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Party politics threatens progress of bank inquiry
The long overdue probe into one of the world's biggest-ever economic disasters has had a poor start
Published 22/06/2014 | 02:30
THE banking inquiry should be about the failures in banking and its regulation, not about party politics. The banking collapse was the largest home-grown economic disaster to have occurred in independent Ireland and one of the biggest banking crashes to have arisen anywhere.
It looks like the Government is trying to establish that it was Fianna Fail's fault, a proposition already endorsed by the voters at the 2011 General Election. Given the constraints which apply anyway to Oireachtas committees of inquiry, this latest effort to provide the public with a factual narrative about the causes of the disaster has made a bad start.
It is almost six years since the balloon went up in October 2008. There have been several official reports, all useful and interesting in their own ways, about aspects of the affair – as well as numerous books by journalists and academics. But there has been no proper banking inquiry, in the sense of an inquiry into the behaviour inside the individual banks which led to their collapse and the inability of bank regulators and supervisors to avert the looming disaster.
The failure of the political system to arrange for the provision of a comprehensive factual narrative is a damaging omission, feeding perceptions of an establishment cover-up. The unedifying carry on over the composition of the Oireachtas committee suggests, to be polite, a certain lack of seriousness.
The absence of a comprehensive inquiry into the causes of the Irish banking crash and the adequacy of the policy response has permitted a number of dangerous myths to become embedded in the public consciousness. These myths are very convenient for those yet to be brought to account. The most dangerous myths are that nobody saw it coming and that it was caused by forces nobody could have controlled, a kind of asteroid strike from deep space for which nobody is responsible.
There were numerous warnings, stretching back to the year 2000 and even earlier, about the bubbles in bank credit, in-house prices and in public spending. That none of these warnings were heeded does not establish that they were never uttered. There were indeed international circumstances, particularly a worldwide liquidity bubble, which contributed to the Irish crash.
But Ireland managed to have a bigger crash than almost anybody else and it consisted essentially of a national banking system that chose to make enormous and dangerous loans into a domestic property bubble without any adequate response from the regulators.
These myths feed the notion that nothing went wrong here in Ireland and that the banking system will somehow restore itself to health, without the requirement that lessons be learned from the dysfunctional behaviour of bankers, regulators and policymakers.
Deputy Ciaran Lynch's committee has commenced work on its terms of reference. If the committee follows the example of successful banking inquiries in other countries it will first address the question of the time-frame which should be covered. The lending explosion in Ireland commenced back in the late Nineties and the credit boom was widely remarked on at the time and subsequently. The inquiry should reach back to the commencement of the credit expansion. The Irish banking system had experienced not a single serious system-wide crisis during the entire period since 1921.
There had been a few failures of small banks, an insurance crash in the Thirties and a couple of rescues of the state agricultural bank ACC. But nothing remotely approaching a systemic crisis and no reason to expect that Ireland would enter the record books for banking crashes. Indeed the Irish banks were seen as traditional, cautious and dull. There has as yet been no examination of the developments in Irish banking which turned these boring bankers into dashing risk-takers. External events, particularly access to easy funding subsequent to eurozone entry, played a role. But something ominous happened inside the Irish banks and it has yet to be thoroughly examined.
The establishment of a regulator separated from the Central Bank (a decision since reversed) may also have made a contribution. A good starting date for the inquiry would be around 1996.
A practical finishing date would be the summer of 2011, by which time the full consequences of the bank guarantee had played out with the Irish Government strong-armed into bailing out unsecured creditors of banks already closed, courtesy of Jean Claude Trichet's European Central Bank.
In between, the untold stories are really about the behaviour of the banks, of the regulator and of the authorities, in particular of the Department of Finance. There should be a module devoted to each bank, every one of which had to be rescued either by the Irish taxpayers or by their foreign owners.
A crash in which every bank goes wallop is unusual internationally, so there were clearly common features.
But each of the banks was run by adults, and every single one managed to find domestic borrowers who defaulted in sufficient numbers to destroy the bank's solvency. Along the way they abandoned their traditional caution about the rate of balance sheet expansion, about capital adequacy, about the concentration of risk and about liquidity management.
None has offered an explanation of the course of events, not even to their own shareholders, and the most important task of the inquiry is to find out, bank by bank, what went wrong and on whose watch. Who made the decisions to change the traditional policies of these dull, boring banks?
The explanations should be given in their own words. That means that the inquiry should be able to compel witnesses and to discover documents, including board papers, minutes of credit committees, email traffic relating to lending policy and to major lending decisions and problem borrowers. If Deputy Lynch's committee discovers at any stage that it is precluded from pursuing these matters, it should disband and report back to Dail Eireann that a satisfactory Oireachtas inquiry is not possible. There should also be a module devoted to the failures of bank supervision, so vividly illustrated again by the unsatisfactory performance of witnesses at the recent Anglo trial.
It is clear from the apparently chaotic events of September and October 2008 that the Department of Finance was not well prepared for the crash when it came, and the performance of the department should constitute another module. The Government's dazed response to the crash was akin to the behaviour of an ambush victim, in part due to the succession of complacent reports from international agencies, including the EU Commission, the ECB, the OECD and (I regret to say) the IMF, in the years leading up to the bubble-burst. Their poor monitoring should constitute another module. External monitoring is taken seriously in small countries, and when it feeds complacency it provides the authorities with the opportunity to wave away domestic worry-warts, of whom there were plenty.
Auditors operate, mainly on slim margins, in accord with international accounting standards, and produced questionable reports on the solvency of Irish banks before and, remarkably, after the balloon went up.
There should be a module devoted to auditors, including internal as well as external auditors, and to the adequacy of the international accounting standards which guide their operations.
The costs of the Irish banking bust, for which the primary responsibility is domestic, were exacerbated by the behaviour of our European 'partners', in particular the ECB. Ireland has unfinished business with the ECB, which imposed a bail-in of Irish taxpayers designed to re-assure lenders to the rest of the European banking system. Ciaran Lynch's inquiry should invite the ECB to explain its actions and should be alert to the fact that, under explicit provisions in the ECB statute, its acts are subject to judicial review at the European Court of Justice.
Finally, the crisis response of the Irish authorities imposed excessive Exchequer costs, including a blanket guarantee, recapitalisation and a bad bank, and this should occupy another module
The committee, if it is able to navigate through this long list of modules, should draw lessons and should make recommendations. Ireland needs a banking system which extends credit prudently to plausible borrowers, without funding asset price bubbles and courting bankruptcy. It also needs supervisors who are alert to emerging systemic problems and who enjoy a productive relationship with the ECB. It is simply not true that the system has been fixed and recommendations for a better banking policy are overdue.
Sunday Independent


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subset: commoncrawl


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'Mensch on the Shelf' Sold As the Jewish Alternative to 'Elf on the Shelf'
Updated:A former toy industry employee is selling 'The Mensch on a Bench' this Hanukkah season as a Jewish alternative to the 'Elf on the Shelf.' Jen Markham explains.
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Jacqueline McGlade, EEA Executive Director, said: "European waters have improved a great deal over the last two decades, as legislation has successfully reduced many types of pollution and improved wastewater treatment. But EU Member States look set to miss upcoming targets by a wide margin, so they need to urgently step up efforts to protect both human health and the ecosystems we rely on."
For surface waters, there are two separate classifications: ecological and chemical status. Groundwater bodies are classified according to their chemical status and quantitative status. For a water body to be in overall good status, both types must be at least good.
