A Canticle For Liebowitz - Book Discussion Group

Hi All,

On January 29th, 2015 at 7pm the Farmingdale Public Library will be hosting a book discussion group on the book 'A Canticle For Leibowitz' by Walter M. Miller, Jr..

The Wikipedia entry for A Canticle For Leibowitz says that 'it is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by American writer Walter M. Miller, Jr., first published in 1960. Set in a Catholic monastery in the desert of the Southwestern United States after a devastating nuclear war, the story spans thousands of years as civilization rebuilds itself'.

The book won the 1961 Hugo Award and is considered by many to be one of the best science-fiction novels ever written. Heady stuff for a book steeped on religion, history and science-fiction.

Click on this next link for one of the many reviews of Canticle on the internet. This next link is a full-text, online version of the book - in pdf format.

Click on this link for a audio version of Canticle which was adapted for radio by John reed in the 1980's or so.

For a review from SFReviews.com click here - its about a 2 page review of the book and written back in 2005.  Interesting, quick, concise and fun to compare to reviews listed below. 

For a high-school level evaluation/criticism of Canticle, click on this link from Shmoop - seriously. Its like Cliffs Notes for literature - except the material is on the web.

Another link for literary criticism of the book can be found at this site - from Georgia State University Department of English.   Link goes to a document called, 'Walter M. Miller, Jr's A Canticle for Leibowitz: A Study of Apocalyptic Cycles, Religion and Science, Religious Ethics and Secular Ethics, Sin and Redemption, and Myth and Preternatural Innocence'.

Finally, for a chapter-by-chapter study guide to Canticle, readers should click on this link - still one of the best free summaries and discussions of the novel available.  Quite thought provoking - and written by a college professor at Washington State University.

For a more formal set of questions about the book, click on this link - its a lot like a study-guide in the guise of a set of questions.

Enjoy the book and be prepared for a thought provoking, elegiac, critique on humanity, religion and the future!

(And since this will be the last post of 2014 - Happy New Year!)

Regards,
Stu

2014 Lists of Lists

Hi All,

With two full days left in 2014 the countdown begins!  Today's blog entry concerns lists - specifically lists of the best and worst of 2014!  Fun stuff to be sure - and it was even more fun to create this post!

Best Movies of 2014  - The Top Tens
Best Books of 2014 - Huffington Post
Best Laptop Computers of 2014
Best Cars - KBB.com (lots of Top 10 Auto Lists here)
Best Smartphones of 2014
Best Albums of 2014
Best Apps of 2014 - Android and Apple
Best Antivirus Software of 2014
Best Government Agencies to Work for of 2014
Best News Websites of 2014
Best News Bloopers of 2014
Best Cartoons of 2014 - image results
Top 15 Authors to Watch in 2014
100 Best Websites for Writers in 2014

Enjoy the links!

Regards,
Stu

New Year's Eve 2015

Hi All,

The end of the year is coming!  And that means New Year's Eve celebrations are everywhere - so start celebrating!  This blog post will be a veritable, 'all things New Years' Eve' post...

Hosting a New Years' Eve party is a time-honored way to celebrate the new year...click on these three links to learn more on how to host that party!  And have fun - and stay sane - doing it.

Ehow has an interesting article titled 'Hosting a New Years Eve Party.'  AOL - yes, AOL - has an article called, 'Host Handbook: New Year's Eve Party'.

Well, very few New Year's Eve parties have no Champagne....yum.  Click on these few links to learn a bit about picking the right Champagne for NYE (New Year's Eve).

IntoWine is a fun website that discusses wine and accompanying drinks...the linked article talks about New Year's Eve Champagne Recommendations and Ideas.  Click on this link for some videos on how to choose sparkling wines....

Click on this link to learn even more about how to choose the best Champagne for your NYE party.

Readers can click on this link to learn about how to pair food with various types of Champagne - link from Food and Wine.com.  And readers can click on this link - from Delish - to learn about Champagne cocktails.

If you aren't having a party at your house, click on these links to find out where the great NYE parties are on Long Island. About.com has an article titled, 'New Year's Eve on Long Island'.  Short, sweet and to the point!  Go About.com/Travel!  Not to be outdone, Newsday has an entry as well for things to do on Long Island on NYE.  Click this link to read the article.

Finally, the Long Island Press has an entry as well - click here for the article 'Long Island New Year's Eve 2014'.

Okay...one last link...click here to go to Balldrop - which celebrates New Years Eve 2015 in New York/Times Square!  

Enjoy the links - and here's to a happy and healthy new year!  Happy 2015!

