I've been uncharacteristically silent

these past few days, simply because I've been extremely busy. Here's a recap of things I found interesting enough to blog about:

1. I fell Friday, spraining my ankle and exacerbating some hip pain, so I've been hobbling about. I worked Friday night and most of Saturday, so I wound up standing on it more than I would have liked. But it does seem to be getting better and you won't hear me whinge about it...although thank goodness for ibuprofen.
   
2. I was turning from Rio Dosa to Richmond Road the other day when two birds came plummeting from the sky. At first I thought they were mating (I'd seen mockingbirds doing so earlier), then I realised once they landed that this huge red-tailed hawk had made a kill. Fortunately it took its prey and got out of traffic. They're so majestic. I couldn't help wondering if it were some sort of omen. Must look that bit of folklore up.
   
3. Sunday in the game one of my characters went on a date. Since art often rehearses what later happens in life, maybe there's hope for me yet. I did pretty well going through the interaction. Maybe I could do that for real.
   
4. My counselor gave me some homework, a section from a workbook on self-esteem. Reading the definition made me realise my self-esteem isn't as low as I thought...I'm actually pretty balanced in how I view myself. It's my self-confidence that's in the gutter, so I have some idea of what to work on now.
   
5. This week I have appointments with my primary doctor (to get back on my diabetic meds), my dentist (a filling), and my psychiatrist (medication management/light counseling). So I'll continue to be pretty busy.
   
6. Yesterday I had a library committee meeting that went pretty well. I'm proud of the job I've been doing in the library lately, having catalogued the whole collection including videos, set up a lot of electronic resources, and continuing to keep our funding for our literacy programme going. There's been a suggestion of providing a book cart to circulate around the inpatient unit. Do any of you have something similar, and if so, do you have suggestions? Most people I've talked to have volunteers take the cart around with books that are donated so that if they're lost it's no big deal.
   
7. Today's weather is beautiful and springlike. I hope it holds.
   

Okay, I guess that's all for now. I'll try to write more often.

Government pubs bookstore

An announcement sent out by Judith C. Russell, Managing Director, Information Dissemination (Superintendent of Documents) U.S. Government Printing Office:

On Thursday, February 23, 2006, GPO will launch its new Online Government Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

This new system has many distinct features not previously offered to our consumers, but often requested. Some of these include:

- Improved search capabilities;
- The ability to process International orders & GPO Deposit Accounts online;
- Speedier delivery options; and
- The ability to save your "Shopping Cart" for up to 72 hours.

These are just some of the many great new features you will discover when you place your next order online with the new and improved U.S.
Government Online Bookstore.

Thank you for your time, and we hope you enjoy your next online visit with us!

If you have questions or comments, please use the GPO online help service
at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/help/index.html. To ensure that your question is routed to the correct area, please choose the category "Online Bookstore" and the appropriate subcategory, if any.

You may also contact the GPO Customer Contact Center at 866-512-1800 (Toll-free), or at 202-512-1800 (DC Metropolitan Area), Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., EST.

A professional organisation's response to hurricane disasters

MLANET: Medical Libraries and Hurricane Katrina

Free consumer health book available to libraries

A copy of the American Cancer Society's new consumer health book Lymphedema: Understanding and Managing Lymphedema After Cancer Treatment, is available free of charge (shipping is also waived) to Medical Library Association members thanks to a grant to deliver the books to libraries. [If you're not a member of the MLA, you may want to check and see if the book is available to other libraries; I got this from an MLA announcement so it might apply more generally. It certainly couldn't hurt to ask.] Interested parties may order by emailing trade.sales@cancer.org. Please include complete contact information, including your name, library name, street address, city, state, zip, and phone and fax numbers.

