Happy 50th Birthday Doctor Who!

This is the year many of us longtime Doctor Who fans thought we wouldn’t see, the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who! Sure we would have had an anniversary, but the fact that after the show went off the air and all hope was lost, it has come back stronger then ever is so cool!!  Doctor Who first was aired on BBC on November 23, 1963 after much planning by BBC Head of Drama, Sydney Newman, producer Verity Lambert, Waris Hussein, director of the very first Doctor Who episode and several others to bring the story of the mysterious traveler from outer space, who travels in a blue police box.

To really celebrate the founding of this amazing show, there will be  a docudrama called “An Adventures in Time and Space” written by Mark Gatiss, writer of several Doctor Who episodes and Sherlock , which chronicles the initial founding and filming of this long running series. For me one the most exciting part, for the Doctor Who geek I am, is that  William Russell, Ian Chesterton, one of the Doctor’s first traveling companions and Carole Ann Ford, the Doctor’s mysterious and often discussed granddaughter, will be making an appearance. William Russell is 88!!! Sure they won’t be playing their original roles, which would be themselves, but it will be so neat to see them. Also in the production will be Brian Cox as Sydney Newman, Jessica Raine (of Find the Midwife fame and recently seen on the Doctor Who episode Hide) as Verity Lambert and David Bradley as William Hartnell, the first actor to play the Doctor. On a side note, David Bradley was recently seen in Doctor Who opposite Matt Smith, in the episode Dinosaurs on a Spaceship as a ruthless buccaneer.

I really CANNOT wait for this movie. I’m going to have to unplug/turn off my phone the night I watch it. In addition to this, BBC America has been featuring once a month, one of the past Doctors’ “classic” episodes. It has been really fun to watch the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, and Jamie outwit the Cyberman or to see the  Third Doctor, Jon Pertwee, fight the Autons. Much fun! And prior to the episode, the actors and people involved, are interviewed. Some sadness for those who left us, some too early, but also lots of fun.

So enjoy, celebrate and Happy Birthday Doctor!!!

-Christine

Federal 1040 Instruction Booklets Have Arrived!

The library has received its shipment of Federal 1040 Instruction booklets. They will be kept on the 3rd Floor in the area that houses the income tax forms.

Please ask a staff member if you require assistance in locating the booklets. If no booklets are on the shelf, please ask a staff member and we will retrieve them for you.

-Tony L.

Where are the Federal 1040 Tax Form Instructions?

According to the IRS website that tracks form and publication shipping, the 1040 instructions booklets began shipping on Monday, February 25. The site further states that delivery may take up to 3 weeks from the date posted, although on average shipping times are 7 to 10 days.

The library should be receiving the instructions later next week – March 4-8 – but could take as long as March 18.

Please call the Adult & Teen Services Department at 630-685-4176 to ask if the library has received its shipment or for other forms, instructions or publications.

-Tony L.

Living Every Day To It’s Fullest

Early last year, I saw a true life medical show about a young British girl who has Progeria. Progeria is the “aging” disease, in which young children grow old before their time, suffering the ailments that the elderly suffer…. heart disease, arthritis, poor eyesight, brittle bones, the list goes on. At the time this book was written, there were only 89 recorded cases of the disease in the world.  I was so impressed with this beautiful girl that I had tears in my eyes. She told all about her daily life as a soon to be teenager, defying the odds with a disease that has the life expectancy of 12 or less. I had missed the start of the show, but what I saw was moving.

By chance, a month ago, I saw that Hayley and her mother Kerry had written a book about Hayley’s life  titled, Old Before My Time: Hayley Okines’ Life With Progeria. It was offered free for my Kindle and I couldn’t wait to download it. I have to say it is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The book starts with Hayley’s mother writing about her birth, the first suspicions that something isn’t quite right, diagnosis, and living with this so-called “death sentence”. Hayley’s portion of the book talks about her meeting many celebrities, struggling with school, friends, and health issues. She maintains a positive attitude, I think in part to the loving family that surrounds her. She also makes some great friends with people such as the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin and British singer Kylie Minogue.

