Trivia of the Week...

This week’s question is who was Marshal Warren?

My Personal Arroyo Book Club Favorite for 2013….

In 2013 the Arroyo Book Club read 12 great books.  We covered the classics… Moby Dick in September… historical fiction with The Virginian (historical now probably contemporary when written) & Master and Commander… travel with Travels with Charly… an American’s experience in pre-War Germany in In the Garden of Beasts… and more.  Looking over all the titles and remembering each book I have to say that my favorite was probably Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean. 

Disappearing Spoon tells the story of the periodic table of elements taking things element by element and providing a ton of colorful (& informative) stories about each.  As a lover of layman directed science books this was right up my alley.  I learned plenty of chemical trivia as well as actual valuable fact while reading this book and enjoyed myself doing it.  I would heartily recommend this book to anyone looking for an entertaining way to learn something new.

Events for the Week of December 30…

The library will close at 5:00 on Tuesday, December 31 & will remain closed on January 1.  We will reopen at the normal time on Thursday (12:30).  Things going on at the library during the week include:

• STAR Reader on Thursday (1/2) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (1/3) at 3:30

You can always check the Branch Page (http://www.lapl.org/branches/arroyo-seco) on the LAPL website for upcoming events or check out the Master Calendar (http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/calendar) where you can search for something specific across multiple branches.

TOW (& Answer)...

The question was what is the brightest star in the sky?  Bonus points what is its magnitude?  The brightest star in the sky is Sirius with a magnitude of –1.4.  Which leads to the interesting question of how can something that is the brightest have a negative magnitude?  It has to do with the way the brightness scale was constructed historically.  Ptolemy declared the brightest stars were of the first magnitude and continued on to the faintest starts at the sixth magnitude.  When the scale was codified stars that were brighter then the first magnitude were accommodated by being given 0 & then negative numbers.

The question (& answer) were taken from p. 48 of A Field Guide to the Stars and Planets by Jay M. Pasachoff.  The book was published by Peterson Field Guides in 2000.  

History of Highland Park…

This article (http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/10/520209.pdf) from the H.P. News Herald on 12/4/1958 describes the plans for what would become the second building on our site.  The article includes a description of the construction time line, the benefits of the new branch, and an artist’s illustration of what the branch would look like.  Take a look at it.

The Bride Wore Size 12

Meg Cabot’s series featuring ex teen pop-star, current NYC dorm administrator (and frequent body discoverer & murder solver) Heather Wells continues in The Bride Wore Size 12.  The series is light, fluffy, and amusing and this book continues the series in that fashion.  Here we have Heather finding the body of an RA just as the freshmen are moving into the dorm.  She (& her co-workers) are also dealing with a VIR (very important resident) and a obstructionist administration.  And, oh yeah, Heather’s planning her upcoming wedding.   Not to worry, of course, Heather works it all out.

I would recommend this book (as well as the others in the series) for those looking for an amusing hour or two. 

Trivia of the Week...

This week’s question is … What is the brightest star in the sky?  Bonus points what is its magnitude?

Events for the Week of December 23…

The library will be closing at 1:00 on December 24 and will be closed all day on the 25^th.  Things going on at the library during the remainder of the week include:

• STAR Reader on Thursday (12/26) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (12/27) at 3:30
• Arroyo Book Club meeting on Saturday (12/28) at 3:00

You can always check the Branch Page (http://www.lapl.org/branches/arroyo-seco) on the LAPL website for upcoming events or check out the Master Calendar (http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/calendar) where you can search for something specific across multiple branches.

TOW (& Answer)...

There are any number of answers to this week’s question… can you think of a proverb that deals with interest (as in concern)?  Among them are:

• Everyone speaks for his own interest.
• He who makes an idol of his interest makes a martyr of his integrity.
• Interest blinds some people, enlightens others.
• It is in his own interest that the cat purrs.
• When interest is lost, memory is lost.
• Would you persuade, speak of interest, not of reason.