Personality Windows

The Nohari Window - Personality Flaw Map: Eilir's Nohari Window

and

The Johari Window - Personality Visibility Map: Eilir's Johari Window

Some interesting problems related to ADHD in girls

Gender Differences in ADHD (an advertisement for Concerta that includes a discussion of this subject, free with registration at Medscape)

Among other things, criteria for the disroder are weighted towards behaviours found in boys; girls tend to be underdiagnosed even though they have many of the same impairments, and those girls diagnosed under the criteria tend to have more severe symptoms than girls missed by the criteria. The programme makes it clear that girls should be compared to other girls in terms of functioning rather than to boys for a clearer picture of which girls suffer impairments. Inattentive type of ADHD is more prevalent in girls rather than boys, and it's harder to diagnose this rather than the hyperactive type more often seen with boys. Also, apparently with girls, there is a higher onset at puberty, although the related criterion states that ADHD symptoms must be demonstrated before age 7, even though other developmental disorders do not have a similar requirement. The programme discusses the need to revise criteria to be less gender-biased. Essentially girls, being inattentive or mixed hyperactive-inattentive rather than hyperactive, tend to be less problematical for teachers, do not suffer as much in terms of schoolwork, but tend to be more isolated from their peers and suffer socially. Check it out for some great information on studies looking at the differences between boys and girls with ADHD and how girls with ADHD differ from their unaffected peers.

Scary

Lexington Herald-Leader | 02/21/2006 | Shell gas station robbed

This is across the street from where I work. Fortunately, we close at midnight. This was at 3:20 in the morning.

Yipee!

I just went over my raise information/performance appraisal with my boss. I did well, and I'm getting a 3.5% raise on top of the market raise I received at the beginning of the year, so about $1.50 more than I made an hour last year. In the nearly nine (?!) years I've worked here, the pay has, with market raises and regular merit ones, gone up nearly a dollar a year. Not bad for a job that started at $9.02 an hour back when I first took it. If only it were full-time. :)

Avoid Jump Links in Web Design

Avoid Within-Page Links from Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox, discusses how users react to jump links and why they undermine the user's basic understanding of how webpages work rather than helping.

How heartbreaking

No mud miracle in Phillipines as landslide death toll rises

Rescuers, including US Marines diverted from a war games exercise, are frantically digging by hand in torrential rain to reach an elementary school where 240 pupils and teachers were buried alive. There were earlier reports of text messages received and sounds under the mud that could be survivors, but so far they're only finding bodies. Like the recent mining accident in West Virginia, misinformation led to an announcement of survivors at one point, raising hopes further. All told, 1,371 people were reported missing from the village buried in liquid mud and boulders when a mountainside collapsed after La Niña rains.

A Genealogist's Nightmare

Information Is Power -- In These Times outlines proposed changes by the Bush Administration to centralise birth and death records with the federal government but to force states to keep access to such records restricted for 70-100 years. Among other things, it means activists and reporters can't discover public health trends in terms of deaths. I'm wondering what it means for your typical genealogist as well. "Legitimate" research institutions may still access files according to the proposal, and in some cases an immediate relative may obtain the records. But what about the individual who makes his or her living by searching this information out for people. Plus, it will make it harder to trace adoptions.

Sigh. Is it just me, or has this Administration embraced 'knowledge is power' to mean control of such knowledge is the answer?

Bush Administration closing 27 EPA libraries as part of budget cuts

This press release from the Special Libraries Association details their opposition. Here's a snippet:

Short-sighted budget savings like this will give way to increased costs for EPA that aren't apparent right now. What EPA really needs is an innovative information management strategy that leverages technology to its fullest extent while employing full-time information professionals who understand how information should be selected, organized, analyzed, and disseminated.

Brrr!

Two days ago it was in the 60s. Right now it's 9 degrees above and it's supposed to get down to 2, with wind chills down below zero. Welcome to Kentucky weather.

Also, after a nine-hour shift, I can attest that the new shoes passed well. My feet hurt a little, but not a lot.

