Reference and You

Cash Mobs - What the Heck Are They?

2012-03-05T10:36:00.013-08:00

Hi All,

Today I'm going to go a bit 'techie' on you.

You might have heard about flash mobs. And if you don't know what a flash mob is; click here to find out. Simply put, a flash mob is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and seemingly pointless act for a brief time, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, or artistic expression. Flash mobs are organized via telecommunications (cell phone), social media (Twitter, Facebook), or viral emails. The previous definition comes from Wikipedia - which, regular users know that I use as a helpful source of information in the blog.

And now, if you really, really want to get geeky, you can click on this link from Youtube. I did a simple search for 'flash mobs on long island'. A lot of times a flash mob is video recorded and then the results are uploaded to the web (in many cases to Youtube) so folks can view the event.

So...now that you know what a flash mob is, what the heck is a 'cash mob'?

Well, in a similar vein as a flash mob, a cash mob 'is a group of people who assemble at a local business and all buy items from that business. The purpose of these mobs is to support both the local businessess and the local community. Again, the source of my information is Wikipedia - click here for the link to the site description for cash mobs.

Now, the reason I'm writing about cash mobs is the article that I saw on the Newsday website on Monday, March 5th. Entitled 'Cash Mob Idea Spreads on Long Island'. Click here for the link to the Newsday site for the article.

To learn even more about Cash Mobs and the 'rules' under which they operate, click on this link.

To learn even more about Flash Mobs and how they are spreading, click on this link from CNN for an article.

Interesting stuff, eh? And now, blog readers can say they have heard of both flash mobs and cash mobs just by reading this entry. How cool is that? And it didn't even hurt!

Enjoy the mob scene!

Regards,
Stu

The Number 6

2012-03-02T10:51:00.022-08:00

Hi All,

The number 6. It doesn't seem like much, its after 5 and before 7 in our number system. Kind of squished between the two - and certainly far from number 1 and somewhat close to the number 10. Ah well, someone has to be the sixth batter...

You know, there are so many links and special players and ideas related to the number 6, I decided to do a second entry. If you remember, I posted a blog entry back on February 6th (how appropriate!) relating to the number 6. This is kind of a sequel of sorts to that entry.

Things relating to the number 6 include....

Motel 6 - national motel chain. On the site you can make reservations, learn about programs and promotions and check out the rooms that you'll be staying in on your sojourn. Nice site.

Perl 6 - dev.perl.org Rakudo, a Perl 6 compiler based on Parrot, allows compilation by tecode...huh? Its programming language stuff. Check it out if you enjoy computers, programming and like Perl (not the stone you wear on a string...)

June 6th, xxxx (also 6/6/xxxx) - has lots of famous events that occurred on that date. Charles X succeeded his abdicated cousin Queen Christina to the Swedish throne in 1654. The battle of Normandy begins in 1944 (aka D-Day or Operation Overlord took place.) The NBA was created in 1946 and in 1971 Soyuz program was launched by Russia.

Honeycomb's are six sided - click here for a bit of information on them.

LeBron James wears the number 6 on his uniform.

Boston Celtics Hall of Famer Bill Russell wore uniform number 6 as well.

A sextet is a formation containing exactly six members - commonly associated with vocal or musical instrument groups...

Six Degrees of Separation - I've probably written about this before....this refers to the idea that everyone is, on average, approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth....click on this link for the Kevin Bacon Game.

Enjoy the links and the players and the entry.

Regards,
Stu

Hospital Comparisons on Long Island

2012-03-01T07:26:00.021-08:00

Hi All,

Hopefully you'll never have to use this site, but if you do...Hospital Compare from the Department of Health and Human Services (sponsored by the United States Government) is absolutely fabulous. I don't throw around compliments like that often, but this site is just great!

Starting at the beginning - a good place to start I would think :) - users can enter a location (Zip Code, City or State) in the boxes provided. Users can then focus on types of hospitals by narrowing down by General Hospitals, by Medical Condition or by Surgical Procedures.

The example that I'll use in this blog entry is a search for hospitals in the zip code 11501 (Mineola, New York). Once I did that search I saw a page that listed 62 hospitals that are withing 25 miles of Mineola. The usual suspects of hospitals comes up - including: Winthrop University Hospital, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, North Shore University Hospital and others.

The chart lists hospitals by the hospital type (acute care, acute care - veterans, Children's hospital, Critical Care hospitals and whether or not the hospital offers emergency services).

The real value of the site comes when users click on the tab at the top of the page that says 'Quality of Care'. When users click on this link they can see data on:

1. Survey of Patients' Hospital Experiences
2. Process of Care Measures
3. Outcome of Care Measures
4. Use of Medical Imaging
5. Patient Safety Measures

Users can compare up to 3 different hospitals in chart format - which makes it very, very easy to digest all the data. Users can also view the data in graph or table format for easier viewing and consumption of the information. Wow - very informative, timely and useful information is at your fingertips now!

Enjoy the site - I hope you find it useful and timely.

Regards,
Stu

Nassau County Government Homepage

2012-02-29T10:37:00.009-08:00

Hi All,

The Nassau County government homepage is chock full of informative and helpful links. Not only is the site easy to navigate - great colors, easy to read, good contrasting links and well organized - there are many ways for visitors to contact various departments on the Nassau County site. Click here for a good start to figure out who/what/where to contact if you have any issues.

One of the best things about the site is eServices link on the homepage. Click here for the direct link.

On the EServices page on the site you have two sections - one for residents and another for business. I'm going to discuss the various parts of the resident section in this blog entry. There is more than enough to talk about on the site for the entry.

So, what's on the resident site? Well, users can view assessment information via the Land Records Viewer, appeal your assessment via the Assessment Review (AROW), make golf reservations (seriously!), pay parking tickets online and find a section on contractor lookup and initiate contractor complaints.

Starting from the top....the Land Records Viewer enables users to view area maps, tax maps, view a property sketch and view correspondence. General and School tax information, property description, recent sales and assessment question information are all available on the site.

The AROW (an acronym for Assessment Review on the Web) section of the site enables homeowners to answer the question, 'Do I have a good case for filing an appeal"? Users can search for residential sales, file an appeal or look up information about pending or prior appeals.

Sorry, but the Golf Reservation section of the site is one of the more clever uses of technology that I've seen recently. Using this service, users can reserve tee time at either the Red, White, or blue courses at Eisenhower Park up to one week in advance of the date you wish to play. Funstuff - especially now that Spring is somewhat around the corner.

The 'My Nassau' part of the site enables users to find information on elected officials, road management authorities, school district information, police/fire/sewage district information. That could be very helpful when you need to lodge a complaint about a fire or sewage issue...

Go figure - park in the wrong place now, get a ticket and you can pay online with a credit card. Want to do just that? Just click on this link to pay your outstanding parking tickets that are returnable to the Nassau County (TPVA) Traffic Court. Easy - and you don't have to go to 16 Cooper Street in Hempstead to pay the ticket. FYI, click on this link to go to the TPVA website directly.

Finally, visitors to the Contractor Lookup/Complaint section of the website can find and check on the license status of prospective contractors and vendors. Visitors can also file complaints with the Nassau County Department of Consumer Affairs from this site as well. Neat stuff -and very helpful when you are doing a renovation or building project on or in your house (think kitchen remodeling or basement finishing or an addition to the house...).

Enjoy the site - there is a huge amount of timely, valuable, helpful information that is available to visitors!

Regards,
Stu

The Academy Awards

2012-02-27T07:46:00.020-08:00

Hi All,

Unless you live under a rock - or if you are completely uninterested in the movies and the Academy Awards - you might have missed the Academy Awards last night.

Yes - I am delivering a blog entry about the Academy Awards. Don't worry, if you follow through to the end of the entry, you'll see why I'm writing this entry. (How's that for a hook - I bet that'll get a lot of folks to work their way through the entry!)

Okay, okay...onto the red carpet we go.

So...if you did miss the AA (Academy Awards from here on out will be denoted by AA), click on this link for all the winners for 2012.

You know you want it - click here for lots of AA photos. Note that the pictures came from the AA website at this link. Look at all the pretty stars and actors and actresses!

This next link has interviews and commentary of actors and actresses interviewed on the 'Red Carpet' before the AA's. Can you imagine how many reporters and news hounds were 'on the story' of the AA's? Well, just to give you an idea, click on this link from the AA blog site. Amazing how much is written about the AA's.

This next link - called Oscar Buzz - is basically a real-time feed of readers comments about the AA's. Note that these are really short comments - basically in Twitter format. Funstuff.

Now, for all the back stories, interviews, comments and more, you can click on this link from EW - Entertainment Weekly. More funstuff. Especially with all the pictures and articles the site has.

You might also want to click on this link from EW that is dedicated to just the 2012 AA's. Wow - so much information. On the page there are sections on 'Oscars 2012: Behind the Scenes', and 'Oscards 2012: Myth Busters', and 'Oscars 2012: Nominated For...Nothing'.

Finally, if you click on this link, you'll find all the books in the Farmingdale Public Library that deal with the Academy Awards.

Enjoy the recap and the sites of the 2012 Academy Awards!

Regards,
Stu

High Wind Watch For Friday and Saturday

2012-02-24T08:41:00.018-08:00

Hi All,

If you haven't realized it yet - its windy outside. Very windy in fact. Click here for a link to the Wunderground - a weather website that gives forecasts, weather news and more.

But wait, there's more. Click on this link for this weekends' weather in Farmingdale - link is from Yahoo! Weather.

If we have high winds, what does that mean for homeowners? What should they do in case of really, really strong winds?

Click on this link from the NOAA - the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The information at the bottom of the page has a section for 'High Wind Safety Actions'. In this case the example is if a hurricane is approaching your region.

Some of the more obvious things that homeowners should do include bringing in all lawn furniture, barbecues, and dog houses. More info can be found on this link.

Find out if you home meets current building code requirements for high winds by clicking on this link. If you need to reinforce your garage door because of heavy wind, click here. Click here for more information about shuttering the windows on your house.

Finally, click on this link for the modern version of the Beaufort Wind Scale. If you want a really neat picture, click on the last category for a great picture of what hurricane force winds look like on the ocean!

You also might want to click on this link for the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale Summary Table - neat stuff and the categories they cover are really helpful.

Finally, you might want to click on this link for some fun 'Wind Facts'. Click here for the link to the site by the name of 'Wind' from a site called 'Clouds R Us'.

Included on the site is a table of wind chill factors, information on global wind patterns, and winds that have been named (ie. Mistral, Pampero, Levante, etc...)

I hope the links I provided blow you away :)

Regards,
Stu

Crime Statistics From the Nassau County Police Department

2012-02-23T06:39:00.004-08:00

Hi All,

Back on February 1st I wrote about crime statistics that are available on the Newsday.com website. That information is good - very good - and very helpful.

At the end of that blog entry, in passing I mentioned that there is a section on the Nassau County Police Department website that contains crime statistics. With all the attention being paid to the new Community Policing Plan - click here for the link to learn more about the plan - I wanted to go into more detail about the data that is presented on the Nassau County Police Department website.

First though, click here on a link from CBS New York's website for an article titled, 'Nassau County Residents Voice Displeasure About Plan to Close 4 Police Precincts'. Also, you might want to click on this link from ABC News titled 'Burglaries Up In Nassau County Amid Precinct Closures'.

Now, on to the statistics. The main page for the Crime Statistics can be reached by clicking on this link. Click on the link for whichever precincts crime statistics that you are interested in. Note also that there is a link for 'Grand Totals' as well.

When you click on a precinct link a document opens up in pdf format. Click here to get a free version of Adobe Acrobat for free.

When you click on any of the links the Crime Report comes up. Interesting columns to note are the comparison's between 2012 and 2011 and the fact that the report has Weekly, 28 Day, Year-to-Date and Year-to-Date Prior Year columns. There is a LOT of information on the chart!

The first column on the left side of the document has the type of crime. Murders, Rapes, Sexual Abuse, Robberies, Assaults, Burglaries, Stolen Vehicle, Grand Larceny and more are included in the report. Note also that the last row on the sheet includes a 'Total Crime Report'. Basically that is a cumulative total...

Other items to note about the report: these stats are for the week and are by precinct. Sometimes the percent change column is drastically large due to few occurrences. For example, if there were 2 residential burglaries in a particular week and then there was only one residential burglary in the next week - the percent change would show that it dropped by 50%. If there were 3 residential burglaries in the next week, the percent increase would show an increase of 200%. Make sure you understand the statistics before coming to any arbitrary conclusions.

Finally, remember that the main Crime Statistics page has a Grand Total link.
Regards,

Stu

Happiness - Finding It and Holding On To It

2012-02-21T09:46:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Wow - what an ambitious topic I chose for this blog entry!

Happiness - it seems like a vague, general term. How can we find it and keep it and share it?

Indeed - these are some of the topics that I'll discuss in this entry.

First - click on this link for a good definition of happiness - link is from Wikipedia. This next link goes to website called 'The Pursuit of Happiness' - from an organization called The Pursuit of Happiness. This site has an interesting link to the history of happiness. Click here for that very link.

How does one 'become happy'? Indeed, great question. Click on this link for a site that claims to have figured out two components of 'how to be happy'. Hint: gratitude and appreciation are factors in happiness.

So, why is happiness so important? Clicking on any of these three links will get you started to figuring out why happiness is so important.

Lifecoachexpert.com

Selfcreation.com

Happiness Show.com

Evidently folks who create quotes and wrote poetry think happiness is very important. Click on this link from Motivating Quotes.com. Some of the quotes are pretty darn funny, clever and insightful.

Enjoy the links!

Stu

N is for...

2012-02-17T08:16:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

Onward and upward in my slow, but steady, project of finding interesting websites that represent various letters of the alphabet.

We are now up to the letter N....amazing.

Netflix - Users can watch movies & television shows online or streaming video right to your TV via Xbox, Wii, PS3 & many other devices. Free trials available before you decide to purchase.

Nordstrom - upscale retailer has lots of clothing for men, women, juniors, babys/kids and more. Other goods they sell includees shoes, handbag, 'stuff' for the house, jewelry and watches. Can get email updates and buy online.

NFL - great link to one of the big four sports in America today. Get stats, player news, team news, highlights, standings, play fantasy fooball, schedules, video, tickets and merchandise and more on the site.

National Grid - get customer service, pay bills, find products and services for your home or for you business and more on the site. Users can view and pay bills, learn about various billing programs, find out why your bill may vary, view bills and payments and more.

National Geographic - wonderful non-profit website with gigantic sections on video, photography, animals, environment, travel, adventure, NatGeoTV, Kids and National Geographic, buy NG related goods and more. Don't miss Photo of the Day, the section on Maps, Explorers and Blogs. You'll be here for hours and hours if you like 'things natural' and related topics. Users can also subscribe to the publication on the site as well.

New York Times - internationally known newspaper that covers the world of news. Don't miss sections include the Dealbook, Style, Arts and Opinion! Readers can subscribe for home delivery, sign up for podcasts, find obituaries, look in the event guide and much, much more.

Newsday - the local Long Island newspaper. One of the highest circulating newspapers in the United States! Users can find a limited amount of information since the newspaper makes users enter their account information to get the full newspaper...fyi, Newsday is owned by Cablevision.

Nook - the Barnes&Noble e-reader that competes with the Kindle, Ipad and other e-devices. Click on this link to go to the page that has informationon the Nook Simple Touch, Nook Color and the Nook Tablet. Nook users can get over 2.5 million books, popular magazines, newspapers, interactive kids books, movies, tv shows, music and apps. Whew - take a gander! And remember, you can download free books via the library website by clicking on this link to Overdrive.

NOAA - learn all about the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Taken from the NOAA webpage, the NOAA is..."an agency that enriches life through science. Our reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor as we work to keep citizens informed of the changing environment around them.

From daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings and climate monitoring to fisheries management, coastal restoration and supporting marine commerce, NOAA’s products and services support economic vitality and affect more than one-third of America’s gross domestic product. NOAA’s dedicated scientists use cutting-edge research and high-tech instrumentation to provide citizens, planners, emergency managers and other decision makers with reliable information they need when they need it."

Be sure not to miss the National Weather Service part of the site. Also, check the National Ocean Service link

Numerology - click on this link to Wikipedia that discusses Numerology. Sections in the link include various systems of numerology like Alphabetic Systems, Abjad Systems and Pythagorean Systems. More information on Chinese Number Systems is available as well. External links are available for numerology as well.

Enjoy.
Stu

Red-Light Cameras in Nassau County

2012-02-15T15:32:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Newsday has a very interesting and useful database of red-light cameras in Nassau County. You might have seen these cameras sitting atop the signal at busy intersections in Nassau County.

Or not. You might not have known what they are...but they are around Nassau. Click here for a list of them - both a map and a long list - of where these cameras are located.

Interestingly enough, click on this link that says that red-light cameras reduce crashes.

Alternatively, click on this link that says that red-light cameras are not about safety.

You might also want to click on this link from AOL Autos that discusses whether or not red-light cameras reduce crashes.

Finally, readers who have teenagers who are about to learn to drive might consider taking a peak at this video we have in our collection at the library. The name of the video is 'Rules of the Road' and it is in DVD format and you can find it in the library in the 629.28 section. FYI, the video is mixed in with the rest of our non-fiction books!

Okay, one last plug for the library! Did you know that the library offers defensive driving classes for Senior Citizens and for adults under the age of 50? Well, we do - and if you click on this linkand scroll to the last page of the newsletter, you'll find our most current classes for AARP members and for folks under 50 years old. Attendees can save money on their insurance for up to 3 years.

Hope this helps - safe driving.

Regards,
Stu

Milk and Cookies - The Best Snack Ever!!!

2012-02-13T08:16:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I was just thinking about what some of the 'best things in life are?' My list includes pizza, a Yankee game on a warm summer day, sleeping late on a Sunday morning and of course, the title of this entry: milk and cookies.

