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9/11 survivor Michael Hingson and his guide dog are coming to Dayton.

9/11 survivor Michael Hingson and his guide dog are coming to Dayton.Five years ago, on Sept. 11, 2001, Mr. Hingson managed to make his way down 78 floors of the World Trade Center shortly before it collapsed. What’s even more extraordinary is that Michael Hingson has been blind since birth, and he escaped with the help of his guide dog, Roselle. Mr. Hingson’s visit is a unique opportunity to hear a first-hand account of his experiences on that tragic day. The program is FREE, and will take place at Kettering Middle School on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 7:00 p.m.

A thoughtful, positive editorial from The Plain Dealer. If you can’t use the link, go to Cleveland.com and search for “Ohio Legislature Logic”.

A thoughtful, positive editorial from The Plain Dealer. If you can’t use the link, go to Cleveland.com and search for “Ohio Legislature Logic”.Ohio legislature ‘logic’:
‘Nice libraries; let’s get ’em’
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Thomas Suddes
Plain Dealer Columnist
From downtown Cleveland to deepest Appalachia, Ohio’s public libraries are the envy of the United States. But on the apparent theory that there’s no failure like success, the General Assembly, with Gov. Bob Taft’s connivance, is poised to choke library funding.

Ask anyone who moves out of Ohio, especially parents: One of the first things they miss, besides grandparents left behind, are the fantastic libraries – treasure-houses for children, people’s universities for adults, workshops for the very brand of “by-the-bootstraps” self-improvement Ohio’s Republicans say they want to promote.

From the Detroit Free Press:
Here’s what you will _ and won’t _ be able to see when searching for library books on Google

From the Detroit Free Press:
Here’s what you will _ and won’t _ be able to see when searching for library books on GoogleA few months from now, perhaps by mid-2005, Google will be adding thousands of library books from university collections to its searchable database. But what will the new feature, announced this week by the world’s leading search engine, mean for the average Web surfer?

It depends on what you’re looking for.

COLUMBUS | “Public libraries would be required to use Internet smut filters and parents would have to sign waivers to allow their children to check out any library videos — from Lion King to Apocalypse Now — if a pending bill becomes state law.”

Stories like this one as well as CIPA make me wonder when the goverment started to think I couldn’t take care of my own children.

Google deluxe is now in beta.

MoreGoogle adds cool features such as site preview images, site ranking indicators, satistics and the fabulous Open-in-New-Window-button to Google. And that’s just the beginning. Check out MoreGoogle.com.

The Bloomfield Public Library in New Jersey is charging for computer use.

The Bloomfield Public Library in New Jersey is charging for computer use.“Dennis Valentovic, the Bloomfield Library Board’s president, said he was surprised when he received a letter from American Library Association, which represents more than 64,000 libraries across the country, criticizing the fee. The ALA said, “Inevitably those hurt most by public library fees are persons with low or no income.”
Valentovic disagrees.
“Is a dollar an hour really going to prevent someone from using it if they really want to? Are we really denying anyone anything?” Valentovic asked, adding that if a person couldn’t afford the fee an exception would be made.”

“With metrosexuality, it’s about style, fashion, culture, and grooming for the straight male. A metrosexual man may be seen at an NBA game one night and an art gallery opening the next,” says Ricky Montalvo, the man who wants to take technosexuals mainstream. “We take it one step further by adding technology. A technosexual man may not need to go to the NBA game because he can get highlights and scores via SMS or by browsing the web on his PDA while at the art gallery.”

Amazon has created RSS Feeds for its most popular categories!

Amazon has created RSS Feeds for its most popular categories!”Amazon.com Syndicated Content is delivered in RSS format. RSS is a standard format (in XML) for delivering content that changes on a regular basis. Content is delivered in small chunks, generally a synopsis, preview, or headline. Selected categories, subcategories and search results in Amazon.com stores now have RSS feeds associated with them, delivering a headline-view of the top 10 bestsellers in that category or set of search results.”

Wired has more information on the Database and Collections of Information Misappropriation Act (HR3261).

Wired has more information on the Database and Collections of Information Misappropriation Act (HR3261).Hands Off That Fact is Mine!
HR3261 would make it a crime for anyone to copy and redistribute a substantial portion of data collected by commercial database companies and list publishers. Critics say the bill would give the companies ownership of facts — stock quotes, historical health data, sports scores and voter lists