Finally, after selling Powerball tickets all day, I broke down and bought one myself. It's at a record high. Here's hoping for 365 million dollars...or at least a little bit of that. I know, it's a racket. But I'm not destitute for a change and it's probably worth a dollar to chase that dream. What I don't understand are all those people who put a lot more down on it...I mean, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really help your chances that much. We had someone spend $900 on Powerball the other day. Granted, it was probably a group going in together. Anyway, I have a tiny chance. But I bet a lot of people will be watching tonight's draw with baited breath, given that it's so high a jackpot. We had a lot of people who were complete neophytes who didn't even know it was a cash-only sale. :) I have a feeling someone will hit it this time, though.

Snow!

I didn't know we were supposed to get snow today, so imagine my surprise to find a nice coating of the white stuff over everything this morning. I'd say we've had about an inch and a half so far. Cerys cavorted in it, snowploughing through with her nose.

I'm looking forward to today. I work 9 hours at the gas station but otherwise have the day off from my swampahood (it's a long story...suffice to say I am a 'Swampa' and my indentured servitude is 'swampahood').

My cat is being very clingy, sitting on my chest as I type. I'm wondering if he doesn't feel good. He's fourteen after all, and skinny like an alley cat despite having plenty of food.

Well, I'd better go get ready for work. I'll type later. Bye.

Stumbled upon this

Plato's Cave & The Matrix

Can I just say

New Balance shoes are wonderful. I hunted a black pair of walking shoes, we measured, and since they tend to be somewhat shorter and wider, we went with 7W with a graphite rollbar to keep me from walking on the outside of my feet. I transferred the gel soles into the new shoes and wore them out of the store. My feet feel so much better already. And they were $90.10, so not too bad. All told I was in the store maybe 10 minutes, and that was just because their computers were down and they had to write out a receipt. Plus, they now have dress shoes that look like Mary Janes, again with support and wide widths. Yay!

Three reference questions

I looked up today.

What is the most spoken language in the world? Mandarin
What is the most popular religion in the world? Christian
What is the average income in US dollars in the world? $6729.29 [that I figured from a table ranking the gross national income for nearly 200 countries]

I overslept this morning

which isn't good, of course, as I was late to work. The good thing is I have my desk cleared and everything I needed done, taken care of. But I'm not taking a lunch, just my normal 15-minute break, eating at my desk.

Yesterday I had an interesting experience. In all my years of being involved with gay men (both married and as friends), I've encountered homophobia, but sort of as a secondary feature. Yesterday I asked someone for help and kind of got blown off, and was sort of clueless as to why, until a gay friend pointed out to me that 1) the person knows I have a lot of gay friends and 2) may very well know that I'm bisexual, since I have mentioned it once or twice in an environment where he could have heard through the grapevine. It isn't someone I know well, so I was surprised he instantly recognised me when I phoned. Anyway, I supposed he could have been distracted or there's some other legitimate reason, but it very well could be at least subconsciously homophobia, and if so, it's the first time I've really experienced it first hand. Since I'm not dating women (or anyone else for that matter) it really doesn't come up. But as my friend put it, bisexual is not straight and most men, hearing the word bisexual, equate it to the woman being 'a big lezzie'. Sigh. For that matter, most gays just think bisexuals are confused, so you really just can't win in the straight or gay world.

Okay, break time is over; just wanted to comment on that. And for those of you who didn't know already, I guess you do now. :) The funny thing is I accept it, but I don't really think about it too much or identify myself by the label, simply because it's just one aspect of me, and one that doesn't come up too often. I identify much more closely with being a woman, a librarian, a pagan, even a gamer. Oh, well.

For that matter

MedlinePlus: Information for Librarians and Trainers is a good place to go if you're interested in teaching patrons about MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine's consumer health information website.

A nice resource on evaluating health info

Evaluating Internet Health Information: A Tutorial from the National Library of Medicine

It requires Flash 6.0 and is about 16 minutes long. Check it out!