Wouldn't it be great if we all - I mean everyone who works or babysits or is on vacation - could take a half hour milk and cookie break every day at 3pm? That would be amazingly productive! It would cut down on the afternoon blahs and we'd get a snack to boot. Remember how you used to have milk and cookies after school when you were younger? Those were the days, eh?

Click on this link for the nutritional aspects of milk. Now click on this link for the nutritional aspects of cookies.

Click on this link for a fun chocolate chip recipe from Allrecipes.com. And if you didn't like the previous chocolate chip recipe, click on this link for another one!

What about reading about a history of chocolate chip cookies while reading this blog entry? Here ya go - click on this link for an essay on just that topic!

As if that's not enough, you might want to click on this link to get 'Interesting Facts About Chocolate Chip Cookies'. Yum, yum, yum!

Finally, click on this link for even more fun facts about cookies!

Enjoy the cookies, and the next time you are enjoying milk and cookies, think about this blog entry!

Regards,

Stu

Literary Terms

2012-02-09T07:18:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I try to make the blog interesting AND educational. This is one of those entries where I'm trying to do both things at the same time. I hope I succeed!

Also, since this is a library blog, I try - sometimes - to make it a bit literary. This is one of those entries.

There are lots of literary terms out there. So whether or not you are reading a book - the paper version - or reading a book on your Ipad, Kindle, Nook or other device, you might come into contact with some of these words...they help you understand what you are reading even more. And you'll come to appreciate the work also.

So, click on this link for a very digestible list of literary terms like 'allegory', 'allusion', "caesura' (what the heck is that?), 'epithet', 'imagery', 'malapropism', 'portmanteau' or 'syllepsis'. Cool words that will definitely help you appreciate what you are reading even more - and, if you are in high school or college, you'll possibly get an even better grade.

Click here for another link to literary terms. This time the link is from a college called Carson-Newman College in Tennessee.

Finally, if you have an assignment for school where you need to learn about literary terms, readers can use our online database entitled 'Credo Reference'. Just click on the Reference link on the Farmingdale Public Library homepage. Click on reference again when you get to the database page. Scroll down a bit to the link that says Credo Reference. Before you actually use the database, you'll need to enter your library card number in the box. Once you do that though, you'll have access to the database. Great stuff -and helpful to boot.

Finally, for a less serious - but still educational - take on literary terms, click on this link. Links are available for the various literary terms but also for figurative language and other literary devices. There is also a fun section 'For Kids' which has a quiz on literary terms. Site also has a link for teachers. Enjoy!

Stu

Trends - What's Hot and What's Not

2012-02-08T10:21:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Let's talk tech and trends and things 'cool' today. I suspect you've all used Google to do a search on the web. That's all well and good - but did you know that the folks at Google have created a way to find out what terms are popular at a particular time and place?

Yep - its cool. It'll totally change the way you do research and that way you use Google.

Just click on this link and you'll visit the main Google Trends page.

Users can type in their own search or click on various links of 10 or so very popular searches.

Users who are interested in exploring more about the advanced features can click on this link entitled 'Google Insights For Search'. This is where users can compare search volume patters across specific regions, categories, time frames and properties. Super cool for the geeky searcher in all of us. :)

Here is an example of what you'll find if you use Google Trends. I did a search for 'snow new york' and got back a chart that prety much looked like an EKG report you get at a doctors office. Specifically though it showed that there was an increase in these search terms (and a dramatic increase in these terms at that) during the months of December, January and February. This is pretty much what you would expect in New York during these months since there is more snow at this time of year. Hence you would expect there to be more people searching for these terms at this time of year. Click on this link for the chart.

Now, if you scroll down further on the result page, you can click on links under the category of Regions. Users can also click on a link at the top right on the page for 'All Regions' and 'All Years'. Interesting stuff. I wonder what would happen if you did a search for 'snow', 'New York', and 'blizzard' and then narrowed the search down by region?

So, the whole point of Google Trends is for users to be able to parse (aka break out and divide in ever smaller parts) data and then to actually use it in a practical way.

I would imagine that advertisers, marketers, PR and publicity professionals would find this an interesting tool - as would information professionals and folks who love to search for data.

Enjoy!
Stu

Introducing the Number 6

2012-02-06T11:46:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Full entry ahead - beware of information and trivia. You might even get a laugh or a giggle or two from the entry. Heck, with the shape of the number 6 - round, curvy and just plain fun - who wouldn't be laughing? Anyway, onward and upward to 6.

Motel 6: Make reservations and find locations on the company's website. You can also become a member and get information about programs (read: sales and discounts) when you sign up. Learn all about various Motel 6 locations and find out about their pet friendly program on the site as well.

For the musician in all of us...6 is the number of strings on a standard guitar. Click here for more information on string numbers and guitars. Also, click on this link for info on a group of Frenchman in the 1920's who were known as 'Les Six'.

In the world of sports, LeBron James has the number 6 on his uniform. Click on this link to get masses and masses of LJ stats.

Lots of Major League Baseball players who ultimately became Hall of Famers wore the number 6 on their uniform. For example, Al Kaline and Stan Musial wore the number. Same thing for the NBA - Bill Russell and Julius Erving wore it. In the NHL Larry Aurie wore the number 6.

And in other fields it is said that there is no more than six degrees of separation between any two people on Earth. Click here for the fascinating story of the 6DOS theory.

Other meanings for the number '6' include:
1. ESP is also known as the 'sixth sense'.
2. There are six cardinal directions - North, South, East, West, Up and Down.
3. Six dynasties form part of Chinese History. (And the number 6 is a lucky number in Chinese culture.)
4. Six is also used as informal slang for the British Secret Intelligence Service - MI6.
and finally...
5. the sextant - the measuring instrument - got its name because its shape forms one- sixth of a whole circle.

Click on any of the above links to find out more about that particular topic relating to the number 6. Enjoy the links!

Stu

The SuperBowl Post

2012-02-03T07:11:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

As far as I can remember I've been doing a SuperBowl entry the day or two before the big game.

So...here we go again - since the big game is on Sunday!!!

Readers can click on this link for WCBS880's link to 'all things SuperBowl'. There are lots of interesting links...some of which include links about a New Hyde Park Pizzeria Delivering Pizza to Giants in Indianapolis, two NYGiants who are promising a Giant win, the Feds Have Seized $400,000 in Counterfeit NFL Goods and other articles and information.

For gameday information it would be best to visit the SuperBowl site at NFL.com Did you know that you can watch the game live via streaming video at the NFL.com website? Yep - you can.

Click on this link that talks about NYGiants coach Coughlin and the hall-of-fame. For information about the coaching matchup during the game click here - lots of statistics! And to be fair about it, click here for a Wikipedia entry about Bill Belichik - coach of the NE Patriots.

Click on these links for information about the two quarterbacks that lead their respective teams:
Eli Manning - click on this link for the Wikipedia entry for Eli Manning.
Tom Brady - click on this link for the Wikipedia entry for Tom Brady.

Check out this site from Indianapolis Superbowl.com - interesting links to things related to the SB46. Site has links to the Super Bowl village, events and information, transportation and parking, and more.

Okay, so if you are hosting an SB46 party, click on this link from Ehow. Lots of good links and ideas on how to spruce of the house and host a party for the game. There's also a list of things you'll need for the party on the side of the page.

Ack...from Boston.com comes this site on how to host a SB46 party as well.

From the boston.com site comes this site that has a host of links like healthy SB recipes. Click on this link for super foods for your SB party - I'm getting hungry already!

From About.com comes this entry entitled, Super Bowl Recipes and Quick Party Food Tips - hint: finger foods play a part in the fiesta.

Okay, so if you don't want to have to cook for the big game, click on any of these links and you'll be able to order pizza, wings or pretty much anything that might be good to eat on game day. Many of the pizza places do delivery - ask when you call.

PapaJohns.com
Dominoes.com
Domenico's - for all you football fans in Farmingdale - local pizza that is great!!!
Bellagio Neighborhood Pizza and Restaurant - off Route 110

Oh, and if you aren't a football fan - and there are folks out there who aren't interested in football - you might want to click on this link from TheStreet.com entitled, '4 Things To do Instead of Watching the Super Bowl' - very cute - and number 3 is a must for animal lovers. Here's the link to the site for the video.

Finally, advertising and commercials are a big, big part of the SuperBowl hype and advertising. Click here for a link to Superbowl-ads.com for an overview of the last 14 years worth of Super Bowl commercials. Click on this link for the 2012 SuperBowl commercials - great stuff...

Enjoy the game - enjoy the links. Go Giants!

Oh, and the final score: NY Giants 34 - NE Patriots 24. Woohoo!

Regards,
Stu

E is for.....Eggplant

2012-02-02T06:31:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Well, I'm back again with the fruit of the day. Previously I've discussed fruits and/or vegetables with the letters A, B, C and D. Now I'm up to the letter E.

E is for eggplant - for today at least :)

Did you know that eggplant is closely related to tomatoes and potatoes? No - well click on this link from Wikipedia and you'll learn all about our friendly eggplant. Did you also know that botanically speaking the eggplant is classified as a berry?

As Wikipedia explains, 'The raw fruit can have a somewhat bitter taste, but becomes tender when cooked and develops a rich, complex flavor. Traditionally, recipes would advise the salting, rinsing and draining of the sliced fruit (known as "degorging") to soften it and to reduce the amount of fat absorbed during cooking, but mainly to remove the bitterness of the earlier cultivars.'

China and India are huge producers of eggplant - both produce over 10 million tons each year.

Eggplant is helpful in the fight against high blood cholesterol - and, interestingly, enough, eggplant is richer in nicotine than any other edible plant. Don't be scared...on average 20lbs of eggplant contains about the same amount of nicotine as a single cigarette. Interesting.

Click on this link from the 'World's Healthiest Foods' site - which has a nice, simple and understandable table of the nutrients in a cup of eggplant. Note that you are getting your fair share of dietary fiber and manganese when you eat eggplant.

Health benefits of eggplant are included in the next section of the site - fyi, eggplant is great brain food, has phenolic antioxidant compounds, is excellent for maintaining and increasing cardiovascular health. What a fruit!

Later on in the article are tips for preparing eggplant - which brings me to the heart of this entry: eggplant recipes!

This link goes to the search page on Allrecipes.com doing a search for 'eggplant'. With names like Spicy Eggplant, Eggplant Rollatini, Eggplant Pizzas, Eggplant Bake and Eggplant with Pesto, I just might make one of these dishes for the Superbowl. Yum!

Note that when you use Allrecipes.com you can get user reviews (some go back to 2007 or so) of the recipe you are looking at. Users can also print out or email the recipe. Information like preparation time, cook time, and ready time is included in the recipe. Servings are calculated in a US or Metric basis as well. Also on Allrecipes, users can create an account so they can create a 'digital recipe box'. How cool is that?

All Allrecipe.com recipes have nutritional information (calories, total fat, cholesterol) on the page as well. Finally, on the left side of the page where you find a recipe, you'll fine a tab/box that says 'More Recipes Like This'. This is exactly what it says - if you like Eggplant Rollatini, you'll find excellent recipes for Eggplant Tomato Bake, Eggplant Parmesan II and others. Yum.

Regards, and enjoy the recipes.
Stu

Crime Statistics for Nassau and Suffolk County

2012-02-01T10:53:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Just found these really, really interesting website from Newsday: Long Island Crime and Police Reports. Users can select a community and a specific date range to view incidents in the area and time period requested. Specific events include drug/alcohol, robbery, assault, homicide, theft, burglary, property damage and an 'other' category.

Amazingly useful data - imagine that you are buying or selling a home and using the data?

But wait, there's more: below the map itself is a description of the various incidents that are detailed. For example, age and details about various incidents are included in narrative format. Clicking on the 'Read More' link takes readers to an expanded entry of the incident.

Also, you can find crime statistics by precinct at this site from the Nassau County Police Department. Interesting stuff - and helpful to boot.

Regards,
Stu

M is for...

2012-01-31T08:57:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I'm pretty amazed - we're up to the letter 'M' in our ongoing march toward the letter 'Z' when discussing popular websites. (We're half way there to the letter Z!)

So, without any further ado... M is for...

Mapquest - a great resource for users to map out directions or to find a specific location

Macy's - National retailer of upscale goods and merchandise. Lots of men's, women's and children's clothing. They also have a large housewares and jewelry department...can buy online as well as in the stores.

MTA - find information about various branches of the MTA. Other info that can be found includes schedules, fares/tolls, maps, planned service changes and much more. Oh, and the site is super easy to use and easy to read. The site has info on subways, NYC bus lines, the LIRR, Staten Island Railway, Bridges and Tunnels and the Metr0-North Railroad. Finally -and the coolest feature of the site is the Service Status indicates on the left side of the site. It tells the reader about the service status on each subway, rail, bus or bridge/tunnel - very helpful! Note that you'll need to click on a little butteon to get to the various options (subway, rail, bus...)

Miniclip - want to play a game? Click on this link from Miniclip and you can find games in categories like 'Latest Games', 'Hot Games', 'Sports Games', 'Action Games', 'Winter Games', 'Puzzle Games', 'Stunt Games' and 'Multiplayer Games'. That should keep you busy for a long, long time! Enjoy!

Moviephone - a very useful website that gives you movie times and movie news in real time. Shows you what movies are currently playing in theatres and hs movie reviews and Oscar award information. Nice interface also - and easy to use.

Mortgage calculator - just enter a few pieces of information (home value, credit profile, loan amount, purpose of loan, interest rate, loan term, property tax and PMI) and you'll get an amortization table that lists mortgage details like monthly payments, total interest paid and pay off date. Very helpful and easy to use.

Regards,
Stu

Election Headquarters

2012-01-27T12:44:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

The 2012 election season is upon us - actually it began a few weeks ago with the New Hampshire Primary back about 2 weeks ago - actually January 12th...click here to get the results and the inside track on that primary.

So, if you guessed that this post is about politics, you are spot on. The difference with this post than with other posts is that I'm not going to be a spokesperson for either party or for any candidate. I'm completely agnostic - except to say that voting is a good thing. Everyone should vote - that is what democracy is all about. Click here for a little vignette about voting and democracy - you might find it interesting.

Click here for a link to the Democratic party's homepage.
Click here for a link to the Republican party's homepage.

Click on the links below for various candidates' homepages.

Mitt Romney - http://www.mittromney.com/s/mitt-romney-2012

Newt Gingrich-http://www.newt.org/

Click on this link for more information on the rest of the major Republican candidates

Click on this link for the Huffington Post - a leading internet 'newspaper' that covers politics and all its inner workings. Articles are definitely not mainstream and offer alternate viewpoints on politics and 'things political'.

On this link, you'll find the link to CNN's 2012 Election Headquarters - lots of interesting links and articles and 'insider dope' on the elections.

Finally, click on this link to the Nassau County Board of Elections. You might want to see if you are registered to vote!

Hope the sites are helpful to you!

Stu

It's All About the Big Blue - the NY Giants

2012-01-23T07:29:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Well it looks like my post of a few days ago was pretty interesting. No, I'm not going to tell you who is going to win SuperBowl 46 (well, okay - hint - the team name begins with the letter 'G'), but I will give you a whole host of websites and resources that you can use to learn more about the game, the teams and the players.

Go Giants!

First some warm up tosses about last nights' game:
From the NYTimes - click here for their review of the game. For the New England Patriots defeat of the Baltimore Ravens - click here for the game review from the New York Times.

Click the following links from the various sources below for more info about the teams:
ESPN.com SuperBowl Central
CBS Sports - SuperBowl Storylines
Yahoo! Sports - news, stats, stories and behind the scenes info about the SuperBowl

Teams
Well, you've got the New England Patriots - click on this link for their website - and you've got the New York Giants - click on this link for their website.

Click on this link from the NFL to go to a site with 'everything SuperBowl 46 related'. You'll find stats, player biography's, articles about how the two teams got to SB46`.

I'll do another post a few days before the big game that'll discuss the intracies of holding a SuperBowl party (think food, sturdy chairs, send the kids to Grandma, and lots of beverages, pizza, chicken wings and more!)

Enjoy - the next 2 weeks are going to be all about football in the New York metro area!
Stu

A Giant Football Game!

2012-01-20T06:33:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

This is the perfect day to post a blog entry about the New York Giants! If you haven't been living under a rock, you know that the Giants have beaten the highly regarded Green Bay Packers last weekend, 37-20.

Well, now the New York Giants are playing the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday at 6:30pm.

So, for more information about the big game, read on!

Click on this link from the NFL.com to see home pre-game reviews and get some statistics on the player and the teams.

CBS Sports has a really good article talking about the rivalry between the Giants and the 49ers. Click here to read the article.

You might want to take a look at this other article at CBSSports.com discussing Kevin Gilbride - the NYGiants offensive coordinator - and how he has helped the offense play a lot, lot better in recent weeks. Also, click on this link for matchup information, player evaluations and more from ESPN. Whoa....too much info!

Want statistics - click on this link from ESPN and you'll get your fair share of player and team statistics. Want an obsessive level of detail and statistics? Mosey on hover to Pro-Football-Reference.com and you'll get stats for every single football player that ever played the game. Neat features include team records, sortable stats, leaders, SuperBowl information, boxscores and much, much more. Incredible site.

Now that you've got the stats click on a few of these blogs to get some 'less mainstream' views on the playoffs. Note that I'm not recommending any of these sites - I'm just listing a few of them in no particular order...

Fifth Down - from the New York Times - NYTimes NFL blog

Pro Football Weekly.com - Analysis and handicapping and evaluation of the upcoming games.

National Football Post - 'All Angles. All Access' of football. Nicely organized site of football articles and commentary.

Finally, click on this link for the Top 100 Blogs for NFL Fans. Links are for each NFL team - so all teams are included!

Enjoy the big game!
Stu

Technology News - Again

2012-01-19T06:53:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Get ready for websites to be loaded faster - much faster.

