Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Book Reviews from Master The Art of Reading participants The Appeal by John Grisham: I didn't care for this book. I was disappointed because I have enjoyed many of John Grisham's books, but this one I found lacking. Best Friends for Never by Lisi Harrison: It was a great book, shows how friends don't always stay friends and pull apart. Revenge of the Wannabes by Lisi Harrison: It is a great book. It is a wonderful series. Payback by Solomon Jones: A woman tries to stop her man from going to jail so he tries to help him out. Her boyfriend is a drug dealer is now an accomplice to a murder. Fame by Karen Kingsbury: Good book. It shows just how much we need to rely on others to help us make choices in life as well as to seek God and his guidance. My most excellent year by Steve Kluger: Love it! The Boat by Nam Le: After the first couple of stories, I found the tragedy and angst almost gratuitous. My favorite was "The Boat". The tragedy was inevitable, but the story leading up to it was clear, interesting, and multi-layered. As a collection, though, so much pathos almost desensitizes. Ever by Gail Carson Levine: Not my favorite story by the author, but it is entertaining and a bit more serious. Disenchanted Princess by Julie Linker: Funny and light, I thoroughly enjoyed it but was a bit disappointed with the ending. 11:22:57 AM     Supreme Court Nomination You've probably heard the news that this week the Senate is considering the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the position of Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Did you ever wonder how this appointment process works? Article III of the Constitution established the judicial branch of government with the creation of the Supreme Court, the highest court in the United States. One of the Supreme Court's most important responsibilities is to decide cases that raise questions of constitutional interpretation. The Court decides if a law or government action violates the Constitution. Nominations for the Supreme Court are made by the President and confirmed by the Senate. On May 26, 2009, President Obama announced the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. This week the Senate Judiciary Committee is considering the nomination of Judge Sotomayor. The Judiciary Committee holds hearings to consider judicial and other nominations. You can watch a webcast of the hearings on the Judiciary Committee website. During a hearing, members of the Judiciary Committee hold a question and answer session with the nominee. After the hearing, Committee members may send written follow-up questions to the nominee. After the completion of any follow-up questions, the committee will vote to decide if the nominee should be considered by the full Senate. If a majority of the Senate votes in favor of a nomination, the President is notified of the Senate's action, and the nomination is confirmed. Once a person has been approved by the Senate and sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice, he or she remains in the job for life. - Joanne [Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog] 10:58:39 AM     Eleven Great Sources of Government Data Sets to View in Google Earth. One great way to get your head around large government datasets to view it using Google Earth. I went on a hunt for the most interesting, striking and geography based government data sets currently available in the KML format used by Google Earth. There is a large gallery of tours and layers available from Google Earth's site, including some based on government data - but I wanted to look beyond them. Here are eleven data sources (in no particular order) that have KML files ready and waiting for you to download. For some of these you will need to read the instructions associated with the KML to understand what you are looking at and what special features are enabled. Some have multiple datasets within a single KML file -- others include animations. Often when you open them in Google Earth they will start out with either a helpful note or a built in graphical key. USDA Forest Service: MODIS Active Fire Mapping Program: View fire detection data and incident information USGS Earthquake Hazards Program: real-time