Tomorrow will mark 25 years of remembrance and red ribbons

Educate yourself and others--learn about World AIDS Day. For more information, go to:

• http://www.worldaidsday.org/
• http://aids.gov/news-and-events/awareness-days/world-aids-day/
• http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/world-aids-day/
• http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/campaigns/worldaidsday2013/
• https://www.un.org/en/events/aidsday/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_AIDS_Day

Last night

The Knox-Whitley County Animal Shelter was destroyed in a fire. They were able to save at least 10 dogs and 8 cats. The rest of the of the animals were killed. According to the story, donations can be made at any Forcht Bank location to help them rebuild. In the comments section of the story, there is one from Teresa J. Martin that says:

The Knox-Whitley Animal Shelter experienced a devastating fire at about 10 p.m. on Friday night. The fire completely destroyed the shelter. Fortunately many of the dogs were saved, but sadly most of the cats perished. We believe we have homes for all the dogs. What we really need right now is money to help rebuild the shelter. Please make donations (which are tax deductible) to our official PayPal account at http://tinyurl.com/KWAS-Fire-Fund

You may also donate at the Forcht Bank in Corbin and London. The Corbin branch can be reached at 606-528-3660. The London branch can be reached at 606-864-9500.

Drop-off donations may be made at two locations:

Knox County Veterinary Services 314 High Street Barbourville, KY 40906

Whitley County EMS 1002 Aviation Blvd Williamsburg, KY 40769

I haven't been able to verify the PayPal link is actually that of the fund for the shelter, so proceed with caution should you wish to go that route, but I'm including the various contact info in case it can help. I hope they are able to rebuild and continue to find loving homes for abandoned or unwanted pets.

UPDATE: Dogs Saved From Shelter Fire Have Found Homes

• 21 dogs made it out; only 3 cats did.
• The dogs were kept in pens along the outer part of the building; the cats were on the interior, and the firefighters only managed to rescue the three cats before the roof collapsed.
• The dogs have found homes, but the shelter is seeking donations to rebuild. Donations can be made through the group's official Facebook page, according to volunteer Theresa Martin. That page is at: https://www.facebook.com/knoxwhitleyanimalshelter. The PayPal address above is correct according to that page.
• The one dog that died was the shelter office dog, Miss Sassy, whose picture is posted on the Facebook page.

My thoughts and prayers are with all of the people who worked with and tried to rescue these animals. It's a terrible loss.

Went to visit family today

travelling both to Danville and Stanford, and had a good time with my mom and grandmother. Then I drove back to Lexington and took A on the grocery run and helped YKWIA prepare some mushroom soup for tomorrow. Now I'm home, returning to a messy house and realising that I need to straighten up and do game notes, but I'm almost too tired for either. Sigh.

So, apparently

I am allergic to sunchokes, which is interesting because someone I lived with grew them years and years ago, and I was always intrigued by them, but I didn't actually try them, as far as I remember. Sunchokes are the roots of a plant in the sunflower family; they always made a tall, cheerful plant in the garden we raised together, with their smaller flowers. But both times I had the salad we made for Thanksgiving, both last night and tonight's dinner of leftovers, I started having trouble breathing only after eating them. I know I can eat fennel and apples fine. They're is nothing in the dressing that has ever given me trouble. The only other thing in the meal I had not had before was the Quorn roast, and I ate that early and had no trouble then. So, it seems sunchokes will have to be avoided by me in the future, which is somewhat sad, as they were good both in taste and texture, and I once read their starch is good for diabetics. Oh, well. Good to know, I suppose.

Our thanksgiving meal, the first I've actually really helped prepare

Menu

Pissaladieres [anchovies, olives, and carmelised onions on puff pastry]
Gougers [puffs made from Gruyère cheese]
Pumpkin Soup
Tilapia in Wine Sauce
Herbed Haricots Vert [green beans]
Roasted Radishes [we chose some from Good Foods that have a lot of different colours; roasted radishes taste nothing like raw ones]
Gallete de Pome de Terre [a potato dish with parsley and garlic]
Roasted Kabocha Squash [good, but I'm so thankful I didn't have to peel these]
Quorn 'Turk'y' Roast [surprisingly delicious; in all the time I haven't eaten meat, I had never tried it. It is mostly made from protein derived from mushrooms]
Cranberries with Port [excellent; normal cranberry sauce pales in comparison]
Fennel, Sunchoke, and Apple Salad
Yeast rolls
French Pumpkin Pie [done with puff pastry, kabocha squash (I did have to peel and cube those--it was an adventure], topped with vanilla ice cream; it's not as sweet as an American pie, but was very flavourful].

We spread purchasing over four weeks, spent three hours on Wednesday getting last minute stuff together, worked and cooked thirteen hours over two days, ate for almost two hours, took an hour and a half to clean up, and the cook was asleep before that was finished, and I barely managed to drive home, put my purse down, and went straight to bed, after turning off all five alarms on my cell phone, but my, it was worth it. I'd never had a Thanksgiving dinner with others away from my family before, unless it was when I was married, but even then, I think I went home, but then my friends are also my family, and they had asked me to come back in August when it became clear that their normal Thanksgiving plans weren't going to work. Everything but the Quorn and rolls were done from scratch, and the food processor was only used for a couple of things.

My cell phone went off this morning and I thought I'd missed turning off an alarm. I was so asleep I didn't realise it was a call. My mom called back again a little later and I was a bit more with it, and we made plans for me to visit tomorrow. That was about 8:30 this morning. I finally woke up about 11 and got up aouut 11:30. I guess I went to bed around 10 last night.

I need to do a few things here, get properly ready. But it was nice to have some recoup time. I didn't realise just what went into Thanksgiving preparations. I have a great deal more respect for the women in my family who have done so for years. I think the most I'd ever really done before was peel potatoes a couple of time. This was very hands-on; for most of yesterday my hands were green from peeling the squash, for example. :)

And it was a far cry from last year, where Thanksgiving was just another day, alone in my apartment recuperating from a broken ankle and foot, although one of my co-workers brought me food from her dinner, which was sweet. Anyway, I'm thankful I have a few days to spend with friends and family, that I'm able to get around and visit, and that things went so well yesterday.

I don't get the Black Friday craze

--and I'm glad: Black Friday frenzy leads to reports of violence.

