This Week at the Library (18 May)

I'm still waist-deep in last week's reading (3/4s done with Earth Science Made Simple, halfway done with To Kill a Mockingbird, which is very readable, 'classic' status aside), but over the weekend I took care of some housekeeping business -- removing dead labels, and diversifying the science tags.  While I did have some specific tags (evolution, anthropology), most of my science reading before now has been lumped together. Now you can choose from astronomy, biology,  biochemistry, cosmology, physics, natural history, and other sundry labels. They've all been added to the drop-box, so have at it. I also changed all author tags into a first-name last-name format, instead of just sticking on "Zinn" or "Postman" and expecting readers to be psychic.  Also, the cumulative reading list, BnB nonfiction challenge list, and Shelfari have been fully updated.

Before my library visit, I walked over to City Hall to inquire about that lampost I mentioned last week.  This was the first time I'd ever been inside City Hall, and the receptionist directed me into the Mayor's office. I was impressed, given that my only mayoral experience comes from SimCity3000.  He wasn't around, but I spoke with his secretary or chief of staff, and she told me the story. A few years ago a family lost a child to senseless violence, so they put  up a sign -- with the city's permission -- in memoriam. When a murder has been committed within a certain time frame, the murder bulb is lit up in memory of them.  The statue of Vulcan  in Birmingham used to have a light which turned red when there had been an automobile-accident-induced death that day. We got around to talking about the photo project I'm doing (in the summer, I take walks around the historic downtown district), and she may share some select photos on the Selma City website. I've been thinking about making a photo blog, or posting my albums on Flicker or some related site given that right now they're only on facebook.

Vulcan. He lost the lantern during a recent renovation, though.

Today at the library, I picked up a couple of books, seeing as I'll be done with last week's reading shortly:

• The Ethical Assassin, David Liss. The title caught my attention: apparently it stars a "post-Marxist sociopath". 
• Cave Paintings to Picasso: The Inside Scoop on 50 Masterpieces
• And Miracle at Dunkirk, because it's by Walter Lord and I like his Titanic books. Looking forward to seeing the return of Lighttoller, the only officer aboard the Titanic to live and who was present at Dunkirk.