Cecil County Public Library - Adults - People Are Asking

People are Asking Column Archive

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March 9th, 2010 - Dear Librarian: Could Maryland ever have an earthquake?

The whole world seems like it’s shaking these days. Images of the devastation that has wrecked Chile and Haiti are chilling. We have all been hearing on the news how earthquakes are the result of seismic energy caused by sudden movement which most often occurs along the boundaries of tectonic plates. This is why areas where two plates meet are prone to earthquakes. Maryland is fortunate to be located in the middle of a crustal plate, meaning the risk of damage due to earthquakes in Maryland is low. However, earthquakes are not limited to the boundaries of tectonic plates and Maryland has had its share of minor intraplate earthquakes. In fact, you might have experienced one. According to the Maryland Geological Survey, Cecil County experienced two earthquakes in 1996, in both Perryville and Rising Sun. These quakes were very small, registering only 2.2 on the Richter scale, meaning they were barely perceptible to residents. Learn more about the Richter scale at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/richter.php.

Despite nearly 61 recorded earthquakes between 1758 and 2002, Maryland residents are more likely to feel the effects of a quake originating outside of the state, such as the 4.1 quake originating south of Lancaster PA that occurred on April 22nd in 1984. It cracked windows in Elkton and shook pictures off the walls in Conowingo homes. The latest earthquake to cause real damage on the East Coast happened back in 1886 in Charleston South Carolina. That quake registered a 6.5-7.0 on the Richter scale, and the effects were felt even here in Maryland.

Maryland earthquakes may be more likely to give you a foot massage than to bring down any buildings, but school teachers can still use these tremors to give students experience in the sciences. The Incorporated Research Institutions of Seismography offers the Seismographs in Schools program where teachers can apply to receive a free seismometer for their classroom and training on how to use it. Visit them on the web at http://www.iris.edu/hq/sis for information about the program or check out the IRIS homepage for a wealth of seismology related information. You can learn more about earth quakes in Maryland from the Maryland Geological Survey website at http://www.mgs.md.gov/esic/brochures/earthquake.html or pick up a copy of Maryland’s Geology by Martin F. Schmidt, Jr.

March 2nd, 2010 - Dear Librarian: Could there be any poisonous plants in my backyard?

Everyone knows about poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac, but what about the innocent looking weeds and flowers growing around our homes? MISC.org, a Web site cataloging the invasive species of concern in Maryland, lists several plant species to watch out for in your backyard. Black and pale swallow-worts, for example, are invasive species that contain the chemical compound vincetoxin which is poisonous to humans. These plants are not only harmful to humans, but are known to twine around other plants and form thick mats of vegetation that can trap animals.

Another plant to look out for is poison hemlock, the plant that famously killed the philosopher Socrates. Poison hemlock is hard to spot because it resembles other common plants in Maryland, such as Queen Anne’s lace, parsley, and fennel, but unlike those friendly plants, poison hemlock contains dangerous amounts of the chemicals coniine and gamma-conicine. Consuming large quantities of this plant can result in respiratory failure and death.

According to the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, the plant species Colchicum, which include flowering plants including the crocus, is very poisonous because it contains the alkaloid colchicine. The roots and seeds of these plants have been used for medicinal purposes, but the ingestion of less than one flower can be deadly.

The seemingly innocuous daffodil and the entire plant species Narcissus can also pose a threat as well. While the stem and flowers of this plant are harmless, the bulbs can be mistaken for edible onions and contain the alkaloid poison lycorine. Ingestion of lycorine can result in nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Florists have also been known to suffer from “daffodil itch” because the leaves of this flower can contain calcium oxalate in the sap.

For more information about poisonous plants in Maryland, check out “A Field Guide to Venomous Animals and Poisonous Plants of North America” by Foster and Caras, or visit us at the Rising Sun Branch Library on Saturday, March 6 at 1 p.m. for “Wicked Plants,” a program led by master gardeners about poisonous, lethal, and invasive plants.

February 23rd, 2010 - I’ve been trying to save money by buying generic brands instead of name brands recently, but my kids complain about the difference in taste. It made me wonder – how much of a difference is there between the store brand and the national label brand?

Great question, and with an average difference in price of about 25 to 50 percent between generic brands and name brands, the savings can really add up. For the most part the generic and the name brand are literally the same product – including being manufactured by the same company. For example, Birds Eye frozen foods, and Del Monte canned vegetables both make the generic brands of the same products that you’ll find on the same shelf at the market. However, not every item is going to match up exactly between store and national brands. Each store sets different specifications for the product, which may include using lesser quality ingredients to save money. You can always compare the ingredient listing on the nutritional label to see how each one stacks up. If most of the national brand items are the same as the store brand items, then what exactly are you paying for? For the most part it’s the name brand on the box and the packaging that surrounds it. Research conducted by Dr. Tom Robinson in 2007 found that the main determining factor in taste was whether or not the item was wrapped in McDonalds packaging – even things like carrots and apple juice! Running a national advertising campaign and designing eye-catching packaging costs money, which is passed along in the ultimate price of the food on the shelf. The stigma surrounding store brands can probably be traced back to their creation in the 1970’s, when a recession and double digit inflation prompted retailers to offer generics for consumers who were suddenly much more conscious about price. The generics of the 1970’s came in plain white packaging and were often of far lesser quality than their national brand rivals. However, quality has increased dramatically over the years, and according to a recent Consumer Reports study, conducted last year, store brands tasted as good as national brands about 70% of the time. Store brand purchasing used to fluctuate with changes in the economy, but over the past ten years, store brands have seen a steady increase in sales every year. Even with all of this in mind, it can still be hard to convince a picky eater. If your kids insist that they can taste the difference, NetWellness.org recommends doing a blind taste test with the two items. Offer them both, unlabeled, and see if your kids can actually tell the difference (and chances are, they won’t be able to). This column was written using information from the Chow.com food blog, and the Consumer Reports article, “It pays to buy store brands” from the October, 2009 issue of their print magazine.

February 16th, 2010 - Dear Librarian: Why are there 10 nominees for this year’s Best Picture award at the Oscars? I’ve always thought there were 5 nominees.

If you can believe it, the Oscars always used to have 10 Best Picture nominees. For more than a decade the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (simply referred to in most circles as “the Academy”) the Best Picture award welcomed 10 nominees. In fact, in 1939 (which is arguably regarded as one of the best Oscar years ever) the ten nominees included classics such as “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Of Mice and Men,” “Stagecoach,” and the eventual champion “Gone with the Wind.” The 16th Academy Awards in 1944 was the last time the academy permitted a field of ten Best Picture nominees. After these awards aired, the Academy narrowed the contending field for its most prestigious award to five films. In June 2009, however, the Academy announced that it would again expand the number of nominees. Sid Ganis, the President of the Academy commented that, “Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going to allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize.” 2009’s nominees include the critical darling “The Hurt Locker,” the box office champ “Avatar,” the animated delight “Up!,” and sci-fi wonder “District 9.”. Catch up on these and more nominees at your local CCPL branch and see who takes home the big prize on Sunday, March 7th.

February 9th, 2010 - Dear Librarian: Every time I hear the expression ‘it warms the cockles of my heart’ I wonder, what are the cockles of my heart and why do they need warming?

If you could pull your heart out and take a look you wouldn’t see anything called a cockle and due to potential health risks, I don’t recommend trying. Instead, we turn to books and the word itself. “Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fables” suggests that the origin of the word may come from the Irish world cochall, which means hood or cloak, and that the term refers to the encasing of the heart. Another source, “Word Origins”, suggests the Latin word Corculum, which has the root Cor or heart. However, the author of the article admits that seems like a stretch. The article does tell us that the phrase was first recorded in the mid 17th century. If the root of the word can’t explain it, maybe the term is used as a metaphor. “The World Book Encyclopedia” tells us that cockle is a common name for 200 different types of shell fish from the phylum Mollusca, class Bivalvia, order Lamellibranchia, and family Cardiidae. No, I can’t say most of that out loud either, which is probably why these shellfish are referred to as cockles. Cockles are round or heart-shaped bivalves, meaning they have two shells that open and close like clams. Cockles also have ridges along the top of their shells which resemble ruffled potato chips. In fact, the similarities between a clam and a cockle may explain the expression in question. The term might have been used to mean ‘clammy’ or cold and damp. Besides a shellfish, the “Dictionary of Publishing and Printing” defines a cockle as “a bump or wrinkle on the edge of a sheet of paper caused by damp.” This reinforces the use of cockle as a word that has a wet feeling. So while the exact meaning is not clearly cited in history, the expression could mean that the action being discussed has warmed the cold, wet, wrinkles out of one’s hard-shelled heart.

February 9th, 2010 - Dear Librarian: Every time I hear the expression ‘it warms the cockles of my heart’ I wonder, what are the cockles of my heart and why do they need warming?

If you could pull your heart out and take a look you wouldn’t see anything called a cockle and due to potential health risks, I don’t recommend trying. Instead, we turn to books and the word itself. “Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fables” suggests that the origin of the word may come from the Irish world cochall, which means hood or cloak, and that the term refers to the encasing of the heart. Another source, “Word Origins”, suggests the Latin word Corculum, which has the root Cor or heart. However, the author of the article admits that seems like a stretch. The article does tell us that the phrase was first recorded in the mid 17th century. If the root of the word can’t explain it, maybe the term is used as a metaphor. “The World Book Encyclopedia” tells us that cockle is a common name for 200 different types of shell fish from the phylum Mollusca, class Bivalvia, order Lamellibranchia, and family Cardiidae. No, I can’t say most of that out loud either, which is probably why these shellfish are referred to as cockles. Cockles are round or heart-shaped bivalves, meaning they have two shells that open and close like clams. Cockles also have ridges along the top of their shells which resemble ruffled potato chips. In fact, the similarities between a clam and a cockle may explain the expression in question. The term might have been used to mean ‘clammy’ or cold and damp. Besides a shellfish, the “Dictionary of Publishing and Printing” defines a cockle as “a bump or wrinkle on the edge of a sheet of paper caused by damp.” This reinforces the use of cockle as a word that has a wet feeling. So while the exact meaning is not clearly cited in history, the expression could mean that the action being discussed has warmed the cold, wet, wrinkles out of one’s hard-shelled heart.

