Guilty Pleasure Music

This time tomorrow my tween cousin and I will be on my way to the Taylor Swift concert. And I’m trying to keep a pretty low profile about it. Why? Because Taylor Swift is what I would define as a guilty pleasure. You know, those songs that you blast when you’re alone but would never admit to liking in public?

I started thinking about some of my other guilty pleasures and have compiled a playlist of sorts. Sadly these six tunes appear on my iPod and are on frequent play. All of these songs are available through your library for no charge. And don’t worry. They have plenty of other music available you won’t be embarrassed to listen to in front of your friends!

Song Title: Wannabee
Artist: The Spice Girls

Song Title: Dress You Up
Artist: Madonna

Song Title: Kiss Me Deadly
Artist: Lita Ford

Song Title: The Final Countdown
Artist: Europe

Song Title: It’s Not Unusual
Artist: Tom Jones

Song Title: Right Now
Artist: Van Halen

What's your greatest guilty pleasure?

DVD Alert: Disaster Flicks

I know most people get their thrills from roller coasters in the summer but when I’m looking for an adrenaline rush, I love to hit up the library’s DVDs. I’m pretty much obsessed with disaster flicks, especially those old school films that rely less on special effects and more on tapping into the fear of the unknown and dread of the expected. These films may have been made years ago, but they definitely hold up. Below is a list of my top five favorite disaster flicks. And the best part? You can check them out and it won’t cost you a thing! So the next time you’re looking for a reason to stay in the air conditioning, pop in one of these bad boys. You won’t be disappointed!

5. The Swarm
The premise is pretty simple really: a swarm of killer bees attack the United States. But what makes this disaster flick so irresistible is the clichés and ridiculous dialogue. If you prefer humor in your disaster films, look no further.

4. Earthquake
While earthquakes and their aftermath are pretty standard fare these days, check out the movie that started it all. Charlton Heston leads a ragtag group as they try to deal with the aftermath of an earthquake that has leveled Los Angeles.

3. Poseidon
Although I still have a special fondness for the over the top acting of the original film, the Poseidon Adventure, this remake stands apart for its excellent action sequences. On New Year’s Eve is capsized by a wave trapping a group of people beneath the sea. Their only hope of survival is making their way to the water’s surface- a task made more difficult by fires, flooding and falling debris.

2. The Andromeda Strain
Based on the best selling novel by Michael Crichton, the last ten minutes of this film will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. The story starts as a remote village in New Mexico is contaminated by a satellite crash. When scientists discover the origin of the deadly matter, everything starts to unravel.

1. The Towering Inferno
On the night of its dedication, a raging fire breaks out in the world’s tallest skyscraper trapping all of the party goers inside. Paul Newman and Steve McQueen lead this all star cast with some of the most quotable film lines ever. I still think of this film every time I enter a building over five stories tall!

Upcoming Program at WGL

This Saturday we are having the first annual Teen Summer Writing Festival at the Watchung Library. There will be a variety of different writers offering mini presentations, workshops and fun writing games to help combat writer's block and allow you to Express Yourself @ your library this summer! For more information on the program details, check out the flyer below.

Miranda Cosgrove Visits Bridgewater Mall!

Attention all iCarly fans! According to Miranda Cosgrove’s official Twitter page and website, she will be at the Bridgewater Commons Mall on September13, 2009 at 12:00PM signing autographs at the Aeropostale store!

The 99: Superheroes You Need to Know

Move over Batman and Spiderman, the 99 are coming! Word has it that the world’s first Muslim Superheroes, the 99, are headed to British television screens as early as next year. Created by Dr. Naif al-Mutawa to counter Jihadist role models, characters include a burka-clad woman named Batina the Hidden and a Saudi Arabian Hulk-type man named Jabbar the Powerful. The show is called the 99 because each character (yes that means 99 characters!) possesses one of Allah’s 99 attributes. Given that Forbes magazine just listed the 99 as one of the top 20 trends sweeping the globe, many eyes will be on the series to gauge its potential crossover appeal with western viewers.

To read more media coverage of the new British show, visit the 99!

TV Alert: Project Runway

After what seems like decades of legal wrangling, the sixth season of Project Runway finally drops tonight at its new home on Lifetime. Time will tell how much spandex and glitter will fall victim to this current crop of designers. In the meantime, bust out your best dress crafted from produce and check out these books guaranteed to unleash your inner fashion diva!

Title: Influence
Authors: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

Title: The 1980s and 1990s
Author: Deidre Clancy Steer

Title: Careers for Fashion Plates & Other Trendsetters
Author: Lucia Mauro

What's happening at WGL

Last night in the kitchen of the Watchung Library, three of our teens had a blast creating candy sushi as part of a new monthly program called Teen Cafe. Take a peek at the cooking process and see the artistic snack they made!

What would sushi be without sticky rice? Observe our teens rolling out freshly made rice krispie treats to begin the sushi process:

Here you can see our teens wrapping their "sticky rice" with fruit roll-ups:

And voila! Candy sushi, complete with some Swedish Fish:

Interested in coming to the next Teen Cafe? Join us in Watchung next month and learn how to make chocolate-dipped peanut butter pretzel sandwiches!

Need a new look?

Thought of all the ways you could possibly Express Yourself this summer? Think again! Try mixing up the way you tie your shoelaces with these neat instructions.

Anyone that has read Scott Westerfield's So Yesterday can tell you that funky shoelaces are a great way to get noticed.

Did you hear?

The N, known for it's television programming for teens, will be changing their name to TeenNick starting September 28th. Here is an excerpt from their FAQ page:

Is it true that The N is going to turn into TeenNick?

Man, you are on top of this stuff! Here's what's up: This fall The N is going to change its name to TeenNick. That's all. We'll still have the same awesome shows, an awesome website, and Degrassi... we'll just have a different name and logo. We might change how things look but not how things are. The same people are still gonna work here. Basically everything here will have the same spirit, attitude, and audience that it does right now; it's just going to be called TeenNick.