blank">Why Trump Can’t Let Go of His Bogus Wiretapping Claim</a> "It’s enough to make this history buff wonder: Was Trump’s March 4 tweetstorm simply the impetuous act of man who reacted to the latest news he read, fake or not, or was Trump acting like Nixon in a deliberate way to distract attention from the growing concern about ties between his campaign and the election-tampering Russians? Maybe there is no fire behind this smoke, but Professor Kahneman would tell us that people, especially those who really hate losing, tend to act in predictable ways when faced with scandal. Is that what’s happening here?</li>
<li>Although...<a href="http://www.ginandtacos.com/2017/03/20/patience/" target="_blank">Patience is a Finite Resource</a> "Consider at this point the number of things our political system and government have had to devote time, money, and attention – all valuable and finite resources – to things Donald Trump insists are true that are not. Birtherism. Mass voter fraud. Having a record inaugural crowd. The size and historic nature of his victory in the election. And now this ridiculous two week long fiasco about being wiretapped." </li>
</ul>
</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-35810059696738628442017-03-20T21:50:00.003-05:002017-03-20T21:50:48.075-05:00Technical Difficulties<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've been having trouble all night with my computer, so tonight it's just this picture:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5KHBpt_QUFjLin5RoMGoclXJDg2GgaTWqS1XMLusXsCdOszNj6TTHzut3zQ-xpkxfBz2nm6YOlY4tjoSFHy485UjjxNs1TG6q3ROnE91PjNYpzlEFjx7AX3m39bzdzfQwjcbxa0tNuuI/s1600/IMG_20130508_200947_853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5KHBpt_QUFjLin5RoMGoclXJDg2GgaTWqS1XMLusXsCdOszNj6TTHzut3zQ-xpkxfBz2nm6YOlY4tjoSFHy485UjjxNs1TG6q3ROnE91PjNYpzlEFjx7AX3m39bzdzfQwjcbxa0tNuuI/s640/IMG_20130508_200947_853.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And, of course, links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li>Having trouble finding articles? Why not try <a href="http://www.jstor.org/analyze/" target="_blank">JSTOR's Text Analyzer</a>? Drop a paper on the subject, and see what else JSTOR can dig up for you. Neat!</li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/feb/16/andrew-scott-hamlet-skull" target="_blank">Alas, poor Yorick! The shocking life of theatre's greatest skull</a> "It’s been licked, kissed and caressed. It’s been played by a beige sweater and the real remains of a Hamlet-loving horse thief. As Andrew Scott gets ready to be or not to be, we explore the history of Yorick’s cranium" Yes, OK, it's a neat article - but why did I not know Andrew Scott was playing Hamlet?! I love Andrew Scott!</li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/@Drive_EV/update-google-stole-from-tesla-and-uber-stole-from-google-d249f89dc810#.8ivnbee62" target="_blank">Google Stole from Tesla and Uber Stole from Google</a> Good grief...</li>
</ul>
<li>Randomnesses</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/2017/02/07/hannah-arendt-the-banality-of-evil/" target="_blank">The Banality of Evil: Hannah Arendt on the Normalization of Human Wickedness and Our Only Effective Antidote to It</a> "'It is indeed my opinion now that evil is never 'radical,' that it is only extreme, and that it possesses neither depth nor any demonic dimension. It can overgrow and lay waste the whole world precisely because it spreads like a fungus on the surface. It is 'thought-defying,' as I said, because thought tries to reach some depth, to go to the roots, and the moment it concerns itself with evil, it is frustrated because there is nothing. That is its 'banality.' Only the good has depth that can be radical." </li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/@abby.brockman/despair-is-not-a-strategy-15-principles-of-hope-deba7ac2cb29#.fv0fhi99n" target="_blank">Despair is Not a Strategy: 15 principles of hope</a> "If you’re out there trying to change your neighborhood, community, city, country, or the world then this is for you. In moments when everything seems hopeless, read this to get your hope on."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cracked.com/blog/what-helped-convince-me-to-stop-being-hardcore-republican/" target="_blank">I Was A Hardcore Conservative: What Changed My Mind</a> <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
What does it mean for you? If you're persistent, and patient, and genuine, and reasonable, you're probably making a difference already, even if no one will ever tell you so. The yellers and trolls will never stop yelling and trolling (they might even get louder), but that doesn't mean nothing's working. They're not your targets. If you tune out the yelling, you might faintly hear the sound of popcorn crunching in the dark. <br />
<br />
And if you've ever ninja-changed your mind because of something someone said, maybe go back and tell them. Maybe they, like you, think they're wasting their time and no one ever changes. It's okay to admit you've been a crap person. Here's a secret: <i>We're all still crap people even now.</i> We'll all get better faster if we don't waste energy pretending we never were.</blockquote>
</li>
</ul>
<li>International</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/brexit-scottish-referendum-english-nationalism-damaged-union-for-good-a7635796.html" target="_blank">Brexit unleashed an English nationalism that has damaged the union with Scotland for good</a> "What makes the new English nationalism so dangerous post-Brexit is that it is deeply felt but incoherent and comes with little self-knowledge.... As a system of beliefs the new nationalism is much more appropriate to an English nation state than to a more diverse United Kingdom. Yet there is genuine bafflement among English people when the Scots apply the same arguments as Brexiters used to justify leaving the EU to justify Scottish independence."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korea-says-it-tested-new-high-thrust-rocket-engine-n735341" target="_blank">North Korea Says It Tested New ‘High-Thrust’ Rocket Engine</a> " </li>
<li>State-run media KCNA said that the rocket engine would help the country's plans to launch satellites, but the isolated regime has also in the past conducted nuclear tests and has said it is preparing to test an intercontinental ballistic missile."</li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://aguyintheworld.blogspot.com/2017/03/unilateral-disarmament-why-trumps.html" target="_blank">Unilateral Disarmament: Why Trump's "Skinny Budget" Would Make the United States Less Powerful</a> "Military Power is only one element of national power, and the Trump budget is effectively unilateral disarmament when it comes to the other key elements of national power."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/african-development-summit-univerrsity-southern-california-cancelled-african-delegates-denied-us-a7637696.html" target="_blank">African business summit in US 'has no African delegates after they are all denied visas'</a> <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Speaking to <a href="http://www.voanews.com/a/african-trade-conference-canceled-after-visas-denied-african-delegates/3770907.html" target="_blank">Voice of America</a>,
Mary Flowers, who chairs the summit said: “Usually we get 40 per cent
that get rejected but the others come. This year it was 100 per cent.
