Two New Library Spokescritters

My Library has two new early literacy spokescritters, who will be sidekicks to Crafty Gal and Casey at the Bat in their video blogs (vlogs).  Looks like Queenie (the moo-cow) and Aggie McPooch (the slobberdog) will be jointly replacing Sammy the Toucan.  Tough luck to the other three candidates and Cauliette, who was completely overlooked, I must say.

Minions, make with the meeting videos, already!

I guess you can figure out which is which without moi captioning the videos.

Pretty polished and professional, Queenie and Aggie!  You're naturals in front of the camera.  Casey at the Bat did an exceptional job, too.  Crafty Gal also turned in a stellar performance, but we're accustomed to that now. In fact, we will be expecting great things from this quartet of early literacy talent.  We won't have to wait at all--they're already delivering the goods, big-time.

Sammy is certainly no easy winged dinner library spokescritter to replace, but Queenie and Aggie McPooch look quite promising.  We're looking forward to their upcoming videos.

Save Some of That Candy Corn For Moi, Crafty Gal,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Early Literacy News Beat

P.S.  Aggie McPooch was a tad nervous before her video debut.  In this public service announcement, Sesame Street's Maria and Elmo help kids face stressful situations.  Crafty Gal was inspired (like everybody else who works with young children) by Sesame Street.

Thanksgiving Winged Dinners Invade My Library

This being November and all, Thanksgiving winged dinners aplenty have invaded my Library.  As always, click the images to bigify.

Sammy the Toucan Looked Cuter in Her Pilgrim Hat

MUCH Cuter, I'd Wager

 Plump and Ready for Roasting

 T.G. Winged Dinner Police, I'm Guessing

 What a FANTASTIC Drawing of a

T.G. Winged Dinner, by Crafty Gal

 Won't Be Smiling When S/he's on MY Plate

Time to Turn-on the Oven, I'm Thinking

The Decorinator once again decked out the Library in all things Thanksgiving for the upcoming holidays.

 Sammy the Toucan in a Pilgrim Hat:

SO MUCH Cuter Than This Slobberdog

(Just Saying)

Great--Now We Have a Ratatattat

Winged Dinner in the Library 

Hank & Willie Decked Out For Thanksgiving, I See

Well, I certainly can't complain.  There are plenty of T.G. winged dinners for moi.  Fine dining, I'd venture.

Maybe we should fire-up the outdoor deep-frying cooker straight away.

Or not.

Not THAT Deep-Fried, Minions,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Thanksgiving Decorations News Beat

P.S.  "Down the Highway," composed by Carole King and Toni Stern and produced by Michael Nesmith, was recorded on June 5, 1969 but never made it onto a Monkees LP until Missing Links, Volume Two (1990), on which Rhino Records mislabeled it as "Michigan Blackhawk," a completely different song written by Michael Nesmith (and recorded on June 10, 1969).  What has this to do with Thanksgiving, you might wonder?  Nothing.  I just really like this song and decided to include it here.  Being feline-in-charge at my Library, I can do such things, you know.

For the definitive discussion of this song title confusion, see pp. 238-240 of Andrew Sandoval's The Monkees:  the Day-by-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation (London:  Backbeat Books, 1st edition, 2005).

P.P.S,  Want to listen to the Monkees "Michigan Blackhawk?"  Here's a video claiming to be the song, and it fits the description from Sandoval's book (see above).

P.P.P.S.  In the irrelevant aside department, the lyric "moving along the highway" appeared in "So Far Away," by Carole King, on her LP Tapestry [1971].  I'm presuming that we're not talking about a Monkees cover of "Down the Highway," by Bob Dylan, from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963).

Any Improvement is Welcome, Really

This afternoon Scowl-Face has been quite the busy beaver.  He has been renovating his Indiana Roving Reporter Room and Local History pages on our website.  Any improvement is welcome, really.

To see the revised web pages, click the images below.  (Not my fault if it doesn't work.)

 Click image to go to our Indiana Room web page

Click image to go to our new Local History web page

Interestingly, Scowlly hasn't moved from that chair since Boss Lady took those photos (February 8, 2008).  I thought he was just engrossed in his work.  It's hard to tell with his perpetual "dazed and confused" gaze.  The mouth hanging open is a nice touch.