Regards,
Stu

Returning the Swag From the Holidays

Hi All,

Now that both Christmas and Hanukah are over the returns start!  Trudging back to the store - assuming you have gift receipt that is - and then making your way to the Customer Service desk is what the day after Christmas is known for nowadays. 

As such, here are a few sites that will help you make the trip back to the Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, Macy's, Kohls or wherever, easier, faster and less painful.

This first list is from Consumer Reports and is titled '5 Simple Rules for Happy Holiday Gift Returns'.  Basically the article explains how to return gifts - and get money back from the returns.

Time Magazine and Money Magazine have come up with this article - and posted on 12/25/14 - titled, 'Hate Your Gifts? Tips For Returns, Exchanges, and Regifting'.  The section on regifting is extremely helpful and insightful.  Read on!

Not to be outdone, USAToday posted an article on 12/25/14 as well titled, 'How To Easily Return Presents'.  Short, concise and nicely written, the article is chock full of advice like, 'unwrap carefully', 'give the gift of receipts', and 'know your online store policies'.

This next article comes from NBC News and is titled, 'Many Unhappy Returns - Retailers Combat Wardrobing' - which is the practice of returning fraudulent merchandise after the holiday season.  

So there you have it - a few good, quality, timely links that will help you return the holiday gifts that are the wrong size, or wrong color, or just not what you wanted! 

Enjoy - and hopefully you won't be spending too much time on the return line in the stores.

Regards,
Stu

Good News!

Hi All,

Just wanted to write a feel-good post today - especially because Christmas is coming and the New Year is just around the corner!

Have you ever heard of a website called HappyNews.com?  Well, it definitely qualifies as a news site - the only difference is the slant on the news that they post/publish/report. 

Happy News' byline is 'Real News. Compelling Stories. Always Positive'.  Indeed it is. 

The site has News links, Video links, Product links (links to products that are well, Happy related) and Happy Living (issues related to, well, Happy Living) links at the top of the page - toward the right side.  There is also a search box on the right so readers can search Happy News.

Readers can also search various categories of news on HappyNews.com - just a like a regular website.  Categories include International, National, Business/Money, Health, Science & Technology, Arts & Entertainment, Sports, Heroes, Opinion & Editorials, and Environment.

Examples of articles taken from the Health section on the day that I wrote this blog entry (December 23rd, 2014) include:
The Best Way to Fight Germs on Airplanes
Centenarians Share Their Secrets to Long Life
Revolutionary Laser Treatment Could Kill Off Breast Cancer in 15 Minutes
Doctors Announce Historic Breakthrough on Cure For Skin Cancer
A Homegrown Fix for 'Food Deserts'
Study Revelas How to Win Belly-Fat War
10 Things You Can Do To Burn More Calories...

And More...

Note that there are advertisements on the website - they are easily seen since they are at the top of each article.  They aren't too intrusive - but they are somewhat annoying. 

One other caveat about the site...some of the articles have been 'aged' as they say.  That is, don't expect current events - as in yesterdays' news.  Some of the articles can be as old as 6 months or more.  FWIW...take the site with a small grain of salt - it is a take on the news, which, as we know, isn't always (unfortunately) happy....

That said, the site is a 'happy' take on news - which is definitely a different take on the news!!!

Enjoy the site.

Regards,
Stu

Hi All,

It is December 22nd!  And that means you have just about 48 hours before Christmas Eve becomes Christmas Day.  And if you still have people to buy gifts for...well it means you need to get a move on and start shopping, shopping, shopping!

Forthwith, some websites that will help you generate some ideas for those folks who are on your shopping list and who are hard to buy presents for...

Two things though: drive safely and remember...there are always gift cards to buy (they make great gifts as well!) (Here are a few gift card links: GiftCards.com, GiftCardMall.com, GiftCards.com, GiftCardGranny.com)

Last Minute Gift Ideas 
Free Shipping Day
My Fox LA - Last Minute Holiday Shopping: Deals & Extended Hours For Procrastinators
Christmas Gift Ideas For Those Who Are Hard to Shop For
Christmas Gifts
Holiday Shopping Ideas - The Big Picture


Enjoy the links and hope you find the perfect gift for folks on your list who are hard to find gifts for!

Regards,
Stu

End of the Year Lists - Part I

Hi All,

So we have 12 days left until the new year comes around.  2015 here we come!  With that in mind, lots of news sources and outlets come out with various 2014 lists.  Here are some of the highlights (and hopefully the best - or at least the most interesting) of these lists. 

