Age, race, money, and technology

9 of 10 teens now using the Internet but there's disparity in terms of access for African-American teens and those whose families have smaller incomes. Interestingly, there are more Hispanics who go online than African-Americans. The study also looked at what kinds of technology teens use. Email is seen as something older people use, whereas instant messaging is popular with teens.

Public libraries should take note, because they have the capability of targeting groups with no or poor access online.

I've had a soft spot for Wales for years

ever since reading Susan Cooper's The Grey King. Beyond the sheer history, a lot of it has to do with the myths, for which (apparently) its reputation is growing...

BBC NEWS | UK | Wales | Mystery and myths in weird Wales

The Perils of Blogging

Jolie in NYC: Jolie Unmasked

The full story from The Independent.

Things to do

(in no particular order)

• Move my psychiatrist appointment to later in the week when I can pay her.


• Get an appointment with a therapist at Comp Care.


• Return Jakob Nielsen's Designing Web Usability and a book on presentations back to the GMR Lending Library.


• Finish the progress report for Reach Out and Read.


• Finish Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince


• Take application fee and transcript over to the college formerly known as LCC
.

Well, my word is pretty much worthless

I said I was going to stick by the diet, and I did for eight days. Today I basically did my revisionist thinking, and forgetting that I'd said I'd do it for two weeks, decided to go to phase 2 without going the full two weeks.

I was thinking that I had mostly stayed on the diet for two weeks, and strictly for another, hadn't had bread, for example, for three weeks. But I wasn't sticking to my professed goal, was I? This is a perfect illustration of how I go back and revise things in my head, conveniently 'forget' what I say, then not live up to it.

On the good side, I've lost nearly 12 lbs total since I started trying to do it, so even if I'm a failure, I'm at least a lighter one. :)

Still, there's a lot I want out of life that isn't going to happen until I can demonstrate some will, backbone, and ability to keep to what I say I will.

Pottering

Thanks to a coworker who let me read her copy (even before she reads it!), I'm reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I don't have time to do it marathon-style so I've been doing a little before bed, during lunch and my break, that sort of thing. Despite that I'm on chapter 11; 14 to go. So far I'm enjoying it. It took a little longer to get into this one, I think, but the sheer amount of information may be a factor for that.

Anyway, I may be a bit remiss in blogging until I finish, since I usually do that during those same times. Hope you have a good weekend, everyone.

And a little more about James Doohan

I love this quote from The Seattle Times: Television: "Scotty" beamed up for the final time:

When the series ended in 1969, Mr. Doohan found himself typecast as Montgomery Scott, the canny engineer with a burr in his voice. In 1973, he complained to his dentist, who advised him: 'Jimmy, you're going to be Scotty long after you're dead. If I were you, I'd go with the flow.'

'I took his advice,' Mr. Doohan said, 'and since then everything's been just lovely.'

I was also interested to see that he was one of the Canadian troops during the invasion of Normandy.

Goodbye, Scotty

Final Space voyage for Scotty's ashes

Actor James Doohan, 85, died of pneumonia and Alzheimer's at his home. And as fitting tribute, there's a plan to blast some of his ashes into space. I won't type the expected pun, but of all the characters on Star Trek, his was the most personable, the one you wanted to be a favourite uncle who would come into to town with some bootlegged Romulan Ale. Although I know good actors can play very different characters, James Doohan always seemed to infuse some of his own personality into Scott.

When I was growing up, I had a terrible crush on Chekov, my favourite, but I liked most of all in terms of personality McCoy and Scotty. It's a shame that these two would be the first to pass. Like most anything to do with Star Trek, they became a sort of icon of our times, someone virtually anyone who had been exposed to a television recognises, even if not a die-hard Trekkie. That's a kind of immortality most people dream of, you know.

Anyway, I'm sorry to see him go, and wish his family and friends well.

A good source in many languages for health info

Healthy Roads Media

Anyone have room for this?

CKRE - Central Kentucky Radio Eye, a non-profit reading service which delivers news and other items appearing in print to those with low-vision, has been told by the University of Kentucky that they can no longer have space at the Margaret I. King Library. They have three months to find other quarters. They have enjoyed rent-free and utility-free space in MIK Library for 15 years, and cannot afford to rent another space. Current space is about 1600 square feet that the university needs for academics.

I'm assuming that hosting CKRE would allow a company to write off certain expenses for tax purposes. So, if you have space, and want to help the community, this is an excellent opportunity. The CKRE has plans for going statewide with the installation of new equipment they have recently acquired. Can you help make this possible?