Just kidding!  Of course he moves about whenever I order him to make it so.  Minions have their useful functions.

Hope You Enjoy Our Local Hoosier History Web Pages,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Local History News Beat

P.S.  We have a ton of old photographs from Mooresville and the surrounding area in our Indiana Roving Reporter Room collection.  Want to see some?  Minions, make it so.  Well, just click the video above.

Royalties, Russell Stover--Just Saying

Guess whose image graced a recent Russell Stover candy promotion.

That's Moi, I'm Thinking

Sure, it's an artist's rendering instead of a photograph, and the artist got the eye color wrong (greenish gold, not orange), and, clearly, the left ear is wrong, plus there's no white on the chest.  I've heard of artistic license, but this is ridiculous.

Still, an advertising campaign is most successful when celebrity images are used for promotional purposes.  It is customary to pay for the use of one's image.  Just saying, Russell Stover.  Ordinarily, I'd ask for canned tuna-in-oil as payment, but I'm flush with tuna at the moment, so I'll take cold cash on the barrel head.  Lots of it, in nicely stacked piles.  Large denominations only, if you please.

That's a Start.  Keep It Coming, Russell Stover!

Thanks for loaning moi your box of chocolates, Lady With the Red Hair. I'd have used Scowl-Face's, but he ripped the paper off and snarfed the entire box within seconds of purchase.  Not a pretty sight, I can assure you.

The Artist Got the Pumpkin Right, Though,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Proprietary Interests News Beat

P.S.  Somebody's Image (that's a clever name for a pop music group) recorded a cover of "Hush," by Joe South, which was released as an Australian single (1967).  South wrote many great hits during the 1960s and early 1970s, although his "chart career" began in 1958.  Sadly, he passed away just a couple months ago.

Just Roll With It, Pumpkin

In this week's early literacy video blog (vlog), Crafty Gal was sans Sammy the Toucan or any puppet replacement.  But her Pumpkin Friend dropped by to visit.  Well, more like rolled by.

Miss Michelle @ MPL:  Early Literacy Vlog

Halloween Fun Episode

Guest Star: Pumpkin Friend

Happily, Pumpkin won't be a permanent replacement for Sammy.  We're planning on further puppet interviews.  Maybe Cap'n Arrrrrgyle will make a comeback!  Not if we're lucky.

That ghost you made looked fairly scary to moi, Crafty Gal.  So did the pumpkin in that book.  Great Halloween reading for youngsters, I'd venture.  Kid people love to be scared!

Frankly, I couldn't understand a word Pumpkin said.  Sounded like a slobberdog toy squeaking to moi.

A little winged dinner told this feline roving reporter that next in the puppet interview line was a cow.  Go bovine, moo or less.  (What a terrible pun!)

If you'd like less roll in your pumpkins, we have a version of the video for that.

Miss Michelle @ MPL:  Early Literacy Vlog

Halloween Fun Episode (Minus Rolling Pumpkin)

Pull Out That Squeaker, Somebody (or Some Slobberdog),

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Early Literacy News Beat

P.S.  Speaking of rolling, Steve Winwood released "Roll With It" as a smash single and an album (1988).  Could be Pumpkin Friend's theme song.  Just saying.

P.P.S.  "Roll With the Flow" is both a slogan and a philosophy, which is precisely what Michael Nesmith intended when he wrote this California-lifestyle tune.  The song finished side two of his solo LP entitled And the Hits Just Keep on Comin' (1972).  Papa Nez was being ironic with the album title.  He had some solo single and album hits, but nothing compared to the glory days with the Monkees.  He did, however, invent MTV, and his mother invented Liquid Paper.  True story.  You can look it up.

P.P.P.S.  The Smashing Pumpkins had some big hits, like "1979," from the album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1996), which is reminiscent of some of Michael Nesmith's solo album titles [e.g., Infinite Rider on the Big Dogma (1979)].  Hey, Infinite Rider was released in 1979! Coincidence?  Could be a conspiracy!  Or not.