Friday, January 02, 2009

Set and Track New Year's Resolutions with Free Software [New Year] . Put the web to good use in setting and keeping your New Year's resolutions in 2009. Here are our picks for best free web applications for managing your New Year's resolutions; and if getting fit and healthy is at the top of your list, check out how to track your fitness goals with free tools. How are you going to help yourself keep your resolutions starting on January 1st? Let us know in the comments. Happy New Year! [Lifehacker] 2:25:28 PM     How to Measure Your Body Fat at Home [New Years Resolutions] . You're out to lose a few pounds in the New Year, so you braved the scale to record your starting weight—but what about your body fat percentage? The Health Central site offers an online calculator that lets you calculate your body fat percentage at home. All you need is your current weight and a cloth tape measure. You enter your age, weight, gender, and a few measurements (for women hips, thighs, and wrist) and you get back your body fat percentage along with where you stand amongst most Americans. If you're like me this home test will be just as sobering an experience as just getting on the scale, but it's another way to record the "before" numbers you can compare your progress to as you shed pounds and inches. Home Body Fat Test [Lifehacker] 2:24:56 PM     Upcoming Events at HPL Gratitude Steel Band January 8, 2009 The Gratitude Steel Band will present “Jazz Around the World”. They provide a musical adventure that lets people experience hands-on participation. This free concert will be held at the Muskegon Museum of Art and is supported in part through a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Michigan Humanities Council. For more information call 231-722-7276. Monday Storytime January 12 6:45 pm Stories and activities for ages 3-5. Registration is required. Please call the Youth Services Department at 231-722-7276 x 230. Toddler Storytime January 12 11:00 am Stories and activities aimed at 18 to 36 month olds. Toddlers and grownups attend together. Registration is required. Please call the Youth Services Department at 231-722-7276 x 230. Toddler Storytime January 13 6:45 pm Stories and activities aimed at 18 to 36 month olds. Toddlers and grownups attend together. Registration is required. Please call the Youth Services Department at 231-722-7276 x 230. “Icebound Found! The Ordeal of the SS Michigan” January 13, 2009 Parents and Children alike will be captivated and inspired by a local adventure tale of shipwrecks exploration and diving. Icebound Found! The Ordeal of the SS Michigan: “Difficulties are just things to overcome after all” This quote, made famous by Captain Ernest Shackleton when he and his crew of 27 returned from Antarctica safely six months after his ship Endurance sank, could certainly have been the sentiment of Captain Prindiville as a similar drama played out locally on the ice-encrusted Lake Michigan. In 1885 Prindiville and his 28-man crew on the S.S. Michigan became icebound off West Michigan during one of the worst winter storms in history. After 40 days their ship was crushed by the ice and sank, forcing them onto the ice-covered lake. With stamina, perseverance and the heroic actions of the youngest crew member, George Sheldon, all 30 people made it safely to shore in this local tale of endurance! It would also take endurance for scuba divers and shipwreck hunters of Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates to search for the sunken remains of this 200-foot steamer. The team to persisted over three years and 50 square miles to finally locate the wreck of the SS Michigan in deep water off Holland, Michigan. Diving down to the wreck, they found it to be a time capsule evidencing the ordeal that took place on the lake 120 years earlier. For more information call 231-722-7276. January Chiller Tales January 17 2:00 pm Enjoy scary tales with the Yarnspinners, Muskegon’s favorite storytelling troupe. The shivery tales will fit right in with the shivery weather. Kids will hear spooky classics from world folklore and “make-you-jump” stories from the US. Stories will be aimed at ages 4-8. Please call the Youth Services Department at 231-722-7276 x 230. 2:23:10 PM

© Copyright 2009 Jocelyn Shaw. Last update: 2/2/2009; 12:10:58 PM. Photo curtesy of Marjorie O'Brien