No Weeding for You

This winter I offered to volunteer weeding out non-circulating library books from my local library.  I thought it was a good idea, but I was told that my services would not be needed - my activity might compromise the integrity of the database. What a hoot!

Weeding books is a very time consuming and, for some people, boring job.  It involves matching item ID numbers on printed lists of books that haven't checked out for two or three years against what is actually on the shelves, then marking an item missing if it is not found where it should be or pulling the item off the shelf and placing it on a book cart if it is there. The book cart is then taken to a staff librarian to make the final decision whether to keep or discard.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of older unused books and duplicates taking up space on the shelves. Not only that, every book on the shelf adds to the cost of the automated circulation system whether it is used or not. It's more cost effective to discard unused materials than to increase inventory cost or buy more shelving.

How do I know this? I used to work there as director for twenty-four years. That's probably the real reason my services are not required, not that bogus excuse of compromising the database. Volunteers don't have access to staff computers - they work from pre-printed lists.

I'm retired, guys, not brain dead.

CPL's New Library Director

Felton Thomas, formerly director of branch services for Las Vegas-Clark Co. Library District, has been hired as the new director of Cleveland Public Library.  I've heard some concerns about his lack of experience actually heading a library system, but I'm hoping he will bring something new to Cleveland. 

Mr. Thomas mentioned in a recent interview that his life had been transformed by his local library during his youth. He found it to be not only a safe haven for a young man, but a place filled with opportunities that eventually led him to selecting library work as a career choice.

CPL has been called the People's University. I hope the new director will expand this great library's mission to include Cleveland's children and young adults in even more dynamic ways. 

Voting at Home by Absentee Ballot

Anyone can request an absentee ballot - you don't have to be out of state on election day or disabled. This year we canceled our fall vacation in anticipation of a new grandchild, but had already requested an absentee ballot. I am so thankful we did, because the ballot for this General Election was huge with six state issues and a long list of candidates for judicial and state offices in addition to the presidential candidates.

Yesterday we sat down with a laptop and all the newspaper articles we had been collecting and I had the best voting experience ever! It took me way over an hour to complete the ballot, but for the first time in my forty-three years of voting I felt that I had voted wisely. I was able to see the actual ballot language and recheck issues and positions online before casting my vote.

Web sites that I found useful:

Ohio Secretary of State

• Voter Services
• Candidates
• Elections & Ballot Issues

League of Women Voters of Ohio

Ohio Election Central

Google – Type in Ohio Voter Information

Sarah Palin - My reflections

I've watched both conventions and two major debates as well as read daily newspapers, internet news sites, and viewed nightly news & commentary programs, so I consider myself more informed than I've ever been for a presidential election. I realize that campaigns are often won or lost on perceptions rather than principles and political foes frequently take the easy route of zeroing in on perceived weaknesses in character, youthful indiscretions and associations, or personal foibles. 

Our founding fathers wrote in Article 2 of the Constitution that candidates for the presidency should be at least thirty-five years of age, a natural-born citizen of the US, and a permanent resident in the United States for at least fourteen years.  

Presidential duties include:

• Giving Congress information of the State of the Union
• Recommending to Congress necessary and expedient Measures
• Convening one or both Houses of Congress on extraordinary occasions, and in case of disagreement between them, the president may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper
• Receiving ambassadors and other public ministers
• Taking care that laws be faithfully executed, and
• Commissioning all the Officers of the United States

Based on these qualifications and duties, all the candidates currently running for office are qualified as are millions of fellow Americans. If we picked our presidential candidates solely based on years of experience and age then John McCain and Joe Biden should be running for office. Instead we have the less experienced political candidate running at the head of the Democratic ticket. Senator Obama's real life experiences are substantial and include serving as a Civil Rights attorney and teaching constitutional law from 1992 - 2004 as well as serving in the Illinois senate from 1997 - 2004 and the US Senate from 2005 to date (10 years elected office).

Sarah Palin has twelve years of elected service from city council to mayor to governor of the largest state in the union. She also served on the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission from 2003 to 2004. If a man had these credentials under his belt, I don't think anyone would hold him up for the ridicule Governor Palin has had to endure in the media, talk shows, and entertainment industry. 