February 2nd, 2010 - Dear Librarian: How do mood rings work?

Mood rings were invented in the 1960s by a jeweler named Marvin Wernick. While visiting a doctor friend, Wernick observed the physician using a thermotropic strip to take the temperature of one of his patients. As Wernick watched the strip of heat-sensitive material changed colors, a new fad was born! Wernick used a similar material to create the fun and fascinating jewelry that we have today. Thermotropic is a term to describe the tendency of a material to change forms depending on the temperature. In the case of the thermotropic material used in mood rings, liquid crystals are aligned in such a way that they reflect light to show only one color at a time. As the temperature surrounding the material changes, the crystals react by twisting, thereby reflecting light in a different way and showing a different color. When the liquid crystals are cooler, they are more tightly packed and reflect light from the lower end of the color spectrum, like blacks and reds. When the crystals warm, they can move more freely and reflect light to show colors on the higher end of the color spectrum, like green and blue. In mood rings, a flat strip of liquid crystal material is nestled between the body of the ring and a glass or quartz dome. The color of the ring changes when your body heat causes the thermotropic material to change temperature. Mood rings act like a rudimentary liquid crystal thermometers. Unfortunately, no one has been able to prove that the changing colors in a mood ring are affected by the mood of the wearer. Mood rings are meant to display a greenish blue at the regular human body temperature, while warmer temperatures will cause the ring to display a deep blue, and colder temperatures will show green, yellow, and finally black. Even though our moods do not determine the color of the mood ring, it is fun to observe the changing colors throughout the day, so here is a little reminder if you’ve lost your mood ring color chart: violet blue means you’re happy; blue means you’re calm; green means you’re average; amber means you’re nervous; gray means you’re anxious; black means you’re very tense. If only it was that easy to determine a person’s mood! If you want to find out more about interesting inventions, check out “How Everyday Products Are Made” in our online resources, or take a look at the book “Why Didnt I Think of That?” by Allyn Freeman.

January 26th 2010, 2009 - Dear Librarian: What should I be looking for when buying an e-reader?

I don’t blame you for being confused; e-books are just now starting to become popular, so there are many different factors to consider when purchasing a reader. For those who don’t follow technology news an “e-reader” is a device that displays “e-books” on a portable electronic device. These devices can hold a whole library’s worth of material, have easy-to-read screens, and hold battery charge for up to 2 weeks at a time.

Right now there are three major options for someone in the e-book market: the Sony reader, the Amazon Kindle 2, and the Barnes and Noble Nook. Instead of going over each device individually, it might be more useful to cover what factors you’ll be considering when buying an e-reader. To start, there are different screen sizes. The smallest, the five inch Sony PRS-300, is priced at $200. The largest, the Kindle DX at 9.7 inches, is priced at $489. Pretty much all of these readers come in varying sizes and with different features (even within each brand). For example, there’s the 6” Kindle and the 9.7” Kindle DX. There are three types of Sony reader, the PRS 300, 600, and 900. Currently there is only one type of Nook.

Another factor to consider is whether or not your reader offers a wireless internet connection. The Nook, both Kindles, and the most expensive Sony (PRS-900) all do. What this means is that you can connect to online stores with your reader from anywhere in the world, and you don’t have to pay for this connection. If you buy a reader without a wireless connection then you must transfer files to it from your computer – devices like the Kindle or the Nook don’t require a computer to operate.

Each reader is controlled in a slightly different way. The Sony readers and the Nook all have touch screens, which means that you simply press your finger to the screen to flip pages, or choose which title you would like to read. The Kindle, on the other hand, is operated entirely with buttons on its faceplate, a keyboard, and a joystick.

Almost all of the e-readers offer some sort of access to free materials (either through Google Books, free items from their online store, or through our library’s e-book program). Whereas the Nook and the Sony readers work with our library’s online e-book service, the Kindle doesn’t, and is mostly limited to Amazon’s online store.

If you’re still on the fence about buying a reader, then it may be best to wait. As time goes on prices will drop, and features will improve. However, if you’re ready to take the plunge, it’s best to try out the reader in person before you buy (as you may find that you don’t like the screen, or the navigation). The Nook, for example, is on display at any Barnes and Noble retail store, and you can try Sony readers at certain Best Buy locations. It helps to read customer reviews, and to look through the online stores of each company (and check out what is available through our library). There are a few online resources that may help you in doing this, such as inkmesh.com (which is a search engine that compares prices for various e-book titles), http://www.cecil.ebranch.info/digital-library/eaudio-books--ebooks/ (which is a link to our e-book collection), and mobileread.com (a very handy blog and forum site that contains guides for purchasing an e-reader). Also, don’t think that the e-reader market is limited to Sony, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble – there are other readers to consider such as the HanLin, CyBook, and iLiad. I hope this helped. Once you know what you’re looking for, and how much you want to spend, it’s just a matter of finding the best product for your needs. Happy hunting!

December, January 19th 2010 - Dear Librarian: Why do antique maps have sea monsters on them?

The open ocean can be a terrifying place. Miles of seemingly endless water, storms that pop up at a moment’s notice, and unimaginable depths of water beneath your boat—it’s easy to see why sailors during the Age of Exploration (1400’s-1800’s) feared what lurked in the oceans depths. During this time, stories of marine beasts with surly dispositions and mammoth tentacles were common among seafaring folk. Cartographers, or mapmakers, relied on travel diaries of ships to gain insight into the coastline of “terra incognita,” Latin for “unknown lands.” Terra incognita presented a unique problem for early cartographers. Not wanting to mislead their customer base by depicting an incorrect coastline, it became common practice to illustrate the local flora and fauna of the terrain based on accounts found in sea diaries of early explorers. Also included in these diaries would have been the frightening encounters of marine beasts on the open seas. Armed with artistic license and terrifying tales, cartographers began depicting these monsters attacking unsuspecting seamen on the waters of the oceans. The sea monsters were often accompanied by the Latin phrase “Hc Svnt Dracones” translated in English to mean “Here Be Dragons” to warn future explorers of the dangers in the deep.

December, January 12th 2010 - Dear Librarian: How do they determine wind chill?

We have all felt the effects of the wind – and recently the weather has reminded us just how powerfully cold it can be -- but assigning an exact number to the difference between the actual temperature and how cold our bodies feel requires more than guesswork. Meteorologists use a mathematical formula-- 35.74+0.6215T-35.75(V^0.16)+0.4275T(V^0.16) -- where the Air Temperature (T) and the Wind Speed (V) are used to compute how cold the wind makes us feel. Don’t worry, the math is optional; the National Weather Service has constructed a chart that you can find on their Web Site at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/windchill/ American geographer Paul A. Siple first suggested the idea of wind chill. He and fellow arctic explorer Charles Passel conducted experiments during the United States Antarctic Service Expedition of 1939-1941. They used three instruments: one to measure temperature, one to measure wind speed, and one to record the temperature of water in their custom built “relative comfort thermometer”. They used the combination of these three readings to determine how much faster the water lost heat when there was wind. Their calculations were later corrected in the fall of 2001 when new experiments using real people in wind tunnels determined the results were not completely accurate. Wind chill is not about the air being physically colder. Rather the lower temperature reflects how quickly heat is lost from warmer objects, like people. A warm object placed into a cooler environment releases heat until it reaches the temperature of its surroundings, through heat conduction. Humans resist becoming the same temperature as their environment, but the increased speed of heat loss created by wind can tax the body’s ability to maintain the necessary temperature. Wind hastens the cool-down process by stripping the thin layer of warmer air that normally surrounds the surface of your skin. Thick clothing traps heat to your body and significantly slows the process. When our metabolism can’t keep up with the cooling effect, cells become damaged or frost bitten.

December, January 5th 2010 - Dear Librarian: How is my blood type determined?

January is National Blood Donor Month, but giving blood does not require you to know your blood type. Blood-typing is done after you have made your donation, along with other tests to screen blood for infections and diseases. According to the American Red Cross, health care providers need to know your blood type due to “the presence or absence of certain antigens – substances that can trigger an immune response if they are foreign to the body. Since some antigens can trigger a patient's immune system to attack the transfused blood, safe blood transfusions depend on careful blood typing and cross-matching.” First, the blood donation is tested to determine the blood group to which it belongs. There are four blood groups in all: A, B, AB, and O. These letters indicate the antigens that are either present or absent in the blood. Type A blood has only the A antigen on the red cells; Type B has only the B antigen on the red cells; Type AB has both A and B antigens on the red cells; Type O has neither A nor B antigens on the red cells. According to Medline Plus Medical Dictionary, to determine the blood group, a sample of the donated blood “is mixed with antibodies against type A and B blood, and the sample is checked to see whether or not the blood cells stick together (agglutinate).” Next, the blood is tested to determine if there is a substance called Rh factor on the surface of the red blood cells. The presence of Rh factor means that the blood is Rh+ (positive), while the absence of this substance classifies the blood as Rh- (negative). There are eight common blood types, but because the blood contains the antigens mentioned, your blood donation may not be able to help just anyone who needs a transfusion. Those with Type O blood can usually donate to those with any other blood type. Type A blood can be given to those with Type A or Type AB blood, and Type B blood works similarly. Type AB blood can only be given to those with Type AB blood. For the Rh factor, those who have blood that is Rh negative receive only Rh negative blood, while those who are Rh positive can receive both positive and negative blood. According to the Stanford School of Medicine, blood type AB- is the rarest blood type in the United States, found in only 0.6% of the population on average.

