Ray of Sunshine #4...Aquarium of the Pacific

 

http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/

The Aquarium of the Pacific is located in Long Beach, CA. It looks like an amazing place if you like the sea and the creatures in it. Their webcams are just what the doctor ordered if you need some undersea zen moments. Miss Bunn particularly found the Anthias and Wrasse Exhibit webcam to be very soothing in full screen mode.

Click the link above to get to their main page. Click on exhibits and then webcams to be taken to the webcam page. Their are several to choose from. Penquin Habitat (both above and below water), Sea Jellies, Tropical Reef, Honda Blue Cavern, Anthias and Wrasse Exhibt, and Shark Lagoon. Can you say "Why wait for shark week"?

At the bottom of each webcam screen click on the "Aquarium Webcam Resource Kit" to find lesson plans, short educational videos, worksheets, and web-based activities and resources for K-8th grade students.

The Aquarium is offering an Online Academy to bring educational programming as well as fun and entertaining activities to the public during the current closure.There you will find both on-demand videos and activities for all ages (grade levels K through 12 are listed) and a schedule of interactive live programs with aquarium educators, from virtual classroom sessions to Pacific Pals puppets. Check back often as the page will be updated regularly with new content and live dates as they become available.​ There is even a Sea Star Certificate to print out for kids who have tuned in to one of the programs.

SO much to do there and now we have the time to do it! Enjoy!

Ray of Sunshine #3 FTDT...

Sometimes YouTube is like a wayback machine. This aired in 1978 but Steve Martin never gets old. Get the whole family to dance along! Enjoy!

Ray of Sunshine #2 for these Dark Times...

Need a little downtime? Something mindless yet colorful?
Try Drench! The world's simplest web game.

The object is to clear the board until just one color remains using the number of steps given. (Game play starts in the upper left hand corner.) You will advance to the next level when you have successfully completed the level you are on.

Give it a try!

Ray of Sunshine #1 for these Dark Times...

Bored at home? Here is something that you can get lost in for hours on end.

Open Culture is a website dedicated to "bringing together high-quality cultural & educational media for the worldwide lifelong learning community. Web 2.0 has given us great amounts of intelligent audio and video. It's all free. It's all enriching. But it's also scattered across the web, and not easy to find. Our whole mission is to centralize this content, curate it, and give you access to this high quality content whenever and wherever you want it."

Here you will find free classes, ebooks, audiobooks, movies, language lessons, resources for kids, lectures and more!

Sounds like fun to us! Enjoy!

A Lit(erature) Recommendation!

Today we're offering up a fun video series, that's both entertaining and informative, about the exciting world of literature!

YouTuber and film critic Lindsay Ellis has garnered critical acclaim for her thought-provoking & well-researched comedic critiques on Disney, Joel Schumacher's infamous adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera, the Lord of the Rings film series, and more. Last year Ellis partnered with PBS to develop and host a new YouTube series about literature entitled "It's Lit!" Each episode focuses on a fun subtopic in literature, and the series includes such videos as the classic "Book vs Film" argument, depictions of death in fiction, and ghostwriting!

The first video in the series is embedded below; have fun, be informed, and enjoy "It's Lit!" with Lindsay Ellis!

Hi there Peeps! Long time no blog!

But hey, no worries, I have an amazing website to share with you today. It's called Atlas Obscura and it is FULL of amazing, interesting things from around the globe.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/

       




This is from their About page:

We share
discoveries.

We are a global community of explorers, who have together created a comprehensive database of the world’s most wondrous places and foods —19,818 of them contributed by our community so far, and more every day, from a secret apartment atop the Eiffel Tower to bridges built out of living roots, from a temple shaped like a chicken to an island ruled by cats, from a fruit that tastes like chocolate pudding to a spicy chutney made out of red ants. 

I don't know about you, but they had me at the red ant chutney.....YUM!  Seriously, this is a site to go and explore when you have some time to spend. There are wonderful photos, maps, and videos to feast on. This rabbit hole is a deep one.

Atlas Obscura also hosts events all over the country every week: " In nine U.S. cities, Atlas Obscura Societies create intimate, wondrous experiences for our community. From back-room tours to workshops with the world’s most remarkable people, we give our community access to the rarest experiences."

Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. are two of the cities where events are hosted so, if you are interested, I recommend signing up to get newsletters and trip info.

