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1. Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 15:36:46 UTC Robert McNees

   Entertainer, childhood literacy advocate, and scientific philanthropist Dolly Parton was born #OTD in 1946.

   Mostly known for singing and songwriting, Dolly's Imagination Library program has distributed over 100 million free books to kids around the world.
   https://dollyparton.com/imagination-library

   Normally I do #OTD posts for scientists and mathematicians, or important discoveries. But Dolly Parton has done as much as any living person to promote childhood literacy so I am proud to include her on the list.

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 15:39:03 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     In addition, Dolly Parton's contributions to Vanderbilt University Medical Center's research efforts in the early days of the pandemic helped support the development of Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine.
     https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/18/entertainment/dolly-parton-moderna-covid-vaccine-reaction-trnd/index.html

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 15:41:11 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     “Without a doubt in my mind, her funding made the research toward the vaccine go 10 times faster than it would be without it.”

     You should take a minute to read the story of how Dolly ended up supporting the development of Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine.

     https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/11/18/dolly-parton-moderna-vaccine-abumrad-covid/

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 15:44:53 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program operates around the world.

     In Tennessee (where I grew up a few counties over from Dolly’s home) newborns are automatically enrolled before they leave the hospital.

     If you have or know kids who could use free books, you can check here to see if the program is available in your area:
     https://imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability/
     If it isn't yet available you can sign up for a notification.

     Here are the enrollment forms from when my niece was born.

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 15:48:18 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     When her corner of East Tennessee was ravaged by wildfires a few years back, Dolly donated heavily to the rebuild and paid every family who lost their home $1,000 per month for six months.

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 15:50:09 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     Dolly Parton is one of the Tzadikim Nistarim, is what I am saying.

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 15:54:38 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     Happy birthday to Dolly Parton from the far North side of Chicago, where we know how to honor a national treasure.

   • David 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (davidstalane@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 15:57:53 UTC David 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

     in reply to

     @mcnees Nah

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 16:20:08 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     • Glenn Fleishman

     @glennf A lovely song revealed as complete fiction the first time you see that picture of young Dolly Parton from my first post.

   • Glenn Fleishman (glennf@twit.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 16:20:09 UTC Glenn Fleishman

     in reply to

     @mcnees Listen to Jolene, and it’s actually a series of compliments to Jolene. For real. She can’t even insult the woman who she fears will steal her man. (Her man, of course, is weak.)

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 16:27:51 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     • Glenn Fleishman

     @glennf Very poor judgement.

   • Glenn Fleishman (glennf@twit.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 16:27:52 UTC Glenn Fleishman

     in reply to

     @mcnees Her man doesn’t come off as that bright from that either.

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 17:15:08 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     • AppleFanboy :apple_inc:

     @AppleFanboy Hard agree.

   • AppleFanboy :apple_inc: (applefanboy@techhub.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 17:15:09 UTC AppleFanboy :apple_inc:

     in reply to

     @mcnees She’s a national treasure. The people of Tennessee need to replace every confederate memorial statue with a statue of her.

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 19:22:37 UTC Robert McNees

     • Molly Cantrell-Kraig

     @mckra1g 5517 N Broadway!

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 23:07:42 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     • karen

     @geekaren further down in the thread!

   • karen (geekaren@mstdn.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 23:07:43 UTC karen

     in reply to

     @mcnees Not only has she promoted childhood literacy, she donated $1M to COVID vaccine development. She's a treasure

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 23:08:02 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     • AstronomerEric
     • jami
     • unrecognized_exemption

     @jami @spandauAnders @AstronomerEric Sorry!

   • jami (jami@mas.to)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 23:08:05 UTC jami

     in reply to

     • AstronomerEric
     • unrecognized_exemption

     @spandauAnders @AstronomerEric @mcnees I stopped breathing for a second

   • unrecognized_exemption (spandauanders@ioc.exchange)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 23:08:11 UTC unrecognized_exemption

     in reply to

     • AstronomerEric

     @AstronomerEric @mcnees this^. My heart stopped for a second she just died then read for context. Absolutely a positive voice.

   • astronomereric@mastodon.world's status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 23:08:13 UTC AstronomerEric

     in reply to

     @mcnees You scared me for a moment. I thought something had happened to her. 😬

   • gmoke (gmoke@mastodon.social)'s status on Friday, 20-Jan-2023 00:46:55 UTC gmoke

     in reply to

     @mcnees Give Ms Parton the Gershwin Prize for Songwriting please. It is the one award that she would probably appreciate the most as she identifies as a "songteller."

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 23-Jan-2023 13:49:00 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     Follow-up: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library distributing books in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
     https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/homenews/23268547.dolly-parton-hundreds-scots-kids-enjoy-free-books-thanks-star/

   • René M. Grabow (yours_truly@troet.cafe)'s status on Friday, 19-Jan-2024 16:07:14 UTC René M. Grabow

     in reply to

     @mcnees

     I suspect this is also why she is an important character in the streaming series “The Orville”.

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Friday, 19-Jan-2024 16:07:14 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     • René M. Grabow

     @yours_truly Did not know this!

   • Robert Link (phaedral@mastodon.social)'s status on Friday, 19-Jan-2024 22:37:37 UTC Robert Link

     in reply to

     @mcnees There's gotta be a "Dolly-llama" joke in here somewhere...

   • Animal Spirits (animalspirits@mastodon.social)'s status on Friday, 19-Jan-2024 23:28:49 UTC Animal Spirits

     in reply to

     @mcnees Dolly Parton is the only good thing about Tennessee

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 20-Jan-2024 01:24:13 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     • Animal Spirits

     @animalspirits hold on now.