It's Friday the 5 September in Charleston and we are tracking three hurricane/tropical storms (Hanna, Ike, Josephine). This time of year is always nerve-wracking with all the speculation when the storm, or whatever, is thousands of miles away and the tracks are never predictable. Anyway, here we sit, work is called off, the bridges are closed, it is raining off and on and very windy, so we are just waiting, counting our batteries, water bottles, and candles. Reminiscent of Hugo, the terrible hurricane that went through Charleston in 1989, the year we started Against the Grain! But I am a superstitious optimist, keeping my fingers and toes crossed. Registration for the Charleston Conference continues apace, still running at twice the number registered this year as were registered at the same time last year. Come on down! (But not now!)

Am learning about caring for a baby again. My grandson Trifon has been visiting since Friday morning (without his parents who are on vacation with friends at the isle of Palms). He is a handful but very very cute. We are having lots of fun. He is crawling everywhere and into everything and he's just 8 months!

We returned from Wilmington on Friday morning just in time to go to the airport to pick up Trifon and parents. We had visited my father-in-law in Wilmington who has endocarditis. He appeared to be doing better but has since had a stroke and is in a coma. Very sad.

Tomorrow we do not have the day off so it's business as usual except that I will be taking the day off anyway. Happy Labor Day to all and especially to those of you who have the day off!

Had a great visit with John Baudassi (ProQuest) the other day. The new ProQuest Entrepreneurship database is intriguing but too expensive for us at the College given that we just lost $1.8 million in funding from the State of SC!

Was just reading Eleanor Cook's blog this morning. After reading her comments, I am thinking seriously about buying an IPhone (if I can afford it, and probably after my contract runs out on my old cell phone.). Time (and budget) will tell.

Now I'm heading off to Wilmington, NC, where my 94-year-old father-in-law is hospitalized with endocarditis. Please keep him in your prayers.

I am inspired to start blogging after reading George Orwell's. (see orwelldiaries.wordpress.com) Obviously, Orwell was not a blogger but he could have been one had he lived in our time.
So -- here goes! -- It is rainy and gloomy in Charleston today courtesy of Tropical Storm Fay. But it is also alleviating our drought status. We had a great visit from Cindy Human of Midwest Library Services who's going to Egypt on vacation shortly (I wonder if she has talked to John Tagler about the trip he took to Egypt many years ago? I forgot to tell her to ask him for tips! Oops!) We are also getting ready for a visit from Steve O'Dell of Ebsco (without Geico).

Hello all! I am looking for a guest editor for the November 2008 (Charleston Conference) issue of Against the Grain. Pick a topic of interest to you and get 4-6 articles of 2,000 words each from colleagues (using listservs, personal contacts, etc.), referee them with a colleague, and the task is over. Anyone interested? Write me at katina.strauch@gmail.com. I'm waiting! Thanks!

My bosom swelled with pride (a la Gilbert and Sullivan's HMS Pinafore) when the alert Joyce Ogburn sent me the URL to this write up about the AAUP (American Association of University Presses) recent meeting in Montreal. ("Digital Daze" by Scott McLemee). Reportedly the Charleston Conference and ATG were mentioned repeatedly in AAUP meetings, panels, and less formal discussions. ATG was hailed as a "must-read for anyone in academic publishing who wants a glimpse of how their colleagues across campus are discussing the new information tools."
http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2008/07/02/mclemee