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for a moment, i thought i found something, but it ended up being a woman named "Pam" and not related to us. Darn.
Maybe it's time to think about given first names for which "Winnie" or "Cam" are nicknames; or even last names. For example, "Winnie" was the nickname for Sir Winston Churchill, wartime prime minister of Great Britain during World War II; I've also seen "Winnie" used as a nickname for Winfred."Cam" could be a nickname for almost any name that begins with "Cam;" Cameron, Camwood, and others.Since Chateau narrowed done that both of thee two are doctors, I think it's more likely we won't find them online only with their nicknames.Just my $.02 worth of insight.
winnie looks vietnamese to me.
Hi guys, I've been a silent reader for a while here.But...I was just wondering...what are the odds of "Winnie and Cam" lying about their profession and Chateau mishearing "Cam's" name?Because...I was following up on the "Pam" that some of you mentioned finding... Looking at her Pinterest board, she seems to be an avid user of Pinterest, pinning nearly everyday, but she completely stopped pinning about 6 weeks ago and started pinning again this week. Coincidence?Also another interesting thing on Pinterest...the last pin on her bucket list board is the Amazing Race logo and the caption "be on the amazing race...and win!!!" I don't know if it's anything, but I'm just throwing it out here for you pros to consider.I'm not too familiar with the rules and stuff here, so please edit if needed.
Is there any connection between her and a "Winnie"?
Pam & Winnie it is!Sorry for my bad hearing/remembering! WP has the right Pam. I worry that "dog" in French may not be her real last name though This looks just like our Racer:
Stop complaining and solve the problem: Who are Pam & Winnie?
here's a photo of Winnie and Pam togetherand the same backpacks they raced in!
Quote from: supah3ro on December 15, 2012, 12:53:39 AMhere's a photo of Winnie and Pam togetherand the same backpacks they raced in!her partner name is Winnie Sung and Pam Chien
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On Tuesday, October 8, the Umpqua FFA District held the District Soils Judging Career Development Event in Glide, Oregon.
Soils Judging is a competition that helps students learn about the importance of soil science, and how it relates to growing crops, and other things relating to soil. The Sutherlin FFA Chapter was in strong attendance, with both the beginning and advanced teams placing first out of seven teams.
Sutherlin FFA qualifies for the state level competition on October 15.
Individuals earning top ten individual include: Ambrose Brower (1st), Joe Matteo (2nd), Tessa Franklin (3rd), Heather Brown (4th), Taylor Brooke (8th), Christina Moody (9th), and Priscilla Medina (10th). On the beginning side, we had nine of the top ten individuals including: Trace Miller (1st), Ariel Taylor (2nd), Davey McKinney (3rd), Bryson Price (4th), Tommy Ghasedi (5th), Damon Yarbrough (6th), Karly Brewer (7th), Colby Hobgood (8th), and Jeremiah Bean (10th). Overall, it was a good day with strong representation for Sutherlin FFA!
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When looking for missing pieces of history, many times the evidence seems vague. A portion of a story may be all we have, while remnants elusively hide themselves until appointed times. To this portion, a seeker awaits patiently.
This is the case concerning George Washington Jones.
George W. Jones was born to Joseph Madison Jones and Rachel Walker Jones on February 17, 1823, in Overton County, Tennessee. Georges' wife, Elizabeth Chadwick Jones, was also born in Tennessee on January 20, 1827. George & Elizabeth were married in Dade County, Georgia April 13, 1848.
George & Elizabeth came to Baxter County from Alabama in 1853 and settled on Big Creek, about three miles south of Mountain Home, Arkansas. George purchase 80 acres according to an U. S. Land Patent dated March 1, 1855 & 40 acres on December 10th, 1859.
George & Elizabeth had 5 children:
William Jones
G. A. F. Jones
A. John Jones
Thomas Jones
Lorena Jones – wife of J. B. Schoggen
During the Civil War, while George served in the Confederacy, his property was destroyed, his stock driven off, and his family was forced to move to Pineville, Izard County, Arkansas, for safety. After the War, however, he started anew on the same place, adding to his farm a groundhog threshing machine, horsepower cider mill and press. George also had a cotton gin and water mill on Big Creek.
This sentence about a water/grist mill was something my Granny Anderson would read about in Mary Ann Messick's book, History of Baxter County: Centennial Edition 1873-1973. This was something that caught my attention years ago. But where exactly was this grist mill on Big Creek?
Then One Day…Tada!
A little over a year ago, a patron came into the library where I work at. He proceeded to tell me about this huge round stone by his house in Big Creek. The stone looked like it was round and flat with a steel band encompassing the exterior edge. Near the creek are traces of the spring that ran into the mill-run, which can be seen from the picture below.
Then One Day…Tada!
A little over a year ago, a patron came into the library where I work at. He proceeded to tell me about this huge round stone by his house in Big Creek. The stone looked like it was round and flat with a steel band encompassing the exterior edge. Near the creek are traces of the spring that ran into the mill-run, which can be seen from the picture below.
Near the creek are traces of the spring that ran into the millrun.
Also, there is evidence of a dam that was once made in the creek.
The stone was finally pulled out of the creek.
Front & Profile view of the 4 foot mill stone that was pulled out of Big Creek.
Notice the steel band encompassing the stone.
Notice the steel band encompassing the stone.
Picture of the George Washington Jones Cabin; constructed after the Civil War around 1868. Pine logs for this cabin were hauled by oxen-drawn wagons from the Ozark National Forest, south of the White River. This picture was taken October 17th, 2009, at Baxter County History Day sponsored by the Baxter County Historical & Genealogical Society. The cabin has been relocated to Rapp's Barren at Cooper Park in Mountain Home, Arkansas.
George W. Jones passed away at his home on January 25th, 1902, in Baxter County, Arkansas. Elizabeth Chadwick Jones passed away February 20th, 1908. They are both buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery alongside their son, A. John Jones (1861 - 1907).
Map to Oak Grove Cemetery
Oak Grove Cemetery in Baxter County, Arkansas.
Final resting place of George Washington Jones & Elizabeth Chadwick Jones.
Photos by Vera Reeves on Find A Grave.
Looking Back.
The one thing that has always struck me in the Jones Saga has been…Tenacity.
With property destroyed, stock driven off, and a family forced to move because of the War of Northern Aggression (sorry, I couldn't resist), this family came back and built again. They didn't quit.
As I look back at circumstances in my own life, I look at those who have gone on before me. When I look at these times tough pioneers, I feel so small. With all their faults, flaws, and prejudice, these people are my still heroes. They were not perfect, but their faith, word, and honesty could knock the bark off a tree. They knew their place with their neighbors. Shoot…they weren't so self-centered that knew their neighbors; and in these times, neighbors were sometimes were a mile or two away.
So I ask you Dear Reader. If circumstances have over taken you, there are those who have walked many of those lonely paths.
If you happen to meet someone in desperate straits, try reaching out a helping hand. Whether you are from the Ozarks or not, I believe we have some of that same kind of Ozark spirit in us. We all need the compassion, faith, honesty, and integrity for others as we travel through this life. Then someday, others may tell of our journeys… as a part of our Ozarks' History.
Works Cited:
George Washington Jones Cabin. Photo Retrieved May 2, 2011. http://www.baxtercountyhistory.org/PhotoAlbum.cfm?AlbumID=7241&PhotoID=83195.
Google Interactive Map and GPS Data: GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 36.29580, Longitude: -92.37000.
Helms, Jeff. "Big Creek Property & Millstone." Retrieved May 2, 2011.
Jeff, Helms. Personal interview. 6 May 2011.
"Jones, George Washington." U.S. Land Patent. Retrieved May 7, 2001. AR0540__.486 (3 Mar.,1855) www.glorecords.gov .
"Jones, George Washington." U.S. Land Patent. Retrieved May 7, 2001. AR0690__.460 (12 Dec.,1859) www.glorecords.gov.
Maggie. "Jones, Elizabeth Chadwick." Retrieved May 4, 2011. Find A Grave . http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=38792948
Messick, Mary Ann, (1973). History of Baxter County: Centennial Edition 1873-1973. (400). Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce. International Graphics, Little Rock, AR.
"Oak Grove Cemetery." Photo taken by Annette Shaw. Retrieved May 4, 2011. Find A Grave.
"Oak Grove Cemetery Interments Named." Find A Grave. Retrieved May 4, 2011. Maintained by Sheila Coy. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GRid=38793260&CRid=55425&.
Reeves, Vera. "Jones, A. John." Retrieved May 4, 2011. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=38793260.
Reeves, Vera. "Jones, George Washington." Retrieved May 4, 2011. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=38792871.


