Here's a list including all things Fourth of July -- fun facts, fireworks and barbecue safety tips and more from the U.S. Government's official Web portal. Some of the standout links are:

• Reminders on barbecue safety from the Agriculture Department

• A virtual visit to the Liberty Bell Center

• Have your children test their knowledge on the Declaration of Independence with this quiz. This site also offers quizzes on life in the White House, First Ladies and even presidents' pets.

• All-American recipes, including a recipe for Laura Bush's Hot Chocolate.

• If you're interested in donating your time and effort for a patriotic cause, this link is a thorough compilation of donation projects, volunteering opportunities and other ways to support your country.

Be safe and have a great Fourth!

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Are you still looking for that last-minute Father's Day gift? You may think you're having difficulty finding a store that sells something your dad would want, but, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, you have plenty of options. As of 2005, in the United States there are:

23,195 sporting goods stores
14,257 hardware stores
5,925 home centers
8,685 men's clothing stores

Did you know:
Of the estimated 64.3 million fathers in the United States, about 159,000 are stay-at-home dads? Also, there are an estimated 2.5 million single fathers in the country, more than six times the amount there were in 1970.

For more Father's Day facts and figures:
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/009879.html

So just how well does your dad measure up to famous fathers out there? Tiger Woods is most likely a better golfer than your dad, but how does he compare otherwise? For more on Woods and other celebrity dads, visit:
http://www.holidays.net/father/favorite_celeb_dads.htm

Maybe your dad's no Brad Pitt, but surely he's better than fictitious fathers such as Homer Simpson. What about Mike Brady, or Ward Cleaver? Read about these and other TV dads at:
http://www.holidays.net/father/tv_dads.htm

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Trying to use Google today? Look at the calendar first. Google rolled out a bunch of pranks. If you want to find them on your own, have at it. If you want a spoiler, look at this list of Google's April Fools' silliness users have already found.

We wish this one were true. Maybe then we could meet our new deadlines:

Google Australia delivers gDay with MATE technology to “search content on the internet before it’s created,” i.e., from the future. From the page: “Google spiders crawl publicly available web information and our index of historic, cached web content. Using a mashup of numerous factors such as recurrence plots, fuzzy measure analysis, online betting odds and the weather forecast from the iGoogle weather gadget, we can create a sophisticated model of what the internet will look like 24 hours from now.” I saw this yesterday already and tried to search for “Google Blogoscoped” and indeed, found this post and opened its Google Cache version – I was then able to copy the full text of the post, which saved me a lot of writing today.

RELATED POST:
April Fools' Day Best and Worst List

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Did you hear about the bumper crop of spaghetti from trees in Switzerland? Or the purchase of the Liberty Bell by the Taco Bell Corp.? If not, you've missed some of the top 100 April Fools’ Day hoaxes “as judged by notoriety, absurdity and number of people duped.” You can find inspiration for your own pranks as the calendar turns to April today — or just a chance to be amazed at what people will believe — by checking out all 100. In a dark mood? You'll also find a list of the 10 worst pranks of the day.

Readers thinking of pulling a joke at the office may want to review Dawn Anfuso's recent Workwise column from the Breeze. “There's no doubt that when employees get along and have some fun at work, more work actually gets done,” she writes. But the wrong prank with the wrong people can land you in hot water. And that's no joke.

For some serious history and speculation on how April Fools’ Day came to be in the first place, check out this site.

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Last week we blogged about Guinness' ploy to get St. Patrick's Day recognized as an official holiday. Don't remember? Didn't care? You're not the only one.

The Proposition 3-17 Web site says it needed 1 million signatures by midnight March 16 (St. Patrick's Day eve). Nearly two days later, the site said 349,015 site visitors had signed on to petition Congress "to officially commemorate the spirit of this day" and "to celebrate and honor St. Patrick himself."

So much for that Irish luck.

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Easter is nearly upon us — likely the earliest Easter any of us ever has or ever will see. The next time the holiday will arrive this early in the year will be in 2228. It’s hard to believe, but Snopes — a site devoted to debunking or bolstering urban legends — confirms it, and explains how Easter’s date is determined. (It’s a long answer, but it’s based on the Hebrew calendar used to determine passover and is still related to astronomical phenomena that would have occurred at the time the Resurrection is believed to have taken place.)

