Beat the Economic Blues at the Chicago Public Library

Beat the Economic Blues at the Chicago Public Library

Tuesday, December 30, 2008 | 12:24 PM

See the story complete with video:
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=resources&id=6578139


Parents may not have been able to buy their children as many gifts as in past years.

The Chicago Public Library has come up with inexpensive and fun ways to help support their child's education. These programs and resources are fun, educational and FREE for everyone who has a library card (which is free to all Chicago residents).

These include:

FREE Wi-fi

Music Downloads

Movie Rentals

Audio Book Rentals (they have this VERY VERY cool thing they call a "Takeaway" it looks like an iPod but it's pre-loaded with a complete audio book)

Free meeting space (community groups, small businesses)

Educational kids' activities

More activities organized by age: from for pre-schoolers through high school

· "Backpacks" - Kids (with parents) check out the backpack and includes everything the kids need to explore. The first two items are for pre-schoolers

· Language Development Backpack. The Language Development Backpack was created to support early childhood literacy. Included in the backpack are books, alphabet blocks and word games. All of the contents of this backpack promote word recognition and phonics building.

· Mother Goose Backpack (Recipe for Fun).
The backpack includes a "First Mother Goose" book, Mother Goose building blocks and one cassette of Mother Goose nursery rhymes. This back pack was created to introduce young children to phonics and promote word recognition through visuals and audio.

· Environment CPL's "Bird Watching Backpack"
This backpack (which kids check out all together) contains everything a child would need to go bird watching. It has books on various types of birds, binoculars, informational cards that include information various types of birds and it also includes an audio bird identifier. Children can use this gadget to identify birds by the type of sounds they make.

· Science Chicago
Science Chicago takes place throughout the fall at various library branches and talks about the value of science and math education. CPL actually has a resident scientist that runs this. It's a very hands-on program  not just about the books.

· Teen Volume
This is for high school students. Developed to engage teens and increase literacy amongst the teen population, Teen Volume is a series of programs designed for teens by teens. Teen Volume offers teen Money Smart (financial literacy) Programs, Reading Lists, Book Discussions, Reader's Theater Programs, Creative Writing Workshops and Author Visits. The visual elements here are mostly books, but CPL has a Teen Volume Advisory Council and one of the teenagers could perhaps be part of the segment.

· College Students
CPL believes that most college students get their educational needs fulfilled at their academic libraries, so the CPL is there for entertainment. CPL has more than 11,000 movie titles, thousands of CDs and downloadable music and audio books. All are FREE with a CPL library card (which is also free!). Lots of great visuals here including newly released DVDs, Playaways (a portable audiobook, the size of a deck of cards), newly released CDs and possibly an iPod to translate the downloadable media

Kilo Kai Brings its “Take No Prisoners”™ Attitude to Arizona

Kilo Kai™. We Make Rum. Real Rum.
Kilo Kai Brings its “Take No Prisoners”™ Attitude to Arizona

Chicago, IL – Arizona residents will no longer have to cross state lines to California or Vegas in order to get their new favorite rum, Kilo Kai. The Chicago makers of Kilo Kai announced this week that the brand is now available throughout the State of Arizona, part of an ongoing nationwide expansion. Kilo Kai is now available in thousands of locations throughout California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada and Wisconsin. As the rum rolls out statewide in Arizona, consumers can visit www.KiloKai.com for a list of bars, nightclubs, as well as grocery and liquor stores where they can buy Kilo Kai.

Kilo Kai has expanded because of its great taste and its decision to affiliate with music and nightlife. The brand made national headlines after it was featured in the 2008 GRAMMY® Awards Gift Bag. Kilo Kai has sponsored numerous music events featuring artists such as The Bouncing Souls, Wu-Tang Clan, Flosstradamus, Pegboy, The Glamour, Reverend Horton Heat, The Las Vegas, Twista and The Supersuckers. The rum has developed a devoted following with its own facebook group and evangelistic bloggers.

Many also read about the brand’s clever promotion during the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis. Cut-out footprints appeared on bathroom floors with the Kilo Kai logo and the tag “Tap your foot if you want to hook up with Kilo Kai,” a reference to the Minneapolis airport bathroom scandal featuring Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig. [Promo Magazine]

“You will hear about Kilo Kai mostly through bartenders, musicians, waiters and others connected to nightlife, culture and hospitality,” said Brad Trayser, president of Apostrophe Brands, the Chicago-based Kilo Kai importer. “Kilo Kai is the rum you will drink when you have decided taste is more important. We’re excited to share our great rum with our friends in Arizona.”

Better Tasting Rum
Compared to the market leader, Chris Null of the popular online liquor review site, DrinkHacker.com, gave Kilo Kai an “A” rating and said it was "spiced the way rum ought to be. … Kilo Kai was much smoother, with a creamy texture and a clear flavor of honey and cinnamon." Bill Jones of the music website PunkBands.com wrote, "I now have a great new choice when buying rum. (Compared to other brands) Kilo Kai tastes a hell of a lot better on its own." Theresa Carter, Chicago NBC5.com blogger and author of the popular website TheLocalTourist.com wrote, "Kilo Kai has convinced me to switch (rums) ... because it tastes good.” Julie Lawrence of OnMilwaukee.com commented that Kilo Kai was “smoother … This is a rum I’d actually consider drinking on the rocks.” Kevin Kosar of popular website AlcoholReviews.com gave Kilo Kai 4 out of 5 stars.

About Kilo Kai
Created by three generations of master rum distillers in Curacao, Kilo Kai is a spiced rum blended with the unique flavors and scents of the Caribbean. The complexity arises in the flavors of anise, vanilla, banana, cherry, nutmeg and orange peels. Crafted with 1-year-old and 3-year-old rums, Kilo Kai is the perfect rum for aficionados and novices alike because its complexity and unique blend of flavors allows it to be mixed in a favorite cocktail or enjoyed straight. The innovative package design features real skateboard tape on the bottle and is complete with Kilo Kai’s iconic logo. To learn more about Kilo Kai’s “Take No Prisoners” attitude, visit www.KiloKai.com. Please enjoy Kilo Kai responsibly.