“I was given a new wren house. I know that it has to face in a certain direction; what is it?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff enjoys these interesting questions about birds. Many of us didn’t realize that birdhouses had to hang facing in certain directions.
The Birder’s Miscellany: a fascinating collection of facts, figures, and folklore from the world of birds by Scott Weidensaul states that the overall dimensions of the nest box of a house wren should be 8”H X 5.5”W X 4”D with an entrance hole of 1.25”. It should be placed head-high in the yard or garden [p. 125]. Edward A. Baldwin’s Birdfeeders, Shelters & Baths has some very creative bird houses and feeders including ones which would be excellent projects to make with children. He also has ideas for keeping predators at bay.
The Audubon North American Birdfeeder Guide by Robert Burton and Stephen W. Kress has a chapter on nest boxes: selecting ones to attract certain birds, box design, positioning, cleaning, maintenance, building, and garden threats. Burton and Kress state that house wrens are hole-nesters who like enclosed boxes attached to garden fence posts or in or near shrubbery or the edge of a forest, rather than open nesters like robins. They also have good suggestions for making your garden bird friendly, including protecting them from threats. For bluebirds and tree swallows they suggest that box entrances face east in order to be warmed by the morning sun, but say nothing about the placement of house wren boxes. The Audubon North American Birdfeeder Guide has an excellent chapter on house wrens. This bird with the cheerful song is friendly to gardeners, eating many insects including grasshoppers, gypsy moths, cabbage butterflies, ticks and flies. The wren usually bears two clutches of eggs each year, so it is still not too late to get a house up in time for the laying of the second clutch.
While we’ve learned a lot about wrens, the patron’s question still has not been answered. It is time to search the Internet. The website, ChestOfBooks.com has books which can be read online for free. Carpentry and Mechanics For Boys by A. Neely Hall has a chapter on Wren Houses [http://chestofbooks.com/home-improvement/woodworking/Carpentry-and-Mechanics-For-Boys/Chapter-XXXVI-Wren-Houses.html]. This has very detailed information about wrens and their choice of house. It also states that they prefer that the opening of the house to face east. The patron had the information she needed and was heading outside to put up her new house.
library heading
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Car Trouble
“I’m having trouble with my car. Where are your auto repair books?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff instructed the patron in the use of our online catalog to find the location of the auto repair manuals.
There is a large selection of repair materials in the books numbered with 629s, but these did not have the information needed by the patron. After discussion with her, she said, “The problem isn’t with the engine, the wiring, or the body. The problem is with the seat arm; it has begun tilting downward and it is driving me crazy.” The library has purchased the use of the online database, AllData, which provides comprehensive automotive reference for domestic and foreign cars, trucks, and vans from 1982 to the present. Maintenance information, technical service bulletins, schematics and diagrams are included. Since access to the database is only available within the library, the patron ‘borrowed’ a computer using her library card.
All Data is accessed by going to “Library Databases” on the library’s homepage. Then from All Data, she selected the year, make, model and engine of her vehicle. It is possible to do a component search in All Data, but we first went to the Technical Service Bulletins. There was nothing of interest listed under Recalls, but there was an extensive list of things under Customer Interest. A bulletin was issued for “Armrest Angled Down on Front Driver or Passenger Seat When Seat is in Upright Position.” This was exactly the problem the patron was experiencing with her vehicle. She printed a copy of the information, including the instructions on how to correct the problem. Since the vehicle was still under warranty, the dealership repaired the armrest for her free of charge. It was interesting looking at all the noises reported by other customers who own the same vehicle. Apparently hissing, squeaking, whistling, squealing, fluttering, shuddering, vibrating, whining, clunking, popping, rattling, and itching noises have been reported to dealerships. This is a useful tool in understanding one’s vehicle, and learning what may be a concern which should be dealt with by a mechanic.