Every delegation. And it was sad to see, because these people were so
disheartened.<br />
<br />
“I have to say that most of us feel it’s a discrimination issue with
the African nations. We experience it over and over and over, and the
people being rejected are legitimate business people with ties to the
continent.”<br />
<br />
Among the people, who were not allowed to attend the event were
speakers and government officials from Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ghana,
Nigeria, Ethiopia and South Africa.</blockquote>
</li>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-19/lawmakers-to-push-comey-for-more-on-russian-election-deception" target="_blank">Russia Election Meddling Gets Airing on the Hill With Comey</a> "'We need to know whether the circumstantial evidence of collusion and direct evidence of deception is indicative of more,” Representative Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/schiff-defends-committee-examining-russia-trump-connections-n735391" itemprop="StoryLink" itemscope="itemscope" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" title="Schiff interview">in an interview</a> on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-director-to-testify-on-russian-interference-in-the-presidential-election/2017/03/20/cdea86ca-0ce2-11e7-9d5a-a83e627dc120_story.html" target="_blank"> FBI Director Comey confirms probe of possible coordination between Kremlin and Trump campaign</a> "FBI Director James B. Comey acknowledged Monday that his agency is conducting an investigation into possible coordination between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign in a counterintelligence probe that could reach all the way to the White House and may last for months." Comey also addressed the recent tweets Trump sent about Obama wiretapping his phones: "Comey said there is 'no information' that supports Trump’s claims that his predecessor ordered surveillance of Trump Tower during the election campaign."</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-gorsuch-idUSKBN16Q0BP" target="_blank">High-stakes Senate hearing on Trump's Supreme Court nominee begins</a> "<span id="article-text">Among questions Gorsuch likely will face will be whether he is sufficiently independent from Trump, who has criticized judges for ruling against his bid to block people from a group of Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. Another line of attack previewed by Democratic leader Chuck Schumer is to focus on rulings Gorsuch has authored in which corporate interests won out over individual workers."</span></li>
<li><span id="article-text">Related: </span><a href="https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-to-expect-from-the-neil-gorsuch-confirmation-hearings" target="_blank">What To Expect From The Neil Gorsuch Confirmation Hearings </a>"So Gorsuch seems likely to be confirmed by the Senate, but the big question is <i>how</i>?... Democrats take on some long-term risks if they filibuster Gorsuch. Trump <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/01/politics/neil-gorsuch-confirmation-hearings-in-six-weeks-grassley-says/">wants Republicans</a> to use the 'nuclear option' — abolishing the filibuster on Supreme Court nominations — if Democrats refuse to allow an up-or-down vote. Were Trump to get another chance at nominating a justice, and if the filibuster were abolished, Trump could try to put someone far more controversial than Gorsuch on the court. Democrats may want to keep their powder dry for a nominee like that..."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/white-house-installs-political-aides-at-cabinet-agencies-to-be-trumps-eyes-and-ears/2017/03/19/68419f0e-08da-11e7-93dc-00f9bdd74ed1_story.html" target="_blank">White House installs political aides at Cabinet agencies to be Trump’s eyes and ears</a> "Most members of President Trump’s Cabinet do not yet have leadership teams in place or even nominees for top deputies. But they do have an influential coterie of senior aides installed by the White House who are charged — above all — with monitoring the secretaries’<b> </b>loyalty, according to eight officials in and outside the administration."</li>
</ul>
</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-80019586290227247562017-03-17T19:59:00.000-05:002017-03-17T19:59:25.241-05:00First They Came for the Cartoon Characters...We all knew the Trump administration considered <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/instead-of-probing-trump-chaffetz-takes-aim-at-a-cartoon-preschooler/2017/02/13/7e74e63c-f232-11e6-8d72-263470bf0401_story.html" target="_blank">Sid the Science Kid</a> a bigger threat than inappropriate ties to the Russian government; apparently, they also consider <a href="http://www.sesamestreet.org/" target="_blank">Sesame Street</a> a parasitic neighborhood, living, as it does, off the welfare state, or somesuch nonsense.<br />
<br />
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr align="left"><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIpQmFM0NR0ruj6k7N54d-BaVylF7lAlaC67P56gigvNdLOe0XXmgkHRvI2HwW2au05PKFRHWhAwfDG0kldlcLVG3yi-DseeR6jmbm0BXRb_Z7eKUsHO3Hz9tiOwM420YFCVIVlQZwe4/s1600/image_4_cast1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIpQmFM0NR0ruj6k7N54d-BaVylF7lAlaC67P56gigvNdLOe0XXmgkHRvI2HwW2au05PKFRHWhAwfDG0kldlcLVG3yi-DseeR6jmbm0BXRb_Z7eKUsHO3Hz9tiOwM420YFCVIVlQZwe4/s1600/image_4_cast1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIpQmFM0NR0ruj6k7N54d-BaVylF7lAlaC67P56gigvNdLOe0XXmgkHRvI2HwW2au05PKFRHWhAwfDG0kldlcLVG3yi-DseeR6jmbm0BXRb_Z7eKUsHO3Hz9tiOwM420YFCVIVlQZwe4/s320/image_4_cast1.jpg" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, that's a rough bunch, right there!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
On the chopping block for Trump's budget - along with <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/16/politics/meals-on-wheels-trump-budget-blueprint/" target="_blank">Meals on Wheels</a> and <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/trump-budget-cuts-scientific-medical-research-will-have-devastating-effect-n734401" target="_blank">science and medical research</a> - is the <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/trump-budget-corporation-for-public-broadcasting-236125" target="_blank">Corporation for Public Broadcasting</a>, which would be completely eliminated. That means goodbye NPR, PBS, and tons of other non-profit, for-the-good-of-actual-human-beings TV and radio stations. (It's worth mentioning, I think, that <a href="http://www.npr.org/about-npr/520273005/npr-ratings-at-all-time-high" target="_blank">NPR ratings are the highest they've ever been</a>, in a time when many for-profit media outlets have been tightening their belts, in large part because people trust them to be unbiased - privatization is hardly a guarantor of success, much less trustworthiness.) The administration argues that these can be successfully privatized - which is true for big cities, maybe, although private ownership means less likelihood that the content will be purely for the public good, rather than Big Business benefit. So, again, privatization in order to benefit the wealthy, and a big "screw you" to everyone else. </div>
<br />
And an especially big "sucks to be you" for rural communities, who will also be dealing with the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-presidential-budget-2018-proposal/" target="_blank">elimination</a> of the <a href="https://www.eda.gov/about/" target="_blank">Economic Development Administration</a>, which gives grants to struggling communities, and the <a href="https://www.arc.gov/about/index.asp" target="_blank">Appalachian Regional Commission</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/03/17/president-trump-won-big-in-these-places-now-he-wants-to-eliminate-3-agencies-dedicated-to-helping-them/" target="_blank">the Delta Regional Authority and the Northern Border Regional Commission</a>. They are, of course, also targeting the <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-budget-epa-idUSKBN16N0E1" target="_blank">EPA</a>, <span id="goog_92253"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_92254"></span><a href="https://www.neh.gov/news/press-release/2017-03-16" target="_blank">NEH</a>, <a href="http://www.americansforthearts.org/news-room/press-releases/americans-for-the-arts-statement-on-proposed-elimination-of-funding-for-the-national-endowment-for" target="_blank">NEA</a>, <a href="http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/03/president-s-budget-proposal-eliminate-federal-library-funding" target="_blank">IMLS</a>, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/03/trumps-education-budget-revealed/519837/" target="_blank">public education</a> (specifically targeting teacher education and summer and after-school programs), <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/16/the-associated-press-trump-budget-would-cut-small-business-administration-funding.html" target="_blank">small businesses</a>, and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-presidential-budget-2018-proposal/?utm_term=.02dc420b6531" target="_blank">so much more</a>.<br />