To get the scoop on the news, click on this article from Newsday entitled 'UN Sets Stage For Blazing Fast New Mobile Devices'. Essentially the 'bottleneck' that is preventing websites from appearing on mobile devices faster is that the UN needs to approve the international standards that are to be used. Well, those standards have been accepted. On to a faster mobile internet!

In a similar vein, I'd like to discuss some alternate ways to speed up your internet viewing. Forthwith, a few ways to surf the web faster!

From a website called Digital Inspiration - click here for the link - comes an article entitled 'Browse the Web Faster on a Slow Internet Connection'. Some ideas that they discuss about how to increase web browsing include:

1. turn off web images

2. switch to OpenDNS so the DNS server of your ISP can resolve website URL's into IP addresses more quickly (got that...)

3. increase the size of your browser cache

4. use Finch - it is a 'light weight version websites

5. monitor your internet speed to determine when you can get faster download speed from your internet service provider (ISP)

6. Use a text browser like Lynx or Elinks for fast browsing

Finally, click on this link which will tell you what your internet download and upload rates are. Link is from Speedtest.net! FYI, there are lots of other internet sites that can tell you what your internet connection speed is! Just do a Google search using the phrase 'internet search speed speedometer' - or just click this link to find alternate speed tests.

Hope this makes your internet viewing more pleasant, faster and more efficient!

Regards,
Stu

Spotlight On Websites That Offer Free Downloadable E-books

2012-01-18T11:54:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I'm sure that many of you know that the library has e-books. Users can download e-books onto their Ipod, Ipad, Sony Reader, Android device, Nook's, Kindle's and other e-readers.
Just visit the library website by clicking on this link and scrolling down to the section of the page that says 'Download an E-book or Audiobook'. Click here to go directly to the link though.

Farmingdale PL patrons can download books on a wide variety of topics - both fiction and non-fiction in a wide variety of formats from Overdrive. Just remember that you'll need your Farmingdale library card to download e-books and audiobooks.

Now - onto to the main part of this post. Did you ever hear about Project Gutenberg? Well, if not, Project Gutenberg is an online archive of books and e-books that users can take out and read - for free! Click here to go to the Project Gutenberg site. (http://www.gutenberg.org) FYI, Project Gutenberg has over 33,000 free e-books to read on virtually all devices.

Another website where readers can get their fill of e-books is on Free-ebooks.net. Click on this link to go to the site. The site also has e-book resources and information on ebook authors.

http://www.free-ebooks.net

Finally, users can click on this link from Manybooks.net to get yet more e-books. Click here to go to the Manybooks site. http://manybooks.net Manybooks has over 29,000 e-books available for Kindle, Nook, Ipad and most other eReaders. And of course, they are free!

Other free e-book sites include:

UPenn Digital Library at http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books

Kokobooks.com at http://www.kokobooks.com

Archive.org at http://www.archive.org/details/texts

Google Books at http://books.google.com/ebooks

Enjoy the books!

Stu

Computer Security and Passwords

2012-01-17T12:05:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

Check out this article from the New York Times (title is: Even Big Companies Cannot Protect Their data) concerning computer/internet security:

It is very interesting article. Internet users should just ignore this issue - it seems like every week another company comes out and discusses a breach in their data. Click on this link from the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) for lists of companies that have had data breaches over the past few years. Wow - this is scary stuff!

So, what can users do to protect their data online?

From the University of Texas Information Technology Services comes this article that suggests that strong passwords are an essential way to keep computer, data and accounts safe. Some tips for creating and using safe passwords are included: use both upper/lower case letters, use special characters like !@#$%^&*()_+ and others and don't use sample passwords that are give on different web sites...

The Microsoft website has an interesting feature called 'Password Checker' - basically the site grades how strong - or, weak - a particular password is. It is very interesting to see what they consider a strong password has...let's just say that the password has to have a LOT of letters and numbers and unique characters included.

Also, this site comes from Microsoft as well. It explains how users can create strong passwords online. Useful, interesting and it cuts to the chase - no extraneous material included.

Symantec is one of the world's largest computer security firms. As a result, I went to their website and dug up this webpage titled, 'The Simplest Security: A Guide to Better Password Practices'.

Many computer users have wireless networks at home now that they are easier to install. This means there is a whole new way for hackers to compromise your computer security. Click on this link from About.com which discusses Wireless Network Security. Note that on the About.com there are many links on the left side of the page for readers to get more information about wireless networking...

Finally, this link from OnGuardOnline.gov discusses multiple issues about computer security. Topics like encrypted websites, password protection, treating personal information like cash and using security software that updates automatically are discusses. And it is from a reputable source - the US government.

Enjoy the links I've included - hopefully they'll save you a lot of grief and repair time from fixing a compromised computer or computer network.

Regards,
Stu

#5!!!!

2012-01-06T07:22:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Lots of interesting and useful links are associated with the number 5!

5 Line - MTA Home - this is the link to the MTA site that has lots of information (stops, transfers, prices and more) for the Lexington Avenue Express line in NYC. Goofy, but fun.

Goal 5 From the United Nations: End Poverty 2015 - Millennium Development Goals. Information about the UN's goal of improving maternal health by reducing by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio. Very powerful information and quite admirable material.

HTML 5 - brought to you by the W3C this is the editors draft of the document that discusses 'A vocabulary and associated API's for HTML ad XHTML. Interesting reading for the inner techie in all of us. Sort of....

Wikipedia Entry For the Number 5 - in particular the section under sports is interesting. Many players who wore uniform number 5 have had their number retired. Specifically...Brooks Robinson (Baltimore Orioles), Johnny Bench (Cincinnati Reds), Lou Boudreau (Cleveland Indians), Hank Greenberg (Detroit Tigers), George Brett (Kansas City Royals), Joe DiMaggio (New York Yankees) and others...Click on this link for more information on the number 5 from Wikipedia. Specifically the section on sports is interesting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_(number)

Coco Chanel - perfumer - designer of the perfume named Chanel No. 5. Click on this link for more information on this world renowned fragrance:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coco_Chanel

Keating Five - were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989 which ignited a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980's and early 1990's. Click on this link for the entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_Five

Symbol of the Olympic Rings - simply put the rings represent the five parts of the world which are now (in 1914 when the charter was written) are won over to Olympism and willing to accept healthy competition. Click on this link for more information about the five intertwined rings that have come to be a symbol of the modern Olympics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_symbols#Olympic_rings

So there you go; 7 interesting links that represent the number 5 pretty well.

Enjoy,

Stu

It's All Fun and Games Until...

2012-01-04T12:39:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Well, well, well...here we are for the first post of 2012! Amazing difference that a year makes :)

I wanted to start this year off on the right foot! Fun, fun, fun!

So, without further ado - a list (with some descriptions) of fun websites (games, entertainment and more) for your viewing/surfing/playing pleasure.

There are lots of 'questionable' websites out there when you look for games to play. Lots of them try to install spyware or malware or viruses. That can be a problem so I found some games from a reputable website: AARP.

Click here for the link to the AARP games site. When you visit the site you can play games as varied as solitaire, backgammon, sodoku, crossword puzzles, hangman, pool (really, very cool), chess and more!

One of the bigger 'game sites' on the web is Games.com. You can find card games, puzzles, casino games, word games, board games, arcade games, sports, free games and more on the site. The site is easily navigated, crisp and a lot of fun to use. In addition, if you scroll down about halfway down on the homepage, you'll see a section with 'Totally New ' games. Interesting link and it could be a great way to try a new game after the same game starts to get boring. Check it out!

Possibly one of the largest gaming sites on the web is the one from Yahoo! Click on this link to go to Yahoo! Games Besides for having links to game categories like social games, arcade games, board games, card games, puzzles, word games, multiplayer games, games of skill and playing games on your mobile device; users can enter the name of a game in a search box. Great stuff and more than likely, if the game exists, Yahoo has a link to play the game. Finally, there is a link on the site for users to directly download various games.

Enjoy the games - now you know how to spend your spare time when you are on the internet!

Regards,
Stu

Ways to Spend New Year's Eve

2011-12-30T12:12:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

Welcome to the last blog post for 2011. 2012 is just about 32 hours away so I need to get started on this post...

So, how do you spend your New Year's Eve? Well, that's the topic for today's post.

The first entry comes to you care of About.com - from their Long Island, New York section. Click on this link to visit the page where the information comes from.

Some ideas they mention include the Garden City Hotel's New Year's Even Dinner at Rein and Gurney's Inn Annual New Year's Eve Party.

From a website called Activerain.com come these suggestions: Lily Flanagan's Annual New Year's Even Extravagana or New Year's Eve 2012 at the Long Island Huntington Hilton.

From a website called Opentable.com (where you an make restaurant reservations online instantly - and get confirmations of the reservation) comes suggestions from dozens of restaurants in New York City, in Nassau and Suffolk counties'. The site lets you make the reservation in real time and get a confirmation. Information about the restaurant is included - as well as the type of cuisine (American, Cuban, French, Italian, etc...) the restaurant serves.

For a more local perspective, click on this link from the FarmingdalePatch site. This link goes to the patch link for the search 'New Year's Eve'. Some suggestions that appear include Caracara Mexican Grill, Melting Pot, Library Cafe, New Year's Eve Party at Croxley Ales, and an event at the Farmingdale Knights of Columbus.

By the way, did you notice how all the links on the Farmingdale Patch page are local venues? That's because of the local nature of the FarmingdalePatch site - a good site to visit for local information any time of the year!!!

Finally, click on this link for local taxi services (Farmingdale, Massapequa, Bethpage and Plainedge) that you can call in the even that you've had so much to drink that you can't drive.

So, with that all said - have a happy and safe New Year's Eve. And have a great 2012!

Enjoy the links!

Stu

L is for...

2011-12-28T12:21:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Back again for one of 2011's last blog entries'...

We are almost halfway done with the alphabet now - one letter left to get to the mid-point. Which means we are up to the letter 'L'. Lots of great websites begin with the letter 'L'!!!

Long Island Railroad - great link - easy to navigate and figure out - for train schedules and to find out what train fares are for the LIRR. Also has link to MTA, service changes, maps and branches with various stops included. Not to be missed for the traveler!

LinkedIn - the website says it all...'over 135 million professionals use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas and opportunities'. Excellent social networking site for the busy business professional.

Lord and Taylor - premier retailer of shoes, handbaags, jewelry and accessories, beauty and fragrance products, men's clothing and kid's clothing as well as women's apparel. Has a store locator and promotional advertisements on the site. Can buy merchandise online.

Louis Vuitton - luxury retailer of men's and women's watches, leather goods, handbags, shoes and much more. Also has a store locator.

Land's End - clothing for men, women, boys and girls. School uniforms, luggage and outerware can also be bought on the site. Can buy merchandise online.

Lowe's - national retailer of appliances, home decor goods, kitchen renovation materials, electrical supplies, plumbing supplies, bath, flooring, paint, lighting/fans, lawn/garden supplies
and storage/organization systems. Store locator available on the site. Promotional discounts on site also. Ideas for projects, home idea projects and more is available on the site.

One interesting note - many of the sites above are retailers. I wonder what it is that makes the letter 'L' so popular for retailers...hmmmm

Enjoy the sites!

Stu

It's About Time - History and Timelines

2011-12-27T06:32:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

We are in the final days of 2011! Where on earth did the year go? The year went so fast - but individually, each day kind of goes slow. But before you know it, another week has gone by.

Sigh, and then another month has gone by -and boom, the half year mark has been reached. And then it is all down hill from there...anyway, here are some websites to find out what happened on a particular day in history. Kind of similar, but different.

The AP has a website that includes events from this day in history. Click here for the site.

The venerable New York Times also has a this day in history section - again, click here for the site. One thing that is different on this site is that you can actually choose a date - using some drop down menus - to find a particular day in history. Then you'll find the specific events on that date. Neat stuff.

Now, I'm sure you could go to the History Channel website or other history websites and get the same information...but I didn't want to just keep listing more of the same old websites.

So, I did a Google search using the phrase 'timelines'. One interesting site that came up in the results was 'Timelines of History: World Timelines, Current and Historical'. Users who visit the site can pick and choose a time span and then the events appear when you click on the link. Interesting - but the interface - ie the website - is a bit dated and somewhat static. You'll see. But it is still a useful site.

Another timeline site comes from FactMonster.com - it is a bit more 'child' oriented with a few differences. Users can click on a drop down menu that has categories like 'world', 'disasters', 'history', 'biography', 'sports', 'entertainment', 'society and culture', and 'health and science'.

Note that users can break down World history and US history into further categories like time periods and but subject. Very helpful and the site is definitely colorful and easy to navigate.

Finally, click onthis link from TimelineIndex.com. What is interesting about this site, you ask? Indeed, good question. You might remember back in elementary school one your teachers mentioned the 5 questions that all newspaper reports ask? (The question are 'who, what when, where and why..')

Well, Timelineindex.com organizes itself based on these 5 questions. For example, under the 'Who' category, users can find information about 'People, Personalities, Heroes....'. Under the 'What' category, users can find information about 'Events, Subjects, Issues...' And so on...
Categories can be linked by clicking on each of these words:

Who - covers people, personalities, heroes
What - covers events, subjects and issues
When - covers periods, ages, and episodes
Where - covers places, countries, continents
Which - covers objects, things, creations

Enjoy the sites and I hope this entry makes history!!! :)
Stu

The #4

2011-12-23T11:33:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Four - a nice, even number. A multiple of 2, a divisor of 8 and 16...it has lots of significance - with respect to sports, mathematics, computers and in many other subjects. I'll talk about these various meanings in this blog entry...

Four...
'four balls' and you get a walk - you get a free pass to first base...

4 Line in New York City's subway system - click on this link to the MTA

4shared - free online storage, upload, access, share your music, video and photos

4Kids.org - latest tech knowledge for kids on the web - links to games, videos; has a Kid Quest and links to Cool Spots. Has back issues.

4Teachers.org - teacher tools

Apple - iPhone 4 - specifications and more

BBC Radio 4 - listen to radio 4 programmes from the BBC in the UK

Foursquare - helps users meet up with friends nearby, keep up with friends around the world, and share experiences through photos and comments - great for figuring out what and where friends are...

NBC 4 - television station in the New York City metro area (Long Island, New York City, parts of New Jersey and Connecticut)

Wikipedia entry for the number 4 - the entry has the meaning for the number four in science (astronomy, biology, chemistry and physics), logic/philosophy, technology, transportation, music and has external links.

Who would have thought there is so much symbolism and meaning to the number four? Go figure!

Regards,
Stu

How to Wrap a Holiday Gift or Present?

2011-12-22T07:12:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Holidays are right around the corner and I just thought of a great topic: how to wrap gifts and presents.

First some facts: how much wrapping paper is used each year during the holidays? Click here for a link to Ask.com for the answer. Click on this link that help you figure out how much wrapping paper you need for all your holiday presents!

Click on this very intuitive and interesting link that will help you estimate how much wrapping paper to use for a single present - cool site!

Okay, now that you've figure out how much wrapping paper you need, click on this link that is basically a 'tutorial' on what you need to know about wrapping paper.

Did you know that you can recycle wrapping paper? Yep - you can! Click on this link that will help you start recycling your leftover wrapping paper after the holiday season!

Now you get to the fun part - how to wrap the present!

Here are x links to videos from various sources that show you how to wrap a gift!
1. Wikihow video - how to wrap a gift
2. eHow.com - not a video - just written instructions on how to wrap a gift.
3. RealSimple.com - how to wrap a gift
4. YouTube.com - how to wrap a gift professionally

You can also do a search on Youtube for the phrase 'wrapping gifts' and you'll find many, many other videos on how to wrap gifts.

Hope this makes your holidays a bit easier! Happy wrapping!
Stu

Fruits with the Letter E...

2011-12-19T13:34:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Wow, if you thought finding the name of a fruit that began with the letter D was difficult (think 'dates'), than you are in for quite a surprise with the letter D...

Here are some fruits that begin with the letter E: egg fruit, eggplant, elderberry, elephant apple, emblic, emu apple, entawak, and etrog...quite the limited list, eh?

Being that many of these fruits are relatively obscure, I'm going to talk about eggplant in today's blog entry. Just for kicks, click on this link for the source where I got this list of fruit that begin with the letter E.

So - what are the health effects of eggplant? Click here for a link from Self.com - the charts and tables regarding eggplant are very helpful! And guess what - eggplant is really, really healthy and nutritious.

Click on this link for the Wikipedia article on eggplant. The entry includes a history of eggplant, cooking information about it, health properties, varieties, synonyms for eggplant and a gallery of them! Wow - that's a comprehensive entry!

Regular readers probably already realize that I am a big fan of About.com. Well, it seems that they have a really good page for quick information about eggplant.

Now for the fun part - click here for a link to Allrecipes.com - this link goes to - obviously - eggplant recipes. This link goes to the just plain and simple eggplant recipes. Examples of recipes from this page include: Spicy Eggplant, Eggplant Rollatini, Eggplants with Pesto, Eggplant Pizzas and Eggplant Bake.

Click on this link from Tablespoon.com - it has delectable recipes for eggplant related meals including Eggplant Parmesan, Eggplant and Basil Sandwiches, Steamed Chinese Vegetables with Brown Rice, Rataouille Appetizer Pizza and Spicy Split Peas with Vegetables...yum yum!

So there you have it - a bunch of recipes sites that discuss eggplant meals; and other sites that give the reader some background about eggplants!

Enjoy - and I hope your eggplant recipes come out great!
Stu

Sleeping - What a Pleasure!!!

2011-12-19T06:42:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

Did you know that the Mayo Clinic recommends 7 to 9 hours of sleep for healthy adults? Did you know that school age children should be getting 10 to 11 hours of sleep and that toddlers should be getting 12 to 14 hours of sleep? And the little ones - infants - should be getting 14-15 hours of sleep per day?

Here is some information about sleep deprivation. Included are statistics and various facts that come from the CDC (Centers For Disease Control and Prevention).