There is a large selection of repair materials in the books numbered with 629s, but these did not have the information needed by the patron. After discussion with her, she said, “The problem isn’t with the engine, the wiring, or the body. The problem is with the seat arm; it has begun tilting downward and it is driving me crazy.” The library has purchased the use of the online database, AllData, which provides comprehensive automotive reference for domestic and foreign cars, trucks, and vans from 1982 to the present. Maintenance information, technical service bulletins, schematics and diagrams are included. Since access to the database is only available within the library, the patron ‘borrowed’ a computer using her library card.
All Data is accessed by going to “Library Databases” on the library’s homepage. Then from All Data, she selected the year, make, model and engine of her vehicle. It is possible to do a component search in All Data, but we first went to the Technical Service Bulletins. There was nothing of interest listed under Recalls, but there was an extensive list of things under Customer Interest. A bulletin was issued for “Armrest Angled Down on Front Driver or Passenger Seat When Seat is in Upright Position.” This was exactly the problem the patron was experiencing with her vehicle. She printed a copy of the information, including the instructions on how to correct the problem. Since the vehicle was still under warranty, the dealership repaired the armrest for her free of charge. It was interesting looking at all the noises reported by other customers who own the same vehicle. Apparently hissing, squeaking, whistling, squealing, fluttering, shuddering, vibrating, whining, clunking, popping, rattling, and itching noises have been reported to dealerships. This is a useful tool in understanding one’s vehicle, and learning what may be a concern which should be dealt with by a mechanic.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Salt-free Rubs and Grilling
“I’ve been watching cooking shows about barbecue. They are always using a rub on the meat. I’m not allowed to have much salt, and salt seems to be a main ingredient. Can you find me a rub recipe with no salt in it?” The warm days we’ve been having, and the smell of grilling in the evening has the Newton Falls Public Library staff thinking about what could be a healthy replacement for salt laden rubs. Rubs are mixes of spices which flavor, tenderize and cure the meat before it is grilled. Salt has long been used as a major ingredient in the preservation and seasoning of foods.
According to the online article How To Make Herb Grilling Rubs by Annette Gallagher,
[www.howtodothings.com] there are two types, the dry rub and the wet rub. The dry ones are mixtures “of herbs, spices and salt that are rubbed on foods. Sometimes they contain a little oil or have prepared mustard mixed in so that they are damp rather than truly dry. Wet rubs are a cross between a marinade and a dry rub and sometimes contain vinegar or other tenderizing agents.” Vinegar would be an excellent substitute to use in place of salt for tenderizing.
There is no shortage of cookbooks about grilling in the library. Beginning with what seems to be the largest of the books, The Barbecue! Bible by Steven Raichlen; we were able to find a few recipes that do not include salt as an ingredient, Herbes de provence (French); Israeli rub; Indian roasted spice powder; and Colombo powder (French West Indian) which contains an unusual ingredient, toasted rice. Weber's Big Book of Grilling by Jamie Purviance and Sandra S. McRae also has a Southwestern rub recipe to tempt those watching their salt intake.
In our Internet search, we discovered a plethora of recipes for our patron and an interesting alternative to rubs called Mediterranean salt roasting. With this method, the salt never penetrates the food and is a perfect hybrid of steaming and roasting, ensuring no loss of aroma and flavor. The Salt Institute [www.saltinstitute.org] instructs that “salt roasting combines the nutritional benefits of gentle steaming with the flavor-generating properties of roasting. When the food is encrusted in salt, the salt fuses together to form an almost impenetrable barrier sealing in moisture and flavor. In addition, the contact of the food with the fused salt ensures a dry heat roasting on the surface, in much the same way as conventional roasting, except that the flavor is completely sealed in the salt casing.”
According to the online article How To Make Herb Grilling Rubs by Annette Gallagher,
[www.howtodothings.com] there are two types, the dry rub and the wet rub. The dry ones are mixtures “of herbs, spices and salt that are rubbed on foods. Sometimes they contain a little oil or have prepared mustard mixed in so that they are damp rather than truly dry. Wet rubs are a cross between a marinade and a dry rub and sometimes contain vinegar or other tenderizing agents.” Vinegar would be an excellent substitute to use in place of salt for tenderizing.
