New Year's Resolution

Will you be making a resolution to lose weight this year? There are so many different diet plans that it can be hard to know which one to follow. WebMD's Healthy Eating and Diet page gives information on many popular diets so you can choose the one that's right for you. And don't forget to visit the library for books on healthy cooking, dieting and exercise!

Website Wednesday: Tumblebooks

Learn more about Tumblebooks, our animated picture books for young readers with this Website Wednesday video.

There's an App for That: Daytum

If you have ever wanted a way to obsessively track everything about your life you have to check out Daytum. Daytum is available on the web or as an iPhone app.

Daytum allows you to track any facet of your life, from how many glasses of soda you drank to what kinds of dogs you see in your neighborhood.

Inspired by the Annual Reports created by the designer Nicolas Felton you too can track the minutia of life.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy Reading from everyone at the Gail Borden Public Library!

The opposite of correct genealogy is...

Countless book have written on how to research your family correctly and thoroughly, but every genealogist needs to be reminded of how not to research! Pitfalls in Genealogical Research is that reminder. In 71 informative (and sometimes humorous!) pages the author describes thirteen pitfalls that even experienced family history researchers can be trapped by. An excellent example is chapter two, "Relationships of Similar or Identical Surnames"-- not everyone with the same surname is related. Other chapters discuss examining family traditions critically, educating yourself in obsolete terminology, and knowing the history of the places you are researching. A perfect title to absorb on a winter day off.

Find out the History of Your Kane County Home

Many owners of historic buildings want to fully understand the history of their property. While unlocking the past of your home can be rewarding, the task of researching and establishing the validity of information can lead you to many sources.

The library has the resources to start you off on the right path. With the House Research page you can discover a number of helpful city and county resources.

Crossword

The first crossword puzzle was published in a supplement to the New York World on December 21, 1912. Take a look at why this little puzzle has become a daily ritual for so many people.

Cruciverbalism: A Crossword Fanatic's Guide to Life in the Grid By Newman, Stanley Author Lasswell, Mark Check Our Catalog Offering an inside look at the world of crosswords, this guide to life on the grid pulls back the curtain on puzzle-making itself, outlining the history of crosswords and showing how rules and mindsets of puzzle editors have changed over time. …More

Four-Letter Words: And Other Secrets of a Crossword Insider By Arnot, Michelle Check Our Catalog Crossword puzzle expert and champion Arnot has complied this irresistibly funand entertaining manual filled with fascinating facts, puzzle miscellany, andsurefire tips for puzzle solving. …More

Wordplay By Creadon, Patrick Check Our Catalog From the masters who create the mind-bending diversions to the tense competition at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, Patrick Creadon's documentary reveals a fascinating look at the addictive pastime. Creadon captures New York Times editor Will Shortz working with crossword puzzle builders, talks to celebrity solvers—including Bill Clinton and Ken Burns—and presents an intimate look at the national tournament and its competitors. …More

Holiday Parties = Stains

Mr. Clean Sample Bottle, 1958
Originally uploaded by Roadsidepictures

With the holidays here it is time to have friends and family over to celebrate which also can lead to accidents involving punch and the carpet. So be prepared with the know how to clean up those stains quickly and keep the party going. Check out the handy information from these websites and books to keep your holidays stress free.

Quick 'n Easy Stain Removal
University of Illinois Extension

Stain Removal Ideas and Tips
About.com: Housekeeping

Crayola Stain Removal Tips
Crayola

Heloise Hints

Boston Tea Party

Bronze Franklin Mint Boston Tea Party Bicentennial 1973
Originally uploaded by kevindooley

On December 16, 1773 a group of angry men left the Old South Meeting House dressed as Native Americans and dumped ninety thousand pounds of tea into Boston harbor.

By 1773 Boston was already in an outcry over the letters of royal governor Thomas Hutchinson's letters that proposed cutting back on American liberties and a proposal to pay the civil list from customs revenues. With all the existing tension the Americans learned of the Tea Act, this act granted the East India Company to undersell competitors and still pay the Townshend duty on imported tea.

The Americans tried to stop the East India Company from delivering tea to Boston but on November 28, 1773 the first of 3 tea ships arrived in Boston harbor. Bostonians would not let the tea be received by customs and the governor would not let it be sent back to England. If the duty on the tea was not paid by December 17th the tea would be seized and sold at auction by the British customs officers. On the 16th of December a group of 150 men descended upon Griffin's Wharf and destroyed £9,659 worth of tea.

The actions at the Boston Tea Party were celebrated by the Americans but looked at as an unforgivable rebellious act by the British. New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston also participated in preventing duties tea from landing, but Boston was the only city that destroyed property. In an effort to stop this behavior the British made an example of Boston and held the whole city responsible for the Boston Tea Party.

Some links will require a Gail Borden Library card.

Nostradamus

Nostradamus
Originally uploaded by dierk schaefer

Michel de Notredame, more commonly known by his Latinized name Nostradamus, was born on December 14, 1503 in the south of France. In 1925 Nostradamus graduated from the University of Montpellier with degrees in medicine and astronomy. The beginning of his career was occupied with caring for those infected with the bubonic plague which was sweeping through the French countryside. Where most doctors knew nothing about how to cure or stop the spread of this horrific plague, Nostradamus cured entire towns with the prescription of fresh air and water, new bedding, and an herbal remedy that contained rosehips, an ingredient that was rich in vitamin C. When the plague returned to France Nostradamus was unable to save his wife or children from the deadly illness. This led to Nostradamus' disgrace, everyone turned on him and he left a fugitive.

Nostradamus spent the next several years traveling the southern parts of Europe. Scholars believe that these troubling times may have contributed to Nostradamus' clairvoyant abilities. After setting with a new family in Salon Nostradamus started his practice of spending the nights studying a brass bowl filled with water. Meditation over this bowl led Nostradamus into trances that allowed visions of the future to appear. Some of these visions were published into the books of prophecies. These books contained quatrains, rhyming four-lined verses, which provided hints of future events.

Some links require a Gail Borden Library card.

Smithsonian Global Sound

Are you interested in listening to music from around the globe? Then take a look at the library's online database Smithsonian Global Sound.

Smithsonian Global Sound is your online resource to the Smithsonian's collection of American Folk Music, Native American sounds, Blues, and traditional music from around the world.

This online database is available to you at home 24 hours a day 7 days a week. If you have any questions or comments about this database please contact the information desk at 847-429-4680.

There's an app for that: Evernote

The one app that I suggest to everyone is Evernote, it's the app I can't live without and use everyday.

Evernote is my external memory, I throw anything I want to remember here and can find it in one place. Notes from meeting at work, an article from the web about hot air ballooning, a picture of a scarf I want to knit; all of this and more can go into Evernote.

Take notes with text, voice, or photos and you can access them on the web, on your Mac or PC, and on your mobile device. They all sync together and can be searched, better yet this app is free. Check it out on your mobile device, it's available on iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows phone 7, and Web OS.

For true crime lovers, what could be more tantalizing than viewing the details of all the murders in Chicago between 1870 and 1930? Check out Homicide in Chicago 1870-1930, Northwestern University's Chicago Historical Homicide Project. Not only can you search 11,400 homicide records, by name, date, address, weapon used, and many other search terms, but links provide access to twenty-three crimes of the century and ten online articles detailing aspects of crime in Chicago during those decades.

This is also useful for students researching famous Chicago murder cases, organized crime during Prohibition, changes in criminal activity, and use of capital punishment.