This link goes to a page entitled 'Insufficient Sleep is a Public Health Epidemic'. The article links to an excellent website by the name of 'National Sleep Foundation'. Click here to visit the NSF site. Like many other sites, the NSF has sections on Sleep Facts and Information, Finding a Sleep Professional, Linking to an Online Community, and much, much more.

Did you also know that millions of American adults are sleep deprived? Click on this link from the American Psychological Association that explains why sleep is important and what happens when you don't get enough sleep (think irritability, sluggishness, susceptibility to colds in addition to falling asleep at work).

Click on this link from the National Institute of Health - the site is from a Teacher's Guide regarding 'Information About Sleep'. Issues such as NREM, REM sleep and more are discussed in the article. Charts and diagrams are also included.

American Sleep Association - this is an excellent link that has tabs on sleep related topics like 'Sleep Information', 'Forums', 'Newsletter', 'Chat Rooms', 'Sleep Lab Directory' and a whole area (toward the bottom of the homepage) on popular sleep related topics like: Sleep Apnea, Restless Leg Syndrome, Narcolepsy, Insomnia Information and Ask the Sleep Doctor.

Click on this link about Sleep Apnea (SA) - the information comes from the American Association of Sleep Apnea. There are links to Learning About SA, Diagnosing and Treating SA, Support of SA Patients and a link to SA Resources

So there you have it - a whole host of sleep related websites and resources! Hopefully the links and information will help you get some good sleep and good shut eye!

Regards,
Stu

Marriage Quotes

2011-12-16T07:40:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Trying to come up with an idea for a blog entry today was somewhat difficult this morning. My thought process went something like this...

Checked online version of Newsday for some local news or tidbit to write about. Nothing of interest really appeared. I did see the Obits byline at the top of the page though. I thought about an entry talking about obituaries - that's too easy. Just go to the Social Security Death Index page from Rootsweb.

Besides a blog entry about obituaries is too depressing for this time of the year. I wanted something more upbeat and a bit less depressing. So...I looked for sites that had birth announcements...no such luck and what I did find were sites that actually sold the birth announcment itself. Not what I was looking for.

What about marriages? Hmmmm...I felt like I was getting a bit closer to a good idea for a blog post. What about marriage announcements? Okay - click on this link from the New York Times to see some fancy marriage announcements in and around New York City.

More to the point, I was looking for a whole bunch of quotes about what marriage does to a man and a woman; and to the relationship. Lots of the quotes talk about change and what happens after the honeymoon is over. There is a bit of truth in each and everyone of these quotes related to marriage. You'll see. And some of them are very, very clever - all of them are, in one way or another true.

This next set of married related quotes comes from QuoteGarden - an interesting quote related website. Note that if you want to find a particular word on the page, just click on the Edit option at the top left side of the page. When the drop down menu appears, click on the Find option and a dialog box will appear where you can type in the word you are looking for. Upon hitting the enter key the first appearance of the word will be shown. Hitting enter again will show the next appearance of the word you are looking for.

Finally, click on this link from Poemslovers.com for yet more quotes on the worlds oldest institution: marriage.

Enjoy the links and the quotes!
Stu

#3

2011-12-15T06:14:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Get ready, get set...go.

We are up to #3 in our ongoing search for interesting, useful, playful, educational topics...

There is a lot of history behind the number 3. For example:

#3: Babe Ruth - of baseball fame. Not only possibly the best baseball player ever - possibly the most influential and charismatic. Click here for a link to all his stats via Baseball-Reference.com (#3 was his uniform number!)

Britney Spears had a song by the name of '3'. Click here to watch the video on YouTube.com

3 Blind Mice - click here for the origin and history of the old nursery rhyme. Also, click here for Wikipedia entry entitled 'Three Blind Mice'. The entry has lyrics, origins, meaning and variations of the nursery rhyme. Interesting stuff.

3 Wise Men - in the traditional version of the Christmas story, the (3) wise men (magi) are Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar...click here for some information about them from About.com's section on Ancient/Classical History.

Triple Play - in baseball this is a rare play in which 3 outs are made during the same continuous play. Wikipedia has an interesting entry about this. Note that types of plays are very, very rare.

3 (Holy Trinity) - the central doctrine of the Christian religion - represents the truth that in the unity of the Godhead there are three Persons: The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit...click here for a link from the Catholic Encyclopedia for more information.

Hat Trick (3 Goals in one game) - From WiseGeek.com comes this answer of 'what is a hat trick in hockey'?

The first nuclear explosion was called Trinity. Click here for the site that discusses the history and importance of this event. Also, click on this link - from the Nuclear Weapons Archive. It talks about the Trinity nuclear explosion in even more detail.

Finally, from a site called Spiritual Numerology comes this site that discusses the numerological meanings of the number 3. Interesting stuff for sure.

Enjoy!
Stu

Modern Shopping - Easier, Faster and You Save Money

2011-12-10T11:28:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I was just reading an article from the New York Times titled, 'A New Secret Weapon For Electronics Shoppers'.

It was an interesting and timely article - especially since we are in the middle of the holiday shopping season.

Essentially the article discusses the fact that when purchasing various items (think cars, camera's smartphones and other electronic equipment) shoppers are at a disadvantage when shopping. Retailers and manufacturers know about you and the potential purchases you might make...so they can send out advertisements for sales and for coupons.

The playing field has been leveled the article goes on to say with websites like Pricegrabber.com and Bizrate.com and NexTag.com (historical price information). Finally a site like FreePriceAlerts.com has been very helpful in that it notifies customers via email when the price of a particular item drops. Cool stuff, eh?

Now a new site by the name of Decide.com has gone live. Decide.com collects and mines billions of transactions to determine what the best price is and whether there will be an even better price in the near future. Wow! Think of the computing power necessary to generate this data!
The unique aspect of the site is the predictive power of it...now we have a website that essentially suggests whether or not buyers should hold off making a purchase (because the price of the item might drop in the future) or whether they should make the purchase now (because the price of the item might increase in the future). Cool stuff!

Enjoy your purchases!
Stu

K is For...

2011-12-08T07:03:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

Who would have thought that the letter K has so many different services and organizations and companies associated with it?

K is For...

Keurig - manufacturer of the K-cup - single cups of coffee. Can buy the coffee and/or the machine via the website. Oh, and it is very, very tasty coffee - trust me, a family member has a Keurig coffee maker. Yum!

K-Mart - national retailer of clothing, toys, electronics, home goods and more - can buy online or in the store...

Kayak - great online travel site - similar to Expedia but different. Can make flights, rent hotel rooms and cars and schedule whole vacations. Very helpful site.

Kohl's - another national retailer - Kohl's specializes in bedding, clothing for men and women, kids and babies, and has toys, jewelry, watches and more. Can buy online or in the store. Expect great things :)

Kate Spade - luxury retailer of handbags, wallets, clothing, shoes, jewelry and more...can also buy online or in the store.

Kindle Fire - Amazon.com's e-reader that enables users to also surf the web, watch movies on the web, plays games, read and download apps to the device.

Enjoy the sites.

Stu

PS: (I didn't realize that there are so many retailers that begin with the letter K!)

Declutter Your House!

2011-12-06T12:46:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

You've got stuff - lots of stuff. We buy stuff a lot: food to eat, books, tv's, clothing, toys for kids, bicycles, clothing for kids and well, more...amazing how we have all this stuff. And manage to keep it in our houses' or apartments' or attic's or basements or wherever.

So, we've all got a lot of stuff - now what do we do with all of it?

Click on this link from a website called Unclutter.com - the tips are really, really excellent - and very easy to implement. I like the caveats at the end of the article that discuss when to 'stop decluttering' - the advice makes sense and is simple! Double high five for the author! (Note that readers can double click on the picture at the right - the site goes to Declutteryourhomeinfo.com)

From Zenhabits.com comes this article titled, '15 Great Decluttering Tips'. Take note of tip number 1, 2, and 3...really. Interesting stuff!

I bet your house is your number one clutter zone - that's not uncommon! Click here for a link that'll get you started decluttering your house.

Some of the advice they give you is very obvious - but still helpful. For example, the article suggests that you should start deluttering slowly; but do it in a steady, consistent manner. Common sense for sure, but how about this advice to schedule regular declutter sessions. Now th'at's something I would not have thought about. This link - again, from Organizedhome.com - is helpful. For example, the four box method is very clever: gather three boxes and a large trash can. Label the boxes 'Put Away', 'Give Away/Sell', and 'Storage', garbage pail is obvious. Pick up each item and ask yourself the question, 'Do I want to put this away in another place, donate it (or sell it at a yard sale), store it, or throw it away?' Voila - you'll declutter in no time!

Click on this link to find out how to stay clutter free in the future! Simply put the article talks about how all your 'stuff' (everything from jackets, to toys, to books, to newspapers, hats, dishes, etc) needs to have its proper place in the house. Makes sense and it is intuitive. Check out the articles' take on 'clutter preserves' - its pretty funny; clever and helpful!

Finally, we have a bunch of books on how to declutter. Click on this link for books that we have in the library on the topic of decluttering.

So there you have it - a lot of good ideas on how to stay clutter free and how to declutter your home, office and anywhere else you spend a lot of time - good stuff.

Enjoy and get to work! :)

Stu

Chase's Calendar of Events

2011-12-01T06:11:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

What are the special events that various towns, organizations, states, celebrate each day of the year? Trying to find information like this on the web would take a long, long time! But Chase's Calendar of Events comes to the rescue. (The prior link sends you to the Farmingdale PL card catalog; where you can find the location of Chase's Calendar of Events in the library.)

What the heck is Chase's Calendar of Events? It is a day by day account of specials days, weeks and months that are celebrated or notable by local organizations, cities, states, and other groups. Birthdates, anniversaries, celebrations and more are included in this reference book.

The book is organized in the most logical way for the topic - by date. And....at the end of each day is a list of birthdays. For example, on December 1st the following people are celebrating birthdays: Wood Allen (filmmaker) , Bette Midler (singer, actress, entertainer) , Carol Alt (model) and Treat Williams (actor).

The book is very, very easy to use - just open to the date that you are interested in learning about and the information is at your fingertips! Voila - done!

So, for example, you can find out that on December 1st the city of Demopolis, Alabama is celebrating 'Christmas on the River' (event actually runs from December 1st - December 4th). A description of the event follows: 'Fun with arts and crafts, childre's parade, Alabama State Barbecue Cookoff and a riverboat parade'. Cool stuff. Contact information is also given - in this case there is a phone number, an email address and the Demopolis, Alabama website for those interested in finding out more about the event.

Users can also go to the Chase's website and see what specific events are occurring or notable on a specific day. Click here to visit the Chase's website.

So...what other specials events can be followed, shared or noted on December 1st? Today is....

Basketball Created: December 1, 1891
Bingo's Birthday Month: December 1-December 31
Cookie Cutter Week: December 1 - December 7
Day With(out) Art: December 1
National Write Your Business Plan Month: December 1-December 31
Lou Rawls birthday: December 1, 1940
Rosa Parks Day: Anniversary of Arrest - December 1, 1955
Safe Toys and Gifts Month: December 1 - December 31
Christmas on the River: December 1 - December 4
Operation Santa Paws: December 1 - December 24
Spiritual Literacy Month: December 1 - December 31
A Colonial Christmas: December 1 - December 31

Note that the blue links above are links - users can click on the title of the event and you'll be directed to the website.

Enjoy the sites!
Regards,
Stu

#2 - Not as Good as #1...

2011-11-29T13:29:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

In a post that I wrote about a week ago, I said that I was going to start a new thread concerning numbers. A few days after that, I wrote an entry on the number 1. That blog entry has become a favorite - it ranks in the top 20 blog entries that I've written. Who knew that number 1 would be so popular? Go figure - but hey...it is the number 1!

So...without further ado...here is a blog entry dealing with the number 2!

Well, as usual, I've included a link from Wikipedia. Click on this link from Wikipedia about the number 2. So, what does this entry have that is interesting about the number 2? Indeed, the entry has a section on numerological significance, the number 2 with respect to technology and to religion and more.

Click on this link to connect to the 2nd Avenue Deli - a kosher restaurant and caterer in New York City. Note that there are two locations of the deli - one on 33rd Street and another locaton on First Avenue.

Did you know that they (the MTA - as in the Metropolitan Transit Authority in New York City) are trying to build a Second Avenue Subway? I didn't think so...Click on this link to the section on the MTA website that has links about the project. Topics of included links are background, construction, documents and outreach. Interesting stuff - oh, and the project is expected to be finished some time after 2016...

I never heard about this theory before - click here for a link that discusses the 'Theory of Second Best'. Link is from Wikipedia and the theory is economic in nature - kind of interesting if you think about it.

Click on this link from a blog post that was written in 2003 on a blog named Legal Theory Lexicon. Pretty esoteric stuff - sort of interesting.

From a website called Virtuescience comes this long entry and link that describes the number 2 in mathematical terms - links follow on the page.

This link is from a site called Constitution.org and introduces the reader to the Federalist Paper #2 - link has the full-text of the document. FYI, the document title is 'Concerning Dangers from Foreign Force and Influence' and was written by John Jay.

Click here for an answer to the oft asked question, 'why do we use number 2 pencils to take tests?'. Fun stuff!

And for those of you who have a little tyke (child) on your hands, you might want to click on this link for mathematics for children - very cute and entertaining for the kids!

Enjoy the sites!
Stu

K is For...

2011-11-29T12:50:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Almost halfway there...K is For...

Kraft - site has corporation information, but the real interesting part of the site if the recipe and product information part of the site. There are sections on recipes, holidays, budget cooking, healthy living, your kids, entertaining, cooking school and a large community bulletin board page. Users can get recipe ideas by email as well.

Kazaa - online digital music service - fee based. Has a huge amount of music - in a wide variety of genres and fields and subjects.

Kayak - find and book cheap flights, hotel rooms, buy airline ticket, rental cars and more...

Kohls - the venerable retailers' website. Almost everything that users can find in the store can be found - and ordered online. Site has areas in categories as varied as 'for the home', 'bedding', 'women', 'men', 'teens', 'kids and baby', 'toys', 'shoes', 'jewelry and watches', 'sports fan shop' and 'clearance'. Wow. Site also has a place for users to buy gift cards, sign up for a gift registry, a store locator, and a link to today's deals.

Kindle - link to Amazon.com's e-reader. Lots of choices - and the prices seem reasonable!

Enjoy the sites!
Stu

Anti-Black Friday Shopping

2011-11-25T11:12:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

As you probably know, the day after Thanksgiving is known as 'Black Friday'. It is a huge, absolutely huge shopping day for US retailers. It is also the traditional start of the holiday shopping season.

Because of all the hype and advertising and publicity that Black Friday is receiving, there is now a sort of grass-roots organization that is 'anti black friday' shopping. Click here for the link to a newspaper article from a newspaper in Minnesota that talks about this.

From a site called the Geeko System comes this link discussing buying nothing today.

Click on this link for an article from the New York Times discussing whether or not shoppers are actually spending money when they are in the malls and stores this year.

From Hubspot comes these fascinating Black Friday tidbits. These are marketing/advertising type nuggets that are great to mention at cocktail parties!

Click on this link for the homepage of the National Retail Federation - the world's largest retail trade association and the voice of retailing worldwide. It represents retailers of all types and sizes from the US and from 45 countries abroad!

Click here for some news regarding Black Friday 2011. Makes you think a bit!
1. Big Biz, some black eyes on Black Friday.
2. Black Friday shopper pepper sprays rivals.

Enjoy the shopping and I hope the lines aren't too long for you today.

Regards,
Stu

The Number One!!!

2011-11-23T07:25:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

And you all thought that I was a 'words' type person? Nope, I love numbers as much as the next person. As I promised a few days ago (see entry called, 'Numbers, Numbers, Everywhere') I said I was going to start a set of entries with numbers. Starting with the number 1....forthwith, that entry!

Google +1 Button - let's users know that whatever you are +1 gets your seal of approval. Click here to go to Google+

1(Number) - entry from Wikipedia that talks about the number 1 as a number, digit and in fiction (yes, fiction). Also, the entry talks about the number in technology, science, sports and more.

ONE - Taken from the 'About Us' part of the their website, 'ONE is a grassroots advocacy and campaigning organization that fights extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa, by raising public awareness and pressuring political leaders to support smart and effective policies and programs that are saving lives, helping to put kids in school and improving futures.'

1% of the Planet (Keep Earth in Business) - organization that (and I'm quoting from the sites' 'About Us' page), 'Since 2001, 1% for the Planet has inspired members of the business community to contribute 1% of sales to environmental groups around the world. In return, this growing alliance of companies is given the opportunity not only to see their self-worth rise, but their net worth climb as well'...

1(New York City Subway Service) - everything you wanted to know about the 1 train that goes from Van Cortlandt Park-242nd to South Ferry in Manhattan. Schedules, stops and more are included on the page.

The Big Red One - link is from Wikipedia and summarizes the movie of the same name that came out in 1980. The movie details the experiences of several US soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division during World War II. Click here for the direct link to the Big Red One website. There is a huge amount of information regarding this unit on their page!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Stu

11/22/63

2011-11-22T07:12:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

48 years ago today, John F. Kennedy was assassinated. This blog entry includes multiple links to the various aspects of this tragic, historic day in American history.

Click here for a link from the New York Times for a very, very quick summary of the assassination.

This link is from Youtube and includes CBS TV's coverage starting the day after the assassination.

Click on this link for the Warren Commission Report which was commissioned by President Johnson after the assassination.

Click on this link from Wikipedia for a quick and concise summary of the Warren Commission report. At the bottom of the entry there are othe links to the actual assassination of JFK, the lone gunman theory, JFK assassination conspiracy theories, the single bullet theory and the Presidential Commission.

Click on this link for the full-text of the Warren Commission Hearings

This link goes to a JFK Database search from the National Archives in Washington, DC.