And please note, there just might be a second part to this entry since there are so many interesting lists available on the web. Stay tuned for the next episode!!!

Science Announces 2014's Top 10 Breakthroughs
PC Mag - 10 Best Desktops
PC Mag - 10 Best Laptops
TechRadar - 10 Best Tablet PCs in the World Today
Car and Driver - Editors' Choice Awards 2014 - Best Cars, Trucks, Crossovers and More.
Gayot - Top 10 Fall Beers
Wine Spectator - Top 10 Wines Revealed
National Geographic - Best Winter Trips 2014
Vogue - Top Ten TV Shows of 2014
IMDB - Highest Rated TV Series Released in 2014
Mother Jones - Best Books of 2014 (Fiction and Non-fiction)
Washington Post - 10 Best Books of 2014
Yahoo! News - Yahoo's Top 10 News Searches of 2014
Washington Times - Celebrity Deaths in 2014
Bing Link to People, Moments, and Events That Shaped 2014.
CNN - What You Really Googled in 2014

Enjoy the links - and stay tuned for part two of this list in the coming days!

Regards,
Stu

What the Sony Corp Hack Means to You?

Hi All,

You might have heard the the Sony Corporation's computers were hacked before November 24th...click here for a brief overview of the event.

Eventually, U.S. officials figured out that North Korea was behind the Sony hack....click here for more information about that part of this event. 

The New York Times also wrote an article about North Korea and how they were behind the Sony computer hack...

Now, besides for reading all the gory, scandalous, behind-the-scenes stories of the hack and the various executives' emails that were strewn across the internet  (for example, Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Amy Pascal), there are a bunch of lessons for computer users - both as employees and as regular folk who use computers on a daily basis...

For example,  an article titled, '4 Things Every Single Person Can Learn From the Sony Hack'. Simply put, don't email your passwords, don't open suspicious links in your email, don't email your passwords,, and encrypt your most sensitive data....

Here are some other excellent links to help you protect your privacy, data, email and search history while you use the internet.

Privacy Rights.org - Online Privacy: Using the Internet Safely
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse: Children's Online Privacy - A Resource Guide For Parents
PC Magazine - Computer Security Reviews and Prices
Stay Safe Online.org -  Tips and Advice - Stop-Think-Connect on the Web
Palo Alto Medical Foundation - Safety on the Internet
WikiHow - How to Be Safe on the Internet
Hubbard Township - Stay Safe Online

Enjoy your time on the web!

Regards,
Stu

The Global Economy

Hi All,

The title of this post should almost certainly get your attention.  I'm not going to sit on a soapbox and preach about various economic issues...that's not my place.  As a librarian, I like to present the patron - or the blog reader in this case - with the information and let the patron/reader come to his or her own conclusion.  Fair enough - I hope. 

A few weeks ago I found this article from Vox.com - a website that covers major news events. The site covers politics, public policy, world affairs, pop culture, science and more in a modern, easy-to-read manner. The site is unbiased, timely and fun to read...

That said the article I wanted to show today is called, '38 Maps That Explain the Global Economy'.  I like maps 1 (World GDP per capita), 2 (Economic center of gravy map), 5 (Korea at Night), 11 (World's Busiest Container-Shipping Seaports in 2012), 13 (World Shipping routes), 21 (Oil import/export map), 27(Megacities),  and 34 (GDP/Population)...

Awesome use of statistics, maps, graphs and charts!!!!

Enjoy. 
Stu

Holiday Stress Management Relief

Hi All,

Do the holidays have you running everywhere after work and preparing for holiday meals late at night? Are you wrapping gifts for family and friends at 1am or buying presents on Amazon.com during work hours?  Well, you are not alone.  Lots of people are doing it evidently - just check out this article from Yahoo! Finance (title of article is 'Is Holiday Shopping Online OK At Work/ Survey Shows Are 'Buying It').

Okay...so the holidays can be a stressful time...and this entry is going to try to help you over the hump and get you to have a less stressful time - at least until January 2nd...

From the Mayo Clinic comes this article titled, 'Stress, Depression and the Holidays'. WebMD's holiday stress tips include this link, 'Tips for Reducing Holiday Stress'. Not to be outdone, the Cleveland Clinic also has an entry titled 'Managing Holiday Stress'.  A site called MedicineNet.com (self styled as being a site that 'Brings Doctors' Knowledge to You') has an article called 'Holiday Depression, Anxiety, and Stress'.  This is an extended article of 6 pages and can be found by clicking on this link.

And, finally, click on this link for an article from Time Magazine Online from October 2012 - titled '6 Breathing Exercises to Relax in 10 Minutes or Less'.