More than half of the surface water bodies in Europe were reported to be below good ecological status or potential status, according to the latest data showing status up to 2009.
Many European water bodies remain polluted by excess nutrients, mainly from fertiliser, the report notes. When fertilisers run off from croplands into a water body, it can create eutrophication, a process characterised by increased plant growth and harmful algal blooms, depletion of oxygen and subsequent loss of life in bottom water. Diffuse pollution from agriculture is a significant pressure for more than 40 % of Europe's water bodies in rivers and coastal waters, and in one third of lakes and transitional waters.
Ecological status also includes considerations of 'hydromorphology' – the extent to which the shape of water bodies and natural flow of the river has been altered. Dams, straightening and dredging alter habitats and damage ecosystems. Hydromorphological pressures resulting in altered habitats is the most common pressure on water bodies, affecting around 40 % of rivers and transitional water bodies and 30 % of the lakes. The report calls for the 're-naturation' of many water bodies to restore their natural features, such as restoring the natural continuity of rivers.
Chemical status refers to levels of heavy metals and other harmful substances. While 10 % of Europe's surface water bodies are in poor chemical status, there are no chemical status data available for 40 % of Europe's surface waters. Ground water bodies are in a worse condition – approximately 25 % of groundwater, by area, has poor chemical status across Europe. Sixteen Member States have more than 10 % of groundwater bodies in poor chemical status. This figure exceeds 50 % in Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Belgium (Flanders) and Malta.
Overall, concentrations of several water pollutants are falling in many river basins. For example, if ammonium and phosphorous levels continue to decline at their current rate, they will be at levels that meet good status by 2015 and 2027 respectively. Nitrates are also falling, although this pollutant will still be too high for several decades at the current rate of decrease, according to the report.
The challenges for river basin management are numerous and diverse, the report says. The RBMPs submitted by Member States distinguish between different types of pressures faced by river basins, however they include less detail on how these pressures will be addressed and to what extent selected measures will contribute to achieving environmental objectives in 2015.
To maintain and improve the essential functions of our water ecosystems, they need to be managed better, the report says. This can only succeed if an integrated approach is adopted, as introduced in the WFD and related water legislation. All sectors in a river basin need to fully implement the WFD to reduce pressures on water bodies, ensuring all users are committed to healthy water bodies achieving good status.
The report is launched to coincide with the launch of the European Commission's Blueprint to safeguard Europe's water resources, intended to improve implementation of existing water legislation and show opportunities for further policy improvements.]]>
The new design is more compact and user friendly, easily switching between different pollutants for a given area. Four data viewers have been updated:
As part of the package, there is also an updated and improved Geographic Information System (GIS) reference layer for river basin districts reporting under the Water Framework Directive. This can be downloaded by other organisations working in this area.
The maps are based on data reported by the EU Member States and EEA member countries. Since this latest update, all interactive maps in the Water Information System for Europe (WISE) have now been updated to the improved format.
Hazardous substances are emitted to fresh and marine waters through a range of pathways and from a variety of sources, including industry, agriculture, transport, mining and waste disposal, as well as from our own homes. Hazardous substances found in fresh and marine waters and associated sediment and biota include a wide range of industrial and household chemicals, metals, pesticides and pharmaceuticals. Some substances, for example tributyltin (TBT), persist in aquatic environments long after they have been phased out.
Hazardous substances can have detrimental effects on aquatic biota. Substances with endocrine-disrupting properties, for example, can impair reproduction in fish and shellfish, while the effects of organochlorines on marine life are well documented. Such impacts diminish the services provided by aquatic ecosystems, including the provision of food.
Humans can be exposed to hazardous substances in water, through ingesting contaminated drinking water and consuming contaminated freshwater fish and seafood. Some metals have been found in seafood above regulatory levels, whilst levels of banned substances such as DDT can also be high.
Well-established legislation within Europe has led to positive outcomes including a reduction in emissions of metals to air and water. Legislation implemented more recently, including the Water Framework Directive and REACH (Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) will play a key role in addressing hazardous substances in water.
For some pollutants, awareness of potential effects has only emerged recently and scientific understanding may still be incomplete. These 'emerging pollutants' include substances that have existed for some time, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products, but also relatively new ones such as nanomaterials. Policy makers need more information on the levels and effects of these emerging pollutants. Better understanding is needed too, with regard to the effects of chemical mixtures which are found in the more polluted water bodies of Europe.
In the absence of appropriately strong measures, climate change is likely to adversely affect chemical water quality over the coming decades. More intense rainfall, for example, is predicted to increase the flushing of hazardous substances from both urban and agricultural land.
The report concludes that to reduce hazardous substances in water, a more sustainable production and use of chemicals should be applied both in Europe and beyond. This global approach would not only benefit Europe's environment but also reduce detrimental effects arising in other parts of the world, because a growing proportion of goods consumed within Europe are produced outside its borders. Adopting sustainable green chemistry techniques can also play an important role, although there is currently no comprehensive EU legislation in this area.


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Zack Meisel of Cleveland.com has reported that former Florida State baseball star Tyler Holt (2008–2010) has been called up to the Cleveland Indians.
Holt, who has been playing center field for the AAA Columbus Clippers, will fill the roster spot of injured Michael Bourn, who was placed on the 15-day DL on Sunday morning.
Holt was a Baseball America second-team All-America as a junior at Florida State in 2010 and went on to be a 10th-round pick in the 2010 MLB draft. He was hitting .302 with a .433 on-base percentage for Columbus to date.


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Yes. You are legally obligated to answer all the questions, as accurately as you can.
The relevant laws are Title 18 U.S.C Section 3571 and Section 3559, which amends Title 13 U.S.C. Section 221.
Your answers are important. As part of a sample, you represent many
other people. Find out how each question helps your community, your
state, and the federal government in questions on the form and why we ask.
Our telephone representatives attempt to call households to collect important survey information. If someone has contacted you about the American Community Survey and you would like to verify that the phone call you received was legitimate, you may call one of our call centers directly:
In order to collect the required American Community Survey (ACS) data, we use a multi-part strategy, including Internet, mail, telephone calls, and personal visits.
Telephone interviewers may attempt to call you after normal business hours when it is more likely you will be at home.
Keywords: scam, bogus
If someone has contacted you about the American Community Survey and you would like to verify that the visit or phone call you received was legitimate, you may call your Census Regional office. You can find contact information for your Census Regional office at http://www.census.gov/regions/.
Interviewers may visit you or attempt to call you after normal business hours when it is more likely you will be at home.
In most instances, yes. If you received a letter or postcard inviting you to complete the American Community Survey online, you will need to visit https://respond.census.gov/acs and enter your ten digit user ID from the letter or informational card you received in the mail.
If you did not receive a mailing inviting you to respond online, this option is not yet available for your area.
Keywords: Internet
When you access the American Community Survey online, you will be given a four-digit PIN. The PIN is unique to your survey answers. It is needed to re-enter the survey after you logout, or if your session times out. Please remember it.
The Census Bureau cannot remind you of your PIN if you forget it. If you cannot remember your PIN, you may call 1-800-354-7271 to have the survey reset. However, once a survey is reset, you must start again at the beginning.
Keywords: Internet, personal identification number
The United States Constitution states that "[An] Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct." Pursuant to this constitutional directive, Congress passed separate laws for each decennial census and specified the information to be collected. In 1954, Congress codified earlier census acts and all other statutes authorizing the decennial census as Title 13, United States Code (U.S.C.). From the very first census act, Congress sought the collection of more information than just a headcount.
