The Phoenix area just experienced its first triple digit day-- 102° (38.8°C)-- which meant that everyone was girding their loins for the start of summer. This must've made Mother Nature laugh because the temperatures are back down in the low 80s (28.8°C) for the rest of the week. I doubt any of us are complaining!
Denis and I visited the Desert Botanical Garden last week and had our usual excellent time. How excellent? I took 215 photos, that's how excellent! Next week, you'll be back for a virtual visit to the Phoenix Zoo and then after that, you can go back to the Garden with us. And don't worry-- there's no way I'll be showing you all 215 photos.
With the unexpected cool temperatures, Denis and I are talking about jumping on our mobility scooters and zipping over to the mall. I'll have to restrain myself and not race Denis across one of the big (quiet) parking lots...
Coming back from the mall... *wink* |
Here's hoping that the week ahead is a good one for all of you. Enjoy the links!
►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄
- On the science of reading.
- Behind the scenes of Barack Obama's reading lists.
- Publishing numbers big and small.
- How bookshop.org survives-- and thrives-- in Amazon's world.
- Did Dickens create the first android in literature?
- The history of passport photos, from "anything goes" to today's mugshots.
- How government helped create the "traditional" family.
- How one reader got himself into historical fiction.
- Why escapist reads are more popular than ever.
►Book Banning & Censorship◄
- A Tennessee bill would punish publishers for selling "obscene" material.
- A "Little Banned Library" featuring books that have been removed from schools is now open in Houston's Heights neighborhood.
- The Texas House okays a bill targeting sexually explicit books in school libraries.
- PEN America's latest report shows that 37 states and millions of students have been impacted so far by 2022-2023 school year book bans.
- Republicans in Saline County (Arkansas) have joined the book banning club. Take a look at what they're mad about.
- Public outcry doesn't change an Oregon school district's decision to pull 36 books.
- The Anderson County (Tennessee) sheriff has stated that the obscenity law doesn't support a challenge to library books.
- Research has revealed that a third of UK librarians have been asked to censor or remove books.
- The American Library Association has released its list of the thirteen most challenged books of 2022. (The list normally only has ten books.)
- Use this map to find out how many book bans were attempted in your state.
- Freedom to Read supporters say it's time to get louder. (I'll second that.)
- Inside the battle for North Dakota's bookshelves.
- The fight for the American public library.
►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄
- The ancient Roman's brain that turned into glass has finally been explained.
- An ancient inscription on a jar found in Israel links the kingdoms of Solomon and Sheba.
- Experts say 2,000-year-old altars found underwater in Italy belong to an ancient kingdom.
- Want to help the FBI find stolen art? There's an app for that.
- This license plate just became the most expensive in the world.
- Which ancient Egyptian dynasty ruled the longest?
- Where did Chaco Canyon's timber come from?
- Two 100-year-old shipwrecks have been found in Lake Superior.
►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄
- Watch a man teach a rescued baby hummingbird how to fly.
- At Montana's infamous Berkeley Pit, saving lives means hazing birds.
- Wild African elephants may have domesticated themselves.
- An old male bald eagle named Murphy who adopted a rock becomes a real foster dad. More from Smithsonian Magazine.
- For young threatened desert tortoises, these technologies have arrived to help.
- An intelligent Asian elephant named Pang Pha taught herself how to peel bananas.
- A rare wolverine sighting was captured on video in Oregon.
- An adorable mini-sheepadoodle named Bayley looks just like Snoopy.
►The Wanderer◄
- Positano, Italy's Le Sirenuse Hotel's siren call.
- Crime & the City: Lhasa.
- Stunning wildflower superbloom photos.
- The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is now so vast that sea creatures have turned it into a home. More from Smithsonian Magazine.
- Why Lake Tahoe is the clearest it's been in forty years.
- Why it's time for a worldwide Lights-Out Program.
- England's secret historic hotel network.
- This Colorado cemetery is now a designated wildlife habitat.
►Fascinating Folk◄
- Why the last words of Anne Boleyn remain a mystery.
- Naaman Diller, the time thief who stole 106 rare clocks in a daring heist.
- A snapshot of the many and various criminals aboard the Titanic.
- Ancient princesses helped build a vast warrior empire that prompted China to build the Great Wall.
- Why has history forgotten the brilliant 18th-century composer Joseph Bologne?
- Hilary Mantel's last novel was to have been an Austen mash-up.
- To protect wildlife, author Delia Owens has been willing to make enemies.
- 18-year-old Angie Fogarty developed a test to find out if your drink has been spiked.
►I ♥ Lists◄
- Fourteen Victorian mysteries.
- 17 dishes people eat for breakfast around the world.
- The best dog bookmarks.
- Ten espionage novels centering on women's stories.
- Ten badly behaved biographies.
- Five speculative novels set in worlds full of books.
- Four different styles of mysteries from around the world.
- Thirteen of the best mystery shows of all time.
That's
all for this week! Don't forget to stop by next Friday when I'll be
sharing a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure.
The weather here's been weird, too, Cathy - very warm for a few days, and then cooling off. Believe me, the longer I can wait to turn the AC on, the better! In the meantime, I'm so happy you got the chance to go to the Desert Botanical Gardens. And I love the mental picture of you and Denis racing your scooters! Now, it's off to those shipwrecks for me, and then to Italy...
ReplyDeleteAs it happens, it's a good thing we didn't race in the parking lot. Denis forgot to charge his wheelchair the night before, and four blocks from home, it ran out of juice and Denis had to push it home. Thank heavens, he was able to do so without any real aftereffects!
DeleteOh, no!! What a pain! I'm glad he was able to get it back home without getting hurt!
DeleteOur weather keeps jumping from hotter to cooler, too. Spring can be such a roller coaster ride when it comes to the weather. Hope you have a great weekend! :D
ReplyDeleteSo far, so good. Hope you're having a good one, too!
DeleteI love that photo of you and Denis coming back from the mall incognito. (wink) You look like you are in the witness orotection program.
ReplyDelete*laughing* I'd have to give up my knitting, book gathering, and blogging if I were. After what happened on the way home (read my reply to Margot's comment), I'm thinking of stowing a tow rope on my scooter in case this happens again!
DeleteThanks so much for the book. I got it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know. Enjoy!
DeleteI love the mental image of you and Denis racing - better luck another time!
ReplyDeleteDenis loves motorcycle and Formula 1 racing, and I inherited a lead foot, so it would be interesting!
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