Fiona L. Woods's Blog, page 236

10 free online classes from Harvard to learn something new - Mashable

Today Panzer made a quick trip to the Mashable site. There our inquisitive kitty found a post about free online Harvard classes. Back in November Panzer told you about MIT's free online classes, too.
  I'm looking for a study partner.
According to the post by Amy-Mae Turner, Harvard University is offering free online courses. The post describes ten of the free courses, but includes links to access Harvard's other free online courses. The ten which are highlighted in the post range from a one week course titled PredictionX: Omens, Oracles and Prophesies to a seventeen week course titled The Einstein Revolution with other courses of varying lengths included.
 Panzer says, "Harvard also has an audit option and a paid certificate option."
 Note: This is a l-o-n-g post. Bring a cup of cocoa, a muffin, a brownie, and a chocolate chip bar cookie (biscuit) for today's reading.
 To read the post tootle over to free Harvard classesTo read Panzer's previous post about MIT tootle over to free MIT classes 

Amazon to host another COVID-19 vaccine clinic at its Seattle HQ campus on Sunday - GeekWire

 Here's news about another Amazon pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic Panzer found over at the GeekWire site. If you live in the Seattle Washington area, this is a chance to get your vaccination this coming Sunday, January 31.
 According to Kurt Schlosser, Amazon will again host the pop-up vaccination clinic in the company headquarters with Virginia Mason volunteers. The post includes a link to the Washington state eligibility site and a link to the Virginia Mason's wait list.
  Don't wait! Only 2,000.
Panzer says, "There are only 2,000 slots open, so you better hurry."
 Note: This is a short post. Bring a cup of tea for today's reading.
 To read the post tootle over to Amazon pop-up clinic

Melinda Gates Donates US$250,000 to New Carol Shields Prize for Fiction for Women - Publishing Perspectives

 Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere when he heard clapping and cheering coming from outside. Following all the jocularity took our brave kitty to the Publishing Perspectives site. There with a little digging in the posts he found one about Melinda Gates that was causing all the happiness.
  Interesting story about her there.
According to the post by Porter Anderson, Melinda Gates has donated $250,000 to the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. Carol Shields was an American-born Canadian writer. The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction will be awarded to women writers in Canada and the U.S. It will be an annual prize with the first one awarded in 2023. There are links included in the post to get more information about the prize.
 Panzer says, "If you want to keep up to date on information about the prize, one of the links in the post goes to the site where you can signup for their newsletter."
 Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea, a chocolate chip cookie (biscuit) and a brownie for today's reading selection.
 To read the post tootle over to Carol Shields Prize

Photos: Inside Amazon's pop-up COVID-19 vaccination site in its Seattle headquarters - GeekWire

 This doesn't have anything to do with publishing, but Panzer thought you might be interested in what Amazon is doing in Seattle, Washington, to help with the COVID-19 pandemic vaccinations.
  Vaccinated yet?
According to GeekWire's Taylor Soper, Amazon made a portion of the company's indoor headquarters available for people to receive COVID-19 vaccinations from Virginia Mason volunteers. Amazon says they plan to hold more pop-up vaccination sites in the future. Note: This is a very long post with several photos taken inside the pop-up vaccination site.
 To read the post tootle over to Amazon Seattle

The Six Online Bios Every Author Needs - Anne R. Allen's Blog

 Today Panzer decided to make a stop at Anne R. Allen's Blog. With a little digging in the posts our traveling kitty boy found one about the online bios authors need.
 According to the post by Nate Hoffelder, an author needs six online bios. In the post he describes each of the six as Twitter, Facebook, Podcast/Speaker, Amazon/Goodreads, and Memberships. He dissects and rewrites his own bios as examples of what to do with your author bios.
  I'm on Amazon/Goodreads & Twitter.
Panzer says, "How does he find the time for all those places?"

Note: This is a long, long post. Bring a thermos of cocoa, two muffins, two brownies and a chocolate chip cookie (biscuit).
 To read the post tootle over to online bios

An Australia With No Google? The Bitter Fight Behind a Drastic Threat - The New York Times

 Panzer was working on the Panzermobile's window cleaners when he heard crying and screaming coming from the Catosphere. Jumping in the pilot's seat, our brave kitty headed out to find the source of all the noise. Following the hubbub took him to The New York Times site. With no digging at all, he discovered a post about a dispute between Google and Facebook and the Australian senate.
 According to the post by Damien Cave,  Google is threatening to remove it's search engine capabilities from Australia. At issue is a three part senate legislation. The proposed legislation would force online companies like Google and Facebook to pay a fee when Australians use their services to search for online news articles. In addition, if the company and the news media source can't come to an agreement on the fee, the company is forced into arbitration. Finally, the companies would be required to tell the media sources when they plan to change their algorithms.
  I can blink. I'm not part of it.
Panzer says, "Hmm ... An old fashioned stare down. I wonder who will blink first."
 Note: This is a humongous post. Bring a thermos of tea and six muffins for today's reading selection.
 To read the post tootle over to Google and Facebook

A New Panzerism

 Panzer on being a happy camper:
This brilliant kitty learned something new today. Mom's big hot furnace thingy in the basement is broken.
The nice repairman gave Mom  something he called a space heater.
And ...
It looks like a little campfire to me.
So ...
I put a marshmallow  on a stick. And this one is portable.*
 And ...
Eureka!  It works just like the big hot campfire in the basement did.



* From Cat Wisdom for humans

A History of Cats in the White House - Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries and Meows

Maybe I can get a nap now.
Panzer was just getting ready for a nap, when he heard clapping and cheering coming from the Catosphere. Hopping into the Panzermobile he followed all the happiness to Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries and Meows. It didn't take any digging at all to find a post about cats who've lived at the U.S. White House was what was causing all the joyous noise.
  Panzer says, "There's been a lot written about the first dogs of the White House, but this is the first time this little kitty has seen First Cats get paid their due."
 Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries and Meows

6 Agents Seeking Women's Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Memoirs, Kidlit, YA, SF/F and more - Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity

Today Panzer was washing the windows on the Panzermobile when he discovered something stuck under the wiper blade on the windshield. Smoothing it out our fastidious kitty discovered it was a post about agents from the Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity site.   My work is never finished.
If you've been looking for an agent to help with your submission to traditional publishers, Erica Verrillo's post might have some useful information for you. The post contains a list of six agents looking for submissions. There's a description of each agent's interest and submission guidelines. To read the post tootle over to 6 Agents

No Post Today

Panzer here.  No post today because Mom is finishing a work project.