Month: October 2010

Go, Cast your Vote : General Elections are Here

We have struggled a lot for right to vote, vote for women, and vote for minorities back in the past. But, it is astonishing that only 47 per cent of Americans vote. This year, the predictions are that the rates may even drop. It is the right time to go out and cast the vote.



Illinois and Iowa residents in the quad cities can find the nearest polling place. For registering your vote you need to send the form ahead. Otherwise, you can register on the election day and cast your vote. You may need the proof of address and identity. You can vote ahead or through mail in case you cannot vote on the election day.

We need not be reminded of the elections as there are a lot of advertisements and rallies going on around. We should not exclude ourselves from the duty. Each vote counts and will bring a difference in the future. In fact, in future you may have to pay fine if you do not vote.

November 2, 2010 is the voting date for quad city residents. Let’s be responsible and vote. 🙂

CNN Heroes – 2010

CNN nominates every year top heroes who have made a difference in the society. These are normal people who care for the community around us. You can nominate before August and the voting closes by November 18th. The winner is shown on Thanksgiving night.


This year the top ten heroes are:

  1. Narayanan Krishnan
  2. Aki Ra
  3. Harmon Parker
  4. Evans Wadongo
  5. Dan Wallrath
  6. Anuradha Koirala
  7. Linda Fondren
  8. Susan Burton
  9. Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow
  10. Guadalupe Arizpe De La Vega

I think that Narayanan Krishnan and Anuradha Koirala do a great job in protecting the powerless. My vote is for Narayanan Krishnan as he devoted his life for feeding the hungry people in his community and within his own capacity.

You can select and vote the most inspiring accompishment at CNN.

Freeze Tonight

Bring in the plants you want to keep during the winter. It is going to be freezing tonight. The temperatures are going to be between twenty to twenty five and your plants may die.


Due to the bad weather after so many years and accompslishing storms nation wide, the outdoor plants tend to lose their lives. So, bring in the plants tonight to save them. 🙂

Moline Public Library Programs

October Events


 

Monday, October 25 – 7:00 PM.  Spanish language edition of Fahrenheit 451 book discussion facilitated by Luz Upegui and Adult Services librarian, Bob Conklin. Register for this event.

Monday, October 25 – 7:00 PM.  Pajama Story Time.  Wear your p.j.’s and bring your favorite stuffed animal to hear new stories. Bring the family and enjoy the fun! This free program does not require registration.

Tuesday, October 26 – 6:30 PM.  Ghosts and Goblins.  You and your ghoul friends are invited to listen to fun and scary stories and activities. Come in costume for a night of thrills and chills at the library. This free program is for children ages 4 and up. Registration is required by calling 309-524-2480 or register online.   

Tuesday, October 26 – 7:00 PM.  Fahrenheit 451 Book Discussion facilitated by Adult Services librarian, Jennifer Christiansen.  Register for this event.

Wednesday, October 27 – 6:30 PM.  Big Read Dystopian Film series facilitated by Erskine Carter, Black Hawk College. Fahrenheit 451 will be shown. Register for this event.

Thursday, October 28 – 10:00 AM.  Preschool Story Time.  Stories, finger plays and hands-on activities for children ages 3-5 not yet in kindergarten. Registration is required for this free program by calling 309-524-2480. Register for this event.  
 

 
November Events  
       
 
Tuesday, November 2 – 6:30 PM.  Book Bunch Club.  Book club with activities for children ages 7-9. Children receive book on the first night. Registration is required. Program made possible with a grant by the Bi-State Literacy Council. Register for this event.Tuesday, November 2 – 7:00 PM.  Pageturners Book Discussion Group. Moline Public Library’s Pageturners Book Discussion Group will meet on Tuesday, November 2nd to discuss Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. Discussion begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Gold Meeting Room. Copies of the book will be available to borrow for those who register. To sign up, visit the Moline Public Library or call 524-2470.

Wednesday, November 3 – 6:30 PM.  Music, Books and Movement.  Music, Books and Movement is a fun program with instruments for children ages 5 and older. registration is required. Register for this event.

Thursday, November 4 – 10:00 AM.  Preschool Story Time.  Stories, finger plays and hands-on activities for children ages 3-5 not yet in kindergarten. Registration is required for this free program by calling 309-524-2480. Register for this event.