December, 29th 2010 - Dear Librarian: I was reading the news, and saw that Ben Bernanke was going to be named Time Magazine’s person of the year. It made me wonder… how long Time has been naming people of the year, and how exactly do they pick the person?

That is a good question (or set of questions, rather). Time Magazine, which has been in publication since 1923, first started featuring a “person of the year” in 1927. Charles Lindbergh was their inaugural choice, calling him “the most cherished citizen since Theodore Roosevelt,” for his transatlantic flight from New York to Paris earlier in the year. Throughout the years Time has chosen the honor based on the criteria that their pick has “for better or for worse ... done the most to influence the events of the year." In this respect, the person of the year often reflects the biggest story of the time. Bernanke, as chairman of the Federal Reserve, makes sense with all of the attention that the troubled economy has been getting as of late. Some other notable picks were FDR, Winston Churchill, Stalin and Hitler as the Second World War erupted at the end of the 30s and continued into the 40s. Almost every newly elected American president has made person of the year, as well as non-presidential leaders like Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Often the person isn’t a single person at all, but rather a group, such as “American Scientists” for the 1960 issue, or “American Women” in 1975. At other times it’s an invention (the personal computer in 1982) or a current event (the endangered Earth for 1988). Recently, in 2007, Time picked “you” (referring to the growing trend of social media available on the internet, not you specifically). All of this information is available on Time’s website (http://www.time.com), under the special feature for their Person of the Year issue. We have a great collection of magazines to read at your local library (including Time) which we keep up to date with the latest issues. If you’re interested in a particular title then you can feel free to give us a call to see if we carry it, stop by to browse our selection, or check out our magazine listing on our website at: http://www.cecil.ebranch.info/digital-library/magazines--newspapers/.

December, 22nd 2010 - Dear Librarian: Why are poinsettias associated with Christmas?

The story of the poinsettia starts south of the border. Originally called cuetlaxochitl by the Aztecs, this plant saw some of its first recorded human use as a red dye and a remedy for fever. On its import into the United States, the plant adopted the name of its most prominent American patron, Joel Roberts Poinsettia. Poinsettia was an amateur botanist and the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. He brought the plant from Taxco del Alarcon in southern Mexico to his native South Carolina in 1828. The man who claims responsibility for the poinsettia’s flowering role at Christmas is neither angel nor wise man, but an agent of capitalism, Paul Ecke. According to his company’s website, Paul saw great sales potential for a green and red flower that ‘bloomed’ in December. In the 1920s he took his poinsettias to florists around the country. His timing was perfect. The golden age of Hollywood was underway and anything from California was golden. The Ecke family milked the Hollywood connection, putting a poinsettia on every holiday special. The plant starred in the Johnny Carson Show and the Bob Hope Christmas Special. The plant is called Flor De Noche Buena or “Flower of the Holy Night” in Mexico, so Ecke may have imported the Christmas connection as well as the plants. Poinsettia pioneers or not, they are most certainly responsible for the presence of the poinsettias that color the holidays. Today, some 80% of the poinsettias in North America get their start at the Ecke farm. There is a lovely legend about a poor Mexican girl who had no gift to bring to Christmas Eve services. She gathered weeds so she would have something to offer. These weeds miraculously turned into the brilliant red ‘flower’ of a poinsettia-- an explanation much more in line with the holiday. Christmas miracle or marketing mastery, the poinsettia plant is also often physically misunderstood. Despite popular wisdom, the plant is not poisonous. It is not edible and its sap can irritate skin, but according to the Encyclopedia Britannica it is not deadly. Consumption is still not recommended. The red parts of a poinsettia are not flower petals. The flowers are the small yellow bulbs in the middle of the red bracts--leaves that have changed color. Now that we have a few points set straight about poinsettias, find out more about holiday plants at the website of the San Diego Natural History Museum: http://www.sdnhm.org/research/botany/hp-common.html or check out a book on botany at your local library.

December, 1st 2010 - Dear Librarian: I want to stop biting my nails. How do I do this?

If you bite your nails, you’re not alone. Lots of people share this habit, and although it’s not an easy habit to break, you will wind up with a healthier, stronger set of nails in the long run. There are several reasons why people bite their nails: boredom, stress, and the need for comfort. And although there’s no one scientifically proven be-all-and-end-all method to stop biting your nails, there are several options available to the persistent nail biter. One of the most popular remedies to combat this habit is a nail biting cream. This clear cream when applied to the fingernails is much like fingernail polish; it has a bitter taste to deter you from biting your nails. Most products like this can be found at the local drug store for fewer than ten dollars a bottle. Another similar remedy (and certainly less cringe inducing) is performing regular manicures. The reasoning behind this method is if you spend time (and money) on fingernail upkeep, you will not want to nibble on your nails. CCPL has several materials on manicure maintenance including “A Complete Guide to Manicure and Pedicure” by Leigh Tosielli and “Rescue Your Nails: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Perfect Fingers and Toes” by Ji Baek. A more extreme course of action lies in hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy for nail biting hones in on the idea that nail biting is an unconscious decision, and therefore can only be resolved on an unconscious level. However, this option is a bit pricier than a manicure or nail biting cream. Whatever option you choose, good luck, buena suerte, and bon chance!

December, 1st 2010 - Dear Librarian: Did geishas have their feet bound?

Foot-binding was a Chinese practice that began among wealthy families, while geishas were traditional Japanese entertainers. Some sources, like the Early Civilizations book “Chinese Life,” say that it began as long ago as 1,000 A.D., during the Song Dynasty. There are two legends that give different reasons for why foot-binding became popular. In the first legend, an empress was born with a club foot, so she demanded that all the women in China bind their feet as well. In the second legend, an emperor fell in love with a beautiful dancing girl who had the smallest feet and wore tiny bow shoes. The second legend gives us a better idea of why foot-binding became popular: for nearly ten centuries, small feet were considered a sign of beauty and wealth among the people of China. In his book, “The Land and People of China”, John S. Major gives this description of foot-binding: when a girl reached the age of five years old, her mother would wrap her feet tightly in long bands of cloth, bending the toes under the sole of the foot and forcing the arch into a high curve. This process was very painful and often took several years, until the foot reached the desired shape and length of three to three and one half inches. When a woman’s bound feet stopped growing, they would forever be twisted into what the Chinese called a “golden lotus” shape. Women with bound feet would then wear delicate silk slippers decorated with beautiful embroidery and jewels. Women with bound feet had difficulty walking any distances and those who could afford it were usually carried in sedan-chairs during travel. Before foot-binding became widespread in China, a woman with tiny feet signified to others that her family was wealthy enough that they did not need her to perform manual labor. However, as the practice of foot-binding became popular among the lower classes in China, young and old women worked in the fields while stepping gingerly on their crippled feet. According to NPR’s article “Painful Memories for China’s Foot-binding Survivors,” foot-binding was banned in China by the early 1900s, but some women continued to bind their daughters’ feet in secret. You can find more books about characters with bound feet at the library: try “Bound” by Donna Jo Napoli or “The Binding Chair” by Kathryn Harrison. For stories about geishas, try “Memoirs of a Geisha” by Arthur Golden or “Rivalry: A Geisha's Tale” by Kafu Nagai.

November, 24th 2010 - Dear Librarian: My wife recently decided that she wants to become a vegan. Is becoming a vegan the same thing as becoming a vegetarian?

Vegetarian, vegan. Vegan, vegetarian. Tomato, to-mah-to, right? Wrong! Although vegans and vegetarians are cut from a similar cloth, veganism is a natural extension of vegetarianism which incorporates not only a change in diet, but in lifestyle as well. According to “The Accidental Vegan” by Devra Gartenstein, a vegan lifestyle advocates a cruelty-free agenda through choosing to avoid or consuming animal products. This not only includes flesh foods like beef, fish, and chicken, but vegans also avoid eating any animal byproducts like eggs and dairy. Since one of the main mantras of veganism is to avoid any harm to animals, vegans go as far as not wearing wool, leather, down or any cosmetic product tested on an animal. The vegan diet at first doesn’t seem very exciting; it incorporates a lot of grains, as well as vegetables, beans and fruits. All of these foods are rich in nutrients and low in fat and cholesterol. If your wife has been a carnivore for the majority of her life, the idea of becoming a vegan may sound next to impossible. While the transition takes some work and time, there are many resources available to help your wife and family adapt to this change. The library offers a myriad of resources on becoming a vegan, vegan cookbooks and tips and advice on how to carry out this alternative lifestyle.

November, 17th 2010 - Dear Librarian: How do 3-D movies work?

Magic! Film makers use visual slight-of-hand. They know our brain perceives depth because our eyes are set apart. As each eye catches a slightly different view of the world, our brain melds them together and calculates depth. To create the effect of three dimensions on film, a filmmaker must deliver an offset image to each of your eyes at the same time, to trick the brain into calculating depth. Old attempts used two cameras and two projectors showing two tinted images. Colored lenses kept your right eye from seeing the image meant for your left. The process was imperfect--viewers often saw two images and developed a headache. Today the basic idea is the same. Use of high-end cameras and digital editing–called dimensionalizing--has made 3-D less of a headache. Increased speed in digital projectors allows 3-D movies to be shown with one projector that alternates images for your left eye and images for your right quickly so your brain processes them simultaneously. Viewers still wear glasses that filter out left eye images from right. There are two different systems:
1. Polarized lenses: According to Real D, a company that fits theaters for 3-D, a filter in front of the projector polarizes light sent to a specially treated silver screen. Images meant for one eye are circularly polarized to the right, the other to the left. Circular polarity lets viewers tilt their heads without disrupting their view.
2. Shutter Glasses: Glasses fitted with infrared sensors work with a traditional screen. Set in sync with the projection, they use liquid-crystal cells to darken the right eye while left eye images are shown. According to Popular Science magazine, the process of darkening and lightening happens in 300 microseconds.
What about 3-D at home? Wired magazine says that new HDTVs have a higher rate of frames per minute, meaning that 3-D may be coming to TV.