<div>
<br />
Why are these programs being cut?<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“When you start looking at places that we reduce spending, one of the questions we asked was, can we really continue to ask a coal miner in West Virginia or a single mom in Detroit to pay for these programs? The answer was no,” Mulvaney told MSNBC’s Morning Joe. “We can ask them to pay for defense, and we will, but we can’t ask them to continue to pay for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.”[<a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/03/white-house-says-cutting-meals-on-wheels-is-compassionate.html" target="_blank">Source]</a></blockquote>
<div>
<br /></div>
The administration thinks coal miners shouldn't have to pay for such luxury programs; but cutting CPB, IMLS, NEH, etc., actually hurts coal miners and other rural citizens more than anyone else. For instance, <a href="https://qz.com/932332/who-will-lose-if-the-us-national-endowment-for-the-arts-is-eliminated/" target="_blank">rural areas stand to lose far more than big cities if you cut the NEA.</a> Now, I'm not a coal miner. If I were a coal miner, however, I'd be frankly insulted by the insinuation that I am all and only about the labor that can be extracted from me. The implication is that coal miners and other rural citizens don't want or need strong public education, access to media, libraries, museums, clean water and air, non-toxic backyards, insurance, community improvements, etc. All we rural folk need is a strong military in case some unspecified war pops up that we can send our kids to fight in! (Once they're out of the military, though, <a href="http://time.com/money/4699647/gop-health-care-plan-veterans/" target="_blank">they're on their own</a>.) I think it's disgusting that this administration seems to believe poor rural citizens do not need, want, or deserve such programs, which are vital to our growth as human beings, individually and communally.</div>
<div>
Of course, rural people aren't the only ones who'll suffer under this budget. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/16/us/politics/budget-cuts-inner-city-programs-trump.html" target="_blank">Poor urban dwellers</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/mar/16/trump-budget-cut-eliminate-homelessness-agency" target="_blank">the homeless</a> are looking at tough times, too.<br />
<br />
And I can't help but wonder why Trump wants to boost an already inflated military budget. Our military spending <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-spending-dwarfs-rest-of-world-2016-5" target="_blank">dwarfs that of the rest of the world</a>.<br />
<br />
And, let's be honest, if Trump really wanted to watch U.S. spending, we know where he should start:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLUkkT8DlnvlmipevnqQUpJlVi1DBP7Gb81csMnEHEUz36Zw3jgIwLXp2-k1Tg4PvsgjZM-ZdtSfMWfh3dQZ1zY-8_bc-H1PqGlD4mdG6jzYMY-BGu4JYXyOme-tcBrPSjtRvdrRoNbo/s1600/xneomhg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLUkkT8DlnvlmipevnqQUpJlVi1DBP7Gb81csMnEHEUz36Zw3jgIwLXp2-k1Tg4PvsgjZM-ZdtSfMWfh3dQZ1zY-8_bc-H1PqGlD4mdG6jzYMY-BGu4JYXyOme-tcBrPSjtRvdrRoNbo/s640/xneomhg.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[<a href="https://imgur.com/xneomhg" target="_blank">Source]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Pretty picture time! While today is most commonly celebrated as St. Patrick's Day,<i> </i>it is <i>also</i> <a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/93339/saint-gertrude-nivelles-patron-saint-cats-more-or-less" target="_blank">St. Gertrude's Day</a>! St. Gertrude is the patron saint of cats, so here's a picture of a pretty cat:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNl06xjSRmo-3X7jG09hjFw6uJCgH20vHAzXEbINHBZUoC-kFtdq_gQQXFavvOhWg7PIZMBGZ4bJQZlgkvWt9tm5UTZL6ZPH97ALoeEdHqA8yonHFXj2KhxYkF70agCtVGTpONrt_DW_Y/s1600/Ranga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNl06xjSRmo-3X7jG09hjFw6uJCgH20vHAzXEbINHBZUoC-kFtdq_gQQXFavvOhWg7PIZMBGZ4bJQZlgkvWt9tm5UTZL6ZPH97ALoeEdHqA8yonHFXj2KhxYkF70agCtVGTpONrt_DW_Y/s640/Ranga.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitten Ranga!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>A Very Timely St. Patrick's Day Special Section!</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.history.com/news/when-america-despised-the-irish-the-19th-centurys-refugee-crisis" target="_blank">When America Despised the Irish: The 19th Century’s Refugee Crisis</a> "These days it’s not just the 32 million Americans—10 percent of the country’s population—with predominantly Irish roots who celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Even those without Celtic blood now don green clothes and hoist pints of Guinness on March 17 to be Irish for a day. There was a time, however, when the thought of Americans honoring all things Irish was unimaginable." It's a very familiar story - fleeing famine and political conflict at home, only to be faced with racism, religious discrimination, and more violence on our shores. Think about that as you celebrate the Irish today. </li>
<ul>
<li> Related: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2017/mar/17/irish-pm-enda-kenny-donald-trump-st-patrick-immigrant-video" target="_blank">Irish PM tells Trump: ‘St Patrick was an immigrant’</a><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://embed.theguardian.com/embed/video/world/video/2017/mar/17/irish-pm-enda-kenny-donald-trump-st-patrick-immigrant-video" width="560"></iframe><br /> </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li>Slightly related to the above, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/17/trumps-irish-proverb-causes-derision-on-the-web" target="_blank">Trump's 'Irish proverb' confuses the internet on St Patrick's Day</a> It wasn't a proverb; it's almost definitely not Irish, either. The article also shows how hard it can be to track down quotes, as well as the differences in approach that Obama's and Trump's speech writers apparently take in crafting what the President will say.</li>
<ul>
<li>If you'd like to read something actually Irish: <a href="http://www.booklistreader.com/2017/03/17/book-lists/read-me-im-irish-24-books-by-irish-american-poets/" target="_blank">Read Me, I’m Irish: 24 Books by Irish-American Poets</a> </li>
</ul>
<li>Speaking of difficulty tracking things down: <a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/anonymous-texts-hidden-libraries" target="_blank">Uncovering the Hidden Books Tucked Inside Every Single Library</a> "There’s no standard way to catalog anonymous texts, which makes them incredibly hard to find." </li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/changes-coming-this-hurricane-season-2017" target="_blank">5 Changes Coming to Hurricane Season Forecasts</a> "As hurricane season approaches, the <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank">National Hurricane Center</a> has updated its messaging and forecasts to keep us safe. Some of these improvements, <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/news/20170309_pa_2017SeasonChanges.pdf" target="_blank">announced</a> last week, have been in the works for a decade."</li>
<li><a href="https://shift.newco.co/the-scary-thing-about-gmo-that-nobodys-talking-about-e067410aaf1b#.ydlh8lm3q" target="_blank">The Scary Thing About GMO That Nobody’s Talking About</a> "Slowly but surely, we’re surrendering the ways and means of food production to private interests. We’re entrusting the most fundamental aspect of our survival to institutions with no accountability to the public, and who in many cases have repeatedly violated the public trust. This isn’t just risky, it’s reckless." </li>
</ul>
<li> International</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://cbldf.org/2017/03/turkish-artist-and-journalist-sentenced-to-two-years-for-painting/" target="_blank">Turkish Artist and Journalist Sentenced to Two Years for Painting</a> "Authorities claim that Zehra Doğan endangered security by <a href="http://hyperallergic.com/363959/zehra-dogan-painting-and-news-report-land-a-turkish-artist-in-prison/">depicting an ongoing military operation</a> in Nusaybin, but in fact her painting was based on a <a href="http://hyperallergic.com/363959/zehra-dogan-painting-and-news-report-land-a-turkish-artist-in-prison/">government photograph</a> that showed the same scene."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-angela-merkel-shake-hand-refuse-a7635911.html" target="_blank">Donald Trump refuses to shake Angela Merkel's hand</a> He's probably frightened because he thinks uranium does bad things, m'kay? And <a href="http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Angela_Merkel" target="_blank">she knows a thing or three about uranium</a>. </li>
<ul>