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Thekla Hammond: Across the River and Into the Woods
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A court in Mannheim, Germany today held a preliminary hearing in a patent dispute between Motorola Mobility and Apple Sales International (a European Apple distribution subsidiary), and it seems like Apple's on the ropes.
While the hearing didn't discuss the particular merits of Motorola's patent infringement claim against Apple, the presiding judge issued substantial blows to Apple's defense by indicating that he believed the patent-in-suit was ripe for trial. The judge also seemed to agree with Motorola's reading of that patent (also known as "construction claims") in important ways that would allow it a broader scope of applicability at trial.Read More


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debussygirl wrote:Rosalie is selfish and mean, I won't argue that point.holdingoutforjacob wrote:Oops, you were right about New Moon.
Rosalie doesn't think she has to be nice. Period. To anyone. She was equally awful to Edward, and imagine what he must have been going through. She has proven time and time again that she is selfish and mean.
But putting it in Rosalie's perspective, I can see why she was mean. I think it's a pity that really the only time we saw her was when things weren't so great and she felt she had to be mean.
With Bella at first, it does show Rose's vanity, but it was also a tad bit deeper than that. If you've read MS, then you know what I'm talking about.
And she was mean to Edward, but in a protective way to the baby. She wasn't going at him like she was Jacob, it was more like, "Back off, Bella wants this baby" sorta thing. She definitely could have been nicer, but it was just the way that Rosalie saw how she had to approach the situation.
I can see that. I haven't read MS, but I think that Rose was in a way trying to scare Bella and the wolves away. Maybe it was because she simply thought she was better then them. But I think that Rose is in a way afraid of change. Like she wanted everything to stay the same in her human life with her fiance, and being human itself. Then she found Emmett, and the Cullens, and didn't want harm to come to them, after she finally found Emmett. But should Rose have been nicer? Yes. But she was trying, like in Eclipse, she told Bella her story, something she hasnt told in 100s of years.
Then, there is the issue if Rosalie just wanted the baby and didn't care about Bella. That's pretty up in the air. What do you guys think?


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Confirming what was alluded to in previous postings, the Justice Department has allocated no additional funding to the Integrated Wireless Network (IWN) project:
It remains to be see what will be done with the existing IWN components. There was some funding allocated for the operation of the IWN through 2012. The 2013 budget has some funding for improvements of the FBI, DEA and US Marshals legacy communications systems.
THE FED FILES - Welcome to The Fed Files blog! This blog was originally in support of the Fed Files column in Monitoring Times magazine. Although the Fed Files, as well as Monitoring Times, will end with the December 2013 issue, this blog will continue to support the new federal monitoring column in The Spectrum Monitor magazine. If you would like to make a comment, pass along a tip or frequency you can send it to my email address, chrisparris @ thefedfiles.com
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Jeff Houston offers the second of five drills in NRA Carry Guard's second rendition of commuter drills.
Carrying a firearm at the gym is no easy task. NRA Carry Guard Lead Instructor Jeff Houston and Colion Noir opt for safety and do off-body carry whenever they go to the gym.
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A Gotham classic destroyed for nothing but $$.
Hot market for building sites draws crowd
Inspired by the growing number of properties fetching upward of $1,000 per square foot in recent months, a growing number of landowners are putting their own holdings on the block. Four big development sites have hit the market, where they will likely bring record sums together totaling more than $1.1 billion.
Leading the charge is real estate investor Joe Sitt, who is seeking a buyer for 520 Fifth Ave., a big development site on the corner of West 43rd Street that he had planned to use as the launchpad for a property combining retail, hotel and residential space. Mr. Sitts firm, Thor Equities, spent the past year demolishing the existing building on the site, readying the parcel for development. About 350,000 square feet can be raised at the corner location, which is expected to sell for $350 million or more.