The link below goes to the Wikipedia entry for the Zapruder film - one of the few videos that captured the assassination of JFK.

Click on this link to view the actual Zapruder film via Youtube.

For a very authoritative and complete look at JFK's presidency and legacy, click on this link to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

For a non-academic, more lay-person type website, click here for 'The Kennedy Assassination Home Page' by John McAdams.

For links to multiple biographies of JFK, click on this link from a library database entitled 'Biography Resource Center'. There are many, many entries from which to choose from. You will need your Farmingdale PL library card number in order to access the database from home though.

Finally, click here for a link to Google Images - I did a JFK search...

Regards - and have a happy Thanksgiving.

Stu

Numbers, Numbers, Numbers Everywhere!

2011-11-21T07:56:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

Don't know if you know this about me, but I am a numbers guy. From memorizing baseball statistics, to learning the DDC (Dewey Decimal Classification code for you library newbies...), to well, just liking math...I really, really love numbers.

So, in keeping with the A is for...fruit/vegetable entries and the A is for...(using Google seeing what auto-fill in results pop up) set of entries; I just thought of a new set of entries! What about using numbers and typing said number into Google?

What would happen if I put in - for example - the number 1 or 2 or 3 and so on...and what would happen with special numbers like '4' (July 4th - Independence Day) or 1776 (year of the founding of the United States) or other fun/special/unique numbers? We'll find out since I'm going to start a whole new set of blog posts on this theme very shortly! Wish me well -and of course, enjoy the posts!

Click on this link for the phrase 'numbers' - the link goes to an old favorite of mine: Wikipedia. The entry is interesting, but you might also want to scroll down to the bottom of the page and select a few of the external links like 'What is the World's Favorite Number?' from NPR...click here for the link.

FYI, I'll start with the number '1' in a future entry - be sure to check it out!

Regards,
Stu

Shopping on Black Friday

2011-11-20T11:46:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Traditionally the day after Thanksgiving is known as 'Black Friday'. Click on this link for the derivation of this name - interesting little factoid! Simply put it is the traditional starting day of the Christmas holiday shopping season.

Click on this to find all sorts of black friday holiday deals from various stores. Basically this is a Google search using the terms 'black friday holiday 2011'. The list came back with over...ah well, it was a ridiculous number, but suffice to say there are dozens of results...there were holidays deals on the page from Wal-Mart, Target and other retailers.

For those who are 'newcomers' to shopping on Black Friday you would do well take a look at this article from the Washington Post. This is an article that talks about ten tips to be aware of if you are a Black Friday shopping newbie.

Not satisfied with just regular black friday sales? Click on this link from BlackFriday.info (notice the address change - it isn't just a .com) and you'll find some of the very best links to Black Friday sales.

One of the really good things about the site are the articles that deal with shopping and the various guides that are incorporated on the site. For example, clicking on this link will get you to camcorder buying guides, gps buying guides, smart phone buying guides, tablet buying guides and more.

Unfortunately Black Friday shopping comes with its own set of dangers. Click here for a link from ABC News entitled '5 Pitfalls To Shopping on Black Friday'. Interesting article to say the least.

Click here for an article from 'Sign On San Diego' entitled 'How to have a holiday safe from identity theft'. The article discusses online safety when people buy goods online (ie. stores like Wal-Mart, Target, Kohls, Sears, Best Buy and other retailers).

For an article that discusses in-store credit card safety (and general credit card safety) click here for a link from Scambusters - cute name...

Click here for a general article from Citibank on how to keep your credit card safe - when you are purchasing stuff online or in stores.

Have a great Black Friday - hope you get all the sales you want and need

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble...Thanksgiving is Coming!

2011-11-17T07:46:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

If you look at your calendar, you'll realize that Thanksgiving Day is right around the proverbial corner. Coming straight at you in 7 days. Click here for a link to a Thanksgiving Day countdown! Seriously! Who would have thought that there would be such a thing as a Thanksgiving Day timer?

Not all Thanksgiving dinners start at the house. Recently there has been an increase in the number of restaurants that serve Thanksgiving Day meals. Click on this link for a bunch of restaurants that are having Thanksgiving Day meals on Long Island. Note that the link is from Newsday.

Click on this link for an article from Newsday that is a good primer - with even more links - to Thanksgiving Day dinner. For example, the author will be answering any and all cooking questions about Thanksgiving dinner. She'll post answers to the site. Click on this link for recipes and tips from Newsday from prior years.

Click on this link and you will get a feel for the types of links that Newsday has regarding Thanksgiving - the link is for 'Basic Turkey Cooking Tips'.

Click here for a link to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

For the absolute Thanksgiving day beginner, you might want to visit this site called Thanksgiving Dinner Planning - How to Plan Thanksgiving Dinner - Stress Free.

Note that the site has a countdown of sorts - for example, it gives you suggestions about what the host/hostess should be doing for Thanksgiving 2 week, 1 week, 4 days, 2 days, and 1 day before Thanksgiving. Clever idea and pretty darn helpful.

Starting from the top - pretty much the most important traditional food on the Thanksgiving Day table is the turkey. Click on this link to learn about how to choose and buy and defrost the turkey.

For another, similar site that talks about how to buy a turkey, click on this link.

If you've got kids coming to your Thanksgiving Day dinner you might want to click on this link which discusses various fun games to play with kids so that day doesn't become a cranky, yelling affair.

Click on this link (from Apples4TheTeacher) for more kids games for Thanksgiving Day.

Finally, click on this link - from the NFL - to learn a bit more about the 3 football games that will be played on Thanksgiving day (Packers vs. Lions, Dolphins vs. Cowboys, and 49ers vs. Ravens).

Enjoy Thanksgiving Day - and I'll probably do a followup Thanksgiving blog entry next week - it might be about the various 'fixin's that folks can serve on Thanksgiving.

Regards,

Stu

More Birding

2011-11-16T10:46:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I did a birding post on November 2nd and since then it has been one of the best viewed blog entries! Go figure - who knew that birding was such a hot topic among my blog readers?

Well, I am very glad to find a topic that I was able to tap into - and which my readers find interesting! Onward and upward!

Here is another entry on birding. Specifically this entry is about the various organizations and groups on Long Island dedicated to birding. There are quite a few of them, so birding enthusiasts have plenty of choices!

Click here for a site called LIBirds.com. On the homepage of the site you'll find links to Sightings, Seasonal Spots, Backyard, Photo Page (don't miss this - great pictures of birds!), Bird ID, Featured Bird and Links. For those who are interested in the Audubon society, the Links page has a list - and links - to local Audubon chapters! Very helpful!

Click on this link for a page on About.com called 'Bird Watching on Long Island'. There are 9 different links on the page that discuss bird watching. Locations as varied as Garvies Point Preserve, Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center, Garden City Bird Sanctuary and the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge are mentioned.

Blog readers who are out in the field and who are looking at birds and want to identify them should click on this link called Whatbird.com. On the site you can identify birds by location, shape, size, primary color, secondary color, habitat, bill shape, bill length, wing shape, conservation status, song patter (amazing) and more....great stuff. Don't miss Whatbird.com!

Finally, click on this link from Audubon.com - the link is to a subsite on the Audubon entitled 'Birds'. You can find more information on birds, including bird profiles, a link to state of the birds, important bird areas and a link to the Great Backyard Bird Count. Neat stuff...

FYI, if you do a Google search for the term 'birding' you'll find over 16 million hits...ack. If you do a Google search for the term 'birding long island', you'll find just under 1.3 million hits...ack again.

Enjoy the links and the birds - its a great time of year to view them!
Stu

J is For...

2011-11-15T11:32:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

J is for the following topics and websites! Who knew that the letter 'J' had so many interesting topics? Enjoy!

JetBlue - airline that is based on New York - excellent rates and in-flight tv. Reservations can be made on the website.

JFK (airport) - major Long Island based airport; handles domestic and international flights. Users can get flight information, an airport guide, alerts and advisories, telephone numbers and contact information and more on the page.

JFK (president) - from the U of Virginia Miller Center...learn all about JFK via a multimedia gallery, audiotapes and more. Miller Center presentations by scholars are available for viewing. ,

Jazz - general website about what has been called 'America's only original art form': Jazz. You can find a blog, interviews, a jazz encyclopedia, forums for discussion and more.

Jets (New York - football) - professional football team based in New York. Website has news, statistics, reports, video, interviews and of course, tickets to the games.

JCPenney - nationally known retailer for clothing and housewares and more

Jailbreakme - free your device

Java - computer programming language - learn all about it on this site. Downloads and help available on the website also.

Regards,
Stu

Breathtaking Views of Earth From International Space Station!

2011-11-14T11:25:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Just found this video on Google news - great stuff. Just wanted to share it with you! Click here for a time-lapsed video of the earth - taken from the International Space Station.

Click here for a link to information about the International Space Station.

Enjoy!

Stu

7 'New' Natural Wonders...

2011-11-14T06:19:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I was just perusing the Newsday.com website when I found this article. It is aptly called '7 New Natural Wonders of the World Announced'. Click here for the link to it from the Newsday site.

Now, specifically, what are these 7 new wonders?

1. The Amazon Rainforest
2. Halong Bay, Vietnam
3. Iguazu Falls, on Brazil-Argentina border
4. Jeju Island, South Korea
5. Komodo National Park, Indonesia
6. Puerto Princessa Underground River, Philippines
7. Table Mountain, South Africa

Click on this link for the actual website to find out more about the New 7 Wonders were chosen. You'll also find a list of the other 21 sites (not websites) that were nominated but were not chosen as being one of the 7 New Wonders!!

Note that if you click on this link for the 28 finalists you can learn more about that particular wonder. Clicking on the link to a particular wonder leads you to photographs of the finalists as well as new about the topic. There are also videos and a place where visitors can support a particular natural wonder.

Very clever and well designed site! And very educational without being heavy handed or having an agenda!

Regards,

Stu

Veteran's Day

2011-11-10T06:29:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Tomorrow is a very special day. It is November 11th - which means it is Veteran's Day. There are going to be a lot of parades in honor of all of our Veteran's. Click here for a link to parades on Long Island for veterans. Note that some of the links might possibly be a bit old...this was the best site that I found for links to Veterans Day parades.

Click on this link for various restaurants and stores on Long Island that are having specials/sales for veterans.

Click on this link for a bunch of very relevant quotes concerning Veterans Day.

Did you know that the Farmingdale Public Library is hosting the Field of Honor tribute to veterans? Click here for quick link - and a quick look at what 200 flags looks like - for more information. The flags will be displayed from November 5th to December 3rd at the Farmingdale PL. It is quite a moving and touching site to see over 200 American flags waving in the wind. Don't miss it!

I would be remiss if I did not mention one of the best veterans related websites on the web - the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Click here to go to the site. Users can click on links and get information as varied as Veterans Services, connecting to the VA via Twitter and Facebook, find information on VA benefits, get info on VA health care information and find out about pension information.

There is so much information on the site that users would be best served if they visited the site. To describe the site does not do it justice - there is so much information just a mouse click away!

Click here for a link to books and videos in the Farmingdale Public Library that deal with Veterans Day - note that there are both books and videos in the search results.

Have a good Veteran's Day!

Regards,
Stu

Google Image Search...New and Improved

2011-11-09T12:28:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Just when I was trying to come up with an idea for a blog post (heck, after 211 previous posts, you would expect me to at least start to run out of idea...) I saw something of interest on the Google homepage.

Simply put, users can drag an image into the search box and then Google - in all its infinite glory and wisdom - will perform a search using that very same image. How cool is that?

Give it a shot by going to Google's homepage by clicking on this link. Click on this link to find a small tutorial - and video - on how this new Google search feature works - very cool stuff.

One example of how you can use this new feature: find an image that you would like to get similar examples of...(Albert Pujols for example - baseball player fyi). Just drag - really, just drag the image! - the image to the Google search bar and paste it in. Then Google does the search - super cool and super easy!

Regards,
Stu

Calling All Readers, Calling All Readers...

2011-11-08T12:10:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

Just want to get back to some grass roots librarianship today. So, you've been reading a really, really great book by XYZ - and you want to find books with similar themes and topics to this one.

Where you you go?

Never fear, Novelist Plus is here! Click here for a link to the database. Alternatively, you can visit the library website by clicking on this link and then clicking on the 'Reference' tab. Click on the Literature tab. Novelist Plus is the fifth entry in the list under Literature. (Just remember to have your valid Farmingdale PL library card handy since you'll need to enter the barcode to gain access to the database.)

So, what exactly is Novelist Plus? Well, Novelist Plus (hereafter denoted 'NP') is an online database that all Farmingdale Public Library patrons have free access to. Specifically Novelist Plus lets users search among hundreds of thousands of popular fiction (made up) and non-fiction (real topics) to get summaries of books. Users can retriever author read-alikes, book lists, book discussion guides and more!

Users can also search by author, title, book series title and more. Advanced searching lets users search by genre, Dewey Decimal Classification number and by review.

One very new feature that Novelist has recently added is a section of reviews by readers. These reviews come from a website called Goodreads. Note that Goodreads has thousands upon thousands of reviews of well, thousands upon thousands of books.

You can visit Goodreads.com by clicking on this link.

Hope this entry helps you find books that you really, really want to read!

Regards,
Stu

D is For...

2011-11-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Do you realize how few fruits and vegetables begin with the letter 'D'? Ugh...it took me a good few minutes to get the name of this fruit...'dates'. Yeah, that's the fruit!

Seriously, has anyone heard of durian, dragon fruit, drupe, dewberry or dyeberry? Yep - me neither. Thankfully one of the other librarians pointed me in the right direction with respect to fruit names that begin with the letter 'd'. So, I'm going to talk all about dates today.

You might remember that dates are talked about a lot in the bible - click here for a link to a brief discussion of dates and the bible.

This link comes from Purdue University and talks about the history, background, soil, food uses and more of dates - interesting, but definitely for folks who already know a bit about dates.

If this blog entry is making you hungry for dates - click here to buy them online. I'm not endorsing this site - I'm just saying that this is one of many sites where you can buy dates.

I bet you didn't think that there are many recipes with dates...you'd be wrong. Click on this link from AllRecipes.com for some date filled recipes. Some of the better sounding recipes on the site include date cookies, date rolls, sticky date pudding and date nut bread....yum!

Click here for a link where you can buy some more Medjool dates - again, it is one of many sites on the web where you can buy them!!!

Click here for a link to pictures of dates - lookin' good!

Enjoy the dates - who would have thunk it - a whole blog entry on dates? Go figure.
Enjoy,
Stu

It's For the Birds!

2011-11-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Birds - they are everywhere we look: in trees, on telephone pole wires, the roofs of houses and sitting on fences. And they come in so many different colors and shapes and sizes.

They are just so darn colorful and adorable and when they sing....and chirp. How could you do anything else other than look at photos of birds - or go birdwatching.

From time to time, I'll probably do some more entries regarding birds and birdwatching and bird related activities. Its becoming an interest of mine recently and the blog lets me write a bit about this newly found interest.

So...here are a bunch of websites related to bird watching. Note that you could type in the phrase 'bird watching' in Google and you'll find links to many, many different websites. Or...you could just use some of these excellent links:

BirdWatcher'sDigest.com - comprehensive site with info on bird identification, bird feeding, bird conservation, links to their newsletter, a really good photo gallery and a section on optics!

Birdwatching.com - a more 'sedate' website than BWD mentioned above...has birding FAQ's, birding tips, bird's stories, software and links to optics. Similar, but different than first birding site - but still worth a visit.

One of the premier website for birdwatching comes from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology - click here for the link. The site deals with exploring and conserving nature...in particular there is a bird guide, a link to birding basics, and links for how viewers can get involved with birding.

This is really one of the seminal - and I don't use that word often - websites for and about birding - you don't want to miss it!

Regards and happy birding!
Stu

How To Start Your Own Book Discussion Group

2011-10-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

So the fall is here and winter is slowly approaching. Now is a great time for readers and book-lovers alike to get ready for this foul weather by starting a book discussion group.

And while for many people reading can be a solitary endeavor, many other folks like to read and talk about the book with other people. Enter book discussion groups and you have the making of a beautiful relationship - reading books and talking about them in a collegial, adult, pleasant environment. What could be better than that?

A good book discussion group has the following characteristics:
1. A book that all members are willing to try to read.

2. The book - unless all members agree - probably should not be a huge, esoteric, difficult-to-read tome.

3. A good book discussion group usually - notice I said 'usually' - has a moderator. While this isn't always the case, I've found that free form book discussion groups tend to run off the topic of the book.

4. The moderator should have a few general questions to get the discussion started.

5. Finally - and readers would be wise not to underestimate this point - bringing food (coffee, tea, crumb cake, cookies, etc) will help increase attendance to a book discussion group.

Click on this link from ReadingGroupGuides.com - an interesting website that discusses 'How to Start a Book Discussion Group', 'Choosing What to Read for a Book Discussion Group' and more.
The site also has a blog and an interesting newsletter link.

Click on this link from the Amherst town Library - in New Hampshire - that has a veritable treasure trove of book discussion group links. Included in these links are sections' from Amazon.com Reading Group Guides, BookBrowse.com, a link to Reading Group Choices.com, and a link to SparkNotes (similar idea to Cliffs Notes - summaries of some of the worlds' great titles).

Click on this link for a great list of books to read so that you can get your book discussion group off to a great start. The titles are on book discussion groups' choices - your satisfaction and appreciation of the books in the list might vary....Also note that you can type in the phrase 'book discussion group title list' into Google and you'll find many, many different lists from different book discussion groups and the books that they feel are good for a discussion.

Finally, readers might want to visit this link from About.com entitled, 'How to Lead a Book Discussion Group'. Reading this article might give you insight on how to make a more interesting and educational book discussion group experience.

Enjoy the links and enjoy the books! Have a great time!
Stu

Questions, Questions, Questions...

