Creepy Critters for Halloween

With Halloween just around the corner, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History offers this selection of frightening fish and creepy crustaceans to make us all happy we're trick-or-treating on land and not in the watery deep: 

http://ocean.si.edu/slideshow/creepy-critters-marine-life-surfaces-halloween

Even if yours is a Marine Halloween, stay safe, and don't eat all your candy (or plankton) in one sitting.

Time Travel

In the movie "Back to the Future II," Marty McFly and Doc Brown arrive in the future on October 21, 2015.  There will be many celebrations this week as we finally reach that once futuristic date.  This momentous event may leave you wondering whether or not time travel is really possible.  At least one scientist at NASA seems to think it is: 

http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/review/dr-marc-space/#/review/dr-marc-space/time-travel.html

Hmm...I wonder if he owns a DeLorean?

Christopher Columbus

Most of us know that Christopher Columbus "sailed the ocean blue" in 1492 and discovered America.  For those who'd like to know a bit more about why he sailed, what he found, and the ongoing impact of these events, this online exhibit from the Library of Congress may be of great interest:

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/1492/index.html

If you can't explore the world yourself, you can at least explore this information about one famous explorer.

Mental Health Statistics

October 4-10 is Mental Health Awareness Week.  According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), "...mental disorders are common throughout the United States, affecting tens of millions of people each year, and...only about half of those affected receive treatment."  To improve your own awareness, explore these statistics from NIMH on the prevalence, treatment, and costs of mental disorders: 

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/index.shtml

If you believe you might be among the millions with an untreated disorder, that page also links to information about how to find help.  There's no shame in having a mental disorder, so please find the courage to request the help you need.

NAL Digital Collections

If you have any interest in the history of American agriculture, you'll no doubt be fascinated by the digital collections from the National Agricultural Library: 

http://naldc.nal.usda.gov/naldc/home.xhtml

Publications available include, among others, the Historical Dietary Guidance Digital Collection, the Organic Roots Collection, and the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection, which presents paintings, drawings, and models of plant specimens created between 1886 and 1942.  All collections can be searched simultaneously or browsed individually.  So, if you're a hayseed from way back, now you can easily find historical publications about actual hayseeds from way back.

Real ID Act

You may have seen a news article recently that said, starting next year, residents of some states (including Louisiana) may no longer be able to use their drivers' licenses to board airplanes.  The Real ID Act was passed in 2005, but restrictions on IDs that are acceptable for boarding federally-regulated commercial aircraft won't be implemented until 2016 "at the earliest."  No specific implementation date has been announced yet, and it will be when the time comes, but if you'd like to read more, see this page from the Department of Homeland Security:

http://www.dhs.gov/real-id-public-faqs

And, if your state doesn't offer an "enhanced driver's license" and you'd like to go ahead and apply for a passport as your second form of ID, here's a link to information about that:  http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en.html.  Happy traveling!

Shared Heritage Travel Itineraries

More than 90,000 locations around the country have been added to the National Register of Historic Places.  To help the public explore these significant sites, the National Park Service, in partnership with the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers and various state and local organizations, has created several "travel itineraries."  Each itinerary highlights different geographic regions or important themes in American history.  This page allows you to browse the itineraries by state: 

http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/onlineitin-trav.htm

Whether you visit these locations in person or online, it's bound to be educational and may even be fun.