November, 10th 2010 - Dear Librarian: What is SAD?

Autumn is a beautiful season here in Cecil County: the leaves are vibrant and the air is brisk, but we also have to set our clocks back for Daylight Savings Time, and that means losing an hour of sunlight in the evening. According to the Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, a lack of natural sunlight may be the cause of Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder is defined by the Health and Wellness Resource Center as a mood disorder in which depressive or manic episodes occur at predictable times of the year. In most cases of SAD, a person might feel depressed, less energetic, and irritable, and may overeat or oversleep, among other symptoms. Some people call it the winter blues, and at least 10 million Americans suffer from some form of SAD. This disorder is more common northern regions where the changing of the seasons and lack of sunlight is more pronounced. Although the cause of SAD has yet to be definitively concluded, the American Psychiatric Association suggests that the shorter daylight hours in the fall and winter negatively effects the natural rhythms of a person’s sleep cycle, which could consequently cause an upset in the biochemical balance in the brain. The Health and Wellness Resource Center also says that melatonin plays a role in this disorder: because melatonin levels are higher at night or at times with less sunlight, an overload of melatonin in the body could leave you feeling drowsy or depressed. Physicians agree there are many measures one can take, such as phototherapy (light therapy), that can decrease the effects of the disorder. Light therapy involves exposure to bright light from 15 minutes to several hours per day. This light, usually a bulb that emits a light that is brighter than average indoor lighting but not as bright as natural sunlight, can be trained directly on the individual to reflect off of a surface onto the individual. There are also some basic measures you can take in your everyday life to ward off the symptoms of SAD, such as taking a long walk on a sunny day or arranging your home or office to allow more natural sunlight into your living and working space. Enjoy the sun and enjoy your autumn in Cecil County.

November, 3rd 2010 - Dear Librarian: My daughter is obsessed with the books from the Twilight series, and I’ve actually read them myself once or twice. We’re going to see the movie New Moon this weekend. It made me wonder: where does the Vampire myth originally come from?

Great question, reader! Quite timely too, since it seems like vampire fiction has been flying off the shelves recently. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, most famously, but also works by authors like Christine Feehan, Anne Rice, Stephen King, and Charlaine Harris. Vampires have been the subject of stories for centuries, changing with the times. Vampire-like creatures appear in the traditional folktales of Malaysia (the langsuyar), and Greece (the lamiai). The idea of a Vampire as a corpse returned to life probably originates in eastern European folklore as a way to explain mysterious deaths or problems in village life. These stories from the 12th century show the first signs of many popular vampire ideas: garlic, stakes through the heart, spreading contamination through their bite. It also helps to explain the origin of the word “vampire”, as the term used in Serbia was “Vampir” and in Russia, “Upyr”. The first time that the word “vampire” was used in an English publication was in 1732, as the story of Arnold Paole (a deceased man, thought to be a vampire responsible for odd deaths in his small Serbian village) was published in the “London Journal” and “Gentleman’s Magazine.” The first vampire in literature comes from an Italian writer named John Polidori, who was friends with the poet John Byron. While vacationing with fellow writers at a villa outside of Geneva, Byron suggested that they all write ghost stories to pass the time (one of the writers was Mary Shelley, who wrote the story that would become “Frankenstein”). This macabre session later inspired Polidori to write “The Vampyre: A Tale” in 1819. The main character in Polidori’s story, Lord Ruthven, is an aristocrat who seeks out the blood of innocent peasant girls. There were a handful of pulp novels called Penny Dreadfuls that copied elements of Polidori’s story, but the vampire novel didn’t gain mainstream popularity until Bram Stoker published the iconic “Dracula” near the end of the century in 1897, which was based in part on Polidori’s vampire, and also on the historical figure of Vlad the Impaler, a brutal Romanian prince. The vampire myth went in and out of fashion in popular culture, seeing a resurgence with the advent of film (“Nosferatu” in 1922, and “Dracula” in 1931). Today’s image of the vampire as a tragic hero, instead of a devilish villain, is a more modern idea, but many of the stand-bys of the genre trace their roots back through the earlier folk lore, and literary traditions. Want to know more about vampires? We have a lot of great resources in our non-fiction collection. This article was written using information found in “The Vampire Book,” by Gordon Melton. And, of course, we have a healthy stock of vampire fiction, including the Twilight series.

October, 27th 2010 - Dear Librarian: Is there a difference between a carousel and a merry-go-round?

This is a great question, and one that’s sparked a lot of debate among amusement park enthusiasts over the years. Some old wives tales claim that carousels have only horses and merry-go-rounds have horses as well as other animals, or that merry-go-rounds turn clockwise and a carousel turns counterclockwise. But the truth is; there’s no difference between them, they’re synonyms for each other. Taking a carefree joyride on a carousel is one of the staples of amusement parks today, but historically carousels have a much more pragmatic purpose. In Medieval Times, knights used a merry-go-round to train for battle. They would sit on a stationary block on wooden planks arranged in a circle suspended from a post. The knights would try to practice their accuracy by trying to thrust their moving lances through a stationary ring. From this rather gruesome tradition, carousels evolved into elaborate mechanical works of art that bring joy to young and old alike. After the Industrial Revolution of the 1880’s, merry-go-rounds became an essential component of any amusement park. According to the National Carousel Association, the golden age of the carousel was in early 20th century America. During this time, craftsmen began constructing elaborate animals, chariots and decorations for private leisure parks. Today there are 364 registered carousels in the United Sates and countless unregistered ones throughout the country. So next time you take a spin on the old merry-go-round, take a look and observe the fine craftsmanship and attention to detail that makes up one of Americas favorite leisure pastimes.

October, 20th 2010 - Dear Librarian: Is fluoride safe to drink?

Fluoride occurs naturally; it was only discovered as a useful weapon against dental decay because populations in areas with naturally high fluoride concentrations in the drinking water had a lower rate of tooth decay than those with low fluoride concentrations. Fluoridation, or the addition of fluoride to drinking water, provides this same benefit to areas without naturally high concentrations. A study by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) found that: “When used appropriately, fluoride is both safe and effective in preventing and controlling dental cavities.” How does it work? Tooth decay happens when plaque gets stuck to a tooth. Bacteria in the plaque metabolize sugar, releasing acids that eat away at the enamel. Fluoride reduces the PH or the corrosive ability of the acids. It works best when a little bit is always around in your mouth to help neutralize acidity. Fluoride can reduce cavities by up to 70%. How much fluoride do you need? The American Dental Association’s recommended fluoridation level is 0.7 ppm (parts per million) to 1.2 ppm. Your saliva naturally contains only 0.016 ppm. Non-fluoridated water contains, on average, 0.006 ppm. The CDC limits the maximum amount of fluoride that water should contain at 4 ppm, since too much can cause discoloration and pitting in the enamel of teeth. Most bottled water does not contain fluoride, and some areas, including most of Cecil County, do not provide fluoridated water. There are supplements available if your water supply does not have the recommended level. Curious about the level of fluoride in your water? All public water supplies are required to issue Consumer Confidence reports – a yearly report about the quality of the water they provide. Many of these reports detail the level of fluoride. You can find previous reports on Maryland’s Department of the Environment website: www.mde.state.md.us. If you have a well, contact the Cecil County Health Department at 410-996-5160 to have your water tested.

October 13, 2009 - Dear Librarian: I’m looking for information on the rules of dueling in America.

What a great question! The first recorded American duel was between two servants from the Massachusetts colony in 1621, a highly unusual situation because duels in Europe were exclusively fought between gentlemen. Even at that time, Europe did not have an official set of rules governing proper protocol, so it’s hard to say who decided what’s what in the duel between the servants. It wasn’t until 1838 that South Carolina Governor John Lyde Wilson made some tweaks to the “Code Duello,” a code of 26 rules produced in Ireland. (However, it has been said that Wilson had never read the Irish code.) Principle to the American code is that the duel is a regulated one-on-one battle in the presence of a “second,” a person or persons who could ensure that all things are equal. Additionally, duels are to be fought during the day to avoid “hot-headed proceedings,” unless of course the man needs to leave town the following morning. One of my favorite rules in the “Code Duello” is rule 5 which states that a punch is strictly prohibited (it is not becoming of a gentleman, of course) and an apology won’t suffice. Instead, the one who delivered the blow must offer a cane to the injured and apologize profusely. If the aggressor will not do so, the men must fire guns at each other “until one or both are disabled” or fire three shots and apologize – no cane necessary. If swords are used instead, the fight continues until one is “well blooded, disabled, or disarmed.” Another favorite is rule 10 which states “any insult to a lady under a gentleman’s care or protection [is]… considered… a greater offense than if given to the gentleman personally, and to be regulated accordingly.” Sounds to me like this was the precursor to today’s “yo mama” insults. But more than rules 5 and 10, rule 22 takes the cake: “Any wound sufficient to agitate the nerves and necessarily make the hand shake must end the business for that day.” I found this information on Maryland Public Television’s Web site dedicated to their film “The Duel.” Click here for a full transcript of the program. Personally, I like that dueling in America these days is limited to banjos. How about you?

October 6, 2009 - Dear Librarian: I just started ninth grade this year, and my English class is reading “Romeo and Juliet”. I’m totally lost! I can’t understand anything that any of the characters are saying. Can you recommend something to help me out?

