TECHNOLOGY USAGE UPDATE
Here's an interesting note for all of us computer users---seems that e-mail is becoming old-fashioned, fast:
Uh oh! According to a report by marketing research company ComScore, teenagers in the United States really seem to dislike sending e-mails lately. What's going on? Why on earth are kids in the 12-17 age group suddenly spending 59 percent less time glued to their inboxes?  According to TechCrunch's Alexia Tsotsis, those young ones are probably simply distracted by "social messaging platforms like Facebook and Twitter as well mobile communications." ComScore's report supports that theory by showing a steady increase in the time spent on social networking services as usage of web-based email declines.There's more to it though: While kids in the 12-17 age range showed the biggest decline in web-based e-mail usage, they certainly weren't the only ones abandoning that particular method of communication:  Total web-based email usage declined 8 percent in the past year, with the most precipitous decline occurring among 12-17 year olds (down 59 percent). Usage also declined marginally among 18-24 year olds,while more noticeable declines were seen among 25-34 year olds (down 18 percent), 35-44 year olds (down 8 percent) and 45- 54 year olds (down 12 percent)."

We're part of a revolution!

GOOD FOOD NEWS
With Valentine's Day coming up, that means the possibility of...eating chocolate.  And so it's good to be reminded:  chocolate ain't bad for you:

For many, Valentine’s Day is the greatest of holidays, because it celebrates love and ardor. One of the most widely offered Valentine’s Day gifts is chocolate. Chocolate is a complex material possessing numerous compounds, which act upon the brain, producing a sense of delight that no other substance can replicate.  Chocolate is surprisingly good for health, especially for the heart. Cocoa, the primary ingredient in finished chocolate, is rich in antioxidant polyphenols, a group of protective chemicals found in many plant foods including red wine and tea.  Our interests here concern enhancement of mind and mood, and the experience of love. In this regard, the first two compounds in chocolate to consider are caffeine and theobromine. Caffeine, an alkaloid, is the most widely consumed stimulant on earth."

Read the whole thing...


Success is sweet and sweeter if long delayed and gotten through many
struggles and defeats." -Amos Bronson Alcott