The pirate speaks: International Talk Like a Pirate Day be September 19th. . . time t' celebrate! If you need t' brush up on pirate, check out Mango Languages! They be offerin' a Pirate Language course in honor o' Talk Like a Pirate Day. (courtesy the English-to-Pirate Translator)

That is to say: International Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19th. . . time to celebrate! If you need to brush up on pirate, check out Mango Languages! They are offering a Pirate Language course in honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day.

You can say 'goodbye' to the food pyramid--the USDA just announced the new MyPlate government guide to healthy eating. The decades old food pyramid was widely considered difficult to comprehend. The plate breaks down the components of a well-balanced meal into a simple to understand diagram. The new ChooseMyPlate.gov website includes a clickable image of the plate with tips and advice on each component, as well as a wealth of resources for learning about healthful eating. There are dietary guidelines, interactive tools, and plenty of information on feeding healthy kids. Take a look!

If you are as fascinated by space exploration as I am, you'll love NASA's Solar System Exploration Site. The beautifully designed site has been nominated for a Webby Award. Spinning planets in the header allow you to click for information on each one.

Other sections contain a wealth of information on NASA missions, science and technology, and wonderful multimedia stories. The Kids section is full of great facts and interactive games for your child to explore. Way cool!

Cleaning for a Reason is a non-profit organization providing free housecleaning services for women in treatment for cancer. Cleaning for a Reason partners with local housecleaning services to offer four free general cleanings - once a month for four months. These companies can only take on two patients at a time and they accept a limited of applications Monday through Friday only, but they will try to match as many patients as possible with these services. Read more about their application process on their site, and click the Cancer Patients tab on the main page for instructions on how to apply and their application during the hours when they are accepting applications.

Halloween may be over, but that doesn't mean you can't still enjoy a good scare. The Script Lab's full list of the Top 13 Masters of Horror features the best writers and directors in the horror film genre. Below are DVD selections from our catalog by some of these writers and directors:

Love reading books and watching DVDs? Did you know you can post reviews on our site? HCPL welcomes you to submit your opinion of the books you've read and the movies you've watched. Share your thoughts on the books you loved (or the ones you hated).

Not sure what you want to read or watch next? You can read book or movie reviews other customers have posted. In addition, kids and teens can write their own reviews and read other reviews of children's and young adult titles. Also, customers can write or read reviews en Espanol.

The library has a lot of great horror novels, but books are not the only place you can find a great horror story! I was poking around through my bookmarks last night when I came across a few online horror sites I hadn't looked at in a while. The first one I came across was The Dionaea House. This is a piece of online fiction that incorporates several blogs to tell a frightening story of a house that has the ability to appear in multiple cities, change its interior, and make its inhabitants disappear. I made the mistake of reading this late at night some years ago--you were warned.

Le Tour de France ended on Sunday, and the world watched as Alberto Contador pedaled his way to his third win while Lance Armstrong and Team Radioshack rolled into a team victory. If you are a fan of the Tour like I am, you may want to find out more about this exciting race and its history. The library has plenty of books on the Tour, Lance Armstrong and his career, as well as other books on cycling. Check one out today!

I discovered a new author recently. Daryl Gregory has published a couple of horror novels in the past few years. I was not sure I liked his work at first, but it is starting to grow on me.

The 2009 Arthur C. Clarke Award was announced last week. China Miéville won the award for his novel The City and the City, making him the first author to win the award on three separate occasions.

Our site includes a list of the past winners.