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Topic: U.S. Census 2010 (Read 12722 times)
Power User
Posts: 13206
U.S. Census 2010
May 01, 2009, 09:47:19 PM »
Next year's Census has already begun as I have met workers the last couple of days that are beginning to track the housing units with GPS and preparing to find, count and interpolate results for the number of people living in each jurisdiction in the United States.
This could have been broken down into a rant, a glibness post, an economic discussion, a media issue, an election fraud entry, and an illegal immigration comment but IMO they are all intertwined in this process that should NOT be a political issue but it is so it deserves its own topic.(? We'll see what the boss says...)
First, the direction of the Obama Census was pulled out of the Commerce Department and into the White House because specific and crucial political objectives are at stake. Imagine the media reaction if Bush-Cheney had done that. At the heart of the matter is to make sure we count, interpolate and extrapolate all potential Democratic constituencies, legal or not, at least once and then do some tweaking of the data as we do with global warming temperatures to make sure that the results fit our preconceived notions of what they should or might be.
Second, as I have whined often, the Census workers will be directed to make sure that income of the lower income groups is under-counted so that the rich will look richer and the disparity figures will look as disturbing as possible as that is the premise for the entire current governing philosophy. As usual we will not count any of major sources of income for the underclass; we will not count subsidized housing as income, we will not count the EBT card as income (Electronic Benefits Transfers, formerly called food stamps etc.) even though they spend just like cash would for the benefits, we will not count free health care as income even as its value starts to climb into the tens of thousands per family and we will not Section 8 housing or energy assistance as income even though these programs often pay 90% or more of a family's housing cost, another 5 digit 'income' stream not counted.
And last for now, at a time when the number of trespassers in this country has reached into the tens of millions, we will spend well over ten billion dollars to send a million and a half ACORN organizers, xx I mean census workers, out to 'accurately' count every person living in this country. STUPID QUESTION (?): wouldn't this also be a good time to find out who is a citizen, who is a legal, documented visitor and who is trespassing?? And do something about it! Otherwise aren't we also going to be gerrymandering congressional and electoral vote representation to people who can not even vote in this country??
We will determine citizenship by asking them - just as you might find out if bank robbers robbed a bank - by asking them.
Last Edit: May 01, 2009, 09:53:45 PM by DougMacG
Power User
Posts: 52379
Re: U.S. Census 2010
Reply #1 on:
May 01, 2009, 09:52:13 PM »
Good thread subject-- and one worthy of continuing attention as all this develops.
Power User
Posts: 13206
Re: U.S. Census 2010
Reply #2 on:
June 11, 2009, 11:07:34 AM »
I don't know why the govt is allowed to ask or keep track of 90% of what they do, and then for the important matters like verifying citizenship - they don't... Meanwhile get ready for impostors to come by (and for ACORN/Census double agents to 'share' your info)
Be cautious answering census questions
Bureau employees won't use e-mail and won't ask for Social Security or bank numbers
Thursday, June 11, 2009
By Larry Walsh, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Cooperative, but cautious.
That's the advice the Better Business Bureau is giving to consumers when they are contacted by members of the 2010 U.S. Census.
"Most people are rightfully cautious and won't give out personal information to unsolicited phone callers or visitors," said BBB President Warren King. "However, [Census Bureau employees are] an exception to the rule."
Those employees already have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country. Next, they will collect information about every person living at those addresses, including their name, age, gender, race and other relevant data.
"It's important that people provide that information," Mr. King said.
Census data is used to allocate more than $300 billion in federal funds every year. It also is used to determine the number of members each state may send to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Households are required by law to comply with the Census Bureau's request for information. Unfortunately, that mandate has opened the door for con artists who are posing as census workers and asking people for their Social Security, bank account or credit card numbers or other sensitive financial information.
Although the Census Bureau will collect information by mail, phone or personal visits, it won't use e-mail.
Those who receive an e-mail that purports to be from the Census Bureau, and the odds of receiving one are great, delete it. No matter how "official" it looks, delete it. And no one should ever click on a link or open any attachments in an e-mail that supposedly is from the Census Bureau.
Mr. King said law enforcement officials in several states have issued warnings that scammers posing as Census Bureau employees are knocking on doors and asking for donations and Social Security numbers.
How can the public tell the difference between a Census Bureau employee seeking legitimate information and a crook trying to raid their bank accounts or steal their identity?
Mr. King said census workers will have a badge, a handheld device, a census bureau bag and a confidentiality notice. Residents should ask to see their identification and badge before answering any questions.
If a visitor purporting to be from the Census Bureau asks for a Social Security number or financial information, the resident should not give it to them, should close the door and should call the local police.
"While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, it will not ask for Social Security, bank account or credit card numbers [and they won't] solicit donations," Mr. King said.
He said the BBB's "cooperative but cautious" campaign is part of a partnership arrangement with the Census Bureau to help it collect the most accurate information it can. The public can do its part by cooperating with legitimate Census Bureau employees and reporting the con artists to the police.
Power User
Posts: 192
Re: U.S. Census 2010
Reply #3 on:
June 11, 2009, 03:16:38 PM »
Obama moves Census to White House
Why did he do this?
?? guess who will over see the census now? Rham.
Power User
Posts: 52379
Re: U.S. Census 2010
Reply #4 on:
June 11, 2009, 04:11:48 PM »
This is highly significant -- and very Alinskyesque.
Remember the one Republican that BO was going to appoint to his cabinet would normally have been in charge of the census, but part of the deal was that he would not be. The BO White House is determined to take this over from its usual bureaucratic bailiwick.
Power User
Posts: 13206
Re: U.S. Census 2010, Give the Govt your information?
Reply #5 on:
June 20, 2009, 01:11:23 PM »
Sadly, this topic, counting Americans for representation in congress and in the electoral college, could have been included under ACORN/Voter Fraud.
If they are counting illegals and not checking citizenship, will they get increased representation?? (yes)
Should you give them any more of their private data than they already have? The law supposedly requires you to answer all (?) of their questions. Seems to me they only have a right to kjnow the number of people in your household.
Bachmann says she'll withhold info on census form
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann admits she is withholding information on her 2010 census form.
She told the Washington Times she's worried some of the information given on the form could be abused by the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now.
The group, known as ACORN, is a community organization which fell under fire for its voter registration efforts last year.
She says the only information she'll list is the number of people living in her household.
In an interview with The Washington Times, the Republican said the questions have become "very intricate, very personal."
Shelly Owe, a spokeswoman for the bureau, told the Washington Times Bachmann is "misreading" the law.
She sent a portion of the U.S. legal code that says anyone older than 18 who refuses to answer "any of the questions" on the census can be fined up to $5,000.
Power User
Posts: 13206
Re: U.S. Census 2010
Reply #6 on:
August 21, 2009, 06:36:27 AM »
So often our topics overlap but BBG's post about ACORN felony prosecutions on voter registration demands the question of whether the same folk now posing as paid US Census workers will be committing a felony each time they conspire to report any bit of data that is knowingly inaccurate?
Power User
Posts: 52379
Re: U.S. Census 2010
Reply #7 on:
August 21, 2009, 06:53:09 AM »
Exactly so. Note that taking control over the census-taking procedures by the White House from the Secretary of , , , Commerce (?) was exactly the point that caused the token Republican nominee to decide at the last minute to not accept the position.
We need to follow this issue closely.
Power User
Posts: 13206
Census link to health care mandates
Reply #8 on:
August 21, 2009, 08:47:47 AM »
I found this link and paper on the census site while writing a libertarian appeal to oppose government healthcare. I was to just post my suspicion that they would be nosing at your door into your private affairs and wouldn't miss the chance to peruse your coverage. As noted previously, your participation in the 'questionnaire' is mandatory and your refusal is a felony(?)!
"In March 2000, the March Current Population Survey (CPS) added an experimental health insurance "verification" question. Anyone who did not report any type of health insurance coverage was asked an additional question about whether or not they were, in fact, uninsured. Those who reported that they were insured were then asked what type of insurance covered them. This paper takes an initial look at the characteristics of people who report coverage in these questions, assesses the quality of the information collected, and provides a preliminary estimate of the effect of this question on March CPS estimates of the number and percentage of Americans without health insurance coverage."
"The Verification Questions
The universe for the March CPS verification questions consists of all households with at least one uninsured person. (The March CPS employs household-level screening questions, so the question universe has to be described in household terms.) The ultimate aim of the questions was to find out which of the 42. 6 million people classified as uninsured from the sequence of questions that ask about specific insurance types are, in fact, uninsured. For all households that fall into this universe, a version of the question below is asked.1
I have recorded that (read names) were not covered by a health plan at any time in 1999. Is that correct?
<1> Yes
<2> No
If the answer is "NO", we ask: Who should be marked as covered?
For all those people, we then ask: What type of insurance was (name) covered by in [year xxxx]?"
IIRC, the Census was constitutionally assigned to ask how people in your household - period - for congressional district and electoral college purposes, not to 'sample' populations or design or support new government programs.
Power User
Posts: 11221
Re: U.S. Census 2010
Reply #9 on:
August 21, 2009, 09:08:48 AM »
IIRC, the Census was constitutionally assigned to ask how people in your household - period - for congressional district and electoral college purposes, not to 'sample' populations or design or support new government programs.
excellent point.
What are all the questions about?
Good topic for a real investigative reporter if any exist.
Power User
Posts: 52379
ACORN out?
Reply #10 on:
September 11, 2009, 06:41:07 PM »
Outstanding news!!!
It appears that ACORN will NOT be participating in the census!!!
Re: U.S. Census 2010
Reply #11 on:
September 11, 2009, 08:46:57 PM »
Gotta source?
Power User
Posts: 52379
Re: U.S. Census 2010
Reply #12 on:
September 12, 2009, 07:19:40 AM »
Power User
Posts: 513
Re: U.S. Census 2010
Reply #13 on:
September 12, 2009, 12:35:46 PM »
had trouble with the link try this one
Power User
Posts: 52379
Reply #14 on:
December 23, 2009, 08:33:59 AM »
Its Pravda on the Hudson writing a PC article. Caveat Lector!
Is the statement in the article that the Constitution calls for "residents", not just "citizens" to be counted true?
MIAMI — Fearing that millions of illegal immigrants may not be counted in the 2010 census, Latino leaders are mobilizing a nationwide drive to urge Hispanics to participate in the survey, including an intense push this week in evangelical Christian churches.
Latino groups contend that there was an undercount of nearly one million Latinos in the 2000 census, affecting the drawing of Congressional districts and the distribution of federal money. Hispanic organizations are far better organized for next year's census, but they say that if illegal immigrants — an estimated eight million of whom are Latino — are not included, the undercount could be much greater.
One study suggests that Congressional delegations in eight states with large Hispanic populations could grow if all Latinos — the nation's largest minority at some 47 million — are counted.
But the obstacles to an accurate count are significant. Many illegal immigrants are likely to be reluctant to fill out a government form that asks for their names, birthdates and telephone numbers. And the count comes three years into an immigration crackdown that was initiated by President George W. Bush but has continued apace, though less visibly, under President Obama.
Several of the nation's largest associations of Hispanic evangelical churches have agreed to join the census campaign. But it has caused dissension among others, with one evangelical pastor leading a call for a boycott of the census, saying it would put pressure on the Obama administration and on Congress to grant legal status to illegal immigrants.
Some Roman Catholic leaders, moreover, have said they are reluctant to urge Latino parishioners to participate without greater assurances from the administration that illegal immigrants will not be identified or detained through the census.
The Constitution calls for all residents to be counted, and last month the Senate rejected a measure by Senator David Vitter, Republican of Louisiana, that would have included only United States citizens in the official tally.
In October, census officials said they would not ask the Department of Homeland Security to suspend immigration raids during the census period, reversing a policy from 2000, when an immigration moratorium was observed. But census officials say there is no change in a longstanding policy that they do not share identity data with the Department of Homeland Security or any other agency.
Latino political leaders see full participation in the census as the culmination of heightened activism that began in the spring of 2006, when hundreds of thousands of Latinos marched in the streets to protest legislation then in Congress that would have toughened laws against illegal immigration. In 2007 they held a nationwide campaign to have Latino immigrants become United States citizens. That was followed last year with a huge voter registration drive.
"We want to tap into that same spirit," said Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, known as Naleo, a bipartisan group that is a main organizer of the census drive. "We have to go back to everybody and say, 'Just as you marched, just as you naturalized, just as you voted, now you have to be counted.' "
One strategy is to encourage Latino immigrants to return the census forms by mail, rather than waiting for a census taker's knock on the door, which could frighten illegal immigrants wary of immigration agents.
To that end, groups like Naleo, the National Council of La Razaand others are moving to tap the expanding social networks and the power of persuasion of evangelical churches, which have seen huge growth among Latinos in the last decade. At a recent meeting with religious leaders in Miami, Naleo unveiled a poster for churches to use during the Christmas season to talk up the census. It depicts Mary and Joseph, recalling that they went to Bethlehem to participate in a census.
"Así nació Jesus," the poster says. "That's how Jesus was born."
Evangelical leaders said last Wednesday that the poster would be displayed in more than 7,000 evangelical churches this week.
