The Dip in the Road Weekly Link Round-Up

 

My Emergency Room visit turned into an adventure. I seem to be a magnet for such things. The ER staff immediately siphoned off a quantity of blood, hooked me up to a bag of antibiotics, and then began running their tests. Convinced that they'd be keeping me, I'd brought my hospital go-bag, my bag of knitting, and both Kindles (charging cord included). 

It turns out that they didn't want to keep me; however, they waffled about the final decision so much that there was no way for me and my mobility scooter to get home. So... I spent the night in the ER. I'd finished reading two books. The antibiotics were making me tired (but not sleepy), so I turned the TV on for some noise. I had a mini Forensics Files marathon (Denis hates the show so I very seldom ever watch it), and then I spent three hours watching a two-hour-long movie because of all the commercials the channel crammed in. I got-- maybe-- 45 minutes sleep because of all the activity and trauma calls over the PA system.

I was dressed and out of my room by 5 AM which is when Dial-a-Ride is ready for business. I needed to book my ride home ASAP. I called and was told that I'd have to call back at 6 AM. At 6 AM, I was told that Dial-a-Ride doesn't do same day bookings. How in the world was I supposed to get home? What was worse-- staying at the hospital or trying to get home on my scooter and having the battery die out on the street somewhere? The wonderful folks at the admissions desk in the ER tried their best to help, but Denis was the person who saved the day.

He managed to find a company that could pick me and my scooter up and take us home. I don't call that wonderful man Mr. Fix-It for nothing! Then the second part of my adventure began.

The driver who picked me up must have been the sibling of the ill-tempered woman manning the phones for Dial-a-Ride. He wasn't rude, but it was obvious he'd rather be doing something else. No problem. I can deal with that. Just get me home.

There's one thing about transporting people in wheelchairs, scooters, and the like: do not be an aggressive driver. Passengers do not like being tossed from side to side. This driver was aggressive. Guess what? I didn't care. I was on my way HOME!

Then he ignored the sign warning of an upcoming dip in the road. I well remember, years ago, when I forgot to slow down, hit the dip, and swore I'd left the undercarriage of my car on the road behind me. This driver was already at-- or above--the speed limit when he hit that dip, and I wasn't paying attention. I hit my head on the roof of the car. My sunglasses fell off, and I almost lost my grip on my phone. Yikes!

But guess what? I didn't care! Why? Because less than five minutes later, I was HOME!

I'm going to enjoy some reading material I found in my mailbox. Enjoy the links!

 

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• Simon & Schuster UK is launching a TikTok hype house for books.
• How to be a Regency lady sleuth.
• The country house murder mystery in America.
• TikTok book deals: Nine authors whose TikTok popularity helped get them published.
• Rebecca F. Kuang rejects the idea that authors should not write about other races.
• A top publishing CEO says people are reading more because streaming services are too expensive.
• Your cozy reading nook inspiration.
• A library book checked out in 1927 finally gets returned after nearly one hundred years.

►Book Banning & Censorship◄

• The Governor of Illinois has signed a landmark law to discourage book bans in libraries.
• Librarians are striking back against comics and graphic novels bans.
• The American Library Association's new comics initiatives.
• The Bible has officially been banned in this Utah School District, and the Book of Mormon may follow close behind. 
• President Biden to announce an anti-book ban coordinator.
• The book banners known as Moms for Liberty has been labeled a hate group.
• Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill she said aimed to ban books, but the sponsor said it's meant to ban the "practice" of filming pornography in public schools. Wonder why the wording of it was so vague then?
• Connecticut passes a bill requiring play-based learning, addressing book bans, and increasing mental health care.
• Curriculum that mentions Harvey Milk has been blocked by the Temecula (California) school board.
• "Restricted" library cards have been introduced by the Idaho Falls Library.
• School librarians share their battles with book banning.
• Art Spiegelman reflects on fascism as a third Missouri school district debates banning his Holocaust memoir.
• Texas has officially banned so-called "sexually explicit" books and demands book ratings from vendors.
  

 

 ►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• Archaeologists found the earliest known saddle in the 2,700-year-old tomb of a woman.
• Unfinished projects sat in a glassmaker's workshop for over 1,700 years until being recently uncovered.
• 4,000-year-old DNA is the oldest evidence of plague in Britain.
• An ancient Egyptian queen's bracelets contain the first evidence of long-distance trade between Egypt and Greece.
• A hidden tunnel and rooms have been unearthed under a 1,500-year-old church in Istanbul.
• Archaeologists in Armenia unearth a bakery complete with 3,000-year-old flour.
• 2,700-year-old petroglyphs depicting people, ships, and animals have been discovered in Sweden.
• A rare Roman mausoleum has been unearthed in London.

 

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• Incredible ROV footage of a red balloon-like octopus.
• Nine real-world animal crossings.
• A black bear broke into a bakery and gobbled 60 cupcakes. 
• An elephant gets a new prosthetic for his missing foot.
• Why some scientists want to stop naming organisms after people.
• Meet Buoy and Beacon, the lifeguard dogs watching over beachgoers in Maine.
• Brenda the dog climbed a wall at an animal shelter to be next to her best friend.
• Octopuses can rewire their brains to brave chilly waters, and their DNA suggests that Antarctica will melt again.

 

►The Wanderer◄

• El Niño has arrived.
• The twelve biggest volcanic eruptions in recorded history.
• Vienna's diversity-themed traffic lights (ampelpärchen) were inspired by the Eurovision Song Contest.
• Could this convertible seat improve air travel for wheelchair users? (Probably, but the cynic in me wants to know how much the airlines are going to charge for the privilege.)

 

►Fascinating Folk◄

• Lewis Hine, the photographer who forced the U.S. to confront its child labor problem.
• Thomas Dambo, the "recycle artist", wants to build ten giant trolls across the U.S. this summer in a global art project. (I like those trolls actually.)
• Author Cormac McCarthy has died at the age of 89.
• How Hollywood costume designer Marjorie McCown's unusual profession inspired her murder mystery.
• We have heard of the Caldecott Medal, but who was Randolph Caldecott?

 

►I ♥ Lists◄

• The most popular hairstyles throughout history.
• Eight historical fiction books set in colonial America.
• Eight books featuring locked rooms and deadly puzzles.
• All the Indiana Jones movies ranked from worst to best.
• A nostalgic compilation of commercials from 1997. 
• The top thirty TikTok book recommendations: 2023.
• More bookish embroidery patterns for stitch-savvy readers.
• Barnes & Noble's Best Books of the Year So Far list is here.
  

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.

No matter how busy you may be, don't forget that quality Me Time curled up with a good book!