There is no shortage of cookbooks about grilling in the library. Beginning with what seems to be the largest of the books, The Barbecue! Bible by Steven Raichlen; we were able to find a few recipes that do not include salt as an ingredient, Herbes de provence (French); Israeli rub; Indian roasted spice powder; and Colombo powder (French West Indian) which contains an unusual ingredient, toasted rice. Weber's Big Book of Grilling by Jamie Purviance and Sandra S. McRae also has a Southwestern rub recipe to tempt those watching their salt intake.
In our Internet search, we discovered a plethora of recipes for our patron and an interesting alternative to rubs called Mediterranean salt roasting. With this method, the salt never penetrates the food and is a perfect hybrid of steaming and roasting, ensuring no loss of aroma and flavor. The Salt Institute [www.saltinstitute.org] instructs that “salt roasting combines the nutritional benefits of gentle steaming with the flavor-generating properties of roasting. When the food is encrusted in salt, the salt fuses together to form an almost impenetrable barrier sealing in moisture and flavor. In addition, the contact of the food with the fused salt ensures a dry heat roasting on the surface, in much the same way as conventional roasting, except that the flavor is completely sealed in the salt casing.”
Friday, May 8, 2009
Is 44444 Unique?
“Someone told me that Newton Falls wasn’t the only place to have a single digit zip code. Is that true?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff went directly to the United States Postal Service’s [USPS] website [www.usps.com] to check each single digit zip code and learn more about zip codes.
ZIP stands for Zoning Improvement Code. They began to be used on July 1, 1963 and were introduced by Mr. Zip. The trademark was designed by Harold Wilcox, son of a mailman and a member of the Cunningham and Walsh advertising agency, for use by Chase Manhattan Bank in New York for their bank-by-mail campaign. The first number in the code designates a general area, from zero for the Northeast to nine for the far West. The next two numbers refer to one of the Sectional Center Facilities used for processing the mail. The final two are for smaller post offices or postal delivery zones. The zip codes + 4 were implemented in 1983. The extra numbers help carriers deal efficiently with the many mailers sent out by companies. The USPS website has a great deal of useful and interesting information including about how mail has been delivered by steamboats, rail, Pony Express, air, missile, pneumatic mail tubes, and motorcycles. Two of their most memorable deliveries were the Hope Diamond and a chameleon sent from Fostoria, OH to Orlando, FL. The USPS has strict guidelines on the mailing of valuables and living creatures, so be sure to check their rules and instructions before placing items such as these into the mail.
Newton Falls is the only community to have a single digit zip code. The only other single digit codes are 22222, the Marine Corps Institute in Arlington, Va. and 55555, a post office box for Norwood in Young America, MN. As Young America, MN is often the address on rebate forms, we wondered if perhaps it is for a company. When the city was first given this zip code, it created the slogans Newton Falls has Zip 44444 and Zip City 44444, and the community celebrated Zip Day. We believe that our zip code has been used as both Jeopardy [television show] and Trivial Pursuit [board game] questions. Other interesting zip codes are 12345, General Electric in Schenectady, NY; 23456, Virginia Beach, VA; and 45678, Scottown, OH.
In the summer of 2001, David Rosdeitcher was named the Guinness World Record holder for the most consecutive zip codes identified at random. He can remember all the places connected to the 48,000 zip codes in the United States and many foreign countries [http://zipcodeman.com].
ZIP stands for Zoning Improvement Code. They began to be used on July 1, 1963 and were introduced by Mr. Zip. The trademark was designed by Harold Wilcox, son of a mailman and a member of the Cunningham and Walsh advertising agency, for use by Chase Manhattan Bank in New York for their bank-by-mail campaign. The first number in the code designates a general area, from zero for the Northeast to nine for the far West. The next two numbers refer to one of the Sectional Center Facilities used for processing the mail. The final two are for smaller post offices or postal delivery zones. The zip codes + 4 were implemented in 1983. The extra numbers help carriers deal efficiently with the many mailers sent out by companies. The USPS website has a great deal of useful and interesting information including about how mail has been delivered by steamboats, rail, Pony Express, air, missile, pneumatic mail tubes, and motorcycles. Two of their most memorable deliveries were the Hope Diamond and a chameleon sent from Fostoria, OH to Orlando, FL. The USPS has strict guidelines on the mailing of valuables and living creatures, so be sure to check their rules and instructions before placing items such as these into the mail.
