Safety in the Summertime

Written by Jon Williams

Summer vacation. The break from school can be a delight for the kids, but it’s not always so easy for the adults in their lives. Here are a few resources your library can offer for parents, babysitters, and other caregivers to learn to keep kids safe during their favorite time of year.

One of the highlights of the summer season is hitting the pool or the beach on a hot day. While it’s good for a fun-filled excursion, the water presents a unique set of dangers. While there’s no substitute for good swimming lessons with a qualified instructor, it’s important for a child to know some general water safety tips. Make My World Safe…Around Water presents some important information in this regard. For patrons who have pools in their own backyards, Swimming Pool Inspection can help them make sure the pool itself is as safe as it can be. And exposure to the sun calls for some safety measures, too.

The pool is by no means the only place where safety is paramount. Another entry in the Make My World Safe series deals with keeping children safe on the playground. If they’re involved in sports (organized or otherwise) there are always some issues to consider. Bicycle safety is important for kids on the go, as is neighborhood safety. And it’s always important to remember that safety starts at home; that’s especially true as kids advance into their teenage years, when they may occasionally find themselves home (or elsewhere) alone.

Of course, no matter how much safeguarding you do, there’s always the possibility that an accident can happen. If one does, having someone who knows how to respond can be vital. To that end, caregivers should have a basic knowledge of first aid. That covers a wide variety of situations, from cuts and animal bites to broken bones and concussions. For more specific emergencies, CPR training can come in handy, and it’s important to note that the process is slightly different for adults and teenagers than for infants and children.

This is just a small sampling of products offered by Midwest Tape that promote safety and emergency preparedness. For more, head over to our website and search terms like ‘safety,’ ‘first aid,’ and ‘CPR.’

Kick Grilling Season Off Right

Written by Kyle Slagley

For many people across the country, this weekend will be the first of many installments in this year’s grilling season. Guys everywhere are stocking up on charcoal, checking igniters, and quite possibly practicing their tong-twirling skills in the mirror as though they were the John Wayne of cookouts - not that I’ve ever done that or anything.

As with any other style of cooking, grilling takes a certain amount of skill, care, and finesse in order to master. Burgers don’t cook the same way as a T-bone, and charcoal is different than propane. If you have a vegetarian in the house like I do, squash doesn’t grill like an ear of corn, and veggie burgers definitely do not cook like hamburgers. I definitely found that out the hard—aka: charred beyond edible—way.

Lest you be one of those people who simply tosses the meat on the grill, walks away for 30 minutes, and takes it off when it’s about the texture of shoe leather, it will benefit you, your family, and your guests to brush up a little bit this summer. Whether you fancy yourself a grillmaster or a greenhorn, there are a few informative videos that may help out even the most seasoned BBQer.

BBQ Tech – One of the primary rules of cooking in general is to know your equipment, be it a stove, oven, pot, or grill. In this video, the History Channel takes you to the Weber factory to see how the grills are made. You’ll also get some insight into the history of barbecuing.

Barbecue – A Texas Love Story – Folks in Texas are very proud of their barbecuing culture, to say the least. This video gives a humorous-but-accurate look at how nearly every aspect of Texas life, in one way or another, ties back to barbecue.

Primal Grill with Steven Raichlen – When it comes to techniques, sauces, rubs, and recipes, there are about as many different opinions as there are people. Worry not, though; Steven Raichlen is here to guide you through all of the details.

BBQ Secrets – Master Guide to Extraordinary BBQ – I found this video to be a little more helpful for a more experienced griller. There’s a lot of information in here about all the different elements of grilling so it may seem like overkill to any but those who fancy themselves grilling aficionados.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a hobby if someone, somewhere, didn’t turn it into a competition! Be sure to check out: BBQ Pitmasters, All-Star BBQ Showdown, Barbeque Championship Series, and Now You’re Cookin’- Inside The World of Championship Barbecue.

And just to get the season started off right, here’s some background music for your weekend cookout.

Big Summer Release Film Trailers

Never judge a book by its cover. But can you judge a film by its trailer? See for yourself. Here are the latest trailers for the big summer releases, beginning with today’s opening of The Dictator.