I'm sorry I haven't been posting much from my personal life

I've just been so busy, pretty much I get up early, get out the door, work, and come home pretty late. I haven't had an evening off in awhile. With three jobs, it keeps you busy. I kind of have a fourth job, although it's unpaid. See, last year I got in an argument where the logical conclusion of my position was that my characters in the game would pop like soap bubbles (and pretty much the game itself would end). After playing the same campaign for fifteen years, I really don't want that to happen. So, in the end I won the argument but lost a bet, so to speak, with the consequences being a form of indentured servitude until a move was completed (packing, moving, unpacking, waiting on hand and foot, washing dishes, pretty much anything I was asked to do). Yes, I know, this was really stupid, but I thought it would be for a short time. Thing is, until some shelves are built, the books can't be unpacked. My stepfather is building the shelves, and although he's a great guy, he's kind of slow at projects, plus he works a lot of overtime. So the servitude began in April, the move was in May, and the shelves were supposed to be built by August, but are still in process. Plus later negotiation was done so that I gained certain priveleges in return for six more months of service once the shelves are built and everything is in place. Sigh. This is what I get for pushing an untenable position in an argument. I had every chance to back out, but like a bet, I kept insisting I was right when in fact I was not. What have I learnt? Not to have discussions on the nature of reality with someone well versed in philosophy and logic enough to teach it. I was arguing from an emotional standpoint, which doesn't wash in logical debate. Anyway, when I'm not blogging here or working the jobs, I'm doing stuff like basic home repairs, looking up things online, housework, etc., etc. and occasionally having small breakdowns as a result. :) But hey, you pay for stupidity, right? And at least it will eventually end and isn't on the scale of stupidity as, say, marrying a gay man and taking his lover as your bosom companion, whilst wearing foilage on your head that makes you look really silly. Yes. I did that, when I was younger and more likely to do stupid things.

So, at the moment it sort of sucks to be me, but overall I feel more productive. I just wish I had a little more time to myself to take care of my chores at home. At least I'm taking my dog with me more often so I actually see her during the day.

Some thoughts I've meant to blog on, but didn't have the time (I'm taking a lunch doing it now):

1. Yesterday, Valentine's Day, was the 20th anniversary of my losing my virginity and a resulting pregnancy scare. What I find really frightening is that I could have a 19-year-old now. It was also the 19th anniversary of my engagement. Yes, romantically, on Valentine's Day. It doesn't guarantee happiness, though, you know?
   
2. Things I've learnt about plumbing is the past few days:
   
   • Traps under sinks are there to protect the home from deadly/explosive sewer gases. The water in the trap acts as a barrier.
     
   • Plumber's wrenches are really, really heavy. I feel like I've been lifting weights. Plumbers must have great biceps.
     
   • Do It Best Hardware employees are really helpful.
     
   • Snakes are easy to use.
     
   • It's a lot harder to get everything back together and sealed properly than you'd think.
     
   • To protect plastic pipe fittings, wrap your wrench head with electrical tape.
     
   • There's a lot out there on the Internet for do-it-yourselfers.
     
   • I really appreciate having my apartment maintenance to do this stuff. The benefits of home ownership are great, but there are some down sides.
     
   
   
3. If you're cable Internet connexion is on the blink, the a simple fix is make sure the button on the cable modem is pressed. I couldn't figure out why it wasn't working, when I'm current on my bill and apparently they checked and all was fine on their end. That button must have been shut off accidentally by my backing into it (my cable modem is on the floor) or my dog stepping on it.
   
4. My allergies are really hitting since it's been so nice weather-wise and the trees are blooming early. D got hers tested and found out she's allergic to horses, too. Of course, we live in central Kentucky, the thoroughbred capital. :)
   

Medical resources in Spanish

A Su Salud is a collection of websites offering medical information in Spanish that James Phillips, someone with whom I often correspond has developed. Check it out. He's interested in updating the links, some of which have expired, so be sure to contact him with suggestions should you have any. His e-mail address is at the bottom of the page.