Is Governor Palin qualified to be Vice President, just a heart beat away from the president? According to the US Constitution she absolutely is. I do wonder if the media calling her a political light weight isn't meant to deflect away from comparing the lifetime achievements of the two presidential candidates.  

What is Edamame?

My favorite new snack food is edamame, which is the name given to the soybean pod picked just before the beans inside have hardened. The pods are then parboiled and frozen for distribution. Edamame provides fiber, protein, carbohydrates, plant omega-3 fatty acids, iron, Vitamins A, C and calcium.

It's been an Asian staple for over two thousand years and has become popular in the U.S. rather recently as a healthy snack alternative. The most confusing thing about edamame is figuring out how to pronounce it. I've embarrassed myself quite a few times in grocery stores when asking for help in finding it. I believe it is pronounced ed-a-ma-may and will most likely be located in the frozen health food area, not with the regular frozen veggies. Sams Club has it available for sale by the case. 

Although they look like green beans, the pod is not really edible - only the beans on the inside are to be eaten. Instructions on preparing the pods are contained on the packaging, usually involving boiling or microwaving for two to six minutes depending on the serving size. 

I've been buying them in small one or two portion packets that I keep frozen until I'm ready to snack. I zap them in the microwave for two and a half minutes and voila - healthy goodness, ready to eat. 

Swan Peak by James Lee Burke

James Lee Burke gives poetic voice to the wounded and flawed heroes of his latest novel, Swan Peak. Clete Purcel and Dave Robicheaux, seeking respite from scars Katrina inflicted upon their beloved New Orleans, are visiting a friend in northwestern Montana. They become embroiled in multiple mysteries and personal tragedies that involve a serial killer, star-crossed lovers, religious charlatans, mobsters, and surprising redemption. 

The conflict between good and evil often taking place within the same person is a strong undercurrent in all the Burke novels I've read. Dave Robicheaux's soul is troubled by the small and terrible cruelties individuals inflict upon one another. As much as he may try to remove himself from the pain of others, he is inevitably drawn into the fracas surrounding their lives. Dave reflects that all he can do is, "to somehow leave behind a gesture, a cipher carved on a rock, a good deed, some visible scratch on history that will tell others you were here and that you tried to make the world a better place."

"The great joke is that any wisdom most of us acquire can seldom be passed on to others. I suspect this reality is at the heart of most old people's anger." - Dave Robicheaux

Financial Crisis 2008

At my age I have seen plenty of financial crises over the years, but the political posturing during this current crisis is more disgusting than usual. The Democrats have sunk to an all time low in demonizing Bush and his financial advisors and I have no idea what the Republicans are doing.

What do we know - bad loans were made and people defaulted - now the institutions who made the loans want to be bailed out. Do we let these financial institutions find a free market solution or hand over 700 billion dollars to buy up those bad loans, hoping to make a small profit sometime in the future?

The commercial paper market has essentially shut down in fear, but the GDP is up over last year. What would happen if Congress stayed out of the picture and let business handle their own mess? There are much wiser minds than mine and I hope that they prevail.

Three Presidents - Two Democrats & One Republican

Bush - 2nd inaugural address - "The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands.  The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world."

Kennedy's inaugural address - "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty."

Truman Doctrine, March 12, 1947 - Includes these words - "The free peoples of the world look to us for support in maintaining their freedoms.  If we falter in our leadership, we may endanger the peace of the world -- and we shall surely endanger the welfare of our own nation."

I'm Almost Pursuaded

AnandTech's review has almost convinced me to order the new $349 Dell Inspiron Mini.  The author says the Mini 9 feels like it's worth more than you're paying for it, because of material choices on the inside making it look more expensive that also hide fingerprints on the keyboard. The overall style brings to mind MacBook Air meets Eee PC.

What I want to know is why do I have to pay $25 more for the white case? Apple has the white case as standard and the black version is pricier. I don't get these companies - why is one color case more expensive than another? If I really had a color choice - I'd prefer that glossy red case that I've been seeing all summer.

