Sobering Statistic: 61% of low-income families own no age appropriate books

Read about the sobering reality of “America’s Early Childhood Literacy Gap,” and how librarians worry about the gap widening.

Animal Cam Site

I'm not totally sure how I feel about this--in other words, I hope these animal cams were set up humanely, and with the welfare of the animals in mind. It strikes me that this kind of video would be a great resource for students doing reports on these animals. The videos could also be used as springboards for writing. The animal cams that are *on* the animals could give kids the chance to write in first person in the animal's POV, which could be fun too.

Incredible cat-attracting cologne!

From my friend Robin at the Black and Orange Cat Foundation, the rescue group I've fostered for (then adopted from) posted a link about this crazy fact. Researchers in Guatemala are using Calvin Klein's cologne Obsession for Men to help lure and study jaguars. Oddly enough, this was discovered at the Bronx Zoo, in an experiment with Cheetahs. Now I'll have to get to the mall, spritz a little on, and come home to see if my domestic cats react to it!

Home Again, Home Again

I have been terribly absent from this blog. Among other things, I have been helping my best buddy Ken move from his place, two and a half hours away, to a new place, three minutes away. Much of his stuff is at his new place, waiting to be set up and unpacked, and some of it is at my house, including his kayak, which is sitting, upside down, in my living room. My cats have discovered that an upside down kayak can be a lot of fun! They run across the room, leap onto it, and slide along the length of it. Remember being a kid and running then sliding across packed down snow or ice? Yeah...it's something like that!