So...definitely buy those gifts, wraps those presents and have fun during the holidays - and if you need a place to figure out how to de-stress...click on any of the above links...

Regards,
Stu

School Speed Zone Cameras

Hi All,


And now for some interesting news about school speed zone cameras...they are being repealed in both Nassau and Suffolk counties.  Click on this link from Newsday for the complete article - entitled, 'Nassau, Suffolk, Move To Kill School Speed Camera Programs'  Article is from 12/8/14.

For an article on how much money the Nassau Speed Cameras generated - get ready, its a LOT of money - click on this link.  The article title is 'Nassau Speed Cameras Generate 400,000 Tickets, Report Says'. Again the article came from Newsday.com - this time from 12/11/14.

And, for what its worth, click on this link to find Speed Camera Location in Nassau County.

Click on this interesting article from Newsday; called 'Accident Data Doesn't Support School zone Speed Camera Locations, Newsday Analysis'.

Finally, click on this article from ABC7 News called, 'Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano Changing Speed Camera Operation Times'.  Enjoy the links and the information.

Regards,
Stu

Hi All,

The library is hosting a program on Monday, December 15th from 7pm-8pm on 'Healthy Holiday Eating'.  The formal blurb from the newsletter is "Join Ashley Olivieri, Nutrition Coordinator at Syosset Hospital, Registered Dietitian, and Certified Diabetes Educator for his lecture about transforming favorite holiday recipes into healthier ones by using some simple tips. A food demonstration will be done to show how easy it is to make healthy, tasty holiday treats. Preference given to UFSD #22 residents."

And that is all very, very well and good...but here are a few online resources to help you eat better and healthier during this upcoming holiday season. 

From the American Heart Association comes this entry called 'Holiday Health Eating Guide'.  Note that this is a pdf document from Adobe Acrobat and opens automatically.   And from Real Simple (Life Made Simple) comes this article titled '9 Healthy Holiday Eating Strategies'.  From a site called Sutter Health comes this article called 'Tips For Healthy Holiday Eating'.

Finally, for those of you who like to go to holiday parties, you might want to visit Eatright.org's website.  They have an article called 'Helpful Tips For Healthy Holiday Parties'.

Happy holidays and happy eating...and here's to eating healthy!

Regards,
Stu

500 Posts

Hi All,

Welcome to our 500th post.  That's a lot of posts, blog entries and topics that I've written about.  So...what will be the topic of our 500th post you ask?

The number '500'.  It resonates a lot of significance historically and religiously.  Click on this link for a few examples of '500' on Wikipedia.

Click on this link from 500px - the Premier Photography Community...

Click on this link from CNNMoney for a list of companies in the S&P 500.  And another entry relating to business...from VentureBeat comes this article titled, 'Meet 500 Startups' New Batch of Startups' - from 2012 though.

Click on this link for an article entitled 'One Hundred Years of the Indy 500' from the Smithsonian Magazine.  Evidently there was a song by Peter, Paul & Mary titled, 500 Miles.  Here are the lyrics from LyricsFreak.com

And...American Airlines gives you 500 Mile Upgrades evidently.  And from Amazon.com, click on this link for a bunch of titles (sorted by relevance) with the number '500' as the topic searched.

Click on this link from Chrome Experiments.com - a list of 500 Chrome Experiments...Very techy, very interesting - and fun.

So there ya have it...our 500th post.

Here's to another 500 posts!

Regards,
Stu

Hi All,

Guess what today is? It is CyberMonday.  What the heck is that you ask? Great question, and here is the answer...

From Wikipedia.com - Cyber Monday is a marketing term for the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday in the US.  It was created by marketing companies to persuade people to shop online.  The term made its debut on 11/28/2005 in a Shop.org press release titled, 'Cyber Monday Quickly Becoming One of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year'. 

So...go out - okay, get on your computer - and shop, shop, shop....

Click here for a few interesting (and probably useful) links about Cyber Monday.

1.  Click on this link for an article titled, 'Cyber Monday Gears Up to Get Online Shoppers Hyped'.
2. We've got 'em: The Best Cyber Monday Deals - USA Today.
3. Cyber Monday Cheat Sheet: What's On Deck For Online Shoppers.
4.  Cyber Monday 2014 Deals: 235 Sales and Counting!
5.  Best Cyber Monday 2014 Deals - Tech stuff mostly
6.  2014 Cyber Monday Deals: Walmart, Amazon Can't Stop, Won't Stop With Online Sales

Enjoy the links!  And remember....next post is post number 500...

Regards,
Stu