Making reading fun for children in Fullerton, reading with dogs

Fullerton, where I used to live with my husband, is doing some good things. I got this press release this morning: 

New Sensory Friendly Reading with Dogs Library Event - 12/13/17

Fullerton Cares Autism Foundation Partnership with Fullerton Public Library

FULLERTON, Calif., Dec. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fullerton Cares Autism Foundation is teaming up with the Fullerton Public Library to provide a sensory friendly reading time where children of all needs can meet, greet and read to between seven-to-fourteen certified therapy dogs and explore a wide selection of books to read as they please, beginning on December 13, and every second Wednesday of the month following, from 7:00pm-7:15 pm, at the Fullerton Public Library, 353 W. Commonwealth Ave, Fullerton.

Says Larry Houser, Founder of Fullerton Cares, “Sensory Friendly Read with the Dogs is an inclusive environment for children and their families to be able to enjoy the library. We are excited for this new resource for our community and my son loved Heather the collie and all the therapy dogs.”
Sensory friendly reading time is an opportunity for people of all abilities to feel included. Janine Jacobs, Fullerton Public Library Children’s Division Manager says, “We understand that sometimes the typical library setting can be overwhelming to families and their children with special needs. That is why we are partnering with Fullerton Cares to provide a much needed time for children of all abilities to experience the enjoyment of reading and the magic that comes from a library.”
Children with sensory needs will be accommodated whether it be with light, sound, or touch, and the library staff will be there to help children and their families feel comfortable. Therapy dogs are provided by the Pet Prescription Team.
Free parking is available. Any questions regarding accommodations, please request upon arrival to any Children’s Services staff member.
ABOUT FULLERTON CARES: Awareness, acceptance and action are the pillars of Fullerton Cares, a nonprofit spreading autism awareness throughout North Orange County founded by Lawrence Houser, after being inspired by his son, Boyd, with autism. Raising funds for autism charities and programs in Fullerton schools through organized awareness and entertainment events, Fullerton Cares was founded in 2010 and has raised over $75,000 for autism initiatives. http://fullertoncares.com/https://www.facebook.com/FullertonCaresAutismFoundation
ABOUT FULLERTON PUBLIC LIBRARY: The mission of the Fullerton Public Library is to serve the diverse needs of library patrons, foster learning, provide resources, inspire creative thinking and bring the Fullerton community together. https://www.fullertonlibrary.org

sweetFrog Frozen Yogurt Launches Newest Location in Timonium, Maryland

If only they would come to the West coast. Well, maybe some day. Self-serve froen yogurt sounds so good! 

TIMONIUM, MD / ACCESSWIRE / November 27, 2017 / sweetFrog Frozen Yogurt, the nation's leading frozen yogurt chain, named America's Best Frozen Yogurt by The Daily Meal, and a Top New Franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine, will welcome in the new year with a new store in Timonium, MD. This is sweetFrog's 28th location in Maryland and the 5th in the Baltimore area.

sweetFrog's newest store is owned by Patrick Beard and will be located at 2159 York Rd., Timonium, MD 21093. It will be in the popular Timonium Square Shopping Center, with neighbors including Starbucks, Nalley Fresh, Jason's Deli, Zoe's Kitchen & Panera Bread.

Beard is a Maryland native and proven local restauranteur who owns three additional sweetFrog franchises. In 2013 at 30 years old, Beard opened his first sweetFrog location in Dundalk. The following year he opened another Baltimore-area sweetFrog in Rosedale. Most recently in June, Beard opened his third sweetFrog location in Salisbury.

Beard says sweetFrog was the perfect fit for his entrepreneurial journey because he loves the company's community first values and believes in how much the concept resonates with kids.

"sweetFrog delivers an excellent product and has great brand recognition, especially here in the mid-Atlantic region," says Patrick Beard. "My goal was to align myself with a wholesome, family-centric, community-oriented business where parents felt comfortable bringing their children and I found that with sweetFrog." 

