Learn a Little, Live a Little

February 7, 2023May 29, 2024 / Susan O. / Leave a comment

Do love learning? Do you dream of taking college classes, but the cost and the time is too much? Are you taking a high school or college class and struggling to understand the material? Did you cut your cable, and can’t find anything decent to watch anymore?

Fear not! The Great Courses are here!

Cheshire Public Library has always had a handful of these delightful media, but through a generous donation, we’ve been able to greatly expand our holdings to more than 70 titles.

What are the Great Courses? Professional college-level lectures on audiobook or DVD on a variety of topics, given by actual college professors and experts (like Neil DeGrasse Tyson!), that will give you the equivalent of an entire college class in the comfort of your car or living room. Some come with study guides and questions to think about, but you will never have a test or a grade at the end!

The Great Courses was the brainchild of Thomas M. Rollins, the former Chief Counsel of the US Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources (1985-89). Inspired by a 10-hour video lecture series he watched as a student at Harvard Law, he set about creating his own video series under the business label The Teaching Company. He recruited professors to record lectures on topics people were interested in learning about. Because the lectures were chosen by customers, they caught on quickly. There are currently more than 900 lectures available in a wide variety of topics. Some are short – four hours – while others (like the Civil War) can run to 14 discs.

Great Courses are expensive – that Civil War set is more than $500 to purchase yourself, but in 2016 the company began a $20/month streaming service, and then in 2021 rebranded itself under the name Wondrium. Wondrium not only offers more than 280 of the Great Courses, but also content from Magellan TV, Craftsy, and Kino Lorber, which carries art films, documentaries, world cinema, and classic films (silent films like Metropolis, Charlie Chaplin, and more).

If you don’t feel like yet another subscription to a streaming service, check out the library’s offerings downstairs in the adult department. We have more than 30 titles on DVD, and more than 35 on audiobook for learning on the go. As Fat Albert used to say, “If you’re not careful, you may learn something!”

Did you know that if you’ve already studied the material, you can often exempt a college class? It’s called the CLEP program – College Level Examination Program. Basically, if you can pass the exit exam for a class, you can get college credit for that class. Not every school offers it, not every class is covered, but if a Great Courses lecture can help, you can save several hundred dollars!

Check out these great titles and more!

Some of our Audiobook titles:

Ancient Greek Civilization

Beethoven’s Sonatas

Books that Have Made History

Broadway Musicals

The New Testament

Italian Renaissance

Native People of North America

Rise and Fall of the British Empire

Some of our DVD titles:

The American Civil War

Einstein’s Relativity

4K is Coming

December 14, 2016November 4, 2016 / Susan O. / Leave a comment

blu-ray-disc Technology changes faster than most of us can keep up. Almost all of us are familiar with regular DVD technology even if we can’t set the clock on it. Blu Ray, the next step up in DVD technology, is now thirteen years old, and not enough people have moved along with it. But you should, especially with Blu-Ray players, fully decked out, costing as little as $49. If you don’t have one, this should be on your Holiday list.

I already have a DVD player. There’s nothing wrong with it. Why would I need a Blu-Ray? I’m not replacing all my DVDs.

Honestly, I never saw a need either, until I got one. I had just upgraded my extensive VCR collection to DVDs, and I didn’t want to start again either. If you grew up with the old hump-backed TVs and now have an HDTV (the flat kind), if you remember those wiggly VCR pictures, the picture quality of a blu-ray will astound you. But remember: technology often works backward. Your Blu-ray player DOES still play all your regular DVDs, doubling what you can view. It won’t make them miraculously clear like a blu-ray disc, but it will play them just fine. You won’t have to upgrade that DVD of Aunt Bertha’s third wedding.

Thing is, a blu-ray player is SO much more than a lowly DVD player, which is slowly dying away. Not only is the picture clarity far superior, but with the right equipment (cameras, wifi, high-speed cables) you can Skype through it (make video phone calls), surf the internet (yes, order from Amazon right off your TV), access Netflix and other video programs, play music CDs, and flip items from your iPad or phone right onto your Smart TV for large-screen viewing. The downfall: your TV must already accommodate this. If you still have a hump-backed 100-lb picture-tube TV, you’re out of luck for almost everything.

To make it even fancier, there are blu-ray players that can play in 3-D. If you have a 3-D blu-ray player, AND a 3-D TV (AND a 3-D blu-ray movie), yes, you can watch 3-D movies just like in the theater, BUT YOU MUST HAVE ALL THREE. I can’t emphasize that enough. If you don’t have the matching 3-D TV and player, 3-D will not work. But yes, a regular blu-ray disc WILL work in a 3-D blu-ray player; it just won’t be in 3-D. If you think you may ever want to watch a 3-D video, and you have a 3-D capable TV, then get the 3-D blu-ray player. It will play your regular DVDs, your regular blu-rays, AND those fancy 3-D discs.