Watch. Listen. Think. Change.

Thanks to Deana Full, who shared this on Facebook.

Surely I'm not the only one to remember these?

I loved these in the 1980s:

Listening to:

R.E.M.--Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011

'It's always the quite places where the mad shit happens'

I want to see this!



Ireland. Cthulhoid monsters. Drinking for protection. What's not to love? And yes, I checked--it's on Netflix! Thanks to YKWIA for finding this gem.

Almost 100 questions and answers (I deleted a few that were repeated)

Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4. 'She pounded on the door and cried for help.'--The Peculiar Case of the Electric Constable: A True Tale of Passion, Poison, & Pursuit, by Carol Baxter
Stretch your left arm out as far as you can, What can you touch? A lamp
Before you started this survey, what were you doing? Watching a video of my dead cat.
What is the last thing you watched on TV? 'Witches of East End'
Without looking, guess what time it is 6:20 pm
Now look at the clock. What is the actual time? 6:07 pm
With the exception of the computer, what can you hear? The aquarium bubbling
When did you last step outside? What were you doing? Coming home from work about an hour ago
Did you dream last night? Yes
Do you remember your dreams? Not last night's, but sometimes
When did you last laugh? Yesterday at the game
Do you remember why / at what? 'Harry Potter and the Ten Years Later', a parody video on YouTube
What is on the walls of the room you are in? A triptych of the Goddess, God, and Child
Seen anything weird lately? A trailer for a movie from Ireland with Cthulhoid monsters that will kill you unless you're drunk
What do you think of this quiz? It's okay.
What is the last film you saw? In the theatre? Hunger Games (the first one), otherwise The Last Keepers
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Great Britain
If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy? A house.
Tell me something about you that most people don't know. I sleep with a teddy bear. It's comfy, and I don't have cuddly pets anymore.
If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do? End inequality between genders.
Do you like to dance? Not really. Or rather, it would be nice, but I can't.
Would you ever consider living abroad? Yes.
Does your name make any interesting anagrams? Not that I've noticed. But the numerology matches my birthday's.
Who made the last incoming call on your phone? YKWIA
What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer? A score sheet from the Human Rights Campaign on my city's GLBT-equality
Last time you swam in a pool? This summer
Type of music you like most? Celtic
Type of music you dislike most? Rap
Are you listening to music right now? No
What color is your bedroom carpet? Tan
If you could change something about your home, without worry about expense or mess, what would you do? Get a house with room for a garden, rather than an apartment
What was the last thing you bought? Cream of broccoli soup
Have you ever ridden on a motorbike? No--and won't
Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? No
Do you have a garden? No, but I have lots of houseplants and office plants
Do you really know all the words to your national anthem? Yes
What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? I have to pee.
If you could eat lunch with one famous person, who would it be? The Dalai Lama
Who sent the last text message you received? Brandon
Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Amazon
What time is bed time? Anytime between 9 pm and 1 am
Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? No
How many tattoos do you have? None
If you don't have any, have you ever thought of getting one? Yes, but I wouldn't
What did you do for your last birthday? I think I went to an Indian restaurant with friends
Do you carry a donor card? Yes
Who was the last person you ate dinner with? My co-workers
Is the glass half empty or half full? Half full
What's the farthest-away place you've been? California
When's the last time you ate a homegrown tomato? This fall
Have you ever won a trophy? Once. The movers broke it later.
Are you a good cook? Not at all. But I can bake. And I'm learning to cook and assist in prep work quite often.
Do you know how to pump your own gas? Of course. I don't live in New Jersey. I can also check my oil and change my tyres.
If you could meet any one person (from history or currently alive), who would it be? Socrates
Have you ever had to wear a uniform to school? No
Do you touch-type? Yes
What's under your bed? An empty under-the-bed container
Do you believe in love at first sight? Yes
Think fast, what do you like right now? Spinach
Where were you on Valentine's day? At work
What time do you get up? 7:30ish
What was the name of your first pet? Freckles. He was a rabbit.
Who is the second to last person to call you? Time Warner Cable
Is there anything going on this weekend? Thanksgivingkkah
How are you feeling right now? Just okay, have a bit of a headache and I'm tired
What do you think about the most? My best friend
If you had A Big Win in the Lottery, how long would you wait to tell people? Most a couple of weeks, one person immediately
Who would you tell first? My best friend
What is the last movie that you saw at the cinema? Hunger Games (first movie)
Do you sing in the shower? Sometimes
What do you do most when you are bored? Listen to music
What do you do for a living? I'm a librarian
Do you love your job? Yes
What did you want to be when you grew up? An optometrist
If you could have any job, what would you want to do/be? Archaeologist
Which came first the chicken or the egg? Egg
How many keys on your key ring? Six, counting the padlock and luggage keys
Where would you retire to? Great Britain
What kind of car do you drive? Ford Taurus SES
What are your best physical features? Eyes
What are your best characteristics? Loyal
If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation where would you go? Great Britain
What kind of books do you like to read? Mystery and fantasy, mostly
What is your favorite time of the day? Evening
Where did you grow up? All over the US--I was a military brat
How far away from your birthplace do you live now? 35 miles
What are you reading now? Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Allison Arngrim
Are you a morning person or a night owl? Night owl
Can you touch your nose with your tongue? No, sadly
Can you close your eyes and raise your eyebrows? Yes
Do you have pets? Just goldfish these days, and a betta fish
How many rings before you answer the phone? Two
What is your best childhood memory? Getting an A in gym for running cross country even though I was last. I finished despite an asthma attack at high altitude. But my teacher believed in me.
What are some of the different jobs that you have had in your life? Interfiler, Gas Station Attendant, Stocker, Food Service Worker, Cashier, Office Clerk
Any new and exciting things that you would like to share? I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving and the meal we're going to work on
What is most important in life? Love
What inspires you? People who risk everything to make the world a better place

YKWIA hurt my brain at first by showing me this

But it turned out to be a wicked parody (in eight parts, the last two episodes 7 parts 1 and 2) :), and it had a plot and everything, so the story turned out to be interesting. It hurt my brain because I was emotionally invested in the characters as they were in the books, but even boy wizards have to grow up sometime....