You can visit the sweetFrog Timonium Facebook page for instant updates on specials, contests and everything related to the upcoming grand opening ceremony.

sweetFrog's CEO, Patrick Galleher, is excited Patrick Beard is expanding the sweetFrog brand and believes the company's frozen yogurt concept is a perfect fit for the Timonium community. 

"We are thrilled Patrick Beard is opening our newest sweetFrog location in the Baltimore area," said Galleher. "Beard possesses the perfect skill set to run a successful sweetFrog. Plus, he is deeply committed to the Timonium community and will support countless local organizations, including schools, churches, and businesses, via various sweetFrog FUNdraising events and education programs. We expect Beard to continue to flourish as a sweetFrog owner." 

For more information about sweetFrog Premium Frozen Yogurt, please visit www.sweetfrog.com. 

To learn more about sweetFrog Frozen Yogurt franchise opportunities, as well as acquisitions and re-brands, please visit http://sweetfrog.com/franchise.

About sweetFrog Frozen Yogurt:

sweetFrog (http://www.sweetfrog.com) is the fastest growing self-serve frozen yogurt restaurant company in the country. With a wide selection of premium frozen yogurt flavors and fresh toppings choices, sweetFrog was named Best Frozen Yogurt in the USA by The Daily Meal in 2014 and 2016. sweetFrog has over 340 locations and mobile units including retail, mobile trucks and non-traditional locations (such as sporting venues) in twenty-seven states in the U.S, Dominican Republic and Egypt. The company was founded in 2009 and is based in Richmond, Virginia. sweetFrog prides itself on providing a family-friendly environment where customers can enjoy soft-serve frozen yogurt, ice cream, gelato and sorbets with the toppings of their choice. The company was founded on Christian principles and seeks to bring happiness and a positive attitude into the lives of the communities it calls home.

Conversations with Philip K. Dick, new interview

Hear me discuss my latest book with Miguel Conner on Aeon Byte.  We go over a wide range of topics, most but not all related to my latest book Conversations with Philip K. Dick. We talk about religion, mysticism, conspiracy and more, in an informal discussion format. I enjoyed it, and I think you will, too.

https://thegodabovegod.com/conversations-philip-k-dick/

Two JFK books in one eBook

We've heard and read plenty about the assassination of President Kennedy, but what do we really know about the man and what he did as President?  Well, here's our chance to learn about John Fitzgerald Kennedy. 

NEW YORK, Aug. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RosettaBooks adds to its William Manchester catalog with the ebook releases of Portrait of a President and One Brief Shining Moment. Manchester, an award-winning author, was Professor of History Emeritus at Wesleyan University and a prolific chronicler of historical events that shaped America and the modern world during the mid-20^th Century. 

First published in 1962, Portrait of a President is William Manchester’s firsthand account of the life of President Kennedy. Drawn from his personal friendship with the President and the Kennedy family, and from more than 40 interviews conducted during JFKs first year in office, Manchester provides a glimpse into the chaotic, yet magical, world and times of the Kennedy administration. Manchester himself provided updates to the book after the assassination of the President, and Portrait of a President remains a classic must-read for anyone interested in John F. Kennedy, the man. 

One Brief Shining Moment, first released in 1983, is Manchester’s celebration of Kennedy and the extraordinary period of American history. Manchester admired Kennedy and was proud to call him a friend. Twenty years after JFK’s death, Manchester takes us from the wedding of Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier, through the presidency with a look back on those years as only time can provide. Manchester uses his own reality to show that the myth of Camelot was not just a label for the times. 

“One Brief Shining Moment does indeed make the Kennedy days look glamorous again.” –Kirkus Reviews (starred)

RosettaBooks also publishes Manchester’s books Controversy, The Glory and the Dream, and H.L. Menken in eBook. 