Newton Falls is the only community to have a single digit zip code. The only other single digit codes are 22222, the Marine Corps Institute in Arlington, Va. and 55555, a post office box for Norwood in Young America, MN. As Young America, MN is often the address on rebate forms, we wondered if perhaps it is for a company. When the city was first given this zip code, it created the slogans Newton Falls has Zip 44444 and Zip City 44444, and the community celebrated Zip Day. We believe that our zip code has been used as both Jeopardy [television show] and Trivial Pursuit [board game] questions. Other interesting zip codes are 12345, General Electric in Schenectady, NY; 23456, Virginia Beach, VA; and 45678, Scottown, OH.
In the summer of 2001, David Rosdeitcher was named the Guinness World Record holder for the most consecutive zip codes identified at random. He can remember all the places connected to the 48,000 zip codes in the United States and many foreign countries [http://zipcodeman.com].
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Porter Wagoner's Ties
“I like the ties Porter Wagoner used to wear. Where can I buy ones like them?” This was an interesting multi-faceted question; who is Porter Wagoner and what did his ties look like?
Wagoner was a country music star, who got his start singing on the local radio station three times a week from the grocery store where he worked [The Comprehensive Country Music Encyclopedia p.405]. Known as the “Thin Man From West Plains” (Missouri); he is famous for his grand showmanship and his rhinestone suits [www.porterwagoner.com]. After signing Dolly Parton’s to his television show, they were duet partners for seven years [Comprehensive Country…p.406]. He died on October 28, 2007 at the age of 80.
The Internet was a great resource for photos of Wagoner and the ones on www.porterwagoner.net clearly showed examples of his ties. Some were small narrow bow ties with long tails; others appeared to be a neckerchief style also with long tails. Some of the latter had what looked to have a scarf slide at the neck. Searching for country western ties and neckerchiefs helped to identify the types Wagoner wore. The bow tie is known as a Kentucky bow tie or a Kentucky colonel bow tie. The other style is a western scarf tie, and seems to be reminiscent of neckerchiefs worn by cowboys. The style with the slide is the apache scarf tie. Our library patron will be able to search online or at stores that carry these ties. Wagoner also wore rhinestone covered, diamond shaped pieces between the openings of his collars. These had no tails and matched his jackets. We were unable to find any information about this type, and assume since they seem to match his rhinestone jackets, that they were custom made for him. Another popular style worn by many country singing stars is the bolo string tie.
For more information about Porter Wagoner, the library has a variety of books including Definitive Country: the ultimate encyclopedia of country music and its performers by Barry McCloud and A Century of Country: an illustrated history of country music by Robert K. Oermann. Ultimate Dolly Parton [sound recording] by Dolly Parton features a duet by her and Wagoner. The library can also borrow through interlibrary loan Popular and Collectible Neckties: 1955 to the present by Roseann Ettinger to satisfy curiosity about the many varieties of ties.
Wagoner was a country music star, who got his start singing on the local radio station three times a week from the grocery store where he worked [The Comprehensive Country Music Encyclopedia p.405]. Known as the “Thin Man From West Plains” (Missouri); he is famous for his grand showmanship and his rhinestone suits [www.porterwagoner.com]. After signing Dolly Parton’s to his television show, they were duet partners for seven years [Comprehensive Country…p.406]. He died on October 28, 2007 at the age of 80.
