Information on Cold/Flu/Sinus Issues

Some good information on cold/flu/sinus issues:

http://www.cnn.com./2009/HEALTH/10/27/cold.flu.symptoms.explainer/index.html

Tarleton Thursdays: Did You Know?

Tarleton Egg-Laying Contests

In the 1920s, Tarleton President J. Thomas Davis encouraged cooperation between John Tarleton Agricultural College and the local agricultural interests and beyond. One example of this was the Tarleton egg-laying contest. Any poultry breeder "throughout the world" could enter.

The first Tarleton International Egg-laying Contest began on November 1, 1926 and ran for 357 days. Neal Gearreald, the director of the Tarleton School of Agriculture, and W. C. Homeyer, professor of poultry husbandry, had the idea. They felt that producers needed official records of the egg-laying capacity of their chickens in order to receive a reasonable price for their breeding stock.

Tarleton provided a chicken house and yard for each entrant (two pens per house) and the Tarleton agriculture faculty and students cared for the chickens plus held the contest. The first contest was a big success and the Tarleton contest was quickly established as one of the best in the country.

Tarleton received a lot of publicity from the egg-laying contests. In 1936, Hen #126, a White Leghorn owned by Erath Egg Farm, was on her way to breaking the national individual egg production record, but with two months left in the contest she choked on a piece of corn and died. A formal funeral was held and she was buried in a special plot on the poultry farm. Even Time magazine asked for a photograph of her.

The Tarleton egg-laying contests continued until the early 1950s. Tarleton was the only official contest location in the Southwest, and in 1940-41 held the national record of individual egg production. In 1943, Tarleton set the world record for incrossbreds. The photos above show the Tarleton chicken houses and T. A. Hensarling, poultry professor, receiving a shipment of chickens from the Railway Express. Both are from the Tarleton Dick Smith Library Cross Timbers Historic Images Project. The Railway Express photograph is from the Stephenville Museum.

From Guthrie, John Tarleton and his Legacy, p.51-53. See also The Tarleton Agriculture Tradition, by Frank Chamberlain from the Cross Timbers Historic Images Project in the library catalog.

Looking for ways to go green?

If you're look for some ideas on how to go green, try out some of these ideas:

1. Look for recycling bins - there are many located around campus
2. Repurpose items - get crafty with your old coffee cans to make useful containers, etc.
3. Use a refillable water bottle - it costs much less than purchasing bottled water
4. Cut back on caustic chemicals to clean - swap them for ingredients like vinegar or baking soda
5. Reduce time in the shower - long showers waste a tremendous amount of water
6. Reduce the amount you print - print only want you are really going to need or save it to a flash drive to access electronically
7. Go paperless when possible - have your monthly bills delivered to you electronically

This is just scratching the surface. For more ways to go green, check out the Go Green Guides at http://planetgreen.discovery.com/.

For a little fun, take the How Green's Your Halloween? quiz.

Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Worst Halloween Treats

TRICK or TREAT!

Last year for Halloween I posted about Halloween candy…this year I'll give you a list of worst Halloween Treats. People mean well…and sometimes it is nice to get something that is not sweet. Most of things are GREAT…just not for Halloween treats. If you knock on my door…its chocolate all the way!

• Apples – love fruit just not for Halloween
  
• Raisins
  
• Quarters or Pennies – (thank you grandma!) but in today's world that just does not cut it
  
• Toothbrushes – (clever idea!)
  
• Juice/drinks boxes – no tomato or carrot please
  
• an IOU – one year my neighbor forgot to buy candy so she gave out IOUs
  
• Brochures or pamphlets – no religious, healthy, or informational literature please
  
• Sugar-free items – they just don't taste right
  
• Pencils
  
• Food coupons
  

Enjoy the list! If you have additional items please share! Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

If you can read, you CAN COOK

Feel like cooking something yummy? At Recipezaar you can browse by ingredient, cuisine, diet, and more. You can even search Copycat recipes, in case you are just busting for a dish from acertain restaurant, say P.F. Chang's Spare Ribs.

For a timely suggestion, look at their Halloween sweets and treats. I think Severed Fingers and Sewer Water belong on anyone's Halloween spread.

They have almost 400,000 recipes contributed by cooking and baking fans, so you should be able to find something that just hits the spot.

Productivity Tools for Bloggers

Barb Dybwad at Mashable: The Social Media Guide offers "20 Simple Productivity Tools for Bloggers," which guides readers to resources for improving blogging workflow. She groups her recommendations into these categories:

• Multiple Clipboard Tools
• Blog Right from Firefox with Scribefire
• Save Typing Time with Text Shortcuts
• Firefox Extensions for Working with Text
• Site-Specific Browsers
• Keyboard Shortcuts
• Edit Images Right In Your Browser

Happy blogging!