About RosettaBooks: RosettaBooks is a leading independent trade publisher headquartered in New York City. The company launched in 2001 with a list of 100 preeminent digital backlist titles. Today the company’s 800-plus title list includes classic eBooks of every category, as well as an original line of frontlist nonfiction books. RosettaBooks’ prominent author collections include 100 works by M.C. Beaton, 52 works by Winston Churchill, 35 works by Arthur C. Clarke, 20 works by Kurt Vonnegut, 12 works by Stephen R. Covey, and 18 works by Robert Graves. In addition, RosettaBooks publishes eBook lines in collaboration with AARP, Harvard Health Publications, Mayo Clinic, and the Associated Press. Through a partnership with Ingram Publisher Services, RosettaBooks offers full nationwide print distribution. RosettaBooks’ trade program publishes high-profile thought leaders such as Alan Dershowitz, Jamie Merisotis, and William D. Eggers, as well as personal memoir, humor, and business titles. RosettaBooks was named an Inc. 500 company in 2015, on the exclusive list of the fastest growing private companies in the United States. For more information, please visit RosettaBooks.com.

Conversations with Philip K. Dick available now at Amazon

my book is up on Amazon! 
-- also available on Amazon UK and Amazon EU

Sit down and relax, spend time with Phil Dick and friends. Sip a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.Discuss God, Nazis and relationships, in no particular order. 

https://www.amazon.com/Conversations-Philip-K-Dick-Tessa/dp/1974534898/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503328166&sr=8-1&keywords=tessa+dick+conversations

Gain insight into the life of the author of Bladerunner, Total Recall, The Man in the HIgh Castle and more amazing stories. 

Stop Nestle from stealing our precious water

Did you know? 

Nestlé pays just $524 a year to pull tens of millions of gallons of water out of San Bernardino National Forest -- water it turns around and sells at a massive profit for $2 a bottle. And when challenged on whether Nestlé should be able to continue to drain our watersheds for practically nothing, a chief executive replied, "Water belongs to no one."(1) We beg to differ. The water necessary to sustain our national forests belongs to the American people, and after years of historic drought, we need that water to replenish our aquifers, not to help pad Nestlé’s profits. Courage Campaign Institute is continuing its legal battle to stop Nestlé from taking our water, but Nestlé will spend whatever it takes to drag it out. Will you chip in $5? Yes, I'll chip in $5 to help Courage Campaign Institute's legal fight against Nestlé. Nestlé has been pulling water out of the San Bernardino National Forest for decades on an expired permit, and Courage Campaign Institute has been fighting for more than two years to stop the company. Currently: We are appealing a federal judge's ruling that allowed the outdated permit to continue.(2) We've filed a Freedom of Information Act suit to force the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to turn over Nestlé's records so we may know the true extent of Nestlé's water operation.(3) And we're planning a huge response for when the California State Water Resources Control Board opens its public comment period about disputes over water rights in the San Bernardino National Forest. We need an outpouring of comments highlighting just how much people want the Forest Service to stop Nestlé from draining the water supply needed for our forests. Our legal bills are piling up, and Nestlé is hoping that we will just give up and go away. But we're not going anywhere. Nestlé should not be allowed to pump our national forests dry, and we won't rest until we have justice for our environment. Will you chip in $5 to help fund our fight against Nestlé? Yes, I'll chip in $5 to stop Nestle from draining California dry. Susannah, along with Annie, Brenna, Caitlin, Cheyenne, Eddie, Emma, Kelsey, Lindsay, Mahdi, Mary, Molly, Raquel, Scottie, Tim, and William (the Courage team) 1. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/backlash-bottled-water-nestle/ 2. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2016/09/21/nestle-lawsuit-judge-ruling/90791204/ 3. https://www.courthousenews.com/california-groups-demand-info-nestles-water-pumping/

Like what we do? Chip in to help fund the fight for a more progressive nation. Or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

Courage Campaign fights for a more progressive California and country. We are an online community powered by more than 1.4 million members. The Courage Campaign Institute is the educational arm of the Courage Campaign family of organizations. Our mission is to defend and extend human rights through innovative leadership development, training, strategic research, and public education. Courage Campaign Institute is a 501c(3) non-profit organization. Contributions or gifts to Courage Campaign Institute are tax deductible within IRS guidelines. http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/4731?t=12&akid=4436%2E1569519%2ErIQ738

Improve your mind by reading just 15 pages a day

Improve Your Memory and Mental Development: Read 15 Pages A Day!