And if that isn't enough they have just come out with the 2nd edition of their best selling book Atlas

Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders. (Santa, take a hint!)

By the way, we have this title in our collection. At the moment it's sitting on the new non-fiction shelf waiting for you to come check it out. What are you waiting for?

Tooting our own horn

Now I'm sure that everyone has written down their New Years Resolution and is well on their way to slowly but surely dwindling on the enthusiasm.

But if learning a new language was part of that list - Annville Free Library has a fun way to keep on top of that!

We have recently gotten Pronunciator.  This will help you study from your phone and computer.  It also allows you to download and print items out.  And the complete bright side is - it's completely free for you!

Learn languages you never dreamed of knowing.
Simply follow the link and it'll ask you to enter your library card number and it would be who of you to enter your email address (for your sanity sake).

See or call a librarian if you have any questions and we'll be happy to walk you through it.


LET THE LEARNING BEGIN!

Out with the old...

...in with the new!

To celebrate the coming year, we've found a few fun crafts for up-cycling books (for ones that are falling apart and/or too well loved for donation!)

Photo Books: transform old books into interesting frames for your favorite photographs
Better Homes and Gardens

"Pretty Bird Wall Art": made with just Mod Podge and Sharpies
Blue Cricket Design

Bird Ornament: instructions in link
By Stephanie Lynn

Book Planter!
DIY Ready

A Fun New (to me) Word Game!

Hi Peeps! Long time no blog! What can I say? Things get a little crazy in library land sometimes.

Miss Bun and I just had to share this word game with you. It's free, it's fun, and it's challenging! What you do is come up with a word to match a definition. The game sessions are timed and you rack up points and badges as you go along. Be sure to register so your stats are saved. It's free...remember? Anyway...check it out and have a blast! Just click on the graphic!

A Great Example of Thinking Outside the Box!

Who knew this about crows? Most people just see them as a nuisance but evidently they could be so much more! Take a look (& listen) to this TED talk. People like this who dare to think in totally new directions will be the ones who move us and the planet forward. (Or so says Miss Bun!)

Super Full Moon Tonight!

It doesn't happen that often so get on out there and watch it! You'll be glad you did.

And to find out more about it check out NASA's info on it from their Science News page.



And now for your listening pleasure (don't know why, but, Miss Bun's brain made a leap from Super Moons to this!):  Enjoy!

Make Some Online Art!

Silk  is an interesting app that lets you create art with your mouse. There are several ways to control what happens on your screen. Plus you can share your work as well. Give it a try!

(Playing with this is somehow intriguing and relaxing at the same time.)

According to the About info : "Silk was created by Yuri Vishnevsky as an experiment in generative art. He is currently working on his degree in Computer Science and Linguistics."

Got Skunk? See This!

Dear Readers,
Last night Miss Bun's Terrible Terrier (aka, The Great White Land Shark) got himself embroiled in a bit of an altercation with a skunk. If you have never experienced ground zero skunk spray thank your lucky stars because, believe me, you don't want to!  It is now the next day but the smell is still upon us with a vengeance. So Miss Bun mustered all her mad librarian skills under fire and came up with this informative video to share with other victims of random skunk attacks. Watch it! (And be warned!)

If You Dream of Life in the Country (or have any interest in it) then this Blog is for You!

Get on over to Chickens In The Road - life in ordinary splendor authored by Suzanne McMinn which is just chock full of stories of her life on a small farm in West Virginia. Suzanne is obviously a very interesting person who has lived many places, loves animals, country crafts, gardening and food. In her spare time she writes romance novels and a column for the Charleston Daily Mail.  She also takes great photos and videos of the daily goings on at her farm and the best part is that she likes to share.

Hop on over to her About Me page to get the full scoop and get a glimpse of the characters living on the farm. You'll find goats (including the fainting variety), cows, chickens, sheep, ducks, dogs, cats, and donkeys. I probably left something out but you get the idea.

There is a forum, a newsletter, recipes, crafts, gardening, contests, and seemingly never a dull moment. Miss Bun loves to read CITR while she's sipping coffee in the morning and is super glad that someone is living the life she is certain she was meant to live.

Enjoy!

(And thanks to Laura R. for sharing this with me!)

Snail Mail Making A Comeback??? Will you be ready?

So, we know that most folks are not hot to put pen to paper these days to communicate with each other. We know this because it is impossible to find honest-to-goodness stationery anywhere.

