Ramblin' with Roger

This is a story I read about on the Business Librarians’ listserv. It was confirmed by a friend at the EPA, who notes:
“We will lose a great number of reports that are only available as paper copies, and I have no idea what they plan to do with the books. Supposedly we have electronic access to journals (which is great when it works), but many of the ones I have needed aren’t the ones to which we subscribe. Sigh.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is frantically dispersing its library collections to preempt Congressional intervention, according to internal emails released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Contrary to promises by EPA Deputy Administrator Marcus Peacock that all of the former library materials will be made available electronically, vast troves of unique technical reports and analyses will remain indefinitely inaccessible.
Meanwhile, many materials formerly held by the Office of Prevention, Pollution and Toxic Substances (OPPTS) Library, in EPA’s Washington D.C. Headquarters, were directed to be thrown into trash bins, according to reports received by PEER. This month, EPA closed the OPPTS Library, its only specialized library for research on health effects and properties of toxic chemicals and pesticides, without notice to either the public or affected scientists.

See the order to destroy (“recycle”) OPPTS library materials (PDF)

Read the letter posted by an anonymous employee rebutting EPA claims (PDF)

View the email about inaccessibility of EPA contractor documents (PDF)

Look at the email from the manager of the OPTTS Library (PDF)

Peruse email outlining concerns about how library restoration may be “futile” (PDF)

Examine the appropriations sign-on letter from Senators Boxer and Lautenberg (PDF)

Trace the unfolding developments in EPA’s drive to shutter its libraries

Source: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)

Oh, in case you were wondering, Marcus Peacock comes to EPA from OMB.

“PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch [noted] EPA studies show the cuts will actually lose money due to additional professional staff time that will have to be spent tracking down research materials now assembled by the libraries… In a mass letter of protest signed this June by representatives for 10,000 EPA scientists and researchers, more than half the total agency workforce, employees contend that the library plan is designed to “suppress information on environmental and public health-related topics.”

1980- With my girlfriend at the time and her son, but clearly at a point prior to breaking up, which happened four days later. That girlfriend used to, and probably still does, remember JFK in her blessing; the assassination was 43 years ago today.

1983- With with what turned out to be a short-term girlfriend, awkward first meeting of her family in the Bronx. We broke up about five weeks later.

1988- Don’t specifically remember, but I do recall getting a phone call telling me that my friend Nancy was dying of cancer; she passed on New Year’s Day, 1989.

1994- Awkward first meeting of the girlfriend’s family. At least we didn’t break up until a year and a half later. (And we got back together – that was with Carol.)

1996- Invited to Thanksgiving dinner a few days earlier, then at the last minute, the offer was withdrawn, for reasons I never understood. I sat home, sulked, and ate Chinese takeout. The only year since 1973 I’ve watched both NFL games in their entirety, which is NOT necessarily a good thing.

It’s not that every Thanksgiving was a bad experience. 1982 at the home of my previously-mentioned friend Nancy with other “orphans”, 1987 with an Alice’s Restaurant number of folks in Oneonta, a couple years in a row with friends Steber and Jean from church in the early 1990s.

This is how Lydia looked after her bout with peanuts. We were thisclose to taking her to the ER, but with the advice of our doctor, who was thankfully on call, we held off. Fortunately, she got better relatively quickly. Lydia’s Uncle Dan found some websites and some relevant content regarding peanut (and tree nut) allergies.

Fortunately, and surprisingly, Lydia is not allergic to tree nuts, but this is good to know.
***
After my last mention of allergies, I got this message:

Hello, I was doing some research on peanut allergies and came across your blog. My name is Stephanie. I have a 2 year old daughter, Sophia, with a peanut allergy. We live in Fort Plain NY. It about 40 minutes west of Schenectady. I’d love to set up a playdate for the two girls- it’d be great if Sophia had a friend her own age with peanut allergy as well. (I know this sounds weird- since its on the internet- but its genuine:) Hope to hear from you!!

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations – you got 10 out of 10 correct!

I’m on a roll. I aced the AARP test, and now this one! Just like a political science major should.

Your Depression Level: 32%

You may be depressed. While you can be moody, your moods generally fall within the range of normal. It’s up to you to decide if you’re depressed… or if you’re simply having a bad week.

I was checking this since we ARE in my least favorite time of the year. Where the heck is the sun? It feels like early onset of seasonal affective disorder.

More likely, it’s because I haven’t played racquetball for five weeks because of my wrist injury. I’ve had two X-rays; no break. I got the results of an MRI on Friday; no tearing, meaning, essentially, that there’s nothing wrong, except that if I lift a gallon of milk with my right hand, or pour from it, it still hurts like hell. Turning motions, such as trying to open an apple sauce jar is nearly tear-inducing. Typing at length gives me the same feeling I had when I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome in 1991.

Meanwhile, my doctor posits the possibility that my right knee, which I cannot kneel on without excruciating pain, may be wrecked. Forever.
Forever, and that’s a mighty long time
But I’m here 2 tell u
There’s something else
The afterworld

And if de-elevator tries 2 bring u down
Go crazy.