Among the evangelicals to embrace the effort is the Rev. Samuel Rodríguez Jr., a pastor from California who is president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, which includes more than 25,000 evangelical churches.
"I believe we pastors have a moral responsibility to educate our flock in an action that will help our communities move forward on the path of political empowerment," Mr. Rodríguez said.
A new ally in Miami is Pastor José Victor Dugand, who can be found most days in his church in the southwest part of the city singing Christian rock music with a Latin lilt and expounding bilingually on the Bible.
Even on hectic weeknights, worshipers come by the hundreds to pray at his Ekklesia Global Church, bringing worries about lost jobs in South Florida's battered economy as well as fears of immigration authorities. Lately, Mr. Dugand tells his followers they can increase their political influence and draw federal money to the community by participating in the census.
"I think we need to come to the light — we need to be counted," he said. "Right now, I believe the government is totally off in the figures. We need to have a number that is closer to reality, so we can have better representation politically."
When illegal immigrants in his church express worries, Mr. Dugand advises them that they should trust the census. "I tell them, 'Don't flee, don't just escape,' " he said. "Help us build something here for our children."
But the Rev. Miguel Angel Rivera, a New Jersey pastor who heads a smaller coalition of evangelical clergy, has called for a boycott of the census.
"We need to empower the undocumented immigrants by asking them not to participate," Mr. Rivera said, "as a way to protest the lack of commitment from this Congress to do what is right and moral, which is comprehensive immigration reform."
He is touring the country with his boycott call, and he has gained the support of some community leaders, including Nativo López, a Mexican-American activist in Los Angeles.
Nearly 12 million Latinos voted in November 2008, an increase of two million votes over 2004, according to an analysis by Andres Ramirez, a researcher at NDN, a Democratic advocacy organization. Now, in the first census since Hispanics passed blacks to become the second-largest population group in the United States, Hispanics want to extend that voting power with a census count that would support more elected representatives for their communities.
An analysis by NDN and America's Voice, an immigrant advocacy group, projected that a full count of Hispanics would lead to a significant redrawing of the Congressional map, with six states picking up one Congressional seat (Florida, Georgia, Nevada, Oregon, South Carolina and Utah), while Arizona would add two and Texas as many as four.
Power User
Posts: 52379
"Who is that knocking at my door?"
Reply #15 on:
February 03, 2010, 06:39:33 AM »
When I was about 10 years old at summer camp in Maine, we were entranced by a very long and by the standards of the time very vulgar song about "Barnacle Bill the Sailor".
It began something like this:
""Who is that knocking at my door? (sung 3x)" cried the young fair maiden.
"Open the door and lay on the floor!" said Barnacle Bill the Sailor."
The following article reminded me of that song's opening line.
Ex-convicts in District flock to apply for census jobs
By Carol Morello
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 29, 2010; B01
The word had spread, in churches and parole offices and halfway houses. The federal government is hiring for the 2010 Census, and tests for applicants were being given in a District neighborhood where unemployment is rampant.
Hundreds of men and women began lining up on the sidewalks outside Allen Chapel AME Church in Southeast Washington two hours before the doors opened one day last week. Most have criminal records involving drugs, stolen cars, burglary and the like. But they'd been told that the census would consider hiring them anyway, if not as census takers then as clerks.
Most of those bundled against the chill of a January morning were in their 40s and 50s. They said they just want to find work and get on with their lives. Some have been out of prison and job-hunting for years, some for months. All are familiar with the change in an interviewer's eyes when they acknowledge that they have a record, and they leave knowing a follow-up call will never come.
"Imagine being 51 years old, with no marketable skills, an ex-felon and you're black, and trying to get a job," John Murphy said as he waited to take a census test. A barber before his 1999 burglary conviction, Murphy has secured only menial jobs since getting out of prison in 2006.
"I want to work," he said. "I don't want to commit any more crimes."
Job fairs to find census workers have attracted hundreds of ex-convicts in recent weeks, so many that the organizer wants to find a bigger site, such as the D.C. Armory.
Few with felony convictions are likely to get hired for the temporary jobs, which pay $20 an hour in the District. The Census Bureau has a list of crimes that would automatically disqualify a candidate. Job candidates convicted of less-severe transgressions, mostly misdemeanors, might get a second look from the bureau. Fernando Armstrong, director of the regional census office that includes the District and Maryland, said the agency might not be hiring by the time background checks on applicants with criminal histories are completed.
'I go in with hope'
Despite daunting odds, the applicants grasp at any straw of hope. The jobless rate in the District is at a high of 12 percent, according to numbers released last week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Among the city's 16,000 ex-offenders being supervised by the courts, 50 percent cannot find work.
"I fill out a lot of applications," said Herbert Wood, 41, who spent eight years behind bars for running a chop shop. "I go to all the job sites. When I tell them I've got a record, I can see the change in their facial expressions. I go in with hope, and I lose it."
The job fairs are being organized by two people with records. Roach Brown, a laid-off film producer, was sentenced to life for murder, but his sentence was commuted by President Gerald R. Ford. The Rev. Yvonne Cooper is a former administrative law judge who was convicted of seven counts of taking bribes in 1995. Both have been active in helping former offenders reintegrate into society.
Brown said the 730 people who have taken the census test could be particularly effective working in hard-to-count neighborhoods where residents tend to be poor, minorities or immigrants. The Census Bureau tries to hire census takers in neighborhoods where they live, thinking people will be more likely to talk to someone they know.
"We have the opportunity to count thousands of people who have never been counted before," he said. Pointing to the milling applicants with a sweep of his hand, Brown added: "These people don't want to go back to jail. They don't want to hurt nobody. They want to take care of their families."
Although the Census Bureau has in the past hired people with criminal histories, critics say that could jeopardize the accuracy of the census. People who didn't mail in their forms might refuse to invite census takers into their homes and answer their questions. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) has introduced a bill that would ban felons from being census takers.
"I don't want a convicted felon going to knock on Grandma's door," Chaffetz said. "With unemployment as high as it is, there are plenty of people who don't have criminal backgrounds who we can better trust to gather this personal, sensitive information."
This year, for the first time, the census will run FBI fingerprint checks on all temporary hires. In October, the Government Accountability Office reported that as many as 200 convicted criminals might have inadvertently been hired because their fingerprints could not be read. The Census Bureau has stepped up its training of employees who gather fingerprints and said it does not expect another lapse.
Robert M. Groves, director of the Census Bureau, said people with felony convictions for serious crimes -- murder, sex offenses, grand theft and child molestation -- are automatically ineligible to work for the census.
People convicted of less-heinous crimes, mostly misdemeanors, could be hired if they can demonstrate that they don't pose a risk to the public, he said. Any conviction within the past 10 or 15 years would necessitate a special review.
"There is a large set of minor crimes that, if they occurred earlier in your life, would keep you still in contention," Groves said.
'A fresh start'
Those who work with paroled criminals say that fingerprinting and background checks are sufficient to screen out dangerous criminals and that such jobs as the census ones are crucial in helping ex-offenders lead productive lives.
"All the research shows jobs equals a lack of recidivism," said Leonard Sipes, a spokesman for the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, whose parole officers have been told to suggest census jobs to parolees who might be eligible.
"Encountering them as census takers is part of day-to-day living," he said. "We interact with former offenders every day of our lives. We simply don't know it. If you go to the ballpark and talk to ticket takers, get your clothes dry-cleaned or eat a meal out, you're encountering them. I know former offenders who are now accountants and insurance salesmen."
Several of the census applicants spoke of how hard it is to get a new start, of being determined to stay away from criminal activity, the frustration created after dozens of unsuccessful job interviews and the humiliation of accepting help from relatives and girlfriends. And how a census job could be a steppingstone back into the mainstream.
"I need to find a job anyway I can," said Marlon Bassil, 33, who was released in November after serving four years for cocaine possession and lives in a halfway house. "I want this job so I can get a fresh start and start building references. I don't have any because I just got out."
It could be worse-- they could be from ACORN.
Power User
Posts: 52379
Walter Williams
Reply #16 on:
February 22, 2010, 08:12:46 AM »
"Suppose you suggest to a congressman that given our budget crisis, we could save some money by dispensing with the 2010 census. I guarantee you that he'll say something along the lines that the Constitution mandates a decennial counting of the American people and he would be absolutely right. Article I, Section 2 of our Constitution reads: 'The actual 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.' What purpose did the Constitution's framers have in mind ordering an enumeration or count of the American people every 10 years? The purpose of the headcount is to apportion the number of seats in the House of Representatives and derived from that, along with two senators from each state, the number of electors to the Electoral College. The Census Bureau tells us that this year, it will use a shorter questionnaire, consisting of only 10 questions. From what I see, only one of them serves the constitutional purpose of enumeration -- namely, 'How many people were living or staying at this house, apartment or mobile home on April 1, 2010?' The Census Bureau's shorter questionnaire claim is deceptive at best. The American Community Survey, long form, that used to be sent to 1 in 6 households during the decennial count, is now being sent to many people every year. Here's a brief sample of its questions, and I want someone to tell me which question serves the constitutional function of apportioning the number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives: Does this house, apartment, or mobile home have hot and cold running water, a flush toilet, a bathtub or shower, a sink with a faucet, a refrigerator, a stove? Last month, what was the cost of electricity for this house, apartment, or mobile home? How many times has this person been married? After each question, the Bureau of the Census provides a statement of how the answer meets a federal need. I would prefer that they provide a statement of how answers to the questions meet the constitutional need as expressed in Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. ... Americans need to stand up to Washington's intrusion into our private lives. ... Unless a census taker can show me a constitutional requirement, the only information I plan to give are the number and names of the people in my household." --economist Walter E. Williams
Power User
Posts: 52379
Re: U.S. Census 2010
Reply #17 on:
March 12, 2010, 08:41:30 AM »
The one thing we can count on from Census 2010 is controversy. What began 220 years ago as a constitutionally mandated count for proportional representation has morphed over time into a method for divvying out federal funds targeted to specific groups based on the information asked as part of our decennial census.
The 10 questions asked on this year's short form certainly do more than just account for the number of citizens. Citizens are asked about age, race, gender, whether we own or rent our homes, and personal identifying information such as name and telephone number.
Ironically, accounting for race made sense only because the nation once counted certain residents as 3/5 of a person -- a compromise wrought to balance Northern and Southern interests over the question of numbering slaves. While the 14th Amendment ended that practice, the question remains as a vestige of a society not quite colorblind. In response, some plan to answer the race question with "American."
Factor in the advertising campaign which suggests people should reply to get "their fair share" of federal goodies, and the possibility of same-sex couples identifying themselves as married regardless of whether the state they live in allows same-sex marriage, and it's clear that the Census is becoming less about proportion and more about politics.
Power User
Posts: 11221
Re: U.S. Census 2010
Reply #18 on:
March 12, 2010, 02:37:18 PM »
'In response, some plan to answer the race question with "American."'
Maybe *legal United States* American is more appropriate. (vs. illegal, vs. North American, vs Central or S. American.)
Re: U.S. Census 2010
Reply #19 on:
March 13, 2010, 04:00:49 AM »
Yep, definately something to consider. A lot of the questions on the last cencus were "nonya" type questions that had nothing to do with the legitamate accounting of population, political party, and some other basic demographics.
"Own/rent?" is really unimportant, but "How many live here?" relates to sewer, water, electricity, road in addition to mere population. The Race question is fairly immaterial, but the attached cultural baggage may not be? The name address and phone number are definately Nonyabiz data along with relationships between the people living at that location.
It is hard to sort out the "Political stats" gathering from the genuinely "need to know" stuff too. Is "how many cars?" needed for roads? Is asking what make going too far? (a means of determining income?) There is another question- "what is your income?" kind of redundant since the IRS knows this right?
There are sites on the internet claiming that census data was used during WW2 for the gathering of the japanese american internments. What if this census data is going to get cross checked with the IRS? a distinct possibility given the government at all levels is revenue hungry......... Is there going to be a firearms question? or others relating to some political demographic?
This is a source of much paranoia on my part, if I answer only a few of the questions will I get hit by the legalities of "non cooperation"? I definately do not want to deal with a friendly stranger importuning me at my door.
Power User
Posts: 52379
Re: U.S. Census 2010
Reply #20 on:
March 28, 2010, 05:40:04 AM »
Ten years ago, for race I answered "human" for my family and me. When that "friendly stranger" showed up at my door, I sent her packing.
This time around, again I have answered "human".
Power User
Posts: 11221
release of data that is 80 years old - NOW
Reply #21 on:
March 19, 2012, 10:09:43 AM »
Ok now a lifetime later the Census Bureau which is now under the close scrutiny of the WH is releasing data from the 1930s.
Obviously there is some political reason for this. There must be information they want released so they can compare the Brock in some sort of positive light.
Fareed Zakaria whose reason for living is to have endless shows cheerleading Obama from ever direction will probably make some sort of analysis comparing the Brockman to Roosevelt now:
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Simple Machines