If you haven't watched 'The Day of the Doctor' and plan to, don't go to this link

but if you'd like a recap of some of the best tributes to the series seen in the special, feel free to click: ‘Doctor Who’: The 13 Best Callbacks and References in ‘The Day of the Doctor’

I won't discuss the episode here yet beyond saying that there were parts, from the very first moment, when the geek inside me bubbled out, and the love for the show I had as a kid just totally took over. It was a lovely romp. There were a few times it was, well, a bit over the top, but I enjoyed it anyway. I hope you get to see it, as it was great fun.

It made me happy

to see the 'Doctor Who' Google 'Doodle' not only on the UK Google page yesterday, but up on the general page today. :) Go play: http://www.google.com.

The system is broken; let's fix it

Creigh Deeds’s son, my daughter and my fears about Virginia’s mental health system

I was coming home from visiting my 11-year-old daughter at a Virginia psychiatric hospital Tuesday when I heard about the stabbing of state Sen. Creigh Deeds and the suicide of his son, Austin. According to some reports, the younger Deeds had been denied admittance to a psychiatric hospital the day before. I was heartbroken. This family was let down by the same broken mental health system my family depends on.

My daughter was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 8. When I checked her into Dominion Hospital on Nov. 15, I was grateful there was a bed available. She’d been having violent rages — punching and kicking me and her younger brother and trying to jump out her window. Although no mother ever wants to leave her child in a psychiatric hospital, I knew it was the safest place for her.

Deeds attack shows that our system is a mess

First some facts. Since the 1970s, we have been closing down state hospitals without providing adequate services in our communities to help people who are in the midst of a mental crisis. A 2010 report found that 200 individuals in Virginia who were psychotic and either dangerous or incapable of caring for themselves were "streeted" -- slang coined by emergency room doctors for when hospitals knowingly put a psychotic patient on the sidewalk.

This is a national problem. In Iowa recently, I was told that officials sometimes had to drive patients across state lines to find beds. In Seattle, which has excellent services, individuals can spend 24 hours languishing in emergency rooms until beds in a treatment center open up. Experts recommend that 50 psychiatric beds should be available per 100,000 residents. The national average today is only 17 beds per 100,000.

HMOs are partly to blame. Psychiatric beds traditionally lose money so HMOs have been closing local psychiatric wards in favor of more profitable surgical beds. In northern Virginia where I live, 24% of public psychiatric beds were shut down in 2005.

Our legal system hampers our mental health system, too. We demand a person become "dangerous to self or others" before parents and others can intervene. This forces families to wait until it's too late to get help. It's a reason why our jails and prisons have become our new asylums. Great Britain and France have a "need for treatment" standard that allows for earlier intervention but has safeguards built in to prevent abuses.

A Son's Death Reveals Chasms In Emergency Mental Health Care

Early reports said the family had received an emergency custody order from a judge on Monday, the first step in getting a person involuntarily committed to a hospital in Virginia. But then local health officials had to find a hospital bed.

For reasons that remain unclear, that didn't happen. The custody order expired, and Gus Deeds was allowed to leave a local mental health facility. The commonwealth of Virginia has launched an investigation into the circumstances, the Associated Press reported Thursday.

When space can't be found in a psychiatric hospital, Honberg says, "families are basically left to fend for themselves."

Nationwide, states have cut spending for treating mental illness in the past decade, resulting in longer waits for outpatient care and fewer inpatient beds.

A study by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors found that state investments in mental health dropped by $4.35 billion between 2009 and 2012. At the same time, demand for both outpatient and inpatient services increased.

By 2010, the number of state psychiatric beds per capita was down to levels not seen since 1850, according to the Treatment Advocacy Center, a group that lobbies for more access to care. That was when the movement toward humane care of the mentally ill was in its infancy, and disturbed people were locked in prison.

Starting in the 1960s, many psychiatric hospitals were closed because treatment in the community was considered a more humane and less costly alternative. But outpatient treatment can be difficult to find, especially in rural areas. And inpatient care is still needed, especially for people considered at risk of harming themselves or others.

Last year, the Virginia Office of the State Inspector General found that over a three-month period, 72 of 5,000 people who met the criteria for receiving a temporary detention order didn't get one because no facility could accommodate them. The report also says that while the state's population has increased over the past decade, the bed capacity for psychiatric patients has steadily decreased.

For more on mental illness and its effects on individuals and their families, be sure to check out NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), an advocacy group.

Until we start treating mental illness on par with physical illness, without stigma, without decreased funding due to the perceived lack of profit, we can get nowhere in trying to help people. Although the mentally ill are actually much more likely to be victims of violence rather than instigators, we see every day on the news acts of mental illness. Mental illness fuels gun violence, substance abuse, homelessness, and suicide. If affects millions of people, from all walks of life, and many more when you factor in those whose lives are touched by a loved one's mental illness. Behind the statistics are real people, real families. We need to make sure people don't suffer because of system weaknesses. No one should live with the fear that a loved one will harm himself or another person. No one shoudl suffer from their inner daemons to the point where they can no longer function in society or become a danger. They need our help. An overhaul is needed. The Affordable Care Act actually took some strides in the right direction. But there is more to be done, and policy makers need to provide support for those at risk so that events like this become a rarity. At present the system is flawed and convoluted--we need progress and simplification. And there should be no shame attached to mental illness. We are way past the days of locking a relative in the attic. My interest is personal. I am myself bipolar, yet I function, keep down a job, etc., with the proper treatment. I've seen the crippling effects of mental illness in others I've been close to. Mental illness robs people's lives in insidious ways. We as a society must do everything to make sure that there is a safety net in place for those who otherwise slip through the cracks, and bolster what works, making good therapy and medical treatments available widely--including places where a person can safely stay during particularly rough episodes. And we need to bring the idea of family-centred care to mental illness treatment. So often, families find that mental illness either runs in the family, or their are familial issues which exacerbate any organic issues, such as past abuse or neglect. It's important for those around the mentally ill to understand the illness and be aware of warning signs. We would educate a family member or friend as to what to do if someone's blood sugar drops low, or if they have a seizure. Why do we not educate those caring for or who care for mentally ill persons about things like signs of mania or psychosis? That should be done, too. We have a long way to go, but I hope we get there.

Hmm...that's a little different

Adopt a Skull to Save Cranium Collection

Looking for the perfect holiday gift for a slightly morbid loved one? Adopt a skull for them.

