Jim Neal

Union Says IMLS Employees to Be Put On Administrative Leave; ALA Declares a ‘Five Alarm Fire’ "We’ve all seen the news about the unjustified, ill treatment of federal employees across many agencies, and now it has come squarely to the library community,” ALA's Alan Inouye wrote.

www.wordsandmoney.com/ala-calls-tr...

Do you remember the Easy-Bake Oven? It is a working toy oven introduced in 1963 and manufactured by Kenner and later by Hasbro. The original toy used a pair of ordinary incandescent light bulbs as a heat source; current versions use a true heating element. My sister had one of the originals.

Bill would strip state funds from public libraries based on association membership - Iowa Capital Dispatch

Roberta Flack, singer of “Killing Me Softly,” has died at 88 - NPR One of favorites of all time.

I have a profound weakness for dessert. It is all my mother’s fault as she baked every day. I especially love a rich multi multi multi layer chocolate cake. After you indulge, you want to scream out, You can take me now!!

This really made me laugh. A bag of grated Romano cheese hanging in the car as an air freshener. I remember when I first went to Fran’s house for dinner, and grated cheese was on everything and as important as salt and pepper. Always a big bag in our fridge.

This cartoon from The New Yorker screams New York City. There are thousands of buttons like this at street crossings all over the city. None of them work! That is why we usually treat crossing signals as suggestions.

Trump administration rescinds approval of congestion pricing in Manhattan - THE CITY

New book from the Supreme Court Justice, SOTOMAYOR'S LATEST BOOK GEARED TOWARD YOUNG READERS IS INSPIRED BY HER LATE MOTHER, CELINA BÁEZ, AND AIMS TO SHOW "HOW HELPING OTHERS SHINE MAKES THE WORLD BRIGHTER". Would be so cool to get her for an ALA speaker.

Let’s not forget this. This is challenging for the library community. Quote attributed to Dante.

Thomson Reuters Wins First Major AI Copyright Case in the US The Thomson Reuters decision has big implications for the battle between generative AI companies and rightsholders.

www.wired.com/story/thomso...

Department of Defense Education Activity Demands Book Bans, Curriculum Censorship in Its Schools The Department of Defense Education Activity demands its schools remove curriculum and books related to race, gender, and more.

bookriot.com/department-o... Some Department of Defense schools and libraries now ordered to purge the curriculums and libraries.

Senator Ted Cruz is trying to block Wi-Fi hotspots for schoolchildren Cruz: Hotspot lending could “censor kids’ exposure to conservative viewpoints.”…

arstechnica.com/tech-policy/... Now they are attacking wifi hotspots for schoolchildren.

This sounds like really good advice.

This is getting harder and harder to do! I get in trouble all the time.

I took typing In junior high school in the early 60s. On manual typewriters. The teacher made the class very competitive. It was a skill that was useful as computers took over.

The Blue Man Group is closing in NYC at the Astor Place Theater. After 17,800 shows and 82,150 gallons of paint since 1991. The trio of hairless, earless, silent, blue-and-black clad performers, who spit paint and sculpt marshmallows, gobble Twinkies, toss toilet paper, and drum in primary colors.

This is really important advice.

Bill to add Trump to Mount Rushmore introduced in House.

President Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday that aims to find ways to cut federal funding to schools that teach certain topics related to race, sex, gender or politics. Will libraries be next?

I rarely eat bacon, though I really like it. Usually only when we go out for breakfast or while we are traveling. When I do, I like it on the crispy side. My mother undercooked when I was a kid, and I remember the can where she poured in the grease.

The iconic Brooklyn Bridge spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River. Crossing the bridge and avoiding the bicycles is one of the tourist must-do attractions in NYC.

I am not sure why, but this shirt made me laugh. Made me think at first of Simon and Garfunkel. But then about the importance of having guidance and direction to make music in this world.

When I was a kid, pork and beans from the can with cut up hot dogs was a dinner staple. I guess it was an inexpensive dinner. I really liked it and would add mustard on the side.

Vision issues and night driving concerns took me to the eye doctor. Now scheduled for cataract surgery on both eyes. I am assured things will improve.

Jonathan, an Aldabra giant tortoise, is the world's oldest living land animal and is believed to be over 190 years old. He lives on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic.Years ago we visited the Galápagos Islands on a small boat, and saw many older tortoises. Very special!