Fun at the Library?

Hi All,

Fun at the library?  You bet!  Read on. (A list of fun things to do in the library...)

1000+ images about Library fun and ideas on Pinterest.

Fun activities @ you library! 

8 awesome ways libraries are making learning fun 

LibraryGames.com - making libraries fun!

Fun websites - Broome County Public Library

Fun and games at the library

Games for kids - Monroe County Public Library

Free to play games in Steam library

Games - NYPL Kids

Library Learning Games - Media Center

Enjoy the links.

Regards,
Stu

Battle of Leyte Gulf Anniversary - October 23rd

Hi All,

This blog entry is for World War II veterans and WWII naval buffs and historians alike.  Monday, October 23rd is the anniversary of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. 

What was Leyte Gulf you ask?  It was only the biggest naval battle of WWII.  Click here to learn more about it - from Wikipedia. 

Also, click here for a link to the Encyclopedia Britannica for an entry about the Battle of Leyte Gulf - and here for an entry fro Encyclopedia.com.

A website called CombinedFleet.com has this extensive summary of the campaign.

History.com has this summary of the Battle of Leyte Gulf as well.  Lastly, from the US army comes this extensive entry - and long - about the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

28 Battle of Leyte Gulf Pictures - WarHistoryOnline.com
Battle of Leyte Gulf - Getty Images

Finally, click on this link to find books that the Farmingdale Public Library owns on the topic of the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Happy reading about an amazing World War II battle.

Regards,
Stu

I Wish My Teacher Knew...

Hi All,

I just heard about the on the radio and decided to follow up on it...

"One day, third-grade teacher Kyle Schwartz asked her students to fill in the blank in this sentence: "I wish my teacher knew______________."

"Some answers were funny, others were heartbreaking.    All were profoundly moving and enlightening. The results opened her eyes to the need for educators to understand the unique realities their students face in order to create an open, safe, and supportive classroom environment. When Kyle shared her experience online, teachers around the globe began sharing their own contributions to #IWishMyTeacherKnew."

There is an image gallery on the I Wish My Teacher Knew website! 

Here are a few news articles about the site.
CBS News
New York Times 
Washington Post 
Scary Mommy


Enjoy the links and the comments.

Regards,
Stu

AAA Gas Prices

Hi All,

With all the ups and downs of the price of gasoline recently, I thought it would be interesting to post about gas prices...click here for a chart of gas prices for the last 5 years.  Info is from Zfacts.com.

More to the point is the current price of gas...click here for a map of gas prices across the United States. 

Note that on the left side of the page is a big red circle that says, 'Today's AAA National Average $2.251 - prices updated as of 10/14/16 3:38am ET'.  Wow - talk about timely information.

Note also that on the map you can hover over a particular state and you'll get the average price of gas for that state. Interesting.  But wait, there's more.  The map is color coded where the redder the state, the more expensive the gas.  The bluer the state, the less expensive the gas. 

Also on the page is a Gas Cost Calculator, News, Top Trends and a search box.

The Top Trends option needs a bit of explaining. Users can filter average price of gasoline by  the current day average, yesterday's average, a week ago average or a year ago average.  Users can further filter the information by region (option is either state or metro).

Finally users can filter by most expensive, least expensive, biggest change or smallest change of the price of gasoline.

Enjoy the site.

Regards,
Stu

Long Island Breweries

Hi All,

It's Fall - the weather is finally starting to cool and there is just a hint of 'winter' in the air.  Get ready for the cold weather - but before that....get warm with a brew or two.

Did you know the craft brewing has been getting more and more popular for at least 20 years? It has and here are just a few of the many,  many articles that discuss the popularity of the craft brew industry. 
Fortune - Craft Beer Sales Rise
LA Times - Craft Brews Are In Great Demand, and So Are the Breweries
USA Today - Battle Between Big Beer and Craft Beer Escalates 
ShortList - Rise and Rise of Craft Beer

Click on this link from LongIsland.com.  It's a list of breweries on Long Island - replete with links to the various breweries.  How many of these breweries have you been to? Blue Point Brewing, Fire Island Beer Company, Long Ireland Beer Company?

Click on this link from Wikipedia to learn more about microbreweries - it has extensive links to microbrewery information for the United States and for other countries. 

For a deep dive into the details of craft brewing, click on this next link which goes to the Brewers Association (a passionate voice for craft brewers). 

Finally, click on the link to what some folks is the granddaddy of all craft beers - Samuel Adams. 

Enjoy the links - and remember, drink responsibly.

Regards,
Stu

2016 Farmingdale Fair

 Hi All,

Did you know?  That the Farmingdale Street Fair is this weekend.  Actually it started on Thursday - yesterday - and runs through Monday (which is Columbus Day). 

For more information, click on this link from FairsandFestivals.net - the site bills itself as being where art and fun mean business.  Click on this link for directions to the fair. 

So...what does the fair include?  You guessed it... there will be great food, great vendors, pickles, lemonade, pony rides, inflatables, flowers, plants, toys, and more. Fun for the whole family.

Hours:
Thursday: Carnival - 5pm-10pm
Friday: Carnival - 5pm-11pm
Saturday: Street Fair - All Day. Carnival - 12noon -11pm
Sunday: Street Fair - All Day. Carnival - 12noon -11pm, Parade 6pm, Fireworks 9pm
Monday: Carnival - 12noon-10pm

Enjoy the fun!

Regards,
Stu

Best Second-Screen Apps For Watching Baseball

Hi All,

TechHive.com has come out with an article titled 'Best Second Screen Apps For Watching Baseball on Your Phone'.

The article lists and discuses the seven best second-screen apps that you can use on your smartphone or tablet to watch baseball - well, to watch the baseball post-season now that the regular season ended.

Note that each 'review' on the site is fairly in-depth.  Pro's, con's and major features on the apps are discussed. 

The seven apps (with links) are MLB At Bat, MiLB First Pitch, ESPN's App, ESPN Fantasy Baseball, iScore Baseball, Bleacher Report, OwnersBox,

Enjoy the MLB post-season!

Regards,
Stu

Cleanup Entry

Hi All,

From time to time I post an entry filled with topics that really don't fit neatly into any categories.  Today we have one such entry - I call them clean up entries....Enjoy the myriad sites and links.

33 Classic Books That Will Make You Forget Your Smartphone

How to Prepare For Hurricane Season

10 Money Apps To Help You Conquer Your Finances in the New Year

The Internet Mystery That Has the World Baffled

FedStats - Your Window Into U.S. Federal Statistics

National Forecast Maps

Skyscanner - Cheap Flights 

Arts & Letters Daily

What Good is Information?

How to Meditate? 

Disaster Preparedness Checklist - Tips For Keeping You and Your Family Safe

Seven of the Best Salary Information Websites For Negotiation


Enjoy the links!

Stu