The Dictator (May 16): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C3KzALgzIc

Battleship (May 18): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb9aGzG75ZQ

What to Expect When You’re Expecting (May 18): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQTetUGvKWk

Men in Black 3 (May 25): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2r9AIfYcV8

Chernobyl Diaries (May 25): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp9xuquibQc

Moonrise Kingdom (May 25): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_azVjNO5jTw&feature=fvst

Snow White and the Huntsman (June 1): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgfYBJoPFFw

Piranha 3DD (June 1): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRP1F8qLFn0

Prometheus (June 8): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1byZkbNB3Jw

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (June 8): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlkWVkpP59U

Rock of Ages (June 15): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2VFzktDSJI

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (June 22): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNFf8DjzaqA

Brave (June 22): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_GeQmhxc6g

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (June 22): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4fwCCVt9yk

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (June 29): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNUBV9trDoA

Magic Mike (June 29): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG8JhXV4Wdk

The Amazing Spider-Man (July 3): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpKPiHYJc54&ob=av3e

Savages (July 6): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8imzQaoEwsA

 Ice Age: Continent Drift (July 13): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yFM32FwrDk

Ted (July 13): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fbo_pQvU7M

The Dark Knight Rises (July 20): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8evyE9TuYk

The Watch (formerly Neighborhood Watch) (July 27): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2X-R_PR6xs

Step Up Revolution (July 27): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdamC7jUrjs

The Bourne Legacy (August 3): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnsAU3iH6Sk

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (August 3): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P82CNPxjqk

Total Recall (August 3): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GljhR5rk5eY

The Campaign (August 10): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7yC0iiK7a4

Hope Springs (August 10): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s22_Mvikl8

Sparkle (August 10): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55cuiV9yL6Q

The Odd Life of Timothy Green (August 15): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMSkbH0LuTc

The Expendables 2 (August 17): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rkdTcQLwZ4

ParaNorman (August 17): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv_62S6dS4k

Premium Rush (August 24): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn6ie1zCkZU

Lawless (August 31): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csLbNO5cYSM

written by Kirk Baird

SUMMER FILM PREVIEW

Written by Kirk Baird

Summer officially kicks off June 20. But unofficially it begins today with The Avengers. The highly anticipated Marvel superheroes extravaganza launches the summer film season, a four-month lineup of original blockbusters and must-see sequels. Here are 10 highlights.

Today:

The Avengers. Comic-book geek Josh Whedon made the mother of all superhero films, featuring an all-star cast of do-gooders — Iron Man, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America, Hawkeye, and Black Widow — who unite to stop an evil god and an invading army of aliens. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, and Tom Hiddleston.

May 11:

Dark Shadows. Tim Burton’s comic take on the 1960s cult TV soap opera features Johnny Depp as the vampire Barnabas Collins, who is freed from two centuries of entombment to face the witch who imprisoned him as well as the even more frightening early 1970s. Also starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green, Jonny Lee Miller, and Chloë Grace Moretz.

June 1:

Snow White and the Huntsman. Charlize Theron camps it up in a deliciously evil performance as the witchy queen obsessed with being the fairest of them all, with Kristen Stewart’s beautiful Snow White as the one who stands in her way. Also starring Chris Hemsworth.

June 13:

Prometheus. Ridley Scott revisits the Alien franchise, as a group of outer-space explorers discovers a clue to the origins of humanity ... and then must battle to save it. Starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Logan Marshall-Green, and Idris Elba.

June 22:

Brave. Pixar looks to regain its magic touch after last summer’s disappointing Cars 2, with the story of Merida, the impetuous daughter of a Scottish king and queen, who defies tradition and must undo a terrible curse. Featuring the voices of Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Julie Walters, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, and, of course, John Ratzenberger.

July 3:

The Amazing Spider-Man. Only a decade since the first Spider-Man movie, the Web crawler is back in another story of how Peter Parker acquired his amazing powers and what he decides to do with them. Andrew Garfield is the new Spider-Man and Rhys Ifans is his new nemesis, the Lizard. Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, and Sally Field.

July 6:

Savages. Based on the New York Times best-selling crime novel by Don Winslow, Savages is the story of a trio of friends and marijuana growers who wage war against the Mexican drug cartel. Oliver Stone’s violent drug drama looks like Natural Born Killers-meets-Scarface. Starring Aaron Johnson, Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Benicio Del Toro, John Travolta, Salma Hayek, and Emile Hirsch.

July 13:

Ted. Directed by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, the R-rated Ted is the amusing tale of a grown man who must deal with a rude and crude teddy bear come to life as a result of a childhood wish. Starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis, with the voice of MacFarlane.

July 20:

The Dark Knight Rises. Christopher Nolan completes his Batman trilogy with the masked vigilante (Christian Bale) facing off against the only comic-book villain who ever "broke the bat," Bane (Tom Hardy). Figuring into the plot is Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Anne Hathaway). Also starring Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Morgan Freeman.

Aug. 3:

The Bourne Legacy. Jeremy Renner takes over for Matt Damon as another super agent, Aaron Cross, who goes rogue. The Bourne Legacy was co-written and directed by Tony Gilroy (Duplicity), who wrote the screenplays for the original trilogy based on the Robert Ludlum novels. Also starring Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Albert Finney, Joan Allen, Scott Glenn, and Stacy Keach.