Tarleton Thursdays: Did You Know?

Texans Today - Legends Tomorrow

Homecoming 2009

On Ye Tarleton, from the November 4, 1926 J-TAC. According the Tarleton Traditions pamphlet (p.9), the fight song was written in 1920, and has had only one change since then. "Fight Tarleton, Fight, Fight, Fight and win this game" now says "Fight Texans, Fight, Fight, Fight and win this game." There is also a second verse which is no longer sung.

This J-TAC article, published only six years after the fight song was written, is a great explanation of how it became our song.

On Ye Tarleton, On Ye Tarleton

Break right through that line

Ever forward, ever onward

We'll get there or die

On Ye Tarleton, On Ye Tarleton

Fight for Victory

Fight, Texans, Fight, Fight, Fight

and win this game.

The Tarleton fight song is a true tradition!

Have a wonderful Homecoming!

JTACs

Most old issues of the J-TAC student newspaper, through 2007 and going back 90 years to 1919, are now available on microfilm in the Periodicals section on the main floor of the library. The Periodicals department is open anytime the library is open, and the friendly student workers, led by Periodicals Specialist Sandy Dennis, will help you use the microfilm reader-printers. You can print a copy of the page for ten cents cash (or use your Texan card to reduce the cost to eight cents per copy).

These J-TACs are also available as paper copies in the Tarleton Room in the library's Special Collections Suite on the lower level. The Suite is open Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, and the newspapers must be used in house - but we do have a copy machine available for your use at ten cents a page (eight cents with your Texan card). Some of the older issues are quite fragile, and we encourage you to use the microfilm instead.

Issues from August 2007 on are available online and also in the Tarleton Room in the Special Collections Suite. The Grassburr yearbooks are also available; read this post to learn more. The Special Collections Suite will be open this Saturday, October 24, for Homecoming, after the parade at 10 AM and before the football game at 6 PM.

Top Ten Tuesday – Homecoming Themes

It's homecoming week! That means lots of activities with old friends and alumni stopping by! This year Tarleton's theme for homecoming is "Texans Today…Legends Tomorrow". That got me to thinking about other homecoming themes, so I did a little research and found this post about Top Ten Homecoming Themes. Here are some ideas I've heard of in the past…

• Stars over Texas
  
• Casino
  
• {Mascots} Forever - i.e. Texans Forever!
  
• Golden Age of Hollywood
  
• Rock 'n Roll Superstars
  
• Masquerade
  
• Under the Sea
  
• Jungle Nights
  
• Storybooks
  
• Under the Big Top
  

I like Tarleton themes…they always have great ideas. If you have heard of strange or different homecoming themes, post a comment and share.

I hope you all enjoy homecoming. Be sure and look for the Library's float in the Parade on Saturday!

Tarleton Thursdays: Did You Know?

As we near Homecoming it is only fitting that we feature our benefactor, John Tarleton. Ten years ago this month, during our Tarleton Centennial Celebration, a memorial service to John Tarleton was held at his gravesite across the street.

Members of the ROTC laid the wreath and gave a 21 gun salute in John Tarleton's honor. Colonel Will Tate gave the invocation, followed by President Dennis McCabe, who gave the welcome speech. In addition, President McCabe unveiled the newly named Centennial Lane, the street on the south side of the gravesite. Student representative Michelle Mauch presented the Tarleton Creed, which was written by Robert Wood, a JTAC student in 1927-28. The Tarleton band played "Amazing Grace," "Taps," and the Tarleton color song.

Dr. Christopher E. Guthrie, author of the newly released book John Tarleton and His Legacy, spoke on John Tarleton's life. He stated "thank you, Mr. Tarleton, for creating the opportunity for tens of thousands of young Texans to attend college and make something of their lives." Because John Tarleton, an orphan, had little formal education, he wanted to provide money for the establishment of a school for young people. Prior to coming to Texas, he had lived in Knoxville, Tennessee, and he also left money for a school in Knoxville. It is still there today and is called the Tarleton Home. Guthrie concluded by saying of John Tarleton, "you have performed a truly great thing, and everyone here gives thanks to you."

Following the ceremony everyone enjoyed a reception on the lawn of Bender Hall. John Tarleton would be amazed at how Tarleton has grown and at how it looks today! He truly is the founding father of - Texans Today ~ Legends Tomorrow!
Come to the library and see the display in the foyer on John Tarleton and on the history of Tarleton State University!

Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Tips to Safeguard Your Facebook Privacy

With all the rainy weather and the addition of 30 more computers in the library, I have been seeing a LOT of folks on Facebook. I found this really great post about Facebook security and thought I would share. Please read the entire post for 'Great tips and How to' (it even includes pictures!).

