Opening Day: The 2014 Baseball Season Opens Today

Hi All,

The 2014 Baseball Season opens today!  Why Time Begins on Opening Day is a book by Thomas Boswell that pay homage to the great American game - baseball.  Click on this link from Amazon.com to take a look at the book.

Take a look at this link and you'll find an article similar in content to that of Thomas Boswell's book, Why Time Begins on Opening Day...In this case, we're talking about an online article written by someone from SportsOnEarth.com.  It gives a brief (paragraph length) summary of all the Major League Baseball teams.  Interesting article...with some really neat photos.

The 'official' Major League Baseball site - click here to visit - is an awesome place to get statistics, up-to-the-minute news, score, photos, videos and much, much more about every single Major League Baseball player and team!!!

The Sporting News has traditionally been the 'newspaper' of choice that covers the four major sports - baseball, football, hockey and basketball.  Since the appearance of the internet, the importance of this venerable publication (it used to be published weekly...) has decreased. That said, it still has a major presence on the web - as you can see from this link to The Sporting News.  The link goes to the MLB section of the site - which has a massive amount of information.

For example, there are portions of the site that cover MLB News, Fantasy Baseball, Spring Training, Scores, Schedules, Standings, Statistics, Teams, Players, Injuries, Tickets and MLB Shop. Whew....that's a long, long list!

Other sites that are celebrating MLB's Opening Day include ESPN and CBS Sports. Note that these other sites also have sections related to statistics, players, standings, news, schedules and much more.

For the hardcore baseball fan who loves statistics, you might want to visit Baseball-Reference.com.  It is another awesome site for player and team statistics! 

Click on these three links for some random blogs of note - and of interest.
BaseballBlogs.org
BaseballMusings.com
Beyond the Box Score - A Saber-Slanted Baseball Community
Society for American Baseball Research - SABR

This is a virtual plethora of baseball information and news!  Enjoy the sites.

Finally, click the following links - they are all about 'celebrating' MLB's Opening Day in 2014.

'C-span Celebrates Opening Day with a Compilation of Congressional Baseball Mentions'.  Very cute.

New York Times: For Opening Day, a Campaign to Love Baseball

Should Opening Day Be a National Holiday?

Finally (part 2) click on this link for 'the best Android Apps for the 2014 Baseball Season..'

Enjoy the links, the games, and the season!

Regards,
Stu

The Happy Birthday Post

Hi All,

Here's something that we all have: a birthday.  Whether or not you celebrate it or just want to bury the date under a rug and forget about it, the day is there. Its the day you were born.

Click on this link for 'Famous Birthdays on This Day in History' from Historyorb.com.  Things to note about this very, very long list:

1. The list is international and, as a result, you might not be familiar with some (most) of the names.  From the list on March 28th, I recognized the following: Lady Gaga, Edwar Ramirez, Julia Stiles, Vince Vaughn, Ken Howard, Zbigniew Brzezinski and Maxim Gorky.

2. The list goes all the way back in history to 37AD...

3.  Users can visit Historyorb.com and use the search box on the main page (at the right side of the page) to search by Day, Month, Year, Type, and Keywords.  Users will be find results for historical events that occurred on the date chosen.

4.  Also on Historyorb.com are links to Today in History, Historical Events, Famous Birthdays, Deaths, Famous People, Dates, Weddings/Divorces on This Day and Deaths.


Kind of cool, eh?
Stu

Astronomy Picture of the Day and NASA website

Hi All,

Just a quickie post today.  Click on this link for NASA's (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Picture of the Day. 

Here is a summary of NASA's picture of the day: "Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer." Now that's a quick and accurate summary of the website!

Note that there are links below the picture.  The webpage is very heavily hyperlinked.  For example, you can click on Subaru Telescope, locked in a cosmic dance, Hubble Legacy Archive,  loops and tails, interacting galaxies back up to quintet status and constellation Pegasus.  Clicking on these links will get you ever deeper into the various (and myriad) sub sites of the NASA website.  Very cool  stuff - fore example, I clicked on the 'interacting galaxies back up to quintet status link' and I got more links from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory!  On this page you can find Chandra Observatory images by date - which goes all the way back to 1999!

Those of you who like 'all things NASA would do well to visit the Multimedia link on the NASA homepage. It is very, very interactive and has links for the Public, for Educators/Teachers, and For Students.  The shear number of  videos, images, NASA TV Live, Interactive Features, Podcasts and 3D Resources on the Multimedia page is awesome!

So sit back and gear your tablet, laptop or desktop computer up for a long, long adventure when you visit the NASA website!  

Enjoy the links and the website!

Regards, 
Stu

Recalls.gov

Hi All,

I heard about Recalls.gov from the radio this weekend. I was washing some dishes and listening to the radio and I heard and advertisement about the site.  Wow - I was so impressed I actually jotted down the name and decided to write a blog entry about the sit.  And here we are!