I definitely know where you’re coming from. I always hated reading Shakespeare when I was in high school, and I didn’t really ‘get it’ until college – but it was definitely worth it when I did. The reason that Shakespeare is so hard to understand is two-fold: first, the version of English that was spoken during his time is slightly different from the one that we speak today. Shakespeare used a lot of slang, and puns, that were based on the current events of the 16th century, which doesn’t always carry over for modern readers. Shakespeare was also writing in a way that sounded good for the stage, more like a poem in some instances than a straight-up story. This style of writing has given his plays lasting merit, but it can also make them challenging to read. Don’t worry; there are ways to understand the plays enough to finish your assignments, even if you don’t fall in love with them. There are several series that have both the original text of the play alongside a modern English translation. This will allow you to grasp what’s actually happening in the story, and in turn will make it easier to understand the original text of the play. Our collection has “Simply Shakespeare” and also “Shakespeare on the Double” for a number of his more popular works (“Romeo and Juliet” among them). Another resource that our collection has is “The Sourcebooks Shakespeare”, which includes an audio CD of different readings of the play. We also have multiple copies of the “Essential Shakespeare Handbook”, which contains plot summaries, pictures from productions, and interesting facts about all of Shakespeare’s major plays. One thing that often helps with reading Shakespeare is to also watch a performance of the play, and Cecil County Public Library carries a few different versions of Romeo and Juliet acted for the screen. There is, of course, always the option of reading “Cliff Notes”, or using “Spark Notes” online, but teachers are well aware of these resources, and are skilled at recognizing when a student is being less than truthful about their work. Plus, after you get used to the style and the language, you may find that you’re actually enjoying Shakespeare. His work has endured for hundreds of years for a reason, and even though it may seem boring at first, it’s still relevant and entertaining today (in fact the 2006 movie “She’s the Man” was based on a Shakespeare work titled “Twelfth Night”). So, good luck with your class. Feel free to stop by the reference desk of your local library any time you have a homework question!

September 29, 2009 - Dear Librarian: I found a 1945 stock certificate in my basement when I was cleaning. How do I go about determining its value?

What a great find! Old stock certificates are becoming rare due to corporations keeping electronic records of stock ownership. An old stock may still be valuable even if you don’t recognize the company name printed on the certificate. So, let’s do a little research and find out if your 1945 stock certificate is a lost fortune, a collector’s item, or recyclable material. Determining a few points of key information will tell you whether or not to cash it in or toss it out. The most important determining factors are the company’s name and CUSIP (Committee on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures) number. The most basic question to answer is whether or not the company listed on the certificate still exists. To find this out you can research the company on one of the library’s online business databases or other commercial websites. CUSIP numbers are stocks’ unique identifiers. This number tracks changes and splits of the stock as well as information about the parent company. CUSIP numbers should be printed on the front of the certificate, usually in the bottom right corner. Once you’ve determined the holding company, you may now go about retrieving its value. If you’re inheriting the stock, contact a stock broker to transfer ownership and sell the stock accordingly. However, if the company is no longer public you still have some options. Scripophilists (stock collectors) may want to purchase the old stock as a collector’s item. So get to researching, you may be sitting on a hidden gold mine!

September 22, 2009 - Dear Librarian: I’ve been watching the TV show “True Blood” and wondering: could there really be such a thing as synthetic blood?

The concept of fully-synthetic blood is tempting for vegetarian vampires and medical professionals alike. Besides being able to slake the blood-lust and sustain the ‘life’ of the undead, synthetic blood could eliminate the dangers and shortfalls of transfusing blood from one human to another. The ideal synthetic blood would have a shelf life of at least a year, not be subject to blood typing, and be free of diseases. Synthetic blood must also fulfill functions of normal red blood cells such as carry oxygen to tissue and allow blood to clot. While scientists have found no true substitute, they have been successfully mimicking some of the functions of blood. Medical professionals have used Ringer’s Solution, a mixture of purified water, salt and chemicals, since the late 1800s. It functions as a volume expander to keep the correct liquid volume in the body. Substitutes such as Perflurocarbons can bond to oxygen and serve as a temporary replacement for the red blood cells to transport oxygen to cells throughout the body. Scientists have also attempted to use pure hemoglobin, the element that naturally carries oxygen in red blood cells. It is a more efficient oxygen carrier, and because it is not surrounded by a membrane, blood typing is no issue. However, hemoglobin products can be dangerous to the body when they break down. They can cause serious health problems like severe allergic reactions and kidney failure. Neither of these potential oxygen deliverers is approved for human use by the FDA. As recently as 2008, scientists discovered how to create human blood cells from malleable embryonic stem cells. By growing new blood from clean, type-O stem cells scientists could achieve many of the same goals as a fully-functional artificial substitute. However, due to the controversial nature of stem cell research, there are no type-O stem cell lines approved for use in the United States. While growing blood from stem cells would be a cruelty-free solution for vampiric consumption, it could hardly qualify as ‘vegetarian.’ So while scientists are working hard to find a fully-synthetic blood substitute, at present it is as much a dream of the imagination as the walking dead.

September 15, 2009 - Dear Librarian: I read the magazine “Real Simple” and saw that they have a blog. What is a blog?

Blog, wiki, Google, Yahoo, emoticon – is it just me or do many computer terms sound like perfect names for comedic wannabe superheroes? It’s hard to keep up with the computer lexicon, but blog is actually a shortened form of the term “weblog” which gives its meaning away. A web log, or “blog,” is essentially an online diary that can be accessed through an Internet connection in which the author or authors write entries in reverse chronological order. Blogs can be maintained by individuals, film fans, sports enthusiasts, corporations – you name it. Personal blogs are usually very simple and informal and are created by people like you and me. This is particularly popular with families that live far from each other and want to keep everyone in touch. Videos of a baby’s first step or photos of the kids’ first day of school can be easily posted along with written entries on life’s events, extraordinary or mundane. If you’re interested in creating your own blog, visit www.blogger.com and follow the simple steps to create your account. If you’re concerned about having your personal life broadcasted on the web, make sure that you mark your blog “private” to limit visibility to only include those you’ve given permission to view your blog. Group or corporate blogs can have some more advanced features for a price. As you mentioned, “Real Simple” magazine has a blog which has a lot of advanced features like areas on recipes, home organization and health. Our library also has a blog. Click here to check it out! You may also be interested in other Cecil County blogs which you can find listed on our website. One of my personal favorites is the Cecil County Historical Society blog. Blogs have become so engrained in our culture that in addition to being an official entry in the dictionary, our president also has his own blog. Visit www.whitehouse.gov to keep yourself updated. Thanks for your question!

September 8, 2009 - Dear Librarian: Due to this terrible economy I’ve been unemployed since the beginning of last year. I’ve been looking for a job the entire time, but I have no idea how to document my time without a job. Can you recommend anything?

This is definitely a tough situation to be in, but one thing to keep in mind is that there are many people in that exact same spot right now, and employers are aware of this. Human Resources representatives know when people are being dishonest with their work history. It’s best to give a truthful account of what happened and try to focus on all of the positive aspects that will make you a great employee. If you’ve been unemployed for a bit longer (taking time off to raise children, dealing with an illness in the family, or having just completed school) then there are options to present your work history in a truthful manner while still selling your skills to employers. Most of us are familiar with the traditional form of resume you may have learned in high school, listing each job by date and your responsibilities there. However, there are other resume formats which highlight your positive aspects and downplay any gaps in employment. For someone without previous experience, a “functional resume” is often a good choice. Even when not drawing a paycheck, you still have life experiences that will look appealing to potential employer; going to school, caring for a family, or volunteering in your community share skills that will sell you for a position. In a functional resume you list these skills and explain how they benefit the employer. If you have worked in the past but have taken some time off, a “combination resume” is also appropriate. A combination resume starts off with a list of your skills, followed by your work history. You can choose to include dates with your work history if you think it will help your resume, or leave them off. It takes time to write a professional resume, and our library system is here to help. Our “Resume Review” program allows you to email your resume to us in Microsoft Word format. One of our skilled reference librarians will make helpful comments and suggest improvements. Send your resume as an attachment to resumereview@ccplnet.org. For more information, read “Resumes, Applications, and Letter Tips for People with Not-So-Hot Backgrounds” and “The Blue Collar Resume and Job Hunting Guide” by Ron Krannich. Both titles are available for check-out in our collection. Good luck, and happy job hunting!

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

September 1, 2009 - Dear Librarian: How does skywriting work and who was the first person to do it?

Have you ever gazed up at the sky at the beach or a baseball game and watched a plane write a message in the sky? Fascinating, isn’t it? With each smoky letter, you try to guess the phrase, waiting with bated breath for the plane to be finished. Skywriting is done by a single plane in which a skilled pilot writes a message by maneuvering the plane to spell out a specific character. The pilot decides how much smoke is needed per letter and distributes it accordingly. A skywriter’s smoke is a mixture of paraffin oil (more commonly known as kerosene) and smoky plane exhaust. A single plane can handle up to six characters, longer messages can require up to ten planes. A typical letter is over one mile high, and a single message can span up to fifteen miles of sky! Skywriting is essentially an unconventional advertising technique. The message has the potential to reach a very large, captive audience. It grabs your attention longer than a roadside billboard or newspaper ad and has probably made a more lasting impression. In 1922, pilot Cyril Turner of the Royal Air Force transcribed “Hello USA! Call Vanderbilt” in the skies over New York City. After an overwhelming response to the advertisement, companies like Pepsi-Cola realized the benefits of this technique and began to incorporate skywriting advertisements into their public relations campaigns. So when it comes to skywriting, the sky’s the limit!

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

August 25, 2009 - Dear Librarian: How soon should I start preparing for college?

