The Priestly Sins: A Book Review

Father Andrew Greeley holds up a mirror reflecting the sexual abuse scandal in the modern church thru the fictional memoirs of holesome prairie-bred Father Herman Hugo Hoffman. The book makes us think and consider who the real evil-doers are: the abuser priests or the hierarchy who knowingly cover up their attrocities.

Flu season: Possible preventatives

Visit smallflower.com to learn more about what this unique apothecary shop carries.

Visit discover.com to learn more about the magazine.

Try this approach to learn more about Powder Med.

Tupperware

Today, being a crypto-anthropologist, I observed a unique ritual. It proved to be an interesting field experience with fascinating native customs and mores. Click the link to learn more. Or read

Tupperware: The Promise of Plastic in 1950s America / Alison J. Clarke. 2002.
Book Number: RC 50566

Cooking without Looking

Originally this was name of a cookbook produced back in the day by NLS. Now it's a cutting edge cooking show featuring blind cooks. I am so pleased as I have long wanted to study food, its lore, and just learn how to cook at a better level. I was tempted to obtain that MFA in Gastronomy from Boston U but figure it'd be like that MLIS I got from LSU SLIS, a pretty bit of inedible garnish. I contacted www.wxel.org and am told they are planning a web page for the show and I'll include this when I am informed of the URL

Top 100 Novels--too little Time to read 'em all: Part III

Top 100 Novels--too little Time to read 'em all: Part II

Top 100 Novels--too little Time to read 'em all: Part I

Lists of the top-ranked anything fascinate us. Such a list is Time Magazine's Top 100 Novels. It was decided that novels published since 1923, the year Time first appeared, would be considered. The list is varied, a mix of genre books, several young adult books, and some more literary offerings. I didn't break it down by author (several seem to be represented at least twice) or genre (several interesting examples including science fiction, historical fiction, and thriller) or year (more books grouped around the last several decades of the 20th century--with the 60s and 70s being well represented).

I found the web site problematic to navigate, too cluttered, busy, and confusing. I don't know the rankings of many of the books that were listed. The list switched from the top 5 to an alphabetical listing. I don't agree with every book on the list; who would? But I am glad several books that shall remain nameless didn't make it! The list should be more than just a best-seller catalog and it seems to be. I would have considered adding a 25-member honorable mention titles subsection to the list.

I wonder if the field of Disability Studies will produce a top 25 list of books, fiction and nonfiction, that are by and/or about persons with dis?abilities? Perhaps, I should go through my nearly 20 years worth of documented reading to formulate my own top list. What do you think?

Definitely too many books, too little time!!

Related: Book site recced by Kim Komando.

Radio Talking Book Service of interest

Check out the Radio Talking Book Service for Minnesota, and also see if there's an RTB in your area. Excerpt from Minnesota site:

Radio Talking Book ( RTB ) is a closed-circuit reading network broadcasting twenty-four hours daily to more than 7,500 handicapped persons (with a potential of 35,000) in Minnesota and South Dakota. Through satellite distribution, thousands of listeners nation-wide receive RTB broadcasts via their local radio reading services. Receivers are available on loan without charge to those who are eligible and who want to keep up to date with the latest word in newspapers, magazines and best-sellers.

The purpose of the Radio Talking Book is to provide current newspapers, magazines and the latest best selling books at the same time that they are available to the print reading public. Materials chosen reflect the broad spectrum of interests and information currently available to all consumers. The Radio Talking Book provides these materials in an unabridged form. Programs are heard on closed-circuit radio receivers loaned, free of charge, to eligible listeners. Designed for ease of operation, the radios are tuned to the signal serving the listeners’ community and are operated by turning one dial. Radio Talking Book is such a unique idea that it has served as a model for similar programs in over 100 communities across the country.

(Pointer from David Faucheux.)

For our blind readers in Europe

For our blind readers in Europe: “The VISAGE project is an EU-wide initiative but our part of the project is to assist four visually impaired entrepreneurs as they come up with the ideas for, plan and start these new micro businesses. We are currently trying to recruit these four Team Leaders.” Contact:

Alastair Irvine
New Business Advisor
Action for Blind People
Tel: 07834 258031

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Somewhat related--and inspirational: Blind Cool Tech: success stories.

The Emperor of Scent review: Part II

The Emperor of Scent: The Story of Perfume, Obsession, and the Last Mystery of the Senses: Book review, Part I

If you want to take a journey through modern scientific research, the bitchiness of Academe, and learn a little about the biochemistry of smell, this is your book. If you want book candy, don't buy! If you want book perfume, inhale all the way to the cash register.

This book was fascinating. I don't pretend to understand all the science but that's not the point. It's the wild ride through Turin's vibrational theory of alfaction that makes you stretch your brain and limber up those thinking muscles, you haven't used since college biology.

I would kill to have a "nose" like Turin. I'd want to spend my time making quality perfumes which I think would be a neat job for a blind person to have, but alas, I do not have his unique ability to name molecules and such in just about any perfume he smells. Wish this book could have had a sample package of some of the perfumes he describes so eloquently in his guide.

Addendum: It remains to be seen if Turin's theory of alfaction will one day garner for him the Nobel. It took 23 years for the Australian scientists who proved that gastric ulcers were caused by a bacterium to grab one!

Fall and my imaginary car ride

Automobile nomenclature interests me. From Indian or Native American tribes, Apache or Cherokee, from exotic European models like Bugati, to the generic truck, what gives here? Click and see.

Blind achievers--in life and on TV

Needed: 'Best cities' list for blind people

Have you ever imagined what your dream city would be like? Do you pour over the best cities to live in lists in hopes you'll find your niche. I want a metropolis similar to the mixed use developments described in Suburban Nation. I want a nice climate, nice cityscape with well-maintained sidewalks, audible traffic signals (so I don't feel like I'm playing Russian roulette every time I cross a street), moderately intelligent transit workers, pedestrian-friendly spaces, medical professionals who can relate to alternative therapies and don't bankrupt you, interesting eateries. Perhaps, you know of such a place. If so, do email me. I might just move. I'm disenchanted with where I live now. Maybe, I'd like one of California's smaller to mid-sized cities? After the hurricanes in recent years, the Gulf Coast is out. The Northeast's severe winters make this area unlikely, too.

Suburban nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream. RC 52208

New report on talking book gizmos

From Tom Peters:

Greetings, everyone. The final report on the MIDTB project to field test the accessibility and general usability of various digital audio systems and playback devices has been released. URLs:

--HTML version of the full report.

--Microsoft Word format.

--Links to both HTML and Word versions of the four separate sections.

The Cheating Culture and Mr. Clyde Lee

People preying on the Disabled infuriate me. People impersonating the disabled enrage me. Having a disability is challenging enough without anyone, able-bodied, coming along and running a scam trying to get over on someone. The alleged perpetrator is a five-times-married Tennesseean who has a reported penchant for exploitation of fragile women from whom he can insinuate fiscal advantages. Click to learn more. To use a guide dog while attending support meetings pretending to be newly visually impaired is at least pittiable and at worst nearly sociopathic!