2011-10-31T08:10:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Just a quick question about the blog...I've been publishing this using Google's product called 'Blogger'.

There are other blog software tools available on the web and I was thinking - and I emphasize the ''thinking' part - of migrating to another platform.

Does anybody have any thoughts on the matter? Does anybody care?

FYI, I was thinking of moving to Wordpress - a good website and blog tool...click here for the link to Wordpress.com

Thoughts, comments, etc can be emailed to me at mailto:fdaleref@nassaulibrary.org

Thanks in advance,

Stu

I is For....

2011-10-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Just another blog post in the series of 'A is for...B is for...' that I started a few months ago...

I is For...

IBM - internationally known computer and computer consulting/services firm

Ipod - Apple's great music invention from mid-1990's! The gadget that spawned a revolution.

Ipad - one of the great digital devices - sexy and practical and usable!

Ikea - Swedish furniture that can be bought online or in showrooms. There is a store on Route 107 in Hicksville - and the Swedish meatballs are really, really good. Trust me.
IMDB - Internet Movie Database - great site for info on past and current movies (actors and actresses, movie plots and more)

Iphone 4s - Apple says it is the best Iphone yet - go and check it out for yourself!

I Heart Radio.com - listen to radio online for free!

IJJI - free online gaming site

Enjoy the site and the games!
Stu

Famous People Who Died Before They Should Have..

2011-10-27T06:26:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

This gray, rainy day got me thinking about 'the end'. Yes, I mean, death. Now, that is a dreary topic, so I wanted to give the topic a slant. At least make the topic interesting to my readers as I thought about what to write about today...

So I remembered that one of the best read blog posts I ever did was about celebrities and how much they earned in the prior year...so I got to thinking about famous people and those who died too young.

Forthwith a bunch of websites and links dedicated to folks who died to young.

Click on this link from BleacherReport - entitled 'A Tribue to All the Athletes Who Died Young'.

Believe it or not, there is a blog out on Blogger entitled, 'They Died Too Soon' - click here for the link. Some of the more famous folks mentioned on the site include Chris Farley, Bernie Mac, Heath Ledger, James Dean, John Belushi and Jimi Hendrix...

Finally, you might want to click on this site - click here - from LastFM.com. The link is for a list of Famous Musicians Who Died Too Young (Dead Before Their Time). There is a birth date and a death date for each musician along with a brief 1 or two paragraph summary of the artists' life and death. Interesting stuff.

Now I'm going to mention a library databases to help readers learn more about a particular person who died too early. Click here for a link to the database called 'Biography in Context'. Note that you'll need to enter your library card number to access this biography database.

Biography in Context is a very, very comprehensive biography database that is well suited for college students, adults and other users who want to find out more about famous - and some not so famous - people. Good stuff - and it is free. 'nuff said.

Enjoy the links.
Stu

Pumpkin Picking on Long Island

2011-10-26T16:50:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

Halloween is right around the corner so start picking those pumpkins and getting out those scary costumes.

Where to go pumpkin picking? I've got the answer! Click on this link for some local pumpkin patches to find a great Jack' o lantern! FYI, Kioli is an acronym for 'Keep It On Long Island'. Get it....K for Keep, I for It, O for On, LI for Long Island...cute, eh?

Click on this link for a great recipe for pumpkin pie.

Click here for a link to the the dvd of 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' in the library card catalog. Click on this link for the book, 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown'.

Click on this link from the CDC that discusses Halloween Trick or Treat safety - keep those kids safe!!!

Click on this link for all materials (books, dvd's, etc) in the Farmingdale Public Library card catalog that have 'Halloween' in the title. Note that the search is sorted by year - the newest materials are first in the list, the oldest materials are at the end of the list.

If you click on this link, you'll get a bunch of very intricate and fun to carve pumpkin patterns! Neat!

Finally, click on this link that will help you pick the best pumpkin possible when you are at the pumpkin patch.

Enjoy the day and don't get too scared!

Stu

Fall Fishing For Fun

2011-10-25T06:14:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Fall isn't normally the time that folks think of fishing...well, it is. Big time! Click here for a link from the New York Post for an article entitled 'Autumn Fishing is in Full Bloom'. Note that the article is darn recent - from September 23 of this year. The article talks about bass and porgies as being the fish of the season! Bring it on!

Here is another link from a site called Bassresource.com - the entry is called 'Fall Fishing Tactics' and is very comprehensive. Specifically the articles discusses bass fishing.

Finally, click on this link from Bigfishtackle.com for another article called 'Autumn Gold' - of the three sites that I linked to in this blog entry, this third one is the most comprehensive and contains the most information. It is also well written and interesting - even to a non-fisherman.

If you want to have some fun and socialize, you might want to go on a party boat and do your fishing among friends. Click on this link to charter boats at Captree State Park - note that you'll have to scroll down a ways on the page to actually get to the Captree links.

Finally, click on this link for ideas on how to cook fish - link is from Allrecipes.com. Also, click on this entry for seafood recipes - general - from Allrecipes.com.

Enjoy the links and the fish recipes - okay, okay...click on this link that discusses the health aspects of fish.

Regards,
Stu

Oh, and thanks to Laura Lorusso for planting the seed of this blog entry topic...kudos to you!

C is For Carrots

2011-10-24T06:14:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

In keeping with the uber successful fruit and vegetable entries' that I've started to post -last one was on October 5th and I talked about blueberries.

Today I'd like to talk about carrots - you know, the food that Bugs Bunny eats and the ones that we dig up from the ground in our garden...

Click here for the Wikipedia link to carrots - again, as in many cases, the entry is comprehensive and very thorough. For example the entry has sections on carrot history, nutrition, how to cultivate them (grow them), how to store them and a section for external web based links for carrots.

Click on this link from WHFoods.com - the 'WH' stands for World's Healthiest Foods - which explains why carrots are so healthy. Entry is easily read and digestible! Another interesting link is from HowStuffWorks.com - it also includes a handy-dandy table of the various nutritional values of fresh and cooked carrot. Yum!

And for another article on the health benefits of carrots, click on this link from Besthhealthnewsonline.com (long title, eh?). The pictures themselves are worth a visit to the site!

Click on this link from Youtube to see a whole bunch of Bugs Bunny cartoons - which, of course - have carrots in the video! And click on this link for a bunch of pictures of scrumptious, delicious, mouth wateringly tempting carrots. Pix come from Google Images - don't miss it!

Click on these links for various carrot recipes -including carrot cake
Allrecipes.com - link is to the first page on the site where I did a basic search for carrots. Click on this link for a well received recipe for carrot cake - a perfect desert for the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner!

And finally, click on this link from the FoodNetwork.com for general carrot recipes - there are all sorts of desert recipes, side dish recipes and more! Yum!!!

Enjoy the carrots and have one for good ol' Bugs Bunny - he'd thank you for it!
Regards,
Stu

Crop Circles: What the Heck Are They?

2011-10-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Crop circles. What are they? How are they made? And, even more importantly, who makes them? These are some of the interesting questions that I'd like to address in this blog entry.

Click on this link from Wikipedia to find out about Crop circles. Interesting article and very comprehensive summary of the crop circles. As the Wikipedia article explains, 'crop circles are sizable patterns created by the flattening of a crop such as wheat, barley, rye, maize or rapeseed. they are also known as crop formation because they are not always circular in shape.'

An interesting section in the Wikipedia entry is the section entitled 'Paranormal'. Click here for the link to the paranormal aspects of crop circles.

Click here for a link to a Google Images search for 'crop circles'.

The pictures of the various crop circle designs are very interesting and neat and symmetrical and well, just plain cool.

Click here for a link that purports to explain the history of crop circles...it seems like they are not designed by ET's. Hmmmm.

Click on this link for the Crop Circle Connector - which has links to various galleries, videos, bibliographies, conferences and even a link to the 'state of the art'. Neat stuff.

Click on this link to a History Channel video from the show UFO Hunters - Crop Circles.

You can also click on this link to the library card catalog to see what we own on the topic of crop circles - most of the material is in the beginning of the collection in and around the 001.94 area...

Enjoy the crop circles and the websites and don't forget the books!
Regards,
Stu

do we have books on crop circles?

Gently Used Children's Clothing

2011-10-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I was recently introduced to stores that sell gently used children's clothing. At the time I had no idea that the trip to the store would result in a blog entry...but her we are!

Click on this link to About.com's site entitled 'Long Island Thrift Shops'. Shops on the page included Island Thrift in Brentwood, Selden Thrift in Selden, Junior League of Long Island Thrift Shop in Roslyn, Twin Pines Consumer Association Thrift Shop in Port Washington, Unique Thrift Store in Westbury and Unique Thrift Store in Levittown. Along with contact information there is a brief summary for each store which is pretty helpful.

The next link is the store that started this whole children's clothing thing...I went there a few days ago - the stores' name is Once Upon a Child - click here for the link. Their tagline is 'we buy and sell gently used clothes, toys & equipment'. Fair enough and, since I've been to the store, it is certainly accurate enough. I saw rows and rows of clothing ranging from newborns to toddlers to 4T's. And, as advertised, the clothes and toys and accessories were gently used. For real - so there was NO misadvertising.

Now, as I drive to the library every morning, I see a store on Merrick Road in Seaford called Fun Stuff Toys. I haven't been in the store yet, but I plan on making it a road trip with the family very, very soon. So, as the FSToys site says, they 'specialize in kids' toys - infant, preschool and kids of all ages'. Fair enough, but the store really can't be considered to be a thrift shop type retailer.

That being said, the store might be a good alternative to a Toys r Us or a Wal-Mart or a K-Mart...

To round out this blog entry, I found a link to a site called CitiDex Long Island. Essentially this is a 'Yellow Pages' wanna be for the internet. Even the sites' background color is yellow - similar to the Yellow Pages. Anyway, click on this link to CitiDex Long Island - the topic of the link is Children's Clothing on Long Island.

In particular there is a link to 'Used Children's Clothing'. There are three links - Cows Harbor Kids Consignment in Northport, GiGi's Kids in Hampton Bays and Little Angels Thrift Shop in Bay Shore. Click here for the link to the Used Children's Clothing site on CitiDex.

Enjoy the links - and I hope your shopping ventures prove to be fruitful, cost effective and fun!
Regards,
Stu

200 Is a Really, Really Big Number!

2011-10-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Well, I've been thinking about this entry for a long, long time. Why? This is my 200th blog entry! Wow - that's a lot of entries and time spent on the blog.

I don't really know if I should have a cake, have a party, ignore the entry or do something else.

Alas, I'll probably just mention this anniversary entry and move right along...

Last time I discussed 'H is For...'. We're up to 'I' now...forthwith...I is for...

iphone 5 - all things Iphone from Apple - again...

Ikea - website of Swedish furniture and design maker. They have a store in Hicksville on Route 107!!

IMDB - Internet Movie Database - great source for information about movies, actors, actresses and 'things related to Hollywood'

Ipad - all things Ipad from this part of the Apple homepage

IRS - get tax forms, tax booklets and tax information on this major tax portal from the IRS

Italian to English - translate from Italian to English via Yahoo'! Babelfish

Enjoy the sites,
Stu

B is For Blueberries

2011-10-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

A little bit of housekeeping is in order before I get to the meat of the blog post. Did you know that this is our 199th blog post? Betcha didn't know that.

Well, I'm going to tell you! Because I am darn proud of having a reference blog that has lasted over 199 posts. If each blog post takes roughly 10 minutes to generate (and I'm doing some very rough calculations here!) thath means that I've spent roughly 1900 minutes writing for the blog.

Which is the equivalent of over 30 hours - which is more than one whole day writing various entries for this blog. I hope you've enjoyed it - I certainly have. Evidently I have a hankering, or a yen, or a passion for writing. Again, I hope this comes across in each and every blog post.

Finally, I think that this is the single longest continuously written reference department blog in the country right now...how is that for good stuff?

Click on this link to see other reference department blogs from around the United States.

***********************************

Now, onto today's post

Some readers might remember that I started writing a series of blog entries a few weeks ago about fruit and vegetables.

We are up to the letter 'B' in that series and I'd like to write about one of the two great fruits that begin with the letter 'B'. Today, I'd like to talk about blueberries. When I finish with the whole alphabet of fruit - probably some time in the far future - I'll come back and talk about that other great fruit that begins with the letter 'b' - bananas. So for now, we'll talk about blueberries!!!

Introduction to Blueberries - Lots of Links
Click on this link to go to the Wikipedia entry on blueberries - there are subsections on the various species of blueberries, growing areas (especially in the United States), uses of blueberries, and importantly, the research on the potential antidisease effects of blueberries

Okay, now that that is out of the way, click here for three good, understandable links that talk about the health aspects of blueberries.

The first link is from About.com; the second link is from the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. Simply put, blueberries are filled with vitamin C, have a huge amount of dietary fiber and are a great source of manganese; and the third link is from Women's Fitness.com (entitled 'Top 10 Health Benefits of Blueberries').

We all - at least now we do - know that blueberries are healthy. And the taste of a fresh blueberry is amazing. Click on this link from Blueberry-Recipe.com - which has links to blueberry cobbler recipes, blueberry cheesecake, and more. Yum!!!

Click on this link - from AllRecipes.com - for even more blueberry recipes - omg, I'm getting hungry! Finally, click on this link from the FoodNetwork.com to get even more blueberry recipes!

Finally, long time readers probably will realize that I've done something very different with todays' blog entry: I've added pictures! Woohoo! Someone at the library showed me how to add them this afternoon and voila - here they are!

Enjoy the pictures and the recipes and the blueberry information.

Regards,
Stu

Garage Sales

2011-10-03T07:10:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

I've been introduced to the wonderful world of garage sales...wow. That is such cool stuff.

Click here for a link to garage sales on Long Island - link is from LongIsland.com - which I've mentioned before on the blog.

Click on this second link - from Long Islandsuperads.com for even more garage/yard sales classifieds on Long Island. Neat stuff - it gives you a bit about the sale (what is included, date, time and location).

Okay, so now that I've whetted your appetite for these little encounters with stuff you might need - what else should garage sales perusers know about them?

Recognize that almost all the prices are negotiable - click here to find out how to negotiate prices - link is from Bestgaragesaletips.com - pretty cool and helpful!

Carefully look at the item you are thinking of buy - check condition, does it have all parts? Is the item dented, scratched, worn, used? If so, these are all good points to make when negotiating the price.

Sometimes you can get a whole bunch of items for one price - kind of like a potpourri of merchandise - but at a really great price.

Finally, if you are thinking of hosting a garage sale or a yard sale, click on this link from Ehow.com. The link is pretty comprehensive and thorough!

Good luck in your travels - hope you find what you are looking for!
Stu

The Sun

2011-09-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Since it has been so darn grey and rainy and drizzly and sticky and well, just plain gross outside recently I thought I'd post a sunshiny fun entry today.

Because if I'm not mistaken I see the sun and blue skies and nice big white clouds - woohoo!

Click on this link for photos of the sun from Google images. Aaaah - sun.

Click on this link for photos of briliant blue skies from Google images. Gorgeous skies.

Click on this link for photos of cumulus clouds from Google images. Flaky clouds!

And finally, click on this link for photos of kids playing outside in the sunshine!

Enjoy and lets hope this grey, dank weather leaves asap!

Stu

Shopping Malls and More! (Americana)

2011-09-27T06:34:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

What can possibly be more American than 'baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie'? Click here for a link to that Chevrolet television commercial from 1975 - note that the link goes to Youtube.

Okay, so now, back to the question - what is more American than 'baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie'?

Shopping! It is the American way - heck, think of all the marketing and advertising and publicity for products that range from deodorant to cars to cookies to charcoal to well, you get the idea!

And it is not for nothing that we buy 'stuff'. Heck we need to eat don't we? And we need to have 'stuff' in our house - you can't live in a house with no furniture or pots and pans or beds or a television...

So, when you think of shopping you might think of Wal-Mart or Kohls, or Target or Sears or TJ Maxx or any other of the huge numbers of retail outlets. Click on any of the above mentioned links to go to that particular retailers' website.

So, this introduction has been a longer than usual one...click here for a link to MALLS. You can find malls by 'name', zipcode, state and more. The site also has links to the various malls that result when you do a search. Malls are also rated on the site. Hours of operation, telephone number and distance from a particular location is also listed.

Okay and for all of you mall afficionados, click on this link to Deadmalls.com

Besides for a gruesome name - couldn't they have used the name 'ExtinctMalls.com' instead - this is a neat site that has mall history, photographs and more about malls that don't exist anymore. Neat stuff and it took a huge amount of work and effort to make the site as comprehensive as it is!

If you click on the 'Links' page you'll find links about people who are against 'sprawl and against the mall in general'. Also on the page are 'mall indices and pages on malls in general'.

Click here for a Wikipedia list of defunct store chains - click here for a Wikipedia list of defunct department stores - neat stuff and a bit of Americana on the web!

Enjoy the malls and the sites and the shopping!
Regards,
Stu

What To Eat When You are in a Fast Food Restaurant

2011-09-26T15:15:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

The summer might be over, but that doesn't mean we all should eat poorly. Health eating is a lifetime habit - sheesh, I sound like an advertisement. So it goes...at least this will be a healthy blog entry.

And while this is true - healthy eating should be a lifetime habit - it can be very, very hard to do when faced with the likes of McDonald's, Wendy's KFC, Taco Bell, Burger King and other fast-food restaurants.

So what is a hungry fellow or gal to do when he/she is in a fast food restaurant?

Click on this link and you'll get an article from Men's Health entitled 14 Best Fast Food Meals Under 500 Calories

This second link comes from Health.com and is a long article. Essentially the authors surveyed the nations 100 largest fast-food chains...for the results, click on this link.

Click on this link from WebMD to find the best bets from favorite food chains. The article is called, 'Fast Food That Won't Supersize You'.

Click on this link for the various menu options at many large fast food chains to see the number of calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, carbs and sodium content of the various items. Hamburgers, french fries, chicken, and more.