It is never too soon to get your collegiate aims on target. Because colleges may have entrance requirements more strenuous than your graduation requirements, in your high school freshman year consider what classes will allow you to advance to required higher level courses. As early as your sophomore year, think about what kind of school makes the best learning environment for you. Would you learn better with personal attention from professors? How much can you afford to pay? What schools have scholarships you qualify for? What majors are you interested in pursuing? Once some of these questions are answered, research what schools match your preferences. There are many free resources to help you. The library has books filled with information about different schools, like “The College Board Book of Majors” and “Bound for College Guidebook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding and Applying to Colleges.” You also may consider checking out Web sites like education.yahoo.com, which allows you to specify how big the school is and in what region it can be found. Consider visiting schools that meet your requirements before you apply. Consider applying to one school that you are very well qualified for (your safety school), several schools you would be a good fit for, and one school that you may be less qualified for (your stretch school). Research the admission requirements for each institution. Note what is required for admission. Standardized testing, essays, letters of recommendation, applications, and financial aid information like the FAFSA, all take time to prepare, and may require time for scores or letters to be processed. Make sure you start early, as most schools have regular application deadlines around January 1 of your senior year. Take standardized tests in time to get your results back before they are due to the college. The library has books and free databases with practice tests to help you prepare, such as the Testing and Education Resource Center. For more detailed guidance, visit collegeboard.com, which outlines what you should accomplish each year. For great information about schools in Maryland, visit www.way2gomaryland.org.

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

August 18, 2009 - Dear Librarian: How do hydrangeas get their color?

I remember a time when these kinds of questions seemed incredibly elusive. When you’re young, the idea that the sky is blue and the grass is green for a reason other than to just be pretty would be mind-boggling. But now that I’m older and I’m equipped with wonderful books, knowledge is just an arm-reach away. Multiple sources agree that hydrangea color is affected by the pH conditions of the soil. According to “The New York Times 1000 Gardening Questions and Answers,” aluminum is the key ingredient to color, an element made more absorbable when the conditions are acidic. So in this case, the more aluminum absorbed in acidic soil, the bluer the petals will appear. In the past, some have believed that “planting nails” around these gorgeous plants would control the color, but the presence of iron affects leaf color, not flower color. How can you control the acidity of soil? For more alkaline soil (red flowers), prepare the planting site with four ounces of lime which raises the pH level by one point. For more acidic soil (blue flowers), add aluminum sulfate. The flowers will be a clearer blue if you add potassium, but be sure to avoid nitrogen and phosphorus. Some acidifying fertilizers contain large amounts of these, so stick with single-element fertilizer. For more tips, check out our Gardening, Landscape, and Horticulture Collection database, available under the Digital Library Online Resources.

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

August 11, 2009 - Dear Librarian: My daughter is getting around to doing her summer reading (finally!), and she has to read Brave New World. We were looking at your catalog online, and we noticed that something called an electronic resource is available, but we weren’t sure what that meant. Is this like a book that she could download and read on her computer?

First let me say that your daughter has made a great choice – Brave New World is one of my favorite classics, and I’m sure she’ll have a blast reading it. In regards to your question, yes, an electronic resource is a book or audio recording (also called an e-book) made available through our library system in coordination with Maryland’s Digital eLibrary Consortium. It makes accessing your favorite titles a breeze as they are delivered straight to your computer. When you see a book in our catalog labeled “electronic resource,” click on the red “details” button to see a description for the item. When you click on “url” next to the heading “A Look Inside,” a new window opens with a handy plot summary, which formats are available, and other recommended titles. Next is the step to “check out” the title. Look for blue text that reads “add to cart,” and click on that. Much like the physical library, titles can only be checked out to one person at a time, so if the title is currently unavailable, you’ll see “place a hold” instead. You’ll be asked to indicate your library system and provide your library card number, found on the back of the card. All you need to do is click on “confirm check out” and you’re on your way to enjoying the book from home. You must download OverDrive, the program your computer uses to download and manage digital books, found on the right hand side of the eLibrary page. You can have 4 digital books out at once, and best of all, after 2 weeks they’re off your account and you don’t have to worry about late fees! The collection is free and is easy to access through our website under the “Digital Library” tab. If you need help there’s an incredibly useful “help” section available at any time on the eLibrary website, and of course, our dedicated reference librarians are more than happy to give you a hand.

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

August 4, 2009 - Dear Librarian: I’m interested in enrolling my business in a recycling program. Where can I sign up for recycling services and what materials can be recycled?

The age old mantra “reduce, reuse, recycle” is more popular (and important) now than ever. Everywhere you look, businesses and families are really making the effort to “go green,” so congratulations! Pursuing a recycling program for your workplace is one of the best and easiest things you can do to help save energy, natural resources, and money. At this time, recycling in Cecil County is not mandatory for businesses or residents. Aside from the municipalities, all trash and recycling services are done by subscription only. Since you’re interested in participating in a recycling program, I suggest that you contact your refuse company and they can provide you with the appropriate recycling containers for an additional fee. Most of these companies take part in single stream recycling. Single stream recycling allows for all your recyclable materials to be mixed together in a single container. Materials that are accepted in the single stream include cans, glass, narrow neck plastic bottles, newspaper and cardboard. Depending on the size of the business, dumpsters, bins or 96 gallon containers can be used for recyclable materials. If you’re interested in other ways to go green in the workplace, check out the Energy Savers Blog or take a gander at CCPL’s Recession Resources page. Both of these resources have great tips on how to save the planet and money at the same time!

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

July 28, 2009 - Dear Librarian: What is the difference between ice cream, sherbet, sorbet, and gelato?

Cool question! These summery treats are made up of sweet stuff, but each treat has a slightly different lineup of ingredients. Ice cream consists primarily of eggs, whole milk, cream, sugar, ice, and flavoring. In fact, the FDA regulates the amounts of milk and cream required for a frozen treat to be considered ice cream. The light texture of this confection is created by small ice crystals surrounding pockets of air which are sealed in by the fat and protein from the cream and eggs. Ice cream was originally a luxury, made painstakingly by hand. Maryland helped to democratize the dessert in 1851, when Jacob Fussell created the first plant to mass produce ice cream in Baltimore. Sherbet and sorbet don’t just sound the same: these desserts are practically kissing cousins. They take their names from European interpretations of the Arabic word sarba, meaning drink. In the Middle East, sweet fruit juices or wines were iced with snow. This concept was what inspired the icy treats we know today. They differ from ice cream in their lower fat content and higher sugar content. While sherbet may sometimes contain milk or cream in small degrees, sorbet, the French take on the dessert, never does. A sorbet is softer than sherbet, and was traditionally served between courses to cleanse the palate. Gelato is an Italian version of ice cream that owes its denser nature to its lower air content. Despite the fact that gelato is heavier, it contains less fat because it has a greater concentration of eggs and whole milk, while ice cream contains more of its namesake, cream. To learn more, check out a book like Ice Cream!: Delicious Ice Creams for All Occasions by Pippa Cuthbert & Lindsay Wilson, and discover recipes to make your own iced treats.

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

July 21, 2009 - Dear Librarian: My family and I went to the beach at Cape Henlopen, Delaware, last weekend and we noticed strange towers up and down the coast. What are these towers?

The towers are remnants of Delaware’s little known role in protecting America from a seaborne German attack in World War II. Fifteen of these one hundred-feet tall concrete observation towers lined the Delaware and New Jersey coasts, guarding the mouth of the Delaware Bay from German U-boats on the attack. Though it was not revealed until after the end of WWII, the Germans had a strategic plan to plug the mouth of the Delaware Bay and launch an attack on strategic industrial centers in Wilmington, Philadelphia, and Camden, NJ. Well aware of the possibility of a German attack, the U.S. Army engaged in a massive fortification of the Delaware and New Jersey coasts. In 1939, the Army began work on the Harbor Defense of Delaware system which included the observation towers and battery at Fort Miles. Construction of the towers took place from 1939 to 1942, with the military expecting the towers to have a 20-year lifespan. The towers were strategically placed along the coast to triangulate the signal of any enemy ships and simultaneously fire at the vessel. The guns located in the towers were never fired, but in 1945 the Harbor Defenses captured a German U-boat patrolling the coast. Two towers, one in Cape Henlopen State Park and one at Fort Salisbury in Cape May, NJ, have been restored so the public may climb them and take in the breathtaking views of the Atlantic, recalling the often forgotten role of Delaware in WWII.

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

July 14, 2009 - Dear Librarian: My friends and I were wondering why Oklahoma has its panhandle shape. Most of the states around it are square, so what's the deal?

This is a great question, and it has an answer that involves the entire early history of the United States. The land which is today called the panhandle was first part of Spain's empire in the new world, and came under Mexican control after the Mexican War of Independence. When Texas became a republic it took the panhandle with it, and when Texas became a state in 1845 the panhandle followed. Since Texas was a slave-state, it was necessary for it to concede the northern part of its territory (panhandle included) as part of the Missouri Compromise. The formation of the territories around the panhandle region (New Mexico, and the Kansas-Nebraska act) would define the remaining boundaries of this small rectangle in the middle of the country. Because of its unique place in history, the panhandle would turn into what was called the “no-man's land,” or the “Cimarron territory,” which was basically a land of public domain inside of the U.S. This meant that there was no official government for the area and was viewed by the territories and states around it as a haven for squatters and criminals. Many attempts were made to make the panhandle into its own distinct territory, but it wasn't until 1890 that it was attached to Oklahoma. In 1908 Oklahoma was given statehood, and the panhandle was divided into its three component counties – Cimarron, Texas, and Beaver.

