Middle Country Public Library Podcast

Next month's new DVD release list actually sounds pretty good this time...Sara has the details. You can view and reserve the new DVD list (when it's published) here And once again Nicole reaches out to her "friends" at Book Riot for another quiz...this time, find out what great new nature themed children's book we should be reading... Take the Book Riot Quiz here And hey...have you registered to comment yet? You should! Visit our podcast page on Podbean, whydontcha? And if you are already here...hey, subscribe and register to comment!

In housekeeping this week: Lynda.com, one of our most popular resources here at the library, is now LinkedIn Learning. Check out the amazing online video classes you can take with your library card or Miller Business Center membership. Nicole has a great list of community service opportunities for MCPL teens. Plus Sara has a couple of great books to prepare you for getting out there again in the world as the pandemic restrictions start to ease. Would you be ready to present yourself at a job interview, public speech, or even a date? Check out what Sara has to say about her selections: Pitch perfect : how to say it right the first time, every time / Bill McGowan and Alisa Bowman Effective business speaking / by Judith A. McManus  

Nikola Tesla was a brilliant man whose research and inventions led the way to the pleasantries in life we take for granted today. We spun the Movie Chat Wheel and it landed on Tesla (2020) starring Ethan Hawke and Eve Hewson. Was it everything we hoped for? Eh...not so much, but it's worth a listen to this week's discussion and you can decide for yourself. If anything, this week's episode will perhaps pique your interest in Tesla. Tesla is available at the library for MCPL cardholders to take out in DVD format here: http://mcpac.mcpl.lib.ny.us/record=b2046217 and BluRay here: http://mcpac.mcpl.lib.ny.us/record=b2046218. You can also watch on Hulu, if you subscribe. Some interesting links: Tesla on IMDb The Oatmeal : Why Tesla was the Greatest Geek Who Ever Lived Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe  

It's National Poetry Month! Nicole and Sara have some great resources for you to check out this month. Plus we get Sara reciting some poems about wine and dogs...how much better can it get? Listen and find out. Check these out: The Poetry Foundation Academy of American Poets Columbia Granger's World of Poetry (Use your library card to access) 10 of the Best and Most Famous Opening Lines in English Poetry

A reminder that the Library Budget Vote takes place on April 6th, 2021 from 9:30am to 9:00pm at the Centereach building. April is here and we have new theme song...no foolin'! On this episode: Sara lets everyone know why Kanopy is such an amazing service for our patrons! Click here for details. Nicole gets us into the warm-weather mood to discuss bike riding and how to be safe...plus we have a great program coming up that's being presented by the New York Coalition for Transportation Safety that's all about biking and hiking on Long Island. Register here: https://mcpac.mcpl.lib.ny.us/record=g1015208 How well do you know the bicycling rules in New York? Take the quiz. Plus there are safety resources here for you to peruse.  

It's awards season once again, and Sara and Nicole are chatting about the Oscars and the Audie Awards. To see the Audie winners for 2021, visit https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/awards-and-prizes/article/85874-2021-audie-award-winners-announced.html To see a list of Oscar nominations, visit https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2021 A reminder that the Library Budget Vote takes place on Tuesday, April 6th from 9:30am to 9:00pm. You can click here for detailed information about this year's budget.

Sara and Nicole go head-to-head for an Ultimate Trivia Showdown! Who will win this round? Listen to find out. We did something different this time, as there is no single subject. Let us know in the comments what you think of this format. This is the first Showdown...stayed tuned for Part II coming up soon. Sal uses Statista to create his trivia questions. Statista is an excellent resource for small business owners, students, and more. Visit the Miller Business Center at our Centereach building to access this database. Or to take a look at some of their complimentary features, visit www.statista.com.    

This month is both Women's History Month AND Irish-American Heritage Month. Nicole and Sara have some suggestions to celebrate both. Nicole's Book list: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/ReadingList-Schools Music of Ella Fitzgerald Take and Make: https://youtu.be/JKz8FTaeNDY. Sara's Irish Movie Picks: In America http://mcpac.mcpl.lib.ny.us/record=b1400962 Brooklyn http://mcpac.mcpl.lib.ny.us/record=b1721531 Far and Away http://mcpac.mcpl.lib.ny.us/record=b1584346 Angela’s Ashes http://mcpac.mcpl.lib.ny.us/record=b1358733 Top 10 Reasons To Visit Ireland In 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziszt1UZSPI Plus: Sara thinks that Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones was using his Jedi powers on Padme to make her fall for him. Agree? Send us a comment!