The Mütter Museum in Philadelphia's Save Our Skulls fundraiser is inviting fans of medical history and the macabre to step up and donate to help restore a collection of skulls dating back more than 150 years. For $200, a person can adopt the skull of their choice. Besides bragging rights, the donation gets the adopter's name on a plaque next to the repaired and remounted skull.

The skulls (there are 139) belonged to Josef Hyrtl, a 19th-century Austrian anatomist. Hyrtl collected the skulls to disprove the science of phrenology, which held that a person's personality and character were reflected in the size and shape of their skull. Phrenology was nothing but pseudoscience, but it was held in high esteem in the 1800s.

Then there was this

Very Well Aged: Archaeologists Say Ancient Wine Cellar Found Archaeologists say they have discovered a 3,700-year-old wine cellar in Israel, a finding that offers insights into the early roots of winemaking.

The large wine cellar was unearthed in the ruined palace of a Canaanite city in northern Israel, called Tel Kabri, not far from the country's modern wineries. The excavations revealed 40 one-meter-tall (about 3 feet) jars kept in what appeared to be a storage room.

No liquid contents could have survived the millennia. But an analysis of organic residue trapped in the pores of the jars suggested that they had contained wine made from grapes. The ancient tipple was likely sweet, strong and medicinal—certainly not your average Beaujolais.

I found this very interesting

24,000-Year-Old Body Shows Kinship to Europeans and American Indians

The genome of a young boy buried at Mal’ta near Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia some 24,000 years ago has turned out to hold two surprises for anthropologists.

The first is that the boy’s DNA matches that of Western Europeans, showing that during the last Ice Age people from Europe had reached farther east across Eurasia than previously supposed. Though none of the Mal’ta boy’s skin or hair survives, his genes suggest he would have had brown hair, brown eyes and freckled skin.

The second surprise is that his DNA also matches a large proportion — about 25 percent — of the DNA of living Native Americans. The first people to arrive in the Americas have long been assumed to have descended from Siberian populations related to East Asians. It now seems that they may be a mixture between the Western Europeans who had reached Siberia and an East Asian population.

Granted, it's one skeleton's DNA, but it is definitely worth more research, I think.

That was fun

There's a Google 'Doodle' at the Google UK page today that celebrates 50 years of 'Doctor Who' with an interactive game where you face Daleks, Cybermen, and yes, a Weeping Angel. Be sure to check it out!

Troubling

Subway Owners Arrested After Human Trafficking Investigation

Court record: Lexington couple forced undocumented Indian nationals to work in Subway restaurants

This is very disturbing. I'd hate to think that unconsciously I was supporting this by eating there, although none of the ones I frequent were named as belonging to this couple--I've eaten once at the East Main store. Still, it underscores that human trafficking is a huge problem that can be found in unexpected places, and it should be stamped out as thoroughly as possible. No one should ever have to call another person 'my owner'.

Yes! We need more of this!

Dedicated to my friend Tracy, a mechanical engineer at NASA. :)

Last night

I forewent watching 'The Originals' and 'Supernatural' over at YKWIA's and came home because I was tired. I got home about 8 pm and was in bed just a few minutes later. With the exception of being up about fifteen minutes at 2:30 am, I slept twelve hours. I'm not sleepy during the day the way I was before the new CPAP, but when I crash, I crash. I don't think I'd been quite getting eight hours of sleep lately, and some of it was broken, so that may account for crashing.

Tonight the plan is to go over a little early and watch last week's 'American Horror Story: Coven', which I missed, then watch 'The Tomorrow People' and tonight's episode of the former. Right now I'm eating a Boca burger and getting some water in me. I think I'll check the news and then head over there in a little while.

Okay, that was motivation

I washed the dishes (which were the most egregious), both the ones I loaded in the dishwasher and the hand wash ones, changed out the air fresheners, straightened up the kitchen and living room, put away the groceries, cleared some algae out of the aquarium filter's intake, and changed out the bath towels. That pretty much leaves getting control of the bedroom's laundry, which I can do in a little while. Woo-hoo!

Well, I'm up, but I'm strangely unwilling to do much of anything

I slept for nearly three hours. I'm not exhausted, I'm not particularly tired. But I'm also not particularly motivated. I should do dishes, straighten up, and get my laundry out of the bedroom floor, but really, I just feel like maybe reading for awhile. Is that awful? I want to do something relaxing. I'll try the reading, maybe listen to some music, and then if I don't manage to finish things today, there's always tomorrow morning. Yeah, right.

Actually, I can think of one motivator. Tomorrow night we usually watch 'The Originals' and 'Supernatural' at YKWIA's house, but I think A is going to be watching a UK basketball game on the main screen, which means we could come over and watch on my TV rather than watch on a small TV in the bedroom. That would mean getting the place straightened up. Hmmm....

Chrome is still acting up, and I'm losing my connexion

I was going to try to update the firmware in my router, but I can't easily determine which version of the model it is--according to a description, it should be version 1, but it's running a higher version of firmware than that. There are two 'version 2s', with different downloads depending on which it is. :(

Saturday was all about cleaning out closets with friends, doing notes, doing the grocery run, etc. Sunday was game prep, game (we finished an adventure, and one of my characters got engaged to her necromancer boyfriend, the father of her unborn child), and then 'Witches of East End'. I was up late, getting home a little after 11 pm and going straight to bed. I got a little off on my insulin yesterday and it affected my mood. Towards the end of the evening I was worn to a frazzle and about ready to blow. So I went on to bed.

Today has been good, but I've been terribly sleepy all day, despite getting a little over seven hours' sleep. I have a lot to do at home tonight, but I have to lie down for just a bit, even if it means setting the same five alarms I do in the morning to get up within an hour or so. I'll try to write later.

I did get some good news today. My orthotics for my feet will be covered due to my diabetes, so I'm hoping that will help with some foot pain I've been having since I went back to wearing my normal non-sandal shoes. My doctor said the orthotics I had were well-built, but not really ideal for the diabetic foot. He suggested a softer one that is designed with that in mind. Considering the normal expense (my current pair, the ones that are now wearing out, were $380 out of pocket), this is very good news.