Finally, click on this link from a site called HelpGuide.org (A Trusted Non-Profit Resource - or so the website proclaims...) for an article entitled 'Healthy Fast Food - Tips For Making Healthier Fast Food Choices'. At the end of the article is a nicely organized list of ways that consumers can make healthier choices at fast food restaurants...good stuff.

And now you can make better decisions and eat healthier.

Enjoy the meals!
Stu

H is For...

2011-09-23T07:43:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Presenting...another in the continuing alphabetical exercise of blog posts...today we are up to the letter 'h'. What different organizations, companies, topics, lists and entries include the letter 'h'?

Today we have quite a variety of websites that begin with the letter "h"

Hotmail - excellent sit to open and retrieve email

Home Depot - great retailer of all things home goods - including plumbing, electrical, work working, gardening, lawn and garden, lighting, bathrooom, kitchen, flooring, tiling and more

Hulu - very comprehensive online video service

Hershey Park -

great website for all things 'Hershey Park' related. Info on rides, prices, admission, food,
Hertz - rental car disounts for your vacation or trip on this site

History Channel - watch history as it happens..actually there are great re-enactments of historical events on the site. Also has great documentaries and movies about various historical events.

HopStop - get door to door transit directions in the greater New York area. Coves, Subway, MTA, PATH, LIRR, MetroNorth for New York, Bronx, Queens and Manhattan. Can send directions by email or text message to a cell phone directly from the website.

Huffington Post - offers syndiacted columnists, blogs and news stories with moderated comments. Excellent source of analyzed and evaluated news by various columnists.

Enjoy the sites! Imagine - we are almost a 1/3 of the way through the alphabet! Woohoo! My blog dreams are coming true.

Regards,

Stu

Choose My Plate

2011-09-21T15:29:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

The old food pyramid from the US Government is no more. It has been replaced by a new campaign entitled, 'Choose My Plate'. Click here for a link to the US Department of Agriculture site that is the home to this new campaign: ChooseMyPlate.gov.

So, what does the new site offer users and readers? Simple, the new site is a way to get people to eat more healthy. Shaped like a plate, the various sections have topics related to food - for example there are links to fruits, grains, vegetables, protein and dairy. Click on each of the words to find out about each food group in the food plate.

Along the way, on the side of the main Food page is a section entitled, "I Want To...". Some topics on this part of the page include 'Eat healthy on a budget', 'Look Up a Food', 'Learn about Food Groups', 'Get a Personalized Plan', and 'Learn healthy eating tips', 'Get Weight Loss Information', Plan a Healthy Menu', 'Analyze My Diet', 'Ask a Question' among other topics. Again, click on any of the links above to get more information about that particular topic.

On the other side of the main page you'll find links to the basics of eating healthy and more targeted information for more specific audiences like the general population, pregnant women, preschoolders, kids and more.

There is also a topics entitled 'Link of the Day' and interactive tools toward the bottom of the web page. Finally, if you click on this link, you'll learn about the various food groups.

Here's to a healthy, new you!

Regards,
Stu

Coupon Websites

2011-09-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Just a quickie blog post today - but I think it might cover one of the most popular topics around currently. I'm talking about coupons and couponing.

The internet is a vast resource for this type of activity. There are dozens and dozens of websites that offer up coupons and advice on saving money.

Some issues to consider when signing up for coupon websites:
1. Try to make sure that they are legitimate. Consider sending the owners an email. If the site has a bulletin board or blog, follow it for a few days or a week to make sure the site isn't just trying to poach your email address.

2. Don't give out personal information like phone number or address. Likewise, don't include a social security number or a credit card number. That is just way too much information to give out to a coupon website.

3. You might want to consider creating a separate email account for when you sign in to the various coupon websites so that the emails are separated from your regular email.

Now, on to the coupon sites.

Coupons.com - possibly the mother of all coupon sites....Similar to the other sites listed below - Coupons.com has a comprehensive list of topics on the left side of the screen. For example, there are automotive coupons, beverage, flowers and gifts, foods, health care, household, entertainment, office supplies, personal care, pet care, restaurants and more topics for coupons. One different with Coupons.com is that you can see the coupons on the first page - you just click on the coupon you are interested in and then scroll down to the next page of coupons. When you are finished you need to click on the print icon and you will be prompted to download the Coupon Printer installer. Essentially this downloads software to your computer to download the software...fyi, you only have to do the download once.

CouponMom.com
CouponMom is a well organized coupon site that has been seen on the Today Show, CNN, and Oprah's television show. The site has categories like grocery deals, drugstore deals, restaurant deals, online coupons, free samples, and a blog. Don't miss this site!

CouponCabin.com
Site has links to coupons by vendor or store name and by coupon type (food, clothing, category, printable, online coupons, etc...) The thing that I never understood about these various coupons sites is that they have categories that encompass two categories. For example, when a user goes on to these sites, they are, by definition, looking for printable coupons. In addition,all of these coupons are online - so why do these sites have these two categories? Beats me - but the real interesting thing about these sites are the coupons themselves.

Users can download software the first time they visit the site and then they'll be able to print out the various coupons that they check off on the site. Pretty simple and easy to do - even the download is fairly easy. Users can search the site using the search box at the top right side of the homepage. There is also a section on 'Extreme Couponing Made Easy' - click here for that link.

Enjoy and hopefully the sites will save you time and money!

Regards,
Stu

I'm so Confused - Words That are Easy To Mix Up

2011-09-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

There are over 250,000 words in the English language. Bet ya didn't know that!!! Click here for a link that talks about the number of words in the English language.

Since there are so many darn words, we can mix a lot of them up. Click here for About.com link that discusses confusing words!

Click here for some commonly misused, misspoken and misspelled words.

And just to confuse matters, there are other terms that describe variously missued words in English. For instance homonyms are words the same as another in sound and spelling but different in meaning.Click here for a list of homonyms!

Homophones are words pronounced the same as another but different in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not. Click here for a list of homophones!

Antonyms are words opposite in meaning to another. Click here for a list of antonyms - it is a very comprehensive list!

Synonyms are words having the same or nearly the same meaning as another. Click her for a list of synonyms. http://www.carlscorner.us.com/Synonyms/Synonymlist1.pdf

Let me confuse you even more...click on this link for a list of the 100 Most Mispronounced Words and Phrases in English. Fun stuff, eh? Okay, and now click on this link for the 100 Mos Misspelled Words in English.

To remedy all of this confusion and mispelling and mispronciating, you might want to use these next few links! Enjoy the site and have some fun with your newly found cache of sites!

Dictionary.com - a great online dictionary
Thesaurus.com - a great dictionary of synonyms and antonyms

Regards,
stu

New Thread For Topics!

2011-09-14T16:38:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

I've had some time to think about the blog and possible topics...

Have I got topics planned for you!

Regular readers might remember that I started a thread of posts entitled, 'A is for...', 'B is for...', etc? Well, now I'm going to do the same thing - but a bit different.

We all know that eating healthy is important for good health. Well, on occasion, I'm going to pepper blog posts with topics on fruits and vegetables. For example, one post might be titled, 'B is for Bananas', or another post might be titled, 'R is for Raspberries'...the topic of each post will be the health benefits of each fruit or vegetable, a bit of history of the fruit, and other fun filled facts about the fruit for vegetable in question.

So, today, we are going to talk about apples. Of course apples - how could I not. The whole original sin issue rears its head when we talk about apples along with applesauce recipes, the many different variants of apples and links to apple picking and apple orchards on Long Island.

Forthwith - to apples we go!

So, why are apples so healthy? Click on this link for the healthy benefits of apples - courtesy of About.com.

Think you know about all the different varieties of apples? Click on this link and I suspect you'll find a few varieties that you haven't heard of before!

Click on this link for the Wikipedia entry on apples which discusses the history, health aspects and more about apples.

Yum, yum...now click on this link for some darn good apple recipes. I'm thinking apple pie, apple cobbler, apple sauce...I am so hungry now! Again, link is from About.com - recipes section. Click on this other link to find some more apple recipes from Allrecipes.com.

And remember, apple picking with kids can be a hoot - click on this link to find local orchards on Long Island where you can pick your own apples. Link is from Long Island.com fruit stands section.

Enjoy! Hope you like the format of the entry - because I have 25 more fruits and 26 more vegetables to talk about! I wonder what vegetable begins with the letter 'z'?

Stu

Fall Fun on Long Island

2011-09-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I don't know about you, but it seems like the seasons have subtly changed over the last week or so. Ever since we've experienced Hurricane Irene the weather has been different than before...it is much less tropical and while we still seem to have rain, it just doesn't seem to be the deluge type of rain and weather we had.

And that is all for the better - oh, how tired we are of rain and storms and flooding and wind...maybe we can enjoy a calm, storm free September!

That all being said...it is time for some fall fun on Long Island! There are so many things to do on Long Island at this time of year! Click on this link for a quick overview of local Long Island things to do.

The link comes from About.com and some of my favorite would be the apple picking option or the hiking through Long Island landscapes.

Long Island has many different ways to spend time - click on this link from the Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau and Sports Commission website. On the left side of the screen you'll see links to Sports Events, Winter Festivals and Events, Spring Festivals and Events, Summer Festivals and Events, and Fall Festivals and Events - good stuff that's for sure.

You can also get a free travel guide by clicking on the link below these four choices on the page...additionally you can book your trip and make car rental reservations on the site as well. Finally there is a calendar on the homepage that will allow you to look for various festivals on a specific day...

Other options on the site include links to hotels and lodging, finding maps and getting transportation and there is a link to photos and videos.

Enjoy the site and enjoy the time off!
Regards,
Stu

G is For...

2011-09-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

We are getting there....some time ago I started a series of blog posts in the same vein as Sue Grafton's series Kinsey Millhone wherein she titled each book 'A is for Alibi', 'B is for Burglar', 'C is for Corpse'....Click here for the link to the Kinsey Millhone series.

I'm doing the same think but with websites and links that I think blog readers might find useful and/or interesting.

Today we are up to the letter 'G'. Forthwith some neat sites that start with the letter 'G'. Enjoy!!!

Google - organizing the world's information - great search tool to find 'stuff'.

Gmail - email via Google - quick, easy and fast

Google Docs - Google's version of the Microsoft Office suite of software

Gawker - open bulletin boards and forums where users write the comments

Games - free games on a wide, huge and big number of topics! Word games, action games, puzzles and much, much more.

Guardian - UK newspaper - different viewpoints on world issues and current events since it is from the UK

Getty Images - photos, pictures and more from a huge repository

Gizmodo - info on technology, games, websites, software, hardware and much more...great stuff if you are a technology lover!

Enjoy the sites!
Stu

The Old Farmer's Almanack

2011-09-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Neat, fun, interesting reference alert!

I suspect that you've heard of the 'Old Farmer's Almanack', right? Well, if you haven't, the book is a staple reference book in virtually all public libraries in the United States.

Yes, the Farmingdale Public Library has a copy for you. Just visit the library and come to the reference desk. The call number for the Old Farmer's Almanac is RR528.1 O. We own the 2011 edition which is the most current copy.

Here is a quick summary of the OFA (Old Farmer's Almanack) for those who aren't familiar with the book: The book is a paperback and printed on paper that is similar in texture to a newspaper.

OFA covers topics as varied as weather, gardening, the calendar, facts about the Moon, the Sun and Astronomy. In addition the material has cooking and recipe hints and advice. Finally, there are sections on home hints, astrology and birding/fishing.

The book is filled with homespun advice and thoughts and has a 'country-ish' theme running through the various articles and tables and charts. It is well worth looking at when you are in the library.

However, when you are not in the library you can still get your Old Farmer's Almanack fix by visiting their website at Almanac.com. Click on the link that follows this sentence to go to the website for the Old Farmer's Almanack: http://www.almanac.com/

Enjoy this time tested, nostalgic website - and don't forget to use the information that is in the book - it is great stuff.

Regards,

Stu

Irene Preparedness

2011-08-26T13:25:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

Sorry for the lapse in posting...Google was nice enough to force me to move the library Blogger account to a new email address. It took a bit of time to figure out how to recover the account name and password. But....we were able to do so. And here we are with another post. Unfortunately it is a hurricane preparedness post. I wish it were another 'summer day' type post that would be entertaining. We'll get to those in a bit though. Let's just get past hurricane Irene and we'll go from there.

So, without further ado, here are 6 really good links that'll get you started on how to cope with the hurricane over the next few days.

Hurricane preparedness from Nassau County Department of Emergency Management - you'll be able to download a printable version of the document.

List of hurricane evacuation shelters in Nassau County

Disaster Supply Kit

Hurricane Preparedness Checklist

Hurricane Preparedness - Nassau County again...

Utility Shut Off and Safety

Good luck and be safe and careful.

Regards,
Stu

Leaving For College? Here's What You Need

2011-08-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

We're getting to that time of year when students are getting ready to leave for their Freshman year of college! Talk about excitement! New friends, new places, new roommates and new classes! Wow - that's a lot of great stuff to look forward to! Makes me wish I was a college freshman again!

So - without further ado...some lists of things to bring to college and similar stuff to get students ready for the first year of college.

Well, you don't want to get to college and realize that you forgot 'stuff'. Click on this link to CollegePrep101 that includes lists of what to bring to college for the first time. Importantly, there is a list of what NOT to bring as well.

Direct from College Confidential comes this link that does something similar to CollegePrep101. Specifically you get even more lists of what to bring to college. What is different on this site is that they alphabetize the items that they think you should bring...go figure. Different strokes for different folks as they say.

And finally comes this link from 'The Dormitory' - again, same idea, different lists. Again, the lists are alphabetical - the only difference is that this site has some narrative as to why you should bring the various items they are discussing.

Okay, one last site - this one comes from College and Finance website - and the article is titled '18 Overlooked Things Everyone Should Bring to College'. Good stuff and the financial advice on the site is helpful as well.

Enjoy and have a great freshman year of college.

Regards,
Stu

F is for...

2011-08-16T09:47:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

In my continuing quest for good internet resources, I'm up to the letter 'f'...

F is for...
Facebook - great social networking website

Ford - want to buy an American automobile?

France - link to the CIA World Factbook about France - the country

french fries - link to Wikipedia article about french fries

Fandago -helpful movie website where you can buy movie tickets and more

Firefox - competitor browser to Microsoft Explorer - helpful add-ons make it a fairly secure browser

Regards,

Stu

The Debt Limit Debate - Facts NOT Opinions

2011-08-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

The term 'debt limit' has been in the news a lot lately. Actually, if you watch the news at night, or use various internet news sites, you'll begin to think that this is the 'only' news item of the last few days...

Click here for a link from Search.USA.gov for a whole page linked to items and article about the debt limit. Click on this link for a simple, cogent and thorough description of what the debt limit really means. Note that link is from the United States Treasury Department - very authoritative.

From Treasury Direct comes this FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) About the Public Debt - click here for the link. When you go to the site, I'd recommend the section on 'General Information'.

Now, from the White House Briefing Room comes this link about the actual agreement entitled, 'Bipartisan Debt Deal: A Win For the Economy and Budget Discipline'.

I'm not going to post link after link about the various parts of the legislation - that would be too boring and wouldn't make a particularly interesting post. Be that as it may...I have a few more links regarding the pro's and con's of the debt ceiling. Note that I am not taking sides on the issue...I'm just pointing out that there are two very different points of view on the issue.

Paul Krugman and Ron Paul Agree: Debt Ceiling Deal Sucks - from Forbes.com

U.S. Hits Debt Ceiling - from CNNMoney.com

The Debt Ceiling Explained - from NPR

Extending the Debt Ceiling is Good for the Economy - from CNBC

So there you have it. Enough words on economics, debt, finances, taxes than you can shake the proverbial stick at. Enjoy!

Stu

Epinions - Lots of Reviews By Users

2011-07-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

There are many websites on the internet that evaluate products and include product reviews. One of the better ones that I've found is Epinions.com. You can visit this product review site by clicking on this link.

So, what makes this site so helpful, you ask? Good question! when you visit the site, you'll be able to click on tabs on topics as varied as cars, books, movies, music, computers & software, electronics, gifts, home & garden, kids & family, office supply, sports, travel and more.

There is also a search box where you can type the name or model number of a product and get reviews of the item.

In addition, when you find an item and see the review you have some options. You can view the details for the item (size, weight, color, overall ratings and more. In addition, you can compare prices of the item from different 'brick and mortar' stores and 'online retailers'. Finally, users have the option to visit either the brick and mortar store or the online store and actually purchase the item online.

Users can also enter their zip code to see if there is tax and shipping if and when you purchase the item.

What makes the site so unique are the user reviews. You should realize that user reviews come from eBay, Buy.com/Marketplaces, Amazon.com Marketplace and many other consumer websites.

Users can also subscribe to a particular item to have future reviews of the product sent to them via email - which is a very helpful feature.

Some examples of searches that I did for this blog entry included blenders, laptops, saxophones,

diaper change organizers and a copy of 'Casino Royale' by Ian Fleming. Great stuff!

Here are some links from Epinions.com that might help you get a bit more familiar with the site.

Join Epinions.com by using this website: http://www.epinions.com/register/

Got questions about the various parts of Epinions, use this URL: http://www.epinions.com/msg

Enjoy the site, hope you find the products and reviews that you need!

Regards,

Stu

E is For...

2011-07-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

In a never ending (okay, this series of posts will end after I finish the letter 'z'...) series of posts beginning with the first letter of the alphabet 'a'....here comes the letter 'E'. There are lots of good websites that begin with the letter 'E' - including...

Ebay - the world's largest online auction place! You can find almost anything here - and bid on it.

ESPN - like sports? visit this site for statistics, articles, news about sports, and much more!

Etsy - a place to buy and sell handmade or vintage items - very neat site.

Edible Arrangements - beautiful gourmet gift baskets of fruit, chocolate, and other tasty gifts - great presentation and the recipient will love the basket!

