Banktoaster*

Giveaway of the Day - Picture Collage Maker

Picture Collage Maker is a powerful, versatile way to build any photo collage and scrapbook project - whether you’re just starting out or have been involved in making collages for years.

You can also create your calendar, greeting card, invitation card, poster and more you can think of!

Sign up for the feeds from this site! There are some good additions to your toolbox offered.



*banktoaster A term coined by JGodsey at the Bibliophile Bullpen for special goodies that improve day-to-day productivity.

Banktoaster *

Copy and Paste from any Computer to Another

I admit to being a sucker for techie stuff and this one caught my eye. Gizmo Richards at Tech Alert posted this link and recommendation of HeyPasteIt this morning.

I agree with Gizmo. Bookmark this link. You will need it.

Looks like a winner to me!

*banktoaster A term coined by JGodsey at the Bibliophile Bullpen for special goodies that improve day-to-day productivity.

Serendipity

ser·en·dip·i·ty n. pl. ser·en·dip·i·ties

1. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
2. The fact or occurrence of such discoveries.
3. An instance of making such a discovery.

Every autumn I volunteer at the Senior Adult Services Bookworm Bash (Used Book Sale). I was looking for some light fiction when one of the ladies pressed Debbie Macomber's THE SHOP ON BLOSSOM STREET into my hand. With her colleagues in full scout mode, I went home with both the Blossom Street and Cedar Cove Series.

The shop on Blossom Street is a yarn shop where a diverse group of ladies learns to knit and make afghans for Project Linus.

The primary mission of Project Linus is "to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers.”"

I can do that! Although the eyes aren't up to detailed sewing and quilting any longer, I can happily crochet or knit while my dear best half and I watch a game or a movie after dinner.

Nationally, and locally, this is a very dedicated group of volunteers. The national web site indicates that as of the end of September 2008 over two million six hundred thousand (2,600,000) blankets had been donated. The Dallas/Collin/Grayson Counties (Texas) chapter website notes over 4,000 blankets donated since its inception in November 2004.

Selfishly, I selected a project worked in crocheted blocks so it would be easy to carry along wherever I was going and in bold colors more suited to a young man at the older end of the spectrum served. I've just finished my first project and am happily already into the next one done in a variegated yarn that resembles military camouflage.

Serendipity . . . a good thing.

What is the Appropriate Punishment

The Associated Press reports:

"The owner of a peanut company urged his workers to ship tainted products after receiving test results identifying salmonella, imploring employees to "turn the raw peanuts on our floor into money," according to internal company e-mails disclosed Wednesday by a House committee. "

JGodsey suggests that confinement at Club Gitmo with an exclusively peanut butter diet might be appropriate. Works for me!

I MISS MY KASHI BARS!

Anonymous on the Net?

Does this headline catch your eye?

Hundreds who posted views on sex assault trial targeted in Tarrant suit

It definitely caught me eye and I wandered over to the Dallas Morning News to read the details.

Topix.com has been orderd to provide identifying information for 178 posters who posted approximately 1,700 graphic comments regarding a sexual assault trial. All three defendants were found not guilty and are now suing those who made the comments.

The suit is in Tarrant County (Fort Worth Texas) because "it appears one anonymous poster lives in Fort Worth."

Topix's reply is carefully crafted.

"We do not just give up people's privacy," said the Web site's CEO Chris Tolles. "We're very, very careful about that."

"But Tolles said the discussions are not necessarily a license to run people through the mud. "If there is a line that's been crossed from a libel standpoint — and it seems reasonable — we do, in fact, cooperate with the courts.""

Should be interesting to watch.

Color Me Surprised

Wednesday afternoon I was surprised to receive an automated phone call from Sam's Club informing me that my favorite breakfast bars have been recalled because of the peanut content.

Please return all packages to your local store for a refund. Further information available from the manufacturer at . . .

I hadn't made the connection with the recalled peanut butter crackers and MY breakfast bars but I'm quite impressed with the service.