So then you'll know when you’re supposed to hide those eggs, but since the holiday is officially the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, why do we hide those eggs? (It’s a shorter answer than the one to the date question, and it involves traditional rites of spring.)

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According to the U.S. Census bureau, 4.6% of people in L.A. County claim Irish ancestry. That's about half a million of us. So, there's no shortage of Irish things to do in the South Bay this weekend.

PARTY LIKE THE IRISH
HERMOSA BEACH: Unleash your inner leprechaun at the 14th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday at Pier Avenue and Valley Drive, and wending its way westbound to Hermosa Avenue. Musical entertainment for the free event will be provided by the Wrath of McGrath Band, playing at noon. Call 310-318-0280 or go to www.stpatricksday.org, where you can also see
photos of 2007’s parade.

REDONDO BEACH: This year’s St. Patrick’s Day 5K Run/Community Walk and Little Leprechaun Dash for the Gold relocates from Torrance to Riviera Village on Sunday. A benefit for Redondo Union High School’s grad night program, the race starts and ends at the Village Runner, 1811-A Catalina Ave. Late registration opens at 6:30 a.m., the 5K run/walk begins at 8 a.m., the kids’ dash at 9:30 a.m. Entry fee for adults is $30, $20 for children. The top three male and female runners win cash prizes and the three fastest finishes in each age division will receive medals. For more information, call 310-375-2626 or go to www.villagerunnerracing.com.

SAN PEDRO: The St. Patrick’s Day celebrations at San Pedro Brewing Company includes The Hollywood Stones, a ’70s-era Rolling Stones tribute band, plays Saturday at 10 p.m. Hear Irish music, including Uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes) Sunday and Monday. Corned beef, green beer and Irish car bombs will be served all weekend at the restaurant and award-winning microbrewery. Cover is $3 tonight, $10 Saturday at 331 W. Sixth St. For information, call 310-831-5663 or go to www.sanpedrobrewing.com.

For Irish eats, keep reading.

Continue reading "South Bay's Guide to St. Patrick's Day" »

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Think we're a couple days early? You haven't been reading.

This story from Catholic News Agency explains the move:

Church authorities reportedly spent weeks debating where to move the feast day because March 17, 2008, falls on the second day of Holy Week next year.
The liturgical norms would require the feast day to be moved to the earliest available date after Easter, which would be April 1. But church officials said the Vatican approved the March 15 date in order to minimize conflict with the scheduled civic events.
While religious celebrations honoring St. Patrick are affected, religious and secular authorities stressed this would not change secular festivities. The St. Patrick's Festival Committee in Dublin confirmed that next year's parade would be March 17 as usual. In addition, Monday, March 17, will remain an official day off of work in Ireland.
This marks the first time the date has been changed since 1940. The next conflict with Holy Week is not expected until 2160.

Here's some more on the religious background of St. Patrick’s Day.

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In a clever marketing ploy, Guinness claims it is sponsoring a petition in Congress to make St. Patrick’s Day a national holiday. Its Web site claims it needs 1 million signatures by March 17 to make it happen. As of 3:17 p.m. on March 15, it had 443,123.
Text of the petition:

Guinness and Proposition 3-17 supporters believe that a regulated, official holiday would not only reduce the amount of employees missing work in order to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but officially allow people to express their Irishness.

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Calling all leaplings: The Honor Society of Leap Year Day Babies will help you "party like it only happens once every four years" with Leap Day events from around the world. The Web site also has fun facts and links, and helps you find celebrities who share your birthday.

If you are among the estimated 200,000 U.S. babies born on Feb. 29, here's some deals for you. Papa John's wants to treat those born on Leap Day to an online-only offer of a free large one-topping Papa's Perfect Pan pizza. Papa John’s will give customers whose birthdays fall on any of the other 365 days of this year other special online offers on Friday, like three large pizzas with three toppings, all for $29.29.

Would you rather celebrate Leap Day with a weekend getaway? Kimpton Hotels is also offering a birthday special for leapies. Participating hotels have special rates and packages.

If you're feeling left out for not having a Feb. 29 birthday, fear not. Ronzoni Healthy Harvest is offering customers a free box of its pasta on Leap Day as a way to encourage people to "take small leaps for heart health."