text:
It's been the summer of the mega-flop in film
Steven Spielberg saw it coming. In June, speaking at a University of Southern California event with George Lucas, the Lincoln director said, "There's going to be an implosion where three or four or maybe even a half-dozen mega-budget movies are going to go crashing into the ground, and that's going to change the paradigm" -- forcing the industry to rethink its reliance on gargantuan spectacles. A month later, the first part of Spielberg's prediction has already come true: The latest high-profile calamity at the box office is the ill-buzzed "R.I.P.D.," which followed such heavily marketed titles as "Pacific Rim," "The Lone Ranger," "White House Down" and "After Earth" in failing to attract its expected audience. Meanwhile, "The Conjuring," a smaller, Exorcist-style chiller from "Saw" director James Wan, more than doubled its production budget in just one weekend.
Summer 2013 is unquestionably the season of the über-flop. But do these numbers add up to the paradigm shift that Spielberg anticipates? For moviegoers exasperated by CGI whooshing -- and 150-minute running times padded with a solid hour of action -- a victory for the little guy might seem like good news. Still, the tent-pole collapse isn't quite as stark as headlines might imply. With a mammoth gross of $407 million, "Iron Man 3" has become the year's top-earning movie, while "Fast & Furious 6" continues a long line of success for its franchise. From the theaters' perspective, this summer has been a bonanza. "We had four straight weeks of more than $300 million in box office, which has never happened," says Patrick Corcoran, vice president of the National Association of Theater Owners. (Corcoran dismissed Spielberg and Lucas' other widely reported prediction: that movie theaters would one day adopt a film-by-film variable pricing structure akin to Broadway's.)
This summer's modestly priced films have also done well. "The Conjuring," "The Heat," "Despicable Me 2" and "This Is the End" -- all made for between $20 million and $76 million, according to the website Box Office Mojo -- have doubled or tripled their costs on the basis of U.S. moviegoers alone. Compare those grosses with "The Lone Ranger's" $81.9 million (and budget of $215 million), and the choice as to which type of movie is a better investment seems clear.
"There's going to be a repricing of risk," says Harold Vogel, author of Entertainment Industry Economics. What we've experienced over the last half-decade has been the creation of a blockbuster bubble, with all the major studios herding toward the same global "event movie" model. Films with built-in brand recognition are easier to market overseas; action sequences and special effects don't lose much in translation. Always present, the emphasis on repeating past successes and finding tie-ins and spinoffs has only grown. With administrative costs like accounting and insurance relatively level from film to film, a $200 million superproduction could thus be seen as a safer bet than several $75 million projects.
?In an interview with New York magazine critic David Edelstein, producer Lynda Obst also pins the current trend toward gigantism on the increased importance of the foreign market, coupled with a collapse in DVD sales, which once provided a safety net for midrange pictures that didn't pan out. Obst's new book "Sleepless in Hollywood" features a list of movies she's certain wouldn't get made today, including such Oscar winners as "Moonstruck" and "Forrest Gump."
Cable offerings, Netflix and video-on-demand come up as examples of the increased competition Hollywood now faces. With Spike Lee turning to Kickstarter, Steven Soderbergh making "Behind the Candelabra" for HBO, and Joss Whedon filming a black-and-white Shakespeare movie in his backyard, the paradox, amid a field of crashing tent poles, is that it's now easier to make a small film than ever.
Those eager for Hollywood to turn to a more modest portfolio may get their wish soon. But with the lag between green-lighting and releases as long as it is, a correction of the magnitude that Spielberg suggested will take time. "In 2016," Vogel reminds us, "You're going to have a whole bunch of 'Star Wars' sequels."


