I'm sorry. I just don't have the energy to keep this up. It would be a great blog if I did.

Fireworks & Meteor Showers

Our Phantom fireworks were awesome! I'm still excited 12 days later. Our favorite was Dragonslayer (or was it Dragon's Tears?), a must-buy for next season.

Speaking of fireworks, nature will be having a pretty cool display during the annual Perseids Meteor Showers August 11 and 12. Start nagging your parents now to make a camping reservation, because you’ll be able to see the meteor showers better away from city lights. Even if you’re in town, though, you might be able to spot a few meteors if you roam the sky with your eyes (don’t stare at one place), especially between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on the night/early morning of Aug. 11/12 and Aug. 12/13. What a great excuse to stay up late!

In the meantime, you can see Venus near the moon in the Western sky about one to two hours after sundown. I saw it over my neighbor’s house a week ago—it’s very bright and big. Saturn and Mars are becoming visible, too, above and to the left of the moon. This will continue into August.

Here are some great Web sites for more information on stargazing, astronomy, and physical science--all useful for school, come fall.
Night Sky-at-a-Glance Weekly chart from Sky and Telescope Magazine
Amazing Space Interactive lessons, nightly sky chart movie, and more.
Astronomy for Kids Sponsored by Astronomy Magazine, this site provides simple, fast facts; tips on star-gazing; and information about the sun and moon, spotting constellations, and navigating with the stars.
The Solar System Astronomy Magazine’s descriptions of individual planets.
San Jose State University Physics Site Demonstrations of physical properties and laws for middle and high school students studying physical science:
Kids Astronomy Really cool interactive site, though some may think it’s too simplistic.
StarChild The NASA student learning center. Choose Level 2
Imagine NASA student learning center for ages 14 and up.
Astronomy Web Site Directory NASA’s directory of other great astronomy Web sites for students.

Phantom or TNT?

So far this Independence Day, we have tried the smoke balls and ground blooms made by the Phantom fireworks company, and I have to say that they do not compare to the quality of the TNT fireworks we bought last year. These smoke balls, for instance, do not produce the colored cloud that TNT smoke balls do; it's just a little stream. They also don't last as long. There simply isn't enough smoke to pretend you are traveling by Floo Network. (See photo at right.) I'm curious to know if anybody has TNT and Phantom side by side so they can compare. Are the smoke balls of both brands pathetic this year, or are Phantom fireworks just inferior? Perhaps both brands' smoke balls contain less powder this year so that they cost less to produce? Or did we just happen to buy a lame batch? I hope the Phantom fountains are good, because we chose not to go to the big fireworks in the sky in favor of a ground show at home. Looking forward to the King of Bling as our finale...

Lizard Tails.

Is it just me, or are wiggling detached lizard tails kind of creepy? There’s just something unnatural about a tail (without a body) flipping around on the ground. It is highly engaging to my cat, Athena, however, who has discovered that lizards love the rocky area in our back yard. I think she’s caught about 20 in the last two weeks, mostly so she can play with them.

I looked into this odd phenomenon of tails snapping off and wiggling and discovered that it’s an adaptation. Many lizards’ tails are not well connected to their bodies, enabling them to actually shake them off and run from a predator who’s caught them by the tail. It’s an especially useful technique for young lizards, who happen to have especially attractive tails (especially if you’re one of their predators). Visit the Audobon society’s Web page for more precise information http://www.corkscrew.audubon.org/wildlife/lizards.html Scroll all the way to the bottom to read about lizard tails.

Happy Birthday, William!

Nobody knows for certain when William Shakespeare was born, but they do know that he was baptised on April 26, and that children in those days were typically baptised within three days--often on the third day--of being born. (In fact, the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer at that time recommended that babies be christened before the Sunday or holy day following their birth). Counting back three days, then, would bring us to April 23, which is also the day on which he died--that we do know. Therefore, April 23 has for hundreds of years been recognized as his official birthday...though there is some evidence that he was, in fact, born on April 22.


Note that April is also National Poetry Month. And in fact, Shakespeare composed
· 154 sonnets
· four longer poems
· 37 plays, all in poetic rhythm

You can access his entire works online at http://shakespeare.mit.edu/. You can also read up on some interesting Shakespeare history at author Anthony Holden's Web site: http://www.englishhistory.info/Shakespeare/

I recommend these films of Shakespeare’s plays:
Romeo and Juliet (1996), starring Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio—contemporary setting.
Romeo and Juliet (1968), directed by Franco Zeffirelli—traditional setting, and a real classic.
Much Ado About Nothing (1993), starring Kenneth Branagh, Kate Beckinsale, and Emma Thompson (Nanny McPhee and Harry Potter's Divination professor, Sybil Trelawney)

More Public Libraries in the Greater Sacramento Region

Okay, there are other libraries in the Sacramento region, and I'm sure they all have perfectly splendid programs for teens. So, here are the links:

Dixon Public Library and its really cool teen page called THE YARD
Yolo County Public Library (includes Davis branch) You'll find links for teens and events here.
El Dorado County Public Library and its pretty cool Teen Page
Roseville Public Library and Teen Zone page (featuring recommended books)
Folsom Public Library (The branch on Stafford St. has a fireplace, which would have been nice today)
Lincoln Public Library and Teen page

National Poetry Month

It's also National Poetry Month, which is another big thing in the library world because of all the poetry they have on their shelves! Maybe your school is having a poetry contest, or this is the month all submissions for your school's literary magazine are due so the staff can go through them and choose pieces for publications. What?! You don't have a literary magazine at your school? Well, start one! If you like writing poems, short stories, plays, character profiles, songs, comics, and/or editorials (hello--what do you think a blog is?!), then you should have a place to publish your material on your school campus. You and all the creative writers you don't even know yet who also go to your school. So, start a literary magazine, if you don't have one. Approach your favorite English teacher to be the faculty advisor. (Most creative writers do have favorite English teachers.)

In the meantime, check out your local library for teen programs on zine creation and poetry readings or workshops. There is a POETRY SLAM TOMORROW (Tuesday, April 13) for Sacramento area teens at the Elk Grove branch at 3:30. Cash prizes will be awarded to winners! 7th through 12th-grade students are welcome.

Find other events on the Sacramento Library Teen Page. Just click on Teen Events.