Invitation to Pray for the Election

Both major party conventions are over and two new sets of presidential candidates have been selected.  Now what?  We've been promised change by both sides.  There are many things that all Americans are concerned about - wars abroad and the fear of domestic terrorism, the price of fuel for our homes and cars, and the wise stewardship of our planet are parts of the big picture.  We really do care that all Americans have the opportunity to support themselves and have the ways and means of obtaining a good education and health care.

We are a nation of immigrants.  Most of our forefathers came to this country looking for opportunities that they could not receive any where else.  Some were drawn by false promises or in chains, but they all remained and blended together to create the American dream.  

I believe that I am very fortunate to live in this country at this time in history.  I've seen so many great things over the past sixty-four years and I have seen some things I have driven me to my knees in prayer.  

The potential that I see for this country makes this an exciting time. Yes, I'm listening to what the candidates have to say, reading commentary by political pundits, and reflecting on past achievements by both parties, but I need more.  I believe that we need guidance from God to pick the best person to serve as president of the United States.

I decided to set aside about 15-20 minutes everyday until the election is over to pray that we make the best decision possible.  I'm using the rosary to focus my prayers for this intention and invite others to do the same.  You may pray the traditional rosary, divine mercy chaplet, or any other series of prayers that would take a minimum of fifteen minutes every day. 

Please share this idea - pray fifteen minutes every day for the best outcome of our upcoming election.

Dell netbook release this week?

Wall Street Journal says Dell's mini netbook is finally going to be released this week. Some say Thursday and others Friday. Rumor has it that the price is under $400 to compete favorably with the eeePC, but that is higher than the $299 price that was previously hinted. There probably will be a range of prices based on operating system installed, drive size, webcam, etc. - will just have to wait until announcement is official.

Acer lowered the Aspire One to $329 (Linux version) almost in anticipation of Dell's release, but I keep reading about Wi-fi problems with the Aspire and Wi-fi is really the whole point of my buying a netbook. I hope my expectations for this new product are realized this week.

Library Levy Was Highly Visible

I've read a couple of references in the past two issues of the Twinsburg Bulletin that I am really having trouble understanding. Someone is saying that the School Board slipped a library levy by the vigilant eyes of the voters of the Twinsburg School District. My confusion is this - since the Library personnel first presented their intention to the school board December of last year, at least six public meetings were held (three were televised), fourteen articles, ads, or columns appeared in the Twinsburg Bulletin, Sun, Beacon Journal, or Cleveland Plain Dealer. three mailings were sent to each household, and seventy-five yard signs were placed throughout the community.

I have to assume that people who don't use the library may be a bit upset that the levy passed, but if you came to the Library this summer you sure couldn't miss the twenty foot banner in the main check-out area or the fliers that were pasted on every door, column or desk announcing the levy.  I can assure you that the fifteen thousand people who did visit the library this summer were very aware of the levy and were happy that it passed.

Public Libraries are not their own taxing authority. That means that they must have another government agency place library issues on the ballot.  Our local school board functions as the taxing authority for our library.  I don't believe it can refuse to do so.  In the spirit of cooperation the library tries not to be on the ballot at the same time as the schools.  The Schools and Library work very well together, but the Twinsburg Public Library is an independent agency.

Public Meetings

1. December 27, 2007 - Board President Bonny Cairns, Director Karen Tschudy, and Clerk/Treasurer Eileen Holloway, met with Twinsburg City School District Board of Education to let them know that the Library was planning on a levy issue for August 2008 special election.
2. March 5, 2008 - Library Levy Resolution of Necessity passed by School Board - TELEVISED meeting available on TSD's website, see Link
3. March 19, 2008 - Library Levy Resolution to Proceed passed by School Board - TELEVISED meeting available on TSD's website, see Link
4. June 24, 2008 -  Twinsburg City Council Meeting (TELEVISED) - New Library Director, Laura Leonard spoke five minutes during remonstrance period of City Council Meeting about the Library Levy.
5. July 16, 2008 - Twinsburg Township Trustees Meeting - Township Agenda - Director Laura Leonard spoke on Levy during remonstrance period.
6. July 17, 2008 - Meet the New Director and "Frequently Asked Questions about the Levy"