Because the American Community Survey (ACS) is part of the Decennial Census Program, it is governed by the same laws as the census. The current legal authority for collecting these data resides in Title 13 of the U.S.C. or the "Census Act." The Census Act provides the Census Bureau with legal authority to conduct the decennial census and delegates broad discretionary authority to the Secretary of Commerce for determining the manner of conducting the census. This authority has been redelegated by the Secretary to the Director of the Census Bureau.
Even though Congress has granted this broad discretionary authority, the questions asked in the Census and ACS are determined by what data are needed to implement a vast array of federal programs. Courts routinely have upheld the constitutionality of collecting census data, characterizing as unquestionable the power of Congress to require both an enumeration and the collection of statistics in the census.
The Courts have held that the Constitution, including the Fifth and Fourth Amendments, does not prohibit the gathering of other statistics in addition to the enumeration.
Our secure server uses a digital certificate (digital ID) issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) as proof of identity. The only way to be sure of a web site's authenticity is to view their digital ID.
The digital ID will contain information such as:
The method for viewing a web site's Digital Certificate/ID varies depending on the web browser. Please see your browser's "help" information for instructions on how to verify a web site's identity.
Keywords: security, online, safe, legitimate
Group Quarters (GQ) are places where people live or stay, in a group living arrangement, which are owned or managed by an entity or organization providing housing and/or services for the residents. This is not a typical household-type living arrangement. These services may include custodial or medical care as well as other types of assistance, and residency is commonly restricted to those receiving these services. People living in group quarters are usually not related to each other.
Group quarters include such places as college residence halls, residential treatment centers, skilled nursing facilities, group homes, military barracks, correctional facilities, and workers' dormitories.
Group quarters are categorized into two groups, institutional and non-institutional, in the American Community Survey (ACS) estimates.
Institutional Group Quarters: Includes facilities for people under formally authorized, supervised care or custody at the time of interview, such as correctional facilities, nursing facilities/skilled nursing facilities, in-patient hospice facilities, mental (psychiatric) hospitals, group homes for juveniles, and residential treatment centers for juveniles.
Non-institutional Group Quarters: Includes facilities that are not classified as institutional group quarters, such as college/university housing, group homes intended for adult, residential treatment facilities for adults, workers' group living quarters and Job Corps centers, and religious group quarters.
The ACS sample included the group quarters population beginning in 2006. Before that, the ACS only sampled the population living in households.
Please visit the Code Lists, Definitions, and Accuracy page on the ACS website to learn more about group quarters. People living in group housing can also learn more about the group quarters form on the ACS website.
Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) are non-overlapping areas that partition each state into areas containing about 100,000 residents. PUMAs were developed to be the most detailed geographic area available in the Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS). Because the State Data Centers (SDCs) and their partner organizations help define these areas for the Census Bureau, they should be meaningful to many data users.
PUMA boundaries are updated with each decennial census in cooperation with the SDCs. For more information, visit the Public Use Microdata Areas page. American Community Survey PUMS files first used the 2010 PUMA boundaries in the 2012 ACS data release.
PUMA Mapping Resources
PUMAs were first made available in the 2005 ACS 1-year PUMS files and have been included in every PUMS release since then. ACS PUMS files from 2000-2004 did not include the PUMA variable.
The American Community Survey (ACS) asks for individuals' names for two reasons. First, we have found over many years of research that it is easier for a respondent to keep track of which person they are answering for if the names are used. If you are interrupted while completing the survey, it will be easier to resume if you know which person you were working on - particularly in larger households.
The second reason is administrative. In some instances, responses are difficult to interpret, or missing critical information. If we have the name and phone number of the person who completed the survey, we can call to collect missing information or ask for clarification. By having the other names, we can more easily refer to specific information.
Without the name and phone number, we would have to send someone to an address to gather the information - which is more expensive than a phone call.
We ask these questions because federal and state government require the data that we collect to manage or evaluate programs. For example, information about utilities is used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to administer their programs. Journey-to-work information, such as what time you leave your home, is used by federal and state government transportation planning agencies for roads and public transit development.
Read more about the purposes of each question at: http://www.census.gov/acs/www/about/why-we-ask-each-question/.
Please note that the topics on the American Community Survey (ACS) are nearly identical to those topics asked in the 2000 Census long form questionnaire.
On the American Community Survey (ACS), if no one in your household knows the answer to a question, and the information cannot be referenced in a bill or other document, please give your best estimate.
Thank you for the time that you spend completing the survey; we greatly appreciate your taking the time to provide accurate and complete data for your household.
Addresses selected for the American Community Survey (ACS) come from the Census Bureau's Master Address File (MAF). The MAF is the Census Bureau's official inventory of known living quarters and selected nonresidential units in the United States and Puerto Rico. Each scientifically selected address represents other households in the surrounding community.
Interviewing a small sample of addresses, 3.5 million, rather than all addresses in the United States, allows the Census Bureau to measure the whole population while limiting the cost of the survey and reducing the overall impact on respondents.
For more detailed information, please visit Chapter 4 of the Design and Methodology Report.
We understand concerns about identity theft and privacy. We will ensure that only authorized persons with a work-related need-to-know view your personal information. When we process the information collected by the American Community Survey (ACS), individuals' names and other personal identifiers are deleted from the files used to tabulate these data. We do not maintain a national database with the names, addresses, and personal information collected by the ACS.
Additionally, we employ statistical methodologies to ensure that the statistics we release do not identify individuals or businesses. These methods include extensive review and analysis of all our data products, as well as disclosure avoidance methodologies (such as data suppression and modification) to screen out data that might identify a specific individual or business.
Please note that the ACS does not ask for Social Security numbers, mother's maiden name, or specific information regarding bank accounts or credit cards—the information typically used for identity theft.
If you are reluctant to complete the survey online or by mail, you may call 1-800-354-7271 to complete the survey over the phone.
Yes. American Community Survey information is encrypted at all times.
Our secure servers use "HTTPS" Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer, to ensure the encrypted transmission of data between your browser and the U.S. Census Bureau. This means that instead of sending readable text over the Internet, both your browser and our server encode (scramble) all data using a security key.
In addition to data being encrypted during transmission, all data are encrypted for protection when stored on the Census Bureau servers.
Keywords: encryption, security, internet, online
When counting the number of rooms in a home for the American Community Survey (ACS), please count rooms separated by built-in archways or walls that extend out at least 6 inches and go from floor to ceiling. Include only whole rooms used for living purposes, such as living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, finished recreation rooms, family rooms, enclosed porches suitable for year-round use, etc.
DO NOT count bathrooms, kitchenettes, strip or pullman kitchens, utility rooms, foyers, halls, open porches, balconies, unfinished attics, unfinished basements, or other unfinished space used for storage.
Specific Concerns:
The ACS uses the concept of "current residence" to determine who should be considered residents of sample housing units. The basic idea behind this concept is that everyone who is currently living or staying at an address for more than two months is considered a current resident of that address.
This means that their expected length of stay is more than two months, not that they have been staying in the housing unit for more than two months at the time when the survey is conducted. Persons away from their residence for two months or less, whether in the United States or overseas, on a vacation or on a business trip, are considered to still be a "resident" at the address, and the unit is classified as occupied and eligible for inclusion in the survey. Persons away from their residence for more than two months are considered not to be a resident. For the ACS, if no one is determined to be a current resident in the sampled housing unit, it is classified as "vacant."