There is some sadness in the book of course, when the family attends annual Progeria get-togethers for families and their kids , they talk about how some years some families are not there as their children died. Especially heartbreaking is the story of one boy who dies from a heart attack during one conference. There is also Hayley’s struggles with things such as bed sores due to fragile skin, tooth problems, heart problems and for her, being bald.

This is a book that should not be missed. This girl has one heck of a spirit. As she say,  “Sometimes people ask me if I could have three wishes, would I wish I didn’t have P. And I say no. My life with Progeria is full of happiness and good memories. Deep inside I am no different from anyone. We are all human.” She puts many of us to shame. In December 2012 , Hayley celebrated her 15th birthday. I wish her many years in the best health she can be. She is an inspiration. You can learn more about her and Progeria at:

http://hayleyspage.com/

http://hayleyokines.com/

-Christine

Arrrrrr! Tis talk like a pirate day!

Ahoy mateys! Today is talk like a pirate day, it tis. The Fountaindale Public Library has a resource that can help you master your pirate speaking skills.

Mango Languages is an easy to use online resource that has over 40 different languages you can learn. Try it out today by clicking on the picture below. You will need to set up an account, but once you do that you can start learning!

See you landlubbers on the high seas! Arrrrrrr! – Tony L.

Cheap, Fast or Good – Pick Any Two

The title of this post can apply to almost anything. You can get something cheap and fast, but it won’t be any good. Or, you can get something fast and good, but it won’t be

Back in the day, this is what you meant when you said you had a cheap tablet…

cheap. Lastly, you can get something cheap and good, but it won’t be fast.

Same rules apply to technology – only more so as cheap usually equates to being neither fast nor good and you hardly ever hear of something being cheap and good, as good and fast typically walk hand in hand. As a public librarian, I have seen the gamut of tablet and e-reader devices walk through our doors. At a glance, I can easily tell whether or not the patron’s user experience in trying to get at our e-book collection will be a dream (“Great, you have an iPad/Samsung Galaxy/Kindle Fire/insert-pricey-but-good-and-fast-item-of-your-choice-here!”) or a nightmare (“Great, you have an insert-cheap-but-bad-and-slow-item-of-your-choice-here…”).

Let the buyer beware, as this CNET (via Yahoo!) article outlines Three tech gadgets you might be tempted to buy, but shouldn’t

The part on tablets particularly caught my eye:

A tablet is a tablet is a tablet, right? Why spend $500 on an iPad or even $200 on a Kindle Fire when you can get the Pandigital Planet 7-inch Android tablet for $99? Or a MID 70009 Android tablet for $72.95?

Because they’re terrible. Most of these dirt-cheap tablets have excruciatingly slow processors; you tap an icon, and nothing happens for several seconds. Scrolling a Web page can be an unresponsive exercise in frustration. The usability here pales in comparison to what you get from a more mainstream tablet.

What’s more, some bargain tablets employ resistive touch screens, which require physical pressure. That’s in contrast to the capacitive screens used in better tablets, which respond to the slightest brush of your fingertip. With a resistive screen, you have to push — and that ruins the entire experience. Plus, with those slow processors, it’s very difficult to tell if the tablet has registered your input, so you end up push-tapping again — often with unwanted results. Bleh.

Another big issue: no Google Play (aka Android Market), meaning you’re severely limited in the apps you can add. They might have knockoff app stores, but with none of the apps you’ll want. No Angry Birds, No Kindle, no Facebook. Double-bleh.

Recently I’ve seen some attractively priced 7- and 10-inch models with fast processors, capacitive screens, and even Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), but still no Google Play (or, for that matter, Amazon Appstore). Trust me: You won’t be happy without at least one of them.

So, be careful out there! The technology landscape is littered with lots of cheap, bad junk. Don’t give in to the temptation to purchase because the “price is right”. Save up your pennies and hold out for the best that you can buy!

-Tony L.

Programs you don’t want to miss this week!