ALA opposes USA PATRIOT act compromise

Get the latest news on the attempts to reauthorise the USA-PATRIOT Act from ALAWON (American Library Association Washington Office Newsletter).

A little disturbing

U.S. Reports Deaths of Patients Taking Drugs for ADHD (free with registration)

Before my doctor put me on ADDerall, she checked with me to see if I have any heart problems, but didn't run any tests to see if there was anything. Nothing's come up before, so I'm probably okay, but those taking the drug, and particularly parents of children taking the drug, should be aware of the potential risks. There's nothing so far to prove that the drugs contributed to the sudden deaths, and the number of deaths compared to the number of people taking the drugs is really low, but it's still a little troubling, especially when you read this sort of thing about a drug you take every morning. :)

As a result of these findings, an FDA panel has voted to add a black-box warning (again, free with registration) to the medications Ritalin and ADDerall for potential heart problems.

Read so that others can hear it: Central Kentucky Radio Eye fundraiser

In local news, Central Kentucky Radio Eye, a volunteer-driven organisation which provides a radio reading serve for the blind and those with low vision. Broadcasting 24/7, the CKRE is funded entirely through private donations and grants. See this story for details of a fundraiser in which Barnes and Noble will donate 25% of each sale in which the customer presents a voucher to aid tracking.

Vouchers are available at all six branches of the Lexington Public Library, both Slone's Signature Market locations, all John's Shoe Stores (Chevy Chase, Lexington Green and New Circle Road), Alfalfa Restaurant, PHAT Pie Cafe, and on CKRE's website. Further information can be obtained by calling CKRE at 257-2702

Oh, good grief

Psychology Debunked: Exposing Psychology, Exalting Christ

Maybe they should get Tom Cruise on their side. Oh, that's right, Christians would see Scientology as a cult (well, so do I, but that's another post...now I'm probably on someone's list for that comment).

I won't say the mental health industry doesn't have its fads and foibles, but this is kind of scary. Maybe faith in God is enough to keep some from committing suicide; but for others, especially for those severe cases that are otherwise intractable, medication may be the best course and this book would discourage Christians from seeking psychological help.

A nice article about the wonders of public libraries

Get the Most of Your Local Library Online, from a blog, LifeHacker, that reviews gadgets that make our lives easier.

An interesting survey

from Web (Non)Sense on institutional net filtering and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health web sites. She's doing a study on whether filtering programs are filtering out legitimate information just because of words like 'gay' on the website.

I was pleased to find that none of the sites were blocked from my library. Woo-hoo!

If you subscribe to lists, you'll appreciate this bit of humour making the rounds

How many listmembers does it take to change a lightbulb?

One to change the light bulb and to post that the light bulb has been changed.

Fourteen to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and how the light bulb could have been changed differently.

Seven to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs.

Seven more to point out spelling/grammar errors in posts about changing light bulbs.

Five to flame the spell checkers.

Three to correct spelling/grammar flames.

Six to argue over whether it's "lightbulb" or "light bulb" ...

Another six to condemn those six as stupid.

Fifteen to claim experience in the lighting industry and give the correct spelling.

Nineteen to post that this group is not about light bulbs and to please take this discussion to a lightbulb (or light bulb) forum.

Eleven to defend the posting to the group saying that we all use light bulbs and therefore the posts are relevant to this group.

Thirty six to debate which method of changing light bulbs is superior, where to buy the best light bulbs, what brand of light bulbs work best for this technique and what brands are faulty.

Seven to post URLs where one can see examples of different light bulbs.

Four to post that the URLs were posted incorrectly and then post the corrected URL.

Three to post about links they found from the URLs that are relevant to this group which makes light bulbs relevant to this group.

Thirteen to link all posts to date, quote them in their entirety including all headers and signatures, and add "Me too"

Five to post to the group that they will no longer post because they cannot handle the light bulb controversy.

Four to say "didn't we go through this already a short time ago?"