In spite of that sad state of affairs, Miss Bun is going to go out on a limb and suggest that snail mail is not really dead.....it's just taking a nap!

At some point everyone will discover how cool it is to actually get real mail. Oh, sure, call it a silly case of nostalgia, but there is something very personal about snail mail .....for the sender and sendee alike. It says someone really cares. Don't you think so?

So when you are ready to take the snail mail plunge here is a cool little app that let's you print out a mailing envelope using Google Maps locations:

Map Envelope

You can add a message to your creation as well. (Who could ask for more?)

Go forth and have fun!

The Daily Yonder's take on rural libraries and more.....

What is the Daily Yonder, you may ask? (And you know that Miss Bun, small town librarian, encourages any and all questions.) Well, it looks like the Daily Yonder is a website that filling a void . . . read on.

If you are one of the 55 million people living in the rural U.S you may have noticed that mainstream TV and newspapers are retreating from small towns.  The Daily Yonder aims to be "your daily multi-media source of news, commentary, research, and features."

Check out their article on rural libraries The Backroad Librarian: Five Forwards to find out how rural libraries are faring these days and some points on keeping them people focused.

If folks in towns of fewer than 10,000 people "get" how important libraries are why is it taking the rest of us so long to acknowledge that one, small fact?

(Miss Bun would like to borrow the phrase "Libraries are people-centers, not warehouses for books!" and make it her battle cry. It just gives her chills!)

Read This To Put A Chill on Your Summer Heatwave!

 What ever happened to the ships Erebus, Terror and the 129 souls that set sail for the top of the world confident that they could conquer the frozen landscape and find a sea route through the Arctic Ocean?

The Terror by Dan Simmons is a 600 + page turner of an historical novel that recreates the doomed Sir John Franklin expedition of 1845 that was charged with searching for the Northwest Passage.

If you are sweltering in the summer heat this is the perfect book to cool off with as temperatures are typically well below zero. And, as a result of Simmons' meticulous research, you will find yourself a part of the crew facing starvation, disease, and something not quite human that roams the ice. (Chills!)

Intrigued?

Take a look at the book review by David Masiel in the Washington Post:
The Thing on the Ice

Check out the author's site:
Dan Simmons Official Web Site

 

Links about the Franklin Expedition:
NOVA'S Artic Passage

Franklin's Lost Expedition


Check out this video from the NOVA program:




The story continues! 

This just in from BBC News dated 7/21/10:
Canadian Archaeologists Hunt Long-Lost Arctic Explorers


Enjoy!

Judging Book Covers . . .

Here is an interesting post relating to books/reading called 45 Beautifully Designed Book Covers from the blog wellmedicated written by Andrew Lindstrom (who happens to be a freelance web designer based in Vancouver, BC, Canada).


Have you ever chosen to read (or not read) a book based solely on its cover?

Miss Bun thinks that a cover wouldn't stop her from reading something she already wanted to read but it might entice her to try something she might not otherwise gravitate to. What about you?

Mr. Lindstrom has not posted to his blog in some time (who does that sound like?) but that shouldn't stop you from checking out his other graphic design related entries.

Enjoy!

Cats in the U.S. Navy?!? Shiver me timbers!

Who would have thought the U.S. Navy would be so classy as to have cats in their service?  (Most of us know that cats and libraries go together but who knew about cats and ships?)

Check out this article Cats and the Sea Services from the U.S.Naval Institute.

And then go check out this book at  your local library:

Henry the Sailor Cat by Mary Calhoun
to read about the time the Siamese star of High-Wire Henry goes to sea, climbs to the top of the mast, does a little whale-watching and helps rescue a man overboard.

Meow!

Bundle: Money Uncomplicated is their Motto!

Bundle is a pretty intriguing site that aims to help all of us "get smarter about money. Together."

So if you wonder how other people spend theirs and how it compares to how you spend yours or how other folks are dealing with a problem that you're having, get thee on over to the Bundle site.

 According to their FAQ's they update spending data every quarter, the people and stories you'll find there are real folks & situations, and Bundle promises
"to be an independent, unbiased source of money information and advice."

You might want to take a look at their 2010 Bundle Report: How America Spends to get started.

I wonder how many people actually own a piggy bank? Oh, and let's break that down by age, income, & gender.