A few items from the news…

From Reuters:
Four in five believe Web access a fundamental right
“A poll of 27,000 adults in 26 countries for the BBC World Service showed 78 percent of Internet users believed the Web gave them greater freedom, while nine in 10 said it was a good place to learn…Over 70 percent of respondents in Japan, Mexico and Russia said they could not live without the Internet.”
The Internet: it’s not just for geeky Americans anymore! I’m going to add translation buttons to my websites ASAP. I knew I had an international readership but I didn’t realize it was this significant a majority!

A vampire author pleads her case for health care reform:
A story from the health-insurance crunch
Who says women-of-color genre fiction authors don’t get any respect? Author Leslie Banks, who pens the Vampire Huntress series under the name L.A. Banks, introduced President Obama at Arcadia University and gave him a hug. She also had the chance to relate her own health care nightmare directly to the President, a story that many authors and writers–being self-employed–share. To Leslie from me: Thank you.

And, local news from my bucolic little rural town:
Police say Pepperell man brought chain saw into domestic dispute
Why I bother watching True Blood, I can’t imagine. I should save the $2.99 and just take a walk around the ‘hood! *wry look* (Yes, I have a well-used chain saw. It’s electric, though, so my capacity for mayhem is bounded by the length of my extension cords. Which, themselves, could be handily used for…never mind!)