There are a few exceptions to the "two-month" rule, as noted below:
Persons Without Another Place to Stay -- Anyone staying at a residence who does not have another place to stay, even if they are at the residence for two months or less, are always considered current residents of the residence.
Children Away at School -- Children (below college age) who are away at boarding school or summer camp for more than two months are always considered current residents of their parents' homes. College students' current residency is established by the two-month rule.
Children in Joint Custody -- Children who live under joint custody agreements and move between residences are always considered current residents of the sampled housing unit where they are staying at the time of the interview."Commuter Workers" -- People who stay at a residence close to work and return regularly to another residence to be with their family are always considered current residents of the family residence, not the work-related residence.
Residency in Group Quarters facilities is determined differently. All people residing in the selected facility at the time of interview, regardless of the length of stay, are eligible to be selected to be interviewed in the ACS.
For more information on ACS residency rules, read Chapter 6: Survey Rules, Concepts and Definitions, Section 6.3: Residence Rules on the Design and Methodology Report page of the ACS website.
If you are returning a completed paper questionnaire, please send it to:
DirectorU.S. Census BureauP.O. Box 5240Jeffersonville, IN 47199-5240
Some people may also be able to complete the survey online. To find out if you are eligible, call 1-800-354-7271. Thank you for responding.
Keywords: replacement, misplaced, find
Our Census Bureau website on Poverty provides data links to all of the sources of poverty data that are published by the Census Bureau. These include data from the Current Population Survey (CPS), the American Community survey (ACS), Census 2000, and other data sources. Also, you can access Detailed and Historical Poverty tables from this page.
The following sites require using our data access tool "American FactFinder." If you need assistance you may call the Customer Liaison and Marketing Services Office at 1-800-923-8282 or (301) 763-INFO (4636).
Due to the large volume of American Community Survey (ACS) forms that we process, there may have been a delay between the time you completed the ACS and the time it was logged in. Alternatively, some survey materials may travel more quickly through the postal system.
If you wish to double-check that we have received your responses, please call our Telephone Questionnaire Assistance line toll-free at 1-800-354-7271.
If you are completing a paper questionnaire, use a pen with blue or black ink, or a #2 pencil. For more information on how to respond or get help with your form, visit the About the Survey section of the ACS Web page.
If you cannot complete the survey online, there is no need to contact us. The Census Bureau will send you a paper questionnaire in about two weeks.
The ACS is a legitimate survey that is part of the Decennial Census Program. It is a survey sent to a small percentage of our population on a rotating basis. The ACS collects detailed information on the characteristics of our population and housing. These data were previously collected only in census years in conjunction with the decennial census. Since the ACS is conducted every year, rather than once every ten years, it provides more current estimates throughout the decade.
Estimates from the ACS contribute to providing an important picture of America, and an accurate response to the ACS questionnaire is important. When used in conjunction with the most recently available decennial census counts, information from the ACS documents how we live as a nation, including our education, housing, jobs, and many other issues.
Questions in the ACS are required to manage or evaluate federal and state government programs. For example, information on income is required for use by the Social Security Act, the National School Lunch Program, the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, and the U.S. Department of Education for grant allocation. Journey-to-work information is used by federal, state, and local transportation planning agencies in designing regional transportation systems. Information on language spoken at home is used under the Voting Rights Act to assess the fairness of voting practices in governmental subdivisions.
No. The Census Bureau receives your responses once you have submitted your completed American Community Survey online. Therefore, mailing back your questionnaire is not required and saves mailing costs.
Keywords: form
The Census Bureau publishes American Community Survey (ACS) data in tables on the American FactFinder website. From there, you can choose from a variety of table types, including Data Profiles, Geographic Comparison Tables, and more.
Other data options include:
Summary File
Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files
Archived data via FTP
To learn more about these options, visit the Data page on the ACS website. You can also visit the Data Tools Chart page to learn more about the tools you can use to obtain ACS data.
The American Community Survey (ACS) is designed to measure characteristics of persons who live or stay in each community at the time their address was selected for the survey. To do this, the ACS employs a two-month rule in determining who is eligible to participate in the survey: if the current resident of the address is living or staying at the address for more than two months, that resident should complete the ACS.
There are a few exceptions:
Please do not forward the ACS information to someone who does not live at the address, such as a previous tenant, landlord, or property manager.
No. An address may not be removed from the American Community Survey (ACS) sample as the validity of sample data would quickly decline if selected households were removed.
We try to keep the number of households in the sample as small as possible in order to limit the cost of the survey and reduce the impact on respondents. An address probably will not be included in the ACS survey more than once in a five-year period.
American Community Survey (ACS) multiyear estimates with dollar values are adjusted for inflation to the final year of the period. For example, the 2006-2010 ACS 5-year estimates are tabulated using dollars adjusted to 2010. These adjustments use the national Consumer Price Index (CPI-U-RS) annual average since a regional-based CPI is not available for the entire country.
Learn more about using dollar-denominated data in Appendix 5 of any of the handbooks in The ACS Compass Products series.
The Census Bureau does use statistics from other government agencies for research and evaluations to improve our surveys and censuses and better understand the information we are collecting. We also use such information to help develop estimates of the population between census years. However, we cannot use other agencies' information in place of actual responses to the American Community Survey (ACS) for several reasons.
A knowledgeable adult at least 15 years old or older should complete the American Community Survey (ACS). This person should live in the household and have a good understanding of the household finances.
A nonhousehold person, such as a neighbor, landlord, or janitor is not eligible to be a respondent if the home is occupied.
If the only person available at the sampled address is physically or mentally unable to respond for him/herself, he or she may designate a nonhousehold (proxy) respondent. The nonhousehold respondent must live or spend time in the sample unit caring for the disabled person and be knowledgeable about the household.
Yes, the American Community Survey Office provides programs for users to load Summary Files into a SAS dataset. Users must have SAS installed on their computer in order for the programs to work. These programs, along with an example of creating a table using SAS, can be found on the ACS website on the Summary File Documentation Page.This page provides downloadable SAS programs for each sequence per state, which can be used to convert each estimate and margin of error into SAS datasets with table stubs.This page also provides an example program containing SAS macros which access the geography, estimate, and margin or error data to create one table for all geographies from the ACS Summary File. Segments of the SAS codes can be used to convert geography files into SAS datasets.
There are no SAS programs provided for the PUMS files because PUMS data are distributed in SAS format. However, instructions for merging multiple PUMS files are available on our ACS website on the PUMS File Structure page (and in each PUMS ReadMe document) in the form of an italicized SAS program and pseudo-code.
We can assure you that American Community Survey (ACS) respondents' confidentiality is protected. Title 13, United States Code (U.S.C.), requires the Census Bureau to keep all information about all respondents strictly confidential. We will publish only statistics from this survey, not any information that could identify you or anyone else personally.
All Census Bureau interviewers take an oath of confidentiality. Any Census Bureau employee who violates these provisions is subject to a fine up to $250,000 or a prison sentence up to five years, or both.
Yes. However, if you are unable to complete the American Community Survey (ACS), a trusted individual or relative could call us toll-free on 1-800-354-7271 and complete the survey over the phone as your proxy. Alternatively, a trusted individual or relative, with your permission, may complete the survey online or fill out the paper form.
While responding to the ACS may be more challenging for people who are older or disabled, everyone's information is very important. For example, statistics about the size, distribution, and needs of the disabled and older population are used by a number of federal agencies to ensure that everyone has access to adequate housing, transportation, and services.
An address cannot be removed from the ACS sample, as the validity of sample data for important groups would quickly deteriorate if selected households were exempted.
