[Roger Slater]

Adorable! Very well done. I love that Jack Johnson song.

[Mark McDonnell]

Aw thanks Roger. It's a White Stripes song! Mr Johnson must have done a cover version.

[Roger Slater]

Mr. Johnson just fell a few pegs in my estimation. I always thought he wrote it. But he does sing it beautifully, and it was a big hit for him for the Curious George movie. Here it is.

I wonder if he wrote another favorite of mine that he sings? This one. (Yes, I checked, and it appears he did write this one).

[Roger Slater]

Well, I have some news today that maybe belongs in "Accomplished Members," but the poem in question might have already had a go there a few years ago when it was first published in the National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry (a children's anthology), so I'll just mention it here. The news is that Houghton Mifflin Harcourt wants to use it in the Houghton Mifflin Reading Program materials (including several different formats that collectively will end up yielding five million copies). Educational publishing is where the money is, as they proved by offering vastly more money than I got for the original publication (and far more than I've ever received for a single poem).

[Richard Meyer]

Wonderful news, Roger. With a huge printing of the sort you mention, the book containing your poem will have far more published copies out in the world than the combined total of press runs for individual titles by many hundreds of poets. That one poem in the anthology could make you the most read of any poet who has ever entered this Sphere. Congrats!

Richard

[Michael Cantor]

That's great, Roger. Hoorah!! (Let's see...five million copies at a mere penny a copy - surely you're worth that much...is $50,000.) Drinks are on Roger.

[Roger Slater]

Well, not quite, but I'd be happy to buy you a drink if we ever find ourselves in the same bar once more.

[William A. Baurle]

Good news:

The assisted living facility I work in has received a prestigious award, the exact name of which escapes me at the moment. Anyway, we are THEEEE ONLY assisted living facility in the state of Arizona to achieve this award. There's going to be a media-thingy, and we're going to be in the local news (Internet I imagine), and in the local newspapers.

I'm a grunt. I basically do everything and anything, from washing dishes to cleaning windows to vacuuming carpets to plunging toilets. I'm also a waiter and a busboy, a prep-cook, and was referred to by one happy client's family as "The Dining Room Coordinator", which sounds really snazzy! I essentially do all foodservice/beverage tasks NOT done by the chef, plus 108 (or is that 314?) other things.

It's a small facility, with a maximum of 37 residents. We are a very small team (as you'll see in the photo upcoming, some time soon), but extremely loving and committed to making the facility as much a HOME SWEET HOME, as opposed to a 'home' (if you know what I mean) as possible. And we have evidently succeeded.

I've been in foodservice/healthcare for the elderly since 1989, and it's a career I highly recommend. I've done everything conceivable in the field, from washing dishes to dietary manager, and have even done tube feeding assessments, which are tricky. When I was in my early 30's, I was taking courses, and being tutored by a registered dietician, with the intention of being a Diet Technician.

But that all fell apart, because I'm a numbnuts. (Long story.)

Nonetheless, this is good news. YAY!

I will try to post the media stuff, or link to it, as it comes.

[Michael F]

Yes, 10 million eyeballs is pretty astounding, Rogerbob. Congrats!

And happy 80th, Ralph!

[Jayne Osborn]

Lovely news, everyone, and congratulations to many of you for various super-duper achievements. (Too many to mention individually, sorry.)

My good news is that I've just returned from a Golden Wedding Anniversary party, at which I performed some ''close-up magic'' around the tables, which was great fun and went down well with the guests.

(I must be the most unlikely-looking magician anyone ever clapped eyes on!)

Jayne