Family Posture Wellness – 7PM on Wed., April 4 in Meeting Room B – Posture building begins when we are children…and never stops.  Regardless of age, our posture reveals the first signs to certain health problems long before other more noticeable symptoms occur.  Find out what these signs are and how they can adversely affect every stage of our lives, but more importantly, learn how to fight back.  This seminar is presented by Dr. Philip Moscatel.

70 Meals One Trip to the Store – 7PM on Thurs., April 5 in Meeting Room A -Cookbook author Kelly Donlea will demonstrate how buying “smart” ingredients leads to buying less, saving money, and having greater success at dinnertime night after night. She will show us how to make three different dishes from one bag of groceries, as well as offer tips on how to avoid a last-minute run to the grocery store for a forgotten item. Food Samples will be given out!

Drop in or Register by calling 630-685-4176 or online at http://www.fountaindale.org  You do not need a library card to register.

Maureen G.

Be Careful What You Post on Social Media

Here is an interesting article from the Associated Press via Yahoo! News about how employers are increasingly asking for access to your online social media presences, include Facebook and Twitter.

You probably shouldn’t discount other ones either, like FourSquare, LinkedIn, or even personal e-mail accounts.

Until employment law catches up, there is nothing stopping employers for asking you for this information. So be sure to keep your social media presences professional.

My rule of thumb is if I don’t want my mother to see it, then I don’t post it.

Do you have any rules of thumb you follow? Have you encountered a prospective employer asking for your logins or passwords? What have you done, or what would you do?

-Tony L.

Amazon Offers “Free” E-books, but Your Library Does it Better!

Amazon created quite a splash today in announcing that Amazon Prime members that owned Kindles could now download some books for “free”. Amazon claims over 5,000 titles are available.

As with anything, there are a couple of catches. You have to subscribe to Amazon Prime at a cost of $79 per year. Also, you are limited to one “free” book per month with no due date. That works out to $6.58 cents per book, if you download 12 “free” books and make no other use of the Amazon Prime membership. And only the Amazon Kindle will work with the service.

Your library already has an e-book service in place that costs you nothing and is compatible with almost every e-book reader on the market – including the Kindle. It is Overdrive eMedia Library and we have over 5,300 titles available for the Kindle and over 5,600 titles available for most other readers. Also, there are nearly 5,000 audiobooks available to download for free.

You are also not limited to one a month, but five books at a time, checked out for up to two weeks, with no monthly limits. You only need a Fountaindale Public Library card to access the collection. If you don’t have a Fountaindale Library Card, get one or check with your local library to see if they offer a comparable service.

To sum up:

Amazon’s “free” e-books: $79 per year, limit of one per month, over 5,000 items, Kindle only.

Fountaindale’s Overdrive eMedia Library free content: $0 per year, no monthly limit, over 5,300 Kindle books and 5,600 e-books for other readers, plus nearly 5,000 audiobooks.
Check out what your library has to offer you today!

-Tony L.

 

Sunday Night with Zombies!

Sunday nights… family dinners…. laughter… heartwarming stories, but recently something new has taken over Sunday nights for many families across America, I know it has in mine.  Its not just Sunday night with the family, but its Sunday nights  with “The Walking Dead”!  The show, which is based on the graphic novel created by Robert Kirkman, that follows a group of survivors during a zombie, they call them “Walkers”, apocalypse. The main character is Deputy Rick Grimes,  who woke up from a coma only to find his wife and son gone and the world in shambles. He eventually meets up with some survivors, including his wife and son, as well as Shane, his former co-worker and best friend. There are an assortment of other characters, some who surprise us as they are not what they appear to be on the surface. The show isn’t just mindless zombie violence (though that is fun!), but includes a lot of character development as well. I’m not watching a bunch of characters I hate, hoping they get killed off. Instead, I’m watching people I like and who I want to succeed in not getting eaten. So far the story has varied from the comics, but there are still elements of it in the show. “The Walking Dead” is currently in its second season on AMC at 8pm CST, it  is usually repeated right again at 9 and then is followed by an “after the show” special that has stars from and fans of the show. Its doing fantastic in the ratings and has been picked up for a third season. Seriously, if you like zombies (like me), give this show a try!

-Christine