The American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files are intended to allow data users to conduct custom analyses when the desired estimates are not already available in American FactFinder (AFF).
If users attempt to recreate AFF tables with PUMS files, the estimates generated will be slightly different from the pretabulated estimates. These differences are due to the fact that the PUMS files include only about two-thirds of the cases that were used to produce estimates on AFF.
The Census Bureau also makes additional modifications to the PUMS files to protect the confidentiality of respondents. These modifications can include, for example, the "top-coding" of continuous variables with outlying values (such as income or transportation time) and the reduction of category availability for variables with hundreds of categories (such as ancestry or birthplace). These changes can also cause PUMS estimates to differ slightly from those in AFF.
When data users have doubts about whether they are correctly using the weights to compute estimates, they should attempt to reproduce the estimates that are provided in the PUMS Estimates for User Verification. (The standard errors provided were computed using the replicate weight method.)
To submit questions or comments about the American Community Survey (ACS), you may simply click submit a request or question below.
To speak to a Census Bureau representative, please call the Census Bureau Customer Help Center at 1-800-923-8282 or review the contact information at http://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/contact.html.
You may also send written comments about the American Community Survey (ACS) to:
U.S. Census BureauAmerican Community Survey OfficeWashington, DC 20233-7500
On the American Community Survey (ACS), please include only working vehicles. In addition to passenger vehicles, please include the number of sport utility vehicles (SUVs), working company vehicles (such as police cars, company cars or vans, or taxicabs), and light trucks kept at this address and used for nonbusiness purposes.
Count vehicles of all members of the household including lodgers or other nonrelatives living in the house, apartment, or mobile home. If the sample housing unit is a recreational vehicle (RV), do not include this RV in the total count of vehicles. Do not include motorcycles and motorbikes, All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), snow machines, snowmobiles, etc.
Yes, the American Community Survey (ACS) has data on Hispanic groups other than Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Cuban, which are check-boxes on the ACS questionnaire. The Hispanic-origin question on the questionnaire includes a line for write-in responses such as Salvadoran, Nicaraguan, or Argentinean. See the Hispanic Code List for more examples.
This is the same approach we use in the 10-year census. For Census 2000, Summary Files 2 and 4 allow users to access any table in the files for a particular Hispanic subgroup provided the group meets certain population criteria for the geographic area under consideration.
The Census Bureau uses the information you provide to the American Community Survey (ACS) for statistical purposes only and cannot publish or release information that would identify you and your household. Your information will be used in combination with information from other households to produce statistics for your community.
These statistics are available to the public, but Title 13, United States Code (U.S.C.), prohibits the Census Bureau from giving or selling your personal information to anyone, including companies, other federal agencies, and law enforcement.
On the American Community Survey (ACS), please include all persons who are living or staying at this address at the time of interview if they will live at the address for more than two months.
Do Include:
Do NOT Include:
Our estimate is that for the average household, the American Community Survey (ACS) will take about 40 minutes to complete, including the time for reviewing the instructions and answers. Since this is an estimate, it will not hold true for every household that receives the survey. Many people also use estimates for items that they do not know or cannot easily research.
To sign up for updates, directly access the Census Bureau's GovDelivery system to enter your email address.
The ACS e-mail updates provide periodic e-mail communication to inform you about news, events, data releases, congressional action, and other developments associated with the ACS.
Unsubscribe or change preferences
If you do not want to receive updates about the ACS, or if you want to receive updates only for particular topics, enter your email address in the Census Bureau's GovDelivery system. You will have the option of changing preferences or unsubscribing.
The U.S. Census Bureau releases an annual report from the Current Population Survey, Health Insurance in the United States: 2014. The section in this report on Health Insurance provides national and state level data tables on health insurance coverage and type of coverage by age, race, and ethnicity, i.e., Table H101 for the U.S. and Table H105 for states.
The question on health insurance coverage was added to the American Community Survey (ACS) questionnaire in 2008. Single year estimates for this topic have been available since the 2008 ACS 1-year data release. Multiyear estimates for health insurance coverage were available for the first time in the 2008-2010 ACS 3-year data release. This topic has been available in the 5-year estimates since the release of the 2008-2012 ACS 5-year estimates in 2013.
American Community Survey (ACS): Estimates for the United States, Puerto Rico, all states, Congressional Districts, and geographic areas of 65,000 or more are released annually in the ACS 1-year estimates. We no longer produce 3-year estimates, but they are available for population of 20,000 or more for 2011-2013 and earlier. Data for geographic areas as small as census tracts and block groups are available annually from the ACS 5-year estimates. Learn more about the ACS and our health insurance data on our website and access our estimates via American FactFinder.
ACS 1-year 2014 Supplemental Estimates consist of 58 detailed tables tabulated on the 1-year microdata for geographies with populations of 20,000 or more. These supplemental estimates were released on American FactFinder (AFF) and the API on July 21, 2016, and are available for the same geographic summary levels as those in the ACS 1-year dataset.
In addition, the Census Bureau's Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) program produces timely estimates of health insurance coverage for states and counties by detailed demographic and income groups. SAHIE estimates are model-based and consistent with the ACS. They can be used to analyze geographic variation in health insurance coverage, as well as disparities in coverage by race/ethnicity, sex, age, and income levels that reflect thresholds for state and federal assistance programs. Consistent estimates are available since 2008, allowing users to explore changes over time.
The American Community Survey sample over a 5-year period is smaller than the Census 2000 long form sample. In addition, while Census 2000 followed up with ALL nonrespondents who did not mail back their questionnaire, the ACS follows up with a sample of nonrespondents who do not respond by mail or telephone. As a consequence of these design differences, ACS estimates are usually less precise (or reliable) than corresponding estimates from the Census long form. However, precision (or reliability) is only one of the factors that affect the overall quality and usability of sample survey estimates. Other important factors include overall unit response, data completeness, and how well the sample covers the target population. Evaluations show that the ACS is about the same or better than the Census long form with respect to these three factors. ACS response rates have been consistently high at the national level across all major population groups. Data completeness and population coverage are generally higher for the ACS compared to the long form. Overall, the loss of reliability in the ACS estimates is offset by improvements in other measures of quality.
The Guidance for Data Users page on the American Community Survey (ACS) website is a valuable resource for assistance in using ACS estimates. Here are some suggestions for avoiding common mistakes when working with ACS statistics:
More suggestions can be found in the What General Data Users Need to Know handbook.
The ACS Code List contains information on how countries are grouped in the "Place of Birth, Migration, & Place of Work Code List" section. The list also shows detailed codes for other variables with a large number of coded responses.
You can also visit the Comparing ACS Data page for more information on comparing place of birth data between the ACS and Census 2000 or between various years of the ACS.
The Census Bureau provides data on educational attainment from the following sources:
[PDF] or denotes a file in Adobe's Portable Document Format. To view the file, you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader available free from Adobe.
States, Puerto Rico, and Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) are the only geographic areas identified in the ACS PUMS. While PUMAs can often be used to identify counties, cities, and metropolitan areas with populations of more than 100,000 people, the ACS PUMS does not include variables identifying these other types of areas.
The Census Bureau provides data on school enrollment from the following sources:
This page contains one or more links, denoted by this symbol , which are not part of the Census Bureau Web site and do not imply endorsement of any particular product, company, or content.
Please see our Veterans Statistics web page. In addition, the following links may be useful.
While most homes will have adequate plumbing and kitchen facilities it is important to know how to record these answers on the American Community Survey (ACS) when the facilities are not complete.