The question (& answer) were taken from p. 333 of A Dictionary of American Proverbs edited by Wolfgang Mieder, et al. The book was published by Oxford University Press in 1992. 

Takedown Twenty

Stephanie Plum is back in Evanovich’s latest … TakedownTwenty.  Fans of the series will enjoy this installment as it is as full of humor as the rest.  In this volume Stephanie’s bounty hunting brings her into contact with a serial killer.  She manages to have a career crisis (& resolve it), bring in her usual array of court dodgers, and even resolve the serial killer mystery, as well as uncover an urban giraffe on the loose.  All of this is a normal day’s work for Stephanie.

Recommended for fans of the series.  Will work for those who haven’t been following the series too.

History of Highland Park…

This article (http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/10/520212.pdf) published on 11/14/1947 in the Highland Park Journal reflects on the efforts taken to establish a library in Highland Park 53 years (from that date) earlier.  If you’ve been following these history entries the information will all be familiar to you.  A picture is included along with a bit of information about the first librarians.  Take a look.  

The Asylum

If you are a fashionista you might enjoy Simon Doonan’s reminiscences of his experiences in the fashion world.  In The Asylum we get a collection of his thoughts on a wide variety of topics.  This book takes a very meandering journey through Doonan’s life and experiences.  It is an interesting & amusing book and will appeal to those who find fashion interesting and not to others. 

Trivia of the Week...

This week’s question is… can you think of a proverb that deals with interest (as in concern)?

Events for the Week of December 16…

Things going on at the library during the week include:

• Budgeting Seminar on Monday (12/16) at 6:00
• Little Ones’ Storytime on Wednesday (12/18) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• ACA Information table also on Wednesday at 4:30 – drop in with your health care enrollment questions.
• STAR Reader on Thursday (12/19) at 3:00
• Introduction to Spreadsheets Class also on Thursday at 6:30
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (12/20) at 3:30

You can always check the Branch Page (http://www.lapl.org/branches/arroyo-seco) on the LAPL website for upcoming events or check out the Master Calendar (http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/calendar) where you can search for something specific across multiple branches.

History of Highland Park….

This article, “New Arroyo Seco Branch Library for Highland Park and Garvanza,” was published in the Highland Park Herald on 6/7/1913.  It provides a description of the plan for building the new library and includes an artist sketch of the building and of the floor plan.  Take a look.  

TOW (& Answer)...

The question was Where did the town of Claremont (CA) get its name?  Let me answer by quoting from our source:

The Pacific Land and Improvement Company, a subsidiary of the Santa Fe Railroad, offered to name the town, which it platted in 1887, for H. A. Palmer, owner of the land.  Mr. Palmer declined the honor and suggested a number of Spanish names descriptive of the grand view of the mountains.  The directors, from Boston, called for equivalents in their own language, and influenced by one among them who formerly lived in Claremont, New Hampshire, chose the present name.

 The question (& answer) were taken from p. 81 of California Place Names by William Bright.  This edition of the book was published by the University of California Press in 1998. 

Learn4Life

Are you anxious to pick up some new skills for your job, for your personal life, for fun?  Learn4Life is an electronic resource offered by LAPL.  It…

Offers a wide range of highly interactive online courses.   All of the courses are free, and led by expert instructors. Courses run for six weeks and new sessions begin every month. Subjects offered are Career and Professional, Computers and Technology, Personal Development and Writing and Publishing.”

You can find it on the library’s Research and Homework page in the L’s (http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-and-homework#L).  To access it from a non-library computer you will need your library card.  Check out the flyer (http://www.lapl.org/sites/default/files/articles-and-information/pdfs/13-02flyer.pdf) for additional information.