Nicole, Sara, and Sal try to make sense of the 2011 suspense flick, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy starring Gary Oldman. Here's a well done YouTube video explaining the ending: https://youtu.be/TBo6yJmSwHI Maybe you have another opinion? Let us know! Reserve your copy here: http://mcpac.mcpl.lib.ny.us/record=b1573777    

Sara has exciting news about the upcoming renovations happening in Centereach. Nicole has some podcast recommendations for Black History Month. Stephanie is here to give us an update on what's new with our Library of Things collection. Take a look at renderings of the renovations here. Here's where you can listen to and subscribe to the podcasts Nicole discussed: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2021/02/black-history-month-podcasts-race-social-justice-history https://www.forbes.com/sites/courtstroud/2021/02/11/12-podcasts-to-download-during-black-history-month-and-beyond/?sh=701923d43db0 Take a look at our Library of Things collection.

Jim Ward is back to discuss our YouTube series, History Bites. In honor of Black History Month, we present a listen to the History Bites episode celebrating the rise of civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King, Jr., narrated by our very own Sara. To watch this episode of History Bites on YouTube, visit https://youtu.be/IszM2ig4dgs Browse other History Bites episodes here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtHm7OODwmnZOdhMYzxTdkMU6Q-BzFIvZ    

Happy Valentine's Day...and Happy President's Day! It's that time of year again... Nicole is soooo happy to talk about romance novels and romantic movies. Plus our own in-house history buff Jim Ward is tested on his knowledge of Presidential trivia by Sara. Will he prevail? Listen to find out.

This week we are kicking off this year's Black History Month with some suggestions of movies, books, and music highlighting African-American authors, actors, musicians, and more. Here are links to what we discussed in this episode: Kevin Hart's guide to black history [DVD-videorecording] / directed by Tom Stern I am not your Negro [DVD-videorecording] / Magnolia Pictures presents ; directed by Raoul Peck. And still I rise : black America since MLK : an illustrated chronology / Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Kevin M. Burke Bartlett's familiar black quotations : [5,000 years of literature, lyrics, poems, passages, phrases and proverbs from voices around the world] / Retha Powers, general editor ; foreword by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Black Gotham : a family history of African Americans in nineteenth-century New York City / Carla L. Peterson. Black roots in Smithtown : a short history of the Black community / by Bradley Harris The music of black Americans: a history Julian Bond's time to teach : a history of t

After our Little Women movie chat, Sal got to thinking what the original was like so he watched... and loved it. Even moreso than the remake. So this week we talk about movies that should not have been remade. (Plus we will throw a book or two that should not have been made into a movie in there for good measure)

With the inauguration of our new president and vice president, Nicole has some great book selections for kids about the White House, Presidents of the United States, and more. Plus Sara has a sneak peak of next month's new DVDs.

Sara spins the Wheel of Movies and lands on 2019's Little Women. Prepare yourself for a lively discussion on this unique version of the classic story. Little Women stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, Louis Garrel, Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper. Here's the IMDb listing: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3281548/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 MCPL cardholders can reserve a copy here: http://mcpac.mcpl.lib.ny.us/record=b2013899  

Sara and Nicole have some ideas to support your New Year Resolutions for 2021! Lose weight like crazy even if you have a crazy life! : life lessons and a breakthrough 30-day nutrition and fitness solution! / Autumn Calabrese https://mcpac.mcpl.lib.ny.us/record=b2029682 Stay positive : encouraging quotes and messages to fuel your life with positive energy / Jon Gordon, Daniel Decker https://mcpac.mcpl.lib.ny.us/record=b1976843 How to say no without feeling guilty : and say yes to more time, more joy, and what matters most to you / Patti Breitman and Connie Hatch https://mcpac.mcpl.lib.ny.us/record=b1343865 Don't panic! : how to manage your finances and Financial anxieties during and after Coronavirus : tips, tricks, and guaranteed ways to secure your future / Christine Ibbotson https://mcpac.mcpl.lib.ny.us/record=b2012834 The 30-day money cleanse : take control of your finances, manage your spending, and de-stress your money for good / Ashley Feinstein Gerstley https://mcpac.mcpl.lib.ny.us/record=b18

There's lots to look forward to in 2021 right? Let's see what the podcast team is looking forward to in terms of movies, music and more.

The podcast team picks their "favorite" things of 2020. It's a strange episode. Stick with us. Here are pictures of Sara's "interesting animal facts": Wombats Parrot Fish Sloth Okapi This is not a snake Venezuelan Poodle Moth Tenrec Panda Ants Nicole's Favorite Things: Love Island The Undoing Megan Thee Stallion Sal's Favorite Things: Onward Over the Moon Hamilton Star Trek: Picard The Mandalorian The Magic of the Animal Kingdom Izzy's Koala World Bluey Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith Dear Happy - Gabrielle Alpin Pacific Blue - Nicholas Gunn Life on the Flipside - Jimmy Buffett Weather - Huey Lewis and the News  

In this very seasonal movie chat, we discuss 1989's holiday classic, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation! MCPL cardholders can reserve their copy here: http://mcpac.mcpl.lib.ny.us/record=b1366526