<li>Also, why did Trump think it wise to <a href="https://www.blogger.com/Trump%20tells%20Merkel:%20'At%20least%20we%20have%20something%20in%20common'%20about%20wiretapping" target="_blank">remind Merkel the NSA had tapped her phone?</a> </li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/17/us-makes-formal-apology-britain-white-house-accuses-gchq-wiretapping/" target="_blank">US makes formal apology to Britain after White House accuses GCHQ of wiretapping Trump Tower</a> This is why it matters what ridiculous thing comes out of Trump's mouth (or gets typed in his Twitter) - a stupid claim becomes an international embarrassment. How long before something he puts out there becomes an international <i>incident</i>?</li>
<ul>
<li>Or maybe the White House isn't sorry? <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/world/europe/trump-britain-obama-wiretap-gchq.html?_r=0" target="_blank">Trump Offers No Apology for Claim on British Spying</a> We'll have no allies left, at this rate.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/world/asia/rex-tillerson-north-korea-nuclear.html" target="_blank">Rex Tillerson Rejects Talks With North Korea on Nuclear Program</a> "'The policy of strategic patience has ended,' Mr. Tillerson said, a reference to the term used by the Obama administration to describe a policy of waiting out the North Koreans, while gradually ratcheting up sanctions and covert action." I'm now leaning towards WWIII starting with North Korea...</li>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/04/breaking-faith/517785/" target="_blank">Breaking Faith</a> "Secularism is indeed correlated with greater tolerance of gay marriage and pot legalization. But it’s also making America’s partisan clashes more brutal. And it has contributed to the rise of both Donald Trump and the so-called alt-right movement, whose members see themselves as proponents of white nationalism. As Americans have left organized religion, they haven’t stopped viewing politics as a struggle between 'us' and 'them.' Many have come to define <i>us</i> and <i>them</i> in even more primal and irreconcilable ways."</li>
<li><a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/c4c9e82e0d714d5581b8fc4254b8d791/out-prison-then-back-unique-plan-aims-break-cycle" target="_blank">Out of prison, then back in? Unique plan aims to break cycle</a> Sounds like an interesting program - and one that might actually work.</li>
<ul>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/house/324434-gop-rep-splits-with-trump-on-meals-on-wheels" target="_blank">GOP rep splits with Trump on Meals on Wheels</a> "GOP Rep. <a class="rollover-people-link" href="http://thehill.com/person/chris-collins">Chris Collins</a> (N.Y.) says he disagrees with President Trump’s federal budget blueprint, specifically citing its lack of funding for Meals on Wheels.... 'It is one I would never vote to cut even one dollar. I’m not going to try to justify it because it’s not my plan. I do disagree with that.'"</li>
<ul>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-happens-millions-americans-lose-healthcare-michelle-chaffee" target="_blank">So, What Happens if Millions of Americans Lose Healthcare Coverage?</a> "It may seem easy for some to say we simply can’t afford to provide care to everyone or to think it’s a matter of working hard and doing the right thing to pay your own way. The hard reality is that unless we start turning people away from Emergency Departments, all of us are impacted when a considerable number don’t have access to healthcare. What kind of country we want to be, is ultimately what we need to decide."</li>
<ul>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-09/a-key-part-of-the-gop-s-plan-to-overhaul-the-tax-code-is-in-deep-trouble" target="_blank">A Key Part of the GOP’s Plan to Overhaul the Tax Code Is in Deep Trouble</a> "<i><b>The bottom line:</b> A border adjusted tax would cut the 35 percent corporate rate to 20 percent but tax imports, leaving clear winners and losers."</i></li>
<li><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/secret-service-laptop-trump-tower-floor-plans-details/story" target="_blank">Secret Service laptop with Trump Tower floor plans stolen in New York</a> "The Secret Service did say the stolen laptop itself could not have contained classified material but could have been used to access such material on a server." Welp...that can't be good. </li>
<ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
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Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-7623339093166116022017-03-16T20:18:00.000-05:002017-03-16T20:30:07.159-05:00Go, Team Oxford Comma! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2DdF-PkNHv_CYElo-dyj29VB6zBNlAelZzGPMFjunUAuQ_lsPtgzWNCBdgcPAmttwpMowwtMzo-b-XJWD6-BApJ9cWVmx4g4josizpPKBQniKSPbfwKWIxPo22so_kzor2KlsNQZCbE/s1600/Image-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2DdF-PkNHv_CYElo-dyj29VB6zBNlAelZzGPMFjunUAuQ_lsPtgzWNCBdgcPAmttwpMowwtMzo-b-XJWD6-BApJ9cWVmx4g4josizpPKBQniKSPbfwKWIxPo22so_kzor2KlsNQZCbE/s1600/Image-1.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[<a href="http://henningerconsulting.com/tag/oxford-comma/" target="_blank">Source</a>]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.grammarly.com/blog/what-is-the-oxford-comma-and-why-do-people-care-so-much-about-it/" target="_blank">Oxford commas</a> are important.<br />
<br />
There's a court case decision that shows it's <i>always</i> important, and not just academically correct. (Hush up, Academics Against the Oxford Comma - you are objectively Wrong.)<br />
<br />
Here's the scoop: a dairy delivery company in Maine had a nice, long list of activities that didn't qualify for overtime pay for their workers.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The canning, processing, preserving,<br />
freezing, drying, marketing, storing,<br />
packing for shipment or distribution of:<br />
(1) Agricultural produce;<br />
(2) Meat and fish products; and<br />
(3) Perishable foods.</blockquote>
Now, the entire case hinged on the phrase "packing for shipment or distribution." Does it refer to two separate activities ("packing for shipment" and "distribution"), both of which are exempted, or does it refer to one activity ("packing for shipment or distribution") and leave the actual distribution off the list? There's enough ambiguity in the phrasing that the court ruled in favor of the drivers, who felt entitled to overtime wages. If the company had used the Oxford comma, as is <i>clearly</i> the Way of Righteousness, there would have been no confusion.<br />
<br />
So, kiddos, remember - always use the Oxford comma, and keep this list of links to show anyone who says it's not necessary:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/03/16/520381718/the-oxford-comma-great-for-listing-pontificating-and-winning-court-cases" target="_blank">The Oxford Comma: Great For Listing, Pontificating, And Winning Court Cases</a></li>
<li><a href="https://qz.com/932004/the-oxford-comma-a-maine-court-settled-the-grammar-debate-over-serial-commas-with-a-ruling-on-overtime-pay-for-dairy-truck-drivers/" target="_blank">A court’s decision in a Maine labor dispute hinged on the absence of an Oxford comma</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/15/health/oxford-comma-maine-court-case-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">An Oxford comma changed this court case completely</a></li>
</ul>
<div>
Also, a <a href="https://thescene.com/watch/thenewyorker/the-serial-comma-killer?source=player_scene_logo" target="_blank">cool video</a>:</div>
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<br />
<script async="" src="//player-backend.cnevids.com/embedjs/5390f86669702d5e38450000/video/56aa734c94c05f161e000032.js"></script><br />
<br />Now, who's ready for a pretty picture?<br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRvveQFMLsCkUPTre1pUYrpMkithBi0d_ehwCR6QOQ8Fr4mbUeQ950vV7yjwubCC9v-7GIQ_qyXT0xs_TWkkCmnld_O6nYnL7g3V3f6JqYrBbxo0mn5j_gLifCa7zIkkjqjTBWAzYKqs/s1600/IMG_1148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRvveQFMLsCkUPTre1pUYrpMkithBi0d_ehwCR6QOQ8Fr4mbUeQ950vV7yjwubCC9v-7GIQ_qyXT0xs_TWkkCmnld_O6nYnL7g3V3f6JqYrBbxo0mn5j_gLifCa7zIkkjqjTBWAzYKqs/s640/IMG_1148.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://offtheshelf.com/2017/03/7-books-that-give-us-library-envy" target="_blank">7 Books That Give Us Library Envy</a> Personally, I'd like to work for <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/911456535" target="_blank">The Library at Mount Char</a>, but the competition for a position there is too fierce.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/04/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-stop-telling-me-feminism-hot" target="_blank">Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: 'Can people please stop telling me feminism is hot?'</a> "'I’m already irritated,' Adichie says. 'This idea of feminism as a party to which only a select few people get to come: this is why so many women, particularly women of colour, feel alienated from mainstream western academic feminism. Because, don’t we want it to be mainstream? For me, feminism is a movement for which the end goal is to make itself no longer needed. I think academic feminism is interesting in that it can give a language to things, but I’m not terribly interested in debating terms. I want people’s marriages to change for the better. I want women to walk into job interviews and be treated the same way as somebody who has a penis.'"</li>