The Internet was a great resource for photos of Wagoner and the ones on www.porterwagoner.net clearly showed examples of his ties. Some were small narrow bow ties with long tails; others appeared to be a neckerchief style also with long tails. Some of the latter had what looked to have a scarf slide at the neck. Searching for country western ties and neckerchiefs helped to identify the types Wagoner wore. The bow tie is known as a Kentucky bow tie or a Kentucky colonel bow tie. The other style is a western scarf tie, and seems to be reminiscent of neckerchiefs worn by cowboys. The style with the slide is the apache scarf tie. Our library patron will be able to search online or at stores that carry these ties. Wagoner also wore rhinestone covered, diamond shaped pieces between the openings of his collars. These had no tails and matched his jackets. We were unable to find any information about this type, and assume since they seem to match his rhinestone jackets, that they were custom made for him. Another popular style worn by many country singing stars is the bolo string tie.
For more information about Porter Wagoner, the library has a variety of books including Definitive Country: the ultimate encyclopedia of country music and its performers by Barry McCloud and A Century of Country: an illustrated history of country music by Robert K. Oermann. Ultimate Dolly Parton [sound recording] by Dolly Parton features a duet by her and Wagoner. The library can also borrow through interlibrary loan Popular and Collectible Neckties: 1955 to the present by Roseann Ettinger to satisfy curiosity about the many varieties of ties.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Quit Smoking, Save Money
“I need to quit smoking; the new tax is costing me too much money. Do you have anything to help me?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff understands the difficulty in dealing with this addiction. An article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer [3/31/2009] states that with the new tax cigarettes in Cuyahoga County will cost around $6.20 a pack. The American Cancer Society’s website, www.cancer.org, has a smoking cost calculator. Being conservative, if our patron pays $6 a pack, only smokes half a pack a day, and could quit today; the savings would be $1095 in a year. That would seem to be a good incentive to check out some of the materials available.
The library has a new book which our patron might want to consider, The Enlightened Smoker's Guide to Quitting by Bear Jack Gebhardt. Often a method which works for one individual doesn’t work for another, so books may be borrowed from other libraries in our shared TiPL [Trumbull Independent Public Libraries] catalog. Some of the titles available are American Lung Association 7 Steps to a Smoke-free Life by Edwin B. Fisher, Jr. with Toni L. Goldfarb, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Quitting Smoking by Lowell Kleinman and Deborah Messina-Kleinman, and How to Quit Smoking Without Gaining Weight by Bess H. Marcus, Jeffrey S. Hampl, and Edwin B. Fisher.
The American Cancer Society’s website has a great deal of information to assist the smoker and those around them get through the transition to nonsmoker. Nicotine Anonymous [www.nicotine-anonymous.org] has a twelve step program offered at meetings in Trumbull and Mahoning Counties. They also offer telephone and Internet meetings. The Ohio Tobacco QUIT LINE 1-800-QUIT-NOW (or 1-800-784-8669) is a free telephone cessation service. Individualized tobacco-quitting guidance is supplied and eligible callers can be offered nicotine replacement therapy.
Options to help you while going through withdrawal are meditation and exercise. For meditation you might want to consider Yoga Journal's Yoga Practice for Meditation [videorecording], Quantum Wellness: a practical and spiritual guide to health and happiness by Kathy Freston, Meditation for Dummies by Stephan Bodian, or Breath Sweeps Mind: a first guide to meditation practice. The library also has numerous books and videos on various forms of exercise, dance, and sports to divert the mind and help to keep weight off while giving up cigarettes.
The library has a new book which our patron might want to consider, The Enlightened Smoker's Guide to Quitting by Bear Jack Gebhardt. Often a method which works for one individual doesn’t work for another, so books may be borrowed from other libraries in our shared TiPL [Trumbull Independent Public Libraries] catalog. Some of the titles available are American Lung Association 7 Steps to a Smoke-free Life by Edwin B. Fisher, Jr. with Toni L. Goldfarb, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Quitting Smoking by Lowell Kleinman and Deborah Messina-Kleinman, and How to Quit Smoking Without Gaining Weight by Bess H. Marcus, Jeffrey S. Hampl, and Edwin B. Fisher.