Thursday, November 4 – 3:30 PM.  Teen Advisory Group. Teens in grades 6 through 12 are invited to join the Teen Advisory Group of the Moline Public Library. Join us on the first Thursday of each month at 3:30 in the Platinum Room to help plan teen events, recommend books, and have fun! For more information call 309-524-2440.

Saturday, November 6 – 2:30 PM.  Concert by Quad City Arts Visiting Artist Series.  Multi-instrumentalist, Todd Green will perform in the library’s meeting rooms.  Visit Todd Green’s website for his biography, music samples, and details on the instruments he plays – http://www.toddgreen.com/.

Monday, November 8 – 7:00 PM.  Teen Writers Group.  If you are a teen who loves to write, this is the group for you. Join us on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Platinum Room of the Moline Public Library. This is a great opportunity to learn new skills, get feedback, and share your writing. This event is free. For more information call 309-524-2440.

Tuesday, November 9 – 6:30 PM.  Book Bunch Club.  Book club with activities for children ages 7-9. Children receive book on the first night. Registration is required. Program made possible with a grant by the Bi-State Literacy Council. Register for this event.

Tuesday, November 16 – 6:30 PM.  Book Bunch Club.  Book club with activities for children ages 7-9. Children receive book on the first night. Registration is required. Program made possible with a grant by the Bi-State Literacy Council. Register for this event.

Wednesday, November 17 – 6:30 PM.  Harry Costume Potter Party. The Moline Public Library is celebrating the release of the seventh Harry Potter movie with a Harry Potter Costume Party. Join us in your favorite Harry Potter costume or just dress like a muggle. Well have food, games, activities, and prizes. This event is free and open to all ages, but registration is required. Call 309-524-2470 or 309-524-2480 to register. For more information call 309-524-2440.  Register for this event.

Thursday, November 18 – 10:00 AM.  Preschool Story Time.  Stories, finger plays and hands-on activities for children ages 3-5 not yet in kindergarten. Registration is required for this free program by calling 309-524-2480. Register for this event.

Thursday, November 18 – 6:30 PM.  Building with Books Lego Club.  Buildwith Lego blocks while listening to stories. Blocks are supplied. Ages 6-12. Registration is required. Register for this event.

Saturday, November 20 – 3:00 PM.  Zombie Survival Club.  The Zombie Survival Club of the Moline Public Library will meet and watch the first zombie movie ever filmed, enjoy snacks, and prepare for the apocalypse. For more information call 309-524-2440.

Monday, November 22 – 7:00 PM.  Pajama Story Time.  wear your p.j.’s and bring your favorite stuffed animal to hear new stories. The whole family is welcome to come and enjoy the fun!

 Tuesday, November 23 – 6:30 PM.  Book Bunch Club.  Book club with activities for children ages 7-9. Children receive book on the first night. Registration is required. Program made possible with a grant by the Bi-State Literacy Council. Register for this event.

Saturday, November 27  – Take and Make Craft. Looking for something to do? Drop in at the library any time during open hours to make a craft! No registration is required. All ages.

Monday, November 29 – 9:30 or 10:45 AM.  Wee Wiggler Toddler Time.  Stories, songs, finger plays and hands-on activities. Registration is required. Program for children 18-36 months with an adult. Register for this event.

 

Be sure to visit our calendar of events for program information for upcoming months.Adult Library Tours Contact:               Children’s Department Tours:

Lisa Powell Williams                            Christina Conklin
309-524-2473                                   309-524-2485
lwilliams@molinelibrary.org                   cconklin@molinelibrary.org

 

Halloween – Tips and Best Practices

With Halloween fast approaching children and adults are already preparing for the occasion with variety costumes and parades. Local schools and businesses arrange Halloween parties to pep up the children and adults in the community. It is fun watching children in pretty costumes. However, here are some safe practices during Halloween.

Costumes

The costume is a great deal about the Halloween. So, it is better to select and arrange for a costume well in advance. All the local stores are selling costumes but Walmart has the ones in affordable ranges. Halloween Express store has some of the scary ones and Kmart has the common ones.