Press/Levy Literature

1. April 3, 2008 - Twinsburg Bulletin front page headline - Library Asks for Support
2. May 29, 2008 - Twinsburg Bulletin, page 2 - Library Levy on August Ballot
3. June 1, 2008 - Levy information available in Library and on Library Web Page, 20 foot banner strung across Circulation Area with announcement of levy, every door in and out of Library had poster with Levy announcement
4. June 9th - June 16th - Twinsburg School District Residents were mailed flier - Basic Facts About Issue 3
5. June 18 - Presentation to Roary Club of Twinsburg regarding Levy by Laura Leonard
6. June 19 - Twinsburg Sun article - Library Levy committee sets Dairy Queen event
7. "Live at the Library" columns in Twinsburg Bulletin mentioned upcoming levy issue - June 19th, July 3rd, July 10th, July 17, and July 24th.
8. June 25, 2008 - July/August Library Calendar of Events mailed to all residents containing "Dear Resident" information regarding issue 3.
9. July 24 - Twinsburg Bulletin endorses Library Levy "Choosing whether library service is a 'want' or a 'need'
10. July 28 - Cleveland Plain Dealer includes TPL Levy in article, "Communities turn to voters for help"
11. July 31 - Twinsburg Sun endorses Library Levy in article, "Library Levy: a bargain"
12. August 4 - Akron Beacon Journal lists TPL Levy in article on ballot issues

YouTube - Twinsburg Library Levy announcement, posted July 1, 2008. Narrated by Laura Leonard, Library Director 

PAC Committee (Citizens Supporting Twinsburg Public Library) - were responsible for the following:

1. Web page devoted to information about the Levy campaign, linked from the Library's front page
2. June 25 - Dairy Queen Night for Citizens Supporting Twinsburg Public Library
3. 75 yard signs distributed throughout the District
4. July 20 - Blue Canyon Night for Citizens Supporting Twinsburg Public Library
5. July 21 - Flier mailed out to all registered voters in the school district - Top Ten Reasons to vote YES on Issue #3, August 5
6. Full page ads "Support Your Library" Vote Yes on Issue 3 August 5, which appeared in both the Sun and Bulletin

Sorry guys, if you "missed" all of the above, then you must have had your head buried in the sand.  I believe only one person called before August 5th to comment on the levy. 

The Library Board went to the voters as a last resort.  All the cost savings and budget cuts possible had already been done over the past three years.  What was next - cut hours, services, and staff? Since the levy was passed by people who cared about keeping the library adequately funded, that bullet has been dodged. 

To Twitter or Blog or Both

Twitter is a networking site that limits posts to no more than 140 characters. What I love about Twitter is that with just a few tweaks, such as adding a photo to my profile and some links, I was able to start posting right away.  

I'm noticing that some libraries (Hubble - New Orleans, Philadelphia Free Library), library staff (Emily Lloyd, creator of Self Check), and organizations (ALA/RUSA) are beginning to use Twitter for quick announcements instead of posting everything to their blogs.  It's just a nifty tool for spontaneous, short comments, links, or news that I want to share without spending more than a minute or two typing.  

It's also a great tool to keep in touch with family and friends by embedding Twitter on your other social networking sites.  See one of my older posts to follow a link on how to do this.

Even authors, entertainers, and politicians are beginning to rely on Twitter to help keep their fans/supporters up-to-date with their activities.  John McCain's campaign committee has a very good Blog, but I haven't found an official McCain Twitter link yet.  Barack Obama's campaign is using Twitter for quick up-dates to their candidate's blog.  The site has over 65,000 followers and is following 68,000 other Twitters.

Are the New Mini-notebooks Practical or Just a Fad?

I need both a new laptop and a new heavy duty desktop, but I don’t want to eat Ramen noodles for the rest of the year. So I’m postponing the desktop to next spring when the new iMacs are available, but right now I need something inexpensive to use for e-mail and to update my blogs.

There’s something intriguing about the ultra small notebooks that have been or will be released this year that makes me want to buy one. They’re not much bigger than a hardback novel and some of them are available in shiny new colors. Part of the novelty is that they don’t cost much more than an iPod Touch, have Wi-Fi built-in, and nearly full-sized keyboards with a choice of Linux or Windows XP operating systems.