Now, blu-ray is a double-edged sword. Should you be using it? Yes, if you’re the least bit progressive. The prices are low enough to be a steal, and there’s less of a waiting list for the library’s blu-rays. However, if you’re totally tech and can’t wait for the latest impossible upgrades, 4K Ultra technology is here, and if you’re not building a personal theater room, it’s absolutely affordable.

And the groans begin. What? 4K what? What the daylights is that?

lg-curved-4k-tv-790x4441 4K Ultra is the next step in television and DVD technology. 4K Ultra-High-Def (UHD) is mind-blowingly clear television – clearer than looking out your window. If you thought your high-definition TV was amazing, imagine something twice as fantastic – because it truly is working with twice the capacity (1080 pixels for the standard HDTV vs. 2160 for 4K). The picture is mind-blowing, and allows for monstrously larger screen sizes without losing clarity. Next time you’re out shopping, stop by Costco or Best Buy and take a look. If you thought blu-ray was amazing, just wait.

Although your DVD player and your blu-ray DVD player (that one you just went out and index bought) cannot play the 4K DVDs, a 4K DVD machine will play your regular blu-ray discs (no, they can’t play them as clear as 4K because the discs aren’t coded that way, but they can upscale them so it’s very close). They are absolutely affordable (you can pick up a 3-D 4K UHD disc player with wifi capacity for as little as $119; a 43” TV goes for as little as $379).

Remember though – nothing works in a vacuum. 4K is fabulous, but if you don’t have all the parts, you’re not going to get the right picture. You must have the 4K TV, the 4K DVD player, AND high-speed 2.0 USB cables connecting the two to get the super-quality picture, otherwise it will just revert to regular HD quality. If your cable company isn’t broadcasting in Ultra High Def, you won’t get the super picture on your TV programs. More importantly, 4K DVDs are already available for purchase, so be careful with what you buy. If you buy a DVD that says 4K, and you don’t have a 4K DVD player, it will not be able to read the disc (I’ve tried it, just as a test).

The holiday season often has good sales on TVs and DVD players; this is the perfect time to make that upgrade. While the library isn’t currently offering 4K discs, we’re getting ready for the eventual upgrade. Will you be ready?

Torchwood Comes to CPL

July 8, 2015June 19, 2015 / Susan O. / 4 Comments

Back in 1987, when I started watching a strange little British science-fiction children’s TV show called Dr. Who, it was barely known in the U.S. I actually had to pull it in from Canada, which meant a tipsy Rube Goldberg contraption of raising my TV up high, attaching tinfoil to the antenna, wires to the tin foil, a coat hanger, and all this thrown out the third-story window, because my dorm room was on the opposite side from all the TV signals. Merchandising was rare, usually imported, and extremely expensive.

Fast forward to 2005. After several years of spotty specials, Dr. Who is brought back to life with actor Christopher Eccleston in the lead role (you might know him from Gone in 60 Seconds, or Thor: The Dark World). This time the BBC has actually put money into it, and it is by far some of the best produced, best-written television out there. Period. And among the recurring companions was the role of Captain Jack Harkness, a mysterious immortal figure from the future, played by actor John Barrowman. Jack Harkness was such a strong character the BBC gave Jack Harkness his own spin-off in 2006, Torchwood (which, by the way, is an anagram for Doctor Who). In American, think X-Files.

The Torchwood Institute is set up as a present-day agency hunting present-day aliens that threaten (mostly) London and Wales. It is based in Cardiff, Wales, and headed by Captain Jack Harkness, a former Time Agent who operates above the law, with powerful technology at his hands. When police officer Gwen Cooper (Eve Miles) stumbles onto the secret lair of Torchwood, she won’t stop investigating, until finally Harkness allows her to join them. It takes Gwen quite a bit to get used to everything going on around her, sworn to secrecy, which puts her at odds with her fiance Rhys, who thinks she’s going batty. She’s never quite sure if Jack is on the side of Earth or not, and it takes her a long time to trust him (partly because at the beginning he keeps trying to slip her drugs to make her forget). Sometimes Jack does seem to have an evil side, but really he’s more of a devout neutral, weighing the balance of what’s right and what’s wrong in each situation. Sometimes you love him, and, after the Children of Earth storyline, you understand his reasoning but you truly want to hate him.

Torchwood is NOT a children’s show, and was never meant to be. It was meant as an adult show. It is at times tough and gritty, and it deals with some very adult themes and morals, including nudity and violence, besides some episodes being as creepy as the best horror films. Although Jack Harkness would make guest appearances on Dr. Who, Dr. Who never appears in Torchwood (beyond the sound of his ship in the background for one episode), specifically to emphasize that they did not want children crossing over to the other show.

I urge you to give the series a try. It is unlike anything on American TV. Especially check out the episodes Countrycide, Captain Jack Harkness, and Dead Man Walking. If you have a high tolerance for anger and horror, watch the Children of Earth storyline.

