I knew I was in the right generation

Yesterday a study was released which indicates that the largest group of public library users are aged 18-30.

Who even knew?

This is interesting news for libraries and librarians because it means that the very users everyone dismisses as the "Google" generation who get all their information on their home computer are actually using the library as well. I personally can use this as justification for directing more budget money and programming to that age group.

According to the survey, lots of young adults go to libraries to use the computers, read newspapers & magazines, check out books, and to get information about jobs, government benefits, educational opportunities & requirements, and health questions.

I'm so proud of everyone.

If you are hardcore like me and think the funnest thing on earth would be to read the full 42-page report, you can find it here. I'll probably have a cold shower running just in case I get too excited.

If you'd rather read the short AP article about the findings, you can do that too.

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Get ready to OD on Sumptuous Literary Adaptations

It all begins tonight. Changes are afoot at Masterpiece Theatre, including the recruitment of Gillian Anderson as a new host. Which makes sense now that she's basically British. Will be listening on Jan 13th to see if she and Madonna share the same mid-Atlantic accent. As will a whole lot of X-Philes, I'm sure.

Anyway, Scully will be hosting the "Masterpiece Classic" portion of the season, which will include the Jane Austen Season, a new adaptation of Room With A View, a Judi Dench & Co. miniseries, and some film starring Daniel Radcliffe's Eyebrow.

Tonight and next Sunday they're rebroadcasting last year's Best Jane Eyre Adaptation Ever, which I believe I have already mentioned and shown to my friends and urged you all to watch even if it means locking the other members of your household up in the cellar. Really. You deserve this.

But then, THEN on January 13th the Jane Austen Season starts with Persuasion. Remember about Persuasion? And how we've waited 9 months for it to be aired in the US? Because yeah. If you're a girl and are fortunate enough to have a supportive and drama-appreciating Significant Other who likes to watch SLAs with you, then you may want to tell him to skip this one. He might be offended when your bosom starts heaving and you launch yourself off the couch to go do filthy things to the TV screen. Do like my sister Jenny is doing--throw a Bosom-Heaving Persuasion Party with your like-minded friends. Be sure to wear coordinating Victoria Secret pajamas--they're all the rage.

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Swansong: 2007

As the number of days left in the unsatisfying year of 2007 are reduced to a mere two, I would like to take this chance to enter a swansong entry, summarising my thoughts about what has happened in the span of this unbearable 363.5 days.

Junior College Year 2 and GCE A Levels were what was facing me from the early part of this wretched year, of which I relentlessly pushed myself on mentally, pscyhically and emotionally through that guantlet of challenges and academic setbacks. One particular memorable setback I dealt with immense will and strength had great impressions in me. It was the first common test of the school year. I got back my results shortly after, it was the greatest impact thus far in my academic life - I only passed one subject which is General Paper, of which I topped the class. However, I failed all the others, even my most trusted Biology. Extremely traumatised and reeling from the intense hurt, I was very tempted to withdraw from junior college and give up, but I didn't. I took a few months to get back to my confidence and optimism. Working doubly hard and continuously for the rest of the JC 2 life, I pulled my beloved Biology grade from a U (ungraded) to a B in my Preliminary exam, which is considered a quality grade in JCs. Hard work, routinised essay writing practices, exam paper practices ruled my life. Plus, the hectic long hours in school made me so desenitised and delirious. It was a hard path. And, I walked all the damn way through it. It left a bittersweet imprint within me. It's pretty hard for me to relish everything altogther in a single moment, the feeling is just pretty overwhelming. A triumph for 2007 - surviving JC? Haha.

Metal music. 2007 has been a rather fruitful year for the general metal scene here, and I am not counting on the randomly massive amounts of local pseudo black metal wannabe bands. Haha. Let's see. Slayer, Megadeth, Dragonforce, Heaven and Hell graced Singapore with their live performances this year, if my memory serves me right. Not too bad. But not good enough! We need more and wider exposure of metal here, thus Darfina and me has started a hopeful petition for Asia's first and only Pagan Metal Festival here with Lamc productions. I just hope it will come into fruition. =)

Flourishing-wise for 2007, nothing really exciting happened, to be brutally honest. Apart from knowing who's your ally and who's not, I am just rather contented at the rate I am creating moves and how I evolve as a flourisher. Bleh, flourishing gets so dull nowadays. Maybe it's just a thing when you get when you have been in it for 3 years and counting, everything gets repetitive and monotonous. But, it's still a nice thing to do when you are watching TV/movies, they prevent you from falling asleep. Heh.

2007. A year of my serious actual Buddhist practice, albeit on my own. I became rather closely acquainted with the Dharma and read closely to it all year long. Needing an alternative release of stress from school and whatever crap that comes into my way, I experimentated with meditation, found it to be useful and has an extremely healthy effect on my emotions and concentration. I believed I have progressed in that abovementioned subject. It feels quite good to self learn a subject all by your own, I guess.

Other than that, 2007 came and went, it seemed alot quicker than most years. Maybe I was just in a constant blur between consciousness and comatose. Maybe it's because I was busy with school work so much so time lost its tracks.

Whatever it is. 2008, you little bastard, be good and well. Bring no troubles. Thanks!

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