DCistas -- You may have heard or read about the devastating fire at Eastern Market last week. In support of Eastern Market, several area bars and restaurants are donating percentages of their receipts tonight to the rescue fund. This fund will not only help to rebuild, but will also help to support the vendors while the structure is being rebuilt. Go here for a list of establishments.

Thanks for posting that Vortex!

In addition, I went to the town hall meeting last night with hundreds of residents, most of the vendors and the mayor. If localistas would like an update on the rebuilding plan, or to be alerted to upcoming meetings, ping my profile addy.

Brenda Novak [link] romance and romantic suspense author, is holding an auction of writerly, readerly, and just plain fun things to support Juvenile Diabetes research. Drollerie Press has donated some items, including a signed, inscribed copy of our novel Still Life with Devils by Deborah Grabien. Even if you don't bid on anything from DP, it's a good cause and there are some amazing things up for sale from some great authors.

So I just today realized that it is Teacher Appreciation Week. I want to take this opportunity to recognize and thank all of my fellow teachers for the important work you do. Go Team Buffista Teachers!

The board will be down for approximately three hours starting 9PM Pacific (board time) on Sunday the 13th of May in order to upgrade both hardware and software.

This time, for real

The board will be down for approximately three hours starting 8PM Pacific (board time) on Sunday the 20th of May in order to upgrade both hardware and software.

Netflix is selling the DVD of Serenity for $5.99.

Speaking of which...

There's a two-disc special edition of Serenity coming out in August.

[link]

x-posted with my LJ:

BEYOND 4 WALLS BOOK DRIVE

Reading changes lives. We ask you to partner with us to impact and improve the lives of incarcerated children and teenagers, by purchasing books for the BEYOND 4 WALLS BOOK DRIVE.

The Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Detention Facility in Sylmar houses 600+ children and teens. The members of the Nidorf Collective, a group of students from the UCLA Information Studies graduate program, have been volunteering at the facility for the past year, bringing books to this underserved population. The Beyond 4 Walls Book Drive, sponsored by the GSA Community Service Commission, will further the work to give the gift of reading to these kids.

How can you contribute?

1) The best and simplest way is to use this link to select books for the kids from the "Beyond 4 Walls Wish List" on Amazon.com:

[link]

The books on this list have been requested by the teens at Nidorf and/or recommended by the library students in the UCLA MLIS program, who have seen what a difference books and reading make to this population. After you use the link, please forward this message to others who might also like to make a fundamental difference in this ongoing literacy program. The email campaign will run from Friday, May 18th to Friday, June 8th. (Please note and make use of all the tools Amazon gives you to view the books by highest priority, by price, in detail, or in summary.)

2) Mail used or new paperbacks to me (profile addy is good).

The GSA Community Service Commission, the members of the Nidorf Collective, and the kids at Nidorf thank you for giving your time and energy to community service. Your donation makes a big difference.

ETA: In terms of parameters, I don't think we want anything that glorifies violence or gangs. Those subjects are okay, just not something that says, "Yay blood!" For the record, the kids I've been in contact with love poetry, graphic novels, horror, and "books about gangbanging." They always ask for the Tupac poetry book.

Gloom, are there any parameters for types of books you're looking for or want to avoid?