Thirteen to say "do a Google search on light bulbs before posting questions about light bulbs."

Three to tell a funny story about their cat and a light bulb.

AND

One group lurker to respond to the original post 6 months from now with something unrelated they found at snopes.com and start it all over again!

An article from Medscape

(free with registration),What Is Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?, calls into question the blanket diagnosis of ADHD, looking at alternative reasons for the collection of symptoms and questioning who should be making the diagnosis and follow treatment (primary care physicians/psychiatrists, etc.). It isn't dismissing the symptoms, but rather states that (they discuss in only in children) in labelling children with ADHD there may be psychological, emotional, and physical needs not being addressed, and that it is imperative to customise treatment per the individual child's needs rather than simply with medication.

In my own experience, the symptoms of ADHD were certainly pervasive enough to warrant treatment (although I did fairly well in school as a child, because it was the only thing I really had to focus on...my deficiencies really became apparent once I was out of a heavily structured environment and into college). Treatment has made quite a bit of difference. But I also have a lot of comorbid psychological issues, including OCD, anxiety, a past history of depression, and borderline personality disorder. Could it be the symptoms are actually by-products of one or more of them? Sure. But I do know that the ADDerall and Abilify I take for the cognitive issues really do help me in my daily life (a friend refers to them as my 'smart medicine', without which I can't seem to think clearly, because there's too much distraction going on in my head. Not voices, mind you, more the mind spin of OCD, racing thoughts, etc. The Paxil and Buspar help with my mood imbalance, keeping me on an even keel, where I can feel the depth of my emotions without them overwhelming me. Something as simple as taking my medicine late (like in the morning, after I'm supposed to take it at night) upsets the balance and I get emotional and have small break downs. If I take everything as prescribed (which I usually do), it works perfectly, and I feel 'normal'--not drugged, or lethargic, or hyper, just like me.

But I'm also in therapy with a licensed clinical social worker and under monitoring by a psychiatrist, which probably isn't a bad idea for children who are struggling with ADHD, as there's a lot of social skills and coping mechanisms they can learn to help minimise some of the problems.

Anyway, the article makes some interesting points. If you or a family member are dealing with ADHD, you might want to check it out.

A source of amusement

Cerys' head fits perfectly into an Edy's ice cream carton, which is highly amusing as she tries to 1) get the last bit of cream and 2) get the carton back off her face.

What would we do without dogs?

Contentment

is coming home, putting on Miles Davis, propping your feet up on the recliner, and have a massaging and warming cushion gently send you off to oblivion.

There ought to be a way to bottle and sell that, you know?

I think that I'm going to have to make an investment

in real shoes. See, I've never spent more than about $25 on a pair of shoes, and the current ones I wear were about $8-12. I wear my boots whilst at the gas station because it gives a little better support. The upshot is none of my shoes are working well, and my right foot especially is moving around in the shoes, causing pain in my arch when I'm basically walking on the outside of my foot, plus my arch which is generally pretty high, is falling when I step due to my (massive) weight. The pain is going up through the ankle to my knees as well; it's worse on the right, but both sides are having pain, and that, along with a tendency for plantar fasciitis, means new shoes.

So, what's the resolution? Next week I get paid my non-rent-needed cheque, and I'm heading to New Balance and paying an exhorbitant amount for decent shoes that fit my wide, short feet. I need something that truly supports my feet and my tendency to pronate. I have some orthotics that help but my shoes are usually not wide enough for them...but New Balance has my size (I think I'm a 6 1/2 EE), so that should work.

Boy, though, I'm going to have sticker shock. But I talked to a coworker and his weren't that bad, maybe $90, and I was thinking more like $150. But if it helps, so be it. I'm hobbling around like an old woman, and I'd like to be able to do some walking for exercise without too much pain.