Facebooks facts:

• 300 million active users
  
• Each user has an average of 130 friends
  
• 2 billion+ photos uploaded each month
  
• 70% of users try applications (games, quizzes, etc.)
  

Here is a quick 10 list of things you can (and cannot) do to safeguard your Facebook privacy. (Facebook Security shows step by step how to do each item)

1. Organize Friends in Lists
   
2. Customize Profile Privacy
   
3. Set Facebook Privacy Level of Photo Albums
   
4. Restrict Search Visibility
   
5. Control Automatic Wall Posts and News Feed Updates
   
6. Set Facebook Wall Privacy
   
7. Avoid Appearing in Advertisements
   
8. Protect Yourself from Friends' Applications
   
9. Privacy from Your Applications
   
10. Quitting Facebook? Delete, Don't Just De-Activate Your Account
    

I hope this list makes you think and gets you to read the article. It will give you a better understanding and insight into Facebook's privacy.

If you have ideas for future topics, questions or concerns please tell us in the comments!

Happy Columbus Day!

In honor of Columbus Day, here is a video from National Geographic where DNA slueths examine skeletal remains to determine if they have located the final resting place of Christopher Columbus.

"Preserving Family Archives"

Did you know that most photo albums are made with acidic paper that damages pictures over time?

Come to our Lessons@Lunch session on Tuesday, October 13, at noon in the Library Classroom. Gary Spurr, our collections archivist, will discuss how to preserve family photos, letters, newspapers clippings, and more.

Money Matters

I was planning on sending this site to my daughter, when it occurred to me that students at Tarleton may find it of use as well. The site is Get Rich Slowly: Personal Finance that Makes Cents. At this site you can learn about living within your means, writing a resume that gets you a job interview, the pros and cons of a 15-year mortgage vs a 30-year, job interview tips, and more. Money Magazine even said it is an inspiring money blog!

The article that originally caught my attention is
Minimalist Money: 6 Steps to Simplify your Financial Life. People trying to pay off debts may find some useful ideas in here.

I have to get back to reading Get Rich Slowly! Later!

Tarleton Thursdays: Did You Know?

Dr. Derone Jenkins-Todd

This week another Tarleton Alum with ties to NASA is being featured. The Dick Smith Library's former student assistant, Dr. Derone Jenkins-Todd, currently works assignments for NASA. She is the daughter of Dr. Conley Jenkins, retired Tarleton Associate Professor of Mathematics, and his wife Myrna, who is also a Tarleton retiree.

A 1973 Stephenville High School graduate, Derone attended Tarleton State University from 1973-1975, and was a student worker in the mending area of the library. She received her BA from the University of Houston in 1977 and her PhD from the University of North Texas in 1992. After a career in training and development, she joined Barrios Technology, LTD. Houston, Texas, in 1991. While at Barrios, she has worked on several training development and engineering contracts at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Her most recent assignment is to the International Space Station (ISS) Program Office where she provides engineering expertise to teams that plan shuttle flights to the ISS. In fact, this summer Derone supported three NASA missions!

Among her activities, Dr. Jenkins-Todd presented to the Federal Aviation Administration Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee the program "Commercial Space Travel: Proposed Training Requirements". She is also a member of NASA's Space Flight Resource Management Program Development Team. SFRM is a successful human-error-management training program.

The photos from space and information and photos for the current astronauts from Texas for the summer NASA display in the Dick Smith Library were provided by Dr. Jenkins-Todd. Yea for Tarleton Alums and former library student assistants!

30 Fabulous Freebies

Money's tight for everyone -- especially for college students. So discovering sources for free entertainment and services can sometimes be a real blessing. The Kiplinger's Pesonal Finance Magazine article "30 Fabulous Freebies" offers tips and sources to help us conserve dwindling funds.

The links in the article include sites that offer

• FREE
• video games
• birthday goodies
• software
• TV shows and movies
• money for grad school
• mobile apps
• books, sheet music, e-books, music
• kids' meals
• digital storage space
• tech recycling
• workouts
• plus other items of possible interest

As always, be sure to read all the fine print and choose only what's useful for you.

Top Ten Tuesday – 10 websites for library and book lovers

I love the library! I always wanted to be a Librarian. This week I'm giving you a top ten list of book and library type web applications! At this point most everyone has heard of LibraryThing, the most popular social cataloging website, or Shelfari, but here are a few websites for book lovers that you may not have heard about:

• BookSprouts - create online book clubs. Members can vote on which book to read next, have book discussions in forums, post book reviews, and hold meetings.
  
• Blippr - short reviews of 160 characters or less of books, movies, music, games, and applications.
  
• 22 Books - quickly create book lists of any type and then embed them in any website.
  