US Airways Flight 1549 - A Passenger's Perspective

The Dallas Morning News offered a different account of the emergency landing in the Hudson River of US Airways Flight 1549 by American Airlines First Officer Susan O'Donnell who was one of two jumpseat passengers on the flight.

The whole article is at the link above and as you'd expect Ms. O'Donnell praised the crew and emergency personnel but I was once again impressed by her description of Captain Sullenberger at the ferry terminal.


"Captain Sullenberger continued in a leadership role in the aftermath, talking with the passengers, assembling his crew and including myself and the other jumpseat rider as members of his crew. I was impressed to note that he had the aircraft logbook tucked under his arm. When the Captain asked me if I wanted to join the crew at the hotel, I told him I would really appreciate it as I had lost my wallet. He immediately pulled out his wallet and gave me $20. His concern for me when he had so much else to worry about was amazing."

Captain Sullenberger has become the face of that crew but like FO O'Donnell, I am quite impressed with the professionalism of the whole crew and want to recognize FO Jeffrey Skiles and Flight Attendants Donna Dent, Sheila Dail and Doreen Welsh.

Well Done!

Everything Old is New Again

Many years ago, best sellers were available for low weekly rental fees at neighborhood shops - drug stores, gift shops, department stores and according to Lee Kirk of The Prints and The Paper independent book shops.

Yesterday's Dallas Morning News caught my attention with a photo of bright pink book carts and an article describing a relatively new Dallas Public Library program called Street Smart.

The bright pink carts posted near the circulation desk offer a selection of 28 of the hottest best sellers and 40 popular DVDs. Each item can be checked out for a fee of $5. Books can be checked out for three weeks; DVDs for one week. It is strictly an impulse item. There are no holds on these items and no renewals. Regular late fees apply.

Best Sellers are available on the cart in all branches the day they are available in the store. Copies of each item available on the cart are also available through regular library circulation/hold system.

Once the demand drops for an item it will become part of the regular collection to fill the backlog of holds. For the period October to December 2008, the library reports just under 2,100 Street Smart Express items checked out.

Doing some Google searches, I found several libraries with similar programs. One that caught my eye was a library selling a $50 Friend card that included twelve rentals for the price of ten. In these tight budget times for our libraries, this strikes me as a great way to get seed money to start and maintain the program.

It will be interesting to watch communities develop and modify programs.

Grace and Confidence - Beautifully Displayed

"Education Reclaimed ... Confidence is restored. Frustration is lessened. Barriers are overcome. Learning takes place. Success is possible at Dallas Academy. "

These are the first words I saw at the Dallas Academy web site.

Thirty years ago, I was lucky enough to work as Business Manager at DA for three school years. They were busy, never dull years surrounded by approximately 50 secondary school students, mostly male, who needed different approaches to learning but were in every other way typical high school kids. Oh, lord were they . . .

Wednesday night's Dallas Morning News feed caught my attention, quickly. Academy Basketball Coach Sees A Win in 100-0 Loss Something in the feed must have mentioned Dallas Academy because I followed the link. I was expecting a "pity party."

In addition to the news story, what I found was a video of the coach and the Dallas Academy Ladies Basketball Team talking about the experience and their hope to get better at the game. While they didn't win, they knew that they played to the best of their abilities.

With only 20 girls in the upper school, it is a "thin" team of 8 for the Academy. Of the 6 interviewed by the DMN, 3 were freshmen.

The story was followed quickly by another. XXXX School Seeks to Forfeit 100-0 win A week after the loss and the day the story was published in the print copy - although it was on the net the night before, XXXX School officials contacted and visited Dallas Academy to apologize for the "victory without honor."

Dallas Academy continued to not feel victimized. Athletic Director Civello said, "the girls' team, which hasn't won a game in his four years there, doesn't want to be credited with a victory it didn't earn on the court."

Public reactions that I heard and read, mostly read, convince me that the general public still does not know that folks with learning differences are not physically or mentally handicapped. They just LEARN DIFFERENTLY.