I bought one of the first Asus Eee PCs last year for staff members to take to meetings and conferences. I fell in love with it, but not sure that anyone else made use of it.

They’re not meant to take the place of a desktop PC or to be used for gaming or multimedia devices, but if you need to send/read email, type notes, or find something quickly on the internet anywhere you have access to Wi-Fi, then this may be the device for you.

Mini-notebooks are not that much larger than a Kindle, so I’m wondering if they could also be used as e-book readers (although they’re not being advertised as such). I restricted these liliputian notebooks to 8.9” models, although some manufacturers may have larger versions available now or in the near future.

Acer Aspire One MiniNote – 8 GB hard drive, 8.9” screen, 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 512 MB RAM, Linux Lite OS - $379 or Windows XP - $399; available in white, blue, pink or brown (3G data support is being promised for future versions)

Asus Eee PC – 16 GB hard drive, 8.9” screen, Intel Mobile CPU, 1 GB RAM, Linux OS - $399 or Windows XP - $449; available in Pearl White or Galaxy Black (Amazon.com)

Dell e Mini-notebook – 4 GB hard drive, 8.9” screen, 1.6 GHz Intel Atom CPU, 512 MB RAM, Linux - $299 or Windows XP – price unknown; other options (including webcam) add to cost; sacrificed function keys to provide larger keyboard; photos show red or dark grey case; not yet available (larger hard drives will increase cost)

HP mini-note – 4 GB Flash Drive, 8.9” screen, 1.0 GHz Processor, 512 MB RAM, Linux - $499 or Windows Vista - $599 (includes 120 GB drive, 1 GB RAM)

Lenovo IdeaPad S9 – 8 GB hard drive, 8.9” screen, Intel Atom N270 processor, 1 GB RAM, webcam, Linux or Windows XP - $418 approx. (not sure if same price for both OS); may not be available in the US until October.

There are a number of other ultra-portable notebooks that have been designed for children, but these specific models seem to be trying to appeal to adults wanting subcompact laptops. The appearance and projected price ($299) of the Dell make it a strong contender, but I'll have to wait until I read reviews by actual users. The Acer Aspire has a richer look to it than the Asus Eee PC. I remember that the Asus keyboard was very tiny and a bit clunky to use. Haven't heard if that's been improved.

Some warnings about these machines - they tend to run hot, best to place on a surface not your lap for any length of time; whatever version of Linux operating system they have available will probably work faster and more efficiently than Windows. If you must use Vista, I would recommend going with a regular sized laptop.

The Library Levy Passed!

Great news! The TPL levy passed 57.68% for 42.32% against. Special thanks to levy campaign committee members, Ed Kancler, co-chair, Marilyn Beringer, treasurer, and all those who assisted us on their own time with webpage design, preparing fliers & signage, fundraising events, and placing yard signs throughout the communities. It was a pleasure working with all of you and helping to secure library funding for the next decade of this century.

Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is

A concerned citizen's thoughts on the new Twinsburg Public Library Levy:

Fundraising, grants, foundations, no matter how successful, cannot raise enough immediate funds to sustain general operations on an annual basis. The only recourse to a library administration that has already cut every line item it can without laying off staff, not buying materials that library patrons demand, or reducing library hours and services is to ask the voters to support a library levy.

The other alternative is to cut all those services and materials that local residents are flocking to public libraries to use during this economic downturn. This reminds me of the old adage of cutting off your nose to spite your face. Ohio libraries haven’t just begun dealing with a loss of revenue; they’ve been dealing with it for seven years. At the beginning of this cycle, many libraries dependent entirely on state funding froze salaries and stopped buying books and audio-visual materials.

Libraries with local levies, such as the Twinsburg Public Library, worked hard to spend both state and local tax revenues wisely. Unfortunately state support has been “slip, slip, sliding away.” Along with the warning of a projected 10% cut in the next state biennium budget, local funding will also be reduced with the local tangible personal property tax gradually being cut each year until it is gone entirely by 2018. The tangible personal property tax affects businesses only, so the average tax payer may be unaware of it.

