Khan Academy

No, it's not about Star Trek this time.  I learned about Khan Academy from my nephew.  It's "a not-for-profit with the goal of changing education for the better by providing a free world-class education to anyone anywhere."  Check it out.

Cool Promo for a New Book

Check out this promo video for the book You Are Not So Smart by David McRaney, due out in October. He also has a blog.

Get Downtown

Cool promotional video for downtown Lynchburg.  Good job!

And The Winner Is...

...Melanie!  Here's one of her dances from the finale of "So You Think You Can Dance", Season 8 -- a contemporary routine with Robert, choreographed by Stacey Tookey.

Plus, tappers!

Collide

Last time on "So You Think You Can Dance", a special performance from Lauren (last season's winner) and Kent (last season's runner-up) in a Travis Wall contemporary piece:

Also, this contemporary routine choreographed by Justin Giles:

More Help For Homeless Cats

Click here to read about the South Central Spay and Neuter Clinic located in Evington, Virginia.

Here's another article from November 2010.

Contemporary

Here's my favorite dance from this week's "So You Think You Can Dance":  A contemporary piece choreographed by Mandy Moore, danced by Melanie and Neil.  The judges are running out of adjectives to describe just how wonderful and talented Melanie is!

Twitch Returns...

... in one of my favorite dances of the season so far.  Lyrical hip hop, choreographed by Christopher Scott, from last night's "So You Think You Can Dance".

Kitten vs Two Scary Things

Thank you, Beth, for sending this to me!

Dance, And More Dance

Two videos from this week's "So You Think You Can Dance" because I can't decide.  First up, a group number choreographed by Kelley Abbey.

One judge called this couple the future of dance after their contemporary routine choreographed by Dee Caspary.

Bark For Your Park

Lynchburg is a finalist for PetSafe's contest to win $100,000 for a dog park in our community.

You can vote here once per day through August 3.  Let's win a park for Lynchburg!

Joy

That's the word that comes to mind when I watch this contemporary routine, choreographed by Mandy Moore, from last week's "So You Think You Can Dance".

Bon Voyage, Atlantis

To follow NASA's special coverage of the final mission of the space shuttle, click here.

Barn Cat Buddies

Click here to read about another great local program for homeless cats!

And the link

Library Tales

If you think you deal with crazy people at the library (oh, I should specify that I mean the public), check out this blog of library tales. I particularly love the one about the aliens....

A Little More Traditional

So many good choices this week, but this video from last night's "So You Think You Can Dance" is a foxtrot choreographed by Jean Marc Genereux.  Enjoy!

What To Do With Tomatoes?

JAB has a couple of homegrown tomatoes that she doesn't know what to do with.  She's afraid to just eat them and wants to make them into something.  Here's my recipe:

Take a pan.  Put in 2 slices of bread with a slice of cheese on each. Put under broiler until cheese melts.  Cut 2 thick slices of tomato and put on top of cheese to make 2 open-faced sandwiches.  Now that's good eatin'.

If anyone has a good vegetarian recipe for homegrown tomatoes, please post here!  Thanks.

The 6 Phases of Work (still funny!)

Phase 1

You are listening to jazz

Your first day at work is great. Your coworkers are wonderful, your cubicle is cute, and your boss is the best!

---

Phase 2

You are listening to pop music

After a while, you are so busy that you are not sure if you’re coming or going anymore.

---

Phase 3

You are listening to heavy metal

This is what you feel like at month’s end.

---

Phase 4

You are listening to hip hop

You become bloated due to stress, feel sluggish, and suffer from constipation. Your coworkers are too cheerful for your liking, and the walls of your cubicle are closing in. You have started thinking "WHATEVER" about your boss.

---

Phase 5

You are listening to GANGSTA RAP

After more time passes, your eyes start to twitch, and you forget what a "good hair day" feels like as you just fall out of bed and load up on caffeine.

---

Phase 6

You are listening to the voices in your head

You have built a makeshift door on your cubicle to keep people out. You have a dartboard with your boss’s picture on it in your cube. You wonder why you're even here in the first place!

---

Coming Home

Last night on "So You Think You Can Dance"...

Choreographed by Napoleon & Tabitha, this is the story of a soldier returning home to his wife from Afghanistan.

Also choreographed by Napoleon & Tabitha, this is a fun routine from last season.  It was first performed by Alex & Twitch, and then Ellen performed with Twitch on the finale after Alex was injured.

Turn To Stone

I know some of you may not be dance fans, but here's what you're missing.  This routine, choreographed by Travis Wall, was on last night's "So You Think You Can Dance."  The dancers are statues.