Parades

Different businesses and cities have Halloween parades in different dates. So, find the dates nearest to you and make sure you visit them to have more fun before the Halloween on October 31st. Different communities have Halloween parties too and you can participate in them. Some of the Haunted houses and forest adventures are thrilling and must be watched for overcoming the fear. 🙂

Trick or Treat

The following Trick or Treat rules must be emphasized with children for their own safety:

  • Never go alone
  • Never accept goodies from strangers
  • Never eat the candies right away
  • Take parents permission before eating anything outside
  • Walk in well inhabited and well lighted areas
  • Check with parents before changing the plans
  • Report to the nearest adult in case of any suspicion
  • Take care of self and friends
  • Never imitate or mimic others
  • Stay away from bullies

Finally, enjoy your Halloween while getting scared. 🙂

Disney Magic Show – iWireless Center

The Disney’s magic show at the iwireless center was a hit among the children but the adults did not like it much though. May be the show is good for toddlers as even the seven year olds can guess what is happening behind the magic. The show was not as good as the other ones of the Disney’s such as last year’s Disney on Ice. 🙂

Disney’s Magic Show at the iWireless center last friday started at 6.30 pm. The commentators participated in the magic show and were good. The characters Mickey, Minnie, Donald duck, Goofy, Aladdin, Snow white, Jasmine, Cindrella and other team members worked very hard to make the show a success. The commitment of the staff in entertaining the audience was commendable. The team coordinated well and performed the tricks.


The magic tricks included locked rings, vanishing things, flying objects, changing objects among others. The best one I thought was when the performers put two girls in separate boxes. Then, swapped them in the boxes, cut them in to half and then even the dresses of the girls swapped too!

They let two children from the audience participate in the magic show and it was engaging.  Occasionally, the audience had to shout  ‘Abracadabra’  to let the magic work. The Disney characters were fun to watch. 🙂

The iWireless center offers group discounts for a group of 20 or more. This time due to security concerns none of the food items from outside were allowed inside including water! The store had a collection of Disney’s characters and accessories. Some of the children took pictures with the Disney’s characters after the show. Overall, the show was money consuming along with a bit of entertainment. 🙂

Movie Review – Brindavanam

Brindavanam is a over hyped movie with songs and fights merged in to a senseless story and is a pure waste of time and money. 🙂 The star cast is capable enough but I thought they are wasted in this movie.

Brindavanam is a story about two college girls. One of the girls lands in to a trouble of early marriage. So, her friend lets her boy friend to go as her friend’s lover. The story is all about hoe the hero saves the family woes of the heroine. Meanwhile, he falls in love with the second heroine as well as continues the friendship with the first one.


Totally the story is baseless and is weaved with unnecessary emotions, dances and fights along with needless comedy. The movie is a total waste of money and time of the makers as well as the viewers. It is one of the worst movies I watched in the recent past. 🙂

Movie Review – Robot

Superstar Rajinikanth starring ‘Robot’ met its expectations with winning combination of director Shankar, beautiful Aishwarya Rai and melodiful A.R.Rahman. The movie is a pure entertainer along with stunning graphics and cute Chitti, the Robot.

Rajinikanth plays a scientist who invents a super robot which can perform several mechanical tasks along with dancing and fighting. His senior, played by Danny Dengzonpa, becomes jealous of him and wants to steal the technology to use it for destructive purposes.


The Robot, called Chitti, also played by Rajinikanth, performs super tasks which are sometimes funny and some times lead to disasters in the story. To overcome the shortcomings of a mechanical robot, the scientist induces feelings in to the robot. The senior scientist takes advantage of the disasters caused by Chitti and tries to manipulate the robot. The Robot, meanwhile, after being induced feelings like human beings, falls in love with Aiswarya Rai, who is the girlfriend of Rajinikanth. Finally, the story is all about how the original scientist overpowers Chitti robot and saves the people.

Overall, the songs and super graphics were commendable. The action of Rajinikanth in both scientist role and as the robot are superb. Director Shankar has a social message for the future generations to develop sophisticated machines but not to entirely depend on them for survival. The movie is a must watch for all the fun loving and graphic loving viewers. 🙂

Cannot stop shopping? Buy used..

Recent studies show that in the past year, new product sales have increased by 2 per cent. Whereas used product sales increased by 35 per cent. Despite the recession, people cannot stop holiday shopping. So, it is better to buy used products instead of shedding money on brand new ones when you can get away with the used ones.

Used Products

Garage sales, yard sales, flea market, Craigslist, Goodwill store, friends and family are some of the sources for buying used products. Or, you can buy used products online at eBay, Amazon, Meritline or similar websites. Some products such as jewelery, work-out equipment, musical instruments, seasonal clothing, and musical CDs and games are better to buy used. Some of these products may not lose their value over time and some may require prior testing before we buy.