I may have fixed the issue

I went into AVG's firewall section and chose to restore defaults. Chrome seems to be loading faster, and hopefully will continue to load. I'll let you know if that was the fix. Another issue, which wasn't a factor with mine, is that sometimes the LAN settings ask for a proxy server rather than automatically detect, and unchecking the proxy and checking the automatic detection can help. But like I said, that wasn't my issue. I'm thinking it was the firewall. We'll see.

Is anyone else having issues with Google Chrome flaking out on them?

Several times a day mine will suddenly not be able to connect although the Internet connexion is up and I can connect through Firefox (usually). I'm talking about a desktop that is connected via wires. Resetting the router works, but should be unnecessary, as it is obviously connected already. Any ideas? I'm using AVG Internet Security as well. Could that be an issue? Thanks for any suggestions...I really do prefer Chrome as my default browser, although Firefox has definite good points. (I really don't care for Internet Explorer, however, and mainly use it to download other browsers.)

Interesting

What American accent do you have?

Your Result: The Midland

 

"You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.

 

The West

 

The South

 

Boston

 

The Inland North

 

North Central

 

Philadelphia

 

The Northeast

What American accent do you have?

I grew up in the deep South [Louisana/South Carolina], California, Kansas, and Kentucky, with parents and all other family back to about 1790 from Kentucky. I guess all that moving around made for a lack of accent, although people from Minnesota say I sound Southern. I blame the kids in California for beating the Louisianan accent out of me and forcing me to conform. [And no, I'm not actually kidding about that last part.] Thanks to CJ Applegate Stonehocker for sharing this on her page.

Cool

I'm a Doctor, but probably not the one you expected.

:) Once you've watched, head over to Anglophenia for an analysis of what you might have missed (with spoilers, of course, so watch it first!)

This was very poignant

The sound's been muted by Google/YouTube, unfortunately, because it contained a Beatles song ('Here Comes the Sun'), but there are subtitles, and you get the idea. These beagles had never been outside their cages and laboratory before, and at first are timid about coming out of the crates, but are obviously desperate for companionship. I am so glad they are out of those conditions. For more information, check out the Beagle Freedom Project. Here is a snippet from their 'About' page:

Beagles are the most popular breed for lab use because of their friendly, docile, trusting, forgiving, people-pleasing personalities. The research industry says they adapt well to living in a cage, and are inexpensive to feed. Research beagles are usually obtained directly from commercial breeders who specifically breed dogs to sell to scientific institutions.

Testing done on beagles in university and other research facilities includes medical/pharmaceutical, household products and cosmetics. When they are no longer wanted for research purposes, some labs attempt to find homes for adoptable, healthy beagles. Working directly with these labs, Beagle Freedom Project is able to remove and transport beagles to place them in loving homes. All rescues are done legally with the cooperation of the facility.

This is so terribly awful

I feel very sad for the family and for the driver, herself a staff member at the very school the girl attended before going on to middle school, who says she didn't see the girl, who was in the crosswalk, due to the sun hitting her eyes. Contributions for funeral costs can be made through Kerr Brothers Funeral Home on Main Street or can be donated to the "Payton Griffith Memorial Fund" set up at 5/3 Bank.

Students, Staff Mourn Classmate Hit By Car

It was a tough day for students and staff at a Lexington middle school as they mourned one of their classmates.

12-year-old Payton Griffith was hit by a car Wednesday afternoon while in a crosswalk on Auburn Drive at Eastland Parkway. She was pronounced dead at UK Hospital.

"We would all be lucky to have a child like Payton," described an emotional Lester Diaz, the principal at Bryan Station Middle School, where Payton was a sixth grader. "It's a devastating loss. We're all suffering and grieving."

Principal Diaz described Payton as a straight "A" student who loved math and dreamed of becoming a school teacher.

The flag at Bryan Station Middle flew at half-staff in honor of the 12-year-old. Children wrote cards to her family and grief counselors were there to help.

"Some kids came in with a heavy heart. Some kids didn't come in at all," Principal Diaz said. "When our teachers addressed the school, and that seat was empty in the classroom, and the kids looked around and it registered, then they were devastated and needed the support."

Oh, man

I must have been bone tired. My feet hurt and so I put them up and tried to get a little rest for about an hour, The only negative thing I can say about the new CPAP is that if I put it on, I'm going to sleep at least four hours. There is no napping to be had. Also, I often now go the whole night without waking up at all, meaning no 2 or so bathroom trips a night. That's probably good for my sleep, and I haven't been as tired or sleepy during the day at all, but it means the morning can be a little awkward and a little painful when I wake up and my bladder is so full. Needless to say, I didn't get anything I planned to accomplished. I didn't even get the non-perishable groceries put away. I will try to get up a little early tomorrow (say at 6 something rather than 7 something) and at least get the dishes done and water the plants.

Taking a break tonight

from the book moving and dusting. I moved a lot of books at work, ones in boxes, and I'm just a little sick of toting for the moment. I will resume tomorrow. But I'm not sick of books--I went to a book fair today and was very good, buying only one three-paperback set of books that deal with the origin of superstitions, expressions, and the like. I got a present for my grandmother as well.

After work I went over to Kroger and got some groceries, dropped a couple of things off at my friends' house, made dinner for YKWIA, and ate mine. Then I came on home. Things I need to do tonight, despite being a bit bushed:

• Wash dishes
• Do game notes
• Straighten up a bit
• Water the plants

Today I also had another book review published in The Journal of Hospital Librarianship. It is of the book Grassroots Library Advocacy: A Special Report by Lauren Comito, Aliqae Geraci, and Christian Zabriskie. Check out my résumé for details.

Lastly, I went to my ankle surgeon for my one-year followup to my surgery. He was quite pleased with how things are going, both with my ankle and with my diabetes. He checked out my ankle, which I turned the other day, and I seem to be fine. He wants to follow me yearly due to my diabetes, and suggested shoes and orthotics designed especially for diabetics. Turns out the orthotics I use are very stiff and hard, and that's bad for the diabetic foot, plus they're starting to break down, which could cause a sore on my heel. As far as I know, my insurance will not pay for orthotics, but he said sometimes they will for diabetics because its so important to prevent sores and loss of feet and legs. So, we're going to see. I'll get them regardless; I need to. We did some measuring and scanning today, and I go back in four weeks for them.

Okay, I've been listening to some Linkin Park (Living Things), but I think it's time to go do a few things. I'll try to write later.