Torchwood is a wonderful series, less science-fiction than horror, with a lot of drama thrown in. I’ve met both Eve Miles and John Barrowman; they are a delight in person and their on-screen charisma is authentic. Barrowman, a die-hard joker and pain in the neck, had no problem with the nudity on the show, and often used it to shock his castmates; if they look horrified on screen, it just might be an authentic look from something Barrowman had done just as the cameras started to roll. Barrowman is well-known in England, a decent singer of his own with several albums, and was one of the judges of the British version of America’s Got Talent. He can currently be seen on Arrow. Burn Gorman (Owen) has also become a familiar face, in everything from The Dark Knight Rises to Game of Thrones, Pacific Rim, Alexander and the Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, to a current run on the AMC series Turn: Washington’s Spies.

CPL has the entire run of Torchwood on both DVD and Blu-ray. Check it out, and its wonderful cast of talented stars!

Three Holidays to Celebrate, Three Shows to Binge Watch

December 21, 2014December 10, 2014 / Lauren / Leave a comment

There are sparkly decorations everywhere, peppermint mochas are appearing at the coffee shop, and your mailbox is crammed with ads for door-buster sales. Yep, it’s the season for the gift-giving celebrations of Christmas and Hanukkah! But you don’t have to belong to any religion to have some fun this season. Here are a few cultural holidays that anyone can enjoy, along with television series to watch for hours on end while you’re off from work and school.

December 23

Festivus

Way back in December of 1997, millions of Seinfeld fans tuned in to watch the episode “The Strike” and were introduced to Festivus, a made-up holiday celebrated by Frank Costanza as a rebellion against the commercialism of Christmas. Fast forward to the present, and lots of people have taken to celebrating Festivus in their homes, dorms, and workplaces. The common rituals of Festivus are as follows:

1) Displaying the Festivus Pole – an unadorned aluminum pole. (You can actually buy these online!)
2) A celebratory Dinner – make anything you like, as long as it’s celebratory.
3) Airing of Grievances – this takes place immediately after dinner is served. Participants take turns complaining about how everyone has disappointed them in the past year.
4) Feats of Strength – after dinner, the head of the household selects a person to challenge to a wrestling match. Festivus officially ends when the head of the household is pinned.

Fun fact: Festivus actually goes back to 1966 when Seinfeld writer Dan O’Keefe’s father first instituted the tradition to celebrate an anniversary, and the family continued to celebrate it whenever Papa O’Keefe felt like it. Instead of an aluminum pole they had a clock in a bag, and they shared a Pepperidge Farm cake decorated with M&Ms

Binge Watch: Seinfeld. What else?

December 26

Boxing Day

Maybe you’ve seen Boxing Day on your wall calendar and had no idea what it was. Let’s Return Unwanted Gifts Day? A fisticuffs tournament over the last piece of pie? Nope! It’s a holiday in Great Britain and almost every place the British settled, except for the U.S. Nobody is sure where the name originated, though some believe it comes from the alms boxes set up in churches during the Advent season (which were then broken open and distributed on the 26th), or from the gift boxes presented to servants who had to work on Christmas but had the following day off.

Whatever purpose it once had, Boxing Day is now a relaxing day off to visit relatives, sit around and eat leftovers, and watch soccer. Among the wealthy, fox hunting used to be a popular Boxing Day activity before the practice was banned in 2004. Those with disposable income now hunt for bargains instead – it has become a huge shopping day, comparable to our Black Friday.

Binge Watch: If you’re not going to tune in to one of 10 Premier League games, pick up a Blu-Ray of The Paradise, a BBC series following a shop girl in Britain’s first department store.

December 26-January 1

Kwanzaa

Born out of the Black nationalist movement, Kwanzaa is a relatively young holiday, created in 1966 by Black Studies professor and activist Maulana Karenga as a way for African American to celebrate their heritage and connect to their community. It fuses elements from numerous African cultures – the term Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya Kwanza” or “first fruits of the harvest,” and draws from the harvest celebrations of the Ashanti, Yoruba, Ibo, and other West African tribes (from which most African Americans have descended). There’s feasting and singing, of course, but the most important part of Kwanzaa is celebration of the seven principles – things like creativity and self-determination – that are represented by lighting one candle each night of the holiday.

Kwanzaa reached its height in the 1980s and 1990s, and about 2% of the U.S. population celebrates the holiday today. However, Americans of any heritage can set out a kinara on the mantle and celebrate our country’s diverse history.

Binge Watch: Roots, Alex Haley’s award-winning exploration of his family’s background.

Which holidays are you celebrating this year?

Coming Soon on DVD

December 8, 2013November 20, 2013 / Susan O. / Leave a comment

Missed it in the theater? Saw it but can’t wait to see it again? Trying to think of something to buy someone for a gift, or what to ask for? Here’s a list of some of this year’s biggest films and shows being released on DVD just in time for the holiday season. Just remember, while the library orders items as fast as we can, we, too, are limited by the release date, so always allow at least two weeks AFTER the release for us to have the DVD’s out and ready for you to watch. Until we enter the item into the computer, we cannot place holds on it. Still don’t see it in the computer? Request that we order it! We love to know what people are looking for.