Housing Questions:
New American Community Survey (ACS) estimates are released every year. The type of estimates available varies depending on the population of an area.
Learn more about When to use 1-year, 3-year, or 5-year estimates on the ACS website. You can also learn more about the specific Geographic Areas Published on the ACS website.
Size of Area
Data Product
Data Release
1-Year Estimates
1-Year Supplemental Estimates
3-Year Estimates
Areas as small as Census Tracts and
Block Groups
5-Year Estimates
ACS data products are generally released the year after they are collected. For example, data collected in 2009 was released in 2010. As soon as specific release dates are set, they are posted on the Data Releases page. We will also notify everyone who has registered to receive ACS email updates as soon as release dates are announced.
There are two thresholds used for Selected Population Profiles (SPPs).
First, we look at the total population size of the geographic area. Beginning with the 2007 American Community Survey (ACS), SPPs are released for geographic areas with a total population of at least 500,000. Prior to the 2007 ACS, SPPs were produced for geographic areas with a total population of at least 1 million.
Second, we look at the size of the population group of interest.
SPPs provide summary tables separately for over 100 detailed race, ethnic, ancestry, and tribal groups. Beginning with the 2007 American Community Survey, the SPPs are also available for approximately 100 countries and region of birth groups.
You can also visit the Data Suppression page to learn more bout why certain estimates are not available.
*ACS 3-year estimates have been discontinued. The 2005-2007, 2006-2008, 2007-2009, 2008-2010, 2009-2011, 2010-2012 and 2011-2013 ACS 3-yer estimates will remain available to data users, but no new 3-year estimates will be produced. Every community in the nation will continue to receive a detailed statistical portrait of its social, economic, housing, and demographic characteristics through the 1-year and 5-year ACS products.
Generally, you can compare American Community Survey (ACS) estimates with data from Census 2000 or the 2010 Census.
If you are comparing ACS estimates with other ACS estimates, use the same period length. For example, this means you should compare a 1-year estimate only to another 1-year estimate, not to a 3-year estimate or a 5-year estimate. However, since ACS variables change over time, some areas and subjects must be compared with caution or not compared at all. Visit Comparing ACS Data for more information about comparing ACS estimates over time and with Census 2000 or 2010 Census.
If you are looking for a table that is comparable between Census 2000 and the ACS 5-year estimates, you may find our Table Comparison Tool to be useful. This tool allows data users to search by table number for a comparable table between the ACS 5-year estimates and the Census 2000 SF3 detailed tables. The table comparability may be identical, comparable for some uses, or there may be no comparable table.
A cooperative is a type of ownership whereby a group of housing units is owned by a corporation of member-owners. Each individual member is entitled to occupy or rent out an individual housing unit and is a shareholder in the corporation that owns the property, but does not own the unit directly. The corporation may have a mortgage on the whole group of units. The member may have a loan or mortgage to buy his or her shares in the corporation. In many cases, residents living in housing units classified as "cooperatives" often do not pay separate utility bills. They pay a "co-op fee" that includes payment for various utilities.
In the American Community Survey (ACS), if you live in this type of situation, estimate the amount for each utility included in the "co-op fee," and enter those amounts in question 11 of the housing section.
The Questionnaire Archive can show you how particular questions were phrased each year.
The Subject Definitions, available on the Code Lists, Definitions, and Accuracy page on the ACS website, describe population and housing variables to help you understand how questions are designed, how subjects are defined, and how estimates are calculated. The subject definitions also include information about the history and comparability of each subject.
If you are interested in how these estimates are used, you can learn more on the Questions on the Form and Why We Ask page.
In the American Community Survey (ACS), a person with a reverse mortgage should answer that he/she owns the home with a mortgage and select "No regular payment required" for the payment amount.
With a reverse mortgage, an owner receives monthly payments from the equity in a home. The owner may but does not necessarily have to exhaust all the equity in the house in a reverse mortgage situation. If the owner decides to sell the property or dies, the amount of money received from the reverse mortgage (along with any fees and the interest charges that apply to the reverse mortgage) has to be returned to the lender. If equity remains after repayment to the lender, the owner or heirs receives the balance of the equity.
You can use
TIGERweb to view the 2010 Census PUMAs maps.
The American
Community Survey PUMS files began using the 2010 PUMA boundaries in 2013
with the 2012 ACS data release. Learn more about Geography Boundaries by Year on the ACS website.
There are a number of reasons why any particular table may not be available for the 5-year estimates.
Comparing ACS data products:
When you complete the ACS, you are helping to ensure that decisions about the future of your community can be made using the best statistics available. Decision makers need a clear picture of their population and how they live to ensure that scarce resources are used efficiently and effectively.
Many people may not realize that statistics from the ACS help:
Read more about how each question of the ACS serves a purpose at http://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/.
The American Community Survey (ACS) uses independent estimates of population and housing units from the Population Estimates Program as survey controls. For the group quarters (GQ) population, estimates are controlled for total GQ population by major GQ types (e.g., adult correctional facilities, nursing homes, college dorms, etc.) within state. For total resident population and for housing units, the ACS is controlled for incorporated places, minor civil divisions (MCD), and counties (or groups of smaller counties). At the incorporated place and MCD level, we control only for total population and the number of housing units. At the county (or group of small counties) level, we also control for the total population's base demographics (race, age, sex, and ethnicity). The statistical weights defined after the application of controls are then used to produce the totals and characteristic data for all other geographic areas, such as tracts and block groups. Learn more about the Weighting Methodology in the Accuracy of the Data document.
A multiyear estimate is an estimate that is based on data collected over more than one calendar year and describes that multiyear time period. In the case of ACS multiyear estimates, the period is either three or five calendar years.
While a 1-year estimate includes information collected from independent monthly samples over a 12-month period, a 3-year estimate represents data collected from independent samples over a 36-month period, and a 5-year estimate includes data collected over a 60-month period. For example, the 2007-2009 ACS 3-year estimates describe the population and housing characteristics of an area for the period January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2009. They do not describe any specific day, month, or year within that time period.
Learn more about this topic by reading "Understanding and Using ACS Single-Year and Multiyear Estimates," page 9 in General Data Users Handbook.
For this question on the American Community Survey (ACS), respondents should include school that leads to an elementary school certificate, high school diploma, or college, university, or professional school degree. This includes nursery school or kindergarten, tutoring or correspondence courses (if credit can be obtained from a public or private school or college), and home schooling if it meets the criteria of a regular school.
Please do NOT include vocational, technical, or business schools (such as post-secondary vocational, trade, business, or hospital schools), adult education classes that do not count for credit at a public or private school, on-the-job-training (OJT), correspondence courses that are not for credit, or training classes taken in connection with the job that are not for academic credit.
Even if a geographic area meets the population threshold, very detailed tables might contain too many estimates with relatively high variance. Since 2005, data release rules based on the statistical reliability of the estimates have been used to identify tables where a large proportion of estimates have relatively low reliability. When identified, these tables are not released for a particular geographic area.
The main data release rule for the ACS tables works as follows:
Sometimes when a table does not meet these reliability tests, a simpler table that collapses some of the detailed lines together, called a "Collapsed Table," may be available for the original, more Detailed Table. The data release rules are applied to the Collapsed Table as well. If the Collapsed Table meets the requirement, then it is released. If it does not meet the requirement, none of the estimates for that particular table are released for the geographic area in question. Collapsed Tables are available for many, but not all, Detailed Tables.