There is sooooo much I want to say about this event (particularly after reading the Associated Press account of the game) but neither the students, the parents nor staff of Dallas Academy are publicly going down that path so neither will I.

"Even if you are losing, you might as well keep playing," said Shelby Hyatt, a freshman on the team. "Keep trying, and it's going to be OK."

Works for me!

Edited to add:

Of course I no sooner hit the "post" button than Jacquielyn Floyd's DMN Saturday Column appeared in my feed. So well said. It's why I don't quit my day job.

Do I Have A Taker

We needed some stamps the other day. I usually pick them up at the machine in the lobby when I'm doing my mailing but the counters were empty so I popped in to wish the clerks a Happy New Year.

Pulled the stamps out of my bag today and stopped dead when I saw the $8.40 stamp. What the heck . . .

I realized that, of course, is the price of the folder but I can't help but wonder how far a package would get with that $8.40 stamp on it.

Any takers?

Color The New Year

The first color or two for your website are easy but what should you use for that third, fourth or fifth color?

Pogo's Place and Pogo's Place Books were easy when I started. Turtles are green and Pogo needed to be a dark green. The pale yellow background followed easily but how to find complimentary colors.

The folks over at CrystalXP.net have highlighted 5 free tools to help you pick the perfect colors for your website as well as a handful of other free tools to fuel your imagination.

Get going and spruce up that site.

Bibliophile Bullpen: Make It An Every Day Destination

Need "a whiff of old books with your coffee."?

Joyce Godsey treats us to more than a whiff each day at the Bibliophile Bullpen. Her old bookseller tricks are not to be missed.

For example,

Bibliophile Bullpen: old bookseller trick #2 - Lint roller & shoe brushes

Stop by the bullpen. You'll be glad you did.

HELENE HANFF'S INFLUENCE

It's amazing what Helene Hanff has given to so many booksellers.

Just yesterday a customer e-mailed to tell me how happy he was with the book he purchased and to tell me that he had made his first E-Bay sale and would use my communication skills as a template for his customer relations. After telling him that he had made my day, especially since his book had spent 12 days in USPS Purgatory, I suggested that he rent 84 Charing Cross Road explaining that I consider Helene the patron saint of my business.

For all that 84 has given me, Helene's first book Underfoot in Show Business and her last Letter from New York gave me so much more. Both showed me how a smart, caring woman carved her place in the city where she wanted to live and shaped a career that started at The Theater Guild as an aspiring playwright and ended with a series of books and BBC broadcasts (Letter from New York) that opened her home and life to us all.

Today I discovered The Ashland Book Company and Anita's musings on Helene - IT'S HELENE HANFF'S FAULT. She's right. It is Helene's fault. Helene is the customer I'm trying to please - every day.

"If you happen to pass by 84, Charing Cross Road, kiss it for me? I owe it so much."

DAVE DAWSON AT TRUK

Dave Dawson At Truk was the 15^th, and last, book published in the Dave Dawson series written by R. Sidney Bowen. Written for the young reader during World War II, Dawson escaped occupied France through Dunkirk in the first book published in 1941. The series includes:

1. Dave Dawson at Dunkirk
2. Dave Dawson with the RAF
3. Dave Dawson in Libya
   
4. Dave Dawson on Convoy Patrol
   
5. Dave Dawson at Singapore
   
6. Dave Dawson Flight Lieutenant
   
7. Dave Dawson with the Pacific Fleet
   
8. Dave Dawson with the Air Corps
   
9. Dave Dawson with the Commandos
   
10. Dave Dawson on the Russian Front
    
11. Dave Dawson with the Flying Tigers
    
12. Dave Dawson on Guadacanal
    
13. Dave Dawson at Casablanca
    
14. Dave Dawson with the Eighth Air Force
    
15. Dave Dawson at Truk

A 16th book, Dave Dawson over Berlin, was never published.

While the first twelve books are easy to find, the final three can be a challenge to locate. PogosPlaceBooks.com occasionally has these titles in stock.