A fun site for kids

to learn basic information about some of the oldest writing in the world, cuneiform:

http://www.upennmuseum.com/cuneiform.cgi

It allows you to put in your initials and it'll give you the cuneiform equivalent. Follow the links for more information on the clay tablets found by archaeologists, how cuneiform was deciphered, and other information on this fascinating subject.

A newsletter for consumer health issues

The new issue of Consumer Connections, the CAPHIS (Consumer and Patient Health Information Section of the Medical Library Association) newsletter, is now available. Featured is an article on making complementary and alternative health collection development choices (specifically what to do with controversial books like Kevin Trudeau's book on natural cures in a public library setting), along with book reviews on You: an owner's manual, and the new edition of the Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer.

Find it at:

http://caphis.mlanet.org/newsletter/21n4ConsConnect2005.html

A nice resource on pet health

MedlinePlus: Pets and Pet Health

Two blogs of interest to medical librarians

UBC Google Scholar Blog from Dean Giustini of the University of British Columbia Library

and

the 2006 MLA Local Arrangements Committee Blog

A long, long day

with snow falling steadily and a cutting wind, although there hasn't been that much accumulation, since the ground was warm. I started out my day at the gas station working the only shift I'm scheduled for this week. I'm not sure what's up with that. Then I had a series of projects to do. Now I'm finally home and ready to curl up with Cerys and Darius and call it a night. Hope your weekend is going well. 'Night.

I'm feeling romantic and cuddly

which is a real bummer when you live alone and don't have anyone in your life to share that mood with.

I don't normally worry about being alone; in fact, I rather enjoy the freedom. But every now and then, like tonight, I feel a little more lonely than normal. I have to admit, I'd like someone to share my life with, someone who enjoys a quirky sense of humour, who can put up with my craziness, who accepts my friends and my animals. Is that too much to ask for? :)

I'm not ready for a relationship, I realise, although I'm trying to work through the issues that have kept me isolated, and I hope eventually I'll be able to have a nice normal love life. Until then, I guess, I just have to deal with occasionally missing that piece of the puzzle.

That's all for the night. I have to admit, I've been cruising Cupid.com. A lot of the guys my age are so...old seeming. I don't really feel middle-aged; I feel more like 30-35 rather than almost 39. Now I have to admit I wish I'd been able to go to my school reunion (2 years ago would have been 20 years) to see how people have changed. It seems so weird to be nearly 40. But I can tell I'm maturing in terms of my outlook, though, and that's a good thing, right?

Happy Imbolc!

to those of you of the pagan persuasion. Man, I'm having a craving for flaming cheese. :) For those of you who have never experienced flaming cheese (a local favourite for Imbolc, being a holiday celebrated with dairy):

Take one block or wheel of mozzarella cheese (the original recipe called for sheep cheese, which tasted like sheep dip...trust me on this, go with mozzarella)
Pour vodka onto cheese.
Add some basil or other herbs to taste.
Turn out the lights.
Ignite the vodka.
Ooh and ahhh, and watch shapes dance across the cheese.
Serve melted cheese with crusty French bread.
Eat it up, yum!

I don't have access to The Chronicle of Higher Education

but if you do, check out FBI Agents Back Down When Librarian Refuses to Let Them Seize 30 Computers Without a Warrant.

Good for her. But it amazes me that anyone would expect that information/materials without a warrant. Still, I guess they figured the worst that could happen would be a 'no'. I guess they figured it wouldn't leak due to the gag restrictions of the PATRIOT Act.

The ALA also has information on the story.

A woman of substance

Listening to 'This Love of Mine' by Ella Fitzgerald.

Ironically on the eve of Black History Month, one of it's leading icons, Coretta Scott King, widow of Martin Luther King, Jr. and a force within the Civil Rights movement in her own right, passed away yesterday as the result of respiratory failure secondary to ovarian cancer.

I've always admired Coretta Scott King. She was a woman of substance, who did far more than carry on the dream of her husband. She will be sorely missed, not only by her family, but by those she inspired. Requiem in pacem. You helped change our world, and I thank you for that.