Most people buy bigger items such as furniture, cars, kitchen accessories, laundry equipment from used dealers. You may have to pay some money for minor repairs or modifications. Yet, some products have longer life and do not change much over a period of time. Sometimes it may be riskier to buy used sophisticated electronic equipment.

Holiday Shopping

During the holidays, it is becoming mandatory to shop and buy cloths and gifts. While we may not compromise on some items such as gifts, it is better to postpone until Thanksgiving when our stores will be raining discounts, offers and coupons. Further, it is suggested to set aside some amount monthly for buying gifts and other items planned.

Some stores have an option of accumulating points or amount or offer interest free credit. If you have enough time it is always better to approach a retail outlet for better deals and products. Sometimes we even end up buying the product we already have!

Overall, it is becoming increasingly prominent to curb the urge to stop spending and think ahead before buying anything new. 🙂

Obesity in Children

Healthy food and sedentary lifestyles lead to obesity in children. The junk food coupled with lot of screen time is a major cause of obesity leading to chronic diseases in later life. Chubby children look cute when they are in their early stages but not when they grow older. Most pediatricians recommend two hours or less of screen time and one hour or more of physical activity for children.

Healthy Food

As per the saying all that tastes good may not be good, children must not be continuously fed junk food or high calorie food just because they like it. Bribing food or sweets may not be a good trend. Doctors recommend daily five servings of fruits and vegetables. One serving is equal to the amount that fits in their fists. Children must be encouraged to try out all the different types of fruits and vegetables. Your child may have to take vitamin supplements if totally depending on vegetarian food.

Milk

Milk is the first food for any baby. Milk has all the essential proteins, minerals and vitamins for children. Some parents feed solid foods for their children and may sacrifice milk. But, doctors recommend daily 24 ounces of milk daily for children. Milk is easily digested in children in most cases.

Screen Time

Electronics serve as a great assistant and baby sitter to engage children. Mostly living indoors, children resort to electronic media such as the good old television, video games, computer games, mobile phones, and others for entertainment. But, it is suggested that children get no more than two hours of screen time per day. It is not good for their physical health as well as destroys brain and vision.

Physical Exercise

The physical exercise which children get in schools is not enough. Doctors do recommend one hour of physical exercise for children. In fact, they are capable of more than that. The physical exercise may be any sport or swimming or just casual play in the backyard.

Water

Finally, children must take zero sweetened beverages as it is not good for their health. Water is a major part of the earth and the body and hence must be a major part of the daily intake. Eight glasses of water are recommended daily. And don’t forget fifteen minutes of sunshine and ten to twelve hours of sleep for your child.

First Lady Michelle Obama recently announced “Let’s move” campaign to increase the child obesity awareness. It is important to consult your family pediatrician regarding a child’s diet and have annual health check ups.

Is money the only method to maintain relationships?

Yes. It seems in the current recession era, money is the only way which can help maintain relationships. If you have money, I can be friends with you. Or else, you are not my friend. If I give a gift to you, only then, you know I love you. Why money is the only predominant factor in relationships?

Any relationship, be it wife and husband, parent and child, brother and sister, cousins, or  friends, is currently being evaluated with how much one is spending in it. One is able to maintain relationships only if capable of spending enough in a relationship. Most relationships are getting commercialised. The importance a person gives us is being decided based on the money or gifts being exchanged.

Communication and not spending enough time may be some of the reasons for such trends. Most family members or friends may not communicate often. Due to which it is extremely difficult to decide whether a person has changed a lot or remained same with time. So, in order to compensate this gap, exchanging gifts or spending money is essential. With which, you are establishing that things have not changed much and you still value the other person.

In addition, living distantly and not meeting often, is another reason for the trend. The thirst to work and earn more leaves less time for family and freinds. To compensate this gap again, spending money is essential. Working parents do not get enough time to spend time with their children and so they keep on buying gifts for their kids. On the other hand, working people do not get time to spend  with their aged parents. And again resort in spending money to compensate the gap.

Finally, what has begun voluntary money spending has become mandatory in relationships. Now, the current trend is, only if you have money, you can talk to me about anything. Or, else the relationship is not smooth. Watch out people. 🙂