Chronicles of Kazam

 

When I belatedly discovered that one of my favorite authors, Jasper Fforde, had written a Young Adult series I immediately rushed out and got both entries. The books, The Last Dragonslayer and The Song of the Quarkbeast follow the adventures of Jenny Strange (a foundling) as she attempts to run Kazam Mystical Arts Management.  Kazam Mystical Arts Management is a business that manages the activities of a number of magic users in a world where (at least initially) magic is gradually declining.  Jenny deals with obstreperous employees, dastardly big business interests, egoistical government, & more as she strives to keep the business afloat and make the world a better place.  The books are interesting, engaging, entrancing, etc.  I would heartily recommend them.

By the way, if you haven’t read Fforde’s Thursday Next series you really should. 

Telescope Night…

The ever-popular Telescope Night returns (weather permitting) to the Arroyo Seco Library on Wednesday, December 11.  We will begin at 6:00 and wrap things up shortly before the library closes at 8:00.  Mark your calendar and plan to drop by.

For those who don’t know what Telescope Night is…  During Telescope Night a group of local astronomers, the Sidewalk Astronomers (http://www.sidewalkastronomers.us/), sets up telescopes outside the library and points them at objects of interest in the night sky.  Everyone is invited to take as many turns as they’d like looking through the telescopes.  The Sidewalk Astronomers are very knowledgeable and will answer your questions & chat about how they made the telescopes.  Bring your questions with you.

Events for the Week of December 9…

Things going on at the library during the week include:

• Teen Program – Gift Bag Decorating – on Tuesday (12/10) at 4:00
• Little Ones’ Storytime on Wednesday (12/11) at 10:30
• Computer Basics Class also on Wednesday (12/11) at 12:00
• STAR Reader on Wednesday (12/11) at 3:00
• ACA Information table also on Wednesday (12/11) at 5:00 – drop in with your health care enrollment questions.
• Telescope Night on Wednesday (12/11) starting at 6:00 (weather permitting)
• STAR Reader on Thursday (12/12) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (12/13) at 3:30

You can always check the Branch Page (http://www.lapl.org/branches/arroyo-seco) on the LAPL website for upcoming events or check out the Master Calendar (http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/calendar) where you can search for something specific across multiple branches.

Trivia of the Week...

This week’s question is:  Where did the town of Claremont (CA) get its name?

Nickel and Dimed

Barbara Ehrenreich provides us with a telling look at trying to survive in America while working for minimum or low wage in Nickel and Dimed.  Although the book was published in 2001 the world described is still one that many Americans must deal with daily.  Definitely a book worth reading. 

TOW (& Answer)...

The question was who designed the Los Angeles Public Library’s Central Library?  The Central Library was designed by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue in 1924. 

The question (and answer) were taken from p. 87 of California Architecture by Sally B. Woodbridge.  The book was published by Chronicle Books in 1988. 

Three Parts Dead

Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone is set in a world quite different from ours.  Gods exist, though they are vulnerable to outside agency, and people can develop (hone?) power.  In this tale we follow the adventures of a young necromancer, assistant to a big wig, as they look into the circumstances surrounding the death of one of these gods.  The book is quite enjoyable except for the fact that the villain is a little too villainous.  What do I mean?  There comes a point when a villain is so bad, evil, without redeeming characteristics that the whole thing just becomes ridiculous and you start wondering why the protagonist doesn’t just throw up her hands, say the hell with this, and kill herself.  Anyway if you can overlook villainy that crosses over the border into pastiche then the book is worth a read.

How to Teach Physics to Your Dog

In How to Teach Physics to Your Dog Chad Orzel writes a basic introduction to the fundamentals of quantum mechanics through the lens of his dog Emmy.  (Basically Emmy provides the narrative connection between the heavy science bits).  The book is aimed at the layman and endeavors to cover the quantum mechanics concepts that people might have heard about in other contexts and explain them correctly.  Among the topics covered are the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, the many-worlds interpretation, quantum entanglement, and the misuses of quantum physics.

All in all a good book for someone looking to gain a very basic understanding of an interesting area of physics.