text:
Benedict XVI begins quiet, final day as pope before flying off into retirement
VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI is beginning a final quiet day as pontiff, meeting with his cardinals before flying off into retirement.
No major speech is expected during his morning farewell Thursday with his closest advisers, just a simple greeting to each one inside the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace.
Shortly before 5 p.m., Benedict will leave the palace for the last time as pope, head to the helipad on the top of the hill in the Vatican gardens and fly by helicopter to the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo south of Rome.
And there, at 8 p.m. — the exact moment Benedict's resignation goes into effect — the doors of the palazzo will close and the Swiss Guards in attendance will go off duty, their service protecting the pope now finished.
Associated Press


text:
This week I am officially back into obsessive crafting mode.
I haven't written much about the last 6 weeks, but the truth is I had a rough patch with my health. The good news is that I am BACK! And what's better is that my creative mojo is back too!
I was able to finish a few projects that I wanted to complete and now I am elbow deep into a new WIP (work-in-process.)
I'm calling her Dahlia Two.
I found this Dahlia square as a free .pdf on Ravelry and fell in love. You can find it HERE.
I was so enamored by it that I immediately picked up some yarn purchased nearly a year ago and began hooking away. After a few adjustments (I had to go down a size of the recommended hook) I was soon dreaming of a little lap throw that would make someone happy. I won't be keeping this piece, and having the recipient in mind while I busily work the hook makes the creative process just that more sweet.
In the past I haven't been fond of piecing together squares, but something "clicked" when I put together my last afghan (a different kind of Dahlia Throw) and now I'm headlong into this new square hook up.
This time I will be using this tutorial, Flat Braid Square Join, to bring everything together. I have read through this tutorial three times and it is a well done tutorial with pictures.
Can't wait to see how everything turns out.
I am so grateful for the gifts of creativity and for feeling back to my old self!
Happy Wednesday!


