All federal benefit payments to you such as Social Security, SSI, SSDI, and Veteran’s Benefits will be made electronically starting in March 2013. The U.S. Department of the Treasury will pay all federal benefit and non-tax payments electronically. Benefit recipients can choose to receive their payments by direct deposit to a bank or credit union account or to a Direct Express® Debit MasterCard® card account. If you are retiring or applying for federal benefits soon, you will need to choose your preferred electronic payment option when you apply to receive federal benefit payments from the Social Security Administration, Veterans Affairs, Railroad Retirement Board, Office of Personnel Management, or Department of Labor (Black Lung).

You are required to make the switch from paper federal benefit checks to electronic payments by March 1, 2013. If you are applying for these federal benefits, you will receive your payments through direct deposit to your bank or credit union account or to a Direct Express® Debit MasterCard® card: Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Veterans Affairs, Railroad Retirement Board, Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Labor (Black Lung).

For more information you can visit the Go Direct website at www.godirect.org or call the Go Direct Helpline at (800) 333-1795, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).

-Bob S., Government Publications Dept.

If you’re a movie lover, then you might be familiar with the video distribution company The Criterion Collection. This company is known for re-releasing classic and foreign films, as well as films made by celebrated directors. Many times you can only find the critically acclaimed and celebrated foreign language films in their collection.

Now, I know many people are hesitant to watch foreign language films because they don’t want to be bothered with the subtitles or they feel that reading will distract them from the action or storytelling of the film. Well, I have an easy answer for this: Borrow the DVD from the library! You can always pause and rewind if you feel you missed something. There are a lot of foriegn language gems out there that you shouldn't miss.

So today I’ll post some of my favorite Criterion Collection films the library has ready to loan (don’t worry, they aren’t all subtitled):

Click on the film title to request material from the Free Library.
Click on the trailer link to watch the film's trailer or a scene from the film.

The 400 Blows  – This French New Wave film is considered a classic of French cinema by some. It portrays the story of a troubled boy in Paris. (Rating PG) trailer

Black Orpheus – This 1959 film is set during Carnival in Rio de Janeiro and adapts the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It won the Palme d’Or (the highest prize at the Cannes Film Festival) and an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. (Rating PG) trailer

Monty Python’s Life of Brian –  This hilarious film was considered controversial at the time of its  release in 1979 due to the religious satire, and it was banned in many movie theatres. The film follows the life of Brian, a man who lived next door to and was born on the same day as Jesus Christ, and who spends much of his life mistaken for the messiah. (Rating R) trailer

My Own Private Idaho - The story of two friends (River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves) who start on a journey of self discovery and learn about the hardships of friendship. (Rating R) trailer

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou  – This comedy by Wes Anderson stars Bill Murray (who in my opinion, is reason enough to watch any film), as Steve Zissou,  a oceanographer on a quest to get revenge on a shark that ate his partner (think Moby-Dick). (Rating R) trailer

Battle of Algiers  – This 1966 film depicts the guerrilla warfare that took place during the Algerian War. This film is critically acclaimed and was nominated for two Oscars. (Rating PG) trailer

Do the Right Thing - This 1989 film takes place in one day (the hottest day of the summer) and showcases racial division and bigotry in a Brooklyn neighborhood. Directed by Spike Lee, it was nominated for two Oscars. (Rating R)  trailer

The Blob -  This 1958 horror film stars Steven McQueen as teen on the run from a giant alien blob that terrorizes his town. (Rating G) trailer

The library currently has more than 170 items from the Criterion Collection - browse all.

Tags: Recommendations, Reviews

The Free Library is proud to offer an extensive and continuously growing array of digital resources for the casual curiosity seeker to the serious scholar. From ebooks to language lessons to free music and more, check out the vast array of the Library’s digital offerings below. All you need is your Free Library card and PIN to get started!

Downloadable eBooks and audiobooks – Compatible with a multitude of digital devices, you can check out electronic and audio versions of thousands of popular and acclaimed titles, from The Help to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Free Author Podcasts – Recorded over the past decade from the Free Library’s renowned Author Events Series, our extensive database of Author Podcasts features inspiring and thought-provoking lectures from Nobel Laureates, bestselling writers, and world-shaping activists and politicians.