Perhaps it all boils down to this – how much of a hardship is it to pay $3 to $5 more a month to keep our Library operating at its current level or better? As someone on a fixed income who visits the library weekly, I receive my tax support back in trade every single time I walk through those front doors. I guess that I would have to respond that it would be more of a hardship for me to lose the great resources and services our public library offers than paying the new tax, so next Tuesday I’m voting YES on issue #3.

Electing a US President in Plain English

Yes, a person may lose the popular vote, but still be elected president. Explaining how the presidential election works is a bit confusing and different from all other elected positions in the United States. It is the electoral college that actually determines the presidential outcome. Commoncraft's short guide to understanding the basics of the US election process was recently posted on YouTube. If you need a refresher on how the final result is tallied - this is an excellent starting point. Interesting note - electors are not obligated to vote for the candidate that their district chooses.


Electing a US President in Plain English from leelefever on Vimeo.

Just Added Twitter to My Facebook page

Updating my Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and blogs is beginning to cost me a lot of time. I sat down at 8:30 this morning to update one and now it's 10:38 am. and I haven't even had breakfast. Just discovered a young blogger by the name of AJ Vaynerchuk who created a small application that will link Twitter to Facebook. It's easy to install and looks good, now just have to see how useful it will be. Follow this link to his blog.

Library Levy

As co-chair of Citizens Supporting Twinsburg Public Library, I was delighted to read the article in the metro section of the Plain Dealer today noting the good work of libraries during economic downturns. We who love and use libraries recognize the value they add to the quality of our lives. It is just great to see their contribution acknowledged in print.

Next Tuesday voters will be asked to approve a one mil levy to support our local library. This will cost home owners only $3 to $5 dollars a month that they can recoup by checking out just one book and/or DVD a year instead of buying them. Why would anyone want to pass up a bargain like that? Even if someone had all the disposable income to buy whatever they wanted, isn't it a good thing to support an institution that helps people who don't?

What will voting yes for the Twinsburg Public Library levy get you - access to a world of free entertainment and the opportunity to do something really great for your community!

CLEVNET Has MP3 Audiobooks for iPods!

I am so excited! Yes, this is a big thing - CLEVNET's e media collection is now available for iPod users with a CLEVNET Library card. Check here for CLEVNET libraries. Granted the collection is rather small (it's brand new after all) and ALMOST EVERYTHING is already checked out (of the 200 plus mp3 titles, how many are checked out by CPL staff, I wonder?:).

I was able to find three titles to check out for myself: Anne of Green Gables, Raise Your Social IQ, and Bloodlist. I'm not sure these would have been my first choices (slim pickings for now, as I said before), but I wanted to try out the new collection.

OverDrive's MP3 titles are compatible with most MP3 players, including Apple devices. Some, like the iPod Shuffle may be used with special considerations. Check OverDrive's website for more information.

It will be necessary to download the OverDrive Media Console 3.0 on your computer to access CLEVNET's MP3 content. The instructions also suggested that I change my iPod to manual sync rather than auto, but that didn't help. So I imported my title from the OverDrive Media Console on my PC to iTunes and then synced my 5th generation iPod without a hitch. I did have to import each of the files/parts individually. I'm not sure whether the newer iPod Touch would work differently. When my daughter returns from South Africa next month, I will try it on her iPod Touch.

If you want to burn the files to CDs, I would suggest creating a new playlist for each title first and making sure the files/parts are in numerical order before burning. If anyone has had a different experience, I would appreciate comments.

Low Carb Diets Work, So They Say

Last week the Plain Dealer had an article on the success of low carb over low fat diets in losing weight and lowering cholesterol. Link is here.

I'm not sure it's such a great idea to jump on any branded diet plan like the Atkins diet or the South Beach diet without a little bit of research. The low-carb food pyramid is obviously very different from the MyPyramid, released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on April 19, 2005.

Good news - cutting back on carbs doesn't mean doing away with grains and veggies. It does mean avoiding starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, corn, and beets, and greens are the low-carb dieter's super-friend.