<li><a href="http://ew.com/books/2017/03/01/alec-baldwin-trump-book/" target="_blank">Alec Baldwin to co-write book as President Trump</a> "On Wednesday, Penguin Press announced that they would be publishing a book co-written by Baldwin and Kurt Anderson, a parody political memoir lampooning Trump’s first year in office called <i>You Can’t Spell America Without Me: The Really Tremendous Inside Story of My Fantastic First Year as President Donald J. Trump.</i>"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2017-03-15/disappearing-books-how-russia-is-shuttering-its-ukrainian-library" target="_blank">Disappearing Books: How Russia Is Shuttering Its Ukrainian Library</a> "Officially, what is happening to the library -- its 52,000 books are being transferred to Russia's main foreign language library -- is 'a change of address' not a closure. But the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, some of the library's employees, and members of Russia's large Ukrainian diaspora say it is a closure in all but name."</li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/03/15/dont-look-now-but-reality-is-winning-the-climate-debate" target="_blank">Don’t look now, but reality is winning the climate debate</a> "...[A]s President Trump figures out how to roll back his predecessor’s efforts on climate policy, something interesting has happened: Gallup polling suggests that Americans have broadly accepted the science — and risks — of global warming.... The irony to all of this, of course, is that the country recently elected the most fervently anti-climate change president in its history. After a decade-long fight, those who accept the reality of climate change have managed to convince America of what’s going on. That this one particular man who just moved into the White House isn’t convinced will likely end up meaning that those seeking action on climate change find themselves in a worse position than when America was skeptical but its elected leaders weren’t." </li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/03/15/the-great-barrier-reef-is-bleaching-yet-again-and-scientists-say-only-swift-climate-action-can-save-it/" target="_blank">The Great Barrier Reef is bleaching yet again, and scientists say only swift climate action can save it</a> "No matter what you try to do to care for coral reefs locally, the researchers suggest that you can’t protect them from global warming without controlling temperatures themselves."</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.popsci.com/humpback-whales-are-organizing" target="_blank">Humpback whales are organizing in huge numbers, and no one knows why</a> "At one point about 90 percent of the world’s humpbacks had been hunted down, but they've been on the rise since becoming <a class="linkTargets-processed" href="http://www.popsci.com/nine-populations-humpback-whales-leap-off-endangered-species-list">a protected species</a> in 1996. Maybe humpbacks were always this social, and there just weren’t enough of them for us to notice."</li>
<ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>Randomnesses</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://nypost.com/2014/01/26/unused-gift-cards-total-44b-since-2008-study/" target="_blank">Unused gift cards total $44B since 2008: study</a> Wowzers! I know what I'm <i>not</i> getting people for Christmas.</li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/03/15/520270916/former-drug-czar-say-gop-health-bill-would-cut-access-to-addiction-treatment" target="_blank">Former Drug Czar Says GOP Health Bill Would Cut Access To Addiction Treatment</a> "'We know that people with addiction, and particularly in the opioid epidemic, need access to high quality health care in general,' Botticelli told NPR."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/3/15/14940248/trump-budget-leaks-epa-defense" target="_blank">Trump budget will slash the EPA, State Department, Amtrak, Meals on Wheels grants</a> <i>Meals on Wheels</i>, guys. Also, the "<a href="https://www.usaid.gov/who-we-are/organization/bureaus/bureau-democracy-conflict-and-humanitarian-assistance/office-food">Food for Peace Program</a>, a State Department program that distributes food assistance in emergencies such as famine and natural disaster, and does some non-emergency food relief, will face 'drastic reductions.'" </li>
<ul>
<li>There's more: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trumps-budget-would-slash-scientific-and-medical-research/2017/03/15/d3261f98-0998-11e7-a15f-a58d4a988474_story.html" target="_blank">Trump’s budget calls for seismic disruption in medical and science research</a> I'm sure the President is leaning hard on his science advisor's opinion on what to cut. Oh, wait, he <i>doesn't have a science advisor.</i> Never mind. Related: <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trump-budget-would-slash-biomedical-and-science-research-dollars/" target="_blank">Trump Budget Would Slash Biomedical and Science Research Dollars</a> </li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/03/15/trump-defends-obama-wiretapping-charges-predicts-very-interesting-items-to-be-revealed/" target="_blank">Trump defends Obama wiretapping charges, predicts ‘very interesting items’ to be revealed</a> "'Let's see whether or not I proved it,' Trump said. 'You looked at some proof. I mean, let's see whether or not I prove it. I just don't choose to do it right now. … I think we have some very good stuff, and we're in the process of putting it together, and I think it's going to be very demonstrative.'"</li>
</ul>
</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-28042465456972692672017-03-15T22:42:00.001-05:002017-03-15T22:42:52.178-05:00Links and a Pretty PicturePretty picture first:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_q-6l5rMTIl8WpoNl6w2RG8m_F2nUQpc9yk4KNftTiRH-b8nC0Bsiza91yudu5mlJ6e8HRcBuGLpKlX0NG-tsNF30moxgu_1ktnl1AEwftK28dWPkmDX2Lfax_AbGcE6hLcZSJDQNyM/s1600/Holly+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_q-6l5rMTIl8WpoNl6w2RG8m_F2nUQpc9yk4KNftTiRH-b8nC0Bsiza91yudu5mlJ6e8HRcBuGLpKlX0NG-tsNF30moxgu_1ktnl1AEwftK28dWPkmDX2Lfax_AbGcE6hLcZSJDQNyM/s640/Holly+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.episcopalcafe.com/bexley-halls-rare-book-collection-donated-to-the-newberry-library/" target="_blank">Bexley Hall’s Rare Book Collection donated to the Newberry Library</a> "Among the books in the Bexley Hall Collection are early Bibles and Books
of Common Prayer, early printings of works by Erasmus; and works of
theology, philosophy, and travel. The collection includes over 25
sixteenth-century imprints and books from the presses of distinguished
early printers and presses such as Plantin, Elzevir, and Froben." </li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://fox2now.com/2017/03/15/cheerios-giving-away-free-wildflower-seeds-to-help-save-the-bees/" target="_blank">Cheerios giving away free wildflower seeds to help save the bees</a> You know I got my seeds! I love bees. <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Bee populations have been declining in recent years. That's why
Honey-Nut Cheerios mascot "Buzz" has been missing from cereal boxes.<br />
<br />
The Cheerios website says: "Buzz is missing because there's something
serious going on with the world's bees. Bee populations everywhere have
been declining at an alarming rate, and that includes honeybees like
Buzz."</blockquote>
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/chevron-pipeline-spill-colorado-2315314499.html" target="_blank">Chevron Pipeline Spills 4,800 Gallons of Oil on Public Land, Kills Wildlife</a> "As it happens, the leak occurred around the same time that the conservation group <a href="http://westernpriorities.org/2016-colorado-oil-and-gas-toxic-release-tracker/">Center for Western Priorities</a> found that Chevron was behind 31 reported spills in Colorado last year, ranking the energy corporation as the fourth highest oil and gas spiller in the state."</li>
</ul>
<li>International</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/china-tells-trump-we-dont-want-a-trade-war-but-us-firms-would-suffer-most/2017/03/15/4e93c3da-0942-11e7-8884-96e6a6713f4b_story.html" target="_blank">China to Trump: We don’t want a trade war — but if there is one, you’d lose</a> I don't want any sort of war with China! </li>
<li><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-blast-idUSKBN16M1J0" target="_blank">Dozens killed in double suicide attack in Syrian capital</a> "<span id="article-text">State news agency SANA cited the Damascus police
as saying that there were 102 injured in the courthouse attack and 28