Terribly tired

I forewent watching TV with YKWIA tonight because

1. I'm tired after working on a project over at his house that is in its fourth day,
2. I'm a little stuffy from the dust that said project (it involves moving and organising a bunch of books) has kicked up, and
3. I have an appointment at 8:00 am and it always takes me awhile to settle into bedtime, especially if I watch 'American Horror Story: Coven', at which point I usually get to bed about 1:30 am.

Before I went over there, though, I went to Costco, which I joined a couple of weeks ago, to see what the hoopla was all about. I'm not exactly impressed, and I'm not sure I can justify buying in bulk enough to make the membership worthwhile. I did get $10 of gas at $2.97 by using the cash card they gave me when I signed up, and since it's right before payday, that was a blessing. I'll give it a couple more visits, especially when I have some real money to spend, but if it doesn't prove useful, I'll ask for a refund, which they will do.

Sorry to cut this short (and sorry I didn't blog last night--I was watching TV after working on the books and got home late), but I'm going to drink a cup of water and then head on to bed. Good night.

Taking a moment to remember

November 11th, Veteran's Day/Remembrance Day, and I am thankful for the men and women who have given so much for their country. My father spent several years in Southeast Asia during Vietnam, and spent 20 years in the Air Force. My maternal grandfather was at Iwo Jima in the Marines. Both my paternal grandfather and grandmother served during WWII as well, my grandmother as an Army nurse. I grew up with a clear sense of patriotism and respect for them and others like them. As much as I dislike war and wish we lived in a world without it, I respect the sacrifice of veterans (and of their families).

In the wake of a horrifying story, some hope...

High School Students Wear Skirts to Honor "Agender" Teen, Sasha Fleischman, Burned on Bus

Students at a high school in Berkeley showed up wearing skirts to campus on Friday to honor an "agender" 18-year-old whose own skirt was set on fire during an AC Transit bus ride earlier this week in an attack that's now been charged as a hate crime.

"It's just remarkable that somebody would think it would be a good idea to light them (sic) on fire while they're sleeping on a bus," said classmate Ian Gonzer, referring to Sasha Fleischman as "they," the preferable term for many "agender" people. "Not just Sasha. Any person, no matter what they're wearing. It's just not cool."

Gonzer and the rest of Fleischman's friends at Maybeck High School wanted to show support for their peer, who identifies as agender, and does not like to go by either "he" or "she." Other terms for this identification can be "nonbinary" gender or non-conforming gender. The students planned to send the photo to St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco, where two classmates said Fleischman is in "remarkably good spirits" after one of several anticipated surgeries to repair the teen's burned thighs that were set on fire Monday evening on an AC Transit bus. In addition, people hung rainbow flags along the Oakland bus route where Fleischman was burned as a tribute they called "Rainbows for Sasha."

My favourite scene from Thursday's 'Big Bang Theory' episode

#SavetheDay

So looking forward to 2:50 PM EST 23 November 2013!!!!

Very good news, indeed!

Experts praise 'historic' mental health, addiction parity rule

The rule guarantees that health plans’ co-payments, limits on visits to providers and deductibles for mental health benefits match those for medical and surgical benefits. It also ensures equal treatment for residential and outpatient care, a long-sought benefit in the mental health community.

The rule could affect 62 million Americans, including about 23 million Americans who meet the criteria for substance abuse disorder, administration officials said.

“For way too long, the health care system has openly discriminated against Americans with behavioral health problems,” Sebelius told reporters on a call after the announcement.

When I first got my job at age 30 and finally enjoyed having health insurance after years of not having it, I finally was able to get help for issues such as bipolar disorder II. But I discovered that my mental health care had co-pays at twice the rate of going to other medical providers. That eventually changed, and I am very glad I have decent behavioural health coverage that has good parity with other medical coverage now. But many people in our country are either not covered for mental health, or have substandard coverage or more costly coverage. It's important that this be more readily available, as you only have to turn on the news to see the consequences of untreated mental illness, such as mass shootings (although actually, mentally ill people are much more likely to be victims of crime than instigators). I'm so glad that this is being put into effect. And treating substance abuse is just as important. This will save lives, hopefully.

Thinking of those affected by this

Dawn in Philippines expected to reveal damage from powerful typhoon

As dawn broke Saturday in the Philippines, the devastation of Super Typhoon Haiyan was expected to become better known a day after the storm -- perhaps the strongest ever -- rampaged across the central isles of the archipelago.

An early report by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council indicated at least three people were killed, but there were widespread fears of a much higher death toll. At least seven people were hurt, according the council's report on Friday.

The destruction is expected to be catastrophic. Storm clouds covered the entire Philippines, stretching 1,120 miles -- equal to a distance between Florida and Canada. The deadly wind field, or tropical storm force winds, covered an area the size of Montana or Germany.

You may also hear this referred to as typhoon Yolanda, as the Philippines has its own naming system and that is the name there.

The official schedule is out for BBC America's celebration of 'Doctor Who', including the special 'The Day of the Doctor'

BBC America Hosts ‘Doctor Who’ 50th Anniversary Celebration in November

BBC AMERICA is the #1 destination in the U.S. for a year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of global phenomenon Doctor Who. On November 23, 1963, a Time Lord known as the Doctor landed on the BBC’s airwaves, forever changing storytelling on television and how the world viewed the inside of a British police box. In honoring the legacy of the longest-running and most successful sci-fi series in history, BBC AMERICA presents new programming dedicated to the iconic series, culminating in a groundbreaking television event – the global simulcast to more than 75 countries of Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary special, Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor on November 23. Written by lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat (Sherlock), the special stars the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith (How to Catch a Monster), the Tenth Doctor, David Tennant (Broadchurch), companion Jenna Coleman (Dancing on the Edge), with Billie Piper (Secret Diary of a Call Girl) and John Hurt (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alien). The global simulcast will air Saturday, November 23 at 2:50pm ET. BBC AMERICA will encore the special in primetime at 7:00pm ET with exclusive Inside Looks with Matt Smith and David Tennant.