Quite the story, isn't it? While looking for resources online, I came across a website provided by the Oklahoma Historical society which gives a detailed history of the panhandle. If you'd like to read about the panhandle (and I would definitely recommend it!), you can access the page by clicking here.

Thank you to one of our readers who wanted to share an excellent website about last week’s Chichen Itza column. Those working for the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies hypothesize that the sacrifice of the game’s loser was actually considered an honor. To learn more, visit this link.

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

July 7, 2009 - Dear Librarian: About 10 years ago I visited Chichen Itza, the ruins found in Mexico. There’s a court there where the Mayans played some kind of ballgame. I wish I could remember the details. Can you find this information for me?

You may find that the forgotten details are best left forgotten as you read more about this gruesome game. Mayan temple city Chichen Itza is found on the Yucatan Peninsula, about 75 miles outside of Merida. Reaching its pinnacle of power in the eleventh century, Chichen Itza was one of the largest cities in Mayan history. Appropriately, the largest playing field created by a Mesoamerican culture is found there, measuring 96.5 meters long by 30 meters wide with two high walls. The object of the game was simple enough; two teams on opposite sides of the court must get a ball through a ring to score. But succeeding at the sport was not a simple task. Players were not allowed to use their hands, arms, legs or feet, the vertical rings were mounted high on the walls, and the ball was made of solid rubber weighing over 9lbs. Now, I’ve seen people who take games too seriously, who have a look of dread on their face when losing the game is fast approaching. But this cannot compare to the look you’d see on a Mayan’s face when confronted with a loss more significant than pride. While the leader of the winning team was being ornamented by fine jewelry, the leader of the losing team was being taken to the temple to have his head swiftly removed. You have to wonder if a cautious Mayan, when asked to play, responded, “Thanks, guys, but I think I’ll sit this one out.” For more information, check out Stuart Kallen’s “Lost Civilizations: The Mayans” or any of our other titles on Mayan culture.

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

June 30, 2009 - Dear Librarian: Is an indoor tanning bed safer than tanning in the sun?

We all know the dangers of soaking up too many ultraviolet (UV) rays. We have heard the TV commercials and our grandmothers say it time and again: always wear sun screen. Tanning beds may seem like a safe and expedient alternative to soaking up the sun, but indoor tanning lights emit the same harmful UV rays that make sunbathing dangerous. According to the American Osteopathic Association, indoor tanning is even more dangerous than sunbathing because tanning lights emit twice the concentration of UV radiation as normal exposure to the sun. This allows you to tan quickly indoors but increases the damage to your skin. In fact, tanning is the visible result of damaged skin cells. When UV rays reach the skin’s inner layer they make melanin, a brown pigment which moves towards the surface and becomes a tan. This pigmentation only slightly improves the skin’s defense against future beatings from the sun. We have all heard about the cancer risks, but over-exposure to UV rays can also cause eye injury, premature wrinkling and aging of the skin. Not a pretty picture. So is there a safe way to get that warm summery glow? Sunless self-tanners containing DHA, or dihydroxyacetone, offer a safer solution. DHA, which can be applied through sprays, moisturizers, and professional airbrushing, gradually stains dead skin cells on the outer layer of your skin. While they give you a great look, these tanners do not offer your skin protection from the sun so it is important to continue to use sunscreen to protect yourself from burns and other damage. If you have questions about how to mount a good defense of your skin, click here to read a question and answer page from the CDC. Get information for teens and kids at kidshealth.org. As with all health concerns, be sure to check with your doctor about personal risks and best methods of prevention.

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

June 23, 2009 - Dear Librarian: Why can’t I remove the tags off of my mattress and pillows?

If you’ve got a pair of scissors, biceps, or at least one sharp incisor, you’re able to exercise your inviolable right to remove annoying tags from your personal things. No, I’m not egging you on to say “laissez faire” to your local law enforcement. What I’m saying is that the ominous warnings of criminal prosecution are directed at retailers, not consumers. Mary Whisner, reference librarian and writer for “Law Library Journal,” sheds some light on the history behind this misunderstood law. Beginning in 1913, the New York legislature started requiring labels because workers in mattress factories complained that they saw “the leavings of their lunches being swept into the pile of prospective stuffing.” One woman, thinking she was getting bedding of horse hair, was actually sleeping on a bed of old rags and newspapers. As recently as 2008, Dateline discovered used mattresses that had traces of urine, fecal matter, at least seven different fungi were being sold. Here’s a sobering statistic: In 1966, a Detroit hotel had 159 fires, 90 of which were bedding fires that led to 35 deaths. The concern that smokers were falling asleep with their cigarettes became a focus of the Department of Commerce. When they found that toxic fumes were a result of mattress fires, swift action was taken. As a quality control measure, labels were to denote when and where the mattress was made. They also let consumers know whether or not a mattress is used or new. So tear your tags with a clear conscience, my friend. May it help you sleep without a care in the world.

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

June 16, 2009 - Dear Librarian: My husband and I just got new cell phones as part of our plan, and we're not sure what to do with the old ones. No one is interested in buying them, and we don't want to just throw them away. Is there anything we can do with them?

There certainly is. Domestic violence programs will take old cell phones as donations for their members. These serve as phone lines for women who may not have the means to own a personal cell phone but still need a way to contact 911 in an emergency. The Cecil County Violence/Rape Crisis Center is always taking cell phone donations. To contact them, call 410-996-0333. Another option you may consider is cellphonesforsoldiers.com, an organization dedicated to providing cell phones for American soldiers stationed overseas. Their website tells you where to find donation boxes in your area and provides a postal address if you'd rather send the phone by mail. There's also Recellular, which is a general purpose cell phone recycling business that has several drop boxes around the county (you can find them by going to their website, recellular.com). Regardless of which option you choose, recycling and donating cell phones are good ways to keep trash out of landfills and help those in need. It's important to remember to delete all personal and contact information from your phone before you donate it. Hope this helped!

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

June 9, 2009 - Dear Librarian: What is the difference between an accent and a dialect?

We all know an accent when we hear it. It instantly lets us know if a person is from another country, the South, or New England. When defining the term broadly, an accent is the way a person sounds when they speak. When humans live in an isolated community, identifiable and distinct stresses form on specific words and phrases. Contrary to popular belief, it is impossible to be completely accent-less. For example, you may notice that someone has a Boston accent, especially if you are not from that area. You notice the accent because it’s different from yours. Dialects are a little trickier to define. Dialects refer to differences in accents, grammar, vocabulary, spelling and idioms. For example, a Londoner might say they are going to the WC (water closet), while a New Yorker would say they are going to the restroom. Dwight Bollinger, author of “Aspects of Language,” states that accents and dialects develop both socially and geographically. He proposed a “two island” theory. In this theory, a population decides to split up and live on two islands. After one generation of living apart, the dialect and accent on “Island A” will be different than the dialect and accent on “Island B.” If they stayed completely separate for centuries, the dialect of “Island A” will become almost unrecognizable from “Island B.” Take for example the case of Great Britain and the Americas. English was first brought to the Americas by British colonization in the 17th century. Over the past 400 years, the English in Great Britain and America has diverged in many ways, so they are audibly different to anyone in earshot.

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

June 2, 2009 - Dear Librarian: Could anti-matter blow up a city or power a space ship?

Antimatter has the same properties as normal matter but has an opposite electrical charge. Matter and its mirroring antimatter are drawn together by their charge and are converted into energy. This makes antimatter difficult to store. Containers need electric charges to prevent anti-particles from colliding with the particles in the container. When matter and antimatter explode, 100% of their weight explodes. An atomic bomb only explodes 1%. Antimatter does have explosive possibility. But let’s get to the heart of the matter; could this volatile antimatter be used to blow up a city or power a space ship? In Dan Brown’s novel Angels and Demons, an antimatter bomb with the power to destroy a city threatens us in the present day. While antimatter is explosive and powerful, Brown’s idea is pure fiction. Nevertheless, the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN), the organization Brown’s villain obtains antimatter from, does in fact produce and study antimatter. However, the cost of production of antimatter is so prohibitive that the amount of antimatter required to make the explosion described does not exist. All the antimatter ever created at CERN, if exploded at one time, would barely light a lamp bulb. Economics rule out the present use of antimatter, but what about the future? Nothing seems as out of this world as a trek across the stars powered by antimatter rockets or engines. It is theoretically possible and a very attractive alternative to modern methods of propulsion due to its conversion efficiency. Before this is possible, production would have to increase in capacity, as antimatter costs about $20 million dollars for a trillionth of a gram and is not a cost-efficient alternative to other fuel types. Want to learn more about antimatter? Check the Science Resource Center.

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

May 26, 2009 - Dear Librarian: I found some baby bunnies in my backyard and picked them up. I think they’ve been abandoned. Should I take care of them?

Ah yes, you know it’s springtime when you see the hippity hoppity of Peter Cottontail in your yard and later discover that your tulips have vanished in the night. You may think, come morning, that mama rabbit has disappeared with her tulip stash and left her babies behind. Not the case, according to www.rabbit.org, a non-profit group that works to educate the public on rabbit care and behavior. The mother rabbit only nurses for about 5 minutes, leaving her young for much of the day in an attempt to hide the nest from predators. A representative at the Department of Natural Resources spoke with me about the importance of letting the wild remain wild. Much like breaking open a cocoon for a butterfly, a rabbit’s best chance of survival is to be left alone. If you’ve already picked up the babies, put them back near their nest so they can continue being cared for. It’s also worth noting that bunnies can be a danger to you. These cute little critters may have rabies, parasites, ticks or lice, and tend to scratch with their hind legs. If you’re still itching to cuddle, visit your local pet store to adopt an indoor rabbit.

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

May 19, 2009 - Dear Librarian: I and my wife were driving back from eating at the Kitty Knight House the other night, and we were wondering, where does the name come from?