Digital Collections – Many of the Free Library’s special collections are digitized online for all to enjoy, including historic photographs, medieval manuscripts, and vintage postcards.

Freegal – Music fans can now build their personal collections at no cost with Freegal, which allows users to download three DRM-free Sony tracks per week—and keep those songs forever!

Mango Languages – Forget expensive software and outdated textbooks: Our Mango Languages learning system provides in-depth, user-friendly instruction in nearly three dozen languages, from French to Tagalog. Become fluent in another tongue or simply brush up on common phrases for your next trip overseas!

Extensive Databases – Our diverse array of databases feature genealogy research tools, streaming classical music, small business resources, news archives, and more.

Mobile Web Pages – Checking your Library account or browsing upcoming events has never been easier thanks to our mobile web pages. Using your smart phone, you can also access staff book recommendations, author podcasts, and more.

Text a Librarian Service – Have a burning question that you need a short answer for straightaway? Text us your question! While our service is free, standard messaging rates do apply based on your personal cell phone plan.

Email a Librarian Service – For questions that require a little bit of research or a longer answer than can be contained in a text, you can always email our librarians and receive an answer within a few days.

Online Homework Help – Available for a variety of subjects in all grades from elementary to high school, the Free Library’s online homework help service will give you the guidance you need to make the grade.

Social Networking – To keep up with the latest literary happenings and fun facts from the world of information, be sure to like the Free Library of Philadelphia on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @freelibrary!
 

I first heard about mattter/antimatter from Star Trek when I was a kid, which--to be honest--sparked a lot of my fascination with science and technology. In Star Trek, they use matter/antimatter as a source of fuel for their ships (which should not to be confused with the warp drive/core, which uses matter/antimatter and dilithium crystals to go faster than the speed of light, but I digress). So the question is: What is matter/antimatter and is antimatter real?

In general terms, matter is everything – it's anything that has mass and takes up space (the substance that makes up physical objects). In more specific terms, matter is made up of atoms and molecules, such as protons, neutrons, and electrons. So antimatter is a form of matter that is equal in mass to ordinary matter but with opposite electrical properties. For instance, antimatter has “positrons” which are like electrons but with a positive charge and “antiprotons” which are like protons but with a negative charge.

Now the cool thing is, when matter and antimatter collide, they annihilate each other in a burst of high-energy photons – meaning energy (lots of it) is created. Now before you get too excited about a new source of energy, keep in mind it would cost (according to NASA) “one-hundred-billon dollars to create one milligram of antimatter” and not to mention antimatter can only be collected very slowly, a few particles at a time.

The NASA website also reminds us that it would cost far more energy to create antimatter than the energy one could get back from an antimatter reaction. Also, antimatter is a very volatile substance and would need the same safety precautions as nuclear reactors.

Well, at least we know antimatter is real and scientists are currently making advancements, such as CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), where scientists recently created antihydrogen for the first time. For now, I will just dream of a future with starships fueled by antimatter that boldly go where no man has gone before.

Interested in Matter/Antimatter? Check out these resources:

• Antimatter: The Ultimate Mirror by Gordon Fraser
• Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel by Michio Kaku
• Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith
• Antimatter by Frank Close

Tags: Recommendations

I'm a huge fan of young adult literature. Several of my favorite young adult authors maintain some excellent and entertaining blogs that discuss everything from classic novels to the world of publishing to the thought process behind their work. Even if you haven’t read these authors’ novels—though you should!—their blogs are not to be missed.

Some of my favorites include:

John Green – John Green deserves (and will probably get) his own blog post someday about the incredible work that he and his brother Hank have done to build a dynamic online community of self-professed nerds who embrace enthusiasm, celebrate learning, and support humanitarian causes worldwide. For now, I can’t recommend Green’s hilarious and thoughtful video blogs highly enough. (His brother Hank's videos are equally awesome.) DFTBA!

Laurie Halse Anderson – The award-winning author of Speak and Forge offers writing advice and insight into her creative process.

Sarah Dessen – Her novels are hit New York Times bestsellers, and her entertaining blog covers the gamut from book recommendations to reality television.

Lois Lowry – The author of my Favorite Book Ever writes an eloquent blog that makes me yearn for my very own rural Maine farmhouse and lovable shaggy dog (and, um, my very own esteemed literary career...)

What are some of your favorite author blogs? Share in the comments!