Friday Animation: Simon's Cat "Fly Guy"

Be Creative/Express Yourself Link of the Day: Playing the Clarinet Covered in Bees

Combining last summer's "Catch the Reading Bug" theme with this year's creativity theme, we present: A man playing the clarinet covered in bees.

Be Creative/Express Yourself Link of the Day: Sour's Videocam Video

The Japanese band Sour recruited a bunch of people to use their web-cams in interesting ways for an unusual music video:

Summer Fun: Exploding Water Balloons

With a fast camera, you can capture some amazing moments and freeze them in time. Example? Exploding Water Balloons!

Game Time Coming Up!

The Library will host an afternoon game party in the lower level meeting room on Wednesday, July 29, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. We'll have Guitar Hero, DDR, Wii games, and more. You can even bring your own games to play, as long as they're rated Teen or below. Most games will be projected up onto two big screens. Snacks and drinks will also be provided. Bring friends and have fun!

Monday Night Movie Club Wrap-Up

With tonight's screening of Poltergeist (1982, PG), the Monday Night Movie Club draws to a close. Club members saw two scary movies - Poltergeist and Cloverfield, two comedies - Monty Python and the Holy Grail and School of Rock, and a romantic drama, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.

And club members were ready for more, asking when we will show the next films. Some suggested we hold an overnight movie party.

What do you think? Should the Library host more movies for teens during the year? What should we show, and when?

If you're in grades 6 to 10 and want to give us your opinion on programs the Library should offer, send us a comment on the blog OR contact us about joining the Teen Advisory Board (TAB). The TAB meets once a month during the school year to plan programs and improve service for people your age. Our next meeting will be Wednesday, September 16 from 7 to 8 p.m. It counts as volunteer service and free food is provided.

Be Creative/Express Yourself Link of the Day: Manhole Covers?

Can anything be an outlet for creativity? Apparently so, according to these creative manhole covers, and these from Japan.

Monday Night Movie Club: Pick the July 27 Movie!

This will be our final film, so let's make it a good one! Members of the Monday Night Movie Club chose to see a horror or mystery/thriller.

Possible movies include:

• Arachnophobia - killer spiders
• Jaws - killer shark
• Poltergeist - ghosts invade house
• Twister - tornadoes
• Poseidon - cruise ship flipped upside down
• The Village - village surrounded by creatures
• Ocean's 12 or 13 - gang of crooks commit perfect crimes
• Mr. and Mrs. Smith - husband and wife spies
• When a Stranger Calls - "He's calling from inside the house!"
• Day After Tomorrow - ice age hits the world
• Minority Report - police stop murders before they happen
• The Ring - a movie that kills you after you watch it
• The Mummy - adventurers resurrect an evil ruler
• The Bourne Identity (or sequel) - a spy with amnesia
• Your suggestion

Monday Night Movie Club for July 20: School of Rock

Two movies got the top votes for Monday's comedy movie, but one was determined by staff to be slightly more age-appropriate. The movie for July 20 is School of Rock, starring Jack Black. It is rated PG-13 "for some rude humor and drug references."

Votes for the July 27 movie so far have asked for some type of mystery, horror, or thriller movie. Start suggesting titles on this post, or at this Monday's meeting!

Be Creative/Express Yourself Link of the Day: Keyboard Music

Kisstunes provides a simple way to play music on your computer keyboard. You may play an electric or grand piano, or an acoustic guitar.

Be Creative/Express Yourself Link of the Day: Mind-Control Wheelchair

It sounds like something out of the X-Men, but researchers in Japan have figured out a way to let people control their electric wheelchairs using their brain waves. This could make a big difference in the lives of quadriplegics, who are unable to use their arms or legs.

Be Creative/Express Yourself Link of the Day: Venice Biennale

Every two years, the city of Venice, Italy hosts a special exhibition of new art pieces. Check out this year's show at the Big Picture.

http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/

Puzzlemaker is a puzzle generation tool for teachers, students and parents. Create and print customized word search, criss-cross, math puzzles, and more using your own word lists.

Be Creative/Express Yourself Link of the Day: TXT Island

Monday Night Movie Club: Choose Your Next Movie!

Next week's movie is Cloverfield, a 2008 film about a mysterious attack on New York City. The movie is rated PG-13 "for violence, terror, and disturbing images." Keep in mind that everything is shown through a moving camera, so don't watch if you get motion sickness easily.

Now it's time to start voting for the films for July 20 and 27. You may vote by writing a comment to this article at the bottom. Look for the underlined link that has a number next to the word "comments." You must also include your name so we know that you belong to the Monday Night Movie Club.

July 20's film will be a comedy. You may vote from the following suggestions, or recommend your own. (Keep in mind that choices must be rated PG-13 or lower. If you're not sure, check http://www.imdb.com/.) We'll announce the winner on Friday, July 17.

• Bad News Bears
• Ferris Beuller’s Day Off
• Fletch
• Ghostbusters
• The Naked Gun
• Pink Panther (original series)
• School of Rock
• Spaceballs
• Yes Man
• Young Frankenstein
• Your choice

Next, please tell us what type of movie you'd like to see on July 27. Action? Science-Fiction? Horror? Sports? Superhero? Western? Let us know, and we'll announce the category at the next meeting.

Be Creative/Express Yourself Link of the Day: 3-D Wall Murals

3-D art moves from the sidewalk up to the walls today with some realistic murals by John Pugh.

What Does 1 Million Fireworks Look Like?

Last November, owners of a new resort in Dubai threw a lavish party to celebrate its opening. The celebration included a fireworks display almost 10 times the size of the ones at the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony.

Candy Fireworks

Be Creative/Express Yourself Link of the Day: Julian Beever Sidewalk Art

Julian Beever is a chalk artist who creates images that appear to be real, three-dimensional objects when you look at them from the right angle. See more of his pictures here (via Now That's Nifty.)