So...what is Recalls.gov? Great question....direct from the website is this summary:

"To provide better service in alerting the American people to unsafe, hazardous or defective products, six federal agencies with vastly different jurisdictions have joined together to create www.recalls.gov -- a "one stop shop" for U.S. Government recalls.  Follow the tabs above to obtain the latest recall information, to report a dangerous product, or to learn important safety tips."

So there you are.  A one stop for U.S. government recall information.

There are tabs for Consumer Products, Motor Vehicles, Boats, Food, Medicine, Cosmetics and Environmental Products. Click each of the prior topics to go to that particular site.

There are also tabs for Recent Recalls, a place where users can Search For Recalls, and another place where visitors can Sign Up For E-mail. 

Widgets for smartphones and tablets are available for each of the tabs mentioned before (Consumer Products, Motor Vehicles, Boats, Food, Medicine, Cosmetics and Environmental Products)....

Information for the site was gathered from various government entitiees like the USDA, FDA,  CDC, US Department of Health and Human Services, EPA, US Consumer Product Safety Commission. 

Enjoy the site - I think it will be very helpful when you need to find out about a product recall.

Regards,
Stu

Tax Time (April 15th) is Approaching Fast!!!

Hi All,

It is a rite of spring as old as Spring Training, College Basketball's 'March Madness' or the thawing of snow.  I'm talking about....taxes.  A yearly event for those who have income - it is a complicated and arduous process to complete.  And there is always the money that you might have to pay at the end of the day - yes....taxes.

This blog entry will help you find ways to complete both your federal and state tax return. Note...I am not giving individual tax advice!!!

The IRS has created a very, very user friendly website at...you guessed it: IRS.gov.  Click the prior link or this link to go to the site.  Users have a number of different ways to access IRS tax forms.  Click on this link to access current year IRS Forms and Publications.  Click on this link for prior year IRS Forms and Publications. 

From both of the links above, you will be able to find form and publications for any IRS form you can think of - including: form 1040, schedule A, schedule B, schedule D and more....

Since Farmingdale is located in New York State, I am going to make the presumption that most of our blog readers are from....New York State.

Click on this link to visit the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. This link will get patrons access to the portion of the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance website that has forms and publications. 

Users can get current year tax forms by form number by clicking on this link.
Users can get current year tax forms by tax type.

Users can get prior year tax forms by clicking on this link.  Note that the tax forms are available all the way back to 1985!  Users can get prior year tax forms by tax type by clicking on this link. 

So there you are ...a plethora and lots of links for users to get federal and state tax forms, tax instructions, and publications.

Note also that we have the 2014 edition of J.K. Lasser's 'Your Income Tax' at the library. We have one copy in Reference (which means the material does not circulate - but can be used in the library) and multiple copies (all available as I write this on March 18th at about 3:30pm) available to be taken out by patrons (aka the material is on the shelf waiting to be taken out!). 

Hope the links help - even more...I hope you get a refund on both the federal and state tax returns that you file!

Regards,
Stu

Pay Less For Your Prescriptions

Hi All,

Who wouldn't want to pay less for their prescriptions?  Indeed, readers who want to save up to 75% and, on average, save $20 per drug prescription should visit Familywize.org. 

Click on the prior link or this link to visit the site.

Things to note about Familywize.org:

1. The service is available at over 60,000 pharmacies - nationwide.
2. No activation is required.
3. Can be used for all your prescription needs.
4. Call 866-810-3784 for more information.
5. If you have any questions, ask your pharmacist at your local drugstore.
6. The Familywize.org prescription plan can be used at Kmart, Walgreens, RiteAid, CVS and Walmart 

Enjoy the link - and I hope you save on your prescriptions!

Regards,
Stu

Happy Pi Day!

Hi All,

Happy Pi Day!  No, I'm not talking about Boston Creme Pie or Apple Pie...I'm talking about Pi - as in 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582094...

Click on this link from Cnet that started me on this whole Pi Day entry!

Click here for a link that will give you the first 100,000 digits of Pi.
Click here for a link that will give you the first million digits of Pi. 

Click on this link from Wikipedia about Pi - you'll learn about the history of pi and how Pi Day is observed around the world.  

Exploratorium has an extensive and comprehensive website regarding Pi Day. Included on the page are Photos of Pi Day Events, Schedule of Events, Activities and Links, Pi in Second Life and a Brief History of Pi.  Click on any of the above links to go that part of Exploratorium related to Pi.

There are dozens and dozens of website that discuss and mention either Pi or Pi Day...click on this link for just one of the many that are accessible on the web - and which are fun to peruse and read...

And finally, click on this link for Apple Pie recipes from AllRecipes.com.

Enjoy the links!

Regards,
Stu

Taking Great Pictures of Your Kids

Hi All,

So if you have kids, one of the things you'll want to do is take memorable pictures of them.  By doing this, you'll be able to look back at all the great times that you've spent with your little ones when they are, well, 'big ones'. 