Bummed to be working on Leap Day? Boston Market is offering a Leap Year contest for those working on Friday. Enter by today for a chance to win a free catered lunch for you and 19 of your favorite co-workers.

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Ever feel disappointed because holidays are a little sparse between New Year’s Day and Presidents Day?
Actually, there are plenty of things to celebrate during this period. In fact, there’s something to celebrate every day of the year.
There may not be too many paid holidays, but a little creative use of a sick day or a vacation day and you can celebrate “Hoodie-Hoo Day” at noon on Feb. 20 (a day dedicated to chasing away the winter by gathering in groups and shouting “hoodie-hoo”).
Sadly you’ve already missed National White Shirt Day, but you’ve still got a chance to celebrate “I Value Your Friendship Day” today. Since it falls on Feb. 13, it also offers a chance to signal that certain someone that a Valentine’s Day gift would be going too far.
By the way, Congress designated the first Sunday in August “Friendship Day” in 1935.
For a pretty complete list of days that people believe merit celebration, go to www.tulane.edu/~wc/months or check out http://123child.com/act/feb.html for monthly and weekly themes: This being the third week of February, it’s Friendship Week, Love Your Pet Week and Pancake Week.

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From The Associated Press:

HONG KONG -- Caution will be the watchword for the Year of the Rat, the new lunar year that begins Thursday, as Chinese fortune tellers predict financial and political rumblings, tsunamis and epidemics in the year ahead.

The reason, they say, is that water and earth -- two of the five elements Chinese mystics believe are at the root of all things -- are in conflict in 2008.

If you want to know what Chinese astrology would say about your upcoming year, go here.

If you're looking for a way to celebrate, you could head to downtown L.A. this weekend to see the Golden Dragon Parade. Here are photos of past events.

Or check LA.Com for more options.

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You might want to check out Mint.com. The Web site features ways for you to track your spending, find bargains, and stay informed about your money. Their motto: "Put your finances on autopilot."

But if you're in a tailspin after spending too freely over the holidays, Mint wants to help with that too. They're promoting a contest to pay off your holiday bills -- or at least $5,000 of them. (You didn't go more than $5,000 into debt did you?) You'll have to submit a video or written story, and visitors to the Mint Web site will vote on whose straits are most dire. Ten finalists will come out of that process, and Mint will do the rest.

For more information, here's a December story about Mint in the magazine Fast Company.

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Now, we at the Daily Link realize that Groundhog day doesn't really matter much in Southern California, who can really tell the difference between six more weeks of winter and an early spring? Anyway, it is still kind of fun that there's a whole holiday dedicated to a furry little rodent that predicts the weather. Learn more about Groundhog day and the only true weather forecasting groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, here.

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February is Black History Month.

Biography.com has an interesting interactive presentation, including a Quoting Greatness Quiz and 101 Fast Facts.

The History Channel has a similar presentation, which includes some historic video clips

Time magazine's list of the must-reads of African American literature

Reading lists for children, divided by age group

Printable activity pages for kids

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Christmas around the world via webcam.

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To learn how to take a good picture of your house's Christmas lights and other useful tips, go here.

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With the holidays and the end of the year looming, it's time to think about giving. The public radio show "Marketplace" provides some guidance on charitable giving and offers a surprising discovery: that charitable individuals and nations prosper. So the more you give the more you get.

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Map out how you're going to decorate your cookies, or just enjoy the decorating process while bypassing the mess. Drawing on the icing is harder than it looks.

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Going to a performance of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" this holiday season, but need a little background? The Nutcracker Ballet site has a synopsis of the ballet's story, music from its various parts, links to a review of last year's performance by the Los Angeles Ballet, which will perform in Redondo Beach in a few weeks, and a state-by-state listing of upcoming performances, including one at the James Armstrong Theater in Torrance Dec. 9 at 2 p.m.

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The people who re-create Christmas night each year at the Journey of Faith Church in Manhattan Beach have been blogging about the behind-the-scenes efforts of putting on the production.

At the “Journey to Bethlehem” Web site, you can also see photos of the process, in which the Journey of Faith parking lot is turned into to the bustling town of Bethlehem complete with 170 costumed volunteers and 32 animals.