These release rules apply to 1-year period estimates and 3-year period estimates. No data release requirements are applied to the 5-year period estimates*.
The Census Bureau expanded the American Community Survey (ACS) to full sample size for housing units in 2005 and for group quarters in 2006. The ACS estimates from 2005 to present are available in American FactFinder.
Estimates (see below) prior to 2005 are available on our FTP site.
Learn more about the program's history in chapter 2 of the Design and Methodology Report.
Controlled estimates are not subject to sampling variability because they are made to conform to official intercensal estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program (PEP). The PEP annually produces estimates of totals by sex, age, race, and Hispanic origin that are controlled to be equal to population estimates by weighting areas, such as counties, incorporated places, and minor civil divisions (MCDs).
Learn more about ACS weighting methodology in the Design and Methodology Report and the Accuracy of the Data documentation available on the ACS website.
The 5-year dataset does not include Comparison Profiles, Ranking Tables, and Selected Population Profiles.
*5-year Narrative Profiles are available on the ACS website starting with the 2008-2012 ACS 5-year data release.
A product similar to Census 2000 Summary File 4 and the American Indian and Alaska Native Summary File was released in 2012 using 2006-2010 ACS 5-year estimates. Learn more about the Selected Population Tables and American Indian and Alaska Native Tables.
In general, ACS single-year estimates for legal areas are based on legal boundaries available and effective as of January 1st of the estimate year. For example, the 2010 ACS 1-year estimates use the geographic area boundaries in effect as of January 1, 2010, as reported to the Census Bureau through the Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS). ACS multiyear estimates use the geographic area boundaries effective as of January 1st of the last year of the multiyear estimate period. For example, the 2008-2010 ACS 3-year estimates and 2006-2010 ACS 5-year estimates use the geographic area boundaries effective as of January 1, 2010.
Beginning with the 2010 ACS data products, statistical areas use mostly 2010 Census geographic definitions. The 2009 and earlier ACS data products use mostly Census 2000 statistical definitions.
Learn more about the Geographic Boundaries by Year on the ACS website.
Special data values, such as dots, blanks, 0, and -1, appear in the ACS Summary File as an explanation for the absence of data. These values can indicate that the estimate is unavailable, there is a geographic restriction, the estimate is controlled, or the estimate does not contain a margin of error. Learn more about these values in the ACS Summary File Technical Document.
Products similar to Census 2000 Summary File 4 and the American Indian and Alaskan Native Summary File (AIANSF) were released in 2012 using the 2006-2010 ACS 5-year estimates.
We also produce Selected Population Profiles (SPPs) for the ACS 1-year releases. Selected Population Profiles provide broad social, economic, demographic, and housing profiles for a large number of race and ethnic groups, ancestry groups, and country of birth groups.


text:
|deja vu all over again
|attached to Obama Urges Opening Cable TV Boxes To Competition
|powering house with PV
|attached to The Myth of Going Off the Power Grid
|Re:Even the National Weather Service fucked it up
|attached to "Mammoth Snow Storm" Underwhelms
|Re:Minor Fluctuation?
|attached to How Well Do Our Climate Models Match Our Observations?
|Greenwald's new media venture
|attached to Glenn Greenwald Leaves the Guardian To Start His Own Site
|Re:... grow a pair ?
|attached to Partner of Guardian's Snowden Reporter Detained Under Terrorism Act
|Re:I guess Snowden saved Manning's life then.
|Re:I guess Snowden saved Manning's life then.
|attached to Bradley Manning Convicted of Espionage, Acquitted of 'Aiding the Enemy'
|my dog stares at the TV
|attached to TV Programmers Seek the Elusive Dog Market
|predecessor to PDP11
|attached to PDP-11 Still Working In Nuclear Plants - For 37 More Years
|Thats BS
|attached to USA Calling For the Extradition of Snowden
|USPS budget problem created by congress
|attached to US Postal Service Discontinuing Saturday Mail Delivery
|Re:Executive Orders
|attached to Federal Gun Control Requires IT Overhaul
|very low doses?????
|attached to Fukushima's Fallout of Fear
|understanding the brain
|attached to Spaun: a Large-Scale Functional Brain Model
|setting up a rural wisp
|attached to Ask Slashdot: What Is the Best Way To Become a Rural ISP?
|Re:Storm of the century??
|Re:Storm of the century??
|Re:Around here
|attached to 26 Nuclear Power Plants In Hurricane Sandy's Path
|water water everywhere....
|attached to Study Says Fracking is Safe In Theory But Often Not In Practice
|Re:bugs in code
|bugs in code
|attached to What Does a Software Tester's Job Constitute?
|attached to Fracking Disclosure Rules Approved In CO
|not entirely true
|attached to Cisco Emerges From Restructuring 13,000 Employees Lighter
Mathematicians stand on each other's shoulders. -- Gauss


text:
We had Sarah's 6 week check this morning and she has gained 3 pounds since birth putting her at a whopping 8lbs 10oz! lol, she's a tiny one. Also in the hospital they ran a hearing test on her and I guess they want to re-test. My doctor isn't concerned as it was noted there was most likely fluid in the ear still. And then at one of my 3rd tri ultrasounds they couldn't visualize both her kidneys so we go Friday for Sarah to have an ultrasound. The tech told me to try and have her bladder full... How the heck do you keep a 6 week old from peeing!?! I plan on feeding her in the waiting room and hopefully it'll be quick enough she won't pee.
6 week check
I heard the best way to get the fluid out her ears is to let her cry ! I was suprised at this but it worked for Carter because he failed it twice then passed . So hopefully Sarah will do fine
Way to gain Sarah! I'm glad her appointment went well. DS has to have his hearing rechecked too (I have to make that appointment soon) but we think it's fluid too. The first time they tested him it was within 12 hours of birth and our ped said that makes it pretty much irrelevant and at his discharge he almost passed it so we aren't worried. KUP on how the tests go! I would have laughed at the "full bladder" thing too. As if a 6 week old will understand that.
You DO have a tiny girl on your hands. That's hilarious about keeping your infant from peeing. Sounds pretty impossible to me too. Heh heh. Any new pics of your baby sweetheart??


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2 new threads. 1 new replies.
#476 - AliCattLovee
Reply 0(12/15/2012) [-]
The fact that people are making fun of the fact that children ages 5-10 have died makes me disgusted.
#647 to #491 - AliCattLovee
Reply 0(12/16/2012) [-]
I know, but more in the comments.


text:
2012 Golden Globe Nominees: Winners and Losers
An entire network, a possible Oscar fave and Muppets get the shaft
Loser: Gary Oldman and 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'
Maybe his performance was too subtle and restrained for the HFPA, but Oldman's performance in this film version of the acclaimed miniseries is just as remarkable as the rest of the adaptation. Neither is dumbed down (though easily could have been) and Oldman's wily spymaster is never less than convincing. Even if the Globes don't care, Alec Guinness (the original Smiley) would be proud.
Photo Credit: AP


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As he prepares the Gamecocks for a rematch with the Wildcats at Rupp Arena, Horn said Tuesday that he was unsure whether any one victory, no matter how significant, could have boosted his team past its struggles with depth and scoring.
Horn and the Gamecocks (14-12, 5-7 SEC) crossed their fingers that the 68-62 win over Kentucky -- South Carolina had never defeated a No. 1 team before that -- might kick off a second-half charge that might be good enough to impress the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
Instead, South Carolina has gone 2-4 since its fans charged the Colonial Life Arena floor in celebration. That includes a three-game losing streak the team will carry into Thursday night's game.