earthquake data (updated every 5 minutes!), geologic features and virtual tours of historic earthquakes. FEMA Flood Hazards: Stay Dry provides basic flood hazard map information from FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer for specific addresses while NFHL (National Flood Hazard Layer) appears to be a more general application that displays flood hazard zones, floodways, base flood elevations, cross sections and coastal transects and much more. NASA: Goddard Scientific Visualization Studio: provides various visualization layers including Tectonic Plates Boundaries and African Fires during 2002. Dig through the various categories, there is a lot here. Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory OnEarth: multiple options are available for viewing daily updated views of earth from satellites. Very striking! gCensus: provides access to data from the 2000 US Census. The site lets you browse for various elements of data and generate a KML file you can then view via Google Earth. Air Quality Now: provides current and forcasted air quality conditions for locations across the USA. It is a product of a partnership of multiple US Government agencies. National Weather Service: has a full page of KML layers related to all aspects of weather - past, present and predicted. National Gallery of Art: Afghanistan Hidden Treasures from the National Museum: visit Aï Khanum, Tillya Tepe, and Begram—that and examine Afghan Treasures National Park Service: National Register of Historic Places: provides Google Earth layers per region of the USA that mark historic places. District of Columbia Data Catalog: provides a wide range of data about our nations capital. You must supply some simple data to identify yourself before downloading these KML files. This is just a taste of what various regional governments are providing. Give your home state, district or territory's website a look to see if you can find KML data available. Have a favorite KML formatted government data set I missed? Please share it in the comments. I found many of these by starting in Goggle's US Government Search and searching for Google Earth. [Free Government Information (FGI) blogs] 10:56:51 AM     News from Master The Art of Reading Adult Summer Reading Club This week 61 people read 164 books. So far this summer 140 people have read 600 books! The winners for Week 3 were: Shy Person #1-Port City Paints painting supplies, Shy Person #2-Lakeshore Museum Center Keychain, Erica Bouc-2 tickets to a Muskegon Civic Theatre Production, and Shy Person #3-gift certificate to McDonald's Candies. Winners for Week 4 were: Susan Jipson-2 tickets to the West Michigan Symphony, Angela Bowen-Great Lakes Lighthouse book, from the Lakeshore Museum Center, abd Shy Person #4- gift certificate to McDonald's Candies. Congratulations to the winners and a big Thank You to the sponsors who donated the prizes! Muskegon Reads! author title Aiken, Joan Mansfield Revisited Albert, Susan Wittig Tale of the Hawthorn House Alden, Nancy Touch of Glass Amos, Rohsa Lilah's Lost List Andrews, V. C. Broken Flower Atkins, Ace White Shadow Avocato, Lori Sugarplums and scandal Banks, Leanne Trouble in high heels Boyle, Elizabeth Confessions of a Little Black Gown Brashares Girls in pants Braun, Lilian Jackson Cat who had 60 whiskers Braun, Lilian Jackson Cat who smelled a rat Bretton, Barbara Casting Spells Brockmann, Suzanne Get Lucky Brockmann, Suzanne Identity: unknown Brockmann, Suzanne Nightwatch Brockmann, Suzanne Taylor's temptation Brooks, Terry Dark wraith of Shannara Brown, Dan Digital Fortress Cabot, Meg Princess forever Cameron, Kirk Still Growing Carr, Robyn Wedding Party Caskie, Kathryn How to propose to a prince Chamberlain, Diane Secrets she left behind Chandler, Linda Woven wire jewlery Clark, Carol Higgins Cursed Clark, Mary Higgins Dashing through the snow Clark, Mary Higgins Just take my heart Clavell, James Noble House Coulter, Catherine Deception Crowley, Chris Younger next year Cussler, Clive Thedusa Davidson, Dan Played Dekker, Ted Kiss Denning, Troy Joiner King DesMaisons, Kathleen Little sugar addicts Dessen, Sarah How to deal Eberle, Bettina Creative Glass techniques Evanovich, Janet Finger lickin' fifteen Evanovich, Janet Two for the dough