• Book Cover Archive - collection of over 1,000 book covers categorized and browsable by designers, authors, titles, art directors, photographers, illustrators, and more.
  
• BookJetty - cataloging app that will let you set up a bookshelf of titles you own or want and then easily search for them in your local library with a click.
  
• Book Glutton - read public domain books and discuss them with groups. You can annotate books and make comments public for discussions or keep them private. You can even upload your own books.
  
• Gurulib - cataloging program which lets members organize their book, movie, music, game, and software collections. You can use your webcam as a barcode readers to scan in items. You can even loan items out and members can track borrowed titles.
  
• Listal - catalog books, movies, TV shows, video games, DVDs, and music. Members can loan their items, import and export their catalogs, and create favorite lists that others can comment on.
  
• GoodReads - create lists, write reviews, form groups, create trivia questions about titles, and converse in forums.
  
• Paperback Swap – a hub for trading your paperbacks, hardbacks, audiobooks, and textbooks with others.
  

I want to give you one more website as a BONUS! – One of our Librarians has a book blog, Bookin' It, and reviews lots of interesting books. I've added several to my reading list from it!

I'm sure there are many more great book-related web sites and applications out there, please add your suggestions in the comments!

Flu and other respiratory viruses

The seasonal flu (not H1N1 "swine" flu--yet) and other cold and respiratory viruses are becoming more prevalent around campus. I had to miss a family wedding in Austin this past weekend because I caught a respiratory virus. The library has hand sanitizer, kleenex, and disinfecting wipes (to use on computer keyboards and mice) at our service desks on all three floors of the library -- PLEASE use them!

The Student Health Center, located in the Barry B. Thompson Student Center Room 212, is now offering seasonal flu vaccination to students only. The cost is $20. No appointment is necessary, but preferred times are from 2 to 4 p.m. For more information, call 968-9271. Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the Student Health Center cannot provide the seasonal flu vaccine to faculty and staff except during the Wellness Expo.

Flu shots also will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis for $20 (cash or check only) during the Student Health Center Wellness Expo, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, October 15 in the Thompson Student Center Ballrooms.

For more tips on avoiding the flu and other respiratory viruses, see http://www.tarleton.edu/fluinfo/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/patrlynch/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Tarleton Thursdays: Did You Know?

October is here and the Tarleton campus will soon be in full swing with preparations for Homecoming! Recognizing our alumni is always a big part of Homecoming. In 2008 and 2009 two national events celebrated anniversaries. October 1, 1958 marked the beginning of NASA, making 2008 its 50th anniversary! And 2009 is the 40th anniversary of the Apollo program, including the Apollo moon landing on July 20, 1969! This summer the Dick Smith Library featured a display on NASA and on the Apollo moon landing. Today's blog features Tarleton Alum Dr. Millie Hughes-Fulford, a former NASA payload specialist!
Millie Hughes-Fulford received her BS degree in chemistry and biology from Tarleton State College in 1968. She then began her graduate work studying plasma chemistry at Texas Woman's University as a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow, completing her doctorate in 1972. She joined the faculty of Southwestern Medical School, University of Texas, Dallas as a postdoctoral fellow, with her research focusing on the regulation of cholesterol metabolism. She has contributed over 90 papers and abstracts on bone and cancer growth regulation.
Selected as a payload specialist by NASA in January 1983, Dr. Hughes-Fulford flew in June 1991 aboard STS-40 Spacelab Life Sciences, the first Spacelab mission dedicated to biomedical studies. It flew over 3.2 million miles in 146 orbits and its crew completed over 18 experiments during a 9 day period bringing back more medical data than any previous NASA flight. Mission duration was 218 hours, 14 minutes and 20 seconds.

Currently Dr. Hughes-Fulford is an Adjunct Professor at the University of California Medical Center at San Francisco where she continues her research. As Director of the Laboratory for Cell Growth and Scientific Advisor to the UnderSecretary of Veteran's Affairs, she studies the control of human prostate cancer growth with VA grants and the regulation of bone and lymphocyte activation with NASA grants. (Biographical information: http://www.nasa.gov )

Dr. Hughes-Fulford was awarded Tarleton's Distinguished Alumna in 1990. She recalled fondly her days at Tarleton and said faculty members such as Provost Emeritus Dr. Robert Fain, Associate Professor Emeritus Joy Terry, and Professor Emeritus Dr. Sam McInnis had been very important in her educational background. She also remembered that long time chemistry lab manager George Weidebusch had "saved her life" many times by making sure she had turned off all the equipment at the end of an experiment! She concluded by saying that "I am proud to be from Tarleton and thank you for this special recognition". (Alumni J-TAC, Homecoming edition, 1990, p.14)