The answer to this question is a terrific part of local history. For those not familiar with the Kitty Knight House, it’s an inn and restaurant located in the southern part of the county, just off of 213. Kitty lived in Georgetown in the late 18th century and was something of a local celebrity during her life. Kitty was acclaimed for her looks and smarts and even danced with General George Washington when he was visiting the area while attending the Continental Congress. Kitty’s name gained permanence, however, during the war of 1812. As the British came up the Chesapeake Bay, they burned civilian homes to prevent them from housing American troops. The troops, led by Admiral Cockburn, advanced on Georgetown and began to burn the lower portion of the settlement. As the troops began to set fire to two houses on the top of the hill, Kitty met them and stamped out the flames, pleading with them to spare the homes, despite the fact she owned neither house. The admiral was so impressed with Kitty’s bravery that he ordered his troops back, sparing a church and several other buildings in the town. Throughout history the buildings that she saved have been left as monuments to her courage. This information was pulled both from the restaurant’s website, and a book titled “Tidewater Maryland,” by Paul Wilstach. If you ever have a question about local history, the library is an excellent first step towards answering it. We have a large collection of local history books, archives of local papers, and a staff of dedicated and helpful librarians.

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

May 12, 2009 - Dear Librarian: Who was Augustine Herman, and why is there a highway named after him?

Great question! In today’s world, it seems that every road has several names, and Augustine Herman Highway, otherwise known at Maryland Route 213, is no different. This road is the main north-south route throughout Cecil County. It connects the southern communities like Cecilton and Chesapeake City with Elkton and Fair Hill. According to “Cecil County, Maryland: A Study in Local History,” the road’s namesake, Augustine Herman, was a Czech cartographer and merchant who made his residence in Cecil County in the mid 17th century. Born in Prague in Bohemia (later known as the Czech Republic), he made his name by mapmaking and quelling settlement disputes in North America. Lord Baltimore, impressed with Herman’s work, endowed a significant portion of land in exchange for a map of the upper Chesapeake Bay region. In 1660, a sizeable portion of land east of the Elk River and north of the Bohemia River was granted to Augustine Herman. He called his land Bohemia Manor, after his homeland. At the time of his death in 1686, Augustine Herman owned more than 30,000 acres of land in Maryland and Delaware. This was an astonishing amount of land! During his time, Augustine Herman was one of the largest landowners in North America. Augustine Herman’s vast estate was located on a large hill looking over the Sassafras River in southern Cecil County. In homage to the man who helped map Cecil County, Maryland Route 213 between Chestertown and Elkton is named for him.

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

May 5, 2009 - Dear Librarian: If a spider eats a stink bug, will its gas smell bad?

I was not able to find a direct answer to your question, but I think if we put together a couple pieces of knowledge we can figure it out. So to start with, we need to know how gas is emitted by known gas-passers like people and dogs. MedlinePlus, the Web site of the National Library of Medicine, tells us that gas has two points of origin – swallowed air and sulfur produced by the bacteria that breaks down undigested food. Now let’s consider how a spider digests. Robert Breenee III gives us the facts in “Spider Digestion and Food Storage.” Instead of digesting their food on the inside, a spider cuts the bug it is going to eat, then spits out its digestive enzymes (which is something like our stomach acids). This process turns the spider’s fly steak into a fly shake. The spider then sucks the liquefied bug into its stomach. By digesting its food first, the spider only ingests the parts its body can use, saving energy by greatly reducing the amount of waste its body must get rid of. Hair around the spider’s mouth filters out anything that is too big, and the spider’s stomach is attached to muscles that make it a wonderful liquid pump to get every last drop of insect smoothie. So, armed with this knowledge, let’s return to your original question. Since the origin of bad-smelling gas is bacteria in the large intestines that release sulfur, and spiders lack both intestines and these same bacteria, it is very unlikely that a spider that ate a stink bug would have any embarrassing gaseous emissions to worry about. Now how good her meal would smell and taste is another question entirely. In fact, many predators of insects will not indulge in stink bug soufflé because of the stench they produce.

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

April 28, 2009 - Dear Librarian: Is breakfast cereal an American invention?

Although many cultures, past and present, have gobbled down a dish that could be loosely termed as cereal (Romans ate a grain-based gruel, Native Americans ate corn porridges), cereal is an American invention. The bizarre tale of its beginnings includes a nationwide tummy-grumble, religious leaders, a sanitarium, and a serendipitous discovery. In eighteenth-century America, breakfast was a meat-based meal. While New Englanders ate robins on toast and Virginians dined on stewed veal, Americans on the frontier filled their stomachs with a breakfast of baking soda, flour, grease, and pork. As you can imagine, the nation experienced a regular irregularity. In the early 1800s, William Metcalfe, founder of the Bible Christian Church, and Sylvester Graham, a Presbyterian minister, preached about the virtue of vegetarianism. Their collective influence convinced many Americans that meat caused sicknesses. One such American was John Harvey Kellogg, a Seventh Day Adventist who started a health spa/sanitarium. Patients who came to stay at the sanitarium were fed low-meat diets and exposed to a number of strange practices such as laughing exercises and infrared light baths. (Some guests at his spa include Rockefeller, J.C. Penney, Eleanor Roosevelt, Presidents Taft and Coolidge, Upton Sinclair and Sojourner Truth!) In 1863, an abolitionist named Dr. James Jackson created a double-baked bran nugget called Granula that needed to be soaked in milk overnight in order to be edible. Kellogg was convinced that he could do better. In 1876, Kellogg created the perfect flake… on accident. After having left cooked wheat out for a day, Kellogg decided to run it through the rollers anyway, and voila! Corn flakes were born. For more fascinating facts, read “Cerealizing America” by Scott Bruce or enjoy a fictionalized account by T.C. Boyle called “The Road to Wellville.”

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

April 21, 2009 - Dear Librarian: My husband was recently diagnosed with diabetes. Is there anything at the library that can help us learn more about it?

First, let me just say that I'm sorry to hear that, and wish you the best of luck during what must be a very difficult time. Yes, the library does have resources that can help, however it's best to keep in mind that the advice of your physician should always be what you turn to first. Librarians are happy to help you find medical resources, but we aren't qualified to make any health decisions for you. There are many things that CCPL provides in our collection and online that may be of assistance to you. Two recently added resources from the Mayo Clinic, "The Essential Diabetes Book," and a DVD entitled "Wellness Solutions for Diabetes" can help you to understand the disease, and the steps that your husband can take to manage it. We also have a large selection of cookbooks for diabetics, including the "Complete Quick and Hearty Diabetic Cookbook" and "The All-natural Diabetes Cookbook." A librarian would be happy to help you search the catalog and locate any of these, or the many other print materials that we have about diabetes. Another option would be to use our newly redesigned website, which has several health related resources on it. These can be found in the "Digital Library" tab, under the category of "Online Resources." If you scroll down the page to the health section, you will see a collection of links where you can search for information on diabetes. The Center for Disease Control also offers a website specifically for diabetes information, which is available at http://www.cdc.gov/Diabetes. If you need help locating anything at the library or online you can feel free to give us a call or visit us in person, and one of the librarians at the reference desk will be happy to help you.

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

April 14, 2009 - Dear Librarian: Does Antarctica have a national flag?

Dear Reader,

Great question! I'm chilly just thinking about the weather outside let alone Antarctica! Antarctica's icy tundra is actually the only country without an official flag. No flag exists since Antarctica is not ruled by a single government body. Vexillographers (flag designers) Graham Bartram and Whitney Smith have both recently proposed designs for a universal Antarctic flag. Smith's flag design is unlike any flag on Earth. It is the only flag in the world to use the color orange. Smith chose this color because it is the international color of rescue, and it is easily distinguishable over snowy terrain. The emblem consists of several components: the letter "A" (standing for Antarctica), the bottom segment of the globe (to represent Antarctica's position at the bottom of the world), and two hands lifting up the globe (to symbolize peaceful human use of the continent). Graham Bartram's design was inspired by the flag of the United Nations. His simplistic, flag features a plain white map of the continent on a blue background to symbolize neutrality. Although no official flag has been declared for the Antarctic continent, Bartram's flag was actually posted and flown at a rescue station in Antarctic continent in 2002. Now it's time for this librarian to go bundle up!

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

April 7, 2009 - Dear Librarian: How do computers and cell phones with touch screens work?

Dear Reader,

What a touching question! Salvatore Desiano from "Computer Sciences" is here to help. His article explains that there are three main types of screens: resistive, capacitive, and wave interruption. Each type is sensitive in its own special way. A resistive system is made up of two sheets capable of conducting electricity, separated by bits of plastic. When touched, the sheets get together and conduct an electrical charge. The computer processes where this charge occurred and translates it into a command. With a capacitive system, touching the screen is electric. One sheet of material is constantly conducting electricity and when you touch it, your finger conducts a small charge away from the screen. The computer measures this decrease to determine what you asked it to do. Wave interruption screens notice when you get in the way of a wave sent from the top of the screen to the bottom, and left to right. The wave can be infrared light, sound waves, or electric radio waves. The point is, when you get in the way, the computer can tell where. But that's not all! Touch screens are becoming more complex. Now screens can feel like a keyboard. This new feature is brought to you by the science of haptics, which "Popular Mechanics" calls "(T)he field of science and technology dedicated to tactile sensation." Haptics uses motors that create vibrations which fool your fingers into feeling like you are typing. Early versions of haptic sensations in cell phones used the motor that vibrates the phone. More sophisticated models have special motors below the screen to create tactile sensations.

Keep asking questions! Phone us at 410-996-5600 ext. 481, e-mail us at cecilref@ccplnet.org, log on to Maryland AskUsNow on our website, or come in to any CCPL branch library.

ADULTS

People are Asking Column Archive