Or, you can see it in person at Journey of Faith Church, 1243 Artesia Blvd., Manhattan Beach 6 to 8:30 p.m. today through Sunday.

Breeze reporter Melissa Evans wrote a story about the project if you want more background.

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If you want people to think you’re a rich, fun-loving doctor-type, string up the lights. If you want people to think you’re ordinary, but a good neighbor with no kids, keep it simple, according to a recent survey of people who were shown pictures of either a flashy house or an understated house and asked about what their perception of the owner was.
People who viewed the highly decorated house were more likely to think the owner was:

People who viewed the less decorated house were more likely to think the owner was:

Interstingly, despite the appearance of being a fun-loving guy, more people would want the less decorated house in their neighborhood.

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It's a busy time of year, and sure to become more hectic once the kids get a break from school. While you’re out shopping, pick up supplies for some fun Christmas crafts, including a pine cone Christmas tree, a 3-D star, a paper plate snowman and a candy train. For instructions and a list of what you need, click here.

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Looking for something other than a "World's Greatest" mug for your teacher's Christmas gift this year? Try this site.

At Oxfam America's Online store, you can buy school uniforms, school supplies, a desk and chair or books for a child in one of 26 developing countries the charity supports.

The site also has other unusual charitable gifts, like a can of worms to be sent in your favorite gardening enthusiast's name, or a crocodile in your favorite Harbor City resident.

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Organize a secret Santa or white elephant gift exchange in your office with SecretSanta.com. And once you've got it all set to go, you'll have to find gifts. Here's something funky. This one's a bit more traditional. That should get you started.

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Julia Scott, a reporter over at the Daily News, blogs compulsively about shopping bargains. Sometimes her stuff is Valley-centric, which makes it useless to us in the South Bay, but lately, she's had a treasure trove of holiday tips and online shopping codes, like one for free gift wrapping at Nordstrom online or free shipping from Macy's or 20% off at snapfish.com.

Below are some Web sites our own bargain hunters use on their internet quest to find inexpensive gifts:

http://dailydeals.com/ offers daily updates on computer and electronics deals, as well as coupon codes that will save you when you check out online. You can also sign up for e-mail alerts on specific items you're looking for.

Overstock.com sells name-brand items for 40 to 80 percent off their original price. For the clueless, they have a holiday gift finder and #1 top sellers section, and for the super cheap, they have a clearance bin with their best-valued items.

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If you've got a dog, you're probably thinking about stuffing its stocking with treats.

The Associated Press reported recently:

Americans are expected to spend an estimated $48.7 billion on their pets in 2007, nearly twice the amount of a decade ago and growing at more than 7 percent a year, according to Packaged Facts, a consumer research company in Rockville, Md.

A San Pedro business that bakes homemade dog treats is offering to share the holiday wealth with less fortunate pups. The home-based business has a holiday promotion to donate 50 percent of its proceeds to local animal shelters and rescue groups.

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Check Santa's schedule for photo-ops at South Bay shopping centers between now and the big day:

Southbay Pavilion, Carson
Instead of a traditional Santa photo studio, the mall will have a "strolling Santa," who will cruise the mall from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Bring your camera and he'll pose for photos with you. Call customer service at 310-366-6629 for more information.

Manhattan Village Mall, Manhattan Beach
Santa Claus will be availabe for photos at the Center Court of the Manhattan Village Mall from
November 23 through December 24 at the following hours:
Monday - Saturday: 11 am-8 pm (Breaks: 1 pm - 2 pm & 5:15 pm - 6 pm)
Sunday: 11 am - 6 pm (Break: 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.)

South Bay Galleria, Redondo Beach
Children of all ages can share their wishes and sit for paid portraits with Santa at Level 1, Center Court of the South Bay Galleria. In addition to Santa photos, parents can purchase a special "snow package," which will capture the surprise on kids' faces as snow falls from a nearby snowman.