Making Reservations Online

There are so many great restaurants in the Cleveland area that I've become dependent upon a few websites to help me make a decision. OpenTable.com is one of them. It lists only 52 kinda pricey restaurants, but they're great for special occasions and those times you want to impress. I can make my reservation online immediately - no waiting on hold or getting directed to voice mail. They also send a confirmation within seconds to my inbox. Includes linked maps, menus, interior views and special instructions you may want to pass on to the restaurant. You can also order flowers to be placed on your table for birthdays or other special times. FYI -the Blue Canyon in Twinsburg is listed under the category - Most Booked.

Menuism is a site that is comprised of local recommendations and reviews by members only. This gives ordinary people rather than professional reviewers the chance to rant or rave over restaurants they have visited. Just type in the name of the locale (anywhere in the US) you want to visit for a list of reviewed places. Links to maps are also included as well as a breakdown by type of cuisine.

Of course the old standby for locating restaurants is cleveland.com/dining located on the Plain Dealer's online site. Eateries may be found by name, type of cuisine, or location.

I wouldn't recommend using the Beacon Journal's site, because it contains a lot of errors - especially listing restaurants that haven't been around for years. Makes me wonder if they even care whether we use this site or not.

A Jane Austen Summer

Earlier this year I watched Becoming Jane - about a young Jane Austen who strives to become a writer against the wishes of her mother. She's courted by a number of young men and rejects them all until meeting Thomas Lefroy, who rocks her world. Both families oppose the union, so Lefroy suggests that they run away together.

Jane remains at home, never marries, but ends up writing some of the most popular and lasting literature in the English language. The character Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice is supposedly based on her real life love, Thomas Lefroy.

That DVD inspired me to rewatch the BBC series based on her novels and to listen to the unabridged audiobooks available through the Twinsburg Library, Project Gutenberg, and Librivox.

Officer Down Memorial Page

The Officer Down Memorial Page is a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring America's fallen law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. It provides an online form for family, friends, and citizens to leave their memories or condolences for any officer who has made the ultimate sacrifice.

This past Sunday Police Officer Joshua T. Miktarian, Twinsburg Police Department, Twinsburg, Ohio was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop around 2 am. The community of Twinsburg mourns for the loss of this young officer, husband and father.

To leave a comment, tribute, or condolences to the family, please follow this link.

Cost of Food Today

When did really good fish become so expensive? Last week I tried out a new fish shop in Twinsburg, located at the rear of the Lobster House. I'm not sure if it is comparable in cost to the grocery chains, but I thought I'd give it a try. I bought some wild salmon and some kind of fish from Hawaii. Loved the salmon, but probably won't buy the other again.

Anyway, I was happy to find "The 20 Healthiest Foods for Under $1" link on Lifehacker just to balance out the budget a bit. It's pretty cool and it includes recipes.

Cooking for just two or one can actually be rather costly, but we've begun using DIY dinners to save on throwing out uneaten leftovers or unused pieces and parts of items that we had to buy to complete a recipe. Each dinner costs about $10 ($5/per person) and no waste. Not sure how much I'm saving, but everything gets eaten and nothing to throw out.

National Hamburger Festival

I've been to rib burn-offs in Cleveland, but how did I miss this event? This is the "third" annual hamburger festival in downtown Akron. According to the brochure not many participating establishments are your gourmet style restaurants, but it sounds like fun anyway.

New 3G iPhone Review

Wil Harris of ChannelFlip in the UK has a first hand review of the new iPhone that was just released today. It may take a little longer than usual to download due to bandwidth load.

How Am I Enjoying Retirement?

Well, maybe I'll have an answer for that in a couple of years. Before ever hearing about Julie Morgenstern, author of When Organizing Isn't Enough: SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life, I decided that I would start retirement by throwing out all those things that I'm not using. I've been packing up clothes for Purple Heart, shredding papers, and tossing out half used bottles and boxes of stuff all over the house. Still so much to do.

Next Week - Dr. Horrible's Released!

Joss Whedon's online musical/Internet miniseries will be available for free viewing. As a former BTVS fanatic, I feel obligated to promote the heck out of this. View the trailer!


Teaser from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog on Vimeo.

HBO's Unconventional Ad for New Series

Charlaine Harris, author of the Southern Vampire Series, is one of my favorite "guilty pleasure" authors and HBO is producing a show this fall called True Blood based on the series. They've come up with an intriguing PR ploy by creating ads, blogs, and fake news releases about vampires coming out of the coffin.

