Better With Age: the Computer Mouse Turns 40!

Happy birthday friend! I couldn't imagine purring through my computer files without . . . my mouse. It is pretty amazing that 40 years have passed since Douglas Engelbart and Bill English introduced and demonstrated the computer mouse. In their 90 minute demonstration at the Fall Joint Computer Conference, Englebart, English, and their team stationed 30 miles away also introduced hypertext, email, video conferencing, word processing, and cut-and-paste. Click here to see the complete demonstration.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Top Ten Legal Issues of 2008

Findlaw has posted its 2008 Top Ten Legal Issues on Consumers Minds. The legal issues were chosen on the basis of popularity indicators, including "most searched" legal topics, most popular lawyer searches, and top legal questions. According to the list, the number one issue is "Home Foreclosure and Renter's Rights"--not a surprise!

Hat tip to the Law Librarian blog for bringing my attention to this.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Where Your Money Goes

While prowling the internet this week, a new report made me stop purring and pay attention. The New York Attorney General's Charities Bureau, which supervises charitable organizations and maintains a registry of charities and fundraising professionals in the state, has just released "Pennies for Charity, Where Your Money Goes: Telemarketing by Professional Fund Raisers." The report lists all 553 campaigns conducted by professional fundraisers on behalf of specific charities in New York during 2007 (ranging from civic, social service and foreign aid groups to health, animal protection, and legal public interest organizations). It details the amount and percentage of contributions that ended up in the hands of the charity, with the rest going to the fundraiser to cover costs and fees. Two of the surprising conclusions: in nearly half the campaigns, the charity received less than 30 percent of the funds raised; in 51 cases, they actually lost money. In 2009, with both charities and contributors hard pressed for cash, you may want to check out this report before making decisions on how best to support your favorite charities and causes.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat