Newest pharmacy staff member

This is the newest addition to the staff of the corporate pharmacy where my husband works. This robot replaces the Baker Cell Counting system. 120 drugs are stored in it until a scanned prescription has been checked by a human. The human uses the computer system to cue the robot to count, place in a vial and label. Up to three labeled vials, at a time, are ready for the human staff to check, scan, place in the bag ready to sell it to the customer.




What the robot does not do is ease the stressful aspects of pharmacy work these days. Some things this robot cannot do:
explain why the doctor's office staff has not yet phoned or transmitted your prescription information;
explain why your co-pay is so high;
explain why your insurance company will no longer pay for a drug it paid for last month;
explain why it can't answer the drive-up window while human staff is occupied on the telephone or with in-store customers;
and explain why the federal government won't make those things any better.

Enjoying Big Bend National Park: A Friendly Guide to Adventures for Everyone by Gary Clark


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book does what is says it will do, guide you to friendly adventures for everyone. It will be especially useful for families who want to introduce their children to the park while they are planning the trip. Middle-readers may be able to read this for themselves, with the help of parents for the place names.
This book provides a chapter for activities for those physically fit and for those with disabilities.
This book has a good index for those who look for specific information; but, I recommend it be read in its entirety.
Eleven books are mentioned in its recommended reading for those who want more information than this short book provides.

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Yosemite and the Range of Light by Ansel Adams


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
28 pages of text and many photographs to enjoy year after year.
"The function of this book is to present visual evidence of memories and mysteries at a personal level of experience."

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The Housing Boom and Bust by Thomas Sowell


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
"Many in politics have acted as if predatory lenders are what caused the housing crisis-a view especially common among those who themselves had a major role in bringing the crisis."

"While some Congressional Democrats have proposed a moratorium on mortgage foreclosures or allowing judges to change the terms of mortgage contracts, Senate Republicans have proposed 'providing government-backed, 4% fixed mortgages to any credit-worthy borrower.' What these proposals from politicians of both parties all have in common is an utter absense of any serious consideration of the repercussions in multiple directions of arbitrary government fiats."

These are just two of the many statements made by Sowell that made me swear in frustration with the rhetoric and choices made by politicians of both parties in the last 20-30 years. How can I recommend a book by saying, "It is a good book, but it will just piss you off anger you.

The thing that scares me is that politicians can replace the phrase "affordable housing" with "affordable healthcare" in any of their rhetoric and still not doubt their proposed policies may cause more harm than good.

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A Guide to Photographing the Art of Nature by Bruce W. Heinemann


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was written to help the photographer produce more expressive, aesthetic landscapes and it will continue to help this photographer who uses a digital camera instead of film this author used. It provoked my curiosity about how to successfully change the exposure and depths of field with my equipment.

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The Big Bend: A History of the Last Texas Frontier by Ronnie C. Tyler


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This information is from the 1975 edition, published by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washinton DC as this was the edition my library had.

About This Book The Big Bend, an account of human history in one of the most rugged and remote parts of this country, is the collaborative work of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior and the Amon Carter Museum of Western Art, Fort Worth. Prepared as a reference companion to an exhibition on the Big Bend presented by the Amon Carter with subsequent at a number of other Texas museums in 1975-76, the volume is intended to supply a needed interpretive narrative for the exhibit to introduce park visitors to the human record in the Big Bend country, and to fill a considerable gap in available professional studies on the Big Bend.

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American Photographers and The National Parks

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Robert Cahn's essay, "Evolving Together: Photography and the National Park Idea" and Robert Glenn Ketchum's "Curatorial Viewpoints and Observations" are worth reading even if you do as I did, only enjoy the plates printed in this Studio Book for the first nineteen years of your ownership of this book.
I agree with Cahn's statement,

With photography now achieving recognition as the art that it is, the close relationship landscape photographers have had with the parks remains important. It may inded be that the photographs taken in the parks in the coming century will, as they have in the past one hundred years, move the public to insist that this emblem of their natural heritage, the national park idea, must remain able to withstand the pressures exerted by technology and devolpment. Americans will thus continue to support the goal enunciated in the 1916 National Park Act that the parks must be left unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.

This book is one way of owning plates by William Henry Jackson, Eadward J. Muybridge, Carleton E. Watkins, Timothy O'Sullivan, William Bell, John K. Hillers, George Fiske, Anne Brigman, Imogen Cunningham, Laura Gilpin Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter, Minor White, Brett Weston, Jerry N. Uelsmann, Michael A. Smith, Charles V. Janda, Don Worth, William Garnett, Robert Glenn Ketchum, Dave Bohn, Paul Caponigro, Harry Callahan, Joel Meyerowitz, Lee Friedlander, William Clift, Linda Connor, Boone Morrison, David Mussina, Roger Minick, Ted Orland, Roger Misrach, John Pfahl, and Gail Skoff.


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Photo Friday- 4-inch snowfall

100_1860.JPG
Originally uploaded by hikerdee

This is the view from my office.
and from my kitchen window

The reason I'm still revising the family history

Being Creative With Troublesome Kin

You are working on your family genealogy and for sake of
example, let's say that your great-great uncle, Remus Starr,
a fellow lacking in character, was hanged for horse stealing
and train robbery in Montana in 1889.

A cousin has supplied you with the only known photograph of
Remus, showing him standing on the gallows. On the back of
the picture are the words:

"Remus Starr: Horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial
Prison, 1885. Escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six
times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged,
1889."

Pretty grim situation, right? But let's revise things a bit.
We simply crop the picture, scan in an enlarged image, and
edit it with image processing software so that all that is
seen is a head shot.

Next, we rewrite the text:

"Remus Starr was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory.
His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable
equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana
railroad.

"Beginning in 1885, he devoted several years of his life to
service at a government facility, finally taking leave to
resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key
player in a vital investigation run by the renowned
Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Remus passed away
during an important civic function held in his honor when
the platform upon which he was standing collapsed."

Received from Thomas Ellsworth

Lenten Luncheon Cherry Jello Salad

Recipes—Can we ever have enough of them?

This recipe is from the estate of husband's aunt Marjorie. She wrote these recipes for her personal collection. I have no knowledge of where she found them. She was active in her church and I expect this was taken to a carry-in luncheon.

Lenten Luncheon Cherry Jello Salad

Bring to boil the following:

1 cup sugar

1 ½ cups water

Four 3-oz pkgs of cherry Jello (or Two 6-oz pkgs.)

Add: two 20-oz cans tart cherries with juice.

Let cool.

Add: two 20-oz cans crushed pineapple with juice

    1 cup chopped nuts

    12-oz can of cola

Pour into 9x13 Tupperware container. Chill at least six hours of overnight.

Makes a Huge salad. Cut in half for smaller salad.

The Final Tally is 128 Books Read in 2009

2009 Books I Read
2009 was the year I continued to focus my reading choices on the books I already own on my investing shelf, my writing shelf, and my bought-while-traveling shelf. I started these projects with a 2007 resolution to finish reading the books in these groups before I buy any more books in those categories. Now, books I borrow from the library did not count against me. Yes, that is called justification and rationalization, and they are two skills I am proud to have. This was also the year my husband decided to bring some books, previously stored in the garage, back inside. He likes to see what he owns. Now when I saw the spines of the books daily and I handled them during occasional dusting, I started reading more of them in 15-minute or chapter intervals on a daily basis until yet until another book was finished.
We agreed to sell some books on Half.com. To qualify for our listings, the book had to be one we both read. Later, I broadened the sellable books to those I had read and he was unlikely to ever read.books for sale

1. The On-Line Poet's Resource Center by Rob Parnell
   
2. Easy Cash Writing: Paying Magazine Market by Rob Parnell
   
3. The Tetons: Interpretations of a Mountain Landscape by Fritiof Fryxell
   
4. The Decatur Road by Joe Coomer
   
5. The Loop by Joe Coomer
   
6. Doing the Write Thing: 10 Tips on Becoming a More Professional Writer by Sarah White and Rob Parnell
   
7. How to Achieve Writing Success by Rob Parnell
   
8. They Gypsy Morph by Terry Brooks
   
9. Shadow Waltz Amy Patricia Meade
   
10. The Explorations of the Colorado River and Its Canyons by Major John Wesley Powell
    
11. Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose
    
12. The Abs Diet: Ultimate Nutrition Handbook by David Zinczenko
    
13. Zen and the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity by Ray Bradbury
    
14. An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor
    
15. Writing from the Body by John Lee with Ceci Miller Krittsberg
    
16. John Lennon: The Life by Philip Norman
    
17. Thinking About Memoir by Abigail Thomas
    
18. Love, Loss, and What I Wore by Ilene Beckerman
    
19. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
    
20. Down the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon by Edward Dolnick
    
21. Does This Cluuter Make My Butt Look Fat? By Peter Walsh
    
22. All But the Waltz: Essays on a Montana Family by Mary Clearman Blue
    
23. A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas
    
24. A Bull in China by Jim Rogers
    
25. Why We Want You to Be Rich by Donald Trump, Meredith McIver & Robert Kiyosaki/Sharon Lechter
    
26. Wall Street Journal Guide to Understanding Money and Markets by R.S. Wurman, Alan Siegel and Kenneth Morris
    
27. The Coming Economic Collapse: How You Can Thrive When Oil Cost $200 a Barrel by Stephen Leeb, Ph.D. with Glen Strathy
    
28. The America We Deserve by Donald Trump with David Shiflett
    
29. Economics on Trial by Mark Skousen
    
30. Raven's Shadow by Patricia Briggs
    
31. A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink
    
32. The World is Flat by Thomas l. Friedman
    
33. Arctic Drift by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler
    
34. Raven's Strike by Patricia Briggs
    
35. Naked Guide to Bonds by Michael V. Brandes
    
36. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud
    
37. Friday Nights by Joanna Trollope
    
38. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vickie Myron with Bret Witter
    
39. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
    
40. Chi Running by Danny Dreyer with Kathleen Dreyer
    
41. LaVinia by Ursula K. LeGuin
    
42. Rich Woman: A Book on Investing for Women by Kim Kiyosaki
    
43. The Shack by Wm. Paul Young
    
44. Fool by Christopher Moore
    
45. Game Over: How You Can Prosper in a Shattered Economy by Stephen Leeb, PhD.
    
46. Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
    
47. No! I Don't Want to Join a Book Club: Diary of a 60^th Year by Virginia Ironside
    
48. Lords of Finance by Ahamed Liaquat
    
49. Winning on Wall Street by Martin Zwieg
    
50. Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy
    
51. Michael Sivy's Rules of Investing
    
52. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher
    
53. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
    
54. Story: Substance, Structure, Style and Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee
    
55. Before Oprah: Ruth Lyons, The Woman Who Created Talk TV by Michael A. Banks
    
56. The Motley Fool Investment Guide by David and Tom Gardner
    
57. A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley Powell by Donald Worster
    
58. 1968 by Mark Kurlansky
    
59. Borderline by Nevada Barr
    
60. Evan Blessed by Rhys Bowen
    
61. Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction by a Two-Time Pulitzer-Prize Winner by Jon Franklin
    
62. American Nature Writing, 1995 selected by John A. Murray
    
63. The Associate by John Grisham
    
64. Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
    
65. Keepsake Crimes by Laura Childs
    
66. Photo Finished by Laura Childs
    
67. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
    
68. The Freeway Guide to Retiring Right: How to Invest the Rest of Your Life by Jim Selman
    
69. Bound for Murder by Laura Childs
    
70. Testimony by Anita Shreve
    
71. A Proper Education for Girls by Elaine DiRollo
    
72. Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead
    
73. Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
    
74. Writing the Family Narrative by Lawrence P. Gouldrup
    
75. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
    
76. Writing the Family Narrative Workbook by Lawrence P. Gouldrup
    
77. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
    
78. Listening: The Forgotten Skill by Madelyn Burley-Allen
    
79. The Best American Travel Writing 2008 Anthony Bourdain, editor
    
80. Absolute Beginner's Guide to eBay (5^th edition) by Michael Miller
    
81. How to Sell Collectibles on eBay by Entrepreneur Press and Jennifer A. Ericson
    
82. eBay: Top 100 Simplified Tips and Tricks by Julia Wilkenson
    
83. Trading for a Living by Alexander Elder
    
84. Build an eBay Business Quick Steps by Matthews Technology
    
85. Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear
    
86. Rachel Carson: The Writer at Work by Paul Brooks
    
87. Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind
    
88. Make Big Profits on eBay by Jacquelyn Lynn and Charlene Davis
    
89. The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright
    
90. Start Your Own Blogging Business by Entrepreneur Press and J.S. McDougall
    
91. Start Your Own Self-Publishing Business by Entrepreneur Press and Jennifer Dorsey
    
92. The Only Three Questions that Count by Ken Fisher
    
93. The Official eBay Bible, Third Edition by Jim Griffith
    
94. eBay Photography The Smart Way by Joseph T. Sinclair and Stanley Livingston
    
95. Smart Couples Finish Rich by David Bach
    
96. The Bond Book by Annette Thau
    
97. Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind
    
98. Eat,Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
    
99. Sell, Keep, Toss by Harry L. Rinker
    
100. The Best of Edward Abbey, edited by Edward Abbey
     
101. Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak
     
102. Blood of the Fold by Terry Goodkind
     
103. Value Investing with the Masters by Kirk Kazinjian
     
104. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
     
105. Murder With All the Trimmings by Elaine Viets
     
106. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
     
107. Vertical Coffin by Stephen J. Cannell
     
108. Killer Cuts by Elaine Viets
     
109. A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid
     
110. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
     
111. Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
     
112. Profiting from Emerging Market Stocks by Mitchell Posner
     
113. The Fashion Hound Murders by Elaine Viets
     
114. In a Gilded Cage by Rhys Bowen
     
115. Temple of the Winds by Terry Goodkind
     
116. End the Fed by Ron Paul
     
117. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
     
118. Cold Hit by Stephen J. Cannell
     
119. White Sister by Stephen J. Cannell
     
120. An Irish Country Village by Patrick Taylor
     
121. Three Shirt Deal by Stephen J. Cannell
     
122. America's National Parks by Paul Schullery
     
123. Soul of the Fire by Terry Goodkind
     
124. Desert Light: Myths and Visions of the Great Southwest ; photographs by Dean Lee Uhlinger and edited by John Miller
     
125. A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen
     
126. Alaska's Inside Passage by Kim Heacox
     
127. Debt of Bones by Terry Goodkind
     
128. A Teton Country Anthology, edited by Robert W. Righter
     

my 2009 bookshelf