The ad for Tru:Blood supposedly created by the Japanese for their vampires is a "taste" of the realism they're trying for. It reminded me a bit of the fake online mythology that Heroes had available last summer for their series, but this is looking for a more gritty, realistic approach. It's fun, check it out at bloodcopy.com.

From what's been leaked, it's going to be much more graphic than the books. Perhaps that will be liked by HBO's audience, but I'm not happy about it.

Happy Birthday Project Gutenberg

Michael Hart created Project Gutenberg in July 1971. His goal was to provide free online access for literary works in the public domain. About 340 new books are added each month to the 25,000 texts already available. Content is available in various formats including PDF and more recently audio (human and computer generated).

In addition to PCs, downloads are compatible with the Kindle and quite a few other mobile and handheld devices. Audio files work great on the iPod and they're free!

Scientific Applications for Google Earth

I'm no scientist, but I love Google Earth. The July issue of Popular Science highlights five scientific applications using Google Earth: Volcano Tracker, Storm Trooper, Emotion Map, Arctic Eye, and Flight of the Bird Flu. What fantastic tools for students and teachers, not to mention actual scientists and interested amateurs! What did we have growing up - protractors, slide rules, and, oh yea, erasable bond typing paper.

4th of July is a pet's nightmare

Especially if they're dressed up like this one. But seriously, my Lacey is a quivering mass of jello every time she hears fireworks and they seem to start one or two weeks before and after the big day. Some tips from Amazon's blog:

1. Keep them distracted.

2. Exercise them before the fireworks begin.

3. Crate them if you leave the house.

4. Play music to create a sound barrier.

5. If all else fails, ask your veterinarian about tranquilizers.

Levy Campaign Video

I'm co-chair of the Citizens Supporting Twinsburg Public Library and we're working for the passage of a new Library levy to bring operating revenues up to the level that they need to meet the demands of the library patrons.

The Library circulated over 100,000 items last month - who says people don't read or use libraries anymore!

Here's a video by the Library Director, Laura Leonard, explaining the need for the new levy. Great job, Laura!

Saw this on Amazon.com blog

Krispy Kreme Bacon Cheeseburgers - I'm about to go into a diabetic coma just thinking about it.

TPL's Steaming

I don't know if "steaming" is even a word, but Librarian Fred Baerkircher at the Twinsburg Public Library has created a Steam Group at Steamcommunity.com for local gamers to chat about, what else, gaming and to keep in touch between lan parties.

TPL Radio News

TPL News Podcast - four Twinsburg Public Library staff members talk about what's going on at the Library. Episode 6: June 26, 2008. Is the Internet making Scotland's kids thick? Encyclopedia wars - has Britannica surrendered to Wikipedia? Check out the Library Use Value Calculator - How much would you pay out-of-pocket for your library services?

Cleveland Museum of Art Reopened

CMA just opened its doors on the first phase of the ten year, $350 million dollar renovation project that should be completed by 2012. I've only looked at the virtual tour so far, follow link here, but hope to see it in the flesh this week or next.

Print out your own guide to the Cleveland Museum of Art's renovated 1916 building and take an interactive tour at Cleveland.com/cma/reopen. The virtual tour is really worth the effort.

Sir Ken Robinson - Do schools today kill creativity?

I started watching this because he reminded me of Michael Caine, but continued listening because of his sense of humor and wonderful insight on creativity.

Vimeo - another video sharing place

Joss Whedon and friends, including Felicity Day of The Guild fame, will be producing a three episode web series that will first be streamed for free for one week only, then as a low cost download, and eventually released for sale as a CD with extras. First episode will be released July 15th!

I'm not sure whether all three episodes will be posted on Vimeo, but this trailer is. Take a look, have fun.


Teaser from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog on Vimeo.

So Many Choices

I'm finding retirement more complex than I had ever imagined. There are just too many choices! While working, what I did online or any where else was limited by my time away from the Library. I'm finding that I could easily become overwhelmed with indecision, so today I'm setting up this new blog and we'll see what happens.