text:
Homeowners eager to lock in lower monthly mortgage payments have discovered serial refinancing, a practice last in vogue during the housing boom.
To keep up with falling rates, almost 2.2 million homeowners have refinanced their mortgages at least twice since 2009, according to data compiled for The Wall Street Journal by SMR Research, a mortgage-research firm in Hackettstown, N.J.
From 2006 through 2008, some 3.5 million homeowners refinanced at least twice.
There is little incentive to stop refinancing. Rates are still hovering near record lows, and lenders increasingly are offering to waive some or all of the closing costs for the borrower, making refinancing effectively freeor at least very cheap.
Dean Spalding, a financial-services executive in Louisville, Ky., has refinanced his 15-year mortgagewhich now has a balance of roughly $350,000four times since 2009, including twice in the past 12 months. Over this period, his rate has dropped from 4.25% to 2.875%. After his last refi, he says, his monthly mortgage payment dropped by about $150.
"It has been a no-brainer," says Spalding, who used First Commonwealth Mortgage, a mortgage broker based in Louisville.
The last time homeowners were so eager to refinance, it was a more expensive proposition. At the height of the housing boom, 86% of borrowers who refinanced took out cash and ended up with a higher loan amount, according to Freddie Mac.
To do so, they typically agreed to pay thousands of dollars in closing costs and often a steep prepayment penalty, a fee levied on those who paid off a substantial portion or all of a mortgage typically in less than four years.
Those costs made refinancing prudent only for those who could get a significantly better rate, often two percentage points or more, financial advisers said, and expected to stay in their houses long enough for the monthly savings to offset the upfront costs.
Today, lenders say, some borrowers are refinancing when rates drop as little as three-eighths of a percentage point.
"The traditional rules of refinancing are no longer in play," says Bruce Thielen, a vice president at NASB Financial.
So what is the catch? In exchange for waiving closing costs, lenders charge a slightly higher interest rate.
The numbers vary by lender and type of mortgage, but in order for 1% to 1.75% of the loan amount to be applied toward closing costs, a lender typically raises the rate by 0.25 percentage point or more, says Mark Goldman, a senior loan officer at C2 Financial, a mortgage brokerage based in San Diego.
This trade-off entices homeowners to refinance, bringing much-needed business to lenders at a time when a still-sluggish housing market has hurt the market for new mortgages.
For many borrowers, it means a lower rate than they're currently paying and no closing costs. They no longer have to commit to a home for a specific period to recoup their expenses, which means they can sell if they need to, without having to eat the refinancing costs.
Wiping out these costs also encourages serial refinancers to come back to refinance again when rates drop by even a small amount, especially for borrowers with large mortgages, says John Shunnarah, CEO of First Commonwealth Mortgage, where he estimates 30% of clients have refinanced two or more times since 2009.
There are drawbacks to this strategy. For borrowers who plan to stay in their homes for a while, the higher rate can eventually outstrip the savings in closing costs, says Michael Moskowitz, president of Equity Now, a New York-based mortgage lender. In those cases, it would be better to pay the closing costs and get a lower rate.
To be sure, refinancing isn't an option for every homeowner. Some borrowers with poor credit scores might not be able to obtain a rate that's low enough to make refinancing viable. Homeowners who owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth can try the federal government's Home Affordable Refinance Program if they qualify.
Potential refinancers who are unsure how long they will keep the new mortgage should favor the lender willing to waive the most in closing costs while raising their rate by the least amount, experts say. That will allow them to stay in the home for a longer period before the mortgage becomes more expensive than if they had chosen to pay the closing costs upfront and get a lower rate.
Separately, borrowers who select a 30-year term each time they refinance will be extending the total repayment period, says Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH.com, a mortgage-info website. They might also pay more in interest overall.
For many homeowners, though, refinancing pays off. Anna Pembedjian, a public-policy adviser who lives in Glendale, Calif., refinanced her mortgage twice in the past three years. Her lender offered to waive about half of her closing costs both times, which she says made the decision an easy one.


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Westinghouse is at the center of the nuclear energy industry, but not everyone who works here is an engineer or scientist. We need people with diverse backgrounds and skill sets to support the goals of our company. At Westinghouse's global sites and world headquarters in Cranberry Township, Pa., you can find yourself surrounded by innovation, collaboration and some of the company's most experienced professionals. You'll also work in a facility that supports growth and a healthy work-life balance.
Advance your career in a place that inspires excellence, growth and teamwork.
Search our corporate jobs


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The pop star Miley Cyrus has, after much anticipation, released the video for her latest track,"Wrecking Ball."
The pop star, who recently was the center of controversy over her performance at the VMAs, seems determined to further distance herself from her "Hannah Montana" beginnings, stripping down and straddling a wrecking ball in her latest video. After being released on Sept. 9, the video has attracted over 13 million views and temporarily pushed "Miley Cyrus" into Twitter's top ten trending topics. The video "Wrecking Ball" is taken from Miley Cyrus's forthcoming album, "Bangerz," which is slated for release in early October.


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Advocate for social justice in rural America receives NEA award
WASHINGTON - June 23, 2011 -
The National Education Association (NEA) will honor Shirley Sherrod at its annual Human and Civil Rights Awards dinner in Chicago, July 1, 2011. NEA will present the César Chávez Acción y Comprimiso Human and Civil Rights Award to Shirley Sherrod of Albany, GA.
"Shirley Sherrod's life-lesson for us all is that we can overcome adversity by remaining true to our values and reaching out to help those who are less fortunate," said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel.
Shirley Sherrod was 17 years old when her father, a Black farmer, was murdered by a White farmer over a disagreement about livestock. An all-White Grand Jury failed to find the shooter guilty. Sherrod said she wanted to find a gun and kill that White man. Instead, like César Chávez, she channeled her anger into nonviolent action—joining the Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee (SNCC) in rural southwest Georgia.
In the 1960s, Sherrod and her husband, the Reverend Charles Sherrod, founded a 6,000-acre collective farm in Lee County, GA. But they encountered stiff opposition from segregationist Gov. Lester Maddox, who blocked all federal development funds for the project. Eventually, their inability to secure government loans doomed the project. Sherrod went on to work at helping minority farmers keep their land.
In 2009, Shirley Sherrod accepted a position with the United State Department of Agriculture as the Georgia State Director of Rural Development, becoming the first Black person to hold that position. But in July 2010, a right-wing blogger posted a video of Sherrod addressing a local NAACP event. The video was edited to make Sherrod sound like a racist, when in fact she was telling a story of how she had overcome her own self doubts to help a White farmer. Fox News broadcasted the doctored video, and based on the video, Shirley Sherrod was pressured to resign.
When the facts came out, the White House personally apologized to Sherrod and the Secretary of Agriculture offered her another job. She accepted the apology, but only accepted the job after almost a year of soul searching, deciding that the work of helping farmers of all races keep their land was more important than any slight she had suffered.
For more information, visit:
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The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.
CONTACT: Dana Dossett (202) 822-7823, email@example.com


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Now in its third year, the Morningstar ETF Invest Conference is coming to Chicago Wednesday through Friday to bring thought leaders together for a wide range of events that focus on where the rapidly expanding exchange traded fund market is headed.
Liz Ann Sonders, senior vice president and chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab, is slated to deliver the keynote address on Wednesday at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, and BlackRock global chief investment strategist Russ Koesterich will kick off the first round of general sessions on Thursday with a look at the economics of politics ahead of the presidential election.
"The 2012 ETF Invest Conference will help ETF investors to sort out the complexities, alternative theories, and investing strategies so they can better deploy these investments in a portfolio," said Scott Burns, Morningstar's director of fund research, North America, in a statement. "Based on rapid growth of this conference in its first two years, we've expanded this year's program in an effort to deliver one of the most comprehensive events in the ETF industry."
The conference will feature leaders in the ETF industry, investment experts and Morningstar's ETF analysts, gathering together in both general and break-out sessions to provide detailed discussion and debate for financial advisors, money managers and ETF investors.
For example, on Thursday Joanne Hill of ProShares will show in a general session how investors have deployed alternative ETFs to mitigate risk and boost returns, while later in the day Paul Hatch of Morgan Stanley and Mark Wiedman of iShares will offer their perspectives on the changing advisor landscape and the role that ETFs play in this metamorphosis. And PIMCO fans on Friday can hear Vineer Bhansali discuss "Why We Stopped Worrying and Embraced the Active ETF."
In addition, two pre-conference workshops will be held on Wednesday. The first, "The ABCs of ETFs," will be moderated by Morningstar ETF Analyst Michael Rawson, who will guide advisors through a history of how ETFs have evolved and provide a practical review of ETFs by asset class, including benefits and limitations.
The other workshop, "Applied ETF Investing Strategies," will hone in on tools and data points investors can use to evaluate and select ETFs. Moderated by Morningstar's director of passive fund research, Paul Justice, the workshop will also review several model-based and analyst-driven strategies to provide the basis for investment selection.
"We're hoping to provide investors with ideas they can execute," Justice said in a phone interview on Monday. "This conference isn't about ETFs. It's about using ETFs in sensible ways."
Check out complete coverage of Morningstar ETF Invest Conference 2012 and in-depth ETF news at AdvisorOne.
Read What's Next in ETFs? Morningstar's Burns Gives Exclusive Peek at AdvisorOne.