Announced today, BBC AMERICA will present a week-long Doctor Who Takeover starting Monday, November 18, at 9:00am ET with marathons of favorite Doctors leading into new specials including a look into the science behind the iconic series with rock star-turned-physicist Professor Brian Cox (Wonders of the Universe, Wonders of the Solar System). The primetime specials will roll out throughout the week with Doctor Who: Tales from the TARDIS premiering Monday, November 18, 9:00pm ET followed by The Science of Doctor Who with Brian Cox at 10:00pm ET, Doctor Who Explained on Friday, November 22, 8:00pm ET, and a look back at Matt Smith’s time on the iconic series, Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited –The Eleventh Doctor on Sunday, November 24, 8:00pm ET.

In addition, BBC AMERICA will premiere the new film An Adventure in Space and Time on Friday, November 22, 9:00pm ET. From Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss and directed by Terry McDonough (Breaking Bad), the film starring David Bradley (Game of Thrones, Broadchurch), Jessica Raine (Call the Midwife), Sacha Dhawan (After Earth) and Brian Cox (The Bourne Identity, X2: X-Men United) tells the story of the genesis of Doctor Who and the unlikely production team behind the series.

I think it's time for me to figure out how to record on DVD using my DVD/VHS recorder. That's a lot for the cable's DVR to handle, probably.

This was making the rounds on Facebook, not sure of the original source

but it is so true! Adopting a pet should be for life. :)



Thanks to Deana Full for sharing.

I wish I'd recorded 'The Big Bang Theory' tonight

Not only did it have Bob Newhart and Bill Nye the Science Guy, it had some utterly great lines that I'd like to hear again. Here's hoping they get posted to YouTube on the show's channel.

So, that's over now. I need to decide what to do now. It's only 9 pm. Here are my options:

• Watch the DVD of Coraline, which I received from Netflix today
• Listen to Pandora, specifically some Loreena McKennitt, which I'm doing now
• Listen to the radio or some CDs
• Watch an episode of 'Downton Abbey'--I'm on the second season, and the fourth is starting in a couple of months
• Watch some 'Grimm' off the DVR--I have all but the pilot on there, and I should catch up
• Work on the game notes in anticipation of playing Sunday
• Read (I'm currently working on Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated by Alison Argrim, which has been quite good)
• Go to bed (but it's only 9 pm, although I'm a bit tired--I haven't been getting the normal amount of sleep of late (although it's been very good sleep with the new CPAP), and I didn't have enough insulin with me today so my blood sugar went up, which always makes me tired)

Which would you do, out of curiosity?

One of the reasons I didn't get enough sleep last night was because of watching 'American Horror Story: Coven'. I didn't get home till midnight, and it usually takes awhile to wind down after that show, which is both disturbing and excellent storytelling. Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates are particularly great. I've gone from watching the occasional run of 'Doctor Who' to several shows, mostly with YKWIA. There's:

1. Sunday: 'Witches of East End' [I have really bonded with the character of Ingrid Beauchamp, who is a librarian, among other things]
2. Tuesday: 'The Originals' and 'Supernatural' [of the latter, the Dog Dean Afternoon this week was much better than I thought it would be, I must admit]
3. Wednesday: 'The Tomorrow People' and 'American Horror Story: Coven' [the first I'm trying to give a chance, having loved the British series of that name as a child; the second is hand's down the best drama I'm watching at the moment]
4. Thursday: 'The Big Bang Theory' {I'm really not much into sitcoms, but this makes me laugh so much I'm surprised I don't pee myself] (that I usually watch on my own; I think YKWIA records 'The Vampire Diaries', which I've seen some of, but not a lot]
5. Friday: 'Grimm' [which I like, but haven't seen many of, yet]

Owie

So I managed to turn my ankle right after I got out of the car in my parking lot at home. This is the same ankle I broke last year. I think I'm okay--it's just a bit sore, as is my knee and hip on that side. My klutziness still rules supreme. I need to be careful--several co-workers have fallen in various places of late, and I don't want to be the next one. I haven't had trouble since the ankle healed with rolling over (I have at tendency to supinate when I walk, which means my weight is borne by the outside edges of my feet.) This is especially true of my right foot, which was turned just a bit when I was born and which I don't pick up as well as my left, so when I do fall or turn my ankle, it's usually that side. But I think the screws in my ankle actually gave me a bit more stability. Still, there's always a chance I'll go over. Of course, my klutziness had nothing to do with the injury last year, as someone ran over my foot while I was crossing the street in the crosswalk, which pinned me briefly and then the car side hit me while my foot was trapped, breaking my ankle. It was very quick, very freaky. I was very lucky it wasn't worse, and that I healed well. I filled an interlibrary loan yesterday of an article about complications with ankle fractures in people with diabetes, and a lot of bad things could have happened that didn't. So I'll be more careful, and hopefully won't break anything else. :)

Something fun before turning in for the night

Thanks to YKWIA for introducing me to the musical Wicked.

Getting ready to try my new CPAP machine and see if I can sleep with it

I did put it together earlier after unpacking it and it's super quiet and the masque fits ever so much better than my old one with the did. The old one required a chin strap to keep it stable, and as a result, moved around when that loosened. This new-fangled machine replaces my fifteen-year-old one, which will now be a back up just in case (and will go to live in the trunk of the car in case I get stranded anywhere over the winter, along with the air mattress and foot pump). Features of this one that are nifty are as follows. It:

1. is smaller than my old one, which rather looked like a 70s hair dryer, but heavy enough not to move around and generally seems well-made
2. has a chip that keeps data on it for some time that can be used by the doctors to determine if it's working well
3. starts at a minimum pressure that my old machine has, but can automatically adjust up to a higher pressure after sensing a need for it, which can help with some of the daytime sleepiness I've had
4. has an internal humidifier that nevertheless can disconnect from the other part of the machine in case I want to run it without the water
5. has a humidifier cartridge that easily comes apart for cleaning, something that was a real problem with the one that attached to my old machine, as the container did not come apart on that one, and so you just had to swish the water around
6. has programmable menus
7. is easy to adjust the dial for the humidifier also acts as a big button to turn on
8. actually senses if you put the masque on and starts it without you having to hit the button
9. has a filter that can be rinsed instead of having to order more
10. has headgear that doesn't need a chin strap, is easily adjustable, and has soft cushions to go over he silicon straps, which hopefully means no more lines on my face in the morning

Thank you, my insurance company, for buying this machine when I would not otherwise be able to afford it. Also, I talked to the specialist at the medical supply company and if, in the future, I do not have health insurance (such as after the library gig is over in a couple of years), there are charity programmes that help patients without insurance get supplies and machines, which is important, as it could very well save a life. I knew someone who died due to sleep apnea, and it was very sad that it might have been preventable. Sleep apnea can cause many problems, from damage to the heart to poor work performance to early death. Hopefully this machine will help me stay healthy.