New program promotes the benefits of reading on paper regularly

MCLEAN, Va., Aug. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To promote the many benefits of reading on paper, the Paper & Packaging – How Life Unfolds™ campaign launches 15 Pages A Day, a new program encouraging everyone to take the pledge to read 15 Pages A Day in print. Similar to physical exercise, the consistent reading of print pages can yield several benefits including improved mental development and memory.

“Reading, like playing a musical instrument or speaking a second language or exercising, involves habit,” says Dr. Naomi Baron, Professor of Linguistics at American University in Washington, DC and author of Words Onscreen: The Fate of Reading in a Digital World (Oxford University Press). To read Dr. Baron’s full essay, “Make Books a Daily Habit: Why Regular Reading Matters, Especially in Print” and for more insights on the benefits of learning with paper see the Paper and Productive Learning Report: The Third Annual Back-to-School Report. 

The 15 Pages A Day program, launching just in time for the back-to-school season, offers parents, students and teachers a way to participate by pledging to read 15 print pages a day.
How Can People Participate? Take the Pledge!
Pledge to read at least 15 pages a day in print to realize the benefits of reading on paper. More details on how to take the pledge can be found at howlifeunfolds.com/15pages. Participants can also share their involvement and invite their friends to take the pledge by using #15Pages.

The Benefits of Reading on Paper Each Day
Improved Memory/Recall

• Current research indicates that taking notes by hand on paper aids memory and recollection.    
• According to another recent study, “the findings show that people who regularly read and write have a markedly slower decline in memory than people who don’t.”

Increased Language/Mental Development

• The American Library Association has found that “students who read independently become better readers, score higher on achievement tests in all subject areas, and have greater content knowledge than those who do not.”  
• Reading aloud for 15 minutes a day aids language development, instills a love of reading and increases understanding of how knowledge is gained and shared. 

To learn more about the 15 Pages A Day reading program, please visit: http://www.howlifeunfolds.com/15pages.

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My signed books on eBay

in an effort to make ends meet, I'm offering some of my books on eBay.

Sorry, my shadow got into the photo. I can't see the screen on my old cell phone, which is the only camera that I have.

This is the first edition of my murder mystery, and it is out of print. A longer version of the same novel is still available under the title Murder Lies. This book has three copyright dates because I spent three years writing it, and I published excerpts of 300 words or less during the writing process. 

Lavinia Stout decides to give up her job as a phony psychic after investigating a mystery for her old college friend. 

There are fewer than 50 copies in existence. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/182618141549?ul_noapp=true

I wrote Bad Moon Rising under my maiden name L.A. Busby because it is quite a different  genre from my usual writing. This is a second edition paperback. It has never been read.  This  young adult horror story involves the wolf inside. Lisa suspects that her stepfather  killed her father, but she can't prove it. With help from her friends, she escapes the  clutches of the monster.  Sorry my shadow got into the photo. I took 6 photos, but I couldn't see the screen on  my old cell phone, which is the only camera I have.  http://www.ebay.com/itm/182618119686?ul_noapp=true

I once made the mistake of submitting my novel to Publish America, which turned out to be a vanity press. Although they did not charge me any fees to publish it, they never sold my book, either. As far as I know, the only copies in existence are the six copies that I bought for myself. This is an early edition of my novel Origins, which is also out of print. Another edition is available under the title Fallen Angels, which has many changes and additions to the text. 

The story is about people who take refuge on Earth after their home planet is destroyed in the course of interplanetary war. A major theme is the eugenics program that unfairly dooms people to a life of slavery. 

This paperback book has never been read, so it is in excellent condition. It was printed on cheap paper that has a slight tint to it, so it is not exactly white. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/182618101363?ul_noapp=true

Holmes and Watson together again

If you can get to Lake Arrowhead this weekend, I recommend that you enjoy dinner theatre at Tudor house. Their production of The Speckled Band is a must-see. 