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Dear Mr. Baron Livingstone,
Thank you for your reply. I think there is a way to prove a possible connection between these Contin MacLeay's and the Lismore MacLea's. SNP testing would certainly be the next step to take, I'm quite sure about that.
For me personally it's not really that important to make this connection, but it is interesting for sure. I'm just curious where my Scottish ancestors are from. And I would like to prove what my surname would have been. At this time it's just a guess that it could have been MacLeay. But maybe it's not MacLeay or MacLea, but a surname that's associated with a totally different clan.
Kind regards, Remko Mikkenie


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I'm feeling ready to start some new projects. Over the past weeks, I've received some fun fabric in my mail box that I'm itching to start playing with.
These fabrics are part of the Bijoux collection by Bari J. for Art Gallery Fabrics. I'm loving the rich, warm tones here. Definitely out of my color-comfort-zone. I'm excited to make something pretty with it. And there will be a tutorial involved as well, in the near future. Bijoux is available at the Fat Quarter Shop, and will be available soon at Mad About Patchwork in Canada.


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Teen killed in dirt bike crash in Plymouth
Dirt bike crash under investigation
State and local police say a 14-year-old Plymouth North High School student is dead after a head-on collision involving a pair of all-terrain vehicles in Plymouth this weekend.
Massachusetts Environmental Police said James Ward died after the collision on a trail near the Carver line at about 2 p.m. Sunday. Ward was about a week away from his 15th birthday.
Police said the two vehicles collided head-on. His father was riding right behind him at the time.
The surviving rider left the crash scene saying he was going to get help, but never came back, police said. He was found later.
The name of the other rider involved has not been released.
The crash is under investigation. No charges have been filed.
Plymouth school officials said grief counselors will be at Plymouth North on Monday.


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Enter For a Chance to Win Amazing Prizes
Hurry! Tell Us #whatyoulove and Enter For a Chance to Win Luxury Prizes!
You may have noticed some fabulous changes taking place right here on POPSUGAR over the past few weeks. In addition to enjoying stories and video about fashion, fitness, food, and more, you can now shop all the brands you love! It's easy — simply head over to ShopStyle to search hundreds of retailers and thousands of products. In addition to helping you browse everything from a sexy LBD to the season's hottest shade of lipstick, we're sharing the latest sales, trends, and more! To celebrate, we want you to tell us what you love! Head over to the entry page and tell us #whatyoulove, and you'll be entered for a chance to win a Saint Laurent mini bag, an Hermès bracelet, and Tom Ford booties!


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Looks like Santa Claus has arrived earlier this year. We have seen many popular software companies giveaway paid softwares for free. IObit the creators of the popular malware and spyware removal tool, are also offering a free license of IObit Security 360 Pro for Free.
IObit Security 360 PRO is an advanced malware & spyware removal utility that detects, removes the deepest infections, and protects your PC from various of potential spyware, adware, trojans, keyloggers, bots, worms, and hijackers.
IObit Security 360 Pro usually sells for $29.95. However, users will be able to download a full version of the software with a free license till November 11th, 2009. No free technical support will be provided for the software.
Download IObit Security Pro 360 Free [Link disabled due to allegations by Malwarebytes against IOBit]


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You want to know what is the best place to live. With the Life Quality Index, or LQI, we make it a lot easier to decide which place is better to live.
The LQI is calculated by combining all our data on transportation, safety, health, affordability, entertainment, demographics, leisure and other essentials for everyday life. All our data comes from very reliable sources, like the MTA, NYPD, Google, Socrata, Foursquare and the U.S. Census to offer you the best information to find the right place to live.
You want to be free to go wherever you want, when you want. So in our LQI we use all the available data on public transport, taxi services, parking places and the distance to the city center or the next borough when calculating the livability of a place.
Life is all about the small things, so if you have everything you need nearby, then that is a great plus! When we calculate the Daily Life for the LQI, we take everything into account. Ranging from the distance to the nearest convenience stores and places of worship to Wi-Fi Hotspots and financial services.
You want to feel safe in your new home, so in the LQI you will be able to find all our data on crime levels and the nearest police and fire stations for that particular place.
Health is important to us all. In the LQI we include everything related to your well-being: the proximity to health and medical facilities, but also pollution levels, the proximity you live to busy truck routes or factories, and even the number of noise complaints.
When you have time off, you want to relax and have fun. So the closer to sport facilities, beauty salons and spas, running tracks and interesting places, the better.
Let's face it, what would life be without restaurants, bars, cafes, museums and other entertainment venues? That's why we include it in our LQI.
We use data on demographics to calculate our Life Quality Index. We all want to feel welcome in our community and at home in our neighborhood. Things like average income, education levels, and poverty index are all taken into account to create the LQI.
Place I Live is a practical tool to view more information about neighborhoods. The Life Quality Index ratings and maps with street view show data about leisure, safety and more in one place.
This portion of the map shows data found about 43rd Avenue in New York City. Alongside address lists with estimated Life Quality Index rating for each location, you can also find different activities across 43rd Avenue for your interest.
|Bird`s eye
Doesn't matter if you are viewing the map in order to find a good park, supermarket or find more background to make a decision to live here, you can also find more and in one place about 43rd Avenue on this map. You can check what attractions there are, as well as find out more about the community living here. You can also check the streets that are near 43rd Avenue, as well as the whole neighborhood, and the rest of New York City.
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The Bandito Brothers, the production company behind the commercial hit Act of Valor have released a teaser trailer for their sci-fi attempt, The Prototype. The story follows a humanoid robot (or a roboticized human) from a government program that goes rogue. As is the case when your superhuman test subjects break free, anything goes in the attempt to bring them down, regardless of how much money you pumped into their creation. The Prototype, written and directed by Bandito Brothers' Andrew Will, stars Neal McDonough (Captain America: The First Avenger), Joseph Mawle (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) and Anna Anissimova. Hit the jump to check out the teaser.
Check out the teaser trailer for The Prototype below (via Deadline):
Personally, I think the character looks a bit like Hellboy's Abe Sapien decided to try on The Rocketeer's helmet, or a stealthier version of the none-too-friendly bots from I, Robot. That being said, the trailer looks like it could be a fun ride. Comparisons have already been drawn to District 9 as far as themes go (I can buy a line about an individual going through a transformation and all the Kafkaesque complexes that come with it; not so much the racial thru lines, however). The trailer has also been compared to such video game fare as inFamous and the awkwardly similarly titled, Prototype. As you can see from the teaser, there is no expected release date just yet. Do the Bandito Bros. have another winner with The Prototype? What do the rest of you think? Please let us know in the comments below.