Mario Kart has been released for the Wii and is, pardon the cheesy language, super fun. The game has sold more copies than the previous five Mario titles for the Wii combined and is a solid investment guaranteed to entertain you for hours on end (as you compete with friends in person and online). But of course, one of the most exciting updates to the game is the implementation of the Wii remote as the steering wheel. If you find video games interesting, you may enjoy looking into the library's databases' information on the history of gaming. Try running a search for Video Game History in General Reference Center Gold or First Search, and let us know what you think of the databases!

Are you interested in meeting new people? Do you need to reduce the level of stress in your life? Do you like to knit or crochet? Combine all three into one at the Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month. Bring your own materials or use the materials and needles or crochet hooks that are available. Call 973-6779 to sign up and enjoy being In the Loop.

The Ann Arbor Skatepark Action Committee invites the community to participate in a public discussion about a potential skate park in Ann Arbor. The City Parks Department will sponsor the meeting at Abbott Elementary School on Wednesday, April 2, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. For more info about the meeting contact Park Planner Jeff Dehring at 734.994.1913.

Add another accolade to Ann Arbor's cap: Prevention magazine and the American Podiatric Medical Association named Tree Town as one of the 10 Best Walking Cities in America. According to the judges, our parks, mass transit system, dynamic Downtown and Kerrytown, 400 miles of sidewalks, 22.5 miles of shared use paths and a population that loves to walk all add up to a walking wonderland.

I guess the groundhog was right: it certainly doesn’t look like spring is coming any time soon! But if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, right? Buhr Park Outdoor Ice Arena, just a hop, skip and a jump away from the Malletts Creek Branch, will help you get into the spirit! They offer open skating as well as ice hockey and even broom ball in their arena, and a cooled subfloor allows for skating even when it’s warm(ish) outside! Better hurry, though: the arena closes for the season March 16.

Finally. Uno became the first of his breed to win the 132-year-old Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York last night. Uno, who won over the crowd and judges, showed why the beagle is such a favorite with families. Molly and Aidan know beagles rule.

The cooperative inhabitants of Ann Arbor have banded together to produce quite a few useful lists on ArborWiki; birthday deals, free WiFi spots (that bar at the bowling alley has wireless!) and free stuff (featuring the one-and-only AADL, of course!) to name a few. So, in the spirit of the pitiful amount of snow currently accumulating outdoors, check out their list of places to go sledding in Ann Arbor. Given that it’s not supposed to amount to much out there just yet, perhaps a few snowy books are more in order: my favorite is Snow by Uri Shulevitz; tiny people with red noses and softly falling flakes… it’s enough to make me run out to Zingerman’s for hot cocoa!

Head down to Veterans Memorial Sports Complex this Sunday, Dec. 16, 10:00 a.m. - 1 p.m., to see the visiting Chinese professional hockey team take on some of Ann Arbor's best players. Admission is FREE! The team from Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province are mainstays of Team China. As soon as the hockey's over get your skates on for Frosty on Ice, a fun time with Frosty that includes skating, candy canes, pictures and more.

For the next two Saturdays, you can enjoy family-friendly activities that celebrate the diversity of our Michigan heritage at the Michigan Historical Museum in Lansing. This Saturday, December 8th, enjoy the Ethnic Festival with choirs, dancing and traditional arts and crafts. Next Saturday, December 15th, celebrate Traditional Winter Sports by riding a mule team wagon, learning to walk on snowshoes and watching a dog sled team in action.

The Swift Run Off-Leash Dog Park is ready for Rover! Beginning Saturday, Dec. 1st, man's best friend can romp and rollick with like-minded doggies. Be sure and get Rover registered before heading to the park. Need a dog of your own to take to the park? Visit the Humane Society of Huron Valley and find the perfect partner.

Golf Convergence, Inc. has been conducting a comprehensive analysis of the status and future of golf in the city of Ann Arbor and their Golf Report is now available online, at City Hall, and the 2nd floor of the Downtown Branch of the Ann Arbor District Library. Golf Convergence will make a formal presentation on the report at a special Park Advisory Commission (PAC) meeting at 5:30 p.m. tonight, Nov. 27th, in Council Chambers in the Guy C. Larcom Municipal Building. This presentation will be televised on CTN.

Time to twirl, whirl and play at the Outdoor Ice Rink at Buhr Park. The rink will open for the season on November 16. There's a heated lobby, locker rooms, vending and bathrooms available and the special sub floor allows you to skate even when its 50 degrees. Don't forget that Veteran's Indoor Ice Arena is open too.

The temperature will be in the 50s on Monday, Nov. 12, and as fate would have it, as part of the Metroparks “Appreciation Days,” entry to all 13 Huron-Clinton Metroparks will be free on Veterans Day. Boat launch fees will also be waived. Bring along your binoculars, there are still plenty of birds to see.

Guitar Hero 3 is amazing. The song selection is great, there are more options for the multi-player mode, the graphics are much improved from the previous versions', there are more sylistic choices for the characters, and there are now cut scenes between the levels (contributing to the storyline). While the design of the gameplay itself may be pretty basic, it doesn't change the fact that this is a great, addictive game. Even though this system obviously doesn't have many similarities to true guitar playing, it provides something very valuable for the player in addition to the sheer fun: interest in taking on an instrument. If you've become curious about playing the guitar, you should check out the wide variety of resources the library has on learning the instrument, including

Playing the Guitar
Essential Guitar Chords: Everything You Need to Play Basic Guitar
The Complete Guitar Course

The AADL in a first-of-its-kind partnership with Greater Detroit Macy’s, the Library of Michigan Foundation, Detroit metro area libraries and the Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan is pleased to announce the launch of “Museum Adventure Pass,” presented by Macy’s.

The program is a partnership between 162 metro area libraries and 25 local arts and cultural organizations, and provides Greater Detroit area library card holders free passes to local museums, cultural centers and historical sites. It is designed to enhance the learning experience for people of all ages through books and other library materials, while at the same time provide access to arts and cultural organizations.

Beginning October 25th, AADL library card holders can receive free admission for either 2 or 4 people to 25 of Southeast Michigan’s world-class arts and cultural institutions. Passes are limited to one at a time per card holder. A limited number of passes are available at any given time at each AADL location and they’re available on a first-come, first-served basis only.

For a full listing of participating institutions and for check-out guidelines, go online to www.detroitadventurepass.org, where you will also find a list of suggested readings, tapes and DVDs to complement your museum experience.