injured in the restaurant."</span></li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-poor-feels-like_us_58c96165e4b022994fa3e8b0" target="_blank">What Poor Feels Like</a> "Being poor isn’t the same as being broke. Broke is temporary; poverty becomes who you are. It becomes a mindset that is very hard to break out from (even when you aren’t technically poor anymore.)"</li>
<li><a href="https://extranewsfeed.com/un-qualified-immunity-88a2b65eaa38#.ky9i4z2re" target="_blank">(Un)qualified Immunity : How a Broken Law Lets Cops Get Away With Murder</a> "<span class="markup--quote markup--p-quote is-other" data-creator-ids="anon" name="anon_54101235410f">If you are wondering, at this point, just what a police officer could do that would <i class="markup--em markup--p-em">not</i> entitle them to immunity, you are not alone." </span></li>
<li><span class="markup--quote markup--p-quote is-other" data-creator-ids="anon" name="anon_54101235410f"><a href="http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news-politics/20170314/wv-senate-bill-eliminates-mine-safety-enforcement" target="_blank">WV Senate bill eliminates mine safety enforcement</a> "...[S]ignificant changes in a new industry- backed bill would produce a wholesale elimination of most enforcement of longstanding laws and rules put in place over many years — as a result of hundreds of deaths — to protect the health and safety of West Virginia’s coal miners."</span></li>
<li><span class="markup--quote markup--p-quote is-other" data-creator-ids="anon" name="anon_54101235410f"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2017/03/13/why-are-we-hearing-crickets-from-the-gop-on-steve-kings-ugly-tweet/" target="_blank">Why are we hearing crickets from the GOP on Steve King’s ugly Tweet?</a> "Do these Republicans want to rid their party of King’s sentiments, or not? If they want to, how might they accomplish this, given the current occupant of the White House?" </span></li>
<li><span class="markup--quote markup--p-quote is-other" data-creator-ids="anon" name="anon_54101235410f"><a href="https://www.lawfareblog.com/continuing-need-close-guantanamo-bay-detention-facility" target="_blank">The Continuing Need to Close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility </a>"</span><span class="markup--quote markup--p-quote is-other" data-creator-ids="anon" name="anon_54101235410f">We are all familiar with the primary arguments to close GTMO: it costs
too much, it is a recruiting tool and propaganda tool for terrorists (a
conclusion reached by both President Bush and President Obama), and it
is disdained by the international community. But beyond these individual
factors, it is crucially important that the national security
leadership of both the Bush and Obama Administration reached the same
conclusion. In the best judgement of both Administrations, GTMO hurt us
more than it helped us. Both presidents, five secretaries of Defense
(Rumsfeld, Gates, Panetta, Hagel, and Carter), and four secretaries of
State (Powell, Rice, Clinton, and Kerry) reached the same conclusion.
(Yes, even Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld ultimately concluded
GTMO should be closed—if an alternative location were selected.)" </span></li>
<li><span class="markup--quote markup--p-quote is-other" data-creator-ids="anon" name="anon_54101235410f"><a href="https://sojo.net/articles/167-house-members-ask-trump-retain-ambassador-combat-anti-semitism" target="_blank">167 House Members Ask Trump to Retain Ambassador to Combat Anti-Semitism</a> "Following a report that President Trump is thinking of scrapping the ambassador position assigned to combat global anti-Semitism, a bipartisan group of 167 U.S. House members sent a letter asking him to appoint one soon. The letter, released on March 13, asks Trump to 'maintain and prioritize' the appointment, in a time of rising anti-Semitism."</span></li>
<li><span class="markup--quote markup--p-quote is-other" data-creator-ids="anon" name="anon_54101235410f"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-15/house-republicans-take-their-own-path-on-trump-s-border-wall" target="_blank">House Republicans Take Their Own Path on Trump’s Border Wall</a> "</span>President Donald Trump’s promise to build a fortified barrier on the
U.S.-Mexico border is about to hit a wall of its own: Members of
Congress with different ideas on how to curb illegal immigration."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/15/politics/travel-ban-blocked/" target="_blank">Federal judge blocks new travel ban; Trump calls it 'judicial overreach'</a> "In a 43-page ruling, US District Court Judge Derrick Watson concluded in no uncertain terms that the new executive order failed to pass legal muster at this stage and the state had established 'a strong likelihood of success' on their claims of religious discrimination....The practical effect of the ruling -- which applies nationwide -- is that travelers from six Muslim-majority countries and refugees will be able to travel to the US."</li>
<ul>
<li>Also: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/immigration-authorities-to-deport-afghan-man-who-helped-us-government/2017/03/15/a7eecb9a-098e-11e7-a15f-a58d4a988474_story.html" target="_blank">Federal court blocks deportation of Afghan special visa recipient</a> "A federal court late Wednesday stopped the Trump administration from deporting an Afghan man who is trying to enter the United States with a special visa reserved for those who have assisted the U.S. mission in Afghanistan at great risk to their own lives."</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/324031-kaine-expects-fbi-to-announce-white-house-russia-investigation" target="_blank">Kaine expects FBI to announce White House-Russia investigation</a> "Kaine often questioned Trump's ties to Russia during the presidential campaign when he was as Hillary Clinton's running mate."</li>
<li><a href="https://secure.politico.com/story/2017/03/trump-white-house-paranoia-236069" target="_blank">‘People are scared’: Paranoia seizes Trump’s White House</a> "In interviews, nearly a dozen White House aides and federal agency
staffers described a litany of suspicions: that rival factions in the
administration are trying to embarrass them, that civil servants opposed
to President Donald Trump are trying to undermine him, and even that a 'deep state' of career military and intelligence officials is out to
destroy them."It'd make a good book, but I don't think it makes a healthy reality.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/15/politics/burr-nunes-trump-wiretap-literally/index.html" target="_blank">Intel chair pushes back on Trump 'literal vs. serious' debate, says President's tweets matter</a> "'It would be laughable if it wasn't so serious,' Schiff said. 'No,
wiretap is a wiretap. And particularly when he elaborates that he
believed that President Obama was tapping his phones. So, I certainly
don't think wiretap is broad enough to cover what is really a baseless
accusation, a complete fabrication by the President of The United
States.'"</li>
</ul>
</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-24232503602277724512017-03-14T22:25:00.001-05:002017-03-14T22:25:08.146-05:00Pi-Tastic!<a href="http://www.piday.org/" target="_blank">Happy Pi Day</a>! I shall, as is traditional, make pie to celebrate. This year, it's pumpkin pie - or <i>pies</i>, rather. One will be for the family, and my lucky student workers and fellow librarians will be getting the other on Thursday.<br />
<br />
But, of course, pie is only incidental to pi - as a grammarphile, I'm fond of homophones, but the day is dedicated to the number, of course. (I've memorized this much of it: 3.141592. That's as far as I can get. That's pretty sad, really. Ah, well.)<br />
<br />
So, we'll do a special set of links for Pi Day!<br />
<ul>