Eisenhower Park - 930 acres of open space and recreation in heart of Nassau County. Includes ballfields, miniature golf, grass to relax in, batting range, rollerblade rink, tennis courts, playground for children, swimming pool and much, much more.

Enjoy the links!
stu

Summer - Gardening?

2011-07-25T11:05:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

While summer is NOT typically the time to start gardening, somewhat cooler weather (think temperatures' in the high 70's and early 80's) might not be such a bad time to do some gardening work.

Some caveats though:
1. drink lots of water and stay hydrated

2. try to do the gardening in the early morning (before 10am perhaps) or the late afternoon (after 4pm perhaps) so the heat isn't too intense for you or for the gardening

3. wear a hat and take lots of breaks while you are gardening...

Okay, that being said, on to the gardening aspects...

Click on this link for a few summer gardening tips from Michael McGroarty - the author and owner of the popular gardening website Free Plants.

This next link is a bit more generic, but still worth reading nonetheless. Click here for an article from Ezinearticles.com.

Got vegetables, then you'll want to view this next site. And while the site is pretty basic (no flashing icons, no pictures, and lots of text), you'll want to click on this link for a brief intro on how to 'Grow Vegetables and Culinary Herbs in Summer'.

Click on this link from PlanetGreen.com - the link is to a site which is 'Your Complete Guide to Summer Vegetable Gardening'. The article discusses summer gardening for tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, eggplant, peppers and corn. Yum!

I've mentioned the Cornell Cooperative Extension in a previous post - but I'll mention it again since it is such a valuable resource. This is the link to Gardening which has other links to the following: Gardening news, Children's Garden, Horticulture Leaflets, Long Island Gardening Quarterly, Farmers Markets (yum) and Gardening Links.

Enjoy the free information and I hope your green thumb gets even greener!

Regards,
Stu

Brr...Cold Weather Records From Around the USA

2011-07-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Well, as you probably know, there has been a massive heat wave going on for the last 2 days all along the whole eastern 2/3 of the United States. Wow - that is hot, hot, hot...click here for a view of this massive weather pattern from Weather.com

Now you probably think I'm going to write about the heat wave and all the temperature records that have fallen...nope. I want to go a different route and talk about cold temperatures and those records.

For example, click on this link to New York Annual Temperatures and Extremes - a chart from a site called CoolWeather.com

Click on this link for an article from the Long Island Press from late January of this year - specifically it is from January 22nd and talks about a very, very cold weather pattern heading our way...I'm just starting to feel a bit cooler...

Now, click on this link to find out how to great ice cubes for summer drinks in your refrigerator - article is from a site called 'The Kitchen'. Click on this link for an explanation of how to make clear ice cubes for your favorites drinks.

Okay...now I'm starting to feel a bit cooler.

Click here for a link to find out how to clean your air conditioner so that it operates efficiently and effectively - site is the DIY Network; a well-known site for do-it-yourself maintenance and repair tips. Cool stuff.

Got an air filter in your air conditioner? Click here to find out how to clean it easily and quickly.

Okay! Now I'm feeling a bit chilly as I'm writing this entry. All this talk of things cool is definitely cooling me down!

Click here for some amazing photos of icebergs - photos came from Google Images; a favorite website of mine to find photos and images...you should try it! It is easy and free! Why do I say amazing photos of icebergs? Because of their myriad colors that go from white to red to blue to magenta and more....you've got to check it out.

Finally, click on this link for another link to Google Images - only this time I did a search for 'snow covered houses'. The pictures are idyllic and harken back to a simple, winter/snow filled period. I bet that after you see these photos and pictures you won't be able to wait until the winter and Christmas comes around. Click here for the link.

So there you have it - a few links that might help to cool you down during this swelteringly hot weather.

Enjoy the cool links :)
Stu

Weather Changes and Forecasting

2011-07-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I seem to write a lot about the weather in this blog. I wonder if it is because weather plays such a large part in our lives that I write so much about it...hmmmm. I guess that is something to think about during a rainy day....

Anyway, the next few days are going to be very warm in this area of the country. Click here for a 5 day forecast for Long Island and, in particular, Farmingdale.

But the real reason I wanted to write todays' blog entry was to discuss (or at least mention) some of the traditional (and unofficial) methods that people forecast weather.

For example, click on this link for Traditional Weather Signs from a website called Gardening Matters. The author talks about various animals and how there various activities and behaviors indicate weather trends...interesting.

Another website that talks about this can be found here - the name of the site is Traditional Weather Lore Sayings of Britain. There is a whole section of weather lore and various animals - birds, pigs, cats and dogs and what there various behaviors mean with respect to the weather.

To see how far weather forecasting has come from its beginnings, click on this link from Wikipedia that discusses weather forecasting.

Finally, to learn a bit more about weather forecasting today, click on this link from the National Weather Service website - aka Weather.gov.

Notice the tabs at the top of the page...you can find links to Graphical Forecasts, National Maps, Radar, Water, Air Quality, Satellite, Climate and Warnings. Click on any of the links above to go to that part of the Weather.gov site.

So you see...weather is more than just the local weather guy on either CBS or NBC or ABC television.

Finally, this might be a popular blog entry - if so, I'll revisit the topic in the future with another related post - and possibly more detail with the NOAA.gov website...

Enjoy - and stay cool for the rest of the week.

Regards,
stu

Knapsacks, Bookbags and Pouches

2011-07-13T16:30:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

Now that summer is here I'd like to talk about something that lots of kids do: carrying knapscaks, bookbags and the like.

From CBS News.com comes this article about how 'Kids Book Bags Can Be Backbreaking'. Click here for the link and the full-text of the article that got me thinking about this problem - which made this entry possible. Also, click on this link for an article from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons entitled, 'Back To School Parents Earn an A+in Safety: Backpacks, Cheerleeding, and Football'. Essentially this article gives advice and statistics on how to limit the potential problems your child can have with backpacks for school and camp. Interesting stuff and it might just help you avoid a doctor appointment for you child.

Click here for an article from CNNHealth entitled, 'Avoid School Strain: Unstuff That Backpack'. This article discusses solutions that Pediatric Orthopaedic surgeons suggest for kids to do to limit possible back problems.

For example, the article discusses that parents should make sure that kids backpacks should fit - be the right size, have large straps, and to check for extra 'stuff' that kids pack in the backpack during the school year.

From Kidshealth.org comes this site - click here for the link that discusses backpack safety for children.

Finally, from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons comes this link that discusses backpack and bookbag safety from a doctors' perspective. The article discusses how to choose the correct backpack, how to prevent injuries and tips for parents.

Hope the links are useful and interesting.

Stu

D is For...

2011-07-11T08:18:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Another in a continuing set of blog entries that I started using the alphabet...previously I got up to C is For...we are now up to the letter D!

Dictionary - a great place to find out the meaning of a word!

Delta - airline website that lets you make airline reservations

Domino's - seriously, you can order pizza online - and you can track it also...

Disney - learn all about the Disney empire including cartoons, Disneyworld, Disney characters, parks, events and travel...

Dancing with the Stars - watch full episode of DWTS and learn more about the show and more...

Daily Show - full episodes and clips of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, get tickets, find guests and a forum to discuss the show

Dell - buy a computer from Dell.com or a laptop, or a tablet...for personal use, for small and medium size businesses and more

Derek Jeter - get the inside scoop on DJ - stats, inside info, learn about his Turn2 foundation and more

Directions - from mapquest.com

Download -find downloads of freeware, shareware, apps and game evaluations and more from this CNET affiliated website.

Dunkin Donuts - learn all about the donut chain - and find out about the donuts, shop online and find locations and more

Enjoy!

Stu

Summer Pool Safety

2011-07-06T15:56:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Welcome to the real summer season now! It is July and it is sunny, hot and hazy. Whew - give me a cold drink!

So now that it is summer lots of folks want to take a dip in a pool. Forthwith a list of sites that talk about pool safety for toddlers and children. It is a timely, interesting and hopefully, helpful post!

Click here for a link to Pool Safety from the government. The site is authoritative, current, unbiased and easy to navigate. There is a lot of information at hand, so take your time looking at the site. It won't go away so you can bookmark it and return again at a later date.

At the top of the page you'll see some really important links for readers. Take a look at the link for Parents and Families, News and Media Resources and Recalled Pool and Spa Products.

If you scroll a bit down on the homepage you'll find some links to Events, Tweets and Videos. Click on this link for interactive games for kids that talk about pool safety.

Click on this link for educational videos from PoolSafety.gov. Finally, click here for tools and resources on pool safety - this is almost like an index page - on topics as varied as fact sheets, brochures and tips cards, videos and more. Finally, on this same page you can browse for topics based on the audience who will be looking at the material. For example, you can search for material for parents and families, media and local officials.

Enjoy the summer -and, just as importantly - be safe in the pool and the water.

Regards,
Stu

A Healthy Summer is a Fun Summer

2011-06-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

With the summer season pretty much upon us, I wanted to do a blog entry on summer fun and summer health. Remember, a healthy summer is a fun summer - for both children and adults!

Click on this link to go to the Nassau County Environmental Health Department site. Here you'll find info on bathing beaches and swimming pools, beach closings/openings, lifeguard info, camp information, and drinking water quality information.

Click here for a full list of Health Department Programs and Telephone Numbers from the Nassau County Health Department.

Here is the Lead Poisoning link from the County Health Department.

Click on this link for the County Health Department link to Healthy Women Have Healthy Babies
Click here for a link to the New York Center for Sudden Infant Death.

And who can forget about our young adults and adolescents? Click here to learn about how to keep them happy and healthy (link is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Note the links toward the bottom of the page on topics as varied as asthma, nutrition, physical activity, obesity, tobacco use and more!

Click on this link for information on how to keep adults healthy. This link is also from the CDC, but in this case it is called Life Stages & Specific Populations. For example, there are links to pregnancy, children, infants and toddlers, adolescents and teens, family, parents, men, young adults and women...whew. Now that is a website.

The site is so comprehensive and thorough, it would take me many, many days to write about this site - it is definitely a good one for finding out about family health!

Finally, it behooves us all to keep our senior citizens healthy - click on this link (again from the CDC) to learn more about healthy aging. Topics here include: health info for older adults, data and stats, healthy brain initiative, resources-publications-press room, states, mental health and again and much more.

Hope this health information helps!
Stu

C is for...

2011-06-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Another in a continuing set of blog entries discussing various websites alphabetically. Today we are up to the letter 'C'. Without further ado...

C is for...

Craigslist - buy virtually anything online. Find jobs, housing, and other items for sale (antiques, books, furniture, clothes, electronics, auto parts and much, much more...)
-
CNN - breaking international, national and local news on topics as varied as politics, entertainment, technology, health, living, travel, opinion, money and more.

Citibank - major natioanl bank for mortgages, consumer banking, investments, loand and more

Chase - major national bank for mortgages, consumer banking, investments, loans and more

Continental Airlines - make reservations, find travel information, reserve a hotel or a car on site

Cartoon Network - games, video, fan talk and tv schedules for cartoons!

Calculator - all sorts of calculators online - for agriculture, finance, fractions, graphing, time, currency, mortgage and much more!

College Board - find colleges, learn about financial aid and use expert college planning tools. Great site for college-bound students.

Costco - large retail outlet; similar to SAM's Clubs - huge inventory and good for bulk items

Enjoy!
stu

Our Fish Tank

2011-06-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Welcome to Friday morning! Another summer weekend is coming up!!!

So, did you know that the library has a fish tank? A what you sat? Yes, a fish tank. As a matter of fact, we have a salt water fish tank.

Where is the fish tank you ask? If you want in to the library from the new side entrance just walk straight down the aisle and bam. You'll see the tank in all of its salt water glory.

Click here for a link from Aquatic Critter.com for a primer on saltwater aquariums. Click on this link from ehow.com for another viewpoint on how to maintain a saltwater aquarium.

Click on this link for a really clever site called 'RateMyFishTank.com' - it does exactly what it says. Users can rate other folks' fishtanks. Pretty funny, eh?

If you liked this entry and are just now thinking about setting up your own salt water fish tank, click on this link from About.com.

Saltwater fish tanks are known to require more maintenance than just a regular freshwater fish tank. Click here for the differences between the two and the similarities between the two.

Finally, click here for a link to Google Images - the phrase I typed in to generate these pictures was 'saltwater aquariums'.

Enjoy the fish!
stu

Newseum Washington D.C.'s Most Interactive Museum

2011-06-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Just a quickie post today - really. You'll love this. If you like news, you'll love this site!!!

Who: Newseum - click link to visit site.
What: Great way to view the front pages of newspapers from 89 countries
When: On the web - 24x7x365. Link is Newseum.org and updated daily.
Where: On the web - link above.
Why: Because information is power. You can view archived pages also - click here for that option.
How: It is free - on the internet and a great way to get free news!

Click here for a link to Today's Top Ten Front Pages from Newseum.

Enjoy.
Stu

Things You Didn't Know

2011-06-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Just did a super quick, down and dirty search for the phrase 'things you didn't know'.

And wouldn't you know it...I found a mess load of interesting, useful, and very accessible links to share with you.

For example, if you click on this link from Discover Magazine you'll find a list of 'Things You Didn't Know (TYDK) on topics as varied as dogs, water, viruses, nanotechnology, light, mosquitos, penciles, and much more. Neat stuff.

Click on this link from Time Magazine entitled, 'Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About Money'. This article is definitely worth its weight in gold! :)

From a website called Robinsweb, comes this entry entitled, 'Strange Things You Likely Didn't Know'. Interesting little tidbits that's for sure - think of them as 'knowledge nuggets'.

From Cracked.com comes this article entitled, '6 Important Things You Didn't Know We're Running Out Of'. Did you know that we are running out of chocolate? Uh oh...better run to the store and pick up a bar of Hershey's dark chocolate! Yum. Click on this link to see what else we are running out of!!!

And finally, click on this link - from Merriam-Webster - for 'Words For Things You Didn't Know Have Names'. It comes from Merriam-Webster a noted dictionary publisher so the information is reliable and current and unbiased - good stuff!

Okay, I promise, this will be the last link and comment in todays' blog entry. Click on this link to find books that the Farmingdale Public Library owns on the topic of 'curiosities and wonders'. The link comes from the library card catalog and I sorted it chronologically so the most current books appear at the top of the list. Older titles appear toward the bottom of the list!

Enjoy the links and the books - and think of the things you'll learn from todays' entry!

Good stuff!
Stu

Hiring a Contractor

2011-06-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Just wanted to send out a quickie entry this Friday morning. What's the topic you ask? Contractors. And how to hire them before they come in to your house and possibly cause mayhem and problems and angst...

Click on this link from 'The Old House' to get a general idea for what to look for when you hire a contractor. You might remember the television show 'This Old House' - this is an entry from the same source - enjoy!

From the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries comes this pdf document entitled, 'Hiring a Contractor or Remodeler: What You Should Know'

Finally, Consumer Reports - yes, the magazine that we have at the reference desk - has this entry for homeowners to figure out how to hire a contractor. Click here for the link.

Other local resources that you might want to consult include the New York local Better Business Bureau - click here for the link - and the Nassau County Department of Consumer Affairs - click here for the link to that organization.

I hope you don't need these resources when undertaking a home remodeling-construction-repair project...but if you do... these resources might help!

Enjoy and have a great weekend!
Stu

Everything Milk Entry

2011-06-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I was looking at the list of blog entries that I've written over the past few months and one in particular struck my fancy. The entry called, 'Everything Chocolate' must have struck a cord with readers also. (Click here for the entry btw.) It was a heavily read post...and then I got thinking about the idea for another blog entry.

My thought process went something like this, 'Hmmmm, many people like chocolate, okay, almost everybody likes chocolate...what is another product that many people like to either eat or drink or consume? Beer -well, yes, but I just didn't want to write a blog entry about beer for the library. What about meat? A possibility. What about cookies? Yes - that works but it is too much like chocolate. So I continued thinking....hmmm. Cookies -what goes well with cookies? Bingo - milk. And so a blog entry topic was borne.

Well, I had no idea that there was such controversy reagrding milk. I am completely floored. Click here for a brief summary of the debate. And while this is interesting I really just wanted to discuss the various health aspects of traditional milk that is bought in stores and supermarkets - not raw milk.

Click here for the link from Wikipedia about Milk. Yum. The entry is comprehensive and discusses, among other things, the history of milk, modern production methods, nutritional aspects of milk, the controversial aspects of milk and varieties/brands of milk. Click subject and you'll go to that part of the wikipedia entry about milk. Yum, yum - where are the cookies?

From the Dairy Council of California comes this link that discusses the various types of milk. Interesting and educational! Click here for a link to the National Milk Producers Association - the milk trade group for the United States. You'll find information about milk pricing, a section on milk related issues, and current milk related news. Interesting stuff!

Admit it - you love those 'Got Milk' advertisments and commercials. Click here for the link to the site - and boy, it is one cute (and well designed site - very visual and very appealing). On the site you'll be able to find info about the many health aspects of milk. Along the way you'll get to play lots of games to help learn...

Also, click on this link to find out about simulated milk. This will probably be familiar to most mothers since I'm talking about formula for children.

Click here for a link to the Similac website.
Click here for the Enfamil website.

Click on this link to find out about lactose intolerance - a not-so-funny condition which can result in stomach aches or worse after drinking milk

Click on this link from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) which discusses the uses of cows, milk and other aspects of using cows for food and the veal industry.

Click on this link to learn how to milk a cow - link is from Ehow.com and is pretty interesting.

And finally, to end this blog entry, click here for some pictures of cows - they are pretty animals and they certainly provide a fantastic product!

One last link - click on this to see a very funny cartoon dealing with cows!

Enjoy the links and remember to enjoy your milk! Now, who thinks that my next blog entry should have something to do with cookies? Send your email and comments to fdaleref@nassaulibrary.org if you want to see a cookie blog entry similar in format to this entry!

Regards,

Stu