This blog entry will discuss 3 websites that will help you learn to take better pictures of your kids.   I'll also link to the Farmingdale Public Library card catalog so you can find some excellent photography books to help you take even better pictures of your kids - from reading.

Brought to you by Lexar.com comes this site - entitled '10 Ways to Take Better Photos of Your Child'.  Neat stuff - I actually knew about numbers 1, 3 and 4 in the list...(Get Low, Let Them Be Themselves, Show them he Pictures on the Camera).  Had no idea about 7 and 9 (Get Close and Watching the Background).  Go figure...I bet I'll take better pictures already this weekend.

From a website called Digital Photography School comes this entry, entitled, 'How to Get the Best Shots of Your Kids'.  Some of DPS's ideas include 'Immerse yourself in their world and let your camera see what they see',  and 'Use reflections to captures yourself with kids and catch their expressions when they don't realize the camera is trained on them'.   Good stuff - and it is a doable skill for parents who want to take pictures of their kids.

Finally, the third site in today's coverage is an article from Pop Photo.com entitled, 'Tips From a Pro: How to Take Better Photos of Your Kids'.  This article covers concepts like framing the child and using the light to your advantage when you take pictures of the little ones.  The entry also discusses the use of vantage points when the children are playing sports like soccer, baseball and football. 

There are many, many other photography and photography related websites on the web.  Some are good - some are not so good.  Caveat emptor and readers of this blog should know by now that I'm a proponent of being skeptical when viewing and evaluating websites...doing a Google search for 'How to take great photograph's of children' resulted in many, many results.  Click on this link to see the massive results of the search. 

Now, that all said, sometimes it is useful to use a book so you can read and look at pictures that explain a certain technique....click here for a link to the Farmingdale Public Library card catalog for a search query of 'children's photography'. 

Enjoy the results and the great pictures you are about to take of your children.  

Regards,
Stu

Overcoming Laziness

Hi All,

Hey you...yeah...you. Reading this blog entry. 

Are you lazy?  Who? Me? You ask?  And my answer is yes, you...

Okay...enough with the fun stuff.  On to the blog entry of the day.

So...being lazy can have a decidedly negative affect on your work and employment future.  Yes, its true - click on this link from CareerPath 360 for an article entitled 'How Being Lazy at Work Affects Your Career'.  The early bird really does get the worm. And the parking spot, and the best time for a business presentation. And many other perks for those who are 'johnny on the spots'. 

So, how can one start to become 'less lazy?'  Click on this link from the Iron Shrink and you'll find a blog entry from this Licensed Psychologist from Denver Colorado.  A few highlights include: spending less time on the video games, eating donuts (read: food)....in general having enough 'internal discipline' to stop doing these activities that take up so much of your time.  Well...that is all well and good - but a reader wrote to the Iron Shrink and said,

“Your examples were about creating the discipline to stop playing video games, drinking, and eating donuts. I find changing my habits to start doing something – for example, making sure to eat breakfast every day – difficult to stick with. There isn’t a point of tension to study and step away from if the status quo is sweet, sweet laziness.”

Ultimately the Iron Shrink suggest that when readers are trying to change a habit to start doing something (anything: from a project at work, to starting an exercise program and more...) readers should start out small and think in terms of small chunks.  Click here for more information on this topic. 

For those of us who like 'step-by-step' instructions, click on this next link - from WikiHow - Click on this next message for a webpage entitled, 'How to Overcome Laziness: 26 Steps (With Pictures). 

Finally, readers might like to get a more professional answer for 'How to Overcome Laziness' by visiting this link from Psychology Today.

So there you have it...3 links to pages that will help you get things done!  And help you become less lazy and more proactive.

Enjoy the links and the sites.

Regards,
Stu

AARP Scam Fighter Map

Hi All,

Some readers might be familiar with the senior group 'AARP'.   Others might not be familiar with the organization.  Well, AARP is an acronym which stands for 'American Association of Retired Persons and it is one of the premier senior citizen advocacy groups in the United States.

Scams against seniors are prevalent.  Very prevalent.  And, with scams against seniors from scam artists using tools like telephones, cellphones, credit cards, internet fraud/scams, banking scams and more, senior citizens (okay....actually folks of any age, gender, race or religion) need to be aware of various scams that are currently be used by scam artists.  

With that said, readers of all ages, religion, gender might want to visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network website by clicking on this link.

Basically the AARP's Fraud Watch Network links users with experts, law enforcement and people like you who are on the lookout for scams. Users can check out the latest alerts from state Attorneys General and other local officials, read what people are reporting in your state and you can let AARP know about any suspicious emails, phone calls or other scams you’ve seen in your area.   AARP will then add your experience to the map so others know what to watch out for!

How is that for interactive, timely and helpful.

Users can sign up for the Fraud Watch Network alert to stay up-to-date on con artists' latest tricks by clicking on this link!  

Enjoy the site and the link.  Hope it helps you protect yourself against con artists!

Regards,
Stu