<li>What kind of librarian would I be if I didn't start with a reading recommendation list? <a href="http://offtheshelf.com/2017/03/happy-pi-day-13-sweet-books-for-mathletes-and-pie-lovers/" target="_blank">Happy Pi Day! 13 Sweet Books for Mathletes and Pie Lovers</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/where-did-pi-day-come-from" target="_blank">What is Pi Day?</a> Good to know.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/03/14/for-pi-day-key-figures-on-math-and-education-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank">For Pi Day, key figures on math and education in the U.S.</a> Hey, we're not doing too bad! Math is cool. Kids like it. Keep it up, U.S.! </li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDD8fe4W-iZ806JTq4ZwDI1pQw1h4qu2ZxZwnl_JizdiG38QVA74Kt7retK6_lBhP850nVs-pB4QNQy75dpLjHrOB-QN1blAiaF8zCKrQ2Zrat9S-7V4TmlanXADm2eZz5Wtlnpdpr9w0/s1600/Piku.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDD8fe4W-iZ806JTq4ZwDI1pQw1h4qu2ZxZwnl_JizdiG38QVA74Kt7retK6_lBhP850nVs-pB4QNQy75dpLjHrOB-QN1blAiaF8zCKrQ2Zrat9S-7V4TmlanXADm2eZz5Wtlnpdpr9w0/s1600/Piku.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">[<a href="http://www.transformationsediting.com/2013/03/a-pi-ku-for-pi-day.html" target="_blank">Source</a>]</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li>Do you like podcasts? (I'm looking at you, Mary!) Do you like mythology? Here's a really great podcast for you: <a href="https://www.mythpodcast.com/" target="_blank">Myths and Legends - Telling the stories of the past in the language of the present</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.trtworld.com/magazine/the-new-york-librarian-who-nearly-ruled-the-ottoman-empire-317001" target="_blank">The New York librarian who nearly ruled the Ottoman Empire</a> "If the Ottoman Empire had survived, Osman Bayezid would have become the ruler of the once powerful dynasty. Instead, the last family heir worked as a librarian, did puppet shows for kids and devoted his life to taking care of his mother." He was probably happier for it, though.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=8900" target="_blank">What Zinn Censorship Attempts Tell Us About the State of Intellectual Freedom</a> "We still have a long way to go when it comes to intellectual freedom. It is heartening to see that it is so widely respected and is unlikely to be seriously infringed upon by one-off calls for censorship like these. But we have to be wary in case these calls for censorship by one politician here and one politician there becomes a concerted effort to chip away at the these values. We also have to expand respect for these values so that intellectual freedom applies to all educational professionals, regardless of who they teach."</li>
</ul>
<li>Health, Science, & Technology</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/03/13/carbon-dioxide-in-the-atmosphere-is-rising-at-the-fastest-rate-ever-recorded/" target="_blank"> Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is rising at the fastest rate ever recorded</a> "For the second year in a row, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations have climbed at a record pace." </li>
<ul>
<li>Sadly, related: <a href="https://www.axios.com/exclusive-even-deeper-cuts-being-discussed-for-epa-2314124510.html" target="_blank">Exclusive: even deeper cuts being discussed for EPA</a> "Climate change programs would be gutted under the proposal and the workforce attached to these programs would be cleared out of the agency — in line with the aggressive vision of EPA transition head Myron Ebell."</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.openculture.com/2017/03/how-sultry-1940s-film-star-hedy-lamarr-helped-invent-the-technology-behind-wi-fi-bluetooth-during-wwii.html" target="_blank">How Sultry 1940s Film Star Hedy Lamarr Helped Invent the Technology Behind Wi-Fi & Bluetooth During WWII</a> "A reluctant star since her early role in the scandalous Czech film <a href="http://www.openculture.com/2015/06/gustav-machatys-erotikon-1929-ekstase-1933-cinemas-earliest-explorations-of-womens-sensuality.html"><em>Ekstase</em></a>
and in America never quite able to escape typecasting as the
mysterious, exotic beauty opposite a 'real' actor, the bored Lamarr
occupied her mind by turning to invention. Working away at her drafting table instead of making the nightly
Hollywood party rounds, Lamarr came up with everything from dissolving
soda tablets to improved traffic signals and tissue boxes to a 'skin-tautening technique based on the principles of the accordion.'" In addition, she created "...a 'frequency-hopping' communication system in 1942, but it raised no
military interest until the Cuban Missile Crisis twenty years later,
when the Navy started using the technology on their ships. It evolved in
the decades thereafter, ultimately becoming an indispensable element of
such technologies in widespread use today as wi-fi and Bluetooth." </li>
</ul>
<li>Randomnesses</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://asoftmurmur.com/" target="_blank">A Soft Murmur</a> Just in case you need some nice ambient noise. </li>
</ul>
<li>International</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39264845" target="_blank">EU workplace headscarf ban is legal, says ECJ</a> "Workplace bans on the wearing of 'any political, philosophical or
religious sign' such as headscarves need not constitute direct
discrimination, Europe's top court has ruled. But the ban must be based on internal company rules requiring all employees to 'dress neutrally', <a class="story-body__link-external" href="http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2017-03/cp170030en.pdf">said the European Court of Justice (ECJ)</a>." So it only applies if <i>all</i> symbols of religion, etc., are banned - not just the headscarf. </li>
<ul>
<li>I very much like and agree with the Church of England's response: <a href="http://cofecomms.tumblr.com/post/158400140872/response-to-ecj-ruling-on-headscarves" target="_blank">Response to ECJ Ruling on Headscarves</a> "'There is clearly more work to be done in relation to religious literacy.'"</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39264349" target="_blank">Saudi Arabia launches girls' council - without any girls</a> "The women were apparently in another room, linked via video."</li>
<ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-13/about-24-million-may-lose-health-coverage-in-gop-plan-cbo-says" target="_blank">Ryan Is Sticking With GOP Obamacare-Replacement Bill Despite CBO Estimate</a> "We're gonna save a ton of money!" Yes, sure - but we'll do it by compromising people's lives and well-being, which ends up being very costly to taxpayers, as well as, well, <i>immoral</i>. It's projected to even <i>raise</i> the percentage of uninsured people over what it was <i>before</i> the ACA. In the next year alone, 14 million will be uninsured (increasing to 24 million by 2026), while premiums will be going up by 15-20%. They'll drop eventually - but mostly because insurance coverage will be getting skimpier. So, sure, you'll be paying less in premiums - but you'll be paying more out of pocket, because your insurance will be covering less. So, again, health care for the wealthy - "sucks to be you" for everyone else.</li>
<ul>
<li>No, seriously - while poor people are getting a raw deal, the richer you are, the more you get: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/10/business/tax-cuts-affordable-care-act-repeal.html" target="_blank">Wealthy Would Get Billions in Tax Cuts Under Obamacare Repeal Plan</a></li>
<li>Related: According to the White House, the CBO estimate of 24 million is being too optimistic - <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/obamacare-uninsured-white-house-236019" target="_blank">White House analysis of Obamacare repeal sees even deeper insurance losses than CBO</a> "The executive branch analysis forecast that 26 million people would lose
coverage over the next decade.... [T]he coverage losses would include 17 million for Medicaid, 6 million in
the individual market and 3 million in employer-based plans."</li>
<ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/03/13/519997808/surgeon-on-health-care-bill-the-stakes-are-extremely-high-for-patients" target="_blank">Surgeon On Health Care Bill: The Stakes Are 'Extremely High' For Patients</a> "'What is the human goal of this bill? What's it aiming to solve? If the
aim is to solve the problems they criticize, they've not put forward
solutions that actually do that.'"</li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/03/10/the-gops-obamacare-replacement-is-a-disaster-for-some-of-its-most-loyal-voters/" target="_blank">The GOP’s Obamacare replacement is a disaster for some of its most loyal voters</a> "It's a nationwide pattern: Some of the harshest consequences of the GOP's health bill would fall on rural Republican strongholds — precisely the voters who helped elect Trump."</li>
</ul>
<li> <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/90350041/many-foreign-tourists-say-theyre-afraid-to-visit-the-us-after-trump-travel-ban" target="_blank">Many foreign tourists say they're afraid to visit the US after Trump travel ban</a> "It is not just visitors from the countries targeted by the bans that are
souring on U.S. travel; the seven countries included in Trump's
original order in January account for 0.1 per cent of incoming
travellers. Rather, an atmosphere of fear at the nation's airports - and
well-publicized incidents of visitors being detained and interrogated -
are scaring off people without the slightest connection to the Muslim
world."</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2017/03/13/520010920/three-more-sxsw-bound-bands-denied-entry-into-the-u-s" target="_blank">Three More SXSW-Bound Bands Denied Entry Into The U.S.</a> <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
According to Massive Scar Era, a Customs and Border Patrol [CBP] official also questioned the band's bassist, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/massivescarera/photos/pb.58247733663.-2207520000.1487838590./10155025353278664/?type=3" target="_blank">Dylan Pieter Wijdenes-Charles</a>, about proving his ethnic identity.<br />
<br />
In
the video, Amr recounts a purported exchange between the immigration
agent and Wijdenes-Charles. "Dylan is a First Nation," she exclaims.