The American Cancer Society’s website has a great deal of information to assist the smoker and those around them get through the transition to nonsmoker. Nicotine Anonymous [www.nicotine-anonymous.org] has a twelve step program offered at meetings in Trumbull and Mahoning Counties. They also offer telephone and Internet meetings. The Ohio Tobacco QUIT LINE 1-800-QUIT-NOW (or 1-800-784-8669) is a free telephone cessation service. Individualized tobacco-quitting guidance is supplied and eligible callers can be offered nicotine replacement therapy.
Options to help you while going through withdrawal are meditation and exercise. For meditation you might want to consider Yoga Journal's Yoga Practice for Meditation [videorecording], Quantum Wellness: a practical and spiritual guide to health and happiness by Kathy Freston, Meditation for Dummies by Stephan Bodian, or Breath Sweeps Mind: a first guide to meditation practice. The library also has numerous books and videos on various forms of exercise, dance, and sports to divert the mind and help to keep weight off while giving up cigarettes.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
What Kind of Screwdriver Does a Triangular Screw Take?
“I have to take apart a small heater. It has a screw on it I’ve never seen before. The screw head has a triangle cut in to it. What kind of screwdriver does it take?” The patron had brought the small black screw along with him to show the Newton Falls Public Library staff. Those working that day had never remembered seeing one like it before either.
Classic Hand Tools by Garrett Hack had wonderful information and photographs about a variety of woodworking tools, but no screwdrivers. Machine Shop Basics by Rex Miller and Mark Richard Miller was filled with details shop practices and tools, but no screws. It wasn’t until we got to Millwrights and Mechanics Guide by Carl A. Nelson that we were successful in finding information about screws. It was interesting to note that there are three basic forms of heads: flat, round, and oval which use either a straight-slotted or Phillips type driver. Nelson gave examples of nineteen different kinds many of which fall within these groups; some with intriguing names like filister, bung, felloe, pinched, and piano. In addition to the slotted and the Philips, the Reader’s Digest Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual gave examples of the square-drive [Robertson], star-drive [torx], one-way, and hex-head [Allen], but no triangular. This book did give troubleshooting tips for problems with electric heaters.
Searching the Internet for triangular screws and screwdrivers brought up interesting results. Online shoppers can purchase triangular screwdrivers for use on watches, robot vacuum cleaners, children’s fast food meal toys, and we assume from the reference question, small electric heaters; and tri-wing Y ones for electronic game consoles. These are security screws, designed to deter those seeking to disassemble the product. Other security screws found were snake eyes, reverse thread, one-way slotted, and pin heads. There are also drivers made for removing each kind.
Classic Hand Tools by Garrett Hack had wonderful information and photographs about a variety of woodworking tools, but no screwdrivers. Machine Shop Basics by Rex Miller and Mark Richard Miller was filled with details shop practices and tools, but no screws. It wasn’t until we got to Millwrights and Mechanics Guide by Carl A. Nelson that we were successful in finding information about screws. It was interesting to note that there are three basic forms of heads: flat, round, and oval which use either a straight-slotted or Phillips type driver. Nelson gave examples of nineteen different kinds many of which fall within these groups; some with intriguing names like filister, bung, felloe, pinched, and piano. In addition to the slotted and the Philips, the Reader’s Digest Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual gave examples of the square-drive [Robertson], star-drive [torx], one-way, and hex-head [Allen], but no triangular. This book did give troubleshooting tips for problems with electric heaters.
Searching the Internet for triangular screws and screwdrivers brought up interesting results. Online shoppers can purchase triangular screwdrivers for use on watches, robot vacuum cleaners, children’s fast food meal toys, and we assume from the reference question, small electric heaters; and tri-wing Y ones for electronic game consoles. These are security screws, designed to deter those seeking to disassemble the product. Other security screws found were snake eyes, reverse thread, one-way slotted, and pin heads. There are also drivers made for removing each kind.
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