On March 29, Google darkened its home page in the United States to alert people to Earth Hour http://www10.earthhourus.org/. Earth Hour, created by World Wildlife Fund, urged people to turn off the lights for one hour at 8 p.m. local time to illustrate a commitment to conservation.

NPR: San Francisco Plastic Bag Ban Interests Other Cities
San Francisco Plastic Bag Ban Interests Other Cities, by David Gorn: "In San Francisco, the age-old question "Paper or plastic?" was answered one year ago this week. The city banned hard-to-recycle plastic bags in grocery stores, and so far, that translates into 5 million fewer plastic bags every month. Now, other cities are considering similar bans, and companies are developing alternatives to disposable bags."
 About the San Francisco Plastic Bag Ban
 San Francisco Plastic Bag Ordinance

Oldest Voice Recording, A French Folksong
A 10-second version of "Au Clair De La Lune," now archived online, is said to predate Thomas Edison's Manhattan railroad sounds. A group of researchers has played what is thought to be the oldest recording of a human voice.
The recording played on March 27 predates Thomas Edison's invention of the phonograph (previously thought to have recorded the first sound) by 17 years. It captured about 10 seconds of the French folksong "Au Clair De La Lune" on April 9, 1860.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207000451

Can a sound be protected? Yes. The NBC broken chord with chimes was officially registered with the U.S. Patent Office in 1950 as a registered service mark, the first known case of a sound receiving trademark protection. They were last heard regularly on NBC television in 1976, used to mark the 50th anniversary of the network.
http://www.oldradio.com/archives/stations/sf/chimes.htm

The middle chime is the shortest indicating that it is the highest note.

Serial Number : 72-349496Type of Mark: SERVICE MARKMark Drawing Code: (6) NO DRAWING
Description of Mark: THE MARK COMPRISES A SEQUENCE OF CHIME-LIKE MUSICAL NOTES WHICH ARE IN THE KEY OF C AND SOUNDED THE NOTES G, E, C, THE "G" BEING THE ONE JUST BELOW MIDDLE C, THE "E" THE ONE JUST ABOVE MIDDLE C, AND THE "C" BEING MIDDLE C, THEREBY TO IDENTIFY APPLICANT'S BROADCAST SERVICE.
Owner Name: NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMPANY, INC., THEOwner Address: 30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA NEW YORK NEW YORK10112 CORPORATION DELAWARE 9
http://www.radioremembered.org/chimes.htm
history and sound clips at above link

Authenticated Public and Private Laws
GPO is pleased to announce the release of Authenticated Public and Private Laws for the 110th Congress on GPO Access: "Public and private laws are prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). GPO Access contains the text of public and private laws enacted from the 104th Congress to the present. The database for the current session of Congress is updated when the publication of a slip law is authorized by OFR. Documents are available as ASCII text and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files."

FTC Announces Settlement of Action Against Data Brokers Reed Elsevier and Seisint for Failing to Provide Adequate Security for Consumers' Data
News release: "In the FTC’s action against data brokers Reed Elsevier (REI) and Seisint, the complaint alleges that REI - through its LexisNexis data broker business - and Seisint collect and store in databases information about millions of consumers, including names, current and prior addresses, dates of birth, drivers license numbers and Social Security numbers. They obtain information about consumers from credit reporting agencies and other sources, and sell products customers use online to find and retrieve the information from their databases. The companies relied on user IDs and passwords (or “user credentials”) to control customer access to consumer information in their databases."
 In the Matter of Reed Elsevier Inc. and Seisint, Inc., FTC File No. 052-3094


Wistful
by Donna Dean

Wherefore art thou, spring aborning?
Thou hast left me sad and mourning.

In the north I suffer longer
Waiting for the cold to flounder

Would thou find your way up North
Spreading warmth and bringing forth

Sunshine, flowers, color plenty
lifting spirits for so many

Bringing hope and giving freedom
From this trap that is not Eden.


On March 31, 1889, the Eiffel Tower was inaugurated in Paris. It was built for the Paris Exposition as part of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, and also as a demonstration of the structural capabilities of iron.
The tower elicited strong reactions after its opening. A petition of 300 names, including writers Guy de Maupassant, Émile Zola, and Alexandre Dumas the younger, was sent to the city government protesting its construction. The petition read, "We, the writers, painters, sculptors, architects, and lovers of the beauty of Paris, do protest with all our vigor and all our indignation, in the name of French taste and endangered French art and history, against the useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower."

On March 31, 1836 Charles Dickens began publishing his first novel, (books by this author) The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.
The Writer’s Almanac

Mezzmerize (419/891-0800), a Mediterranean restaurant specializing in Lebanese food opened last week at the northeast corner of Dussel Drive and Holland Road in Maumee, Ohio. The interior has unusual lighting, glass, stone and marble, with faux finishes by Toledo artist Beth Covert. When you enter, look up to see fantastic Chihuly-like glass pieces suspended high above. Visit a regular bar, a wine bar, or be seated in one of several dining rooms. The food is wonderful with a chef providing the breads and pizza crusts, and you can get small or large portions. Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Owner Sam Bazzi and his staff will strive to provide excellent food and service.

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com