A young lady has died, and the coroner can't figure out why. After all the witnesses testify at the inquest, the ruling is natural causes. However, the surviving sister Enid suspects that her stepfather had something to do with it. After two years have elapsed, Dr. Watson suspects that Enid is about to suffer the same fate. Calling upon his old friend Sherlock Holmes, he opens a snake's nest of greed and insanity. 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote this play, The Speckled Band, based on his short story of the same title. It is different enough to be interesting to those who are familiar with the story, and familiar enough to be interesting to fans of Sherlock Holmes. Tudor House Players used Conan Doyle's original script with a few ad libs. The casting is superb, and the performances are spot on. 

Holmes and Watson are perfectly cast, with Phil Simmons as a more intelligent Watson than the bumbling role played by Nigel Bruce in the old movies, and Richard Lavin as a more amiable Holmes than Basil Rathbone. Together they allow the audience to share in a few humorous moments while they deceive the villain. 

Dr. Grimesby Rylott, played by David Heisler, will remind you of the villain in the Lakeside Players production of "Gaslight". Soft-spoken when he tries to persuade others to give him what he wants, Rylott can change in a moment to a roaring fiend who brandishes a whip against those who have crossed him or refused him.

In her role as Enid Stoner, the young lady in peril, Madison Siedschlag plays well off Nancy Loesch in her brilliant performance as Mrs. Staunton, the conniving housekeeper. 

Overall, The Speckled Band is fascinating and entertaining, and the performances are brilliant. Tudor House provides a comfortable upscale venue with dinner served by cheerful, competent staff. 