Studio hours:
Nov. 23: 9 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Nov. 24: 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Nov. 25: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Nov. 26 - 30: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Dec. 1: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Dec. 2: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Dec. 3 - 7: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Dec. 8: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Dec. 9: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Dec. 10 - 14: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Dec. 15: 9 - 10 p.m.
Dec. 16: 10 - 9 p.m.
Dec. 17 - 20: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Dec. 21: 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Dec. 22: 8 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Dec. 23: 9 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Dec. 24: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
(Breaks are subject to change, but typically they are: Monday - Saturday, 1 - 2 p.m. and 5:15 - 6 p.m. and Sunday, 2 - 3 p.m.)

Pets can get their photos with Santa, too.
Nov. 19, 26: 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Dec. 3, 10: 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Dec. 17: 9 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Avenue of the Peninsula, Rolling Hills Estates
The Avenue of the Peninsula offers complimentary Santa photos in front of the tree in the fountain area every Saturday from 2-5 p.m., from Dec. 1 through Christmas.

Del Amo Fashion Center, Torrance
The Del Amo Fashion Center Santa Set will be opening in Jo-Ann's Court near Mall Entrance 11 from now until Dec. 24, 2007. Take pictures with Santa at the Santa Set during the following hours:
Monday - Saturday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Breaks: 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. - 6 p.m.)
Sunday: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. (Break: 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.)

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It's hard to resist all the goodies that go with the traditional turkey dinner, but you might find it easier after checking out the brutally honest Thanksgiving calorie counter. Just click on the items you plan on eating. The Web site totals the calories and then shows you how many miles you'll have to go in order to walk them off. Put on some comfy shoes - an average meal could cost you more than 20 miles.

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Every year, readers write to our "Ask Us" editor inquiring about organizations that will reuse old Christmas cards. In last year's answer, which lives on in our Ask Us Database, she reported that the sources we used to recommend no longer takes the cards because they were overwhelmed with donations.

This year, she recommends some sites that will walk you through some creative ways to reuse the cards yourself.

Make bookmarks, gift tags and other projects
Make ornaments
Make candy holds, postcards and other projects

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Two South Bay Gold’s Gym locations will offer free workouts on Black Friday as part of a Thanksgiving promotion.

Anyone wanting to burn calories by working out rather than shopping can visit Gold’s locations in Redondo Beach, 200 N. Harbor Drive, and Hawthorne, 4917 W. 147th St.

Visitors can walk in and inquire about a free workout.

Information about how to exercise at home and stay motivated during the holidays is available on the Web site.

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If you're the family shutterbug, you might want to read up on this site. You'll find tips for taking better Thanksgiving photos, including help with large family portraits.

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Get your kids cranked up for Thursday's parade with games, puzzles and other fun stuff here.

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San Franciscans are used to living in one of the world's highest-rent cities, but even many of them winced Wednesday as gas prices neared $4 per gallon for regular-grade fuel. Los Angeles was No. 2 at $3.32 per gallon. If you're planning a holiday trip by car, you might want to know what it will cost you in fuel before heading out. The American Automobile Association has a site to help make that easy. By answering a few questions here.

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Originally called Armistice Day and intended to celebrate the ending of World War I, what we now know as Veterans Day honors veterans of all wars. To learn more about our veterans and how you can honor them, go here.

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If you are looking for a different way to fix your Thanksgiving turkey this year, click here for some deep fried turkey recipes. While it may sound greasy, it¹s not. Deep-frying sears the turkey quickly to seal in flavor. For a large crowd, it makes a tasty alternative to the traditional tom.

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An 84-foot tall Connecticut Norway Spruce tree was hoisted into position at Rockefeller Plaza in New York yesterday. The 48-foot in diameter tree will become the Rockefeller Center
Christmas Tree tree in a lighting ceremony Nov. 28.

Get everything you ever wanted to know about the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition here.

For the inside story behind how this year's Rockefeller Center tree was selected, go here.

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Plans to transform Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach into an ice skating rink may be on hold until next year, but the South Bay still has places where you can practice your salcows, lutzes and triple toe loops.

Harbor City is home to the area's most traditional rink, The Skating Edge Ice Arena

The Avenue of the Peninsula shopping center houses the Palos Verdes Ice Chalet on its first floor, making it a premier location to show off your moves to the assembled shoppers.

If you time it right, you can also skate on the ice that the Los Angeles Kings practice on with a trip to El Segundo's Toyota Sports Center complex

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