"He's allowed to go to the States whenever he wants to, work whenever he
wants to, because he's First Nation ... He [the CBP agent] looked at
him and he's like, 'Next time when you come, you have to show a blood
test that you're First Nation.'" The band says that Wijdenes-Charles was
carrying an official card identifying him as a First Nation member.<br />
<br />
If
Massive Scar Era's allegations are true, the immigration agent's
statements could be a breach of the Jay Treaty and subsequent
legislation following that agreement. The Jay Treaty, signed in 1794,
allows First Nation members and American Indians free passage across the
U.S.-Canadian border for many reasons, including employment and
immigration.</blockquote>
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/hamilton-church-volunteers-denied-entry-to-u-s-so-they-wouldn-t-steal-american-jobs-1.4022969" target="_blank">Hamilton church volunteers denied entry to U.S. so they wouldn't 'steal American jobs'</a> "Erik Hoeksema, the church's outreach director who was travelling with the group, said they intended to spend March break cleaning up and rehabilitating neighbourhoods affected by Hurricane Sandy." </li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://time.com/4700576/rex-tillerson-used-email-alias-exxon-climate-change-investigation/" target="_blank">Rex Tillerson Used an Email Alias at Exxon to Discuss Climate Change, Says New York AG</a> Exxon really does not want people looking at Tillerson's email, despite orders to release them; you have to wonder why.</li>
<li><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/323540-trump-makes-ninth-golf-course-visit-in-seven-weeks-in-office" target="_blank">Trump makes ninth golf course visit in seven weeks in office</a> "Before becoming president, Trump frequently complained about former President Barack Obama playing golf, arguing that he should instead be working. But since taking office, Trump hasn't been shy about hitting the golf course himself."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ginandtacos.com/2017/03/14/more-like-rachel-much-ado-amirite/" target="_blank">More Like Rachel Much-Ado, Amirite? </a> "There are two possibilities to explain the random release of a random piece of tax information about Donald Trump. Three if you count coincidence."</li>
<ul><ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600536412600763534.post-26363018381238320072017-03-13T21:29:00.000-05:002017-03-13T21:29:21.337-05:00BlargleDaylight Savings Time is the devil.<br />
<br />
Seriously, folks - <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-10/proof-daylight-saving-time-is-dumb-dangerous-and-costly" target="_blank">Proof Daylight Saving Time Is Dumb, Dangerous, and Costly</a> <br />
<br />
Here, have a pretty picture:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuvgU4rJhQrN8xfsceaNmWB3bMy-d-VMAyziLWZeCSPNKYxbiHY9XkJWPRK9nuePRA5EXd9DQVzPJKoj-9l0dAcEhk5_F4m9BWlLoAUy2ruFFixWIkKad_hTDX8Mh7yuPH9klVrBxn7c/s1600/Tree+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuvgU4rJhQrN8xfsceaNmWB3bMy-d-VMAyziLWZeCSPNKYxbiHY9XkJWPRK9nuePRA5EXd9DQVzPJKoj-9l0dAcEhk5_F4m9BWlLoAUy2ruFFixWIkKad_hTDX8Mh7yuPH9klVrBxn7c/s640/Tree+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Links!<br />
<ul>
<li>Library Land</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/09/01/book-reading-2016/" target="_blank">Book Reading 2016</a> "A growing share of Americans are reading e-books on tablets and
smartphones rather than dedicated e-readers, but print books remain much
more popular than books in digital formats"</li>
</ul>
<li>Randomnesses</li>
<ul>
<li>I almost created a "NOPE" category <i>just for this story: </i><a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39254974" target="_blank">House in New York state encased in ice during cold spell</a>:<br /><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39254974" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwFNhOzLQVfTxZEDQwR-bg4fUU3sqyCmCp1mTzfod6W-bYhh1SlyekovJLW-bOXaPUTQ5lP_W8ja3WSbjRFANLTR6PvpZnzN4wR5Xv9IJvyTAyCiotxjai31eILE6bK7NI3A234xW8kY/s400/Ice.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39254974" target="_blank"><i>Noping All the Nopes</i></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/03/13/amazon-launched-a-fake-radio-station-to-promote-the-man-in-the-high-castle-angry-trump-supporters-thought-it-was-real/?utm_term=.6b1316609f93" target="_blank">Amazon launched a fake radio station to promote ‘The Man in the High Castle.’ Angry Trump supporters thought it was real.</a> I'm just not going to comment on this one. </li>
</ul>
<li>International</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/un-says-world-faces-largest-humanitarian-crisis-1945-n732156" target="_blank">UN Says World Faces Largest Humanitarian Crisis Since 1945</a> "The world faces the largest humanitarian crisis since the United Nations was founded in 1945 with starvation and famine threatening more than 20 million people in four countries, the U.N. humanitarian chief said Friday."</li>
</ul>
<li>U.S. News</li>
<ul>
<li>Not Trump</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://psmag.com/how-disabled-americans-are-fighting-the-gop-health-care-bill-2c0688db77bc#.pvc2j4ubd" target="_blank">How Disabled Americans Are Fighting the GOP Health-Care Bill</a> "Within hours of Paul Ryan’s announcement of the American Health Care Act, press releases from disability rights organizations started to appear in my mailboxes and social-media feeds. The messages were consistent. First, the AHCA’s approach to Medicaid reform would end the program as we know it, spiraling millions of disabled Americans into poverty or back into institutions. Second, these advocates warned that too many Americans — including some who are disabled themselves or care for people with disabilities — don’t understand just how important Medicaid has been for improving millions of lives."</li>
</ul>
<li>Of Course Trump</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://aguyintheworld.blogspot.com/2017/03/why-does-trump-want-to-cut-national.html" target="_blank">Why Does Trump Want to Cut National Weather Satellites?</a> "My theory is that these cuts can only be explained by ignorance about the NOAA satellite program combined with an ideological hostility to climate change research. Trump's team apparently thinks that NOAA is doing liberal research about climate change, and doesn't understand that the data from these satellites is largely used for weather forecasting and not climate research."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/new-york-federal-prosecutor-preet-bharara-has-not-submitted-resignation/2017/03/11/39163292-067a-11e7-ad5b-d22680e18d10_story.html" target="_blank">New York federal prosecutor Preet Bharara says he was fired by Trump administration</a> </li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/03/winner-in-trumps-decision-to-fire-bharara-might-be-murdoch.html" target="_blank">The Big Winner in Donald Trump’s Decision to Fire Preet Bharara Might Be Rupert Murdoch</a> "Trump’s decision to fire Bharara ignited <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/tv/cnns-jeffrey-toobin-trump-may-have-fired-bharara-for-pursuing-troublesome-investigations/">speculation</a> that it was designed to blunt investigations like the Fox News probe."</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/13/politics/sean-spicer-donald-trump-wiretapping/index.html" target="_blank">Spicer: Trump didn't mean wiretapping when he tweeted about wiretapping</a> Think that tactic will work with my boss? "I know I said I'd have that report in by noon, but when I said noon I didn't really mean noon." </li>
<ul>
<li>Of course, if we don't buy that excuse, we have a bigger problem: <a href="http://www.ginandtacos.com/2017/03/13/an-obligation/" target="_blank">An Obligation</a> "We have to consider the possibility that these people in control of the Executive Branch believe that their appliances are being used to spy on them."</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
Library Bookwyrmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661499359152678153noreply@blogger.com0