Cutest Video Ever

This Was Google's Coolest Logo Yet

I'm glad it didn't go away after just one day . . . click here.

Relaxation Drinks?

JSC and I were just talking about insomnia cures last night on the phone. I'm too tired to remember how I found it, but I just came across this article.

Book Paintings

These are

really cool.

Check out

this Web site

for more!

Added frustrations!

Hi Jane and everyone else? I have a question mark because I don't really know quite what I'm doing. And each page of instructions to enable me to join this blog was in Turkish. Firefox had no translator so I had to paste everything into Google and then translate. But there is nothing to translate techno-speak into terms someone like me has the patience to deal with. I'd only do this for Jane!
Haven't found a local library with anyone who speaks English for a while because then I could get some help! If all else fails I'll maybe read the directions or maybe by some miracle this will work. Jane, let me know.
My Red Sox are doing just fine these days. Too bad the game is on at 2 am Turkish time. But I did follow it for a while this morning.
So now I'm tired and signing off.
Ruth on Doramac

Star Trek 45th Anniversary: Intro to The World of Tomorrow

Star Trek 45th Anniversary: Intro to The World of Tomorrow

June is Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month!

I share my house and my life with these five wonderful cats who at one time were homeless.  If you are thinking about getting a pet, please consider adopting from a shelter or rescue group.  You will get back way more than you give.

Mia

Chloe

Annie

Daisy

Lily

What?

[Sarah] Palin, who again said she has not decided whether to run for president, was asked in Boston on Thursday about the Revolutionary War hero [Paul Revere] during a stop on her East Coast bus tour.

"He who warned the British that they weren't gonna be takin' away our arms by ringing those bells, and makin' sure as he's riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that we were going to be sure and we were going to be free, and we were going to be armed."

Latest Reads

Bossypants by Tina Fey

As a fan of Tina Fey, I was eager to read this book. It’s hilarious, of course, and made me like her even more. I enjoyed learning more about her life in her own words, and it was also cool to know the places in Philly to which she referred when describing her childhood. “30 Rock” is one of the few shows I watch.

2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America by Albert Brooks

I’m neutral toward Albert Brooks, but the premise of the book seemed intriguing: it’s a work of fiction set in 2030, but it’s almost a plausible prediction of where we’re headed politically, economically, environmentally, and socially. It’s not good bedtime reading … too thought-provoking! I hope he writes more books.

TouchPoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments by Douglas Conant & Mette Norgaard

TouchPoints are basically moments during the work day in which two or more people get together to discuss an issue or accomplish a task. It’s up to the leader to recognize a moment as a TouchPoint and to respond in the best way possible. One of the lessons of this book is a tough one for me. The writers encourage leaders to welcome interruptions, and as a task-oriented person, it’s difficult for me to respond happily when I’m interrupted. Outwardly, I think I cover pretty well, but inside I’m often impatient to get back to the task, especially if it’s time-sensitive or particularly important to me. I’m always looking for ways to be more present in the moment. One of my favorite passages from the book: “Communication comes from the Latin communis. It’s about having something in common. In a TouchPoint, that means having a shared understanding of where we are now, where we want to go, and how we will get there. That kind of communication requires both clear speaking and careful listening.” I really enjoy the positive tone of this book and the fact that the principles require constant practice. Also, I always appreciate a fresh, sensible perspective.

My Favorite T-Shirt

It's been around for a while, but I just bought this T-shirt recently....

"A Venn diagram showing the psychological forces at work among users of social networking tools."

Any other CSA members?

At our Volunteer Reception this year, a few employees told me about a local CSA to which they belonged. It sounded great . . . to support local agriculture and to inspire a healthier diet - so I split a medium share with someone else at work. Does anyone else belong to one? Any in the Lynchburg area?

Collection Development Shift?

Early Word is a useful source for collection development (I check it every few days); however, eBooks are definitely a worry, and I wonder how collection spending will shift over the next few years. Amazon now says they sell more eBooks than print materials. I'd still rather read a book in my hands than on a screen, especially after spending a portion of the day behind a screen at work.

Stop cat madness with City Cat Fix

Stop cat madness with City Cat Fix: "Many residents of the city of Lynchburg have neighborhood cats living around their home. Some don't mind them and others don't want them."

Welcome, JAB!

Thanks for contributing to my blog.  I'm looking forward to your wise and entertaining posts.

Creation

This blog has been created to fulfill work plan requirements.