A month ago, Devan Downey was averaging better than 30 points per game in the Southeastern Conference, a pace that drew comparisons to LSU's prolific "Pistol" Pete Maravich. But a lingering ankle injury has slowed Downey's output. Tennessee held him to just 15 points, the least he's scored in a league game this season.
"I think if you've been in this long enough, you know that our issues remain our issues," Horn said.
The coach has had to rely on four first-year players to pick up the minutes and production of two missing starters. He has also had to find other scorers to take some heat off the 5-foot-9 Downey.
Horn was proud that his team followed the Kentucky win four nights later with a come-from-behind, Downey-led rally to beat Georgia. Several days after that, though, Downey rolled an ankle at practice, and things haven't gone as well since.


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|Girls, Boys, Infant/Baby
Danyel Pink Designs was formerly known as CrazySocks Designs... same great stuff, new name. Actually, old name... but it's MY name now. :)
My name is Danyel. I am a former middle school math ...
Danyel Pink Designs was formerly known as CrazySocks Designs... same great stuff, new name. Actually, old name... but it's MY name now. :)
My name is Danyel. I am a former middle school math teacher, and now a stay-at-home mom to three beautiful children. I am a proud military wife. I am a yarn addict. I'm originally from the suburbs of Chicago, and now I create patterns & crochet hats here in my home near Seattle.
I began crocheting in 2007 after a 15-year hiatus. My grandmother tried to teach me when I was little, but it wasn't until my mother-in-law sent me a how-to book and a crochet hook that I finally taught myself. At first, crocheting was something I did to keep my hands busy to keep from going crazy while I was pregnant. Now it's my passion. I truly love every stitch. The colors, the fibers, the textures, and even the SMELL of yarn are delightful! I taught myself to knit about 2 years ago, and am slowly adding more knitting patterns to my collection.
The beanie & diaper cover pattern comes in 2 sizes. The NB set includes a 0-3 month hat pattern & a NB/size 1 diaper cover pattern. The 3 Month set includes a 3-6 month hat & a size 1/size 2 diaper cover pattern. You get both hat & both diaper patterns in ONE pdf file!
*This diaper cover is intended for decorative/photography purposes only. It is not a soaker to be used for cloth diapering.*
The pattern includes color-coded instructions, photographs, and suggestions for making your hat/diaper cover set unique.
(c) 2011 Danyel Pink. All pattern sales are final (No refunds/returns). You may sell what you make, but please credit Danyel Pink Designs for the pattern. You may not use my photos. You may NOT resell the pattern, distribute it in any form, post it online, or alter it to claim it as your own. Contact me with any questions or for pattern support.
200 yards of Worsted weight


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Home Improvement › Bathroom › Bathroom Accessories › Soap Dishes
You searched "Soap Dishes". You may also be interested in:
A guide to buying: Soap Dishes
A soap dish can serve multiple purposes in your bathroom or kitchen, keeping your countertop or sink clean by holding the soap bar, as well as making your bathroom look beautiful if you buy a decorative soap dish. We offer a large line of designer, luxury soap dishes including chrome soap dishes, brushed nickel soap dishes, gold soap dishes, and crystal glass soap dishes. But sometimes you will need a soap holder that is not mounted on your countertop. For this reason, we also offer many wall mounted soap dishes and holders. If you need to save countertop space, look no further than a wall mount soap holder. We also offer wire soap dishes and shower baskets for your shower compartment. If you are looking for a ceramic soap dish, a stainless steel soap dish, or any other decorative soap dish - you can be sure you are at the right shop. Feel free to browse our line of Gedy soap dishes, Windisch soap dishes, Geesa soap dishes, and StilHaus soap dishes.
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Affordable comfort in a convenient midtown location.
Business travelers looking for a break from hard-on-the-expense-account midtown hotels will find respite here. Formerly the Hotel 5A, this property is right in the center of it all. The 30-floor tower is near Times Square, the Empire State Building, the New York Public Library and Grand Central Station. With just seven rooms per floor, guests can enjoy the quiet they probably crave after a day of midtown rush rush rush. The hotel has 181 rooms and four suites. Be sure to ask for one with a view. The rooms have straightforward but pleasant enough contemporary décor and are equipped with the expected amenities, such as cable TV and in-room movies. This fairly priced hotel bumps up its value with complimentary Internet access. Spacious desk areas and ergonomic chairs offer office-away-from-home comfort. Salmon River Restaurant specializes in seafood, as well as New American cuisine.
US and Canada: 1-800-780-5733 Europe: 00-800-11-20-11-40 Promo Code 189391
Customer service: Manage your booking


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Best route map between Eufaula, AL and Huntsville, AL. This route take about 275 Miles.
The distance and estimated time is placed on the right depending on the status of the road.
, 17:24
* You can see Eufaula, AL and Huntsville, AL photos above. We provide this photos from Google Panoramio service.
* Eufaula, AL weather as celsius: °C
* Huntsville, AL weather as celsius: °C
* Weather information on route, provide by Open Weather Map.
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by Jessica Gezon
Choosing a baby swing can be an exciting experience, but it can also be puzzling. There are swings that rock and swings that bounce, swings with sounds and silent swings, small swings, big swings, papasan swings, traditional swings, portable swings and the kind you only want to set up once. Because baby swings are available with so many features, they can be difficult to compare; but once you know which features are important to you, there are basic characteristics you can evaluate.
Look at the prices. Higher priced baby swings might be higher quality, or they might offer more features than lower priced swings. With swings and other baby gear, like with any product, you get what you pay for, but since babies grow fast, there's no need to overspend. Keep in mind that if you plan on multiple children, you can get years of use from a single swing, so a bigger investment might be worth it.
Consider the fabric. If your baby loves her swing, and we assume she will, then the fabric needs to be ready to handle spills. Make sure the fabric is durable and can either be removed for washing or can easily be spot cleaned.
Decide where you want to use the swing. Some baby swings are more portable than others. Swings that sit low to the ground are often lightweight but don't offer music or lights. If you're looking for a swing to take to grandma's house, something small might be better; if you have a large living room and plan to let your baby entertain himself while you have a snack (nearby, of course!), then a larger swing with more toys might be more practical.
Consider the power source. Some swings run on batteries alone, some on electricity, and some can run on either. If you're going camping where electricity isn't an option, a battery-powered swing is the obvious choice. If your little guy spends a lot of time in the swing, then changing the batteries all the time might be too much of a hassle. Know your options and where you want to use the swing before you commit to a power source.
Decide which features are most important to you. Is what you really want a fuzzy mobile to entertain your little one? Or is it soothing sounds to help your baby relax? The side-to-side rocking motion some swings offer has been known to calm a colicky baby, and some swings even have colorful lights that can double as a night light.
Consider purchasing two swings: one for home and one for the road. You could keep a heavy-duty swing at home for daily use and a more portable version in the car so you'll have one with you wherever you go.
Shop Overstock™ and find the best online deals on everything for your home and your family. We work every day to bring you discounts on new products across our entire store. Whether you're looking for memorable gifts or everyday essentials, you can buy them here for less. Not just anyone's mobile outlet, your mobile outlet.O.com ® Ethical Pricepoints ™


text: I stayed at the Prescott House while on internship for ten weeks. The house is quite large and beautiful, with great views. There is a pool table, ping pong table and treadmill in the basement for entertainment. My room was clean upon arrival and anytime I needed anything Steve was always helpful! I would recommend the Prescott House to anyone... 更多