Awwww....

This is hands down the sweetest thing I've seen on television in years.

What I've been/am/will be up to

Yesterday--
1. Cleaned a friend's house (no game)
2. Watched some 'Law & Order' and MeTV ('The Brady Bunch' and 'The Monkees") with friends
3. Finally watched The Blues Brothers with YKWIA, which was great. One, it had great music and wonderful musicians. Two, it had Carrie Fisher with incendiary weapons. Three, the sheer amount of damage, particularly to cop cars, was staggering. I wonder what sort of budget it had.

Today--
1. You would think I would wake up earlier because it's lighter earlier now that daylight savings time is over. Yes, I did, but I stayed up till 1:30 last night so I was slow to get out of bed.
2. Somehow I hit all the lights just right, and I started my morning commute at 8:30 and clocked in at 8:36, so I was within payroll's window. :) Note it's 3.7 miles, in morning traffic.
3. I got my rent and paid it.
4. I got a call from the medical supply place and set up an appointment tomorrow for a new CPAP machine. Yay! I'm going to go in early tomorrow because there was something I needed to get someone by 8 am for a meeting that I couldn't finish today. So I'm going to go in about 7 am (hopefully) and finish it. Then I should be able to leave early and go to the medical supply place.
5. Quite frankly, I'm going to take a nap.
6. I will ry to get caught up on some things on the DVR.

Tomorrow--
1. Go in to work early.
2. Finish survey project and hand in (I'm the only person in the hospital who knows how to use that software fully, and it corrupted the last file after I made some edits. They weren't able to get it to load it again today, so I have to start over, using an old one as a base. It shouldn't take too long, but it is a little annoying. And it's not just like a word processor; each question is built in a sort of wizard fashion.)
3. Try to get caught up at work.
4. Get my new CPAP and accessories.
5. Watch 'The Originals' and 'Supernatural' with YKWIA.

I rather like this song

And the .mp3 album was only $5.99 on Amazon, so I downloaded it. Kudos to the person who put the video up on YouTube and actually spelled 'losing' correctly; that's rare on the Internet. :)

I'm home after spending some time with friends and catching up on our Wednesday night TV shows that we missed due to the dinner out at Alfalfa's. There's no game tomorrow, so we're going to try to watch The Blues Brothers then. I should really work on game notes tonight. I may. But I may just relax. I've been irritable all day, probably because I had to wait till yesterday to get some meds that keep my moods balanced, now that I'm out of flexible spending money and all. I'm not sure I was really good company today. There were no breakdowns or anything like that, but I did get asked if it were time for my period, so I'm assuming I was acting like I had PMS. Sigh. Well, I'm back on them and my mood should even out within a day or so. But this is why I'm usually so careful to stay on my meds--I've been off them for only three days. Okay, back to taking it easy and having a quiet evening at home. My music should be downloaded now. I may write later, but if not, good night.

Every now and then

even though I really have no business doing so, I go to the Lexington Humane Society's webpage and look at the animals there for adoption. There is one cat that has been there for several months named Nedra. She looks sweet. Granted, she hasn't been adopted in all that time, so maybe she's Satan incarnate, but I really feel for her. I guess it's an emotional reaction from always being the last picked for a team in gym, that sort of thing. Anyway, select cats (who knows, maybe Nedra) are only $5 to adopt right now. She's small and about 3 years old. You can see her profile at: http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/27411444. I'm really not in a position to adopt right now. Maybe someone out there who's reading this is?

Trick-or-Treat was kind of a bust from my point of view

I was actually home through most of it, but not one trick-or-treater came by looking for candy. Granted, I live in an apartment complex, but still. I thought I might get a few, and I always feel bad if I don't have anything at all for them. But, alas, they missed out, and I went on over to my friends' house with about a half an hour to go till the end of the trick-or-treating (it was moved to this evening due to the severe weather of yesterday). Also, apparently the place to go after trick-or-treating is McDonald's, because I went over there right before 'Grimm' to get us some food and it was crazy. There were about 20 cars in the double drive-through, with more waiting to get into the lot. I went on inside and placed my order, and I'm sure I got it long before some of those people did, but it was very busy inside as well. I had no idea what a happening place it would be!

Now I'm home. My upstairs neighbour has lights up for Diwali (actually, there are quite a few light strings throughout the complex, as we have quite a lot of people from India and South Asia here. It's very cheery. So, happy Diwali this weekend.

I think I'm going to listen to some music in the bedroom, maybe read awhile, and just relax, then head on to bed. Hope you had a good week and have a great weekend ahead of you! Good night.

I walked into a comic store for the first time in about 15 years

all because of Neil Gaiman and his new Sandman prequel. It came with two covers. I prefer the one on the left, actually. But yes, I sprang for both. The next one is due out in December.

Sandman is what got me collecting comic books as an adult--it was totally different from the comics I'd read as a kid (primarily Star Wars and Spider-Man. With its literary and historical allusions, interesting plots, and the intriguing Endless, I was hooked. I was very sad when it ended, although I kept up with The Dreaming for quite some time afterwards. I'm glad to see a new story, the story before the story, back. Hopefully it was worth the wait.

I went into the store (Collectibles, Etc.) and the smell hit me, the scent of comic books, and I felt instant nostalgia. I worked at a comic store for a year (The Comic Interlude, back under the former owner) in 1996, doing the ordering, databases, reserve files, and generally helping keep it running. There were times YKWIA and I were there till 4:30 in the morning working on backstock and re-arranging things. It was actually great experience in that I did a lot of things that I later did in the library--work with vendors, catalogue, order items for customers, etc. It actually helped me get my present job. :) I'm looking forward to reading the comic book.

Another benefit of Amazon Prime membership

Free books that haven't been published yet...

Amazon Introduces Kindle First – Highly Anticipated Books Released In Kindle Format A Month Early, Offered For $2 or FREE!

Those without Prime can choose a Kindle book from the picks for $1.99.