Foster, Lori Hard to handle Freethy, Barbara Silent Fall Freethy, Barbara Silent Run Gardner, Lawrence Lost secrets of the sacred arc Garwood, Julie Shadow music Gehman, Richard Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of god Gilbert, Melissa Prairie Tale Gold, Robin Perfectly true tales of a perfect size 12 Goldman, Steven Two parties one tux Goodkind, Terry Blood of the fold Goodkind, Terry Naked empire Goodkind, Terry Pillars of Creation Grafton, Sue C is for Corpse Grafton, Sue D is for Deadbeat Grant, Tracy Daughter of the game Grisham, John Appeal Grisham, John Associate Hamilton, Laurell Blood Noir Hamilton, Steve Cold day in paradise Hanna, Lynn Circle of Time Harris, Charlaine Dead until dark Harris, Charlaine Secret Rage Harrison, Lisi Best friends for never Harrison, Lisi Revenge of the wannabes Hawthorne, Nathaniel Scarlet Letter Hill, Sandra Tall, dark, and Cajun Hoag, Tami Night Sins Hoffman, Alice Probable Future Jackson, Brenda irresistible Forces Johnson, Maureen Suite Scarlett Johnson, Nathan Ghost Busters Ghost Busted Jones, Solomon Payback Joyce, Brenda Dark Embrace Karp, Marshall Flipping out King, Stephen Dark Tower: gunslinger born King, Stephen Long road home Kingsbury, Karen Fame-Baster family series #1 Kingsbury, Karen Sunset Kinsella, Sophie Remember me Kluger, Steve My most excellent year Kurland, Lynn Tapestry Le, Nam Boat Levine, Gail Ever Linker, Julie Disenchanted princess Londergan, Betty Agony and the Agony Macomber, Debbie Summer on Blossom Street Magliozzi, Tom and Ray Cartalk Maguire, Gregory Lion among men Maguire, Gregory Son of a Witch Mallery, Susan Sweet Spot Martin, Deirdre With a twist Mayfield, Phyllis Encyclopedia of 300 crochet patterns, stitches, and designs Mayle, Peter Chasing Cezanne McBain, Ed Fiddlers McBain, Ed Poison McCoy, Judi Making over Mr. Right McInerny, Ralph Her Death of Cold Meyer, Joyce 100 ways to simplify your life Meyer, Philipp American Rust Meyer, Stephenie New Moon Miller, Linda Lael Montana Creeds: Logan Miller, Monique Soul Confessions Moriarty, Jaclyn Year of secret asssignments Morris, Mary McGarry Hole in the universe Morris, Mary McGarry Last Secret Nash, Sophia Kiss Oguchi, Motomi Create your own Japanese Garden Osborn, Karen River Road Parkinson, Dan Covenant of the Forge Patterson, James Big bad wolf Patterson, James Roses are red Patterson, James Run for you life Pausch, Randy Last Lecture Peters, Elizabeth Streets of the Five Moons Peterson, Audrey Murder in Stafford Picoult, Jodi Tenth Circle Poarch, Candice His Tempest Pollard, Titus Living right on wrong street Ray, Frances Nobody but you Reeve, Philip Here lies Arthur Reilly, Rick Hate mail from cheerleaders Robb, J. D. Divided in death Robb, J. D. Loyalty in Death Robb, J. D. Rapture in Death Robb, J. D. Vengenance in Death Roosevelt, Elliott Murder in Georgetown Saul, John Cry for the strangers Scottoline, Lisa Look Again Sersich, Stephanie Designing jewlery with glass beads Shulman, Polly Enthusiasm Sister Souljah Midnight Sitomer, Alan Homeboyz Small, Bertrice Lara Smith, Alexander McCall No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Smith, Alexander McCall Right Attitude to rain Sparks, Kerrelyn All I want for Christmas is a vampire Sparks, Kerrelyn How to marry a millionaire vampire Sparks, Kerrelyn Secret life of a vampire Spechler, Diana Who by fire Steel, Danielle Coming Out Steel, Danielle H.R.H. Steel, Danielle Impossible Steel, Danielle Message from Nam Strieber, Whitley Critical mass Swain, James Night Stalker Thomas, Jodi Texas Princess Thomas, Jodi When a Texan gambles Thompson, Paul Qualinesti Tiernam, Cate Strife Trigiani, Adriana Big stone gap Trigiani, Adriana Lucia, Lucia Trigiani, Adriana Very Valentine Truman, Margaret Murder at Ford's Theater Truman, Margaret Murder at the Washington Tribune Valdes-Rodriguez, Alisa Dirty Girls on Top Valdes-Rodriguez, Alisa Haters Weiner, Eric Geography of Bliss Weis, Margaret Reign of Istar Weisberger, Lauren Devil wears Prada White, Randy Dead of night White, Randy Twelve mile limit Woodside, Christine Homeowners guide to energy independence Zalazny, Roger Dead man's brother Zalazny, Roger Dead man's brother table producing by T2T 9:07:41 AM

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