This play is a must-see. 

  ~~~ 

Bitcoin under fire from regulators and prosecutors

I got this news release this morning from the Libertarian Party. I am  not a member, but I do agree with many of their goals. Here's the scoop on bitcoin:

For immediate release
June 6, 2017

Libertarian Party condemns government persecution of Bitcoin exchange vendor

First they came for those who traded Liberty Dollars, and I said nothing—
because I had no Liberty Dollars.
Then they came for Bitcoin exchange vendors, and I said nothing—
because I had no bitcoins.
Then they came for the rest of us whose only currency was Federal Reserve notes...

Nicholas Sarwark, chair of the Libertarian National Committee, released the following statement today:

The Libertarian Party vigorously condemns the trumped-up case against Randall Lord, a former Libertarian candidate, who  was sentenced to 46 months in prison for the victimless “crime” of operating an unregistered money service business involving Bitcoin, a digital currency.

Trading bitcoins is perfectly legal. Major retailers such as Microsoft, Expedia, Dell, Overstock, and Whole Foods accept bitcoins. Prosecutors targeted Lord for not being registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the U.S. Treasury, and for not being licensed to operate as a money service business in his home state of Louisiana.

Despite his conscientious objections to government currency controls, the Shreveport resident attempted to comply with the laws and regulations governing Bitcoin. He filed for registration with FinCEN, but the bureaucracy misplaced his filing, for which he now faces almost four years in prison.

Lord was not licensed in Louisiana because state officials had told him that Bitcoin is not a currency, and therefore he didn't have to have a license to operate. Then in March 2013, FinCEN expanded the definition of "currency" so they could pull exchanges like Lord's under their regulatory control. 

Lord pleaded guilty to not having a state license, but later he proved to the court that the state did not require one. Then a federal court ruled that "unlicensed" could also mean "not registered with the Treasury Dept." and refused to allow him to withdraw his guilty plea and take this issue to trial.

Every aspect of this case is a travesty:

• politicians’ insatiable addiction to spending, which they finance by printing dollars out of thin air, devaluing the dollar and in turn creating the demand for alternative currencies such as Bitcoin;
• the contemptible government regulations these very politicians enacted to obstruct Bitcoin trading, and which were used to prosecute Lord;
• the bumbling FinCEN regulators whose ineptitude set Lord up for prosecution (unless it was deliberate that they “misplaced” Lord’s filing);
• the use of multiple taxpayer-funded federal agencies—the IRS, FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service—to go after Lord for openly trading a legal commodity and harming no one;
• the failure of prosecutors to show any intent by Lord to violate the law;
• the harsh sentence imposed on Lord, which appears intended to intimidate others who trade in bitcoins, much like the life sentence imposed on Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht; and
• the government’s as-yet uncertain plans to confiscate Lord’s assets, including possibly his home, adding to his family’s distress.

Randall Lord has long opposed the federal government’s tax-and-spend policies and the Federal Reserve Bank’s manipulation of the dollar. He did his part to try to change these onerous laws and regulations when he ran for U.S. House on the Libertarian ticket in 2014 and 2012, receiving 27 and 25 percent of the vote, respectively.

This case illustrates that the problem is not a well-meaning, civic-minded family man like Randall Lord who offers a service to people aiming to preserve the value of their hard-earned money.

The problem is overspending by federal politicians, their manipulation and regulation of currencies, and grandstanding prosecutors who get rewarded for convicting people rather than for achieving justice.

The solution is to overturn the sentence of Randall Lord, repeal onerous laws and regulations, and stop federal government overspending so that the dollar will stop losing value, jobs will be plentiful, and Americans will be financially secure.

Please add your voice to ours in demanding freedom for Randall Lord.

Listen to an interview of Randall Lord in a Lions of Liberty podcast here.

### 

The Libertarian Party has proudly accepted Bitcoin since 2013.

Randall Lord, Libertarian candidate for U.S. House in 2012 and 2014

Freedom of the press

I got this press release, and I felt that it was important to share it:

A FREE AND INDEPENDENT PRESS IS A NECESSITY, NOT A LUXURY, SAYS PUBLISHING CEO AND CHAIRMAN OF THE EPC

[PRESSWIRE] London, United Kingdom - 25.04.17 -- Statement by Christian Van Thillo, CEO of de Persgroep and Chairman of the European Publishers Council on World Intellectual Property Day, 26 April 2017.

“Today, on World Intellectual Property Day, I appeal to everyone: regulators and politicians, businesses and consumers to take a minute to celebrate creativity and to acknowledge the value to us all of a system that promotes the widest dissemination of things we enjoy from up-to-date news and analysis, to your favourite TV drama, music or the latest films together with wonderful images or books that capture our imaginations and sometimes change our perceptions.

“For publishers, copyright is the cornerstone of recognising that we own what we publish and that if other businesses wish to reuse any of our content, they need our permission. As an owner of newspapers in Europe, I take pride in what we finance. We take the risks, we pay the journalists, we are responsible and answerable for the content we produce on every platform and device.

“Right now our potential to invest in professional journalism is undermined by a situation whereby publishers bear all the costs and responsibilities of producing what our readers enjoy, while other commercial operators help themselves by systematically scraping our websites and reaping the financial rewards. Copyright is not working online.

“With the EU copyright reform underway, regulators in Brussels and in national governments have the opportunity to act. I call on MEPs and national ministers to support the proposal for a neighbouring right, known as the Publisher’s Right, that would make it clear in law that publishers have control over the intellectual property rights in the content they publish. This would help publishing and professional journalism continue to play a valuable role in promoting cultural diversity, entertaining, informing, holding our leaders to account and upholding our precious democracy. A free and independent press is a necessity, not a luxury in a democratic society and our regulators have the opportunity, and indeed the responsibility, to safeguard its future.”

For further information, please contact:

Heidi Lambert on Tel: +44 1245 476 265 or EPC Executive Director Angela Mills Wade on Tel: +44 1865 310 732.

Note to Editors:

The publisher’s right will not change the way readers are encouraged by publishers to share links to articles.

Mythbuster and FAQs: https://www.publishersright.eu/mythbuster

European Commission news release on the Copyright reform package: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-3010_en.htm

World Intellectual Property Right Day: http://www.wipo.int/ip-outreach/en/ipday

ENDS